Covidiots

The Hill reports: Meta, the parent company of Facebook, asked the board tasked with overseeing policy debates on the platform to weigh in on whether it should ease its COVID misinformation policy. The company asked the Oversight Board, a task force funded by Meta that operates independently, if the company’s policy, including to remove posts with false claims, is still …

STAT News reports: A horse dewormer and treatment for some human parasites, ivermectin was initially promoted, despite the lack of research, as a way to treat or prevent Covid infections. Now it is increasingly being marketed for long Covid, pushed by physicians with ties to political groups spreading anti-vaccine and anti-science messaging. There’s no credible evidence that supports ivermectin’s use …

Miami’s NBC affiliate reports: A Miami woman was arrested after authorities said she was selling phony COVID-19 test results to people who needed to test negative to travel. Melissa Stephanie Barbery, 33, was arrested Tuesday on a felony count of fraudulent use of personal identification information, an arrest report said. The results were to be presented by people traveling abroad …

“This is all allowed because of the defense authorization passed last November with broad bipartisan support. You cannot make this up. This cannot be allowed to stand and this show is going to start targeting any Republican who joins onto this year’s defense authorization without this vaccine requirement stricken from the bill. It’s high time this is done.” – Laura …

“It’s an extremely unfortunate situation. Obviously my teammates know how I feel about them and how bad I want to be out there with them. But it’s just an unfortunate that I’m not able to make the trip. “I’m a healthy 31-year-old professional athlete that I just didn’t feel the need to get it. I’ve had COVID a couple times …

The Orlando Sentinel reports: Three Walt Disney World workers who refused to wear masks or get vaccinated against COVID have sued the company, saying they were fired for opposing the rules because of their religious beliefs. The ex-employees, Barbara Andreas, Stephen Cribb and Adam Pajer, say they worked with Disney between seven and 20 years. They claimed Christian scripture instructed …

The Hill reports: Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) is pressing the Department of Defense to approve requests for exemptions from the COVID-19 vaccine mandate made by his state’s National Guard. In a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin obtained by The Hill, Lee says his state’s Guard has recommended approval for Guard members and are awaiting final decisions from Army …

The New York Post reports: The Department of Education has filed suit to keep at least 82 New York City teachers suspended without pay for allegedly submitting fake proof of COVID-19 vaccination. The staffers were notified on April 19 that they would be placed on unpaid leave April 25 “based on information that the DOE had received from an independent …

Florida Politico reports: Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis is pushing out a pediatrician from a board in charge of running the state’s Healthy Kids program because of her viewpoints on vaccines for children under five. Patronis’ office notified Dr. Lisa Gwynn [photo], who is also serving as the president of the Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, …

“Well, you’re right, as of today I’m not allowed to enter the States under these circumstances. Yes, of course, I’m aware of that. That is an extra motivation to do well here [at Wimbledon]. “Hopefully I can have a good tournament, as I have done in the last three editions. Then I’ll just have to wait and see. “I would …

The Tampa Bay Times reports: Since COVID-19 vaccines first became available, Publix has played a major role in tackling the public health emergency in Florida by offering vaccines to adults and, later, children as young as 5. But the Lakeland grocery company says it will not offer the vaccine approved for children ages 4 and under “at this time.” Spokesperson …

Politico reports: Florida is the only state in the nation that has not placed an order with the federal government for doses of the Covid-19 vaccine for young children, saying the distribution process is “convoluted.” The Florida Department of Health, through a statement, said Wednesday that it did not place an order with the federal government for vaccine doses for …

The New York Post reports: New York gubernatorial hopeful Andrew Giuliani plans to debate his GOP primary opponents “whether or not” CBS New York allows him into the room, he said Sunday. Giuliani, 36, revealed that the network planned to bar him from in-person participation in Monday night’s debate because he’s refused to provide proof he’s vaccinated against COVID-19. Speaking …

“Absolutely not. Not even at gunpoint. I believe in hydroxychloroquine, ivermectin, vitamin D, vitamin C, intravenous therapy, ozone therapy and not being fat. “Nancy Pelosi, triple vaccinated, got COVID; Barack Obama, the same. The most vaxxed countries in the world, Israel and Gibraltar, have the highest COVID rates of any country in the world. “India, a third-world country and wide …

From the Justice Department: A New Jersey man pleaded guilty to various charges stemming from his sale of more than $2.7 million worth of various unregistered pesticides to numerous victims based on false representations that these products were registered pesticides with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and on EPA’s “List N: Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2” that EPA deemed to …

Politico reports: The Special Olympics reversed its Covid-19 vaccine mandate for upcoming competitions in Orlando after Florida threatened event organizers with a $27.5 million fine over the requirement. The Special Olympics issued a statement on Friday saying it will lift its mandate as directed by state officials on May 27 “based upon the Florida Department of Health’s interpretation of Florida …

The Guardian reports: Van Morrison has issued legal proceedings against Northern Ireland’s Department of Health and its minister Robin Swann over an opinion piece written for Rolling Stone magazine. In September 2020, Morrison released three anti-lockdown songs, with lyrics that accused scientists of “making up crooked facts”. “The new normal is not normal,” he sang. “We were born to be …

NBC News reports: A California woman who admitted punching a Southwest Airlines flight attendant after being asked to wear a mask and fasten her seatbelt was sentenced to 15 months in prison Friday and ordered to pay more than $30,000 in fines and restitution, officials said. Vyvianna Quinonez, 29, will remain on supervised release for three years and attend anger …

The Daily Beast reports: Leaders of the so-called “People’s Convoy,” surrendered and attempted to dissolve the convoy as of Friday. Yet, their own supporters weren’t pleased with that decision and tried to make their voices known to convoy leaders Ron Coleman and Marcus Summers, who hid out in a luxury RV. After speaking with Coleman, Summers, and other co-organizers in …

“What we have to do is fight for the institutions that they want us to burn to the ground. So one of the things that I’m doing is – is I’m working with people to establish the Press Club of America. “I want to establish a foundation for the media going forward, a press club that can recognize people like …