Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Monday, December 21, 2020:

WE HAVE A DEAL

Congressional leaders announced late Sunday that they have reached a deal on a new economic stimulus package that will deliver $900 billion in aid to unemployed Americans, struggling businesses, schools, hospitals and vaccine distribution. The bill includes a $300 boost to weekly unemployment benefits through mid-March and a one-time $600 check for adults and children. Small businesses will have access to a new pot of $300 billion. The particulars are still being finalized, and both the House and Senate could pass the bill into law as soon as today. POLITICO

COVID-19: LONDON LOCKED DOWN

Several countries are banning flights from the UK after a mutated version of COVID-19 was discovered to be rapidly moving through the population there. Officials say this new variant of the virus is up to 70 percent more transmissible, but they’re also urging calm and noting that mutations were always to be expected. Prime Minister Boris Johnson reversed course over the weekend and issued a full-scale lockdown of London and southeast England over Christmas. Videos on social media showed huge crowds of people at London train stations attempting to leave the city. Experts say it would take years for the virus to mutate enough to render the current vaccines impotent. NY TIMES

VACCINE ROLLOUT

VIPs: Members of Congress have started receiving their first vaccine doses, with many posting pictures of their rolled-up sleeves on social media to inspire trust in the public. President-elect Biden is set to get vaccinated today on TV. Some wealthy Americans have reportedly been looking for ways to skip the line, from hiring “concierge doctors” to offering donations to hospitals. LA TIMES

THE REST OF US: CVS and Walgreens will kick off a mass vaccination effort at nursing homes today. The CDC is recommending that people 75 and older and non-healthcare frontline workers should be next in line after this phase. Moderna’s vaccine was given emergency approval and the first doses were delivered over the weekend. STAT

MARTIAL LAW FLOATED AT WHITE HOUSE

Some White House staffers have reportedly become so alarmed by President Trump’s refusal to accept the election results that they’ve started anonymously leaking details of private Oval Office meetings to the press. That’s nothing new, but according to several reports, one of those recent meetings involved the president hearing arguments for invoking martial law and impounding voting machines as a way to stay in office. AXIOS

RUSSIAN HACK

Sec. of State Mike Pompeo became the first member of the administration to acknowledge the sprawling cyberhack of government computers, saying it was likely the work of Moscow. He was immediately contradicted by President Trump, who tweeted that it could have been China or part of a conspiracy to throw the election but also was being overblown. Here’s a deep dive into what we know and what we still don’t: WIRED

TESLA JOINS BIG LEAGUES

As of today, you may own a piece of Tesla and not even know it. Elon Musk’s electric-car company is joining the S&P 500 -- the most widely tracked stock index -- as of this morning. Tesla will become by far the biggest stock to ever get added to the S&P, which is tracked by many mutual and index funds that make up retirement portfolios. CNBC

FOOTBALL

JETS WIN: The New York Jets won their first game of the season, and Jets fans are furious. The Jets beat the 9-5 Rams in one of the bigger upsets of 2020, giving the team its first victory this calendar year. But in the process, the Jets may have just given up the first pick in the draft to the Jacksonville Jaguars. FTW

CFP: Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and Notre Dame are the four teams selected to play in this year’s College Football Playoff. Notre Dame will take on No. 1 Alabama despite getting blown out by Clemson this weekend, and Ohio State will play Clemson despite only having played five games all season. The Rose Bowl is being moved to Texas because of COVID restrictions in California. ESPN

SNL'S NEW BIDEN

Hours after Jim Carrey said he would be retiring his Joe Biden impression on SNL, the show debuted the latest person to play the president-elect. Castmember Alex Moffat debuted his Biden take in the last cold open of the year: WATCH

WEDDING BELLS...

...for Ariana Grande. The singer announced that she is engaged to her real-estate agent boyfriend, Dalton Gomez. Grande was previously engaged to Pete Davidson: SEE THE RING

LEFTOVERS: CHRISTMAS STAR

Jupiter and Saturn will be closer in the sky tonight than at any point in the last 400 years. The spectacle will be visible to the naked eye from virtually anywhere in the world, provided it isn't cloudy. The best bet is to find an unobstructed view to the southwest just after sunset. The “planetary conjunction” is being called a Christmas Star this year because it’s happening so close to the holiday: VIEWING INSTRUCTIONS

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
Schools Open Across the Nation Amid Omicron Anxiety
Chicago schools opened their doors again following a dispute between the teachers union and the city over as the omicron variant continues to surge, but the safety issues they fought over weren't just limited to the Windy City. Dr. Bayo Curry-Winchell, family medicine and urgent care doctor, joined Cheddar in discussing concerns of parents, teachers, and students as schools try to operate amid COVID and noted what she's been observing as the number of infections among children rises. "I am seeing them contract the illness from so many different aspects," she said. "It could be from a fellow classmate. It could be from a parent. All of those things really play in the effect of transmission as well as contracting the illness."
Terraformation Raised $30 Million to Scale Global Forest Restoration Projects
One startup is working to reverse climate change one seed at a time. Terraformation is a global forest accelerator that provides tools, training, financing, and business support to help scale forest restoration projects worldwide. Forests naturally absorb carbon and Terraformation says that reforestation is a safe, low-cost, and scalable solution to the climate crisis. Yee Lee, VP of growth at Terraformation, joins Cheddar Climate to discuss.
American Girl Unveils Chinese American 2022 Girl of the Year Doll
Meet Corrine Tan, American Girl’s 2022 Girl of the Year. Corrine is the first doll of Chinese descent from the company, debuting in response to a rise in hate crimes against the Asian American community. Jamie Cygielman, president and general manager of American Girl, spoke to Cheddar about the long development of the character. "As the pandemic began we started to see a lot of anti-Asian sentiment across the country," she said. "We sort of blended all of these stories together to create Corinne, an outline for Corinne, and then partnered with the wonderful author Wendy Shang to help tell that story to our fans." Cygielman also touched on linking up with AAPI Youth Rising, donating $25,000 for education efforts.
Importance of Mentorship and Guidance
Janet Phan, founder of Thriving Elements and author of 'Boldly You,' joins Cheddar News to discuss the importance of being a mentor and how her organization is helping the next generation of STEM leaders.
How to Prevent Workplace Burnout
Daniel Freedman, co-CEO of Burnalong, joins Cheddar News to talk about how Burnalong is helping companies support its staff and prevent workplace burnout.
Lindsey Vonn Discusses Mental Health in Her Memoir and the 2022 Winter Olympics
Decorated skier Lindsey Vonn did not hold back when touching on mental health in "Rise," her new memoir. "My mental health is definitely part of my story," she said. "Now I'm just thankful that this conversation is so much more talked about — Simone Biles, Naomi Osaka, Kevin Love, Michael Phelps, all have been outspoken about it." She noted that she felt happy that readers, particularly kids, get to see a vulnerable side to her in the book. The gold medalist also went on to note what she's most looking forward to watching in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
Rep. James Clyburn on Honoring Martin Luther King Jr. and Fate of the Filibuster
With Martin Luther King Jr. Day fast approaching, Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C. 6th District), the House Majority Whip, talked about the importance of honoring the iconic civil rights activist. "As we consider the life and celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., let's think about who and what we are as a country, and whether or not we're going to give up on the ideals of this country or continue to press forward," he said. Clyburn also discussed the push for new voting legislation, the For the People Act and the John Lewis Act, as well as the fate of the Senate filibuster.
Load More