Wednesday, April 20th, 2022
New Phase of War, Netflix Losses & Pot's Big Day
All the news you need in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp.com/newsworthy and TommyJohn.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 about the latest happenings…
Russia’s Eastern Ukraine Gains
Authorities are scrambling to help civilians in eastern Ukraine get to safety as Russia is making new gains in the region. Russia seized the city of Kreminna and two other villages. Now, there are fears larger population centers could be next after a lot more violence. Ukraine’s president says residential areas are being targeted just as much as military sites. So, civilians are evacuating while they still can. The United Nations says nearly five million Ukrainians have fled their home country since the Russian invasion began.
Read More: Axios, AP, NPR, Reuters, WSJ
IMF Cuts Economic Forecast
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) downgraded its outlook for the world economy. It blamed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine since it’s impacting global trade, pushing up oil prices, threatening food supplies, and more. In January, the IMF said it expected the global economy to grow by 4.4% this year. Now, it thinks the growth will slow to about 3.6%. Things are looking much worse for Russia and Ukraine. The IMF expects Russia’s economy to shrink by 8.5% this year and Ukraine’s by 35%.
Read More: AP, NY Times, Forbes, Reuters, IMF
More Student Loan Help Coming
The U.S. government is helping millions more Americans pay off their student loans. First, the Education Department says 40,000 people who work as qualifying government employees will have their debt canceled right away. On top of that, the federal agency offered at least three years of extra credit to bring 3.6 million people closer to paying off their debt. They’ll qualify for income-driven payment plans. They only make borrowers pay a certain percentage of their income on loans for 20-25 years. After that, the rest of their balance will be forgiven. The White House says many people who have been denied in the past will now be able to qualify.
Read More: Reuters, WSJ, CNBC, WaPo, Education Dept.
More Mask Mandates Lifted
Mask rules are dropping ever since a federal judge struck down the national mandate for planes, buses, trains, and more. For example, ride-hailing giants Uber and Lyft did away with their mask requirements for drivers and passengers. Public transportation systems in Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago, Washington, and Philadelphia decided to do the same. Remember, the nation’s largest airlines and the Amtrak rail system dropped their mask rules too. However, some public transit systems announced they’re choosing to keep the mandate, like New York, San Francisco, Portland, and Milwaukee.
Read More: NBC News, NY Times, WSJ, Uber, Lyft
Feds May Appeal Mask Ruling
Public health experts are still encouraging people to wear their masks on public transportation, whether they’re required or not. Many say the large crowds of people huddled together for a long period make it easy for Covid-19 to spread. Either way, the nationwide mandate seems to be gone for at least a while. The Justice Department says it has no plans to appeal the judge’s ruling unless the CDC decides the mandate is still necessary for public health.
Read More: Politico, AP, Fox News, CBS News, DOJ
Moderna Bivalent Vaccine Research
There could be a new version of the Covid-19 booster shot coming. Moderna tested its ‘bivalent’ vaccine. It targets both the original version of Covid-19 and the beta variant. The vaccine maker says the preliminary results from its study found the redesigned booster offers stronger, longer-lasting protection against variants of the virus than the original one. Independent scientists still need to review the study, and there are already mixed reviews from outside experts.
Read More: NPR, NY Times, AP, Reuters, Moderna
Netflix Subscriber Loss
For the first time in more than a decade, Netflix lost subscribers. The streaming service was down 200,000 subscribers in the first three months of the year. The company says it will likely lose a couple million more in the coming months too. The drop sent the company’s stock down about 25% yesterday. Now, it seems Netflix executives may be willing to try new things they’ve dismissed in the past in hopes of growing. It’s reportedly considering an ad-supported option and plans to crack down on password sharing.
Read More: NY Times, CNBC, The Verge, WSJ, Yahoo! Finance, Netflix
NASA Urged to Explore Uranus
A panel of scientists put out its once-in-a-decade report. In it, the next big recommendation was to prioritize a mission to the planet Uranus. The U.S. Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine can’t require NASA or other space agencies to do anything. However, it does often influence future space missions and how much funding they get from the federal government. Researchers think a more in-depth study of the planet could help better understand giant icy worlds in our solar system and beyond.
Read More: Axios, BBC, Daily Mail, NAS
4/20 Explained and Deals
April 20th (4/20 as it’s called) has become an unofficial holiday meant to celebrate cannabis. There are a few possible explanations as to why the date was picked. One common theory is that it came out of a ritual started by a group of California high schoolers in the 1970s who met every day at 4:20 p.m. to smoke weed. These days, 4/20 is celebrated in more ways than by just getting high. Some people are rallying for pro-marijuana legalization. Others are going to 4/20-themed festivals that include live music, art, food, and more. Also, some national chains are rolling out deals and discounts.
Read More: LA Times, Vox, CNET, Thrillist
Work Wednesday: Rise in Positive Work Drug Tests
A lot more Americans are testing positive for marijuana when they have to get drug-tested for work. One of the country’s largest drug-testing labs, Quest Diagnostics, says the percentage of Americans testing positive for drugs hit a two-decade high last year. That increase was mostly driven by positive marijuana tests. That said, Quest says fewer companies are testing their employees for THC, the chemical in weed that gets you high. A lot of that has to do with changing laws since recreational use has become legal in 18 states, and medical use is legal in 37.
Read More: WSJ, Axios, Quest