Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Tuesday, December 1, 2020:

COVID-19: LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

The U.S. is now reporting more than one million new coronavirus cases and 10,000 deaths a week. Hospitalizations are approaching the 100,000 milestone. Californians are preparing for the possibility of a full stay-at-home order in the coming days as ICU beds in the state fill up. New York hospitalizations are at a level not seen since May. Dr. Scott Atlas, the controversial White House pandemic adviser, has resigned. SFGATE

VACCINE PLANS

Dr. Fauci came on Cheddar to reveal the early plans for vaccine distribution: once the doses arrive in each state, it will be up to governors, aided by local health officials, to determine who gets them first. Herd immunity is conceivable by May, he said, but only “if everyone decides they want to get vaccinated.” Moderna has applied for emergency authorization of its vaccine, which shows a stunning 100 percent efficacy in preventing severe cases of the disease. If it’s authorized, the first shots could be administered before Christmas. CHEDDAR

BIDEN TRANSITION

Wisconsin and Arizona have certified their votes as expected, affirming President-elect Biden’s wins in those crucial states. President Trump continues to fundraise off his attempt to overturn the results, raising some $170 million since Election Day -- the vast majority of which will go into his new PAC to fund future political ambitions, if you read the fine print. Meanwhile, Congress is back in D.C. for a lame-duck session. Lawmakers have two goals, one of which is in reach: pass a spending bill by Dec. 11 to prevent a government shutdown (in reach) and agree on a new stimulus package (not in reach). NY TIMES

BREATHTAKING DISCOVERY

Archaeologists working in the Amazon rainforest have discovered tens of thousands of prehistoric paintings across miles of cliffside in a remote area of Colombia. They’re calling the discovery the “Sistine Chapel of the Ancients.” The paintings are believed to have been created about 12,500 years ago, an estimate based on the fact that many of the pictures are of ice-age animals, like the mastodon, that are long extinct. The discovery took place last year but has been kept secret as part of a British documentary project. LONELY PLANET

BEST MONTH SINCE '87

The Dow just had its best month since 1987. The market ended November on a down note but still notched the biggest monthly gains in nearly 34 years. The Dow, S&P and Nasdaq were each up more than 10 percent for the month, mostly thanks to the positive vaccine development news. CHEDDAR

A.I. SOLVES BIO MYSTERY

The artificial-intelligence group DeepMind has solved a problem that has confounded biologists for 50 years. DeepMind created an algorithm called AlphaFold that has been able to accurately predict how proteins are formed, thought to be the first time an A.I. has successfully solved a major riddle of science. Researchers have been able to map the structure of proteins in the lab, but the process is expensive and takes years. AlphaFold does it in a couple days. The breakthrough has major implications for everything from understanding disease and creating designer vaccines, to building proteins that can break down waste in an environmentally-friendly way. MIT TECH REVIEW

NFL HELL

The NFL’s mantra for the rest of the season: the show must go on, whatever the cost. The Steelers-Ravens game has been postponed for the third time. Kickoff is now scheduled for tomorrow at 3:40pm ET on NBC, early enough that it won’t interfere with NBC’s broadcasting of the Rockefeller Center tree lighting. The Ravens will have to play with around a dozen players on the COVID reserve list. The scheduling change will affect at least two Week 13 games and with no bye weeks remaining, there are only so many more changes that can feasibly happen. RINGER

DON'T CALL IT A COMEBACK

Felicity Huffman has landed her first TV gig since becoming a convicted felon. The actress, who served 11 days in prison last year for her role in the college-admissions scandal, will star as the “unlikely owner of a minor league baseball team” in a still-unnamed comedy series that has been ordered to pilot by ABC. DEADLINE

SPOTTED...

… First Lady Melania Trump, unveiling the White House’s annual Christmas decorations. This year’s display includes ornaments that pay tribute to essential and frontline workers: SEE PICS

… Rihanna having dinner in NYC with A$AP Rocky, reported to be her new beau: PEOPLE

LEFTOVERS: THE MONOLITH IS BACK

A new monolith (or the same monolith?) has been spotted in Romania, near the site of an ancient fortress. The three-sided metal structure appears nearly identical to the one that was discovered and then went missing in the Utah desert, though it has some new, apparently human-made, carvings on its face: SEE PICS

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
Women to Watch in 2022 Winter Olympics; 'Jeopardamy' Making History
On this episode of ChedHER: Avery Cyrus, one of TikTok's top LGBTQ creators discusses her partnership with Space Hero to become a citizen astronaut, and how she's using her platform on social media to give back; Boss Women Media Founder breaks down how she's empowering female entrepreneurs with 'Boss Business Showers;' Palmly Co-Founder explains how she's building a social networking app for Christians.
GameStop Meme Stock Home WallStreetBets Loses Momentum One Year Later
A year after the r/WallStreetBets community on Reddit drove GameStop and other meme stocks to unprecedented heights, the subreddit seems to be losing its luster among retail investors. Caitlin McCabe, markets and retail trading reporter from The Wall Street Journal, joined Cheddar to talk about the waning popularity of the group “Users are going on to find the next GameStop, and instead, they're seeing many of the new users who have joined the subreddit still talking about GameStop and AMC," McCabe noted. "And, they've become frustrated as they're ready to move on from those original meme stocks."
Beyond Meat Expands McDonald's Deal As Fast Food Reign Continues
Plant-based meat giant Beyond Meat's reign over the fast food world continues, as McDonald's announced that it is expanding its test of Beyond's McPlant burger, to nearly 600 restaurants, an increase from the eight that it's been testing in since November. This comes less than two weeks after Beyond Fried Chicken made its nationwide debut at KFC restaurants, the first time that plant based chicken has been widely distributed in a fast food capacity. Arun Sundaram, Senior Equity Analyst at CFRA Research explains why these latest collaborations may be proof that Beyond Meat products could slowly be becoming an unlikely staple in the fast food and chain restaurant world as consumers opt for more healthy food options.
Citi Teams Up With Tracy Anderson Method to Get Customers Cash Back on Fitness
Citi recently began collaborating with fitness entrepreneur Tracy Anderson to promote its Custom Cash Credit card. Pam Habner, CEO of U.S. Branded Cards for Citi, along with Tracy Anderson, creator of The Tracy Anderson Method, joined Cheddar to discuss how health and fitness matched up with a cash back credit card. "The fact that Citi is going 'hey if you lead a healthy lifestyle, we're going to help you out. We understand that it's more expensive and we're going to give you cash back for living your best life,'" Anderson said about the partnership, which also includes a custom promotional Spotify playlist.
Crowdbotics Raises $22M Series A to Enable Anyone to Turn Ideas Into Apps
Low-code app development platform Crowdbotics raised $22 million in a Series A funding round led by Jackson Square Ventures. Crowdbotics has helped more than 14,000 customers launch apps without having to learn how to code. The company can offer a team of expert developers to help companies launch custom apps, or provide the means for companies to develop apps themselves. Crowdbotics CEO Anand Kulkarni joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Load More