Tuesday, April 19th, 2022
Airlines Drop Mandates, Late-Season Snowstorm & Holograms in Space
All the news in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by TommyJohn.com/newsworthy and BetterHelp.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 to read the latest happenings...
Travel Mask Mandate Voided
For the first time in more than 14 months, you may not be required to wear a mask on public transportation. A federal judge struck down the national mask mandate that affected airports, planes, trains, buses, and more. The ruling left it up to individual airlines, airports, and other transportation agencies to decide what to do. Already, the TSA said it will not enforce the mandate anymore, and the nation’s four largest airports dropped their mask requirements. The Amtrak rail system also said passengers and employees will no longer have to wear masks. Still, the CDC recommends people wear masks on public transportation.
Read More: WaPo, AP, Fox News, CNBC, US Courts
Undercounting Covid-19 Cases
As more people use at-home Covid-19 tests, some experts say more new cases are going underreported. The influential Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation estimates only 7% of positive Covid-19 cases in the U.S. are being detected. This week, the U.S. has been reporting more than 37,000 new Covid-19 cases a day on average. However, that doesn’t include many of the positive results that came from at-home tests. It also doesn’t count many asymptomatic cases since people may not have known to take a test. Either way, the numbers of new hospitalizations and deaths from Covid-19 have been going down.
Read More: CNN, NY Times, WSJ, IMHE, CDC
Eastern Ukraine Fighting
Ukrainian officials say Russian troops have started a full-scale ground war to take over Ukraine’s east. They're reportedly attacking a large swath of the eastern region for more than 300 miles. Still, it’s not just eastern Ukraine under attack. Russia also bombarded a western city near Poland that has been mostly spared from the worst fighting until now. Southern Ukraine and several other parts of the country are still considered targets, too. To help, four American cargo flights arrived this week with more weapons and other supplies for Ukraine.
Read More: NY Times, WSJ, NPR, AP, Reuters, Axios
1M Border Arrests in Six Months
New government data shows the U.S. has made more than a million arrests at the southern border in just the last six months. March was the busiest month in two decades, with another 210,000 arrests. The March numbers included a sharp rise in people coming from Cuba and Ukraine. Overall, migrant numbers could go up a lot more next month when the Biden administration lifts a pandemic-era policy. Administration officials say they’re preparing for a worst-case scenario that would mean triple the number of people crossing each day.
Read More: WSJ, The Independent, Reuters, AP, CBP
Snowstorm in Northeast
A rare, late-season snowstorm is barreling through the northeast and New England. Nearly eight million Americans are now under winter storm warnings and advisories. They’re dealing with heavy snow, strong winds, and some coastal flooding. The winter weather started last night, and it’s expected to last through about noon today. When all is said and done, a lot of people will be left with several inches of snow and temperatures much below average for this time of year. However, it won’t stick around for long. Meteorologists expect spring warmth will make a comeback in a few days.
Read More: USA Today, CNN, NY Times, Accuweather, NWS
Slower USPS Delivery Standards
Starting May 1st, the U.S. Postal Service plans to slow down delivery times for nearly a third of first-class packages. It will mean a delay of a day or two. However, it’s not the only change coming. This is part of a bigger plan to cut back on certain services and raise shipping rates over the next decade as a way to save money. With this latest move, the Postal Service will use more trains and trucks to deliver packages, instead of relying on an air network.
Read More: WSJ, USPS
New Infrastructure Guidance
The money from the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill is starting to fund bridges, highways, water pipes, broadband internet, and more. So, the Biden administration is implementing the guidance. For example, federal agencies will have to make sure the iron, steel, and other materials used are produced in the U.S. The idea is to help create more American jobs, ease global supply chain issues, and make the U.S. more independent. However, the rules may be waived if there aren’t enough producers in the U.S. of a certain material or if using the American-made material would increase a project’s cost by more than 25%.
Read More: AP, Fox Business, NBC News, Axios, Deputy Press Sec.
Hologram Doctors in Space
Medical experts were the first humans to be “holoported” from Earth to space. NASA sent some doctors to the International Space Station as 3D holograms, so it looked like they were there in person. The team used Microsoft’s mixed reality headset and a personal computer with custom software. That type of technology reconstructs, compresses, and transmits live 3D models of people and allows for live conversations to happen, even worlds apart. NASA says the technology will be used more in the future to send holograms to space and place astronauts back on Earth.
Read More: Space.Com, Futurism, NPR, NASA
Netflix/Exploding Kittens Partnership
Two popular games are going to Hollywood. First, Netflix is partnering with a silly card game called Exploding Kittens. The streaming service says it’s going to launch an Exploding Kittens TV show. With it, Netflix will also come out with a new mobile game for people to play by themselves or with friends. The new game is launching next month for free for Netflix subscribers. The animated TV series is expected to come out next year.
Read More: Deadline, The Verge, TechCrunch, Netflix
Live-Action Minecraft in the Works
A live-action Minecraft movie is also in the works. As Variety reports, ‘Aquaman’ star Jason Momoa is in talks to be a part of it. The director from ‘Napoleon Dynamite’ has signed on. The movie will be based on the massively popular Minecraft video game. It’s the best-selling game of all time. These projects are part of a growing trend. In the last year, hit gaming movies have come out, like ‘Free Guy’ and ‘Sonic 2’.
Read More: Variety, THR, Gizmodo
Trivia Tuesday
Which of Shakespeare’s plays is the longest?
Play along on today’s Instagram Stories quiz. We’ll also have the answer right here next week.
Last Week’s Trivia
Q: How many eyes does a bee have?
A: Five
Read More: BBKA, Backyard Beekeeping, NCSU, American Bee Journal, WWF