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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Going into election day on Tuesday, many of us had an inkling it might not be a great day for Democrats. History tells us the president's party tends to lose congressional seats, governorships and state legislature seats in off-year and midterm elections. Tuesday turned out to be a big wake-up call for democrats. Not only did Terry McAuliffe lose in the Virginia governor's race, Gov. Phil Murphy won re-election by an incredibly slim margin. Both races saw continued Democratic losses in rural areas and a shift of suburban voters back to the GOP. Liz Landers, chief political correspondent at Vice News, joins Cheddar Politics to discuss.
Week one of UN climate summit is coming to an end, world leaders made a number of promises to save the planet. President Biden attended the first two days of the meeting.
Alan Neuhauser, vice president of Silverline Communications, joined Cheddar Politics to talk more about the pledges that came out from the summit and their significance.
It's been a busy week for the Supreme Court. It heard arguments on three of the most watched cases in the docket for this term. The court heard arguments in two cases challenging the Texas abortion law on Monday - one filed by abortion providers and the other by the justice department. Instead of weighing in on the constitutionality of the matter itself, justices focused on the unusual structure of the law that enables citizens to enforce the law, not the state government.
On Wednesday, the court heard arguments in the biggest Second Amendment case in more than a decade. The dispute is over a New York gun law that requires people seeking a license to carry a handgun in public to show a "proper cause." The challengers in this case claim the law inhibits their constitutional Second Amendment rights.
Amy Howe, co-founder of SCOTUSBlog, joined Cheddar Politics to break the cases down.
This is the first installment of Cheddar Changemakers, where we spotlight young activists making a difference in the world and speaking up on issues regarding mental health, voting, and climate change.
Republicans are considered, and often act like, the party opposed to action on climate change. They've made a point of fighting even modest regulations on businesses related to stemming the worst effects of climate change. But Republicans aren't a monolith on climate change, and our next guest reminds us that "conservation" and "conservative" have the same word root.
Quill Robinson, VP of government affairs at the American Conservation Coalition, joins Cheddar Politics to discuss.
The mayor of Portland, Oregon, Ted Wheeler joined Cheddar News Wrap to discuss his plans to get an increase in the city's police budget for more personnel, changes to public safety response, and more body cameras. The Democratic mayor addressed the growth in violent crimes amid the pandemic, but noted the need for officers who take their roles seriously. We want officers who understand that policing is an important responsibility, it's a high calling," he said. "We also want a police bureau that is accountable and responsible to the public it serves."
More American tech companies continue to pull their businesses out of China as the Communist Party cracks down on firms — both foreign and domestic. Yahoo and Fortnite have become the latest companies to withdraw from the country, and the withdrawals come just days after Microsoft announced it would take LinkedIn offline. Shehzad Qazi, managing director at China Beige Book International, joined Cheddar to provide some insight into how the crackdowns in China would also impact the tech companies at home in the United States.
A new report out by the Center for Countering Digital Hate shows how just ten publishers are responsible for the bulk of climate change misinformation on social media--and companies like Facebook and Google are making money off them. Imran Ahmed, CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, joined Cheddar to discuss.
'The Good Liars' are Jason Selvig and Davram Stiefler, a comedy duo that's been shaking up the political world for years. They're out with a new mockumentary, 'The Supporters,' following the 2020 election. Jason Selvig & Davram Stiefler, Stunt Comedians and creators of 'The Good Liars' joined Cheddar News to discuss.
