Your daily #5fastfacts
Number 1: Coronavirus
Case numbers are still rising in the U.S. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, President Joe Biden and other pandemic authorities are telling the American people to stay vigilant in order to avoid a pandemic backslide.
In more positive news, Biden says over the next three weeks, 90% of the adult US population will be eligible for the vaccine.
Number 2: Voter Suppression
Georgia’s new controversial and restrictive voting law is facing backlash.
Two federal lawsuits have been filed thus far: one brought by a Democratic election attorney on behalf of racial justice groups and another by a collective of several civil rights and voting rights groups.
These lawsuits allege the new laws violate the voting rights act.
Number 3: Chauvin Trial
Day 1 recap of Chauvin Trial:
Prosecutor Jerry Blackwell showed jurors the disturbing video during opening statements.
Blackwell told them that the number to remember was 9 minutes, 29 seconds (the amount of time Chauvin had George Floyd pinned)
Chauvin's attorney Eric Nelson countered by arguing: "Derek Chauvin did exactly what he had been trained to do over his 19-year career."
Number 4: Anti-Asian Discrimination
1 in 4 Asian Americans have experienced a hate incident, and more than two-thirds have been asked "where they're really from" according to a poll by Survey Monkey and AAPI Data.
Number 5: Suez Canal
The Ever Given is finally free from the Suez Canal after nearly a week of blocking the passageway.
Tug boats had spent several hours on Monday working to free the bow of the massive vessel.
Now, hundreds of vessels that have been trapped since last Tuesday are preparing to restart their journeys.
#suezcanal #stopaapihate #georgefloyd #coronavirus #votersupression
Your daily #5fastfacts
Number 1: Coronavirus
Approximately 143 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine have been administered in the U.S.
72% of Americans 65+ have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
Even so, states are seeing concerning increases in cases. More than 24 states are reporting a 10 percent increase compared to the previous week.
Why?: This increase probably is due to lax safety measures and surges of spring break crowds.
Number 2: Suez Canal
The massive container ship blocking the Suez Canal (aka the Ever Given) has been partially freed. This comes almost a week after being lodged in the narrow passageway.
A Dutch company working on refloating the ship says the rear of the vessel was freed from one of the canal's banks.
Number 3: Chauvin Trial
It was a video seen around the world. A white Minneapolis police knelt on George Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes.
George Floyd, later died, sparking global protests and reckoning on racial injustice and police brutality.
Today, the former police officer Derek Chauvin's trial begins and will be broadcast live in its entirety -- giving the public a rare peek into what could be the most important case of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Number 4: Myanmar
At least 114 people were killed on Saturday during the bloodiest weekend of protests since the military coup took over in Myanmar back in February.
Two top UN officials have condemned the junta for the weekend’s bloodshed.
But foreign criticism and the sanctions have failed so far to sway the military leaders.
Number 5: Membership to Places of Worship
American membership in houses of worship dropped below 50% for the first time since Gallup began asking the question 83 years ago.
In 2020, 47% of U.S. adults belonged to a church, synagogue or mosque. This is down from 70% in 1999.
#myanmar #covid #suezcanal #churches #religion #georgefloyd
Your daily #5fastfacts
Number 1: Colorado Shooting
The names of the 10 victims of Monday's mass shooting at a supermarket in Boulder, Colorado:
Denny Stong, 20
Neven Stanisic, 23
Rikki Olds, 25
Tralona Bartkowiak, 49
Suzanne Fountain, 59
Teri Leiker, 51
Eric Talley, 51
Kevin Mahoney, 61
Lynn Murray, 62
Jody Waters, 65
The 21-year-old was taken into custody after the shooting and faces 10 counts of murder. Police do not know of any concrete motive.
Number 2: Israel
Yesterday's election in Israel might end in yet another political deadlock.
At first, initial exit polls forecast a slim majority of the 61 seats in the 120-seat parliament for Netanyahu's Likud party (a right-wing and religious block)
However, as results started to come in, the three major Israeli news channels revised their forecasts with two predicting 60 seats for Netanyahu's bloc and one predicting just 59.
Number 3: Covid
USA: At least a dozen states have eased coronavirus restrictions this month. Indiana and Virginia are about to join the list as they expand restaurant and venue capacities. Experts are still warning that reopening, combined with unpredictable variants, could lead to a spike in cases.
India reported its highest single-day death toll this year.
Number 4: North Korea
North Korea conducted its first weapons test since President Biden took office. It launched two projectiles last weekend. The test had been widely expected and officials say this is "on the low end of the spectrum" of provocative actions the regime could have taken.
Biden is still figuring out his official policy on the nuclear threat posed by North Korea.
Number 5: Summer
A new study finds by the end of the century, summer weather could last half a year if mitigation efforts are not taken on climate change. While this sounds ideal to summer lovers like me, it is not a good thing.
In the past 60 years, summer has increased on average about 17 days globally.
Yuping Guan, the lead author of t
Your daily #5fastfacts
Number 1: Colorado Shooting
Ten people were killed yesterday afternoon after a gunman opened fire in a grocery store in Boulder, Colorado. One of the people killed was the first police officer to arrive on the scene, Eric Talley, a father of seven.
The shooting comes just days after a killing spree took the lives of eight people in Atlanta. Both of these tragedies have renewed calls for stricter gun control legislation.
Colorado State Senate Majority Leader Stephen Fenberg (D) told Brian Williams on MSNBC: "We have had a horrific year as a country, as a world. It had finally started to feel like things are getting back to 'normal.' And, unfortunately, we are reminded that that includes mass shootings."
Number 2: Coronavirus
A US-based clinical trial showed the AstraZeneca vaccine had 79% efficacy against symptomatic disease and 100% efficacy against severe disease and hospitalization. However, an independent US board expressed concern over whether the data is complete.
The Biden administration will loan about 4 million AstraZeneca vaccine doses to Canada and Mexico as the shots await approval in the US.
Number 3: Israel
Israelis are heading to the polls...again. This is the country's fourth general election in under two years.
Why so many elections?: Political leaders have failed to form a decisive government after the last three elections.
This vote will be a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. While he has recently won praise for diplomatic deals and for the way he has handled the pandemic, he is also on trial for bribery, fraud and breach of trust.
Number 4: China
The US, the EU, the UK, Canada and other allies have announced coordinated sanctions against two Chinese officials for "serious human rights abuses" against Uyghur Muslims.
The announcement is meant to condemn Beijing's repression of Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang province.
China responded immediately announcing sanctio
Your daily #5fastfacts
Number 1: Coronavirus in Brazil
In Brazil, hospitals are near collapse. No Brazilian states have ICU occupancy rates below 70%, and only two have occupancy below 80%.
The first batch of coronavirus vaccines sent through the COVAX program arrived in Brazil yesterday.
Number 2: Anti-Asian Discrimination Protests
Protests in Georgia, Denver, NYC and other places across the U.S. took place this weekend to honor the eight lives lost in last week's spa shoots and to call for the end of hate targeting Asian communities.
CNN reports the attack has also raised awareness of anti-Asian hate across the world. Statistics out of London showed a 96% increase in anti-Asian hate crimes in 2020 over the prior year.
Number 3: George Floyd
On Friday, the Judge of the trial of the former Minneapolis police officer charged with murder in George Floyd's death denied the motion to delay or move the trial.
Derek Chauvin's Lawyers argued the publicity surrounding a $27 million dollar settlement that the city reached with Floyd's family last week would impact the jurors' ability to be impartial.
The trial is set to start on March 29th.
Number 4: Olympics
The Tokyo Olympics and the International Olympic Committee have banned fans from abroad from attending the games. It’s part of the fallout from holding the Olympics in the middle of a pandemic.
IOC President Thomas Bach said Saturday he was “sorry” when the decision was announced.
Number 5: NCAA Weight room
NCAA Women's Basketball Players are celebrating this weekend after receiving an upgraded weight room.
This comes after a viral TikTok video by Oregan basketball player Sedona Prince compared the small weight rack provided to the women's team to the massive weigh room given to the men's team.
On Friday, the NCAA president said "this is not something that should have happened and...will never happen again."
#GeorgeFloyd #NCAA #olympics #covid #hateisavirus
Your daily #5fastfacts
Number 1: Spa Shooting
Eight people were killed at three metro Atlanta spas yesterday within the span of an hour.
Six of the eight people killed last night were Asian women. Anti-Asian attacks have been on the rise across the country.
A 21-year-old suspect was captured in southwest Georgia. Authorities are still investigating the motive.
Number 2: Coronavirus Varients
Two coronavirus strains first detected in California are "variants of concern" according to the CDC.
The variants may be about 20% more transmissible and medical experts are concerned some treatments will not be as effective against them.
Number 3: 2020 Election
A US intelligence report has determined that Russia attempted to interfere in the 2020 election to help Donald Trump and hurt Joe Biden. The report also describes a smaller campaign by Iran.
The report confirms Trump and his closest allies embraced Russia's disinformation campaign against Biden and met with Kremlin-linked figures who were part of the effort.
Number 4: Japan
A Japanese court ruled that the country's failure to recognize same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. Homosexuality has been legal in Japan since 1880.
A Supreme Court ruling is what is needed to legalize same-sex marriage in Japan, which could take several years.
Number 5: St. Patrick's Day
Do you remember St. Patrick’s Day last year? No one was in the mood to celebrate as the pandemic became our reality.
St. Patrick's Day celebrations were among the first in-person gatherings to be canceled.
This year, many events have either been canceled again or are virtual.
#Stpatricksday #japan #russia #election #atlanta #spashooting #coronavirus
Your daily #5fastfacts
Number 1: Coronavirus
Daily new cases of Covid-19 in the U.S. have dropped since January but we are NOT out of the woods yet.
The country is still averaging 50,000 cases per day. Dr. Fauci says highly contagious variants are still a threat and the U.S. should not be easing restrictions until the numbers fall to below 10,000 cases per day.
Number 2: Immigration
More than 4,000 unaccompanied migrant children are in Border Patrol custody.
After children are taken into Border Patrol custody, the Department of Health and Human Services typically takes over their care.
Because the coronavirus has strained the department's capacity limits, FEMA was called in to help this weekend.
Number 3: 2020 Election
Officials found a recording from December of then-President Trump's phone call to a Georgia investigator in a trash folder on her device.
Trump encouraged the investigator to uncover "dishonesty" in absentee ballot signatures.
The audio is another example of the former president's efforts to push false claims of widespread voter fraud.
Meanwhile...Republicans in several swing states using the false fraud claims to advance measures that would make it harder to vote. Stacey Abrams called the effort "a redux of Jim Crow in a suit and tie."
Number 4: Myanmar
Yesterday was one of the deadliest days in Myanmar since the military seized power in a coup. Myanmar. Security forces killed dozens of protesters yesterday.
The death toll total is now at least 126.
Number 5: Grammy's RoundUp
Beyoncé won her 28th Grammy and became the most decorated woman in Grammy history.
Taylor Swift became the first female performer to win album of the year three times.
Megan Thee Stallion and Billie Eilish also took home big prizes on music's biggest night.
#grammys #beyonce #myanmar #election #trump #covid #immigrations
Your daily #5fastfacts
Number 1: Stimulus
The House is expected to pass the $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief bill this morning. It then will go to President Biden's desk to be signed.
This bill will dramatically change life more many low-income families. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote in a letter that the poorest 20% of Americans are estimated to see about a 20% boost in income from the bill.
Some things that will happen that may impact you: 85% of households will get $1,400 in stimulus checks, the unemployed will receive an additional $300 per week through the fall, and families with children under 17 will get $3,000 per child.
Sen. Bernie Sanders said the bill “is the most significant legislation for working people that has been passed in decades.”
Number 2: Buckingham Palace Statement
Nearly two days after airing, yesterday, the royal family broke their silence on Meghan and Harry's tell-all interview.
The statement issued by Buckingham Palace said "The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately."
Number 3: Coronavirus U.S. Vaccine Progress
About 1 in 10 Americans are now fully vaccinated against Covid-19. However, experts say that number is nowhere near high enough to reach herd immunity.
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky says March and April will be “pivotal times.” People will either work toward ending the pandemic nightmare or will erase progress by ignoring safety measures.
Number 4: Johnson & Johnson
President Joe Biden will announce plans to purchase an additional 100 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine.
Biden is expected to make the announcement at a meeting with executives from Johnson & Johnson and fellow pharmaceutical giant Merck
This purchase will give the U.S. more than enough supply to vaccinate its entire population.
Number 5: Lego
Lego sales soared last year
Your daily #5fastfacts
Number 1: New CDC Guidelines for Vaccinated People
The CDC has released new guidelines saying it is safe for fully vaccinated people to gather together without masks indoors and to visit with unvaccinated people in certain circumstances.
Caution was also given with this good news. Dr. Tom Frieden said, “you don’t declare victory in the third quarter.”
Number 2: Sen. Roy Blunt
Republican Sen. Roy Blunt will not be seeking re-election next year. Senators Richard Burr, Pat Toomey and Rob Portman are also not seeking re-election. As written in NBC's First Read this morning, this "represents more than an exodus of non-Trump Republicans."
This could symbolize the beginning of the end of the Bush Era Republicans in Washington.
Number 3: Voting Rights
As controversial voting rights bills are presented, the battle over voting rights remains in the spotlight.
Georgia: the state Senate passed an election bill that would repeal no-excuse absentee voting in the critical swing state. Voting rights groups say these measures target Black voters.
Iowa: Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) signed a bill into law that limits early voting days and makes it harder for voters to return absentee ballots.
On the flip side, President Biden signed an executive order expanding voting access and requiring federal agencies to promote voter registration.
Number 4: Immigration
A record number of unaccompanied migrant children are in Border Patrol custody.
According to reports by NBC, "More than 3,200 unaccompanied migrant children are being housed in Customs and Border Protection holding facilities."
The New York Times reports that the number "tripled in the last two weeks."
Number 5: Royal Interview
17 million - that's how many people watched Meghan and Harry's interview with Oprah on Sunday.
During the interview, the couple's revealing comments about racism within the institution has plunged the royal family into crisis.
The Royal family has not respon
Your daily #5fastfacts
Number 1: Stimulus
The Senate passed a $1.9 trillion Covid relief bill over the weekend.
Some things in the bill that might impact you: - $1,400 stimulus checks will be capped at individuals making less than $80,000 per year and households earning $160,000;- $300 per week jobless benefits through September- $350 billion for states and local government- $14 billion for vaccine distribution.
The legislation now heads back to the House and includes $130 billion for schools.
Number 2: Meghan and Harry
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry sat with Oprah for a highly anticipated interview last night. Meghan, who is half-Black, told Oprah that “concerns” were raised (by an unnamed family member) about how dark their baby Archie's skin would be. Harry confirmed the conversation.
Meghan also said her life as a British royal was so isolating that at one point she "didn't want to be alive anymore."
Number 3: Covid
Infectious Disease Expert Michael Osterholm said the US could be in the “eye of the hurricane” when it comes to the pandemic.
Cases have stopped dropping and are now plateauing at very high numbers, with the country averaging roughly 60,000 new cases in the past week. This all comes as some states are loosening restrictions. With spring break trips on the horizon, the country could be in serious trouble.
Number 4: HBCUs
Last night, Team LeBron defeated Team Durant 170-150 to win the NBA All-Star Game. But HBCUs were the real winners of the NBA's all-star game.
The league generated $3 million in donations for HBCUs and made sure every element of the event was geared toward promoting the schools.
Number 5: International Women's Day
Today is International Women's Day - a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.
This year's theme is #ChooseToChallenge
"A challenged world is an alert world and from challenge comes change. So let's all choose to challenge. How will you help
Your daily #5fastfacts
Number 1: A Fourth Wave?
The U.S. may be on the verge of another surge in coronavirus cases. The average number of cases is 65,000. That’s essentially unchanged from the week before and is the same caseload we were seeing last July at the height of the summer surge.
Number 2: Coronavirus
Texas and Mississippi are ending their mask mandates but the risk is far from over. New cases in Texas rose by 27% over the past week and new cases in Mississippi were up 62% over the past week.
Dr. Anthony Fauci called these decisions “inexplicable” and President Biden called it “Neanderthal thinking.”
Number 3: Rocket Strike
Ten rockets were fired at an Iraqi military base hosting U.S.-led coalition troops. This comes just days before Pope Francis is due to visit the county.
Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs John Kirby on what the U.S. will do: "let's let our Iraqi partners investigate this and see what they are. And then if a response is warranted, I think we have shown clearly that we won't shy away from that but we're just not there yet."
Number 4: Capitol Security
An intelligence bulletin this week warned of a group of violent militia extremists discussing plans to take control of the US Capitol on or around March 4th. Federal law enforcement is on high alert.
Why March 4?: The date is part of a conspiracy theory among supporters of former President Trump. Some believe today is the “real” inauguration and that he will somehow regain power.
Number 5: Cuomo
At the end of a Covid update, Gov. Andrew Cuomo addressed the allegations of sexual harassment.
"I now understand that I acted in a way that made people feel uncomfortable. It was unintentional and I truly and deeply apologize," he said.
But he added: "I never touched anyone inappropriately. ... I wasn’t elected by politicians, I was elected by the people of the state of New York. I’m not going to resign."
#coronavirus #cuomo #capitol #
Your daily #5fastfacts
Number 1: Coronavirus
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky is warning of the growing threat of coronavirus variants.
Experts fear that if we are not careful, the spread of these variants could reverse falling case numbers.
Number 2: SCOTUS
The Supreme Court is hearing a case today called Brnovich v. DNC. It concerns a challenge brought by the DNC against two provisions regarding an Arizona law that critics say unfairly impact communities of color.
Specifically, these laws have to do with strict requirements to vote in a specific precinct and who can handle ballots.
Considering the balance of the court, the case could weaken a key provision of the Voting Rights Act that prohibits laws that result in racial discrimination.
Number 3: Gov. Cuomo
A third woman has accused Gov. Andrew Cuomo for sexual harassment saying she felt "uncomfortable and embarrassed" when the governor asked her "Can I kiss you?" at a 2019 wedding.
This news comes as New York AG Letta James announced Monday that her office is formally proceeding with an investigation into sexual harassment allegations against the governor.
Number 4: Sanctions Russia
The EU and the US are set to impose coordinated sanctions on Russia in response to the Kremlin's poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny and his arrest/detention that followed.
These sanctions will be the first to target Moscow since Joe Biden became President. The Trump administration declined to take any action against Russia for the attempted assassination of Alexei Navalny.
Number 5: Goya Beans
Leaders of several national Latino organizations are slamming goya foods CEO Robert unique for calling trump the "actual president of the united states" during his speech at CPAC on Sunday.
The Hispanic organizations say Unanue's remarks "dangerously perpetuate falsehoods" that lead to the assault on the nation's capital.
this is not the first time unique's comments about Trump were met with criticis
