Hello, Friends. How are you? How was your week? I thought my mind wouldn’t be so distracted after the election, but I was definitely wrong. I look forward to a future time when we don’t have to think about the President for days or weeks at a time. (Remember what that was like?)
We’re looking at a typical low-key weekend of quarantine — movies, baking, etc.. If the weather is decent, maybe we’ll do some yard work over at the renovation. What about you? Anything you’re looking forward to this weekend?
Ready for links? Here are a few things I’ve wanted to share with you:
-The same police force that murdered Breonna Taylor hid 750,000(!) records of sexual abuse of minors by their officers(!) and then lied to keep those files secret. Louisville’s Metro Council voted to increase their funding this year.
-I Got COVID-19 in March and Never Got Better.
–Is This the Beginning of the End of American Racism? Donald Trump has revealed the depths of the country’s prejudice—and has inadvertently forced a reckoning.
–One wedding with 55 people led to Covid outbreaks in the community, at a long-term care facility 100 miles away, and at a correctional facility 200 miles away. 177 cases, 7 hospitalizations, and 7 deaths were linked to the wedding. No one who died had attended the wedding.
–I LOVE this interview with AOC.
-How the pandemic got people smoking again.
–Decriminalize poverty. After Chicago canceled late fees for library books, there was an 83% increase in books returned, 11,000 people got their library card back, 7% growth in books checked out, and they only l $900k in fees which is 0.009% of city budget.
-Pfizer’s Early Data Shows Vaccine Is More Than 90% Effective.
-6 Black women organizers on what happened in Georgia — and what comes next.
-A study determined that 18 Trump rallies have lead to 30,000 COVID-19 cases, and 700 deaths.
-At some point, people will claim that Trump “wasn’t really that bad.” Here is a list to keep handy — A Catalog of Trump’s Worst Cruelties, Collusions, Corruptions, and Crimes.
-Let’s talk about step-parenting and step-relationships.
-More than 130 Secret Service officers are said to be infected with coronavirus or quarantining in wake of Trump’s campaign travel.
-Gross. In 2012, the IRS audited 1 in every 7 people making over $10 million, now it’s 1 in every 3,000. Americans poor enough to get public assistance are 20x more likely to be audited than the rich, who are responsible for most unpaid taxes.
-I miss my oldest two kids. Sending them cozy blankets because I can’t hug them.
Here are some tweets I saved for you:
-A thread from Elizabeth Warren listing 8 things Biden can do on Day One.
–We can do much better for our veterans.
–Two statistics that are reorienting my brain.
-From a discussion about disclosing wages.
-A chart with the history of the filibuster.
–What a cool thing to think of.
-A thread with side-by-side images to show how the world looks when colorblind.
-Hah! These interviews are something else.
I hope you have a terrific weekend. I’ll meet you back here on Monday. I miss you already.
kisses,
Gabrielle
Oh my, I feel the library fines one so much. I still remember the stomach-twisting fear of going up to the library counter with the books I wanted and my mom’s card. I was never sure if there would be fines, and if the fines were over $5, you couldn’t get anymore books. And that was too much money. It brings tears to my eyes now honestly.
So much to like here! I love Elizabeth Warren’s suggestions for immediate actions the new administration can take (and that she kept saying Biden-Harris — yes!). The TikTok was magic. The side-by-side images demonstrating how people with color blindness see the world was incredible.
As for me, I’m starting a seasonal gig as a cashier at a local grocery store’s wine shop tomorrow and waiting for word about a full-time job I interviewed for that I would LOVE to get (should hear next week — fingers firmly crossed!).
May all the Blairs soon be reunited!
May this be true for all families who are separated and longing for each other.
May all people who hold power to work toward this possibility act accordingly.
Have a restful weekend (I know that I need one).
I really like the step parenting article. thanks for sharing Gabrielle!
I can’t wait for a BORING president come January. I think we all need to go back to eating bran for breakfast instead of crack.
The Louisville story is what makes me loose faith in humanity. :(
Have a great week-end! Here in Paris, all is fine, but feeling a bit claustrophobic because of lockdown.
I think the discussion on disclosing salaries is interesting! I work at a state university, so anyone can look up my salary as it’s considered public information. I think adding benefits/bonuses to the disclosure would also be important. Perhaps this would lead to more equitable pay structures? It always seems like the people who do the most actual labor are paid the least.
A time when we don’t have to think about the President for days and weeks at a time? For me, that’s now. Last week, for election day and a few days after that, I had definite anxiety about who will be the next President. But before election day and after those few days? Yep, I didn’t think about the President.
Every day I wake up and think, as I have since 1/21/17, “What fresh hell has Trump unleashed today?” and check CNN news on my phone, but now I also think, “Hell yeah, BIDEN WON!!!!!!!” So, there’s that. :)
Now to donate for Georgia and let the smart people there (two awesome candidates, Stacey Abrams and her colleagues) do their work.
I love AOC and don’t want her to become so disillusioned with the Democrats that she leaves politics.
And more and more libraries are going fine free- it’s great. Still have to pay a replacement fee if the book isn’t returned.
I’m not sure how many of your readers will delve into the CDC report about the wedding, but those are my weekly reading as my pediatric practice’s COVID point person. Not only should the lesson from that episode be to not socialize maskless indoors, but also if you are sick with any symptoms don’t go to work! The deaths in that cluster occurred because attendees got sick and still went to jobs at a longterm care facility and a correctional institution and passed the virus on to more vulnerable residents at those places. Please everyone stay safe….