As COVID cases in the US rise – President Biden is calling for vaccine incentives
Biden has called for states to offer $100 to new vaccine recipients, in an effort to address flagging jab rates amid virus surges.
The US President also issued a strict new vaccine requirement for US federal workers – the nation’s largest employer with approximately two million people.
The order requires employees to show proof of vaccination or be subjected to mandatory testing and masking
According to official data, just under half of the US is fully vaccinated.
Speaking from the White House on Thursday, Mr Biden said that the new measures are a result of the highly contagious Delta variant’s spread, made worse by a “pandemic of the unvaccinated”.
However, the President added that the monetary incentive may seem unfair to already vaccinated Americans, but stated “we all benefit if we can get more people vaccinated”.
States would use money from the $1.9tn American Rescue Plan legislation to fund the incentives.
Mr. Biden said that the federal government will be “fully reimbursing” small or medium-sized businesses that provide workers paid time off to get vaccinated.
While government employees who refuse to get vaccinated will not be fired, this move by the White House aims to set an example for other employers nationwide.
President Biden also addressed theories, spreading mostly in conservative circles, that the jabs are unsafe.
He emphasised there “is nothing political” about the vaccines, which were developed and authorised under a Republican administration and further distributed under his.
Last month, a study showed that over 99% of coronavirus deaths have been among the unvaccinated.
THREAD: Today, the President announced new steps we're taking to get more Americans vaccinated and slow the spread of the Delta variant.
— White House COVID-19 Response Team (@WHCOVIDResponse) July 29, 2021
Nearly 70% of adults have received at least one jab.
But vaccination rates are varied across the country. Southern and western regions, which are now experiencing Covid outbreaks, have much lower rates.
It comes as virus-related deaths climb to around 2,000 per week. New cases are now at their highest point in the last three months, with about 60,000 being recorded per day.
Anthony Lucas is reporter, presenter and social media producer with ticker News. Anthony holds a Bachelor of Professional Communication, with a major in Journalism from RMIT University as well as a Diploma of Arts and Entertainment journalism from Collarts. He’s previously worked for 9 News, ONE FM Radio and Southern Cross Austerio’s Hit Radio Network.
A new Catholic prayer app recently beat out major social media apps in global downloads.
The company says, Hallow passed 10-million downloads and 225-million prayers prayed around the globe, becoming the largest prayer app in the world.
Hallow has also become the first faith-based app to ever crack the top 10 apps in the App Store coming in at #3 overall–and beating Netflix, Spotify, Instagram, Amazon, Tiktok, and YouTube.
The Cofounder and CTO of Hallow Erich Kerekes joins Veronica Dudo to discuss. #IN AMERICA TODAY #featured #apps #prayerapp #socialmedia #Applestore #business
Search Generative Experience (SGE), is the latest innovation from Google Labs
This cutting-edge feature, recently announced by Google, is set to transform search results for a select subset of queries and a small portion of U.S. search traffic.
With SGE, instead of the traditional top-10 results, users may encounter AI-generated responses prominently displayed at the top of the page.
This shift has significant implications, as it pushes both ads and organic results further down the page. Stay tuned for updates on this groundbreaking development in search technology.
The world’s biggest battery maker announced this week they’re working with Tesla to making cheaper batteries.
Recent developments in the electric vehicle (EV) market raise essential questions about its trajectory.
Cost cuts by the world’s largest battery maker could impact EV prices, potentially boosting their competitiveness. Meanwhile, advancements in mileage, power, and charging times are driving increased adoption.
However, considerations about downsides like battery disposal and resource extraction are pertinent. Nonetheless, the broader implications for climate change efforts and the automotive industry underscore the transformative potential of EVs in creating a more sustainable future.