Monday, August 9th, 2021
New Covid Surge, Taliban Takeover & Olympics Wrap Up
All the news you need in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by Ritual.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 review the latest happenings...
COVID Cases Spike
New COVID-19 cases in the U.S. are hitting levels we haven’t seen since winter. The country is now averaging 100,000 new infections reported every day. For comparison, that number was just 11,000 back in June. The White House says seven states make up about half of the new cases and hospitalizations from the last week. They are Florida, Texas, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi. In parts of those states, hospitals are having a hard time finding enough beds for patients.
Read More: AP, Reuters, CNBC, WSJ
New Lambda Variant
Most Americans getting COVID-19 now are getting the Delta variant, which has been proven to be much more contagious than the original strain. However, an even newer variant is starting to pop up too. Lambda has been detected in 44 U.S. states. Infectious disease experts say they’re closely watching this one. Early studies have shown it’s also more contagious than the original strain, but it’s still not clear if it might cause more severe cases or how well the vaccines work against it. Researchers are trying to figure that out now.
Read More: CNN, Reuters, Newsweek, The Hill
Dixie Fire Still Growing
The Dixie fire in Northern California grew more out of control over the weekend. It’s now the largest fire burning in the U.S. and it’s the second-largest wildfire in California history. More than 400 homes and other buildings have been destroyed so far in the northern Sierra Nevada area. Thousands more are threatened. More than 8,500 firefighters have worked on it, but it’s been tough to get ahead of strong winds that are fanning the flames. The Dixie fire is just one of more than 100 major wildfires burning in 15 states in the U.S.
Read More: LA Times, USA Today, WaPo, AP, InciWeb
Greece Wildfires
More than 150 fires have been reported in Greece over the last week. The worst ones are burning north of Athens and on the island of Evia. Thousands of people have been evacuated during an unprecedented heatwave. Temperatures have spiked as high as 113 degrees Fahrenheit. Greece’s army is helping hundreds of firefighters get the fires under control. Other countries like France, Egypt, Switzerland, and Spain have also sent in help.
Read More: BBC, NBC News, NY Times, NPR
Taliban Take More Territory
The Taliban have now taken over key cities in northern Afghanistan. Yesterday, the militant group seized the strategic hub of Kunduz. The group has already taken over most rural areas, but Kunduz was the first major Afghan city to fall. About 375,000 people live there. The Taliban also took over the capitals of three other provinces this weekend. It says it seized armored vehicles, weapons, and military equipment from Afghan government forces. However, the U.S. is still on track to end its combat mission in Afghanistan by the end of this month.
Read More: NY Times, WSJ, CNN, Reuters
July Jobs Report
The U.S. jobs market is getting stronger. The Labor Department says the country added 943,000 jobs in July. A good chunk of them was in the hospitality industry, including hotels and restaurants. That brought the unemployment rate down to a pandemic-era low of 5.4%. To put that into perspective, back in April of 2020, the unemployment rate was 14.8%. Still, it’s not quite as low as it was before the pandemic hit. Americans are also getting paid more. Wages are up 4% from this time last year.
Read More: WaPo, WSJ, Axios, Forbes, Labor Dept.
Americans Lead Olympic Medal Count
The Tokyo Olympics wrapped up over the weekend. The Americans are bringing home more medals and more gold medals than any other country. This weekend put us over the top. For the first time, the American indoor women’s volleyball team won gold. Also, both the men’s and women’s basketball teams won gold medals. Cyclist Jennifer Valente became the first American woman to win gold in track cycling. Also, Allyson Felix became the most decorated female Olympian in track and field. She won her 11th medal after the U.S. took gold in a relay race.
Read More: NPR, USA Today, Time, ESPN, Team USA, Olympics
Canada Reopened for Vaccinated Americans
Starting today, fully-vaccinated Americans can go to Canada again for any reason. Adults will have to prove they’ve been vaccinated and have a negative COVID-19 test. Kids younger than 12 who can’t get the shots yet are allowed too, as long as they’re traveling with fully vaccinated people. To get there, you can drive or fly. Border checkpoints are now open and airlines are adding more flights to Canada. The average room rates for hotels in Canada are lower now than they were before the pandemic started.
Read More: USA Today, Business Insider, CNN
Uber, Lyft Rates at Record Highs
Be prepared to shell out a lot more money than usual if you take Uber or Lyft. Prices are at record highs. Market research shows that average fares have hit new record highs every month since February. Now, customers are paying 50% more than they were before the pandemic started. Both Uber and Lyft have reported large numbers of drivers joining their platforms in recent months, but demand is still outpacing driver supply. It’s especially bad in large cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York City.
Read More: WSJ, Mashable, 11Alive
Pro Football HOF Inductions
More than two dozen former football players, coaches, and contributors were just immortalized in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The new inductees include retired icons like longtime Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, record-holding Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson, and Charles Woodson, who played both cornerback and safety for the Raiders and the Packers. During last night’s induction ceremony, all three men spoke about their love of the game.
Read More: ESPN, CBS Sports, AP
College Football Coach Bobby Bowden Dies
The sports world is saying goodbye to one of the most successful college football coaches in history. Bobby Bowden died from pancreatic cancer over the weekend at 91 years old. Bowden is best known for the more than 30 years he spent coaching at Florida State University. He led the Seminoles to two national championships during the 1990s. Bowden also holds the record for the second-most wins by any Division I football coach with 377 victories. Only the late Joe Paterno of Penn State has more wins.
Read More: Tallahassee Democrat, AP, ESPN
‘Suicide Squad’ Underwhelming Opening
The Suicide Squad didn’t perform as well at the box office as Warner Bros. expected. The movie brought in $26.5 million in North American ticket sales. The studio expected the action movie to make at least $30 million. Some analysts think regular moviegoers might have been worried about COVID-19 outbreaks. Audiences also had the option of watching it at home. The Suicide Squad debuted on HBO Max the same day it arrived in theaters at no extra cost to subscribers.
Read More: Variety, Deadline, CNN, Fox Business
Money Monday: More Weddings, Costs Soaring
It’s getting more expensive to have a wedding these days. Market research shows there will be about 2.5 million weddings next year. That’s about 500,000 more than normal. The average wedding cost is expected to hit $25,000 by 2023. That’s a couple of thousand dollars more than before the pandemic. Some of that is because the demand is high or because companies are charging more to keep up with certain health and safety protocols. Also, the Knot did a survey and found couples are splurging on extras like an extra photographer, more exotic flowers, and a bigger guest list. Many venues are booked solid for the next year.
Read More: Bloomberg, The Wedding Report, Axios, CNBC, The Knot