Dear friends,
Cori Bush, the best Bush ever, used her instincts as an organizer to get something done in DC. Earlier this week, I wrote about her decision to sleep on the steps of the capitol to protest the expiration of the federal moratorium on evictions.
She stayed put — in rain, cold and brutal summer heat — until Tuesday, when President Biden, under growing pressure from Ms. Bush’s group and Speaker Nancy Pelosi, abruptly relented and announced a new, 60-day federal eviction moratorium covering areas overrun with the Delta variant of the coronavirus. Even as Mr. Biden reiterated his administration’s fears that the ban would run afoul of the courts, it was a striking reversal for his team, designed to give state and local governments time to distribute billions of dollars in federal rental assistance that has yet to go out the door.
If you or someone you know in NYS needs rental assistance, go here.
Tuesday was a big news day, and you have no doubt read enough about the calls for Cuomo to resign now that a huge investigation has yielded a mountain of evidence to show that he created a hostile work environment. The Attorney General’s report substantiated multiple allegations of sexual harassment against women employed in Cuomo’s administration. And the criminal indictments are coming.
Cuomo continues to hang on in the way of arrogant men who can never admit wrongdoing. My favorite headline, from the Onion:
Cuomo Increasingly Desperate To Shift Focus Back Onto Nursing Home Deaths
If Cuomo wants to stay on the government payroll, let’s give him a useful task. Here in NYS, the $2.1 billion Excluded Workers Fund, created to provide relief to essential workers who missed out on federal aid because of their immigration status, is still not accessible to most excluded workers. The regulations in place require workers who are typically paid in cash to prove their employment. In addition, the workers must have valid ID, but many workers have not been able to renew their IDNYC because of limited appointments during the pandemic.
Tell the Governor to direct Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon and her team to change the rules and make the Excluded Workers Fund more accessible.
It’s impossible not to talk about the delta variant, which is creating a wave of terrible uncertainty, and worse, in the US and around the world.
Nearly 18 months into the pandemic, there’s no consensus on how to keep students and staff safe. Local school leaders, whipsawed by changing federal guidance, find themselves building a patchwork of protections based as much on local politics as public health.
The New York State Department of Education last week took the unusual step of calling out Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the state health department for taking so long to provide guidance.
“The urgency and frustration you are feeling as September approaches is palpable and is shared by the Department,” wrote Betty Rosa, the state education commissioner.
Here in NYC, the rolling average of positive coronavirus tests has remained above 3 percent, but the mayor has announced that positivity rates will no longer use this metric as the basis of policy. At the same time, mask requirements are in place in city schools and the CDC’s own mask guidance is based on positivity rates. The CDC advises mask wearing when community transmission is substantial (3 percent or more).
Zeynep Tufekci cuts through the confusion:
A pandemic is a communications emergency as much as it is a medical crisis. Effective communication is much more than choosing the right words.
Wear a mask in indoor settings outside your home, whether or not it is required.
Here are two hopeful pieces of news, because I don’t have a lot of action for you today:
The New York State Division of Licensing Services has recruited hundreds of barbershop and salon owners to participate in a public education and outreach program called Shots at the Shop. For a stipend of $1000, shop owners attend a virtual training about the coronavirus and vaccination.
After taking the virtual course, [barbershop owner] Lightfoot chatted with his clients about the reasons behind their vaccine hesitancy, ranging from misconceptions about the vaccine changing their DNA to concerns about medical racism. The latter has made some in his community distrustful of the government and the health care system.
“The barbershop created a safe space for them. A place of trust,” he said. “Barbershops, stylists, we help to build those bridges because they have trust in us.”
Have a great day!
with love,
L