Thursday, June 24th, 2021
Vaccine Caution, ‘Cursing Cheerleader’ Victory & Strawberry Moon
All the news you need in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp.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...
New Vaccine Heart Warnings
This week, a CDC safety panel found there’s likely a link between the COVID-19 vaccines and cases of inflammatory heart conditions. Experts say those cases have been extremely rare, and when they have happened, it’s been mostly men younger than 30 who were especially impacted after their second shots. Most of the cases have been mild, but about 300 people did end up needing to go to the hospital. Symptoms include chest pain and an irregular heart rhythm. Doctors say the condition is treatable, so health experts don’t want this warning to discourage people from getting their COVID-19 shots.
Read More: Politico, NY Times, CNBC, WaPo, Axios, CDC
Biden’s Anti-Crime Plan
President Biden laid out new efforts to stop a recent spike in violent crime. He told state and local officials to boost their law enforcement capabilities by hiring more officers, paying overtime, and investing in more efficient technology. President Biden is also calling on Congress to do more to stop gun violence, wanting them to ban high-capacity magazines and approve universal background checks. The White House is facing some criticism from both sides, with many Republicans saying Biden’s proposals go against the constitutional right to bear arms, whereas some gun safety advocates say Biden hasn’t made gun reform enough of a priority.
Read More: NPR, AP, WSJ, CNN, White House
First Capitol Riot Sentencing
An Indiana grandmother pleaded guilty to illegally entering the U.S. Capitol and was sentenced to three years of probation. It was the first sentence stemming from the Capitol riot. She won’t spend any time in jail. Almost 500 other people have been charged in federal court with crimes related to the capitol riot, and some of those charges are more serious. Three people are charged with conspiracy for allegedly planning to commit crimes at the Capitol. One man from the extremist group Oath Keepers pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge just yesterday. He could end up spending several years in prison.
Read More: NBC News, NY Post, Axios, Politico
John McAfee Dies in Prison
John McAfee was found dead in his cell in Spain just hours after a court approved his extradition to the U.S. He was the creator of the McAfee antivirus software. At one point, he was said to be worth more than $100 million, but during the 2008 financial crisis, the value of his investments plunged. He sold his company and retired. McAfee said taxes were illegal and refused to pay them for years, allegedly owing the U.S. government more than $4 million. He was arrested in Spain last year and had been there for eight months until his death yesterday.
Read More: NY Times, Reuters, AP, Fox Business
Next West Coast Heatwave
People in the pacific northwest should start preparing for what could be the hottest weather that’s ever been recorded there. Parts of Washington and Oregon are expected to reach temperatures anywhere from 100 to 114 degrees this weekend. The average temperature for June in that part of the country is in the 70s, so a lot of people there don’t have central air conditioning. The National Weather Service suggests those people keep their blinds closed to block sunlight, use fans, and avoid using the oven or stove. The excessive heat is expected to last from tomorrow through at least Monday.
Read More: Weather Channel, WaPo, Axios, USA Today, CNN, NWS
Teen Wins SCOTUS Free Speech Case
High school student Brandi Levy won a free speech case at the Supreme Court. A few years ago, she vented her frustration about not making the varsity cheerleading team by posting a vulgar rant on Snapchat. Someone showed it to the cheerleading coach, and Levy got suspended from the JV squad so Levy and her parents sued the school. This week in an 8-to-1 decision, the Supreme Court sided with Levy. The justices say Levy’s Snapchat message didn’t disrupt school activities, so punishing Levy for her off-campus rant violated her first amendment right to free speech.
Read More: WaPo, AP, CNN, NY Times
Microsoft Debuts New Windows
Today, Microsoft is officially debuting a new version of Windows. It’s the first major update to the operating system in six years. The new Windows is expected to have a redesigned look with app icons moved to the middle of the screen, new color schemes, and new alert sounds. The new version will also reportedly be faster than Windows 10. On top of all that, experts say we can also expect updates to Microsoft’s app store. The announcements are coming at an online event that starts this morning at 11 AM EST.
Watch Livestream of Today’s Event: Microsoft
Read More: The Verge, CNET, CNBC, Tom’s Guide
Amazon Prime Day Numbers
Amazon’s Prime Day broke sales records this year. Prime members bought more than 250 million items worldwide over the two-day event. Amazon says the most popular purchases were for robotic vacuums, coffee makers, and teeth whitening kits. Back to school items were also popular along with tools, electronics, and other household items. Amazon says individual sellers on their site did even better with it being the biggest two-day sales period for third-party sellers in the company’s history. Overall, Americans spent more than $11 billion online on Monday and Tuesday.
Read More: Amazon, INC, CNN, CNET
Conan O’Brien’s Last TBS Show
Conan O’Brien is set to host his final show on TBS tonight. The comedian has been a fixture on late-night TV for nearly 30 years, making him the longest-tenured late-night host. He spent most of that time on NBC as the host of Late Night with Conan O-Brien. His latest show, Conan, debuted on TBS in 2010. His final show will be an hour long, and his last guest will be actor and comedian Jack Black. After the show ends, O’Brien will be working on a new weekly variety show for HBO Max.
Read More: Decider, Newsweek, TMZ, Deadline
Strawberry Moon Tonight
This evening, you could be able to see the last supermoon of the year as long as clouds don’t get in the way. It will be a little bit larger and brighter than a typical full moon. This supermoon is nicknamed the “strawberry moon,” but that doesn’t mean it will look anything like a strawberry. It will look more like a gold ball. The Farmer’s Almanac says Native American groups came up with the name because the supermoon coincides with the time of year that strawberries are ready to be picked. It looks so large and bright because it’s a bit closer to Earth than usual.
Read More: USA Today, NPR, CBS News, Farmer’s Almanac, NASA
Thing to Know Thursday: Supersonic Travel
Supersonic travel may be a reality again soon. United Airlines recently put down a cash deposit for a fleet of supersonic jets. A company called Boom Supersonic is developing the aircraft. Boom’s CEO expects to have them ready for commercial flights by the end of the decade. The aircraft are said to be able to fly as fast as 1,300 miles per hour, which is more than double the speed of a traditional plane. Supersonic travel is currently only allowed on transoceanic routes though because when they travel over land, they create a sonic boom, which sounds like a loud thunderclap or explosion.
Read More: WSJ, BBC, Bloomberg, Axios