theNewsWorthy: Friday, March 8th, 2019

ALL THE NEWS YOU NEED - IN ONE PLACE.

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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...

President Visits Alabama:  President Trump will visit Alabama today to survey the damage in Lee County, which was devastated by a tornado last weekend. He also gave the approval for federal aid. Two anonymous corporations have committed to paying for the funerals of all 23 of the victims who died. The tornado was an EF4 – the second-strongest tornado on the scale. Alabama is one of several southeast states at risk for another round of severe weather this weekend.
Read more: CNN, AP, The Weather Channel, How to Help, AccuWeather

Manafort Sentencing:  President Trump’s former campaign chairman Paul Manafort has been sentenced to nearly four years in prison. He also has to pay up to $25 million in restitution, plus other fines. Manafort was convicted of fraud and tax evasion back in August, though those charges aren’t tied to Trump. Manafort will return to court for another sentencing on federal charges next week. There’s still a chance Manafort could walk free – if Trump pardons him.
Read more: The Hill, ABC News, CNN

Cohen Sues Trump Organization:  President Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen is suing the Trump Organization. Cohen says he’s owed nearly $2 million in legal fees for past work. Trump’s new lawyer Rudy Giuliani says Cohen lied to investigators because of the money. Cohen has pleaded guilty to tax crimes and lying to Congress, and he’s heading to prison for up to three years starting in May.
Read more: WSJ, AP

Huawei Lawsuit:  Chinese tech giant Huawei is suing the U.S. government over a law that bans federal agencies from buying the company’s products. The U.S. is concerned that Huawei’s equipment could be used to spy on Americans. Huawei says the law is unconstitutional and there's no proof of those claims.
Read more: NPR, Reuters, NYT

Cashless Stores Ban:  Philadelphia will become the first major U.S. city to ban cashless stores. Under the new law, stores in Philly must accept cash, starting July 1. The goal is to make sure everyone can buy from most retail stores, even if they don’t have access to credit or debit cards. But a growing number of stores around the country have gone cashless to maximize efficiency and safety. This weekend, the football stadium in Atlanta will become the first pro sports venue to go fully cashless.
Read more: WSJ, The Hill, Forbes
 
Airbnb Buys HotelTonight:  Airbnb is acquiring HotelTonight, the app that lets users book discounted hotel rooms last minute in 40 countries around the world. Airbnb wants to eventually become the place for everything travel. Right now, the company says HotelTonight will keep operating as it is.
Read more: BuzzFeed News, TechCrunch
 
Rent the Runway + West Elm:  Rent the Runway is partnering with West Elm to offer home décor for rent. Rent the Runway lets customers swap out designer clothes and accessories, but this partnership means bundles of throw blankets and decorative pillows will be for rent, too.
Read more: CNBC, Business Insider
 
Daylight Saving Time:  This weekend, it’s time to spring forward: clocks will jump ahead one hour as daylight saving time begins. Your smartphone should take care of the change for you, but you might have to adjust your watch or the clock in your car. It means you might lose an hour of sleep (unless you’re in Arizona and Hawaii).
Read more: NBC News, USA Today
 
International Women’s Day:  Today is International Women’s Day (#IWD2019). This year’s theme is #BalanceforBetter, with a focus on equal pay and making sure things are balanced in boardrooms, media coverage and beyond. March is also Women’s History Month, and later this month, two women will make history in space. NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Christina Koch will become the first all-female team to perform a spacewalk outside the International Space Station.
Read more (IWD): USA Today, IWD
Read more (Spacewalk): CNN, Gizmodo