Tuesday, October 6th, 2020
Trump Leaves Hospital, Movie Chain Shut Down & Dream-Shaping Tech
All the news in less than 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by www.StitchFix.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 read the latest happenings...
Trump Leaves Hospital
President Trump is back home in the White House this morning. He walked out the front door of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center yesterday evening, where he was being treated for COVID-19 for the past three days. Before he left, he posted to Twitter to tell his supporters he was feeling good. He said, “Don’t be afraid of COVID. Don’t let it dominate your life.” Then he said, “I feel better than I did 20 years ago.” Critics point out that President Trump received the best possible care and treatment and not every American has access to that.
Read More: AP, WaPo, WSJ, Reuters, Trump Tweet
Trump Health Update
President Trump’s doctors say he’s not “out of the woods yet.” but he did meet the criteria to be released from the hospital. In yesterday’s update, they said he hadn’t had a fever in about 72 hours and his oxygen levels were normal. At the White House, he will still be surrounded by world-class medical care 24 hours a day. President Trump is still taking the antiviral drug remdesivir and the steroid dexamethasone for a few more days. For now, the president will reportedly by isolating in the East Wing, instead of the West Wing, where many senior aides work.
Read More: AP, NPR, Trump Video Tweet
White House Outbreak Spreads
About 30 people in Trump’s inner circle have reportedly come down with COVID-19. White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany and two assistant press secretaries are the latest to test positive. It’s not possible to know exactly when each person was exposed to the virus, but a lot of people are pointing to a rose garden celebration held 11 days ago. For now, the White House medical team is just focusing on contact tracing people who came in contact with the president 48 hours before his diagnosis.
Read More: The Hill, Politico, USA Today, Vox, NY Times, CNN
CDC New Indoor Coronavirus Guidance
The CDC now says the virus can spread through the air, even further than six feet, and sometimes stick around in the air shortly after an infected person leaves. However, the CDC says this is mostly in poorly-ventilated and enclosed spaces, like when people are doing indoor activities that cause heavy breathing, like singing or exercise. The CDC still says the main way the virus spreads is between people who spend more than 15 minutes together, within six feet of each other.
Read More: NY Times, Bloomberg, AP, USA Today, WSJ CDC
Conservative Justices Criticize Gay Marriage Decision
On the first day of the Supreme Court’s new term, two justices criticized a past ruling about same-sex marriage. Justice Clarence Thomas and Justice Samuel Alito released a statement saying the 2015 ruling suggests those who oppose same-sex marriage for religious reasons are bigoted. Thomas specifically said the law comes with religious liberty consequences. For now, same-sex marriage is not being officially challenged, but LGBTQ rights groups worry it may be soon if conservatives end up with a 6-3 majority on the court.
Read More: AP, Reuters, CBS News
NFL Cracking Down on COVID-19 Compliance
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell held a call with all 32 teams, telling them if they’re caught breaking the rules, they could have to forfeit games, give up draft choices, or pay hefty fines. The league is reportedly beefing up surveillance and will be monitoring teams with video. The league also is considering holding all meetings virtually, reducing the time spent in lunchrooms and locker rooms, and decreasing the number of people who can travel together to games.
Read More: AP, ESPN, CNN
World Series Tickets on Sale
Tickets for the World Series go on sale today. The MLB is selling about 11,000 tickets for each game. They range in price from $75-$450. Tickets are being sold in so-called pods of four seats. Each pod will be at least six feet apart and attendees will need to wear masks. The World Series begins October 20th in Arlington, Texas. Eight teams are still left in the playoffs.
Read More: MLB, ESPN, SI, USA Today
Americans Drinking More
New research shows Americans are drinking more alcohol this year. A study by the research organization Rand Corp. shows alcohol consumption is up 14% compared to last year. The most significant increases were among women and middle-aged Americans. Health experts say pandemic-related stress, anxiety, and depression could be to blame. It might also be because people are isolated and bored.
Read More: WaPo, NPR, The Hill, JAMA
Movie Theaters Close
Hundreds of theaters are set to close in the U.S. this week. Regal Cinemas says all of its 536 U.S. locations will be shut down until further notice. The move puts 40,000 U.S. jobs in jeopardy. Theaters are struggling during the pandemic, partly because people are worried about COVID-19, partly because studios keep postponing major releases that theaters rely on to get people in the door. There’s no word yet when these theaters might reopen.
Read More: NPR, Variety, AP, Axios
Sleeptracker Could Control Dreams
Researchers have developed a sleep-tracker that helps you control your dreams. Dormio was created by the MIT Media Lab. It lets you make an audio recording, describing what you want to dream about. Then, you attach a wearable device to your wrist or fingers. The device can detect when you’re falling asleep and will play the recording to remind you what to dream about. So far, about 67% of people who’ve tried this out say it works. Dormio isn’t on the market yet. There are other studies underway first.
Read More: Business Insider, MIT Media Lab, Livescience, Study
National Night Out
Today is National Night Out. That’s an annual celebration designed to strengthen the relationship between police and the community. Each year, officers and the public gather for things like block parties, festivals, parades, and cookouts. This year, because of the pandemic, some communities are instead doing drive-through events or virtual ones.
Read More: NNO
Trivia Tuesday
Q: How many flowers must honeybees visit to make one pound of honey?
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: How many carats was the largest diamond ever discovered in the United States?
A: 40.23
Read More: Crater of Diamonds State Park