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Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Thursday, January 13, 2022:

INFLATION HITS 40-YEAR HIGH

Pick a product, any product, and odds are its price went up in December. The latest consumer price index numbers showed a 7 percent jump from a year ago, the fastest pace in nearly 40 years. While supply chain snags are partly to blame — which is why durable goods such as furniture and automobiles saw the biggest gains — inflation does appear to be broadening, putting further pressure on the Fed and Biden administration to address prices. WSJ

VOTING RIGHTS SHOWDOWN

Congressional Democrats plan to use a procedural loophole to force a showdown over their voting rights package, which Republicans have already rejected four times. The plan, outlined in a memo from Senator Chuck Schumer obtained by The New York Times, would have the House insert the package into an unrelated bill and pass it. The bill would then go back to the Senate as a "message," which apparently is not subject to a filibuster. Sounds tricky, but this is Democrat's last-ditch effort to pass a landmark bill designed to protect voting rights. NY TIMES

If there’s one thing politicians know, it’s loopholes

FRENCH TEACHERS OUT

Chicago teachers went back to the classroom yesterday, despite COVID concerns, but across the pond, teachers in France are walking out. A large number of France's teachers are on strike as COVID races through schools, with 50,000 cases reported in recent days and more than 10,000 classrooms closed. Today teachers are marching in cities from Paris to Marseille as they demand better masks and clarification on rules. CNN

ARCTIC BLAST

Much of the country is bracing for a blast of winter weather going into the weekend. The National Weather Service has already issued winter weather watches for the midwest, with more likely coming for other parts of the country as the forecast becomes clearer. Dave Epstein, meteorologist for the Boston Globe, told Cheddar on Wednesday that a winter storm may just miss the east coast, but it's likely to bring a front of freezing-cold temperatures. CHEDDAR

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HYPERSONIC MISSILE TEST

North Korea on Wednesday said that it successfully tested a hypersonic missile, which leader Kim Jong Un claimed will serve as a "war deterrent." The test comes as China claims to have its own nuclear-capable hypersonic missiles, which its scientists say are years ahead of U.S. military technology. Experts say North Korea is trying to use the high-tech weapon as leverage to get the U.S. to lift economic sanctions, although the Biden administration enacted additional sanctions immediately after the test. REUTERS

CHINA LOCKDOWN WIDENS

Of more immediate concern than fancy missile tests is the ongoing pandemic. Due to China's "Zero-Covid'' policy, the country is cracking down aggressively on outbreaks which is impacting a wide swath of the population. This could have widespread implications for the world economy, given how much global manufacturing is based in China. Some analysts are now predicting that another round of shutdowns in the country is likely to intensify supply chain bottlenecks in 2022. As we mentioned earlier, that could mean continued price increases as well. BLOOMBERG

This is all just a ploy to get us to start holiday shopping now

REDISTRICTING REDUX

The Ohio Supreme Court is sending the state's redistricting commission back to the drawing board. Critics of the newly-drawn districts are calling the ruling a victory for voters, who had previously approved changes to the state constitution designed to make the redistricting process less partisan. Now the state has to submit another plan, which will also be subject to court review. COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Practice makes perfect, Ohio!

ARMY UPS STARTING BONUS

Uncle Sam wants YOU — so much so that the U.S. Army is willing to pay up to $50,000 for highly-skilled recruits who join for six years. This sizeable signing bonus comes as the Army struggles to bring in fresh recruits during the pandemic. Recruiters blame school closures and a drop-off in public events, which has made it hard to meet with candidates face-to-face. AP

THE BATMAN…IS PG-13

No need to cover your eyes, young superhero fans. The latest Batman movie, titled simply The Batman, has officially been given a PG-13 rating. Given its dark and brooding trailer, some fans were speculating whether it would get an audience-shrinking R rating. IGN

LEFTOVERS: MLB PLAYER SUBS IN

Like a lot of schools around the country, Meramec Elementary in Clayton, Missouri is short-staffed due to the pandemic. That's why Harrison Bader, a center fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals, stepped up on Monday to serve as a substitute PE teacher. However, as the MLB star readily admitted, his skills are limited to the gymnasium. "Being a substitute science or math teacher, even at that level, would be above my pay grade," he said. KSDK

Need2Know Podcast Note: The Need2Know podcast is taking a break for now. We're looking forward to bringing you more context and analysis on the big stories of the day in a few weeks. In the meantime, check out our archive on Apple or Spotify, or watch on YouTube, and send us your feedback!

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