*By Carlo Versano*
The FBI will likely conclude its investigation into sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh on Wednesday night and issue a report to Senators on Thursday, sources told Cheddar's J.D. Durkin.
Investigators are under extreme pressure from Republicans to deliver a report in time for a Friday vote, a deadline Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has demanded.
CNN reported late Tuesday that the FBI has actually widened the scope of its investigation, adding a specific party from Kavanaugh's calendar to its inquiry.
Sen. Angus King (I-ME) told Cheddar Wednesday that, even if Kavanuagh is confirmed to the high court, the nominee has revealed himself to be so partisan that it will be difficult for the judge to impartially decide certain cases. King alluded to a portion of Kavanaugh's testimony in which he blamed the allegations against him on a Democratic witch hunt. The Senator called that moment "very disturbing."
"I don't see how he can sit on a case involving partisan gerrymandering, for example," King said.
Meanwhile, President Trump shed all his prior restraint on the topic of Kavanaugh's first accuser, Prof. Christine Blasey Ford. Days after saying he found her to be a "credible witness" and a "very fine woman, he mocked and questioned Ford's testimony at a rally in Mississippi on Tuesday night to roaring applause from the audience. Earlier in the day, Trump also expressed concern that the #MeToo movement had made it "a very scary time for young men in America."
Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ), a key swing vote in the Kavanaugh confirmation process, told NBC's "Today" show he found Trump's comments "kind of appalling."
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Friday, Dec. 21, 2018.
As Cheddar reflects on 2018, we are profiling the most innovative, flamboyant, and often-controversial entrepreneurs and corporate leaders who delivered the year's most memorable moments in business. Of the CEO Class of 2018, who was crowned Biggest Flirt? Class Clown? Cheddar's Most Outspoken Award Goes to Tim Cook.
Stocks plunged on Thursday for the second day running, as the renewed threat of a government shutdown over the Christmas holiday weekend contributed to residual market weakness after the Fed's latest rate hike.
CEO Mary Barra made national headlines when General Motors announced in late November that 14,000 salaried and hourly workers would be cut for the sake of the company's growth. Backlash against Barra was swift; it populated the White House Twitter feed and echoed through the hall of Congress.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018.
Facebook can add another problem to its tally: a disappointing update to a civil rights audit the company posted on Tuesday, just hours before The New York Times published an explosive report on the company's mishandling of user data. The audit has been a "black box," according to Rashad Robinson, the president of Color of Change, one of the groups that has strongly criticized Facebook over civil rights issues on the platform.
Stocks plunged following the Federal Reserve's decision to hike interest rates for the fourth time this year, despite heavy criticism from President Trump that the central bank has been too aggressive in raising borrowing costs.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo may have radically changed his stance on marijuana ー but his former Democratic primary opponent Cynthia Nixon shouldn't be congratulated for his shift, according to New York State Assembly Health Committee chair Richard Gottfried. "On this particular issue, I don't think she gets any credit," Gottfried, who has been working on marijuana policy reform since the 70s, told Cheddar Wednesday.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018.
Michael Bloomberg wants to be president, his former campaign manager Bradley Tusk told Cheddar on Tuesday. "Just putting all cards on the table: Mike would like to be president, Mike would be an excellent president," Tusk said.
