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.
It's a mixed bag for the November jobs report. Hiring slowed last month as employers only added 210,000 jobs, massively missing the estimate of 550,000. But there was one bright spot: the unemployment rate fell to 4.2%, with the number of unemployed people dropping to 6.9 million. Both of those numbers are considerably down from their highs at the end of the 2020 recession. Heather Boushey, a member of President Biden's Council of Economic Advisers, joined Cheddar to discuss the report and the state of the country's ongoing economic recovery.
As the U.S. continues to face supply chain shortages, President Joe Biden is reassuring U.S. consumers that the supply chain is in "very strong shape" ahead of the all-important holiday season. As supply bottlenecks start to show signs of improvement, the industry may be faced with yet another challenge: the Omicron variant. Rob Caucci, Co-Founder & Co-CEO of Fillogic joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
Markets rebounded Monday morning after Friday's deep sell-off that saw the Dow suffer its worse day since 2020. It comes as investors continue to react to the impact of the omicron variant on the broader reopening. Eddie Ghabour, Co-Owner at the Key Advisors Group joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
Markets bounced back this morning with travel leading the gains after plunging on Monday as the first case of Omicron was detected in the U.S. Jimmy Lee, CEO, Wealth Consulting Group joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
The market saw investors react to comments by the World Health Organization's chief scientist, who suggested existing vaccines are likely to offer protection against the new variant. According to Thomas Hayes, chairman of Great Hill Capital, the next two weeks will be crucial as the markets watch for not only the effects of the Omicron variant, but also the Fed's decision on a taper.
It's Friday at long last. Jill and Carlo cover the latest on Omicron, including a possible superspreader event in NYC. Plus, previewing the November jobs report, a new Zoom feature no one asked for, and when it's no longer a good idea to eat Thanksgiving leftovers.
Following the Mississippi abortion case, the fate of Roe V. Wade is at stake. A decision is expected next summer, right around the time midterm candidates will be making their cases to voters. Laura Packard, executive director of Health Care Voter, joins Cheddar News to discuss how the ruling will impact upcoming elections.
Stock markets around the world continue to be impacted by fears of the new Omicron COVID-19 variant. President Biden today reiterated his stance that the new strain is cause for concern, but not cause for panic. Wells Fargo Investment Institute Global Equity Strategist Scott Wren joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
