Friday, January 3rd, 2020

U.S. Airstrike Kills General, Flavored E-Cigs Ban & Bright Meteor Shower 

All the news you need in less than 10 min:

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...

U.S. airstrike kills key Iranian military leader: 
President Trump ordered a drone strike to kill Iran’s most revered military leader. The airstrikes hit cars carrying him and Iranian-backed militia members as they were leaving the Baghdad International Airport in Iraq. The Pentagon says the airstrike is meant to stop future attacks on Americans. Some lawmakers are praising the move, while others are worried about unintended consequences. The price of oil went up last night in response to the attack.
Read more: NYT, AP, The Hill, CNN, FOX News, WSJ

Australia wildfires force evacuations: 
One of the largest evacuations in Australian history is underway. People are being forced to leave their homes because of huge wildfires. Navy ships had to rescue hundreds of people from a beach while tens of thousands of residents and vacationers were told to get out of some areas.
Read more: NPR, The Guardian, AP 

Julián Castro ends presidential campaign: 
Democrat Julián Castro ended his campaign for president, saying “it simply isn’t our time.” The former mayor of San Antonio is dropping out just a month before the Iowa caucuses.
Read more: CBS News, Politico, NYT

FDA bans some vape flavors nationwide: 
The FDA is banning most flavored vaping products. Companies have 30 days to stop the distribution of most fruit and mint flavors, which are popular with teenagers. Tobacco and menthol-flavored pods will still be available. The ban only applies to e-cigarettes that use pre-filled nicotine cartridges.
Read more: CNBC, WSJ, AP

U-Haul won’t hire smokers: 
U-Haul will stop hiring people who use nicotine in 21 states where it’s okay for an employer not to hire someone based on their nicotine usage. U-Haul says it’s because it’s invested in the well-being of its team members, but critics say this still punishes people who quit smoking with nicotine patches, gum or e-cigarettes.
Read more: ABC News, CNN

Mysterious drones flying in two states: 
Mysterious drones have been spotted in rural Colorado and Nebraska for the past few weeks, and officials can’t figure out who is flying them. There have been at least 17 mysterious sightings. Officials say they don’t appear to be dangerous.
Read more: WaPo, USA Today, Denver Post

FAA wants to start tracking drones: 
The FAA proposed a new rule for drones in order to keep better track of who is flying them. Under the proposed rule, all drones would have to be registered and transmit electronic identification codes while in flight.
Read more: NYT, GeekWire
 
Experts warn not to abbreviate 2020: 
Heads up about writing the year 2020: experts say not to abbreviate the year in contracts, checks or other documents. They say scammers and other dishonest people could easily change the date by adding two other numbers to the end of just '20.' 
Read more: USA Today, Miami Herald

New AI-enabled refrigerators: 
Samsung and LG are getting ready to unveil new smart fridges that use AI to scan and identify what’s inside, what food items you may be short on, and even offer recipes based on available ingredients. Both companies have had smart fridges before, but this AI will provide smarter recommendations.
Read more: Venture Beat, The Verge

First meteor shower of 2020: 
The first meteor shower of the year is this weekend. It’s supposed to be a good one to see, with 60 to 200 shooting stars visible every hour. The Quadrantids meteor shower will only last a few hours, peaking around 3 a.m. EST.
Read more: USA Today, AccuWeather
 
NFL playoffs start this weekend: 
It’s time for the NFL playoffs, with the Wild Card round happening this weekend. Who will make it to the Super Bowl on February 2nd? Stay tuned...
Read more: CBS News, ESPN, USA Today

Golden Globes has meatless menu: 
The 77th Golden Globe Awards will air on Sunday on NBC. The menu at this year’s show is all plant-based, and single-use plastics are banned from the event. Netflix leads in film and TV nominations. Ricky Gervais will host for the fifth time.
Read more: E! News, The Hill, Hollywood Reporter, Variety