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
SCOTUS Mississippi Abortion Rights Case 'Direct Challenge' to Roe v. Wade
The Supreme Court will be hearing arguments in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health on Wednesday over a Mississippi law banning abortions after 15 weeks. Jimmy Hoover, the Supreme Court editor-at-large for Law360, joined Cheddar to break down the momentous legal fight. "This is the biggest abortion case at the Supreme Court in 30 years," he said. "It is a … a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade."
Stocks Plummet Following Fed Chair Powell's Comments on Tapering
Matt Peron, Director of Research at Janus Henderson Investors, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he breaks down the factors leading to today's market slide and says there's more to it than Fed Chair Jerome Powell's comments about speeding up tapering efforts.
Walmart CEO Praises Biden Efforts to Ease Supply Chain Bottlenecks
Walmart CEO Dough McMillon praised the Biden administration's efforts to ease supply chain constraints after the company saw a 26 percent jump in shipments over the last month. President Joe Biden had announced back in October that California ports would operate on a 24/7 basis.
Omicron Risk, Barbados Drops Queen & Jack Logs Off
Jill and Carlo cover the latest developments with the Omicron variant that are spooking markets once again. Twitter's @Jack is leaving, SCOTUS takes up abortion rights and the world has a brand new republic.
U.S. to Buy 10 Million Courses of Pfizer Covid Pill
The Biden Administration is set to buy 10 million courses of Pfizer's Covid pill if it gains emergency use authorization from the FDA. With this purchase, the U.S. will receive more than 13 million courses of antiviral pills aimed at treating Covid and reducing severe illness and death. Pfizer's pill has been shown to reduce risk of hospitalization and death by 89 percent, proving it could be a key tool in the fight against the pandemic. Dr. Soumi Eachempati, Co-Founder, CEO & CMO of Cleared4, joined Cheddar News to discuss.
Breaking Down the Build Back Better Act's Impact on Affordable Housing
The Build Back Better Act has been at the center of endless negotiations and debate, ultimately landing as a nearly $1.8 trillion plan. One of the highlights is $170 billion dollars for affordable housing, making history as the largest investment in the sector to date. Eliza Collins, politics reporter for The Wall Street Journal, joins Cheddar News to break down the bill.
U.S. to Tap into Oil Reserves to Lower Prices at the Pump
The Biden Administration is releasing 50 million barrels of oil from the U.S. oil reserves in hopes of easing soaring gas prices. Vijay Vaitheeswaran, Global Energy and Climate Innovation Editor at the Economist, joined Cheddar to discuss.
Load More