Sen. Gillibrand: 'Pink Wave' Can Carry Democrats in November
*By Hope King*
With a record number of women running for Congress in November, a "pink wave" could carry Democrats to a majority and has Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York feeling optimistic about a new era of progressive government.
"You’ll have a government that cares about everyone ー that wants people to thrive, to have happy communities, happy families. One that allows everyone to earn their full potential in the workplace,” Gillibrand said in an interview with Cheddar.
After her keynote speech Thursday at the BlogHer18 conference in New York, Gillibrand, one of the the state's two Democratic Senators, described what America might look like if more women were in political power: paid family leave, equal pay for equal work, affordable daycare, universal pre-k, job training, and resolution of college-loan debt.
"So many things I think a Democratic Congress can do given the chance," she said.
Based on the results from this week's primary elections in Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, and Washington, the two major parties will field [at least 185 female candidates for the House](https://www.npr.org/2018/08/08/636675661/its-official-record-number-of-women-nominated-for-house-seats-in-2018) in November, according to the Center for Women and Politics and Rutgers University. That number could still rise with more primaries to come. There are also 13 women running for the Senate.
"I’m really hopeful," Gillibrand said. "These women who are running are passionate ー they’re on fire. They believe in what they’re doing, they’re taking risks, they’re fighting as hard as they can."
*For Hope King's full interview with Senator Gillibrand, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/senator-kirsten-gillibrand-speaks-out-on-midterms-trump-2020).*
Spotify has announced its official Songs of the Summer predictions. Lea Palmieri, a Spotify trend expert and podcast host, joined Cheddar News to break down the acts who made the cut and how. “It's a mix of streaming data charts and also our global curation team," she said. "They're keeping an eye on all of the hottest music." While Harry Styles has recently topped the Spotify charts, Palmieri also addressed the "Feral Girl Summer" trend, which she described as going "moderately wild, having fun, enjoying yourself."
Catching you up on today's top entertainment stories with a recap from the 75th Annual Tony Awards, including red carpet interviews and Jennifer Hudson receiving her EGOT, and "Jurassic World: Dominion" topping the box office.
The Tony Awards made its sensational return to Radio City Music Hal for the first time since 2019. 'A Strange Loop' stole the show, winning Best Musical while Adrianna Debose hosted in the most spectacular way possible. Cheddar News was joined by Broadway Reporter Leigh Scheps to break down the 75th Annual Tony Awards.
U.S. stocks closed Thursday at their lowest levels of the trading day, as investors continue to eye inflation ahead of the May CPI report out Friday. Art Hogan, Chief Market Strategist for National Holdings, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
U.S. stocks closed Friday at session lows after May CPI data showed inflation in the U.S. has not peaked and is still rising rapidly. For the week, the S&P fell 5.06%, the Dow lost 4.58%, and the Nasdaq dropped 5.60%, marking the worst week since January for all three major indexes. Mike Zigmont, Head of Trading and Research at Harvest Volatility Management, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Benefits brokerage, Nava Benefits, raised $40 million in a Series B round. Nava says it's on a mission to fix healthcare, one benefits plan at a time. The startup is working to bring benefits to small business that are normally available to only Fortune 500 companies. Brandon Weber, Co-Founder and CEO of Nava Benefits, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Auction house Christie's will be presenting "Legacy of the GOAT," which will include a rare Michael Jordan signed rookie card and sneakers. Caitlin Donovan, the vice president of Christie's handbags and accessories department. joined Cheddar News to discuss the special memorabilia selection for the NBA great. "He's been a global phenomenon, so he's really shaped '90s culture and streetwear culture," she said. "And we see bidders from every pocket in the world."
Kona Brewing Co., pro surfer Anna Gudauskus, and surf photographer Sarah Lee are embarking on an 1,500+ mile beach cleanup down the East Coast. Gudauskus and Lee join Cheddar News to discuss the initiative.
March For Our Lives will be returning this weekend to Washington, DC, in the wake of the recent mass shooting seen throughout the country. Marchers include Yolanda Renee King, the only granddaughter of Martin Luther King Jr. She joined Cheddar News to discuss the importance of the march and activism in general. "I just think that it's so important to have these rallies because we need to demand to our leaders and politicians that they pass legislation and that and we actually need to see action," she said.
