Just what we don't need: A hurricane
A tropical storm's about to slam the mid-Atlantic. TikTok may be kicked out of the USA. And UV lights for COVID-19 are having their moment in the ... erm, spotlight.
It's Ashley with Monday's news to know.
But first, 'Stop! Sanitize!' An Alabama principal parodied MC Hammer's “U Can’t Touch This” ahead of students' return to school amid the coronavirus pandemic.
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Stay safe, Carolinas: Soon-to-be Hurricane Isaias is approaching
Tropical Storm Isaias is forecast to make landfall as a hurricane in the Carolinas on Monday night and will bring a “life threatening” storm surge and flash flooding over the next few days, the National Weather Service said. “We are forecasting it to become a hurricane before it reaches the coast this evening,” senior hurricane specialist Daniel Brown said. A tropical storm warning for Isaias – pronounced ees-ah-EE-ahs – was in effect for a huge portion of the eastern U.S., all the way from Georgia to Massachusetts. In all, about 112 million Americans live where a tropical storm warning is in effect, according to the Weather Service.
TikTok's on the clock
If you’re asking yourself, What in the world is TikTok? here's the deal: It’s a video sharing app featuring short clips that has become a favorite social platform for the Gen Z generation (and, oddly enough, my dad).
President Donald Trump says he'll hold off on banning TikTok – for now. The president threatened to "ban" TikTok in the U.S. last week, but on Monday Trump said he will wait until next month to take action on the app “unless it surrenders Chinese ownership.”
To whom? Potentially Microsoft. The tech giant confirmed Sunday that it is indeed exploring purchasing the app. Trump's threat to bar TikTok comes as the administration investigates whether the app's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, is harvesting data from Americans, an allegation company officials have denied.
- Who will be bummed if TikTok bites the dust? My hilarious Paste BN colleagues who curate our brilliant TikTok channel.
What everyone’s talking about
- The El Paso Walmart shooting became the deadliest domestic terror attack on Hispanics one year ago. Racism fueled the attack.
- "Deadliest Catch" deckhand Mahlon Reyes died of a heart attack at 38.
- The XFL is saved: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is now a part-owner.
- A radio host offered a heartbreaking tribute to his late partner, Jamie Samuelsen.
- While fans are still raving about Megan Fox's new relationship with rapper Machine Gun Kelly, her ex Brian Austin Green is still sending his best wishes.
Can UV light kill the coronavirus?
Ultraviolet light technology is becoming more popular to disinfect their airplane cabins, hotels, subway cars and cruise ships. While studies have yet to confirm if UVC light is able to kill COVID-19, multiple studies have shown it can kill other viruses, including influenza and other seasonal coronaviruses. But, how can a light kill a virus? One theory, experts say, is that the UVC light damages the virus’s RNA so it is no longer able to reproduce and infect. It can also damage the protein that coats the virus, disabling it to attach to a host cell. But don’t’ go buying a UV light for yourself just yet: Anything under $100 or $200 probably won't work, experts say.
Other COVID-19 developments:
- Two new tests will be able to detect COVID-19 and other winter viruses – including the flu – in just 90 minutes.
- A White House coronavirus task force member said that the nation needs to "move on" from the debate over hydroxychloroquine, a drug Trump has promoted as a COVID-19 treatment even though there is no clear evidence it is effective.
- Hundreds of employees in Georgia's largest school district have either tested positive for COVID-19 or have been exposed to the virus.
Detective in Lori Vallow's missing-kids case testifies
Lori Vallow's husband appeared in an Idaho courtroom for a preliminary hearing Monday, nearly two months after Vallow's children Joshua "JJ" Vallow and Tylee Ryan were found dead on his property. Chad Daybell is facing evidence destruction charges, a felony, as well as charges alleging he was part of a conspiracy to destroy evidence. The hearing, which continues Tuesday, focused largely on the discovery of JJ's remains. Detective Ray Hermosillo testified he saw Daybell looking "intently" toward a pond near his residence as Rexburg police carried out a search warrant. Hermosillo said officers later found a body he identified as JJ near the pond.
Real quick
- More than 2,000 firefighters were working to battle the Apple Fire, about 85 miles east of Los Angeles, as it spread to more than 26,000 acres.
- MLB postponed the Cardinals' next series after 13 tested positive for COVID-19.
- A Black student was pulled from his graduation procession and told to remove his face mask displaying the words Black Lives Matter.
- Judge Esther Salas spoke publicly for the first time about the shooting that killed her son.
- As cruising resumes in some parts of world, multiple cruise ships have been affected by new COVID-19 cases.
Bigger than hush money payments?
A Manhattan district attorney suggested Monday that an investigation into Trump ranges far beyond disguised payments to alleged mistresses before the 2016 election. As part of a continuing fight to obtain eight years of Trump's tax records, Cyrus Vance Jr.’s prosecutors asserted in court documents that their grand jury subpoena was issued at a time when the Trump Organization was at the center of "allegations of possible criminal activity ... dating back over a decade."
A break from the news
- ⚡️ Is your electricity bill getting higher? Here’s what you can do about it.
- 🍇 How grocery shopping has changed in the pandemic.
- 🚙 Two-tone car paint is making a comeback.
- 💰 The 5 best Amazon deals you can get Monday.
This is a compilation of stories from across the Paste BN Network. Want this news roundup in your inbox every night? Sign up for The Short List newsletter here.