Wednesday, August 11th, 2021
Cuomo Quits, Coast-to-Coast Heatwave & Perseids Meteor Shower
All the news you need in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by Ritual.com/newsworthy and Noom.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…
Gov. Cuomo Resigning
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has officially given his two weeks notice. He is stepping down as the governor of New York in the middle of a scandal. It was last week when the state’s attorney general released a report that found Cuomo sexually harassed nearly a dozen women, including government workers. He’s been facing pressure to resign ever since and state lawmakers were taking steps toward impeachment. In the end, he decided to step down voluntarily. The criminal investigation into his actions will continue. Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul will replace Cuomo. That will make her the first woman in history to lead the state.
Read More: NY Times, WaPo, WSJ, AP
Senate Passes Infrastructure Bill
The Senate overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan infrastructure bill worth more than $1 trillion. It includes money to repair roads and bridges, modernize public transportation, expand broadband internet access, improve clean drinking water systems, and more. It’s mostly going to be paid for by repurposing other money, including some COVID-19 aid. However, it faces an uphill battle in the House because some progressive House Democrats say they won’t vote for it unless the Senate also passes a larger $3.5 trillion package that takes on childcare, healthcare, and more. That one is more partisan though. The debate is expected to extend into the fall.
Read More: AP, WSJ, CNBC, Politico, Reuters
New Analysis of Breakthrough Infections
We are starting to get more information about how the COVID-19 vaccines are working to protect people against the virus, even in the biggest hot spots. The New York Times analyzed data from 40 states and Washington, D.C. It found that since vaccinations began, fully vaccinated people have made up less than 5% of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in each state. In most places, the percentages are lower. Overall, the CDC says more than 99.99% of people who are fully vaccinated have not been hospitalized or died from COVID-19.
Read More: NY Times, CNBC, CNN, CDC
Next American Heatwave
More than 150 million Americans are now under some kind of heat alert, from the West to the Plains to the Northeast. Some of the most extreme temperatures are once again coming to the Pacific Northwest. Parts of Western Oregon could reach temperatures as high as 111 degrees by the end of the week. That’s about 25 degrees above normal. City and county officials are opening cooling centers and misting stations. Meanwhile, the center of the U.S. from Iowa and Nebraska down to Texas is under a heat advisory until tomorrow. In places in the Northeast, like New York City, it will feel like the upper 90s or lower 100s.
Read More: WaPo, AP, NY Times, CNN, NWS
Google, YouTube Debut New Protections for Minors
Google is launching more protections for kids online over the next few months. On Youtube, video downloads will be set to private by default for users under 17 years old. Google will also remove content from YouTube Kids that encourages children and their parents to spend money. In general, Google won’t allow advertisers to target anyone under 18 anymore. In the Google search engine, “safe search” will be turned on automatically for children and teens to filter out explicit or inappropriate content. Google will also remove any images of minors if they or their parents request it.
Read More: Axios, TechCrunch, Variety
Amazon to Pay for Dangerous Third-Party Products
Starting next month, if you buy something on Amazon that injures you or damages your property, Amazon will pay you up to $1,000 in compensation, even if it was sold by a third party. Amazon will also investigate each claim to root out fraud. This is a major shift for the online retail giant. The company has long argued that it shouldn’t be responsible for third-party seller’s products. However, a judge recently said otherwise and last month, government regulators sued the company over this. They said Amazon needed to be more proactive about recalling dangerous items.
Read More: Fox Business, GeekWire, ARS Technica, Fast Company, Amazon
AI System to Diagnose Dementia
Artificial intelligence could soon help doctors diagnose dementia with a single brain scan. Researchers at the University of Cambridge say they developed an AI system that can find signs of disease long before a patient shows symptoms. The AI system compares the patient’s brain to thousands of confirmed dementia cases. The tool will also reportedly predict how fast or slow the disease will progress. The AI system is still being tested, but the hope is it could help doctors diagnose dementia sooner and treat it before it progresses.
Read More: BBC, The Sun, Yahoo, Alzheimer’s Association
Christina Applegate has Multiple Sclerosis
Actress Christina Applegate revealed this week she has multiple sclerosis. Applegate says it’s been a “strange journey” since she was diagnosed a few months ago, but that she has received a lot of support along the way. About a million people in the U.S. are living with multiple sclerosis. The disease affects the central nervous system. Basically, your brain struggles to communicate with your body and some patients lose the ability to walk. There is no cure, but symptoms can be managed.
Read More: THR, People, Fox News, Christina Applegate, Mayo Clinic, National MS Society
Perseids Meteor Shower Peaks
The annual Perseid meteor shower peaks tonight. NASA considers it to be the “best meteor shower of the year.” As long as it’s not too cloudy, you may be able to see dozens of meteors flying by every hour. The meteors, also known as shooting stars, are visible from anywhere on Earth. NASA says the best time to see the Perseids is between midnight and dawn. If you don’t have a chance to see the meteor shower live, there will be plenty of live streams and replays available online.
Read More: NASA, WaPo, Space.com, Earth Sky
Watch Live: Virtual Telescope
Work Wednesday: Companies Scrapping Fall Plans
More companies are postponing plans to bring workers back to the office. Many businesses had planned to reopen offices after Labor Day, but they’re hitting pause in the light of new COVID-19 outbreaks. Companies like Wells Fargo, Apple, Microsoft, Facebook, and Walmart are delaying bringing back employees until at least October. Amazon and Lyft are waiting until early next year. Some companies like Dell and Mattress Firm aren’t bothering to set new reopening dates since delaying their fall plans.
Read More: Bloomberg, WSJ, The Guardian