Tennis star Naomi Osaka is set to take a break from the game as she starts her family. Osaka and rapper Cordae, who have dated since 2019, are expecting a baby. The announcement comes as the Australian Open is underway. In a Twitter post, Osaka told fans she can't wait to be on the court and has plans to return to competition next year for the tournament Down Under.
Pamela Anderson's Doc
Netflix is gearing up to release a new documentary focused on model Pamela Anderson. Pamela, A Love Story, which is slated to be released later this month, is Anderson's counter to last year's Hulu limited drama series titled Pam and Tommy. Anderson reportedly didn't watch the project because of how she was portrayed and instead decided to tell her own story.
Harry Styles' MCU Future
After his debut in Eternals in 2021, Harry Styles is set to become a fixture in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. According to Marvel Studios producer Nate Moore, Styles' future in the MCU will go beyond his debut performance. "Styles, he is as charming as you want him to be. And I think there's no limit to how good that character's going to be once we get to bring him back," Moore told Deadline.
Abbott Keeps on Winning
After winning the best musical or comedy series award and individual wins by Quinta Brunson and Tyler James Williams, ABC's Abbott Elementary was renewed for a third season. The show is currently in the midst of its second season, which gained a 100 percent rating from Rotten Tomatoes, according to Variety. "Abbott Elementary is the gift that keeps on giving, and I look forward to many more magnificent episodes of this brilliant, authentic and just plain funny series," Channing Dungey, chairman and CEO of Warner Bros Television Group, told Variety.
While people have been spending more time on their phones throughout the pandemic, a new report shows they were also spending more money as well. A review from Sensor Tower on the global app ecosystem this year found that the app economy will see record consumer spending in 2021, up nearly 20% from 2020. Sensor Tower director of sales and financial institutions Anthony Bartolacci joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to break down the report.
The future of gambling in Florida recently suffered a major setback after a federal appeals court rejected a request from the state and the Seminole Tribe to allow online sports betting in the state. Now, the tribe has been forced to stop taking bets on its Hard Rock sportsbook app. ESPN gaming writer David Purdum joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss what this could mean for the future of sports betting in Florida.
Web3 software startup Thirdweb has raised $5 million in a funding round, coming from a group of high-profile investors, including Gary Vaynerchuk and Mark Cuban. Thirdweb says it is paving the way for the revolution surrounding the new iteration of the internet known as web3, by offering users free tools to build their own web3 projects. Thirdweb's co-founders Steven Bartlett and Furqan Rydhan join Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Decentralized talent network Braintrust recently closed an atypical equity deal that involved investors buying $100 million in Braintrust tokens, the company's cryptocurrency. Braintrust's talent network is built on blockchain technology, which the company says allows it to be owned and built by users, instead of a centrally-controlled corporation. Braintrust users can also earn tokens for their contributions to the network and its growth. Braintrust co-founder Adam Jackson joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Time magazine has unveiled SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk as Person of the Year for 2021. Jeffrey Kluger, editor at large for Time, told Cheddar that Musk's impact on so many facets of forward-looking industries like crypto, solar power, electric vehicles, and especially his work on space travel were the reasons behind the selection. "On balance, Musk is performing on so many levels and in so many venues that it was hard not to consider him our Person of the Year," he said. Kluger also noted that the choice is based upon the influence the subject has had, whether good or bad and is not a judgment on its own.
The recent verdicts of the Kyle Rittenhouse and Ahmaud Arbery murder trials have put a spotlight on the country's justice system. Experts have pointed to the explicit racial undertones in the high-profile trials, as well as the increased levels of stress that may be felt by communities of color because of the prevalence of these trials. Kailee Scales, CEO of Pencils of Promise and former first managing director of Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
Gold Medal ski racer Bode Miller and John Emery, CEO of Alpine-X, discuss the need to make snowsports more affordable and how the new facility in Virginia aims to diversify the sport to urban areas.
Carlos Munoz, Head of Asset Manager Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Engagement at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, discusses how 'The Equity Collective' is helping to diversify the financial services industry and what the initiative means for racial equity.
Headspace Health has just launched the 'Headspace for Teens' social impact initiative, which will offer free access to the Headspace app for all teens ages 13 - 18 in America. Alice Nathoo, head of social impact at Headspace joins Cheddar News to talk about the program.
