Apr 13, 2021
NEED TO KNOW
News Of The Day.
No Bull With Raging Robert.
Daunte Wright
Police officials in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, said yesterday an officer who fatally shot a motorist during a Sunday traffic stop mistakenly pulled their gun instead of their Taser.
Twenty-year-old Duante Wright, a Black man, had been pulled over in the early afternoon for a traffic violation. Officers attempted to detain him after finding he had an outstanding warrant; Wright attempted to get back in the vehicle and flee. Body camera footage from the incident (view here, warning: sensitive content) shows an officer yelling “Taser” before discharging their firearm. Wright was pronounced dead a few blocks from the scene, where his vehicle crashed. The killing sparked protests across the Minneapolis region, with a reported 40 people arrested last night.
Tensions in the area are already high in anticipation of a verdict in the Derek Chauvin murder trial. The prosecution is expected to rest its case today; George Floyd’s brother took the stand yesterday. Chauvin’s defense will make opening statements today. See a recap of the trial here.
England Reopens
Revelers in England returned to the pubs yesterday, albeit outdoors, as the country loosened a number of COVID-19 restrictions. Britain had been under one of the globe’s strictest lockdowns for months, but raced ahead in efforts to vaccinate its population — some experts believe the country reached herd immunity this week. The government aims to lift all restrictions by June 21. See photos from the first day back here.
Separately, a top Chinese health official appeared to admit the country’s COVID-19 vaccines are not as effective as originally believed. China has released limited data on its main drug from SinoVac (how it works), but a preliminary trial in Brazil suggested just slightly over 50% efficacy when accounting for asymptomatic cases. The official later walked back his comments.
In the US, new COVID-19 cases have risen nearly 30% over three weeks, with a seven-day average of about 70,000 new cases each day. However, five states — Michigan, New York, Florida, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey — make up about 40% of new cases.
Government officials called on Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) to reimpose restrictions, with the state having seen a 400% increase in cases since early March and many hospitals again reaching capacity. Whitmer has resisted more restrictions so far.
The rise comes as the US faces a shortage of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine due to manufacturing problems at a Maryland facility. More than 46% of the adult US population has received at least one vaccine dose; see how your state is doing here.
‘The Jinx’ Trial to Resume
Officials announced the trial of eccentric real estate heir and suspected serial killer Robert Durst will resume May 17, more than 14 months after it was suspended due to the then-emerging pandemic. The 78-year-old Durst is charged with the killing of friend Susan Berman two decades ago, allegedly to conceal his involvement in the 1982 disappearance of his wife Kathleen.
The details of the case are incredibly strange ($$, LAT); Durst is also suspected of killing his friend Morris Black to hide his identity while living in Galveston, Texas, posing as a mute female botanist. Durst burst back into public consciousness following HBO’s 2015 documentary “The Jinx,” in which Durst appeared to inadvertently admit to the murders while speaking to himself in a bathroom after forgetting to turn off his microphone. He was taken into custody the day before the final episode aired.
Watch the self-incriminating clip here.
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IN THE KNOW
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> Harvey Weinstein, currently serving 23 years in New York, is indicted in Los Angeles on 11 counts of sexual assault (More) | Former Kansas City Chiefs assistant coach Britt Reid charged with felony DWI in February crash that left 5-year-old girl critically injured (More)
> NCAA announces support for transgender athletes; won’t hold championships in states with discriminatory laws (More) | Federal judge approves settlement between US women’s national team and US Soccer Federation, allowing players to appeal court’s equal pay decision (More)
> Will Smith and director Antoine Fuqua pull production of slavery drama “Emancipation” out of Georgia over the state’s new voting law (More) | See an overview of the law (More)
Science & Technology
> Intel in talks to produce computer chips for US automakers to help alleviate production slowdowns due to global chip shortage (More) | Explaining the chip shortage (More)
> Archaeologists uncover a 3,400-year-old site believed to be the ancient city of Luxor, just north of the modern-day Luxor, Egypt; artifacts date to the 18th-dynasty pharaoh Amenhotep III (More) | See a timeline of Egyptian dynasties (More)
> Amber fossil of a 98-million-year-old beetle provides a glimpse into the diet of one of the earliest known pollinators; discovery sheds light on the evolution of flowering plants (More)
Business & Markets
> US stock markets down (S&P 500 -0.02%, Dow -0.2%, Nasdaq -0.4%) as investors await this week’s earnings season kickoff (More)
> Microsoft to acquire speech recognition software giant Nuance Communications for $19B, representing company’s second-largest acquisition after $26B LinkedIn deal in 2016 (More)
> China imposes restructuring on Ant Group requiring transformation into a financial holding firm; fintech giant founded by Jack Ma saw its would-be record $37B initial public offering delayed last year by Chinese regulators (More)
Politics & World Affairs
Brought to you by Ground News
> Iran vows revenge against Israel, blaming the country for an explosion that knocked out power at Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility; Iranian officials say incident threatens nuclear talks with the US (More)
> St. Vincent volcano releases most powerful blast since eruptions began Friday; lava flows destroy farms and forests, while officials work to provide clean water as ash contaminates rivers (More)
> The Food and Drug Administration lays out multiyear plan to establish limits and testing for heavy metals in baby food (More, $$, WashPo) | Move was spurred by a February report that sparked outrage (More)
From our partners: Want to break free from your echo chamber? There’s an app for that. Ground News is the world’s first news source comparison platform that empowers you to compare how outlets from the left, center, and right are covering any story. Adopt a balanced news diet and download the Ground News App for free today.
IN-DEPTH
How Austin Won the Pandemic
Texas Monthly | Michael Agresta. For years, Austin, Texas, has enchanted Bay Area techies with its hip atmosphere and the promise of cheaper and more available housing. With the pandemic as a tipping point, the city’s tech sector boomed over the past year, despite (or because of) the broader economic upheaval. (Read)
The Sixth Wave
MIT Press Reader | Per Espen Stoknes. The past three centuries have seen five waves of innovative disruption that not only created new industries, but reshaped the world’s social, political, and cultural boundaries. Are we on the verge of a sixth? (Read)
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ETCETERA
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Prince Harry releases a eulogy for his grandfather.
Future SpaceX spacecraft will have observation domes.
Ugh millennials: You’re about to take over the housing market.
Cadet smashes women’s record for West Point’s obstacle course.
Domino’s Pizza to launch robot pizza delivery in Houston.
Clickbait: Boston nurse rescued from mud.
Historybook: President Thomas Jefferson born (1743); New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art founded (1870); Author Eudora Welty born (1909); Sidney Poitier becomes first Black male to win Best Actor at Oscars (1964).
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