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.
Upward Farms is an indoor vertical farming company on a mission to heal our broken food system and reconnect consumers with organic locally-grown food. The Brooklyn-based company uses its controlled environment farms to grow organic leafy greens, which are sold at whole foods markets in New York City. Upward Farms co-founder and CEO Jason Green joined Cheddar Climate to discuss.
One of the biggest hurdles when it comes to widespread electric vehicle adoption is consumer hesitation about their ability to keep their EV charged if they take a longer trip outside of their locality. Now, electric companies nationwide are teaming up as part of a coalition to build out a network of EV charging stations spanning major U.S. travel corridors. Kellen Schefter, director of electric transportation at the Edison Electric Institute, joins Cheddar Climate to discuss the coalition's plans, how drivers can compare fueling up with gas to recharging an EV on a long trip, how the charging network will be funded, and more.
Cheddar is looking back at the 12 biggest buzzwords of the year leading up to Christmas. Today's word of the day is "Infrastructure." Definition: (noun) the basic physical and organizational systems that uphold the structure of the economy.
The NBA's Golden State Warriors announced a partnership with crypto exchange FTX. It will become the official crypto trading platform for the franchise as well as home to a number of NFTs it plans to drop. Brandon Schneider, president and chief operating officer of the team, joined Cheddar's Kristen Scholer to provide some background on the deal and talked about how digital assets are transforming the world of sports. "We as a society, not just in sports, are kind of at the beginning of the beginning with crypto and NFTs specifically, so we're really excited to partner with FTX to see where we can take this together," he said.
The U.S. cannabis industry is on track to hit almost $25 billion in sales, according to New Frontier Data. Vivien Azer, managing director and senior research analyst at Cowen, and Russell Stanley, managing director and equity research at Beacon Securities Limited, join Cheddar News to give their predictions for the budding industry in 2022.
As more states begin to legalize recreational marijuana, there's a growing interest in legalizing cannabis cultivation. As the rise in cannabis farms expands across the U.S., more research is being done to examine its impact on the planet. Michael Katz, executive director at Mendocino Cannabis Alliance, joins Cheddar News to talk about the carbon footprint of cannabis farms.
Former 'Real Housewives of New York' star Dorinda Medley is introducing a premium small-batch bourbon, named after her iconic Massachusetts home, Bluestone Manor. The reality TV star joins Cheddar News to talk about her new book, returning to the 'RHONY' franchise, and her new bourbon.
Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore. 3rd District), the co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, joined Cheddar's "Cannabiz" to discuss the state of marijuana legalization on the federal level as more states continue to greenlight medical and adult use. He stated that there couldn't be a better time to revise the old policies on marijuana with more than 90 percent of Americans, including a majority of Republicans, on board. "This tidal wave of support continues. There were five states that approved in the last general election, and I think, rather than one single event, it is this momentum and the demonstration of broad public support that is making the difference," Blumenauer said.
Disney is warning YouTube TV subscribers that networks under its umbrella, like ABC and ESPN, could be removed from the platform this week if the two companies cannot find a solution to their fight over carriage fees.
