Friday, August 13th, 2021
Afghanistan Evacuations, More Diverse America & Metabolism Myths
All the news you need in around 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by Ritual.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 reading the latest happenings...
U.S. Evacuating Kabul Embassy
Thousands of American troops are headed to Afghanistan to help airlift other U.S. citizens out. That’s because the situation in Afghanistan keeps getting worse and less safe. The Taliban has been advancing, taking over at least two-thirds of the country so far. Thousands of Afghans have fled their homes, worried that the militant group will take away women’s rights and restart public executions. For now, the American embassy is staying open, but any staff who can do their jobs from afar will withdraw. All other Americans are being told to leave Afghanistan immediately.
Read More: NY Times, WaPo, Reuters, Axios
Border Crossings Reach 21-Year High
July was an exceptionally busy month at the U.S.-Mexico border. New data shows more than 212,000 migrants were taken into American custody. That’s the highest monthly number recorded in 21 years. It also included almost 19,000 teenagers and children traveling alone. That’s an all=time high. Border facilities are reportedly packed again. The Biden administration is still sending single adults and most families back to Mexico because of a pandemic-era public health code. The U.S. is now starting to fly them into southern Mexico, hoping they’ll choose to go home instead of trying to cross the border again.
Read More: WaPo, CBS News, Fox News, Reuters
Groundbreaking Census Report
The U.S. is becoming more diverse and more urban. That’s according to the latest numbers from the 2020 Census. In the last 10 years, the number of white people in the U.S. fell for the first time in history, mostly because white women are having fewer babies. However, the Black, Hispanic, and Asian populations grew. The biggest increase was among people who identify as more than one race. Americans also seem to be moving more to the South and West and away from the Midwest and Northeast. Almost all the growth has happened in big, metropolitan areas. This will impact where federal funding goes and how political districts are drawn.
Read More: AP, CNN, Politico, WSJ, LA Times
San Francisco, New Orleans Vaccine Mandates
San Francisco, California and New Orleans, Louisiana are the first cities to mandate vaccines for certain activities. In those cities, everyone 12 and older will have to show proof they’ve been vaccinated or a negative COVID-19 test from the last 72 hours to do quite a few things. That includes going to bars, eating at restaurants, working out at a gym, attending sporting events, and more. Both mandates go into effect next week.
Read More: Reuters, KTVU, CNN, NOLA.com, Fox News
SCOTUS Won’t Stop IU Vaccine Mandate
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld a vaccine mandate. Indiana University students were suing their school, saying it was unethical to force them to get vaccinated. Judge Amy Coney Barrett is in charge of that region and this week, she denied their request to overrule the mandate. She didn’t explain her decision, but lower court judges have said the school is fair to act in the “legitimate interest of public health for its students, faculty, and staff."
Read More: NBC News, WaPo, Axios, Politico
Booster Shot Authorized for Certain People
The FDA authorized booster shots for certain Americans. People with weakened immune systems can now get a 3rd shot of either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines to boost their protection against COVID-19. That covers about 3% of Americans including people who have an organ transplant or a history of cancer. The CDC is expected to recommend booster shots for those people today. Meanwhile, public health officials are still studying whether an extra shot may be beneficial for the rest of the population.
Read More: AP, ABC News, WSJ, FDA
Britney Spears’ Father Leaves Conservatorship
Britney Spears’ father, Jamie Spears, says he plans to step down as her conservator. This is a big shift since he’s been in charge of her life and finances for the last 13 years. In a court filing this week he said he would transition away from the arrangement after a few things are tied up. He didn’t give a timetable. Even though he agreed to step down, Jamie insisted he’s done nothing wrong. Britney has accused her father of conservatorship abuse, saying she’s been overworked, forcibly medicated, and kept from having more children.
Read More: Variety, AP, TMZ, NY Times
Special Edition: Conservatorships, #FreeBritney & Beyond
New Metabolism Study Findings
A new study found metabolisms don’t slow down at middle age and there’s no difference between men and women. Researchers used data from nearly 6,500 people ranging in age from eight days old to 95 years old. The data was collected over 40 years. It found that human metabolism goes through four phases. The first is from infancy until age one when calorie burning is at its highest. From about one to 20 years old, metabolism gradually slows down. Next, they found it doesn’t change much from 20-60. Then, it starts declining again after 60. Researchers say things like puberty, pregnancy, or menopause didn’t change things either.
Read More: NY Times, NBC News, The Guardian, Science
ACA Special Enrollment Ends Sunday
You have just a few more days to sign up for government health insurance before the usual open enrollment comes around. The special enrollment period for the Affordable Care Act ends on Sunday. President Biden opened up this window in February, citing the need during a pandemic. The White House says more than 2.5 million people have signed up for coverage during this special period so far. That’s on top of the more than 30 million Americans who were already enrolled.
Read More: Reuters, CNBC, White House, Healthcare.Gov
New TikTok Protections for Teens
TikTok is making changes to protect its younger users. It set a curfew on notifications. Teens 13-15 won’t receive alerts after 9 p.m. The deadline is 10 p.m. for 16 and 17-year-olds. The notifications will be off until 8 a.m. Other changes have to do with privacy. Already, TikTok disables direct messages for anyone under 16. Now, they’ll be turned off for 16 and 17-year-olds too unless they specifically choose to turn them on. Also, no one will be able to download videos from users under 16 and share them on other platforms.
Read More: TechCrunch, 9to5Mac, Forbes, CNET, TikTok
MLB’s ‘Field of Dreams’ Game
For the first time, Iowa hosted a Major League Baseball game. It was the long-anticipated Field of Dreams game in the small town of Dyersville. The Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees played next to the site where the 1989 movie Field of Dreams was filmed. The field used for the movie was too small for a real game, so a temporary ballpark was set up next to it, complete with enough seats for 8,000 fans. Kevin Costner, who starred in the movie, walked out with the teams through the cornfield before the game got going. In the end, the White Sox won it 9-8.
Read More: ESPN, CBS Sports, NPR, AP, MLB
Feel Good Friday: Cancer Survivor Inspires Special Playground
Lily Taylor remembers when she was battling Leukemia, she wasn’t able to play at the park with her friends because playgrounds had too many germs. Now, she wants to make sure other kids with serious illnesses don’t have to feel left out. She and her father came up with the idea for an indoor playground they’re now calling Lily’s Pad. It will go through the same cleaning procedures as a hospital so kids with weakened immune systems can play without worries. It will also be wheelchair accessible and the equipment will be padded. It’s now under construction thanks to donations. Lily’s Pad is expected to open next year in Tempe, Arizona.
Read More: ABC15, AZ Family, Lily’s Pad