President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> is reportedly set to reinstate service members discharged from the military under the Biden administration’s COVID vaccine mandate. 
<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-reinstate-service-members-discharged-not-getting-covid-19-vaccine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News</a> reported Monday morning that Trump plans to sign an executive order allowing those pushed out the door to return to the military at their previous rank with back pay and benefits. Under President Joe Biden, more than 8,000 service members were booted because they chose not to get the COVID jab. 
&#8220;The Executive Order directs the Secretary of Defense to reinstate all members of the military (active and reserve) who were discharged for refusing the COVID vaccine and who request to be reinstated,” a White House fact sheet obtained by Fox News says. 
&#8220;From 2021 to 2023, the Biden Administration and former Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin discharged over 8,000 troops solely due to their COVID-19 vaccination status,&#8221; it adds. &#8220;After the vaccine mandate was repealed in 2023, only 43 of the more than the 8,000 troops dismissed elected to return to service under the Biden Administration and Secretary Austin.&#8221;
During his inaugural address last week, Trump promised he would hire back the discharged service members and give them back pay. 
&#8220;This week, I will reinstate any service members who were unjustly expelled from our military for objecting to the COVID vaccine mandate with full back pay,&#8221; Trump said shortly after swearing in as president. 
The Biden administration’s military vaccine mandate ended in January 2023 after Republicans in Congress led an effort to repeal it as part of the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act. 
“The end of President Biden’s military COVID vaccine mandate is a victory for our military and for common sense,” then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/republican-house-leader-kevin-mccarthy-the-covid-vax-mandate-on-our-military-is-ending" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> at the time. “Last week, I told the president directly: it’s time to end the COVID vaccine mandate and rehire our service members.”
An <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/senate-passes-defense-spending-bill-rescinding-covid-vaccine-mandate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">effort</a> led by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) to add an amendment to the repeal that would have rehired those discharged over the mandate failed. 
In addition to the military, the Biden administration issued a vaccine mandate for federal workers and all employers with at least 100 employees, who had the option to be tested weekly instead. The vaccine-or-test rule for large businesses was struck down in a 6-3 decision by the Supreme Court in January 2022.

Floridians Get COVID-19 Vaccine At FEMA Vaccination Site In Miami Area

Trump To Reinstate Service Members Kicked Out Over COVID Vax

Covid vaccine

Donald Trump

Executive

Executive Orders

Lloyd Austin

Military

Politics

U.S. Military

Vaccine Mandate

House lawmakers released their final comprehensive report on COVID on Monday detailing how government officials misled the public about the origins of the pandemic. 
The <a href="https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/12.04.2024-SSCP-FINAL-REPORT.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">520-page report</a> from the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic covered everything from school closures to gain-of-function research to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/fauci-unmasked" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anthony Fauci</a>’s leadership of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The release of the report comes after the committee spent two years conducting over 30 transcribed interviews and depositions, holding 25 hearings and meetings, and going over over one million pages of documents. 
“The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted a distrust in leadership. Trust is earned,” Chair Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) wrote in a letter accompanying the report. “Accountability, transparency, honesty, and integrity will regain this trust. A future pandemic requires a whole of America response managed by those without personal benefit or bias. We can always do better, and for the sake of future generations of Americans, we must. It can be done.”
One of the key findings of the report was that COVID likely originated and leaked out of a lab, a view that was once banned by Facebook but now echoed by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/covid-likely-leaked-from-wuhan-lab-senate-gop-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Senate Republicans</a> and the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/china-responds-to-u-s-energy-departments-revised-wuhan-lab-leak-theory" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Department of Energy</a>. The report said that COVID “likely emerged because of a laboratory or research related accident.”
The report noted that public officials from both China and the United States tried to hide facts that might confirm the lab leak theory. “The Chinese government, agencies within the U.S. Government, and some members of the international scientific community sought to cover-up facts concerning the origins of the pandemic,” the report said. 
For example, the lawmakers said that Fauci prompted the writing of an academic paper to undermine the lab leak theory in early 2020. The paper, known as “The Proximal Origin of SARS-CoV-2” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pandemic-origins-subcommittee-suggests-fauci-prompted-doctors-to-draft-paper-to-disprove-lab-leak-theory" target="_blank" rel="noopener">argued</a> that it was not plausible for the virus to come from a lab. 
The lawmakers further concluded that the NIH funded gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. According to the report, this research was facilitated by the EcoHealth Alliance and Peter Daszak, who the government <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hhs-moves-to-defund-ecohealth-alliance-says-action-needed-to-protect-the-public-interest" target="_blank" rel="noopener">moved to bar</a> from future federal funding earlier this year. 
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The report accused former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo of “medical malpractice,” saying that he acted to publicly cover “up the total number of nursing home fatalities in New York.”  The panel previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-panel-refers-andrew-cuomo-to-doj-for-criminal-prosecution-over-covid-testimony" target="_blank" rel="noopener">made a criminal referra</a>l against Cuomo for allegedly lying about his knowledge of a report that was used to defend a New York policy that placed COVID patients in nursing homes.
Additionally, the report was critical of the Biden administration&#8217;s vaccine mandate, which was later struck down by the Supreme Court. The lawmakers wrote that the government was currently failing &#8220;to efficiently, fairly, and transparently adjudicate claims for the COVID-19 vaccine injured.&#8221;
Other findings of the report were that lockdowns of schools caused significant learning challenges for children and that pandemic aid was plagued by fraud and waste. Wenstrup wrote that the lockdowns were overly strict and broad and caused &#8220;predictable anguish and avoidable consequences.&#8221;
“Just a few short years ago, arguing that COVID came from a Chinese lab and that lockdowns &amp; authoritarian measures didn’t work would get you censored and kicked from social media,” Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) said of the report. “This report will stand as a warning for future generations of what NOT to do.”

White House Coronavirus Task Force Holds Daily Briefing

‘What Not To Do’: Final House Report Finds Gov Misled Public About COVID

Anthony Fauci

COVID-19

House Oversight Committee

Pandemic

Wuhan Institute of Virology

When Rob Schneider calls you from the car, you can’t help but wonder where he’s going.
The set of Happy Gilmore 2? A Los Angeles comedy club? One of the few bars on the West Coast where they still let David Spade drink for free?
I never did learn where Schneider was headed during our conversation — we had bigger things to talk about. Things like the First Amendment, Saturday Night Live, the Khmer Rouge, vaccine mandates, Alexis de Tocqueveille, and Shane Gillis.
If you think that’s a random smattering of topics, you may not be ready for Schneider’s new book. “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/You-Can-Do-Speak-America/dp/1546007865">You Can Do It!: Speak Your Mind, America</a>,” is equal parts memoir, historical survey, and political polemic, all wrapped up in Schneider’s trademark irreverent humor. At times it feels like Schneider is trying to make the case for free speech through sheer force of will: his stream-of-consciousness narrative plows forward at a breakneck pace, flitting from childhood reminiscence to an exploration of Soviet propaganda and back to a funny Chris Farley anecdote all before you can say “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1Fk_mDem4o">makin’ copies!</a>”
That the book is funny isn’t surprising. After nearly a decade on Saturday Night Live, Schneider moved to the big screen, starring in hit films like “The Hot Chick” and “The Benchwarmers,” and making countless memorable appearances alongside his close friend and former SNL cast mate, Adam Sandler.
The humor is a given. It’s everything else that’s shocking.
Schneider is hardly the first celebrity to get political, nor the first to get in trouble for doing so. That he moved from left to right is a bit more shocking, but not without precedent. What’s truly strange about Schneider is just how seriously he’s taking his political turn. “You Can Do It!” doesn’t just have arguments — it has information. It has citations and statistics and digressions on Stanley Milgram and Mikhail Bulgakov. At times it feels more like a college lecture hall than a 30 Rock soundstage.
What made Deuce Bigelow get so serious?
“I got into show business to avoid having to do stuff like writing a book,” Schneider told The Daily Wire, adding that doing so was “a pain in the ass.” It was after witnessing the “egregious attack on our civil liberties and the attack on free speech” perpetrated by Democrats and their media allies that Schneider decided to pick up the pen. But even then, he didn’t lose his sense of humor.
“We&#8217;re kind of f***ed as a country,” Schneider said. “And so I do feel a responsibility, even though it cost me money and cost me work, I feel like it is my comedic-patriotic duty to at least bring these things to attention.”
The importance of protecting free speech may be the stated focus of “You Can Do It!” But Schneider’s understanding of this “comedic-patriotic duty” is perhaps the most essential — and certainly the most interesting — thread of the book.
“As de facto intellectuals, comedians are the cultural rearview mirrors,” Schneider writes. “Our jokes reflect the essence of a particular time, place, and attitude, to remind us of the context of where we just came from.”
This is why it felt so wrong when, following Donald Trump’s election in 2016, and then the coronavirus pandemic 2020, comedians by and large abandoned their craft and began echoing liberal talking points.
“I think the low watermark of comedy in the 21st century was late night television, with these hosts who all had interchangeable monologues,” Schneider told The Daily Wire.
“Nothing to me was more egregious than the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xP6c9UqPcU">dancing syringes</a> on Colbert&#8217;s show. That to me, it wasn&#8217;t cringe. It was Soviet bloc. It seems like something out of the Khmer Rouge.”
Schneider says the preservation of free speech in America depends in a large part on the flourishing of comedy — honest, equal-opportunity, no-holds-barred comedy.
“If you can get people to see the absurdity” of a given figure or issue, Schneider told The Daily Wire, “and mock it and laugh at it, it is the best way to move its natural path towards tyranny so that it collapses.
“When the public is comfortable laughing at the government, then they are no longer in fear of the government,” he said.
This is what makes Schneider’s activism so refreshing. Unlike many celebrities who jump in the arena, he doesn’t think his fame entitles him to serve as a moral arbiter for the rest of us. Rather, he sees himself as a member of the comedian class, a role that comes with a certain obligation to challenge authority and speak truth to power.
“I&#8217;m not saying I&#8217;m 100% right in these things,” he says, “but the fact is we need to have discourse, we need to not shout each other down.”
That humility doesn’t mean Schneider is pulling punches. He says that “the Democratic Party needs to lose this election — and maybe two or three more — so that they can regroup and become a political party that isn&#8217;t undemocratic and authoritarian.” Republicans, he tells The Daily Wire, “are going to have to put on their big boy pants and change legislation” should they win in November.
If this doesn’t happen — if Democrats keep power and continue their assault on free speech, or if Republicans win but resort to ad hominem attacks — Schneider worries about what will come next.
“Western civilization is committing suicide,” Schneider tells The Daily Wire, adding that “the United States is the last bastion of freedom in the world.”
“If we go, so goes the world,” he says. “There will be no Marines to rescue the United States from another country, there will be no food drop. There is no Marshall Plan for the United States. We are it.”
Dire as that sounds, Schneider has hope for the future of the country. His spirits are buoyed by, among other things: Mark Zuckerberg’s recent admission that the Biden-Harris administration pressured Facebook to censor content (“I don’t think Zuckerberg’s a bad actor”); Saturday Night Live’s decision to have Shane Gillis host after firing him for politically incorrect jokes (“How great was Lorne Michaels to do that?”); and The Daily Wire’s own Matt Walsh (“The one, rightful heir to Sacha Baron Cohen. I think Matt Walsh is a genius. I really do”).
But more than anything, Schneider is optimistic because he believes in America.
“This imperfect union was founded under God with a belief that we have done something special,” he says. “It is a union deserving of our forgiveness and deserving of our thanks, deserving of our gratitude and deserving of every attempt we can [make] for its preservation.”
To do that, “we must call out injustice. But in that call…we should have a reconciliation.”
“We have to be generous, and if our fault is that we are too generous, that is the price that we must pay, that is what this great nation calls upon us now to do,” Schneider says.
Before we spoke, I was ready for Schneider to go deep on all sorts of subjects — I had read the book, after all — but I wasn’t expecting such a serious meditation on American democracy. Thoroughly impressed and hoping for a good kicker, I asked Schneider if he had any parting thoughts he wanted to share. He didn’t even hesitate.
“The book’s also pretty funny.”

Concerts In Your Car’s David Spade And Rob Schneider Live

When It Comes to Free Speech, Rob Schneider Isn’t Joking

COVID

Free Speech

Matt Walsh

Rob Schneider

Known for many memorable aphorisms, Winston Churchill once expressed a determination to “Never let a good crisis go to waste.”
Over the ensuing decades, some leaders have used such logic to justify taking advantage of people’s fears during perilous times — trampling their liberties in ways the people would never tolerate during more normal circumstances.
The better application of Churchill’s principle, however, is to actually learn the right lessons from crises we encounter — and to apply those lessons in ways that truly protect both lives and liberty.
So it is with the COVID-19 pandemic that remains relatively fresh in our collective memory.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the architect of much of the federal government’s initial COVID-19 response, admitted late last year that many directives — such as 6-foot social distancing — “sort of just appeared” without any serious science backing them up.
So seems to be the case with many mandates and orders imposed in the individual states.
Here in Indiana, we Hoosiers recently passed the four-year anniversary of stay-at-home orders imposed by our governor with the support of appointed bureaucrats and others.
On March 6, 2020, Governor Eric Holcomb declared a public health emergency. Over the course of more than two years, various government officials issued and enforced COVID-19 mandates, including stay-at-home orders, capacity limits, vaccine mandates, mask requirements, and business, school, and church closures.
Unfortunately, few of the leaders responsible for these harsh measures have undertaken any serious effort in the aftermath of their actions to assess whether they responded appropriately to the threats we faced. But we need such an evaluation in order to learn from mistakes — and to develop a plan and vision for how we will react to similar scenarios in the future.
Toward accomplishing these ends — and because no one else stepped forward to adequately address these issues — I tasked my office with conducting an analysis of how our state government responded to the dangerous coronavirus spawned in China.
In March, we <a href="https://events.in.gov/event/attorney-general-todd-rokita-reveals-faulty-covid-19-data-in-shocking-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released a full report</a> on what we found. One key example — death counts across Indiana were vastly inflated:
<blockquote>COVID-19 was listed as a “cause of death” for numerous deaths caused by gunshot wounds, fires, car accidents, blunt force trauma, drowning and drug overdoses.</blockquote>
The obvious truth is that our state government produced and relied on severely flawed data, including inflated death counts and unsound positivity rates, to shape the state’s failed response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This faulty data led to months of mask mandates and, even worse, to lockdowns that devastated our economy and our children’s education.
The measures implemented to combat COVID-19 turned out to be even more destructive than the havoc wreaked by the public health crisis itself.
In Indiana, literacy rates plummeted as chronic absenteeism skyrocketed. Thousands of Hoosier 3rd graders have been allowed to move forward despite being unable to read. Students’ mental health also took a toll during the pandemic, with three out of every 10 Indiana students saying they considered suicide.
Shutting down society triggered an unprecedented level of federal spending. Total public debt as a percent of GDP skyrocketed to over 132% and remains historically high. Hoosiers and other Americans have suffered from the highest inflation rate in decades, and the consumer price index (CPI) remains elevated over pre-pandemic levels. Even after the pandemic, total federal government expenditures far exceed pre-pandemic levels.
Moving ahead, we must resolve never again to accept the false notion that we have to choose between our lives and our livelihoods. We must resolve, as well, to keep Indiana’s economy and educational institutions fully open for business during future public health challenges.
Some continue to insist that they have no regrets about the lockdowns and mandates that severely damaged our economy and our kids’ educations. In fact, after our report was released, the governor lambasted it as having “zero” credibility.
Why not <a href="https://www.in.gov/attorneygeneral/files/Covid-Report_efile.pdf">read the report</a> for yourself? Then, you can decide whether you believe it to be credible.
Abraham Lincoln once said, “Let the people know the truth, and the country is safe.” Just as in his day, the need for transparency in government remains absolutely essential to maintaining a free society.
Let us all learn and remember the lessons from COVID-19 so that we can avoid past mistakes and better serve our fellow Hoosiers in the future. In particular, let us commit to always fighting the dangerous forces that are all too eager to lock down our liberties — for they pose as much danger to our republic as any virus ever could.
* * *
Todd Rokita is Indiana’s attorney general.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Dr. Fauci Testifies To Senate Health Committee On Country’s COVID-19 Response

New Report Reveals Faulty Data, Fallout From COVID Lockdowns In The Hoosier State

Death

Indiana

Opinion

Readers Pass

School Lockdowns

The following is an edited transcript of an interview between Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief and Morning Wire co-host John Bickley and former ESPN SportsCenter anchor Sage Steele on her battle with the network over vaccine mandates and her plans for the future. Listen to the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire/sidelines-to-spotlight-sage-steele-s-new-chapter-sunday-extra" target="_blank" rel="noopener">full interview here</a>.
JOHN: Joining us now to discuss her journey from ESPN SportsCenter anchor to “canceled” to now host of her own show is Sage Steele. Sage, thank you so much for joining us.
SAGE: Thank you for having me.
JOHN: You’ve now launched “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bill-maher-launches-new-podcast-network-hires-conservative-as-his-first-host" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Sage Steele Show</a>,” which we’d like to ask you about, but let&#8217;s start with you parting ways with Disney and ESPN. For those who haven&#8217;t tracked that sequence of events, can you tell us exactly what happened there?
SAGE: That&#8217;s a big, long answer. It was almost a two year process to be honest with you. I was on a podcast on a day off, giving my opinions and views on my own experiences and things that were happening at that time. That was in September or October of 2021. I was suspended for it, punished, silenced, and assignments were taken away from me and I was told that if I didn&#8217;t apologize publicly, I would lose my job.
Listen, there were years and years leading up to the point where I spoke differently from others. I didn&#8217;t follow the same narrative. I decided to stand up only because of the hypocrisy I saw on the other side where all of my peers were able to go on the network whenever they wanted and say what they wanted [because it was the accepted narrative], even if it had nothing to do with sports on ESPN platforms. And of course, I&#8217;d lived a lot of it behind the scenes.
Then, once you’re punished, at some point you have a decision to make. For me, I knew that it was enough. I also knew it was bigger than me, and that&#8217;s kind of what was happening throughout society in America — where if you don&#8217;t follow a certain narrative, then you&#8217;re silenced and punished and canceled. Also, once you get canceled so many times, it&#8217;s easier to say, “Wait a minute.” So I took a stand and did something I never thought I&#8217;d do, which is file a lawsuit against the company that I loved and ended up working for, for almost 17 years. It broke my heart, but I know it was the right thing because it&#8217;s truly about standing up for yourself and others and for freedom of speech.
JOHN: Now, vaccines played a central role in your <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/longtime-espn-anchor-who-criticized-covid-mandates-leaving-network-to-exercise-first-amendment-rights" target="_blank" rel="noopener">split with ESPN</a>, correct? Can you explain that for us?
SAGE: Yes. So at Disney, of course ESPN is owned by Disney, we were required to be fully vaccinated by September 30, 2021. I waited until literally the very last day. I was devastated about it and didn&#8217;t agree with being forced. There&#8217;s a difference between the vaccine and the vaccine mandate. I had an issue with the mandate because I wasn&#8217;t comfortable with the vaccine yet. I just wanted more time for more research to be done. I&#8217;d done my homework and I think the average is six to nine years for the FDA to approve a vaccine. And this was shoved out there pretty quickly as we know. It became super political on both sides and I just didn&#8217;t feel comfortable with doing it.
So, I actually went onto that podcast that day directly from getting the shot. I was pretty emotional, probably, and was running a little bit hot, but I was pretty measured with my comments. And I basically said, “Listen, I just don&#8217;t agree that anyone should be forced to do something to their body. I think it&#8217;s sick and scary for any company to do that, but I love my job. I need my job, and I complied in order to keep my job.” And that&#8217;s what I said.
Since then I&#8217;ve obviously thought so much about it. If I had said the opposite — if I had said, “Listen, all these anti-vaxxers are being quite selfish, they don&#8217;t care about their neighbors or their coworkers or their families, just get it” — I would have been celebrated. The other comments I made about race and being biracial and people telling me I should identify as black, even though I&#8217;m black and white, if I had said the other idea, I feel like I would have been celebrated. That&#8217;s where the hypocrisy was and that&#8217;s why I stood up.
JOHN: I should note for disclosure purposes — and also because it proved very consequential — that The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dhillonlaw.com/lawsuits/the-daily-wire-challenges-biden-administration-vaccine-mandate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sued the federal government</a> over its vaccine mandate for big companies. We put ourselves at severe risk by doing so, but <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/we-said-do-not-comply-we-won" target="_blank" rel="noopener">we won that lawsuit</a>. And it&#8217;s something that we felt like we had to do. Your story certainly resonates with that move.
SAGE: Can I hug you for that? Because it&#8217;s been people like you and groups like yours who stand up — it just meant the world to me. And I have to say, doing it alone — and I&#8217;m a single mother of three kids, high school and college age kids — it&#8217;s not cheap to stand up. It&#8217;s scary when you&#8217;re on your own and you&#8217;re financially responsible for everybody. Along with throwing away the career that I loved, as I was told I was doing. But sometimes it&#8217;s bigger than us. And so people like you made me feel not quite as alone. It&#8217;s amazing what happens when you do take a stand and step out — how many thousands, millions of people — you realize you&#8217;re so not alone. There&#8217;s such fear and we just can&#8217;t lead with that fear anymore.
JOHN: About that, how have you seen people embrace you? And what&#8217;s this next phase in your career?
SAGE: I cannot tell you how excited I am about what&#8217;s next. Being able to have true, deep, genuine conversations, kind of a talk show format, but not an interview, it’s more of a conversation. There&#8217;s a huge difference. I&#8217;m all about freedom of speech and diversity of thought; that&#8217;s what I lead with. Anyone who knows me will back that up. That’s why, when Bill Maher offered me a job while I was on his Club Random podcast, I thought he was joking. And then he did it again. Of all people, Bill Maher is someone with whom I see things completely differently. I&#8217;m definitely more conservative; he is definitely far Left. He doesn&#8217;t believe in marriage and kids; he’s an atheist and thinks it&#8217;s all crazy. And I&#8217;m the opposite in every single category. I love that we can sit and talk. Most importantly, he saw where my heart is, which is to truly be accepting of everyone and welcome diverse thoughts. And to give me a show to do that? It&#8217;s so much bigger than me. This is about trying to show America that this can exist: We can lead with kindness and be strong in our beliefs. It&#8217;s a beautiful thing that Bill Maher saw this controversial conservative, former ESPN star and said, “No, no, no, I&#8217;m going to give her a shot, even though I completely feel differently about huge important issues in our country.” I think it&#8217;s a win for everybody and I&#8217;m so honored.
JOHN: During the COVID pandemic, we saw censorship on a level I don&#8217;t think we&#8217;ve ever seen before, at least not in recent decades. Do you feel like there&#8217;s progress being made, or are we still under this heavy-handed censorship complex?
SAGE: I think there is. Obviously you do this every single day and pay super close attention to it. I&#8217;m probably a step back from you, but watching it in a different way as a journalist now, my journalism career is changing and evolving. I feel like there&#8217;s progress and to me the biggest reason for it is Elon Musk. I&#8217;m so grateful for him taking that huge chance. I don&#8217;t care how many billions of dollars you have, that is a risk he has taken. It&#8217;s been fascinating to watch him, what he tweets and what he says. I think it gives the majority of America hope because I truly believe that most Americans think like we do — like we don&#8217;t all have to believe the same things, but you must be respectful of everyone&#8217;s opinion and their right to have it. So, because of Elon Musk, it is changing.
I have seen and read about so many other people taking stands. It&#8217;s fascinating to learn what&#8217;s going on with Google and all the suppression over the last 12 years with the election process. That stuff’s being exposed. I feel like on the old Twitter, now X, that we would never have been able to hear about that, not as quickly and efficiently and accurately. So, to me, there is progress and we have to continue. I believe there&#8217;s a groundswell for people like us who just want all things available for us to review and allow us to make our own decisions. That&#8217;s what had been taken away and people didn&#8217;t realize it. Now it&#8217;s being exposed and that&#8217;s the win.
That&#8217;s what I want to talk about on my show with a variety of guests. Yes, some will be athletes, but also people in Hollywood, some politicians, actors, all the above, because I think we probably have a lot more in common than we believe. It doesn&#8217;t all have to be political. I want to hear their “whys” and most importantly though, when it all hits the fan, how do they push through? How do they push through those adverse moments in their lives despite making it all look perfect on TV or on the internet? What I have found is most people believe like us, but they&#8217;re fearful — fearful in Hollywood in particular to speak their truth. So, I hope and pray that I can make people comfortable — comfortable enough to do that. And then, when people open up and speak openly, I think everybody wins and others realize, “Hey, I&#8217;m not alone and we&#8217;re right to stand up and speak our own truths. It doesn&#8217;t have to fit a certain narrative.”
JOHN: As you mentioned, Bill Maher is far-left on many issues. Is he putting any restrictions on your topics for your show?
SAGE: Zero. Nothing. It&#8217;s beautiful. I&#8217;m so not used to this world. I&#8217;m like, “Wait, what?” I&#8217;m waiting for someone from the Disney offices in Burbank to reach up and cut me off. It&#8217;s just a whole new world. Bill and I agree on some of the core issues. That&#8217;s what we found out in that podcast I did with him on Club Random — about immigration, he thinks it&#8217;s completely out of control; about transgender, the transgender sports, women&#8217;s sports issue, out of control and ridiculous and scary; and of course the vaccine, vaccine mandates, nuts. So those are three core issues that have obviously been so divisive. But again, when you look at my stance on things, how I feel about things based on myself and being a mother and not having a certain platform, and then you look at Bill Maher with his massive platform and his very Left-leaning liberal approach to pretty much everything in life. But it&#8217;s a great lesson, that when we are respectful, when we talk and lead with kindness, we realize we actually have a lot more in common. And he&#8217;s like, “Go girl. Say what you want, ask what you want, do what you want.” There&#8217;s a trust there already, and it&#8217;s something I&#8217;m so grateful for because I&#8217;m not used to that.
JOHN: Final question before you go: What have you been surprised by and what are you looking most forward to in this next phase?
SAGE: Well, thank you. I was just so shocked and honored that someone on “the other side of the aisle” saw the need for more conversation, and for Bill Maher to believe that I could be the one. I&#8217;ve never been given that kind of platform before. But it&#8217;s not about me or Bill; it&#8217;s about what has to happen. It does take courage though, right? For someone like Bill to say, “Oh, I&#8217;m going to go right into these waters and give a voice to someone with whom I feel so differently.” Kudos to him for seeing the big picture beyond what he believes. I am so excited to have these conversations and make them continue. Because if we don&#8217;t do this – I&#8217;m not trying to be dramatic – I believe we lose America and I do believe it&#8217;s now or never. So here we go with Club Random and Bill and me and a whole bunch of other guests. I hope you guys take a chance and listen.
JOHN: We certainly will. Sage, thank you so much for joining us. We&#8217;d love to talk to you again.
SAGE: I would love to. I listen to y&#8217;all every morning. So thank you.
JOHN: That’s certainly nice to hear. Thanks again for coming on.
SAGE: Thank you. God bless.
Listen to the full Morning Wire interview <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire/sidelines-to-spotlight-sage-steele-s-new-chapter-sunday-extra">here</a>.

Shaq’s Fun House

INTERVIEW: Former ESPN Anchor Sage Steele Talks Getting Canceled After Vax Comments, Surge Of Support & Launch Of Her New Show 

Bill Maher

ESPN

Morning Wire

Sage Steele

Sports

New York State Supreme Court Justice Brandon T. Lantry dismissed felony charges against two residents who had bought fake COVID-19 vaccine cards — going over the head of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
Bragg had charged the two — who were identified only by their initials J.O. and R.V. in The New York Post&#8217;s <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/02/03/metro/manhattan-da-alvin-bragg-slammed-for-letting-violent-perps-walk/?utm_campaign=nypost&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> — with felonies after they allegedly bought fake vaccine cards from a stripper in New Jersey, in an apparent attempt to skirt the Big Apple&#8217;s vaccine mandate. The Manhattan DA chose 16 of approximately 100 who allegedly bought the fake vaccine cards from the same stripper, and charged them with felony criminal possession of a forged instrument.
Fourteen of the 16 opted to plead out for lesser charges, but then J.O. and R.V. moved to have their cases dismissed, Bragg fought them — which was how the case ultimately landed in Lantry&#8217;s lap.
But Lantry pushed back, noting that the Manhattan DA&#8217;s office under Bragg&#8217;s leadership has &#8220;routinely — nearly daily — move[s] to dismiss significantly more serious counts or entire indictments.&#8221; In some of those cases, he noted in his opinion, Bragg&#8217;s office worked to dismiss charges against people with prior felony convictions or people whose immigration status might be at risk if they were convicted.
&#8220;These motions submitted [by Bragg and his prosecutors] are made months or even years after the 45-day period has expired to dismiss &#8230; sexual assaults, drug sales, robbery, burglary, and other violent and non-violent serious felony offenses,&#8221; Lantry continued.
Critics were quick to call Bragg out on social media after the charges were dismissed.
&#8220;In Bragg’s version of America, hoodlums who steal rape and murder deserve the most leniency possible, but people who refused to go along with the moronic vaxx card tyranny deserve to have their lives ruined,&#8221; radio host Buck Sexton said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
In Bragg’s version of America, hoodlums who steal rape and murder deserve the most leniency possible, but people who refused to go along with the moronic vaxx card tyranny deserve to have their lives ruined <a href="https://t.co/PqMC59HL65">https://t.co/PqMC59HL65</a>
&mdash; Buck Sexton (@BuckSexton) <a href="https://twitter.com/BuckSexton/status/1754279418401276171?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Soros DA Alvin Bragg is prosecuting people for having fake vax cards &#8211; 3 years after the fact &#8211; while letting killers, rapists, drug dealers &amp; illegal alien invaders who assault cops WALK FREE. Are you paying attention yet?&#8221; Monica Crowley added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Soros DA Alvin Bragg is prosecuting people for having fake vax cards &#8211; 3 years after the fact &#8211; while letting killers, rapists, drug dealers &amp; illegal alien invaders who assault cops WALK FREE.
Are you paying attention yet?<a href="https://t.co/0aI8bNFDAS">https://t.co/0aI8bNFDAS</a>
&mdash; Monica Crowley (@MonicaCrowley) <a href="https://twitter.com/MonicaCrowley/status/1753967706682827070?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Alvin Bragg

Alvin Bragg Brings Felony Charges For Fake Vax Cards, Gives Violent Perps A Pass: Judge Says No Way

COVID-19 Vaccine

New York

Vaccine Passports

Violent Crime

Veteran soap opera actor Ingo Rademacher, best known for his role in &#8220;General Hospital,&#8221; is suing Disney-owned ABC after the company ostensibly fired him for refusing to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
The actor, though, says his legal team was able to expose evidence of political animus toward Rademacher — the reason they claim the actor was really fired.
“ABC had a duty to accommodate Ingo,” reads one of Rademacher&#8217;s team&#8217;s legal filings. “Instead, it put him through a sham process that was designed to fail, and which was meant to cover up the real reason for Ingo’s termination: his political views.”
During an interview with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/author/megan-basham" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Wire reporter Megan Basham</a>, which can be listened to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire/silencing-hollywood-ingo-rademacher-sues-abc-saturday-extra" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here on Morning Wire</a>, Rademacher details what his team found in the legal discovery process and the actor reasserts his commitment to free speech.
&#8220;I was fired for not complying with the vaccine mandate,&#8221; Rademacher told Basham. &#8220;But I had kind of suspicions about maybe that it was political, because in 2020, I started speaking out, started speaking my political views on my social media accounts, my Twitter and my Instagram, because I thought that was my right — little did I know.&#8221;
&#8220;It is my right,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;And everyone&#8217;s like, &#8216;Are you crazy to speak out against this?&#8217; And I&#8217;m like, well, no, this is freedom of speech. This is very important. If other people on the show get to speak, then so do I. And if they have different views, that&#8217;s totally fine with me.&#8221;
His legal team worked &#8220;to expose the political animus&#8221; towards the actor, despite &#8220;ABC lawyers&#8217; insisted that such evidence didn&#8217;t exist,&#8221; Rademacher explained.
&#8220;At the last minute, all of a sudden, they found a bunch of emails and text messages that showed the political animus towards me,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And that included emails and text messages between cast and crew. One of them was a producer calling me an ignorant racist — just name-calling for no reason. I think that kind of just shows the depth that Hollywood goes to in order to cover up the political discrimination.&#8221;
Rademacher noted that actress <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/gina-carano" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gina Carano</a>, who was fired from Disney-owned Lucasfilm back in 2021, is a &#8220;perfect example&#8221; of such political discrimination.
&#8220;When she started speaking out against the narrative, they started looking for any post of hers that they could use to fire her,&#8221; he explained. &#8220;And they didn&#8217;t even hide it.&#8221;
Rademacher seemed to become a target when he spoke out about issues like COVID and transgenderism. With the former, the actor said at the time that the vaccine was not intended to &#8220;stop the spread.&#8221; Notably, Pfizer chairman Albert Bourla <a href="https://thehill.com/news-by-subject/healthcare/528619-pfizer-chairman-were-not-sure-if-someone-can-transmit-virus-after/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in 2020 that the company did not examine if the COVID vaccine stops transmission during development. “This is something that needs to be examined,&#8221; Bourla said.
When it comes to transgender ideology, Rademacher was accused of &#8220;misgendering&#8221; a trans person. He also argued that biological males who identify as trans should not be taking achievements or invading the spaces of girls and women — an opinion supported by the vast majority of Americans.
&#8220;I&#8217;ve never said anything to anybody about not taking the vaccine, this was literally just — we shouldn&#8217;t have vaccine passports,&#8221; Rademacher explained one of his apparently controversial posts. &#8220;And you know, that they were really, really upset about that. They were talking about recasting me, and things like that.&#8221;
&#8220;We have the emails from them actively talking about figuring out a way to let me go well before the vaccine mandate even came along,&#8221; he said. &#8220;So when that came along, they were just like, &#8216;Okay, well, we&#8217;ll just use this, he&#8217;s not going to get vaccinated, and we&#8217;ll just deny the religious exemption.&#8221;
&#8220;Maybe I&#8217;m naive in that way, but I really believe in freedom of speech,&#8221; the actor said, noting of his mistreatment. &#8220;And I advocate for anybody else that&#8217;s on the show.&#8221;
His former colleague Nancy Lee Grahn is very vocal about her left-wing views online, Rademacher noted, but said that he gladly advocates for her freedom of speech. &#8220;It&#8217;s still her freedom to speak, that is the most important thing to protect. And that&#8217;s one of the main things I think that we&#8217;re fighting for — besides the vaccine mandate being unconstitutional, and the religious exemption being denied. Freedom of speech is at the heart of a well-functioning country; we have to have debate and nobody wants to debate anymore. They just want to call you names, try to smear you as much as possible, which is what happened with me.&#8221;
Following his response, Basham noted that Lee Grahn was one of the people who essentially cheered Rademacher&#8217;s firing, openly online.
&#8220;She jumped on the virtue signaling train,&#8221; the actor responded. &#8220;And wanted to announce to everybody that I was &#8216;mercifully&#8217; no longer on the show.&#8221;
&#8220;Announcing that I was no longer on the show, I think was really disappointing,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;But I don&#8217;t mind working with somebody like that at work. It doesn&#8217;t bother me because, again, it comes down to freedom of speech. And I&#8217;m a huge supporter of that. If you want to talk about your political views and social views on your social media account, which is what she does, then I get to enjoy the same right. Now, she can disagree with me, and we can argue about it — not at work, obviously. But also, I don&#8217;t have a problem working with people that I don&#8217;t agree with. It doesn&#8217;t doesn&#8217;t bother me. I don&#8217;t talk about my politics at work. But my social media is my social media account. And I think I should have the right to say whatever I want, and somebody else like her is enjoying her freedom to say whatever she wants.&#8221;
Basham then asked Rademacher, &#8220;What is your sense in Hollywood of just how many performers and other industry professionals are suppressing their views out of fear of the kind of job-loss and blacklist that you describe?&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;m gonna be guessing it&#8217;s probably somewhere close to half the people at work with me, that their views do not align with the current media narrative and Hollywood — they are more on my side of this than anything else,&#8221; the actor responded. &#8220;The people who do agree with my views, or are afraid to speak up — you get private messages, you get phone calls from friends, and they&#8217;re like, &#8216;Man, you have a lot of courage. But I just can&#8217;t do it, I just can&#8217;t fight the fight.'&#8221;
&#8220;They&#8217;re just not going to say anything,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;And, to me, I walked away from an incredible job.&#8221;
&#8220;From a spiritual perspective, I do believe that I was kind of chosen for this fight, because I wasn&#8217;t going to back down,&#8221; Rademacher added. &#8220;And let me just say to everybody, suing is not fun. It has completely thrown our lives upside down. We had to move from an amazing community for my kids; they had a great life there and I had to  tear them away from that life. They destroy lives when they don&#8217;t stand for equal rights for everybody and freedom of speech. And yes, everybody is afraid to speak up in Hollywood, and when you do, they find a way very quickly to get rid of you.&#8221;

GENERAL HOSPITAL – “General Hospital” airs Monday-Friday, on ABC (check local listings).

Veteran Soap Actor Speaks About Lawsuit, Political Discrimination After ABC Firing

Veteran Soap Actor Ingo Rademacher Speaks Out About Political Discrimination After ABC Fires Him

Celebrities

Entertainment

Television

Comedian and HBO host Bill Maher got into a bit of a verbal sparring match with &#8220;Family Guy&#8221; creator Seth MacFarlane over the COVID-19 vaccines and mandates, arguing that the United States had failed to recognize the value of natural immunity.
The discussion came about during the latest episode of Maher&#8217;s podcast, &#8220;Club Random,&#8221; and Maher posited that pushing the vaccine on everyone — even those who had already contracted the virus — was &#8220;powerful stupid.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🔥 Bill Maher &amp; Seth MacFarlane Get Into a HEATED Debate Over the COVID Vaccine
“Djokovic didn’t need it. Aaron Rodgers didn’t need it…You completely want to shut your eyes to the fact that there are repercussions to all medical interventions including a vaccine!” <a href="https://t.co/bafg4BmvBF">pic.twitter.com/bafg4BmvBF</a>
&mdash; Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheChiefNerd/status/1740895343825264641?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 30, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Why are doctors wrong about so much?&#8221; Maher asked.
MacFarlane protested that doctors were right about a lot of things as well, but Maher pushed back.
&#8220;Very often, people who aren&#8217;t doctors have been righter about things,&#8221; Maher continued, and when MacFarlane asked for an example, he went straight to the handling of COVID-19 vaccinations in the United States.
&#8220;I would think — this country did not allow for natural immunity to be considered. And I know this is a subject dear to your heart. Like, even if you had the disease, you still had to get a vaccine. That’s powerful stupid. They don’t do that in Europe,&#8221;Maher explained.
MacFarlane objected, pointing to the number of people who have contracted the virus multiple times and arguing that there was no real &#8220;natural immunity&#8221; to be had. &#8220;Don’t you know people have had COVID four or five times? I do. That’s not natural immunity. There’s no immunity there.&#8221;
&#8220;Probably because you&#8217;ve had too many vaccines,&#8221; Maher replied, and noted that because of the way vaccines work, mass vaccination could have resulted in large swaths of the population whose immune systems were under increased stress.
MacFarlane pushed back, saying that vaccination reduced the risk of hospitalization and death.
&#8220;But that&#8217;s assuming that all people are alike,&#8221; Maher said. &#8220;And that is one of the giant fallacies in your way of thinking, we are not all alike.&#8221;
He went on to argue that it was the wrong decision for the vaccine to be pushed on everyone — even those who were not considered high risk.
&#8220;[Novak] Djokovic didn’t need it. Aaron Rodgers didn’t need it,&#8221; Maher continued over MacFarlane&#8217;s objections. &#8220;You completely want to shut your eyes to the fact that there are repercussions to all medical interventions including a vaccine!&#8221;

Houston Rockets v Los Angeles Lakers

Bill Maher Spars With Seth MacFarlane Over COVID Vax Mandates: ‘Djokovic Didn’t Need It’

Bill Maher Spars With Seth MacFarlane Over COVID Vax Mandates: 'Djokovic Didn't Need It'

Seth MacFarlane

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-army" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Army</a> sent letters earlier this month to nearly 2,000 former service members fired under the Biden administration’s COVID <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/vaccine-mandate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vaccine mandate</a> telling them how to correct their military records and pointing them to recruiters if they wished to return to the military. 
The letter <a href="https://taskandpurpose.com/news/army-covid-vaccine-mandate-reversal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was</a> sent out before Veteran’s Day and told the fired soldiers that they could change the characterization of their dismissal from the military because of the expiration of the COVID vaccine mandate. The letter also pointed the former soldiers to recruiters if they hoped to rejoin the military. 
“As a result of the rescission of all current COVID-19 vaccination requirements, former Soldiers who were involuntarily separated for refusal to receive the COVID-19 vaccination may request a correction of their military records from either or both the Army Discharge Review Board (ADRB) or the Army Board for Correction of Military Records (ABCMR),” a <a href="https://taskandpurpose.com/news/army-covid-vaccine-mandate-reversal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> from Brig. Gen. Hope Rampy, Army Director of Personnel Management said. 
Rampy said that &#8220;individuals can request a correction to military personnel records, including regarding the characterization of discharge.&#8221; 
Over 8,400 service members <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/01/13/pentagon-back-pay-troops-covid-vaccine-mandate-00077902" target="_blank" rel="noopener">were</a> kicked out of the military due to the vaccine mandate while thousands more had their requests for religious exemptions rejected. According to Task and Purpose, 8,945 soldiers, 10,800 airmen and guardians, 4,172 sailors, and 3,717 Marines were denied religious exemptions. 
The Army, which has struggled to meet recruiting goals in recent years, also suggested that the former service members could return to the military.
&#8220;Individuals who desire to apply to return to service should contact their local Army, US Army Reserve (USAR) or Army National Guard (ARNG) recruiter for more information,&#8221; Rampy said. 
A spokesperson said that the letters were required to be sent out after Congress pushed the Pentagon to revoke the mandate. 
“As part of the overall COVID mandate rescission process mandated by Congress, the Army this month mailed the letters to approximately 1,900 individuals who had previously been separated. The letter provides information to former service members on how to request a correction of their military records,” a spokesperson <a href="https://justthenews.com/government/federal-agencies/military-letters-sent-ex-servicemembers-fired-over-covid-vax-mandate#google_vignette" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Just the News. 
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In response to the letter, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) said that the Army should provide the fired service members with back pay and an apology.
“Maybe an apology and back pay would be appropriate as well … Or even an admission that it was a really stupid and misguided policy. Will [the DOD] finally be transparent with their data on vaccine injuries in DMED?” Johnson <a href="https://twitter.com/SenRonJohnson/status/1726987565323125109" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> to X. 
The Army <a href="https://apnews.com/article/army-recruiting-overhaul-college-job-hunting-cc2d8200467f3920e333197e42eee2ea" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was</a> short 15,000 recruits in 2022 and is on track to be short of recruits again this year.

A Healthcare Worker Prepares a Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine.

U.S. Army Sends Letter To Soldiers Fired Under Biden’s COVID Vaccine Mandate

Health

Ron Johnson

U.S.

U.S. Army

Former ESPN anchor Sage Steele slammed &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/the-view" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The View</a>&#8221; as &#8220;despicable&#8221; and said the ladies on the ABC talk show &#8220;don&#8217;t want&#8221; to hear your views and are &#8220;fine telling lies on that stage.&#8221;
During Steele&#8217;s appearance on Sunday on Bill Maher&#8217;s podcast &#8220;Club Random,&#8221; <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12593727/Ex-ESPN-star-Sage-Steele-slams-View-says-despicable-one-month-settling-lawsuit-Disney-anti-vax-controversial-Obama-comments.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Maher told</a> the veteran anchor, &#8220;You should be on ‘The View,'&#8221; saying that she was &#8220;exactly what the country&#8221; needs right now on TV.
&#8220;Hell no,&#8221; Steele replied. &#8220;I&#8217;ve been on &#8216;The View&#8217; and it did not go so well. Because you know what, at &#8216;The View,&#8217; they don&#8217;t want your view. They only want theirs. They are bulls***.&#8221;
&#8220;They 100 percent are full of it,&#8221; she added. &#8220;They don&#8217;t want to hear your view if you think differently than they do. And they are fine telling lies on that stage and that set.&#8221;
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Sage Steele | Club Random with Bill Maher" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/78_BjZN4p_U?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
&#8220;And because they know that if someone calls them on it then they are just going to talk over them and have the audience clap and go to break,&#8221; Steele continued. &#8220;So, the show to me is despicable. And it makes me sad because the potential of the 20 years is incredible, and they have ruined it.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Ex-ESPN host Sage Steele trashes ‘despicable’ hosts of ‘The View’ on Bill Maher’s podcast: ‘They’re bulls–t’ <a href="https://t.co/OuvHGe5xo3">https://t.co/OuvHGe5xo3</a> <a href="https://t.co/HEicX34x99">pic.twitter.com/HEicX34x99</a>
&mdash; New York Post (@nypost) <a href="https://twitter.com/nypost/status/1709567368110702863?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
In August, Steele announced her lawsuit against ESPN had been settled after she sued the network and parent company Disney, alleging it had retaliated against her after she criticized ESPN&#8217;s COVID vaccine mandate and questioned former President Barack Obama&#8217;s racial identity in 2021, as previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/longtime-espn-anchor-who-criticized-covid-mandates-leaving-network-to-exercise-first-amendment-rights" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
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The anchor was suspended after making the remarks against the network before she apologized some weeks later, something she alleged came about from pressure from the network.
&#8220;Having successfully settled my case with ESPN/Disney, I have decided to leave so I can exercise my first amendment (sic) rights more freely,&#8221; Steele wrote on <a href="https://twitter.com/sagesteele/status/1691437577797337088" target="_blank" rel="noopener">X</a>. &#8220;I am grateful for so many wonderful experiences over the past 16 years and am excited for my next chapter!&#8221;
The sports anchor started working for ESPN in 2007 as the host of the evening broadcast &#8220;SportsCenter.&#8221; In 2013, she became the host of ESPN&#8217;s &#8220;NBA Countdown&#8221; where she remained until 2017.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/longtime-espn-anchor-who-criticized-covid-mandates-leaving-network-to-exercise-first-amendment-rights" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Longtime ESPN Anchor Who Criticized COVID Mandates Leaving Network To &#8216;Exercise First Amendment Rights&#8217;</a>

9th Annual espnW: Women + Sports Summit

’Despicable’: Former ESPN Anchor Sage Steele Slams ‘The View’

It may be 2023, more than three years after the pandemic began, but COVID restrictions remain a mandatory part of life for many.
Some schools, employers, and government entities are forcing students, workers, and the public to comply with COVID measures in a familiar echo of last year, and the year before that, and the year before that.
The city of San Francisco is still <a href="https://sf.gov/information/know-when-masks-are-needed#:~:text=There%20are%20no%20longer%20masking,or%20people%20living%20in%20jails." target="_blank" rel="noopener">requiring</a> people who work in health care or at jails to wear a face mask.
Even in deep-red Alabama, three court buildings in Dallas County have <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/mask-mandate-update-alabama-dallas-county-restrictions-1825563" target="_blank" rel="noopener">resurrected</a> their mask mandate for the public after several cases of the virus cropped up in the buildings.
In Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis (R) <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ron-desantis-vaccines-ladapo-florida-d40276077f5fb6de98c2087172b423dc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">criticized</a> the idea of going back to COVID restrictions and promised Florida will not do so.
Vermont is pushing back as well. The state will no longer allow school nurses to test students for COVID, according to the Vermont Department of Health, <a href="https://vtdigger.org/2023/09/06/absent-in-vermont-schools-this-fall-student-covid-19-testing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signaling</a> that they are viewing the virus as more like a seasonal flu.
The return of COVID restrictions comes amid an uptick of virus cases and hospitalizations as we head into the colder months, but the outbreaks appear to be concentrated in hotspots and are well below the peaks we saw at the height of the pandemic.
With the school year kicking off and students returning to classrooms and campuses, several schools are giving students deja vu with their own mandatory — and strict — pandemic rules.
This week, a Maryland elementary school reinstated its face mask mandate after several students tested positive for COVID.
Rosemary Hills Elementary School just north of Washington, D.C., is <a href="https://www.wbal.com/article/616010/2/mask-mandate-returns-for-one-class-in-montgomery-county-elementary-school" target="_blank" rel="noopener">requiring</a> the third-grade class and school staff to wear masks for 10 days after “three or more” third graders tested positive for the virus.
The young students must wear masks “except when eating or drinking,” and the school is providing KN95 masks to students and staff in the “identified classes or activities.” Parents will also be sent at-home rapid COVID tests, and Rosemary Hills is <a href="https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2023/09/1-class-required-to-wear-masks-after-covid-outbreak-in-montgomery-co-school/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asking</a> them to report any positive test results to the school attendance office.
In Alabama, Kinterbish Junior High <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/mask-mandate-update-full-list-schools-restrictions-1825285" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> an indefinite mask mandate last month, and students appeared to still be wearing masks last week based on Facebook photos.
In Georgia, Morris Brown College, a private, historically black liberal arts school in Atlanta <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/maryland-elementary-school-forces-kids-to-mask-up-again" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> a two-week mask mandate last month.
There were no active COVID cases on campus, but several students at the other three colleges in the Atlanta University Center system had tested positive after students returned to campus.
Morris Brown students were required to practice social distancing and were prohibited from having parties or large gatherings. They were also required to get their temperature checked when they arrived on campus, comply with contact tracing efforts, and isolate for at least five days if they tested positive.
Dillard University, another private, historically black university in New Orleans announced a two-week mask mandate last month, citing a jump in virus cases.
Meanwhile, two California high schools canceled their upcoming football games over COVID cases among students.
Esparto High School west of Sacramento canceled its game after six players contracted the virus and seven more players were out due to injuries. Likewise, Santa Paula High School north of Los Angeles canceled its football game due to 20 positive COVID cases within the football and cheerleading teams.
Some parents were frustrated that their kids will miss out after months of lockdowns.
“She couldn’t go to the movies. Couldn’t do nothing; locked down with a Chromebook,” a Santa Paula parent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/covid-cancellations-return-two-california-high-schools-cancel-football-games" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> a local outlet. “It was horrible. Totally affected her life.”
A major Hollywood movie studio brought back its mask mandate last month as well. Lionsgate, reinstated its mask mandate for most of its Santa Monica office employees after several employees tested positive for COVID. Lionsgate said it would also do contact tracing and give out free COVID test kits, and the studio also asked employees to self-screen for COVID before coming to work.
Late last month, though, Lionsgate <a href="https://deadline.com/2023/08/lionsgate-mask-mandate-lifted-covid-outbreak-1235528599/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> it would lift its mask mandate again.
Hospitals are bringing back their mask mandates as well. In California, Kaiser Permanente <a href="https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/kaiser-permanente-reinstates-covid-19-mask-mandate-amid-spike-in-cases-but/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">imposed</a> a mask mandate at its hospitals and medical offices in Santa Rosa for not only doctors and patients but also visitors.
In New York, a group of hospitals have brought back mask mandates as well, <a class="color-link" title="https://www.fox4news.com/news/citing-rising-covid-cases-these-us-hospital-systems-have-now-reinstated-mask-mandates" href="https://www.fox4news.com/news/citing-rising-covid-cases-these-us-hospital-systems-have-now-reinstated-mask-mandates" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-ga-track="ExternalLink:https://www.fox4news.com/news/citing-rising-covid-cases-these-us-hospital-systems-have-now-reinstated-mask-mandates" aria-label="including">including</a> United Health Services, Auburn Community Hospital, and University Hospital in Syracuse.
Most of the new mask mandates do not specify whether certain kinds of face masks are unacceptable. As long ago as 2021, CNN’s medical analyst Dr. Leana Wen <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/cloth-masks-useless-omicron-expert-b1980394.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> cloth face masks were &#8220;little more than facial decorations,&#8221; and urged people to wear &#8220;at least a three-ply surgical mask.&#8221;
The current COVID variant, which is descended from Omicron, has been spreading for months, and experts have said it is not any more dangerous than previous variants.
Even so, the White House is putting out warnings about COVID as fall approaches.
Biden has not tried to get Americans to return to face mask mandates broadly, but his administration is still strongly pushing the COVID vaccine.
The Biden administration recently <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/article/flu-covid-rsv-vaccines.html">recommended</a> that many people get not only a COVID booster shot, but also a flu shot and a shot for RSV, a respiratory virus that can be dangerous for infants and elderly adults.
One doctor who is an advisor to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/article/flu-covid-rsv-vaccines.html">compared</a> an annual COVID booster to “a seatbelt in a car,” saying it is good to keep using it.
Former president Donald Trump slammed the return of COVID restrictions late last month.
The 2024 Republican frontrunner <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-blasts-mask-mandates-covid-1823697" target="_blank" rel="noopener">promised</a> that if re-elected, he would &#8220;use every available authority to cut federal funding to any school, college, airline or public transportation system that imposes a mask mandate or a vaccine mandate.&#8221;
Even during the height of the pandemic, policies like mask mandates, lockdowns, and vaccine mandates faced spirited opposition.
Now that the pandemic is three years old, it&#8217;s doubtful Americans have any appetite left for more restrictions.
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US-HEALTH-VIRUS

It’s 2023, But COVID Restrictions Are Not A Thing Of The Past

It's 2023, But COVID Restrictions Are Not A Thing Of The Past

Mask Mandate

Tennis great <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/it-stays-with-you-novak-djokovic-back-in-australia-after-dramatic-detention-deportation-over-vaccine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Novak Djokovic</a> made history on Sunday when he defeated Daniil Medvedev in three sets to win the U.S. Open, scoring him his 24th major championship, tying the record for the most Grand Slam singles titles.
Djokovic, who has refused to take the COVID vaccine, was notably banned from entering the U.S. last year due to a Biden administration vaccine rule, keeping the athlete from competing in the U.S. Open last year.
&#8220;To make history [in] this sport is just something truly remarkable and special, obviously, in every possible way, in every possible meaning of the word,&#8221; Djokovic said after winning the Open, <a href="https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/38373910/novak-djokovic-beats-daniil-medvedev-win-2023-us-open-24th-major-title" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to ESPN. &#8220;It&#8217;s hard to describe the words.&#8221;
&#8220;I never imagined that I would be here standing with you talking about 24 Slams,&#8221; the 36-year-old continued. &#8220;I never thought that would be the reality. But the last couple of years, I felt I have a chance, I have a shot for history, and why not grab it if it&#8217;s presented?&#8221;
Djokovic, who said he had already contracted and recovered from the virus, has chosen not to get <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/covid-19-vaccine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vaccinated</a> against <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener">COVID</a>. This led to the dramatic <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/novak-djokovic-loses-visa-appeal-deported-from-australia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">detainment and deportation</a> of the tennis star from Australia, rendering him unable to defend his Australian Open title in 2021. Later, he was banned from New York for the 2022 U.S. Open, similarly over his vaccination status.
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“Sadly, I will not be able to travel to NY this time for [the] US Open,” he said at the time on social media. “Thank you #NoleFam for your messages of love and support. Good luck to my fellow players! I’ll keep in good shape and positive spirit and wait for an opportunity to compete again. See you soon tennis world!”
Djokovic spoke about what happened to him about a year after the Australia incident. “Obviously what happened 12 months ago was not easy for me, for my family, team, anybody who is close to me,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It’s obviously disappointing to leave the country like that.”
“You can’t forget those events,” Djokovic continued. “It’s one of these things that stays with you for I guess the rest of your life. It’s something that I’ve never experienced before and hopefully never again. But it is a valuable life experience for me and something that as I said will stay there, but I have to move on.”
The athlete has been open about what he&#8217;s willing to give up for his personal medical choices, specifically tennis championships.
“That is the price that I’m willing to pay,” Djokovic <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-60354068" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the BBC. “Because the principles of decision making on my body are more important than any title or anything else. I’m trying to be in tune with my body as much as I possibly can.”
“I was never against vaccination,” he added, “but I’ve always supported the freedom to choose what you put in your body.”
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/it-stays-with-you-novak-djokovic-back-in-australia-after-dramatic-detention-deportation-over-vaccine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">It ‘Stays With You’: Novak Djokovic Back In Australia After Dramatic Detention, Deportation Over Vaccine</a>

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