Hi, just a reminder that you're receiving this email because you have expressed an interest in Steve Rao. Don't forget to add sr@steverao.com to your address book so we'll be sure to land in your inbox!
You may unsubscribe if you no longer wish to receive our emails.
|
|
|
India Republic Day Edition
|
From the Council Office of Steve Rao
January 26, 2021
|
|
A year ago, we lost Kobe Bryant. We will never forget this legend.
May him and Gianna always rest in peace.
|
|
Orange County is out of first doses of the Vaccine.
|
|
Beginning on Jan. 27, North Carolina will have only 120,000 doses to allocate across the entire state. A large portion of those doses are committed to the large-scale events planned several weeks ago to address the backlog in vaccine. As a result, many providers are getting small or no allocations for the coming week. Through no fault of their own, they will be postponing appointments.
Please check WRAL during the day as NC DHHS is expected to provide an update on new procedures for vaccine rollout in the midst of shortages.
|
|
NCDHHS reports that 88 percent of all first doses have been reported as being administered. Providers reported administering more than 260,000 doses this past week.
As of Monday, the CDC ranked North Carolina 10th in total vaccines administered and 29th in vaccines administered per 100,000 people.
|
|
Morrisville Carpenter Road Update
|
Morrisville Carpenter Road Project begins on Jan 25th! ReceiveText Alerts for Morrisville Carpenter Road
Share your opinions by Jan 31 at the Bond Portal:
|
|
Biden proposes $50 billion plan Covid 19 testing Plan and calls for the Creation of a Pandemic Testing Board and states that everyone will be able to get a vaccine by spring.
VP Harris gets second dose of the vaccine.
|
|
|
Biden signs Executive Orders reinstating Covid 19 Variant Travel Restrictions from Brazil, United Kingdom and South Africa.
|
|
|
Lloyd Austin sworn in as Secretary of Defense, first Black American to serve in office.
|
|
Janet Yellen to be sworn in at noon today as Treasury Secretary.
|
|
House Delivers Impeachment Articles to Senate/Triggering 4th Impeachment Trial in History.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/25/politics/impeachment-article-senate-house/index.html
|
|
|
IMMIGRATION REFORM FIRESIDE CHAT
|
Thanks for attending IMMIGRATION REFORM FIRESIDE CHAT WITH JEREMY ROBBINS, EXEC. DIRECTOR, NEW AMERICAN ECONOMY
(Immigration Reform Update will be provided in next newsletter)
|
|
CELEBRATING 72nd INDIA REPUBLIC DAY
|
|
Today, Jan 26th, India’s 72nd Republic Day is celebrated in India and around the world. I was honored to read the Indian Independence Day Proclamation with my colleague, Council Member Anne Robotti at last week’s Council meeting and am very grateful for all of the contributions our Indian American community makes to Morrisville, the Triangle Region and the entire state of North Carolina.
Republic Day honors the date on which the Constitution of India came into effect on 26 January 1950 replacing the Government of India Act (1935) as the governing document of India and thus, turning the nation into a newly formed republic.
The Constitution was adopted by the Indian Constituent Assembly on 26 November 1949 and came into effect on 26 January 1950 with a democratic government system, completing the country's transition towards becoming an independent republic. 26 January was chosen as the date for Republic day because it was on this day in 1929 when the Declaration of Indian Independence (Purna Swaraj) was proclaimed by the Indian National Congress as opposed to the Dominion status offered by the British Regime.
While India's Independence Day celebrates its freedom from British Rule, the Republic Day celebrates the coming into force of its constitution. A draft constitution was prepared by the committee and submitted to the Constituent Assembly on 4 November 1947. The Assembly met, in sessions open to public, for 166 days, spread over a period of two years, 11 months and 18 days before adopting the Constitution. After many deliberations and some modifications, the 308 members of the Assembly signed two hand-written copies of the document (one each in Hindi and English) on 24 January 1950. Two days later which was on 26 January 1950, it came into effect throughout the whole nation.
On this day let us make a promise to strive for justice, freedom and equal rights for every democracy and for peace and unity among all who are fortunate enough to live in freedom. As the recent riots and attacks at the US Capitol demonstrated, freedom and democracy will always prevail if we have faith in our democratic institutions.
Liberty will never die if we always fight for it.
The father of India, Mahatma Gandhi said, "Be the change you wish to see in this world." and those words are relevant even today, no matter where you are. Be a Leader. Make the Difference.
Wishing you a very Happy Republic Day 2021!
|
|
Indian Republic Day with Padman Bhushan Swadesh Chatterjee
|
Join us on Jan 26th on International Broadcast Media Television at 10 am to celebrate and discuss Indian Republic Day with Padman Bhushan Swadesh Chatterjee. WorldEdition at www.ibmtv.tv.
|
|
|
We also will be having a live radio fireside chat with other leaders on India Republic Day tomorrow or sometime this week.
|
|
Jan 22 Wake County Delegation Vaccine Presentation
|
|
Recently, I have been fielding a number of phone calls from our Seniors in Morrisville with confusion as to how to get an appointment for a vaccination. Here are some of the best ways to move forward with securing an appointment.
Go to covid19.ncdhhs.gov/findyourspot to see a list of Counties and I have seen some seniors get appointments at other Counties by going to this site and setting up an appointment. You do not have to reside in the County of where you get vaccinated. Lines may be shorter in other counties.
WAKE COUNTY HOTLINE:
DURHAM COUNTY HOTLINE:
For answers to Durham County COVID-19 vaccine questions, call our hotline at 919-635-8150 or email us at DCoCOVIDvaccines@dconc.gov. 2-1-1 or 888-892-1162.
There will be a mass vaccination site in Durham this week which will vaccinate as many as 45,000.
Call Duke Raleigh Regional Hospital at (919) 620-5167 even on the Weekend to set up appointments.
|
|
MECKLENBERG COUNTY VACCINE INFORMATION
|
Information from Rep. Kelly Alexander:
Right now, frontline healthcare workers and adults 65 and over are eligible to receive the vaccine. This week, the state government has shifted strategy to mass vaccinations in large public spaces. They already had a mass event at Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend that vaccinated approximately 16,000 people.
Currently, the only mass vaccination event that is still open for appointments is through Atrium Health at the Bank of America stadium.
PLEASE SCHEDULE AS SOON AS YOU CAN; spots are filling up quickly. The vaccine is FREE.
These are the days and times available:
Dose 1:
— Friday, January 29, 8AM-1PM
— Saturday, January 30, 8AM-6PM
— Sunday, January 31, 8AM-6PM
Dose 2:
— Friday, February 26 to Sunday, February 28 (no times listed)
|
|
President-elect Joe Biden will step into the White House on Wednesday facing an array of crises, from COVID-19 to nationwide tension surrounding racial justice.
Over the past several weeks, Biden has laid out several things he wants to do in his first 100 days in office. The proposals include tackling the pandemic, reversing immigration policies put in place under President Donald Trump and addressing criminal justice reform.
On Thursday, Biden laid out a COVID-19 relief package that he hopes to see pass through Congress in the immediate weeks after taking office.
Mask Up
Biden will soon sign an Executive Order mandating masks in places “where he can under the law,” such as in federal buildings, planes and buses.
Covid Relief Package
On Thursday, Biden laid out a COVID-19 relief package that he hopes to see pass through Congress in the immediate weeks after taking office.
The $1.9 trillion plan includes $20 billion for a national vaccination program, $1,400 stimulus checks and raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour. Biden has also pledged to provide 100 million doses of the vaccine during the first 100 days of his administration.
Reopening Schools
Biden also said that he wants to begin reopening schools in the first 100 days of his administration. His relief package proposes $130 billion to help schools safely reopen.
Economy and Taxes
Biden has said that his COVID-19 relief plan will help “stimulate the economy," with the help of $1,400 stimulus checks, grants for small businesses and billions for schools to reopen, among other proposals. He will introduce that recovery plan next month during his address to a joint session of Congress.
Biden has also said he will propose a new tax plan that includes raising corporate income taxes to 28%. Currently, the corporate tax rate is 21%, which was set under Trump’s 2017 tax plan.
Under his tax plan, Biden said no one making less than $400,000 will see their taxes increase, but that a 12.4% Social Security payroll tax will be imposed on those who earn $400,000 or more.
Climate Change
During his tenure, Trump withdrew the United States from the 2015 Paris Agreement, which focuses on goals to help mitigate climate change.
On the first day of his administration, Biden rejoined the Paris Accords.
Biden has said that within the first 100 days of his administration, he wants to host a climate world summit to “directly engage the leaders of the major greenhouse gas-emitting nations of the world to persuade them to join the United States in making more ambitious national pledges, above and beyond the commitments they have already made.”
He also pledged on his first day in office he would take actions that require “aggressive methane pollution limits for new and existing oil and gas operations.” He said the goal is to develop “rigorous new fuel economy standards aimed at ensuring 100% of new sales for light- and medium-duty vehicles will be zero emissions and annual improvements for heavy duty vehicles.”
IMMIGRATION
Biden is already undoing many of the Trump administration’s immigration policies within hour of being sworn in.
He has issued an executive order on the first day of his presidency to create a federal task force to reunite children with their parents who were separated at the border. As of December, 628 parents who were separated from their children at the border are still missing.
Trump also faced criticism over conditions for migrants at the border, enacted a travel ban for mostly Muslim-majority countries, and slashed the number of refugees allowed to resettle in the U.S.
Within the first 100 days of his administration, Biden has said he will stop construction on the border wall at the U.S.-Mexico border by taking away funding.
Policies Related to LGBTQ Individuals
Biden last year vowed that in the first 100 days of his administration, he would push to pass the Equality Act, which aims to extend federal protections in the areas of housing, education, credit and services to members of the LGBTQ community.
Racial Justice
Amid a nationwide reckoning with systemic racism, Biden has vowed to make racial justice and criminal justice reforms a key part of his administration.
Last year, the death of George Floyd, a Black Minnesota man who was killed in police custody, spurred protests nationwide and even across the world. Since then, there have been calls for police reform.
"I've long believed we need real community policing. And we need each and every police department in the country to undertake a comprehensive review of their hiring, their training and their de-escalation practices," Biden said in a speech last summer. "And the federal government should give them the tools and resources they need to implement reforms."
|
|
COVID 19 VACCINATION INFORMATION
|
|
To help accelerate vaccinations, state health leaders are teaming with NCDOT to make sure everybody can get transportation to a vaccination site. Each local transit agency will receive state funding to accomplish that goal. For details, reach out to your local transit agency.
Johnson and Johnson Plans to have 10 million doses to United States by April.
|
|
NC DHHS TO HOST MASS VACCINATION EVENTS
|
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is partnering with health systems, local health departments and community health centers across the state to host large community vaccine events for people currently eligible to be vaccinated. More than 45,000 vaccines are expected to be given through these events.
“The state will continue to support our local health departments and hospitals to get shots in arms faster,” said NCDHHS Secretary Mandy Cohen, M.D. “These partners were selected because they were able to rapidly increase the number of vaccines they could deliver as part of this effort.”
Partners were selected based on their ability to administer a large number of vaccine doses or to provide access to vaccine doses to marginalized communities. NC Emergency Management and the National Guard are also providing support in some locations. Vaccine events will be held in the following counties:
-
Bertie County: Bertie County Health Department (Albemarle Regional Health Services)
-
Buncombe County: Buncombe County Health Department in partnership with Western North Carolina Community Health Services, and Western Carolina Medical Society
-
Cabarrus County: Atrium Health
-
Camden County: Camden County Health Department (Albemarle Regional Health Services)
-
Chatham County: UNC Health
-
Chowan County: Chowan County Health Department (Albemarle Regional Health Services)
-
Currituck County: Currituck County Health Department (Albemarle Regional Health Services)
-
Durham County: Duke Health
-
Forsyth County: Forsyth County Department of Public Health
-
Gates County: Gates County Health Department (Albemarle Regional Health Services)
-
Guilford County: Cone Health
-
Henderson County: Blue Ridge Community Health Services, Henderson County Department of Public Health, Mountain Area Health Education Center, Pardee Hospital (UNC Health)
-
Hertford County: Hertford County Health Department (Albemarle Regional Health Services)
-
Johnston County: UNC Health
-
Madison County: Hot Springs Health Center, Madison County Health Department, Mountain Area Health Education Center
-
Mecklenburg County: Atrium Health
-
Orange County: UNC Health
-
Pasquotank County: Pasquotank County Health Department (Albemarle Regional Health Services)
-
Perquimans County: Perquimans County Health Department (Albemarle Regional Health Services)
-
Pitt County: Vidant Health
-
Wake County: UNC REX Healthcare, Duke Raleigh Hospital, and WakeMed in partnership with community-based physician practices, Advance Community Health, NeighborHealth and others
Some locations are providing the vaccine by appointment only. To learn more about the events, visit the websites of the providers listed above. Their websites can be found, listed by county, at covid19.ncdhhs.gov/findyourspot.
|
|
JAN 26th - 6pm Virtual Town Council Meeting
|
|
Jan 26th NC RIOT Competitive Edge: How Edge Computing Takes Business to the Next Level!
|
|
|
JAN 26th at Noon Event With Special Guest Richard Boyd, CEO Tanjo
|
Join me for SKEMA Business School Tech Talk on JAN 26th at Noon Superhuman, Achieving the Balance Between Man and Machine! With Special Guest Richard Boyd, CEO Tanjo.
|
|
|
Jan 27 NC Tech Association
|
NC Tech Association 2021 Virtual Outlook for Tech Event 8:45 am to 12: 45 pm
|
|
|
Jan 27 - 8am Virtual Breakfast with Cary Mayor at Cary Chamber
|
Jan 27 Virtual Breakfast with Cary Mayor at Cary Chamber 8am!
|
|
|
Feb 2 11:30 am to 1: pm Morrisville Chamber Annual Meeting
|
|
|
FEB 2nd 7 pm Next Generation Race Relations Forum with Tru Pettigrew
|
FEB 2nd 7 pm Next Generation Race Relations Forum with Tru Pettigrew!
Please mark your calendars for Tuesday, Feb 2, 2021 at 7 pm. Tru Pettigrew and International Author Mike Rosas on FB Live as we discuss Race Relations in America and how to heal and move forward with and for the next generation!
|
|
|
Join me Sunday 4 PM on Radio Mirchi for another update on local issues.
99.9FM HD4, 101.9 FM and 1490 AM!
|
|
|
Join me Monday at 10 am on International Broadcast Media TV for a global for World Edition, an update on global politics.
|
|
|
- For latest Covid 19 information, please dial 2-1-1 or 888- 892-1162.
- Get Updates by texting COVIDNC at 898211.
- For unemployment insurance, please visit NC Dept of Employment Security at https://des.nc.gov/.
- 1,413,690 NC citizens have applied for UI Benefits, 948,626 have been paid benefits, and $9.3 billion of benefits have been issued. Appeals of denied jobless benefits are taking many months.
-
Apply for Wake Forward program at https://covid19.wakegov.com/wakeforward/.
COVID-19 hospitalizations dropped yet again in Monday's report--marking the lowest count of 2021.
The number of people hospitalized with the virus is listed at 3,287. That's the lowest since Dec. 27.
The daily percent positive also decreased, falling to 10.2%. That number remains well above the state's 5% goal, which we were achieving at times during the summer.
Since the start of the pandemic, 8,720 people have died from the virus in North Carolina. For a full look at the state's latest numbers, click here.
CASES:
4,633 Newly reported Cases
+ N.C. = 723,445 Cases (Deaths = 8,720)
+ 10.2% Positive Rate
+ Wake County = 62,731 Cases (Deaths = 413)
+ Durham County = 18,480 Cases (Deaths = 169)
+ Orange County = 6,380 Cases (Deaths= 79)
+ US = 25.2 million Cases/420,000 deaths
+ Worldwide = 99.4million/2.06 million deaths
+ Completed Tests: 8,500,479
+ 3,287 Hospitalized
|
|
|
Council Member Rao holds office hours on Friday from 12:00-1:00 PM by appointment only at 100 Town Hall Drive in Morrisville.
|
|
Council Member Steve Rao
Town of Morrisville
Dedicated to transforming Morrisville into an ideal place to work and raise a family!
|
|
See what's happening on our social sites:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|