Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Thursday, September 10, 2020:

THE WOODWARD TAPES

Earlier this year, when President Trump was downplaying the threat of the coronavirus, he was privately acknowledging to a journalist that the virus was far more serious than he was letting on in public. As early as Feb. 7, Trump was telling the veteran reporter Bob Woodward that the pathogen was airborne and much deadlier than the flu, even as he was publicly saying it would “disappear” and “all work out fine.” Woodward spoke to the president and other White House insiders on the record, and on tape, for a new book. The book includes reporting that two of Trump’s top aides thought he was “dangerous” and “unfit” and considered speaking out. But the most damning parts come from the president himself, on tape, acknowledging the severity of the coronavirus in private while brushing it off in public. LISTEN TO A CLIP

FIRE IN THE SKY

A wildfire northeast of San Francisco has exploded in size, growing some 250,000 acres in a day and forcing tens of thousands of residents to flee their homes. The smoke from the Bear Fire mixed with fog, casting downtown San Fran in an apocalyptic orange glow. The town of Paradise, which was destroyed in the state’s worst fire two years ago, is once again under threat. At least seven people have died in the fires across California, Oregon and Washington and fierce winds are expected to continue to drive the unprecedented infernos. Residents in San Francisco posted ominous photos of the sun completely blotted out by smoke. SEE PICS

COVID-19: LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

New York City restaurants will be able to resume indoor dining at 25 percent capacity on Sept. 30, a significant marker for the one-time epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic that has now kept infection rates well below 1 percent for weeks. The UK will ban gatherings of more than six people starting next week after seeing a resurgence of infections. Europe’s largest refugee camp was completely destroyed in a fire set by residents who were upset at having to quarantine. NBC NY

IRAQ TROOP DRAWDOWN

The Pentagon will cut the number of troops currently stationed in Iraq from 5,200 to 3,000 this month. That drawdown has been expected for a while; U.S. troops in Afghanistan are also expected to be cut in half ahead of a planned complete exit by next April as part of a deal with the Taliban. CNN

TALE OF TWO RETAIL SECTORS

JCPenney had reached a deal to sell its stores and remaining assets to two mall operators, Simon and Brookfield, averting a liquidation of the once-popular department-store chain. Separately, the luxury giant LVMH is pulling out of its planned acquisition of Tiffany, citing U.S. tariffs on French goods. With brick-and-mortar retailers from Tiffany to Penney either struggling or altogether bankrupt, e-commerce continues to boom: Amazon says it now has 33,000 salaried job openings across the company. NY TIMES

TIKTOK SALE IN DOUBT

TikTok parent company ByteDance is reportedly in discussions with the federal government on a deal that would avoid a full sale of TikTok’s U.S. operations. President Trump’s self-imposed deadline for a TikTok ban is fast approaching and negotiations for a forced sale to some combination of Microsoft, Walmart and Oracle are said to have gotten harder after China banned companies from exporting A.I. tech that may have included TikTok’s algorithms. WSJ

BACK TO FOOTBALL

The NFL season opens tonight with the defending champions Kansas City Chiefs hosting the Houston Texans. Around 15,000 fans will be in attendance at Arrowhead Stadium for the 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff. The game will be on ABC. YAHOO SPORTS

'DUNE' TRAILER

The first trailer for one of the most anticipated movies of the holiday season has finally dropped. Dune, based on the epic sci-fi novel, stars Timothée Chalamet, Oscar Isaac and Zendaya and is directed by Denis Villeneuve, who did Arrival and the Blade Runner sequel. Dune is on the schedule for a Dec. 18 release but there are rumors it will be pushed until next year: WATCH

OSCAR DIVERSITY

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences is getting both praise and criticism after it unveiled new diversity and inclusion rules for any film that wants to be considered for Best Picture at the Oscars. Starting in 2024, movies will have to meet certain requirements for both onscreen and behind-the-scenes roles filled by people from underrepresented groups. Actress Kirstie Alley slammed the rules as “dictatorial and anti-artist,” while the Academy says its trying to reflect the diversity in Hollywood. FORBES

LEFTOVERS: WORLD'S BIGGEST PHOTO

The typical high-end smartphone camera has 12 megapixels. Now imagine a camera with nearly 300 times the resolution. Government scientists have snapped the world’s first-ever 3,200-megapixel (3.2 billion pixel) digital photos from a camera that will be the centerpiece of a new observatory in Chile. The car-sized camera will take pictures of the southern night sky every few days for 10 years, capturing parts of the universe never before seen. You can check out the first test images, though you’d need a display made up of 378 ultra-high-def flatscreen TVs to see the photos in their full resolution: SEE THEM ANYWAY

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
The Open Source Afro Hair Library Is Set to Create Inclusivity in Video Games
The video game industry has come a long way from the first commercialized 3D video game in 1980, but it still has a long way to go. Video game creators have recently been called out for not having realistic Black hairstyles in their games and graphic artists are now taking matters into their own hands by creating The Open Source Afro Hair Library. Jovan Wilson, 3D artist and resident for The Open Source Afro Hair Library, joined All Hands to discuss.
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