Wednesday, January 13th, 2021
Impeachment Vote, New Vaccine Guidelines & Top Cities for Jobs
All the news you need in 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by Apostrophe.com/Newsworthy (Listen for the discount code) and BlueNile.com
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…
Impeachment Vote Today
The House is voting this morning on impeaching President Trump for the second time. It comes exactly one week after the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol and exactly one week before President-elect Biden takes over. Most, if not all, House Democrats are expected to vote for impeachment, saying the president incited the riot. Unlike last time, a White House official told CNN they expect about 20 House Republicans to go along with it too. However, most Republicans are still against it. Some say they’re worried about dividing the country further.
Read More: NY Times, FOX News, The Hill, CNN
Trump Addresses Efforts to Remove Him
In his first comments to reporters since last week’s violence, President Trump did not answer a question about whether he would resign. Instead, he criticized Democratic lawmakers for moving to impeach him. He called the whole ordeal a “continuation of the greatest witch hunt in the history of politics.” Trump said his speech at the rally, moments before the riot started, was “totally appropriate.” He also called for “no violence,” telling his supporters that his platform is focused on law and order.
Read More: Reuters, AP, NY Times
Pence Rejects 25th Amendment
It looks like the option to remove President Trump with the 25th amendment is off the table. Vice President Mike Pence won’t do it. In a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Pence said it would set a “terrible precedent.” He also accused Democrats of playing “political games.” The House voted anyway on a measure to try to convince Pence to help and it passed. However, it likely won’t make a difference.
Read More: WSJ, The Hill, CNBC
Capitol Riot Investigation Latest
The Justice Department is getting deeper into what’s now being called one of the most expansive criminal investigations in its history. Prosecutors say looking into the U.S. Capitol invasion has been “unprecedented.” Their probe now includes more than 170 suspects. Officials call that the “tip of the iceberg.” Law enforcement task forces are pursuing sedition and conspiracy charges. Other prosecutors are devoted to charging rioters who assaulted police officers and members of the media and more.
Read More: CBS News, Bloomberg, WaPo
FBI Warning Before Riot
There’s fresh criticism about how the Capitol riot was originally handled. The Washington Post got hold of an internal FBI warning issued one day before the riot. It warned that extremists were preparing for violence and “war” at the capitol. One law enforcement official told the Post it’s clear there was a failure ahead of last week’s chaos. However, at least one FBI official disagreed. He said there wasn’t much they could do at the time since they didn’t know who made the comments online.
Read More: WaPo, AP, USA Today
Capitol Security Tightened
Security is getting tighter throughout Washington, D.C. At the Capitol this week, metal detectors were installed outside the doors to the House chamber. Lawmakers got a memo saying they could be reimbursed for security training or bulletproof vests. Today, federal authorities plan to lock down a massive area of downtown D.C. before President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration ceremony next week. Thousands of national guard members are already in town to help.
Read More: Axios, NY Times, The Hill
Flint Water Crisis Charges
A new report says criminal charges are coming soon for top officials during the Flint, Michigan water crisis. The AP cites sources who say there are plans to prosecute former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, his health director, and other leaders. This dates back to 2014. Then, the state switched Flint’s water source without telling people who lived there. It ultimately devastated the city with water full of lead and bacteria. Now Michigan’s attorney general is working to hold some people accountable. So far, it’s not known what charges they could face.
Read More: AP, Detroit Free Press, CBS News
Decline in U.S. Cancer Death Rate
Researchers say they’re seeing a record decline in U.S. cancer deaths. New data from the American Cancer Society shows between 2017 and 2018, the death rate fell 2.4%. Researchers say it’s largely because fewer people are getting and dying from lung cancer since fewer people smoke. Beyond that, the Society says treatment for cancer in general is getting better. New drugs are improving the survival rate. Plus, radiation and surgery are getting more precise. We also have better diagnoses these days.
Read More: AP, WSJ, American Cancer Society
CDC COVID Vaccine Updates
More states around the country are starting to expand on who’s eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine. The CDC is encouraging more states to do the same. The health agency put out new guidelines that say everyone 65 and older, as well as adults of all ages with pre-existing conditions, should be able to get the shots now. So far, most states are still focused on the first round, vaccinating healthcare workers and people who live in retirement homes. However, the Trump administration says states shouldn’t wait to finish the first phase before moving onto the second.
Read More: CNBC, WSJ, Stat
Latest Vaccine Numbers: NY Times, CDC
New Mass Vaccination Sites
California’s Disneyland resort will transform into a mass vaccination site. The popular theme park has been closed for 10 months due to the pandemic, so Orange County, California is putting the resort to good use. Also, sports stadiums are getting converted into mass distribution sites in California, New York, Arizona, and Florida. In Texas and Kentucky, its state fairgrounds are turning into vaccination sites. Malls are now vaccination hubs in New Jersey. Elsewhere, it’s convention centers.
Read More: USA Today, LA Times, Orange County, Axios
NBA Rolls Out New COVID-19 Rules
The NBA is tightening its COVID-19 rules. Players are now required to wear masks on the bench and in the locker room. Coaches have to wear theirs at all times. When teams are on the road, players are being told to stay in their hotels and basically only come out for practice and games. Pregame meetings in the locker room will be limited to 10 minutes. That’s just a few of the new rules taking effect for at least the next two weeks.
Read More: ESPN, AP, WaPo
NHL Season Begins
The National Hockey League begins a new season today with five games on tap. However, expect things to look a little different because of the pandemic. For example, there will only be 56 games this season. That’s 26 fewer than normal. The NHL is also taking steps to limit player travel. It split teams into four divisions, based on location, before they’ll eventually branch out for the playoffs.
Read More: ESPN, The Athletic, NHL, Safety Protocols
Paris Champs-Élysées Makeover
An iconic street in the heart of Paris will soon get a facelift. We’re talking about the Champs-Élysées. It’s often called “the most beautiful avenue in the world.” It’s gone three decades without a major overhaul. However this week, the city’s mayor gave a green renovation project the go-ahead. The plans include adding greenery, widening pedestrian sidewalks, and cutting vehicle traffic in half. That said, the makeover likely won’t get underway until 2025.
Read More: CBS News, CNN, Travel+Leisure
Work Wednesday: 15 US Cities with Best Job Prospects
LinkedIn put together a list of the top 15 cities that have churned out the most job postings and hired the most people in 2020 using data on its platform. It found the cities with the best job markets are Seattle, Austin, Boston, the San Francisco Bay area, and Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. It’s not much of a surprise that Seattle sits at the top of the list since Amazon is in the Seattle region. As you know, the online retailer had incredible growth in 2020.
Read More: LinkedIn