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A28 u.s. news
Diahuebs 14 Juli 2022

Descendants of possible Tulsa massacre victims can give DNA

(AP) - People who believe org, but it isn’t known when
they are descendants of the process of trying to match
victims of the 1921 Tulsa the DNA will begin.
Race Massacre can now Hellwig said donor have the
provide genetic material option to prohibit their in-
to help scientists when formation from being shared
they begin trying to iden- with other agencies, includ-
tify remains of possible ing law enforcement, and can
victims. remove their information at
any time.
Danny Hellwig, laboratory
director with Intermountain The 1921 massacre occurred
Forensics, said Wednesday when a white mob descended
that researchers are not ready on Greenwood, a predomi-
to begin trying to match nantly Black neighborhood
DNA for identification, but in Tulsa. More than 1,000
an outpouring of requests homes were burned, hun-
from local residents on how dreds were looted and the
to provide genetic material thriving business district
led them to begin the process known as Black Wall Street
of accepting donations. was destroyed.

“That’s what prompted this,” A search for the graves of
Hellwig said. “We didn’t ex- massacre victims began in
pect the amount of support 2020 and resumed last year
and willingness to help... lines” of direct descendants, confirmed as victims of the with nearly three dozen cof-
people have jumped out of making identifications of the The Salt Lake City nonprofit 1921 massacre, a finding that fins containing remains of
the woodwork” to offer their remains possible within days, foundation is examining 14 officials say could be impos- possible victims recovered.
DNA for testing. Hellwig said. sets of remains removed from sible because of the length of
a local cemetery a year ago time since they died. Investigators haven’t said
Black people who had an- “If we’re only matched with and has said at least two of when they’ll analyze addi-
cestors in Tulsa in 1921 are very distant relatives it can the remains contains enough People can provide their in- tional sites where suspected
sought, Hellwig said. take much longer,” with pre- usable DNA for testing for formation from genealogy mass graves are located, but
vious efforts to make such possible identification. sites such as ancestry.com or potential search areas are
“What we need is to populate matches taking four years or 23andme.com and upload planned, according to city of-
these databases with family more, he said. The remains have not been that to www.tulsa1921dna. ficials in Tulsa.

US inflation surges again in June, raising risks for economy

(AP) - U.S. inflation The likelihood of larger rate ily on furniture, appliances Wednesday — still far higher
surged to a new four-de- “Everything goes up, includ- hikes this year pushed stock and exercise equipment, than a year ago.
cade high in June because ing cheaper items like store indexes lower in afternoon factories and shipping com-
of rising prices for gas, brands,” said Freeman, who trading. The central bank is panies struggled to keep up Shipping costs and commod-
food and rent, squeezing visited a food bank near At- expected to raise its key short- and prices for goods soared. ity prices have also begun to
household budgets and lanta this week to try and gain term rate later this month by Russia’s war against Ukraine fall, and pay increases have
pressuring the Federal Re- control of her grocery costs. a hefty three-quarters of a further magnified energy and slowed. Surveys show that
serve to raise interest rates Grocery prices have jumped point, as it did last month. food prices. Americans’ expectations for
aggressively -- trends that 12% in the past year, the inflation over the long run
raise the risk of a reces- steepest climb since 1979. As consumers’ confidence In recent months, as Covid have eased — a trend that of-
sion. in the economy declines, so fears have receded, consumer ten points to more moderate
Accelerating inflation is a have President Joe Biden’s spending has gradually shift- price increases over time.
The government’s consumer vexing problem for the Fed- approval ratings, posing ed away from goods and to-
price index soared 9.1% over eral Reserve, too. The Fed is a major political threat to ward services. Yet rather than “While today’s headline in-
the past year, the biggest year- already engaged in the fastest Democrats in the Novem- pulling down inflation by re- flation reading is unaccept-
ly increase since 1981, with series of interest rate hikes in ber congressional elections. ducing goods prices, the cost ably high, it is also out-of-
nearly half of the increase three decades, which it hopes Forty percent of adults said of furniture, cars, and other date,” President Biden said
due to higher energy costs. will cool inflation by tamping in a June AP-NORC poll items has kept rising, while Wednesday. “All major econ-
down borrowing and spend- that they thought tackling restaurant costs, rents and omies are battling this COV-
Lower-income and Black ing by consumers and busi- inflation should be a top gov- other services are also getting ID-related challenge.”
and Hispanic American have nesses. ernment priority this year, up more expensive.
been hit especially hard, since from just 14% who said so in The latest disappointing data
a disproportionate share of The U.S. economy shrank in December. The year-over-year leap in on inflation came out at the
their income goes toward es- the first three months of the consumer prices last month outset of Biden’s trip to the
sentials such as transporta- year, and many analysts be- After years of low prices, a followed an 8.6% annual Middle East, where he will
tion, housing and food. But lieve the trend continued in swift rebound from the 2020 jump in May. From May to meet with officials from
with the cost of many goods the second quarter. pandemic recession — com- June, prices rose 1.3%, fol- Saudi Arabian to discuss oil
and services rising faster than bined with supply-chain lowing a 1% increase from prices, among other subjects.
average incomes, a vast ma- “The Fed’s rate hikes are do- snags — ignited inflation. April to May.
jority of Americans are feel- ing what they are supposed to Republican members of
ing the pinch in their daily do, which is kill off demand,” Consumers unleashed a wave Some economists believe in- Congress have blamed the
routines. said Megan Greene, global of pent-up spending, spurred flation might be reaching a higher prices on Biden’s
chief economist at the Kroll by vast federal aid, ultra-low short-term peak. Gas prices, economic policies, specifi-
For 72-year-old Marcia Free- Institute. “The trick is if they borrowing costs and sav- for example, have fallen from cally his $1.9 trillion financial
man, who is retired and lives kill off too much and we get a ings they had built up while the eye-watering $5 a gallon support package approved in
off of a pension, there is no recession.” hunkering down. As home- reached in mid-June to an March.
escape from rising expenses. bound Americans spent heav- average of $4.63 nationwide