Wednesday, September 1st, 2021
Biden's Post-War Speech, Texas Voting Law & Twitch Boycott
All the news you need in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by Noom.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 reading about the latest happenings…
Biden Defends Afghanistan Withdrawal
Now that all American troops are out of Afghanistan, President Biden is adamantly defending the withdrawal. In an address to the nation, he called the evacuation effort an “extraordinary success” even though more than 100 Americans and thousands of allies were left behind. Biden says after two decades of war, it was inevitable that the final departure would be difficult, with likely violence, no matter when it was planned. He also blamed former President Trump for negotiating the withdrawal deal with the Taliban that he says boxed his administration in. Biden said if he decided to break it, it would have escalated a war with the Taliban.
Read More: AP, NY Times, CNN, WSJ, Pew Research
Taliban Violence Reported
The Taliban now have to figure out how to run a country of nearly 40 million people. Because other countries and organizations still haven’t recognized the Taliban as a legitimate government, it’s cut off from most of the world. Some Afghan officials have raised concerns about a shortage of cash, fuel, and humanitarian aid. There are also reports of the Taliban returning to their old ways. Dozens, if not hundreds of former security officials have been executed, and many more former officials are in hiding. Taliban leaders have said they’ll be more moderate than they used to be, but haven’t been clear on exactly what that means.
Read More: BBC, Fox News, WSJ, NPR
Ida Rescues, Recovery
It’s been three days since Hurricane Ida made landfall in Louisiana, and people still haven’t been able to see the extent of the damage. Louisiana’s governor says officials are still in “search and rescue mode,” not recovery mode. First responders and volunteers are still looking for survivors. At least five deaths have been blamed on Ida so far. Yesterday, two people were killed, and another ten were hurt when a highway collapsed because of torrential rain in Mississippi. More than a million homes and businesses are still without power in the scorching late-summer heat. Hundreds of thousands of people also have no tap water.
Read More: CBS News, AP, NY Times, WaPo, NBC News
How to Help: USA Today, NY Post, Weather Channel
Texas Election Bill Passes
New controversial voting restrictions are about to become law in Texas. This is the same bill that led dozens of Texas Democrats to flee their state in the middle of a special legislative session. While they were away, there weren’t enough lawmakers left in Texas to hold a vote. However, a few Democrats returned home recently. That meant the state House and Senate could get back to business, and the bill passed. The governor says he’s excited to sign it into law. The bill does away with things like drive-through voting, late-night voting, Sunday morning early voting, and more.
Read More: Texas Tribune, Politico, AP, WSJ, NY Times
More Americans Getting Vaccinations
There has been an uptick in the number of Americans getting their first doses of COVID-19 vaccines. ABC News says in the last week, about 473,000 Americans a day were getting their first shots. That’s a 17% increase from the week before. Separately a new Axios-Ipsos poll found vaccine hesitancy is now at a record low in the U.S. These days, only about 20% of Americans say they’re not likely to get the COVID-19 vaccine. As of this morning, less than 53% of the population has been fully vaccinated.
Read More: ABC News, Axios, MarketWatch, USA Today, CDC
iPhones to Add Satellite Features for Emergencies
Apple’s next iPhone will reportedly be able to connect to satellites in case of emergencies so people can request help in areas without cell service. Bloomberg says Apple is working on two features. The first is an emergency texting system in the messages app. People will be able to send short messages to emergency responders or emergency contacts. The second feature is said to be for reporting large-scale crises. The phone will ask what kind of emergency is happening, and it should be able to ask for more specific information like if anyone was hurt or if weapons are involved. The features are expected to be ready to launch next year.
Read More: Bloomberg, 9to5Mac, CNET, Fortune
Less Politics in the Facebook Feed
You might start noticing fewer political posts on your Facebook news feed. The social media giant says it’s been getting feedback from users who didn’t like how much political content they were seeing, so Facebook changed the algorithm. In the past, it emphasized posts it thought you wanted to see based on what you’ve shared and commented on. No matter what the stuff was about, it showed you similar content more often. Now, Facebook says when you share and comment on political posts, those actions won’t carry as much weight in the algorithm as they used to. Instead, Facebook will ask people what they want to see with things like surveys.
Read More: Axios, The Verge, Engadget, Business Insider, Facebook
Twitch Streamers Boycott Today
Expect the popular live streaming platform Twitch to be a little quieter than usual today. Many streamers have staged a one-day blackout. They’re hoping to draw attention to so-called “hate raids” and show solidarity with streamers who face them. During these raids, some users will swarm streamer’s chats with racist and hateful language. Twitch has encouraged people to report those kinds of issues, and it says it’s planning updates later this year to help streamers protect themselves.
Read More: WaPo, Axios, Vice, Esports News UK
Patriots Cut Cam Newton
Ten years ago, quarterback Cam Newton was the number-one NFL draft pick. Six years ago, he was named the NFL’s most valuable player. Now, he’s been cut from the New England Patriots and is left without a job. Newton has only been on the Patriots for a year, but he ended last season with a losing record as the starter. Now, New England is giving the starting QB job to rookie Mac Jones. He won the college national championship last year at the University of Alabama. He’s also apparently been impressive in training camp.
Read More: CBS Sports, NBC Sports, ESPN, AP, NFL
‘Girl on Fire’ Becoming a Novel
You probably know the hit song "Girl on Fire" by 15-time Grammy winner Alicia Keys. Now, that song is turning into a book for teens. Girl on Fire will be a young adult graphic novel inspired by the song. It will tell the story of a 14-year-old girl who has telekinetic powers. Alicia Keys co-wrote the book and told the AP it’s about a girl coming to realize the strength she’s always had. Girl on Fire is set to publish in March of 2022.
Read More: AP
Work Wednesday: Pandemic Created More Retirees Than Expected
A lot more Americans decided to retire last year than analysts usually expect from a single year. Data from the Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis shows about two million more people than usual retired over the last year. Some people decided to retire early because they didn’t want to risk their health during a pandemic. Others said the pandemic made them start reassessing life and prioritizing things besides work. However, many people have also been somewhat forced out of their jobs. Data shows about 1.7 million new retirees weren’t financially ready to stop working full-time. Many of them might end up back in the workforce.
Read More: NPR, NY Times