Monday, January 31 2022 Top Stories
It is Monday, January 31. Here are today’s top stories.
Spotify & Joe Rogan controversy
Spotify, the world’s largest music streaming service that also offers many podcasts, is being accused of allowing Joe Rogan and his interview guests to spread misinformation on Covid-19 without inserting any kind of warning. Some examples of misinformation is the idea that young people and children shouldn’t get the vaccine or the use of ivermectin to treat the virus. Rogan has invited guests who have controversial views on the coronavirus.
Last week, singer Neil Young said he would remove his music from Spotify if they did not remove Joe Rogan’s podcast. Spotify didn’t remove it, so Neil removed his music from Spotify. A few other musicians followed Neil’s lead by also removing their content.
On Sunday morning Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who has a $25 million deal with Spotify to make podcasts, said they had concerns with Covid-19 misinformation on the platform.
The pressure seemed to have led Spotify’s CEO to announce on Sunday that “Spotify subscribers will notice a new content warning airing ahead of any podcast episodes discussing Covid-19.”
Rogan responded to the controversy in an Instagram video. He said he would be open to inviting more experts with differing opinions after he invites the controversial ones. He said he is a fan of Neil Young and that he feels sorry that Neil feels that way about his podcast.
Joe Rogan is currently in a $100 million deal with Spotify and has about 11 million listeners per episode.
Arbery family opposed to plea deal
The Department of Justice reached a plea deal on hate crime charges on two of the men who murdered Ahmaud Arbery, Travis and Gregory McMichael (father and son). The plea deal allows the two to serve the first 30 years of their sentence in a “preferred federal prison.”
The deal means that a hate crimes trial scheduled for February 7 won’t take place.
Arbery’s mother and attorneys for the family said they are very opposed to the plea deal, calling it a “back room deal” that was made without their input. Attorneys plan to file motions in court to oppose the deals.
Covid-19 related protests in Canada
On Saturday in Canada’s capital city of Ottawa, thousands of people marched in protest of Covid-19 related rules, such as vaccine mandates, masks, and lockdowns. Many protesters were truck drivers who banded together in a “Freedom Convoy” to protest a new rule that requires truck drivers entering Canada be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. 18-wheelers were seen clogging up roads around Ottawa as protesters cheered them on.
Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau called the protesters a “troubling, small but very vocal minority of Canadians who are lashing out at science, at government, at society…”
Many protesters had signs that disparaged Trudeau.
In separate news, Trudeau announced that he tested positive for Covid-19 today. He said he is feeling fine and will work remotely.
[Sponsored Video from Sorenson: www.sorenson.com]
Speeding car kills 9 in Las Vegas
On Sunday afternoon in North Las Vegas, there was a terrible car crash in which seven members of a single family died.
Police said a speeding Dodge Challenger traveling at more than 100 mph ran a red light and crashed into a Toyota Sienna minivan with three young adults and four children whose ages were 5, 10, 13, and 15. All in the van died.
The driver and his passenger were also killed. Both were men in their 50’s. A total of nine died in the collision.
Police said four other vehicles on the intersection were hit as a result of the crash.
A mother to some of those who died in the van posted a GoFundMe in Spanish that she “lost four children, two stepchildren, and a brother.”
U.S. rents up 14% on average
The Washington Post reported that home rental prices across the country have risen an average of 14% last year, which has forced millions of Americans to consider moving.
The top city with the highest increase is Austin, TX with rents up 40% in a year. The average rent is $2,290.
Regions in the New York City metropolitan areas had increases of 35% with an average rent of $3,718.
Many cities in Florida are also seeing increases in rent.
The higher rent prices means that inflation is likely going to continue to rise in the coming months.
Rams vs Bengals for Super Bowl LVI
It’s going to be the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals that will play in Super Bowl LVI (56) on Sunday, February 13. The game will be at SoFi Stadium in the Los Angeles area, at the Rams’ home stadium, in a lucky coincidence for them as the venues for Super Bowls are picked several years in advance. So the Rams are playing at home, which is almost the same scenario that happened last year when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the Super Bowl in their home stadium. We’ll see how the Rams do against a young Cincinnati Bengals team.
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That is all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light.
https://deadline.com/2022/01/spotify-content-warnings-joe-rogan-covid-19-misinformation-1234922739/
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/joe-rogan-responds-podcast-spotify-neil-young-1235084210/
https://deadline.com/2022/01/neil-young-leaving-spotify-joe-rogan-covid-vaccines-1234920496/
https://spotifyopenletter.wordpress.com/2022/01/10/an-open-letter-to-spotify/
https://www.axios.com/ahmaud-arbery-greg-travis-mcmichael-hate-crimes-plea-deal-4898d2d5-96c9-418a-8446-fec34d130f29.html
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-60190452
https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-business-justin-trudeau-canada-45778ef0bdca45501411fb21066c46a0
https://twitter.com/JustinTrudeau/status/1488162322187182085
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/9-dead-north-las-vegas-speeding-car-runs-red-light-rcna14103
https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/north-las-vegas/driver-in-crash-that-killed-9-traveling-in-excess-of-100-mph-police-say-2521066/
https://www.gofundme.com/f/expensas-para-los-funelares-de-mi-familia
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/01/30/rent-inflation-housing/