These are the headlines you Need2Know:
* **More Russian Hacking Afoot:**
Russian hackers are reportedly still trying to influence U.S. elections. The latest alleged targets are conservative organizations that have expressed a desire to sanction Moscow against President Trump's wishes. Microsoft said in a report that it uncovered fake internet domains linked to the same Russian military intelligence unit that was involved in trying to sway voters in the 2016 election. For more on this story, [click here](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/21/us/politics/russia-cyber-hack.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=first-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news).
* **Summer Reading with Obama:**
Barack Obama released his summer reading picks on Facebook. The shortlist includes "Warlight," which the former President describes as "a meditation on the lingering effects of war." President Trump, on the other hand, said he doesn't have much time to read anymore but has recommended books on Twitter, including “Russia Hoax: The Illicit Scheme to Clear Hillary Clinton and Frame Donald Trump.” See President Obama's full list [here](https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/20/politics/barack-obama-reading-list-trnd/index.html).
* **Football Is Back:**
The AP released its first Top 25 Poll for the 2018 NCAA College Football season, and reigning champion Alabama holds the #1 spot. Clemson, Georgia, Wisconsin, and Ohio State round out the top 5. See the full list [here](https://collegefootball.ap.org/poll).
* **VMAs Honor Big Stars:**
Camila Cabello took home MTV's Video of the Year award for "Havana" and won Artist of the Year. Childish Gambino nabbed three awards for "This Is America.” And Jennifer Lopez was the recipient of this year’s Video Vanguard Award and performed a medley of her biggest hits. [Watch](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tPIq1SB4Dk) the performance.
Cheddar's Jill Wagner gets into the latest.
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The NCAA has updated its policy on transgender athletes, allowing each sport’s national governing body to make its own decisions for transgender participation. The new rule is in line with recent changes from the U.S. and International Olympic and Paralympic Committees. Joanna Hoffman, communications director of Athlete Ally, joined Cheddar News to discuss the potential impact of the new rule on the transgender community.
The NCAA voted to streamline their constitution at their annual convention on Thursday. Each of the three college divisions can decide how student-athletes can make money from outside sources but still restricts schools from directly paying its players.
With New York recently announcing the legalization of sports betting, even a greater number of bettors are looking forward to the NFL's divisional round. Derek Carty, a fantasy sports and sports betting analyst, talked to Cheddar about betting strategies for the four upcoming playoff games. "I feel like the Chiefs are a little bit overrated by the markets, and so the Bills here really look good to me," Carty said for the Kansas City and Buffalo matchup. He also pointed to the Green Bay Packers to be the likeliest team to win the Super Bowl this year.
Olivia Harlan Dekker and Sean Green break down and provide their top picks for the NFL Divisional Round this weekend, while Frank Schwab dissects NBA futures and gives his take on the ongoing Nets drama.
Sean Green, co-founder of The Sports Gambling Podcast Network, joins Cheddar Bets to break down the best plays across the AFC Divisional Round matchups.
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Frank Schwab, sports betting writer for Yahoo! Sports, joins Cheddar Bets to find the best value down the MVP contender list and make sense of how to bet the Nets at home and on the road.
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The drama surrounding tennis star Novak Djokovic continues after he was deported from Australia over the weekend due to the nation's COVID-19 vaccine requirements. Djokovic was forced to leave the country on the eve of what was to be his first match in defense of his Australian Open title after three judges ruled in favor of his removal and revealed their reasoning for doing so. Adding to his woes, a law recently passed in France is putting his chances of defending his French Open title in jeopardy. The director of Marist's Center for Sports Communication, Jane McManus, joined Cheddar to discuss the ongoing fallout.
Alex Silverman, senior reporter covering the business of sports at Morning Consult, joins Cheddar News to discuss why the number of those betting on sports doubled in 2021 and what's next for the industry in 2022.
If you have not placed your buffalo wings order yet, hurry up. The biggest weekend in NFL playoff history kicks off in just under 48 hours with six games being played over three days. Sports Analyst at Yahoo Sports Pamela Maldonado joined Cheddar to give us a preview ahead of the Super Wild Card Weekend.
