These are the headlines you Need2Know:
* **Western Wildfires Grow Deadly:**
At least 16 active and a dozen contained fires have engulfed the state of California. The blazes range from mild to deadly, and some have even spread to as many as nine neighboring states. Check out the striking photos [here](http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-carr-fire-20180726-story.html).
* **Tweets, Trouble, Trump:**
Special Council Robert Mueller thinks President Trump's tweets may support an obstruction of justice case. Mueller objects, most notably, to Trump's criticisms of Attorney General Jeff Sessions and former FBI Chief James Comey. In typical fashion, Trump responded to Mueller on Twitter. More on Trump and the latest [scandal](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/26/us/politics/trump-tweets-mueller-obstruction.html).
* **Thousands of Immigrant Children Returned to Parents, But Many Still Separated:**
The White House reported Thursday night that more than 1,800 immigrant children were reunited with their parents on Deadline Day. Nevertheless, a little over 700 children remain in custody. A federal judge will stage a hearing Friday to determine whether the Trump Administration honored its promise. For more on this story, [click here](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/07/26/feds-race-against-clock-reunify-immigrant-families-caught-border/844107002/).
* **Papa John Sues Papa John's**
The company’s former CEO John Schnatter filed a lawsuit against the pizza chain on Thursday, asking for access to company files. On July 11, [reports](https://www.forbes.com/sites/noahkirsch/2018/07/11/papa-johns-founder-john-schnatter-allegedly-used-n-word-on-conference-call/#483fa4224cfc) surfaced that Schnatter used a racial pejorative during a conference call. Schnatter still owns over 20 percent of the company but resigned as CEO and was removed from all marketing after the scandal. For more on this story, check out [CNNMoney](https://money.cnn.com/2018/07/26/news/companies/papa-johns-lawsuit-john-schnatter/index.html).
Cheddar's Jill Wagner gets into the latest.
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Private equity firms are taking a big interest in investing in NBA teams, the sports league showing the highest ROI over the last two decades according to Sportico, Forbes, and PitchBook. Wylie Fernyhough, lead analys for private equity at PitchBook joined Cheddar News to discuss the way firms are looking to get a piece of the action on the court. “There’s a certain amount of rarity, with these," Fernyhough said. "They’re not exactly printing new NBA franchises."
In efforts to help support black-owned brands. Ulta Beauty says it will make a commitment to not only give these brand shelf space but also help them navigate the ins and outs of growing a business. Last week, the beauty retailer announced in order to reach those goals, the company will spend $50 million on diversity and inclusion programs, including an accelerated program to mentor entrepreneurs of color. CEO of Ulta Beauty, Dave Kimbell, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Inflation remains hot as the January PPI has increased by 1 percent, twice what analysts had been expecting with a jump of 9.7 over the year. Beth Ann Bovino, the U.S. chief economist, for S&P Global Ratings, joined Cheddar News to discuss the rapid pace of inflation alongside higher wages, predicting the Federal Reserve will act quickly and forcefully this year. "They haven't changed their forecast, yet, that's gonna come out soon. But we expect that a March rate hike is basically pretty much baked in the cake," she said. "We think six rate hikes in total for 2022."
For black history month, Cheddar is highlighting black business leaders who are driving the need for representation forward. On February 10, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce hosted an event called 'Developing the Black-Owned Business Ecosystem.' The virtual event was organized under the lobbying group's two initiatives -- the Equality of Opportunity Initiative, and the Coalition to Back Black Businesses. The event highlighted the developments needed to develop more black-owned businesses in the U.S. Dr. Anthony Wilbon, Dean of the School of Business at Howard University, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss his experience as a speaker at the event.
Black spending power reached a record $1.6 Trillion in a 2021 report from the University of Georgia Selig Center for Economic Growth. Ayesha Selden, certified financial planner, breaks down why real estate is the key to closing the racial wealth gap and how Black Americans are using social media to improve financial literacy. "If we look at home ownership as being a primary driver of wealth, when you look at the equity that Americans have in their homes, that equity can be used to buy additional assets like other rental properties. That equity can be used to educate our children," Selden said, noting that lower rates of home ownership meant Black Americans tend to incur more debt on average for their student loans.
A new survey from Etoro suggests that talking crypto might actually help Americans on the dating scene find love...or at least land another date. The survey found that 74% of respondents would be more interested in going on a second date with a person that pays the bill in Bitcoin. Callie Cox, Etoro's U.S. investment analyst, joined Cheddar News to discuss.
