Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Wednesday, May 6, 2021:
COVID-19: PATENT PROTECTIONS
The White House has changed its position and now supports waiving intellectual property rights for the coronavirus vaccines, which could help get more shots to the places in the world that desperately need them. The U.S. and other developed nations in the World Trade Organization had been opposed to suspending those IP protections on concerns they’d impact the pharma companies that make the vaccines. Those companies have argued that the bigger issue for vaccinating the developing world is a global scarcity of ingredients and supply chain bottlenecks. AP
FACEBOOK TRUMP BAN
Facebook’s Oversight Board upheld the ban on former President Trump for now, but punted the decision on whether to permanently ban him back to Facebook executives. The board said that the decision to remove Trump in the wake of the Capitol riot was “justified” but that an indefinite ban was not appropriate because there were no rules on the books to allow for such an open-ended suspension. Mark Zuckerberg now has six months to make the final call. AXIOS
EVICTION MORATORIUM
A federal judge has overturned the national eviction moratorium put in place under the Trump administration. The judge ruled that the CDC overstepped its power in enacting the moratorium, which was extended by President Biden through June. The Justice Dept. plans an appeal and has requested an emergency stay that would keep the moratorium in place for now, but the ruling adds to the confusion for millions of tenants who have been behind on rent during the pandemic, as well as their landlords. BLOOMBERG
AMERICANS SENTENCED IN ITALY
Two American men were given the harshest possible sentence by an Italian court for the killing of a plainclothes police officer in 2019 in a case that has riveted Italy. Finnegan Elder and Gabriel Hjorth of San Francisco were teenagers when they got into a scuffle with two military police, known as carabinieri, after a drug deal that went bad in a trendy neighborhood of Rome. Elder fatally stabbed one of the officers, Brig. Mario Cerciello Rega. Elder and Hjorth maintained that they were acting in self defense and thought the men were thugs, not cops. The former classmates were sentenced to life in prison. NBC NEWS
PELOTON RECALL
Peloton is recalling all of its treadmills amid concerns that they can be unsafe for small children and pets. Peloton CEO John Foley issued an apology for how the company handled the response to the initial request from the feds that the Tread+ be recalled after reports of dozens of injuries and at least one death, saying he should have acted more quickly. Owners of Peloton Tread or Tread+ products are advised to stop using them and contact the company for a refund. Shares of the fitness equipment maker fell 15 percent on news of the recall; the stock is down nearly 50 percent on the year after soaring in 2020. CHEDDAR
OPEN FOR A SURPRISE
Any casual Twitter user knows that one of the quirks of the platform is the way in which its algorithm auto-crops your photos. Sometimes the computer picks the wrong part of the image to focus on, leading to often funny -- but sometimes racist -- results. No more. Images on Twitter will now appear much larger on both Android and iOS, heralding the end of the “open for a surprise” meme. THE VERGE
SPACE RACE
BLUE ORIGIN: Jeff Bezos’ rocket company has a date for its first suborbital sightseeing flight: July 20. Blue Origin will launch a crew aboard its New Shepard rocket and capsule on that date; one seat is being auctioned online while the rest will be taken by, presumably, company personnel. Bezos himself hasn’t said whether he plans to be on board. REUTERS
SPACEX: Meanwhile, SpaceX successfully landed a prototype of the spaceship it hopes to one day send to the moon for the first time without exploding. The SN15 Starship launched from Texas, took a brief flight, and touched down in one piece: WATCH
THE SHOW GOES ON
Even though New York City says most businesses can come back to full capacity in two weeks, it will still be a few months before Broadway theaters open their doors. The theater industry is planning to start full-capacity performances on Sept. 14, giving show producers time to advertise and get their productions in order, and for tourists to return to the Big Apple. BROADWAY WORLD
SPOTTED...
… the first character photos from the set of House of the Dragon, the Game of Thrones prequel. The HBO series is just starting production and won’t be available to stream until some time next year: SEE PICS
LEFTOVERS: PERFECT GAME*
Baltimore Orioles pitcher John Means came this close to a rare perfect game, but will have to settle for a no-hitter on account of one of the MLB’s most notoriously weird rules. Means struck out Mariners batter Sam Haggerty in the third inning, but the pitch went through the catcher’s legs, leading Haggerty to make a run for first base. He was later thrown out stealing second, but because of the “dropped third strike” rule, it nullified Means’ perfect game. He still retired all 27 batters, making his performance the first complete no-hitter for the Orioles since 1969. Had the wild pitch not happened, it would have been the first perfect game in the majors since 2012. 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!
