U.S. Army veteran and local Ohio lawmaker Lee Wong caught the attention of the world when he disrobed in the middle of an on-camera meeting and made an emotional plea to anyone questioning his patriotism.
In the days after eight people, six of them women of Asian descent, were killed at Atlanta-area spas, Wong decided to address anti-Asian discrimination by sharing his own experiences. The West Chester Township Board of Trustees chairman lifted his shirt during the session to display scars he received while serving in the Army.
"Here is my proof. This was sustained through my service in the U.S. military. Now is this patriot enough?" he asked attendees.
Looking back, Wong told Cheddar he had no idea he would go as far as lifting his shirt during the session, but it made a huge impact.
"I think they got my message," he said. "The response has been overwhelming. I have a stack of emails here [I am] still going through. It's unbelievable. People, good people, all over the world responded."
Wong said local officials have to be more sensitive. In particular, Wong said that it was "alarming" that Cherokee County Sheriff's Captain Jay Baker would describe the Atlanta shooter as having "a bad day."
"We've got eight people just killed, and how can you be so insensitive when it comes to Asian Americans?" he said. Wong added that when local officials make excuses for criminals, particularly ones that are accused of committing mass murder, it minimizes the plight of a victimized group.
"We are all human beings, all Americans, hard-working, law-abiding citizens, and [Asian Americans] need to be protected," he said.
With the White House announcing plans to establish an equity task force aimed at ending xenophobia against Asian Americans, Wong expressed the need for the federal government to do more when it comes to protecting disenfranchised groups. He said one of the things the government can do is be explicitly clear in its definition of hate crimes.
In the U.S. prosecuting hate crimes has proved to be difficult because there is an elevated burden to show that a crime was committed because of a particular bias. Wong said the definition of a hate crime as it currently stands is "very narrow."
He also noted that the responsibility to protect Asians doesn't solely fall on law enforcement, and he called on everyday Americans to "step up and speak up when necessary," and referenced the now-fired doormen in New York City who watched an elderly Asian woman get violently attacked and initially failed to help.
"Just do the right thing. [People] need to step in and stop this violence instead of close the door, let someone get kicked and beat up right in front of them. No one stopped him. That is troubling," he 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."
