Tipsheet: Federal agencies prepare to act against unvaccinated employees

View in your browser     Federal agencies prepare to act against unvaccinated employees By Alex Gangitano and Morgan Chalfant   Federal government agencies are preparing to take increasingly harsh steps against unvaccinated employees in order to implement President Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal workers.   Some agencies plan to send letters warning of possible suspensions to employees who have not complied with the mandate. Many are also prepared to fire employees who don’t follow the rule, though such moves would be further down the road. The rate of compliance is high across the federal government and agencies say they do not expect the suspensions or firings to cause disruptions. Read the full story here     Omicron fuels unprecedented spike in COVID-19 cases By Peter Sullivan   The omicron variant is fueling an unprecedented spike in COVID-19 cases and placing a strain on hospital capacity, but experts say the spike could play out in the shape of an “ice pick” — a sharp but fast increase — that may leave the U.S. on better footing as soon as next month.   Read the full story here     Pandemic pushes teachers unions to center stage ahead of midterms By Julia Manchester   Republicans are working to tie Democrats to teachers unions ahead of the midterms as frustrations over the unions' opposition to in-person learning amid the omicron surge grow.  Read the full story here     Two more House reps test positive for breakthrough COVID-19 cases By Brad Dress   Reps. Sean Casten (D-Ill.) and Young Kim (R-Calif.) said on Saturday that they had tested positive for breakthrough cases of COVID-19, adding to a growing list of lawmakers who have contracted the virus amid the latest wave of the pandemic. Read the full story here       Senate Minority Whip Thune, close McConnell ally, to run for reelection By Jordain Carney   Sen. John Thune (S.D.), the No. 2 Senate Republican and a close ally of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), on Saturday announced he will run for reelection in 2022.    Read the full story here     Biden eulogizes Reid as a fighter 'for the America we all love' at memorial service By Chloe Folmar   Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) was honored on Friday at a memorial service in Las Vegas, attended by President Biden, former President Obama and other former colleagues who spoke of Reid’s integrity and humility. Read the full story here     Fox News tops ratings for coverage on Jan. 6 anniversary events By Lexi Lonas   Fox News topped ratings for coverage of the anniversary events for the Jan. 6 Capitol riot on Thursday, beating competitors such as CNN and MSNBC. Read the full story here     US intends to discuss missile placements, military exercises with Russia By Caroline Vakil and Morgan Chalfant   The U.S. intends to propose talking about military exercises in Eastern Europe and missile placements when its delegation meets with Russian negotiators on Monday during bilateral talks, a senior Biden administration official told reporters on Saturday ahead of the high-stakes meetings in Europe. Read the full story here     Democrats, Cruz set for showdown over Russian pipeline By Jordain Carney   Democrats are headed for a showdown with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) over his bid to force the Biden administration’s hand over a Russian gas pipeline.  Read the full story here     Tensions between US, Russia rise over military involvement in Kazakhstan By Caroline Vakil   Tensions between the U.S. and Russia rose on Saturday as the Kremlin delivered a strong rebuke to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who a day prior said, “it’s sometimes very difficult to get” Russians to leave “once [they] are in your house.” Read the full story here     Tom Daschle: Remembering a man who wouldn't stay down By Tom Daschle   OPINION | Harry Reid came from a town where you couldn’t afford to stay down. When he was just 11 years old, Harry followed his father hundreds of feet underground into the mines below Searchlight, Nev., where he would pan for gold and keep his dad company as the older man pounded through nearly impenetrable rock. He spent his childhood one cave-in or errant blasting cap away from becoming a fatality of those mines, as his father’s brother and a neighbor had become just a few years before. But Harry always came back up. Read the full story here     What Biden should have said on Jan. 6 By Liz Peek   OPINION | Here’s what we learned on Jan. 6: There will be no pivot. President Biden made it clear in his remarks that he will pursue the central theme that put him in the White House, no matter how low his polls sink or how bleak the outlook for his party. Read the full story here     The Wall Street Journal: COVID-19 school closures reignite political jockeying ahead of midterms By Natalie Andrews and Catherine Lucey   Republicans see Biden’s education record as providing an opening with voters; Democrats say GOP opposed relief funding for schools last year. Read the full story here     The Washington Post: 2021 shattered job market records, but it’s not as good as it looks By Andrew Van Dam   The economy added 6.4 million jobs in 2021 and rank-and-file workers saw their paychecks rise by $1.46 an hour. Both are the largest gains on record. But those rosy numbers can be misleading. Read the full story here     The Associated Press: Prospects dim as US, Russia prepare to meet over Ukraine By Matthew Lee   With the fate of Ukraine and potentially broader post-Cold War European stability at stake, the United States and Russia are holding critical strategic talks that could shape the future of not only their relationship but the relationship between the U.S. and its NATO allies. Prospects are bleak. Read the full story here     The New York Times: US details costs of a Russian invasion of Ukraine By David E. Sanger and Eric Schmitt   The Biden administration and its allies are developing new possible sanctions ahead of a series of meetings to defuse the crisis with Moscow. Read the full story here     Reuters: Russia says it will not make concessions to US, talks could end quickly - RIA By Reuters staff   Russia said on Sunday it would not make any concessions under U.S. pressure at talks this week on the Ukraine crisis and its demands for Western security guarantees, and that there was a risk they might end quickly, the RIA news agency reported. Read the full story here         Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up for The Hill Tipsheet       Forward this Tipsheet   You Might Like       Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  |  Email to a friend  |  Sign Up for Other Newsletters   The Hill 1625 K Street, NW 9th Floor, Washington DC 20006 ©1998 - 2022 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved.

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