Thursday, June 25th, 2020
New Virus Records, Bottled Water Warning & Fireworks Sales Boom
(+ Pandemic Travel Guide)
All the news you need in less than 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by www.Skillshare.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 perusing the latest happenings...
New COVID-19 Records
More new coronavirus infections were confirmed yesterday than any other day of the pandemic. Texas, Florida, and California are leading the surge. Each of those three states reported more than 5,000 cases yesterday and an increase in hospitalizations. Several states are also reporting more cases among people in their 20s and 30s. Health authorities say younger people have been likely to drop social distancing measures and other precautions.
Read More: NBC News, CNN, WaPo, WSJ, Johns Hopkins
States Impose Quarantine on Travelers
Governors of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut are requiring travelers from eight states to self-quarantine for two weeks. Anyone who visits the tri-state area from Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Utah, and Texas must self-isolate for 14 days or face fines. It was the opposite back in March when Texas and Florida had quarantine requirements for travelers from the northeast.
Read More: CNBC, USA Today, AP, Reuters
U.S. Marshals, National Guard Deployed
U.S. marshals and National Guard troops are being assigned to protect controversial monuments. This comes as protesters in certain cities have tried dismantling statues they deem as symbols of American racism. President Trump has promised to punish people who vandalize or destroy public properties like monuments. U.S. marshals are setting up a joint operations center in Virginia and National Guard troops were deployed to both Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.
Read More: FOX News, AP, USA Today, WaPo, Tweet
Seattle Protesters Leaving
The so-called CHOP area in Seattle, Washington is emptying. Protesters took over the few city blocks more than two weeks ago to demand racial equality and defunding the police. However, after a deadly shooting over the weekend, police officers returned to the precinct they had earlier abandoned and at least one organizer told the group to leave the area and move onto virtual activism. Still, dozens of people say they’ll stay for the long haul.
Read More: CNN, Seattle Times, KOMO
Congress Stalled on Policing Bills
U.S. lawmakers still can’t come to a compromise on police reform. Senate Republicans put a measure up for a vote yesterday, but it failed. The bill would have encouraged police departments to ban chokeholds and it would have required officers to report use-of-force incidents for a national database. Democrats say they want more widespread change. Now, leaders in both parties are reportedly interested in meeting to negotiate a new plan.
Read More: Axios, Reuters, Politico, WSJ, FOX News
Nearly All-Virtual Democratic Convention
This year’s Democratic National Convention will go mostly virtual this summer for the first time. As planned, former Vice President Joe Biden will accept the presidential nomination in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. However, delegates are being told to stay home to avoid spreading the new coronavirus. They’ll have to nominate Biden and his to-be-determined running mate online. The DNC starts August 17, one week before the RNC in Jacksonville, Florida.
Read More: Axios, AP, Reuters, WSJ
Amazon Fraud Crackdown
Amazon is launching a Counterfeit Crimes Unit to make sure the products you buy online are what you thought. The unit is made up of former prosecutors, investigators, and data analysts who will work with law enforcement if needed. They will search for bad listings and their sellers. Hopefully, the unit also makes it easier to bring charges against scammers. Already last year, Amazon blocked more than six billion suspected bad listings.
Read More: CNBC, The Verge, Amazon
Whole Foods Bottled Water Warning
Consumer Reports says it found high levels of arsenic in Starkey Spring Water from Whole Foods. The CR tests showed the water has, on average, three times as much arsenic as other bottled water brands. The level is just barely below the legal limit. The report says over time, consuming even small amounts of arsenic regularly can raise the risk of heart disease and cancer. However, Whole Foods says its water is fine because it’s within federal standards.
Read More: CNN, USA Today, FOX Business, Consumer Reports
Fireworks Sales Boom
Amateur fireworks are booming in cities across the country, long before the Fourth of July. Some retailers have seen fireworks sales jump 400%. In New York, some people say they’re set off nightly. Cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Boston are also experiencing an increase in noise complaints, so law enforcement agencies have had to dedicate extra officers to deal with the calls.
Read More: CNN, The Atlantic, NBC News, Business Insider
NASA Names HQ after “Hidden Figure”
NASA is naming its headquarters after its first Black female engineer, Mary W. Jackson. She was one of the three Black female NASA employees who inspired the story behind the book and movie Hidden Figures. They all helped launch American astronauts into space for the first time. Jackson specifically worked at NASA for nearly two decades. She pushed for the space agency to hire more women.
Read More: NASA, CBS News, Engadget
Thing to Know Thursday: Pandemic Travel Guide
Read more: NY Times, WaPo, Chicago Tribune, CDC
Guest:
Ernest White II
Ernest White II is a storyteller and explorer who has circumnavigated the globe six times. He is the producer and host of television travel docu-series "FLY BROTHER with Ernest White II" (currently airing on Public Television Stations around the United States and in August 2020 on Create TV nationwide). A Florida native, Ernest’s obsessions include South Africa, São Paulo, and Rita Hayworth.
Learn more about his docu-series at www.FlyBrother.net