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--:-- John Bickley: This episode is brought to you by LifeLock. Between two-factor authentication, strong passwords, and a VPN, you try to be in control of how your info is protected. But many other places also have it, and they might not be as careful. That's why LifeLock monitors hundreds of millions of data points a second for threats. If your identity is stolen, they'll fix it. Guaranteed or your money back. Save up to 40% your first year. Visit LifeLock.com slash podcast for 40% off. Terms apply.
--:-- John Bickley: Vaccine and mask mandates dominate the national discussion as COVID cases climb. The Biden administration signals a push for renewed mask mandates and a potential need for vaccine boosters. Do you think masks should be brought back for vaccinated Americans?
--:-- Georgia Howe: You know, Jake, this is under active consideration.
--:-- John Bickley: What's the latest for the administration's COVID response and how will it affect Americans' lives? I'm John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Monday, July 26th, and this is Morning Wire.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Protests erupt in Australia in response to another round of lockdowns after an uptick in COVID cases. Dozens have been arrested and hundreds fined as people take to the streets. How is the government responding, and what does it mean for free speech down under?
--:-- John Bickley: And the NFL's new vaccine rules are met with pushback from some players and coaches. What are the new policies, and how are teams handling them? Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know.
--:-- Georgia Howe: As the Delta variant spreads across the country, new research shows a dip in vaccine effectiveness over time. Here to discuss how the Biden administration and CDC officials are responding is Daily Wire managing editor Cabot Phillips.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: So Cabot, booster shots. Is this something experts were expecting all along?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Well, typically vaccine antibodies do begin to wane as time goes by, but this does signal a bit of a shift in messaging from the White House. A few weeks ago, the Biden administration said there wasn't enough evidence to indicate boosters were needed, but throughout the past week, the CDC has signaled that they will likely be necessary in the near future.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: That shift is the direct result of new research showing that some vaccines, especially the Pfizer shot, may not be as effective after six months. So the vaccine appears to become less effective over time. How much of a dip are we talking about?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: We're still not totally sure, but from an ongoing global study, vaccine effectiveness appears to drop from 95 to 84 percent after four to six months. And other studies have found that it's even more dramatic, as low as 39 percent effectiveness after the six-month mark.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Well, that's a big gap. Yeah, and it's enough to have experts worried, including Dr. Anthony Fauci. He said the news has people, quote, raising their eyebrows a bit.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: And keep in mind, about half of vaccinated Americans got that Pfizer shot. So there are millions of people who could be impacted by this, especially those in vulnerable populations, mainly the elderly.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Right. So if the boosters are needed, how would they be rolled out? The Biden administration has reassured the public that they have more than enough shots on hand So everyone who needs one would be able to get one
--:-- Cabot Phillips: The problem is even though booster shots appear to be needed the government has yet to approve any for use. So they're not available to the public right now, and they might not be until the fall.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: One main issue here is that the FDA has yet to fully approve any vaccine. They're currently operating under an emergency protocol. So if they did approve one, doctors would be able to issue booster shots on their own. but that's currently not allowed under federal law.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: This all comes with the spread of the Delta variant. How are officials reacting to the new cases?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Yeah, COVID cases are rising in all 50 states. And as you mentioned, experts blame the Delta variant. In response, some cities, including LA and St. Louis, are reinstating mask mandates, while others have reversed course on their own reopening plans.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: And it's worth noting Jerome Adams, who was the CDC director under Trump, recently called for states with low vaccination rates to return to their early mask mandate protocols.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: You mentioned Dr. Fauci. What's he saying about all this?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: He blamed the spread on those who've chosen not to get vaccinated, saying he's, quote, very frustrated by this unnecessary predicament.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: He gave an interview to CNN on Sunday morning and said new mask mandates are being, quote, actively considered, even for those who've been vaccinated.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: You think masks should be brought back for vaccinated Americans? You know, Jake, this is under active consideration.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: So now it's a waiting game to see how the CDC will respond. Dr. Fauci has signaled he'd like to see local governments take matters into their own hands without federal intervention. But that still remains a possibility.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Cabot, thanks for the update.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Daily Wire Managing Editor Cabot Phillips.
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--:-- John Bickley: Up next, Australians take to the streets to protest renewed lockdowns. Inflation is destroying the dollar. Birch Gold Group can help protect your IRA or 401k with a precious metals IRA. Text WIRE to 989898 to claim a free info kit on physical gold and silver. There's zero obligation. Text the word WIRE to 989898 to protect your savings today.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Reacting to the spread of the Delta variant, Australian authorities are reimposing lockdowns. Thousands of Australians have taken to the street in protest. with police cracking down on what the protesters are calling freedom rallies, raising questions about both COVID-19 containment strategies and civil liberties.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Here to explain what's going on is Daily Wire's Ian Howarth.
--:-- Ian Howarth: Good morning, Georgia.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Good morning. So what's going on in Australia right now?
--:-- Ian Howarth: Well, over half the country is under strict lockdowns, with politicians justifying the move by pointing to the spread of the Delta variant and an uptick in COVID cases.
--:-- Ian Howarth: Uptick in cases. What are the numbers looking like?
--:-- Ian Howarth: Well, the lockdowns were in response to a few hundred cases. 141 in New South Wales on Sunday, for example. Cases or deaths?
--:-- Ian Howarth: Cases in a country of 25 million people. Sydney has been locked down, as have other state capitals like Darwin, Perth and Brisbane, with over half of Australia now living under these sorts of restrictions.
--:-- Ian Howarth: And this is after living freely during most of the pandemic compared to other countries, at least since Australia's first national lockdown at the start of 2020.
--:-- Ian Howarth: So after a year of relative freedom, how are Australians reacting to being locked down again?
--:-- Ian Howarth: Well, much like the lockdowns here, there are people on both sides of the debate, but thousands of Australians marched in cities like Sydney against the lockdown measures, with police cracking down on the protests.
--:-- Ian Howarth: More than 500 people have been fined in Sydney and at least 50 people charged with various criminal offences. Police in Sydney are even going through social media and CCTV footage and are asking the public for help identifying protesters They received over 5 reports so far As in citizens reporting on citizens Essentially yes
--:-- Ian Howarth: Politicians were also quick to reject the protests with the leader of New South Wales, the state which contains Sydney, saying that participants should be ashamed. Millions and millions of people across our state are doing the right thing. And it just broke my heart that people had such a disregard for their fellow citizens.
--:-- Ian Howarth: Australia's Prime Minister made a similar argument, calling the protesters selfish and self-defeating. He also said there is such a thing as free speech, at least for those not in lockdown. As for other parts of the country that aren't in lockdown, well, there is such a thing as free speech, and I'm not about to be imposing those sorts of restrictions on people's free speech. So you can protest lockdown as long as you're not in lockdown. Basically, yes.
--:-- Ian Howarth: We should remember that Australia is one example of a country that while generally promoting free speech as a principle, doesn't have constitutional protections like the First Amendment, which explicitly protect freedom of speech.
--:-- Ian Howarth: Early on, we were told that Australia's COVID strategy was really successful. Did anything change?
--:-- Ian Howarth: Well, in this case, it's important to understand Australia's strategy to understand the latest protests themselves. So while COVID-19 was ravaging parts of the world, like Italy, for example, Australia focused on keeping case numbers to a minimum.
--:-- Ian Howarth: They moved to close their borders to the rest of the world, which resulted in just over 900 COVID-19 related deaths and around 32,000 total cases since the start of the pandemic. And combined with enforcing mandatory quarantine and using contact tracing systems, they achieved good results compared to other countries in terms of cases and death counts.
--:-- Ian Howarth: So Australian authorities will be trying to do the same here. OK. A new factor which has changed the landscape, though, is Australia's slow vaccine rollout. Since vaccination started in late February, two months after the US, by the way, only around 11% of Australians have been fully vaccinated, and this is compared to 50% in the US.
--:-- Ian Howarth: So authorities in Australia probably feel they have to rely on lockdowns, all while other countries with far higher vaccination rates decide to open up, and this will only fuel anger even more. Yeah, I mean, especially given the impact on civil liberties.
--:-- Ian Howarth: Thanks for joining us today, Ian.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Daily Wire's Ian Howarth.
--:-- John Bickley: With training camps around the league getting underway, the NFL is making news with their new COVID vaccination policy. The league has been pushing for players and staff to all receive the vaccine, establishing rules for unvaccinated players that are much more restrictive than those for fully vaccinated players and staff.
--:-- John Bickley: On Thursday, the NFL sent out a memo to teams regarding the league's policy for in-season outbreaks that impact scheduled games. Here to tell us more is Daily Wire sports reporter Joe Morgan.
--:-- Joe Morgan: Hey, Joe.
--:-- John Bickley: John. So what's going on here with the NFL's vaccine policy?
--:-- Joe Morgan: Well, the NFL has been incentivizing players to receive the vaccine for some time now. In June, they updated their protocols for training camp and the 2021 preseason.
--:-- Joe Morgan: For vaccinated players, almost all restrictions have been lifted, including the mask requirement and daily COVID testing. However, for unvaccinated players, life will be much different. COVID testing will be required every day. masks have to be worn at team facilities and while traveling, which are just a few of the rules they will have to adhere to.
--:-- Joe Morgan: On Thursday, the NFL did go a step further, sending a memo to teams regarding in-season COVID outbreaks. According to Tom Pellicero of the NFL Network, if a game cannot be rescheduled during the 18-week season in 2021 due to a COVID outbreak among unvaccinated players, the team with the outbreak will forfeit and be credited with the loss for playoff seeding.
--:-- Joe Morgan: Forfeit? Wow, that's clearly a big deal. How did players react?
--:-- Joe Morgan: The memo set off a firestorm on social media The highest paid wide receiver in the NFL DeAndre Hopkins said in a tweet that his decision to not receive the vaccine could potentially hurt his team making him question his future in football Super Bowl champion and Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Leonard Fournette sent a tweet stating, vaccine, I can't do it, before quickly deleting the message.
--:-- Joe Morgan: So there's some pushback from players. But to be clear, vaccines are not mandatory. Correct. They are not mandatory for players.
--:-- Joe Morgan: OK. However, the messaging from the NFL is clear. If you are not vaccinated, you are putting your team's future at risk, and the season will not exactly be comfortable for you. Okay, so not a mandate, but a major pressure campaign. Right.
--:-- Joe Morgan: What about coaches? Do the same rules apply?
--:-- Joe Morgan: They do not. For Tier 1 staff, which includes coaches, front office execs, equipment managers, and scouts, the vaccine is required in order to have contact with players. The NFL released a memo saying that a valid religious or medical reason must be provided for not receiving the vaccine. If a Tier 1 employee does not receive the vaccine and does not have an exemption, they will not be allowed to be on the field, in meeting rooms, or have direct contact with players.
--:-- Joe Morgan: It's worth noting that the rules are pretty complex. But basically, if you don't have the vaccine, there are a lot of barriers to regular activities. So it gets a little complicated here, but without an exemption the league considers valid, coaches can't really participate.
--:-- Joe Morgan: Are any coaches actually refusing the vaccine?
--:-- Joe Morgan: Well, on Friday, ESPN reported that Minnesota Vikings assistant coach Rick Denison was out of a job after choosing to not get the vaccine. However, ESPN may have jumped the gun a bit as the Vikings put out a statement saying they continue to hold discussions with Denison and that he does not have an exemption to the vaccination requirements of those protocols.
--:-- Joe Morgan: Denison may still be able to work with the team in some capacity. Meanwhile, Patriots co-offensive line coach, Cole Popovich, is reported to no longer be with the team in a decision related to the vaccine.
--:-- Joe Morgan: Definitely a major development here. We'll be watching to see if there's more fallout and how other industries handle this.
--:-- Joe Morgan: Thanks, Joe.
--:-- John Bickley: Daily Wire sports reporter, Joe Morgan.
--:-- John Bickley: Those are the top stories this morning, but there's more in the news to keep an eye on. Other big developments that we're tracking this week. At least 125 people have been confirmed dead as a result of massive flooding over the weekend in western India.
--:-- Georgia Howe: About 100 miles south of Mumbai, landslides have flattened dozens of homes, killing 42 people and trapping an estimated 40 additional people in mud.
--:-- John Bickley: According to experts, the region is experiencing the heaviest rainfall in four decades.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Henan province, China is likewise seeing drastic flooding, receiving the equivalent of one year of rainfall in just 72 hours, starting on Tuesday.
--:-- John Bickley: 58 people have been confirmed dead in China, with more than 1 million displaced.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And after a shaky start on the first day of the Tokyo Olympics, the U.S. gained momentum over the weekend. The U.S. women's gymnastics team easily qualified for Tuesday's team finals, though they were edged out by Russia in the qualifying round.
--:-- John Bickley: After losing their opener against Sweden, the U.S. women's soccer team defeated New Zealand on Saturday 6-1. The team will play Australia on Tuesday.
--:-- Georgia Howe: and the U.S. swim team won six medals Sunday, including a gold. It's the most medals won by the U.S. swim team on the first day of Olympic finals ever.
--:-- John Bickley: If you liked this episode and are interested in hearing more, subscribe to Morning Wire on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you're listening and give us a five-star review.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's all the time we've got this morning. Thanks for waking up with us. We'll be back tomorrow with the news you need to know.
--:-- John Bickley: Get the Morning Wire newsletter delivered straight to your inbox when you join at dailywire.com slash subscribe. Use code MORNINGWIRE to try a Reader's Pass membership and get your first month for only 99 cents.
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