Members of Congress and the Congressional Black Caucus form a circle around the flag-draped casket of the late Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., as he lies in state at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, July 27, 2020. (Jonathan Ernst/Pool via AP)
Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Tuesday, July 28, 2020:
COVID-19: LATEST DEVELOPMENTS: Lawmakers will continue to negotiate over the scope of the next economic relief package today. Republicans opened with a $1 trillion plan that would cut the enhanced unemployment benefit from $600 to $200 a week. The Democrats want to keep that benefit intact through the end of the year as part of their $3 trillion package. At the White House, Trump's national security adviser Robert O’Brien, tested positive, becoming the highest-ranking official and member of the president’s inner circle to contract the virus. Meanwhile, new cases are starting to level off in Texas, Arizona and Florida. REUTERS
BACK TO SCHOOL: What can the U.S. learn from countries that have successfully reopened their schools? A number of studies in countries like Germany and Denmark suggest that the safest way to bring students and teachers back to school depends on a number of variables -- including the age of students. Teens appear to transmit the virus much easier than younger kids, with one South Korean study showing that children under 10 had the lowest transmission rate of any age group, whereas 10-19 year-olds had transmission rates similar to adults. WIRED
LEWIS LIES IN STATE: The late Rep. John Lewis became the first Black lawmaker to lie in state in the Capitol, one of the highest honors that can be given to an American. Lewis’ coffin was brought to the rotunda for a private ceremony for members of Congress. Members of the public have been able to pay their respects outside the building. President Trump said he will not visit the casket. AP
U.S.-CHINA RELATIONS: China has officially taken back control of the American consulate in Chengdu, a symbolic indication of how far and fast the diplomatic relations between the world’s two largest economies have deteriorated. Chinese soldiers took down the U.S. flag outside the mission as crowds of people waving Chinese flags looked on. GUARDIAN
GOLD RECORD RUN: The price of gold is now at a record high, approaching $2,000 an ounce. Gold is typically thought of as a “safe haven” investment where you park your money when you’re worried about the global economy, and the run up in its price suggests investors are increasingly nervous about the recovery -- not just the virus, but the growing tension between the U.S. and China, as well. BLOOMBERG
GOOGLE WORK FROM HOME: Google has decided to keep all of its employees remote until at least next summer, becoming the first major American company to extend the timeline for work-from-home out an entire year. The decision will affect nearly all of Google parent Alphabet’s 200,000 employees, from Silicon Valley to India. WSJ
MLB COVID OUTBREAK: The MLB season isn’t even a week old and it’s already in jeopardy after a coronavirus outbreak swept through the Miami Marlins clubhouse. Three games have been postponed as the league tries to stem the outbreak, which has infected at least 14 members of the Marlins organization. ESPN
MOVIE RELEASE DATES: The summer movie season is a wash. The fall season, when most of the big Oscar contenders are released, is in peril. So what’s left? Here’s a list of every movie that was supposed to come out this year, and when it’s now scheduled for release. Just go ahead and assume you won’t be going to the theater until next year: READ IT
WELCOME TO THE WORLD...baby Willa! That’s reportedly the name of Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner’s baby girl. The Game of Thrones actress gave birth to the couple’s first child last week. TMZ
LEFTOVERS: SORRY FOR ROCKING: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has launched an investigation into a Chainsmokers concert that took place in the Hamptons last weekend after videos on social media showed people crowding together to watch the show, which was supposed to be a drive-in. The charity concert -- tickets were going for as much as $25,000 a pop -- also featured a set by DJ D-Sol, the alter ego of Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon. PITCHFORK
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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.
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.
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.'
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.
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.
Ava Rathenberg, Creator of the board game 'Travel Explore Discover,' joins Cheddar Innovates to discuss 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.
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.
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.
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."
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."
