Eva Longoria — actress, director, advocate, mother, and wife — has been busy during the coronavirus pandemic like many adults. In her case, stay-at-home orders led her to spend more time at home, caring for her young son and cooking. Longoria said she has been lucky to be able to take this time away from her career, but recognizes that many people, especially women, have been struggling to juggle additional responsibilities with work outside of the home. Now she is encouraging women to find ways to protect their mental well-being..
"I am, of course, very privileged to be able to stay home and be with my baby. There are so many people that don't have that luxury and still have to go to work and still have to be in danger without PPE," Longoria said.
In addition to family duties, this summer the Desperate Housewives star emerged as part of a women-led ownership group behind Angel City, the new Los Angeles-based team in the National Women's Soccer League.
"It was really exciting because it was a venture capital group that is by women, looks for women. I mean, it's all-around a holistic approach to having representation," Longoria said.
The urge to be part of a groundbreaking moment, in sports and soccer history in particular, according to Longoria, was sparked by the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team, whose years of domination on the field was often coupled with demand for equal pay.
"We should have equal representation in government, in companies, in life, in media. So, this was a good way to exercise that," she said.
Longoria has long been recognized as an advocate and activist, and this year she was selected to be the host for the first night of the virtual Democratic National Convention.
"I wasn't there as a celebrity or as a famous person. I was there as an American. I was there as the daughter of a veteran, the daughter of a teacher, as a small business owner," she explained.
Now, Longoria has a new project underway: a campaign with Tillamook Creamery to draw attention to the country's agricultural needs, especially as food insecurity becomes a growing concern amid the pandemic.
"They're going to donate 10 percent of their sales, up to a donation of $1.6 million dollars, to the American Farmland Trust. That's to help farmers in many ways, whether it's protecting their farmlands, improving their farming methods, so many things," she said.
The actress, who admits to being a fan of the co-ops' ice cream, also noted the public campaign that encourages social media users to thank farmers and use the tags #AllForFarmers and #Sweepstakes. Tillamook will randomly select 10 lucky consumers to win a year's worth of free ice cream.
In the fight against climate change, much of the conversation revolves around reducing greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide or methane - and attempting to raise oxygen levels. But there's another gas - hydrogen - that could play a big role in the fight for the climate. Marco Alvera, CEO of Italian energy infrastructure company Snam and author of the book, 'The Hydrogen Revolution,' joined Cheddar Climate to explain the role hydrogen plays in helping achieve a net-zero future.
Vietnam's first global automaker is coming to the United States. VinFast unveiled the company's full EV lineup of five models at CES 2022. A reservation program for its first two electric vehicles, the VF 326 and the VF e35, officially opened on Wednesday, with the company set to announce the vehicle's retail prices in the U.S. and Vietnamese markets. VinFast is also one of the world's first automakers to apply blockchain technologies to the process of certifying reservations, payments, and eventually vehicle ownership. VinFast CEO Le Thi Thu Thuy joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
AT&T and Verizon have agreed to delay activating their 5G services for two weeks after Airlines for America, a lobbying group that represents American, Delta, and other airlines, filed a petition last week with the FCC to stop the deployment of 5G in the U.S. over concerns that the network can interfere with certain systems on airplanes. President Biden spoke out about it, saying it would avoid further delays and cancellations of flights. Light Reading 5G and Mobile Strategies Director Mike Dano joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Nick Hotchkin, WW chief operating officer, joins Cheddar News to talk about the company's latest program innovation 'PersonalPoints.' Liv Bowser, founder of Liberate, talks to our Hena Doba about creating the first mental fitness studio. Meanwhile, students in Illinois will now receive 5 mental health days per year, State Senator Robert Martwick tell us more about the bill.
Americans looking to purchase at-home COVID-19 tests will now have to shell out a bit more money after an agreement expired between the White House and companies to sell the tests at cost. The price of Abbot's BinaxNow test kit from October to December was $14 apiece; on Tuesday, Walmart's website listed the test for $19.88, and Kroger listed the tests for $23.99. Carbon Health Regional Clinical Director Dr. Bayo Curry-Winchell joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss the impact higher prices will have as the nation experiences another surge in cases.
Caroline Polisi, Criminal Defense Attorney & Lecturer in Law at Columbia Law School, breaks down the Holmes verdict and how this case impacts the reputation of female entrepreneurs.
As millions of kids go back to school, districts across the country are determined to keep class in person, despite a surge in COVID cases. In New York City, Mayor Eric Adams has vowed to keep the nation's largest school system open amid Omicron, citing the disastrous effect of remote learning on students. Oswald Feliz, NYC council member who sits on the health and education committee, joined Cheddar to discuss the city's plan to combat the recent surge and keep kids in school.
Schools across the country are determined to keep class in session, despite the rapidly-spreading Omicron variant. While many parents prefer in-person learning, they also worry whether the current public health guidelines will be enough to protect their kids. Erin Richards, national education reporter for USA Today, joined Cheddar to discuss how are schools are preparing for the surge to avoid another round of remote learning.
Joe Sanberg, Business leader, entrepreneur, and anti-poverty advocate, joins Cheddar News to discuss his push for an $18 minimum wage in California, and how employers are reacting to minimum wage hikes across the country.
