Were you too caught up in school and other activities last week to pay attention to the news? Do you want to be informed about current events? Well, you’ve come to the right place. Here’s what you missed last week.
1. COVID-19 reaches highest 7-day average
I know you’re probably sick of hearing about COVID, but it’ll only stop pervading the news if we make real changes. The U.S. averaged 182,633 new daily cases over the past week and 2,010 deaths. Maryland reached its single-day record of 3,794 cases. Because there were so many non-distanced gatherings over Thanksgiving, Dr. Anthony Fauci and other doctors are speculating that the cases will rise even more over the next couple of weeks. Due to the strain on hospitals, larger regions, including Southern California, are considering mandating stay-at-home orders. Stay inside and wear a mask!
2. The UK has approved a COVID-19 vaccine
The UK has approved the Pfizer-BioBTech vaccine, which has passed many safety and efficacy tests. Scientists are still wondering how this vaccine will perform as it’s distributed to more people but are staying hopeful. British front-line healthcare workers and home-care staff and residents are among the first to receive the vaccine and could get the vaccine as early as next week. China and Russia have also approved vaccines, but they have not yet completed a sufficient number of tests to know exactly how safe the vaccines will be.
3. A weekend nor’easter brings heavy rain and snow
We’re finally entering long-awaited winter weather! Many New England states are under winter weather alerts, expecting high winds up to 50 mph. These strong winds are expected to wreak havoc at sea, possibly causing ships to capsize or damaging vessels. This storm could even intensify fast enough to become a “bomb cyclone,” a phenomenon characterized by a pressure drop of at least 24 millibars within 24 hours along with increased precipitation and winds.
4. A record year for LGBTQ representation in holiday movies
Hulu and Hallmark have released holiday films that feature LGBTQ couples in the main storyline along with many others with LGBTQ representation. Although this is a big jump and good progress, we still have a long way to go. Only about 10% of characters overall are LGBTQ. Hollywood recognizes the demographics of this country have changed, so this change needs to be reflected in movies as well.
5. Biden faces backlash for Cabinet positions
President-elect Joe Biden’s plan to remake America’s crumbling infrastructure increases pressure on the three Cabinet picks. Critics think his picks are too “progressive,” so the question of whether they will be approved by the Senate looms. Biden sees infrastructure as a bipartisan issue that is often promised but rarely delivered. He views it as a central legislative priority for his first year in office and critical to his economic recovery plan. He is hoping his picks for the Department of Transportation, the Department of Commerce, and the Small Business Administration will work in tandem to enact the goal.
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