Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Wednesday, June 24, 2020:
EU TRAVEL BAN: The European Union is reportedly planning to ban Americans from flying into E.U. bloc countries because of how poorly the United States has controlled the spread of coronavirus. That would put the U.S. in the same category as Brazil and Russia, on a list of nations whose citizens would be barred from traveling to Europe when its borders reopen on July 1. NY TIMES
FAUCI ON THE HILL: Dr. Fauci says he is “cautiously optimistic” that a COVID-19 vaccine will be ready by the end of the year or early 2021. Fauci testified to Congress about the country’s pandemic response, calling it a “mixed bag” so far and noting a “disturbing surge” in new infections. He also said he was never told to slow down virus testing. CNN
PRIMARY RESULTS: There’s no final calls in many of the biggest primaries given how many people voted absentee, but there are still several takeaways the morning after: N.Y.’s Rep. Eliot Engel is likely to be defeated by progressive newcomer Jamaal Bowman; AOC easily won her primary; and President Trump’s iron grip on the GOP is slipping. A 24-year-old newcomer won in the N.C. district vacated by Mark Meadows, who is now the White House chief of staff. Madison Cawthorn easily beat Meadows’ handpicked replacement, who was also endorsed by Trump. POLITICO
MACY'S FIREWORKS A GO: The famous Macy’s Fourth of July Spectacular will happen in NYC this year, though there will be some significant changes. Starting next week, there will be a series of short fireworks shows in each of the city’s five boroughs, followed by a grand finale on the 4th that will be televised - but the city is keeping the sites secret in order to keep people from congregating. ABC NY
SAVINGS SKYROCKET: Americans are saving more money than ever. U.S. banks have seen a record $2 trillion in deposits since the pandemic started and the personal-saving rate hit a record 33 percent in April, up from 7.5 percent at the end of 2019. The influx of cash from the PPP, enhanced unemployment benefits and stimulus checks are part of the reason, combined with people pausing big purchases. But with rates so low, any money you have sitting in a savings account isn’t going to be earning much in the way of interest for a long time. BI
R.I.P. SEGWAY: Segway, the company behind the two-wheeled self-balancing people mover popular with mall security guards, is shutting down its namesake product, 20 years after launching amid a frenzy of hype that it would be the next big thing in personal transport. Segway originally anticipated selling 100,000 a year, but it only ever sold about 140,000 in total. The last Segway will roll off the line on July 15. FAST COMPANY
PLAY BALL! Major League Baseball will hold a shortened season, with Opening Day set for July 23 or 24. The league and players agreed on safety protocols for the 60-game season, effectively ending the stalemate. Players report to camp on July 1. CBS SPORTS
BUBBA WALLACE UPDATE: The FBI has determined that the 'noose' that was found hanging in NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace’s garage stall had been there since October, and Wallace was not the victim of an intentional hate crime. YAHOO SPORTS
DJOKOVIC COVID POSITIVE: Novak Djokovic and his wife have tested positive for COVID-19 after hosting a series of exhibition matches in Europe without any social distancing guidelines. Previously, the No. 1 ranked tennis player in the world had not committed to play the U.S. Open, saying he didn’t want to deal with the safety protocols put in place. ESPN
'THRONES' BOOK PROGRESS: One good thing to come out of the pandemic, at least for Game of Thrones fans: George R.R. Martin has been writing. The author has updated Thrones fans on the progress of The Winds of Winter, his highly anticipated sixth installment in the series. Martin says he’s been holed up, writing away, and expects the book to be done next year. EW
SPOTTED...Timothée Chalamet and his new girlfriend, actress Eiza González, vacationing in Mexico: SEE PICS
LEFTOVERS: IT HAPPENED AGAIN: Another art conservation effort in Spain went horribly wrong, drawing comparisons to the infamous and widely mocked “Monkey Christ” painting. A private collector hired a furniture restorer to clean and restore a priceless painting of the Virgin Mary by the Spanish artist Bartolomé Esteban Murillo. It did not go well: SEE PIC
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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.
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.
