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. Subscribe to the Need 2 Know newsletter [here](https://theneed2know.com).

Share:
More In Business
Peloton Sees Best Trading Day After CEO Steps Down — and 2,800 Jobs Cut
On Monday, Peloton CEO John Foley stepped down, 2,800 layoffs were announced, and its stock price skyrocketed. Lydia Moynihan, business reporter for the New York Post joined Cheddar News to talk about why investors are excited about this shift in power, while thousands of its workers were let go in a less than ideal manner. "One of the headlines that emerged was that even as they were being fired, Foley sort of couched it as, 'well, you know what, you're still gonna get a year's login to a Peloton subscription', as if somehow if that would make things better," Moynihan said of the soon-to-be ex-CEO. "So, even in that, it was seen as a very sort of tone-deaf move as people were being axed."
Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines to Merge in $6.6 Billion Deal
Low-cost airlines Frontier and Spirit have agreed to merge in a deal worth $6.6 billion. The new company name and other terms of the deal have not been disclosed. If approved, the merger would be the fifth-largest airline in the United States. Jonathan Root, senior vice president at Moody's, joins Closing Bell to discuss the impact this deal could have on the broader airline industry, as well as why it makes sense for both discount airlines to combine.
Protect Yourself and Your Coins Against Crypto Crimes
Crypto is increasingly becoming a hotspot for criminals and fraud with cryptocurrency crime reaching a record-breaking high. reports show scammers took $14 billion worth of crypto in 2021 alone. The latest crypto scam is aimed at investors in Binance. Ben Armstrong, the founder of Bitboy Crypto, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
Delta Asks Department of Justice to Place Unruly Passengers on 'No-Fly' List
In 2022, the FAA has received 323 reports of unruly passengers so far. Soon, flying could soon be limited to cooperative passengers only. Delta Airlines has asked the Department of Justice to put unruly travelers on a 'no-fly' list. Bryan Del Monte, president of the Aviation Agency, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
New York City's Tourism Industry is Confident it Will Bounce Back from COVID-19
New York City’s tourism industry has seen a bumpy recovery from the pandemic, as the omicron surge delivers yet another blow to one of the world’s top tourist destinations. The arts and entertainment sector has been one of the hardest hit, with Broadway shows canceling performances once again after an industry-wide shutdown. Chris Heywood, executive vice president of global communications at NYC & Company, joined Cheddar's Fast Forward to talk about why he's confident the theater district - and the rest of the city - will eventually return to its pre-pandemic glory.
Load More