The Road to 9/11, Fires in California, Floods in Sudan
Alicia Keys launches $1bn endowment fund for Black businesses
53 days until Election Day.
As the U.S. commemorates the 19th anniversary of 9/11, record wildfires rage in the American West.
The culprit? Human-induced climate change.
We’re thinking about what it means to heed warnings:
The magnitude and significance of this threat was communicated over and over again.
That’s a quote from Blindspot: The Road to 9/11, an 8-part podcast series from HISTORY and WNYC New York Public Radio. Check it out.
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🔥 Wildfires burn out of control throughout California and the Pacific Northwest
2020 is setting records for wildfires in the US. Climate change, folks. CNN has the story:
“As of Thursday, more than 100 wildfires across 12 Western states burned more than 4.3 million acres.”
“More than 14,000 firefighters are battling 28 fires across the [California]... more than 2.5 million acres have been scorched this year alone, according to Cal Fire, and Gov. Gavin Newsom has pointed to climate change as a primary factor in the wildfires.”
🌍 Thousands homeless as Sudan battles floods
“The rain and flooding exceeded records set in 1946 and 1988, killing more than 100 people and forcing the government to declare a three-month state of emergency this week.”
“Last week, a committee tasked with dealing with the ramifications of the floods, warned that the country may face more rains… Experts say climate change is a large part of the problem.”
(Al Jazeera)
🏛 Court blocks Trump order to exclude undocumented immigrants from census count
“A special three-judge panel out of New York wrote that the president’s argument that undocumented immigrants should not be counted runs afoul of a statute saying [congressional] apportionment must be based on everyone who is a resident of the United States.”
“The judges found that all residents must be counted for apportionment purposes regardless of their legal status.”
(Washington Post)
✊🏿 Alicia Keys Launches $1B Endowment Fund for Black-Owned Business
“Keys tells Billboard that the idea for the fund came about as a way to help transform the protests and words of solidarity that have poured out in the past months into tangible action and support for the Black community, and for it to go beyond just a one-time charitable donation to continue to grow and develop over the years with the goal extending beyond the initial $1 billion endowment.”
“For the NFL, participating in the fund is the latest step it has taken in its quest to support racial justice initiatives. The league has come under increasing scrutiny in recent years following its well-publicized issue with quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who began taking a knee during the national anthem to protest racial injustice in the U.S. in 2016 and subsequently filed a grievance against the league, since settled, accusing owners of colluding to keep him out of the NFL.”
(Billboard)
As an artist, I’m always thinking about how can I use my platform to further racial equity. This fund is one of the answers and our goal is to empower Black America through investing in Black businesses, Black investors, institutions, entrepreneurs, schools and banks in a way to create sustainable solutions.
- Alicia Keys