Amid mixed messages from the White House on the approval process for a possible coronavirus vaccine, Surgeon General of the United States Jerome Adams addressed those who may be skeptical of what some see as a politicization of science.
"You should have trust in the process if you don't have trust in the politics and the people," Adams told Cheddar. "I promise you this vaccine, when it gets across the finish line, will be safe, will be effective, and I will be in line to get it when they tell me that I can."
The surgeon general noted that he was aware of the long history of medical malpractice that has disproportionately impacted people of color, but stressed that safety mechanisms and oversight boards have since been put in place to protect people.
As the Trump administration consults with scientists who support the controversial "herd immunity" approach, Adams also pushed back against the idea that this would mean "letting everyone go out and get sick" but instead would be best achieved by securing a vaccine as quickly as possible.
"I talked to [Dr. Anthony] Fauci last night, and we still expect one by the end of this year or beginning of next year," he said.
In the meantime, Adams is rolling out a new guidance on hypertension, which is one of several preconditions that increase the chances of death from coronavirus.
"If you have high blood pressure, it puts you at higher risk for cardiovascular disease, for stroke, which we know puts you at higher risk for complications and death from COVID," he said.
"People can't be expected to do this alone," he said. "We need to provide the community supports because people don't just have pre-existing medical conditions. They have pre-existing social conditions: lack of access to transportation, lack of a good-paying job, lack of child care. All of these things conspire to reduce our resilience, and we need to give more people the opportunity to make a healthy choice."
In light of the president's own COVID diagnosis, however, Adams made a general plea for all Americans to take basic preventive measures seriously such as wearing a mask, washing your hands, and social distancing.
"What I want people to understand is that COVID is contagious," he said. "It's very contagious, doesn't matter if you're Democrat or Republican, black or white, rich or poor, or where you live. You can still get it, and you can still die from it."
As the Omicron variant continues to sweep across the country. The US Supreme Court is expected to hear arguments at the end of this week on whether or not the Biden administration can force private companies to vaccinate or test millions of their employees. In addition, the National Nurses United has spearheaded legal action to protect nurses and health care workers, patients, and the public while on the job. President of the National Nurses Union, Zenei Cortez, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Far too often, Americans are forced to navigate a tangled web of outdated government websites, offices way out of their reach, and hours of time 'on hold' to access the simple government services they depend on. A recent executive order, signed by President Biden, is intended to improve, streamline and modernize the 'customer' experience when accessing government services. Mina Hsiang, the administrator of the United States Digital Service, joins Cheddar News to discuss how the tech workforce is impacted by this executive order.
Today marks one year since the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol. The Country watched as supporters of then-President Trump stormed what was assumed to be the most secure building in the country in an attempt to stop the certification of the 2020 Election. Several lawmakers, including the Vice President, could be seen ducking down as they feared for their lives. Democratic Michigan Representative Dan Kildee, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Stocks closed lower on Friday as investors continue to worry over rate hikes. John Lynch, CIO of Comerica Wealth Management, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he says value is back in play with investors. Lynch also believes the market has overreacted to the latest Fed minutes, suggesting a bounce-back at some point.
Ben Armstrong, founder of Bitboy Crypto, joins Cheddar News to discuss Bitcoin's downward trend and what's next for crypto after protests in Kazakhstan cause crypto miners to shut down.
Washington, D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine joins Cheddar Politics to discuss his lawsuit against the extremist groups Proud Boys and Oath Keepers over their role in the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Josh Pasek, a professor at the University of Michigan and expert on political communication and misinformation, joins Cheddar News to discuss how political radicalization happens and how America got to this point.
Kyle Kondik, managing editor at Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics, joins Cheddar News to discuss what to expect at the 2022 midterm elections.
Katie Barlow, media editor at SCOTUSblog, joins Cheddar Politics to reflect on what happened at the Supreme Court in 2021 and what may be in store for 2022.
Gerren Keith Gaynor, managing editor of politics and Washington correspondent at The Grio, joins Cheddar Politics to discuss the progress President Biden made on his policy agenda in 2021, and what remains to be done in 2022.
