Friday, October 29th, 2021
Historic Flooding Possible, Cuomo Charged & Facebook’s New Name
All the news you need in around 10 min:
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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 the latest happenings...
VA, MD, DC Flooding Threat
Serious flood alerts are in effect for more than 20 million Americans today. Some of the worst flooding is on track to hit Baltimore, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. Between today and tomorrow, those areas are expected to get two to four feet of coastal flooding. Roads, fields, and several buildings could be flooded. Some schools have already closed for today. Business owners and homeowners have been putting out sandbags and blocking front doors to keep water from seeping in. Authorities are also reminding people to never try to drive, walk, or swim in floodwaters.
Read More: Baltimore Sun, WaPo, CNN, WUSA, NWS
Gov. Cuomo Criminal Charges
New York’s last governor, Andrew Cuomo, is facing his first criminal charge over the sexual harassment scandal that pushed him out of office. He was charged with a misdemeanor sex crime for forcible touching. The Albany County Sheriff has been investigating this ever since Cuomo’s former executive assistant reported he groped her in the Governor’s Mansion. Cuomo still says he never assaulted anyone. He’ll appear in court next month and, if found guilty, he could face up to a year in jail.
Read More: NY Times, AP, NBC News, WSJ, Fox News
Charleston Church Shooting Settlement
Families who lost loved ones in a mass shooting six years ago finally reached a settlement with the U.S. Justice Department. A white supremacist shot and killed nine people in a historically Black church in South Carolina back in 2015. Their families sued the federal government because the shooter was able to buy the gun he used after he had a criminal history. The case made its way through the court system, and now, the grieving families are getting an $88 million settlement. That works out to about $6-7.5 million for each person who sued. Shooting survivors are also getting $5 million each.
Read More: ABC News, CNN, Fox News, DOJ
U.S. May Pay Migrant Families
The U.S. government is reportedly in talks to pay thousands of migrant parents and children who were separated at the U.S.-Mexico border. The Wall Street Journal says they could be eligible for about $450,000 each. Under former President Trump’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy, more than 5,600 children were separated from their parents because their parents crossed the border illegally with them. Today, more than 1,000 families are thought to be still separated. Lawyers for the migrant families and the government have said they’re hoping to reach a final settlement deal by the end of next month.
Read More: WSJ, NBC News, Forbes
Florida Sues Over Vaccine Mandate
Florida is suing the Biden Administration over a Covid-19 vaccine mandate. The mandate says all contractors working for the federal government need to be vaccinated by December. The state’s governor says the president doesn’t have the authority to issue that kind of rule, saying it goes against Florida's employment policies and could threaten the state’s economy. The White House disagrees, though, saying vaccine requirements work, are good for the economy, and that Biden has the authority to mandate them. It is expected for this to play out in court.
Read More: AP, CNN, WSJ, Bloomberg
NYC Vaccine Mandate Goes into Effect
A judge this week decided not to put a stop to a vaccine mandate in New York City, denying the request from a New York City police union. So, all city employees, including law enforcement officials, will have to have at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine. Otherwise, they face unpaid leave starting Monday. This could mean the city may have to go without thousands of essential workers. As of yesterday, a third of those who work for New York fire and sanitation, and a quarter of the police force, still haven’t shown proof they’ve been vaccinated.
Read More: NY Times, CBS News, WaPo, NY Daily News
Oil Companies Testify
For the first time, members of Congress grilled top executives from some of the world’s largest oil companies about climate change. Executives from ExxonMobil, Chevron, BP, and Shell testified they’ve long acknowledged the threat of climate change and have cut their carbon emissions. But, some lawmakers accused the companies of pretending to be climate-friendly to the public while working behind-the-scenes to stop needed regulations. Republicans called the whole hearing “political theater.”
Read More: Reuters, WaPo, NBC News, WSJ, NY Times
Facebook Renamed Meta
One of the world’s most powerful and best-known companies is changing its name. Facebook will now be called Meta. CEO Mark Zuckerberg says it reflects the company's new focus on the metaverse, a virtual-reality environment. The new name Meta only applies to the overall company, not the social media platform Facebook. The company has been in hot water lately over accusations it puts profits over people. However, Zuckerberg says that paints a false picture of the company, and he insists the name change is unrelated. Meta will start trading under the new stock ticker MVRS starting in December.
Read More: The Verge, Cnet, USA Today, NY Times, Facebook
New Words Added to Dictionary
Merriam-Webster added 455 new words to the dictionary this month. Now, it includes abbreviations like TBH (to be honest) and FTW (for the win). It also includes pandemic-related terms like long COVID and super spreader. There are also new foods like fluffernutter, a sandwich with peanut butter and marshmallow crème. Merriam-Webster says language never stops evolving, so the dictionary never stops expanding. This latest list brings together new and familiar words that have established themselves in everyday life.
Read More: CNN, NPR, CBS News, USA Today, Merriam-Webster
CDC Encourages Trick-or-Treating
Halloween is this Sunday! This year, the CDC says it’s safe for families to celebrate while still protecting themselves against COVID-19. The CDC director says families can put on costumes and enjoy trick-or-treating, but she encourages them to stay outside and spread out. She also says to avoid crowds, even outdoors, especially for adults and kids who are unvaccinated. Adults answering the door to hand out candy should still wear a mask. Though, just like last year, the CDC says a Halloween costume mask doesn’t work the same as a well-fitting mask meant to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Read More: Politico, AP, Forbes, CNN, CDC
Most Popular Halloween Costumes
If you are dressing up this weekend, chances are you or someone you know will be a witch. Google trends released its 2021 Frightgeist, the list of Halloween’s most popular costumes, and a witch is in the top spot. Whatever your costume, we would love to feature you dressed up in next Friday's email newsletter, where we often feature listeners. Email us a picture of you in your costume to staff@thenewsworthy.com, and be sure you’re signed up for our weekly emails to join in on the fun. Happy Halloween!
Read More: USA Today, BBC, Patch, Google Frightgeist
Feel Good Friday: 'Dads on Duty' at Louisiana High School
A group of dads is making a big difference at a Louisiana high school. At this school, dozens of students were arrested for fighting in just three days. So, a group of fathers started “Dads on Duty,” taking shifts patrolling the campus every day as community leaders, bringing kids words of encouragement, high fives, and some dad jokes. Since this program started on September 20th, there have been no violent incidents on campus, and the school district decided extra security was no longer needed. Dads on Duty will stay on this campus indefinitely, and it’s hoping to expand into other schools soon.
Read More: CBS News, WaPo, KTBS, GMA, Dads on Duty