From Aquaman on 'Shark Week' to a movie pricing fail, here's what's happening in entertainment.
AquaMomoa
Aquaman star Jason Momoa has a huge task at hand (Ed. note: fin) this week as Shark Week gets underway.
He's been tapped to take up hosting duties for Discovery's week-long extravaganza and it really is familiar territory for the actor. Being on screen is no big deal but he also has an affinity for the water that he said made taking the job an easy decision.
"My heart is in the ocean," Momoa told the Associated Press. "Doing 'Shark Week' is a no-brainer."
Momoa also revealed that before he turned to acting, he had a dream to become a marine biologist. Viewers will have tons of time to catch him on the small screen with more than 20 hours of new programming, which is slated to get underway on July 23.
Also, in Aquaman news, ahead of the sequel's release in December, Ben Affleck's scheduled cameo in the project has been axed. Affleck apparently reprised his role as Bruce Wayne and Batman, but an overhaul of the project has seen those scene snipped, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Yesterday, we told you about a newly-served search warrant in Henderson, Nevada related to the investigation into the 1996 shooting death of rapper Tupac Shakur.
Now there is more information about what law enforcement officials were up to during the search. The home was linked to the uncle of a man who police long-suspected had some involvement in the shooting.
The Associated Press revealed that police went to a home linked to Duane "Keffe D" Davis, who apparently is a self-described gangster. His nephew, Orlando Anderson, was a known rival of Shakur and was a person of interest. Anderson died in 1998 in Compton, California in a gang shooting.
Among the items confiscated were cell phones, computers, documents related to a documentary, a Vibe magazine featuring Shakur and several .40 caliber bullets.
All Seats Same Price
Earlier this year AMC Theaters unveiled a plan to implement "Sightline" seating, which would charge customers based on their seat location in a theater. But the chain is walking back that plan.
Premium seats, which were located in the middle of each theater, would cost slightly more than others. "Cheap seats," according to AMC, would have been located at the very front rows. The plan received backlash on social media almost immediately.
The company apparently came to the decision to rollback sightline seating after running pilot program in various locations. "To ensure AMC's ticket prices remain competitive, the Sightline at AMC pilot program will come to an end at participating locations in the coming weeks, and the initiative will not rollout nationwide," AMC said in a press release.
Alex Garden, Chairman and CEO at Zume, joins Cheddar Innovates to discuss how individuals can take steps to end their reliance on plastic, and Zume's partnership with global robotics company ABB to put sustainability at the forefront.
M&T Bank rang the Opening Bell at the New York Stock Exchange Thursday morning as the company celebrated a milestone of opening 100 new multicultural banking centers. David Femi, head of multicultural banking, joined Cheddar to discuss the culturally inclusive expansion as part of the bank's overarching goal to increase financial access in racially and ethnically diverse communities. "By designating branches as multicultural is just one way for us to be intentional in making sure, that number one, when [customers] come into these branches, they see people that look like them, they see people that speak their language," he said.
A second Starbucks location in the U.S. has officially voted to unionize. On Monday, the National Labor Relations Board announced workers at the Starbucks store located in the Buffalo, NY suburb of Cheektowaga voted 15-9 in favor of being represented by Workers United, an affiliate of the Service Employees International Union. The New York Times reports votes were tallied in December but remained inconclusive as the union challenged the ballots of several employees it said did not work at the store. A Starbucks spokesperson has said that it may appeal the labor board's decision, which comes as several other Starbucks stores across the country are also pushing to form a union. Danka Dragic, shift supervisor for the second Starbucks store in the country to unionize, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Technology-driven sustainable waste management platform, RoadRunner Recycling, recently raised a $70 million Series D round from BeyondNetZero, the climate investing venture of General Atlantic. RoadRunner says it creates and manages end-to-end waste and recycling solutions for businesses of all sizes and that its proprietary technology can boost cost savings and improve recycling rates for companies, which in turn drives sustainability for the waste industry and our world. RoadRunner Recycling founder and CEO Graham Rihn joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Apple TV+ is in serious talks for the rights to stream MLB games next season, the first foray into sports content for the platform, according to the New York Post. Lee Berke, president and CEO of LHB Sports, sat down with Cheddar to discuss how such a deal might impact the tech giant and the sports content industry. "Quite often with new media platforms one of the quickest ways to create and implement a programming strategy — and actually one of the most expensive ways — is to offer up sports content," Berke noted. "So, with this package available, it puts Apple literally in the game and gives them an opportunity to demonstrate their skills in offering up a major league sport."
A.I.-enabled fintech company Qraft Technologies recently closed a $146 million investment from SoftBank Group Corp.
The companies say they are entering a partnership to accelerate artificial intelligence in the asset management industry. Qraft has already developed A.I. solutions that have been used by major financial institutions and says its new approach to asset management maximizes investment efficiency. Qraft Technologies U.S. CEO Robert Nestor joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Peacock has announced a slate of original Olympic games documentaries set to premiere throughout January. The first series, 'Meddling' is now available to stream. The four-part docuseries details the 2002 winter Olympic scandal which alleged that the pairs figure skating competition had been fixed to favor Russia. Tara Lipinski, Olympic gold medalist, champion figure skater, and executive producer of ' Meddling,' joins Cheddar News discuss the series.
A decade ago, long before streaming services, the amount of binge-watching viewers could take part in was slim. Now, streaming services have established binge-watching as a viewing norm. However, how can viewers know when they've crossed the line from innocent entertainment to harmful addiction? Judy Grisel, professor of psychology at Bucknell University, joins Cheddar News to discuss a new study that identifies psychological predictors of problematic binge-watching.
Glassdoor has officially revealed its list of the best places to work in the year 2022. The top 10 on the list include tech companies and just one retail company. Senior economist at Glassdoor, Daniel Zhao, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
