Weekly Roundup: March 8–14

The Weekly Roundup by GWCD is a collaboration between members of the news & blog committee to compile three main headlines from the week. As one of the goals of the committee is to keep our GWCD community updated on current events, the Weekly Roundup is intended as an easy way for members to read up on the highlights from each week in addition to the articles published regularly by our members.

Scandal Engulfed Cuomo Refuses to Resign

By Manuel Wallick

Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York is facing growing calls for his resignation from members of his own party, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. This follows an increasing list of accusations being made against the New York governor by his current and former staffers. Other members who have called for Cuomo’s resignation include Senator Kristen Gillibrand and several house members from New York, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Gerald Nadler, the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.

This comes as other New York politicians such as Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul have either distanced themselves or, like New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio, denounced the governor. Meanwhile, the state Assembly Speak has authorized the launch of an impeachment probe against the governor. The state Attorney General, Leticia James, has also launched an investigation into the conduct of the governor and the accusations that have been made. He continues to refuse to resign from office and even cited “cancel culture” while denying all of the allegations being made against him. The governor, who is up for reelection in 2022, has not yet stated his intentions, but challengers are beginning to circle as this scandal and the one over nursing home deaths continue.

President Biden Signs American Rescue Plan

By Ty Brown

On Thursday, President Biden signed a new 1.9 trillion dollar COVID relief bill. The bill includes a new round of $1400 stimulus checks, as well as a temporary monthly $300 check for each child, which would decrease child poverty by half in the United States and will expire by the end of the year. In addition to the money going directly to individuals, the stimulus package contains funding for businesses and reopening schools. The legislation also contains funding for vaccination, contact tracing, and COVID-19 testing. The bill passed with unanimous Democratic support and Republican opposition in Congress, with the exception of Representative Golden (ME-2), who opposed the bill.