Tuesday, October 13th, 2020
Vaccine Setback 2.0, Barrett Faces Grilling & iPhone 12 Launch
All the news in 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by HelloFresh.com/80newsworthy
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...
Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Trial Paused
A second coronavirus vaccine study has been shut down in the U.S. over safety concerns. Johnson & Johnson’s trial is now paused because a volunteer got sick. It is standard protocol to pause the trial and start a safety review. It’s still not clear if the illness has anything to do with the vaccine, or if the person got sick by chance. This setback is disappointing to some health officials because the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is the only one in the final phase of testing that would require only one shot. The others require two given taken a month apart.
Read More: Stat, Axios, AP
Pfizer to Start Testing Vaccine on Children
Pfizer has modified its protocol for its vaccine trial, this time to include more young volunteers. The drugmaker says it got FDA approval to start testing volunteers as young as 12. Pfizer’s trial will now include people aged 12-85. The trial also includes many participants who are of Hispanic, Black, Asian, and Native American descent. Pfizer says it is hoping to prove its vaccine candidate is safe and effective for people of all ages and backgrounds.
Read More: AP, Business Insider
First U.S. COVID-19 Reinfection
Scientists say a Nevada man got COVID-19 twice, making him the first person confirmed to have been reinfected in the U.S. The 25-year-old was diagnosed with the new coronavirus over the summer, just six weeks after his first case. The second time, he reportedly had more severe symptoms. Scientists say the two strains of the virus were genetically distinct, so it was most likely not the same infection popping back up. More research is needed to figure out why the 2nd case was worse.
Read More: NPR, Bloomberg, WSJ, The Lancet
SCOTUS Confirmation Hearings Cont’d
Today is the second day of confirmation hearings for President Trump’s latest Supreme Court nominee, Judge Amy Coney Barrett. She will return to Capitol Hill in person for a line of questioning from senators. So far, support for her nomination appears to be on party lines. During opening statements yesterday, Republicans mostly congratulated Barrett for her accomplishments. Democrats mostly criticized their GOP colleagues for rushing her nomination before Election Day.
Read More: AP, NY Times, WSJ, WaPo, CNN
Trump Tests Negative, Holds Rally
President Trump is busy campaigning in swing states this week. During his Florida rally yesterday, the president told crowds he feels “powerful” after beating COVID-19. Trump’s doctors have been saying he’s no longer contagious. Yesterday, a White House physician said Trump has now tested negative more than once. At the rally, Trump supporters were standing outside, shoulder-to-shoulder and most of them did not wear face coverings. It was the first of six rallies Trump plans to hold this week.
Read More: AP, Reuters, FOX News, Conley Memo
Biden on the Campaign Trail
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is going to be in Florida today and Pennsylvania on Thursday. He made two campaign stops in Ohio yesterday. At a drive-in rally, Biden said President Trump has been reckless as president, specifically with his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. He told supporters, “he turned his back on you,” and “I will never do that.”
Read More: AP, WSJ, Columbus Dispatch
GA Early Voting Record Turnout
On the first day of early in-person voting in Georgia, voters filled up polling sites in record-breaking numbers. Some people reportedly waited in line for more than eight hours. Election officials and advocacy groups have been encouraging people to vote early where it’s available in hopes of easing crowds on Election Day. It’s expected to be a record-breaking year for turnout overall. Election Day is exactly three weeks from today.
Read More: AP, AJC, NPR
Microsoft Tackles Hacking Operation
Microsoft says it’s working to take down a major cybercrime operation that could affect the November election. The company discovered an enormous malware network called Trikbot that criminals were using to launch cyberattacks, so it got a court order to take down Trikbot’s servers. Microsoft was worried the criminal hackers were looking to infect and slow state and local computer systems used for things like voter rolls and election results.
Read More: CNN, WaPo, Reuters, Microsoft
Facebook to Ban Holocaust Denial Posts
Facebook is reversing a previous policy, saying it will now ban any content that denies or distorts history about the Holocaust. Facebook announced the change this week, citing a global rise in antisemitism and “alarming ignorance” about the Holocaust. It pointed to a recent survey that found nearly a quarter of American 18-39 year-olds think the Holocaust was a myth, exaggerated, or they’re not sure what to think about it.
Read More: USA Today, WSJ, WaPo, FB, Survey, History from The Atlantic, History.com
New iPhones to be Unveiled
Apple is expected to unveil its new iPhone today. Experts say up to four new models could be revealed. They’re expected to have new designs with flat edges. Plus, one of them might be Apple’s largest iPhone ever. The tech giant also seems to be dropping a hint that the iPhone12 will have the super-fast 5G network too. Its tagline for the event is “Hi, Speed.” Apple is live-streaming the reveal event starting at 10 a.m. PT.
Read More: USA Today, The Verge, Reuters, Watch the Livestream
Amazon Prime Day
Amazon’s annual shopping event, Prime Day, is now underway. It usually happens in July, but this year, it was pushed back because of the pandemic. More than a million items are going to be discounted over the next couple of days. Prime members can get deals on everything from electronics and appliances to clothing and beauty products. Other major retailers are also hosting rival sale events this week, like Target Deal-Days.
Read More: Amazon, CNN, WSJ, CNBC
Trivia Tuesday
Q: What is the driest continent?
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 flowers must honeybees visit to make one pound of honey?
A: About two million
Read More: Smiley Honey, Honey Assoc