Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Tuesday, October 6, 2020:
WHITE HOUSE OUTBREAK
TRUMP DISCHARGED: President Trump, likely still infectious with COVID-19, made a dramatic staged return to the White House after being discharged from Walter Reed. Standing at the entrance to the residence, the president took off his mask and recorded a video telling Americans not to let the virus “dominate your lives.” His comments drew immediate condemnation from medical professionals and public health experts who had hoped that the president’s own illness would change his cavalier attitude toward the disease that has killed 210,000 of his fellow citizens. AP
NEW INFECTIONS: Meanwhile, the White House itself is effectively a hot zone. The outbreak within the West Wing continues to grow, with White House Press Sec. Kayleigh McEnany and two of her staffers are the latest members of the president’s orbit to test positive. Two members of the White House housekeeping staff are positive, as are three members of the White House press corp. FORBES
COVID-19: NYC HOTSPOTS
New Yorkers are once again at the mercy of their two most powerful politicians sowing confusion over public health guidance. Gov. Cuomo is refusing to allow shutdowns of nonessential businesses in nine NYC zip codes that are seeing new outbreaks. This comes after Mayor De Blasio announced new targeted lockdowns. Schools in those neighborhoods will close today, a day earlier than planned. POLITICO
CLIMATE
TROPICS: Hurricane Delta has formed in the southern Gulf of Mexico, putting the U.S. gulf states in the path of a potential hurricane landfall for the fourth time this year. The system is rapidly gaining strength and the northern Gulf Coast, from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle, should be prepared for a possible direct hit by the end of the week. CONE
FIRES: California’s historic wildfire season has hit another grim milestone. The August Complex Fire is now a rare “gigafire,” having burned more than one million acres -- an area larger than Rhode Island. Firefighters have turned the corner on the Glass Fire in wine country, and rain is finally in the forecast for later this week. MERCURY NEWS
EUROPE FLOODS
At least seven people have been killed in torrential rain, flooding and landslides along the French-Italian Mediterranean coast. The French Riviera has seen its worst flooding in more than a century, with damage spread across the two countries’ coastlines. BBC
EXXON LEAKED DOCS
While some large oil and gas companies have started to put timelines on getting to net-zero emissions, ExxonMobil is reportedly planning to increase annual CO2 by as much as the entire output of Greece. Leaked internal documents show that Exxon, the largest oil producer in the U.S., calculates that its growth strategy will yield a 17 percent increase in planet-warming emissions by 2025. Exxon has never committed to slowing fossil fuel production or going carbon neutral. BLOOMBERG
NEW ON NETFLIX
Netflix is trying to make it a bit less confusing to find new content to watch. If you stream Netflix on a connected TV, you’ll soon see a “New & Popular” menu tab next to the “Top 10” column. There will also be a “Worth the Wait” tab that shows the movies and series coming to the platform up to a year in advance. It’s all part of a strategy to reduce “churn” -- the kryptonite of any subscription service. THE VERGE
POSTSEASON BASEBALL
Pandemic or no pandemic, the Yankees have arrived in the postseason looking to win a championship. All-star Giancarlo Stanton smacked a ninth-inning grand slam in the Yanks’ 9-3 win over the Rays in the first game of the ALDS. The Yankees are the first team in the AL to hit grand slams in back-to-back playoff games. The NLDS starts today. ESPN
THEATERS ON THE BRINK
Warner Bros. is pulling the plug on one of the biggest movies of the holiday season. The highly anticipated Dune adaptation is being pushed almost an entire year to next October. The decision effectively amounts to Hollywood throwing in the towel on 2020 altogether, and comes as Regal is temporarily re-closing all its theaters. Meanwhile, small movie houses and regional chains are starting to turn off the marquees for good without any new release to draw customers. VARIETY
NEW MCDONALD’S COLLAB
Hot off the success of rapper Travis Scott’s collaboration with McDonald’s, reggaeton superstar J Balvin is doing his own promotion with the Golden Arches. The signature meal will include a Big Mac (no pickles), fries with ketchup and an Oreo McFlurry. J Balvin will become the third celebrity to get his name on the Mickey D’s menu after Scott and Michael Jordan, and the first Latino artist to have such a promotion. COMPLEX
LEFTOVERS: TEMPTING FATE
Archaeologists in Egypt have found 59 pristine sarcophagi in an ancient burial ground south of Cairo, most of which still have mummies inside. The discovery is said to be one of the most significant archaeological finds in decades. Officials opened one sarcophagus in front of assembled media, revealing mummified remains still wrapped in ornate cloth: SEE PICS
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