CHN’s COVID-19 Watch: Tracking Hardship, April 1, 2022
CHN Staff,
April 1, 2022
The move aside, omicron AB.1 edition. New COVID-19 cases in the U.S. continue to decline, and deaths and hospitalizations are way down. But the decline in new cases is not nearly as sharp as it was two weeks ago – just 12 percent, compared with 43 percent in mid-March. And some states, including New York, are now reporting an increase in new cases. All of this comes as omicron AB.2, a subvariant of its predecessor and more infectious, has emerged as the dominant variant in the U.S.
Across the country, contract airport workers tell CEOs: Low pay and poor benefits won’t fly
David Elliot,
March 31, 2022
Mohamed Osman, a wheelchair agent at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, works seven days a week, sometimes from 4 a.m. to 3 p.m. His job is demanding – occasionally he walks nearly 12 miles a day. But Mohamed, a Sudanese immigrant and father of four, is paid such low wages he is barely able to support his family. He depends on tips from generous passengers to help get by, but there is no guarantee how much – if any – he will receive in tips each shift.
The Biden Budget would protect us now and invest in our future
CHN Staff,
March 28, 2022
President Biden’s new budget makes vital investments in our future, while providing economic and public health protections needed now. His comprehensive plan recognizes that, despite unprecedented growth, the many dislocations beyond any family’s control are currently putting economic strain on our people. The Biden budget offers protection from those dislocations in the short term and builds lasting economic security and opportunity. Congress should follow its lead in enacting an economic package now and crafting funding plans consistent with the President’s vision soon.
New report: Half of women of color in the U.S. paid less than $15 an hour
David Elliot,
March 25, 2022
Vikki Tully of Alkol, West Virginia has worked as a Head Start teacher for 26 years. She earns $12.70 an hour. Tully is one of nearly 52 million workers – or almost one-third of the work force – who earn less than $15 an hour, according to a new report released this week by the anti-poverty advocacy group Oxfam America.
Hungry families need our help. So do the food banks that feed them.
David Elliot,
March 24, 2022
Among the most enduring images of pandemic year 2020 were mile-long car lines as families suddenly beset by unemployment inched their way toward relief in the form of food banks. Such disturbing imagery is unlikely to return soon – the economy is rebounding after a record-breaking 2021, and the number of families seeking assistance is down precipitously from March and April 2020. But more families are reporting a lack of food, and visits to food banks are once again on the increase, in large part due to the rising cost of groceries, gas, and rent – three spending areas that disproportionately hit families with low incomes in times of inflation.
