Monday, September 20th, 2021
Booster Shot Decision, Pentagon’s Deadly Mistake & Netflix Wins Big
All the news you need in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by kiwico.com (Listen for the discount code) and Rothys.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...
FDA Panel’s Booster Decision
An FDA advisory panel voted against making a third shot of Pfizer’s vaccine available to the general public in the U.S. Instead, the group decided booster shots should only be available for American seniors or people who are at high risk of severe illness. They would get them six months after their second dose. It’s not clear who would qualify as high risk. That decision will likely fall to the CDC’s advisory committee that’s meeting later this week. The FDA panelists said even though it looks like the vaccine’s protection against COVID-19 does start fading over time, an overwhelming majority of vaccinated people will still avoid severe illness.
Read More: Stat News, AP, Fox News, NBC News, FDA
Pentagon Mistake in Afghanistan
Top American military leaders say the U.S. made a “tragic mistake” in Afghanistan last month. A couple of days before leaving the country, the Pentagon launched a drone strike. At the time, officials said that strike killed an ISIS terrorist and kept him from attacking American troops. However, after analyzing the attack more, the military figured out the man worked for a U.S. aid group, not ISIS. He was transporting water to his family, not explosives. That man and nine other civilians were killed, including seven children. Senior Pentagon leaders apologized and said they will try to make reparations payments to the victims’ loved ones.
Read More: NPR, WSJ, NY Times, Defense Dept.
U.S. Flying Migrants Back to Haiti
The U.S. is working to deport thousands of Haitian refugees who’ve been camped under a bridge in South Texas. The U.S. has already flown hundreds of them back to Haiti, and flights will continue for the next three weeks. The Haitian government is asking the U.S. to stop the evacuation flights, saying the country can’t handle thousands of more homeless people right now. However, U.S. border officials say they have no choice but to enforce the law. The U.S. doesn’t have facilities large enough to accommodate all the migrants. Mexico is also going to start deporting Haitians on flights this week.
Read More: AP, NY Times, WaPo, WSJ, DHS
U.S.-France Tensions
Relations between the U.S. and France are rocky right now. France is upset about a deal the U.S. made with Australia to build nuclear-powered submarines. That’s because it effectively canceled a similar deal France had with Australia. That one was worth about $66 billion. France said it was blindsided when its contract was canceled. Its president was so upset, he pulled the country’s ambassadors out of the U.S. and Australia. However, the Australians say they’ve been voicing concerns that the French submarines would be obsolete by the time they were delivered, so France should have known something like this was coming.
Read More: CNBC, AP, WaPo, Politico, Axios
Justice for J6 Rally Small Crowds
The rally at the U.S. capitol that was meant to show support for the January 6th rioters ended up smaller than expected. Fewer than 500 people showed up for the Justice for J6 rally. There were a lot more police officers and news crews out there since officials were worried about violence. Rally organizers say that extra police presence kept a lot of people from showing up. Also, several conservative figures, like former President Trump, told supporters the whole event was a “setup.” It ended up being mostly peaceful. Now, the fencing that went up ahead of the rally is coming down.
Read More: WaPo, The Hill, Newsweek, WSJ, USCP
Successful All-Civilian Space Mission
The first fully amateur, private space crew returned to Earth safely. The Inspiration4 crew splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean over the weekend. None of the four passengers are traditionally-trained astronauts, but they still circled the globe more than a dozen times a day in the SpaceX capsule at an altitude of 367 miles. That's about 100 miles further from Earth than the International Space Station. While in orbit, the crew did experiments to better learn how zero gravity impacts the human body. The space mission was also set up as a fundraiser for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. It’s raised at least $200 million for that cause.
Read More: ABC News, Orlando Sentinel, WaPo, Inspiration4
Measles Added to Quarantine List
If you get sick with measles, the federal government can now order you to quarantine. President Biden signed an executive order, adding measles to an existing list of diseases that force patients to self-isolate. Health officials declared measles “eliminated” in 2000, but the disease has re-emerged over the years, especially among unvaccinated people. The CDC says there were more than 1,200 cases reported in 2019, the largest number in nearly 30 years. The federal quarantine list also includes diseases like cholera, smallpox, tuberculosis, the plague, yellow fever, and COVID-19.
Read More: Reuters, The Hill, White House, HHS, CDC
Robert Durst Convicted of Murder
A high-profile murder trial has come to an end. New York real estate heir Robert Durst has been found guilty of killing his best friend, Susan Berman. Durst has faced accusations of murder for decades. They started in 1982 when his first wife mysteriously disappeared. Prosecutors say Susan Berman helped Durst cover up her murder, and Durst killed Berman in 2000 so she couldn’t tell police what she knew. Durst faces life in prison. A judge is set to sentence him in October.
Read More: NY Times, CNN, Fox News, BBC
Emmy Award Winners
Streaming platforms dominated last night’s Emmy Awards. Netflix was the network with the most wins. Netflix’s “The Crown” was the night’s biggest winner overall. It won seven awards, including best drama series, as well as best lead actor and actress in a drama. On the comedy side, Apple TV’s “Ted Lasso” won for best series. It also brought in three other awards like best lead actor in a comedy. That was Jason Sudeikis’ first Emmy. Best lead actress in a comedy went to Jean Smart for HBO’s “Hacks.” Cedric the Entertainer hosted the ceremony, making him the second solo black host in the event’s history.
Read More: USA Today, CBS News, AP, NY Times, Emmys
Cameo Calls with Celebs
You can now talk to some celebrities in real-time. The video-messaging app Cameo just launched a new service called Cameo Calls. Fans can book one-on-one sessions that are up to 15 minutes long. Cameo says the average price is $31 now, but each celebrity decides how much to charge. More than 500 stars have signed on, including actors, athletes, comedians, and social media influencers like Gilbert Gottfried, Joey Lawrence, Billy Dee Williams, and more. Cameo says the chats will be similar to traditional meet and greets where fans typically wait in long lines for a chance to meet their idols.
Read More: TechCrunch, The Verge, Cameo
Money Monday: Video Game Sales Reach Record High
Video game sales in the U.S. reached $4.4 billion last month. That’s a new record for August. It’s also the fourth month in a row when total sales topped 2020 levels. In terms of the number of consoles sold, the top seller continues to be the Nintendo Switch. However, when it comes to dollar sales, the Playstation 5 is making the most money. So far this year, gamers have spent nearly $38 billion on consoles, games, and other hardware. That’s 13% more than the same time frame last year.
Read More: Axios, Seeking Alpha, Media Play News, NPD Group, Bloomberg