The governor's race is on the ballot in Utah this year. Despite the vitriol commonly seen spewing between candidates in races across the country, the two major-party candidates here, Republican Lieutenant Governor Spencer Cox and Democratic challenger Chris Peterson have linked arms for an unconventional campaign ad, displaying a united front.
The promotion provides a look at civil discourse between two opposing candidates and the ideas they share on how to move the state forward. The candidates both agree that, through the commercial, Americans can see that those with opposing views can still tackle the toughest problems without being disrespectful toward one another.
“It really is the foundation of our country and these democratic principles that we hold so dear," Cox told Cheddar. "For 240 years we’ve been figuring out ways to get along, even when we disagree; and it just feels, in the current climate, like it’s more important than ever that we remind people that we are Americans first.”
While civility between politicians is not at the level it had been in some previous years, these candidates hope to inspire other lawmakers nationwide to take a more active approach to restore it in politics.
For Peterson, the divisive path America has traveled down is a threat to democracy.
“I worry that we're losing sight of the fact that we’re all one nation and not separate political tribes,” he said.
Spencer is calling on Americans to practice the same civility they expect from elected officials.
“That means being more civil on Facebook, on Twitter. Not surrounding ourselves with voices like ours. Not degrading and demeaning the other side but really trying to listen to learn and listen to understand,” Cox said.
The pair’s unconventional method of reaching the voters in Utah has even opened up the possibility of the two working together once a winner is declared — the results both have agreed to accept once announced.
Stock trading app Robinhood already has been offering cryptocurrency investments but seems further excited about the asset class following President Biden's recent announcement of an executive order. Dan Gallagher, the chief legal and corporate affairs officer for Robinhood, joined Cheddar News to talk about the White House's tentative vision for digital currency. "I think this executive order firmly states that, yes, crypto is here to stay, which it talks about the important competitive issues around crypto and how the United States needs to be a leader, a global leader, in innovation and technology regarding crypto," he said. Gallagher also discussed having clarity around meme stocks going forward but worried about overregulation slowing down innovation.
As Russia’s attack on Ukraine, the latest inflation report showed the consumer price index rose 7.9 percent — a 40-year high. Heather Boushey, a member of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, joined Cheddar News to discuss what American consumers might be in store for as prices keep rising. "Forecasters at this point believe that the American economy will be resilient," she said. "They’re still predicting that the unemployment rate will continue to be lower at the end of the year than it is today, and we are still seeing folks believe that over time prices will come back down." Boushey did note that it would be dependent on how long the current situation lasts.
Simon Shuster, TIME's Moscow correspondent joins Cheddar to discuss how Ukraine could become part of the EU and what it would mean for politics in Europe.
President Biden has banned imports of Russian oil to the U.S. in retaliation for its invasion of Ukraine. The president warned of higher prices at the gas pump, leading some analysts to think it could propel the transition to clean, renewable energy. Michael Jones, chairman and CEO of investment solutions company Caravel Concepts, discussed how the ban is hitting green energy stocks as gas prices continue to surge. "I think the 10-year prospects for renewables just got a whole lot better because ultimately this is going to force a transition into renewables," he said.
Amid ongoing tensions in the Russia-Ukraine region, many American travelers are nervous about traveling to Europe.
It comes at a time when international travel was set to make a comeback, but uncertainty surrounding the conflict may delay the overall recovery. Francesca Page, Travel Expert, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine is coming for the global food supply. Ongoing tensions in the region are threatening the supply of various agricultural products including wheat, barley and corn. Vladik Rikhter, CEO & Cofounder of Zenput joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss how this could impact food prices overseas.
Chris Natividad, CIO of EquBot, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he elaborates on what ultimately dragged the Dow, S&P, and Nasdaq lower on Tuesday and discusses how investors are reacting to rising oil prices and February CPI data coming out later this week.
Adam Johnson, Portfolio Manager at Adviser Investments, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he explains why he believes we saw markets jump during Wednesday's session, and adds that investors have already priced in 'every possible kind of bad news we could have.'
Jennifer Klein, the White House Gender Policy Council's co-chair and executive director, spoke to Cheddar News about the economic impact of the pandemic showing the need for a group like the Gender Policy Council, and the need to address issues that have affected women the most,
