Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Tuesday, March 30, 2021:
COVID-19: LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
All New Yorkers 30 and up are eligible to get vaccinated as of today, with those 16 and up to follow on April 6. President Biden said there’s enough supply in the pipeline now that 90 percent of Americans will be eligible and within five miles of a vaccination site by April 19. Biden also called on states to keep their mask mandates in place, as the CDC director warned of “impending doom” from a fourth surge. A new CDC study of vaccine efficacy in the real world suggests that a single dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna shots is 80 percent effective against infection, jumping to 90 percent two weeks after the second dose. CNN
DEREK CHAUVIN TRIAL
The highly anticipated murder trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer charged with killing George Floyd last Memorial Day, is under way. The first witness called was a 911 dispatcher who testified that she watched Chauvin pin George Floyd to the ground in real time via security footage and thought her screen had frozen because of how long the incident went on. The second witness, a bystander, testified that Chauvin appeared to shift his weight on Floyd’s neck to tighten his hold as Floyd was dying. STAR TRIB
GREEN ENERGY
The White House has plans to invest heavily in the country’s offshore wind industry, with the goal of generating enough wind energy by the end of the decade to power 10 million American homes and create 44,000 direct jobs. To get there, the Biden administration will prioritize permits for wind farms in the Atlantic, including in waters near the coasts of New York and New Jersey. WASH POST
FULL STEAM AHEAD
The giant container ship that blocked the Suez Canal is completely free and traffic is moving again through the busy shipping route. Shipping experts say the impact of the six-day traffic jam will be felt for weeks to come as the backlog of ships work their way through the ports. U.S. NEWS
CHURCHLESS IN AMERICA
Less than half of Americans belong to a church, according to a new Gallup survey, the first time that has ever dropped below 50 percent. In 2020, 47 percent of adults in the U.S. said they belong to a church, synagogue or mosque. That number had hovered around 70 percent from the 1940s until the turn of the century, at which point it started to collapse. The decline in church membership coincides with a rise in the number of Americans who say they have no religious preference. GALLUP
THE PEOPLE'S CAR
Volkswagen is planning to change its name in the U.S. to Voltswagen, at least based on a now-deleted press release that the automaker accidentally published a month early. In the release, dated April 29, VW announces that its U.S. operations will be rebranded, replacing the “k” with a “t” to emphasize its electrification efforts, and its iconic VW logo will only be put on gas-powered cars. CNBC
MARCH MADNESS
MENS: No upsets here: Baylor and Houston punched their tickets to the Final Four, beating Arkansas and Oregon State, respectively. The field will be set after tonight, which can be summed up as Los Angeles versus the No. 1 seeds. USC tips off against Gonzaga at 7:15 p.m. ET, followed by UCLA against Michigan. ESPN
WOMENS: There was quite a bit more drama in the women’s tourney. UConn beat Baylor on a controversial non-call on the last possession. Down a point, Baylor’s DiJonai Carrington drove to the hoop and sure seemed to get fouled as she posted up for the game-winning jumper. The refs didn’t call it, and UConn’s Final Four streak remains alive. WATCH THE PLAY
SATANIC PANIC
Nike says it has nothing to do with a controversial sneaker drop from Lil Nas X, and is suing over it. The rapper is collaborating with a streetwear company on custom Nike Air Max sneakers that each contain a drop of human blood in the soles. The kicks are decorated with pentagrams and a Bible verse about Satan’s fall from heaven; only 666 pairs of the “Satan Shoes” were made, all of which sold out online immediately. The drop coincides with Lil Nas X’s new single and an accompanying music video that features the rapper twerking on a CGI devil. NBC NEWS
SPOTTED...
…Dakota Johnson, Kendall Jenner and other celebs with the new must-have accessory of the season -- a gigantic water bottle: SEE PICS
...Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christensen, Moses Ingram and Kumail Nanjiani, among the stacked cast of the new Obi-Wan Kenobi series coming to Disney+: SEE IT
LEFTOVERS: RETURN OF THE DAD BOD
Good news, fellas: the ‘Dad Bod’ -- popularized by celebs like Leonardo DiCaprio, Chris Pratt and, more recently and controversially, Zac Efron -- is back in vogue. According to a survey fielded by Dating.com, 75 percent of respondents said they preferred a softer, rounder male body type over a leaner, toned one. About 20 percent of respondents said physique didn’t matter and 15 percent preferred a chiseled “Ken-like body type.” GUARDIAN
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