Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Thursday, December 10, 2020:
COVID-19: WORST DAY YET
More than 3,000 Americans died of the coronavirus on Wednesday, the first time single-day deaths have crossed that mark. That is more than the death toll on 9/11. Hospitalizations are at a record 107,000. According to new federal geographic data on hospitalizations released this week, one in 10 Americans lives in an area where ICU beds are either at or approaching capacity and a full third of the population lives in an area where fewer than 15 percent of beds are now available. SEE THE DATA
VACCINE APPROVAL IMMINENT
The FDA meets today to consider an emergency authorization for the Pfizer vaccine, the last hurdle before an approval that could come as soon as tomorrow. The FDA meeting happens as regulators in the UK warned that people who have a history of severe allergic reactions should not get the Pfizer shot -- for now -- as they look into two reports of reactions that occurred during the first vaccinations this week. The FDA panel will pick apart the data all day, and it will be livestreamed to increase public transparency. AP
FACEBOOK MONOPOLY SUITS
The U.S. government is asking a court to force Facebook to sell off Instagram and WhatsApp. It’s the focal point of one of two landmark antitrust cases that were filed concurrently by the FTC and a group of state attorneys general against the social-media giant. Federal regulators are arguing that Facebook abused its market power by snatching up smaller competitors. Facebook argues that there’s plenty of competition in social media, and notes that the government already signed off on those two acquisitions when they happened. The suits will begin a long legal battle over whether Facebook is an illegal monopoly. AP
HUNTER BIDEN INVESTIGATION
President-elect Biden’s son, Hunter, says he is under a federal tax investigation. The probe is reportedly “examining multiple financial issues, including whether Hunter Biden and associates violated tax and money laundering laws in business dealings in foreign countries, principally China.” The president-elect has reportedly not been implicated in the investigation. CNN
IPO GOES BOOM
Shares of DoorDash skyrocketed in the company’s public debut, closing higher by 85 percent on the first day of trading. DoorDash started the day with a valuation of about $38 billion and ended the day worth $60 billion. Now it’s Airbnb’s turn at the IPO bonanza. The home-rental company goes public today after pricing its shares at $68 a piece, for a valuation of $47 billion. That makes it the biggest IPO of the year. CHEDDAR
BATTERY BREAKTHROUGH
One of the biggest problems for mass electric-car adoption is that lithium-ion batteries still aren't as resilient as an old-fashioned internal-combustion engine. That may be about to change. A battery company named QuantumScape has revealed data from tests of a new kind of battery it has been developing. The solid-state battery cell can charge to 80 percent capacity in 15 minutes, is nonflammable, and doesn’t degrade over time nearly as fast as current batteries. Tests will continue, but the breakthrough could be a gamechanger for EVs that travel further, charge faster, and last longer. WIRED
OSU GIVEN A PASS
The Big Ten has gotten rid of its six-game eligibility requirement for the conference championship game, clearing the way for No. 4 Ohio State to play Northwestern next weekend. The undefeated Buckeyes have only played five games and would not have made the cut after the game against Michigan was cancelled. A replacement game for that match-up has not been scheduled, and OSU will have an off weekend for the third time in five weeks. ESPN
SPOTTED...
...a humpback whale that’s been seen in recent days swimming in the Hudson River, making a splash in front of the Statue of Liberty for the perfect photo: SEE IT
...a SpaceX rocket prototype, exploding upon landing after a test flight. Despite the fiery ending, the test was considered a success: WATCH
JOHNNY DEPP’S FALL FROM GRACE
Johnny Depp was, not too long ago, among the most bankable stars in Hollywood. Now, he’s “radioactive,” according to one studio boss. The Hollywood Reporter has chronicled the stunning downfall of the actor that began with his split from Amber Heard and a public unraveling that followed and continues on: READ IT
LEFTOVERS: CANADA NICE
A Georgia family that got stranded in a snowstorm while driving through Canada on their way to Alaska was rescued and driven the rest of the way by a stranger. Lynn Marchessault, along with her two kids and their dogs, was driving cross-country to reunite with her husband, an Army sergeant stationed in Fairbanks. The Southern natives made it all the way to British Columbia before the early Canadian winter kicked in. That’s when Gary Bath, a Canadian military vet who saw on Facebook that the family needed help, offered to drive them the rest of the way -- a full 1,000 miles on the icy Alaska Highway. CNN
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