By: Holly Hodges
In local news, a 10-acre wetland for birding in Foscoe is now open to the public according to reports from the Watauga Democrat. The High Country Audubon Society partnered with the Blue Ridge Conservancy to help open the wetland. A spokesperson from HCAS said “birders can expect to find such as the belted kingfisher, osprey, and several species of flycatchers, among many others.” The American Conservation Experience built a short trail leading to the wetland, but there are no official trails within it. The Foscoe Grandfather Community Center will allow people to park and access the trail at 233 Park Road in Banner Elk.
In national news, 19 states filed lawsuits Friday to halt President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal contractors. According to the Associated Press, President Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate requires employees to receive a vaccine by December eighth. The lawsuits state that the action of Mr. Biden would violate federal law and overreach federal power. Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt said in a statement “the federal government should not be mandating vaccinations, and that’s why we filed suit today 𑁋 to halt this illegal, unconstitutional action.”. States argue that a large number of federal employees will quit their jobs and states will be forced to choose between breaching contracts of a reduced labor force or breaching contracts of retaining unvaccinated employees in violation of federal rules.
According to the Associated Press, The U.N. opened a climate summit on Sunday after activists’ demands for action which will kickoff a series of diplomatic negotiations. Nearly 200 countries sent representatives to Glasgow to discuss slowing climate change and adapting to climate damage. Heads of the world’s leading economies pledged to stop international financing of dirty-burning coal-fired power plants by next year. At the opening, Patricia Espinosa, head of the U.N. climate office declared that government leaders have two choices. They can cut greenhouse gas emissions and help countries and communities survive a harsher world or accept that humanity faces a bleak future on this planet. Espinosa said “It is for these reasons and more that we must make progress here in Glasgow. We must make it a success.”
Today’s weather is brought to you by BooneWeather.com. Today you can expect to see partly cloudy skies with five to 15 mile per hour winds. Today’s high is 58 degrees Fahrenheit and the low is 39 degrees Fahrenheit.