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‘A Dangerous Gamble’: Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey Refuses to Order ‘Shelter-in-Place’ for Residents, Leaving Black Alabamans Especially at Risk
It looks like Nathaniel Woods isn’t the only person Gov. Kay Ivey is willing to put to death. The Republican governor announced during a press conference on Thursday that the state would not be enacting “shelter-in-place” measures, which have been shown in other countries to mitigate the disastrous effects of the coronavirus. From Talking Points…
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This Reporter Staring Down a Herd of Bison Is All of Us This Week
Deion Broxton became the most relatable man on the internet this week after the Montana-based news reporter saw something he didn’t like—and wisely walked the fuck away. That particular “something,” was a herd of bison. Shooting a teaser for a KTVM-NBC story on closures at Yellowstone Park on Wednesday, the 27-year-old Broxton spotted the herd…
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3.3 Million Americans Filed for Unemployment Benefits. Here's What That Means for Black People
For many economic experts, it was not a matter of if a recession would hit once the coronavirus became a pandemic, but how bad it would be when it did. On Thursday morning, the numbers from the Department of Labor were even worse than what many had initially predicted: 3.3 million Americans filed for unemployment…
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Barack Obama's 2008 Election Boosted Black Men's Mental Health, Study Finds
When thinking about how politics and news events impact our mental health, we frequently focus on negative impacts: coverage about police shootings, disasters, and violent terrorist attacks have been shown to spike public anxiousness, cause depression and even reactivate past trauma. But sociologist Tony Brown was curious about how positive events might impact public health.…
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With Lack of Consistent COVID-19 Messaging From Trump Administration, Lax Responses and Misinformation May Increase Health Risks
Since the coronavirus broke out in the U.S., Donald Trump has offered mixed messages on the severity of the virus, America’s readiness to combat it, and what the administration plans to do to help millions of Americans access healthcare and resources as the pandemic spreads. Just today, Trump said he hoped to have businesses back…
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Colorado Becomes 22nd State to Abolish Death Penalty
Governor Jared Polis officially repealed capital punishment in Colorado on Monday, capping off a heated legislative battle to get rid of the death penalty in the state. For decades, capital punishment was seldom used in Colorado, the New York Times points out. Since reinstating the death penalty in the 1970s, only one person had been…
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Nashom Wooden, a Standout Star in NYC's Influential Drag Scene, Reportedly Dead From COVID-19
Friends of Nashom Wooden, the performer behind the iconic drag persona Mona Foot, say he recently passed from COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Geoffrey Mac, a designer who won season 18 of the reality show Project Runway, shared a video on Instagram cautioning everyone to stay healthy as the pandemic continues to…
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Reps. Ilhan Omar and Ayanna Pressley Propose Massive Student Debt Relief Plan Ahead of Coronavirus-Spurred Recession
The fight against the coronavirus outbreak is a global endeavor, and as local and national governments around the world scramble to manage the global health crisis, they must also prepare for another devastating reality: a global recession. Making sure aid is equitable and effective is the burden laid upon American lawmakers and public officials—especially in…
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Texas Upholds Draconian Conviction for Woman Who Cast an 'Illegal Vote' in 2016: 'It's a Tragedy'
Crystal Mason, sentenced to five years in prison for casting an illegal ballot, had her appeal denied by a Texas judge last week. As the Texas Tribune reports, on Thursday, a three-judge appellate panel affirmed Mason’s conviction for casting an illegal ballot in the 2016 presidential election. Mason, who was on probation for a federal…
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'Selma Online' Offers Free Civil Rights Lessons in Response to Lack of Comprehensive Black History Curriculums
For its importance in American history, the civil rights movement is not covered with great depth in many k-12 curricula. Case in point: “Bloody Sunday”—during which Martin Luther King, Jr. and scores of nonviolent protesters were violently attacked by police during their march from Selma to Montgomery, Ala.—is frequently omitted from social studies lessons in…

