Wednesday, February 9th, 2022
USPS Overhaul, Protest Threatens Trade & Oscar Nominations
All the news you need in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp.com/newsworthy and kiwico.com (Listen for the discount code)
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 reading about the latest happenings…
House Approves Postal Service Overhaul
Congress is on track to pass the most significant overhaul of the Postal Service in nearly two decades. The House approved the bipartisan measure yesterday, and it's expected to pass in the Senate next. This bill would end the requirement that says the USPS has to put up the money for healthcare benefits in advance for current and retired workers for the next 75 years. Instead, the Postal Service would pay retirees actual healthcare costs that aren’t covered by Medicare. The bill also forgives a lot of the Postal Service’s debt. However, it says in return, the USPS has to keep delivering mail six days a week.
Read more: WaPo, AP, NY Times, Politico, White House
McConnell Denounced RNC
The top Republican in the Senate is publicly criticizing the Republican National Committee. Last week, the RNC censured two GOP lawmakers for investigating the Capitol riot. They’re the only Republicans on the House’s January 6th committee that’s looking into the attack and former President Trump’s role in it. A censure is mostly symbolic, though. In this case, the RNC said it was necessary, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made it clear: he disagrees. He says it's not the job of the RNC to single out members of the party who have different views than the majority.
Read more: AP, NY Times, Axios, WSJ, C-Span
Iran Nuclear Talks Restart
For the eighth time, Iran started negotiating with the U.S and other world powers over its nuclear program. Officials from several large countries, including the U.S., want to keep Iran from building nuclear weapons. However, there are still some sticking points, like how the world will verify Iran is holding up its end of the agreement by slowing down the production of nuclear material. Also, they need to decide how much relief Iran will get from punishing sanctions that have now been in effect for years. Officials say negotiations are reaching their final stage, but it’s not clear how long that might last.
Read more: Reuters, CNN, AP, Iran Mission to UN
Trucker Protests Block Vital Bridge
The Canadian trucker protests are expanding, and they could end up hurting trade between the U.S. and Canada. This week, protesters stopped traffic in both directions on the Ambassador Bridge from Ontario to Detroit. That’s the busiest international land-border crossing in North America. Remember, these protesters are calling for governments to end Covid-19 policies, especially the ones that call for people to be vaccinated. Eventually, the bridge was reopened yesterday. However, traffic was much slower for many miles, and most commercial vehicles were diverted to a different route.
Read more: WSJ, Fox News, BBC, Reuters, Windsor Police, Michigan DOT
New Spinal Implant Helps Paralyzed People
A new spinal implant is getting paralyzed people up and walking. Three men who were paralyzed in motorcycle accidents were part of a recent study on a new spinal stimulation device, and it was successful. Before the trial, the men had no control over their legs. Just one day after getting the device implanted, they were able to stand and walk with some help. Over the next six months, they could do more like walk and swim outside the clinic. However, the device isn’t a full cure. People can regain movement in their legs only when they are getting stimulation through a tablet.
Read more: CNN, Ars Technica, Live Science, Reuters, Nature Medicine
Peloton Cuts Thousands of Jobs
A company that was wildly popular during the start of the pandemic is now scrambling to save itself. Peloton’s shares have plunged more than 80% from their highest back in January 2021. The fitness company is under a lot of pressure after a recent report said it wasn’t making new bikes and treadmills. That’s a far fall from its pandemic stardom when it couldn’t keep up with demand. Now, the CEO is out, and a former financial officer from Netflix and Spotify is replacing him. Peloton also said it's laying off about 2,800 employees and canceling an Ohio factory.
Read more: The Verge, CNN, CNBC, NY Times, Peloton
Ski Jumpers Disqualified Over Clothing
Controversy keeps coming from the Beijing Games. Five women ski jumpers from four of the top ski-jumping teams in the world were disqualified from the mixed team ski competition for “loose-fitting outfits.” Multiple reports say it was because the baggy clothing would give them a leg up while in the air. However, several of the athletes forced out took to social media to defend themselves and criticize the move. They say they’ve competed in the same uniforms before but were measured differently this time. Officials say, in general, the uniforms have to be tight everywhere.
Read More: NY Post, Axios, NPR, Yahoo Sports, FIS
Oscar Nominations
In the race for this year’s Oscars, Netflix is leading nominations in another streaming-heavy year. Together, Netflix, Apple TV, and Amazon Prime video collected nearly 40 Oscar nominations. 27 of those were for Netflix alone, and that’s more than any studio. Netflix’s “The Power of the Dog” leads the whole pack with 12 nominations, including best picture and four acting nods. “Power of the Dogs” goes head-to-head for the top prize with another Netflix hit, “Don’t Look Up”, as well as “Coda”, “King Richard”, “West Side Story”, “Dune”, and more. The Academy Awards air on ABC on March 27th.
Read more: Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, Variety, NY Times, USA Today, The Academy
Work Wednesday: 4 Best U.S. Cities to Work This Year
If you’re looking for a new job this new year, you may want to start your search in a few specific cities. Job site Glassdoor put out its annual list of 100 Best Places to Work in 2022. It found a few metro areas had more companies on the list than others, like, the San Francisco Bay area. Companies headquartered there dominated Glassdoor’s ranking of the best place to work, snatching up 30 spots. The other top three cities to work in are New York, Boston, and Los Angeles. In reviews, people praised companies in those cities for perks like flexible work environments, good benefits, and access to leadership positions.
Read more: CNBC, Glassdoor, WalletHub