Wednesday, December 15th, 2021
Omicron Spreading Fast, California Deluge & Holiday Shipping Deadline
All the news you need 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 reading about the latest happenings…
New Major Omicron Study
The first major, real-world study out of South Africa showed people infected with the omicron variant were less likely to end up in the hospital than those infected with the original version of Covid-19. That same study found even though today’s vaccines still give people some protection, they don’t stop omicron from spreading. Omicron is highly contagious. For example, in Britain, omicron cases are doubling every two to three days. The variant has been confirmed in at least 33 states in the U.S. so far. President Biden’s chief medical adviser, Dr. Anthony Fauci, says he expects omicron to eventually be the dominant variant here, too.
Read More: NBC News, AP, WaPo, Fox News
Cornell University ‘Alert Level Red’
The omicron variant of Covid-19 seems to be hitting one American college campus especially hard. Cornell University reported more than 900 cases among students in just the last week. It says a “very high percentage” of them are from the omicron variant in people who were already vaccinated. In response, the university decided to shut down its campus in Ithaca, New York. It will be moving final exams online, closing libraries, and canceling all activities and athletics.
Read More: CNN, NY Times, The Hill, Cornell
Meadows' Jan. 6th Communications
Another top official from the Trump administration could be facing a criminal charge soon. The House voted to hold former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows in contempt of Congress. Lawmakers investigating the January 6th Capitol riot say he stopped cooperating with their investigation. After initially providing thousands of pages of documents, including texts and emails, he refused to testify under oath, despite their subpoena. Next, the Justice Department will decide whether to charge Meadows with a crime. If it does, the case will go before a grand jury. If found guilty, Meadows could end up with hefty fines and up to a year in jail.
Read More: Politico, Axios, Reuters, NY Times, WSJ
California Storms Update
California desperately needed rain, but not this much all at one time. A storm this week overwhelmed several parts of the state, making roads dangerous, causing power outages, and bringing a threat of mudslides to some areas. Parts of the Bay Area got more than 11 inches of rain over 72 hours, and parts of Southern California got more than seven inches in 24 hours. Some places in California and Nevada got up to six feet of snow, and more is expected to fall later this week. Many people see this as good news since melted snow that runs into California's watershed makes up about a third of the state’s water supply.
Read More: LA Times, SF Gate, NY Times, The Guardian, AP, NWS
Open Enrollment Deadline
Today is the last day to sign up for insurance through the Affordable Care Act if you want coverage to start on January 1st. Remember, if you aren’t already getting insurance through work, the ACA (Obamacare) offers options. And, for some eligible income levels, you can get subsidies meant to lower the cost of paying for health insurance. Whether you decide to enroll in ACA or health insurance through work, you’ll want to check the deadlines for open enrollment. For Obamacare, that deadline is today. But, more than a dozen states have their own programs set up, and some have later deadlines. Visit HealthCare.gov for more information.
Read More: News Observer, Healthline, CNN, Forbes, White House
Holiday Shipping Deadlines
Time is running out to send gifts and packages if you want to make sure they get to their destinations by Christmas. Today is the deadline if you plan to send your items through the U.S. Postal Service or FedEx using regular ground shipping. Friday is the last day to send them out using the Postal Service’s first-class mail. UPS recommends mapping out the best time to mail your item with ground shipping on their website. Or, you can mail your items by the 21st if you choose the three-day option through either UPS or FedEx.
Read More: NY Post, WGN, CNET, Fortune, USPS, FedEx, UPS
Kronos Ransomware Attack
A ransomware attack on one of the largest human resources companies could impact your paycheck. Ultimate Kronos Group, also known as just Kronos, says its systems could be offline for “several weeks.” Now, companies that rely on the software are scrambling to have their HR needs met in another way. This attack could affect major companies like Tesla, Marriott, Samsung, several hospitals, universities, and more. Kronos says it’s working with leading cybersecurity experts to investigate and fix the issue.
Read More: NPR, USA Today, Fast Company, The Hill, Ars Technica, Kronos
Toyota Expands EV Plans
The world’s largest automaker is joining the electric vehicle bandwagon. Toyota now promises to release 30 electric vehicle models by the end of this decade. It also says, by then, battery-powered cars will make up one-third of Toyota sales. Its luxury brand, Lexus, will sell only electric vehicles in the U.S., Europe, and China. Toyota’s first long-range electric SUV is expected to be released next year. Automakers like Nissan, General Motors, and Volkswagen have already gone all-in on electric. They have been selling pure battery-electric vehicles for years, and they’ve all revealed plans to phase out gas cars completely.
Read More: WSJ, The Verge, NY Times, CNBC, Toyota
Electric Pickup Named Truck of the Year
An electric pickup truck landed one of the auto industry’s most prestigious awards this week. MotorTrend Magazine named the Rivian R1T its Truck of the Year. This comes a month after the magazine named another electric vehicle, the Lucid Air sedan, its Car of the Year. That's big news, not just because they’re both electric, but because for the first time, two startups beat out more established automakers with their first vehicles.
Read More: Fox News, CNN, NBC News, MotorTrend
Nike Bought NFT Sneaker Company
Nike continues to embrace the metaverse. Nike bought a company that makes digital sneakers. The company, called RTFKT, makes virtual shoes for users to wear and collect within the metaverse only. And, they’ve been successful at it. Earlier this year, they sold more than $3 million worth of digital sneakers as NTfs in just seven minutes. Nike has acquired six companies focused on the digital side of retail just in the last few years.
Read More: The Verge, Business Insider, CNN, Nike
New Additions to National Film Registry
Some classic movies are getting preserved for future generations. The Library of Congress picked 25 movies for the National Film Registry. It does that every year for movies that are “culturally, historically, or aesthetically” significant. They also have to be at least ten years old. This year, the films chosen include the “Lord of the Rings” movie, “Fellowship of the Ring” and the “Star Wars” movie, “Return of the Jedi.” Others are “Wall-E,” ”Selena,” and “Strangers on a Train.” This Friday, Turner Classic Movies will host a special to screen some of this year’s selections.
Read More: Deadline, Variety, AP, CBS News, LOC
Work Wednesday: Office Returns Delayed, Again
Big companies have been hoping to get employees back to the office for a while now, but they keep pushing back their return dates because of Covid-19. This could have a ripple effect on other parts of the economy. Sales at restaurants, bars, and other small businesses near office buildings have been struggling for nearly two years now. And, more people have been moving away from downtowns into more rural areas. Security company Kastle Systems says these days, on average, only 41% of workers in the ten biggest American cities have returned to their offices.
Read More: WSJ, WaPo, NY Times, Business Insider