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Trump Pushes Tulsa Rally Back From Juneteenth But Frustrations Linger

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3 years ago

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  • President Trump postponed his Tulsa, Oklahoma rally after outrage over the fact that he was planning to hold a campaign event on Juneteenth, in a city that was home to one of the country’s worst racist massacres.
  • His rally will now be on the 20th, but there are still lingering concerns about it. Health experts fear it will further the spread of the virus in Tulsa and exacerbate the pandemic.
  • The Editorial Board of The Tulsa World also wrote a piece saying it should be further postponed, citing the virus and the tensions a Trump rally would bring to the city right now.

Trump Postpones Rally

Even after President Donald Trump moved his campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma from Juneteenth to June 20, concerns and frustrations about his plans to hold a rally in the city have lingered.

This will be Trump’s first rally since the coronavirus stopped large gatherings of people in March. However, the decision to hold it in Tulsa has stirred controversy. 

In 1921, Tulsa was the site of a race massacre that killed up to hundreds of people, in what is considered to be one of the worst incidents of racial violence in U.S. history. The idea that Trump would hold a rally there on Juneteenth, a holiday commemorating the day slaves in Texas were emancipated, also known as Freedom Day, sparked outrage.

Many thought this was insensitive timing, especially considering the protests against systemic racism and violence against black people going on across the nation, and the fact that many believe Trump has only fueled the racism many are trying to fight against. 

On Friday night, Trump announced he would postpone the rally to June 20, but this did not solve the issue for anyone. 

Concerns Remain

Escalating racial tensions in the country aside, many are worried about the rally being a breeding ground for the coronavirus. The Director of the Tulsa Health Department, Dr. Bruce Dart, says he would rather the event be postponed until large gatherings might be safer. Cases are on the rise in Tulsa, and it will be hard to protect people from the virus in a crowded indoor setting. Those attending the rally also have to sign a waiver promising not to sue if they get COVID-19.

On Monday morning, a local paper in the city, The Tulsa World published an editorial saying that “This is the wrong time and Tulsa is the wrong place for the Trump rally.”

“Tulsa is still dealing with the challenges created by a pandemic. The city and state have authorized reopening, but that doesn’t make a mass indoor gathering of people pressed closely together and cheering a good idea,” members of the paper’s editorial board wrote. “There is no treatment for COVID-19 and no vaccine. It will be our health care system that will have to deal with whatever effects follow.’

The piece then emphasized that this is the “wrong time” for a Trump rally because the country is still in the middle of dealing with the protests and tensions sparked by the murder of George Floyd.

“Trump, a divisive figure, will attract protests, the vast majority of which we expect to be peaceful. But there may also be confrontation and inappropriate behavior from some,” The Tulsa World wrote. “His 2016 Tulsa rally provoked a heated response for some, and his ability to provoke opponents has only grown since then.”

The editorial explained that Tulsa will have to strain its public resources to deal with any fallout that happens because of this rally and related protests. The piece also claimed that his rally would do little to sway the election, and was in the wrong place historically.

“There’s no reason to think a Trump appearance in Tulsa will have any effect on November’s election outcome in Tulsa or Oklahoma,” the piece continued. “It has already concentrated the world’s attention of the fact that Trump will be rallying in a city that 99 years ago was the site of a bloody race massacre.”

Viral Responses to Rally

Online, many have tried to thwart the success of Trump’s rally. Many on Twitter encouraged people to reserve seats to the rally online and not go so that Trump walks out to an empty crowd. A viral TikTok suggested the same tactic.

Though, it is unlikely that this effort will be successful because the venue releases more tickets than the arena can hold. On Monday morning Trump tweeted that almost one million people had requested tickets, while the venue seats 19,000. Even if the vast majority of ticket requests came from trolls trying to foil the president’s plans, as long as around two percent of those tickets were requested in sincerity, he could still see a full house. 

Another viral tweet floating around showed a Craigslist post requesting actors for a June 20 event in Tulsa. 

“Excited and enthusiastic MINORITY actors and actresses needed to hold signs at event in Tulsa. Send headshot/resume for early consideration,” the post read. 

Many online are sharing it, and claiming Trump’s campaign team is hiring actors of color to attend the rally. However, when you try to see that post, it has been removed from Craigslist site, and it is reportedly under review by the company. While nothing pertaining to this has been verified one way or another, because of this removal, many believe the post may not have been real to begin with. 

See what others are saying: (Washington Post) (USA Today) (TIME)

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U.S.

White Supremacist Propaganda Reached Record High in 2022, ADL Finds

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2 weeks ago

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March 9, 2023

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 “We cannot sit idly by as these extremists pollute our communities with their hateful trash,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said.

White supremacist propaganda in the U.S. reached record levels in 2022, according to a report published Wednesday by the Anti-Defamation League’s Center of Extremism.

The ADL found over 6,700 cases of white supremacist propaganda in 2022, which marks a 38% jump from the nearly 4,900 cases the group found in 2021. It also represents the highest number of incidents ever recorded by the ADL. 

The propaganda tallied by the anti-hate organization includes the distribution of racist, antisemitic, and homophobic flyers, banners, graffiti, and more. This propaganda has spread substantially since 2018, when the ADL found just over 1,200 incidents. 

“There’s no question that white supremacists and antisemites are trying to terrorize and harass Americans with their propaganda,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said in a statement. “We cannot sit idly by as these extremists pollute our communities with their hateful trash.” 

The report found that there were at least 50 white supremacist groups behind the spread of propaganda in 2022, but 93% of it came from just three groups. One of those groups was also responsible for 43% of the white supremacist events that took place last year. 

White supremacist events saw a startling uptick of their own, with the ADL documenting at least 167, a 55% jump from 2021. 

Propaganda was found in every U.S. state except for Hawaii, and events were documented in 33 states, most heavily in Massachusetts, California, Ohio, and Florida.

“The sheer volume of white supremacist propaganda distributions we are documenting around the country is alarming and dangerous,” Oren Segal, Vice President of the ADL’s Center on Extremism said in a statement. “Hardly a day goes by without communities being targeted by these coordinated, hateful actions, which are designed to sow anxiety and create fear.”

“We need a whole-of-society approach to combat this activity, including elected officials, community leaders, and people of good faith coming together and condemning this activity forcefully,” Segal continued. 

See what others are saying: (Axios) (The Hill) (The New York Times)

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Adidas Financial Woes Continue, Company on Track for First Annual Loss in Decades

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2 weeks ago

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March 8, 2023

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Adidas has labeled 2023 a “transition year” for the company. 

Yeezy Surplus 

Adidas’ split with musician Kanye West has left the company with financial problems due to surplus Yeezy products, putting the sportswear giant in the position to potentially suffer its first annual loss in over 30 years. 

Adidas dropped West last year after he made a series of antisemitic remarks on social media and other broadcasts. His Yeezy line was a staple for Adidas, and the surplus product is due, in part, to the brand’s own decision to continue production during the split.

According to CEO Bjorn Gulden, Adidas continued production of only the items already in the pipeline to prevent thousands of people from losing their jobs. However, that has led to the unfortunate overabundance of Yeezy sneakers and clothes. 

On Wednesday, Gulden said that selling the shoes and donating the proceeds makes more sense than giving them away due to the Yeezy resale market — which has reportedly shot up 30% since October.

“If we sell it, I promise that the people who have been hurt by this will also get something good out of this,” Gulden said in a statement to the press. 

However, Gulden also said that West is entitled to a portion of the proceeds of the sale of Yeezys per his royalty agreement.

The Numbers 

Adidas announced in February that, following its divergence from West, it is facing potential sales losses totaling around $1.2 billion and profit losses of around $500 million. 

If it decides to not sell any more Yeezy products, Adidas is facing a projected annual loss of over $700 million.

Outside of West, Adidas has taken several heavy profit blows recently. Its operating profit reportedly fell by 66% last year, a total of more than $700 million. It also pulled out of Russia after the country’s invasion of Ukraine last year, which cost Adidas nearly $60 million dollars. Additionally, China’s “Zero Covid” lockdowns last year caused in part a 36% drop in revenue for Adidas compared to years prior.

As a step towards a solution, Gulden announced that the company is slashing its dividends from 3.30 euros to 0.70 euro cents per share pending shareholder approval. 

Adidas has labeled 2023 a “transition year” for the company. 

“Adidas has all the ingredients to be successful. But we need to put our focus back on our core: product, consumers, retail partners, and athletes,” Gulden said. “I am convinced that over time we will make Adidas shine again. But we need some time.”

See what others are saying: (The Washington Post) (The New York Times) (CNN)

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Immigration Could Be A Solution to Nursing Home Labor Shortages

Published

2 weeks ago

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March 7, 2023

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98% of nursing homes in the United States are experiencing difficulty hiring staff. 

The Labor Crisis 

A recent National Bureau of Economic Research paper has offered up a solution to the nursing home labor shortage: immigration. 

According to a 2022 American Health Care Association survey, six in ten nursing homes are limiting new patients due to staffing issues. The survey also says that 87% of nursing homes have staffing shortages and 98% are experiencing difficulty hiring. 

The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) outlined in their paper that increased immigration could help solve the labor shortage in nursing homes. Immigrants make up 19% of nursing home workers.

With every 10% increase in female immigration, nursing assistant hours go up by 0.7% and registered nursing hours go up by 1.1% And with that same immigration increase, short-term hospitalizations of nursing home residents go down by 0.6%.

The Solution 

Additionally, the State Department issued 145% more EB-3 documents, which are employment-based visas, for healthcare workers in the 2022 fiscal year than in 2019, suggesting that more people are coming to the U.S. to work in health care. 

However, according to Skilled Nursing News, in August of 2022, the approval process from beginning to end for an RN can take between seven to nine months. 

Displeasure about immigration has exploded since Pres. Joe Biden took office in 2021. According to a Gallup study published in February, around 40% of American adults want to see immigration decrease. That is a steep jump from 19% in 2021, and it is the highest the figure has been since 2016.

However, more than half of Democrats still are satisfied with immigration and want to see it increased. But with a divided Congress, the likelihood of any substantial immigration change happening is pretty slim. 

See what others are saying: (Axios) (KHN) (Skilled Nursing News)

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