History was made in several races during the 2017 off-year elections, with minorities, first-timers, and other under-represented candidates winning their campaigns. But it was no easy feat. Some hopefuls were hit with racial epithets and discriminatory advertisements before they won.
And for them, victory sent a clear message: our state is not a state of hate.
At least this was Virginia’s delegate-elect Elizabeth Guzman’s reaction. She and Hala Ayala this year became the first two Latinas ever elected to the state's House of Delegates. In an interview with Cheddar on Tuesday, Guzman said that many Republicans were mimicking the anti-immigration rhetoric exhibited by President Donald Trump. In her case, her opponent accused her of wanting to protect criminals.
“I think it was a huge response from Virginia to Washington, D.C., and also to Richmond, and Prince William County,” she said about winning. “We are not a state of hate. We are a state that is diverse, and we are proud of our diversity.”
Guzman, who began campaigning in October 2016, says her children were a motivating factor for her run for office. The public administrator and social worker was already heavily involved in her community. As a delegate, she hopes to encourage Latin children to feel represented and hopes more people with her background run for office in the future.
Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, a conservative Republican congressman, is championing a medical cannabis research act, signaling the bipartisan shift in attitudes toward medical marijuana.
Apple appears to have dodged a bullet with the latest round of tariffs on Chinese imports. But if the trade war continues, the risks to the company get more serious, said Tom Forte, senior research analyst at D.A. Davidson. Apple currently gets 20 percent of its revenue from China
Gov. John Hickenlooper (D-CO) said the political action committee will help him "evaluate" the presidential landscape. The moderate Democrat is perhaps best known for overseeing Colorado's creation of a full-fledged cannabis economy.
Judge Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation to the Supreme Court is now more like a "jump shot in traffic," said Philip Wegmann of the Washington Examiner. Kavanaugh's nomination was put on hold following accusations of sexual assault by Christine Blasey Ford when they were both teenagers. Ford and Kavanaugh will testify at a Senate hearing next Monday, delaying the confirmation vote originally scheduled for this week and putting his place on the top court it peril less than two months before the midterm elections.
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China retaliated to the latest round of tariffs announced by the Trump administration, announcing import taxes on $60 billion in U.S. goods. That came after the White House said it would impose tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods, though many of Apple's products will be exempt.
Kate Shaw, professor at Cardozo School of Law, breaks down the similarities between the current accusations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and the accusations from Anita Hill in 1991 against Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas -- the latter largely considered to have been the basis for how workplace harassment is thought of today.
A new bill in New Jersey, if passed through the state legislature, would immediately release anyone in jail for non-violent marijuana crimes and expunge their records. Jake Hudnut, chief prosecutor for Jersey City, calls it the most progressive social justice bill in the nation.
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Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort pleaded guilty to reduced charges Friday morning and agreed to cooperate with Robert Mueller's investigation.
