Stay up-to-date on what’s in the news with the Y’all Politics Daily Roundup.
YP – Congressional delegates join millions of Americans in support of the people of Cuba
Activists and analysts called it the first time that so many people had openly protested against the Communist government since the so-called Maleconazo uprising in the summer of 1994.
The protests were set off by the ongoing economic crisis in Cuba. The pandemic has eliminated crucial tourism dollars leaving people to spend hours daily to buy basic and necessary food items. Many Cubans have been unable to work due to restaurants and other businesses continue to remain in lockdown.
Elected officials in Mississippi have taken to social media to encourage support of the Cuban people.
MSDH COVID-19 Reporting – For 3 Days
Today MSDH is reporting 796 more cases of COVID-19 in Mississippi, two deaths, and 29 ongoing outbreaks in long-term care facilities. The state's #covid19 totals are now 324,853 cases, 7,441 deaths, and 996,508 persons fully vaccinated. Full information: https://t.co/YCv9xPyJDk pic.twitter.com/RzErPFte4q
— Mississippi State Department of Health (@msdh) July 12, 2021
YP – Biden offers $12.9 million to support rural COVID response efforts in Mississippi
President Joe Biden’s administration has moved forward with efforts to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Those efforts most recently include providing Mississippi with $12,918,800 to support rural areas and vaccination efforts.
The appropriations comes in partnership with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The funding comes through the Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP) and will go to 50 small rural hospitals in Mississippi.
These dollars can be used for testing, mitigation and response to COVID and other variants in the area.
Pelosi’s select committee chaired by Thompson could subpoena Trump
We are interested in the facts, and the truth will speak for itself. https://t.co/SLMP0MgeLo
— Bennie G. Thompson (@BennieGThompson) July 12, 2021
CLARION LEDGER – What will happen to mental health care system in Mississippi? Judge nears decision
When Michael Hogan was appointed by a federal judge to help craft a road map for the future of Mississippi’s embattled mental health care system, he planned to tour community mental health centers in-person to see the state’s services in action. He hoped to speak to patients and employees — perspectives he said would be vital in charting the Department of Mental Health’s path forward.
That was in early 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic. Hogan, a mental health care veteran with 40 years of experience working across the country, said Monday in federal court his ability to work on the ground has been severely limited in the past year and half.
“I don’t know anything about the situation on the ground, which troubles me some,” he said.
Speaking at a hearing at the United States District Court in Jackson, Hogan said he feels the state has made progress at providing community-based programs for people with mental illness.
HATTIESBURG AMERICAN – Rep. Chris Bell (D): Mississippi should build more equitable communities from American Rescue Plan funds
Communities should use the additional federal aid to address disparities in their districts by investing in early learning services, funding quality childcare, providing resources for high-poverty schools, and improving broadband infrastructure.
Municipalities across the state should also use this opportunity to support working families and individuals struggling in the job market. Historically, state laws and policies have led to a significant concentration of white men among the state’s highest income earners. Black households and other households of color conversely are disproportionately represented in the state’s lower-income group. Because of this reality, the pandemic was especially hard on Black and women workers.
