1.16.2018

We scour 100+ sources so you don't have to. Culture, science, sports, politics, business, and more - all packaged in a 5-minute read below.
 

Miracle Finish Propels Minnesota Vikings.
The Minnesota Vikings squeezed into the final four of the NFL playoffs after a last-second touchdown sent them past the New Orleans Saints. With less than 10 seconds to play, QB Case Keenum - in the middle of a fairy tale season himself - hit WR Stefon Diggs for a 61-yard touchdown as time expired, winning 29-24. The play is being called one of the greatest in playoff history (see video). The Vikings will face the Philadelphia Eagles, who beat the Atlanta Falcons 15-10, as 3-point favorites (6:40pm ET Sunday) in Philadelphia. In the AFC, the reigning champion New England Patriots (beat Tennessee Titans 35-10) will face the Jacksonville Jaguars (beat Pittsburgh Steelers 45-42) as 9-point favorites at 3:05pm ET on Sunday. 

False Alarm Triggered in Hawaii.
Hawaii residents received an urgent alert on Saturday that a ballistic missile was headed towards the islands and to seek immediate shelter. The warning - which was declared a false alarm 38 minutes later - was reportedly triggered by an employee who hit the wrong button during a shift change. An internal test alert is required at the beginning of each shift at the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, though the "test'" and "actual" missile alert options reportedly sit next to each other on a drop-down menu (the worker was reassigned over the 'honest mistake'). Though fixed, the episode was reminiscent of the Korean Air Lines Flight 007 incident in 1983, which was accidentally shot down after straying into Soviet airspace, triggering a Cold War standoff (NYT paywall). 

US Preserves Iran Nuclear Deal - for Now.
President Trump extended sanction relief for Iran provided under the Iran nuclear deal on Friday, while setting an April deadline to address flaws. The 2015 deal lifted sanctions on Iran's central bank and oil exports in exchange for the near elimination of the country's medium and low-enriched uranium stockpiles. Experts say reimposing the sanctions would almost certainly cause the multilateral deal - also signed by China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, and the EU - to fall apart. Trump set a 120 day deadline to renegotiate what he feels are "disastrous" flaws with the deal, including access to all sites requested by international investigators. Simultaneously, the US imposed personal sanctions on 14 high-profile Iranians over the crackdown on last week's protests.

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> Cranberries lead singer Dolores O'Riordan dies at age 46 (More)
> Legendary sports broadcaster Keith Jackson, known for 'Whoa, Nellie!' catchphrase, dies at 89 (More)
> Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles claims she was sexually abused by former USA Gymnastics physician Larry Nassar (More) 

> Study of tree rings dating back to 1725 shows North Atlantic jet stream fluctuations coincide with more extreme weather events (More)
> For first time, AI program scores better than humans in reading comprehension (More)
> GM files petition with regulators, looks to deploy driverless cars by next year (More)
 

> Ford to increase electric vehicle spending to $11B, offer 40 electric models by 2022 (More) | Reuters report: global automakers to invest an estimated $90B in electric (More)
> Shell purchases 43.8% stake in Nashville-based solar biz Silicon Ranch (More)
> UK construction giant Carillion to liquidate after failing to receive bailout funding (More)
 

> Feds begin accepting DACA renewal applications after court order (More) | Trump signals long-term DACA deal in doubt (More) 
> Following announcement of national elections in May, dual bombings in Iraq kill at least 38, wound 105 (More)
> Supreme Court to take on Texas racial gerrymandering case (More)

BuzzFeed | Charlie Warzel. It was used, abused, and generally made people feel bad about their lives. One thing Facebook's News Feed didn't do well was deliver the news. As the company looks to overhaul one of its core elements, the move confirms what many employees knew - the Facebook News Feed was a complete failure.
 

WashPo | Pamela Wible. Doctor suicides are frequent but often hushed up - which may be part of the problem, since when the author began publicly tracking suicides she was deluged with calls. Suicide rates for doctors have been high since 1858 - here's a look at why. 

In the next viral hit, Google's new app matches your face to classic art. 

Winners of Dronestagram's 4th annual international drone photo contest. 

52 places to go in 2018 (from the NYT). 

Plane drives off runway onto cliff (w/ photos).

Car flies off road into second story of motel (w/ photos).

910-carat diamond discovered in Lesotho is the world's 5th largest, could be worth $40M. 

U.S. rolls out new travel advisory system.

The most productive time of the year for workers? Monday at 11am in October. 

Clickbait: Frozen black pudding saves butcher trapped in freezer. 

Historybook: HBD Joan of Arc (1412); 18th Amendment ratified, banning alcohol in the US (1919); HBD (belated) Martin Luther King, Jr (1929); Gulf War begins (1991).

"INJUSTICE ANYWHERE IS A THREAT TO JUSTICE EVERYWHERE."
-Martin Luther King Jr.
 

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