These are the headlines you Need 2 Know.
  • PROTESTS: HONG KONG: Protesters in Hong Kong are facing off against police, who warn they will use live ammunition after a weekend of clashes at the main university campus turned violent. Hundreds of student protesters are holed up at the Polytechnic University, which has become a makeshift fortress as police are firing tear gas and rubber bullets on demonstrators who are attempting to flee. Guardian
  • PROTESTS: IRAN: Iran shut down internet access across the country in response to mass protests over an increase in gas prices. The Iranian government recently hiked pump prices by 50 percent for rationed gasoline and 300 percent for gas beyond ration limits. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei supports the increases, and calls the protesters “thugs.” The protests have reportedly resulted in more than 1,000 arrests and led to at least several deaths. NY Times
  • MAYOR PETE SURGE: There’s a new Democratic frontrunner in Iowa: Pete Buttigieg. Mayor Pete is now the first choice of 25 percent of caucus-goers, up from 9 percent in September, according to the latest poll from the Des Moines Register and CNN. Elizabeth Warren, Joe Biden, and Bernie Sanders are all roughly tied for second. CNN
  • SAUDI OIL IPO: The most valuable company in the world is getting ready to go public. Saudi Arabia’s state-owned oil company, Aramco, is aiming for a valuation of up to $1.7 trillion when it lists on the Riyadh stock exchange next month. That’s actually substantially less than its target of $2 trillion. While Apple is currently the most profitable public company in the world, it still makes only about half of what Aramco brings in every year. Yahoo Finance
  • FRESNO SHOOTING: Four people were killed and six others injured in a California mass shooting. The victims, all men, were at a backyard party watching a football game in Fresno when the shots were fired. Police believe it was likely a targeted shooting. The number of gunmen is unknown, and no suspects have been identified. NBC News
  • PRINCE ANDREW SPEAKS: Britain’s Prince Andrew has spoken publicly for the first time about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, in a BBC interview that’s been widely criticized as a “train wreck.” The prince denies the claim from Virginia Giuffre that he had sex with her when she was 17, with Epstein as the liaison. Prince Andrew says he has “no recollection” of meeting her, despite a photo appearing to show them together, and that he only stayed at Epstein’s NYC townhouse because it was “convenient.” Watch the interview
Cheddar's Hena Doba and Jill Wagner get into the latest.
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