Wednesday, October 6th, 2021
Biden Scales Back, Covid Test Recall & ‘Squid Game’ Soars
All the news you need in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by Ritual.com/newsworthy and JoinCrowdHealth.com/99 (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 reading about the latest happenings…
Smaller Social Safety Net Bill
Top Democrats on Capitol Hill are going to have to start scaling back their spending plans. For a while, they’ve been talking about a $3.5 trillion proposal that would go toward social programs like health care, child care, climate change, and more. However, President Biden is now telling Democrats they’ll have to make it more like $2 trillion or less if they want to get enough votes to get it passed. Some lawmakers say they’ll probably have to narrow their plans for free community college, child tax credits, and universal pre-K, so they apply to only lower- and middle-income Americans. For now, nothing is set in stone.
Read More: WSJ, NY Times, CNN, CBS News
CIA Informants Lost
It seems there’s an urgent issue within the ranks of the CIA. The New York Times got hold of a top-secret memo that went out to every CIA station and base around the world. It reportedly warned officers that dozens of informants have been killed, arrested, or compromised in the last several years. The CIA is apparently having a hard time recruiting foreign spies. In recent years, other intelligence services in countries like Russia, China, Iran, and Pakistan have been hunting down the CIA’s sources. This memo lays out issues the CIA needs to avoid. For example, being too trusting of sources, underestimating foreign intelligence agencies, and more.
Read More: NY Times, The Hill, The Week
J&J Requests Booster Authorization
Another COVID-19 booster shot could be on the market soon. Johnson & Johnson officially requested the FDA authorize a second dose of its vaccine. Its data shows when people get a second shot, the vaccine becomes about 94% effective at keeping them from getting sick with COVID-19. That’s compared to about 74% with just a single shot. Now, the FDA will review all the data. It could decide within weeks whether to authorize the booster and who could be eligible.
Read More: CNN, WSJ, Politico, AP, J&J
COVID Tests Recalled
Certain at-home COVID-19 tests are being recalled. The company Ellume pulled hundreds of thousands of its testing kits from the market because a lot of them are giving people false-positive results. They have been sold at major retailers like Walmart, CVS, Target, and Amazon. The kits don’t require a prescription and deliver results within minutes. If you bought one, you can request a replacement online. This doesn’t affect all Ellume tests, though, just certain lots.
Read More: WaPo, USA Today, Newsweek
List of Recalled Products: Ellume
Coral Reef Losses
A new major worldwide report shows climate change is devastating the Earth’s coral reefs. Researchers found the world lost about 14% of its coral reefs in one decade, from 2009-2019. That’s a big deal because the fish that depend on them become food for hundreds of millions of people, their limestone branches protect coasts from storms, and their beauty supports billions of dollars in tourism. The good news is the report also found signs of hope. It says many of these reefs are resilient and may be able to recover if the world takes immediate action to fight future global warming.
Read More: NPR, Al Jazeera, NY Times, GCRMN
Nobel Prize in Physics
Three scientists are now Nobel Prize winners for their research on climate change. They won the Nobel Prize in physics for 60 years of work that predicted climate change and decoded some complex systems. The first one is a Japanese scientist who figured out in the 1960s that extra carbon dioxide in the atmosphere caused the Earth’s temperatures to go up. The next is a German scientist who, in the 1970s, created a model that links weather to climate. Then, there’s an Italian scientist who studied subatomic particles in the 1980s, predicting how they move in seemingly chaotic ways and why.
Read More: BBC, CNN, Reuters, Nobel Prize
Brain Implant for Depression
A new study published this week is providing new hope for treating severe depression. This experimental trial involved only one person, but it seems it went well. A patient known as Sarah says her suicidal thoughts disappeared after a matchbook-sized device was implanted into her brain. It delivers electrical impulses when the neural activity pattern shows she’s becoming depressed. It’s reportedly the first documented case of personalizing a technique known as deep brain stimulation. Still, much more research is needed.
Read More: The Verge, NY Times, USA Today, Fox News, Full Study
Kellogg's Plants Strikes
Work is on hold at all Kellogg’s cereal factories in the U.S. That’s because roughly 1,400 workers are on strike, hoping to get their employer to negotiate a new contract. The union that represents the workers says Kellogg wants its employees to give up quality healthcare, retirement benefits, and holiday and vacation pay. However, Kellogg still says its pay and benefits for cereal plant workers are among the best in the industry. The company says it has contingency plans to deal with the disruptions. In the meantime, picket lines continue outside the factories.
Read More: AP, Newsweek, Reuters, The Hill, BCTGM
Facebook Whistleblower Testifies
A former Facebook employee is now building the case for tougher tech laws. A whistleblower named Francis Haugen testified in front of Senators this week. She repeated that Facebook’s products can harm children, stoke division, and weaken democracy. Haugen is now calling on Congress to intervene to help the social media giant improve. She wants to see more transparency into how Facebook operates, a more effective oversight agency, and more. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says it’s not true that his company puts profits over the well-being of users but agreed with Haugen on the need for updated internet regulations.
Read More: WSJ, AP, Axios, NY Times, Mark Zuckerberg
Snapchat’s ‘Run for Office’ Tool
Snapchat just launched a new tool meant to motivate young people to get involved in local politics. The feature is called “Run for Office.” It’s a portal with information about races each user is eligible to enter based on their home zip codes and certain interests. The tool also includes access to candidate recruitment organizations, step-by-step guidelines about how to get on the ballots, and information about things like filing deadlines and signature requirements. Snapchat says it hopes the new tool will help lead to more diverse representation in government.
Read More: TechCrunch, NBC News, NPR, Snap
Squid Game Could Be Netflix’s Most-Watched Show
You’ve most likely been hearing about the South Korean drama “Squid Game” that’s become a huge hit on Netflix lately. Now, it’s on track to become the most popular show in Netflix history. That means “Squid Game” will likely be the first non-English language series to reach the top of the most-watched list on Netflix. The show is about a survival game. Characters are forced to play Korean children’s games in a fight for their lives. It debuted on the streaming platform last month.
Read More: Axios, ABC News, CNET, Fox Business
Work Wednesday: ‘Please be Kind’ Campaign
The Rhode Island Hospitality Association started a “Please be Kind” campaign. It encourages restaurants, hotels, and others to hang signs on their doors asking customers to be patient and kind toward staff. It also includes access to mental health resources for employees. It comes as the hospitality industry is still facing severe staffing shortages, putting a lot of extra pressure on workers. On top of that, a recent report from a restaurant analytics firm says more than 60% of restaurant workers say they’ve dealt with disrespect and emotional abuse from customers. Nearly 80% say the struggles of the past year have negatively impacted their mental health.
Read More: WSJ, Black Box Intelligence, RIHA