Monday, August 15th, 2022
Top-Secret Docs, Another Taiwan Visit & Back-to-School Sticker Shock
All the news you need in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by Rothys.com/newsworthy and Indeed.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...
Items Seized from Mar-a-Lago
A court released the search warrant from the FBI’s raid at former President Trump’s home last week with a list of everything the agents found. That includes 11 sets of classified and top-secret documents. The search warrant says the FBI is looking into whether Trump broke the espionage act, among other laws. Reports say that just two weeks before the search, one of the former president’s lawyers signed a document saying all classified material had been removed from Mar-a-Lago. However, someone reportedly tipped off investigators that more sensitive documents were still there.
Read More: Truth Social, Politico, WSJ, Fox News, Newsweek, CBS News
More Trump/GOP Response
Former President Trump is fighting back with explanations and accusations. Trump called the FBI “corrupt” and said “there is no way of knowing” if the classified material had been planted. Later, Trump said the FBI shouldn’t have taken the documents since some are protected by attorney-client privilege and executive privilege. He says he wants them back. Other people on Trump’s team say the Justice Department is trying to take something innocent, Trump holding onto keepsakes, and turning it into a scandal for political reasons.
Read More: The Hill, NY Post, NBC News, NY Times, Reuters, Axios
US Lawmakers in Taiwan
Five more American lawmakers arrived in Taiwan over the weekend, less than two weeks after Nancy Pelosi’s visit. Four Democrats and one Republican are meeting with Taiwanese officials and other leaders today. This is likely to upset China. After House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit two weeks ago, China responded with live-fire military drills around Taiwan. It’s not clear how the Chinese government will respond this time. Remember, Taiwan is a self-governed island, but China sees it as being under its control. The Chinese government has repeatedly said it will retake that control by force if necessary.
Read More: AIT, AP, NY Times, WSJ, Reuters
Afghan Withdrawal Criticized
The Biden administration is facing new criticism about the chaotic end to the U.S. mission in Afghanistan. Republicans on the House Foreign Affairs Committee have been looking into the American exit. They gave a few news outlets a look at their findings so far. They say the withdrawal put the lives of Americans and Afghans in grave danger, that President Biden ignored advice from his military commanders, made key decisions too late, and didn’t prepare enough for the evacuation efforts. The White House called the report “partisan” and said it’s riddled with false claims.
Read More: Foreign Affairs GOP, Axios, WaPo, CNN, Fox News
Salman Rushdie Stabbed
A famous author who has lived with a bounty on his head since the 1980s was attacked in New York. Salman Rushdie was set to give a lecture on artistic freedom in New York, but someone rushed the stage and stabbed him ten times. For more than three decades, Rushdie has faced death threats because of a novel he wrote. Some Muslims think that, in the book, Rushdie insulted the prophet Muhammad, so Iran’s supreme leader called on Muslims to kill the author. So far, it’s not clear if the stabbing had to do with that since authorities haven’t released a motive. For now, the suspect is in custody and facing attempted murder charges.
Read More: Reuters, AP, Fox News, BBC, CAIR
First State to Offer Free School Lunches
California is becoming the first state in the U.S. to offer all kids free meals, no matter how much their families have. The new rule applies to students in public schools or charter schools. There, kids can get breakfast, lunch, or both. California will pay for it with a mix of state and federal money. The state lawmaker who led the effort called the meals essential, saying, “if you’re hungry, you cannot learn well.” However, some critics say it costs too much in tax dollars for kids who don’t need the help.
Read More: CDE, USA Today, KTVU, ABC News
WHO Renaming Monkeypox
Monkeypox will be getting a new name. The World Health Organization is asking for the public’s help to come up with what it should be called moving forward. Some researchers say the current name is “discriminatory” and “stigmatizing”. Already, the WHO got a group of global experts together to rename the two dominant variants of monkeypox. Instead of the Congo Basin and West African variants, they’re reclassified as Clade one and Clade two. The WHO is offering an online portal for people to submit name ideas.
Read More: WHO, AP, Fox News, Bloomberg, USA Today, The Hill
Online Forum to Suggest Names: WHO
Polio Found In NYC Sewage
A few major cities are facing their biggest polio threats in years. Poliovirus has been discovered in the wastewater of London and New York City, where hundreds of people could be infected. In response, the UK decided to make London children under 10 eligible for a polio booster. One senior official told CNN the American CDC is thinking about doing the same thing. The virus is considered very contagious. Most of the time, people don’t get symptoms, but others can die from it. The Polio vaccine is considered highly effective.
Read More: NYC Health, NY Times, LA Times, AP, CNN, Axios
FB Marketplace Partners with DoorDash
Facebook and DoorDash are teaming up for deliveries, but not for food. It's to deliver items Facebook users are buying and selling online through Facebook Marketplace. Both companies confirmed to the Wall Street Journal that they’ve been testing the service in several U.S. cities. The Journal says DoorDash can deliver items that fit in a trunk and require less than 15 miles of travel. Assuming items meet that criteria, the companies promise the drop-offs will be done within 48 hours. The partnership is still in its early stages.
Read More: WSJ, Engadget, The Verge, Tech Times
Uber Ending Loyalty Rewards
Uber says it’s ending its Uber Rewards program. For years, it has let customers rack up points on rides or food delivery to use later for discounts. Customers will still earn points through the end of the month. Then, they’ll have until the end of October to use them. After that, they’re gone. The only way to earn perks and discounts at that point will be to pay for an Uber One subscription. That option was launched last year and costs $10 a month.
Read More: UBER, The Verge, CNET, Engadget, TechCrunch
Seinfeld Group at US Amateur Golf Championship
‘Seinfeld’ fans now have a rooting interest in this week’s U.S. Amateur golf tournament. The U.S. Golf Association paired three players together who happen to share the same names as some of the most well-known ‘Seinfeld’ characters: Costanza, Newman, and Kremer. People on social media were quick to notice the trio, and they used it as a good excuse to make ‘Seinfeld’ references. However, that pairing is just one of the hundreds ready to take the course today. Golfers will have some big shoes to fill since, in the past, winners of the Amateur Championship have included Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. The tournament runs through the next week.
Read More: USGA, Golf Channel, NY Post, Golfweek
Money Monday: Back to School More Expensive
Parents and teachers are getting sticker shock on basic school supplies this year. Even essentials like pens, backpacks, and underwear are costing a lot more than last year. The consumer data company Klover says people are spending more on back to school this year, even though they’re buying fewer items. The National Retail Federation backs that up. It says, on average, families are expected to pay $168 more than they did on supplies in 2019 and that now, the total for a kid in grades K-12 averages out to $864 per family.
Read More: NRF, CNN, Fox Business, Axios, CNBC