Wednesday, January 29th, 2020
Middle East Peace Plan, Off-Facebook Activity & Inclusive Barbies
All the news you need in 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...
Impeachment Trial's Next Phase:
Trump’s defense team wrapped up opening arguments yesterday, making a final pitch for a swift acquittal. Now, senators have 16 hours to ask questions to either side. A vote on whether witnesses will be called could come as early as Friday. Stay tuned.
Read more: ABC News, The Hill, NYT, Politico, Washington Post
Middle East Peace Proposal:
President Trump unveiled his peace plan for the Middle East, which specifically deals with the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The new plan offers a ‘two-state’ solution that would recognize a future Palestinian state as long as it follows strict conditions, but critics say it favors Israel, especially since it recognizes all of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Israel's Prime Minister praised President Trump for the plan, but Palestinians call the plan "nonsense."
Read more: NBC News, Reuters, WSJ, NYT
U.S. Budget Deficit to Break $1 Trillion:
The U.S. budget deficit is expected to hit $1 trillion for the first time since 2012. The Congressional Budget Office says government spending is currently unsustainable. It’s due to a combination of tax cuts and increased spending. If the country continues on this path, the CBO report says national debt could hit more than $31 trillion by 2030.
Read more: CNBC, FOX News
Earthquake in Caribbean:
A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake in the Caribbean shook Jamaica, Cuba, and parts of Florida and Mexico. There were some tsunami concerns, but not anymore. There are no reports of serious injuries or major damage.
Read more: Weather Channel, USA Today, NBC News
Coronavirus Latest:
Scientists are making progress on a vaccine for the new coronavirus spreading in China. Meanwhile, the number of people impacted keeps increasing there. Keep in mind: the virus is not spreading within the U.S. at this point, where there have been five confirmed cases (all involving people who had traveled to China).
Read more: CNN, NYT, NBC News
Airbnb Offer:
Airbnb wants to send five travelers to the Bahamas on a two month sabbatical. The initiative is meant to give the country a boost after Hurricane Dorian caused $3.4 billion worth of damage last year. The five people chosen to live there will help with coral reef restoration, pineapple farming, boat building and more.
Read more: AP, Business Insider
Off-Facebook Activity Tool:
Facebook’s new tool lets users see what the company knows about their activity, even when they're not on Facebook. The “Off-Facebook Activity” tool shows which third-parties have provided Facebook information about website visits and items bought, among other details. The tracker will show 180 days of data collected from other places online and users will have the option to clear the history. Look in Facebook’s settings.
Read more: Washington Post, The Verge
Google’s Translate App:
Google just unveiled a new feature that will translate and transcribe long-form lectures and conversations in real time. The feature will be available in the Google Translate app in the next few months. Google already offers an interpreter mode for the Google Assistant, but the new tool shows the translation in written form, too.
Read more: 9to5Google, CNET
Super Cruise:
General Motors is upgrading its Super Cruise hands-free driver assistance system. It will automatically change lanes when needed using map data, GPS, cameras and radar sensors. The new feature will be available in certain Cadillac models, including the upcoming 2021 Escalade, and it's meant to compete with Tesla's Autopilot system.
Read more: TechCrunch, CNBC
Inclusive Barbies:
Mattel just launched a new Barbie doll with vitiligo, a condition that causes pigmentation loss in the skin. There’s also the first-ever Ken doll to have long hair. This summer will see a Barbie without any hair, and one with a prosthetic limb. Last year, Barbie came out with the first doll who uses a wheelchair.
Read more: Mashable
Work Wednesday - Social Media Helps Find Jobs:
Researchers used machine learning to look at users digital footprint, like their Twitter data, to evaluate personality traits and career paths. The study found the system could predict someone's job with 70% accuracy. Researchers say, in the future, it could help recent graduates or unemployed people find a better job for their personalities.
Read more: BBC, Business Insider