Wednesday, March 17th, 2021
Severe Storms, Baby Vaccine Trials & St. Paddy’s Day
All the news you need in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by Fitbod.me/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 about the latest happenings…
Severe Storm Risk
Tens of millions of Americans are in the path of dangerous storms today. The National Weather Service says this is going to be one of the most significant severe weather events so far this year. People in the southeast and southern plains could see heavy rain, strong winds, hail, and powerful tornadoes. The highest risk of tornadoes is after dark. Meteorologists and emergency management officials say people in the path of the storm should make sure they have warnings set up on all devices and a plan to get somewhere safe in a hurry.
Read More: USA Today, WaPo, CBS News, NWS
Intel: Russia, Iran Tried to Influence Election
New intelligence confirms the leaders of Russia and Iran were behind complex campaigns working to influence American voters in the 2020 presidential election. A new report came out this week. It says Russian President Vladimir Putin gave the thumbs-up for missions to hurt President Biden’s candidacy last year and Iran came up with a digital scheme against former President Trump. Also, the report says both countries spread false claims about U.S. voting systems in hopes Americans would lose confidence in how the elections process works.
Read More: NY Times, Politico, WSJ, AP, DNI
Biggest Migrant Surge in 20 Years
Today, the new homeland security secretary is expected to face tough questions from lawmakers in Congress. Already, Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas says he’s expecting more migrants at the southern border this year than at any time in the last 20 years. Now, lawmakers want to know about the policies for the U.S.-Mexico border and how migrant children have been treated in the government’s care. Mayorkas says the surge, including thousands of children arriving without adults, is difficult, but he says the government is working around the clock to solve the problem.
Read More: Reuters, Axios, WSJ, ABC News, DHS
Moderna Testing Vaccine on Young Children
Young children have now gotten their first doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccine maker Moderna started a trial that includes children as young as six months old. First, researchers will test out different sized doses of the vaccine to see what kids can tolerate. Then, just like they did with grown-ups, researchers will give some kids two shots, 28 days apart. Children in another group will get two placebos. Researchers will then compare to see if the kids who got the real doses were any less likely to get a serious case of COVID-19.
Read More: WSJ, NPR, NBC News, Moderna
Teen Sentenced for Massive Twitter Hack
An 18-year-old is now going to prison for last summer’s massive Twitter hack. He and his accomplices were able to take over the accounts of some of the world’s most famous people and companies including Elon Musk, Kanye West, and former President Barack Obama. They did so to scam their followers out of money. Prosecutors say Graham Ivan Clark was the mastermind behind the hacking. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced this week to three years in prison, followed by three years of probation.
Read More: The Verge, NY Times, Forbes, AP
Serial Stowaway Arrested Again
The so-called serial stowaway is at it again. Marilyn Hartman has been able to sneak onto dozens of flights without a ticket over the last couple of decades and she was busted once again this week at Chicago’s O’Hare airport. This time, police were able to track her. Authorities gave her an electronic ankle monitor after the last time she was arrested. It alerts law enforcement if she goes beyond a certain point. That happened yesterday and police caught her before she was able to get onto another flight.
Read More: FOX News, WMAQ, WGN
Air Travel is Surging
Air travel is at its highest level since the beginning of the pandemic. For five straight days now, more than a million people have passed through TSA checkpoints each day. Spring break likely has a lot to do with it, but it doesn’t look like the trend is slowing down. People are making summer plans too. Delta, United, and American airlines all say they’ve seen a surge in bookings over the past few weeks. Airline stocks are going up too. That said, the CDC is still discouraging people from traveling unless it’s absolutely necessary.
Read More: CBS News, WaPo, AP, WSJ
St. Patrick's Day
Today is St. Patrick's Day. That means it’s time to celebrate all things Irish. Usually, it’s marked by parades, music, dancing, drinking, and a whole lot of green. This year, plans are changing because of the pandemic. Many parades have been canceled and events have been scaled back. Still, some traditions are going strong. For example, Chicago once again died its river bright green and New York City’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parade will be held virtually this year. Also, many restaurants around the country are serving up green food and drinks today.
Read More: USA Today, People, Britannica
Work Wednesday: Spain to Test the 4-Day Work Week
Spain could become one of the first countries in the world to try out a four-day workweek. It’s going to experiment with having people put in 32 hours a week instead of the usual 40. Their pay would stay the same. Spain’s left-wing party proposed the idea. Its leaders are hoping to have around 200 companies take part at first with as many as 6,000 workers for about three years. Those details are still up for negotiation though. The Spanish government is expected to invest $60 million for the companies who take part in the experiment.
Read More: The Guardian, Forbes, WaPo