1. COURTING STUDENT DEBT RELIEF |
Student loan debt relief is in the hands of the highest court now. On Tuesday, Supreme Court justices heard two challenges to President Joe Biden's plan that could make up to $20,000 of student debt just disappear for borrowers. A crowd protested outside during the hearing and shared stories of debt that ballooned over time. So far 26 million people have applied for the program.
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2. CHICAGO MAYOR DEFEATED |
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has lost her bid for a second term. None of the nine candidates in Tuesday’s election won more than 50% of the vote, so Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson will meet in a runoff to succeed her. “Regardless of tonight’s outcome, we fought the right fights and we put this city on a better path,” Lightfoot said. |
Mayor Lightfoot, with her spouse, Amy Eshleman, concedes the election. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) |
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After yesterday's little snowstorm got the Northeast buzzing, West Coast states are bracing for yet another blast. Winter storm warnings were issued from Oregon down through the mountains of Southern California. While Cali often brings thoughts of palm trees and surfing, residents of the Golden State have been getting hit hard by snow. Yesterday, New York City looked more like a pool of slush than a winter wonderland, but we're happy for the rest of you. |
Like the news item says, you expect to see palm trees in Southern California, but snow too? Here they are together near Los Angeles this week. (AP Photo/John Antczak) |
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President Biden will travel to Selma, Ala., this weekend to mark 58 years since "Bloody Sunday," when Alabama state troopers beat Black demonstrators who were calling for voting equality. The attack helped galvanize the movement and led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The remembrance arrives just days after the country wraps up this year's Black History Month tributes.
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Clouds of tear gas fill the air as state troopers, ordered by Gov. George Wallace, break up a demonstration march in Selma, Ala., in 1965. (AP Photo/File) |
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5. EXPANDED SNAP BENEFITS END |
More than 4 million Americans were fortunate enough to stay out of poverty during the pandemic, thanks in part to the expanded SNAP benefits program. Each month, families received an extra allotment of funds to spend on food, but that program has come to an end. Now, millions are at risk of falling into poverty, and for older folks on Social Security, a recent 8.7% cost of living adjustment will unlikely offset the loss of the benefits.
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Just in time for the Academy Awards this Sunday, AMC Theatres is launching a line of microwave and ready-to-eat popcorn products at Walmart. While giving people one more reason to watch movies at home rather than in a theater might seem like a bad move for AMC, the goal is to diversify its revenue streams and ultimately climb out from under a mountain of debt. The products will hit shelves later this week.
Next request: At-home liquid butter-flavoring dispenser. |
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7. AUTONOMOUS CARS IN L.A. |
Google's driverless taxi service is set to go on a test run in Los Angeles. Waymo One has had successful runs in other parts of California and Arizona and has so far amassed one million rider-only miles. Over that span, only 18 minor incidents were reported and only two were serious enough to be tracked by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Taxi Driver applauds Driverless Taxi. Way to go, Bob! |
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8. STOCK OPTIONS FOR HOMES |
Amazon has struck a deal with online mortgage lender Better.com to allow employees to use their equity in the company as collateral for home purchases. The option is designed to make home ownership more accessible to employees whose assets are increasingly tied up in stocks, but it also comes with some risks. Using swinging stock values to prop up a wild housing market. What could go wrong? |
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Sleep specialist Dr. Evan Temkin stopped by Cheddar News to discuss sleep apnea — a condition that affects about 50% of the population and can have serious implications for cardiac health. Here's what you need to know.
We'd make a joke about this, but we're way too tired. |
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Here are a few of the entertainment headlines we're keeping an eye on. Damian Lewis is making a comeback as Bobby Axelrod in Showtime's Billions. He left the show in 2021 after the death of his wife, Helen McCrory. Michael B. Jordan said a Creed universe is in the works, and Super Mario Bros. is coming to the big screen sooner than expected.
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Jack Black appeared in character as Bowser on The Super Mario Bros. Movie panel at the New York Comic Con last year. (Photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for Universal Pictures) |
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11. WHAT TIME IS IT ON THE MOON? |
Time is really just an Earthly concept but now the space community is looking to establish a time zone for the moon. With more missions to our moon pending, the need to establish a common time among nations that trek there is becoming more evident. But it doesn't come without issues. Since the moon has less mass and a weaker gravitational force than Earth, time will literally change every day. On a given day, timepieces run 56 milliseconds faster than the previous day.
I mean, what even is time? |
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BUILDING A MOVIE STAR BODY |
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Hollywood's hottest bodies don't just happen, people. It takes a lot of hard work and plenty of expertise. That's where celebrity fitness trainer Corey Calliet comes in. Check out what he had to say about training Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors for Creed III.
Imagine being responsible for this: |
Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors show off their work with fitness trainer Corey Calliet in "Creed III." (Eli Ade/MGM via AP) |
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