News Information and Media Site: Sending vaccines to India

Note to our readers: I apologize for the missing Monday edition of this newsletter — it was a user error on my part. You can find all of BuzzFeed's coverage of the 2021 Oscars here.

THE BIG STORY

The US will ship COVID-19 vaccines worldwide as India struggles with a catastrophic surge.

The US will share up to 60 million doses of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccines with India and other nations following a call between President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. National security officials in the Biden administration said India's dire surge in cases and the continuing pandemic elsewhere justified releasing the doses from the US's supplies of the shots.

The announcement comes as about 1 in every 3 cases of COVID-19 recorded daily is now in India. In April, India's outbreak has seen record numbers of cases overwhelming hospitals and oxygen supplies. About 2,500 deaths a day are now reported there, widely seen as an undercount that is 5 to 10 times higher. The outbreak has completely overwhelmed the nation's medical infrastructure as families make desperate pleas for oxygen and other life-saving supplies on social media.

The AstraZeneca vaccine is authorized in India but still awaiting an FDA go-ahead in the US. A safety review of those shots will be performed by the FDA before they are shipped. Ten million doses are currently available, and another 50 million are in production. The US previously loaned 4 million AstraZeneca shots to Mexico and Canada.

Cases of COVID-19 have exploded in India since March 2021. Lines show seven-day rolling averages. Peter Aldhous / BuzzFeed News / Via Johns Hopkins University CSSE

STAYING ON TOP OF THIS

Facebook stopped employees from reading an internal report about its role in the Capitol insurrection.

Last Thursday, BuzzFeed News revealed that an internal Facebook report concluded that the company had failed to prevent the "Stop the Steal" movement from using its platform to subvert the election, encourage violence, and help incite the Jan. 6 attempted coup on the US Capitol.

The report's authors, who were part of an internal task force studying harmful networks, published the document to Facebook's internal message board last month, making it broadly available to company employees. But after BuzzFeed News revealed the report's existence last week, many employees were restricted from accessing it

Given the newsworthiness and historical significance of the report and its revelations about the events of Jan. 6, BuzzFeed News is publishing the full text of the report.

SNAPSHOTS

The Supreme Court is taking up a major gun rights case for the first time in more than a decade. The case involves New York state's restrictions on when people can get a permit for the concealed carrying of firearms. Members of the court's 6–3 conservative majority have repeatedly expressed support for more expansive interpretations of gun rights.

The Justice Department will investigate policing practices in Louisville after Breonnya Taylor was killed. It's the second time in less than a week they announced a sweeping probe into policing practices in cities with high-profile incidents of police killing Black residents.

Apple's new update will let you unlock your phone with your face even if you have a mask on. The catch? You'll need an Apple Watch to do it. It's one of several new features in the newly-released iOS 14.5 update.

THE BIZARRE OSCARS ENDING

An ABC executive admitted the Oscars took a "calculated risk" after they were accused of betting on Chadwick Boseman to win.

One of the many changes made to the Oscars this year included reordering how categories were presented, with the final award of the night being given to Best Actor instead of Best Picture. It was because of this change that people assumed the Oscars would be ending on an emotional note with Chadwick Boseman winning the award.

Instead, Anthony Hopkins won, and because he was not in attendance, presenter Joaquin Phoenix accepted the award on his behalf and quickly shuffled off the stage as the credits rolled.

In an interview with Variety, executive VP of unscripted and alternative entertainment at Walt Disney Television, Rob Mills, admitted that producers took a gamble, calling the decision to switch the running order a "calculated risk".

"It was not meant to end on somebody who was not present," Mills said. "It was a calculated risk, that I think still paid off because everybody was talking about it." 😬😬😬

THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE

Hundreds of people descended on a park in Lincoln, Nebraska armed with pool noodles to fight for the name "Josh."

The Saturday event brought Joshes and people not named Josh from all over the US to raise money for the Children's Hospital & Medical Center Foundation in Omaha. People showed up to the fight in kilts, dressed as Spartans, and wearing capes. One person innovated on the weapon of choice by attaching their noodles to drills in order to spin them in battle.

Event creator Josh Swain told BuzzFeed News the idea came from his failed attempts at securing a username whenever there was a new online social network. Frustrated and bored during the pandemic, Swain jokingly messaged all the Josh Swains he could find on Facebook and challenged them to a fight to keep the name.

In the end, the title went to 4-year-old Josh Vinson Jr. nicknamed "Little Josh" by the chanting crowd, who won with a final swing of a red noodle ❤️

Lincoln native 4-year-old Joshua Vinson Jr. is lifted into the air after being declared the ultimate Josh. Kenneth Ferriera / AP

Try not to stretch yourself too thin today — you deserve to care for yourself,

Brandon (filling in for Elamin this week)

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