Ahead of the November election, more than 17 million Americans have submitted ballots, despite President Donald Trump's continued claims that the process is illegitimate. In Oregon, residents have voted by mail for more than 20 years and according to Governor Kate Brown, the process is completely safe.
"We were the first state in the country [to vote by mail], and I will tell you we have one of the highest voter turnouts in the country because of the convenience and the accessibility of vote-by-mail," she told Cheddar, touting how the concept will likely stick around after the coronavirus pandemic.
For many voters, the 2020 election will be the first time they have ever submitted a paper ballot, but according to Brown, voting at home can do even more to ease the minds of Americans, particularly as it helps mitigate the spread of coronavirus and introduces them to how "non-hackable" the process is.
Now, Brown is rallying for Americans to trust the process, submit their votes as early as possible, and know that their vote counts.
"I literally won my first race for the statehouse by seven votes," she explained.
While Trump's U.S. Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett is likely to be confirmed, the 2020 election, Brown said, will determine the direction of American democracy.
"What is really, really, really clear is that when the fabric of our society is frayed. It's so important that the foundation of our democracy remains strong, and voting is a pillar of that democracy," she noted.
When it comes to voter registration, Brown said the process needs to be simplified to make it easier for Americans to take part in the political process. Earlier this week, a judge in Virginia extended voter registration after a cable was cut, taking down the entire voter registration website.
"By virtue of your citizenship, residency, and your age, you should be able to participate in this process," the governor said. "Oregon, again, leading the way with our automatic voter registration."
"We know that the democratic process is not a spectator sport. We need Americans participating."
Wall Street saw another volatile day after the Federal Reserve left rates unchanged for now, with plans to raise rates in March at its next meeting in order to ease inflation. Fed Chair Jerome Powell said the Fed has not made decisions on the size of rate increases, adding that the Fed is not trying to get inflation below two-percent. Ken Johnson, CFA and Investment Strategy Analyst explains why Powell thinks that high inflation is a significant threat to the labor market.
Anu Gaggar, global investment strategist for Commonwealth Financial Network, joined Cheddar News to discuss how global supply chains could be disrupted even further by an armed conflict in Ukraine.
Solid-state battery maker Factorial Energy recently raised $200 million in a Series D round led by Mercedes-Benz and Stellantis. Factorial says the funding will be used to accelerate commercial production and deployment of its solid-state battery technology, which the company says is safer, and offers up to 50% more driving range than current lithium-ion technology. Factorial also has joint development agreements (announced in late 2021) with Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis, and Hyundai, three of the top 10 global automotive manufacturers, to commercialize its batteries. Factorial CEO Siyu Huang joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
A new report by the Foreign Correspondents Club of China warns that press freedom in the most populous country in the world is declining at an alarming speed. Cheddar News speaks with Steven Butler, Asia Program Coordinator at the Committee to Protect Journalists, about the hardships journalists face in China.
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C. 1st District) joined Cheddar to discuss her cannabis legalization bill, the States Reform Act, and the prospects for gaining bipartisan support for a bill that has garnered the endorsement of e-commerce giant Amazon. This legislation is supported by businesses large and small, Amazon obviously being the most recent and largest business to support it," Mace said. "They don't want to sell pot. But what it does do is it affects their working employment pool." She stated that 10 percent of eligible new hires for Amazon are affected by restrictive marijuana laws. The representative also explained that the bill leaves equity provisions up to the states rather than mandating them on a federal level.
After a number of tragic subway incidents, the MTA is facing increased pressure to install subway platform screens to help prevent injury or death. However, according to an earlier report from the MTA, installing these prevented measures isn't feasible. New York City Council Member Keith Powers, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Across the country, states are working to redraw their congressional lines in what is often known as gerrymandering. These news lines are expected to determine the balance of power between Democrats and Republicans within the next decade. Senior Counsel for the Brennan Center's Democracy Program, Michael Li, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
The state of California is officially planning to close its death row in the next two years. That state's governor Democrat Gavin Newsom says the plan is now to move all condemned inmates to other prisons and turn it into, as he calls it, a positive healing environment. Former U. S. Assistant Attorney and Legal Analyst, David Katz, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Anthony Saccaro, Founder and President of Providence Financial, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he elaborates on why he is excited that the market is beginning to rebound and believes February has the potential to be a good month after a turbulent January.
