Thursday, August 26th, 2021
Latest ISIS Threat, Renter Relief Stalled & Women’s Equality Day
All the news you need in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by Policygenius.com and kiwico.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 peruse the latest happenings...
Afghan Terror Threat & Evacuations
Even though thousands of people are still rushing to get out of Afghanistan, the evacuation effort hit a snag. As of early this morning, the American, British, and Australian governments are warning their citizens to stay away from the Kabul airport. Anyone there last night was told to leave immediately. Reports say the U.S. was tracking a “specific” and “credible” threat from ISIS. Still, a lot more people need to get out. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at least 500 Americans who are still in Afghanistan want to leave in the coming days. Tens of thousands of Afghans who qualify for special immigration visas are also waiting to be evacuated.
Read More: NY Times, AP, Newsweek, CNN, WSJ
COVID Hospitalizations Nearly Double
For the first time since January, more than 100,000 Americans are in the hospital with COVID-19. That’s almost double the number of hospitalizations from the start of this month. However, unlike the winter surge, this one doesn’t impact the whole country, just certain states. Most of them are in the southern U.S. Unvaccinated people make up more than 90% of people in the hospital with COVID-19, and almost all of them have the newer delta variant.
Read More: WSJ, Forbes, CDC
Hard-Hit States Calling for Help
A lot of hospitals around the country have reached their limits. Arkansas and Alabama have run out of ICU beds. Mississippi recently had to open a second field hospital in a parking lot. States like Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Oregon have had to call in the National Guard to help hospital workers. Others, like Idaho and Texas, have requested help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Read More: ABC News, The Hill, AJC, WSMV
New Booster Shot Findings
Both Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson released new studies this week showing an extra dose of their vaccines can make a big difference. The companies followed volunteers from last year’s clinical trials. They say when those volunteers got a booster shot, their antibodies multiplied, and the side effects were about the same as after the first two doses. Now, both companies say they’ll submit this new data to the FDA for evaluation. A small study from Moderna also showed similar results, so it will probably send in data soon as well.
Read More: USA Today, NY Times, NBC News, Bloomberg
Heart Inflammation Study
A new large study out of Israel looked into whether the Pfizer vaccine could cause heart inflammation. It found there is a small risk of this happening with the vaccine. However, the study found the risk is far greater among people who get infected with the virus. Health experts say this is more proof the vaccine’s benefits still outweigh the risks. Still, some scientists say it’s important to keep collecting data.
Read More: Reuters, NY Times, The Week, NEJM
Rental Assistance Funds Lagging
It’s taking a long time for Americans to get some of the money Congress approved for COVID-19 relief. $46.5 billion was approved to help people pay rent. However, the Treasury Department says only 11% of that money has gone out. The federal government has already sent all the money to state and local governments who are supposed to hand it out to renters and landlords. That system has run into some issues, so the Treasury told states to send out bulk payments directly to landlords and utility companies, ahead of payouts to tenants, to help speed things up.
Read More: CBS News, Fox News, USA Today, Treasury Dept.
New Climate Records
A new report found greenhouse gas emissions in 2020 were the highest on record. The American Meteorological Society released the State of the Climate report. It also says for the 9th year in a row, global sea levels rose to a record high. So did global temperatures. It was at least one degree warmer than the long-term average everywhere. The most extreme heat was in Europe. Scientists say climate change is contributing to weather extremes like deadly heatwaves, severe droughts, and major hurricanes.
Read More: The Hill, BBC, CNN, State of Climate 2020
Delta Charging Unvaccinated Workers
Delta Air Lines is telling its employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or pay more for health insurance. It says unvaccinated workers will have to pay an extra $200 a month for health insurance starting November 1st. Delta is the first major American company to do this, but others are expected to follow suit. The airline also said starting next month, unvaccinated workers will need to get tested for COVID-19 weekly, and they will no longer get a paycheck if they get COVID-19 and have to miss work. So far, United and Hawaiian are the only airlines with vaccine mandates.
Read More: Politico, AP, WaPo, Delta
Italian-Style Meats Warning
Dozens of people across 17 states have gotten sick from salmonella outbreaks, and federal officials are still trying to figure out exactly what caused them. The CDC says it’s likely tied to Italian-style meats since many patients reported eating them before getting sick. That includes meats like salami and prosciutto. Salmonella symptoms are similar to a bad stomach virus, but it can lead to serious illness in older people, those with pre-existing conditions, and children under five. The CDC says if you are at high risk of getting sick, you should heat meats to at least 165 degrees before eating them.
Read More: Fox Business, Today, Consumer Reports, CDC
Tech Companies Boost Cybersecurity
The big tech companies plan to spend billions of dollars over the next few years to beef up cyber security. After a meeting with President Biden, Microsoft promised to invest $20 billion, over the next five years, to strengthen security tools. Google pledged $10 billion and announced a plan to train at least 100,000 American workers for relevant tech jobs. IBM promised to ramp up its training efforts too and says it’s working on certain encryption software. Amazon says it’ll make multi-factor authentication devices free for customers who use its web services, and finally, Apple says it’ll work to boost multi-factor authentication on its devices.
Read More: CNBC, The Verge, WSJ, Cnet
OnlyFans Backtracks on Porn Ban
OnlyFans is going to keep allowing x-rated content after all. It was less than a week ago that the subscription service said it was going to ban explicit content. However, that’s what the platform was most known for. Adult performers flocked to the site because it was one of the few places on the internet where they could still easily make money. So when the change was announced, it sparked a lot of backlash. Now, it has been reversed and the ban “suspended.”
Read More: WSJ, Fast Company, Variety, OnlyFans
Facebook Adds New Messenger Features
Facebook is rolling out ten new features for the messenger app to celebrate ten years since it was first launched. They include polls within group chats, a feature that makes it easier to share contact information and send emojis, added special effects, and more. Facebook is also experimenting with some bigger changes. Right now, voice and video calling is only an option within the messenger app, but the social media company is looking to bring that to the main Facebook app. Facebook is also reportedly working on encrypting messenger threads by default to make them more secure.
Read More: TechCrunch, Cnet, 9to5Mac, Facebook
Thing to Know Thursday: Women’s Equality Day
Today is Women’s Equality Day. It commemorates the day women won the right to vote in the United States 101 years ago. It celebrates the achievements and advancements made by women in various fields but can also serve as a reminder of the hurdles women still face. Some leaders and activists are gathering in front of the Supreme Court to rally in support of the Equal Rights Amendment that would change the U.S. constitution to include a guarantee for women’s rights. Other people are using the occasion to support local businesses owned by women or donate to charities or other organizations that support women’s empowerment.
Read More: National Today, National Constitution Center, ERA Coalition, Women’s March