Wednesday, September 18th, 2019
Israel’s Election, Imelda Hits Texas & NBC’s Peacock
All the news you need in 10 min:
Today's episode is brought to you by Zola and MM LaFleur.
Story Summaries
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...
LISTEN at 0:33 – Impeachment Hearing:
House Democrats questioned President Trump’s former campaign manager as part of the first official impeaching hearing. Cory Lewandowski defended Trump much of the time but admitted the president asked him to deliver a message to the Attorney General that would set limits on the Russia investigation (he never actually delivered it).
Read more: The Hill, CBS News (video), FOX News, NYT, AP
LISTEN at 1:36 – Israel Election:
Israel’s election is still too close to call. Current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his main challenger, Benny Gantz, are waiting for the final results to come out today. Israelis already voted for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this year, but he couldn’t get enough support from smaller parties to form a government. Early results show the two major parties neck and neck, with neither getting a clear majority.
Read more: The Guardian, BBC, NBC News, Jerusalem Post
LISTEN at 2:17 – Oil Attack Update, Afghanistan Violence:
Saudi Arabia says it should be able to get back to normal oil production by the end of the month after last weekend’s attack on two major oil sites. Both the U.S. and Saudi Arabia have said it looks like Iran was responsible, though Iran denies involvement. In Afghanistan, a U.S. service member was killed in action hours before two suicide bombings killed 50 people. The Taliban claimed responsibility.
Read more (Oil Attack): WSJ, NPR
Read more (Afghanistan): PBS, CBS News
LISTEN at 3:07 – U.S. Sues Snowden:
The U.S. is suing Edward Snowden over his new book, Permanent Record. The book talks about why the former CIA contractor leaked classified information. The lawsuit claims the book violated non-disclosure agreements Snowden signed. The suit is trying to prevent Snowden from making any money from it, but he says his book doesn’t contain anything that hasn't already been published.
Read more: WSJ, CNN, NPR
LISTEN at 3:44 – Imelda & Humberto:
Tropical Storm Imelda made landfall in Texas and has since been downgraded to a tropical depression. The storm could still cause dangerous rain and flash flooding today and tomorrow in Southeastern Texas. Also, as of early this morning, Hurricane Humberto is a Category 3 and is heading toward Bermuda. The southeast U.S. may see high surf and dangerous rip currents.
Read more (Imelda): AccuWeather, CBS New
Read more (Humberto): USA Today, Weather Channel
LISTEN at 5:27 – Facebook & Police:
Officials from Facebook, Google and Twitter are testifying on Capitol Hill to explain how they’re dealing with violence and extremist content online. Meanwhile, Facebook released a new plan to stop violence from going viral. The hope is to train AI systems with police-provided training videos, so the tech can find and take down videos and livestreams with real gun violence.
Read more: Yahoo Finance, CNET, AP, Engadget
LISTEN at 6:14 – Facebook Smart Glasses:
Facebook is apparently working on a pair of augmented reality glasses meant to replace cell phones. The code-name is reportedly “Orion,” and the glasses will allow users to make calls, see information and livestream to social media. The goal is to have the glasses ready by the year 2025.
Read more: CNBC, 9to5Mac
LISTEN at 6:50 – Snapchat's 3D Selfie:
Snapchat is coming out with a 3D camera mode. They’re also getting new 3D effects, lenses and filters. To use them, open Snapchat, select the dropdown menu on the right and select 3D. The features are only available on the iPhone X or later, but all phones will be able to watch the videos already created.
Read more: 9to5Mac, Engadget
LISTEN at 7:21 – NBC’s Peacock:
NBCUniversal’s new streaming service now has a name: Peacock (like NBC's logo). Peacock will offer 15,000 movies, TV shows and original series including The Office. Peacock is set to launch next April. Disney and Apple are also launching streaming services this fall, and HBO Max will be ready next spring (which got the rights to Big Bang Theory).
Read more: The Verge, TechCrunch, Variety
LISTEN at xx:xx – LinkedIn Skills Assessments:
LinkedIn will now offer “Skills Assessments,” which are short, multiple-choice tests that users can take to help verify their skills or expertise in certain areas, like computer software. Tests covering about 75 different skills are now rolling out globally, and LinkedIn hopes to offer even more in the future.
Read more: TechCrunch