Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Tuesday, June 8, 2021:
ALZHEIMER’S BREAKTHROUGH?
The FDA has approved the first new Alzheimer’s medication in nearly two decades. Aduhelm is a monthly IV infusion meant to treat the underlying cause of the disease, as opposed to other meds which only treat dementia symptoms. However, the FDA’s decision is a contentious one-- its own independent advisory committee, as well as some Alzheimer’s researchers, say there isn’t enough evidence that the drug helps patients. Aduhelm will continue to undergo clinical trials. BLOOMBERG
VEEP IN GUATEMALA: “DO NOT COME”
During her first major speech abroad Monday in Guatemala, Vice President Kamala Harris tried to discourage migrants from crossing the U.S. southern border. She said, “Do not come. Do not come. The United States will continue to enforce our laws and secure our border.” The Biden administration is trying to stem the influx of migrants by attacking its root problems, including human trafficking and corruption in Mexico and Central America. It also wants to inject $4 billion into Guatemala, El Salavdor and Honduras to help fight poverty and crime. POLITICO
U.S. VAX RATES FALL OFF
The U.S. vaccination rate has plummeted-- we’re averaging fewer than 1 million shots per day, even though all adults and children over 12 are eligible. The slowdown is not universal: many states on the East and West Coasts have already vaccinated 70% of their adult population. On the other hand, Alabama had just four people per 10,000 residents get vaccinated last week and Covid cases are climbing. Meanwhile, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said that all COVID restrictions will be lifted when 70 percent of New Yorkers have had at least one dose. WASHINGTON POST
COLONIAL PIPELINE HACK RANSOM SEIZED
Feds seized about half of the $4.4 million in cryptocurrency ransom paid to restore the Colonial Pipeline energy system, which was hacked in early May. DOJ officials said FBI investigators “turned the tables” on hacker group “DarkSide,” which is believed to be based in Russia. The money was recovered by a newly launched government task force that was basically able to hack the hackers. USA TODAY
APPLE WWDC
Apple kicked off its annual developers conference, presenting new software updates and features, including the ability to use your iPhone as your ID at the airport. It’ll also be easier to find your missing AirPods in the FindMy app, and once you locate them, you can activate Conversation Boost to isolate the voice of the person in front of you. FaceTime is going to also look a lot more like Zoom and Microsoft Teams. Here’s what else is new: CHEDDAR
BEZOS IN SPACE
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos says he’ll join crew members of his Blue Origin space company on July 20 as they make their first flight to space with passengers on board. Bezos’ brother Mark will join him, along with the winner of an online charity auction. The Bezos bros and their fellow travelers will take a 10-minute flight up to an altitude of about 65 miles, skimming the edge of space, before returning to Earth. Bezos is stepping down as Amazon CEO just 15 days before liftoff. AP
WHERE THE (AMAZON) SIDEWALK ENDS
If you have an Amazon Echo, Tile or Ring device, it may start sharing your internet bandwidth with your neighbors-- and strangers-- starting today. Any Sidewalk-enabled devices will connect with other enabled devices within range, even if they aren’t in your home, allowing every device in the network to remain connected to the internet if they lose connection to their home wifi network. The tech giant is telling developers to enable Sidewalk in third-party devices to create an even larger network. Tech experts advise doing your research-- and potentially disabling Sidewalk on your devices. RECODE
COCO GAUFF TO QUARTERFINALS
17-year-old Coco Gauff clinched her first grand slam quarterfinal win at the French Open Monday. The phenom became the youngest American player to reach a major quarterfinal round since Venus Williams in 1997-- and the youngest woman to reach a grand slam quarterfinal since 2006. TENNIS.COM
SPOTTED...
… An apology from “Kimmy Schmidt” actress Ellie Kemper, for taking part in a St. Louis debutante ball with controversial origins back when she was 19. She said, "I was not aware of this history [of the ball] at the time, but ignorance is no excuse.” READ IT
… A-Rod looking sad (or is he just sweating?) while eating alone at Bar Pitti in Manhattan, post-J.Lo breakup. The ex-Yankee was seen apartment hunting in NYC over the weekend. SEE IT
LEFTOVERS - TINDER UPDATES
BYE BYE EXES: Tinder is launching a new update that allows users to block their phone contacts on the app. The feature lets users avoid personal contacts like exes, family members, or colleagues. A recent survey found that more than 40 percent of 1,500 Tinder users have come across an ex-partner on a dating app. USA TODAY
VAX STATUS: Meanwhile, Tinder, Hinge, Bumble and other dating apps are giving British users the option to display their vaccination status-- in exchange for “Super Likes,” “Roses,” discounts and other in-app perks. CNN
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