Deadly Wildfires, TikTok Rejects Microsoft & Guitar Sales Boom

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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... 

Western Wildfires: Latest Threats
Nearly 100 fires are burning through 12 states out west. At least 35 people in California, Oregon, and Washington have died. Thousands of homes have been destroyed since early August and the flames are still threatening tens of thousands more. Also, smoke is causing some of the worst air quality on the planet. It’s impacting cities like Seattle, San Francisco, and Portland, Oregon. Millions of people are being told to stay indoors.
Read More: Fresno Bee, AP, Reuters, WaPo

Wildfires: What’s to Blame
The governors of California, Oregon, and Washington all say the deadly wildfires are a consequence of climate change. However, at a rally yesterday, President Trump blamed poor forest management instead. He says the fires could have been prevented with leaf-raking and ground-sweeping. Much of the land that’s burned is reportedly managed by the federal government. President Trump will visit California today. He’ll get a wildfire briefing from federal and local officials.
Read More: LA Times, SF Gate, NY Times, 

Tropical Storm Sally
By tomorrow morning, forecasters say Tropical Storm Sally is set to make landfall on the Louisiana-Mississippi border as a Category 2 hurricane. New Orleans could get a direct hit. Storm surges of up to 11 feet are possible, along with 100 mile-an-hour winds. People who live in southeastern Louisiana have been ordered to evacuate. Other people are being told to prepare by gathering emergency supplies like food, water, and medication. 
Read More: Weather Channel, USA Today, Reuters, AP

Record Increase in COVID-19 Cases
The number of new coronavirus cases grew over the weekend in nearly a dozen U.S. states, mostly in the upper midwest and northeast. That’s based on a weekly average. Wisconsin is seeing the largest increase in new cases. There, new infections are up 32%. Overall, the daily average of new cases in the U.S. is going down. Over the past seven days, the U.S. reported about 15% fewer new cases a day than a week ago. Most experts say there’s likely no return to normal until there’s a safe and effective vaccine.
Read More: Reuters, CNBC, Johns Hopkins

Coronavirus Vaccine Race Updates
The head of Pfizer told CBS News there’s a “good chance” the company will know whether a vaccine works by the end of next month. The company is preparing to distribute the vaccine by the end of the year. Meanwhile, AstraZeneca is resuming trials in the UK after putting them on hold last week. Testing paused after a volunteer suffered a neurological reaction. AstraZeneca is still working with other nations, like the U.S., for guidance on when to restart testing elsewhere.
Pfizer Vaccine Timeline: CBS News, FOX Business, Bloomberg
AstraZeneca Resumes Vaccine Trials: NBC News, WaPo, Axios, AstraZeneca

TikTok Rejects Microsoft Bid
Oracle has reportedly won a bid to buy the popular video app TikTok. There’s no official announcement yet, but Microsoft has said it’s officially out of the running. For Oracle, it’s likely not an outright sale. The Wall Street Journal says the company will be more of a “trusted tech partner” in the U.S. Next, it’s up to the White House Committee of Foreign Investment to approve the deal. So far, no comment from the White House, TikTok, or Oracle.
Read More: AP, NY Times, CNBC, WSJ, Microsoft

U.S. Open Winners
On the last day of the U.S. Open, Austria’s Dominic Thiem beat Germany’s Alexander Zverev in a grueling men’s final. This is Thiem’s first Grand Slam title. On the women’s side, Naomi Osaka is the champion. The Japanese tennis phenom beat Victoria Azarenka, of Belarus, to win her third Grand Slam. Osaka was also getting attention for taking a stand against racial inequality. Throughout the tournament, she wore face masks with the names of Black Americans killed in the U.S.
Read More: NBC Sports, Bleacher Report, SI, AP, CBS Sports

NFL Week One
Most NFL teams played their first game of the season. As expected, social justice was top-of-mind there too. During the national anthem, some football players took a knee, raised their fits, or stayed in the locker room. Players also displayed phrases like “Black lives matter” and “end racism” on their uniforms. As for the games themselves, Tom Brady made his first appearance with The Buccs. However, he couldn’t pull off a win. The team lost 34-23.
Read More: ESPN, AP, NY Times, Reuters, USA Today

Walmart Testing Drone Delivery
Walmart is the latest major company to test drone delivery. It’s partnering with the drone company Flytrex to make it happen. The two will work together to deliver groceries and household items. For now, this is just being tested in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Walmart says it will probably be a while before drone delivery becomes mainstream. Amazon and Walgreens have already started piloting similar trials.
Read More: USA Today, CNBC, Fast Company, Walmart

New Season of ‘Jeopardy!’
The game show Jeopardy! returns tonight for its 37th season. Longtime host Alex Trebek is back as host of the show. Also, champion Ken Jennings has signed on as a consulting producer. He will be presenting video categories and doing some work behind-the-scenes. Jennings won 74 episodes of Jeopardy! He holds the record for the longest winning streak. Because of the pandemic, contestants will be spaced further apart than usual. There also won’t be a studio audience.
Read More: USA Today, Fox News, AP, Jeopardy!

Monday Monday: Guitar Sales Hit Record High
People are reportedly spending more money on guitars as they search for new pandemic-era hobbies. Iconic guitar-maker Fender says it had its biggest year in history. The renewed interest spans generations, from baby boomers to young adults. This is an unexpected turnaround for the guitar, which has fallen out of style in recent years with the rise of electronic music. The Washington Post ran a story three years ago calling the market “not sustainable.” Now, some instrument businesses say “every day is Black Friday.”
Read More: NY Times, Guitar World, 2017 WaPo Article
 

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