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Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Friday, January 21, 2022:
TRUMP INVESTIGATIONS
IVANKA: The Jan. 6 House Select Committee wants to talk to Ivanka Trump. The committee released a letter yesterday seeking her cooperation and revealing new details about President Trump’s actions leading up to and on the day of the Capitol attack. The letter says the president attempted to pressure VP Mike Pence to go along with a plan that would throw out electoral votes for Biden. A spokesperson for Ivanka has not revealed whether she will comply with the committee’s request. NY TIMES
GEORGIA: Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is requesting a special grand jury for her investigation into former President Trump’s effort to overturn the state’s 2020 election result. Specifically, Willis is asking for help obtaining evidence and subpoenaing witnesses that may include Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. The special grand jury can help them gather that information, but won't be able to hand down indictments. ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION
U.S. DIGITAL CURRENCY
Is the U.S. on the way to getting its own digital currency? The jury is still out, but the Federal Reserve released its long-awaited white paper on the issue Thursday. The central bank plans to use this non-committal doc as a jumping-off point to get public feedback, but stressed it would not go through with any plan if the president and Congress don't fully support it. It did touch on cryptocurrencies and stablecoins, calling on Congress to establish new rules to bring crypto under federal regulations. CHEDDAR
Too bad this white paper doesn’t tell us how to make enough money to invest in these things.
NORTH KOREA RETHINKS NUCLEAR PAUSE
North Korean officials are rethinking their pause on nuclear and long-range missile tests over what they say are “hostile” moves made by the U.S. This comes after the Biden administration imposed sanctions over a missile launch spree that included four tests in the past month alone. Kim Jong Un pulled back on the tests amid President Trump's diplomatic efforts. Despite the new rhetoric, some experts say the Supreme Leader is just toying with the U.S. to get politicians to lay off his latest missile-test barrage. CBS
HAVANA SYNDROME UPDATE
A CIA probe into the unknown illness that keeps affecting overseas diplomats and spies determined cases were not caused by a sustained, global effort from hostile foreign powers. There have been more than 1,000 cases of ‘Havana Syndrome’ reported, a sickness that brings on strange sounds, dizziness, and memory loss. The CIA said many of the reported cases could be related to pre-existing medical conditions, environmental factors, or stress. The Department of Defense and an individual panel of experts are also investigating the illness, but haven’t released their findings as of yet. THE GUARDIAN
GHISLAINE MAXWELL REQUESTS NEW TRIAL
Ghislaine Maxwell is asking a federal judge to grant her a new trial, stating that one of the jurors who found her guilty did not disclose that he was a victim of childhood sexual abuse during jury selection. Maxwell was convicted of five felonies last month for her role in sex trafficking minors for Jeffrey Epstein. After the trial, the juror told the media he convinced jurors to find Maxwell guilty by talking to them about the abuse he experienced. Federal prosecutors have asked for an inquiry into the juror’s statements. If her attempt for a new trial doesn’t work out, Maxwell will be sentenced in June. ABC
OUT OF TOUCH
Some Ivy Leaguers are in for a rude awakening. Nina Strohminger, a Wharton School business school professor at the University of Pennsylvania, tweeted that a quarter of her students believe the average American worker makes over six figures a year, with one student even guessing $800K annually. The real number? $45,000. The tweet went viral, bringing an array of reactions and memes in response. Some blamed the assumption on the prominent, privileged society at the Ivy League, chiding that a six-figure salary is only “average” to what they know. NEWSWEEK
We can’t wait until they get their first job offers.
PELOTON SLOWS DOWN
Peloton is temporarily halting production of its popular bikes and treadmills, in an attempt to control costs as consumer demand wanes. According to internal documents, Peloton said demand has seriously fallen and now it's left with warehouses full of equipment that is no longer flying off the shelves. The company’s shares fell over 20% after news of its standstill broke. CNBC
Sounds like they’re the ones who need instructors telling them what to do.
WOKE M&Ms
M&M’s iconic candy characters are changing their look. The company announced a modern makeover to its candy personalities, focused on creating a sense of belonging and community with their candies. The redesign incorporates key changes to both their green and brown M&Ms that focus on positivity and empowerment. The formerly anxious orange M&M will find confidence, while the red M&M is working towards a kinder attitude. M&M hopes the changes will reflect on the significance behind "self-expression and power of community." THE HILL
AARDMAN AND NETFLIX COLLAB
The legendary Aardman characters are back. Wallace and Gromit and Chicken Run will be returning to the screen, but this time in two separate projects produced by Netflix. Wallace and Gromit will star in a new film with the BBC and Netflix, while Ginger and Rocky will have their own sequel on the streaming service. Chicken Run is scheduled to return in 2023, while the new Walter and Gromit is slated for a 2024 Christmas release. VARIETY
SPOTTED..
... The NFL unveiled its new hype video for the 2022 Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show, announcing that Dr. Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar will all share the stage Feb. 13. WATCH
… Amazon released new deets about the Lord of the Rings reboot, including a trailer and it's name - The Rings of Power, which is set to premiere in September. WATCH
**LOVE **HATE **ATE
One thing we love: When you wake up before your alarm and can go back to sleep.
One thing we hate: Short weeks that feel super long.
One thing we ate: Homemade chicken soup. So good during all of these winter storms.
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!
