Friday, May 14th, 2021
Masks Come Off, Hackers’ Pay Day & Basketball Hall of Fame
All the news you need in around 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by Framebridge.com (Listen for the discount code) and BetterHelp.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 the latest happenings...
CDC Mask Guidance Update
Federal health officials now say in most situations, people who are fully vaccinated can stop wearing masks or keeping their distance. This was detailed in new CDC guidelines. Health officials say they decided to issue new advice now that they can see how the vaccines are working in the real world. New cases, hospitalizations, and deaths are dropping dramatically. That said, there are exceptions to the new guidelines. The CDC says people still need to wear masks in crowded places like planes or on public transit, as well as in healthcare settings or at businesses that require them.
Read More: Reuters, CNBC, NY Times, Fox News, CDC
Mideast Violence Increases
People in the middle east are seeing some of the worst fighting between Israeli and Palestinian forces. The death toll is climbing on both sides. Early this morning, Israel attacked Gaza with forces both in the air and on the ground. On the other side, the Palestinian militant group Hamas has been firing hundreds of rockets toward Israel. These confrontations are because of decades-old tensions alongside new triggers. Diplomats from the U.S., Europe, and the middle east have been scrambling to broker a cease-fire agreement. However, so far, there aren’t any signs of progress.
Read More: BBC, WaPo, NY Times, WSJ
‘Havana Syndrome’ Update
The New York Times cites sources who say the so-called Havana Syndrome has affected more than 130 people. That’s more than twice as many as what’s been previously reported. They’re not just happening in Havana, Cuba either. The new total adds cases from Asia and Europe and even a couple in the U.S. The Havana Syndrome refers to brain injuries that seem to come out of nowhere. Symptoms include nausea, headaches, and vertigo. So far, the government hasn’t been able to figure out who or what is responsible.
Read More: NY Times, Politico, Business Insider
DC Police Cyberattack
Police in the nation’s capital are dealing with the fallout of a hack that experts are calling the worst-known ransomware attack to ever hit an American police department. The D.C. police refused to meet the hacker group’s demands, so thousands of confidential documents were leaked onto the dark web yesterday. They included personal information about police officers, intelligence reports, police tactics, and more. Officials say the Russian-speaking Babuk Group was behind it. The FBI is helping to investigate.
Read More: AP, NBC News, Fox News, WaPo
Colonial Pipeline Paid Hackers
Colonial Pipeline reportedly paid Eastern European hackers a ransom of nearly $5 million worth of cryptocurrency to recover stolen data. Bloomberg says it did that within hours of the cyberattack last week and in return, the hackers gave the company a decrypting tool to get the computer network running again. However, it was so slow, the company couldn’t use it. IT had to use its backups and the pipeline wasn’t in service for days. So far, Colonial hasn’t commented on the ransom.
Read More: Bloomberg, WSJ, NY Times, The Hill, Reuters
Children Using Social Apps Study
A new study from the nonprofit Thorn found at least 40% of children between the ages of 9-12 use apps like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok every day. Nearly 80% use YouTube. The study found many of them are facing abuse, harassment, or sexual solicitation from adults on the same platforms. Most of the kids are reporting the behavior to the tech platforms and blocking the users. However, it’s not always working. The social media platforms named in the study say they’ve been taking steps to make sure they have age-appropriate content for kids. They also highlighted ways they’ve tried to make their platforms safer.
Read More: The Verge, Business Insider, Bloomberg, Thorn
Amazon Hiring 75K Workers w/ Higher Pay
Some of the largest companies in the U.S. are hoping to find more employees by bumping up their pay. Amazon just said it’s hiring 75,000 new workers at warehouses and offering $1,000 signing bonuses in some locations. Amazon is also reportedly offering an average pay of $!7 an hour, higher than the typical $15 an hour starting wage. Costco, Walmart, and other big companies have also announced pay raises in recent weeks.
Read More: WSJ, Fox Business, AP
McDonald’s 10% Wage Increase
Fast-food restaurants are still going on hiring sprees. McDonald’s says it’s looking for 10,000 new workers over the next three months. The company also says it will raise hourly wages by an average of 10%. Entry-level employees can now expect at least $11 an hour. Managers will make more. However, the pay raises will only apply at the restaurants McDonald’s owns. That’s about 5% of them. The rest are owned by independent franchisees and those owners set their wages.
Read More: AP, CNBC, NY Times
Michael Jordan to Present Kobe Bryant at HOF
Expect a few emotional moments at tomorrow’s Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony. NBA legend Michael Jordan will present the late Kobe Bryant for the Hall of Fame. Jordan has said he thought of Bryant as a younger brother. Other Hall of Fame inductees include two 15-time NBA all-stars Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan, as well as 10-time WNBA all-star Tamika Catchings, and more. The ceremony airs tomorrow evening on ESPN.
Read More: ESPN, NBC Sports, CNN
List of Inductees & How to Watch: Hall of Fame
Medina Spirit Allowed to Run in Preakness
The horse Medina Spirit still has a chance to win the triple crown. Officials have now given the go-ahead for the Kentucky Derby winner to compete in this weekend’s Preakness Stakes in Baltimore, Maryland. Medina Spirit failed a drug test after winning the Kentucky Derby. It was said to have too much of an anti-inflammatory drug in its system. Now, the horse is getting extra drug testing and monitoring leading up to race day this weekend. The Preakness Stakes is set to air on NBC tomorrow afternoon.
Read More: AP, CNN, CNBC, CBS Sports, NBC Sports
‘Friends’ Reunion Release Date
The highly-anticipated Friends reunion finally has a release date. It’s coming out May 27th, exactly one year after it was first supposed to debut. It got delayed many times because COVID-19 caused production shutdowns. Now, it’s ready to go. It will feature all six original “friends” as well as a few big-name guest stars like Justin Bieber, BTS, Lady Gaga, Mindy Kaling, and Malala Yousafzai. To be clear, it’s not going to be an episode. It’s said to be an unscripted celebration of the beloved show that originally aired in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Read More: Variety, Billboard, CNN, Warner Media
Feel Good Friday: Golfer With Down Syndrome Makes History
Amy Bockerstette became the first person with down syndrome to compete for a collegiate national championship. The 22-year-old plays for Paradise Valley Community College in Phoenix. Her team didn’t win the title, but as Bockerstette said before the competition started, she hoped to show that anyone with down syndrome was capable of achieving their dreams. A couple of years ago, she and her family launched the I Got This Foundation. It teaches people with intellectual disabilities how to play golf.
Read More: CBS News, Today, Golfweek, I Got This Foundation