These are the headlines you Need2Know:
* **Ohio’s Special Election:**
The election for a House seat in Ohio is still too close to call. The 12th district near Columbus is considered a Republican stronghold, so if the Democrat Danny O'Connor beats Republican Troy Balderson ー or comes really close ー it may signal a shift for the November midterms. Balderson was leading by less than 2,000 votes. For more as this story develops, [click here](https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/live-news/primary-election-2018-08-07-kansas-michigan-missouri-washington-ohio-special-election/).
* **First Muslim Woman in Congress?**
Michigan state representative Rashida Tlaib won the Democratic primary Tuesday, and no Republicans are running in November's midterm election. For more, check out [CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/08/politics/rashida-tlaib-michigan-13-congressional-district-election/index.html).
* **Elon Musk’s ‘Private’ Venture**
The CEO wants to take Tesla private if his company's stock reaches $420 per share. Musk made the announcement via [Twitter](https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1026872652290379776) during Tuesday’s trading, and some media outlets wondered if his account was hacked. But he was serious: Tesla closed up 11 percent at nearly $380 once trading resumed after a temporary halt. For more on Musk's plans and what investors are saying, [click here](https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/08/tesla-board-has-met-several-times-to-discuss-musks-desire-go-private.html).
* **New Rule Rattles NFL:**
As they run and tackle their way through the second week of the National Football League's preseason, players and coaches are concerned that the league's new helmet-contact [rule](https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/Fact-Sheet---Use-of-the-Helmet.aspx) is removing a key physical element of the game. The rule, which prohibits players from leading with their helmets to make contact, applies to running backs, offensive and defensive linemen, linebackers, and defensive backs. For more on player the story, read [this](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/redskins/nfl-helmet-rule-enforcement-unclear-for-players-coaches/2018/08/07/aec19218-9a74-11e8-a8d8-9b4c13286d6b_story.html?utm_term=.77d3f158d4e1).
Cheddar's Jill Wagner gets into the latest.
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Emmanuel Acho joined Cheddar News to talk about his new book "Illogical: Saying Yes to a Life Without Limits." The former NFL player, current broadcaster, and host is on a mission to help people see beyond the goals that they have set for themselves. “People say 'what is being illogical?'" he said. "To me, it's believing it is so even when it's not so — so that it can be so."
Adidas is now the first major sports brand to create a program for paying college athletes. The new "name, image and likeness" network will allow more than 50,000 students across NCAA Division 1 schools to become paid spokespeople for the brand. Thilo Kunkel, Associate Professor and Director of Sport Industry Research Center at Temple University, tells us why this new program is only the beginning of an exciting time for student athletes.
Sports betting has boomed over the past year; but at the same time, sports betting stocks have not been so hot. Now, some sports betting brands are starting to rethink how to spend their money, especially when it comes to ads. It will come after online sports betting brands spent more than $320 million on advertising in 2021, up 38% from 2020, per MediaRadar. Brendan Coffey, sports finance reporter for Sportico, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Rowing-machine maker, Hydrow, raised $55 million in Series D funding round, led by Constitution Capital. Hyrdow offers a connected rowing machine that costs $2,495. The company's funding round comes as the at-home fitness industry is facing some challenges, due to many consumers returning to gyms after working out at home during the pandemic. Bruce Smith, founder & CEO of Hydrow, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
WNBA star Sue Bird is back with the Seattle Storm after announcing her retirement last year and spoke to Cheddar about taking a pay cut to help her team win, issues around gender equity in sports, and partnering with beer brand Corona on sweepstakes that will allow fans to win a limited edition Corona fridge with space to display sneakers. "I love whenever you can partner with a company that you A) enjoy," she said. "It's not that ridiculous to see me with a Corona in my hand. You're not supposed to say that as an athlete, but it's true."
Turkish media reports say a second superyacht belonging to Chelsea soccer club owner and sanctioned Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich has docked in a resort in southwestern Turkey.
Ben Strauss, sports and media reporter at the Washington Post, joins Cheddar News to recap round two of the NCAA Men's Tournament and what we can expect heading into the Sweet 16.
March Madness kicked off this month as more and more states are legalizing sports betting — and some major upsets almost immediately busting many a bracket. Jay Croucher, the director of trading at the sportsbook PointsBet, joined Cheddar News to talk about the tournament and the current top picks. "There's not too much difference in terms of the busiest days of the year between the Super Bowl and the first day of March Madness," he said.
The NCAA tournament kicks off this week, so it's about that time to finalize your march madness brackets if you haven't already, and decide where to call the upsets. Iain MacMillan, senior editor at MacMillan, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
March Nadness is officially underway, and betting on this year's tournament has the potential to reach record levels. About 45 million Americans are expected to wager a total of $3.1 billion on just the men's tournament alone, according to a new survey from the American Gaming Association. Prince Grimes, Senior Writer for USA Today's sports betting media property, BetFTW, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss how betting could play into this year's tournament and other storylines surrounding March Madness.