It’s where the stars are vacationing these days. Check out why Ghana is the next big thing. Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and Out the Door. (You can also get “5 Things You Need to Know Today” delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up here.)
1. President Trump
In his State of the Union address, President Trump warned Democrats to drop new congressional investigations against him. Well, Democratscalled his bluff. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff announced a sweeping new look into Trump’s finances. Schiff said the probe would go “beyond Russia” into whether the President’s financial interests are driving his actions and whether any foreign interests have leverageover Trump, his family, his businesses or associates. It’s all sure to tick off the President, who once told The New York Times any investigation into his finances was crossing a red line. He also called Schiff a political hack who’s engaging in presidential harassment.
2. Virginia politics
Virginia Democrats didn’t think things could get any worse. Yesterday, they did. Mark Herring, the state’s Democratic attorney general, admitted he appeared in blackface at a college party in 1980. Then Vanessa Tyson, the woman who accused Democratic Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax of sexually assaulting her,put out a long and compelling statement describing the alleged 2004 attack. Fairfax once again denied her claims. The day’s events were a double dose of chaos for state Dems still reeling from Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam’s admission that he wore blackface in the ’80s and from fallout over a racist photo on Northam’s medical school yearbook page. Northam says he won’t resign.
Virginia Democrats, who had spent years trying to turn the state more solidly blue, fear the GOP will use this trio of scandals to chip away at Democratic gains. There’s also the possibility that if Northam, Fairfax and Herring were all to resign, the state would be led by a Republican. Kirk Cox, the GOP speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates, would be next in line to take over.
3. Venezuela
The Venezuelan government is blocking a bridge connecting the country to Columbia, Colombian officials and a CNN photojournalist say. The blockage stops the delivery of humanitarian aid, called for by Venezuela’s opposition, from being delivered via that route. Venezuela’s opposition leader and self-declared president Juan Guaido last week named the Colombian border town of Cucuta as one of three collection points for the delivery of international aid. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro says, “We are not beggars,” and has rejected the international aid for his crisis-stricken country.
4. Climate change
The Earth just keeps getting hotter and hotter.2018 was the fourth-hottest year on record, NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said. And that follows a disturbing pattern. The past five years have been the five hottest years, and 18 of the hottest 19 years have come since 2001. The average global temperature has risen about 2 degrees Fahrenheit (a little more than 1 degree Celsius) since the 1880s. That’s about two-thirds of the way to the warming limitof 1.5 degrees Celsius set in the Paris climate agreement. Scientists believe if the planet gets hotter than that, it greatly increases the risk of extreme droughts, wildfires, floods and food shortages for hundreds of millions of people.
5. James Brown
The doctor who signed James Brown’s death certificate does not believe he died of natural causes. A friend says he has a vial of blood that could be evidence of murder. The location of Brown’s body remains mysterious. And a woman says a black duffel bag might contain evidence related to Brown’s death. The Godfather of Soul has been dead for 12 years, but the questions have not been put to rest. Read the stunning conclusion to Thomas Lake’s three-part investigative series, “Lost in the Woods with James Brown’s Ghost.”
BREAKFAST BROWSE
‘Let the little children come to me’
Security was tight. But that wasn’t going to stop a little girl from giving the Pope a letter before that historic Mass in the UAE.
Gone but not forgotten
Kristoff St. John’s final episode on “The Young and the Restless” aired yesterday. And the soap will honor the late actor with a tribute tomorrow.
‘Simpsons’ forever
Fox renewed “The Simpsons” for two more seasons, which means we now have to seriously consider the possibility that the show will outlive us all.
Sacred sign
The most blessed beach in Florida might be in Fort Lauderdale, where a giant cross washed up on shore.
The robots are coming
In Hangzhou, China, artificial intelligence controls traffic. That normally would alarm us, but if it helps clear the roads, we’re all for it.
TODAY’S NUMBER
97
The age of stylemaker Iris Apfel, whojust signed a major modeling contract
TODAY’S QUOTE
“These emails do not reflect the culture we’ve worked so hard to build at the Chicago Cubs.”
Cubs team chairman Tom Ricketts, apologizing for racist statements against Muslims found in old emails written by his father, Joe Ricketts
AND FINALLY
Musical mashup
Metallica’s rock classic “Enter Sandman” sung as a Stevie Wonder tune? Yep, and this “musical impressionist” sings it in 19 other styles as well. (Click to view.)
