Nearly a week after the shooting rampage at Atlanta area spas, which claimed the lives of eight people, six of whom were Asian women, members of Congress are working to ensure that the tragic event doesn't just fall by the wayside and that solutions are being actively pursued.
Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J. 3rd District) said that one of his biggest concerns is that once the news cycle moves on, Americans will forget about the very real threat that remains against Asian and Asian American people.
"I'm working with the White House, with the Department of Justice, with congressional leaders, and community leaders around this country to try to find ways to institutionalize this discussion and try to make sure that we build on it and we don't let it dissipate when the headlines start to go away," Kim told Cheddar.
Non-profit group Stop AAPI Hate released a report in March that detailed thousands of incidents in the U.S. against Asian Americans since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. However, like the group, Kim suspects the numbers are drastically underreported from within the Asian American community. He said that for too long these people have felt unseen and unheard when it comes to instances of discrimination and hate.
Kim's hope is that the Atlanta-area mass shooting will force America to face head-on the social issues plaguing the Asian community and take real steps toward change.
Since President Donald Trump vehemently blamed China for the spread of the coronavirus pandemic from the outbreak originating in its Wuhan province, his charged rhetoric has been amplified by some Republicans in Washington, which Kim said has made it difficult for Democrats to work across the aisle on effective solutions.
"When I see that kind of rhetoric coming from my colleagues or others, it just adds to this pile of feeling like we're invisible, that people either don't care or don't want to actually learn what is happening. They just want to change the subject," Kim said.
While the pandemic certainly exacerbated attacks the Asian American community faces today, discrimination and hate have been a longstanding problem. Kim said it has been "a deep cut" in American society likely to persist after the pandemic wanes unless the community and its allies keep applying pressure for systemic changes.
"Just look at us. Just pay attention to this moment right now and understand the hurt and the pain that the Asian American community faces," Kim said.
On this episode of On The Job presented by ADP: Gemma Burgess, CEO of Ferguson Partners, explains what people are looking for in an employer, and how to convey positive work culture to potential employees; Amy Leschke-Kahle, Vice President of Performance Acceleration at The Marcus Buckingham Company, an ADP company, breaks down how encouraging employee engagement and empowering employee voices can benefit every workplace and busts a myth about employee engagement while working from home; Jim Huether, CEO of Hyperice, discusses Hyperice's new employee mental health initiative, known as the Workplace Alliance, with 100-plus companies to combat the ongoing mental health crisis and how they're taking a hands-on, data-driven approach to the mental health crisis.
Jim Huether, CEO of Hyperice, joins Cheddar to discuss Hyperice's new employee mental health initiative, known as the Workplace Alliance, with 100-plus companies to combat the ongoing mental health crisis and how they're taking a hands-on, data-driven approach to the mental health crisis.
Spotify has announced its official Songs of the Summer predictions. Lea Palmieri, a Spotify trend expert and podcast host, joined Cheddar News to break down the acts who made the cut and how. “It's a mix of streaming data charts and also our global curation team," she said. "They're keeping an eye on all of the hottest music." While Harry Styles has recently topped the Spotify charts, Palmieri also addressed the "Feral Girl Summer" trend, which she described as going "moderately wild, having fun, enjoying yourself."
Catching you up on today's top entertainment stories with a recap from the 75th Annual Tony Awards, including red carpet interviews and Jennifer Hudson receiving her EGOT, and "Jurassic World: Dominion" topping the box office.
The Tony Awards made its sensational return to Radio City Music Hal for the first time since 2019. 'A Strange Loop' stole the show, winning Best Musical while Adrianna Debose hosted in the most spectacular way possible. Cheddar News was joined by Broadway Reporter Leigh Scheps to break down the 75th Annual Tony Awards.
U.S. stocks closed Thursday at their lowest levels of the trading day, as investors continue to eye inflation ahead of the May CPI report out Friday. Art Hogan, Chief Market Strategist for National Holdings, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
U.S. stocks closed Friday at session lows after May CPI data showed inflation in the U.S. has not peaked and is still rising rapidly. For the week, the S&P fell 5.06%, the Dow lost 4.58%, and the Nasdaq dropped 5.60%, marking the worst week since January for all three major indexes. Mike Zigmont, Head of Trading and Research at Harvest Volatility Management, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Benefits brokerage, Nava Benefits, raised $40 million in a Series B round. Nava says it's on a mission to fix healthcare, one benefits plan at a time. The startup is working to bring benefits to small business that are normally available to only Fortune 500 companies. Brandon Weber, Co-Founder and CEO of Nava Benefits, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Auction house Christie's will be presenting "Legacy of the GOAT," which will include a rare Michael Jordan signed rookie card and sneakers. Caitlin Donovan, the vice president of Christie's handbags and accessories department. joined Cheddar News to discuss the special memorabilia selection for the NBA great. "He's been a global phenomenon, so he's really shaped '90s culture and streetwear culture," she said. "And we see bidders from every pocket in the world."
