Monday's Daily Briefing: Super Bowl edition 🏈
Cough cough, we're sick.
Thinking about staying home today after you hit the buffalo chicken dip hard at a Super Bowl party? You're not alone. "Super Bowl fever" is expected to result in 17.5 million employees missing work on Monday, according to a survey by the Workforce Institute at Kronos Inc. It's the largest amount ever since the institute began tracking the figure in 2005.
Whether you're reading this in bed or at your office desk, happy Monday and happy February, Daily Briefing readers. Here's the news to look out for today.
1. The winner of USA TODAY’s Ad Meter is Jeep’s ‘Groundhog’s Day’
"Groundhog Day," a brilliant 60-second reprise from Jeep starring Bill Murray, finished first in USA TODAY's Ad Meter, which ranks Super Bowl ads by consumer rating. The spot barely beat out Hyundai's "Smaht Pahk" commercial in which John Krasinski, Chris Evans, Rachel Dratch, and David “Big Papi” Ortiz marvel over the car's ability to park itself. Round out the Top 5 in voting were Google's "Loretta," Doritos' "The Cool Ranch" and Rocket Mortgage's "Comfortable." The cost of a 30-second spot during this year's broadcast ranges from $5 million to $5.6 million, according to Fox.
- Miss any ads? Watch them all again here
- Oh, and that Tom Brady cryptic photo last week? It was for an ad
- Snickers pokes fun at tech, but Google presents a more emotional look
- And so, so, so much more about the ads at admeter.usatoday.com
2. Super Bowl LIV: Chiefs are champs with stunning Super Bowl comeback over 49ers
You thought the Kansas City Chiefs were done for, huh, says USA TODAY Sports' Nancy Armour. That Patrick Mahomes was human after all? You learned nothing from that AFC divisional round game against the Houston Texans, did you? The guy who has delighted the NFL with his no-look passes and Houdini-like escapes pulled off his best work of magic yet Sunday night. Mahomes rallied the Chiefs to 21 fourth-quarter points and a 31-20 victory.
- What happened?4 plays that changed the game
- 54 things we learned from Chiefs' Super Bowl LIV win over 49ers
- From Mike Jones: Fair or not, narrative of Super Bowl LIV will focus on 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan
- Congratulations, Kansas? Trump congratulates the wrong state in tweet
- Mahomes the first player quarterback to win a Super Bowl and league MVP before his 25th birthday
- Bling, bling: The winning team can expect a ring along the lines of this
- Meet the 100-year-old veteran who presented the coin toss
- For more on the game and celebrations, head right here
Oh, and that half time show…
What. A. Show. After last year’s dreadfully forgettable halftime show by Maroon 5 and a shirtless Adam Levine, just about any artist would’ve been a vast improvement. This year, Jennifer Lopez and Shakira delivered. Relive it all:
- The images don’t lie. Here’s another look at the show
- This moment became an instant meme
- Even JLo’s daughter took to the stage and Alex Rodriguez danced along with fans on the field during his fiance’s show
3. Iowa caucuses kick off primary season
The first major event of the 2020 presidential election season, the Iowa Caucuses, take place Monday. The first-in-the-nation event kicks off the start of the primary election season, and many of the Democratic presidential candidates have been zig-zagging across the state for months to lead up to this big night. So, what's a caucus? It is a party-run gathering of members to discuss their presidential preferences, elect local party leadership and discuss issues that make up the party’s platform. Why are caucuses important? Although Iowa’s pledged delegate count is about 1 percent of the national total, the caucuses are looked to as how well a candidate will do going forward.
- How do Iowa's caucuses work and how are they different than a primary?
- Could multiple candidates 'win' in Iowa? New rules make it possible
4. Senate to hold closing arguments in Trump impeachment trial
The Senate will hold closing arguments in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump on Monday, wrapping up a months-long saga over the president's dealings with Ukraine. There will be a total of four hours of arguments, equally divided among the parties. The trial is expected to wrap up Wednesday with a final vote, and it's expected Trump will be acquitted. Democrats allege Trump pursued a pressure campaign to get Ukraine to open investigations that would benefit him politically. He was also accused of withholding aid and a White House meeting from the ally nation in exchange for the investigations.
- Warren, Sanders, Klobuchar, Bennet have to juggle impeachment, caucuses
5. KFC expands plant-based Beyond Fried Chicken test
Months after KFC sold out of the new Beyond Fried Chicken at one Atlanta restaurant in less than five hours, the chicken chain is expanding the test to more than 70 locations in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Nashville, Tennessee. The plant-based chicken will be available beginning Monday through Feb. 23 — or while supplies last.
- Impossible Foods adds plant-based pork and sausage, continues to test bacon and fish alternatives
Bonus: Retirement anxiety edition
"I'm 58 and have no retirement savings. Is my financial life ruined or is there still hope?" Spoiler alert: There's totally hope!
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