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

Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Tuesday, January 4, 2022:

HOLMES GUILTY

Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes was found guilty on four out of 11 federal fraud charges after a four-month trial, a trove of embarrassing text messages, and even a surprise pregnancy. The jury found her not guilty of four other charges and deadlocked on the final three, which prosecutors can bring to trial again if they want. Now the former rising star of Silicon Valley is staring down 20 years in prison when she is sentenced. The trial of her business partner and former boyfriend “Sunny” Balwani is slated to start next week.  CNBC

COVID LATEST

FDA: The FDA extended its emergency approval of Pfizer boosters to include 12- to 15-year-olds and recommends everyone 12 and up wait just five months between the second Pfizer vaccine and the booster (down from six months). More than a million new COVID cases were reported on Monday and the Johns Hopkins COVID tracker says 1 in 100 people in the U.S. have tested positive in just the last week. USA TODAY

'FLURONA': A pregnant woman in Israel tested positive for both COVID-19 and the flu, bringing us the first verified case of “flurona.” The patient reported having mild symptoms and did not know she was infected when she went into labor last week. The news of this combo follows the arrival of “Delmicron” in Europe, a mix of the Delta and Omicron COVID-19 variants, which reportedly brings more severe symptoms. THE DAILY BEAST

EAST COAST STORM

A winter storm hit states across the east coast on Monday, resulting in power outages for half a million people and mass road backups. Washington, D.C. experienced a record-breaking 8.5 inches of snow, while the Fredericksburg region in Virginia reached at least 14 inches. In Georgia and Tennessee, two children were killed due to falling trees. The winter snowstorm increased delays for air travelers, with more than 2,800 flights within the U.S. canceled. CNN

$3 TRILLION CLUB

Apple has officially hit a market valuation of $3 trillion, making it the first publicly traded company to ever do so. Shares of the tech conglomerate reached an all-time high of $182.88 thanks to booming demand for its iPhone 13 and media subscription services. The company hit $2 trillion less than two years ago. YAHOO FINANCE

REP. RUSH RETIRING

Rep. Bobby Rush, who has been representing Chicago's South Side for 30 years, says he is not running for re-election. First elected to Congress in 1992, Rush has been known for his dedication to civil rights and racial justice. Decades before heading to Capitol Hill, Rush co-founded the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party. Yet another claim to fame: Rush is the only one to have beaten Barack Obama in an election, when the future president tried challenging him in the 2000 Democratic primary. CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

IPOs OF 2022

The IPO machine is gearing up for yet another big year as a number of firms work on plans to go public. Forbes compiled a listing of the notable companies expected to bring on shareholders in 2022. Some to watch out for include private equity giant TPG, food delivery company Instacart and even Reddit. SEE THE LIST

BEANTOWN'S BURNING UP

Whoever said Boston is known for its cold winters can kick rocks. Beantown recorded a balmy 52.4 degree average last year, beating out the record last set in 2012. It was also one of the wettest years with more than 50 inches of rain and 21.7 inches of snow. That's still far off the snowfall record set in 2015 with 108 inches of snow. BOSTON.COM

HIKING RETREAT GONE WRONG

The U.S. Coast Guard rescued two teens in Oregon thanks to an “SOS” sign they drew in the snow. The pair went camping on Christmas Day but failed to return home. Heavy snow in the area made it difficult for local law enforcement to search for the men, so they called in backup. Both hikers are expected to be ok. CBS NEWS

SPOTTED...

… The Weeknd unveils a new face ahead of his album release on Friday: WATCH

…Apple terrifies viewers with its new Apple Watch Series 7 commercial: WATCH

…new NYC Mayor Eric Adams says he hopes to bring "swagger" back to the city: WATCH

LEFTOVERS: DR. HOCKEY FAN

A Seattle Kraken fan took her eyes off the ice, and ended up saving a life. Nadia Popovici was sitting behind the players' bench during a game last fall when she spotted a small mole on the neck of Brian Hamilton, the assistant equipment manager of the Vancouver Canucks. When the game was over, she warned him it could be cancerous and it turns out she was right. Hamilton had the mole removed and both teams presented Popovici $10,000 to help with her medical school expenses. NY TIMES

Need2Know Podcast Note: The Need2Know podcast is taking a break for now. We're looking forward to bringing you more context and analysis on the big stories of the day in a few weeks. In the meantime, check out our latest episodes on Apple or Spotify, or watch on YouTube, and send us your feedback!

Share:
More In Culture
McDonald's Posts Q4 Earnings Miss; McPlant Burger Takes Off
McDonald's missed on both the top and bottom lines in its Q4 earnings, marking the fourth loss for the fast-food giant in the past eight quarters. It comes as higher costs from food to wages ate into the blue-chip company's profits. George Seay, CEO of investment advisor Annandale Capital, joined Wake Up with Cheddar to discuss the recent numbers and the better-than-expected success of the McPlant burger made with plant-based Beyond Meat. "They're changing with the times, and they have to," Seay noted. "You can just sell a Big Mac to everybody. There's a lot of people who don't want to eat a Big Mac anymore."
Slack Future Forum Global Survey Shows This Is 'the Hybrid Era of Work'
Business communication platform Slack, recently released its fifth wave of results from its global workplace survey from its Future Forum consortium, showing that the workforce has already moved to a split between working from home and going to the office. “We are now officially in the hybrid era of work,” Slack Future Forum VP Sheela Subramanian said when discussing the findings. "Hybrid is a work model where people can come into the office as well as work remotely, and what we're seeing is that the majority of knowledge workers are now in this arrangement — and that number is set to grow."
Mantra Health Raises $22 Million in Series A Funding
Ed Gaussen, co-founder and CEO of Mantra Health, and Matt Kennedy, co-founder and COO of Mantra Health, joined Cheddar News to discuss the digital mental health startup's latest funding round and plans for the future.
Chrissy Metz of 'This is Us' Teams Up With Capital One to Make Car Buying Easier
Actor and singer Chrissy Metz, who stars as Kate Pearson in "This Is Us," is partnering with Capital One Auto Navigator to share her story of purchasing her first car to help make car buying easier for others. "For me, I know a car was so important because of course it took me to the auditions to get me to the place I have today," she said. "But it also means empowerment and freedom and accessibility, and I think everybody is deserving and in need of that." Metz also discussed the final season of her hit show, noting that expectations for the finale "will probably be exceeded."
Load More