Tuesday, February 25th, 2020
Harvey Weinstein Guilty, Dow Nosedive & Netflix Top 10
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...
Harvey Weinstein Guilty:
After five days of jury deliberation, Harvey Weinstein was found guilty of felony sex crime and rape (though he was found not guilty of his most serious charges: predatory sexual assault). He faces at least five years in prison and as much as three decades behind bars. Weinstein’s attorneys say they plan to appeal and they don't think he got a fair trial. He’s set to be sentenced on March 11th.
Read more: CNN, FOX News, NYT, THR
Dow Nosedive & Possible Vaccine:
The Dow dropped more than 1,000 points yesterday in the worst day for the stock market in two years. The ongoing spread of COVID-19 is to blame. Though most of the cases are still in mainland China, the growing number of cases around the world is making investors nervous. Tech companies have already warned about a slowdown due to factory closures. The tourism industry is also struggling as people put off their plans. Meanwhile, an American drugmaker is working with the U.S. government to launch the first human tests of a potential vaccine for this new virus. The first clinical trials are set to start by the end of April.
Dow Nosedive: WSJ, AP, USA Today, CNBC
COVID-19 Vaccine: WSJ
President Trump in India:
President Trump is in India for a two-day visit. Yesterday he spoke to a crowd of more than 100,000 people at the world’s largest cricket stadium. He teased a potential trade deal between the two countries and highlighted his friendship with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Though Trump praised “unity” in India this week, Modi’s government has rounded up thousands of Muslims and passed a new citizenship law that favors every faith but Islam.
Read more: ABC News, Bloomberg
Kobe Bryant Memorial, Lawsuit Filed:
Kobe Bryant’s wife Vanessa shared memories of Kobe and their 13-year-old daughter Gianna during yesterday’s public memorial in LA. Michael Jordan also spoke and called Kobe his "little brother." Beyoncé, Alicia Keys and Christina Aguilera performed during the ceremony, which ended with a screening of Bryant’s Oscar-winning short film Dear Basketball. Hours before the service, Vanessa Byrant filed a lawsuit against the owner of the helicopter that crashed. The lawsuit calls the pilot careless and negligent. The company has not responded yet, and the exact cause of the crash is still under investigation.
Kobe Bryant Memorial: LA Times, CBS Sports, ESPN
Lawsuit Filed: AP, CBS News
Midwest Winter Storm:
Chicago is bracing for what could be the city’s biggest snowfall of the season. Multiple storm systems are headed toward the Midwest and portions of the Northeast, with winter storm watches in place for about 17 million people. Snow is expected to linger for a few days, but should clear out of the Midwest by Thursday.
Read more: USA Today, ABC News, AccuWeather
Mardi Gras:
Today is Mardi Gras, and celebrations in New Orleans are in full swing. While most of the festivities are positive, tragedy this year has led to a rule change. Two separate deaths within the last week means tandem floats, which are two or more floats connected and pulled together by one trailer, are now prohibited.
Read more: CNN, Mardi Gras, USA Today
Barrier-Breaking Mathematician Dies:
History-making and barrier-breaking NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson has died. She was depicted in the movie Hidden Figures. Her calculations helped Apollo 11 land on the moon in 1969. She worked at NASA for more than three decades. Johnson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015 for refusing to be limited by society’s expectations of her gender and race.
Read more: NBC News, NYT
NASA Detects Marsquakes:
The first official results from NASA’s InSight Mars lander were just published, NASA confirmed the rover detected hundreds of so-called Marsquakes. Most are lighter than earthquakes we’re used to, but it’s a big deal for scientists as they work to learn more about the interior of the red planet.
Read more: CNN, The Verge
Intuit Acquiring Credit Karma:
The company behind TurboTax reached a deal to acquire its competition. Intuit, which owns TurboTax, QuickBooks and Mint, will acquire Credit Karma for $7 billion. The deal is expected to close later this year.
Read more: The Verge, CNN, Recode
Uber Ads on Cars:
Uber is partnering with an ad tech company to bring rooftop ads to its cars, similar to what we’re used to seeing on taxis (and to what we mentioned yesterday with Lyft). The displays will show a picture or video ad. Uber will give drivers $300 to equip their cars and will pay extra depending on how many hours drivers drive a week. The ads will appear in Atlanta, Dallas and Phoenix, and more will be added soon.
Read more: Ad Week, Engadget
Netflix Top 10:
Netflix is rolling out a new Top 10 feature as a way to help you decide what to watch. It will show the top ten titles in a viewer’s country, broken down into three categories: Netflix overall, shows, and films. The list will be updated daily, and the position of the row will change depending on how relevant the shows and movies are to specific users.
Read more: Variety, CNET
Free Pancakes:
IHOP is giving away free short stacks of buttermilk pancakes today. The 15th annual Free Pancake giveaway is from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time at most locations nationwide. The event is also a fundraiser where customers can donate to charities.
Read more: USA Today