Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Friday, February 12, 2021:
VACCINE 'OPEN SEASON' COMING
Dr. Fauci says April will likely be the beginning of "open season" for vaccine eligibility as the availability of vaccines is expected to really ramp up. The Biden team announced they've secured an additional 200 million doses which should arrive by the end of the summer, bumping the U.S. total up to 600 million. That day can't come soon enough, as vaccine shortages have forced Los Angeles to close five inoculation sites, including the country's largest at Dodgers Stadium. Meanwhile, AP is reporting that in the early days of lockdowns, recovering patients in New York were sent to nursing homes, raising questions about whether that stoked the outsized infection and death counts often seen there. NY TIMES
IMPEACHMENT II: DAY 3
House impeachment managers have rested their case with a passionate plea for "common sense" and a recognition of the damage caused by the Capitol Hill riots, which they say would not have occurred without former President Donald Trump's incitement. At noon today Trump's defense team will get their chance at a rebuttal, which will likely double-down on the argument that Trump should not be held responsible for the actions of the mob, despite his often incendiary rhetoric. In a move that would be especially odd in any other trial, three of the GOP jurors - Sens. Mike Lee, Lindsey Graham, and Ted Cruz - reportedly met with Trump's attorneys last night. One of the attorneys told reporters they were “just talking about procedure” and called them “friendly guys.” AP
BROADCAST WARS
Two of the world's largest state-owned broadcasting networks just got booted from each other's respective countries. In retaliation for UK regulators revoking China Global Television Network's right to broadcast, China has banned BBC World Service from airing in the country of 1.3 billion. The UK said the parent company of the Chinese channel broke the law by not having editorial oversight of its own programming. China, meanwhile, said the BBC violated requirements that news reporting be true and impartial. NPR
DIVERSITY HELPS
A new study from the University of Pennsylvania has found that diversity in policing can actually help prevent the kinds of situations that led to the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor at the hands of law enforcement. After fighting for three years to get detailed data from the Chicago Police Department, researchers found that out of three million patrol assignments, Black and Hispanic officers made far fewer stops and arrests, especially of Black civilians. Many experts are calling the study the best evidence yet of the need for diversity in policing. AP
MORE DEFICIT BLUES
The Congressional Budget Office reported Thursday that the federal budget deficit is projected to hit $2.3 trillion in fiscal year 2021, which is below last year's whopping $3.13 trillion shortfall but still the second-largest ever in the nation's history. But...Biden's proposed $1.9 trillion package was not included in the calculation because the actual amount is still unknown. Now, whether or not regular Americans should be concerned about the massive debt is a debate for the ages, but one thing most lawmakers agree on is that economic recovery is still priority number one. CNBC
OLD BANK, NEW CURRENCY
It's been a banner week for bitcoin. First, Tesla revealed on Monday that it had purchased $1.5 billion worth of the cryptocurrency and would soon start accepting bitcoin as a form of payment. Now the nation's oldest bank, Bank of New York Mellon, said it plans to embrace bitcoin as well. The 236-year-old custody bank will hold, transfer, and issue bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies on behalf of its clients, giving some serious establishment cred to the fledgling currency. WSJ
YEAR OF THE OX
Today marks the beginning of the Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, a global celebration that in normal circumstances would mean parties, parades, and travel to visit families and friends. With COVID restrictions still limiting public gatherings, many will have to be content saying goodbye to the Year of the Rat and ushering in the Year of the Ox from the privacy of their homes. USA TODAY
SPOTTED...
…Reclusive actress Shelly Duvall sat down with The Hollywood Reporter for an extensive Q&A that touches on her decision to leave Hollywood behind and the trauma she experienced working on the set of Stanley Kubrick's The Shining. READ MORE
… Taylor Swift dropped a re-recorded version of her hit song Love Story overnight, part of the megastar's effort to re-record and re-release her entire catalog after the original rights were sold. LISTEN
LEFTOVERS: GORILLA GLUE POSTSCRIPT
The strange, sad saga of Tessica Brown, who made the mistake of using Gorilla Glue as hairspray and struggled mightily for weeks to get it out, has come to a happy conclusion. Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Dr. Michael Obeng was able to remove the glue, pro bono, using a combination of medical-grade adhesive remover, olive oil, aloe vera, and a dash of acetone. Brown, for her part, said she has big weekend plans. TMZ
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