Class-action lawsuit filed against Robinhood after the stock market app restricts trading
Shares of a small game company, GameStop, soared up over 700% this past week as amateur traders took to the internet to encourage others to join them in buying shares. After the shares skyrocketed, Robinhood, a stock market app popular among young, first-time investors, halted trading of these shares. This sparked national outcries and resulted in a class-action lawsuit filed against them, citing favoritism towards Wall Street professionals and illegal halting of trades. Angry amateur traders took once again to the internet to encourage Robinhood to let them trade and encouraged others to continue to buy other strange stocks, such as Dogecoin.
COVID-19 virus variant from South Africa identified in the United States
A new variant of the coronavirus originating from South Africa was identified in two cases in South Carolina on Jan. 28. Public health officials from the state have said that they believe there are almost certainly more cases that have not been identified yet. This mutated variant of the coronavirus is thought to be more contagious and current vaccines are thought to be less effective at preventing it. Healthcare workers urge people to be especially careful, stay home as much as possible and to continue washing and sanitizing their hands.
Nitrogen leak at poultry plant leaves six dead
A liquid nitrogen leak at a poultry plant in Georgia left six people dead and almost a dozen others in the hospital. When liquid nitrogen is introduced to oxygen, it evaporates into an odorless gas and can be extremely dangerous and possibly deadly to inhale. Several of those injured were sent to the hospital in critical condition. Local police are still investigating why the leak occurred, but some suspect that it may have been from one of the refrigeration systems that contained liquid nitrogen.
President Biden reopens Obamacare sign ups
President Joe Biden has reopened a window that lets uninsured citizens register for the Affordable Healthcare Act, called “Obamacare.” This is the first step in reversing many of the decisions regarding healthcare availability made by former president Donald Trump. While Biden has made it clear he is opposed to a ‘Medicare for All’ plan, he does promise to expand on healthcare coverage and make affordable healthcare available to all Americans.
