Thursday, December 10th, 2020
Hunter Biden Investigation, Gov’t Sues Facebook & Happy Hanukkah
All the news you need in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by www.Blinkist.com/news 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 to peruse the latest happenings...
FDA Meeting on Pfizer Vaccine
Today, the first COVID-19 vaccine reaches its final step in the American vetting process. A panel of experts will come together to talk about the Pfizer vaccine because Pfizer was the first drugmaker to apply for FDA authorization. By the end of the day, there will be a vote. Earlier this week, the FDA put out a report saying the two-dose vaccine provided benefits. It said the first shot cuts the risk of getting COVID-19 by about half. Then after the second dose, three weeks later, the vaccine was found to be 95% effective.
Read More: USA Today, Bloomberg, WSJ, FDA
UK Vaccine Allergy Warning
In the UK, health authorities added a new warning to the Pfizer vaccine. It tells people prone to allergic reactions not to get it for now. That’s because two healthcare workers had severe reactions after getting the first shot. They both had a history of serious allergies and they’re both said to be recovering well now. Still, more research is needed to know exactly what caused their reactions. In trials, thousands of other people have gotten the vaccine with minimal side effects.
Read More: BBC, CBS News, Reuters
U.S. Daily COVID Deaths Record
More than 3,000 new COVID-19 deaths were reported in the U.S. yesterday. That’s more than any other day since the pandemic started. Overall, nearly 290,000 Americans have died from the virus. Some experts are blaming the spike on Thanksgiving travel and gatherings and they say it’s going to get even worse. Health officials say that’s why it’s more important to cancel in-person holiday parties or travel this month, if you haven’t already.
Read More: NPR, Johns Hopkins
Hunter Biden Tax Probe
The Justice Department is investigating President-elect Joe Biden’s son, Hunter, over his finances. Investigators are reportedly scrutinizing some of Hunter Biden’s Chinese business dealings and other transactions. It’s not clear exactly what’s tied up in this investigation. Hunter Biden just said it has something to do with his “tax affairs.” However, Politico cited a source who said investigators in Delaware and Washington were also looking into potential money laundering and Hunter Biden’s foreign ties. So far, the Justice Department is not commenting.
Read More: AP, WSJ, Reuters, Politico, Biden Transition
States Sue Facebook
A group of attorneys general from 48 states and territories, along with the federal government, sued Facebook. They say the social network abuses its power to crush smaller competitors, so they want a court to step in and force Facebook to break itself up. This could mean Facebook would have to sell-off Instagram and the messaging service WhatsApp. The social media network is now accusing the government of trying to punish successful businesses. This could take years to resolve.
Read More: AP, CNBC, NY Times, WaPo, Facebook
Human-Made Materials Outweigh Living Things
A new study found the mass of all manmade materials now weighs more than all living things on Earth. Scientists looked at things like buildings, roads, machines, plastics, and other products that exist on Earth. They compared that to all plants, animals, and humans. They found that this year, for the first time, the things we’re making surpassed the things that come naturally. The lead researcher says the takeaway should be that humanity is clearly shaping our world and that should come with a shared responsibility.
Read More: BBC, CNN, USA Today, Full Study
SpaceX Rocket Explodes
A SpaceX rocket crashed into the ground and exploded. No one was on board when it happened and the rocket was just a prototype. During the test launch, the rocket reached 40,000 feet in altitude before turning around to land. However, just before it touched the ground, it crashed and burst into flames. SpaceX founder Elon Musk calls the launch a success because the rocket completed several tasks while in the air. He said, “We got all the data we needed.” He’s hoping to perfect the rocket to eventually take humans to Mars in six years.
Read More: AP, ABC News, NBC News, Elon Musk
Boeing 737 Max Back in Service
Boeing 737 Max jets are officially back in service. Brazil’s Gol Airlines became the first in the world to start using them again for flights with passengers on board. It’s been nearly two years since the aircraft was first grounded following two deadly crashes. Regulators approved it to fly again after Boeing made software changes and beefed up pilot training. Yesterday, one of the Max jets took passengers between two cities on Brazil’s eastern coast. Other carriers are expected to follow suit soon.
Read More: AP, The Verge, NPR
Google Lifts Political Ad Ban
Google is lifting its ban on political ads today. It barred them, starting on Election Day, because it was worried about misinformation. It didn’t want candidates or political parties to buy ads that declared victory too early. It also didn’t want people to buy them to stir up confusion about the integrity of the election. Now, Google says even though it’s lifting the ban, it vows to “rigorously enforce its ad policies.” It will keep blocking political ads that have false information in them.
Read More: WSJ, Engadget, Axios, Google
Most Popular Searches of 2020
Google released its list of the most popular search terms of 2020. The terms “coronavirus” and “election results” made the top of the list. Other popular searches were for Kobe Bryant, Joe Biden, stimulus checks, and Zoom. Google also broke down the most searched terms into categories, like TV shows, actors, or recipes. For example, in the recipes category, dalgona coffee was searched the most. The whipped coffee drink has been a popular comfort food trend on TikTok.
Read More: Engadget, CBS News, Google
First Night of Hanukkah
Tonight is the first night of Hanukkah, also known as the festival of lights. It lasts eight nights and it’s celebrated by Jewish people around the world. People traditionally spend the holiday by lighting candles on a menorah. On the first night, only one candle is lit, but one more is added each night until all eight are burning. People also celebrate with prayer, food, games, and gift exchanges. Hanukkah begins at sundown tonight and will last through sundown on Friday, December 18th.
Read More: ET, TimeandDate, Chabad.Org
Thing to Know Thursday: What is an IPO
An IPO is short for “initial public offering.” It means a company started trading on a stock exchange, like the NASDAQ. Just this week, DoorDash started trading and it did very well. Today, Airbnb is set to do the same. IPOs can give early investors a chance to make a killing. Sometimes, prices for shares spike on opening day. That’s what happened with DoorDash. However. It can go the other way too, so IPOs are often considered “high risk.” Still, a lot goes into the process before the public starts investing.
Read More: Business Insider, Investopedia, WSJ, TechCrunch, NY Times, Reuters