The First Presidential Debate between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden took place last night in Cleveland, Ohio. For those who missed it, you can view the full debate here, highlights from the debate here, a full transcript of the debate here, and a fact check of claims from both candidates here.
NUNA ran a quick online media analysis on coverage and response based off of last night’s debate and found seven issue areas of interest by the American public including the leading viral share of voice response to the Portland Sheriff’s tweet regarding President Trump’s mention of his endorsement being untrue which dominated 6% of the entire online media conversation and holds 37.5% of the total share of voice in the trending topics from last night. For the full media analysis, click here.
The final end date for the 2020 Census is currently unclear after a federal judge said she thinks the Census Bureau’s decision to end counting efforts on October 5 is “a violation” of her court order. U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in Northern California ordered the Census Bureau to adhere to their original October 31 deadline to complete the enumeration, yet the Census Bureau tweeted earlier this week that October 5 was their new “target date” to end all Census efforts. Koh told plaintiffs’ attorneys she’s open to reviewing any requests to find the Trump administration in violation of her order.
NPR Reporter Hansi Lo Wang also reports that the Census Bureau’s cash bonus program for Census door knockers who put in more hours “may reward employees producing errors…whether intentional or accidental” and “risks incentivizing production at the expense of accuracy,” according to the office of the Inspector General for the Department of Commerce.
In response to a court decision that ruled against six Navajo citizens seeking to extend the time allowed for Navajo Nation residents to send their mail-in-ballots by ten days, the Navajo citizens have filed an appeal in the case.
Representative Deb Haaland (D-NM) and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) introduced the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policy Act that would create a first-of-its-kind commission to document and acknowledge the past injustices of the government’s “cultural genocide and assimilation practices,” including the country’s former Indian boarding school policy.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has placed the West Berkeley Shellmound and Village site on its 2020 list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. The site is one of the oldest sites in the Bay Area representing pre-European contact, and is unique as the first time the National Trust has addressed sacred site protection in a big city.
Keep reading for a full news update.
2020 Census:
Census End Remains Uncertain After Judge Calls New Schedule ‘A Violation’
NPR, Hansi Lo Wang, September 29
No one knows for sure when counting for the 2020 census is set to end.
A day after the Census Bureau fired off a one-sentence tweet announcing Oct. 5 as its new “target date” for ending all efforts to tally the country’s residents, a federal judge said she thinks the new schedule is “a violation” of her court order.
COVID-19:
Pandemic Highlights Deep-rooted Problems In Indian Health Service
The New York Times, Mark Walker, September 29
Few hospital beds, lack of equipment, a shipment of body bags in response to a request for coronavirus tests: The agency providing health care to tribal communities struggled to meet the challenge.
Covid Cases Climb In Siberian Yupik Village
Indian Country Today, Meghan Sullivan, September 29
COVID-19 has struck Gambell, Alaska, a remote island village that is closer to Russia than the U.S. This past week, two more coronavirus cases broke out in the small village on St. Lawrence Island, in the Bering Sea, bringing the total case count to 19 in a town of only 681 residents.
Public Health Experts Recommend Additional Weekend Lockdowns As Covid-19 Cases Continue To Increase In Many Regions Of The Navajo Nation
Indianz.com, September 29
The Navajo Department of Health issued a Public Health Emergency Order which revises the daily curfew during weekdays from 8:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. and implements two additional 57-hour weekend lockdowns as the result of increases in COVID-19 cases in many regions of the Navajo Nation.
Law:
Navajo Citizens Challenge Mail-in Ballot Ruling
Indian Country Today, Dalton Walker September 29
A group of Navajo Nation citizens is not giving up their fight for extra time to have mail-in ballots from residents on the vast reservation counted this November. Attorney Chris McClure said he filed an appeal Monday after a judge ruled against the six Navajo citizens he represents in a lawsuit against Arizona.
Haaland, Warren Seek Healing For Stolen Native Children And Their Communities
Indianz.com, September 29
U.S. Representative Deb Haaland (D-N.M.) and U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) introduced a bill that seeks healing for stolen Native children and their communities. The Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policy in the United States Act will establish the first formal commission in United States history to investigate, document, and acknowledge past injustices of the federal government’s cultural genocide and assimilation practices through its Indian Boarding School Policy.
Democrats To Unveil Bill Addressing Government’s Cultural Genocide Of Native Americans
Huffington Post, Jennifer Bendery, September 29
Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) will introduce legislation Tuesday to make the federal government address the “intergenerational trauma” it has caused for Native Americans with its former Indian boarding school policy, a nearly century-long policy of forcibly removing Indigenous children from tribal lands and putting them into boarding schools to be assimilated into white culture.
Other:
US Attorney General To Visit Cherokee Nation Headquarters
AP News, September 29
U.S. Attorney General William Barr is planning a visit to Oklahoma on Wednesday with leaders of the Cherokee Nation and federal prosecutors from Tulsa and Muskogee. Among the topics Barr is expected to discuss is funding for staff increases, according to a spokeswoman for U.S. Attorney Trent Shores.
Berkeley Shellmound Named One Of America’s Most Endangered Places
Native News Online, September 29
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has placed the West Berkeley Shellmound and Village site on its 2020 list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguin described the site as “Ohlone territory” and “truly the birthplace of Berkeley and the Bay Area.”
Survey Cited In Push To Protect Sites Sacred To Tribes
AP News, September 29
Native American leaders and archaeologists on Monday pointed to a recent survey of an area around Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico that is considered sacred by some tribes in the Southwest, saying there are thousands of sites outside the park’s boundaries that deserve protection.
Native Journalists’ Group Announces Awards
Indian Country Today, Meghan Sullivan, September 28
More than 250 stories were recognized for excellence in coverage of Native American news Monday when the Native American Journalists Association announced its 2020 National Native Media Award winners.