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Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Monday, November 1, 2021:
ALL EYES ON GLASGOW
World leaders at the G20 agreed to stop funding new coal operations overseas, but could not come to an agreement on phasing out the fossil fuel for good. That does not bode well for talks at the COP26 UN climate summit, which kicks off today in Glasgow. President Biden is going into the summit with a weaker hand than he had hoped, as his climate legislation is still being negotiated in Congress. An agreement to significantly cut the use of coal in countries like Russia, China and India is one of several thorny issues that climate negotiators face in Glasgow over the next two weeks. NY TIMES
SCOTUS TAKES UP ABORTION
The Supreme Court will begin a series of showdowns over reproductive rights when justices hear oral arguments this morning in two cases related to Texas’ recent law that all but eliminates access to abortion in the state. The Texas reviews come before the Court is expected to hear a more consequential abortion case in Mississippi a month from now. The decision in that case could end up overturning Roe v. Wade. WASH POST
RITTENHOUSE TRIAL
Jury selection in another closely-watched, racially charged trial begins today, this time in Kenosha, Wisconsin. That is where Kyle Rittenhouse is going on trial for homicide. He is charged with fatally shooting two men at a protest that followed the police shooting of Jacob Blake last summer. Rittenhouse’s defense team will argue that he was acting in self-defense, while prosecutors will describe him as a vigilante who crossed state lines with an assault rifle looking for trouble. AP
TOKYO SUBWAY RAMPAGE
A 24-year-old man dressed in a Joker costume attacked passengers on a busy Tokyo train line, stabbing 17 people and starting a fire before he was arrested. The attack happened as trains were packed with Halloween revelers heading into the city. Video from the scene shows people running from a train car just before a blaze is ignited. According to local media reports, the suspect told police he “wanted to kill people so he could be sentenced to death.” BBC
MODERNA APPROVAL DELAY
The FDA has told Moderna that it needs more time to review its Covid vaccine for children aged 12 to 17. Moderna says regulators are looking specifically at the risk of myocarditis in kids and the vaccine’s emergency approval could be delayed until January. Moderna won’t submit its vaccine for kids in the younger age group until the FDA completes the current review. NPR
UNFRIENDLY SKIES
American Airlines is the latest carrier to suffer a weekend operational meltdown. American cancelled 1700 flights between Friday and Sunday, blaming a combination of bad weather at its DFW hub and prolonged staffing shortages, particularly among flight attendants. The cancellations started two days after an American flight attendant was hospitalized with broken bones after a first-class passenger punched her in the face when she bumped into him. CEO Doug Parker called that incident “one of the worst displays of unruly behavior” the airline has ever seen. CNN
'STROS STAY ALIVE
The Astros kept themselves alive in the World Series, rallying from behind to beat the Braves, 9-5 in front of a standing-room-only crowd in Atlanta. The Braves came out swinging with a Grand Slam from Adam Duvall in the first inning, but the Astros outscored them 9-1 after that. The series goes back to Houston for Game 6 tomorrow. ESPN
CELEBS IN COSTUME
The celebs were out in force for Halloween weekend this year. From Hailey Baldwin as Britney Spears to Kerry Washington as contestant 456 from Squid Game, here are some of the best looks: SEE PICS
SPOTTED...
…President Biden, attending mass at St. Patrick’s Church in Rome, where he received communion (after a blessing from the pope): SEE PIC
...former President Trump, joining fans for the controversial “tomahawk chop” while on hand at Game 4 of the World Series in Atlanta: WATCH
...Alec and Hilaria Baldwin, speaking about the death of Halyna Hutchins for the first time on camera: WATCH
...Jay-Z, making history as the first living solo rap artist to get inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: READ HIS SPEECH
...Pete Davidson and Kim Kardashian, holding hands on a roller coaster and sparking rumors that they’re dating: SEE PICS
LEFTOVERS: SLOW DOWN!
U.S. traffic deaths are at 15-year high, according to new federal data. The number of people who died in traffic-related accidents rose 18% in the first half of 2021, to more than 20,000. Behavioral research has linked a rise in reckless driving to the pandemic, though there is not one easy answer for why there have been more accidents on the road. There are growing calls for a national strategy to address the rise in traffic deaths, which Transportation Sec. Pete Buttigieg called a “crisis.” NBC NEWS
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