Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Wednesday, April 21, 2021:

CHAUVIN GUILTY

THE VERDICT: Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all counts in the killing of George Floyd. After about 10 hours of deliberations, the jury returned the unanimous verdict as the country looked on: guilty of second-degree murder, guilty of third-degree murder, guilty of manslaughter. Chauvin’s bail was revoked and his sentencing date was scheduled for about two months from now. CHEDDAR

THE REACTION: The verdict was met with relief by many Americans who watched the video that sparked worldwide protests against police brutality. Civil rights leaders hailed it as a small but important step toward racial justice. President Biden addressed the nation, calling the verdict a “too rare” step of delivering “basic accountability” for Black people for a “murder in full light of day.” The president also called on Congress to pass a national policing overhaul bill. AP

OHIO POLICE SHOOTING

Just before the Chauvin verdict was being read, a 16-year-old Black girl in Columbus, Ohio was fatally shot by a police officer. Police say the girl, Ma’Khia Bryant, had been threatening two other girls with a knife when the arriving officer shot her several times. The Columbus mayor said that based on body cam video, the officer “took action to protect another young girl in our community." COLUMBUS DISPATCH

COVID-19: LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

India reported a seventh straight day of 200,000 new coronavirus cases. The capital of New Delhi, with a population of 22 million, has just two dozen ICU beds available. In Europe, J&J will resume the rollout of its vaccine after regulators said the benefits of the shot outweighed the risk of rare blood clots. In the U.S., the seven-day average of new cases is finally starting to decline. Hawaii will start to ease its complex travel restrictions, first for vaccinated residents traveling between islands and then for “mainlanders” later this summer. WASH POST

RUSSIA ESCALATION

Russian President Vladimir Putin is delivering his annual state of the nation address today, a day after new satellite photos showed the Russian military has been building up its presence in Crimea and along its border with Ukraine to an extent greater than previously known. Ukraine’s president warned his country of the possibility of war and addressed Putin directly, proposing that the two meet. Putin has been taking an increasingly aggressive tone with the West as he deals with growing dissent at home over the treatment of Alexei Navalny. WSJ

PRICE HIKE ON AISLE 2

Procter & Gamble noted in its latest earnings report that it would start raising prices on household staples in September, the latest consumer giant to respond to increasing commodity costs. P&G will hike the price of feminine care products, baby supplies, and adult diapers. Rival Kimberly-Clark recently warned it would raise prices on diapers and toilet paper this summer. Coke, Hormel, J.M. Smucker and General Mills are also planning to hike prices to protect profit margins as the cost of many raw materials keeps going up. BLOOMBERG

NEW APPLE STUFF

Apple, as expected, announced a new iPad Pro with its top-of-the-line M1 chip, in its first media event of the year. But, as they say, that wasn’t all. The company also unveiled the following: a redesigned iMac that comes in seven colors and has an M1 chip, Bluetooth-enabled item trackers called AirTags, a spruced up Apple TV and redesigned remote, a new purple iPhone 12, a rebuilt Podcasts app with in-app subscriptions and a new season of its beloved show Ted Lasso. THE VERGE

SUPER LEAGUE: 2021-2021

The plan for a breakaway super league for the best soccer clubs in the world lasted approximately two days. In the face of widespread backlash from the sport’s ruling bodies, its fans, and even presidents and prime ministers, all six of the English clubs have announced they will withdraw. Several of the other clubs are also reportedly in the process of bailing out. Chelsea fans went so far as to block the team’s buses from arriving for a Premier League match in protest of the plan. ESPN

NETFLIX HITS A WALL

A trend that has been predicted by some in the entertainment industry is starting to come true: Netflix is losing steam, just as its competitors are gaining on it. The streamer reported earnings that showed subscriber growth dramatically slowed in the first quarter, even more than expected. Netflix gained just 4 million subs in the period, down from 16 million in the same period last year and below the 6 million it had forecast. The company blamed it on a “lighter content slate” and said it was spending a record $17 billion on new content this year. VARIETY

COVID DENIER GETS COVID

The country singer Ted Nugent, who had called the pandemic a hoax and a “leftist scam," says he’s been so sick with COVID that he could “hardly crawl out of bed.” Still, Nugent told fans he would not get the vaccine because “nobody knows what’s in it,” which is not true. STAR TELEGRAM

LEFTOVERS: DOGE DAYS

Dogecoin, the cryptocurrency that started as a joke, is now worth about the same as Ford Motor. The meme-based digital coin, a favorite of Elon Musk’s, has been up as much as 400 percent in the last week, giving the total value of Dogecoins in circulation a value of about $50 billion at the peak. That’s still relatively small potatoes compared to Bitcoin, which has a market cap higher than $1 trillion. REUTERS

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!

Share:
More In Culture
Will The Texas Grid Fail Again? ERCOT Says They Are 'Ready For This Storm'
Although this week's weather is predicted to be less severe than the 2021 storm, Texans are preparing for the worst - stocking up on supplies and emptying shelves in grocery stores, once again. Some Texans still have not recovered from last year's tragedy, and are heading into the next few weeks with anxiety for what's to come. Leslie Beyer, CEO of the Houston-based energy workforce & technology council, joins Cheddar News to discuss if the Texas grid will fail again.
The Black Student Debt Crisis and the Racial Wealth Gap Divide
Student loan debt continues to be a major concern for tens of millions of Americans who collectively owe about $1.7 trillion. Black college students often take on larger amounts of student debt in order to pay for a higher education. In turn, they are more likely to struggle post-graduation with repaying their debt, creating a racial wealth gap divide. Andre Perry, senior fellow at Brookings Institution joined All Hands to help break down the black student debt crisis.
American Red Cross Calls for Donors Amid Worst Blood Shortage in Over a Decade
The American Red Cross has declared its first-ever "national blood crisis" in the United States. Since COVID hit the U.S. in March 2020, blood donations have declined by 10 percent. American Red Cross Medical Director, Dr. Baia Lasky joined Cheddar News to discuss the country facing the worst blood shortage in over a decade. Dr. Lasky noted that as much as 40 percent of Americans are eligible to donate blood but only about 4 percent do so. "This is going to be ongoing," she said. "This is not an acute shortage. We really do need the commitment of people to come out and donate and donate again." Appointments to donate can be made by using the Red Cross Donor App, at RedCrossBlood.org, or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
'Soil' Funding for Black Female Founders; Bringing West African Culture to Grocery Stores
On this episode of ChedHER: Co-Founder of VC firm CaJE breaks down how she's creating a new era of venture capital and empowering Black women with 'soil' funding to start and grow their businesses; AYO Foods Co-Founder discusses how the brand is bringing West African cuisine to the frozen food industry and building a grocery aisle her daughters can be proud of; Chief Marketing & Customer Experience Officer at Chase Auto talks her experience being a woman of color in the auto industry, and why transportation is so important to financial freedom.
How Transportation Can be Key to Financial Freedom
Renée Horne, chief marketing and customer experience officer at Chase Auto, joins ChedHER to discuss her experience being a woman of color in the auto industry and why transportation is so important to financial freedom.
Load More