Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
In cities across the U.S., the neighborhoods hardest-hit by the coronavirus are being vaccinated at a slower rate than their wealthier, whiter counterparts.
Why it matters: Preventing socioeconomic disparities in the vaccination process was always going to be an uphill battle, but policy changes in response to the sluggish rollout have generally prioritized speed over equity.
The big picture: Early analyses and news reports show that in many cities and states, people of color particularly Black Americans are falling behind white Americans in the vaccination effort.
Experts had predicted that structural barriers and higher rates of vaccine hesitancy would always be a problem. But the push to prioritize speed in response to the slow initial vaccine rollout likely took a toll on equity.
California Freelancers Say New Exemption Law Still Not Enough
California freelancers derailed by last year’s controversial gig worker mandate are set to receive more exemptions through a newly enacted law but opponents say the new bill still isn’t enough to offset the harm done to them by AB 5.
Assembly Bill 2257 (AB 2257), which went into effect Jan. 1, adds new exceptions to AB 5 requirements for independent workers, including exemptions for professional services, business-to-business, and referral agencies. However, many freelance workers are not satisfied, either because their professions weren’t included or the exemptions remain too strict.
“There are a handful of professions that did receive legitimate relief, but hundreds of categories of professions and trades are still left out in the cold,” Karen Anderson, founder of the Facebook group Freelancers Against AB 5, told The Epoch Times. “There are many roadblocks and caveats embedded within the so-called exemptio
California lifts stay-home order for Sacramento region
January 12, 2021 10:56 PM By KATHLEEN RONAYNE
Associated Press
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Damian Dovarganes
Flags fly half-mast at Dodgers Stadium in honor of the recent passing of the Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda overlooking Los Angeles City Hall Monday, Jan. 11, 2021. Dodger Stadium, the home stadium of Major League Baseball s Los Angeles Dodgers holds 56,000 spectators. The The coronavirus death toll in California reached 30,000 on Monday, another staggering milestone as the nation s most populous state endures the worst surge of the nearly yearlong pandemic.
Damian Dovarganes
Albert Maghbouleh, far left, and Miles Santamour, 89, with Amigos de Jaibalito Foundation (ADJ) share lunch outdoors guarding social distancing, overlooking the skyline of Los Angeles Monday, Jan. 11, 2021. The coronavirus death toll in California reached 30,000 on Monday, another staggering milestone as the nation s most populous state en
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) California is immediately allowing residents 65 and older to get scarce coronavirus vaccines, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday. The move puts seniors in line before emergency workers, teachers, childcare providers and food and agriculture workers even as counties complain they already don’t have enough doses to go around. “There is no higher priority than efficiently and equitably distributing these vaccines as.