Zephyr Teachout: New York Politics Is on the Verge Of Big Change
*By Christian Smith*
Zephyr Teachout isn't scared of bringing cases against Donald Trump. And if elected New York Attorney General this fall, she'll be "pretty damn aggressive" in handling the President and his organization.
"New York Attorney General is the single most important legal office in the country for taking on Donald Trump's business interests and his foundation interests," Teachout said Monday during an interview on Cheddar.
Teachout is one of four candidates for the Democratic nomination for New York Attorney General. Her campaign is focused on filtering out corruption in New York politicsーwhich she traces, in part, back to the state's real estate industry and the Trump Organization.
Teachout was a member of the team of lawyers who brought the first emoluments lawsuit against Donald Trump just three days after he was elected president in 2016. The lawsuit alleged that Trump violated the U.S. Constitution by accepting money from foreign governments while in federal office. The lawsuit, still pending, is under appeal within the Southern District of New York.
Before announcing her candidacy for Attorney General, Teachout was the treasurer of Cynthia Nixon's gubernatorial campaign. She left her position to run for office when former Attorney General Eric Schneiderman resigned amid accusations of physical abuse by [four women](https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/four-women-accuse-new-yorks-attorney-general-of-physical-abuse).
Teachout is no stranger to New York state elections: she challenged Andrew Cuomo in the 2014 governor's race, earning 34 percent of the vote. The campaign put Teachout's name on the map in New York state politicsーattention she hopes will yield electoral success when voters head to the polls for the primaries.
Primary elections for New York's state and local races take place Tuesday, September 13.
For the full segment, [click here.](https://cheddar.com/videos/how-zephyr-teachout-plans-to-take-on-corruption-if-elected-new-york-attorney-general)
Following the invasion of Ukraine, a multitude of Western companies have paused doing business with Russia. PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, McDonald's, and Starbucks are the most recent companies to temporarily cease operations in Russia. Dean of Miami Herbert Business School at the University of Miami, John Quelch, joined Cheddar News to discuss what message this sends to Russia and the Russian consumer. “I would not underestimate the collective strength of all of these multinational companies, essentially coming together to make their collective statement in support of the political statements that have come out of Washington," he said.
The war in Ukraine continues to reveal heartbreaking gut-wrenching stories. The war in itself is not only devastating but also expensive. Experts estimate that Russia is draining nearly $20 million dollars each day to continue occupying and invading Ukraine. All this could force the country to turn to cryptocurrencies. It's a major turn for the country that briefly considered outlined digital assets entirely, but it could also have serious implications for cryptos. Managing Director at Quantum Fintech Group, Harry Yeh, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
President Biden announced a ban on Russian oil and natural gas imports to the U.S. in response to its invasion of Ukraine, a move he warned could lead to an even greater surge in gas prices. The ban is prompting a conversation about the current oil production levels in the U.S. and whether or not the industry can ramp up production to soften the blow to American families at the gas pump. Clark Williams-Derry, Energy Finance Analyst with the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, breaks down the state of the U.S. oil industry and how the ban might impact production levels here at home.
PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, and Starbucks are the latest American food brands to have halted business operations in Russia after having faced scrutiny and criticism for originally failing to do so amid the country's invasion of Ukraine.
As Russia intensifies its war on Ukraine, President Biden announced a ban on oil imported from the aggressor nation. Critics of Russia have said this would be the best way to force Putin to pull back, but curbs on Russian oil exports are expected to send already skyrocketing oil and gas prices even higher, further impacting consumers, businesses, financial markets, and the global economy. Leslie Beyer, CEO of the Energy Workforce and Technology Council, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss. "It's certainly going to increase pricing, but it is the right thing to do," she said. "The industry itself has already pulled out of the significant portion of its operations in Russia."
Sports Betting in the U.S. is booming. According to industry experts, we could see another boom this year as more states move towards statewide legalization of sports wagering. While this comes as huge news for fans, there are some very real concerns as to whether or not sports betting potentially poses a threat to public health. Senior Clinician at the Caron Treatment Centers, Eric Webber, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
The Biden administration has made gender policy a core part of how it governs. The president established the first Gender Policy Council. It's on the same level as the National Security Council, Domestic Policy Council and National Economic Council, putting the interests of women and other underserved groups at the table for the most important policy discussions.
Cheddar News sat down with Jennifer Klein, executive director and co-chair of the White House Gender Policy Council, to discuss the council's work and its significance during Women's History Month.
State Representative Jessica González, Vice Chair of the Texas House LGBTQ Caucus, joins Cheddar News to discuss the latest Texas anti-transgender directive.
The United States Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack joins None of the Above to discuss the newly emerging conflict in Europe, what it means for agriculture in the states, dairy and meat consumption, and how the department is planning to promote climate-smart agriculture.