Wednesday, August 26th, 2020
Hurricane Laura Evacuations, Melania Trump’s Speech & Pumpkin Spice Lattes
All the news you need in 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 about the latest happenings…
Tracking Hurricane Laura
More than half a million people from Texas and Louisiana have been ordered to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Laura. The storm is expected to make landfall late tonight or early tomorrow morning. When it does, the National Hurricane Center projects it will be a Category 3 storm with flooding, high winds, and a dangerous storm surge. There are hurricane and storm surge warnings in effect from the Greater Houston area to Lake Charles, Louisiana.
Read More: The Weather Channel, AP, Reuters
Kenosha Shooting Latest
Wisconsin's governor declared a state of emergency because of a third night of tense protests. Protesters are angry about the police shooting of a Black man, Jacob Blake. Gov. Tony Evers said “we can not allow the cycle of systemic racism and injustice to continue,” but he also urged protesters not to go down the path of “damage and destruction.” The last couple nights, Kenosha has seen looting, vandalism, and arson. So far, police haven’t explained why Blake was shot. The Wisconsin Department of Justice is investigating.
Read More: AP, CBS News, Reuters
Republican National Convention: Night Two
The second night of the Republican National Convention was a unique one. On night two, President Trump pardoned a convicted bank robber and hosted a surprise naturalization ceremony for five immigrants. First Lady Melania Trump also addressed the RNC. She said her husband “demands action and gets results.” In a recorded statement from Jerusalem, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo praised President Trump’s “America first” strategy. However, one House Democrat says he’s investigating whether Pompeo’s appearance was legal. U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro believes it violated State Department policy that appointees, confirmed by the Senate, can’t attend a political convention.
RNC 2nd Night Highlights: WSJ, Reuters, Politico, FOX News
Pompeo Speech Investigation: WaPo, NBC News, USA Today
Colleges COVID-19 Outbreaks
Several colleges that recently brought students back to campus are dealing with large COVID-19 outbreaks. For example, there have been nearly 560 cases confirmed at the University of Alabama, nearly 160 at the University of Missouri, and dozens more at the University of Southern California. In response, the mayor of the college town in Alabama ordered bars to shut down for two weeks. Also, police are going to start monitoring restaurants and Greek housing to make sure everyone is following safety guidelines. In all three colleges, infected students are isolating.
Read More: WaPo, Reuters, Inside Higher Ed, University of Alabama, Mizzou, USC, Syracuse
Police Use Smart Speaker Data
New technology is now playing a growing role in police investigations. Wired reports in the first half of this year, there were more than 3,000 requests for data from smart devices like smart speakers or smartwatches. That’s a 72% increase from the same time four years ago and a 24% increase from the past year. Experts say investigators are usually looking for information to help set up a timeline of someone’s activities to verify their story. Tech companies will typically notify users if their data is handed over.
Read More: WIRED
AA Worker Furloughs
American Airlines announced it’s furloughing 19,000 workers starting in October. The furloughs will include pilots, flight attendants, and management positions. Other airlines are reportedly expected to follow suit, although they haven’t made official announcements yet. This week, the industry trade group Airlines for America found scheduled passenger flights were down 50% last month compared to the same time last year.
Read More: NBC News, ABC News, Reuters, Airlines for America
Former Black Players Sue NFL
The NFL is facing a new discrimination lawsuit. It was filed by two retired football players who say they’ve been left out of concussion settlements because they’re Black. As part of a 2017 settlement, the NFL started offering payouts to those who suffered brain damage because of concussions while playing. However, the lawsuit calls out the NFL’s evaluation process, saying it assumes Black players had lower cognitive function when they were healthy, as compared to white players. The NFL calls the suit “entirely misguided.”
Read More: WSJ, AP, Bloomberg, News Release
Grand Canyon Ancient Animal Footprints
A fallen boulder revealed the oldest fossilized footprints ever at the Grand Canyon. A geologist hiking with students stumbled upon it four years ago. Since then, researchers have been examining the prints, and just last week, they put out a report with their findings. They estimate the tracks are 313 million years old and they’re apparently among the earliest examples of marks left by a shelled, egg-laying animal found anywhere in the world.
Read More: AP, Arizona Republic, KNXV
Starbucks Early PSL Season
The Starbucks pumpkin spice latte is now available nationwide. It’s back on the menu alongside other pumpkin-flavored hits, like the pumpkin cream cold brew and a pumpkin scone. Starbucks’ rivals have pumpkin and fall-themed options of their own. For example, Dunkin Donuts kicked off the season earlier this month and 7-Eleven launches its pumpkin drinks next week.
Read More: USA Today, Today, Business Insider
Work Wednesday: Companies Giving Election Day Off
Some big companies are giving employees Election Day off. Coca-Cola is the most recent one to make November 3rd a holiday. It also says it’s working with a nonprofit to encourage workers to vote. CNN reports more than 600 companies have signed on to do the same. They include big businesses like Walmart, Best Buy, Nike, Twitter, and Visa.
Read More: CNN, Business Insider