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Trump-Appointed Judge Rules United Airlines Can Mandate Covid Vaccines
By Cristina Laila Published November 9, 2021 at 2:08pm

A Trump-appointed judge on Monday ruled United Airlines can mandate Covid vaccines for employees. In a 15-page ruling, U.S. District Judge for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas Mark Pittman said the plaintiffs failed to establish they would suffer “imminent, irreparable harm.”

“We’re pleased with the court’s decision today. We know that the best way to keep everyone as safe as we can is for everyone to get vaccinated, as nearly all United employees have chosen to do,” United said in a statement to The Hill.

Recall, 6 United employees filed a lawsuit arguing the airliner was not accommodating religious or medical exemptions as promised – rather, the employees are being put on six years paid leave. Attorneys for the employees argued the airliner’s vaccine mandate violates the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Last month Judge Pittman granted a temporary restraining order, which expired on November 8. “Ultimately, however, it is not for the Court to decide if United’s vaccine mandate is bad policy,” Pittman wrote in his ruling on Monday. “Rather, it is the Court’s role to determine if Plaintiffs carried their burden to obtain a preliminary injunction.”

Separately, the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily halted Biden’s vaccine mandate for businesses with more than 100 employees.

PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday that the country will require anyone over 65 to have a booster shot if they want to keep their health pass, as he warned that Europe faces its “fifth wave” of the virus and caseloads are jumping in several countries.

France is still reporting relatively few new cases per capita, but it has seen hospitalizations and new infections increase in recent days.

The country has for months required that people show a health pass to sit at cafes, eat at restaurants, board long-distance trains and access many other venues. That pass can be obtained after a full vaccination cycle or after recovery from covid-19. Unvaccinated people can temporarily receive the pass following a negative coronavirus test.

Its introduction prompted a surge in bookings for vaccination appointments earlier this summer. France now has one of the continent’s highest vaccination rates, but its booster shot campaign has been off to a slow start.

SINGAPORE: From Dec 8, all COVID-19 patients who are unvaccinated "by choice" will have to pay their own medical bills if they are admitted to hospitals or COVID-19 treatment facilities, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Monday (Nov 8).

The Government is currently footing the full COVID-19 medical bills of all Singaporeans, permanent residents and long-term pass holders, other than for those who test positive soon after returning from overseas travel.

"Currently, unvaccinated persons make up a sizeable majority of those who require intensive inpatient care, and disproportionately contribute to the strain on our healthcare resources," said MOH.

orlylicious wrote: ↑Tue Nov 09, 2021 8:13 pm Hmm, searched for Mandate in topic titles and didn't see one... it's a pretty big topic all on its own. If I missed somewhere it's covered, please let me know or it's fine to move or delete it.

somerset wrote: ↑Wed Nov 10, 2021 12:50 pm Not exactly a mandate, but pretty effective nonetheless:

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapo ... oh-2298601

SINGAPORE: From Dec 8, all COVID-19 patients who are unvaccinated "by choice" will have to pay their own medical bills if they are admitted to hospitals or COVID-19 treatment facilities, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Monday (Nov 8).

The Government is currently footing the full COVID-19 medical bills of all Singaporeans, permanent residents and long-term pass holders, other than for those who test positive soon after returning from overseas travel.

"Currently, unvaccinated persons make up a sizeable majority of those who require intensive inpatient care, and disproportionately contribute to the strain on our healthcare resources," said MOH.

Court allows Air Force officer to bypass coronavirus vaccine mandate on religious grounds, for now

By Andrew Jeong
Yesterday at 6:07 a.m. EST

A federal judge on Tuesday ordered the Air Force to let an officer stay unvaccinated against the coronavirus temporarily, without penalties, making her the first in the branch to receive a court injunction that excuses her from a military-wide vaccine mandate.

Although the military has granted hundreds of medical exemptions to service members, it has been much stricter about religious exemptions, which the officer had unsuccessfully requested. Last month, a federal court sided with 35 Navy sailors who had sued the Biden administration to grant them religious exemptions, and the Marines granted the military’s first such exemptions.

Tuesday’s preliminary injunction shields the officer from forced retirement for refusing a coronavirus vaccination until a final ruling is made. She objects to the vaccines “because of their connection to abortion,” according to her attorneys. Cell lines used in the production of vaccines approved by the Food and Drug Administration are reproductions of fetal cells from abortions performed in the 1970s and 1980s; the shots themselves don’t contain fetal cells.

In a statement, the nonprofit law firm representing the officer said she has natural immunity from a previous coronavirus infection. She has also been willing to work remotely and take periodic coronavirus tests, it said.

She “is compliant with masking, social distancing, and other practices, and, most importantly, has deeply held religious convictions against the vaccine. She sincerely believes that receiving one of the currently available COVID-19 vaccines would violate her conscience and would be contrary to her faith,” the Thomas More Society said.



https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2 ... njunction/

Senate Bill 1128 by Sen. Blake Stephens, R-Tahlequah, would prohibit a person or company from mandating any vaccination, injection, shot or medication for a virus or disease as a condition of continued employment.



Garvin noted that some injections have been required for decades, such as tests for tuberculosis, which require an injection. She asked: If health care workers were no longer required to be tested for TB, who would be held responsible if it spread?

Garvin said that if the measure passed, it would potentially shut down hospitals, nursing homes and clinics that are required by federal standards to have employees vaccinated or tested.

Paxton said the state could lose billions in federal dollars if the bill passed. He asked Stephens to consider the ramifications of his bill, such as the closure of rural hospitals.



Paxton asked Stephens what part of the budget he was willing to use to backfill the billions of federal dollars lost should the measure pass.

He also asked Stephens whether he was willing to take the money from other agencies or raise taxes to pay for it.

Breaking911 @Breaking911 wrote: BREAKING: Federal appeals court upholds President Joe Biden’s mandate that all federal employees be vaccinated against COVID-19 - AP

raison de arizona wrote: ↑Mon Apr 18, 2022 1:41 pm WTF is this crap?

Senate Republicans Advance Another Trump Court Pick Rated 'Not Qualified'
Kathryn Kimball Mizelle, on track to get a lifetime federal judgeship, has only been practicing law since 2012 and has never tried a case.

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted Thursday to advance the lifetime federal judgeship nomination of Kathryn Kimball Mizelle, who earned an embarrassing “not qualified” rating from the American Bar Association.

Every Republican member of the committee voted to send Mizelle’s nomination to the full Senate to be confirmed to a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. She got no support from Democrats, in part because they all boycotted the hearing over another of President Donald Trump’s court picks scheduled for a vote ― Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett.

Mizelle, 33, earned the ABA’s not qualified rating because of her lack of experience. She doesn’t meet the ABA’s requirement that a nominee to a lifetime federal judgeship have at least 12 years of experience practicing law. Mizelle has only been practicing law since 2012, which the ABA notes is “a rather marked departure” from its standard.

She has also never tried a case ― civil or criminal ― as lead attorney or co-counsel.

Mark Joseph Stern @mjs_DC wrote: Who should decide whether air passengers must wear masks: A federal agency staffed with experts accountable to the president, who is accountable to the people? Or a 35-year-old Trump judge in Tampa?

Try explaining to your friends in other liberal democracies that a single unelected, life-tenured, 35-year-old judge just abolished the air travel mask mandate for the entire country.

No peer nation would tolerate such a power-drunk juristocracy. Our system is badly broken.

The Transportation Security Administration will not enforce the mask mandate on public transportation after the court’s ruling, a Biden administration official said. However, the CDC continues to recommend that people wear masks on public transit, the official said.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki, in a press conference Monday, said the administration is reviewing the court’s ruling and the Justice Department will determine whether it will appeal. The Justice Department declined to comment when asked by CNBC.

"MTA
“We are continuing to follow CDC guidelines and will review the Florida court order,” MTA Communications Director Tim Minton told News 4 New York.

AMTRAK
Meanwhile, in a statement to News 4 New York, Amtrak also confirmed that the agency's mask mandate will remain in place for the time-being.

"As we have seen with the vaccine mandates, these court decisions are subject to review on appeal. Pending further information from TSA and FRA about their mask mandate guidance, Amtrak’s mask mandate remains in place," Amtrak's statement said."

Alaska Airlines News @AlaskaAirNews wrote: BREAKING: Face masks are officially optional in airports and onboard all Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air flights, effective immediately. Full statement: