Bread for the World's Heather Taylor discusses hunger and food insecurity in the U.S. amid the COVID-19 pandemic and RealClear Education's Nathan Harden discusses the publication's recent 2020 College Free Speech Rankings.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell talked about the coronavirus vaccine, which he and other lawmakers received yesterday, and expressed hope for successful negotiations for relief aid.
Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer spoke about the COVID aid package, and the Democratic priorities in the bill, especially GOP provisions regarding the Federal Reserve. He says the "Toomey Provision" on the FED is the only item standing in the way of an agreement.
Top executives of Purdue Pharma, a U.S. pharmaceutical company that makes OxyContin, testified about their role in the opioid epidemic at a virtual House Oversight Committee hearing. The company recently pleaded guilty to criminal charges as part of a settlement with the Justice Department. Witnesses included Purdue Pharma CEO Dr. Craig Landau along with two of the company's owners, David and Kathe Sackler.
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee held a hearing on election security and administration issues. Witnesses included former Solicitor General Ken Starr, U.S. Election Assistance Commissioner Donald Palmer (R), several Trump campaign attorneys and Christopher Krebs, the former director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Mr. Krebs told committee members the 2020 election was the most secure in U.S. history. In addition, Mr. Krebs said, "I think that continued assaults on democracy and the outcome of this election that only serves to undermine confidence in the process is ultimately, as you both have said, ultimately corrosive to the institutions that support elections."
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine (R) held a virtual briefing following his meeting with state health officials and Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams who was in Columbus. Both answered a range of questions on combating misinformation about the vaccine, concerns over allergic reactions and distribution of the Pfizer and recently FDA-approved Moderna vaccines. Gov. DeWine also announced that the waiver to allow the Ohio National Guard to administer vaccines to the general public was approved and warned the public about large gatherings during the holiday season.
Flagler College professor Michael Butler taught a class about music in the post-civil rights era, highlighting artists such as James Brown, Marvin Gaye and George Clinton. He described how in the 1970s African American artists in genres such as funk and soul emphasized a black cultural identity in their music. Flagler College provided this video.
Economics professor David Rose argued that moral beliefs and culture are essential to a thriving civil society. This virtual program was hosted by the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C.
Eddie Glaude, chair of the African American Studies program at Princeton University, talked about race and politics in America as well as the relevance of the late author James Baldwin in the age of Black Lives Matter. He also took viewer questions. Prof. Glaude's books include "Exodus!," "Democracy in Black," and "Begin Again: James Baldwin's America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own," published this summer.
Norwegian-born author Unni Turrettini took a critical look at the history of the Nobel Peace Prize and specifically its election committee. This was a virtual event hosted by Literati Bookstore in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Dan Blumenthal, Asian Studies director at the American Enterprise Institute, talked about China's ambition to replace the United States as the world's leading power. This virtual event was hosted by the American Enterprise Institute.
Mychal Denzel Smith ("Stakes is High") and Issac Bailey ("Why Didn't We Riot") offered their thoughts on the results and the future impact of the 2020 election. This virtual program was part of the 2020 Texas Book Festival.
Ellis Cose ("Democracy, If We Can Keep It") and Kimberly Hamlin ("Free Thinker") discussed their respective books on the ACLU and the 19th Amendment. This virtual program was part of the 2020 Texas Book Festival.
Jon Lindsay, professor at the University of Toronto, discussed whether technological advances in military technology are helping or hindering our soldiers in combat. This virtual event was hosted by the Cato Institute.
