I haven’t read the coronavirus relief bill, but I hope NBC News did when they reported…
Under a 1996 law, the Treasury Department operates a program that allows it to collect overdue child support by cutting or withholding federal payments as an offset.
I don’t think that’s cool, but I get it. What makes it less cool is they have similar ‘offsets’ against folks who have past tax debts, or are behind on other payments to federal or state governments like student loan payments, but everything has been forgiven besides those parents late with their child support.
I’ve been laid off a few times. It’s humiliating and confusing, especially if it’s your first time. Once you’ve been through it once, you are less stressed and somewhat comfortable navigating all the baggage that unemployment dumps on you.
I’ve always struggled with the term ‘laid-off.’ A lay-off could be seasonal and have you out of work until business picks up. I guess that’s called a temporary lay-off these days. Yet, folks get straight up fired with no hopes of being rehired and it’s still called a lay-off. And then there’s something called unpaid leave. Somehow, that’s different from a temporary lay-off.
Regardless of how they describe it, when you’re laid off, you are out of work.
Increasingly, people are being asked to quarantine for a couple weeks if they come in contact with someone who has coronavirus. The quarantine is designed to keep you away from others so you don’t spread the virus, and it’s to keep an eye on you just in case you have the virus, too.
It’s the ‘keep and eye on you’ part where the Smartphone comes in.
It’s been reported that in some countries where they are cracking down on sticking to the rules, you better not get caught at Target buying toilet paper or stocking your pantry if you’re supposed to be home quarantining (is that a word?). They are using all the surveillance tools available to trace your steps to make sure you stay home.
On Tuesday I asked if the county confirmed COVID-19 cases would jump by 100% on Friday, from 84 to 168. It’s actually at 190 at last glimpse making that a 126% increase in 3-days.
…just in case what’s going on in your neck of the woods is of any concern to you, yet.
It seemed like just a few weeks ago and there were rumors, posts, and Tweets alleging how Black folks may be immune to the coronavirus. What was actually occurring was the lack of news media presenting the Black victims to viewers.
When Idris Elba announced he had COVID-19, the tables turned. Some of the most notable Blacks to announce publicly their positive test result are 11-NBA players. The myth is now destroyed; Black people can, will, and have contracted COVID-19.
As the virus works its way across the country, we can expect low income communities, particularly Black ones, to be hit hard. We have the highest rate of chronic illnesses thanks in part to existing where polluters roam freely. Many children have consumed high levels of lead but have never been diagnosed as such. You are hard pressed to not find a young person who doesn’t have asthma. Infant mortality is high and life expectancy is low. Coronavirus seems to thrive in environments like this. The City Health Commissioner of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Jeanette Kowalik announced on Monday…
…many of the new COVID-19 cases they were seeing for the coronavirus were in middle-aged African American men. The first three Milwaukee patients reported to have died after contracting coronavirus were all African American men between the ages of 50 and 70. All of the patients had underlying conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart problems.
Milwaukee also suffers from high infant mortality, and childhood lead poisoning which makes their population of Blacks so vulnerable.
Voncile Campbell is a math teacher at Bow Elementary-Middle School in Detroit, and since the school shut down she’s created a new role for herself as a bedtime storyteller. She says…
“I thought about how we have a low return of homework and students who say that there’s nobody reading to them at home,” she said. “And I really just wanted to do something to connect with my students by reading to them at night because I wanted to show them that I personally am still thinking about them.”
Chester had a couple COVID-19 cases last week but they turned out the be bogus for some unexplained reason (or at least none I came across). Now, we have two new cases I don’t think are related to the last two cases. I’d love to research that more, but this is all the available information out there I know of.
The Delaware County COVID-19 map is on fire. On Tuesday when the county was at 84 cases, I asked if we’d get to 168 cases by Friday. Today is Thursday and we’re at 159. What do you think?
A couple people I know are asking what is an essential employee and who makes that determination?
During this coronavirus period, we are hearing the term essential apply to employees, industries, and job functions. They all have their own definition and no matter how they’re defined, it’s as ambiguous as the people who come up with what’s essential or not when they’re left to make that decision.
Black folks love a funeral. That’s not to say we welcome death or even desire to attend a funeral, but let there be a funeral of someone we may know just a little bit, there’s a chance it will draw a crowd around here. We even have a group of professional mourners who show up at every funeral and think nothing of being there for a complete stranger while staying all the way to the repast.
I’m sure if I did a little research I’d find how our ancestors have done it big when it comes to sending off our loved ones in ceremonious style. It’s in our DNA to stage a funeral with as much of the best stuff we can afford like costly caskets, limonene processions, professionally designed programs printed on costly stock, flowers, rugs, video tributes, full choir ensembles, Stellar Award worthy soloists, fiery eulogists, and long readings of Hallmark cards and proclamations. If they’re affiliated with fraternities, sororities, or Masonic like organizations, expect a preamble to the regular service.
Black Covid-19 