Wednesday, May 4th, 2022
Nation Reacts to Leak, 'Great Resignation' Cont'd & Star Wars Day
All the news you need in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by kiwico.com (Listen for the discount code) and Pampers.com
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…
SCOTUS Leak Reax
Chief Justice John Roberts confirmed the leak from the Supreme Court about a landmark abortion case is legitimate. Remember, Politico published a draft opinion that said most justices agreed Roe v. Wade should be overturned. Any of the members could still change their minds about the case, though. Roberts called the leak a “singular and egregious breach” of trust, and he directed the court’s marshal to investigate. Meanwhile, emotions are running high around the country. Both anti-abortion and pro-abortion rights protesters have been rallying all around the U.S. Federal and state lawmakers have also promised to take action.
Read More: NY Times, AP, WSJ, ABC News, Fox News, Supreme Court
Putin Expected to Declare War
Russian President Putin may be preparing to officially declare war on Ukraine. That’s what American and other western officials think. Until now, Putin has been calling the Ukraine conflict a “special military operation,” and he’s banned words like “invasion” and “war.” However, that could change soon. If it does, that means Russia would be able to mobilize more troops and equipment for the war.
Read More: CNN, USA Today, Fortune
Latest Attacks in Ukraine
Fighting is already intense inside Ukraine. The Ukrainian government says Russian forces hit at least six railway stations in Ukraine’s western and central regions yesterday. Also, several power substations were damaged, disrupting electricity and the Ukrainian water supply. Eastern and southern Ukraine have also been getting hammered by Russian attacks. Ukrainian President Zelensky says the war has caused about $600 billion in damages so far. Russia’s economy has also been seeing major setbacks.
Read More: NPR, AP, Reuters, NY Times
Brittney Griner Wrongfully Detained
The U.S. government could start fighting harder to get an American basketball star back home. WNBA player Brittney Griner has been detained in Russia since February when Russian authorities say they found vape cartridges with illegal cannabis oil in her luggage. Now, the U.S. State Department says it’s figured out Griner is being “wrongfully detained.” That means the U.S. won’t wait for Griner’s case to go through the Russian legal system, and it will start taking more aggressive measures to negotiate her release.
Read More: ESPN, WaPo, ABC News, Reuters
Colorado River Releases Delayed
The U.S. federal government announced what it calls “extraordinary steps” to deal with the historic drought on the west coast. It’s going to keep hundreds of billions of gallons of water stored in one of the Colorado River’s major reservoirs. It comes as water levels have reached their lowest in history. If the water levels drop much more in Lake Powell, nearly six million customers will have trouble getting electricity since they rely on hydropower. The delay is supposed to protect those operations for at least another year, giving officials time to figure out what they’ll do next.
Read More: AP, NY Times, CNN, CNBC, USBR
New Method Breaks Down Plastic in Days
A research team out of the University of Texas has come up with an enzyme that speeds up the breakdown of plastic. It can break down some bottles and packaging in as little as 24 hours. We’re talking about the same plastics that would otherwise take centuries to deteriorate. This kind of research has been going on for more than 15 years, but these scientists say their enzyme is better than those discovered in the past since it can work across a range of temperature and pH conditions. The hope is this could work in regular recycling centers, and it could be used to clean up landfills and polluted sites.
Read More: Vice, USA Today, Forbes, Nature
Quit Rates Hit Record
For the first time on record, the U.S. now has two job openings for every person who is unemployed. The latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics says employers posted a record 11.5 million job openings in March. The latest data also shows a record 4.5 million Americans quit their jobs in March, and these trends seem to be continuing. Later this week, the Labor Department is expected to report another 400,000 new jobs added in April.
Read More: CNBC, WSJ, Reuters, AP, DOL
SEC Hiring More Crypto Cops
The feds plan to almost double the number of so-called crypto cops. The SEC says it’s updating its Crypto Assets and Cyber Unit to go from 30 people to 50 dedicated positions. It will add more investigators, trial lawyers, and fraud analysts. They'll reportedly be cracking down on abuses in the crypto market, including fraud and other misconduct. The SEC chairman has called the crypto industry as it is now “the wild west” and says the expanding unit will help protect investors in one of Wall Street’s newest and most popular industries.
Read More: WSJ, Axios, CNBC, Fox Business, SEC
Twitter Tests Twitter Circle
Twitter is trying to do a spin on Instagram’s ‘Close Friends’ feature. It’s called Twitter Circle. It lets users pick up to 150 people to join their circle. Then, if they want, they can tweet to just those people instead of the masses. To use it, they have to pull up the Choose Audience menu while writing a tweet and choose Twitter Circle instead of Everyone. People in that circle will be able to see the tweet but not retweet it for anyone else. For now, Twitter Circle is only being tested on certain users.
Read More: TechCrunch, 9to5Mac, Gizmodo, The Verge, Twitter
Instagram Tests Full-Screen Feed
Instagram is testing out another feature that could make the app look more like its competitor TikTok. It’s experimenting with remodeling the home feed, so photos and videos take up a lot more of the screen. In the test of Instagram’s new format, all the comments, captions, likes, and more are at the top of the post instead of the bottom. However, you can still access the other sections of the app, like Search, Reels, Shopping, and more with the regular buttons. This feature is starting to roll out to some users as a test. There’s no word if or when it might make it to everyone.
Read More: The Verge, TechCrunch, Engadget, 9to5Mac, Adam Mosseri
Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower
You’ll get a chance this week to see as many as 50 shooting stars an hour in the night sky. The Eta Aquarids meteor shower should be most visible tonight after midnight or tomorrow night, as long as the weather cooperates. This is one of two annual meteor showers that come from the debris trail left behind by the famous Halley’s Comet. NASA says these meteors are known for their speed, traveling at about 148,000 mph into Earth’s atmosphere.
Read More: CNN, UPI, CNET, Space.Com, USA Today
Star Wars Day
Today is a day for Star Wars fans to celebrate. It’s May 4th, and for years now, fans have been taking advantage of the day to say “May the 4th be with you,” like how the Jedis say “May the force be with you” in the movies. However, it’s much more than a saying. Star Wars fans use the day to hold themed parties or host community events and gatherings. Others use the occasion to rewatch all the old films and shows from the franchise. Stores like Amazon and Best Buy are selling the blu-rays at a discount today. There is also a huge collection available to stream on Disney+. Other stores have deals on Star Wars games or toys.
Read More: USA Today, KTRK, Newsweek, CNET, Star Wars
Work Wednesday: NYC Salary Transparency
Starting this fall, employers in New York City will be required to post the minimum and maximum salaries for any open job at a company with more than 15 workers. Supporters say it will give job applicants a better shot at fair pay. A lot more states and cities are doing it, and New York City is just the latest. Not everyone is on board, though. Some New York business groups say it will put small businesses who may pay less at a disadvantage, and they need some pay flexibility since competition for workers is steep.
Read More: Axios, AP, NY Post, CNBC