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

Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Wednesday, November 3, 2021:

GOP COMEBACK

Republican Glenn Youngkin defeated Democrat Terry McAuliffe to become Virginia’s next governor, the first GOP candidate to win a state-wide election in a dozen years. The Virginia results show that Youngkin won by threading a tough needle -- appealing to suburban voters who were put off by Donald Trump, while also turning out the Trump base of the GOP. Youngkin’s campaign focused heavily on education issues, and exit polls show that independents broke for him late. His lieutenant governor will be Winsome Sears, a conservative Republican and military vet who is projected to become the first female and first woman of color in the #2 job in Richmond. Meanwhile, the other governor’s race in New Jersey remains too close to call this morning -- a bad sign for the state’s incumbent Democrat Gov. Phil Murphy, who was seen as a shoo-in for reelection. AP

OTHER NOTABLE RACES

New York City voters easily elected Eric Adams to be the city’s second Black mayor. In Buffalo, the Democratic incumbent Byron Brown declared victory over the socialist India Walton on a write-in campaign after Walton beat him in the primary. Boston elected the progressive Michelle Wu as mayor, ending a 199-year streak of white men leading the city. A pair of open House seats in Ohio went to a Democrat and Republican. Minneapolis voters rejected a proposal to replace the police department with a new public safety department, while voters in Austin overwhelmingly shot down a ballot measure to hire hundreds more cops. CNN

VAX FOR KIDS APPROVED

Nearly 30 million children in the U.S. can get a Covid vaccine, as early as today. The CDC formally endorsed the Pfizer vaccine for kids aged 5 to 11, who will be inoculated with a smaller dose, spread over two shots. The CDC estimates that every million doses will prevent tens of thousands of cases in that age group. The question is how many parents will rush to get their young kids vaccinated. Recent surveys suggest only a third of parents plan to do it “right away.” STAT

BRAVES WIN!

The Atlanta Braves are World Series champs for the first time since 1995. The Braves cruised to a 7-0 win over the Astros in Game 6 in Houston, in a remarkable comeback for a franchise that was stuck below .500 as recently as August. Atlanta’s Jorge Soler put an exclamation point on the season with a monster 3-run homer that left Minute Maid Park, and pitcher Max Fried threw six shutout innings to close the series. ESPN

FACEBOOK AXES FACIAL REC

Facebook is shutting down its facial-recognition software. Parent company Meta says it will delete the facial scans of more than a billion users who have opted into the service over the last decade. That means Facebook will no longer be able to automatically identify people to “tag” in photos and videos. The social-media giant announced the change, saying it wants to “find the right balance” with the facial-recognition technology that’s been the subject of intense privacy concerns. CHEDDAR

METAVERSE, PARTY OF 2

Microsoft is working on its own version of the metaverse, complete with Excel and PowerPoint. The company is joining Facebook --er, Meta -- in the metaverse race with a plan to build out a virtual world inside its Teams software, specifically designed for office workers. Teams is also getting 3D avatars that can be used in both 2D and 3D virtual meetings as a replacement for your real face -- for those days when you really just don’t feel like firing up the webcam. BLOOMBERG

NFL STAR ARRESTED

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III is being charged with felony DUI resulting in death after a fiery car crash near the Vegas Strip. According to police, Ruggs was behind the wheel of a Corvette that crashed into a Toyota Rav4, which then caught fire. The driver of the Rav4 died, and Ruggs and his passenger were seriously injured. The Raiders have released Ruggs and he is set to be arraigned today. SI

OPPENHEIMER BIOPIC

Director Christopher Nolan’s next movie is shaping up to be a must-see. Matt Damon and Robert Downey Jr. have signed on for roles in the upcoming World War II epic Oppenheimer, based on the story of the man known as the “father of the atomic bomb.” Nolan has already cast Cillian Murphy in the lead role and Emily Blunt for an unspecified part. Filming starts next year with a release on the schedule for summer 2023. DEADLINE

SPOTTED...

...the tracklist for the forthcoming Adele album, featuring the instantly iconic song title I Drink Wine: SEE IT

…Kristen Stewart, revealing on Howard Stern that she’s engaged to her girlfriend of two years, the screenwriter Dylan Meyer: DETAILS

LEFTOVERS: CHRISTMAS COFFEE

It’s November 3. Mariah Carey has re-entered the charts, and now by law the country’s big coffee chains must debut their new seasonal menus and cups to signal that the holidays are upon us. Dunkin’ launches two new festive drinks today, featuring a white mocha hot chocolate, along with some other new food items (including pancakes, for the first time). Starbucks' holiday cups and menu debut tomorrow, featuring an iced sugar cookie almond-milk latte. DELISH

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
Elizabeth Holmes Fraud Conviction Might Yield Five to Seven Years in Prison
The six-month trial of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes has come to an end with the former tech startup star found guilty of four out of 11 counts of fraud. Michael S. Weinstein, Esq, chair of the white collar criminal defense practice at Cole Schotz, and former Department of Justice trial attorney, joined Cheddar News Wrap to discuss what happens next for the former mogul. "Do I think it's going to be more than five or seven years? Probably yes. I think that's probably a fair range at this point," he said about her potential prison sentence.
CES 2022 Begins on Wednesday
We are just one day away from what has been called the most influential tech event in the world. CES 2022 will officially kick off on Wednesday in Las Vegas, but the annual tech summit is being impacted by COVID-19, like so many other recent events. The Consumer Technology Association originally planned for a hybrid event to take place from January 5-8, with some in-person events and some virtual; however, a few big-name companies announced they will not be attending in-person, so the CTA decided to shorten the event by one day, with it now ending on Friday. Consumer electronics senior analyst Will Greenwald joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
California Starts Largest U.S. Food Waste Recycling Program
California's new composting law will affect what residents do in their kitchens. As of this week, Californians will have to recycle excess food in an effort to reduce emissions caused by food waste. Cities and counties will turn recycled food into compost or use it as a renewable energy source. California's new law is the largest mandatory residential food waste recycling program in the country. Rachel Wagoner, Director of the California Department of Resources, Recycling and Recovery called the law 'the biggest change to trash' since recycling started in the 1980s. She joined Cheddar Climate to discuss.
Sweetgreen Launches Salad Subscription Service 'Sweetpass'
Fast-casual restaurant chain Sweetgreen is rolling out its first salad subscription service called sweetpass as it looks to customers tackling new year weight loss and health goals. Members will receive up to 30 percent off of purchases.
Severe Snowstorm Blankets D.C., Mid-Atlantic Region
Washington DC and the surrounding areas saw a record breaking snow storm Monday as a strong storm system works its way across the eastern U.S. The extreme weather event caused extensive damage in the greater Washington area, leaving thousands in the region without power. Jonathan Porter, Chief Meteorologist, AccuWeather, joined Wake Up with Cheddar to discuss the fierce storm.
Over 3,000 Flights Canceled on Monday Over Severe Weather, Crew Shortages
Airlines canceled more than 3,000 flights on Monday over severe weather and crew shortages. The cancellations come on one of the busiest travel days of the holiday season, and is a continuation of the industry-wide disruption that started before Christmas. Thomas Pallini, Aviation Reporter for Insider joined Wake Up with Cheddar to discuss.
End of Child Tax Credit Could Mean Slide Back Into Increasing Child Poverty
Millions of Americans with young children have relied on the child tax credit since the federal government began issuing checks in July 2021. The last round of payments was sent out just before the Christmas holiday — at the same time as the omicron variant surged. Leah Hamilton, associate professor of social work at Appalachian State University, joined Cheddar to discuss what the end to the tax credit means as the U.S. sees the end of many relief programs and its highest number of COVID cases since the start of the pandemic. "It'll become harder for families to meet their basic needs, increasing national childhood poverty rates and the proportion of families who have difficulty putting food on the table, maintaining stable housing, and paying their bills," Hamilton said. She also pointed to research that the credit as a long-term investment in children offsets claims that it contributes to macroeconomic impacts like inflation.
NYT Piece Claims Silicon Valley Investors and Founders Contorted Legal Tax Break to Avoid Taxes on Investment Profits
Several Silicon Valley insiders are being accused of contorting a 1990s-era tax break to avoid taxes on millions of dollars of investment profits. The tax break is known as the qualified small business stock exemption, and it allows early investors in certain companies to avoid half of the taxes on up to $10 million in capital gains. A piece recently published in the New York Times says venture capital firms like Andreessen Horowitz replicated the tax exemption by giving shares of companies to friends and family, who would otherwise face a 23.8% capital gains bill. The CEO of Roblox is also accused of replicating the tax break for his family members at least 12 times. Although the loophole known as 'stacking' is considered to be legal, the Times piece implies that the exemption has been manipulated for the ultra-wealthy to become more wealthy. Greycroft co-founder and Chairman Emeritus Alan Patricof joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Load More