Friday, January 28th, 2022
Bracing for Blizzard, Truckers Revolt & Economy Surging
All the news you need in around 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by Seed.com/newsworthy and Zocdoc.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 reading the latest happenings...
Northeast Winter Storm
Millions of Americans are in for another powerful winter storm this weekend. It’s expected to span from North Carolina to New England, bringing hurricane-force winds and heavy snow. The National Weather Service says the storm will probably form east of the Carolinas by this evening, then travel up the mid-Atlantic into the Northeast by tomorrow morning. More than a foot of snow is possible in some areas, along with strong winds and coastal flooding. Parts of New England could get without conditions and up to 20 inches of snow.
Read more: Weather Channel, NY Times, WSJ, CBS News, NWS
Biden Comments on Breyer Retirement
President Biden says he fully intends on keeping his campaign promise by nominating the first Black woman as a Supreme Court justice. He spoke about it during a ceremony, marking a moment of national transition. Biden praised the retiring Justice Stephen Breyer, who will have spent nearly 28 years on the bench by the time he leaves at the end of this term. Biden also says he’s already started studying the backgrounds and writings of potential candidates. There will be a rigorous selection process, complete with interviews, health checks, and more. Biden promised to announce his choice by the end of February.
Read more: WaPo, Axios, WSJ, AP, White House
Canada Truckers Protest
A convoy of truck drivers is moving its way across Canada. Today, the truckers are expected to reach the nation’s capital of Ottawa. They’re hoping to shut down the city in protest of a Covid-19 vaccine mandate. That mandate went into effect earlier this month. It says any truck driver crossing the border into Canada needs to give proof that they were vaccinated. The Canadian Trucking Alliance says about 10% of cross-border truckers are impacted by this mandate. Today, police think there could be up to 2,000 truckers protesting in Ottawa.
Read more: CBC, Fox News, Reuters, Newsweek
Obamacare Signups Hit Record
The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) is more popular now than ever before. The White House says a record 14.5 million Americans signed up for health insurance through Obamacare marketplaces this last open enrollment period. That’s about two million more than the previous record. Remember, the ACA offers some options and, possibly, some discounts to Americans who aren’t already getting insurance through their employer. Last year, a relief bill invested more into it, so people got more discounts. There were more tax credits for monthly insurance payments, and people with higher incomes qualified for help.
Read more: USA Today, WaPo, Axios, KFF, White House
U.S. Economy Grew 5.7% in 2021
The U.S. economy grew last year at the fastest pace since Ronald Reagan was in the White House. The GDP (gross domestic product) grew more than 5.7% in 2021. That’s the strongest growth in one year since 1984. President Biden touted the country’s recovery yesterday, praising 2021 as the greatest year of job growth in U.S. history. There are still challenges, though, like inflation. Because the Fed hopes to rein in inflation by raising interest rates, and because there likely won’t be more government stimulus soon, some economists think growth will slow a bit this year.
Read more: AP, NY Times, CNN, BEA
iPhone Holiday Sales Surge Despite Shortage
Apple made more money than ever this past holiday, even with the supply chain crunch. Their holiday iPhone sales surged 9%, giving the company its biggest sales for any quarter in its history. iPhone sales aren't the only thing going well for Apple, though. The sales of every, single other Apple division was up year-over-year, except the iPad. This year could be busy, too. There are rumors of a new 5G-capable iPhone SE, an updated iPad Air, a revamped Mac product, and more.
Read more: CNBC, Axios, The Verge, AP, Bloomberg, Apple
Online Scams Surge
The FTC is warning of a massive surge in social media scams. There was $770 million in losses last year alone. That’s just the people who actually reported being scammed. The FTC also said the number of scam victims who were first messaged through social media more than doubled since 2020. The government agency said the most reports were by people who were scammed by shopping on sites like Facebook or Instagram. However, the ones that cost people the most were investment scams and romance scams.
Read more: Axios, Engadget, FTC
Supplements May Prevent Autoimmune Disease
A new study shows a couple of over-the-counter supplements may cut your odds of developing an autoimmune disease later in life. Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital tested tens of thousands of people over the age of 50. People either took higher doses of supplements than are usually recommended or a placebo. Researchers found people who took 2,000 units of vitamin D over five years were 22% less likely to develop an autoimmune disease. However, researchers suggest talking to your doctor first, as too much vitamin D can be dangerous. Doctors can test to see if you need to supplement or not.
Read more: IFL Science, CNN, SciTechDaily, Harvard Gazette, BMJ
Feel Good Friday: Football Players Shovel Driveways
When a winter storm made high school football practice a no-go, one coach gave the kids a different kind of workout: one that would help the community. This happened last week in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. Coach Brian Delallo tweeted to the athletes that practice wasn’t happening. However, instead of sitting at home, the coach told them to find an elderly or disabled neighbor and shovel their driveway for free. The coach says the coach before him started the tradition more than 20 years ago. About 40 student-athletes shoveled snow that day last week.
Read more: Fox News, WaPo, NY Post, Today, Brain DeLallo