theNewsWorthy: Friday, December 7th, 2018
ALL THE NEWS YOU NEED - IN ONE PLACE.
(in less than 10 minutes!)
Today's episode is brought to you by the new holiday podcast, Welcome to Tinsel Town, where a wish lands 8-year-old Holly in the magical realm of Tinsel Town. Now she needs to find a way home. Listen and subscribe for free wherever you listen to podcasts!
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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...
UN Ambassador Nominee: Several media sources say President Trump plans to announce his nominee today for the next U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, and it'll be Heather Nauert. She's the current spokesperson for the State Department and a former FOX News host. If confirmed by the Senate, she would take the place of Nikki Haley.
Read more: FOX News, USA Today, ABC News
Election Fraud?: Serious allegations of election fraud prompted an investigation in North Carolina. There are even calls for a new election in a U.S. House race there. Witnesses and records seem to support the claims that someone tampered with absentee ballots. The State Board of Elections voted to delay certifying the election. To be continued...
Read more: NBC News, AP
Eiffel Tower Closed: The Eiffel Tower and other well-known tourist spots will be closed this weekend because of fears of more violent protests in Paris, France. Remember: protesters set cars on fire, broke store windows and more last weekend. Those with the 'yellow vest' movement are upset about gas prices and higher taxes.
Read more: Reuters, BBC, NYT
Winter Storm: A major winter storm is on its way. Heavy snow, ice, rain and thunderstorms are expected in the south-central U.S. today through tomorrow (and then goes east from there). Winter storm watches are already in place in northern Texas, Oklahoma, parts of Arkansas and Missouri. Yesterday, heavy rain caused problems in California and even sent a Southwest Airlines plane off the runway. Everyone is OK.
Read more: The Weather Channel, CNN, AccuWeather, LA Times
Infant Ibuprofen Recall: Heads up parents: some infant ibuprofen sold at Walmart, CVS and Family Dollar stores has been recalled for being too potent. Full recall details in the links below.
Read more: CBS News, Today, CNN, Tris Pharma
Lyft's IPO: Lyft is on its way to listing its shares on the U.S. stock market. The company took the first steps for an Initial Public Offering. The IPO is expected to happen early next year. Rival Uber also has plans for an IPO next year.
Read more: Recode, AP
Uber, Waymo's Driverless Cars: Uber will put self-driving cars back on the road starting next week -- at least going on a one-mile loop in Pittsburgh. Uber had pulled them off the streets after a deadly crash earlier this year. Also, Waymo's self-driving car program in the Phoenix area has launched. It's called 'Waymo One' and is actually charging authorized users for the rides. There are still trained drivers behind-the-wheel, just in case.
Read more: Uber NYT, Business Insider / Waymo The Verge
Army-Navy Game: It's a historic rivalry. The Army-Navy game is tomorrow afternoon in Philadelphia. President Trump plans to be there. The U.S. Naval Academy superintendent said the game shows they can have a rivalry on the field but be united in the defense of the country's freedom.
Read more: The Washington Post, ABC News
Oscars Host Steps Down: Comedian Kevin Hart stepped down from hosting the Oscars, and it all played out on social media. He posted to Instagram that The Academy gave him two options: apologize for past homophobic tweets or step down as host. Hart refused to apologize, saying he already addressed the issue and has changed as a person. Later, he tweeted that he's stepping down (he also apologized). No word yet on the new host for the Academy Awards on Feb. 24th.
Read more: THR, Twitter, Instagram
Golden Globe Nominees: A movie that isn't in theaters yet got the most nominations for the Golden Globe Awards: Vice. It got six nominations. A Star is Born, The Favourite, and Green Book got five nods each. The Golden Globe Awards are on Jan. 6th.
Read more: Variety, NYT, CBS Sports
Walmart Secret Santas: Walmart 'Secret Santas' paid off layaway items across the country, and Tyler Perry was one of them.
Read more: CNN, USA Today, Twitter
More Good News via our friends at GoodGoodGood.co:
1- The rate of HIV in babies in Africa fell by two-thirds over the last 18 years. Experts say it's a significant improvement.
Read more: Apple + (RED)
2- Patagonia donated $10 million of tax savings to nonprofits working on climate issues.
Read more: Bloomberg