On February 14, 2018, a gunman entered the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, and killed 17 people, including 17-year-old Joaquin Oliver. After that tragedy, which forever impacted his family, Joaquin's parents founded the organization Change the Ref, in order to facilitate change on issues of gun violence.
"There's a lot of people that have died because of gun violence after Joaquin lost his life, and we are concerned about all those victims, not only Joaquin," Manny Oliver, Joaquin's father, told Cheddar.
Now the organization is holding the 83 Strikes and No One Out campaign and has placed cardboard cutouts of Joaquin in at least 14 Major League Baseball stadiums thus far this season. The campaign seeks to raise awareness of the lack of movement on federal gun regulations despite 83 additional school shootings since the Parkland tragedy, according to Change the Ref.
"The day that I lost my son, I also lost my best friend, my baseball partner," he added, describing the trips he had taken with Joaquin to ballparks like Wrigley Field and Fenway Park.
"This campaign touches the side of Joaquin that describes his passion for the sport, in this case, baseball. He loved baseball," said Oliver, hoping that expanding messaging beyond the bubble of anti-gun violence activism into his son's favorite pastime helps the cause.
Since the Parkland shooting, Oliver said that while the families of the victims have continued to press for the end to gun violence in the U.S., he feels the community itself has tried to move on.
"It's like an American tradition, and it might sound weird but we as communities, we try to get rid of the situations the sooner the better," he said. "There's a lot of things that are involved here, like property values and the fact that nobody wants Parkland to be remembered as the city that had a mass shooting in a school, but you know what, it's the reality. So, you cannot erase that just like that"
The Parkland father did express some optimism that things were already changing overall in the United States on the issue of gun violence but had some criticism for the president.
"Well, I can tell you that Donald Trump never mentioned my kid's name," Oliver said, while also pointing to the tens of millions spent by the gun lobby on behalf of the president during the 2016 presidential campaign. "He keeps having that strong relationship with the NRA."
The anti-gun violence activist said he sensed enthusiasm among voters for social change this year and expressed his own determination to cast a ballot on November 3. "But, on November 4th, I'll be doing the same thing I'm doing today, regardless, who is or not, the president of this country," he added.
President Biden announced a ban on Russian oil and natural gas imports to the U.S. in response to its invasion of Ukraine, a move he warned could lead to an even greater surge in gas prices. The ban is prompting a conversation about the current oil production levels in the U.S. and whether or not the industry can ramp up production to soften the blow to American families at the gas pump. Clark Williams-Derry, Energy Finance Analyst with the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, breaks down the state of the U.S. oil industry and how the ban might impact production levels here at home.
PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, and Starbucks are the latest American food brands to have halted business operations in Russia after having faced scrutiny and criticism for originally failing to do so amid the country's invasion of Ukraine.
As Russia intensifies its war on Ukraine, President Biden announced a ban on oil imported from the aggressor nation. Critics of Russia have said this would be the best way to force Putin to pull back, but curbs on Russian oil exports are expected to send already skyrocketing oil and gas prices even higher, further impacting consumers, businesses, financial markets, and the global economy. Leslie Beyer, CEO of the Energy Workforce and Technology Council, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss. "It's certainly going to increase pricing, but it is the right thing to do," she said. "The industry itself has already pulled out of the significant portion of its operations in Russia."
Sports Betting in the U.S. is booming. According to industry experts, we could see another boom this year as more states move towards statewide legalization of sports wagering. While this comes as huge news for fans, there are some very real concerns as to whether or not sports betting potentially poses a threat to public health. Senior Clinician at the Caron Treatment Centers, Eric Webber, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
The Biden administration has made gender policy a core part of how it governs. The president established the first Gender Policy Council. It's on the same level as the National Security Council, Domestic Policy Council and National Economic Council, putting the interests of women and other underserved groups at the table for the most important policy discussions.
Cheddar News sat down with Jennifer Klein, executive director and co-chair of the White House Gender Policy Council, to discuss the council's work and its significance during Women's History Month.
State Representative Jessica González, Vice Chair of the Texas House LGBTQ Caucus, joins Cheddar News to discuss the latest Texas anti-transgender directive.
The United States Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack joins None of the Above to discuss the newly emerging conflict in Europe, what it means for agriculture in the states, dairy and meat consumption, and how the department is planning to promote climate-smart agriculture.
Tens of thousands of people have fled Ukraine in attempts to escape the Russian Invasion. According to the U.N. neighboring countries like Poland, Hungary, and even Romania have seen half a million refugees. While the hospitality is being welcomed by many, it also highlights the mistreatment of migrants and refugees from the Middle East and Africa. Professor of Philosophy and Director of Politics at Northeastern University Serena Parekh, joined Cheddar, to discuss more.
As Russia unleashed war in the country of Ukraine, global leaders have started inflicting punishment on Vladimir Putin's regime via commercial and financial penalties. According to President Joe Biden Putin's aggression is "a flagrant violation of international law and it demands a firm response from the international community".However, the main question is will these sanctions actually work. Partner at Jenner & Block LLP, Rachel Alpert, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
