The Skinny on COVID
The latest in numbers: 60M total cases & 836K total deaths (+$4.6M & +11K from last week) in the US.
The headlines:
Omicron is acting up in these streets, but there’s a new variant out of France who wants to be put in the game: Ihu. Here’s what scientists know about it so far.
Wait, there’s also Deltacron, a combination of the Delta & Omicron variants…?
Oh & don’t forget about flurona.
We can’t. At this point, maybe we all should just go back to staying home because outside is pure chaos.
Sending Love to the BX
19 people lost their lives in a building fire in the Bronx yesterday. More are in critical condition. It’s been reported that many of the apartment’s residents are immigrants from Gambia. We’re sending the residents, the Bronx & NYC love as they grapple with such an unfathomable loss.
Bomb Threats at HBCUs
In case you missed it, 9 HBCUs across the country were targeted with bomb threats last week, causing lockdowns, evacuations & panic among students + administrators. A Hispanic-serving community college in California was also targeted. Remember when “they” tried to convince us that we were in a post-racial society? We wonder where “they” are now.
Keeping Up with Biden & Harris
Marking the anniversary of the January 6, 2021 Capitol Riot, Biden got spicy with Trump & MAGA Republicans. He claims that he’ll use every inch of his presidential power to stop the anti-democratic forces that Trump brought to the surface, but…we just have so many questions. For starters, shouldn’t he have been doing that already?
Friday, the Supreme Court held a hearing about Biden’s vaccine mandate. Signs pointed to the court issuing a pause on the mandate while things play out in the lower courts, but the mandate is set to go in place January 10 (aka today) & no decision had been issued at the time of writing this piece.
Biden & VP Harris are planning to hit up Atlanta tomorrow to discuss voting rights, but there’s a strong sentiment that they need to stay they asses at home if they can’t actually pass any laws. Welp.
Congress, What’s Good?
Marking the anniversary of the Capitol Riot, the January 6 Committee in the House is doing…something. Maybe? They’ve uncovered evidence to show how Trump hoped to thwart the certification of the 2020 election & they know that he didn’t stop the riot as quickly as he could have. What remains difficult to prove is evidence that he let the riot go on in an effort to retain presidential power.
New year, same Manchin. Joe Manchin has been keeping his Democratic colleagues busy with trying to figure out what he wants & is willing to support. In the latest headlines, he wants to implement a work requirement for the child tax credit, but also expand the program to grandparents taking care of children. How, Sway? He’s also still insisting that voting rights be a bipartisan priority, which means it won’t be a priority at all.
Nancy Pelosi is still holding out hope that a deal can be reached with the West Virginia senator. Who wants to tell her?
On deck for committee meetings this week:
Closing the digital divide in Indigenous communities
Financial literacy for elderly citizens & those with disabilities
Social Justice Round Up
2021 was an especially deadly year for Chicago, making it the city’s worst since 1996. Seriously asking, what’s a feasible & effective solution in this scenario?
New York, is this your king? Recently inaugurated mayor Eric Adams has had a rough couple of weeks already. He’s faced criticism already for calling low-wage workers “low skilled,” for giving his brother a top post with a $240K salary & for reappointing someone who resigned amid a corruption scandal in 2014. There’s more, but we figured we should stop there. Be blessed NY.
A new set of policing laws have gone into effect in California. Check out what they are here.
Oh yeah, remember when we talked about 800K non-citizens in New York City being granted the right to vote in local elections? It’s officially official. The legislation took effect yesterday & the first elections they’ll be able to vote in will happen in 2023.
Around the Diaspora
Ethiopia’s Prime Minister (& Nobel Peace Prize recipient) Abiy Ahmed wants to have a national reconciliation after more than a year of fighting with anti-government groups in the northern part of the country. How much unity will he really achieve, though, if he doesn’t want his opposition to be part of the peace talks?
J. Balvin, a white reggaeton musician, won “Afro-Latino Artist of the Year” in December. If you’re confused about how something like that could even happen, you’re on the right track. Sadly, it’s merely another instance of mainstream Latin American culture erasing the impact & influence Afro-Latinos. Sounds familiar, don’t it?
Claims of election tampering in Bim? Leading up to January 19 elections, Barbados’ PM Mia Mottley is rejecting talk that the election will be conducted with anything but the “integrity of the democratic process.”
Getting to the Money
If you’re looking to do something with the extra bedroom in your home or that property you inherited, Lola the Manager wants to give you the keys to success.
Check out her course titled “The AirBnB Hustle.” In the course, she’s sharing her knowledge on market analyses, expenses & more
She also has a course in which she helps entrepreneurs with business planning, strategy & marketing
Are you a newbie to the world of AirBnB management and/or entrepreneurship? Don’t trip. She created both courses specifically with YOU in mind.
Buying Black
Want to keep Black doctors on your list of trusted healthcare professionals? Us too. Black Doctors List, a tech company where Black patients & Black doctors can connect, is working hard to make that a reality. They’re starting in the greater Los Angeles area, but will soon cover the nation. If they’re not in your market quite yet, check their site or IG account for updates on their expansion.
Culture that Pops
Hollywood icon Sidney Poitier passed away last week at the age of 94.
Spelman College is the recipient of a $12M gift to develop their new Innovation & Arts Center. The center’s purpose will be to nurture students desiring careers that merge art, entrepreneurship & technology.
This Black woman spent the last 6 years creating Inpathy, a social media platform intended to inspire transparency & reduce the feelings of anxiety and/or self-doubt that often come with scrolling through our timelines. Inpathy hopes to be available in the first quarter of 2022. Sign up for launch notifications or donate to their cause.