Tuesday, November 9th, 2021
Climate Deal Wishlist, Robinhood Hacked & Perfect Bedtime?
All the news in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by JoinCrowdHealth.com/99 (Listen for the discount code) and 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 to read the latest happenings...
COP26 Latest
With only a few days left in the COP26 climate conference, a final agreement is beginning to emerge. COP26’s president released a list of what could be included. The biggest detail is a stronger commitment to limit global warming to 1.5ºC above pre-industrial levels. The list also talks about how to get there, referencing countries needing to quickly speed up cuts to greenhouse gas emissions over the next decade. And, there’s an acknowledgment that more money needs to go to lower-income countries to help them adapt to the climate crisis. While nothing is set in stone, this list already has its critics. Greenpeace called it “exceptionally weak.”
Read More: CNN, The Guardian, WaPo, WSJ, Fox News, UNFCCC
Deadly Music Festival Lawsuits/Investigation
There are now more details about how an outdoor concert in Houston spiraled out of control. Remember, a crowd surged toward the stage as Travis Scott was performing. People got trampled or squeezed so tightly they couldn’t breathe. At least eight people died, and hundreds of others were hurt. The FBI and local authorities are investigating what went wrong. Houston’s police chief says he visited Travis Scott and his head of security before Friday’s show. He warned them about the energy in the crowd and that he had some public safety concerns. However, it’s not clear if anything changed because of that meeting.
Read More: Houston Chronicle, CBS News, CNN, NY Times, HPD
Travis Scott Paying for Funerals, Refunds
Travis Scott and the concert organizer Live Nation now face legal trouble. At least 17 lawsuits have been filed so far, and lawyers say that number will grow. They say event planners were negligent and didn’t do enough to prevent the chaos. Scott hasn’t responded to the lawsuits yet. However, the rapper says he plans to cover funeral costs for all eight people who died at his music festival. He also partnered with mental health organizations to give survivors a free month of counseling, and he plans to give refunds to anyone who bought tickets.
Read More: KPRC, KTRK, Variety, NPR
More Jan. 6th Subpoenas
More top Trump allies are facing pressure to cooperate with lawmakers investigating the January 6th Capitol riot. Lawmakers issued another batch of subpoenas to six more people in Trump's inner circle. Members of Congress want to legally force them to turn over records and sit for questioning under oath. So far, they haven’t responded. Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney told Politico, she and the rest of the panel have already interviewed more than 150 people as they try to figure out exactly what sparked the Capitol riot and how to prevent another one from happening in the future.
Read More: Politico, Axios, NY Times, Fox News
LA Vaccine Mandate Protest
One of the strictest vaccine mandates in the U.S. went into effect this week. People in Los Angeles now need to show they’re fully vaccinated to go to many indoor public places, like restaurants, gyms, shopping malls, entertainment venues, and salons. Unvaccinated people are still allowed outdoors if that’s an option. If it’s not, they’ll have to show they recently tested negative for Covid-19 to go indoors. There’s been a lot of backlash. Thousands of people gathered outside LA City Hall yesterday to protest the new rules. Speakers accused the government of overreaching.
Read More: LA Times, KTLA, Newsweek
Bedtime Linked to Heart Health
Researchers out of Britain say 10 pm could be the most beneficial bedtime for your heart. They checked the sleep stats of more than 88,000 adults for about six years. They found those who were asleep around 10 pm were less likely to develop heart disease than those who went to bed earlier or later. The link was stronger in women than it was in men. The researchers say this is all because of your circadian rhythm, your body’s natural internal clock. Keep in mind, this study shows a link between bedtimes and the risk of heart disease. It does not necessarily prove that a certain bedtime causes heart disease.
Read More: NBC News, The Guardian, Evening Standard, European Heart Journal
Ransomware Crackdown
It's being called one of the biggest worldwide crackdowns on ransomware and hacking. The U.S. Justice Department charged two people for working with the REvil ransomware gang. In recent days, Romania, South Korea, and Kuwait have also arrested people thought to be associated with REvil. The hacking group is believed to be behind thousands of ransomware attacks. Investigators are now trying to put suspects in prison, and the U.S. State Department is offering rewards for information that could lead to more arrests. Also this week, the DOJ said it’s recovered more than $6 million that REvil extorted from companies it’s hacked.
Read More: WaPo, ABC News, NBC News, WSJ, DOJ
Robinhood Data Breach
The well-known online trading company, Robinhood, was recently hit by a ransomware attack. The company says the personal information of more than 7 million users was compromised last week. Robinhood says most of the information taken was names and email addresses. A few hundred people also had their birthdates and zip codes taken. The company thinks only about 10 people had more details swiped than that, but no one had bank accounts or social security numbers stolen. Robinhood says it’s working with law enforcement to track down the hackers. It’s not clear yet if Robinhood paid the ransom.
Read More: AP, CNN, Reuters, The Verge, Robinhood
Walmart Begins Driverless Delivery
A couple of Walmart trucks have been driving around without a driver. Walmart is working with the startup Gatik to help deliver groceries. They say they’ve had two fully driverless trucks on the road since August. Then, this week, they removed the safety driver from behind the wheel. There are still safeguards, like an employee in the passenger seat who can stop the truck in an emergency and a so-called chase vehicle with a driver following behind the truck. So far, the trucks have only been going in a seven-mile loop between an Arkansas fulfillment center and grocery store. Walmart says the trucks have been efficient, and it hopes to add more.
Read More: CNBC, Business Insider, TechCrunch, Axios
Amy Winehouse Auction
Hundreds of items owned by the late Amy Winehouse went up for auction this week, bringing in more than $4 million for charity. Winehouse was a singer-songwriter who died of alcohol poisoning ten years ago. All of the proceeds from the auction will go toward a foundation her parents started to help young people battling addiction. The items sold included the dress she wore for her final performance and personal items like handwritten notes. Some of the items will go on display later this month at the design museum in London before going to the winners.
Read More: Hollywood Reporter, BBC, Billboard, Sky News
Trivia Tuesday
Q: What animals are pearls found in?
Play along on today’s Instagram Stories quiz. We’ll also have the answer right here next week.
Last Week’s Trivia Tuesday Answer
Q: What is the rarest M&M color?
A: Brown
Read More: Best Life, Gadget Clock, M&Ms