Jeff Flake Confronted by Protesters in Wake of Kavanaugh Vote
*By Carlo Versano*
For a second straight day, Room 226 at the Dirksen U.S. Senate Building was the site of tension and high drama as Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee ー to the fury of Democrats, some of whom walked out in protest ー pushed ahead with Judge Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination.
Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ), a moderate conservative, issued a statement Friday morning indicating he was a "yes" on the nomination.
He said he found both Prof. Christine Blasey Ford and Kavanaugh to be credible in their Thursday testimonies, but "the constitution's provisions of fairness and due process" swayed him to support the nomination.
Flake, who some thought might break from his party and oppose Kavanaugh, then voted along with the rest of the committee Republicans against a motion to subpoena Mark Judge, Kavanaugh's friend who was allegedly in the same room during the assault that Ford described during her testimony.
After Flake's vote was made public, he was confronted by sexual assault survivors in an elevator in a [video] (https://twitter.com/jiveDurkey/status/1045669527491694597?s=20) that immediately went viral on social media. Cheddar's J.D. Durkin witnessed the confrontation and spoke to one of the survivors afterward, saying it was an "incredibly raw" moment in what is rapidly becoming a flashpoint event for the country's political divide.
As the committee, chaired by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), held a procedural vote to set the time for its full vote, Democratic Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Kamala Harris of California refused to vote and then left the hearing room in protest.
The vote passed, 11-8 on party lines ー clearing the way for Kavanaugh's nomination to move out of committee at 1:30 p.m ET.
Meanwhile, the American Bar Association, in an unusual move, [said](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-09-28/american-bar-association-seeks-delay-in-kavanaugh-nomination) it supported a full FBI investigation into the alleged assault and that Kavanaugh's final confirmation vote should be postponed until such an investigation is completed. A prominent Jesuit magazine, which had previously endorsed the nomination, [rescinded](https://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2018/09/27/editors-it-time-kavanaugh-nomination-be-withdrawn) its support in light of Ford's testimony. (Kavanaugh attended Georgetown Prep, a Jesuit high school.)
Whether Kavanaugh can muster the 51 votes needed for confirmation still relies on a small handful of moderate Senators. With Flake now in the "yes" column, the focus will shift to Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME).
Mayor Ras Baraka of Newark, NJ and Ayana Morris, co-director of the documentary 'Why Is We Americans?,' join Cheddar News to discuss the new documentary highlighting the impact of the Baraka family.
Former New York City mayor and lawyer to Donald Trump Rudy Giuliani made his singing debut on a taping of Fox’s The Masked Singer. However, Ken Jeong and Robin Thicke, two judges on the competition show, reportedly left in protest when Giuliani was unmasked upon being eliminated.
All Hands celebrates Black History Month by highlighting achievements in inclusivity and paying homage to those who have fought for equal rights. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) joins Cheddar News to discuss voter suppression; Damali Peterman, CEO of Breakthrough ADR, elaborates on the biggest barriers for Black professionals; Andre Perry, senior fellow of Brookings Institution, dives into student loans and the racial wealth divide; and lastly, BET CEO Scott Mills discusses the company's initiatives for 2022.
All month long Cheddar News is celebrating Black History Month.
In our nation’s capital, Black history is being made right now.
cheddar's own Arielle Hixon puts the spotlight on three lawmakers making that happen, Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-IL), Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO), and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC).
Representative Maxine Waters (D-Calif. 43rd District) joined Cheddar News to talk about the current political climate in America, including efforts to roll back voting rights in multiple states in light of Black History Month. "Why do we have to deal with those who still believe that somehow this country only belongs to the whites of the country and that somehow they have to do everything that they can to undermine our voting and do voters suppression to keep us from being influential and at the table by which to solve problems?" she asked. Waters chided "two Democrats" who she said were stymying attempts to rectify the issue and also spoke on President Biden’s promise to nominate a Black woman to the Supreme Court.
Wall Street saw another volatile day after the Federal Reserve left rates unchanged for now, with plans to raise rates in March at its next meeting in order to ease inflation. Fed Chair Jerome Powell said the Fed has not made decisions on the size of rate increases, adding that the Fed is not trying to get inflation below two-percent. Ken Johnson, CFA and Investment Strategy Analyst explains why Powell thinks that high inflation is a significant threat to the labor market.
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Solid-state battery maker Factorial Energy recently raised $200 million in a Series D round led by Mercedes-Benz and Stellantis. Factorial says the funding will be used to accelerate commercial production and deployment of its solid-state battery technology, which the company says is safer, and offers up to 50% more driving range than current lithium-ion technology. Factorial also has joint development agreements (announced in late 2021) with Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis, and Hyundai, three of the top 10 global automotive manufacturers, to commercialize its batteries. Factorial CEO Siyu Huang joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
