Court keeps South Carolina school mask mandate ban on hold South Carolina districts can continue to require face coverings to protect against the coronavirus in the state's schools under an appellate court's decision this week. On Tuesday, the 4th U.S. AP NEWS

... the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied state Attorney General Alan Wilson’s request that South Carolina’s law prohibiting school mask mandates be allowed to take effect while a lawsuit over the COVID-19 pandemic measure goes forward. ...

Garland taps FBI in response to ‘disturbing spike’ in threats against educators Recent school board meetings have been packed with protestors who denounce Covid-19 mask mandates, political interpretations of critical race theory and other highly-politicized issues. Juan Perez Jr. POLITICO

Attorney General Merrick Garland on Monday ordered federal law enforcement authorities to huddle with local leaders in the coming weeks to address what the nation’s top prosecutor called a recent “disturbing spike in harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence” against educators and school board members.

Arizona can't use COVID money for anti-mask grants, feds say The Biden administration on Tuesday ordered Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey to stop using the state’s federal pandemic funding on a pair of new education grants that can only be directed to schools without mask mandates. AP NEWS

The Biden administration on Tuesday ordered Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey to stop using the state’s federal pandemic funding on a pair of new education grants that can only be directed to schools without mask mandates.

Covid-19 cases are declining but remain high among children. Here's what the US needs to do to end the surge After weeks of a troubling Covid-19 surge across the US, infection rates are finally on the decline -- but experts say there's still work to be done before the tide can be turned, especially when cases remain exceptionally high among children. Madeline Holcombe, CNN CNN

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Vaccines may have prevented a quarter-million Covid-19 cases and 39,000 deaths among seniors Coronavirus vaccines may have prevented 39,000 deaths among seniors by May, a new government study finds. Jen Christensen, CNN CNN

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Johnson & Johnson seeks FDA authorization of Covid booster shot J&J said Monday that giving a second dose two months after the first increased protection against symptomatic moderate to severe Covid-19 to 94 percent, with 100 percent protection against severe illness. Lauren Gardner POLITICO

Johnson & Johnson on Tuesday asked the Food and Drug Adminstration to authorize a booster dose of its Covid-19 vaccine for people 18 and older.

Southwest is latest airline to mandate vaccines for workers DALLAS (AP) — Southwest Airlines on Monday became the latest U.S. airline to require its employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The Dallas-based company said its workers must be fully vaccinated by Dec. AP NEWS

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