Get the Need2Know newsletter in your inbox every morning! Sign up here!

Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Thursday, November 18, 2021:

COVID LATEST

HOLIDAY TRAVEL: State and local officials are beginning to issue warnings against large gatherings this Thanksgiving as COVID cases see a resurgence after two months of steady declines. In New York, for instance, hospitalizations have climbed 11% this month. Governor Kathy Hochul blamed vaccine holdouts for the reversal. BLOOMBERG

VAX MANUFACTURING: Responding to pressure that the U.S. isn't doing enough to expand vaccine access in poorer nations, the Biden administration plans to invest billions in manufacturing capacity. The goal is to produce at least one billion doses a year by the middle of 2022, and create a template for cooperation between government and industry that could serve as a template for future pandemics. WASH POST​​​​​​

ASTROWORLD LAWSUIT

We knew they were coming, now we're seeing the numbers. A Houston attorney representing 125 concert-goers filed a $750 million lawsuit against Travis Scott, Drake, Live Nation, Apple Music, and Epic Records for the deadly disaster at the Astroworld Festival earlier this month. Among the plaintiffs are the family of 21-year-old Axel Acosta, one of the 10 fans who died when the crowd surged. The attorney says he plans to file suit on behalf of 100 others soon. HOUSTON CHRON

DRUG OVERDOSES TOP 100,000

The U.S. on Wednesday marked what President Joe Biden called a "tragic milestone." An estimated 100,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in the 12-month period beginning in May 2020, tracking roughly with the start of the COVID outbreak. Many experts believe these deaths are tied to the pandemic as well as a surge in deadly fentanyl in illicit drugs. 2020 was already a record year for overdoses, according to the CDC. This year is expected to be worse. AP

AMAZON'S UK VISA BAN

At the start of next year, Amazon will no longer accept payments from Visa credit cards issued in Britain, citing high fees to process transactions. In a statement announcing the measure, the company sounded more like a consumer rights advocate than an ecommerce giant, stating that transaction prices “should be going down over time with technological advancements.” NY TIMES

MILLIONS PROTEST EXECUTION

More than 6 million people have signed a petition to stay the execution of Oklahoma death row inmate Julius Jones, who claims he was framed for the 1999 murder of Paul Howell. The execution is set to take place Thursday, even after a parole board recommended clemency earlier this month. Students at several Oklahoma City schools also walked out on Wednesday in protest of the execution. ABC

MALCOLM X CONVICTED KILLERS EXONERATED

A crucial episode of civil rights history is being rewritten this week. The two men found guilty of assassinating Malcolm X are expected to have their convictions overturned. It comes after a 22-month investigation, conducted by their lawyers in partnership with the Manhattan district attorney's office, found that the FBI and NYPD had withheld evidence in the original case. NY TIMES

NUCLEAR COMES TO COAL COUNTRY

TerraPower, a start-up co-founded by Bill Gates, is coming to Kemmerer, Wyoming, a frontier-era coal town, with a plan to build a cutting-edge nuclear plant. The project could eventually provide enough energy to power a mid-sized city. Half the funds are coming from TerraPower, and the other half from federal grants. CNBC

'QANON SHAMAN' SENTENCED

A judge has sentenced one of the most prominent figures in the January 6th Capitol Hill riots. Jacob Chansley, known as the "QAnon Shaman," was sentenced to prison for 41 months for a single felony count of obstruction of an official proceeding. Other judges are looking to the case as a possible benchmark, as hundreds more Capitol Hill cases remain. CHEDDAR

ENTERTAINMENT

MARVEL MOVIES: Ridley Scott, fresh off the release of House of Gucci calls DC and Marvel superhero movies "boring." The legendary director also used some other choice words. CHECK IT OUT

SAY WHAT?!: Nigerian singer Davido has raised over 160 million Naira — about $390,000 in U.S. dollars — after sharing his bank account information on social media and challenging people to send him money. SEE IT

LEFTOVERS: WHERE IS PENG SHUAI?

Tennis star Naomi Osaka is joining a push on social media to determine the whereabouts of Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai, who has gone quiet since making sexual assault allegations against a high-level Chinese government official. Tweeting with the hashtag #WhereIsPengShuai, Osaka said she hopes Peng and her family are safe, and that "Censorship is never ok at any cost." A message purportedly from Shuai recanting her accusation popped up on Weibo briefly, but was quickly taken down and has actually caused greater concern about her safety. AP

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
Game On for Sports Betting in New York
It was 'game on' for sports bettors in the state of New York, as mobile betting kicked off on four major betting operating platforms Saturday. This comes at an exciting time for sports fans with some of the biggest NFL games of the season right around the corner. Cam Rogers - Host of Lock It In with Cam Rogers, Betting Analyst at the Bleav Podcast Network joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
U.S. Purchases 600K Doses of New Antibody Treatment Amid Omicron Surge
The United States purchased over 600,000 doses of a monoclonal antibody treatment from Glaxosmithkline and Vir Biotechnology, bringing the total worldwide doses purchased to 1.7 million. This comes as the country attempts to ramp up treatment options as cases of the omicron variant continue to surge. Dr. Asha Shah, Director of Infectious Diseases at Stamford Health joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
Victor Cruz Might Even Flip Burgers Himself for His Krystal Restaurants Franchise in NJ
Former wide receiver for the New York Giants, Victor Cruz has partnered with Krystal Restaurants, a popular burger chain in the South, to bring the franchise to his home state of New Jersey. Cruz and Alice Crowder, CMO of Krystal Restaurants, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss the venture. The five new locations will be known as "Victor Cruz's Krystal," decked out with memorabilia from his football career, with the former player explaining how "hands-on" he plans on being. "You never know, OK? You might walk in and Victor Cruz will be flipping a burger back there, and you might be getting it directly from the source," he said.
Sports Betting Industry Growth
Max Bichsel, vice president at Gambling.com Group joins Cheddar News to talk about the growing sports betting industry, New York legalizing mobile betting, and 2022 predictions for the sector.
Massive Gaming Deal as Take-Two Interactive Acquires Zynga
Mario Stefanidis, Vice President of Research at Roundhill Investments, joined Wake Up With Cheddar to break down the implications of the Take-Two deal to purchase Zynga, as the gaming giant looks to become a major player in mobile gaming.
As the Covid Crisis in Schools Ramps Up, Educational Leaders Struggle
Covid cases have started to spike again across the nation, and this time they seem to be hitting some of our youngest and most vulnerable - school-aged children. School districts across the nation - including the country's largest public school system in New York City- are all grappling with what to do as teachers and students alike continue to miss school in droves. Katie Honan, reporter for the New York City-based non profit news organization, The City explains how educational leaders across the country are handling covid demands from both teachers and parents alike.
Bitcoin Dips Below $40K As Death Cross Looms
For the first time since September, Bitcoin fell below $40,000 early Monday. The currency's average short-term price has now dipped below its average long-term price, which is known by a rather dramatic term, a death cross. According to analysts, the indicator appears to be a result of mounting concerns of faster liquidity withdrawal by the US Federal Reserve. The crypto slump also follows a week of rough trading for equities overall. CEO Snickerdoodle Labs and Co-Founder of the Stanford Future of Digital Currency Initiative, Jonathan Padilla, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
America's Mothers Still Struggling to Balance Work and Child Care Post Pandemic
Throughout this pandemic, we witnessed a mass exodus of women in particular, from the workforce. A number of women say an increase in home and child care responsibilities forced them to make a decision they never thought they would; to simply quit their jobs. Many others had the decision made for them and were laid off. In fact, we did a LinkedIn poll today where 29 percent of women said their careers took a back seat. Reporting Fellow at Type Media Center and Author of "Work Won't Love You Back" Sarah Jaffe, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Artists Cash In On Selling Their Music Rights
David Bowie's entire catalog of songs has officially been sold to Warner Music Group by his estate for an estimated $250 million. This means the group now has the full rights to almost all of David Bowie's recordings. But Bowie, just the latest music mega deal. Just last month, Bruce Springsteen sold his entire catalog to Sony Music Entertainment at what in fact maybe be the biggest transaction ever for a single artist's body of work. In addition, John Legend also cashed in by selling rights to his songs from 2004 to early last year. Culture Correspondent at NPR, Anastasia Tsioulcas, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Load More