Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Thursday, October 1, 2020:
STIMULUS NEGOTIATIONS
House Democrats delayed voting on their new version of a stimulus bill, a promising sign that negotiations with the White House are progressing. Speaker Pelosi and Treasury Sec. Mnuchin both had optimistic things to say about the state of talks, with Mnuchin revealing that a second round of stimulus checks is likely to be included. But time is running out. United and American Airlines will start mass furloughs today, though both companies say they would reverse them if a deal is reached soon. The stock market just ended its worst month since March, and the impending election puts an informal deadline on a new package to get passed and signed into law. CNBC
COVID-19: LAST DEVELOPMENTS
With President Trump preparing to hold rallies in Wisconsin this weekend, the state is reporting its highest number of COVID-19 hospitalizations on record and a dwindling number of hospital beds available statewide. The death of an otherwise healthy college athlete this week is drawing new attention to the virus’ effects on the young. Chad Dorrill, a 19-year-old sophomore at Appalachian State in North Carolina, died after he recovered from the respiratory symptoms -- only to then develop neurological problems. HIGH COUNTRY PRESS
DEBATE HANGOVER
The clean up after the chaotic first presidential debate started almost immediately after it ended. The Commission on Presidential Debates says it will change the format for upcoming debates after President Trump’s repeated interruptions, which would reportedly include an option for the moderator to cut off a candidate’s mic. Chris Wallace called the debate a “terrible missed opportunity,” saying he was “just sad” with how it turned out. The president attempted to walk back his refusal to outright condemn white supremacists. About 73 million people watched the widely-panned debate on TV, a 13 percent decline from the first debate of 2016. AP
CALIFORNIA FIRES
The Glass and Zogg fires in California’s wine country are less than 10 percent contained, growing in size, and prompting more evacuations as warmer and windier weather conditions are expected to make the firefight even more difficult in the coming days. At least four people have died in this new wave of wildfires. NPR
WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE
A quarter of working women are considering scaling back their career ambitions or leaving the workforce entirely because of the stresses related to the pandemic, according to a study from McKinsey and Sheryl Sandberg’s LeanIn.org. The Women in the Workplace report found working mothers are three times more likely to be handling the brunt of housework than working fathers, with the burden falling particularly on Black women. Female executives are also more likely than their male peers to feel burned out from juggling work and family obligations. BLOOMBERG
FACEBOOK MESSAGING
Facebook has started rolling out new functionality that will integrate its messaging services. Users on Instagram and Messenger will be able to send messages across apps, while Instagram DMs will start to look more like the Messenger interface, with options for vanishing messages and custom emojis. Instagram users won’t need a Facebook account to talk to people via Messenger. THE VERGE
TITANS GAME PUNTED
Sunday’s NFL game between the Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers has been postponed to either Monday or Tuesday after four Titans players and five personnel members tested positive for COVID-19. The upshot is that whenever it is formally scheduled, it will very likely be nationally televised. NBC SPORTS
HEIRESS CULT SENTENCE
Clare Bronfman, an heiress to the Seagram’s liquor fortune, has been sentenced to more than six years in prison for her role in the Nxivm “self-improvement” group that prosecutors say was a thinly disguised cult and sex trafficking ring. In handing down a sentence that was more severe than even the prosecution had asked for, the judge pointed to evidence that Bronfman tapped her family’s vast fortune to intimidate critics of Nxivm. She is the first former member of the group to be sentenced in the case. DAILY BEAST
TEIGEN & LEGEND'S HEARTBREAKING LOSS
Chrissy Teigen and John Legend announced on their social media channels that they have lost their child after pregnancy complications. Earlier this week, Teigen said she was about halfway through the pregnancy and bleeding significantly. The couple’s other two children, Luna and Miles, were conceived via IVF, but she said the new pregnancy was natural -- something she said she didn’t think was possible for her. SEE THE POST
BERLIN PATIENT DIES
The first person to ever be cured of HIV has died of cancer. Timothy Ray Brown, also known as the Berlin Patient, was 54. As a leukemia patient, he was given a bone marrow transplant in 2007 from a donor who had natural resistance to HIV, which transferred to Brown and effectively cured him of the disease. Six months ago, though, Brown’s leukemia returned. He was a symbol of the AIDS movement who gave hope that a cure for HIV was possible. CNN
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