Monday, January 31st, 2022
Near-Record Snowfall, Heroic Bridge Rescue & Super Bowl Set
All the news you need in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by Rothys.com/newsworthy and StitchFix.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 to review the latest happenings...
East Coast Record Snowfall
Millions of people along the East Coast are digging out of a historic snowstorm. It dumped snow from Virginia to Maine, but Massachusetts got the brunt of it. There, some areas got more than 30 inches of snow and wind gusts that topped 80 miles per hour. On Saturday, Boston tied its record for the most snow to fall in one day. Parts of Rhode Island and Connecticut also got about two feet of snow. Some towns on the coasts flooded. All weekend, National Guard members, first responders, and power crews have responded to the storm.
Read more: NY Times, Axios, USA Today, WaPo, NOAA
UN Security Council Meet Today
Today, the United Nations Security Council is going to meet about Russia’s troop buildup near Ukraine. The U.S. says most council members will stand together in demanding the Russians explain themselves, on the record, in a public meeting. The U.S. and its allies have been pushing for peaceful resolutions, all while warning Russia could invade Ukraine at any point.
Read more: AP, Reuters, The Hill, Axios
More Russia Buildup on Ukraine Border
Russia says it doesn’t have plans to invade Ukraine, and it says it has positioned more than 120 thousand troops and military equipment around Ukraine’s borders as defense since Ukraine has close ties with NATO. More recently, Reuters reports that Russia added blood supplies and other medical items near Ukraine’s border. That could help troops respond to any casualties. U.S. officials say that’s another clue Russia is planning to attack Ukraine soon, with short notice.
Read more: CNN, NY Times, Reuters
Ukraine Prepares for Invasion
Inside Ukraine, leaders seem less sure an invasion is likely. As Ukraine’s president said, “We don’t need this panic.” Still, citizen soldiers in Ukraine are preparing for war. More than 130,000 volunteers across the country have joined new forces as a wing of the Ukrainian military. Over the weekend, they staged drills with either wooden model guns or real ones. They also learned all kinds of military tactics and skills. Some say they're ready for anything, but the LA Times reports, no one thinks they will stand a chance against the Russian army.
Read more: LA Times, WSJ, Fox News
Canada Trucker Protest
Tens of thousands of protesters gathered in Canada’s capital over the weekend. They were mostly there to rally against new Covid-19 vaccine mandates for truckers who enter Canada from the U.S. However, many were also protesting masks, lockdowns, and other public health restrictions. Huge crowds gathered in the middle of Ottawa, around Canada's parliament, for two days straight, even though temperatures dropped down to 0 degrees. The Canadian prime minister and his family were moved from their home to a secret location as a precaution, but the protests have been mostly peaceful.
Read more: CTV, BBC, Insider, WSJ, AP
Pittsburgh Bridge Collapse/Biden Visit
First responders led a heroic rescue effort following a bridge collapse in Pennsylvania. The 50-year-old Fern Hollow Bridge in Pittsburgh collapsed. A city bus and five other vehicles came crashing down with it. So, rescuers jumped in, repelling down a ravine and forming a human chain to get everyone out. Amazingly, no one died. The collapse happened just hours before President Biden got to Pittsburgh to promote the new, bipartisan infrastructure law. It’s not clear what caused the collapse, but Biden says it was likely because the country has been so far behind on infrastructure repairs.
Read more: Reuters, AP, Fox News, CNN, White House
More Artists Join Spotify Exit
At least two more artists told Spotify to take down their music. This is a trend that started last week when Neil Young accused Spotify of helping spread life-threatening misinformation about Covid-19 vaccines because of its exclusive deal with popular podcaster Joe Rogan. Young said Spotify had to choose between him and Rogan. Spotify took down Young’s music. Since then, a couple of other artists, like eight-time Grammy winner Joni Mitchell, followed Young’s lead. Plus, Spotify was reportedly overwhelmed with requests from customers asking to cancel their subscriptions over the weekend.
Read more: USA Today, The Hill, Fox Business
Spotify Adding Content Warnings
Spotify is still not pulling Joe Rogan’s podcast, but it is making a couple of changes when it comes to information about Covid-19. For starters, Spotify published its rules about what’s allowed on the platform. It says it’s testing ways to better highlight those rules to creators. Also, Spotify says it’s adding a content advisory to any podcast episode that talks about Covid-19. The streaming platform also responded to growing criticism by saying it knows it has a responsibility to find a balance between supporting and not censoring content creators while also protecting listeners.
Read more: WaPo, NY Times, Deadline, AP, Variety, Spotify
Kia Recall
410,000 Kias are being recalled because their airbags might not deploy in a crash. The problem is with a control unit cover that can damage an electrical circuit, and in turn, that could deactivate the airbags. The recall includes certain 2017 Forte Koups, Fortes from 2017 and 2018, as well as Sedonas and Souls from 2017 to 2019. If you drive one of the affected models, you can take your car to a Kia dealership for a free inspection. If it’s needed, mechanics there will update the software or replace the part for free.
Read more: Business Insider, The Hill, AP, NHTSA
Super Bowl Matchup Set
The stage is set for this year’s Super Bowl. The Los Angeles Rams will take on the Cincinnati Bengals in less than two weeks. This will be the lowest-seeded Super Bowl matchup in history. Both the Bengals and the Rams entered the postseason as No. 4 in their conferences, but they both won their conference championships yesterday. This marks LA’s 2nd Super Bowl appearance in four years. However, this time, they’ll play at home. As for the Bengals, it’s their first time going to the big game in more than 30 years. The Super Bowl is Sunday, February 13th.
Read more: CBS Sports, ESPN, AP, Yahoo! Sports, NFL
Australian Open Winners
Rafael Nadal roared back to win the men’s Australian Open singles. He also snagged a record-breaking 21st grand slam title. He outfought Daniil Medvedev in an epic victory, rallying from two sets down. This win makes him just the fourth man to win all four of Tennis’ major titles at least twice. In the women’s final, Ash Barty won her third career grand slam, beating out American Danielle Collins. To make Barty’s win even sweeter, she won it at home. She’s the first Aussie to win the women’s Australian Open singles title in 44 years.
Read more: ESPN, AP, CNN, USA Today, CBS Sports
'Cheer' Live Tour
The stars of Netflix’s hit docu-series “Cheer” are taking their routines on the road. The production is called “Cheer Live”. It will have some of the show’s biggest stars on stage, like Gabi Butler and Coach Monica Aldama. A news release says fans can expect the athletes to show off some never-before-seen stunts and performances. The tour kicks off this summer in San Diego before hitting a few other U.S. cities. Tickets go on sale this Friday.
Read more: People, Billboard, Just Jared, Cheer
Money Monday: Luxury Vehicle Sales Surge
High-end car brands like Rolls-Royce, Bentley, and Lamborghini thrived in 2021, while most of the auto industry struggled with supply chain shortages. Rolls-Royce and Bentley did better because they put their most expensive vehicles first when it comes to parts, like semiconductors. As far as sales, Rolls-Royce sold more than 5,500 vehicles last year, which is a record. It pales in comparison to mainstream auto giants like Toyota that sold 2.3 million vehicles just in the U.S. last year. However, for Rolls-Royce, sales were up 49% from the year before.
Read more: WSJ, Business Insider, CNN, Fox Business, Cars.Com, Toyota