A State Trooper vehicle drives down Bourbon Street in the French Quarter on March 15, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The state government has placed a ban on large public gatherings and postponed the April 4 primary until June 20 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19). (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
New Orleans police cleared the city's famous Bourbon Street over the weekend to stem the spread of coronavirus.
Officers attempted to disperse crowds by driving slowly down the street, still crowded with revelers in spite of the pandemic ripping across the U.S. and the world.
"Large groups of people are prohibited from congregating together. Your actions are jeopardizing public health. We are directing you to clear the streets and go home or back to your hotel," an officer can be heard announcing in a video uploaded to Twitter on Sunday night, and retweeted by the New Orleans Police Department.
The action came on the heels of an executive order by Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, banning gatherings of 250 people or more across the state and shutting down schools. The Pelican State reported on Saturday its first fatality from COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
The first victim of the virus was a 58-year-old New Orleans resident with underlying health conditions. The city has since reported another death, a 53-year-old patient, also with underlying medical conditions, who New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell called a personal friend.
"The news this morning of a second death in New Orleans is deeply heartbreaking to me, personally — and is additional tragic news for the people of our City. The patient in this instance was a friend of mine, but every one of those impacted by this outbreak is someone's friend, someone's loved one," she wrote on Facebook on Sunday morning.
Louisiana's tally of reported COVID-19 cases more than tripled over the weekend to 114 on Monday morning — from 33 presumptive positive cases across the state as of Friday morning. Of those, 79 cases are in New Orleans, the state's most populous city. The Louisiana Department of Health reported 302 total tests completed as of Monday morning.
Louisiana has joined other states in implementing extreme measures to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus, a disease that spread from Wuhan, China to close to 150 countries across the globe. It has killed 41 and sickened more than 1,600 in the U.S. so far as of Friday, according to the CDC. The Pelican State also became the first state in the nation, according to the New York Times, to postpone its presidential primary, out of an abundance of caution for elderly poll workers who are "among the most vulnerable to this virus," Gov. Edwards said in a statement. The election was originally scheduled for April 4, but has been postponed by more than two months. Georgia has since followed suit, and other states are reportedly considering similar action.
After premiering at the 2022 Sundance Festival, Showtime is slated to drop the four-part docuseries "We Need to Talk About Bill Cosby" this Sunday. Director W. Kamau Bell joined Cheddar to discuss the sensitive project and about coming to grips with the reality of who Bill Cosby is following the numerous allegations of sexual assault. Bell said the biggest takeaway from the project is that survivors are not only looking for the 84-year-old comedian to be held accountable, they also want to prevent future assaults. "Maybe the key thing to learn is how do we create a society that is more supportive and accepting particularly women in this case who are survivors of sexual assault," Bell said.
Tax season is now underway, and it's going to be a bit different than in years past. For starters, the deadline is April 18, instead of the typical April 15th, and many Americans will need to account for advance child tax credit payments, the return of the recovery rebate credit, and a special break for charitable contributions, among other things. Brent Weiss, Co-Founder and certified financial planner at Facet Wealth, tells us what we need to know about filing our taxes this year, and when we can expect to receive our returns.
College enrollment has been on a steady decline for years, and the pandemic hasn't helped. Since the start of the pandemic, there has been a 6.6% — more than 1 million students — drop in undergraduate enrollment, according to a recent report. Douglas Belkin, higher education reporter at the Wall Street Journal, joined Cheddar to discuss the long-term implications of students sitting out of college, and what institutions can do about it.
As the midterm election looms, things aren't looking too promising for President Joe Biden. One year into his term as president, Biden is facing one of the lowest approval ratings of any modern-day president, threatening his party's control of the House in 2022. Brian Bennett, Senior White House Correspondent for TIME, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
A full one year into his term as President of The United States, President Biden addressed the nation on Wednesday, facing questions on everything from inflation to chip shortages and covid-19. As Biden enters his second year in office, he is facing one of the lowest approval ratings of any modern-day president. Kate Davidson, Reporter, POLITICO joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
San Diego has just implemented a new law that could set the stage for how the country deals with food waste. This new law hopes to make a dent in that. Businesses and groceries stores out in San Diego will need to put a plan in place to *donate edible food rather than toss it straight to the trash. Food Rescue Manager at Feeding San Diego, Kate Garret
The streaming giant Netflix posted its latest earnings from its fourth quarter after the close on Thursday. The company's stock plummeted shortly after the company warned that its rate of subscription additions are slowing down. Senior Reporter at MarketWatch Jon Swartz, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Earlier this month, New York City experienced one of the deadliest fires it has seen in decades. 17 people lost their lives in the Fordham section of the Bronx. This was due to a faulty space heater which reportedly began on the lower floor of the 120 unit building. Thanks to the F. D. N. Y. And heroic neighbors, many were able to get out in time. Unfortunately, the toxic smoke surged upwards through a safety door. Now, many advocates say negligence by policymakers and landlords has led to the deaths in black and brown communities from fires that honestly could have been preventable. Legislative Director of Citizen Action of New York, Rebecca Garrard, and the Chair of Journalism and New Media Studies at St. Joseph's College Theodore Hamm, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
