Dallas County Steps Up Vaccination Efforts. One in four Dallas County residents have received a COVID-19 vaccine. The county hopes to improve that ratio by outsourcing its vaccine distribution efforts to a private healthcare company. One obstacle: the county’s waiting list for vaccines is nearly empty, suggesting that those who want a jab have already found a way to get it. The county reported 13 deaths and 282 new cases yesterday. Cases were up across the state.
Pandemic Unemployment Worst for Black Workers. The economic impact of the pandemic was far worse for Black and Hispanic people than it was for White people in Texas. The unemployment rate for Blacks last month was 14 percent and 9 percent for Hispanics, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. White unemployment hovered around 4.8 percent. Black and Hispanic workers were also over represented in frontline worker jobs, placing them at greater risk for COVID-19 exposure.
Floyd Verdict ‘Not Enough’ North Texas Activists Say. A small group of protesters gathered at Dallas city hall after the verdict was announced yesterday to demand police reform. “If we don’t continue to mount pressure, people will allow these things to continue to happen, said Jennifer Miller, co-chairwoman of the Dallas Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression. “This trial will not be the last trial.” As Alex reported, they won’t find many bold allies on the Dallas city council. Mayor Eric Johnson praised the verdict on Twitter, saying “the system worked” but adding that there is more work to be done.
Teen Girls Disappearance a Hoax. If you received an Amber Alert Monday regarding the disappearance of two teenagers from Seagoville, the good news is they have been found. The bad news is they staged the abduction and were seen hanging out with two older males at a hotel in Plano. One of the two men has been arrested and is facing a charge of harboring a runaway child.
