Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Wednesday, January 27, 2021:
COVID-19: LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
President Biden says the White House is close to a deal with Pfizer and Moderna that would provide enough vaccines for 300 million Americans by the end of the summer. The White House is also promising a 16 percent boost in vaccine deliveries to states over the next three weeks, after governors have complained that they aren’t getting enough supplies and have to basically guess how many doses will be in each delivery. Meanwhile, the CDC is recommending that schools return to in-person teaching ASAP, so long as mask and distancing precautions are taken on campus and within the community. AP
IMPEACHMENT II
Senate Republicans overwhelmingly voted against holding an impeachment trial for former President Trump, making it highly unlikely that there would be enough votes to convict and bar him from holding future public office. The trial is still happening the week after next, but given the margins on the vote for whether to even hold it, Trump will almost surely escape conviction for “inciting an insurrection." POLITICO
CAPITOL FALLOUT
The new acting chief of the Capitol Police apologized in person to members of Congress for the department’s failure three weeks ago, acknowledging that it knew there was a risk of violence against lawmakers but did not adequately prepare. One of the big questions from the riot remains: what exactly was the sequence of events at the Pentagon that kept the National Guard from responding for hours while the building was under siege? The head of the D.C. National Guard said the Pentagon had stripped him of his authority to deploy troops ahead of Jan. 6, which cost them hours. WASH POST
GAMESTOP UPDATE
Two big Wall St. funds, Citadel and Point72, will invest nearly $3 billion to bail out a hedge fund that is on the ropes due to its short positions in stocks like GameStop. Melvin Capital has been decimated by its bet against GameStop, which was up another 90 percent Tuesday. Those shares had been up another 100+ percent in pre-market trading this morning, fueled by an army of Redditors buying the stock partially in the hope it will bankrupt Melvin. Take a look at one of the wildest stock charts you may ever see: HERE
NET ZERO 2050...OR ELSE
Larry Fink, the CEO of the world’s biggest asset manager, BlackRock, and one of the most influential people on Wall St., is warning companies that they need to commit to a gameplan for achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 or risk BlackRock dumping their stocks. In his annual letter to the world’s CEOs, Fink doubled down on his call last year that corporate America needs to get on board with “net zero,” saying a “tectonic shift” in the investing landscape is accelerating faster than anyone anticipated. BlackRock has $9 trillion in assets under management, and thus the ear of corporate boards and executives just about everywhere. FT
COKE & COFFEE
Coca-Cola is entering the crowded market for cold coffee beverages with a new line of drinks that “sip like a Coke and finish like a coffee.” The drinks come in three flavors: dark blend, vanilla, and caramel, along with a sugar-free Coke Zero version. Coke says it's perfect for the 3 p.m. slump, when you might be debating whether to drink a soda or coffee. The simply named Coca-Cola with Coffee was launched in Japan in 2018 and makes its debut in U.S. grocery stores this week. FOOD & WINE
HALL OF FAME SNUBS
The Baseball Hall of Fame won’t induct any new members this year after none of the 25 eligible candidates reached the 75 percent threshold of votes. Curt Schilling, Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens all fell short again. While Bonds and Clemens are controversial because of their involvement in the steroid era, Schilling unquestionably has the on-field pedigree but has been ostracized in retirement for making hateful comments about Muslims, journalists and others. The former Red Sox ace has requested his name be removed from the ballot next year, his final year of eligibility. ESPN
SPOTTED...
...The Flaming Lips, playing to concertgoers who were inside 100 inflatable balls at a show in Oklahoma City. The band played from inside their own bubbles: SEE PICS
SUPER BOWL ADS
Super Bowl commercials are going to look different this year. Some regular big-name advertisers like Pepsi, Coca-Cola and Budweiser are opting not to shell out $5.5 million to CBS for a 30-second spot at this year’s game. (Bud is donating money to the Ad Council for a vaccination campaign, instead.) Filling in the gaps are first-time Super Bowl advertisers like Chipotle and Vroom. Chipotle gave Cheddar a first look at its spot for the Big Game: WATCH
LEFTOVERS: CHILD OF 2020
A viral video doing the rounds shows what happens when you’re born into a pandemic. Katie Lightfoot of Texas posted a montage of her toddler trying to sanitize her hands everywhere she goes. The adorable little girl appears to think everything -- from a street light to a tree trunk to a flower pot -- is a hand-sanitizing station: WATCH
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