Sen Al Franken Resigns as RNC and Trump Get Behind Roy Moore
Alex Merced, candidate for Vice Chair of the Libertarian National Committee, and Jason Howerton, Senior Editor at the Independent Journal Review, weigh in on the differences between the Democrats' response to allegations of sexual misconduct against Al Franken, and the GOP response to Roy Moore.
Franken resigned Thursday, just days after President Trump and the RNC got behind Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore, who's been accused of child molestation. Franken's resignation comes after eight women accused him of, among other things, "forcible kissing" and groping. An ethics investigation into these allegations had not yet concluded.
Merced adds that the amount of time between denouncement and firing of men in the public sector is shrinking. Howerton notes the change in the culture, adding that he believes dozens more congressmen may still resign adding, "the floodgates are wide open."
Catching you up on the stories you need to know this morning, the U.S. could soon get its first major gun safety law in years, the House Select Committee investigating the January 6th attack on the U.S. capitol holds its second hearing, and today might just be the day the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, and decides on new gun laws.
U.S. stocks closed Thursday at their lowest levels of the trading day, as investors continue to eye inflation ahead of the May CPI report out Friday. Art Hogan, Chief Market Strategist for National Holdings, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
The PGA has suspended 17 golfers, including Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson, who are competing in a Saudi-backed golf event outside of London. In a memo, commissioner Jay Monahan said "these players have made their choice for their own financial-based reasons", announcing they are ineligible to participate on the PGA tour or any other tours it sanctions. Hugh Kellenberger, Senior Managing Editor at the Athletic, breaks down the controversy, and what might happen next.
U.S. stocks closed Friday at session lows after May CPI data showed inflation in the U.S. has not peaked and is still rising rapidly. For the week, the S&P fell 5.06%, the Dow lost 4.58%, and the Nasdaq dropped 5.60%, marking the worst week since January for all three major indexes. Mike Zigmont, Head of Trading and Research at Harvest Volatility Management, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Benefits brokerage, Nava Benefits, raised $40 million in a Series B round. Nava says it's on a mission to fix healthcare, one benefits plan at a time. The startup is working to bring benefits to small business that are normally available to only Fortune 500 companies. Brandon Weber, Co-Founder and CEO of Nava Benefits, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.