This image made from Monday, May 25, 2020, video provided by Christian Cooper shows Amy Cooper with her dog talking to Christian Cooper at Central Park in New York. A video of a verbal dispute between Amy Cooper, walking her dog off a leash and Christian Cooper, a black man bird watching in Central Park, is sparking accusations of racism. (Christian Cooper via AP)
A white woman walking her dog who called the police during a videotaped dispute with a Black man in Central Park was charged Monday with filing a false report.
In May, Amy Cooper drew widespread condemnation for calling 911 to report she was being threatened by "an African-American man" when bird watcher Christian Cooper appeared to keep his distance as he recorded her rant on his phone.
District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. said in a statement on Monday that his office had charged Amy Cooper with falsely reporting the confrontation, a misdemeanor. She was ordered to appear in court on Oct. 14.
After the backlash, Amy Cooper released an apology through a public relations service, saying she "reacted emotionally and made false assumptions about his intentions."
"He had every right to request that I leash my dog in an area where it was required," she said in the written statement. "I am well aware of the pain that misassumptions and insensitive statements about race cause and would never have imagined that I would be involved in the type of incident that occurred with Chris."
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.
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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.
Cryptocurrencies had a monumental year in 2021 and is showing no signs of slowing down. Cheddar breaks down everything you need to know this tax season if you are investing in crypto.