What disasters reveal about disparities

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Hurricane Ida aftermath, COVID-19 just won't quit for some long-haulers, plus a gator with artifacts in its belly. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌    Thursday, September 16 What disasters reveal about disparities Hurricane Ida aftermath, COVID-19 just won't quit for some long-haulers, plus a gator with artifacts in its belly. Welcome to The American South! If you're new here, thank you for subscribing and becoming a part of our community where we focus on producing revelatory journalism about the South. Please excuse our unannounced hiatus from the newsletter. Hurricane Ida came rushing in as a Category 4 with New Orleans in its crosshairs, the city where most of our team is based. I would like to start by acknowledging the incredible journalists who worked through Hurricane coverage last week. We are all safe and I'm grateful. During that time, we wrote stories on several important subjects. You can read more below.  In other news, we are still following the challenges the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed, including its devastating impact on long-haulers— patients experiencing debilitating symptoms of coronavirus several weeks or months after contracting it. For millions, COVID-19 just won't quit. Finally, we talk a lot about gators down South. But this gator is more than a showpiece, it's now a part of history after it was found housing 6000 BC artifacts in its belly.  Thank you for reading. Take good care! Ashley Hopkinson (Editor, The American South) Hurricane Ida aftermath  Cate and Tyler deliver groceries to Resa "Queen Cinnamon Black" Bazile for Feed the Second Line on July 30, 2020. Ryan Hodgson-Rigsbee • Mutual aid groups mobilize aid during historic hurricane season  • Displaced Bayou residents ask, 'where's our help?' • After Hurricane Ida, power outage highlights heat disparities • How to help victims of Hurricane Ida Why recovery from long COVID is a complex challenge for patients in the South Lannette Johnson stands on her porch in Pascagoula, Miss., on Aug. 28, 2021. Johnson first contracted the virus in Feb. 2020 while visiting New Orleans for Mardi Gras, but the effects of COVID-19 continue to linger. Known as, a "longhauler," Johnson's life has been dramatically altered. Rising cases of COVID-19 and state legislators refusal to mandate safety precautions have left Johnson feeling like a prisoner in her own home. Dominic Gwinn / Hattiesburg American, Dominic Gwinn / Hattiesburg American For Johnson, her nightmare health crisis started on Fat Tuesday. She got sick early in the pandemic after celebrating Mardi Gras in New Orleans. The city was an early hotspot for the virus in the South last year. Looking back she says, "It was the best time….and ultimately the worst time." In October, she got sick again. This time, the symptoms came with gripping pain, and aching in her joints so intense she'd wake up screaming. "I couldn't speak a full sentence without feeling like I'd run a mile," she said. Mississippi is among six states across the U.S. that have not opened a post-COVID care program to assist long-haulers like Johnson. But even in states like Louisiana and Alabama where clinics have opened, care is often hard to access.  Read the full story here How did artifacts, thousands of years old, turn up in a Mississippi alligator's stomach? (From left) Jordan Hackl of Warrensburg, Illinois, John Hamilton of Raleigh, Todd Hollingsworth and Landon Hollingsworth, both of Mize, pose with an alligator they caught In Mississippi September 2, 2021. Artifacts dating as far back as an estimated 6000 BC were found in the alligator's stomach. Special to Clarion Ledger Shane Smith, owner of Red Antler Processing in Yazoo City, said he was examining contents of a 13-foot, 5-inch alligator that weighed 750 pounds and discovered two unusual objects. One he couldn't identify, but the other was clearly a broken stone arrowhead. The find was so unexpected, he almost didn't let the news out. "It was just disbelief," Smith said. So, how did these ancient objects get into the alligator's belly?  Read the full story here Follow The American South: Stay up-to-date on interesting stories from the South on Instagram   FOLLOW US Problem viewing email? View in browser Unsubscribe • Manage Newsletters • Terms of Service • Privacy Policy/Your California Privacy Rights • Privacy Notice • Do Not Sell My Info/Cookie Policy • Feedback © 2021 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. 7950 Jones Branch Drive, McLean, VA 22102

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