NYC Rolls Out Vaccine Mandate For Kids & Private Employers

It’s Tuesday, December 7th, and this is your Morning Wire. Listen to the full podcast:

1) NYC Rolls Out Vaccine Mandate For Kids & Private Employers

The Topline: New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is rolling out a sweeping new vaccine mandate for New York City residents, including mandates for children. 

Quote Of The Day: “It’s Omicron, it’s cold weather which we know presents a real challenge with COVID in every form. It’s the holiday gatherings coming up…”

– New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D)

Alexi Rosenfeld / Contributor via Getty Images

The Mandate

Beginning December 27th, New York City will be the first in America to implement a vaccine mandate for all private sector employees. The sweeping measure, which also includes children ages 5 and older, comes from the office of outgoing Mayor Bill de Blasio.  

The incoming mayor Eric Adams has expressed support for previous vaccine mandates, so it’s likely he will allow it to stand moving forward. In addition to mandating COVID vaccines for all private sector workers, the mayor is also requiring proof of vaccination for all indoor dining, fitness, and entertainment venues for children ages 5 to 11. 

Remember: President Joe Biden’s mandate applies to larger companies with over 100 employees, while de Blasio’s mandate will apply to all private businesses, regardless of size. 

Potential Pushback

Based on recent court rulings, there is reason to believe these types of mandates will not stand in the long term. If they are overturned, the ensuing legal battle will largely center on whether those who were fired for not getting vaccinated will be able to take legal action against their former employers. 

There’s also a bill in the Senate that would outlaw vaccine mandates nationwide. It has full Republican support, as well as the support of Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, but is not expected to pass in the House. 

Around The World

Only a few countries require children to get the COVID vaccine, most notably Cuba and Costa Rica. China also rolled out a plan in October pushing for every child in the country to be vaccinated by New Years. Chinese officials are calling their children “little inoculated warriors” and say they’re the key to helping the country achieve herd immunity. 

The Chinese Communist Party says the vaccines aren’t mandatory, but there have been numerous reports of parents saying the government has threatened or coerced them into vaccinating their children. 

Mikhail Metzel/MIKHAIL METZEL/Contributor/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images

2) Russia Threatens Ukraine 

The Topline: President Joe Biden meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin as U.S. intelligence shows Russia appears to be gearing up for military action against Ukraine.

Quote Of The Day: “In recent weeks, we have deep concerns about Russia’s plans for renewed aggression against Ukraine. That would move us in exactly the opposite direction. … We have a strong, ironclad commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. The best way to avert a crisis is through diplomacy.”

– Secretary of State Antony Blinken

Russia

According to the latest reports from U.S. intelligence, Russia is in the process of planning a military offensive against Ukraine, involving 175,000 troops. This attack could be carried out as early as next year.

Russia has been moving troops to the border with Ukraine while simultaneously demanding the U.S. guarantee that Ukraine won’t join NATO, and that NATO will not engage in the region.

Biden Administration

President Joe Biden is scheduled to hold a virtual meeting with Vladimir Putin today.

Biden said he was putting together a set of initiatives which he claimed would make it difficult for a Russian military attack to be carried out, but he has yet to clarify what he meant.

According to Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, the U.S. has threatened to impose new sanctions. “If the new ‘sanctions from hell’ come, we will respond. We can’t fail to respond,” he said.

Why Ukraine?

Russian leaders have viewed Ukraine and Ukrainians as “one people” with Russians, and Ukraine represents a Western-backed state as part of an attempt to divide and conquer the post-Soviet bloc.

Ukraine, on the other hand, got rid of a president in 2014 who was friendly to Russia, which is just one part of a broader indication that those who live in Ukraine are far friendlier to the west than Putin and Russia across the border.

Many in Russia consider the so-called “loss” of Ukraine a trauma, but Ukrainians generally view this appeal to a supposed shared history as more of a facade to hide territorial ambitions.

Mark Sagliocco/Getty Images for National Geographic

3) Alec Baldwin Addresses ‘Rust’ Shooting For First Time

The Topline: While the investigation continues into how a

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