0:00

Today is Thursday, February 29th. We'll tell

0:02

you why the longest-serving Senate leader in

0:04

history is about to step down. And

0:06

another state takes former President Trump off

0:08

the ballot, while the U.S. Supreme Court

0:10

takes up yet another case about him.

0:13

Also, we'll explain the latest CDC recommendation

0:15

when it comes to COVID-19 boosters. Plus,

0:18

why Walmart might owe you money in a

0:20

settlement, the style trend that just

0:22

became popular thanks to Beyoncé, and

0:25

reminding you all about Leap Day today.

0:27

Those stories and even more news to

0:29

know next. Welcome,

0:32

welcome to The Newsworthy, all the day's

0:34

news in around 10 minutes. Fast, fair,

0:37

fun, and on the go. I'm Erica

0:39

Mandy. Thanks so much for being here.

0:41

You ready? Let's do this.

0:47

The longest-serving Senate leader in American history has

0:49

decided to step aside. Mitch McConnell has been

0:51

the top Republican in the Senate for the

0:53

last 18 years. But this week,

0:56

he announced he's giving up his leadership

0:58

position after the November elections. It's not

1:00

a huge surprise, since he's now 82

1:02

years old, suffered a serious fall last year,

1:04

and has momentarily frozen in front of the

1:07

media a couple of times. Also, some of

1:09

his more traditional conservative views put him out

1:11

of step with a party that's now led

1:14

by former President Trump. McConnell did

1:16

not directly address any of that. He just said

1:18

it was time to make way for a new

1:20

generation. So now, there is speculation

1:22

about who might take over. The

1:24

three major contenders expected to go for

1:26

the top spot are known as the

1:28

three Johns. We're talking about Senators John

1:30

Thune, John Barrasso, and John Cornyn, who

1:33

are all part of McConnell's current leadership

1:35

team. But no one has made any

1:37

kind of official announcement just yet. An

1:39

internal election will happen after the general election at

1:41

the end of the year. Even then,

1:43

McConnell will still carry out his Senate term just

1:45

from a different seat. As he put it, quote,

1:47

I still have enough gas in the tank to

1:50

thoroughly disappoint my critics, and I intend to do

1:52

so. His term ends in January of 2027.

1:56

This week, Illinois became the third

1:58

state now to

2:00

kick former President Trump off the ballot. Just

2:02

like with the other two cases, a judge

2:05

cited a provision in the Constitution that says

2:07

anyone who engaged in an insurrection after taking

2:09

an oath to support the Constitution should be

2:12

banned from office. And with that,

2:14

she said his involvement in the January 6th

2:16

Capitol riot disqualifies him. Trump's

2:18

campaign spokesperson called in an unconstitutional ruling

2:21

that will be quickly appealed. Remember,

2:23

the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments earlier

2:25

this month on a similar Colorado ruling.

2:27

And whatever the justices decide there will

2:30

impact other cases, too, like this

2:32

one in Illinois and another in Maine. But

2:34

they haven't issued a decision just yet. Meanwhile,

2:37

the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear another

2:39

one of former President Trump's cases. In

2:42

April, the justices will hear arguments to decide

2:44

whether Trump is immune from criminal charges of

2:46

plotting to overturn the 2020 election. Trump's

2:49

team says he is immune since the

2:51

actions he took leading up to January

2:53

6 were official acts covered under his

2:55

presidential authority. Although the special counsel

2:57

says the former president needs to be held

2:59

accountable for actions that went beyond his duties.

3:02

For now, the criminal case is delayed until

3:04

the high court makes a decision likely this

3:06

summer. On

3:10

Capitol Hill this week, President Biden's son,

3:12

Hunter, came face to face with lawmakers

3:14

trying to impeach his father. He

3:17

appeared for a closed-door deposition and publicly

3:19

released his opening statement. In

3:21

it, he told lawmakers the president was not involved

3:23

in any of his business deals, even though he's

3:25

being accused of corruption. Hunter Biden

3:27

admitted to making his own mistakes in his

3:30

life, but says those mistakes are his own

3:32

and not the president's. And he

3:34

said Republicans were showing a double standard

3:36

by investigating his business dealings, but ignoring

3:39

former President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, whose

3:41

company received a $2 billion investment from

3:43

Saudi Arabia. The younger Biden

3:45

said his testimony should, quote, put an end

3:47

to the spaceless and destructive political charade. Then

3:50

he spent hours being interrogated. During

3:53

breaks in the hearing, Democrats and Republicans

3:55

spoke to reporters about the proceedings, and

3:57

unsurprisingly, they offered very different takes. Some

4:00

Democrats said they learned nothing from six

4:02

hours of testimony, whereas some Republicans

4:04

accused Hunter Biden of lying or of

4:06

actually confirming some of their evidence. The

4:08

Republican who leads the House Oversight Committee, James

4:10

Comer, said the next step is a public

4:13

hearing with a younger Biden. To

4:15

be continued. A

4:18

large new study found long COVID really leaves a

4:20

mark on the brain that can even be

4:22

seen in IQ tests. The research was published this

4:24

week in the New England Journal of Medicine. In

4:27

the study, people with persistent post-COVID

4:29

symptoms scored about six IQ points

4:31

lower than people who never had

4:34

COVID-19. Now keep in mind, people who score between 85

4:36

to 115 are considered of average intelligence. So

4:40

a shift of six points is not huge. But

4:43

some doctors say it is enough for people to notice. And

4:46

neurological experts say the findings are important either

4:48

way. Since they do give numerical evidence of

4:50

the brain fog, focus, and memory problems, many

4:52

people with long COVID say they endure. Many

4:55

experts say brain fog and other cognitive problems

4:57

don't have to be permanent, that when other

5:00

symptoms eventually start to get better, the brain

5:02

issues could too. Either way, more

5:04

research is needed with the same people being tested

5:06

over time. Federal

5:10

health officials are encouraging American seniors to

5:12

get another round of COVID-19 shots this

5:14

spring. Vaccine experts overwhelmingly

5:16

recommended boosters for adults 65 and older.

5:19

And hours later, the CDC signed off

5:21

on that recommendation. That helps

5:23

to make sure most health plans cover the shots

5:25

without an out-of-pocket charge. But it's

5:28

not clear how many seniors will actually take the advice. At

5:30

this point, roughly 60% of people older

5:32

than 65 are not up to date with their

5:34

COVID-19 vaccines, even though that age

5:37

group does tend to have the worst outcomes

5:39

from infections. Seniors who

5:41

do want to get a booster can do so now,

5:43

as long as it's been at least four months since

5:45

their last dose. By the way,

5:47

no changes for younger people. The CDC says

5:49

COVID-19 shots should still be a once-a-year event

5:52

at this point, given in sync with flu

5:54

shots. Still

6:00

ahead, but first support for this episode comes from

6:02

Vessi. We've actually reported right here

6:04

on the show that it's been rainy lately here

6:06

in Southern California where I live. And as long

6:09

as it's safe, of course, I've been embracing the

6:11

rain more than ever. I'm asking my toddler if

6:13

he wants to put on his rain gear and

6:15

simply play with me in the rain. I'm letting

6:18

myself enjoy a coffee at a cafe with the

6:20

relaxing sounds outside. And I'm able

6:22

to do all of this in comfort

6:24

and style while staying dry because of

6:26

my new Vessi shoes. Thanks to

6:28

their Dymotex technology, they are waterproof, which

6:30

was so surprising to me because of

6:32

how cute and trendy they are. Whether

6:35

it's a downpour, a seaside walk, or

6:37

really just any outing these days, I

6:39

am choosing my Vessi shoes. They are

6:41

my new favorites. I have two now

6:43

because they come in a variety of

6:45

stylish weather-ready options. The Weeknd, which I

6:47

have in white, are my everyday shoe.

6:49

And then I love my Stormburst Vessi

6:51

shoes when I'm looking for a bit

6:53

more adventure. New year,

6:55

new adventures, rain or shine, whether

6:58

you're exploring city streets or mountain

7:00

trails, Vessi's waterproof shoes are your

7:03

ideal companion. So visit vessi.com/Newsworthy and

7:05

get ready to conquer any terrain

7:07

in style. Plus, enjoy 15% off

7:11

your first order. Start your journey with

7:13

Vessi. Go to vessi.com/Newsworthy and get 15%

7:15

off your first order. That's

7:19

vessi.com/Newsworthy. Now

7:21

back to the news. Several

7:24

wildfires are still burning in the Texas Panhandle

7:27

and Oklahoma, and they're growing larger. In fact,

7:29

one has now scorched nearly 1,400 miles

7:31

of land and is closing in on becoming

7:33

the largest fire on record in Texas. As

7:36

of this morning, it's still out of control. And it's

7:38

not the only one. Several towns have

7:40

had to evacuate. Dozens of homes have been

7:42

destroyed. And at least one person has died.

7:45

The weather could help a little bit today since light

7:47

rain and even snow could fall over at least parts

7:49

of the area. But temperatures will warm

7:52

right back up by tomorrow into the

7:54

70s with strong winds and low humidity.

8:00

Richard Lewis has passed away. He's best known

8:02

for his stand-up as well as TV shows

8:04

like Curb Your Enthusiasm and movies like Robin

8:07

Hood Men in Tights. And this

8:09

week his publicist said he had a heart attack and died

8:11

at 76 years old. Fellow

8:13

comedians, co-stars, friends and fans have been

8:15

paying tribute. Like Larry David who said

8:17

Lewis was like a brother to him

8:19

and quote he had that rare combination

8:22

of being the funniest person and also

8:24

the sweetest. Jamie Lee Curtis also spoke

8:26

about how he helped her saying he

8:28

is the reason she is sober today.

8:30

And Ben Stiller said quote, I never

8:32

met a kinder more empathetic comedy genius.

8:35

Lewis had stopped performing recently after being

8:38

diagnosed with Parkinson's but his work can

8:40

still be seen in Curb Your Enthusiasm's

8:42

current and final season. Once

8:46

again the FDA is recalling some popular

8:49

eye ointments. They were sold at

8:51

big chains like CVS and Walmart under

8:53

brand names like CVS Health, Equate and

8:55

Ace Pharmaceuticals. The FDA warns they

8:57

might not be sterile and they could cause

9:00

eye infections. Though so far no injuries

9:02

have been reported. If you do have any

9:04

of the ointments at home you're asked to either throw them away

9:06

or return them for a refund. This is

9:08

just the latest in the FDA's crackdown on eye

9:10

products. Twice last year it put

9:12

out warnings about several other products after

9:15

finding bacterial contamination at manufacturing facilities and

9:17

dozens of patients were impacted from those.

9:22

Walmart shoppers could be in for a payout

9:24

thanks to a new settlement. The retail giant

9:27

agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit that accused

9:29

the company of charging people more than it

9:31

should have when they bought certain weighted items

9:33

like meats and produce. Walmart

9:36

says it did not do anything wrong but we'll still pay

9:38

45 million dollars to settle the

9:40

case and some customers could get

9:42

up to $500. Anyone

9:45

who bought weighted items between October of 2018 and

9:48

January of this year could be eligible but

9:51

how much you get does depend on how many items

9:53

you bought and whether you still have

9:55

the receipts. If you do you can be

9:57

eligible for 2% of the total cost of

9:59

what you bought. If you don't, you can

10:01

still say you bought certain items and will be able to

10:03

get between $10 and $25. To

10:06

file a claim, just visit the settlement's website

10:08

sometime before June. We did include a link

10:10

in today's episode notes. Beyonce's

10:14

new country songs seem to have brought out

10:17

a lot of excitement toward even more parts

10:19

of country culture. These days,

10:21

Cowboy Corps is becoming an especially popular

10:23

fashion trend. The fast fashion

10:26

website Boohoo says there was a massive spike

10:28

in interest in southern wear directly following the

10:30

release of Beyonce's new songs. And

10:32

the data seems to back that up. Global Google

10:34

searches for Cowboy Hat increased by more than 215%

10:36

after Beyonce's release, and

10:40

Cowboy Boots rose by 163%. Searches

10:43

for a bolo tie also saw a massive increase of 566%

10:45

after Beyonce wore one in her

10:49

Super Bowl commercial. On TikTok, the

10:51

hashtag Cowboy Corps has many millions

10:53

of views, with users showing themselves

10:56

styling outfits, including Cowboy Hats boots

10:58

and shops. And the style

11:00

could also be seen all over New York Fashion

11:02

Week, so expect to see a lot more Cowboy

11:04

Corps this spring. That's

11:07

it for the main news today, so now it's time for

11:09

a thing to know Thursday. But first, a quick break. Taking

11:12

care of your health is not always easy, but it

11:14

should at least be simple. And that's why for almost

11:16

a year now, I've been drinking AG1 every day. It's

11:20

just one scoop mixed in water once a

11:22

day every day, and it makes me feel

11:24

energized and focused. That's because each

11:26

serving of AG1 delivers my daily

11:29

dose of vitamins, minerals, pre-emprobiotics, and

11:31

more. It is a

11:33

powerful, healthy habit that's also powerfully simple.

11:36

I like to add ice and a splash of lemon

11:38

to mine, and I drink it while

11:40

I'm getting breakfast ready for my toddler, before I eat

11:42

anything else. Drinking it on an

11:44

empty stomach is actually recommended for optimal absorption.

11:46

And I love that it's easy to mix

11:48

on the go and really does give me

11:50

a boost that I need, while helping to

11:52

ensure I get those daily nutrients no matter

11:54

what. If there's one product I

11:57

had to recommend to elevate your health, it's AG1. partnered

12:00

with them for so long. So if you want to

12:02

take ownership of your health, start with AG1.

12:04

Try AG1 and get a free one-year supply

12:06

of vitamin D3 plus K2 and

12:08

five free AG1 travel packs with your

12:11

first purchase exclusively

12:13

at drinkag1.com/newsworthy.

12:16

That's drinkag1.com/newsworthy.

12:18

Check it out. Now back to Thing to

12:20

Know Thursday. Today, February 29th, is

12:23

Leap Day. As you know, every four

12:25

years, one day gets added on to

12:27

February. And this is one of those

12:29

years. It's basically a correction since the

12:31

Earth's orbit is not exactly 365 days

12:35

a year. The trip around the Sun actually takes

12:37

about six hours longer than that. So

12:39

Leap Day happens as a way to keep

12:42

the months in sync with the seasons and

12:44

annual events like equinoxes and solstices. About

12:46

five million people worldwide actually have a Leap

12:48

Birthday. And while that's a good talking

12:51

point, it can also be kind of a pain.

12:53

There can be glitches in terms of health

12:55

systems, insurance policies, and with other businesses

12:57

and organizations that don't always recognize the

13:00

date. So some people end up

13:02

just pretending their birthday is either February 28th

13:04

or March 1st. There are also

13:06

some traditions and celebrations that happen every February

13:08

29th. For example, the towns of Anthony, Texas

13:10

and Anthony, New Mexico, which are right across

13:12

the border from each other, hold big festivals

13:15

or parades because there have apparently been quite

13:17

a few Leap Year births in the town.

13:22

All right, thank you so much for joining us

13:24

and listening today. We'll catch you up on more

13:26

news to know tomorrow. Until then, have a great

13:28

day.