Thursday, January 30th, 2020
Americans Evacuated, Spitzer Telescope Retires & Google’s DIY App
(+ Kobe Bryant in His Own Words)
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...
Impeachment Trial to End?:
Today the Q&A portion of the impeachment trial will continue, but tomorrow senators will likely vote to decide if they’ll allow new witnesses. For now, Republicans say they have enough support to block it. If that happens, they could choose to vote on the articles of impeachment immediately, which could end the trial as soon as tomorrow.
Read more: CBS News, NYT, AP, The Hill
Coronavirus Latest:
The U.S. has evacuated more than 200 Americans from Wuhan in China, the epicenter of the new coronavirus outbreak. The evacuees took a charter flight to a California Air Force base and will stay in isolation for at least three days to be monitored. If anyone starts to show symptoms, they could be held for up to two weeks to prevent the spread of the virus in the U.S. The World Health Organization will meet again today to reconsider whether an emergency should be declared. Some of the world's largest companies, like Facebook and Apple, have had to shut down operations in China or take other precautions for employees there. Some major airlines have cancelled certain flights to China.
Coronavirus Latest: Washington Post, NYT, NPR, NBC News, ABC News
Interest Rates Steady:
The Federal Reserve is keeping a close eye on the coronavirus and its potential impact on the global economy, but for now they’re leaving interest rates the same. The Fed cut the interest rate three times last year but decided this week to leave the benchmark interest rate where it is for now.
Read more: WSJ, CNN, Business Insider
Vanessa Bryant’s Instagram Post:
NBA legend Kobe Bryant’s wife Vanessa made a public statement for the first time since the helicopter crash that killed her husband and daughter. She posted a picture of the entire family with a long caption thanking everyone for their prayers. She also said she’s devastated for the other families who lost loved ones and directed her followers to donate to a fund to help support them.
Meanwhile, nearly three million fans have signed a petition hoping to get the NBA to change its logo to an image of Kobe Bryant. Reports say it's unlikely to happen.
Vanessa Bryant’s Post: AP, Instagram, Donate Here
Petition to Change NBA Logo: Yahoo Sports, LA Times, CBS News
“Super Bowl Fever”:
The Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers play in the Super Bowl this Sunday, and millions of Americans are already planning to skip work the next day. A survey shows around 17.5 million people will miss work, which is the largest number since they started tracking in 2005. About 11 million workers will use pre-approved time off, while the rest plan to call out sick or just not show up.
Read more: USA Today, WorkForce Institute
Retiring Space Telescope:
NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope will be turned off after 16 years in operation. It improved our understanding of the universe as it discovered planets outside our solar system using infrared light and uncovered the largest ring around Saturn. The mission was supposed to last two to three years but spent 16 years orbiting the sun. A more powerful telescope will take its place next year.
Read more: Space.com, USA Today
Google’s New DIY App:
Google is releasing a short-form video called Tangi. It’s a place people can find high-quality how-to videos. The app also has a section for users who attempt to create what they see in the videos. Creators have to apply to post.
Read more: TechCrunch, Engadget
MoviePass Gone for Good:
MoviePass is officially gone. The service shut down in September, but there was hope it could make a comeback. Now the company who owns MoviePass has filed for bankruptcy. Though the service was popular at first, it ran out of money and closed up shop when it couldn’t buy movie tickets for customers anymore.
Read more: Engadget, CNET, The Verge
Hot Sauce Sold Out in Minutes:
Iconic and beloved regional spice mixture Old Bay released a limited-edition hot sauce, which sold out within 40 minutes. Maryland-based McCormick & Company announced the sauce on social media yesterday. Now some of the $4 bottles of hot sauce are being sold for $50 on eBay.
Read more: CNBC, NBC News
Thing To Know Thursday
REMEMBERING KOBE BRYANT
Special Interview: Kobe Bryant Talks to Lewis Howes
We've been given permission to play a few clips in today’s episode from a 2018 interview on The School of Greatness, where Lewis Howes spoke with Kobe Bryant about hard work, family, love and his definition of ‘greatness.’
Watch the full interview here: https://lewishowes.com/691