Tuesday, May 3rd, 2022
Roe v. Wade Future, Election Day & Thank a Teacher
All the news in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by Pampers.com and kiwico.com (Listen for the discount code)
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...
SCOTUS Draft on Roe v. Wade
It looks like the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that has protected the right to an abortion for nearly a half-century is about to be overturned. That’s according to a draft opinion that was circulated among Supreme Court justices earlier this year. Politico published it yesterday. In it, Justice Samuel Alito said, “Roe was egregiously wrong from the start,” and four other justices signed onto that opinion. So, it seems five justices want Roe v. Wade overturned, and four believe it should stay. The draft could still change since the Supreme Court hasn’t issued an official ruling in the case yet.
Read More: Politico, AP, Fox News, Reuters, NY Times
Ohio, Indiana Primaries
Today, Ohio voters will be picking their nominees for governor and U.S. Congress, and people in Indiana will decide who should run for a seat in the U.S. House and Indiana statehouse. A lot of people are keeping a close eye on one particular contest out of Ohio where several candidates are vying for a spot to take over for retiring Sen. Rob Portman. That race is the most expensive in the country so far, and it’s seen as a test of how much influence President Trump still has over the GOP. Trump has endorsed an underdog in the race, and other candidates have campaigned on their loyalty to the former president.
Read More: AP, Politico, Indy Star, CNN
Ukraine Fighting/CIA Tips
The CIA says some Russians are trying to reach out to share insights into the Russian government and more. Now, they have a safe way to do that. The U.S. intelligence agency put instructions on social media that tell people how to access their darknet site since things are more anonymous there. Meanwhile, the Pentagon says Russia seems to be several days behind schedule in Ukraine. The U.S. says Russia is dealing with tough resistance from the Ukrainians, low morale, and supply problems. This week, Ukraine says it sunk two more Russian warships in the Black Sea. However, Ukraine also suffered losses in the city of Odessa.
Read More: NPR, NY Times, WSJ, CBS News, AP, CIA
EU Preparing Russia Oil Ban
This week, the European Union could decide what to do about oil imports from Russia. Senior diplomats told the Washington Post that the EU is close to a deal. Most countries in the EU are reportedly ready to start phasing out Russian oil in response to the war in Ukraine. Hungary and Slovakia are said to be the two holdouts, so diplomats say those two countries might get exceptions. The oil proposal would be part of the European Commission’s sixth round of sanctions on Russia over the invasion. It would be big since the EU imports about 35% of its oil and 40% of its natural gas from Russia.
Read More: WSJ, Reuters, WaPo, CNN
California 100% Renewables
For the first time, the supply of renewable energy met all of California’s needs. The renewables were mostly made up of solar and wind energy. Over the weekend, the overall demand for electricity in the state fell shy of what the renewables were generating. However, it didn’t last long. It was only a few minutes before it dropped off a bit. However, environmental groups still hailed it as a historic moment for clean energy. There still isn’t enough renewable energy generated to meet the demand regularly, but California has a goal of changing that by 2045.
Read More: Desert Sun, Vice, SF Chronicle, The Independent, CAISO
California Population Falls Again
The nation’s most populous state is shrinking. The population went down for the first time on record during the pandemic. Now, it’s down again for the second year in a row. Data from the state’s finance department shows the population declined by more than 117,000 people in 2021. The AP points to a few things that could be happening, like a slowdown in births and immigration and an uptick in deaths and people leaving the state. However, California’s chief demographer says he expects growth again in 2022.
Read More: SF Chronicle, LA Times, The Guardian, AP, CA DOF
AAP Stopping Race-Based Guidance
The American Academy of Pediatrics says it’s putting its policies under the microscope to get rid of “race-based” medicine. Since the AAP was founded in 1930, certain guidelines have told pediatricians to use race as a factor when making decisions about diagnoses and medical protocols. For example, the organization recently got rid of a guideline that was based on a discriminatory belief that Black children were less likely to suffer from UTIs than white children. An update to the guidance about newborn jaundice is expected later this year, too. The review of all the guidelines is meant to improve racial equity in healthcare.
Read More: AP, WSJ, AAP
Amazon Loses Union Vote
Last month, Amazon workers made history by forming the web giant’s first labor union. Now, that same grassroots union lost a vote at a smaller Amazon warehouse across the street in Staten Island. The workers there voted not to join. Some said they were happy with their pay and benefits already. An Amazon spokeswoman said the company is glad the team was able to have their voices heard. However, the labor union tweeted that it will keep organizing at that facility and beyond, and “the fight has just begun.”
Read More: NY Times, WSJ, Fox Business, CNN, CBS News
Google Makes Tech Training Free
Google is hoping to help more small businesses embrace technology. The tech giant says it will give any American businesses more than $100,000 worth of online courses. Those classes cover things like data analytics, design, and other tech skills. Workers will be able to get them for free. Typically, they cost students about $40 a month, and they take three-six months to finish. Google first launched its career certificates with Coursera a few years ago to help people boost their resumes by learning new tools. Since then, about 205,000 people around the world have earned at least one certificate.
Read More: Reuters, KNTV, Google
Teacher Appreciation Day
Today is National Teacher Appreciation Day. It’s part of a week-long celebration to thank our teachers for everything they do. The National Education Association is calling on people to celebrate the educators of the world by sharing a message on social media and using the hashtag #ThankaTeacher. You can also share your gratitude in other ways, like by volunteering in schools or refilling teachers’ school supplies. Many stores and restaurants have special deals going on all week, too. Most just ask that teachers show their school ID.
Read More: USA Today, Fox Business, NEA, White House
Trivia Tuesday
What is the most consumed manufactured drink in the world?
Play along on today’s Instagram Stories quiz. We’ll also have the answer right here next week.
Last Week’s Trivia
Q: Pop star Taylor Swift grew up on what type of farm?
A: Christmas tree farm
Read More: Refinery29, Good Housekeeping, Rolling Stone, Billboard, Taylor Swift