We Hate to Say It, But...
California is still showing the rest of these states how it’s supposed to be done. Regularly ahead of the pack, it just became the first state to enact steps to address the fact that Black women are more likely to die of pregnancy-related complications due to racism. Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed Senate Bill 464 into law, which requires implicit bias training for healthcare providers serving pregnant women. It also requires coroner reports to indicate whether a deceased woman died during childbirth or in the year thereafter. Critics are calling out some seemingly major gaps, like the difficulty they will have in forcing medical staff to take the training since they are contractors & not employees, but it’s a move in the right direction and in line with similar conversations on the national level.
More good news: Following New York and Illinois, the Golden State has also outlawed private prisons and detention centers. The new law bans the state from the use of for-profit prisons unless a need is identified for additional inmate housing. By 2028, it’s expected that there will be no need for for-profit prisons at all.
A Little Gift from Donald J. Trump
The US & China have made a verbal agreement to cool it on the trade war, so it might just save you some coins. We mentioned last month that the tariffs imposed would be paid by you & not China, remember? Well, wiith the current terms of the new maybe-truce, prices on everyday household items imported from China are expected to be back at their pre-Labor Day prices. The tariffs set to go in place in mid-December appear to still be on the table though, so it might still be smart to make any big appliance purchases on Black Friday or Cyber Monday.
Other White House updates:
Things are getting hot for Trump & Rudy Giuliani in the impeachment inquiry. Plus, he may have to finally fork over his tax returns.
Trump also ordered the removal of all US troops from Northern Syria, leaving the area vulnerable to Turkish forces and a potential ISIS resurgence.
Congress, What’s Good?
Congress is back on the Hill this week. Here’s what they’ve got on the menu: sticking up for the Hong Kong protesters, making sure the children of homeless vets are taken care of, and those opportunity zones that Nipsey talked about.
2020 Watch
12 whole Democratic presidential candidates will be on stage at tomorrow night’s debate. Make sure you know where and how to watch when it airs at 8pm EST / 5pm PST.
Tulsi Gabbard is threatening to boycott the debate because she believes the Democratic National Committee is attempting to rig the primary. Would she be hurting anyone other than herself if she were to be a no-show?
Pete Buttigieg is against Medicare for All. Here’s why.
Did you catch last week’s LGBTQ townhall on CNN?
Around the Diaspora
Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has received this year’s Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to bring about peace between his country and neighboring Eritrea.
Protesters in Haiti are still fed up with their president as their demonstrations for more fuel and less inflation become more intense.
Kenyan marathoner Eliud Kipchoge makes history by running a marathon in under 2 hours.
Black Britons have seen a 50% increase in enrollment at the University of Cambridge thanks to Grime rapper Stormzy’s scholarship program. There are now over 200 Black undergrads on campus for the first time ever.
Culture that Pops
Simone Biles is now the most decorated gymnast in the world, Craig.
Auntie Oprah donated $13 million to a scholarship program benefiting Morehouse students. How can us grown folks sign up for a little need-based aid too?
Montgomery, Alabama--the home of the civil rights movement--just elected its first Black mayor for the first time ever.
