*By Max Godnick*
Kanye West was slinging optimistic platitudes last month, courting conservative thought leaders, and increasing his public profile.
Could a trip to Iowa be next?
The rapper's recent Twitter activity has caused some pundits to speculate about his political ambitions.
In April, West expressed his "love" for President Trump and wore a "Make America Great Again" hat in [a photo](https://twitter.com/kanyewest/status/989222392630202368). He said he "likes the way" the right-wing commentator Candace Owens thinks, and released a new song with the lyric: "I know Obama was heaven-sent, but ever since Trump won, it proved that I could be president."
West had teased a potential White House run in September 2015 at MTV's Video Music Awards, where he announced, "I have decided in 2020 to run for president."
Last week, he appeared to postpone his plan, cryptically tweeting ["2024"](https://twitter.com/kanyewest/status/988984329295441921).
"I could see him trying," said Brande Victorian, the managing editor of MadameNoire, a Black women's lifestyle site. "I mean, we didn't think Trump would be here."
Republicans have embraced West's newly-public political musings. Donald Trump Jr. [tweeted a photo](https://twitter.com/DonaldJTrumpJr/status/990930382685196288) Monday of West with Owens and the conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Victorian said Tuesday in an interview with Cheddar she was skeptical that West could convince his fans to fully get behind conservatives.
"You're asking virtually everyone who the party does not care about to all of a sudden have empathy for this group, which is nonsensical," she said.
For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/will-kanye-west-run-for-president).
February 20 marks what would have been Kurt Cobain’s 55th birthday, and NFT gateway Pop Legendz will be offering up a collection of rare images from a 1991 Nirvana show in Philadelphia that took places days before their monster hit album "Nevermind" was to be released. Faith West, the founder of Pop Legendz, music journalist, and the photographer who captured it on film joined Cheddar News to talk about the historic event and the NFT sales where half the proceeds will go to charities like the Trevor Project and GRID Alternatives. “I showed up at a small club, 150 people, not quite know what to expect, brought my camera, and halfway through the show I knew music history was being made," West said of the iconic evening.
In a thrilling overtime finish, 23-year old NASCAR driver Austin Cindric clinched the 64th annual Daytona 500 win. Narrowly beating out legendary race car driver Bubba Wallace, Cindric earned his very first NASCAR cup series victory, and became the second youngest driver to win The Great American Race. Daytona 500 Champ Austin Cindric joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss his historic victory.
More than two years into the pandemic, Americans are ready to go out and splurge. With Covid cases falling and restrictions rolling back, many companies are seeing a surge in demand for everything from hotels to restaurants to sports games. Lindsey Roeschke, travel & hospitality analyst at Morning Consult, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss trends going on in the industries right now.
To combat slumping ratings, the Academy Awards are undergoing a radical slimming down, with eight awards to be presented off-air during next month’s telecast.
Two Blackhawk helicopters crashed near a Utah ski resort Tuesday morning, forcing the closures on part of the mountain but leaving no crew members seriously hurt.
Equip is a virtual treatment platform for eating disorders, and recently raised $58 million in a Series B round led by The Chernin Group. The company aims to revolutionize treatment for eating disorders by delivering virtual care teams and clinical expertise directly to families' homes. Equip says the need for its platform has only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The National Eating Disorder Association's helpline has had a 107% increase in contacts since the start of the pandemic. Kristina Saffran, CEO and co-founder of Equip, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
U.S. stocks ended today's session sharply lower on the heels of rising geopolitical tensions between Russia and Ukraine. Melissa Brown, Managing Director of Applied Research at Qontigo, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Tonga's main internet connection to the rest of the world has finally been restored more than five weeks after a huge volcanic eruption and tsunami severed a crucial undersea cable.
As we celebrate Black History Month, Cheddar is highlighting prominent Black Americans who are carving their own historic paths and trailblazing in their fields. Today we feature athlete and activist Colin Kaepernick.
A just-released Harris Poll revealed that there are some differences of opinion among workers on returning to the office. The survey showed that 52 percent of women would still prefer to work from home versus 41 percent of men. The report also showed that 52 percent of black workers and 50 percent of women see it as being better when it comes to career advancement. Dr. Laura Morgan Roberts, professor of practice at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, joined Cheddar News to explain the report. "The first set of observations are about infrastructure and flexibility. The second are about inclusion," she said. "And so what we've learned from many non-white workers are that they appreciate the opportunity to focus more on their tasks and to be buffered in a sense from some of the hostilities and the exclusive environment and practice that they had to navigate for many years in their in-person offices."
