RINGSIDE POLITICS – APRIL 28, 2021

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Welcome to another edition of Ringside Politics with Jeff Crouere

Today’s Hot Topics:

1)  The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday issued new guidance on outdoor mask use for fully vaccinated Americans.

If you’re fully vaccinated, the CDC says you can now take your mask off at small outdoor gatherings, or when dining outside with friends from multiple households. The CDC is telling unvaccinated people that they still need to wear a mask at such gatherings.

“If you are fully vaccinated and want to attend a small outdoor gathering with people who are vaccinated and unvaccinated, or dine at an outdoor restaurant with friends from multiple households, the science shows if you are vaccinated, you can do so safely unmasked,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said during a virtual White House briefing on Tuesday.

“Generally, for vaccinated people, outdoor activities without a mask are safe. However, we continue to recommend masking in crowded outdoor settings and venues, such as packed stadiums and concerts where there is decreased ability to maintain physical distance and where many unvaccinated people may also be present,” Walensky said. “We will continue to recommend this until widespread vaccination is achieved.”

2) As the Seattle Police Department continues to lose officers a debate is building over what to do with the savings from those open positions.

While some community members would welcome a smaller police force, new data points to longer waits when people call 911 for help. There are also mounting public safety concerns if the police department keeps shrinking.

In the first three months of this year, 58 officers left the Seattle Police Department. The resignations, which are also known as separations, continue a trend that has led to some 200 departures in the past 18 months. Interim Police Chief Adrian Diaz calls it a crisis.

“We are struggling to making sure that we are responding to all the calls for service,” Diaz said.

3) Besieged by sexual harassment allegations, a somber New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo apologized Wednesday, saying he “learned an important lesson” about his own behavior around women, but he said he intended to remain in office.

“I now understand that I acted in a way that made people feel uncomfortable,” Cuomo said at a Wednesday press conference. “It was unintentional and I truly and deeply apologize for it.”

Cuomo said he will “fully cooperate” with the state attorney general’s investigation into sexual harassment allegations. Attorney General Letitia James is in the process of selecting an outside law firm to conduct an investigation into the allegations and produce a report that will be made publicly.

4) President Joe Biden on Tuesday urged all eligible Americans to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, saying that new guidance from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention easing certain restrictions for fully vaccinated individuals is a great incentive for Americans to roll up their sleeves.

Today’s Guests:

1) House Minority Whip Steve Scalise

2) Dr. Vermelle D. Greene; Author, “Please Teach Me Like I’m a Boy! Ten Steps to His Success in School and in Life”

3) Adrian Bruneau, Lobbyist, Consultant and Chairman of the Orleans Republican Parish Executive Committee