This week in Washington, the House of Representatives voted to establish an independent, bi-partisan commission to investigate the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Leader Schumer has committed to a Senate vote on the January 6 Commission. Senate Republican Leader McConnell is joining the House GOP leadership in opposing the commission. The COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act introduced by Representative Grace Meng in the House and Senator Mazie Hirono in the Senate was signed by President Biden on May 20, 2021. The law addresses hate crimes throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, with particular emphasis on the increase in violence against Asian Americans. President Biden said, "...we are committed to stop the hatred and the bias." The law also directs the Department of Justice to designate a point person to expedite the review of hate crimes related to COVID-19 and authorizes grants to state and local governments to conduct crime-reduction programs to prevent and respond to hate crimes. Here you will find the Catholic Charities paper concerning Poverty and Racism. While visiting Michigan to promote the American Jobs Plan, President Biden declared, "the future of the auto industry is electric." Senator Schumer proposed Clean Cars for America which includes a mixture of incentives for consumers, charging infrastructure investments, and support for American manufacturing of electric vehicles. The proposal seeks to make electric vehicles affordable for all Americans and create good-paying union jobs in auto-making, construction, and battery manufacturing. COVID-19 Update We are continuing to see a reduction in COVID-19 infections. On May 20, 2021, the CDC reported that there were 27,857 new COVID-19 cases and 639 deaths. Across the country, 160 million people have received at least one dose of the vaccine, including 126 million people who have been fully vaccinated. CDC issued new guidance for those who are fully vaccinated. Full guidance can be found here. In addition to this promising news, people who are still not vaccinated should remain vigilant in their use of masks and social distancing. CCUSA is a member of the Community Corps to support vaccination across the country. Here are the facts about the Community Corps. To learn more about how you can get the vaccine, search vaccines.gov, text your zip code to 438829 or call 1-800-232-0233 to find locations. Please visit the CCUSA Social Policy/Advocacy page for updates and policy papers. See here.
Faith and the Common Good
When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled,
they were all in one place together.
And suddenly there came from the sky
a noise like a strong driving wind,
and it filled the entire house in which they were.
Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire,
which parted and came to rest on each one of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to speak in different tongues,
as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim. Acts 2:1-4 This Sunday, we celebrate the feast of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles. The gift of the Holy Spirit brings the Church's mission to the world. In Fratelli Tutti, Pope Francis celebrates all Christians reflecting God's love in our sisters and brothers and working to build a harmonious community. An Ecumenical Christian Prayer O God, Trinity of love,
from the profound communion of your divine life,
pour out upon us a torrent of fraternal love.
Grant us the love reflected in the actions of Jesus,
in his family of Nazareth,
and in the early Christian community. Grant that we Christians may live the Gospel,
discovering Christ in each human being,
recognizing him crucified
in the sufferings of the abandoned
and forgotten of our world,
and risen in each brother or sister
who makes a new start. Come, Holy Spirit, show us your beauty,
reflected in all the peoples of the earth,
so that we may discover anew
that all are important and all are necessary,
different faces of the one humanity
that God so loves. Amen. Pope Francis, Fratelli Tutti, October 3, 2020
Trivia
In the 18th century, which Asian/Pacific Islander group was the first to settle in the U.S? Last week the trivia question was, Which American author recently wrote a book in Italian and then had it translated into English? James Thamm was the first to identify Jhumpa Lahiri as an author who recently wrote a book in Italian and then had it translated into English. As we continue to celebrate Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, it is also a chance to highlight authors who share their experiences about life in the U.S. while creating better understanding across our diverse community. Nilanjana Sudeshna "Jhumpa" Lahiri is an American author known for her short stories, novels and essays in English, and, more recently, in Italian. She is mostly known for her debut collection of short stories, Interpreter of Maladies won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and her first novel, The Namesake was adapted into a popular film. Her second novel, The Lowland was a finalist for both the Man Booker Prize and the National Book Award for Fiction. In these works, Lahiri explored the Indian-immigrant experience in America. In 2011, Lahiri moved to Rome, Italy and has since then published two books of essays, and in 2018, published her first novel in Italian called Dove mi trovo. In 2014, Lahiri was awarded the National Humanities Medal. She has been a professor of creative writing at Princeton University since 2015. When Lahiri began kindergarten in Kingston, Rhode Island, her teacher decided to call her by her pet name, Jhumpa, because it was easier to pronounce than her "proper name". Her ambivalence over her identity was the inspiration for the mixed feelings of Gogol, the protagonist of her novel The Namesake, over his own unusual name.
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