Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Thursday, March 11, 2021:

COVID-19: ONE YEAR LATER

One year ago today, the following things happened: the U.S. crossed 1,000 coronavirus cases, a government official named Dr. Fauci warned Congress that "it's going to get worse," the WHO declared a global pandemic, the stock market officially ended its longest bull run in history, the NBA cancelled its season, the president addressed the nation, and Tom Hanks tested positive. A year later, the outlook is decidedly better. The White House announced plans to purchase another 100 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and will share excess supply with other countries. The U.S. is now expected to have more than enough vaccines for all adults by the end of May. President Biden will speak in primetime tonight to mark the anniversary of the pandemic. NBC NEWS

STIMULUS PASSES

Congress has given final approval to the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act. President Biden is planning to sign the bill into law tomorrow. It's one of the largest economic aid packages in U.S. history and has the support of 70 percent of Americans, according to Pew. No Republicans in either chamber signed on, pointing to its huge price tag and impact on the deficit. The IRS could begin sending out the $1,400 checks as direct deposits as early as next week. BLOOMBERG

HAWAII FLOODING

Hawaii is under a state of emergency after heavy rains have led to severe flooding across the state’s islands this week. Oahu, Maui, Kaua’i and the Big Island have all seen extensive damage from the floods, with Maui especially hard hit. The wet weather is expected to linger through tomorrow. STAR ADVERTISER

REPORTER ACQUITTED

An Iowa newspaper reporter was acquitted of all charges in an extremely rare -- and highly controversial -- case of a journalist standing trial for doing their job. Andrea Sahouri was covering a Black Lives Matter protest for the Des Moines Register last May when she was pepper sprayed and arrested for “failure to disperse” and “interference with official acts” despite identifying herself to police as a journalist. The local prosecutor took the case to trial, drawing outrage from advocates of press freedom. After less than two hours of deliberation, the jury found Sahouri not guilty. AP

ROBLOX GOES PUBLIC

The online gaming platform Roblox is the latest tech company to soar in its market debut. Shares closed up 43 percent on the first day of trading, for a valuation of $42 billion (up from $4 billion a year ago). If you’ve never heard of Roblox, that’s because you are neither a tween nor a parent of tweens. The platform is enormously popular with kids; more than half its users are under 13. Roblox’s “secret sauce” is that it allows players to also be creators by building their own online games and universes. Here’s the company’s chief business officer explaining it on Cheddar: WATCH

DEEPFAKE DEBATE

A new A.I. tool from the genealogy site MyHeritage is taking the internet by storm with its ability to create uncanny animated images of people’s loved ones using just an old photo. The Deep Nostalgia service is evidence of the major advancements underway in “deepfake” technology, in which a person can be made to appear to say or do something that never actually happened. The results are both remarkable and more than a little unsettling: SEE IT

PLAY BALL

With Texas now fully open, the Rangers could become the first major sports team to play a game in front of a packed crowd when it hosts the Blue Jays on April 5. The Rangers’ front office says the plan is to open Globe Life Field to a full capacity of 40,518 for the last two exhibition games and the home opener. SI

OSCAR NOMS

Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra Jonas have been tapped to announce the Oscar nominations early Monday morning. The husband-and-wife team will kick off the two-part livestream at 5:19 a.m. PT on Oscars.com. Nomadland, Promising Young Woman and The Trial of the Chicago 7 are expected to be among the big nominees. DEADLINE

SPOTTED...

… a drone, flying through a Minneapolis bowling alley in one of the most incredible single-take videos you’ll ever see, courtesy of JayByrdFilms: WATCH

LEFTOVERS: FUKUSHIMA TODAY

Ten years ago today, a 9.0 earthquake -- one of the largest ever recorded -- struck off the coast of northern Japan. The quake triggered a massive tsunami that killed 18,000 people and led to a catastrophic triple meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant, which itself displaced another half a million Japanese people. A decade later, many of those residents have still not returned home, and the 12-mile evacuation zone around Fukushima remains a ghost town: SEE IT

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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