Thursday, July 9th, 2020
School Funding Threat, Facebook Failed & Tinder Video Chat
(+ Ethics in a Crisis)
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 perusing the latest happenings...
Trump Threatens Schools, CDC Guidelines
President Trump is giving American schools an ultimatum: reopen this fall or lose federal funds. However, governors said he has no authority over school districts’ plans. President Trump also tweeted criticism about the CDC’s current guidelines for safety measures at schools, calling them “very tough and expensive.” Hours later, administration officials said the CDC would provide new school guidance next week.
Read More: AP, Reuters, WSJ, USA Today, NY Times, Trump Tweet
U.S. COVID-19 Status
California, Texas, and Florida drove the country to another single-day record of confirmed COVID-19 cases. Overall, the U.S. just surpassed three million confirmed infections, less than a month after reaching the two million mark. The White House coronavirus coordinator says she’s looking into what prompted the uptick in cases across the sunbelt in recent weeks. She says people who live in hot spots should wear masks and avoid crowds.
Read More: Johns Hopkins, WSJ, USA Today, Politico
Schools Sue Trump Administration
Harvard and MIT filed a lawsuit over a new policy concerning international students. U.S. immigration officials have said foreign students won’t be allowed to stay in the U.S. if university classes move online. In the lawsuit, the universities ask the courts to pause the policy while the case gets sorted out. Ultimately, it will be up to a federal judge to decide whether the policy can stand.
Read More: AP, WSJ, USA Today, Axios, State Dept.
Lt. Col. Vindman Retiring
The Army officer who was a key witness during last year’s impeachment hearings says he’s retiring from the military. His lawyer blames President Trump, saying the White House ran a “campaign of bullying, intimidation, and retaliation.” In recent weeks, there have been questions raised about his future and his expected promotion to colonel. Vindman feels he will “forever be limited” by the political backlash. Still, Defense Secretary Mark Esper insists Vindman was not targeted for political reasons.
Read More: AP, WSJ, Reuters, CNN, Politico, Vindman Announcement
Supreme Court Latest Rulings
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled employers can opt-out of offering free birth control on religious or moral grounds. Most employers already offer contraception coverage at no-cost since the Affordable Care Act required it However, the Trump administration added an exception to the rule and the Supreme Court decided to let it stand. Meanwhile, another highly-anticipated ruling is expected today. Justices will decide whether Congress gets to see the president’s tax returns and other financial records he’s been fighting to keep private. Stay tuned.
Religious Rights Ruling: AP, WSJ, NY Times
Trump Tax Records Ruling Expected: AP, Reuters, Politico
Facebook Civil Rights Audit
Facebook failed its first civil rights audit. Auditors found the social media giant waited too long to fact-check posts, especially ones from President Trump. They found Facebook has not done a good enough job removing hate speech and misinformation. Also, they say the platform’s structure could be helping radicalize users, by allowing people to only see posts that agree with their pre-existing beliefs. Facebook says it’s already making improvements, and it plans to hire more civil rights experts in the future.
Read More: WaPo, NY Times, Vice, AP, Facebook, Full Audit
Ivy League Cancels Fall Sports
The Ivy League suspended all fall sports because of the coronavirus pandemic. It’s the first Division I conference to do this. This affects eight elite colleges like Harvard, Princeton, Yale, and Cornell. This decision could have a ripple effect that has happened before. Back in March, the Ivy League canceled its basketball tournaments. Then, a few days later, the NCAA called off March Madness.
Read More: USA Today, NY Times, WSJ
Brooks Brothers Bankruptcy
Brooks Brothers, which was founded in 1818, has filed for bankruptcy. The company is best known for making business apparel. It’s also famous for dressing 40 U.S. presidents. The coronavirus pandemic reportedly made things worse, but the company was facing problems before that. That’s because many businesses relaxed dress codes, making the traditional suit and tie much less popular. Still, the brand hopes to survive bankruptcy. It’s looking for a new owner now.
Read More: WSJ, CNBC, Reuters
Amazon to List Sellers’ Names and Addresses
Amazon sellers will soon have to put their names and addresses on display. The company hopes this will give shoppers a better idea of who is getting their business. Also, it could cut back on the number of counterfeit items sold on the site. The change goes into effect on September 1st.
Read More: The Verge, Business Insider, CNBC
Tinder Launches Video Calls
Tinder is testing a new video chat feature called face-to-face. It lets people go on virtual dates within the app. When users opt-in, a split-screen video pops up. The feature is reportedly being tested on some users in Virginia, Illinois, Georgia, and Colorado. If all goes well, it could be rolled out nationwide.
Read More: The Verge, TechCrunch, CNN
Thing to Know Thursday: Ethics in a Health Crisis
Read more: Harvard Global Health Institute, NPR, WaPo, NY Times
Guest: Danielle Allen,
Ph.D.
Danielle Allen, James Bryant Conant University Professor at Harvard University, and Director of Harvard’s Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics, is a political theorist who has published broadly in democratic theory, political sociology, and the history of political thought. In late February, Allen pulled together a large network of public health experts, epidemiologists, political scientists, economists, legal scholars, and philosophers to develop an integrated policy response to COVID.
Follow Dr. Allen on Twitter
Follow Harvard’s Ethics Center on Twitter