A political newsletter for normal people
WTF Just Happened Today? is a sane, once-a-day newsletter helping normal people make sense of the news. Curated daily and delivered to 200,000+ people every afternoon around 3 pm Pacific.
Day 188: Mandate.
Today in one sentence: The VA issued a vaccine mandate for all healthcare workers; Biden said the long-term effects of COVID will qualify as federal disabilities; Democrats elevated Liz Cheney's position on the 1/6 commission; Biden plans to announce the end of U.S. combat missions in Iraq; Michigan Republicans will have to return COVID funds they used to pay their own bonuses; and Trump urged Senate Republicans to abandon bipartisan infrastructure talks until after the midterms.
1/ The VA issued a vaccine mandate for all health care workers, the first federal agency to do so. Employees who provide direct patient care have eight weeks to get inoculated against COVID-19 or face penalties, including possible removal. (New York Times)
2/ Biden said the long-term effects of COVID-19 can be considered a disability under federal civil rights laws. The administration’s announcement of the new policy was timed to coincide with the 31st anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act. (Washington Post)
3/ Democrats moved to elevate Liz Cheney’s role on the Jan. 6 commission by giving her prime a speaking slot on Tuesday. The Wyoming Republican will be one of two members of the nine member panel to deliver an opening statement at the committee’s first public hearing Tuesday. (Washington Post)
4/ Biden and the Iraqi prime minister plan to announce the end of U.S. combat missions in Iraq. Biden and Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi are meeting in the Oval Office on Monday and plan to make the announcement afterward. (NBC News)
5/ Michigan Republicans will return COVID relief funds that they used to pay their own bonuses. Six commissioners voted to pay themselves $65,000 in total, stoking outcry. (The Guardian)
6/ Trump urged Senate Republicans to abandon talks on a bipartisan infrastructure deal until after the midterm elections or when the GOP retakes majorities in Congress. (The Hill)
poll/ Biden’s average approval rating has been at around 53% for six months. Over the course of Biden’s first six months in office, his approval rating has never risen above 55% or fallen below 51% in an average of polls. It was 53% in April and 54% in May. (CNN)
A political newsletter for normal people
WTF Just Happened Today? is a sane, once-a-day newsletter helping normal people make sense of the news. Curated daily and delivered to 200,000+ people every afternoon around 3 pm Pacific.
Become a supporting member.
It's not enough to be a consumer of media. You must be a stakeholder in it. Invest in the continued production of WTF Just Happened Today? by becoming a supporting member. Choose from three recurring membership options below: