Gymnasts, gift thieves, and more: 6 podcast episodes from this week’s headlines

News December 16, 2021

Catch up on the biggest headlines of this week with these podcast episodes. USA gymnasts, including Olympic gold medalists like Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney, and Aly Raisman, finally reached a huge settlement in the case against former doctor Larry Nassar. Also, for the upcoming holiday, catch up on the latest Omicron news and how to stop package thieves from stealing your Christmas gifts.

Hear from Dr. Fauci and more on these 6 podcast episodes about the Omicron variant of COVID-19

We have news on the Federal Reserve’s view on inflation, a bipartisan push to protect Uyghurs in China, and hear about the swift economic downfall happening in Afghanistan.

Stay safe out there! And check out our list of news podcast episodes from the headlines:

What A Day

Listen to ‘A Settlement For Victims of Larry Nassar’

“What A Day” recaps the day in court when USA Gymnastics as well as the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee agreed to a $380 million settlement to the over 500 victims of Larry Nassar, serial abuser and former doctor of the U.S. women’s gymnastics team. It’s the end of a five-year battle and is one of the largest settlements for survivors of sexual assault. Also covered is the rising death toll in Kentucky after tornadoes ripped through the state earlier this week, and eight pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong were sentenced to prison.

The Journal

Listen to ‘The Fed’s Shifting Inflation Message’

The Federal Reserve has been saying for months that the inflation we are experiencing is merely transitory and will disappear in a few months. Well, now their language has changed, says “The Journal’s” Nick Timiraos. He explains what The Fed’s move away from using the word transitory means for the U.S. economy.

The Rundown from KYW Newsradio

Listen to ‘Arrgh, porch pirates! How to prevent package theft at the holidays’

We all know that package theft, or porch piracy as “The Rundown from KYW Newsradio” likes to call it, always spikes during the holiday season, and with the continued rise in online holiday shopping, more packages than ever are being lifted right off people’s doorsteps. KYW reporter Antionette Lee shares how to stop them.

5 Things

Listen to ‘800,000 US death from COVID-19’

The United States has passed a new morbid milestone in the COVID-19 pandemic, surpassing 800,000 deaths. Experts predict the country will eventually pass a million by Spring. Also, Congress passed a bill to raise the nation’s debt limit by $2.5 trillion, former police officer Derek Chauvin heads back to court in a civil rights case for George Floyd’s murder, and TikTok users say the algorithm has helped them come into their own identities.

Axios Today

Listen to ‘A bipartisan push to protect Uyghurs in China’

Shortly after the United States declared a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Olympics, there’s been a bipartisan push in Congress to punish the Chinese government for genocide against Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities. Along with sanctions, the new breakthrough piece of legislation would ban all imports from the Chinese region of Xinjiang. Also, professional sports are bracing for the Omicron variant and “Axios Today” looks at the impact of the Black Lives Matter movement over the past year and a half.

The Daily

Listen to ‘An Economic Catastrophe in Afghanistan’

Afghanistan’s economy has been deteriorating quickly: banks have run out of cash, Afghans are selling their belongings, and it’s estimated that 22.8 million people will face life-threatening food insecurity this winter. As the crisis continues to unfold in the Taliban-controlled country, Christina Goldbaum, a correspondent for The New York Times based in Kabul, tells us what it’s like on the ground, and what role the United States has played in this.