Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Friday, April 23, 2021:

COVID-19: LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

The coronavirus vaccines are safe for pregnant women, according to the preliminary results from a large CDC study. A separate study found that a Covid infection creates an increased risk of negative outcomes for pregnant women and their babies. Earlier this week, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine endorsed vaccination for pregnant women. Meanwhile, the pause of the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine could be coming to an end. The panel of experts that will make the recommendation is believed to have found few additional examples of vaccine-related blood clots since the popular inoculation was pulled. NY TIMES

CLIMATE PLEDGE

The U.S. has an ambitious new climate goal. President Biden announced that the country will try to cut emissions in half by the end of the decade. That’s about double the commitment made under the Paris Agreement. At the Earth Day climate summit, leaders from Brazil, Japan and Canada also made new pledges to cut their own emissions, while those from India, Russia and China reaffirmed past commitments or made non-specific pledges. CHEDDAR

D.C. STATEHOOD

The House passed a bill to make Washington D.C. the country’s 51st state. The statehood bill would establish a state called Washington Douglass Commonwealth in honor of Frederick Douglass, giving congressional representation to D.C’s 700,000 residents, most of whom are people of color. The bill has virtually no chance of passing the Senate, where Republicans say it’s an unconstitutional power grab by Dems. NY TIMES

RUSSIA TENSIONS

The Czech Republic has kicked out dozens of Russian diplomats -- the most ever by a single country since the end of the Cold War -- in retaliation for Russia’s suspected involvement in a 2014 explosion. Even though Putin showed up to the White House’s climate summit, Moscow’s relationship with the West has been getting dramatically worse of late. At the same time, Russia did order many of the troops it had been amassing at the Ukraine border back to their bases, in a sign of de-escalation with its neighbor. BBC

TAXING THE RICH

The stock market tanked on reports that President Biden is getting ready to propose a significant hike in the capital gains tax. The plan is said to call for nearly doubling the capital gains tax rate for people earning more than $1 million, to 39.6 percent. When added to the existing Obamacare tax on investment income, investors would be giving as much as 43 percent to the federal government. Top earners in places like California and NYC would pay more than half their investment income in taxes. BLOOMBERG

AMAZON SALON

Amazon is opening a brick-and-mortar hair salon in London’s hip East End neighborhood. The company says Amazon Salon is an experiment meant to test “the latest industry technology,” like an AR app that lets you see different hairstyles on your head before you commit. Customers can also point their phones at products in the store to learn more about them. Actual haircuts will be available, too. THE VERGE

ANGRY BRADY

The NFL’s new rule about which players can wear which numbers does not have a fan in Tom Brady. The reigning Super Bowl MVP took to Instagram to knock the rule change, which allows linebackers to wear any number between 1 and 59 defensive backs to wear any number between 1 and 49. Brady’s issue is that it will make it harder for players to know who to block. ESPN

We’re no football geniuses like Touchdown Tom, but maybe just block the guy who's wearing the different color shirt?

OSCAR PREVIEW

The 93rd Academy Awards will attempt on Sunday to break the streak of pandemic-era award shows suffering from some of their worst ratings ever. The show is coming live from L.A.’s Union Station and the Dolby Theater this year. The guest list and red carpet will be pared back significantly, and the majority of the films this year barely made it into theaters at all. Still, the ceremony goes on: Nomadland is a near-lock for Best Picture and the late Chadwick Boseman is the heavy favorite for Best Actor for his role in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. The Best Actress race is probably the night’s biggest wild card. PREDICTIONS

SPOTTED…

…Lourdes Leon, Madonna’s daughter, opening up to Vanity Fair about growing up famous, and her first boyfriend, Timothée Chalamet: READ IT

LEFTOVERS: LEASE ON LIFE

When Jonathan Frostick realized he was having a heart attack, his first thought was that he had an important meeting the next day, and his impending cardiac arrest wasn’t “convenient.” The British investment banker, now recovering from his brush with mortality, recently wrote a viral LinkedIn post vowing to reprioritize his life. No more spending all day on Zoom. No more getting involved with petty work dramas. More time with his three young kids. The post has received 12,000 comments and counting from other people who said that either their own health scares or the pandemic have led them to re-evaluate what’s important:  READ IT

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
CES 2022 Begins on Wednesday
We are just one day away from what has been called the most influential tech event in the world. CES 2022 will officially kick off on Wednesday in Las Vegas, but the annual tech summit is being impacted by COVID-19, like so many other recent events. The Consumer Technology Association originally planned for a hybrid event to take place from January 5-8, with some in-person events and some virtual; however, a few big-name companies announced they will not be attending in-person, so the CTA decided to shorten the event by one day, with it now ending on Friday. Consumer electronics senior analyst Will Greenwald joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
California Starts Largest U.S. Food Waste Recycling Program
California's new composting law will affect what residents do in their kitchens. As of this week, Californians will have to recycle excess food in an effort to reduce emissions caused by food waste. Cities and counties will turn recycled food into compost or use it as a renewable energy source. California's new law is the largest mandatory residential food waste recycling program in the country. Rachel Wagoner, Director of the California Department of Resources, Recycling and Recovery called the law 'the biggest change to trash' since recycling started in the 1980s. She joined Cheddar Climate to discuss.
Sweetgreen Launches Salad Subscription Service 'Sweetpass'
Fast-casual restaurant chain Sweetgreen is rolling out its first salad subscription service called sweetpass as it looks to customers tackling new year weight loss and health goals. Members will receive up to 30 percent off of purchases.
Severe Snowstorm Blankets D.C., Mid-Atlantic Region
Washington DC and the surrounding areas saw a record breaking snow storm Monday as a strong storm system works its way across the eastern U.S. The extreme weather event caused extensive damage in the greater Washington area, leaving thousands in the region without power. Jonathan Porter, Chief Meteorologist, AccuWeather, joined Wake Up with Cheddar to discuss the fierce storm.
Over 3,000 Flights Canceled on Monday Over Severe Weather, Crew Shortages
Airlines canceled more than 3,000 flights on Monday over severe weather and crew shortages. The cancellations come on one of the busiest travel days of the holiday season, and is a continuation of the industry-wide disruption that started before Christmas. Thomas Pallini, Aviation Reporter for Insider joined Wake Up with Cheddar to discuss.
End of Child Tax Credit Could Mean Slide Back Into Increasing Child Poverty
Millions of Americans with young children have relied on the child tax credit since the federal government began issuing checks in July 2021. The last round of payments was sent out just before the Christmas holiday — at the same time as the omicron variant surged. Leah Hamilton, associate professor of social work at Appalachian State University, joined Cheddar to discuss what the end to the tax credit means as the U.S. sees the end of many relief programs and its highest number of COVID cases since the start of the pandemic. "It'll become harder for families to meet their basic needs, increasing national childhood poverty rates and the proportion of families who have difficulty putting food on the table, maintaining stable housing, and paying their bills," Hamilton said. She also pointed to research that the credit as a long-term investment in children offsets claims that it contributes to macroeconomic impacts like inflation.
NYT Piece Claims Silicon Valley Investors and Founders Contorted Legal Tax Break to Avoid Taxes on Investment Profits
Several Silicon Valley insiders are being accused of contorting a 1990s-era tax break to avoid taxes on millions of dollars of investment profits. The tax break is known as the qualified small business stock exemption, and it allows early investors in certain companies to avoid half of the taxes on up to $10 million in capital gains. A piece recently published in the New York Times says venture capital firms like Andreessen Horowitz replicated the tax exemption by giving shares of companies to friends and family, who would otherwise face a 23.8% capital gains bill. The CEO of Roblox is also accused of replicating the tax break for his family members at least 12 times. Although the loophole known as 'stacking' is considered to be legal, the Times piece implies that the exemption has been manipulated for the ultra-wealthy to become more wealthy. Greycroft co-founder and Chairman Emeritus Alan Patricof joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Competitive Stock-Trading Mobile App Zingeroo Raises $8.5 Million
There is a new player in the mobile app stock trading space. Zingeroo recently announced a funding round of $8.5 million. The company says it aims to bring 'friendly competition' to stock trading, by literally breaking trading down into daily and weekly competitions between friends. Zingeroo also says it hopes its new approach can make trading more accessible, educational, and social than ever before. Zingeroo co-founder and CEO Zoe Barry joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell for more.
Load More