Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal workers blocked by U.S. appeals court
Global News
The court rejected arguments that Biden, as the nation's chief executive, has the same authority as the CEO of a private corporation to require that employees be vaccinated.
U.S. President Joe Biden’s order that federal employees get vaccinated against COVID-19 was blocked Thursday by a federal appeals court.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans rejected arguments that Biden, as the nation’s chief executive, has the same authority as the CEO of a private corporation to require that employees be vaccinated.
The ruling from the full appeals court, 16 full-time judges at the time the case was argued, reversed an earlier ruling by a three-judge 5th Circuit panel that had upheld the vaccination requirement. Judge Andrew Oldham, nominated to the court by then-President Donald Trump, wrote the opinion for a 10-member majority.
Opponents of the policy said it was an encroachment on federal workers’ lives that neither the Constitution nor federal statutes authorize.
Biden issued an executive order in September 2021 requiring vaccinations for all executive branch agency employees, with exceptions for medical and religious reasons. The requirement kicked in the following November, and the White House said in January that 98% of federal workers were vaccinated. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown, who was appointed to the District Court for the Southern District of Texas by then-President Donald Trump, issued a nationwide injunction against the requirement in January 2022.
The case then went to the 5th Circuit.
One panel of three 5th Circuit judges refused to immediately block the law.
But, a 2-1 ruling on the merits of the case by a different panel upheld Biden’s position. Judges Carl Stewart and James Dennis, both nominated to the court by President Bill Clinton, were in the majority. Judge Rhesa Barksdale, nominated by President George H.W. Bush, dissented, saying the relief the challengers sought does not fall under the Civil Service Reform Act cited by the administration.
The motion won't mean the city is investing or accepting payment in cryptocurrency any time soon, but will instead direct staff to look into those possibilities.
Enbridge officials said in a statement that the reroute proposal has gone through rigorous reviews and studies.
A proposed deal that would see three tobacco giants pay out billions to provinces and territories, as well as smokers across Canada, has been approved by the companies' creditors.
Tokyo recently announced a four-day workweek policy in an effort to boost Japan’s record-low fertility rate - something that Canada is also struggling with.
More than 1,500 firefighters were battling the blaze, many working in steep canyons, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire.
Evidence has grown in recent years that highly processed foods are linked to a wide range of chronic health problems, like diabetes and heart disease.
Environment and Climate Change Canada has released its list of the top 10 most impactful weather events of 2024.
Fifteen charges under the federal Fisheries Act have been laid against Imperial Metals Corp. more than 10 years after a tailings pond collapsed the Mount Polley mine.
Many kids and teens are looking forward to the holidays with great excitement, but others find it a difficult time of year filled with anxiety, stress and loneliness. It’s something Alisa Simon, the chief youth officer at Kids Help Phone, says they watch for when school pauses for the winter break, noting, “we do see an increase...
Advocates and friends of a Nova Scotia woman who died from stage IV breast cancer are urging the province to update its screening policy for women with dense breast tissue.
The report estimates a cancer patient will face almost $33,000 on average in out-of-pocket cancer-related costs in their lifetime, including loss of income.