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).
With the Russian invasion of Ukraine raging on, millions have turned to TikTok to stay up-to-date on the latest developments and get a first-hand look. The social media platform has been so prominent that the war has been dubbed "the first TikTok war" by many publications — and even the White House has taken notice. The Biden administration held a virtual briefing with 30 social media creators to discuss their role in communicating to their followers by countering what it deems as being misinformation. Ellie Zeiler, an 18-year-old TikTok star who attended the briefing, joined Cheddar to talk about the conference and her responsibilities as a social media creator. "How could you not be a little nervous or scared when you're getting your information and media all from this app? But also then you think back to, I guess, when media was changing between newspapers and TV, and I'm sure people were nervous about that too," she said. "So the fact is, is that people do really look to Tiktok and social media for their news."
U.S. markets closed the day at session lows as the Dow marked its fifth straight week of losses. Investors continue to weigh inflation and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and growing economic risk factors. George Seay, CEO of Annandale Capital, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
U.S. stocks ended Thursday's session lower as new CPI data show inflation continues to rise and the Russia-Ukraine war continues. Philip Palumbo, founder, CEO, & Chief Investment Officer of Palumbo Wealth Management, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
It's been an eventful past few weeks for the WNBA. One of the league's top players, Brittney Griner, remains in Russian custody after being detained at an airport last month. The league is also dealing with a scandal after fining a team for providing charter flights to their players. Emily Caron, sports business reporter for Sportico, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
School nutrition experts warn that millions of children could go hungry as soon as this summer, after Congress excluded waivers that would extend universal lunch for children in school from the $1.5 trillion omnibus spending bill. Cheddar News speaks with Jessica Gould, chair of the public policy and legislation committee at the School Nutrition Association, about the issue.
The ongoing semiconductor chip shortage has been impacting everything from the purchase of cars to smartphones. Deputy Commerce Secretary Don Graves spoke with Cheddar about the Biden administration's efforts to combat the issue and if the current crisis in Ukraine will have any impact on the global supply chain problems for semiconductors. "We're working very closely with all of our partners and allies around the globe, just as we have on the export controls and sanctions that we've applied to Russia to deal with that needless aggression," he said. "We're also working with them on the challenges of raw materials for a range of industries, including the semiconductor industry. We believe that we are going to be able to meet the demand for the for the near term."
Deputy Commerce Secretary Don Graves spoke to Cheddar's Alex Vuocolo about the ongoing semiconductor shortages and the push from the Biden administration to cover the supply chain problem as well as look ahead to future-proofing it.
President Maxx Fenning and Vice President CJ Walden of PRISM, a Florida non-profit providing resources for LGBTQ youth, joined Cheddar News to discuss the negative repercussions of a Florida bill banning discussions of sexuality and gender identity in some classrooms.
