Thursday, July 23rd, 2020
Testing Backlog, Nat’l Park Improvements & MLB Opening Day
All the news you need in less than 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 to peruse the latest happenings...
COVID-19 Testing Capacity
The nation’s testing capacity is being pushed to its limits. Some labs are now reportedly taking weeks to return COVID-19 test results. Now, one of the nation’s largest testing chains, Quest Diagnostics, is asking healthcare providers to only test people who either came into contact with someone who has COVID-19 or people who are showing symptoms. The CEO of another testing leader, Lab Corp, says it’s up to states to get the spread of the virus under control so there are fewer tests needed and his company can keep up with demand.
Read More: AP, CNBC, Time
U.S. Coronavirus Surge
The three most populous states: California, Texas, and Florida, are all hitting grim new milestones. California surpassed New York as the state with the highest number of coronavirus cases. More than 415,000 people have been infected in California since January. Both Texas and Florida recorded nearly 10,000 new COVID-19 cases each, just yesterday. Texas set more one-day records for both hospitalizations and deaths.
Read More: Johns Hopkins, AP, Reuters, FW Star-Telegram, NBC News
More Mask Mandates Issued
Washington D.C., Minnesota, Indiana, and Ohio all issued new mask requirements yesterday. It comes one day after President Trump joined health experts by stressing the importance of masks to stop the spread of COVID-19. Now, more than half of all U.S. states have some kind of face-covering mandate in place.
Read More: The Week, Politico
Federal Agents Sent to More Cities
Federal law enforcement officers are going to two American cities this week. As expected, President Trump announced he’s sending about 200 officers to Chicago. Trump says he’s also sending about 35 to Albuquerque, New Mexico. The federal officers will assist local law enforcement to arrest fugitives, stop illegal gun sales, and prosecute gun cases in federal court. President Trump says federal agents might end up going to other cities too.
Read More: AP, Reuters, WSJ, Politico, Axios, Justice Department
China Ordered to Close Consulate
China has until tomorrow to close its consulate in Houston, Texas. The U.S. ordered it closed. The Trump administration accused Chinese diplomats of trying to steal scientific research. It also says they’ve been helping with “economic espionage.” It’s not clear what prompted the decision, but the U.S. made it clear that diplomats broke the law. Leaders in Beijing promised to retaliate against the U.S.
Read More: NY Times, USA Today, WSJ, Politico
Great American Outdoors Act
The Great American Outdoors Act won overwhelming approval by both Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate. The AP calls it the most significant conservation legislation passed in nearly half a century. The bill would spend nearly $3 billion on projects to maintain and improve national parks, forests, and wildlife refuges. It now goes to President Trump. He is expected to sign it.
Read More: AP, Axios, CNN
China Launches Mars Rover
China just launched its first-ever solo mission to Mars. The rover is set to reach the red planet in February. This is the second of three planned missions to Mars around the world within just two weeks. The United Arab Emirates launched its satellite toward Mars on Monday. The U.S. is expected to launch its Mars rover as soon as a week from today. All are taking advantage of the brief window that comes about once every two years when Earth and Mars are closer than usual.
Read More: BBC, NASA, NYT
MLB Opening Day
Today is opening day for Major League Baseball. The delayed season kicks off tonight when the Washington Nationals host the New York Yankees at 7 p.m. ET. Then, at 10 p.m. ET, it’s the LA Dodgers against the San Francisco Giants. Tomorrow, 28 more teams have their first games of the season. Just like with other games, fans aren’t allowed at the games and social distancing will be encouraged between players. Players will also be allowed to display messages of social justice on their jerseys.
New Baseball Season Precautions: AP, CBS Sports, CNN, Forbes
MLB Social Justice Jerseys: AP, ESPN, Bleacher Report
New NWSL Team Coming to LA
The National Women’s Soccer League approved a new team for Los Angeles, California. This was reportedly thanks to the work of famous and powerful women like actress Natalie Portman and tennis star Serena Williams who threw their support and money behind the effort. A bunch of female entrepreneurs invested too. When the new team launches in 2022, it will be the league’s 11th franchise.
Read More: WSJ, NY Times, People
First Woman to Lead Army Reserve
A woman is taking command of the U.S. Army Reserve. Maj. Gen. Jody Daniels was promoted to the post. This is the first time a woman has been at the helm of the Army Reserve in its 112-year history. Daniels has served as an intelligence officer in Iraq. She also has a doctoral degree in computer science. Still, there’s a long way to go before we see equality across the military’s senior ranks. Women reportedly make up less than a quarter of admirals and generals in the U.S. military.
Read More: USA Today, The Hill, Military.com
New Recyclable Amazon Packaging
Amazon is rolling out new boxes that can be turned into things like a cat condo, a robot costume, a fort, or a toy rocket. The packages will include a QR code. People will be able to scan it to get step-by-step building instructions. The new package is also more environmentally friendly because they’re made with less material than usual cardboard boxes. Amazon says it’s going to start using them this week.
Read More: USA Today, Amazon
TTKT: One Year Until Olympics
Today marks exactly one year until the opening ceremonies are supposed to happen in Tokyo, Japan. It was originally supposed to be yesterday, but that didn’t happen because of the pandemic. Now, it’s set for July of 2021. Some public health experts are still skeptical it won’t be safe enough by then to allow high-risk sports and large crowds. However, the International Olympic Committee and local organizers say they won’t postpone the Tokyo Olympics. If it doesn’t happen next year, the next Olympics will be held in 2024.
Read More: USA Today, WSJ