Thursday, October 8th, 2020
Pence vs. Harris, Wisconsin Outbreak Grows & Scientists Make History
All the news you need in less than 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by www.FunctionofBeauty.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...
VP Debate Recap
Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris faced off at the first and only vice-presidential debate. It was more civil than the presidential debate last week, but Harris and Pence still butted heads a few times. On the coronavirus pandemic, Pence defended the Trump administration’s response. He said actions that were taken in the spring, like stocking up supplies and restricting flights from China, likely saved more than a million lives. However, Harris said the Trump administration knew the seriousness of the virus in late January and hid it from the American people.
Read More: WaPo, Politico, WSJ, AP
President Trump Recovery Update
In a video yesterday, President Trump called catching COVID-19 “a blessing from God” because it taught him about the potential treatments and let him experience first-hand how effective they can be. While at Walter Reed Military Medical Center, Trump received oxygen, steroids, antiviral drugs, and an experimental antibody treatment. The New York Times reports the same treatment would cost the average American more than $100,000 in medical bills, even after insurance pays its share.
Read More: Reuters, CBS News, NY Times, Trump Tweet
White House Outbreak
For the first time since returning from the hospital, President Trump worked in the Oval Office yesterday. A White House spokesperson said Trump came back to the West Wing because he felt good again and safety precautions were in place. White House employees were reportedly given personal protective equipment to wear when they need to get within six feet of the president. Also yesterday, ABC News received an internal government memo that said 34 White House staffers and other contacts have so far tested positive for COVID-19 in recent days.
Read More: ABC News, WaPo, USA Today, NBC News
U.S. Current Coronavirus Outbreaks
The number of new COVID-19 cases is going up in 39 states. In Wisconsin, cases have more than doubled in the past month. Starting today, indoor bars and restaurants will be capped at 25% capacity. Next week, a field hospital will open in a Milwaukee suburb to help hospitals that have been overwhelmed with new patients. The most serious patients will still go to a regular hospital though.
COVID-19 Cases Rising in 39 States: USA Today, Johns Hopkins
Wisconsin to Activate Field Hospital: Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, AP, Reuters
Hurricane Warning in Louisiana
Hurricane Delta is expected to hit the U.S. this week as a Category 3 storm. Already, it made landfall just south of Cancún yesterday. No deaths or injuries were reported. However, Louisiana could get hit harder than Mexico did. People who live on the Louisiana coast have been told to brace for heavy rain, flooding, and strong winds, along with potentially life-threatening storm surge.
Read More: Weather Channel, CNN, WaPo, AP, NHC
Hottest September on Record
New data shows last month was the world’s hottest September on record. Scientists from the Copernicus Climate Change Service found the record was mostly driven by unusually high temperatures in places like the Middle East, Australia, and South America. January and May set heat records this year too. If this trend keeps up, scientists think 2020 could end up being the hottest year ever recorded.
Read More: NY Times, NBC News, Reuters
History-Making Nobel Prize in Chemistry
For the first time, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry has gone to two women. Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer A. Doudna developed a gene-editing tool that’s revolutionizing science. It might be able to rid people of inherited diseases like cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, and even HIV and cancer. The scientists say they hope the discovery will always be used for good. Critics say this gives humans too much power, that it’s like “playing God.” It’s being tested in more than 100 clinical trials now. Many are showing promise.
Read More: CBS News, AP, NY Times
Facebook Bans Post-Election Political Ads
Facebook announced it will block political ads after the polls close on November 3rd. That’s because election results are expected to come in slower than usual this year and there are fears candidates will take out ads to prematurely declare victory and that could stir confusion. Google is doing the same thing. Twitter has banned political ads altogether.
Read More: The Verge, CNBC, Politico, Axios, Facebook
Slack Getting Instagram-like Stories
The business chat platform Slack is rolling out a new feature that is said to be similar to Instagram Stories. It will let users post video snippets. This should help people update their bosses and colleagues about what they’re doing. Slack hopes this new video option will improve workflow and help people avoid too many time-consuming, virtual meetings. Slack is also looking to add push-to-talk options for audio clips.
Read More: The Verge, Engadget, 9to5Mac
Drive-In Movies Will Qualify for 2021 Oscars
Drive-in movies can now qualify for the 2021 Oscars. Usually, films have to be released in traditional theaters to be considered. But that rule has been problematic this year, since the pandemic forced many indoor theaters to close and drive-ins to become more popular. Now, movies that play at drive-ins in major U.S. cities can be considered for an Academy Award too. It’s also considering films that went straight to streaming.
Read More: USA Today, Variety, Deadline
Thing to Know Thursday: What Happens if a Presidential Candidate Dies?
If a presidential candidate dies or is incapacitated before Election Day, but after the start of early voting, there are a few things that could happen. Congress could vote to delay the election to give officials time to change out the names on ballots. Or voters could cast their ballots for a dead or incapacitated candidate, trusting that the RNC or DNC would select someone else capable to take the spot. It wouldn’t automatically be the vice presidential candidate, although that would be a likely option.
Read More: AP, WaPo, Vox