| President Biden on Thursday used blunt, accusatory language to insist Americans who refuse to get COVID-19 shots are the cause of “a lot of damage,” are “keeping us from turning the corner” and cannot be allowed to “stand in the way” (The Hill). Out went the president’s gentle persuasion and empathy for public worries about vaccines. In came Biden’s determined embrace of mandates and his outspoken condemnation of governors and other elected officials who block requirements for vaccines and masks as the delta variant continues to spread. Triggering yet another U.S. chapter in partisan pandemic warfare, the president called on all governors to require teachers and school administrators to be vaccinated and warned the holdouts that he would “use my power” to get those governors “out of the way.” Referring to Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) without naming him, Biden assailed Florida’s threats to garnish the pay of the state’s educators who defy the governor and require masks in classrooms. The president told school boards and administrators that buck their governors that the federal government will “restore” any state compensation being withheld as they protect students. The Hill: Biden vows to take on GOP governors over schools. The Hill: GOP governors vow to fight Biden’s new pandemic measures. The Hill: Republican National Committee vows to sue over Biden vaccine, mask mandates. The Hill: DeSantis files emergency appeal after court rules against him on his ban on school mask mandates. Fox News: Biden declares war on DeSantis, Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas: “Get them out of the way.” “The time for waiting is over,” Biden told what he called America’s unvaccinated minority. “This is not about freedom or personal choice. … Our patience is wearing thin, and your refusal has cost all of us.” Biden used his speech in the East Room to lay out what he called new steps that lean heavily on mandates while applauding 175 million Americans who voluntarily rolled up their sleeves, describing another 80 million holdouts as knowingly putting others and the economy at risk. The president sided with a majority of Americans who back vaccine mandates for teachers and students, and say they’re irate that some Americans refuse to wear masks, get vaccinated or follow scientific guidance about COVID-19. The Associated Press analysis: Biden’s war on the virus becomes a war on the unvaccinated. Months ago, Biden encouraged Americans to view July 4 as a potential pivot toward an end to the pandemic, thanks to the widely available coronavirus vaccines. On Thursday, the president offered no optimistic timetables. “We’re in a tough stretch and it could last for a while,” he said. Biden’s measures test the outer limits of his federal authority during a public health emergency and are expected to land in court. He said the Labor Department would craft an emergency order to require businesses with 100 or more employees to mandate that workers be vaccinated or tested for COVID-19 regularly, “even Fox News,” he added. CBS News: The Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration will issue an Emergency Temporary Standard to introduce the vaccine requirement. Companies that fail to comply could face fines of $14,000 per violation. The Associated Press: Here are some businesses that support or require vaccinations and masks. The Associated Press: Kentucky state lawmakers voted to scrap a mask mandate for public schools. The president said another 17 million workers in hospitals and employed by home health care services would be required to be vaccinated in addition to nursing homes already covered by a federal mandate, based on their acceptance of federal funding through Medicare and Medicaid. Biden said executive orders covering all federal workers and federal contractors now require they be vaccinated against COVID-19. Reuters: Biden’s new measures aimed at people opposed to coronavirus vaccines would apply to about two-thirds of all U.S. employees, including those who work for businesses with more than 100 workers. Reuters Fact Box: Details of Biden’s measures. Biden said 300,000 Head Start workers and staff members of federally operated schools under the aegis of the Defense and Interior departments must meet vaccine mandates. Using his bully pulpit to cajole, the president asked large venues that hold entertainment events to require attendees to show proof of vaccination or proof of negative test results, as many are already doing. And he asked parents of children 12 and older to get their teenagers vaccinated and to surround their children who are younger than 12 with people at home who are vaccinated against the virus. The New York Times: The Los Angeles Unified School District on Thursday mandated vaccines for all students 12 and older who are attending class in person. He admonished uncooperative air passengers to “show some respect” for flight attendants and warned that the Transportation Security Administration was empowered to double federal fines when travelers refuse to wear masks. The mask rules are separate from those put in place by the Federal Aviation Administration for raucous behavior. The president called argumentative displays by passengers “wrong” and “ugly.” The Associated Press: U.S. doubles the fine for people who break mask rules on airplanes. The logic behind Biden’s end-of-summer shift to mandates is in the numbers. Many people who want to travel, eat indoors in restaurants, attend concerts and sporting events, and return to offices, gyms and university classrooms — let alone stay out of ICUs — comprehend that vaccination is now the price of entry. The president said 4 million more people got vaccine doses in August than in July, suggesting that recent vaccine approval by the Food and Drug Administration, private-sector vaccine requirements and the effectiveness of doses in holding down hospitalizations and deaths have together been persuasive. CNN: Vaccination required for federal workers with no option for testing. The Hill: The Education Department announced a grant program to assist employees and school districts penalized for implementing COVID-19 safety measures. 
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