Monday, July 6th, 2020
Airborne Virus Debate, Kanye for President? & Happiness Study
All the news you need in less than 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by www.Blinkist.com/news.
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...
More U.S. Infection Records
More people are getting infected with COVID-19, but fewer people are dying. That’s one of the main differences between the outbreak now and the one that hit the northeastern U.S. in April. Experts say it’s happening because testing and treatments have advanced in the last few months. Also, there’s a shift in who is getting infected. In most places, the median age of people getting COVID-19 is 35. Over the weekend, states like Arizona, Florida, and Texas kept breaking records for confirmed cases and hospitalizations. Meanwhile, health experts are concerned celebrations from Independence Day weekend will make current outbreaks worse.
Read More: NY Times, Reuters, Politico, FOX News, Axios, Johns Hopkins
Scientists: Coronavirus is Airborne
More than 200 scientists from more than 30 countries wrote an open letter to the World Health Organization. It pushes the organization to recognize COVID-19 is airborne. They point to evidence showing the virus can spread beyond the recommended six feet of distance when indoors. However, the W.H.O. says the evidence isn’t strong enough yet to change recommendations. It maintains the coronavirus mostly spreads by infected people who sneeze and cough.
Read More: NY Times, Reuters, Axios, WaPo
Weekend Protests
Protesters in dozens of American cities spent the holiday weekend rallying against systemic racism in the U.S. Most were peaceful, but there was a tragedy at one protest. In Seattle, a car drove into a crowd of protesters on a closed freeway. Summer Taylor, 24, died and another person was seriously injured. The driver’s motive is unclear. Elsewhere, protesters were focused on monuments. In Baltimore, protesters pulled down a statue of Christopher Columbus and tossed it into a city harbor.
Read More: Reuters, The Hill, Baltimore Sun, Axios, AP, NY Times, FOX News, NBC News
Weekend Trump Speeches
In two weekend speeches, President Trump criticized people damaging monuments in recent weeks. He accused the so-called “angry mobs” of trying to erase history. He said Americans should speak proudly of their heritage. The president also announced he was signing an executive order to establish the National Garden of American Heroes. It would feature statues of founding fathers like George Washington, civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., and some people who died recently like conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.
Read More: AP, Reuters, WSJ, Politico, WaPo
Biden 4th of July Address
President Trump’s rival in the race for president called on Americans to “rip the roots of systemic racism” out of the U.S. He said it’s up to Americans to live up to the words that founded the nation: “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.” He said thus far, Americans have never lived up to that idea, but that we can now.
Read More: The Hill, FOX News, CBS News, LA Times
Kanye West Running for President
He’s already a rapper, producer, and fashion designer. Now, Kanye West could become a presidential candidate. Over the weekend, West tweeted he’s running for president in 2020. If he’s serious, he still needs to register with the Federal Election Commission, present a campaign platform, collect enough signatures to get on November’s ballot, and more. However, some people think all that won’t be necessary, since it might be a publicity stunt.
Read More: USA Today, Reuters, Politico, CNN, Tweet
Pipeline Canceled
The Atlantic Coast Pipeline is no more. After six years of fighting for the project, Dominion Energy and Duke Energy canceled it, saying the future was too uncertain to justify the costs. The natural gas pipeline was supposed to be 600 miles long, going from West Virginia through Virginia to North Carolina. It would have cost $8 billion. The Trump administration said the pipeline would have brought reliable and affordable energy to more Americans. However, environmental groups worried the pipeline would damage landscapes and hurt wildlife.
Read More: AP, NY Times, USA Today, CNN, News Release
Boeing Pulls Plug on 747 Jets
Boeing’s 747 jets are apparently on the way out. They have been in service for about 50 years. However, the last batch will reportedly roll out in two years. Boeing hasn’t formally announced the change, but Bloomberg says recent financial statements confirm it. Industry experts say it’s no surprise since airlines have been transitioning to smaller planes that burn less fuel.
Read More: Bloomberg, Reuters, Engadget
Airbnb Unveils Age Restrictions
Airbnb is rolling out new age restrictions. It’s no longer letting people under 25 rent houses in their area. The vacation rental company thinks this will prevent unauthorized house parties. However, young people with at least three good reviews and no bad ones will be exempt from the new policy. Also, the rule only applies to people trying to book a place in their communities.
Read More: USA Today, Fox News, Airbnb
Piano Business Thrives
Piano makers and dealers say they’ve seen a surge in sales the last few months. For example, Yamaha saw a 60% spike in digital piano sales in April 2020, as compared to April 2019. Dealers say these last three months have been some of their busiest ever. Some told The New York Times they thought the pandemic would put them out of business. Now, it seems the opposite has happened.
Read More: NY Times
Monday Monday: Money Can Buy Happiness
A new study found money can buy happiness, no matter what the old saying says. The study analyzed four decades of data from one of the longest-running surveys in the U.S. In it, people were asked if they were very happy, pretty happy, or not too happy. Their answers were then compared to how much money they make. Overall, the survey found the link between income and happiness were linked and that link has steadily risen over the years.
Read More: FOX Business, WaPo, Full Study