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Fauci Speaks Out Over COVID Variant as Mask Mandates Reintroduced
Anthony Fauci has said that there is “not going to be the tsunami of cases that we’ve seen” during the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, following the emergence of two new variants of the virus.
Speaking to the BBC on Tuesday, the former chief medical advisor to the president, who was regularly the face of the government’s response to the pandemic, played down the seriousness of the new strains, stressing that the vast majority of the population had enough immunity to prevent infections requiring medical intervention.
His remarks come as some private institutions, hospital operators, and colleges in the U.S. have reintroduced the requirements for staff or visitors to wear masks while at their sites to limit the spread of the new variants — EG.5 and BA.2.86 — prompting speculation that fresh COVID restrictions could be on the horizon.
A spokesperson for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) told Newsweek on Thursday it currently has no intention to call for a return of mandated mask-wearing, but didn’t deny that this might change if cases of the new variants were to rise significantly.
New York Police Will Use Drones to Monitor Backyard Parties This Weekend, Spurring Privacy Concerns
Those attending outdoor parties or barbecues in New York City this weekend may notice an uninvited guest looming over their festivities: a police surveillance drone.
The New York City police department plans to pilot the unmanned aircraft in response to complaints about large gatherings, including private events, over Labor Day weekend, officials announced Thursday.
The plan drew immediate backlash from privacy and civil liberties advocates, raising questions about whether such drone use violated existing laws for police surveillance.
“It’s a troubling announcement and it flies in the face of the POST Act,” said Daniel Schwarz, a privacy and technology strategist at the New York Civil Liberties Union, referring to a 2020 city law that requires the NYPD to disclose its surveillance tactics. “Deploying drones in this way is a sci-fi-inspired scenario.”
Texas Bans Mask Mandates as COVID Restrictions Imposed in Other States
A ban on COVID-19 restrictions that impose a mandate to wear face masks in public spaces went into effect in Texas after a number of institutions across the U.S. reinstated the policy due to a rise in new infections fueled by the emergence of two new variants of the virus.
Senate Bill 29, which was passed by the state’s Legislature in May and signed by Governor Greg Abbott at the start of June, went into effect on Friday. It prohibits most government institutions from enforcing mask-wearing policies but places no restrictions on private entities.
Some private institutions, hospital operators and colleges have reintroduced the requirements for staff or visitors to wear masks while at their sites to limit the spread of the new variants — EG.5 and BA.2.86 — prompting speculation that fresh COVID restrictions may be on the horizon.
The bodies that have so far reinstituted mask mandates have been based in Georgia, California and New York.
Federal Judge Blocks Arkansas Social Media Age Verification Law to Have Gone Into Effect Friday
A U.S. District Judge has blocked an Arkansas social media age verification law that was set to go in effect Friday, according to a Thursday court filing.
The act was aimed at requiring “age verification for use of social media; and to clarify liability for failure to perform age verification for use of social media and illegal retention of data,” according to Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ office.
It’s believed this would have been the first law in the US requiring age verification from new social media users, and to require parental consent, to go into effect.
Judge Timothy L. Brooks said a motion filed by NetChoice — a group that represents a slew of social media companies like Facebook and Snapchat — “has standing to assert a constitutional challenge to Act 689 on behalf of its members and its members’ users.”
Online Marketplaces, Social Media Platforms Under Fire From Congress Over Recalled Products
Imagine that you ordered something online and found out later that it was recalled or even banned. How would you react? Would you ever buy from that online retailer again? Probably not. That is the scenario that the House Energy and Commerce Committee wants to prevent. The committee is worried that some of the largest online shopping companies are not doing enough to stop consumers from buying products that pose safety risks through their platforms, exposing them to potential harm. The committee has sent letters to 17 companies asking them about their efforts to prevent sales of dangerous products.
The letter was sent to the following companies: Meta, Amazon, Walmart, Target, Bikelist, eBay, Etsy, Goldin, Kidizen, Mercari, OfferUp, Poshmark, Reverb, TikTok, Pinduoduo, Alibaba and Shein. It was signed by Reps. Frank Pallone, Jr., Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Jan Schakowsky and Gus Bilirakis.
One particular concern the committee has is with Meta’s inability to prevent purchases of two children’s items — the Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Play sleeper and Boppy Newborn Lounger — that had both been recalled years ago. These recalls were not just out of caution. The Rock ’n Play has been linked to the deaths of over 100 infants. The committee said it is “unaware” of any “proactive measures” that Meta has taken to stop the sales of these clearly hazardous products.
Sage Steele Blasts ESPN for Silencing Her: ‘The Opposite of Equity, Tolerance, Inclusion’
Former ESPN anchor Sage Steele slammed her former employer in interviews this week after exiting the company over how they silenced her for giving her opinions while allowing her colleagues to speak on controversial political issues.
Steele was sidelined by the left-wing organization in 2021 when she spoke out about how she had to get a COVID vaccine to keep her job.
“It’s insane, and it’s the opposite of what people preach with equity and tolerance and inclusion and acceptance and all those words that everybody throws around, especially in corporate America, but when it’s actually time to live it? That was my issue,” she added.
Steele said in a separate interview that the entire ordeal turned into a big controversy “because most importantly, I complied.”
Fired Pittsburgh Regional Transit Workers Weigh Options After COVID Vaccine Mandate Lifted
There are $10 million in lost wages calculated by Attorney James Welsh for the 75 fired Pittsburgh Regional Transit workers he represents. It’s a huge financial impact to each and every one.
“I can’t even put into words how hard it’s been,” said Jonathan Lutz. Lutz was fired from his job with the company on March 23, 2022. The decision was over his refusal to get the COVID-19 vaccine and PRT denying his filed exemption.
A united front as 75 of the 84 fired workers over the mandate are all part of a class action civil rights lawsuit filed against the Port Authority, now known as PRT.
The press release continues on and says all terminated workers will have the opportunity to return to work. Both Lutz and Welsh don’t believe it’s that easy, and the offer will come with stipulations. So, they plan to move forward with the lawsuit as the PRT has until next month to respond.
France Plans to Boost Internet Censorship to Combat Online Fraud
DNS providers and web browsers could be forced to block websites flagged by authorities in France under a new proposed law.
Currently pushed through parliament, the so-called SREN Bill comes as a way to regulate online content and tackle issues like digital fraud, online harassment, and minors’ access to pornography.
Despite being motivated by legitimate concerns, experts deemed the Bill as a “dangerous slippery slope.” Granting the French government greater website blocking powers will create further censorship technical capabilities, they warn, while setting up a worrying precedent that threatens the open internet.
