Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will convene a special session of the state legislature this week to consider legislation to combat COVID-19 vaccine mandates, his office outlined.
Driving the news: The special session will consider four pieces of legislation requiring employers to allow exceptions to the mandate for certain workers, increasing penalties for employers who fire workers for being unvaccinated, among other provisions.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on "Fox News Sunday" struggled to address the contradictory nature of his stance on COVID-related mandates.
Driving the news: Texas filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration last month over its vaccine mandate for federal contractors, calling it "a dramatic infringement upon individual liberties."
Why it matters: The breakthrough in talks comes as nurses, front-line technicians and other hospital employees face worker shortages and burnout due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The largest-ever study of the psychedelic drug psilocybin revealed Tuesday that the drug is effective in treating serious depression, Stat News reports.
Why it matters: The Compass Pathways study, which is the "largest randomized, controlled, double-blind trial of psilocybin," found that patients who were given the highest dose of the drug had a significant decrease in depressive symptoms as compared to the placebo group, per Stat.
A mostly serious new study analyzes James Bond's exposure to infectious diseases through his 27 films and finds that 007 is a walking occupational health catastrophe.
Why it matters: James Bond's license to kill is more like a license to ill.
Rapid at-home COVID-19 tests that can automatically verify and report positive cases could be especially useful in the next phase of the pandemic.
Why it matters: As breakthrough cases rise with the inevitable waning of vaccination-induced immunity, cheap, plentiful screening tests that automatically send results back to health authorities could keep infections down while allowing full reopening.
California, Colorado and New Mexico this week have expanded COVID-19 booster access to all adults.
Why it matters: Federal officials have recommended largely limiting the doses to people who are 65 and older, have underlying health conditions or work in high-risk environments.
A Biden administration rule requiring large companies to mandate COVID vaccines for employees or impose weekly testing is "staggeringly overbroad" and "grossly exceeds [the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's] statutory authority," a federal appeals court said Friday in an order to keep the rule on hold.
Why it matters: Under the rule, companies with 100 or more workers must mandate vaccination or regular testing by Jan. 4.
