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Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Thursday, February 10, 2022:
NEW YORK DROPS MASK MANDATES
New Yorkers - get ready to see more smiles. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday announced that masks will no longer be required at restaurants and other public spaces starting today (although New York City is still restricting indoor dining to those with vax cards). The decision comes amid a nationwide push to ease COVID restrictions as the Omicron surge winds down. Unlike neighboring New Jersey, however, the state has not yet decided when it will lift mask mandates in schools and plans to review infection and hospitalization data later in the month. It's also keeping mask mandates in place at health care settings and on public transit. GOTHAMIST
To mask or not to mask, that is the question.
PROVINCES LIFT RESTRICTIONS
Canadian provincial governments are moving to lift COVID-19 restrictions such as mask mandates and vaccine passport requirements amid nationwide protests and trucker blockades that are massively disrupting the country's economy. Yet truckers continue to block key border crossings and paralyze downtown Ottawa. The biggest area of concern is the blockade at the Ambassador Bridge between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, which carries a quarter of all trade between the U.S. and Canada. Ford, GM, Toyota and Stellantis all reported disruptions to production because of parts shortages which are blamed on the blockade. The country's political leaders have roundly condemned the protesters but have also hesitated to engage with them for fear of inflaming the situation. AP
Keep on not truckin’.
PELOSI BACKS STOCK TRADING BAN
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is getting behind a bill that would ban stock trading by lawmakers. Pelosi previously opposed the measure, but mounting pressure from the party's rank-and-file has pushed her and other top Democrats to offer their tentative support. In the upper chamber, meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is calling on Democrats to get behind the ban and start making calls to Republicans to get them on board. Pelosi's one caveat is that she wants the ban to be "governmentwide" and, in particular, include judges as well. NY TIMES
IAC SCRAPS PRINT EDITIONS
The death of print magazines has been prophesied for years, but media giant IAC/InterActive Corp delivered a serious blow to glossies this week with the announcement that it's ending the print editions of Entertainment Weekly, InStyle, EatingWell, Health, Parents and People en Español. The company told employees that the magazines will switch to online-only starting April. The news doesn't come as a total surprise, however, given that IAC's acquisition of Meredith last year was premised on turning many of its publications into digital-only brands. Dotdash Meredith CEO Neil Vogel said the transition will result in about 200 job losses. WSJ
Now what are we going to look at when checking out at the supermarket?
SNOOP DOGG BUYS DEATH ROW RECORDS
Rapper Snoop Dogg is taking over Death Row Records, the label that helped him skyrocket to fame. Snoop was among the first artists to sign onto the label when it opened in the early '90s and recorded his classic hip-hop album "Doggystyle" with Death Row. It sounds like Snoop is busy as ever - his new album "B.O.D.R." (short for Back on Death Row) drops tomorrow and he'll be one of the stars performing at halftime during the Super Bowl this Sunday. THR
TAKING ON BIG ALCOHOL
The Biden administration already has its sights on Big Tech, but how about Big Alcohol? The U.S. Treasury Department released a report on Wednesday making the case that the $250 billion U.S. alcohol market suffers from a lack of competition that is driving up prices for consumers. Just look at the beer market. Anheuser-Busch InBev and Molson Coors alone account for 65% of revenues. The agency recommends closer scrutiny of mergers and acquisitions and lifting regulatory burdens for newcomers. The report comes as the administration combats consolidation in technology, meatpacking, and shipping. CNBC
Cheaper beer? Yes, please.
HOUSE PASSES BUDGET BILLS
The House has passed a bipartisan bill to keep the federal government funded for another month, though the short-term measure is hardly cause for celebration. Many see such stop-gap legislation as a sign of Congress's inability to pass budgets in a timely manner. In the meantime, the House passed a bill aimed at helping the U.S. Post Office avoid similar budgetary struggles. If the Senate also approves (which seems likely) the legislation will lift a requirement that the agency prefund its retiree health benefits for 75 years in the future, a requirement that was basically impossible to meet. POLITICO
SAMSUNG'S NEW LINEUP
Samsung unveiled its latest lineup of smartphones during a virtual event and, to the shock of tech-heads, the company appears to be discontinuing its Galaxy Note line after more than a decade. The transformative "phablet," which helped repopularize the stylus, is giving way to a new generation of Galaxy S smartphones that contain many of the Note's features. Technically, the Note will still exist, but only in a limited marketing capacity. Despite its popularity in some circles, the phone never quite bounced back from a recall in 2016 following reports of "exploding" batteries — generating countless memes and bad jokes. CNN
DISNEY STILL DOMINATES
Marking the final year of its first century in business, Disney remains dominant. The company turned in a strong earnings report, showing growth across its divisions. Overall revenue was up, Disney+ subscriptions were up, and even theme park attendance was up as the lifting of COVID restrictions has released pent-up demand. The success of Disney+ is notable, given that just three weeks ago shares of Netflix tanked on a lackluster earnings report. While Disney's streaming service is still a relative newcomer, it's quickly risen through the ranks, and has helped sustain the rest of the Disney empire through the pandemic. YAHOO FINANCE
Mickey rules the world.
LEFTOVERS: BORED GUARD RUINS PAINTING
Whom amongst us hasn't scribbled on a piece of paper during a boring meeting? Where this 60-year-old security guard went wrong is choosing to take out his boredom on a painting worth more than $1 million at the Yeltsin Center in western Russia. The guard apparently used a ballpoint pen to draw a pair of eyes on Anna Leporskaya's "Three Figures." Further testing our sympathies for the otherwise relatable vandal is the fact that it was only his first day on the job. In the immortal words of President Biden: "C'mon man." DAILY MAIL
No mustache?
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 archive on Apple or Spotify, or watch on YouTube, and send us your feedback!
