Wednesday, June 1st, 2022
Social Media Law Blocked, Military Milestone & Robots at Work
All the news you need in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp.com/newsworthy and TommyJohn.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…
Uvalde in Mourning
The governor of Texas issued a state of emergency for the grieving city of Uvalde. This will help the state keep crisis response resources coming for those who need them. For example, there is a temporary facility for people seeking mental health support and other resources. So far, the facility has been busy. Since Uvalde is a small city, almost everyone knew at least one of the 19 children and two adults who were killed in last week’s school shooting.
Read More: Axios, The Hill, NY Times, Reuters, Gov. Abbott
Police Chief Not Cooperating
The local school district’s police chief has been facing a lot of criticism in Uvalde. Authorities say he’s the one who decided against immediately storming the classroom where the shooter opened fire. Now, he’s reportedly stopped cooperating with state investigators who have been looking into the response. State police say he gave them a statement right after the shooting. Then, three days ago, they requested a follow-up interview and never heard back.
Read More: Austin American Statesman, Fox News, CNN, ABC News
SCOTUS Blocked Texas Social Media Law
The Supreme Court blocked a controversial Texas law that would have stopped social media companies from moderating certain content on their platforms. The high court justices didn’t weigh in on the merits of the law but said it should be put on hold while lower federal courts make more long-term decisions. The law says platforms like Facebook and Twitter can’t ban users or remove their posts based on political viewpoints. It would have let the state of Texas or individual users sue companies over that kind of issue. However, two industry trade groups sued, saying if the law was in effect, hateful content would run rampant online.
Read More: Texas Tribune, CNBC, Fox Business, NY Times, Supreme Court
US Sending Ukraine Rocket Systems
The U.S. decided to send Ukrainians more advanced rocket systems to give them a better edge on the battlefield. Ukrainian leaders have been begging for the high-tech weapons. However, there’s been concern that giving too powerful weapons could help Ukraine hit targets deep within Russia, escalating the war further. Ukrainian officials reportedly have promised to only use the new rocket systems within their borders. Unlike weapons Ukraine already has, these will help Ukrainian troops strike targets more precisely and from further away.
Read More: Politico, AP, NY Times, WSJ, President Biden’s Op-Ed
Shanghai Ending Lockdown
A two-month lockdown ended in Shanghai, China since the Covid-19 outbreak finally let up. 25 million people live in Shanghai. It’s China’s financial capital, and it’s home to the world’s busiest port, making it crucial for global supply chains. Factories were only allowed to stay open if workers slept on-site, so production was limited, particularly at semiconductor plants. That made the global chip shortage worse. Now, people in Shanghai can leave home, return to work, and more. One official survey found manufacturing is starting to pick up too.
Read More: WSJ, AP, Reuters, CBS News
First Woman to Lead Coast Guard
For the first time in history, a woman is set to lead a branch of the American armed forces. Adm. Linda Fagan steps into the role of Coast Guard commandant today, making her the first woman to be the top officer in any of the military services. She was President Biden’s pick, and the Senate confirmed her last month. Before this, she was the Coast Guard’s second in command. President Biden says he hopes this “signals to women and girls across the nation they have a place in protecting their country at the highest level.”
Read More: NY Times, Politico, KGTV, White House
BTS Visits White House
Megastars in the K-pop group BTS stopped by the White House this week. They met with President Biden to talk about putting an end to hate crimes targeting people of Asian descent since the number of those attacks in the U.S. has gone up in the last year. The boy band also discussed the importance of diversity and inclusion. The stars are known for using their lyrics and social campaigns to inspire and empower young people around the world.
Read More: Reuters, Variety, WaPo, USA Today
Pride Month Begins
Today is the start of Pride Month, a time to show support for the LGBTQ community. It’s held in June because of a police raid on a New York City gay bar in June of 1969. People inside resisted arrest that night, and it touched off three days of riots in the city. The first Gay Pride marches began the following year. Now, various Pride Month parades, races, memorials, concerts, workshops, and more happen all around the country throughout the month.
Read More: LOC, Today, People, White House
Virgin Atlantic Allows Visible Tattoos
Virgin Atlantic is now one of the few global airlines to allow their crew to show off their tattoos. The airline lifted its ban on visible body art for its crew this week, saying it wants everyone to express their unique identities and know they belong. The company still bans any visible tattoos showing things like nudity or profanity, though. Also, the ink must be below the neck. This policy change comes as the airline industry scrambles to recruit more staff and meet the demand for flights after the pandemic.
Read More: The Guardian, Fortune, Virgin Atlantic
TikTok Testing ‘Clear Mode’
TikTok is reportedly testing out a “clear mode” feature. It clears all the on-screen clutter. When it’s on, you will no longer see usernames, captions, or buttons as you scroll through the app. In some cases, you can also get rid of likes, comments, and shares. For now, “clear mode” is just being tested with select users. It’s not clear when or if it will roll out more widely. It’s just one of many features TikTok is testing right now. Others include a live mobile gaming feature, a “watch history” feature that makes it easier to rediscover videos you forgot to like, and more.
Read More: TechCrunch, 9to5Mac, Engadget
Mexican Pizza Pulled Again
The beloved Mexican Pizza is off the Taco Bell menu again. The fast-food chain brought it back two weeks ago, and demand ended up being seven times higher than when it was first discontinued in 2020. Now, the whole chain is dealing with shortages. The company says it’s now in talks with suppliers to bring Mexican Pizzas back when they can, and it hopes to have them as a permanent menu item this fall.
Read More: USA Today, CNBC, CNN, Taco Bell
Work Wednesday: More Work for Robots
Companies are leaning on robots to get around the worker shortage. The Association for Advancing Automation says orders for workplace robots in the U.S. have gone up by a record 40% in the last few months as compared to the same time last year. For years, most robot workers in the U.S. have been used in the auto industry, taking on tasks like welding on assembly lines. However, in the last year or so, robots have expanded into other industries like food production, consumer products, and pharmaceuticals. Executives say robots are getting more advanced and easier to use. Also, more employees have embraced them since they’ve struggled to find enough human employees.
Read More: WSJ, Business Insider, Reuters