With last week's Roe decision, a "victory for white life" became the opposite for Black ones.
The Skinny on COVID
The latest in numbers: 87M total cases & 1M total deaths (+718K & +2K from last week) in the US.
The headlines:
Estimates say 20% of adults with past infections now have long COVID.
For children 14 and under, the long COVID rate is 33%.
Need a refresher on the most recent COVID recommendations if you test positive or are in close contact with someone who has? Check out what the CDC says as of today.
Roe is Gone
We already knew–as soon as Trump got his 3 Justices in there–that this SCOTUS was about to be on some other shit. And, boy, are they.
As was pretty much confirmed earlier this year, the right-wing court did rescind Roe vs. Wade, making abortion rights a state issue (until Republicans try to implement a nationwide ban). As news of the final decision was announced, trigger laws kicked into gear and abortion clinics began canceling appointments. If you don’t know where your state stands on the pro-choice vs. anti-choice spectrum, check this out. In the words of a MAGA Congressperson, what a “victory for white life.”
According to Clarence Thomas, contraception as well as same-sex relationships & marriage should be next on the chopping block. Anybody know why he didnt mention interracial marriage?
If You Need Help Getting An Abortion
Visit the National Network of Abortion Funds for help on where to get one and on how to pay. This source has been verified by the ACLU, but BEWARE. Anti-choice groups are said to be creating fake sites in red-states to catch people seeking abortions. That said, make sure you verify resources before reaching out or sharing them with others and take the necessary steps to maintain your online privacy.
Other SCOTUS Rulings
Police can no longer be sued for not reading a person their Miranda rights.
Applicants seeking a concealed carry license for self-defense in public do not have to demonstrate a special need.
While we wait for even more rulings that are expected to come today, it’s clear that even if Trump never makes it back into the White House, his impact will reverberate for years and years to come.
Keeping Up with Biden & Harris
Even in light of an extremist and deeply conservative Supreme Court, Joe Biden does not support court packing, the act of adding more justices to make the judicial branch more balanced.
Gold imported from Russia is banned as continued punishment for their invasion of Ukraine. Do y’all think that includes swap meet gold too?
The whispers are getting louder: Nobody wants Biden to run in 2024.
Congress, What’s Good?
They did it, Joe. Mere weeks after the shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde, Congress passed a bipartisan gun safety package and sent it to the POTUS’ desk for signature. The legislation:
Enhances background checks for those under 21
Prevents domestic partners who’ve been convicted of domestic abuse from owning or purchasing a weapon (spouses & ex-spouses are already exempt)
Provides more funding for mental health services & school safety measures
Incentivizes states for adopting “red flag” laws.
Does this law do everything that it could or should? Hell nah. But it is a step up from “thoughts & prayers.” We’ll take it and keep pushing for more.
Moving on…the January 6 hearings continued to lay out a clear path for Trump’s coordinated effort to overturn the 2020 election. Check out a recap from last week’s hearing. How many of us still feel like they’re going to hold all these hearings and still won’t do shit, because this country doesn’t know how to punish whiteness?
In committee meetings this week:
Privacy in a biometric world
Inequality in today’s housing market
Our broken recycling system
Election Watch: 2022 Midterms
States with primaries tomorrow: Colorado, Illinois, Mississippi, Nebraska (1st Congressional District), New York, Oklahoma, South Carolina, & Utah. Call any of these states home? Learn more about your primary elections here and how to vote in your state.
Will Biden or Obama endorse Karen Bass in LA’s mayoral race?
Well damn. Since Biden took office, more than 1M voters are said to have switched to the Republican party. It’s assumed that the swing voters who left because of Trump are swinging back.
Will the anger over the Supreme Court’s decision on abortion do enough for Democrats in the midterms? Judging by the above, prolly not.
Meet Alabama’s first Black woman nominee for Governor.
Social Justice Round Up
Black women been ringing the alarm. The anti-choice decision to overturn Roe v. Wade will affect them disproportionately.
Playing loud music is now a crime in Florida. If a driver’s music is too loud near churches, schools, or hospitals OR if it’s “plainly audible” from a distance of 25 feet or more, they should prepare for a $114 ticket. Why do we have a strange feeling that this law won’t be enforced equally.
Daunte Wright’s family reached a $3.2M settlement with the City of Brooklyn Center, MN over his death in 2021. The settlement also aims to prevent this from happening again by including additional police training and changes to policy within the police department. You might recall the cop who murdered Daunte, Kim Potter, was sentenced to 2 years in prison.
Around the Diaspora
Francia Márquez, a 40-year-old mom of two and environmental activist, is Colombia’s first Black Vice President. She aims to fight for reproductive rights and to move the country away from coal & oil production.
The Maasai tribe of Tanzania is proclaiming their right to the Serengeti, land that they’ve occupied for millennia, amidst efforts to remove them for “conservation” purposes.
Human rights in Nigeria are rated “very bad,” ranking them worse than the average sub-Saharan nation.
Getting to the Money
With a recession on the horizon, some companies are implementing hiring freezes and even revoking job offers. Here are some jobs that are expected to survive the tough economy. If you’re in the market for a career change, consider an industry with a bit more endurance in hard times.
Buying Black
Summer is officially here and with the heat comes more reasons to take a dip in the pool. If getting your hair wet is holding you back from swimming a couple laps, consider You Go Natural’s swim turban. The cap claims to be the most effective product on the market for limiting moisture in one’s hair. Natural, straight & protective styles are welcome.
Culture that Pops
The 2022 BET Awards happened last night. Did you watch it? If not, here’s a list of the night’s winners and a recap of the show’s highlights.
Faith leaders from the Muslim, Christian & Jewish communities gathered in Philadelphia last week to demand reparations for the descendants of enslaved Black people.
Tennis champ Naomi Osaka launched her own production company with the help of LeBron James last week.