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Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Tuesday, October 5, 2021:

FACEBOOK OUTAGE

Facebook’s services are mostly back up after an hours-long global outage that affected nearly half the world’s population. Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger and Oculus were all knocked offline around noon Eastern time on Monday due to a networking issue. It wasn’t until the company got a team to its physical data servers in California five hours later that the apps started to flicker back on for 3.5 billion users. The outage was so widespread that it even caused Facebook’s own employees to be locked out of their offices, highlighting how integral Facebook’s services have become at a time when the company is under more scrutiny than ever. CHEDDAR

COVID DOWN UNDER

Australia is considering allowing international tourists into the country next year, following the announcement that the country’s strict travel ban will start to ease next month. Australia has been more or less closed off to the world since March 2020 and its residents have been enduring some of the strictest lockdown measures anywhere. In neighboring New Zealand, the government is giving up on its “zero Covid” strategy in the face of the Delta variant, moving to a “contain and control” approach that will require residents to have vaccine passports for most public events. NY TIMES

BIDEN HITS THE ROAD

President Biden is going on the road to sell his economic agenda as its two legislative pillars remain in limbo back in D.C. Biden is heading to a swing district in Michigan today to promote some of the proposals being negotiated that are popular among large swaths of the public, such as expanded child care and “shovel ready” infrastructure projects. He plans to go to Chicago later this week and more travel is expected in the coming days. AP

SOCAL OIL SPILL

Officials are investigating whether a ship’s anchor accidentally struck an oil pipeline off the coast of southern California, causing the oil spill that has closed beaches and devastated local wildlife. Dozens of container ships have been anchored in the area where the pipeline broke as they await clearance to enter the twin ports of L.A. and Long Beach. Oil from that spill continues to wash ashore in Laguna, Newport and Huntington Beaches. REUTERS

ENERGY CRUNCH

Remember when there was so little demand for oil during the height of the lockdowns that crude prices briefly went negative? Now crude is trading at its highest level since 2014.  Natural gas is up more than 130% this year. Even coal is at a two-year high. A combination of factors is creating a global energy crunch that’s sending prices soaring at the worst possible time for consumers, just before the heating bills start. BARRON'S

WHAT GOES UP...

Tech stocks led a broad stock market decline to start the first full trading week of October, with shares of Amazon, Facebook, Google and Apple all closing lower by more than 2%. Amazon, in the midst of its worst losing streak since 2019, is now negative for the year. The stock market has been having a rough autumn after an incredibly bullish summer -- the first sustained dip for all the retail investors who put money into stocks during the pandemic. MARKETWATCH

HOLLYWOOD STRIKE WATCH

Tens of thousands of members in Hollywood’s crew union voted to authorize an industry-wide strike that would shut down film and TV production nationwide. More than 98% of IATSE members voted ‘yes’ on 90% turnout, giving leverage to the union as it negotiates a new contract with the studios. THR

007 TO THE RESCUE

The new James Bond movie is shaping up to be the monster that Hollywood and the movie theater industry so badly needs. No Time to Die took in $121 million at the international box office in its opening weekend, and it wasn’t even released in China. Daniel Craig’s final turn as 007 is on pace to top $100 million when it hits theaters in North America this weekend, which would make it the first film of the pandemic to hit that big round number domestically (the Venom sequel came closest last weekend, earning $90 million). GUARDIAN

SPOTTED...

…Damian Lewis, confirming that he won’t return as Bobby Axelrod on Showtime’s Billions next season. Lewis’ wife, the actress Helen McCrory, died of cancer earlier this year: READ THE INTERVIEW

...Lila Moss, daughter of supermodel Kate Moss, walking the runway at Milan Fashion Week with her insulin pump on full display: SEE PICS

LEFTOVERS: ACTORS IN SPACE

A Russian actress and movie director were just launched into orbit, where they will shoot scenes for a feature film aboard the International Space Station. It will be the first time a movie is shot in space, but probably not the last. Tom Cruise is working on a big-budget action flick that is supposed to shoot aboard the ISS as well. And not to be outdone, Captain Kirk himself is taking off for the great beyond. Ninety-year-old William Shatner will become the oldest person to go to space when he hitches a ride on Blue Origin’s next scheduled suborbital flight, scheduled for Oct. 12. AP

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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