Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Thursday, June 25, 2020:
COVID-19: U.S. HITS NEW RECORD: The U.S. set a new daily record number of confirmed coronavirus cases: 36,880 on Wednesday, surpassing the previous high from exactly two months ago. As of today, anyone traveling to New York, Connecticut or New Jersey from a state seeing a significant outbreak will be required to self-quarantine for 14 days. California saw its biggest daily jump so far, with L.A. County now leading the country in infections. In Houston, hospital ICUs are running at 97 percent capacity. NBC NEWS
MARSHALS CALLED IN: The U.S. Marshals Service has reportedly been directed by the Justice Dept. to help protect national monuments around the country, as officials are said to be concerned about statues being vandalized or torn down over the July 4th holiday weekend. It would be an unusual assignment for U.S. Marshals, who typically are assigned to protect courthouses, witnesses, and transport prisoners. WASH POST
STATE OF THE RACE: Joe Biden now holds a commanding lead over President Trump, according to the latest batch of national polling. In the widely respected NY Times-Siena College poll, Biden has his widest advantage yet -- 14 points. The former VP also has a nine-point lead across six key battleground states. NY TIMES
ARBERY CASE INDICTMENTS: A grand jury in Georgia has formally indicted all three men involved in the Ahmaud Arbery killing on murder charges. Lawmakers in the state have also passed a hate crime law, which the governor has said he intends to sign. Georgia is one of only a handful of states without hate crime legislation on the books. AJC
MARKET TUMBLES: The Dow dropped more than 700 points as investors pumped the brakes on a broad stock market rally over growing worries that the economic recovery is not going to be as fast or as smooth as many had hoped. Adding to the jitters was the news that the U.S. is considering slapping $3 billion in tariffs on European exports like cheese, olives and beer. THE STREET
AIRPOD CHARGING: As part of its iOS 14 software update, Apple has quietly added a feature that will be music to the ears of anyone who owns AirPods. The new iPhone operating system will reduce how quickly the battery ages by stopping the charging process automatically. When your AirPods are at full battery and remain in the charging case, the little lithium ion batteries erode over time. With the new update, the case will learn your charging routine and delay charging past 80 percent. BGR
MLB POWER RANKINGS: Now that baseball is definitely coming back, it’s time to think about which teams are best positioned to thrive in what’s sure to be a chaotic -- and weird -- abbreviated season. The Yankees may be in pole position, given that the extra time off has been good for injured stars Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge. The Rays are looking strong, too, thanks to a deep bullpen. CBS SPORTS
'UNSOLVED MYSTERIES' REBOOT: Netflix is bringing back Unsolved Mysteries, a documentary-style series that covers cold cases and paranormal phenomena and was hugely popular in the 80’s and 90’s. The series premiers July 1: WATCH THE TRAILER
'TWISTER' REBOOT: Universal Pictures is in the process of developing a reboot to the 1996 blockbuster Twister. Joseph Kosinski, the director of the upcoming Top Gun sequel, is reportedly on board to direct. The original film, starring Helen Hunt and the late Bill Paxton, was a huge success and was applauded at the time for its groundbreaking special effects. VARIETY
LEFTOVERS: GORILLA DUST CLOUD: The huge Saharan dust cloud that’s been moving across the Atlantic and Caribbean has reached U.S. shores. Texas will notice the effects today through Saturday, at which point the plume -- nicknamed the “gorilla dust cloud” for its size -- will hook right over the Southeast and Tennessee Valley. SEE IT FROM SPACE
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