Tuesday, January 5th, 2021
High Stakes in Georgia, COVID Lockdowns & March Madness Bubble
All the news in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by Noom.com/newsworthy and www.Rothys.com/newsworthy
Story Summaries
All the news stories mentioned in today's episode are listed with links below, so you can spend as much -- or as little -- time as you want to read the latest happenings...
GA Runoffs Today
Today, Georgia voters will be deciding the makeup of the U.S. Senate. Two runoffs are happening because the Senate races in November were so close that state law requires a redo election. Democrats need to win both of them to take control over the Senate. Republicans need to win at least one of them to keep control. Already, the U.S. Elections Project says three million voters have already cast their ballots. That’s nearly 40% of all of Georgia’s registered voters. Today’s turnout is expected to be high too.
Read More: AJC, NY Times, WSJ, AP, Elections Project
Trump/Biden Rallies
Both President-elect Biden and President Trump campaigned in Georgia yesterday. At a drive-thru rally, Biden stressed the importance of voting. He said, “Unlike any time in my career, one state can chart the course… for a generation.” He called both Democrats in the running “principled” and “honorable.” Later, President Trump also urged Republicans to vote in the runoffs. However, he also spoke about his own election loss, claiming he actually won Georgia and that the election was “rigged.”
Read More: LA Times, AJC, CBS News, WaPo
CEOs Urge Peaceful Transition
Tomorrow, Congress gets together to certify the results of the presidential election. Dozens of Republicans in the House and Senate plan to challenge the outcome and Vice President Mike Pence told those Republicans he supports their efforts. However, some of America’s top business leaders do not. Nearly 200 top executives sent a letter to Congress, pressing lawmakers to allow a smooth transition of power. They include the CEOs of Microsoft, Lyft, JetBlue Airways, and the drugmaker Pfizer. So far, no official response to the letter.
Read More: WSJ, Axios, Full Letter
England New COVID Lockdown
Britain is back under a nationwide lockdown as the new, more contagious strain of COVID-19 sweeps the nation. Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered all schools and colleges in England to close. He also asked all Britons to stay home, unless they’re essential workers or if they’re buying food or medicine. These restrictions will be in place at least through the middle of next month. Scotland also went under a similar lockdown this morning. Leaders of both countries are acting now because hospitals are overwhelmed with new COVID-19 cases.
Read More: NY Times, Reuters, BBC
New COVID Variant in NY
The new, more contagious COVID-19 is now in four states in the U.S. New York is the latest to confirm a case. The strain has also been found in Colorado, California, and Florida. Many health experts have said it’s likely across other states too, but not every testing site is checking to see which strain of COVID-19 people are getting. It still seems like the new variant doesn’t cause more severe symptoms, but it does spread faster. Scientists believe the vaccines on the market should protect against both forms of COVID-19, but more data is needed to know for sure.
Read More: CNBC, CBS News, Bloomberg
Qatar-Saudi Arabia Deal
Today, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are expected to sign a new deal that could help mend ties in the region. The U.S. has had a big part in getting the two sides to this point. White House adviser Jared Kushner has been working on it for months. It reportedly involves Saudi Arabia reopening its land border with Qatar. Also, other countries, like Bahrain and the UAE will have to unlock their airspace and waters for Qatar. In return, Qatar is expected to “pursue more open-minded engagement” with its neighbors.
Read More: Axios, Reuters, WSJ
March Madness Happening Only in Indiana
The NCAA is making a big change to this year’s March Madness. The entire men’s basketball tournament will now be held in Indianapolis and its suburbs. The legendary tournament is usually held in cities all across the country, but this year, the NCAA wants to limit travel in hopes of preventing a COVID-19 outbreak. Teams will also have to abide by social distancing guidelines and only a limited number of family members will be allowed to watch the games in person. It’s still not clear if any other fans will be able to show up.
Read More: ESPN, CBS Sports, AP, NCAA
Amazon Healthcare Attempt Failed
A healthcare worker venture started by some of the world’s most powerful companies has fallen flat. Haven Health was launched about three years ago by Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway, and JP Morgan Chase. The idea was that Haven Healthcare would reduce costs for hundreds of thousands of workers at the three companies by pooling resources and technology. However, Haven struggled to make any real changes to healthcare. It will cease operations at the end of February.
Read More: CNBC, Stat, WSJ
Google, Alphabet Employees Unionize
A group of Google workers formed a new labor union to try to force changes within the company. Alphabet Workers Union includes people from both Google and its parent company Alphabet. At last count, it had about 225 members. They reportedly want more of a voice, not just when it comes to wages and benefits, but also when it comes to protection against discrimination and harassment. They also want to have a say in ethical questions related to how Google pursues its business ventures.
Read More: TechCrunch, WSJ, Reuters, AP
Slack Outage
The first full workday of the new year got off to a rocky start for people all over the world because one of the most widely-used workplace messaging platforms was down for several hours. Slack users started reporting issues at around 10 a.m. ET. About an hour later, Slack said it was dealing with a full-blown outage. By late afternoon, the company said most of the problems were fixed. It’s not clear what caused the disruption, but Slack says it’s looking into it.
Read More: The Verge, WaPo, CNBC, Slack
Biewer Terrier Recognized by AKC
The American Kennel Club is recognizing a new dog breed. It’s called the Biewer Terrier and it’s now the 197th breed on the AKC’s list. It has a long, flowing coat and only weighs about 4-8 pounds. It looks most similar to a Yorkshire Terrier. Breeders say it’s a pretty loving and easy-going dog too. Now that the breed has been recognized by the AKC, it can compete in dog shows around the nation, including the famous Westminster Kennel Club show.
Read More: AP, NY Daily News, AKC
Trivia Tuesday
Q: In what cartoon did Mickey Mouse make his public debut?
Play along on today’s Instagram Stories Quiz. We’ll also have the answer right here next week.
Last Week’s Trivia Tuesday Answer
Q: What year did the New Year’s Eve ball first drop in Times Square?
A: 1907
Read More: Parade, Times Square