As part of their efforts to help battle the COVID-19 pandemic and help protect local seniors within their community, the Men of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Pasadena Alumni Chapter, took time out of their busy schedules to donate much-needed personal protection equipment (PPE) to the residents of The Terraces at Park Marino Assisted Living Facility in Altadena, California.
A year ago, in a quick fix reaction to the pandemic, the FDA released emergency guidance that lowered the standards for germ-fighting products like hand sanitizer in order to get more on the market. This led to an ongoing wave of hand sanitizers that both smell horrible and seem to do virtually nothing. Now, a year later, city streets are refilling, businesses are starting to operate at full capacity, and we have a more reliable supply of hand sanitizer. Yet, businesses are still providing questionable products, and we are even seeing reports of products with toxic carcinogens steadily pop up.
Former Amazon employee Chris Smalls and his attorneys, National Bar Association President C.K. Hoffler and famed Civil Rights Lawyer Michael Sussman, detailed the lawsuit which seeks unspecified punitive damages against the tech giant, during a call with members of the press and media, including the Washington Post, which is owned by Amazon’s CEO Jeff Bezos.
Monday, July 6, L.A. Public officials provided an update on current levels of escalation in the COVID-19 outbreak. In order to maintain control over the spread of COVID-19, Los Angeles leaders took a “hard pause” and closed down beaches, piers, bike trails, and outdoor dining in order to limit access to large gatherings this past holiday weekend.
For instance, Amazon fired Black and brown workers who have organized to demand more substantial health and safety protections. Thousands of Instacart workers, many of whom are women of color, are reportedly waiting for face masks and hand sanitizer promised months ago. Three out of every four Black workers who took the survey said they showed up to work during the pandemic even though they believed they might have been seriously risking their health or the health of family members. Less than half of white workers said they had done the same.
Simmons is leading a group of producers who, on Sunday, April 5, will premiere “Def Comedy Jam Presents: Healing Through Laughter,” a marathon fundraiser hosted by Cedric the Entertainer. The program will air online beginning at 10 p.m. EST, and Simmons’ Instagram page will be updated to provide more information. Simmons has established a GoFundMe page with the hopes of raising as much as $100,000 to help with supplies to assist those in need.