Friday, April 9th, 2021
Border Crossings Record, Florida Sues CDC & Netflix’s Movie Deal
All the news you need in around 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by NativeDeo.com/newsworthy and LightStream.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 the latest happenings...
Border Crossings Hit Record
New data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection show agents found nearly 19,000 migrant children by themselves last month. That’s twice the number from February and the highest monthly number on record. Kids still make up just 11% of all the people who tried to cross the border last month, but adults and families are often turned away, whereas the U.S. is forced to find space for kids until they’re placed with vetted adult sponsors. It’s taking a toll too. A Washington Post analysis found the U.S. government is now spending at least $60 million a week to care for kids and teenagers in shelters.
Read More: Axios, Time, WaPo, Fox News, CBP
Medical Experts Testify in Chauvin Trial
Lawyers have started a new phase in the murder trial of the former police officer accused of killing George Floyd. They’re now starting to question medical experts about what caused Floyd’s death. Defense lawyers are trying to prove it wasn’t former officer Derek Chauvin’s kneeling on Floyd that killed him. Instead, they point to Floyd’s poor health and drug use. However, prosecutors brought in a doctor who is a renowned expert on breathing who said even a healthy person would have died from the kind of restraint Chauvin used. Testimony continues today.
Read More: WaPo, NY Times, AP
Former NFL Player Shooting Rampage
Police say a former NFL player shot and killed a prominent doctor and his family. It happened in Rock Hill, South Carolina, just across the border from Charlotte, North Carolina. The suspect, Phillip Adams, was an NFL defensive back for six teams over five seasons until injuries sidelined him for good. Police say his parents lived down the street from the victims, Dr. Robert Leslie and his family. A maintenance man who was doing work on the Leslie house was also killed. At one time, Dr. Leslie reportedly treated Adams. After an eight-hour manhunt, and short standoff, police say Adams killed himself as well. Investigators haven’t released a motive.
Read More: AP, USA Today, CNN
Texas Workplace Shooting
In Bryan, Texas, not far from Texas A&M University, authorities say a man shot six people at a cabinet-making company where he worked. One person died. The others were all seriously hurt. The suspect was arrested. Jail records showed he was charged with murder and being held on a $1 million bond. Investigators are still working to figure out a motive, but they say the suspect was the only person responsible for the attack.
Read More: ABC News, NBC News, AP
Adverse Reactions to J&J Shots
A couple of COVID-19 vaccination sites temporarily shut down this week because a portion of people had immediate bad side effects. 11 people in Colorado and 18 people in North Carolina had reactions after getting the Johnson & Johnson shot. Their side effects included dizziness, fainting, and nausea. Overall, six people were taken to the hospital. Hundreds of people had gotten the Johnson & Johnson shot at the same locations on the same days, so most people were fine. The CDC also said it didn’t find any safety issues with the shot or reason to be concerned.
Read More: CBS News, The Denver Post, Raleigh News & Observer, CDC
The Ever Given Progress
The skyscraper-sized container ship called the Ever Given may not be blocking traffic in the Suez Canal anymore, but it’s still there, in a wider part of the canal, unable to complete its journey. The captain isn’t allowed to set sail until the company that owns the ship pays up. Egyptian officials are reportedly asking for up to $1 billion in damages from the Japanese company that owns the Ever Given. However, canal officials have said they’re willing to negotiate on a settlement. If the company agrees, the ship can start moving again.
Read More: WSJ, Ahram Online, BBC
FL Sues CDC Over Cruise Restrictions
Florida is suing the federal government to get cruise lines back up and running. The state’s governor, Ron Desantis, says the cruise industry is a vital part of the state’s economy and that tens of thousands of Floridians rely on the industry for jobs. Desantis says keeping strict regulations in place isn’t rational because more people are getting vaccinated and other industries like airlines, hotels, and restaurants have been allowed to reopen. He’s now asking a judge to invalidate the CDC’s guidelines. When asked about the issue, the White House press secretary said the CDC’s restrictions are based on scientific research.
Read More: Politico, NBC Miami, Axios, FL Governor, CDC, CLIA
Expedia’s New Travel Restrictions Tracker
Expedia Group launched a new tool designed to help would-be travelers navigate COVID-19 restrictions around the world. To use the travel advisor tool, you type in your starting point, destination, and travel dates. Then, the system brings up all the relevant information like which countries want to see a recent negative COVID-19 test or make visitors isolate for a few days upon arrival. The U.S. state department also has a travel advisory list on its website. Right now, most countries are labeled as Level 3, meaning Americans should reconsider their plans.
Read More: CNBC, The Verge, Expedia Travel Advisor, CDC, State Dept. Travel Advisories
Netflix, Sony Reach Streaming Rights Deal
Netflix and Sony reached an exclusive licensing deal. It means Netflix will be getting first dibs on all of Sony’s films. It starts with movies set for release in 2022, like the Marvel movie Morbius, Where the Crawdads Sing, based on the popular book by that same name, and the thriller Bullet Train, starring Brad Pitt. Netflix will also gain access to popular franchises like Spiderman, Venom, and Bad Boys, which are all expected to have future installments. However, the movies will only appear on Netflix after their time in theaters and video-on-demand rentals are done.
Read More: Sony, Netflix, Deadline, NY Times, The Verge
New Music from Prince
Nearly five years after the iconic musician Prince died, fans are getting some new music from him. His estate released a single called “Welcome 2 America” on streaming services including Spotify, Tidal, Apple Music, and Youtube. It’s the title track of an album Prince recorded in 2010, but never released. Now, the estate says the entire 12-song album will come out in July. That might just be the beginning too. Prince’s vault is believed to hold hundreds, if not thousands, more songs.
Read More: USA Today, NY Times, Billboard, Legacy Recordings
Feel Good Friday: ‘Stump the Maestro’ Daily Shows
91-year-old Peter and 87-year-old Veronica Fuchs have been able to create a runaway hit in retirement. For decades, he was a composer and conductor and she was a Broadway singer. 13 months ago, the married couple wanted to find a way to entertain their neighbors in their retirement community, many of whom were isolated during the pandemic. So they started a daily Facebook Live show called “Stump the Maestro.” Veronica takes requests from people and Peter can usually play every song from memory. If Peter doesn’t know a song, he lets the audience know he’s been stumped. However, he’ll look it up and play it the next day. Since they started the show, it’s become popular and people now tune in from all over the world.
Read More: AP, The Week, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Facebook