President Donald Trump walks from Marine One to the White House in Washington, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020, as he returns from Bedminster, N.J. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Friday, October 2, 2020:
TRUMP HAS VIRUS
President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have tested positive for COVID-19 and will isolate inside the White House residence for an unknown period of time. The president announced on Twitter just before 1 am ET that he and the first lady had received positive tests, and the first lady added in her own tweet that they were both “feeling good.” The White House has not said whether either are experiencing symptoms. The stunning revelation came after reports that Hope Hicks, one of Trump’s closest advisers who had just flown with him on Air Force One, had tested positive. Reaction from world leaders is pouring in, with everyone from Boris Johnson to Vladimir Putin wishing the first couple a speedy recovery. AP
WHAT NOW?
Vice President Pence is not known to be infected, and the White House has reportedly started early discussions about the continuity of government should the president fall ill. The campaign has cancelled a rally scheduled for today in Florida, and a trip to Wisconsin tomorrow and Arizona on Monday appear to be scrapped as well. The next presidential debate, on Oct. 15, is up in the air. It’s still not clear how far the infection has spread among senior White House officials, who work in cramped quarters in the West Wing and often travel with the president to his packed rallies, rarely wearing masks. NY TIMES
VACCINE UPDATE
October is likely to be an important month for news related to some of the top coronavirus vaccine candidates in trials. Moderna’s CEO says it’s highly unlikely that their vaccine would be ready for widespread use before the spring. Pfizer’s CEO has reassured employees that the vaccine development is not being politicized, and that it’s “moving at the speed of science” as outside experts have told the pharma giant to slow down its observation period. New polls show the vast majority of the public is worried about a rushed vaccine. YAHOO FINANCE.
BREONNA TAYLOR CASE
The grand jury recording in the Breonna Taylor case will be released this morning in a rare example of grand jury deliberations being made public. A juror in the case has accused Kentucky’s attorney general of using the jury to deflect responsibility over the shooting that sparked nationwide outrage and protests. COURIER JOURNAL
EMPLOYMENT CRISIS
The last monthly jobs report before the election comes out this morning. Economists are expecting somewhere in the neighborhood of 850,000 jobs added in September, a sharp decline from the month before. The unemployment rate is expected to tick down slightly, but will almost certainly be the highest it has ever been headed into a presidential election. CNN
LAPTOP REVOLUTION
As smartphones get all the attention, computer makers have been slowly tinkering with and improving their old workhorse: the laptop. Microsoft just announced the new entry-level Surface Laptop Pro, a mid-tier device with premium finishes. Lenovo is now taking preorders for its ThinkPad X1 Fold, a foldable tablet-like laptop with an attachable keyboard. Meanwhile, Apple is reportedly working on a new 12-inch MacBook. TECHRADAR
NFL PUNTS, AGAIN
The NFL has indefinitely postponed Week 3’s Steelers-Titans game after new positive tests came back from Titans players and staff. The league is now scrambling to figure out how to shoehorn the game in later the season, though fans and analysts have noted that it could unfairly punish the Steelers, whose players, by most accounts, have been taking extreme precautions to avoid an outbreak. NY TIMES
RIRI’S FASHION SHOW
Have you looked at the new releases on iTunes or Google Play lately? It’s bleak. But Rihanna is here to save Friday movie night. The singer-turned-mogul’s annual Savage x Fenty Fashion Show drops today on Amazon Prime. In a recent Vogue interview, Rihanna spoke about the difficulties of pulling off the production amid the pandemic: READ IT
‘BORAT’ TRAILER
When Vice President Mike Pence was delivering his remarks at the CPAC conference earlier this year, he was interrupted by a Trump impersonator who was quickly removed from the audience. No one thought much of it, but turns out the heckler was Sacha Baron Cohen in heavy makeup. A clip of the interaction is part of the new trailer for the upcoming Borat sequel: SEE IT
LEFTOVERS: EAT FRESH!
Ireland’s Supreme Court has ruled that bread made by Subway is filled with so much sugar that it cannot be legally defined as bread. The ruling was part of a tax dispute between the sandwich chain and one of its franchisees, which was arguing that the sandwich bread shouldn’t be taxed because it’s a “staple food.” The court didn’t buy it. THE JOURNAL
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."
