Activist Investors Call on Apple to Address Youth Phone Addiction
Apple under fire after two Apple investors urged the company to step up and play a bigger role in managing smartphone overuse and addiction. David Benoit, Activism Reporter at The Wall Street Journal, was with us to discuss why Jana Partners has decided to push Apple to develop tools and research the effects of smartphone overuse by young people.
Benoit says the investors aren’t saying its necessarily Apple’s responsibility to monitor phone usage. Instead, he thinks they believe that Apple could play an important role in acknowledging that they aren’t sure what the impact of all this phone usage will be, but could score points by giving parents the option to monitor usage.
Activist investors typically focus on things like buybacks and acquisitions. Benoit says this move by Jana Partners to take a stance on corporate responsibility is very different. He thinks following Jana's advice could help protect Apple from potential backlash on teen iPhone usage. In addition, Benoit says goodwill could help drive future sales if consumers feel Apple made a phone that is safe for kids.
Nela Richardson, Chief Economist at ADP, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he discusses the sector growth in the October Jobs report, and how labor shortages and wage growth will impact the economy going forward.
More American tech companies continue to pull their businesses out of China as the Communist Party cracks down on firms — both foreign and domestic. Yahoo and Fortnite have become the latest companies to withdraw from the country, and the withdrawals come just days after Microsoft announced it would take LinkedIn offline. Shehzad Qazi, managing director at China Beige Book International, joined Cheddar to provide some insight into how the crackdowns in China would also impact the tech companies at home in the United States.
Yelp reported Q3 earnings on Thursday, matching its best quarterly performance in company history, according to CFO David Schwarzbach who joined Cheddar's "Between Bells" to break down the report and business forecast. He also talked about the impact that the pandemic has had on marketing campaigns on the platform and noted that while service pros are doing well, campaigns for restaurants, retail, and other sectors continue to face challenges.
Beatriz Acevedo, CEO of Suma Wealth, discusses the challenges in building financial habits among Hispanic youths and talks about how the company will be prioritizing funds from its recent $2 million raise.
Sian Morson, founder and editor of The Blkchain, talks about the challenges digital artists of color face getting opportunities to advance their careers and ways NFTs are redistributing wealth.
Planet Fitness CEO Chris Rondeau joined Cheddar's "Opening Bell" to talk about the gym chain's Q3 earnings beat. He said while home workouts have sufficed for people amid the pandemic, they are not a substitute for in-person workouts in facilities such as their own. "Now that people can get out and go about their day as their normal life, I think we're now reaping the benefits of people getting out to being normal again," he said.
A new report out by the Center for Countering Digital Hate shows how just ten publishers are responsible for the bulk of climate change misinformation on social media--and companies like Facebook and Google are making money off them. Imran Ahmed, CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, joined Cheddar to discuss.
Many are celebrating Marvel's 'Eternals,' the most diverse film the company has ever made. CAPE has teamed up with other nonprofits to launch the #oneopen campaign, tied to the Eternals, which aims to support and amplify films led by diverse talent. Michelle Sugihara, the Executive Director of CAPE, joined Cheddar to discuss.
A recent token called 'SQUID' which was developed after the Netflix series Squid Games has now cost several investors to lose their investments. According to Gizmodo, the developers have now walked off with $3.3 Million thanks to them not allowing buyers to sell any of their coins. The question now is: How can one protect themselves from being caught up in any crypto scams? The Host of the O Show Wendy O, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Dr. Rachel Cleetus, Policy Director and Lead Economist of the Climate and Energy Program for the Union of Concerned Scientists, joined Cheddar News to discuss the COP26 summit.