Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Friday, July 31, 2020:

COVID-19: LATEST DEVELOPMENTS: Herman Cain, a prominent Republican businessman who ran for president in 2012 and was close with President Trump, has died following a long hospitalization with the coronavirus. There’s no way to know how or when Cain got infected, but he posted photos of himself without a mask while attending the Trump rally in Tulsa, two weeks before he was hospitalized. Federal jobless benefits run out today and senators have left D.C. for the weekend without coming to an agreement on a new rescue package. Dr. Fauci testifies in front of the House this morning on the topic of vaccines, testing and school reopenings. NY TIMES

ISAIAS IS COMING: Isaias (pronounced ee-sah-ee-as) is now a Cat 1 hurricane with 80 mph winds as it tracks toward Florida after pounding Puerto Rico with heavy rain and winds, knocking out power. Miami, Ft. Lauderdale and West Palm Beach are under tropical storm watches. The latest projections have Isaias swiping southern and eastern Florida this weekend, and then riding up the eastern seaboard next week. TRACK

OBAMA ON LEWIS: Former President Obama eulogized John Lewis as a “founding father” of America’s future, delivering a rousing tribute to the civil rights icon while simultaneously condemning those in power for their record on Lewis’ legacy of voting rights. Obama, who has reportedly been increasingly candid in private about what he thinks of the current administration, also called for the elimination of the filibuster, statehood for D.C. and Puerto Rico, and making Election Day a holiday. AXIOS

TRUMP FLOATS ELECTION DELAY: Top Republicans rejected President Trump’s suggestion, floated as part of a tweet complaining about mail-in ballots, that the November election be delayed. (The president does not have the authority to delay an election.) The tweet came minutes after the government reported the worst economic data ever recorded, and as polls show Trump losing to Joe Biden both nationally and in swing states. AP

ECONOMIC DISASTER: The U.S. economy had its biggest collapse on record last quarter. GDP -- the measure of all the goods and services produced in the country-- dropped 9.5 percent, or the equivalent of an annual drop of about 33 percent. That’s twice the rate of GDP decline during the Great Recession, and it happened in three months as opposed to three years. Nearly all of the recent economic data suggests that the recovery is stalling. MARKETWATCH

BLOWOUT TECH EARNINGS: A day after the top four tech CEOs took a lashing from Congress, all of their companies reported earnings, and the results were eye-popping. Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google each easily topped expectations for the quarter, which was about as unusual as a fiscal quarter can get. Combined, the four companies made $28 billion in profits. The one big catch: for the first time, Google reported a decline in its revenue as many companies cut back on advertising. THE STREET

NBA BUBBLE GOES LIVE: Players may have looked a bit rusty, but the NBA’s return to play gave fans two close, exciting games. The Jazz pulled off a comeback victory against Zion Williamson and the Pelicans, followed by LeBron James and the Lakers delivering a crunch time win against the Clippers. Players from all four teams knelt during the national anthem. ESPN

OPRAH GIVES UP COVER: One face has been on every cover of O Magazine since it launched 20 years ago -- until now. Oprah Winfrey gave the cover of the September issue of her namesake mag to Breonna Taylor, the Black woman in Kentucky who was shot to death by police while sleeping in her bed. In an essay, Oprah explains that she couldn’t stay silent about Taylor’s death, writing: “We have to use whatever megaphone we have to cry for justice.” READ IT

MORE 'ELLEN' ALLEGATIONS: Warner Bros. has been investigating The Ellen DeGeneres Show after several media reports highlighted what former employees called a “toxic” workplace environment at the syndicated daytime talker. A new report from BuzzFeed cites dozens more former employees who say the show’s executive producers engaged in “rampant” sexual misconduct behind the scenes. DeGeneres has apologized to the show’s staff in a letter. BUZZFEED NEWS

LEFTOVERS: TOPO CHICO, BUT WITH BOOZE: Topo Chico, the Texas sparkling water brand with a cult following, will release a hard seltzer this year, first in Latin America and then in the U.S. in 2021. Coca-Cola bought Topo Chico in 2017 to get a leg up on the seltzer craze. This will be Coke’s first foray into alcohol in the Americas (they sell an alcoholic soda in Japan). AUSTIN 360

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
Country Star Mickey Guyton on Musical Diversity, Teaming With 3M for School Safety
Fresh off of the CMT Awards, country singer Mickey Guyton joined Cheddar News to talk about the state of Black and women artists in country music, past and upcoming projects, and her partnership with 3M for its school zone safety initiative for National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. “Now that I’m a mom, I always wondered why my mom was so crazy over us, but now I get it” Guyton said. “I hope that drivers start driving undistracted, like put our phones down! Pay attention to signs. When you see children slow down and make sure that they're safe."
Why American License Plates Are Such A Mess
As of 2020, there were some 270 million registered vehicles in the United States, each one adorned with a mandatory license plate or two. And while plates appear standardized within states, when you zoom out to the whole country, the system get well, downright chaotic. European plates vary by country, but look similar. While that’s certainly less visually interesting, it's a whole lot more effective. Back here in the States, our lack of license plate standardization can cause real headaches
Spring Style Tips for an Appropriate and Comfortable Return to the Office
As life inches toward a post-pandemic world, many people are trying to navigate how to transition from their work-from-home look to a new back-to-office style for the first time in two years. Dina Scherer, the owner of Modnitsa Styling, joined Cheddar News to provide some styling suggestions for those returning to the office. 'I do hear this from a lot of my clients that they just have no idea how to transition from sweat pants, athleisure, into a work office environment outfit that's both appropriate and comfortable,' she noted.
Author Marci Hopkins on Breaking Cycle of Bad Habits for Alcohol Awareness Month
April is Alcohol Awareness Month, and while COVID-19 has not made it easy for people who deal with addiction, Marci Hopkins, the author of the upcoming "Chaos to Clarity: Seeing the Signs and Breaking the Cycles," joined Cheddar News to talk about ways people can break out of a bad cycle of bad habits. “Things that have helped me; move a muscle change a thought," she said. "If you start thinking about having that drink or whatever it is that you have turned to, get up. Move. That's really, really important," she said.
U.S. Stocks Turn Positive in Final Hour to Close Higher
U.S. stocks saw a jump in the final hour of Thursday's session, and ultimately closed slightly higher for the day. Tim Pagliara, Chief Investment Officer of CapWealth, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss. "The markets have had to digest a lot of action from the federal reserve this quarter and it's affecting everything from mortgage rates to how they value stocks," he said.
Load More