Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Friday, February 5, 2021:

COVID-19: GOOD NEWS ONLY

Johnson & Johnson has submitted its vaccine for emergency approval to the FDA, as expected. If and when the shot gets the green light, doses could start shipping by early March, adding a third highly-effective vaccine to the country’s arsenal. In NYC, Yankee Stadium opens today as a mass-vaccination site for eligible Bronx residents. COVID hospitalizations nationwide are finally back to their pre-Thanksgiving levels, down more than 40,000 from their early January peak. The U.S. did nearly 1.7 million vaccinations yesterday, a new daily record. STAT

SCHOOL OPENING BATTLE LINES

Chicago and San Francisco are in battles with their school districts over when and how to reopen schools for in-person learning. Chicago public-school students were supposed to go back to a hybrid model this week but the city and the teachers union have still not reached a deal, leading to a frustrated Mayor Lori Lightfoot blaming the union for dragging its feet. Meanwhile, in San Francisco the situation is even more contentious. The city is suing its own school district in an attempt to reopen classrooms. Teachers unions in many large districts are saying they won’t go back until they’re vaccinated. ABC NEWS

GREENE BOOTED

The House stripped Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of both her committee assignments as punishment for spreading conspiracy theories and hate speech. The vote was nearly party line, though 11 Republicans broke ranks to vote with Democrats. Of the 199 Republicans who voted against removing Greene, not a single one defended her. She expressed regret about at least some of her theories, saying she now believes "9/11 absolutely happened." AP

BIDEN CUTS BAIT ON SAUDIS

President Biden is ending U.S. arms sales and other support for Saudi Arabia in its long-running offensive in Yemen. That war, between Houthi rebels and the Saudis in one of the poorest countries in the world, has led to a “humanitarian and strategic catastrophe,” Biden said. Saudi warplanes armed with American weapons have been relentlessly and often indiscriminately bombing targets in Yemen for six years. AP

PELOTON DEMAND

Peloton has been among the biggest winners of the pandemic, so much so that it cannot keep up with the demand for its fitness bikes and treadmills. The company admitted as much in its earnings report, saying it had $1 billion in sales last quarter but future profits will be squeezed as the company invests in fixing its supply chain problem. Peloton buyers have reported months-long delays in getting their orders. BLOOMBERG

BEST LAPTOP EVER?

It’s been a couple months since Apple started shipping its new Macs made with its own proprietary silicon chips. After spending time putting them through the ringer, reviewers are nearly unanimously in their reviews -- that these are the best laptops on the market today, and it's not particularly close. The M1 MacBooks are expensive (obv.), but the innovation in the chips means that they're super fast, turn on instantly, don’t cause the fan to run, and the batteries are said to last at least all day. CNET

SUPER BOWL PREVIEW

Super Bowl LV is Sunday in Tampa Bay. Patrick Mahomes is looking to defend the Chiefs’ title, while Tom Brady is looking to win his seventh ring at age 43. Like everything else, the Big Game will look different from years past, with a fraction of the normal crowd on hand and a more reflective tone expected, at least off the field. The Chiefs are heavy favorites -- but as many have learned over the last two decades, you bet against Brady at your own risk. Kickoff is 6:30 p.m. ET on CBS. If you just want to see The Weeknd, the Halftime Show will probably start sometime in the 8 p.m. hour. PREDICTIONS

SPOTTED...

… Olivia Rodrigo, making her TV debut on Jimmy Fallon to sing her #1 hit Drivers License: WATCH

SCREEN ACTORS GUILD

Hot on the heels of the Golden Globes, the Screen Actors Guild Awards announced this year’s nominations, giving the late Chadwick Boseman an historic four nods combined for his two roles in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Da 5 Bloods. The SAGs are considered among the most prestigious awards for actors because they’re given out by their peers. Meanwhile, former President Trump resigned from SAG-AFTRA, the union behind the awards, as he faced disciplinary action for the Capitol riot. In a letter, Trump wrote that he was proud of his work in Home Alone 2 and Zoolander but concluded that being a SAG member has "done nothing for me”: READ IT

LEFTOVERS: SECOND CHANCE STIMULUS

If you did not receive the full amount you were owed in either round of stimulus checks over the last year, there’s still a chance to get it straightened out. In some cases, payments may have been miscalculated; in others, they may never have been received at all for a host of reasons. If you believe this happened to you, the IRS is letting eligible taxpayers claim a recovery rebate on their 2020 tax returns. Here’s how to do it: READ

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!

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Pressure to Settle $1 Billion Claim From Nassar Survivors Against FBI
Survivors of Larry Nassar, including Olympian Simone Biles, are seeking $1 billion in damages from the FBI due to its failure to investigate the former gymnastics team doctor convicted of committing years of serial sexual abuse of minors. Jack Queen, a senior reporter at Law360, joined Cheddar News to break down the legal grounds of this case. "This is one of the biggest black eyes that the Bureau has faced in generations, quite frankly, and the FBI has taken full responsibility and admitted that it completely botched this investigation," he said. "So, there's a lot of pressure to settle."
Elevate Prize Foundation Wants to Create 'Fanbase for Good' With $10K Awards
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Stephanie Shojaee on Paving the Way for Women in Real Estate
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Hot summer could lead to rolling blackouts
We are already starting to feel the effects of summer. Heat waves in Texas and California are already sending temperatures soaring. That could spell trouble for the nation's power supply. there are new concerns about outages in many areas of the country. Cheddar's Shannon Lanier explains the two main causes of blackouts, and what states are doing to keep the lights on and the air conditioning running.
U.S. traffic deaths hit 16 year high
If you have been on the road this past year, you've probably seen more accidents on the road than you ever have. You're not wrong. Traffic fatalities are not only increasing they are hitting historic highs. Almost 43,000 people died in motor vehicle accidents in 2021. Cheddar's Shannon Lanier investigates - and finds out why.
U.S. Stocks Closed at Session Highs Tuesday
U.S. stocks close Tuesday at session highs after a subpar start to the trading day. Tim Chubb, Chief Investment Officer at the wealth advisory firm, Girard, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss. 'We're starting to see the moderation of three core things -- we've seen the moderation of prices, we've seen the moderation of wage growth we've seen in the labor market, and we've also seen a moderation of job openings,' he says.
Gymnasts Seek $1 Billion From FBI Over Larry Nassar Case
The victims from the USA gymnastics sexual abuse scandal continue to seek justice. Survivors of Larry Nassar are seeking more than one-billion dollars from the FBI for failing to stop the convicted sports doctor when the agency first received allegations. According to a report released by the Justice Department's Inspector General, FBI agents knew in July of 2015 that Nassar was accused of abusing gymnasts; however, Nassar wasn't arrested until December of 2016. The group that filed the claim includes Olympic medalist Simone Biles and around 90 other women. Louise Radnofsky, sports reporter at The Wall Street Journal, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Kat Tat on Becoming 'Elite' Black Woman Tattoo Artist in Unwelcoming Industry
Tattoo artist Katrina "Kat Tat" Jackson, famous for starring in the VH1 hit series "Black Ink Crew: Chicago," is also the first Black woman to own a tattoo shop in Beverly Hills. She joined Cheddar News to discuss her trailblazing work, the stigma BIPOC tattoo artists face in the industry, and the way the space has changed for artists of color since her start. "In the beginning, I remember walking into a tattoo shop just like, hey, I wanna learn, I wanna be a tattoo artist and kind of just being laughed at, not taken seriously," she said. "Even with the tattoo conventions, a lot of African American tattoo artists were almost scared to go to conventions because it's not a welcoming environment."
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