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.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, is warning Congress and the nation of what he calls "really serious” consequences of suffering, death and deeper economic damage if state and local officials lift stay-at-home orders too quickly.
Broward County Mayor Dale V.C. Holness told Cheddar Monday many of the counties in South Florida have been working together to decide on a reopening date for their communities.
Dr. Beth Cameron, who is currently vice president of global biology programs at the Nuclear Threat Initiative, was previously a senior director in the White House pandemic office under the National Security Council.
The White House is requiring everyone who enters the West Wing to wear a mask or face covering.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed on Twitter Monday that the company has restarted its California factory in violation of local government orders.
The Navajo reservation spans three western U.S. states and has some of the highest rates of coronavirus in the country. With roughly 175,000 people living there, the tribe has seen 3,122 cases. At least 100 people have died.
Stocks are dipping in early trading on Wall Street Monday and giving back some of the strong gains made last week.
Coronavirus has forced New York City teachers to fundamentally change how they educate students. Now they're fighting for their own vision of how and when schools should reopen.
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.
Businesses from coast-to-coast were forced to closed their doors when the coronavirus outbreak arrived in the U.S. Practically overnight, 33 million Americans (so far) suddenly lost their livelihoods. Cheddar is speaking to some of these workers who have found themselves unexpectedly unemployed in today's turbulent environment.
