Mar 3, 2018

South Africa votes to transfer land from white to black farmers

South Africa's new president Cyril Ramaphosa. Photo: Mike Hutchings / AFP / Getty Images

South Africa's parliament voted 241-83 on a motion that would allow land to be transferred from white to black land owners without financial compensation, the Independent reports.

"This original sin that was committed when our country was colonised must be resolved in a way that will take South Africa forward."
— President Cyril Ramaphosa

Why it matters: Ramaphosa, said he wanted to resolve racial disparities in land ownership "once and for all," per the Independent. The motion was opposed by the Democratic Alliance party, which argues this will "undermine property rights and scare off potential investors."

Go deeper

Axios
Updated 7 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 10 p.m. ET: 12,009,301 — Total deaths: 548,799 — Total recoveries — 6,561,969 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 10 p.m. ET: 3,053,328 — Total deaths: 132,256 — Total recoveries: 953,420 — Total tested: 37,532,612 — Map.
  3. Public health: Houston mayor cancels Republican convention over coronavirus concerns — Deaths are rising in hotspots — Déjà vu sets in as testing issues rise and PPE dwindles.
  4. Travel: United warns employees it may furlough 45% of U.S. workforce — How the pandemic changed mobility habits, by state.
  5. Education: New York City schools will not fully reopen in fall — Harvard and MIT sue Trump administration over rule barring foreign students from online classes.
  6. 🎧 Podcast: A misinformation "infodemic" is here.
Go deeper (<1 min. read)Arrow
Rashaan Ayesh
10 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Transcripts show George Floyd told police "I can't breathe" over 20 times

Photo: Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Newly released transcripts of bodycam footage from the Minneapolis Police Department show that George Floyd told officers he could not breathe more than 20 times in the moments leading up to his death.

Why it matters: Floyd's killing sparked a national wave of Black Lives Matter protests and an ongoing reckoning over systemic racism in the United States. The transcripts "offer one the most thorough and dramatic accounts" before Floyd's death, The New York Times writes.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Bryan Walsh
11 hours ago - Health

Fighting the coronavirus infodemic

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

An "infodemic" of misinformation and disinformation has helped cripple the response to the novel coronavirus.

Why it matters: High-powered social media accelerates the spread of lies and political polarization that motivates people to believe them. Unless the public health sphere can effectively counter misinformation, not even an effective vaccine may be enough to end the pandemic.

Go deeper (3 min. read)Arrow