Monday, February 3rd, 2020
Why Iowa Matters, Super Bowl Highlights & Palindrome Day
All the news you need in less than 10 min:
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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...
Iowa Caucuses:
The presidential race kicks into high gear as the Iowa caucuses begin tonight. Iowa Democrats will be the first Americans to weigh in on who the Democratic party’s nominee should be to take on President Trump in November. Since it’s the first state, it could influence voters in the rest of the country. A couple Republicans are running against Trump, but they’re not picking up much momentum. Primary elections and caucuses are held every four years to select the top candidates, but voting in a primary is a lot like voting in a general election while a caucus feels more like a town hall. Stay tuned for results...
Read more: AP, Washington Post, CBS News, NYT
Impeachment Trial Next Steps:
President Trump’s impeachment trial picks back up today, but it’s not expected to last much longer. Closing arguments will start this morning, and the final vote to acquit or convict Trump is supposed to happen on Wednesday. On Friday, Republicans voted against allowing any witnesses or evidence despite Democrats’ efforts.
Read more: NYT, Politico, WSJ
Coronavirus Latest:
The first death from the new coronavirus outside of China has been reported in the Philippines, though most cases of the pneumonia-like illness are still in China. In the U.S., there are now 11 confirmed cases.
Read more: AP, BBC, CNN, NBC News
First FDA-Approved Peanut Allergy Drug:
The FDA just approved a treatment for peanut allergies. The first-of-its-kind treatment is for kids 4 to 17 years old. It builds up tolerance by increasing the dose of peanut protein over a six-month period until patients can tolerate multiple peanuts. Though those with allergies will still need to avoid peanuts, the drug should limit dangerous reactions in case of accidental exposure. A second treatment – a new skin patch -- could also be available later this year.
Read more: Business Insider, WSJ, FDA
Super Bowl Highlights:
The Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl last night in Miami. At 24 years old, Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes led the team to three touchdowns in the fourth quarter and became the youngest player in NFL history to be named Super Bowl MVP. Shakira and Jennifer Lopez made history as the first Latina artists to headline the Super Bowl halftime show. The multi-million dollar commercials featured celebrities including Bill Murray, Chrissy Teigen and more.
Read more: USA Today, ABC News, Vox, Sporting News, Sports Illustrated
Palindrome Day & Groundhog Day:
Sunday was both Groundhog Day and Palindrome Day. Palindrome Day is when the date reads the same forwards and backwards, and yesterday was the only time it will happen this century: 2-2-2020.
As for Groundhog Day, Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow, which (according to the legend) signals warmer days ahead with an early spring this year. Of course, he's been right less than 40 percent of the time since 2009...
Palindrome Day: CNN, Mashable
Groundhog Day: Weather Channel, USA Today
Elon Musk’s New Song:
Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk has a new song available on Soundcloud and Spotify called “Don’t Doubt ur Vibe.” He wrote the lyrics and performed the vocals. It’s not clear why he wrote the song, but there are some tongue-in-cheek elements, such as the username: "Emo G Records." Read it aloud to understand...
Read more: CNET, The Verge
Box Office Winner:
Bad Boys for Life topped the box office charts for the third week in a row. It’s The third installment in the franchise has brought in $291 million globally, making it the highest-grossing Bad Boys title yet.
Read more: Variety, Hollywood Reporter
Money Monday –Tax Season:
The IRS is now accepting 2019 tax returns. More than 150 million taxpayers are expected to file this year, and many are wondering about their refunds. Last year, the average refund was about $2,800 and took 21 calendar days to process. Getting a big refund might feel good, but it means you overpaid on your taxes and should revise your W-4 form with your employer. The deadline to file taxes for 2019 is April 15, 2020.
Read more: Fox Business, USA Today, CBS News