Alabama State University has managed to keep COVID-19 cases at zero since the start of the fall semester, even as the number of infections rises among college students at other campuses across the U.S. The university's president, Quinton Ross, Jr, in part, credits Dragonfly's thermal-screening technology that identifies coronavirus symptoms.
"This is a contactless device that we're using. We're non-invasive, where students can just walk up and get a quick check of their temperature and other vital signs," he told Cheddar. "It's been an asset to all of the protocols that we've set in place here to help identify and to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 on campus."
Even before the technology was implemented at the historically Black university, steps were already being taken to protect the safety and health of everyone on campus.
"From the outset, we determined — even before the city of Montgomery, even before the state of Alabama — that we would become a mask-mandatory campus," he said.
For Ross, safety, especially for students, was the sole priority in taking steps to reopen campus. While a lack of PPE was a major concern for many early in the pandemic, the university was committed to avoiding "any barrier" that could potentially keep students from learning on campus. Therefore, the school decided to provide masks for them, he said.
Once back on campus, Ross explained, students have even stepped up and are doing their part to stop the spread of COVID-19.
“I cannot say enough about my student leadership, who’s embraced keeping our campus safe,” he noted.
In the event of an outbreak, Ross said there is a contingency plan in place that includes isolating students in already established dormitories.
A common criticism of universities' reopening plans during the pandemic has been that restrictions prevent students from socializing — a notable aspect of the on-campus college experience. It is also a scenario that, in many cases, is unavoidable; but Ross said the protocols and safety standards that were set, along with the students' ability to be mindful, are the reasons for his school's success in keeping infections at zero so far.
"I'm just thankful to our Board of Trustees and all of our leadership team for allowing us to put these procedures in place," he said.
After months of investigation, board members from U.S. big oil companies were slated to appear before a House oversight committee this week to discuss their respective roles in pushing for climate initiatives internally. However, all four board members from Exxon, Shell, Chevron, and BP said they couldn't attend due to scheduling conflicts. Climate experts are testifying in their place about how effective big oil's climate promises have been so far. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden's lead science adviser Eric Lander has resigned after an investigation found he violated workplace policy. What will this mean for Biden's climate agenda? Amy Harder, executive editor of Cipher, a publication by Breakthrough Energy, joins Cheddar Climate to discuss.
Although this week's weather is predicted to be less severe than the 2021 storm, Texans are preparing for the worst - stocking up on supplies and emptying shelves in grocery stores, once again. Some Texans still have not recovered from last year's tragedy, and are heading into the next few weeks with anxiety for what's to come. Leslie Beyer, CEO of the Houston-based energy workforce & technology council, joins Cheddar News to discuss if the Texas grid will fail again.
The American Red Cross has declared its first-ever "national blood crisis" in the United States. Since COVID hit the U.S. in March 2020, blood donations have declined by 10 percent. American Red Cross Medical Director, Dr. Baia Lasky joined Cheddar News to discuss the country facing the worst blood shortage in over a decade. Dr. Lasky noted that as much as 40 percent of Americans are eligible to donate blood but only about 4 percent do so. "This is going to be ongoing," she said. "This is not an acute shortage. We really do need the commitment of people to come out and donate and donate again." Appointments to donate can be made by using the Red Cross Donor App, at RedCrossBlood.org, or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
Eight months after the National Football League announced $1 million in research into cannabinoids, the NFL-NFLPA Joint Pain Management Committee has awarded the funding to two teams of medical researchers at the University of California San Diego and the University of Regina. The NFL says the studies will investigate the effects of cannabinoids on pain management and neuroprotection from concussion in elite football players, respectively. Cheddar correspondent Chloe Ailello spoke with Jeff Miller, the executive vice president of communications, public affairs, and policy for the NFL, about the studies, as well as the recent lawsuit filed against the NFL by former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores. "Maybe we can learn things from other alternative pain approaches that are going to benefit our player population and then sports medicine as a whole," Miller said.
On this episode of Cheddar Innovates: CEO of HereAfter AI discusses how artificial intelligence can be used to preserve family history and stories, and allow you to 'talk' to loved ones that have passed; Creator of the board game 'Travel Explore Discover' explains how she came up with the idea for this informative and educational board game, and how she's using the proceeds to give back to her community; Cheddar gets a look at Curiosity Stream's 'The Humboldt Current.'
Immunologist Dr. Purvi Parikh of the Allergy & Asthma Network joined Cheddar News to break down long Covid, in which Covid symptoms remain up to two years after infection; a phenomenon that has so far mystified health experts.
Solid-state battery maker Factorial Energy recently raised $200 million in a Series D round led by Mercedes-Benz and Stellantis. Factorial says the funding will be used to accelerate commercial production and deployment of its solid-state battery technology, which the company says is safer, and offers up to 50% more driving range than current lithium-ion technology. Factorial also has joint development agreements (announced in late 2021) with Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis, and Hyundai, three of the top 10 global automotive manufacturers, to commercialize its batteries. Factorial CEO Siyu Huang joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
David Malott, founder and chief architect at AI PlanetWorks joins Cheddar News to discuss the release of its augmented reality NFTs for the metaverse called 'TERA.'
A 2021 report from UK Research and Innovation found that the shipping industry makes up at least 2.5 percent of the world's total CO2 emissions. It's a problem that energy solutions company, Leclanché, is trying to solve. Founded in 1909, the company has been developing and producing batteries for more than 100 years. Today, Leclanché's lithium-ion battery is used to electrify not just ships, but also railroad locomotives, trucks, and specialty vehicles. Cheddar News spoke with Pierre Blanc, chief technology and industrial officer of Leclanché, to discuss.
