These are the headlines you Need 2 Know.
* **Brexit:** Prime Minister Theresa May pulled the Brexit vote from Parliament, scheduled for today, in order to ask for changes to it. May admitted that “a significant margin” of those voting were ready to reject it. The delay marks another setback for May’s Brexit plan before the March deadline. Read more [here](https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-46509288).
* **Russian ‘Spy’ Deal:** Maria Butina, an accused Russian spy, has reached a plea deal with federal prosecutors. Butina will plead guilty to conspiracy and will be cooperating with the feds. When Butina was arrested in July she was accused of attempting to “advance the agenda of the Russian Federation.” Read more [here](https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/maria-butina-accused-russian-agent-reaches-plea-deal/story?id=59719083).
* **Gas Prices:** Gas prices hit a low for 2018 on Monday, with the national average for a gallon of regular at $2.42. That’s 28 cents lower than a month ago and 4 cents lower than a year ago. The highest price on record for a gallon of gas was in July of 2008 at $4.10. Gas prices are predicted to continue decreasing this month. Read more [here](https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2018/12/10/gas-prices/2268738002/).
* **Google+:** Google is shutting down Google+ five months earlier than planned amid a security bug impacting more than 50 million users. In a blog post, the company says the bug made private profile info available to third-party apps. Google CEO Sundar Pichai testifies on Capitol Hill for the first time today. Read more [here](https://www.cnbc.com/2018/12/10/google-shutting-down-social-network-sooner-because-of-new-security-bug.html).
* **Fearless Girl:** The popular ‘Fearless Girl’ statue was uprooted from her home facing down the ‘Charging Bull’ in Lower Manhattan to a new perch a few blocks away, where she will stand opposite the New York Stock Exchange. Read more [here](https://www.cheddar.com/videos/fearless-girl-finds-new-home-outside-nyse).
* **Sportsperson of the Year:** The Golden State Warriors have been named Sports Illustrated “Sportsperson of The Year.” The editors explained that they chose to honor the entire team ー instead of a single player as is customary ー because they’re just so good. Read more [here](https://www.si.com/sportsperson/2018/12/10/golden-state-warriors-sports-illustrated-sportsperson-award-editors-letter).
* **Oscars:** The Academy is considering going with a “host-less” Oscars ceremony as it scrambles to replace Kevin Hart, who quit the gig last week. Hart’s abrupt departure has thrown the show into chaos 10 weeks before air, when a host would normally be rehearsing. Read more [here](https://variety.com/2018/film/news/oscars-academy-kevin-hart-replacement-1203084598/).
* **’Smocking Gun’:** The Internet was abuzz with memes and comments after President Trump tweeted twice Monday about a ‘smocking’ (rather than ‘smoking’) gun. Comments included “A smocking gun would have made the sewing part of my Home Ec class so much more interesting” and “My covfefe is smocking hot this morning.” See the tweets [here](https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-smocking-gun_us_5c0e9950e4b0edf5a3a73ef2).
* **Spotted:** Nicole Kidman as former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson. Kidman’s playing Carlson in the upcoming Roger Ailes biopic ‘Fair and Balanced.’ See the pic [here](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-6480941/Nicole-Kidman-transforms-Gretchen-Carlson-set-Fair-Balanced.html).
* **Nutty Squirrel:** A Chicago squirrel jumped on the shoulder of a UPS employee delivering a package ー and it was all caught on camera. See the pic [here](https://www.facebook.com/CBSNews/videos/460294307832045/).
Cheddar's Hena Doba gets into the latest.
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Many U.S. consumers say they’ve noticed higher than usual prices for holiday gifts in recent months, according to a a December poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. A contributing factor is the unusually high import taxes the Trump administration put on foreign goods. While the worst-case consumer impact that many economists foresaw from the administration’s trade policies hasn’t materialized, some popular gift items have been affected more than others. Most toys and electronics sold in the U.S. come from China. So do most holiday decorations. Jewelry prices have risen due to the cost of gold.
Serbia’s prosecutor for organized crime has charged a government minister and three others with abuse of position and falsifying of documents related to a luxury real estate project linked to U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. The charges came on Monday. The investigation centers on a controversy over a a bombed-out military complex in central Belgrade that was a protected cultural heritage zone but that is facing redevelopment as a luxury compound by a company linked to Kushner. The $500 million proposal to build a high-rise hotel, offices and shops at the site has met fierce opposition from experts at home and abroad. Selakovic and others allegedly illegally lifted the protection status for the site by falsifying documentation.
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to block states from regulating artificial intelligence. He argues that heavy regulations could stifle the industry, especially given competition from China. Trump says the U.S. needs a unified approach to AI regulation to avoid complications from state-by-state rules. The order directs the administration to draw up a list of problematic regulations for the Attorney General to challenge. States with laws could lose access to broadband funding, according to the text of the order. Some states have already passed AI laws focusing on transparency and limiting data collection.
The New York Times and President Donald Trump are fighting again. The news outlet said Wednesday it won't be deterred by Trump's “false and inflammatory language” from writing about the 79-year-old president's health. The Times has done a handful of stories on that topic recently, including an opinion column that said Trump is “starting to give President Joe Biden vibes.” In a Truth Social post, Trump said it might be treasonous for outlets like the Times to do “FAKE” reports about his health and "we should do something about it.” The Republican president already has a pending lawsuit against the newspaper for its past reports on his finances.
President Donald Trump says he will allow Nvidia to sell its H200 computer chip used in the development of artificial intelligence to “approved customers” in China. Trump said Monday on his social media site that he had informed China’s leader Xi Jinping and “President Xi responded positively!” There had been concerns about allowing advanced computer chips into China as it could help them to compete against the U.S. in building out AI capabilities. But there has also been a desire to develop the AI ecosystem with American companies such as chipmaker Nvidia.
House Republicans in key battleground districts are working to contain the political fallout expected when thousands of their constituents face higher bills for health insurance coverage obtained through the Affordable Care Act. For a critical sliver of the GOP majority, the impending expiration of the enhanced premium tax credits after Dec. 31 could be a major political liability as they potentially face midterm headwinds in a 2026 election critical to President Donald Trump’s agenda. For Democrats, the party’s strategy for capturing the House majority revolves around pinning higher bills for groceries, health insurance and utilities on Republicans.
