The Skinny on COVID
The latest in numbers: 43M total cases & 673K deaths (+839K & +15K from last week) in the US.
The headlines:
Pfizer booster shots are approved for nursing home residents, 50-64 year olds with underlying conditions, & anyone else that’s over 65.
Is the Delta surge on the decline? The latest models predict a steady decline of COVID-19 cases through March 2022. We hope they’re correct.
16% of hospital staff across New York refuse to get the vaccine ahead of the mandate that goes into effect today. Help from out of state, out of the country, or the National Guard might be needed to fill in the gap.
Keeping Up with Biden & Harris
By now, everyone has seen the photos & videos of border patrol agents using whips on Haitian migrants. While Joe & Kamala both offered basic ass statements on how bad the images were, they continued to enforce a rule enacted by Trump to immediately deport some asylum seekers to Haiti without having their cases heard by an immigration judge.
The US did some kissing up to France after our new defense pact broke up the European country’s fling with Australia.
In Biden’s first speech to the UN as POTUS, he preached that allyship was needed to address climate change, the pandemic, and corruption. Judging by his recent track record, we have a feeling the audience gave a collective “This n*gga” & eye roll.
Congress, What’s Good?
The House put up efforts to avert a government shutdown by raising the debt ceiling & to formally codify abortion, outlawing legislation like the one passed in Texas. But because we all know how Republicans get down, the chances of these passing in the Senate are slimmer than...nvm. Just know they’re slim.
Typically raising the debt ceiling is a bipartisan effort (Democrats signed up to do it 3 times under Trump & we won’t even get into how the 2017 tax cuts actually increased debt), but McConnell Gang has vowed to not cooperate, hoping the optics of Dems increasing the nation’s debt solo would garner GOP majorities in 2022.
Additionally, the budget & infrastructure mix up is still a mess. No surprises there.
Last but certainly not least, the Senate failed to reach a deal on police reform.
Congress may as well go back home because they’re getting nothing done for anyone.
On the agenda in this week’s committee meetings:
Protecting nursing mothers & older Americans in the workforce & on the job hunt
Improving economic opportunities for those involved with the justice system
Supporting families & teachers during COVID-19
Social Justice Round Up
It’s always a horrible situation when someone goes missing, especially when the outcome isn’t positive. This is true for all races. But with national coverage given to the search for a missing white influencer last week, Black & Indigenous folk couldn’t help but to call out “Missing White Woman Syndrome,” where all of the media’s attention is given to white women, but not to people of color who go missing.
Team Roc, the social justice arm of Roc Nation, filed a lawsuit against Kansas City police, alleging coverups of misconduct.
Black Latinx, & Asian people in the US face higher exposure to hazardous materials than white Americans regardless of income. Environmental racism (like all forms of racism) is a bitch and non-white people bear the burden disproportionately.
Y’all think if we say voter suppression laws hurt white people, something would actually be done about it? Let’s give it a shot.
Around the Diaspora
As Haitian migrants moved back south after the camp in Texas was cleared out, some found helping hands in Mexico. Others found aggressive Mexican immigration officials.
Mia Mottley, PM of Barbados, also spoke at the UN last week and broke down a list of injustices requiring immediate attention: vaccine inequality, un(der)employment, climate change, & access to technology.
Nearly a year after the #EndSARS movement caught the world’s attention, Nigerians are assessing the movement’s wins & areas for growth.
Getting to the Money
Interested in working to improve the lives of Black folks with Color of Change? They are currently filling positions in Los Angeles, New York, DC, Oakland & Chi Town. Remote roles are also available.
LinkedIn is also hiring...a lot. Here are some tips for how to get your foot in the door from their Director of Inclusion.
Buying Black
In honor of Hispanic / Latinx Heritage Month, peep this list of Black Latinx-owned brands to consider shopping with.
Culture that Pops
In Those Genes podcast uses hip hop & genetics to help us understand some of the things about our identities that have gotten lost over time. Get into it.
Kevin Richardson of the Exonerated 5 just received an honorary degree from Syracuse University. He had plans to play basketball for the school in ‘89 before he and 4 others were wrongfully convicted of rape.
Third time’s a charm for David Alan Grier who won his first Tony award last night. With a career that touches so many realms of entertainment (from cultural classics like ‘In Living Color’ to voice over work in childhood staples like ‘Pinky & the Brain’), his credentials are legit & the man deserves his flowers.