Rickie Fowler, left, watches as Jon Rahm, of Spain, celebrates chipping into the hole on the 16th green during a practice round for the Masters golf tournament Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2020, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Wednesday, November 11, 2020:
PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION
The New York Times reached out to election officials in all 50 states. Not a single one reported any voting irregularities that would have affected the outcome of their counts. Nevertheless, the Trump administration continues to insist that the president did not lose, even as world leaders -- with the notable exceptions of Putin and Xi -- have called to congratulate President-elect Biden. The Biden transition team has not been given access to the resources required by law, though Biden said the transition process is still moving forward. He called President Trump’s refusal to concede “an embarrassment.” NY TIMES
OBAMACARE LIVES?
The Supreme Court took up arguments in the Trump administration’s challenge to the Affordable Care Act, and judging by how key justices spoke, it seems like they are leaning against striking down the law. Justices Roberts and Kavanaugh suggested that “severing” the individual mandate would not automatically invalidate the rest of the ACA. (The individual mandate is already effectively meaningless after Congress zeroed out the penalty.) With Roberts and Kavanaugh apparently on board with the three liberal justices, it seems as though Obamacare will live to see another day. NPR
COVID-19: LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
COVID hospitalizations in the U.S. have hit 62,000, surpassing the peak set in April, as the country is now recording more than 100,000 new cases every day. With ICUs in states like Oklahoma, Wisconsin and Texas already strained, officials are warning that the situation is likely to get much worse in the coming weeks. In NYC, the daily positivity rate is approaching the 3 percent threshold at which schools would go all remote. The CDC is warning Americans that Thanksgiving gatherings could be the next big spreading events, and is recommending that dinner be held outside if possible. USA TODAY
VATICAN INTERNAL REPORT
An internal Vatican investigation has found that Theodore McCarrick, the defrocked archbishop of Washington, was personally protected by the late Pope John Paul II. John Paul is said to have known about misconduct allegations against McCarrick decades before they became public, and facilitated his rise in the Church anyway. The report is an unprecedented look at the Church’s failings in the sexual abuse crisis and how bishops covered up egregious examples of misconduct amid their ranks. NBC NEWS
SINGLE'S DAY
The world’s biggest online shopping event is underway in China. Alibaba’s Singles Day is bigger than Black Friday and Cyber Monday in the U.S. Alibaba said orders have already exceeded $56 billion, another sign that China’s post-COVID economic recovery is firing on all cylinders. REUTERS
APPLE SILICON
Apple announced its first computers that are powered by its own in-house processors, a major milestone in computing that could change how PCs and laptops look and work in the future. Apple cut ties with Intel and built its own chips from scratch, making them more like the chips found in iPhones than in a full-scale computer. Apple says its M1 chips are more powerful and more efficient, which could translate to smaller designs and longer battery life. CNET
SHOT OF A LIFETIME
The pandemic-delayed Masters tees off tomorrow, but the best shot of the tournament has already happened. Frankly, it may be the best shot of all time. Golfer Jon Rahm, practicing at Augusta on his 26th birthday, skipped the ball across the pond on No. 16 before it weaved all the way down the green for a hole-in-one: WATCH
BEYONCÉ X PELOTON
Peloton has inked a multi-year deal with none other than Beyoncé to produce exclusive content for its at-home workout classes. Peloton says Beyoncé is the most-requested artist by Peloton members, and she will create a series of “themed workout experiences” across fitness categories. BI
SPOTTED...
...Leonardo DiCaprio and Emile Hirsch enjoying a day at the beach in Malibu. Leo is once again being teased for his “dad bod”: SEE PICS
LEFTOVERS: VACCINE POWER COUPLE
Pfizer’s CEO has described its coronavirus vaccine as the greatest medical advancement in the last 100 years. Assuming the vaccine is authorized and effective, the world may have a new pair of heroes to thank: Dr. Uğur Şahin and Dr. Özlem Türeci, the German-Turkish power couple who founded BioNTech, Pfizer’s partner in vaccine development. Drs. Sahin and Tureci are considered the parents of the mRNA technology that is the basis of the vaccine breakthrough. Here’s their story: READ 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!
On this episode of Cheddar Innovates: CEO of Achieve Life Sciences discusses a new plant-based compound that's being used to fight nicotine addiction; President & CEO OF DiaMedica Therapeutics explains a new ischemic stroke treatment option that expands the window for effective therapy for stroke patients; Cheddar gets a look at Curiosity Stream's 'Asteroid Rush.'
Catching you up on today's entertainment headlines with the Tribeca Film Festival has kicked off in NYC, "Black Adam," starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson dropped its first full trailer, the musical "Come From Away" based on a true story set during 9/11 will be closing on Broadway this October, and more.
Survivors of Larry Nassar, including Olympian Simone Biles, are seeking $1 billion in damages from the FBI due to its failure to investigate the former gymnastics team doctor convicted of committing years of serial sexual abuse of minors. Jack Queen, a senior reporter at Law360, joined Cheddar News to break down the legal grounds of this case. "This is one of the biggest black eyes that the Bureau has faced in generations, quite frankly, and the FBI has taken full responsibility and admitted that it completely botched this investigation," he said. "So, there's a lot of pressure to settle."
The Elevate Prize Foundation is donating $10,000 to different grassroots organizations based on a theme every month to help scale their work, focusing on a different theme each time. Upcoming prizes will help uplift an organization supporting the LGBTQ community and one mobilizing to help end gun violence. The foundation's CEO Carolina Garcia Jayaram joined Cheddar to discuss the initiative and why it's important to uplift these grassroots organizations. "We are identifying social entrepreneurs around the world to help them scale their work. but the ultimate purpose of that is to create the first-ever fanbase for good," she said. "We're trying to make good famous and by inspiring people to think about the role they can play in doing good in the world."
With real estate being a largely male-dominated industry, Stephanie Shojaee, vice president and chief marketing officer at development company Shoma Group, joined Cheddar News to discuss how she took on the gender gap for women to achieve leadership roles, starting at her own company. “It's been very important to teach all the women that work here, especially the younger ones, that they shouldn't change themselves," she said. "You need to be happy with who you are and just keep breaking barriers."
We are already starting to feel the effects of summer. Heat waves in Texas and California are already sending temperatures soaring. That could spell trouble for the nation's power supply. there are new concerns about outages in many areas of the country. Cheddar's Shannon Lanier explains the two main causes of blackouts, and what states are doing to keep the lights on and the air conditioning running.
If you have been on the road this past year, you've probably seen more accidents on the road than you ever have. You're not wrong. Traffic fatalities are not only increasing they are hitting historic highs. Almost 43,000 people died in motor vehicle accidents in 2021. Cheddar's Shannon Lanier investigates - and finds out why.
U.S. stocks close Tuesday at session highs after a subpar start to the trading day. Tim Chubb, Chief Investment Officer at the wealth advisory firm, Girard, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss. 'We're starting to see the moderation of three core things -- we've seen the moderation of prices, we've seen the moderation of wage growth we've seen in the labor market, and we've also seen a moderation of job openings,' he says.
The victims from the USA gymnastics sexual abuse scandal continue to seek justice. Survivors of Larry Nassar are seeking more than one-billion dollars from the FBI for failing to stop the convicted sports doctor when the agency first received allegations. According to a report released by the Justice Department's Inspector General, FBI agents knew
in July of 2015 that Nassar was accused of abusing gymnasts; however, Nassar wasn't arrested until December of 2016. The group that filed the claim includes Olympic medalist Simone Biles and around 90 other women. Louise Radnofsky, sports reporter at The Wall Street Journal, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Tattoo artist Katrina "Kat Tat" Jackson, famous for starring in the VH1 hit series "Black Ink Crew: Chicago," is also the first Black woman to own a tattoo shop in Beverly Hills. She joined Cheddar News to discuss her trailblazing work, the stigma BIPOC tattoo artists face in the industry, and the way the space has changed for artists of color since her start. "In the beginning, I remember walking into a tattoo shop just like, hey, I wanna learn, I wanna be a tattoo artist and kind of just being laughed at, not taken seriously," she said. "Even with the tattoo conventions, a lot of African American tattoo artists were almost scared to go to conventions because it's not a welcoming environment."