Monday, September 13th, 2021
9/11 Docs Declassified, Hurricane Watch & Fashion's Biggest Night Out
All the news you need in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp.com/newsworthy and Ritual.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...
FBI Releases 9/11 Doc
The FBI is declassifying documents related to the 9/11 terror attacks. For years now, people who lost family members on September 11th have been asking to see details from the FBI’s investigation into the terror attacks. Over the weekend, the FBI released the first of what’s expected to be many documents. It said some of the hijackers had contacts with Saudi associates, including some who gave them logistical support in the U.S. However, it doesn’t say any senior Saudi government officials were involved. Most of the terrorists who hijacked the planes were Saudi nationals.
Read More: AP, NY Times, Axios, WSJ, FBI
9/11 Memorials, Speeches
Americans mourned the thousands of people who died in the 9/11 terror attacks 20 years ago, and they honored the first responders who rushed in to save lives. Events happened at all three places where the hijacked planes crashed. President Biden attended all three. He also released a pre-recorded statement from the White House. He spoke about finding light in the darkness. Former President Bush, who was in office when the attacks happened, also spoke about some of the good in the aftermath of grief. He said, “I saw millions of people instinctively grab their neighbor’s hand and rally to the cause of one another.”
Read More: NPR, ABC News, USA Today, Pres. Biden's Address, Pres. Bush’s Speech, Sec. Austin Speech
IAEA-Iran Agreement
There are new hopes the Iranian nuclear talks could start back up again. That’s because of an agreement over the weekend. Iran will now let the United Nations atomic agency get its cameras working again at the country’s nuclear sites. Without the cameras, the agency says it would be unable to make sure Iran isn’t advancing its nuclear weapons program. Still, there are other issues to be worked out. The UN still wants Iran to explain why traces of uranium were found at several old, undeclared nuclear sites. Also, Iran still needs to set a date to resume talks with other nations.
Read More: Reuters, WSJ, Al Jazeera, The Guardian
Tropical Storm Nicholas
Parts of the Texas coast are now under a hurricane watch. That’s because Tropical Storm Nicholas is headed that way, and it could get stronger before it makes landfall tonight or tomorrow morning. Some Texans have already started seeing rain from the storm. By the time it’s done, it could bring up to 20 inches of rain to some areas and bad flooding. A flash flood watch is also in effect for at least eight million people from the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas to southwestern Louisiana. Rescue teams and resources are set up in the Houston area and along the Texas gulf coast.
Read More: Weather Channel, CNN, AP, Reuters, NHC
New CDC Vaccine Studies
The CDC released a couple of big studies about COVID-19 vaccines. The first one found people who were not fully vaccinated this spring and summer were over 10 times more likely to be hospitalized from COVID-19, and they were 11 times more likely to die from it than vaccinated people. A second study compared the available vaccines to each other. It found the Moderna one was the most effective in preventing hospitalizations now that the delta variant is the most common in the U.S. People who got the Moderna shots stayed out of the hospital 95% of the time. By comparison, Pfizer was 80% effective, and Johnson & Johnson was 60% effective.
Read More: WaPo, CBS News, AP, Fox News, CDC Illness Study, CDC Vaccine Study
Court Reinstates FL Mask Mandate Ban
Once again, Florida school districts are now allowed to require students to wear masks in class. An appeals court judge sided with Florida’s governor, who has said health decisions should be up to parents, not school administrators. So the state will keep punishing districts that enforce mandates. So far, that’s meant withholding money from schools that have mask rules. The White House has promised to make up those funds, though, saying mandates are sometimes necessary to keep kids safe.
Read More: CNN, Axios, Reuters, NBC News
United Nations Hacked
The United Nations says it was hit by a breach. The U.N. says the cybercriminals first got into the network back in April. The cybersecurity firm Resecurity flagged the breach to the U.N. It says the hackers collected information that could be used to target dozens of U.N. accounts which include government and humanitarian groups. Hackers were still active on the system as recently as last month. They reportedly got in with a stolen username and password. The U.N. says it’s responded to other cyberattacks linked to the big breach, and it’s on the lookout for more.
Read More: Bloomberg, WaPo, The Hill, Time
Apple vs Epic Verdict
A judge ordered Apple to start letting developers include buttons or links in their apps that take people somewhere else to make payments. Before, any transactions, like for app subscriptions, had to be made within the app store. Apple took a commission fee of up to 30% for each purchase. The judge ordered Apple to change it within 90 days. This case started when Epic Games, the maker of the popular game Fortnite, sued Apple over the policy. Even though the judge wants the policy changed now, she said Epic still owes Apple the 30% fee since it violated its contract with Apple back then. Epic is appealing the decision.
Read More: CNBC, NPR, The Verge, NY Times
U.S. Open Upset on Men’s Side
The U.S. Open ended with a big upset. Russian Player Daniil Medvedev defeated top-ranked Novak Djokovic in three straight sets. It was Medvedev’s first major championship win. It ended Djokovic’s bid to become the first man in 52 years to win all four grand slam tournaments in the same year. It also means he’s still tied with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal with 20 majors apiece. However, even Djokovic said Medvedev deserved to win that one.
Read More: Tennis.com, AP, The Guardian
U.S. Open Women’s Champ
On the women’s side, 18-year-old Emma Raducanu made history with her U.S. Open victory. She is the first qualifier to ever win a grand slam title. That means she had to play in a pre-qualifying tournament because her world ranking wasn’t high enough to guarantee her a spot. She’s also the first British woman to win a grand slam in more than four decades, and it was the first time since 1999 that two teenagers reached the finals at the U.S. Open.
Read More: CBS Sports, ESPN, Washington Post
Met Gala Tonight
Tonight is the world-famous Met Gala in New York City. The annual event is a fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and it tends to make headlines for the iconic fashions seen on the red carpet. This year’s theme is called “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion.” The theme is reportedly meant to celebrate American designers and their commitment to causes like inclusion, diversity, and sustainability. The Met Gala hosts are singer Billie Eilish, poet Amanda Gormon, actor Timothee Chalamet, and tennis star Naomi Osaka. That’s the youngest group of co-chairs ever selected.
Read More: Today, Vogue, People, USA Today
MTV VMAs Highlights
Tons of celebrities got together last night for the 40th anniversary of the MTV VMAs. Some of the network’s early stars made appearances. For example, Madonna kicked off the show. However, most of the night’s biggest winners were younger stars. Olivia Rodrigo won best new artist, as well as song of the year for “Driver’s License.” Artist of the year was Justin Bieber, and the night’s biggest award, video of the year, went to Lil Nas X for “Montero (Call Me by Your Name).” All three of the night’s biggest winners also performed.
Read More: CBS News, AP, Billboard, MTV
Money Monday: Credit Scores Highest in 13 Years
Americans seem to be doing a great job improving their credit scores. The credit-reporting firm Experian says credit scores in the U.S. have reached their highest level in more than a decade. The average score is now 695, seven points higher than last year and 13 points higher than 2019. Analysts say the boost is happening because people are making their payments on time, credit card balances have gone down, and people are generally using less credit. Higher credit scores are rewarded with lower interest rates. Plus, you’re more likely to be approved for a car loan or mortgage with a solid score.
Read More: Axios, Fortune, Fox Business, CNBC