Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Tuesday, June 1, 2021:

MEMORIAL DAY TRAVEL

ROADS & AIR: With COVID-19 cases in the U.S. at their lowest level in more than a year, millions of Americans hit the roads and the skies this Memorial Day Weekend. The TSA says nearly 2 million people passed through airport security checkpoints on Friday, a pandemic high. According to AAA Travel, travel is up by more than 60% compared to this time last year, and Las Vegas and Orlando were two of the most popular destinations. WASHINGTON POST

GAS PRICES: Demand for gasoline is nearing pre-pandemic levels, and prices in some states are at their highest Memorial Day level since 2014. According to GasBuddy.com, the highest prices are in California, followed by Hawaii, Nevada, Washington and Oregon. USA TODAY

REMEMBERING THE TULSA RACE MASSACRE

President Biden will travel to Tulsa, Oklahoma today to mark the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre, when a white supremacist mob raided and burned the affluent Black neighborhood of Greenwood, leaving hundreds dead. The area was known as Black Wall Street, a thriving cultural and economic hub. To this day, no one has been prosecuted in connection with the massacre. 60 MINUTES

QANON AT CHURCH

Pastors are now expressing alarm about the growing number of congregants who believe in QAnon conspiracy theories. It comes as a new poll shows 15% of Americans agree with the QAnon contention that "the government, media, and financial worlds in the U.S. are controlled by a group of Satan-worshipping pedophiles who run a global child sex trafficking operation." AXIOS

TEXAS DEMS WALK OUT

Democrats in Texas staged a dramatic walkout of the State House over the weekend, to block passage of a restrictive new voting bill that would limit early voting hours, and make it easier for a judge to overturn an election if there are allegations of fraud. State Republicans said the bill will preserve the “purity of the ballot box,” and the governor has promised to pass the bill via special session. The house Democratic caucus sent a text message to members, writing, “Members, take your key and leave the chamber discreetly.” WASHINGTON POST

NETANYAHU OUT?

After 12 years as prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu’s days could be numbered. In an unlikely political alliance, Naftali Bennett, Netanyahu’s former lieutenant, and opposition leader Yair Lapid, are working to form a new government. Lapid is the head of the centrist party, and also a former TV news anchor and finance minister. If they can create a coalition, the two would take turns as prime minister. NPR

CHINA 3-CHILD POLICY

Facing a declining birth rate, China’s Communist Party says it will now allow all married couples to have three children, and also improve maternity leave and workplace protections. Back in 2016, China relaxed its “one-child” policy and allowed couples to have two children, although that didn’t do much to encourage families to have more kids. BBC

OSAKA

Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from the French Open, one day after being fined for skipping her mandatory post-game press conference. She wrote on social media that she suffers from depression, and gets “huge waves of anxiety before” speaking to the media: "I think now the best thing for the tournament, the other players and my well-being is that I withdraw so that everyone can get back to focusing on the tennis going on in Paris.” READ POST

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE

A sign that physical movie theaters are making a post-pandemic comeback: Paramount’s “A Quiet Place Part II” brought in $57 million over the Memorial Day Weekend-- that’s about what the movie was expected to bring in pre-pandemic. Paramount says, “We’re happy for movie theaters. This is a referendum on the future of moviegoing, so there’s a lot to celebrate.” Disney’s “Cruella,” also came out this weekend, both in theaters and available to rent on Disney Plus for $30. VARIETY

SPOTTED...

… Kate Middleton, dressed down in jeans and an H&M t-shirt, while getting her COVID-19 vaccine in London. The shirt costs $34.95 and is already sold out. SEE PIC

…Courteney Cox and Ed Sheeran, recreating the iconic ‘Friends’ dance routine, originally made famous when Cox and her on-screen brother, David Schwimmer, did the routine they developed in high school so they could be featured on “Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve. SEE VIDEO

LEFTOVERS

Grabbing a cocktail to-go from a bar or restaurant isn’t just a pandemic fad. At least 20 states have approved, or are considering, measures that would allow restaurants to sell to-go drinks permanently. Prior to the pandemic, most states banned bars from selling cocktails to-go, but during the pandemic it became an important revenue source. CNBC

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
Elizabeth Holmes Fraud Conviction Might Yield Five to Seven Years in Prison
The six-month trial of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes has come to an end with the former tech startup star found guilty of four out of 11 counts of fraud. Michael S. Weinstein, Esq, chair of the white collar criminal defense practice at Cole Schotz, and former Department of Justice trial attorney, joined Cheddar News Wrap to discuss what happens next for the former mogul. "Do I think it's going to be more than five or seven years? Probably yes. I think that's probably a fair range at this point," he said about her potential prison sentence.
CES 2022 Begins on Wednesday
We are just one day away from what has been called the most influential tech event in the world. CES 2022 will officially kick off on Wednesday in Las Vegas, but the annual tech summit is being impacted by COVID-19, like so many other recent events. The Consumer Technology Association originally planned for a hybrid event to take place from January 5-8, with some in-person events and some virtual; however, a few big-name companies announced they will not be attending in-person, so the CTA decided to shorten the event by one day, with it now ending on Friday. Consumer electronics senior analyst Will Greenwald joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
California Starts Largest U.S. Food Waste Recycling Program
California's new composting law will affect what residents do in their kitchens. As of this week, Californians will have to recycle excess food in an effort to reduce emissions caused by food waste. Cities and counties will turn recycled food into compost or use it as a renewable energy source. California's new law is the largest mandatory residential food waste recycling program in the country. Rachel Wagoner, Director of the California Department of Resources, Recycling and Recovery called the law 'the biggest change to trash' since recycling started in the 1980s. She joined Cheddar Climate to discuss.
Sweetgreen Launches Salad Subscription Service 'Sweetpass'
Fast-casual restaurant chain Sweetgreen is rolling out its first salad subscription service called sweetpass as it looks to customers tackling new year weight loss and health goals. Members will receive up to 30 percent off of purchases.
Severe Snowstorm Blankets D.C., Mid-Atlantic Region
Washington DC and the surrounding areas saw a record breaking snow storm Monday as a strong storm system works its way across the eastern U.S. The extreme weather event caused extensive damage in the greater Washington area, leaving thousands in the region without power. Jonathan Porter, Chief Meteorologist, AccuWeather, joined Wake Up with Cheddar to discuss the fierce storm.
Over 3,000 Flights Canceled on Monday Over Severe Weather, Crew Shortages
Airlines canceled more than 3,000 flights on Monday over severe weather and crew shortages. The cancellations come on one of the busiest travel days of the holiday season, and is a continuation of the industry-wide disruption that started before Christmas. Thomas Pallini, Aviation Reporter for Insider joined Wake Up with Cheddar to discuss.
End of Child Tax Credit Could Mean Slide Back Into Increasing Child Poverty
Millions of Americans with young children have relied on the child tax credit since the federal government began issuing checks in July 2021. The last round of payments was sent out just before the Christmas holiday — at the same time as the omicron variant surged. Leah Hamilton, associate professor of social work at Appalachian State University, joined Cheddar to discuss what the end to the tax credit means as the U.S. sees the end of many relief programs and its highest number of COVID cases since the start of the pandemic. "It'll become harder for families to meet their basic needs, increasing national childhood poverty rates and the proportion of families who have difficulty putting food on the table, maintaining stable housing, and paying their bills," Hamilton said. She also pointed to research that the credit as a long-term investment in children offsets claims that it contributes to macroeconomic impacts like inflation.
NYT Piece Claims Silicon Valley Investors and Founders Contorted Legal Tax Break to Avoid Taxes on Investment Profits
Several Silicon Valley insiders are being accused of contorting a 1990s-era tax break to avoid taxes on millions of dollars of investment profits. The tax break is known as the qualified small business stock exemption, and it allows early investors in certain companies to avoid half of the taxes on up to $10 million in capital gains. A piece recently published in the New York Times says venture capital firms like Andreessen Horowitz replicated the tax exemption by giving shares of companies to friends and family, who would otherwise face a 23.8% capital gains bill. The CEO of Roblox is also accused of replicating the tax break for his family members at least 12 times. Although the loophole known as 'stacking' is considered to be legal, the Times piece implies that the exemption has been manipulated for the ultra-wealthy to become more wealthy. Greycroft co-founder and Chairman Emeritus Alan Patricof joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Load More