These are the headlines you Need 2 Know. * **Shutdown Day 7:** The partial government shutdown is likely to drag into the new year, as Congress adjourned until next week without any apparent headway in negotiations with the White House. President Trump said “most of the people not getting paid are Democrats,” offering no evidence. Meanwhile, it’s been announced that all Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo will close on January 2 if a deal isn’t reached. [The Hill](https://thehill.com/policy/finance/423061-trump-dems-dig-in-as-shutdown-heads-into-second-week). * **Lights Over NYC:** New Yorkers saw eerie blue lights in the sky Thursday night after a transformer exploded at a Queens power plant. The explosion impacted flights at LaGuardia Airport and a subway line. [See it](https://abc7ny.com/transformer-explosion-at-con-ed-plant-lights-up-sky-in-nyc/4977959/). * **Manhunt:** A manhunt is underway for the man accused of gunning down a police officer during a traffic stop in northern California. The suspect, who is in the country illegally, is thought to be in the area near Modesto, according to the local sheriff. Corporal Ronil Singh, who immigrated to the U.S. from Fiji, leaves behind his wife and an infant son. [Sacramento Bee](https://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/article223621665.html). * **Hot Down Under:** Temperatures in Australia have reached 120 degrees and are expected to stay there through the weekend. Summer has only just begun in Australia, where the high temps have prompted air quality alerts and health warnings. [USA Today](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/12/27/australia-heat-wave-temperatures-soar-above-120-degrees-near-record/2423556002/). * **New Normal?:** Stocks had another roller coaster of a day, reversing course twice to erase a 600-point loss and end Thursday up 260. Consumer confidence fell for the second month in a row in a sign that the worries about the economy may be spreading from Wall Street to Main Street. [Cheddar](https://www.cheddar.com/videos/markets-whipsaw-in-volatile-holiday-trading). * **Oldest Man Dies:** The country’s oldest man, who was also the oldest living veteran, died at 112. Richard Overton was born in 1906 -- he was 5 when the Titanic sank -- and fought in a segregated unit in WWII. He was known in his later years for smoking 12 cigars a day and drinking whiskey sodas. He lived in Austin his entire life. [Dallas Morning News](https://www.dallasnews.com/life/people/2018/12/27/nations-oldest-man-wwii-veteran-austins-richard-overton-dies-112). * **Insta Mistake:** Instagram is apologizing after rolling out an update that replaced vertical scrolling with a horizontal feed, saying it was not intended to be as widespread as it was. The backlash was swift and Instagram reverted users’ feeds to the way they were. [Business Insider](https://www.businessinsider.com/instagram-update-december-2018-horizontal-scrolling-2018-12). * **LeBron:** LeBron James is the AP Male Athlete of the Year. The Associated Press says in 2018, James continued “to excel on the court,” opened a school for at-risk children and used his voice as an activist. [AP](https://www.apnews.com/c16cb0c234af4323815b991137b1766a). * **College Football:** The college football bowl season is underway, with nine games scheduled between now and New Year’s Day. [See the Odds](https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/2018-college-bowl-odds-confidence-football-picks-optimal-predictions-rankings-lines-from-unbiased-model/). * **Mr. Rogers:** The upcoming movie about Fred Rogers--with Tom Hanks as the beloved ‘Mr. Rogers’--officially has a name: It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. The film is expected in theaters in October. [Hollywood Reporter](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/tom-hanks-mr-rogers-movie-name-revealed-1171817). * **Bird Box:** The instant Netflix hit Bird Box, starring Sandra Bullock in a post-apocalyptic world, is supposed to be terrifying -- which has prompted some hilarious social media reactions. In the movie, Bullock’s character and her kids are blindfolded to keep them from looking evil in the face. Social media users have had their own fun with the premise: [See reactions](https://people.com/movies/netflix-bird-box-memes-explained/). * **Most Admired Woman:** Michelle Obama is America’s ‘Most Admired Woman’ according to a Gallup poll. It’s a spot Hillary Clinton held for more than 15 years.[NBC News](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/michelle-obama-voted-most-admired-woman-bumps-hillary-clinton-top-n952391). Cheddar's Hena Doba gets into the latest. Subscribe to the Need 2 Know newsletter [here](https://theneed2know.com).
