Astronaut Scott Kelly, who spent 340 days in space, has some advice for those who are experiencing loneliness during the coronavirus pandemic.
"I think the biggest lesson I learned is that even though you're isolated, you don't have to be alone," Kelly told Cheddar. "There are things that you can do, actions you can take to connect with people, because social isolation, especially for older adults, can lead to loneliness and depression, which is a public health threat."
Kelly is partnering with the AARP Foundation to promote this message in the coming month. The interest group dedicated to helping Americans over 50 is compiling resources on connect2affect.org, including articles, surveys, and a search function for local services, that aim to help older adults combat social isolation.
Behind this effort is a new study from the foundation showing that two-thirds of adults reported experiencing social isolation and high levels of anxiety during the pandemic, which is now well-understood to potentially cause harm to physical and mental health.
"One thing that NASA has learned by having people in space for a long time for many, many years is that being isolated can not only affect your mental health but also your physical health," he said. "Particularly your immune system can be affected by being isolated, by not getting outside, not getting enough sunlight, not getting out in nature, being disconnected from your friends and family."
Helping people overcome the stigma of seeking treatment for mental health issues is another aspect of the partnership. Kelly explained that he was required to speak with a psychologist every two weeks while living in space, whether he felt he needed it at the time or not.
Kelly also commented on another earthbound matter. His brother, fellow astronaut Mark Kelly, is currently running for Senate in Arizona on the Democratic ticket. If he wins, it could have significant consequences regarding, for instance, the confirmation of a Supreme Court nominee like Amy Coney Barrett.
"Well I'm his brother, so of course I'm a big supporter of his," he said. "I think people mostly need to understand that even though it's not a requirement in our country to vote, that I think it's a civic responsibility, and as we get closer to the election, everyone should have a plan to vote."
Alysa McCall, director of conservation outreach and staff scientist at Polar Bears International, joined Cheddar to discuss the ongoing fight to protect polar bears from extinction while world leaders gathered to discuss the climate crisis. McCall explained her organization's mission "to ensure the long term survival of polar bears by helping ensure their arctic sea ice habitat remains intact." McCall said she hopes actionable steps are taken after the UN climate summit to mitigate the crisis and not just more promises.
Moderna reported a massive miss on revenue in its Q3 earnings, taking in $5 billion versus the expected $6.21 billion despite sales of the COVID-19 vaccine. The pharmaceutical giant's stock dropped sharply on the news.
Carlo and Baker discuss the fallout from Tuesday's election and the flashing warning sign for Dems ahead of the midterms. Also, a big 2A case at the Supreme Court, Aaron Rodgers has Covid and is in big trouble, and a first for the MCU.
Carlo and Baker discuss the election results across the country, including a Republican comeback in Virginia -- and possibly NJ -- plus the CDC gives the go-ahead for child vaccinations, Atlanta wins the World Series and more.
Dr. Julie Morita, executive vice president of Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, joined Cheddar to discuss the CDC advisory panel recommending the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5-11. "We've seen many millions of children getting sick, many hospitalized, many dying because of COVID," Morita said. "And so now we have a new tool that we can use to keep our children safe." She also noted that hesitancy among parents about vaccinating their children will likely fade in time as the childhood vaccine program gets underway.
Matthew Oxenford, Analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit, joins a special edition of Cheddar Climate, where he discusses the responsibilities big businesses across multiple sectors have when it comes to combating the effects of climate change around the world.
President Joe Biden introduced the Global Methane Pledge on the second day of the United Nations climate summit. The U.S. and the European Union will lead the way when it comes to methane emissions reductions, and close to 100 nations have also signed on. It's seen as the fastest way to slow down global warming and keep nations on track toward meeting the goal of keeping warming just 1.5 degrees Celsius above late 1800s atmospheric levels. Dr. Sweta Chakraborty, U.S. President of climate-focused startup 'We Don't Have Time' joins Cheddar Climate to discuss the importance of the Biden administration's methane regulations -- and the importance of U.S. leadership when it comes to climate issues.
John Paul Mejia, the national spokesperson for the Sunrise Movement, joined Cheddar to talk about what the youth activist group wants to see from President Joe Biden as he attends the COP26 climate summit. Mejia admonished the president for having little to deliver on his own climate agenda domestically while at the conference. "We need the president to follow through with his promises because, frankly, it's a matter of life or death not only for communities here in the United States but also those looking to us around the world," he said.
With COP26 kicking off, roughly 120 world leaders and delegates are in Glasgow, Scotland to hold climate talks this week. As experts continue to warn about the dangers of climate change, ESG investing is more important than ever.
Georges Archibald, Head of Apex Americas at Apex Group joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
Roughly 20,000 heads of state, diplomats, and activists will gather in person starting Oct. 31 to address the threat of climate change. The summit, known as COP26, is seen as a crucial step in getting the crisis under control as scientists warn global warming is only getting worse. Carroll Muffett, President and CEO of the Center for International Environmental Law, joined Cheddar to explain the goals of COP26 and why it's so crucial for the world leaders to step up and make new, aggressive climate commitments.
