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
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.
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'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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
