One important event now is that a statue that honors Mary McLeod Bethune has been unveiled in Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol. Mary McLeod Bethune was a teacher of many black children. Bethune desired our community to reach high heights of glory and power. She worked in Florida and nationwide to advance courage and excellence. She continued to defend the truth of human equality and black freedom every day of her life. As a civil rights icon, Bethune never relinquished her calling. The statue unveiling was attended by many people like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, and other lawmakers plus activists. Rep. Kathy Castor of Florida praised her contributions to civil rights and equal rights. Bethune was the daughter of former slaves to become one of the greatest Americans in history. She originated Bethune-Cookman University. She led voter registration drives after women had the right to vote in 1920. It is fitting this comes after all Confederate statues are expelled from the U.S. Capitol. She also worked with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt to grow economic opportunities for especially young black Americans.
The January 6th coup d'état attempt against the American government was headed by former President Donald Trump, the Proud Boys, the Oath Keepers, and other extremists. With the televised hearings, we have more facts about what took place. The plot included Trump using his lawyers and Justice Department members in trying to steal the legal 2020 election. Trump's White House Counsel Pat Cipollone corroborated the testimony from former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson on Trump calling on armed supporters to overrun the U.S. Capitol and stop the certification of the Electoral College vote. Cipollone told that Trump that Trump's plan to seize voting machines is illegal. Jason Van Tatenhove left the Oath Keepers (filled with racists and anti-Semites) after members said that the Holocaust was not real. We know that the Holocaust was real. Taatenhove said that Rhodes wanted violence against elected leaders. Trump pardoned Flynn and Stone. We know that former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio was an FBI informant. This terrorism against the American people on January 6th isn't just done by Donald Trump. It's done by many people from the far right. The Pentagon waited for 199 minutes to approve the deployment of D.C. National Guard troops to stop the mob.
President Joe Biden is meeting in the Middle East for many reasons. He wants Israel to work with other nations to deal with Russia, oil prices, and other matters. Biden is going to Saudi Arabia, which has been condemned over Saudi Arabia's horrendous human rights record. The news of Iran sending Russia drones to attack Ukraine has allowed been known by the Biden administration. The Biden administration wants the nations of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the UAE, etc. to unite to form a coalition to repel Iran's nuclear development aims. Also, Saudi Arabia is in an alliance with Israel surprisingly. One reason is that both nations' governments are in opposition to Iran's nuclear program. Saudi Arabia is mostly Sunni, and Iran is mostly Shia, so you can't ignore the religious element in this complex situation. Biden also wants more oil resources from Saudi Arabia to deal with oil prices in America, though oil prices in America now are going down. President Joe Biden said that he wants Palestine to be an independent nation, but Biden hasn't massively spoken about the oppression that Palestinians have gone through in the West Bank.
Some of the most important issues in our time is the black farmers fighting against systemic land theft. John Boyd Jr. is one of many people fighting back against the harm done to black farmers. He is the President of the National Black Farmers Association, and his wife is Kara Brewer Boyd (who is the President of the Association of American Indian Farmers). John Boyd Jr. has talked about the constant racism black farmers have experienced in America. Boyd is a 4th generation farmer. Back in January 1865, President Lincoln gave 40 acres and a mule to freed slaves. In June 400,000 acres were sent to 40,000 free black farmers. After Lincoln was assassinated, that land was stolen and sent to other people. Even with the Southern Homestead Act that tried to give black farmers the right to own farmlands in Southern states, there was Jim Crow. Many black farmers had Klan terrorism, corrupt lawyers, corrupt banking policies, lynchings, and other evil actions. It's a known fact that the Department of Agriculture had a practice of withholding loans and grant funds from black and other minority farmers. Native American lands have been stolen too. Black farmers want fairness, access to credit gain and real resources, respect, and human dignity. Leveling the playing field is just the right thing to do.
Right now, we have witnessed the worst spreading variant of the coronavirus. It's called BA.5. The tricky thing about this variant is that it evolves to try to escape immunity. It has also increased the hospitalizations and spread of COVID-19 in the past days. Worldwide, the virus has killed millions of human beings, including over 1 million Americans. This is the newest offshoot of Omicron. There is a global surge in cases of 30% over the past fortnight according to the WHO (the World Health Organization). It's spreading in Europe and China too. China may re-establish strict lockdown measures in their locations. According to the CDC or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the variant accounted for 65% of new infections last week. Many of the victims of the virus are regularly undercounted. The coronavirus is not some cold. It can cause organ damage, brain harm, lung disease, increased risk of heart disease, and other things that no one wants. That is why the U.S. government wants Americans 50 or older to get second booster shots. Only one in four adults over 50 have gotten their 2nd boosters. Some believe that U.S. health officials may allow 2nd boosters for all adults in the future. BA.5 can escape immunity forces. It's more transmissible than previous variants too.
By Timothy
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