The more than 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States are being hit especially hard by the coronavirus pandemic as that population deals with the fears of being deported and economic hardship as a result of the outbreak.
According to a recent survey by the Coalition for Human Immigrant Rights in California, undocumented immigrants and their relatives are more worried about the economic toll of the coronavirus than actually becoming infected. Among those surveyed, 95 percent were worried about paying bills while 89 percent of the population was more concerned about losing work.
Andrea Flores, the deputy director of policy for the Equality Division of the American Civil Liberties Union, said the virus is weighing on the immigrant population.
"This is preventing immigrant families from being able to support themselves and to take care of their families in terms of accessing care and buying groceries," said Flores. "They won't have access to the same safety net benefits that Congress may be putting forth for citizens."
While President Trump has said undocumented immigrants should be able to get tested without the threat of being arrested or deported, many immigrants are still living in fear of ICE. Currently, the ACLU's position is that ICE enforcement that could deter people from seeking care should be suspended . The ACLU agrees that the last thing ICE should be doing during a 'stay at home' order is making immigrants feel scared to access healthcare or be afraid to go to the grocery store.
"Immigration status doesn't matter at a time like this," said Flores. "This public health crisis impacts everybody and it's important for your neighbors to be tested."
Derek Shearer, former U.S. Ambassador to Finland and contributing writer for Washington Monthly, joins Cheddar News to discuss the latest developments in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Bobby Berk, designer, author, and star of Netflix's "Queer Eye," joined Cheddar News to talk about his new partnership with Lowe's Hometowns, a program to help projects across the nation over five years and with $100 million in funding to give aid to selected communities. Bobby Berk nominated “My Friend’s Place”, a shelter for homeless LGBTQ teens in Los Angeles. "I was homeless when I was a teen. I left home because I had to come out, and to be able to give back to these people who are going through the same things that I went through, it just means so much," he said.
In recognition of National Women’s Day, the pharmaceutical company Organon is giving all of its employees the day off. Geralyn Ritter, head of external affairs and ESG, for the women's therapeutics business, joined Cheddar News to discuss its call to action and its platform to grow awareness regarding specific health challenges women face. “We need to be more aware of the disproportionate impact that a tremendous number of stressors have on women and that includes broader global events from climate change to the tragedy unfolding in Ukraine with miles-long lines of women and children," Ritter said. "We simply have to make a decision that this is not acceptable anymore."
Ukrainians can't escape, six million COVID deaths, and 'The Batman' saves the box office. Here is all the news you Need2Know for Monday, March 7, 2022.
The pandemic, chip shortages, and now war. Automakers around the world have been getting slammed, and it now seems like things could get worse. Several car manufacturers have announced they are halting sales or shutting down factories in Russia after nations around the world moved to tighten sanctions against the country. Lisa Whalen, Auto and Mobility Analyst for Morning Consult, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Shared EV service Revel raised $126 million in a Series B round. Revel first came on the map in 2018 with its shared electric moped service in New York City, which has since expanded to other cities on the east coast. The company also operates an all-Tesla ride-hailing service in Manhattan.
Now, it is looking to expand its network of EV fast-charging stations, which the company calls super-hubs. Frank Reig, CEO of Revel, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
There will soon be another, lower-cost subscription option for Disney+ — but with commercials. Disney will launch the new ad-supported tier for its streaming service in the U.S. later this year and internationally in 2023, but so far there is no word on an exact launch date or price for the new service option. Tal Chalozin, co-founder and CTO of online ad tech company Innovid, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss what the news could mean for the next chapter of the streaming wars. "I wouldn't say that are worried about subscriber growth, but they have big goals to fill," he said. "They need to go to the mid-market or the longer tail. An ad model, always proven that that that's the way to go to mass market in television."
