These are the headlines you Need 2 Know.
* **Exit Interview:**
Outgoing White House chief of staff John Kelly has opened up about his tumultuous tenure in an interview. Kelly said that the administration abandoned the idea of a concrete border wall long ago and blamed former AG Jeff Sessions for the family separation policy that caused chaos at the border. Read more [here](https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-john-kelly-exit-interview-20181230-story.html).
* **Wall War:**
President Trump is using the wall at the Obamas’ home as validation for a border wall as the government shutdown enters week two. He tweeted Sunday the Obamas’ wall is “totally necessary for their safety and security. The U.S. needs the same thing, slightly larger version!” Read more [here](https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/423273-trump-us-needs-border-wall-like-obamas-needed-privacy-wall-outside-dc).
* **Lion Attack:**
A 22-year-old woman was killed by a lion after it escaped its enclosure at a zoological park in North Carolina. The victim was an intern at Conservators Center. The lion was shot dead. Read more [here](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/12/30/lion-attack-worker-killed-after-lion-escapes-north-carolina/2445734002/).
* **Putin's Message:**
Russian President Vladimir Putin has written a New Year’s letter to President Trump, saying that he’s “open to dialogue” with the U.S. The Kremlin posted a summary of the letter on Sunday. Read more [here](https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/putin-tells-trump-years-letter-open-meeting-60077657).
* **Ebola:**
An American is being monitored in Nebraska after possible exposure to the Ebola virus. The person, who is not sick, had been treating patients in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is currently going through one of the deadliest Ebola outbreaks in history. Read more [here](https://www.npr.org/2018/12/30/681016402/american-flown-to-nebraska-after-possible-ebola-exposure).
* **Minimum Wage:**
The minimum wage will go up in 21 states and the District of Columbia as of tomorrow. The federal minimum wage remains at $7.25. See the map of increases [here](https://www.businessinsider.com/minimum-wage-2019-state-map-2018-12).
* **Fly Like an Eagle:**
Spectators at the Cotton Bowl in Texas got an eyeful when a bald eagle landed on two fans.The North American bald eagle was supposed to fly around the stadium during the national anthem ー but plans went awry. Clemson went on to blow out Notre Dame, 30-3. Watch [here](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46715373).
* **Spotted…**
Actor Kevin Spacey was spotted in a rare public appearance. The actor was seen delivering pizza to paparazzi as he awaits arraignment. See the pic [here](https://www.tmz.com/2018/12/30/kevin-spacey-buys-paparazzi-pizza-sexual-assault-arraignment-court/).
* **Bird Box Blowout:**
Netflix, which is famously mum about how many people watch movies on the service, said a record-breaking 45 million accounts streamed the Sandra Bullock hit Bird Box in the first seven days of release. Read more [here](https://www.theverge.com/2018/12/30/18161741/bird-box-netflix-45-million-accounts-statistics-views).
* **Ball Drop:**
Hundreds of thousands of revelers are expected to ring in the new year in a wet Times Square tonight, with the NYPD flying drones overhead as one of many security measures. A group of journalists will press the button that drops the famous ball, officially ringing in 2019. Live look [here](https://www.earthcam.com/cams/newyork/timessquare/?cam=tstwo_hd).
Markets were pointing mostly lower to end the week as investors reacted to the threat of a Covid resurgence in Europe. Jeff Schulze, Investment Strategist at ClearBridge Investments joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss Friday's pre-market activity.
A federal judge tossed out a lawsuit against financial services platform Robinhood following the meme stock saga that swept the investment world. The judge said it found no wrongdoing on Robinhood's part after the platform halted trading on popular meme stocks Gamestop and AMC.
Jill and Carlo are back to cover the latest in the Rittenhouse trial, new information on the origins of Covid, return-to-office and more.
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The U.S. Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against Uber after it was discovered that disabled people were being disproportionately affected by extra “wait time” fees. Attorney Jonathan Bell joined Cheddar to discuss.
Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko has been accused by the EU of manufacturing a migration crisis along his border with Poland. But, even as tensions appear to be stabilizing at the moment, Ali Noorani, the president and CEO of National Immigration Forum and the host of the "Only in America" podcast spoke to Cheddar about the ongoing danger to the migrants who hail from countries like Iraq and Afghanistan. "What is going to happen to folks who are in Belarus who came from these countries? Is Lukashenko going to provide them asylum and protection in Belarus, or are they going to continue to be political pawns in a geopolitical battle," he said. "Real people's lives are being put at great risk."
A group of crypto investors has come together to raise millions of dollars in the hopes of owning a rare piece of the U.S. Constitution. According to the crypto group, "Constitution DAO" It is time to put the constitution in the hands of the people. CEO and Founder of Metaversal Yossi Hasson, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Polarization is among the defining traits of American politics in the 21st century. Sometimes it seems like the only thing we can all agree on is the fact that we don't really agree on anything. But those divisions don't just stop at whether you vote red or blue.
A new survey from the Pew Research Center finds that rather than just two political buckets, we have nine. The "2021 political typology" as it's called distinguishes between different ideological subsets in the Democratic and Republican party. It encompasses everyone from the loudest revolutionary lefties, to the loudest insurrection apologists on the right.
Andrew Daniller, research associate at the Pew Research Center, joins None of the Above to discuss.
Tanya Snyder, transportation reporter at Politico, joins None of the Above with J.D. Durkin to discuss the bipartisan infrastructure law, what it means for the electric vehicle industry and whether Democrats will be able to capitalize on the legislative victory ahead of the 2022 midterms.
Heading into 2022, the eyes of political nerds like us are fixed on statehouses across the country. State legislatures are in the process of taking the data from the 2020 census and using it to draw new congressional districts. The process has major implications for midterms, as Republicans could retake the majority just by gerrymandering enough seats into their column. In Maryland, state level Democrats are considering several maps, one of which would completely draw out the only Republican from the state in Congress.
Bruce DePuyt, senior reporter at Maryland Matters, and Helen Brewer, legal analyst at Princeton's Electoral Innovation Lab, join Cheddar Politics to discuss.
