(You can also receive daily “5 things you need to know today” in your inbox. Sign up here.)
1. Coronavirus
More than 600,000 deaths and nearly 15 million cases. Current global coronavirus numbers are forcing further closings and creating uncertainty for events well into 2021. In American cities affected by the virus, such as Los Angeles and Houston, mayors are considering new orders to stay home despite the rejection of state leaders. That is already a reality in other cities, such as Urumqi, the capital of China’s Xinjiang province. A “wartime” state has been declared there to stem a spike in coronavirus cases. The global increase has also caused Delta to tighten its policies. The carrier will now require medical examinations for passengers who are unable to wear face masks due to health reasons, and will urge such passengers to avoid traveling entirely.
2. Congress
The White House will be buckled into stimulus negotiations with the House and Senate today, according to White House chief of staff Mark Meadows. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy will meet with President Donald Trump and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to clarify some details. There is still a way to go: The President and Senate Republicans disagree on some things, such as the amount of funds that should go to the US Centers for Disease Control. Meanwhile, Georgia Democrats They face a painful decision in more ways than one: elect a new candidate in the late John Lewis Fifth Congressional District. The civil rights icon passed away after a battle with cancer.
3. education
Some students who thought they would take the ACTs this weekend were met with a frustrating surprise: Several sessions of the basic college admissions item were canceled, sometimes without notice. The testing company said some tests are being canceled or rescheduled due to the coronavirus pandemic, but family accounts and messages from the testing facility suggested that the newer cancellations were not communicated in time. It’s another obstacle on the rocky road to the new school year. Many parents are considering alternatives to traditional education in the face of unclear or incomplete guidelines from school districts. And the ACT debacle is an unpleasant reminder of a similar collapse in May, when a technical glitch jeopardized some students’ AP exam results.
4. Vaccines
For some countries and companies, the race to find a coronavirus vaccine is not just a life-saving quest. It is also a matter of scientific superiority, national pride, and financial gain. Several countries are working on options, and last week, security officials in three countries claimed that Russian hackers were targeting organizations involved in vaccine research in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Russian authorities have denied the claims, saying they were intended to tarnish Russia’s progress on its own vaccine. North Korea has announced that it is also entering the vaccine race, despite its struggling medical system and its claim that there are no cases of coronavirus.
5. TikTok
President Trump’s reelection campaign fueled a series of Facebook ads this weekend accusing the Chinese video app TikTok of spying on Americans. TikTok responded to the social media giant and said Facebook was “taking money for a political ad targeting a competitor” while developing its own TikTok-like product. The extremely popular video app has become a focal point of tension between the United States and China. Trump administration officials have even considered banning the app, which they say is a threat to national security. India, a huge potential market, already banned TikTok and dozens of other Chinese apps last month after a border clash between the two countries.
NAVIGATION BREAKFAST
Taco Bell is removing some long-lived menu items to make way for new ones
It’s the end of the 7-layer burrito era.
Canada has denied a request by the Toronto Blue Jays to play home games at its stadium
Buffalo, New York or Dunedin, Florida are about to get a new baseball team for a while.
Lindsay Lohan and other ‘Parent Trap’ remake stars will reunite for the film’s 20th anniversary
Wow, even the remake is vintage now.
A bank is paying people for their coins to help small businesses
Since there is a shortage of coins, consider this to be a very healthy type of penny pinch.
TODAY’S NUMBER
$ 750 million
It’s about how much it cost to build the USS Bonhomme Richard, a US Navy amphibious assault ship.The ship was being repaired millions more in San Diego when a fire swept through it last week, burning for four days. The extent of the damage is not yet known.
TODAY’S QUOTE
“The Trader Joe brand is racist because it exoticizes other cultures: it presents ‘Joe’ as the default ‘normal’ and the other characters are left out of it.”
A line from a petition asking Trader Joe’s to rebrand some of its international products, including “Trader Ming’s” for Asian products and “Trader José” for Mexican products. The supermarket chain says it is already in the process of updating and replacing those names.
TODAY’S TIME
Check your local forecast here >>>
AND FINALLY
Lollipop or curium? Both of them
This is not glass. It is sweet, made through an ancient Japanese practice called amezaiku.
.
