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U.S. Judge Blocks Biden Federal Employee COVID Vaccine Mandate
A judge in Texas ruled on Friday that President Joe Biden could not require federal employees to be vaccinated against the coronavirus and blocked the U.S. government from disciplining employees who failed to comply.
Biden issued an order requiring about 3.5 million workers to get vaccinated by Nov. 22 barring religious or medical accommodation — or else face discipline or firing.
U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown said the question was whether Biden could “require millions of federal employees to undergo a medical procedure as a condition of their employment. That, under the current state of the law as just recently expressed by the Supreme Court, is a bridge too far.”
The judge’s ruling is the latest in a series of court decisions to go against government vaccine requirements.
U.S. ‘Walking Towards Authoritarianism’ by Not Reining in Big Tech
In recent years, concerns over digital data mining and violations of online privacy have become an increasing concern within both the public and political spheres.
Governments have been found to questionably employ data collection raising concerns over the increased surveillance it can afford governments, and the impact the practice may have on the democratic process and the broader geopolitics spectrum.
These concerns are meticulously explored in Privacy is Power: Why And How You Should Take Back Control of Your Data, by the philosopher Carissa Véliz. The book exposes the ethics of how corporations and governments exploit data, and how users can obtain greater protection.
At Least 25 Federal Agencies Are Tracking Religious Exemption Requests
The Epoch Times via Technocracy News reported:
At least 25 federal agencies have implemented a system to track religious exemption requests for mandated vaccines, according to a review of Federal Register notices by The Epoch Times.
The agencies include the departments of Justice, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation, the Treasury, the Social Security Administration and the Federal Election Commission.
The Heritage Foundation, a conservative group, earlier this week found that 19 agencies were either considering or have already implemented the tracking system. The group warned that the system may be a test pilot plan to monitor all federal workers.
Restaurant Owners Sue Minneapolis and Mayor Jacob Frey Over Vaccine Mandate
A group of businesses has sued the city of Minneapolis and Mayor Jacob Frey over the new rule that patrons must show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test to enter restaurants, bars and other indoor venues
The lawsuit filed late Thursday at Hennepin County District Court included the owners of a number of downtown establishments, including the Smack Shack, Gay ’90s, Sneaky Pete’s and Bunkers Music Bar and Grill. They want a judge to stop the city from enforcing the new requirement.
Maine Committee Nixes Bid to Stop COVID Vaccine Mandates
A committee of the Maine Legislature has voted against a proposal that would have prohibited the state from enacting COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
The Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee voted the proposal down by party lines on Thursday. Democrats, who have a majority in the Legislature, opposed the move, which was proposed by Republican Rep. Tracy Quint, of Hodgdon.
Proponents of the bill said it would allow for more time to study the possibility of reproductive harm from the vaccines. Health authorities have said there is no evidence of such a problem.
D.C. Won’t Require COVID Vaccination Proof for Entertainers but Will Impose Restriction for Their Patrons
The Washington D.C. city government will not require entertainers to show proof of coronavirus vaccination when performing at venues within the district, even though the patrons in the same venues will be required to do so.
A spokesperson for the Washington D.C. Department of Health confirmed to Fox News that entertainers, including musicians, bands, comedians, etc. are not required to show proof of the coronavirus vaccination when performing at venues within the district, which includes indoor venues.
Employees at these entertainment venues are also not required to show their vaccine records.
In a tweet on Dec. 22, Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that people ages 12 and older must receive at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine to enter certain establishments, including restaurants, bars, nightclubs, gyms, and other businesses beginning on Jan. 15.
Mask Mandate Bans in Schools Have Been Blocked in 4 States, Could West Virginia Be Next?
Nearly a dozen Republican-controlled states have moved to prohibit school districts from setting mask mandates, but only three have successfully won their case in court.
While cases continue to be litigated in Iowa, Montana and Oklahoma, four other states have been blocked from enforcing such bans on constitutional grounds.
On Wednesday, the West Virginia House Education Committee voted 18-6 to approve House Bill 4071, which would prohibit educational institutions and elected or appointed officials from imposing a mask mandate on students or school employees, even in the case of a COVID outbreak.
It would also prohibit required COVID testing of symptomatic students and staff, as well as mandatory quarantine or isolation unless there is a positive COVID test.
Virginia Governor Seeks Dismissal of Suit Over School Masks
Gov. Glenn Youngkin has asked the Supreme Court of Virginia to dismiss a lawsuit challenging his executive order allowing parents to opt-out of mandates requiring children to wear masks in school.
A filing late Thursday from the office of Attorney General Jason Miyares cites a state law that says parents have a “fundamental right to make decisions concerning the upbringing, education, and care” of their children. Miyares also argues that Youngkin’s order falls well within the broad authority given to the governor to address the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some Governments Have Launched Plans to Fine the Unvaccinated. Experts Caution Against the Approach.
More governments are offering people a stark choice: Get vaccinated or pay up.
European countries, in particular, have tightened restrictions on unvaccinated residents in an effort to vaccinate holdouts and curb the spread of the fast-moving Omicron variant.
Rights groups such as Amnesty International have decried these policies as discriminatory and counterproductive, and scientists and public health experts warn that a punitive approach could backfire.
COVID: 5-Day Lockdown for 2,700 People in Hong Kong Residential Building Over Omicron Outbreak
Hong Kong Free Press reported:
Hong Kong’s health authorities announced that all people living in a Kwai Chung residential building will be subject to a five-day lockdown after at least 20 COVID-19 cases were detected there.
Around 2,700 residents of Yat Kwai House in Kwai Chung Estate will be kept under home quarantine and undergo daily compulsory testing from 6 p.m. on Friday until next Wednesday, Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan told reporters on Friday night.
Residents will be required to stay in their homes, even after completing their daily testing.
Ireland Drops Most COVID Restrictions in Wake of ‘Omicron Storm’
Ireland is to scrap almost all its COVID-19 restrictions on Saturday after coming through the storm of the Omicron variant that led to a massive surge in infections, Prime Minister Micheal Martin said in a national address.
But following advice from public health officials, the government decided that bars and restaurants will no longer need to close at 8 p.m., a restriction put in place late last year when the Omicron wave struck, or to ask customers for proof of vaccination.
Indoor and outdoor venues are also set to return to full capacity, paving the way for full crowds at next month’s Six Nations rugby championship.
Senate Committee Passes Tech Antitrust Bill That’s Making Apple and Google Lose Their Minds
Legislative efforts to rein in Big Tech’s alleged anti-competitive, self-preferential business practices took a big step forward on Thursday as a bipartisan group of lawmakers on the Senate Judiciary Committee voted overwhelmingly (16-6) in favor of advancing new antitrust legislation.
If passed into law, the bill would make it illegal for tech’s largest internet companies to unfairly favor their own products and services on their platforms.
Google Denies Facebook Collusion Claims in New Court Filing and Blog Post
Google has filed a motion to dismiss the antitrust complaint filed last week, which alleges it colluded with Facebook to manipulate programmatic ad markets.
Originally filed in November, the antitrust suit has been led by Texas attorney general Ken Paxton of Texas and has gradually revealed more allegations through a series of revised complaints.
The complaint filed last week provided particularly specific details about Google’s alleged collusion with Facebook, including a project nicknamed “Jedi Blue” that the suit says intended to limit ad header bidding practices.
