Friday, January 24th, 2020
‘Birth Tourism’, Lunar New Year & Tinder Safety
All the news you need in less than 10 min:
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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...
Opening Arguments Cont’d:
Today is the final day for Democrats to make their opening statements in President Trump’s impeachment trial. Yesterday the House impeachment managers spent time on the first charge against Trump: abuse of power. Today they’ll dive into the obstruction of Congress charge. Trump’s lawyers are expected to start their opening arguments tomorrow.
Read more: NYT, NBC News, The Hill
Trump to Attend March For Life:
While his impeachment trial continues, President Trump is expected to attend the March for Life event today in Washington D.C. He’ll be the first president to attend and speak in-person at the annual walk. Event organizers say they’re deeply honored he’s going and have praised him for cutting funds for abortions. Critics call the move an act of desperation and an effort to spread misinformation. The rally is always held around the anniversary of Roe v. Wade.
Read more: The Hill, CBS News, CNN
New Rules Target Pregnant Women:
New rules take effect today cracking down on so-called “birth tourism,” when pregnant women come to the U.S. to give birth so their children can be American citizens. President Trump feels too many people are taking advantage of the system. It’s not completely clear how officials will know someone’s pregnant, and there are some exceptions to the rule.
Read more: AP, The Guardian, Fox News
Remembering Jim Lehrer:
Well-known PBS NewHour co-founder and anchor Jim Lehrer passed away. For 36 years, he anchored the news on public television and moderated more than a dozen presidential debates. He retired in 2011 and died at home this week at 85.
Read more: PBS, NYT
Lunar New Year Celebrations Canceled:
The Chinese Lunar New Year is tomorrow, and Beijing and Hong Kong have scrapped large-scale public new year’s gatherings because of the new flu-like virus that’s been spreading. It’s the biggest holiday of the year and China’s busiest travel season. Yet, China has essentially quarantined 25 million people in Wuhan and the surrounding cities by cutting off transportation.
Read more: NBC News, BBC, CNN
Google’s Search Results:
Google just rolled out a new look for search results on desktops. Critics say the makeover makes the ads blend in too much with regular results, but Google executives have said the changes are meant to have a simpler design.
Read more: Business Insider, The Verge
Tinder’s New Safety Features:
Tinder is beefing up its user security with a few new safety features, including a panic alarm. It will allow users to document who they’re meeting and where. The dating app is also working on a picture verification system and an offensive message detector.
Read more: The Verge, CNET
Motorola Razr Arrives:
Motorola’s new Razr phone is finally ready for pre-orders on Sunday. It’s basically a revamped version of the flip-phone from the past with a full touch-screen display. The Razr was supposed to be available for pre-order last month but the company unexpectedly pushed back the date.
Read more: The Verge, Engadget,
Space Cookie Results:
The first chocolate chip cookies ever baked in space took two hours to bake. That’s a lot longer than the less-than-20 minutes it typically takes on Earth: it has to do with the lack of gravity, which impacts the baking process. What do they taste like? TBD. The cookies are still sealed in their space containers and need more testing.
Read more: AP
Feel Good Friday - Veteran Honored 75 Years Later:
Peter Fantasia is 103 years old and just received eight medals this month, including a Bronze Star and a WWII Victory Medal. He was captured by German soldiers in 1944 and spent nearly six months as a prisoner of war. By the time he was freed, he didn’t ask about the medals. Now, Fantasia’s family was there to see him get the long-awaited acknowledgment.
Read more: USA Today, CNN