The latest news, analysis, and opinions from Dan Benjamin.

Please support the show on Patreon.

Links:

• Abbott faces backlash after lifting coronavirus restrictions - CNNPolitics
• Covid: Biden condemns ‘Neanderthal thinking’ behind lifting of mask rules - BBC News
• CDC Director Rochelle Walensky: 'Now Is Not The Time To Stop Wearing A Mask' : NPR
• The Church And COVID-19: Catholic Bishops Say To Avoid Johnson & Johnson Vaccine : NPR
• Senators question Amazon about cameras monitoring delivery drivers
• All Texas Teachers Are Now Eligible To Receive A COVID-19 Vaccine | KUT Radio, Austin's NPR Station
• Great apes receive COVID-19 vaccine at San Diego Zoo - The Verge
• Recycling face masks into roads to tackle COVID-generated waste - RMIT University
• Elon Musk Hit Up Texas Officials About Founding Starbase City
• Jack Dorsey’s Square, Inc. is buying a majority stake in Jay-Z’s streaming service Tidal - The Verge
• ‘The Simpsons’ Renewed For Seasons 33 & 34 By Fox – Deadline
• Superplastic x Gorillaz Song Machine Band Full Set [SHIPS APRIL] — Superplastic — s
• Samsung tells Texas it wants to create 1,800 jobs with a $17 billion factory in Austin - The Verge
• Apple Launches Service for Transferring iCloud Photos and Videos to Google Photos - MacRumors
• Wendy's went all in on breakfast. It's paying off - CNN
• (1) Pastrami Teritama Burger Review - YouTube

The latest news, analysis, and opinions from Dan Benjamin.

Please support the show on Patreon.

Links:

• Newsom calls Texas 'absolutely reckless' for lifting Covid rules
• High alert as new QAnon date approaches Thursday | TheHill
• Explosion at COVID Test Center in Likely Intentional Attack, Police Say
• US coronavirus: Experts are warning of a potential Covid-19 surge while several governors are loosening restrictions - CNN
• Spotify Poised to Surpass Apple Podcasts in U.S. Listeners This Year - MacRumors
• iMac Apple Silicon nears as 21.5-inch model production slows down- 9to5Mac
• Parler has dropped its hosting lawsuit against Amazon - The Verge
• Google promises it won’t just keep tracking you after replacing cookies - The Verge
• Brave is launching its own search engine with the help of ex-Cliqz devs and tech | TechCrunch
• Amazon shaves app icon mustache that raised eyebrows - The Verge
• mediocritee.com
• Alamo Drafthouse Files for Bankruptcy, Announces Sale - Variety
• Netflix App Fast Laughs: Comedy Clips Streaming in a TikTok-Like Feed - Variety
• Space hurricane which rains electrons instead of water discovered by scientists | The Independent
• 'Tiger King' star Joe Exotic's attorneys to seek new trial | Fox News
• Amazon Launches GameOn Clip Recording App On iOS - MacRumors
• iPhone Sticking With Lightning Port Over USB-C for 'Foreseeable Future' - MacRumors
• Devil Diver | Bulova
• Kellogg's Frosted Flakes + Apple Jacks Mashups Release | HYPEBEAST
• McDonald's Japan Teritama Series Release | HYPEBEAST

The latest news, analysis, and opinions from Dan Benjamin.

Please support the show on Patreon.

Links:

• Gov. Greg Abbott says it is now time to open Texas 100%, end statewide mask mandate
• Stimulus checks have Americans in agreement, but we're bitterly split on everything else - Study Finds
• (2) Biden will talk with Senate Democrats today on Covid-19 relief and deliver remarks on the pandemic 
• Biden must balance the horror of Covid with the hope to come - CNNPolitics
• Royal Caribbean plans for first 'fully vaccinated' cruise in Israel | Fox News
• 6 Dr. Seuss books won't be published for racist images
• A 1990s iMac Processor Powers NASA’s Perseverance Rover
• The Jeep Wrangler Islander is ready to hit the beach | Fox News
• Steve Stewart-Williams on Twitter: "Wow, this is cool: The duck-rabbit illusion apparently works on Google Cloud Vision. The system interprets the image one way or the other, depending on its orientation. Animation by the excellent Max Woolf (@minimaxir). https://t.co/IoiftlRNrQ" / Twitter

The latest news, analysis, and opinions from Dan Benjamin.

Please support the show on Patreon.

Links:

• Austin water crisis deepened by plant failure due to power outage
• EU to propose a ‘digital pass’ for COVID-19 vaccination/test status to help safer travel | TechCrunch
• Johnson & Johnson To Ship Nearly 4 Million COVID-19 Vaccines This Week : Coronavirus Updates : NPR
• Archival Shipping Records Help Prepare For Rising Seas : NPR
• Apple Pay and digital wallets overtook cash in popularity in 2020 - 9to5Mac
• Forensic experts suggest Tiger Woods may have fallen asleep at the wheel | Fox News
• Tiger Woods Is Back Watching Golf on TV, Thanks Fans During 'Tough Time'
• Tom Holland 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' Contract Expiry | HYPEBEAST
• Prince's 'Purple Rain' Shirt, Cloud Guitar Expected to Fetch $60k Each
• HBO’s Q: INTO THE STORM, A Six-Part Documentary Series Exploring The Origins Of QAnon, Debuts March 21 | Pressroom
• Reese's announces all peanut butter, chocolate-free peanut butter cup | Fox News
• Border agents seize 277 pounds of banned bologna
• Mckay Wrigley on Twitter: "See this video of Tom Cruise? Well, it’s not Tom Cruise. It’s AI generated synthetic media that portrays Tom Cruise onto a TikTok user using Deepfakes. Seeing is no longer believing. https://t.co/CRix0hD9OH" / Twitter

The latest news, analysis, and opinions from Dan Benjamin.

Please support the show on Patreon.

Links:

• No Minimum Wage Hike in Relief Package Senate Parliamentarian Rules - Rolling Stone
• Texas facilities released 3.5m pounds of extra pollutants during winter storm | US news | The Guardian
• How Long Does Immunity Last After COVID-19? What We Know
• COVID Update: Glasses wearers less likely to get coronavirus, study says - ABC7 New York
• Air Force Contractor Stole 112 Top-Secret Documents and Kept Them at Home
• Tiger Woods accident: Pro golfers express their support as he is transferred to another hospital - CNN
• Four causes for ‘Zoom fatigue’ and their solutions | Stanford News
• Why Is Facebook Going All-Out To Stop Apple's iPhone Update? : NPR
• Facebook planning to take on Siri with new ‘Hey Facebook’ voice activation feature - 9to5Mac
• Monarch Migration Threatened By Climate Change, Deforestation : NPR
• Geoff Pilkington on Twitter: "Deep fakes are getting scary real." / Twitter
• Todd Vaziri on Twitter: "What is your favorite ABSOLUTELY-NOT-TRUE piece of Hollywood trivia that the general public accepted as fact? For me, it's the insane idea that "real" hoverboards were used in "Back to the Future Part II", based on a joke made by Robert Zemeckis in a pre-release video. https://t.co/apilmFT6Ek" / Twitter

In which I am educated by my listeners that Twitter does, in fact, have a Bookmark feature.

Please support the show on Patreon.

Links:

• Twitter reveals 'Super Follow' paid service, new groups feature, more at Analyst Day event - 9to5Mac
• Tech CEO says Twitter needs to go ‘all in’ on subscriptions - MarketWatch
• Pentagon Brands Russia 'Existential' Threat as Joe Biden Condemns Nation's 'Recklessness'
• Going maskless is a key factor in Covid-19 outbreaks at gyms, studies say - CNN
• How would COVID-19 vaccine makers adapt to variants?
• Amid COVID-19 pandemic, flu has disappeared in the US
• Costco To Raise Minimum Wage To $16 An Hour : NPR
• Tiger Woods Will Not Face Charges In Rollover Crash, Is Recovering After Surgery : NPR
• We should be grateful that Tiger Woods is alive, 'that his kids haven't lost their dad,' says an emotional Rory McIlroy - CNN
• ‘Millions of people’s data is at risk’ — Amazon insiders sound alarm over security – POLITICO
• Frasier and Rugrats both set to return to TV - BBC News
• 'Spider-Man 3' Title Revealed as 'No Way Home' | Hollywood Reporter
• Paramount+ will cost $5 per month with ads, or $10 without | Engadget
• Google TV 'Basic' mode strips away smart TV features - 9to5Google
• Nerf reveals Hyper, its next-gen high capacity blasters with the fastest reloads ever - The Verge
• A mister no more: Mr. Potato Head goes gender neutral

The latest news, analysis, and opinions from Dan Benjamin.

Please support the show on Patreon.

Links:

• Dozens of House Democrats want Biden to give up sole authority to launch nuclear weapons | Fox News
• Romney: Trump will win 2024 GOP nomination if he runs - POLITICO
• FDA says Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine meets requirements for emergency use authorization - CNN
• Coronavirus symptoms: 22% of patients have long-term hair loss | Daily Mail Online
• New coronavirus variant spotted in California raises alarm - CNN
• Farms In The Midwest Have Lost Much Of Their Most Fertile Soil : NPR
• How Texas's deregulated market for power led to exorbitant electric bills - CNN
• Fractured fan blade is blamed for Denver air explosion | Daily Mail Online
• Tiger Woods recovering from lengthy surgery to repair 'significant' injuries to right leg
• Fry's Electronics suddenly went out of business - CNN
• Google finally reveals the terrifying amount of data Gmail collects on iPhone – BGR
• Bitcoin (BTC) price falls below $50,000
• Facebook to restore news sharing in Australia after government amends proposed law | TechCrunch
• NASA releases Mars landing video: 'Stuff of our dreams'
• Spotify is plotting lossless streaming, interactive podcasts, and world domination
• Spotify HiFi is a lossless streaming tier coming later this year - The Verge
• Kuo: New MacBook Pro Models With HDMI Port and SD Card Reader to Launch Later This Year - MacRumors
• AA flight has encounter with 'cylindrical object' over New Mexico | Daily Mail Online
• Wednesday Addams is Getting Her Own Live Action Netflix Series Directed by Tim Burton! - Bloody Disgusting
• PS5 Restock Updates for Amazon, GameStop, Target, PS Direct and More
• Breitling Top Time Deus Limited Edition | HYPEBEAST
• Konami NBC Peacock 'Frogger' Game Show | HYPEBEAST
• Ernest Hemingway Quotes - The Quotations Page

The latest news, analysis, and opinions from Dan Benjamin.

Please support the show on Patreon.

Links:

• Texas sees one of its coldest winters in decades as temperatures drop | Texas | The Guardian
• Texas braces for historic winter storm with record cold, icy roads | Fox News
• Winter storm brings snow and ice across southern US as temperatures plunge | US news | The Guardian
• Winter storm: Half of America is under winter weather advisories as freezing temperatures grip the country - CNN
• US cold snap: Why is Texas seeing Arctic temperatures? - BBC News
• White House: China Must Release Data From The 'Earliest Days Of The Outbreak' : Coronavirus Updates : NPR
• Texas Blackout: How the Electrical Grid Failed - Bloomberg
• Texas freeze led to release of tons of air pollutants as refineries shut | Texas | The Guardian
• When will the Texas power outages end? State officials don't know | kvue.com
• Texas produces more power than any other state. Here's why it went dark anyway - CNN
• Coldest temperatures in decades continue; more wintry weather mid-week | kvue.com
• No, frozen wind turbines aren’t to blame for Texas’ power outages | The Texas Tribune
• Hygiene Theater Is Still a Huge Waste of Time - The Atlantic
• Texas weather: President Biden declares major disaster - BBC News
• ‘System-wide failure’: Energy expert says outages could have been prevented — at a cost | KXAN Austin
• Covid Absolutism - The New York Times
• EU to fast track approval of vaccines targeting coronavirus mutations – POLITICO
• CDC is not recommending a Covid-19 test requirement before domestic travel | CNN Travel
• CDC director: Too early for states to roll back mask mandates - POLITICO
• CDC director says schools can reopen safely 'without all of the teachers being vaccinated' | Daily Mail Online
• US Coronavirus: Widespread vaccinations in the US won't come until the summer. Here's what's been driving down Covid-19 cases so far - CNN
• US Coronavirus: Dr. Fauci shifts the timeline on when the general public will be able to get a vaccine - CNN
• (3) FDA moved too fast to authorize coronavirus antibody tests, two top officials admit
• US coronavirus: Covid-19 hospitalizations in the US dip to lowest level since November - CNN
• New, Daily Coronavirus Cases Drop Below 100K For First Time In Months : NPR
• Study names animals most likely to cause next big COVID outbreak | Fox News
• (7) New CDC reports warn that variants could lead to "rapid rise" in Covid-19 cases
• Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine sharply reduces symptomatic Covid-19 in the real world, Israeli researchers say - CNN
• Pfizer-BioNTech Shot Stops Covid’s Spread, Israeli Study Shows - Bloomberg
• Ted Cruz took his Princeton roommate to Cancun for the 'family vacation' | Daily Mail Online
• Airplane debris narrowly misses Broomfield home after midair engine fire – video | US news | The Guardian
• Some Boeing 777 airplanes likely to be removed from service, FAA says - CNN
• Trump Acquitted During Second Impeachment Trial, McConnell Blasts Him
• Trump attorney Michael van der Veen after impeachment win: ‘We’re going to Disney World’ | Fox News
• Japan earthquake: 'Aftershock' of devastating 9.0-magnitude quake that hit in 2011 - CNN
• CEOs of Reddit and Robinhood and ‘Roaring Kitty’ slated to testify in GameStop hearing - The Verge
• Robinhood Reddit GameStop Congressional Hearing Info | HYPEBEAST
• Bulova "666" Oceanographer Devil Diver Reissue | HYPEBEAST
• Apple, Spotify, and the impossible problem of moderating shows - The Verge
• Bumble Cofounder Becomes World’s Youngest Self-Made Woman Billionaire, Thanks To IPO
• 'Bachelor' host Chris Harrison says he's 'stepping aside' temporarily after 'excusing historical racism' | EW.com
• Amazon Delivery Truck Smashes Through Front Door of Home in Georgia
• If you use this emoji, Gen Z will call you old - CNN
• Watch the official premiere trailer for Zack Snyder’s Justice League - The Verge
• Scientists are making see-through wood, and it could replace glass
• Nissan Denies Reports of Apple Car Partnership Discussions - MacRumors
• Jaguar will be an all-electric car brand from 2025 - The Verge
• Machine Gun Kelly keeps Megan Fox's blood on a necklace in new Valentine's Day post | Fox News
• Ashley Carman on Twitter: "Interesting @benthompson piece on clubhouse. He posits that if clubhouse and social audio take off, Spotify’s investment in podcasts might look like betting on blogs in the 2000s, only for Twitter to come along and kill them https://t.co/2Kb8frUXAo https://t.co/iau2sAUkmn" / Twitter
• Parler is back online after a month of downtime - The Verge
• Vegan KitKat: Nestlé's newest candy bar is missing a key ingredient - CNN
• Why COVID-19 Cases Are Falling So Fast - The Atlantic
• iHeartMedia to Acquire Triton Digital From Scripps - WSJ
• YouTube to expand Shorts to the U.S., add 4K and DVR to YouTube TV, launch in-video shopping and more in 2021 | TechCrunch
• Rush Limbaugh, conservative media icon, dead at 70 following battle with cancer - CNN
• Rush Limbaugh, Radio Host Who Trafficked in Bigotry and Cruelty, Dead - Rolling Stone
• The podcast wars will come down to ad tech, not exclusive content - The Verge
• Texas was minutes away from monthslong power outages, officials say | The Texas Tribune
• Diablo II Resurrected Remaster BlizzCon 2021 News | HYPEBEAST
• Who Killed Malcolm X? New Questions Raised About Assassination of Black Leader
• Poland fights Big Tech with push to block social media censorship | Fox News
• Daft Punk Break Up | Pitchfork
• Dan Benjamin is creating Videos | Patreon
• (11) Disasterproof - YouTube

The latest news, analysis, and opinions from Dan Benjamin.

Please support the show on Patreon.

Links:

• At least 6 killed in pileup crash on I-35W in Fort Worth | kvue.com
• Trump defenders take the impeachment stage to make his case
• Biden administration to allow 25,000 asylum-seekers into US
• Biden says 'almost everybody' could have COVID-19 vaccines by 'the end of summer' | Fox News
• Sign of inequality: US salaries recover even as jobs haven't
• Fox hosts Dobbs, Bartiromo strike back in voting fraud suit
• Jack Dorsey and Jay Z invest 500 BTC to make Bitcoin ‘internet’s currency’ | TechCrunch
• Facebook Oversight Board says other social networks ‘welcome to join’ if project succeeds | TechCrunch
• Tim Cook Unveils Rows Of Artificial Wombs After Announcing Apple Will Begin Manufacturing Own Employees In House
• CD Projekt Red source code reportedly sells for millions in dark Web auction | Ars Technica
• Hyundai: The carmaker aiming to become a tech firm - BBC News
• Disney says it now has 94.9 million Disney Plus subscribers
• Jeep Pulls Bruce Springsteen Super Bowl Ad Following DWI Revelation - Rolling Stone
• Spotify will let employees work from anywhere after the pandemic
• Potentially habitable exoplanet candidate spotted around Alpha Centauri A in Earth's backyard | Space
• Britney Spears: Judge rules singer's father must share conservatorship - BBC News
• Tessica Brown Gets Gorilla Glue Out of Hair, Video of Surgery
• Watch water drops magically sprout into beautiful snowflakes (or melt in reverse) | Boing Boing

The latest news, analysis, and opinions from Dan Benjamin.

Please support the show on Patreon.

Links:

• Facebook Is Said to Be Building a Product to Compete With Clubhouse - The New York Times
• Pileup Involving More Than 100 Cars & Trucks Traps Drivers, Shuts Down Interstate-35W In Fort Worth – CBS Dallas / Fort Worth
• Trump impeachment: Democrats to focus on 'terrible toll' of Capitol riot – live | US news | The Guardian
• QAnon Believe Trump Impeachment Trial Part of 'Plan' for White House Return
• Iran Says Joe Biden Nuclear Window Is 'Fleeting' As Tehran Violates Uranium Metal Curbs
• Turns out that Florida water treatment facility left the doors wide open for hackers - The Verge
• Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Has His Instagram Account Removed
• Mark Cuban tried to take politics out of sports. The rightwing ecosphere exploded | NBA | The Guardian
• Mr. Peanut joins the Skippy family in a $3.4 billion sale - CNN
• Jeep Deletes Bruce Springsteen Super Bowl Ad After 'the Boss' Arrested for DWI
• Florida Man? Fans Love Tampa QB as 'Drunk Brady' in Super Bowl Celebration
• Star Wars Gina Carano 'Not Currently Employed by Lucasfilm'
• Gina Carano's 'Mandalorian' exit draws fury, praise on Twitter: 'Being famous doesn't make you untouchable' | Fox News
• eBay State of Trading Cards Report Info | HYPEBEAST
• California's rainfall is at historic lows. That spells trouble for wildfires and farms | California | The Guardian
• Larry Flynt, Porn Mogul And 'Hustler' Founder, Dies At 78 : NPR
• California Man Reunited With Wallet He Lost in Antarctica Over 50 Years Ago
• Pigs can play video games with their snouts, scientists find - BBC News