This Friday, Judge Dolly M. Gee, a federal judge of the Central District of California, ordered the release of migrant children from family detention centers, primarily citing the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic as her reasoning. This order demands that the children must be released by July 17. The ruling applies to children who have […]
Department of Education Issues Rule Increasing CARES Act Funding For K-12 Private Schools
A rule issued by the Department of Education (DOE) will grant K-12 private schools a large share of the $13 billion of federal coronavirus aid provided by the CARES Act. The rule requires school districts to utilize one of two plans to distribute the funds. Districts must either only utilize the funds for low-income students, […]
House Democrats Urge ICE to Release Detainees Amid Spike in COVID-19 Cases
On Monday, Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX) and Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) called upon ICE to release detainees and improve conditions ICE detention centers as COVID-19 cases continue to increase. Since early 2020, the pandemic has taken the lives of nearly 120,000 Americans. States like Texas and Arizona house approximately 40 immigration detention centers, and are […]
Trump Administration Ends Funding for New Lung Treatments Amid Pandemic
At its most severe, coronavirus attacks a patient’s lungs and fills them with fluid, causing a condition called acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). But the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), a federal health agency, recently halted funding for lung therapy treatments. The policy change was announced quietly on a government website on June […]
Governor Newsom Called On to Release Elderly Incarcerated Women
The Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, is facing pressure to release elderly and vulnerable incarcerated women amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. As of May 2020, 3,200 incarcerated people have tested positive for coronavirus, and 16 incarcerated people have died. LA County recently reported the first death of a pregnant woman related to the virus. The county […]
Black Communities Battle for Their Lives Amongst COVID-19 and Police Brutality
The current civil unrest around systemic and institutional racism that has been present in America for over 400 years is deeply connected to the racial and health disparities exposed by the COVID-19 crisis. Thousands of people globally have marched in the streets to protest police brutality, and many are worried about the risk of COVID-19 […]
Medical Groups Sue FDA Over Abortion Pill Restrictions During Pandemic
Medical experts and reproductive rights advocates sued federal agencies yesterday, asking it to allow people to obtain abortion pills remotely during the pandemic. The suit accuses the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) of endangering public safety by disallowing doctors from distributing abortion pills through telemedicine […]
DeVos Demands Public Schools Share Pandemic Relief Funds with Private Schools
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos announced Friday that she would force public school districts to share a portion of federal relief funds provided by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act, on private schools. The rescue package set aside more than $13 billion to help public schools struggling with pandemic-related deficits. DeVos […]
Guatemalan Immigrant Dies of Coronavirus in ICE Custody
A Guatemalan man died of COVID-19 on Sunday while in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), marking the second immigrant COVID-19 related death in ICE custody. Santiago Baten-Oxlaj, 34, was first arrested in March for charges of driving under the influence. He was granted a voluntary departure to Guatemala and was awaiting the […]
Coronavirus Cases Among Health Care Workers Tops 62,000
More than 62,000 front-line doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers have been infected with COVID-19, the Center for Disease Control reported on Tuesday. At least 291 healthcare workers have died from coronavirus complications. The previous CDC analysis, released April 17, reported that there were only 9,888 documented cases of coronavirus among healthcare workers. At […]
Americans Support Medical Care but Not Economic Aid for Undocumented Immigrants
A Pew Research Center survey published May 22 found that a majority of U.S. adults (68 percent) believe the federal government has a responsibility to provide medical care to undocumented immigrants who are sick with coronavirus. Only 32 percent believe that the government should provide economic relief, such as stimulus checks, to undocumented immigrants who […]
Rwanda Announces Release of 50 Women Jailed for Abortion
On May 20, President Paul Kagame of Rwanda announced the release of 50 women imprisoned for undergoing, seeking, or helping others locate an abortion. Their pardoning was part of Rwanda’s plan to reduce the number of people in prison to slow the spread of coronavirus. A total of 3,596 convicts were granted conditional release by […]
Anti-Mask Protests Are Using Disability Rights Laws to Avoid Following State Orders
As of Wednesday, May 20, 13 states currently have orders mandating that Americans wear masks in public, according to U.S.-based science collective #Masks4All. These orders differ in scope, but most establish the need to wear a mask in high-density public spaces, including businesses, public transportation, and public parks. Anti-mask protestors are using U.S. laws protecting […]
Women Make Up the Majority of COVID-19 Job Losses in the U.S.
Though they make up only half the U.S. workforce, women make up 55 percent of those currently unemployed due to COVID-19, effectively erasing the gains made in workplace equality since the recession of 2008. The current unemployment crisis has been deemed a “she-cession” by C. Nicole Mason, president and chief executive of the Institute for […]
Global Feminist Organizations Release Policy Priorities for COVID-19 Response
More than 400 feminist organizations and 700 individuals across the globe released a joint statement today outlining how governments can bolster equality in their responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. The statement calls on governments to uphold human rights standards in its pandemic response and center marginalized communities that have been disproportionally affected by the disease. […]
South Korean LGBTQ Community Faces Increased Homophobia After COVID-19 Outbreak
The LGBTQ community in South Korea is facing increased homophobia after a recent outbreak of COVID-19 was linked to gay nightclubs in Seoul. In early May, the government announced that a man who had visited multiple night clubs on May 2 tested positive for the coronavirus. More than 100 cases of the virus has since […]
COVID-19 Cases Increase at Women’s Prison in Florida
Confirmed cases of COVID-19 at a Florida women’s prison totaled 73 on Monday, a jump from the previous day’s total of two. Seventy percent of tests administered at Homestead Correctional Institution so far have come back positive and 616 tests are pending results. The spike in confirmed cases comes after weeks of the facility’s shuffling […]
House Democrats Propose $3 Trillion Coronavirus Relief Package
House Democrats and Speaker Nancy Pelosi have released their newest bill to address the coronavirus pandemic, proposing ambitious measures to boost the economy, increase COVID-19 testing, and ensure safe elections this fall. Party leaders expect to vote on the bill, dubbed the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act, on Friday. The 1,815-page […]
California Colleges Sue DeVos Over CARES Act Fund Restrictions
California Community Colleges filed a federal lawsuit yesterday against Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos for making undocumented students ineligible for federally funded coronavirus relief. In the suit, California Community Colleges argues that the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED’s) restrictions place an arbitrary burden on schools to find assistance for students who are ineligible for federal […]
South Dakota Sioux Tribes Refuse to Remove Checkpoints Despite Governor’s Threats
The Oglala Sioux and the Cheyenne River Sioux tribes have refused to remove their coronavirus checkpoints on roads passing through their reservations after South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem threatened to take them to federal court if the checkpoints remain in place. The two tribes argue that the checkpoints are the only way to prevent a […]
