Need 2 Know: Homestretch to Midterms, Cell Phones and Cancer
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know.
* **The Homestretch:** President Trump says he will block migrants from claiming asylum if they are caught crossing the border at locations that are not legal ports of entry. That would be a violation of international asylum law. Some Republicans are fearful that President Trump’s increasingly hard-line immigration rhetoric is alienating many of the voters they need on Tuesday and mobilizing Democrats to show up at the polls. Read more [here](https://www.politico.com/story/2018/11/01/trump-immigration-migrant-caravan-2018-elections-republican-party-956659).
* **Cell Phones & Cancer:** A 20-year study on cell phones and cancer concluded that there was “clear evidence” that high levels of cell phone radiation can cause cancerous tumors in male rats. Researchers say the findings don’t necessarily apply to humans because the exposures used in the studies aren’t directly comparable to those experienced by humans. Read more [here](https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/final-report-says-cellphone-radiation-may-cause-cancer-rats-not-n929781).
* **Electric Chair:** Tennessee executed a double-murderer by electric chair, the first time it’s been used in the U.S. in five years. Edmund Zagorski opted for death by electrocution rather than lethal injection, calling it “the lesser of two evils.” Zagorski killed two men in a drug deal gone bad in 1983. His final words: “Let’s rock.” Read more [here](https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2018/11/01/execution-edmund-zagorski-tennessee-electric-chair/1570451002/).
* **Uber Pro:** Uber is offering rewards to some drivers via ‘Uber Pro,’ a pilot program now underway in eight parts of the U.S. The program will reward high-performing drivers with things like cash back at gas stations, free dent repair and even free tuition at Arizona State University Online. Read more [here](https://mashable.com/article/uber-pro-driver-rewards-free-tuition/#OFG9f0BWqsqR).
* **iPhone Sales:** Apple is at risk of losing its title as the world’s only trillion-dollar company after it told investors it would stop reporting how many new iPhones it sells each quarter. The company reported a record-breaking quarter, largely thanks to its strategy of raising prices. But Wall Street is concerned the iPhone may finally be reaching a plateau. Read more [here](https://www.cheddar.com/videos/apple-shares-tumble-despite-beating-earnings-expectations).
* **Netflix In Theaters:** Netflix is trying something new: it will be releasing three movies in theaters before they are streamed, rather than releasing the theater and streaming versions simultaneously. This decision was reportedly made to help boost chances for awards. Read more [here](https://deadline.com/2018/10/netflix-theatrical-release-awards-films-alfonso-cuaron-roma-coen-brothers-the-ballad-of-buster-scruggs-susanne-bier-bird-box-sandra-bullock-1202493369/).
* **Cheerleader Protest:** A San Francisco 49ers cheerleader took a knee during the National Anthem in a game against the Oakland Raiders. It is believed to be the first time a cheerleader has joined the protest movement started by Colin Kaepernick two years ago. The cheerleader has not yet been identified. Read more [here](https://abcnews.go.com/News/49ers-cheerleader-takes-knee-national-anthem-raiders-game/story?id=58916429).
* **Oprah’s On … The Doorstep:** Oprah has been campaigning door-to-door for Stacey Abrams, the Democratic candidate for governor in Georgia. One voter was captured on video, shocked to see the "Queen of Talk" standing on her doorstep. Read more [here](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6343493/Oh-God-Oprah-SHOCKED-Billionaire-goes-door-door-Georgia-Stacey-Abrams.html).
* **Spotted... :**
Amy Schumer showing off her baby bump. The comedian posted the pic ー a group selfie ー on her Instagram page. See it [here](https://www.instagram.com/p/Bppjx8nARBF/?utm_source=ig_embed).
* **S-EW-P:**
It’s every buffet lover’s worst nightmare: a man was captured sipping soup from a ladle in a supermarket ー four gulps ー before putting the ladle right back in the soup. Watch the video [here](https://www.insideedition.com/man-filmed-drinking-directly-buffets-soup-ladle-chicago-supermarket-48109).
Cheddar's Hena Doba gets into the latest.
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"Anything Is Possible," a documentary about NBA superstar Kevin Garnett recounting his career from being drafted out of high school to a championship with the Boston Celtics, is set to premiere on Showtime. Executive producer Marc Levin and co-directors Daniel Levin and Eric Newman joined Cheddar to provide some background on the project and discuss Garnett's legacy. With KG considered a pioneer for modern NBA draftees straight out of high school (the fifth pick in 1995), the filmmakers also discussed the possibility of the league reversing course on its current rule that requires a player to be at least 19-years-old and a year removed from high school to play.
Professional sports is facing a reckoning right now over several stories painting an ugly picture of a toxic work environment, encompassing multiple teams in multiple leagues and dealing with different issues.
This week, the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks ousted their general manager and senior director of hockey operations after an investigation confirmed former player Kyle Beach's claims that the team's former video coach Brad Aldrich sexual assaulted him back in 2010, with upper management ignoring his claims until after the team won the Stanley Cup that season. Last night, Joel Quenneville, now the coach of the Florida Panthers but Chicago's coach that season, stepped down from his post.
This comes just a few weeks after the NFL was rocked by leaked emails showing now-former Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Jon Gruden using racist, sexist and homophobic language. He resigned soon after the emails came to light. We can't forget, though, that those emails come from a much broader investigation of the toxic work environment in the offices of the Washington Football Team. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said this week the league wouldn't publicly release anything from its investigation of the team, but lawyers for many of the women interviewed in the case say they want a public report.
And last January, just one month after hiring him, the New York Mets had to fire then-General manager Jared Porter, who admitted to sending explicit, unsolicited texts and images to a female reporter in 2016 when he worked for the Chicago Cubs. ESPN had been in possession of the texts since 2017, but the woman in question asked the network not to run the story out of fear her career would be harmed. She only reached back out to ESPN after she left the field of journalism altogether. Porter has been banned from the sport through next season.
If you believe in the phrase "where there's smoke, there's fire," professional sports is a five-alarm blaze.
Julie DiCaro, senior writer and editor at Deadspin, joins None of the Above to discuss.
Jill and Carlo discuss the scenes of joy at American airports as borders reopen, another tool in the Covid toolbox, the latest in the Astroworld crowd crush tragedy and more.
Gaming technology studio Mythical Games recently raised $150 million in a round led by Andreesen Horowitz, bringing Mythical's valuation to above unicorn status at $1.2 billion. Mythical Games' mission is to create a new generation of gaming with play-to-earn games that allow players to play to win actual cryptocurrency. Now the company is taking it to another level with NFT technology, allowing players to play with characters they can truly own. Mythical Games CEO John Linden joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Evan Vandenberg, the founder and CEO of Dibbs, a sports card trading platform, joined Cheddar to break down how his company allows sports fans to buy and sell fractions of sports cards. The physical trading cards are typically held in a vault while fans are provided with a digital representation of that card that they can go on to sell or even buy more fractions of the item. Vanderberg also talked about the company's $13 million Series A funding round and investments from major sports figures like the NBA's Chris Paul and NFL's DeAndre Hopkins.
A Freitag pod with Carlo and Baker, talking about the upcoming federal vax-or-test deadline, the most shocking upset of this week's elections, an incredible story of selflessness and Love, Hate, Ate.
Trysta Krick, host of BetMGM Tonight, breaks down how several major NFL stories impact Week 9 lines, while Snapback Sports founder Jack Settleman makes sense of the chaos in college football and Iain MacMillan, Senior Editor at BetSided, gives his pick for who will win the 2022 NCAA Basketball Tournament.
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Jack Settleman, Founder Snapback Sports and Sports Betting Analyst for The Game Day, joins Cheddar Bets to help break down the surprises and snubs from the initial College Football Playoff rankings, and who will finish in the top four when it's all said and done.
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