As the House considers a police reform bill just a day after Senate Democrats' blocked debate on GOP-backed version former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, hopes the moves inspire a new way of governing and policing.
"Getting profound and meaningful reform that actually changes the presumption of dangerousness, that is so often fatal to black lives, that is a big deal long in coming," Patrick told Cheddar.
The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020 calls for a massive overhaul of policy aimed at holding officers more accountable, including the revocation of qualified immunity and a prohibition on racial profiling. Although it is likely to pass in the House, Patrick noted the bill will face an uphill battle on the other side of Capitol Hill.
"I remain hopeful that Senate Republicans, who will see what the rest of us see, will decide to turn from using fear as a device to govern and will instead get to the business of actually governing," he explained.
The former governor said he does not expect Democrats to budge on police reform proposals because "folks want policy to matter where it touches people -- all people."
"There is an accumulated bad habit of doing something in the name of being able to waive a bill, without actually doing policy or making policy where it touches people," Patrick added.
Not only is the policing of Black Americans on Patrick's mind, but the former presidential hopeful is also concerned about tactics Republicans are using to silence minority groups as the November election inches closer.
"A concerted strategy of suppressing the vote, in particular, of Black and Brown people and young people, has been a strategy of the national Republican party for a long time," Patrick said.
The coronavirus pandemic is presenting a new challenge for Americans this election season, so Patrick suggested voters should "have a plan about how and when they will vote" no matter who their choice for president is.
David Tafuri, Former Obama Campaign Foreign Policy Advisor & Former State Department Official, joined Cheddar News to break down the latest geopolitical stories from Beijing, amid China's human rights abuses against Uyghur Muslims and yet another Russian doping scandal.
Dr. Jennifer Haythe of Columbia University's Irving Medical Center, joined Wake Up With Cheddar to discuss the latest with the pandemic, as the debate over child safety rages amid low vaccination rates and states easing school mask mandates.
David Nelson, Chief Strategist at Belpointe, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he says that Wednesday's market movement shows a rotation back into the industries that were hit hard in January, but says his eyes are firmly fixed on the January CPI data set to be released Thursday.
Russia is preparing alongside Belarus for reportedly one of the largest joint military exercises ever held. Some analysts are concerned this could be a disguise for a real attack, while the Kremlin contends that the exercise is meant to confront potential "unprecedented security threats." Christian Whiton, a former State Department senior advisor, joined Cheddar News to break down the still tense situation. "While it could of course be a prelude to invasion, it seems like the Biden administration is signaling that if you look at Europeans, the Germans and Macron … who just met with Putin, they seem to be thinking that maybe this is a show of force by Russia intended at political intimidation, not actual invasion," said Whiton.
Truckers in Canada have blockaded the Ambassador Bridge, the busiest border crossing between Canada and the U.S. protesting a COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Cheddar News spoke with Samir Kapadia, head of trade practice at the Vogal Group, about how this impacts trade between the two countries.
New York City is not only dealing with the ongoing pandemic, it’s also facing a surge in crime. President Biden recently traveled to New York to meet with the city’s new mayor, Eric Adams, to discuss the rise in crime and gun violence.
The president praised Mayor Adams' crimefighting agenda and unveiled a new federal initiative to curb the flow of illegal weapons from the south. Josefa Velásquez, Senior Reporter for THE CITY, joined Cheddar's Fast Forward to talk about how the mayor is battling this increase in crime in his first weeks in office.
The Democratic governors of New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, and Oregon say they will lift mask requirements for schools in the coming weeks, reflecting a nationwide shift away from restrictions. Cheddar News speaks with internist Dr. Vivek Cherian whether it's safe to relax the regulation.
Amazon warehouse workers in Alabama are set to begin voting to unionize for a second time after workers at the facility in the town of Bessemer overwhelmingly voted against forming a union during an election early last year; but in November, the National Labor Relations Board overturned the vote, upholding a union challenge of the results which argued that Amazon undermined the conditions for a fair election. Another round of ballots will now be mailed out to works at the warehouse for a so-called re-run election. Director of Labor and Employment Studies at San Francisco State University John Logan and National Field Director for Our Revolution Mike Oles joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
