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Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Friday, September 17, 2021:

J6 RALLY

The Dept. of Homeland Security is warning about the potential for violence leading up to and during the ‘Justice for J6’ rally planned for tomorrow in D.C. in support of the defendants charged in the Jan. 6 riot. The organizer of the rally has said that extremists looking to cause trouble are not welcome, and that it will be a peaceful protest. Republicans in Congress are steering clear of the event, and former President Trump said it was a “setup” for Republican voters. CNN

LABOR SHORTAGE HITS SCHOOLS

Students in Massachusetts are being picked up on the bus by the National Guard. Schools in Missouri are dropping requirements to become a substitute teacher. One big district in Florida is offering signing bonuses for cafeteria workers. The nationwide labor shortages are hitting public schools especially hard as a new Covid-era school year gets underway. Many school districts have struggled for years with hiring and retaining “behind-the-scenes” workers like bus drivers and cafeteria staff, and it’s being made all the more difficult as other competitive jobs in the private sector, like fast-food and retail, increase their starting wages. NY TIMES

BORDER SURGE

A new humanitarian crisis is brewing on the southern Texas border, where a temporary camp housing thousands of migrants has been growing fast. Nearly 10,000 migrants are being held in deteriorating conditions under a bridge that connects Mexico and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection is sending in reinforcements to help process the growing swell of people, the vast majority of whom are fleeing the various crises in Haiti. Republicans are blaming President Biden for creating the conditions, with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott comparing the situation to the Afghanistan evacuation. ABC NEWS

FRANCE MAD

A day after the U.S., UK and Australia announced a new defense alliance meant to counter China, France is said to be furious with the Biden administration for making the deal without its knowledge. France and Australia had a security alliance that involved France selling the Australians conventional submarines. That deal is now moot, with the U.S. leading a deal to help Australia build their own nuclear-powered subs. French diplomats in Washington cancelled a gala planned for tonight over the issue, while the French foreign minister compared Biden to his predecessor, saying “allies don’t do this to each other...it’s rather insufferable.” POLITICO

MARLBORO MOVES INTO HEALTHCARE

Philip Morris International is buying a British maker of asthma and COPD inhalers, having won support of shareholders despite concerns from public health officials that the deal creates “perverse incentives” for the cigarette giant to profit from treating smoking-related illness. Vectura, which develops inhaled medicines to treat various lung conditions, will become part of PhilMo’s portfolio, alongside Marlboro and Parliament. The tobacco giant has said it wants to diversify its portfolio beyond cigarettes, with an emphasis on “inhaled therapeutics.” FT

TESLA KILLERS?

The electric-car market in the U.S. is about to get much more interesting. Lucid Motors has received an astonishing EPA-estimated range of 520 miles for its upcoming luxury sedan, dubbed the Air Dream Edition (sticker: $169,000 and already sold out). That would beat the longest-range Tesla by 115 miles. Meanwhile, Rivian’s first electric pickup rolled off its assembly line in Illinois this week, making the startup the first to market with an all-electric truck (sticker: $67,500 and already sold out). The first deliveries are scheduled for next month. CNET

RIVALRY REKINDLED

Oklahoma and Nebraska will meet this weekend for their first game since 2010, renewing one of the oldest and most bitter rivalries in college football. It was 50 years ago this year that no. 1 Nebraska beat no. 2 Oklahoma in what’s still known to fans as the “Game of the Century.” The Sooners and Cornhuskers stayed bitter Big 12 foes through the 2000s, when their annual match-ups stopped once Nebraska left the conference. Fox has the big game tomorrow, with kickoff at noon ET. SI

BACK IN THE USA

Get ready to see and hear a lot more from Piers Morgan. The controversial British TV host has signed a mega-deal with Rupert Murdoch’s media empire that will have him hosting a streaming show for Fox News, writing columns for the New York Post, and publishing books through HarperCollins. Morgan left his job at Good Morning Britain earlier this year following backlash over antagonizing comments he made about Meghan Markle. The last time Morgan worked stateside was when he succeeded Larry King on CNN from 2011 to 2014. THR

SPOTTED...

...Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, wedding his longtime partner in the first-ever same-sex marriage of a sitting governor: SEE PIC

… the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, completely wrapped in silver and blue fabric. The new installation from the late artist couple Christo and Jean-Claude opens for viewing tomorrow: SEE IT

...eerie drone video capturing the completely empty streets of NYC, shot in March of last year for the new season of Apple’s The Morning Show: WATCH

LEFTOVERS: TRUE CRIME

A prominent lawyer in South Carolina who tried to fake his own murder after his wife and son were killed has turned himself in. Alex Murdaugh admitted to a scheme to have a former client shoot him in the head so that his living son could collect the life insurance payout, a plan that Murdaugh’s lawyer says he concocted after suffering “massive depression” and an opioid addiction following the killings of his wife and other son. Murdaugh maintains that he had nothing to do with those murders, which remain unsolved. And that's only the tip of the iceberg: READ MORE

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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