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Amid a fourth wave of COVID-19, President Joe Biden laid out his six-point plan to get the virus under control and the economy back on track. |
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Biden declares renewed war on 'pandemic of the unvaccinated' President Joe Biden already has egg on his face for his foreign policy failures in Afghanistan. On Thursday, he wanted to make sure he didn't do the same on the domestic front, announcing a new six-point plan to help America get across the finish line of the pandemic. Foremost in Biden's controversial plan is vaccine mandates, signing an executive order to require federal employees to get inoculated or fired, and asking private companies with more than 100 employees to mandate vaccinations. The speech drew criticism from some GOP members, but Biden said the steps are needed to finally kick COVID. FIND OUT BIDEN'S SIX-POINT PLAN TO END THE COVID CRISIS
Weekly unemployment claims fall but continuing claims persist There was good and bad news from the Labor Department regarding the state of unemployment as federal jobless benefits expired this week. The loss of the $300 weekly stipend and an end to benefits for the self-employed seemed to have mixed results on the jobs front. The good news: First-time claims for jobless benefits were below projections as 310,000 Americans filed for benefits for the first time, compared to the 335,000 predicted. The bad: Existing claims hit higher than projected – a sign that many Americans are in no rush to rejoin the work force. Employers had hoped that an end to enhanced benefits would be a shot in the arm for hiring workers, but right now there are a high number of "work hesitant" waiting for the right job. SEE THE BREAKDOWNS OF THE LATEST JOBS NUMBERS
NFL, networks are big winners in gambling advertising revenue If you watched last night’s NFL season opener between the Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, you probably saw ads trying to convince you to place a bet on the game. The NFL’s recent embrace of online gaming has been a boon in advertising dollars for it and its networks, adding previously untapped sources of revenue. The NFL had a long-standing policy against sports gambling due to integrity issues, but it seems millions of dollars in ad revenue has changed its tune. The ads generated over $600 million last year and is expected to increase again this season. No matter which team covers the spread, the NFL and the networks are the big winners. FIND OUT WHY THE NFL CHANGED ITS STANCE ON GAMING
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Markets
| DJIA | 34,879.38 | -0.43% |
| S&P 500 | 4,493.28 | -0.46% |
| Nasdaq Composite | 15,248.25 | -0.25% |
| Japan: Nikkei 225 | 30,008.19 | -0.57% |
| UK: FTSE 100 | 7,024.21 | -1.01% |
| Crude Oil Futures | 67.97 | -0.25% |
| Gold Futures | 1,797.20 | -0.16% |
| Yen | 109.79 | 0.05% |
| Euro | 1.18 | 0.02% | | * As of market close |
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US airlifts more than 100 from Afghanistan
In its haste to pull out of Afghanistan by the Aug. 31 deadline, the US committed a violation of the first rule of Soldiering 101: You never leave a man behind. In this case, the US left behind about 200 American citizens and Afghan allies on the Taliban's pledge to allow them safe passage. That pledge went unhonored until Thursday, when over 100 evacuees boarded a flight for Qatar. The US hopes to airlift more evacuees in the coming days but some flights are being held up amid disputes about proper documentation. The US and has publicly acknowledged the Taliban's cooperation in the mission in this new form of shuttle diplomacy. FIND OUT WHAT THE TALIBAN IS HOPING TO GET IN EXCHANGE
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DOJ files suit against Texas over abortion bill
Whoever said "Don't Mess With Texas" forgot to tell US attorney general Merrick Garland. In announcing that the Department of Justice is filing suit against the state over its new abortion law, Garland called the Texas Heartbeat Act an "unjust law" and a "scheme to nullify the Constitution" The law, which took effect last week, bans abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected, about six weeks into pregnancy and before most women have realized they are pregnant. It also offers no exceptions for cases of rape and "deputizes bounty hunters" to file civil lawsuits against anyone receiving or aided in an abortion. The Supreme Court refused to take on the case, prompting Garland to file suit based on Roe v. Wade precedent. SEE HOW TEXAS OFFICIALS REACTED TO THE FEDERAL LAWSUIT
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Burger King copies McDonald's celeb meals
So much for having it your way. Now Burger King is letting you have it someone else’s way with its new line of “Keep It Real Meals†that take a page from McDonald’s celebrity combos. One twist; instead of using big names like Mickey D’s did with Saweetie, J Balvin and BTS, Burger King is keeping their meals real by promoting the celebrities’ given names. BK’s promotion will feature the favorite meals of Cornell Haynes Jr. (Nelly), Chase Hudson (Lil Huddy) and Larissa Machado (Anitta) to give customers the chance to enjoy their favorite artists’ favorite orders. The idea worked wonders for Mickey D's, and now The King is lovin' it too. FIND OUT WHAT BURGER KING'S CELEBS CHOSE AS THEIR MEAL
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Royal roots
The first Burger King opened in 1953 with a slightly different name. What was the original name and in what US city was the franchise founded? Thursday’s answer: Former Raiders quarterback and placekicker George Blanda played until he was 48 -- a record Tom Brady may break in 2025. SEND YOUR ANSWER HERE TO SHOW OFF YOUR KNOWLEDGE
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Fast Start for friends
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