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.
Al Harington, founder of Viola Cannabis and former NBA player, joined Cheddar to discuss what a Biden/Harris administration would mean for the cannabis industry.
The Federal Reserve juicing money into local budgets through the Municipal Liquidy Facility was unprecedented, but a growing number of advocates for a more progressive, proactive Fed, is that it didn't go far enough.
Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett has presented her conservative approach to the law at the start of a fast-tracked confirmation hearing.
President Donald Trump is looking to get his campaign back on track, a week after he was sidelined with the coronavirus that has killed more than 210,000 Americans.
U.S. Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) joined Cheddar to discuss how Congress and the judiciary should approach big tech monopolies. Buck was clear that the Democrats and Republicans, however, disagree on just how to go about shrinking the tech giants.
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 White House is boosting its offer in up-and-down COVID-19 aid talks Friday in hopes of an agreement before Election Day.
Former GOP presidential candidate Carly Fiorina discussed her support of Joe Biden's bid for the presidency. Also, the former CEO of Hewlett-Packard, she attributed her support for Biden due to a lack of leadership from President Trump and his failed foreign policies.
Democratic lawmakers are speaking out against a proposed Labor Department rule that they argue would make it harder for retirement funds to consider important environmental factors when making investment decisions.
A new Cheddar poll, conducted by SurveyUSA, on Supreme Court nomination, abortion law, and the Affordable Care Act.
