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Kansas Supreme Court Sides With Woman Who Lost Job Offer After She Refused COVID Vaccine
The Kansas Supreme Court sided Friday with a woman who lost a job offer when she refused to get a COVID-19 vaccine, rejecting the employer’s arguments that federal law supersedes a state law restriction on questioning the sincerity of religious beliefs. Katlin Keeran, an occupational therapist who lived in Johnson County, initially cited concerns about the use of fetal cells in the development of COVID-19 vaccines. But under questioning by Powerback Rehabilitation, she said she had previously gotten the flu vaccine but didn’t want to get the COVID-19 vaccine because “I am not familiar with it.” The company rescinded its employment offer.
Keeran filed a complaint with the Kansas Department of Labor, saying the company violated a law passed by the Legislature during a 2021 special session that allowed individuals to opt out of a federal vaccine mandate and made it illegal for employers to question the sincerity of religious beliefs.
Because Powerback receives Medicare and Medicaid funding, it was subject to the vaccine mandate as a condition for receiving those dollars. Federal law empowers employers to question the sincerity of a religious belief. Powerback argued it was impossible to comply with both federal and state laws, and that federal law should prevail.
Investigation: DFW Public Hospitals Approve Nearly All Flu Vaccine Exemptions
Public hospitals across the Dallas-Fort Worth area have granted nearly every exemption request for the influenza vaccine in recent years.
In responses to Texas Public Information Act requests, Parkland Health, John Peter Smith Hospital, and UT Southwestern Medical Center all reported overwhelmingly high rates of approval for employees and contractors seeking to opt out of the seasonal flu shot. Harris Health System in Houston and the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston reported similar findings.
At Parkland Health in Dallas, 356 of 357 exemption requests were approved between January 2024 and March 2025. Data analysis showed that about 88% of exemptions were annual and tied to religious reasons, while most indefinite exemptions were granted for medical reasons. Only one request was not approved, though the entry lacked a date and reason.
Most Floridians Are Against Removing All Vaccine Mandates, James Madison Institute Poll Says
About 62% of Florida voters are against the state’s proposal to get rid of all vaccine mandates for public schoolchildren, according to a new poll by the James Madison Institute. Only about 29% support Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo’s push to make Florida the first state to end vaccine requirements.
The survey of 1,200 registered voters, however, also found Floridians’ views on vaccines had some nuance. “Nearly half (49%) back a streamlined U.S. childhood vaccine schedule limiting mandates to MMR and polio, with other vaccines like DTaP and hepatitis B optional,” the conservative think tank said in a press release. “Less than two in five voters (38%) prefer the current broader approach, signaling a cautious yet practical stance on public health amid ongoing debates on vaccine safety.” Pollsters report a 2.77-percentage-point margin of error.
The latest survey to get a snapshot on Floridian’s views comes after DeSantis and Ladapo disclosed their plan to repeal vaccine mandates. Democrats, meanwhile, raised alarms that the move will put children’s health at risk. The state currently has in place pre-K-12 immunization requirements for polio, measles-mumps-rubella, chicken pox, Hepatitis B and other diseases. Parents can already request exemptions for religious reasons.
Report: EU to Charge Meta Under Censorship Law for Failing to Remove ‘Harmful’ Content
Meta Platforms is bracing for formal charges from the European Union (EU), accused of not doing enough to police online speech on Facebook and Instagram. The problem is the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), a law that gives regulators the power to decide what counts as “illegal” or “harmful” content (a definition that includes “illegal hate speech”) and punish companies that fail to take it down.
The commission’s move could lead to a fine of up to 6% of Meta’s worldwide revenue, though the company will be allowed to respond before any penalty is finalized.
Officials in Brussels argue that Meta lacks an adequate “notice and action mechanism” for users to flag posts for removal. The charge sheet, expected within weeks, according to Bloomberg, builds on an investigation launched in April 2024.
YouTube Agrees to Pay $24.5 Million to Settle Trump Lawsuit: Court Filing
YouTube has agreed to pay $24.5 million to settle a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump and other plaintiffs after he was suspended from the platform in 2021, according to a court filing.
YouTube suspended Trump’s account following the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, saying at the time that an uploaded video violated its policy for inciting violence. It restored Trump’s channel more than two years later, citing that voters could “hear equally from major national candidates in the run-up to an election.”
Trump’s lawsuit alleged that YouTube prevented him from “exercising his constitutional right of free speech” by banning him indefinitely from the platform. YouTube is the latest social media company to agree to settle with Trump this year over the suspension of his accounts following the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
What Is the Plan for Digital IDs and Will They Be Mandatory?
The government has announced plans to introduce a digital ID system across the U.K., with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer saying it will ensure the country’s “borders are more secure”. The IDs will not have to be carried day-to-day, but they will be compulsory for anyone wanting to work.
The government says the scheme will be rolled-out “by the end of the Parliament” – meaning before the next general election, which by law must be held no later than August 2029. The digital IDs will be used to prove a person’s right to live and work in the U.K.. They will take the form of an app-based system, stored on smartphones in a similar way to the NHS App or digital bank cards.
Information on the holders’ residency status, name, date of birth, nationality and a photo will be included. Announcing the scheme, Sir Keir said: “You will not be able to work in the United Kingdom if you do not have digital ID. It’s as simple as that.” The government says the scheme is designed to curb illegal immigration by making it harder for people without status to find jobs. Ministers argue this is one of the key pull factors for migrants entering the U.K. illegally.
