theNewsWorthy: Monday, February 18th, 2019
ALL THE NEWS YOU NEED - IN ONE PLACE.
(in less than 10 minutes!)
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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...
Nat'l Emergency Latest: As expected, President Trump signed the spending bill to avoid another government shutdown and also declared a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border. The president expects to have about $8 billion in funding for his border barriers. But there is plenty of criticism. Some say it's not legal, some say there’s not really an emergency and some worry about the precedent it sets for other presidents. Some lawmakers plan to block the declaration, but the White House says it'll veto it. Dozens of protests are also planned for today.
Read more: The Hill, FOX News, NYT, NBC News, USA Today
Heather Nauert Withdraws: Trump's top pick for the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations no longer wants to be considered for the position. Heather Nauert is a State Department Spokeswoman and former FOX News anchor. She said it’s been “grueling” on her family. There are reportedly questions about whether a nanny for Nauert has been working illegally.
Read more: AP, The Washington Post
Aurora Shooting: At least three vigils will be held today to honor the five people killed in a shooting in Illinois on Friday. The shooting happened at a manufacturing company in Aurora, about 40 miles from Chicago. The 45-year old gunman was an employee who started shooting after he was fired from his job. Several other people were hurt, including five police officers.
Read more: CBS News, WP, Fox News
Cardinal Defrocked: Former cardinal Theodore McCarrick has been expelled from priesthood for sexual abuse. The 88-year old resigned last year after an investigation.
Read more: FOX News, CNN, BBC
Census Question: Should the 2020 census include a question about U.S. citizenship? The Trump administration wants it to, but now it’s up to the U.S. Supreme Court. The census questionnaire is sent to every household in the country every ten years for a population count and can impact how many members of Congress each state gets. There hasn’t been a question on citizenship since the 1950 census. Supreme Court arguments are scheduled for April since the 2020 census must be printed by June of this year.
Read more: The Washington Post, NYT,
Colin Kaepernick and NFL Settle: Colin Kaepernick and the NFL have reached a legal settlement, and some are calling it a surprise. Kaepernick filed a grievance in 2017, claiming that the NFL wouldn’t give him a contract because he kneeled during the national anthem to protest social injustice. The agreement requires everyone involved to stay quiet about the details. Kaepernick’s lawyer says he’s ready to play again.
Read more: ESPN, CNN
NBA All-Star Weekend: Team LeBron James won the NBA All-Star Game last night for the second year in a row. Kevin Durant was named the All-Star Game MVP. Earlier in the weekend, Joe Harris won the 3-point contest and Hamidou Diallo stole the show with a dunk where he jumped over Shaq. Watch it here.
Read more: Sporting News, CBS Sports
TCL Foldable Electronics: Electronics company TCL is taking foldable phones to the next level. The company is reportedly working on a phone that can fold and cuff around the wrist - turning into a smart watch. It’s still in the early stages. It's not the only company working on foldable smartphones. Samsung is also expected to reveal a foldable phone at its Galaxy S10 launch this week.
Read more: CNET, Engadget
Snow Moon: Look up and you maybe be able to see the Super Snow Moon this week. The “Snow Moon” is a Native American name for the second full moon of winter; the “Super” part is a full moon at its closest point to Earth during its orbit. The best time for most people in the U.S. to see it will be Tuesday evening during moonrise, depending on weather conditions.
Read more: TIME, Quartz, USA Today
Presidents Day: It’s Presidents Day today, and for some people, that means a day off work. It also means banks, post offices and most public schools are closed. The federal holiday is always observed on the third Monday of February. It’s also a time you can expect big shopping sales. See the lists of deals below...
Read more (Federal Holiday): History.com, TIME
Read more (Retail Deals): The Verge, USA Today