Wednesday, April 21st, 2021
Guilty of Murder, Level 4: ‘Do Not Travel’ & Apple AirTags
All the news you need in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by Rothys.com/newsworthy and Ritual.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…
Chauvin Guilty Verdict
The former police officer who kneeled on George Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes is now a convicted murderer. The Minneapolis jury found Derek Chauvin guilty of all three counts against him: second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. The judge denied him bail and with that, Chauvin was handcuffed and led to prison. His sentencing isn’t happening until June, but Chauvin may end up spending decades in prison. Still, his defense team could file an appeal sometime in the next couple of months.
Read More: Minneapolis Star Tribune, Axios, NY Times, Reuters
President Biden on Verdict
Crowds gathered all around the country to celebrate the guilty verdict in the Chauvin trial. President Biden spoke with Floyd’s family on the phone, then addressed the nation from the White House. He called the verdict a “giant step forward in the march toward justice in America.” He also called this verdict “accountability” that is “much too rare.” Vice President Kamala Harris also spoke, saying, “We still have work to do. We still must reform the system.” The Biden administration is asking Congress to take up policing reforms on the federal level.
Read More: WaPo, AP, WSJ, Fox News, USA Today
OH Officer Shoots, Kills Teen
Protesters have been rallying over another case of a white police officer killing a Black person. This time, it was a teenage girl in Columbus, Ohio. The officer shot and killed 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant. Police released body camera footage hours after it happened yesterday. It shows officers walking up to a house where a group of young people was fighting in a driveway. Ma’Khia is seen pushing someone and swinging at another girl. Police say she had a knife in her hand at the time. At that point, it sounds like the officer shot four times at her. She was taken to the hospital where she died.
Read More: Columbus Dispatch, AP, NPR, WSYX
FL Anti-Riot Law
Florida’s governor signed a new law this week he calls the “strongest anti-rioting, pro-law enforcement measure in the country.” It increases the punishment for people who block roadways, deface public monuments, or get violent during demonstrations. Then, it makes it so anyone arrested at a protest or riot cannot be released on bail until their first court appearance. Another element of the law addresses calls to defund the police. It says officials can appeal to the governor and his cabinet anytime local officials cut law enforcement funding.
Read More: NPR, Fox News, WaPo, CNN
White House Greenhouse Gases Plan
President Biden reportedly plans to announce an aggressive new climate goal this week. The Washington Post and others are citing sources who say Biden wants to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by the end of the decade. They say he’s going to make the pledge at a virtual summit on Thursday that three dozen other world leaders are attending. That way, he’s hoping to convince other countries to follow suit. It’s still not clear how the Biden administration is planning to meet the new target, but it would reportedly mean Americans changing the way we drive, heat our homes, and manufacture goods.
Read More: NY Times, Bloomberg, WaPo
More ‘Do Not Travel’ Warnings
The State Department overhauled its travel advisory list and now says Americans should not travel to about 80% of the world’s countries. On the government website, you’ll see most countries labeled with a “level 4” advisory. That’s the highest level and it means Americans should avoid going there for any reason. The State Department says it made the change to more closely align with the CDC’s COVID-19 safety guidelines. It points out that infection rates are still higher in other parts of the world. Plus, other countries have travel advisories that affect Americans.
Read More: ABC News, USA Today, CDC, TSA, State Dept.
Apple Debuts New Products
Apple unveiled a long list of new product upgrades during its annual spring event. For example, the iPad Pro will be equipped with a more powerful chip called the M1 which Apple says will help make it work faster and deliver sharper images. The new line of iMac computers will also run on the new M1 processor. The new iMacs are much thinner than older models and come in seven different colors. Apple also debuted its AirTag. It’s a small device meant to help people keep tabs on important items like keys or luggage so they don’t get lost. Each AirTag has a built-in speaker and connects with Apple’s ‘Find My’ app.
Read More: CNBC, Axios, Engadget, 9to5Mac, The Verge, TechCrunch
Venmo Accepting Cryptocurrencies
The mobile payment app Venmo says it now supports digital currencies on its platform. The app’s users can buy and sell four different cryptocurrencies in the app: bitcoin, bitcoin cash, litecoin, and ethereum. Venmo also put some explainer videos in the app to help guide crypto newbies before they get started. The Crypto on Venmo program has already debuted on some users’ phones and the feature will launch to all customers in the coming weeks.
Read More: CNN, Forbes, PayPal, Venmo
New Research on Tyrannosaurus Rex
Scientists are learning new details about the Tyrannosaurus rex. They say even though the huge creature was a dangerous predator, a lot of its prey could have easily outrun it. A team of paleontologists in the Netherlands says this dinosaur walked no faster than about three miles per hour. That’s about the same pace as humans walk. The new calculations are based on how the T. rex likely moved its tail. However, the Dutch team is still working to figure out how fast the T. rex could run if it needed to.
Read More: USA Today, Life Science, CNN
Work Wednesday: Companies Offer COVID Vaccinations
Major American companies are trying to make sure their workers can easily access COVID-19 vaccines. Corporations like American Airlines, Amazon, Ford Motors, and more have been able to get health care providers to deliver thousands of vaccines on site. Smaller companies and unions have reportedly also been able to book appointments for employees, freeing a lot of people from having to hunt online for open appointments or sites. What’s still being debated though is whether more companies could start requiring workers to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Most business owners so far have encouraged vaccination, but have not made it mandatory.
Read More: AP, Gartner