These are the headlines you Need2Know:
* **Tamer Hurricane Season Expected:**
The 2018 hurricane season is shaping up to be "below-normal.” Experts with NOAA now predict nine to 13 named storms ー maybe only two major hurricanes of Category 3 strength or higher. Last year there were 17 named storms, and three major hurricanes hit U.S. soil. For more on the condition of the storm, [click here](https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/09/us/noaa-hurricane-season-forecast-wxc/index.html).
* **Space Forces Needs a Logo and a Release Date:**
Vice President Mike Pence says the Pentagon is working to create Space Force, a sixth armed service to beef up military capabilities in space and help protect satellites. The biggest rivals in space are China and Russia. Congress needs to authorize and fund the force. Vote on the logo [here](https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/08/trump-wants-campaign-donors-to-vote-on-the-logo-for-the-space-force/), and read more [here](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/09/us/politics/trump-pence-space-force.html).
* **New NFL Season, More Protests:**
Several players took a knee, raised their fists or stayed off the field during the national anthem at last night’s preseason games. The NFL recently announced a policy that all players must stand for the national anthem, or remain in the locker room without penalty. But that policy is currently on hold. For more on this story, [click here](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/some-nfl-players-kneel-or-raise-fists-during-anthem-preseason-n899481).
* **A Potential 2020 Run for Stormy Daniels's Lawyer:**
Michael Avenatti, the lawyer for the adult entertainment start Stephanie Clifford, also known as Stormy Daniels, said he might run for president. Known as one of President Trump’s most outspoken critics in his capacity as Clifford's lawyer, Avenatti has also discussed his interest in challenging Trump on policies such as immigration. For more, check out [POLITICO](https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/10/michael-avenatti-presidential-run-iowa-2020-771291).
Cheddar's Jill Wagner gets into the latest.
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Friday saw big sell offs, with the Dow Jones posting its worst day since October 2020, falling 905 points, with the Nasdaq and S&P 500 each tumbling more than two percent as well. Much of that due to investor concerns over the new Covid-19 'Omicron' variant first detected in South Africa. Craig Erlam, senior market analyst at Oanda explains what investors should expect this week.
The ocean is an important topic when it comes to the climate. It plays a vital role in shaping our environment, with rising sea levels causing a 35% increase in natural disasters around the world, affecting 1.7 billion people. Dr. Sylvia Earle has been called perhaps the greatest advocate our oceans have ever had, with Time magazine dubbing her its first 'hero of the planet' and the Library of Congress naming her a living legend. She is also the founder of Mission Blue, an organization that inspires action to explore and protect the ocean. Dr. Earle joined Cheddar Climate for more on the importance of caring for the ocean and its impact on climate change.
Scientists are racing to understand the Omicron variant of covid-19 and find out just how dangerous it really is. Omicron, dubbed a variant of concern by the WHO, was first detected in South Africa last week and has already spread to multiple countries, including the UK, Canada, Australia and more. Dr. Jonathan Javitt, CEO of Nrx and adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, joined Cheddar to discuss what we know and don't know about this new variant.
The House has officially passed the $1.75 trillion social policy and climate big. This new bill is expected to bring some huge investments into working towards fighting climate change. U.S. President of We Don't Have Time, Sweta Chakraborty, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Carlo and Baker cover the latest developments with the Omicron variant, and break down what we know and what we still don't. Plus, a relatively tame Black Friday, and more.
Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease specialist and senior scholar at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, joined Cheddar to discuss the nations joining in on a travel ban against several African nations after South Africa reported the emergence of the omicron variant of COVID-19 currently worrying health experts. Adalja also added his own voice to the World Health Organization's objection to the travel ban at this time. "When you do a travel ban, you basically waste a lot of resources implementing the travel ban, you give people a false sense of security when the virus is likely already outside of the area of the travel ban, and then you punish countries like South Africa." He noted that South Africa should be praised for its transparency and not punished with restrictions, an act he thinks will lead to a chilling effect among other nations sharing data freely.
Blue Origin is gearing up for its next launch, set to blast off on December 9th. Michael Strahan is one of the six crew members who will snag a seat on the the New Shepard rocket. Jim Cantrell, CEO and co-founder at Phantom Space, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
Donald Pettey, Program Manager for Strategic Initiatives for MassDOT, and Mohammed Siddiqui, Vice President of Public Relations at Ko-Solar, join Cheddar Climate, where they discuss their plan to test highway barriers that absorb sound and solar energy, with construction expected to begin in the first half of 2022.
