Monday, February 14th, 2022
US-Canada Bridge Reopens, Avocado Import Ban & $7M Ads
All the news you need in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by StitchFix.com/newsworthy and Masterworks.Art/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...
Biden Speaks with Putin, Zelensky
The U.S. seems even more sure that Russia could invade Ukraine any day now, kicking off what President Biden says could be the “largest invasion since World War II.” Biden spoke to his counterparts in both Russia and Ukraine over the weekend. He told Russia’s president that invading Ukraine would cause “widespread human suffering.” Biden said the west wants to end the crisis through talks but is “equally prepared for other scenarios.” In his call with Ukraine’s president, Biden reiterated America’s support, saying if Russia does attack, the U.S. will “respond decisively.”
Read more: WaPo, AP, WSJ, CNBC, NPR, Axios, White House (1), White House (2)
Ukraine Evacuations
The Pentagon ordered American troops who were deployed there last year to leave the country and go elsewhere in Europe. The State Department also told most of the staff still at the embassy in Ukraine’s capital to get out of there. Only a small number of “core” diplomats are staying behind. This comes after new intelligence was revealed, showing a Russian invasion could begin within days. More than 130,000 Russian troops are now surrounding Ukraine.
Read more: Politico, NY Times, ABC News, Reuters
Canadian Protesters Cleared
The busiest border crossing between the U.S. and Canada has finally reopened, ending nearly a week of mass protests over Covid-19 restrictions. Police started arresting protesters and towing vehicles over the weekend. The protest has disrupted supply chains and closed car factories on both sides of the border. Protesters have also blocked two other border crossings between the U.S. and Canada, and the streets are still clogged around the Canadian capital of Ottawa. Protesters have been there for weeks, and many say they won’t leave until governments drop Covid-19 restrictions.
Read more: NY Times, WSJ, CNN, Fox News, Politico
‘Freedom Convoys’ in Europe
The protests at the U.S.-Canada border inspired some other similar ones around the world. One in Paris, France got especially tense over the weekend. Police there stopped at least 500 vehicles from heading to a protest that was banned, but a few dozen got through to the famous Champs-Élysées. Authorities fired tear gas and fined several hundred protesters. In the Netherlands, dozens of trucks and other vehicles arrived in The Hague for similar protests, blocking an entrance to the historic Dutch parliament. Another large protest is expected today in Belgium's capital of Brussels.
Read more: BBC, Axios, Fox News, Politico
FDA to Wait on Youngest Kids Shots
It’s going to be a little longer before the very youngest Americans could be eligible for Covid-19 vaccines. We told you Pfizer asked the FDA to authorize its shots for kids younger than five and as young as six months old. Now, the vaccine maker says it needs more time to look into new data. Originally, the request was for two doses of small versions of the vaccines. Now, Pfizer says it wants to wait for their research to come back about a third dose first. That research is already underway. The FDA is now planning to review all the data for young kids in early April.
Read more: NBC News, NPR, CNBC, Stat, FDA
CDC on Booster Longevity
The CDC recently released a new study that found booster shots for adults start becoming less effective after four months. Still, it shows they still do work pretty well to keep people out of the hospital. It says the booster shots are 91% effective at preventing the most serious cases after two months, but after four months, it drops to 78%. No matter what, vaccine effectiveness was higher after three doses than two, so Americans are still being encouraged to get their boosters.
Read more: The Hill, WaPo, WSJ, AP, CDC
Super Bowl Highlights
The Los Angeles Rams won their first Super Bowl since being back in LA. They beat the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20. The game was close, but the Rams took the lead when quarterback Matt Stafford passed to wide receiver Cooper Kupp. He scored a touchdown with just 1:25 left in the game. That was Kupp’s 2nd touchdown of the night, making him the Super Bowl MVP. The Rams were playing for a hometown crowd. Besides the Rams, only one other team in history has ever played a Super Bowl in their home stadium. Next, the Rams will have a victory parade with the Lombardi Trophy.
Read more: LA Times, ESPN, CNN, NBC News, NPR
Super Bowl Ads
The Super Bowl commercials brought a big dose of nostalgia and star power. Advertisers shelled out up to $7 million for 30 seconds of airtime, so they pulled out all the stops. The Michelob Ultra commercial featuring iconic stars was a fan favorite. There were a few throwbacks, like when Chevrolet recreated the opening scene to the Sopranos to show off its electric Chevy Silverado. Verizon’s ad had Jim Carrey go back to his 1996 role as The Cable Guy to promote the 5G wireless network. Another trend in Super Bowl ads: cryptocurrency companies. There were so many, some people dubbed this, the “Crypto Bowl.”
Read more: CNN, AP, WSJ, CBS Sports
Super Bowl Halftime
Some of hip hop’s biggest names took the stage for the Super Bowl halftime show, including Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar. Eminem took a knee at the end of his performance in what’s thought to be a nod to former NFL Colin Kaepernick. Rumors say Eminem kneeled even though the NFL told him not to, but the league says it had no issue with the gesture. Overall, social media lit up for the show, with a lot of famous people calling it the best halftime show of all time.
Read more: Axios, ESPN, Deadline, The Athletic
Kodak Black, Others Shot
Rapper Kodak Black and three others were shot early Saturday morning after Justin Bieber’s pre-Super Bowl concert. They’re all in the hospital, but everyone’s expected to survive. Police say it started as a fight outside a West Hollywood bar. Kodak Black’s lawyer says it was an unprovoked attack, and he just jumped in to protect a buddy. Black has been convicted on weapon charges in the past, but his sentence was commuted by President Trump in his last few hours in office. So far, no one has been arrested for the latest shooting.
Read more: Newsweek, AP, NY Times, TMZ, Kodak Black’s Lawyer
US Suspends Mexican Avocado Imports
It might be harder to come by avocados soon. The U.S. nixed all imports of avocados from Mexico over the weekend. The AP says a U.S. plant safety inspector was threatened, and it was related to cartel violence. U.S. inspectors work in Mexico to make sure the avocados don’t carry diseases that could hurt U.S crops. Going forward, it’s not clear how this will impact the avocado supply in the U.S. The USDA hasn’t responded, but Mexico says the suspension will last “until further notice.”
Read more: Fox Business, AP, Bloomberg, Reuters
Olympics Wrap
Team USA is making history at the Beijing Games. American speedskater Erin Jackson won gold yesterday, making her the first Black woman to win gold in an individual sport at the Winter Games. Also over the weekend, Lindsey Jacobellis won another gold medal, this time, in the new event of mixed snowboardcross with teammate Nick Baumgartner. Then, this morning, two American bobsledders won gold and silver in the first-ever women’s monobob. Right now in the medal count, Team USA is sitting in 3rd with 15 medals, and seven of them are gold.
Read more: AP, USA Today, Olympics
Money Monday: Gas Prices Skyrocketing
Prices at the pump continue to soar, and there are no signs of slowing down. The national average for gas is sitting at $3.48 a gallon, a dollar more than last year’s average. That means the average person is spending about $12 more to fill up a tank of gas in a medium-sized car. AAA says it’s because of the increased demand for heating oil in the winter months and the worries about the tension between Russia and Ukraine. Those are just a couple of the top concerns. Analysts at GasBuddy say the average will jump to $4 a gallon by Memorial Day.
Read more: USA Today, Reuters, CNBC, AAA, GasBuddy