Thursday, August 12th, 2021
Booster Shots Expected, Prices Rising & Double ‘Jeopardy!’ Hosts
All the news you need in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by Stamps.com (Listen for the discount code) and Ritual.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...
FDA to Allow Booster Shots
The FDA is expected to let certain Americans start getting an extra dose of a COVID-19 vaccine soon. The agency has reportedly found evidence a third dose of either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines can help people with weakened immune systems, so it’s supposed to authorize that extra dose for only those people as soon as today. That would cover about 3% of Americans, like people with organ transplants or a history of cancer. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is still only offered as one dose, but there are trials underway to study how two doses work.
Read More: CBS News, NBC News, Fox News, CNN
CDC Urging Vaccines for Pregnant People
The CDC is now officially recommending COVID-19 vaccines for pregnant women. Until now, it said pregnant women were allowed to get the shots, but that they should talk to their doctors about whether they should. That changed this week after the CDC got new safety data showing the vaccines weren’t tied to increased miscarriage risk. On the other hand, health experts have found getting COVID-19 during pregnancy can be very dangerous. The CDC also recommends the shots to women who are breastfeeding or who want to get pregnant.
Read More: WaPo, NPR, NY Times, Reuters
CA Vaccine Mandate in Schools
California is going to be the first American state to make all teachers and staff get vaccinated against COVID-19 or get tested every week. Schools will have a little more than two months before they have to start enforcing the rule. The two largest teachers unions in California also say they support it. California and many other states also require all students and staff wear masks at school.
Read More: LA Times, CNN, WSJ, Politico
More Schools Defy States’ Mask Mandate Bans
Some states like Florida, Arizona, and Texas have banned mask mandates in schools. However, more districts are challenging those bans, like in Dallas, Houston, Austin, Phoenix, and Ft. Lauderdale. So far, challenges have also been held up in court. In Texas this week, a judge let San Antonio require masks for schools and public buildings. Another judge wouldn’t let Arkansas ban mask mandates anywhere. Other court cases are expected to play out in the coming days and weeks.
Read More: AP, Axios, Fox News, NY Times, Today
Senate Passed $3.5T Budget Blueprint
Democrats’ $3.5 trillion budget plan survived its first test in the Senate. This measure would direct extra money to things like childcare, healthcare, income inequality, climate change, and more. To pay for it, the richest Americans and corporations would have to pay more in taxes. The Senate approved the general framework of the package in a 50-49 vote. Republicans say it includes too much new government spending and that the tax hikes will hurt the economy. A couple of moderate Democrats say they might agree on those points, but they voted to let the bill be drafted anyway. Lawmakers will work to write up the specifics over the next month.
Read More: NBC News, Fox News, NPR, WSJ
High Gas Prices Investigation
The White House is trying to figure out why gas prices are especially high this summer. It asked the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate and make sure nothing illegal is happening, like if there has been any market manipulation or anti-competitive prices. Some analysts say they don’t expect the FTC probe to find anything though. They think the issue is a driver shortage and high labor costs. Gas prices have jumped 42% in the last year. AAA says the average price for a gallon of regular gas is now $3.20.
Read More: USA Today, The Hill, AP, AAA
Consumer Prices Rose in July
Consumer prices increased by 5.4 percent last month. It’s the fourth month in a row things have gotten more expensive. Prices are up for cars and trucks, hotels, food, and more. Inflation also rose in July, but at a slower rate than in May and June. Businesses are still struggling to rebound because of supply chain problems. The Federal Reserve insists the prices will level out once those production and supply chain issues are fixed.
Read More: NY Times, Axios, Fox Business, CNN
Hackers Steal, Return Cryptocurrency
Hackers pulled off one of the largest cryptocurrency heists ever this week. The hack happened at a decentralized finance platform called Poly Network. Cyber thieves stole more than $600 million worth of digital tokens. An anonymous person took credit for the heist, saying they did it “for fun” and to expose a vulnerability in Poly Network’s system. About a third of the cryptocurrency was returned yesterday and more could still turn up. Experts think the hacker may have decided to return it because cryptocurrency exchanges are easily tracked.
Read More: WSJ, BBC, CNBC, The Block, Reuters
AMC to Accept Bitcoin
The AMC movie theater chain says customers will soon be able to buy movie tickets and concessions with Bitcoin. It plans to have that system up and running at all U.S. theaters by the end of this year. AMC’s CEO says the company wants to start accepting payments from Apple Pay and Google Pay later this year as well. Wall Street investors seemed excited about the news. AMC’s shares jumped 5.3% yesterday.
Read More: The Verge, USA Today, CNET, CNN
Samsung’s New Phones & Smartwatches
Samsung debuted two new foldable phones at its annual UNPACKED event. The phones are supposed to be waterproof, come equipped with 5G support, and feature better cameras. Phones run anywhere between $1,000-$1,800. Samsung also showed off new smartwatches. They have new operating software that’s a hybrid of Google’s wearable software and Samsung’s technology. They will monitor things like blood pressure, body composition, and sleep cycles. All of Samsung’s new devices will be available later this month.
Read More: Axios, WaPo, ARS Technica, TechCrunch
Spacesuits Could Delay NASA’s Moon Mission
NASA’s plan to send astronauts back to the moon by 2024 has hit a snag. The agency’s watchdog says the new spacesuits won’t be ready in time. The spacesuits astronauts wear on the International Space Station were designed more than 40 years ago. NASA has been working on a newer, safer model for about 14 years. However, a recent audit found the agency is nearly two years behind schedule and over budget. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk offered to help make the spacesuits, but it’s unclear if NASA will take him up on the offer.
Read More: Space.com, Business Insider, CNBC, NASA, Elon Musk
New ‘Jeopardy!’ Hosts Chosen
Jeopardy! now has two new hosts. Executive producer Mike Richards will handle hosting duties for the daily shows. Actress Mayim Bialik will host Jeopardy! primetime and spinoffs like the upcoming National College Championship series. The new season of Jeopardy! debuts next month. The quiz show has been looking for a new permanent host for several months following the death of longtime host Alex Trebek. The show has had a rotating cast of guest hosts. Executives say they chose Richards and Bialik after reviewing all the guest hosts’ episodes.
Read More: Jeopardy!, WSJ, Daily Beast, Fox News, NY Post
Thing to Know Thursday: Studying the Causes of Climate Change
Climate scientists use satellites and other instruments to measure greenhouse gases in the air all around the world. The consensus is the amount of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere has gone up a lot ever since the Industrial Revolution when people started burning fossil fuels on an industrial scale. In recent years, computer models have become more advanced too, so scientists have been able to pinpoint how human activities affect the climate. Scientists have been able to witness changes happening on the planet too from space, in the oceans, and on land.
Read More: The Hill, EDF, EPA, USGS