Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Friday, May 21, 2021:
CEASEFIRE
A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas appears to be holding in the early hours after Egypt brokered a deal between the two sides to lay down their weapons, coming after pressure from the U.S. Thousands of Palestinians took to the streets to claim victory despite the heavy toll the 11-day bombardment took on the Gaza Strip. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is facing blowback from his base that he stopped too soon. President Biden celebrated the ceasefire and said the U.S. would help Israel replenish its supply of interceptor missiles and also provide humanitarian aid to Gaza. AP
HATE CRIMES
ANTISEMITISM: The LAPD is investigating an attack on Jewish diners at a sushi restaurant near Hollywood earlier this week as an anti-Semitic hate crime. Based on video and witness accounts, a caravan of cars waving Palestinian flags stopped at the restaurant and dozens of men jumped out yelling anti-Semitic slurs and asking “Who’s Jewish?” and chanting “Death to Israel.” There have been other attacks in NYC and elsewhere this week. Anti-Semitic attacks went down during the pandemic but have been on the rise overall in recent years, according to the ADL. CNN
ICYMI: N2K founder and Cheddar anchor Jill Wagner opened up about the rise in anti-Semitism on our podcast yesterday (ignore the hair rollers, we record it early!): WATCH
AAPI: President Biden signed a law that will increase federal resources for combating hate crimes against Asian-Americans. Biden said he was proud that the bill sailed through Congress with bipartisan support (it passed 94 to 1 in the Senate and 364 to 62 in the House). NPR
COVID-19: LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
The first Americans could start receiving vaccine booster shots as early as September or October, according to the CEOS of Pfizer and Moderna. There’s no evidence yet that the vaccines’ protections are fading but the companies are already making their boosters under the assumption that they’ll be needed. New York and Maryland are creating lotteries for people who get vaccinated after Ohio reported that its numbers shot up after announcing its drawings. AXIOS
HURRICANE FORECAST
Scientists with the NOAA are predicting an “above normal” hurricane season this year, with something in the range of 13 to 20 named storms likely in the Atlantic. The NOAA outlook estimates six to 10 of those are likely to become hurricanes and three to five may turn into major Cat 3 or higher storms. Experts don’t expect this year will be as bad as 2020’s record-breaking season but say now is the time for coastal areas to start preparing. CBS NEWS
CYBERTRUCK KILLER?
Ford says it took more than 20,000 reservations for the new electric F-150 in the first 12 hours since the pickup was revealed. The F-150 Lightning is one of the biggest bets yet by a major automaker on the future of electric vehicles. Ford is pricing the Lightning aggressively -- the base model comes in just below $40,000 with a 230-mile range -- in a bet that it can compete head-on with Tesla’s similarly priced Cybertruck. The Lightning arrives next spring. The Cybertruck is still in development. A third, much more expensive electric pickup made by the startup Rivian is also expected in the next few months. COMPARE THEM
MILK WARS
Oatly, the Swedish oat milk brand, soared in its public debut on the Nasdaq, giving the Oprah-backed company a valuation of about $12 billion. Sales of oat milk tripled in 2020, and the dairy lobby has taken notice. The industry group behind the iconic “Got Milk?” ads is launching a new marketing campaign framing milk as a natural sports drink with the tagline “You’re Gonna Need Milk for That.” ADWEEK
SEASON OF NO HITTERS
There have been an oddly high number of no-hitters so far this baseball season. Yankees ace Corey Kluber no-hit the Rangers on Wednesday, the second time the pitching feat was accomplished in less than 24 hours. There have already been six no-hitters this year (the modern record for the whole season is seven). Some fans -- and even players like Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw -- are grumbling that the achievement risks losing its luster ever since the MLB “deadened” the ball in the off-season. The league did that in response to the soaring home-run rates of recent years, but it’s also having the effect of raising the strikeout rate and lowering batting averages, leading to some boring baseball, at least offensively. FANGRAPHS
HOCUS POCUS 2
Two years after the idea was first floated, the Sanderson sisters are officially in for a Hocus Pocus sequel. Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy are confirmed to be reprising their roles in a sequel to the 1993 Disney classic. Production starts in the fall with the film to hit Disney+ in 2022. VARIETY
SPOTTED...
...the CMA CGM Marco Polo, coming through New York Harbor. The Marco Polo is the largest container ship to ever dock on the East Coast: SEE IT
...Angelina Jolie, covered in bees for a striking Nat Geo portrait meant to raise awareness for World Bee Day: SEE IT
...the future King of England, Prince William, getting his first vaccine jab: SEE IT
LEFTOVERS: PLASTIC POLLUTERS
Your local cafe’s transition to paper straws isn’t going to save us, as it turns out. According to a new report, just 20 companies produce more than half of the world’s single-use plastic waste, with ExxonMobil and Dow Chemical the worst offenders. The production of single-use plastic is on the rise despite efforts to pare it back at the local level in the form of plastic-bag bans and recycling programs. The research from the non-profit Minderoo also found that the average American throws away 110 pounds of plastic a year, just 8 percent of which gets recycled. CIRCULAR
**LOVE **HATE **ATE
One thing we love: When the stars align and you hit every green light. In NYC, we call this "riding the wave."
One thing we hate: Size charts on clothing websites. Absolutely meaningless.
One thing we ate: The carbonara at Eataly in NYC. If you’re gonna house a dish of pasta for lunch on a weekday, might as well just go all the way.
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!
