As Cheddar celebrates Black History Month, House Majority Whip, Jim Clyburn (D-S.C. 6th District) shared his expectations of President Joe Biden while his new administration gets settled in.
With Black Americans and other minority groups disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus pandemic both economically and physically, Clyburn noted that the president has to get a grasp on the virus with testing, tracing, and vaccinations before focusing on rebuilding the economy.
"When things get stabilized, then it's time for us to look at how we go out and generate a new economy," he said. "That's why I'm so proud of the fact that in [Biden's] very first move, he made it very clear: this is a rescue."
The South Carolina Democrat, however, mentioned that closing existing gaps across a range of areas, including wealth and education, has to be a priority for the Biden administration. He also said the country will not be able to make progress without facing the stark racial divisions that have left the country so flawed.
It was a similar sentiment for Clyburn when it came to addressing the extremism on display in the U.S. such as that of the Capitol Hill riots. While he said he believes it is possible to put an end to hate groups and domestic terrorism, he said the country has to do more self-reflection and hold itself accountable.
"We've never done enough and simply because we've never admitted [domestic terrorism] existed. That's a big problem. You cannot solve a problem until you admit that there is a problem, otherwise, you're simply ignoring and hoping it will go away," Clyburn noted, linking modern extremist groups such as the Proud Boys to the likes of the older Ku Klux Klan.
The South Carolina representative also said that he's confident that President Biden will work towards addressing the growing issue of domestic terror.
Clyburn added that he wants the president to honor the late John Lewis and focus on securing future U.S. elections. Following the volatile November elections that seated Biden and the January Senate races in Georgia that saw two Democrats unseat their GOP counterparts, Republican officials in the state have been looking to clamp down further on voter ID laws.
"That, to me, if we were able to move [the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act] rather quickly and put that in law, we will have a lasting impact for John Lewis because it's in that law that we will stop some of the voter suppression that is taking place, that was doubled down upon after the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act of 1965," he said.
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse joined Cheddar to discuss the latest push to get rid of Daylight Savings Time. A practice where several say can cause havoc on one's sleeping schedule and cause disruptions to our economy.
The past decade or so has been a has seen massive change-- usually good-- for the LGBTQ+ community. Same-sex marriage has seen broader acceptance, and there's been increased conversation about the reality of gender identity. Now, folks who don't identify as male or female can travel while staying true to their more authentic self.
The Biden administration has issued the first passport with a gender-neutral designation "X." the passport was issued to Dana Zzyym, an intersex activist from Colorado, after a long legal battle with the state department in which Zzyym argued they shouldn't be required to lie about their identity on their passport. Advocates for such changes have applauded the move, saying it will allow people who don't identify as male or female to travel the globe in a more safe and visible way.
Paul Castillo, counsel at Lambda Legal and Zzyym's attorney in this case, joins None of the Above to discuss.
The Biden Administration has announced its latest plans to support veterans who had been exposed to toxic chemicals from burn pits. According to several veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, a number of them were exposed to hour-long periods of burn pits. As a result, many of them say they have suffered from severe life-long side effects. Co-founder at Burn Pits 360 Le Roy Torres, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Ballots have been sent to workers at three different Starbucks locations in Buffalo, NY to decide whether they will unionize for the first time ever. Wilma Liebman, former Chair of the National Labor Relations Board and Michelle Eisen from the Starbucks Workers United Organization, which is behind this vote, joined Cheddar to discuss.
The parent company of North Face, Vans and Supreme, VF Corp, released its fourth annual "Made for Change" sustainability and responsibility report. It details the company's ongoing efforts to tackle social and climate related issues. This comes as climate experts continue to warn about the dangers of fast fashion and its impact on global CO2 emissions. Sean Cady, Vice President of Global Sustainability, Responsibility and Trade at VF Corporation, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
A jam-packed Freitag pod with Carlo and Baker: new Covid hotspots, Kyle Rittenhouse trial, Belarus making trouble for Europe, red-hot housing market, and how to manage a PR crisis the right way.
Damian Mason, a farm owner, Agricultural Economist and Author of 'Food Fear,' joined Cheddar to discuss the rising prices of food as we approach the holiday season.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, turned heads on Tuesday when it announced it will block some ad-targeting, specifically those of a political and religious nature.
This is one of the most direct moves the company has made in order to minimize ad-targeting by advertisers on its platforms. Hastie Afkhami, Head of Digital at S-3 Group, joins Cheddar News to discuss the impact of this move.
