These are the headlines you Need 2 Know. * **Polar Vortex:** It’s day three of the deep freeze across the Midwest. The cold kept students and workers home, and caused wind chills hovering around minus 50 degrees in Chicago, which has been dubbed ‘Chiberia’ for its freezing temps. Fires were set to de-ice train tracks in order to keep trains running in the Windy City. Read more [here](https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/weather/ct-met-chicago-train-tracks-fire-20190130-story.html). * **Deaths from Cold:** At least eight deaths have been blamed on the cold. A University of Iowa student was found behind an academic building and later died at the hospital. In Indiana, a young police officer and his wife were killed in a crash that left another driver dead, and in Illinois an elderly man died of exposure after he reportedly fell trying to get into his house. Read more [here](https://www.foxnews.com/us/university-of-iowa-student-dies-during-polar-vortex-7-other-deaths-linked-to-wintry-blast). * **Why the Extremes?:** From 74 degrees in Imperial Valley, Calif. to minus 44 in Bottineau, N.D., Americans saw a difference in temperature of nearly 120 degrees. Why so cold? Read an explainer on the polar vortex [here](https://www.npr.org/2019/01/30/690034103/why-is-it-so-cold-come-warm-up-in-the-answer-vortex). * **Snow Squall:** New York City was treated to a rare snow squall, bringing whiteout conditions before quickly disappearing. See time-lapse video [here](https://twitter.com/mattmfm/status/1090710915836727296). * **Election Day:** Mitch McConnell called a Democratic bill that would make Election Day a federal holiday a “power grab.” The provision is part of a sweeping bill House Democrats are pushing that would reform campaign contributions and voting rights. Read more [here](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/mcconnell-says-bill-that-would-make-election-day-a-federal-holiday-is-a-power-grab-by-democrats/2019/01/30/57421dd6-24bd-11e9-ad53-824486280311_story.html?utm_term=.4cb00539a6a3). * **Nugget Recall:** Tyson Foods is recalling thousands of pounds of chicken nuggets ー 18 tons ー after people found pieces of rubber inside them. The nuggets affected are Panko Chicken (frozen nuggets) and have a “best by” date of November 26. This follows a recent recall from Perdue, after people found pieces of wood in their nuggets. Read more [here](http://fortune.com/2019/01/30/tyson-chicken-nugget-recall/). * **Schultz & Starbucks:** Starbucks employees are being prepped on how to handle potential interactions with customers. after Howard Schultz, the company’s former CEO, said he’s considering a run for president. The baristas received instructions on how to “diffuse” situations if anyone shares “aggressive political opinions.” Read more [here](https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/starbucks-howard-schultz-employee-advice_us_5c51d3cce4b00906b26fda52). * **E-cigs:** E-cigarettes really do help smokers quit. That’s the takeaway from a major new study that found e-cigs are almost twice as effective as nicotine gum or patches. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found the success rate was 18 percent for e-cig users compared to 10 percent for those using traditional nicotine replacement methods. Read more [here](https://www.bbc.com/news/health-47041111). * **Privacy Wars:** Apple revoked Facebook’s ability to create and distribute internal iOS apps after it was reported that Facebook was paying some users $20 a month to install unofficial apps that would log their phone’s activity. The move marks a steep escalation in tensions between Apple and Facebook. Read more [here](https://www.cheddar.com/videos/apple-blocks-facebook-over-covert-market-research-program-escalating-tensions). * **Missed Call:** For the first time, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has acknowledged the referee error in the NFC Championship game between the Rams and the Saints. Goodell said, “It is a play that should be called.” Goodell said changes to instant replay to address such calls would be considered, though he said he never considered overturning the call on the field. Read more [here](https://www.si.com/nfl/2019/01/30/roger-goodell-saints-no-call-nfc-championship-game-officials). * **’Known Cheater’:** A Pittsburgh TV station fired the employee responsible for producing a graphic that identified Tom Brady as a “known cheater.” KDKA, a CBS affiliate, says “While fans are entitled to have personal opinions, we have a journalistic responsibility to provide unbiased reporting.” See it [here](https://www.si.com/tech-media/2019/01/30/tom-brady-kdka-graphic-known-cheater-employee-fired). * **Beatles Doc:** A new Beatles documentary is in the works, based on 55 hours of never-seen-before footage of the group producing the album "Let It Be" in the studio. Peter Jackson, director of "Lord of the Rings," will head up the film. Read more [here](https://deadline.com/2019/01/peter-jackson-beatles-let-it-be-documentary-recording-sessions-paul-mccartney-john-lennon-ringo-starr-george-harrison-1202544762/). * **Ariana Grilled:** Ariana Grande got a tattoo on her palm of Japanese characters to commemorate her most recent #1 single, but it was misspelled. Instead of reading 7 Rings, the tat translated to Charcoal BBQ Grill. After being mocked online, Grande got it corrected and showed off the new ink on Instagram. Read more [here](https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/31/entertainment/ariana-grande-change-tattoo-scli-intl/index.html). * **From Your Lips:** White House press secretary Sarah Sanders believes God wanted Donald Trump to become president. Sanders made the remark during an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network. Read more [here](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sarah-sanders-god-wanted-trump-to-become-president/). Cheddar's Hena Doba and Jill Wagner get into the latest. Subscribe to the Need 2 Know newsletter [here](https://theneed2know.com).

Share:
More In Politics
Stocks Close Near Session Highs as Nasdaq Continues Rebound
David Nelson, Chief Strategist at Belpointe, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he says that Wednesday's market movement shows a rotation back into the industries that were hit hard in January, but says his eyes are firmly fixed on the January CPI data set to be released Thursday.
Unpacking Russia's Massive Joint Military Exercise in Belarus
Russia is preparing alongside Belarus for reportedly one of the largest joint military exercises ever held. Some analysts are concerned this could be a disguise for a real attack, while the Kremlin contends that the exercise is meant to confront potential "unprecedented security threats." Christian Whiton, a former State Department senior advisor, joined Cheddar News to break down the still tense situation. "While it could of course be a prelude to invasion, it seems like the Biden administration is signaling that if you look at Europeans, the Germans and Macron … who just met with Putin, they seem to be thinking that maybe this is a show of force by Russia intended at political intimidation, not actual invasion," said Whiton.
New York City Faces Rise in Crime as Mayor Eric Adams Takes Office
New York City is not only dealing with the ongoing pandemic, it’s also facing a surge in crime. President Biden recently traveled to New York to meet with the city’s new mayor, Eric Adams, to discuss the rise in crime and gun violence. The president praised Mayor Adams' crimefighting agenda and unveiled a new federal initiative to curb the flow of illegal weapons from the south. Josefa Velásquez, Senior Reporter for THE CITY, joined Cheddar's Fast Forward to talk about how the mayor is battling this increase in crime in his first weeks in office.
School mask mandates to be lifted in four states
The Democratic governors of New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, and Oregon say they will lift mask requirements for schools in the coming weeks, reflecting a nationwide shift away from restrictions. Cheddar News speaks with internist Dr. Vivek Cherian whether it's safe to relax the regulation.
Amazon Warehouse in Alabama to Begin Second Union Election
Amazon warehouse workers in Alabama are set to begin voting to unionize for a second time after workers at the facility in the town of Bessemer overwhelmingly voted against forming a union during an election early last year; but in November, the National Labor Relations Board overturned the vote, upholding a union challenge of the results which argued that Amazon undermined the conditions for a fair election. Another round of ballots will now be mailed out to works at the warehouse for a so-called re-run election. Director of Labor and Employment Studies at San Francisco State University John Logan and National Field Director for Our Revolution Mike Oles joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Redistricting Ahead of the 2022 Midterms
David Daley, author of the book 'Unrigged: How Americans Are Battling Back to Save Democracy,' joins Cheddar News to discuss redistricting battles taking place across the U.S.
Load More