Kevin Hart attends the 2023 Fanatics Super Bowl Party at Biltmore Hotel on February 11, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images)
From satellite radio deals to a streaming platform lawsuit, here's what's trending in entertainment today.
Kevin Hart Gets More Sirius
Comedian Kevin Hart and satellite radio company Sirius/XM announced that their partnership would get an extension. Hart, along with his Hartbeat entertainment company, signed a multi-year deal that will keep the comedian's Laugh Out Loud Radio station operating. "You're looking at a relationship that has evolved, that is growing and going in the right direction," Hart said to the Associated Press. " I think this is one where the hard work has been put into the growth of the station and the platform is just paying off."
Award Shows & Hosts
Actor and daytime TV host Drew Barrymore is taking her emceeing skills to a stage over at MTV. She's been tapped to host the MTV Movie & TV Awards 2023 at the Barker Hangar in Los Angeles. Barrymore made the announcement during a segment on The Drew Barrymore Show when she appeared as the menacing M3GAN doll. The awards ceremony is slated for May 7.
Meanwhile, rockstar Lenny Kravitz will host the iHeartRadio Music Awards 2023. The 10th annual show is just weeks away from kicking off at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles. "I'm thrilled to host and perform at the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards to celebrate the best in music," Kravitz said in a statement. "As always, the show will feature some great surprises and unforgettable performances that music fans across the country won't want to miss." The show will get underway on March 27.
Making a Lawsuit
Remember the hit Netflix documentary Making a Murderer? Streaming in 2015, it told the story of Steven Avery's conviction and life sentence in the death of a 25-year-old online car marketplace photographer. The documentary explores the possibility that Avery was set up by local authorities, accusing them of planting evidence. A now-retired police sergeant who was involved in the case, Andrew Colborn, sued the streaming giant after saying he received "worldwide ridicule" over the series, but a federal judge has tossed the defamation filing stating that Colborn did not prove that the platform acted in malice.
California's new composting law will affect what residents do in their kitchens. As of this week, Californians will have to recycle excess food in an effort to reduce emissions caused by food waste. Cities and counties will turn recycled food into compost or use it as a renewable energy source. California's new law is the largest mandatory residential food waste recycling program in the country. Rachel Wagoner, Director of the California Department of Resources, Recycling and Recovery called the law 'the biggest change to trash' since recycling started in the 1980s. She joined Cheddar Climate to discuss.
Fast-casual restaurant chain Sweetgreen is rolling out its first salad subscription service called sweetpass as it looks to customers tackling new year weight loss and health goals. Members will receive up to 30 percent off of purchases.
Washington DC and the surrounding areas saw a record breaking snow storm Monday as a strong storm system works its way across the eastern U.S. The extreme weather event caused extensive damage in the greater Washington area, leaving thousands in the region without power. Jonathan Porter, Chief Meteorologist, AccuWeather, joined Wake Up with Cheddar to discuss the fierce storm.
Airlines canceled more than 3,000 flights on Monday over severe weather and crew shortages. The cancellations come on one of the busiest travel days of the holiday season, and is a continuation of the industry-wide disruption that started before Christmas. Thomas Pallini, Aviation Reporter for Insider joined Wake Up with Cheddar to discuss.
Millions of Americans with young children have relied on the child tax credit since the federal government began issuing checks in July 2021. The last round of payments was sent out just before the Christmas holiday — at the same time as the omicron variant surged. Leah Hamilton, associate professor of social work at Appalachian State University, joined Cheddar to discuss what the end to the tax credit means as the U.S. sees the end of many relief programs and its highest number of COVID cases since the start of the pandemic. "It'll become harder for families to meet their basic needs, increasing national childhood poverty rates and the proportion of families who have difficulty putting food on the table, maintaining stable housing, and paying their bills," Hamilton said. She also pointed to research that the credit as a long-term investment in children offsets claims that it contributes to macroeconomic impacts like inflation.
Several Silicon Valley insiders are being accused of contorting a 1990s-era tax break to avoid taxes on millions of dollars of investment profits. The tax break is known as the qualified small business stock exemption, and it allows early investors in certain companies to avoid half of the taxes on up to $10 million in capital gains. A piece recently published in the New York Times says venture capital firms like Andreessen Horowitz replicated the tax exemption by giving shares of companies to friends and family, who would otherwise face a 23.8% capital gains bill. The CEO of Roblox is also accused of replicating the tax break for his family members at least 12 times. Although the loophole known as 'stacking' is considered to be legal, the Times piece implies that the exemption has been manipulated for the ultra-wealthy to become more wealthy. Greycroft co-founder and Chairman Emeritus Alan Patricof joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
There is a new player in the mobile app stock trading space.
Zingeroo recently announced a funding round of $8.5 million. The company says it aims to bring 'friendly competition' to stock trading, by literally breaking trading down into daily and weekly competitions between friends. Zingeroo also says it hopes its new approach can make trading more accessible, educational, and social than ever before. Zingeroo co-founder and CEO Zoe Barry joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell for more.
