Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Friday, April 9, 2021:
FLASH: PRINCE PHILIP HAS DIED AT 99 - BUCKINGHAM PALACE
BIDEN ON GUNS
President Biden announced a number of modest executive actions on gun safety that do not require Congress’ approval, calling the country’s gun violence epidemic “an international embarrassment.” The president instructed the Justice Dept. to crack down on “ghost guns,” the hard-to-trace firearms that can be bought in a kit without a background check, and stabilizing braces that turn pistols into short-barreled rifles. He also nominated a gun-control advocate to run the ATF, which has been without a permanent chief since 2015. CBS NEWS
GUN VIOLENCE
Biden’s actions on guns came during a particularly upsetting week of gun violence in America. Police say a former NFL player, Phillip Adams, killed five people and himself in South Carolina. Before that, a mother and her two daughters were shot and killed by the mother’s ex-boyfriend in Brooklyn. He also killed himself. On the same day, two brothers in Dallas carried out a murder-suicide pact by shooting four members of their family and themselves. BUZZFEED
COVID-19: LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
The allocation of Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses is expected to drop dramatically next week as a result of that Baltimore factory that accidentally ruined millions of doses, a big setback to the national vaccine drive as it’s now averaging over 3 million doses a day. Pfizer and Moderna shipments remain steady, and the CDC says more than a quarter of U.S. adults are now fully vaccinated. Notre Dame is the latest college to require that students show proof of vaccination if they want to be on campus in the fall, following similar policies from Cornell, Rutgers, Brown and Northeastern. USA TODAY
CHAUVIN TRIAL: DAY 9
A pulmonologist testified at the Derek Chauvin trial that George Floyd died from a lack of oxygen to his brain, vehemently denying the defense’s argument that Floyd’s cause of death was from drugs or an underlying medical condition. Dr. Martin Tobin, a star witness for the prosecution, said: “A healthy person subjected to what Mr. Floyd was subjected to would have died as a result of what he was subjected to.” That is among the most damning testimony for the defense so far. STAR TRIB
AMAZON UNION DRIVE
Amazon holds a wide lead in the Bessemer, Alabama union vote, with about half the ballots counted as of this morning. So far, there are 1,100 votes against unionization and 463 in support. The union needs to win at least half the 3,215 votes to be recognized. The retail union that led the organizing effort is calling for a probe into Amazon’s conduct during the election, including a claim that it improperly had a ballot dropbox installed at the fulfillment center; Amazon says it did that to make voting easier. CNBC
STREAMING WARS
Netflix will be the streaming home to Sony Pictures Entertainment movies for the next few years, starting in 2022. All of the studio’s movies will go to Netflix after their theatrical runs; that includes the Marvel franchises owned by Sony, such as Spider-Man and Venom. Netflix has been mostly Marvel-free ever since Disney pulled its content for Disney+. Separately, WarnerMedia’s CEO reiterated that the straight-to-HBO Max deal is a one time thing that won’t repeat next year. IGN
MASTERS WEEKEND
Here’s something you don’t see every day: Rory McIlroy, making his approach shot on the No. 7 hole during the first round at Augusta, hit the ball right into a spectator -- who just happened to be his dad. McIlroy struggled with an opening round of 76 as he tries to win his first green jacket and complete a rare career grand slam. Justin Rose is in the lead heading into Day 2. ESPN
POSTHUMOUS PRINCE
Five years after Prince died, his estate is prepping a new album of “lost” music to be released this summer. The album, recorded in 2010 and titled Welcome 2 America, will drop on streaming service July 30. The title track was just released: LISTEN
SPOTTED...
…People across Israel, stopping in their tracks -- and cars -- as a siren wails for the Holocaust’s six million victims on Holocaust Remembrance Day: SEE IT
LEFTOVERS: BEAUTY QUEEN MELEE
The reigning Mrs. World beauty queen has been arrested in Sri Lanka after she ripped the crown from the head of another beauty queen, allegedly injuring her. Caroline Jurie, Mrs. World 2020, walked on stage at the Mrs. Sri Lanka competition last weekend as Pushpika De Silva was being crowned the winner and forcibly removed De Silva’s tiara, saying she didn’t deserve it because she was a divorcee: WATCH
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!
