Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Wednesday, May 5, 2021:
COVID-19: NEW STRATEGY
Seventy percent of American adults at least partially vaccinated by the Fourth of July, and 160 million people fully vaccinated: that’s the new goal from the White House, which is shifting the federal vaccination strategy to get more shots into arms as the supply-demand curve flips. President Biden is also ordering pharmacies that participate in the federal pharmacy program to start offering walk-in appointments and is directing FEMA to support more community vaccination sites, mobile and pop-up clinics. CNN
PFIZER VACCINE
Pfizer will seek authorization for its coronavirus vaccine in children aged 2 to 11 in September, the company announced on its earnings call. It will also file for a full FDA approval for adult use this month, and safety data from an ongoing study in pregnant women is expected this summer. Pfizer revealed that it made $3.5 billion in revenue from the vaccine during the first quarter. Both Pfizer and Moderna are selling their vaccines to governments at a profit, while J&J and AstraZeneca are not. YAHOO FINANCE
CHENEY ON THE OUTS
Rep. Liz Cheney, the no. 3 House Republican, may be on borrowed time when it comes to her position in the chamber’s leadership. Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy was caught on a hot mic trashing Cheney and predicting that she will soon face another motion to oust her as a party leader. McCarthy also said, on the record, that he has concerns about Cheney’s ability to “carry out the [GOP] message.” Many Republicans are still furious at Cheney for failing to perpetuate the false claim that the election was stolen, and for voting to impeach Trump the second time. AXIOS
CHAUVIN TRIAL
Derek Chauvin’s defense attorneys have filed a motion for a new trial on the grounds of juror misconduct and the judge’s decision not to sequester the jury. The motion comes after a photo surfaced showing one of the Chauvin jurors attended last year’s March on Washington while wearing a shirt that read “Get your knee off our necks.” That juror says he was attending the march to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, not protesting against police brutality, which is why he answered “no” on the juror questionnaire about whether he had gone to any of the police protests last summer. CBS MINNESOTA
BANKERS BACK TO WORK
The financial sector is finalizing plans to bring employees back to the office this summer. Goldman Sachs is telling workers in the U.S. and UK to be ready to be back in their offices by the middle of June. JPMorgan will start bringing employees back in rotations starting in July. CEO Jamie Dimon said he’s “done” with Zoom and expects office culture to make a comeback by the fall. Vanguard, Deutsche Bank and Citadel are also planning for at least some of their staff to be back to the office in the coming months. BLOOMBERG
FACEBOOK TRUMP DECISION
Facebook’s oversight board will announce this morning the fate of former President Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts. He was indefinitely banned from both platforms in the aftermath of the Capitol riot and after repeatedly violating the company’s policies on misinformation. The independent “Supreme Court of Facebook” is set to publish its most momentous decision yet at 9 a.m. ET. Trump, who remains permanently banned from Twitter, just launched a new "communications platform" that aggregates all his statements and videos on one website. NPR
CRYPTO RECORDS
The price of Bitcoin has been treading water lately, but the same can’t be said for the rest of the cryptocurrency space. Both Ethereum and Dogecoin are at new all-time highs, giving the niche digital coins market caps of $40 billion and $7 billion, respectively. Ethereum has been rising on the belief that it’s gaining legitimacy as an alternative to Bitcoin, while Doge is benefiting from fans like the Winklevoss twins pumping it up on social media. FOX BIZ
GAGA DOGNAPPING
The three men who allegedly assaulted Lady Gaga’s dogwalker and stole her two French bulldogs had no idea they belonged to the pop star, according to new court documents. Prosecutors say the trio were driving around L.A. looking for Frenchies to steal when they came upon Ryan Fischer walking Gaga’s three dogs, followed him onto a quiet street and then attacked him. The girlfriend of one of the assailants was the one who then turned the pups back in when the crew realized they were Gaga's, hoping to collect the $500,000 reward. All are facing felony charges. YAHOO ENT
SPOTTED...
...the lineup for Governors Ball, one of the first big music festivals to announce it’s coming back. Billie Eilish, A$AP Rocky, J. Balvin and Post Malone headline the weekend event in late September at NYC’s Citi Field: SEE IT
…Will Smith, once again posing shirtless and announcing that he’s ready to lose his COVID weight and plans to document his journey in a YouTube series: SEE PIC
LEFTOVERS: NO MORE SNOW DAYS
The largest public school system in the country just quietly got rid of snow days. NYC public schools put out the plan for the fall, including mandatory remote learning on days that in-person classes are cancelled due to weather. The calendar also changes the name of Columbus Day to Indigenous People’s Day and adds Juneteenth as a holiday. NBC NY
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