House Speaker Nancy Pelosi repeated a phrase throughout her update this morning on the latest federal response to the coronavirus: "Testing, testing, testing."
The speaker said testing is "so very important, to take inventory, to understand the epidemiological spread of the virus, and also to meet the needs of the people affected."
She confirmed that Democrats and Republicans are working closely to pass a bill today that would provide additional protections, and free testing, following an $8.3 billion aid package last week. "No one will say I can't afford it," she said.
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act would ensure free coronavirus testing, paid emergency sick leave, expanded unemployment insurance, increased protections for health care workers on the frontline, and food security initiative for children while schools are closed.
The bill is currently being debated in the House, but the clock is ticking as lawmakers consider whether they should leave the capital out of an abundance of caution.
When asked if House Democrats would stick around if a deal was not made within the next two days, Pelosi insisted lawmakers would get it done.
"We don't need 48 hours. We need to make a decision to help families now," she said.
"If people have to stay home, we have to stay home, but we don't want people to panic," Pelosi added but held off from outlining further plans to address the virus.
"We're here to pass a bill. When we pass a bill, we'll make a judgment about what comes next," she said.
As an addendum to her update on the coronavirus response, the speaker chimed in on the Democratic primary race.
"In case you were going to ask, no, I don't think Bernie Sanders should get out of the race. I'm a grassroots person. I'm chair of the California Democratic Party. I know the enthusiasm of supporters of candidates, and they want to see it play out."
Sophia Amoruso, founder and former CEO of Nasty Gal, sat down with Cheddar and talked about her approach to business and how she wants to empower other women to take risks in their professional lives. Her newest venture, Girlboss, curates information and resources for women about careers, money, and wellness.
Cheddar's J.D. Durkin videotaped the scene as a pair of sexual assault survivors angrily confronted Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) in a Senate elevator after he indicated he would vote yes to confirm Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.
Shares of the EV maker fell by more than 14 percent, their biggest one-day drop since January 2012. The sell-off was prompted by Thursday's fraud charges filed by the SEC against CEO Elon Musk.
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Shares of Tesla dropped after hours Thursday after the Securities and Exchange Commission filed a [lawsuit] (https://www.scribd.com/document/389617044/SEC-vs-MUSK#from_embed) against CEO Elon Musk in federal court, alleging that the billionaire founder committed securities fraud when he tweeted about taking the company private with "funding secured" on Aug. 7. In the complaint, the SEC seeks to bar Musk from being an officer of a public company.
Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh was both furious and emotional in testimony Thursday afternoon in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee. He emphatically denied the sexual assault accusations against him, which were detailed from the same chair by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford earlier in the day.
"My family and my name have been totally and permanently destroyed," Kavanaugh said.
Rep. Nita Lowey played a key role in the Anita Hill hearings in 1991 when then-Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas was accused of sexual harassment. On Thursday, Lowey was present for Christine Blasey Ford's testimony about current nominee Brett Kavanaugh's alleged sexual assault and spoke of the differences between the two eras.
Prof. Christine Blasey Ford spoke to the Senate Judiciary Committee about her memories from the night of her alleged assault. She said the memory that has stuck with her the most is the laughter from Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and Mark Judge as Kavanaugh was on top of her.
On Thursday morning Prof. Christine Blasey Ford appeared in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee to testify on her alleged sexual assault by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
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