Friday, July 8th, 2022
Japan’s Ex-Leader Shot, Theranos Exec Guilty & Future of Petcare?
All the news you need in around 10 min:
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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 the latest happenings...
Fmr. Japanese Prime Minister Shot
The longest-serving prime minister in Japanese history was shot at a campaign event. Shinzo Abe was rushed to the hospital and is said to be gravely injured. Japanese media say one person was arrested right away for attempted murder. The incident is seen as especially shocking in Japan, where gun violence is rare. Handguns are banned in the country, and people go through extensive tests, training, and background checks to get shotguns and air rifles. Japan’s current prime minister is scheduled to speak on the shooting later today.
Read More: WaPo, AP, Reuters, CNN
British Prime Minister Resigns
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is stepping down after three years in office. Johnson’s party has been pressuring him to do this because of the controversy surrounding him. The latest scandal involved a politician he appointed who was accused of sexual misconduct. At least 59 officials quit the government over the past few days, saying that was the last straw. Before that, Johnson was already in hot water for hosting parties during the UK’s strict Covid-19 lockdown. Johnson has also been accused of being too close to political donors, lying to parliament, and more. He will stay on as prime minister until his party chooses a new leader.
Read More: UK Governor, BBC, AP, NY Times, Axios, NBC News
G20 Meeting
This week, Russia’s foreign minister is coming face-to-face with the most vocal critics of the war in Ukraine. The G20 is getting together in Indonesia. Even though Russia is part of the meeting, the top agenda item is the impact of the Ukraine war, like how it’s worsening inflation and contributing to a global food crisis. Western leaders are trying to pressure Russia into allowing Ukrainian food exports to reach hungry people, especially those in Africa and the middle east. Russia says the real issue is the sanctions imposed to punish Russia for the war, but western officials say that’s not true.
Read More: G20, Politico, Reuters, Newsweek, France24
Russia’s Next Moves in Ukraine
Foreign analysts think Russia is backing off a bit in Ukraine, but only temporarily. The American-based Institute for the Study of War says Russia is regrouping and getting ready for an even more brutal assault soon. Yesterday, Russian President Putin warned that the war is only just beginning. It’s also still far from won, and this pause gives Ukraine time to integrate new weapons and troops into the fight.
Read More: AP, USA Today, Fox News, Axios
Griner Pleads Guilty
American basketball champion Brittney Griner is pleading guilty to Russian drug charges, even though the U.S. government has classified her as “wrongfully detained”. Griner explained that she had vape cartridges with illegal cannabis oil in her luggage, but she says she didn’t mean to break Russian law. Griner’s lawyers say they’re hoping for the most lenient sentencing possible, and the White House says Griner’s guilty plea will have no impact on the American negotiations to bring her home. Griner will be back in court next week.
Read More: ESPN, Reuters, USA Today, Bloomberg
Muslim Pilgrimage/Holiday
A million Muslim pilgrims from around the world made it to the holy city of Mecca this week for the annual Hajj. All Muslims who are physically and financially able are supposed to complete the pilgrimage at least once in their lifetimes. They spend five days carrying out a set of rituals meant to bring them closer to God. This year, the end of Hajj coincides with the Islamic holiday of Eid Al-Adha. That starts tomorrow. In the United States, most Muslims will celebrate by visiting mosques and hosting large community gatherings. Many will also exchange gifts, make special meals, and give to charity.
Read More: Al Jazeera, Axios, AP, USA Today, Newsweek
Theranos Ex-President Found Guilty
You’ll remember the founder of the failed multi-billion-dollar startup Theranos, Elizabeth Holmes, was found guilty of fraud. Now, a federal jury has found the number two executive guilty as well. The jury found Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani guilty of 12 counts of fraud, saying he defrauded investors, like Holmes, and he also defrauded patients. Prosecutors say they both claimed the company’s technology was capable of reliably running any blood test. Even though that wasn’t true, they continued to manipulate tests and lie. The company was shut down in 2018 and investigated. Holmes is expected to be sentenced in September, and Balwani in November.
Read More: CNET, ABC News, WSJ, Reuters
Twitter Removing 1M+ Spam Accounts Daily
Twitter says it removes more than a million spam accounts every day. Company executives told reporters the latest figure this week, just as Elon Musk has threatened to walk away from buying the platform over bots. The Washington Post is citing sources who say Musk’s team has now concluded it cannot verify the data Twitter puts out about spam accounts. Because of that, the team has stopped engaging in conversations about the $44 billion deal to buy Twitter. Still, Twitter seems to be sticking to its plan to complete the deal.
Read More: Reuters, The Guardian, WaPo, The Verge
James Caan Dies
The Oscar-nominated actor James Caan passed away at 82 years old. He’s best known for playing Sonny Corleone in “The Godfather” and Chicago Bears player Brian Piccolo in “Brian’s Song”. You might also recognize him for his roles in “Misery”, “Bottle Rocket”, “Elf”, and many others. Several celebrities are saying goodbye by sharing stories and commending his talent. Al Pacino called Caan a “great actor, brilliant director, and my dear friend.” Barbra Streisand wrote, “So sorry to hear about Jimmy. He was so talented.”
Read More: Family Statement, CNN, ESPN, NY Post, People
Netflix Spatial Audio
Netflix wants your viewing experience to sound more like you’re at a movie theater. It’s bringing spatial audio to more streaming devices. It’s similar to surround sound but without the extra equipment. The latest rollout will mean users with devices that may not usually support this type of audio should be able to get it. All levels of subscribers will be able to use it, too. You can type “spatial audio” into Netflix’s search bar to see the movies and series that support this option now.
Read More: Netflix, TechCrunch, Ars Technica, 9to5Mac, CNET
Massive Pet ‘Biobank’ Study
There is a big initiative underway to improve the health and extend the lives of pets. Mars Petcare which makes products like Pedigree dog food and Iams cat food is behind it. The company is looking for 10,000 dogs and 10,000 cats in the U.S. to donate blood and fecal samples once a year for ten years. Through it all, they’ll get free vet care, DNA testing, and activity trackers. Researchers are hoping to use the data from the samples to figure out the differences between pets who are healthy as they age and those who develop diseases. They hope their findings will help improve pet care in the future.
Read More: Mars, Axios, Gizmodo
Feel Good Friday: New Trail Made of Tires
Thousands of tires that were dumped around Memphis, Tennessee are now being put to good use. Officials recently unveiled a new hard-surface walking and biking trail made from rubber crumbs of illegally discarded tires. The trail goes for nearly three miles, making it one of the longest rubber-bearing paths in the U.S. It started about three years ago when hundreds of volunteers and local contractors started picking up the tires. They eventually gathered 24,000 of them and dropped them off at a recycling center, where they were turned into crumbs. Then, the crumbs were sent to the T.O. Fuller state park, where the modern loop trail was created.
Read More: TN State Parks, GNN, AP, EcoWatch