Jan. 27, 2021: NBA Reporter Sekou Smith dies of COVID-19, 84% of Mexican Hand Sanitizer is Flawed and More

Welcome to Word on the Street where we discuss the top five most interesting links of the day. Here is what’s hot for Wednesday, January 27, 2021:

NBA Reporter and Analyst Sekou Smith dies of COVID-19: Sekou Smith, NBA TV analyst and writer for NBA.com, died of COVID-19 complications. He was 48 years old.

84% of Mexican Hand Sanitizer is Toxic or Flawed: The Food and Drug Administration has an alert stating that analysis of samples shows that 84% of sanitizers were not in compliance with FDA regulations. More than half were shown to have toxic ingredients.

Democrats Introduce Bill To Make Washington D.C. 51st State: The Democrats, including Washington D.C.’s non-voting representative, have introduced a bill to make the federal district a state. The bill has over 200 co-sponsors in the House, however due to the filibuster, it is unlikely to make headway in the Senate.

Gamestop Stock Jumps Over 100%: In an effort to stymy hedge funds short-selling Gamestop stock, Reddit users have poured money into the stock and call options on the stock, forcing the hedge funds to cover positions, and drive the stock higher. This has lead to a 128% increase in the stock price day over day, before trading was halted on the stock.

Pope Francis Warns Another Genocide Possible: Pope Francis marked Holocaust Remembrance Day on Wednesday by warning that warped ideologies can pave the way to another genocide.