Members of the American public and lawmakers alike are demanding action after the unprecedented attack on the U.S. Capitol Wednesday that forced members of Congress into lockdown and delayed the counting of Electoral College votes. Congressman Seth Moulton (D-Mass. - 6th District) is among several lawmakers, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.- 12th District), calling for the removal of President Donald Trump from office for inciting the chaos that unfolded on Capitol Hill.
"What President Trump did was not only illegal, it was anti-democratic. It was un-American, and we need to show future generations of Americans and future presidents that they can't get away with this," Moulton told Cheddar.
For Moulton, the president is just one of several people culpable for fanning the flames of aggression that led to yesterday's attack on Congress. Though the congressman considers many of his GOP counterparts friends, he said, "they have blood on their hands" and should also be held accountable.
"At the end of the day, the domestic terrorists — and that's what they were, domestic terrorists, not protesters but domestic terrorists — who attacked our government outside the Capitol, breaking in and breaching the U.S. Capitol for the first time since the British in the War of 1812, those domestic terrorists outside the Capitol were supported and inspired by the lawless Republican lawmakers inside the Capitol who refused to respect the will of the American people," he said.
The Marine veteran who served as an infantry officer said two law enforcement breakdowns led to Wednesday's display: a lack of backup support for officers and a lack of competence displayed by members of the Capitol Police. "There are over 2,000 Capitol Police and yet, yesterday we saw them literally open barricades in some places for these protesters, taking selfies with these protesters, and fundamentally allowing them to overrun the Capitol," Moulton said.
While DC's National Guard will be mobilized for the next 30 days, Moulton said the president's refusal to activate the troops while the chaos was unfolding exposes a larger issue in the matter of the District of Columbia's lack of statehood.
"The president had no problem calling out the National Guard to put down peaceful protests this summer over Black Lives Matter but he did not want the National Guard called out against his own supporters," he said.
Though there are just under two weeks left of Trump's presidency, Moulton said impeaching the president has to be on the table to show that no one, not even the president, is above the law.
"Yesterday, he clearly broke the law, and he fundamentally violated his oath of office, which is to protect us Americans from all enemies, foreign and domestic," he added.
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse joined Cheddar to discuss the latest push to get rid of Daylight Savings Time. A practice where several say can cause havoc on one's sleeping schedule and cause disruptions to our economy.
The past decade or so has been a has seen massive change-- usually good-- for the LGBTQ+ community. Same-sex marriage has seen broader acceptance, and there's been increased conversation about the reality of gender identity. Now, folks who don't identify as male or female can travel while staying true to their more authentic self.
The Biden administration has issued the first passport with a gender-neutral designation "X." the passport was issued to Dana Zzyym, an intersex activist from Colorado, after a long legal battle with the state department in which Zzyym argued they shouldn't be required to lie about their identity on their passport. Advocates for such changes have applauded the move, saying it will allow people who don't identify as male or female to travel the globe in a more safe and visible way.
Paul Castillo, counsel at Lambda Legal and Zzyym's attorney in this case, joins None of the Above to discuss.
The Biden Administration has announced its latest plans to support veterans who had been exposed to toxic chemicals from burn pits. According to several veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, a number of them were exposed to hour-long periods of burn pits. As a result, many of them say they have suffered from severe life-long side effects. Co-founder at Burn Pits 360 Le Roy Torres, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Ballots have been sent to workers at three different Starbucks locations in Buffalo, NY to decide whether they will unionize for the first time ever. Wilma Liebman, former Chair of the National Labor Relations Board and Michelle Eisen from the Starbucks Workers United Organization, which is behind this vote, joined Cheddar to discuss.
The parent company of North Face, Vans and Supreme, VF Corp, released its fourth annual "Made for Change" sustainability and responsibility report. It details the company's ongoing efforts to tackle social and climate related issues. This comes as climate experts continue to warn about the dangers of fast fashion and its impact on global CO2 emissions. Sean Cady, Vice President of Global Sustainability, Responsibility and Trade at VF Corporation, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
A jam-packed Freitag pod with Carlo and Baker: new Covid hotspots, Kyle Rittenhouse trial, Belarus making trouble for Europe, red-hot housing market, and how to manage a PR crisis the right way.
Damian Mason, a farm owner, Agricultural Economist and Author of 'Food Fear,' joined Cheddar to discuss the rising prices of food as we approach the holiday season.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, turned heads on Tuesday when it announced it will block some ad-targeting, specifically those of a political and religious nature.
This is one of the most direct moves the company has made in order to minimize ad-targeting by advertisers on its platforms. Hastie Afkhami, Head of Digital at S-3 Group, joins Cheddar News to discuss the impact of this move.
