Monday, January 10th, 2022
Iran’s Warning, Actors Remembered & College Football Championship
All the news you need in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by StitchFix.com/newsworthy and MamaZen (Listen for the discount code)
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 review the latest happenings...
Bronx Apartment Fire
People in New York City are mourning after the city’s deadliest fire in decades. It ripped through an apartment building in the Bronx. 19 people were killed, including nine children. The death toll is expected to get higher since there were more than 60 others badly hurt. City officials blame the fire on a portable space heater that malfunctioned in someone’s bedroom on either the 2nd or 3rd floor. They also say when people in that unit fled, they left the door open, allowing thick, black smoke to spread quickly throughout the 19-story building. Every injury happened because of smoke inhalation.
Read more: NY Times, NPR, Fox News, WSJ, FDNY
Iran Threatens Americans
Iran says it's out for “revenge” two years after a deadly American drone strike. The attack killed a top Iranian military leader, Qasem Soleimani. When it happened, American defense officials said Soleimani was planning attacks against Americans. However, a lot of people in Iran viewed him as a hero. Over the weekend, Iran sanctioned more than 50 Americans over the killing. Also, Soleimani’s replacement gave a concerning speech. He said revenge will come for the U.S. from within the U.S. In response, a top U.S. official said Iran will face “severe consequences” if any Americans are attacked.
Read more: Newsweek, Fox News, Axios, White House
Covid Hospitalizations Approach Record
About 123,000 Americans are now in the hospital with Covid-19. That number is expected to hit a record by the end of the week. A lot of states are racing to help hospitals that desperately need more staff and supplies. California and Oregon are just the latest states to call upon the National Guard, and hospital systems in nearly half of the U.S. cut elective surgeries again. Remember, health officials have said the newly-dominant omicron variant likely causes less severe symptoms as compared to other versions. They also warned that since Omicron is more contagious, the number of cases can put a strain on hospitals.
Read more: Reuters, CNN, ABC News, NBC News, CDC
Covid Testing Shortage
Covid-19 tests are hard to come by these days. Some labs are now limiting how many people can get tested. They’re giving priority to people with Covid-19 symptoms or other health concerns. This way, the people most likely to be positive will be able to find out fast enough to isolate or get treatment. However, some experts are concerned about this approach since a lot of Covid-19 cases don’t have symptoms. Either way, the Biden administration says the problem will get better soon. The White House just signed a contract with a Covid-19 test manufacturer for millions more OTC testing kits.
Read more: WSJ, USA Today, AP, CBS News
Cloth Masks vs. Omicron
Health experts say cloth face masks may not cut it against the omicron variant of Covid-19. Infectious disease experts say people should opt for three-ply surgical masks, N95 masks, or KN95 masks since those offer better protection. They say the cloth masks work to prevent you from spreading Covid-19 to others, but they don't work so well if everyone isn’t wearing a mask. The other ones, especially those with respirators, will protect the wearer, too.
Read more: USA Today, NY Times, CNN, Vox
Throat vs. Nose Swabbing
The FDA is clearing up a claim circulating online: that with omicron, it's better to swab your throat with at-home Covid-19 tests instead of your nose. The FDA says that is false. It says throat swabs are more complicated, and if they’re not used correctly, people may get hurt. Plus, the current tests on the market are made specifically for the nose. That’s not to say throat swab tests won’t be available one day. However, experts say if it turns out throat swabbing is more effective, test makers will roll out kits especially for that. Until then, they say it's best to just follow the instructions on the box.
Read more: CNN, Fast Company, BuzzFeed, USA Today, FDA
James Webb Telescope Milestone
The most critical milestone for the James Webb Space Telescope was a success. Now, the world's most powerful telescope is in its final form. It wasn’t easy, though. Since the telescope is so big, it couldn’t fit inside the rocket that brought it to space. Engineers had to design it as a series of moving parts to fold up like origami. Now, Webb’s mirrors and sun shield have unfolded and are in place. Now, it will spend two more weeks traveling to its final spot in space. Then, it will work for five months to get set up before it starts taking its first pictures.
Read more: Space.Com, NBC News, The Verge, NY Times, NASA
Bob Saget Dies
The world is mourning two iconic actors today. Most recently, comedian and actor Bob Saget died yesterday. He’s best known for playing Danny Tanner in ‘Full House’ or hosting ‘America’s Funniest Home Videos.’ Authorities say he was found unresponsive in his hotel room, and there were no signs of foul play or drug use. However, it's not clear how he died. Saget had just performed Saturday night in Florida. He even tweeted thanks to his audience Sunday morning. By Sunday evening, he was gone.
Read more: TMZ, NBC News, Fox News, Variety, OCSO
Sidney Poitier Dies
Trailblazing star Sidney Poitier passed away Thursday in The Bahamas. He was 94. You may know him for movies such as ‘Lilies of The Field’ or ‘Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner’. Among his many awards, he was the first Black man to win an Academy Award for Best Actor. He’s on The American Film Institute’s list for the greatest male Hollywood stars. Last year, Arizona State University named its new film school after him. In 2009, President Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Read more: LA Times, AP, NY Times, USA Today
Ground Beef Recall
More than 28,000 pounds of ground beef are being recalled across several states for possible E. coli contamination. The meat was sold at Walmart, Kroger, Albertsons, and Winco under their store brand labels. They were shipped to stores in Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming, but may have been sent to even more states.
Read more: CBS News, Business Insider, USA Today, USDA
More Bagged Salads Recalled
Dole announced a second recall of its bagged salad that could be contaminated with listeria. Check your fridge for salads with a best-by date between December 22, 2021, and January 9, 2022, from the Soledad, California, or Springfield, Ohio facility. They were shipped all over the U.S. and Canada. The brands involved are Dole, plus store brands for Walmart, Kroger, HEB, and Aldi. Recently, Dole recalled bagged salads from two other facilities.
Read more: Miami Herald, WRAL, Food Safety News, FDA
College Football Playoff National Championship
It's a day many college football fans wait for all season. The No. 1 ranked team in the country, Alabama, faces off with No. 3 Georgia for the national championship. If Alabama wins, that would give the Crimson Tide back-to-back championships. No team has done that since Alabama in 2012, under the same coach it has now. Analysts say Georgia does have a chance of winning this thing, though, even though Georgia hasn't beaten Alabama since 2007. Georgia also hasn't won a national title since 1980. You can catch the game tonight on ESPN at 8 p.m. ET.
Read more: ESPN, USA Today, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report
Golden Globes Winners
The Golden Globes were awarded last night, celebrating the best in TV and movies. In television, the night’s biggest winners were HBO’s ‘Succession’ for Best Drama and HBO’s ‘Hacks’ for Best Musical or Comedy. On the movie side, ‘The Power of the Dog’ won for Best Drama. ‘West Side Story’ won for Best Musical or Comedy. Remember, NBC decided not to air the globes this year because of ethical issues with the group that hands out the awards. Also, no nominees, presenters, or media were there, largely because of Covid-19.
Read more: AP, People, Deadline, NY Times, Golden Globes
Money Monday: Tax Refund Could be Smaller
Financial experts warn your tax refund may be smaller than you expect, or you may owe money for the first time. People might have a higher taxable income than usual this year for a few reasons, including the Child Tax Credit that congress approved in the last relief package. Because of that, millions of families got half of their child tax credit up front in the form of monthly payments. That means they’ll have a smaller write-off at tax time. The other reason is student loans. Millions of Americans were able to pause payments on them, meaning they have less interest to write off.
Read more: CNBC, CBS News, Forbes