Monday, December 14th, 2020
Vaccine Rollout, U.S. Gov’t Hacked & Cleveland's Name Change
All the news you need in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by www.Rothys.com/newsworthy and ButcherBox.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 review the latest happenings...
Pfizer Vaccine Gets Emergency Authorization
The FDA gave the nation’s first coronavirus vaccine emergency use authorization on Friday. That means the vaccine from the drugmaker Pfizer was given the green light for people 16 and older. It was already shown to be 95% effective in preventing illness from COVID-19 as long as people get two doses, three weeks apart. Also, over the weekend a CDC vaccine panel met. It endorsed the vaccine for almost everyone, including people who have weakened immune systems.
Read More: WaPo, NPR, Reuters, FDA
First Vaccine Doses Could Arrive Today
Nearly three million doses of the newly-authorized COVID-19 vaccine are now headed to hospitals, pharmacies, and other facilities in all 50 states. The first shipments are expected to arrive today. Millions more doses will be delivered in the next few weeks. Healthcare workers and elderly people in long-term care facilities are expected to get the first shots. Ultimately, it’s up to each state to decide who gets priority.
Read More: NBC News, Bloomberg, AP, WSJ
Building Vaccine Confidence
U.S. health officials say they will eventually have enough shots to get all 330 million Americans vaccinated by the middle of 2021, assuming everyone wants it. In the meantime, the Trump administration is rolling out a public education campaign to encourage Americans to get the vaccines. A recent survey from Pew Research Center said about 60% of Americans will “definitely or probably” get their shots. The Building Vaccine Confidence Campaign is hoping to get that number higher.
Read More: NY Times, HHS, Pew Research
Electoral College Will Meet Today
Today, members of the Electoral College will gather and cast their official ballots for president. Each state’s electors will get together, either in-person or virtually, to record their votes in writing, then count them. Usually, electors choose whichever candidate got the most votes from citizens in their state. However, 17 states allow so-called “faithless” electors who choose to vote differently than the popular vote. Still, it’s expected that by the end of the day, President-elect Biden will have easily secured the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency.
Read More: AP, WSJ, LA Times, FOX News
SCOTUS Denies Texas Election Challenge
The Supreme Court decided not to take up the lawsuit President Trump called “the big one.” The attorney general in Texas filed it, claiming certain swing states had illegally changed their voting laws. However, the U.S. supreme court basically said Texas didn’t have the legal standing to challenge how other states make their laws. This is just the latest in a series of legal election challenges that have been thrown out. Still, President Trump has promised to keep fighting.
Read More: WaPo, NY Times, Axios, Supreme Court, Trump Tweet
Pro-Trump Protests Turn Violent
Thousands of Trump supporters marched in the streets of Washington, D.C., and several state capitals over the weekend. They were mostly protesting what they said was a stolen presidential election. During the day, things were mostly peaceful. However, things turned more violent after dark. Protesters and counter-protesters fought and four people in D.C. were stabbed. At last check, four were critically hurt and at least 33 people were arrested. Police in the nation’s capital also say they’re investigating vandalism at two historic Black churches.
Read More: NY Times, WaPo, CNN, AP
Cleveland ‘Indians’ Dropping Name
The Cleveland Indians are about to get a rebranding. The New York Times says the baseball team decided to change the name it’s had for the last 105 years. For the last several years, Native American groups have called the name racially insensitive. The team has been consulting with them for months and sources say the team will announce plans for a change sometime this week. So far, Cleveland hasn’t settled on a new name.
Read More: NY Times, AP, ESPN
Possible Hacks at Federal Agencies
It looks like U.S. government agencies fell victim to a cyberattack. The Washington Post cites sources who say Russian government hackers breached the U.S. Treasury and Commerce departments, along with others. It’s possible it was all part of a global espionage campaign that stretches back many months. A leading cybersecurity firm also reported a hack last week that left some clients, including the U.S. government, more vulnerable. Hackers also breached a network management system called SolarWinds. It’s not clear how much damage was done.
Read More: WaPo, AP, CNBC, Reuters, FireEye, SolarWinds
Charley Pride Dies
Country music’s first Black superstar died from COVID-19. Charley Pride’s family says he was admitted to the hospital late last month and succumbed to the illness on Saturday. Pride was the first Black member of the Country Music Hall of Fame. His career started in the mid-60s and over the years, he made dozens of albums and sold more than 25 million records. Pride’s last appearance was at the CMAs last month, where he was honored with a Lifetime Achievement award. Pride was 86 years old.
Read More: AP, EW, NY Times, CMT
Reddit Acquires Dubsmash
Reddit just acquired a TikTok competitor called Dubsmash. Reddit is known for its message boards and Dubsmash is known for user-created, short-form videos. This is Reddit’s first major acquisition. For now, Dubsmash will continue to be its own platform and brand. However, some new video creation tools will start popping up on Reddit soon. This is just the latest in a series of TikTok competitors that have launched this year. Snapchat launched a version called Spotlight and Facebook started a competitor called Reels.
Read More: TechCrunch, WSJ, Axios, Reddit
Apple Launches Fitness+
Apple’s new app, Fitness+, launches today. It offers workouts like yoga, cycling, rowing, dance, and more. New classes will be released weekly. However, they won’t be like the popular Peloton live-streams. For now, they’ll be on-demand videos led by trainers. To use Fitness+, you will need to have an Apple Watch and another Apple device, like an iPhone or iPad. Apple’s Fitness+ costs $10 a month or $80 a year.
Read More: Engadget, The Verge, Apple, Apple Fitness+
Apple Launches AirPods Max
Tomorrow, Apple launches the AirPods Max. They are the company’s first over-ear headphones. They have features like noise cancellation, high-fidelity audio, and memory foam ear cups. You can also use them to make phone calls. The AirPods Max cost $549. They are available in the U.S. and many other places around the world starting tomorrow. Apple is already taking preorders.
Read More: MacRumors, Cnet, Apple
Money Monday: Christmas Tree Sales Booming
Christmas tree sales are doing better than usual. Some growers say their sales have increased 50% this year. Others say they’re on track to have their best year on record. Artificial trees are flying off store shelves too. One survey from TRUE Global Intelligence found people are more willing to spend money on Christmas trees as a way to lift their spirits during a rough year. The National Christmas Tree Association says people are also traveling less, so they have more time at home to decorate.
Read More: NY Times, CNBC