These are the headlines you Need2Know:
* **Tamer Hurricane Season Expected:**
The 2018 hurricane season is shaping up to be "below-normal.” Experts with NOAA now predict nine to 13 named storms ー maybe only two major hurricanes of Category 3 strength or higher. Last year there were 17 named storms, and three major hurricanes hit U.S. soil. For more on the condition of the storm, [click here](https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/09/us/noaa-hurricane-season-forecast-wxc/index.html).
* **Space Forces Needs a Logo and a Release Date:**
Vice President Mike Pence says the Pentagon is working to create Space Force, a sixth armed service to beef up military capabilities in space and help protect satellites. The biggest rivals in space are China and Russia. Congress needs to authorize and fund the force. Vote on the logo [here](https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/08/trump-wants-campaign-donors-to-vote-on-the-logo-for-the-space-force/), and read more [here](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/09/us/politics/trump-pence-space-force.html).
* **New NFL Season, More Protests:**
Several players took a knee, raised their fists or stayed off the field during the national anthem at last night’s preseason games. The NFL recently announced a policy that all players must stand for the national anthem, or remain in the locker room without penalty. But that policy is currently on hold. For more on this story, [click here](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/some-nfl-players-kneel-or-raise-fists-during-anthem-preseason-n899481).
* **A Potential 2020 Run for Stormy Daniels's Lawyer:**
Michael Avenatti, the lawyer for the adult entertainment start Stephanie Clifford, also known as Stormy Daniels, said he might run for president. Known as one of President Trump’s most outspoken critics in his capacity as Clifford's lawyer, Avenatti has also discussed his interest in challenging Trump on policies such as immigration. For more, check out [POLITICO](https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/10/michael-avenatti-presidential-run-iowa-2020-771291).
Cheddar's Jill Wagner gets into the latest.
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Dr. Farhan Bhatti, a family physician and Michigan State lead for the Committee to Protect Health Care, joined Cheddar to discuss the newly discovered and highly transmissible omicron variant of COVID-19. Bhatti said it is too early to draw any conclusions about the new variant but there is concern that it could eventually mutate and develop a resistance to vaccines. "Time will tell, but for now, it looks like, still, the best thing that we can do to try to limit the spread of this disease is make sure everybody gets a vaccine and make sure everybody avoids large gatherings indoors and wears masks during the wintertime especially," he said.
Jill and Carlo cover the latest developments with the Omicron variant that are spooking markets once again. Twitter's @Jack is leaving, SCOTUS takes up abortion rights and the world has a brand new republic.
A CDC panel unanimously endorsed Moderna and Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine boosters for all U.S. adults. This comes after the FDA gave its own authorization for everyone 18 and older, scrapping previous eligibility factors like age and underlying conditions. Dr. Shereef Elnahal, President and CEO of University Hospital and former New Jersey Health Commissioner, joined Cheddar News to break down the development.
The Biden Administration is set to buy 10 million courses of Pfizer's Covid pill if it gains emergency use authorization from the FDA. With this purchase, the U.S. will receive more than 13 million courses of antiviral pills aimed at treating Covid and reducing severe illness and death. Pfizer's pill has been shown to reduce risk of hospitalization and death by 89 percent, proving it could be a key tool in the fight against the pandemic. Dr. Soumi Eachempati, Co-Founder, CEO & CMO of Cleared4, joined Cheddar News to discuss.
Dr. David Dodson, Infectious Disease Specialist at Carden & Dodson MD, joined Wake Up With Cheddar to break down what we know so far about the Omicron Covid-19 variant, and why you shouldn't wait for an Omicron-specific shot to get vaccinated.
Friday saw big sell offs, with the Dow Jones posting its worst day since October 2020, falling 905 points, with the Nasdaq and S&P 500 each tumbling more than two percent as well. Much of that due to investor concerns over the new Covid-19 'Omicron' variant first detected in South Africa. Craig Erlam, senior market analyst at Oanda explains what investors should expect this week.
The ocean is an important topic when it comes to the climate. It plays a vital role in shaping our environment, with rising sea levels causing a 35% increase in natural disasters around the world, affecting 1.7 billion people. Dr. Sylvia Earle has been called perhaps the greatest advocate our oceans have ever had, with Time magazine dubbing her its first 'hero of the planet' and the Library of Congress naming her a living legend. She is also the founder of Mission Blue, an organization that inspires action to explore and protect the ocean. Dr. Earle joined Cheddar Climate for more on the importance of caring for the ocean and its impact on climate change.
Scientists are racing to understand the Omicron variant of covid-19 and find out just how dangerous it really is. Omicron, dubbed a variant of concern by the WHO, was first detected in South Africa last week and has already spread to multiple countries, including the UK, Canada, Australia and more. Dr. Jonathan Javitt, CEO of Nrx and adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, joined Cheddar to discuss what we know and don't know about this new variant.
The House has officially passed the $1.75 trillion social policy and climate big. This new bill is expected to bring some huge investments into working towards fighting climate change. U.S. President of We Don't Have Time, Sweta Chakraborty, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
