Thursday, July 8th, 2021
Rescue Turns Recovery, States Sue Google & Back-to-Back Champs
All the news you need in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by kiwico.com/newsworthy and Policygenius.com
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 peruse the latest happenings...
Condo Collapse Search Ends, Recovery Begins
Unfortunately, the search mission at the site of that collapsed Florida condo complex has gone from rescue to recovery. Search crews now say there’s a “zero chance of survival,” with first responders explaining there’s not much space between the rubble anymore where anyone would be able to survive. As of this morning, the death toll stands at 54 with about 86 people still missing and now presumed dead. Crews plan to keep searching through the wreckage for several more weeks in hopes of bringing closure to the victim’s families.
Read More: Reuters, AP, NY Times, Fox News, WaPo
Haitian President Assassinated
The world is now keeping a close eye on the Caribbean country of Haiti as its president Jovenel Moïse was assassinated. Armed men stormed into his home posing as agents from the American Drug Enforcement Agency and murdered him. The U.S. says they were not from the DEA. Hours after the attack, Haiti’s police killed four of the suspected killers and two more were arrested. There still aren’t many details about exactly who they were or what their motivations were. World leaders, including President Biden, have condemned the assassination. Biden has promised security assistance and the UN security council is expected to meet about it today.
Read More: CNN, Politico, Reuters, NY Times
Air Force Faulted for Church Shooting
A federal judge now says the Air Force is mostly responsible for the worst mass shooting in Texas history In 2017, a former Air Force member stormed a Sunday church service in Sutherland Springs, Texas, killing 26 people, and then himself. Those victims’ family members sued the government over it. Before the shooting happened, the gunman was discharged from the military for assaulting his then-wife and stepson on an Air Force base. This week, a judge agreed with the families that the Air Force should have alerted the FBI so the shooter would have been entered into a database that would have kept him from buying the guns he used.
Read More: AP, ABC News, WaPo, WSJ
Google Antitrust Suit
A group of 36 states and Washington D.C. sued Google over a change that’s set to go into effect later this year. It will force all app developers who use Google Play to pay a 30% commission on sales. The states say Google is abusing its dominant market power to make money off smaller businesses. However, Google is calling the suit “meritless,” saying it uses the commission on tools to help test and monitor the apps and to make sure the apps are secure. Google says if it’s forced to make changes, that would only raise costs for small developers and make apps less secure for consumers.
Read More: Politico, AP, CNBC, WSJ, The Verge
Trump Sues Facebook, Twitter & Google
Former President Trump is suing Facebook, Twitter, and Google for keeping his social media accounts suspended. He says he’s been wrongly censored by the companies and that violates his first amendment right to free speech. The social media giants have said they’re worried Trump’s commentary could incite more violence. They say his claims about voter fraud and a “rigged” election helped incite violence at the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, and he’s been mostly offline ever since. So far, Facebook, Twitter, and Google have not commented on this lawsuit.
Read More: WSJ, NPR, Reuters, Fox News, CNBC
Microsoft Security Warning
Microsoft says you should update your security settings as soon as you can. The company found a flaw in the Windows operating system that hackers can use to take control of your PC from anywhere in the world. Microsoft says the flaw is within a tool called Windows Print Spooler that lets you connect to printers. Even if you’ve never used it or known about it, it’s definitely on your device. Microsoft says hackers can infiltrate Print Spooler to access your data. The company is releasing updates for Windows 10 and Windows 7 to fix the issue. To check if an update is available for your computer, go to Settings, then click on Update and Security.
Read More: Business Insider, The Verge, CNN, Laptop Mag
Grubhub Robot Delivery
Grubhub will soon have robots delivering food orders. The company plans to put autonomous robots on hundreds of college campuses this fall. It’s part of a partnership with Russian tech firm Yandex, which built the robots. Grubhub says they work in the dark, and in rainy or snowy conditions. They’re about the size of a suitcase and can deliver to places cars can’t reach. Customers will get an alert on their phones when the robot is close. They’ll then use the app to open a hatch and collect the food. The company hasn’t announced which colleges will have robots wheeling around on their campuses just yet.
Read More: TechCrunch, WSJ, Business Insider, Grubhub
TikTok Resumes Goes Live
You can now apply for a job on TikTok. The social media app launched its new Resumes feature this week. It’s meant to help match candidates with recruiters. More than 30 companies are participating like Chipotle, Abercrombie & Fitch, Target, Shopify, Nascar, and the WWE. TikTok users are first told to create a video resume and upload it to their account with the hashtag #TikTokResumes. Users can then submit the videos to open positions on TikTokResumes.com. Since this is still a pilot program, it’s temporary for now. Job seekers have until the end of this month to apply for positions.
Read More: The Verge, Engadget, TikTok, CNET
Pandemic Clothing Purge
The resale market for clothing is booming. The research firm Global Data says 33 million shoppers bought secondhand apparel last year for the very first time. More than three-quarters of those shoppers plan to spend more at resale stores in the future. Analysts predict the secondhand clothing industry will double in value by 2025. There’s some good stuff out there too, with the CEO of the online thrift store Thredup telling the AP Americans are purging high-quality items they rarely, if ever, wore over the past year.
Read More: AP, CNBC, Harper’s Bazaar
Lightning Win Stanley Cup Championship
The Tampa Bay Lightning are now back-to-back Stanley Cup champions. This is the second time in 10 months the team won the biggest prize in hockey. The Lightning beat the Montreal Canadiens last night, wrapping up the final series in five games. This one was even more special than the last one, though. The last championship they won happened at the height of the pandemic, so they were in a bubble with no fans in the arena. This time, the team was in Tampa and the arena was almost at full capacity. Celebrations will probably continue for a while, too. Tampa is expected to host a parade through downtown soon.
Read More: ESPN, CBS Sports, AP, Tampa Bay Times
Thing to Know Thursday: Critical Race Theory
There’s a debate going on in this country about teaching what’s known as “critical race theory” in classrooms. The idea behind critical race theory is that white supremacy is embedded in modern-day society through U.S. laws and institutions. Supporters say education is the only way to help keep Americans from repeating the mistakes of the past, but opponents say critical race theory only serves to divide people and make white children feel guilty for being white. At least six states have passed laws limiting how race can be taught in the classroom. Some of the states are threatening to fine teachers who teach critical race theory and take funding away from their schools.
Read More: Denver Post, PBS News, WSJ, AP, WaPo