3 killed, 5 injured in Michigan State shooting, Singles Awareness Day explained: 5 Things podcast

On today's episode of the 5 Things podcast: 3 killed, 5 injured in Michigan State shooting

Three people were killed at a shooting on the Michigan State University campus. Plus, a congressman says objects shot down by the U.S. were 'almost certainly' from China, USA TODAY Money and Personal Finance Reporter Medora Lee says inflation concerns may be easing, a Georgia judge has ordered the partial release of a Trump grand jury report, and it's Valentine's Day, but also Singles Awareness Day.

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Hit play on the player above to hear the podcast and follow along with the transcript below. This transcript was automatically generated, and then edited for clarity in its current form. There may be some differences between the audio and the text.

Taylor Wilson:

Good morning and Happy Valentine's Day. I'm Taylor Wilson and this is 5 Things you need to know Tuesday, the 14th of February 2023. Today, another college campus shooting. Plus easing inflation might be right around the corner, and it's Singles Awareness Day.

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The suspect in a shooting yesterday at Michigan State University has been found dead after an hour's long manhunt, but not before the shooting left three dead and five injured. The suspect appeared to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The 43-year-old man was not a student or employee at the university, according to the school's police force. Students described chaos during the shooting and survivors said they escaped through a classroom window. Meanwhile, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer called the shooting a uniquely American problem.

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The three objects shot down by US fighter pilots over North America since Friday were almost certainly launched by China to spy on the United States. That's what Congressman Adam Smith said yesterday. He's the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee. Smith told USA TODAY that researchers who use balloons typically inform the Federal Aviation Administration before flying them in US airspace. That didn't happen in the three shot down over the weekend or in the case of the Chinese surveillance balloon shot down on February 4th. But Smith did call for calm saying that large nations typically spy on one another and that balloons don't offer China a new edge in spying.

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Concerns about inflation might be easing. So what's next for the economy? James Brown, the host of the Sunday edition of 5 Things, sat down with USA TODAY Money and Personal Finance Reporter Medora Lee to find out.

James Brown:

Medora Lee, welcome back to 5 Things.

Medora Lee:

Hi, how are you today?

James Brown:

I'm doing pretty great. From what I'm hearing, inflation could ease pretty quickly, faster than we expected?

Medora Lee:

That is what some people think. This is true. A lot of people actually are starting to think this because they saw such a huge drop in inflation over the last part of 2022, but I would still be cautious a little bit. People saw a drop because used car prices fell a lot and the price of goods didn't rise very much because people moved on to services, which is where the Fed is really focusing now. The big one is rent. Rents have been high, have been really rising a lot, and that's kept inflation up, that and also wages. But people are optimistic because they see signs that both of those might be starting to cool.

James Brown:

Let's say they're right, those are both cooling. What does that say for the economy?

Medora Lee:

That would be good news for the Fed and for consumers if prices start to cool off and we start to see lower inflation, maybe our wages can catch up and maybe we won't have to go into recession. We can just kind of keep spending and if inflation falls fast enough, we can continue to spend.

James Brown:

I'm catching a hint of skepticism here.

Medora Lee:

A little bit, I am because I'm still not convinced when you kind of look at some of the corporate earnings reports and things like that, that the job market is really as healthy as some people might think. I mean, we've had some really strong, strong jobs reports and that's fueled this kind of thought. But last year, Chipotle was the darling. This is always my favorite example, Chipotle. They raised prices four times last year and they kept doing it because people couldn't really afford to go to that Mexican sit-down restaurant with the waitress. And so Chipotle felt very comfortable raising prices and people kept paying it because it was still cheaper than the sit-down restaurant. But in the latest earnings report, Chipotle actually saw that they were losing customers. And so now people have traded lower to even McDonald's and Taco Bell, which are really doing well now. So I don't know, are people really going to be able to hang on? I don't know.

James Brown:

Well, we shall see.

Medora Lee:

Mm-hmm.

James Brown:

Medora Lee, thank you for joining me.

Medora Lee:

Thank you. Have a great day.

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Taylor Wilson:

A judge in Georgia yesterday ordered a partial public release of a Grand Jury's investigative report on former president Donald Trump's attempts to interfere in the 2020 election. Parts of the report will be released on Thursday, including a section expressing concerns that some witnesses may have lied under oath, though their names will not be made public. Fulton County's district attorney initially launched an inquiry after Trump's January 2nd, 2021, conversation with Georgia's Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. He urged Georgia's top election official to find nearly 12,000 votes to tilt the election in his favor.

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It's Valentine's Day, but it's also Singles Awareness Day. If you're looking for a Valentine, Bumble's relationship expert Shan Boodram has some advice for getting on the dating apps. Objective number one is making a profile, and she says authenticity is key.

Shan Boodram:

If you get a great photo that showcases you - the real you as you look, shoulders up, nice and well lit, face forward, no questions, this is my glorious face, and then let people know upfront, what are you excited about - it's an opportunity not just to tell people who you are, but to think about what matters most to you.

Taylor Wilson:

Now, it's time to start reaching out and chatting up your connections. She says to look for conversation starters by looking at what's emphasized in their profile.

Shan Boodram:

It is literally just a gold mine of first-liners. So if you saw somebody has a picture of them in Peru, "I'm thinking of going this summer, what was the best place that you ate?" If you saw somebody has a picture with their dog, "Oh, what kind of breed is that? I have a friend who has a similar dog and they found this, what have been your experience?" So you don't have to put your heart out there or you don't have to play it cool, just be interested and engaged.

Taylor Wilson:

And when it's time to go from talking in the app to actually meeting up, Shan says it's different for each person, and you have to get a sense of both of your comfort levels.

Shan Boodram:

Start with the phone call and then move to video chat. Obviously, through the pandemic video chat became a feature that was hugely used. They saw a 70% increase in people utilizing them. And even now that we are meeting in person, they still found that the average person is spending around 20 minutes on video chat. So use that, maybe the person has a little bit of social anxiety that's also talking about mental health it's a lot less taboo than it was. So try to meet that person where they are, coax them out to create that bond so they do feel comfortable with you, and if you still find that they're hesitant, you can just move to ask the question. Be safe, of course, and keep that on top of mind but be open.

Taylor Wilson:

If you want more tips from Shan, you can watch your interview with a link in today's show description.

And you can find 5 Things every morning right here, wherever you're listening right now. I'm back tomorrow with more of 5 Things from USA TODAY.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 3 killed in MSU shooting, it's Singles Awareness Day: 5 Things podcast