Tensions are rising in Iran as thousands of people are taking to the streets in protests against the government. Center for Human Rights in Iran's Deputy Director Omid Memarian explains the economic factors driving the unrest, and implications of social platforms being blocked inside the nation.
"The protests have been spontaneous," says Memarian. "Economy is one of the major problems in Iran. Embezzlement by Iranian officials--corruption is deeply rooted in ranking officials."
The Iranian government has blocked social media platforms including Facebook, Telegram, and Instagram. Memarian says this move is dangerous. "It shows how the government is very insecure," said Memarian.
Futures rebounded this morning in reaction to positive news from Merck that its covid-19 treatment pill is 50 percent effective at preventing hospitalizations and death. It comes after a rocky month on Wall Street, which saw all the major averages post their worst months in over a year. Chris Vecchio, Senior Analyst, at DailyFX joined Wake Up with Cheddar for more.
Makena Kelly, Politics reporter at The Verge, joined Cheddar News to break down Thursday's congressional testimony from Facebook's global head of security, as the company comes under fire for its plans to attract kids.
U.S. weekly jobless claims rose to 362,000 for the week ending September 25th, higher than the 335,000 economists had expected. This figure is also slightly higher than the 351,000 reported a week earlier. Louis Cordone, Senior Vice President of Data Strategy at AST joined Wake Up with Cheddar to discuss.
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been found guilty of illegal campaign financing linked to his 2012 bid for reelection after $54 million was spent on fake invoices. Sarkozy was sentenced to one year in prison.
