Wednesday, December 9th, 2020
Biden’s First 100 Days, Cybersecurity Firm Hacked & Olympic Breakdancing
All the news you need in 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by DukeCannon.com (available at Target) and and Fitbod.me/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 reading about the latest happenings…
Biden Reveals COVID-19 Plan
President-elect Joe Biden outlined his top three goals for the first 100 days of his presidency. They all have to do with changing the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. First, he’ll call on all Americans to wear masks for at least 100 days. He plans to sign an executive order requiring masks on federal property as well as airplanes, buses, and trains that cross state lines. Next, Biden promised to vaccinate 50 million people in his first 100 days. Then, he wants to reopen the “majority of our schools” during that same period.
Read More: WaPo, Axios, AP, Biden Transition
U.S. Virus Case/Death Records
The U.S. is hitting new COVID-19 records nearly every day. The U.S. surpassed 15 million confirmed cases yesterday. That means one in 22 Americans has officially tested positive since the start of the pandemic. The death toll is growing at a record pace too. On average now, about 2,200 Americans are dying each day. That matches the peak the U.S. hit in April. However, this time, the outbreak is spread across nearly every state in the country.
Read More: AP, The Hill, USA Today, Johns Hopkins
Supreme Court Denies PA Election Challenge
The U.S. Supreme Court decided not to hear one of the GOP’s biggest election challenges. Congressman Mike Kelly and other Republicans filed it, arguing that Pennsylvania violated the state constitution by allowing people to vote by mail without needing an excuse. First, the Pennsylvania high court dismissed the case, saying the lawsuit was filed too late, more than a year after voting procedures were set. Now, the nation’s highest court also turned it down, without comment.
Read More: AP, WaPo, Reuters, NBC News
Krebs Sues Trump Campaign
The man who used to lead the cybersecurity division of the Department of Homeland Security sued the Trump campaign and others. Christopher Krebs was fired after calling the presidential election “the most secure in history.” Then, a Trump campaign lawyer said Krebs should be “taken out and shot.” Krebs says that’s just one example of a broader plan by members of Team Trump. He argues they’re trying to cause him “so much pain and suffering” that he’ll eventually fall in line. Now, he’s seeking financial damages.
Read More: NPR, WaPo, AP, CNBC
14 Fort Hood Soldiers Fired, Suspended
An investigation into tragedies at Fort Hood in Texas is complete. When all was said and done, more than a dozen senior Army leaders were either fired or suspended. The review started after army specialist Vanessa Guillen was killed earlier this year. Even before that incident, Fort Hood led the Army in the number of violent crimes, sexual assaults, and sexual harassment cases. Now, the Secretary of the Army is promising reforms. He also blamed Fort Hood’s leaders for not preventing, or properly responding, to allegations of sexual harassment and sexual assault.
Read More: AP, ABC News, CBS News, USA Today
House Passed Defense Spending Bill
House lawmakers agreed on a plan to fund the Pentagon. Despite some objections from President Trump, lawmakers from both parties overwhelmingly passed the latest defense spending bill. The measure is worth $741 billion. If also approved in the Senate, it would authorize pay raises for American troops, give paid parental leave for federal employees, and it would get rid of the Confederate names on American military bases. President Trump has a problem with that last bit.
Read More: NY Times, WSJ, ABC News, Axios, Trump Tweet
Everest Grows Higher
Mount Everest might be taller than previously thought. The world’s tallest mountain was remeasured by Nepal and China. Both countries updated the height to 29,031.69 feet above sea level. That’s about two feet higher than Nepal’s old estimate and 13 feet higher than China’s. The new measurement could change again in the future too. Mount Everest is slowly moving, due to geological forces. Earthquakes could abruptly change its height too.
Read More: NPR, AP, CNN
Top Cybersecurity Firm Hacked
A top cybersecurity firm that often works with the U.S. government to prevent cyberattacks is now the one saying it’s been hacked. The New York Times says there’s evidence that points to Russia’s intelligence agencies as being behind it. Both the FBI and the company said it looks like the hackers were highly-trained and were focused on this particular firm called FireEye. The company’s CEO says hackers targeted info about government clients and it could be used against them later. However, so far, there’s no evidence of more hacks.
Read More: NBC News, NY Times, Axios, WSJ, FireEye
DoorDash Set to Go Public Wednesday
DoorDash is set to begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange today. It will be traded under “DASH”. The company sold shares in its highly-anticipated initial public offering yesterday. Those went for $102 apiece. The new IPO price values DoorDash at around $38 billion. The company is the nation’s largest food delivery service. It controls about half the market. That said, it’s not clear if DoorDash’s growth keeps up after the pandemic.
Read More: WSJ, CNBC, NY Times, Reuters
Famous College Football Game Canceled
One of college football’s biggest rivalry games is now canceled because of the pandemic. We’re talking about the annual showdown between Michigan and Ohio State. It’s been happening since 1918 and this is the first year it won’t go on as planned. It was on the calendar for Saturday, but Michigan has too many players out due to COVID-19. Some have tested positive and others are in quarantine because they’ve been exposed.
Read More: USA Today, NY Times, Michigan
2024 Olympics to Include Breakdancing
Breakdancing is now officially an Olympic sport. Breakdancing competitions will debut at the summer games in Paris in 2024. The International Olympic Committee reportedly hopes breakdancing will attract a new audience because it’s popular with a younger audience. In 2024, 32 dancers will make the cut to become Olympians. They’ll compete in one-on-one battles. Several other sports will soon make their Olympic debuts too, like surfing, skateboarding, and climbing, starting next summer.
Read More: ESPN, Reuters, CNN
Work Wednesday: HI Offers Workers Free Roundtrip Flights
Hawaii is offering roundtrip tickets to remote workers. The state wants people to temporarily move there and help boost the local economy. It rolled out a new program called Movers and Shakas. It gives remote workers tickets to the Hawaiian island of Oahu and people can apply through December 15th. 50 winners will be chosen in the first round. After that, other winners will be picked on a rolling basis. Applicants have to be at least 18 years old. If they’re chosen, they’ll need to move to Hawaii within a month and spend at least 30 days there.
Read More: CNN, People, Business Wire, Movers and Shakas, Hawaii.Gov