Tuesday, November 16th, 2021
Booster Expansion, Space Scare & NFL “Stock” Sale
All the news in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by kiwico.com (Listen for the discount code) and BetterHelp.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...
States Expanding Boosters
Some local and state officials are doing something very rare to combat the latest surge of Covid-19 cases. They’re going against federal guidelines and making Covid-19 booster shots available to all adults. In California, New Mexico, Colorado, and New York City, health care providers have been told not to turn anyone away who wants a booster, just as long as they’re at least 18. Elsewhere, that may not be the case, but it depends on where you go. The FDA could still make it standard for all adults to be eligible eventually.
Read More: Cnet, CBS News, Forbes, Reuters
Biden-Xi Meeting
The U.S. and China now seem determined to avoid any more serious tension. President Biden had a pretty friendly virtual meeting this week with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The U.S. and China have clashed recently on a lot of things like cybersecurity, human rights, trade, the origins of Covid-19, and more. But yesterday, Biden said the U.S. and China need to make sure their competition doesn’t “veer into conflict.” No big announcements came out of their meeting.
Read More: AP, Reuters, NY Times, CNBC, BBC, White House
Russia Blows Up Satellite
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station got a scare this week. Russia destroyed one of its non-functioning satellites with a ground missile. But, by destroying it, Russia created thousands of pieces of debris around Earth’s orbit, and a big cloud of debris got so close to the ISS that astronauts had to take shelter in space capsules. A U.S. State Department spokesperson calls Russia's actions “dangerous and irresponsible” and says the U.S. is working with allies to respond. For now, Russia seems to be downplaying the incident.
Read More: BBC, Politico, Fox News, The Verge, State Dept.
Colorado Shooting Near High School
Authorities are searching for the shooters who opened fire outside a Colorado high school. Six teenagers were hurt in a shooting at a park near their high school in the Denver suburb of Aurora. All six students went to the hospital, but they’re all expected to survive. Now, investigators are focused on finding the people responsible. Police say it was a drive-by shooting, but there may have been some shooters on foot, too. Officers are asking for any information from the neighborhood.
Read More: ABC News, Fox News, NY Times, Aurora PD
Alex Jones Guilty of Defamation
Far-right radio host Alex Jones is now responsible for paying several families who lost loved ones in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting back in 2012. The families have been suing Jones for defamation because, for years, he has claimed the shooting was a hoax. To be clear, the shooting did happen. 20 children and six school employees were shot and killed at the school in Newtown, Connecticut. This week, Jones was found guilty by default because he refused to turn over documents, even though the courts ordered him to. Next, a Connecticut jury will decide how much he owes the families, which will happen in a trial next year.
Read More: Hartford Courant, CNN, Reuters, WSJ, Axios
Beto O’Rourke Running for TX Governor
Former congressman and one-time presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke announced he’s running for Texas governor. O’Rourke is best known for almost unseating Republican Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018. He came within 2.6 points of Cruz, which put him closer to the U.S. Senate than any other Texas Democrat has gotten in decades. This time, he’s going up against Republican Governor Greg Abbott who is going for a third term in office.
Read More: Texas Tribune, AP, Politico, Fox News, Beto O’Rourke
U.S. Sen. Leahy Retiring
The longest-serving U.S. Senator announced his retirement this week. Democratic Sen.Patrick Leahy of Vermont says he won’t run for re-election next year. Leahy was first elected to the Senate in 1974. This means he’s been in the Senate longer than some of his fellow Senators have been alive. Now, he’s 81 years old and third in line to the presidency. That will end at the end of his term. So far, it’s not clear who is going to run to replace him.
Read More: NPR, CNN, Fox News, AP, Sen. Leahy
Bitcoin Upgrade
The world’s most popular cryptocurrency just got its first upgrade in years. Bitcoin got a code change called Taproot. The Taproot upgrade makes complicated transactions look just like simple transactions. Or, at least, potential thieves or snoops aren’t able to tell the difference. This is supposed to mean more privacy and security for users. Also, with this upgrade, bitcoin should be able to process more smart contracts. Those are tasks you program ahead of time that can’t be changed. Experts say we’ll probably start seeing more day-to-day uses for bitcoin, but, at least for now, bitcoin is still considered highly volatile.
Read More: Reuters, Engadget, CNBC
Ohio Sues Meta
The state of Ohio is suing Facebook’s parent company, Meta, for more than $100 billion. The lawsuit says Meta misled the public about the effects its apps can have on kids. Ohio's attorney general filed the lawsuit on behalf of investors in the company and says the company executives lied to boost the stock and make more money. With internal documents leaked and made public, the company’s value has gone down, costing investors billions. Along with the $100 billion in damages, the state of Ohio is asking Meta to change its practices so it never misleads the public again. Meta says this lawsuit has no merit, and the company plans to fight it.
Read More: WSJ, CNBC, CNN, Newsweek
Green Bay Packers to Sell Ownership Stock
If you've ever dreamed of owning a pro sports team, now’s your chance. The Green Bay Packers announced they’re selling shares of “stock” in the team costing $300 apiece. But, the stock doesn’t trade on the open markets, there’s no underlying value in it, and you won’t be able to help make decisions about the team. However, you will get a certificate, and you can attend the team’s annual shareholder meeting. The Packers are the only publicly-owned NFL team. The team is looking to sell about $90 million worth of “stock.” CNBC says the money will help fund improvements at the team’s stadium.
Read More: NBC Sports, CNBC, Packers.com, ESPN
American Pickleball Boom
Are you one of the millions of people who have picked up pickleball? The sport has been exploding in popularity over the last few years. The Economist says it’s now the fastest-growing sport in the U.S. If you’ve never heard of it, it’s a paddleboard sport that is said to be a combination of badminton, tennis, and ping-pong. The U.S. Pickleball Association says more than 4 million Americans now play it every year. Pickleball fans say one of the reasons they love it is because the rules are easy to understand, and just about anyone can play.
Read More: Axios, The Economist, USA Pickleball
Trivia Tuesday
Q: What is the longest-running Broadway show?
Play along on today’s Instagram Stories quiz. We’ll also have the answer right here next week.
Last Week’s Trivia Tuesday’s Answer
Q: What animals are pearls found in?
A: Mollusks
Read More: NHM, HowStuffWorks, ThoughtCo