Friday, August 14th, 2020
Historic Peace Deal, Fortnite Feud & 15-Cent Movies
All the news you need in less than 10 min:
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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...
UAE and Israel Deal
With help from the White House, Israel and the United Arab Emirates agreed to normalize their relationship. President Trump says the deal will bring better cooperation on investment, tourism. Technology, energy, and more. The two countries will also allow regular direct flights between them, open embassies, and trade ambassadors for the first time. In exchange, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to pause its plans to annex the West Bank.
Read More: AP, NY Times, NBC News, Reuters, Axios
New COVID-19 Cases Falling
In the last week, the U.S. averaged about 52,000 new cases per day. That’s a lot of cases, but about 10.5% fewer than it was averaging last week. New cases slowed in 21 states including some of the states that have seen surges recently, like Arizona, Florida, and Texas. Still, states will have to keep this downward trend going for a long time before they can consider their outbreaks “well-controlled.”
Read More: Johns Hopkins, Axios, WSJ
Health Experts Warn of Worst-Ever Fall
Public health experts, like the CDC director, expect the pandemic to get worse this fall. Dr. Robert Redfield told WebMD that’s because the COVID-19 outbreak is expected to coincide with flu season, which could overwhelm hospitals and drain resources. Dr. Redfield says it’s up to Americans to make sure we avoid a worst-case scenario. He is urging people to get a flu shot and follow COVID-19 guidelines, like wearing face masks and avoiding large crowds.
Read More: The Hill, Politico, Web MD
Yale Accused of Discrimination
The Justice Department is accusing Yale University of violating a federal civil rights law. It says the university discriminates against Asian Americans and white people who apply for undergraduate programs. The DOJ says Yale favors African American applicants with similar credentials. However, Yale calls the allegations “meritless” and “hasty,” and says it has no plan to change. Expect this to be fought in court.
Read More: CNN, AP, WSJ, Reuters
New Title IX Rules Go into Effect
New Title IX rules go into effect today at colleges and universities around the country. The rules impact how schools investigate sexual harassment and assaults on campus. Now, accused students will get certain protections, like they would if they were charged in the legal system. Throughout the disciplinary process, they’ll be treated as if they are innocent before proven guilty. Both the alleged victim and the accused will have lawyers or other representatives question the other.
Read More: AP, Forbes, CNN
Heat Records Expected in the West
Starting today, more than 34 million people in the southern and western U.S. are under excessive heat watches and warnings. They’re in effect across California and the southwest, in cities like Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Salt Lake City. Las Vegas could see temperatures soar to 113 degrees by Sunday. In Death Valley, California, it’s forecast to reach 126 degrees this weekend.
Read More: NBC News, WaPo, AP
Pentagon Task Force to Investigate UFOs
The Pentagon is reportedly forming a task force to investigate UFOs. Two military officials told CNN it will probably be unveiled within the next few days. The task force will specifically examine sightings by the U.S. military, which have been captured on video a few times.
Read More: CNN, The Hill
Fortnite Feuds
Apple and Google have dropped the hugely popular gaming app Fortnite from their app stores. The app has a new payment system that bypasses Apple and Google, so the companies don’t get their 30% cut of in-app purchases. Apple and Google say the payment change violates their guidelines. Fortnite’s developer sued Apple in retaliation. It may sue Google next.
Apple Drops Fortnite from App Store: AP, Reuters, The Verge, Epic Games
Google Play Drops Fortnite Too: The Verge, TechCrunch, WSJ
Big Tech’s New Voting Features
Big technology companies are going all-in to get people to vote this November. Google has rolled out a new search feature, so anyone who looks up “how to vote” or “how to register” will get information specific to the state. Meanwhile, Twitter plans to roll out new tools to help people register and prepare to vote by mail. Facebook launched its voter guide earlier this year. It hopes to help four million people register to vote.
Read More: Axios, Google, The Verge
AMC to Offer 15-Cent Tickets on Reopening Day
Some AMC theaters are set to reopen next week. On opening day, tickets will cost only 15 cents. Theaters will have an old-school lineup, featuring classic movies like Ghostbusters, Back to the Future, and Grease. New releases, like Tenet, come out in a few weeks. Theaters will operate at reduced capacity and masks will be required.
Read More: AP, CNN, ABC News, Variety, AMC
Feel Good Friday: #Cards4Kindess
14-year-old Jessica Ong has started sending cards with uplifting messages to healthcare workers, pick hospital patients, and seniors. She says she wants to reach out to them, since so many people have been isolated during the pandemic. She reportedly came up with the idea in June. Since then, it’s gone global. People in nearly two dozen countries have joined the effort, making and selling more than 1,000 cards so far.
Read More: NBC San Diego, 11 Alive, Instagram