Thursday, January 21st, 2021
“America’s Day,” First Executive Orders & Hottest Housing Market
All the news you need in about 10 min:
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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 peruse the latest happenings...
Inaugural Day Recap
President Joe Biden took his oath of office, becoming the 46th president of the United States. In his inaugural address, the new president declared, “Democracy has prevailed.” He then called on all Americans to become more united. The president also promised to repair alliances with other countries, fight the raging coronavirus pandemic, and more. Alongside Biden, Kamala Harris became the first Black person, the first person of South Asian descent, and the first woman to become vice president. Thankfully, there were no major security incidents.
Read More: AP, Politico, WSJ, NPR, Biden’s Full Speech
Biden Signs Executive Orders
On his first day in office, President Biden signed 17 executive orders and other directives. On the coronavirus, Biden signed an order to stop the process of withdrawing from the World Health Organization. On climate, Biden signed a document to begin the process of rejoining the Paris climate agreement. On immigration, Biden reversed a Trump order that gave money to the border wall. He also lifted a travel ban on majority-Muslim nations. Biden is expected to issue dozens more executive orders in the next few days.
Read More: NY Times, Reuters, CNBC, Politico
Trump Final Farewell
Even though he didn’t attend President Biden’s inauguration, former President Trump did follow one tradition. He left a personal note for the new president in the oval office. Biden called it “a very generous letter.” However, he didn’t share what was actually said. Before boarding Air Force One for the last time, Trump made his final speech as president. He highlighted the work of his administration, pointing to the quick development of coronavirus vaccines, the creation of the Space Force, the 2017 tax bill, and more.
Read More: CBS News, CNN, AP, WaPo
Dems Control Congress
In one of her first duties as vice president, Kamala Harris led a swearing-in ceremony in the Senate. Three Democrats took their oaths of office yesterday: Alex Padilla who was chosen to take Harris’ old seat, as well as the two newly-elected Senators from Georgia: John Ossoff and the Rev. Raphael Warnock. With that, Democrats officially took control of the Senate. Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer took over as the nation’s first Jewish majority leader.
Read More: NBC News, WaPo, Bloomberg, Axios
Avril Haines Confirmed
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said yesterday, “we have a lengthy agenda and we need to get it done together.” They just gave President Biden his first Senate-confirmed cabinet secretary with an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote. Avril Haines was approved as the director of national intelligence, making her the first woman to hold that job. Expect the Senate to act on Biden’s other nominees in the next few days.
Read More: CBS News, WSJ, AP
Proud Boys Leader Charged
A leader of the far-right nationalist group the Proud Boys is now facing charges in connection with the riot at the U.S. Capitol. The FBI arrested Joseph Biggs in Florida. Prosecutors say he led dozens of his group’s members into the halls of Congress. They have messages Biggs sent last month, saying things like, “Jan. 6th is gonna be epic,” In other messages, he tells members to move about the city in small teams and to dress “incognito.” Still, Biggs told the FBI he had no idea who planned the attack.
Read More: ABC News, NY Times, USA Today, Reuters
New COVID Strain in CA
Researchers might have figured out at least one reason why California is the new COVID-19 hotspot. They say there’s a newly-discovered version of the virus circulating in the Golden State. On one day last week, more than half of the COVID-19 samples collected in the Los Angeles area turned out to be this newer strain of the virus. It’s already been found in at least 10 other states. So far, there’s no evidence this strain is any more deadly than the others. More research is needed to know if it’s more contagious.
Read More: LA Times, FOX News, NY Times, Cedars-Sinai
Vaccines vs. New Strains
New research out this week shows people who get COVID-19 vaccines will have protection against the virus strains first discovered in the UK and South Africa. Scientists tested the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines and they found they both work just as well against those two strains as earlier forms of the virus. Overall, more than 16.5 million vaccine shots have been given out in the U.S. More than two million Americans have received both required doses.
Read More: CNN, Stat, Full Study
Youngest Inaugural Poet
People all around the world have been sharing the words of the youngest inaugural poet in recent U.S. history. 22-year-old Amanda Gormon delivered her original poem, “The Hill we Climb,” during yesterday’s inauguration ceremony. It was about overcoming obstacles, coming together as a nation, and taking part in positive change. Gormon told CBS News she researched speeches from Abraham Lincoln and Dr. Martin Luther King as she began writing. However, she struggled to finalize it until the capitol riots. She completed it that night.
Read More: CBS News, NY Times, People
Purple Trending at Inauguration
You may have noticed a lot of purple at the inauguration ceremony. Vice President Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama, and Laura Bush all showed up in hues of violet. Some believe it wasn’t an accident. The color represents bipartisanship. That’s because purple is what you get when you combine red and blue: the colors of the Republican and Democratic parties. Also, purple is one of the colors known for the women’s suffrage movement.
Read More: USA Today, TODAY, WSJ
Wall Street Hits New Highs
The Dow, S&P 500, and the NASDAQ all closed at all-time highs yesterday. The AP says hopes were high that a Biden administration will mean more immediate support for a struggling economy. However, it’s probably not all about that. Major tech stocks like Disney, Apple, Alphabet, and Facebook are doing especially well. Netflix had its biggest single-day gain in more than four years.
Read More: AP, Reuters, WSJ
Nation’s Hottest Housing Markets
For the second year in a row, Austin, Texas is expected to be the nation’s hottest housing market. The real estate company Zillow surveyed economists, investment strategists, and real estate experts about what they expect for 2021. As many of 84% of them said Austin home values would soar past the national average. Zillow says cities like Phoenix, Nashville, Tampa, and Denver are also expected to see a housing boom this year. Meanwhile, coastal cities like New York and Los Angeles could see home values go down.
Read More: Zillow, FOX Business, KVUE
Big Companies Join Vaccination Effort
Washington state tapped Starbucks, Microsoft, and Costco to help roll out COVID-19 vaccines. Starbucks is helping design COVID-19 vaccination sites while Microsoft focuses on the tech side of things. Technology could help track appointments and vaccination records. Costco is focusing on vaccine delivery. It’s going to help get doses to local pharmacies. Washington is hoping with the help of these companies it can vaccinate 45,000 people per day. On a national scale, Amazon has offered to help too.
Read More: CBS News, ABC News, Fox Business, Starbucks, WA Gov
Thing to Know Thursday: Senate Power-Sharing Deal
Since the Senate is evenly split between Democrats and Republicans, it’s up to the Senate leaders from both parties to make a deal. Sens. Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell are still negotiating. Schumer is reportedly pushing for an arrangement like in 2001. Then, the party leaders had to work together to decide the Senate’s agenda. The committees were evenly split with Democrats and Republicans. McConnell has said in the past he’s open to that too.
Read More: Politico, WSJ, FOX News, Reuters