Mayor of New Bern, N.C.: 'We're Going to Get Through This'
*By Madison Alworth*
As the remnants of Florence make their way north, causing tornadoes in Virginia, the devastation to the Carolina coast is just beginning to be understood. One of the areas most affected was New Bern, NC. The city is completely flooded, and around 4,300 homes have been damaged or destroyed by Florence.
"It's a tough time for New Bern. But we've been here 300 years, we've never let a hurricane get us down, we're not going to let this one," said Mayor Dana Outlaw. The local official joined Cheddar via the phone to give an update from the ground.
Since the storm made landfall, 455 people have had to be rescued from the flood waters in New Bern. "The top priority continues to be safety and security for our citizens," said Outlaw.
Residents are being encouraged to stay out of town as clean up efforts are underway, and there is no clear sense of when people will be able to return to their homes.
"Let's wait for the governor to say it's time for eastern North Carolina residents to return, because it's not there yet," said Outlaw.
Getting the city back up and running will be a group effort. During her Cheddar interview, Outlaw was outside an office where North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and other state officials were meeting. New Bern and cities like it will turn to state and federal groups and agencies like FEMA, as well as everyday individuals for help.
"My daughter from Bethlehem, NC, is bringing three truckloads of blankets and things. It's that type of community involvement, and North Carolina and United States involvement, that is going to get us back quick," said Outlaw.
However the mayor did stress the severity of the situation. According to New Bern city manager Mark Stephens, damage estimates are as high as $6 million for the city. The danger and work is not over yet, and Mayor Outlaw hammered home that point.
"Remember everybody out there, sometimes folks die after a storm, not during it."
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/mayor-dana-outlaw-of-new-bern-nc-gives-update-on-florence-flooding).
If you're planning to host Thanksgiving dinner this year, be prepared to shell out more cash for your bird. Kristin Myers, Editor-in-Chief at The Balance, joined Cheddar to talk about the rising cost of food due to a number of factors like drought, inflation, and supply chain issues. She noted that families can expect to pay 21 percent more for their holiday meal compared to last year.
Jill and Carlo are back to cover the latest in the Rittenhouse trial, new information on the origins of Covid, return-to-office and more.
JOIN US FOR THE YOUTUBE WATCH PARTY @ 9aET: http://www.youtube.com/cheddarnow
Roundhill Investments is investing in the metaverse, and it wants consumers to as well. The firm launched a metaverse exchange-trade fund called Meta back in June - the first ETF in the U.S. targeting investments in the next era of the internet. The fund's launch came months before the company formerly known as Facebook changed its name to Meta Platforms. Since the launch of Roundhill Investments' Meta ETF, it has grown significantly, reaching $500 million in assets. Roundhill Investments Vice President Mario Stefanidis joined Cheddar News to discuss.
At the turn of the century, a group of female pop stars, actors, influencers began to dominate Hollywood in every conversation in the entertainment industry, whether it was Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, we watched their lives unfold in real-time, seemingly right in front of our eyes. But perhaps the most glaring example of the misogyny these women face came in 2004 when Justin Timberlake tugged at Janet Jackson's booster in the closing seconds of the Super Bowl 38 halftime show. Now 20 years later, that moment in history is being re-examined. Senior Reporter at Vox Constance Grady, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Cognitive healthcare platform BrainCheck recently raised $10 million in a Series B round. The platform offers neurologists a new way to detect and care for brain disorders like Alzeheimer's, and brain injuries like concussions. BrainCheck CEO Yael Katz joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
'General Hospital' actor and activist Cassandra James joins Cheddar News to talk about recent transphobic comments made by her co-star Ingo Rademacher. She also discusses trans rights and the importance of having fair and accurate stories of trans lives portrayed in the media.
On this episode of Cheddar Innovates: Ice Barrel CEO breaks down the physical and mental health benefits to cold therapy training; Dishcraft CEO explains how its robotics is transforming the role of a dishwasher in restaurant kitchens; A look at Curiosity Stream's original series 'The Year That Rocked The World.'
Sting is the latest recording artist looking to unload his music catalog — for a staggering $250 million. Universal Music Group is said to be at the top of the list of suitors but the pop star's hits could still end up remaining with Sony.
Three-time Grammy Award winner Darius Rucker joins Cheddar News to discuss his new apparel line, NFL x Darius Rucker Collection by Fanatics, a new line of officially licensed NFL apparel inspired by Rucker’s love of music, football, and fashion.
