Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Friday, June 26, 2020:
COVID-19: LATEST DEVELOPMENTS: Texas has put its reopening on pause and is moving to free up hospital beds as its ICUs approach capacity with both COVID and non-COVID patients. Apple is closing nearly all of its stores in Florida as the state’s caseload explodes. The CDC estimates that the real case number in the U.S. is possibly 10 times higher than the official tally of 2.3 million. CDC Director Robert Redfield said that probably anywhere from 5 to 8 percent of the population has been infected. NBC NEWS
YOUNG FUELING SURGE: As more data comes in about the current outbreaks across the South, it’s increasingly clear that young people are accounting for a significant portion of the virus’ spread. In Florida, the median age of positive cases has dropped from 65 in March to 35 now. Though younger people are less likely to be hospitalized or die -- which would track with why the overall death rate is falling -- the CDC says it’s worried that asymptomatic carriers in their 20s and 30s are acting as transmission vectors in their communities. NY TIMES
FACEBOOK AD BOYCOTT: Verizon is the latest -- and by far the largest -- company to join the Facebook and Instagram advertising boycott in July. It’s a serious blow to Facebook, which has been working behind the scenes to contain the revolt. The #StopHateforProfit campaign is demanding that Facebook take more concrete steps to guard against hate speech and misinformation. REUTERS
NASCAR NOOSE INVESTIGATION: NASCAR has released a photo of the noose found hanging in Bubba Wallace’s garage stall, after the FBI determined that no hate crime was committed and the rope had been there since last October. NASCAR says it continues to investigate, and noted that no other garage had a similar pull-down rope knot. SEE THE PIC
UNEMPLOYMENT CRISIS: The number of people filing for unemployment has held steady at about 1.5 million every week in June, a worrisome sign that the recovery is plateauing. The question is now whether that number starts to rise again if more businesses pause or reverse their reopenings. WSJ
AMAZON ARENA: Amazon has bought the naming rights to Seattle’s KeyArena, but instead of naming it Amazon Arena or Amazon Prime Center, Jeff Bezos announced it will be called the Climate Pledge Arena. The CEO wrote on Instagram that the name will be a reminder of the “urgent need for climate action,” and the arena will be the first net-zero carbon stadium in the world. Amazon has an otherwise decidedly mixed environmental record. KING
NBA LEGEND RETIRES: It’s the end of an era in the NBA. Vince Carter, who played for 8 teams over a 22-season career and is the only player to have played in four different decades, is retiring. Carter is 19 on the all-time scoring list, and became known early in his career for his ferocious slam dunks -- including one of the greatest dunks in history, when he jumped over the head of a 7’2" French player during the 2000 Olympics: WATCH IT
SPLASH MOUNTAIN MAKEOVER: Disney will completely rebrand and retool its classic Splash Mountain ride at both Disney World and Disneyland, amid pressure over the ride’s ties to the controversial 1946 movie Song of the South. The new ride will be built around The Princess and the Frog, the 2009 animated film featuring Disney’s first-ever Black princess. THR
DIXIE CHICKS NAME CHANGE: The Dixie Chicks are changing their name to simply: The Chicks. After 30 years together, the socially conscious country trio -- who were famously blacklisted from the industry after criticizing the Iraq War in 2003 -- say the “Dixie” connotations with the Mason-Dixon line are not appropriate and they want to “meet this moment.” REFINERY29
LEFTOVERS: SHHHHHH! A funny thing has been happening since the PGA Tour returned to play a couple weeks ago: professional golfers have been recording remarkably low scores, with several records being broken along the way. The theory is that since there’s no fans packed onto the greens, players are more focused. Jordan Spieth said the fan-less tournaments make it “easier to just be zoned in on pure golf.” The Tour plans to welcome spectators back for the Memorial Tournament in Ohio next month. AXIOS
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