President Joe Biden called on Congress Friday to "swiftly" pass the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act days after six Asian American women were killed in Georgia.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y, District 6), would create a position at the Justice Department that would specifically deal with handling and reviewing hate crimes related to the pandemic. A recent study by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at the California State University, San Bernardino, found that although hate crimes dropped overall in the U.S. in 2020, crimes against people of Asian descent jumped nearly 150 percent. If passed, the new law would also expand resources dedicated to stopping these crimes.
"It also means working with law enforcement, training law enforcement to communicate with Asian American communities, and helping those communities be able to report those crimes," Rep. Mark Takano (D- Calif. 41st District) told Cheddar.
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris met with Asian American leaders in Atlanta on Friday, three days after eight people were killed at area spas, six of the victims being women of Asian descent. Biden urged Congress to pass the legislation so the federal government can offer aid.
Takano noted that Biden has already signed executive orders directing agencies to turn their attention to the rise of violence against the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. He said it will take strong leadership to guide the country in the right direction, noting the rhetoric Americans have heard from former President Donald Trump.
"This has been a huge change in tone from the last president," he said.
Americans need "leadership that doesn't use words like 'kung flu' or 'China virus' to describe a pathogen that comes from nature and therefore leave a whole population of Asian Americans subject to being stigmatized and blamed for something that they're not responsible for," Takano added.
The congressman said former President Trump's language toward Asians was simply an attempt to "distract from his low, inadequate ways."
Though the California representative said it is often difficult to prove hate crimes in a courtroom, creating systems where individuals can safely and confidently report incidents could help improve chances for more favorable outcomes.
"Regardless of what the assailant said, the murderer said, and how the local sheriff characterized it," said Takano, "It very much looks to those of us in the Asian community and broader, that this was really an attack on people based on their descent, their Asian-ness. But the legal standard is a much different thing."
Bobby Berk, designer, author, and star of Netflix's "Queer Eye," joined Cheddar News to talk about his new partnership with Lowe's Hometowns, a program to help projects across the nation over five years and with $100 million in funding to give aid to selected communities. Bobby Berk nominated “My Friend’s Place”, a shelter for homeless LGBTQ teens in Los Angeles. "I was homeless when I was a teen. I left home because I had to come out, and to be able to give back to these people who are going through the same things that I went through, it just means so much," he said.
In recognition of National Women’s Day, the pharmaceutical company Organon is giving all of its employees the day off. Geralyn Ritter, head of external affairs and ESG, for the women's therapeutics business, joined Cheddar News to discuss its call to action and its platform to grow awareness regarding specific health challenges women face. “We need to be more aware of the disproportionate impact that a tremendous number of stressors have on women and that includes broader global events from climate change to the tragedy unfolding in Ukraine with miles-long lines of women and children," Ritter said. "We simply have to make a decision that this is not acceptable anymore."
Ukrainians can't escape, six million COVID deaths, and 'The Batman' saves the box office. Here is all the news you Need2Know for Monday, March 7, 2022.
The pandemic, chip shortages, and now war. Automakers around the world have been getting slammed, and it now seems like things could get worse. Several car manufacturers have announced they are halting sales or shutting down factories in Russia after nations around the world moved to tighten sanctions against the country. Lisa Whalen, Auto and Mobility Analyst for Morning Consult, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Shared EV service Revel raised $126 million in a Series B round. Revel first came on the map in 2018 with its shared electric moped service in New York City, which has since expanded to other cities on the east coast. The company also operates an all-Tesla ride-hailing service in Manhattan.
Now, it is looking to expand its network of EV fast-charging stations, which the company calls super-hubs. Frank Reig, CEO of Revel, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
There will soon be another, lower-cost subscription option for Disney+ — but with commercials. Disney will launch the new ad-supported tier for its streaming service in the U.S. later this year and internationally in 2023, but so far there is no word on an exact launch date or price for the new service option. Tal Chalozin, co-founder and CTO of online ad tech company Innovid, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss what the news could mean for the next chapter of the streaming wars. "I wouldn't say that are worried about subscriber growth, but they have big goals to fill," he said. "They need to go to the mid-market or the longer tail. An ad model, always proven that that that's the way to go to mass market in television."
During a time of chaos, Americans might be finding it harder than ever to relax. Author Deepak Chopra joined Cheddar News to discuss his new book, "Abundance: The Inner Path to Wealth," for his readers to find peace from within. “I focused only on one thing, and that is what is fundamental reality," he said. "And once you know that fundamental reality is not your mind, not your body, it's your spirit." He also suggested music for National Day of Unplugging, which falls on March 4.
