Monday, August 16th, 2021
Afghan Gov’t Collapses, Fred Eyeing Florida & Rookie’s No-Hitter
All the news you need in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by Rothys.com/newsworthy and BetterHelp.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...
Taliban Takeover in Afghanistan
Afghanistan’s government has collapsed and the Taliban have effectively taken over. The Taliban took over the Afghan capital of Kabul yesterday, the last major city the Taliban hadn’t already captured. Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani fled the country. Taliban militants freed thousands of inmates from prisons and set up checkpoints to stop and search cars. Meanwhile, American troops have been scrambling to airlift thousands of more people to safety in military helicopters. They include western diplomats, staffers, and their families, as well as Afghan civilians who helped U.S. forces. Many world leaders are now urging the Taliban to keep peace.
Read More: NY Times, WSJ, AP, Axios, Politico, Defense Dept.
Haiti Deadly Earthquake
A powerful 7.2-magnitude earthquake shook Haiti over the weekend. Almost 1,300 people have been reported dead so far and the death toll could keep climbing. Thousands of people are hurt and thousands more are left without a place to live since their homes were damaged or destroyed. Hospitals, schools, offices, and churches are also affected. To make matters worse, Haiti is still recovering from an earthquake in 2010 that killed 220,000 people. The U.S., United Nations, and private relief groups are promising to help.
Read More: Reuters, NY Times, WSJ, USA Today
Tropical Storm Fred and Grace
A tropical depression could make relief efforts in Haiti more challenging. A storm named Grace is expected to move through the Caribbean today and tomorrow. Haiti and the Dominican Republic could get heavy rain and gusty winds. More rain is expected in Puerto Rico. Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Fred is expected to hit the Florida Panhandle today. It’s expected to make landfall just west of Panama City this afternoon or evening. It will bring up to a foot of rain, strong winds, and some isolated tornadoes. The same storm could bring rain to Alabama, Georgia, and the Carolinas by tomorrow.
Read More: Weather Channel, CNN, ABC News, USA Today, NHS
Largest SNAP Increase
The 42 million Americans who get government assistance buying groceries are about to get a boost. The Biden administration reportedly approved the largest increase to food stamp benefits in history and it’s going to be permanent. The average monthly benefits will be 27% higher than they were before the pandemic. That means instead of $121 a person, on average, each month, each person will get an average of $157 a month. The last time the amount was updated was in 2006. However this year, the USDA was told to figure out how much it costs now to buy a nutritious diet with limited resources. It will lay out its findings today.
Read More: WaPo, Politico, AP, Bloomberg
Record COVID Hospitalizations for 30s
American hospitals are dealing with a surge of COVID-19 patients and they’re mostly trending younger. CDC data shows hospitalizations among people in their 30s have hit a new record. Doctors and epidemiologists say it’s because people in that age group have active lives and a good portion are not vaccinated. Health officials say more than 95% of COVID-19 patients in hospitals have not gotten their shots. Overall, about 60% of the American population is at least partially vaccinated.
Read More: NY Times, WSJ, USA Today, CDC
Next Vaccine Boosters Being Considered
More Americans might soon be eligible for booster shots. Health officials say the U.S. will likely decide in the next couple of weeks whether to offer an extra shot to Americans this fall. It’s expected that healthcare workers and nursing home residents would get them first, followed by other older Americans. For now, only people with compromised immune systems are eligible here in the U.S. Doctors say, for now, everyone else is still mostly protected by the two doses from Moderna or Pfizer or the one dose from Johnson & Johnson.
Read More: AP, CNN, NY Times, Bloomberg
Hyatt to Buy Resort Company
One of the largest hotel companies in the world could be making a big investment in vacation travel. Hyatt Hotels is reportedly planning to buy the resort company Apple Leisure Group for $2.7 billion. The Apple Leisure Group is currently owned by two private equity firms. It manages resort chains, sells vacation packages, and arranges charter flights for trips to Mexico and the Caribbean. The deal could also help Hyatt Hotels expand its business into several European markets. A formal announcement is expected as soon as today.
Read More: WSJ, Bloomberg, Reuters
Boeing’s Starliner Back to Factory
Boeing’s Starliner space capsule has been sent back to the factory, less than two weeks after it was supposed to launch into space. That launch was scrubbed because of an equipment malfunction. Now, engineers need to resolve the problem. The capsule will have to go through extensive testing before another launch can be scheduled. Boeing is trying to catch up to rival SpaceX. Both companies have contracts with NASA to develop spacecraft that can bring cargo and astronauts to the space station. However, so far, only SpaceX has launched successful missions.
Read More: NY Times, WaPo, Cnet, Space.com
Possible T-Mobile Data Breach
T-Mobile may have been the latest victim of a hack. Someone posted online, saying they got data from more than 100 million people listed on T-Mobile servers. The data includes social security numbers, phone numbers, addresses, and driver’s license information. The supposed hacker says they’re starting to sell that data. The hacker demanded Bitcoin worth around $270,000 to give data back from at least 30 million customers. At this point, T-Mobile hasn’t confirmed it was hacked, just that it is investigating.
Read More: Vice, Cnet, Business Insider, PC Mag
‘Free Guy’ Outperforms Box Office Expectations
The movie Free Guy exceeded expectations at the box office over the weekend. It brought in more than $28 million in ticket sales in North America. That’s nearly $10 million more than what analysts predicted. In the movie, actor Ryan Reynolds plays a bank teller who realizes he’s living inside a video game. Reynolds says Disney is already asking for a sequel, thanks to strong fan support. Free Guy debuted in theaters only. It will be available on Disney+ after 45 days in theaters.
Read More: Variety, THR, People, AP
Pitcher Throws No-Hitter in MLB Start
A rookie pitcher on the Arizona Diamondbacks got off to a pretty epic start. In Tyler Gilbert’s first time starting in a Major League Baseball game, he threw a no-hitter. The Diamondbacks beat the San Diego Padres 7-0. Gilbert is just the fourth pitcher in MLB history to do that on his first career start and he’s the first to do it since 1953. This is also a great year for pitchers overall. This was the eighth no-hitter of the year. There haven’t been that many in a single season since 1884.
Read More: Arizona Republic, NY Times, ESPN
Money Monday: Household Debt Increases
Americans are borrowing money again in record numbers and analysts say that’s a good sign for the economy. Between April and June, Americans took on another $313 billion in debt. That brought the overall debt that American households owe to nearly $15 trillion. That’s the fastest growth since 2007. A report from the New York Federal Reserve says mortgage loans made up about two-thirds of the increase. That’s from people who bought houses or refinanced their existing mortgages. Another positive sign for the economy is more borrowers are making their monthly payments on time than they were before the pandemic.
Read More: CNBC, Forbes, Reuters, Federal Reserve