Pope Francis waves to faithful at the end of the weekly general audience in the Paul VI hall at the Vatican, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2020. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
By Nicole Winfield
Pope Francis endorsed same-sex civil unions for the first time as pope while being interviewed for the feature-length documentary “Francesco,” which had its premiere at the Rome Film Festival on Wednesday.
The papal thumbs up came midway through the film that delves into issues he cares about most, including the environment, poverty, migration, racial and income inequality, and the people most affected by discrimination.
“Homosexual people have the right to be in a family. They are children of God,” Francis said in one of his sit-down interviews for the film. “What we have to have is a civil union law; that way they are legally covered.”
While serving as archbishop of Buenos Aires, Francis endorsed civil unions for gay couples as an alternative to same-sex marriages. However, he had never come out publicly in favor of civil unions as pope.
Director Evgeny Afineevsky had remarkable access to cardinals, the Vatican television archives, and the pope himself. He said he negotiated his way in through persistence, and deliveries of Argentine mate tea and Alfajores cookies that he got to the pope via some well-connected Argentines in Rome.
The holidays are here, which means many will raise a glass. In fact, data shows the average American doubles their booze intake between Thanksgiving and New Years, with about 45% of those drinkers choosing vodka as their liquor of choice. Tony Latham, Bacardi's CFO, tells Cheddar what he anticipates will be the most popular spirit or cocktail this holiday season, as well as other trends going into the new year.
This holiday season, e-commerce sales are expected to hit 207 billion dollars, with17 percent of that chunk will occuring between the days of the deals - black friday and cyber monday. Deren Baker, CEO of edge by ascential, joins Cheddar News to give a Cyber Monday preview.
With Black Friday right around the corner, Trae Bodge, Smart Shopping Expert at TrueTrae.com joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss holiday shopping tips ahead of the annual event.
According to recent data, Americans are pulling away from their television screens in a big way. In the last few months, people have returned back to more normal activities, spending time with friends and less time doom scrolling on Instagram, it's a favorite pastime. Licensed Psychotherapist and Author of "Disconnected" Tom Kersting, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
One former employee at Sony Playstation has just filed a lawsuit against the company on allegations of gender discrimination and wrongful termination. According to Emma Majo, the company says she was terminated as a result of the company's decision to phase out a team she was only temporarily working with. Executive Director at International Game Developer's Association Renee Gittins, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Just hours before the scheduled execution of inmate Julius Jones, the Governor of Oklahoma Kevin Stit has now granted commuted his sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Several advocates along with a number of celebrities have been fighting to stop the execution. Defense Attorney and Police Director Erin Haney, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
According to recent data from the American Gaming Association, U.S. Casinos have just experienced their best quarter ever, winning nearly $14 billion in the third quarter of the year alone. Reporter at The Nevada Independent Howard Stutz, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Guilty verdicts have been handed down to the three men charged with killing Ahmaud Arbery. Arbery was out for a jog in February 2020 when Travis McMichael, William "Roddie" Bryan, and Gregory McMichael chased him down and killed him. The judge read the verdicts for each of the three men aloud, starting with the man who pulled the trigger, Travis McMichael. Kirk Burkhalter, professor at New York Law School joins Cheddar News to recap the trial.
All three defendants in the Ahmaud Arbery killing were found guilty today on numerous charges including felony murder. Criminal Defense Attorney Anthony Hall joined Cheddar to discuss.
