Wednesday, May 5th, 2021
Newest Vaccine Goal, Trump Banned Forever? & Cinco de Mayo
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 reading about the latest happenings…
Biden’s New Vaccine Goal
The White House has a new goal for 70% of American adults to have gotten at least one COVID-19 shot by July 4th. Some changes are on the way to make it happen. Until now, shots have been going out to states mainly based on population. That’s changing so more doses will start going to states where a lot of people are still signing up for shots. However, shipments could be smaller in places where there’s not as much demand. The Biden administration is also now asking pharmacies to accept walk-ins. President Biden has also ordered FEMA to set up more pop-up vaccine clinics and he’ll be sending more doses to rural areas.
Read More: AP, WSJ, NPR, WaPo, Reuters, CDC
Pfizer’s Vaccine Timeline for Younger Kids
The next hurdle in the vaccine campaign is getting kids vaccinated. The Pfizer shots might be authorized for adolescents, ages 12 to 15, as soon as next week. Then, Pfizer says it’s hoping to ask the FDA to authorize shots for kids as young as two years old in September, then for babies and toddlers before the year is out. Both Pfizer and Moderna are still testing their shots on the youngest kids now.
Read More: CNN, NY Times, AAP
Derek Chauvin Requests New Trial
The former police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd is now requesting a new trial. Derek Chauvin’s lawyer says the first one wasn’t fair. He argues the jury was prejudiced because the court wouldn’t let the trial move out of Minneapolis. Also, he says jurors should have been more isolated during the entire trial, prosecutors shouldn’t have been allowed to call so many use-of-force experts as witnesses and more. The Minnesota Attorney General’s office put out a statement saying these issues were already ruled upon, so it’s not worried. For now, Chauvin’s sentencing is still scheduled for next month. He faces up to 40 years in prison.
Read More: Minneapolis Star Tribune, ABC News, NBC News, WSJ
Companies Oppose Texas Voting Laws
Texas is the latest state to get backlash over new election changes. Lawmakers there are expected to vote on bills in the days ahead. They would limit early voting hours, add new requirements for mail-in voting, and more. Supporters say they’ll make elections more secure. Critics say they will discourage people from voting. Now, dozens of major companies and business groups are among those critics. They include Microsoft, American Airlines, and Unilever. They signed a letter saying they’re against changes in Texas that “restrict eligible voters’ access to the ballot.”
Read More: WSJ, NY Times, The Hill, Fair Elections Texas
Trump’s New Communications Platform
Facebook is supposed to decide this morning whether to let former President Trump back on its platform. He got kicked off after the Capitol riot. Today, Facebook’s oversight board will say whether his Facebook and Instagram bans should remain permanent. Either way, the Trump team has another plan to talk directly to voters. The former president launched his own communications platform called From the Desk of Donald J. Trump. It’s a new section of his website where Trump can post comments, images, and videos.
Read More: Fox News, Reuters, NY Times, From the Desk of Donald J. Trump
Type-2 Diabetes Could Lead to Dementia
Having Type 2 diabetes could increase your risk of getting Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. That’s according to a new study published by the American Medical Association this week. To come up with the new findings, researchers followed more than 10,000 patients for three decades. None of them had diabetes at the beginning of the study. In the end, 1,700 patients had it and more than 600 had dementia. Researchers found the younger the patient was when they first got diabetes, the greater the chance that person would suffer from dementia later on.
Read More: NY Times, CDC, JAMA Network
Minor League Baseball is Back
Minor League Baseball is back for the first time since September 2019. Their 2020 season was canceled because of the pandemic. Since then, the number of minor league teams has shrunk from 160 to 120. About 1,000 players lost their minor league status. The remaining players reportedly got pay raises. Now, the minor leagues are experimenting with new rules. For example, pitchers in the Low-A West will have a 15-second pitch clock. At the Triple-A, the bases will be a few inches larger and made with a more grippy material. If the changes go well in the minors, we could see them in the majors soon.
Read More: AP, Chicago Tribune, MILB.com, MLB
Fried Chicken Shortage
The U.S. is reportedly running low on chickens and part of the problem is an insatiable demand for fried chicken sandwiches at fast-food chains. Popeyes is credited for starting the trend when it debuted its chicken sandwich a couple of years ago and kicked off a frenzy. Other restaurant chains rushed to release new chicken sandwiches soon after and the trend hasn’t slowed down. The companies that supply the chicken say they’re now having a hard time keeping up. Chicken producers say part of the problem is they’re struggling to hire enough new workers at processing plants.
Read More: Bloomberg, WaPo, Axios, NY Post, Pilgrim’s Pride
Cinco de Mayo
Today is Cinco de Mayo. The holiday started in Mexico to celebrate a big and unexpected victory over the French empire during a battle in 1862. Now, it’s observed more in the U.S. than in Mexico. Every year, communities throw parades and parties full of mariachi music, Mexican folk dancing, and traditional foods. Today, restaurants are celebrating by offering rewards and discounts. Those restaurants include Chipotle, Chili’s, and On the Border.
Read More: Today, History, Delish, YouGov
Work Wednesday: Unpaid Overtime Rises
People all over the world reportedly worked more during the pandemic but weren’t always paid extra for their time. The ADP Research Institute surveyed more than 32,000 adults in 17 countries. It found in North America, people put in nearly nine extra hours per week in 2020. Back in 2019, the average was four extra hours. Meanwhile, the research showed unpaid overtime went up all over the world, but people are making more money overall. 68% of workers worldwide said they received a raise or a bonus since the pandemic started.
Read More: ADP Research Institute, Forbes