There have been changes to mandates across the states. New York City is implementing a vaccine mandate for private-sector employees. Mayor Bill de Blasio says it will impact 184,000 businesses in the city. The new mandate goes into effect Dec. 27. Health officials in Oregon are seeking to make an indoor mask mandate indefinite. An Oregon health official told a local outlet that “permanent” doesn’t mean the rule will never go away, but that it won’t expire automatically unless it is repealed. And Nevada is now the first state to impose a surcharge on state workers who are unvaccinated. Starting July 1 next year, non-compliant state employees will be charged $55 per month.
This comes as the 6th Circuit Court rules against the Biden administration in the OSHA vaccine mandate lawsuit. Some are expecting the challenge to end up before the Supreme Court. The 5th Circuit temporarily banned the OSHA mandate on private businesses with over 100 employees, calling it “fatally flawed” and unconstitutional. The Biden administration then filed a motion on Nov. 23 to lift the 5th Circuit’s stay on the mandate and get the case moved to a potentially more favorable court. The 6th Circuit Court denied both requests in its Dec. 3 ruling.
Flags are flying at half mast to honor former senator and Republican presidential nominee Bob Dole. He was 98 years old. His family said he died in his sleep early Sunday. Dole’s American journey took him from the plains of Kansas to World War II Europe—and all the way to Capitol Hill, where he became one of the most powerful politicians of the twentieth century. For 27 years, he served as a U.S. senator from Kansas, including two stints as the Senate Majority Leader. He was also the unsuccessful Republican presidential nominee against Bill Clinton in 1996.
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