Covid Hate Crime Bill Snagged On Wording

The Hill: Trump Looms Over Senate's Anti-Asian Hate Crimes Battle
Ninety-two senators voted last week to advance an Asian American hate crimes bill. But its passage likely depends on Democrats agreeing to soften language that Republicans say ties hate crimes too narrowly to the characterization of COVID-19 as the “China virus.” Even Republicans who voted to advance the hate crimes legislation sponsored by Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) see it as a jab at President Trump. The bill links his characterization of COVID-19 as the “China virus” to racist and hateful acts. (Boton, 4/18)

WHNT: Tuberville Puts Forward Amendments To COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, Asian Americans Ask For Apology
The COVID-19 Hate Crime Bill received major bipartisan support this week, but it will see some contention next week by six Republican senators, including Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville. Tuberville will introduce four amendments to the bill. ... The first amendment to the bill wants to protect public speakers so they can continue to say COVID-19 started in China. The second adjustment wants to ensure fraudulent COVID-19 hate crime accusers can be prosecuted. Thirdly, Tuberville wants the DOJ to see if strict COVID-19 protocols and hate crimes correlate. The 4th amendment to the bill wants anyone who comes forward with a COVID-19 related hate crime to register their race, ethnicity, immigration status, and political affiliation. (Fitzgerald, 4/16)

Los Angeles Times: Hate Crimes Against Asian Americans In L.A. More Than Double 
The Los Angeles Police Department documented 15 hate crimes against Asian Americans in 2020, more than double the previous year, according to a new study by the agency. The findings were included in a report submitted to the Police Commission this week that analyzed hate crimes and hate incidents against the Asian American and Pacific Islander community in L.A. last year. Seven hate crimes were reported against Asian Americans in 2019 and nine the previous year. (Miller, 4/17)

Axios takes a deep dive into racism and health care in this five-part series —

Axios: Structural Barriers Create Stark Racial Divide In Americans' Health 
A person without stable housing doesn't have a place to keep insulin cold. A person without a car may not be able to get to the doctor until it's an emergency. A low-wage worker is less likely to have health insurance, and therefore more likely to skimp on care they might need. The American health care system delivers far better results for white patients than it does for people of color, and those health disparities are in large part a reflection of broader social and economic inequality. (Baker, 4/17)

Axios: A Timeline Of Health Care Disparities
1492: Europeans arrive in North America, bringing deadly epidemics that spread to Native peoples throughout the continent. (4/17)

Axios: How Telehealth Can Narrow Racial Disparities 
Racial disparities have been a constant problem in maternal health care, from rising death rates to the threat of severe COVID-19 among pregnant women. But now experts are hopeful that telehealth can help narrow those disparities. It's not a complete solution to the racial barriers women of color face. But some experts are optimistic that telehealth — long-distance health care through videoconferences and other technology — can help reduce those barriers by offering flexibility in appointments and better access to diverse providers. (Fernandez, 4/17)

Axios: Rural Children Of Color Face Stark Health Care Inequalities 
Living in the nation's poorest, most rural communities can be a death sentence for African American and Native American children. Lack of health care and healthy food make Black and indigenous children in the nation’s most disadvantaged counties five times as likely to die as children in other areas of the country, the advocacy group Save the Children found after analyzing federal data. (Rummier and Contreras, 4/17)

Axios: People Of Color Are More Likely To Be Uninsured And Face Increased Risks For Chronic Conditions 
While the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed serious disparities in access to health care, those differences were baked deep into the American health system long before the coronavirus came along. These systemic disparities are partly why people of color are more likely to be uninsured and face increased risks for certain chronic conditions — and even have shorter life expectancies. (Owens, 4/17)

In other news about health care and race —

Stat: In Q&A, VP Harris Calls For Urgent Action On The Black Maternal Health Crisis
It’s an American crisis that was long ignored at the government’s highest levels: Black women in the U.S. are roughly three times more likely to die giving birth than white women. Now, breaking new ground for a vice president, Kamala Harris is calling for sweeping action to curb racial inequities in pregnancy and childbirth. “With every day that goes by and every woman who dies, the need for action grows more urgent,” Harris told STAT in an emailed interview. (St. Fleur, 4/19)