What’s Trending Today: Storm Alerts, Politics, and Pop Culture (Full Transcript)

[00:00:05] Speaker 1: You may have seen a lot of online talk about exploding trees. Well, here's why. There's a massive winter storm right now that's bearing down on more than half the country. It's already starting here in Atlanta, Georgia. And some parts of the country are expecting heavy snow, ice, and brutally cold temperatures. That kind of weather can take a serious toll on trees. When temperatures drop suddenly, the sap or water inside the tree can start to freeze. When water freezes, it expands. That expansion puts pressure on the tree's bark. And that can lead to the tree splitting, cracking, and creating a loud bang if it breaks apart. So the tree isn't actually exploding.

[00:00:50] Speaker 2: A lot of people are searching online today for Trump letter to Norway. That's because President Trump wrote a text message to the Prime Minister of Norway, Jonas Garstura, linking his repeated threats to take control of Greenland with his so far unsuccessful bid to win a Nobel Peace Prize. President Trump wrote that he no longer feels an obligation to think purely of peace, and that he can now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America. This was an extraordinary message. It was first reported by PBS News, and it was confirmed by a European diplomat familiar with the matter. People searching online today might wonder what prompted President Trump to send this message. He was responding to a message from Stora and the Finnish Prime Minister, Alexander Stubb, who's a top ally of President Trump's in Europe, protesting the president's threats of new tariffs on European nations that oppose his bid to take over Greenland. What Stora said is that he explained to Trump that the Norwegian government doesn't hand out the Nobel Peace Prize, that it's handed out by the Nobel Committee.

[00:01:57] Speaker 3: A lot of people are searching for City's Church today. Here's why. City's Church is a church in St. Paul, Minnesota, where a group of protesters interrupted service on Sunday because they apparently believe that an ICE officer served as a pastor there. In a video published by the Black Lives Matter Minnesota, you can see those protesters chanting, ICE out and justice for Renee Good. This incident has generated a lot of interest online, as the Department of Justice says they will be investigating it, including some possible violations of the FACE Act. What is the FACE Act? The Freedom of Access to Clinics Entrances Act of 1994 prohibits the use of threat of force and physical obstruction that injures, intimidates or interferes with a person seeking to obtain or provide reproductive health services or to exercise their First Amendment right of religious freedom at a place of worship. Confirming the DOJ investigation on a Post on X on Sunday, the U.S. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said that that is exactly what those protesters were doing at this church in Minnesota, saying that they were, quote, desecrating a house of worship and interfering with Christian worshipers.

[00:03:15] Speaker 4: You may be searching for the name Jack Smith today. He's the former special counsel that prosecuted Donald Trump in two cases, and he's testifying on Capitol Hill. This is the first time that we've ever heard from Smith publicly before a camera speaking about these investigations under oath. He had already gone to the house and spoken to them behind closed doors for about eight hours. Today, though, the cameras are on. The members of Congress get to ask the questions, and they also get to accuse Jack Smith of improperly handling his investigation. That's what the Republicans have been doing for some time now. Smith, though, he keeps saying what he did as a prosecutor was being overseen by a court, was following Department of Justice policies, and was totally legal. He was above board in bringing criminal charges against Donald Trump. You might also be searching for what members of Congress are asking Jack Smith about today. A lot of it is going to be about the January 6 case against Donald Trump, that conspiracy allegation that he was trying to obstruct Congress from certifying the 2020 election for Joe Biden. One of the things they're digging into are the prosecutorial decisions Jack Smith made, including getting phone logs of members of Congress. He's defending that. One thing he won't be talking about today, though, the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case. That's because it's under lock and key. It's secret, under a court order in Florida as of right now. So he's going to have to decline to get into the substance of that.

[00:04:43] Speaker 5: A lot of people are searching online today for the stock market. Here's why. Markets in Europe and the U.S. opened lower this morning as investors fret over President Donald Trump's new clash with leaders in Europe over ownership of Greenland. And Trump has threatened new tariffs on countries including the U.K., France, and Denmark. The S&P 500, the benchmark U.S. stock index, fell more than 1% shortly after the opening bell this morning. Meanwhile, investors revived the so-called sell America trade, selling off U.S. bonds and the dollar. Gold and silver, safe havens amid uncertainty, surged this morning and hit record highs. The VIX surged above 20, a level that signifies volatility in markets. People searching online may be wondering how markets are reacting to the trade dispute between the EU and the U.S. Or might just be wondering why stocks hit such a rough start to the day. Wall Street is on edge about Trump's threat to use tariffs on imports from certain European countries. Investors are waiting for the Supreme Court, which is set to issue a ruling on Trump's use of an emergency powers law to levy his tariffs. And that could have direct implications for this new trade dispute. Meanwhile, in Asia, a snap election in Japan and the prime minister's proposal for temporary tax cuts has investors on edge, adding to what's just been an overall volatile day in markets.

[00:06:02] Speaker 6: A lot of people are searching online today for Usha Vance. Here's why. The second lady, along with her husband, Vice President J.D. Vance, announced that they are expecting another baby. In a joint statement, the Vance's said that they're expecting a baby boy due in late July, calling it an exciting and hectic time. This will be the Vance's fourth child. They already have two sons, Euan and Vivek, as well as a daughter, Mirabel, who often accompany them on their travels across the globe. Now, people searching online today might be wondering if this is the first time a second lady has had children while her husband was in office. Vance will actually be the first. However, it's not unprecedented for first ladies. Frances Cleveland, the wife of President Grover Cleveland, gave birth to their daughter, Esther, at the White House. And Jacqueline Kennedy, the wife of President John F. Kennedy, had their third child, Patrick, prematurely on Cape Cod, though he sadly died two days later.

[00:06:55] Speaker 7: If you're wondering why people are searching up information about the Beckham family today, there's a reason, and unfortunately, it's not a happy one. Brooklyn Peltz Beckham, who is the oldest child and son of soccer legend David Beckham and his wife, designer Victoria Beckham, has gone public with something that up until this point has just been rumored about, the fact that their family is feuding. In an extensive statement, which Brooklyn posted on social media, he claims that his parents have been trying to control him his whole life, something he says has caused him a great deal of anxiety. He also says that his parents have never liked his wife, actress and model Nicola Peltz, whom he married back in April of 2022. According to him, his family has gone so far as to try to control the narrative about their marriage. He even claims that they've been sneaking information to the press about them. Of course, all of this has people running to the internet, folks who are looking for receipts, because they're trying to piece together exactly what was the relationship between the elder Beckhams and the younger Beckhams.

[00:07:57] Speaker 8: A lot of people are searching for Brahim Diaz today, and this is why. It all links back to a chaotic Africa Cup of Nations final between Senegal and Morocco on Sunday. Senegal lifted the trophy after winning the game 1-0, but the match will be remembered more for its dramatic conclusion, which included Diaz's missed penalty. Morocco was awarded the controversial spot kick in added time at the end of the game, with Diaz given the chance to win Morocco its first AFCON title since 1976. But Diaz was made to wait 14 minutes before being able to take his shot, with members of the Senegal team leaving the field in protest of the penalty being awarded in the first place. When he was eventually allowed to step up, Diaz missed in the most unimaginable way possible, casually chipping his effort into the middle of the goal, with the goalkeeper just standing, ready to collect it. His penalty effort was just one reason why there was so much interest in this game. It also included player protests, fan uproar, and questionable refereeing decisions.

[00:08:55] Speaker 7: People are searching for information on the Oscars, and here's why. The Academy Award nominations were announced on Thursday, and Ryan Coogler's Sinners made history. It broke the record for the most nominated film in the history of the Academy with 16. That movie, with its star-studded cast, is going to go head-to-head with another buzzy film in the Best Picture category, one battle after another. It did pretty well with the nominations. All eyes are going to be on that Best Actor category, because one battle after another star, Leonardo DiCaprio, is going head-to-head against Sinners star Michael B. Jordan, who plays twins in that film, and the person who has been the darling so far of the awards season, Timothee Chalamet, for his performance in Marty Supreme. Now, people aren't just looking up information about the nominees. They also want to know about the snubs. Sorry, Wicked, for good fans. That film wasn't nominated, nor were its stars, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.

[00:09:52] Speaker 9: A lot of people are searching online today for the term Winter Storm Watch, and here's why. Millions of people from Texas all the way up to New England are going to see things like snow, sleet, and freezing rain. And while the weather models kind of vary on which cities will end up seeing the most snow or the most ice, the general consensus is that some of these areas are going to see more than a foot of snow, and others could see more than an inch of ice. Now, accumulations like that could end up triggering widespread power outages. So it's no wonder why people are searching for the term Winter Storm Watch to figure out whether or not they're going to be impacted. So now you're all looped in on what to look out for for this weekend's winter storm.