The Leap: Hailee Stienfield’s engagement, box office breakouts, and more!

By Emily Fincher, Executive Producer
Published Dec 13, 2024

This week's anchors Macy Bayer and Delayna Zepeda discuss Hailee Stienfield's engagement, The Dancing With the Stars winner, and box office breakouts! Be sure to follow us on Instagram @theleaptcu for updates on our episodes and behind-the-scenes footage.

What we’re reading: Biden’s agreement to meet with Putin, longevity of COVID-19 vaccine

By Jessica Schaffer

Published Feb 23, 2022

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during a meeting on efforts to lower prices for working families, in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Jan. 24, 2022. Biden warned Ukraine’s leader Thursday that there is a “distinct possibility” that Russia could attack in February. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

Biden will meet with Putin about possible Russian invasion of Ukraine

The White House announced that President Joe Biden agreed to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the possible Russian invasion of Ukraine, according to CNN.

Biden and Putin would meet after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s meeting on Feb. 24, said the press secretary Jen Psaki.

According to Blinken, Biden is willing to meet with Putin in any way to prevent a war.

If there is a further progression of the invasion, however, Blinken and Lavrov will not meet on Feb. 24.

A woman receives a COVID-19 vaccine injection by a pharmacist at a clinic in Lawrence, Mass., on Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2021. One of the first studies to look at the performance of COVID-19 booster shots during the recent omicron wave of illnesses found a surprising decline in effectiveness after only four months. The findings are based on data from hospitals and urgent care centers in 10 states. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)

COVID-19 booster shot could last months or years

Studies show that those who have the COVID booster will probably not need another for months or even years, according to The New York Times.

It is unlikely that the Biden administration will advocate for a fourth dose, according to Dr. Anthony S. Fauci and other federal health officials.

Studies have shown that a third dose of the vaccine makes a variety of antibodies in the body, therefore making it difficult for the Omicron variant to override antibodies.

T cells, specialized immune cells created after immunization, are 80% more effective against the Omicron variant and other variants, according to researchers.

Crows fly past as the sun sets in Hyderabad, India, Monday, Feb. 21, 2022. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

An unexpected solar eruption was captured by NASA

NASA and the European Space Agency’s Solar Orbiter spacecraft took a photo of a solar eruption, according to CNN.

This is the largest solar presence ever seen in one photo, according to the ESA. The solar eruption occurred on Feb. 15.

If the solar prominences were directed at Earth, then it would affect the technology associated with satellites; however, this particular solar ejection is migrating away from Earth.

Observations by NASA’s Parker Solar Probe and the Solar Orbiter will occur next week.

Former president Donald Trump speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) Sunday, Feb. 28, 2021, in Orlando, Fla. Trump’s messaging app challenging Twitter launched Monday, Feb. 21, 2022, as he seeks a new digital stage free of big tech limits on speech a year after his social media ban.(AP Photo/John Raoux, File)

Truth Social, Trump’s new social media app, released in the Apple App Store

Former President Donald Trump’s social media app called Truth Social was released on Apple’s App Store on Monday, according to CNN.

Trump’s new media company, Trump Media and Technology Group, owns Truth Social, which is similar to Twitter.

The new app is a way for Trump to regain access to social media after he was banned from Facebook, Twitter and YouTube after the Capitol riot on Jan. 6.

The app is expected to be completed and officially running by the end of March, according to Devin Nunes, the current CEO of Trump Media and Technology Group.