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Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check - May 11, 2021
May 11, 2021
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Got some gas for your car before the prices go up? That's what people are asking after a cyberattack forced the largest US fuel pipeline to shut down Friday --one which supplies half the gas to the entire East Coast. News outlets say it was a Russian group called Darkside who are "only after money --and apolitical." But now, since the pipeline was shut down, people are wondering whether the limited gas supply will mean the cost of a gallon will increase during the spring driving season. AAA says the national average pump price of regular gas stands at $2.97 a gallon, which is up more than 60-percent from a year ago when prices and demand were bottoming out.
Speaking of price hikes, the current U.S. lumber shortage has caused prices to more than triple within the last year. That --of course-- adds thousands of dollars to the cost of building a new home --the National Association of Home Builders say the average price for a new home shot up by $35,872 as of last week.
COVID update: How'd you like to be in Romania and have to get your COVID vaccination? Because they use 'Dracula's Castle' as their vaccine 'marathon' site. You don't need an appointment, and after you get injected with the Pfizer vaccine, you can get a free tour of the castle built back in 1388 in Transylvania.
Best pilot of the upcoming season: NBC has picked up a new drama called "Dangerous Moms." The Hollywood Reporter says the show is about four diverse mothers who accidentally kill the queen bee of their school’s PTA during the demonstration of a new high-end food processor. That alone sounds like a great season premiere. Then, the show will tell the story of the four women who are completely unprepared for what the accident does to their lives --and their families' lives.
Ain't gonna happen: NBC has cancelled the Golden Globes Awards for 2022. The reason? The network wants to give the Hollywood Foreign Press Association --who put on the awards show-- a chance to change the "lack of diversity" within its ranks, and has decided that a year would help the group to boost diversity. Last week, they rolled out a plan to increase the number of black reporters as well as other people of color. They also want to bring in 20 new members to the organization this year, and expand the membership by 50-percent over the upcoming 18 months.
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