Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Thursday, September 23, 2021:
TUNE IN TODAY: Cheddar is sitting down with the WSJ reporters who broke a series of bombshell reports on Facebook: WATCH LIVE
VACCINE LATEST
The FDA has authorized booster shots for Pfizer vaccine recipients who are 65 and older, or at high risk of contracting the virus, including at their jobs. Today, the CDC’s advisory panel is expected to decide exactly who that should apply to, as well as what to do about those who got the Moderna or J&J shots. Separately, a study that measured antibody levels in umbilical cord blood found that 100% of newborns whose moms were vaccinated with Pfizer and Moderna had protective antibodies passed onto them at birth. BLOOMBERG
BORDER CRISIS
U.S. officials are releasing some of the Haitian migrants who have congregated at the southern Texas border town of Del Rio into the country to await asylum hearings, while continuing to deport others on flights back to Haiti. The sudden surge of migrants is being attributed to confusion over the White House’s immigration policies combined with misinformation being shared on social media and WhatsApp that is leading more people to make the trip. AP
BIDEN AGENDA ON THE ROPES
President Biden is taking a more hands-on approach in getting his economic agenda through Congress, huddling with both progressive and centrist Democrats whose divisions are threatening to torpedo more than $4 trillion in new spending. The party is deeply divided over the size, scope and timing of both the infrastructure bill and the $3.5 trillion social spending bill. And there’s a series of deadlines looming: the House plans to take up the infrastructure bill next week. There’s also a deadline to fund the government approaching, followed by another deadline to raise the debt ceiling. Republicans say they’ll allow a default if Biden doesn’t abandon the $3.5 trillion bill. POLITICO
MURDER RATE
Murders in the U.S. rose by a shocking 30% last year for the biggest spike in recorded history, according to new FBI data. The national murder rate was up across the board, not just in big cities, and wasn’t obviously attributable to any specific local policies. Guns were the weapon of choice in 77% of murders, the highest share ever. The murder rate is still a third lower than its peak in the early 1990’s, and the rate of increase this year doesn’t look like it will match last year. AXIOS
FED DECISION
Wall Street rallied out of a multi-day slump after the Federal Reserve signaled that it wasn’t quite yet ready to start “tapering” its aggressive bond-buying program that’s widely seen as having helped keep the economy from collapsing during the pandemic. The central bank indicated that it plans to start that process later this year. The Fed also held interest rates steady and said it didn’t see a rate hike in the cards until next year at the earliest. CHEDDAR
THE TOAST OF BEANTOWN
The restaurant-software startup Toast went public with a bang, with shares jumping 63% in their debut on the NYSE. The IPO values the company at more than $20 billion. Toast is the second blockbuster IPO to come out of the Boston start-up scene in a week after the biotech firm Ginkgo BioWorks scored a multi-billion dollar valuation in its debut. BOSTON GLOBE
FACEBOOK UNDER FIRE
Mike Schroepfer, Facebook’s chief technology officer and one of its highest-level executives, is stepping down from his job after 13 years. It’s among the most notable departures at Facebook in years and comes at one of the most turbulent moments in the company’s history as the social-media behemoth fends off a rolling wave of controversies. THE VERGE
'SNL' RETURN
Saturday Night Live has locked in the first batch of hosts and musical guests for the upcoming season: Owen Wilson and Kacey Musgraves will open the show’s 47th season next weekend, followed by Kim Kardashian and Halsey the following week. That will be the first time a Kardashian has hosted the show. Still no word from NBC on casting changes. SNL will also be livestreamed on Peacock this season for the first time. VARIETY
SPOTTED...
…the trailer for Britney vs. Spears, another Britney Spears documentary that’s coming to Netflix next week: WATCH
LEFTOVERS: TICKET TO PARADISE
The tiny British territory of Montserrat in the Caribbean is known for its gorgeous beaches and active volcanic landscape. It’s also the site of one of the more controversial and hidden experiments of the pandemic. The island opened its borders back up to tourists in April -- but only to those above a certain income who agree to stay there for at least two months. The rules are meant to retain some tourism revenue while also keeping the coronavirus out. To date, just 21 people from seven families have met the selective criteria to live on the island for the mandatory 60-day stay. In return, they've been given exclusive access to the nearly empty beaches and a life where Covid doesn’t really exist. The bubble is about to burst, though: all vaccinated travelers will be allowed into Montserrat starting Oct. 1. NY TIMES
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