NNPA NEWSWIRE — It’s not clear whether Trump defending vaccines is even enough to change the minds of some of his most ardent supporters. The former President was booed earlier this week when he acknowledged he had received a booster and the issue has, for many of the unvaccinated, been turned in a political matter rather than a public health one.
NNPA NEWSWIRE — The congresswoman counts among several other lawmakers to recently test positive, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Sen. Chris Coons (D-Delaware), Congressman Jason Crow (D-Colorado), Congressman Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.) Congressman Bobby Rush (D-Illinois), and Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.).
PRECINCT REPORTER NEWS — “The future wellbeing of our country depends on how we support and invest in the next generation,” said U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. “Especially in this moment, as we work to protect the health of Americans in the face of a new variant, we also need to focus on how we can emerge stronger on the other side. This advisory shows us how we can all work together to step up for our children during this dual crisis.”
NNPA NEWSWIRE — Dr. Hilton repeatedly has asked the CDC about changing protocols when it comes to booster shots. “How are we not repeating this same injustice in the face of racial health disparities as it pertains to boosters? As a result, black Americans die at younger ages, higher rates, and have already lost three years of life expectancy,” Dr. Ebony J. Hilton, a Critical Care Anesthesiologist doctor at the University of Virginia and founder of GoodStock Consulting, LLC, demanded. “Race is an independent risk factor,” she declared, adding further that “this will be a stain on the history of America.”
NNPA NEWSWIRE — Gregory McClary, owner and manager of Chapel of the Chimes Funeral Home in Westland, says one notable challenge faced by funeral directors is dealing with a grieving family whose members are fragmented, due either to distance or disagreements. While families may bicker, stepping into the midst of family discord and trying to unite the members can be difficult he says, adding that the hard part is, “Trying to get families to come together at a time like this and to realize that somebody had to die for them to even come see me.”
NNPA NEWSWIRE — The White House earlier announced that the U.S. would restrict travel from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Malawi, and Mozambique. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has already declared a state of emergency, announcing that while the omicron variant hadn’t arrived, she expects it would soon.
GREENE COUNTY DEMOCRAT — The cost of childcare has placed a serious financial burden on Black parents who are two times more likely than White parents to have to quit, turn down, or make a major change in their job due to childcare disruptions. In addition, only 26.8 percent of Black 3- and 4-year-old children are enrolled in publicly funded preschool, while the average cost of preschool for those without access to publicly funded programs is $8,600. Most families will save more than half of what they currently spend on childcare, and the vast majority of families will pay no more than 7 percent of their income for childcare. It will also reduce the cost of home-based care for the hundreds of thousands of older adults and people with disabilities who need it but lack access. Investment in home care will raise wages for home care workers, 28 percent of whom are Black.
NNPA NEWSWIRE — In March, Democrats passed President Biden’s American Rescue Plan (ARP) without a single Republican vote. In addition to making sure we had enough vaccines and getting them out quickly and equitably, the ARP scaled up testing and tracing and addressed the shortages of personal protective equipment. The ARP expanded the Child Tax Credit, which lifted nearly half of America’s children living in poverty out of poverty, and the Earned Income Tax Credit; the House-passed Build Back Better legislation will extend these expanded tax credits through 2022.
NNPA NEWSWIRE — Poverty and unemployment within our families and communities are now on a steady decrease after years of increasing economic disparities even before the devastating impact of COVID-19 on Black America. We express our condolences to those families who have suffered deaths from that deadly pandemic that continues to disproportionately hit our communities.
THE SACRAMENTO OBSERVER — In a since-deleted Sunday tweet that appeared to lash out at people speculating about her husband’s cancellation and current whereabouts, First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom wrote: “It’s funny how certain folks can’t handle truth. When someone cancels something, maybe they’re just in the office working; maybe in their free time they’re at home with their family, at their kids’ sports matches, or dining out with their wife. Please stop hating and get a life.” She had also been scheduled to go to Scotland.
The high cost of rent and fierce competition for vacant properties has led to an increase in rental fraud, with many people turning to online social media groups to find apartments, and some even sharing the cost of an apartment with friends or family.
