Tuesday, March 30th, 2021
Vaccines Slow Spread, Suez Ship Freed & ‘Satan Shoes’ Backlash
All the news in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by Noom.com/newsworthy and Stamps.com (Listen for the discount code)
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...
Chauvin Trial Testimony
Testimony has started in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer charged with murdering George Floyd. As expected, the prosecution played the now-famous video of Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck for several minutes. They said jurors were watching a murder. Then, defense attorneys asked jurors to look outside the video itself. They pointed out there are more than 50,000 pieces of evidence, so they say there's a lot more to the case than what many people may have already seen. Then, witnesses started explaining what happened the day Floyd died. More witnesses are expected to testify today.
Read More: AP, NBC News, NY Times, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Watch Trial Live
Ghislaine Maxwell New Charges
For the first time, Ghislaine Maxwell, a longtime associate of Jeffrey Epstein, was charged with sex trafficking a minor. Epstein was a multi-millionaire who was supposed to go on trial on sex trafficking charges too, but he killed himself in a federal detention center. Then, Maxwell was first arrested almost nine months ago on charges she lured underage girls into Epstein’s world. Now, charges are more serious. Federal prosecutors say she groomed a 14-year-old for several sexual encounters with Epstein and would pay the girl to recruit more young women. So far, neither Maxwell nor her lawyers have responded to the most recent charges.
Read More: NY Times, WaPo, BBC
CDC Real-World Shots Study
A new report from the CDC found both the Pfizer and Moderna shots are highly effective in real-world conditions, not just in trials. It says two weeks after getting both doses of these shots, people are protected from all infections 90% of the time. That includes cases that come with or without symptoms. To come up with these findings, the CDC followed thousands of healthcare workers and first responders who got vaccinated all around the country. They were tested regularly, whether they had symptoms or not. After a few months, only eight of them ended up getting COVID-19 and none of them died from it.
Read More: Reuters, CNN, FOX News, CDC
Vaccine Eligibility Update
Already, nearly 30% of the U.S. population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and a lot more people are expected to get vaccinated soon. More than a dozen states are opening up vaccine eligibility to all adults this week. President Biden says 90% of American adults should be eligible in the next three weeks. He’s also promised they’ll all have a vaccination site within five miles of where they live. The president says he’s bumping up the number of pharmacies getting vaccines directly from the federal government.
Read More: AP, CNN, WSJ
Suez Canal Reopens
The giant ship that’s been stuck in the Suez Canal for the last week is now back on its route. Crews were finally able to free the skyscraper-sized boat yesterday when tides were a little higher. They pulled it toward a wider stretch of water and the ship started floating again. Tugboat horns blared in celebration. Everything isn’t back to normal just yet though. There were hundreds of other ships backed up on either side of the big one that was blocking the crucial shipping route, so it’s going to take days for them to all get through.
Read More: NPR, BBC, AP, NBC News
Visa to Accept Cryptocurrency
It looks like Visa is getting more comfortable with cryptocurrencies. The company says it will allow some customers to make payments and settle transactions using a digital currency called USD Coin. Its value is directly tied to the U.S. dollar. Now, Visa’s partners like Crypto.com will no longer have to convert digital currency into traditional money to complete a sale. Instead, Visa will simply accept the digital coin as payment. Visa says it’s hoping to make cryptocurrencies more secure and useful around the world.
Read More: Visa, CNET, Reuters, Forbes
Lil Nas X ‘Satan Shoes’ Backlash
Rapper Lil Nas X has been making headlines for his so-called Satan Shoes. He says each shoe contains a drop of human blood inside the sole. The rapper and his business partner, a New York-based art group, sold 666 pairs of the Satan Shoes for $1,018 apiece. The shoes reportedly sold out in less than a minute after going on sale. However, Nike is now suing the art group for copyright infringement. The shoes are a modified version of the Nike Air Max 97s. However, Nike says it never approved the project, was not involved in it, and does not endorse it.
Read More: NBC News, FOX Business, CNN, NYT, Complex, Lil Nas X
Dick’s Experiential Store
Dick’s Sporting Goods is trying a new strategy to get shoppers back into stores. The chain is getting ready to open its first “experiential” store near Rochester, New York. It’s called Dick’s House of Sport. It’s going to have an indoor rock-climbing wall, an outdoor practice field, batting cage, and more. The idea is to give customers a chance to test equipment and ask for help from fitness experts before buying something, all perks they can’t get while shopping online. Already, Dick’s has plans for a second House of Sport location in Tennessee too.
Read More: Motley Fool, PYMNTS, Dick’s House of Sport
‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Announcements
The new Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi will finally begin filming next month. The series was originally delayed due to script rewrites. Then, the coronavirus pandemic pushed back filming even more, but now, it’s actually happening. Disney+ says this series picks up about 10 years after Anakin Skywalker turned into Darth Vader. The streaming site also revealed the full cast. Ewan McGregor will reprise his role of Obi-Wan and Hayden Christiansen is back as Darth Vader. So far, no word on a release date.
Read More: ABC News, Variety, Insider, Disney
Trivia Tuesday
Q: Who was the first American to go into space?
Play along on today’s Instagram Stories Quiz. We’ll also have the answer right here next week.
Last Week’s Trivia Tuesday Answer
Q: What does the term ‘piano’ mean?
A: To be played softly
Read More: Yamaha, Kaufman Music Center, Merriam-Webster