theguardian--2020-04-13--The pandemic made 'unthinkable' reforms a reality – now to make them permanent | Francis Tseng and D

The pandemic made 'unthinkable' reforms a reality – now to make them permanent | Francis Tseng and Daria Vaisman

The response to Covid-19 has in many ways played out to our expectations .
We are seeing the responses we ’ ve grown to expect in a crisis : intensification of surveillance , rolling back of protections and financial support for irresponsible industries , to name a few .
And this is amid inadequate protection of workers , monopolizing of mask equipment , anti-labor retaliation , industry opportunism , staggering unemployment and more .
At the same time , other responses have revealed something most of us already knew ( or at least suspected ) – the arbitrariness of American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are being scaled back in surprising numbers .
While sectors under federal control – immigration policy , higher education , healthcare , election reform – have had few Covid-related changes , those controlled by city and state governments – criminal justice , housing , transportation , utilities – have had many .
These changes were put in place to slow viral transmission and stabilize the economy , not to benefit social welfare .
But what ’ s interesting is how much overlap there is between them .
Sector by sector , the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for decades .
What couldn ’ t be done in years has now happened in a matter of weeks .
Policy changes that before Covid were dismissed as unreasonable are now seen not only as reasonable but as necessary .
It shows us how absurd so many of our rules were to begin with .
But does it also show us how easy they ’ ve been to change all along ?
Many of these changes still don ’ t go far enough , come with caveats and fine print , are subject @ @ @ @ @ @ @ temporary .
For those of us who believe that America needs serious change – and that this is the time to do it – what will it take to make many of these temporary changes permanent ?
These aren ’ t necessarily the changes we want , but they give us a glimpse of what ’ s possible .
We are collecting more of these examples at pandemicpolicy.us .
You can fill out the Google forms sheet here .
To prevent people from leaving their homes during the outbreak , many cities and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York , San Francisco , New Orleans , Oakland , Seattle and Philadelphia – are temporarily suspending mortgage payments and residential evictions .
All but 10 states have passed emergency tenant protections .
The same can not be said for measures to suspend rent , which affects far more people nationwide .
Organized rent strikes have popped up around the country , with 60 ongoing strikes in California alone .
Eviction suspensions help , but they don ’ t eliminate the rent burden – tenants will still have to make up payments , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that evictions are still on the horizon , only delayed .
For people without housing , there ’ s been a movement to provide shelter , albeit temporary , in vacant or currently empty spaces , such as nursing homes in Connecticut and hotels in San Francisco .
Other shelters have been made in New Orleans , Virginia , Los Angeles and throughout the rest of California .
However , for the unhoused – who are already among the most vulnerable to infection – these expanded shelters are only temporary ( and have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ existing shelters are unsafe and overcrowded .
Meanwhile , landlords have been recorded kicking people out of their homes after testing positive .
Access to water is always essential , but especially in managing a pandemic .
In cities like Detroit , where water access has been a longstanding issue , water shutoffs have been suspended and service is being restored .
Similar suspensions have occurred throughout almost 90 other cities and states .
Water access remains a problem elsewhere .
Two-fifths of Americans currently rely on water utilities which have not suspended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has cited the pandemic in its decision to delay the long-overdue replacement of lead pipes .
Many electric and gas companies are suspending shutoffs as well .
More than 20 states have issued government orders to halt disconnections , and utility companies in places such as Georgia , Nevada , California , New York and New Jersey have chosen to suspend disconnections .
With the magnified importance of digital connectivity , internet service providers have also agreed to suspend service shutoffs and in some cases have removed data caps as well as speed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down internet speeds .
The Federal Communications Commission has also requested that internet service providers find a way to provide free broadband to those who normally don ’ t have access .
In all of these cases , these services are recognized as essential , and so consistent access to them has been prioritized throughout the crisis .
But they are no less essential even under “ normal ” circumstances .
So why is access limited then ?
With the goal of increasing social distancing and slowing the spread of Covid in overpopulated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changes that criminal justice reformers have been pushing for years .
Police departments in cities such as Fort Worth , Los Angeles , Denver and Nashville have reduced arrests , whether by opting not to go after low-level misdemeanors , issuing civil summons in lieu of arrests , or choosing to warn people rather than arrest them .
To reduce “ jail churn ” – the large numbers of people going in and out of local jails – many district attorney offices have decided not to prosecute low-level offenses that are not considered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have also released people from pre-trial detention , where about 550,000 unconvicted people sat in US jails in 2020 , most because they were too poor to post bail .
Meanwhile , across the US , jails and prisons have halted new admissions and have released people not considered a threat to public safety , such as detainees held on minor offenses in Alabama , 1,700 people convicted of non-violent misdemeanors with fewer than 30 days left on their sentence in Los Angeles , incarcerated pregnant mothers in Chicago , and 900 non-violent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , from a Cleveland jail considered so “ inhumane ” that it prompted an FBI investigation last year .
“ Where we are right now is where we should have been all along , ” said the presiding municipal judge .
But if all these people aren ’ t a threat to public safety , why are they being arrested and detained in the first place ?
Access to social services in the US is notorious for its byzantine bureaucratic maze of means testing and other barriers .
To reduce contact , programs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in-person interviews .
In Utah , work requirements for Medicaid have been suspended .
Elsewhere , services have been expanded , such as public childcare centers in San Francisco or providing free meals in New York and Los Angeles , outgrowths of initiatives put in place after school closures deprived many students of meals they relied on .
( Interestingly , America ’ s free meal programs took off with the Black Panther party ’ s Free Breakfast for Children program , which not only provided meals to students but also organized communities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ struggling to keep up with increased demand – with cities such as Pittsburgh seeing a 543 % increase – while shuttered restaurants and decreased demand for prepared food has led to food waste and produce languishing in fields against the usual backdrop of inadequately protected and paid workers .
There have also been a number of cash transfer program proposals to provide financial relief ( a breakdown of the proposals is here ) , many of which would have been unheard of just a few weeks ago .
Unfortunately these proposals took the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which is both insufficient and means-tested .
Its passage , however , further demonstrates that the “ how will you pay for it ” question is more about stopping progressive policies than genuine concern .
As hospitals lack beds and equipment and millions of Americans lose their jobs – and thus their health insurance – the inadequacies and cruelty of the American healthcare system ( if not already obvious ) is now undeniable .
However , to keep up with increased need , outdated restrictions have been relaxed or lifted .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ degrees are now allowed to provide hospital care – foreign-trained medical workers with advanced degrees are often relegated to low-wage , precarious work , such as driving for Uber , because their degrees aren ’ t recognized in the US .
Restrictions on medical workers working across state lines have been relaxed as well , while archaic restrictions on blood donation from gay men have been eased ( though not entirely removed ) .
As the world scrambles for Covid-19 treatments , the pharmaceutical industry has tried to secure exclusive rights on anything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among other things for its $ 84,000 hepatitis C treatment , applied for and received orphan drug status for its possible Covid-19 treatment remdesivir , a status normally reserved for drugs that treat rare illnesses ( Gilead later walked back the claim ) .
At the same time , Eli Lilly capped insulin costs to $ 35 in response to the pandemic .
Normally , Eli Lilly ’ s ( and other manufacturers ’ ) insulin is so unaffordable that people die from rationing it to save money .
To maintain productivity throughout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to remote work arrangements are suddenly open to them .
The expansion of remote work has been a long-denied demand of disabled workers , but only now are employers willing to consider it .
Companies such as Amazon , Walmart , Instacart and Uber have revised their sick leave policies to include employees who are typically denied such benefits .
But in basically all cases , this sick leave is accessible only after testing positive for Covid-19 ( a difficult requirement given the scarcity of tests ) and in the absence of other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Companies such as Uber persistently resist classification of their drivers as proper employees , and this very limited expansion of benefits is not really a substantial change away from that policy .
At the very least , however , the recently passed Cares Act expands unemployment benefits to independent contractors .
Education has been fundamentally reshaped as schools move online , with educators scrambling to adjust teaching styles and materials to remote learning .
Many university presses have made their titles accessible for free in response .
But most notable is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the system of indebtedness that American higher education system is built on .
New York has suspended state debt collection , including student and medical debt .
At the federal level , initially a far more modest suspension of interest accrual for federal loans was announced , but was updated to suspend payments and collections as well .
This still pales in comparison to measures taken by other countries , such as Venezuela , which announced country-wide six-month rent and credit payment freezes .
In the US , private lenders are not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yet these moves seem to at least tacitly acknowledge the social harms of widespread debt burdens .
This has not , however , stopped the debt collection industry from trying to claim itself “ essential ” .
City living is hugely influenced by access to reliable and affordable transit .
Increased access to mobility has long been an important issue , but only now are we seeing changes .
With pushback against fare hikes and ailing infrastructure already an issue before Covid , cities such as Houston , Cincinnati , New York and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and some bike-share services are offering free rides , such as in Detroit , Memphis and Kansas City .
However , this is against a backdrop of insufficient protective measures for transit workers , some of whom have already died from Covid-19 infection .
In New York City , where cycling increased by 52 % after physical distancing measures , two new temporary protected bike lanes have been put in place .
Though no other US cities have followed suit , outside the US , Bogotá opened 47 miles of temporary bike lanes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan for a fourfold increase in bike infrastructure .
Many cities have opened streets to pedestrians by implementing car bans , such as Philadelphia , St Paul , Cleveland and Denver , to provide space for cyclists and pedestrians to maintain social distancing , part of an ongoing movement to pedestrianize roads permanently .
There ’ s been little change on the immigration front , but US Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( Ice ) recently announced it would “ temporarily adjust its enforcement posture ” to arrest only “ public safety risks and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in other words , they would stop rounding up and deporting people just for being undocumented .
Advocates and federal judges in Los Angeles and Pennsylvania ordered the federal government to release detainees , but there ’ s been no answer from the Trump administration .

The response to Covid-19 has in many ways played out to our expectations. We are seeing the responses we’ve grown to expect in a crisis: intensification of surveillance, rolling back of protections and financial support for irresponsible industries, to name a few. And this is amid inadequate protection of workers, monopolizing of mask equipment, anti-labor retaliation, industry opportunism, staggering unemployment and more.
At the same time, other responses have revealed something most of us already knew (or at least suspected) – the arbitrariness of American misery. Regressive policies and enforcement procedures are being scaled back in surprising numbers. While sectors under federal control – immigration policy, higher education, healthcare, election reform – have had few Covid-related changes, those controlled by city and state governments – criminal justice, housing, transportation, utilities – have had many.
These changes were put in place to slow viral transmission and stabilize the economy, not to benefit social welfare. But what’s interesting is how much overlap there is between them. Sector by sector, the pandemic has unintentionally sparked changes pushed by reformers for decades. What couldn’t be done in years has now happened in a matter of weeks. Policy changes that before Covid were dismissed as unreasonable are now seen not only as reasonable but as necessary.
It shows us how absurd so many of our rules were to begin with. But does it also show us how easy they’ve been to change all along?
Many of these changes still don’t go far enough, come with caveats and fine print, are subject to absurd means-testing, or are only temporary. For those of us who believe that America needs serious change – and that this is the time to do it – what will it take to make many of these temporary changes permanent? These aren’t necessarily the changes we want, but they give us a glimpse of what’s possible.
We are collecting more of these examples at pandemicpolicy.us. You can fill out the Google forms sheet here.
Freezing mortgage payments and evictions
To prevent people from leaving their homes during the outbreak, many cities and states – such as Florida, New York, San Francisco, New Orleans, Oakland, Seattle and Philadelphia – are temporarily suspending mortgage payments and residential evictions. All but 10 states have passed emergency tenant protections.
The same cannot be said for measures to suspend rent, which affects far more people nationwide. Organized rent strikes have popped up around the country, with 60 ongoing strikes in California alone.
Eviction suspensions help, but they don’t eliminate the rent burden – tenants will still have to make up payments, even with lost income. That means that evictions are still on the horizon, only delayed.
Free shelter
For people without housing, there’s been a movement to provide shelter, albeit temporary, in vacant or currently empty spaces, such as nursing homes in Connecticut and hotels in San Francisco. Other shelters have been made in New Orleans, Virginia, Los Angeles and throughout the rest of California.
However, for the unhoused – who are already among the most vulnerable to infection – these expanded shelters are only temporary (and have problems of their own), while existing shelters are unsafe and overcrowded. Meanwhile, landlords have been recorded kicking people out of their homes after testing positive.
Halting water, gas and electricity shutoffs
Access to water is always essential, but especially in managing a pandemic. In cities like Detroit, where water access has been a longstanding issue, water shutoffs have been suspended and service is being restored. Similar suspensions have occurred throughout almost 90 other cities and states.
Water access remains a problem elsewhere. Two-fifths of Americans currently rely on water utilities which have not suspended shutoffs. In Flint, the government has cited the pandemic in its decision to delay the long-overdue replacement of lead pipes.
Many electric and gas companies are suspending shutoffs as well. More than 20 states have issued government orders to halt disconnections, and utility companies in places such as Georgia, Nevada, California, New York and New Jersey have chosen to suspend disconnections.
Protecting internet access
With the magnified importance of digital connectivity, internet service providers have also agreed to suspend service shutoffs and in some cases have removed data caps as well as speed caps used by ISPs to purposely slow down internet speeds. The Federal Communications Commission has also requested that internet service providers find a way to provide free broadband to those who normally don’t have access.
In all of these cases, these services are recognized as essential, and so consistent access to them has been prioritized throughout the crisis. But they are no less essential even under “normal” circumstances. So why is access limited then?
Reducing arrests and prosecutions
With the goal of increasing social distancing and slowing the spread of Covid in overpopulated prisons, the pandemic has inadvertently sparked changes that criminal justice reformers have been pushing for years.
Police departments in cities such as Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Denver and Nashville have reduced arrests, whether by opting not to go after low-level misdemeanors, issuing civil summons in lieu of arrests, or choosing to warn people rather than arrest them.
To reduce “jail churn” – the large numbers of people going in and out of local jails – many district attorney offices have decided not to prosecute low-level offenses that are not considered a threat to public safety. They have also released people from pre-trial detention, where about 550,000 unconvicted people sat in US jails in 2020, most because they were too poor to post bail.
Releasing people from jails and prisons
Meanwhile, across the US, jails and prisons have halted new admissions and have released people not considered a threat to public safety, such as detainees held on minor offenses in Alabama, 1,700 people convicted of non-violent misdemeanors with fewer than 30 days left on their sentence in Los Angeles, incarcerated pregnant mothers in Chicago, and 900 non-violent inmates, including the sick and elderly, from a Cleveland jail considered so “inhumane” that it prompted an FBI investigation last year. “Where we are right now is where we should have been all along,” said the presiding municipal judge.
But if all these people aren’t a threat to public safety, why are they being arrested and detained in the first place?
Streamlining social services bureaucracy
Access to social services in the US is notorious for its byzantine bureaucratic maze of means testing and other barriers. To reduce contact, programs like Snap and WIC no longer require in-person interviews. In Utah, work requirements for Medicaid have been suspended.
Free food and childcare
Elsewhere, services have been expanded, such as public childcare centers in San Francisco or providing free meals in New York and Los Angeles, outgrowths of initiatives put in place after school closures deprived many students of meals they relied on. (Interestingly, America’s free meal programs took off with the Black Panther party’s Free Breakfast for Children program, which not only provided meals to students but also organized communities.)
Meanwhile, food banks are struggling to keep up with increased demand – with cities such as Pittsburgh seeing a 543% increase – while shuttered restaurants and decreased demand for prepared food has led to food waste and produce languishing in fields against the usual backdrop of inadequately protected and paid workers.
Direct cash transfers
There have also been a number of cash transfer program proposals to provide financial relief (a breakdown of the proposals is here), many of which would have been unheard of just a few weeks ago.
Unfortunately these proposals took the form of the recently passed Cares Act, which is both insufficient and means-tested. Its passage, however, further demonstrates that the “how will you pay for it” question is more about stopping progressive policies than genuine concern.
People with foreign medical degrees can provide hospital care
As hospitals lack beds and equipment and millions of Americans lose their jobs – and thus their health insurance – the inadequacies and cruelty of the American healthcare system (if not already obvious) is now undeniable. However, to keep up with increased need, outdated restrictions have been relaxed or lifted.
In New York, people with foreign medical degrees are now allowed to provide hospital care – foreign-trained medical workers with advanced degrees are often relegated to low-wage, precarious work, such as driving for Uber, because their degrees aren’t recognized in the US. Restrictions on medical workers working across state lines have been relaxed as well, while archaic restrictions on blood donation from gay men have been eased (though not entirely removed).
Price of insulin capped
As the world scrambles for Covid-19 treatments, the pharmaceutical industry has tried to secure exclusive rights on anything that looks promising. Gilead, notorious among other things for its $84,000 hepatitis C treatment, applied for and received orphan drug status for its possible Covid-19 treatment remdesivir, a status normally reserved for drugs that treat rare illnesses (Gilead later walked back the claim).
At the same time, Eli Lilly capped insulin costs to $35 in response to the pandemic. Normally, Eli Lilly’s (and other manufacturers’) insulin is so unaffordable that people die from rationing it to save money.
Remote working and paid sick leave
To maintain productivity throughout the pandemic, many employers previously resistant to remote work arrangements are suddenly open to them. The expansion of remote work has been a long-denied demand of disabled workers, but only now are employers willing to consider it.
Companies such as Amazon, Walmart, Instacart and Uber have revised their sick leave policies to include employees who are typically denied such benefits. But in basically all cases, this sick leave is accessible only after testing positive for Covid-19 (a difficult requirement given the scarcity of tests) and in the absence of other necessities like protective equipment and hazard pay.
Companies such as Uber persistently resist classification of their drivers as proper employees, and this very limited expansion of benefits is not really a substantial change away from that policy. At the very least, however, the recently passed Cares Act expands unemployment benefits to independent contractors.
Many academic books accessible for free
Education has been fundamentally reshaped as schools move online, with educators scrambling to adjust teaching styles and materials to remote learning. Many university presses have made their titles accessible for free in response. But most notable is the admittedly tiny – but unprecedented – shift in the system of indebtedness that American higher education system is built on.
Debt collection suspended
New York has suspended state debt collection, including student and medical debt. At the federal level, initially a far more modest suspension of interest accrual for federal loans was announced, but was updated to suspend payments and collections as well.
This still pales in comparison to measures taken by other countries, such as Venezuela, which announced country-wide six-month rent and credit payment freezes. In the US, private lenders are not required to take any such measures.
Yet these moves seem to at least tacitly acknowledge the social harms of widespread debt burdens. This has not, however, stopped the debt collection industry from trying to claim itself “essential”.
Free public transit
City living is hugely influenced by access to reliable and affordable transit. Increased access to mobility has long been an important issue, but only now are we seeing changes.
With pushback against fare hikes and ailing infrastructure already an issue before Covid, cities such as Houston, Cincinnati, New York and Santa Monica have suspended bus fares, and some bike-share services are offering free rides, such as in Detroit, Memphis and Kansas City. However, this is against a backdrop of insufficient protective measures for transit workers, some of whom have already died from Covid-19 infection.
More bike lanes and pedestrianized streets
In New York City, where cycling increased by 52% after physical distancing measures, two new temporary protected bike lanes have been put in place. Though no other US cities have followed suit, outside the US, Bogotá opened 47 miles of temporary bike lanes, and Mexico City just announced a plan for a fourfold increase in bike infrastructure.
Many cities have opened streets to pedestrians by implementing car bans, such as Philadelphia, St Paul, Cleveland and Denver, to provide space for cyclists and pedestrians to maintain social distancing, part of an ongoing movement to pedestrianize roads permanently.
Fewer deportations
There’s been little change on the immigration front, but US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) recently announced it would “temporarily adjust its enforcement posture” to arrest only “public safety risks and individuals subject to mandatory detention” – in other words, they would stop rounding up and deporting people just for being undocumented.
Advocates and federal judges in Los Angeles and Pennsylvania ordered the federal government to release detainees, but there’s been no answer from the Trump administration.


theguardian--2020-04-14--Means TV: inside the leftist, worker-owned streaming service

Naomi Burton and Nick Hayes met at a meeting for the Detroit chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America .
Both were working for automakers in the city : Hayes created freelance video content for them while Burton ran social media for the same companies .
Together , they launched Means of Production , a media company that would take no corporate clients .
Five months later , they made Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ’ s viral Courage To Change video .
The social capital they accrued , plus a bit of savings , led them to launch Means TV – a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supported entirely by subscriber money .
As of 7 April , they have 3,700 subscribers , most of whom pay the full fee of $ 10 a month , though Burton notes that they “ always offer discounted subscriptions to anyone who can ’ t afford it ” .
Burton and Hayes describe Means TV as a “ post-capitalist ” streaming service .
“ We can start projecting a vision beyond capitalism , and couch our entertainment within this idea of imagining a reality similar to our own , but without the corrosive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says Hayes .
The interface for Means TV reminds one of a pared-back Netflix , with content divided by format : full-length films , series , comedy , animation , even kids ’ content .
Wrinkles and Sprinkles , for example , is a kids ’ show which finds two cats – one a crusty , wisened elder and one a peppy kitten – learning about direct action and solidarity .
Feature-length documentaries detail the Palestinian resistance movement , invasive swamp rats threatening the Louisiana coast ’ s communities and culture , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city while finding ways to provide for their families .
Means follows a simple metric for determining suitability of content : “ Is this punching up or down ?
Is this going after people that have more power than us , or is this denigrating people that have less power than us ?
” David Jackson , an instructor in Carleton University ’ s communications department and organizer with the collective Improvising Musicians of Ottawa , says Means provides a critical counterweight to rightwing media .
“ There has to be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ [ media ] who seem to have a command both on social media and through the press , ” says Jackson .
“ The political stakes are becoming really , really clear that it is , as it always has been , a matter of life and death.
” While we ’ re usually able to discern between ideological biases in news media , entertainment media is less overtly politicized .
But Hayes and Burton say there are subtle ideological markers which make entertainment an effective “ cultural reproduction tool ” .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friends , which depicted a group of working-class New Yorkers who somehow occupied an enormous apartment .
From a young age , Burton couldn ’ t understand why she – also from a working-class background – didn ’ t have access to the sort of leisure time and aesthetic pleasures that the characters in the show did .
“ Even Full House , it ’ s like , ‘ Damn , look at their house , these people seem to be regular working people , but their cars aren ’ t weird minivans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It totally distorts your idea of the kind of life you ’ re supposed to live , the way you ’ re supposed to look , the way you ’ re supposed to act .
We don ’ t realize we ’ re being given a political framework from which to look at the world.
” Los Angeles-based director , comedian and writer Sara June , who works full-time with Means TV , notes that the accessibility of digital media and affordable production options have enabled working-class entertainment media creators to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never been possible before to do something like this with such a small amount of money , ” says June .
“ People without a lot of money didn ’ t get to make media , and that used to be tied to the mechanics of making media .
A worker-owned media has never been possible with video before.
” The co-op is divided into three tiers , which determine the percentage of end-of-year profits each worker member gets .
Full-time worker members get 70 % , contractor members get 20 % and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DC-based journalists and podcast creators Sam Sacks and Sam Knight host Means Morning News , a weekly news show that airs on Means TV .
Sacks says that years of neoliberal policy and broadening class gaps have made leftist ideology more palatable .
“ The conditions in this country have deteriorated so much , going back decades .
People are desperate to figure out why things are breaking down and how we can build a new world.
” Knight says young people are interested in leftwing ideas “ in ways that the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” .
Means arrives amid brutal layoffs across US newsrooms , which have increasingly unionized in the past five years .
Calls abound for more worker-owned media , and the In These Times labor reporter Hamilton Nolan , who has written for the Guardian , observes that the trend is the product of firsthand experience in poor working conditions .
“ You had all these workers going through the experience themselves and getting class consciousness in a sense , ” says Nolan .
For inspiration , American media workers can turn to successful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ newspaper owner Sergio Szpolski decided to shutter Tiempo Argentino in late 2015 , the workers pooled their money to keep it alive as a co-op .
Javier Borelli , general information editor with Tiempo Argentino and elected member of the co-op ’ s executive board , was there during the transition – a period that saw the paper ’ s offices attacked by a group of 20 men .
“ We were very committed to the idea of doing something that could be ours , and we had the energy and time to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Borelli .
He acknowledges starting the co-op was a risk made possible by situational factors , like most of the workers being young and without families to provide for .
Tiempo Argentino , which is 70 % reader-funded , is one of thousands of worker-recovered enterprises across Argentina .
“ We followed the examples of the recovered enterprises that started in Argentina in the 1990s , ” says Borelli .
When neoliberal measures forced private domestic businesses to close in the face of rising imports , workers reopened them as co-ops .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the right way , ” says Borelli .
He studied worker-owned , explicitly leftist media models in France and Spain , including France ’ s Mediapart which is governed by a non-profit trust that guarantees editorial independence .
Borelli found that 95 % of its revenue came from readers .
The paper ’ s slogan is appropriate : “ Only our readers can buy us.
” Hayes says they would like to develop similar models in radio and video games to give those industries alternatives to relying on advertising , “ or some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concepts seem like tall asks .
But June points out : “ We ’ re not trying to do anything incredibly radical .
We ’ re trying to create media in a space where there ’ s a democratic workplace and everybody gets paid for what they do .
You ’ d be surprised at how revolutionary that is .
”

Naomi Burton and Nick Hayes met at a meeting for the Detroit chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America. Both were working for automakers in the city: Hayes created freelance video content for them while Burton ran social media for the same companies. Together, they launched Means of Production, a media company that would take no corporate clients.
Five months later, they made Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s viral Courage To Change video. The social capital they accrued, plus a bit of savings, led them to launch Means TV – a worker-owned, leftist entertainment media cooperative, supported entirely by subscriber money. As of 7 April, they have 3,700 subscribers, most of whom pay the full fee of $10 a month, though Burton notes that they “always offer discounted subscriptions to anyone who can’t afford it”.
Burton and Hayes describe Means TV as a “post-capitalist” streaming service. “We can start projecting a vision beyond capitalism, and couch our entertainment within this idea of imagining a reality similar to our own, but without the corrosive and toxic effects of capitalism,” says Hayes.
The video Burton and Hayes made for Ocasio-Cortez.
The interface for Means TV reminds one of a pared-back Netflix, with content divided by format: full-length films, series, comedy, animation, even kids’ content. Wrinkles and Sprinkles, for example, is a kids’ show which finds two cats – one a crusty, wisened elder and one a peppy kitten – learning about direct action and solidarity. Feature-length documentaries detail the Palestinian resistance movement, invasive swamp rats threatening the Louisiana coast’s communities and culture, and indigenous children in Guatemala dodging police in the city while finding ways to provide for their families.
Means follows a simple metric for determining suitability of content: “Is this punching up or down? Is this going after people that have more power than us, or is this denigrating people that have less power than us?”
David Jackson, an instructor in Carleton University’s communications department and organizer with the collective Improvising Musicians of Ottawa, says Means provides a critical counterweight to rightwing media. “There has to be a counter to Breitbart and the ‘alt-right’ [media] who seem to have a command both on social media and through the press,” says Jackson. “The political stakes are becoming really, really clear that it is, as it always has been, a matter of life and death.”
We don’t realize we’re being given a political framework from which to look at the world Naomi Burton
While we’re usually able to discern between ideological biases in news media, entertainment media is less overtly politicized. But Hayes and Burton say there are subtle ideological markers which make entertainment an effective “cultural reproduction tool”.
They cite the example of the sitcom Friends, which depicted a group of working-class New Yorkers who somehow occupied an enormous apartment. From a young age, Burton couldn’t understand why she – also from a working-class background – didn’t have access to the sort of leisure time and aesthetic pleasures that the characters in the show did. “Even Full House, it’s like, ‘Damn, look at their house, these people seem to be regular working people, but their cars aren’t weird minivans like mine,’” says Burton. “It totally distorts your idea of the kind of life you’re supposed to live, the way you’re supposed to look, the way you’re supposed to act. We don’t realize we’re being given a political framework from which to look at the world.”
The offer available on Means TV. Photograph: Means TV Library Example
Los Angeles-based director, comedian and writer Sara June, who works full-time with Means TV, notes that the accessibility of digital media and affordable production options have enabled working-class entertainment media creators to find success. “It’s never been possible before to do something like this with such a small amount of money,” says June. “People without a lot of money didn’t get to make media, and that used to be tied to the mechanics of making media. A worker-owned media has never been possible with video before.”
The co-op is divided into three tiers, which determine the percentage of end-of-year profits each worker member gets. Full-time worker members get 70%, contractor members get 20% and royalty members get 10%.
Washington DC-based journalists and podcast creators Sam Sacks and Sam Knight host Means Morning News, a weekly news show that airs on Means TV. Sacks says that years of neoliberal policy and broadening class gaps have made leftist ideology more palatable. “The conditions in this country have deteriorated so much, going back decades. People are desperate to figure out why things are breaking down and how we can build a new world.” Knight says young people are interested in leftwing ideas “in ways that the United States hasn’t seen in decades”. Means arrives amid brutal layoffs across US newsrooms, which have increasingly unionized in the past five years. Calls abound for more worker-owned media, and the In These Times labor reporter Hamilton Nolan, who has written for the Guardian, observes that the trend is the product of firsthand experience in poor working conditions. “You had all these workers going through the experience themselves and getting class consciousness in a sense,” says Nolan.
For inspiration, American media workers can turn to successful co-op efforts abroad. When the Argentinian newspaper owner Sergio Szpolski decided to shutter Tiempo Argentino in late 2015, the workers pooled their money to keep it alive as a co-op. Javier Borelli, general information editor with Tiempo Argentino and elected member of the co-op’s executive board, was there during the transition – a period that saw the paper’s offices attacked by a group of 20 men.
We were very committed to the idea of doing something that could be ours Javier Borelli
“We were very committed to the idea of doing something that could be ours, and we had the energy and time to spend in this situation,” says Borelli. He acknowledges starting the co-op was a risk made possible by situational factors, like most of the workers being young and without families to provide for.
Tiempo Argentino, which is 70% reader-funded, is one of thousands of worker-recovered enterprises across Argentina. “We followed the examples of the recovered enterprises that started in Argentina in the 1990s,” says Borelli. When neoliberal measures forced private domestic businesses to close in the face of rising imports, workers reopened them as co-ops.
“Personally, I think it’s the right way,” says Borelli. He studied worker-owned, explicitly leftist media models in France and Spain, including France’s Mediapart which is governed by a non-profit trust that guarantees editorial independence. Borelli found that 95% of its revenue came from readers. The paper’s slogan is appropriate: “Only our readers can buy us.”
Hayes says they would like to develop similar models in radio and video games to give those industries alternatives to relying on advertising, “or some billionaire”. Right now, these concepts seem like tall asks. But June points out: “We’re not trying to do anything incredibly radical. We’re trying to create media in a space where there’s a democratic workplace and everybody gets paid for what they do. You’d be surprised at how revolutionary that is.”


theguardian--2020-04-14--'It will disappear': the disinformation Trump spread about the coronavirus – timeline

“ What a problem .
Came out of nowhere.
” That ’ s how Donald Trump described the coronavirus pandemic in early March , during a televised visit to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
For weeks he had been giving Americans the same advice : “ We have it totally under control ” ; “ USA in great shape !
” ; and , of course , “ Fake news ” .
But privately , Trump was being warned of a “ full-blown Covid-19 pandemic ” and “ 1-2 million ” American deaths , according to internal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evidence documenting internal deliberations .
It turns out that Trump was personally warned , repeatedly , about the growing crisis beginning in mid-January .
But he continued to give false assurances to the American public .
Here ’ s a timeline of the main notifications Trump received and the disinformation he was simultaneously spreading .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) issues an alert advising that it “ is closely monitoring a reported cluster of pneumonia of unknown etiology ( PUE ) with possible epidemiologic links to a large @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wuhan City , Hubei Province , China ” .
The health secretary , Alex Azar , calls Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida and briefs him on the coronavirus threat , but “ Trump spent much of the conversation wanting to talk about vaping ” , the AP reported .
A man in his 30s who had traveled to China is hospitalized in Everett , Washington , near Seattle .
He tests positive for Covid–19 .
Trump : ‘ We have it totally under control ’ While attending the Davos conference in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comment about coronavirus .
“ We have it totally under control , ” he tells the US cable channel CNBC .
“ It ’ s one person coming in from China , and we have it under control .
It ’ s going to be just fine.
” Joe Grogan , the head of the White House domestic policy council , tells the acting chief of staff , Mick Mulvaney , and others in a meeting that the fight against coronavirus would dominate public life for months and “ the administration needed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cost the president his re-election ” , according to a Washington Post report .
Economic adviser Peter Navarro warns the national security council in a memo that coronavirus could kill half a million Americans and deliver a $ 5.7tn hit to the economy , Axios reports .
As the World Health Organization declares a global health emergency , Azar , the health secretary , again warns Trump about the looming threat .
Taking Azar ’ s call aboard Air Force One en route to a campaign rally , Trump dismisses him as “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported .
Azar declares a public health emergency .
Trump announces a ban on entry to the US for foreign nationals who had recently visited China .
US intelligence agencies file classified reports warning about global destabilization from a coronavirus pandemic , according to a Washington Post report .
After a coronavirus briefing with White House officials , senators express concern that the administration is downplaying the threat .
“ No request for ANY emergency funding , ” notes Democrat Chris Murphy of Connecticut .
‘ When we get into April… ’ Addressing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus will disappear .
“ I think it ’ s going to work out fine .
I think when we get into April , in the warmer weather , that has a very negative effect on that and that type of a virus.
” Following a mock exercise modeling pandemic response , the White House coronavirus taskforce concludes that aggressive social distancing would be necessary , according to a New York Times report .
“ There is an increasing probability of a full-blown Covid-19 pandemic that could infect as many as 100 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life of as many as 1-2 million souls , ” Navarro , the economics adviser , writes in a memo obtained by Axios .
‘ I have not heard anything other ’ In a CDC telebriefing , Nancy Messonnier the director of the Center for the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases , says : “ Ultimately , we expect we will see community spread in this country ” and “ disruption to everyday life may be severe .
But these are things that people need to start thinking about now.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Trump says : “ You may ask about the coronavirus , which is very well under control in our country .
We have very few people with it , and the people that have it are – in all cases , I have not heard anything other.
” On the way back from India , Trump reportedly called Azar and complained that Messonnier was scaring the stock market .
Larry Kudlow , the director of the national economics council , is asked about Messonnier ’ s comments on CNBC .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I won ’ t say airtight , but it ’ s pretty close to airtight.
” “ The infection seems to have gone down over the last two days , ” Trump says at a White House news conference .
“ We ’ re going to be pretty soon at only five people .
And we could be at just one or two people over the next short period of time.
” “ It ’ s going to disappear , ” Trump says in a White House briefing .
“ One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it will disappear.
” The US marks its first confirmed coronavirus death , a man in his 50s near Seattle .
Almost six weeks after the first case of coronavirus was confirmed , the Food and Drug Administration allows laboratories and hospitals to conduct their own Covid-19 tests to speed up the process .
Trump visits the CDC laboratories and calls the pandemic “ an unforeseen problem ” .
“ What a problem , ” he says .
“ Came out of nowhere.
” The stock market begins to plunge in earnest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shedding more than 20 % in next two weeks .
‘ 4m tests by the end of the week ’ Former Trump homeland security adviser Tom Bossert publishes an op-ed : “ It ’ s now or never for the US if it hopes to keep coronavirus from burning out of control.
” In an evening news conference , White House officials say the United States will have tested 1 million people that week and thereafter perform 4m tests per week .
“ We ’ ve been moving progressively to bring that test @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patient , ” Azar says .
The number was false by multiple orders of magnitude .
Through 12 March , the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) had completed 4,000 tests – not 4m .
‘ When people need a test , they can get a test ’ “ When people need a test , they can get a test , ” Trump says at a White House briefing .
“ When the professionals need a test , when they need tests for people , they can get the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well.
” Dr Anthony Fauci tells Congress that the United States does not have sufficient testing .
“ The system is not really geared to what we need right now , ” he says .
“ That is a failing .
Let ’ s admit it.
” But Trump says at a White House briefing there are a “ million tests out now ” and “ if you go to the right agency , if you go to the right area , you get the test ” .
Trump declares a national emergency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Google site under development to help people across the country find testing , but it is a sham .
“ We ’ ve been in discussions with pharmacies and retailers to make drive-through tests available in the critical locations identified by public health professionals , ” Trump adds , but a month later only a handful had materialized .
Says Trump : “ I don ’ t take responsibility at all .
”

“What a problem. Came out of nowhere.”
That’s how Donald Trump described the coronavirus pandemic in early March, during a televised visit to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
For weeks he had been giving Americans the same advice: “We have it totally under control”; “USA in great shape!”; and, of course, “Fake news”.
But privately, Trump was being warned of a “full-blown Covid-19 pandemic” and “1-2 million” American deaths, according to internal emails, memorandums and other recently unearthed evidence documenting internal deliberations.
It turns out that Trump was personally warned, repeatedly, about the growing crisis beginning in mid-January. But he continued to give false assurances to the American public.
Here’s a timeline of the main notifications Trump received and the disinformation he was simultaneously spreading.
8 January
CDC issues alert
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issues an alert advising that it “is closely monitoring a reported cluster of pneumonia of unknown etiology (PUE) with possible epidemiologic links to a large wholesale fish and live animal market in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China”.
18 January
Trump receives briefing
The health secretary, Alex Azar, calls Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida and briefs him on the coronavirus threat, but “Trump spent much of the conversation wanting to talk about vaping”, the AP reported.
Donald Trump walks from the podium as a White House produced video plays during a briefing about the coronavirus on 13 April. Photograph: Alex Brandon/AP
21 January
First confirmed US case
A man in his 30s who had traveled to China is hospitalized in Everett, Washington, near Seattle. He tests positive for Covid–19.
22 January
Trump: ‘We have it totally under control’
While attending the Davos conference in Switzerland, Trump makes his first public comment about coronavirus. “We have it totally under control,” he tells the US cable channel CNBC. “It’s one person coming in from China, and we have it under control. It’s going to be just fine.”
27 January
White House aide raises alarm
Joe Grogan, the head of the White House domestic policy council, tells the acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, and others in a meeting that the fight against coronavirus would dominate public life for months and “the administration needed to take the virus seriously or it could cost the president his re-election”, according to a Washington Post report.
29 January
Aide warns of ‘full-blown Covid-19 pandemic’
Economic adviser Peter Navarro warns the national security council in a memo that coronavirus could kill half a million Americans and deliver a $5.7tn hit to the economy, Axios reports.
30 January
Azar warns Trump again
As the World Health Organization declares a global health emergency, Azar, the health secretary, again warns Trump about the looming threat. Taking Azar’s call aboard Air Force One en route to a campaign rally, Trump dismisses him as “alarmist”, the New York Times reported.
Trump: ‘Only 5 people in US’
Working closely with China and others on Coronavirus outbreak. Only 5 people in U.S., all in good recovery. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 30, 2020
31 January
US declares ‘public health emergency’
Azar declares a public health emergency. Trump announces a ban on entry to the US for foreign nationals who had recently visited China.
January and February
Intelligence warnings
US intelligence agencies file classified reports warning about global destabilization from a coronavirus pandemic, according to a Washington Post report.
5 February
‘They aren’t taking this seriously’
After a coronavirus briefing with White House officials, senators express concern that the administration is downplaying the threat. “No request for ANY emergency funding,” notes Democrat Chris Murphy of Connecticut.
Just left the Administration briefing on Coronavirus. Bottom line: they aren't taking this seriously enough.
Notably, no request for ANY emergency funding, which is a big mistake. Local health systems need supplies, training, screening staff etc. And they need it now. — Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) February 5, 2020
19 February
‘When we get into April…’
Addressing a group of governors, Trump predicts the virus will disappear. “I think it’s going to work out fine. I think when we get into April, in the warmer weather, that has a very negative effect on that and that type of a virus.”
21 February
Taskforce concludes social distancing needed
Following a mock exercise modeling pandemic response, the White House coronavirus taskforce concludes that aggressive social distancing would be necessary, according to a New York Times report.
23 February
Aide warns of ‘full-blown pandemic’
“There is an increasing probability of a full-blown Covid-19 pandemic that could infect as many as 100 million Americans, with a loss of life of as many as 1-2 million souls,” Navarro, the economics adviser, writes in a memo obtained by Axios.
24 February
Trump: ‘Very much under control’
The Coronavirus is very much under control in the USA. We are in contact with everyone and all relevant countries. CDC & World Health have been working hard and very smart. Stock Market starting to look very good to me! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 24, 2020
25 February
‘I have not heard anything other’
In a CDC telebriefing, Nancy Messonnier the director of the Center for the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, says: “Ultimately, we expect we will see community spread in this country” and “disruption to everyday life may be severe. But these are things that people need to start thinking about now.”
At a news conference in New Delhi, Trump says: “You may ask about the coronavirus, which is very well under control in our country. We have very few people with it, and the people that have it are – in all cases, I have not heard anything other.”
On the way back from India, Trump reportedly called Azar and complained that Messonnier was scaring the stock market.
CDC and my Administration are doing a GREAT job of handling Coronavirus, including the very early closing of our borders to certain areas of the world. It was opposed by the Dems, “too soon”, but turned out to be the correct decision. No matter how well we do, however, the..... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 26, 2020
Larry Kudlow, the director of the national economics council, is asked about Messonnier’s comments on CNBC.
“We have contained this,” he says. “I won’t say airtight, but it’s pretty close to airtight.”
26 February
‘Fake News’
“The infection seems to have gone down over the last two days,” Trump says at a White House news conference. “We’re going to be pretty soon at only five people. And we could be at just one or two people over the next short period of time.”
Low Ratings Fake News MSDNC (Comcast) & @CNN are doing everything possible to make the Caronavirus look as bad as possible, including panicking markets, if possible. Likewise their incompetent Do Nothing Democrat comrades are all talk, no action. USA in great shape! @CDCgov..... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 26, 2020
27 February
‘It will disappear’
“It’s going to disappear,” Trump says in a White House briefing. “One day it’s like a miracle, it will disappear.”
29 February
First confirmed US death
The US marks its first confirmed coronavirus death, a man in his 50s near Seattle.
Almost six weeks after the first case of coronavirus was confirmed, the Food and Drug Administration allows laboratories and hospitals to conduct their own Covid-19 tests to speed up the process.
5 March
Trump: ‘Highest rating ever’
Gallup just gave us the highest rating ever for the way we are handling the CoronaVirus situation. The April 2009-10 Swine Flu, where nearly 13,000 people died in the U.S., was poorly handled. Ask MSDNC & lightweight Washington failure @RonaldKlain, who the President was then? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 5, 2020
6 March
Trump visits the CDC laboratories and calls the pandemic “an unforeseen problem”.
“What a problem,” he says. “Came out of nowhere.”
The stock market begins to plunge in earnest, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average shedding more than 20% in next two weeks.
9 March
Flu comparison
So last year 37,000 Americans died from the common Flu. It averages between 27,000 and 70,000 per year. Nothing is shut down, life & the economy go on. At this moment there are 546 confirmed cases of CoronaVirus, with 22 deaths. Think about that! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 9, 2020
9 March
‘4m tests by the end of the week’
Former Trump homeland security adviser Tom Bossert publishes an op-ed: “It’s now or never for the US if it hopes to keep coronavirus from burning out of control.”
In an evening news conference, White House officials say the United States will have tested 1 million people that week and thereafter perform 4m tests per week. “We’ve been moving progressively to bring that test closer and closer and closer to the patient,” Azar says.
The number was false by multiple orders of magnitude. Through 12 March, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had completed 4,000 tests – not 4m.
10 March
‘When people need a test, they can get a test’
“When people need a test, they can get a test,” Trump says at a White House briefing. “When the professionals need a test, when they need tests for people, they can get the test. It’s gone really well.”
12 March
A ‘million tests out now’
Dr Anthony Fauci tells Congress that the United States does not have sufficient testing. “The system is not really geared to what we need right now,” he says. “That is a failing. Let’s admit it.”
But Trump says at a White House briefing there are a “million tests out now” and “if you go to the right agency, if you go to the right area, you get the test”.
13 March
‘I don’t take responsibility at all’
Trump declares a national emergency over coronavirus. Trump announces a supposed Google site under development to help people across the country find testing, but it is a sham.
“We’ve been in discussions with pharmacies and retailers to make drive-through tests available in the critical locations identified by public health professionals,” Trump adds, but a month later only a handful had materialized.
Says Trump: “I don’t take responsibility at all.”


theguardian--2020-04-13--Inmate details alarming conditions at Oregon prison amid coronavirus pandemic

A handwritten plea from an Oregon prisoner to his family a week ago describes conditions in the state ’ s prison system as a public health catastrophe waiting to happen , amid a lack of social distancing practices in the system ’ s moneymaking arm .
“ There is no way it should be legal for a few hundred inmates to be forced to work around each other so close with the potential risk and how far [ the coronavirus ] could spread , ” wrote the inmate at the Two Rivers correctional institution ( TRCI ) near Umatilla , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inmate ’ s name due to his fears of retribution from prison authorities .
“ I see all the stay at home orders of non-essential workers and can ’ t believe we are still being made to work , ” the inmate added .
Prison protests in Oregon and Washington on Wednesday night highlighted growing concerns among inmates about the way authorities in the Pacific north-west states are managing the safety of incarcerated people amid the coronavirus pandemic .
State government documents obtained by the Guardian suggest that authorities in at least some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ practices recommended by public health authorities , but accounts from inmates and advocates indicate their implementation may be scattered at best .
The prisoner , who is held in minimum security at Two Rivers correctional institution , said that inmates are being exposed to unsafe conditions as they perform work in facilities run by Oregon Correctional Enterprises ( OCE ) , the state ’ s prison industry program .
OCE was set up by a series of 1990s ballot measures “ to operate like a private sector business ” ; on average inmates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working for the program .
Although the inmate wrote that TRCI has introduced some social distancing measures at the prison , including by staggering inmate exercise and dining and barring outside visitors ( “ no visitors , no education teachers , no church services ” ) , he argued that these efforts are being undone by the working conditions in OCE ’ s wood shop and its laundry facility .
Work at the facilities has continued even after proclamations by the governor regarding social distancing , and as major clients like schools and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Several laundry workers and wood shop workers have been sick with colds but none have been tested only examined by nurses and told to stay at home until they feel better , ” he wrote .
According to his letter , inmates at work at the facilities are not able to practice adequate social distancing , and are being lined up and patted down on their way in and out of the workshops , with some but not all supervisors wearing gloves .
They worry that workers at the laundry facility are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the virus .
In the OCE break room , he said , inmates are “ shoulder to shoulder ” , and unable to socially distance .
Large numbers of prisoners are handling hot water and milk dispensers , which are not being frequently cleaned .
OCE workers only have access to one small bathroom .
“ We all use the same bathroom 5 stalls and one urinal , ” the inmate wrote .
“ We all touch the same soap dispenser and same buttons to wash hands after using bathroom .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of disinfectant to spray off toilet seat before you use it .
We all touch the same door , ” he said .
Inmates are being threatened with punishment by TRCI if they refuse to work OCE shifts , he said in the letter .
He told his mother that inmates refusing to work risked being sent to more crowded medium-security accommodation , and that if he would quit the job he would risk losing his honor housing , benefits and special privileges .
Though independent of Oregon ’ s department of corrections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business , OCE uses inmate labor in facilities within prison complexes to make goods like furniture and signage , often for schools , outdoor recreation sites and the prison system itself .
OCE workers also perform services like laundry .
OCE ’ s director , Ken Jeske , and representatives of the ODOC offered no substantive reply to the Guardian ’ s repeated , detailed questions on Scott ’ s allegations .
He said OCE ’ s communications director , Jennifer Starbuck , “ will follow up with DOC on your request in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In correspondence with an inmate ’ s concerned relative on 27 March , however , Starbuck emphasized OCE ’ s financial requirements , and claimed that continuing work made the prisons safer .
“ All of the OCE staff working are essential , ” Starbuck wrote .
She continued : “ OCE funding comes from the services and products we produce , through the work and training opportunities we provide to the AICs [ Adults in Custody ] in our shops .
Keeping the AICs engaged in work helps keep the prisons safer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to focus time and attention to ) .
All of the work assignments in OCE are voluntary.
” Starbuck offered no evidence for her claims about work and safety , and OCE did not respond to specific requests for such evidence .
In an issues brief and in emails between Starbuck and the concerned relative , OCE acknowledged that hospital laundry is being handled by its workers , but claims that its processes comply with CDC directives .
“ OCE laundry follows all guidelines set forth by the CDC for washing and drying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in accordance with decontamination practices recommended by the CDC , ” the March 2020 issue brief says .
ODOC ’ s approach to the coronavirus crisis has been uneven and confused , Juan Chavez , the director of the Civil Rights Project at the Oregon Justice Resource Center , told the Guardian .
Chavez is leading a class-action suit launched against ODOC that alleges that the department has “ willfully and wantonly ignored the public health threat caused by this global pandemic ” .
ODOC did not respond to the Guardian ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Half-measures ” have been adopted in some places , Chavez said , but overall the system showed a “ patchwork of solutions ” .
He added : “ It ’ s one step forward , three steps back.
” Meanwhile , in the neighboring state of Washington , an outbreak in Monroe prison led to a riot on Wednesday , as prisoners objected to what they saw as inadequate protections in the facility .
Several prisoners at Monroe have tested positive for Covid-19 .
But last month Washington ’ s department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ literature review outlining scholarly literature and a body of guidelines from other states and countries indicating best practices and ways to prepare for epidemics in prison settings .
The literature , and the document itself , spells out a list of dangers that reflect the concerns of prisoners , including the Oregon inmate .
“ Key concerns for correctional facilities and pandemic preparedness include crowding , shared living spaces , high turnover , population flow patterns , health care resources , staff absenteeism , and interaction with the general population ” , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a number of studies and guidelines which offer clear and specific preparations and action plans for prisons .
A 2006 document , Infectious Diseases in Corrections Report , contains a section entitled Pandemic flu preparedness and response in corrections facilities , produced by a researcher at the Institute for Biosecurity at Saint Louis University school of public health .
The document counsels that prisoners are especially vulnerable in pandemics .
“ During an influenza pandemic , ” the document says , “ inmates may be particularly vulnerable to infection due to the close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the relatively high prevalence of co-morbid health conditions.
” It says that “ prison overcrowding – a serious problem in many facilities – is a major contributor to disease spread ” .
It goes on to warn about anticipated problems like access to hospitals , staff absenteeism and the difficulty of isolation and treatment in a prison setting .
A 2009 document collated in the literature review , Pandemic Influenza Preparedness and Response Planning , was produced by a consortium of US correctional medical officers and scientists .
It offers clear guidelines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including : “ Assess the need to purchase personal protective equipment ( PPE ) such as gloves , surgical masks , respirators , and protective clothing ” ; “ Ensure that alternative supervision strategies are compatible with the pandemic plans of public health , law enforcement , the judiciary , and ( other ) correctional facilities ” ; and “ minimize the number of face-to-face contacts ” .
Neither WDOH nor WDOC responded to repeated , detailed requests for comment on whether they had jointly discussed this literature since the review ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WDOC had implemented any of the recommendations and guidelines .
The not-for-profit Columbia Legal Services this week filed an emergency motion to force Washington to take greater measures to address the outbreak in Monroe prison .
Nick Straley , an attorney and assistant deputy director of advocacy with the organization , said : “ There ’ s an almost unanimous sense among public health officials that releases have to occur in order to reduce the number of people in prisons in Washington .
“ We ’ ve got another facilities that are overcrowded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the floor of cells designed for two people .
They ’ re crammed with people , people are on top of each other , ” he said .
“ To the extent that department of corrections to date has refused to release anyone , we think that they have clearly not stepped up and done what ’ s essential .
”

A handwritten plea from an Oregon prisoner to his family a week ago describes conditions in the state’s prison system as a public health catastrophe waiting to happen, amid a lack of social distancing practices in the system’s moneymaking arm.
“There is no way it should be legal for a few hundred inmates to be forced to work around each other so close with the potential risk and how far [the coronavirus] could spread,” wrote the inmate at the Two Rivers correctional institution (TRCI) near Umatilla, Oregon. The Guardian is withholding the inmate’s name due to his fears of retribution from prison authorities.
“I see all the stay at home orders of non-essential workers and can’t believe we are still being made to work,” the inmate added.
Prison protests in Oregon and Washington on Wednesday night highlighted growing concerns among inmates about the way authorities in the Pacific north-west states are managing the safety of incarcerated people amid the coronavirus pandemic.
‘I see all the stay at home orders of non-essential workers and can’t believe we are still being made to work,’ the inmate said. Photograph: Inmate at Two Rivers correctional institution
State government documents obtained by the Guardian suggest that authorities in at least some of the states were informed of best practices recommended by public health authorities, but accounts from inmates and advocates indicate their implementation may be scattered at best.
The prisoner, who is held in minimum security at Two Rivers correctional institution, said that inmates are being exposed to unsafe conditions as they perform work in facilities run by Oregon Correctional Enterprises (OCE), the state’s prison industry program. OCE was set up by a series of 1990s ballot measures “to operate like a private sector business”; on average inmates reportedly get paid $1.25 an hour working for the program.
Although the inmate wrote that TRCI has introduced some social distancing measures at the prison, including by staggering inmate exercise and dining and barring outside visitors (“no visitors, no education teachers, no church services”), he argued that these efforts are being undone by the working conditions in OCE’s wood shop and its laundry facility.
Work at the facilities has continued even after proclamations by the governor regarding social distancing, and as major clients like schools and outdoor recreational facilities are on lockdown.
“Several laundry workers and wood shop workers have been sick with colds but none have been tested only examined by nurses and told to stay at home until they feel better,” he wrote.
According to his letter, inmates at work at the facilities are not able to practice adequate social distancing, and are being lined up and patted down on their way in and out of the workshops, with some but not all supervisors wearing gloves. They worry that workers at the laundry facility are handling hospital linen that is potentially contaminated with the virus.
In the OCE break room, he said, inmates are “shoulder to shoulder”, and unable to socially distance. Large numbers of prisoners are handling hot water and milk dispensers, which are not being frequently cleaned. OCE workers only have access to one small bathroom.
“We all use the same bathroom 5 stalls and one urinal,” the inmate wrote. “We all touch the same soap dispenser and same buttons to wash hands after using bathroom. We also all touch the same spray bottles of disinfectant to spray off toilet seat before you use it. We all touch the same door,” he said.
Inmates are being threatened with punishment by TRCI if they refuse to work OCE shifts, he said in the letter. He told his mother that inmates refusing to work risked being sent to more crowded medium-security accommodation, and that if he would quit the job he would risk losing his honor housing, benefits and special privileges.
‘We all touch the same soap dispenser and same buttons to wash hands after using bathroom.’ Photograph: Inmate at Two Rivers correctional institution
Though independent of Oregon’s department of corrections (ODOC), as a quasi-government business, OCE uses inmate labor in facilities within prison complexes to make goods like furniture and signage, often for schools, outdoor recreation sites and the prison system itself. OCE workers also perform services like laundry.
OCE’s director, Ken Jeske, and representatives of the ODOC offered no substantive reply to the Guardian’s repeated, detailed questions on Scott’s allegations. He said OCE’s communications director, Jennifer Starbuck, “will follow up with DOC on your request in a reasonable amount of time”.
In correspondence with an inmate’s concerned relative on 27 March, however, Starbuck emphasized OCE’s financial requirements, and claimed that continuing work made the prisons safer.
“All of the OCE staff working are essential,” Starbuck wrote.
She continued: “OCE funding comes from the services and products we produce, through the work and training opportunities we provide to the AICs [Adults in Custody] in our shops. Keeping the AICs engaged in work helps keep the prisons safer (they are occupied and have something to focus time and attention to). All of the work assignments in OCE are voluntary.”
I see all the stay at home orders of non-essential workers and can’t believe we are still being made to work Inmate at TRCI
Starbuck offered no evidence for her claims about work and safety, and OCE did not respond to specific requests for such evidence.
In an issues brief and in emails between Starbuck and the concerned relative, OCE acknowledged that hospital laundry is being handled by its workers, but claims that its processes comply with CDC directives.
“OCE laundry follows all guidelines set forth by the CDC for washing and drying of healthcare linen. Laundry is washed in accordance with decontamination practices recommended by the CDC,” the March 2020 issue brief says.
ODOC’s approach to the coronavirus crisis has been uneven and confused, Juan Chavez, the director of the Civil Rights Project at the Oregon Justice Resource Center, told the Guardian. Chavez is leading a class-action suit launched against ODOC that alleges that the department has “willfully and wantonly ignored the public health threat caused by this global pandemic”. ODOC did not respond to the Guardian’s repeated request for comment on the suit.
“Half-measures” have been adopted in some places, Chavez said, but overall the system showed a “patchwork of solutions”. He added: “It’s one step forward, three steps back.”
Meanwhile, in the neighboring state of Washington, an outbreak in Monroe prison led to a riot on Wednesday, as prisoners objected to what they saw as inadequate protections in the facility. Several prisoners at Monroe have tested positive for Covid-19.
But last month Washington’s department of health (WDOH) circulated a literature review outlining scholarly literature and a body of guidelines from other states and countries indicating best practices and ways to prepare for epidemics in prison settings.
The literature, and the document itself, spells out a list of dangers that reflect the concerns of prisoners, including the Oregon inmate.
“Key concerns for correctional facilities and pandemic preparedness include crowding, shared living spaces, high turnover, population flow patterns, health care resources, staff absenteeism, and interaction with the general population”, the literature review says.
The document lists a number of studies and guidelines which offer clear and specific preparations and action plans for prisons.
A 2006 document, Infectious Diseases in Corrections Report, contains a section entitled Pandemic flu preparedness and response in corrections facilities, produced by a researcher at the Institute for Biosecurity at Saint Louis University school of public health.
‘What does it matter if everything is locked down from outside but you have inmates handling potentially infected hospital laundry.’ Photograph: Inmate at Two Rivers correctional institution
The document counsels that prisoners are especially vulnerable in pandemics.
“During an influenza pandemic,” the document says, “inmates may be particularly vulnerable to infection due to the close quarters in which most live as well as the relatively high prevalence of co-morbid health conditions.”
It says that “prison overcrowding – a serious problem in many facilities – is a major contributor to disease spread”.
It goes on to warn about anticipated problems like access to hospitals, staff absenteeism and the difficulty of isolation and treatment in a prison setting.
A 2009 document collated in the literature review, Pandemic Influenza Preparedness and Response Planning, was produced by a consortium of US correctional medical officers and scientists.
It offers clear guidelines for preparing correctional facilities for pandemics, including: “Assess the need to purchase personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves, surgical masks, respirators, and protective clothing”; “Ensure that alternative supervision strategies are compatible with the pandemic plans of public health, law enforcement, the judiciary, and (other) correctional facilities”; and “minimize the number of face-to-face contacts”.
Neither WDOH nor WDOC responded to repeated, detailed requests for comment on whether they had jointly discussed this literature since the review’s release on 3 March, and whether WDOC had implemented any of the recommendations and guidelines.
The not-for-profit Columbia Legal Services this week filed an emergency motion to force Washington to take greater measures to address the outbreak in Monroe prison. Nick Straley, an attorney and assistant deputy director of advocacy with the organization, said: “There’s an almost unanimous sense among public health officials that releases have to occur in order to reduce the number of people in prisons in Washington.
“We’ve got another facilities that are overcrowded. We’ve got people sleeping on the floor of cells designed for two people. They’re crammed with people, people are on top of each other,” he said. “To the extent that department of corrections to date has refused to release anyone, we think that they have clearly not stepped up and done what’s essential.”


theguardian--2020-04-12--'Rejecting all oversight': is Trump purging government watchdogs?

Donald Trump ’ s abrupt ousting of two veteran watchdogs has prompted fears the scandal-prone US president is purging people from government who have oversight of fraud , waste and abuse .
The moves also come at a time when a global pandemic and resulting mass unemployment crisis has prompted a multitrillion-dollar economic rescue effort , much of which is aimed at helping some of America ’ s largest companies .
Ex-watchdogs – dubbed inspectors general – plus top Democrats have voiced alarm at Trump ’ s removal last week of an acting IG at the Pentagon slated to lead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2.2tn coronavirus relief law .
The move came just days after Trump axed the intelligence community IG who had alerted Congress to a whistleblower complaint precipitating Trump ’ s impeachment .
Trump also drew fire for tapping a White House lawyer involved in fighting impeachment as a special IG to oversee a $ 500bn corporate bailout piece of the $ 2.2tn law .
Days before , Trump had used the signing statement for the law to blunt two newly created IG posts , suggesting he would decide what information Congress receives about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oustings of the two well-respected watchdogs , Michael Atkinson , the IG for the intelligence community , and Glenn Fine , the acting IG for the Pentagon , sparked special concerns given their timing and apparent political motivations .
Trump ’ s ousting of Fine , who was recently picked by his fellow IGs to run a critical oversight panel for the $ 2.2tn law , is seen as a broad slap at any oversight on the president and his administration since it rendered Fine ineligible to lead the watchdog panel .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other worries .
After initially saying he had simply lost confidence in Atkinson , Trump used a pandemic press briefing the next day to unleash an angry torrent at Atkinson ’ s handling of the whistleblower complaint , slamming him as not “ a big Trump fan ” .
Trump ’ s antipathy to IG watchdogs was displayed again at a pandemic briefing last week when he was asked about a report by the health and human services IG revealing that hospitals faced “ widespread ” shortages of face masks , and “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evidence , Trump dismissed the report as “ just wrong ” , and the next day labeled it “ another fake dossier ” .
IGs were created in 1978 to ferret out executive agency waste , fraud and abuse .
Presidents nominate them , but they require Senate approval .
“ The mandate for IGs is to serve as the public eyes and ears regarding the functioning of the executive branch , ” said Michael Bromwich , a prominent ex-IG at the justice department .
“ That means they must be independent , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by law .
Trump doesn ’ t understand any legal mandate that conflicts with personal loyalty .
He believes everybody in the executive branch should be loyal to him personally.
” For instance , Atkinson ’ s firing reveals Trump ’ s penchant to “ retaliate against people he perceives to be his enemies whose duties require them to do things that are contrary to Trump ’ s political interests ” , Bromwich said .
Likewise , Fine “ is simply too independent and has too much integrity to be trusted to minimize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the $ 2tn package recently passed by Congress ” .
Other ex-IGs say Trump ’ s actions pose a danger to all IG watchdogs and the vital role they perform in curbing corruption “ Trump ’ s actions are clearly a threat to all IGs , ” said Cynthia Schnader , a former acting IG at the justice department .
In just a few days , “ he has fired one , moved another one aside , and publicly attacked a third one for accurately reporting problems.
” The former Pentagon IG Eleanor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seem to endanger the mandate of IGs “ to be honest and independent brokers ” , and alert Congress to serious problems .
Significantly , the current justice IG , Michael Horowitz , who leads a group of executive branch IGs , quickly came to Atkinson ’ s defense , issuing a strong statement of support for his “ integrity and professionalism ” – including his handling of the whistleblower complaint that helped spark Trump ’ s impeachment which featured one count of obstruction of Congress .
Horowitz has also vowed that “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the firing .
“ It is troubling to see that the president – apparently based on political grievances – has removed Michael Atkinson , a talented and capable inspector general who was doing exactly what his job requires , ” said Mary McCord , a former chief of the DoJ ’ s national security section where Atkinson once worked .
“ It is hard not to think that the president ’ s loss of confidence in me derives from my having faithfully discharged my legal obligations as an independent and impartial Inspector @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue to do so , ” Atkinson said in a statement on Sunday .
Other criticism of Trump erupted when he selected the White House lawyer Brian Miller as a special IG for a $ 500bn business chunk of the $ 2.2tn law .
“ Someone who currently works in the White House counsel ’ s office , serving a president who has tried to silence other inspector generals and announced his intention to silence this one , is not independent , ” Senator Ron Wyden , the top Democrat on the Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In Bromwich ’ s eyes , Trump “ has rejected all forms of oversight by congressional committees , and has now turned his opposition to oversight to the IG community ” .

Donald Trump’s abrupt ousting of two veteran watchdogs has prompted fears the scandal-prone US president is purging people from government who have oversight of fraud, waste and abuse.
The moves also come at a time when a global pandemic and resulting mass unemployment crisis has prompted a multitrillion-dollar economic rescue effort, much of which is aimed at helping some of America’s largest companies.
Ex-watchdogs – dubbed inspectors general – plus top Democrats have voiced alarm at Trump’s removal last week of an acting IG at the Pentagon slated to lead a new oversight panel for the $2.2tn coronavirus relief law. The move came just days after Trump axed the intelligence community IG who had alerted Congress to a whistleblower complaint precipitating Trump’s impeachment.
Trump also drew fire for tapping a White House lawyer involved in fighting impeachment as a special IG to oversee a $500bn corporate bailout piece of the $2.2tn law. Days before, Trump had used the signing statement for the law to blunt two newly created IG posts, suggesting he would decide what information Congress receives about the aid package.
Trump’s sudden oustings of the two well-respected watchdogs, Michael Atkinson, the IG for the intelligence community, and Glenn Fine, the acting IG for the Pentagon, sparked special concerns given their timing and apparent political motivations.
Trump’s ousting of Fine, who was recently picked by his fellow IGs to run a critical oversight panel for the $2.2tn law, is seen as a broad slap at any oversight on the president and his administration since it rendered Fine ineligible to lead the watchdog panel.
Trump’s motives in firing Atkinson prompted other worries. After initially saying he had simply lost confidence in Atkinson, Trump used a pandemic press briefing the next day to unleash an angry torrent at Atkinson’s handling of the whistleblower complaint, slamming him as not “a big Trump fan”.
Trump’s antipathy to IG watchdogs was displayed again at a pandemic briefing last week when he was asked about a report by the health and human services IG revealing that hospitals faced “widespread” shortages of face masks, and “severe” test shortages.
Providing no evidence, Trump dismissed the report as “just wrong”, and the next day labeled it “another fake dossier”.
At a recent press briefing Trump unleashed an angry torrent at Atkinson’s handling of the whistleblower complaint. Photograph: Alex Wong/Getty Images
IGs were created in 1978 to ferret out executive agency waste, fraud and abuse. Presidents nominate them, but they require Senate approval.
“The mandate for IGs is to serve as the public eyes and ears regarding the functioning of the executive branch,” said Michael Bromwich, a prominent ex-IG at the justice department. “That means they must be independent, and they are required to be so by law. Trump doesn’t understand any legal mandate that conflicts with personal loyalty. He believes everybody in the executive branch should be loyal to him personally.”
For instance, Atkinson’s firing reveals Trump’s penchant to “retaliate against people he perceives to be his enemies whose duties require them to do things that are contrary to Trump’s political interests”, Bromwich said.
Trump doesn’t understand any legal mandate that conflicts with personal loyalty Michael Bromwich, former IG
Likewise, Fine “is simply too independent and has too much integrity to be trusted to minimize or sweep under the rug problems with the $2tn package recently passed by Congress”.
Other ex-IGs say Trump’s actions pose a danger to all IG watchdogs and the vital role they perform in curbing corruption
“Trump’s actions are clearly a threat to all IGs,” said Cynthia Schnader, a former acting IG at the justice department. In just a few days, “he has fired one, moved another one aside, and publicly attacked a third one for accurately reporting problems.”
The former Pentagon IG Eleanor Hill stressed that Trump’s moves seem to endanger the mandate of IGs “to be honest and independent brokers”, and alert Congress to serious problems.
Significantly, the current justice IG, Michael Horowitz, who leads a group of executive branch IGs, quickly came to Atkinson’s defense, issuing a strong statement of support for his “integrity and professionalism” – including his handling of the whistleblower complaint that helped spark Trump’s impeachment which featured one count of obstruction of Congress. Horowitz has also vowed that “aggressive, independent oversight” would continue after the firing.
Former officials say Trump mistreated Atkinson.
“It is troubling to see that the president – apparently based on political grievances – has removed Michael Atkinson, a talented and capable inspector general who was doing exactly what his job requires,” said Mary McCord, a former chief of the DoJ’s national security section where Atkinson once worked.
Atkinson himself concurred.
“It is hard not to think that the president’s loss of confidence in me derives from my having faithfully discharged my legal obligations as an independent and impartial Inspector General, and from my commitment to continue to do so,” Atkinson said in a statement on Sunday.
Other criticism of Trump erupted when he selected the White House lawyer Brian Miller as a special IG for a $500bn business chunk of the $2.2tn law.
“Someone who currently works in the White House counsel’s office, serving a president who has tried to silence other inspector generals and announced his intention to silence this one, is not independent,” Senator Ron Wyden, the top Democrat on the Senate finance panel, said in a statement.
In Bromwich’s eyes, Trump “has rejected all forms of oversight by congressional committees, and has now turned his opposition to oversight to the IG community”.