*By Carlo Versano*
The president's denying the deaths of an estimated 3,000 Americans from a hurricane ー just as millions more seek shelter from another storm ー hasn't sat well, even with members of his own party.
Republicans running in competitive races in Florida found themselves rebuking Donald Trump's false claim Thursday that Puerto Rico's death toll from Hurricane Maria was fabricated by Democrats to make the president look bad.
There are major implications for the party, said GOP consultant Rick Wilson, author of "Everything Trump Touches Dies".
Trump "just put a bullet in Rick Scott's Senate campaign," he said Thursday in an interview on Cheddar.
Scott, the Florida Governor now vying for Democratic incumbent Sen. Bill Nelson's seat, wasted no time distancing himself from Trump on this issue, [tweeting](https://twitter.com/ScottforFlorida/status/1040265322270474242) on Thursday, "I disagree with @POTUS," adding that he's seen the devastation first hand.
Meanwhile, Ron DeSantis, Florida's Republican nominee for Governor and one of the most unabashedly pro-Trump candidates in the country ー he recently ran an [ad](https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2018/07/31/ron-desantis-campaign-ad-florida-candidate-orig-mss.cnn) showing him reading "The Art of the Deal" to his infant son ー released a [statement](https://twitter.com/CHeathWFTV/status/1040256381801123840) saying he “doesn’t believe any loss of life has been inflated.”
Florida is home to thousands of Maria evacuees and a large Puerto Rican population that might take issue with the president insisting their friends and relatives didn't actually die, said Wilson.
Trump's inability to project empathy ー whether it's for storm victims or a Senator he disagrees with ー is one issue behind the latest erosion in his poll numbers and an "ever shrinking base," Wilson added.
Indeed, Thursday's comments, which FiveThirtyEight's Nate Silver unequivocally [called] (https://twitter.com/NateSilver538/status/1040246573689659392?s=20) "the worst thing he's ever tweeted," appears to be a bridge too far to cross for even some of Trump's most ardent backers ー two months before a crucial election, at that.
Projecting empathy and leadership ahead of a hurricane "is a lay-up," Wilson said.
"You can never rely on Donald Trump to get out of his own way."
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/president-trump-stirs-up-storm-with-controversial-hurricane-comments).
On a live broadcast, an employee on a Russian state news television channel held up a sign protesting propaganda about the war in Ukraine. Ruslan Deynychenko, executive director of the Ukrainian fact-checking organization StopFake, joined Cheddar News to discuss what he called the misinformation spread to the Russian people about the invasion. "They are not about informing people they are about brainwashing people," he said. "Russian government uses their media as an instrument, as a tool, of their foreign policy."
Student loan payments for millions of borrowers are set to resume on May 1st. However, signals from the Department of Education show that the date may be pushed back. Once again, it's been pushed back a few times. Initially, the Biden Administration stated loan payments would resume as the economy continues to show signs of recovery. Student Loan Expert and Author of "How to Appeal for More College Financial Aid", Mark Kantrowitz, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Tim Davis, Partner and Executive Managing Director at Steward Partners, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he discusses what activity we could expect to see from the crypto market this week as the Fed decision approaches, the prices of Bitcoin and Ether struggle to find a spark, and the industry continues to digest President Biden's executive order on crypto.
Russia may be asking China for help with its war in Ukraine, according to several reports citing unnamed U.S. officials. Russia is reportedly calling on its ally for military and economic assistance, in an attempt to avoid punishment from sanctions imposed by the U.S., Europe, and Asia, which have hammered Russia's economy. Chinese and Russian officials denied the reports. Meanwhile, top U.S. and Chinese officials are meeting today, with both countries confirming the conflict in Ukraine will be the meeting's main topic. Edward Wong, diplomatic correspondent for the New York Times, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
A Ukrainian drone company is using its technology to help defend its home nation during the ongoing war with Russia. Valerii Iakovenko, co-founder and CEO of DroneUA, joined Cheddar News to discuss its efforts to help against the invasion. "These drones can be used to do strikes more precise and even cheap drones, even simple technologies can help to make a defensive possibilities more precise," he said.
Following the Texas Supreme Court's decision to end further challenges against the latest abortion restrictions, Texas saw a 60 percent decrease in abortions performed in the state — with an exodus of patients seeking care in other parts of the country. President, and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Alexis McGill Johnson, joined Cheddar News at South by Southwest 2022 to discuss the impact of the court's ruling on reproductive health care in the Lone Star State and beyond.
Damian Mason, farm owner, agricultural economist and author of "Food Fear" joined Cheddar News to talk about how the Russian invasion of Ukraine is putting pressure on commodities, which could lead to a 20 percent price hike according to the United Nations. “Russia and Ukraine are responsible for about 35 percent of exports, 35 percent of grain exports, specifically wheat,” said Mason. He also added, "You've got Russia saying, 'we're going to hoard and hold back our wheat,' which of course crimps global supply, and you've got Ukraine that maybe won't even get harvested."
In order to qualify for one of the coveted first retail licenses in New York's adult-use cannabis program, you'll have to have a conviction on cannabis-related charges or have an immediate family member who does. It's part of the latest effort by New York lawmakers to create a diverse and inclusive industry — but some advocates still have reservations. Amber Littlejohn, the executive director of the Minority Cannabis Business Association, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss. "We definitely applaud the state of new york, but ultimately the devil will be in the details as to whether or not this actually works out to create equity in the cannabis industry," she said.
