Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Tuesday, September 1, 2020:
SOCIAL UNREST
BIDEN-TRUMP: Joe Biden forcefully addressed President Trump’s claims that America wouldn’t be safe with him as president, saying in a speech from Pittsburgh that Trump “can’t stop the violence because for years he has fomented it.” Biden condemned the violence and riots in various cities, calling it “lawlessness, pure and simple,” and saying those who engaged in it should be prosecuted. POLITICO
PORTLAND-KENOSHA: Trump will travel to Kenosha, Wis. today, where police now say the majority of people arrested in the unrest following the Jacob Blake shooting came from out of town. In Portland, police are reportedly investigating a man who called himself an Antifa supporter on social media in connection with the killing of a right-wing protester. USA TODAY
COVID-19: LATEST DEVELOPMENTS: Cases are now flat in 26 states and falling in 15 -- but rising in a handful of Midwestern states like Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota and the Dakotas. The most pronounced spikes are coming from college towns like Lawrence, Kan. and Iowa City. New Jersey will reopen indoor dining and theaters on Friday, both at 25 percent capacity. In Europe, cases are back on the rise, most notably in Spain. The virus is now spreading faster in Spain than in the U.S. NY TIMES
MASS PRIMARY DAY: A Kennedy is on the ballot in Massachusetts today -- and could actually lose. Democrats in the state are choosing between Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Joe Kennedy, who is running to unseat Markey in the only serious Senate primary challenge of 2020. Kennedy is the grandson of RFK and great-nephew of JFK, but that has not made him a lock in the Kennedys’ home state; he’s trailing Markey in most polls and could become the first member of the dynasty to lose a race in Massachusetts. BLOOMBERG
TROPIC WATCH: The National Hurricane Center is eyeing four disturbances in the Atlantic that could become tropical storms, including one in the Caribbean that has the potential to strengthen significantly as it heads toward the Gulf of Mexico. There’s also a tropical depression off the coast of the Carolinas, though it’s expected to remain offshore. REUTERS
TECH ON FIRE
STOCK SPLITS: Shares of Tesla and Apple both closed at records on the first day of their stock splits. Apple’s 4-for-1 split and Tesla’s 5-for-1 split essentially give investors that many more shares for each share they own. It’s also a way to make the red-hot stocks more accessible to retail investors, many of whom immediately piled in. WSJ
ZOOM EARNINGS: Zoom’s quarterly sales jumped more than 350 percent in the most recent quarter in an eye-popping earnings report that blew past the already high expectations on Wall Street. The videoconferencing company made more money in May, June and July than it did in all of 2019. MARKETWATCH
FREE NETFLIX: Netflix is opening up a chunk of its vast catalog to anyone who wants to watch, regardless of whether they are a paying Netflix subscriber. The streaming giant has made some of its original content, including Stranger Things, Bird Box and Elite, available for free (while movies can be watched in their entirety, only the first episode of shows will be free). Netflix is facing increasing competition amid slowing U.S. subscriber growth and is looking for ways to hook in potential new customers. TECHCRUNCH
U.S. OPEN: Coco Gauff was eliminated in the first night of action at the US Open, while Naomi Osaka won her match in three sets. Osaka entered the court wearing a mask bearing the name of Breonna Taylor. On the men’s side, No. 1 Novak Djokovic easily cruised into the second round. This is the first tennis major to be played without either Roger Federer (injury) or Rafael Nadal (COVID concerns) since 1999. Andy Murray, Serena and Venus Williams all play today. TENNIS NOW
IN MEMORIAM: JOHN THOMPSON: The pioneering Georgetown basketball coach John Thompson Jr. has died at 78. Thompson, known across college hoops as “Big John,” became the first Black coach to lead a team to the national title when the Hoyas won the championship in 1984. He was also early on the social justice movement, once walking off the court to protest an NCAA rule that he believed harmed minority students. When Allen Iverson was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, he credited Thompson with “saving my life” by giving him a chance when no one else would: WATCH THE TRIBUTE
'FRESH PRINCE' REUNION: The original cast of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air will reunite on HBO Max for a 30th anniversary reunion show. Will Smith, Tatyana Ali and the rest are taping the special on Sept. 10 for a Thanksgiving debut on the streamer. VARIETY
LEFTOVERS: FREE COLLEGE: Beginning today, MIT is offering a weekly class about the science of the pandemic to the general public for free. The undergraduate course will be livestreamed every Tuesday this semester at 11:30 am ET. Dr. Fauci is listed on the syllabus among the guest lecturers. No registration is required: HOW TO WATCH
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