President Joe Biden plans to sign an order to temporarily lift weight limits so trucks can carry more cargo. Current truck size and weight standards are a blend of federal and state rules. Biden’s order would lift federal limits on gross vehicle weight, single axle weight, and tandem axle group weight. It would also direct a California labor agency to create educational opportunities for people to become truck drivers. This comes as oil tops $84 a barrel for the first time since 2014.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is calling for a special legislative session to consider bills countering vaccine and mask mandates. Biden last month ordered the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to create a rule requiring all private employers with 100 or more employees to mandate vaccines or require them to submit to weekly COVID-19 testing. The rule could affect nearly 80 million workers, according to administration officials. Businesses could face fines up to $14,000 per violation. This comes as 12,000 active duty Air Force personnel could lose their jobs for failing to comply with the mandate unless they get a religious or medical exemption. The Air Force has declined to say whether any exemptions have been granted.
Former President Donald Trump is starting his own social media network. In a press release Wednesday, he said the new company Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG) will launch the app Truth Social. A beta launch for invited guests is set for November, with a nationwide rollout expected early next year. This comes as the Senate has called on Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to testify about Instagram’s impact on children. Facebook’s oversight board offered strong words in a quarterly report released Thursday, noting the key finding was that “Facebook needs to commit to greater transparency and to treat users fairly.”
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