Wednesday, May 12th, 2021
Biden Meets Big Four, Mideast Violence Escalates & Broadway's Comeback
All the news you need in about 10 min:
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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 Meeting with Congressional Leaders
For the first time since President Biden took office, he’s meeting at the White House with the four top members of Congress. They’re expected to talk about Biden’s economic proposals. There’s the $1.8 trillion American Families Plan that includes new spending on childcare, healthcare, education, and family leave. There’s also the $2.3 trillion infrastructure package that includes new spending on roads, internet access, water systems, and more. They’ll likely be paid for with tax increases on the richest Americans and corporations. They both need congressional approval, but Biden is hoping he can sign a bill into law as soon as this summer.
Read More: CNN, CNBC, LA Times
GOP Leadership Vote Today
The number three Republican in the U.S. House could lose her leadership role today. Congresswoman Liz Cheney’s future is on the line. Members of her party are set to vote on whether she’ll stay on as the GOP Conference Chair. This is all about Cheney’s criticism of former President Trump. She says he incited the Capitol riot and has been spreading lies about the presidential election. Ahead of the vote, she gave a speech on the House floor. She said everyone in Congress has a duty to prevent democracy from unraveling. Still, GOP leaders say they want to replace her with someone more unifying.
Read More: AP, Axios, CNN, Fox News, GOP House Leader
Spa Shooting Suspect Indictments
The man accused of killing eight people at three Atlanta-area spas is now formally charged with murder and prosecutors say they’re going to pursue hate crime charges too. They now say the shooter targeted some of his victims specifically because they were of Asian descent. Georgia’s new hate crime law went into effect this past July and this prosecutor is believed to be the first in the state to use it. She’ll also be seeking the death penalty. So far, a trial date has not been set.
Read More: AJC, Reuters, NY Times, Axios
Israel-Hamas Violence Escalates
Fighting is escalating in the middle east to a level not seen in the last seven years. As of early this morning, reports say at least 35 Palestinians and five Israelis have been killed. Over the last 24 hours, Palestinian rockets rained down almost nonstop over parts of Israel. On the other side, the Israeli airstrikes haven’t been as numerous, but they’ve caused more damage. One of them brought down the largest residential building in Gaza, another destroyed the central police headquarters there. Both Israel’s prime minister and Palestinian militants from the Hamas group have said more attacks are coming.
Read More: Reuters, AP, Al Jazeera, Times of Israel
First Major Offshore Wind Farm
Construction could start soon on the first major offshore wind farm in the U.S. The Biden administration gave the $3 billion project final approval this week. It calls for up to 84 wind turbines to go up in the Atlantic ocean off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. Together, they could generate enough electricity to power about 400,000 homes. It’s part of a government push to tackle climate change and create new jobs. It’s expected to be done in about two years.
Read More: WaPo, NY Times, AP, NPR, DOI
Free Rides to Vaccination Sites
It might soon be easier for a lot of people to get their vaccine appointments. Uber and Lyft are about to offer free rides to and from COVID-19 vaccination sites through July 4th. The ride-sharing companies are partnering with the White House on this. The Biden administration has set a goal of getting at least 70% of American adults at least one dose by the 4th of July. So far, the CDC says about 45% of American adults are fully vaccinated. 59% have received at least one shot.
Read More: WSJ, NPR, White House, CDC
McDonald’s Pro-Vaccine Coffee Cups
McDonald’s is encouraging customers to get vaccinated by using coffee cups. McDonald’s cups will soon include information about where to get the shots and ways to protect yourself from the coronavirus. McDonald’s says the messaging will reach customers in 14,000 cities and towns across the U.S. when the new design rolls out in July. McDonald’s has also joined many companies in promising to give paid time to employees for getting the vaccine.
Read More: McDonald’s, Fox Business, Today, Guardian
TikTok Jobs Service
The video-sharing app TikTok is testing a new service designed to help connect users with job recruiters. It will exist in a separate webpage connected to the regular TikTok app. There, companies will be able to post openings. However, instead of submitting a traditional resume, candidates would be able to make their pitches with videos. TikTok says several big brands have already expressed interest in getting involved. For now, it’s only being tested with a few companies. No word yet on when it might launch on a wider scale.
Read More: Axios, Mashable, Cnet, WaPo
Mattel’s Toy Recycling Program
Mattel is launching a recycling program to give old toys new life. It’s called Mattel Play Back. The idea is the company will use the material from old toys to make new ones. Mattel says any materials that can’t be recreated as toys will be converted to energy or used for other plastic products. Customers can print out a free shipping label on Mattel’s website so they can send the toys back that way. Right now, the company is only accepting Barbie dolls, Matchbox cars, and Mega Bloks, but they plan to accept other brands in the future.
Read More: CNN Business, CBS News, USA Today, Mattel
How to Recycle Your Toys: Mattel.com/Playback
Broadway Comeback
Broadway is finally coming back. Starting today, tickets for some of the most successful shows in theater history will go on sale again. That includes Hamilton, The Lion King, and Wicked. Cast members from all three of those fan favorites came together to announce that they’ll be live on stage starting September 14th. Chicago will premiere on that date too and other shows will welcome audiences back soon after. The theater industry and the thousands of people it employs have been struggling for more than a year because of the pandemic, but it looks like that could start to change this fall.
Read More: GMA, Deadline, Variety, NY Post
Work Wednesday: Job Openings Reach Record
Even though hiring hasn’t quite reached expectations, there are more jobs open than ever before in the U.S. The Labor Department says at the end of March, there were a record 8.1 million job openings and new data shows the most growth is happening in industries like construction, manufacturing, arts, and hospitality. However, businesses say they’re struggling to find people who are able and willing to take the roles. Economists say some people might be worried about getting COVID-19. Others might not have adequate child care. Then, some people still want to take advantage of expanded jobless benefits while they last.
Read More: WSJ, Fox Business, Bloomberg, CNBC