Get the Need2Know newsletter in your inbox every morning! Sign up here!

Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Monday, December 6, 2021:

WAITING FOR OMICRON

Dr. Fauci says the early indications of the severity of the Omicron variant are “a bit encouraging.” Omicron has quickly become the dominant strain circulating in South Africa, but hospitalization rates there are yet to increase at an alarming rate -- suggesting the variant may be much more contagious than Delta but also less dangerous. While Omicron has now been confirmed in about a third of U.S. states, the Delta variant is still far and away the dominant strain circulating in the country and is driving a surge of hospitalizations in the North. AP

IN MEMORIAM: BOB DOLE

Bob Dole, the WWII veteran, longtime senator from Kansas and one-time GOP presidential candidate, has died. Over his long career as a Republican stalwart in Congress, Dole was known as a partisan-turned-skilled legislator who worked across the aisle with Democrats on issues like Social Security reform and the Americans with Disabilities Act. After he lost to Bill Clinton in 1996, Dole became something of a TV pitchman, cutting ads for Pepsi, Visa and, famously, Viagra. He was 98. OBIT

CRUMBLEYS LOCKED UP

The parents of the teenage boy who allegedly shot and killed four classmates at his Michigan high school are in custody. James and Jennifer Crumbley are being charged with involuntary manslaughter for allegedly providing their son with unfettered access to the gun he used in the shooting. They failed to appear for their initial arraignment, leading authorities on a manhunt that ended with their arrests at a warehouse in Detroit. All three Crumbleys -- the mother, father, and son -- are being held in isolation at the same jail, each under suicide watch. CNN

SUU KYI SENTENCED

A court in Myanmar has sentenced Aung San Suu Kyi, the country’s former civilian leader, to four years in prison on charges of inciting public unrest and breaching Covid protocols. The sentence is the first of several expected to be handed down in the coming months against the Nobel laureate, which could keep her locked up for the rest of her life.  Suu Kyi was deposed in a military coup in February that led to violence and protests across the country. AL JAZ

BITCOIN CRASH

Bitcoin is currently trading around $48,000, down from $57,000 on Friday morning. The cryptocurrency had an extremely volatile weekend, tumbling 20% to $43,000 before recovering some. The president of El Salvador, who recently adopted Bitcoin as a national currency, said the country bought 150 coins on the dip. The crypto market has been seeing wild swings as investors sell off riskier assets as they watch what the Omicron variant could mean for the markets. COINDESK

TWITTER POST-JACK

Twitter’s new chief executive is in the midst of a major shakeup of the social media company following the departure of Jack Dorsey. Twitter’s heads of design and engineering are out as part of the reshuffling, which CEO Parag Agrawal says is in the name of “operational rigor” and “faster execution.” The reorg comes as the platform has started a new policy on what kinds of images users can and can’t share. Going forward, Twitter will have the right to take down any photo or video taken of someone without their consent -- unless it’s in the public interest to keep it up. WASH POST

CFP SET

No. 1 Alabama will play No. 4 Cincinnati and No. 2. Michigan will play No. 3. Georgia in the College Football Playoff on New Year’s Eve. The winners of those two games will compete in the national championship game on Jan. 10 in Indianapolis. Cincinnati is the first school from a non-Power 5 conference to make the playoff since its inception in 2014. ESPN

CUOMO FIRED

Chris Cuomo will not be coming back to CNN. The network fired their top-rated primetime anchor over the weekend after an internal investigation into his efforts to help his brother, Andrew, uncovered “additional information.” It’s not clear what that additional information is, but Cuomo’s termination came after a separate anonymous allegation of sexual misconduct was made against him by a former colleague at another network. Cuomo has denied that allegation. THE WRAP

SPOTTED...

...Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez, and their kids, catching a showing of Licorice Pizza in L.A.: SEE PICS

...the leaked cover of W magazine, featuring Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott, that was scrapped in the aftermath of the Astroworld tragedy: SEE IT

LEFTOVERS: MYSTERY ON THE MOON

China’s lunar rover has spotted a mysterious cube-shaped object on the horizon, and will spend the next couple months trying to get a closer look. The Yutu-2 rover has been exploring the far side of the moon since it landed in 2019, and recently snapped an image of what the Chinese space agency is calling a “mystery hut”: SEE IT

Share:
More In Culture
W. Kamau Bell on Key Takeaway From 'We Need to Talk About Cosby' Docuseries
After premiering at the 2022 Sundance Festival, Showtime is slated to drop the four-part docuseries "We Need to Talk About Bill Cosby" this Sunday. Director W. Kamau Bell joined Cheddar to discuss the sensitive project and about coming to grips with the reality of who Bill Cosby is following the numerous allegations of sexual assault. Bell said the biggest takeaway from the project is that survivors are not only looking for the 84-year-old comedian to be held accountable, they also want to prevent future assaults. "Maybe the key thing to learn is how do we create a society that is more supportive and accepting particularly women in this case who are survivors of sexual assault," Bell said.
What To Know About 2022 Tax Season
Tax season is now underway, and it's going to be a bit different than in years past. For starters, the deadline is April 18, instead of the typical April 15th, and many Americans will need to account for advance child tax credit payments, the return of the recovery rebate credit, and a special break for charitable contributions, among other things. Brent Weiss, Co-Founder and certified financial planner at Facet Wealth, tells us what we need to know about filing our taxes this year, and when we can expect to receive our returns.
College Enrollment Down Nearly 7% Since The Pandemic
College enrollment has been on a steady decline for years, and the pandemic hasn't helped. Since the start of the pandemic, there has been a 6.6% — more than 1 million students — drop in undergraduate enrollment, according to a recent report. Douglas Belkin, higher education reporter at the Wall Street Journal, joined Cheddar to discuss the long-term implications of students sitting out of college, and what institutions can do about it.
As Midterm Elections Loom, Biden's Approval Rating Continues Decline
As the midterm election looms, things aren't looking too promising for President Joe Biden. One year into his term as president, Biden is facing one of the lowest approval ratings of any modern-day president, threatening his party's control of the House in 2022. Brian Bennett, Senior White House Correspondent for TIME, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
The Biden Administration: One Year Down, Three to Go
A full one year into his term as President of The United States, President Biden addressed the nation on Wednesday, facing questions on everything from inflation to chip shortages and covid-19. As Biden enters his second year in office, he is facing one of the lowest approval ratings of any modern-day president. Kate Davidson, Reporter, POLITICO joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
New San Diego Law Funnels Grocery Waste To Food Banks
San Diego has just implemented a new law that could set the stage for how the country deals with food waste. This new law hopes to make a dent in that. Businesses and groceries stores out in San Diego will need to put a plan in place to *donate edible food rather than toss it straight to the trash. Food Rescue Manager at Feeding San Diego, Kate Garret
Bronx Twin Parks Apartment Fire Leaves 17 People Dead
Earlier this month, New York City experienced one of the deadliest fires it has seen in decades. 17 people lost their lives in the Fordham section of the Bronx. This was due to a faulty space heater which reportedly began on the lower floor of the 120 unit building. Thanks to the F. D. N. Y. And heroic neighbors, many were able to get out in time. Unfortunately, the toxic smoke surged upwards through a safety door. Now, many advocates say negligence by policymakers and landlords has led to the deaths in black and brown communities from fires that honestly could have been preventable. Legislative Director of Citizen Action of New York, Rebecca Garrard, and the Chair of Journalism and New Media Studies at St. Joseph's College Theodore Hamm, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Clari Raises $225 Million to Deliver Predictable Revenue for Every Business
Revenue operations platform Clari recently raised $225 million in a Series F financing round led by Blackstone, bringing the company's valuation to more than $2.6 billion. Calri says more than 450 companies from around the world use its A.I.-powered platform to make their revenue operations more connected, efficient, and predictable. Clari CEO Andy Byrne joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Load More