Coronavirus has hit Capitol Hill, as the first members of Congress have tested positive for the virus.
Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) and Ben McAdams (D-Utah) announced diagnoses late Wednesday. Diaz-Balart’s office said he had developed symptoms Saturday evening and was notified Wednesday of a positive test. Both had voted on the House floor as recently as Saturday morning, to pass the coronavirus relief bill.
Rep. Ben McAdams, D-Utah (Left), Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla. (Right)
At least five other members of Congress are quarantining because they had contact with the lawmakers, including Rep. Steve Scalise, the second-highest ranking Republican in the House.
Some lawmakers had been pushing for ways to vote remotely, particularly since congressional members are disproportionately in higher-risk categories for coronavirus complications. Forty-eight senators are over the age of 65, the age at which some states have recommended individuals to stay inside their homes.
Senator Dick Durban (D-Ill.) has said “it’s time for the Senate to wake up to the 21st century and make sure we’re using technology that allows us to communicate with each other without any danger or risk to public health.”
Between Bells: Californians lining up for recreational marijuana, Hollywood's A-List women say 'Time's Up' on workplace harassment, and can Dems get a DACA deal? We're joined by Fast Company, Cannabis Culture, Bossip.com, TechnoBuffalo, Conservative Review and more.
Jodie Emery, Editor-in-Chief of Cannabis Culture, says that "the federal government would be hard-pressed to really ignore" the legalization of adult-use pot in the Golden State.
Recreational marijuana is officially legal in California. This makes it the sixth state to go green after Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Nevada, and Colorado. Governor John Hickenlooper (D-CO) shares his lessons from the legalization and regulation of marijuana in his state for California.
Even though California's recreational Marijuana law went into effect today, much of the country still does not have medical or recreational legalization. On top of that, the Federal government's laws are vastly different from states that have legalized. Paul Armentano is the Deputy Director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws and he joins Cheddar to give his take on how legalization will progress from here.
Even with California, the sixth biggest economy in the world, legalizing pot, incongruities in state and federal law hinder growth in the marijuana market. That's according to Paul Armentano, Deputy Director at NORML.
President Trump has returned from his holiday in Florida and is officially back to work. Congress is back in session tomorrow and there is a lot to get done. Lawmakers will be voting on many items like immigration, disaster relief, and more. Will the two sides of the aisle be able to work together, or will divisions hinder Washington?
Congress is heading back to work with a packed agenda ahead of the looming government shutdown. CRTV's Nate Madden and The Democratic Coalition's Jarad Geldner join Cheddar's roundtable to discuss what awaits lawmakers when they get back from their holiday break.
President Donald Trump gave an impromptu with the New York Times Washington Correspondent Michael Schmidt at his Mar-A-Lago property Thursday. Alexander Heffner, Host of PBS' "The Open Mind," explains what this interview says about the relationship between Trump and the media.
