Tuesday, January 18 top stories
It is Tuesday, January 18. Here are today’s top stories.
Free Covid-19 test kits
The U.S. government and the U.S. Postal Office have set up a new website where you can order up to four free Covid-19 at-home test kits. The website is covidtests.gov, which will lead you to a special USPS website. You can fill out your name and shipping address. There is no charge. The USPS said it will start shipping test kits at the end of January. The test kits are rapid antigen tests and will give results within 30 minutes. Antigen tests are considered less accurate than PCR tests, which typically involve a lab, but are more convenient.
There is another way to get free test kits via reimbursement from your private insurer. Starting this Saturday and going forward, you can buy test kits at a store or online and then ask your insurance provider to reimburse you. The Biden administration set a new rule that requires private insurers to cover the cost of up to eight test kits per month per insured person. You should keep the receipts from your purchases and reach out to your private insurers for more information.
Updates from Tonga volcano eruption
We have updates from Tonga after it was hit by an underwater volcano that caused a tsunami and a heavy ash cloud on Saturday. At least three people were killed and there is major damage on the west coast of the island.
A 65-year-old woman died on Mango island, which is a smaller island north of the main island of Tonga. All homes on that island were destroyed. A 49-year-old man died on Namuka Island, which is near Mango island.
The third death was a 50-year-old British woman named Angela Glover who died trying to rescue her dogs from the tsunami. She was swept away by the water and her body was found by her husband. She was remembered as someone who loved dogs and had a dream of living in a place like Tonga.
Tonga’s communication with the world was cut off because an undersea cable was damaged. The governments of New Zealand, Australia, and France are sending military planes to provide essential supplies and aid.
Woman pushed to her death at NYC subway station
On Saturday morning, a 40-year-old woman named Michelle Go was waiting for a subway in New York City when she was pushed into the front of an oncoming train. She was killed. Go was from Fremont, California and moved to New York City about two years ago.
The suspect is a 61-year-old man named Simon Martial, who is homeless and has mental health issues. He turned himself in to law enforcement about 13 minutes after the attack. There was a witness, a woman, who said she felt like the suspect was going to push her into the train so she walked away and then she saw the suspect push Go.
New York City officials said they plan to send police officers to do more frequent and regular sweeps of the subway system and work with homeless outreach teams. There will be a candlelight vigil for Go tonight in San Francisco.
[Sponsored Video from Sorenson: www.sorenson.com]
Microsoft to buy Activision Blizzard
Microsoft announced it would buy Activision Blizzard, one of the world’s top video game makers, for $68.7 billion in cash. It is the largest acquisition for Microsoft. Activision Blizzard makes popular games such as Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, and Candy Crush. Microsoft plans to add many of Activision’ games to its Xbox Game Pass. Activision is currently going through serious controversy and multiple legal cases with many allegations of sexual harassment. Now it will be up to Microsoft to deal with the controversy and try to preserve the value of the games.
Hawaii to require booster shot for “fully vaccinated” status
Hawaii may update its definition of “fully vaccinated” to include booster shots for those who want to visit the island and avoid its 5-day quarantine requirements. Hawaii Gov. Ige said the change will not happen for at least two weeks so those planning travel will have time to get a booster shot.
AT&T, Verizon to delay 5G service near airports
AT&T and Verizon said they would delay rolling out its 5G service in areas near several airports after they received concerns from the CEOs of major airline companies such as American, United, Delta, and Southwest that 5G may interfere with devices that planes use to measure altitude. The airlines’ CEOs said 5G could cause a crisis that would require thousands of flights to be grounded. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it has checked and approved 5G service in 48 out of 88 airports. AT&T said they are frustrated with FAA’s slow progress in approving 5G service near airports, saying that almost 40 countries around the world have successfully been able to operate airports with nearby 5G service without disruptions. The 5G service is expected to roll out nationwide on January 19 except for areas near certain airports.
That is all the top stories for today. Check out our other videos. See you tomorrow and stay with the light.
Covid Test: https://www.covidtests.gov/
USPS Special Website: https://special.usps.com/testkits
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-60027913
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/angela-glover-dead-tonga-tsunami-brother-says/
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/16/nyregion/michelle-go-man-pushes-woman-subway.html
https://www.axios.com/microsoft-to-buy-activision-blizzard-c2e1fe64-c5f8-4c77-bfa6-2893668ad173.html
https://www.axios.com/att-delays-5g-again-c4c065f0-3ef7-4229-aa27-fc9dcac3713d.html
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/5g-airlines-disruption-warning-verizon-att/