RINGSIDE POLITICS – MARCH 31, 2021
Written by WGSO Producer on March 31, 2021
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Welcome to another edition of Ringside Politics with Jeff Crouere
Today’s Hot Topics:
1) President Joe Biden signed the PPP Extension Act of 2021 into law Tuesday afternoon after the Senate voted overwhelmingly to pass the bill last Thursday, which extends the loan application deadline from March 31 to May 31. The law also gives the Small Business Administration an extra 30 days (through June 30) to process applications.
“Today I am proud to sign the extension for the second round of PPP,” Biden said as he signed the bill into law on Tuesday. “It is a bipartisan accomplishment. Nearly 90,000 businesses are still in line and without someone signing this bill today there are hundreds of thousands of people that could lose their job.”
The deadline extension bill was passed in the House by a vote of 415 to 3 and was approved in the Senate last Thursday by a vote of 92 to 7.
2) White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki was grilled Tuesday about illegal migrant children being allowed to attend school in California for in-person learning while American students are still learning virtually — responding that teachers are free to volunteer because American students are “on spring break.”
She was questioned about a Fox News report that quoted San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond saying that he’s happy illegal migrant minors can return to the classroom but he wishes that all 130,000 students be given “the same opportunity for in-person teaching.”
Psaki responded that “context is important.”
“As I understand it, San Diego public schools are opening in early April,” she said. “Students will be back in the classroom - part time - and certainly you know our objective from the White House - five days a week for the majority of schools across the country.”
3) The Biden administration declared China’s treatment of Uyghur Muslims a genocide in an annual human rights report Tuesday, formalizing its dire assessment of a campaign of mass detention and sterilization of minority groups in the Xinjiang region.
The move comes amid a sharp plunge in relations between the world’s two largest economies following a tense meeting of top diplomats in Alaska and underscores the Biden administration’s willingness to spotlight atrocities regardless of the impact on sensitive bilateral relations.
During the report’s unveiling at the State Department, Blinken was asked if his condemnations of China and Russia could come at the expense of cooperation from the two powers on other issues, such as the military crackdown in Myanmar. Blinken suggested that no trade-off was necessary.
“Whether it’s China or Russia or anyone else, we’re not standing against any of those countries,” Blinken said. “We’re not trying to, for example, contain China or keep it down. What we are about is standing up for basic principles, basic rights and a rules-based international order.”
4) Another woman has come forward alleging New York Governor Andrew Cuomo was inappropriate towards her.
Several woman, including aides that worked for the governor’s office, have come forward alleging sexual harassment, or inappropriate behavior, by the governor.
Sherry Vill, of Greece, NY, issued a statement, along with her attorney Gloria Allred, saying Gov. Cuomo kissed her on both cheeks inside her home during a press event in 2017.
Today’s Guests:
1) Kim Jordan, North Carolina Grassroots Leader – joins the show in the first hour to talk about the latest in North Carolina politics as well as the larger political sphere.
2) Dr. Stephen Hotze, Founder, CEO; Hotze Health & Wellness Center – calls in to discuss the state of the Coronavirus pandemic including the vaccines and other possible medical alternatives.
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