Wednesday, November 27th, 2019
Travel Troubles, CBD Warning & Happy Thanksgiving
All the news you need in 10 min:
Today's episode is brought to you by GenoPalate and the Meditation Minis podcast
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...
Winter Weather & Holiday Travel:
Millions of people are expected to travel for Thanksgiving, but the weather is a bit of a mess. A so-called “bomb cyclone” is expected to bring strong winds and rain to California and Oregon. A snowstorm was behind hundreds of flights canceled in and out of Denver, Colorado yesterday. Heavy snow is expected in other states, too. Strong winds are expected in Chicago today and New York tomorrow. If the wind gusts are too strong, the balloons in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade may not be allowed to fly.
Read more: NPR, Weather Channel, NBC News, AP, Weather Channel, ABC News
Next Impeachment Hearing, Trump Invited, More Testimony:
The House Judiciary Committee will hold its first impeachment hearing on Wednesday, December 4th as the process moves into the next phase. Lawmakers will question a panel of experts on how the Constitution defines a high crime and misdemeanor. House Democrats invited President Trump and his counsel to take part in next week’s hearing, but they haven’t said if they’ll show up. In the meantime, an official at the White House Office of Management and Budget testified that two people in the department resigned, partly over concerns about the hold-up in military aid to Ukraine.
Read more: CNN, NPR, NYT, Politico, Washington Post
UN Climate Report:
A new climate report from the United Nations says we’re headed for devastation if we don’t increase our efforts "fivefold" to slow the warming of the planet and reach the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. Though the U.S. is one of the world’s biggest polluters, President Trump has announced he plans to pull out of the deal next year. World leaders will meet in Madrid next week to discuss the climate crisis.
Read more: FOX News, USA Today, WAPO
FDA Warning About CBD:
The FDA put out a new warning about CBD since health officials still have questions about the cannabis compound’s safety and the quality of products available. The FDA is also cracking down on certain marketing claims by some companies that sell CBD-infused products. The FDA has approved only one prescription drug derived from CBD: Epidiolex, which treats rare and severe seizures in children.
Read more: CNBC, WebMD, FOX News, CNN
Alexa Manages Meds:
Amazon’s Alexa can now manage medications. The device can remind people what prescriptions to take and when, and can request refills when using a linked pharmacy account. For now, it’s only available for Giant Eagle Pharmacy customers, but more should be available in 2020.
Read more: CNBC, Engadget
Facebook Buys VR Studio:
Facebook is buying Beat Games. Beat Games created Beat Saber, which was the first VR game to sell more than one million copies. Beat Games will become part of Facebook’s Oculus Studios. Facebook says it’s planning additional launches and announcements in the VR space next year.
Read more: TechCrunch, Variety
Twitter Removes Inactive Accounts:
Twitter is notifying users who haven’t used their accounts in six months or more to sign-in by December 11th. If not, the account will be deleted and the username up for grabs. Twitter says this should help clean up inactive accounts and will happen over the course of many months.
Read more: The Verge, TechCrunch
Super Bowl Ads Sold Out:
FOX Sports has sold out of advertising space for the Super Bowl. It usually takes until Christmas or longer to sell all 77 spots. Experts say the ads likely sold quickly because NFL ratings are up and the economy is doing well. Super Bowl LIV is on February 2nd.
Read more: Bloomberg, Business Insider
Happy Thanksgiving:
Happy Thanksgiving! It’s a time for Americans to express gratitude and celebrate traditions, including eating turkey. If you need help cooking yours, Butterball Turkey experts are on call throughout the day by phone, text, email or live chat. From dinner to deals: some stores are opening on Thanksgiving, including Target, Walmart, and Macy’s. U.S. consumers are expected to spend an average of $470 over the long holiday weekend.
Thanksgiving: TIME, History.com, NYT
Last-Minute Recipes: Our Savory Life
Holiday Shopping: CNET, CNBC, MarketWatch, Washington Post