Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Thursday, June 3, 2021:

PANDEMIC STATUS UPDATE

MONTH OF ACTION: President Biden declared June a “national month of action” when it comes to the coronavirus pandemic. As part of his push to get 70% of Americans at least partially vaccinated by July 4th, the White House laid out new incentives like free food delivery and groceries, airline tickets and Xboxes. Overall cases are still trending lower, with 20,000 new daily infections reported on Tuesday. WASHINGTON POST

VARIANTS: Meanwhile, the B.1.617.2 variant originally discovered in India has already spread to more than 60 countries, including the United States. This variant is particularly worrisome because it may be the most transmissible variant yet. NY MAG

HACK ATTACKS

NYC SUBWAY: Hackers with suspected ties to China breached the New York City transit system in April, although officials say there was no risk to riders or customer info. NBC NEW YORK

MEAT PROCESSING PLANT: The beef and pork producer JBS USA is trying to get back up and running after a cyberattack last weekend, which forced shutdowns at plants in North America and Australia. The White House says Russia was likely behind the attack. Experts say it could cause a supply crunch, sending the price of meat higher. CNN

DR. FAUCI EMAILS

Thousands of pages of Dr. Fauci’s emails obtained by BuzzFeed News from early 2020 provide a glimpse into how he tried to develop an effective strategy to fight the pandemic amid conflicts with the Trump administration. The emails cover the period from January to June of 2020. BUZZFEEDNEWS

NEW ISRAELI GOVERNMENT (MAYBE)

A diverse group of opposition lawmakers have reached a power-sharing government to oust Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from office for the first time in 12 years. The coalition includes everyone from an Arab Islamist party to secular Jews to religious nationalists. Under the deal, Centrist lawmaker Yair Lapid and one-time Netanyahu ally Naftali Bennett will take turns as prime minister. Lapid said, "The government will do everything it can to unite every part of Israeli society.” Israeli Parliament still needs to approve the deal. NBC NEWS

MEDINA SPIRIT TESTS POSITIVE… AGAIN

Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit failed a second drug test, potentially disqualifying him from the Derby and elevating second-place winner Mandaloun. Churchill Downs has also suspended famed trainer Bob Baffert for two years. Baffert’s attorney says additional testing is being done to trace the source of the steroid, which they say came from an ointment to treat a skin infection. NY TIMES

VENUS EXPLORATION

NASA is launching two scientific missions to study Venus, between 2028 and 2030. Venus is Earth’s so-called sister planet, and our closest planetary neighbor, but it has a thick, toxic atmosphere and temperatures that reach 800 degrees. NASA hasn’t explored Venus in over 30 years, and has been giving more attention to Mars. REUTERS

MEME STOCK 2.0

Shares of theater chain AMC continued their record rally, doubling in price on Wednesday with help from retail investors on Reddit. AMC CEO Adam Aron offered even the smallest shareholder a free large popcorn if they signed up to a regular newsletter. The #WallStreetBets Reddit thread is also boosting some other meme stocks: Just yesterday, BlackBerry shares jumped 31%, Koss Corp shares rose about 70%, and Bed, Bath and Beyond rose 41%. CHEDDAR

RENT THE RUNWAY GOES RESALE

Rent the Runway is getting into the resale business. Customers will soon be able to buy gently used clothes and accessories from the site, in addition to renting items, without having a Rent the Runway membership. The company is looking to rebuild its business, which took a big hit during the pandemic when people stopped spending money on clothes for weddings, vacations and other events. CNBC

“COACH K” RETIRING

Legendary Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski has decided to retire after the upcoming 2021-22 basketball season. “Coach K” is 74 years old, and took over Duke’s basketball program ahead of the 1980-81 season. He’s the winningest coach in college basketball history, and has led Duke to five NCAA Tournament victories and 12 Final Four appearances. He’s expected to be replaced by Duke assistant and former player Jon Scheyer. CBS SPORTS

LEFTOVERS

An Italian artist sold an invisible sculpture at auction for $18,000. The buyer will receive a certificate of authentication signed by the artist, but the sculpture itself is "immaterial," meaning that it does not actually exist. The artist, Salvatore Garau, has reportedly instructed the buyer to display the sculpture in an area that is about 5 ft. long by 5 ft. wide. NEWSWEEK

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
L’Oréal Leans Into High-Tech Innovations for Home Hair Coloring
L’Oréal is doubling down on its investment in tech. The French beauty giant unveiled two new high-tech products ahead of CES 2022, aimed at simplifying the hair coloring process. Guive Balooch, global vice president of L’Oréal Technology Incubator, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss the company's innovations for hair coloring, including the Colorsonic application device and the Coloright AI diagnostic tool.
Bill Murray, Cellist Jan Vogler Make Beautiful Music Together in New Concert Doc
After meeting by chance in an airport, legendary actor Bill Murray and world-renowned cellist Jan Vogler joined forces to put out an album of poetry and music, go on a European concert tour, and release a feature documentary. Murray and Vogler joined Cheddar to dish about the experiences taking their “New Worlds: The Cradle of Civilization" on the road and filming the documentary that followed the pair, along with Mira Wang on violin and Vanessa Perez on piano, at their final show in Greece. "When this opportunity to play with Jan and Mira and Vanessa came along, I thought, well how bad can I be with these people behind me," Murray self-deprecatingly noted about his own musical talents.
Everything You Need to Know About Climbing Mount Everest
On this episode of Cheddar Reveals: Director of Programs at Alpine Ascents breaks down how to mentally and physically prepare for climbing Mount Everest; American Himalayan Foundation's Vice President discusses Sherpa culture and ethos, and why they are so critical to the climb; A look at Curiosity Stream's 'History by the Numbers.'
Why Cars Can Go Speeds They Can’t Legally Hit
All around the world, speed limits are placed on public roads to promote car safety and save lives. In that same world, car manufacturers have continued to look for ways to build faster and faster cars. Despite the dangers of speeding, many drivers are guilty of pushing the pedal from time to time. With cars being such a prevalent culture in everyday life, especially in the US, it’s worth wondering what it would take for car companies to once and for all settle the argument of safety versus freedom.
Income Inequality Among Influencers, Closing the Racial Pay Gap
A recent study by MSI uncovers a vast racial divide in influencer marketing. The research found a 35% racial pay gap between white and black influencers. This gap is extremely wider than the gap in other industries such as education, business, and finance. The research also suggests that brands and agencies have the power to close this gap. Tiffany Hardin, founder and CEO of Gild Creative Group, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
Pennsylvania AG Josh Shapiro Details Navient's Predatory Student Loan Schemes
Student loan collection company Navient agreed to cancel $1.7 billion in debt and paid more than $140 million in other penalties to settle a lawsuit over abusive lending practices. Josh Shapiro, the attorney general of Pennsylvania who led negotiations in the settlement, joined Cheddar to go over the details of the company's predatory lending. "What Navient would do is charge [borrowers] these exorbitantly high rates, even though they knew people couldn't pay them or they would likely default on them," he explained.
Foxtrot Raises $100 Million to Accelerate National Retail Expansion Of Its Digital-First, Omnichannel Corner Store
Retail platform operator and delivery company, Foxtrot, raised $100 million in a Series C round led by D1 Capital Partners. Foxtrot bills itself as the modern convenience store that combines what it calls in-store curated discovery with 30-minute delivery and 5-minute pickup. Since launching first as a digital-only delivery service, the company has since grown into a popular local retailer, opening 16 brick and mortar locations across Chicago, Dallas, and Washington, DC. Foxtrot co-founder and CEO Michael LaVitola joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Load More