Wednesday, June 30th, 2021
Dozens of Wildfires, Global Lockdowns & Miss Nevada Makes History
All the news you need in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp.com/newsworthy and Noom.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 reading about the latest happenings…
Condo Collapse Investigation Latest
It’s been almost a week since a Florida condo building collapsed. The death toll is now up to 12 and 149 people are still missing. A team of scientists and engineers is investigating exactly what caused the collapse. For some, the tragedy didn’t come as a surprise as just weeks before the building crumbled, the condo board president wrote a letter to residents warning them about damage at the complex. It said since a 2018 inspection found “major structural damage,” things had only gotten worse. It’s still not clear though if those were the same issues that caused the collapse. It could take months before investigators know for sure.
Read More: NPR, AP, NY Times, Fox News, USA Today
Northwest Blackouts
It seems the historic heatwave in the Pacific Northwest is pushing the electric system to its breaking point. Power companies are having to force some rolling blackouts. One of those companies is Avista Corp, which serves people in Washington, Idaho, and Oregon. Avista is trying to limit those forced outages to just about an hour at a time. The idea is giving the system a break might prevent long-lasting damages that could cause much longer outages. Seattle and Portland are finally getting a bit of a break from the heat. They are expected to see temperatures back in the 80s today.
Read More: AP, Reuters, Bloomberg
Western Wildfires
The peak wildfire season for the western U.S. doesn’t typically start until late July, but already this year, firefighters have had to deal with more than 30,000 fires. One of the worst ones burning now is the so-called lava fire that’s growing in Northern California just west of Mount Shasta. Officials say lightning sparked it late last week. Hundreds of firefighters are working 24-hour shifts to battle it from both the air and the ground. President Biden is meeting governors of western states today to talk about how to address wildfire threats before the real season starts next month.
Read More: SF Chronicle, LA Times, WaPo, NIFC, Inciweb
Afghanistan Security Future
There are new fears about what’s going to happen in Afghanistan once the American troops are out of there in a few weeks. The longest-serving U.S. commander of the Afghanistan mission gave a rare news conference this week, saying Afghanistan could be on a path to a chaotic civil war. In recent weeks, nearly a quarter of Afghanistan’s districts have fallen to the Taliban. Afghan security officials are working to take back the districts while the U.S. is still working on its exit strategy. By the end of next month, the U.S. plans to have only one military unit in Afghanistan that will be assigned to secure the American embassy in Kabul.
Read More: NY Times, AP, WSJ, Al Jazeera
Worldwide Covid Restrictions
Many countries are scrambling to contain the highly infectious Delta variant of COVID-19, and they’re bringing back new restrictions and lockdowns. About 10 million Australians are now under a strict two-week lockdown where everyone has to stay home unless it’s for an essential reason. South Africa also entered a lockdown that’s expected to last at least two weeks. Bangladesh halted all public transportation and Malaysia extended a nationwide shutdown. The World Health Organization says Delta is on track to be the most common variant around the globe, but studies have shown the vaccines on the market are still largely effective against it.
Read More: WaPo, NY Times, CNN, CBS News
Robocall-Fighting Tech Deadline
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) gave major phone providers until today to start using new technology meant to block spam calls. The tech makes sure a call coming into your phone is legitimate by having phone carriers verify the caller ID. The idea is this system will make it harder for scammers to disguise their identities. Major phone companies like Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile are required to use this system. Still, not all robocalls will just go away. The FCC commissioner has said scammers are coming up with new ways to make illegal robocalls all the time so it’s important to keep your guard up.
Read More: CNET, Gizmodo, FCC, CNBC
Walmart Offers Low-Cost Insulin
Walmart announced it’ll start selling its own brand of insulin. Shoppers with prescriptions can pick it up from Walmart pharmacies beginning this week, and it’ll be available at Sam’s Club pharmacies next month. Walmart says its insulin brand will cost up to 75% less than other products, which is significant because prices for diabetes medications have risen dramatically over the last decade. The Health Care Cost Institute says the price of an insulin prescription nearly doubled between 2012 and 2016, and the American Diabetes Association says a typical patient pays nearly $10,000 a year in medical costs.
Read More: Fox News, USA Today, CNBC, Walmart
Facebook Launches Bulletin
Facebook now has a new newsletter business. The social media company launched a subscription service called “Bulletin” this week. On Bulletin, writers can charge readers a fee for access to their digital content. Facebook recruited a few celebrities to get things started, like sportscaster Erin Andrews, author Malcolm Gladwell, and more. It’s unclear when it will open up the platform to everyone else. For now, Facebook says it won’t take any money from creators. The writers will keep all of the revenue they earn from subscriptions.
Read More: The Verge, TechCrunch, Reuters, NY Times, Bulletin
Serena Williams Injured at Wimbledon
It was a heartbreaking exit for an American tennis star. Serena Williams hurt her right leg during her first match at Wimbledon. She was up 3-1 when she slipped on wet grass behind the baseline and got up limping. Williams tried to keep playing, but the pain was too much, so she had to forfeit the tournament. Williams had been hoping to win one more major and tie the record for the most Grand Slams ever won by a woman. For now, it looks like that record will have to wait. However, her older sister Venus is still in after winning her first-round match. It was Venus’s first singles win at Wimbledon in three years.
Read More: ESPN, NBC Sports, NY Post, AP
First Transgender Contestant at Miss USA
For the first time in history, a transgender woman will compete at the Miss USA pageant. Kataluna Enriquez earned her ticket to the national competition when she was crowned Miss Nevada earlier this week. Enriquez wrote on Instagram that the entire LGBTQ community could share in her success, and she ended her post by writing “happy pride.” Enriquez started competing in transgender pageants about five years ago while she was working as a model and switched to the bigger, mainstream pageants last year. The Miss USA pageant is scheduled for November. If Enriquez wins, she would go on to Miss Universe.
Read More: CNN, Las Vegas Review-Journal, Newsweek, EW, Kataluna Enriquez
Work Wednesday: New Office Dress Code
If you’ve recently returned to the office after working from home for a while, you might have noticed business fashion has changed. Workers are in no rush to return to more formal clothing and instead have been more interested in looser fitting options as well as softer and more stretchy fabrics. Retailers have noticed a change in shopping trends too, and they’re adapting to meet the demand. Retailers say shoppers are also showing a preference for brighter colors instead of the traditional all-black look. Some businesses are formally changing their dress codes, while others are just adapting to more flexible, unspoken rules.
Read More: NBC News, WSJ, Slate, Marketplace