Masks are now optional in U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit courtrooms and courthouse public areas, the court said Friday. It said oral arguments are open to the public in person, though audio of oral arguments will continue to be streamed on the court's YouTube channel.

The Judicial Conference extended the temporary, COVID-19 exception to its broadcasting policy for another 120 days, it said Tuesday. The policy, adopted in 2020, allows the use of teleconferencing to let the public and media members listen to civil and bankruptcy court proceedings remotely. The Judicial Conference said there's increasing use of in-person proceedings as the pandemic emergency conditions have abated, but nearly all courts still do civil and bankruptcy proceedings remotely in at least some circumstances. It said the 120-day extension will help courts maintain flexibility as they transition to post-pandemic operations.

The FCC is extending COVID-19 regulatory fee relief measures to the FY 2022 fees, said a public notice Monday. Requests for waiver or reduction of regulatory fees based on financial hardship must be filed by the deadline for fee payment, Sept. 28. Requests to waive or defer payment must be accompanied by “financial documentation demonstrating the financial hardship of the regulatee,” the PN said. “In order to prove financial hardship sufficient to justify a waiver, a regulatee must show that it lacks sufficient funds to pay its FY 2022 regulatory fee in full while maintaining service to the public,” the PN said. Regulatees can also request waivers or fee reduction on other grounds, or request to pay in installments, the agency said.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit reopened the National Courts Building to the public Monday, the court announced Friday. The move was made "based on recent changes to public health guidance and conditions within Washington, D.C. and the National Capital Region," the court said. The decision's order specified all visitors must wear N-95, KN-95 or KF-94 masks, regardless of vaccination status. The court may also implement further health and safety protocols as needed, it said. Under the court's revised protocols for attending in-person arguments for the current court sitting, no one many enter who has tested positive for COVID-19 within the previous 14 days, is awaiting results of a COVID-19 test, has been directed to self-quarantine by a health professional, or has had COVID-19-type symptoms or traveled internationally within the previous seven days.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit is resuming in-person oral argument, though it may return to using Zoom if COVID-19 conditions worsen, the court said Thursday. Lawyers who want to speak without wearing a mask must take a COVID-19 test the day before oral arguments and submit proof of a negative test result to the court that evening, it said. Aside from arguing counsel at the lectern and judges, everyone in the courtroom must wear a KF94, KN95 or N95 mask, it said. The media and public can attend oral argument as space permits, and audio of the oral arguments will be livestreamed on the court's YouTube channel, it said.

Visitors to the FCC will no longer be required to certify they're fully vaccinated or present proof of a negative COVID-19 test to enter the building, said a public notice in Monday’s Daily Digest. Visitors should still use a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention online questionnaire “to self-assess their health for possible symptoms of COVID-19 on the day of the visit and relevant symptoms within the past 48 hours prior to visiting FCC facilities,” the PN said. The change is based on recent guidance from the CDC and the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force, the PN said. “Going forward, the Commission will continue to update the ‘Visiting FCC Facilities’ page based on the latest guidance.”

The International Trade Commission will resume in-person hearings and public access to its building beginning Sept. 29, said the agency Wednesday. The ITC will provide more details on in-person hearing room policies beforehand, including procedures for “limited virtual participation,” it said. “We expect that this will be an iterative process. Initial procedures and policies will be modified over time as we resume normal operations with adequate notice to all parties and the public.”

Hybrid workers who split their time between a physical office and a remote workspace “are more productive and engaged than employees who are entirely office-based or fully remote,” reported Citrix Tuesday. They also report better physical and mental health and feel more positive about their organization, it said. Citrix canvassed 900 business leaders and 1,800 employees in eight countries, including the U.S., finding 69% of hybrid workers feel productive, compared with 64% of remote workers and 59% of in-office employees, it said. It also found 70% of hybrid workers conveyed a “strong emotional connection” to their organizations and leadership team, compared with 60% of remote workers and 58% of in-office employees, it said.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative extended for another six months to Nov. 30 its Section 301 tariff exclusions on 81 COVID-19 related product classifications from China that were due to expire at midnight Tuesday, said an agency notice late Friday afternoon. It was USTR’s second six-month extension on the import classifications covering “medical-care and/or COVID response” products, it said. “In light of the continuing efforts to combat COVID–19,” USTR determined that a six-month extension was “warranted,” it said. The decision took into account public comments previously provided, plus input from industry advisory committees and the interagency Section 301 committee, it said.

A “major divide” persists in employee sentiment about returning to the physical office, reported Citrix Tuesday. The digital workspace technology supplier hired OnePoll to canvass 6,500 employees in 10 countries April 5 to May 4, finding 57% relish the flexibility of hybrid work, and 69% would be willing to quit their current jobs to maintain the ability to work from anywhere, it said.