theNewsWorthy: Thursday, May 30th, 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 …)
Mueller Speaks: Special Counsel Robert Mueller made his first public comments in two years in a press conference yesterday. Mueller highlighted the fact that the investigation did not exonerate President Trump. He also said he never considered charging the president with a crime because the department's policy is to leave it up to Congress. Mueller also announced his resignation. President Trump and other Republicans are saying it’s time to move on, but some Democrats see Mueller’s comments as a call for Congress to do more to hold the president accountable.
Read more: AP, The Hill, NYT, NBC News
2020 Primary Debates: The first presidential primary debate is less than a month away, and with more than 20 candidates hoping to get the nomination, the Democratic Party is making some new rules. The Democratic National Committee (DNC) rolled out stricter thresholds for candidates to take part in the debates, doubling the requirements to stay in the race. Though the first two debates will still be crowded, only candidates who reach at least two percent in four approved polls and secure a higher number of donors will be allowed to participate in the September debate.
Read more: Politico, AP, U.S. News & World Report
Israel's New Election: For the first time in Israel’s history, the country will hold its second national election in a year. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared victory in Israel's election last month, but he failed to form a government. Lawmakers voted to dissolve Parliament and start over. There will be a new election in September.
Read more: The Guardian, BBC, ABC News
Severe Weather Update: The weather that caused record-setting severe storms across the country could be letting up later this week, though some areas (including western and central Texas) are still facing severe weather today. Friday could be the first day since April 16th that no areas in the U.S. are at risk for severe thunderstorms. While the stormy weather is starting to calm down, flooding is still a problem in places like Arkansas and Oklahoma.
Read more: The Weather Channel, Accuweather, NYT
Jeopardy Host: Jeopardy host Alex Trebek says his cancer treatment is working, and he credits supportive fans. Trebek was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, and doctors said the survival rate is only nine percent. Now, doctors are impressed by Trebek’s progress as his tumors shrink, though he still has several more rounds of chemo to go.
Read more: USA Today, People
NBA Finals: The NBA Finals start tonight with a historic game. The Toronto Raptors will play defending NBA champions the Golden State Warriors in Canada -- making it the first time the final games are played outside the U.S. Golden State is hoping for its third championship win in a row, while this is the Raptors’ first time in the NBA Finals.
Read more: NBA.com, ESPN, CBS Sports
Voice History, Echo Show 5: You can now ask Amazon's Alexa to forget what you said. Saying something like “Alexa, delete everything I said today,” to wipe out all the voice recordings from that day. Amazon has been criticized for storing what users have asked the device. The new feature can be enabled in your Alexa privacy settings. Also, Amazon just announced a new smart display called the Echo Show 5: an all-in-one five-inch screen, camera and speaker for about $90, making it one of the least expensive smart speakers with a display.
Read more (Voice History): Engadget, CNBC
Read more (Echo Show 5): The Verge
Uber “Deactivates” Riders: Uber users who get a below-average rating could be deactivated from the app. Uber says riders will get several chances to improve their ratings before they lose access. It will even give users tips on how to be a better passenger. It’s all part of Uber’s new community guidelines and a way to hold riders accountable for their behavior, just like it does with drivers.
Read more: The Verge, TechCrunch
Marijuana Delivery Apps: Google will no longer allow apps in its app store that sell or deliver marijuana. Though apps that sell marijuana are mostly used in states where medical or recreational marijuana is considered legal, Google is not differentiating between states. There is a bit of a workaround: the apps just need to move the shopping cart outside of the app itself. Google has done something similar with tobacco sales to make the Google Play store more kid-friendly.
Read more: Engadget, Android Police
In-Flight 5G WiFi: In-flight internet provider Gogo, is working to bring the 5G wireless network to future flights through WiFi. The goal is to keep the cost low and improve the response time of internet in the air. Gogo hopes to add the faster service to commercial flights by 2021.
Read more: The Verge, VentureBeat
Thing to Know Thursday:
5G Mobile Technology
Read More: NYT, TNW
Today’s Guest: Brendan Gill
Brendan Gill is the CEO and co-founder of OpenSignal. He’s spent a dozen years bringing to market innovative solutions to help people improve mobile service and understand real-world mobile network experience. Brendan is deeply committed to supporting the next generation of tech entrepreneurs. He has served as a TechStars London mentor for several years. In 2017, he was recognized as a telecom industry leader and innovator in the Global Telecoms Business Power100.