Harvard researchers including Dr. Benjamin Sommers ’00 found reasons for why COVID-19 is disproportionately affecting Latino and African-American communities, including multi-generational households, immigrants who fear testing could lead to deportation, and structural racism. — WHDH News Boston
Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt ’76 said pure innovation is the best way to beat China in the race for artificial-intelligence research and development. — Fast Company
Carl Icahn ’57 is among the investors who saw American malls failing due to online shopping habits and other changes, and used short sales to profit off the trend. — The New York Times
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos ’86 is now worth more than $200 billion as the coronavirus prompts people to do more of their shopping online. — CBS News
Quibi CEO Meg Whitman ’77 was among the Republicans who endorsed Joe Biden during the Democratic National Convention. — The Los Angeles Times
Boston Councillor Andrea Campbell ’04 co-proposed banning companies from running credit checks when screening prospective employees. Such “discriminatory credit checks ‘heavily impact low-income workers and workers of color in the city,’” said Council President Kim Janey. — Dorchester Reporter
Australian treasury secretary Martin Parkinson *90 was fired in 2013 during a purge of climate-change experts, part of Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s “strategy to dismantle or review almost every major climate-change policy put in place by Labor.”— The Sydney Morning Herald
“There have been moments where I didn’t say things, and I always felt like I should have said something. But the times that I did speak up and tried to do something, to the best of my ability, those I think were the things I could say I’m proud of.”
— Journalist and author Helen Zia ’73 on racism toward Asian Americans and learning to use her voice. — USA Today
University of Michigan President Mark Schlissel ’79 apologized for comparing the false sense of security people can get from COVID-19 testing to the HIV epidemic of the 1980s. UM’s Queer Advocacy Coalition said the comment further stigmatized those living responsible lives with HIV. — MLive.com
Anesthesiologist and pain specialist Dr. Anita Gupta *18 gave six tips for managing pain during COVID-19, including exercise, staying positive, and sleeping well. — WFMZ-TV
Astronaut Gerald “Jerry” Carr *62 died at age 88. In 1973, he launched with the Skylab 4 mission, spending a record-setting 84 days in orbit. — AVweb
Author Lydia Denworth ’88 discussed the rules for a healthy friendship and “the exact age range when kids start to need friendship more than their parents.” — Yahoo! Life