Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Thursday, June 10, 2021:
WAKING TO AN ECLIPSE
Skywatchers and early risers got a glimpse of this year’s “ring of fire” eclipse at sunrise this morning along the eastern seaboard. The moon is at its furthest point in its orbit right now, and is only partially blocking the sun as it passes by -- thus giving the eclipse its nickname. LIVESTREAM
“AMERICA’S BACK”
President Biden opened his first overseas trip since taking office by telling the world, “the United States is back.” Biden is setting his sights on competition with China and ending the pandemic -- not only in the U.S. but worldwide. His first stop Wednesday was a visit with U.S. troops and their families at Royal Air Force Mildenhall in Suffolk, England. “We’re going to make it clear that the United States is back and democracies are standing together to tackle the toughest challenges and issues that matter the most to our future,” he said. AP
COVID-19 LATEST
U.S. VAXXES THE WORLD: The White House has reached an agreement with pharma companies Pfizer and BioNTech to provide 500 million vaccines to around 100 countries over the coming year. President Biden is set to formally announce the plan today. 200 million doses are expected to be distributed this year and the other 300 million in 2022. NYT
DELTA VARIANT SPREADS: The highly contagious Delta variant continues to be an issue as it seems to be responsible for a small fraction of new cases in the U.S. and U.K. Former FDA Director Scott Gottlieb said he believes the variant could be a threat this fall, but that people who are fully vaccinated or are planning on receiving two doses should be protected. THE HILL
OLYMPICS: The International Olympic Committee says that over 80% of Tokyo-bound athletes have been vaccinated -- and the IOC is pushing for the rest to get their jabs. Foreign visitors (minus the athletes and sports media) are still forbidden from attending the games. REUTERS
KEYSTONE PIPELINE
Plans to build the controversial Keystone XL Pipeline have officially been shut down. TC Energy Corporation announced it had terminated the project “after a comprehensive review of [its] options.” The pipeline was first proposed in 2008 to transport oil sands into the U.S. from Alberta, Canada. Activist and Indigenous groups protested the pipeline, and the Biden administration revoked the project’s permit by executive order a few months ago. BUZZFEED NEWS
EL CHAPO’S WIFE TO PLEAD GUILTY
The wife of notorious drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman is set to plead guilty for helping him run his Mexican cartel. Emma Aispuro was arrested earlier this year and slapped with federal charges. She’s accused of helping El Chapo move tons of cocaine, meth, heroin and marijuana across the border, and acting as a messenger and go-between while he was on the run and then imprisoned in Mexico. NBC NEWS
TIKTOK BAN UPDATE
Biden has rescinded former President Donald Trump’s executive order to ban Chinese-owned social media app TikTok. The current president has introduced a set of guidelines to evaluate whether transactions involving apps tied to foreign adversaries would threaten Americans’ data. TikTok had previously sued to block Trump’s executive order, so the app was never removed from app stores. POLITICO
MEME STOCKS
As broader indexes slid lower at Wednesday’s close, some of the internet’s favorite meme stocks saw volatility. AMC, Wendy’s and Clover Health all sank double digit percentage points, while GameStop announced it made two new hires in its C-suite. GameStop shares fell three percent after closing. CHEDDAR
MUSK’S BORING LOOP OPENS
Elon Musk’s tunnel beneath the streets of Las Vegas is finally transporting customers. The Boring Company opened an underground loop beneath the Las Vegas Convention Center this week -- the 1.7 mile loop transports passengers across the length of the complex in two minutes. Passengers are only able to ride (in a Tesla, of course) if they’re attending an event at the convention center. CNET
FRENCH OPEN LATEST
MEN’S: Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal will face off in the semi-final round -- their 58th matchup against one another. Djokovic celebrated his victory in an empty court after Parisian spectators were sent home before the 11 p.m. curfew. THE GUARDIAN
WOMEN’S: 17-year-old Coco Gauff was eliminated from the tournament Wednesday. It was Gauff’s first quarterfinal (she was the youngest American player to reach a major quarterfinal round since Venus Williams in 1997) and commentators said she seemed tense and nervous. Gauff was penalized by the umpire for smashing her racket. EUROSPORT
SPOTTED...
… Condé Nast employees protesting outside Vogue Editor-in-Chief and Condé chief content officer Anna Wintour’s home. About 100 employees from various Condé publications chanted “Bosses wear Prada, workers get nada,” ahead of a potential work strike as union negotiations at the media company continue. SEE IT
… A cicada landing on President Biden’s neck (before being promptly swatted away!) as he prepared to board Air Force One. “Watch out for the cicadas,” Biden told reporters on the ground. WATCH
… LEGO’s newest construction set -- a typewriter based on the one owned by LEGO’s founder. The set comes out July 1 and will work like a real typewriter, minus the ink. SEE IT
LEFTOVERS: THERE’S A NEW OCEAN
National Geographic is officially recognizing the Southern Ocean as the world’s fifth ocean. The body of water encircles Antarctica and geographers have concluded it has enough unique characteristics to deserve its own name. Since National Geographic began making world maps in 1915, it had only recognized the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian and Arctic Oceans. NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
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