Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Thursday, November 19, 2020:

COVID-19: LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

The U.S. death toll has surpassed 250,000, according to the Johns Hopkins database. That exceeds the high end of the projection made by Dr. Fauci back in March. New York City public schools, the largest system in the country, are closing indefinitely after the city breached 3 percent test positivity. Pfizer has revised its vaccine efficacy from 90 to 95 percent, and plans to apply for emergency authorization within days. California’s Democratic leaders are taking heavy criticism for breaking their own protocols -- the governor recently attended a semi-indoor dinner party while, earlier, state lawmakers flew to a junket in Hawaii. NPR

BIDEN TRANSITION

House Democrats nominated Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her top deputies, Reps. Steny Hoyer and Jim Clyburn, to lead the caucus into the Biden presidency, opting against any leadership changes in the party despite its poor showing in House races. Meanwhile, Georgia’s recount results will be released today and are expected to affirm that Joe Biden won the state, and a partial recount in Wisconsin funded by the Trump campaign is happening, but state officials do not expect it to reverse Biden’s win there, either. Trump’s refusal to concede the election -- now going on for more than two weeks -- is blocking the new administration’s ability to access materials, office space, confidential briefings and other resources that a president-elect is entitled to by law. REUTERS

CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF

The FAA has cleared Boeing to resume flying its 737 Max jetliner, 20 months after the entire fleet was grounded following two fatal accidents that killed 346 people. It will probably take months for Boeing to get the planes back in the air, and other regulatory agencies around the world still need to give their own sign-offs. The head of the FAA says he’s happy with the changes Boeing made to the 737 Max software system that is thought to be behind the two crashes, adding: “I am 100 percent comfortable with my family flying on it.” SEATTLE TIMES

CHARGES DROPPED

Federal prosecutors have abruptly dropped drug trafficking and money laundering charges against Mexico’s former defense minister -- reportedly because Mexico threatened to expel U.S. drug agents from the country if they didn't. Gen. Salvador Cienfuegos was arrested at LAX last month, accused of taking bribes from the cartels while he was in office. Rather than face trial here, he will be returned to Mexico under the unusual agreement. The decision to drop the case went all the way up to Attorney General Bill Barr. AP

A WONDER WOMAN CHRISTMAS

The sequel to Wonder Woman will now debut Christmas Day, simultaneously in theaters (where they are still open), and on HBO Max at no additional cost to subscribers. Wonder Woman 1984 will become the highest-profile tentpole film of the year to premiere directly on a streaming service. WarnerMedia is hoping that a bump in new subscribers for HBO Max will outweigh whatever revenue is lost from a big theatrical run. THR

BITCOIN ON FIRE

One bitcoin could now get you a small car. The price of the cryptocurrency crossed $18,000, a level that hadn’t been seen since the bubble of 2018. Bitcoin is up around 150 percent in 2020 as the digital coin has gained legitimacy as a hedge against inflation and political risks. The all-time high is just under $20,000. CHEDDAR

NBA DRAFT

The Minnesota Timberwolves drafted Georgia guard Anthony Edwards with the first overall draft pick. Golden State selected James Wiseman, a center from Memphis, with the second pick, and LaMelo Ball went to the Hornets at no. 3. He and Lonzo Ball are the first brothers to be top-five draft picks in NBA history (Lonzo was the no. 2 pick in 2017). ESPN

SPOTTED...

...The actor Michael B. Jordan, sitting pretty on the cover of People for its Sexiest Man Alive issue: SEE PICS

...a small -- and scared -- owl, hiding in the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. The owl has been rescued and sent to an animal sanctuary after it traveled with the tree from upstate New York to its new home in Midtown Manhattan: SEE PICS

GOVERNOR MCCONAUGHEY

Matthew McConaughey for governor? In a recent interview promoting his book, the actor appeared to be warm to the idea of running for Texas governor. McConaughey told Hugh Hewitt: “Politics seems to be a broken business to me right now. And when politics redefines its purpose, I could be a hell of a lot more interested." Texas’ current governor, Greg Abbott, is up for reelection in 2022. STAR TELEGRAM

LEFTOVERS: MOST COMMON PASSWORDS

A cybersecurity firm has compiled a list of 200 passwords it says are the worst you can choose in terms of the time it takes a computer to crack them. Using a database of 275,000 passwords, Nordpass found less than half were unique. Many of the rest were versions of 123456, abc123 and, of course, the classic: password. If your password is on this list, you may want to finally change it: SEE IT

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
Dating App Hinge Is Giving Single Daters With Kids $100 to Go to Childcare
Hinge users who have children can opt-in to a $100 stipend up to $25,000 for childcare. Logan Ury, the director of relationship science for the online dating platform, noted the issue as an obstacle for single parents who want to go out on dates. "We have heard that singles with children have a hard time going on dates for one of the reasons being that it's just hard to find childcare and it's hard to be able to afford it," she said. Ury also said that the hot topic among Hinge's users is mental health and the prioritizing of mental health.
Rock & Rock Hall of Fame Announces 2022 Nominations
Dolly Parton, Eminem, Lionel Richie, and Carly Simon are just a few of the nominees announced for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2022 induction. Results of the voting will be released in May, however, the ceremony date has yet to be announced.
How A.I. is Reinventing Remembrance; Biodiversity of the Humboldt Current
On this episode of Cheddar Innovates: CEO of HereAfter AI discusses how artificial intelligence can be used to preserve family history and stories, and allow you to 'talk' to loved ones that have passed; Creator of the board game 'Travel Explore Discover' explains how she came up with the idea for this informative and educational board game, and how she's using the proceeds to give back to her community; Cheddar gets a look at Curiosity Stream's 'The Humboldt Current.'
Despite Black Participation in Stock Market Lagging, Investment Gap Might Improve
According to the Federal Reserve, the investment gap between Black and white Americans has remained substantial, with only 34 percent of Black households joining in on the historic rise in the markets. Stacey Tisdale, the first Black woman to have reported from the NYSE and the CEO and president of Mind Money Media Inc., said that the data might not be as disheartening as it seems. "I think that number is very deceiving. That Federal Reserve study is actually from 2019, and it's very important that we all look beneath that number and look beneath the surface because there is nothing short of an investing revolution going on in the Black community," Tisdale said.
How 'HereAfter AI' is Reinventing Remembrance
James Vlahos, Co-Founder and CEO of HereAfter AI, joins Cheddar Innovates to discuss how artificial intelligence can be used to preserve family history and stories, and allow you to 'talk' to loved ones that have passed.
Tik Talk: Meet The LSU Tiger Girls, National Champions & Comeback Queens
An award-winning performance by the LSU Tiger Girls dance team is going viral on TikTok, but like many other viral tiktoks, this one had a larger story to tell. The story goes back to 2021 when for the first time in 22 years, the LSU dance team was informed it could not compete at Universal Dance Association Nationals. The team made their anticipated return to UDA Nationals this year with a performance that delivered a strong and clear message to their university. The LSU Tiger Girls walked away from the competition with their first national championship title in 12 years, redemption against the university that held them back, and of course- millions of new fans and friends on TikTok.
Factorial Energy Raises $200 Million to Accelerate Commercialization of Its Solid-State Batteries for Electric Vehicles
Solid-state battery maker Factorial Energy recently raised $200 million in a Series D round led by Mercedes-Benz and Stellantis. Factorial says the funding will be used to accelerate commercial production and deployment of its solid-state battery technology, which the company says is safer, and offers up to 50% more driving range than current lithium-ion technology. Factorial also has joint development agreements (announced in late 2021) with Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis, and Hyundai, three of the top 10 global automotive manufacturers, to commercialize its batteries. Factorial CEO Siyu Huang joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Brian Flores Lawsuit Looks to Address NFL's Lack of Diversity at the Top
Former Dolphins coach Brian Flores filed a lawsuit against the NFL over racial discrimination, exposing a long-running problem the NFL has had with diversity in its top coaching and management positions. Eric Mitchell, the president and CEO of public relations and communications company LifeFlip Media, joined Cheddar News to delve into the scandal rocking the pro football world just before the Super Bowl. "There is a problem. If you look at who owns teams in the NFL, it's right, it's a good old boys club, it's a bunch of old white guys," he said. "So, it's exposing something that's been around for ages and now that we're sitting in 2022 has come up."
Katie Taylor, Amanda Serrano on Being First Female Boxing Headliners at MSG
This April, Madison Square Garden will be hosting the first-ever women's boxing match to headline at the arena in its 140 years of history in boxing. Undisputed lightweight champion, Katie Taylor, and seven-division champion, Amanda Serrano, will go head-to-head for a career-high guaranteed seven-figure purse for both of them. The pair joined Cheddar News to talk about the upcoming "fight of their lives." "I mean, this is the first step I believe," said Serrano. "Unheard of, two women headlining the Garden, we get in the biggest paydays of our career, I hope it continues to break down barriers."
Load More