*By Christian Smith*
Mallory Hagan, crowned Miss America in 2013, wanted to change the stereotypes Americans have about Alabama.
So she decided to run for Congress.
"We are at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to healthcare, when it comes to government transparency, when it comes to education, quality of life. But we are at the top when it comes to corruption," Hagan said in an interview on Cheddar Monday. "So many people have a really awful view of our state, and it's a really beautiful place."
Hagan won the Democratic nomination for Alabama's third congressional district in the June 5 primary. She will take on the 16-year incumbent, Republican Congressman Mike Rogers, in the general election on November 5.
Rogers won his last campaign in 2016 by 34 points over the Democratic challenger Jesse Smith. But despite the district's conservative voting record, Hagan believes she can make inroads by galvanizing local college students who don't normally vote.
"My plan is to engage young people in this process, get them involved in this campaign and show them that their vote and their voice does in fact matter, and that their involvement in politics is crucial to the future of our nation," Hagan said.
At the heart of her campaign is the goal of fixing Alabama's healthcare system. The state has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the country. In 2016, nine out of every 1,000 newborns died before reaching their first birthday, which is a higher rate than many developing nations.
Hagan's critics question whether her experience as Miss America has any relevance in politics. In the 29-year-old's eyes, winning the title and working with charitable causes around the country was the perfect prep for serving in Congress.
"I've represented our nation before, and I'm ready to represent the people of Alabama," Hagan said.
For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/miss-america-takes-on-new-challenge-congress).
After scrutiny over the negative impact on the mental health of children, social media apps have begun adding stricter limitations to parental controls. Jim Steyer, CEO of Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization focusing on recommendations for entertainment platforms, joined Cheddar News to talk about the changes, why they might not be enough, and what parents can do to help. "It's almost that the companies — whether they're Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube, or whatever — have to start the process from the beginning of designing the product," he said. "They have to be much more clear about age verification so that a 12-year-old and 11-year-old can't get on there." Steyer also pushed for federal legislation to reign in the issue.
As Big Tech companies from the U.S. like Google and Apple managed to build market dominance overseas, the European Union has decided to curb what it sees as monopolistic growth. Greg Martin, the co-founder of Rainmaker Securities, joined Cheddar News to talk about how the impact of the antitrust regulations being adopted. "I think there's a lot of great outcomes here, but those will be far down the road [because] I do think there's some interoperability things that need to be worked out technologically," he said. "But it's going to be really good ultimately for the consumer in my opinion."
Tenicka Boyd is a digital creator making content that reflects her two passions: activism and style. The TikTok star joined Cheddar News to talk about her platform and new looks this Spring. Boyd admitted that at first she wanted to remain anonymous on the social media platform before finding her passion. "I just joined TikTok hoping that no one would find me, and I started creating colorful content," she said. "I didn't know that you could monetize this and really do it full time, and I just followed my passion because I realized that you can have multiple different lives and do multiple different things."
Catching you up on what you need to know on March 25, 2022, with Ukrainian forces retaking Kyiv, 300 deaths reported from the bombing of a theater used as a shelter in Mariupol, U.S. regulators ditch a climate review of natural gas projects, the 94th Academy Awards, and more.
North Korea says it test-fired its biggest intercontinental ballistic missile under the orders of leader Kim Jong Un, who vowed to continue expanding his nuclear arsenal while preparing for a “long-standing confrontation” with the United States.
Ukrainian authorities in the besieged ruins of Mariupol say that about 300 people died when a Russian airstrike blew up a theater where hundreds of civilians were sheltering.
Survivors of the Parkland School Shooting along with activists from March For Our Lives set up on the National Mall on Thursday. Their demonstration displayed 1,100 bodybags that spelled out the phrase “Thoughts and Prayers” to remind lawmakers that condolences are not enough and to push for action on guns. Each bag represented 150 lives lost due to gun violence. Trevon Bosley, a board member of March For Our Lives, joined Cheddar News to discuss the organization's return to Washington, DC. "The main thing bringing us back is that we have not seen anything being done on the national level for gun violence.” Bosley said. “We’re not seeing anything changed, and we’re not seeing lives being saved”
UK's prince William and his wife were met by protesters during their visit to Jamaica. Cheddar News speaks with political strategist Dee Dawkins-Haigler, who explains why the country's path to independence is relevant to Americans.
