These are the headlines you Need 2 Know. * **Reports Cast Doubt on Kavanaugh Investigation:** Several media outlets reported over the weekend that the White House is limiting the scope of the FBI’s investigation into Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and his alleged sexual misconduct. The New York Times reported on Saturday that the White House told the FBI to interview and question only four witnesses, but President Trump has denied the latest reports and said he wants the FBI “to interview whoever they deem appropriate.” Trump ordered the FBI investigation on Friday at the request of the Senate Judiciary Committee after Republican Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona, a key swing vote, requested a one-week delay on a floor vote for Kavanaugh's confirmation. Read more [here](https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-confusion-surrounding-the-fbis-renewed-investigation-of-brett-kavanaugh). * **Kellyanne Conway Weighs In:** White House advisor Kellyanne Conway told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Sunday, “I’m a victim of sexual assault.” Conway said that she is “empathetic” to victims, and they “should all be heard,” but Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh still has “many people” who believe in him. Read more [here](https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/30/politics/kellyanne-conway-support-kavanaugh-cnntv/index.html). * **Musk Settles:** The Securities and Exchange Commission announced on Saturday that it has reached a deal to settle fraud charges with Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Tesla and Musk will each pay a fine of $20 million and Musk will resign as chairman for three years but can remain as CEO. The SEC alleged that Musk misled investors when he tweeted on Aug. 7 that he had “funding secured” to take the company private. Read more [here](https://www.npr.org/2018/09/29/653014733/elon-musk-settles-with-sec-agrees-to-step-down-as-tesla-chairman). * **Indonesia Earthquake and Tsunami Aftermath:** Officials confirmed that at least 844 people have died as a result of the earthquake and tsunami that struck the Indonesian city of Palu on Friday. Dozens are believed to be trapped alive under rubble, and the death toll is expected to rise as rescuers reach more remote areas. A spokesman for the country's National Disaster Mitigation Agency said, “Communication is limited, heavy machinery is limited…. It’s not enough for the numbers of buildings that collapsed.” A 7.5 magnitude earthquake triggered the massive tsunami with 18-foot waves, but residents reportedly weren’t given enough warning. Read more [here](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-45701060). * **New Terms for NAFTA:** The United States and Canada reached a deal late Sunday to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), just hours before a midnight deadline. After more than a year of tense negotiations, President Trump has fulfilled a campaign promise to modify the new three-country deal, now called the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). As part of the deal, Canada will allow the U.S. greater access to its dairy market, and in return, the U.S. will modify its language for dispute settlement. Read more [here](https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/30/politics/trump-nafta-canada/index.html). * **California's Landmark Bill:** Gov. Jerry Brown of California signed a bill into law on Sunday that would require the boards of publicly traded companies to include women by 2021. Under the bill, the companies that fail to comply will be subject to fines. Jessica Levinson, a clinical professor of law, said that this bill may be challenged in court because “it’s a clear gender preference, in that you are saying you need to single out women and get them on boards. The question is can you make that preference and will it hurt men?” Read more [here](http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-governor-women-corporate-boards-20180930-story.html). * **Ryder Cup:** Europe defeated the U.S. 17.5-10.5 on Sunday to win the 2018 Ryder Cup in France in the worst loss for America at the event since 2006. Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson have lost more matches than anyone in the tournament’s history, with 21 and 22 losses, respectively. Read more [here](https://www.cbssports.com/golf/news/tiger-woods-phil-mickelson-now-have-more-losses-than-anyone-else-in-ryder-cup-history/amp/). * **LeBron's Lakers Debut:** LeBron James played his first preseason game with the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, losing 107-124 to the Denver Nuggets. LeBron said of the game, “It was great to get back on the floor and start a new journey for myself.” Read the key takeaways [here](https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2018/10/01/lebron-james-lakers-preseason-debut-key-takeaways/1484453002/). * **Gwyneth Gets Married Again:** Gwyneth Paltrow married "Glee" creator Brad Falchuk in the Hamptons on Saturday. The couple first met when Paltrow was a guest on "Glee" in 2010. She has two children from her previous marriage to Coldplay’s Chris Martin. Paltrow confirmed the rumors of her wedding by posting a photo on Instagram of the couple wearing matching gold bands. Read more [here](https://people.com/movies/gwyneth-paltrow-considers-wedding-brad-falchuk-her-first/). * **SNL Season Premiere:** Matt Damon played an angry Brett Kavanaugh during the 44th season premiere of “Saturday Night Live.” Kanye West was the musical guest on Saturday’s show, and made an unexpected politically-charged speech during the closing credits. Kanye wore a “Make America Great Again” hat and defended his support of President Trump. Read more [here](https://people.com/music/kanye-west-trump-speech-saturday-night-live/). * **Elephant Cam:** The San Diego Zoo Safari Park announced that its 28-year old African elephant gave birth to a 218-pound calf on Wednesday. This is the biggest calf ever to be born at the Safari Park. Watch the elephants on a Safari Park [webcam]( https://sdzsafaripark.org/elephant-cam). Cheddar's Jill Wagner gets into the latest. Subscribe to the Need 2 Know newsletter [here](https://theneed2know.com).

Share:
More In Politics
Breaking Down Putin Phone Call With President Biden Over Ukraine
Matt Hayden, vice president of govtech solutions at Exiger and a former assistant secretary of cyber at Department of Homeland Security, joined Cheddar to discuss the surprise phone call initiated by Russian President Vladimir Putin to President Joe Biden, ahead of January security talks about the rising tensions over Ukraine. "We're hoping to hear that we're able to talk about the aggression and the leadup of the Ukrainian militarization," Hayden said. "But we're also looking to hear is how the Kremlin leveraged their talking points to try to test their negotiation stance with the United States leading into this January 10th meeting."
Law Preventing Surprise Out-of-Network Health Bills Gets Underway January 1
The No Surprises Act begins implementation on January 1, 2022. The legislation is meant to curb the practice of unexpected billing for care from providers the patient was unaware were out-of-network from their insurance. Patricia Kelmar, director of health care campaigns for U.S. PIRG joined Cheddar to describe the hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars charged to unsuspecting patients and how things will change under the new law. "If we are picking an in-network doctor and an in-network hospital, we should not see those added costs from anesthesiologists, radiologists, scrub-in surgeons," she said. "The other area it protects you is in air ambulances — not ground ambulances, unfortunately — but the helicopters or the airplanes you might need to transport you in an emergency situation."
Biden, Putin to Hold Conversation on Rising Tension Between Russia, Ukraine
President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladmir Putin are expected to have another conversation surrounding escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine. Ariel Cohen, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, joined Cheddar's Ken Buffa to discuss the ongoing tensions and why Putin's request for a conversation with Biden comes now. "This is very serious. This is the worst security crisis we had since the collapse of the Soviet Union," Cohen told Cheddar.
Dow, S&P Hit Record Close Amid 'Santa Claus Rally'
Stocks closed mixed on Wednesday, but two indexes - the Dow and the S&P 500 - ended the session with a new record. Akshata Bailkeri, Equity Analyst at Bruderman Asset Management, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where she says there is a consensus for robust consumer spreading in 2022, especially as the Omicron variant is proving to be milder than other COVID-19 strains.
Walmart Draws Ire of Chinese Consumers Over Xinjiang Products
John Quelch, Dean of Miami Herbert Business School, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he says the retail giant is acting in accordance to President Biden's new law banning goods from China's Xinjiang region. Quelch also elaborates on the importance of China in Walmart's overall strategy.
Load More