Tuesday, January 18th, 2022
Tough Weeks Ahead, Rabbi’s Survival Strategy & Asteroid Watch
All the news in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp.com/newsworthy and Seed.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...
Surgeon General on Omicron
Top health officials are warning the latest Covid-19 surge is still going strong nationwide, despite numbers going down in some places, like the Northeast. The U.S. is now reporting nearly 800,000 new infections every day. That’s an all-time high, and it's more than eight times what the U.S. was reporting six weeks ago. So, the U.S. Surgeon General told CNN the next few weeks will be tough.
Read more: Politico, NY Times, CNN, WSJ
4th Covid Shots Study
A new study out of Israel is said to be the world’s first trial into a fourth vaccine dose. Early results show a fourth dose isn’t good enough against the Omicron variant to stop infections, although it did raise antibody levels slightly. So the research will continue.
Read more: Times of Israel, CNN, Reuters, Bloomberg
Loss of Smell Study
Another study seems to explain why some people lose their sense of smell after getting Covid-19. It says there's a genetic risk factor that makes certain people more likely to have that symptom. Experts say they hope this study helps patients with more of an explanation, and it might actually help scientists find treatments. About 1.6 million Americans are still not able to smell six months after getting Covid. It's not clear how many of them had that genetic risk.
Read more: NBC News, Sky News, Nature
More Texas Synagogue Attack Details
New information is coming out about the hostage situation at a Texas synagogue. A couple of the hostages, who are now safe, were able to share their stories. They say they tried talking to the armed gunman who trapped them inside the building for 11 hours. They wanted the gunman to see them as human, all while trying to make subtle moves towards the door. When things escalated, the rabbi grabbed a chair and threw it at the gunman. He and the other hostages were able to get out of the door and the SWAT team went in. Moments later, the gunman was dead. The entire situation is still under investigation.
Read more: NY Times, CNN, Sky News, ABC News
Tonga Volcano Eruption Aftermath
Experts say Saturday’s underwater volcano eruption was the biggest recorded anywhere on the planet in more than 30 years. It happened near the island nation of Tonga and triggered a tsunami. Now, it could take as long as two weeks to restore the phone and internet service there. New Zealand and Australia sent military flights to assess the damage. They didn’t find signs of mass casualties, but significant damage was reported. Beach resorts, homes, and businesses were wiped out. The UN and Red Cross are getting ready to respond and hope the airport will be open by tomorrow.
Read more: Reuters, NY Times, AP, BBC
No Tickets To Olympics
Once again, there won't be any big crowds at the Olympics. Organizers of the Winter Olympics announced that only 'select spectators' will be invited. The general public in China, along with anyone outside of the country, can no longer buy tickets because of the pandemic.
Read more: NY Times, WSJ, CNN, Olympics
Airlines: Keep 5G Away
Some of the nation's biggest airlines are urging the Biden administration to keep 5G technology away from major airports, despite a planned launch for tomorrow. Chief executives from several airlines like American, Delta, Southwest, and more wrote a letter to the federal government. They're asking to delay the rollout near certain airports once again. The letter points to the FAA’s report that the network could interfere with aviation operations. Airlines are warning it could mean entire fleets of planes could be grounded and thousands of passengers stranded.
Read more: Fox Business, The Hill, CNN, Airlines For America
Asteroid to Fly By Earth
A massive asteroid will fly by Earth today. The asteroid is named 1994 PC1 because it was first discovered in 1994. It's bigger than the tallest building in the world and is classified as ‘potentially hazardous’ because it crosses the Earth’s orbit. While it could be catastrophic if it hit the planet, it's not actually going to get that close. It will be 1.2 million miles away from Earth today around 4:50 PM ET. Astronomers say you could see it with a backyard telescope if you know where to look. You can also catch the online livestream.
Read more: Sky News, USA Today, CNN, SF Gate, EarthSky, NASA
Watch Livestream Here: Virtual Telescope Project
New TV Series Hit Record High
There are now more original TV series than ever before. After a dip in 2020, the number of original scripted television series hit a record in 2021. According to FX Research, there were 559 adult scripted original series last year. That’s 66 more than the year before and more than double the number from a decade ago. That’s across broadcast, cable, and streaming services.
Read more here: Axios, THR, Variety
Trivia Tuesday:
How many sides does the home plate in baseball have?
Play along on today’s Instagram Stories quiz. We’ll also have the answer right here next week.
Last Week’s Q: How many times was Martin Luther King, Jr. arrested?
Last Week’s A: 29
Read More: History, BSU, Stanford, TKL, Forbes, AP