With critics' groups across the country starting to hand out their awards, the Oscar race is officially on. Cinemablend's Sean O'Connell joins us to handicap the major categories. With no clear frontrunner, it's anyone's guess which movie is going to break out before the big night.
In the Best Picture category, it's looking like things are boiling down to a showdown between "The Post" and "Lady Bird." O'Connell weighs the pros and cons of each, noting that he thinks the Steven Spielberg political drama is the best movie of the year. We also consider whether "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" could be the franchise's first Best Picture nominee since the 1977 original, "A New Hope."
Then, we tackle the contenders duking it out in the acting categories. Meryl Streep is looking to win her fourth Oscar for her leading role in "The Post." If anyone can stop her, O'Connell says it will likely be "Lady Bird's" Saoirse Ronan or "I, Tonya's" Margot Robbie. As for the actors, "Darkest Hour's" Gary Oldman is pulling ahead as the one to beat for his portrayal of Winston Churchill.
Maisie Devine, global director for Anheuser-Busch InBev's 100+ Accelerator, said the incubator will focus on nurturing sustainable start-ups, as the alcohol giant commits to reducing its own emissions by 25 percent.
The Call of Duty Endowment is trying to help 50,000 veterans find high-quality jobs, an attempt to give back to those who inspire the hit game. The program's director, Dan Goldenberg, praised gamemaker Activision Blizzard for committing to solve such a difficult problem.
Joshua Zad, CEO of Alfred Inc., said that he took a "real-estate first" approach to his businesses, finding neglected neighborhoods in which to place his design-focused coffee and tea houses.
Aaron Eckhart, known for playing Harvey Dent in "The Dark Knight," spoke with Cheddar about his upcoming role in "The Romanoffs," Amazon's newest original series from Matthew Weiner, the creator of Mad Men.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know.
Chef Jordan Andino, recently named as one of "30 Hottest Chefs Under 30" by Zagat, talked about the surprises he encountered while filming season 2 of his show "Late Nite Eats."
The alleged murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi has major corporations rethinking their involvement in Saudi Arabia, even as President Trump avoids taking a stance. Jeanne Whalen, a reporter for the Washington Post, said this could be destructive to the Saudis' effort to diversify their economy as they move away from oil.
Venture capitalist Jenny Gyllander wants to help people understand exactly what her industry is all about. So she started an Instagram account called Thingtester, which reviews products from both a consumer and investor standpoint.
Harvard researcher Todd Rose, in his new book "Dark Horse," charts the unlikely paths to success of some of our greatest innovators and leaders. What he found is a group of people who prioritize their own personal fulfillment over traditional status indicators like money or power.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know.
