Thursday, May 20th, 2021
Capitol Riot Probe, ‘Heartbeat’ Abortion Ban & EU Open for Travel?
All the news you need in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by Rothys.com/newsworthy and Ritual.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 to peruse the latest happenings...
House Approves Riot Commission
Emotions are running high on Capitol Hill as Democrats and Republicans are split on another high-profile issue. This time, it’s whether to investigate the January 6th Capitol invasion. Congress has been thinking about creating a bipartisan, independent commission to investigate the deadly riot. Supporters, mostly Democrats, say the commission is crucial to fully understand the event and prevent another one like it. But House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy says he would only support it if it also looks into violent incidents involving more left-leaning groups, citing Antifa and Black Lives Matter. Still, the U.S. House passed the bill, but now it’s not clear if it can pass the Senate next.
Read More: WSJ, AP, Reuters, Axios, NY Times
Controversial Bodycam Footage Released
Newly-released bodycam footage from Louisiana law enforcement is sparking new questions about a deadly arrest that happened two years ago. It shows white Louisiana state troopers punching, dragging, and using a stun gun on a Black man. Already, there’s a federal civil rights investigation into this case. Since it’s ongoing, officials have said they wouldn’t release the footage, but the AP somehow got a hold of it anyway. In this video, you can hear Ronald Greene apologize after leading the troopers on a high-speed chase. He also says “I’m scared.” Then, things get very violent. Now, Greene’s mother says he was murdered, and she’s suing over it. Louisiana State Police, so far, haven’t commented.
Read More: AP, CBS News, Reuters, Axios
Texas Bans Most Abortions
Texas just became the largest state to ban most abortions. The governor signed into law one of the most restrictive abortion measures in the country. It bans the procedure as soon as doctors can detect a fetal heartbeat, so from six to eight weeks into a pregnancy. Similar “heartbeat” bills have been passed by other states too, but this one is different because it’s not going to be up to the government to enforce the law. It says private citizens will have the power to sue abortion providers or anyone else who helped someone get an abortion. Abortion rights advocates are promising to file lawsuits and try to block it.
Read More: Texas Tribune, Austin American-Statesman, NPR, Reuters, WSJ
“Zombie Fires” in Canada, AK
Scientists up north are looking into an outbreak of so-called “zombie fires.” Those are fires that start in one season, smolder underground during the wet, cold winter, and then pop up again with real flames in the Spring. In other words, they refuse to die, just like zombies. A new study found they’re becoming more common, especially in places like Canada and Alaska. Researchers say climate change is likely to blame since it’s made fires more common overall, and they also say these zombie fires could be contributing to climate change, too.
Read More: Axios, NY Times, CNN, Wired, Journal Nature
E.U. to Reopen to Vaccinated Travelers
The European Union is opening back up to tourists. The governing body announced an agreement yesterday that lays out new terms for reopening borders. It says member countries should let in visitors who have gotten COVID-19 vaccines as long as those vaccines were approved by the World Health Organization. All the vaccines offered in the U.S. fall into that category. The E.U. also put in a so-called “emergency brake,” meaning officials could still shut down travel from specific countries if COVID-19 rates were to suddenly spike again. Keep in mind: the E.U.'s guidelines may not be the same across every country.
Read More: Bloomberg, WaPo, USA Today, WSJ, European Commission, EU Commissioner for Home Affairs
Ford’s Electric Pickup Truck
Ford officially unveiled its highly-anticipated, all-electric pickup truck. It’s called the F-150 Lightning. The base model will cost about $40,000 and will be able to go 230 miles on a single charge. Another one will be able to go further - about 300 miles - but it will cost about $15,000 more. The traditional F-150 has been America’s most popular vehicle each year for the past four decades.
Read More: The Verge, Techcrunch, NPR, YouTube
Kia’s First All-Electric Vehicle with AR Windshield
Kia has officially unveiled its first all-electric vehicle: the EV6. This sporty crossover comes with an augmented reality windshield, meaning it’ll have 3D navigation and other vehicle info on the glass in front of you. The goal is to keep the driver’s eyes on the road. It is set to go on sale in 2022.
Read More: USA Today, Techcrunch, Autoblog
Crypto Market Plunges
Some top cryptocurrencies have been crashing this week. The value of the cryptocurrency market as a whole dropped by about half-a-trillion dollars since Tuesday. Bitcoin alone lost about $70 billion in 24 hours. Of course, cryptocurrencies are known for their volatility, but even by those standards, this has been a wild fall. So what’s happening? There are a few reasons for the downturn. For example, the China Banking Association told banks not to accept virtual currencies for payment or provide services that use them.
Read More: WSJ, CNBC, Reuters, Business Insider, AP
Roku Originals Launches with Quibi Content
The Roku channel is debuting more than two dozen so-called “Roku originals” today, but really, some of the shows were first created for the now-failed app, Quibi. Quibi was a start-up mobile streaming platform that got a lot of hype and nearly $2 billion in Hollywood investments. Yet, it shut down after only a few months last year. When the app didn’t last, Roku bought up the content. The titles now available on Roku today include, “Chrissy’s Court” starring Chrissy Teigen, a reboot of MTV’s “Punk’d” hosted by Chance the Rapper, and more.
Read More: Techcrunch, Variety, Deadline, Roku
Thing To Know Thursday: Calls to Cancel The Olympics
A top medical organization in Japan is now calling for the 2021 summer Olympics to be canceled. Keep in mind the Olympics are set to start in just about two months on July 23rd. The Tokyo Medical Practitioners Association says hospitals there are already nearing capacity, even before athletes fly in from all over the world to compete. And it’s not just doctors who are voicing their concerns. A recent poll by a Japanese newspaper found 83% of voters nationwide feel the Olympics should be canceled or postponed. That said, the president of the International Olympic Committee says the games will go on and the Olympic village will be safe.
Read More: NPR, Reuters, AP, BBC