Wednesday, May 27th, 2020
Historic Space Launch, Twitter Fact-Checks Trump & HBO Max is Here
All the news you need in 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by www.FunctionofBeauty.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 about the latest happenings…
SpaceX/NASA Rocket Launch
Today, humans will board a SpaceX rocket and launch it into space. This is the first time a private, commercial company will send American astronauts into orbit. It’s also the first time humans will launch from American soil since the space shuttle program was retired in 2011. NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken are scheduled to blast off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 4:33 p.m. ET. They should arrive at the International Space Station just before noon.
Read More: CNN, NBC News, ABC News, Vox
MN Officers Deadly Arrest
Thousands of protesters marched for justice last night, following the death of a black man in Minneapolis police custody. A bystander’s video captured the violent arrest of George Floyd. It shows an officer kneeling on Floyd’s neck, even though he was already in handcuffs and begging for mercy. Eventually, Floyd appears to pass out. An ambulance took him to a hospital where he died. The MPD chief fired all four officers involved in the arrest. The FBI launched an investigation into possible civil rights violations.
Read More: Minneapolis Star Tribune, AP, NBC News
Where COVID-19 is Growing
New data shows how quickly the new coronavirus is spreading in all 50 states. 24/7 Wall Street looked at confirmed new COVID-19 cases per capita last week. It found the five states where the virus is spreading the fastest are Rhode Island, Illinois, Delaware, Massachusetts, and Maryland. In each of those states, the daily infection rate over the last week is more than double the national average. However, overall, the spread of new COVID-19 cases seems to be slowing in the U.S.
Read More: USA Today, 24/7 Wall St, Axios
Remote Voting Debate
The U.S. House had planned to vote remotely on new legislation this week, but top House Republicans sued to stop those plans. They filed a lawsuit that says voting by proxy goes against the constitution. At this point, it’s not clear if the lawsuit will delay plans for lawmakers to work under the new rules.
Read More: NY Times, FOX News, Politico
Twitter Flags Trump Tweets
For the first time, Twitter flagged a couple of tweets from President Trump. The president posted about how mail-in elections can lead to fraud and corruption, but he didn’t cite any specific cases or evidence. So Twitter put a label under the text with a link. It sends you to a page with clarifying information and various news articles about the subject. Trump responded by saying Twitter was interfering with the election and stifling free speech.
Read More: TechCrunch, WSJ, USA Today, Axios
NYSE Rebounds
The trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange reopened for the first time in two months. Investors cheered and stocks surged. The major U.S. indexes rebounded 30% since hitting a 4-year low back in March. There are reportedly two reasons for the comeback. First, U.S. states and other countries are reopening, which could help the economy stabilize. Also, investors are hopeful about the development of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Read More: AP, NY Times, WSJ, CBS News
Boeing, Airbus to Study Coronavirus Spread
Boeing and Airbus are trying to figure out how COVID-19 might spread through jetliners and how they can stop it. The Wall Street Journal reports the 2 companies partnered with engineers and medical experts. The companies are also considering new cleaning methods, like using disinfectants that can last for five days or an ultraviolet light that kills the virus.
Read More: WSJ
Amtrak Cutting Staff
Amtrak is taking drastic measures amid the coronavirus crisis. The passenger train service is reportedly planning to cut 20% of its workforce in the next fiscal year. It says ridership and ticket revenue has fallen 95% since the pandemic began.
Read More: WSJ, The Hill
Apple Reopening More Stores
Apple is reopening about 100 stores in 21 states this week. That means about half of its U.S. locations will be open for business, with some changes. Most of the stores will focus on curbside service. People will be able to pick up online orders that way or get Apple products repaired. Some stores will also be available to walk-in customers. At those, people will be given face masks to wear.
Read More: CNBC, The Verge
HBO Max Launches
The new streaming service HBO Max launches today. It gives subscribers access to HBO’s entire collection, as well as the Cartoon Network, DC Universe movies, and Warner Brothers titles. All of the content is owned by parent company AT&T. HBO Max costs $15/month, which reportedly makes it the most expensive streaming option available.
Read More: The Verge, Engadget, Cnet
New JK Rowling Fairy Tale
Harry Potter author, J.K. Rowling, is publishing a new fairy tale called The Ickabog. She reportedly wrote it for her children as a bedtime story more than a decade ago. Now, she’s letting people read it online for free. The first two chapters are available now. Daily installments will follow until July 10th. Later this year, the book will be published in print. Rowling says the money from the print version will go to help people affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Read More: AP, NY Times, The Ickabog
Work Wednesday: “Back-to-Work Bonuses” Considered
The Trump administration may push Congress to pass “back-to-work bonuses.” They’re laid out in a proposal from an Ohio senator who believes unemployed people need encouragement to return to work. He wants to give them extra cash only after they return to their old jobs or find new ones. This could potentially replace an existing unemployment boost that is set to expire in July. However, Democrats have wanted to extend that increase. Expect a lot more debate on this issue in the weeks to come.
Read More: Forbes, FOX News, WSJ