It’s Friday and we are nearly two-thirds of the way through March. How did that happen?! It’s also National Let’s Laugh Day and National Chocolate Caramel Day. How will you celebrate?
Remember the state-wide food drive tomorrow, Saturday March 20. Have a bag on your porch by 9 am.
The US Senate narrowly confirmed Xavier Becerra to lead the Department of Health and Human Services on Thursday, with just one Republican—Sen. Susan Collins—voting in favor. William Burns, meanwhile, was unanimously confirmed to lead the CIA. Burns sailed through a largely amicable confirmation hearing last month, where he told senators he would focus on four main priorities as director: challenges from China, boosting the spy agency’s technological prowess, strengthening its workforce, and boosting partnerships within the U.S. intelligence community and abroad.
Utah has opened up vaccine eligibility to all Utahns 16 and older beginning Wednesday and nationally, 100,000 million vaccines are in arms, well before the 100-day target President Biden set.
If you only have time for one thing: Read Savannah Hopkinson’s piece on why #StopAsianHate is personal to her. “I was not born in the United States, but everything I know about race is a result of my time here. Being kicked off a playground because my presence was “scaring the other kids.” Being told it was great that I could understand my mom’s accent. Constantly having people approach me and ask if I spoke English, or even approaching me assuming I didn’t and immediately jumping into a different language. Kids laughing at my ‘weird’ food. People making games out of guessing what ethnicity I looked like. Attending college information meetings and being told I stood a good chance because I could “get the minority benefits,” as if I hadn’t spent years working just as hard or harder to prove myself….Ethnicity is not a virus. Hate is.” Just don’t read the comments.
Holly’s Hot Tip: If you’re having a bad day, don’t go buy a gun and shoot a bunch of people. Thanks for coming to my TED talk.
Countdown
26 days until the end of the Cox/Henderson administration’s first 100 days (04/14/2021)
42 days until the Biden/Harris administration’s first 100 days are up (04/30/2021)
176 days until half-way through the Cox/Henderson’s administration’s 500-day plan (09/11/2021)
