Wednesday, July 21st, 2021
Trump Ally Arrested, Delta Variant Surges & New NBA Champs
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 reading about the latest happenings…
Western Wildfires Growing
The Bootleg Fire in Oregon is now so large and intense, it’s creating its own weather. The fire has burned through more than 600 square miles so far. Now, the Oregon State Forestry Department says the heat from the flames is forcing the air to rise and form what’s known as pyrocumulus clouds. They can become thunderstorms with strong winds and lightning that can spark even more fires. Already, firefighters are dealing with above-average temperatures and extreme drought. The Bootleg Fire is just one of at least 83 large fires burning across 13 western states right now.
Read More: NY Times, CNN, AP, WSJ, Reuters, NIFC
Thomas Barrack Indicted
Another one of former President Trump's longtime allies was arrested this week. Tom Barrack is a billionaire real estate investor who has advised Trump over the years. He’s being accused of acting as a secret foreign agent for the United Arab Emirates. Federal prosecutors say he worked to influence Trump's foreign policy to benefit the UAE even though he never registered as a lobbyist. Barrack is also accused of lying to federal investigators during an interview about his foreign ties two years ago. So far, no comment from Trump, but a spokesman for Barrack says he plans to plead not guilty during a court hearing next week.
Read More: Politico, WSJ, NY Times, WaPo, LA Times, DOJ
Harvey Weinstein Extradited
Disgraced movie producer Harvey Weinstein is about to face new sexual assault charges, this time out of California. He was transferred from New York to Los Angeles yesterday. Weinstein is already serving a 23-year sentence for forcing himself on two women in New York. Five others are accusing him of rape and sexual assault in Southern California. A judge said he could leave New York to go through the court process in California. They’re expected to take him to trial later this year. If convicted, Weinstein faces a sentence of up to 140 years in prison. Weinstein has always said all his sexual encounters have been consensual and is expected to plead not guilty.
Read More: LA Times, AP, WSJ, Fox News
Pegasus Project Spyware
A new widespread investigation found hundreds of politicians, journalists, activists, and lawyers around the world have been hacked. The Washington Post and 16 other news organizations have been investigating the hack. They found evidence that prominent people’s iPhones were infected with military-grade spyware from a private firm out of Israel called NSO Group. That software can activate cameras and microphones on phones for real-time surveillance. It can also steal photos, location records, passwords, and more. The firm that makes it has denied the reports, but the United Nations human rights chief calls the investigation “extremely alarming.”
Read More: WaPo, The Guardian, Axios, MIT Tech, NSO Group
Delta Makes up 83% of New Cases
The highly contagious Delta variant now makes up 83% of new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. The CDC director told lawmakers about the big surge yesterday, saying it’s even worse in places with low vaccination rates. The Delta variant is estimated to be more than twice as contagious as previous strains of the virus. The average number of new daily cases is up 66% this week from last week, and it’s up 145% from two weeks ago. Hospitals and deaths are also rising, although they’re still far below the levels we saw back in the winter months. As of this morning, almost 49% of the U.S. population has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Read More: CNN, WSJ, NY Times, The Hill, CDC
COVID Recession was Shortest Ever
Last year’s recession was the shortest in American history, according to a non-partisan research group that analyzes economic cycles. The group says the recession lasted from February through April of 2020, and that the economy shrank extraordinarily fast in that time. Gross domestic product (GDP) dropped more than 31% in the U.S, but the rebound was fast, too. Economists point to a few reasons. For example, Covid-related lockdowns were relatively short, businesses adapted quickly to social distancing measures, and relief packages from Congress made up the difference.
Read More: CNBC, WSJ, CBS, NBER
Milwaukee Bucks Win NBA Championship
For the first time in 50 years, the Milwaukee Bucks are the new NBA champions. They defeated the Phoenix Suns at home last night in game six of the finals. Their star Giannis Antetokounmpo led his team to victory. He scored 50 of the Bucks’ 105 points. The final score was 105 to 98. It was the third game of the series in which 26-year-old Giannis scored at least 40 points. Last night, he was named finals MVP. The last time the Bucks won a championship was in 1971 when the team was led by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. This time, there were tens of thousands of fans packed into the arena, and they partied in the streets overnight.
Read More: NBC News, CBS News, WSJ, USA Today
First Transgender Model on SI Cover
The Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition has three different cover models this year. One of the covers features a transgender woman for the first time. It’s actress and former ballroom dancer Leyna Bloom. She’s also the first transgender person of color ever to be featured in Sports Illustrated. The other two covers feature rapper Megan Thee Stallion and tennis star Naomi Osaka. The editor-in-chief said all three women serve as a “reminder that beauty comes in many forms.” The three versions of the new Sports Illustrated edition come out this week.
Read More: Sports Illustrated, Today, WaPo, EW, Leyna Bloom
Netflix Confirms Video Games
After months of teasing, Netflix has officially confirmed its getting into video games. Games will be added to existing subscriptions and customers won’t have to pay any extra for them. Netflix is focusing on games for mobile devices first, but they'll eventually expand to consoles like Playstation and Xbox as well as desktop computers. Netflix officials say they’re developing games based on the network’s original shows, movies, and popular characters. It’s not yet clear how long it’ll be before the video games are ready to launch.
Read More: AP, CNET, Variety, Deadline
Peloton Getting into Gaming
Peloton plans to get into gaming. The fitness company announced it’s adding a video game called Lanebreak to its app and its bikes. Instead of a controller, users will control the game with their cycling skills. They’ll have to change their speed and resistance to control a rolling wheel on their screen and meet different goals. Players will be able to choose the difficulty level, music, and length of the game before starting. This game is on track to come out later this year.
Read More: Gizmodo, The Verge, Cnet
Super Fast Train in China
China has developed a high-speed train that floats above the track. The levitating train is powered by electromagnetic forces. It doesn’t touch the rails at all, which helps it move faster because there’s no friction between the train and the track. Officials say it can reach maximum speeds of more than 370 miles per hour. That makes it the fastest ground vehicle on Earth. The train is expected to be ready for commercial service in the next decade.
Read More: USA Today, The Hill, Reuters
Work Wednesday: Too Many Meetings Hurt Job Performance
American workers say they’re trapped in too many meetings and the amount of time spent in them is hurting their ability to do their jobs. Recent data found the number of meetings most workers had to sit through went up by 13% after the pandemic started. Part of the problem is people working from home. In that setup, quick conversations that may have ordinarily happened by someone’s desk in the office have to be formally scheduled as calls or video chats. Hybrid work schedules could make this even messier.
Read More: WSJ, Small Business Trends, Forbes, Doodle, Harvard Business Review