![](\"https:\/\/media.wired.com\/photos\/5e39f0b0e601630009b7e793\/master\/pass\/Security_techintwo_1203887910.jpg\"\/)
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Credit to Author: Alex Baker-Whitcomb| Date: Tue, 04 Feb 2020 22:20:31 +0000<\/strong><\/p>\n Alex Baker-Whitcomb<\/span><\/a><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n Catch up on the most important news from today in two minutes or less.<\/p>\n Surgical masks are in shortage and Democrats need work on reportage, but first: a cartoon about parental sexting<\/a>. Here's the news you need to know, in two minutes or less.<\/p>\n Want to receive this two-minute roundup as an email every weekday? Sign up here<\/a>!<\/em><\/p>\n Iowa Caucus tech meltdown<\/a> is a warning<\/strong><\/p>\n Thanks in part to a buggy app, the Iowa caucus results for the Democratic presidential race have been delayed for hours. So far there's every indication the results will turn out just fine\u2014the votes were all properly recorded, and a paper backup means that they can be verified. It was the reporting process that collapsed, but the snafu underscores just how much can go wrong when you lean on untested tech<\/a>.<\/p>\n Amid coronavirus fears, a mask shortage could spread globally<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n As millions of Chinese remain in lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus, a new global problem has arisen: a shortage of surgical masks. Chinese factories are churning out 20 million masks a day, but the Chinese foreign ministry says they're starting to run out. And that isn't just a problem for China: The US gets 95 percent of its surgical masks from overseas, and China is the world's largest supplier. The supply gap could lead to health care problems that go far beyond this particular outbreak<\/a>.<\/p>\n That's how much scientists may be underestimating the impact of melting permafrost, according to a new report in Nature Geoscience.<\/em> Permafrost\u2014landscapes of frozen soil and rock\u2014thaws as the Earth warms, releasing CO2<\/sub> and methane into the atmosphere and leading to more warming, more thawing, and even more carbon emissions. Now it's happening so abruptly that landscapes are collapsing in on themselves<\/a>.<\/p>\n You're probably not getting enough sleep, and it might be killing you<\/a>. Invest in your health and happiness with something from this list of the best mattresses you can buy in a box<\/a>.<\/p>\n Check out the best Nintendo Switch deals and accessories<\/a>.<\/p>\n This daily roundup is available as a newsletter. You can sign up right here<\/a> to make sure you get the news delivered fresh to your inbox every weekday!<\/em><\/p>\n