Wednesday, September 29th, 2021
“Strategic Failure”, Booster Side Effects & Amazon Astro Robot
All the news you need in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by Noom.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 reading about the latest happenings…
Top Generals Testify on Afghanistan
Three of the nation’s top military leaders admitted the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan didn’t go as planned. A group of Senators heard from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Army Gen. Mark Milley, and a top commander, Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie. Each of them said they were taken aback by how quickly the Taliban were able to take over. Both Gen. Milley and Gen. McKenzie also said they wanted to keep about 2,500 troops in Afghanistan to prevent the takeover from happening. However, President Biden seemingly rejected their advice, insisting he had a choice between pulling all American forces or putting more troops in danger for many more years.
Read More: Politico, NBC News, WSJ, Reuters, AP
Capital Gazette Shooter Sentenced
The gunman who shot and killed five people in a Maryland newsroom is going to spend the rest of his life in prison. The shooting happened three years ago at the offices of the Capital Gazette newspaper. This week, the shooter was sentenced to more than five consecutive life terms without parole. Over the summer, a jury rejected the argument that he wasn’t criminally responsible for his actions because of mental illness. That means he will be going to prison, not a mental health facility.
Read More: Capital Gazette, ABC News, WSJ, CBS News
Side Effects of COVID-19 Boosters
The CDC put out a new study about the side effects of COVID-19 booster shots. Researchers followed people who got the third shot of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. They were eligible already because their immune systems were compromised in some way, like from an organ transplant or a history of cancer. Those people said their side effects from the boosters were similar to how they felt after a 2nd dose. The most common were arm pain, fatigue, and/or a headache, usually the day after getting the shots.
Read More: NBC News, NY Times, The Hill, Bloomberg, CDC
Boosters Given So Far
Millions of people who got the Pfizer vaccine at least six months ago are now eligible for booster shots. That’s as long as they’re 65 or older or younger adults if they work in high-risk environments or have pre-existing conditions. The White House says more than 400,000 Americans in that group have already gotten their boosters, and a million more have already scheduled appointments for the extra doses through pharmacies. When it comes to the original vaccines without boosters, about 65% of the eligible population is now fully vaccinated in the U.S.
Read More: Reuters, CNBC, LA Times, White House
Obama Presidential Center Groundbreaking
Former President Obama broke ground on his presidential center. It’s going up on the south side of Chicago, where the former president started his political career. However, that location has sparked controversy. A federal review was needed because it’s going up in a park that’s on the National Register of Historic Places. There have also been concerns about gentrification. Eventually, the city of Chicago approved neighborhood protections, including affordable housing. At yesterday’s groundbreaking, Obama said he hopes the center will bring an economic boost to the area, create jobs, and inspire a future generation of leaders.
Read More: Chicago Tribune, AP, ABC News, Obama.Org
Another Stock Market Tumble
Yesterday was another rough day on Wall Street. The Dow Jones sunk by 569 points. The Nasdaq and S&P 500 both closed more than 2% lower. Tech stocks made up a big portion of the downfall. Tech giants like Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft, and Alphabet all lost value. A few things triggered the slump. For example, there are concerns about inflation. Plus, officials say consumer confidence has gone down for the third month in a row. The debt ceiling debate on Capitol Hill isn’t helping either. The treasury secretary says the U.S. government will run out of money and default on its loans if Congress doesn’t raise the debt limit by October 18th.
Read More: NY Times, Fox Business, CNBC, CNN
Amazon’s New Hardware
Amazon unveiled some new hardware. One of the devices is a home assistant robot called Astro. It moves around on wheels, can bring stuff from room to room, video chat, play music, work as a home security device, and more. The company also unveiled its first smart thermostat and a new kids device called Echo Glow with built-in games and video chat capabilities. Amazon also announced a new subscription service called Alexa Together that’s designed to help people take care of elderly family members. It includes features like fall detection and an emergency hotline. These new products will all be out by the end of the year.
Read More: The Verge, TechCrunch, CNET, CNBC
Activision Blizzard Settles Federal Lawsuit
A popular video game company has reached its first big financial settlement since its workplace culture has been criticized. Activision Blizzard has been accused of allowing a culture in which sexism, harassment, and physical assault are common. The federal government filed a new lawsuit over it this week after investigating the company for more than two years. Activision agreed to a settlement but didn’t admit to any wrongdoing. As part of the deal, the company will set up an $18 million fund to compensate workers who were discriminated against. Extra funds will go to diversity and inclusion programs.
Read More: CNN, Engadget, Axios, NPR, Activision
Utah Ghost Town Uncovered
The extreme drought in the western U.S. has exposed a piece of history that’s been underwater for more than six decades. In Utah, the Rockport Reservoir is only at about 29% capacity now. Now that the water levels are so low, people can see a ghost town. From above, you can see the foundations of long-abandoned homes and roads from the town of Rockport that was settled by pioneers in the 1860s. In the 1950s, the federal government bought the land and turned it into a reservoir.
Read More: Salt Lake Tribune, The Hill, USA Today, Newsweek
Rockport Reservoir Images: Devon Dewey
National Coffee Day Deals
Today is National Coffee Day. The National Coffee Association says nearly 60% of Americans drink at least one cup of joe every day. Today, many stores and restaurants are rolling out deals and discounts. Krispy Kreme is offering a free cup of coffee and a free donut for rewards members. At Starbucks, customers who bring a clean, reusable mug will get a free cup of Pike Place brewed coffee. Panera is offering free coffee all day to parents and caregivers. That’s just to name a few examples.
Read More: USA Today, Elite Daily, RetailMeNot
Work Wednesday: Pandemic Made Our Workweeks Longer
A new study from Microsoft found the average person’s workweek got about 10% longer when COVID-19 prompted the massive shift to work from home. Microsoft figured that out by analyzing data from about 61,000 of its employees. The company looked at what time, on average, staffers sent their first work-related email of the day or had their first call. Then, they looked at what time workers stopped for the day. They found employees spent 10% more time logged in with the switch to remote work.
Read More: Axios, Greatist, Inc, Microsoft, Full Study