Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Wednesday, September 2, 2020:
COVID-19: LATEST DEVELOPMENTS: The White House will use a little-known statute called “quarantine authority” to temporarily stop evictions of any renters earning less than $99,000 a year, a move that could keep millions of people in their homes. It comes amid signs that there may be movement in D.C. on a new stimulus bill after weeks of stalled talks. Treasury Sec. Steve Mnuchin said he would call Speaker Nancy Pelosi to restart negotiations, noting that the economy urgently needs federal action. (Pelosi is also taking heat for visiting a S.F. hair salon even though they’re not allowed to open). New York City, the largest public school system in the country, is delaying the first day of school 10 days in an attempt to avert a potential teacher strike. NY TIMES
SOCIAL UNREST: President Trump made a visit to Kenosha, Wis., where he backed law enforcement and promised federal funding for Wisconsin, a swing state that he needs to win in November. The president stopped at a burned-out furniture store that was destroyed in the upheaval following the Jacob Blake shooting, calling the unrest “domestic terror.” The Biden camp accused Trump of seeing “violence as a winning electoral strategy.” REUTERS
MASS DEM PRIMARY: Rep. Joe Kennedy has conceded to Sen. Ed Markey in the Massachusetts Senate primary, becoming the first Kennedy ever to lose a race in the family’s home state. The AP has called the race for the incumbent Markey, who is leading 55-45. While it’s a big win for the progressive movement, the left flank of the party fell short in another state race. Alex Morse, the liberal mayor of Holyoke, was unable to unseat Rep. Richard Neal, a powerful House incumbent. AP
WORKING MOM: Even though the California State Senate allowed legislators to vote on bills by proxy if they are at high risk for COVID-19, Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks was told her maternity leave did not qualify her for the exemption. So Wicks made a point by driving to the capitol with her newborn baby, Elly, in tow. Images of Wicks debating a housing bill while wearing a mask and holding her swaddled one-month-old have gone viral, reigniting the focus on working parents and how they’re struggling in the pandemic. ABC7
ECOMMERCE WARS: Walmart is taking its biggest step yet to compete head-on with Amazon, launching its first annual membership program. Walmart+ costs $98 per year -- slightly cheaper than Amazon Prime -- and includes perks like same-day shipping on some orders, discounts on gas and cashierless checkout through the app for in-store purchases. Walmart+ debuts in the U.S. on Sept. 15. TODAY
IPHONE CONTACT TRACING: If you’re an iPhone user, consider downloading the iOS update that was just pushed to your device. This one is important because it includes the first wide rollout of Apple and Google’s COVID-19 exposure notification technology. There’s no app to download or registration to complete, the system just runs on Bluetooth once you opt in. The more users who opt in, the better for public health agencies, which will be able to send a notification if your phone has come in close contact with the phone of someone who has tested positive. Apple says location data is not collected. The update comes to Android later this month. TECHCRUNCH
WILLIAMS SISTERS MAKE HISTORY: Venus Williams was eliminated from the U.S. Open in the first round, the first time she ever went down in the first round of the Open singles draw. She broke a record in the process: it was her 22nd appearance at the tournament, the most ever by a woman. Her younger sister, Serena, also made history: most career wins at the Open, male or female, after she beat Kristie Ahn in straight sets. SI
WELCOME TO THE WORLD...Lyra Antarctica Seaborn Sheeran. Ed Sheeran and his wife, Cherry Seaborn, announced the birth of their first child, a healthy daughter, in an Instagram post: SEE IT
SPOTTED...Tilda Swinton, head-to-toe in Chanel, arriving in Italy for the Venice Film Festival. Venice is the first major in-person festival to take place this season. Masks and temperature checks are mandatory, screenings will be at reduced capacity, and the public is barred from attending the red carpet. VOGUE
LEFTOVERS: ROCKETMAN: The FAA is trying to get to the bottom of reports from multiple pilots landing at LAX that they’ve seen a man in a “jetpack” outside the cockpit window at about 3,000 feet. At least three pilots in two different planes confirmed in air-traffic recordings that they saw the man, with one telling the tower: “Only in LA.” LISTEN
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