Saturday, dozens of stars around the world are coming together — virtually — for the global and digital broadcast of "One World: Together at Home," a concert event to support healthcare workers on the frontlines of the pandemic response and the World Health Organization.
The event has been curated in collaboration with star Lady Gaga and will feature top-tier acts like Taylor Swift, Paul McCartney, Lizzo, Billie Eilish, Elton John, and, just announced today, The Rolling Stones.
Mick Sheldrick, chief policy and government affairs officer at Global Citizen, told Cheddar Friday that businesses and philanthropists have been donating to the WHO's COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund as part of "One World" and supporting local regional response efforts.
"What this fund is providing is much-needed equipment like PPE to health workers in over 75 countries. They're also providing tests to over 126 countries, and critically they are also supporting many of the laboratory scientists around the world who are rapidly working to develop a vaccine," Sheldrick said.
Lady Gaga has been a tremendous help, he noted and said she has made sure the organization is supporting the critical needs of healthcare workers around the world. He also said the singer will continue working with Global Citizen beyond tomorrow's event.
"She really went above and beyond to make sure she understood these issues and not only did she reach out and curate this phenomenal lineup, but she also did calls and reached out to some the CEO's of the largest companies in the U.S. and around the world," he said.
The two-hour special will begin streaming on digital platforms at 2 pm ET and will air on ABC, NBC, and CBS at 8 pm ET. The channels' late-night hosts, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, and Stephen Colbert, have also joined in the effort and will host the special.
"We hope everyone will tune in and take some time out and show that spirit of solidarity," Sheldrick said.
Shangela, a drag queen known for her performance on the cult hit "RuPaul's Drag Race," has a role in "A Star Is Born" opposite Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga. She spoke to Cheddar about the culmination of a lifelong dream and starring in one of the most buzzed-about films of the year.
On Tuesday, Amazon announced that it will be raising its minimum wage to $15 an hour. The news comes after months of criticism and even proposed legislation spearheaded by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA). The "Stop BEZOS" Act introduced in the Senate in September would require corporations like Amazon to contribute to the cost of social services for its employees. Khanna was sponsoring a version in the House. He said he commends Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and believes this move will propel other corporations in the same direction.
Dave Clark, senior vice president of worldwide operations at Amazon, spoke to Cheddar from the floor of one of its fulfillment centers about the company's move to institute a $15 minimum wage and lobby the federal government to raise its wage, which has stood at $7.25 since 2009.
Scott Belsky, chief product officer at Adobe and author of the new book 'The Messy Middle,' discusses what made him write the book and the lessons learned from getting through the middle part of any bold venture. Belsky launched and sold ventures like Behance and U99. An excerpt from the book is below.
Scott Belsky, who sold his company to Adobe and is now its chief product officer, described how the maker of creative software transitioned into a cloud-based business model. The stock has outpaced the broader market over the last several years. Belsky also serves on Cheddar's board of directors.
Scott Belsky ー chief product officer at Adobe, Cheddar board member, and author of "The Messy Middle" ー broke down how start-ups should think about the difficult, confusing time before an idea becomes a viable business.
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Canada and the U.S. inked a new trade deal late Sunday evening after months of contentious tariff talks between the two allies. Lauren Gardner, reporter for POLITICO Pro Canada, said the trade agreement will benefit dairy farmers and automakers in the U.S.
It has been just over a year since Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, and the island is back up and open for business, said Carla Campos, the executive director for Puerto Rico Tourism Company.
After the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando in 2016, Sarah Ullman felt called to action. The Los Angeles-based filmmaker is the founder of "One Vote at a Time," a Super PAC created to stop gun violence. She spends her days making free campaign ads for politicians who support gun control policies and are running in competitive districts.
