Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Wednesday, August 19, 2020:

DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION

LAST NIGHT: Joe Biden was formally nominated to be the Democratic presidential candidate by way of a virtual roll-call vote that highlighted both the natural diversity of the country and the generational and cultural diversity of the party. Two more Republicans, Cindy McCain and Colin Powell, recorded speeches in support of Biden -- a sign the Democrats see their path to the White House going through moderate Republicans who may be disaffected with President Trump. Jill Biden delivered the keynote from her former high school classroom, recalling her husband’s personal losses and saying he would “make the nation whole.” HIGHLIGHTS

TONIGHT: Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Gabby Giffords are on the schedule, teeing up Barack Obama and Sen. Kamala Harris in primetime. ABC NEWS

USPS ABOUT-FACE: The Postmaster General has reversed course and now says all changes at the Postal Service will be paused until after the presidential election. Louis DeJoy, who will testify in front of House Democrats next week, is suspending any decisions that would have affected post office hours, mail-sorting equipment changes and processing facility closures (though changes that already took effect won't be reversed). Attorneys general from 20 states have joined or filed lawsuits to push back on changes at the USPS that many fear could undermine mail-in voting. CNN

COVID-19: BACK TO SCHOOL: Notre Dame and Michigan State are the latest universities to reverse course on their plans after seeing spikes in positive cases. Notre Dame is moving all classes online for at least two weeks; MSU is going fully remote for the semester. At least 250 new cases nationwide have been tied to fraternity parties. Officials in NYC, the only big city planning to open public schools in a couple weeks, are under growing pressure from teachers to delay the school year. NY TIMES

RUSSIA INVESTIGATION: A Republican-led Senate committee found that President Trump’s former campaign chair, Paul Manafort, had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence agents in the lead up to the 2016 election and represented a “grave counterintelligence threat” to the U.S. The 1,000-page report closes the book on the long-running investigation by laying out extensive evidence of a Russian plot to help Trump win, and Trump advisers who were open to the help. Like the Mueller report, it did not conclude that the Trump campaign conspired with the Kremlin. WASH POST

BULL MARKET IS BACK: The longest bull market in history was replaced by what is now officially the shortest bear market in history. The S&P 500 closed at a record high after flirting with the level for weeks, officially ending the pandemic-induced plunge that began just 126 trading days ago. Despite tens of millions of people who are still out of work, the benchmark stock index is now about 5 percent higher for the year. REUTERS

AMAZON HIRING SPREE: For everyone saying remote work is the future, Big Tech is saying: not so fast. Amazon says it is adding 3,500 white-collar jobs at offices in six cities: Phoenix, Denver, San Diego, Detroit, Dallas and NYC. New York will get 2,000 of those jobs and they will be based out of the former Lord & Taylor flagship store, which was sold to WeWork and then Amazon. Facebook recently signed a major lease of space on the west side of Manhattan, and Google continues to build a new campus down the street. UPI

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Two weeks until the first kickoff, there are six of 10 FBS conferences planning to play football this season. Leading the way is the SEC, which has unveiled its stadium guidelines for the fall: attendance decisions are up to the schools, but masks will be mandated for fans and game-day workers. SI

STUDIO EXEC OUSTED: NBCUniversal vice chairman Ron Meyer, an influential and long-serving Hollywood executive, was forced out of his job after failing to disclose a settlement with an actress with whom he admits he had a consensual affair years ago. That actress is reportedly Charlotte Kirk, who also had an affair with former Warner Bros. chief Kevin Tsujihara last year that led to his ouster. Meyer said he told NBC about the affair because he was being extorted by an unnamed third party. VARIETY

SPOTTED...Kanye West and Steve Harvey, having lunch at an Atlanta Chick-fil-A. The CEO of the fast-food chain was there too, singing hymns: SEE IT

LEFTOVERS: COOKIE ALERT: The Girl Scouts are introducing a new cookie flavor for next year. It’s called Toast-Yay!, and it tastes like french toast. The new flavor will be available in January, when the cookie-selling season kicks off. If you don’t have a neighborhood hookup, the Girl Scouts plan to bring back online ordering in 2021. THRILLIST

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
Tips for Finding the Job You Love
Misty Gaither, Senior Director, Global Head of Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging at Indeed, joins Cheddar Wellness to discuss some of the top motivating factors for job switchers, and advice for finding a fulfilling, long-lasting job.
Flight Attendants Call For More Safety and Trainings Amid Disruptive Passengers
According to the FAA, airlines have reported over 5,000 incidents involving unruly passengers this year, with more than 3,600 of those involving people who refused to wear face masks. As a result of all this, airline crews are calling on the federal government to step in to implement protocols to help ensure safety on the ground and while in flight. President of the Association of Flight Attendants- CWA Sara Nelson, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
School Closures Surge Amid Omicron Surge
Schools are shutting down in droves as the highly contagious omicron variant surges across the country. Denisha Merriweather, director of public relations and content marketing at the American Federation for Children, an advocacy organization for vouchers and tax credits for school choice, joined Cheddar's "Opening Bell" to discuss the impact of remote learning on children. She argued that school districts have to be more proactive about the steps they are taking to engage students, and if they are unable to form better teaching methods, parents should be able to find alternative schools.
'Succession' Stock Check: Logan Wins Again
J.D. Durkin breaks down the season three finale of HBO's 'Succession', and reveals whose stock is up, whose is down, and who is the final 'Boar on the Floor' of the year.
Metaverse an Opportunity for Brands to 'Stay Refreshed' in Evolving Landscape
Howard Yu, LEGO professor of management and innovation at IMD Business School and author of "Leap: How to Thrive in a World Where Everything Can Be Copied," joined Cheddar to discuss the mania surrounding the concept of the metaverse. He particularly noted how companies in the retailing sector like Nike are leveraging it. "I think metaverse really opens up a window for brands to think about how can they, ongoing-wise, engage with the consumer, engage with the target audience, so their brand continues to stay refreshed in the changing environment," Yu said.
Actress Sophia Bush on 'Good Sam,' Conservation & Possibility of 'One Tree Hill' Reboot
Sophia Bush has a lot going on these days. She plays the title role in a new CBS medical drama, "Good Sam," which premieres onJanuary 5. She and former "One Tree Hill" co-stars Hilarie Burton-Morgan and Bethany Joy Lenz do a weekly podcast called "Drama Queens." Plus, she is working with Lenovo on a conservation initiative called Work for Humankind on Robinson Crusoe Island, off the coast of Chile. "I feel like I've been trying to convince big brands to do work like this forever, and Lenovo said, 'We're in!' And now this incredible conservation group and a local community will be supported by people who believe in purposeful travel, purposeful work," she told Cheddar.
Load More