Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Wednesday, April 7, 2021:
COVID-19: LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
All adults in the U.S. should now be eligible for vaccination no later than April 19, President Biden said, shaving two weeks off his earlier deadline. California will fully reopen its economy on June 15 but will keep the statewide mask mandate in place for the time being. Dr. Fauci says he thinks vaccination uptake is going to keep the U.S. from a fourth wave, but urged people to keep mitigation efforts in place. REUTERS
'60' BLOWBACK
CBS News and 60 Minutes are facing backlash over a story from last weekend that focused on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state’s vaccine partnership with the grocer Publix. The piece suggested that there may have been a “pay to play” situation between the governor’s office and Publix, given that the company had made a hefty donation to DeSantis’ reelection campaign. But several Florida officials, including Democrats, say Publix was recommended as a partner to the governor because it was ready to start vaccinating immediately. CBS is standing by the story. CNN
ARK TRANSGENDER LAW
Arkansas lawmakers overrode a veto by the governor to make the state the first in the country to ban gender confirming treatment for transgender minors. Gov. Asa Hutchinson, a Republican, said the legislature went a “step way too far” in enacting the ban, especially because it doesn’t grandfather in young people currently under hormone treatment. "The Republican Party that I grew up with believed in a restrained government that did not jump in the middle of every issue,” he said. NPR
IRAN TALKS
The U.S. and Iran agreed through European intermediaries to begin the process of getting both countries back into compliance with the nuclear deal, a small first step toward reviving that agreement. Tehran wants the U.S. to lift sanctions first, while Washington insists that the Iranians comply with the original terms of the deal first. Both sides called the first day of talks constructive. AL JAZEERA
ECONOMIC OUTLOOK
The U.S. economy is getting ready to take off like a rocketship. The IMF is predicting that America is set to lead the world in a post-COVID boom, estimating the U.S. economy will grow 6.4 percent in 2021, the fastest rate in decades. That’s nearly double the rate it was predicting just six months ago. The global economy is expected to grow by 6 percent. The IMF credited the rapid vaccine rollout in the U.S. for its new forecast, saying the end of the pandemic is “increasingly visible.” NPR
RICH GET RICHER
Last year was terrible for just about everyone -- with an exception for the world’s very, very rich. According to the annual Forbes billionaires list, Jeff Bezos is once again in the top spot, followed by Elon Musk, who was the biggest gainer thanks to Tesla’s soaring share price. Bernard Arnault, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg round out the top five. In other notable entries, Kim Kardashian made the list for the first time and Donald Trump dropped 300 spots. Despite -- or because of -- the pandemic, there was a $5 trillion surge in wealth and a record number of new billionaires added to the list. FORBES
ALL STAR MOVE
The MLB All-Star Game will now be held at Coors Field in Denver after the league moved it from Atlanta in response to the Georgia voting law. That controversial decision has led to backlash from Republicans, some of whom are threatening to revoke the MLB’s antitrust exemption. Cobb County, Ga., where the game would have been played, has estimated that losing it will cost the region $100 million. ESPN
HARRY & MEGHAN'S FIRST DOC
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s production company has announced its first docu-series for Netflix. Heart of Invictus will follow wounded veterans training for the 2022 Invictus Games. Harry will executive produce and appear in the series, which is the first to be produced under the couple’s Archewell Productions umbrella as part of its deal with Netflix. DEADLINE
SPOTTED...
…Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo, wearing matching dresses with their two little girls in a rare family pic: SEE PIC
LEFTOVERS: HYPEBEAST MASK
Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas is launching a $300 face mask that comes with noise-cancelling headphones. Honeywell, maker of the N95, is partnering on the “Xupermask,” which includes HEPA filters as well as Bluetooth connectivity and LED lights. It’s a bet that masks can become a fashion statement in the streetwear scene: SEE IT
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