Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Monday, December 28, 2020:
TRUMP SIGNS STIMULUS
President Trump abruptly signed the coronavirus stimulus bill after a weekend of drama over whether he’d approve the $900 billion measure negotiated by his administration that he called “a disgrace.” During that time, unemployment benefits for millions of people expired. The bill, along with a measure that will keep the government funded through September, averts the possibility of a government shutdown tonight. The aid should start now flowing to businesses and individuals within days. WASH POST
NASHVILLE BOMBING
THE SUSPECT: The feds have identified the man they believe is responsible for a suicide bombing in Nashville on Christmas morning that caused major damage and took out telecommunications for the region. Anthony Quinn Warner, 63, has been named the sole suspect in the bombing, the motive of which remains unknown. AP
WHAT HAPPENED? In the early morning hours of Christmas, an RV parked outside an AT&T facility began to play a recorded announcement warning people to evacuate and that a bomb would detonate in 15 minutes. The recording then switched to playing the 1964 song Downtown before the vehicle exploded. The explosion shattered windows for blocks and caused at least one building to collapse, but no one was killed. Three people were hospitalized. NY TIMES
THE HEROES: Six Nashville cops are being hailed as heroes for quickly working to evacuate the surrounding area before the bomb went off, knocking on doors and rousing people out of bed. NEWSCHANNEL5
COVID-19: LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
California, the wealthiest state in the wealthiest country on Earth, now has no ICU beds available for the majority of its residents. Dr. Fauci has acknowledged that he’s been moving the goalposts on his estimates for herd immunity, which have ranged from 60-70 percent to as much as 90 percent of the population, but said he’s just providing “guestimates” based on other infectious diseases like measles. He now says 70-75 percent of the population getting vaccinated would be enough to effectively kill the virus, and predicts “open season” -- the point at which the vaccines become available to the general public -- around the end of March. BI
BREXIT (FOR REAL THIS TIME)
The EU and UK struck a trade deal on Christmas Eve, a week before a hard deadline for the UK to complete its withdrawal from the European bloc. The backbone of the deal allows for no tariffs and no quotas on British goods into the continent and does not create a hard border in Ireland. British nationals will no longer be allowed to freely move and work within the EU and will need visas for stays over 90 days. GUARDIAN
WORLD'S BIGGEST ECONOMIES
The Chinese economy is now on course to overtake the U.S. in 2028, five years earlier than anticipated, according to the London-based consultancy CEBR. The acceleration is due to China weathering the pandemic better than the West. India is also expected to leapfrog over Germany, Japan and the U.K. into third place by 2030. BLOOMBERG
HOLIDAY SPENDING
Retail sales (physical and online) between Nov. 1 and Christmas Eve grew by 2.4 percent, a bit less than expected, according to preliminary spending data from Mastercard. Online sales grew by a whopping 47 percent over last year’s holiday season, while foot traffic to stores fell by at least a third. WSJ
NFL PLAYOFF PICTURE
There are still seven postseason spots in play with one week left in the NFL regular season. The Dolphins took the Raiders out of the picture with a stunning comeback win and Tom Brady and the Bucs dominated the Lions in Brady’s 300th regular-season game to lift the Bucs to their first playoff berth since 2007. The red-hot Bills take on the Patriots tonight, with New England already eliminated from the postseason. ESPN
'WW84' PUTS UP NUMBERS
Despite mediocre-to-bad reviews, Wonder Woman 1984 made an impressive $16.7 million at the domestic box office over the holiday weekend for the best theatrical opening since March. The superhero sequel was also streamed by nearly half of HBOMax’s retail subscribers on Christmas Day, according to AT&T. Based on the strong debut, a third Wonder Woman has been fast-tracked. VARIETY
HILARIA BALDWIN
Hilaria Baldwin is responding to claims that she’s been misrepresenting her Spanish heritage. The author and wife of Alec Baldwin went on social media to discuss viral allegations that claim she is a white American woman named Hillary who was born in Boston and has been faking a Spanish accent for years. Baldwin says she was born in Massachusetts but grew up between the U.S. and Mallorca, where her family lives. If you missed the weekend controversy, here’s a recap: THE CUT
LEFTOVERS: ROARING TWENTIES
Hidden amidst this year of misery have been some of the greatest technological advancements in generations. From the mRNA vaccine breakthrough to the plummeting cost of clean energy, to advancements in AI, to all of corporate America being forced to realize at once that they can survive in a remote work environment, there’s an argument gaining steam that the economy is about to take off in a burst of productivity growth. AXIOS
Podcast scheduling note: We'll be dark this week, but back to biz in 2021. So bookmark our podcast and start 2021 fresh! 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!
