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The Daily Recount

As we near the end of Black History Month, we at The Recount want to take you back to where it all began: with Carter G. Woodson, a historian who believed that educating people (ALL people!) about Black history was absolutely necessary for true equality. We take a look at Woodson’s beginnings – and why now, nearly a century later, it’s more important than ever to celebrate his vision and legacy.

Meet the “Father of Black History” | Bet You Didn’t Know

The Universal Life Church is a non-denominational religious organization that ordains hundreds of thousands of people each year, primarily so they can officiate weddings for friends and family. But it’s also a big business, selling products like certificates, church robes, even holy water. So, is the Universal Life Church actually a church? Where did this “religion” come from? The Recount did a deep dive and the story is crazier than you might think.

Getting Ordained Online: Holy Or Hoax?

Fresh from hosting the Super Bowl, Los Angeles makes a strong case as the most important city for the NFL. Previously without a football franchise for more than 20 years, the City of Angels now has two, the Chargers and the Super Bowl-winning Rams, playing at Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium — the world’s most expensive sports venue by a wide margin. “It is clear that the NFL loves them some Los Angeles,” LZ argues.

What The Rams Victory Means For Los Angeles

Former Stockton, California Mayor Michael Tubbs is out with new memoir, ‘The Deeper the Roots’. Recount Senior Producer Britt Terrell interviews him for the 3rd time in what has been a year full of ups and downs for him and the country. They discuss how his upbringing, including being raised by three strong women has made him a voice and ally for the underprivileged.

The ‘Roots’ of Michael Tubbs’ Basic Income Advocacy

The panicked texts of Fox News hosts on 1/6 vs. the same Fox News hosts downplaying 1/6 on air since then.

Fox News Hosts on 1/6: What They Texted vs. What They Said

The manslaughter trial for the ex-cop who shot and killed Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man, 10 miles from where George Floyd was murdered is officially underway. The white officer, Kim Potter, says she mistakenly drew her gun instead of her Taser when she fatally shot Wright during a traffic stop.

Ex-Cop Who Killed Daunte Wright on Trial

Stats of the day: Businesses are expected to bump up pay an average of 3.9% in 2022. That’s the fastest wage growth since 2008. The Labor Department has also announced unemployment claims dropped by 43,000 to 184,000 last week — the lowest level since 1969.

Big Raises in Store for American Workers in 2022

Not grrrrrreat! Kellogg & Co employees rejected a contract proposal, with 1,400 workers at the company’s cereal plants choosing to remain on strike. So what is Kellogg’s going to do? Permanently replace all of them.

Kellogg Co to Permanently Replace Striking Workers

Crypto is going mainstream. WhatsApp has launched a new pilot that lets a limited number of people in the U.S. send and receive money from within a chat using cryptocurrency.

WhatsApp Launches Crypto Payments Pilot

W[isconsin]TF? One GOP legislator is really amping up the culture war. In addition to wanting the alleged teaching of critical race theory banned in the state’s schools, assembly member Chuck Wichgers also wants to outlaw a long list of words and concepts like “equity,” “multiculturalism,” “structural racism,” and “cultural awareness.”

Wisconsin GOP Legislator Amping Up the Culture War

Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri got a grilling up on Capitol Hill by members of the Senate subcommittee investigating the social media platform. Mosseri’s appearance follows bombshell reports showing Meta (formerly Facebook) and Instagram are aware of the harms their services cause, especially on the mental health of teen girls.

Instagram Top Boss in the Hot Seat

Hey, good news! Yes, really! Pfizer has announced that its COVID-19 booster shots appear to provide strong protection against the new Omicron variant.

Pfizer Says Booster Shot Protects Against Omicron

Remember that Robert E. Lee statue that was removed in Charlottesville? The one that set off the deadly “Unite the Right” rally? Well, it's going to be melted down and turned into a new work of public art.

Charlottesville Robert E. Lee Statue to be Melted and Turned Into Art

Biden vs. Putin … it’s the political world’s version of Rocky IV. President Biden squared off with Russian President Vladimir Putin via a virtual summit on Tuesday. Biden’s goal? Preventing an all-out invasion of Ukraine. Putin’s goal? Keeping Ukraine from joining NATO.

Biden vs. Putin: The Political World’s Rocky IV

Refugees vs. Facebook. Dozens of Rohingya refugees are suing Facebook for allowing hate speech against them to spread. The persecuted group is demanding more than $150 billion in compensation. About 10,000 Rohingya Muslims were killed during a military crackdown in Myanmar in 2017.

Rohingya Refugees Sue Facebook for Hate Speech

It’s your favorite comedians vs. Spotify. This royalties row is anything but funny, however. Comedians want to claim royalties on their spoken-word work — just like songwriters get paid for the use of their music and lyrics. Amid the dispute, Spotify has removed the work of hundreds of comics.

Spotify Pulls Comedians’ Work Over Royalties Dispute

Sexism is real — and its consequences are too. A new study of the medical field finds that female physicians earn an estimated $2 million less than male physicians over a 40-year-career.

The Medical Field’s $2 Million Pay Gap

An Olympic-sized boycott — but make it diplomatic. While U.S. government officials will not attend the 2022 Beijing Winter Games, athletes will still be allowed to compete. China says the decision will impact “dialogue and cooperation” between the nations.

U.S. Announces Diplomatic Boycott of Beijing Games

Since May 2021, people who live in counties that voted heavily for Donald Trump are 3x as likely to die of COVID than those who live in areas that went for now-President Biden. Here are three things you need to know about COVID.

3 Things You Need to Know About COVID Today

OK, now this is cool: Music artist Doja Cat and nonprofit organization Girls Who Code have teamed up to debut the first-ever codable music video.

Doja Cat and Girls Who Code Team Up for Music Video

Imagine this: You’re on a Zoom call with 899 of your co-workers. Then the CEO logs on to tell you that you’ve all been laid off, effective immediately. That’s what just happened at Better.com.

Better.com CEO Fires 900 Employees In Mass Zoom Call

A government shutdown has been averted — which means hundreds of thousands of federal workers will continue getting their paychecks. And speaking of paychecks, the November jobs report is out — and it’s a confusing one. Here are the 3 things you need to know.

3 Things to Know About November's Confusing Jobs Report

The Omicron variant is on the move. Slowly but surely, we’re starting to learn more about the new strain. Doctors now believe this mutation to be 3x more likely to cause reinfection than previous ones.

Learning More About the Omicron COVID-19 Variant

The NFL is NFV (not fully vaccinated). Antonio Brown has been suspended for 3 games for misrepresenting his vaccination status. 2 others have also received suspensions. And while it might not feel totally satisfactory, there is a reason why Aaron Rodgers wasn’t punished the same way.

NFL’s Antonio Brown Suspended for Misrepresenting Vax Status