Need 2 Know: State of the Union Uncertainty, May Survives (Again)
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know.
* **Syria:** Four American service members are among the dead in an ISIS suicide bombing in Syria, weeks after President Trump declared victory over the terrorist group and announced the withdrawal of troops in that country. The blast, which targeted a restaurant popular with American troops, killed 19 people in total. Hours after the attack, Vice President Pence declared that ISIS had, in fact, been defeated. Read more [here](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-46892118).
* **Shutdown: Day 27:** House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has asked President Trump to delay the State of the Union address, scheduled for Jan. 29, until the government reopens, or do it in writing instead. She cited “security concerns” over Secret Service staffing. The Dept. of Homeland Security says it would be able to handle it, and the White House is said to be mulling whether the GOP-controlled Senate could invite Trump to deliver the address instead. Read more [here](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/white-house-officials-discuss-whether-mcconnell-can-invite-trump-for-state-of-the-union-address/).
* **California Storms:** California has been hit with multiple storms this week and it’s not over yet. The National Weather Service is warning a “powerful Pacific storm” is expected to “hammer the West Coast into Friday.” Heavy rain and blizzard conditions are expected. Meanwhile, in Southern California, a 19-car crash resulted from fog, and in Northern California, a mudslide made a mess of the morning commute. Read more [here](http://time.com/5505269/california-storm-highway-closures-car-crashes/).
* **May Survives (Again):** UK Prime Minister Theresa May survived another ‘no-confidence’ vote just after her Brexit deal failed. The ouster vote was 325 to 306. May has until Monday to come up with a new Brexit plan. Read more [here](https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-46900367).
* **Razr Back:** The Motorola Razr is reportedly coming back. According to the Wall Street Journal, the new version of the phone comes with a foldable screen, will cost around $1500 and may be available as soon as February. The phonemaker Lenovo, which owns the Motorola brand, is reported to be partnering with Verizon on an exclusive deal. Read more [here](https://www.wsj.com/articles/return-of-the-razrwith-a-foldable-screen-and-1-500-price-11547643601).
* **Bye, Bob:** Broadcaster Bob Costas has parted ways with NBC after 40 years at the network. His contract, worth millions of dollars, ran through 2021. Costas reportedly said it was “all settled quietly and happily for all concerned.” Read more [here](https://www.si.com/tech-media/2019/01/16/bob-costas-nbc-leaves-40-years-mlb-network).
* **Who Ya Gonna Call?:** There’s a new "Ghostbusters" movie on the horizon, and a teaser has already been released. The sequel to the original franchise will be directed by Jason Reitman, the son of the original film’s director, and is expected in the summer of 2020. Watch the teaser [here](https://ew.com/trailers/2019/01/16/jason-reitman-ghostbusters-movie-teaser/).
* **Chris Hansen:** Chris Hansen, the former host of "To Catch a Predator," has been arrested for allegedly bouncing checks. Hansen is accused of writing a nearly $13,000 check for items ー twice. Both checks bounced. The items, including mugs and shirts, were for a marketing campaign. Read more [here](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/catch-a-predator-host-chris-hansen-charged-bouncing-checks-1176635).
* **Super Blood Wolf Moon:** A "super blood wolf moon," a rare lunar eclipse, will be visible this Sunday night. The event gets its name because it consists of three lunar events: a supermoon, a wolf moon ー the first full moon of the year ー and a blood moon, which is when the sun, moon, and Earth all line up to create a red glow. Find out how to watch [here](https://www.sciencealert.com/the-super-blood-moon-eclipse-is-almost-upon-us-here-s-how-to-watch).
* **"Fat Lady":** Meghan Markle took it well when a woman at an animal charity called her “a fat lady.” The woman first told the royal she was a “lovely lady” and then added she was “a fat lady.” Markle laughed and said, “I’ll take it!” Read more [here](https://people.com/royals/pregnant-meghan-markle-was-called-a-fat-lady-at-animal-shelter-and-her-response-was-perfection/).
Cheddar's Hena Doba gets into the latest.
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Terrell Jermaine Starr, senior fellow with the Atlantic Council and host of the Black Diplomats podcast joins Cheddar News to discuss Russia's attempt to invade Ukraine.
With an increasing number of teachers and staff calling out sick by the day, the state of Oklahoma is turning to an unusual solution. Republican Governor Kevin Stitt has issued an executive order that permits state employees to work as substitute teachers. Shaily Baranwal, founder and CEO of Elevate K-12, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
On Thursday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken addressed the stance of the U.S. and its allies should Russia make any forays into Ukraine, a seeming response to President Biden's remarks that should Putin engage in something short of a full invasion, there might be some indecision among allied nations regarding what to do. Ariel Cohen, a senior fellow at the think tank Atlantic Council, joined Cheddar to discuss the difficulty faced by Blinken wrangling unity as tensions run high in the region. "There'll be a smaller incursion, and the president implied, there'll be a weaker response because our European allies have created this horrible situation where they are dependent on Moscow for their gas supply," Cohen explained.
During a nearly two-hour press conference on Wednesday, President Biden spoke on his accomplishments and challenges from the first year of his presidency, and what his administration hopes to accomplish in the coming year. However, his approval ratings are underwater as COVID remains a big concern for voters — as does inflation, noted Tom Bevan, co-founder and president of polling aggregator RealClearPolitics. "The public thinks [inflation] is priority number one, and the administration is concerned about it, they talk about it, but they're not spending enough time on it as far as the public is concerned," said Bevan.
The drama surrounding tennis star Novak Djokovic continues after he was deported from Australia over the weekend due to the nation's COVID-19 vaccine requirements. Djokovic was forced to leave the country on the eve of what was to be his first match in defense of his Australian Open title after three judges ruled in favor of his removal and revealed their reasoning for doing so. Adding to his woes, a law recently passed in France is putting his chances of defending his French Open title in jeopardy. The director of Marist's Center for Sports Communication, Jane McManus, joined Cheddar to discuss the ongoing fallout.
As the midterm elections get ever closer, candidates have been getting creative with their campaigns to stick out and to connect with voters. Gary Chambers, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate from Louisiana, has definitely attracted attention with an advertisement featuring him smoking a blunt, making a point about the inequity of anti-cannabis laws. "We wanted to bring the seriousness of the moment," he said of the ad. "But we also wanted to make sure that people understand that there are 19 states that are legal right now but Black people and brown people are being over-incarcerated in mostly Southern and Midwestern states in America for cannabis possession."
If some members of Congress have their way, there might finally be a 'TLDR' on sites' terms of service, introduced by the terms-of-service labeling, design, and readability act – or TLDR for short. With this act, users will actually understand what they're agreeing to or the many ways in which their data is being used before pressing 'accept.' J.D. sat down with co-sponsor of the bill and Senator Bill Cassidy, to discuss.
President Joe Biden's first year in office is wrapping up. What has he achieved, and what else remains on the table while the Democrats have control of Washington? Amid an ongoing pandemic and rising inflation, Biden's approval rating is at an all-time low and his party is plagued by infighting. Will he be able to continue pushing key parts of his agenda? Paul Glastris, former Bill Clinton speechwriter & Editor-in-chief of 'Washington Monthly,' joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss the president's achievements in his first year, where he's fallen short, and what he must do in order to get more of his agenda signed into law.
Tech giants Meta, Amazon, Alphabet, and Apple are faced with a bipartisan antitrust legislation effort underway in the Senate Judiciary Committee. The companies stand accused of promoting their own goods and services over smaller competitors on their platforms, holding too much monopolistic power via their app stores and services. Adam Kovacevich, founder and CEO of Chamber of Progress, a technology industry trade group, joined Cheddar to argue that the bills that are being debated currently could end up hurting consumers, rather than helping.