Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Thursday, August 5, 2021:

DELTA LATEST

The White House is taking the first steps toward requiring almost all foreign travelers coming into the country to be vaccinated, part of a broader plan to start lifting the travel restrictions that currently ban much of the world from entering the U.S. The WHO is calling for a moratorium on vaccine booster shots until the end of September so that poorer countries where demand still outstrips supply can inoculate more of their populations. Countries in Africa have given just five doses per 100 people, compared to 85 doses per 100 people in North America. REUTERS

CUOMO IN EXILE

District attorneys in Manhattan and several other New York counties have started the process of gathering information for possible criminal investigations into the conduct of Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The New York governor is losing his last bastion of supporters as he faces the likelihood of impeachment proceedings in the state assembly. He has not made any statements or been seen in public since denying the allegations in the state AG's report. NY TIMES

OLYMPICS LATEST **SPOILERS**

The U.S. men’s basketball team came from behind to beat Australia and will play in the gold medal game, while the U.S. women’s soccer team beat Australia to win the bronze this morning. On the track, Team USA failed to qualify for the men’s 4x100 relay after botching a baton pass, the latest mishap in an event the U.S. men had dominated for decades. In the water, American Nevin Harrison, 19, won gold in the first-ever women’s canoe 200m. ESPN

MEXICO SUES GUN MAKERS

The government of Mexico has filed a lawsuit against American gun manufacturers, accusing them of facilitating the smuggling of weapons used by Mexican drug cartels. It’s the first time a foreign government has sued U.S. gun companies. The $10 billion civil suit argues that companies like Smith & Wesson, Glock, and Colt negligently allow their products to be trafficked to Mexico, where 70% of guns that are smuggled in come from the U.S. The lawsuit faces long odds because of a federal law that shields gun companies from liability when their products are used to commit crimes. WSJ

HOT MESS SUMMER

The summer of misery in the skies seems to be getting worse. Spirit Airlines has cancelled 40% of today’s flights after cancelling half of Wednesday’s service. The budget carrier is dealing with a perfect storm of disruptions: IT outages, bad weather, and worker shortages all coming during peak demand. American Airlines cancelled hundreds of flights earlier this week, partially due to an inability to book flight crews during layovers after the company outsourced that process. Some flight attendants have been sleeping at airport baggage claims, their union said. Industry analysts say the airlines overshot the mark by severely cutting overhead during the worst of the pandemic and failing to anticipate the rebound in demand. NBC NEWS

DISAPPEARING PHOTOS

WhatsApp will now let you send photos and videos that disappear after they’ve been seen. The “View Once” feature automatically deletes a photo or video from the chat after it's been viewed, so the image won’t be stored in the chat log or on your camera roll. The Facebook-owned app is marketing the option as a privacy enhancement to go with its disappearing message feature. But like vanishing pics and videos on other social media apps, there will be nothing stopping a user from taking a screenshot or screen recording to preserve the content. MASHABLE

JEOPARDY! SHOCK

Jeopardy! may have found its new host. The quiz show’s executive producer, Mike Richards, is reportedly in advanced negotiations to become the late Alex Trebek’s permanent replacement. A final decision has not been made, but execs at Sony Television were said to be impressed with Richards’ on-air manner and his experience as a veteran game show producer, and he has vaulted over LeVar Burton, Ken Jennings, and others to be the most likely to get the gig. VARIETY

FENTY'S FORTUNE

Rihanna is now officially a billionaire, thanks to her extraordinarily profitable cosmetics line. Forbes estimates Rihanna is worth $1.7 billion, making her the richest female musician in the world and the second richest female entertainer, behind Oprah. The vast majority of RiRi’s wealth comes from her 50% stake in Fenty Beauty, which she launched in 2017 to instant success. The rest comes from her lingerie line, Savage x Fenty, and her earnings as a performer. FORBES

SPOTTED...

…Prince Harry, showing off his juggling skills in the background of Meghan Markle’s 40th birthday video, in which the Duchess of Sussex announces a new mentorship program for women re-entering the workforce: SEE IT

...a new Obama family photo, posted by Michelle to mark the former president’s 60th birthday. The Obamas were planning a huge bash at their estate in Martha’s Vineyard this weekend but scaled it back due to the rebound of Covid cases: SEE IT

LEFTOVERS: WOKE UP THIS MORNING

HBO does not have a particularly good track record when it comes to spinoffs and sequels on the big screen (see: the Entourage movie, the Sex and the City movies). The upcoming Sopranos sequel could be different. The first previews for The Many Saints of Newark are starting to come in, and the buzz is building. One journalist who saw the flick says HBO “nails” the Tony Soprano origin story, featuring the late James Gandolfini’s real-life son playing the future mob boss. BLOOMBERG

Share:
More In Business
Michigan Judge Sentences Walmart Shoplifters to Wash Parking Lot Cars
A Michigan judge is putting sponges in the hands of shoplifters and ordering them to wash cars in a Walmart parking lot when spring weather arrives. Genesee County Judge Jeffrey Clothier hopes the unusual form of community service discourages people from stealing from Walmart. The judge also wants to reward shoppers with free car washes. Clothier says he began ordering “Walmart wash” sentences this week for shoplifting at the store in Grand Blanc Township. He believes 75 to 100 people eventually will be ordered to wash cars this spring. Clothier says he will be washing cars alongside them when the time comes.
State Department Halts Plan to buy $400M of Armored Tesla Vehicles
The State Department had been in talks with Elon Musk’s Tesla company to buy armored electric vehicles, but the plans have been put on hold by the Trump administration after reports emerged about a potential $400 million purchase. A State Department spokesperson said the electric car company owned by Musk was the only one that expressed interest back in May 2024. The deal with Tesla was only in its planning phases but it was forecast to be the largest contract of the year. It shows how some of his wealth has come and was still expected to come from taxpayers.
Goodyear Blimp at 100: ‘Floating Piece of Americana’ Still Thriving
At 100 years old, the Goodyear Blimp is an ageless star in the sky. The 246-foot-long airship will be in the background of the Daytona 500 — flying roughly 1,500 feet above Daytona International Speedway, actually — to celebrate its greatest anniversary tour. Even though remote camera technologies are improving regularly and changing the landscape of aerial footage, the blimp continues to carve out a niche. At Daytona, with the usual 40-car field racing around a 2½-mile superspeedway, views from the blimp aptly provide the scope of the event.
Is U.S. Restaurants’ Breakfast Boom Contributing to High Egg Prices?
It’s a chicken-and-egg problem: Restaurants are struggling with record-high U.S. egg prices, but their omelets, scrambles and huevos rancheros may be part of the problem. Breakfast is booming at U.S. eateries. First Watch, a restaurant chain that serves breakfast, brunch and lunch, nearly quadrupled its locations over the past decade to 570. Fast-food chains like Starbucks and Wendy's added more egg-filled breakfast items. In normal times, egg producers could meet the demand. But a bird flu outbreak that has forced them to slaughter their flocks is making supplies scarcer and pushing up prices. Some restaurants like Waffle House have added a surcharge to offset their costs.
Load More