Thursday, September 16th, 2021
Simone Biles Blasts FBI, Arizona Sues Biden & TIME100 List
All the news you need in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by Ritual.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 to peruse the latest happenings...
Gymnasts Testify About Sexual Abuse Case
Top Olympic gymnasts spoke on Capitol Hill about how the FBI and sports organizations failed them in the Larry Nassar investigation. Nassar is the former USA Gymnastics team doctor serving what amounts to life in prison for sexually abusing hundreds of women and girls. At yesterday’s hearing, star gymnast Simone Biles said, “To be clear, I blame Larry Nassar, but I also blame an entire system that enabled and perpetuated his abuse.” Another gold-medal-winning gymnast, McKayla Maroney, said the FBI “minimized and disregarded” her. In response to their testimony, FBI Director Christopher Wray said he was “deeply and profoundly sorry.”
Read More: AP, NY Times, Fox News, NBC News
Aurora, CO Civil Rights Investigation
A police department in a Denver, Colorado suburb is getting an overhaul. It’s in response to a year-long civil rights investigation that found the Aurora Police Department has a culture of racially biased policing. The investigation began because of Elijah McClain’s death following an encounter with police. It found many examples of officers treating people of color differently than white people. It also found the department has a pattern of using unlawful excessive force. Now, Aurora police have to commit to reforming officer training, changing use of force policies, and enforcing stricter standards for police stops and arrests.
Read More: Denver Post, WSJ, AP, CBS News, City of Aurora
New Indo-Pacific Alliance
The U.S. has a new alliance with Britain and Australia. It should make it easier for the three countries to share intelligence and help Australia build nuclear-powered submarines. That beefs up the western presence in the region that up until now has been dominated by China. The White House just said the countries want to line up common interests in the Asia Pacific. However, most efforts have made the connection to China, saying western allies are trying to push back on China’s rise when it comes to military and technology capabilities.
Read More: Politico, WSJ, NY Times, Reuters, White House
Arizona Sues Over Vaccine Mandates
Arizona became the first state to sue the Biden administration over a new COVID-19 vaccine mandate. It says, in part, that all companies with 100 or more employees must require workers to either be vaccinated or get weekly COVID-19 testing. Arizona’s attorney general calls that unconstitutional. In a lawsuit, he argues the plan discriminates against U.S. citizens since undocumented migrants detained at the border are not required to get vaccinated. Other Republicans have also questioned the legality of the medical mandate.
Read More: CBS News, Fox News, CNN, WSJ, AG Brnovich
Biden Talks Mandates with Top Executives
President Biden met with business leaders from large companies like Microsoft, Disney, and Walgreens. It was an effort to highlight the employers who have already required workers to get vaccinated and saw more workers get the shots because of mandates. Other corporations like McDonald’s, United Airlines, and Tyson Foods have also pushed through vaccination mandates in some form. The latest CDC data shows nearly 180 million Americans are fully vaccinated. That’s more than 54% of the U.S. population.
Read More: WaPo, CNBC, Reuters, NY Times, White House
Canadian Pacific Buys Kansas City Southern
Two major railway companies are coming together in a historic new deal. Canadian Pacific Railway bought Kansas City Southern for more than $27 billion. If the deal is approved, it will be the first major merger in the industry in about two decades. It will also create the first freight railroad that links Canada, the United States, and Mexico. The new company will be named Canadian Pacific Kansas City, and it plans to bring on another 20,000 employees. However, regulators still have to give approval. Their reviews could last until the end of next year.
Read More: WSJ, Reuters, Bloomberg, KC Star, CPR, KC Southern
Congress Investigating IG’s Danger for Teens
Congressional lawmakers are opening up another bipartisan investigation into Facebook. This time, it’s about whether Facebook-owned Instagram is harmful to teens. This week, a Wall Street Journal report said top company officials knew the app could hurt mental health, body image, and more, especially for teenage girls. One top company official responded to that article. She says Facebook is using the research to better understand young people’s experiences to figure out how to help. Still, some lawmakers are accusing Facebook of prioritizing profits over the health of teens and children.
Read More: The Verge, CNET, WSJ, USA Today, Instagram
No More Microsoft Passwords
Forget trying to remember so many passwords. For Microsoft accounts, you don’t need them anymore. The tech giant is rolling out new log-in technology for people to get into their Outlook email, OneDrive, Xbox devices, or other Microsoft apps. You’ll just have to enter your username. Then, you’ll get an alert on your phone or through the new Microsoft Authenticator app to confirm it’s you trying to log in. However, it’s not mandatory. You can keep using passwords if you prefer. If you want to use the new technology, you can manually turn it on in settings.
Read More: Engadget, Gizmodo, Wired, Yahoo Finance
Steps Needed to Live Longer
Two new large-scale studies say they may have the secret to a long life. They link 7,000 to 8,000 daily steps, or about 30-45 minutes of exercise most days, to longevity. Together, the studies followed more than 10,000 people for decades. They found the right amount of physical activity each day may lower your chance of premature death by as much as 70%. However, after about 10,000 steps each day, the studies found you don’t get much extra benefit. Also, doing too much exercise, like more than 10 hours a week, might set you back.
Read More: NY Times, WaPo, JAMA, Mayo Clinic
Time 100 Influential People
Time Magazine has released its picks for the top 100 most influential people of the year. The list includes government leaders, activists, tech giants, athletes, and Hollywood entertainers. Seven of them will be on magazine covers, including Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, gymnast Simone Biles, and singer Billie Eilish. Each year, the magazine says it picks people who are actively trying to make meaningful changes to the world. The Time 100 issue comes out on newsstands tomorrow, but you can see the full list online today.
Read More: Time, USA Today, Page Six, CNET
See Full List: Time
Yom Kippur
Today is Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year in Judaism. It’s also known as the day of atonement. It’s when Jewish people reflect, pray, and ask for forgiveness for their sins. Many Jews aren’t using technology today, and others will go the whole day without eating or drinking. It started last night at sundown and lasts until sundown tonight. Then, it’s time to break the fast. Families will get together to celebrate with a traditional meal.
Read More: Jerusalem Post, History, 9News
Thing to Know Thursday: More Murder Hornets Found
In the last month, officials in Washington state have found three murder hornet nests. In just one of them, there were nearly 1,500 murder hornets inside. Officially, the insects are called Asian giant hornets. They got their nickname the “murder hornet” because they tend to cause up to 50 deaths a year in Japan, where they’re most commonly found. They will also attack hives of honeybees and kill all of them within hours. Thankfully, no deaths have been reported in the U.S. However, officials say anyone who sees a murder hornet should report it so they can track down the hive and destroy it.
Read More: USA Today, The Hill, The Guardian, WSDA