In this undated photo provided by Johnson & Johnson in September 2020, a woman receives an injection during phase 3 testing for the Janssen Pharmaceutical-Johnson & Johnson vaccine in the United States. (Johnson & Johnson via AP)
Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Tuesday, October 13, 2020:
SCOTUS CONFIRMATION HEARINGS
The first day of Senate confirmation hearings for Judge Amy Coney Barrett featured hours of opening statements, with Republicans focusing on Barrett’s qualifications and Democrats slamming her as an ideologue who would overturn Obamacare and Roe v. Wade. Barrett, who sat silent and masked for most of the day, will get more speaking time today when the floor opens to questions. AP
COVID-19: LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
Johnson & Johnson has paused its vaccine trials over an unexplained illness in one of the volunteer patients. It’s not known whether the patient was receiving a placebo or the actual vaccine. With cases in the northern UK soaring, PM Boris Johnson unveiled a three-tiered lockdown system. The SEC has postponed the Vanderbilt-Mizzou game after positive test results. STAT
RACE FOR THE WHITE HOUSE
Thousands of people waited in line for hours -- 10 or 11 hours in some cases -- to cast their ballots on the first day of early voting in Georgia, a preview of what could be a record-turnout election and the problems some states can expect. In Southern California, officials say the state GOP installed dozens of unofficial ballot drop boxes that are illegal and must be removed. President Trump got back out on the campaign trail, saying he felt great and offering a “big fat kiss” to supporters at a rally in Florida, as Dr. Fauci warned that large rallies are “asking for trouble.” Stumping in Ohio, Joe Biden accused Trump of “reckless behavior” since he contracted the virus. REUTERS
IN MEMORIAM: ROBERTA MCCAIN
Roberta McCain, the mother of John McCain and matriarch of the McCain family, has died at the age of 108. Cindy McCain announced the passing of her mother-in-law, calling her a role model and friend. Once asked by Vogue to explain how she remained so active at such an old age, McCain said: “I don’t do anything I’m supposed to do. I don’t exercise and today, I’ve already eaten a half a box of caramel popcorn...Honey, I’ve had a dream life, and it was all luck.” OBIT
FACEBOOK HATE SPEECH REVERSAL
Facebook will ban content that “denies or distorts the Holocaust,” a major reversal for the company after years of pointing to Holocaust denial as a form of protected speech on the platform. Facebook cited a recent survey that found almost a quarter of Americans aged 18-39 believed the genocide of millions of Jews and others at the hands of the Nazis was either faked or exaggerated. NY TIMES
NEW IPHONES TODAY
Apple is set to unveil its first 5G-enabled iPhone at a virtual event today. This is the most highly anticipated new iPhone model since at least 2017, and Apple is counting on millions of iPhone users who have been holding onto their devices for longer than ever to finally cave and splurge on the new redesigned phone. The livestream starts at 1 pm ET: WATCH HERE
PRIME DAY
By one measure, the holiday shopping season starts today. After Amazon postponed its annual Prime Day over the summer as it dealt with an overloaded supply chain, the two-day sales event is officially here. More than one million items on Amazon are discounted, including surprise “lightning deals” for Prime members. Fire pits, vacuums and electronics are expected to be among the big sellers. Some of the TV deals went live last night: SEE THEM
DISNEY DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER
Last week, Disney announced that its much-anticipated new Pixar film, Soul, would bypass movie theaters and head right to Disney+ for a Christmas Day premiere. Now the Mouse House says it will restructure its media and entertainment divisions in order to make streaming its “primary focus,” accelerating a shift away from the big screen that could be disastrous for cinemas. (Soul, by the way, is getting rave reviews.) CNBC
SPOTTED...
...Baby Yoda, looking adorable in the new posters for the upcoming second season of The Mandalorian: SEE PIC
...Madonna, looking nearly unrecognizable with pink hair in a series of selfies urging people to get out and vote: SEE PICS
LEFTOVERS: I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW
Eye doctors around the country are reporting a resurgence in interest for Lasik surgery, especially among younger people, with the average age for the procedure now 34 years old. One reason: “the foggy glasses” phenomenon, familiar to any bespectacled mask-wearer. But the bigger reason has to do with the “K”-shaped economic recovery. Americans who have kept their jobs and incomes through the pandemic aren’t spending their disposable income on travel, but instead are putting it towards home improvement projects, new cars -- and even elective surgery. BLOOMBERG
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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."
