How Duracell is Helping Relief Effort in Puerto Rico
Duracell's "PowerForward" initiative is working to help relief efforts in Puerto Rico after it was devastated by Hurricane Maria. Alfonso Arteaga, Senior Brand Manager at the company, explains how Duracell is providing internet access to those in need. Arteaga was living in Puerto Rico with his family when the hurricane hit the island in September.
Many areas in Puerto Rico remain without power three months after Hurricane Maria devastated the island. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said it could take until May to complete restoration of Puerto Rico's power grid. In less than one month after the hurricane hit the island, Duracell airlifted two trucks with 100 tons of battery for those in need.
Since this initiative began, Duracell has distributed more than $1 million worth of batteries, making this the program's largest deployment since PowerForward began in 2011. "It makes us realize we are not forgotten," said Arteaga who has since relocated from Puerto Rico to Connecticut.
Dr. Jarrad Aguirre, Co-Founder and CEO of Miga Health, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he says his company is looking to establish the future of heart health and points to how 80% of premature heart attacks and strokes are preventable.
DroneUp is partnering with Walmart in a program to expand its drone delivery service to reach 4 million households. CEO Tom Walker joined Cheddar News to discuss the state of drone delivery regulations and the acceptance of the service so far. "I think they're going into this, there was obviously, and appropriately, some concerns of noise and, and the drones flying over, and the safety, and would it become an annoyance. And then on the retail side, would the customers really adopt this and embrace it as a new method for delivery," he said. "So we've seen really significant and positive embrace of this new delivery model."
The average city in California has a 38% higher cost of living than the average American city, according to a cost of living index. For many, the general minimum wage of $15/hour just doesn't cut it. Anti-poverty activist Joe Sanberg wants to get the minimum wage changed to $18/hour. He joins Cheddar News to discuss the Living Wage Act of 2022.
Coming off of their face masks endeavor, Jill Zarin of "The Real Housewives of New York City," and her daughter Ally Shapiro, CMO of JIll & Ally, join Cheddar News to discuss their latest product: crystal manifestation candles. "We have tigers eye, we have amethyst, we have lapis, and alone those could be almost the price of the candle," said Zarin. "We were really able to do it in an affordable way, and if you don't know how to manifest or what that even means, we do it for you on the candle." Zarin also dished on the new season of "Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip."
One month after its launch, new streaming venture CNN+ announced it was shutting down. Seth Schachner, the managing director of StratAmericas and digital business executive, joined Cheddar News to talk about the high-profile media flop. "That's a really, really different beast than what HBO Max is, which is video streaming, entertainment features," he said. “It's a tough sell when you really look at these things in the cold light of day as to whether or not they actually fit together."
