A New York appeals court judge on Tuesday granted a stay in an appeal over mask mandates in the state – keeping the rule in effect during the legal process, to the delight of Governor Kathy Hochul. A day earlier, a judge had struck down Hochul’s mask mandate, one week before it was due to expire. The state attorney general, Letitia James, had filed a motion to stay the ruling in an attempt to put it on hold while the state filed a formal appeal, and on Tuesday James’s request was approved. Justice Robert Miller of the state appeals court temporarily blocked the lower-court ruling, siding with the state. The requirements in New York state, home to around 20 million people, include wearing masks in schools, on public transit and other public indoor spaces. Kathy Hochul, the governor of New York, on Tuesday praised the temporary stay on the ruling… read more