Monday, July 13th, 2020
Florida Shatters Record, NFL Team Name Change & Model Makes History
All the news you need in less than 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 to review the latest happenings...
Florida 15,000+ Cases
More than 15,000 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed in Florida yesterday, and that's the largest one-day increase in any state since the pandemic started. New York held the last record by having more than 12,000 new cases on one day in early April. However, Florida isn’t the only state seeing this kind of spike in cases or deaths. In recent days, the average daily death tolls hit record highs in Florida, Arizona, California, and Texas.
Read More: Reuters, AP, CNBC
Expect Rising Covid-19 Deaths
The Trump administration’s testing coordinator says he expects deaths to keep rising over the next few weeks. However, Adm. Brett Giroir told ABC News the overall death rate should still be lower than what we saw in the Northeast in the spring. He says medical professionals know more about caring for COVID-19 patients now, and they have more access to treatment. When asked whether states should consider lockdowns again, he said they should still be on the table.
Read More: Johns Hopkins, USA Today, Axios, Politico. ABC News
Trump Wears Mask in Public
The Trump administration has said at least 90% of people living in new hot spots should wear masks to get COVID-19 under control. Now, even President Trump is following that advice. For the first time, the president wore a mask in public on Saturday. He visited wounded service members and medical staff at Walter Reed Medical Center in Maryland.
Read More: CNN, FOX News, NPR
Trump Commutes Roger Stone
President Trump used his executive power to commute Roger Stone’s prison sentence. Stone was convicted last year for witness tampering and lying to Congress during the Russia investigation. Stone was sentenced to more than three years in prison, but now, he won’t even have to step foot in prison. This is the first time Trump has used his authority to help a close associate in this way.
Read More: FOX News, WSJ, Reuters, Politico, Trump Tweet
Robert Mueller Chimes in with Op-Ed
Former special counsel Robert Mueller wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post about President Trump’s decision to commute Roger Stone’s sentence. He wrote that when someone like Stone lies to investigators, it threatens the government’s efforts to find truth and hold wrongdoers accountable. Mueller said he felt compelled to respond to the idea that his motives were improper and Stone was a victim. Mueller says none of that is true.
Read More: WaPo, Politico, AP
Trump’s NH Rally Called Off
President Trump’s re-election team called off his campaign rally over the weekend. The rally was supposed to happen Saturday in New Hampshire, but Trump’s staff said they had to cancel due to a tropical storm in the northeastern U.S. Even though many blamed weather, NBC News cites one confidential campaign official who said they were also worried about low attendance. Election day is 16 weeks away.
Read More: NY Times, NBC News, Business Insider, MLive
Redskins to Retire Team Name
The Washington Redskins will soon have a new team name. The Washington Post reports the football team will announce the name change today. The NFL team has been called “The Redskins” for 87 years, even though the term “redskin” is considered a racial slur against Native Americans. The team is expected to discuss ideas for new names with Native American and military organizations.
Read More: WaPo, USA Today, CBS Sports
Facebook Might Ban Political Ads
Facebook is thinking about banning political ads ahead of the 2020 election. Sources tell Bloomberg the ads would be pulled in the days before voters head to the polls in November. It sounds like the change would only be temporary. Facebook has already given users the option to turn off political ads if they want.
Read More: NY Times, The Verge, Bloomberg
Ford Bronco Debut
The Ford Bronco is back. The iconic SUV was discontinued about 25 years ago. It’s best known as the SUV that football star-turned-felon O.J. Simpson used to lead police on a chase through Los Angeles. Tonight, a new version is set to be unveiled. In the 2020 version, the roof and doors will reportedly come off. The tires will be huge and the grille will have a retro design.
Read More: Cnet, Car and Driver, CNBC
Kelly Preston Dies
Friends, family, and fans are saying goodbye to actress Kelly Preston. She died yesterday after a two year battle with breast cancer. Preston is known for starring roles in movies like Twins, Jerry Maguire, and For the Love of the Game. She is also known for her long-time romance with actor John Travolta. They married in 1991 and had three children together.
Read More: People, Variety, Instagram
SI First Transgender Model
Sports Illustrated will make history when it releases its swimsuit edition this month. For the first time, it will include a transgender model. Valentina Sampaio was already the first trans woman to be on the cover of Vogue Paris and to model for Victoria’s Secret. Now, she’s breaking barriers at Sports Illustrated.
Read More: CNN, Hapers Bazaar, Vogue, People
Vintage Mario Game Auction
A vintage “Super Mario Brothers” game sold for $114,000 at auction. The 1985 game was still sealed in its original packaging and was in perfect condition. For now, the buyer has chosen to stay anonymous. A different copy of the same “Super Mario Brothers” game went for about $100,000 at auction last year.
Read More: AP, Rolling Stone, The Verge, Heritage Auctions
Monday Monday: Taxes Due Wednesday
Tax day is this Wednesday, July 15th. In a normal year, the deadline for you to file and pay your federal taxes happens on April 15th, but tax day got pushed back this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. The IRS says at least 142 million taxpayers have filed already. However, the IRS is behind. It says if you’re still waiting for refunds, sit tight. The IRS will have to pay interest on refunds (as much as 5%).
Read More: NY Times, Forbes, IRS