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During this time, many are in need or soon will be. Click on the image to donate to Feeding America. |
Many of the complicated issues we deal with as a nation will not go away during the Coronavirus pandemic. These issues become more challenging and even dangerous for individuals and families.
Women seeking an abortion are being negatively impacted by the pandemic. Federal regulations require that clinics that dispense drugs for at-home medical abortions pick the medicine up in person. This puts them, their families and health care workers at risk. They may be exposed to the virus or inadvertently expose their healthcare providers.
Now is the time for states to recognize the safety of both telemedicine for abortion care, as well as medication abortion.
Gun stores are recording a spike in gun sales, especially assault weapons, and ammunition. With more guns in the hands of individuals with children at home, the potential for deadly gun accidents dramatically increases.
Legal advocates for domestic violence and human trafficking say there are two main triggers for violence during the outbreak: stress and isolation. Abused women are exceedingly vulnerable during this time. (Know someone of who needs to get out of an abusive situation? Help can be found here
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According to the ADL, there has been an uptick in antisemitic hate speech. Extremists are using the virus as an excuse to blame Jews for spreading the virus. These racist and conspiratorial themes are prevalent on social media platforms frequented by extremists as well as more mainstream platforms like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Reddit.
While we struggle to keep our families and communities safe, we can't forget the far ranging implications this crisis has for our democracy. Even our election system is compromised. Voter turnout was low in those states this week that held primaries; some states have even postponed their primaries.
Now is the time for states to ensure the voices of the voters are being heard. That means expanding access to early voting, vote by mail, and no-excuse absentee voting.
At JAC, we will continue to monitor our issues and strive to keep you informed. These are challenging times that call for us to remain united as a nation. We are all in this together.
Stay home. Stay safe.
Elections have consequences
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Netanyahu's Bold Moves: Fighting a Virus or Risking Democracy?
Israel's prime minister has shut down the courts and ordered the government to track people by their cellphone data in the name of fighting an epidemic
. Both of those extraordinary moves, announced in the dead of night on Sunday and Tuesday, were made in the name of combating the coronavirus. The court shutdown also had the effect of delaying Mr. Netanyahu's corruption trial by two months.
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Trump Dubs COVID-19 'Chinese Virus' Despite Hate Crime Risks
President Donald Trump said that he doesn't think calling COVID-19 the "Chinese virus" - or the "kung-flu," as one administration official reportedly called it - puts Asian Americans at risk of retaliation despite growing reports they are facing virus-related discrimination. Since coronavirus infections started appearing in the United States in January, Asian Americans have shared stories of minor aggression to blatant attacks from people blaming them for the pandemic, which has killed more than 130 people in the United States.
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Abortion Pill Restrictions Won't Be Lifted During Pandemic, Fda Says
When Donald Trump used "two very big words" to declare a national emergency over the novel coronavirus, he bragged about giving his top health official the "ability to waive laws to enable telehealth" during the pandemic. But it appears that the president's latitude will not apply to medication abortion care.
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Politics - Not Faith - Can Drive Coronavirus Response
"Politics has become religion to us," said Ryan Burge, assistant professor of American religion of Eastern Illinois University. "So what our political leaders tell us is almost more important than what our religious leaders tell us."
Burge looked at data about religion and fear and found that beliefs about the Bible, for example, did not seem to affect how people felt about the possibility of a pandemic.
"Being theologically conservative does not make anyone more or less afraid of a pandemic," Burge
tweeted
earlier this week. "It's a combination of theology and partisanship."
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Gun Sales Surge as Coronavirus Grips U.S.
Gun sales throughout the country have surged as the coronavirus outbreak grips the U.S.
Americans are flocking to gun stores and waiting in long lines as they worry about what's to come in the next few months with society all but shut down. Gun sales in the states most affected by the virus thus far, such as California, New York and Washington, are particularly on the rise.
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Biden's Wins in U.S. States That Matter Most Set Stage for Duel With Trump
Biden dominated Sanders in Tuesday's contests in three states, including Florida and Arizona, both known as political battlegrounds because their voters can swing to either party and so decide who takes the White House.
Defying the coronavirus that has upended life in America as in the rest of the world, turnout was robust in both states - many people voted early - suggesting that enthusiasm to defeat Trump remains high among Democrats.
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Coronavirus Will Change the World Permanently. Here's How.
For many Americans right now, the scale of the coronavirus crisis calls to mind 9/11 or the 2008 financial crisis-events that reshaped society in lasting ways, from how we travel and buy homes, to the level of security and surveillance we're accustomed to, and even to the language we use.
Politico Magazine
surveyed more than 30 smart, macro thinkers this week, and they have some news for you: Buckle in. This could be bigger.
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Some Survivors Fear Coronavirus Has Killed a Last Chance to March at Auschwitz
For the first time since its founding, the annual trek of Jewish teenagers, educators, and survivors from around the world to the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp on Holocaust Remembrance Day has been postponed, amid global concern over the spread of COVID-19.
The March of the Living normally draws thousands of people to Poland for a memorial walk between the Nazi Auschwitz and Birkenau death camps, and then finishes with a trip to Israel for Independence Day. However Israel has begun barring non-residents, in order to stem the coronavirus outbreak.
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Introducing JACII, a JAC group for young professionals, advocates, and those young at heart who are looking to get involved. Groups have started in Detroit, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
Events will feature elected officials and speakers in lively settings. JACII is by and for young people. Now is the perfect time to get involved.
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Know someone who would be interested in joining or hosting a meeting? Let us know at info@jacpac.org. We will be happy to help organize a JACII in your city.
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"These pictures of young people on beaches, these videos of young people saying, 'this is my spring break, I'm out to party, this is my time to party' -- this is so unintelligent and reckless I can't even begin to express it. The risk does not justify the reward. They're putting themselves at risk. Young people can get coronavirus."
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Joint Action Committee for Political Affairs (JACPAC) is a pro-Israel PAC with a domestic agenda. We support a strong U.S.-Israel relationship and advocate for reproductive health and the separation of religion and state and incorporate other issues of importance to the Jewish community, including gun violence prevention and climate change. In addition to providing financial support for U.S. Senate and House campaigns, JACPAC educates our membership with outreach events designed to inform and activate their participation in the political process.
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Paid for by Joint Action Committee for Political Affairs. Contributions or gifts are not tax deductible. Federal law requires us to use our best efforts to collect and report the name, mailing address, occupation, and name of employer of individuals whose contributions exceed $200 in an election cycle. Corporate contributions and contributions from non-US citizens who are not lawfully admitted for permanent residence are prohibited. All contributions by individuals must be made from personal funds and may not be reimbursed or paid by another person.
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