*By Max Godnick*
The newly-crowned Miss USA said she stands with her "sisters" who had the courage to appear on camera and say "me too."
The national reckoning with toxic male behavior was part of this year's Miss USA competition, which included a pre-recorded montage of some contestants sharing their experiences with sexual assault.
"You have to be real and acknowledge what's going on in our world," said Sarah Rose Summers, the newly crowned Miss USA, in an interview with Cheddar on Thursday. "We're not in our own little bubble as Miss USA contestants."
The 23-year-old said she has never experienced any sexual misconduct but was supportive of her fellow contestants who did appear in the video.
Summers received two degrees from Texas Christian University and recently finished her clinical rotations to become a certified child life specialist. She said she and her fellow contestants handle uncomfortable interactions on social media and in person differently since the #MeToo movement took off.
"There's less of 'oh he's just creepy' and more of 'that's not acceptable," said Summers.
President Trump owned The Miss Universe Organization, operator of the Miss USA, Miss Teen USA, and Miss Universe pageants, from 1996 to 2015. Five former contestants have said they remember Trump visiting their dressing rooms during the 1997 Miss Teen USA competition, according to [a report by BuzzFeed News] (https://www.buzzfeed.com/kendalltaggart/teen-beauty-queens-say-trump-walked-in-on-them-changing?utm_term=.kjX2mPLpG#.byrm5eOLZ).
Summers said she never felt like her privacy was violated while taking part in the pageant.
"I felt very safe and we all have security that are with us all of the time so we cannot be approached by anyone," she said.
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/miss-usa-on-pageants-in-the-metoo-era).
Ann Mukherjee, the chairman and CEO of Pernod Ricard North America, joined Cheddar News to talk about Absolut Vodka’s decade-long partnership with the music festival Coachella. Perno Ricard's vodka brand has built the virtual world Absolutland in the Decentraland metaverse for users to explore. "We actually have a vending machine where you can actually purchase the cocktails that will be delivered right to your home," she said. The brand will also be featuring festival headliner Swedish House Mafia.
The tax deadline in the U.S. is on April 18 this year, and some filers may still not be able to complete their return by then. Cheddar has partnered with Jackson Hewitt to let you know what you can do should you blow the deadline.
Seth MacFarlane's foul-mouthed talking teddy bear is headed to Peacock, this time as a series. The show will be a prequel to the feature film "Ted," which is the highest-grossing original R-rated movie of all time.
Digitally native stores like Allbirds and Everlane are beginning to target the suburbs as they look to expand their physical retail locations. It comes as reports show that a large portion of shoppers prefer to make their purchases in store. A new Deloitte report shows that 55 percent of shoppers who began their product search online, ended up making their purchase in store. Nikki Baird, VP of Strategy at Aptos, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
A fertilizer shortage made worse from the Russia-Ukraine war is reigniting the conversation over sustainable agriculture. With the costs of fertilizer rising, weaning off of synthetic fertilizer may be a good option for farmers trying to keep costs low, while keeping crop margins high. But, Damian Mason, farm owner, agricultural economist and author of "Food Fear," says it's not that simple. Mason joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to explain the challenges of greener practices.
Americans racked up the most monthly consumer debt in over a decade in February. According to a report from the Fed, consumer debt rose by nearly $42 billion, an annual increase of roughly 11%, far outpacing expectations. Rebecca Walser, President of Walser Wealth Management. Rebecca, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to break down this data, and discuss how this could impact the consumer moving forward.
The Dallas Cowboys have joined forces with cryptocurrency platform Blockchain.com as the NFL loosens restrictions on teams making such deals. The partnership won't open the door for crypto use at AT&T stadium but will provide for some exclusive fan experiences.
Catching you up on what you need to know on Apr 14, 2022, with the U.S. sending $800M to Ukraine, updates on the subway shooting in Brooklyn, Gov. Abbott putting a pause on his southern border truck inspections, migrants being bused from Texas to Washington, DC, the travel mask mandate extending until May 3, and more.
