Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Thursday, April 15, 2021:
COVID-19: LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
The CDC’s advisory panel asked for more time to look at the possible link between the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and a rare but serious blood clotting disorder, meaning the pause on the J&J shot will continue for now. Some countries that have been giving the shot are already reporting that the pause has added to skepticism about the vaccines and a sense that, between J&J and AstraZeneca, developed countries are dumping second-rate vaccines on poorer nations. In the African nation of Malawi, a doctor says people have been asking “how do we get rid of the vaccine in our body?” NY TIMES
POLICE BRUTALITY
WRIGHT KILLING: Kim Potter, the former Minnesota police officer who shot Daunte Wright during a traffic stop, apparently by mistake, has been arrested and charged with second-degree manslaughter. Potter posted bond and will be arraigned today. Protests continued for a fourth night in Brooklyn Center, with police using flash grenades to disperse the crowd. CNN
CHAUVIN TRIAL: Derek Chauvin’s defense team called a former medical examiner who testified that he believed George Floyd died of a combination of a pre-existing heart condition, drug use, and exposure to the carbon monoxide from the tailpipe of the police car he was next to as Chauvin kneeled on him. The defense could wrap its case as early as today. STAR TRIB
CAPITOL RIOT
There’s a Congressional hearing today to go over a scathing report from the Capitol Police department’s inspector general about the Jan. 6 riot. That report found that the Capitol Police ignored intelligence warnings that “Congress itself is the target” of Trump supporters who believed the election was stolen from him and that they were “actively” promoting violence. Meanwhile, the Justice Dept. will not charge the officer who fatally shot Ashli Babbitt during that riot, finding that it was reasonable to believe he was protecting the House chamber. NBC NEWS
AFGHAN WAR
President Biden, as expected, announced that he would pull all U.S. troops out of Afghanistan, starting next month and finishing by Sept. 11, calling his decision “absolutely clear” and that the “forever war” was no longer worth the cost in blood and treasure. Following the announcement, NATO said it would follow suit and pull out all its troops from the country. There are some 7,000 coalition troops in Afghanistan, more than twice the number of American boots on the ground. AP
MADOFF DEAD
Bernie Madoff, the New York financier who ran the largest Ponzi scheme in history that defrauded thousands investors out of a total of $65 billion, has died of natural causes in federal prison at 82. Madoff was serving a 150-year sentence for that fraud, which came to light when his investors started pulling money out while the financial markets were crashing in the fall of 2008. Both of Madoff’s two sons died in the aftermath of their father’s crime, one from suicide and one from cancer. His family has always maintained that they were not aware of the Ponzi scheme. OBIT
COINBASE IPO
In a landmark moment for the maturing cryptocurrency space, the crypto exchange Coinbase went public in a direct listing on the Nasdaq. Shares soared as high as $425 before closing at $328 in the debut, giving the company a valuation of $86 billion. Coinbase is profitable but its business model is directly tied to the price of Bitcoin and other volatile digital currencies. Bitcoin has been on fire in preparation for the listing, hitting a new all-time high above $64,000. Brian Armstrong, the CEO of Coinbase who is now one of the 100 richest people on the planet, started the company when Bitcoin was at $6. CHEDDAR
INSTA LIKES
Instagram is launching a feature that lets users decide if they want to hide “likes”, whether it’s their own posts or someone else’s. Instagram had been testing a feature that automatically hid likes as a way to see if it cut down on the pressure to post certain types of content. The Facebook-owned platform said the reaction to that test was mixed, so now wants to see how users react to being given the option to see their likes. REUTERS
'BACHELOR' COMES OUT
Colton Underwood, the former star of The Bachelor, came out as gay on Good Morning America, saying he came to terms with his sexuality this year. The 29-year-old contestant on season 23 of the hit dating show was known as the “virgin Bachelor.” He gave his final rose to Cassie Randolph and they dated for a period after the show aired but had an acrimonious break up last year in which she filed a restraining order against him. Underwood is now shooting a Netflix series about his life as a gay man. VARIETY
SPOTTED...OPENING CEREMONY EDITION...
...Team USA’s official athlete uniform for the Tokyo Olympics, an all-white ensemble designed by Ralph Lauren: SEE IT
…Team Canada’s uniform, featuring spray-painted jean jackets: SEE IT
LEFTOVERS: WHITE CLAW SUMMER
White Claw is introducing a new line of hard seltzers with a higher alcohol content -- just in time for what’s already expected to be a raucous summer. White Claw Surge bumps up the booze level from 5 percent to 8 percent and comes in a larger 16 oz. can in two new flavors, blood orange and cranberry. MLIVE
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