Monday, July 19th, 2021
Record Migrant Surge, Olympic Athletes Get Covid & England’s ‘Freedom Day’
All the news you need in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by Rothys.com/newsworthy and BetterHelp.com/newsworthy
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...
New DACA Applications Blocked
A federal judge ruled the DACA program isn’t legal. It protects nearly 700,000 undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children. For now, those who are already benefiting from the program will get to stay, but the judge blocked the Biden administration from accepting new applicants. That judge was siding with nine conservative states that sued to put an end to DACA. They argued former President Obama didn’t have the power to start the program when he did, and that he should have instead gone through Congress. President Biden and his Justice Department are planning to appeal the decision.
Read More: WSJ, AP, NPR, White House
Monthly Surge in Migrants
Officials released new data showing that in June, authorities arrested or turned away almost 190,000 migrants at the U.S./Mexico border. That’s the highest monthly total in at least a decade. Most migrant adults are still being turned away because of a COVID-era public health rule, but that rule doesn’t apply to children. Thousands of kids are in government shelters right now. Republicans blame the Biden administration for the surge since the President has ended Trump-era policies. The White House is blaming things like poverty, violence, and climate change in Central America for making people want to leave their homes in the first place.
Read More: NY Times, Fox News, CNN, CBP
MI Music Festival Accidental Deaths
People who splurged on weekend outings found themselves in dangerous situations around the country. One of the incidents happened at a music festival in Michigan where country stars like Jason Aldean and Luke Combs were performing. Three men in their early 20s died and two others were critically hurt from what’s believed to be a carbon monoxide leak from a generator near their travel trailer. Officials are now reminding people to keep fumes away from camping areas.
Read More: NBC News, CNN, USA Today
TX Water Park Chemical Exposure
Dozens of people, including young children, got sick at a water park just north of Houston, Texas. 26 of them had to go to the hospital with breathing problems or skin issues. Authorities say they were exposed to bleach and sulfuric acid at a kiddie pool. Those chemicals are used to keep pools clean, usually without any issue, but it seems something went wrong this time. Officials are investigating the incident.
Read More: KTRK, CBS News, NY Times, Fox News
Shooting Outside Nationals Game
During the sixth inning of the Washington Nationals game against the San Diego Padres, a shooting happened outside the Washington, D.C. ballpark. Fans could hear the gunshots from inside the stadium, and at the time, they didn’t know where they were coming from. Thousands of people scrambled for safety. Players cleared the field and huge crowds ran out of the stadium. They eventually found out there was not an active shooter in the ballpark. Authorities say it seemed to be a shootout between people in two vehicles outside. At least three people were hurt, and two of them are being questioned by police.
Read More: WaPo, ESPN, CNN, WSJ
Western Wildfires Latest
Hot, windy, and extremely dry weather has helped fuel dozens of wildfires out west. The largest fire, in Oregon, has now burned through almost 480 square miles. It’s burning in a mostly rural area of lakes and wildlife refuges, but about 2,000 people have had to evacuate and at least 67 homes have already been destroyed. In California, another wildfire is growing just south of Lake Tahoe. It’s now charred nearly 30 square miles of dry brush and timber. Fire crews from more than a dozen states are going to Oregon and California to help thousands of local firefighters tackle these fires.
Read More: AP, USA Today, The Oregonian, KGW, NIFC
Worldwide COVID Outbreaks
The COVID-19 pandemic is far from over with new infections now on the rise in all 50 states. 70% more Americans tested positive for COVID-19 last week than they did the week before. Deaths are also up 26% and unvaccinated people account for almost all of them. Worldwide, Indonesia has become the new epicenter of the pandemic. The Asian country recently surpassed India and Brazil as the nation with the highest count of new infections. Officials are blaming the highly contagious Delta variant and a lagging vaccination rate. Nearby countries of Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Thailand are also facing their largest outbreaks yet.
Read More: NY Times, WaPo, Reuters, USA Today
England Reopens
In England, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is calling today Freedom Day. Almost all of their COVID-19 restrictions are being lifted. It’s going to be the first time since March of last year that nightclubs will be able to open there. There will also no longer be limits on people going to concerts, theaters, weddings, or sporting events. The British government is still recommending people wear masks and get vaccinated, but is not requiring either.
Read More: Reuters, NY Times, AP, CNBC
New Way to Find Cancer Early
Engineers at MIT say they’ve developed a new test that could detect cancer much earlier than the tests on the market now. There are two parts to it. First, a simple urine test looks for cancerous cells. The second step pinpoints where the cancer is in the body. Researchers say it can find the original tumor and highlight any areas where cancer might have spread. The lead author of the study says she envisions this test one day being part of an annual check-up with your primary care doctor.
Read More: MIT, New Atlas, American Cancer Society
Cruises Must Follow CDC Rules
A federal appeals court decided Florida cruise lines need to follow government safety restrictions before they can sail with passengers again. This reverses a decision issued just last month when a different judge said the CDC’s regulations were too tough on companies and should be considered recommendations instead of strict rules. The CDC’s order says cruise companies need to have testing sites on each ship, cruises have to last no longer than seven days, and companies need to conduct test voyages before opening back up to customers. Florida’s governor has been battling the rules in court, saying they hurt his state’s economy.
Read More: Politico, NY Times, AP
COVID Cases in Olympic Village
The first COVID-19 cases have popped up at the Olympic Village in Tokyo before the games have even begun. Two soccer players from South Africa tested positive along with a staff member from their team. All three were moved into an isolation facility. It comes less than a week after the Olympic committee president said there was “zero risk” of the virus spreading in the Olympic Village and beyond it. Olympic organizers have strict rules in place to keep the virus in check at the games, including daily testing and mask mandates. Critics still worry the Olympics will still serve as a super-spreader event.
Read More: AP, WSJ, Reuters, WaPo
Coco Gauff Tests Positive for COVID
American tennis star Coco Gauff was forced to back out of the Olympic games because she tested positive for COVID-19. On Twitter, Gauff said she was disappointed, but that she hopes to represent the United States at a future Olympics. It’s not clear if she had already arrived in Tokyo or was still back in the U.S. when she got diagnosed. The Olympic Games start on Friday.
Read More: ESPN, NBC News, Coco Gauff
American Makes History at British Open
Collin Morikawa shot a 15 under par to win the British Open by two strokes. This was his first time competing at the open. He’s now going in the record books as the first man to win two major tournaments on his first try. Morikawa also won the PGA Championship last year during his debut there. He’s only 24 years old. Morikawa and Tiger Woods are the only golfers to win both the British Open and the PGA before their 25th birthdays.
Read More: CNN, WaPo, CBS Sports, SI, Bleacher Report
Money Monday: Minimum Wage Workers Can’t Afford Rent
A person working full-time at a minimum wage job cannot afford rent anywhere in the United States. That’s according to a report from the National Low-Income Housing Coalition. The report found workers would need to earn nearly $25 an hour to afford a two-bedroom rental and more than $20 an hour for a one-bedroom. The federal minimum wage is still $7.25 and the average hourly worker makes less than $19 an hour. That means to afford a two-bedroom home, the average worker would need to work 97 hours a week.
Read More: CNBC, NPR, CNN, NLIHC