Wednesday, December 16th, 2020
Major Winter Storm, McConnell Congratulates Biden & 4-Day Workweek
All the news you need in 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 reading about the latest happenings…
FDA Says Moderna Vaccine Effective
The FDA released new data about the drugmaker Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine. The FDA’s review confirms the shots were more than 94% effective in preventing COVID-19 symptoms. It’s possible this one could also prevent COVID-19 symptoms. That part is still preliminary though. The FDA says more data is needed to know for sure. Like the Pfizer vaccine, the vaccine comes in two doses. Side effects are common but mild. Tomorrow, an FDA panel of experts will meet to review the vaccine further. The FDA could grant emergency use authorization this Friday.
Read More: NY Times, WaPo, NBC News, FDA
East Coast Braces for Snowstorm
Today, people on the East Coast are facing the biggest snowstorm they’ve seen in years. The storm is expected to strike major cities, like Boston, Philadelphia, and New York City, so more than 60 million Americans are going to be affected by it. The National Weather Service says the biggest threats with this storm are heavy snow and freezing rain. For example, New York City could get 12-18 inches of snow. Parts of New England could end up dealing with tree damage, power outages, school closures, and unsafe road conditions.
Read More: USA Today, NY Times, NBC News, Weather Channel, NWS
Mitch McConnell Acknowledges Biden Victory
More top Republicans in Congress are starting to accept Joe Biden as the next president of the United States. From the floor of the U.S. Senate, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell congratulated Biden on his election win. It’s the first time he acknowledged it. He also encouraged other Senators to accept the results. McConnell and Biden also spoke on the phone. Biden said they agreed to meet soon to discuss how they can cooperate in the future.
Read More: AP, NBC News, Reuters, Politico
Biden Inauguration Day Plans
The Biden team is starting to reveal some plans for his inauguration on January 20th. Keeping up with tradition, the president-elect will take his oath of office outside the Capitol building. However, this year, there won’t be quite as many people in the crowd as usual, given the risks of traveling and gathering during a pandemic. Instead, Biden’s inaugural committee hired experts to work on a program everyone can watch from home.
Read More: NPR, AP, USA Today, Axios
Biden’s Transportation Secretary Pick
Former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg will likely be joining the Biden administration. The transition team says he’ll be nominated as the transportation secretary. In a statement last night, Biden called Buttigieg “a patriot and a problem-solver.” Buttigieg responded by saying, “This is a moment of tremendous opportunity, to create jobs, meet the climate challenge, and enhance equality for all.” The Senate will need to confirm the nomination, but if it does, Buttigieg will be the first openly gay cabinet member.
Read More: WaPo, AP, Reuters, Biden Transition, Buttigieg Tweet
FDA Approves OTC Coronavirus Test
The FDA gave emergency authorization to the first over-the-counter COVID-19 test. You’ll be able to buy it at the store without a prescription. Then, you’ll be able to take the test and get results from home. The test is made by the Australian manufacturer Ellume. It comes with a nasal swab, chemical solution, and testing strip. You just swab your nose and place the sample in a cartridge to be analyzed. You’ll then get results in as little as 20 minutes. The test costs around $30 and it should hit store shelves soon.
Read More: AP, Axios, NBC News, FDA
Walmart Introducing Driverless Delivery Trucks
Walmart plans to use driverless trucks for deliveries next year. They’ll be fully autonomous, meaning there won’t be a human onboard at all. The high-tech box trucks will hit the road in Arkansas first on a two-mile route between a fulfillment center and Walmart store. The route has already been extensively tested with a human onboard, so Walmart says it’s ready to take the training wheels off. Later in the year, the company plans to use these trucks in Louisiana too. At that point, they’ll be navigating a 20-mile route.
Read More: The Verge, Engadget, Walmart
Twitter Shutting Down Periscope
Twitter is shutting down its Periscope app for good. It was a stand-alone platform where you could stream live video. Twitter acquired it in 2015 and at one time, it was pretty popular. However, usage has been going down over the years. It’s reportedly been overshadowed by video and streaming platforms Twitch and YouTube. Periscope will be pulled from the app store by March of next year, but already, the app will stop allowing new sign-ups. You can still download any videos or data you already have on the app before it shuts down.
Read More: The Verge, Engadget, Reuters, Periscope
Bucks’ Antetokounmpo Record-Breaking Extension
NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo is making history. The ‘Greek Freak,’ as fans often call him, signed a five-year contract extension with the Milwaukee Bucks worth $228 million. As The Athletic reports, that’s the largest deal in NBA history. Yesterday was the signing deadline, so it’s a sigh of relief for Milwaukee fans. Giannis is the league’s two-time reigning Most Valuable Player. He wrote on Twitter that he feels “blessed” to be able to stay in Milwaukee, calling that city his home.
Read More: ESPN, The Athletic, AP, Giannis Antetokounmpo
Mackenzie Scott Donates $4B in 4 Months
One of the richest women in the world is giving away a chunk of her fortune. We’re talking about Mackenzie Scott, an author who was once married to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. She’s now the world’s 18th richest person and Bloomberg says she’s worth over $60 billion. In a blog post this week, Scott said she’s donated more than $4 billion to charity in the last four months and $6 billion over the past year. The money went to several organizations, including ones that provide people with food and affordable housing, as well as others that fight racial inequality.
Read More: The Hill, NY Times, Bloomberg, Mackenzie Scott
Work Wednesday: Unilever Testing 4-day Work Week
A major company is testing a four-day workweek. The company is Unilever which distributes brands like Dove soap, Lipton tea, and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. It has about 155,000 employees around the world. For the next year, 81 of them who all live in New Zealand will work only four days a week, rather than the usual five. Still, they’ll be paid for working full-time. The company says it wants to see if the shorter week boosts productivity and improves work-life balance. If all goes well, it could roll this out to more workers.
Read More: NY Times, Reuters, Business Insider