Tuesday,  July 14th, 2020

California Governor Gavin Newsom orders further restrictions and prohibitions on indoor activities, building on previous orders. California has seen a sustained rise in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks, resulting in the state pausing and rolling back some reopening plans. Source: ABC News (CNBC)

State media issues an order from the Ministry of Health mandating that all citizens wear masks to combat “dust”, and maintain a distance between persons of at least 3 feet. The Turkmen government maintains that the country remains free of COVID-19 but refuses to explain the purpose of these mandates. (CTV News)

Diageo plc announces that Johnnie Walker Scotch whisky will soon be sold in paper bottles. The bottles will be made from wood pulp and will be fully recyclable. A trial run is scheduled for spring 2021. In addition, Diageo is co-launching Pulpex with venture management firm Pilot Lite that will make paper bottles for beverage companies such as Unilever and PepsiCo. (BBC)

The U.S. State Department formally rejects most of China’s maritime claims in the South China Sea. (U.S. Department of State)

In response to the United States placing sanctions on Chinese officials for their roles in the internment of Uyghurs, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announces it will place sanctions on several American politicians, such as Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, and the government agency Congressional-Executive Commission on China for “wrong actions”. (BBC)

Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Nathan Law says he is in the United Kingdom after fleeing persecution from a controversial security law implemented by the Hong Kong government. (BBC)

The Washington Redskins announce they are dropping the team nickname and logo after decades of criticism of them being offensive to Native Americans. The new name will be announced later.  (USA Today)

5.4 million Americans lost their health insurance amid coronavirus pandemic A new study finds that due to job losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic, an estimated 5.4 million Americans had their health insurance dropped between February and May. The analysis was conducted by the nonpartisan Families U.S.A., and will be released on Tuesday. During the recession of 2008 and 2009, 3.9 million adults lost their health insurance, and study author Stan Dorn told The New York Times he knew today’s numbers “would be big. This is the worst economic downturn since World War II. It dwarfs the Great Recession. So it’s not surprising that we would see the worst increase in the uninsured.” The study looked at laid-off adults younger than 65, when Americans become eligible for Medicare, and found that 46 percent of coverage losses from the pandemic hit people living in California, Texas, Florida, New York, and North Carolina. Source: The New York Times

 

The End

 

This Day in History

1874 – The Chicago Fire of 1874 burns down 47 acres of the city, destroying 812 buildings, killing 20, and resulting in the fire insurance industry demanding municipal reforms from Chicago’s city council.

1877 – The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 began in Martinsburg, West Virginia, when wages of Baltimore and Ohio Railroad workers were cut for the third time in a year. The strike was ended on Sept 4 by local and state militias, and federal troops.

1933 – Gleichschaltung: In Germany, all political parties are outlawed except the Nazi Party.

1938 – Howard Hughes sets a new record by completing a 91-hour airplane flight around the world.^[4]

1958 – Iraqi Revolution: In Iraq the monarchy is overthrown by popular forces led by Abd al-Karim Qasim, who becomes the nation’s new leader.

1965 – The Mariner 4 flyby of Mars takes the first close-up photos of another planet.

1969 – The Federal Reserve Banks begins removing large denominations of United States currency from circulation.^[6]

2015 – NASA‘s New Horizons probe performs the first flyby of Pluto, and thus completes the initial survey of the Solar System.

2016 – A terrorist vehicular attack in Nice, France kills 86 civilians and injures over 400 others.