Monday, June 29th, 2020
Coronavirus Milestones, Historic Votes & BET Awards
All the news you need in less than 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 to review the latest happenings...
Global Coronavirus Milestones
At least 10 million people around the globe have tested positive for COVID-19 and 500,000 have died from it. By both metrics, the U.S. is the worst off, with far more cases and deaths reported than in any other country. The Washington Post calls Florida, Texas, and Arizona the new epicenters of the virus. All three have been reporting record numbers of new infections for the last few weeks. Hospitalizations have also spiked.
Read More: WSJ, AP, Axios, Johns Hopkins
Masks Encouraged
In Texas over the weekend, Vice President Mike Pence wore a mask and encouraged others to do the same. That’s different from the president who has not been seen wearing a mask publicly. President Trump has also made fun of former Vice President Biden for wearing one. Pence did caution that masks alone won’t do the trick. He also told people to practice social distancing and stay away from senior citizens.
Read More: NBC News, WaPo, WSJ
“Window is Closing” to Get Virus Under Control
HHS Secretary Alex Azar warns “the window is closing” to curb the spread of the new coronavirus. He says it’s up to local officials to do more testing in hard-hit areas and isolate those who have COVID-19. Azar says if we don’t control it now, cases could spiral out of control.
Read More: CNN, Axios, Politico
Russia Offers Bounties to Kill U.S. Troops
Russia was reportedly behind an international plot to kill American troops and the Trump administration may have been keeping it quiet for months. The New York Times cited American intelligence officials who say a Russian spy unit offered to pay Taliban-linked militants to kill U.S. troops in Afghanistan. The Times also said intelligence officials briefed President Trump about this back in March. However, President Trump denies that. He suggested the report was inaccurate and called on the paper to reveal its anonymous sources.
Read More: AP, NY Times, FOX News, Reuters, Trump Tweet
Trump Shares “White Power” Video
President Trump shared a video that showed one of his supporters chanting “white power.” He retweeted it and wrote a message thanking the “great people” in the video. However, he appeared to have deleted it about three hours later after backlash. The White House released a statement saying the president didn’t hear what the man was yelling. Trump hasn’t personally responded.
Read More: ABC News, Reuters, NBC News, CNN, Biden Response
Mississippi Flag Vote
Mississippi lawmakers voted to change the state flag and take the confederate symbol off of it. The governor says he plans to sign the measure into law. Once he does, the flag will have to be removed from government buildings within 15 days. A commission will then be tasked with finding a new flag that doesn’t reference the confederacy. It will be up to voters to approve a new design in November.
Read More: WaPo, Reuters, WSJ
DC 51st State Vote
The U.S. House approved making Washington D.C. the 51st state. However, it likely won’t go anywhere. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he won’t bring the legislation up for a vote in the U.S. Senate. Even if he did, President Trump wouldn’t sign it. Washington, D.C. wants to be a state to get representation in Congress. However, Republicans are against it. They say Democrats are just making a power grab since D.C. is unlikely to elect any conservatives.
Read More: The Week, NPR, USA Today, WaPo, Bowser Tweet
New Facebook Policy
Facebook announced it’s going to get more aggressive about moderating political posts and labeling those that don’t follow the rules. Until now, the social network has had a hands-off approach, saying it didn’t want to interfere with free speech. However, critics argue Facebook allows hate speech and misinformation on its platform. Some of those critics are advertisers who have taken part in a boycott. Companies like Honda, Verizon, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Starbucks, and Hershey all decided to pull ads. They represent billions of dollars.
Facebook Labeling Rule-Breaking Posts: AP, Engadget, NPR, Facebook
Major Brands Join Facebook Ad Boycott: CNN, Mashable, USA Today, FOX Business, WSJ
Boeing to Begin Max Test Flights
Starting today, Boeing is allowed to send its 737 Max jet back in the air for test flights. The planes were grounded worldwide in April 2019 because of two deadly crashes. Boeing spent a year updating the flight control software since the old one was deemed faulty. It made other changes too. If all goes well with test flights, it could still be months before passengers fly in the Max jets again.
Read More: WSJ, Reuters, NY Times
Kanye West Brings Yeezy to Gap
Kanye West is about to bring his high-fashion clothing line to an affordable clothing company. The rapper’s Yeezy brand is partnering with Gap. Kanye’s adult and children apparel will reportedly show up in stores starting next year. However, it won’t include the signature Yeezy sneakers. One analyst predicts the new partnership will bring in at least $1 billion in revenue.
Read More: AP, NY Times, Forbes, Gap
BET Awards
Black Entertainment Television honored the best in entertainment, culture, and social justice. The 20th annual BET awards happened last night. It was held virtually because of the pandemic, but it still included a few highly-produced, pre-recorded performances. One highlight came when former First Lady Michelle Obama presented the humanitarian award to Beyoncé. Roddy Ricch won album of the year and best new artist. Issa Rae won best actress. Michael B. Jordan won best actor. The best male and female athlete awards went to LeBron James and Simone Biles.
Read More: AP, Billboard, BET
Monday Monday: U.S. Rents Decreasing
The cost of rent is going down in some big American cities. Rates have reportedly dropped in places like San Francisco, New York, and Boston. That’s because landlords are dealing with an increase in vacant properties. Experts say prices dropped the most for luxury apartments. However even smaller, one-bedrooms have gotten noticeably cheaper.
Read More: CNN, Zumper