Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp adjusts his mask prior to a bill signing at Wellstar Kennestone Hospital where the hospital opened a new Emergency Room space, Thursday, July 16, 2020, in Marietta, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Friday, July 17, 2020:
COVID-19: LATEST DEVELOPMENTS: The U.S. once again shattered its own record of new coronavirus cases: 77,000 on Thursday --14,000 of which were in Florida. In Miami Beach, the party scene on iconic Ocean Drive continues; worried that the Manhattan nightlife scene -- which has moved to the streets -- is getting out of control, Gov. Cuomo told bars in NYC they can no longer serve alcohol unless it’s accompanied by food, and all walk-up bar service will be shut down. Meanwhile, Georgia Gov. Brain Kemp is suing the mayor of Atlanta for defying his order and ordering everyone to wear masks. AP
COVID IN KIDS: In Florida, state data as of July 10 shows nearly one-in-three children who have been tested have been positive. Health officials are now worried that even kids who have mild or asymptomatic cases may be at risk of long-term damage. X-rays are showing lung damage in some children who don’t even get sick, and experts say it’s just not known whether that damage will become a chronic condition. SUN SENTINEL
RUSSIA HACKING VAX TRIALS: The U.S., UK and Canada say they have good evidence that Russian hackers are trying to steal Covid-19 vaccine research. The hacking group known as Cozy Bear, which intelligence agents believe is closely associated with the Kremlin, is said to be using spear-phishing and malware attacks to break into the systems of organizations working on various vaccine candidates. NPR
What a cute name for a group of Russian hackers.
SECOND STIMULUS?The battle over the next phase of economic stimulus is about to begin in earnest next week. The Senate is expected to release its version of a bill, which the House will then reject, at which point both chambers will begin negotiating. At stake: is there any more help coming for small businesses or the millions of Americans who were laid off or furloughed over the last four months? The $600/week enhanced unemployment benefits run out at the end of the month. USA TODAY
MORTGAGE RATES RECORD LOW: Mortgage rates are below 3 percent for the first time ever. The average rate on a 30-year fixed fell to 2.98 percent last week. The 15-year fixed fell to 2.48 percent. These are the lowest rates since Freddie Mac started surveying 50 years ago. The real-estate market is all over the place: record low rates are creating a frenzy for many buyers with stable income, though record unemployment and overall economic volatility is keeping many others away. CNN
TWITTER HACK: The FBI is now leading the investigation into the Twitter hack that compromised the accounts of more than 100 V.I.P. Twitter users, including Barack Obama, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. All that’s known for sure is that someone got access to a Twitter employee’s credentials, which allowed them to control most Twitter accounts for a period of hours. It’s still not known whether any Twitter employees were complicit, or if they were tricked into handing over their information. WIRED
Are you telling us Obama ISN’T sending us back double the amount of bitcoin we sent him?
REDSKINS EXPOSE: In an investigation into the culture of the D.C. NFL team, the Washington Post talked to 15 female former employees who say they were subjected to repeated verbal abuse and sexual harassment from top team officials, including members of owner Dan Snyder’s inner circle, the team’s radio announcer, and scouts. While Snyder was not directly implicated, the women say he presided over a misogynistic and abusive culture off the field. READ IT
KANYE REALLY RUNNING? Kanye West’s presidential ambitions appear to be serious. The rapper has qualified for the general election ballot in Oklahoma and is reportedly taking steps to get on the ballot in Florida and other states as a third-party candidate. According to filings with the Federal Election Committee, a “Kanye 2020” group has been submitting paperwork to run for the last two days. NY MAG
Just imagine the debates.
SPOTTED...
Henry Cavill (and his biceps) building a computer from scratch on Instagram, because why not: SEE VID
If you like watching hot people read computer assembly instructions this is the video for you.
...the home used for the exterior shots in Golden Girls, on the market at $3 million (but it’s not in Florida): SEE INSIDE
LEFTOVERS: TREBEK HEALTH UPDATE: Alex Trebek says in a new video that his cancer treatment is “paying off” and that his “numbers are good.” Trebek, experimenting with a new goateed look, also announced that for the first time ever, Jeopardy! will air classic old episodes from its vault for the remainder of the summer: WATCH
Hinge users who have children can opt-in to a $100 stipend up to $25,000 for childcare. Logan Ury, the director of relationship science for the online dating platform, noted the issue as an obstacle for single parents who want to go out on dates. "We have heard that singles with children have a hard time going on dates for one of the reasons being that it's just hard to find childcare and it's hard to be able to afford it," she said. Ury also said that the hot topic among Hinge's users is mental health and the prioritizing of mental health.
Dolly Parton, Eminem, Lionel Richie, and Carly Simon are just a few of the nominees announced for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2022 induction. Results of the voting will be released in May, however, the ceremony date has yet to be announced.
On this episode of Cheddar Innovates: CEO of HereAfter AI discusses how artificial intelligence can be used to preserve family history and stories, and allow you to 'talk' to loved ones that have passed; Creator of the board game 'Travel Explore Discover' explains how she came up with the idea for this informative and educational board game, and how she's using the proceeds to give back to her community; Cheddar gets a look at Curiosity Stream's 'The Humboldt Current.'
According to the Federal Reserve, the investment gap between Black and white Americans has remained substantial, with only 34 percent of Black households joining in on the historic rise in the markets. Stacey Tisdale, the first Black woman to have reported from the NYSE and the CEO and president of Mind Money Media Inc., said that the data might not be as disheartening as it seems. "I think that number is very deceiving. That Federal Reserve study is actually from 2019, and it's very important that we all look beneath that number and look beneath the surface because there is nothing short of an investing revolution going on in the Black community," Tisdale said.
James Vlahos, Co-Founder and CEO of HereAfter AI, joins Cheddar Innovates to discuss how artificial intelligence can be used to preserve family history and stories, and allow you to 'talk' to loved ones that have passed.
Ava Rathenberg, Creator of the board game 'Travel Explore Discover,' joins Cheddar Innovates to discuss how she came up with the idea for this informative and educational board game, and how she's using the proceeds to give back to her community.
An award-winning performance by the LSU Tiger Girls dance team is going viral on TikTok, but like many other viral tiktoks, this one had a larger story to tell. The story goes back to 2021 when for the first time in 22 years, the LSU dance team was informed it could not compete at Universal Dance Association Nationals. The team made their anticipated return to UDA Nationals this year with a performance that delivered a strong and clear message to their university. The LSU Tiger Girls walked away from the competition with their first national championship title in 12 years, redemption against the university that held them back, and of course- millions of new fans and friends on TikTok.
Solid-state battery maker Factorial Energy recently raised $200 million in a Series D round led by Mercedes-Benz and Stellantis. Factorial says the funding will be used to accelerate commercial production and deployment of its solid-state battery technology, which the company says is safer, and offers up to 50% more driving range than current lithium-ion technology. Factorial also has joint development agreements (announced in late 2021) with Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis, and Hyundai, three of the top 10 global automotive manufacturers, to commercialize its batteries. Factorial CEO Siyu Huang joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Former Dolphins coach Brian Flores filed a lawsuit against the NFL over racial discrimination, exposing a long-running problem the NFL has had with diversity in its top coaching and management positions. Eric Mitchell, the president and CEO of public relations and communications company LifeFlip Media, joined Cheddar News to delve into the scandal rocking the pro football world just before the Super Bowl. "There is a problem. If you look at who owns teams in the NFL, it's right, it's a good old boys club, it's a bunch of old white guys," he said. "So, it's exposing something that's been around for ages and now that we're sitting in 2022 has come up."
This April, Madison Square Garden will be hosting the first-ever women's boxing match to headline at the arena in its 140 years of history in boxing. Undisputed lightweight champion, Katie Taylor, and seven-division champion, Amanda Serrano, will go head-to-head for a career-high guaranteed seven-figure purse for both of them. The pair joined Cheddar News to talk about the upcoming "fight of their lives." "I mean, this is the first step I believe," said Serrano. "Unheard of, two women headlining the Garden, we get in the biggest paydays of our career, I hope it continues to break down barriers."
