Thursday, July 21st, 2022
Coast-to-Coast Heat, Primetime Hearing & Comic-Con Returns
All the news you need 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 peruse the latest happenings.
US Heatwave Expanding
The National Weather Service says more than 200 million Americans are going to feel temperatures in the 90s or higher for the next couple of days. For more than 60 million Americans, it will get into the triple digits. Temperature records have already been smashed in the middle of the country. Parts of California, Arizona, and New Mexico have also been dealing with extreme heat. Now, the heat is headed to the east coast. Heat advisories will span from South Carolina into southern New Hampshire. One Weather Channel meteorologist said temperatures are five to 50 degrees above average for the entire country.
Read More: NWS, USA Today, NY Times, Forbes, WaPo
Biden Climate Action
President Biden is taking some small steps to combat climate change. He announced new executive actions that say FEMA will spend $2.3 billion to help communities prepare for heatwaves, wildfires, droughts, and other extremes. Also, the White House is issuing guidance meant to help states, territories, and tribes set up cooling centers. Plus, the Biden administration is considering more offshore wind power projects. The president is promising more action to come. He said, “this is an emergency, and I will look at it that way.”
Read More: White House, ABC News, Fox News, Axios, NY Times, AP
Proposal to Clarify Election Laws
A bipartisan group of senators has a plan to prevent some of the chaos and confusion that happened on January 6th. 16 Senators released a bill that would more clearly define the role of states, electors, and the vice president in a presidential election. Under this new bill, it would be up to each governor to submit electors to represent their state. It says the vice president can preside over the count, but he or she would not have any power to accept, reject, or settle disputes over electors. And those are just a couple of examples of what’s included. A vote is expected this fall.
Read More: Sen. Collins, NPR, Politico, WSJ, AP, WaPo
Final Jan 6th Hearing Preview
The lawmakers investigating the Capitol riot are holding their last planned public meeting today. They say they’re offering the most compelling evidence yet. They’ll zero in on exactly what former President Trump was doing on January 6th as thousands of his supporters invaded the Capitol, as well as what happened in the White House after the mob left and the fallout the next day. Two more White House aides are expected to testify in person. The committee will also likely lean on more videos from people who already testified behind closed doors. The hearing starts tonight at 8:00 ET.
Read More: Jan. 6th Cmte, Axios, NBC News, AP, Business Insider
Ukraine’s First Lady Addressed Congress
Ukraine’s first lady addressed America’s most powerful lawmakers this week. First Lady Olena Zelenska showed them some disturbing images from the front lines of Russia’s invasion to show the human toll of the war. She thanked the U.S. for the billions of dollars in military and humanitarian assistance that’s been given so far. Then, she asked members of Congress for more weapons to help Ukraine defend itself. About 100 lawmakers showed up for Zelenska’s speech and gave her multiple standing ovations. It was the first time the spouse of a foreign leader has addressed the U.S. Congress.
Read More: Politico, AP, WSJ, NY Times
EU Asking Countries to Ration Gas
The European Union is trying to get ready for winter without enough gas from Russia. The EU’s executive body is pushing member states to cut their gas use by 15% in the coming months. The plan would ask for voluntary rationing now, and it would give the European Commission the power to mandate cuts in the future if needed. Since Russia invaded Ukraine, the EU has approved bans on Russian coal and most oil. However, it didn’t include natural gas because the EU depends so much on it for electricity and heating. Now, many officials are worried Russia will cut off the supply to Europe anyway.
Read More: The Guardian, Fox Business, WSJ, AP, MarketWatch
US Home Prices Hit All-Time High
Home prices in the U.S. hit a new all-time high last month, even as home sales dropped for a fifth-straight month. Economists say mortgage rates and home prices have gone up too much too quickly, so Americans can’t afford to buy a home anymore. The number of homes for sale is still considered low, but it’s improving. CNBC says more sellers are putting their homes on the market now to try and take advantage of what’s perhaps the last of the housing boom. That increasing inventory should take some pressure off home prices eventually. Still, mortgage rates will be going up.
Read More: CNN, Fox Business, Reuters, CNBC
Netflix Loses 1M Subscribers
Netflix lost nearly one million subscribers over the last few months. That was the biggest drop in the company’s history, but it was still better than expected. Earlier this year, Netflix predicted it would lose two million subscribers from April to June. Instead, it lost less than half of that, and Netflix expects to start gaining members once again. It has talked about offering a cheaper, ad-supported option, and it’s testing cracking down on password sharing in some countries.
Read More: CNET, NY Times, Variety, Fox Business
Comic-Con Begins
For the first time in three years, comic book, movie, and television enthusiasts are coming together for a full-on, in-person Comic-Con in San Diego. More than 130,000 people are expected to be there. Big stars are going, too, like Dwayne Johnson, William Shatner, Aubrey Plaza, Ben Stiller, and Keanu Reeves. Plus, there are bound to be some surprise appearances and surprise announcements. Already, we know Marvel, Amazon, and HBO will give sneak peeks at their new TV shows and movies. Comic-Con runs through Sunday.
Read More: Comic-Con, Deadline, Wired, THR, Variety, Gizmodo
Thing to Know Thursday: Health Myths on TikTok
Healthcare professionals around the world are debunking health myths on TikTok. One doctor in the UK says for every evidence-based expert, you have 50 to 60 creators who spread false information. He now has a million followers who watch his debunking videos. He calls out fad diets, claims that contraception causes infertility, and a lot more. Others have pointed out false statements based on people misinterpreting scientific articles. TikTok does have policies against content and accounts that spread information, but it’s tough to keep up with. Now, some researchers and creators say they want health departments to invest in reputable influencers.
Read More: NY Times, The Times, MDLinx, WHO