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
LGBTQ Strides in Political Representation
Progress for the LGBTQ community was made last week when Andi Mudryk, a long-time disability advocate, became the first openly transgender person appointed to the bench in California. Chris Johnson, White House reporter for the Washington Blade, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
How Biden’s Billionaire Tax Would Work
President Biden proposed a new billionaire’s tax, that would subject the richest Americans to a minimum tax rate of 20 percent. The White House says billionaires pay an average tax rate of just eight percent, much lower than the national average of 22 percent. Cheddar News speaks with ProPublica’s Paul Kiel who explains how the regulation would work.
Environmental Groups Call on Bitcoin Industry to Lower Energy Use
The most popular and most valuable cryptocurrency is also the least eco-friendly - data shows that Bitcoin mining generates the same amount of carbon emissions as the entire country of Thailand. According to nonprofit Fair Planet, 96 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions come from Bitcoin mining every year. Now, a consortium of climate activist groups is calling on the Bitcoin industry to cut its energy use by making changes to its software code. Michael Brune, former executive director of the Sierra Club, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Activist Works to Get Women into Politics
Susannah Wellford, founder and CEO of Running Start, joins Cheddar News to discuss getting more women involved in politics. Running Start helps provide women and girls the tools they need to get involved in politics, and to see a future where they can become political leaders.
New York Progressive Campaigns for Open House Seat
Congressional candidate Melanie D'Arrigo came on Cheddar Politics to talk about her campaign for the Democratic nomination in New York's Third Congressional district. The progressive activist ran in the 2020 primary against incumbent Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi. The seat is open this time, as Suozzi seeks the New York Governorship.
Black Women Media Founder Addresses Race in SCOTUS Hearings
Reecie Colbert, founder of Black Women Views Media, breaks down the roles of race and partisanship in the Senate hearings for Supreme Court Nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. She also discusses the importance of standing up for Black women in the public sphere.
Load More