Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Monday, September, 20, 2021:
BOOSTER CONFUSION
Dr. Fauci is downplaying confusion over who is eligible for a vaccine booster, after the FDA’s advisory panel on Friday decided against recommending booster shots of the Pfizer vaccine for the general population. The panel voted unanimously to recommend boosters for people 65 and up and other vulnerable Americans, but stopped short of signing off on President Biden’s plan for a widespread booster campaign. Fauci said that recommendation is “not the end of the story,” and a final FDA decision on the booster question is expected this week. REUTERS
GABBY PETITO CASE
Authorities in Wyoming have announced they found a body “consistent with the description of” Gabby Petito, the 22-year-old woman who disappeared while on a road trip with her fiance earlier this month. That man, Brian Laundrie, has been named a “person of interest” in Petito’s disappearance, but he hasn’t been seen in almost a week. An autopsy to confirm the identity and cause of death is scheduled for tomorrow. CNN
CONGRESS BACK TO WORK
Both houses of Congress are back at work this week to kick off a three-week legislative marathon. Democrats are under pressure to deliver on President Biden’s infrastructure bill and the separate multi-trillion-dollar social spending bill, all while avoiding a government shutdown and debt-ceiling fight. Sen. Joe Manchin is throwing a wrench into the Dems’ plans, reportedly saying he wants to pause the $3.5 trillion spending package until next year. AXIOS
BORDER DEPORTATIONS
The federal government has started a mass expulsion of Haitian migrants who were congregating at the southern Texas border, deporting hundreds of people by plane to Port-au-Prince and closing part of the U.S.-Mexico border where a makeshift refugee camp had been growing to house more than 14,000 migrants. The Biden administration is conducting the deportations under the Trump-era public health order known as Title 42, which gives the government the authority to quickly expel migrants without giving them an opportunity to apply for asylum. WASH POST
MISTAKEN IDENTITY
The Pentagon acknowledged that the drone strike that it originally said took out an ISIS terrorist plotting an “imminent” attack in the last days of the Afghanistan evacuation actually killed an innocent Afghan aid worker and nine members of his family. The Defense Dept. called the case of mistaken identity a “horrible tragedy of war,” but said it still stood by the intelligence that triggered the strike. Sen. Bernie Sanders said on Sunday that the mistake was "unacceptable." NY TIMES
NAT GAS SURGE
The price of natural gas has been steadily climbing over the summer -- which is rare -- and it’s now leading to concerns that the cost of heating fuel could soar this winter, even if it doesn’t get especially cold. Natural gas has been cheap in the U.S. ever since the shale boom of the early 2010s, but now low inventories around the world are making it more expensive than it’s been since at least 2014, and winter is still months away. WSJ
SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens stunned Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in a 35-34 thriller last night. A short-handed Ravens team was down 11 points at the start of the fourth quarter before Jackson ran for two TDs, including a clutch 4th down conversion to give Baltimore its first win over K.C. in four meets. YAHOO SPORTS
STREAMERS TAKE EMMYS
The streaming services are the new kings (or queens) of the Emmys. Netflix’s The Crown won best drama and a handful of the top acting awards, The Queen’s Gambit won for best limited series, and Apple’s Ted Lasso took the best comedy prize at the slimmed-down, in-person ceremony. Jason Sudeikis won his first Emmy for Lasso, and Kate Winslet added another to her mantle for Mare of Easttown. As for snubs, Marvel's WandaVision had 23 nominations but went home empty handed. Cedric the Entertainer is getting high marks for his hosting duties, which included a song-and-dance opener that paid tribute to the late rapper Biz Markie. VARIETY
SPOTTED ON THE RED CARPET...
…Seth Rogan in an orange tux, Kathryn Hahn in Lanvin, Issa Rae in mesh Aliette with a matching grill, and more: SLIDESHOW
LEFTOVERS: SPLASHDOWN!
The crew of the SpaceX Inspiration4 splashed down safely in the Atlantic off the coast of Florida on Saturday. All four passengers are said to be happy and healthy. The successful mission opened a new chapter in the modern space race as the first time an all-civilian crew orbited Earth. SPACE.COM
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