Monday, November 8th, 2021
Concert Chaos, $1T Bill Passed & Elon Musk’s Twitter Poll
All the news you need in about 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 to review the latest happenings...
Houston Music Festival Deaths
One of the deadliest concerts in American history happened Friday night at the sold-out Astroworld Festival in Houston, Texas. Thousands of people crowded the stage as rapper Travis Scott was performing. At least eight young people were killed, and hundreds of others were hurt, including more than a dozen who are still in hospitals. Authorities are now trying to figure out exactly what happened. In the past, Travis Scott has been arrested at least twice for inciting riots at his shows and pleaded guilty both times.
Read More: Houston Chronicle, AP, CNN, Fox News, NY Times, Live Nation, Travis Scott
House Passes Infrastructure Bill
The House passed the $1 trillion infrastructure bill on Friday, and the Senate already passed it in August. President Biden is going to sign it at a ceremony soon. This measure includes improvements to roads and bridges. It also provides money to update public transportation and electric vehicle charging stations. Other items include money to expand broadband internet access, bring more people clean drinking water, and improve the electric grid. President Biden says Americans will start to see the impact of the infrastructure bill within the next two or three months.
Read More: AP, Axios, NY Times, WSJ, White House
Biden Vaccine Mandate Blocked
The nationwide vaccine mandate impacting two-thirds of American workers has now been put on hold. A federal appeals court blocked the new rules, at least temporarily, while the mandate gets sorted out in court. This is in response to several states, companies, and religious groups filing a petition against the mandate. They say it would hurt businesses and that The White House doesn’t have the authority to enforce it. Still, the Biden administration stands by the rule, saying it has the authority to protect workers from serious dangers, COVID-19 included.
Read More: Politico, Reuters, WSJ, Axios, Fox Business, U.S. Courts
Glasgow Climate Protests
Huge crowds poured into the city of Glasgow, Scotland over the weekend. Two giant protests were held to get the attention of world leaders who gathered there for the COP26 climate conference. The first was made up of mostly students and led by teen climate activist Greta Thunberg. Thousands of them came out to say the world is not adapting fast enough to the climate crisis. The next day, another protest came together, and organizers say it included about 100,000 people echoing some of the same concerns. COP26 continues this week.
Read More: WaPo, CNN, NPR, Reuters, WSJ
U.S. Opening to International Tourists
International tourists can start visiting the U.S. again starting today, as long as they test negative for Covid-19 within three days of their trip. And, for those flying into the country, they’ll also have to show proof they’re fully vaccinated. There are some exemptions, like for kids younger than 18. Airlines say they’re preparing for a surge in passengers, and people should expect lines at the airport. Delta says its international bookings are up 450% in the weeks since the U.S. announced today’s reopening. The Biden administration says people should also expect longer waits both at the Canadian and Mexican border.
Read More: Yahoo! Finance, CNN, CNBC, Reuters, State Dept.
Elon Musk Stock-Selling Vote
The richest man in the world says he’s deciding what to do with billions of dollars based on a Twitter poll. Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk asked his Twitter followers whether he should sell 10% of his Tesla stock and that he would do whatever they decide. Most voted yes. Musk reportedly owns more than $200 billion worth of Tesla stock, so he’d be selling about $21 billion worth of it. Musk says he doesn’t get a typical salary, so selling stock is the only way for him to personally pay taxes. It is not yet clear if or when Musk will sell.
Read More: Reuters, The Verge, CNBC, CNN, Elon Musk
NYC Marathon
One of the largest and most iconic races in the world came back to New York City this weekend. This year, the New York City Marathon was even more special. Last year, the event was only virtual because of the pandemic. Also this year, the race celebrated its 50th anniversary. The winners for both the women and men are from Kenya. They and 30,000 others ran through all five boroughs of New York City. The race was 40% smaller than it was in 2019 to make room for social distancing. About a million spectators lined up to cheer on the runners.
Read More: NY Times, CNN, NPR, AP, NYRR
Milwaukee Bucks Visit White House
In other sports news, the NBA champions, the Milwaukee Bucks, will be at the White House today to meet with President Biden. They'll be the first NBA championship team to be honored at the White House since the Cleveland Cavaliers visited in 2016. Bucks star and finals MVP Giannis Antetokounpo posted a video on his Instagram, showing him practicing what he’ll say when he meets President Biden.
Milwaukee Bucks Visit White House: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, AP, NBA
Airbnb Renting Carrie’s SATC Apartment
Big news for “Sex and the City” fans: starting today, Airbnb is listing an apartment that looks just like the one the show’s main character Carrie Bradshaw, lived in. It even comes with her walk-in closet, complete with wearable Carrie fashions, like her famous tutu from the opening credits. The actress who played Carrie, Sarah Jessica Parker, will also greet guests via video. Each one-night stay will cost $23 since the show premiered 23 years ago. The unit is only going to be available for two nights: this Friday and Saturday. Bookings open at noon EST today.
Read More: Vanity Fair, CNN, WaPo, NY Post, Airbnb
Money Monday: Thanksgiving Costs Rising
Expect your Thanksgiving dinner to cost more this year. Economists, farmers, and grocers say almost every bit of the traditional holiday dinner will cost more. Most of the problem goes back to supply chain issues. But, the food supply is also dealing with high gas prices, labor shortages, and bad weather. All things considered, Thanksgiving is expected to cost 4-5% more this year than last. But, the American Farm Bureau says even though things might be expensive, they’ll most likely be available. It’s not seeing any shortages on Thanksgiving fixings just yet.
Read More: CBS News, Fox Business, NY Times, USDA