Monday, May 3rd, 2021
Overseas Outbreaks, Apple vs. Epic & Surprise Derby Winner
All the news you need in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by Noom.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 to review the latest happenings...
World COVID-19 Crisis
Worldwide, the number of new COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths are hitting record highs. The worst of it is happening in India. That country now makes up more than 40% of the world’s new cases. It just marked the deadliest day of the pandemic yet. Nearly 3,700 deaths were reported in 24 hours. Turkey also just entered its first national lockdown a few days ago since the country is dealing with the highest infection rates in Europe. Things are also bad across much of South America. Brazil has the highest rate of COVID-19 deaths. Argentina, Columbia, and Peru also rank among the countries with the most deaths per capita.
Read More: Al Jazeera, WaPo, CNN, Johns Hopkins
U.S. Restricting Travel from India
Starting tomorrow, the U.S. is going to restrict travel from India. It’s in response to the COVID-19 surge there. Because there are so many cases and new strains of the virus in India, the Biden administration hopes the travel restrictions will help avoid a new outbreak here. The new rules don’t apply to American citizens, aid workers, or other people with exemptions. Even those people will have to test negative for COVID-19 before flying into the U.S. from India and they’ll have to quarantine if they aren’t vaccinated.
Read More: Axios, USA Today, CBS News, White House
TSA Extends Mask Mandate
If you plan to travel anywhere in the next few months, you’ll need to have a mask handy. The TSA extended its mask mandate that was supposed to expire this month. Masks will continue to be mandatory on all commercial flights and at airports, as well as on buses and trains, through at least the middle of September. The only exceptions are children younger than two years old and people with certain disabilities. People who don’t follow those rules can face fines up to $1,500.
Read More: CNBC, NPR, USA Today, TSA
Afghanistan Weekend Violence
U.S. and NATO forces started formally withdrawing from Afghanistan over the weekend. With that, violence broke out around the country. On Friday, a truck bomb exploded, killing at least 27 people. No one claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Afghan government blames the Taliban. Elsewhere in Afghanistan, Taliban members overran an Afghan army base and captured 25 Afghan soldiers. Also, a U.S. military spokesman says there was a rocket attack near a base that’s home to American soldiers who are still there. No one was hurt, but the U.S. military retaliated with an airstrike on the Taliban.
Read More: NY Times, Reuters, AP, The Week
Wisconsin Casino Shooting
A Wisconsin casino became the scene of another deadly shooting over the weekend. Police say a gunman shot three people. Two of them died and a third was seriously hurt. Officers shot the gunman outside and he also died. It all happened at the Oneida Casino in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin. Authorities say the man had a “personal relationship” with someone who worked at the restaurant attached to the casino. That person wasn’t there at the time, so he shot three other people who also worked there instead. The casino was evacuated and it will stay closed today as authorities investigate.
Read More: Green Bay Press-Gazette, CNN, NBC News, ABC News
Severe Weather Threat
Millions of Americans are in the path of severe weather. Storms are likely anywhere from Dallas, Texas to Columbus, Ohio. The National Weather Service says the biggest dangers are damaging winds, hail, and tornadoes. The tornado threat is highest from Tulsa, Oklahoma to Paducah, Kentucky. They could hit in the evening too, which can be more dangerous. After tonight’s threat, severe weather could hit the deep south tomorrow.
Read More: CNN, Weather Channel, NWS
Apple’s App Store Goes on Trial
Apple is going to trial today over a case brought by Epic Games, the company behind the popular video game Fortnite. That company says Apple’s app store is a monopoly. It argues Apple is the only company with the power to provide apps to iPhone users and there are an estimated one billion active iPhones worldwide. To be listed in the app store, companies have to agree to pay Apple a commission on any in-app purchases. Epic Games created a payment system to avoid Apple’s fees and then got kicked out of Apple’s app store because of it. That’s why they first sued last year. Apple says the commission fees go toward an app review process to make sure apps are secure.
Read More: AP, WSJ, NY Times, WaPo
Mars Helicopter’s New Mission
The Mars helicopter is getting a new mission. The Ingenuity chopper was first tested last month in what was the first powered flight on another planet. Since then, it’s flown three other test flights successfully, going farther and higher each time. Next, NASA engineers will use it to evaluate different parts of Mars from above, before the Mars rover on the ground explores the same spot. The Perseverance Rover will then look for signs of life in a crater.
Read More: NY Times, AP, CNN, NASA, Mars Helicopter Blog
Soccer Game Postponed Over Protests
One of the biggest matches in the world’s richest soccer league had to be postponed because fans stormed the stadium in England. Manchester United’s fans were protesting against the team’s owners who are based in the U.S. They say the owners haven’t been engaged in the sport and they’ve been running up the team’s debt. About a thousand people rallied outside the hotel where the team was staying and thousands more gathered outside the historic Old Trafford stadium. A large group pushed security guards and broke fencing around the stadium to get inside. Some set off flares and fireworks and threw things at police and security officials.
Read More: ESPN, AP, WaPo, CNN
Medina Spirit Won Kentucky Derby
There was a surprise winner at this year’s Kentucky Derby. The horse Medina Spirit won the race. This was the fourth Kentucky Derby win for the horse’s jockey, John Velazquez. It was a record-setting seventh victory for the horse’s trainer, Bob Baffert. Earlier in the week, Baffert sounded like he didn’t think Medina Spirit had much of a shot. He called him “a cut below those top horses.” After the race, he called him an “overachiever.”
Read More: Louisville Courier-Journal, CBS News, NPR
Money Monday: Corn Prices Rise & Why That Matters
Corn prices have reached their highest level in nearly eight years. That’s an issue because corn is used quite a bit. For example, it’s in gasoline, candles, makeup, alcohol, as well as things used to build houses like insulation, paints, and wallboard. Farmers also use corn to feed animals like cows, pigs, and chickens. If manufacturers have to pay more money for corn, the added cost could be passed onto consumers. However, that’s not a guarantee. An economist from the American Farm Bureau says we’re still early enough into the season for the market to stabilize.
Read More: Axios, Barron’s, CNBC, Fortune, WSJ