These are the headlines you Need2Know:
* **Joining Forces to Fight Cartels:**
The United States and Mexico will cooperate to fight drug cartels amid tension between the two countries over President Trump’s immigration policies. The anti-drug plan calls for more aggressively attacking the cartels’ financial infrastructure. For more on this story, [click here](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/u-s-mexico-to-announce-new-plans-to-tackle-drug-cartels-ap/).
* **Dozens Overdose at Park Near Yale:**
At least 70 people overdosed Wednesday on a synthetic cannabinoid substance called K2, which was laced with fentanyl. There has not been a reported fatality in the New Haven, Conn., park, but two people are in life-threatening condition. One person has been arrested in connection with selling the drugs. For more, [click here](https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/15/health/new-haven-overdoses/index.html).
* **Cake Shop Owner May Go Back to the Supreme Court:**
The owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop, Jack Phillips, is suing the state of Colorado because he didn't want to make a cake for a transgender woman. Earlier this year, Phillips won a 7-2 Supreme Court decision over his refusal to bake a cake for a same-sex couple because it went against his religious beliefs. Gov. John Hickenlooper, who is named in Phillips' suit, said the new case could also make it to the Supreme Court. For more on this story, check out [NPR](https://www.npr.org/2018/08/16/639147599/colorado-baker-sues-state-again-after-refusing-to-make-cake-for-transgender-woma).
* **Jury to Decide Paul Manafort's Future:**
Deliberations are underway in the trial of President Trump's former campaign chairman. Manafort pleaded not guilty to all 18 counts of tax evasion, financial fraud, and concealing of foreign accounts. The verdict could possibly determine the course of the investigation by the special counsel Robert Mueller into Russian interference with the 2016 presidential campaign. For more on this story, [click here](https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/16/politics/paul-manafort-trial-robert-mueller-donald-trump/index.html).
Cheddar's Jill Wagner gets into the latest.
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Activism is growing around the country in response to school boards banning books from shelves that focus on sexuality, gender, identity, or race. Jen Cousins, co-founder of The Florida Freedom to Read Project, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
A recent study has found that young people's mental health worsens as they go through their teenage years, with the wellbeing of adolescent girls the most severely impacted. Simone Alicia, creator of The Self Esteem Doctor Academy, joins Cheddar News to discuss how to raise self esteem among this age group.
Cristyl Kimbrough, real estate attorney and star of 'Ladies Who List: Atlanta,' joins Cheddar News to discuss her new show on OWN and breaking into Atlanta's luxury real estate space.
Carl Tobias, professor of law at the University of Richmond, joins Cheddar News to talk about how Johnson & Johnson funded experiments on mostly Black men comparing the effects of talc and asbestos on their skin.
Amazon unveiled its new mobile app called Amp as a direct competitor to Clubhouse, allowing people to host live radio shows. Although it is still in beta, users can join the waitlist from the iOS store.
The war in Ukraine continues to reveal heartbreaking gut-wrenching stories. The war in itself is not only devastating but also expensive. Experts estimate that Russia is draining nearly $20 million dollars each day to continue occupying and invading Ukraine. All this could force the country to turn to cryptocurrencies. It's a major turn for the country that briefly considered outlined digital assets entirely, but it could also have serious implications for cryptos. Managing Director at Quantum Fintech Group, Harry Yeh, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
As Russia intensifies its war on Ukraine, President Biden announced a ban on oil imported from the aggressor nation. Critics of Russia have said this would be the best way to force Putin to pull back, but curbs on Russian oil exports are expected to send already skyrocketing oil and gas prices even higher, further impacting consumers, businesses, financial markets, and the global economy. Leslie Beyer, CEO of the Energy Workforce and Technology Council, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss. "It's certainly going to increase pricing, but it is the right thing to do," she said. "The industry itself has already pulled out of the significant portion of its operations in Russia."
On International Women's Day, we should not only focus on the women who came before us but but also the women doing the work today for a better tomorrow. Ms. James, also known as @iamthatenglishteacher on TikTok, is an Arkansas teacher who took her talents to the video-sharing app to expand her classroom from four walls to the world! She joins Cheddar News to discuss her love for teaching.
