# Biggest non-COVID19 news stories we have already forgotten about: because of COVID-19 **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 4, 2020, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-non-covid19-news-stories-we-have-already-forgotten-about-because-of-covid-19/851035 "2020-04-04T06:07:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2020, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-non-covid19-news-stories-we-have-already-forgotten-about-because-of-covid-19/851035/21 "2020-04-14T13:30:24Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > The major earthquake in Utah on March 18. Utah quake: 5.7. Idaho quake 3/31: 6.5. I guess you forgot the latter. šŸ˜‰ ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2020, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-non-covid19-news-stories-we-have-already-forgotten-about-because-of-covid-19/851035/22 "2020-04-14T19:03:04Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Utah quake: 5.7. Idaho quake 3/31: 6.5. > > I guess you forgot the latter. šŸ˜‰ I realize the Idaho earthquake was bigger in magnitude but its epicenter was out in the wilderness. The Utah earthquake struck a major city so I feel it was more newsworthy. ---
**Author:** ![phreesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@phreesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phreesh)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2020, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-non-covid19-news-stories-we-have-already-forgotten-about-because-of-covid-19/851035/23 "2020-04-15T15:16:00Z")
The Biden sexual assault accusation got no traction and, in fact, his nomination was quickly met with official support from Obama and Warren. ---
**Author:** ![Grestarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grestarian/32/3227_2.png) [@Grestarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grestarian)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2020, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-non-covid19-news-stories-we-have-already-forgotten-about-because-of-covid-19/851035/24 "2020-04-16T06:02:44Z")
Iā€™ll admit, Iā€™ve been trying to avoid the News for several years ā€“ to the point of cutting the cable and doing without broadcast TV or newspapers. But a lot of things slip in, just from overhearing conversations or seeing headlines at the supermarket or (in this case) seeing stuff on the Weather Channel website when I check the rain forecast. Therefore I donā€™t know if this qualifies for the OPā€™s thread: While weā€™ve been paying attention to COVID-19 news and President Rumpā€™s action/inaction/grandstanding/mistakes/distractions/whatever in relation to it, apparently his other hand has been [undermining environmental protections including those that fight respiratory illnesses caused by air pollution.](https://weather.com/science/environment/news/2020-04-13-trump-administration-continues-environmental-rollbacks-amid) But I guess thatā€™s business as U$ual, making America Great Again. Ohā€¦and apparently there are stinkbug and locust plagues on some other continents. So, letā€™s see, thatā€™s various scattered wars, pestilence, diseaseā€¦ ā€“G! ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2020, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-non-covid19-news-stories-we-have-already-forgotten-about-because-of-covid-19/851035/25 "2020-04-17T04:13:55Z")
I donā€™t know how big a story it would have been, but there have been [wildfires near Chernobyl](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52277414), which some feared would increase radioactivity in the area. Chernobyl means wormwood in the Ukraine.\* - mind you, wormwood is a common and desirable plant in Europe, so calling an area ā€œWormwoodā€ is not that surprising ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2020, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-non-covid19-news-stories-we-have-already-forgotten-about-because-of-covid-19/851035/26 "2020-04-17T04:58:05Z")
> [@phreesh](#): > > The Biden sexual assault accusation got no traction and, in fact, his nomination was quickly met with official support from Obama and Warren. Meh, that initially came out a year ago, before COVID-19. It didnā€™t gain traction then because the investigation seemed dubious. What happened more recently is that her story changed in a way that makes Biden worse. And I think that would not fly well even if COVID-19 was not so big. Changed stories are the one way to leave both sides not believing you. And the investigation had already been done, so the rape activistā€™s plea would have been met. Note, Iā€™m not judging truth or falsity here, because this isnā€™t the thread for it. Thereā€™s a thread about this in the politics forum where I think the debate makes more sense. Iā€™m just disagreeing that this was a casualty of COVID-19. ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2020, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-non-covid19-news-stories-we-have-already-forgotten-about-because-of-covid-19/851035/27 "2020-04-18T19:26:27Z")
We have an [extra moon](https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/26/world/earth-mini-moon-asteroid-scn-trnd/index.html) right now. It looks like it will be leaving about the time the coronavirus curve has leveled out in the US. Coincidence? ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2020, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-non-covid19-news-stories-we-have-already-forgotten-about-because-of-covid-19/851035/28 "2020-04-18T19:48:51Z")
> [@flatlined](#): > > We have an [extra moon](https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/26/world/earth-mini-moon-asteroid-scn-trnd/index.html) right now. It looks like it will be leaving about the time the coronavirus curve has leveled out in the US. Coincidence? Nah. Everybody knows that Oumuamua delivered the virus. ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2020, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-non-covid19-news-stories-we-have-already-forgotten-about-because-of-covid-19/851035/29 "2020-04-18T20:36:22Z")
You are right, after all, it did _arrive first_ šŸ™‚ Thanks for that, I hadnā€™t heard about it yet. Off I go to be happily entertained for a while. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2020, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-non-covid19-news-stories-we-have-already-forgotten-about-because-of-covid-19/851035/30 "2020-04-18T20:49:08Z")
No, as far as I know Iā€™m the origin of that conspiracy theory right now. ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2020, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-non-covid19-news-stories-we-have-already-forgotten-about-because-of-covid-19/851035/31 "2020-04-18T20:56:40Z")
I know, and you did a great jobā€¦I just hadnā€™t heard about those objects yet and enjoy learning obscure stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2020, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-non-covid19-news-stories-we-have-already-forgotten-about-because-of-covid-19/851035/32 "2020-04-18T21:41:33Z")
> [@flatlined](#): > > I know, and you did a great jobā€¦I just hadnā€™t heard about those objects yet and enjoy learning obscure stuff. Ah. Well, [here](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=865072) is anā€“umā€“ā€œinterestingā€ Dope thread to read. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2020, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-non-covid19-news-stories-we-have-already-forgotten-about-because-of-covid-19/851035/33 "2020-04-18T22:42:13Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > Nah. Everybody knows that Oumuamua delivered the virus. Yes, and Borisov, the other interstellar visitor which is cleverly disguised as an ordinary comet, is now [del]breaking up[/del] [releasing its attack ships](https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/interstellar-comet-borisov-breaking-up/) that are going to deliver the coup de grace after the virus softens us up. Expect a third interstellar ship, this one with with colonists, soon. Our only hope is for the attack ships to catch on fire as they go past the shoulder of Orion. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2020, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-non-covid19-news-stories-we-have-already-forgotten-about-because-of-covid-19/851035/34 "2020-04-19T00:08:42Z")
Hong Kong sure isnā€™t getting much coverage now. ---
**Author:** ![russian\_heel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f05b48/32.png) [@russian\_heel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/russian_heel)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2020, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-non-covid19-news-stories-we-have-already-forgotten-about-because-of-covid-19/851035/35 "2020-05-03T06:33:52Z")
And here are more current issues: > **[News Stories Buried By The Chaos](https://www.cracked.com/pictofacts-1691-important-news-stories-that-got-buried-by-all-chaos)** > > Turns out there are other news things happening. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2020, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-non-covid19-news-stories-we-have-already-forgotten-about-because-of-covid-19/851035/36 "2020-05-03T11:00:19Z")
And, did I miss this? ā€¦ The Boeing 737 MAX. Bet thereā€™s a couple of airlines out there that are glad that delivery was delayed. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2020, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-non-covid19-news-stories-we-have-already-forgotten-about-because-of-covid-19/851035/37 "2020-05-03T14:06:40Z")
Still a lot of people hooked on opiods and dying from them. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-non-covid19-news-stories-we-have-already-forgotten-about-because-of-covid-19/851035.md?page=1)