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Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Wednesday, October 27, 2021:

VAX FOR KIDS

The FDA’s advisory panel unanimously endorsed Pfizer’s Covid vaccine for 5-11 year olds, a big step toward making those shots available for about 30 million American children. The vote was 17-0, with one abstention. The FDA and CDC both now need to formally sign off, which they are expected to do. Once that happens, kids will be eligible for a dose at one-third the strength of the adult dose, given in two shots spaced three weeks apart. Experts say the lower dose will diminish the rare risk of myocarditis that has been linked to the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, particularly in young men. AP

TREE OF LIFE: 3 YEARS LATER

Today marks three years since the attack on Jewish worshippers inside the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. Eleven people were killed in that rampage -- the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in U.S. history -- and the suspect remains held pending trial. Meanwhile, a new report from the American Jewish Committee found that nearly 1 in 4 American Jews say they’ve been the subject of anti-Semitism in the past year. The survey also found that 39% of respondents changed their behavior in public out of fears of anti-Semitism and that, while 90% of American Jews think anti-Semitism is a problem in the U.S., just 60% of the general public thinks the same. NPR

'RUST' INVESTIGATION

Crewmembers on the set of Rust had reportedly used the prop gun that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins to do target practice with live ammunition on the morning of the shooting. Alec Baldwin was then given that gun for a scene in which he was supposed to aim it at the camera -- that’s when it discharged, according to an affidavit. The Santa Fe District Attorney says investigators found “an enormous amount of bullets” on the set and has not ruled out pursuing criminal charges in the case. NY TIMES

QUEEN SKIPPING GLASGOW

Queen Elizabeth will not make the quick trip to Glasgow next week for the COP26 UN climate summit, sitting out the event on the advice of doctors. The 95-year-old queen’s decision to skip the gathering of world leaders comes after she was hospitalized overnight last week. She’s been back at work since, but there are murmurs in the British media about whether Buckingham Palace has been forthcoming and transparent about her health. BBC

SCHOOL'S OUT FOREVER

College enrollment started falling at the onset of the pandemic, and it hasn’t stopped. According to findings based on early data from colleges, nationwide enrollment fell a further 3.2% this fall. Combined with last year, there are nearly 7% fewer students on campus right now than there were in 2019. The downward trend is happening at all but the most selective elite universities, but it is most severe at community colleges, where enrollment is down 14%. INSIDE HIGHER ED

SHAREHOLDER WIPEOUT

A year ago this week, Alibaba founder Jack Ma gave a speech sharply criticizing the Chinese financial system. There have only been a handful of sightings of Ma ever since.  Whatever punishment Beijing may have meted out to their most successful entrepreneur, the effect of his speech on Alibaba’s stock has gone down as the biggest global wipeout of shareholder value ever. The company -- often referred to as the Amazon of China -- lost $344 billion in market cap since Ma criticized the government, amid a broader crackdown on the Chinese tech sector. As for Ma, he was most recently seen aboard a yacht off the coast of Spain last week. BLOOMBERG

BRAVES TAKE LEAD

The Braves took Game 1 of the World Series against the Astros, but lost their ace, Charlie Morton, after he broke his leg in the third inning. He’ll miss the rest of the series. Whoever ends up winning the title this year, the loser is the same: MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, who has caught the recent ire of both teams and their fanbases. It was Manfred who made the call to strip Atlanta of hosting duties for the All-Star Game this year, following the Georgia election law. It was also Manfred who punished Houston for a cheating scandal that Astros fans consider to be wildly overblown. WSJ

'DUNE 2' GETS GREENLIGHT

Dune is getting the sequel that fans have been hoping for. Warner Bros. and Legendary Entertainment announced that Dune: Part 2 will be released exclusively in theaters in October 2023. While a second part to the famously “unfilmable” space epic was always part of the plan -- made pretty clear if you saw it -- the sequel’s fate wasn’t a sure thing until the box office numbers came out. Dune did well, thus Dune 2 is a go. VARIETY

SPOTTED...

…Travis Barker’s latest ink, an image of fiancée Kourtney Kardashian’s lips covering up a tattoo of his ex-wife’s name: SEE IT

Can’t wait to see what he does for his next wife. 

...the new 2022 Range Rover -- the first redesign of the popular luxury SUV in a decade -- coming to showrooms next year (with a sticker topping $100k): SEE IT

LEFTOVERS: HELLO OUT THERE

Astronomers believe they have discovered the first planet to ever be found outside our galaxy. A NASA telescope spotted what appears to be a Saturn-sized planet orbiting a star in the Messier 51 galaxy, about 28 million light-years away. While thousands of so-called “exoplanets” have been found, this would be the first time one was ever discovered outside the bounds of the Milky Way. SPACE.COM

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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