These are the headlines you Need2Know:
* **Demonstrators Stop Traffic in Chicago:**
At least 200 people marched down Chicago's Lake Shore Drive on Thursday to protest gun violence. The crowd marched to Wrigley Field before the Cubs game. More than 300 people were killed in Chicago this year – more than any other city in the U.S. For more on this story, [click here](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/08/02/chicago-protest-rahm-emanuel-wrigley-field-lake-shore-drive/890869002/).
* **The Search for Mollie Tibbetts Continues:**
The University of Iowa student has been missing for two weeks. Tibbetts was last seen in late July at her boyfriend's home in Brooklyn, Iowa. Her parents said they believe their daughter was kidnapped, and they think she is still alive. Tibbetts's family has offered a $172,000 reward. For details, [click here](http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/midwest/ct-missing-iowa-student-mollie-tibbetts-20180802-story.html).
* **JUUL Labs Responds to the FDA:**
The largest e-cigarette company in the U.S. responded to concerns Thursday from the FDA that underage teens are abusing the product. JUUL, which produces "flavorful" nicotine pods, acknowledged that teens are using its e-cigarettes, but vowed to address the problem. For the latest, check out [Engadget](https://www.engadget.com/2018/08/02/juul-bluetooth-e-cigs-lock-out-teen-smokers/).
* **Trump Endorses Candidate, Touts Diplomacy Skills:**
President Trump endorsed the Republican Lou Barletta for state Senate on Thursday at a rally in Wilkes-Barre, Penn. Trump quickly changed the subject to diplomacy, citing his dealings with North Korea and asking the crowd, “What ever happened to diplomacy?” For more on the rally, check out the [Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/in-pennsylvania-trump-tries-to-rally-supporters-behind-gop-senate-candidate/2018/08/02/260175bc-9662-11e8-810c-5fa705927d54_story.html?utm_term=.bf1aad18ce29).
Cheddar's Jill Wagner gets into the latest.
Subscribe to the Need2Know newsletter [here](https://theneed2know.com).
Cryptocurrency is expected to become a part of our daily lives — but what sort of environmental impact does it have? As the U.S. becomes the crypto mining capital of the world, climate advocates are worried about mining companies reopening old coal plants, using massive amounts of energy, wasteful hardware, and more. Congressional Democrats led by Senator Elizabeth Warren are demanding answers from mining firms about their electricity use and waste levels. John Belizaire, CEO of Soluna Computing, joins Cheddar Climate to discuss the congressional letters, how crypto mining can become a green industry, and more.
The Supreme Court will reconsider race-based affirmative action in college admissions. The court will examine admissions policies at Harvard University and The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, which count the race of applicants as a factor in admissions. The court has upheld affirmative action policies in the past, saying it helps to create more diverse student bodies. However, the conservative Supreme Court could be skeptical and even possibly hostile to such policies. Nick Anderson, Higher Education Writer, Washington Post joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
Stephanie Akin, Politics Reporter for CQ Roll Call, breaks down
Senator Manchin's donation pool, and highlights what this support means for the conservative Democrat as well as the Republican party.
The global oil benchmark surpassed $90 for the first time in more than seven years. This comes as growing tensions between Russia and Ukraine add to concerns about the already-tight market. Jay Hatfield, Chief Investment Officer at ICAP, joined Cheddar to discuss what this benchmark means for the oil industry, and what might happen if Russia does invade its neighbor.
With the Beijing Winter Olympics set to get underway on Friday, Dan Wolken, a national columnist for USA Today, joined Cheddar News to break down the big storylines as the pandemic and international conflicts threaten to cast a cloud over the event that is aspirationally seen as a beacon of international cooperation. Wolken noted specific issues over cybersecurity for visiting athletes and disputes over human rights leading to a diplomatic boycott have been making waves even before the opening ceremony. "So you've got sort of these barbs going back and forth already between the Americans and the Chinese, and things haven't even started yet," he said. "We don't even know what's going to happen once the games start and people actually start winning medals."
We are a week away from the 2022 Beijing Olympics, and China has already faced a host of problems leading up to the opening ceremony of the Beijing games. DJ Peterson, president of Longview Global Advisors, joins Cheddar News to discuss the many concerns and controversies surrounding the event.
In 2021, QAnon, the community which traffics in conspiracy theories saw a rapid growth in its numbers. As a result of vaccine rollouts, a number of conspiracies surrounding them also began to circulate which then led to the rise of "Anti-Vaxxers". As a result, the QAnon and anti-vax communities have become increasingly intertwined and the results could be costing lives. Senior Researcher at Media Matters Alex Kaplan, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Supreme Court Justice Breyer has announced that he will officially retire from his post. He has served as the senior member of the more liberal wing in recent years. Now his retirement puts pressure on President Biden to decide on who will replace Breyer. Attorney and Media Editor at SCOTUS blog Katie Barlow, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
A long awaited report in the UK looking into the alleged parties held at 10 Downing Street during lockdown finds a culture of excessive drinking and a "failure of leadership" in Boris Johnson's government. Cheddar News speaks with international journalist Thomas Cole, who is closely monitoring latest developments.
