Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Thursday, April 1, 2021:
COVID-19: LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
A mix-up at a Baltimore factory has ruined as many as 15 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, delaying future shipments of the one-dose shot as the FDA investigates what happened. The human error does not affect any of the J&J shots currently in the supply. Pfizer says its vaccine is extremely effective in adolescents at preventing infection -- apparently even more effective than it is in adults -- and is hoping to be able to offer older children the shot before the start of the school year in the fall, pending approval. Meanwhile, France is going into a month-long lockdown -- its third -- as cases rise and hospitals fill back up. Europe continues to suffer from a botched vaccine rollout that is not keeping pace with a rising tide of infections. NY TIMES
BORDER CRISIS
Border Patrol agents in Texas are so overwhelmed with the surge in migrant crossings that they’ve started releasing some families without any paperwork, a move that eases the overcrowding at holding facilities but puts the burden on ICE to keep track of the migrants as they await immigration court hearings. The U.S. is on track to break recent monthly records for border crossings ahead of what is typically its busiest time of the year. AP
SOCAL SHOOTING
At least four people, including a child, were killed in a shooting at an office complex in the California city of Orange, just south of L.A. Police say the suspect was hospitalized in critical condition with a gunshot wound. Most other details are unknown. This is at least the 20th mass shooting in America since the Atlanta spa massacre two weeks ago. CNN
ANTI-ASIAN HATE
The NYPD has arrested a suspect in the brutal beating of a Filipino immigrant near Times Square earlier this week. That attack was caught on camera, showing a Black man walking up to a 65-year-old woman and kicking her to the ground before stomping her head. He reportedly told her “you don’t belong here” as he walked away. The incident -- one of several brazen anti-Asian attacks in NYC in recent days -- happened in broad daylight and in front of several witnesses who did not appear to come to the woman’s immediate aid. The suspect in the assault was previously convicted of murdering his mother and had been out on parole since 2019. DAILY NEWS
GEORGIA VOTING LAW
Two of the biggest companies in Georgia have come out publicly against the state’s new voter restrictions. The CEOs of Delta and Coca-Cola, both headquartered in Atlanta, called the law “unacceptable” because it will make it harder for Georgians to vote. Georgia Republicans succeeded last week in passing a sweeping overhaul of how its elections are run, including a stipulation that makes it a crime to hand out food or water to people waiting in line at the polls, as well as new voter ID requirements and restrictions on drop boxes. AJC
PUFF, PUFF, PASSED
As of today, New Yorkers 21+ can legally possess marijuana and smoke it in public anywhere that tobacco is allowed. New York became the 15th state -- and one of the largest -- to officially legalize recreational cannabis for adult use, after an embattled Gov. Cuomo immediately signed the bill into law upon its passage. It will take more than a year for the state’s regulated cannabis market to open; when it does, 40 percent of the tax revenue it generates will be earmarked for minority communities that had disproportionate drug arrests over the years. CHEDDAR
OPENING DAY
The Yankees and Blue Jays open the 2021 MLB season this afternoon at Yankee Stadium. All 30 teams play today -- 15 games in all -- as the league is trying to play a full 162-game season that’s as close to normal and on schedule as possible. POWER RANKINGS
'KNIVES OUT' ON NETFLIX
Netflix is ponying up close to half a billion dollars for the next two Knives Out sequels -- an astonishing amount of money, even for them. The streamer has reportedly agreed to pay $450 million for the rights to Knives Out 2 and Knives Out 3, both of which will reunite director Rian Johnson and actor Daniel Craig. The first Knives Out was a smash hit, taking in $311 million in box office on a $40 million budget. VARIETY
SPOTTED...
…Britney Spears, writing on Instagram that she felt “embarrassed” by the recent documentary about her conservatorship. It’s the first time Spears has addressed the doc: READ IT
LEFTOVERS: JK!
Volkswagen is in the lead for the annual title of “company that maybe took April Fool’s Day too far” ... though it’s still early. The automaker is facing backlash after admitting that its supposed name change to Voltswagen -- reported here and elsewhere as authentic -- was indeed an early April Fool’s stunt. More than a few Twitter users noted that VW’s recent history of cheating on emissions tests and then lying to regulators to cover it up should have made for a humbler marketing department. FT
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