Coronavirus
FBI seeks help in identifying suspect who assaulted an Asian American man while using racial slur in Chicago
The FBI and Chicago Police Department have asked for the public’s help in identifying a suspect who allegedly assaulted an Asian American man. Authorities are now looking into the case as a potential hate crime.
Attack: On Aug. 15, the suspect, described by authorities as a man with a thin goatee and wearing a Chicago baseball team White Sox cap, followed the victim into the Argyle Red Line Stop in 1118 West Argyle Street at around noon, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
‘I will kill it if I meet it again!’: Australian man demolishes sign blaming China for COVID-19
A video of an Asian man wrecking a sign that blamed China for the spread of COVID-19 in Melbourne, Australia, has gone viral on social media.
Where it happened: The sign, which was made of metal, was attached to a pole outside a home in Glen Waverley, a suburb in the City of Monash. It’s unclear who put it there or whose property the pole was located on.
One of the last remaining Japantowns is in danger of ‘irreparable harm,’ according to local SF community
Residents in San Francisco’s Japantown are calling for help in their protest against the city’s plan to buy a landmark hotel and turn it into a permanent facility for the homeless.
The plan: San Francisco is seeking to purchase the Kimpton Buchanan Hotel, a 131-room tourist hotel located on the corner of Sutter and Buchanan street. This is part of Mayor London Breed’s plan to create 4,500 permanent supportive housing units — 1,500 of which would be new — within two years.
Jeremy Lin treats himself to pizza after recovering from COVID-19
NBA champ Jeremy Lin has been discharged from a Shanghai hospital after testing negative for COVID-19.
30 days in bed: Lin, 33, is currently signed with the Chinese Basketball Association’s Beijing Ducks. He returned to China in early August and contracted COVID-19 while in quarantine.
Hate crimes targeting Asian and Black people in U.S. reaches highest mark in 12 years
Due to notable spikes in anti-Asian and anti-Black attacks, hate crimes in the U.S. hit a 12-year high in 2020, according to FBI data released on Monday.
Key findings: The agency recorded a total of 7,759 hate crimes in the past year. This is a 6.1% increase from 2019 and is the highest tally since 2008.
COVID-19 not a biological weapon, US Intel says
SARS-CoV-2, the pathogen that leads to COVID-19, was not developed as a biological weapon, the U.S. intelligence community said after a 90-day investigation into the disease’s origins.
Why this matters: Since the first case of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, near the end of 2019, the world has demanded answers for its possible origins. Among those theorized in public is the infamous “lab leak theory,” which claims that SARS-CoV-2 was created in a laboratory in Wuhan.
New Poll reveals nearly 3/4 older AAPI women are suffering from the impact of racism amid pandemic
New data from a recent poll reveals that the majority of older Asian American and Pacific Islander women are suffering from the wave of anti-AAPI hate and racism brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Poll details: The recent poll, conducted by Harris Poll on behalf of the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF), asked over 3,500 women about the issues they care most about, as well as what motivated them to vote during the 2020 election.
Legendary martial artist Sonny Chiba passes away at 82 due to COVID complications
Japanese actor and legendary martial artist Shin’ichi “Sonny” Chiba, who inspired countless film icons including director Quentin Tarantino, passed away at the age of 82.
What happened: On Thursday, Chiba’s management company announced that Chiba, an action superstar popularly known for his role in “Kill Bill,” had passed away due to complications with COVID-19, according to NPR.
23 orgs urge Biden to protect AAPI community during COVID origin investigation
Asian American and Pacific Islander organizations are urging President Joe Biden to be extra careful to not further aggravate anti-Asian hate as the results of an investigation on COVID-19’s origins near their release.
About the report: The Biden administration launched a 90-day investigation into COVID-19’s origins in May amid the spread of the so-called “the lab leak theory,” which proposes that the pandemic resulted from SARS-CoV-2 escaping from a laboratory in Wuhan, China.
Canada’s ‘Anti-Asian Hate Crime Capital’ launches very first investigation into rising incidents
The Canadian province of British Columbia is launching its first-ever public inquiry on the surge of anti-Asian incidents amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
What to know: The city of Vancouver reported more anti-Asian hate crimes than 10 of the most populous U.S. cities combined in 2020. For this reason, the city has been infamously dubbed the “Anti-Asian Hate Crime Capital of North America.”
Cathay Bank Foundation donates $1 MILLION to help fight anti-Asian hate
California-based Cathay Bank Foundation is donating $1 million to multiple organizations that promote diversity and fight anti-Asian hate.
Distribution: Five major nonprofits will each receive a grant of $100,000, namely Stop AAPI Hate, the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council (A3PCON), the Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA), the Asian American Education Project (AAEdu) and the Asian Americans Advancing Justice–Los Angeles. Ten more organizations will each receive a grant ranging from $15,000 to $50,000, according to a press release.
Couple violently attacks Indigenous Filipina nurse distributing face masks in New York subway
An Indigenous Filipina nurse sustained physical injuries after getting assaulted by a couple while distributing protective face masks in a New York subway on Aug. 10.
The attack: Potri Ranka Manis, who works at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, was attacked after she handed out masks to the couple who sat next to her, along with their child on the stroller, reported the Inquirer.