The Skinny on COVID
The latest in numbers: 50M total cases & 796K deaths (+905K & +9K from last week) in the US.
The headlines:
A reminder that COVID ain’t no joke: those who survive infections have a higher risk of death for about a year afterwards.
How does your religion determine what you’re willing to do for public health? 10% of Americans say their religion prevents them from getting vaxxed. Another 60% calls BS on that claim.
While it still appears that Omicron is mild compared to the Delta variant, here are 9 symptoms to look out for.
Prayers Up
...for the nearly 100 people who died after more than 30 tornadoes that ripped across Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri & Tennessee over the weekend.
The Caucasity
We totally forgot to talk about Stacey Abrams announcing her run for Georgia governor last week. Sadly though, Republicans have not. Former senator David Perdue (and Trump yes-man) announced his run in response to Stacey’s, saying he wants to ensure Stacey with her “woke” policies is never Governor. Remember when he didn’t show up for the last debate with Jon Ossoff, who won his seat earlier this year? Boy stop.
Also, where can we officially start a position to prohibit white people from saying “woke” ever again? If anyone has any ideas, let us know.
Keeping Up with Biden & Harris
Taking his beef with China up a notch, Biden has announced that there’ll be no diplomatic representation at the Winter Olympics in Beijing.
But maybe besides worrying about China, 46 should take a closer look at his approval rating, which has dropped again. Per CNBC, Buddy’s now sitting at a 56% disapproval rating for his handling of the economy & 46% disapproval for his handling of the pandemic.
Should this really be news? Kamala is so cautious about technology & security, she prefers to wear wired headphones. Ummm okay...and?
Congress, What’s Good?
The Build Back Better plan is still tabled, likely until 2022, if ever. As for the debt ceiling, the Senate held a procedural vote to allow a simple majority of 51 votes to raise the ceiling. Both chambers are expected to pass the legislation and have it on Biden’s desk before Wednesday’s deadline passes.
Oh yeah, the Senate voted to block Biden’s vax mandate. 2 Democrats (one being yall’s fave Joe Manchin) sided with Republicans to pass the measure. It’s unlikely to go any further, however, due to the House being a strongly Democratic chamber. It also may not even be necessary. A federal court has paused the administration’s enforcement of vaccine & testing protocols for large businesses.
In committee meetings this week, Congress will:
Discuss citing Trump’s former Chief of Staff in criminal contempt of Congress for cooperating with the January 6 inquiry
Assess the urgent need for vaccine equity
Get briefed on the latest with Putin & the Ukraine
Social Justice Round Up
A nonprofit is testing out a universal basic income program on 650 Black women in Georgia. Participants will receive a no-strings-attached monthly payment of $850 for 2 years. 26% of Black women are said to live in poverty compared to 14% of white women. The goal of the program is to help close the racial wealth gap, plus help with financial & mental stability.
Welp. The SCOTUS has made it nearly impossible to challenge Texas’ abortion law. While they ruled that abortion providers can sue in attempts to block the ban, providers are only able to sue state health officials who play a minimal role in enforcing the law. You might recall that the law allows private citizens to enforce the law by suing anyone who aids in getting an abortion. Private citizens are exempt from being sued, along with the State of Texas. This feels like a slippery slope with constitutional rights, but here we are.
Always wanting smoke from its Republican frenemies, California says it will become a sanctuary state for abortions, offering to fly out women seeking the procedure if they face a ban at home.
California also wants to copy + paste Texas’ model for abortion and apply it to gun rights. Governor Newsom & the state’s attorney general are figuring out how to allow civilians to sue gun manufacturers, sellers, etc. for damages & injunctive relief.
New York officials voted to grant non-citizens the right to vote in local elections in 2023. Under this new law, about 800K Dreamers & lawfully permanent residents will be able to vote for the city’s mayor, borough presidents, city council & comptroller. While many are applauding the move, one council member questions how the Black vote will be impacted.
Around the Diaspora
St. Lucia is planning a vaxxed-only carnival for 2022. You in?
Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados has been named a 2021 “Champion of the Earth” by the UN for her efforts to address climate change & get others in line to do the same.
Nigeria has responded to the UK, Canada, & Saudi Arabia’s travel restrictions with reciprocation. These same countries are now restricted from entering Nigeria. If “keeping that same energy” was a country…
Not all Haitians are trying to come to the United States. Check out this infographic showing just how many Haitians have attempted to make Mexico home over the past couple years. Ps. You’re going to be annoyed when you see how many asylum applications Mexico has approved for Haitians compared to applicants from other companies.
Getting to the Money
Interested in beauty and/or fashion? The KNC School of Beauty is hosting a virtual event featuring sessions from experts in the industry & offering 4 small business owners prizes to amplify their profiles. The event’s happening this Wednesday at 1pm EST. Register here.
This Black technical recruiter is sharing resources for those looking for remote work and even sharing which companies he can offer referrals for. If you or other folks you know are interested, be sure to note that all resumes, job links & a description of why the role is a good fit should be sent to him at jermaine@jupiterhr.ca.
Carol’s Daughter & Mama Glow are partnering together to launch Love Delivered, a program advocating for Black maternal health. Through the program, Mama Glow-certified doulas can receive education grants to further their skills as birth workers & Black birthing parents are eligible for grants for doula or postpartum support.
Buying Black
With the holidays upon us, there’s always a reason to send little gifts of appreciation here & there. The next time you want to send a little something something to a colleague, family member, or an almost-bae, consider Phillip Ashley Chocolates. Black-owned (duh), luxurious & fortheculture AF, there’s really no need to look anywhere else.
Ad: Got a long list of people to shop for this holiday season? Prefer to get them all something from Black-owned businesses? Check out Hush Harbor Media’s Black Box. The Black-owned start up is amplifying Black-owned brands this year by offering special discounts on everything from custom shoelaces, streetwear, stationary & more. For access, sign up here.
Culture that Pops
Thee Hot Girl can now add her college degree to her list of accomplishments. Megan Thee Stallion crossed the stage this weekend at TSU (an HBCU), marking the completion of her undergraduate studies.
Speaking of HBCUs, the CW is preparing to release a docuseries about Prairie View A&M’s marching band next month.
Ever seen an image of a Black fetus before? Meet the aspiring neurosurgeon who blew all of our minds when his illustration of a Black child inside of the womb went viral. Chidiebere Ibe is making it his mission to inject more representation in medical illustrations to help reduce the health inequities Black people face. If you’re interested in seeing more of his work & furthering his cause, check out his GoFundMe.