Get the Need2Know newsletter in your inbox every morning! Sign up here!

Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Friday, October 1, 2021:

SHUTDOWN AVERTED

Congress passed a short-term bill to keep the federal government open, which President Biden signed with just hours to spare. That averts one crisis as Democrats continue to negotiate with Republicans on raising the debt ceiling, and among themselves on the two big spending bills that make up Biden’s economic agenda. The infrastructure vote was postponed, but could happen today. The impasse on the bigger bill remains after Sen. Joe Manchin said he won’t go higher than $1.5 trillion, while progressive want $3.5 trillion. AP

COVID LATEST

The state of the pandemic in the U.S. is getting better. New cases are continuing to steadily decline, especially in the southern states hit hardest by the Delta wave. Florida is down from an average of 20,000 new cases a day in August to just 6,000 a day now.  The R-rate, or reproduction rate -- the calculation of how many new infections are caused by a single Covid case -- is now below 1 in 47 states. Still, the recovery isn’t equal: Alaska is now experiencing the most pronounced spike in the country, straining its few hospitals. And amid the promising news, the country is on track to pass 700,000 confirmed deaths this weekend. NY TIMES

MAIL SLOWDOWN

Mail delivery will start to slow today, as the U.S. Postal Service implements new service cuts that are part of the postmaster general’s 10-year plan to cut costs and modernize the agency. The service cuts will affect about 40% of first class mail, specifically mail that has to travel longer distances. The changes mean that if you’re mailing a card, letter or bill across the country you should budget up to five days for it to reach the destination. USA TODAY

'SECRETARY OF EVIL' TRIAL

German police apprehended a 96-year-old alleged war criminal after she skipped out on her scheduled trial. Irmgard Furchner disappeared from her nursing home hours before she was due to stand trial for aiding and abedding 11,000 murders when she was a secretary at a Nazi concentration camp during the Holocaust. Furchner did not get very far before she was found and detained. The case is getting extraordinary attention not only because it’s likely one of the last Nazi trials, but because Furchner was a civilian. BBC

SEPTEMBER SLUMP

September was the worst month for the stock market since March 2020, when the seriousness of the pandemic sent a shockwave down Wall Street. The S&P lost 5% for September, though the index still managed to eke out a gain for the third quarter. CHEDDAR

FACEBOOK WHISTLEBLOWER

The Facebook employee who leaked thousands of pages of internal documents to the Wall Street Journal will reveal her identity on 60 Minutes Sunday. That whistleblower is also expected to testify in front of Congress next week after providing regulators with the same material she gave to the Journal. At a separate hearing on Thursday, a top Facebook exec faced a grilling from senators who compared the company to Big Tobacco for going after children with a product they know is harmful to their health. CBS NEWS

PRODIGAL SON RETURNS

This Sunday will deliver one of the most anticipated early-season NFL matchups in a long time. Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Bucs are playing the New England Patriots in Foxboro for the first time since Brady decamped to win a Super Bowl with his new team. The game will pit Brady against former coach Bill Belichick amid more reports of bad blood between the two. There are memes galore ahead of the showdown, and NBC’s so excited they licensed an Adele song for the promo: WATCH

HOLLYWOOD STRIKE WATCH

Tens of thousands of Hollywood craftspeople will start voting today on whether to authorize a strike that would shut down TV and film production nationwide. The International Association of Theatrical Stage Employees union has been at an impasse with the studios over its contract. Many production workers have been complaining that the boom in streaming has created untenable working conditions, leaving them exhausted. Among the things IATSE is asking for is a mandatory 10-hour minimum “turnaround” time between production days and an end to the notorious “Fraturday” Friday-Saturday overnight shift. VARIETY

SPOTTED...

...Padres superstar Fernando Tatis Jr., drilling a home run out of Dodger Stadium: WATCH

...Mick Jagger, going unnoticed as he grabbed a beer at a local bar in Charlotte. The Stones are on tour without their beloved drummer Charlie Watts, who died in August: SEE PIC

…Jon Stewart, returning to television with his new Apple TV+ talk show, The Problem w/ Jon Stewart. The biweekly series is a more serious look at current events than The Daily Show, but with a dash of Stewart’s trademark humor: READ REVIEW

LEFTOVERS: STAR POWER

The Super Bowl halftime show is set: Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar and Eminem will share the stage at the big game in February. Super Bowl LVI is happening at the new SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, and three of the performers -- Dre, Snoop and Kendrick -- hail from the southern California rap scene. ESPN

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
Jury Finds Rittenhouse Not Guilty in Kenosha Protest Shootings
Kyle Rittenhouse was acquitted of all charges Friday after pleading self-defense in the deadly Kenosha shootings that became a flashpoint in the debate over guns, vigilantism and racial injustice in the U.S. Criminal Defense Attorney Anthony Tall joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss the verdict, potential judicial precedent, and more.
How Biden's Build Back Better Act Could Bring Cheaper E-Bikes to the U.S.
President Joe Biden's "Build Back Better" bill could mean cheaper electric bicycles and scooters as the nation attempts to shift away from gas-powered cars. Noa Banayan, the director of federal affairs at PeopleForBikes, joined Cheddar's "Closing Bell" to provide some background on the E-Bike Act included in Biden's reconciliation bill that would provide tax credits for qualified purchases. "We want to make sure, from the bike industry's perspective, that this is a technology and a product that is available to the majority of Americans who want to lower their carbon footprint and get around town faster and do everything that they would normally do in a short car trip but by bike, because it's healthier, it's fast, it's efficient, you're not in traffic," she said.
'Upstream Collective' Looks to Make Creating a DAO More Accessible
It's being called the next big trend in crypto. A decentralized autonomous organization, or DAO, is an internet community of different types of groups and businesses. The purpose is to allow people to commit funds to a specific cause in a safe way. Now, one social platform is creating a do-it-yourself kit for those who want to step into the space. Upstream Collective just launched the beta mode of its platform with the goal of putting all facets of running a DAO in one place. Alex Taub, co-founder and CEO of Upstream, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
NASA to Crash Satellite Into Asteroid During 'DART' Mission
A NASA spacecraft that will deliberately crash into an asteroid is preparing to launch this week. The goal of the DART mission, or the Double Asteroid Redirection Test, is to hit the smaller of the two asteroids, Dimorphos, with the spacecraft at about 15,000 miles per hour and see how the impact changes the asteroid’s trajectory. Joey Roulette, space reporter at The New York Times, joins Cheddar News to talk more about it.
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Returns to the Streets With the Help of Baby Yoda
After a pandemic pause where the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade was closed to the public, the annual tradition is returning to the streets of New York with some new, yet familiar, faces. In addition to 10 marching bands, dozens of floats, 30 heritage balloons, and five other newcomers, one creature from a galaxy far, far away is joining the festivities, courtesy of toy manufacturer Funko. Coming in at 41 feet tall, 29 feet long, and 37 feet wide, the Funko Pop!-inspired Grogu balloon, from "The Mandalorian," will make his debut this year. Cheddar's Michelle Castillo reports.
Load More