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2020-06-25
From the article: "It's not going to close tomorrow or the next day, co-owner Stacy Lentz told CNN, but the Stonewall Inn's future is in jeopardy. Payments for the bar's insurance and rent, in addition to normal operating costs, continue to mount even though coronavirus has closed their doors."
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2020-06-25
Tweet by CBC Newfoundland reporter Matt McCann reporting on a joke made by John Haggie, the MLA (MHA) for Gander, and provincial Minister of Health made about the scandal in which Tim Horton's was revealed to be extensively tracking those who use their application. The minister joked that they should use the Tim's app in place of a custom built contact tracing application for those with covid-19.
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2020-05-05
Amid tensions with the president over his deployment of federal officers during protests, Washington’s mayor had “Black Lives Matter” painted near the White House in an unmistakable assertion of control.
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2020-06-25
A collection of resources regarding covid-19 produced by various government and community associations across the country specifically for indigenous people. It was produced by Ottawa Public Health. The resources are in a variety of indigenous languages including Cree, Ojibwe, Mi'kmaq, Inuktitut, and Algonquin, which touch on a variety of issues, including those which have uniquely cultural significance such as tobacco use.
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2020-06-05
Because of Covid, protesters are having to change how they protest.
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2020-06-25
One of a series of informational posters/infographics produced by Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK), an Inuit organization, to educate Inuit/Inuk individuals on and to promote health precautions which prevent the spread of the virus.
The ITK's resources are among those linked to a resource page created by Ottawa Public Health specifically for Indigenous residents in several indigenous languages and with cultural practices and values in mind. Ottawa has a significant Inuit population (the largest outside the North). The population is further bolstered by the fact that Ottawa is the closest major medical centre for much of the North, particularly Nunavut. As such, many come down to receive significant medical treatment and are therefore placed at a greater risk due to their medical vulnerability, on top of being in more densely populated areas with greater chances of contact with an infected person than they would at home up north.
The poster itself shows a figure in traditional dress standing in the foreground with a cane, next to a window through which is peering a second person in traditional dress with a speech bubble which says "Ai!" The text along the top is Inuktitut, in both its own alphabet and roman letters. The text along the bottom is in English and reads "Protect Elders by staying away. / Call or visit through the window instead."
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2020-06-04
I am worried about layoffs next year. I recently moved to a new school and the potential for layoff is high.
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2020-06-05
On Friday the governor explained how Hollywood will reopen after months of lockdown due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
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2020-06-05
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
California will allow schools, day camps, bars, gyms, campgrounds and professional sports to begin reopening with modifications starting next Friday.
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2020-06-05
As a white person I have struggled with how to express myself in this difficult, historic time.
Ultimately what I say doesn't matter as much as any Person of Color in this moment, because when I think I understand, i can't possibly.
The only thing I think I can contribute that is my place to say, is to express some thoughts to other white people in this moment about what this moment means.
It's no longer enough to not be racist. A lot of us have hung our hats on "not seeing color" or treating people equally regardless of their race. Weve been making those steps for 60 years as a nation, and the slow March of forward progress has only made actual racists hide behind more obscure symbolism and made white people feel better about themselves. Every white person who wants to consider themselves "good" in this moment, now has a responsibility to attack and drive out racism. And every white person who tries to say racism isnt that bad or isnt the real problem now, needs to be confronted with the fact they are making it worse.
You cant compare police killing statistics to black on black crime. Doing so ignores the fact that a deep distrust of the police born from centuries of abuse and persecution has made minority communities vulnerable to criminal influence as good people are afraid to call the cops because the cops might be worse than criminals they need protecting from.
You cant say all lives matter. Because, 1) no shit. And 2) people are trying to lift up the most abused segment of our population, and doing so will raise the tide for all people. Sure there is that incident where a white person was beaten or killed by cops. That's why BLM and other movements are asking for things like independent review of all complaints and incidents not just those affecting minorities. There are a million reasons why AllLivesMatter is not appropriate and diminishes the moment. Feel free to PM me if you want to discuss this, but that conversation distracts the conversation from constructive discourse to have to have in public.
You can't say protesting is causing division in this country. Black people are asking to be seen and heard, they are asking you to better understand their experience, their fear and their pain. If you are refusing to acknowledge that experience, or somehow invalidate it because you have never seen it, you are the one causing division. Citing the looting or rioting as causing this "division" is a whole separate issue. For this point I will just say, you can't equate protesting with the looting and rioting, they are different things.
You can condemn looting. But instead of just using it as a reason to dismiss or act against protestors, you have to look at what is actually going on. There are multiple different types of looting and rioting going on. Some is a response to police meeting peaceful protest with more violence and oppression. This is the anger and the burning. Like when one child hits another and the second child bites in response. Neither is ok, you don't excuse the first child hitting because the response may have been worse. Violence begets violence, and places where curfews have been rolled back and protestors have not been met with police, protests have remained peaceful and people have danced in the streets. The other type of looting is what happened in Fairfield and Vallejo, with looting without protest, the stealing. This is horrible, and criminal, but also a clear sign the system has been ineffective at improving or protecting our communities and has created safe spaces for criminal elements created by their community fearing Police brutality more than the criminal elements also terrorizing them. Protestors arent saying that looting is ok, and looting shouldn't in any way diminish their message. Looting should be condemned, but also think about what the looting means and how it serves as proof the protestors are right. People loot when teams and cities win or lose sports championships every year, there are unsavory elements that will take advantage every chance they get. If anything protestors want to improve their communities so looting doesnt happen again. Looting is horrible and absolutely should be condemned, but it a symptom of the underlying problem far more than a product of protests, and is being used as an excuse to set curfews in place to justify breaking up protests unlawfully.
You cant joke about Covid. People protesting during a pandemic doesnt mean they dont take it seriously or it isnt a problem. It means the moment is so big, people are willing to take on another layer of danger in unrest because they dont know when they will have this moment again.
You need to demand more of your police. A good cop is no longer one that doesnt beat or abuse people, it's one who reports or acts against the abuses by others. Sadly cops who do that are driven out of forces and departments. If we want to talk about places like Camden, NJ, where they disbanded their Police department and rebuilt it with all local officers, officer involvement in the community, and they are actually seeing reductions in crime as well as Public approval of the police department, thats a good conversation to have, and something worth praising and commending. Dont post pictures of officers kneeling, 2 days ago Buffalo, NY officers kneeled, and 24 hours later in the same location, the same officers nearly killed a peaceful 75 year old man. Officers kneeling with protestors has been compared to an abusive boyfriend apologizing before beating you again 2 weeks later. We need change not gestures. A reform of our police system benefits the good cops as much as the victims of the bad cops, as they will be able to protect and serve their community the way they wanted to when they became cops, instead of fearing reprisal for speaking up or stopping abusive officers.
You need to educate yourself on what protestors are facing. The police brutality in these times in coming in overwhelming waves. This brutally is causing protests to escalate into panic or riots, which then creates the safe space for the criminal element to loot. I suggest if you can stomach unsettling images you check out the Twitter thread I'm going to link. It started with a lawyer documenting 10 instances of unjustified police brutality or abuses of rights in the first day and a half of protests, 6 days in it's over 300 videos.
https://twitter.com/greg_doucette/status/1266751520055459847?s=19
You need to understand the basics of what is being asked for. There is so much hurt and anger,and a lot of people only see hashtags like #defundthepolice or #abolishthepolice and think it's ridiculous we need cops. Some of it is exaggeration, some of it is just more nuanced. The basic things people want come down to. 1) Independent review. Instances of police brutality and killings are investigated and determined lawful or not by District Attorneys who work with the same officers on a daily basis and are dependent on their cooperation to do their job, as well as seek re election. This is the definition of conflict of interest, an independent office of some sort needs to do this work. 2) police funding needs to change. Police budgets are insanely large portions of local government spending, with ridiculous amounts spent on military grade equipment and way too little spent on things like social workers and drug counseling. Our communities are better served trying to better them than to punish them. Both in efficiency and quality of life. 3) elimination of qualified immunity. When a cop violates someone's civil rights and isnt even charged, the city often still loses a civil lawsuit (because civil rights were violated) the city or municipality ends up liable for the damages, not the police department or the offending officer. This further depletes resources for the community at large and is a further part of the plea to "hold police accountable". If doctors are liable for their own mistakes, why arent police departments? Why does seeking restitution for crimes against you make your community's schools, social programs or arts suffer, and not the actual entity that committed the crime?
You need to see how it's working. The state of Colorado, the city of Portland, and the city of Minneapolis are making massive changes to their police programs. The LAPD budget is under review with hundreds of millions of dollars potentially being diverted to other community improvement. The officers were all arrested and charged, that happened because people werent satisfied each step along the way. And that doesnt mean the final goal is accomplished, there are hundreds of other civil rights violations and abuses new and old that have not seen justice. These protests will get stronger and stronger until that wave of change spreads, and as certain government parties respond with more force, more people will be outraged and join the protests.
There is a lot there, and so much more I havent even touched. If anyone wants to discuss these points privately, without judgement, feel free to message me. My biggest regret right now is all my life I have tried to be a good friend to the people of color in my life, but I have failed because I have not done enough to be a good Ally, what they actually deserved. But this moment isn't about me or any other white persons guilt, it is about what we will do now to step up and fix an obviously broken system.
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2020-06-04
Many falsely believe that the Corona virus will not harm children. However, it it becoming clearer that while not statistically likely, Covid-19 can be deadly to children.
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2020-06-04
Reported job losses are declining. The hope is that people can get back to work soon.
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2020-06-04
Many of us are eagerly waiting for a vaccine. But there is is still so much uncertainty.
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2020-06-03
This article compares protest signs from white people protesting for a haircut, to black people asking, "Am I Next?"
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2020-06-03
Despite of Covid, people are fighting for social justice.
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2020-06-03
Recently a group of teenagers posted racist rants on social media. The teens were all athletes. The school district wrote a public letter of condemnation. They also speak on Covid-19 and the stress it has caused. They also list actions the school district will take in order to ensure they are honoring diversity within their educational programs.
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2020-05-29
Parents, teachers and students all of the country are eagerly waiting to know what will happen in the Fall as schools begin to reopen.
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2020-05-30
This article highlights (at least for me), where our nations priority lay. Educational services always take the brunt of our nations cuts. It is so unfair to our children. Don't they know that education spending will decrease the need for prisons?
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2020-05-28
Now that all races have been canceled, I have been participating in social distance marathons. I have completed one so far. Virtual Marathons such as this are helping people like me stay active.
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2020-05-29
My brother-in-law is a grocery-store worker in Texas. As the numbers of positive Covid cases rise, he continues to go to work. He believes in his heart that his work is important and that he is an essential worker. Jobs previously overlooked such as truckers, grocery store workers, or waste management, Now Americans are celebrating these workers.
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2020-05-28
As an educator in California, I am watching this story closely. I don't know what I will do if I get laid off. My school district has already sent out an email asking us to prepare for possible furloughs. I don't understand how Newsome could cut budgets to the areas of highest need.
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2020-05-28
NPR answers questions about Covid-19, reopening, voting, elections and more.
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2020-05-27
Podcast about the push-back by rural Americans against restrictions.
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2020-05-26
This article is talking about SARS viruses and how orcas may be in danger.
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2020-05-28
From injecting bleach to a bio-shield? There are a lot of strange ideas to keep Covid-19 from infecting people. Some of them are pretty strange. Introducing the personal bio-shield.
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2020-05-26
As the states begin reopening the question of if social distancing will be enough to flatten the curve is now on the forefront.
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2020-05-27
Interesting article about the process of counting true covid-19 mortality numbers.
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2020-05-27
This day hit us hard. 100,000 Americans dead.
As of today (June 25, 2020) the number is 124,440. And yet it is an actual debate for many on if social distancing and masks are necessary.
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2020-05-26
My sons school is talking about reopening in the fall. With so much uncertainty ahead these meeting sometimes feel pointless.
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2020-05-26
I went to the grocery story with my 83 year old grandmother and was more than a little irritated to see that so many people were refusing to wear a mask. It gave me an uneasy feeling. My grandmother who lives alone and very far from any family, has no choice but to leave her home to buy necessities. I am worried for her safety.
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2020-04-28
These two orders, issued by the Massachusetts Public Health Commissioner in late April and early May of 2020, waive the time frame for CNA training and the need for health screenings in Massachusetts schools. Both of these mandates reflected the constant need to buttress the number of frontline medical personnel available for service, as well as the fact that Massachusetts schools would no longer require such screenings due to the transition to virtual learning.
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2020-04-20
Issued at the end of April 2020, these public health directives include guidance on staff-to-patient ratios in dialysis units, COVID-19 data accessibility, allowing certain referrals to labs conducting COVID-19 testing, and essential practices for the continued operation of farmers' markets in Massachusetts. While most of these orders highlight the virus's testing and healthcare impacts, the last ordnance reflects the careful mitigation efforts employed to ensure access to a healthy food supply.
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2020-04-04
The public health directives contained in this set provide a closer look at COVID-19's impact on daily life in Massachusetts as it pertains to personal health. These orders sought to relieve the burden of prescription refills on quarantined individuals, clarify the essential practices of grocery stores, and details on the reporting COVID-19 case numbers and all relevant data.
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2020-04-03
These orders offer guidance on the maximization of healthcare availability, the compounding and sale of over-the-counter hand sanitizer at pharmacies, the continued expansion of the available pool of medical personnel, and public health guidance on the operation of garden centers/nurseries as an essential service.
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2020-03-28
These public health orders primarily address long-term care and assisted living facilities within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Specifically, they expand the number of medical personnel permitted to administer rescue inhalers and epinephrine injections in community programs, address the transfer/discharge of patients from long-term care facilities, while expanding the pool of nurses qualified to work in assisted living programs. Moreover, the orders give the Department of Public Health the authority to run criminal background checks on volunteers for MAResponds. Orders such as these detail the different ways that state governments, like Massachusetts, attempted to reinforce their healthcare system in the face of the pandemic.
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2020-03-24
Because of the coronavirus's potential to overwhelm the healthcare system at virtually every level, the Massachusetts Public Health Commissioner issued these orders to address the maintenance of adequate hospital staffing, the need for more medical personnel to perform a greater range of functions, and the steps grocery stores and pharmacies need to take to ensure customer safety. While providing a look into COVID-19's effects upon the public health system, these orders also render a snapshot into how the "new normal" began to take shape in Massachusetts.
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2020-03-23
Contained in this set are public health orders addressing modifications to medical examiner inspections, the production and donation of hand sanitizer in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the closure of day programs, and directives for pharmacies to ensure the continuation of operations and the reduction of exposure to COVID-19. These orders give testament to the drastic alterations that COVID-19 forced upon the state, as well as the country and the world, as it aimed to combat the growing crisis.
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2020-03-17
These public health directives issued by the Massachusetts Commissioner of Public Health reveal how the sudden health crisis forced the MA Department of Public Health to quickly adapt to a disease that had stormed the state, the country, and the world. These orders include guidance on the reassignment of physician's assistants to address the shortage of healthcare personnel, the administering of medications to treat opioid addiction due to said personnel shortage, the continuity of emergency medical services, as well as sharing of vital information with first responders.
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2020-06-24
On Tuesday, June 24th. Following cities across Maricopa County enacting mandatory mask ordinances. Scottsdale is one such city.
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2020-06-23
A meme posted about the cutthroat labor system in Peru, it's true that there's a lot of competition in certain sectors. In some cases, vendors barely make a profit because everyone is trying to offer the lowest price just to make the sale. I often had this conversation with my mother in law who sold clothing on consignment, I understand that consignment is a normal practice, but if you have to take a bus/taxi to someone's house 3 or 4 times to collect installments, the minimal profits you were making are essentially erased. Now that Peru is allowing some vendors to start selling again, it's once again a volatile and competitive environment because so many people have been without work and the basic necessities.
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2020-06-16
The image title reads, "Oxígeno para loncheras/oxygen for lunchboxes," and states "solo si tienes un montón de plata/only if you have a ton of money." This implies, that like the U.S. medicine and healthcare can divide people along class lines, and the best medical care is available to those who can afford it.
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2020-06-15
A political cartoon about new restrictions on ambulatory sales. Prior to the pandemic, Peru had an economy where lots of people could purchase and sell products like ambulatory salespeople, moving around buses and neighborhoods freely carrying their products. Now however, salespeople aren't allowed to walk around or sell on foot, they have to sell out of their car. It offers some relief to those who actually have access to a car, but for those who don't and aren't earning money, the economic challenge of survival is a greater threat than the virus.
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2020-06-17
A political cartoon reflecting on the recent news of a medical study in the UK that showed dexametasona (DECADRON) could help reduce the fatality rates of severe Coronavirus cases. The comments reflect some concern that readers might take this information too literally and self-medicate, which has been a problem in Peru. The self-medication approaches range from strange to devastating, as some have tried to create home spas or special chemical baths that proved fatal to users.
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2020-06-24
I really love reading Somos, and I love this short historias piece reflecting on the best and worst of coronavirus from 100 Peruvians. It's reassuring to read what is helping people stay positive, and at the same time recognize that we're all struggling with a really difficult moment. There's a parent who laments she can't visit her daughter when she got into Stanford, another parent willing to watch the Wizard of Oz as many times as his daughter asks, and others who took the extra time at home to learn new skills like baking a carrot cake or reflecting on their lives and relationships.
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2020-06-24
I didn't realize there were organizations coordinating the production and distribution of medical supplies to send abroad, it seemed like just a few months ago we couldn't even get states to agree to share supplies. I'm wondering where these ventilators will go, or if they won't even make it out of Lima. The comments and replies seemed laudatory for the president, but nothing too significant, so I didn't screenshot them. Tweet text: Today, 250 brand-new, state-of-the-art ventilators arrived safely in Peru. This
@USAID donation is another example of American generosity as the United States battles COVID-19 at home and around the world.
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2020-06-20
A group of prisoners from Chino were recently transferred to San Quentin because of a COVID-19 outbreak. These prisoners were housed in a separate, yet connected, area from the residing San Quentin incarcerated population. San Quentin prisoners reported daily COVID-19 testing since the group arrived. 159 prisoners at San Quentin have now tested positive for COVID-19. The numbers are expected to continue to climb. Fear, anxiety, frustration and anger are running rampant as San Quentin attempts to contain the spread of the virus.
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2020-06-17
California is planning to release more corrections inmates early on July 1st in an effort to slow the spread of the corona virus. While this is a step in the right direction advocates point out that this group of inmates does not include those with disabilities, medically fragile, or preexisting conditions.
The article also highlights how the virus is spreading from on facility to another through prisoner transfer. While transferring prisoners to facilities with lower populations sounds good to aid in social distancing the people being transferred are actually spreading the virus into new facilities.
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2020-06-22
Late night host, John Oliver, of HBO's "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver," recently dedicated the main portion of his thirty minute show to highlighting the struggle of America's inmates with the covid-19 pandemic. This article provides the highlights of the show including a lack of soap, the number of non-inmate personal who are ill, covid being introduced to new facilities through prison transfer, people who have yet to be convicted but stuck in jail because they cannot afford cash bail, and the use of solitary confinement as punishment for one inmate who shared a video on Facebook.
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2020-06-15
As the US struggles to deal with covid-19 so do the nations corrections facilities. Due to their architecture and systems the facilities are at high risk of covid spreading rapidly through their populations. Advocates are becoming increasingly concerned over a new policy in some facilities which are using solitary confinement as an answer to the problem of quarantine. While advocates of abolishing solitary confinement are concerned for all of the regular reasons this causes extra alarm because they are worried the practice will become more wide spread and more commonly used both during the pandemic and once it is over.
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2020-03-29
In an effort to slow the spread of covid-19 inside of US prisons and jails some inmates have been release early or sent home, on house arrest. As discussions were happening across the country regarding this idea Texas Governor, Greg Abbott, signed an executive order to stop early release from the states correctional facilities.
