Need 2 Know: Pelosi Elected House Speaker, Troops Sent to Border
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.
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U.S. officials spoke to Russian leaders for nearly eight hours earlier this week, in hopes of reducing tensions between Russia and Ukraine. Russia forced the west to the negotiating table by massing 100,000 troops near the Ukrainian border, sparking fears of an invasion, and then submitted a set of demands which the west rejected. Joel Rubin, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State & President at Washington Strategy Group explains what the rest of the week might look like, and why other European nations may be on the side of the U.S.
Chicago schools opened their doors again following a dispute between the teachers union and the city over as the omicron variant continues to surge, but the safety issues they fought over weren't just limited to the Windy City. Dr. Bayo Curry-Winchell, family medicine and urgent care doctor, joined Cheddar in discussing concerns of parents, teachers, and students as schools try to operate amid COVID and noted what she's been observing as the number of infections among children rises. "I am seeing them contract the illness from so many different aspects," she said. "It could be from a fellow classmate. It could be from a parent. All of those things really play in the effect of transmission as well as contracting the illness."
Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) is looking for clarification about a federal standard regarding THC impairment while driving. "I think in terms of marijuana, the fact that it's still a Schedule 1 narcotic — it's treated the same as heroin and cocaine — it means that we can't get standards developed," he said about the lack of cohesive regulations. The lawmaker also explained his previous opposition to cannabis legalization in Colorado when he was governor and why his position changed.
With Martin Luther King Jr. Day fast approaching, Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C. 6th District), the House Majority Whip, talked about the importance of honoring the iconic civil rights activist. "As we consider the life and celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., let's think about who and what we are as a country, and whether or not we're going to give up on the ideals of this country or continue to press forward," he said. Clyburn also discussed the push for new voting legislation, the For the People Act and the John Lewis Act, as well as the fate of the Senate filibuster.
One year after the attack on Capitol Hill, America is still deeply divided and politically broken. Zoe Tillman, senior reporter for BuzzFeed News, breaks down President Biden's remarks on January 6, and why the country disagrees on its views over the violent insurrection.
While the pandemic caused financial troubles for many, the unique circumstances of the last two years proved helpful to many Americans. Whether it was the federal government's stimulus checks, expanded unemployment insurance, or general lockdowns, recent data reveals that the covid-19 pandemic helped many reach financial security. Neale Godfrey, Financial Expert and New York Times #1 Best Selling Author joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
U.S. markets opened higher despite red-hot inflation data which showed the highest surge in nearly 40 years. Jon Maier, CIO, GlobalX ETFs joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss this historic report.
Meta's request to have a Federal Trade Commission antitrust lawsuit dismissed was rejected by a federal judge. Prosecutors presented enough evidence in their latest filing to go forward with the case accusing the tech giant of operating a social networking monopoly through Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
Covid cases have started to spike again across the nation, and this time they seem to be hitting some of our youngest and most vulnerable - school-aged children. School districts across the nation - including the country's largest public school system in New York City- are all grappling with what to do as teachers and students alike continue to miss school in droves.
Katie Honan, reporter for the New York City-based non profit news organization, The City explains how educational leaders across the country are handling covid demands from both teachers and parents alike.
Last week, the Supreme Court began here to hear arguments on two of the President's COVID-19 vaccine mandates. The vaccine or testing requirement for employees of large businesses, as well as the vaccine mandate for health care providers who get funding through either Medicare or Medicaid. The justices in DC will ultimately decide whether or not federal agencies even have the authority to issue these types of mandates. Editor at large of employment at Law 360, Vin Gurrieri, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
