Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Friday, June 18, 2021:
JUNETEENTH
Today is a national holiday. Surprise! Federal employees have the day off, though some may not even know it yet. President Biden wasted no time in signing the bill establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery, calling it one of the greatest honors he will have as president. The White House said most federal offices will start observing the holiday today, since June 19 falls on a Saturday this year. Some school districts are closed, while others are closing Monday. The stock market is open and mail will be delivered. AP
OBAMACARE LIVES
The Supreme Court rejected an opportunity to strike down Obamacare for the third -- and likely last -- time. The justices tossed a lawsuit arguing the healthcare law was unconstitutional after Congress zeroed out the individual mandate tax. The Affordable Care Act has grown much more popular in recent years and Republican opposition has cooled in turn after several attempts to overturn it, making it unlikely another major case would find its way to the Supreme Court. VOX
TROPIC WATCH
The central Gulf Coast is under the first tropical storm watch of the season. Louisiana is right in the bullseye of a system that could strengthen into a named tropical storm -- Claudette -- later today. Heavy rain and gusty winds are expected from the Louisiana coast up through Alabama and into northern Georgia over the weekend. TRACK
COVID-19 LATEST
The highly contagious Delta variant now makes up 10% of U.S. COVID cases, up from 6% last week, as public health officials continue to plead for unvaccinated Americans to get their shots. As the surgeon general put it: “If you are vaccinated, you are protected, and if you are not, the threat of variants is real and growing.” The variant first detected in India has spread to more than 80 countries and is now the dominant strain in the UK, where infections have climbed to a four-month high. AXIOS
NEW VICTORIA'S SECRET
The Victoria’s Secret Angels have officially been put out to pasture (not literally). The lingerie giant has unveiled the biggest rebranding in its 44-year history, dropping the famous scantily clad supermodels for celebrity endorsers like Megan Rapinoe and Priyanka Chopra Jonas. VS is undergoing a major turnaround amid criticism that its brand image had become woefully dated, something reflected in its sales numbers. There was a Mother’s Day campaign this year for the first time, a new line for nursing moms and a new ad campaign featuring a more diverse lineup of models. The company’s new CEO said: “We needed to stop being about what men want and to be about what women want.” FORBES
STREAMING WARS
Despite the focus on streaming, the majority of time people spend watching TV is still the old fashioned way -- cable and the broadcast networks -- according to a new ratings metric revealed by Nielsen. The research company says it can now directly measure how many households are streaming content to their TVs versus watching through a cable box or antenna. Streaming is dominated by Netflix and YouTube -- together they make up half of all streaming minutes -- but still only accounts for a little more than a quarter of the time TVs are in use. NY TIMES
SPORTS
GOLF: The U.S. Open is underway at Torrey Pines in California, the first time the tournament has been played at the famed public course since Tiger Woods won there in epic fashion in 2008. Spain’s John Rahm is the favorite to win, though American Russell Henley is atop the leaderboard after a fog-delayed Round 1. YAHOO SPORTS
TENNIS: Wimbledon returns later this month after missing last year, but the tournament will be without two of the biggest stars in the game. Naomi Osaka confirmed that she’s sitting out Wimbledon after doing the same for the French Open. She said she is still planning to play in the Olympics for Japan. Rafael Nadal pulled out of both events, saying he was “listening to my body” in order to “prolong my career.” AP
NEW PIXAR
Attention all parents: Pixar’s newest flick, Luca, drops on Disney+ today. The animated film follows a sea monster and his adventures along the Italian Riviera. The reviews are excellent, with the New York Times calling it the kind of movie “that will turn adult viewers into bawling, trembling wrecks.” ROTTEN TOMATOES
SPOTTED...
...Billie Eilish, on the cover of Rolling Stone ahead of the release of her much-anticipated sophomore album, Happier Than Ever: SEE PICS
...the trailer for the new Nic Cage movie, a revenge thriller in which he plays a truffle hunter searching for his kidnapped pig. It’s called Pig: WATCH
LEFTOVERS: WAFFLE PRISON
How many waffles could you eat in a day? Lee Sanderlin of Mississippi came in last place in his fantasy football league. His punishment: spend 24 hours straight at the local Waffle House. For every waffle he eats, an hour is taken off the clock. Sanderlin has been documenting the experience on Twitter. Minutes before this article was posted - he's out!: FOLLOW THE THREAD
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