Wednesday, October 21st, 2020
Gov’t Sues Google, Early Voting Record & World’s Fastest Car
All the news you need in 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by www.Rothys.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 reading about the latest happenings…
U.S. Government Sues Google
The U.S. government is suing Google. The Justice Department and 11 states are accusing the tech giant of violating antitrust laws by stifling competition and having an illegal monopoly over search and advertising. However, Google calls the lawsuit “deeply flawed,” saying “people use Google because they choose to, not because they’re forced to.” The DOJ disagrees. Google now controls about 90% of global web searches. Also, it’s Chrome browser is the most popular in the world and 40% of mobile users have Google’s Android software.
Read More: Bloomberg, CNN, WSJ, Axios, Google Response
300K More U.S. Deaths than Usual
The CDC reports 300,000 more Americans have died this year than in an average year. COVID-19 is mostly to blame. Two-thirds of those excess deaths are attributed to the coronavirus pandemic. The other third might account for some otherwise untallied COVID-19 deaths. It could also include people who died from other health issues, but only because they were too scared to get medical care during this pandemic. Others may have had their treatments interrupted by the pandemic.
Read More: Stat, WaPo, Reuters
14 States Set Hospitalization Records
14 states reportedly set record highs for COVID-19 hospitalizations in the past week. The areas seeing the biggest spikes are the Midwest, Great Plains, and parts of the West. Some rural hospitals have reported bed shortages. Overall, the U.S. has seen more than 8.2 million cases, with more than 221,000 deaths.
Read More: CNN, CBS News, Axios
UK to Infect Healthy Volunteers
In the race for a COVID-19 vaccine, British scientists will be conducting the world’s first human challenge trials. Scientists will try to purposely infect healthy volunteers with the coronavirus. The goal is to see how effective certain vaccines are in warding off the infection and symptoms. Volunteers will be 18-30 years old. They must be free of COVID-19 symptoms and show no other risk factors, like heart disease or diabetes. Infectious disease experts at Imperial College London will oversee the experiments.
Read More: AP, WSJ, WaPo, CNN, UK Gov
NSA: Chinese Hackers Target Military
The National Security Agency said it found evidence of the Chinese government trying to target computer networks used by the American military. This isn’t totally new. For years, the U.S. armed forces, defense contractors, and American universities involved in defense research have warned about China trying to steal U.S. military secrets. However, this is reportedly the first time the NSA has described them as “targets of Chinese state-sponsored hacking campaigns.” China denies all of it.
Read More: WSJ, NSA
Early Voting Numbers
The official Election Day is now less than two weeks away, but for millions of Americans, Election Day has already come and gone. Early voting has already started in some form in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. So far, at least 32.5 million votes have been cast. That’s an all-time high. This year has so far brought out five times as many early voters as the last presidential election. So far, more registered Democrats have voted than Republicans. However, that early edge could be offset by a wave of Republican voters on Election Day.
Read More: WaPo, ABC News, NBC News, CNN, Vote.org
8 More NFL Players with COVID-19
The NFL announced eight new players and 11 staffers have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last week. That brings the number of positive cases from August 1st to 47 players and 71 other workers. The Tennessee Titans have seen the worst of the outbreaks so far, so their organization has been under review. That investigation was completed this week. ESPN says the Titans facility met all protocols, but there were times when people didn’t wear masks. The organization could face a fine, but it’s avoiding tougher penalties like having to forfeit draft picks.
Read More: Bleacher Report, Forbes, NFL, ESPN
Microsoft Windows Trouble
The latest version of Microsoft Windows is reportedly causing some PCs to break down. The company is now pausing the updates to hopefully find a fix. In some cases, PCs got error messages as well as unresponsive files, printers, and audio problems. Even worse, some people had no choice but to update. Their computers would force-restart and install the new version. After getting so much negative feedback, Microsoft told The Verge it will stop the updates for now.
Read More: FOX Business, TechRadar, The Verge
GM Unveils All-Electric Hummer
General Motors is making a new electric Hummer. The company calls it the “world’s first super truck.” It’s said to be able to go from 0-60 miles per hour in three seconds. It will also have off-road capabilities and will be able to drive diagonally. Drivers should get 100 miles of range after just ten minutes of being plugged in. The Hummers will go into production late next year. At first, they’ll cost about $112,600. The company is also spending billions of dollars to overhaul its factories so they can better produce electric vehicles.
Read More: CNBC, The Verge, Tech Crunch, CNN, AP
World’s Fastest Car
The Tuatara has just secured the title of world's fastest production car. It clocked in at over 316 miles per hour. That was its average speed during two dashes across a Nevada highway this month. The car is designed for speed. Its body style was inspired by fighter jets. The company says it will make 100 of these cars to sell to customers. They’ll start at $1.6 million. Other cars have clocked in at higher speeds before, but those were made for competitive racing. This one is different because it’s street legal.
Read More: CNN, Fox News, Business Insider, SS North America
Work Wednesday: 1 in 4 Workers Has Considered Quitting
A new AP poll shows this year, one in four American workers have considered quitting their jobs. About 20% have taken leave. That’s directly related to pandemic worries. Some people say they’re overwhelmed between juggling their jobs and other responsibilities, like childcare. Others say they’re concerned about getting COVID-19 at work since they couldn’t do their jobs online from home. The good news is it seems employers are trying to help. More than half the people polled said their company is doing a good job responding to the pandemic.
Read More: AP, NY Post