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!
A 2021 report from UK Research and Innovation found that the shipping industry makes up at least 2.5 percent of the world's total CO2 emissions. It's a problem that energy solutions company, Leclanché, is trying to solve. Founded in 1909, the company has been developing and producing batteries for more than 100 years. Today, Leclanché's lithium-ion battery is used to electrify not just ships, but also railroad locomotives, trucks, and specialty vehicles. Cheddar News spoke with Pierre Blanc, chief technology and industrial officer of Leclanché, to discuss.
Amazon is betting that ammonia could be the fuel of the future, participating in a Series A round for the Brooklyn-based company Amogy in December. Amogy aims to de-carbonize transportation with a clean energy system that uses ammonia as a renewable fuel. Amogy is partnering with Amazon on its first commercial product - an ammonia-powered cargo-shipping vessel. Amogy CEO Seonghoon Woo joins Cheddar Climate to discuss.
One of the world's largest transport companies is kicking off Black History Month with a new initiative aimed at the next generation of business leaders. Today, FedEx announced the launch of its Student Ambassador Program. Participants selected from eight historically black colleges and universities will receive career guidance from FedEx executives. The program is part of FedEx's ongoing commitment to HBCUs and will also help the company expand its pipeline for diverse talent. Cheddar News welcomes senior vice president at FedEx, Jenny Robertson, and Jerryl Briggs, President of Mississippi Valley State University, to discuss.
"Sing 2" has overthrown "Spider-Man: No Way Home" as the number one film at the UK box office. The animated sequel brought in $8.1 million, in just its two first weekends. However, "No Way Home" is still on track to beat "Avatar" as the number one grossing movie of all time.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America has been a driving force for youth mentorship since 1904. The nonprofit organization is launching its annual Big Draft campaign this month in partnership with the NFL, and Artis Stevens, the first Black CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, joined Cheddar to discuss the push for adding more "Bigs" as mentors on his one-year anniversary leading the non-profit organization. "While the NFL is recruiting and drafting more players, they're also helping us to draft more mentors and, particularly, men all the way from across February to all the way to April of this year," Stevens explained.
The Supreme Court will reconsider race-based affirmative action in college admissions. The court will examine admissions policies at Harvard University and The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, which count the race of applicants as a factor in admissions. The court has upheld affirmative action policies in the past, saying it helps to create more diverse student bodies. However, the conservative Supreme Court could be skeptical and even possibly hostile to such policies. Nick Anderson, Higher Education Writer, Washington Post joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
The value of most cryptocurrencies have plummeted in recent months since reaching all-time highs in November, wiping out more than $1 trillion in value globally. The steep crash has some talking about the possibility of a crypto winter, a term referring to a prolonged bearish period where asset prices persistently fall over many months. This all comes as the Fed is expected to raise interest rates, and the Biden administration is working on an executive order to regulate Bitcoin and other assets. Josh Goodbody, COO of Qredo, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss the crypto crash, and how the industry might recover from it.
Recent data reveals that streaming giants are struggling to retain subscribers in the months following a major release.
According to data from Antenna, subscriber trends show that users will subscribe to a given streaming service just to watch a particular show, and then cancel those subscriptions shortly after. This comes as the streaming space continues to heat up as new entrants crowd the space. Jon Christian, Founding Partner + Digital Supply Chain Leader at OnPrem joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
The EU relaxed its Covid travel restrictions for vaccinated individuals among the union's 27 member states, doing away with testing or quarantine requirements for travelers. This comes soon after the World Health Organization said the omicron variant could help make the pandemic more manageable. The new rules take effect February 1st. Bryce Conway, Founder, 10xTravel joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
