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Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Thursday, October 21, 2021:
BOOSTER EXPANSION
The FDA is recommending booster shots for Johnson & Johnson and Moderna vaccine recipients, also saying that people are free to get boosters that are different from the vaccine they initially received. Assuming the CDC signs off today, all J&J recipients aged 18 and up will be eligible for a booster so long as their initial shot was two months ago. The booster policy for Moderna is the same as Pfizer: anyone 65 and up or with a medical condition, job or living situation that puts them at high risk of contracting Covid. AP
BIDEN'S SHRINKING AGENDA
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona is reportedly telling lobbyists that she opposes any increase to the tax rate on wealthy people or corporations, the main way that President Biden’s social spending plan would be paid for. Sinema’s vote is needed for Democrats to pass that bill in the Senate. The legislation, which started with a price tag of $3.5 trillion, is down to a ballpack of $1.8 trillion as Dems continue to negotiate its size and scope amongst themselves. Sinema’s supposed red line on tax increases comes after Biden told progressives that tuition-free community college, another signature plank, is out of the final bill. POLITICO
PARKLAND SHOOTER PLEADS
The gunman who carried out the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Valentine’s Day 2018 pleaded guilty to all charges related to that rampage, including the murder of 17 people. The shooter apologized to the victims for carrying out the deadliest high school shooting in U.S. history. He faces a possible death sentence. CBS NEWS
GABBY PETITO CASE
Brian Laundrie’s family attorney told CNN’s Chris Cuomo last night that “the probability is strong” that human remains found in a Florida nature reserve are those of Laundrie. A notebook and backpack belonging to Laundrie, who is a person of interest in the killing of Gabby Petito, were also discovered nearby. The human remains were found in an area that was underwater until recently and are said to be in bad shape, meaning the identification process could take a while. CNN
UP, UP AND AWAY
The Dow, S&P and Bitcoin are all at or near all-time highs. The Dow and S&P are within striking distance of record closes, despite the labor and inflationary pressures that have been hitting the economy. Corporate earnings have been coming in hot -- Tesla was the latest to crush its earnings report -- helping fuel the rally. Meanwhile, Bitcoin hit a fresh all-time high above $66,000 after the successful launch of the first ETF dedicated to trading Bitcoin futures. MARKETWATCH
PINTERESTPAL
PayPal is said to be in late-stage talks to acquire Pinterest. The deal, if completed, would value the social platform for “pinning” photos at about $40 billion. PayPal’s new strategy is to become something of a “super app” for finances and e-commerce, similar to China’s WeChat, and a Pinterest acquisition would expose it to new users who use Pinterest as part of their shopping experience. BLOOMBERG
FACEBOOK REBRAND
There are some fresh reports coming in about Facebook’s possible impending name change. Sources say the social media giant has been in serious discussions about a corporate rebrand for the last two months, though Mark Zuckerberg has reportedly still not settled on what the new name should be. The company could announce a new name for its umbrella corporation as soon as next week, possibly to reflect its focus on the “metaverse.” PLATFORMER
'DUNE' REVIEWS
Director Denis Villeneuve’s big-budget adaptation of Dune is coming to theaters and HBO Max tomorrow (in fact, it’ll hit HBO Max tonight). And the buzz is coming in very positive. Dune is sitting at 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics calling it “ambitious,” “visually spectacular,” and “a feat of visual and aural hypnosis.” If you’re planning to take in the epic space opera this weekend, the 'James Bond Rule' applies: go to the bathroom first. The final cut is clocking in at 2 hours 35 minutes. SCREEN RANT
SPOTTED...
...Adele, head-to-toe in leather with a matching Louis Vuitton coat, front row at the Lakers game: SEE PICS
…a tiny crab, dated to 100 million years ago, perfectly preserved in amber dug out of a mine in Myanmar. The fossilized crustacean from the dinosaur era is the oldest on record to be found more or less intact: SEE IT
LEFTOVERS: PIG-TO-HUMAN TRANSPLANT
Surgeons in New York have successfully transplanted a pig kidney into a human body for the first time. The team was able to attach the pig’s kidney to a pair of blood vessels in a human patient who is brain dead without the organ being rejected. Not only was it not rejected, the kidney did its job of filtering waste and making urine for two days as doctors observed. The milestone is considered an advancement in the hope of one day being able to use animal organs for human transplants. USA TODAY
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