Friday, December 10th, 2021
Booster for Teens, Starbucks Union & New Metaverse App
All the news you need in around 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by RadPowerBikes.com 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 reading the latest happenings...
National Guard Helping States with Covid Surge
There are new concerns as Covid-19 cases are rising in the U.S. Nearly two years into this pandemic, American healthcare systems are overstretched, and doctors, nurses, and other staff are overworked. So, at least four states have called in the National Guard for both medical and non-medical work in hospitals and nursing homes. Indiana, New York, New Hampshire, and Maine are getting help from hundreds of National Guard members. Other states say if their case counts keep rising, they too will have to call on the National Guard or FEMA for emergency assistance.
Read More: ABC News, NBC News, NY Times, CNN
FDA OKs Pfizer Boosters for Teens
More Americans are now eligible for Covid-19 booster shots. The FDA authorized a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine for 16 and 17 year-olds. The CDC signed off, too. However, mixing and matching isn’t an option since, for now, Pfizer’s vaccines are the only ones authorized for their age group. Even though children are less likely than adults to get severely sick from Covid-19, a small portion of them do. And, they can also spread it to others who are more vulnerable. So, the FDA decided the benefits of teens getting boosters outweigh any risks from the shots.
Read More: Stat, AP, CBS News, NBC News, FDA
White House Summit for Democracy
This week, President Biden gathered officials from more than 100 countries for a two-day virtual summit. They talked about defending and strengthening democracy in the face of authoritarian power, like in Russia and China. Every representative invited is from a country that holds multi-party elections. The U.S. State Department says all governments at the summit are expected to make commitments and share ideas to counter authoritarianism, combat corruption, and promote respect for human rights. Russia and China have condemned the summit, saying the U.S. is stoking division in the world with its “Cold War mentality.”
Read More: AP, NY Times, WSJ, USA Today, White House
Noncitizens Can Vote in NYC
New York City just decided it will let immigrants who are not U.S. citizens vote in local elections. It only applies to people living here legally and paying taxes but are still not citizens. That includes those with green cards or the right to work in the U.S. Under this new rule, noncitizens will be able to register to vote a year from now, and they will be able to start voting for mayor, council members, and more starting in 2023. Republicans are bashing the rule by saying it will take power away from citizens. But, Democrats say noncitizens are still impacted by the outcome of elections, so they should be able to vote.
Read More: NY Times, NY Post, WSJ, WaPo
Eye Drops for Eyesight
New eye drops hit the market in the U.S. this week that could change the lives of millions of Americans. They’re supposed to be able to replace reading glasses for anyone who has trouble seeing close up. The drops are called Vuity, and they’re FDA approved. People just have to put one drop in each eye. Then, in 15 minutes, it should make things look more clear for six to ten hours. In trials, there were some minor side effects like headaches and red eyes. Researchers found it also works best in people 40-55 years old. The drugmaker says a 30-day supply will cost about $80. For now, insurance doesn’t cover it.
Read More: CBS News, KMGH, WOOD, Abbvie
Jussie Smollett Found Guilty
A former actor on the show “Empire” is now a convicted felon. A jury found Jussie Smollett guilty of staging a hate crime against himself. Prosecutors say this was a serious crime since officers spent about 3,000 hours investigating a fake assault. But, Smollett’s lawyers say they plan to appeal since their client still says he was beaten, even though two men testified that he paid them to stage the attack for the publicity. Smollett could be punished with up to three years in prison and a $25,000 fine. Smollett will be sentenced at another court hearing in 2022. The city of Chicago is also suing him to recover the costs of the investigation.
Read More: Chicago Tribune, CNN, Fox News, NBC News
Starbucks Unionized
For the first time in the 50-year history of Starbucks, some baristas are unionizing. Workers at a cafe in Buffalo, New York voted in favor of a union under Workers United. One barista who voted ‘yes’ says it means she and her coworkers will have a bigger voice in their workplace and can negotiate a contract. Starbucks management has been against it. But, an analyst from the Wall Street firm MKM Partners told his clients he doesn’t think this one decision will make a huge difference for Starbucks’ bottom line. That said, this isn’t the end of the road for Starbucks. Three more stores in Buffalo are planning to vote on a union, as is one in Mesa, Arizona.
Read More: AP, WSJ, CNBC, NY Times, Reuters
Meta’s First Step in Metaverse
The company formerly known as Facebook is taking its first step into the metaverse. Meta released a new, free virtual reality app called Horizon Worlds. In the app, you can play games, attend events, or just hang out. You can explore all kinds of experiences Meta created and some community-made spaces since anyone can build pretty much anything. Everyone you interact with on the app is another real person. Though there are concerns about Meta having a hard time removing harmful content from its other platforms, Meta says you do have an option to go into private rooms, block, mute, or report people if you run into trouble.
Read More: CNBC, The Verge, CNET, Horizon Worlds
Google’s Top 2021 Searches
Google released its most popular searches from 2021. This year, people were especially interested in sports and entertainment. The top search in the U.S. was the NBA, probably because of this year’s exciting playoffs when several teams pulled off upset victories. Google also broke it down by category. The most popular meme of the year was Bernie Sanders in his mittens at the inauguration. The most searched songs were those by Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift. And, some people went to Google for movie times or trailers. “Black Widow” was the most searched movie of the year.
Read More: Google, Recode, CNN, Billboard, NBC News
Feel Good Friday: RVs for People Who Lost Homes in Wildfires
A Colorado man and his nine-year-old daughter are embracing life on the road and helping others. For the last three years, they’ve been delivering RVs to families who lost their homes in the California wildfires. After seeing a destructive fire on the news in 2018, Woody Faircloth and his daughter, Luna, started looking for RV donors. They were surprised by how many people wanted to help give them unwanted RVs or their time. Since then, they’ve personally delivered about 20 RVs to people in need. The duo has also helped arrange about 100 donations overall.
Read More: CBS News, AP, ABC News, Emergency RV