Wednesday, July 8th, 2020
Back-to-School Push, Banning TikTok? & MLS Returns
All the news you need in 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 reading about the latest happenings…
Trump Pressures Governors to Reopen Schools
President Trump is pushing governors, mayors, and educators to open schools this fall, despite the spread of COVID-19. Trump says the social, educational, and psychological costs of keeping children home would be worse than the virus itself. However, critics disagree. Teachers unions put out a joint statement, saying schools shouldn’t open unless the country has a comprehensive plan in place that includes funding.
Read More: FOX News, AP, CNN, CDC, NEA Response
Fauci New Warnings
The nation’s top infectious disease expert says it’s a “false narrative” to take comfort in the lower COVID-19 death rate the U.S. is experiencing. Dr. Anthony Fauci warns we shouldn’t get too comfortable because there are so many other bad and dangerous things about the virus. He points out that young Americans are still ending up in the hospital and coming out with potentially lifelong complications. Dr. Fauci says we need to keep wearing masks, social distancing, and avoiding crowds.
Read More: Axios, CNN, The Hill, Facebook
Trump Officially Begins Withdrawal from WHO
The U.S. has formally started breaking up with the World Health Organization. President Trump has criticized the W.H.O., saying it didn’t warn the world soon enough about COVID-19. However, health experts say getting rid of the international cooperation could hurt America’s response to COVID-19 and other emerging diseases. The Trump administration notified the United Nations and Congress this week, but the exit doesn’t take effect until July 2021. If elected, Vice President Joe Biden said he would reverse the decision.
Read More: WSJ, NBC News, AP, Reuters
COVID-19 Cases
The World Health Organization’s leader warned the coronavirus outbreak is accelerating and is going to get worse. He said the world recorded more than 400,000 new COVID-19 cases just last weekend. At the beginning of the outbreak, it took about three months to reach that same number. In the U.S., there have now been nearly three million confirmed cases overall. The W.H.O. also brought up concerns about Latin America and the Caribbean, since they now account for half of all cases in the Americas.
Read More: Reuters, Johns Hopkins
Brazil’s President Catches COVID-19
Brazil’s president is the latest world leader to test positive for COVID-19. President Bolsonaro had mild symptoms, like a fever, but otherwise, he says he’s fine. He’s reportedly been downplaying the severity of the virus and pushing businesses to reopen. Getting the virus hasn’t changed his mind.
Read More: AP, CBS News, WaPo, Reuters
Trump to Meet with Mexican President
Mexico’s president is in Washington, D.C. today to meet with President Trump. This is the first time Mexico’s president has left the country since taking office in 2018. They are coming together to celebrate the new North American trade pact, called the USMCA, which went into effect last week. Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was also invited, but he RSVPed “no,” citing scheduling conflicts.
Read More: AP, Politico, WSJ, NY Times, NPR
Mary Trump Memoir Highlights
There is another memoir coming out that paints a less-than-flattering picture of President Trump. This one is written by his niece, Mary Trump, who is a trained psychologist. She wrote that President Trump paid someone to take his college entrance exam for him. She also portrays her uncle as a sociopath. The White House says none of it is true. The book is set to be released next week. Due to pre-sales, it’s already a best seller.
Read More: NY Times, NBC News, FOX News, WaPo
U.S. Considers Banning TikTok
The U.S. is thinking about banning Tik Tok. The Chinese-owned app is one of the fastest-growing social media platforms in the world with tens of millions of active users in the U.S. alone. However, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says he worries about Americans’ data ending up in the hands of the Chinese government. Still, here’s no final decision on this. The company defends itself, saying security is a top priority and it would never hand data over to the Chinese government.
Read More: FOX News, CNBC, USA Today, WaPo
Instagram Rolls Out Pinned Comments
Instagram is letting users pin comments. From now on, people will be able to highlight up to three favorite comments at the top of each thread. Instagram hopes this will help people highlight positivity. To pin a comment, just swipe left on it and tap the pushpin icon.
Read More: The Verge, Cnet, Instagram
Walmart New Membership Program
It seems Walmart wants to create a version of Amazon Prime. The store is launching a new membership program called Walmart+. It will reportedly offer same-day delivery on groceries and other items, as well as early access to deals. Members will also get discounts on fuel at Walmart gas stations. It’s set to launch later this month for $98 a year.
Read More: Vox (Recode), Reuters, CBS News
Major League Soccer Returns
Major League Soccer is back. Teams are set to square off in a tournament in Orlando, Florida tonight. It will be held in just one spot: ESPN’s Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World. The NBA will hold games in that same complex later this month. The first game of the MLS is Back tournament will be held, without fans in the stands, tonight at 8 p.m. ET. Games will last through early August.
Read More: NY Times, ESPN, AP
New Comet Visible This Month
Stargazers will have a chance to check out a newly-discovered comet. Neowise is the first visible comet of 2020. It should be visible to the naked eye this week and for most of the month. You might be able to catch it at dawn or dusk, right above the horizon. The comet doesn’t pose any danger to Earth, but it might provide a good light show.
Read More: CNN, Space.com
Work Wednesday: Prize for Putting People Back to Work
The nonprofit XPRIZE is holding a contest in hopes of finding new ways to quickly train people who were replaced by automation. Teams are taking groups of 500 people who had been in lower-skilled jobs, then using new, innovative ways to get them trained and ready for a new job in 60 days. The newly-trained workers will have to get and keep new jobs for at least a few months. The team that does the best will get $5 million. XPRIZE is taking applications now.
Read More: Axios, XPrize