If you're searching for the future of transportation, look up. Transportation startup Skyryse just completed an end-to-end autonomous helicopter flight, where the pilot never had to touch the controls.
"This is a really large step toward realizing a transportation system in the sky that can one day move us away from the cars and the crumbling infrastructure that is throughout our cities," explained Mark Groden, the company's founder and CEO.
While the helicopter, called Luna, isn't to be overlooked, it isn't the main attraction as far as Skyryse is concerned. That distinction belongs to the Skyryse Flight Stack technology, which the company hopes will revolutionize short-distance air travel. The sector is flooded right now, with as many as 130 companies looking for a piece of the pie, including big names like Uber involved. Skyryse isn't looking to beat them, but assist them.
"What we're focused on is building the technology that will lead to this transportation system," said Groden.
Reliable, widely-used short-distance air travel has seemed like something of a pipe dream until now, but Groden is quick to point out the first automated flight actually took place decades ago, when the Lockheed-1011 safely crossed the Atlantic. The idea of automated air travel isn't a new one, and the CEO believes it will expedite the process of making it a reality.
"The pragmatic approach we're taking, following existing paths that the FAA is already very keen to work with us on, will allow us to realize this in single-digit years, and far sooner than I think a lot of people expect," he said.
On December 20th, the TSA reported that for the fourth day in a row, it had screened more than 2 million people through its airports as the Omicron variant continues to rage and spread rapidly throughout the country. The CDC now reporting that roughly 73% of all covid cases are caused by the Omicron variant ahead of President Biden’s remarks aimed towards curbing the virus and helping hospitals battle rises in hospitalizations. Dr. Nasia Safdar breaks down the latest on traveling during the pandemic.
Ahead of a four day week for the markets due to the upcoming Christmas holiday, investors hoping for a quiet end to the year, or even a Santa Claus rally, may not be in luck. Investors are still digesting the latest from the Fed regarding a quicker than expected taper, as well as ever increasing blow back as the Omicron variant spreads. Octavio Marenzi, CEO of Opimas LLC, explains why the markets have been so volatile ever since the emergence of the latest variant and what to expect going forward into 2022.
Carlo and Baker cover the heartening news on the Covid front ahead of the holiday, plus President Biden punting student loan repayments again, a new space telescope and Love, Hate, Ate: Christmas Eve Eve Edition!
Stocks closed lower Monday as investors continued to price in COVID-19 omicron variant fears. Reopening stocks like airlines, financial companies, restaurants and hotels, and more, dragged on the major indexes as businesses and events took a pause over the weekend amid rising case numbers in metropolitan areas. This comes a week after the Federal Reserve announced it plans to speed up its asset tapering timeline in January and institute three rate hikes next year. Is that plan aging well? Robert Conzo, CEO of The Wealth Alliance, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss market movement, how stocks could close out the year, what the Fed could do in 2022, and more.
After a vote in one Buffalo, New York-area Starbucks created the first workers union in the coffee chain's history, the company has announced that it is ready to negotiate in good faith with the new bargaining unit. But a tense process where labor organizers leveled accusations of anti-union activity at the coffee giant may make that difficult. Cortlin Harrison, a barista at the unionized store, spoke to Cheddar about making a deal. "We can move past all the dirty tricks, the union-busting, the captive audience meetings," he said. "I'm ready to go to the table, and my fellow baristas are ready to go to the table, and just move forward."
This year's worldwide semiconductor shortage limited the supply of everything from new cars to smartphones; and now, many in the chip industry expect the shortage to continue deep into 2022, and maybe even 2023. Semiconductor senior research analyst for Robert W. Baird & Co., Tristan Gerra, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Direct health care company Nomi Health recently raised $110 million in a Series A round. Nomi Health lets public and private organizations directly purchase healthcare at reduced costs, and pay providers in real-time. It also delivers healthcare directly to under-served communities via its fleet of mobile care units, which the company says is the largest in the country. Nomi Health says its mission is to improve the health care experience for all Americans. Nomi Health CEO Mark Newman joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
