Wednesday, October 20th, 2021
Mix & Match Boosters, OTC Hearing Aids & NBA Season Begins
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 reading about the latest happenings…
Mix & Match Boosters
Today, the FDA is expected to let Americans mix and match COVID-19 vaccines for their boosters. Also, this week, the FDA is expected to follow the advisory panel’s recommendations and authorize an extra dose of both the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson shots. A government study about mixing and matching found an extra dose of any type of shot revs up virus-fighting antibodies no matter what brand people got the first time around. Experts say mixing and matching could make getting a booster simpler since people will be able to go anywhere and get whatever shot is available.
Read More: CNN, AP, WaPo, WSJ
Haitian Kidnappers Want $17M Ransom
The FBI has been trying to negotiate to help a group of Americans who were taken hostage in Haiti over the weekend. However, the Haitian gang who kidnapped them is asking for $1 million per person for their release, adding up to a total of $17 million. The hostages were ambushed by heavily armed men as they were leaving a Haitian orphanage on Saturday. They are now being held in a suburb of Port-au-Prince controlled by gang members. Haitian authorities say they’re trying to get the missionaries released without having to pay a ransom. But, they warn negotiations with the kidnappers could take weeks.
Read More: NY Times, WSJ, CBS News, CNN
FBI Raids Russian Billionaire’s Home
The FBI raided two homes connected to a controversial Russian billionaire: one in Washington D.C. and one in New York City. Oleg Deripaska is an associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin and was sanctioned by the Trump administration a few years ago for allegedly meddling in the 2016 presidential election. He was also mentioned many times in then-special counsel Robert Mueller's report on the matter since Deripaska had ties to top Trump campaign staffers. So far, the FBI isn’t saying why agents were raiding the home or why Deripaska might be under investigation this time.
Read More: WaPo, NBC News, Fox News, Reuters
Bannon Held in Contempt
The lawmakers investigating the January 6th Capitol riot are taking action against a former White House aide. They voted unanimously to hold Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress because, even though they subpoenaed the longtime Trump advisor, he refused to hand over documents or testify in front of the committee. More than a dozen other people who helped former President Trump plan rallies ahead of the riot got the same requests from Congress. Some of them are already turning over documents and testifying. But, others are holding out, just like Bannon.
Read More: AP, NY Times, WSJ, Politico
School Enrollment Falls
Fewer American students are in school now than at any other time in the last two decades. There’s been a huge drop in enrollment from nursery schools to college. Newly-released Census data shows the difference from 2019 to 2020 was nearly three million fewer students. That reflects enrollment in schools that were either in-person, virtual learning, or a mix of both. The biggest drops were in kindergarten and nursery school enrollments. Those kids made up for about half of the overall downturn. On the other hand, graduate school enrollments were about the same, pandemic or no pandemic.
Read More: Axios, Forbes, Bloomberg, Yahoo Finance, Census
OTC Hearing Aids
Millions of Americans may soon be able to buy hearing aids without a prescription or medical exam. The FDA proposed a new rule that’s a big step toward that goal, and it could make the devices more accessible for adults with mild or moderate hearing loss. Hearing aids cost an average of more than $5,000 per pair and are often not covered by traditional Medicare or other insurance. Advocates say the over-the-counter option could be much cheaper. There’s still no official timeline for when they’ll be available to buy without a prescription, but it could be as soon as next fall.
Read More: WaPo, NPR, USA Today, Fox News, FDA
Pig-to-Human Transplant
For the first time, scientists have attached a pig’s kidney to a human body, and it began to work as a kidney is supposed to. This breakthrough could, one day, help address an organ shortage. More than 90,000 people in the U.S. are in line for a kidney transplant, and about a dozen die every day waiting. So, why hasn’t this happened before? There’s a sugar in pig cells that makes the human body immediately reject the organ. But, this particular pig kidney came from a gene-edited animal engineered to eliminate that sugar and, for two days at least, the human body accepted it. Still, some question if this should be allowed for ethical reasons.
Read More: NY Times, AP, Reuters, WaPo
Google Pixel Update
Google came out with two new smartphones this week with a lot of new features. Just like the last Pixels, these new models run on the Android operating system. But, Google says they have a lot of upgrades. For example, upgraded cameras, improved displays, and quicker speeds. Another new feature is called Direct My Call. When on automated calls, like a customer service line, Google Assistant will work its way through the prompts until it gets to an actual person. The Pixel 6 is going for $600, and the slightly bigger Pixel 6 Pro, with a little more battery power and an even more deluxe camera, will cost $900. They’re both available for pre-order today.
Read More: TechCrunch, The Verge, Cnet, Wired, Google
Grammys’ Inclusion Requirement
The Recording Academy is now putting its promise to recruit and hire more diverse candidates in writing. It makes the Grammy Awards the first major music awards show to publicly commit to using what’s known as an inclusion rider. It’s an 8-page document with four key elements: diversifying hiring pools, setting targets for hiring, analyzing the hiring data, and strict accountability. The goal is to improve representation and equity across the Grammys’ cast and crew, both on and off camera. The awards show is set for January 31st, 2022.
Read More: Axios, Deadline, AP, Billboard, Grammy
NBA Season Begins
The NBA kicked off its 75th season last night. For now, the plan is for a full, 82-game season with a traditional October to June calendar. Arenas should be full, too. But there’s still the risk players could get sidelined if they get Covid-19. So far, about 96% of the league’s 450 players have been vaccinated. Last night, things got started with last season’s champions, the Milwaukee Bucks, taking on the Brooklyn Nets. On the West Coast, Lebron James and the Lakers took on Steph Curry and the Warriors. The rest of the teams face off today and tomorrow.
Read More: NBA, ESPN, The Athletic, SI
Work Wednesday: Entrepreneurship on the Rise
It looks like the pandemic pushed more Americans into entrepreneurship. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows new business applications grew by 24% between 2019 and 2020. Several factors may be contributing. For example, LinkedIn points to people turning to entrepreneurship after being laid off last year or realizing they need more flexibility at work. One researcher told LinkedIn the pandemic forced people into isolation, giving them more time to think about what they want to do with their lives, including, perhaps, starting a business. But, experts say it’s still a big risk, and not every business makes it. So, do your research and consider the upfront costs before you take the leap.
Read More: LinkedIn, LA Times, Forbes, Census