These are the headlines you Need 2 Know. * **Southern Snow:** More than 300,000 people are without power after a messy snow storm caused havoc in the Southeast over the weekend. The Carolinas, Virginia and West Virginia were the hardest hit with some areas getting more than a foot of snow. Thousands of flights were cancelled and schools are closed throughout the region today. Read more [here](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-weather/winter-storm-kills-one-knocks-out-power-to-310000-in-u-s-southeast-idUSKBN1O80KS). * **Kelly Out:** President Trump’s chief of staff, Gen. John Kelly, is leaving by the end of the year. The move isn’t a surprise as his departure has been rumored for months. The chief of staff for Vice President Mike Pence, Nick Ayers was reportedly the president’s top pick to fill Kelly’s spot but he’s taken himself out of the running. Read more [here](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/09/us/politics/nick-ayers-trump-chief-of-staff.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage). * **Yellow Vest Protests:** French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to address his nation today, after more than 100,000 people took to the streets Saturday for the fourth straight weekend, protesting an increase in fuel taxes and the high cost of living. More than 1,200 of the protestors were taken into custody. Read more [here](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-46499996). * **Russia Investigation:** Russian nationals interacted with at least 14 Trump associates during the 2016 campaign and into the presidential transition, according to records and interviews made public by the special counsel. In some of those conversations, high-level Russians offered the Trump campaign “synergy” as early as 2015. Read more [here](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/russians-interacted-with-at-least-14-trump-associates-during-the-campaign-and-transition/2018/12/09/71773192-fb13-11e8-8c9a-860ce2a8148f_story.html?utm_term=.d035593bb352). * **Moonves:** Former CBS chief Les Moonves is threatening to sue CBS over leaked documents given to the New York Times. The report found that Moonves allegedly destroyed evidence and had an employee on-call to perform oral sex. His $120 million severance package is at stake. Read more [here](https://nypost.com/2018/12/07/les-moonves-threatens-to-sue-cbs-over-sex-misconduct-investigation-leaks/). * **Musk Interview:** Elon Musk gave a revealing interview to 60 Minutes, in which he said Tesla would consider purchasing some of the plants that GM is closing. Musk also said he does not respect the SEC after the settlement over his tweeting, and that no one is approving his tweets. Read more [here](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tesla-ceo-elon-musk-the-2018-60-minutes-interview/). * **Heisman:** Quarterback Kyler Murray of the Oklahoma Sooners is the 2018 Heisman Trophy winner, becoming the second straight QB from Oklahoma to win the top college football award. Shortly after the ceremony, Murray apologized after anti-gay tweets surfaced from when he was a teenager. Read more [here](http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/25490250/heisman-trophy-winner-kyler-murray-apologizes-anti-gay-tweets). * **Markle vs. Markle:** Thomas Markle claims he’s been “frozen out” by his daughter, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex. In an interview, he says he’s dreading this Christmas because he won’t be receiving a card from his daughter. Read more [here](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6475167/Meghans-father-Thomas-Markle-reveals-sweet-cards-proof-did-wedding.html). * **Top Dog Names:** Max, Charlie and Cooper are the top male dog names of 2018. Bella, Lucy, and Luna are the top three female dog names. The names were compiled by Rover, which found that booze-themed names (like Porter and Guinness) are increasingly more popular. Popular names for 2018 include Cardi B, Harry, and Meghan ー with the latter two up 130 percent. Read more [here](https://www.npr.org/2018/12/09/674596049/origins-of-the-top-dog-names-of-2018-pop-culture-brunch-and-baby-names). * **End of the Lullaby?:** Lullabies have reportedly lost their luster. Just 38 percent of parents sing lullabies to their kids, according to a new study. Of those who do sing, 70 percent are over 45 years old. Read more [here](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/2018/12/07/end-lullaby-younger-parents-eschew-bedtime-ritual-survey-finds/). Cheddar's Hena Doba gets into the latest. Subscribe to the Need 2 Know newsletter [here](https://theneed2know.com).

Share:
More In Politics
Georgia Primaries Show Limits of Former President Trump's Influence
Cheddar Politics takes a deeper look at the takeaways from the Georgia primary elections on Tuesday. Georgia Public Broadcasting's local and state politics reporter, Stephen Fowler, joins us to discuss the limits of Trump endorsements and break down what the outcome in each race means.
Calls Grow for Social Media to Flag Threats in Wake of School Shooting
After learning that the suspect in the Uvalde school shooting posted about his intentions on Facebook, activists are urging social networks to make changes. Lena Derhally, a licensed psychotherapist and author of "The Facebook Narcissist," joined Cheddar News to discuss the role social media plays in school shootings. "They're not really invested in taking down hateful content," she said about social platforms."In regards to the shooting, it was 15 minutes before that actual threat. It would be pretty hard for a social media company to trace that threat that quickly. But what they can do better is take down threats and hateful content much faster and more than they're doing now."
Calls for Gun Reform Once Again in Aftermath of Uvalde School Shooting
Following the mass shooting at the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, that left 19 children and two adults dead, the debate over gun control has been reignited. While studies have shows most Americans agree on some additional regulations, there hasn't been much legislative traction even as gun violence worsens in the country. Brian Lemek, the executive director of Defend The Vote and the former executive director at Brady PAC for gun control, joined Cheddar to discuss reform efforts. "The lawmakers that we have aren't passing these at the federal level," he said. "That's the problem. We have the wrong people in charge."
Terra Collapse Leaves Questions About Impact on Broader Crypto Market
The crypto industry is still reeling from Terra's recent crash. The company's blockchain was temporarily halted earlier this month after the collapse of its cryptocurrency Luna (LUNA) and its stablecoin TerraUSD (UST), which led to almost $45 billion being wiped from the tokens' market caps within a week. Now, many are left wondering what Terra's struggles mean for the broader crypto market. Reeve Collins, CEO of the NFT platform BLOCKv, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell from Davos 2022 to discuss.
Joe Sanberg's Efforts to Increase Minimum Wage in California
The average city in California has a 38% higher cost of living than the average American city, according to a cost of living index. For many, the general minimum wage of $15/hour just doesn't cut it. Anti-poverty activist Joe Sanberg wants to get the minimum wage changed to $18/hour. He joins Cheddar News to discuss the Living Wage Act of 2022.
Load More