Maybe just as hard as just trying to social distance and stay safe right now, is the task of trying to stay informed on the rapidly changing situation. Everyday, we wake up and the news cycle has shifted in all kinds of ways, most of them depressing. So, in an effort to help make staying up to date slightly more bearable, here are three major news stories to keep up with and then some light-hearted content to binge afterward.
1. The virus is, unsurprisingly, twice as deadly for Black and Latino people because of the systemic inequality ingrained into New York and, obviously, all of America.
The pandemic has only amplified all the pre-existing inequalities ingrained into life in New York. All communities are losing people right now, but Black and Latino communities are losing people at an even more alarming rate. In all the worse ways, it’s a pressing structural, fundamental inequity that demands new policy and structural change that always arrives too late (if at all). As Malo Hutson, a professor at Columbia’s Health Equity Lab, points out in The New York Times article, “It’s one thing to raise the issue and say there are a disproportionate amount of black and low-income people who become infected with coronavirus, it’s another to turn this into policy.”
This will always be a systemic problem, beyond the scope of each of our individual actions, but there are ways to help the most vulnerable communities right now. If you’re in any place to help and donate, check out this article on organizaitons supporting POC right now.
2. The ongoing great debate over the US Postal Service
The postal office is one of many businesses suffering right now admits the pandemic. This issue actually has an impending deadline. USPS warned congress that it could “run out of cash” by September. This issue has, of course, turned into a large debate between Democrats and Republicans. There is the idea of a bailout for the USPS, or at least adding aid the USPS to the possible fourth coronavirus relief bill, floating around at Congress that Democrats are open to. Republicans, however, don’t really want to open their coronavirus aid scope to the USPS right now and instead, would rather see the postal service go private. Meanwhile, Trump’s hate for Amazon is entangled in and making this issue way more complicated than it should be.
3. In the latest live updates: China reaches a new high number of new cases after a period of promising decline and U.S. debates when to “re-open”
After the numbers of new cases seemingly leveling off, China has reached a new rise in cases and this causes concern of a possible second wave of infection. This panic adds to the already heavy debate of the U.S. tentative plan of how to roll back restrictions to a “re-start” on May 1st. The article also covers other news on the state of things for Italy, oil-producing nations, and more.
Okay, well that was heavy! But here’s some sugar to go with that spoonful of medicine, in the form of light-hearted stuff to binge watch.
1. Community is finally on Netflix!
In some good news, all of Community is now on Netflix! So, settle in and watch a rag-tag group of friends work through trying times at community college and just enjoy for 6 seasons (still waiting on that movie).
2. A Video Essay on the Monstrosity that was the Cats Movie
Maybe a 57-minute-long video essay on how the horror that was the Cats movie adaptation came to be isn’t everyone’s cup of tea for a relaxing watch, but it’s hilarious to me! Really, all of Lindsay Ellis’s videos on weird happenings in pop-culture, are equal parts informative and hilarious.
3. All the Cooking Videos on Youtube
We write a lot here at HCTNS about the food media gold-era we’re all in, but now that most of us are cooking more than ever, it feels like the time to be writing and watching and eating it all up. Everyone loves Bon Appétit, maybe even more so now that we get to see the test kitchen crew cook at home with their adorable families and pets. I’ve written already about my love for what is, in my humble opinion, the most accessible cooking YouTube channel, Internet Shaquille. I’ve also been binging Joshua Weissman’s videos, Maangchi’s videos, Peaceful Cuisine, and old café vlogs that remind me of simpler times.
I hope these mini-lists helped you start your week and stay up to date. And, of course, we at HCTNS hope everyone is able to stay safe to the best of their ability right now.