Hello everyone! Welcome to this weekly roundup of stories from Insider from Business co-Editor in Chief Matt Turner. Subscribe here to get this newsletter in your inbox every Sunday.
Read on for a breakdown of the biggest stories of the past week, the inside track on a COVID vaccine loophole, and insight into Instagram's mysterious algorithm.
Read time: 5 minutes.
Hello!
It's hard to find words to describe the past week.
I watched with horror as pro-Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol on Wednesday. Since then, videos like this one and stories like this one have made it clear that the siege on the Capitol may have been worse than it looked in real time.
There are growing calls for President Trump to resign, while Democrats could move on impeachment proceedings next week. A majority of Americans believe
Meanwhile, Apple, Google, and Amazon Web Services have removed social-media network Parler from their platforms after Twitter and Facebook suspended Trump's accounts.
Below is a sampling of the latest
- ARRESTS: Most of the arrests from the Capitol riots have been misdemeanor curfew violations. This searchable table shows everyone charged so far.
- WARNING: Twitter warns of more DC violence around January 20th as President-elect Biden expresses confidence his inauguration will be safe
- TRUMP JR.: Donald Trump Jr. says "the world is laughing at America" as he rails against his dad's Twitter ban, saying "free speech is dead"
- BLODGET: Wednesday was a disgrace, but we're a day closer to a new and better chapter of American history
- BARRO: I never want to hear again about Trump voters needing to "feel heard"
Here's a breakdown of how the business world reacted.
- CEOS REACT: We analyzed 23 memos from CEOs responding to the US Capitol riot. The most effective messages get personal.
- BILLIONAIRE BACKERS RESPOND: Trump's billionaire backers said they were "horrified" by the insurrection at the Capitol, but only one has broken with him
- TECH TARGETS JARED: VCs are calling on others to stop doing deals with Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner
- PARLER DRAMA: Parler's CEO John Matze responded angrily after Jack Dorsey endorsed Apple's removal of the social network favored by conservatives
- ADVERTISERS FEAR VIOLENCE: Advertisers weigh canceling Inauguration Day ads, fearing more violence after Capitol siege
And here's a breakdown of the impact of a Democratic sweep:
- GEORGIA: What the Georgia Senate results mean for voting rights, cannabis, and $2,000 stimulus checks
- REAL ESTATE: How full Democratic control of Washington DC could transform real estate
- MARKETS: What does the Democratic sweep actually mean for investors? We spoke to 5 investing experts to find out how to make the most of Biden's blue Congress
- CLEAN ENERGY: Biden can unleash massive spending on clean energy with a Democratic Congress, but his 2 biggest climate goals are still out of reach
- BIDEN'S COMMERCE PICK: Biden's pick of Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo for Secretary of Commerce could be good news for Salesforce and other software companies, analysts say
COVID vaccine loophole
From Kimberly Leonard:
Only a small subset of people in the US, including nursing home residents and healthcare workers, are eligible to receive the scarce coronavirus vaccine right now. Almost everyone else is supposed to wait their turn, which could be months away.
But there's a loophole, and you don't have to be a celebrity, a billionaire, or plot some devious trick to find it.
It turns out that on some days healthcare facilities across the US, including hospitals and pharmacies, find themselves with leftover vaccines that could be discarded if not used quickly. Sometimes healthcare workers don't show up for their vaccine appointments, or some nursing home residents turn down the shot, leaving facilities stranded with already thawed shots that have a short shelf life.
The choice then becomes to either toss them in the trash or offer the scarce shots - which right now are the best promise for digging the world out of the deadly pandemic - to whoever else can take them right away.
Read the full story here:
- Young, healthy people have figured out a loophole to get the COVID vaccine without skipping the line
Also read:
- I was offered a covid vaccine even though I'm young and healthy. Here's how I did it.
- OPINION: The COVID vaccine should be distributed on a first come, first serve basis to prevent wasting millions of doses
Instagram's mysterious algorithm
From Sydney Bradley:
Instagram has in recent months privately shared specific guidance with some creators about how frequently to post on the platform and what types of posts could help them boost their follower counts and engagement rates.
Three creators told Business Insider that they'd been contacted by Instagram in the past three months and had either met with a representative one on one or participated in a workshop where they were given such advice. They all said Instagram recommended a high volume of posts and that they use the entire suite of Instagram products: in-feed posts, Stories, Reels, and IGTV videos.
This guidance offered a rare glimpse by Instagram into how influencers can grow on the platform and into how its mysterious algorithm works. But it was made available only to certain creators behind closed doors. Instagram has not shared this advice publicly and declined to comment on any specifics.
Read the full story here:
Also read:
BONUS: Stock picks from the pros
The stock market continued its climb this week, even as pro-Trump insurrectionists violently stormed the Capitol. In fact, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at an all-time high on Wednesday, drawing a sharp contrast with events in Washington, DC.
Our investing team had plenty of recommendations from investment pros this week to help our subscribers make informed decisions. Here's a sampling:
- A growth-fund manager who's beaten 96% of his peers over the past 5 years shares 6 stocks he sees 'dominating their space' for the next 5 to 10 years - including 2 he thinks could grow 100%
- Deutsche Bank says buy these 14 beaten-down financial stocks poised for a bullish recovery from 2020's 'savage sell-off'
- The space industry will grow by over $1 trillion in the next decade, Bank of America says. Here are the 14 stocks best positioned to benefit from the boom.
- Morgan Stanley says these 8 stocks will build on a strong 2020 finish and post strong returns in 2021 as the economy recovers - with one that could gain up to 32%
Here are some headlines from the past two weeks that you might have missed.
- Matt
Amazon is quietly building a new Alexa device to help you sleep better
A Rivian VP reveals the 5 key traits the Amazon-backed startup looks for in job candidates
The 8 digital health startups to watch that are changing healthcare in 2021