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.
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.
