Actor and director David Arquette hopes to raise awareness about the U.S. criminal justice system in his latest documentary, “Survivors Guide to Prison.”
“We have more prisons than we do colleges and universities. It’s just completely backwards,” he told Cheddar. “It’s a plea system: 98 percent of the cases are settled in a plea, so we don’t really have a court system, and that’s what we’re trying to address.”
The star-studded production is narrated by the likes of Danny Trejo, Donald Glover, Jesse Williams, and Susan Sarandon. It tells the story of Bruce Lisker and Reggie Cole, two men wrongly convicted of murders, and offers advice on how to navigate -- and survive -- the current prison system.
Arquette told Cheddar that the documentary is more than a film and that it’s has sparked activism amongst the cast.
“[Director] Matthew Cooke doesn’t think of it as a movie, he thinks of it as a movement,” he said. “So we’re getting behind groups like “Cut50, that’s Van Jones’ company, and we’re working with them on the ‘Dignity Campaign,’ and that’s to get women in prison some basic human rights.”
“Survivors Guide to Prison” premieres in theaters and on-demand on February 23.
For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/david-arquette-on-prison-documentary-that-has-hopes-will-become-a-movement).
In order to qualify for one of the coveted first retail licenses in New York's adult-use cannabis program, you'll have to have a conviction on cannabis-related charges or have an immediate family member who does. It's part of the latest effort by New York lawmakers to create a diverse and inclusive industry — but some advocates still have reservations. Amber Littlejohn, the executive director of the Minority Cannabis Business Association, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss. "We definitely applaud the state of new york, but ultimately the devil will be in the details as to whether or not this actually works out to create equity in the cannabis industry," she said.
Ryan Shearman, chief alchemist and co-founder at Aether, and Henry Elkus, founder of Helena, join Cheddar News to talk about the completion of an $18 million Series A funding round led by Helena.
Pete Davidson is heading to space. The “Saturday Night Live” star will be among the six passengers on the next launch of Jeff Bezos' space travel venture, Blue Origin.
David Daley, senior fellow for FairVote, joins Cheddar News to discuss the Supreme Court denying the GOP's challenge to congressional maps in North Carolina and Pennsylvania.
Actor Bob Odenkirk and his son Nate joined Cheddar News senior reporter Michele Castillo to talk about their new podcast collaboration, "Summer in Argyle," at South By Southwest 2022. The audio drama follows a mysterious death at a hot dog eating contest in the small town of Argyle, Ohio. "My son Nate wrote this as a podcast for him and his friends to do, and I said it's pretty damn funny," said Bob. "Why don't we work on it some more and make it really sharp, and then we'll get a bunch of pros to record it and it turned out great."
Sketchers is yet another retailer to announce its entrance into the realm of the metaverse. The footwear company will be launching virtual clothing as well as an experiential store in Decentraland.
When Russia invaded Ukraine in late February of 2022, many expected a quick, decisive takeover by the Russian army. That didn’t happen. As of the date of recording this video, much of Ukraine - including the capital, Kyiv - continues to resist Russian forces. The reasons why are complex and change day-by-day, so to help break it down, Cheddar spoke to two military experts. Watch the video to see their four key takeaways from the Russian invasion so far, and how it could come to an end.
Cryptocurrencies had a monumental year in 2021 and is showing no signs of slowing down. Cheddar breaks down everything you need to know this tax season if you are investing in crypto.
