Cramm for 7/7/20
THE HIGHLIGHTS
The US is getting a better look at the racial inequity of coronavirus.
THE BACKGROUND.
For months, there have been growing reports in the US that coronavirus disproportionately affects people of color. See: data showing 70 percent of those who died from the virus in Louisiana and Chicago were Black Americans (who make up only a third of the population in both places). This data was followed by a long list of other places reporting similar info - not just in the US, but around the world.
THE HAPPENINGS.
Recently, the New York Times sued the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (aka the CDC) to get access to more deets on Covid-19 and race. And won. The data was released the other day - and it’s not good news. As in 73 percent of infections per 10,000 people were made up of Latinos, with 62 percent made up of Black people and only 23 percent made up of white people. Not to mention that Black and Latino people were nearly twice as likely to die from the virus. Not a typo.
THE REACTION.
We’ll remind you: this data spans all of the US and all different age groups. And it marks the most extensive, comprehensive look at the racial inequity of the virus yet. But it’s still not entirely clear why cases and deaths are so disproportionate. What is clear: in light of recent discussions around Black Lives Matter and systemic racism, this new data is especially significant.
SO…?
This data is far from complete. TBD on if - and when - more info comes out.
THE ACTION
USA: That’s not the only new data that’s been released. Yesterday, the Trump team gave some deets on the Paycheck Protection Program (that’s the one especially for small bizes). There was some controversy. The why: Prez Trump’s personal lawyer, dozens of bizes at Trump’s buildings, some Kushner family properties/entities, and Kanye West’s Yeezy all got loans under this program. Speaking of Trump, he just took to Twitter to criticize NASCAR’s recent ban on Confederate flags - then blamed the move for dropping its ratings. Plus pointed fingers at that Bubba Wallace noose incident for allegedly being a hoax. And in other news, Amy Cooper’s facing charges after falsely claiming a Black bird watcher was threatening her. Stay tuned.
ENVIRONMENT: You know the Keystone XL pipeline for causing lots of division over the last few years. Hint: it runs through Native American lands and isn’t exactly the best thing for the environment. Cue court battles that ultimately ended with a federal judge axing construction of the pipeline. Scratch that, because recently, the case made it all the way up to the Supreme Court....who declared they won’t block the judge’s ruling. Meaning construction is still at a standstill. On that note: a federal judge just ordered the Dakota Access pipeline to shut down pending an environmental review. Meanwhile, at least 7 people were killed after a fuel tanker in northern Colombia exploded - following police warnings over the tanker’s safety.
POLITICS: It’s no secret that Prez Trump’s not a big fan of undocumented immigrants. So not too long ago, the Trump team intro’d a plan that barred most migrants from seeking asylum in the US if they’d already passed through another country. Yes, really. Now, it looks like an appeals court is striking down this policy - apparently because the gov did “virtually nothing” to make sure other countries were a “safe option” for migrants escaping persecution. In other news, the US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (aka ICE) just announced that foreign students won’t be allowed to stay in the US this fall if their universities move things totally online. You read that right. No word yet on how many students will be affected.
WHAT TO KNOW
“Bubonic plague:” what’s apparently popped up in Inner Mongolia. Please don’t do this to us, 2020.
SAY WHAT?
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