Wednesday, January 20th, 2021
Biden Becomes President, Trump’s Final Pardons & Trending Baby Names
All the news you need in 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by MunkPack.com (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…
Inauguration Day
Today, Joe Biden will be sworn in as the 46th president of the United States. The inauguration events start at around 10 a.m. ET outside the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. First, Kamala Harris will be sworn in as the first woman, Black, and South Asian vice president. Then at around noon, it will be President-elect Biden’s turn. Once he takes his oath of office, Biden will give an inaugural address. He’s expected to focus on healing the nation’s political divide. President Trump will not be at the ceremony today.
Read More: AP, CBS News, CNN, NY Times, Bloomberg, Biden Inaugural
Troops Removed from Inauguration Duty
More than 25,000 U.S. National Guard members are working security in Washington, D.C. However, a dozen of them have now been removed. The federal government has been vetting troops because of concerns about a possible insider attack. Well, Pentagon officials say they found out at least two troops made threatening comments about politicians through text and social media. The other ten were removed because of problems in their past. For example, domestic abuse, ongoing criminal investigations, or outstanding complaints.
Read More: Reuters, NY Times, WaPo
McConnell: Trump Provoked Riot
For the first time, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell publicly blamed President Trump for the Capitol riot. He said, “the mob was fed lies” and was “provoked by the president.” Still, he did not say which way he might vote in President Trump’s impeachment trial. So far, it’s not clear when it might start. Meanwhile, Democrats are expected to officially take control of the Senate today. The two Democrats from Georgia who won runoff elections will be sworn in this afternoon, along with the Democrat from California who will take over for Kamala Harris.
Read More: Politico, AP, WSJ, NPR
U.S. Accuses China of Genocide
The United States officially declared China is committing genocide against Uighur Muslims. In one of his final acts as Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo hit China with new sanctions over it. Pompeo says China has imprisoned more than a million people and accused the country of forced sterilization, forced labor, and more. The Chinese Embassy in Washington has called the allegations “simply a lie,” saying policies in the region are there as part of a fight against “terrorism and extremism.”
Read More: NY Times, Axios, USA Today, NBC News, Pompeo Statement
Trump Issuing Bannon Pardon
As expected, President Trump issued more than 100 pardons and commutations in the final hours of his presidency. Perhaps the most surprising of the batch was clemency for Trump’s former chief strategist Steve Bannon. He was charged with defrauding political donors who supported building a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. Now, he won’t face punishment. There were also dozens of lower-profile people on the list whose cases were raised by advocates of criminal justice reform.
Read More: NY Times, CNN, The Hill, White House
Trump’s Farewell Address
President Trump reflected on his accomplishments over the past four years. He released a pre-taped farewell address from the White House yesterday. In it, the president said, “we did what we came here to do and so much more.” Trump says this is just the beginning for him. He didn’t mention President-elect Biden by name but did say he wishes “the new administration” luck. He is set to leave the White House at 8 a.m. ET.
Read More: Axios, Politico, ABC News, White House
SAT Changes Coming
The grueling test most high school students take to get into college is changing. The SAT is about to get simplified. The College Board says it’s scrapping the essay-writing portion of the test. It’s also nixing the SAT subject tests that helped students prove what they knew in specific areas. The subject tests will be eliminated immediately. The essay portion will stick around for everyone through June. After that, it will only be offered in certain states, under certain conditions.
Read More: WaPo, CBS News, NBC News, College Board
More Positive Baby Names Trending
The pandemic is starting to influence baby names. Those that signify hope, new beginnings, strength, and happiness all seem to be trending. For example, the website Nameberry says searches are up 40% for names like Zora which means “dawn” and Alma which means “soul.” BabyNames.com says names related to gods and goddesses have become popular too because they represent strength and power. You might start hearing more parents calling out for little Adonis or Athena.
Read More: NY Times, TODAY
First Female Super Bowl Ref
For the first time, a woman referee is set to officiate the Super Bowl. Sarah Thomas will make history next month when she serves as Down Judge. The NFL says she was picked because of her “elite performance” over the last few years. She’s been with the league since 2015 and has officiated both regular and postseason games. Super Bowl LV is scheduled for February 7th in Tampa, Florida. A pair of games this weekend will decide which teams make the cut.
Read More: USA Today, ESPN, NBC Sports, NFL
200 Million+ Netflix Users
Netflix hit a new milestone. The streaming platform now has more than 200 million subscribers worldwide. That marks a new high for the company thanks to record growth in the last year. The pandemic inspired a wave of signups since so many people were stuck at home. In total, Netflix reportedly added more than 36 million users in 2020. However, Netflix will face some challenges in the coming years. For example, there is now more competition from other streaming platforms like HBO Max and Disney+.
Read More: WSJ, Variety, AP
World’s Largest Creature Discovered?
Scientists say they’ve unearthed a giant dinosaur fossil in Argentina. They say it might be one of the largest creatures to have ever walked the Earth. So far, bones from its tail, pelvis, and shoulder area have been uncovered. Based on the size of those, scientists think the dinosaur could have been more than 120 feet long and weighed over 110 tons. That’s more than 12 times the weight of an African elephant. Researchers think the dinosaur walked the Earth about 98 million years ago on all fours with a long neck and tail.
Read More: Forbes, CNN, Cretaceous Research
Work Wednesday: Workers Paid to Get Vaccine
Some companies are paying their employees to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Grocers like Dollar General, Trader Joes, and Aldi say they’ll give their employees up to four hours of pay to get vaccinated. Meanwhile, grocery delivery company Instacart is offering workers a $25 stipend to get a shot. Amazon has reportedly offered to vaccinate its workers on-site in some states. Walmart is preparing its pharmacies to dole out vaccines to employees too. Not all employees qualify for the shots just yet. That varies by location.
Read More: Reuters, Forbes, WSJ, Dollar General, Aldi, Instacart