5 things to know for July 20: Coronavirus, Congress, education, vaccines, TikTok
Stargazers in the Northern Hemisphere will be able to see the comet NEOWISE in the sky this month. Take advantage now, because once it disappears from view it won’t be visible here for another 6,800 years. Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On With Your Day.
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1. Coronavirus
More than 600,000 dead and cases edging toward 15 million. The current global coronavirus numbers are forcing new shutdowns and sparking uncertainty for events well into 2021. In US cities hit hard by the virus, like Los Angeles and Houston, mayors are considering new stay-at-home orders despite pushback from state leaders. That’s already a reality in other cities, like Urumqi, the capital of China’s Xinjiang province. A “wartime” state has been declared there to stem a spike of coronavirus cases. The global surge has also caused Delta to tighten its policies. The carrier will now require medical screenings for passengers who can’t wear face masks due to health reasons, and will urge such passengers to avoid travel altogether.
2. Congress
The White House will buckle down on 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 hammer out some details. There’s still a ways to go: The President and Senate Republicans disagree on some things, like how much funding should go toward the US Centers for Disease Control. Meanwhile, Georgia Democrats are facing a decision that’s painful in more ways than one: Choosing a new candidate in the late Rep. John Lewis’ 5th Congressional District. The civil rights icon passed away after a battle with cancer.
3. Education
Some students who thought they were taking the ACTs this weekend were met with a frustrating surprise: Several sessions of the college admissions staple were canceled, sometimes without notice. The testing company said some tests are being canceled or rescheduled due to the coronavirus pandemic, but accounts from families and messages from testing facilities suggested newer cancellations weren’t communicated in time. It’s another obstacle in the rocky road to the new school year. Many parents are considering alternatives to traditional schooling in the face of unclear or incomplete guidelines from school districts. And the ACT debacle is an unpleasant reminder of a similar breakdown in May, when a technical glitch endangered the results of some students’ AP exams.
4. Vaccines
For some countries and companies, the race to find a coronavirus vaccine isn’t just a lifesaving pursuit. It’s also a matter of scientific superiority, national pride and financial gain. Several countries are working on options, and last week, security officials from three countries claimed 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 meant to tarnish Russia’s progress on their own vaccine. North Korea has announced it is also entering the vaccine race, despite its struggling medical system and its claim of no coronavirus cases.
5. TikTok
President Trump’s reelection campaign pushed a series of Facebook ads this weekend accusing the Chinese video app TikTok of spying on Americans. TikTok shot back at the social media giant and said Facebook was “taking money for a political ad that attacks a competitor” while developing its own product similar to TikTok. The extremely popular video app has become a focal point of tension between the US and China. Trump administration officials have even considered a ban on the app, which they say is a national security threat. India — a huge potential market — already banned TikTok and dozens of other Chinese apps last month following a border clash between the two countries.
BREAKFAST BROWSE
Taco Bell is removing some long-running menu items to make way for new ones
It’s the end of the 7-Layer Burrito era.
Canada has denied a request from the Toronto Blue Jays to play home games in their stadium
Either Buffalo, New York, or Dunedin, Florida, is 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’s a coin shortage, consider this a very wholesome type of penny pinching.
TODAY’S NUMBER
$750 million
That’s about how much it cost to build the USS Bonhomme Richard, an amphibious US Navy assault ship. The vessel was undergoing millions more in repairs in San Diego when a fire ripped through it last week, burning for four days. The extent of the damage isn’t yet known.
TODAY’S QUOTE
“The Trader Joe’s branding is racist because it exoticizes other cultures – it presents ‘Joe’ as the default ‘normal’ and the other characters falling outside of it.”
A line from a petition calling for Trader Joe’s to change the branding on some of its international products, including “Trader Ming’s” for Asian products and “Trader José” for Mexican products. The grocery chain says it is already in the process of updating and replacing such names.
TODAY’S WEATHER
Check your local forecast here >>>
AND FINALLY
Lollipop or curio? Both
This isn’t glass. It’s candy, made through an ancient Japanese practice called amezaiku.
