Category: Policy

Senators Question DOJ Funding for AI-powered Policing Tech

CHICAGO—A Democratic senator said the U.S. Justice Department needs to look into whether the algorithm-powered police technologies it funds contribute to racial bias in law enforcement and lead to wrongful arrests. Sen. Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, was responding to an investigation by The Associated Press published Thursday about the possibility of bias in courtroom…


FDA Discourages Off-Label Use of FDA-Approved Pfizer Vaccine in Kids

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech should not be prescribed off-label for children under 12, as no data exists on proper dosing or safety in youth, an FDA official said on Monday. Acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock told reporters that the federal agency does not believe it would…


FDA Discourages Off-Label Use of FDA-Approved Pfizer Vaccine in Children

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech should not be prescribed off-label for children under 12, as no data exists on proper dosing or safety in youth, an FDA official said on Monday. Acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock told reporters that the federal agency does not believe it would…


New Jersey, NYC to Require COVID-19 Jab for Teachers, State Workers

New Jersey’s governor and the New York City mayor announced on Monday that they will be requiring all school employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine following the FDA’s approval of the drug. New Jersey will allow those who do not want to take the vaccine the option of COVID-19 testing as an alternative. New Jersey…


Sen. Sinema Says She Won’t Support Her Party’s $3.5 Trillion Budget Resolution

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) said she opposes the Democrats’ plan to tie the $3.5 trillion budget resolution bill to the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package, adding her name to the list of Democrats who say the budget resolution is too pricey. Sinema was one of the senators who helped negotiate the $1.2 trillion infrastructure package…


Sen. Sinema Says She Will Not Support Her Party’s $3.5 Trillion Budget Resolution

Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) said she opposes Democrats’ plan to tie the $3.5 trillion budget resolution bill to the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package, adding her name to the list of Democrats who say the budget resolution is too pricey. Sinema was one of the senators that helped negotiate the $1.2 trillion infrastructure package recently…


Mississippi’s New COVID-19 Order Requires Infected to Self-Isolate or Face Jail

Mississippi residents flouting the state’s newly imposed order for anyone infected with COVID-19 to isolate at home could face criminal charges and time behind bars. The Mississippi State Department of Health on Friday issued an order (pdf), with immediate effect, requiring anyone infected with COVID-19, including those fully vaccinated, to isolate for 10 days at…


Pentagon Mandates COVID-19 Vaccine After Regulators Approve Pfizer’s Shot

The Food and Drug Administration’s approval Monday of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine set off a new round of vaccine mandates. The approval triggered the military making the shot mandatory, John Kirby, the Department of Defense’s spokesman, told reporters in Washington. “We’re going to move forward making that vaccine mandatory. We’re preparing the guidance to the force…


US Drug Regulators Approve Pfizer’s COVID-19 Vaccine

U.S. drug regulators on Monday approved the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech for people 16 and older, making it the first such shot to receive approval in the country. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said the vaccine, which will be known as Comirnaty, proved effective in a clinical trial of approximately 44,000 people….


Kentucky Supreme Court: New Laws Limiting Governor’s Emergency Powers Can Go Into Effect

Laws passed by the Kentucky legislature should not have been blocked from going into effect earlier this year, the state’s highest court ruled Saturday. A judge in March blocked three bills that were passed to curtail Gov. Andy Beshear’s executive powers, including a bill that let certain businesses remain open if ordered to close by…