Schedule
2020 Spring Semester
Super Tuesday Recap & New Laws
We discussed the Super Tuesday results and the new California laws in 2020.
CANCELLED: The Women's Empowerment Dinner
4-8PM in the East Dining Room and Alondra Room
CANCELLED: Student Empowerment Dialogue: Homelessness and Basic Needs
1-2PM in the Stadium Room
COVID-19
We provided updates on COVID-19 and what actions El Camino College was taking. We discussed the transition to online instruction, the importance of following the CDC's guidelines, and how Congress and the current administration were dealing with the pandemic.
What a Week: April 17-20th
Stacy Abrams and Andrew Yang announce the launch of Project 100
Stacey Abrams and Andrew Yang have launched a campaign to provide $1,000 in direct payments to 100,000 families receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
Moscow’s coronavirus offensive
Amidst the global pandemic we find ourselves in, Moscow is capitalizing upon the crisis to spread disinformation and pro-Russia propaganda, all in hopes of increasing their global presence and casting blame for COVID-19 onto the U.S.
A vaccine expert says he was removed for questioning hydroxychloroquine
Dr. Rick Bright said he was dismissed as director of Health and Human Services’ Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) because he insisted that “the government invest the billions of dollars allocated by Congress to address the Covid-19 pandemic into safe and scientifically vetted solutions, and not in drugs, vaccines and other technologies that lack scientific merit.”
AP-NORC Poll: Few Americans Support Easing Virus Protections
Despite the U.S. facing protests amid pressure to reopen and governors planning to reopen their state for business, “a new survey finds Americans remain overwhelmingly in favor of stay-at-home orders and other efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus. A majority say it won’t be safe to lift such restrictions anytime soon"
Ecuador sees a massive surge in deaths in April
As the pandemic continues in Latin America, Ecuador, like many of its neighboring countries, faces a collapsing and failing government/health care system, leaving its population with the inability to properly bury or dispose of bodies.
L.A. County sheriff says new decontamination center will allow N95 masks to be reused 20 times
As the nationwide shortage of protective gear and counterfeit masks on the market continue to rise, an initiative to decontaminate N95 masks has been announced. The cleaning chamber will open next week at the Sybil Brand Institute in Monterey Park.
New Information Emerges Around Biden Sexual Assault Allegation
In recent days, new information has emerged regarding a sexual assault allegation against presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, Joe Biden. With pressure mounting on Biden to address the allegations, Democrats are in the precarious situation of figuring out how to properly handling the issue amidst the #MeToo movement.
USDA let millions of pounds of food rot while food-bank demand soare
American produce “is rotting in fields as food banks across the country scramble to meet a massive surge in demand.” This has led to farmers losing billions of dollars in revenue and newly jobless Americans struggling to provide food for their families.
Wuhan Shows the World That the End of Lockdown Is Just the Beginning of the COVID-19 Crisis
Despite Wuhan ending their 76-day lockdown on April 8, they are showing the rest of the world that “normal [life] may be a long way off.”
China Says It Has No Interest in Meddling in U.S. Election
“China has no interest in interfering in the U.S. presidential election, it said on Thursday (4/30), after [the] U.S. President said he believed Beijing would try to make him lose his re-election bid in November.”
Pentagon calls Iran’s military satellite a ‘security concern’
Amidst tension between U.S. and Iranian forces in the Gulf of Oman, Pentagon officials are concerned over Iran’s recent launching of a military satellite. While Tehran denies the allegations, the U.S. fears that Iran’s satellite development is a cover for ballistic missile activity.
DOJ is Dropping Case Against Ex-Trump Advisor Michael Flynn
On Thursday (5/7), the Justice Department announced, “After a considered review of all the facts and circumstances of this case. . . the government has concluded that [Flynn’s interview by the FBI in January 2017] was untethered to, and unjustified by, the FBI’s counterintelligence investigation into Mr. Flynn.” According to one federal prosecutor, “The justification for this move is not credible, and it may be used by criminals in the future to escape legitimate prosecution.”
The charges came more than two months after Mr. Arbery’s death had led to protests in Georgia.
Democratic Senators Demand Answers on U.S. Involvement in Foiled Venezuela Plot
Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro says two Americans will face trial for allegedly being part of a mercenary force that tried to invade the South American country, prompting “Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee [to call] on Trump administration officials to share information about [the] foiled military operation…”
‘How the Covid-19 pandemic is threatening Africa’s wildlife’
According to park rangers and conservation experts in Africa, the closure of safari tourism, due to the coronavirus pandemic is not only presenting itself to be harmful to the safari industry, but it is also leading to an increase in illegal animal hunting.
Princeton’s First Black Valedictorian
“Princeton University has announced its first black valedictorian in its 274-year history. Given Princeton’s troubled history with slavery, the valedictorian [Nicholas Johnson] said he hoped the achievement ‘serves as an inspiration to black students coming up behind [him].’“
Conspiracy theorists, far-right extremists around the world seize on the pandemic
Just as civil rights advocates predicted, the COVID-19 pandemic has provided an opening for conspiracy theorists, far-right extremists, white supremacists, neo-Nazi groups, and other radicalized groups to bolster their global presence and recruiting efforts.
CSU Plans to Cancel Most In-Person Classes and Go Online This Fall, Chancellor Says
While “the vast majority of [Fall 2020] classes across the 23-campus Cal State system will be taught online… with some limited exceptions that allow for in-person activity…”, University of California officials “are expected to announce [their] plans in June or July.”
Even in a Pandemic, This Public School District Developed a New LGBTQ+ Studies Initiative
“Ten high schools in the Montgomery County, Maryland public school system will be offering a pilot course on LGBTQ+ history and culture next school year[...]The Montgomery County school board writes, ‘the course aims to bring acceptance, support, and a stronger sense of shared community among our students of all sexual and gender identities.’”
Deforestation in the Amazon is accelerating despite coronavirus
The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, without a doubt, “has slowed the global economy, but deforestation in Amazon is speeding up” due to little or no regulation during this global crisis, prominently affecting our global environment.
US Native tribes and Ireland’s 170-year-old connection is renewed in the pandemic
“When members of the Choctaw Nation heard about the struggles of the Irish in the Great Famine in 1847, the tribe gathered up about… $5,000 in today’s dollars to send overseas for ‘the relief of the starving poor of Ireland.’” Since the Navajo Nation is one of the hardest hit by the pandemic and accounts for more cases per capita than any US state, “[t]hat 170-year-old act is being remembered, and, in some ways, returned, during the coronavirus pandemic [by Ireland].”
Biden asks Amy Klobuchar to undergo vetting as possible running mate
Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar has been asked by the Joe Biden camp to undergo the formal vetting process “to be considered as his vice presidential running mate.” While multiple Democrat women remain on his veep shortlist, Biden commented on Klobuchar in an interview on Thursday, describing her as “first rate.”
UC makes landmark decision to drop ACT and SAT requirement for admission
“In a decision that could reshape the nation’s college admissions process, University of California regents unanimously voted Thursday to suspend SAT and ACT testing requirements through 2024 and eliminate them for California students by 2025.”
UC Regents Approve Principles to Guide Campus Decisions About Fall Term
According to UC President Janet Napolitano, “every [UC] campus will be open and… most of, if not all of, our campuses will operate in some kind of hybrid mode.” Every UC campus is expected to meet the systemwide threshold criteria before they “can consider how to best approach their comprehensive plans for fall.”
Trump Administration approves arms sales to Taiwan amid China tensions
Amidst the global pandemic, the Trump administration announced a potential sale of arms to Taiwan; “a move that is bound to anger Beijing amid increasing tensions.”
On Monday, May 25, George Floyd was murdered by the hands of police in Minnesota. On Tuesday, May 26, four police officers were fired. On Thursday, May 28, the ex-officer who knelt on George Floyd’s neck was arrested. As of Friday, May 29, he is being charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.
“In a historic milestone for the LGBTQ community, Costa Rica just hosted the first legally recognized same-sex wedding ceremony in Central America. Alexandra Quiros and Dunia Araya were the first couple to tie the knot after their wedding was officiated just as Costa Rica’s legislation for allowing same-sex marriage passed into effect at the stroke of midnight. According to BBC, the ceremony was aired on national television following a 3-hour broadcast on the importance of marriage equality.”
China moves to subvert Hong Kong with new security law
China’s National People’s Congress passed a national security law authorizing the mainland to prevent “secession, subversion, terrorism and foreign interference” in the semi-autonomous city of Hong Kong. With the U.S. Secretary of State announcing that the Trump admin no longer views Hong Kong as separate from China itself, the city and its economy is in danger of being vanquished by China.
Trump to Take 'Big Action' Against Social Media
“President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order redefining the legal protections given to social media platforms, meaning that platforms such as Facebook and Twitter could be sued if they are judged to ‘deceptively’ block posts. The order sets out to clarify the Communications Decency Act, a US law that offers online platforms legal protection in certain situations.”
Coronavirus Antibody Tests Point to Lower Death Rate than Expected
New tests in the U.S. are finding “antibodies to the coronavirus in a person's blood, rather than the virus itself. The tests are finding large numbers of people in the U.S. who were infected, but never became seriously ill. And when these mild infections are included in coronavirus statistics, the virus appears less dangerous.” The new evidence suggests an infection fatality risk of 0.5%-1%, far lower than the previous calculation of 5% or more.