Sybil Wilkes ‘What You Need To Know:’ Vice President Sets the Record Straight, Summer Heat & More

1. The Mis-Education of Negro History in Florida

The Mis-Education of Negro History in Florida

What You Need to Know:

Vice President Kamala Harris is on the road, speaking before organizations that embrace people of color. The nation’s first female, first Black, first East Indian vice president appeared Thursday before the national convention of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, meeting in Indianapolis to talk issues with the thousands of members gathered. 

Among the topics, Vice President Harris addressed the startling statistics of Black maternal mortality. She pointed out,

“Before, during, and after childbirth, women in America die at a higher rate than in any other wealthy nation in the world, and Black women are three times as likely to die.” 

2. Hot Enough for Ya? 

Hot Enough for Ya? 

What You Need to Know:

Heat alerts have been issued for 44 million people in 13 states across the West into the South and Southeast. For the 43rd consecutive day, in a city like Miami, Florida, where heat is no stranger, residents experienced heat index values of up to 100 degrees. 

The massive heat dome is expected to spread this week. Phoenix, Arizona reached its fourth record high day of 118 degrees. The city reported extended weeks of 100-degree or higher temperatures, not including the heat index. As of Saturday, the city of El Paso, Texas has not recorded a day under 100 degrees for five consecutive weeks. 

3. Racial Gap in Who Gets Critical Stroke Treatments

Racial Gap in Who Gets Critical Stroke Treatments

What You Need to Know:

Black and Hispanic people having a stroke are less likely than their White counterparts to get treatments proven to reduce death and improve quality of life, new research shows.

For strokes caused by a clot, the gold standard treatment is a clot-busting drug called alteplase, according to guidelines from the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association. Some people might also fit the criteria for a procedure called mechanical thrombectomy, which allows a physician to thread a catheter through an artery and use a clot-grabbing device to reach and remove the mass from the brain.

In the new study, published Thursday in the AHA journal Stroke, researchers from the Mayo Clinic analyzed 206,853 records of patients at 173 medical centers nationwide. They found 16 percent of black or Hispanic patients received the clot-busting drug compared to 21 percent of White patients. 

4. Another Inmate Death in Dangerous Atlanta-Area Jail

Another Inmate Death in Dangerous Atlanta-Area Jail

WRITTEN AND CONTRIBUTED BY COY MALONE

What You Need to Know:

Noni Battiste-Kosoko, a 19-year-old who is Black, was an inmate at Fulton County Jail. She had been in jail since May 20 on a misdemeanor bench warrant without a bond due to pending charges in Miami. Battiste-Kosoko was detained on charges of criminal trespassing and property damage after allegedly damaging the walls and tables at Langston Hughes High School in February. 

The 19-year-old was scheduled to appear in court on May 8 but failed to attend her court date, which led to her arrest.

On July 11, Battiste-Kosoko was found dead in her cell after officials made dinner rounds shortly after 6:30 p.m. According to medical personnel and members of the Atlanta Fire rescue team who rendered aid to the young detainee, Battiste-Kosoko didn’t show any signs of injury.  The Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office is expected to perform an autopsy to confirm her cause of death.

 The U.S. Department of Justice is currently preparing a civil rights investigation into the conditions of jails across Georgia. 

5. Let Go and Let God