Wednesday, January 19th, 2022
Free Tests Roll Out, Microsoft’s Biggest Deal & Grammys Go to Vegas
All the news you need in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by Seed.com/newsworthy and BetterHelp.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 reading about the latest happenings…
Free Covid Test Website Live
You can now start ordering free at-home Covid-19 tests online. The government’s website CovidTests.gov is now live. It’ll take you to the U.S. Postal Service form, where each household can sign-up to get four free at-home testing kits. The White House also plans to launch a hotline later so people can order them over the phone. The tests requested online will start to ship later this month.
Read more: Axios, CBS News, AP, WSJ
Order Here: CovidTests.gov
WHO: Covid Emergency Could End Soon
The World Health Organization says the worst of the deaths, hospitalizations, and lockdowns from Covid-19 could be over this year. The WHO says that’s only if the world’s inequalities are addressed, like vaccinating people in the poorest countries. Fewer than 10% of people in lower-income countries have gotten at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine. That’s compared to 75% of the U.S. population. Still, health experts with the WHO say it's unlikely we’ll ever be totally done with Covid-19.
Read more: The Hill, AP, CNBC, CNN
Russia Invasion?
Despite high-level talks with some of the world’s top leaders, it looks more likely Russia is planning to invade Ukraine. American officials say Russia may try to attack Ukraine from their mutual neighbor, Belarus. Russia sent troops into Belarus this week with fighter jets and already has about 100,000 Russian troops surrounding Ukraine. Now the White House is warning Russia could invade at “any point.” Russia denies it has plans to invade the American ally. America’s top diplomat, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, is traveling to Ukraine for negotiations this week.
Read more: Reuters, Axios, AP, State Dept., ABC News, NY Times, WSJ, State Dept.
Puerto Rico Bankruptcy
A federal judge approved a plan to get Puerto Rico out of bankruptcy. The new plan cuts the island’s debt by 80% and saves the government $50 billion in payments. This is crucial since Puerto Rico has been struggling to recover from hurricanes, earthquakes, and Covid-19. Now, island officials call this deal a new chapter in Puerto Rico’s history. Still, critics question whether Puerto Rico can make even the reduced payments, and they worry about budget cuts.
Read more: NY Times, WSJ, The Hill, Axios
$50B Wildfire Plan
The U.S. has a new $50 billion plan to prevent wildfires in the West. It will double controlled fires and logging efforts before conditions get out of hand. The idea is to reduce trees and other vegetation that act like tinder in the most high-risk areas. The plan will focus on places where out-of-control fires have wiped out communities in the past and where a lot of people live now. Overall, the work will cover almost 80,000 square miles over the next 10 years. Still, some critics don’t like the government’s plan to use logging, saying it will hurt the forests, wildlife, and water supplies.
Read more: Newsweek, AP, Reuters, Bloomberg, USDA
Microsoft Buys Activision Blizzard
In the largest gaming industry deal in history, Microsoft bought video game giant Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion. If the deal goes through, it'll make Microsoft the 3rd largest video game maker in the world. It also means Microsoft will add some of the most popular games ever made to its Game Pass subscription service, like Call of Duty and World of Warcraft. The deal comes as Activision faces scrutiny over reported misconduct and unequal pay. In September, Activision settled claims brought by workforce discrimination regulators.
Read more: The Verge, CNET, AP, Microsoft, Xbox
Crypto.com Hack
The namesake of the Lakers’ Crypto.com Arena is responding to concerns that customer funds were stolen. Crypto.com is a major cryptocurrency exchange. It says funds are safe, but users did report suspicious activity. Then, the platform suspended withdrawals for about 14 hours on Monday. The company’s CEO tweeted that while no customer's funds were lost, they “hardened the infrastructure” after the incident. However, the blockchain security company Peckshield said it investigated and found Crypto.com actually lost about $15M.
Read more: Vice, WSJ, Fortune, NY Post, Crypto.com
5G Near Airports Delayed Again
Once again, AT&T and Verizon are delaying the launch of their 5G networks at cell towers around key airports. However, the 5G service will still launch everywhere else today. That’s meant to provide more coverage and faster service. AT&T and Verizon seemed frustrated by having to delay the launch again. It was already delayed since the FAA warned the frequency of the 5G could interfere with certain airplane devices, and that could impact safety near some airports. Then, the CEOs of the country’s largest airlines asked for the launch to be pushed back again, or it could cause major flight cancellations. It’s not clear how long this delay will last.
Read more: CNBC, The Hill, USA Today, NPR
Jamaica Bobsled Team Back to Olympics
For the first time in more than two decades, Jamaica is sending a 4-man bobsled team back to the Olympics. The island nation qualified in three Olympic bobsled events for the first time. Those are the 4-man, the 2-man, and the new event, the women’s monobob. That’s a race with just one woman. The last time Jamaica sent a 4-man team was 24 years ago. The Jamaican bobsled team rose to fame at the 1988 Winter Olympics. They were thought of as underdogs since they were competing in a winter sport, even though they come from a tropical environment.
Read more: NBC Sports, CBS News, Team Jamaica
Grammy Awards New Date, Location
Las Vegas will host music’s biggest night. The Grammy Awards will now be on April 3rd at the MGM Grand. Just two weeks ago, The Recording Academy announced the show wasn’t happening as planned on January 31st in Los Angeles. As Billboard reports, there weren’t available venues in L.A. for the later date, so Vegas became the frontrunner. It marks the 2nd year in a row The Grammy’s have been postponed, both times because of Covid-19.
Read more: AP, LA Times, NPR, Grammy
Work Wednesday: 4 States Recover Job Losses
The state of Texas has bounced back after nearly two years of pandemic-related job losses. The Wall Street Journal says Texas joins Arizona, Utah, and Idaho as the only states to get back all the jobs lost when Covid-19 hit. The Journal says the four states benefit from growth in big industries like retail, warehousing, technology, and transportation. Plus, big companies have moved operations to those states, bringing workers with them. Despite some health experts’ recommendations, those states are also more relaxed about Covid restrictions. New York, on the other hand, is lagging far behind. It has less than two-thirds of its jobs back.
Read more: WSJ, Fox Business, NY Times, Politifact