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.
The popular online gaming platform for kids, Roblox, is reportedly expanding its offerings into the educational space. Ayal Shmilovich, managing partner at Gerber Kawasaki Wealth Investment Management, joined Cheddar to provide some insight into the report from the Wall Street Journal and how Roblox plans to incorporate the metaverse concept into schools. "I definitely think it helps them expand their market to a much broader audience," Shmilovich added. He also noted that Minecraft has 35 million users on its educational platform and was even more optimistic about Roblox's prospects.
Bitcoin hit a new high last week, rising above $68,000. But the coin has tumbled since, and it's not the only coin under pressure. Crypto is down today across the board. Bobby Zagotta, CEO of Bitstamp USA, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss the possible reasons why Bitcoin has slumped, how President Joe Biden's new crypto tax clause will impact investors, and more.
President Biden is under some pressure from members of his own party over rising gas prices. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has called for the president to utilize oil reserves to lower gas prices ahead of the holiday season, as gas prices are currently at a seven-year high. Energy Workforce & Technology Council CEO Leslie Beyer joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
The Green Bay Packers are selling shares of their stock for just the sixth time in its 102-year history. The Packers are the only major professional sports team in the U.S. that is publicly owned and not-for-profit. Now, it is offering 300,000 shares at $300 apiece; however, fans who become shareholders will not have much power, as the Packers' stock is not technically a stock. Washington Post sports reporter Des Bieler joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Authors Stuart O'Keeffe and Amy Phillips join Cheddar News to discuss their new cookbook, 'COOK IT, SPILL IT, THROW IT: The Not-So-Real Housewives Parody Cookbook.'
The men's brand Harry's is teaming up with Stop Soldier Suicide and Headstrong to help provide mental health support with a $500,000 financial commitment. The withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan triggered a range of mental health responses from veterans and active service members, as well as displaced refugees who are now acclimating to a new way of life. Maggie Hureau, Harry's head of social impact, joined Cheddar News to talk about the partnership and why Harry's chose to get involved in mental health care.
As the U.S. opens its borders to vaccinated international travelers after months of restrictions, the hospitality industry is preparing for a comeback. Radha Arora, President and Co-Chief Development Officer, Rosewood Hotel Group joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss his outlook for the broader travel industry.
John Partilla, Screenvision Media CEO, discusses the biggest changes to the post-pandemic film industry and movie-going experience, what could bounce back, and changes are here to stay; Elaine Low, Senior Entertainment Business Reporter at Insider, breaks down how The Great Resignation is impacting the entertainment business, and what it means for competition among streaming platforms; Cheddar gets a look at Curiosity Stream's 'Before Hollywood.'
Elaine Low, Senior Entertainment Business Reporter at Insider, joins Cheddar Reveals to break down how The Great Resignation is impacting the entertainment business, and what it means for competition among streaming platforms.