Source: REACH Media / Reach Media
HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ON TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27TH, 2022
WATCH VIDEO
1. All Rise! Justice Jackson Goes to Work
Source: The Washington Post / Getty
3 MINUTE READ
What You Need to Know:
One of the most public moments of American history was completed in a private ceremony Friday, the investiture of Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. The first Black woman was formally sworn in to sit on the United States Supreme Court, during a ceremony that continues the tradition of very little technology, like video cameras, present to capture the historic event. The moment marked the beginning of Justice Jackson’s career on the nation’s highest court as the new term begins, as it has for generations, on the first Monday in October.
2. What Has the Biden-Harris Administration Done for Us Lately?
Source: Kent Nishimura / Getty
3 MINUTE READ
WRITTEN AND CONTRIBUTED BY KHAMERON RILEY
What You Need to Know:
On Juneteenth, the White House released a fact sheet detailing how the Biden-Harris administration advances equity and opportunity for Black Americans and communities across the country.
The fact sheet begins by reporting that this administration has taken a historic approach to advance racial equity and has diverted every federal agency to focus on the disparities Black people face. It continues to say the administration has delivered real and lasting change and continues to work daily to deliver equitable outcomes and opportunities for Black Americans.
3. Boston Establishing 11 Wastewater COVID-19 Testing Sites
Source: Craig Gonsalves / Getty
What You Need to Know:
Boston is planning to establish 11 wastewater testing sites across the city to help monitor for spikes in the COVID-19 virus.
The head of the Boston Public Health Commission said the city is partnering with vendors to create the sites as COVID-19 levels in wastewater across the region have begun rising.
Dr. Bisola Ojikutu, Boston’s public health commissioner, said the city will be sampling water from the sites on a weekly basis. Ojikutu said the testing will also help the city monitor for the appearance of new variants of the disease.
Ojikutu made the comments during a Boston City Council meeting Monday according to The Boston Globe.
4. 22-Year-Old Black Man Shot and Killed During No-Knock Warrant
WRITTEN AND CONTRIBUTED BY COY MALONE
What You Need to Know:
Amir Locke, a 22-year-old Black man, was shot and killed by police on February 2 as they entered his downtown Minneapolis, MN apartment on a no-knock warrant.
Police body camera video shows police entering Locke’s apartment at 6:48 a.m. with a key and shouting, “Police, search warrant, get on the ground!” As an officer kicked at the couch where Locke was sleeping, Locke’s arm emerges from a blanket with a gun in his hand. Police fired at least three shots, hitting him in the chest and wrist.
5. The Number of First-Time Homebuyers is Dropping Drastically. Why?
Source: Wirestock / Getty
WRITTEN AND CONTRIBUTED BY CATRINA M. CRAFT
What You Need to Know:
The average homebuyer in the United States is older, while the number of first-time homebuyers is experiencing a major decrease as the typical first-time buyer was 36 years old, an age increase of three years from last year as the age of repeat homebuyers was 59, both all-time highs. These figures are not surprising given the housing market’s current combination of historically low inventory, high home prices, and escalating interest rates.
Mortgage rates are near 20-year highs, and that hurts homebuyers and the housing industry. Rising mortgage rates have increased the monthly mortgage payment by $1,000 (with a 10% down payment), and minority groups may be impacted more heavily.
