These are the headlines you Need 2 Know. * **Kavanaugh Investigation Continues, Widens:** The FBI is expanding the scope of its investigation into sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Initially, acting on a directive from the White House, the bureau said it would only interview four potential witnesses. But the FBI is now reportedly investigating a party that Kavanaugh attended on July 1, 1982 ー separate from the event where he allegedly assaulted Prof. Christine Blasey Ford, who the FBI has not yet interviewed. The FBI has been directed to deliver a summary of its findings by Friday, but there is mounting pressure for the bureau to wrap up as early as Wednesday. Adding to the drama, President Trump mocked Ford at a campaign rally in Mississippi on Tuesday, running through what he considers to be holes in her testimony. Read more [here](https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/02/politics/fbi-investigation-ford-kavanaugh/index.html). * **Poison Letters:** The poison ricin was detected this week in envelopes sent to senior U.S. officials, including President Trump and Secretary of Defense James Mattis. The Pentagon Force Protection Agency detected the substance on two envelopes at a mail facility on Monday, and the Secret Service confirmed that another suspicious piece of mail intended for Trump was identified before it could reach the White House. Ricin is a deadly toxin extracted from castor beans, but it “can be made in your house very easily,” Amesh Adalja, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, said. No officials were exposed to the poison, and the incident is being further investigated by federal authorities. Read more [here](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/authorities-investigating-pentagon-mail-believed-to-be-laced-with-deadly-ricin/2018/10/02/43c38486-c665-11e8-9b1c-a90f1daae309_story.html?utm_term=.6400fedbf59f). * **Cover Your Ears!** The first trial of the FEMA “Presidential Alert” system will be sent out at 2:18 p.m. ET on Wednesday to the mobile devices of around 95 percent of Americans. The message, “THIS IS A TEST,” will pilot a new way to notify Americans about national emergencies. U.S. cell phone users cannot opt out of this alert system, theoretically giving the president a direct line to the mobile devices of most Americans. The FEMA wireless alert will be followed by a test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) at 2:20 p.m. on TV and radio. Read more [here](https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/push-button-fema-s-presidential-alert-be-tested-wednesday-n915966). * **Melania's First Solo Journey:** The First Lady arrived in Ghana on Tuesday for her first major solo trip since the election. Her itinerary for the week of travel also includes Malawi, Kenya, and Egypt. She will visit local schools and hospitals to promote her “Be Best” platform, designed to help children with a variety of issues, including wellness and cyberbullying. Read more [here](https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/01/politics/melania-trump-africa/index.html). * **Amazon Raising the Bar for Wages:** Amazon announced Tuesday that it’s instituting a new company-wide minimum wage of $15. The e-commerce giant’s Senior VP of Operations, Dave Clark, told Cheddar that the decision was about "the future" and “ensuring we retain, hire, and develop the best talent in the world.” Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), who has been one of CEO Jeff Bezos’s harshest critics, said on Tuesday, “I want to congratulate Mr. Bezos for doing exactly the right thing.” The new policy will take effect on Nov. 1 of this year and applies to about 350,000 employees. Read more on [Cheddar](https://www.cheddar.com/videos/amazon-vp-raising-minimum-wage-the-right-thing-to-do?utm_source=N2K&utm_medium=email). * **Juul Raid:** The FDA seized over 1,000 pages of documents from Juul’s headquarters in San Francisco, Calif., during a surprise inspection last week. The popular e-cigarette maker and its marketing practices have been the focus of serious FDA scrutiny and criticism this year, as e-cig use among teens has skyrocketed. Juul controls about 73 percent of the e-cig market in the United States. The FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb has called teen use of nicotine-vaping devices an “epidemic.” Read more [here](https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/02/fda-seizes-documents-in-surprise-inspection-of-e-cigarette-maker-juul.html). * **Wild Card Winner:** The Colorado Rockies beat the Chicago Cubs 2-1 in extra innings in the NL Wild Card Game on Tuesday. The game lasted almost five hours and marked the longest playoff game ever at Wrigley Field. The Rockies will play the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS. See the playoff preview [here](http://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/24802373/2018-ultimate-mlb-playoff-preview-odds-every-matchup-more). * **#RealMenWearPink:** Ex-Yankee Alex Rodriguez wore a head-to-toe pink suit to his girlfriend Jennifer Lopez’s final Las Vegas show at Planet Hollywood. The former Yankee posted a photo of his duds to Instagram and admitted that his daughter asked him, “What are you wearing?” See the photo [here](https://pagesix.com/2018/10/01/alex-rodriguez-trolled-by-daughter-over-pink-suit-at-jennifer-lopezs-show/). * **Christian Bale = Dick Cheney?** The Dark Knight star will play ex-U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney in the upcoming biopic “Vice,” which is slated for a theatrical release this Christmas. The film tracks Cheney’s rise to power alongside former President George W. Bush. See the photo of Bale’s transformation [here](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/10/christian-bale-dick-cheney-movie). * **Bieber + Baldwin:** TMZ reported on Tuesday that Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin got married last month in New York, the same day they obtained their marriage license at the courthouse. The couple reportedly did not sign a prenup. Justin Bieber’s net worth is an estimated $250 million. Read more [here](http://www.tmz.com/2018/10/02/justin-bieber-hailey-baldwin-prenup-married-courthouse/). * **Most Dangerous Celebs:** Internet security company McAfee released its annual list of the most dangerous search-engine celebrities ー the stars whose names are most likely to generate links to pages with viruses or malware. Recording artist Ruby Rose ranked #1, while ex-"Laguna Beach" star Kristin Cavallari and actress Marion Cotillard took #2 and #3, respectively. “It’s important for consumers to think before they click to be sure they are landing on safe digital content,” McAfee chief consumer security evangelist Gary Davis said. See the whole list [here](https://www.fastcompany.com/90245184/dont-google-these-10-celebrities-without-reading-this-first). Cheddar's Hena Doba gets into the latest. Subscribe to the Need 2 Know newsletter [here](https://theneed2know.com).

Share:
More In Politics
WSJ: Andrew Cuomo Planning His Political Comeback
Andrew Cuomo is reportedly planning his comeback. According to the Wall Street Journal, the former New York governor and his aides are considering how to make his first public appearance since he abruptly resigned last August amid sexual harassment allegations. Jake Lahut, politics reporter for Insider, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss Cuomo's potential return to politics.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Top Aides Quit Over Scandal
The pressure is on for UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson - after his closest aides handed in their resignations this week. It comes after a report found that 16 parties had taken place at Downing Street while Covid lockdown protocols were in place in the region. Ari Aramesh, Attorney & National Security/Foreign Policy Analyst joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
President Biden Orders 3,000 Troops To Eastern Europe Amid Russia-Ukraine Tensions
President Biden has ordered about 3,000 U.S. troops to Eastern Europe as Russia refuses to back off its pressure on Ukraine. The deployments to Poland, Germany, and Romania are a show of support to NATO allies concerned about a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine. This is in addition to the 8,500 troops put on high alert. David Tafuri, former Obama campaign foreign policy advisor and former State Department official, joined Cheddar to discuss what this move means for U.S.-Russia relations.
Peng Shuai Reappearance With IOC in China Raises More Questions
After tennis player Peng Shuai made an explicit sexual assault allegation toward a former Chinese government official, she disappeared from the public eye. Her recent reappearance with the IOC alongside a Chinese Olympic committee official raised eyebrows and renewed concerns for her safety. Asian affairs expert Gordon Chang, author of "The Coming Collapse of China," joined Wake Up With Cheddar to discuss Peng Shuai's retraction and the various human rights controversies swirling at the Beijing games. "It's clear that the IOC was working with Beijing to make sure that she did not express herself freely," Chang said. "So really this is the IOC being complicit in these mechanisms of control over Peng."
The 2022 Beijing Olympics Kick Off
The opening ceremony of the 2022 winter Olympics has kicked off at the Beijing national stadium. 150,000 spectators are in attendance for the games inside the 'closed loop' system separating Olympic personnel from the public. Cheddar News spoke with Brian Cazenueve, Sports Illustrated contributor, to share the highlights you may have missed and much more.
Biden Administration Working To Address TikTok's Security Risk
The Biden Administration is set to revise federal rules to address potential security risks from foreign-owned apps, mainly Tiktok. This comes after the White House opted not to pursue a forced shutdown of the Chinese-owned video sharing platform. Under these new rules, federal oversight would be expanded to explicitly include apps that could be used by foreign adversaries to steal or otherwise obtain data. Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Craig Singleton, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Will The Texas Grid Fail Again? ERCOT Says They Are 'Ready For This Storm'
Although this week's weather is predicted to be less severe than the 2021 storm, Texans are preparing for the worst - stocking up on supplies and emptying shelves in grocery stores, once again. Some Texans still have not recovered from last year's tragedy, and are heading into the next few weeks with anxiety for what's to come. Leslie Beyer, CEO of the Houston-based energy workforce & technology council, joins Cheddar News to discuss if the Texas grid will fail again.
The Black Student Debt Crisis and the Racial Wealth Gap Divide
Student loan debt continues to be a major concern for tens of millions of Americans who collectively owe about $1.7 trillion. Black college students often take on larger amounts of student debt in order to pay for a higher education. In turn, they are more likely to struggle post-graduation with repaying their debt, creating a racial wealth gap divide. Andre Perry, senior fellow at Brookings Institution joined All Hands to help break down the black student debt crisis.
President Biden on Shutting Down Iron Pipeline to Prevent Gun Violence in NYC Visit
After two NYPD officers were killed with an illegal gun, President Biden made a trip to New York City to speak on the issue of gun violence fed by the "iron pipeline" of illegal firearms that make their way from the South to the Big Apple. Kris Brown, the president of the gun violence prevention organization Brady United, joined Cheddar to discuss what this visit from the president could mean for the future of gun laws in America. "He's asked Congress to pass things like expanding the Brady background check system, but with the filibuster a barrier to so much action right now in the Congress, he's looking at solutions that involve funding at the federal level and really involve enforcement."
Load More