Sen. Coons: Kavanaugh's Testimony Raises Questions About Nominee's Fitness
*By Carlo Versano*
With the clock ticking on a deadline for the FBI to wrap up its investigation into sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, the Senators who asked for it still don't have an idea of what to expect.
"I don't yet know the scale and scope of the investigation," said. Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE), a member of the judiciary committee who worked with Republican Sen. Jeff Flake in dramatic fashion on a compromise that led to the FBI reopening its background investigation.
Speaking to Cheddar, Coons said that regardless of the outcome of Kavanaugh's confirmation, the fact that the nomination wasn't voted on immediately following last week's emotional testimony would end up being a good thing for the country.
"I think my friend Jeff Flake did something really positive," Coons said. "He got us to hit the pause button for a week."
"It's got to help the country that we're trying to work for more shared facts," the Senator added.
Investigators are under extreme pressure from Republicans to deliver a report in time for a vote on Friday, a deadline Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has demanded. Sources told Cheddar's J.D. Durkin that a report is likely to be delivered to senators Thursday.
CNN reported late Tuesday that the FBI has actually widened the scope of its investigation, adding a specific party from Kavanaugh's calendar to its inquiry.
Sen. Angus King (I-ME) told Cheddar that, even if Kavanuagh is confirmed to the high court, the nominee has revealed himself to be so partisan that it will be difficult for the judge to impartially decide certain cases. King alluded to a portion of Kavanaugh's testimony in which he blamed the allegations against him on a Democratic witch hunt. The Senator called that moment "very disturbing."
"I don't see how he can sit on a case involving partisan gerrymandering, for example," King said.
Meanwhile, President Trump shed all his prior restraint on the topic of Kavanaugh's first accuser, Prof. Christine Blasey Ford. Days after saying he found her to be a "credible witness" and a "very fine woman, he mocked and questioned Ford's testimony at a rally in Mississippi on Tuesday night to roaring applause from the audience. Earlier in the day, Trump also expressed concern that the #MeToo movement had made it "a very scary time for young men in America."
Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ), a key swing vote in the Kavanaugh confirmation process, said on NBC's "Today" show he found Trump's comments "kind of appalling."
Michael Avenatti, the attorney representing adult film star Stormy Daniels, says he's fighting to keep the case out in the open and will renew a motion to depose both the president and his lawyer, Michael Cohen.
The governor of Colorado, a state where marijuana is legal, told Cheddar the federal government's negative stance against cannabis has created uncertainty in the space. Gov. Hickenlooper says not only is that "bad for business," but also makes it hard for states to maintain a good relationship with Washington.
Stringer wants Facebook to bring in more independent directors and experts on data protection to provide more oversight at the company. As the comptroller, Stringer manages the city's public pension funds, which have close to $1 billion invested in Facebook.
Jennifer Palmieri, former director of communications for Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign, says women have to face the question of female ambition and motivation. "That's different than the questions people have for male candidates," she told Cheddar Monday.
The California billionaire says he isn't thinking that far ahead and is just focused on his "Need to Impeach" campaign going into the midterm elections in November.
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/the-man-behind-the-need-to-impeach-campaign).
The California billionaire says Trump "is a lawless president," which is why he's focusing his efforts on a "Need to Impeach" campaign. So far, more than 5 million people signed on, which Steyer says will add pressure on lawmakers to take the drastic step.
President Trump called out Amazon in an early morning tweet Thursday, saying he's concerned the company pays "little or no taxes." This follows reports that the president wants to go after Amazon. Immediately following these reports, Amazon stock tanked, losing billions of dollars in market cap. This is not the first time Trump has attacked Amazon.
Facebook is making changes to its data-sharing practices in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The social media company announced late Wednesday that it would stop sharing user information with third-party data firms. This strategy has been at the core of Facebook's business for the past few years.
Bryan Cranston, star of the hit show "Breaking Bad," joins us to talk about this new project. He's the co-creator of "The Dangerous Book for Boys," a new TV series which will stream on Amazon Prime. Fans won't see him on camera, but they will see actress Erinn Hayes. Cranston and Hayes tell us what to expect from the family-friendly show. It premieres on Amazon this Friday, March 30th.
Facebook is making changes to its data-sharing practices in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The social media company announced late Wednesday that it would stop sharing user information with third-party data firms.
President Trump called out Amazon in an early morning tweet today, saying he's concerned the company pays "little or no taxes." This follows reports that the president wanted to go after Amazon.
Comedian Anthony Atamanuik guesses whether the president has taken to Twitter to discuss sandwiches and nipples. Atamanuik impersonates Trump for Comedy Central's "The President's Show."
The Congressman favors gun control rather than a full-blown repeal of the Constitutional Amendment, including controls on semi-automatic weapons and bump stocks. Early Tuesday, John Paul Stevens, a former Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, published an op-ed calling for a repeal of the Amendment.
