Monday, May 17th, 2021
UN Urges Ceasefire, Mask Mandates End & Tax Day
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 to review the latest happenings...
Israeli-Palestinian Violence
The worst violence between Israelis and Palestinians in several years is getting more intense. Israel’s airstrikes have leveled some of the tallest buildings in Gaza including a high rise that was home to major media outlets like the Associated Press and Al Jazeera. Israel’s leaders say militants from the Hamas group were working inside that building too. Israeli airstrikes have also damaged or destroyed refugee camps, schools, and hospitals. On the other side, Palestinians in Gaza have now fired at least 3,000 rockets into Israel. However, Israel has been able to intercept many of them, so not all have done damage.
Read More: BBC, NY Times, Times of Israel, AP, Axios
UN Security Council Meets
President Biden made calls to both Palestinian and Israeli leaders, asking them to avoid killing more civilians. Since the latest round of fighting started about a week ago, at least 188 Palestinians and 10 Israelis have been killed and many of them were bystanders. Also over the weekend, the United Nations Security Council held its first open meeting about the conflict. The UN secretary-general opened up the talks by calling for a ceasefire, saying the situation could spiral out of control if a solution isn’t negotiated. However, Israel’s prime minister says, for now, attacks are continuing with full force.
Read More: Axios, NPR, CNBC, UN, USUN
Robert Durst Murder Trial Resumes
Today, a high-profile murder trial is getting underway again. New York real estate heir Robert Durst is on trial for killing his best friend. Susan Berman was shot and killed more than two decades ago. Prosecutors say Durst wanted her dead so she couldn’t tell police she helped him cover up another murder. Durst’s wife disappeared in the 1980s and prosecutors say Durst is responsible for that one too. His trial started for the first time last year. However, it had to be delayed because of COVID-19. Today, the same jurors will come back to court. The judge will question them to see if they can still be impartial. Then, opening statements will begin again.
Read More: AP, NY Post, CNN, The Hill
Palisades Fire Evacuations
A southern California wildfire is growing out of control and authorities say it looks like one person started it. At last check, it had burned through more than two square miles of land and the fire was 0% contained. About 1,000 people have evacuated in Topanga Canyon, about 20 miles west of downtown Los Angeles. So far, no injuries have been reported, but the fire could still grow. Officially, the cause is still under investigation, but firefighters say last night, they were questioning a possible arson suspect.
Read More: LA Times, USA Today, CNN, ABC News, LA County Fire
China Landed Spacecraft on Mars
China landed a spacecraft on Mars for the first time. It happened over the weekend and that makes China the only nation besides the U.S. to land on the red planet. Like NASA’s Perseverance rover, China's rover will look for signs of life on Mars and analyze the soil and atmosphere for further research. A NASA official congratulated China and says he looks forward to seeing how this can help the global scientific community better understand Mars.
Read More: Reuters, AP, ARS Technica, NY Times, Space News, NASA
New Tax Deadline Reminder
Today is the deadline for most Americans to submit their 2020 federal tax returns. They are usually due in mid-April, but the IRS extended the deadline this year. The federal agency has been working to clear a backlog caused in part by the pandemic. The IRS also had to make changes that came with the last stimulus package from Congress. However, if you live in Texas, Oklahoma, or Louisiana, you have another month to get your taxes done. The deadline for those states is June 15th because of severe winter storms that hit a few months ago.
Read More: ABC News, CNBC, CNET, CBS News, WaPo, IRS
Retailers Drop Mask Requirements
Mask requirements have been dropped at national chains like Walmart, Publix, Trader Joe’s, and Starbucks for people who are fully vaccinated. However, there are exceptions in places with local mask mandates still in effect. It won’t be easy to know who is vaccinated, so it will mostly rely on an honor system. Critics say that puts essential workers in harm’s way if unvaccinated people don’t wear masks. Leaders for two major unions representing nurses, retail, and factory workers are asking the CDC to rethink its mask guidelines.
Read More: CBS News, USA Today, Fox Business, NY Times, Walmart, CDC
Pandemic Puppies Being Returned
Pets adopted during the pandemic are now getting returned to animal shelters in record numbers. A large number of shelter dogs were being adopted or fostered when the pandemic first started. People said they wanted to have a new pet to keep them company while they worked and went to school from home. Now, some people say they don’t have time to care for their pets anymore or they didn’t realize how much training they would need. Sadly, now that the dogs are a little older, it might be tougher to find them a new family.
Read More: USA Today, NY Post, The Hill, HuffPost
Rombauer Won the Preakness
A horse named Rombauer pulled off a surprise win at this weekend’s Preakness Stakes. That means there won’t be a triple crown winner this year. To win the triple crown, a horse has to take home the trophy at all three major races. However, a different horse, Medina Spirit, won the Kentucky Derby. Medina Spirit held the lead for much of the Preakness Stakes along with another horse, Midnight Bourbon, but Rombauer caught up in the final turn and took control. It was the first major win for his trainer, Mike McCarthy.
Read More: ESPN, CBS Sports, USA Today, NBC Sports
Houston Tiger Found Safe
The tiger spotted wandering around a Houston, Texas neighborhood last week was finally found safe over the weekend. It’s now being cared for by an animal sanctuary. It turns out the tiger is about nine months old and his name is India. The ordeal started when neighbors spotted the tiger and called the police. A man seen with the cat was arrested, but the tiger was nowhere to be found for the last week. Now, police say the man’s wife eventually surrendered the tiger and told police India was never loose in the city.
Read More: NBC News, AP, ABC News, Houston Police
Money Monday: Used Car & Truck Prices Soar
If you’re looking to buy a used car, you can expect to pay a lot more for it. Prices for used cars and trucks went up by 10% last month alone. That’s the highest surge in nearly seven decades. The average sticker price for new vehicles has also gone up. It’s happening, in part, because of increased demand. As pandemic restrictions ease, more Americans are in the market for a new vehicle. However, automakers haven’t been able to put out as many new ones as they’d like to because of a global chip shortage. That shortage could last until 2023.
Read More: Fox Business, Business Insider, AP, CNBC, Consumer Reports