This slate of candidates for this year’s midterm elections is more diverse than we’ve seen before.
At least that’s how it appears to an executive from one political action organization that advocates for getting women into office.
“What has been really interesting has been to be in this room and see the energy and see the commitment of women that we’re seeing,” said Vanessa Cardenas, Strategic Communications Director of Emily’s List. “We want to be at the table when these decisions are being made about our bodies, about our children, about our schools.”
Emily’s List, which focuses on pro-choice, Democratic women, teaches its members the steps to running for office and holds events where community members can support said candidates.
Cardenas says 26,000 women signed up for its programs after the 2016 presidential election, and there’s already been an impact. She points to victories by female candidates in Virginia last November and the voter turnout in Alabama that swayed last month’s special election for the U.S. Senate as examples. And there’s more diversity on the ballot for the midterms.
“In Chicago, for example, we have Sol Flores, who is a community activist that built-up a non profit from the ground up, advocating for the homeless community there. She’s a first-time candidate,” Cardenas said. “In El Paso, Texas we had the opportunity to elect the first Latina elected for Congress and she’s a judge, and she has an amazing background.”
Cardenas’ comments come before this weekend’s second annual Women’s March. Last year’s event, held in cities across the globe, drew 6 million people and became the largest organized march in U.S. history.
But while the movement was criticized by some for ignoring issues affecting women of color and trans women, Cardenas says that “younger, more diverse women” are now committed to march to a different beat.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/what-to-expect-from-the-second-annual-womens-march).
If you're in China you may have noticed that the 1999 film "Fight Club" which features Brad Pitt has somehow got itself a new ending. In the new ending on the streaming service Tencent, the narrator is killed and the explosions are replaced with a black screen saying "the police arrested criminals".It's unclear as to exactly why the changes were made. However, it is the latest example of China playing by its own rules when it comes to entertainment and attempting to control everything its citizens watch. Media Reporter at Axios, Sarah Fisher, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Some of Tiktok's biggest stars have a message for the platform: It is time to pay up! As the platform has skyrocketed in popularity, many content creators have been given the opportunity to garner millions of fans and even sometimes billions of views. In 2020, the company launched a creator fund in order to incentivize the platform's users. However, while the group of creators has grown larger, the pool of money has remained the same, and creators are fed up, they claim as Tiktok becomes more successful. Senior Editor at Engadget, Karissa Bell, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
In 2021, QAnon, the community which traffics in conspiracy theories saw a rapid growth in its numbers. As a result of vaccine rollouts, a number of conspiracies surrounding them also began to circulate which then led to the rise of "Anti-Vaxxers". As a result, the QAnon and anti-vax communities have become increasingly intertwined and the results could be costing lives. Senior Researcher at Media Matters Alex Kaplan, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Neil Young gave the streaming service Spotify an ultimatum demanding that his music be removed if the Joe Rogan experience remained on the platform. Joe Rogan's platform has been questioned a number of times as a result of some of his takes on covid treatment strategies and at times downright misinformation. Ultimately, Spotify decided to stick with Joe Rogan's podcast. The Director for the Business and Entertainment Program at American University, John Simson, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Nutritional supplement beverage company Athletic Greens has achieved unicorn status. The company announced a new $115 million funding round, bringing its valuation to $1.2 billion. The company's flagship product AG1 combines 75 different vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients into one daily serving. Athletic Greens says it is poised to reach the millions of consumers who are currently driving the health and wellness market's exponential growth. Athletic Greens founder and CEO Chris Ashenden joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Michael Mitchell, senior director of brand at Mailchimp, joins Cheddar News to discuss the launch of Bloom Season and what every BIPOC entrepreneur needs to know to succeed.
Janet Jackson shared that she had a conversation with Justin Timberlake who had asked her if he should make a statement during the scandal over her Super Bowl XXXVIII wardrobe malfunction, in her new self-titled Lifetime documentary. The musical icon said that she viewed the incident as an accident and remains "good friends" with Justin Timberlake.
The gaming industry has seen multiple large scales deals this month alone, including Microsoft's megadeal for Activision Blizzard. And, seemingly in response, rival Sony, picked up Bungie for $3.6 billion, a studio once owned by both Microsoft and Activision. The sector is reportedly on track to spend $150 billion on mergers and acquisitions just this year alone, a record-breaking total, according to investment firm Drake Star Partners. Michael Metzger, a partner at the firm specializing in technology, media, and communications, joined Cheddar to discuss the flurry of deals in the gaming space and what might be behind the hot M&A activity.
