Thursday, December 24th, 2020
Winter Storm, Trump vs. Congress & Christmas Movie Releases
All the news you need in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by Ritual.com/newsworthy and BlueNile.com
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...
U.S. Winter Storm
More than 100 million Americans are in the path of a winter storm. It already brought blizzard-like conditions to the upper Midwest and Plains, making roads treacherous across several states. Today, snow and wind are headed for the Great Lakes and much of the East Coast is going to be dealing with severe thunderstorms. New York and Boston could see wind gusts up to 60 miles an hour. Parts of southern Virginia, the eastern Carolinas, and the Florida panhandle could see tornadoes.
Read More: NY Times, NBC News, Weather Channel
Another Batch of Controversial Pardons
President Trump granted another 26 pardons, freeing those people from facing punishment for their federal crimes. He pardoned Charles Kushner, the father of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. He had pleaded guilty to 18 counts of tax evasion, witness tampering, and making illegal campaign donations. Also, President Trump pardoned Paul Manafort, who received the toughest sentence tied to the Russia investigation. He was convicted of not paying taxes on certain earnings connected to Russia and lying about it.
Read More: NY Times, ABC News, WaPo, White House
Trump Vetoes Defense Spending Bill
President Trump decided to veto the annual defense spending bill. It promised to give American troops pay raises, allow paid parental leave for federal employees, and get rid of the Confederate names on American military bases. President Trump didn’t like that part. He also wanted it to repeal another law that offers tech companies legal protections for content on their sites. The defense bill originally passed through congress with big, veto-proof majorities, so lawmakers are planning to come back and make it a law without the president’s approval.
Read More: WaPo, WSJ, AP, CNBC, Pelosi Statement
U.S. Deadliest Week in Pandemic
This last week has been the deadliest week in the U.S. since the pandemic began. Over the last seven days, someone died from COVID-19 every 33 seconds on average. Health officials warn it could get worse because December has also been the worst month for cases and hospitalizations. Also, doctors expect another spike after the holidays. Again, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, pleaded with people to skip indoor gatherings this year.
Read More: Reuters, ABC News, COVID Tracker, Johns Hopkins
1M+ Americans Receive Shots
Dr. Fauci said, “within the next several months, vaccines are going to make a serious, important, positive impact.” Already, the CDC says more than a million Americans have received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. 10 million doses have been distributed and a lot more are going out soon. The Health and Human Services secretary says every American who wants a vaccine will be able to get one by June of 2021.
Read More: Miami Herald, Axios, CNBC, CDC
NY First Bans Facial Recognition in Schools
New York is the first state in the nation to ban facial recognition technology in schools. The software was being used there to identify unauthorized school staff or sex offenders. However, some people were worried it might violate children’s privacy or that school staff might use it to punish kids for minor issues. Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a bill to ban its use until July of 2022. In the meantime, the state’s IT office is teaming up with the Education Department to study whether the technology is appropriate for students.
Read More: Engadget, Forbes, AP
NBA Postponed Game
Only one day after the new basketball season tipped off, the NBA had to postpone a game. A matchup between the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder was called off last night. The Rockets didn’t have the eight players required for the game to go on because three players had positive or inconclusive coronavirus tests. Also, Rockets star James Harden violated the NBA’s COVID-19 protocols by going to a club without a mask, so he was pulled from the lineup and four other players were in quarantine.
Read More: ESPN, CBS Sports, Houston Chronicle, NBA
Xmas Movies Releases
A few new movies are hitting big and small screens on Christmas Day tomorrow. For starters, Wonder Woman 1984 will be released in both theaters and on HBO Max. For streaming, it won’t cost you any extra to watch. You just have to have an HBO Max subscription. Also on Christmas Day, Pixar’s Soul hits Disney+. It’s a family-friendly comedy. Other movies debuting in theaters include News of the World starring Tom Hanks, One Night in Miami, directed by Regina King, and a new version of Pinocchio.
Read More: USA Today, Variety, Deadline, Cinema Blend
NORAD Begins Tracking Santa
As usual, NORAD is tracking Santa today as he makes his way around the globe to deliver presents. NORAD stands for North American Aerospace Defense Command. Usually, it’s in charge of detecting attacks by aircraft, missiles, and spacecraft. However, every Christmas Eve, it keeps tabs on Santa too so we can see where he is in the world. The public website that shows his minute-by-minute movements reportedly gets 15 million unique visitors each year from 200 countries and territories. You can see it for yourself at NoradSanta.Org
Read More: NORAD, Forbes, USA Today
Kwanza is Saturday
Saturday marks the start of Kwanzaa. That’s a weeklong, non-religious holiday that honors African American heritage. It was founded in 1966. It’s usually celebrated with candle-lighting ceremonies and feasts. It’s also a time for Black Americans to reflect on past hardships as well as their hopes for the future. This year, the pandemic forced changes to large celebrations. However, some are still holding small family dinners. Others plan to spend money at Black-owned businesses.
Read More: NatGeo, NY Times, Boston Globe
Thing to Know Thursday: American Holiday Travel Plans
Because of COVID-19, a lot fewer Americans than usual are going on trips this week. However, there are still quite a few people who plan to venture out. AAA expects 85 million Americans to travel from yesterday through January 3rd. Global reservations system Amadeus listed the top five destinations for Christmas and New Years. Vail, Colorado is the top spot, followed by Key West, Florida, Sedona, Arizona, Aspen, Colorado, and Fort Myers, Florida. In all those places, hotels are at least half full.
Read More: AP, ABC News, CNBC, Amadeus