Newsletter Mar 22, 2021

With the U.S. finally showing signs of progress against the pandemic, millions of younger Americans say it's time to fight for their right to party.

3 Things
  • Spring fever: The official start to spring kicked off the traditional spring-break period for college students who have been confined to lockdowns and virtual learning for a year. Many have decided enough is enough and are going to Florida to party like its 2019.

    The spring break migration was predictable after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis waved mask mandates and social distancing requirements earlier this month. But local municipalities are taking matters into their own hands to enact strict curfews and capacity limits, especially since younger visitors are the least likely to be vaccinated.

    The confusion led to conflicts between Miami-Dade SWAT teams and thousands of revelers who violated the 8 p.m. curfew. Tear gas was used to break up street parties and police closed the bridges over the causeways to prevent the influx of more vacationers.

    Experts fear the increased interactions could lead to another spike in cases involving the new variants, and Florida is a hot spot for several strains of the virus. The U.S. is racing to put shots in arms before the relaxed regulations can cause a fourth wave of the deadly virus.

    WATCH POLICE CLASH WITH SPRING-BREAKERS IN MIAMI

  • Run for the border: While public health officials are trying to stop spring-breakers from fleeing south, the President Joe Biden is focusing on preventing another group of kids from coming north.

    A recent flood of unaccompanied children crossing the U.S.-Mexican border has become a crisis for the Biden administration as it attempts to deal with detention facility shortages and log-jammed caseloads. He has sent FEMA to address the humanitarian issues while the federal government races to get the situation under control.

    "Yes, I can say quite clearly, 'Don't come over,' " Biden said Sunday. “... Let’s get something straight though. The vast majority of people crossing the border are being sent back ... immediately sent back.”

    However, an estimated 5,000 migrant children are currently in custody as the Biden administration faces a mounting challenge of illegal immigrants pouring over the border in record numbers.

    SEE BIDEN'S PLAN TO ADDRESS THE CRISIS AT THE BORDER

  • Weeding out staffers: Biden is also under fire for his seeming flip-flop on the issue of past marijuana use when it comes to hiring and firing his staff members. After initially signalling that he was cool with hiring people who admitted to past use, he's now Capt. Buzzkill.

    Several staffers have reported losing their jobs after they self-reported past marijuana use under the belief that it would not be held against them. Instead, many are receiving pink slips for the slip-ups.

    “There were one-on-one calls with individual affected staffers, rather, ex-staffers,” said a former White House aide. “I was asked to resign.”

    Even those who reported they smoked weed in states where it is now legal to do so lost their jobs, although the Biden administration claims only five employees were fired over the policy. The issue also raises calls for Biden to push for federal legalization of marijuana.

    FIND OUT WHY THE OLD HIRING POLICY IS STILL IN PLACE

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Hack attacks

The U.S. is facing a growing threat of cyber attacks supported by foreign governments, and the key to stopping them could lie in the sky overhead.

Following reports that the U.S. failed to prevent two "Pearl Harbor"-style cyber security attacks from Russia and China over the past two months. As a result, the Federal Communications Commission is considering a 180-day moratorium on issuing licenses to companies to launch satellites.

The FCC has currently licensed over 80,000 permits for low orbit, non-geostationary satellites that intelligence agencies believe are being used to stage the attacks. The FCC claims that the licenses, which boomed under the Trump administration, are jeopardizing international security.

Environmental group are also concerned that the crowded orbit space could lead to a collision with potential catastrophic damage down below.

SEE HOW LIMITING SATELLITES CAN IMPROVE CYBER SECURITY


Monopoly makeover

It's game over for the long-standing Monopoly board, which will undergo a modern makeover to reflect societal changes since the classic game's introduction to the U.S. in 1935. While the object is still to bankrupt your opponents, the new version will allow players to kill them with kindness.

Hasbro is taking fans' suggestions for changes to the Community Chest cards, which traditionally hold bonuses for winning a beauty contest and a free railroad ride and penalties for holiday funds and life insurance. 

The new version will feature more modern-day topics and community service-related charges, such as “Shop Local”, “Rescue A Puppy,” and “Help Your Neighbors.” Hasbro says the changes are meant to reflect an evolving society and emphasize the importance of giving back.

Monopoly has long featured special-edition versions and and themes, including a recently released Monopoly for Millennials to introduce the game to the new generation. But the classic board and game have remained unchanged until the updated version comes out in the fall.

FIND OUT HOW TO VOTE FOR THE NEW CHANGES TO MONOPOLY


Tweet out the candles

Happy 15th birthday Twitter. If you were a human, you would be asking about getting your driver's learning permit. But as a social media platform, many would argue that you have been driving recklessly for years now.

Twitter turned 15 on Sunday, marking the anniversary of the first tweet sent by CEO Jack Dorsey -- "just setting up my twttr," he tweeted. Little did the world know what an impact, including the misspelling and all-lower case letters, that the medium would have on the way we communicate.

From the driving force behind former President Donald Trump's earth-shattering election to the way companies and celebrities get their messages out, Twitter has revolutionized human interaction forever, and not necessarily for the better. But it's impact ranks right up there with TV.

Dorsey's first tweet is being auctioned off for charity and is expected to fetch in the neighborhood of $2.5 million. It just goes to show how, 15 years later, users and followers are still atwitter over Twitter.

FIND OUT THE FUTURE OF TWITTER AND ITS LASTING IMPACT


Do not pass Go!

Contrary to conventional wisdom, Charles Darrow didn't invent Monopoly. Who was the actual creator, and what was the game originally called?

(Friday's answer: The world's first animated cartoon was "Fantasmagorie," which was created and drawn by famed French cartoonist Émile Cohl.)

SEND YOUR ANSWER HERE TO SHOW OFF YOUR KNOWLEDGE

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