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:
- President Joe Biden has condemned a voting bill passed by Republican Governor Brian Kemp as “Jim Crow in the 21st Century” and a “blatant attack on the Constitution and good conscience.” Critics have said the bill will disportionately affect communities of color and it includes several restrictions on absentee ballots: It requires a photo ID to vote by absentee ballot, cuts off time people have to request absentee ballots, and limits where drop boxes can be placed. [CNN]
- In a comprehensive Pew study and analysis titled “The Growing Diversity of Black America,” 5% of the U.S. Black population in 2019 self-identified as Afro-Latino or Black Latino. This is roughly about 2.4 million people and more than double the number reported in 2000. [Latino Rebels]
- The trial against Derek Chauvin, the police officer who killed George Floyd after holding his neck down with his knee for more than nine minutes while Floyd was handcuffed, starts today. Chauvin has been charged with second- and third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter in Floyd’s death. [WaPo]
- Discussions surrounding the creation of a COVID-19 “vaccine passports” continue. According to a senior official, the Biden administration has been working towards developing a system to act as proof of vaccination for those wishing to travel or attend public events. President Joe Biden has predicted normalcy in the U.S. by Christmas. [CNN]
- Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been ordered by a Brazilian court to pay 20,000 reais ($3,500) in compensation to journalist Patrícia Campos Mello after he made “degrading comments” about her. President Bolsonaro suggested the journalist had exchanged sex for negative information about him. [BBC]
- Mexico’s Health Department says COVID-19 death toll tops 200,000, but many suggest the real number is far higher. The Mexican government paused publishing excess death numbers near the end of 2020, before Mexico’s second wave hit. Records from other Mexican authorities display deaths during this time were 46% higher. [AP]
- Six-time Grammy winner Flaco Jiménez has been added to the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress for his 1992 album Partners, a bilingual recording of 25 songs. “People used to regard my music as cantina music, just no respect,” he said in an interview with the Library of Congress. “I really give respect to everyone who helped me out on this record and I’m flattered by this recognition.” [NBC Latino]