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!
M&T Bank rang the Opening Bell at the New York Stock Exchange Thursday morning as the company celebrated a milestone of opening 100 new multicultural banking centers. David Femi, head of multicultural banking, joined Cheddar to discuss the culturally inclusive expansion as part of the bank's overarching goal to increase financial access in racially and ethnically diverse communities. "By designating branches as multicultural is just one way for us to be intentional in making sure, that number one, when [customers] come into these branches, they see people that look like them, they see people that speak their language," he said.
A second Starbucks location in the U.S. has officially voted to unionize. On Monday, the National Labor Relations Board announced workers at the Starbucks store located in the Buffalo, NY suburb of Cheektowaga voted 15-9 in favor of being represented by Workers United, an affiliate of the Service Employees International Union. The New York Times reports votes were tallied in December but remained inconclusive as the union challenged the ballots of several employees it said did not work at the store. A Starbucks spokesperson has said that it may appeal the labor board's decision, which comes as several other Starbucks stores across the country are also pushing to form a union. Danka Dragic, shift supervisor for the second Starbucks store in the country to unionize, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Technology-driven sustainable waste management platform, RoadRunner Recycling, recently raised a $70 million Series D round from BeyondNetZero, the climate investing venture of General Atlantic. RoadRunner says it creates and manages end-to-end waste and recycling solutions for businesses of all sizes and that its proprietary technology can boost cost savings and improve recycling rates for companies, which in turn drives sustainability for the waste industry and our world. RoadRunner Recycling founder and CEO Graham Rihn joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Apple TV+ is in serious talks for the rights to stream MLB games next season, the first foray into sports content for the platform, according to the New York Post. Lee Berke, president and CEO of LHB Sports, sat down with Cheddar to discuss how such a deal might impact the tech giant and the sports content industry. "Quite often with new media platforms one of the quickest ways to create and implement a programming strategy — and actually one of the most expensive ways — is to offer up sports content," Berke noted. "So, with this package available, it puts Apple literally in the game and gives them an opportunity to demonstrate their skills in offering up a major league sport."
A.I.-enabled fintech company Qraft Technologies recently closed a $146 million investment from SoftBank Group Corp.
The companies say they are entering a partnership to accelerate artificial intelligence in the asset management industry. Qraft has already developed A.I. solutions that have been used by major financial institutions and says its new approach to asset management maximizes investment efficiency. Qraft Technologies U.S. CEO Robert Nestor joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Peacock has announced a slate of original Olympic games documentaries set to premiere throughout January. The first series, 'Meddling' is now available to stream. The four-part docuseries details the 2002 winter Olympic scandal which alleged that the pairs figure skating competition had been fixed to favor Russia. Tara Lipinski, Olympic gold medalist, champion figure skater, and executive producer of ' Meddling,' joins Cheddar News discuss the series.
A decade ago, long before streaming services, the amount of binge-watching viewers could take part in was slim. Now, streaming services have established binge-watching as a viewing norm. However, how can viewers know when they've crossed the line from innocent entertainment to harmful addiction? Judy Grisel, professor of psychology at Bucknell University, joins Cheddar News to discuss a new study that identifies psychological predictors of problematic binge-watching.
Glassdoor has officially revealed its list of the best places to work in the year 2022. The top 10 on the list include tech companies and just one retail company. Senior economist at Glassdoor, Daniel Zhao, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Students in the Chicago Public School system will head back to class tomorrow at long last. The move comes after four days of canceled classes due to clashes between teachers and the city, including Chicago Mayor Laurie Lightfoot. National Educational Reporter at USA Today, Richard Erin, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
