Steve Bannon's Date with Robert Mueller, Facebook's News Feed Makeover
The Hive co-host Kristen Scholer discusses the five biggest news stories in politics and tech. From Steve Bannon cooperating with Robert Mueller, to Facebook's new algorithm, we have it all covered on The Hive.
Steve Bannon has been summoned by Special Counsel Robert Mueller to answer questions relating to the Russia investigation...and he's planning to fully cooperate. What does this mean for President Trump and his son-in-law Jared Kushner? Gabe Sherman talks about Bannon's relationship with Donald Trump Jr. compared to his broken relationship with Kushner. T.A. Frank says Bannon will try to protect Donald Trump Jr. because he'll always be loyal to the cause of Trump, even if he's not loyal to the man himself.
And Mark Zuckerberg is making some big changes at Facebook. Bess Levin talks about the impact of switching the algorithm to show more content from friends and family, rather than publishers. She notes that Zuckerberg becoming a father for the second time may have softened him and caused his change of heart.
Plus, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink sent a stern warning to clients: do good deeds! The billionaire investor is strongly encouraging his clients to invest in charity. Bess Levin questions his tactics, saying she's not sure how much it will help.
Looking ahead to 2020, who could President Trump potentially run against? Vice President Mike Pence is said to be running a "shadow campaign" in the White House. Gabe Sherman says the Trump base is skeptical of Mike Pence, because they see him as a vehicle for the big business style of conservatism. However, Bess Levin says Jamie Dimon has come out with his description of a dream candidate...and that candidate sounds an awful lot like himself.
In January alone, the gaming sector has seen three major acquisitions. Yesterday, Sony added to the flurry of M&A activity in the gaming space, snatching up game developer 'Bungie' for $3.6 billion dollars. Renee Gittins, executive director at the International Gaming Developers Association, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
Google’s philanthropy arm, Google.org, recently announced a $10 million grant for the AARP Foundation to aid in teaching digital skills to low income older workers. As the implementation of hybrid work expands, a greater emphasis is being placed on helping workers 50 years old and up — especially among women and people of color — to be digitally literate in order to keep the workplace generationally diverse. Lisa Marsh Ryerson, president of the AARP Foundation, joined Cheddar News to talk about the curriculum of the partnership. "Those of us who are 50 and older are not digital natives, so we do have a learning curve that we have to address," she noted.
AT&T announced earlier today it is spinning off its media properties in WarnerMedia in a merger with Discovery in a $43 billion deal.Scott Rostan, founder and CEO at Training The Street, joined Cheddar to talk about what the unwinding of the telecom giant's Time Warner media properties means for investors. "I think the investor sentiment is they're digesting the new information, and they're looking into the dividend, especially the reduction of the dividend," said Rostan, noting the transaction allows AT&T to focus on its core telecommunications business.
A 2021 report from UK Research and Innovation found that the shipping industry makes up at least 2.5 percent of the world's total CO2 emissions. It's a problem that energy solutions company, Leclanché, is trying to solve. Founded in 1909, the company has been developing and producing batteries for more than 100 years. Today, Leclanché's lithium-ion battery is used to electrify not just ships, but also railroad locomotives, trucks, and specialty vehicles. Cheddar News spoke with Pierre Blanc, chief technology and industrial officer of Leclanché, to discuss.
Amazon is betting that ammonia could be the fuel of the future, participating in a Series A round for the Brooklyn-based company Amogy in December. Amogy aims to de-carbonize transportation with a clean energy system that uses ammonia as a renewable fuel. Amogy is partnering with Amazon on its first commercial product - an ammonia-powered cargo-shipping vessel. Amogy CEO Seonghoon Woo joins Cheddar Climate to discuss.
Joseph Pallant, Founder and Executive Director for the Blockchain for Climate Foundation, joins Cheddar Climate, where he discusses the among of energy crypto mining consumes and explains how his organization is on a mission to make the crypto industry more environmentally sustainable.
One of the world's largest transport companies is kicking off Black History Month with a new initiative aimed at the next generation of business leaders. Today, FedEx announced the launch of its Student Ambassador Program. Participants selected from eight historically black colleges and universities will receive career guidance from FedEx executives. The program is part of FedEx's ongoing commitment to HBCUs and will also help the company expand its pipeline for diverse talent. Cheddar News welcomes senior vice president at FedEx, Jenny Robertson, and Jerryl Briggs, President of Mississippi Valley State University, to discuss.
