Today on Sojourner Truth, our weekly roundtable.
The twin pandemics of COVID-19 and systemic racism continue their impact on communities across the U.S. On Wednesday, June 24, 38,115 new infections were reported by state health departments, surpassing the previous single-day record of 34,203 set on April 25. Texas, Florida and California had the highest number of new infections, with all three states reporting over 5,000 new cases each. Even as the number of reported cases continue to increase, the Donald Trump administration is set to stop providing federal aid to testing sites in hard-hit states like Texas. Black, Brown and poor communities have been hardest hit by this pandemic. Trump, of course, is downplaying the resurgence of COVID-19 and wants to keep businesses open as usual, months ahead of the presidential election. Meanwhile, the nationwide (and worldwide) movement against police killings and systemic racism continues. On Thursday, June 25, the House of Representatives passed a Democratic police reform bill with minimal Republican support by a 236-181 margin. Only three Republican lawmakers voted for it. The bill would make it easier for victims of police abuse to sue and for officials to fire and prosecute officers. It would also ban chokeholds and no-knock search warrants at the federal level. Lastly, it would also mandate racial bias training and more data sharing about police use of force.
On the international front, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is moving ahead with plans to annex parts of occupied Palestines West Bank and Jordan Valley areas. On Wednesday, July 1, Netanyahu's far-right government is set to begin discussions over annexing both areas. Over 1,000 parliamentarians representing 25 European countries have signed a statement opposing Israel's plans. Also, United Nations chief Antonio Guterres described the planned move as a serious violation of international law that would grievously harm the prospect of a two-state solution. Meanwhile, the ongoing U.S. cold war with China continues, as tensions continue to grow on several fronts. Earlier this week, Trump signed legislation authorizing U.S. sanctions against Chinese officials who he claims are responsible for what he describes as the repression of Muslims in the Xinjiang province. In Brazil, where another Trump-aligned far-right government is in power, COVID-19 is spreading like wildfire, killing thousands. Brazil currently has the second-highest number of reported deaths (54,971) and reported cases (1.2 million) in the world after the United States.
Our guests are Jackie Goldberg, Laura Carlsen and Dr. Gerald Horne.
