1.30.2018

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.
 

Trump Delivers State of the Union Tonight.
President Trump will give the State of the Union address tonight, his first since assuming office. He is expected to emphasize bipartisan issues like infrastructure and common-ground immigration topics - with a unifying theme of a 'safe, strong and proud America'. The speech is set against two extremes - Trump's approval ratings are historically low, but the economy is humming, unemployment is about as low as it can go at 4.1%, and optimism is high. The guest list includes everyone from Midwestern manufacturing workers to immigration agents to firefighters (see the Trump and congressional lists here and here). Democratic rising star Joe Kennedy has the unenviable job of issuing the opposition party response. For prep, brush up on these 10 things to know about the Address - including how much simpler the language has become over time. 

Indians Ditch Chief Wahoo.
Baseball's Cleveland Indians will remove the Chief Wahoo logo from their uniforms beginning in the 2019 season, according to team sources. The logo, a red-faced caricature of an Indian chief, has long drawn criticism for its portrayal of Native Americans. The logo itself was a somewhat more dignified representation until 1946, when it switched to a cartoon representation (see a visual history of Cleveland's logos). The decision comes after an April 2017 statement by MLB commissioner Rob Manfred that he wanted the logo gone, and ahead of Cleveland's hosting of the 2019 All-Star game. The new logo will be the block "C" that the team has gradually shifted to. 

House Panel Votes to Release Secret FBI Memo.
A House Intelligence panel voted yesterday to seek White House approval to release an internal memo alleging anti-Trump bias in the FBI. The memo was reportedly written by GOP panel staff and focuses on bias and abuses in the surveillance of people surrounding the President. The vote supporting the release went along party lines - Democrats countered that the move was politically motivated and meant to undercut the ongoing Russia probe. A competing memo written by Democratic staff was barred from release. In separate but related news, FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe stepped down following increasing pressure from senior officials in the White House. 
 

> Tom Hanks tapped to star as Mr. Rogers in biopic You Are My Friend (More)
> Rematch: Canelo Alvarez vs Gennady Golovkin fight set for May 5th, middleweight title at stake (More)
> NBA All-Star Blake Griffin & two others traded from LA Clippers to Detroit Pistons in blockbuster deal (More)
 

> Scientists develop synthetic replica of blood-brain barrier, the toughest nut to crack in getting drugs to central nervous system (More)
> Rare Titanosaur fossil found in Egypt dates to late Cretaceous period which has very sparse fossil record (More)
> Mutated stem cells explain heart attacks and strokes in people who show no obvious risk factors (paywall) (More)
 

> Keurig Green Mountain to merge with Dr. Pepper Snapple Group to form $27B beverage giant, largest soft drink deal ever (More)
> US consumer spending increases in December, savings rate drops to 10-year low (More)
> Apple to reduce its iPhone X Q1 production target in half to ~20M units, shares drop ~2% (More)
 

> Lab tests link Syrian stockpile to massive 2013 sarin gas attack on civilians (More)
> Powerful House Appropriations Chair, Rodney Frelinghuysen (R, NJ-11) to step down, becomes 8th committee chair to retire after 2018 midterms (More)
> Russian jet comes within 5 feet of US Navy plane in dangerous intercept maneuver over Black Sea (More)

The Intercept | May Jeong. A four-year-old girl was the sole survivor of a 2013 drone strike in Afghanistan - then she disappeared. A gripping story that intersects the collateral damage of 21st-century war and an organization that relocates child survivors. (Read) 
 

The Atlantic | Franklin Foer. Long before “Make America Great Again” and Robert Mueller, times were simple for Paul Manafort. Rewind a bit from his gig as Trump’s campaign manager, and we see a different Manafort - swimming naked and playing tennis with Viktor Yanukovych, who eventually became the Ukrainian President. Peek into Manafort’s life of excess, underhanded dealings, and turmoil with this in-depth look at the man who is currently out on bail. (Read)

How to watch tonight's rare Super Blue Blood Moon tonight. 

The most intense baby gate ever captured on film.

Over 70% of Americans in both parties think the media is a problem (via Gallup). 

The 25 happiest cities in America according to Nat Geo. Disney helps with parents crushed by Harry Potter-Palooza, opens brewery. 

We’re getting more sleep - a whole 18 minutes (it's not enough).

Look inside Amazon’s new rainforest offices in Seattle.

Gucci tops the Lyst Index “Hottest Brand” ranking for 2017.

Clickbait: Donkey leads escaped herd of goats and sheep through CA neighborhood.
 

Historybook: HBD Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882); Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany (1933); Mahatma Gandhi assassinated (1948); RIP Orville Wright (1948); 14 killed on Bloody Sunday in Northern Ireland (1972).

"THE ONLY LIMIT TO OUR REALIZATION OF TOMORROW WILL BE OUR DOUBTS OF TODAY."
- Franklin Delano Roosevelt

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