Trump is Now Predicting 100,000 Coronavirus Deaths in the U.S. and is Calling for States to Reopen
President Donald Trump doubled his coronavirus death rate estimate from two weeks ago, predicting the virus will take 100,000 lives as he pressed states to reopen.
According to The New York Times, last month Trump predicted coronavirus-related deaths could be kept “substantially below the 100,000” mark. However, Trump said the virus has proved more devastating than expected during a town hall with Fox News Sunday.
Despite that number, Trump made a push for states to reopen parks, beaches, some businesses, and in-person classes should resume by the fall.
“We’re going to lose anywhere from 75, 80, to 100,000 people,” Trump said in a virtual “town hall” hosted by Fox News. “That’s a horrible thing. We shouldn’t lose one person over this.” However, Trump credited himself with preventing the toll from being worse. “If we didn’t do it, the minimum we would have lost was a million two, a million four, a million five, that’s the minimum. We would have lost probably higher, it’s possible higher than 2.2 million.”
Coronavirus deaths in the U.S. passed 67,000 on Sunday night, more deaths than the Vietnam War, and more than Trump predicted. Additionally, the model embraced by the White House a month ago assumed the death rate would begin to fall substantially by mid-April.
However, Trump pushed for lifting quarantine restrictions that have put more than 30 million citizens out of work. The president said Sunday the government has armed itself against the virus to be prepared to curb any additional outbreak.
“At some point we have to open our country,” the president said. “And people are going to be safe. We’ve learned a lot. We’ve learned about the tremendous contagion. But we have no choice. We can’t stay closed as a country. We’re not going to have a country left.”
Several states, including Georgia, have started to reopen their economies. Some states are planning re-openings against the advice of public health specialists.
ColorComm’s Lauren Wesley Wilson: Your Approval of Yourself Outweighs Anyone’s Opinion
Featuring a broad cross-section of women who have distinguished themselves across a rich variety of careers, our Portraits of Power series is a celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Black Enterprise, and of black women. It’s a place for today’s businesswomen to share their own favorite images and their own stories, in their own words. Today’s portrait is the founder of ColorComm, Lauren Wesley Wilson.
Ghanian Billionaire Leads Peaceful COVID-19 Protest Against China In Accra
Over the last several weeks, videos and reports have surfaced of Africans living in China being subjected to racist treatment, including being kicked out of establishments to being refused medical treatment amid the global COVID-19 crisis. Many nations have responded in anger, demanding their political leaders step up and retaliate against China by restricting its business moves on the continent.
In Accra, Ghana, this weekend, a silent procession took place at Black Star Square as a sign of solidarity with Africans being marginalized and abused in China during the COVID-19 pandemic. The movement was led by Ghanian billionaire, Nana Kwame Bediak, who also goes by Freedom Jacob Caesar or Cheddar, a well-known industrialist and entrepreneur, who is demanding the Chinese government to offer a formal apology to all black people worldwide.
“As a concerned global citizen, I was deeply disturbed by the treatment I saw of black people in China being evicted from their homes, forced into quarantine and even being denied admittance to restaurants and hotels,” said Freedom according to WRCB TV. “I was also surprised that even despite the close relationship between China and most African countries, there hasn’t been any public denouncement from the authorities. The world has to know that Covid-19 simply cannot be used as an excuse to dehumanize or deny the civil rights of black people in China or any other nation.”
“Ghana has gained a reputation as a model of democracy in Africa and Freedom of Speech is a fundamental principle that is supported in our democracy,” he said. “It is important for young black people globally to understand the power of our collective voices to effect peaceful change. I will continue to use my voice and platform to change perceptions of Africa, build unity and forge deeper connections between Africa, the West and the East.”
Jamaican Farmers See Surplus In Produce With Tourism Sector In Decline Due To COVID-19
The COVID-19, or novel coronavirus pandemic, has caused the global economy to come to a complete halt as countries close their borders in attempts to contain the viral outbreak from spreading. In the Caribbean, many nations have been able to contain the virus and in places like St. Lucia, see a 100% recovery from patients. In Jamaica, a country known for its holistic remedies, the move toward healthy eating has helped local Jamaicans fight off the virus.
A January Tourism Demand Study, conducted by Jamaica’s Ministry of Tourism’s Tourism Linkages Council, estimated that the tourism sector’s demand for agricultural products was estimated to be just under $3 million. The decline in the country’s tourism sector resulted in an imbalance of the supply and demand for produce on the local market. Many farms reserve big harvests for restaurant and hotels now have to figure out a way to unload a surplus of fresh produce The government recently launched a new campaign, “Say Yes To Fresh” to promote buying local foods from vendors to drive consumption of healthy foods that grow on the island in attempts to remedy the issue.
According to Forbes, some estimates predict that Jamaican farmers will see a loss of $1.68 million due to the decline in tourism and hospitality however but estimates reported in the Tourism Demand Study, these figures could be significantly higher.
“With every crisis comes challenges and opportunities,” says Floyd Green, State Minister in Jamaica’s Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, to Forbes.“Never has there been a better time to address Jamaican consumption patterns, to change the big picture.”
The food items that have been left behind as result in the decrease in tourism include fresh cantaloupes, honeydew, watermelons, pineapples, tomatoes, high-quality yams, squash, eggplant, and bananas, originally intended for the hospitality and tourism industry.
Prior to the public health crisis, local farms like The Treasure Beach Hydroponic Farmers group in the St. Elizabeth parish had invested thousands of dollars on its tomato harvest. Forbes included in their report that 95% of the farm’s harvest was intended for local hotels and resorts, now they have nowhere to go.
“We are expecting a harvest of 20,000 pounds of cantaloupes over the next few months,” says Minister Green. “We have to protect that investment.”
Reopening States Will Cause More Than 200,000 Additional Coronavirus Deaths: Study
A University of Pennsylvania study shows relaxing lockdowns across U.S. cities and states could lead to more than 200,000 additional coronavirus-related deaths.
According to Yahoo News, the Penn Wharton Budget Model (PWBM), reopening states will result in an additional 233,000 deaths from the virus, even with social distancing rules in place.
Kent Smetters, the PWBM’s director, said the decision to reopen states is ultimately a “normative judgement that comes down to the statistical value of life.”
Smetters added, “That’s not a crude way of saying we put a dollar value on life, but it’s the idea that people will take risks all the time for economic reward.
The model’s purpose is to quantify the trade-off to the economic benefits of reopening states amid the coronavirus pandemic. The coronavirus has infected more than one million Americans, killing more than 65,000.
Some states such as Georgia, have either partially reopened, allowing businesses like restaurants, hair salons, and massage parlors to open or are currently discussing it.
However, even partially reopening will cause the death toll to rise significantly. According to the PWBM, partially reopening would mean another 45,000 people dying due to the coronavirus. However, the model does show reopening states would provide a much-needed boost to the country’s economy.
“Almost all net job losses between May 1 and June 30 would be eliminated,” the report found.
Wharton’s data also found continuing state lockdowns will result in a dramatic increase in unemployment to nearly 50 million.
The PWMB also shows that a state’s reopening could have significant consequences on another state. The model showed if Colorado were to reopen, the PWBM projected an additional 10,000 residents would die from coronavirus.
However, in Kansas, only about roughly 1,300 more residents would succumb to the coronavirus under the same scenario.
The model also applies to state economies. If Wisconsin stays closed, GDP would decline by 13%, compared to 10.8% in Maine.
The model did not compare the effect of reopening on different races. The coronavirus has had a significant effect on African Americans and Hispanics.
According to New York Magazine, African Americans in Georgia make up 52% of the coronavirus-related deaths, but only 33% of the population.
64% Of Americans Think It Is Too Early To Reopen The Economy: Report
Over the weekend, places like Myrtle Beach reopened its door for guests after South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster announced that he would be lifting the state’s mandatory stay-at-home order due to the COVID-19, or the novel coronavirus, pandemic on Monday. Georgia also announced that businesses would also be able to slowly start reopening. Despite the green light from their state governments, many Americans feel that political leaders are lifting the ban too soon.
A recent poll conducted by Piplsay showed that 64% of Americans do not think that country is ready to lift the ban in May and want social distancing to remain in place for some time. Forty-five percent disapprove of President Trump promoting clinical treatments that have not been fully proven to work by the CDC.
Many experts have come forward to give their predictions of when the viral outbreak will end and many have grim outlooks stating it would be several months before the country would be ready to lift the ban. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of Warnings: Finding Cassandras to Stop Catastrophes, Laurie Garrett, gave her advice about the current pandemic. Her 1994 best-seller, The Coming Plague, predicted many scenarios as a result of the coronavirus outbreak
“I’m quite certain that this is going to go in waves,” she added. “It won’t be a tsunami that comes across America all at once and then retreats all at once,” said Garrett to the New York Times. “It will be micro-waves that shoot up in Des Moines and then in New Orleans and then in Houston and so on, and it’s going to affect how people think about all kinds of things.”
Garrett warns that Americans need to be ready for a new world as a result of the outbreak, stating people should let go of the idea of things going back to “normal.” “They’ll re-evaluate the importance of travel,” she continued. “They’ll reassess their use of mass transit. They’ll revisit the need for face-to-face business meetings. They’ll reappraise having their kids go to college out of state.”
Barack Obama and Eric Holder Address Challenges Young Men of Color Face Amid COVID-19
In 2014, former President Barack Obama launched My Brother’s Keeper Alliance (MBK) to support the advancement of young men of color in America. Since launching the national program, he has kept his promise to advocate for the needs of boys and young men. And last week, he and Eric Holder, former attorney general spoke out about the many challenges young men of color are facing amid the COVID-19 pandemic during an MBK conference call.
NBC News recently reported that during the call Obama and Holder spoke candidly about the resources young men of color need to come out on the other side of the pandemic prepared to adapt to whatever new normals are ahead of them. They also spoke about youth and law enforcement.
“It’s fair to say that has been true throughout American history, when crises hit the country at large, you can be sure that it will be that much tougher on folks who were already struggling before the crisis hit,” Obama said to leaders and young men on the call.
Access Matters
Some of those struggles include the lack of access to quality healthcare, high-performing schools, and being marginalized. As cities and states anticipate more economic challenges as it relates to educational programming, Obama advised leaders that now is not the time to put the needs of young people on the back burner.
“There are difficult times ahead,” Obama added, “but this is not the time to abandon young people. In some communities, you already had high unemployment, high rates of dropouts and disproportionate rates of violence,” Obama said.
All of that factors into how communities are funded and supported over time.
“And you can’t convene and bring people together right now. In some cases, financing your operations is going to be difficult as philanthropies are forced to shift resources … and schools are closed, which leaves a lot more time for young people to be alone and isolated and to lose some of the learning they acquired,” he added.
More than 55 million students are home from school—and access to remote learning is a real concern for students who are impacted by the digital divide, have unstable households, and those who live in violent areas.
“If they fall further behind, they will have that much more trouble finishing school, getting a foothold in this economy, and because of idleness may get shunted into the criminal justice system, and it’s going to be much harder for them to catch up,” said Obama.
Policing in Black Communities
As it relates to youth and law enforcement, Holder said, “Building trust has been important, like we did at the federal level, between communities of color and law enforcement.”
Trust is key. Unfortunately, many young men of color don’t trust or believe in authority for a number of reasons.
To that point, Holder said, “If you have people talking with each other and interacting with each other, it’s hard to demonize someone you know. COVID-19 complicates this,” Holder added. “But it is going to pass, and we are going to be back where we were, and let’s be honest, it was not a good place. The whole problem of implicit bias will still exist. We need leadership at the national level.”
Since the call, there have been several videos of black men and women in low-income communities being brutalized and mistreated by law enforcement leaving many to revive the conversation about policing in the black community.
Additionally, Obama made it clear that leaders in government must do more to support young men during these unprecedented times. In conclusion, Obama ended by expressing his gratitude for their unwavering commitment to creating pathways.
“Too many of our young men have been historically left behind. If we can give them a hand up, if we can give them mentorship and tools and interventions and resources and love and support, not only can they succeed for themselves, but our communities and our country will be stronger for it,” said Obama.
To read more about how COVID-19 is impacting the black community, click here.
From Oprah to LeBron to Serena, Black Luminaries Are Lining Up to Honor the Class of 2020
Carol’s Daughter founder Lisa Price did not graduate from college and, other than speaking at her young daughter’s Moving Up ceremony a few years ago, she has never given a commencement address—nor did she expect to. But, after a few weeks of quarantining with her family in their Brooklyn home, and with her daughter’s middle school graduation canceled, Price decided to take to social media with her own message to young people facing this big moment in their lives with all the usual, highly anticipated fanfare turned to vapor.
On Sunday, May 3, she appeared from her kitchen—the very room where many of her followers favorite Carol’s Daughter products were cooked up—to celebrate her daughter’s achievements and those of every student, at every level, who is marking the completion of a significant phase of their education. Why? Because they’ve worked hard and deserve it, Price says. And also because she has something she wants to say, drawn from her life’s experience and her own high school commencement speaker, the late, great actress, dancer, and singer Eartha Kitt, best known for her iconic role in television’s original Batman series.
“I remember being in awe of the fact that Cat Woman was speaking at my graduation,” Price recalls. “But to listen to her tell her story and to encourage us all to live beyond life’s possibilities for us, to understand that every obstacle placed in our way will only strengthen us and never defeat us—those words stayed with me and empowered me. I want this class to hear how special they are. Even if they don’t feel it today, maybe, like me, they will remember it later and it will have an impact.”
As what would typically be commencement season begins, Price and others have stepped in to quickly and boldly fill a void that was hovering as one of the many giant unknowns in our corona-ruled culture.
A two-week-old Twitter campaign urging former President Barack Obama to deliver a virtual national commencement speech didn’t get the nation’s first African American POTUS (or FLOTUS) to sign on, but it did light a fire under the corporate and celebrity communities to show the Class of 2020 that they care.
Leading the charge on the corporate side are Chase Bank and Facebook/Instagram, each of which has engaged major star power including Serena Williams and Oprah Winfrey to show graduates some love. Others are boldly stepping up with more homespun social media commencement parties honoring seniors from middle school through grad school, all of whose actual graduation ceremonies were canceled due to the pandemic.
Chase Bank kicked the celebration off on Saturday, May 2 with its #ShowMeYourWalk event, featuring a trio of superstar commencement speeches from comedian Kevin Hart, tennis champion Williams, and the Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry. J.P. Morgan Chase Chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon also participated.
The first-of-its-kind event was announced on Instagram by Chase’s CEO of Consumer Banking Thasunda Brown Duckett. “To the Class of 2020 – while this graduation is not what any of us imagined, what you’ve accomplished is huge and you deserve to be celebrated,” she wrote.
On May 11, Facebook and Instagram are kicking off a continuous #Graduation2020 party that will culminate in a May 15th multi-hour livestream on both platforms, featuring a commencement speech by Oprah Winfrey with appearances from Lil Nas X, Simone Biles, Awkafina, and Miley Cyrus. The social media giants will be launching special filters and stickers custom-made for this moment.
“This is a bittersweet time for the Class of 2020,” Facebook vice president Marne Levine wrote on the platform earlier this week. “They are commencing at a time of great uncertainty. But graduating is a tremendous achievement, and worth pausing to celebrate even in these circumstances.”
With a powerhouse like Oprah, it’s a given that millions of students will tune in from their homes to watch at 2 p.m. ET on May 15th. While the media rockstar has given numerous renowned commencement speeches through the years, including at Harvard, Howard, Spelman, Colorado College, and Smith College just to name a few, she will have never done one virtually. This spring, she’ll be doing two, because Winfrey also agreed to deliver a virtual commencement speech for Chicago’s high school graduates.
The LeBron James Family Foundation has teamed with the Entertainment Industry Foundation and the XQ Institute to organize, “Graduate Together: America Honors the Class of 2020,” a May 16 prime-time television special set to air on all major networks as well as social media. The nation’s more than 3 million seniors deserve to be recognized, James said in a New York Times interview. “While this won’t be the graduation experience they were supposed to get, we hope we can still give them something special because they deserve it.”
Price’s inspirational message to the Class of 2020 aired live on Carol’s Daughter Facebook page. She had no specific goals other than to let families know that she honors them in this moment, and she has no illusions about competing with any larger efforts to do the very same.
“For me, the number [of viewers] doesn’t matter,” said the mother of three. “I wanted to do it to be there for the children and their parents. I plan to be transparent. I plan to be honest. I want to be funny. I also want the parents to take a bow. Parents always work hard, but we are working harder now, given the quarantine.
Major Companies Discuss Permanent Telecommuting Positions
With millions of Americans working from home successfully, major companies are discussing a permanent shift to telecommuting and reduced office space.
Due to the coronavirus and nationwide stay-at-home orders, companies have been forced to embrace telecommuting. With more than two months of evidence at hand, companies are seeing that productivity has not suffered, and the need for employees to commute is not necessary.
Telecommuting also allows companies to save money from what many expect to be a prolonged economic slump.
Last week, Nationwide Insurance announced a plan to permanently transition to telecommuting operations in four main corporate campuses and working-from-home in most other locations.
“We’ve been investing in our technological capabilities for years, and those investments really paid off when we needed to transition quickly to a 98% work-from-home model,” Nationwide CEO Kirt Walker said in a press release. “Our associates and our technology team have proven to us that we can serve our members and partners with extraordinary care with a large portion of our team working from home.”
The company plans to close offices in Gainesville, Florida, Harleysville, Pennsylvania, Raleigh, North Carolina; Wausau, Wisconsin; and Richmond, Virginia; and move employees to permanent telecommuting positions.
Food giant Mondelēz said during an earnings call Tuesday, it will go through adjustments that will make it easier for the company to function during a recession, including a reassessment of where people work.
“Maybe we don’t need all the offices that we currently have around the world. So there is a major effort going, taking place as it relates to the costs in the business,” the Mondelēz CEO said according to CNBC.
Morgan Stanley CEO James Gorman said he doesn’t know what the future of work will be but added the company would need “much less real estate” in the future. The company said 90% of employees have been working from home during the pandemic
“We’ve proven we can operate with no footprint,” Gorman said in a recent Bloomberg interview. “Can I see a future where part of every week, certainly part of every month, a lot of our employees will be at home? Absolutely.”
Earlier this month, Prince announced via his Instagram account the Heal Los Angeles partnership with Fresh N’ Lean. Heal Los Angeles’ goal is to help end child abuse, homelessness, and hunger.
“I’m super excited about our new partnership with @freshnlean and the @heallosangelesfdn. Not only are they helping us bring much needed food to underserved communities but they are made with organic ingredients, plated with nutrition in mind and delivered fresh.”
“I would like to think that he would be very proud because I think this was one of his main goals, was not only to spread his message of positivity and happiness but to see it enacted in his kids,” Prince said in an exclusive interview with Entertainment Tonight. “As a father, I think that’s what you want to do when you raise kids. You’re preparing them for the world and the type of person they’re going to be.”
Prince continued: “I’m very grateful that I have this feeling that it’s this collaborative ecosystem — we all need to help each other — and that came from the way that he raised us.”
