Tuesday, July 20th, 2021
Masks in School?, China Blamed For Hacks & Bezos in Space
All the news in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp.com/newsworthy and Rothys.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 read the latest happenings...
AAP Updated Covid Guidance
Pediatricians now say all kids older than two should wear masks when they return to school in the fall whether they’re vaccinated or not. The American Academy of Pediatrics also recommended masks for all teachers and staff. That goes a step further than the CDC, which said it was ok for vaccinated people to go maskless. The group says it “strongly recommends” in-person learning with as many health precautions as possible. That means more COVID-19 testing and mental health resources.
Read More: NBC News, CBS News, Fox News, Axios, AAP
Judge Upholds IU Vaccine Mandate
Hundreds of colleges are making COVID-19 vaccines mandatory for students returning to campus. Some students at Indiana University sued over the requirement, saying the school is taking away their power to make their own choices about their bodies. However, this week, a federal judge sided with the university instead. He said IU is acting reasonably to protect public health. This is just one of several lawsuits against schools around the country with vaccine mandates. Others are still awaiting rulings
Read More: Politico, WSJ, CNN, NY Times
China Behind Microsoft Hack
The U.S. government and dozens of key allies are formally blaming China for cyberattacks around the world. They say China is responsible for several attacks, including one earlier this year that breached Microsoft email systems. The U.S., the European Union, and all NATO members also condemned China for working with criminal hacker groups involved in ransomware attacks. The U.S. and allies are detailing more than 50 different techniques these Chinese government-sponsored hackers tend to use and recommendations for businesses and organizations to avoid becoming victims.
Read More: WaPo, AP, Axios, Reuters
New Haitian Government
A new leader is now about to take over in Haiti, and it’s the man the late President Jovenel Moïse wanted in charge. Moïse named Ariel Henry the prime minister just about a day before he was assassinated, but Henry hadn’t been sworn in yet when Moïse was killed. Since Moïse’s death, the country has been run by the previous Prime Minister Claude Joseph. Joseph agreed to step down yesterday as a part of a broad agreement the U.S. and other world powers encouraged to hopefully bring some stability to the country. Moïse is set to be laid to rest with a state funeral this Friday. Presidential elections are set to happen in about four months.
Read More: NY Times, WSJ, WaPo, CBS News
First Felony Conviction from Capitol Riot
The first Capitol rioter to be convicted of a felony was sentenced to eight months in prison. It was a closely-watched case that could influence how hundreds of other rioters charged with the same felony are punished. The Florida man, named Paul Hodgkins, pleaded guilty to storming the Capitol in hopes of stopping Congress from certifying President Biden’s win. It was his intention that made his case a felony. Hodgkins made it onto the Senate floor carrying rope, protective goggles, and latex gloves.
Read More: NPR, CNN, Fox News, Axios
New Capitol Police Chief
The Capitol Police Department has a new leader as of this week. The AP cited sources who say Thomas Manger got the job as police chief after an extensive search. He most recently served 15 years as chief in Montgomery County, Maryland. Before that, he led the Fairfax, Virginia police department. Remember: the last chief was forced out a day after the Capitol riot. It’s not clear yet when Manger will take the reins, but when he does, he’ll have a lot of work ahead of him since officials are still struggling to figure out the best way to secure the Capitol. The police department has already asked for more funding for more officers and better riot gear.
Read More: AP, Politico, ABC News, NY Post
Jeff Bezos and Crew to Space
Today, the world’s richest person is flying to the edge of space in a flight that’s been decades in the making. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos created his aerospace company Blue Origin back in 2000. Blue Origin has been testing prototypes of its New Shepard rocket and capsule for more than 10 years. It ran 15 successful test flights without anyone on board. Now, it’s ready for its first human spaceflight. Bezos will be on board himself along with three others. The four crew members launch this morning from a secluded area in west Texas. The whole flight will only last about 10 to 12 minutes. Liftoff is scheduled for 8:00 AM CST today.
Watch Today’s Launch Livestream: Blue Origin
Read More: AP, Fox Business, CNBC, BBC
Stock Market Drop
It seems Wall Street investors are second-guessing the big economic comeback as the number of new COVID-19 cases is rising around the world. The Dow fell more than 2% in its worst day since October. Also, the S&P 500 was down 1.6% in its biggest downturn since May. The Nasdaq also closed more than a percentage point lower than last week. Travel industry stocks took some of the biggest hits. Even after this latest downturn, the Dow and S&P 500 are still up a lot from last year. We’re talking 90% higher than the big low in March of 2020 when so many businesses were forced to shut down. It’s not expected to get that bad again anytime soon.
Read More: WSJ, NY Times, Bloomberg, CNBC
Toyota Passes on Olympics Ads
One of the biggest sponsors of the Tokyo Olympics decided to limit its role in this year’s games. Toyota won’t be running any Olympic-related commercials in Japan even though it still is here in the U.S., and no Toyota executives plan to attend the opening ceremony on Friday. This comes as backlash over the games is growing in Japan. A new local media poll found two-thirds of Japanese people doubt Olympic organizers can keep the games safe during the pandemic. There have also been local protests over the International Olympic Committee’s decision to hold the games there even as COVID-19 cases are rising.
Read More: Reuters, CNN, WSJ, Axios
American Athletes Test Positive
More American athletes have tested positive for COVID-19 in recent days. Women's basketball player Katie Lou Samuelson came down with COVID-19 while training in Las Vegas, so she won’t be going to Tokyo or competing with team USA in the Olympics as she planned. Also, an alternate on the U.S. women’s gymnastics team named Kara Eaker Acre tested positive. She was already in Japan and is now in isolation before she can fly back to the U.S.
Read More: ESPN, AP, CNN, USA Today, NBC News
First Gay Signed NHL Player
A Nashville Predators prospect just became the first active hockey player under NHL contract to come out as gay. 19-year-old Luke Prokop was just drafted to the Nashville Predators last fall. Yesterday, he posted on Instagram to tell the world he’s gay. Prokop says he hopes his example shows that LGBTQ people are welcome in the hockey community. He’s been getting a lot of support and praise from his team and the league. For example, the Predators put out a statement saying it’s “proud of Luke for the courage he is displaying.”
Read More: The Athletic, ESPN, AP, Luke Prokop, NHL, Predators
Eid al-Adha Begins
This week, millions of Muslims around the world are celebrating Eid al-Adha. It’s one of Islam’s biggest holidays. It also marks the end of Hajj, which is the yearly Muslim pilgrimage to visit the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. For the second year in a row, Saudi Arabia isn’t letting foreign visitors in because of the pandemic. Instead of having millions of Muslims go on the journey like usual, there will be a maximum of 60,000 vaccinated people from Saudi Arabia only. Still, people will be celebrating from wherever they are for the next few days. They will gather for prayers, big feasts, gifts, and family time.
Read More: USA Today, Al Jazeera, iNews, Metro, NPR, NY Times
Trivia Tuesday
Q: Which metal makes up most of an Olympic gold medal?
Play along on today’s Instagram Stories Quiz. We’ll also have the answer right here next week.
Last Week’s Trivia Tuesday Answer
Q: What is the hottest planet in the solar system?
A: Venus
Read More: NASA, Forbes, Space.Com