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Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Tuesday, April 5, 2022:
WAR CRIME ACCUSATIONS
Russian President Vladimir Putin “is a war criminal,” according to President Joe Biden, who says he will seek more sanctions after civilians’ bodies were found on the streets of Bucha. World leaders from more than 40 countries are investigating possible violations, and in the U.S., the Senate has already unanimously approved a resolution to investigate Putin’s invasion of Ukraine as it relates to war crimes. CHEDDAR
It seems like the only thing left to sanction is sanctioning itself.
ELON’S TWITTER BUY
Elon Musk is now Twitter’s largest shareholder, purchasing around 73.5 million shares, which represents a 9.2% stake in the social media company. News of the Tesla CEO’s purchase rewarded Twitter shareholders with a 26% surge in the stock price to start the week. Musk has a rocky history with the social media company; as recently as two weeks ago, he questioned whether Twitter is providing a free-speech-friendly platform for users. Barely a week ago, Musk also tweeted that he was considering starting a rival social media platform. The SEC filing describes Elon’s stake as passive, so for right now, the purchase is more of a long-term investment and less of an attempt to fundamentally change how Twitter operates. For right now. CHEDDAR
Let the Twitter Storm begin!
MARCH MADNESS CONCLUDES
The Kansas Jayhawks are your NCAA men’s basketball champions after a historic comeback. David McCormack, one of the top-ranked Jayhawks, helped secured the team's first national title since 2008 with the go-ahead basket just over a minute before the end of them game. Then he sunk another two-pointer, bringing the final score to 72-69. It ended a brilliant run from UNC, which entered the tournament as an eight-seed. Though Kansas came out on top, history will also remember the 2022 March Madness tournament for St. Peters’ improbable run and the finale for Duke's storied Coach K. All that said, March Madness belongs to the Jayhawks. CBS SPORTS
JACKSON CLOSER TO CONFIRMATION
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is expected to be confirmed as the first black female Supreme Court justice by the end of the week. Every Senate Democrat and three Senate Republicans — Susan Collins of Maine, Mitt Romney of Utah, and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska — voted in support of Jackson in a procedural vote to send her nomination to the floor. The final confirmation vote is expected by the end of the week. CNN
$10 BILLION COVID PACKAGE
Senators reached a deal on a $10 billion Covid spending package that will fund the U.S. purchase of supplies including more tests and vaccines. Not included in the package is global aid, even though the Biden administration says it's crucial to continue supporting other countries to ease the effect of future breakouts. The $10 billion, well below the White House’s initial request of $22.5 billion, will come from unused funds allocated in previous pandemic relief packages. WASH POST
NEW CLIMATE CHANGE REPORT
A U.N. panel is warning that now is the time to cut coal, oil, and natural gas emissions if we want to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. To reach that threshold, nations need to collectively reduce emissions by roughly 43% by 2030 and cut carbon dioxide entirely by the early 2050s, which will cost a pretty penny. If that threshold is not reached, the dangers of global warming – worsening floods, droughts, and wildfires – will increase considerably. But if you're looking for a tiny bit of hope, the panel noted that countries have slowed their increase in emissions and clean-fuel tech has gotten cheaper and more advanced than had been expected. NY TIMES
STARBUCKS STALLS REPURCHASING
Howard Schultz has returned as CEO of Starbucks after Kevin Johnson's retirement and his first move is to pause its share repurchasing program. Schultz says this move will allow the coffee giant to invest more in its employees and brick-and-mortar operations, notable as several locations stores have started to unionize. Repurchases support stocks by boosting per-share profit, and companies like Starbucks have reportedly spent more money on dividends and share repurchases after saving money in the wake of the pandemic. Now, rather than the white-collar efforts of pumping money into the company’s stock, Starbucks will put that cash into the more blue-collar operations of the business. FOX BUSINESS
SACRAMENTO SHOOTING ARREST
Sacramento police arrested 26-year-old Dandre Martin as a "related suspect" in the shootings that killed six people and wounded a dozen others this weekend. Police confirmed, though, that there were at least two shooters and 100 rounds fired. They also released the names of the victims who lost their lives, whose ages ranged from 21 to 57. Authorities recovered a handgun in residences near where the shooting took place, in addition to the stolen handgun recovered at the scene. As days have gone by since the California capital’s deadliest shooting, police reopened the area to the public, though the investigation is ongoing. SACRAMENTO BEE
POLITICAL BITES
OBAMA RETURNS TO WHITE HOUSE: Former President Barack Obama will be back at the White House today for the first time since leaving office for an event promoting the Affordable Care Act. Biden and the former president last appeared together publicly for the 20th commemoration of the September 11th attacks. NBC NEWS
PALIN RETURNS TO SPOTLIGHT: Sarah Palin, the former governor of Alaska who was the vice-presidential running mate of Republican John McCain in 2008, is seeking Alaska's sole House seat. The seat has been vacant since the death of GOP Rep. Don Young last month. Former President Donald Trump endorsed Palin, returning the favor as she backed him early in his campaign. POLITICO
YE DITCHES COACHELLA
In pop culture news, one of the biggest musicians is dropping out of one of the biggest music festivals. The rapper we know as Kanye West was scheduled to headline the closing night of Coachella, which would be set for April 24. The reason for the cancellation has not been confirmed. In the past year, Ye has attracted continuous media attention, so a headline like this seems relatively tame in comparison to his history of newsmaking. Coachella has already sold out its 125,000 per-day tickets, so although the festival will be missing one of its biggest stars, the show will most certainly go on. TMZ
CHEDDAR EXPLAINS
How Much Plastic Is Really In Our Bodies?
Plastic has become the face of global pollution. To date, humans have produced 8.3 billion metric tons of it. Once discarded, plastic doesn’t biodegrade. Instead, it fragments into microplastics smaller than the size of a sesame seed and further into nanoplastics. So how much plastic is inside of us? And what does it mean for our health?
Need2Know Podcast Note: The Need2Know podcast is taking a break for now. We're looking forward to bringing you more context and analysis on the big stories of the day in a few weeks. In the meantime, check out our archive on Apple or Spotify, or watch on YouTube, and send us your feedback!
