Monday, August 31st, 2020
Portland Clashes, ‘Black Panther’ Star Remembered & U.S. Open Begins
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 to review the latest happenings...
Deadly Clash at Portland Protest
A group of President Trump supporters and counterprotesters clashed in Portland, Oregon over the weekend. A man from Vancouver, Washington, who is said to be a “good friend” of a right-wing activist group, was shot and killed. Portland police are investigating, but so far have not arrested the shooter. Earlier in the day, a pro-Trump rally reportedly brought nearly 1,000 trucks full of Trump supporters into the city. They faced off against crowds that have been protesting nightly in the city all summer, calling for social justice.
Read More: The Oregonian, NY Times, WaPo, AP, Axios
Kenosha, WI Tensions
About 1,000 protesters rallied in Kenosha, Wisconsin, where a white police officer shot a Black man named Jacob Blake last week. That shooting is still under investigation, but so far, the officer has not been charged with a crime. Also over the weekend, another group of about 100 protesters rallied in Kenosha to show support of police officers. President Trump says he’s going to the Wisconsin town tomorrow to meet with law enforcement.
Kenosha Weekend Protests: AP, AP 2, Kenosha News, Minneapolis Star-Tribune
Trump to Visit Kenosha Tuesday: CBS News, Reuters, AP, Axios, FOX News
Midwest COVID Hotspots
Texas, Florida, California, and Arizona are reportedly all seeing about 15% fewer COVID-19 infections than a week ago. However, the coronavirus pandemic is starting to take a toll on America’s heartland. Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota have recently reported one-day increases in new cases. The U.S. death toll is also still rising. As of early this morning, more than 183,000 Americans have died from the virus.
Read More: Johns Hopkins, Reuters, CNBC
More University Outbreaks
At the University of Alabama, more than 1,200 students have tested positive for COVID-19, and classes started only 12 days ago. Most universities have reportedly rolled out strict safety measures, like mandatory mask-wearing and testing. However, it seems the biggest issue is that universities have a hard time regulating off-campus activities, like college parties.
Read More: AP, Axios, USA Today, Chicago Tribune
Hurricane Laura Aftermath
President Trump is promising to help Louisiana and Texas rebuild after last week’s deadly hurricane. He visited parts of the gulf coast that were hardest hit by Hurricane Laura. The storm reportedly caused as much as $12 billion in damage. As of this morning, there are more than 310,000 customers without power in Louisiana and another 61,000 in southeast Texas. Local officials say they are working hard to get service restored, but it could take up to a month.
Read More: NPR, WSJ, CBS News, Poweroutage.us
TikTok Talks Slowed Over New Rules
China released new restrictions on the export of AI technology and it reportedly forces TikTok’s Chinese parent company, Bytedance, to slow down sale talks. Some experts say the updated rules could allow China’s government to block a deal, or have a say on which company would be allowed to take it over. President Trump is still threatening to ban TikTok in the U.S. over national security concerns unless an American company takes over soon.
Read More: The Hill, CNBC, WSJ, Axios
Brain Chip Implant Unveiled
Elon Musk unveiled another potentially groundbreaking invention. The tech mogul showed off a computer chip that’s meant to be implanted into the brain. It’s about the size of a coin and the idea is it will allow people to operate technology with their thoughts. It could be especially useful for people who are paralyzed since, with this device, they would theoretically be able to easily operate technology like smartphones or robotic limbs.
Read More: ABC News, The Verge, TechCrunch, Neuralink
‘Black Panther’ Star Dies
Chadwick Boseman, who was best known for his starring role in Black Panther, has passed away. The 43-year-old actor was diagnosed with colon cancer four years ago. Celebrities have been paying tribute to Boseman ever since the announcement. Denzel Washington said Boseman was a “gentle soul and brilliant artist who will stay with us for eternity through his iconic performances.” NBA star Lebron James did the “Wakanda Forever” salute before Sunday’s Lakers game and the MTV VMAs opened with a special tribute.
Chadwick Boseman Death: AP, NPR, AP
Celebrity Tributes: CNN, Twitter, Harpers Bazaar, ET, Deadline, TMZ, FOX News
Box Office Roundup
This weekend, a few big blockbusters were released in theaters. The superhero thriller The New Mutants raked in about $7 million. Disney called the numbers “encouraging” and said it’s clear people still have an appetite for the theater. Two other new movies that came out this weekend were Bill and Ted Face the Music and The Personal History of David Copperfield.
Read More: Variety, Forbes, USA Today
U.S. Open Begins
The 2020 U.S. Open kicks off today in New York City. However, it’s not going to be an ordinary tennis tournament. Fans are not allowed to attend. Also, there will be no mixed doubles, juniors, or legends competitions. Players are getting regular COVID-19 tests. Despite all the changes, some of the world’s best players are still competing, like Serena Williams And Novak Djokovic. The U.S. Open will air on ESPN channels over the next two weeks.
Read More: ESPN, NY Times, CBS Sports, CBS Sports 2, AP, US Open
Monday Monday: Shift to E-Commerce Accelerated
New data from IBM’s U.S. Retail Index shows the pandemic has sped up our shift away from physical stores to online stores by about five years. Department stores are expected to see a decline of more than 60% for the year. Meanwhile, e-commerce is expected to grow by nearly 20%. Techcrunch says because of that, we can expect to see more retailers push services like “buy online” and “in-store pickup.”
Read More: TechCrunch, IBM Industries