Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Thursday, December 3, 2020:
COVID-19: 'MOST DIFFICULT' MONTHS AHEAD
The head of the CDC is warning that the coming months will be “the most difficult in the public health history of this nation.” Sure enough, the U.S. is just shy of breaking the daily death record set in April: 2,733 people died from COVID-19 on Wednesday. Hospitalizations have surpassed 100,000 for the first time. The likely surge from infections seeded over Thanksgiving is still a week or two away, and hospitals around the country are already stretched thin. The CDC has revised its quarantine guidance: the standard 14-day quarantine has been changed to seven to 10 days, depending on symptoms and test results. COVID TRACKING PROJECT
VACCINE PLANS
Assuming the FDA authorizes at least one of the COVID vaccines, plans are starting to come together for how it will be distributed. Dr. Moncef Slaoui, President Trump’s vaccine czar, says the U.S. should be able to inoculate 100 million people by the end of February. He also made a point to say that side effects are expected to be “significantly noticeable” in 10 to 15 percent of the population, but should go away after 36 hours. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the state is expecting the first shipment of 170,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine to arrive on Dec. 15. BI
STIMULUS PROGRESS
There’s been a bit of movement on the long-stalled fiscal stimulus negotiations in Washington. Democratic leaders have endorsed a much slimmer $908 billion bill that was drafted by a bipartisan group of lawmakers as the basis for continued talks with their Republican counterparts. There’s a push to tie a new relief package to a broader spending bill that Congress needs to pass by next Friday in order to avoid a government shutdown. THE HILL
UN RECLASSIFIES CANNABIS
The United Nations has officially recognized cannabis’ medicinal use, accepting a recommendation from the W.H.O. to take marijuana off the list of most dangerous drugs. The recommendation only applies to cannabis for medical purposes, but the long-awaited vote makes it more likely that countries around the world that have balked at legalizing medicinal pot will reconsider. MARIJUANA BIZ DAILY
CHRISTMAS TREE BONANZA
Christmas tree farms around the country are reporting high demand -- unusually high for so early in the season -- as families look for an excuse to get out of the house and do something outdoors and festive. And it’s not just the farms. Independent stores and big retailers like Lowe’s and Home Depot are banking on high demand for trees and holiday decorations this year given that the home-decor segment of the economy has been so strong. The median price of a Christmas tree is expected to be up 7 percent to $81 this year. BLOOMBERG
SHIPPING WARS
Walmart has dropped its $35 minimum for online orders to get free same-day or two-day shipping -- but only if you’re a member of Walmart+. The world’s largest (physical) retailer has been moving to more aggressively take on Amazon. Walmart+ launched in September with an annual cost of $98. The company has not said how many subscribers it has. THE VERGE
NBA MOVES
The Los Angeles Lakers have locked up LeBron James with a two-year, $85 million contract extension. The deal will take James through the 2022-23 season, giving him 20 seasons in the NBA. James will be 39 when this contract is up. Separately, the Rockets and Wizards agreed to a blockbuster trade of their star point guards: Houston will get John Wall, plus a future first-round pick, and Russell Westbrook will go to Washington. ESPN
STREAMING WARS
There’s about to be another streaming service in town. Discovery will launch Discovery+ in January for $5 per month with ads or $7 without. The new platform will debut with more content than any of its rivals, according to Discovery: 55,000 episodes from 2,500 shows. The service will include content from the Discovery Channel, as well as A&E, Lifetime and History. Verizon will give wireless customers up to a year for free, depending on their plan. CNET
SWIFT SNEAK PEEK
Taylor Swift is in the process of re-recording her old catalog and just teased the first hint of what it’ll sound like. Swift gave Ryan Reynolds permission to use a snippet of the re-recorded version of one of her original hits, Love Story, for a clever Match.com commercial that Reynolds produced: WATCH
LEFTOVERS: TAKE A WALK
Many of us have been more sedentary than usual this year, for obvious reasons. But new research published in the British Journal of Medicine suggests that the amount of exercise we need to counteract the effects of so much sedentary behavior really isn’t that much at all. The study compiled data from tens of thousands of people who wore fitness trackers and found that just 30 to 40 minutes a day of moderate exercise -- think taking a brisk walk -- is the sweet spot for folks who spend most of their days sitting. REALSIMPLE
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