Here Is Why the 6th Circuit Reinstated OSHA's Vaccine Mandate—and Why One Judge Disagreed
The argument hinges largely on what makes an emergency standard "necessary."
Epidemiology
Booster Shots Appear To Offer Protection Against Omicron COVID-19 Variant
Pfizer/BioNTech reports that a third shot significantly neutralizes the emerging variant.
5th Circuit Temporarily Restores Greg Abbott's Ban on School Mask Mandates
The appeals court is skeptical of the claim that the Texas governor's order illegally discriminates against people with disabilities.
Don't Expect Joe Biden's Travel Ban To Save America From the Omicron Variant
The World Health Organization warns that such restrictions can cause more harm than they prevent.
A Worrisome New COVID-19 Variant Identified in South Africa
Just how infectious and dangerous the new variant could be is not known at this time.
The Biden Administration Is Asking an Appeals Court to Lift the Order Blocking OSHA's Vaccine Mandate
The government argues that the 5th Circuit erred in concluding that the rule "grossly exceeds OSHA's statutory authority."
Extending Its Stay, the 5th Circuit Says OSHA's Vaccine Mandate Is 'Fatally Flawed'
A unanimous three-judge panel concludes that the decree "grossly exceeds OSHA's statutory authority."
A Ruling Against Greg Abbott Suggests Federal Law May Require Schools To Mandate Masks
A federal judge concluded that the Texas governor's ban on mask mandates illegally discriminated against students with disabilities.
The CDC's Director Implies That Face Masks Are More Effective Than Vaccines at Preventing COVID-19 Infection
Rochelle Walensky seems to be relying on a laboratory study that did not measure infection risk.
Here Are the Arguments That Persuaded the 5th Circuit To Block OSHA's Vaccine Mandate for Private Employers
The appeals court said the rule, which was published on Friday, raises "grave statutory and constitutional issues."
When Will Positive COVID-19 Trends Be Reflected in the CDC's Advice?
Because the agency ties mask recommendations to virus transmission rather than serious cases, its guidance is unlikely to change anytime soon.
Abbott's Vaccine Order Is Just as Oppressive as Biden's
Neither politician is willing to tolerate deviation from the one business policy he thinks is best.
Even If Requiring People Who Have Recovered From COVID-19 To Be Vaccinated Is Legal, That Doesn't Mean It Makes Sense
The failure of legal challenges obscures an ongoing scientific debate.
The Houston Chronicle Cites Iffy Data To Make the Case for Mask Mandates in Schools
When you are already convinced a policy makes sense, any evidence will do.
Has the Pandemic Finally Peaked in the U.S.?
Recent modeling scenarios cautiously suggest yes.
Vaccine-Related Heart Inflammation Risks for Young People Much Lower Than COVID-19 Heart Inflammation Risks
Young males infected with COVID-19 are six times more likely to develop myocarditis than those who have been vaccinated.
'COVID-19 Hospitalizations' Are an Increasingly Misleading Measure of Severe Disease
New research shows incidental and mild infections account for a large and rising share of that widely cited number.
Can Biden's Vaccination Rule for Private Employers Survive Judicial Scrutiny?
A broad standard with no exceptions better serves his goals, but it will be harder to defend in court.
The Biden Administration's 'Emergency' Vaccine Mandate May Be Vulnerable to Legal Challenges
OSHA has rarely used this option, which avoids the usual rule-making process, and most challenges to such edicts have been successful.
Biden Admits He Can't Mandate Masks. Why Does He Think He Can Mandate Vaccines?
Biden's sudden embrace of a federal vaccine requirement seems inconsistent with his acknowledgment that he cannot mandate every COVID-19 precaution he'd like people to follow.
Biden Keeps Pushing Dubious Arguments for CDC Supremacy
The president seems determined to anoint the agency’s director as the nation’s COVID-19 dictator, no matter what the law says.
The New York Times Assumes a Scientific Consensus on School Mask Mandates That Its Own Reporting Shows Does Not Exist
If all sensible people agree that students should be forced to wear masks, why do other countries reject that policy?
Critics of the SCOTUS Decision Against the CDC's Eviction Moratorium Might Miss the Rule of Law When They Need It
The Court said it "strains credulity" to believe that Congress gave the CDC the "breathtaking amount of authority" it asserted.
The Biden Administration Seems To Think Every Public School Is Legally Obligated To Require That Students Wear Face Masks
The secretary of education argues that federal law makes the CDC's COVID-19 guidelines for schools mandatory.
The Evidence Supporting Mask Mandates in Schools Is Weaker Than Biden Pretends
The studies cited by the CDC do not show that preventing COVID-19 outbreaks requires forcing students to cover their faces.
Oregon Will Require People To Wear Masks Outdoors Even if They're Vaccinated
The government "strongly recommends" masking at private outdoor gatherings as well.
A New York Times Reporter Claims Americans Distrust the Government's COVID-19 Advice Because They Don't Understand How Science Works
If so, public health officials have compounded the problem with disingenuous arguments, dubious policy shifts, and misleading statements.
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick Is Right That Democrats Have a Vaccine Hesitancy Problem, but It's Not Nearly As Big As the GOP's
Although Patrick notes that blacks are less likely to be vaccinated than whites, the gap between Republicans and Democrats is much larger.
This Psychologist Thinks Mask Mandates in Schools 'Offer Distinctive Opportunities for Learning and Growth'
Writing in The New York Times, Judith Danovitch also argues that masks inhibit nail biting and nose picking.
Is Face Mask Skepticism Beyond the Pale?
A rational debate requires acknowledging both the strengths and the weaknesses of the scientific evidence.
If Texas Businesses Are Free To Require Face Masks, Why Can't They Require Proof of Vaccination?
Gov. Greg Abbott's position on private vaccination requirements is confused and confusing.
Rand Paul's Criticism of Cloth Masks Was Stronger Than the Evidence Justifies
Whether or not YouTube should have suspended him, the senator overlooked the limitations of the studies he cited and ignored countervailing research.
Are Mask Requirements in Schools Necessary to Control COVID-19?
The evidence that the benefits outweigh the costs is not nearly as impressive as mandate enthusiasts imply.
Biden's Eviction Moratorium Defies the Rule of Law
The administration issued the order even while conceding that it lacked the authority to do so.
The Biden Administration Is Pushing Social Media Platforms To Expand Their Definition of Intolerable COVID-19 'Misinformation'
Online censorship by proxy undermines the ordinary process for checking claims and counterclaims.
A Federal Judge Lets a Cruise Line Require Proof of Vaccination, Saying a Florida Law Banning the Practice Is Probably Unconstitutional
Gov. Ron DeSantis' embrace of the law contradicts his avowed commitment to economic freedom.
Don't Surrender to the Pandemic Control Freaks
They'll never be satisfied in a world of balanced risks.
Study: As Delta Proliferates, Vaccines Are Less Effective at Preventing Infection but Still Sharply Reduce That Risk
The results also indicate that vaccinated people infected by delta have lower viral loads and less severe symptoms than unvaccinated people.
The Evidence Cited by the CDC Does Not Show That Vaccinated and Unvaccinated COVID-19 Carriers Are Equally Likely To Transmit the Virus
That conclusion is not justified by the CDC's Provincetown data, and it is inconsistent with a new study from Singapore.
The Biden Administration's Mixed COVID-19 Messages Discourage Vaccination
Federal officials invited alarmist press coverage of breakthrough infections.
Eviction Moratoria and Nondelegation
Thank goodness for small blessings in a public health emergency?
The Biden Administration Continues to Exaggerate the Risk Posed by COVID-19 Breakthrough Infections While Slamming the Press for Doing the Same Thing
The administration is dismayed by the alarmist news coverage it invited.
The Provincetown Outbreak Shows Vaccinated People Can Be Infected by the Coronavirus, but the CDC's Director Grossly Exaggerates That Risk
Researchers are still trying to determine what role vaccinated carriers may have played in the Massachusetts cases identified by the CDC.
What Does the Unpublished Evidence Cited by the CDC's New Face Mask Guidance Actually Show?
The agency says it found high viral loads in vaccinated people infected by the coronavirus, but the significance of those results is unclear.
Biden Is Trying to Impose Online Censorship by Proxy
The administration’s public pressure campaign against COVID-19 "misinformation" cannot be reconciled with its avowed respect for freedom of expression.
Biden Charges Facebook With Homicide, While His Surgeon General Recommends 'Legal and Regulatory Measures' To Suppress COVID-19 'Misinformation'
Speech is protected by the First Amendment even when it discourages vaccination.
Citing Rising COVID-19 Cases, L.A. County Reimposes a General Mask Mandate and Threatens Additional Restrictions
Requiring inoculated people to wear masks does not seem like a sensible or effective response, and it could deter vaccination.
If the CDC Can Impose a Nationwide Eviction Moratorium, Why Can't It Impose a Nationwide Vaccine Mandate?
It could, if it actually had the vast public health powers that the Biden administration claims it does.
