Friday, May 15th, 2020
Senator Stock Scandal, World’s First Trillionaire? & Apple’s Virtual Reality
All the news you need in less than 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by www.NETGEAR.com/bestwifi and www.MagicSpoon.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...
New CDC Reopening Guidance
The CDC posted new guidance for schools, businesses, mass transit agencies, and more. It created 6 flow-charts which ask “yes” or “no” questions to guide organizations to either stay closed or open and monitor the situation. However, they’re scaled back from what the CDC first drafted. The White House called more specific guidelines too restrictive. These give broader advice.
Read More: AP, NPR, CDC (look under 'Keeping Communities Safe')
Whistleblower Testifies
A top vaccine doctor who was forced out of his job last month gave a stark warning on Capitol Hill. Dr. Rick Bright told lawmakers the U.S. is unprepared for the worst of the pandemic, which he believes is still ahead. He is calling for a better national strategy to combat the virus. President Trump said he doesn’t know Dr. Bright personally, but that he seems like a “disgruntled employee.”
Read More: WSJ, ABC News, WaPo, Axios
Sen. Burr Stock Sale Investigation
The FBI is investigating a U.S. senator for possible insider trading. Earlier this week, federal agents seized Sen. Richard Burr’s cell phone as evidence. They want to know if he sold off stocks, based on information he learned in intelligence briefings. During the probe, Sen. Burr is stepping down from his role as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, saying it could be a distraction. However, the Republican from North Carolina is still a senator and a member of the committee. Burr claims he did nothing wrong, and only based his decisions on news reports.
Read More: The Hill, LA Times, NBC News, CBS News
Unemployment Claims
At least 36.5 million Americans have now lost their jobs during the coronavirus pandemic. That’s after the U.S. Labor Department reported another 3 million new jobless claims last week. Also, a new report predicts damage to some businesses, particularly restaurants, could be permanent. OpenTable says 1 in 4 American restaurants will go out of business, and those that reopen likely won’t make as much money as they did before the crisis.
Latest Jobless Report: CNBC, Politico, CNN
Restaurant Closures: Axios, Bloomberg
Free Headspace Subscription to Unemployed
The meditation app, Headspace, is offering a free one-year subscription to all unemployed Americans. The company says it’s doing this since the pandemic has taken such a drastic toll on mental health. To sign up for free meditations, you just have to let the app know where you used to work and when you lost your job. It’s not clear how it will verify the information. The app is also offering free subscriptions to frontline workers.
Read More: TechCrunch, Mashable, Axios, Headspace
NASCAR to Resume Sunday
NASCAR is preparing to hold its first race in 2 months this weekend. “The Real Heroes 400” is set for Sunday at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina. However, there won’t be any fans in the stands and the race will reportedly happen without practice. That means racers won’t know what to expect from their cars until the first turn.
Read More: AP, ESPN, Fox News
Apple Buys NextVR
Apple reportedly purchased NextVR. The startup had been producing live and recorded events in virtual reality. It’s not clear yet what Apple wants with it, but there are rumors the tech giant wants to release some kind of headset or special glasses. So far, Apple hasn’t commented.
Read More: Bloomberg, CNBC, The Verge
Amazon Face Shields
Amazon is producing and selling face shields. The company says it will make hundreds of thousands of them over the next few weeks. The price on Amazon will be about a third of what’s currently available. At first, the face shields will be limited to frontline workers, like doctors and nurses, since they need them to safely treat COVID-19 patients. Later, the public will be able to buy them too.
Read More: USA Today, Engadget, Amazon
Bezos Could Become Trillionaire
A new report says Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is on track to become the world’s first trillionaire. Software-review site, Comparison, expects he will be worth a trillion dollars by 2026. It looked at Amazon’s average yearly growth percentage from the last 5 years and applied that to future years. However, Vox calls the prediction “overblown,” since it makes a lot of assumptions. The report also predicts Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg could join the new trillionaire’s club 10 years after Bezos, in 2036.
Read More: USA Today, Business Insider, Vox, Comparisun
Remote Graduation Ceremonies
Even though traditional commencement ceremonies have been canceled, there are other options for graduates to celebrate this weekend. First, Facebook is holding an online graduation ceremony today, featuring speakers like Oprah Winfrey, Simone Biles, and J.J. Watt. It starts at 2 p.m. ET on Facebook Watch. Tomorrow night, another graduation special will air on ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC. Former President Barack Obama will deliver the commencement address. Other people, like Lebron James, Malala Yousafzai, and the Jonas Brothers will be featured. The hour-long special starts at 8 p.m. ET.
Facebook’s Virtual Graduation: Today, Variety, Facebook
Graduate Together Event: Deadline. AP. Graduate Together
Feel Good Friday: Nacho-Making Fundraiser
Food Network host Guy Fieri and actor Bill Murray are battling it out in a nacho-making contest tonight. They’re hoping to raise money for restaurant employees who have been affected by the pandemic. Fieri and Murray will each have to build a plate of nachos. They’ll be judged by Shaquille O’Neal and Terry Crews. You can watch the showdown tonight at 5 ET on the Food Network’s Facebook page.
Read More: EW, YouTube, Thrillist, CNN