Wednesday, July 15th, 2020
Promising Vaccine, Tax Day & New Streaming Service
All the news you need in 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 about the latest happenings…
Vaccine Trial Results
The first COVID-19 vaccine tested in the U.S. is looking promising. Researchers say early volunteers who got the shots developed antibodies to fight the infection. They also didn’t report any serious side effects. The most important, final phase of testing is still ahead. It will involve about 30,000 people around the country. That research will start in two weeks. For now, it’s on track for final approval by the end of the year, which would reportedly be record time for vaccine development.
Read More: WSJ, Axios, USA Today, NBC News, ABC News
COVID-19 Deaths
Alabama, North Carolina, and Florida all reported record increases in their daily death tolls. It seems southern Florida is in the worst shape. CNN interviewed one infectious disease expert from the area who called Miami the new epicenter of the virus. Meanwhile, public health officials are stepping up their calls for Americans to wear masks. The CDC director said if everyone wore a mask, the U.S. could get the coronavirus under control in four to eight weeks.
Southern Virus Deaths Surge: Johns Hopkins, AP, Reuters, Miami Herald, CNN
CDC Pushes for Mask-Wearing: Axios, Stat, CNN, ABC News
ICE Drops Student Visa Rules
U.S. immigration officials now say international students can stay in the U.S., even if their college classes go virtual. That wasn’t the case earlier this month. The Trump administration had a rule in place that would have required foreign students to transfer schools or leave the U.S. if classes were online-only. However, prestigious universities and about 20 states sued. Now, the government is backing down, saying it won’t change requirements for now.
Read More: AP, WSJ, USA Today
Sessions Loses GOP Senate Runoff
Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions suffered a big political loss in his home state. Sessions left the U.S. Senate in 2016 when President Trump picked him to leave the Justice Department. However, he was forced out of that position, so Sessions decided to go for his old Senate seat. He ran in Alabama, but lost to a first-time candidate. Tommy Tuberville, a former college football coach, is the one who will face Democratic Sen. Doug Jones in November. It’s expected to be a tight race.
Read More: Politico, AP, CNN
Biden Releases Climate Plan
Former Vice President Joe Biden released a new plan to tackle climate change. Biden says the U.S. should spend $2 trillion over the next four years on clean energy. He says the cost is worth it in the long run and it would lead to more jobs. However, President Trump has attacked Biden on this issue. The president says Biden’s plans have historically been too expensive and harmful for American manufacturing.
Read More: Bloomberg, Axios, AP, Reuters
Trump Atlanta Visit
President Trump is traveling to Atlanta today, where he’s expected to announce a new plan to speed up infrastructure projects. Trump reportedly wants to fast-track projects for roads, bridges, highways, and chemical plants. However, environmental and community activists have pushed back, saying people need the time to evaluate and challenge projects that could cause pollution and impact their health.
Read More: AJC, The Hill, WaPo
Tax Day
Today is the new tax day. That means you have until midnight tonight to file and pay federal taxes. The old deadline of April 15 was pushed back because of the pandemic. Still, the IRS is dealing with a backlog since so many government employees are working from home. As always, the process should go a little faster if you file online.
Read More: NY Times, WSJ, IRS
Peacock Launches Today
Another streaming service launches nationwide today. NBC’s Peacock has about 20,000 hours of shows, movies, sports, news, and more. About two-thirds of it is free with ads. The service is available on many devices like iPads, smart TVs, and gaming consoles. However, similar to HBO Max, Peacock isn’t yet available on Roku or Fire TV. Subscriptions range in price from free to $10 a month.
Read More: Cnet, TechCrunch, AP, Variety
Apple Customer Settlement
It’s time for Apple customers affected by the “batterygate” controversy to file a claim and get paid. In 2017, Apple was accused of slowing down older iPhones to push customers into buying new ones. Dozens of class-action lawsuits were filed and Apple agreed to settle them all with one settlement. Now, anyone who had an iPhone 6 or 7 in 2017 is eligible for a payout. Each customer is expected to get, on average, $25. The deadline to file a claim is October 6th.
Read More: CNN, Engadget
Apple Camera Cover Warning
Apple is telling Macbook users to be careful with make-shift camera covers. A lot of people put stickers or paper in front of their laptop’s built-in webcam, as a precaution against hackers. However, Apple says when people close their laptops with that kind of camera cover on, the screen can crack. The company tells customers not to put anything over the camera or remove coverings before closing computers.
Read More: Business Insider, NY Post, The Verge, Apple
Shipt Workers to Strike
Employees with the grocery delivery service, Shipt, are expected to walk off the job today. That company delivers for Target, CVS, Petco, and other stores. Workers are striking against a new pay structure. Instead of getting a consistent rate for deliveries, their pay now depends on how far they drive, how many items are in each order, etc. Shipt employees think this could slash their pay by 30%. However, the company says the new plan won’t change the bottom line that much.
Read More: The Verge, The Hill
Johnnie Walker Paper Bottles
Johnnie Walker whiskey will soon be available in paper-based bottles. The company is going to try using new packaging next spring. Right now, Johnnie Walker comes in glass bottles, like most alcoholic beverages. However, the company says making those bottles requires a lot of energy. New ones would be easier to produce. They would be made from wood pulp that meets food-grade standards.
Read More: Reuters, BBC, CNN
Work Wednesday: Google Offers Scholarships
Google wants to help people beef up their resumes. New certification programs will train people in three areas: data analytics, project management, and user experience design. The education programs are developed by Google and hosted on the online learning platform Coursera. On average, they take three to six months to complete and you don’t need to have any prior tech experience to apply.
Read More: Forbes, CNBC, Cnet, Google, Sign Up Here