The Oscar nominations are officially in, and Hollywood is left with plenty of snubs and surprises. YourTango's Rebecca Stokes joins Cheddar to break down all the biggest headlines from the announcement. "The Shape of Water" leads the pack with a near-record 13 nods.
As the annual culmination of the year in entertainment, the Oscars are primed to echo themes from the #MeToo and Time's Up movements. Stokes considers whether sexual misconduct allegations are to blame for James Franco's lack of a nomination for his role in "The Disaster Artist." Lots of movies with strong female characters and themes were recognized, including "Lady Bird," and "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri."
Popular favorite "Get Out" received nominations in the best picture, actor, director, and original screenplay categories. Stokes says the recognition is a sign the backlash to 2016's #OscarSoWhite controversy is paying off. She also explains what the Academy is doing to ensure 2017's Best Picture mix-up never happens again.
Following the Texas Supreme Court's decision to end further challenges against the latest abortion restrictions, Texas saw a 60 percent decrease in abortions performed in the state — with an exodus of patients seeking care in other parts of the country. President, and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Alexis McGill Johnson, joined Cheddar News at South by Southwest 2022 to discuss the impact of the court's ruling on reproductive health care in the Lone Star State and beyond.
In order to qualify for one of the coveted first retail licenses in New York's adult-use cannabis program, you'll have to have a conviction on cannabis-related charges or have an immediate family member who does. It's part of the latest effort by New York lawmakers to create a diverse and inclusive industry — but some advocates still have reservations. Amber Littlejohn, the executive director of the Minority Cannabis Business Association, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss. "We definitely applaud the state of new york, but ultimately the devil will be in the details as to whether or not this actually works out to create equity in the cannabis industry," she said.
Ryan Shearman, chief alchemist and co-founder at Aether, and Henry Elkus, founder of Helena, join Cheddar News to talk about the completion of an $18 million Series A funding round led by Helena.
Pete Davidson is heading to space. The “Saturday Night Live” star will be among the six passengers on the next launch of Jeff Bezos' space travel venture, Blue Origin.
David Daley, senior fellow for FairVote, joins Cheddar News to discuss the Supreme Court denying the GOP's challenge to congressional maps in North Carolina and Pennsylvania.
Actor Bob Odenkirk and his son Nate joined Cheddar News senior reporter Michele Castillo to talk about their new podcast collaboration, "Summer in Argyle," at South By Southwest 2022. The audio drama follows a mysterious death at a hot dog eating contest in the small town of Argyle, Ohio. "My son Nate wrote this as a podcast for him and his friends to do, and I said it's pretty damn funny," said Bob. "Why don't we work on it some more and make it really sharp, and then we'll get a bunch of pros to record it and it turned out great."
Sketchers is yet another retailer to announce its entrance into the realm of the metaverse. The footwear company will be launching virtual clothing as well as an experiential store in Decentraland.
When Russia invaded Ukraine in late February of 2022, many expected a quick, decisive takeover by the Russian army. That didn’t happen. As of the date of recording this video, much of Ukraine - including the capital, Kyiv - continues to resist Russian forces. The reasons why are complex and change day-by-day, so to help break it down, Cheddar spoke to two military experts. Watch the video to see their four key takeaways from the Russian invasion so far, and how it could come to an end.