Tuesday, June 30th, 2020
Six Month Mark, Supreme Court’s Abortion Ruling & Tip Your Cap Campaign
All the news 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 read the latest happenings...
Pandemic Worsening
Today marks six months since the World Health Organization first heard about an outbreak in China that we now know as COVID-19. This week, the W.H.O. says things are getting worse. The organization’s director said the solution comes down to four steps: test, trace, isolate, and quarantine. However, not all countries are doing that. The situation is escalating the most in the U.S. The AP reports 20% of Americans now live in a virus hot spot.
Coronavirus Cases Keep Spiking: Johns Hopkins, AP
WHO’s New COVID Warning: NPR, AP, WHO, CNBC
More States Slow Reopening
Arizona’s governor once again closed all bars, gyms, and theaters for at least the next month. He also outlawed gatherings of 50 or more people. Florida decided to close popular beaches during the 4th of July weekend. Los Angeles county did the same. Also, Oregon and Kansas made masks mandatory in all public places statewide. They became the 19th and 20th states do make that call.
Read More: Reuters, USA Today, The Arizona Republic
Remdesivir Cost
The only drug proven to treat COVID-19 is set to cost thousands of dollars. Drugmaker Gilead announced the price tag for the typical five-day remdesivir treatment would be about $3,120 per patient on private insurance. However, that’s what the drug companies will charge hospitals. What patients will have to pay depends on things like your insurance coverage and out-of-pocket limits.
Read More: Stat, Vox, Axios, WSJ
SCOTUS Overturns LA Abortion Law
The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Louisiana’s strict abortion law. It required doctors who performed abortions have credentials that let them admit patients at nearby hospitals. Those restrictions would have excluded so many doctors that only one doctor in one clinic would have been able to keep doing procedures in the state. Now, women in Louisiana will have access to all three clinics currently operating there.
Read More: NY Times, WSJ, Reuters, WaPo
Supreme Court on Executive Orders
In another 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court found a consumer watchdog agency is unconstitutional. It stopped short of actually getting rid of the agency, but it does give the president more power to fire its director, even without cause. The Consumer Financial Protection Agency was created in 2010 in the wake of the financial crisis. The current director says the ruling won’t change the agency’s mission to protect U.S. consumers.
Read More: WSJ, CBS News, NYT
Broadway Stays Closed
Broadway will keep its doors closed for the rest of the year. Broadway’s 41 theaters in New York City will remain closed through at least January. They have been shut down since early March. This affects about 87,000 jobs and the loss of billions of dollars. If you do have a ticket to a show for this year, you can get a refund or exchange it for a later date.
Read More: NY Times, Reuters, WaPo
Cirque Du Soleil Bankruptcy
Cirque Du Soleil filed for Bankruptcy. Like Broadway, the famous circus has also been canceling performances since March. Usually, it runs six shows in Las Vegas and others worldwide. Now, it has no revenue. Already the group laid off 3,500 employees. That’s about 95% of its staff. So far, there is not a date for Cirque Du Soleil shows to return.
Read More: Reuters, NBC News, CNN, Tweet
Bagged Salad Recall
Some pre-mixed salad bags have been linked to more than 200 people getting sick in 30 states and Washington, D.C. Fresh Express is recalling its own branded salads and other brands that were sold at Aldi, Hy-Vee, and Walmart stores in the midwest. They’ve been linked to an outbreak of infections caused by a parasite that causes symptoms similar to a stomach virus, but they last much longer.
Read More: Fresh Express, Consumer Reports, CDC
Apple’s Next iPhone Changes
The next generation of iPhones might be sold without a USB charger or wired earbuds. That’s what one analyst is predicting. It would be meant to cut the cost of the next smartphone and its packaging. Of course, many iPhone users already have chargers and their preferred earbuds. If they don’t, and the analyst is correct, they would have to buy them separately.
Read More: CNBC, Mashable
Anti-Face-Touching Necklace
NASA invented jewelry that reminds you not to touch your face. The wearable necklace is called Pulse. It senses when you’re raising your hand to your face, then vibrates to remind you to stop. NASA isn’t selling the necklace itself though. It posted manufacturing instructions online so other people or companies could replicate and distribute it.
Read More: USA Today, Mashable, NASA
Tip Caps to Negro Leagues
Former presidents and legendary athletes got online to mark the 100th anniversary of the Negro Leagues. Stars like Jackie Robinson and Willie Mays changed America’s pastime forever when the Negro Leagues opened baseball up to black athletes. So people paid tribute in the “tipping your cap” campaign. We’re talking about former presidents Carter, Clinton, Bush, and Obama, as well as NBA legend Michael Jordan and baseball icon Derek Jeter.
Read More: WaPo, Sports Illustrated, Today, Reuters, Tip Your Cap 2020