Good morning and welcome to Fox News First. Here's what you need to know as you start your day …
Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate draws postal union backlash
The influential American Postal Workers Union on Wednesday said that at this point, it opposes a coronavirus vaccine mandate from the Biden administration but encouraged workers to voluntarily take the jabs.
"While the APWU leadership continues to encourage postal workers to voluntarily get vaccinated, it is not the role of the federal government to mandate vaccinations for the employees we represent," the union said in a statement obtained by Fox News.
The union did not immediately respond to an after-hours email from Fox News. The union said in the statement that worker safety was "of paramount importance" but "at this time the APWU opposes the mandating of COVID-19 vaccinations."
The Food and Drug Administration in December approved the Emergency Use Authorization for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. But there is a distinction between the EUA and full FDA approval. President Biden said at a recent CNN town hall that he believes the full FDA approval should be granted by the fall. A full FDA approval means that companies and government bodies will have a firmer legal footing to mandate the jabs. CLICK HERE FOR MORE ON OUR TOP STORY.
In other developments:
- TUCKER CARLSON: This isn’t about the science, here’s proof
- New York COVID-19 vaccine mandates for government workers facing growing union backlash
- Sen. Ted Cruz slams the CDC over new mask guidelines for vaccinated Americans
- Pelosi calls McCarthy a ‘moron’ after he says House mask mandate doesn’t follow science
- Newsom’s California pushes for masking indoors statewide regardless of vaccination status
Biden keeps on trucking: In latest gaffe, president claims he ‘used to drive’ 18-wheeler
President Biden raised eyebrows Wednesday when he claimed to have driven an 18-wheeler truck — a claim the White House struggled to defend.
Biden was visiting a Mack Truck facility in Pennsylvania when he made the claim to have driven the massive trucks, which require a special kind of license.
"I used to drive an 18-wheeler, man," Biden said on Wednesday in a video posted to Twitter.
But there is scant evidence that Biden has ever done so.
When asked about Biden's claim, a White House spokesperson pointed to a December 1973 article from the Wilmington Evening Journal that showed Biden rode in an 18-wheeler on a 536-mile haul to Ohio.
Fox News pressed the spokesperson about the president’s claim – noting that riding in a truck is not the same as driving one – at which point the president's spokesperson pointed to a United Federation of Teachers post that touched on Biden driving a school bus in the past as a summer job. CLICK HERE FOR MORE.
In other developments:
- Biden’s confuses Trump with Obama, calls it ‘Freudian slip’
- 75 GOP lawmakers oppose Biden’s embattled nominee Tracy Stone-Manning
- Progressives push for Biden to pass student debt relief bill
- New Jersey town drops case against ‘F--- Biden’ sign lady after ACLU intervenes: report
- Republicans torch Biden over report that migrants released without court dates are disappearing into the US
Crime spike has Washington, DC, mayor seeking to expand police force
Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Wednesday that she plans to add 170 police officers to the city’s force amid rising violence and several high-profile shootings in the city.
"Right now, I have directed MPD [Metropolitan Police Department] to use any overtime necessary to meet our public safety demands," the Democratic mayor wrote in a statement. The statement noted that Bowser plans to hire 170 additional officers by 2022.
Bowser is a vocal supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement, which has pushed for defunding the police in favor of community policing and funding social justice organizations.
Last year, the city council voted to defund the police department by shifting $23 million out of its budget in a move that Bowser publicly opposed.
Homicides in the city hit a 16-year high in 2020 and local media outlets reported in April of this year that 2021 was on track to be even deadlier. CLICK HERE FOR MORE.
In other developments:
- LAPD officer denounces progressive policies: Perps see ‘crime pays’ as communities give up on calling cops
- NYC mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa denounces Eric Adams’ stance on refunding NYPD
- San Francisco shoplifting: Women caught in video allegedly bolting from CVS with bags full of stolen goods
- Los Angeles city council passes ordinance limiting homeless encampments amid frustration from residents
- DC armed carjacking at luxury apartments leaves Maryland woman punched in the face
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
TODAY’S MUST-READS:
- Simone Biles address fans after withdrawing from Olympic events
- Dusty Hill, ZZ Top bassist, dead at 72
- No. 1 high school QB recruit may skip senior season, enroll at Ohio State to profit off NIL
- Bob Odenkirk ‘in stable condition’ after ‘heart related incident’ led to collapse on ‘Better Call Saul’ set
- Ron Popeil, infomercial icon, dead at 86
THE LATEST FROM FOX BUSINESS:
- After Robinhood’s IPO, twist to business model may come
- Walt Disney World requiring masks indoors again
- Fed’s Powell doesn’t see delta variant toppling economy
- Ford cruises by chip shortage, boosts outlook
- Florida accuses CDC of violating cruise ship case injunction
CLICK HERE TO PLAY FOX NEWS’ CROSSWORD PUZZLE OF THE WEEK
SOME PARTING WORDS
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz appeared on Fox News’ "Hannity" on Wednesday night, where he spoke out regarding the new mask guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"The Democrats have, from the beginning of the pandemic, treated it as a matter of politics — from the shutdowns we saw all over the country to the schools that were closed and the kids that were hurt, to the jackbooted thugs that went persecuting people of faith who were going to church and singing in church," Cruz said.
"We saw a political agenda instead of common sense to keep us safe. I got to say that culminated yesterday in the CDC’s absurd decision that people who have been vaccinated must nonetheless wear masks when inside and that decision, Sean, that’s not science, that’s politics. It’s pure politics."
Not signed up yet for Fox News First? Click here to find out what you’re missing.
Fox News’ Go Watch page is now available, providing visitors with Pay TV provider options in their area carrying Fox News Channel and Fox Business Network.
Fox News First was compiled by Fox News’ Jack Durschlag. Thank you for making us your first choice in the morning! We’ll see you in your inbox first thing Friday.
True Crime
The hottest stories ripped from the headlines, from crime to courts, legal and scandal.
By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time.
