The Skinny on COVID
The latest in numbers: 65M total cases & 850K total deaths (+5M & +14K from last week) in the US.
The headlines:
Is Omicron nearing its peak in the US? Some places across the nation that were hit first are starting to see case numbers fall.
Insurance companies must now cover the cost of up to 8 home tests for each covered person per month. Here’s how to get yours.
Wait…there’s actually some truth to Black folks being less susceptible to COVID than those not of African origin? Researchers have recently ID’d a gene that reduces the risk of severe infections. While 38% of people of European descent have the gene, it’s present in 80% of the subjects of African descent. While this is indeed dope to know, let’s remember that this doesn’t take individual health conditions into account.
Keeping Up with Biden & Harris
We’re coming up on the end of Biden’s first year in office. How y’all think he did?
Speaking of a new year, VP Harris wants to change course in 2022.
Some Dems are still pressing Biden to cancel student loans, but he might be right about not being able to cancel them on his own. Oh yeah, more student loans are being canceled though. Here’s how to see if you were lucky enough to qualify.
As expected, a 6-3 ruling from the SCOTUS overturned Biden’s vaccine mandate for large businesses. Justices, however, ruled that the mandate would still apply to healthcare workers.
Congress, What’s Good?
Securing voting rights is becoming more and more unlikely due to y’alls favorite Democratic Senators’ refusal to ditch the filibuster. Kyrsten Sinema & Joe Manchin both like to yell about “bipartisanship” whenever they take a stand, but they’re really just doing hoodrat & obstructionist things with their GOP friends. Not even MLK's family can get these folks to do the right thing.
In an unpopular move, Senator Jon Ossoff proposed legislation that would prevent members of Congress & their families from trading stocks while in office. Makes total sense, right?
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has added himself to the list of people refusing to cooperate with the Capitol Riot committee. In addition to being a Trump fanboy, McCarthy is also salty about the investigation because Nancy Pelosi didn’t select any of the House members he recommended to help conduct the investigation
One thing the Senate did do unanimously…bestow a Congressional Gold Medal upon Emmett Till & his mother Mamie Till-Mobley. The medal, acknowledging Till’s death as the spark leading to the Civil Rights movement & Till-Mobley’s never-ending fight for justice, will be given to the National Museum of African American History & Culture in DC. Voting rights & an official end to the Jim Crow filibuster would have been nice to pass alongside this, but we digress. For this week.
Topics of discussion in upcoming committee meetings:
Preparing for future pandemics & crises (we really don’t need them putting this type of energy in the atmosphere, but ok)
Exposing excess profits made by military contractors
Voter suppression & its threat to American democracy
Howmaking economic opportunity available to not just white people can benefit us all
Social Justice Round Up
Chicago activists aim to shut down the city’s public transportation system ahead of the officer who killed LaQuan McDonald getting an early release.
Shocker: Black mortgage applicants were denied 84% more than white applicants in 2020. This was a 10% increase compared to 2019.
Survivors of the fire that broke out in the Bronx are seeking $1B in damages, accusing the landlord of maintaining unsafe living conditions.
Around the Diaspora
In 2002, a Black woman decided to run for president in France for the first time ever. 20 years later, she’s thrown her hat into the ring again.
The Twitter ban in Nigeria has been lifted after the social media company met 5 of the nation’s requirements, including registering as a business & establishing a physical presence within the country.
The pandemic is causing a shortage of medical supplies in Trinidad & Tobago. This is driving the cost of medication up & making it difficult for patients to recover from and/or treat their medical conditions.
Belize has a new travel rule in place: All visitors must purchase travel insurance to cover potential medical treatment & lodging in the event that they get COVID-19 while on vacation.
Getting to the Money
Gorilla Rx Wellness, a Black women-owned dispensary, is looking for a new social media manager. Are you creative, passionate about community engagement & interested in wellness? If so, consider shooting your shot.
If you’re an account exec, copywriter or a strategic planner, this creative agency is looking for you.
Buying Black
We got our own cotton swabs too? Yup. K Cotton Swabs wants to give Q-Tips some competition with their own 100% cotton swabs. If you’re not already running low on cotton swabs, you prolly will be soon. Gone ‘head & visit K Cotton Swabs now to make sure you never get down to zero.
Culture that Pops
The Proud Family is back on February 23 with new episodes & a re-recorded version of the classic theme song.
Dr. Maya Angelou became the first Black woman to be featured on a coin and Ida B. Wells is the latest historical figure to have a Barbie made in her honor. Are these considered wins for Black women (& for Black people in general)? The verdict is out on social media.
Cortez Bryant, successful music exec (& Jackson State grad), wants to help his alma mater produce more Black music executives.
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