The legendary U2 is planning to set up shop in the desert for a slate of shows. The announcement was made during a 15-second spot that aired during Super Bowl LVII. The Las Vegas residency is being dubbed U2: UV Achtung Baby Live at the Sphere and will be held at the MSG Sphere at the Venetian hotel. In anticipation of the residency, U2 is also set to release a collection of 40 songs called Songs of Surrender. Drummer Larry Mullen, however, will be out with a scheduled surgery.
France-Wakanda Relations
France is unhappy with the way French soldiers were depicted in Marvel's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Defense minister Sebastien Lecornu took to Twitter to denounce a scene that showed captured soldiers with their hands tied behind their backs. The soldiers were apparently dressed similarly to French troops that were deployed to Africa's Sahel region to fight terror groups. "I am thinking of and honouring the 58 French soldiers who died defending Mali, at its request, in the face of Islamist terrorist groups," he said. He went on to say that troops were being misrepresented.
RiRi's Return?
After seven long years, Rihanna's Navy was treated to a dazzling Super Bowl halftime performance. It was filled with her hits, visuals that could make your palms sweat, and even a baby announcement! But for fans who were expecting this performance to be the kickstart to a Rihanna era, brace yourselves. In an interview leading up to the big performance, she revealed that a new album "would probably take some time" but that she was open to dropping loose songs here and there.
Mona Akhavi, CEO of Vrai, joins Cheddar Innovates to discuss the process of creating lab grown diamonds, why this industry is growing, and the latest trends in the jewelry and engagement ring space.
M&M's is rebranding its iconic chocolate candy characters with new looks and storylines highlighting the "progressive world" we live in today. Jane Hwang, global vice president of M&M's, joined Cheddar to talk about the company's rebrand. "M&M's is on a mission to create a world where everyone feels they belong," she said. The multi-colored, anthropomorphized candies will be getting an updated look and tone, according to Hwang, such as Green receiving a makeover that reflects more female empowerment and confidence.
The Department of Agriculture has officially unveiled its plan to fight catastrophic wildfires that have devastated parts of the West in the last few years. The department, along with the Forest Service will work to significantly increase fuels and forest health treatments to address the escalating crisis of wildfire danger. Executive Editor of Cipher, a publication by Breakthrough Energy, Amy Harder, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
A new report out on Linkedin says that Crypto-related job postings in the US surged to 395% between 2020 and 2021. Job titles which included titles containing "Bitcoin", "Ethereum", "Blockchain", and cryptocurrency, all outpaced jobs in the wider tech industry which saw a 98% increase in listings during the same time period. LinkedIn also notes that the most common crypto job postings were blockchain developers and engineers. CEO of Radkl, Ryan Sheftel, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
A new study has been causing a lot of buzz in the cannabis industry. Researchers from Oregon State University found that compounds in cannabis could prevent infection with COVID-19, but that doesn't mean smoking marijuana prevents people from getting infected. CV Sciences medical advisor Dr. Michael Lewis joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Software company BigPanda recently raised $190 million in Series D funding, led by Advent International and Insight Partners. The funding round gives the company unicorn status with a $1.2 billion valuation. BigPanda develops A.I. software that detects and analyzes problems in I.T. systems. The company says it aims to be the solution for other companies that do not have enough manpower to manage their data, as more and more industries continue to build a broader digital presence. BigPanda co-founder and CEO Assaf Resnick joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Amazon Prime announced the name of the highly anticipated Middle-Earth prequel streaming series to be called "The Rings of Power," premiering on September 2. The show takes place thousands of years before the stories set in "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings."
Sebastien Lagree, creator and founder of Lagree Fitness, joins Cheddar News to talk about the growth of Lagree Fitness and industry trends to watch in 2022.
We've all seen the headlines about a record number of Americans quitting their jobs in what's become known as the Great Resignation. However, new data on why people are leaving the workforce in droves suggests the bigger headline is Americans are simply burned out. Stephanie Aston, CEO of Black Girl Group, joined Cheddar News to break down why so many employees have reached their breaking points and what employers can do about it.
Nikhilesh De, managing editor of global regulation and policy at CoinDesk, joins Cheddar News to discuss Bitcoin's slump and corporations' growing interest in NFTs.
