These are the headlines you Need 2 Know. * **Shutdown Day 25:** With negotiations over the government shutdown at a standstill, a bipartisan group of senators, led by Joe Manchin (D-W.V.), formed to try and find a way to reopen federal agencies, though no breakthrough seemed imminent. Read more [here](https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/14/politics/senators-shutdown-meeting-manchin-office/index.html). * **Shutdown Effects:** A CNN reporter shot video of the massive security line at Atlanta’s Hartsfield International Airport, the world’s busiest, where passengers reported waiting hours to clear an understaffed TSA checkpoint. See it [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/gifs/comments/afzc68/the_line_waiting_to_get_through_tsa_security_at/). * **Fast Food Dinner:** With the White House kitchen staff mostly furloughed, President Trump had 300 burgers from McDonald’s, Wendy’s and Burger King delivered ー “great American food” ー for his event with the Clemson Tigers to celebrate their championship win. Trump said he paid for the spread himself. Read more [here](https://sports.yahoo.com/twitter-jokes-seeing-clemsons-fast-food-spread-white-house-004241506.html). * **Steve King:** Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) was stripped of his committee positions and is being pressured from within his own party to resign after he questioned why white supremacy is offensive. King has a history of making racially-tinged and sometimes outwardly racist remarks. Read more [here](https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/425348-another-gop-lawmaker-calls-on-steve-king-to-resign-over-white-supremacy). * **AG Nominee:** William Barr, President Trump’s nominee for attorney general, told Congress ahead of his confirmation hearing that he would permit special counsel Robert Mueller to complete the Russia investigation, vowing transparency and saying it was “very important” for the public to see the results. Barr had previously written a memo skeptical of Mueller’s legal authority to investigate the president. Read more [here](https://www.npr.org/2019/01/14/685132053/barr-vows-to-let-mueller-finish-his-russia-work-and-promises-transparency). * **Closs’ Horror:** The man accused of killing the parents of Jayme Closs and then kidnapping her admitted that he saw the girl board a school bus and decided in the moment to abduct her. Jake Patterson, 21, is charged with shooting James and Denise in their home, and then taking Jayme. She stayed in captivity for months before escaping. Read more [here](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/14/us/jayme-closs-updates-jake-patterson.html). * **Opioid Epidemic:** For the first time, Americans are more likely to die from opioid overdoses than car accidents. The National Safety Council estimates the odds of dying from an overdose to be 1 in 96. The odds of dying in a car crash are 1 in 103. The leading causes of death remain heart disease, cancer, and suicide. Read more [here](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/01/americans-die-opioid-overdose-car-crash-190114175117692.html). * **Big Bankruptcy:** Pacific Gas & Electric, California’s largest utility, is headed for bankruptcy, but insists it will stay in business. The utility blamed $7 billion in claims stemming from the deadly Camp Fire, which is believed to have started when a PG&E line came in contact with a tree. PG&E’s CEO resigned over the weekend. Read more [here](https://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article224504140.html). * **It’s Electric:** Volkswagen announced it would open a new plant in Tennessee dedicated exclusively to building electric cars. The factory will be based alongside another VW facility in Chattanooga, and will create 1,000 new jobs. Among the vehicles that will be produced at the site: a rebooted, electric version of VW’s iconic Microbus. Read more [here](https://jalopnik.com/volkswagens-adding-1-000-american-jobs-with-a-new-ev-pl-1831735705). * **Markle Bodyguard:** Meghan Markle is said to be “gutted” by her personal bodyguard’s decision to quit after less than a year on the job. The Metropolitan Police officer is reportedly leaving for personal reasons, and not due to any bad blood with the royal family. Read more [here](https://people.com/royals/meghan-markle-is-gutted-by-sudden-departure-of-her-bodyguard-source/). * **Spotted:** Katherine Schwarzenegger, daughter of Arnold Schwarzenegger and journalist Maria Shriver, sporting a giant engagement ring. She’s marrying actor Chris Pratt. See the pic [here](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-6591615/Katherine-Schwarzenegger-shows-six-figure-engagement-ring-sister-Christina.html). * **’McJesus’:** A sculpture of Ronald McDonald on a cross has led to protests in Israel. Rocks and a firebomb were reportedly thrown at police in Haifa, Israel, where people are calling for the artwork to be pulled from a museum. See it [here](https://nypost.com/2019/01/14/sculpture-of-crucified-ronald-mcdonald-sparks-uproar-in-israel/). Cheddar's Hena Doba gets into the latest. Subscribe to the Need 2 Know newsletter [here](https://theneed2know.com).
