Need 2 Know: Trump Visits Iraq, Border at the 'Breaking Point'
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know.
* **Trump in Iraq:** The president and first lady arrived in Iraq for a surprise visit to greet troops, the first trip to an active war zone of Trump’s presidency. Speaking to about 100 enthusiastic soldiers at an airbase near Baghdad, Trump defended his skepticism over foreign intervention, saying the U.S. is no longer “the suckers of the world.” He also attacked Democrats over the border wall, a highly unusual tactic for presidents speaking to troops overseas. Read more [here](https://www.stripes.com/news/middle-east/trump-visits-us-troops-in-iraq-for-first-trip-to-a-conflict-zone-1.562190).
* **Border Changes:** Homeland Security Sec. Kirstjen Nielsen said the border is at a “breaking point,” a day after a second migrant child died in U.S. custody. She said in a statement that border agents will now do mandatory medical checks on all children under 10 in custody and Coast Guard medical personnel will be deployed to help. Read more [here](https://abcnews.go.com/beta-story-container/Politics/nielsen-us-borders-pushed-breaking-point-seek-open/story?id=60017621).
* **Winter Storm:** A major snowstorm is bringing whiteout conditions to the Plains and up through the Midwest, with blizzard conditions expected in the Dakotas today. The storm has already dumped inches of snow in some places. Parts of New England are expected to have snow, sleet, and freezing rain tonight. Read more [here](https://weather.com/storms/winter/news/2018-12-26-winter-storm-eboni-snow-wind-plains-midwest-wet-new-england-christmas).
* **Kevin Spacey:** There’s reportedly video evidence in the sexual assault case against actor Kevin Spacey. According to a Massachusetts State Police report, there’s video of Spacey touching the front of the alleged victim’s pants. The video is reportedly from Snapchat. Read more [here](https://www.masslive.com/news/2018/12/sexual-assault-case-against-kevin-spacey-includes-video-evidence-massachusetts-state-police-report-says.html).
* **Santa Claus Rally:** The Dow broke a record Wednesday ー this time a good one ー surging over 1000 points for the largest single-day point gain ever. The massive rise follows the Dow’s worst Christmas Eve in its history. The Dow and S&P indexes are still down nearly 20 percent on the year, just shy of bear market territory. Read more [here](https://www.cheddar.com/videos/dont-buy-this-market-analyst).
* **Snapchat for the Dogs:** Snapchat unveiled new filters for man’s best friend in a bid to increase use of its beleaguered app. The augmented reality lenses will make it look like there’s a butterfly on your pup’s nose, frame their head in a pepperoni pizza, or give them hipster glasses. Read more [here](https://www.pcmag.com/news/365628/snapchats-new-dog-lenses-give-your-pup-an-alter-ego).
* **Serena:** Tennis great Serena Williams has been voted AP Female Athlete of the Year ー for the fifth time. Rounding out the top five were gymnast Simone Biles, basketball player Arike Ogunbowale, snowboarder Chloe Kim and swimmer Katie Ledecky. The AP Male Athlete of the Year will be announced today. Read more [here](https://apnews.com/c93b33278c8c464983db9b7a9a6c998d).
* **Spotted:** Beyonce, Jay-Z and their three kids at Prospect Park in Brooklyn, showing Jay-Z’s grandmother a bench named in her honor. Read more [here](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-6530829/Beyonce-Jay-Z-EXCLUSIVE-Power-couple-enjoy-Christmas-New-York-park-family.html).
* **Macaulay Culkin x 2:** Actor Macaulay Culkin has a new middle name after putting it to a vote. The actor will now be Macaulay “Macaulay Culkin” Culkin. The middle name “Macaulay Culkin” beat out “TheMcRibIsBack,” which came in second and “Kieran” which came in third. Read more [here](https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/entertainthis/2018/12/26/macaulay-culkin-new-middle-name-poll-results/2413495002/).
* **Airborne Christmas:** An Ohio father booked six flights so that he could spend Christmas in the air with his flight attendant daughter. The story went viral after a passenger caught wind of it and posted a photo to social media. Read more [here](https://people.com/human-interest/dad-booked-six-flights-to-join-flight-attendant-daughter-on-christmas/).
Cheddar's Hena Doba gets into the latest.
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At-home medical labs company Getlabs raised $20 million in a Series A round, led by Emerson Collective and the Minderoo Foundation. Getlabs aims to be the boots-on-the-ground partner to telehealth. The company says more than 70% of medical decisions still require collecting diagnostic tests in person, and that it fills that void by delivering health care directly to their patients' homes. Founder & CEO of Getlabs Kyle Michelson joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
The White House laid out plans for a $5 billion investment into a national network of charging stations to ease EV driving anxiety. Bruce Brimacombe, CEO of EV infrastructure GOe3 joined Cheddar News to discuss how much needs to be done for drivers to get over the fear of running out of energy. "People need to be able to do what they're doing now," he said. "But that is the way that if you're going to buy an electric car, you got to feel like you're not changing your world." Brimacombe noted that building out the infrastructure between cities was GOe3's own focus.
U.S. automakers are saying that the blockade of the Ambassador Bridge, a crucial border crossing between the U.S. and Canada, is affecting their production lines. Michelle Krebs of Cox Automotive warns that the disruption "couldn't come at a worst time," amid chip and labor shortages in Detroit.
AND DETROIT-BASED AUTO MAKERS SAY THEY ARE SHUTTING DOWN PLANTS OR SCALING BACK PRODUCTION BECAUSE OF PARTS SHORTAGES.
Sonos reported better than expected Q1 earnings amid chip shortage with the release of its Roam product. CFO Brittany Bagley joined Cheddar News to discuss the smart speaker maker's successful report and its plans to hit its 2024 targets as people leave their homes as pandemic restrictions ease. "Even as people head out in the world, it doesn't mean they don't like to listen to music at home or watch a streaming movie at home," she said. "So there's still a real role for us and our products in peoples lives, sort of, no matter what else they're doing."
Lynn Martin, president of the NYSE Group, explains why investors at the New York Stock Exchange should still feel confident despite the recent Wall Street volatility and discusses the landscape for 2022 when it comes to IPOs and retail investors.
The merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery received Justice Department approval on Wednesday, and Patty Hirsch, EVP of consumer and digital platforms at WarnerMedia, joined Cheddar News to discuss current and future offerings from the media conglomerate that will control both HBO Max and Discovery+. "Content really drives so much, and CNN has always had a very long history of creating an incredible documentaries, incredible content … and this service I think is going to ultimately provide the kind of content consumers want and the kind of content that consumers are going are going to pay for," she said. Hirsch also discussed NFTs in use through its Turner Sports and DC brands.
Black entrepreneurs lead the way in the creation of new businesses, but they often cannot get the necessary funding to get their business off the ground. The Fearless Fund is on a mission to change that, and help Black business owners get venture capital. The fund also offers a unique grant program meant to help entrepreneurs with growth, peer coaching, and more, including grants between $10,000 and $20,000. Arian Simone, Co-Founder and General Partner of Fearless Fund, joins Closing Bell to discuss the Fund's mission, how it helps Black entrepreneurs, and more.
Multinational food company Kellogg’s reported an earnings beat amid supply chain issues and an extended labor strike. Kellogg’s Chairman and CEO c joined Cheddar News to discuss overcoming the obstacles and what's to come for the company. "The first half of the year is really going to be one about rebuilding inventory, and into the second quarter, starting to reestablish promotional activity for our customers and our consumers," Cahillane said. "And then the back half of the year, obviously, we're really much more back in business, and we expect to exit the year with our business in cereal being just as strong as it's ever been."
Sting has sold his catalog of more than 600 songs for $300 million to Universal Music. The deal gives the label the rights to all of his work, including “Every Breath You Take," as well as all future royalties.
Miller Lite is opening the first branded bar in the metaverse, by way of Decentraland, as a way to advertise during the Super Bowl this year without buying an expensive TV commercial slot. Sofia Colucci, global vice president of Miller Family of Brands, joined Cheddar to talk about the new marketing concept. "We have a lot of great partnerships with NFL teams throughout the year but were shut out of advertising during the Super Bowl game, so this pushes us to think creatively and also think of what feels really relevant right now," Colucci said. "There's no question that there's a lot of excitement with the metaverse, and we wanted to participate but in a way that felt right for Miller Lite."
