The deadly attack on Congress at the Capitol is raising questions about the lapse in security over what was expected to be one of the most well-protected buildings in the nation. Congressman Tim Ryan (D-Ohio - 17th District) called law enforcement's response to the mayhem a "complete embarrassment."
"We didn't have enough backup there, which, given Trump's rhetoric for the last four years, [and for] the last four, five weeks since the election precisely identifying January 6 as a date that, 'It's going to be wild,' he said, 'We need to go there,' and then whipping everybody up yesterday morning into a frenzy and then sending them down to the Capitol," Ryan told Cheddar. "All of those should have been indicators that we have been planning for the worst-case scenario."
Going forward, the congressman said, there needs to be a reassessment of security protocols at the Capitol.
Following a summer of massive demonstrations protesting the police killings of unarmed Black Americans that came bundled with heavily secured streets and swarms of law enforcement, obvious comparisons were being drawn to the chaos that ensued in Washington, DC.
"We also do have to recognize that some of these situations with Black Lives Matter were handled much more differently. The approach was much more aggressive versus the Trump mob," Ryan said.
"I don't think there's any question there's a lot more aggressive behavior around people of color but at the same time, there was an escalation, a slow escalation for what happened this summer versus something immediate here. But that, to me, that doesn't excuse anybody."
While the Ohio representative said he supported the removal of the House Sergeant at Arms Paul Irving, who resigned Thursday, and Capitol Police Chief Steve Sund for their handling of the breach, Ryan said the president also has to be held accountable for directing his supporters to incite violence and chaos. In fact, Ryan said the sentiment among most Democrats — and some Republicans — is growing.
As America waits for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to be officially installed as president and vice president on January 20, the need to neutralize the president's power is more evident than ever following yesterday's events, according to Ryan.
"The next two weeks leading up to the inauguration will be very, very difficult, I think, if we allow him to stay there," he added.
The United Nations COP26 climate talks are scheduled for October 31 to November 12 in Glasgow, Scotland. Heads of state will be joined by private sector leaders to once again discuss the shrinking window of time left to take action against global temperature rise. Barbara Humpton, CEO of focused technology company Siemens U.S., is also attending and spoke to Cheddar about what she hopes to see during the conference for both the public and private spheres. "What we are really urging is that there are large commitments made in Glasgow and that we really commit to this next decade of action," she said.
Jessica Mason Pieklo, Senior Vice President and Executive Editor at Rewire News Group and co-host of the Rewire News Group podcast, 'Boom! Lawyered,' joins Cheddar News to discuss the Supreme Court decision to hear Texas abortion ban cases on Monday, November first and the complicated timeline of legal challenges up to this point.
According to new research by Twitter, the social media platform algorithm amplifies content from the "political right" rather than those on the left. The company says this data comes as the platform has been taking the time to research the implications of its algorithm and whether or not it has caused any "unknown harm". President and CEO of Media Matters for America Angelo Carusone, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Jill and Carlo cover the latest developments in the Alec Baldwin prop gun shooting, when vaccines for kids as young as 5 should be approved, new reporting on Facebook and more.
Dana Sussman, deputy executive director at the National Advocates for Pregnant Women, joined Cheddar News to talk about Brittney Poolaw, who was sentenced to four years in state prison for a miscarriage she suffered last year.
Despite Joe Biden having won the state of Virginia in 2021 by 10 points, the race between his fellow Democrat Terry McAuliffe and Donald Trump-endorsed Republican Glenn Youngkin has tightened considerably down to the wire. Dave Levinthal, the deputy Washington bureau chief for Insider, joined Cheddar to give his analysis of the bellwether gubernatorial race in the year before the midterm elections.
Laura Vozzella, local reporter for the Washington Post, joins Cheddar News to discuss the razor-thin edge Democrat Terry McAuliffe has over Republican candidate Glenn Youngkin in the 2021 Virginia gubernatorial election.
A judge has temporarily put on hold United Airlines' unpaid leave policy for workers who claimed either religious or medical exemptions from COVID vaccinations. Six workers filed a suit against the company, calling the policy unreasonable.
President Joe Biden took to the podium to discuss the deal that will keep the Port of Los Angeles open for business 24 hours a day, seven days a week as the nation grapples with supply chain issues.
