Story Summaries

All the news stories mentioned in today's episode are listed with links below, so you can spend as much -- or as little -- time as you want perusing the latest happenings...

New state laws taking effect in 2020:
New laws are taking effect in states across the country. Here are a few examples: more than 20 states and 26 cities and counties are raising the minimum wage. Eight states will start collecting new or increased fees on electric vehicles. Illinois will allow recreational use of marijuana for adults. The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) will require companies doing business in the state to notify customers about how they’ll make money using customer data and provide all personal information to customers, if requested.
Read more: ABC News, CNN, NYT, USA Today, TechCrunch, CNBC, Market Watch

Protesters storm U.S. Embassy in Iraq:
Thousands of Iran-backed militiamen stormed the U.S. embassy in Iraq. Protesters set the reception area on fire, smashed windows and sprayed graffiti. The U.S. sent hundreds of additional troops to the Middle East in response, and President Trump said Iran would pay a “big price.” He later added he does not want a war with Iran, who is denying involvement.
Read more: AP, Washington Post

Hong Kong protesters arrested:
Demonstrators in Hong Kong marked the new year with another massive protest, and about 400 people were arrested. Though clashes with police continue, many say they’re optimistic their demands will be met this year.
Read more: ABC News

Australia wildfires:
Military ships and planes in Australia have been deployed to help towns dealing with massive ongoing and deadly wildfires. They’re delivering water, food and fuel to areas that have been cut off from resources due to the fires.
Read more: AP

Former NBA commissioner died:
Former NBA Commissioner David Stern has died at age 77. He was the NBA’s longest-serving commissioner. Stern is known as someone who transformed the league into a financial powerhouse, helped create the WNBA and more.
Read more: ESPN, CBS Sports, AP

AI system better at breast cancer detection:
New research found AI can spot breast cancer that doctors miss while also cutting down on the number of false positives. Though the tech isn’t ready for clinical use yet, specialists and radiologists say the early results are promising. Google's health division has also come up with similar AI systems to improve screenings for lung cancer, eye disease and kidney injury.
Read more: CNET, WSJ, Reuters

TikTok releases first ‘transparency report’:
TikTok has released its first transparency report. It shows which countries have asked the app to take down certain content. China is notably not mentioned in the report. The app has dealt with concerns about censorship since its parent company is the Chinese tech company, ByteDance. Both the Army and Navy have banned the use of TikTok on government-issued smartphones.
Read more: The Verge, NBC News

Friends no longer on Netflix:
Friends went dark on Netflix right at midnight on New Year’s Day, which means one of the most-streamed shows cannot be watched on any streaming service right now. It’ll be available on the new HBO Max when it launches later this year. Until then, the only way to watch Friends is to buy the show or catch the reruns on cable TV.
Read more: Variety, Deadline

Mariah Carey’s four-decade record:
Mariah Carey is now the first artist ever to top the Billboard charts in four separate decades. Her holiday classic “All I Want for Christmas Is You” was the number one song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the third week in a row, giving her an early 2020 hit.
Read more: E! News, Billboard

American Girl’s new doll first with hearing loss:

The American Girl’s 2020 Girl of the Year is a surfer named Joss Kendrick who rocks a hearing aid. She’s American Girl’s first doll to have hearing loss. The company worked with Olympic-hopeful surfer Caroline Marks for real-world inspiration. They also partnered with the Hearing Loss Association of America and donated $25,000 to the organization.

Thursday, January 2nd, 2020

Story Summaries

Thing To Know Thursday

New year’s resolutions, JOMO, & Productivity

in 2020

FOLLOW @NEWSWORTHYPOD