Jeff Bezos Steps Down as Amazon CEO

Here is today’s headline news from around the world for February 3rd, 2021. Jeff Bezos steps down as Amazon CEO. The WHO origin-tracing team arrives in Wuhan to investigate the origins of Coronavirus. Haiti debates and holds a referendum on proposed constitutional changes. Belgium will not use the AstraZeneca vaccine on the elderly.

The global coronavirus death toll is at 2,269,428 dead and 104,614,962 confirmed cases from around the world.

The U.S. remains the world’s worst-hit country, with more than 458,715 deaths and 27,041,883 confirmed cases.

Jeff Bezos Steps Down as Amazon CEO

Seattle, WA – Amazon founder Jeff Bezos will step down from his role as CEO later this year and transition to the role of Executive Chair, the company said Tuesday.

I’m excited to announce that this Q3 I’ll transition to Executive Chair of the Amazon Board and Andy Jassy will become CEO. In the Exec Chair role, I intend to focus my energies and attention on new products and early initiatives.

Jeff Bezos

This transition from CEO to Executive Chair might be a premier to the breakup of Amazon by the government. In 2020 the House antitrust subcommittee released a 450-page report concluding that there is “significant evidence” to show that the market power of Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google has reduced consumer choice and hindered competition.

WHO Origin-Tracing Team Arrives in Wuhan

Wuhan, China – The World Health Organization (WHO) began its origin-tracing work on the novel coronavirus in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. The United States has long asserted that China released the Coronavirus from its Wuhan Institute of Virology. That claim was promoted by Donald Trump and his Qanon cronies without any evidence to back it up.

Haiti Referendum on Proposed Constitutional Changes

Port-au-Prince, Haiti – The Haitian government has proposed changes to overhaul the country’s Constitution to voters for an upcoming referendum that looms amid growing unrest.

Public meetings are scheduled to be held across Haiti for the next three weeks. The constitutional referendum is scheduled for April 25. It will be the first one held in over 30 years.

The Republic of Haiti has long been known for its extreme poverty, political repression, and violence. Critics of the proposed changes say it’s a power grab by President Jovenel Moïse. He is scheduled to step down in February 2022 when his five-year term ends.

Belgium Will Not Use AstraZeneca Vaccine on Elderly

Antwerp Belgium – Belgium has joined a growing number of EU countries that have stopped giving the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine to the elderly.

Belgian Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke said that only those under 55 would receive the vaccine, citing a lack of data on its use in older people.