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Monday 02.07.22

Tired of seeing empty shelves at your favorite grocery store? More shoppers are turning to smaller convenience stores as a backup, but they're struggling to stay fully stocked too, especially in rural areas. Here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On With Your Day.
 

By Alexandra Meeks

Police officers walk past parked tractors in Ottawa as demonstrators continue to protest Covid-19 vaccine mandates across Canada.

Coronavirus

Protests in Canada against Covid-19 restrictions grew over the weekend as authorities face mounting pressure to address blocked roads and increasingly disruptive demonstrations. The Mayor of Ottawa declared a state of emergency yesterday, following two weeks of protests initiated by a group of truckers who began blocking traffic on January 29. Other protests sprouted over the weekend in major cities spanning the nation, including Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto and Quebec City. At least seven arrests were made yesterday and about 450 citations have been issued, according to the Ottawa Police Service. The blockades are severely crippling businesses, but some of the protesters say they're not moving until changes are made.

Capitol Riot

Marc Short, the former chief of staff for Mike Pence, says the former vice president chose to rebuke former President Donald Trump last week because his comments about Pence's ability to overturn the 2020 election "merited response." Pence called out his former boss by name on Friday, saying that "President Trump is wrong" in claiming that the then-vice president had the right to overturn the election on January 6, 2021. Short said yesterday he does not believe the riot was "legitimate political discourse," contrary to a recent statement from the Republican National Committee. Separately, as the House select committee steadily moves forward with its investigation into the insurrection, newly obtained records show Trump spoke with Republican Rep. Jim Jordan the day of the riot. This revelation has prompted the committee to consider moving forward with a subpoena for Jordan after he refused to voluntarily appear for an interview.

Electoral Count

Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin and Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski are signaling optimism about their work to reform the Electoral Count Act, with Manchin going so far as to say it will "absolutely" pass. The act specifically makes changes to a 19th century law that was intended to give Congress a process to certify the Electoral College votes submitted by the states. Election law experts and those urging reform have repeatedly warned that in light of the attack on the US Capitol, the law needs to be updated and strengthened to ensure that a losing party can never subvert the results of the Electoral College. In an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper yesterday, Manchin cautioned that some representatives are not on the same page about the legislation, but said it is generally receiving bipartisan support. 

Jubilee

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II used the historic milestone of her Platinum Jubilee to redefine the future of the monarchy, calling for the Duchess of Cornwall to be known as Queen Camilla when Prince Charles becomes King. Prince Charles paid tribute to his mother on her special day, congratulating her as she marks her 70th year on the throne and expressing gratitude for the significant step to redefine royal titles. When Charles married Camilla in 2005, the couple announced she intended to be known as "Princess Consort" despite having a right to the title of Queen. It was seen as a recognition of the sensitivities around a title that was destined for Charles' first wife, the beloved Princess Diana. The historic celebration over the weekend unfolded under the shadow of ongoing controversy surrounding Prince Andrew, the Queen's second son, who is fighting a sexual assault case in the US.

Joe Rogan

Joe Rogan issued an apology on Instagram over the weekend after a compilation of him frequently using the n-word on his podcast spread widely on social media. Rogan said it's the "most regretful and shameful thing" he has ever had to address publicly. He is also apologizing for a video of him comparing a Black neighborhood to a "Planet of the Apes" movie. Spotify CEO Daniel Ek addressed Joe Rogan's use of racial slurs yesterday, telling his staff in a memo that while he found the comments "incredibly hurtful" and inconsistent with company values, he did not believe "silencing" the podcaster was the answer. Spotify has removed more than 70 episodes of Joe Rogan's podcast since last week.

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Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott welcome their second child

Are you still keeping up with the Kardashians? Fans are celebrating the new celebrity baby born on 2/2/22! 

Why it feels like movies are getting longer

At least warm popcorn can help distract you from the pain of sitting in theater seats for nearly 3 hours.

Kelly Slater wins surfing competition days shy of his 50th birthday

Age is just a number! The elite competitor scored another career victory, beating out guys half his age.

Bengals' viral sensation 'The Cart' is heading to the Super Bowl

Bengals fans have a quirky affection for this three-tiered metal cart. It even has a dramatic hype video!

Billie Eilish paused her concert to help a fan get an inhaler

The popular singer handled the situation so gracefully. We're sending you air-hugs for this, Billie. 

Olympics update

Defending Olympic champion Mikaela Shiffrin crashed out of the giant slalom on her first run. "I won't ever get over this," said Shiffrin, who is competing in all five alpine skiing disciplines in Beijing.

Follow the latest news and highlights from the Winter Olympics here.

$230,000

That's how much a tourist in Las Vegas won at a slot machine last month, but was never informed due to a malfunction in the machine. After an exhaustive search, the Nevada Gaming Control Board identified the winner by combing through hours of surveillance videos, interviewing witnesses and analyzing ride share data. Gaming officials said the lucky winner will return to Vegas to collect his overdue prize.

Does your church need armed guards? Cause our synagogue does.

-- JewBelong, a non-profit organization created to welcome and inspire Jewish people, put up four billboards with striking messages throughout South Florida last week to raise awareness about anti-Semitism and make people think about its effects. 

A breathtaking view from the International Space Station

Enjoy this stunning time-lapse footage of our planet earth as seen from space. (Click here to view)