Coronavirus

Former ‘General Hospital’ actor Ingo Rademacher sues ABC over vaccine mandate

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The soap star claimed that his application for religious exemption was denied by the Disney-owned network

Former “General Hospital” star Ingo Rademacher has sued the soap’s home network of ABC over Its vaccine mandate.

“General Hospital” alum Ingo Rademacher has sued ABC over their vaccine mandate, alleging they denied his applications for religious exemption.

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Judge blocks Biden’s vaccine mandate for federal contractors

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A federal judge on Tuesday blocked President Joe Biden’s administration from enforcing a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for employees of federal contractors, the latest in a string of victories for Republican-led states pushing back against Biden’s pandemic policies.

U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker, in Augusta, Georgia, issued a stay to bar enforcement of the mandate nationwide.

The order came in response to a lawsuit from several contractors and seven states — Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, South Carolina, Utah and West Virginia. It applies across the U.S. because one of those challenging the order is the trade group Associated Builders and Contractors Inc., whose members do business nationwide.

Baker found that the states are likely to succeed in their claim that Biden exceeded authorization from Congress when he issued the requirement in September.

“The Court acknowledges the tragic toll that the COVID-19 pandemic has wrought throughout the nation and the globe,” wrote the judge, an appointee of former President Donald Trump. “However, even in times of crisis this Court must preserve the rule of law and ensure that all branches of government act within the bounds of their constitutionally granted authorities.”

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Two cases of Omicron Covid variant identified in UK

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The B.1.1.529 variant, described in Britain as ‘the most worrying we’ve seen’, was first found in southern Africa

The first cases of the new B.1.1.529 Covid-19 variant have been identified in the UK.

Two people found to be infected with the Omicron variant are self-isolating, according to the health secretary, Sajid Javid.

The two cases, which are connected, were identified in Chelmsford and Nottingham, Javid said. “The two individuals concerned are self-isolating alongside their whole household while further tests and sequencing is carried out, and contact tracing. The two cases are linked,” he said.

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New variant raises alarms

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Nearly two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, the world raced Friday to contain a new coronavirus variant potentially more dangerous than the one that has fueled relentless waves of infection on every continent.

A World Health Organization panel named the variant “omicron” and classified it as a
highly transmissible virus of concern, the same category that includes the predominant
delta variant, which is still a scourge driving higher cases of sickness and death in Europe and parts of the United States.

“It seems to spread rapidly,” President Joe Biden said of the new variant, only a day after celebrating the resumption of Thanksgiving gatherings for millions of American families and the sense that normal life was coming back at least for the vaccinated. In announcing new travel restrictions, he told reporters, “I’ve decided that we’re going to be cautious.”

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Dow tumbles 900 points for worst day of year on fears of new Covid variant, S&P 500 drops 2.53%

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U.S. stocks dropped sharply on Friday as a new Covid variant found in South Africa triggered a global shift away from risk assets. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 905.04 points, or 2.53%, for its worst day of the year, closing at 34,899.34. The S&P 500 lost 2.27% to close at 4,594.62, while the Nasdaq … Read more

Disney World pauses COVID-19 vaccine mandate

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Walt Disney World confirmed Saturday that it has paused its COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

“We believe that our approach to mandatory vaccines has been the right one as we’ve continued to focus on the safety and well-being of our cast members and guests, and at this point, more than 90% of active Florida-based cast members have already verified that they are fully vaccinated,” a Disney spokesperson said. “We will address legal developments as appropriate.”

An internal memo from Disney said that the pause will remain in effect as the company “assesses the new state laws protecting workers from vaccine mandates,” according to FOX 35 Orlando. The station said it had obtained a copy of the internal memo sent to Disney cast members.

Nick Caturano, a cast member at Disney World for more than 16 years, said that he had heard managers were leaking e-mails detailing the move two hours before the cast members received them.

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