🦸♀️🦸♀️🦸♀️NewsHero | Supreme Court: LGBTQ+ protected at work; Rights groups challenge trans healthcare rollback; ACLU sues over border restrictions; 'Breonna's Law' bans no-knock search warrants
June 15, 2020 - Issue 117
Welcome to this edition of NewsHero for June 15, 2020.
LGBT Workers Protected From Job Discrimination, Supreme Court Rules
Rights groups to challenge overturned transgender healthcare protections
(Image: CNN)
🦸♀️🦸♀️🦸♀️ - ACLU, Lambda Legal, LGBTQ+ advocates
🦸♀️🦸♀️🦸♀️ - All the BLM & LGBTQ+ stylists working on Robert E. Lee’s makeover
🦸♀️🦸♀️ - U.S. Supreme Court
LGBT employees are protected in the workplace, according to a 6-3 vote today by the U.S. Supreme Court that says the Civil Rights Act of 1964 provision barring job discrimination because of sex includes bias against LGBT workers.
“An employer who fires an individual for being homosexual or transgender fires that person for traits or actions it would not have questioned in members of a different sex,” Justice Neil Gorsuch (!) wrote for the court.
The ruling comes after rights groups last week denounced the Trump administration for overturning Obama-era protections for transgender people against sex discrimination in health care.
On Friday, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Lambda Legal’s Transgender Rights Project said they would challenge the rule in court, The Washington Post reports. “This rule change serves no other purpose than to target and discriminate against LGBTQ people. The cruelty is the point,” said Sasha Buchert, a senior attorney for Lambda Legal.
Papa’s got a brand new flag. With full bans of the Confederate flag sweeping the nation, the controversial statue of Robert E. Lee that’s somehow still standing in Richmond, Va. can be seen flying a new flag these days—a Pride flag. Along with a giant “BLM” painted across his horse for the Black Lives Matter movement, General Lee’s pedestal sports a glorious spray-painted ROY G. BIV.
Va. Gov. Ralph Northam said earlier this month he would remove the statue honoring Lee, calling it “wrong,” though a judge currently has that plan delayed.
Florida Woman Fired By Health Dept. Creates Her Own COVID-19 Public Info Site
Rights groups, health experts worry tear gas facilitating spread of coronavirus
The woman who helped create Florida's COVID-19 dashboard, and was fired after a dispute with state officials, has launched her own dashboard. (CBS Miami)
🦸♀️🦸♀️🦸♀️ - Rebekah Jones
🦸♀️🦸♀️ - Twitter
🦸♀️🦸♀️🦸♀️ - Rights groups & health experts, for pointing out that getting tear gassed makes you want to touch your face, which is how COVID-19 spreads
🦸♀️🦸♀️🦸♀️ - Scientists working to prove that we humans can indeed slow the spread of COVID-19
🦸♀️🦸♀️🦸♀️ - Small businesses and Axl Rose
Rebekah Jones, the woman fired last month by the Florida Department of Health over public presentation of coronavirus data—she thought the state was not being transparent enough—has created her own COVID-19 statistics dashboard. Jones had spoken up with concerns that the number of COVID-19 cases reported were not accurate. As The Washington Post reports, Gov. Ron DeSantis got some heat after Jones alleged publicly that the health department was manipulating statistics to support his push to reopen the state. “I wanted to build an application that delivered data and helped people get tested and helped them get resources that they need from their community,” Jones said of the site that launched Thursday. “And that’s what I ended up building with this new dashboard.”
Twitter said Thursday it had deleted 170,000 accounts associated with the Chinese government that were “spreading geopolitical narratives favorable to the Communist Party of China,” including misinformation regarding the coronavirus, as well as Hong Kong and other topics.
Human rights groups and others are concerned that the use of tear gas by law enforcement during protests may be helping spread the coronavirus throughout the large gatherings. More than 1,000 health experts said in an open letter that tear gas “could increase risk for COVID-19 by making the respiratory tract more susceptible to infection, exacerbating existing inflammation, and inducing coughing.”
Newsflash: scientists are saying that wearing face masks really does slow the spread of coronavirus. A review funded by the World Health Organization said that data from 172 observational studies show wearing face masks reduces the risk of infection. So, masks it is then!
Remember that kerfuffle over big corporations getting virus relief money intended for small businesses so they could try and remain afloat during lockdown? Well, as the government works on a new $600 billion-plus coronavirus aid program for small businesses, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin has decided he’ll keep the names of those businesses getting aid private. That way, maybe people won’t complain? Axl Rose was right.
ACLU, Rights Groups Sue Over Border Restrictions
Report says CBP spent money for food and medicine for migrants on dirt bikes, 4-wheelers and boats
Protesters wave placards outside the GEO Aurora Processing Center to call for the release of detainees over concerns of the spread of the coronavirus at the ICE facility Thursday, April 9, 2020, in Aurora, Colorado. (David Zalubowski, STF/Associated Press)
🦸♀️🦸♀️🦸♀️ - ACLU, rights groups suing over border restrictions
🦸♀️🦸♀️🦸♀️ - Government Accountability Office
The ACLU, Center for Gender and Refugee Studies, and Oxfam America have filed a lawsuit against border restrictions that bar migrants from entering the U.S., via a public health law put in place by the Trump administration citing coronavirus safety.
“This lawsuit will raise for the first time whether the government can close down the border to children seeking protection based on the government assertion that it's necessary for public health, without providing any of the protections Congress has afforded children and those seeking protection,” said Lee Gelernt, an attorney with the ACLU.
And while that’s happening, the Government Accountability Office published a report Thursday that says Customs and Border Protection (CBP) spent part of a $112 million fund—meant to be used for food and medicine for migrants—on motorbikes, 4-wheelers and boats.
Trump Agrees To Hold Rally On Day That Doesn’t Mark End Of Slavery
Tulsa Health Department Director wishes rally could be postponed to when virus ‘isn’t as large a concern’
(https://events.donaldjtrump.com/events/tulsa-oklahoma-rally-june-20)
🦸♀️🦸♀️🦸♀️ - Bruce Dart, for thinking scientifically (sensibly)
🦸♀️ - Donald Trump, for moving his party one day later
Friday we discussed how Black leaders and government officials were calling for Donald Trump to choose another date for his campaign kick-off rally. A date other than June 19—Juneteenth, which recognizes the end of slavery in America. While the event is still regrettably in Tulsa, Okla., Trump has moved the party to June 20.
While Tulsa may feel like a culturally insensitive place for Trump to hold his thing, Bruce Dart, the director of the Tulsa City-County Health Department, said, “I wish we could postpone this to a time when the virus isn’t as large a concern as it is today.” Right. Aren’t large gatherings still considered risky for spreading COVID-19?
How about a gathering as large as 800,000 people? That’s a tremendous amount of people. It’s also the amount of people Trump’s team says has asked for tickets to the June 20 rally. “Just passed 800,000 tickets,” Brad Parscale, Trump’s campaign manager, tweeted. “Biggest data haul and rally signup of all time by 10x. Saturday is going to be amazing!”
Well, if you’re lucky enough to be among that group of 800,000 mask-less Trump supporters, don’t forget to sign your form (pictured above) that says you won’t sue the president if you get coronavirus while attending his rally.
New York Joins Minneapolis In Chokehold Ban
Louisville city council passes ‘Breonna's Law’ banning no-knock search warrants
A protester carries an injured counter-protester to safety, near the Waterloo station during a Black Lives Matter protest in London, June 13, 2020. (Reuters/Dylan Martinez)
🦸♀️🦸♀️🦸♀️ - Patrick Hutchinson
🦸♀️ - Minneapolis Police Dept., for the open letter and for stopping chokeholds
🦸♀️🦸♀️🦸♀️ - Louisville city council, for Breonna’s Law
🦸♀️ - Sen. Rand Paul, for proposing The Justice for Breonna Taylor Act
🦸♀️🦸♀️🦸♀️ - The U.S. Embassy in Seoul
🦸♀️ - Starbucks
Saying it was “to stop someone from being killed,” a Black Lives Matter protester in London carried a supposed counter-protester to safety, as he appeared to be in danger amid the crowd. Patrick Hutchinson, the black protester who rescued the white counter-protester, told BBC News: “I wasn't thinking, I was just thinking of a human being on the floor. It wasn't going to end well had we not intervened.”
Police in Minneapolis have written an open letter to “everyone—but especially Minneapolis citizens” condemning the actions of Derek Chauvin. “We stand ready to listen and embrace the calls for change, reform and rebuilding,” the letter says.
There have been some significant changes in law enforcement policy in the wake of the killing of George Floyd. New York state has joined Minneapolis in banning chokeholds. And as Louisville’s council passes ‘Breonna's Law’ banning no-knock warrants, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul has proposed The Justice for Breonna Taylor Act, which would ban that type of search warrant at the national level.
You may have heard: Starbucks told its employees they could not wear Black Lives Matter-related articles of clothing, but then quickly turned that around and said they could.
How about this one? The U.S. Embassy in Seoul put up a massive Black Lives Matter banner and tweeted: “The U.S. Embassy stands in solidarity with fellow Americans grieving and peacefully protesting to demand positive change. Our #BlackLivesMatter banner shows our support for the fight against racial injustice and police brutality as we strive to be a more inclusive & just society.”
“You are beginning your careers at a tumultuous time. More than 110,000 Americans have died of COVID-19, more than 40 million are unemployed, and our nation is hurting from racial, social and human injustice. Desperation, fear, anxiety, anger, and helplessness are the daily existence for too many Americans.” So begins “A Letter to the West Point Class of 2020, From Fellow Members of the Long Gray Line,” posted on Medium for you to read.
Sources:
Justices rule gay workers protected from job discrimination - AP News
Trump finalizes rollback of LGBTQ patient protections - Politico
Trump administration removes non-discrimination protections for transgender people in health care - The Washington Post
Trump administration revokes transgender health protection - AP News
Statue of Robert E. Lee gets a makeover with Pride Flag and 'BLM' sign - CNN
Rebekah Jones, Florida’s fired coronavirus data scientist, publishes her own dashboard - The Washington Post
Twitter deletes over 170,000 accounts, some of which tried to spin Covid-19 in China's favor - CNN
Police Using Tear Gas at Protests Risks Making COVID-19 Pandemic Worse, Human Rights Groups Say - Newsweek
Spate of new research supports wearing masks to control coronavirus spread - The Washington Post
Treasury chief refusing to disclose recipients of virus aid - AP News
ACLU files lawsuit against border coronavirus restrictions - CNNPolitics
Customs and Border Protection used money meant for food, medicine for dirt bikes, ATVs, says GAO - NBC News
Trump moved Tulsa rally date after learning about Juneteenth - AP News
Trump Moves Tulsa Rally Date 'Out of Respect' for Juneteenth - The New York Times
Tulsa Health Director Wishes Trump Would Postpone Rally as Coronavirus Cases Rise - Slate
Trump campaign asks supporters to sign coronavirus waiver ahead of rally - The Guardian
Trump campaign claims record number of ticket requests for rescheduled Tulsa rally | Fox News “Just passed 800,000 tickets. Biggest data haul and rally signup of all time by 10x.” - Fox News
Black protester carries white man through angry crowd to safety to 'stop someone from being killed' - Fox News
Minneapolis police officers pen open letter condemning former officer Derek Chauvin - CNN
N.Y. Bans Chokeholds and Approves Other Measures to Restrict Police - The New York Times
Minneapolis bans police chokeholds in wake of Floyd’s death - AP News
U.S. Embassy Seoul - Twitter
Rand Paul introduces bill to end the type of warrant involved in Breonna Taylor's death - CNNPolitics
Louisville council passes 'Breonna's Law' banning no-knock warrants - CNN
DC mayor sued over 'Black Lives Matter' street painting - Fox News
Starbucks Bans Employees From Wearing Black Lives Matter Attire - Forbes
Starbucks Will Allow Employees to Wear Black Lives Matter Apparel - The New York Times
A Letter to the West Point Class of 2020, From Fellow Members of the Long Gray Line - Medium