Debris covers the sidewalk in Southport, N.C. as hurricane Isaias moved through North Carolina early Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020. (WECT-TV via AP)
Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Tuesday, August 4, 2020:
ISAIAS MAKES LANDFALL: Isaias has been downgraded to a tropical storm after making landfall along the North Carolina coast as a Cat 1 hurricane, with wind guests as high as 93 mph. The storm is moving fast and will sweep up through the Eastern Seaboard today. Tropical Storm Warnings are in place from Cape Hatteras to Boston; D.C., Philly and NYC are likely to see wind speeds of 60-70 mph. Isaias may be the strongest storm to hit the New York metro area since Sandy in 2012. TRACK
COVID-19: LATEST DEVELOPMENTS: President Trump is criticizing another member of the White House coronavirus task force: Dr. Deborah Birx, after she issued a stark assessment of how the virus is spreading in the U.S. Now Dr. Fauci is defending Dr. Birx, agreeing that the U.S. is seeing uncontrolled community spread in many areas by asymptomatic people carrying the virus. Schools have begun reopening in some states, with chaotic results: there have been quarantines, postponements and closures as students and teachers bring the virus back to school with them. NY TIMES
JUDGE'S PLEA: The federal judge whose son was shot to death at their home by a “men’s rights” lawyer two weeks ago has broken her silence. Judge Esther Salas released an emotional nine-minute video in which she calls for more personal security for judges and asks that her son’s death not be in vain: WATCH
TRUMP TAX INVESTIGATION: The Manhattan DA’s office has suggested for the first time that it’s investigating President Trump and his business for potential bank and insurance fraud. In a court filing, the DA asked the president’s accounting firm to voluntarily comply with a subpoena seeking his tax returns after the Supreme Court ruled that sitting presidents aren’t immune from investigation. NY TIMES
RETAIL APOCALYPSE: The retail bankruptcies keep on coming. Lord & Taylor, the oldest department store in the country, has filed for bankruptcy protection, joining Neiman Marcus. The parent company of Men’s Wearhouse and Jos. A Bank has also filed, joining Brooks Bros. The pace of retail bankruptcies through the first half of this year far exceeded the entirety of 2019. AP
ANTIDEPRESSANT BREAKTHROUGH: The FDA has approved an antidepressant nasal spray for use in actively suicidal patients, the first time a drug has been given the greenlight for people who are planning to kill themselves, and a potential milestone for mental health treatment. The quick-acting spray, called Spravato, is a close cousin of the party drug ketamine, and has been used for treatment-resistant depression for the last year but never for people in the midst of an active suicidal crisis. BLOOMBERG
MIRACLE ON ICE: The MLB and NBA have been getting all the headlines, but another pro sports league has been showing success in its restarted season. The National Hockey League resumed play over the weekend, and says no players or staff members have tested positive for Covid-19 since they arrived in two Canadian hub cities. The NHL is conducting a 24-team postseason round robin, with the Western Conference playing in Edmonton and the East playing in Toronto. CNN
THE ROCK BUYS XFL: An investor group that includes Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has purchased the XFL for just $15 million. The alternative football league was attempting a comeback in the spring but immediately went bust when the virus hit the U.S. There was supposed to be an auction for the remains this week, but only the one bid materialized. Johnson and his partners are reportedly planning to resurrect the XFL once again next year. ESPN
SPOTTED...
...Five-time gold medal winner Katie Ledecky swimming the length of a pool with a glass of chocolate milk balanced on her head. The stunt is part of a new Got Milk? ad campaign: SEE IT
…(ICYMI) A tomato that got Twitter in a frenzy over its striking resemblance to NBA great Larry Bird: SEE IT
LEFTOVERS: THE AMERICANS ARE COMING
With the U.S.-Canada border closed for nonessential travel since March, Canadian police are cracking down on Americans who keep trying to cross the border using the “Alaska loophole” -- telling border agents they’re just on their way to Alaska. American tourists have been caught hiking and boating in Canadian territory, with some boaters even turning off their transponders to avoid detection. NPR
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!
On this episode of Cheddar Innovates: CEO of Achieve Life Sciences discusses a new plant-based compound that's being used to fight nicotine addiction; President & CEO OF DiaMedica Therapeutics explains a new ischemic stroke treatment option that expands the window for effective therapy for stroke patients; Cheddar gets a look at Curiosity Stream's 'Asteroid Rush.'
Catching you up on today's entertainment headlines with the Tribeca Film Festival has kicked off in NYC, "Black Adam," starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson dropped its first full trailer, the musical "Come From Away" based on a true story set during 9/11 will be closing on Broadway this October, and more.
Survivors of Larry Nassar, including Olympian Simone Biles, are seeking $1 billion in damages from the FBI due to its failure to investigate the former gymnastics team doctor convicted of committing years of serial sexual abuse of minors. Jack Queen, a senior reporter at Law360, joined Cheddar News to break down the legal grounds of this case. "This is one of the biggest black eyes that the Bureau has faced in generations, quite frankly, and the FBI has taken full responsibility and admitted that it completely botched this investigation," he said. "So, there's a lot of pressure to settle."
The Elevate Prize Foundation is donating $10,000 to different grassroots organizations based on a theme every month to help scale their work, focusing on a different theme each time. Upcoming prizes will help uplift an organization supporting the LGBTQ community and one mobilizing to help end gun violence. The foundation's CEO Carolina Garcia Jayaram joined Cheddar to discuss the initiative and why it's important to uplift these grassroots organizations. "We are identifying social entrepreneurs around the world to help them scale their work. but the ultimate purpose of that is to create the first-ever fanbase for good," she said. "We're trying to make good famous and by inspiring people to think about the role they can play in doing good in the world."
With real estate being a largely male-dominated industry, Stephanie Shojaee, vice president and chief marketing officer at development company Shoma Group, joined Cheddar News to discuss how she took on the gender gap for women to achieve leadership roles, starting at her own company. “It's been very important to teach all the women that work here, especially the younger ones, that they shouldn't change themselves," she said. "You need to be happy with who you are and just keep breaking barriers."
We are already starting to feel the effects of summer. Heat waves in Texas and California are already sending temperatures soaring. That could spell trouble for the nation's power supply. there are new concerns about outages in many areas of the country. Cheddar's Shannon Lanier explains the two main causes of blackouts, and what states are doing to keep the lights on and the air conditioning running.
If you have been on the road this past year, you've probably seen more accidents on the road than you ever have. You're not wrong. Traffic fatalities are not only increasing they are hitting historic highs. Almost 43,000 people died in motor vehicle accidents in 2021. Cheddar's Shannon Lanier investigates - and finds out why.
U.S. stocks close Tuesday at session highs after a subpar start to the trading day. Tim Chubb, Chief Investment Officer at the wealth advisory firm, Girard, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss. 'We're starting to see the moderation of three core things -- we've seen the moderation of prices, we've seen the moderation of wage growth we've seen in the labor market, and we've also seen a moderation of job openings,' he says.
The victims from the USA gymnastics sexual abuse scandal continue to seek justice. Survivors of Larry Nassar are seeking more than one-billion dollars from the FBI for failing to stop the convicted sports doctor when the agency first received allegations. According to a report released by the Justice Department's Inspector General, FBI agents knew
in July of 2015 that Nassar was accused of abusing gymnasts; however, Nassar wasn't arrested until December of 2016. The group that filed the claim includes Olympic medalist Simone Biles and around 90 other women. Louise Radnofsky, sports reporter at The Wall Street Journal, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Tattoo artist Katrina "Kat Tat" Jackson, famous for starring in the VH1 hit series "Black Ink Crew: Chicago," is also the first Black woman to own a tattoo shop in Beverly Hills. She joined Cheddar News to discuss her trailblazing work, the stigma BIPOC tattoo artists face in the industry, and the way the space has changed for artists of color since her start. "In the beginning, I remember walking into a tattoo shop just like, hey, I wanna learn, I wanna be a tattoo artist and kind of just being laughed at, not taken seriously," she said. "Even with the tattoo conventions, a lot of African American tattoo artists were almost scared to go to conventions because it's not a welcoming environment."
