Friday, April 15th, 2022
Russian Warship Sinks, Presidential Debate Change & Holiday Trifecta
All the news you need in around 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by Indeed.com/newsworthy and Pampers.com
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...
Russian Warship Sinks/More Fighting
In the Black Sea, the main warship in Russia’s fleet sank after a fire. The Russian military says they were towing the ship to port in stormy weather when it got damaged, setting off ammunition on board. However, the Ukrainian military claims they attacked the ship with a cruise missile, causing it to catch fire and eventually sink. Either way, losing that ship was a big blow to Russia’s forces. They’ve been using it to fire missiles at Ukrainian cities since the war began. That could change now.
Read More: NPR, NY Times, WaPo, WSJ
Russia Nuclear Threat
There’s more concern that a nuclear attack could be coming from Russia. The American CIA director spoke about it, saying no one should take the nuclear threat lightly, given how desperate he says Russia is getting in the face of fresh setbacks. One top Russian official seemed to make a specific threat yesterday in response to some news out of Europe. Finland and Sweden’s leaders said they would decide in the next few weeks about joining NATO. The Russian official said if that happens, the Russians would send nuclear weapons and hypersonic missiles into the heart of Europe.
Read More: Fox News, Reuters, WaPo, The Hill
NM Deadly Wildfire
A devastating wildfire is growing in New Mexico. So far, it has burned about nine square miles in the Sierra Blanca mountain range. Sadly, at least two people have died in the fire. Hundreds of homes have been burned, and thousands of people have been ordered to evacuate. Authorities say this started when strong winds knocked down a power line. As of this morning, the fire is 0% contained. Firefighters say they’ve had a tough time getting a hold of it because it is exceptionally windy and dry out there.
Read More: CBS News, CNN, Fox News, NY Times, AP, NM DPS, InciWeb
Biden Admin Equity Action Plans
The federal government is promising to tackle inequality across the board. More than 90 federal agencies released their equity action plans this week. The Justice Department says it’s going to help non-English speakers report crimes. The Energy Department is helping low-income households access programs to weatherize their homes and save energy. The Commerce Department promised to spend about $50 billion on broadband in rural and tribal communities. Those are just a few examples. In all, the plans outline more than 300 strategies and commitments.
Read More: Axios, AP, Reuters, White House
RNC Withdraws from Debate Commission
The next set of presidential candidates might be in for a different kind of debate. The Republican National Committee took issue with the commission that’s been in charge of presidential debates since the 1980s. So, the RNC voted unanimously to withdraw from the Commission on Presidential Debates. Now, any GOP presidential candidates will have to promise to only appear at party-sanctioned debates. The RNC accuses the commission of being biased in favor of Democrats. However, the CPD has insisted it always acts on “fairness, neutrality, and a firm commitment to help the American public learn about the candidates and the issues.”
Read More: WaPo, Fox News, WSJ, Axios, RNC
Pfizer Booster for Kids
Pfizer released new data about how a third Covid-19 shot works on kids ages 5-11. It shows the booster dose raised kids’ antibodies against the omicron variant of Covid-19 by 36 times. 140 kids were given a third, kid-sized dose of the vaccine six months after their second shot. One month after that, they saw a big antibody boost. Now, the company says it plans to ask the FDA to authorize a booster for this age group “in the coming days.”
Read More: NY Times, CNN, CBS News, Pfizer
Mortgage Rates Hit 5%
The average interest rate for America’s most common home loan reached a high not seen in more than a decade. Mortgage company Freddie Mac says interest on the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage surpassed 5%. Rates are expected to keep climbing this year as the federal reserve is trying to get a handle on historically high inflation. This means many home buyers will have higher monthly payments on top of already surging home prices. For now, demand is still strong.
Read More: Fox Business, WSJ, MarketWatch, NY Times, Freddie Mac
Musk Offered to Buy Twitter
Tesla CEO Elon Musk made an offer to buy the entirety of Twitter for more than $43 billion. The world’s richest man tweeted about it and was interviewed during a TED conference about it. He called Twitter a “kind of de facto town square”, saying he doesn’t care about the economics of it, but he wants to enable a public platform that is trusted by its users. Twitter’s CEO reportedly told employees the company is still looking at his bid and would eventually make a decision in the best interest of shareholders.
Read More: AP, WSJ, Deadline, TechCrunch, Elon Musk
Bird Flu/Egg Shortage
Egg prices are going up. Last year, at this time, the national average for a dozen large, white eggs was $1.60. Now, it’s $2.50. There are several reasons for this like the war in Ukraine and staffing shortages in the U.S. Another big reason is the bird flu that’s been spreading quickly through the U.S. Farmers have been forced to kill millions of egg-laying hens in 24 states. That chipped away at the egg supply, pushing prices up. That said, the bird flu isn’t considered a public health risk since humans aren’t getting sick. It is still considered safe to eat chicken, turkey, and eggs. They will just cost more.
Read More: Reuters, CBS News, CNN, USA Today, USDA
Holiday Trifecta
Christians, Muslims, and Jews are observing different holidays this weekend. For Christians, today is Good Friday, a day of sorrow and atonement. Then, Easter comes this Sunday. That’s a time to celebrate with candy, egg hunts, and visits from the Easter Bunny. Also, the Jewish holiday of Passover starts this evening and lasts for eight days. Families get together to eat traditional foods during a big meal called a seder, and they eat unleavened bread called matzah for the whole week. Meanwhile, Muslims are still observing Ramadan. Those who take part don’t eat anything from dawn to sunset. Then, they celebrate each night by breaking the fast.
Read More: Times of India, USA Today, The Street, Chabad, KARE, Deseret News
Feel Good Friday: Viral TikTok for Firefighter’s Birthday
With the help of strangers all over the country, an Iowa woman was able to get her dad the perfect gift. Allison Marois wanted an extra special birthday present for her dad this year since he retired from the Des Moines Fire Department after 38 years. So, she went to TikTok. She said she wanted to get her dad t-shirts from fire departments in all 50 states. The response was overwhelming. She got what she wanted and then some. Now, Marois says she’s going to turn the shirts into a big quilt for her father’s birthday this summer.
Read More: KCCI, CNN, TikTok