Presidential candidate Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) joined families of 9/11 victims and first responders Tuesday as she called on the Trump administration and the FBI to release documents that she said could implicate Saudi Arabia for its role in the attacks.
"Eighteen years ago, our nation was attacked by Al-Qaeda," Gabbard said at the 9/11 Tribute Museum in New York City, just blocks from Ground Zero. "We still don't fully know whether or not they were aided by the Saudi government, enabling them to successfully attack our nation."
Gabbard noted that the attacks ultimately lead to her decision to serve in the military, where she still serves as a major in the Army National Guard."I was determined to defeat and destroy the evil that visited us on September 11th."
Now Gabbard plans to re-introduce House Resolution Urging the release of information regarding the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks upon the United States to Congress, originally introduced in 2017, which would release what she calls the, "declassified version that actually speaks to the truth of what led to that attack."
John Feal, a 9/11 first-responder well-known for his efforts to secure the reauthorization of the Victims Compensation Fund (VCF), expressed optimism Tuesday in getting the resolution done: "I guarantee that we will get this done because I do not do anything — anything — that fails," he said.
Yet, President Trump's critics, like Gabbard, are concerned about his relationship with the Saudi Kingdom.
On Monday, the White House noted Trump spoke with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, who "congratulated the President on the United States' successful mission to bring ISIS founder and leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi to justice."
Speaking to reporters on October 16, Trump announced U.S. troops will be sent to Saudi Arabia because the country has been "a very good ally."
Gabbard explained Tuesday, "Families who lost their loved ones want the truth, and they deserve the truth."
When Cheddar asked if she has a message for Trump, Gabbard said, "Stand with the American people that you took the oath to serve, not the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, not Prince Mohammad Bin Salman."
"Stand up and be the leader that he promised to be and honor the great sacrifice of those families and first responders who are gathered here today, the great sacrifice that continues to be made by servicemen and women, by sharing the truth, and standing with the American people," she added.
Just last week, Gabbard announced she would not seek re-election to the House of Representatives in order to focus on her presidential campaign. In a new poll released Tuesday, Gabbard hit 5 percent in New Hampshire, inching her closer to qualifying for the November debates.
Updated October 30, 2019 to refer to the House Resolution by name.
Almost a decade after facing a parent's worst nightmare, the families of the young students killed in the Sandy Hook School shooting reached a settlement with gun manufacturer Remington, makers of the Bushmaster AR-15 used in the crime. David Pucino, deputy chief counsel, Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence joined Cheddar News to discuss the families' case and how its strategy brought about the legal settlement. "They built a really great case showing the way that Bushmaster developed its advertising to drive sales using those toxic messages.
A new analysis reveals that for more than two decades, the West has been the driest it has ever been since 800 A.D. The drought which began in 2000 has brought more devastating wildfires and draining water reserves well below healthy levels. Climate Scientists and Adjunct Associate Research Scientist at Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University,Benjamin Cook, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Inflation remains hot as the January PPI has increased by 1 percent, twice what analysts had been expecting with a jump of 9.7 over the year. Beth Ann Bovino, the U.S. chief economist, for S&P Global Ratings, joined Cheddar News to discuss the rapid pace of inflation alongside higher wages, predicting the Federal Reserve will act quickly and forcefully this year. "They haven't changed their forecast, yet, that's gonna come out soon. But we expect that a March rate hike is basically pretty much baked in the cake," she said. "We think six rate hikes in total for 2022."
For black history month, Cheddar is highlighting black business leaders who are driving the need for representation forward. On February 10, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce hosted an event called 'Developing the Black-Owned Business Ecosystem.' The virtual event was organized under the lobbying group's two initiatives -- the Equality of Opportunity Initiative, and the Coalition to Back Black Businesses. The event highlighted the developments needed to develop more black-owned businesses in the U.S. Dr. Anthony Wilbon, Dean of the School of Business at Howard University, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss his experience as a speaker at the event.
A newly declassified letter by senators Ron Wyden and Martin Heinrich claimed the CIA. has been conducting a Secret Surveillance Program which has been collecting a bulk of data from American citizens. The letter which was written in April of 2021 urges the CIA to come clean about the kind of data it collects and how many Americans have been impacted. According to these two senators, the program did not have the safeguards of congressional oversight.
Art Hogan, Chief Market Strategist at National Securities, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he says investors are taking a wait-and-see approach when it comes to the situation between Russia and the Ukraine and elaborates on the impact higher oil prices stemming from the conflict would have on the market.
Last week, Senators Ron Wyden of Oregon and Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, Democrats on the Senate Intelligence Committee, wrote a a letter airing concerns that the CIA is collecting the data of American citizens without their consent. The lawmakers fear that the program might be exploiting private data. Morgan Wright, the chief security advisor at cybersecurity firm SentinelOne, joined Cheddar News to discuss the ramifications of the letter. "We don't have all the dots in one place to connect them," said Wright, cautioning against jumping to conclusions.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that diplomacy is still possible, while U.S. officials warn that an attack on Ukraine is imminent. Cheddar News speaks with James Astill, Washington bureau chief of The Economist on the latest developments in Eastern Europe.
