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.
Performix, a fitness supplement brand, has opened an ultra-exclusive luxury gym called Performix House in Manhattan's Union Square, where membership fees get as high as $900 per month. Founder Matt Hesse says it's actually cheap for what it offers.
Shangela, a drag queen known for her performance on the cult hit "RuPaul's Drag Race," has a role in "A Star Is Born" opposite Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga. She spoke to Cheddar about the culmination of a lifelong dream and starring in one of the most buzzed-about films of the year.
On Tuesday, Amazon announced that it will be raising its minimum wage to $15 an hour. The news comes after months of criticism and even proposed legislation spearheaded by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA). The "Stop BEZOS" Act introduced in the Senate in September would require corporations like Amazon to contribute to the cost of social services for its employees. Khanna was sponsoring a version in the House. He said he commends Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and believes this move will propel other corporations in the same direction.
Dave Clark, senior vice president of worldwide operations at Amazon, spoke to Cheddar from the floor of one of its fulfillment centers about the company's move to institute a $15 minimum wage and lobby the federal government to raise its wage, which has stood at $7.25 since 2009.
Scott Belsky, chief product officer at Adobe and author of the new book 'The Messy Middle,' discusses what made him write the book and the lessons learned from getting through the middle part of any bold venture. Belsky launched and sold ventures like Behance and U99. An excerpt from the book is below.
Scott Belsky, who sold his company to Adobe and is now its chief product officer, described how the maker of creative software transitioned into a cloud-based business model. The stock has outpaced the broader market over the last several years. Belsky also serves on Cheddar's board of directors.
Scott Belsky ー chief product officer at Adobe, Cheddar board member, and author of "The Messy Middle" ー broke down how start-ups should think about the difficult, confusing time before an idea becomes a viable business.
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Canada and the U.S. inked a new trade deal late Sunday evening after months of contentious tariff talks between the two allies. Lauren Gardner, reporter for POLITICO Pro Canada, said the trade agreement will benefit dairy farmers and automakers in the U.S.
It has been just over a year since Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, and the island is back up and open for business, said Carla Campos, the executive director for Puerto Rico Tourism Company.
