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
Online Used Furniture Marketplace Kaiyo Raises $36 Million
Food, paper, and plastic are known to be major factors when it comes to America's trash; but furniture is high on that list, as well. According to the EPA, furniture makes up twelve million tons of waste in landfills every year. It's a problem that one online furniture store is trying to solve. Alpay Koralturk, Founder & CEO of Kaiyo, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Bitcoin & Other Major Cryptocurrencies Are Rallying
Bitcoin surged to its highest level on Monday since January 2nd. The gains also come after a late Sunday rally for the cryptocurrency, when it surpassed the key price of $45,000, and also turned positive for 2022. Matt Hougan, CIO of Bitwise Asset Fund, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss what is behind the recent rallies for Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
Takisha Clark on Being First Black Woman to Own a Postal Franchise
Founder and CEO of Capital Postal & Mail Box Service, Takisha Clark, joined Cheddar News to talk about being the first black woman to own a postal franchise, the obstacles she faced when launching her business, and how she overcame them. “I ran into just dealing with lack of resources, dealing with just being a black woman, just trying to become this entrepreneur and be inspiring to others, so it's been a journey," she said. "It's been hard, and I've just been maneuvering through the cracks."
Brooke Shields Joins Prospect Farms as Chief Brand Officer
Actress, model, author, and entrepreneur Brooke Shields has joined organic CBD company Prospect Farms as its chief brand officer. She joined CEO Brad Tipper to talk to Cheddar News about her coming aboard. Shield’s explained how her involvement with Prospect Farms stemmed from a discussion about her lack of sleep. “I started learning about the positive effects and the different ways that CBD can be introduced to a person's life, and I was just sort of fascinated because it all feels so new to me," she said.
'Everything Everywhere All At Once' Directors on Telling an Asian American Sci-Fi Story
The co-writers and directors of the movie "Everything Everywhere All at Once" Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert joined Cheddar News to discuss their new sci-fi action-comedy starring Michelle Yeoh now in select theaters. The filmmakers talked about bringing the multiverse-traversing plot to life, as well as getting the chance to tell an Asian American story following in the footsteps of successful films like "Crazy Rich Asians." "We like to make films that we want to see on the screen, and even if that means they don't exist or even that means that the world might not be ready for them," said Kwan. "That's what we're chasing. Luckily for us, the movie took so long to make that by the time it was finished or by the time now that it's done, so much has changed."
Importance of Service Dogs
Paul Mundell, Executive Director of the American Service Dog Access Coalition, joins Cheddar Reveals to discuss why emotional support, therapy, and service dogs are important.
How Much Plastic Is Really In Our Bodies?
Plastic has become the face of global pollution. To date, humans have produced 8.3 billion metric tons of it. Once discarded, plastic doesn’t biodegrade. Instead, it fragments into microplastics smaller than the size of a sesame seed and further into nanoplastics. These tiny particles of plastic end up everywhere, deep in the ice of Antarctic glaciers or even inside our bodies. So how much plastic is inside of us? And what does it mean for our health? Let’s find out.
Need2Know: Deadly Snow Squall in PA, Walmart Pulls Cigarettes, and More
Catching you up on what you Need to Know on Mar 29, 2022, with updates on the snow squall in Pennsylvania that caused a pileup killing three, the teacher's strike in Sacramento heading into week two, Walmart no longer selling tobacco products in select stores, and what meme stocks are up to this week.
Load More