theNewsWorthy: Thursday, March 7th, 2019
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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...
(Scroll down to read more about our Thing to Know Thursday topic …)
Crisis at the Southern Border: Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen insists there really is a crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border. She testified before Congress in support of President Trump’s national emergency. Lawmakers grilled Nielsen over family separations at the border.
Read more: USA Today, CNN
Senator's Air Force Assault: Sen. Martha McSally of Arizona was the country’s first female fighter pilot to serve in combat. During a congressional hearing, she said she was raped by a superior officer. She said she didn’t report it because she didn’t trust the system.
Read more: The Hill, ABC News, NYT
Changes at Facebook: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg expects to have a future of private messages and small group chats more than public sharing on the site. He detailed a bunch of possible changes to the company’s products in a blog post this week. The post highlights encrypted, private messages that would eventually disappear. Critics wonder how Facebook plans to get paid, and if this is all talk to avoid more privacy regulations.
Read more (Future): The Verge, NYT, WSJ, TechCrunch
Fastest-Growing Job: Artificial intelligence and robots are taking over some jobs, so there's now a list of the top 20 jobs expected to grow the most over the next several years. Number one? Solar panel installers.
Read more: CNBC
Amazon Health Care: Amazon, JP Morgan and Berkshire Hathaway have announced the name of its joint-venture to improve health care. It's called Haven. The goal? Improve insurance, challenge profit-based healthcare and cut costs. They plan to start the service with employees from all three companies...
Also, Amazon announced it will shut down all 87 of its pop-up retail stores, and that Amazon’s Alexa smart speakers can now tell you the name and artist of the song playing (just enable “song ID").
Read more (Haven): Bloomberg, CNBC
Read more (Pop-up Stores): WSJ
Read more (Song ID): TechCrunch
Google Duplex: Google’s voice assistant wants to book your next dinner reservation, and the feature is now available in 43 states. Google Duplex uses AI to book online or even call the restaurant directly with a voice meant to sound like a human. The feature is available on Google Pixel phones for now, but should roll out to other devices, including iPhones.
Read more: Engadget, CNBC
R. Kelly in Jail: After that emotional and tense interview aired on CBS This Morning, R. Kelly was taken to jail. But it wasn't about the interview; he owes $161,000 in child support. Police are also investigating new allegations against him, and he’s already set to appear in court later this month for sexual abuse charges. He pleaded not guilty.
Read more: CNN, Page Six, TMZ
Alex Trebek Diagnosis: Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek announced some sad news yesterday. At age 78, he has been diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Trebek posted a video on YouTube to make the announcement. He admits the prognosis isn’t great but says he has hope. He even joked that his contract on the game show lasts for another three years, so he has no choice. Trebek has hosted Jeopardy for more than 30 years.
Read more: Watch His Video, USA Today, Variety
Mad About You Reboot: The 90s sitcom Mad About You is coming back with original cast members Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt. The revival will likely be set twenty years later, and is set to come out later this year.
Read more: Deadline