Monday, June 15th, 2020
Another Shooting Fuels Outrage, Rethinking Reopenings & First Black ‘Bachelor’
All the news you need in less than 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by www.Skillshare.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 review the latest happenings...
Atlanta Police Shooting
Americans are calling for justice for another black man killed by police. This time, it was Rayshard Brooks. He was shot and killed by a police officer Friday night in Atlanta, Georgia. Since then, protesters set fire to the Wendy’s where the shooting happened. The officer who pulled the trigger was fired and the Atlanta police chief stepped down. Officers were first called that night because Brooks had fallen asleep at the wheel in the drive-thru. Police had Brooks take a sobriety test, which he failed. When they tried to arrest him, Brooks grabbed an officer’s Taser and tried to run away. That’s when he was shot.
Read More: AJC, NBC News, CBS News, USA Today, AP
Police Footage, Body Cam 1, Body Cam 2, Dashcam, Surveillance
Weekend Protests
Outside the White House yesterday, thousands of people gathered for an interfaith prayer vigil. Also in Miami, hundreds showed up for a rally organized by faith leaders. Most events were held to protest police brutality and to demand equality. However, others reportedly gathered to show support for police officers in cities like Washington, D.C., Miami, and Tampa.
Read More: AP, WaPo, CNN
Trump West Point Commencement
President Trump called for unity over the weekend as he gave a commencement address at West Point Military Academy. He didn’t directly mention protests or racial injustice, but he did reference recent divisions. He told graduates, “you exemplify the power of a shared national purpose to transcend all differences.”
Read More: ABC News, NY Times, WSJ
Trump Delays Juneteenth Rally
President Trump agreed to reschedule his first in-person rally since early March. The original was scheduled for this Friday in Tulsa, Oklahoma, but Friday also happens to be Juneteenth. Some accused the president of choosing that day on purpose, disregarding the holiday that celebrates the day when the last slaves found out they were free. Trump said it wasn’t intentional and pushed the rally back one day, to Saturday.
Read More: USA Today, Axios, AP, Politico, Reuters
Transgender Protections Erased
A rule change will mean fewer health care protections for transgender people. The original rule banned discrimination based on gender identity. Now, doctors, hospitals, and insurance companies will be able to deny transgender patients, citing religious exemptions. The Trump administration says this will help get rid of “mass confusion,” but critics say it shows the government doesn’t believe LGBTQ people deserve equality. The Human Rights Campaign quickly announced a lawsuit.
Read More: Reuters, NPR, WSJ, HHS
U.S. Coronavirus Hotspots
The number of COVID-19 cases is going up in several states like Alabama, Texas, California, and Florida. So far, nearly 2.1 million people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the U.S. and about 116,000 Americans have died from it. Some public health experts expect these numbers to keep climbing into the fall, but the nation’s top infectious disease expert says they don’t have to. Dr. Anthony Fauci told CNN a second wave is not inevitable, but he urged states to rethink reopening strategies when they see increases in the number of people hospitalized.
Read More: WaPo, Reuters, CNN, CBS News, Johns Hopkins
Gas Prices Rising
Gas prices have been climbing for six straight weeks. Now, AAA says the national average is about $2.10 per gallon. That’s up from $1.74 back in April, but still lower than it was in February: $2.46. Analysts say we should expect prices to keep ticking up as the summer progresses.
Read More: USA Today, AAA
Spanish Soccer Returns
Sports teams are finding new ways to bring crowds to their games. Spain’s La Liga soccer league started using technology. It’s partnering with EA Sports for crowd sounds and a Norweigian tech company for visuals so viewers watching on TV can see computer-generated people in the stadium and hear the roar of the crowd. The NBA and NFL are reportedly considering doing something similar if the new coronavirus still prevents fans from attending games when they resume.
Read More: The Verge, Fox Sports
HBO Go Going Away
The HBO Go app will be retired at the end of July. AT&T Warner Media, the parent company, says it wants to consolidate its apps and push more people to use the new HBO Max. That one includes HBO’s full library and extra content, like shows from Cartoon Network and BBC. However, there is one issue with HBO Max. It’s not available on all streaming devices like Roku and Fire TV.
Read More: The Verge, Engadget, CNET
First Black Bachelor
ABC’s The Bachelor cast a person of color as its lead for the first time. For its upcoming season, ABC picked Matt James, who is black. For years, the show has been criticized for lacking diversity. The network now admits it should not have taken this long to have a black Bachelor and says it’s trying to do better.
Read More: Variety, Fortune, NPR
Monday Monday: Americans Saving More
Americans are saving more money than ever. One U.S. government report found in April, the U.S. personal savings rate hit 33%. That’s the highest personal savings rate ever recorded since the U.S. started keeping track in the 50s. Analysts say it’s largely because people are being cautious about their finances now, and also because the pandemic may have served as a wake-up call that emergency funds are important.
Read More: CNN, WSJ