Las Notis is a daily news column that gets you up to speed on the political, media + other going ons in Latin America and the diaspora—all in one quick digest.
- Here’s your glimpse at what’s going on today:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky said on Monday that she was “scared” and felt “impending doom” about where the U.S. is heading as COVID-19 cases spike in several states. While vaccinations have ramped up, many people are still vulnerable as more contagious strains of the virus appear throughout the country. [CNN]
- President Biden has announced his first judicial nominees, who include 11 individuals of diverse backgrounds, both personally and professionally. Top White House officials say that the judicial nominations have been a priority and that the administration is hoping to fill vacancies quickly. [WaPo]
- Police in Mexico sparked outrage for the death of Victoria Salazar, a 36-year-old from El Salvador. On Saturday, a supermarket store manager in Tulum called the police on Salazar for “disturbing the peace.” Unverified footage broadcasting on the website Noticaribe shows Salazar in pain while an officer kneels on her back with other officers watching. Post-mortem examinations explicitly state Salazar died from a broken neck. [BBC]
- Although the travel industry is anticipating an uptick as the vaccine rollout continues, a pediatric COVID-19 vaccine has yet to be approved. Vaccines for children are in the works but are not expected to be available until the end of 2021 at the earliest, which could affect travel since families with children make up 30 percent of the market. [NYT]
- Mexico has revised and published their COVID-19 death toll, showing a rise of about 60%. The revised numbers mean Mexico has the second highest number of recorded Covid-19 deaths in the world after the US rather than Brazil. Experts have long suggested that Mexico’s death toll was inaccurate because of lack of testing. [BBC]
- Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has shuffled his cabinet again, replacing foreign and defense ministers as criticisms mount over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bolsonaro has openly downplayed the severity of the virus and dismissed precautionary measures. Over 300,000 COVID-19 deaths have been recorded in Brazil, as well as more than 12 million confirmed cases. [BBC]
- Bad Bunny hyped up his match with The Miz, scheduled on Saturday for WWE WrestleMania
37, by appearing on Monday Night Raw. In a clip, he punches the former WWE champion in the face and warns him about their upcoming one-on-one. [Stereogum]