These are the headlines you Need 2 Know. * **Shutdown: Day 5:** Hundreds of thousands of government workers are either working without pay or on an unplanned vacation as the partial shutdown over border wall funding continues. On Christmas, President Trump showed no signs of compromising, saying “it’s a disgrace what’s happening in our country … But other than that I wish everybody a very Merry Christmas.” Read more [here](https://www.npr.org/2018/12/26/680121969/shutdown-continues-as-president-and-democrats-remain-at-odds-over-funding-for-wa). * **HIV Exposure:** More than 3700 patients at a New Jersey surgery center were potentially exposed to HIV and hepatitis B and C. The state’s health department attributes the possible exposure at HealthPlus Surgery Center in Saddle River to “lapses in infection control” and sterilization. No infections have been reported. Read more [here](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/more-3-000-patients-new-jersey-surgery-center-possibly-exposed-n951791). * **Death at the Border:** An eight-year-old Guatemalan boy died in U.S. custody at the border, the second migrant child to die under the care of Customs & Border Protection officials in a month. The boy’s cause of death has not been released. Read more [here](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/migrant-child-dies-in-border-patrol-custody-today-2018-12-25/). * **Kevin Spacey:** On the same day it was announced that Kevin Spacey is being charged with felony sexual assault, the actor posted a video on YouTube, titled “Let’s Be Frank,” speaking in the voice of the House of Cards character he played, Frank Underwood. The bizarre video has millions of views. Read more [here](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/kevin-spacey-video-racks-up-45-million-views-1171616). * **Thai Medical Marijuana:** Thailand has approved the use of medical marijuana, thus becoming the first country in Southeast Asia to do so. The region has some of the most draconian drug laws in the world. Read more [here](https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/25/health/thailand-medical-marijuana-bn/index.html). * **Meltdown:** The Dow dropped 653 points on Christmas Eve, breaking the 1918 record for worst Christmas Eve performance. Stocks went into a tailspin after Treasury Sec. Steve Mnuchin put out a statement intended to calm markets that instead spooked investors. Read more [here](https://www.cheddar.com/videos/dow-plunges-650-points-on-christmas-eve-amid-d-c-chaos). * **LeBron Injured:** LeBron James will get an MRI today for a groin injury he suffered during the Lakers’ Christmas win over the Warriors. James left the game in the third quarter, saying he “felt a pop” after he lunged for a loose ball. Read more [here](https://sports.yahoo.com/lebron-james-exits-lakers-christmas-game-apparent-groin-injury-025219028.html?guccounter=1). * **Ya Gotta Believe:** The seven-year-old South Carolina girl who spoke with President Trump by phone on Christmas Eve says she still believes in Santa, despite Trump telling her that “at 7, that’s marginal.” Collman Lloyd says she didn’t know what “marginal” meant, but is sure that Santa exists after she got the American Girl doll she asked for. Read more [here](https://people.com/politics/child-trump-questioned-santa-shocked-by-call/). * **Spotted:** The Bush family, including sisters Jenna and Barbara, and former President George W. Bush and his wife Laura, celebrating their first Christmas without former President George H.W. Bush and his wife, Barbara Bush. See the pic [here](https://www.instagram.com/p/BryxIbSBWYr/). * **Miley Married?:** Social media users have been buzzing that Miley Cyrus may have gotten married to Liam Hemsworth ー though the stars haven’t confirmed the vows took place. The speculation began after a friend posted a photo that shows Cyrus in a white dress cutting a cake. Read more [here](https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/miley-cyrus-liam-hemsworth-married_us_5c20ef0ae4b0407e907d6a9c). Cheddar's Hena Doba gets into the latest. Subscribe to the Need 2 Know newsletter [here](https://theneed2know.com).

Share:
More In Politics
Senators Introduce Bipartisan Bill for Crypto Regulation
Michelle Bond, CEO of the Association for Digital Asset Markets, joins Closing Bell, where she breaks down the Responsible Financial Innovation Act, which would not only establish a regulatory structure for digital assets, but hand over crypto oversight to the CFTC instead of the SEC.
Survey Shows Americans Delaying Retirement Due to Inflation
A survey by the BMO Real Financial Progress Index found that 25 percent of Americans are pulling back on retirement contributions to offset the cost of inflation. This comes as market volatility reduced retirement savings with the S&P 500 shedding more than 12 percent this year alone.
How Inclusive Are Reproductive Rights?
As abortion rights take center stage in courts around the country, so do discussions about reproductive health. Signs and social media posts say things like "protect women's rights" and "her body, her choice," leaving others who need and receive abortions completely out of the picture. The potential end to Roe v. Wade would impact far more people and facilities than you may think. Cheddar News' Baker Machado breaks it all down.
Gov. Hutchinson on Arkansas Tech Transformation, AR-15 Age Limit
Arkansas is planning to reshape itself by putting a strong emphasis on technology through computer science in the classroom. Governor Asa Hutchinson joined Cheddar News Buffa to discuss the state's efforts to promote itself as a future tech hub. “It gives young people such a huge opportunity for success," he noted. The term-limited governor also touched on the issue of gun ownership, offering up the idea of possibly raising the age limit to obtain rifles like the AR-15 to 21 instead of 18 as it currently stands.
Bumble Presses Lawmakers to Criminalize Unsolicited Nudes on the Internet
The dating app Bumble has sponsored bills and pushed lawmakers to criminalize the online practice of sending unsolicited nudes or “cyberflashing." Payton Iheme, Bumble's head of public policy for the Americas, joined Cheddar News to discuss why the app was going after the harassing behavior beyond its own platform. "Now, while we went to work internally in the company, and we created something called private detector to automatically blur those images so the user can decide if they want to see them, there's nothing for the rest of the internet," she said. "And so that's why we went to work with these laws."
Load More