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Judge Lifts Temporary Pause on Vaccine Mandate for NYC Teachers, Who Now Must Be Vaccinated by Monday

CBS New York reported:

A judge has lifted a temporary pause on New York City’s vaccine mandate. That means all teachers must be vaccinated by Monday, or lose their jobs.

More than a month ago, Mayor Bill de Blasio said all teachers must get the shot by Sept. 27 or lose their jobs. The state said the same for healthcare workers.

Seventeen healthcare workers filed lawsuits and several municipal unions sued the city, saying the mandate violates constitutional rights and that it shouldn’t be a condition of employment.

Survey Finds More Than Half of U.S. Companies to Impose Vaccine Mandates

Summit News reported:

A survey conducted by risk management and advisory company Willis Towers Watson has found that more than half of U.S. companies expect to impose COVID vaccine mandates on their employees by the end of the year.

The survey of 1000 companies, employing close to 10 million people, found that 52 percent of employers are planning some form of vaccine mandate for workers.

The figure would be a massive increase on the 21 percent of employers who currently have mandates in place.

The Smart Toilet Era Is Here! Are You Ready to Share Your Analprint With Big Tech?

The Guardian reported:

Smart toilet innovators believe the loo could become the ultimate health monitoring tool. Grego believes her product – which analyses and tracks stool samples and sends the data to an app – will provide “information related to cancer and many chronic diseases”.

For general consumers, it will provide peace of mind, she says, by establishing “a healthy baseline”: “Having technology that tracks what is normal for an individual could provide an early warning that a checkup is needed.”

For people with specific conditions, such as inflammatory bowel disease, the device could provide helpful monitoring for doctors. “It’s very difficult to know when to escalate or de-escalate treatment,” she says. “Stool-based biomarkers can provide that information.”

Businesses Must Bone Up on Biometrics — It’s the Law

RCBiz Journal reported:

Amazon uses your palm print for payment at Whole Foods. Disney requires your fingerprints when entering a park.

Biometrics. This is the next wave of personal information that businesses will soon require consumers to share. Biometric data is physiological or biological characteristics used to identify an individual, such as facial recognition, fingerprints, and retina/iris scans.

Personal information collected through biometric data will have to be secured by businesses that collect them. New York has taken the first steps to ensure security for the collection of biometric data.

White House Opposes NDAA Provision Banning Dishonorable Discharge for COVID Vaccine Refusal

Forbes Alert reported:

The White House said it “strongly opposes” a provision in the 2022 defense spending bill that would block the Pentagon from dishonorably discharging a service member who refuses to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

A section in the House version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) would limit military commanders’ options for disciplining those who fail to comply with the vaccination mandate, the White House Office of Management and Budget said in a statement of administration policy Wednesday.

Section 716 of the NDAA would prohibit service members who are discharged over vaccine refusal from receiving anything other than an honorable discharge, noting that “many Americans have reservations about taking a vaccine that has only been available for less than a year.”

NY Governor Refusing to Budge on Vaccine Mandate for Nurses: You’re Replaceable

Fox News reported:

Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul remained adamant that healthcare workers get vaccinated by Sept. 27 in the state or be replaced.

“To all the healthcare providers, doctors and nurses in particular who are vaccinated, I say thank you. Because you are keeping true to your oath,” Hochul said during a visit to Rochester Wednesday. “To those who won’t, we will be replacing people.”

Team USA to Mandate COVID Vaccine for Winter Olympic Hopefuls

Axios reported:

American athletes looking to compete in the Winter Olympics in Beijing must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, according to updated guidelines posted on the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) website.

Employees, athletes and contractors must be vaccinated by Nov. 1 to use USOPC facilities or attend events hosted by the committee. On Dec. 1, the mandate extends “to all Team USA delegation members or hopefuls for future Games.”

Tech Groups Representing Facebook and Twitter Sue Texas Over Social Media Censorship Law

Forbes reported:

Two trade groups representing big tech companies like Facebook, Twitter and Google filed a lawsuit against the state of Texas on Wednesday, arguing a new state law that prohibits social media platforms from banning users over their political views violates the companies’ First Amendment rights.

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court for west Texas, says the Republican-styled anti-censorship law infringes on the editorial discretion of social media companies by forcing them to allow content they otherwise wouldn’t.

Texas House Bill 20, which Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law September 9, requires social media companies with more than 50 million monthly users in the U.S. to issue public reports on suspensions and content removal to prove political bias isn’t playing a role in those decisions.

Vaccine Mandate Must Prove COVID a ‘Grave Danger’ in the Workplace

KATV Reported:

While some employers are eager to comply with the guidance and boost workplace vaccination, others are preparing to challenge the mandate in court. That has raised the stakes for the Occupation Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which is responsible for drafting the rule.

OSHA has been working quietly behind the scenes on an emergency temporary standard that can stand up to legal challenges. Their strongest position will be establishing the need for a mandate to protect employees against the “grave danger” of COVID-19.

“It’s one thing if a private company of any size wants to require employees to be vaccinated. It’s a whole different ball game when the federal government is compelling these businesses to police their employees,” said Elaine Parker, president of the Job Creators Network Foundation. The group is filing suit with some of its small business members and their employees.

Florida’s New Surgeon General Opposes Mandates, Calls COVID Vaccines ‘Nothing Special’

CBS News reported:

On Tuesday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced that Dr. Joseph Ladapo will be the state’s new surgeon general and secretary of the state’s health department.

But Ladapo quickly came under fire from critics for downplaying COVID-19 vaccines.

At a press conference announcing his new role, Ladapo said he is going to advocate for a “public health” approach to handling the pandemic and other concerns, and said he will “completely reject fear as a way of making policies.”