Social / Demographics

CDC Director Expresses a Feeling of 'Impending Doom'
Dr. Rochelle Walensky sounded the alarm during the White House COVID-19 Response Team's press briefing on Monday, warning Americans that the pandemic trajectory in the United States is the same as in Europe. The latter is experiencing a third wave.

Californians Seek Normalcy by Relocating to Taiwan
As the pandemic continues to disrupt life in the United States, some Taiwanese Americans are rebuilding their lives abroad.

Reopening Schools: CDC Reduces Social Distancing Requirement
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now supports three-foot distancing in elementary school classrooms provided there is universal masking. For middle and high schools, it depends on the level of coronavirus transmission in the community.

Los Angeles Passes New Rent Relief Package
The city will offer a new round of rental assistance to eligible families who owe back rent.

As Luxury Rents Drop, Low-Income Tenants Pay More
With increasing pressure on the nation's supply of affordable housing, low- and middle-income renters are seeing their rents go up while higher-quality apartments drop prices to lure back remote workers.

A (Brief) Lesson in Planning For Psychologists
How can planners approach the emotions and psychology of urban stakeholders? Planning journalist Josh Stephens speaks with Psychology Today to give psychology professionals a glimpse into how planners think.

The Homelessness Crisis Deepened, Even Before the Pandemic
New numbers from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development show "devastating" growth in the number of unhoused people in the United States in January 2020.

'Never Let a Good Crisis Go to Waste' and Planning in the Pandemic
The latest in a series of compendia collecting news and commentary focusing on the complexities of the COVID-19 pandemic's effect on communities.

New Mexico Communities Reflect on Racial Restrictive Covenants
Explicitly racist and exclusionary language remains embedded in many communities' restrictive covenants. State legislators and local leaders want to change that.

The World's Highest Rates of Coronavirus Infections and Deaths
Brazil and the U.S. lead the world in daily COVID-19 cases and deaths. Western Europe is undergoing a third wave of infections, resulting in a new round of lockdowns, yet most of these nations are not among the 12 hotspots shown on a global tracker.

Research Shows Urban Trees Stave off Depression
A new study shows that regular exposure to trees and green spaces has a powerful impact on depression and mental health.

Opinion: California Should Pass Aggressive Housing Reform
While some lawmakers oppose recent efforts to reform housing policies, others argue the state's affordability crisis calls for bold action.

Pandemic Watch: What's Going on in Europe?
A coronavirus resurgence is spreading across much of Europe, forcing Italy into a new lockdown a year after it became the first Western country to resort to the drastic measure. The coronavirus has returned in the form of more transmissible variants.

Partisan Clustering at the Neighborhood Level
Forget red state versus blue state: a new data analysis and mapping project by The New York Times shows that the political divides in the country can be mapped to the neighborhood level within metropolitan areas.

Oregon DOT Studies Impact of Race and Income on Road Safety
The findings of a recent memo highlight the disproportionate effects of unsafe road conditions on low-income people and BIPOC communities.

The Pandemic Baby Bust
The economic uncertainty of the pandemic has added to already declining birth rates in a troubling sign for the future of the American economy.

The World's Worst COVID Outbreak
Brazil has surpassed the U.S. and led the world in the daily average of COVID-19 deaths and coronavirus infections during the last week. Experts point to a coronavirus variant and the lack of a federal strategy, leaving states without assistance.

Mask Order Standoff in Texas: Attorney General vs. Austin and Travis County
It's pandemic déjà vu in the Lone Star State, with local governments wanting to protect their constituents from an increase in viral transmission, a power preempted by Gov. Abbott's executive order. Attorney General Ken Paxton lost the first round.

Oklahoma House Approves Protections for Drivers Who Hit Protestors
A heated debate and a party line vote in Oklahoma.

Experts: Fourth Coronavirus Surge Likely More of a Ripple
The worst appears to be over, say most of the more than 20 experts who spoke with NPR's science editor, Rob Stein. If there is going to be a surge, it will be more like a ripple, he suggested. Not everyone agrees.
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