Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Wednesday, November 18, 2020:

COVID-19: LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

The FDA has approved the first entirely at-home testing kit, similar to a pregnancy test, that gives results in 30 minutes. Ohio is the latest state to impose a 10 p.m. curfew that will go into effect for three weeks. North Dakota now has the world’s highest mortality rate per capita -- 1 in 1,000 residents of the state have died of COVID-19. Local news outlets across the country are reporting that there are once again runs on toilet paper, disinfectant wipes and other essentials, though supply chain experts don’t expect shortages to be as bad as they were in the spring. Sen. Chuck Grassley, one of the oldest members of Congress, missed his first vote in 27 years -- breaking the longest voting record in Senate history -- after he tested positive. REUTERS

TROOP DRAWDOWN

The Pentagon has confirmed the reports that the U.S. will cut the number of troops in Afghanistan and Iraq by 2,500 before President Trump leaves office. The troop level in Afghanistan will fall from 4,500 to 2,500, while Iraq will go from 3,000 to 2,500 active troops. Senate Republicans, as well as the head of NATO, are opposing the abrupt drawdown. The president has said before that he wanted all troops home by Christmas. CNN

PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION

President Trump has fired Chris Krebs, the administration’s senior-most official in charge of election cybersecurity. Krebs, a highly respected security expert, was among the officials who came out and called the election the “most secure in American history,” directly contradicting the president’s false claims that it was “stolen.” Meanwhile, Republican appointees in Michigan’s most populous county initially refused to certify the vote tally in Detroit for Joe Biden -- drawing praise from Trump officials -- before backing off amid a public outcry. POLITICO

SOCIAL MEDIA GRILLING

Lawmakers grilled Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey about fact-check labels and other concerns related to misinformation in a virtual hearing on Capitol Hill, three weeks after Zuck and Dorsey were summoned for a similar hearing in front of a different Senate committee. Republicans took issue with the platforms’ labeling of President Trump’s false tweets that he won the election, while Democrats took issue with Republicans taking issue with the labels. Not much was accomplished other than making it clear that both sides of the aisle want to regulate Big Tech, for different reasons. NPR

NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS

Retail sales for the month of October grew by just 0.3 percent, a worrisome signal for the economy going into the critical holiday shopping season. The worse-than-expected data was compiled before the current virus surge took hold, so any momentum left over from the summer and early fall is going to stall out even more at the worst possible time for retailers, especially given that no more federal aid is coming anytime soon. That is a very bad sign for many stores that are hanging on by a thread and counting on the usual end-of-year lift in sales to stay afloat. WSJ

AMAZON PHARMACY

Amazon will now fill and deliver your meds -- for free and with discounts, if you’re a Prime Member. The e-commerce giant has launched its much-anticipated digital pharmacy, which immediately sent shares of Walgreens and CVS plummeting. Amazon’s entry into the space has been a question of if, not when, ever since it acquired the startup PillPack in 2018. CHEDDAR

THEO OUT

Theo Epstein, one of the greatest operators in baseball history, is stepping down from the Chicago Cubs. Epstein was brought in to rebuild the Cubs nine seasons ago -- a task that looked insurmountable but that culminated in the team’s incredible 2016 World Series win. Before that, he was GM of the Boston Red Sox when they finally ended their title drought in 2004. There have been rumors he might join the front office of the Mets or Phillies. CHICAGO TRIB

CONAN GOES STREAMING

Conan O’Brien has hosted a nightly talk show for 28 years, longer than anyone else in the late-night game. That ends next summer. O’Brien will trade his nightly show on TBS for a weekly variety show that will stream exclusively on HBO Max (like TBS, part of WarnerMedia). Conan was one of the few late shows that didn't go all in on political humor, and the ratings have suffered. THR

SPOTTED...

...George Clooney, on the cover of GQ’s Men of the Year issue. Clooney confirms in the interview the long-running rumor that he once gave each of his 14 best friends a suitcase filled with $1 million in cash, just because: READ IT

...the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, being hoisted onto its perch and looking about as good as could be expected for 2020: SEE PICS

LEFTOVERS: REPORTS OF MY DEATH...

A radio station in France is apologizing after it accidentally published dozens of obituaries for high-profile newsmakers who have not died. Radio France Internationale blamed a technical glitch for publishing obits of Queen Elizabeth, Pele, Clint Eastwood, the Ayatollah and Brigitte Bardot, among others. It’s not uncommon for news outlets to prep obituaries in advance, and any editor will tell you it’s their worst nightmare to mistakenly hit publish when the person is still alive and kicking. EURONEWS

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
Elizabeth Holmes Fraud Conviction Might Yield Five to Seven Years in Prison
The six-month trial of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes has come to an end with the former tech startup star found guilty of four out of 11 counts of fraud. Michael S. Weinstein, Esq, chair of the white collar criminal defense practice at Cole Schotz, and former Department of Justice trial attorney, joined Cheddar News Wrap to discuss what happens next for the former mogul. "Do I think it's going to be more than five or seven years? Probably yes. I think that's probably a fair range at this point," he said about her potential prison sentence.
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.
Load More