Thursday, February 17th, 2022
US Calls Russia Liar, Cross-Country Storm & Airline Subscription
All the news you need in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by Masterworks.Art/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 peruse the latest happenings.
Russia Troop Buildup Update
The U.S. says Russia has massed another 7,000 troops near Ukraine’s borders and that Russia’s announcement about troops being pulled back was “false”. NATO and several European governments say the same thing. According to the latest estimates, there are now more than 150,000 troops east, north, and south of Ukraine. So, the U.S. and its allies say there’s still a strong chance Russia could attack any day. That threatens Europe’s security and economic stability. One U.S. official also told the AP Russia is passing on more disinformation as a way to invent a way to justify a war. Russia says the west is being “paranoid”.
Read more: AP, Reuters, WSJ, CNBC, Politico
Russian Hackers Targeting Defense Contractors
Ukraine says the cyberattack that happened earlier this week was the largest of its kind in Ukrainian history. The U.S. thinks Russia is behind it. Now, a new alert says Americans have been hit, too. The U.S. intelligence community says Russian government-sponsored hackers have been targeting defense contractors and subcontractors for at least two years. The alert says they got enough information to be able to adjust their military plans and priorities, develop new technology, and leak any of America’s intentions.
Read more: Axios, NY Post, The Verge, CNN, CISA
New Cross-Country Storm
A massive storm is bringing the U.S. snow, rain, floods, and possibly tornadoes by the end of this week. It’s already started, but the worst could be ahead. Today, snow is expected to span from Oklahoma to Michigan. Then, the storm moves to the mid-south and southeast. Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee, as well as Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and Jackson, Mississippi are in the path of damaging winds and tornadoes today. Then tomorrow, the storm system is headed up to the northeast coast to Maine, bringing more snow, rain, and flooding in some places.
Read more: CNN, NBC News, WaPo, USA Today, NWS
Jan 6th Cmte to Get Visitor Logs
Lawmakers investigating last year’s Capitol riot are about to get a lot more documents to go through. President Biden told the National Archives to let the panel have White House visitor logs from the Trump administration. Former President Trump tried to block those records, citing executive privilege. That’s the idea that presidents can have secrets in certain circumstances. However, Biden said visitor longs don’t count. Trump didn’t comment on this latest development.
Read more: NY Times, Reuters, AP, WSJ, Axios, Archives.Gov
U.S. Retail Sales Jump
Americans spent a lot more money at the start of this year. It’s not just because things are costing more, but people are shopping more, too. The Commerce Department’s latest report says retail sales rose nearly 4% last month since December. That’s the largest month-over-month increase since nearly a year ago when Americans were getting relief payments. Plus, last month, prices were only up 0.6%, so the cost of items isn't the only reason sales are higher. The biggest increase can be attributed to online shopping. Sales of furniture, cars, and building materials also went up more than the overall average.
Read more: WSJ, CNBC, MarketWatch, Census
Devry Students Debt Relief
Nearly 2,000 former Devry University students will get their student debt wiped clean. That’s because the Department of Education says the for-profit college lied about how well its graduates were doing. The school claimed 90% of its graduates found jobs in their field within six months of graduating. In reality, only 58% did. So, the Biden administration is forcing the school to cover the cost of the loans being scrapped. They add up to $71.7 million. A Devry spokesperson says the school doesn’t agree with the outcome. They say the White House “mischaracterized” the numbers.
Read more: NPR, WaPo, NY Times, Education Department
Longest Sentence in College Bribery Scandal
A parent in the college admissions bribery scandal just got the longest sentence handed down so far. Former Staples executive John Wilson got 15 months in prison on fraud and bribery charges. Prosecutors say dozens of wealthy parents conspired with an admissions consultant and paid to get their kids into prestigious schools. Dozens of other defendants already pleaded guilty and served their time. Wilson is only one of two people to go to trial so far. He’s said to have paid $1.2 million in bribes. Wilson denied he did anything wrong and argued he thought the money would go to university donations.
Read more: Reuters, AP, NY Times, Boston Globe
Alaska Airlines Subscription Service
Alaska Airlines unveiled the world’s first flight subscription. It’s called Flight Pass, and it lets members pick from 100 daily round-trip flights between 16 west coast cities for one flat fee. The airline has two different annual plans. The standard plan starts at $49 a month, and the pro-plan starts at $199 a month. However, you are still limited to how many flights you can take. When you sign up, you choose the number of annual trips: six, 12, or 24. Then you redeem your credits when it's time to fly. You will also still have to pay government taxes and fees for each flight, on top of your annual subscription fee.
Read more: Fox Business, Axios, MarketWatch, Alaska Airlines
Disney Developing Residential Communities
Adults and kids alike may never have to leave Disney magic behind again. Storyliving by Disney is a new residential community that can immerse people into the world of Disney. The first of many neighborhoods planned is in the Coachella Valley of California. Disney says the development will be infused with its special brand of magic around a 24-acre lagoon. Disney says with a voluntary club membership, there will be curated experiences like live experiences and cooking classes. The prices still need to be set by the homebuilders and developers. Disney says other U.S. locations are being considered for more future development.
Read more: WSJ, Forbes, Reuters, Fortune, Walt Disney
Olympics Hockey, Figure Skating
One of the biggest Olympic rivalries came head-to-head this morning. We’re talking about Team USA versus Canada in women’s hockey. Canada beat the U.S. 3-2. That means Canada won the gold, and the Americans won silver. Also today, the women’s figure skating free skate competition that’s at the center of controversy is in its final round. The Russian teen skater who failed a pre-Olympic drug test is currently in the lead. If she finishes in the top three, medals won’t be awarded, since she’s still under investigation. Three American skaters are also competing for gold today.
Read more: USA Today, ESPN, CBS Sports, NBC Olympics, Olympics
Thing to Know Thursday: Life Expectancy By State
Hawaii topped the nation for life expectancy at birth in 2019. The average life expectancy there was 80.9 years. That’s according to a report on all U.S. states from the CDC’s National Center of Health Statistics. The state with the lowest life expectancy was Mississippi at 74.4 years. Nationally, life expectancy sat at 78.8 years. The new report also showed life expectancy at birth was higher for women than for men in all states and Washington, D.C. Also, most of the lowest life expectancies were in southern states that also had higher poverty rates.
Read more: Axios, Insider, NBC News, Census, CDC