Coronavirus

Rolling Stone reports: In the aftermath of Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and Nils Lofgren pulling their music from Spotify, the streaming service announced plans Sunday to add a “content advisory” warning to any podcasts that feature discussion about Covid-19. In a post on Spotify’s For the Record blog, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek wrote that while “there are plenty of individuals …

The New York Times reports: New York City officials said Sunday that they were launching a program for residents to get antiviral Covid pills delivered directly to their homes for free, though supplies of the drugs remained limited. Mayor Eric Adams announced that oral antiviral pills would be made available for free, same-day at-home delivery starting Sunday for eligible New …

Charlotte’s ABC News reports: A Burke County man’s decision not to receive the COVID-19 vaccine means he also won’t be getting a much-needed kidney transplant. Chad Carswell, a double amputee who has undergone several major surgeries on his heart, now faces a different battle. Carswell told Channel 9′s Dave Faherty his kidney is only operating at about 4%. Carswell learned …

The Associated Press reports: Some parked on the grounds of the National War Memorial and danced on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, others carried signs and flags with swastikas and some used the statue of Canadian hero Terry Fox to display an anti-vaccine statement, sparking widespread condemnation. The convoy of truckers and others prompted police to prepare for the …

Agence France-Presse reports: A former Ugandan ethics minister who championed a bill to introduce the death penalty for same-sex relationships and sought to regulate what women could wear died on Saturday, officials said. Simon Lokodo — a one-time Catholic priest ex-communicated by the church, whose homophobia attracted global condemnation — died aged 64 in a hospital in Geneva. A watered-down version …

The Tampa Bay Times reports: A state appeals court Thursday said a family did not have a “legal right” to force Mayo Clinic Florida to administer the controversial drug ivermectin to try to keep alive a COVID-19 patient who was on a ventilator. A three-judge panel of the 1st District Court of Appeal released a 12-page opinion that detailed reasons …

The New York Daily News reports: A pediatric nurse practitioner has been arrested for selling phony COVID-19 vaccine cards on Long Island — and her NYPD officer husband faces a departmental probe over his possible involvement in the scam, prosecutors and sources said. Julie DeVuono, 49, is accused of using her Amityville, L.I. practice, Wild Child Pediatric Healthcare, to obtain …

From an October 2021 report by Fox News: A Washington State trooper, who was forced to step down after refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine, explained why he told Democrat Governor Jay Inslee to “kiss my ass” after serving the public for 22 years. Robert LaMay joined “Fox & Friends First” on Monday to discuss his decision to resign, the …

CNN reports: Singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell said she will remove her music from Spotify, following controversy over vaccine misinformation hosted on the streaming platform. “Irresponsible people are spreading lies that are costing people their lives,” the Canadian musician wrote in a statement posted on her website Friday. “I stand in solidarity with Neil Young and the global scientific and medical communities …

Reuters reports: Hip-hop artist Kanye West will have to be fully vaccinated if he wants to give concerts in Australia, Scott Morrison said on Saturday, after media said the performer planned an Australian tour in March. “The rules are you have to be fully vaccinated,” Morrison told a news conference on Saturday. “They apply to everybody, as people have seen …

The Verge reports: Earlier this week, Neil Young pulled his music from Spotify after falling out with the platform over its hosting of Joe Rogan and COVID misinformation. So now, of course, rival streamer Apple Music is courting Young and his fans, sending out tweets, playlists, and even push notifications to brand itself as “The home of Neil Young.” It’s …

The Associated Press reports: Omicron, the highly contagious coronavirus variant sweeping across the country, is driving the daily American death toll higher than during last fall’s delta wave, with deaths likely to keep rising for days or even weeks. The seven-day rolling average for daily new COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. has been climbing since mid-November, reaching 2,267 on Thursday …

The New York Daily News reports: Gov. Hochul extended New York’s mask mandate through Feb. 10 on Friday as the state Appellate Court is set to determine the legality of the emergency COVID order. The extension comes as the governor’s mask edict was set to expire next Tuesday — just days after the state appealed the decision of a lower …

The Associated Press reports: Police in Canada’s capital have called in reinforcements as the first trucks in a convoy organized to protest the Canadian government’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for cross-border truck drivers arrive in the capital. Several thousand people are expected in Ottawa as part of group demanding an end to vaccine mandates and COVID-19 restrictions. Some of the group’s …

The BBC reports: BBC research has cast doubt on the timing of the positive Covid test Novak Djokovic used to enter Australia to try to compete in the Australian Open. It was provided to exempt him from rules barring unvaccinated people. However, the serial number on his test on 16 December appears out of sequence with a sample of tests …

CTV News reports: A “Freedom Convoy” of truckers and supporters departed Kingston, Ont. shortly after 8:30 a.m., according to police there. They are scheduled to arrive in Ottawa around 12 p.m. Ottawa police are scheduled to hold a news conference at 11 a.m. on their preparations for the convoy’s arrival. Ottawa police and Ontario Provincial Police are urging residents to …

The Associated Press reports: Pope Francis denounced fake news about COVID-19 and vaccines Friday, blasting the “distortion of reality based on fear” but also urging that people who believe such lies are helped to understand true scientific facts. Francis met with Catholic journalists who have formed a fact-checking network to try to combat misinformation about the pandemic. Francis has frequently …

The Hill reports: Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted on Thursday that “Canadian truckers rule” as drivers made their way toward Ottawa to protest against a COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The mandate at issue was instituted by the Canadian government and applies to truck drivers who cross the U.S.-Canadian border, Reuters noted. Ottawa police have already signaled they are on high alert …

Buffalo’s ABC News affiliate reports: A West Seneca couple is accused of using fake COVID-19 vaccine cards to enter Highmark Stadium for a Buffalo Bills game. The Erie County District Attorney’s Office announced 34-year-old Michael Naab and 37-year-old Amber Naab were arraigned Monday in Orchard Park Town Court. Both are charged with one count of criminal possession of a forged …

The Guardian reports: Prominent figures in the anti-vaccine movement including Dr Joseph Mercola [photo] and Alex Berenson have large followings on Substack, which has more than 1 million paying subscribers who sign up for individual newsletters from an array of authors. Research by the Center for Countering Digital Hate, a campaign group, showed that Mercola’s newsletters made a minimum of …