Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Wednesday, July 22, 2020:
COVID-19 LATEST DEVELOPMENTS: The CDC said the number of cases may be up to 13 times higher than reported in some parts of the country as asymptomatic patients or people who didn't seek medical attention may have continued the spread in their communities. As Congress debates the next stimulus package, the daily number of deaths has topped 1,000 for the first time in weeks. Meanwhile, the Justice Department accused a pair of hackers of trying to steal vaccine data for China. NY TIMES
GAG ORDER LIFTED: A Minnesota judge has vacated a gag order in the case against four former city officers charged in the killing of George Floyd after agreeing with defense attorneys that officers have been publicly slandered with no opportunity to refute claims. While the order has been lifted, Judge Peter Cahill is expected to monitor how all parties divulge information related to the case. CBS
TRUMP'S CENSUS CHANGE: President Trump signed a memo on Tuesday that would exclude undocumented immigrants from being counted in the census for the purpose of apportioning the members of Congress in each state. The directive will have Wilbur Ross, the commerce secretary, identify the number of undocumented people in the census so that the president can then remove them from the final official count. NBC
THUNBERG'S BIG WIN: The 17-year-old Swedish climate activist received another accolade: the first ever Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity. The honor from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation came with a 1 million euro award. "All the prize money will be donated through my foundation to different organizations and projects who are working to help people on the front lines affected by the climate crisis and ecological crisis, especially in the Global South," said Thunberg. CNBC
SHOPPING SPREES DELAYED: Walmart shoppers will have to wait an extra day to do their in-person holiday shopping this year. The chain announced it will keep stores closed on Thanksgiving after a Texas store supervisor suggested employees should get to enjoy the holiday with family in this crazy year. Meanwhile, Amazon is pushing back its popular Prime Day in the U.S. to make sure it can keep workers safe during Americans' spending sprees. No date has been set yet, but the company says it'll still happen this year. BUSINESS INSIDER
CORPORATE CLIMATE COALITION: Microsoft started 2020 with a bold plan: become carbon negative by 2030. Now it's announced a new coalition of global companies with the goal of catalyzing the shift away from fossil fuels. The industry and continent-spanning coalition, dubbed Transform to Net Zero, includes Maersk, Danone, Mercedes-Benz AG, Microsoft, Natura & Co, Nike, Starbucks, Unilever, and Wipro. CHEDDAR
VIRTUAL COMIC-CON: For the first time in 50 years the San Diego Comic-Con had to be canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Despite the curtain coming down on the physical gathering of pop culture fanatics, the convention will be going virtual with panels and events beginning this Wednesday through Sunday — and all for free! Panels for films like "Bill and Ted Face the Music" and "The New Mutants" will be available along with a virtual cosplay masquerade. CNET
KICKIN' IT IN L.A.: Women's soccer is heading to the City of Angels in 2022. The National Women's Soccer League has awarded an expansion team to the city, which is already home to 11 pro sports teams. The team will be owned and led by a group made up mainly of women including actress Natalie Portman, venture capitalist Kara Nortman, and media and gaming entrepreneur Julie Uhrman. HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
FALL LINEUPS FALLING FLAT: Just as we finish watching everything on television after months at home, reality is about to hit. The fall TV lineup is looking sad since so many productions had to be shut down to stop the spread of coronavirus. Aside from disappointed viewers, this could have a larger impact on the economy as consumers may choose to finally "cut the cord" if they aren't finding anything worth paying for on cable or satellite. AXIOS
LEFTOVERS: IS INSTAGRAM THE NEW TIKTOK? As TikTok’s presence in the U.S. hangs in the balance after growing security concerns, Instagram has jumped at the opportunity to replace the global social giant with ‘Reels.’ The in-app feature will mirror TikTok’s short-form video editing and sharing platform. Instagram has famously ‘jacked’ other social app swag like Snapchat and Periscope, but will Reels live up to the hype? REFINERY 29
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