Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Friday, October 2, 2020:

TRUMP HAS VIRUS

President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have tested positive for COVID-19 and will isolate inside the White House residence for an unknown period of time. The president announced on Twitter just before 1 am ET that he and the first lady had received positive tests, and the first lady added in her own tweet that they were both “feeling good.” The White House has not said whether either are experiencing symptoms. The stunning revelation came after reports that Hope Hicks, one of Trump’s closest advisers who had just flown with him on Air Force One, had tested positive. Reaction from world leaders is pouring in, with everyone from Boris Johnson to Vladimir Putin wishing the first couple a speedy recovery. AP

WHAT NOW?

Vice President Pence is not known to be infected, and the White House has reportedly started early discussions about the continuity of government should the president fall ill. The campaign has cancelled a rally scheduled for today in Florida, and a trip to Wisconsin tomorrow and Arizona on Monday appear to be scrapped as well. The next presidential debate, on Oct. 15, is up in the air. It’s still not clear how far the infection has spread among senior White House officials, who work in cramped quarters in the West Wing and often travel with the president to his packed rallies, rarely wearing masks. NY TIMES

VACCINE UPDATE

October is likely to be an important month for news related to some of the top coronavirus vaccine candidates in trials. Moderna’s CEO says it’s highly unlikely that their vaccine would be ready for widespread use before the spring. Pfizer’s CEO has reassured employees that the vaccine development is not being politicized, and that it’s “moving at the speed of science” as outside experts have told the pharma giant to slow down its observation period. New polls show the vast majority of the public is worried about a rushed vaccine. YAHOO FINANCE.

BREONNA TAYLOR CASE

The grand jury recording in the Breonna Taylor case will be released this morning in a rare example of grand jury deliberations being made public. A juror in the case has accused Kentucky’s attorney general of using the jury to deflect responsibility over the shooting that sparked nationwide outrage and protests. COURIER JOURNAL

EMPLOYMENT CRISIS

The last monthly jobs report before the election comes out this morning. Economists are expecting somewhere in the neighborhood of 850,000 jobs added in September, a sharp decline from the month before. The unemployment rate is expected to tick down slightly, but will almost certainly be the highest it has ever been headed into a presidential election. CNN

LAPTOP REVOLUTION

As smartphones get all the attention, computer makers have been slowly tinkering with and improving their old workhorse: the laptop. Microsoft just announced the new entry-level Surface Laptop Pro, a mid-tier device with premium finishes. Lenovo is now taking preorders for its ThinkPad X1 Fold, a foldable tablet-like laptop with an attachable keyboard. Meanwhile, Apple is reportedly working on a new 12-inch MacBook. TECHRADAR

NFL PUNTS, AGAIN

The NFL has indefinitely postponed Week 3’s Steelers-Titans game after new positive tests came back from Titans players and staff. The league is now scrambling to figure out how to shoehorn the game in later the season, though fans and analysts have noted that it could unfairly punish the Steelers, whose players, by most accounts, have been taking extreme precautions to avoid an outbreak. NY TIMES

RIRI’S FASHION SHOW

Have you looked at the new releases on iTunes or Google Play lately? It’s bleak. But Rihanna is here to save Friday movie night. The singer-turned-mogul’s annual Savage x Fenty Fashion Show drops today on Amazon Prime. In a recent Vogue interview, Rihanna spoke about the difficulties of pulling off the production amid the pandemic: READ IT

‘BORAT’ TRAILER

When Vice President Mike Pence was delivering his remarks at the CPAC conference earlier this year, he was interrupted by a Trump impersonator who was quickly removed from the audience. No one thought much of it, but turns out the heckler was Sacha Baron Cohen in heavy makeup. A clip of the interaction is part of the new trailer for the upcoming Borat sequel: SEE IT

LEFTOVERS:  EAT FRESH!

Ireland’s Supreme Court has ruled that bread made by Subway is filled with so much sugar that it cannot be legally defined as bread. The ruling was part of a tax dispute between the sandwich chain and one of its franchisees, which was arguing that the sandwich bread shouldn’t be taxed because it’s a “staple food.” The court didn’t buy it. THE JOURNAL

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
Rights of Nature Says Nature Has Basic Rights to Exist
An increasing number of countries are recognizing "Rights of Nature", a legal movement that says ecosystems and species have basic rights to exist and flourish. Grant Wilson, executive director at Earth Law Center joins Cheddar News to explain what the movement is aiming to achieve.
House GOP Asks Twitter Board to Preserve Records of Elon Musk's Purchase Bid
The saga surrounding Elon Musk's bid to buy Twitter has made its way to Washington, DC. A group of 18 House Republicans are calling on the social media platform's board to preserve all records and documents related to the company's response to the offer from the Tesla CEO. Caleb Silver, editor in chief of Investopedia, joined Closing Bell to discuss. "This is a long term play, but it's just a shot across the bow by congressional Republicans, who probably will end up taking the House, that they're going to be tough on Big Tech and they're going use Musk's bid for twitter to take it private, so that he can get the platform to be open source and remove its censorship."
Tech Firms Like Alphabet, Meta Commit $925M to Carbon Removal Initiative Frontier
Removing carbon from our atmosphere has become a goal for scientists and entrepreneurs around the world, and while many have begun to develop promising technology solutions, a few big names in tech, including Stripe, Alphabet, Shopify, Meta and McKinsey, are committing nearly $1 billion dollars to fund carbon removal technology through 2030 through a new initiative called Frontier, an advanced market commitment to incentive following through on development. Hannah Bebbington, the head of strategy for Frontier, joined Cheddar News to discuss. "What Frontier aims to do is help get this market on track by sending that strong demand signal such that we can scale up capacity really significantly in the next couple of years," she said.
Autumn Peltier to Canada: Less Talk, More Action on Clean Water Access
Autumn Peltier, an indigenous water activist, joined Cheddar News to talk about the lack of access to clean water among indigenous communities in Canada. “I say the government to hold themselves accountable for the promises that they make because Canada and indigenous people have a long history of broken promises and they still continue to this day to keep breaking promises with the nation's people," she said. "Less talk and more action is very much expected from me."
Sustainability and Green Climate Hacks for Your Everyday Life
Sustainability Concierge Friday Apaliski joins Cheddar Climate Celebrates Earth Day, where she shares tips for how homeowners can go green without breaking the bank. She also provides everyday ways and climate hacks to make the planet a cleaner place.
Load More