Monday, December 23rd, 2019
Pentagon Emails, TikTok Ban & Gift Americans Want
All the news you need in less than 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by www.Ancestry.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...
Pentagon Emails Released:
Congress is on a holiday break, but there’s new info surrounding the impeachment case. A non-profit news organization called The Center for Public Integrity released documents that show the White House ordered a freeze on military aid to Ukraine within two hours of Trump’s call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The White House hasn’t commented, but Trump has said he withheld the money over concerns about corruption rather than his own interests.
Read more: The Center for Public Integrity, Washington Post, NYT, ABC News
Editorial Causes Controversy:
The editor-in-chief of a top Christian magazine wrote an opinion piece calling on believers to evaluate President Trump’s immoral behavior and support his removal from office. Christianity Today is popular among Trump’s supporters. A group of evangelicals wrote an open letter to the magazine saying the editorial questions the integrity of the president and the millions of believers who support him.
Read more: Christianity Today, AP
Chicago Shooting:
Thirteen people were hurt in a shooting at a house party in Chicago yesterday. Police say it looked like the suspects were shooting randomly. One person has been arrested. While Chicago still has more violent crime than other big cities, the Windy City is expected to end the year with a significant drop in the number of shootings and homicides for the third year in a row.
Read more: AP, NPR, ABC News
Travel Disruptions:
It was a busy weekend for travel, and unfortunately, some regions have already dealt with problems from winter weather to flight delays and cancellations. In Virginia, more than 50 people were hurt in a massive pileup that involved nearly 70 cars. Heavy rain and flooding could cause problems in the Southeast today, and parts of Washington and Oregon have seen record rainfall and flooding. An unexpected shortage of baggage handlers for Alaska Airlines led to delays impacting thousands of travelers. Small Alaska-based airline RavnAir dealt with a “malicious cyber-attack” that put its computer system out of use.
Massive Virginia Car Pile-Up: FOX News, Weather Channel
NW Flooding: The Weather Channel
Baggage Handlers Shortage: Seattle Times
Flight Cyber-Attack:: USA Today
Notre Dame Update:
For the first time since 1803, there will not be a Christmas mass at Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, France. Repairs are still underway following a fire in April. Midnight mass has been moved to a nearby church. There’s still no official cause for the devastating fire. More than $1 billion have been pledged to help re-construct the iconic building, which could take up to a decade.
Read more: BBC, USA Today
Boeing’s Test Flight:
Boeing launched its Starliner capsule on a test flight on Friday. It was supposed to fly to the International Space Station to deliver supplies before returning to Earth, but had to land early due to a problem with the internal clock. Even though it wasn’t completely successful, NASA says early results show astronauts should have a smooth ride when taking Starliner.
Read more: USA Today, NPR, NBC News
U.S. Navy Bans TikTok:
The U.S. Navy banned TikTok from government-issued smartphones. They say the video-sharing app could be a cybersecurity threat. The U.S. has opened a national security review into TikTok’s parent company ByteDance. TikTok hasn’t commented yet.
Read more: Reuters
ToTok Banned:
ToTok has been banned from Google and Apple’s app stores. The messaging app appears to have millions of downloads, but the government of the United Arab Emirates allegedly uses it to track locations and conversations. If you have it, uninstall it.
Read more: NYT, Wired
Apple Satellite Technology:
Apple is reportedly building its own wireless technology that would beam internet right to our phones using satellites. It’s not clear whether Apple would build its own satellites or use its tech to connect with other satellites, but the company is adding team members to the project. It could help improve Apple’s mapping services and boost mobile reception. SpaceX and Amazon are also working on their own satellites.
Read more: The Verge, Bloomberg
Box Office:
Despite some mixed reviews, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker topped the box office with $176 million in ticket sales in the U.S. It fell short of beating the other two movies in the trilogy, which each brought in more than $200 million in their opening weekends.
Read more: Variety, Deadline
Happy Hanukkah:
Today marks the first full day of Hanukkah. The eight-day Jewish Festival of Lights started at sundown last night. Jewish families will light a candle on the menorah on each of the holiday’s eight nights while enjoying traditional foods, playing with dreidels and giving gifts. Hanukkah ends at sundown on December 30.
Read more: History.com, TIME
Money Monday - Giving Cash:
A recent study found 61 percent of respondents would prefer receiving cash or a gift card to a traditional gift, though they were more hesitant to give it. Experts say we shouldn’t worry since the amount can grow if properly invested. It’s also a good way to teach kids about handling finances.
Read more: Mint, CNBC