On Friday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) should extend the moratorium on evictions that is set to end on Saturday, even after the Supreme Court said that Congress needed to pass legislation on the issue.
House Financial Services Chair Maxine Waters (D-CA) created an emergency bill that would extend the moratorium until the end of the year, but reports revealed that several moderate Democrats were opposed to it.
“Is it emergency enough that you’re going to stop families from being put on the street?” Waters <a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-us-supreme-court-65d530199d4dd2c99b9839fcd9c22294">said</a> as the Rules Committee met to consider the legislation.
Pelosi is now <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/pelosi-eviction-moratorium-extension/2021/07/30/e0aacbf4-f120-11eb-81d2-ffae0f931b8f_story.html">reportedly</a> pressing for an extension that would go until October 18th, but it is unclear if it will be passed before the House of Representatives leaves for its August recess.
&#8220;I think this is something that we&#8217;ll work out. It isn&#8217;t about any more money — the money is there, resting in localities and governors&#8217; offices across the country,&#8221; Pelosi <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/565634-pelosi-calls-on-cdc-to-extend-eviction-moratorium-unilaterally">said</a> Friday morning during a news briefing in the Capitol. &#8220;So we would like the CDC to expand the moratorium. That&#8217;s where it can be done.”
The Supreme Court, however, recently ruled differently on the subject.
Last month, a Supreme Court order permitted the moratorium to continue until the end of July. In his <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/20pdf/20a169_4f15.pdf">opinion</a>, Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote that “the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention exceeded its existing statutory authority by issuing a nationwide eviction moratorium.”
“Because the CDC plans to end the moratorium in only a few weeks, on July 31, and because those few weeks will allow for additional and more orderly distribution of the congressionally appropriated rental assistance funds, I vote at this time to deny the application to vacate the District Court’s stay of its order,” he added.
He noted that “clear and specific congressional authorization (via new legislation) would be necessary for the CDC to extend the moratorium past July 31.”
Landlords and advocacy organizations are opposed to most expansions on the moratorium, however, after having been financially harmed during the pandemic.
On Thursday, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) pushed back against a potential extension.
“NAR is prepared to oppose vigorously any unreasonable effort by Congress to extend the ban without assistance for small housing providers,” <a href="https://www.nar.realtor/breaking-news/biden-wont-extend-moratorium">said</a> Shannon McGahn, chief advocacy officer for NAR. “We have argued all along that the best solution for all parties is rental assistance for tenants in need paid directly to housing providers. Nearly half of all rental housing in America is a mom-and-pop operation, and these providers cannot continue to live in a state of financial hardship.”
A group of 14 industry groups sent a letter to legislators Thursday night asking them to “end the unsustainable nationwide federal restrictions on property operations” and instead speed up the rental assistance dispersal, per <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2021/07/30/eviction-battle-house-democrats-501758">Politico</a>.
“The moratorium unfairly shifts economic hardships to the backs of housing providers who have jeopardized their own financial futures to provide essential housing to renters across the country,” wrote the groups, headed up by the National Association of Realtors.
As The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-calls-on-congress-to-extend-eviction-moratorium">reported</a> on Thursday, the White House called on Congress to extend the moratorium.
“Given the recent spread of the delta variant, including among those Americans both most likely to face evictions and lacking vaccinations, President Biden would have strongly supported a decision by the CDC to further extend this eviction moratorium to protect renters at this moment of heightened vulnerability,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement, per <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/finance/565431-biden-calls-on-congress-to-extend-eviction-ban-with-days-until-expiration?rl=1">The Hill</a>.
“Unfortunately, the Supreme Court has made clear that this option is no longer available,” she added.
“In light of the Supreme Court’s ruling, the president calls on Congress to extend the eviction moratorium to protect such vulnerable renters and their families without delay,” Psaki <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/biden-urges-congress-to-extend-eviction-moratorium-saying-his-hands-are-tied-by-supreme-court-ruling/2021/07/29/2ed8a52e-f07e-11eb-81d2-ffae0f931b8f_story.html">said</a>, adding that the evictions ban is “a critical backstop to prevent hard-pressed renters and their families who lost jobs or income due to the COVID-19 pandemic from being evicted for nonpayment of rent.”
The Daily Wire is one of America’s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

C7948D9D-4DFC-4FDE-B41D-50D48E52FAA9_1_201_a

Pelosi Says CDC Should Extend Eviction Moratorium After Supreme Court Ruled Congress Needed To

COVID-19

Eviction

Nancy Pelosi

A man in Hong Kong was sentenced to nine years in prison on Friday in the first ruling under Hong Kong’s new national security law. 
During protests last year, Tong Ying-kit, a 24-year-old man, drove a motorcycle into a group of police officers while he was holding a flag with the message, “Liberate Hong Kong, Revolution of Our Times.” 
“This overall term should sufficiently reflect the defendant’s culpability in the two offenses and the abhorrence of society, at the same time, achieving the deterrent effect required,” a group of three judges wrote in the ruling, according to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/hong-kong-protester-sentenced-to-nine-years-under-chinas-national-security-law-11627629763">The Wall Street Journal.</a> 
Tong “was sentenced to 6½ years in jail for inciting secession and eight years for terrorism, to be served partly consecutively and partly concurrently, resulting in a total of nine years’ imprisonment,” per The Journal.
There was no jury for the trial and the judges were chosen by Hong Kong’s chief executive, Carrie Lam, due to the new controversial security law.
Tong did not plead guilty to the charges and the judges said that, if he had, his sentence would not have been as long. Because of the alleged gravity of his offenses, “his good character is not of any mitigating value,” the judges added.
As The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hong-kong-issues-first-guilty-verdict-under-china-demanded-national-security-law">reported</a> earlier this week, Hong Kong put forth its first guilty conviction under the controversial “National Security Law” that went into effect last summer.
&#8220;The Chinese Communist Party passed the Hong Kong National Security Law on June 30 of last year; the statute, according to the Biden administration, increases penalties for ‘secession’ and ‘subversion.’ Despite massive protests that attracted international attention, the law gutted civil liberties for residents of Hong Kong,” per The Daily Wire. 
According to <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/07/hong-kong-national-security-law-10-things-you-need-to-know/">Amnesty International</a>, the 2020 national security law is especially restrictive and unclear. Among other concerns, “[u]nder this new law ‘secession’, ‘subversion’, ‘terrorism’ and ‘collusion with foreign forces’ incur maximum penalties of life imprisonment,” the group reported. 
Many have noted that the law appears to be intended to quell pro-democracy movements and stifle any criticism of the government. This is not the first time that the new law has made headlines around the world. Last month, Hong Kong newspaper Apple Daily was raided by Hong Kong police, and five newspaper executives and editors at the newspaper were taken into custody under Hong Kong’s national security law, as <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/06/16/1007445666/5-newspaper-executives-are-arrested-under-hong-kong-security-law">reported</a> by NPR.
Experts watched the most recent case in order to see how the new security law will be enforced. 
“It may appear lenient, as life imprisonment was a possibility. But in my view, it is not: The objective of the [national security law] is not merely to punish but also to prevent and deter others,” <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/30/world/asia/hong-kong-protester-security-law.html">said</a> Surya Deva, an associate professor of law at City University of Hong Kong. “So swift and serious penalties should be expected.” 
Tong’s sentence is a “hammer blow to free speech” and reveals that the law is “a tool to instill terror” in critics of the government, Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific regional director, Yamini Mishra, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/hong-kong-0502e534dc367a7bc0ba94590587b57c">said</a> in a statement, per The Associated Press. 
The law “lacks any exemption for legitimate expression or protest,” Mishra said. “The judgment at no point considered Tong’s rights to freedom of expression and protest.” 
As the AP reported:
<blockquote>
The U.S. government, in a statement, criticized the “unjust outcome” of Tong’s trial and said the security law was used “as a political weapon to silence dissenting voices.” It said China is undermining rights guaranteed by Hong Kong’s mini-constitution, the Basic Law, and by the 1984 Chinese-British Joint Declaration on the territory’s return.
</blockquote>
The Daily Wire is one of America’s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Hong Kong and China flags against commercial buildings

Man Sentenced To Nine Years In Prison In First Ruling Under New Hong Kong ‘National Security Law’

China

Hong Kong

A business owner explained his position against mask mandates in New York City on Friday in an interview on <a href="https://twitter.com/NewDay/status/1421070323928158208">CNN’s “New Day.”</a>
Eli Klein is the owner of an art gallery and said he is against the city imposing more restrictions. Host John Berman said to Klein, “You really don’t want to go back to masks indoors in your gallery.”
Klein said “it’s not just about my gallery. It’s about New York City generally. If we are subject to sweeping mask mandates now in the summer, you know, let’s be honest … we don’t know when COVID levels will ever be lower than they are now in New York City and that could put us on a slippery slope to all kinds of the same restrictions that we were subject to last year.”
He added, “Things like micro-cluster targeting and capacity limits and business shutdowns. It’s not just a mask.”
“None of us have a problem just putting on a mask. It’s really much more than that. It’s a blueprint for indefinite government restrictions in New York,” he noted. “We’ve had vaccines available for everyone [ages twelve and up] for many months and there has to be an endgame. There has to be an off-ramp.”
Berman asked Klein if the news about the Delta variant had any impact on his view. Klein said that it’s “catastrophic news” and something that people should take seriously, but he added that it doesn’t impact his view with respect to reimplementing restrictions. 
He said that the vaccines are widely available and very effective and added that reimplementing mask mandates in New York City would stunt the recovery and tourism, adding that it “would crush businesses that have already been crushed.”
Berman went on to ask Klein about vaccine mandates and what his thoughts were on those. Klein said that the main problem he had with vaccine mandates in New York City is that it would discriminate against and exclude certain members of the population from various activities.
Klein pointed out that his concern was not selfish and that he wasn’t only concerned about his own art gallery, but rather about New York City as a whole. 
“Mask restrictions lead to every restriction,” he said. He also said that vaccine requirements are “technically a restriction” if someone is checking vaccine status upon entry. 
He pointed out how it would disproportionately keep people of color out of his art gallery if he were to impose a vaccine mandate for anyone entering since many people of color are not getting the vaccine. He noted that many people have natural immunity, but that isn’t recognized as “vaccinated” by officials.
“Am I prepared to ban the majority of black people from visiting my gallery? Absolutely not,” he said.
On Thursday, Klein tweeted, “Reimplementation of Covid mask mandates may just be the beginning. Soon they could retry things like ‘micro-cluster targeting’ in NYC. Yes, that actually existed. No, it didn’t work.”
He <a href="https://twitter.com/TheEliKlein/status/1420901142062673923">added</a>, “IT’S NOT ‘JUST A MASK.’ It’s a blueprint for indefinite gov’t mandates &amp; a huge step backwards”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Reimplementation of Covid mask mandates may just be the beginning. Soon they could retry things like “micro-cluster targeting” in NYC. Yes, that actually existed. No, it didn’t work.
IT’S NOT “JUST A MASK.” It’s a blueprint for indefinite gov’t mandates &amp; a huge step backwards
&mdash; Eli Klein (@TheEliKlein) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheEliKlein/status/1420901142062673923?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 30, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
On Friday, Klein <a href="https://twitter.com/TheEliKlein/status/1421168275896029186">tweeted</a>, “There’s no proof that ~anything NY or CA did to slow Covid actually led to better outcomes. NONE”
“So spare me the morally superior takes about how we MUST implement the exact same severely harmful measures to stop Delta, because it’s ~2x more transmissible. That makes zero sense,” he added. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
There’s no proof that ~anything NY or CA did to slow Covid actually led to better outcomes. NONE
So spare me the morally superior takes about how we MUST implement the exact same severely harmful measures to stop Delta, because it’s ~2x more transmissible. That makes zero sense
&mdash; Eli Klein (@TheEliKlein) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheEliKlein/status/1421168275896029186?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 30, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
New York City art gallery owner Eli Klein says he is against a mask mandate indoors.
&quot;It&#39;s a blueprint for indefinite government restrictions in New York,&quot; he said. &quot;We&#39;ve had vaccines available &#8230; for many months. And there has to be an end game. There has to be an off ramp.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/dyjr1a9dQV">pic.twitter.com/dyjr1a9dQV</a>
&mdash; New Day (@NewDay) <a href="https://twitter.com/NewDay/status/1421070323928158208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 30, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Daily Wire is one of America’s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Corona Virus precautionary and safety signs on and near shops in the markets.

WATCH: Art Gallery Owner Blasts New York City Mask Mandate: ‘It’s Not Just A Mask’

Face Masks

New York City

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland wrote a letter to Republican Governor of Texas Greg Abbott on Thursday in response to Abbott’s recent executive order.
Abbott signed an executive order this week restricting the flow of migrants into Texas due to COVID-19.
According to the governor’s <a href="https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-issues-executive-order-restricting-transportation-of-migrants-due-to-covid-19">website</a>, Abbott signed the executive order “restricting ground transportation of migrants who pose a risk of carrying COVID-19 into Texas communities.” It also “directed the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to stop any vehicle upon reasonable suspicion of such violation and reroute such vehicles back to its point of origin or a port of entry. DPS also has the authority to impound a vehicle that violates the Executive Order.”
In response, Attorney General Garland wrote his own <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/29/politics/garland-letter-abbott-texas-migrants/index.html">letter</a> to Abbott, saying that the order cannot be enforced, and pressed the governor to immediately take it back.
Garland wrote that the order “would jeopardize the health and safety of noncitizens in federal govern­ment custody, federal law enforcement personnel and their families, and our communities.”
He also stated that it “di­rectly interferes with the implementation of federal immigration law.”
“Texas has no authority to interfere with the United States’ ‘broad, un­-doubted power over the subject of immigration’ by impairing the United States’ release of individuals and the ability of those individuals to comply with federal immigration law,” Garland added.
Garland concluded his letter by saying that if Abbott does not rescind the order, he was providing notice that “the United States intends to pursue all appropriate legal remedies to ensure that Texas does not interfere with the functions of the federal govern­ment.&#8221;
Abbott has been outspoken about the Biden administration’s unwillingness to combat the rise of illegal immigration and migrants crossing the Texas border into the United States.
Regarding the order, Abbott <a href="https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-issues-executive-order-restricting-transportation-of-migrants-due-to-covid-19">said</a>, &#8220;The dramatic rise in unlawful border crossings has also led to a dramatic rise in COVID-19 cases among unlawful migrants who have made their way into our state, and we must do more to protect Texans from this virus and reduce the burden on our communities.”
&#8220;This Executive Order will reduce the risk of COVID-19 exposure in our communities,” he added.
Abbott <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/texas-gov-greg-abbott-says-state-will-build-its-own-border-barriers-if-biden-wont-address-immigration-crisis">previously stated</a> that he planned to build a barrier along the border of the state with Mexico since the Biden administration has mostly disregarded the immigration crisis at the southern border.
As The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gov-abbott-says-public-can-donate-to-build-a-texas-border-wall">reported</a> last month, Abbott said that he will be garnering public donations to fund the wall.
In a podcast <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS82ZzNjcVRBYg/episode/ZjExY2E5MWQtMzYzNy00ZThiLWEyZDYtZjM5NzM3MWU5ZTlj?hl=en&amp;ved=2ahUKEwik0sjk_JnxAhUJn-AKHT2xD9sQieUEegQIBBAF&amp;ep=6">interview</a> with “Ruthless,” Abbott said that he would be creating a way for anyone to give funds to the creation of the barriers, as <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/558547-abbott-says-hell-solicit-public-donations-for-border-wall">reported</a> by The Hill.
“I will also be providing a link that you can click on and go to for everybody in the United States or everybody in the entire world that wants to help Texas build a border wall. There will be a place on there where they can contribute to Texas building the border wall,” Abbott said.
The governor said that most people who are not from Texas or live in northern states, get information about the border from television, which tends to show many families and unaccompanied minors coming over the border. He said, however, that many of the people who are coming across the border are adults traveling alone — individuals who are not coming to the United States with good intentions.
He said that people who live in small towns near the border are being threatened and harassed every day and suggested that the Biden administration does not care about Texans being affected by the poor border security.
Abbott added that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have not called him to talk about the issue at the Texas border. He said they are “pretending that the Texas border does not exist.”
The Daily Wire is one of America’s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

60335E9A-55C4-46F6-BCB4-C1C3A25B3A84_1_201_a

Garland Sends Letter To Governor Abbott, Threatens Legal Action Over Migrant Executive Order

Greg Abbott

Illegal Immigration

Merrick Garland

The White House is calling on Congress to extend the moratorium on evictions that is set to expire on Saturday.
Last month, a Supreme Court order permitted the moratorium to continue until the end of July. In his <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/20pdf/20a169_4f15.pdf">opinion</a>, Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote that “the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention exceeded its existing statutory authority by issuing a nationwide eviction moratorium.”
&#8220;Because the CDC plans to end the moratorium in only a few weeks, on July 31, and because those few weeks will allow for additional and more orderly distribution of the congressionally appropriated rental assistance funds, I vote at this time to deny the application to vacate the District Court’s stay of its order,&#8221; he added.
He noted that “clear and specific congressional authorization (via new legislation) would be necessary for the CDC to extend the moratorium past July 31.”
“Given the recent spread of the delta variant, including among those Americans both most likely to face evictions and lacking vaccinations, President Biden would have strongly supported a decision by the CDC to further extend this eviction moratorium to protect renters at this moment of heightened vulnerability,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement, per <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/finance/565431-biden-calls-on-congress-to-extend-eviction-ban-with-days-until-expiration?rl=1">The Hill</a>.
&#8220;Unfortunately, the Supreme Court has made clear that this option is no longer available,&#8221; she added.
“In light of the Supreme Court’s ruling, the president calls on Congress to extend the eviction moratorium to protect such vulnerable renters and their families without delay,” Psaki <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/biden-urges-congress-to-extend-eviction-moratorium-saying-his-hands-are-tied-by-supreme-court-ruling/2021/07/29/2ed8a52e-f07e-11eb-81d2-ffae0f931b8f_story.html">said</a>, adding that the evictions ban is “a critical backstop to prevent hard-pressed renters and their families who lost jobs or income due to the COVID-19 pandemic from being evicted for nonpayment of rent.”
“House Democratic leaders started canvassing the chamber for votes on Thursday to determine if they had enough support to extend the moratorium until December 31, according to a senior party aide, who requested anonymity to describe the leadership’s thinking. Democrats aim to bring up the measure before departing this week,” The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/biden-urges-congress-to-extend-eviction-moratorium-saying-his-hands-are-tied-by-supreme-court-ruling/2021/07/29/2ed8a52e-f07e-11eb-81d2-ffae0f931b8f_story.html">reported</a>.
Psaki added that Biden is urging local regions to “urgently accelerate” emergency rental assistance funds availability from a prior federal package.
“The Administration remains committed to doing everything in its power to keep people safely and securely housed, which is essential to the health, well-being and dignity of all of us,” she said.
As The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cdc-extends-eviction-moratorium-claims-final-extension-as-landlords-continue-to-struggle">reported</a> last month, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/covid-eviction-declaration.html">announced</a> that “Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky has signed an extension to the eviction moratorium further preventing the eviction of tenants who are unable to make rental payments.”
The moratorium was extended through July 31, and the CDC stated that “this is intended to be the final extension of the moratorium.”
As <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/23/renters-will-likely-be-protected-from-eviction-for-another-month-.html">reported</a> by CNBC, the White House has taken several actions to attempt to help homeowners, tenants, and property managers. Landlords, however, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/as-cdc-extends-ban-on-evictions-smaller-landlords-struggle-to-keep-properties">especially those who run smaller businesses,</a> continue to struggle as the government allows people to forego their payments.
As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/as-cdc-extends-ban-on-evictions-smaller-landlords-struggle-to-keep-properties">reported</a> by The Daily Wire in March, the CDC extended its suggested moratorium on evictions through the end of June, causing some landlords at the time to struggle to keep up with costs. The conclusion of the moratorium could have been a potential lifeline to landlords at the end of June, but the CDC’s newest order meant that landlords must hold on for another month.
As <a href="https://www.wxyz.com/money/consumer/dont-waste-your-money/landlord-explains-why-rent-hikes-are-happening-amid-pandemic-eviction-moratorium">reported</a> by local outlet WXYZ Detroit, landlords explained why rent prices have been increasing for tenants.
“We struggled along with everyone else in the pandemic,” Deborah Collins said, who manages 25 apartments and rental homes.
“We canceled all late fees for the year, we worked on payment plans for any residents that were behind,” she added.
She said that the eviction moratorium meant that landlords had to permit tenants not to pay rent for months. “A lot of housing providers are trying to recoup those losses, and are doing it with a rental price hike,” Collins noted.
The Daily Wire is one of America’s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

0BD50410-F677-44A2-9D58-F76950F24673_1_201_a

White House Calls On Congress To Extend Eviction Moratorium

Congress

A county in Florida is planning to require masks to be worn in schools in the fall in direct opposition to Republican Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis’s clear position against mask mandates, especially for school children.
During a meeting on Wednesday, the Broward County school board decided that it will require masks when school starts next month, as reported by local outlet <a href="https://www.wlrn.org/news/2021-07-28/broward-school-board-mandates-masks-for-new-school-year-despite-expecting-trouble-from-desantis">WLRN</a>.
According to <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/565415-florida-county-to-require-masks-in-schools-defying-desantis">The Hill</a>, the school board “voted to require indoor masking inside schools, social distancing protocol inside classrooms and seating capacity limits on school buses.”
“I am not looking for us to get ourselves in trouble over this mask issue,” said school board member Donna Korn during the meeting. &#8220;There are too many other things that the state has highlighted this district for.”
At the meeting, multiple parents reportedly spoke out against a mask mandate, saying that the masks make it hard for their kids to learn, breathe and be social with other kids.
“I really wanted to start this school year as normal as possible,” said board member Lori Alhadeff, “and a few weeks ago, I thought that we were in a position to go back to school without wearing masks and giving parents a choice.
“But now with COVID soaring, and the Delta variant, a lot has changed,” she said.
Governor DeSantis&#8217;s office provided the following information to The Daily Wire:
<blockquote>We had hoped that all school boards would follow the science and decide to have a normal, mask-optional school year. It is disappointing that Broward School Board prioritized virtue-signaling over parental choice, kids’ well-being, and the science.  
<ul>
<li>The <a href="blank">data</a> indicates children face extremely low risk from COVID</li>
<li>Moreover, empirical <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.19.21257467v1">evidence</a> from schools last year has shown that the existence of a mask mandate is not correlated with a school’s COVID-19 rate</li>
<li>Many kids, especially those with special needs like hearing loss, autism, and sensory issues, struggle to learn and engage in a classroom setting with masks. Experts have raised concerns about the impact of masks on mental and emotional health, as well as socialization, speech, and language learning. It is also a concern that masks worn by children for 8 hours a day, taken off and put back on, can harbor potentially harmful bacteria.</li>
</ul>
As reflected in the Governor’s remarks from July 22, it’s possible that there will be a special session to address the issue of mask mandates in schools. There is also the possibility that it could be addressed by executive order, but no decision has been made yet.</blockquote>
Earlier this week, DeSantis’ office slammed the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s mask guidelines for K-12 schools.
As The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/it-isnt-based-in-science-desantiss-office-blasts-cdc-over-k-12-in-school-mask-guidelines">reported</a>, “The CDC revised its guidelines for mask-wearing on Tuesday, announcing that, in light of the spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant, it was returning to recommending indoor mask-wearing, even for vaccinated individuals, if they are living in areas where COVID-19 cases are spiking. The CDC also recommended that, in order to return to full-time in-person instruction, all individuals in K-12 institutions mask up, even if they are fully vaccinated.”
“It isn’t based in science. There is no indication that areas with mask mandates have performed any better than areas without mask mandates. In fact, this policy could actually backfire,” DeSantis Press Secretary Christina Pushaw <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/desantis-cdc-k-12-students-mask-not-based-science">told Fox News on Tuesday</a>.
“Mandating masks for vaccinated people erodes public trust and confidence in the effectiveness of the vaccines. To me it appears that the government wants to be perceived as ‘doing something’ during a seasonal infection surge, even if their policy does not necessarily make people safer,” Pushaw added.
“I think our fear is that seeing some of those rumblings, that there be an attempt from the federal level or even some of these organizations to try to push for mandatory masking of school children. And so our view is that this should absolutely not be imposed,” DeSantis said at an event on Monday. “It should not be mandated.”
“[I]n Florida, at this point, our school districts have proposed the mask [as] optional,” DeSantis noted. He also went on to say that the Florida legislature is “interested in coming in, even in a special session to be able to provide protections for parents and kids who just want to breathe freely and don’t want to be suffering under these masks during the school year.”
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to include information from DeSantis’ office.
The Daily Wire is one of America’s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

C0C9531A-61E2-4ADA-A316-D1DC4EA52174_1_201_a

Florida School Board Opposes DeSantis, Votes To Invoke Mask Mandate

Florida

Ron DeSantis

Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) appeared in a new ad for Democratic Governor of California Gavin Newsom as he faces an intense recall election in his state.
In the ad, Warren <a href="https://www.politico.com/states/california/story/2021/07/28/warren-ties-california-recall-to-trump-republicans-in-latest-newsom-ad-1389148">blamed</a> the recall on Republicans’ alleged attack on the right to vote and election results.
The <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4vWWUbuUjA">ad</a> stated:
<blockquote>
Here’s the deal with the recall of Gavin Newsom.
We’ve seen Trump Republicans across the country attacking election results and the right to vote. Now, they’re coming to grab power in California, abusing the recall process and costing taxpayers millions. 
Here’s how we stop them. 
Every Californian will get a mail-in ballot for the September 14th election. Vote ‘no’ to protect California and our democracy. 
Stop the Republican recall.
</blockquote>
In his new efforts to get Californians vaccinated this week, Newsom, too, cast blame on people on the other side of the political aisle.
“When asked by MSNBC host Ayman Mohyeldin why 25 percent of Californians remain unvaccinated in the face of a Delta variant spike, Newsom pointed to ‘misinformation by right wing pundits, period, full stop,’” according to <a href="https://www.politico.com/states/california/story/2021/07/26/recall-threatened-newsom-takes-on-taylor-greene-in-vaccine-push-1389010">Politico</a>.
“I watch them. I listen. I pay attention. They are misinforming people. They&#8217;re literally putting people&#8217;s lives at risk. People are dying,” Newsom said. “&#8230; There&#8217;s been a right wing talking point here and it&#8217;s overwhelmingly coming from certain networks and it&#8217;s having an impact on getting this disease behind us.”
As The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/poll-california-voters-almost-evenly-split-on-recall-of-dem-gov-newsom-larry-elder-leading-republicans">reported</a> earlier this week, Newsom is facing a recall election that, according to a new poll, could be very close and potentially successfully remove him.
“Californians who say they expect to vote in the September recall election are almost evenly divided over whether to remove Gov. Gavin Newsom from office, evidence of how pivotal voter turnout will be in deciding the governor’s political fate, according to a new UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times,” the paper <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-07-27/likely-california-voters-now-almost-evenly-split-on-newsom-recall-poll-finds">wrote</a> on Tuesday.
“The findings dispel the notion that California’s solid Democratic voter majority will provide an impenetrable shield for Newsom, and reveal a vulnerability created by a recall effort that has energized Republicans and been met with indifference by many Democrats and independent voters,” said the Times.
“The poll <a href="https://www.igs.berkeley.edu/research/berkeley-igs-poll">found </a>that 47% of likely voters in the state support removing Newsom from office, while 50% oppose the move — ‘a difference just shy of the survey’s margin of error,’ the Times noted,” per The Daily Wire.
Even though the governor’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, lockdowns, and mandates fueled calls for his removal from office, Newsom has continued to push for enhanced mandates. On Monday, he announced that COVID-19 vaccines will be mandatory for state employees and health care workers, or they will need to undergo routine testing.
In a <a href="https://www.gov.ca.gov/2021/07/26/california-implements-first-in-the-nation-measures-to-encourage-state-employees-and-health-care-workers-to-get-vaccinated/">release</a>, Newsom’s office said that the state also “encourages all local governments and businesses to adopt similar measures.”
As The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/california-governor-gavin-newsom-compares-unvaccinated-people-to-drunk-drivers">reported</a> on Monday, Newsom made a comparison between people who are not vaccinated and “drunk drivers” during an interview on CNN.
“Is it time governor to bring back a universal mask mandate, regardless of vaccination status there in California?” CNN anchor Victor Blackwell asked.
“Look, we don’t even have to have that debate. If we can just get everybody vaccinated that’s not vaccinated, that’s refusing to get vaccinated, that’s living vaccine free and impacting the rest of us,” Newsom responded. “It’s like drunk drivers. You don’t have the right to go out and drink and drive and put everybody else at risk, including your own life at risk.”
Watch the ad:
<iframe title="Here&#039;s the Deal 30s" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/G4vWWUbuUjA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The Daily Wire is one of America’s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

58510E5E-3864-4B49-9BDB-C1F68337BB1B_1_201_a

WATCH: Senator Warren Blames ‘Trump Republicans’ In Ad For Newsom

Elizabeth Warren

Gavin Newsom

Fully-vaccinated individuals from the United States and most of Europe will be able to enter Scotland and England without going through quarantine measures, officials announced Wednesday.
On <a href="https://twitter.com/grantshapps/status/1420374101097598979">Twitter</a>, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps wrote, “We&#8217;re helping reunite people living in the US and European countries with their family and friends in the UK.”
“From 2nd August at 4am people from these countries will be able to come to the England from an amber country without having to quarantine if they&#8217;re fully vaxxed,” Shapps added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
We&#39;re helping reunite people living in the US and European countries with their family and friends in the UK 👪 
From 2nd August at 4am people from these countries will be able to come to the England from an amber country without having to quarantine if they&#39;re fully vaxxed 💉
&mdash; Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) <a href="https://twitter.com/grantshapps/status/1420374101097598979?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
As The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/28/world/uk-travel-quarantine.html">reported</a>, “The government has been criticized for discriminating between travelers who were vaccinated in Britain and those who were inoculated elsewhere, without any medical justification. Vaccinated people arriving in England from most ‘amber list’ countries, those with moderately high transmission, have been required to self-isolate — unless they received their shots in Britain.”
Shapps added, on Twitter, that vaccinated travelers will still need to take a “pre-departure test before arrival and take a PCR test on day 2 of returning to the England.” He also stated that international cruises will be restarting and “flexible testing programs to help key workers and drive our economic recovery.”
The decision didn’t come without political pushback, however. “I am very concerned about the government’s announcement via the press this morning,” Labour Party deputy leader Angela Rayner <a href="https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-airlines-put-pressure-on-ministers-to-scrap-quarantine-for-fully-vaccinated-arrivals-from-eu-and-us-12365826">told Sky News</a>.
“We need to make sure that we have got a proper data-driven analysis and that we look at an international passport for vaccines. … We also know that people who have had the vaccine of course can still get the virus, so a testing regime is very important and crucial as well,” Rayner said, per <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/07/28/coronavirus-latest-updates/">The Washington Post</a>.
The move comes after the United States has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-to-continue-international-travel-restrictions">prolonged travel restrictions</a> and extended some land border closures.
As <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/564852-us-to-maintain-travel-restrictions-due-to-delta-variant?rl=1">reported</a> by The Hill, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Monday, “We will maintain existing travel restrictions at this point for a few reasons. The more transmissible Delta variant is spreading both here and around the world.”
“Driven by the Delta variant, cases are rising here at home, particularly among those who are unvaccinated, and appear likely to continue in the weeks ahead,” she said.
“The CDC just advised Americans against travel to the United Kingdom this past Monday given the surge in cases. They will evaluate and make recommendations based on health data,” Psaki added.
As The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-extends-land-border-closure-between-canada-and-mexico-as-canada-lifts-restrictions">reported</a>, last week, the United States announced that land border closures between the U.S. and Mexico and the U.S. and Canada will be extended, barring non-essential travel while officials continue to weigh options.
As reported by USA Today, “U.S. <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2021/07/20/lovers-lawmakers-biden-open-u-s-border-canada/8030225002/">borders with Mexico and Canada will remain closed</a> through Aug. 21, according to documents to be published in the Federal Register. The previous U.S. border restrictions were set to end Thursday.”
“Restrictions on entry into the U.S. by land and ferry travel are extended until 11:59 p.m. Aug. 21, according to the notices,” the outlet added.
Canada announced last week that it would be reopening its border for nonessential travel to fully-vaccinated Americans on August 9th, and “[o]ther foreign nationals will be permitted to enter beginning September 7,” as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/canada-announces-date-when-border-will-open-to-vaccinated-americans">reported</a> by The Daily Wire.
The Daily Wire is one of America’s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

7FE46C81-63F2-4125-8EAB-0CA42A3DF50B_1_201_a

England, Scotland Ease Travel For Fully-Vaccinated Visitors From United States

COVID-19 Vaccine

England

Scotland

A journalist and publisher in the United Kingdom are being sued by a Russian billionaire because of a book about Russian President Vladimir Putin.
As <a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-government-and-politics-business-europe-russia-7d9a08ab67d7a3a14bfaa5c7a9ed478d">reported</a> by The Associated Press, “Catherine Belton’s book &#8216;Putin’s People: How the KGB Took Back Russia and then Took on the West&#8217; charts the rise to wealth and power of former KGB agent Putin and his circle of associates after the 1991 breakup of the Soviet Union.&#8221;
Belton is a former Financial Times correspondent in Moscow and her publisher is HarperCollins. They both “contested a defamation claim in a London court on Wednesday from billionaire Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich,” per the outlet. 
Abramovich took issue with specific parts of the book, saying that the book’s argument that he bought the Chelsea team in 2003 because he was told to do so by Putin is “false and defamatory.” 
The journalist is also being sued for libel by Russia’s energy firm, Rosneft, which is owned by the state. “HarperCollins was also facing suits from Russian businessman Mikhail Fridman and Russian banker Petr Aven, but Tomlinson said Wednesday that those claims have been settled,&#8221; per the outlet. 
As <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-russia-journalist/russias-abramovich-didnt-buy-chelsea-for-putin-court-hears-idUSKBN2EX2W0">reported</a> by Reuters: 
<blockquote>
Lawyers for Rosneft, Russia’s biggest oil company, said in documents submitted to court that they took issue with passages in the book which were understood to mean that the company had “expropriated” the assets of YUKOS &#8211; once Russia’s biggest oil company &#8211; and purchased YUKOS assets at a “farcically rigged auction”.
Rosneft and CEO Igor Sechin did not respond to written requests for comment on the case when contacted by Reuters.
Lawyers for Rosneft took issue with passages in the book which claimed that Sechin was behind what Belton called “the attack” on Yukos.
</blockquote>
Abramovich&#8217;s lawyer, Hugh Tomlinson, said that the book “holds itself out as a serious work of contemporary history, but unfortunately it repeats lazy inaccuracies.” 
Tomlinson <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-russia-journalist/russias-abramovich-didnt-buy-chelsea-for-putin-court-hears-idUSKBN2EX2W0">told</a> the High Court that “The claimant is described in the book as Putin’s cashier and the custodian of Kremlin slush funds.”
“What is said to be happening is that Mr. Abramovich is making his wealth available to Putin&#8230; secretly to Putin and his cronies &#8211; that is the view the reasonable and ordinary reader would take,” Tomlinson said of the book. 
Andrew Caldecott, a lawyer for Belton and HarperCollins, said people who read the book would come to the conclusion that “there are grounds to suspect Mr. Abramovich was acting at the Kremlin’s direction.” The book also has a “firm denial” from a person near to Abramovich, he said, per <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/uk-journalist-sued-by-russian-billionaires-over-putin-book/2021/07/28/3b5ca8d2-ef9c-11eb-81b2-9b7061a582d8_story.html">The Washington Post</a>.
The hearing is set to go on for two days and is meant to decide &#8220;what a reasonable and ordinary reader would understand the allegedly defamatory statements to mean. Those disputed statements will then form the basis of the defamation trial,&#8221; Reuters noted.
Critics have <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/uk-journalist-sued-by-russian-billionaires-over-putin-book/2021/07/28/3b5ca8d2-ef9c-11eb-81b2-9b7061a582d8_story.html">pointed</a> to free speech concerns and the ability for people who are wealthy to challenge disapproval in Britain&#8217;s courts. What is also alarming, however, is the blatant attack on a journalist from a state-sponsored Russian energy firm and extremely wealthy Russians who are potentially close to Putin.
The Daily Wire is one of America’s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

721C6812-677C-47E7-BBE6-271907ADE837_1_201_a

Russian Billionaire Sues U.K. Journalist, Publisher Over Book Tying Putin To KGB

Russia

Vladimir Putin

Saudi Arabia is threatening a travel ban of three years for people who visit countries that are on a “red list,” per a report.
As <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/saudi-arabia-threatens-3-year-travel-ban-citizens-who-visit-red-list-states-2021-07-27/">reported</a> by Reuters, state news agency SPA said on Tuesday that Saudi Arabia will be placing a three-year travel ban on people who go to countries that are part of its “red list” as part of its alleged attempts to slow the spread of the coronavirus and other variants. 
“It cited an unnamed interior ministry official as saying some Saudi citizens, who in May were allowed to travel abroad without prior permission from authorities for the first time since March 2020, had violated travel regulations,” the outlet noted. 
“Anyone who is proven to be involved will be subject to legal accountability and heavy penalties upon their return, and will be banned from travel for three years,&#8221; the official said.
The kingdom has reportedly prohibited “travel to or transit at a number of countries including Afghanistan, Argentina, Brazil, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Lebanon, Pakistan, South Africa, Turkey, Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates,” per the outlet.
&#8220;The Ministry of Interior stresses that citizens are still banned from travelling directly or via another country to these states or any other that has yet to control the pandemic or where the new strains have spread,&#8221; the official said.
Travel restrictions have been a heavy topic in the United States over the past week as the Biden administration recently announced that the U.S. would be extending its travel restrictions to several countries and prolonging its land closures between Mexico and Canada. 
According to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/from-other-countries.html">U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a> (CDC), travelers are prevented from coming into the United States from several countries except for certain exceptions. The countries include China, Iran, European Schengen area, United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Brazil, South Africa, and India. 
As <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/564852-us-to-maintain-travel-restrictions-due-to-delta-variant?rl=1">reported</a> by The Hill, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Monday, “We will maintain existing travel restrictions at this point for a few reasons. The more transmissible delta variant is spreading both here and around the world.”
“Driven by the delta variant, cases are rising here at home particularly among those who are unvaccinated and appear likely to continue in the weeks ahead,” she said.
“The CDC just advised Americans against travel to the United Kingdom this past Monday given the surge in cases. They will evaluate and make recommendations based on health data,” Psaki added. 
As The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-to-continue-international-travel-restrictions">reported</a>, the move came after European countries have taken somewhat opposite action.
As USA Today <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/2021/06/18/europe-travel-eu-recommends-lifting-restrictions-all-us-tourists/7743636002/">reported</a> last month, “The European Union on Friday added the U.S. to a list of countries for which travel restrictions should gradually be lifted. The list applies to all American tourists, vaccinated or not, for nonessential travel.”
As The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-extends-land-border-closure-between-canada-and-mexico-as-canada-lifts-restrictions">reported</a>, last week the United States announced that land border closures between the U.S. and Mexico and the U.S. and Canada will be extended, barring non-essential travel while officials continue to weigh options. 
As reported by USA Today, “U.S. <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2021/07/20/lovers-lawmakers-biden-open-u-s-border-canada/8030225002/">borders with Mexico and Canada will remain closed</a> through Aug. 21, according to documents to be published in the Federal Register. The previous U.S. border restrictions were set to end Thursday.”  
“Restrictions on entry into the U.S. by land and ferry travel are extended until 11:59 p.m. Aug. 21, according to the notices,” the outlet added. 
The Daily Wire is one of America’s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Travel Ban. Forbidden Airplane and Flight Ban Concept.

Saudi Arabia Threatens 3-Year Travel Ban For Citizens Visiting Certain Countries: Report

Saudi Arabia

California Governor Gavin Newsom announced Monday that COVID-19 vaccines will be mandatory for state employees and health care workers, or they will need to undergo routine testing.
In a <a href="https://www.gov.ca.gov/2021/07/26/california-implements-first-in-the-nation-measures-to-encourage-state-employees-and-health-care-workers-to-get-vaccinated/">release</a>, Newsom’s office said that the state also &#8220;encourages all local governments and businesses to adopt similar measures.&#8221;
In health care settings, workers who do not get the vaccine will need to get tested at least weekly for COVID-19 and must wear the correct personal protective equipment (PPE). “This requirement also applies to high-risk congregate settings like adult and senior residential facilities, homeless shelters and jails. These steps will help protect vulnerable patients and residents,” the release said. 
“We are now dealing with a pandemic of the unvaccinated, and it’s going to take renewed efforts to protect Californians from the dangerous Delta variant,” said Newsom. “As the state’s largest employer, we are leading by example and requiring all state and health care workers to show proof of vaccination or be tested regularly, and we are encouraging local governments and businesses to do the same. Vaccines are safe – they protect our family, those who truly can’t get vaccinated, our children and our economy. Vaccines are the way we end this pandemic.”
The release stated that “more than 44 million doses administered and 75 percent of the eligible population” in the state have gotten at least one dose of the vaccine. It pointed out that those who are being admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) in hospitals and dying from the virus are those who did not get vaccinated. It also said that the jump in these situations is much due to the Delta variant of the virus.  
“California has administered more vaccines than any other state, with 75 percent of those eligible having gotten at least one dose, and we were weeks ahead of meeting President Biden’s 70 percent goal. But we must do more to fight disinformation and encourage vaccine-hesitant communities and individuals,” said California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly. “The Delta variant is up to 60 percent more infectious than the Alpha strain but many times more infectious than the original COVID-19 strain. If you have been waiting to get vaccinated, now is the time.”
As The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/california-governor-gavin-newsom-compares-unvaccinated-people-to-drunk-drivers">reported</a> on Monday, Newsom made a comparison between people who are not vaccinated and “drunk drivers” during an interview on CNN.
“Is it time governor to bring back a universal mask mandate, regardless of vaccination status there in California?” CNN anchor Victor Blackwell asked.
“Look, we don’t even have to have that debate. If we can just get everybody vaccinated that’s not vaccinated, that’s refusing to get vaccinated, that’s living vaccine free and impacting the rest of us,” Newsom responded. “It’s like drunk drivers. You don’t have the right to go out and drink and drive and put everybody else at risk, including your own life at risk.” 
The vaccines for COVID-19 have been given <a href="https://www.fda.gov/emergency-preparedness-and-response/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/covid-19-vaccines">emergency use authorization</a> by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
According to state <a href="https://covid19.ca.gov/vaccination-progress-data/">data</a>, 62.1% of eligible people in California are fully vaccinated. The case <a href="https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/ca.open.data/viz/COVID-19CasesDashboardv2_0/CaseStatistics">numbers</a> in California have increased from a lower point in May, but are still much lower than the peak of coronavirus cases in the state earlier this year.
The Daily Wire is one of America’s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

21FC5EA5-F960-4CB3-9902-1D1EE16E194F_1_201_a

California Mandates Vaccine Or Testing For State Employees, Health Care Workers

Another victim and the final missing person from the partial building collapse in Surfside, Florida, was identified Monday, bringing the death toll to 98 people.
At a Monday news conference, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/98th-final-missing-person-reportedly-recovered-identified-florida-partial-building-n1274182">said</a> the final missing person&#8217;s family had been told after the identification of the person’s remains, which ended the search.
According to an <a href="https://www.miamidade.gov/police/releases/Surfside_Building_Collapse_Update29.asp">update</a> from Miami-Dade police, the final missing person was identified as Estelle Hedaya, who was 54 years old.
&#8220;As we enter month two alone, without any other families, we feel helpless,&#8221; her younger brother <a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-florida-surfside-building-collapse-8c92c024cab1511d130898f02cf3489a">told </a>The Associated Press on Friday. 
“Nothing we can say or do can bring back these 98 angels,&#8221; Levine Cava said, &#8220;who left behind grieving families, beloved friends, and loved ones across this community and across the world.” 
&#8220;I&#8217;m especially proud that through these efforts, we were able to bring closure to all those that reported missing loved ones.”
Firefighters <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/firefighters-end-search-bodies-surfside-condo-collapse-site-n1274902">stopped looking</a> for bodies Friday and police officers were set to continue looking for human remains, as well as personal belongings, in the debris. 
As NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/98th-final-missing-person-reportedly-recovered-identified-florida-partial-building-n1274182">reported</a>, “Officials had originally said that as many as 159 people were unaccounted for, but detectives worked for weeks to cross-check reports of missing people that may have been multiples or already accounted for.”
“The recovery and identification of the last remains do not mark the end of sifting through the debris. Crews are still digging out evidence to be catalogued for the investigation and personal belongings — including religious items, firearms, photo albums and jewelry — to hopefully return to the victims&#8217; families,&#8221; the outlet noted.
As The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/discussions-begin-for-surfside-condo-memorial-mayor-calls-collapsed-building-a-holy-site">reported</a>, the community of South Florida has begun to weigh how best to honor the lives that were lost in the collapse. 
“There’s a lot of emotion. People talk about it as a holy site,” said Miami-Dade Police Director Alfredo Ramirez. “People want some sort of connection with their family member.”  
Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett made a suggestion earlier this month that it’s too early to specify any plans since many people are still in the grieving process, but he noted that the event obliges something to be put at the location to honor the people who died, according to <a href="https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/surfside-weighs-how-to-honor-lost-souls-at-holy-site/2493205/">NBC Miami</a>.
“I think the first thing we need to do is get the families situated, so they have a semblance of their life back — get them to the point where they aren’t burdened by the grief and emotion that they’re going through right now,” said Burkett.  
“It’s obvious that this has become much more than a collapsed building site,” Burkett said. “It has become a holy site.” 
The people who were affected by the tragedy will reportedly be able to receive some compensation for their loss. 
As <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jul/14/judge-miami-condo-collapse-site-sale">reported</a> by The Guardian, “At a hearing, Miami-Dade circuit judge Michael Hanzman ordered that the process begin to sell the site of the Champlain Towers South, which could fetch $100m to $110m, according to court records.”
The ruling came at the same time as the first lawsuits stemming from the collapse, filed largely by families of the missing and deceased. No cause has been determined for what led to the building collapsing, but <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/live-updates-miami-area-condo-collapse/2021/06/30/1011670548/as-condo-warnings-mounted-town-officials-demanded-only-minor-changes">there may have been prior indications</a> and warnings that the building was unstable. 
The Daily Wire is one of America’s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Menu

Charlotte Pence Bond