Tuesday, September 21st, 2021
Vaccines for Kids, Stock Market Slump & iOS15 Released
All the news in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by Rothys.com/newsworthy and kiwico.com (Listen for the discount code)
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 read the latest happenings...
New Deadliest Pandemic
COVID-19 is now the deadliest disease in American history. The U.S. death toll topped 676,000 this week. With that, it surpassed the 1918 Spanish flu. Comparing the two pandemics is tricky, though. Back in 1918, the U.S. population was about a third of what it is now, so the Spanish flu killed a higher percentage of Americans than COVID-19 has. However, the raw number of deaths still comes as a surprise to a lot of people since modern medicine is far more advanced now. The death rate from COVID-19 is still climbing, too. About 2,000 more Americans are dying from COVID-19 each day.
Read More: Stat News, ABC News, CNBC, AP, Johns Hopkins
Pfizer Data on Young Children
Pfizer released new data that shows its COVID-19 shots are safe and effective for kids 5-11 years old. Researchers tested the vaccine on thousands of elementary-aged children and found their antibody response was about the same as adults who got vaccinated. Plus, the kids only got mild, temporary side effects. The younger kids get a much smaller dose than everyone else. Theirs are about a third of the shot for people 12 and older. The vaccines aren’t available for them yet. Pfizer says it plans to ask the FDA for the green light soon. Pfizer and Moderna are still testing the vaccines on even younger kids, down to six-month-olds.
Read More: AP, CNN, Fox News, WaPo, Pfizer
Biden to Increase Refugee Cap
The U.S. government is hoping to resettle up to 125,000 refugees over the next year. This week, the state department told Congress it wants to raise the refugee cap by a lot. Under former President Trump, the U.S. opened just 15,000 spots for refugees. At the time, Trump said they weren’t vetted properly. Now, the Biden administration wants to add more than eight times that many, saying it needs to address “humanitarian crises around the globe.” Refugees will go through security and medical vetting before they’re allowed to come to the U.S.
Read More: CBS News, WSJ, Reuters, NY Times, State Dept.
Canada’s Prime Minister Wins Reelection
It looks like Canadians reelected Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. That’s what local media outlets are projecting, even though some votes are still being tallied. This is Trudeau’s third straight victory. However, it doesn’t look like his liberal party won a majority of seats in the Canadian parliament. Trudeau was hoping it would so he wouldn’t have to rely on other parties for help to pass new laws. He called for this election two years ahead of schedule, hoping recent good approval ratings would give his party a boost.
Read More: CBC, Bloomberg, AP, NY Times
Pro-Putin Party Wins Russia Election
Russia’s ruling party held onto a supermajority in its parliament. That means President Putin will have even more power in Russia moving forward. However, opposition parties and independent election observers are reporting widespread ballot fraud. Election officials say the election was fair, though. Allies of government critic Alexei Navalny weren’t allowed to vote because a court called them extremists. The U.S. state department condemned the Russian government for silencing the opposition.
Read More: BBC, Reuters, CNBC, Axios, State Dept.
Biden’s UN General Assembly Speech
Today President Biden will give his first speech in front of the United Nations General Assembly since he took office. Biden is expected to address the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change. He’ll likely also press other governments like China and the new Taliban regime in Afghanistan on rights issues. Still, President Biden’s speech is expected to have a cooperative tone. Senior administration officials say Biden will say now that American troops are out of Afghanistan, the U.S. can focus on other priorities.
Read More: Axios, Reuters, Bloomberg, WSJ, United Nations
UN International Day of Peace
Today is the United Nations’ International Day of Peace. This day is observed around the world every year on September 21st. Each year, the UN calls for 24 hours of non-violence and cease-fire. It also asks everyone to “spread compassion, kindness, and hope.” There are all kinds of International Peace Day events happening around the world today.
Read More: United Nations, Get Involved
U.S. International Travel Ban Lifted
The U.S. will soon reopen its borders to most international tourists who have their COVID-19 vaccines. The U.S. had banned travelers from the European Union, UK, China, Iran, and more since March of 2020. However, starting in early November, that changes. Travelers will be allowed into the U.S. once again. International tourists will have to show proof they’ve had the vaccine. They’ll also have to test negative for COVID-19 within three days of the flight and hand over their contact information for tracing purposes. They will not have to quarantine.
Read More: Bloomberg, Politico, Fortune, NPR, State Dept.
Stock Market Slump
The stock market had its worst day in months. The Dow Jones dropped more than 600 points yesterday. The S&P 500 fell by 75 points. That’s the sharpest plunge since mid-May. Economists say the downturn could have to do with China. Real estate developers over there may not be able to pay their debts. If they can’t, there are concerns the property development industry could collapse and cause a ripple effect through the entire economy. Another possible reason for Wall Street’s slump is the Federal Reserve is meeting this week, and some investors fear changes. Plus, there are concerns about the debt ceiling debate in Congress.
Read More: CNBC, WSJ, AP, Forbes, Fox Business
Shell Sold Permian Basin Oil Holdings
One of the largest oil companies in the world is selling off its oil fields to focus on renewable energy. Shell says it reached a deal to sell its oil and gas fields in west Texas. Shell has 225,000 acres there that it bought just nine years ago. It’s been using the land to produce about 200,000 barrels of oil a day. However, Shell is now selling the land to oil producer ConocoPhillips for $9.5 billion. It’s part of the company’s goal to reduce oil output by 2% a year and invest at least 25% of its budget in renewable and low-carbon energy sources by 2025.
Read More: NY Times, Bloomberg, CNBC, WSJ
DoorDash to Deliver Alcohol
DoorDash is getting into alcohol delivery. A lot of customers are now able to order beer, wine, and liquor on the app from restaurants and grocery stores. DoorDash verifies a customer’s age by asking people to upload their IDs. Drivers are only able to see customers’ photos and birthdays, though. So far, the new service is available to more than 100 million customers in 20 states in the U.S., Washington D.C., Canada, and Australia. This puts DoorDash in direct competition with Uber that bought an alcohol delivery service earlier this year.
Read More: Fox Business, CNBC, Engadget, The Verge, DoorDash
iOS 15 is Here
Apple released a new operating system for iPhones and iPads this week. iOS 15 includes quite a few new upgrades. For example, on the new FaceTime, you’ll be able to video conference with people who have Android phones or Windows PCs. There’s also a new Focus feature that will turn off notifications from people and apps that aren’t pre-approved. Something else that’s new: if someone shares photos, songs, or news stories with you through Apple Messages, you’ll start seeing them in “shared with you” folders on Apple Photos, Apple Music, and Apple News. There are also privacy upgrades, Apple Maps improvements, and a lot more.
Read More: USA Today, Engadget, CNBC, Apple
Trivia Tuesday
Q: Which country is known as the Land of White Elephants?
Play along on today’s Instagram Stories Quiz. We’ll also have the answer right here next week.
Last Week’s Trivia Tuesday Answer
Q: What is the highest point in the world?
A: Mount Everest
Read More: NOAA, Britannica, National Geographic, Reuters