News Roundup 08/31/20
Kenosha Shooting expose racial divides
The shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin, last week gave rise to new protests against police violence against the black community. A police officer shot an unarmed man serval times in the back while he was attempting to enter his car, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. Social unrest erupted across the city, and protests have been going on for days. On Friday, a 17-year-old, armed with an assault weapon, attended the protest and killed two people and wounded a third. Criticism over the handling of the shooter's raised even more concerns about police biases against white men who carry weapons and black men who "potentially" have a gun. President Trump is set to visit Kenosha this Tuesday.
Source: NPR
Source: NPR
Source: KTLA
California is the first state to surpass 700,000 coronavirus cases
Over the weekend, California became the first state to surpass 700,000 known COVID-19 cases. California is the nation's most populous state and has recently seen a decline in average new cases. Although California has the most cases in the country, it has not been among the most severely affected. It ranks 21st amongst the states in terms of cases and 26th in the number of deaths. California was the first to issue a stay at home order, on March 19th. Still, after re-opening two months later, the state saw a surge in cases over the summer, forcing Gov. Newsom to order another partial shutdown of the economy's specific high-risk sectors.
Source: The New York Times
Election Briefings
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence will no longer brief Congress in person on foreign efforts to interfere with the November elections. It will now be delivered in writing only. Democrats in House and Senate believe this will significantly impact their ability to question and hold officials accountable for the elections' security. Republican Senator Marco Rubio released a statement praising the decision and citing improper leaks of the briefing used to damage President Trump. Democrats vowed to push for the briefs' reinstatement as it is their lawful responsibility to keep Congress informed.
Source: The New York Times
Source: NPR
Running Out Of Time, Census Scales Back A Critical Step: Checking Its Own Work
The Census deadline has been pushed up to September 30th. The office of the U.S Census is facing challenges getting people to complete the survey amid the pandemic. There are growing concerns that truncating the process will undermine the data's accuracy and exacerbate the under counting of people of color, immigrants, and historically underrepresented groups. The pandemic makes the counting process incredibly difficult as people move around due to evictions, losing homes, and students going back home due to school closures.
Source: NPR
California Lawmakers Reach New Deal for New Eviction Protections
California lawmakers have reached an agreement to extend eviction protections through January, so long as tenants pay 25 percent of the rent during this period. The proposal was announced on Friday and will be voted on by the House on Aug. 31. Democratic lawmakers state this is not a perfect solution to the housing problem caused by the loss of jobs due to the pandemic. Tenant advocates feel the bill needs to push protection until the end of the pandemic.
Source: Los Angeles Times