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Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Tuesday, September 14, 2021:

CALIFORNIA RECALL

President Biden flew to California to campaign on behalf of Gov. Gavin Newsom, who faces a recall election today -- only the second in the state’s history. After showing some tightening earlier this summer, polls now suggest Newsom is likely to beat the effort to remove him from office. Should those polls be massively off, Newsom’s most likely replacement would be the conservative talk show host Larry Elder. He’s got the support of more than a quarter of likely voters. AP

COVID-19 LATEST

The CDC has signaled that Covid vaccines for children under 12 could be given the green light by the end of the year (Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the former FDA chief who sits on Pfizer's board, previously said he expects that shot to be approved for kids by the end of next month.) Meanwhile, two departing FDA officials are among a group of scientists arguing that the general population does not need booster shots at this time, putting them at odds with the Biden administration. CNN

J6 RALLY PREPS

Capitol Police are investigating whether an armed white supremacist they arrested outside the headquarters of the DNC is linked to the upcoming right-wing rally planned for the Capitol this weekend. The California man was pulled over in a pickup without a license plate that had swastikas carved into the rear view mirrors and a pair of animal horns attached to the grill. He was carrying a machete and bayonet. The incident came amid heightened security ahead of Saturday’s ‘Justice for J6’ rally in support of the jailed Jan. 6 rioters. Police aren't taking any chances this time, putting the fencing back up around the Capitol this week. POLITICO

NICHOLAS LANDFALL

Nicholas made landfall overnight along the Texas Gulf Coast as a hurricane with 75 mph winds, before dropping back to tropical-storm status. Houston, which is highly susceptible to flooding, could see a foot of rain by the time the system moves out. Power outages are already being reported across southeast Texas. The flooding threat will spread to Louisiana and Mississippi as the week progresses. TRACK

MAILCHIMP SOLD

Intuit, the company behind TurboTax, is buying the email-marketing giant Mailchimp for $12 billion in cash and stock. The deal is Intuit’s largest ever and comes as the company bets on a continued recovery of small business. Mailchimp, which started as a digital agency before pivoting to host email newsletters like this one, is privately held. BLOOMBERG

CRYPTO HOAX

The cryptocurrency Litecoin spiked 25% before crashing back to Earth, all because of an internet hoax involving Walmart. A fake press release attributed to the retailer referenced a new partnership allowing shoppers to pay for purchases with Litecoin. The release was reported as fact by several media organizations before Walmart knocked it down, but not before briefly adding about $4 billion to the market cap of Litecoin. The hoax comes as the head of the SEC is set to testify today about crypto regulation. REUTERS

APPLE UPDATES

Apple will unveil the iPhone 13 at a virtual event live streamed from its Cupertino HQ starting at 1 p.m. ET. A new Apple Watch and a possible update to AirPods could also be announced. Separately, all Apple users are being urged to upgrade their software immediately after security experts discovered a flaw that allowed a highly advanced form of spyware to be installed on Apple products without requiring so much as a click from users. NY TIMES

JEOPARDY! RETURNS

Jeopardy!’s new season debuted last night, starting with the few episodes that Mike Richards taped between when he was hired then fired as the show’s permanent host. The game show is in the midst of another historic run, with contestant Matt Amodio winning his 19th straight match. He is currently in third place on the all-time winningest list, behind Ken Jennings and James Holzhauer. The brief Mike Richards era of Jeopardy! ends after this week, at which point Mayim Bialik takes over before a new permanent host is named. DEADLINE

...SPOTTED...AT THE MET GALA...

...Lil Nas X, in a three-piece gold ensemble: SEE IT

...Billie Eilish, channeling "Holiday Barbie" in a peach Oscar de la Renta gown that she wore on the condition that the designer finally ditch fur: SEE IT

...Frank Ocean, with lime green hair, carrying a matching green robot baby: SEE IT

...AOC, in a white tuxedo-inspired gown with 'TAX THE RICH' written on the back: SEE IT

...Pete Davidson, in a white Thom Browne blazer and black dress: SEE IT

...Rihanna, the so-called “Queen of the Met Gala,” arriving fashionably late in a black Balenciaga couture overcoat: SEE IT

LEFTOVERS: BACK FROM THE DEAD

A new start-up is embarking on a mission to bring the woolly mammoth back from extinction. With $15 million raised so far, Colossal plans to use a novel gene-editing technique to engineer endangered Asian elephants to be able to withstand extreme cold. Scientists would then drop the elephant-mammoth hybrids into the Siberian tundra, where they went extinct 10,000 years ago. Proponents of the approach say the animals would theoretically help slow climate change, but not without serious ethical implications. ENTREPRENUER

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!

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