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| | Dose Of News Useful TodayTuesday, July 21st |
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| | Let The Games Begin | Good morning. Remember the game “Two Truths and a Lie”? Here’s the news version: - Burger King Addresses Climate Change By Changing Cows' Diets.
- Lottery Winner Dresses Up In Darth Vader Costume To Hide Identity.
- Charmin Under Fire For New Ad Suggesting It Wouldn't Be Bad Idea If Everyone Started Hoarding Toilet Paper Again.
You can find the answer in the Dose of Knowledge section at the bottom of this email. |
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Daily Sprinkle | “Just keep going. Everybody gets better if they keep at it.” -Ted Williams |
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 | A Closer Look At China | The pandemic has dominated international news coverage in recent months. Today let’s look at the actions of the Chinese government amidst worldwide lockdowns.
Hong Kong
In late June, China expanded its authority in Hong Kong with a new national security law, allowing police to crack down on political protestors with heavy sentences. - The U.S. responded to the law with the Hong Kong Autonomy Act, approving sanctions on Chinese officials and banks. President Trump also signed an executive order ending Hong Kong’s preferential trade treatment.
- The UK suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong on Monday. The country had previously offered residence and a path to UK citizenship for up to three million Hong Kong residents.
South China Sea
On April 19, Beijing declared administrative control over the disputed Paracel and Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, a claim that was rejected by the Philippines.
- Without breaking an official stance of neutrality, Secretary of State Pompeo said last week that the U.S. would take a new stand against Beijing and support allies in the South China Sea.
- On Monday, Beijing threatened further action if the U.S. continues to defend its interests in the region, which accounts for nearly one-third of global maritime trade.
Uighur Muslims
The U.S., UK, and others have condemned China for the systemic oppression of its Uighur Muslim minority. Among other things, China is accused of detaining Uighurs in “re-education” camps, forcing sterilizations, and using detainees as labor to make face masks.
- Politicians around the world have called for a UN probe into China’s reported mass sterilization of Uighurs via forced birth control.
- The U.S. enacted the Uighur Human Rights Policy Act last Wednesday, authorizing U.S. sanctions against Chinese officials responsible for the persecution of Uighur Muslims.
On Sunday, China’s ambassador to the UK denied the allegations, despite resurfaced drone footage of what is believed to be the transfer of dozens of shackled minorities.
What’s Next?
Several countries have recently banned Chinese technologies in response to national security concerns:
- The UK banned Chinese tech giant Huawei from the country’s 5G wireless network last week, reversing a January decision to use the equipment on a limited basis.
- India banned TikTok - and dozens of other Chinese apps - in late June, following a border skirmish with China. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said the U.S. is also considering such bans.
So… what are people saying?
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 | COVID-19 Snapshot- Fourteen states reported ICU bed capacity above 70% on Friday, led by Rhode Island (85.2%), Alabama (84.0%), and Nevada (81.3%). Check out your state.
- Major virus news: Florida’s teachers union filed a lawsuit Monday against Gov. DeSantis over a mandate to fully reopen public schools next month.
- More major virus news: A potential vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca showed positive immune results in an early trial, according to newly published data.
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| Deadly Attack At Home Of Federal JudgeA gunman shot and killed the son of a federal judge in an attack at their NJ home on Sunday night. Judge Esther Salas’s husband was also shot and injured in the attack, while Salas herself was unharmed. Police identified the suspect as Roy Den Hollander - a Manhattan lawyer who had previously argued a case in front of the federal judge - who was later found dead with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. More: Judge Salas has overseen several high-profile cases, including the sentencing of Real Housewives of New Jersey stars Teresa and Joe Giudice, and a lawsuit against Deutsche Bank brought by its investors (to which she was assigned four days ago). | |
Iran Executes Alleged U.S. SpyIran executed a man convicted of feeding intel to the U.S. and Israel on Monday. Mahmoud Mousavi-Majd, who died by hanging, was accused of leaking information that resulted in the death of Qassem Soleimani - a prominent general in Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. Soleimani was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad earlier this year. More: Another Iranian power plant exploded on Sunday - the latest in a string of mysterious fires and explosions at Iranian nuclear sites (Go deeper). | |
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 | The Coronavirus Effect- Warner Bros. pulled the Aug. 12 release date for its spy thriller, Tenet, which is now indefinitely delayed due to COVID-19.
- U.S. air travel demand for the week ending July 19 fell by more than 4% compared to the week before, the first weekly percentage drop since April.
- Nearly 17,000 Southwest employees (~28% of its workforce) signed up for partially paid extended leaves of absence or outright buyouts in the face of involuntary furloughs.
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Bringing The EnergyChevron has agreed to buy Noble Energy in an all-stock deal worth about $5 billion, the largest in the U.S. energy sector this year. Including Noble’s debt obligations, the purchase would be valued at roughly $13 billion. More: In other M&A news, an $8.58 billion cash-and-stock merger of Eldorado Resorts and Caesars Entertainment closed yesterday, forming the largest casino operator in the U.S. |
General ElectricGeneral Motors is reportedly on track to deliver 20 electric vehicles by 2023, the company revealed in its latest sustainability report. The EVs will be available under nearly all of its brands, including Cadillac, GMC, Chevrolet, and Buick. GM President Mark Reuss said the company will spend $20 billion on EV development between now and 2025. More: Check out the 12 forthcoming models unveiled in GM’s report. |
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 | Pick Up The PiecesOne morning in June, Anthony Retaleato of Long Island, NY, was surprised to learn that his son, AJ, did not want to spend the day playing at the beach – one of the first grader’s favorite pastimes. Instead, the solemn six-year-old told his father that he felt bad for the Earth and asked if he could pick up garbage at the local park.
Equipped with a trash picker, plastic gloves, and a bucket, AJ has removed litter from nine public parks over the past month. AJ, who loves to hunt for refuse during leisurely walks with his parents, was recognized for his sanitary service by his community’s town supervisor, as well as the Chamber of Commerce.
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Bikin’ USAIn March, when New York’s healthcare workers served on the front lines of the pandemic, traveling physician Theresa Mellas answered, committing to nightly 12-hour shifts in the ICU of a hospital in the Bronx. In May, after eight straight weeks of exhausting service, Theresa was eager to find a way to unwind.
On a whim, Theresa bought a one-way ticket to Portland, OR, where she purchased a used bike off of Craigslist and set out on a 3,500 mile cross-country ride home. Over the course of 40 days, Theresa cycled up to 130 miles at a time and was inspired by the hospitality of strangers she met along the way.
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Slow And SteadyDue to their slow metabolism, turtles heal more gradually than other animals. Thus, when an injured Eastern box turtle was brought into the Maryland Zoo in 2018 with multiple fractures in his shell, the facility’s veterinary team recognized that the reptile faced a long road to recovery.
After undergoing intensive surgery to repair the ruptured shell, the facility outfitted the turtle with a custom wheelchair made of Legos to enhance his mobility. On Wednesday, after two years in rehabilitation, the animal – affectionately known as the “Lego Turtle” – was finally healed enough to be released into the wild.
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 | It Came From Outer Space | The surface of the Earth is struck by about how many meteorites each day? A) 17
B) 45
C) 6
D) 90 | (keep scrolling for the answer) |
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| Dose of Knowledge Answer | A) 17 Each year, the Earth is hit by roughly 6,100 meteors large enough to reach the planet’s surface. Scientists estimate that for every one meteor impact observed by a person, another 770 meteors strike the Earth in remote locations unseen by humans. Answer to header: Charmin Under Fire For New Ad Suggesting It Wouldn't Be Bad Idea If Everyone Started Hoarding Toilet Paper Again |
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