New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday a first-in-nation COVID-19 vaccine mandate on all private workers that will take effect after Christmas, greatly expanding rules that apply to city workers to roughly 184,000 businesses. Mr. de Blasio will also require proof of vaccination for 5- to 11-year-olds for indoor dining, fitness and entertainment…Continue Reading
As Congress was putting the finishing touches on its infrastructure bill this fall, electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla announced it would soon change its business model and make all its charging stations open to autos from all manufacturers, not just its own cars. It turns out that platform neutrality is a key requirement of the new…Continue Reading
President Cyril Ramaphosa told South Africans to get vaccinated for COVID-19 “without delay” Monday as an omicron-fueled fourth wave strikes the nation ahead of the holidays and hospitals prepare to admit more patients. Mr. Ramaphosa said scientists are trying to answer critical questions about the variant, including how fast it spreads and whether it causes…Continue Reading
LONDON (AP) — Winners of the 2021 Nobel Prizes began receiving their awards on Monday in scaled-down local ceremonies adapted for pandemic times. For a second year, the coronavirus has scuttled the traditional formal banquet in Stockholm attended by winners of the prizes in chemistry, physics, medicine, literature and economics, which were announced in October.…Continue Reading
Researchers have identified mussels in a Wisconsin river that are estimated to be more than 100 years old.Biologists from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), University of Minnesota and the National Park Service found the spectaclecase mussels (Cumberlandia monodonta) upstream from the St. Croix Falls dam in the St. Croix River in August, according…Continue Reading
A San Francisco restaurant has apologized after three police officers were recently denied service because staff felt uncomfortable they were armed.The officers were turned away from Hilda and Jesse on Union Street, in the city’s North Beach neighborhood, on Friday.Restaurant bosses initially defended the decision to ask the officers to leave, but have since issued…Continue Reading
The plumber who found cash and checks in a wall in Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas has demanded a reward for his efforts.Newsweek reported on the plumber, who wished to remain anonymous, last week after her called into KILT-FM radio and told them he discovered loads of envelopes with cash and cheques in…Continue Reading
Two more cases of Omicron variant of coronavirus have been reported in Maharashtra’s Mumbai on Monday, taking the total tally of the new COVID-19 variant in Maharashtra to 10 and the total number of infections in the country to 23. A 37-year-old man who arrived in Mumbai from South Africa and his 36-year-old female friend…Continue Reading
The Maharashtra government is closely monitoring the prevailing coronavirus situation and any decision on reimposing restrictions in the state will be taken only after seeking the Centre’s guidance and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s views, Health Minister Rajesh Tope said on Monday amid rising concern over detection of cases linked to the new variant Omicron. Speaking…Continue Reading
The Madras High Court on Monday directed the Income Tax department to file applications bringing in the names of J Deepa and J Deepak, the legal heirs of late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, in the records relating to the wealth and income tax cases pending against her. Justices R Mahadevan and Mohammed Shaffiq gave the…Continue Reading