Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Thursday, February 18, 2021:
WINTER, ROUND 10
The number of people without power in Texas is down to about 1 million as another round of winter weather is adding to the misery in that state, where residents are now under a boil-water advisory -- if they can even access their tap water at all. Most of Texas will remain below freezing at least through tomorrow. The cascading effects of the grid failure in Texas are now apparent in the global oil market, where the price of crude is at a 13-month high as the weather knocked out 40 percent of U.S. production. Meanwhile, winter storm warnings are plastered across the Northeast for today and tomorrow with NYC in the thick of it: FORECAST
COVID-19: LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
Life expectancy in the U.S. dropped by a full year in the first half of 2020 in a reflection of the toll of the pandemic. It was the largest drop in decades, and was even more pronounced for the Black population. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are highly effective against the UK variant, but less so against the one from South Africa. Dr. Fauci weighed in on the debate over reopening schools, saying it would be “non-workable” to vaccinate every teacher before schools open their doors to students. WASH POST
MARS LANDING
If all goes according to plan, NASA will land a spacecraft on Mars today for the fifth time ever. The Perseverance rover is arriving at the Red Planet with a touchdown scheduled for 3:55 p.m. ET. Unlike past landings, the Perseverance is targeting a deep crater -- a dangerous spot but one that will give it the best chance to begin its search for signs of ancient microbial life. The landing attempt will be broadcast live, but it’ll take about 11 minutes for the signal to reach Earth: WATCH HERE
GAMESTOP HEARING
Keith Gill, the day trader known as Roaring Kitty on Reddit, will testify before Congress today as part of a hearing on the GameStop short squeeze from a few weeks ago. The CEOs of Reddit and Robinhood will also testify, and the hearing is expected to touch on the trading limits that Robinhood instituted as shares of GameStop and other meme stocks took off. Gill, who is being sued for securities fraud, plans to tell lawmakers that he never solicited anyone to buy or sell stocks for his own profit. Here’s a helpful primer on how we got here: READ IT
RUSH LIMBAUGH DIES
Rush Limbaugh, a towering figure in American conservative media who ushered in the era of political talk radio, has died at 70. His wife announced his death on his radio show, which has been on air since the 1980s and had 20 million daily listeners at its peak. On the right, Limbaugh has been heralded for his singular influence on modern conservative politics. On the left, he has been denounced for amplifying conspiracy theories like birtherism and for coining derogatory terms like “feminazi.” OBIT
PAYING FOR NEWS
The standoff between Big Tech and news publishers took one major step toward conciliation and then one major step back in the span of a few hours. Google and News Corp announced a landmark deal in which Google will make a “significant payment” to the parent company of Fox News, the NY Post, and the WSJ to license its journalism on Google’s platforms. That’s a huge win for media companies that have long said they’re giving away their content for free on the search engine. Then Facebook said it would start restricting users and publishers in Australia from sharing links to news articles. That move is in response to a proposed law that would require tech giants to pay publishers to link to their stories. AP
SERENA OUT
Naomi Osaka beat Serena Williams in straight sets in the Australian Open semifinals, denying Williams her record-tying 24th Grand Slam singles title. An emotional Williams walked out of her post-match press conference after she was asked if this was her last Open. Osaka will face the American Jennifer Brady in the final on Saturday. In men's singles, Novak Djokovic has advanced to the final. ESPN
STREAMING FOR KIDS
Apple TV+ and HBO Max both announced big plans to bring more kids’ shows to their respective streaming platforms. Apple has a new deal with Skydance Animation that will bring movies like Luck and Spellbound to the service, along with new series TBA. WarnerMedia is committing to 300 hours of new original content aimed at preschoolers, kids aged 6 to 11, and families. That slate will be divvied up between HBO Max and a new programming block on Cartoon Network called Cartoonito. CORD CUTTER NEWS
SPOTTED...
… The Trump Plaza Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, imploding into dust in a controlled demolition. The building once owned by the former president was at one time the premier casino in A.C. before it fell into disrepair and closed in 2014: WATCH
… Blue Ivy Carter, modeling for mom Beyoncé’s latest Ivy Park collection: WATCH
LEFTOVERS: DISNEY GOES DARK
Disney dropped the first trailer for its live-action Cruella de Vil origin story, starring Emma Stone as the classic villain. The movie looks closer to Joker than 101 Dalmatians, with a dark and gritty feel that doesn’t exactly scream Disney: WATCH
Listen to the N2K Podcast! Looking for more context and analysis on the big stories of the day? Check out our podcast! Hosts Jill and Carlo break down the headlines, every weekday morning Listen on Apple or Spotify, or watch on YouTube, and send us your feedback!
