| Greetings, QuickTake readers! In this edition: Iowa caucus results trickle in, coronavirus cases tick up, and drinking water from the air is drawn out.  Trump bets on economy, division Standing in the chamber where he was impeached in December, Trump gave his fourth State of the Union address Tuesday, declaring America's "future is blazing bright." He struck an upbeat tone while making a case for his re-election, focusing on the "great American comeback" of economic growth in the 78-minute speech. And, echoing rhetoric regularly used on the campaign trail, he invoked violence by undocumented immigrants and jabbed Democratic plans to expand Medicare, asserting "we will never let socialism destroy American health care." Sprinkled in between the remarks were a collection of made-for-TV surprises: He gave a scholarship to a student, revealed Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó was in the audience, orchestrated the surprise reunion of a soldier and his wife, and awarded (via Melania Trump) the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Rush Limbaugh. More: - Democrats respond. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer hit back at Trump's economic talking points, arguing wealthy Americans are "reaping rewards from tax cuts they don't need" and middle-income Americans are being left behind.
- Deeply partisan. Trump turned his back on Pelosi as she offered to shake his hand. As he finished, Pelosi tore up a copy of his speech.
- Trump's good news. His approval rating reached an all-time high of 49%, a poll found, but 50% of voters still disapprove of him.
- Boycotted. 11 House Democrats skipped the address, including AOC, who said: "none of this is normal, and I will not legitimize it."
$ignificant figures 26.8%. Pete Buttigieg held less than a two-point lead over Bernie Sanders in the Iowa caucuses, with 71% of precincts reporting, followed by Elizabeth Warren and Joe Biden. 490. The number of deaths from coronavirus in mainland China, according to the National Health Commission, with at least 24,324 confirmed cases worldwide, mostly in Hubei. 28.6 million. How many subscribers Disney+ has amassed in less than three months, well on the way to Walt Disney's target of 60 million worldwide by 2024 in its challenge to Netflix. Highly quotable "Window of opportunity." The WHO said China's "strong measures" to contain more than 99% of coronavirus cases have given the rest of the world the chance to "prevent further spread and control it." "Blindsided." Foreign minister Geoffrey Onyeama said Nigerians were angered and skeptical by the Trump administration's policy to restrict U.S. visas, which takes effect Feb. 21. "Immensely blessed." Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta praised former President Daniel Arap Moi, who ruled the country for 24 years, in a statement announcing his death at age 95. This is not normal Bigger burden. The planet will struggle to recycle 50% of its plastic waste by 2030 even with tighter restrictions, a new report says, warning that low recycling rates could "leak plastics into the environment and food chain."  The future is now One drop at a time. Scientists have created a method to pull a record-breaking amount of drinkable water out of thin air via sponge-like crystals that could generate water solutions for the driest areas of the planet.  What's good Award-worthy. Popular films are increasingly diverse, a new study found, with 41 of the top 100 North American films in 2019 starring female lead actors and 31 films featuring leads from underrepresented racial groups.  Now that you're caught up... Tell your friends to sign up to receive our newsletter five days a week. Follow QuickTake on Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook. Before you go: China's state media dropped, "Believe Love Will Triumph," a tuner to comfort citizens amid the coronavirus outbreak. Did we mention it stars Jackie Chan? Thanks for reading!
-Andrew Mach | 
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