WHY IS TEXAS LAST? Lone Star state ranks next to last in COVID-19 testing and folks want to know why.
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Queen Bey spreads hope with all-star COVID-19 show.
Volume 89, issue 26 April 23, 2020
Former ďŹ rst lady introduces her new reading initiative.
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Why is Texas last?
Message from the Publisher
The Lone Star state is 49th out of 50 states when it comes to testing. Did we start late? We cannot find more tests to buy? What’s the problem, Texas? Now the nation’s second-largest state is working hard to get more testing while it continues on the path to “Get Back to Work.” Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick obviously values the economy more than life with his David Ihedigbo statement “There are more important things than living, and that’s Age: 38 saving this country for my children Occupation: Business Owner and my grandchildren and saving Education: American International this country for all of us….I don’t College want to die, nobody wants to die Major: Sports Management but man we have got to take some Motto: “All things work torisk and get back in the game gether for good to them and get this country back up LEARN… that love the Lord and and running.” I believe in What David Sonny Messiah Jiles are called according to taking a calculated risk but does to burn His purpose.” - Romans calories while the fact that at time of pub8:28 resting. lication reports stated 517 deaths with 20,196 positive tests IG: @Ihedigbo_fitness in Texas, only 332 tests conducted for every 100,000 people and a 91% chance of us reaching the peak in two weeks, let’s push the pause button while you keep planning for the comeback from coronavirus. State legislators are working hard
State Senator Borris Miles has sent a letter to the Governor asking him to delay the reopening of Texas indicating that we need more testing before we put folks’ lives at risk. And our State Reps Senfronia Thompson, Garnet Coleman, and Shawn Thierry are putting a fullcourt press on getting more resources to those in need during these uncertain times. See what each one of them is doing. Oil prices may cause the Houston economy to skid
Houston is often referred to as the energy capital of the world because it is home to thousands of exploration, production, and oilfield services companies. With the downturn in oil prices, because COVID-19 and Stay-at-Home cut consumption while foreign countries flooded the market, thousands of Houston jobs may be at risk. This fact puts even more pressure on the state to “Get Back to Work” despite health indicators that the virus is not slowing yet. Good News from Texas State Board of Education
It is official. The final approval has been given to provide an African-American studies course in Texas high schools. You may ask “what is the big deal?” The history of Black people has been ignored for the most part in our children’s history books robbing Black children of their heritage and crippling other races of children from understanding the interconnectedness of our society. This is a stepping stone toward progress. We still need to find out what the curriculum will be and how it will be taught. Congratulations, Houston Museum of African American Culture
Hats off to the HMAAC for getting the Ava DuVernay Array Alliance grant for $10,000. I’m sure the monies could not have come at a better time considering the impact of COVID-19. Keep up the good work you are doing-especially related to the film screenings you have hosted. Maybe the Defender can partner with you on one of the upcoming films when we get past this coronavirus. LOVE YA!
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DN News A new requirement
Oil exec Albert Myres Sr. was named chair of the TSU Board of Regents. Myres is CEO of Octcet, Inc. in the diesel fuels industry.
Judge Lina Hidalgo will order county residents 10 years and older to wear mask for 30 days starting Monday.
Texas African American studies course gets approval Defender News Service
Student Chloe White testifies in support of the addition of an African American studies course before the State Board of Education.
The State Board of Education has given final approval to an elective African American studies course, opening the door for high schools across the state to begin offering it as soon as next fall. In a unanimous vote via teleconference, the board approved the course standards, making it Texas’ second statewide ethnic studies course. The first, focusing on Mexican American studies, gained statewide approval in 2018 after four years of controversy over its creation, textbook material and naming. But the African American studies course has garnered widespread support from the board and the public since it was proposed last fall. The course is modeled after a course taught in Dallas ISD for the first time this academic year. Aicha Davis, a freshman
board member representing Dallas, asked the board to make the course a statewide option last September. “This has just been an amazing journey,” Davis said. “This course exceeded anything I ever thought it would. It’s something I wish I could have taken when I was young.” The course also digs deeper into national policies. For example, Davis brought forward an amendment to have students discuss education beyond the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision Brown vs. Board of Education, which determined school segregation was unconstitutional. “So now students get to learn the United States was the only country in the world that specifically made laws that banned teaching slaves,” Davis said. “But enslaved people found systems to be able to learn how to read, and so right from there, they founded colleges for Black students.”
Museum receives Ava DuVernay grant Defender News Service
The Houston Museum of African American Culture (HMAAC) has been awarded a $10,000 grant from Ava DuVernay’s Array Alliance’s $250,000 funding initiative for arts organizations that focus on narrative change by people of color and women of all kinds. The fund helps support film festivals and screening series impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. The grantees were determined by nomination only. According to HMAAC Film Curator Jasmine Jones, who attended the inaugural ARRAY ASCEND summit at the University of North Carolina’s School of the Arts, “We are thrilled that ARRAY is offering our film program this support.”
Ava DuVernay awarded an arts grant to HMAAC.
Jones, who arranged Houston’s first advance screening of Black Panther and the early advance screening of The Hate You Give for HMAAC, and manages ARRAY’s screenings at HMAAC, added, “This grant validates the hard work the museum has put into providing quality film programming in Houston.”
It is especially gratifying that we are the only museum whose film programs was considered special on this national level. We are extremely proud and grateful to Ava DuVernay and the whole ARRAY team and to the independent committee that considered our work to be noteworthy.” HMAAC Board President Cindy Miles
VOLUME 89 - ISSUE 26 - APRIL 23, 2020 Publisher | CEO Sonceria Messiah-Jiles
Managing Editor ReShonda Tate Billingsley
Ad/Client Relations Selma Dodson Tyler
Associate Editor Marilyn Marshall
Strategic Alllance Clyde Jiles
People Editor Aswad Walker
Creative Director Michael Grant
Sports Terrance Harris Jodie B. Jiles
Photographers Ray Carrington III Jimmie Aggison
Engagement Manager Margo Williams Hubbard
The Defender newspaper is published by the Houston Defender Newspaper Inc. and audited by Alliance for Audited Media (AAM). Only digital subscriptions are available at: www.defendernetwork.com/subscribe No paper subscriptions available. All materials covered by 2020 copyright. No materials herein may be reproduced without the written permission of the Publisher. 713-663-6996 | P.O. Box 8005, Houston, Tx 77288
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DN News
Oil prices plummet; what it means
Donald Trump stands as Vice President Mike Pence speaks about the coronavirus in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House. -AP
Defender News Service
The coronavirus pandemic has caused oil demand to drop so rapidly that the world is running out of room to store barrels. At the same time, Russia and Saudi Arabia flooded the world with excess supply. That has caused oil prices to collapse to levels that make it impossible for U.S. oil companies to make money and is now being considered one of the oil market’s worst weeks’ on record. What happened and why? The price for a barrel of oil plunged negative for the first time ever as the coronavirus pandemic has kept most of the world at home, forcing oil producers to pay buyers to take crude off their hands.People are not commuting or traveling, leading to a devastating decline in global oil demand, and the price of oil has crashed at a rapid rate. One barrel of West Texas Intermediate crude cost in the $60 range to start the year. It has dropped more than 160% since. What does it mean for Texas? The drop in prices is expected to compound the economic and budget blows from the world staying at home. The state was already headed for a recession before the drop, and Texas is the nation’s top oil-producing state, so its economy and budget are highly sensitive to oil prices. When production slows here, employment and tax revenues decline, and budget cuts at the state and local levels often follow. How much value have oil companies lost? Signs of stress abound in the oil patch. The S&P 500’s energy sector has lost more than 40% of its value this year — despite the dramatic rebound in the overall stock market over the past month. Noble Energy, Halliburton, Marathon Oil and Occidental have all lost more than two-thirds of their value. Even Dow member ExxonMobil is down 38%. What will the key be for oil companies? The key will be how long oil prices stay dirt cheap. A rapid rebound in prices could allow many oil companies to avoid bankruptcy. Buddy Clark, co-chair of the energy practice at Houston law firm Haynes and Boone, said his firm is “extremely busy” working on potential oil bankruptcies. Haynes and Boone has been forced to pull lawyers from other areas of the firm to work on the oil problem. “I don’t think I’ve seen anything like it in my lifetime. It’s unprecedented,” said Clark, who started working in the industry in 1982.
Poll: Donald Trump’s approval rating sinks Defender News Service
President Donald Trump has been touting the success of his administration’s response to COVID-19 and has somewhat used his daily briefings to drum up interest for a reelection campaign. New Gallup Poll numbers point to the former business mogul’s approval ratings sinking although Trump has twisted the narrative to suggest he’s helping media outlets up their ratings. In a report released late last week by Gallup, it highlighted that Trump’s job approval rating dropped by six points to 43 percent. Gallup notes that back in mid-March, Trump’s numbers sat at 49 percent which was his highest in the poll, and the six-point
drop in points is the highest Trump has seen since being in office. The poll-tracking blog, Crooks and Liars highlighted in their report on the numbers that Trump’s approval numbers are down even at polling sites that the president favors. The Rasmussen Reports indicate that 53 percent of pollsters have disapproved of President Trump’s response to the COVID-19 situation. In typical Trumpian fashion, the president has used Twitter to promote more partisan dissension with jabs and insults at the liberals and the Democratic Party, all without addressing the numbers released as expected.
TRUMP JOB RATING
53%
Disapprove COVID-19 treatment
49%
Approval March, 2020
43%
Approval April, 2020
Michelle Obama launches online reading series for kids Associated Press Michelle Obama launched a series of online video readings for kids with the classic picture book “The Gruffalo,” which the former first lady called the story of a mouse who uses his “wit and imagination” to get the best of a fox and other would-be predators. “Mondays with Michelle Obama” is part of the PBS KIDS Read-Along series, and will continue through May 11. It can be seen at noon EDT on the Facebook and YouTube pages of PBS KIDS and the Facebook page of Obama’s publisher, Penguin Random House. The livestream of Obama reading “The Gruffalo” quickly received tens of thousands of likes on Facebook. Other celebrities who have given readings during the coronavirus pandemic include Jimmy Fallon, Jennifer Garner and Demi Lovato, who also read “The Gruffalo.”
Michelle Obama will read to kids every Monday.
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DN InFocus FOCUS SOCIAL CITY OF HOUSTON, HARRIS COUNTY
Government Medical Update
Houston, Harris Co reps provide COVID-19 updates from the medical front Aswad Walker
Though medical experts on the national stage suggest the U.S. is nowhere near the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a major push from the White House to “reopen” America—i.e. get people back outside their homes and into businesses, spending money. Texas Governor Greg Abbott, too, has added to the mixed messages with one executive order closing schools for the remainder of the year while another calls for the reopening of businesses. With the mortality rate from COVID-19 seemingly higher for Blacks than others, many want to know the latest news on the pandemic in order to govern themselves accordingly. “We’re still in the middle of a pandemic,” said Stephen Williams, director, City of Houston Health Department. “There are steps you can take to help avoid contracting the virus. We’re still encouraging social distancing and wearing masks when in public. And if you’re showing symptoms, you should probably get tested.” Williams added that in Houston, “there’s a disproportionate number of Blacks dying— roughly 50% of COVID-19 deaths—compared to Hispanic (26%) and white (24%) mortality rates.
Stephen Williams
Dr. Sherri Onyiego
Still, from Williams’ perspective, there hasn’t been sufficient testing to look at these rates and make a definitive determination that Blacks are dying faster. According to family medicine specialist Dr. Sherri Onyiego, everyone can get infected at same rate, regardless of race. However, the death rate for Blacks seems to be higher. Onyiego sites the factors most often discussed when the conversation turns to Black morbidity and COVID-19, including obesity, hypertension and diabetes. But like many Black medical professions, she adds, “there are also socio-economic issues that can’t be ignored, including healthcare access, the number of uninsured, the fact that, regarding ‘stay at home’ policies, there may be some element of Blacks who aren’t in a situation/job that allows them to work remotely.”
Onyiego stated the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases for Harris County is about 4,800. Of those, 1,870 individuals have recovered, while 75 have died. Moreover, to date, roughly 12,000 individuals across Harris County have been tested. Onyiego is encouraged by recent increases in testing accessibility. “We’re encouraging as many as possible to take advantage of testing,” she said. “Early on testing capacity was an issue, but now we can do about 12,000 per day.” Onyiego adds the county’s testing sites are still prioritizing testing for first responders and health care professionals, but testing is open to anyone who thinks they might have COVID-19 or been exposed to someone with COVID-19, and those who work with vulnerable populations—nursing home residents and the incarcerated. Additionally, Onyiego mentioned Harris
County’s online presence that has helped facilitate increased numbers of those who have been tested. “We specifically use an online tool (readyharris.org) to start the process. For those who don’t have internet access, we have a call center (832-927-7575). Then the person is routed to a nurse triage center, where a code given and then they are directed to a testing site. We’ve had 147,000 hits to the online screening tool,” said Onyiego. “Another valuable tool on our website (www.hcthtx.org) and social media platforms is our heat map which provides a breakdown of the latest COVID-19 information by race, including deaths.” Williams says it remains to be seen if Houston will become a coronavirus hotspot. “Right now, we’re doing pretty good, but the situation might change. We’re concentrating on places of high risk; jails, nursing homes—we’re doing some preventative work there.” Onyiego said, Harris County, with its mobile testing sites done in collaboration with the federal government, is watching for the patterns. “We’re watching the numbers as compared to cities like Chicago, but currently, we’re not seeing a surge impact on our healthcare system like in New York,” she added. Though Williams is encouraged by the increased testing capacity, he still sees testing access as a challenge. “Access to care is still a barrier. The number of people uninsured in this community is unacceptable.”
Defender seeks community contributions Defender News Service
People and businesses everywhere are feeling the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Defender is no exception. “We know when the world catches a cold, Black folks get pneumonia. And just like the coronavirus is hitting the Black community in disparate form, Black businesses like the Defender are in serious danger,” said Defender Publisher and CEO, Sonceria “Sonny” Messiah Jiles. COVID-19 is impacting the Houston Defender, with advertisers canceling ads, account receivables coming to a halt, and all the federal applications for monies still pending responses. As the trusted source of the Black community in these challenging
times, the Defender is struggling to keep the doors open, and therefore, turning to the public for help. “Blacks have been hit the hardest with COVID-19 and the Defender is more important than ever to get the word to our community. Unfortunately, the Defender is feeling the pain also,” Jiles said. “That’s why we have launched a community-wide
campaign asking you to make a tax-deductible contribution.” Jiles has applied for both grants and loans through the Paycheck Protection Program and Small Business Administration - to no avail. “I spent hours getting our paperwork in on the first day. But we’re still in limbo and awaiting a response,” Jiles said. “I’m
especially concerned about my hard-working staff. We have had solid footing for decades and now faced with furloughing employees.” Jiles is hoping the Donor Campaign can help keep the business afloat until the crisis is averted. “We had a contingency plan to get us through the hard times and that’s what has carried us this far. But I don’t think anyone could’ve ever imagined that we’d be dealing with something like COVID-19,” Jiles said. “Any amount is appreciated. With you and the good Lord, the Defender legacy will continue.” You c an c ont r i but e at : Bit . l y / defendercovid
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DN InFocus FOCUS SOCIAL Rep. Shawn Thierry (D-Houston) has successfully formed a bipartisan coalition of House Members requesting the implementation of a COVID-19 Racial Disparities Task Force addressing the mortality rate for African Americans. Health care officials recently revealed that nationwide, Black patients represent a disproportionate number of positive coronavirus cases, have the highest rates of COVID-19 intensive care unit intubations, and that the mortality rate for African Americans is as high as five times that of other racial groups.
State legislators fight coronavirus
It is hurtful to witness the disproportionate rate at which the coronavirus has attacked the Black population. I was shocked to learn that while African Americans are less than 23% of our Houston population, we account for more than half of the deaths from COVID-19. Unfortunately, we do not have statewide data broken down by race/ethnicity on COVID-19 cases, which makes it even more challenging to address these health disparities,” stated Rep. Thierry.
ReShonda Tate Billingsley
With a black communities disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus, many officials are working to bring statewide awareness to the virus’s devastating effect on the African-American population. The Defender spoke with several state officials about how they’re tackling the coronavirus issue.
Rep. Garnet F. Coleman (D-Houston) has taken a focus on health, introducing legislation for next session to re-establish and improve Texas’ health disparities office. “The COVID-19 pandemic has made it painfully obvious that the state of Texas made a huge mistake in defunding the Office of Minority Health Statistics. In the next legislative session, I will file legislation to re-establish and improve the Office of Minority Health Statistics and Engagement to continue working to eliminate racial health disparities in Texas,” he said. He’s also working to get health insurance coverage for a million recently unemployed Texans: “Texans filed over a million unemployment claims in March. Many newly unemployed
Texans who had received health insurance through their employer are now going to be without health insurance,” he said. “If Texas had expanded Medicaid, many of these individuals would be caught by the safety net. However, because Texas has not expanded Medicaid—many of these people and their families will fall in the coverage gap, meaning they will have earned too much to qualify for Medicaid, but not enough to qualify for ACA subsides in the marketplace. Hence they will have no healthcare during a pandemic or have to pay approximately $1,697 plus up to a 2% administrative fee a month for them and their families through COBRA(based on average monthly premium cost for employer covered plans in the South Region in 2019 Kaiser Family Foundation Survey). Texas needs to ACT NOW to expand Medicaid.
GARNET COLEMAN
Co-authored by forty-nine House Members, the Emergency COVID-19 Racial Disparities Task Force letter offered a framework for the Task Force recommending the study of a number of critical issues. The suggested charges include: collection and reporting data regarding the number of COVID-19 cases identified by race and ethnicity statewide; addressing the role that social determinants of health have on the increase of COVID-19 contagion in the African American population, and building an effective public awareness and education campaign targeted to underserved communities with specific emphasis on reducing community spread. Thierry has also requested the City of Houston and Harris County issue executive orders, requiring the use of face masks for any one traveling in City of Houston or Harris County, aged four or older. We are at a critical point in our battle against COVID-19. Very soon, millions of our residents will once again be in close proximity to each other, however, we know the coronavirus is still not completely contained. We must remain diligent and continue to utilize all sensible measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus cases,” she said, adding that both entities supply face masks to those who can’t afford them. She also requested the implementation of COVID-19 public service campaigns targeted to support underserved communities.
SHAWN THIERRY Rep. Senfronia Thompson, the chair of the House’s public health committee, has been at the forefront of making sure her constituents get testing, especially in light of the fact that Texas currently ranks 48th per capita among U.S. states in testing, and first in the rate of uninsured residents.. Without proper testing, we cannot identify, nor can we isolate individuals who may be among us, spreading the COVID-19,” Rep. Thompson said. “We need to continue following the recommendations of health experts. Isolate, except for when we are performing essential functions, and stay six feet apart so we don’t end up being six feet under.” She’s also focused on school lunches, the impact on rural health community, rural hospitals and vaccine studies when it’s relating to a state of emergency. “From that March 10 meeting, we learned that we did not have enough tests and we definitely didn’t have enough, PPEs and equipment. So that has been an ongoing effort,” she said. Rep. Thompson was among 45 state lawmakers who wrote a letter urging Gov. Greg Abbott to direct Texas to take part in a pilot program that allows SNAP recipients to buy groceries online. The letter pointed to challenges the pandemic has created, especially for SNAP recipients living in food deserts who have to rely on dollar stores to get by.
“Many constituents living in food deserts are also members of at-risk populations being directed to maintain strict social distancing; the use of public transportation to travel to the grocery stores outside of their communities could endanger their health,” she said. “We were concerned about that, as well as the expansion of Medicaid so that we’d be able to have more people covered and continuing to be able to get people tested. There are a lot of people who don’t have insurance, don’t have a private doctors, particularly if they are on the lower end of the economic ladder. So we’ve been making sure those people aren’t forgotten. “We also have done many things in order to help constituents such as, working with the apartment association, as well as various housing authorities, both federal and state. We want to make sure people are not evicted because they happened to be out of work or unable to pay their rent or utilities,” she added. “We’re not kicking back watching television, doing nothing. We work six to eight hours every day, constantly, religiously from Monday through Friday and even on the weekend trying to find solutions to problems that often people call us about. And even those things that they don’t call us about. We recognize that they may need help and we try to get those things done.”
SENFRONIA THOMPSON
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DN InFocus FOCUS SOCIAL
Lawmakers urges small business equality Marilyn Marshall
As Congress neared a $450 billion deal for small businesses, hospitals and coronavirus testing, many struggling entrepreneurs hoped they wouldn’t see a repeat of inequities that existed with the rollout of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The federal loan initiative ran out of money less than two weeks after it was announced, and after processing loans for only 5% of small businesses impacted by the coronavirus. In addition, large restaurant chains such as Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse and Potbelly received a total of $30 million in loans because they had no more than 500 workers at any single location. One chain, Shake Shack, said it would return the $10 million stimulus loan it received. The Defender asked Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and Congressman Al Green about the PPP inequities. D efender: Looking back, what are your thoughts on how the PPP funds were distributed? Jackson Lee: It is unfortunate that the businesses this program was intended to help during this economic disaster, caused
through no fault of their own, did not receive any funding to keep their business and employees whole during this difficult time. This is especially troubling for minority businesses who already have a difficult time accessing funding under normal circumstances. I call upon all well-established businesses who received funding, but can weather this storm, to do like the Shake Shack restaurant and return the funds back to the government to be disbursed to small businesses who have a greater need for funds. Green: I have been concerned that PPP distribution would compound existing inequities in our financial system, wherein larger businesses are better positioned to take advantage of the PPP. I wrote to Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi on April 1 requesting more protections for minority-owned businesses and their employees. I am gratified that the speaker’s proposal for the next COVID19 relief bill channels $60 billion of PPP funding through community-based financial institutions, such as Unity Bank, with a track record of lending to low- to moderate-income communities. I am grateful for Speaker Pelosi’s insistence that the next relief package benefit underbanked small businesses and others struggling to access the PPP. What steps are being taken in upcoming small business assistance legislation to prevent inequities from occurring again? Jackson Lee: I have advocated and fought for funding for the self-employed, independent contractors, sole proprietors, faith institutions and non-profits. We were able to secure $250 billion
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee
dollars, plus $60 billion for very small businesses, totaling $310 billion dollars. We also got $25 billion dollars for testing. I have also advocated for increasing the role of mission-based lenders, such as community banks, community development financial institutions, and SBA microloan intermediaries. By setting aside funding for these institutions, the program will be able to reach small businesses regardless of their prior banking status. We must increase the guardrails, promote transparency, and expand opportunities for the most underserved small businesses. Green: On April 10, I introduced H.R. 6475 and 6476, amending the CARES Act to ensure equitable access to PPP loans by expediting the delivery of these emergency funds to smaller businesses, their employees, and the self-employed. These bills build upon H.R. 6380, 6381, and 6382, which I introduced on March 24. Together, H.R. 6380 and 6381 shore up small banks. H.R. 6382 would ensure that civil rights advocates and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) have the resources they need to protect vulnerable communities. The CARES Act contains provisions that embrace H.R. 6380 and 6382.
Congressman Al Green
Nation’s wealthiest benefit from stimulus plan NNPA News Wire
While struggling individuals and families look forward to a $1,200 federal stimulus check, America’s wealthy have again made off with most of the cash. The $2.3 trillion coronavirus stimulus package includes a temporary tax change for individuals who make at least $1 million a year, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation. Their analysis shows 43,000 taxpayers in the highest income bracket,
making more than $1 million a year, could save a combined $70 billion in taxes. Almost all benefits from the tax break go to people making more than $100,000 a year. Millionaires and billionaires are set to reap more than 80 percent of the benefits because of the Trump tax law change, which alters what certain business owners are allowed to deduct from their taxes. Approximately 95 percent of those who benefit from the change make $200,000 or more.
The government began sending out $1,200 stimulus payments to individuals making less than $75,000, and $2,400 for couples earning no more than $150,000. Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) sent a letter expressing their concerns to White House officials. “We are specifically seeking information about whether any people in the Trump administration who were involved with developing the changes would also benefit
from the provisions.” Several published reports said both Trump and his son-in-law Jared Kushner stand to reap millions as a result of the stimulus package and the change in tax law. “Someone wrongly seized on this health emergency to reward ultrarich beneficiaries, likely including the Trump family, with a tax loophole not available to middle class families. This net operating loss loophole is a loser that should be repealed,” Doggett said.
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DN InFocus FOCUS SOCIAL Thousands may be protected from eviction until Aug. 23 Texas Tribune
Mayor Sylvester Turner gives an update on COVID-19 efforts.
Coronavirus: Things to Know
ReShonda Tate Billingsley
Mayor won’t rush to reopen Houston with Texas timeline Mayor Sylvester Turner has emphasized a “measured approach” to reopening the city in the wake of Gov. Greg Abbott’s new guidelines to reopen the state in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Turner said he and his senior officials are evaluating state guidelines, and he appointed a local Czar to see the city reopen through it. All of the corona-related deaths so far have involved people with underlying medical conditions.Working on that fact, Turner said he has the most medically vulnerable Houstonians in mind for any method and timeline of reopening. Although Abbott optimistically said the state had passed the “worst” virus, Turner objected that the city was still not at its peak and was “still in a storm.” Still, Turner insists that the victims, including social distancing and going public with masks, are being worked on. Missouri City emerges as a hot spot for coronavirus cases The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Fort Bend continues to climb, with Missouri City emerging as a hot spot The county’s total cases is pushing toward 1,000 The county has had nearly 20 COVID-19 related deaths. Missouri City has over 110 confirmed cases, according to the Harris County Public Health Department. Slightly more than
a quarter of the Missouri City cases are linked to Park Manor of Quail Valley Nursing Home, where 28 residents and staff members reported positive test results on March 31. Texas has 500k jobs available Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said that other than the loss of life, the biggest impact of the state has been the blow to livelihoods. Millions of Texans have filed for unemployment. Around 1.5 million, or about 80% of those claims have been filled and $1.4 billion have been paid out. The state is working to address the remaining 20% quickly, according to Gov. Greg Abbot. The governor said Texas has close to 500,000 jobs that are available right now. Companies that are hiring statewide include H-E-B-, Amazon, Randalls and more. To find the openings, go to Workintexas.com. To protect Blacks in masks, Dem senators request racial bias training for police Democratic lawmakers want police departments to be vigilant about any racially biased policing during the coronavirus pandemic, as people in communities of color express fears of being profiled while wearing masks or other face coverings in public. In a letter to Attorney General William Barr and FBI Director Christopher Wray, Sen. Kamala Harris and other Democratic members of the Senate
Judiciary Committee urged federal law enforcement agencies to provide anti-bias training and guidance to police officers. The officers may increasingly encounter masked residents as the nation weighs a gradual reopening of the economy in the coming weeks, the senators said. Food assistance program for Houstonians with disabilities announced The City of Houston has announced the launch of a food assistance program for people with disabilities. The mayor addressed the food insecurities for the vulnerable and unable to get to a food distribution facility. The city of Houston partnered with Walmart, Sam’s Club, the Houston Food Bank and Houston METRO for the program. Officials said Walmart and Sam’s Club contributed $30,000 towards food distributions. Senate approves $483B virus aid deal, sends it to House A $483 billion coronavirus aid package has passed the Senate after Congress and the White House reached a deal to replenish a small-business payroll fund and provided new money for hospitals and testing. Passage was swift and unanimous, despite opposition from conservative Republicans. President Donald Trump tweeted his support, pledging to sign it into law. It now goes to the House, and is expected to pass there quickly as well.
Texans living in more than 8,800 rental properties can now find out if they are protected from eviction proceedings and financial penalties for not paying housing costs as the coronavirus pandemic wreaks havoc on the economy. The National Low Income Housing Coalition launched a new searchable database that lets people check whether a federal moratorium on certain penalties, which lasts until Aug. 23, applies to where they live. Experts are concerned for the short- and long-term housing stability of the 1.7 million renters in the state. More than 1 million Texans have applied for unemployment insurance since mid-March, and a slowdown in the economy might make it harder for people to pay for housing, which was already too expensive for many low-income Texans. “If you are a tenant and you are concerned about paying rent for the next couple of months, the database would be able to show if you’re protected from displacement by law,” said Christina Rosales, deputy director of the advocacy group Texas Housers. “That is an important measure for someone who is experiencing the trauma of the pandemic and the stresses of trying to make ends meet.” The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, which provided $2 trillion in aid, included a 120-day moratorium on eviction filings on renters in homes covered by federally backed mortgages. After that period, a landlord still has to provide 30 days’ notice before residents must vacate the property, which would give tenants in these properties protections until Aug. 23. The National Low Income Housing Coalition’s website allows people to search by ZIP code, by city and through a map for specific addresses. Andrew Aurand, vice president for research of the coalition, said some renters “may still be covered even if their property is not in the database” and advised them to ask landlords or search property records to find out if the building’s mortgage is backed by federal institutions, like Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac or the Federal Housing Administration. Visit https://nlihc.org/federal-moratoriums.
10 | April 23, 2020 |
DEFENDER NETWORK
DN Entertainment Beyoncé, Lizzo offer hope at all-star event fighting COVID-19
Associated Press
Lady Gaga, Stevie Wonder, Lizzo, Shawn Mendes and others sang classic songs brimmed with messages of hope and change during a TV special aimed at fighting the coronavirus, while Beyoncé and Alicia Keys spoke passionately about how the virus has disproportionately affected Black Americans. Beyoncé made a surprise appearance on the TV special “One World: Together At Home,” thanking “delivery workers, mail carriers and sanitation employees” for their hard work during the pandemic. “Black Americans disproportionately belong to these essential parts of the workforce that do not have the luxury of working from home. And African American communities at large have been severely affected in this crisis. Those with pre-existing conditions are at an even higher risk. This virus is killing black people at an alarmingly high rate here in America,” Beyoncé said. African Americans account for more than one-third of COVID-19 deaths in the United States where the race of victims has been made public. Data from states, cities and counties show Black people are regularly overrepresented compared to their share of the population. “Please protect yourselves,” Beyoncé continued. “We are one family. We need you. We need your voices, your abilities and your strength all over this word. I know it’s very hard but please be patient, stay encouraged, keep the faith, stay positive and continue to pray for our heroes.” An Associated Press analysis, based on the latest data, found that of the more than 21,500 victims whose demographic data was known and disclosed by officials, more than 6,350 were Black, a rate of nearly 30%. African Americans account for 14.2% of the 241 million people who live in the areas covered by the analysis. Keys presented similar data when she spoke during the special, ending with: “Keep your frequency high and I’m sending you all my love.” Gaga, who curated the all-star TV event, kicked it off by urging people weathering the coronavirus pandemic to find a way to smile through the pain with a performance of Nat King Cole’s version of the song “Smile.” She performed during the second Beyonce’
part of an eight-hour event supporting the World Health Organization alongside advocacy organization Global Citizen. “I care so much about the medical workers that are putting their lives at risk for us,” Gaga said. Wonder performed “Lean On Me” by Bill Withers — who died on March 30 — while playing piano. He told viewers: “During hardships like this we have to lean on each other for help.” John Legend and Sam Smith, each from their own homes, duetted on “Stand by Me”; Lizzo sang “A Change Is Gonna Come” with passion; and Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello, sitting together, performed “What a Wonderful World.” Former first ladies Michelle Obama and Laura Bush, Oprah Winfrey, Bill and Melinda Gates, Ellen DeGeneres, Pharrell Williams, Kerry Washington, Lupita Nyong’o and Henry Golding offered positive words while photos of health care workers and everyday people were shown on the screen. Reggaeton star J Balvin even offered tips on handwashing, while doctors and other medical workers spoke about social distancing and relief efforts. “One World: Together At Home” featured stars appearing in intimate settings, beamed virtually to the world. It aired simultaneously on ABC, NBC, CBS, iHeartMedia and Bell Media networks and was hosted by Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel. Colbert told viewers to “take out their wallets and put them away.” Kimmel added that over $50 million had already been raised to help those during the worldly crisis. At the event’s end, organizers announced that the total amount raised was nearly $128 million.
John Legend & Sam Smith perform “Stand By Me” | One World: Together At Home.
MY SKIN COLOR SHOULD NOT RESTRICT WHERE I CAN RENT. To learn more about fair housing contact the Fair Housing Hotline at 832.394.6200 or visit www.houstontx.gov/housing
CLASSIFIED The HARRIS CENTER for Mental Health and IDD (formerly known as MENTAL HEALTH MENTAL RETARDATION AUTHORITY OF HARRIS COUNTY) will be accepting proposals for the following: PHARMACY DRUG DISPENSING SERVICES RFP Specifications may be secured from The HARRIS CENTER, Purchasing Services located at 9401 SW Freeway, Houston, Texas 77074; telephone (713) 970-7281, The HARRIS CENTER website www.theharriscenter.org or the Electronic State Business Daily Site https://portal.cpa.state.tx.us/ beginning Tuesday, April 28, 2020. Deadline for prospective vendors to submit questions to this RFP is Tuesday, May 5, 2020. Proposals must be submitted to Purchasing Services, 9401 SW Freeway, Houston, Texas 77074 by 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, May 19, 2020 in a sealed envelope marked "PROPOSAL - DO NOT OPEN UNTIL – TUESDAY, May 19, 2020, PHARMACY DRUG DISPENSING SERVICES". Any questions pertaining to this solicitation should be addressed in writing to Frances Otto, CTCD, Buyer II and Sharon Brauner, C.P.M., Purchasing Manager, via E-mail to frances.otto@theharriscenter.org cc: sharon.brauner@theharriscenter.org or fax at (713) 970-7682. Historically Underutilized Businesses, including Minority-Owned Businesses and Women-Owned Businesses are encouraged to participate. The HARRIS CENTER reserves all rights to reject any and/or all proposals, to waive formalities and reasonable irregularities in submitted documents as it deems to be in its best interests, and is not obligated to accept the lowest proposal.
April 23, 2020 |
| 11
DEFENDER NETWORK
DN Sports
Leagues seek return to play
Associated Press
With no games being played, recent sports headlines have centered around hopes and dreams — namely, the uncharted path leagues and teams must navigate to return to competition in the wake of the pandemic. Virtually all leagues talk publicly about their desire to return before summer. But behind closed doors, they are hatching different potential plans: all 30 baseball teams playing in Arizona; home run contests to decide tie games; the Stanley Cup being hoisted in an empty arena that neither team calls home; end-of-season soccer standings decided by vote; college football games in spring. Over the past week, the Associated Press spoke to more than two dozen policymakers, coaches and players across the globe to get their candid assessments of plans to return from the stoppages caused by the new coronavirus. The conclusion: While it’s critical to put optimistic restart scenarios in place, there is no certainty any of these plans will work without buy-in from politicians and an OK from players and medical experts. Underpinning it all would have to be a drastic ramp-up in testing, a vaccine or treatment breakthrough, or some other solution. Virtually all the big-time team sports are coming up with scenarios to play games with no fans in the stands, something health experts recommend. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the infectious disease expert who has been calling for restraint in resuming any normal activities, offered a glimmer of hope when he suggested sports could conceivably return. He suggested no fans in arenas and constant testing for the players, who would likely need to be quarantined in hotels for weeks or months. Nobody’s quite sure what will happen if, despite all the precautions, an outbreak hits a team. Could one positive test eviscerate an entire season? Before setting anything in motion, all the leagues are waiting for a consensus to emerge from government and health experts, to say nothing of players and owners.
SEASON PLANS NFL Publicly committed to its usual kickoff date in September, but looking into contingencies that include shortening the season or playing in front of half-full or empty stadiums. NBA Currently in holding pattern. Trying to decide how to resume the season, not whether to cancel it. MLB Planning to bring all 30 teams to Maricopa County, Ariz., for a regular season at spring training sites. NASCAR Currently holding virtual races; considering tentative schedule under which the season would resume May 24 without fans.
NHL Plans to resume the season this summer, going directly to the playoffs and/ or playing games in empty arenas in neutral-site cities. PGA Tour Plans to restart mid-June. Will cancel events if they cannot be held in compliance with health regulations. Collegiate College athletic directors have come up with a half-dozen or more scenarios for football season, including, playing part of the season in spring. One theme gaining wide acceptance: If it’s not safe enough for students to return to school or attend games, then athletes shouldn’t be asked to return either. Without the millions of dollars from football, all college sports are in peril.
A majority of your guys are going to have to really understand what it’s going to take to be in shape when they do tell us we can play.”
- Bill O’Brien
12 | April 23, 2020 |
DEFENDER NETWORK
We’re all in this
TOGETHER. Older adults and those with serious underlying medical conditions are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19.
Here’s what we can (and must) do:
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Are 65 years or older; or Live in a nursing home or long-term care facility; or
IF YOU HAVE OR SUFFER FROM: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
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Diabetes; or Serious heart conditions; or Chronic lung disease or moderate-to-severe asthma; or Chronic kidney disease and are undergoing dialysis; or Liver disease; or Sickle-cell anemia; or A compromised immune system (for example, from cancer treatment, smoking, bone marrow or organ transplantation, immune deficiencies, poorly controlled HIV or AIDS, or prolonged use of corticosteroids and other immune-weakening medications); or Severe obesity
HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR LOVED ONES: ■
Stay home if possible
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Take special care to cover your face or wear a mask and gloves when near others
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Practice social distancing, staying at least 6 feet away from anyone not in your household
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Wash your hands often
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Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces
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Avoid all non-essential travel
My mom always said, “Tomorrow will be better than today.” She was right. We will get through this, but we must take every precaution to protect ourselves and the people around us. MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER
POL. ADV. SYLVESTER TURNER CAMPAIGN
IF YOU: