Tuesday, February 11th, 2020
NH Primary, Equifax Hack & Samsung Unpacked
All the news you need in less than 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by www.Rothys.com/newsworthy
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...
New Hampshire Primary:
The first primary of the 2020 presidential race is today in New Hampshire. The Iowa caucus was last week, but this time, voters go to the polls in a more straight-forward contest. Voting is already underway. Expect results to start trickling in after polls close tonight...
Read more: NYT, Vox, Newsweek
Flooding Risk Down South:
Widespread flash flooding and river flooding is likely from Texas to the Carolinas this week. A levee breach last night in Mississippi forced evacuations and flood watches have been issued for nearly 18 million people.
Read more: Weather Channel, NBC News, CNN
Trump’s Budget Plan:
President Trump is pushing for major cuts to programs like Medicaid, food stamps and more, while boosting others, including border control and Veteran’s Affairs. It's more symbolic since Congress ultimately decides what to spend.
Read more: NYT, WSJ, The Hill, USA Today, FOX News
Equifax Hack Linked to China:
Remember when the credit reporting giant Equifax was hacked back in 2017? It compromised the data of 145 million Americans. Well, after a years-long investigation, the U.S. Attorney General announced charges against four members of China’s military. Equifax says it’s tightened its security, though some critics say it’s not enough.
Read more: WIRED, NBC News, Politico, Consumer Reports
Coronavirus Updates:
As the coronavirus continues to spread in China, the country is turning to technology and its own surveillance system for help. A new mobile app is tracking people and alerting them if they’ve been in close contact with someone who could be infected. Also, China’s daily death toll topped 100 for the first time, bringing the total number of deaths to more than 1,000. There’s a new confirmed case in the U.S., this time in San Diego. The person who got sick was evacuated from Wuhan, where the outbreak started.
Read more: CNN, CBS News, CNBC
SpaceX Progress:
SpaceX is getting close to flying astronauts to space. A new report says it could happen as soon as May 7th. Since 2011, NASA has paid Russia to let American astronauts travel to the International Space Station; now they’re hoping U.S. companies, like SpaceX and Boeing, can make it cheaper and more convenient.
Read more: Engadget, TechCrunch, CNBC
Samsung Unpacked Event:
Samsung’s Unpacked event starts at 11a.m. PST today. The company will likely announce the Galaxy Z Flip and the three new versions of its flagship phone with the Galaxy S20 5G. New Galaxy Buds, a smart watch and home speaker may also be revealed.
Read more: The Verge, CNET, 9to5Google, Watch Live
Newest Electric Pick-Up Truck:
Arizona-based startup Nikola is working on an electric truck. The company usually works on zero-emission big rigs, so the Nikola Badger will use similar hydrogen-powered tech for the new pick-up. It's meant to be a rival to Tesla’s Cybertruck and others.
Read more: USA Today, Forbes
AI-Enabled Music Label:
A new record label plans to use artificial intelligence to find the next big artist. Snafu Records calls itself the first full-service AI-enabled record label and uses an algorithm to listen through about 150,000 tracks per week. The software picks out a dozen songs it likes so Snafu employees can decide if it's worth a follow-up. Using AI to find artists isn’t new, but only a few labels depend solely on the technology.
Read more: Engadget
Record Low Viewership:
The Oscars set a record this weekend, but it wasn’t a good one: a record low 23.6 million viewers tuned in to the awards show on Sunday, down 20 percent from last year. Other award shows have seen a dip in recent years too. Still, this year’s Oscars was still the most-watched awards ceremony of the season.
Read more: Bloomberg, Variety, USA Today