Wednesday, October 7th, 2020
VP Debate Preps, Hurricane Delta & WNBA Champs
All the news you need in 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by www.Blinkist.com/news and CastleGrade (listen for how to get a discount)
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…
President Trump Recovery, Messaging
It seems President Trump’s recovery from COVID-19 is going well. White House physician, Dr. Sean Conley, said the president reported no symptoms since he was released from the hospital. From the White House, Trump tweeted, “feeling great!” He also wrote that coronavirus is less deadly than the flu, but both Twitter and Facebook blocked the post because they say it had misleading and potentially harmful information. Since February, COVID-19 has killed about 211,000 Americans and the death toll is still rising.
Trump Reports No Symptoms: AP, FOX News, Axios
Facebook, Twitter Block Trump Posts: WaPo, CNBC, BBC, Johns Hopkins
Stephen Miller Tests Positive
Another top official has come down with the new coronavirus. Senior adviser Stephen Miller tested positive yesterday. It’s not clear exactly when he contracted the virus, but now, almost everyone who prepared the president for last week’s debate against Joe Biden has tested positive. That was last Tuesday and President Trump says he was diagnosed Thursday. Reporters have asked Trump’s doctors when he last tested negative, but so far, they haven’t answered the question.
Read More: Politico, CNN, NBC News
Pentagon Leaders Quarantined
Top military leaders are now in quarantine. They came in contact with a Coast Guard admiral who tested positive for COVID-19. The Joint Chiefs of Staff, made up of commanders from each branch of the armed services, meet once a week. Among the places the chiefs met in the last 10 days is a secure, windowless room in the Pentagon known as a Tank. Now, any meetings will have to be held remotely over a secure connection
Read More: WSJ, AP, ABC News, CNN
Relief Negotiations Stalled
President Trump is sending some mixed messages about the next coronavirus relief package. First, he called on Congress to delay negotiations until after the election and instead focus on confirming his Supreme Court nominee. Hours later, Trump tweeted again, urging Congress to approve billions of dollars for airline payroll support, small businesses, and more direct payments that would send $1,200 to most Americans. Before this, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said more relief from Congress is necessary to help boost the economy.
Read More: AP, WaPo, WSJ, Politico, Trump Afternoon Tweet, Trump Evening Tweet, Pelosi Statement
Vice Presidential Debate
Vice President Mike Pence and U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris will take the debate stage tonight. Pence and Harris are already in Salt Lake City, Utah preparing for the debate. They’ll be sitting 12 feet apart from one another behind clear, plexiglass dividers. Both Pence and Harris have tested negative for coronavirus already this week and they will be tested again today. The vice-presidential debate will air on all major TV networks. It starts at 9 p.m. ET.
Read More: WaPo, NBC News, Newsweek, Reuters
Hurricane Delta Intensifies
A category 4 hurricane is closing in on a popular tourist area of Mexico. Hurricane Delta is expected to hit Cancún and Cozumel early this morning. At last check, it was packing 120 mile-an-hour winds and the National Hurricane Center has warned it could get even stronger. The storm is expected to impact Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and Cuba today. Then, Hurricane Delta is forecast to hit the gulf coast of the U.S. by the end of the week. The governors of Louisiana and Alabama declared states of emergency in preparation.
Read More: Weather Channel, USA Today, AP, CNN, NHC
House Panel Releases Big Tech Report
House Democrats, along with four Republicans, released their findings after spending the last 16 months investigating America’s biggest tech companies. They said Apple, Amazon, Facebook, and Google’s parent company Alphabet, enjoy “monopoly power,” and that Congress should think about breaking them up. Specifically, it found the tech giants hurt competition and stifle innovation when they buy out competitors and hold power over the small businesses that use their platforms. Nothing has been decided yet, but lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have said the tech giants should face more scrutiny.
Read More: WSJ, CNBC, Engadget, Full Report
Facebook Bans QAnon
Facebook is banning all pages and groups that openly support the QAnon conspiracy theory. Until now, Facebook had only deleted pages if they encouraged violence. But now the social media network says even without threats, QAnon stirs up mistruths that have real-world consequences. QAnon is the idea that underground sex traffickers are working in the U.S. government, secretly waging a war against President Trump. The FBI has debunked the theory.
Read More: The Verge, Axios, AP, Facebook
Instagram Hiding Negative Comments
Facebook-owned Instagram is rolling out new features meant to prevent online bullying. The first will automatically hide negative comments. The other warns people if their comment is offensive before they post it. They’ll get a pop-up, letting them know the comment might be hidden. If it’s especially offensive, they’ll be warned their account could be deleted. The hope is more users might think twice before posting.
Read More: CBS News, FOX Business, Instagram
Eskimo Pie Name Change
The ice cream bar Eskimo Pie is getting a new name and image. The maker, Dreyer’s, says it’s rebranding the popular treat since the original branding is considered offensive toward native Arctic communities. Starting next year, the bars will be called Edy’s Pies instead. That’s a nod to the company’s founder, Joseph Edy. Other companies have rebranded this year too. Aunt Jemima, Mrs. Butterworth’s, and Uncle Ben’s also had their names and/or logos changed.
Read More: CNN, FOX Business, USA Today, Forbes
Eddie Van Halen Dies
Music fans around the world are saying goodbye to a legendary guitarist. Eddie Van Halen, co-founder of the rock group Van Halen, died at 65-years-old from a long battle with throat cancer. He’s considered one of the greatest guitarists of all time, known for his innovative methods. For example, he popularized a technique called two-hand tapping. His former bandmates paid tribute to him on social media with pictures and heartfelt messages.
Read More: USA Today, Rolling Stone, WaPo, David Lee Roth Post, Sammy Hagar Post
Seattle Storm Wins WNBA Championship
The Seattle Storm is this year’s WNBA Champion. The team swept the Las Vegas Aces in a best-of-five series that ended last night. The last game was a blowout. The Storm beat the Aces 92-59, marking the largest point margin in the history of the WNBA finals. To avoid coronavirus outbreaks, the WNBA played in a bubble in Florida, just like the NBA. The league pulled off having an entire season, with playoffs, without one single positive COVID-19 test.
Read More: USA Today, CNN, ESPN
Work Wednesday: Americans Taking Fewer Days Off
American workers say they’re putting in more hours during the pandemic. A new survey from HR consulting firm Robert Half shows a lot of people are choosing not to take vacation days. 37% of those surveyed said they’re not using PTO until they can safely travel again. 22% said they’re working as much as possible to save money. 14% say they just have too much work to do to take time off. Experts say this could lead to burnout if it hasn’t already.
Read More: Axios, Survey