Thursday, September 30th, 2021
Shutdown Countdown, More Species Extinct & New Bachelor Host
All the news you need in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp.com/newsworthy and Noom.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...
New Spending Bill Vote Today
Congress has until midnight to either approve a funding bill or watch the government shut down. If that happens, hundreds of thousands of federal workers will be furloughed, food assistance programs could be at risk, museums and national parks will close, and more. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says Democrats and Republicans reached an agreement to keep the government open, and they’ll vote on it this morning. Assuming it passes in the Senate, the House will have to approve the same measure. Then, President Biden will have to sign it before midnight.
Read More: CNBC, CBS News, CNN, WaPo, Sen. Schumer
Long COVID Study
A new large study found more than one in three COVID-19 survivors still has symptoms three to six months after getting infected. Some of the common issues include anxiety and depression, trouble breathing, stomach issues, and fatigue. Researchers at the University of Oxford led this study by following more than 270,000 people recovering from COVID-19. They didn’t explain what causes long-term COVID-19 symptoms. However, symptoms did seem to last longer in people who had to be hospitalized. The long-term symptoms affected people with mild cases too, and people of all ages.
Read More: WaPo, CNN, NPR, Reuters, Full Study
Japan’s Next Prime Minister
There’s about to be a new leader of the world’s third-largest economy. Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party elected Fumio Kishida. That party is in charge of Japan, so it means Kishida is all but guaranteed to lead the country next week when the Parliament meets to make it official. Kishida was a former foreign minister under former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. He’s known as a moderate liberal who campaigned on narrowing the income gap and proposed a big economic recovery package. He’s set to take over for current Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who decided to step down after only a year in power.
Read More: Reuters, BBC, NY Times, NBC News
La Palma Volcano Eruption Update
A volcano on Spain’s La Palma island has now been erupting for the last 11 days. The disaster just reached another dangerous new phase when the lava started spilling into the Atlantic Ocean. When lava hits the water, it creates a toxic gas that can damage people’s lungs. Thousands of people have evacuated from the area. Many still on the island are now being told to seal off their doors and windows to block the gases from getting inside. No one has reportedly been hurt from the volcano eruption so far, but it’s destroyed hundreds of homes and many miles of roads and farmland.
Read More: AP, NPR, NBC News, NY Times
U.S. Declares 23 Native Species Extinct
The U.S. government says 22 animal species and one plant are now extinct, so they should be removed from the endangered species list. They include the ivory-billed woodpecker, along with other birds, fish, a bat, and more. Scientists say they’ve exhausted efforts to find any of them still alive. Sadly, they say disappearances like this could become more common as humans destroy habitats and climate change warms the planet. Wildlife officials say by clearing those 23 from the endangered species list, it will free up resources for other conservation efforts.
Read More: Axios, WaPo, AP, CBS News, FWS
Britney Spears’ Father Removed from Conservatorship
For the first time in more than 13 years, pop star Britney Spears is free from her father’s control. Her dad, Jamie Spears, was formally suspended as the conservator of her estate. The order took effect immediately. The judge said she made the decision because she felt the situation between Britney and Jamie had become “toxic.” For now, her father is being replaced with John Zabel, a certified public accountant who Britney’s legal team requested to take control over her finances. Meanwhile, the singer is still trying to get the conservatorship terminated altogether. A judge will consider ending it at a hearing in November.
Read More: LA Times, CNN, ABC News, Fox News, Britney Spears
2022 Winter Olympics Rules
The International Olympics Committee released health protocols for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China. They say anyone who isn’t vaccinated against COVID-19 will have to quarantine for three weeks before competitions start. After that, they’ll be able to join vaccinated people in a sort of bubble. All team members will have to either stay at the Olympic Village or pre-approved hotels. Then, they’ll only be allowed to go to training and competition venues on a dedicated transportation system. Everyone will be tested for COVID-19 every day, and international fans won’t be allowed. The Beijing Games are scheduled to begin on February 4th.
Read More: USA Today, NY Times, AP, CBS News, IOC
YouTube Bans False Vaccine Claims
YouTube is cracking down on misinformation about vaccines. The video-sharing platform has already been removing videos that spread false information about the COVID-19 vaccines. Now, the policy is expanding. YouTube will start taking down videos that spread falsehoods about any approved vaccines, like the measles and chickenpox vaccines. It will also ban users that regularly post anti-vaccine content. The platform already removed Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s account since he has been a prominent anti-vaccine activist. Kennedy quickly spoke out against the ban, calling it censorship.
Read More: AP, NY Times, NPR, WSJ, WaPo, YouTube
Facebook Rolls Out Reels
Expect to start seeing more Reels on your Facebook feed. Already, Reels are popular on Facebook-owned Instagram. Now, they’re being expanded to all U.S. Facebook users too. Reels are short-form videos similar to what’s on TikTok. With this update, people can create Reels directly on Facebook with a button on the top of the news feed. Then, you can share them on both Facebook and Instagram if you have accounts on both. Creators can also earn money through Facebook’s bonus program called Reels Play. However, that program is invite-only for now.
Read More: TechCrunch, PCMag, 9to5Mac, Facebook
Dollar Tree Raises Prices
A dollar may not be enough to shop at Dollar Tree these days. The retailer is raising prices on many of its items. Dollar Tree says it has no choice because, during the recent labor shortage, it has had to raise pay to entice workers. Plus, it’s been costing more to get items in stock since there have been global supply chain issues. Now, more items will be priced slightly higher, like $1.50. Others could cost up to $5. The retailer has already experimented with higher prices in a few hundred stores. Now, they’ll be expanded to all of the nearly 8,000 locations.
Read More: WSJ, Fox Business, PYMNTS, USA Today, Dollar Tree
Jesse Palmer Named ‘Bachelor’ Host
Jesse Palmer is going to be the new host of “The Bachelor.” Palmer was an NFL player before becoming a Bachelor in 2004. Then, he went on to be an analyst for ESPN. Now, Palmer will host the dating show’s upcoming season. He says he’s excited to “offer the newest Bachelor advice gained from firsthand experience.” The season is in production now and is scheduled to debut in January. It’s not clear whether Palmer will also host future seasons. ABC has been looking for a new full-time host since parting ways with Chris Harrison over the summer.
Read More: THR, People, Fox News, ABC
Thing to Know Thursday: International Podcast Day
It’s International Podcast Day! The unofficial holiday got started seven years ago to recognize the genre’s growing influence and popularity around the world. The number of Americans who say they listen to podcasts has more than doubled over the past decade. Here at the Newsworthy, we’ve been bringing you all the day’s news for about four years now. We wanted to celebrate the milestone with our listeners. Today, you’ll be able to enter for a chance to win one of four fabulous prizes. We’ll post the giveaway on our Instagram page later this morning.
Read More: Int’l Podcast Day, Statista
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