*By Conor White*
After allegations of sexual assault against Brett Kavanaugh surfaced just days ago, the stakes for the Supreme Court nominee and his fellow Republicans are high ー and highly political.
"This is a political knife fight," The Washington Examiner's Phil Wegmann said Tuesday in an interview on Cheddar.
Christine Blasey Ford, the accuser, will testify next Monday alongside Kavanaugh before the Senate Judiciary Committee, which throws the judge's chance of sitting on the highest court in the land into serious peril. Blasey Ford has said Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her during a high school party more than three decades ago, claims Kavanaugh has vigorously denied.
While many of Blasey Ford's high school classmates ー including Emmy-winning actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus ー [signed and published a letter](https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/christine-blasey-ford-holton-arms-brett-kavanaugh_us_5b9fb3c2e4b04d32ebfabbc6) Monday, affirming their support of her.
But Wegmann admitted that given the chronology, it will be difficult to untangle the story.
"I don't even know how you can come to the truth about something that happened 35 years ago ー with minors, and with minors possibly under the influence of alcohol," he said.
Still, the latest developments have thrown a wrench in what ー despite [protests](https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/405500-212-protesters-total-arrested-during-kavanaugh-hearings) ー was initially expected to be a guaranteed confirmation.
"Seventy-two hours ago I would've said that this was a slam dunk," Wegmann said. "At this point, I think it's more of a jump shot in traffic."
"Any chance of Senate Democrats crossing the aisle to vote for Kavanaugh ー I think that's evaporated," he added.
Wegmann said that since Monday's hearing will be televised, both Democrats and Republicans should ready themselves for media fireworks.
"It's a major TV moment," he said. "Not necessarily a moment made to adjudicate the truth."
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/kavanaugh-confirmation-thrown-into-question).
Even as tech giant Google implements a vaccination mandate, charging its employees to declare their vaccine status within a time frame or risk dismissal, the federal government is tangled up in the court system trying to impose one of its own. Cindy Cohn, the executive director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and Harry Nelson, founder and managing partner of Nelson Hardiman LLP, joined Cheddar to debate the ethics, efficacy, and legality surrounding the issue. While Cohn noted that she thinks the federal mandate might be legally sound, her organization is also concerned with a separate question of privacy. "At EFF what we're most interested in is the digital surveillance that's going along with some of these attempts to try to track and confirm whether people are vaccinated or not," she said.
A new report from CNBC says Instagram recently reached a new milestone -- 2 billion monthly active users. It comes amid a year of controversy for the photo-sharing app and its parent company, Meta. SocialFlow CEO Jim Anderson joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
There is a new way for investors to bet on cannabis - the AdvisorShares Poseidon Dynamic Cannabis ETF targets about 20 of the biggest names in U.S. cannabis. It comes at a time when it's still difficult for investors to access the space. Cheddar News cannabis reporter Chloe Aiello spoke with co-founder and managing director for Poseidon Investment Management, Emily Paxhia.
Victor Li, an economics professor at the Villanova School of Business, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he discusses the latest Fed decision and the implications it has on the stock market.
After nearly two years of the pandemic, U.S. consumers are ready to spend big this holiday season. However, shoppers may be faced with limited inventory as the U.S. continues to face shortages of key products and extended order backlogs. Per Hong, partner at consulting firm Kearney, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss the country's path forward.
The U.S. Government is making its first major move toward encouraging nuclear energy in the U.S., as it pushes toward a sustainable future. Scott Waldman, White House reporter for Politico's E&E News joined Cheddar News to break down the developments. "There's definitely an audience for this now since we're looking at the value of nuclear in terms of climate policy," he said, regarding the prospects for bipartisan support.
CEOs of the top U.S. airlines are set to testify in front of a Senate committee Wednesday. Lawmakers will ask airline executives about how they used pandemic-related federal aid, specifically in light of staffing issues and widespread cancellations. Among those expected to participate are the CEOs of American, United, and Southwest Airlines. David Slotnick, Senior Aviation Business Reporter at The Points Guy, joined Cheddar News to discuss.
Carlo and Baker cover the latest data showing the Omicron wave has likely started, Pfizer's Covid pill, Jan. 6 and a box office rescue attempt courtesy of Spider-Man.