While many government leaders sound the all clear message on COVID-19, dropping vaccine restrictions and mask mandates, some states and municipalities are clinging to the emergency powers that allowed them to govern people’s behavior in unprecedented ways. Citing the need to direct emergency funding and oversee hospitals, they have held on to their emergency orders…

Thousands of Australians across two protests have rallied against the vaccine mandates and the extended emergency COVID-19 powers in Brisbane with several parliamentarians joining the protests. Demonstrators gathered outside the state Parliament House on Tuesday, chanting “block the bill,” “my body, my choice” and “end the segregation.” They demanded the government to drop the controversial…

HAGERSTOWN, Maryland—The People’s Convoy, a large caravan of vehicles led by trucks, will be moving slowly around the Beltway twice on Sunday morning in efforts to stop the government’s COVID-19 emergency powers. Brian Brase, one of the convoy organizers, confirmed the plan to drivers Sunday morning before the group departed Hagerstown Speedway in western Maryland, where…

HAGERSTOWN, Maryland—The People’s Convoy, a large caravan of vehicles led by trucks, will be moving slowly around the Beltway twice on Sunday morning in efforts to stop the government’s COVID-19 emergency powers. Brian Brase, one of the convoy organizers, confirmed the plan to drivers Sunday morning before the group departed Hagerstown Speedway in western Maryland, where…

SACRAMENTO—Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Feb. 25 all but 5 percent of California’s COVID-19 related executive orders would be lifted by the end of June while keeping the state of emergency declaration in place. “As we move the state’s recovery forward, we’ll continue to focus on scaling back provisions while maintaining essential testing, vaccination and…

Commentary Seven-foot fencing topped with razor wire will be installed surrounding the U.S. Capitol next week, in advance of President Joe Biden’s State of the Union on March 1. The wall is to keep out truckers who are heading to Washington, D.C., as part of the Freedom Convoy protesting COVID restrictions. Instead of shutting the…

Unvaccinated travellers will still need to apply for an exemption to enter or leave Australia as the Australian government declares an extension of its COVID-19 emergency health powers until April 17. Health Minister Greg Hunt confirmed in a statement that a further extension of the emergency period, which has been in place for two years…

TRENTON, New Jersey—New Jerseyans rallied on Monday, holding signs and chanting slogans, to demand an end to tightening COVID-19 vaccination mandates enacted by the governor of New Jersey. Despite cold and drizzly weather, about one hundred people gathered outside the New Jersey Statehouse in Trenton to protest recent COVID-19 vaccination mandates without a testing option…

On Monday, the New Jersey Senate President announced that a bill to extend Governor’s emergency powers in response to COVID-19 would not be voted that day, the final day of voting in the lame-duck legislative session. Outgoing Senate President Steve Sweeney, a Democrat, announced on Monday that the resolution to enact a 45-day extension of…

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy extended the state’s COVID-19 emergency on Tuesday after the state Senate speaker declined to schedule voting on a bill extending it for 45 days. On Monday, New Jersey Senate President Steve Sweeney, a Democrat, announced that a bill to extend the governor’s emergency powers in response to COVID-19 would not be…