Friday, March 12th, 2021
New Vaccine Goal, Cuomo’s Legal Trouble & Daylight Saving Time
All the news you need in around 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by BLUblox.com/newsworthy & EveryBottleBack.org
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 the latest happenings...
Biden Primetime Speech
In the first prime-time speech of his presidency, President Biden said the goal is now to allow every American adult to be able to sign up for a COVID-19 vaccine no later than May 1st. He urged states to help make that happen. The president promised the federal government will do its part too by sending out a lot more supplies to a lot more places. Plus, he says the White House is working on a “find a vaccination website as well as a call center meant to make it easier to book appointments. He also wants to let more health professionals help give the shots.
Read More: WaPo, WSJ, AP, Axios
Relief Bill Signed
Hours before Biden’s speech, the president signed the latest relief bill a day earlier than he promised. A portion of it means most Americans will be getting $1,400 in direct payments. The White House says the first payments will go out this weekend. Those who don't get the payments via direct deposit will receive a debit card or a paper check, which will take longer to distribute. Soon, more money will start going out to vaccination efforts, schools, unemployment benefits, state and local governments, and a lot more.
Read More: USA Today, NBC News, WaPo
New Cuomo Investigations
Police are now involved in the investigation surrounding the New York governor’s behavior toward women. Officers with the Albany Police Department are looking into allegations made by one of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s aides who said the governor groped her at the executive mansion where he lives. At this point, a police spokesman says they haven’t launched a formal criminal investigation yet, but that these latest allegations may have risen “to the level of a crime.” Already, three other former employees have accused the governor of harassment.
Read More: NY Times, AP, Axios, Politico
Fmr. Defense Secretary Blames Trump for Riot
One of former President Trump’s most senior cabinet officials spoke about what it was like inside the Trump administration the day of the Capitol invasion. Trump’s acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller did an interview with VICE on Showtime. In that interview, he blamed the former prescient for inciting the violent mob that stormed the Capitol. Miller also talked about the response to the riot since he’s been facing criticism for not sending troops in soon enough. To that, he said the response was normal by military standards.
Read More: VICE, Politico, Axios, The Hill
Stock Market Record Highs
More records were broken on Wall Street. Both the S&P 500 and the Dow closed at all-time highs. There’s likely a lot behind the recent surge. Analysts say investors see a light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel with vaccine numbers rising and new case numbers dropping. Plus, the latest relief bill brings at least some hope of boosting the economy. Also, more states have lifted restrictions this week, allowing more of the economy to reopen. Lastly, the jobs report that came out yesterday shows even more improvement than expected.
Read More: Reuters, AP, CNN, Axios
JPG File Sets Digital Art Record
The first digital-only work made into a non-fungible token, or NFT, was sold at a major auction house. It went for nearly $70 million. There’s no physical version of it. Instead, it’s a JPG file called “Everydays- The First 5,000 Days.” It’s a collage of 5,000 individual images created by Mike Winkelmann, better known as Beeple. There were hundreds of people interested in this one. This is now the third-most-expensive work ever sold by a living artist at auction.
Read More: NY Times, NPR, TechCrunch, AP
Uber and Lyft Create Driver Database
Rideshare rivals Uber and Lyft have joined forces when it comes to safety. They’ve created a database of drivers who’ve been expelled by either company over serious offenses like sexual assault. The companies worked with a specialist in background checks called HireRight. The idea is to prevent dangerous drivers from bouncing from one company to the next. Eventually, other businesses, like food delivery services, will have access to it too. No passenger information will ever be shared.
Read More: AP, NBC News, BBC, Uber
Netflix Tackles Password Sharing
Netflix has a new plan to crack down on password sharing beyond your household. It’s testing out a new pop-up message that’s already showing up for some people. It asks simply, “Is this your account?” Then, it asks people to verify by having a code texted or emailed to the owner. If they don’t enter within a certain timeframe, they won’t be able to get into Netflix. Analysts estimate some 42% of people use someone else’s password. In 2019, it likely cost streaming providers $9 billion.
Read More: The Verge, WaPo, Reuters, Marketplace.org
Grammy Awards are Sunday
The 63rd Grammy Awards are happening this weekend. As always, the show will be celebrating some of the best artists and songs of the last year. This time, Beyoncé has the most nominations of any artist. She’s up for nine awards including Record of the Year and Song of the Year. There won’t be an in-person audience, but there will be plenty of big performers. They include Taylor Swift, BTS, Cardi B, John Mayer, Billie Eilish, Harry Styles, Bad Bunny, and a lot more. The Grammys are set to air on CBS this Sunday at 8 p.m. ET.
Read More: AP, Variety, NY Times, WaPo, Grammys
Daylight Saving Time Begins
This weekend, most Americans will be losing an hour of sleep. It’s daylight saving time again. Many Americans will be setting their clocks forward or their smartphones will jump ahead on their own by one hour early Sunday morning. Even though you may get a little less sleep this weekend, the days will start to feel longer since the sun will be setting later in the evening. Daylight saving is still the norm in most of the U.S. but a handful of states and territories have chosen not to recognize it, including Arizona, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.
Read More: USA Today, WaPo, People
Feel Good Friday: Fake Cosmetics Website Saves Lives
A fake cosmetics website was built to help people escape domestic violence. A teenager from Poland created it. She told the BBC she knew people were cooped up at home during the pandemic and some were possibly stuck with an abuser. So she created a covert way for people to ask for help, under the guise of shopping for cosmetics. When someone writes in to ask about a product, a psychologist will respond pretending to be a salesperson. Victims can also place a fake order and leave an address. That’s code to have authorities visit their home.
Read More: BBC