This piece was originally published in the September 2, 2020 edition of CAP Action’s daily newsletter, the Progress Report. Subscribe to the Progress Report here.
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The proportion of American families that are living with hunger during the pandemic. Numbers are even worse for Black (53%) and Latinx (56%) families.
Laurin is a mom to two kids with pre-existing conditions. If someone in her family were to contract COVID-19, they would be at heightened risk for serious health complications.
It didn’t have to be this way. Trump’s failed coronavirus response has a terrible price.
Share Laurin’s story on Facebook and Twitter to get the facts out:
IN THE NEWS
- Trump visited Kenosha yesterday without meeting with the family of Jacob Blake, who was shot seven times in the back by the local police and remains paralyzed in the hospital. Instead of meeting with the family or speaking with community leaders about what needs to be done to prevent further police violence, Trump toured the remains of a broken-down building. There, he opined about “riots” and “looting” before posing for a photo-op with the business’s former owner. The store’s current owner reportedly declined to attend, saying he didn’t want to be involved in Trump’s “circus.”
- Jacob Blake’s family held a separate, more uplifting event that looked more like a block party compared to the shadow of gloom-and-doom that Trump brought along on his visit. Attendees reflected on the actions of Kenosha police and rallied the community to turn pain into action by holding local leaders accountable, registering to vote, and pushing for real, systemic changes. The event also featured a community clean-up, music, dancing, and food.
- It’s September, which means Labor Day weekend is nearly upon us. As we’ve seen during other major holiday weekends this year, many Americans — following the lead of Trump and several governors — are proceeding with business as usual despite the pandemic continuing to rage on. Remember that video of people partying, mask-free, in the Ozarks? Or that horrifying image of a tightly packed boardwalk? Both were followed by coronavirus case spikes in their respective regions. Hear from the experts on what kind of gatherings to avoid and how to safely enjoy the weekend without contributing to the spread.
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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
- The Department of Health and Human Services announced that they are bidding a $250 million contract to a communications firm with the aim to “defeat despair and inspire hope” around the coronavirus pandemic. On top of the obvious concern of our own government running an ad campaign to make people feel better about Trump’s failed coronavirus response just months before an election, every cent being spent on this is a penny not going towards PPE, testing, research, vaccine development, or other critical resources one might think to prioritize during an all-consuming public health crisis. Or, say, a public education campaign on wearing masks! The announcement comes amid growing concerns over HHS’s political independence and ability to provide accurate, scientifically supported information.
- Americans’ net household worth fell by a record 5.6% over a period of just three months, according to an estimate from the Federal Reserve. This marks the steepest single-quarter decline in household wealth since the 1950s and comes at a time when billionaires are getting increasingly wealthy by the day.
- The Commission on Presidential Debates has selected the moderators for this fall’s general election debates between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. The three debates, which are scheduled to be held in Cleveland, Miami, and Nashville, will be moderated by Chris Wallace of Fox News, Steve Scully of C-SPAN, and Kristin Welker of NBC, respectively.
WHAT WE’RE READING
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