Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Thursday, February 11, 2021:

CDC SAYS DOUBLE UP

Even as coronavirus cases decline overall in the U.S., the U.K. variant is gaining steam across the country. There were a total of 932 reported cases of the strand in 34 states as of Tuesday, according to the CDC. Meanwhile, the agency is urging all Americans to start double masking or wear tightly-fitted surgical masks, whether they're infected or not, because if everyone does it transmission of the virus can be reduced by up to 96.5%. But, the CDC also changed its guidance to allow that if you're one of the lucky few who have been able to get two doses of the vaccine, you can skip quarantine when exposed to someone who had the virus. NY TIMES

IMPEACHMENT II: DAY 2

House Democrats on Wednesday made their case for convicting former President Donald Trump in a sprawling seven-hour presentation that included graphic footage of the Capitol Riots crossed with a sampling of Trump's most incendiary tweets and speeches. The focus of the presentation was in drawing a clear line between Trump's rhetoric and the riots, as well as holding him accountable for not calling off his supporters soon enough. At the end of the day, there was some hubbub when juror Sen. Mike Lee became a witness and demanded the House rescind its characterization of a phone call he took in the middle of the riots from the president, a call really meant for Sen. Tommy Tuberville. House managers continue their case today at noon. SEE THE EVIDENCE

GEORGIA INVESTIGATES TRUMP CALL

In another possible corruption holdover from the last administration, prosecutors in Fulton County are investigating a phone call made by Trump to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in which the former president pressured him to "find" enough votes to win him the state. Newly-elected prosecutor Fani Willis is asking state officials to hold onto their documents related to the case. The investigation will likely look into potential violations of Georgia law including conspiracy, election fraud, and violation of oath of office. AJC

BIDEN SANCTIONS MYANMAR

The military coup in Myanmar shocked the world. Now President Joe Biden is responding with new sanctions on the Southeast Asian country, which had held onto its democracy for several years until its leader was arrested last week. Biden's order is going after Myanmar's generals where it hurts - in the wallet - blocking them from accessing $1 billion in U.S. assets. AP

CANNABIS STOCKS SURGE

With the last round of meme-stocks on the outs, Reddit investors are seeking greener pastures with a handful of cannabis-related stocks that saw massive bumps this week.  The online trading community is banking on federal legalization of marijuana under the Biden administration. Established cannabis companies such as Tilray, Canopy Growth, Aphria, and Aurora Cannabis saw gains from 5 to 25 percent. CNBC

TIKTOK SALE SHELVED 

The plan to force the sale of TikTok's American operations has been shelved, according to the Wall Street Journal. Due to heavy pressure from the Trump administration, the video-sharing platform had been pursuing a deal with a group that included Walmart and Oracle, but momentum behind the sale petered out after Trump lost the election. Now Biden is reviewing his predecessor's more aggressive approach to the potential security threat of Chinese tech companies. WSJ

AMAZON'S LABOR FIGHT

In a suburb of Birmingham, Alabama, Amazon's biggest challenge yet from organized labor in the U.S. is heating up. Warehouse workers have begun voting on whether or not to form a union, and now the tech giant is pushing back against the effort. In January, Amazon hired a consultant whose firm specializes in “maintaining a union free workplace.” A group of more than 70 Amazon investors, meanwhile, are calling on the company to end its "union-busting" and stay "neutral." THE INTERCEPT

TOYOTA MAKES EV PUSH

Toyota is hoping to make inroads into the burgeoning U.S. market for electric vehicles with three new models, including two all-electric and one plug-in hybrid. The company is hoping to bring a series of options to consumers to still weighing whether to stick with gas-powered or go electric. TECHCRUNCH

SPOTTED...

... McDonald's is putting fan-favorite Hi-C orange drink back into soda fountains. Now all they ask is that you kindly stop emailing them. SEE IT

LEFTOVERS: DRUNK BRADY'S BIG TOSS

A visibly intoxicated Tom Brady made another daring toss on Wednesday while celebrating his seventh Super Bowl win. Members of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were celebrating their victory with a boat parade on the Hillsborough River, when the 43-year-old quarterback tossed his Lombardi Trophy from one boat to another. After winning six of those bad boys with the New England Patriots, Brady must not be too worried about putting a dent in one, though the famously cocky player didn't seem worried about missing his target. SBNATION

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
Dating App Hinge Is Giving Single Daters With Kids $100 to Go to Childcare
Hinge users who have children can opt-in to a $100 stipend up to $25,000 for childcare. Logan Ury, the director of relationship science for the online dating platform, noted the issue as an obstacle for single parents who want to go out on dates. "We have heard that singles with children have a hard time going on dates for one of the reasons being that it's just hard to find childcare and it's hard to be able to afford it," she said. Ury also said that the hot topic among Hinge's users is mental health and the prioritizing of mental health.
Rock & Rock Hall of Fame Announces 2022 Nominations
Dolly Parton, Eminem, Lionel Richie, and Carly Simon are just a few of the nominees announced for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2022 induction. Results of the voting will be released in May, however, the ceremony date has yet to be announced.
How A.I. is Reinventing Remembrance; Biodiversity of the Humboldt Current
On this episode of Cheddar Innovates: CEO of HereAfter AI discusses how artificial intelligence can be used to preserve family history and stories, and allow you to 'talk' to loved ones that have passed; Creator of the board game 'Travel Explore Discover' explains how she came up with the idea for this informative and educational board game, and how she's using the proceeds to give back to her community; Cheddar gets a look at Curiosity Stream's 'The Humboldt Current.'
Despite Black Participation in Stock Market Lagging, Investment Gap Might Improve
According to the Federal Reserve, the investment gap between Black and white Americans has remained substantial, with only 34 percent of Black households joining in on the historic rise in the markets. Stacey Tisdale, the first Black woman to have reported from the NYSE and the CEO and president of Mind Money Media Inc., said that the data might not be as disheartening as it seems. "I think that number is very deceiving. That Federal Reserve study is actually from 2019, and it's very important that we all look beneath that number and look beneath the surface because there is nothing short of an investing revolution going on in the Black community," Tisdale said.
How 'HereAfter AI' is Reinventing Remembrance
James Vlahos, Co-Founder and CEO of HereAfter AI, joins Cheddar Innovates to discuss how artificial intelligence can be used to preserve family history and stories, and allow you to 'talk' to loved ones that have passed.
Tik Talk: Meet The LSU Tiger Girls, National Champions & Comeback Queens
An award-winning performance by the LSU Tiger Girls dance team is going viral on TikTok, but like many other viral tiktoks, this one had a larger story to tell. The story goes back to 2021 when for the first time in 22 years, the LSU dance team was informed it could not compete at Universal Dance Association Nationals. The team made their anticipated return to UDA Nationals this year with a performance that delivered a strong and clear message to their university. The LSU Tiger Girls walked away from the competition with their first national championship title in 12 years, redemption against the university that held them back, and of course- millions of new fans and friends on TikTok.
Factorial Energy Raises $200 Million to Accelerate Commercialization of Its Solid-State Batteries for Electric Vehicles
Solid-state battery maker Factorial Energy recently raised $200 million in a Series D round led by Mercedes-Benz and Stellantis. Factorial says the funding will be used to accelerate commercial production and deployment of its solid-state battery technology, which the company says is safer, and offers up to 50% more driving range than current lithium-ion technology. Factorial also has joint development agreements (announced in late 2021) with Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis, and Hyundai, three of the top 10 global automotive manufacturers, to commercialize its batteries. Factorial CEO Siyu Huang joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Brian Flores Lawsuit Looks to Address NFL's Lack of Diversity at the Top
Former Dolphins coach Brian Flores filed a lawsuit against the NFL over racial discrimination, exposing a long-running problem the NFL has had with diversity in its top coaching and management positions. Eric Mitchell, the president and CEO of public relations and communications company LifeFlip Media, joined Cheddar News to delve into the scandal rocking the pro football world just before the Super Bowl. "There is a problem. If you look at who owns teams in the NFL, it's right, it's a good old boys club, it's a bunch of old white guys," he said. "So, it's exposing something that's been around for ages and now that we're sitting in 2022 has come up."
Katie Taylor, Amanda Serrano on Being First Female Boxing Headliners at MSG
This April, Madison Square Garden will be hosting the first-ever women's boxing match to headline at the arena in its 140 years of history in boxing. Undisputed lightweight champion, Katie Taylor, and seven-division champion, Amanda Serrano, will go head-to-head for a career-high guaranteed seven-figure purse for both of them. The pair joined Cheddar News to talk about the upcoming "fight of their lives." "I mean, this is the first step I believe," said Serrano. "Unheard of, two women headlining the Garden, we get in the biggest paydays of our career, I hope it continues to break down barriers."
Load More