Morning Reads for Women’s Equality Day (August 26)

Happy Women’s Equality Day! Representative Bella Abzug first introduced the day in 1971, and it became an act of Congress in 1973 that each August 26th would be set aside to honor the certification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, granting women the right to vote. It further calls attention to women’s continuing quest for equality in the United States and abroad.

Today is also National Dog Day! You should definitely post pictures of your dog in the comments. I love pet pictures. 🙂

Now, let’s get to the news:

Pat Conroy

• A new report by the White House Coronavirus Task Force says Georgia’s gains in battling the pandemic are “fragile,” and we still lag behind most of the rest of the country.
• A third child under the age of 18 has died in Georgia from COVID.
• U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos was in Paulding County yesterday to praise their reopening plan (alternate link), and which time she said she’s not so much for 100% in-person schooling as she is for 100% learning.
• The University System of Georgia has finally waived the SAT/ACT requirement for Fall 2021 applicants. (Alternate link.)
• The state’s unemployment system is still “badly behind” in processing claims, even as it has been approved to add $300/week to claimants’ checks.
• President Trump has invited Congressional candidate and QAnon conspiracist Marjorie Taylor Greene to the White House for his speech on the final night of the RNC. (Alternate link.)

Alice Walker

• Protests over the shooting of Jacob Blake turned violent overnight in Kenosha.
• Hurricane Laura, which should make landfall in either Louisiana or Texas, is now a major hurricane.
• New CDC guidelines suggest that people exposed to COVID who don’t show symptoms do not need to be tested.
• COVID concerns have fallen in some swing states, which has improved President Trump’s standing in the polls.
• Meanwhile, COVID cases are rapidly rising on college campuses throughout the country.
  • Inside Higher Ed has a deep dive on how several colleges developed statistical models before bringing students back to campus, including Georgia Tech.
• For people who recover from COVID, lingering effects are stressing their insurance coverage. (Alternate link.)
• Two cases of COVID reinfection have been confirmed in Europe on the heels of the confirmed reinfection case in Hong Kong.
• Determined to get its food service industry back up and running, the British government will now pay for half of diners’ meals (up to £10) on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. (Alternate link.)

Flannery O’Connor

• A Taco Bell employee in Tennessee saved a patron’s life after the man passed out in the drive through.