Tuesday, July 14th, 2020
Online-Only Schools, Record Heat Wave & Comfort Food Boom
All the news in less than 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by HelloFresh.com/80newsworthy
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 read the latest happenings...
3 States Add COVID Restrictions
More states are rolling back reopening plans and adding restrictions as COVID-19 outbreaks keep growing. In California and New Mexico, governors put more limits on businesses. They are no longer allowing indoor dining at bars or restaurants. In California counties where the coronavirus is spreading fastest, the rules are stricter. There, gyms, malls, and places of worship also have to close again. In Oregon, the governor expanded a mask mandate. The state now requires face coverings inside, as well as outside, when social distancing isn’t possible.
Read More: LA Times, Reuters, AP, The Oregonian, KQRE, CNN
Schools Release Fall Plans
There are new announcements from three of the nation’s largest public school districts: Los Angeles, San Diego, and Atlanta. All of them said they will start the school year with online-only classes. Meanwhile, New York City’s school district is planning a few days of week of in-person classes. The rest will be online. In Miami, Florida, public schools are asking parents to vote on their preference.
Read More: NBC News, Axios, NY Times
Trump, Devos Back-to-School Push
Education Secretary Betsy Devos and President Trump are still pushing public schools to reopen in-person and full-time. Devos says even if schools decide on a mix of virtual and in-person learning, it puts families in a tough spot. She says if flare-ups happen, they can be dealt with on a school-by-school or cases-by-case basis. However, some teachers unions and the American Academy of Pediatrics are demanding specific plans and more resources for schools.
Read More: ABC News, USA Today, FOX News, CNN, Weingarten Tweet, AAP Statement
White House Questions Experts
The White House has been questioning the nation’s top doctors and scientists. President Trump retweeted a post that accused the CDC of “outrageous lies.” However, he didn’t add any comment to it, so it’s not clear what the CDC may have lied about. At the same time, there seems to be an effort to undermine the nation’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci. The White House sent media organizations a list of comments Dr. Fauci made early on in the pandemic that turned out to be untrue. However, other health experts have come to his defense, saying some of his comments were taken out of context.
Read More: AP, Reuters, NBC News, ABC News, WaPo, CNN, AAMC Statement
SCOTUS Allows Federal Executions
The U.S. Supreme Court just cleared the way for federal prison inmates to be executed again. Prisoners haven’t been executed on a federal level for nearly two decades. That was supposed to change yesterday, but a federal judge stopped an execution, saying the government’s protocols posed a “severe pain” risk. However, the Supreme Court gets the final say. Now, three convicted killers will likely be executed this week.
Read More: AP, USA Today,
Strict Abortion Laws Blocked
Federal judges stopped two strict abortion laws from going into effect. Both Georgia and Tennessee wanted to make abortions illegal as soon as a heartbeat is detected. Both laws were challenged and taken to federal courts. The judges found they violated the constitution. In Georgia, the law was blocked permanently, but the state is expected to appeal. In Tennessee, it’s a temporary hold while legal challenges continue.
Read More: AP, The Tennessean, AJC, Axios, The Hill
Record-Breaking Summer Heat
Heat advisories and excessive heat warnings have been in place all across the southern U.S., from southern California to the Florida panhandle. In Death Valley, California, temperatures already hit 128 degrees this week. That’s only one degree shy of what experts say is likely the hottest temperature ever recorded on Earth. Forecasters say the heat wave will eventually start moving east by the end of the week. Then, it will start affecting people in the mid-Atlantic, like in Washington, D.C.
Read More: USA Today, CBS News, WaPo, FOX News
Comfort Food Sales
Americans seem to be doing a lot more snacking during the pandemic. Pepsico says its snack sales spiked 7% in the second quarter of this year. The company is behind favorite comfort foods like Tostitos, Cheetos, and Doritos, as well as oatmeal products. However, soda sales have taken a tumble since restaurants were closed and sporting events were delayed. Pepsico says it could be a while before that part of the business bounces back.
Read More: Bloomberg, Reuters, CNBC
Weed Edibles Sales Boom
Pandemic anxiety, combined with concerns about vaping, has reportedly led to more sales of marijuana edibles. More than a dozen states have considered cannabis stores essential businesses, along with pharmacies. However, some experts urge caution since edibles have been linked to an increase in emergency room visits in states like Colorado.
Read More: NY Times, AP
More Potentially Dangerous Hand Sanitizers
The FDA again expanded its list of potentially dangerous hand sanitizers. It’s now flagged nearly 60 varieties because all of them could contain methanol. That chemical can make people seriously sick. Some of the products listed a correct, safe, active ingredient on the label, but when tested, the FDA found they had methanol instead. All products on the list appear to be made in Mexico.
Read More: ABC News, USA Today, FDA, CBS News
NFL, Oakley Partner on Face Shields
The NFL unveiled face shields built to prevent the spread of COVID-19. To design them, the league worked with Oakley, which is known for making sunglasses. They came up with shields made of clear plastic with small breathing holes. They’re meant to lock into players’ helmets. However, the face shields aren’t mandatory yet. Teams are testing them out before the NFL decides whether they’re practical enough to add to the requirements.
Read More: AP, ESPN, Bleacher Report
Naya Rivera Death Follow-Up
Actress Naya Rivera was found dead in a southern California lake yesterday. Authorities say she and her four-year-old son were on a boat trip when she died. They apparently both got out to swim, but Rivera wasn’t wearing a life jacket, and she accidentally drowned. The boy told investigators his mom was able to boost him back on the boat, just moments before she went underwater. The announcement of her death comes exactly seven years after her Glee co-star, Cory Monteith, died from a drug overdose.
Read More: AP, CNN, USA Today, Variety
Hamilton Hits No. 2 on Billboard 200
The original Broadway cast recording of Hamilton: An American Musical has hit no. 2 on the Billboard albums chart. That’s it’s best ranking yet. It’s also reportedly the highest-charting cast album since the original cast recording of Hair in 1969. Hamilton first debuted on Broadway more than five years ago. However, there is new interest since a recorded version of the musical dropped on Disney+ over Independence Day weekend.
Read More: Billboard, Forbes
Bastille Day
Today is Bastille Day. The French holiday celebrates an uprising that helped usher in the French Revolution. Every year, it’s celebrated across France with festivities like fireworks, parades, and parties. Some of those events will still happen this year. However, they’ll be toned down because of the pandemic.
Read More: History, Nat Geo, France 24