The Skinny on COVID
The latest in numbers: 33M total cases & 597K deaths (+97K & +3K from last week)
The headlines:
Here’s what researchers are saying about vaccine boosters: “We dk.”
The US has administered roughly 300M COVID vaccines, but...
The country is not on track to hit Biden’s goal of 70% of adults being at least partially vaccinated by July 4.
Keeping Up with Biden & Harris
The POTUS wants to address the teacher shortage.
Biden unveiled his plan for closing the racial wealth gap between Black and white people. Will it be enough?
Kamala Harris arrived in Guatemala for her first foreign trip as VP to tackle the surge in immigration.
Congress, What’s Good?
Our elected officials are back from recess and Joe Manchin has learned nothing in the way of working with his own party. He is still running his mouth about being against eliminating the filibuster and now also against the “For the People” act, which aims to protect voting rights. His reasoning for being against the voting legislation? It’s because...in his mind...voting has become “too politicized.”
He’s also the bottleneck in allowing the Biden admin to move forward with an infrastructure package without Republicans. While he does seem more desperate for a deal on this particular issue, history suggests he’ll stick beside his conservative pals.
Honestly, kudos to the GOP for getting one of their own into the Senate as a Democrat. Joke’s on America.
On the schedule for committees this week:
Our never ending competition with China
The NCAA’s use of college athletes’ likeness
Unaccompanied minors at the border
Social Justice Round Up
Civil rights groups are calling on Congress to legalize marijuana ASAP to help further the cause of racial justice and equity.
New York will be electing a mayor soon and early polls say they want the next person who earns the top spot to keep law enforcement accountable. Will the people get what they want?
Around the Diaspora
Here’s the latest on COVID in countries across the Continent.
Nigeria’s president got in his feelings and banned Twitter after the platform deleted some of his tweets. Nigerian Twitter users are calling his bluff and still finding other ways to use the platform.
If you’re not fully vaccinated, don't even think about pulling up to St. Kitts & Nevis. They are welcoming vaccinated tourists only.
The US will donate 6M vaccine doses to Central and South American countries. A portion of those will also go to CARICOM nations. This is only an initial donation, so hopefully they can provide more to further help the countries meet the needs of their citizens.
Getting to the Money
Marketing for the Culture Podcast, hosted by the African American Marketing Association, wants to help you step your marketing game up. Whether for your own venture or for your corporate gig, check out their podcast to learn how you may better position your product or service to your target audience. The experts featured will surely add value with their POV on marketing in today’s world.
Buying Black
It’s a beautiful thing to see Black wine brands pop up on store shelves and now we have a new one to add to the list: Montfleur Duvin. Started by a 20-something MBA grad in 2018, Montfleur Duvin wants everyone to experience their wine, which they believe is meaningful to the soul.
Culture that Pops
Diddy teamed up with Salesforce to create a one-stop shop for Black businesses.
Russell Westbrook is working on a documentary about the Tulsa race massacre.
Pastor Michael McBride of Live Free USA throws the first pitch at a San Francisco Giants game to call for an end to gun violence.
