Free Republic

The U.S. Navy quietly rolled back an order punishing SEALs who remain unvaccinated due to their religious beliefs, according to recent court documents.The order, "Trident Order #12," disqualified SEALs seeking religious exemptions from the COVID-19 vaccine from training, traveling for deployment and conducting other standard business. It was first issued on Sept. 24, 2021 by Vice Chief of Naval Operations Admiral William Lescher, and all special warfare forces were initially expected to come into compliance with the vaccine mandate by mid-October 2021.The order specifically said that "Special Operations Designated Personnel (SEAL and SWCC) refusing to receive recommended vaccines based solely...

Thursday, a federal judge in Cincinnati issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting the U.S. Air Force from enforcing the military vaccine mandate. According to court documents, obtained by 13 Investigates, the temporary restraining order applies to AFA cadets and Air Force service men and women for the next 14 days. The pause comes from a Federal Judge in Cincinnati after he determined the Air Force had been systematically refusing to grant religious exemptions to almost everybody who applied. The injunction reads: “The facts show Defendants have engaged in a pattern of denying religious accommodation requests.” According to the court documents,...

The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on June 23 that New York’s proper cause requirement for concealed carry permit issuance is unconstitutional. New York State Rifle and Pistol Association [NYSRPA] v. Bruen centered on denials for permits under New York’s concealed carry permitting law. The NYSRPA filed suit claiming that one of its members was eligible for a permit but was denied because of New York’s requirement that concealed carry applicants prove why they need to carry a gun. The case ultimately dealt with the scope of the Second Amendment — whether the right to keep and bear arms applies only...

After careful consideration, we have decided to reinstate our SAT/ACT requirement for future admissions cycles. Our research shows standardized tests help us better assess the academic preparedness of all applicants.

Australian police stormed into a Catholic mass Friday evening searching for mask less individuals. Sky News Australia reported that St. Bernadette’s Catholic Church in Mount Hawthorn, Perth had to pause its service while a police officer walked through the church to “ensure every parishioner was masked.” The parishioner, in his interview, added that the police “proceeded to check three or four parishioners’ exemptions and then left, everything was in order,” he said, referring to an exemption which is required from a doctor for somebody to skip the mask requirement.

President Biden said Tuesday he would impose a mandate that Americans be vaccinated against COVID-19 to travel domestically if his medical team recommends it. When asked when he would make a decision on domestic travel vaccine requirements while out for a walk in Rehoboth Beach, Del., Biden told reporters, "when I get a recommendation from the medical team."

The Biden administration’s emergency COVID-19 vaccination requirement released today could be expanded in the future to employers who have fewer than 100 workers. The emergency temporary standard, issued by the Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and scheduled to go into effect on Friday, is presented as only applying to firms that have 100 or more employees. But OSHA is seeking public comments on that aspect of the standard, and it may be ultimately expanded to include smaller businesses, the agency said in the 490-page document.

Washington Nationals vice president Bob Boone has informed the team that he will resign instead of complying with a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all non-uniformed employees, a source confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday. Boone, 73, has been with the organization since 2005 and serves as a senior adviser to general manager Mike Rizzo. Boone was assistant GM and vice president of player development from 2006 to 2013. News of Boone's resignation was first reported by The Washington Post. Boone was a star catcher for the Phillies, Angels and Royals from 1972 to 1990 and also managed the Royals and Reds...

Tickets to the Saints/Jaguars game are outrageously cheap.The Saints are playing the first game in the NFL to require fans to be vaccinated or provide a negative PCR COVID-19 test. What has that done to ticket prices for Monday night? Driven them straight into the ground.According to Darren Rovell, some tickets on the secondary market are selling for less than $1 before fees.https://twitter.com/darrenrovell/status/1429878891787821062As of this moment, StubHub has tickets for as cheap as $6. So, while it’s not the lowest on the secondary market, they’re still absurdly cheap. This is honestly insane. Imagine taking your entire family to an NFL...

Businesses in Santa Clara County, California are required to submit vaccination status of all employees. According to the county’s public health order, “All businesses and government entities must ascertain the vaccination status of personnel and must comply with the rules for personnel who are not fully vaccinated, as required under section 9(c) and 9(d) of the County Health Officer’s May 18, 2021 Order.” Under the health order, the employee can decline to provide their vaccination status to their employer. If the employee declines to offer the information, the employer “should assume the employee may be unvaccinated and follow State and...

<p>NDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Gun rights advocates view the upcoming legislative session as their best bet to get rid of an Indiana law that requires a license to carry handguns.</p> <p>The controversial legislation didn’t advance during the 2016 session, but supporters believe this time could be different after sweeping Republican wins on Election Day and the appointment of Republican state Rep. Ben Smaltz to the House Public Policy Committee, which acts as a gatekeeper on such bills.</p>

President Obama signed a bill that eliminates a financial disclosure requirement for some government employees, the White House announced. Here's the White House's statement: Statement by the Press Secretary on S. 716 On Monday, April 15, 2013, the President signed into law: S. 716, which eliminates the requirement in the STOCK Act to make available on official websites the financial disclosure forms of employees of the executive and legislative branches other than the President, the Vice President, Members of and candidates for Congress, and several specified Presidentially nominated and Senate-confirmed officers; and delays until January 1, 2014, the date by...

Ed. note: This was originally posted on the Small Business Administration blog. Today, President Obama signed a law that removes the expanded “1099” reporting requirement from the Affordable Care Act. This is a big win for small businesses. The SBA and President Obama supported repealing this provision, which would have required businesses to send 1099 forms for all purchases of goods and services over $600 annually. With this bipartisan effort, we have removed a requirement that would have been an undue barrier to small business growth. The many benefits of the health reform law for small businesses remain in place....

Illinois Sen. Barack Obama was served with papers yesterday connected with the lawsuit filed more than two weeks ago in federal court in Philadelphia questioning his constitutional eligibility for the American presidency. Service was made at his Washington, D.C. Senate office at approximately 1:00 p.m. From a press release provided by filing attorney Philip Berg and available on his Web site: Philip J. Berg, Esquire, the Attorney who filed suit against Barack H. Obama challenging Senator Obama’s eligibility to serve as President of the United States, has received confirmation from his Process Service Company that the Democratic National Committee (DNC)...

A national group is asking Arizona's public universities to require at least one United States history course of every student before graduation. American History currently isn't a required course at any of the state's major public universities. The American Council of Trustees and Alumni has written letters to Gov. Janet Napolitano and 20 state lawmakers, asking them to pressure college regents and administrators to make the change. "The flag doesn't mean all that much if you don't know how it got there," trustees member Charles Mitchell said. "What use is the Constitution if you don't know how it was written?"...

On a recent Friday morning, a line of bathing-suit clad students stood beside a campus swimming pool, waiting to jump in. They had come to persuade the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill they were worthy of a college degree — which they were not, in UNC's eyes, until they could swim 50 yards and tread water for five minutes.For many, it was an annoying inconvenience, for others a moment of pride in conquering their fear of water. But the scene also was a small slice of collegiate history. This was the last swim test day at one of...

Fellow FReepers... I'm looking for some info here. I'm going to be 18 soon and, next summer, I'd like to serve as a voluteer EMT with the local ambulance corps. (After 9/11 I became very dedicated to the notion of helping others, specifically in emergency situations.) If there's anyone with general info on the TRAINING to become an EMT (basic level) or, more specifically, an EMT in New York state, please reply to me. I basically want to know how the courses are broken down (they're provided by the ambulance corps I think)... are they done once a week? Twice...

LITTLE ROCK (AP) U.S. Rep. Vic Snyder and Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., two other House members are proposing a constitutional amendment that allows a person born in another country to become president or vice president of the United States. The proposal, introduced Wednesday, would allow individuals to hold the executive positions, regardless of where they were born, if they have been a U.S. citizen for at least 35 years. Reps. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., is also sponsoring the measure. The Constitution now limits the presidency and vice presidency to native-born Americans. ''This is a real issue for some people who are...