Thursday, July 29th, 2021
$1T Infrastructure Deal, Facebook’s Business Boom & Farewell ‘Arthur’
All the news you need in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by Noom.com/newsworthy and HelloFresh.com/NEWSWORTHY14
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...
Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill Advances
Congress is finally getting to work on a nearly $1 trillion infrastructure plan. A bipartisan group of Senators reached a deal, and the full Senate advanced it with a procedural vote last night. The package will include $110 billion for improvements to roads and bridges. It also sets aside $65 billion to expand broadband internet access, $55 billion for clean drinking water, and $73 billion to modernize the electric grid, and more. To pay for it, lawmakers want to repurpose funds that are leftover from COVID-19 relief packages as well as other unused government funds. Both Republicans and Democrats say they look forward to moving ahead and getting it done.
Read More: AP, NY Times, WSJ, WaPo, White House
DOJ Warning About Election Changes
The Justice Department is getting concerned about states still auditing the 2020 election or changing voting procedures. It released two guidance documents yesterday. The first one was about those audits, reminding states that they are supposed to hold onto election records for almost two years after an election. A second document says states that switched things up because of the pandemic might not get to just change things back to the way they were in 2019. It says if the laws keep people from voting, or are discriminatory in any way, the Justice Department will be looking into them.
Read More: Politico, NPR, Fox News, NBC News, DOJ
Federal Workers Vaccine Mandate
Millions more Americans are facing new pressure to get vaccinated because of new mandates. Today, President Biden is expected to announce all federal employees will have to either get their COVID-19 shots or be tested regularly for the virus. If they don’t get vaccinated, they’ll also face stricter rules about physical distancing, traveling, and masking. It’s not clear exactly how many of the more than four million federal employees this new rule will apply to.
Read More: CNN, WaPo, AP, WSJ
Google, Facebook Mandate Vaccines
Google and Facebook said any employees who are coming back to offices will have to get vaccinated. Most of them have some time though. Both companies are waiting until October to fully reopen their offices. Even then, thousands of employees will keep working remotely. Other companies have already approved mandates, like Netflix, Lyft, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Morgan Stanley.
Read More: TechCrunch, NPR, Axios, Google
WHO E-Cigarette Warning
There’s a new warning about e-cigarettes and how popular they are with young people. The World Health Organization put out a report about the tobacco epidemic. It said dozens of countries aren’t doing enough to protect people from the dangers of vaping. It noted that the tobacco industry hasn’t slowed down, and that vaping is still being marketed to children and adolescents around the globe. The issue is they can easily get hooked. It says kids who use e-cigs now are three times more likely to use tobacco products in the future, and the nicotine can hurt their brains.
Read More: The Hill, WHO, VOA News
Vaping Videos on TikTok
Researchers think online influencers might have something to do with the popularity of e-cigarettes. Vaping videos are watched millions of times on TikTok, which is especially popular with young people. A new study out of Australia found most of those TikTok videos portray e-cigarettes in a positive way. They include hashtags like #VapeTricks or #JuulGang (based on the top company that makes e-cigs.) TikTok doesn’t allow videos that show minors smoking or vaping, but for everyone else it’s ok.
Read More: The Guardian, UPI, Daily Mail
Facebook Profit Surges 101%
Facebook is growing faster now than it has in the last five years. The social media giant reported more than $10 billion in profits between April and June. That’s more than double what the company earned during the same time last year. Advertising sales are mostly what’s fueling these record numbers. Facebook says the average price for a single ad on the platform has gone up by nearly 50% over the past year. About ten million advertisers are actively using Facebook each month around the world.
Read More: NY Times, Yahoo Finance, WSJ, CNBC, Facebook
Activision Blizzard Workers Protest
Activision Blizzard workers have become upset with their management teams since a new lawsuit brought some allegations to light. The suit accuses the video game maker of allowing a culture where sexism, harassment, and even physical assault is common. The company originally called the claims “distorted” and “inaccurate.” Many workers didn’t like that response. About 2,000 employees signed a letter calling Activision Blizzard’s public statements “abhorrent and insulting,” and yesterday, workers staged a walkout. Since the employees started speaking up, Activision’s CEO has said the initial reaction to the lawsuit was “tone-deaf” and promised to fire any managers who have ignored harassment claims or retaliated against victims.
Read More: LA Times, Buzzfeed News, The Verge, Axios, Activision Blizzard
More Gold Medals for Team USA
It was another exciting day for Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics. American Caeleb Dressel set an Olympic record for men’s swimming by winning gold in the 100-meter freestyle race. He finished in just over 47 seconds. Earlier in the day, another American swimmer, Bobby Finke, shocked the world with a pretty epic comeback. He won gold in the 800-meter freestyle after coming back from fifth place in the final lap. Our women’s three-on-three basketball team also made history. This is the first year that competition has been in the Olympics, and the Americans brought home the event’s first gold medal when they beat Russia yesterday.
U.S. Men’s Swimming Wins: NPR, ESPN, USA Today
U.S. Women’s Basketball Win: USA Today, ESPN, The Athletic
Happening Today at the Olympics
Today is expected to be another exciting day at the Tokyo Olympics. Qualifying rounds for track and field are getting started. Golf is also now underway and the all-around women’s individual gymnastics competition is streaming this morning. Sunisa Lee and Jade Carey are representing Team USA after Simone Biles dropped out, citing mental health struggles.
Read More: AP, NY Times, NBC Olympics
Lollapalooza Begins Today
Lollapalooza is back in person for the first time in two years. The four-day music festival kicks off today in Chicago’s Grant Park with as many as 100,000 people expected to attend each day. Ticket holders have to show proof they’ve been vaccinated against COVID-19. If they haven’t gotten their shots, they’ll have to show a negative test from the last 72 hours and wear a mask. This is the 30th year of Lollapalooza. This year’s lineup includes big-name musicians like the Foo Fighters, Journey, Post Malone, Miley Cyrus, Megan thee Stallion, and a lot more.
Read More: Lollapalooza, CBS Chicago, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun Times
The End of ‘Arthur’
America’s most popular little aardvark is retiring from PBS. We’re talking about Arthur. The children’s cartoon was originally inspired by the book series back in 1996. It’s been on TV for nearly 25 years, making it the longest-running animated children’s series in history. This week, the show’s executive producer confirmed it’s coming to an end. She didn’t say why but said the show’s final season will air next year. After that, she says PBS Kids will keep making more Arthur content, but no exact details have been announced yet. Reruns will also be available for years to come.
Read More: NPR, CNBC, NY Times
Thing to Know Thursday: Heat Domes
This summer, Americans have been dealing with one record-breaking heatwave after another. Scientists say heat domes are a big part of the problem. Heat domes happen in high-pressure weather systems. Hot air gets trapped in a certain area, and as the air sinks, it gets even hotter. Heat domes also block other weather systems from getting in, like rain that could help bring relief. Unusually high temperatures in the pacific ocean are causing the current heat domes. The heat is a huge public health threat and it makes wildfires and droughts even worse. After about a week, they crumble under the pressure and people get some relief until the next one.
Read More: Axios, NOAA, CNN, Guardian, WaPo