These are the headlines you Need 2 Know. * **Winter Storm:** The southern half of the country is under threat of severe weather through the weekend. A major storm system has already begun dumping rain on Texas, and will spread east, raising concerns of widespread flooding. The mid-Atlantic will see heavy snow, freezing rain and ice, which has officials worried about mass power outages. Read more [here](https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/storm-to-sweep-through-southern-us-with-flooding-severe-weather-into-sunday/70006811). * **Kevin Hart:** Kevin Hart has decided to step down as host of the 2019 Oscars after Hart says the Academy asked him to apologize for years-old homophobic tweets. He initially said he “passed on” an apology. Later, when he announced he was stepping down because he didn’t want to be a “distraction,” he did apologize to the LGBTQ community. Read more [here](https://www.npr.org/2018/12/07/674447464/kevin-hart-bows-out-as-oscars-host-amid-backlash-over-past-tweets). * **Bush Laid to Rest:** President George H.W. Bush was laid to rest after several days of public mourning, culminating in a memorial ceremony at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Houston where Reba McEntire gave a powerful rendition of the Lord’s Prayer. He was then brought by train to his final resting place at his presidential library on the campus of Texas A&M. Read more [here](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/reba-mcentire-george-hw-bush-funeral-performance-today-2018-12-06/). * **Contested House Race:** North Carolina’s GOP leader said he’s open to a new election in a House district that’s been plagued by accusations of voter fraud. Dan McCready, the Democrat, has taken back his concession to Republican Mark Harris in the 9th district amid allegations that a GOP operative tampered with absentee ballots. Harris has so far been silent on the growing scandal. Read more [here](https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article222739205.html). * **UN Ambassador:** Heather Nauert has reportedly been chosen to replace Nikki Haley as the country’s ambassador to the UN. Nauert is the current State Department spokeswoman and a former Fox News host. President Trump is expected to announce her as his pick today. Read more [here](https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-to-announce-heather-nauert-as-pick-for-un-ambassador-friday-sources-tell-fox-news). * **Market Roller Coaster:** Stocks staged a remarkable comeback in the final hour of trading Thursday after another day of steep losses. The Dow rebounded from a 780 point decline to close down 79. Fears of a recession are spreading among investors, helping to fuel the wild swings of late. Read more [here](https://www.cnbc.com/2018/12/05/market-sell-off-set-to-continue-as-dow-futures-get-hit.html). * **CNN Bomb Threat:** CNN’s New York offices were evacuated Thursday night when police say a man called and said five bombs had been placed in the building. The building was evacuated while Don Lemon was anchoring his 10 p.m. show; CNN went to taped programming and then Lemon went back on air from outside the building. The all-clear came just before midnight. Read more [here](https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/07/media/reliable-sources-12-06-18/index.html). * **LeBron & Melo?:** LeBron James is reportedly interested in Carmelo Anthony joining him on the Lakers. Anthony was unceremoniously removed from the Houston Rockets’ roster after just 10 games this season. James is said to think the veteran shooter still has good basketball left in him. Read more [here](https://theathletic.com/699423/2018/12/06/source-lebron-james-interested-in-carmelo-anthony-joining-the-lakers/). * **Golden Globes:** The Golden Globe nominations are out. Leading the way: Vice, the upcoming Dick Cheney biopic, and The Assassination of Gianni Versace, the true-crime series. Lady Gaga got a nod for her turn in A Star Is Born, while the well-reviewed Widows and Atlanta were both snubbed. The show airs on Jan. 6 and will be hosted by Sandra Oh and Andy Samberg. Read more [here](https://www.cheddar.com/videos/vice-and-the-assassination-of-gianni-versace-lead-golden-globe-nominations). * **#SpotifyWrapped:** Spotify’s personalized end-of-year wrap is out, and people have feelings about it. The streaming platform shows users the top songs they listened to throughout 2018. Some say they’re embarrassed by their tastes of just a few months ago, while others say it’s a perfect reflection of their moods at certain points during the year. See the tweets [here](https://twitter.com/search?q=%232018wrapped&src=typd). * **Baby, It’s Cold Outside:** Gayle King is not a fan of banning ‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside’ and made her opinion known during a segment on CBS This Morning. The co-anchor believes “we’re losing our sense of humor nowadays.” The song has been banned by numerous radio stations because of lyrics deemed inappropriate by some amid the #MeToo movement. Read more [here](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/gayle-king-defends-baby-cold-outside-christmas-classic-continues-get-pulled-radio-stations-180330879.html). Cheddar's Hena Doba gets into the latest. Subscribe to the Need 2 Know newsletter [here](https://theneed2know.com).
