*By Alisha Haridasani*
It was perhaps the speediest resignation of a public official accused of misconduct since the start of the #MeToo movement. Only hours after The New Yorker magazine published an article in which four women accused him of physical abuse, Eric Schneiderman resigned as New York State attorney general.
Two of the women, Michelle Manning Barish and Tanya Selvaratnam, told [The New Yorker](https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/four-women-accuse-new-yorks-attorney-general-of-physical-abuse) that while they were in a relationship with Schneiderman, he hit them without their consent and threatened to kill them if they broke up with him. Two other women, who wanted to remain anonymous in the article, said similar things.
After the article was published, but before he resigned, Schneiderman denied the allegations.
He said in a statement: “In the privacy of intimate relationships, I have engaged in role-playing and other consensual sexual activity. I have not assaulted anyone. I have never engaged in nonconsensual sex, which is a line I would not cross.”
The response to the allegations in the article ー especially among other Democratic state officials ー was swift: Gov. Andrew Cuomo and U.S. Sen. Kristin Gillibrand called on Schneiderman to resign.
“While these allegations are unrelated to my professional conduct or the operations of the office, they will effectively prevent me from leading the office’s work at this crucial time,” Schneiderman, 63, said in an [official statement](https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/statement-attorney-general-eric-t-schneiderman).
As New York’s top law enforcement officer, Schneiderman played a prominent role in the #MeToo movement by pursuing accusations against other men accused of inappropriate and possibly illegal behavior. He [filed a lawsuit](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/11/business/media/harvey-weinstein-company-sale.html) earlier this year against the company run by the former Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein for gender discrimination and sexual harassment. He had described Weinstein’s alleged behavior as “despicable.”
The Manhattan District Attorney’s office said it opened an investigation into the allegations against Schneiderman, and a joint session of the State Assembly and Senate will select his replacement as attorney general.
President Biden and Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell meet at the White House today for the first time since Powell's renomination to the position. The President and the Fed Chair discussed the economy and historically high inflation, as new data shows inflation may be cooling slightly. Morning Consult economic analyst Jesse Wheeler joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss how the Biden administration at the U.S. central bank can work together to combat soaring prices for American consumers.
In the second part of Cheddar's talk with Governor Asa Hutchinson, the Republican from Arkansas discussed his state's abortion trigger law and the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the Texas law that would prevent social media platform moderation currently being held up by the U.S. Supreme Court, and rumors of his 2024 presidential run. "I did go to New Hampshire. I am testing the waters out there, so no decision at this point. But we're looking at it," he said, noting that if former President Donald Trump runs, it would not affect his own decision.
Cheddar Politics looks at the ongoing efforts to pass meaningful gun safety laws in both Chambers of Congress following multiple mass shootings. Lisa Hagen, senior political reporter for U.S. News and World Report, helps break down why Senators are hopeful that a modest bipartisan gun safety package might be able to overcome a filibuster.
Join Cheddar News as we break down the top headlines this morning including updates on the Tulsa medical center shooting, Johnny Depp V. Amber Heard verdict, and Democrats push for gun control reform.
After two subway shootings in two months and the more recent mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas, and Buffalo, New York, Mayor Eric Adams is calling for gun detection scanners to be installed in New York City subways. The tech would be similar to that used in sporting arenas, however, experts note multiple difficulties with such a setup including the need for nearby human operators.
Catching you up on what you need to know on Wednesday, June 1, 2022, House lawmakers hold an emergency hearing on gun control measures in the wake of the Uvalde shooting, the Supreme Court temporarily blocks Texas' law stopping social media moderation, and the James Webb Space Telescope gets a new mission.
With the baby formula in the United States surging to an out-of-stock rate of 70 percent, the FDA has given Abbott permission to reopen its Michigan plant amid the crisis and authorized foreign imports. Professor Peter Pitts, a former FDA associate commissioner and current president of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest, joined Cheddar News to discuss the ongoing shortage and its wide impact. “As difficult as things is in urban areas, they’re even worse in small communities and tribal areas where parents can't just go to the next store on the corner," he said. Pitts also noted that the Abbott factory was a "disaster" prior to its shutdown and that it would have been "regulatory malpractice" to have left it open.
Cheddar's Megan Pratz reports from the ground in Uvalde, Texas where the community's grief and frustration with lawmakers and police officers grows as more details emerge.
