These are the headlines you Need 2 Know. * **Missing Journalist's Column:** The Washington Post on Wednesday night published a column written by missing and presumed-dead journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Officials have said they believe the Saudi dissident was abducted and murdered after he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. Khashoggi’s editor at The Post said she received the piece from Khashoggi’s assistant and translator one day after he was first reported missing. In it, the journalist describes the lack of freedom in the Arab world and argues for a free media. He writes: “The Arab world needs a modern version of the old transnational media so citizens can be informed about global events.” Read his column [here](https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/global-opinions/jamal-khashoggi-what-the-arab-world-needs-most-is-free-expression/2018/10/17/adfc8c44-d21d-11e8-8c22-fa2ef74bd6d6_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.ddd36f1fcbb0). * **Shooting in Crimea:** An 18-year old student at a technical college in Russian-annexed Crimea killed at least 20 people before turning the gun on himself on Wednesday. The student set a bomb off in the school’s cafeteria and then went on a shooting rampage through the halls. Most of the victims were students. Russia’s Investigative Committee has classified the event as a “mass murder.” Read more [here](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-45891201). * **Catastrophic Flooding:** Historic flooding in central Texas has killed at least two people, and more rain in Thursday’s forecast will likely exacerbate the problems. The Llano River rose 30 feet above flood stage on Tuesday after days of torrential rain, sending a mass of water through the entire Highland Lakes system and creating serious flood risks across the central part of the state. Read more [here](https://www.statesman.com/news/20181017/cleanup-begins-as-central-texas-braces-for-more-flooding). * **United Nations Birth Report:** The United Nations Population Fund released an annual report Wednesday that suggests a cultural shift has affected birth rates. The UNFPA reported that 40 percent of all births in the United States happen “outside of marriage,” and that rate is even higher in the EU. The data shows that such births are mostly to unmarried couples living together and not to single mothers. Societal and religious norms about marriage, childbearing, and women in the workforce have changed, said Kelly Jones, the director for the Center on the Economics of Reproductive Health at the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. Read more [here](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-10-17/almost-half-of-u-s-births-happen-outside-marriage-signaling-cultural-shift). * **Migrant Caravan:** A caravan of 4,000 Honduran migrants fleeing violence is approaching the Mexico-Guatemala border on its way north to the U.S. The Mexican government has sent 500 additional federal police to its border to meet them amid a surge in U.S. southern border crossings in recent months. President Trump said last week that he would consider reinstating his controversial “zero tolerance” policy and once again separate migrate families at the border. Read more [here](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/honduran-migrant-caravan-grows-4000-amid-spike-u-s-border-n921286). * **New Market for Pot in Canada:** Canada saw strong demand for marijuana after the country legalized recreational use and sales on Wednesday. People lined up in stores and rushed online across the country to buy government-sanctioned weed. The vice president of Shopify, the platform powering many of the online stores that sell marijuana, said demand on Wednesday was “coming in a little hotter than even we expected,” and “it’s only going to get bigger from here.” Read more on [Cheddar](https://www.cheddar.com/videos/shopify-says-demand-for-cannabis-in-canada-outpacing-estimates-on-day-1). * **Sports:** * **Boxing:** Champion Canelo Alvarez signed a $365 million deal with streaming service DAZN, marking the richest athlete contract in sports history. Under the terms of the deal, Alvarez will commit to 11 fights over the next five years. DAZN is looking to rapidly expand into the United States after only launching in September. Alvarez will return to the ring on Dec. 15 at New York’s Madison Square Garden to challenge Rocky FIelding. Read more [here](https://www.cbssports.com/boxing/news/canelo-alvarez-signs-most-lucrative-contract-in-sports-history-with-dazn-to-stream-fights/). * **Baseball:** Both the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Boston Red Sox are one win away from meeting each other in the World Series. The Red Sox beat the Houston Astros 8-6 in a game full of controversial calls on Wednesday night, while the Dodgers beat the Milwaukee Brewers 5-2 earlier in the day. Read more [here](http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/25011260/fan-interferes-attempt-boston-red-sox-mookie-betts-catch-ball). * **Big Bird + Oscar:** After voicing Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch on “Sesame Street” for nearly 50 years, Caroll Spinney is retiring. Spinney, 84, has performed the roles on thousands of episodes since the show first aired in 1969. Read more [here](https://www.npr.org/2018/10/17/658140053/after-50-years-on-sesame-street-the-voice-of-big-bird-and-oscar-is-retiring). * **The End of OITNB Is Near:** “Orange Is the New Black” will end after its upcoming seventh season. The show’s account tweeted on Wednesday, “Warning: This may make you cry. The Final Season, 2019. #OITNB.” Read more [here](https://people.com/tv/orange-is-the-new-black-ending-season-7/). * **Disney Dilemma?** Two celebrities are questioning the messages in some of Disney’s most celebrated films. Actress Keira Knightley revealed she won’t let her daughter watch “Cinderella” because the princess waits for a rich man to rescue her. Actress Kristen Bell has also raised concerns about Snow White being kissed by a prince while unconscious and without her consent. Read more [here](https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/allthemoms/2018/10/17/kristen-bell-thinks-snow-white-teaches-kids-bad-life-lessons/1670419002/). Cheddar's Hena Doba gets into the latest. Subscribe to the Need 2 Know newsletter [here](https://theneed2know.com).
