Tuesday, July 5th, 2022
Parade Tragedy, Griner’s Letter & Minions Break Records
All the news in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by Zocdoc.com/newsworthy and Rothys.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...
Illinois Parade Shooting
A mass shooting happened during a 4th of July parade in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park, Illinois. A gunman on a nearby rooftop opened fire on the crowd with what police are calling a “high-powered rifle”. At least six people were killed, and at least 30 more were hurt between the ages of eight and 85. Police say a “person of interest” is now in custody. Investigators haven't said what motivated the shooter, but they initially called the shooting “completely” random. Several cities in Illinois canceled their 4th of July celebrations in response to the shooting.
Read More: AP, ABC News, NY Times, Axios
Ohio Police Shooting, Protests
In Akron, Ohio, protests have gotten heated over a deadly shooting at the hands of police officers. Body camera videos were just released that show eight police officers firing dozens of times at a 25-year-old Black man named Jayland Walker. It started when officers tried to pull him over for a traffic violation, and Walker led them on a chase. During that time, officers say they heard a shot and saw a flash coming from Walker’s car. Eventually, he jumped out and ran away. When Walker turned toward the officers, they opened fire. At the time, Walker was not armed.
Read More: City of Akron, Akron Beacon Journal, NBC News, WSJ, AP
Griner’s Note to Biden
The American basketball star who’s been in a Russian prison for nearly five months is now pleading for help. WNBA player Brittney Griner has been detained since February when Russian authorities say they found vape cartridges with illegal cannabis oil in her luggage. Yesterday, President Biden received a handwritten letter from Griner, asking that he not forget about her. The Griner family released some excerpts that show she wrote, “I’m terrified I might be here forever” and asked that Biden do everything he can to bring her home. Griner faces up to 10 more years in prison.
Read More: NY Times, CBS News, ABC News, Texas Tribune
Russia Takes Over More Ukraine Territory
Russia gained some major ground in eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian forces say they were forced to retreat from a city, giving Russia control over the whole Luhansk region. That’s considered a big milestone for Russia since it gives the country control of about half of the eastern industrial heartland of Ukraine. Now, Russia is looking to advance further, so Ukraine says it’s sending its manpower to the next battle lines.
Read More: Reuters, NBC News, CNN, WaPo
Thousands Evacuate in Sydney Floods
Australia’s largest city is dealing with severe flooding. Days of torrential rains in and around Sydney have caused dams to overflow and waterways to break their banks. About 50,000 people have been told to evacuate. Hundreds of those who stayed behind have had to be rescued from their cars or homes. This is the fourth flood emergency to hit Sydney in the last 16 months. However, many officials say this latest round has been the worst. Today, it’s expected to start drying out, but flooding will still be a concern for the next couple of days.
Read More: The Guardian, AP, Axios, Reuters
New Medal of Freedom Recipients
More than a dozen people are gearing up to receive the highest civilian honor in the U.S. The White House says President Biden will present the Medal of Freedom to 17 people from the worlds of Hollywood, sports, politics, the military, academia, and advocacy. They include actor Denzel Washington, gymnast Simone Biles, the late Republican Sen. John McCain, and the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. Biden will also recognize the New York City nurse who received the first Covid-19 vaccine outside trials. All the recipients will be officially honored at the White House this Thursday.
Read More: White House, WaPo, Politico, NY Times, AP
Google to Delete Health-Related Location History
Google is now promising to delete location data if you visit places the company considers especially “personal”. The list of locations includes abortion clinics, drug treatment centers, weight loss clinics, counseling centers, fertility centers, and more. The announcement came one week after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, allowing states to choose whether to ban abortion. In some states, a ban may include criminal and/or financial consequences. Google says location tracking is off by default, so this applies to people who have opted to turn it on in their settings. The new policy will take effect in the “coming weeks”.
Read More: Google, Politico, WaPo, WSJ, NY Times
Holiday Travel Delays
The 4th of July holiday weekend was a busy one for travel. The TSA estimates the number of people who went through airports on Friday set a new record for the busiest day since the start of the pandemic. Some passengers didn’t have the smoothest experience. FlightAware says several major U.S. airlines delayed between 19-29% of their flights on Saturday. The rate of cancellations over the last two weeks is reportedly up by 59% from the same time of the year before the pandemic in 2019. Still, the flight disruptions throughout the weekend weren’t as bad as some other recent holiday weekends.
Read More: FlightAware, CBS News, USA Today, WSJ, NY Times
Drones Replace Fireworks
Some American cities decided to ditch the fireworks shows this year and go for a more high-tech option instead: drones. A few of the places that made the switch include Galveston, Texas, North Lake Tahoe, California, and Lakewood, Colorado. This option is more expensive, but the drones are billed as safer, cleaner, and more customizable. In some places, drones flew into shapes like the Statue of Liberty and the American flag. Others simulated a fireworks display. Still, the American Pyrotechnics Association says it’s not too worried about the competition since drones lack the “multisensory” experience people like with fireworks.
Read More: NPR, The Verge, CBS News, Axios, Reuters
Biggest Holiday Weekend Blockbuster
A kids’ movie set new records at the box office this weekend. “Minions: the Rise of Gru” made an estimated $125 million for its four-day opening weekend. That means the “Despicable Me” prequel had the biggest 4th of July opening of all time. It also became the biggest debut for an animated movie since the pandemic began. One analyst says this reflects a “triumphant return to cinemas by families.”
Read More: CNBC, CNN, AP, CBC
Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest
Once again, Joey Chestnut is the hot-dog-eating champion. For the 15th time, he won the Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest on Coney Island yesterday. This time, he devoured 63 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes. That’s 15 and a half more than his closest competitor, but it didn’t come close to his personal record. Chestnut hit that one last year when he ate 76 hot dogs. In the women’s contest, Miki Sudo won her 8th championship with 40 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes.
Read More: CBS Sports, USA Today, Fox News, CNN
Trivia Tuesday
Who is considered the first female self-made millionaire in the U.S.?
Play along on today’s Instagram Stories quiz. We’ll also have the answer right here next week.
Last Week’s Trivia
Q: How many colors are there in a rainbow?
A: Seven
Read More: PrepScholar, Science Trends, Britannica, Kidadl