Insight ::: 4.20.20

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Insight News

April 20, 2020 - April 26, 2020

Vol. 47 No. 16• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

Rep. Steven Horsford (D-NV)

Dr. Jeanine Abrams McLean, vice president of Fair Count

Congressional Black Caucus fights for accurate Census count despite pandemic By Harry Colbert, Jr. Managing Editor

harry@insightnews.com Black Americans are typically undercounted during the U.S. Census, resulting in a loss of resources and political power. Add a deadly pandemic to the mix – a pandemic that is showing a propensity to disproportionately kill Black Americans – and

fears are the 2020 Census undercount could be the worst ever. That is why members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) are sounding the alarm and employing all available resources to get every person living in America counted despite the insidious COVID-19 virus wreaking havoc upon the nation. “Because of COVID-19 many people have not filled out the census,” said Rep. Steven Horsford (DNV), chair of the CBC Census

Taskforce. “Only 48 percent (of households) have responded so far, so we have a lot of work to do.” Horsford is encouraging people to respond now to the census – either online, by mail or by phone – to avoid putting door-to-door census workers and the general public in harm’s way due to the deadly strain of coronavirus that has already clamed nearly 40,000 lives in the U.S. The deadline to self-respond has been extended to Oct. 31.

Providing a tangible result to getting as many people as possible counted, Horsford used himself as an example. “The district I serve – the 4th District of Nevada – was created as a result of the 2010 Census,” said Horsford. “And I’m the first AfricanAmerican to serve in the House from the state of Nevada, so representation does matter.” According to the Color of Change, 3.7 million Blacks in America were undercounted in the 2010 Census.

“That’s a loss of billions of dollars in federal funding for our community,” said Horsford. Dr. Jeanine Abrams McLean, vice president of Fair Count said that number is actually much higher. “We stand to lose $1.5 trillion due to undercounting,” said Abrams McLean. “And that doesn’t mean the money disappears. It just gets shifted to other communities.” A targeted effort is underway to reach and count Blacks living in

America. According to Albert Fontenot, Jr., associate director of Decennial Census Programs, $46 million has been allocated to marketing and other efforts to attract Black respondents. That number is up from the original $37.9 million previously allocated. For those who have not yet responded to the 2020 Cencus they can do so online at www.my2020census.gov. They can also contact the Census Bureau at (800) 923-8282.

Walz signs COVID-19 relief package, takes pay cut Gov. Tim Walz signed HF 4556, together this legislation to ensures that anyone who is the fourth legislative package help Minnesotans weather uninsured will be eligible passed and signed this month COVID-19,” said Walz. “We for coverage for COVID-19 to help Minnesotans weather will continue working with testing and 100 percent the COVID-19 pandemic. our local, state, and federal federal reimbursement for the The legislation will partners to ensure Minnesotans clinic visit. The legislation increase access to affordable have the support they need also clarifies that telephone health care during the during this pandemic.” visits are telemedicine and pandemic and provide greater The legislation contains other administrative flexibility for Minnesotans ensures that when temporary and technical adjustments. as the state combats the sites are set up to deliver health Walz also signed an spread of COVID-19. care in Minnesota, Medicaid executive order implementing “Our team partnered and MinnesotaCare enrollees salary cuts for the governor, with legislators on both will be able to receive care in his chief of staff, and sides of the aisle in putting those settings. The legislation cabinet members. The order

comes on the heels of his direction to freeze hiring for executive branch positions, a measure that does not require an executive order. Executive Order 2036 implements a 10 percent salary cut for the remainder of the year for the governor, chief of staff, and cabinet agency commissioners. On April 13, Minnesota Management and Budget instituted a hiring freeze on all executive branch positions.

Gov. Tim Walz

Midwest governors announce partnership to reopen regional economy

Govs. Tim Walz, Gretchen Whitmer (Mich.), Mike DeWine (Ohio), Tony Evers (Wisc.), JB Pritzker (Ill.), Eric Holcomb (Ind.), and Andy Beshear (Ky.) announced they will work in coordination to reopen the economy in the Midwest. “We are doing everything we can to protect the people of our states and slow the spread of COVID-19, and we are eager to work together to mitigate the economic crisis this virus has caused in our region,” The governors said in a statement. “Here in the Midwest, we are bound by our commitment to our people and the community. We recognize that our economies are all reliant on each other, and we must work together to safely reopen them so hardworking people can get

back to work and businesses can get back on their feet.” Several governors in the Northeast have formed a similar coalition, something they say is necessary due to the lack of a coordinated federal response to the pandemic. In the Midwest coalition of governors the governor of Iowa chose to opt-out of coordinating efforts. “Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky will work in close coordination to reopen our economies in a way that prioritizes our workers’ health,” read the statement from the Midwest coalition. “We look forward to working with experts and taking a fact-based, datadriven approach to reopening our economy in a way that protect families from

Leadership is not about having your stuff together or showing how smart you are. That’s been verified because they selected you to be the top one in charge. News

Checking blood for coronavirus antibodies – 3 questions answered about serological tests and immunity

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Alec Smith Insulin Affordability Act signed into law

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