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).

Share:
More In Politics
Breaking Down Biden Admin's Stricter Fuel Economy Standards for New Cars
Peter Zalzal, associate vice president for clean air strategies at the Environmental Defense Fund, a nonprofit environmental advocacy group, joined Cheddar to discuss the Biden Administration's unveiling of stricter fuel-efficiency standards for new automobiles. "The administration estimated that these rules will reduce about 2.5 billion tons of climate pollution by 2050, and using less fuel also means that we have to go to the gas pump less often. And so it means we save money, thousands of dollars in avoided fuel costs each year for consumers," he noted.
St. Louis Fed Official Weighs in on Robust March Jobs Report
The relatively robust March jobs report showed that despite the low unemployment rate, Black, Hispanic, and women job seekers are still having difficulty finding work. William M. Rodgers III, the vice president and director of the Institute for Economic Equity at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis noted that participation rates in the labor force ticked up for minorities, adding to other positive signs of growth. He also spoke to Cheddar News to discuss further the jobs figures, the state of the labor market, and rising inflation.
Markets Open Higher Despite Weaker Than Expected March Jobs Report
U.S. markets opened higher to kick off the second quarter, despite a miss on the March Jobs Report. The economy added $431,000 in the month, slightly lower than the $490,000 analysts had expected. The unemployment rate also ticked down to 3.6% from 3.8%. Kevin Simpson, Founder & Chief Investment Officer, Capital Wealth Planning joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
Biden Unveils New Minimum Income Tax On Billionaires
President Biden is going after billionaires in his 2023 budget request to congress. The proposal would establish a 20% minimum tax rate on all households worth more than $100 million, as well as raise the corporate tax rate from 21% to 28%. Rhett Buttle, Small Business for America's Future Senior Advisor, Business Policy Expert & Biden Campaign Business Advisor, breaks down the proposal, what it aims to accomplish, and how small businesses might feel about it.
U.S. To Accept Up To 100,000 Ukrainian Refugees
The Biden administration has announced the U.S. will accept up to 100,000 refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine and provide more than 1 billion dollars in new funding for the growing humanitarian crisis. The move comes as President Biden meets with his western counterparts in Europe to demonstrate a united front against Russia and show support for Ukraine. Altagracia Pierre-Outerbridge, Immigration Attorney for Outerbridge Law, explains how this is going to work.
DOJ Backs Antitrust Bill Targeting Big Tech
The DOJ has endorsed an antitrust bill targeting tech giants like Apple, Amazon, Meta, and Google. The legislation would ban the companies from favoring their own products and services over their competitor's, making it more difficult them to dominate the marketplace. Greg Day, Assistant Professor of Legal Studies at the University of Georgia, breaks down the bill and its potential impact on anti-competition in the tech sector.
Load More