These are the headlines you Need 2 Know. * **Florence Not Done Yet:** The deadly storm has been downgraded to a Tropical Depression after spending the weekend dumping record rains on the Southeast. The story here is the water: there is still record river flooding in the Carolinas and the drenching rain is expected to continue to move through the Appalachians and parts of the Northeast this week, ultimately dumping 10 trillion gallons of rain. At least 18 people have died, though that number is expected to rise, and more than 500,000 people are without power. A bright spot: the famed wild horses that live on Ocracoke Island on North Carolina’s Outer Banks were unharmed, as they instinctively know how to survive major storms. Read more [here](https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/15/us/florence-by-the-numbers/index.html). * **Strongest Storm of the Year:** Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Typhoon Mangkhut is on record as the strongest storm on the planet so far in 2018. After killing dozens of people in the Philippines and injuring about 200 in Hong Kong, the cyclone is now moving through Southern China. More than 2.5 million people have been evacuated in the Chinese province of Guangdong and on Hainan island. Residents of Hong Kong shared terrifying video on social media of tall buildings swaying in the strong wind. See photos [here](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-45543664). * **Kavanaugh Accuser:** The woman who accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has revealed her identity to the Washington Post. Christine Blasey Ford, now 51, says Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her during a high school party in 1982 when she was 15 while a friend looked on. Ford’s lawyer says that she is willing to testify publicly, which will up the stakes considerably for Senate Republicans trying to push the confirmation vote through before the Oct. 1 term begins. Kavanaugh and the friend both deny the accusations. Read more [here](https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/california-professor-writer-of-confidential-brett-kavanaugh-letter-speaks-out-about-her-allegation-of-sexual-assault/2018/09/16/46982194-b846-11e8-94eb-3bd52dfe917b_story.html?utm_term=.6002d747cb09). * **FEMA Test:** President Trump may soon be able to send messages directly to your phone. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is testing its Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) on Thursday. It will be the first national WEA test message and will be sent to all cell phones that are connected to providers participating in WEA. The test is scheduled to start at 2:18 pm ET. The system is an updated version of the old emergency broadcast system and represents a new way for the federal government to get peoples’ attention on a massive scale in case of a national emergency. Read more [here](https://www.fema.gov/emergency-alert-test). * **Shark Attack:** A 26-year-old swimmer was killed in a shark attack in Cape Cod, Mass., on Saturday. This is the second shark attack of the summer in Massachusetts but the first fatal one in over 80 years. Officials have not yet determined the type of shark that was involved. Read more [here](https://www.npr.org/2018/09/15/648295206/swimmer-dead-after-shark-attack-on-cape-cod). * **Time Magazine Sold:** Marc Benioff, the co-founder and co-CEO of Salesforce, and his wife Lynne, announced Sunday that they are buying Time Magazine for $190 million in cash in a personal transaction. The venerable publication was part of the portfolio recently sold to Meredith, and the deal represents the latest example of billionaire tech executives shelling out to own struggling media brands. Time, once among the most influential titles in publishing, has been decimated by digital media. The whole business is selling for less than half of what a da Vinci painting went for at auction last year. Read more [here](https://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/Salesforce-chief-Marc-Benioff-buy-time-magazine-13233987.php). * **Vontae Davis Retires at Halftime:** In the middle of Sunday night’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Buffalo Bills cornerback Vontae Davis retired from football. In the surprising halftime statement, Davis said he realized “I shouldn’t be out there anymore.” A two-time Pro Bowl cornerback, Davis left before finishing his first game with the Bills. Read his statement [here](https://www.nbcsports.com/video/buffalo-bills-vontae-davis-issues-statement-about-retirement-nfl). Meanwhile, the Cleveland Browns announced on Sunday night that they plan to release Josh Gordon. The wide receiver is considered hugely talented but has struggled with addiction throughout his six-year career and has been suspended by the NFL for most of the past four seasons for drug violations. ESPN reported that Gordon broke the team’s “trust,” arriving Saturday with a hamstring issue after being a full participant in practice all week. ESPN also reported that eight to 10 teams have inquired about potentially trading to the Browns for Gordon. Read more [here](http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/24690655/josh-gordon-released-cleveland-browns-monday). * **Game of Thrones Leads Emmy Nominations:** "Saturday Night Live" stars Michael Che and Colin Jost will host the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards on Monday night at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT on NBC. HBO’s "Game of Thrones" was ineligible for last year’s Emmy season, but leads this year’s award show with 22 nominations, followed by "Westworld" and "SNL". Read more [here](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/emmy-awards-2018-date-time-hosts-tv-channel-network-online-streaming/). * **The Joker:** Todd Phillips, the director of the upcoming Joker film, has shared the first picture of Joaquin Phoenix as the title role. The iconic villain has previously been played by Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger, and Jared Leto. The new film tells the origin story of Batman’s nemesis and is scheduled to be released in October 2019. See the photo [here](https://www.instagram.com/p/BnzF1teH-yK/?utm_source=ig_embed). * **A Trip Around the Moon:** Elon Musk’s space exploration company, SpaceX, is about to send its first private citizen into space. The identity of the passenger will be announced on Monday in a livestream, but the company has not announced a date for the launch or a cost for the flight. The passenger will pay to hitch a ride on SpaceX’s Big Falcon Rocket and have bragging rights as the world’s first space tourist. Read more on [Cheddar](https://www.cheddar.com/videos/spacex-to-name-first-space-tourist). Cheddar's Jill Wagner gets into the latest. Subscribe to the Need 2 Know newsletter [here](https://theneed2know.com).
