Lady Gaga's Born This Way Foundation is kicking off the month of September with the third annual #BeKind21 campaign, which calls on participants to do good deeds for 21 straight days.
With hundreds of partners and nearly five million people already pledging to "integrate kindness" into their lives, the foundation's goal this year also includes combating trauma caused by COVID-19 and social unrest, Maya Smith, executive director of the Born This Way Foundation, told Cheddar.
"Kindness can do everything from brighten someone's day to save someone's life, so the more of us that can think about how to include kindness in our everyday lives, the better off we'll all be," she said.
For those looking for ideas, the foundation will provide tips, Smith continued, saying there is no such thing as a small act of kindness.
The #BeKind21 challenge also aims to draw attention to mental health, as September is also recognized as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.
"These are uncertain and unprecedented times, so make sure you know the resources that support you, the people who you can talk to," Smith noted.
Spearheaded by a group of Channel Kindness reporters, — a Born This Way Foundation digital platform — the foundation is capping off the #BeKind21 campaign with a book release that includes a collection of goodwill stories. According to Smith, those personal stories aim to inspire people as the stresses of today become increasingly challenging.
"As you know [at Cheddar], telling the good stories, telling the stories of kindness and hope that keep you going, really matters," she said. "We wanted to present and offer a platform for young people to tell the stories of kindness in their communities and share their own brave voices."
The EU relaxed its Covid travel restrictions for vaccinated individuals among the union's 27 member states, doing away with testing or quarantine requirements for travelers. This comes soon after the World Health Organization said the omicron variant could help make the pandemic more manageable. The new rules take effect February 1st. Bryce Conway, Founder, 10xTravel joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
If you're in China you may have noticed that the 1999 film "Fight Club" which features Brad Pitt has somehow got itself a new ending. In the new ending on the streaming service Tencent, the narrator is killed and the explosions are replaced with a black screen saying "the police arrested criminals".It's unclear as to exactly why the changes were made. However, it is the latest example of China playing by its own rules when it comes to entertainment and attempting to control everything its citizens watch. Media Reporter at Axios, Sarah Fisher, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Some of Tiktok's biggest stars have a message for the platform: It is time to pay up! As the platform has skyrocketed in popularity, many content creators have been given the opportunity to garner millions of fans and even sometimes billions of views. In 2020, the company launched a creator fund in order to incentivize the platform's users. However, while the group of creators has grown larger, the pool of money has remained the same, and creators are fed up, they claim as Tiktok becomes more successful. Senior Editor at Engadget, Karissa Bell, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
In 2021, QAnon, the community which traffics in conspiracy theories saw a rapid growth in its numbers. As a result of vaccine rollouts, a number of conspiracies surrounding them also began to circulate which then led to the rise of "Anti-Vaxxers". As a result, the QAnon and anti-vax communities have become increasingly intertwined and the results could be costing lives. Senior Researcher at Media Matters Alex Kaplan, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Neil Young gave the streaming service Spotify an ultimatum demanding that his music be removed if the Joe Rogan experience remained on the platform. Joe Rogan's platform has been questioned a number of times as a result of some of his takes on covid treatment strategies and at times downright misinformation. Ultimately, Spotify decided to stick with Joe Rogan's podcast. The Director for the Business and Entertainment Program at American University, John Simson, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Nutritional supplement beverage company Athletic Greens has achieved unicorn status. The company announced a new $115 million funding round, bringing its valuation to $1.2 billion. The company's flagship product AG1 combines 75 different vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients into one daily serving. Athletic Greens says it is poised to reach the millions of consumers who are currently driving the health and wellness market's exponential growth. Athletic Greens founder and CEO Chris Ashenden joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Michael Mitchell, senior director of brand at Mailchimp, joins Cheddar News to discuss the launch of Bloom Season and what every BIPOC entrepreneur needs to know to succeed.
Janet Jackson shared that she had a conversation with Justin Timberlake who had asked her if he should make a statement during the scandal over her Super Bowl XXXVIII wardrobe malfunction, in her new self-titled Lifetime documentary. The musical icon said that she viewed the incident as an accident and remains "good friends" with Justin Timberlake.
