October 13, 2021 Briefing
Politics:
The U.S. will open the Canada and Mexico borders for fully vaccinated travelers in November, lifting a 19-month ban that began with the pandemic. - New York Times
“Those who provide proof of vaccination and are looking to visit families or friends or shop in the United States will be allowed to enter next month, senior administration officials said, just weeks after President Biden lifted a similar sweeping ban on foreigners looking to travel to the country from overseas.”
Military drops hammer on Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller, announces six charges over criticism of commanders - Blaze Media
“The Marine Corps revealed last week that Scheller has been formally charged with six violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, and will be tried before a special court-martial.”
“The city is poised to fire as many as 403 officers, about 40 percent of the 1,000-person force, for failing to take the COVID-19 jab by an Oct. 18 deadline, according to local reports.”
2 Georgia election workers were fired for allegedly shredding voter registration forms ahead of local elections - Business Insider
“Two election workers in Fulton County, Georgia, were fired after they allegedly shred around 300 filled-in voter registration forms ahead of local elections in November.”
“Oregon state Sens. Kim Thatcher and Dennis Linthicum, both Republicans, have petitioned Acting U.S. Attorney Scott E. Asphaug to launch a grand jury investigation into the measurement of COVID-19 statistics by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).”
Culture:
“According to the Department of Justice, Jonathan and Diana Toebbe were arrested in Jefferson County, W. Va., where they were allegedly attempting to sell information about the design of nuclear reactors on American submarines to someone they thought was an agent of another country — but who was actually an undercover FBI agent.”
“The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has launched an investigation into the digital communication habits of Wall Street bank employees, three anonymous sources close to the matter told Reuters.”
“Some of the nation’s top expert forensic pathologists are sounding off after Tuesday’s news that Gabby Petito died as a result of ‘manual strangulation’ and had been left in the Wyoming wilderness for an estimated three to four weeks before she was recovered, with one explaining how medical professionally likely reached their conclusions.”
Health:
Federal Judge Grants Preliminary Injunction Against N.Y.’s Vaccine Mandate For Health Care Workers - CBS New York
“A federal judge has temporarily allowed health care workers in New York to skip mandatory COVID-19 vaccines if they apply for religious exemptions.”
“A hospital in Maine has closed its neonatal intensive care unit because of a staffing shortage due to the state's impending vaccine mandate for health care workers.”
Merck Asks FDA to Authorize First Pill to Treat COVID-19 - Daily Beast
“Merck has asked the Federal Drug Administration to authorize the first pill to treat COVID-19. The antiviral treatment, which can be taken at home, would help ease COVID-19 patients’ symptoms and shorten recovery times, helping hospitals manage outbreaks.”
“The World Health Organization has requested access to China's wildlife farming areas such as Enshi, calling it a key step in the search for the origins of the coronavirus. Beijing has denied the requests. (After publication, WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said that although the organization suggested the need to trace back the wildlife trade from markets in Wuhan, there was no specific request to visit the Hubei area.)”
Business:
“Overall optimism among small-business owners edged down in September while the level of confidence in the six-months-ahead outlook for business conditions fell to a nine-year low as inflation and hiring difficulties took a bite out of sentiment, according to the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB).”
A record number of Americans are quitting their jobs - CNN Business
“About 2.9% of the workforce quit in August, up from 2.7% in July, according to the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) report, released Tuesday. That marks the highest quit rate since the report began in late 2000.”
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott bans any COVID-19 vaccine mandates — including for private employers - Texas Tribune
“Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday issued another executive order cracking down on COVID-19 vaccine mandates — this time banning any entity in Texas, including private businesses, from requiring vaccinations for employees or customers.”