Wednesday, June 8th, 2022
McConaughey’s Plea, 4th Covid Vaccine? & Common Chargers
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 reading about the latest happenings…
DHS Extremist Threat Warning
The DHS released a bulletin to warn there could be an increased threat of violence over the next six months, with extremists trying to use current events to justify it. It points to a few things like a divisive Supreme Court decision about abortion coming out soon, grievances about an increase of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border, the midterm elections this fall, and recent mass shootings that could inspire copycats. The DHS and FBI are now working with state and local law enforcement, and the federal government has increased grant funding to local governments and religious organizations to improve security.
Read More: AP, Reuters, Fox News, Axios, DHS
Resources to Stay Safe: DHS
Senate Gun Talks Progress
U.S. Senators are calling for patience as they work toward a compromise on gun reform. For now, they are focused on a narrow set of proposals. One of the latest ones they’re talking about is an extended waiting period for people under 21 who want to buy weapons. The idea is that investigators who do background checks would get more time to look into confidential juvenile records that are usually sealed since they could turn up some mental problems or criminal histories. Senators are also considering things like red flag laws, more funding for mental health and school security, and more. Senators are hoping to come to an agreement this week.
Read More: WaPo, Reuters, WSJ, NPR
McConaughey Speaks at White House
This week, shooting survivors and victims’ family members have been testifying in public hearings about the damage gun violence has had on their lives. Also yesterday, Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey met with President Biden and key lawmakers. Then, he made an emotional call to Congress to pass gun reforms. McConaughey is from Uvalde, Texas, where a shooter killed 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school two weeks ago. He told their stories and asked lawmakers to pass legislation in honor of them.
Read More: CBS News, AP, Fox News, Axios, NY Times
World Bank Lowers Global Growth Forecast
Many countries around the world might be dealing with a recession soon. That’s according to the latest report from the World Bank. It predicts global growth will slow to 2.9% this year, down from 5.7% last year. It also doesn’t predict a big turnaround next year or the year after. It points to a few problems, from the war in Ukraine to rising energy and food prices to supply chain issues. The World Bank says all that could lead to 1970s-style stagflation. Stagflation happens when economic growth slows and unemployment rises but still doesn’t bring down inflation. The situation is expected to be especially bad in developing countries.
Read More: CNBC, NY Times, WaPo, WSJ, AP
FDA Panel Recommends Novavax Vaccine
A fourth Covid-19 vaccine option could be coming for American adults. A key panel of vaccine experts recommended the FDA authorize the shots from Novavax. The Novavax option uses a different technology from the three on the market. The vaccine is made using small, lab-built pieces of the coronavirus to stimulate immunity in the body. In the Novavax trial, the two-dose vaccine lowered the risk of getting Covid-19 with symptoms by 90%. Most side effects were mild to moderate. There’s no exact timeline for when the doses might become available. The FDA isn’t expected to make a decision right away.
Read More: CNN, Axios, NBC News, WaPo, Novavax
Common Charger Law
The European Union wants to help clear up cable clutter and cut down on electronic waste. A new, first-of-its-kind law will likely require all new smartphones, tablets, digital cameras, hand-held video game devices, headphones, earbuds, portable speakers, and more to use the same type of charging ports (USB-C) by 2024. The same rule will go into effect for laptops by 2026. Critics say it’ll stop innovation. This new law still needs final approval but is expected to get the go-ahead.
Read more: Axios, NY Times, TechCrunch, CNN
Uber + Waymo Collab
Two companies that used to fight over self-driving technology in court are now teaming up! Uber and Alphabet-owned Waymo have apparently looked beyond their legal woes and started a long-term partnership. Waymo’s self-driving big-rigs will be used on Uber Freight, which matches trucks (and drivers, if needed) with businesses looking to ship something.
Read more: CNN, CNET, The Verge, TechCrunch, Waymo
Figure Skating’s Minimum Age
The rules are changing for figure skating. The sport’s governing body voted to gradually increase the minimum age to compete at the highest levels. For the upcoming season, skaters can still be as young as 15, but by the 2026 Winter Olympics and beyond, the minimum age will be 17. The International Skating Union president called it an important and historic decision that is meant to protect the physical, mental and emotional well-being of skaters. This change comes just months after the doping scandal surrounding Russian athlete Kamila Valieva when she was 15.
Read more: NBC Sports, USA Today, NPR, Axios, ISU
NFL Cheerleader First
When this football season starts, one cheerleader will be breaking barriers on the sidelines. Justine Lindsay is one of the newest members of the Carolina Panthers’ cheerleading squad, and it makes her the first openly transgender cheerleader in the NFL. The director of the squad made it clear it was Lindsay’s talent that landed her on the team. On Instagram, Lindsay wrote she’ll work to keep inspiring transgender women like her.
Read more: Buzzfeed, ESPN, NPR, Fox News, Justine Lindsay
Work Wednesday: Impact of Unlimited PTO
A lot of employees are starting to be offered unlimited paid time off. UPTO is now available at big companies like LinkedIn, Netflix, and General Electric. More recently, Wall Street firms like Goldman Sachs started offering it to lure new workers. However, studies have found that when vacation time is unlimited, employees tend to take less of it. When they do take time off, they’re more likely to work while they’re away. HR executives say the issue is that since there’s no fixed number, every day must be cleared by the boss on a case-by-case basis. That makes it tough for workers to figure out how much time they should be taking without feeling guilty.
Read More: Bloomberg, Business Insider, Time, BBC