It’s time once again for news and views that you can peruse. It’s another edition of your Weekly Reader! As always, if you have something you’d like to share, drop a link in the comments!
Former Shoe Shiner Wins Back Nearly $30,000 Seized by Federal Agents (from the New York Times): “When Kermit Warren lost his job shining shoes during the Covid-19 pandemic last year, he and his son took his life savings of nearly $30,000 to buy a tow truck to support Mr. Warren’s longtime side business of collecting scrap metal.
But after flying from New Orleans to Ohio to buy the truck, Mr. Warren and his son discovered that it was the wrong kind — it was designed for hauling heavy equipment, not scrap metal — so they returned home with $28,180 in cash in a pink gift bag.”
Best Friends Traveled to Astroworld to Celebrate a Birthday. Neither Made It Home. (from The Daily Beast): “When the family couldn’t get in touch with Franco at the end of the event on Friday, they started desperately calling police. A hospital employee eventually used Franco’s phone to call his mother and confirm their worst fear. Jake was still missing though, so the Patinos went around to the home of Ron Jurinek, who at that point had no idea what had happened. “He was in shock,” Patino recalled. A couple of hours later, Jake had been located.”
People swear by apple cider vinegar for weight loss. Does it actually work? (from USA Today): “Apple cider vinegar is made from apples that have been processed, distilled and fermented. Acetic acid is the active ingredient in apple cider vinegar (as in all vinegars) and is likely the driver of any health benefits. But its acidic nature and high potential for damage to tooth enamel and GI tract lining if consumed undiluted in large quantities likely limits both research studies and widespread use. This has not stopped supplement manufacturers from packaging it into pills, perhaps to make it more palatable to consumers.”
Goddard school district orders 29 books removed from circulation (from KMUW): “Cannizzo said Tuesday that one parent objected to language he found offensive in “The Hate U Give,” a novel about the aftermath of a police officer killing a Black teenager. The parent then submitted a list of books he questioned, and district officials agreed to halt checkouts and complete a review.”
Exxon CEO accused of lying about climate science to congressional panel (from The Guardian): “They each said that they recognised global heating was a reality and a major challenge. But the executives did not accept that their companies had failed to take it seriously or that they were undermining attempts to cut greenhouse gases by funding trade groups pouring millions of dollars into lobbying Congress against tighter environmental laws.”
Meta: Facebook’s new name ridiculed by Hebrew speakers (from the BBC): “A number of people have taken to Twitter to share their take on the name under the hashtag #FacebookDead.”
Amazon slaps a $9.95 fee on Whole Foods deliveries. And Walmart pounces (from CNN): “The fee was put in place to help cover delivery operating costs like equipment and technology without raising product prices, a Whole Foods spokesperson told CNN Business. Whole Foods delivered three times as many orders in 2020 as it did in 2019, the spokesperson added, as the pandemic deepened customers’ dependence on delivery.”
That’s all for today. But don’t worry. I’ll be back next week with more information for you to process. Until then, have a great week and happy reading!
Iacon East 