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
Economy Appears to Be Back on Track in 2022 With Job Growth
Following the surprising big beat on estimates for the January jobs report, William M. Rodgers III, vice president and director of the Institute for Economic Equity at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, joined Cheddar News to break down the data. “We ended 2021 with a strong crescendo to a recovery that had taken hold, and we started 2022 in good fashion." He also discussed the dueling pressures of wage growth and inflation.
Justice Stephen Breyer to Retire
Jessica Mason Pieklo, senior vice president and executive editor of the Rewired News Group and co-host of the podcast. "Boom! Lawyered," joins Cheddar Politics to discuss Justice Stephen Breyer's retirement, legacy and potential replacement on the Supreme Court.
Student Borrowers Anxious for Payments to Resume in May
The Biden administration delivered a temporary win for student loan borrowers this year by extending the moratorium on federal payments for a few more months. That moratorium is coming to an end on May 1st and borrowers will again have their monthly loan payment plopped in their lap. Stephanie Vanderslice, a creative writing professor paying off debt through the Parent Plus program, and Mike Pierce, executive director of the Student Borrower Protection Center, join Cheddar Politics to discuss.
The Legacy of Justice Stephen Breyer
2022 was already going to be a big year for the Supreme Court. We have decisions on major issues like abortion and gun rights on the way. Then, Justice Stephen Breyer announced his retirement and that set up a major confirmation fight for later this year. Amy Howe, co-founder of SCOTUSblog, joins Cheddar Politics to discuss.
White House Economic Adviser on January Job Growth, Wages vs. Inflation
The Labor Department released a better-than-expected report of 467,000 jobs added in January. Heather Boushey, Council of Economic Advisers Member for President Biden, joined Cheddar to tout the administration's handling of the economy amid the pandemic and the upward revisions for the previous month. "It also shows that, because of the revisions, the economy was stronger over the past couple of months," she said. "I don't think that this can be said enough, but economic forecasting during an historic pandemic is extremely difficult." Boushey also addressed issues involving wage growth versus the rapid rise of inflation.
'Stellar' January Jobs Report Shows Much Ground Recovered Since Start of Pandemic
The Labor Department's January jobs report showed 467,000 jobs were added, compared to the 150,000 that were projected, a sign that employment is continuign to return to pre-pandemic levels. Lindsey Piegza, chief economist at investment bank Stifel, joined Cheddar to break down the report, noting the big gains but adding a note of caution. "Remember, even with this morning's stellar report, we're still millions below that level that we had reached prior to the onset of COVID-19," she said." Yes, we are recapturing jobs. We still have further ground that needs to be made before we can talk about reaching that previous peak." Piegza also discussed the role of the Federal Reserve going forward as the employment figures turn more positive.
Rep. Ayanna Pressley Wants Biden to Deliver Legislation, Student Debt Relief for Black Voters
As President Biden's poll numbers fall with Black voters, Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass. 7th District) joined Cheddar to discuss what she feels could help the embattled administration: deliver on policies. Pressley pointed to stalled legislation such as new voting rights laws and Build Back Betters and canceling student loan debt, which would go a long way to improving his standing with Black constituents. "President Biden has the authority and the power to alleviate this burden, which would also help in closing the racial wealth gap, and he can do it by executive action with the stroke of a pen," she said. "And it doesn't require one vote from Congress. So, the Biden administration just needs to deliver to Black America in a tangible and impactful way."
Load More