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.
Cook County Commissioner John Fritchey, who holds a medical marijuana card, says the drug's ability to relieve pain makes it a much more effective way to combat opioid addiction. “Why would we continue, in light of the crisis that we have, to prescribe opioids for pain relief?” Fritchey told Cheddar Tuesday.
The legislator has been vocal about getting his medical marijuana card in hopes of getting rid of the stigma around the drug, he told Cheddar. Fritchey is also pushing to legalize recreational use of the cannabis in Illinois and says it should be uses as a tool to fight the opioid crisis.
The Agriculture Department's proposed Farm Bill will kick millions of people off of benefits and take free breakfast and lunches away from hundreds of thousands of kids, says the Democrat from Massachusetts. The new legislation could go to a vote in May.
Colorado Rep. Brittany Pettersen is pushing to expand the state's Medicaid plan to include drug-abuse treatment programs, having witnessed her mother deal with opioid addiction for three decades. "There's really no options for people out there," Pettersen said Monday in an interview with Cheddar.
The fashion designer said she has seen several feminist movements "hit a wall," and women need to work with men to keep the #TimesUp movement going.
Sam Kass, who served as White House Chef during the Obama administration, is out with a new book on healthy eating. He says it encapsulates many of the concepts he and former first lady Michelle Obama espoused.
Sam Kass served as the White House Chef during the Obama administration. He says parents have to demand politicians enact policies that will encourage healthy eating habits.
The investigation into this week's deadly emergency landing of a Southwest Airlines flight is going strong, but how will regulators determine who's at fault? The Points Guy's Emily McNutt weighs in.
The Root's Michael Harriot discusses the road to legalizing marijuana and whether industry support from people like John Boehner will move the process along.
The former governor of Massachusetts, who joined cannabis production company Acreage Holdings last week with former House Speaker John Boehner, says legalizing marijuana should be up to the states to decide.
