Now as COVID-19 cases continue to surge and relief remains elusive, it is even more important that people of color understand just how much is at stake in the U.S. Senate run-offs and feel empowered to participate in the democratic process again. It is unusual for a state to elect two Senators at once, but Georgians will do so because one of the contests is a special election to fill the remaining two years of the previous Senator’s term. With two seats to fill, it is especially vital that everyone take a stand and vote.
Archives: Voices
CHN’s COVID-19 Watch: Tracking Hardship November 13, 2020
The we’re-increasingly-alarmed-yet-a-tad-bit-optimistic edition. COVID-19 is burning through America’s heartland like a California wildfire. Over the past week, there has been an average of 134,078 new cases a day, an increase of 72 percent from the average two weeks earlier. The U.S. may soon see new confirmed cases climb above 200,000 a day – a figure that would have been unfathomable when daily cases peaked at over 70,000 new cases a day last July. In multiple states, hospital officials warned that the current spike is straining resources and sidelining the very staffers needed to care for sick people.
COVID-19 and the “shecession:” Millions of women drop out of workforce, threatening 50 years of progress
Monica Marling used to work as a waitperson at Avenue Eats in Wheeling, West Virginia. When the pandemic hit, she lost her job, just like millions of others in the service industry. Monica is part of the “shecession.” Millions of women have left the workforce – some because their jobs in the hospitality industry evaporated, but many others, particular those with elementary-school age children, because of children who have to learn virtually at home and due to a lack of affordable childcare.
CHN’s COVID-19 Watch: Tracking Hardship November 6, 2020
The we’re-still-counting-votes-and-COVID-cases edition. Even as a record number of Americans cast ballots in Tuesday’s election, COVID-19 cases in the U.S. reached staggering levels. For the first time, we surpassed 100,000 new cases in a single day. Case levels have reached alarming new records in recent days as outbreaks continue to grow across the country. Weekly infection rates reached record levels in nearly half the country in late October. Oklahoma, Kansas, and North Dakota are among the states struggling to handle the onslaught of cases amid shortages of both nurses – who themselves are infected or in quarantine – and ICU beds.
Protecting against election misinformation: Some tips and defenses
With the help of the internet and social media, there are countless voices from every corner of the globe voicing moving ideas and compelling statements. But not everyone who shares has the best of intentions. Here are some helpful guidelines regarding what to do and what not to do when consuming information from your social media feeds to protect yourself – and others — from false material.
Know your voting rights
As Election Day approaches, it is important for voters to know their rights and make sure their voices are heard. If you are voting at the polls, below is a list of basic rights and resources to keep in mind when you are performing your civic duty on November 3rd. Most likely things will go smoothly, but here is useful information if you encounter any problems.
CHN’s COVID-19 Watch: Tracking Hardship October 30, 2020
The COVID, COVID is everywhere edition. Covid-19 cases are soaring. On Oct. 28, 81,457 new infections were reported in the U.S. — the highest number so far in the U.S. Today we will surpass a cumulative total of nine million cases. Rural counties and small metro areas are seeing the worst growth, but infections also are rising rapidly in and around major cities like Chicago and Milwaukee.
Report: Eviction notices soaring, despite CDC moratorium
Large landlords have filed nearly 10,000 eviction notices in just five states since early September, despite a CDC moratorium that runs through Dec. 31 on people actually losing their homes due to COVID-19-related hardship, according to a disturbing new report. The report, published Monday by NBC News, quotes housing advocates who are worried that the number may just be the tip of the iceberg – and that many evictions could occur once the moratorium expires.
CHN’s latest Human Needs Report: COVID-19 response package, 2020 Census, victory for SNAP recipients and more
CHN just released another edition of the Human Needs Report. Read on for the latest on the possibility of another COVID-19 response package, continued work on the 2020 Census, a victory for SNAP recipients, and more.
CHN’s COVID-19 Watch: Tracking Hardship October 23, 2020
The 3 million kids are missing edition. The coronavirus pandemic has not hit everyone equally. We know that Latinx and Black households are most adversely affected, both in the workplace and in susceptibility to COVID-19. Women, too, have been hit hard, the pandemic’s effects exacerbated by their familiar role as primary caregivers as well as their over-representation in the decimated service industries. But there is a whole other population at risk – children and young people. This week, a groundbreaking study was released that estimates 3 million of the most educationally marginalized children have not seen the inside of a classroom – virtual or in-person – since last March, when most schools shut down. Many of these 3 million are kids with disabilities, English learners, students in foster care, migrant students, and homeless students.
CLASP: Public policy was already failing young people — pandemic is making it worse
We can’t wait for economic justice. We can’t wait for healing and wellbeing. We can’t wait for safe communities. It is time for a New Deal for Youth that responds to the historic roots and current scale of the crisis. When the once-in-a-lifetime catastrophe is over, our future as a nation will depend on how intentionally we support and invest in this generation.
Report: Even before the pandemic, the number of uninsured children rose, wiping out gains made under ACA
The number of children without health coverage in the U.S. increased by about 726,000 between 2016 and 2019, bringing the total to more than 4 million uninsured children and reversing years of national progress, a new report finds. The report, issued earlier this month by the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families, concludes that many of the gains in coverage made as a result of the Affordable Care Act’s major expansions, implemented in 2014, have now been eliminated.