The number of COVID-19 cases is hitting a record high all across the U.S., suggesting the second coronavirus wave is underway. President-elect Joe Biden said fighting the pandemic will be his top order of business, but with his inauguration more than two months away, there is concern the fight against the virus could be insurmountable by then.
Among those vying for immediate action to be taken is Rep. Ami Bera (D-Calif. 7th District), who worked as a doctor before he was elected to Congress.
"We all know the outcome of this presidential election. I would hope the career scientists and others at the FDA, at the CDC, would start working with the Biden administration. And you're seeing some of that messaging change a little bit, but Donald Trump's unpredictable," Bera told Cheddar.
It's not just Americans' health at stake; it is also the health of the U.S. economy Bera is concerned about. Last week 709,000 Americans applied for first-time unemployment benefits. While that number better than expected, jobless claims are still exceedingly high across the U.S., a sign that relief for Americans should remain a priority, Bera said.
"I don't think we can wait until January 20th. I think we've got to get something done in this Congress, in the lame-duck session," he continued.
Getting the Vaccine Out
The California congressman suggested that the Biden administration will provide a "180-degrees difference" when it comes to strategizing the country's way out of the pandemic and will be led by science. Still, he believes there will be difficulty in distributing a vaccine once it becomes widely available.
"This is going to be a major logistical lift here in terms of how you get that out there, particularly if it is the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine because of the cold storage issues. They have to be kept at very cold temperatures," he explained.
When it comes to distributing the vaccine, Bera said workers on the frontlines of the pandemic, those at high risk of infection, and people in the hardest-hit communities should be tended to first.
With the holidays just weeks away, the pandemic is only expected to worsen and until a vaccine is ready, Bera said Americans must do their part and move responsibly.
"Everyone really should take the caution, wear a mask, avoid big gatherings, particularly big indoor gatherings," he said.
The government should also prepare the public for a vaccine, if and when it becomes available. "Between now and when that vaccine's available, let's have positive messaging and reassure the public that the science is going to drive when that vaccine is ready," he said
Cryptocurrencies and digital assets are ideally left to the jurisdiction of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, rather than the Securities and Exchange Commission, according to Congressman Darren Soto (D-Fla.). "Securities laws can be very intense and hurt the market unless it’s truly a security,” Soto told Cheddar Thursday.
These are the headlines you Need to Know for Thursday, Jan. 10, 2019.
Television psychologist Phil McGraw, better known as Dr. Phil, praised his "best friend" and colleague in entertainment Oprah Winfrey in an almost-endorsement for a presidential run on Wednesday when he joined Cheddar to discuss his new podcast, "Phil in the Blanks."
Apple is planning to slash production for its newer iPhone models by 10 percent this quarter, according to a report in the Nikkei. However, CEO Tim Cook continues to say that the iPhone XR is the best-selling phone in company history. Trade talks between China and the U.S. wrapped up Wednesday after an unscheduled third day of negotiations. Both sides expressed optimism over the progress made during these talks. Plus, Hope King sits down with Bridget Karlin, chief technology officer for IBM Global Technology Services, to talk about the future of blockchain and much more.
The Internal Revenue Service says it will process tax returns at the end of the month, even though the government is shut down. Scott Hodge, president of the Tax Foundation, talked to Cheddar about how the agency is moving forward.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019.
After a period of serious flip-flopping, major U.S. television networks have agreed to broadcast President Trump's Tuesday night Oval Office address on immigration to the nation, but according to Christine Emba of the Washington Post, the decision may not be sensical ー largely because it marks a significant departure.
As the partial government shutdown spans its 18th day, furloughed federal workers like Sam Shirazi who have been placed on unpaid leave are struggling with both an immediate financial reality and a more amorphous sense of uncertainty. "We don't know when it's going to end, and it doesn't seem like it's going to end anytime soon," Shirazi told Cheddar's J.D. Durkin on Tuesday.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2018.
When freshman Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez floated the idea to Anderson Cooper on "60 Minutes" Sunday that the very wealthy pay a marginal tax rate as high as 70 percent, it got pundits and politicians all worked up. What exactly was the newly-elected, self-proclaimed radical proposing?
