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.
The coffee chain announced anyone who walks into a store can use the bathrooms, even if they didn't make a purchase. This is "the absolute right thing" to do, says communication and reputation strategist Deirdre Latour. Starbucks came under fire last month after arresting two black men accused of "loitering" at one of its stores.
The president laid out a plan that promised to bring down the costs of drugs. But it could amount to just minimal changes that don't end up pressuring drug makers enough to bring down prices, says Adriel Bettelheim, health care editor at Politico.
The state became the first in the U.S. to require almost all new homes to have solar panels, part of an effort to get half the state's electricity from renewable sources by 2030.
The three detainees, who have been in captivity for over a year, landed in Maryland early Thursday, where President Trump and the First Lady welcomed them back home.
The White House will host dozens of Silicon Valley executives on Thursday to discuss artificial intelligence, with a focus on how it could impact jobs in the future.
The three U.S. prisoners were released during Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit to the capital city of Pyongyang, marking a significant reduction in tensions between the two countries ahead of President Trump's meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
Pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal may make it harder for the United States to have any influence over Tehran, says Laura Secor, a journalist and author who has written extensively about Iran. America's European allies may "prefer to work with the Iranians," leaving the U.S. out.
President Trump's announcement that the U.S. is abandoning the Iran deal will lead to volatility in oil prices, says Patrick DeHaan, the head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. "The more fiery the response from President Trump, the more oil prices could eventually rally," he said.
The First Lady launched her 'Be Best' initiative on Monday, focusing on children's mental health, opioid abuse, and cyberbullying. Erin Delmore, senior political correspondent at Bustle, said there are still some details missing, and others that are eerily familiar to Obama-era guidelines.
The president said the pact, which was intended to keep Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, was "a horrible one-sided deal that should have never, ever been made." He said the United States would reinstate "powerful sanctions" against Iran.
