Domain Explained

Protest & Coronavirus Updates

Global cases rose to nearly 10.78 million yesterday (up ~220k from yesterday), with nearly 517,800 deaths (up ~4.8k). The number of confirmed U.S. cases rose above 2.77 million (up ~50k), with 130,745 confirmed deaths (up ~740).

• CA Gov. Newsom ordered all indoor dining services to shut down across 19 California counties (including LA) for at least three weeks. See how cases are changing in your state.
• Seattle police cleared the city’s ‘autonomous zone’ early Wednesday morning after it had stood for several weeks.
• In Prague, Czech Republic, thousands of people gathered around a ~1,640-foot-long dinner table to celebrate a ‘symbolic farewell’ to the pandemic.

First Arrests Made Under New HK Law

Thousands of protestors gathered in Hong Kong yesterday. The event marked the island’s largest demonstration of the year so far, occurring on the anniversary of its return to Chinese control. Hong Kong police made the first arrests under China’s new national security law (which passed late Tuesday), detaining 10 pro-democracy protesters under new offenses created by the national security law as part of ~370 total arrests.

More: Yesterday, UK PM Boris Johnson confirmed his government will offer up to 3 million HK residents a pathway to UK citizenship.

Even more: Per Axios, U.S. customs officers have detained a shipment of nearly 13 tons of wigs and other human hair products suspected of being produced with forced labor in Xinjiang, China.

Deadly Protests Continue In Ethiopia

The Ethiopian military was deployed yesterday in the country’s capital, Addis Ababa, following the second day of unrest over the death of musician Haacaaluu Hundeessaa. More than 80 people have been killed in violent protests that began after the singer was shot dead late Monday.

More: Haacaaluu Hundeessaa was a social activist and musician who spoke out against the injustices suffered by the Ethiopian people. Read more here.

The Coronavirus Effect

• McDonald’s is pausing the reopening of dine-in service for three weeks across all U.S. locations. Elsewhere, Apple began the temporary closure of 46 locations across 11 states on Wednesday and Thursday.
• U.S. vehicle sales across Ford, GM, and Fiat Chrysler fell by more than 30% in the second quarter.
• Twitch saw a 62.7% increase in hours watched from the first quarter to the second (topping 5 billion total hours), according to an industry report.

House Call

CEOs from Apple, Google, Facebook, and Amazon have agreed to testify before the House Antitrust Subcommittee, which would mark the first time all four executives did so together. The hearing is one of the final steps in a year-long congressional antitrust investigation into the online platforms, which is expected to produce new legislative proposals for the digital market.

More: Both the FTC and DOJ launched separate antitrust investigations into the four companies last summer (unrelated to the House probe).

Future Features

BMW announced new updates to its in-car software experience on Wednesday. The new operating system will allow the company to update virtually every line of code in a vehicle’s computer system. Consumers now have the ability to subscribe to specific hardware features - including heated seats and advanced driver assistance - that may already be built into their vehicle but not immediately activated after purchase.

More: It’s often easier and cheaper for manufacturers to build some hardware into all cars (even if it goes unused) because it removes complexity from the process.

Walking Warrior

In June, we brought you the story of Tony Hudgell - a five-year-old from the UK who had his legs amputated in 2017 after suffering extensive abuse from his biological parents. Last month, Tony set out to raise £500 for the hospital that treated him by walking 10 kilometers on his new prosthetic legs.

Tony’s campaign overwhelmingly surpassed its initial goal, raising more than £1 million ($1.2 million) for the hospital. The traipsing toddler even earned a congratulatory video message from Sir Thomas Moore, the British centenarian who raised $40 million for the UK’s National Health Service in April.

Why Did The Dog Cross The Road?

Crossing city streets can be a perilous pastime for pedestrians – distracted drivers and heavy traffic can put the safety of passerby at risk. Fortunately, in Batumi, Georgia, an unexpected guardian angel appeared to ensure the safe travel of children across a busy street.

Kupata, a stray dog and self-appointed crossing guard, accompanies children as they traverse the road’s crosswalk, barking at drivers who get too close. The city of Batumi recently honored Kupata with a mural of his likeness and a special doghouse for their protective pooch.

Driven To Succeed

When Clayton Ward of Wellesley, MA, attended college ten years ago, he dropped out after a few semesters. Instead, he chose to continue his family’s legacy by becoming a school bus driver. In May 2019, Clayton - who says he was inspired by encouragement from high schoolers on his bus route - enrolled at MassBay Community College to continue his education.

While continuing to work full-time, Clayton earned an Associates in Liberal Arts in just three semesters, making Dean’s List each term with a 4.0 GPA. The driven learner plans to transfer to Framingham State University, where he will pursue his bachelor’s degree in History with a minor in secondary education.

Primary Care For Your Home

Home care can be overwhelming. It’s often hard to know where to start.

And that’s where we come in...
Like a primary care physician, Homepoint uses the latest technology to diagnose your home’s health, plan to optimize its condition, and get the necessary work done cost-effectively.

Spend your time enjoying your home, not taking care of it.
Visit http://gohomepoint.com to learn more. Let us know the DONUT sent you and we’ll throw in an extra handyman hour for free!