Thursday, February 20th, 2020
Fiery Debate, Royal Timeline & TikTok Controls
(+ Coronavirus Pandemic?)
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...
Dem Debate Takeaways:
Candidates came out swinging during the ninth Democratic debate last night, mostly targeting Michael Bloomberg as he appeared on stage for the first time during this contest. Bloomberg spent a lot of time attacking Bernie Sanders, who is leading in the latest national polls. President Trump held a rally in Arizona where he launched his own attacks on the Democratic candidates.
Read more: NYT, NBC News, POLITICO
Trump's Historic, Controversial Appointee:
President Trump picked Richard Grenell as the new acting director of national intelligence. Grenell is the ambassador to Germany. He will now be the first openly gay cabinet secretary. He's also a big Trump supporter, so critics say he doesn’t have enough experience and just got the job to be loyal to the president.
Read more: FOX News, Washington Post
Astros Outrage:
Some big-name athletes are calling on the MLB to further punish the Houston Astros for cheating. The Astros got caught stealing signs from opposing teams back in 2017 when they won the World Series. Now, the MLB says the team can keep the title, which has left some fans and prominent athletes outraged. The Astros have apologized. The first games of spring training for the new season start tomorrow.
Read more: NYT, CNN
RIP 'Pop Smoke':
Up-and-coming Brooklyn rapper Pop Smoke was shot and killed in Los Angeles yesterday. Multiple people broke into the Hollywood Hills home where he was staying. Police are still investigating the matter, but reports say it could be gang-related and targeted. Pop Smoke, whose real name is Bashar Barakah Jackson, scored his first Top 10 spot on the Billboard charts a few days ago.
Read more: ABC News, USA Today, Variety
New Royal Timeline:
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will officially stop working as royals as of March 31st. The couple shocked the world earlier this year when they decided to step back from their senior royal duties. They’ll still attend a few final events over the next month. Buckingham Palace is still discussing whether the couple can continue to use the word “royal” as part of their branding. For now, Harry and Meaghan will still be known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
Read more: Today, The Guardian, BBC
TikTok Parental Controls:
TikTok’s new Family Safety Mode lets parents link their account to their kids. Once connected, parents can control Direct Message content and how much time kids spend on the app each day. The company also partnered with some top celebs to create videos that remind people to get off the app after a certain amount of time. For now, the feature is only available in the U.K. but will likely expand.
Read more: TechCrunch, The Verge
Uber's Real-Time Reports:
A new Uber feature allows riders to report non-emergency issues while the trip is happening. Riders used to wait to give feedback until after the trip, but now they can file reports before leaving the car. This gives Uber a better chance to hear about issues, educate drivers and create new safety tools.
Read more: USA Today, ABC News
Staples Podcast Studios:
Podcasts have become so popular that office supply store Staples wants to get involved. The company is partnering with Spreaker, a podcast company, and iHeartRadio to bring podcast recording studios to six of its stores in Boston. The soundproof studios are part of the new Staples Connect, a plan that offers in-store co-working and community event spaces.
Read more: Engadget, PR Newswire
Burger King Gets Moldy:
Burger King is removing all preservatives from its famous Whopper, and to prove it, the fast food chain is running a moldy and disgusting ad. It shows what happens to the new preservative-free Whopper after about a month, displaying the so-called “beauty” of no artificial preservatives. Whoppers should be preservative-free by the end of this year.
Read more: NBC News, CNN
Thing to Know Thursday:
the coronavirus disease
Guest:
Dr. Syra Madad
Syra Madad, D.H.Sc., M.Sc., MCP is nationally recognized leader in public health and special pathogen preparedness and response. She is Senior Director, System-wide Special Pathogens Program at New York City Health + Hospitals, the nation’s largest municipal healthcare delivery system overseeing special pathogen preparedness and response efforts across 11 acute care hospitals.
Along with a long list of other accomplishments, she was also featured in the recent Netflix documentary: Pandemic.