Wednesday, 8 February 2023

A contentious State of the Union. Plus, how to help earthquake victims.

February 8, 2023 | VIEW IN BROWSER

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President Biden pointed to the economic progress made during his presidency and sparred directly with Republicans during his State of the Union address. Plus, the Lakers' LeBron James became the NBA's all-time leading scorer by breaking a record that stood for nearly 39 years, and a woman told she could never have kids now has two children after a rare uterus transplant.

The Latest

Biden touts economic recovery and admonishes Republicans in his State of the Union address.

President Joe Biden highlighted the economic progress made during his presidency and engaged in a series of tense exchanges as Republicans heckled him from the floor of the House of Representatives in last night's State of the Union address. "Jobs are coming back, pride is coming back, because of the choices we made in the last two years," he said. Biden also accused Republicans of wanting to "sunset" Social Security and Medicare as part of negotiations over raising the debt ceiling. Read all the highlights here.

🏀 LeBron James passes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA's all-time leading scorer.

The King is now the all-time scoring king. LeBron James scored 38 points in the Los Angeles Lakers' home loss to Oklahoma City last night to pass Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and become the NBA's all-time leading scorer. James, who needed 36 points entering the game to pass Abdul-Jabbar, hit a fadeaway jumper with 10.9 seconds left in the third quarter to give him 38,388 career points in 20 seasons. The home crowd roared as he broke a record that had stood for nearly 39 years. Abdul-Jabbar was at the game to shake his hand and present him with a special basketball. "I would never ever in a million years dreamt this even better than what it is tonight," James, 38, said.

👶 She was told she could never have kids. After a rare uterus transplant, she just had her 2nd child.

Chelsea Jovanovich thought she'd never be able to carry a baby because her uterus never fully formed due to a congenital condition. That all changed in 2020 when she underwent an experimental uterus transplant surgery in Philadelphia. Only about 70 of them have been performed worldwide, one of Chelsea's doctors told us. They require taking immunosuppression drugs with serious side effects until the uterus is removed after a woman has a second child. Since the transplant, Jovanovich has given birth to two sons. Her younger boy is just the 25th child born in the U.S. to a woman with a uterus transplant. See Chelsea's full journey here.

🙏 How to help the earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria.

As many as 23 million people, including 1.4 million children, have been affected by the earthquakes in Syria and Turkey, which left more than 11,000 dead in both countries. For those who want to help survivors of the disaster, there are multiple international organizations on the ground seeking donations for their efforts. You can donate to help children, assist with medical care, and provide food, shelter and cash assistance. NBC News also has important tips on how to verify charities before you donate.

Live Better TODAY

Achieve your life goals with easy tips.

You grind away in the kitchen all day to prepare a feast for friends, and the compliments on the meal make you feel like it was all worth it. Then there's that one person who just can't help but interject with, "You know what would make this dish even better? Have you ever tried ricotta instead of cream cheese?" Now everyone at the table is trying to one-up your recipe with their own spin. It's called "invidious comparison eating," or "ICE" — and some say it's ruder than chewing with your mouth open. Thomas P. Farley, aka Mr. Manners, shared with us how to handle the situation if someone does it to you, including a clever way to change the subject. Read more here.

What's for dinner?

Allow us to do the meal-planning for you.

If you're planning a meal for that special someone on Valentine's Day, it can't hurt to try out the recipe a few days earlier. "Fit Men Cook" founder Kevin Curry has two easy dinners you can get a jump on this week, including his Cajun surf and turf (above). To save time, cook the shrimp and steak in the same cast-iron skillet, and serve it with an herb-roasted medley of veggies. If you're looking to cut down on the calories, Kevin also has gluten-free and dairy-free chicken piccata that still packs plenty of flavor.

Daily Delight

A little pick-me-up before you go.

There will be plenty of stars at the Super Bowl on Sunday, but what do the actual stars say about the game? Today.com astrologer Lisa Stardust tapped a few of her fellow spiritual practitioners to read the tea leaves for Sunday's matchup using tools like tarot and astrology. Their verdict? In each case, the celestial seers said fortune is favoring the Chiefs. In particular, the Chiefs' Virgo QB, Patrick Mahomes, has a more positive astrological chart on Sunday than the Eagles' Jalen Hurts, a Leo. However, two of our forecasters predicted some "wild" moments, like an on-field controversy or game-deciding call. Look for a clash filled with "conflict, tension, and change," one said. For more fun predictions about the Super Bowl, go here.