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.
Rumors are flying that Amazon has narrowed down its list of HQ2 contenders. The tech giant is reportedly looking closely at Crystal City, Virginia; Dallas, Texas; and New York City. Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son breaks his silence about the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Plus, former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci joins Cheddar to talk Trump, miterms, and his new book.
Chris Hurst was a news anchor in Roanoke, Va., in 2015 when his girlfriend, fellow journalist Alison Parker, was shot and killed live on-air. That defining tragedy launched Hurst's career in politics, taking him to the Virginia General Assembly.
For full interview, [click here] (https://cms.cheddar.com/videos/VmlkZW8tMjYwNTY=).
Lime, the popular electric scooter company, is offering its users two free rides on Election Day. Emily Warren, senior director of policy and public affairs at Lime, said the mobility provider wants to reduce the transportation barriers that make it hard to vote.
A progressive, not a moderate, agenda will help Democrats mobilize young voters and win elections, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a candidate for New York's 14th Congressional District, told Cheddar Monday. "There are actually progressive, rising stars all over the country in the least likely places," Ocasio-Cortez said, pointing to congressional candidate Richard Ojeda of West Virginia as one example.
Anthony Scaramucci said Donald Trump's divisive language on immigration is a narrow strategy to turn out his blue-collar base in this week's midterm elections, but whether it will work remains to be seen. "He's tapping on the hot buttons of his base," said the former White House Director of Communications. "We're going to have to see if it makes sense or not." Scaramucci discussed President Trump's campaign strategy leading into the midterm elections with Cheddar on Monday, along with his new book, "Trump, the Blue-Collar President."
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Apple shares plunged after the company reported mixed results in its most recent quarter. Georgia's race for governor is getting heated as midterms are just days away. And Katie Harbath, global politics and government outreach director at Facebook, tells Cheddar how the social media network is cracking down on misinformation ahead of the election.
After months of damaging headlines and privacy mishaps, Facebook may be down, but it's not out ー especially not in the case of the U.S. midterms, according to the company's director of outreach. Katie Harbath, global politics and government outreach director at Facebook spoke with Cheddar's Hope King about fighting fake news from the company's "war room" in an exclusive interview.
Eugene Scott, political reporter for The Washington Post, and Michael Harriot, columnist for The Root, weigh in on Georgia's close race for governor between Brian Kemp (R) and Stacey Abrams (D).
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