Monday, October 18th, 2021
U.S. Missionaries Kidnapped, Travel Bans Lifted & TikTok Economy
All the news you need in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by kiwico.com (Listen for the discount code) and Policygenius.com
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 review the latest happenings...
American Missionaries Kidnapped
The U.S. is reportedly in touch with Haitian authorities because of a kidnapping in the country. American missionaries, including children, were taken hostage there over the weekend. As they were leaving a Haitian orphanage, 16 Americans and one Canadian were ambushed by heavily-armed men. The kidnappers are reportedly holding them for ransom, and Haitian authorities say negotiations are underway. Police blame a notorious gang that’s known for kidnappings and killings in the country. The Ohio-based group, called Christian Aid Ministries, is now requesting prayers for its abducted members.
Read More: AP, WaPo, NY Times, WSJ, ABC News, Christian Aid Ministries
UK Parliament Member Killed
A British lawmaker was killed in what’s now being called a terror attack. David Amess was stabbed several times at a meeting with voters from his district, and a suspect was quickly arrested. The man in custody is a UK citizen of Somali descent and reportedly wasn’t on law enforcement’s radar since he hadn’t been investigated for anything before. Now, authorities are looking into whether he might have been motivated by Islamic extremism. But, counterterrorism police say they believe he worked alone and are not looking for anyone else.
Read More: BBC, CNN, WaPo, WSJ
Ahmaud Arbery’s Accused Killers on Trial
Today, the trial over the death of 25-year-old black man Ahmaud Arbery in a south Georgian neighborhood kicks off with jury selection. Three white men are accused of chasing down, shooting, and killing him. The men say they thought Arbery was a burglar running from the scene of the crime and are pleading not guilty. But, Arbery’s family says Ahmaud was just on his usual jogging route. Prosecutors will try to prove Travis McMichael, his father, Gregory, and their neighbor, William “Roddie” Bryan, were trying to stop Arbery from using a public street just because he was Black. If found guilty, they each face life in prison and a death sentence.
Read More: AJC, NPR, NY Times, NBC News
Midterm Fundraising Reports
We’re still more than a year away from the midterm elections, but candidates are already raking in tons of money. Republicans and Democrats in the House have raised a combined $128 million to date, more than double the sum up to this point in the 2020 election cycle. So far, Democrats seem to be outraising Republicans. But, that could have something to do with their party being more vulnerable. Usually, the congressional party of a first-term president loses ground in the midterms. Republicans will only need to gain one seat in the Senate to win back the majority. In the House, the GOP will take the majority if they gain five seats.
Read More: NY Times, AP, Fox News, CNN
U.S. to Lift Foreign Travel Restrictions
More international travelers will soon be able to visit the U.S. Starting November 8th, foreign tourists fully vaccinated against Covid-19 can enter the country. Travel bans have been in effect from places like the European Union, the UK, India, China, along with dozens of other countries, since the early days of the pandemic. All travelers, including American citizens, will still need to show proof they’ve tested negative for Covid-19 before flying into the U.S. from another country. However, only foreign visitors will have to show proof of vaccination. No one will have to quarantine.
Read More: Reuters, BBC, CNBC, NY Times
FB Hate Speech Detection
How well does Facebook monitor its platform for hate speech or violence? That depends on who you ask. A new Wall Street Journal article says Facebook’s automated systems were taking down less than 5% of hate speech on the platform and less than 1% of content that violated Facebook’s violence policies. Still, Facebook is defending itself. One executive says automated technology is only one method Facebook uses to fight hate speech, and hate speech on the platform has dropped by 50% over the last three years. But, he noted Facebook will never be perfect, and teams are always working to find issues and build solutions.
Read More: WSJ, The Verge, Facebook
Netflix’s “The Closer” Controversy
Backlash is growing over a big-name comedy special on Netflix and the streaming giant’s response to it. Dave Chappelle’s “The Closer” included comments that upset many people in the transgender community, as well as some Netflix employees, one of whom subsequently leaked confidential financial information to Bloomberg News. The company has said it’s planning to host an internal event with a transgender activist. Still, some Netflix employees are staging a walkout this Wednesday. The organizer of the walkout has since been fired since the company says they leaked the internal financial information.
Read More: The Verge, WSJ, TechCrunch, Bloomberg
Hollywood Union Reaches Deal with Studio
Hollywood won’t be shutting down today, after all. The union representing tens of thousands of behind-the-scenes workers reached a deal with major production studios. That means a historic strike that would have started today will be avoided. It would have been the first nationwide strike in the union’s 128-year history. Instead, wages will go up, and working conditions will improve as part of the new, tentative contract. The union members still need to give it final approval, but the strike has already been called off.
Read More: LA Times, WSJ, Variety, AP, IATSE
Weekend Box Office
The horror flick “Halloween Kills” exceeded expectations and beat out every other movie this past weekend. It brought in about $50.5 million at the North American box office. That’s even though it was released on the streaming platform Peacock the same day it came out in theaters. ”Halloween Kills” also easily bested the competition, including the James Bond movie “No Time to Die” and the star-studded medieval flick “The Last Duel.” Still, it didn’t make quite as much as the last “Halloween” movie that came out in 2018.
Read More: CNBC, AP, CNN, Gizmodo
Tony Bennett World Record
Grammy award-winning singer Tony Bennett has set a new Guinness world record as the oldest person to release an album with new material. At 95 years old, his new album Love For Sale was released at the start of this month. It’s another collaboration with singer-songwriter Lady Gaga. But, this is not Bennett's first world record. He holds four others, including the oldest person to reach number one on the U.S. album chart with a newly recorded album.
Read More: CNN, Fox News, USA Today, Guinness World Records
Sky Win First WNBA Championship
As the NBA gets ready for the regular season to begin tomorrow, the WNBA just wrapped up its postseason with a historic win. The Chicago Sky won their first-ever championship, defeating the Phoenix Mercury 80-74 in the finals yesterday. The Chicago Sky is also the first team to take home the title without being seeded first or second. And with eight victories, they’ve won more than any other team in WNBA postseason history.
Read More: Chicago Tribune, CNN, NY Times, Chicago Sky
Money Monday: TikTok Drives Nostalgia Economy
Have you noticed some older trends, brands, and technologies making a comeback? You may have TikTok to thank — or blame — for that. The hashtags #nostalgia and #nostalgic have billions of views on the platform. Most of the videos are throwbacks to the early 2000s, and they’re fueling a throwback economy. For example, low-rise jeans and miniskirts have made a comeback on runways this year. Wired headphones are hot again instead of AirPods. Some national chains are now setting up “as seen on TikTok” sections in their stores, and Amazon has a section of its site called “internet famous” with a list of products TikTok users will recognize.
Read More: Axios, Mashable, AP