Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Wednesday, September 9, 2020:
Bulletin: President Trump has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to broker peace between Israel and the UAE. Developing...
COVID-19: RACE TO A VACCINE
AstraZeneca has paused Phase 3 clinical trials of its coronavirus vaccine after a patient experienced adverse side effects -- a development that public health experts say is not unusual in large trials. The CEO of AstraZeneca was one of nine pharmaceutical chief executives who signed an open letter pledging that they won’t cut corners on a vaccine, even if they face pressure from governments. Dr. Fauci has reiterated that it’s “unlikely” that a vaccine will be ready by the election. STAT
CAMPAIGN TRAIL
Joe Biden will be in Michigan today, where he will announce a new policy intended to stop the practice of “offshoring,” in which companies base themselves in low-tax countries like Ireland. Biden has been making inroads against President Trump on economic issues, the only area that Trump has consistently out-polled him. While Biden maintains a lead over Trump, the president is seeing progress with minority voters; a new poll has the two deadlocked in Florida with Trump ahead among Latinos in the state. NBC NEWS
CLIMATE CHANGE
FIRES: More than 85 wildfires are burning across the West Coast, from Washington state to southern California. The massive Creek Fire in central California is burning an area the size of Central Park every 30 minutes and is 0 percent contained. The flames from that blaze have turned the skies over Yosemite, about 60 miles away, into an eerie orange: SEE IT
SNOW: First came the heat, now comes the winter. Three days after parts of the Rockies measured triple-digit temperatures, there’s a winter weather advisory in place: Denver and Boulder could see 6 inches of snow by noon today. Parts of Colorado, Montana and Utah saw temps plummet 70 degrees in 24 hours and are experiencing their earliest freeze on record. DENVER POST
TROPICS: There are four areas of concern in the Atlantic as we hit the peak of hurricane season: a potential tropical depression off the coast of the Carolinas, two tropical storms (Paulette and Rene) that have formed further out in the ocean, and another tropical wave coming off the east coast of Africa. ORLANDO SENTINEL
INDIA-CHINA TENSIONS
China and India are accusing each other’s soldiers of firing warning shots across the disputed border, the first time gunfire has been exchanged there in decades. China says Indian troops fired the shots; India says it was Chinese soldiers that started the provocation. The relationship between the two nuclear powers has been getting progressively worse, and the tensions have been playing out on the rugged border terrain along the Himalayan mountains. ECONOMIST
TECH SELL-OFF
The stocks that have been responsible for the lion’s share of the market gains this summer are now responsible for dragging the entire stock market lower over the past few trading days. Shares of tech companies like Apple, Facebook and Zoom led the Nasdaq down again on Tuesday, putting the index in official “correction” territory just since last Thursday. Tesla had its worst day ever, down 21 percent. The Dow and S&P had their worst three-day stretches in months. CHEDDAR
APPLE EVENT
Apple has announced an event for next Tuesday that will likely be the unveiling of a new generation of iPads and Apple Watches. The press invitation for the virtual event suggests that the iPhone launch won’t be happening until October. CNET
BUCKS OUT
The Milwaukee Bucks, the best team of this strange NBA season, have been eliminated from the playoffs, falling to the Miami Heat in five games. Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo said after the game that he won’t be requesting a trade and plans to return to the team next season. The Bucks made history in the bubble as the team that sparked an unprecedented league-wide racial justice strike. UNDEFEATED
KARDASHIANS CALL IT QUITS
Next year’s season of Keeping Up With the Kardashians will be the show’s last. The Kardashian-Jenner clan announced that they’ve decided to end the reality series after 14 years, 20 seasons and 12 (!) spin-offs. E! NEWS
SPOTTED...
...Katie Holmes in full-PDA mode with NYC restaurateur Emilio Vitolo Jr., as they dined al fresco in Manhattan. Vitolo’s father owns Emilio’s Ballato, the famous SoHo celeb haunt: SEE PICS
LEFTOVERS: GRINDIN'
Focus your attention on your mouth: are your top and bottom teeth touching as you read this? Your teeth are never supposed to touch unless you’re eating or chewing. In a viral essay, a New York dentist writes about an “epidemic” of tooth fractures from excessive grinding that dental professionals are seeing, due in part to the various stresses of 2020, but also the poor ergonomics of working from home and the sleep deficit many of us are carrying: READ THE ESSAY
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