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."
The new year has just gotten underway, but the clock is already ticking for the Democratic-led Congress to pass bills regulating big tech. Evan Greer, Director for Fight For the Future, joins Cheddar News to explain why Democratic lawmakers would want to push legislation now, and what a Republican takeover would mean for the industry.
Americans looking to purchase at-home COVID-19 tests will now have to shell out a bit more money after an agreement expired between the White House and companies to sell the tests at cost. The price of Abbot's BinaxNow test kit from October to December was $14 apiece; on Tuesday, Walmart's website listed the test for $19.88, and Kroger listed the tests for $23.99. Carbon Health Regional Clinical Director Dr. Bayo Curry-Winchell joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss the impact higher prices will have as the nation experiences another surge in cases.
After the Chicago teachers union voted to work remotely due to what they say is a lack of safety protocols amid the COVID-19 surge, the school system canceled classes on Wednesday, citing harm that remote learning has done to the city's children. Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, joined Cheddar to discuss the issues surrounding the latest dispute between educators and schools. She said that the return to in-person learning would likely be halted until more COVID tests could be provided for districts. "This is a terrible situation for everybody, and we need the testing, and we need the masks," she said. "It's the omicron surge that has created this disruption, and we are trying to do the best we can. And this is the only school district that has this kind of action right now." The teachers might not be returning to their schools for at least two weeks amid the ongoing tensions.
Illinois State Senator Robert Martwick joins Cheddar News to discuss the new bill he co-sponsored allowing students in the state to take 5 mental health days without a doctor's note.
On Monday, President Biden announced his new plan to take on inflation by taking down the big meat monopolies - turning to the federal government's antitrust authorities to investigate the major meatpackers that control a significant share of the market. The White House plans to devote one billion dollars to aiding independent meat and poultry producers in an effort to undercut the few powerful meat producers that have control of the sector. Austin Frerick, deputy director of Thurman Arnold Project at Yale, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
As the pandemic drags on, so does the widespread great resignation. In November alone, 4.5 million Americans quit their jobs, marking a new record high, and showing a 9 percent jump from the month prior. On the flip side, the number of people filing tax paperwork to start new businesses is surging, with over 430,000 new businesses launching in November. Rhett Buttle, the founder of Public Private Strategies and national business advisor to the Biden for President campaign, joined Wake Up with Cheddar to discuss.
New York Attorney General Letitia James is ramping up a civil investigation into The Trump Organization. The AG's office has subpoenaed Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump Jr. They have refused to comply with the subpoenas. Bradley Moss, national security attorney, joins Cheddar News to discuss the next steps in this investigation.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis has officially reduced the 110-year prison sentence of truck driver Rogel Aguilera-Mederos to 10 years, calling the initial lengthy sentence “unjust.” Dan Gilleon, constitutional attorney at Gilleon Law Firm APC, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Former Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams was sworn in as the newest Mayor of New York City. Adams is now expected to work on a number of issues such as crime and coronavirus. Erin Durkin,, reporter at PoliticoNY, joins Cheddar News to discuss more.
