Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Thursday, July 29, 2021:

THE CARROT & THE STICK

THE CARROT: New York City will start offering $100 on the spot to residents who go to a city-run vaccination site for their first vaccine dose. That’s the first major test of a new kind of incentive program for people to get the shot: cold hard cash. Meanwhile, Missouri -- one of the biggest Delta variant hotspots -- says it has doubled the number of daily vaccines since it unveiled a new $10,000 lottery. DAILY NEWS

THE STICK: Google is the latest large employer and the first of the big tech companies to say that anyone who is returning to the office has to be vaccinated, period. Facebook is mandating vaccines for on-campus staff, too, and Netflix is mandating vaccines for anyone who works on set. President Biden is expected to announce a blanket vaccine policy across the federal government today. Federal employees who don’t want to get the vaccine will be subject to regular testing. ITV

BOOSTERS COMING?

The efficacy of the Pfizer vaccine appears to slip slightly, from 96% to 84%, after about six months, according to new data released by the pharmaceutical giant. The vaccine remained extremely effective at preventing severe disease even after six months. The study could add momentum to Pfizer’s case that booster shots are going to be necessary for the general population, though federal public health officials have so far disagreed with that. STAT

INFRASTRUCTURE DEAL

Senate Democrats and Republicans have reached a deal on a roughly $1 trillion infrastructure package that would funnel billions into the country’s roads, bridges, ports, transit, water and other “physical infrastructure” programs. All 50 Democrats and 17 Republicans have voted to advance the bipartisan framework, a major part of President Biden’s agenda. The agreement on the basic framework still needs final approval in both chambers but is now more likely than not to pass after the bipartisan breakthrough. WASH POST

OLYMPICS LATEST

The U.S. is back on top in the overall medal count after a huge day in swimming. Caeleb Dressel took his first solo gold, setting a new Olympic record in the 100m freestyle that makes him the fastest swimmer in the world. Bobby Finke won gold in the 800m, while Katie Ledecky took silver as part of the team relay. The women’s gymnastics all-around is happening this morning, and it’s expected to be a nail-biter with Simone Biles on the sidelines. Suni Lee is Team USA’s best hope for a fifth-straight gold in the event. ESPN

FED DECISION

The Federal Reserve is not particularly worried that the Delta variant poses a significant threat to the economy. The central bank is holding its benchmark interest rate near zero, citing continued economic progress and “transitory” inflation. Fed Chair Jerome Powell noted that the “economic implications” from each successive COVID wave have gone down. “We’ve kind of learned to live with it,” he said. REUTERS

ROBINHOOD IPO

The online brokerage Robinhood starts a new era as a public company today when it debuts on the Nasdaq under the ticker ‘HOOD.’ The company priced shares at $38 -- that’s at the lower end of the range, and a sign of lukewarm investor demand. Robinhood is reserving an unusually high percentage of its offering shares to the legion of retail investors who made the platform so popular, though it's not clear they're particularly interested. Ever since the ‘meme stock’ craze earlier this year, Robinhood has been the focus of a virtually endless stream of regulatory probes and legal battles. Just before the IPO, Wall St. regulators opened another investigation into whether CEO Vlad Tenev is even licensed to run a brokerage. YAHOO FINANCE

'ARTHUR' ENDING

Arthur, the beloved educational children’s show about a lovable aardvark navigating a diverse cartoon world, is ending after 25 years. The PBS series will air its final season next year, though reruns will continue on PBS Kids. Through the years, Arthur became a sensation on social media, leading many users to post their favorite memes in response to the news of the show’s end: SEE THEM

HELLO?

Adele is said to be considering a residency at the new Resorts World Casino in Vegas in a deal that could pay her more than $100,000 per night. The singer is rumored to be in the process of recording her much-anticipated next album in NYC, where she’s been seen out and about with her new boyfriend, NBA superagent Rich Paul. PEOPLE

SPOTTED...

...Bryan Cranston, posting a request for prayers as his Breaking Bad co-star Bob Odenkirk remains hospitalized after collapsing on the set of Better Caul Saul. Odenkirk is in stable condition after a “heart-related incident,” according to his rep: SEE POST

...Gawker, back online and under new ownership, five years after the infamous gossip blog was put out of business by a litigious Hulk Hogan: READ THE WELCOME LETTER

LEFTOVERS: WINNING TICKET

A woman in Germany walked around for weeks unaware that she was carrying a winning lottery ticket worth $39 million in her purse. German lotto officials say the unidentified 45-year-old woman was the sole winner of a draw on July 9 but was oblivious to that fact until recently. Luckily for her, the prize had not expired. Billions of dollars in lottery winnings go unclaimed every year in the U.S. alone, like a $77 million winning Powerball ticket sold in Georgia in 2011 that was never claimed. CHEDDAR

Listen to the N2K Podcast! Looking for more context and analysis on the big stories of the day? Check out our podcast! Hosts Jill and Carlo break down the headlines, every weekday morning Listen on Apple or Spotify, or watch on YouTube, and send us your feedback!

Share:
More In Culture
Pressure to Settle $1 Billion Claim From Nassar Survivors Against FBI
Survivors of Larry Nassar, including Olympian Simone Biles, are seeking $1 billion in damages from the FBI due to its failure to investigate the former gymnastics team doctor convicted of committing years of serial sexual abuse of minors. Jack Queen, a senior reporter at Law360, joined Cheddar News to break down the legal grounds of this case. "This is one of the biggest black eyes that the Bureau has faced in generations, quite frankly, and the FBI has taken full responsibility and admitted that it completely botched this investigation," he said. "So, there's a lot of pressure to settle."
Elevate Prize Foundation Wants to Create 'Fanbase for Good' With $10K Awards
The Elevate Prize Foundation is donating $10,000 to different grassroots organizations based on a theme every month to help scale their work, focusing on a different theme each time. Upcoming prizes will help uplift an organization supporting the LGBTQ community and one mobilizing to help end gun violence. The foundation's CEO Carolina Garcia Jayaram joined Cheddar to discuss the initiative and why it's important to uplift these grassroots organizations. "We are identifying social entrepreneurs around the world to help them scale their work. but the ultimate purpose of that is to create the first-ever fanbase for good," she said. "We're trying to make good famous and by inspiring people to think about the role they can play in doing good in the world."
Stephanie Shojaee on Paving the Way for Women in Real Estate
With real estate being a largely male-dominated industry, Stephanie Shojaee, vice president and chief marketing officer at development company Shoma Group, joined Cheddar News to discuss how she took on the gender gap for women to achieve leadership roles, starting at her own company. “It's been very important to teach all the women that work here, especially the younger ones, that they shouldn't change themselves," she said. "You need to be happy with who you are and just keep breaking barriers."
Hot summer could lead to rolling blackouts
We are already starting to feel the effects of summer. Heat waves in Texas and California are already sending temperatures soaring. That could spell trouble for the nation's power supply. there are new concerns about outages in many areas of the country. Cheddar's Shannon Lanier explains the two main causes of blackouts, and what states are doing to keep the lights on and the air conditioning running.
U.S. traffic deaths hit 16 year high
If you have been on the road this past year, you've probably seen more accidents on the road than you ever have. You're not wrong. Traffic fatalities are not only increasing they are hitting historic highs. Almost 43,000 people died in motor vehicle accidents in 2021. Cheddar's Shannon Lanier investigates - and finds out why.
U.S. Stocks Closed at Session Highs Tuesday
U.S. stocks close Tuesday at session highs after a subpar start to the trading day. Tim Chubb, Chief Investment Officer at the wealth advisory firm, Girard, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss. 'We're starting to see the moderation of three core things -- we've seen the moderation of prices, we've seen the moderation of wage growth we've seen in the labor market, and we've also seen a moderation of job openings,' he says.
Gymnasts Seek $1 Billion From FBI Over Larry Nassar Case
The victims from the USA gymnastics sexual abuse scandal continue to seek justice. Survivors of Larry Nassar are seeking more than one-billion dollars from the FBI for failing to stop the convicted sports doctor when the agency first received allegations. According to a report released by the Justice Department's Inspector General, FBI agents knew in July of 2015 that Nassar was accused of abusing gymnasts; however, Nassar wasn't arrested until December of 2016. The group that filed the claim includes Olympic medalist Simone Biles and around 90 other women. Louise Radnofsky, sports reporter at The Wall Street Journal, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Kat Tat on Becoming 'Elite' Black Woman Tattoo Artist in Unwelcoming Industry
Tattoo artist Katrina "Kat Tat" Jackson, famous for starring in the VH1 hit series "Black Ink Crew: Chicago," is also the first Black woman to own a tattoo shop in Beverly Hills. She joined Cheddar News to discuss her trailblazing work, the stigma BIPOC tattoo artists face in the industry, and the way the space has changed for artists of color since her start. "In the beginning, I remember walking into a tattoo shop just like, hey, I wanna learn, I wanna be a tattoo artist and kind of just being laughed at, not taken seriously," she said. "Even with the tattoo conventions, a lot of African American tattoo artists were almost scared to go to conventions because it's not a welcoming environment."
Load More