Thursday, November 11th, 2021
U.S-China Deal, Veterans Day & Sexiest Man Alive
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 peruse the latest happenings...
U.S. China Climate Pledge
The world’s top emitters of greenhouse gases, the U.S. and China, promised to do more to rein in climate change. At COP26, U.S. climate envoy John Kerry and his Chinese counterpart issued a joint statement, promising to work together to lower emissions and meet the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement. The countries will be sharing technology that could help limit global warming. China also agreed to crack down on methane leaks, something the U.S. also promised last week. And, China said it would cut down on coal. But, some experts say these announcements don’t go nearly far enough.
Read More: WaPo, BBC, CNN, WSJ, AP
Consumer Prices Surge
Inflation is the highest it’s been in more than 30 years. The Labor Department put out new data this week showing the prices for goods and services went up about 1% last month, and those prices are more than 6% higher from the same time last year. President Biden says addressing inflation is now a “top priority” for his administration. Still, some Republicans and moderate Democrats say this kind of inflation is why Congress shouldn’t pass more huge government spending packages.
Read More: Fox Business, CNBC, ABC News, NY Post, Labor Dept.
Flint, Michigan Settlement Approved
Tens of thousands of people impacted by contaminated water in Flint, Michigan are finally getting some payback. A judge approved a $626 million deal to settle several lawsuits. In 2014, the state switched Flint's water source without telling the people who lived there. It was meant to cut costs and was supposed to be temporary. But, the water wasn’t treated properly, and people ended up with water full of lead and bacteria. The tainted water was also blamed for a deadly outbreak of Legionnaires Disease. Michigan is now paying most of the settlement.
Read More: Detroit Free Press, NBC News, Reuters, AP
Veterans Day Events/Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Opens
Today is Veterans Day in the U.S. That means it’s time to honor the men and women who have served in the U.S. military. This year, there will be wreath-laying ceremonies at memorials around the country, and some cities are celebrating with Veterans Day parades. Meanwhile, people are getting a rare opportunity at Arlington National Cemetery just outside of Washington, D.C. For the first time in nearly a century, a sacred part of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is open to the public. It was first dedicated on November 11th, 1921, and it has served as a symbolic grave for unidentified or unlocated American troops.
Read More: NY Daily News, CNN, WaPo, Arlington Cemetery
1 Million Young Kids Vaccinated
Five to 11 year-olds in the U.S. have only been able to get the Covid-19 vaccine for less than a week, and the White House says nearly a million of them have gotten their first shots so far. Hundreds of thousands more have already made appointments at pharmacies. The government has worked with pediatricians, pharmacies, children's hospitals, community health centers, schools, and other organizations to launch the vaccination program for the young age group. It says it now has enough supply for all 28 million young kids who are eligible.
Read More: USA Today, NY Times, CNN, White House
Growing Measles Threat
Covid-19 vaccines aren’t the only shots health experts are focused on right now. This week, the World Health Organization and CDC put out a report saying more than 22 million children around the globe missed their first measles vaccine last year. Health experts say the world now faces a higher risk of measles outbreaks. Measles is one of the most contagious viruses in the world, and it can be deadly. However, the WHO and CDC say it’s “almost entirely preventable” through the two vaccine doses.
Growing Measles Threat: The Hill, Politico, ABC News, Reuters, CDC, WHO
DOJ Sues Uber
The Justice Department is suing Uber, accusing the ride-sharing company of overcharging passengers with disabilities. An Uber policy says drivers can charge “wait time fees” if passengers were taking more than two minutes to get in the car. The Justice Department says that rule unfairly targets passengers with disabilities who may not be able to move as quickly, and it violates the Americans with Disabilities Act. The DOJ says Uber should change its policy and repay passengers who were unfairly charged. Uber says its policies do not violate the ADA. It also changed its rule last week to waive fees for riders with certified disabilities.
Read More: NPR, WSJ, NY Times, Reuters, DOJ
Rivian Biggest IPO
Electric vehicle maker Rivian made its Wall Street debut this week and ended up being America’s biggest IPO since Facebook in 2012. Rivian priced its stock at $78 a share, and those prices went up another 37% later in the day. It ended up raising nearly $12 billion on day one. As data provider Refintiv says, that made Rivian the world’s largest IPO of the year and the 12th largest listing of all time. However, Rivian is a pretty new company, and it hasn’t started bringing in a lot of revenue yet, so it’s not clear how long this investor excitement will last.
Read More: WSJ, CNN, CNBC, Reuters
China’s Singles Day
Today is what’s known as Singles Day in China, which is the country’s biggest online shopping day of the year. Singles Day celebrates people who are not in relationships. The Chinese e-commerce site Alibaba created the holiday in 2009, and online retailers typically offer up big deals for the day. It’s become a bigger online shopping day than Black Friday and Cyber Monday in the U.S. combined. But this year, Alibaba is toning down its celebrations in the face of China's tech crackdown. Now, sales have an emphasis on eco-friendly and sustainable items and deals.
Read More: AP, Reuters, Bloomberg, NY Times, Statista
CMA Awards Winners
The biggest stars in country music came together in Nashville, Tennessee for the CMA Awards. Chris Stapleton was the biggest winner of the night, taking home awards for single, song, and album of the year, as well as male vocalist of the year. The female vocalist of the year award went to Carly Pearce. Luke Combs was named entertainer of the year for the first time. Other highlights of the night included Miranda Lambert singing a medley of her hits, Carrie Underwood and Jason Aldean performing a duet, and Jennifer Hudson giving a show-stopping performance with Chris Stapleton.
Read More: GMA, CNN, Fox News, ET, CMAs
Paul Rudd is People’s ‘Sexiest Man Alive’
We now know People magazine’s pick for this year’s Sexiest Man Alive. It's actor Paul Rudd. People says it chose Rudd because of his green eyes, along with his humble and kind personality. He says both he and his wife were pretty surprised to find out he’d nabbed this year’s top honor. But, he now plans to “lean into it hard” and even get some business cards made. People’s Sexiest Man Alive issue goes on sale this Friday.
Read More: People, ABC News, NBC News, WaPo
Thing to Know Thursday: Veteran’s Day
Today, Americans are thanking all those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Unlike Memorial Day that honors fallen troops, this day is meant to celebrate everyone who’s ever been in the U.S. military, whether in war or during peaceful times. Because it’s a federal holiday, a lot of places are going to be closed. Most banks, federal offices, and courts will not be open, and the Postal Service will not deliver mail. That said, UPS and FedEx will still be working as usual. A lot of restaurants and businesses are staying open and are offering discounts and freebies to veterans today.
Read More: VA, National Geographic, USA Today, KXAS, White House