*By Alisha Haridasani*
It was perhaps the speediest resignation of a public official accused of misconduct since the start of the #MeToo movement. Only hours after The New Yorker magazine published an article in which four women accused him of physical abuse, Eric Schneiderman resigned as New York State attorney general.
Two of the women, Michelle Manning Barish and Tanya Selvaratnam, told [The New Yorker](https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/four-women-accuse-new-yorks-attorney-general-of-physical-abuse) that while they were in a relationship with Schneiderman, he hit them without their consent and threatened to kill them if they broke up with him. Two other women, who wanted to remain anonymous in the article, said similar things.
After the article was published, but before he resigned, Schneiderman denied the allegations.
He said in a statement: “In the privacy of intimate relationships, I have engaged in role-playing and other consensual sexual activity. I have not assaulted anyone. I have never engaged in nonconsensual sex, which is a line I would not cross.”
The response to the allegations in the article ー especially among other Democratic state officials ー was swift: Gov. Andrew Cuomo and U.S. Sen. Kristin Gillibrand called on Schneiderman to resign.
“While these allegations are unrelated to my professional conduct or the operations of the office, they will effectively prevent me from leading the office’s work at this crucial time,” Schneiderman, 63, said in an [official statement](https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/statement-attorney-general-eric-t-schneiderman).
As New York’s top law enforcement officer, Schneiderman played a prominent role in the #MeToo movement by pursuing accusations against other men accused of inappropriate and possibly illegal behavior. He [filed a lawsuit](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/11/business/media/harvey-weinstein-company-sale.html) earlier this year against the company run by the former Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein for gender discrimination and sexual harassment. He had described Weinstein’s alleged behavior as “despicable.”
The Manhattan District Attorney’s office said it opened an investigation into the allegations against Schneiderman, and a joint session of the State Assembly and Senate will select his replacement as attorney general.
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.
