promoearn: Cheers, jeers at State of the Union

Wednesday, February 8

President Joe Biden delivered his second State of the Union address to standing ovations from some and heckling from others. And desperation grows amid earthquake rescue efforts in Turkey and Syria.

👋 Hey! Laura Davis here. It's time for Wednesday's news!

But first, 🐾 it seemed like a simple feel-good story: Ghost the dog became a cult figure in Nevada after he was rescued while living with coyotes. Now, he's part of a bitter custody feud.

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Biden's State of the Union address earns cheers and jeers

President Joe Biden delivered his second State of the Union address Tuesday night to cheers and standing ovations from Democrats and heckling from Republicans. Biden stressed bipartisanship, his economic plan and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, among other accomplishments. But there were other moments – both combative and comforting – that also stood out. Here's what you may have missed.

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•	As Biden prepares 2024 reelection run, Dems worry blue-collar voters are slipping away.

President Joe Biden during the State of the Union address from the House chamber of the United States Capitol in Washington.

Jack Gruber, USA TODAY

Deaths in Turkey, Syria earthquake surpass 11,000

The search for survivors grew more desperate, the homeless problem more acute and the casualty count rose sharply Wednesday as rescue crews labored amid the rubble of Monday's earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. The death toll of 11,600-plus, the largest worldwide for an earthquake event in more than a decade, is expected to rise. "The size and scale of the destruction our team has witnessed is difficult to describe," said Dale Buckner, CEO of Virginia-based Global Guardian. "Some infrastructure will never be replaced. The damage is so widespread it will be uninhabitable for years to come." Latest updates.

HATAY, TURKEY - FEBRUARY 07: Smoke billows from the scene of a collapsed buildings on February 07, 2023 in Hatay, Turkey. A 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit near Gaziantep, Turkey, in the early hours of Monday, followed by another 7.5-magnitude tremor just after midday. The quakes caused widespread destruction in southern Turkey and northern Syria and were felt in nearby countries. (Photo by Burak Kara/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 775936971 ORIG FILE ID: 1463832206

Burak Kara, Getty Images

What everyone's talking about

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Hunter Biden laptop story enflames House lawmakers

The House hearing Wednesday into Twitter's brief suppression of a story about Hunter Biden's laptop outlined the queasiness of former executives to block it and provided a bare-knuckle arena for partisan lawmakers to debate allegations against President Joe Biden. After former Twitter executives said the laptop story was suppressed because of concerns about Russian meddling, Republicans argued Twitter could have tipped the 2020 election by suppressing the story. But Democrats called the hearing a "bizarre political stunt," and dismissed the basic allegations against Biden stemming from the laptop as "categorically false." Here's what happened at the hearing.

Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-MD., left, and Rep. James Comer, R-KY., are seen during the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability hearing on "Protecting Speech from Government Interference and Social Media Bias, Part 1: Twitter's Role in Suppressing the Biden Laptop Story," on Feb. 8, 2023 in Washington.

Jack Gruber, USA TODAY

King James sits on NBA's scoring throne

LeBron James wept. The tears flowed Tuesday night after the Los Angeles Lakers star overtook Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA's all-time leading scorer. After months of anticipation, the record-breaking shot finally came – a 14-foot turnaround jumper with 10.9 seconds left in the third quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder. At that moment, James eclipsed the record of 38,387 points that stood for almost 40 years. 🏀 Read more about his journey to the scoring record.

•	Opinion: LeBron and Kareem took different paths to meet expectations and become icons.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James celebrates with his daughter Zhuri after passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA's all-time leading scorer during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Oklahoma City Thunder Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023, in Los Angeles.(AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

The Associated Press

❄️ Winter weather: Tornadoes are possible in Texas as severe weather spreads across parts of the South, and a winter storm is in the Midwest's forecast. Wednesday's updates.

A break from the news

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