Dose Of News Useful Today

Friday, April 9th

📅 The (Week)End is Nigh

Welcome to Friday, where Florida’s suing the CDC, Rolls-Royce is rolling, and will.i.am is selling the Xupermask (pronounced “supermask”... obviously because it gives you powers).

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Daily Sprinkle

"Climb every mountain, ford every stream, follow every rainbow until you find your dream."

–The Sound of Music

📝 Biden’s Executive Actions on Guns

President Biden announced a series of executive actions yesterday to address what the White House called “the gun violence public health epidemic.”

🤿 A deeper dive…
The Biden administration’s move consists of six initial executive actions:

1. Directing the DOJ to issue a proposed rule within 30 days to help stop the proliferation of “ghost guns.” (What are ghost guns?)
2. Directing the DOJ to issue a proposed rule within 60 days to make clear when a device marketed as a stabilizing brace - as was used by last month's shooter in Boulder, CO - effectively turns a pistol into a short-barreled rifle (a weapon subject to more stringent regulation).
3. Directing the DOJ to publish model “red flag” legislation within 60 days, which the administration says will make it easier for states to adopt their own version. (What are red flag laws?)
4. Investing in “evidence-based community violence interventions.” (White House Fact Sheet.)
5. Directing the DOJ to publish an annual report on firearms trafficking. The department last issued a report in 2000.
6. Nominating David Chipman - a former federal agent and top policy adviser to gun control group Giffords - to head the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

📢 Public Reaction
The NRA has already opposed some of Biden’s proposed actions, including regulation on ghost guns and arm braces. The nomination of Chipman, who supports tougher gun control measures, is also expected to draw pushback from congressional Republicans.

Only one ATF director has been confirmed by the Senate in the past 15 years – though Chipman only needs the support of 50 Democratic senators plus VP Kamala Harris.

If Democrats really want gun control, Sen. Dianne Feinstein needs to stay in office

LEFT CENTER → LA Times (Opinion)

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🇮🇪 Protests & Violence in Northern Ireland

Fifty-five police officers have been hurt and ten people arrested on rioting charges in cities across Northern Ireland over the past ten days (some as young as 13 or 14).

Politicians and analysts say the nightly incidents reflect resentment among pro-British unionists over what they perceive as concessions to Irish nationalists, who want Northern Ireland to break away from the UK and unite with the Republic of Ireland (rejoining the EU).

Also reportedly at play are grievances around the policing of COVID-19 restrictions and crime.

From the Left → BBC	From the Right → NY Post

🦠 ‘Double Mutant’ Variant

Researchers at Stanford University identified five new cases of a recently discovered COVID-19 variant in the San Francisco area that has two mutations.

The “double mutant” variant, which originated in India, contains two key mutations that have been found separately in other variants, but not together in a single strain.

More: Further testing is needed to determine whether it’s more contagious than earlier strains or resistant to some vaccines.

⚖️ Florida Sues CDC

Florida filed a federal lawsuit against the CDC yesterday seeking to force the restart of the cruise industry, which hasn’t been allowed to sail out of the U.S. for over a year.

The state accused the CDC of acting outside of its authority in restricting cruise sailings, pointing to other hospitality industries - such as airlines, casinos, and hotels - that have been allowed to operate with COVID-19 regulations.

More: The CDC on Friday issued guidance on how it expects to allow a resumption of sailings, but didn't include a date by which U.S. sailings would be allowed.

From the Left → USA Today	From the Right → WSJ

🧠 In the Know...

🇲🇲🇬🇧 Myanmar’s ambassador to the UK said he was locked out of the country’s embassy by his deputy after refusing to obey Myanmar’s military junta, which seized power in a February 1 coup.

📝 U.S. Customs and Border Patrol encountered nearly 19k unaccompanied migrant children in March – the largest monthly total ever recorded. (From the Left | From the Right)

☝️ 1 Last Thing...

📋 A survey of older millennials aged 33 to 40 found more than half of those with student debt say their loans weren’t worth it (52%).

🍿 (Not) Dancing with the Starz

Netflix reached a multi-year licensing deal with Sony Pictures that will start in 2022. The financial terms were not officially disclosed, but sources told Deadline that Netflix prevailed over multiple bidders with an offer of $1B over four years.

The agreement gives Netflix access to Sony’s biggest franchises including Spider-Man and Jumanji.
It also gives the streaming platform access to future Sony films like Uncharted, Morbius, or Spider-Man franchise sequels.

More: The deal will replace Sony’s existing licensing agreement with Starz, which dated back to 2005.

📉🚘 When the Chips Are Down

GM will temporarily halt production at eight North American assembly plants due to an ongoing semiconductor chip shortage, which it expects will cost up to $2B.

Last week, Ford announced production cuts at six plants for similar reasons. The company expects the chip shortage to lower its 2021 earnings by $1B–$2.5B.

More: Consulting firm AlixPartners estimates the chip shortage will cost the global auto industry $60.6B in revenue this year.

📱 Apple’s Epic Showdown

Apple and Epic Games laid out their separate arguments in legal filings Wednesday ahead of an antitrust trial scheduled to start in May.

The two companies have been locked in a legal battle since last year, when Epic deployed an update attempting to bypass Apple’s 30% App Store fee – after which Apple removed Fortnite from the App Store entirely.

More: The filings showed top executives from both companies are likely to testify in-person in federal court as part of a trial expected to last weeks.

🧠 In the Know...

🎮 GameStop announced Chewy co-founder and board member Ryan Cohen will become the company’s chairman.

🚙 Rolls-Royce just recorded the best quarter in its 116-year history.

🐻Furry Friends Friday: Unbearably Cute

Spring is here, and many wild bears in the Northeast U.S. have begun to emerge from hibernation.

Last week in Connecticut, one Mama bear endured a painstakingly-cute ordeal as she attempted to cross the road with her four new cubs in tow.

Traffic was halted on the busy street, giving one driver a front row seat to the adorable chaos that ensued.

Images: YouTube

Parents everywhere can relate to the Mama bear’s struggle... she just wants to get across safely – and the cubs seem to want anything but.

Our favorite reactions:

“Bear Mama, I know your struggle. You have the one you have to drag, the one that willingly follows, and the happy-go-lucky one about to get run over.”
“I can feel her embearassment: ‘I’m so sorry, we’re holding up — it’ll just be a minute. I just got to — omg — PEACHES GET OFF THE TREE.”

Eventually, all five members of the bear family made it safely across the street. (Watch the full four-minute saga from a different angle.)

🚫 The Stream Has Ended… live streaming service Twitch announced an expansion of its misconduct policy which allows it to take action against harassment that occurs entirely off the platform, including incidents of violent extremism, credible threats of mass violence, and membership in a known hate group.

😷 Mask On… rapper will.i.am has partnered with Honeywell to develop the Xupermask (pronounced “supermask”), a new face mask that comes with LED lights, noise-cancelling Bluetooth earbuds, dual fans for ventilation, and replaceable filters.

💻 Saved By the Dell… a public school district in Haverhill, MA, was forced to cancel classes Thursday after a ransomware attack shut down the district’s computer network. The unexpected day off was intended to be the first day back of in-person instruction for second, third, and fourth graders.

💉 Passing The Test… a study conducted by researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine offered promising results for a blood test that can identify depression and bipolar disorder.