Thursday, May 14th, 2020
Back to School?, Grocery Prices Rise & Facebook Avatars
(+ Mental Health During a Pandemic)
All the news you need in less than 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by www.NETGEAR.com/bestwifi.
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 perusing the latest happenings...
Americans Leave Home Again
Millions more Americans are setting aside their COVID-19 fears and venturing back out into the world. On an average day last week, The New York Times found 25 million more people left their homes than in the previous six weeks. The Times analyzed cell phone data and found the same results in nearly every part of the country. Many don’t have a choice, since dozens of states have been lifting coronavirus-related restrictions, allowing businesses to reopen.
Read More: NY Times, Cuebiq
Trump Presses Schools to Reopen
President Trump is getting more insistent that states need to lift restrictions. Now, he’s specifically saying schools need to reopen. Trump says the coronavirus has “little impact on young people” and the economy can’t rebound if schools are closed. CDC data shows children have been experiencing milder symptoms than other age groups. However, infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, says it’s important to use caution because more research is needed.
Read More: AP, Reuters, Politico, CDC
Kids COVID-related Illness
15 states are now investigating a mysterious illness in children that might be linked to COVID-19. Doctors aren’t sure yet. So far, there are 82 confirmed cases in New York City alone. Of those, Mayor Bill de Blasio says 53 of the kids had tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies, so it could be a rare complication of coronavirus. It’s an inflammatory syndrome, which can be deadly. Symptoms include fever, abdominal pain, a skin rash, and either a racing or slowing heart.
Read More: CNBC, CBS News, Axios
Wisconsin Stay-at-Home Order Overturned
The Wisconsin Supreme Court overturned the state’s stay-at-home order. The Democratic governor had tried to extend the order to May 26, but the Republican-led legislature filed a lawsuit, arguing it would cost too many people their jobs. Ultimately, the state’s highest court agreed, ruling the order was “unlawful” and “unenforceable.” So far, this hasn’t happened in any other state, although there have been legal challenges.
Read More: NPR, CNN, NY Times, Twitter
China Hacking COVID-19 Research
The U.S. government is investigating whether the Chinese government is trying to steal American research about the new coronavirus. The FBI and Homeland Security Department are looking into potential data breaches. They’re urging healthcare and pharmaceutical companies to tighten up their cybersecurity defenses now. A Chinese state-run newspaper responded to the allegations, saying the U.S. government has “totally lost their minds.”
Read More: USA Today, NBC News, Newsweek
Fed Chair Urges More Relief
The Federal Reserve Chairman is pushing Congress to provide more relief money or risk permanently damaging the economy. In a videoconference with an economic think tank, Jerome Powell said only Congress can put money directly Americans’ hands and into American businesses. The Fed has also helped, in part, by slashing interest rates to near zero. For now, Powell says there are no plans to drop them further, below zero.
Read More: NY Times, Axios, WSJ, CNBC
Groceries are Getting More Expensive
In April, grocery food prices saw their highest month-to-month jump in more than 46 years. The Labor Department reports meat, poultry, fish, and eggs prices went up the most, by nearly 4.5%. That’s followed by a nearly 3% hike in the price of cereal and baked goods. Even produce prices rose by 1.5%. It’s happening since grocery store demand is up, and restaurant demand is down. However, producers and farmers couldn’t shift their food deliveries quickly enough. Still, overall consumer prices are down, mostly due to falling gas prices.
Read More: CNBC, CNN, USA Today, Labor Dept
23andMe Genetics Research
A company known for at-home genetics testing is hoping to find out how DNA plays a role in COVID-19 symptoms. 23andMe wants to recruit up to 10,000 people who had such a severe case of COVID-19, they had to go to the hospital. It hopes to identify genetic differences to explain why some patients get critically ill, but others don’t even have symptoms. Ancestry.com is also working to research genetics. It said last week, more than 250,000 of its customers had already stepped up to participate, but it’s not clear how many had COVID-19, or how many had been hospitalized.
Read More: Stat, MIT Tech Review, 23andMe, Ancestry
NASA Funds Lockdown Research
NASA wants to learn about how recent lockdowns have affected the environment, and how that could impact decisions for the future. The space agency is funding 4 research projects. Scientists will use satellites and data, like weather and traffic counts, to study how lower pollution levels have affected the atmosphere and water quality. Findings could be used to decide on transportation policies and environmental regulations.
Read More: Engadget, NASA
Amazon Requests Price Gouging Law
Amazon is calling on Congress to make price gouging a federal crime, at least during national emergencies. In an open letter it said, thousands of sellers have tried to sell necessities, like hand sanitizer and face masks, at inflated prices. It says the problem is laws vary state-by-state, so some people aren’t always held accountable for taking advantage. Amazon wants the same consequences across-the-board. So far, it’s not clear if Congress will take this up.
Read More: The Verge, TechCrunch, Amazon
Facebook Customizable Avatars
Facebook is rolling out customizable avatars in the U.S. They’re stickers that look like you, with your same hairstyle, complexion, and clothing style. The avatars can be used in comments, stories, or messages. To make your own on Facebook, just head to the comment composer, or messenger, and tap the “smiley” button. Then, click the “sticker” tab, and choose “create your avatar.” Facebook is launching the feature now, with a gradual rollout to users.
Read More: The Verge, Engadget, Facebook
Theme Park & National Parks Reopen
Universal Orlando’s entertainment district will partially reopen today. The theme park resort is letting about half a dozen restaurants and a few shops open their doors. Visitors will have to wear masks and be checked for fevers. Disney World also plans to reopen some third-party shops and restaurants next week. Meanwhile, the Grand Canyon will partially reopen tomorrow. Yellowstone will open on a limited basis Monday, but only the south and east parts of the national park, in Wyoming. The parts in Idaho and Montana will stay closed.
Universal Orlando Limited Reopening: AP, FOX Business, Universal
Yellowstone and Grand Canyon to Partially Reopen: CNN, USA Today
Thing to Know Thursday:
MENTAL HEALTH DURING A PANDEMIC
Read more: Washington Post, STAT News, Axios, YouTube: Kati Morton
Guest: Kati Morton
Kati Morton, LMFT holds a Master’s in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University and is a licensed marriage and family therapist. In addition, she is a certified dialectical and behavior therapist and grief counselor and a member of The California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists. She runs a private practice in Santa Monica, CA.
Over the past seven years, Kati has leveraged social media to share mental health information worldwide through video. Kati is well known for her YouTube channel with more than 50 million views. In addition to her YouTube channel and strong presence on social media, she has appeared on the CBS The Doctors, HLN/CNN “Dr. Drew On Call,” E! News, KTLA, Fox News. She also has been featured in CNN, VICE, Glamour UK, Huffington Post, Yahoo, VOX, and many more.
Kati released her first book, Are u ok?: A Guide to Caring for Your Mental Health in December 2018.
Kati’s passion is to increase awareness about mental health. Her online community has expanded to all major internet platforms, allowing her to answer mental health questions from her followers around the world. She hopes by doing this, the global community can push for better services worldwide and remove the stigma associated with getting help.
For more information about Kati, please click here.
Be sure to follow Kati: