Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Thursday, September 24, 2020:

BREONNA TAYLOR DECISION

GRAND JURY: A former Louisville police office has been indicted on three counts of first-degree wanton endangerment in connection with the killing of Breonna Taylor. Brett Hankison was charged with endangering Taylor’s neighbors by shooting 10 rounds from outside her apartment, some of which entered adjacent apartments. The two other officers who shot Taylor six times were not charged. COURIER JOURNAL

PROTESTS: Demonstrations erupted in Louisville, New York, Chicago and cities across the country, with protesters enraged that none of the officers were directly charged with killing Taylor. Two Louisville police officers were shot; their injuries are non-life-threatening and a suspect is in custody. Protests in Seattle and Portland turned violent as people hurled Molotov cocktails at authorities. AP

SUPREME COURT & ELECTION

President Trump is predicting that the Supreme Court will decide the outcome of the election, telling reporters that’s why his yet-to-be-named nominee must be seated before Nov. 3. Lawyers for the Trump campaign have begun challenging mail-in voting rules in a number of states, setting the stage for a protracted legal battle if the margins are close on Election Night. The president also refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he were to lose. BLOOMBERG

COVID-19: LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

Johnson & Johnson has started the final stage of clinical trials for its vaccine. J&J's is the fourth trial in the U.S. to reach Stage 3, and it’s also one of the most promising. The trials will be the largest, enrolling 60,000 volunteers, and the vaccine requires only one shot, rather than two, and doesn’t need to be kept frozen -- a major logistical hurdle when it comes to mass distribution. Indiana will move to a full reopening on Saturday, with bars, restaurants and theaters allowed to open without any restrictions. In Missouri, Gov. Mike Parson, an opponent of mask mandates, has tested positive. STAT

THE STATE OF SCHOOLS

It’s still early, but the first wave of data related to COVID-19 transmission in K-12 schools is promising. Researchers at Brown University have found extremely low levels of infection among both students and teachers nationwide -- around 0.1 percent. Because testing and reporting differ so widely among states, that analysis should not be taken to mean that schools are out of the woods, but one scientist said it suggests that “we’re not seeing schools as crucibles for onward transmission.” Transmission at colleges in another story entirely. WASH POST

CLIMATE & CALIFORNIA

CARS: Gov. Gavin Newsom is calling for California to ban new gasoline-powered cars within 15 years, a move that would make the state the first to stop the sale of vehicles with internal-combustion engines. Newsom signed an executive order to establish regulations that would require all new cars sold in the state to be zero-emission by 2035. SAC BEE

FIRES: Firefighters have been making solid progress in getting the massive Bobcat Fire north of L.A. under control. They’ve been helped by calmer weather, though dry and hot conditions are expected to return in the coming days. Up north, the Lightning Complex Fire is now fully contained. LA TIMES

NOT SO FAST...

Amazon is disavowing an announcement that it had co-developed a $500 connected exercise bike to undercut Peloton. Amazon says it had nothing to do with the Prime Bike, which Echelon Fitness announced in a press release that it had launched in partnership with the e-commerce giant. The bike was taken off Amazon and the original press release from Echelon has been deleted. TECHCRUNCH

IPHONE CUSTOMIZATION

Have you updated your iPhone software? The latest version of iOS lets users customize their home screens with color schemes, widgets and photo icons. The ability to give the screen you stare at all day a unique look has created a new mini-industry of personalization apps that have taken over Apple’s App Store. Here’s a step-by-step guide to changing your iPhone’s aesthetic to your taste: 9TO5MAC

PERFORMING ARTS IN CRISIS

New York’s famed Metropolitan Opera has decided to cancel its entire 2020-21 season, a worrisome sign that major cultural institutions from theater to the opera are still a long way from returning to normal. The Met, which is the largest performing arts organization in the country, will stay dark until next September, while Broadway is dark through at least the end of the year. This is all just more bad news for NYC’s hospitality industry; major hotels and tourist-friendly restaurants in the city have already started closing for good. PLAYBILL

SPOTTED...

...more than 100 former law clerks to Ruth Bader Ginsburg, lined up on the steps of the Supreme Court to receive her casket:  WATCH

LEFTOVERS: TOM CRUISE IN SPACE

It’s been rumored for months that Tom Cruise was working on a secret project with Elon Musk’s SpaceX that would see him star in a movie shot in space. Now a well-regarded Twitter account that follows space missions has published a manifest that appears to show Cruise and his longtime collaborator, the director Doug Liman, are booked on a SpaceX trip to the International Space Station for next October. SEE TWEET

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!

Share:
More In Culture
NewsGuard Teams Up With The American Federation Teachers Union To Help Students Decipher Fact and Fiction
The American Federation Teachers Union has announced its latest partnership with NewsGuard in efforts to help educators play a greater role in deciphering facts from fiction that students see online. They say the goal is to help students build critical-thinking skills while also teaching them the importance of media literacy. Executive Vice President of Partnerships at NewsGuard, Sarah Bandt, joined Cheddar to talk more.
Detox Your Brain and 'Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess'
Doctor Caroline Leaf has created a 21-day program, consisting of five simple, but mindful, steps designed to rid our minds of toxic thoughts, anxiety, and depression. This brain detox is scientifically proven to impact one's happiness and success. Doctor Caroling Leaf, neuroscientist, author, and speaker at Switch Your Brain, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
Fmr. FBI Agent Peter Strzok On Russia, Trump, and The FBI
The memoir, "COMPROMISED: Counterintelligence and the Threat of Donald J. Trump", tells a familiar story from a bit of a different source: Peter Strzok himself, former FBI Counterintelligence Agents and Agency Veteran who spent most of his very long career investigating some of the most controversial inquiries, most notably in recent American history. Those inquiries were Hillary Clinton's email to even Trump Russia investigations. Former FBI Agent and Author of "Compromised" Peter Strzok, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
PLNT Burger's First Brick and Mortar in NYC Debuts
Foodable Labs data shows restaurants that started offering vegan options saw a 13% increase in traffic. According to this 2018 study, 51% of U.S. restaurants now offer vegan options, and we can expect that number to keep rising. This week, one plant-based, fast-casual restaurant celebrates the grand opening of their first brick-and-mortar store in New York City: PLNT Burger. Ben Kaplan, CEO of PLNT Burger, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
Runwise Raises $11 Million to Reverse Climate Change by Updating Buildings
Commercial and residential buildings account for 13% of carbon emissions in the U.S., according to the EPA, and one company says it has a solution. Runwise says it has updated the boiler and heating systems of thousands of buildings, and that its technology not only lowers carbon output but also saves landlords money. Lee Hoffman, Co-Founder and COO of Runwise, joined Cheddar Climate to discuss.
What Prospective College Students Should Expect From New Digital SAT Exams
No. 2 pencils or Scantron bubble sheets are a thing of the past for the SATs. Priscilla Rodriguez, head of college readiness assessment for the College Board, joined Cheddar News Wrap to talk about the modern overhaul of the college entrance exam. On top of the change to an all-digital format and shorter time limit, the latest iteration will feature updates to help with flexibility and security. "As we've built our own digital testing platform, the app the students will do this on, we built this with security at the core," Rodriguez said. "And, in going digital we can do something we can't do today, which is, give every student who's taking the SAT, let's say in a given day, even in a given room in a school, a different version of the SAT."
Load More