Y’all Don't Listen
Who missed the reminder that the pandemic is still outside? Numbers across the nation are spiking again, this time in the midwest and Rocky Mountain region. Of all 54 U.S. States and territories being tracked by the New York Times, 32 have high COVID-19 infection rates that are only going higher. Only 9 out of the 54 are low and staying that way.
Flu season is coming up and will inevitably complicate the fight against the ‘Rona. If you and your cuffing season bae are tempted to chill on the public health measures, don’t. You’ll be out here looking too much like Trump and when has that ever been a good look?
CA Republicans Create Their Own Drop Boxes
The California Republican party (yes, the official party) admitted to setting up unofficial “official” ballot drop boxes in an effort to collect voters’ ballots. Submitting your ballot to a political party or even to another individual is not illegal under California law, but claiming these boxes are official boxes of the state is unethical at best.
Make sure your voting plan is locked tight ahead of time and if dropping off your ballot is part of that plan, that you know the box is authorized and/or is an official asset of your home state. The trickery in this election knows no bounds.
NY Makes it Official
Governor Andrew Cuomo signed legislation to make Juneteenth an official state holiday in New York State. They now join Texas, Virginia, & Pennsylvania as the only states that recognize Juneteenth as a paid holiday.
Congress, What’s Good?
What did we learn from SCOTUS nominee Amy Coney Barrett in her confirmation hearings last week? Not much, but alas that’s how the Senate spent their time instead of focusing on pandemic relief. Barrett managed to sidestep a lot of questions from Dems that sought to get a clear picture on how she feels on key issues like abortion rights or healthcare. Republicans just seemed pleased that a “woman of faith” who was “unashamedly pro-life” would soon be sitting on the highest court. The Senate will be voting on her nomination on Thursday and we can expect that she’ll be confirmed before the election, just as they intended.
Nancy Pelosi, meanwhile, spent last week still trying to carve out some type of stimulus package with 45 and his administration before the election. She says they only have until today to strike a deal, but McConnell is still declining to put whatever they agree to before the Senate for a vote. He’d rather Senators vote on a Paycheck Protection Program bill that’ll include more unemployment benefits and funding for schools & testing efforts. That vote is also likely to take place this week.
This week is another light one for committee meetings in Congress. The Senate has only 2 hearings outside of Amy’s confirmation and House Reps are still campaigning in their home districts (remember all 435 of their seats are up for reelection in November).
2020 Watch
Meet the Black women running the Biden/Harris machine.
Trump took his petty to the TV screens last week when he scheduled his town hall at the same exact time as Biden’s. There were glaring differences between the two events. Also, if you’re wondering who won the ratings battle, it wasn’t your reality TV president.
The final presidential debate is Thursday at 9p ET. Among the topics for this meet up will be COVID-19 (of course), race, and climate change. Y’all think the POTUS will be on his best behavior for this one?
We all know the polls did not prepare us for a Trump victory in 2016. Can we really trust them in 2020?
Tyler Perry is donating $500K to mobilize Black voters in Florida.
Around the Diaspora
Even after Nigeria disbanded the SARS force, it’s clear that their movement against police brutality still has work to do. Here’s how you can help.
Jamaica, Guyanese, and Bahamian workers are helping to rebuild Lake Charles, LA after the city was ravaged by Hurricane Laura.
Protests against Haiti’s president Jovenel Moïse have been going on for over a year. In addition to claims of corruption the calls for his removal are intensifying due to his lackluster response to the pandemic.
Getting to the Money
Revolt TV is hosting its Level Up Job Fair on October 22. Here’s how you can be in the (virtual) room.
If you have a startup idea and want to know all about seed funding/investing, this panel discussion hosted by Black Men Talk Tech on October 23 is for you.
Warner Media is looking for women who eat, sleep, and breathe professional sports. If this sounds like you, make sure you connect with their Recruiting team on October 30 as part of their “She Got Game” event series.
Buying Black
Need a cup of joe to get you going in the mornings? Try these Black-owned coffee brands.
Culture that Pops
The founder of #MeToo, Tarana Burke, is marking the 3rd anniversary of her hashtag gong viral with new tools and programs to continue the fight against sexual violence.
Ludacris is bringing an animated series inspired by his daughter to Netflix.
This doctor is on a quest to show Black youth how to cope with mental health issues.
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