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.
President Trump has lashed out at many a journalist, and Mika Brzezinski knows personally what it's like to be on the receiving end. The co-host of MSNBC's "Morning Joe" told Hope King that "in the grand scheme of things, it's not really a big deal."
The co-host of MSNBC's "Morning Joe," sat down with Cheddar's Hope King and talked about advice she had for young women attempting to break into the media industry. Brzezinski also spoke candidly about her public clash with President Trump: "I'm really sad for our country."
Mika Brzezinski, co-host of MSNBC's "Morning Joe," spoke with Cheddar about the role of media in the age of Donald Trump. "Keep it cool and stick to the facts," she said.
The Canadian cannabis company has seen exponential growth with shares doubling since just mid-August, when Corona-maker Constellation Brands upped its stake with a $4 billion investment. CEO Bruce Linton said interest is now coming from pharma giants, which will rely on companies like Canopy for research, patented technology, and formulas.
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Twilio, a cloud-focused tech company based in San Francisco, is doubling down on its commitment to diversity. The company has a goal for at least 50 percent of its staff to be female and 30 percent to be from underrepresented groups by 2023. Lafawn Davis, global head of culture and inclusion at Twilio, said that there are more than enough women in tech to be able to fill the roles.
North Carolina is facing a new crisis a week after Hurricane Florence made landfall. Not only have millions of farm animals drowned in the initial floods. Now, flooded waste lagoons are contaminating the drinking water, explained Zoë Schlanger, environment reporter for Quartz.
One year after Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico is still recovering from the devastation. Luis Soto of "Save the Children" said a staggering 84 percent of the island's kids are living in poverty.
The one-time Beatle is back at #1, and he didn't do it solely by selling albums. Austin Powell, managing editor at The Daily Dot, explains how McCartney was able to use the new music economy dominated by Spotify and Apple Music to his advantage.
Hurricane Florence is over, but the relief efforts are just beginning. The American Red Cross is currently housing 8,200 people displaced from the storm, and Gail McGovern, president and CEO of the American Red Cross, said the shelters will be in place until the last person has a more permanent place to go.
