theNewsWorthy: Tuesday, May 22nd, 2018
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...
IRAN DEAL DEMANDS
The U.S. is playing hardball with Iran. Mike Pompeo gave his first major speech as U.S. Secretary of State and said the U.S. could impose the “strongest sanctions in history” (at least if Iran won’t make a new deal).
Remember: the U.S. pulled out of the Iran Nuclear Deal that several countries signed back in 2015. Now, the U.S. is trying to get a new deal together to keep Iran from getting nuclear weapons.
The Wall Street Journal reports Pompeo laid out a long list of 12 requirements for any new agreement. It includes stopping all nuclear activities, releasing all U.S. and allied prisoners and ending support for certain groups like Hamas and more.
But Iran’s president pushed back. He said to the U.S., “Who are you to decide for Iran and the world?” Some U.S. allies aren't so sure either, like one of Britain’s top officials, who said this plan may not be realistic anytime soon.
Read more: WSJ, NYT, Axios, FOX News
SCOTUS SPLIT RULING
The U.S. Supreme Court has made its decision, although the ruling was split 5-4. Ultimately, it’s a win for companies.
The ruling this week means companies are allowed to keep employees from joining together to sue (a.k.a: employers can ask you to sign away your right to bring class-action claims against them).
Employees sometimes join forces to sue over issues like overtime wages or gender discrimination. Now, more and more companies are asking employees to sign contracts and agree not to do that.
CBS News says, for 25 million U.S. employees who work under contracts like that right now, employees have to bring claims against companies ib an individual basis and through arbitration (meaning a third-party person would help settle it out of court).
The Hill reports worker rights groups aren’t happy with the ruling. They say it’s so much harder for employees to fight big companies on their own and many workers can't afford the legal fees to even try.
People who support the ruling say arbitration is fair, efficient, and less expensive for everyone when claims never go to court.
Read more: The Hill, CBS News, NYT, AP
TONIGHT'S PRIMARIES
Primary elections are happening tonight in four states: Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, and Texas.
One of the highest profile races is in Georgia: the race for governor. One of the Democratic candidates – Stacey Abrams – could become the first black female governor in the country and the first female governor in the state. Of course, for that to happen, she first has to win the primary tonight, and then go on to win in November. For now, she’s up against another Democrat, Stacey Evans. Stay tuned.
Read more: USA Today, CNN, NYT (calendar & results)
ZUCKERBERG GOES LIVE
You can now watch Facebook’s CEO testify again. Today, Mark Zuckerberg is expected to face European Union regulators, and Recode reports they’ve now all agreed to livestream it online. Originally, it was said to be a closed-door meeting, but not anymore.
The testimony will start at 6:15 P.M. local time in Brussels, which is 9:15 A.M. Pacific Time in the U.S.
Zuckerberg will likely face tough questions about privacy issues, including Cambridge Analytica (where the data firm reportedly got a hold of millions of users’ info without their permission). Zuckerberg already testified about those issues in front of U.S. lawmakers back in April.
Read more: Recode, Watch Live
OBAMAS + NETFLIX
It’s official: the Obamas are teaming up with Netflix.
Netflix says former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama have signed a multi-year deal to produce films and series. We’re talking scripted series, unscripted series, docuseries, documentaries, and features. So get ready to binge-watch.
The move will give the Obamas another big platform. Bloomberg reports Netflix reaches 125 million people in 190 countries. Michelle Obama said in a statement that they’ve both always believed in the power of storytelling: “Netflix’s unparalleled service is a natural fit for the kinds of stories we want to share.”
Read more: Netflix, USA Today, Tech Insider, Bloomberg
Today's Life Tip:
"Minimizing all the clutter in our house [in] one weekend is not reasonable. Taking a few small steps in the right direction is. Clean out a bathroom medicine chest: empty containers, expired products, etc."
From Optimal Living Daily
COMCAST FIGHTS WIFI DEAD ZONES
Have you ever dealt with a Wi-Fi dead zone in your house, where the Wi-Fi doesn’t quite reach that one corner and you’re left with no internet?
Well, Comcast just launched a new product that’s supposed to fix that problem: Xfinity xFi Pods. They’re polygon-shaped pods that plug into a normal wall outlet. CNET says they then work with your Comcast router to extend your Wi-Fi signal to all corners of your home. They’re $120 for a three-pack or six for $200.
INSTAGRAM FIGHTS FOMO
Instagram is fighting FOMO.
Instagram is at least testing a new feature that tells you when “You’re All Caught Up.” TechCrunch says it pops up when you’ve seen all the new posts from the past 48 hours.
It’s part of that “time well spent” movement: to spend more meaningful time on social media sites instead of just scrolling.
Read more: TechCrunch
STILETTOS OUT, SNEAKERS IN
Women are saying goodbye to the stiletto and hello to the sneaker.
CNBC says American fashion is slowly becoming more casual, and it shows in shoe sales. Women’s sneaker sales are going up a lot: by 37 percent in 2017. Sales of high heels went down by 11% in the same time period.
While some say it’s for comfort and a more casual look with some personality, others say it’s just because there are more options for women than ever before.
Read more: CNBC
MISS USA COMPETITION
Miss USA 2018 is ... Miss Nebraska.
Sarah Rose Summers got the title last night. This year, the judges weren’t celebrities. People reports they were five female leaders. Viewers at home also got to cast votes online.
Read more: People
SCRATCH-N-SNIFF STAMPS
You won’t just lick stamps anymore; you may want to sniff them. Yes, the first ever scratch ‘n sniff stamps.
The Postal Service says that’s the newest thing for summer. The image will be of colorful icy pops on a stick, and there will be ten different designs. However, all ten will have the same scent. That scent will be revealed when the frozen treat forever stamps have their big official reveal on June 20th.
Read more: Post Office, USA Today
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