In New York's June primary, Jamaal Bowman, an educator from the NYC suburbs running an unabashedly progressive insurgent campaign appeared to topple Rep. Eliot Engel, a 16-term incumbent, for the Democratic nomination in the state's 16th Congressional district, though Engel is now suing to challenge the validity of mail-in ballots.
Bowman told Cheddar on Thursday that he's "not worried at all" about the suit, noting that as more absentee ballots are counted, his vote count is actually widening and the delta is now about 13,000 votes.
"We want every vote to be counted as well," Bowman said. "We're very comfortable with where we are."
As Bowman seems likely to be heading to Congress — NY-16 is about as blue a district as there is and the Democratic nominee is expected to coast to victory in November — he says it's critical that the U.S. pandemic response takes a less "top-down" approach when it comes to vexing problems like whether or not to open schools in the fall.
Bowman, a middle school principal by vocation, said: "We are not ready to open schools, because we have not brought the full resources of the federal government to bear." He called on officials to get serious about "innovative" ways to safely reopen, from prioritizing alternative spaces for learning to redesigned ventilation systems in school buildings. But right now, there are "too many unanswered questions" to safely reopen, he said.
The presumptive nominee also said he'd give President Trump a grade of "less than zero" for his response to the racial unrest and protests that have gripped the nation since the death of George Floyd.
"President Trump is a racist. He is a fascist. And he wants to maintain an order of white supremacy," Bowman stated.
Andrene Ward-Hammond, who plays Big Mo on Showtime's "Your Honor" talks to Cheddar about how the limited series reflects the ongoing issues of inequity in the U.S. criminal justice system.
After seeing two academic years thrown off course by the pandemic, school leaders around the country are planning for the possibility of more distance learning next fall at the start of yet another school year.
In the 1920s, an army of real estate boosters set out to redefine Florida from an economic backwater to a ritzy vacation destination, sparking a land boom — and bust — the likes of which America had never seen before.
President Joe Biden is meeting with the House Democratic committee chairs who aim to put his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package on a fast track to becoming law.
Nate Boutte, pharmacy manager for Walgreens, talked about the readiness of the pharmacy chain in getting COVID vaccines out in the White House's new distribution plan.
From Wall Street to Silicon Valley, these are the top stories that moved markets and had investors, business leaders, and entrepreneurs talking this week on Cheddar.
The IRS is offering eligible taxpayers who did not receive their full federal stimulus checks a chance to claim a Recovery Rebate Credit on their 2020 tax return.
Rep. Al Green (D-Texas 9th District), spoke with Cheddar about the possibility of raising the federal minimum wage as part of the current COVID relief package.
Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D-Mich. 14th. District) said that Trump must be held accountable for his possible role in egging on supporters to invade the Capitol Building on January 6.
Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-Calif. 53rd District) spoke to Cheddar about how those accused of provoking the January 6 attack on Capitol Hill, such as Rep. Greene and former President Trump, need to be held accountable.
