These are the headlines you Need 2 Know. * **Pelosi Elected:** Rep. Nancy Pelosi was elected speaker of the House, as expected, as the new Congress was sworn in. Democrats quickly passed measures to reopen the government without funding the border wall, which the Senate is unlikely to even take up. That means the shutdown will continue without an end in sight. Read more [here](https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/house-democrats-prepare-vote-to-reopen-government-as-cracks-appear-in-gop-opposition/2019/01/03/24151490-0f96-11e9-8938-5898adc28fa2_story.html?utm_term=.28dce1c0b340). * **Troops to Border:** Troops are being sent to the Southern border in order to construct or upgrade fencing that’s already in place, as negotiations over the border wall remain at an impasse. The construction and deployment would be paid for by the Pentagon out of its current budget. The troops will also provide medical care to migrant families regularly arriving from Central America. Read more [here](https://www.npr.org/2019/01/03/681971323/troops-to-be-deployed-to-border-to-build-160-miles-of-fencing). * **Spy Games:** An American citizen detained in Russia has been formally charged with espionage. Paul Whelan was detained a week ago and has been held without bail in an infamous Russian prison on charges of spying, though his family maintains that he was in Moscow to attend a wedding. Read more [here](https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/03/us/russia-paul-whelan-espionage-charge/index.html). * **Travel Advisory:** The State Department is warning Americans traveling to China that they may not be allowed to return home. According to the advisory, U.S. citizens are at an increased risk of being subject to “exit bans” and arbitrarily enforced local laws as a form of harassment. Dual citizens and those of Chinese heritage are at particular risk. Read more [here](https://www.businessinsider.com/us-china-travel-advisory-2019-1). * **TSA Dogs:** The head of the TSA wants to expand its canine program and officials have determined that floppy-eared dogs like Labrador retrievers are a better fit than pointy-eared dogs like German shepherds. Floppy-eared dogs apparently have a more calming effect on passengers. Read more [here](https://abcnews.go.com/beta-story-container/Politics/tsa-thinks-floppy-eared-working-dogs-airport-welcoming/story?id=60141736). * **Apple Woes:** The Dow plunged 660 points after Apple’s surprise announcement that its sales had slowed. Apple shares tumbled 10 percent. The iPhone maker has lost $430 billion in market cap since its peak, more than the entire value of Facebook. Read more [here](https://www.cheddar.com/videos/apple-shock-sends-markets-tumbling). * **Historic Run Over:** UConn’s historic win streak is over. Baylor women beat the No. 1 Huskies, 68-57, handing them their first regular-season loss in 126 games, or more than four years. Read more [here](https://www.courant.com/sports/uconn-womens-basketball/hc-sp-uconn-vs-baylor-201931-20190104-4isoc2yiprehvgw4nzxlha6mum-story.html). * **Kevin & Ellen:** In an interview to air today on Ellen, Kevin Hart says he is "evaluating" his decision to walk away from the Oscar hosting gig. DeGeneres says she personally lobbied Academy members to invite Hart back, and they are considering. The ceremony will be broadcast on Feb. 24, and is still without a host. Read more [here](https://variety.com/2019/film/news/kevin-hart-oscars-ellen-1203099143/). * **Spotted:** Former President Barack Obama on the Billboard charts, thanks to a collaboration with Lin-Manuel Miranda in a Hamilton remix. Obama made it to number 22 on the “Hot R&B Songs” for the song One Last Time (44 Remix). Read more [here](https://ew.com/music/2019/01/03/obama-billboard-chart-lin-manuel-miranda-hamilton-remix/?utm_source=twitter.com). * **Leftovers:** The Louvre had more than 10 million visitors last year — more than any museum ever has — and Jay-Z and Beyonce’s music video for “Apesh*t” set at the famous museum is credited with boosting the number of visitors. Read more [here](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-tourism-louvre/beyonce-and-jay-z-help-paris-louvre-to-record-number-of-visitors-idUSKCN1OX1B3). Cheddar's Hena Doba gets into the latest. Subscribe to the Need 2 Know newsletter [here](https://theneed2know.com).

Share:
More In Politics
GOP Finds New Playbook in Virginia
The recent Virginia and New Jersey elections are making one trend line pretty clear: voters in this climate will vote on education, and it could be a winning tactic for Republicans. Virginia's race for governor was defined by, as the Republican candidate and eventual winner described it, "school-choice." Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is taking a page out of Governor Youngkin's playbook for his upcoming reelection bid, over-indexing on themes of education. John Kennedy, Florida capital reporter at Gannett, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
Why North Korea Is Suddenly Launching So Many Missiles
North Korea launched its sixth missile test this month, equaling the total number performed in all of 2021. Cheddar News speaks with Bruce Klinger of the Heritage Foundation on why the regime is suddenly ramping up its weapons testing program.
Senator Tina Smith, Lawmakers Call on Biden to Release Student Loan Debt Memo
More than 80 lawmakers are calling for President Biden to release a memo outlining the legal pros and cons regarding the president's authority to cancel student loan debt, the total of which sits around $1.75 trillion. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.), joined Cheddar to discuss the memo and support the push to forgive student debt that could potentially have a massive positive impact on the U.S. economy. "I think that would be really helpful for all of us to be able to see as we figure out how we can go forward," she said. "It seems like a simple thing to do, and I hope that the administration will release this memo." For her part, Sen. Smith said she believes the president does have the authority to abolish student loan debt.
Recent Killings of Mexican Journalists Spark Outrage
Dr. Celeste González de Bustamante, professor and director of the Center for Border and Global Journalism at the Univerity of Arizona, and Dr. Jeannine E. Relly, professor and director of Global Initiatives at the Center for Border and Global Journalism at the University of Arizona, join Cheddar News to discuss the recent journalist killings in Mexico.
Joe Kennedy III Pushes Grassroots Voting Protections Through Give Us the Ballot Org
Joe Kennedy III, a former congressman and co-founder of Give Us the Ballot, joined Cheddar News to discuss voting protections in the United States and how his campaign is aiming to fix the issue of voter suppression. "Yes, redistricting is critical — Give Us the Ballot though recognizes it's 'redistricting, and —', because voting rights has an implication for every single election at every single level: school board, mayor, city council, House of Representatives, Senate, president," he said. Kennedy also gave his thoughts about the retirement of Justice Stephen Breyer.
Load More