csmonitor--2020-06-05--The Forgotten King: Commentary on protest, race, and MLK

It is time to remember the real Dr. King — a prince who petitioned on the behalf of paupers .
In his time , Dr. King ’ s words weren ’ t always popular , but they were prophetic .
The economic angst surrounding current protests is a rarely-mentioned perspective .
More than 40 million Americans are unemployed .
The minimum wage is woefully and pitifully low .
The rush to “ reopen ” in the midst of a prevention-less and vaccine-less response to the pandemic is inhumane and treats “ essential workers ” as if they are expendable .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ riots , but understood why they happened .
His physical actions and his declarations confirmed his empathy with people who felt desperate enough to riot .
Even now , a narrative is being created in the midst of the protests .
Gatherings are being validated or invalidated based on whether they are “ peaceful.
” There is an unholy invocation that rises from some Americans in times of racial distress .
It is an exclamation from the voices of the status quo , the clarion call of conservative thinking : There is an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in times of racial distress .
It is an exclamation from the voices of the status quo , the clarion call of conservative thinking : What would Martin Luther King do ?
It is as unauthentic and uninspiring as it is ambiguous – and that is the point .
Reducing Dr. King ’ s understanding of racial and social issues to a warped perspective of the “ I Have A Dream ” speech is propagandist and ahistorical , but it has worked .
It is easy to celebrate the “ I Have A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Dr. King ’ s speech from the perspective of all lives matter : And when this happens , when we allow freedom to ring , when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet , from every state and every city , we will be able to speed up that day when all of God ’ s children , black men and white men , Jews and Gentiles , Protestants and Catholics , will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last !
Thank God almighty , we ’ re free at last !
” But what about black lives ?
How would Dr. King feel about the modern-day anti-police-brutality protests ?
How would he respond to the deaths of George Floyd , Trayvon Martin , and so many more ?
Long before he declared that a riot was “ the language of the unheard , ” he spoke about black unrest .
Where ?
In the “ I Have A Dream ” speech : It would be fatal for the nation to overlook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sweltering summer of the Negro ’ s legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality .
Nineteen sixty-three is not an end , but a beginning .
And those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual .
And there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights .
The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day of justice emerges .
Even now , a narrative is being created in the midst of the protests .
Gatherings are being validated or invalidated based on whether they are “ peaceful.
” This narrative avoids the perpetual provocation of the police – the actions leading up to this moment and the military-style response to protesting .
Dr. King addressed this willful ignorance in his final speech , “ I ’ ve Been To The Mountaintop ” : Let us keep the issues where they are .
The issue is injustice .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be fair and honest in its dealings with its public servants , who happen to be sanitation workers .
Now , we ’ ve got to keep attention on that .
That ’ s always the problem with a little violence .
You know what happened the other day , and the press dealt only with the window-breaking .
I read the articles .
They very seldom got around to mentioning the fact that one thousand , three hundred sanitation workers were on strike , and that Memphis is not being fair @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is in dire need of a doctor .
They didn ’ t get around to that .
Dr. King didn ’ t bury the lede .
The lede isn ’ t rioting – the lede is injustice .
Dr. King was not an advocate of riots , but understood why they happened .
His physical actions and his declarations confirmed his empathy with people who felt desperate enough to riot .
When Dr. King stood in solidarity with striking sanitation workers in Memphis , he didn ’ t just highlight disrespectfully low wages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ black people and the determination to be treated as “ men , ” as “ people.
” It is a fight that continues in places like New Orleans , where less than a month ago , striking sanitation workers making $ 10.25 an hour were replaced by prison labor in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic .
The economic angst surrounding current protests is a rarely-mentioned perspective .
More than 40 million Americans are unemployed .
The minimum wage is woefully and pitifully low .
The rush to “ reopen ” in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the pandemic is inhumane and treats “ essential workers ” as if they are expendable .
Dr. King captured it all in his final speech , which wasn ’ t presented in the face of dignitaries , nor held at the nation ’ s capital .
It was a commentary shared with workers in the heart of a labor protest the day before he was assassinated .
He was so “ dangerously unselfish ” in a moment where he addressed injustices all over the world .
He touched on class warfare in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ religious roots — with a powerful parable .
He spoke boldly about life and death — and the urgency of both .
Many people have forgotten this Dr. King – the man who outlined the reasons “ Why We Can ’ t Wait.
” His last full-length book asked a question which is being answered in our government and in our streets : “ Where Do We Go From Here : Chaos or Community ?
” An excerpt from the latter explains how this country chose chaos long before the protests and riots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since the birth of our nation , white America has had a schizophrenic personality on the question of race .
She has been torn between selves – a self in which she proudly professed the great principles of democracy and a self in which she sadly practiced the antithesis of democracy .
This tragic duality has produced a strange indecisiveness and ambivalence toward the Negro , causing America to take a step backward simultaneously with every step forward on the question of racial justice , to be at once attracted to the Negro @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and to hate him .
There has never been a solid , unified , and determined thrust to make justice a reality for Afro-Americans .
It is time to remember the real Dr. King — a prince who petitioned on the behalf of paupers .
It is time for America to change her modern-day propagandist view of a conservative King and , through public and personal education , acknowledge the genius and the entirety of Dr. King ’ s racial and social understandings .
In his time , Dr. King ’ s words @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they were prophetic .
Ken Makin is a freelance writer and the host of the Makin ’ A Difference podcast .
You can follow him on Twitter @ differencemakin .

It is time to remember the real Dr. King — a prince who petitioned on the behalf of paupers. In his time, Dr. King’s words weren’t always popular, but they were prophetic.
The economic angst surrounding current protests is a rarely-mentioned perspective. More than 40 million Americans are unemployed. The minimum wage is woefully and pitifully low. The rush to “reopen” in the midst of a prevention-less and vaccine-less response to the pandemic is inhumane and treats “essential workers” as if they are expendable.
Dr. King was not an advocate of riots, but understood why they happened. His physical actions and his declarations confirmed his empathy with people who felt desperate enough to riot.
Even now, a narrative is being created in the midst of the protests. Gatherings are being validated or invalidated based on whether they are “peaceful.”
As U.S. cities writhe in protest, columnist Ken Makin urges Americans to reach beyond the impulse to judge protesters and instead consider the roots of rage feeding the unrest. The point isn’t rioting, he says. The point is injustice.
There is an unholy invocation that rises from some Americans in times of racial distress. It is an exclamation from the voices of the status quo, the clarion call of conservative thinking:
There is an unholy invocation that rises from some Americans in times of racial distress. It is an exclamation from the voices of the status quo, the clarion call of conservative thinking:
What would Martin Luther King do?
It is as unauthentic and uninspiring as it is ambiguous – and that is the point. Reducing Dr. King’s understanding of racial and social issues to a warped perspective of the “I Have A Dream” speech is propagandist and ahistorical, but it has worked.
Why We Wrote This As U.S. cities writhe in protest, columnist Ken Makin urges Americans to reach beyond the impulse to judge protesters and instead consider the roots of rage feeding the unrest. The point isn’t rioting, he says. The point is injustice.
It is easy to celebrate the “I Have A Dream” refrain and the final paragraph of Dr. King’s speech from the perspective of all lives matter:
And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, “Free at last! Free at last! Thank God almighty, we’re free at last!”
But what about black lives? How would Dr. King feel about the modern-day anti-police-brutality protests? How would he respond to the deaths of George Floyd, Trayvon Martin, and so many more? Long before he declared that a riot was “the language of the unheard,” he spoke about black unrest. Where? In the “I Have A Dream” speech:
It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. And those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. And there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.
“The issue is injustice”
Even now, a narrative is being created in the midst of the protests. Gatherings are being validated or invalidated based on whether they are “peaceful.” This narrative avoids the perpetual provocation of the police – the actions leading up to this moment and the military-style response to protesting. Dr. King addressed this willful ignorance in his final speech, “I’ve Been To The Mountaintop”:
Let us keep the issues where they are. The issue is injustice. The issue is the refusal of Memphis to be fair and honest in its dealings with its public servants, who happen to be sanitation workers. Now, we’ve got to keep attention on that. That’s always the problem with a little violence. You know what happened the other day, and the press dealt only with the window-breaking. I read the articles. They very seldom got around to mentioning the fact that one thousand, three hundred sanitation workers were on strike, and that Memphis is not being fair to them, and that Mayor Loeb is in dire need of a doctor. They didn’t get around to that.
Dr. King didn’t bury the lede. The lede isn’t rioting – the lede is injustice. Dr. King was not an advocate of riots, but understood why they happened. His physical actions and his declarations confirmed his empathy with people who felt desperate enough to riot.
When Dr. King stood in solidarity with striking sanitation workers in Memphis, he didn’t just highlight disrespectfully low wages. He highlighted the disrespect shown to black people and the determination to be treated as “men,” as “people.” It is a fight that continues in places like New Orleans, where less than a month ago, striking sanitation workers making $10.25 an hour were replaced by prison labor in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The economic angst surrounding current protests is a rarely-mentioned perspective. More than 40 million Americans are unemployed. The minimum wage is woefully and pitifully low. The rush to “reopen” in the midst of a prevention-less and vaccine-less response to the pandemic is inhumane and treats “essential workers” as if they are expendable.
AP/File View caption Hide caption Martin Luther King Jr. and his civil rights marchers cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, March 21, 1965, heading for capitol, Montgomery, during a five day, 50 mile walk to protest voting laws.
Dr. King captured it all in his final speech, which wasn’t presented in the face of dignitaries, nor held at the nation’s capital. It was a commentary shared with workers in the heart of a labor protest the day before he was assassinated. He was so “dangerously unselfish” in a moment where he addressed injustices all over the world. He touched on class warfare in a way that was true to his religious roots — with a powerful parable. He spoke boldly about life and death — and the urgency of both.
A nation “torn between selves”
Many people have forgotten this Dr. King – the man who outlined the reasons “Why We Can’t Wait.” His last full-length book asked a question which is being answered in our government and in our streets: “Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?” An excerpt from the latter explains how this country chose chaos long before the protests and riots of the last fortnight began:
Ever since the birth of our nation, white America has had a schizophrenic personality on the question of race. She has been torn between selves – a self in which she proudly professed the great principles of democracy and a self in which she sadly practiced the antithesis of democracy. This tragic duality has produced a strange indecisiveness and ambivalence toward the Negro, causing America to take a step backward simultaneously with every step forward on the question of racial justice, to be at once attracted to the Negro and repelled by him, to love and to hate him. There has never been a solid, unified, and determined thrust to make justice a reality for Afro-Americans.
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
It is time to remember the real Dr. King — a prince who petitioned on the behalf of paupers. It is time for America to change her modern-day propagandist view of a conservative King and, through public and personal education, acknowledge the genius and the entirety of Dr. King’s racial and social understandings. In his time, Dr. King’s words weren’t always popular, but they were prophetic.
Ken Makin is a freelance writer and the host of the Makin’ A Difference podcast. You can follow him on Twitter @differencemakin.


csmonitor--2020-06-10--Houston mourns the man, the symbol: 'Say his name, George Floyd'

George Floyd was fondly remembered Tuesday as `` Big Floyd '' – a father and brother , athlete , and neighborhood mentor , and now a catalyst for change – at a funeral for the Black man whose death has sparked a global reckoning over police brutality and racial prejudice .
More than 500 mourners wearing masks against the coronavirus packed a Houston church a little more than two weeks after Mr. Floyd was pinned to the pavement by a white Minneapolis police officer who put a knee on his neck for what prosecutors said was 8 minutes and 46 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including Mr. Floyd 's pleas of `` I ca n't breathe , '' ignited protests and scattered violence across the United States and around the world , turning Mr. Floyd – a man who in life was little known beyond the public housing project where he was raised in Houston 's Third Ward – into a worldwide symbol of injustice .
`` Third Ward , Cuney Homes , that 's where he was born at , '' Mr. Floyd 's brother , Rodney , told mourners at the Fountain of Praise church @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remember him around the world .
He is going to change the world . ''
The funeral capped six days of mourning for Mr. Floyd in three cities : Raeford , North Carolina , near where he was born ; Houston , where he grew up ; and Minneapolis , where he died .
The memorials have drawn the families of other Black victims whose names have become familiar in the debate over race and justice – among them , Eric Garner , Michael Brown , Ahmaud Arbery , and Trayvon Martin .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ golden casket was taken by hearse to the cemetery in the Houston suburb of Pearland to be entombed next to his mother , for whom he cried out as he lay dying .
A mile from the graveyard , the casket was transferred to a glass-sided carriage drawn by a pair of white horses .
A brass band played as his casket was taken inside the mausoleum .
Hundreds of people , some chanting , `` Say his name , George Floyd , '' gathered along the procession route and outside the cemetery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I do n't want to see any Black man , any man , but most definitely not a Black man sitting on the ground in the hands of bad police , '' said Marcus Brooks , who set up a tent with other graduates of Jack Yates High School , Mr. Floyd 's alma mater .
In the past two weeks , amid the furor over Mr. Floyd 's death , sweeping and previously unthinkable things have taken place : Confederate statues have been toppled , and many cities are debating overhauling , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ departments .
Authorities in some places have barred police from using chokeholds or are otherwise rethinking policies on the use of force .
Dozens of Mr. Floyd 's family members , most dressed in white , took part in the four-hour service .
Grammy-winning singer Ne-Yo was among those who sang .
The mourners included actors Jamie Foxx and Channing Tatum , J.J. Watt of the NFL 's Houston Texans , rapper Trae tha Truth , Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee , Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo , and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when he announced he will sign an executive order banning chokeholds in the city .
`` I know you have a lot of questions that no child should have to ask , questions that too many Black children have had to ask for generations : Why ?
Why is Daddy gone ? ''
former Vice President Joe Biden , the Democratic presidential candidate , said , addressing Mr. Floyd 's 6-year-old daughter in a video eulogy played at the service .
`` Now is the time for racial justice .
That 's the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when they ask why . ''
Mr. Biden made no mention of his opponent in November .
But other speakers took swipes at President Donald Trump , who has ignored demands to address racial bias and has called on authorities to crack down hard on lawlessness .
`` The president talks about bringing in the military , but he did not say one word about 8 minutes and 46 seconds of police murder of George Floyd , '' said the Rev .
Al Sharpton , the civil rights activist .
`` He challenged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the human right of George Floyd ? ''
Most of the pews were full , with relatively little space between people .
`` So much for social distancing today , '' the Rev .
Remus Wright told mourners , gently but firmly instructing those attending to wear face masks .
Texas has no limit on how many people can gather in places of worship during the pandemic , though Republican Gov .
Greg Abbott has encouraged churches to follow federal health guidelines .
Although the church service was private , at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respects .
`` There 's a real big change going on , and everybody , especially Black , right now should be a part of that , '' said Kersey Biagase , who traveled more than three hours from Port Barre , Louisiana , with his girlfriend , Brandy Pickney .
They wore T-shirts printed with Mr. Floyd 's name and `` I Ca n't Breathe . ''
Mr. Floyd served nearly five years in prison for robbery with a deadly weapon before becoming a mentor and a church outreach volunteer in Houston @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago through a program that tried to change men 's lives by helping them find work in new settings .
At the time of his death , Mr. Floyd was out of work as a bouncer at a Minneapolis club that had closed because of the coronavirus outbreak .
He was detained by police after being accused of passing a counterfeit $ 20 bill at a convenience store .
Four Minneapolis officers were arrested in connection with his death : Derek Chauvin was charged with second-degree murder ; J. Alexander Kueng , Thomas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with aiding and abetting .
All four could get up to 40 years in prison .
Some of the mostly peaceful demonstrations that erupted after Mr. Floyd 's death were marked by bursts of arson , assaults , vandalism , and smash-and-grab raids on businesses , with more than 10,000 people arrested nationwide .
But protests in recent days have been overwhelmingly peaceful .
This story was reported by The Associated Press .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @

George Floyd was fondly remembered Tuesday as "Big Floyd" – a father and brother, athlete, and neighborhood mentor, and now a catalyst for change – at a funeral for the Black man whose death has sparked a global reckoning over police brutality and racial prejudice.
More than 500 mourners wearing masks against the coronavirus packed a Houston church a little more than two weeks after Mr. Floyd was pinned to the pavement by a white Minneapolis police officer who put a knee on his neck for what prosecutors said was 8 minutes and 46 seconds.
Cellphone video of the encounter, including Mr. Floyd's pleas of "I can't breathe," ignited protests and scattered violence across the United States and around the world, turning Mr. Floyd – a man who in life was little known beyond the public housing project where he was raised in Houston's Third Ward – into a worldwide symbol of injustice.
"Third Ward, Cuney Homes, that's where he was born at," Mr. Floyd's brother, Rodney, told mourners at the Fountain of Praise church.
"But everybody is going to remember him around the world. He is going to change the world."
The funeral capped six days of mourning for Mr. Floyd in three cities: Raeford, North Carolina, near where he was born; Houston, where he grew up; and Minneapolis, where he died. The memorials have drawn the families of other Black victims whose names have become familiar in the debate over race and justice – among them, Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Ahmaud Arbery, and Trayvon Martin.
After the service, Mr. Floyd's golden casket was taken by hearse to the cemetery in the Houston suburb of Pearland to be entombed next to his mother, for whom he cried out as he lay dying. A mile from the graveyard, the casket was transferred to a glass-sided carriage drawn by a pair of white horses. A brass band played as his casket was taken inside the mausoleum.
Hundreds of people, some chanting, "Say his name, George Floyd," gathered along the procession route and outside the cemetery entrance in the mid-90s heat.
"I don't want to see any Black man, any man, but most definitely not a Black man sitting on the ground in the hands of bad police," said Marcus Brooks, who set up a tent with other graduates of Jack Yates High School, Mr. Floyd's alma mater.
In the past two weeks, amid the furor over Mr. Floyd's death, sweeping and previously unthinkable things have taken place: Confederate statues have been toppled, and many cities are debating overhauling, dismantling, or cutting funding for police departments. Authorities in some places have barred police from using chokeholds or are otherwise rethinking policies on the use of force.
Dozens of Mr. Floyd's family members, most dressed in white, took part in the four-hour service. Grammy-winning singer Ne-Yo was among those who sang.
The mourners included actors Jamie Foxx and Channing Tatum, J.J. Watt of the NFL's Houston Texans, rapper Trae tha Truth, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo, and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, who brought the crowd to its feet when he announced he will sign an executive order banning chokeholds in the city.
"I know you have a lot of questions that no child should have to ask, questions that too many Black children have had to ask for generations: Why? Why is Daddy gone?" former Vice President Joe Biden, the Democratic presidential candidate, said, addressing Mr. Floyd's 6-year-old daughter in a video eulogy played at the service. "Now is the time for racial justice. That's the answer we must give to our children when they ask why."
Mr. Biden made no mention of his opponent in November. But other speakers took swipes at President Donald Trump, who has ignored demands to address racial bias and has called on authorities to crack down hard on lawlessness.
"The president talks about bringing in the military, but he did not say one word about 8 minutes and 46 seconds of police murder of George Floyd," said the Rev. Al Sharpton, the civil rights activist. "He challenged China on human rights. But what about the human right of George Floyd?"
Most of the pews were full, with relatively little space between people.
"So much for social distancing today," the Rev. Remus Wright told mourners, gently but firmly instructing those attending to wear face masks.
Texas has no limit on how many people can gather in places of worship during the pandemic, though Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has encouraged churches to follow federal health guidelines.
Although the church service was private, at least 50 people gathered outside to pay their respects.
"There's a real big change going on, and everybody, especially Black, right now should be a part of that," said Kersey Biagase, who traveled more than three hours from Port Barre, Louisiana, with his girlfriend, Brandy Pickney. They wore T-shirts printed with Mr. Floyd's name and "I Can't Breathe."
Mr. Floyd served nearly five years in prison for robbery with a deadly weapon before becoming a mentor and a church outreach volunteer in Houston. He moved to Minnesota several years ago through a program that tried to change men's lives by helping them find work in new settings.
At the time of his death, Mr. Floyd was out of work as a bouncer at a Minneapolis club that had closed because of the coronavirus outbreak. He was detained by police after being accused of passing a counterfeit $20 bill at a convenience store.
Four Minneapolis officers were arrested in connection with his death: Derek Chauvin was charged with second-degree murder; J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane, and Tou Thao were charged with aiding and abetting. All four could get up to 40 years in prison.
Some of the mostly peaceful demonstrations that erupted after Mr. Floyd's death were marked by bursts of arson, assaults, vandalism, and smash-and-grab raids on businesses, with more than 10,000 people arrested nationwide. But protests in recent days have been overwhelmingly peaceful.
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
This story was reported by The Associated Press.
Editor’s note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.


csmonitor--2020-06-10--America's Black Belt communities mobilize to fight virus, hunger

Life can be tough even on a good day in the Black Belt , where some of the poorest people in America are , as usual , depending on each other to survive .
Their struggle has become even more difficult with unemployment intensifying and coronavirus infections raging .
Both the need and the relief have been on display in the historic civil rights city of Selma , where volunteers distributed free food to scores of people , many of whom shared rides from isolated communities just to get to the school where boxes of fruit and vegetables were available @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country catches a cold , a place like the Black Belt catches the flu , ” said Lydia Chatmon , who works with the Selma Center for Non-Violence and helped coordinate with the Black Belt Community Foundation on last week 's donations .
Stretching from Louisiana to Virginia , the Black Belt is a crescent-shaped agricultural region first known for the color of its soil and then for its mostly Black population .
It provided for much of the antebellum South ’ s cotton economy , and remains home to many descendants of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a declining population , poverty remains a constant problem .
Now the virus that causes COVID-19 , which is killing Black Americans in disproportionately large numbers , has taken hold as well .
Black Belt counties have eight of the nine worst infection rates in Alabama , where more than 20,500 have tested positive for the virus , and more than 710 have died .
The area also took the hardest hit from unemployment during the economic shutdown , with eight Black Belt counties having jobless rates near or above 20 % .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ivey has allowed businesses and many entertainment venues to reopen in a bid to stimulate the economy , worrying public health officials , cases of COVID-19 and hospitalizations have held steady or increased in the state .
It ’ s not that government isn ’ t helping : The food at the giveaway was donated through a federal program .
And more than $ 4 million in pandemic assistance grants announced last week will go to agencies that serve Black Belt counties in Alabama .
The money will help provide food , rent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stations also have opened , so residents don ’ t have to travel to bigger cities to learn if they may be spreading the virus .
But the region also has mobilized to help itself .
Clementine Blythe-Ellis , a high school teacher who is off for the summer , put on a protective mask to guard against the new virus and a hat to ward off the sun before showing up to distribute food .
The need , she said , never goes away .
“ It ’ s every day , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ That ’ s why I am here.
” The Black Belt Community Foundation also is giving away 100,000 face masks , and people are using social media to share tips and resources , trying to reach residents who lack any internet at home .
While broadband access is spotty across much of rural Alabama , some entire counties lack service in the Black Belt .
Dorothy Hall , a retired hospital worker who lives with her husband on disability , said that along with causing illness and death , the pandemic has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and made it more difficult to do little things like get food and household supplies .
“ You ’ re sort of like locked in every which way you turn , ” said Ms. Hall , who arrived at the food distribution at Selma High School hours early to get the first spot in line .
The school is less than 2 miles from the Edmund Pettus Bridge , where state troopers beat voting rights marchers 55 years ago .
Nearly 50 miles away in Hale County , Pastor James Franks ' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weekly distribution of milk donated by Borden Dairy .
“ Not just during this time , but at all times we should be assisting , '' he said .
`` We ’ re trying to help so it won ’ t get to be that bad.
” At the West Alabama Food Bank , which distributes food in half of Alabama 's 10 poorest counties , director Jean Rykaczewski said workers have distributed 1.4 million pounds of food since mid-March , or about 40 % more than during a normal quarter .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of families either lack a vehicle or share just one , simply getting food to people has been a problem , since normal distribution channels through churches and assistance groups broke down during the virus shutdown , she said .
People without transportation are having to pay as much as $ 20 for rides to the store or distribution sites , she said .
“ You can set up trucks in parks all day long , but if you don ’ t have a way to get there it does n't help , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported by The Associated Press .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage .
It ’ s free .

Life can be tough even on a good day in the Black Belt, where some of the poorest people in America are, as usual, depending on each other to survive. Their struggle has become even more difficult with unemployment intensifying and coronavirus infections raging.
Both the need and the relief have been on display in the historic civil rights city of Selma, where volunteers distributed free food to scores of people, many of whom shared rides from isolated communities just to get to the school where boxes of fruit and vegetables were available.
“When the rest of the country catches a cold, a place like the Black Belt catches the flu,” said Lydia Chatmon, who works with the Selma Center for Non-Violence and helped coordinate with the Black Belt Community Foundation on last week's donations.
Stretching from Louisiana to Virginia, the Black Belt is a crescent-shaped agricultural region first known for the color of its soil and then for its mostly Black population. It provided for much of the antebellum South’s cotton economy, and remains home to many descendants of slaves. With relatively little industry and a declining population, poverty remains a constant problem.
Now the virus that causes COVID-19, which is killing Black Americans in disproportionately large numbers, has taken hold as well.
Black Belt counties have eight of the nine worst infection rates in Alabama, where more than 20,500 have tested positive for the virus, and more than 710 have died. The area also took the hardest hit from unemployment during the economic shutdown, with eight Black Belt counties having jobless rates near or above 20%.
And now that Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has allowed businesses and many entertainment venues to reopen in a bid to stimulate the economy, worrying public health officials, cases of COVID-19 and hospitalizations have held steady or increased in the state.
It’s not that government isn’t helping: The food at the giveaway was donated through a federal program. And more than $4 million in pandemic assistance grants announced last week will go to agencies that serve Black Belt counties in Alabama. The money will help provide food, rent, and medicine. Small-town coronavirus testing stations also have opened, so residents don’t have to travel to bigger cities to learn if they may be spreading the virus.
But the region also has mobilized to help itself. Clementine Blythe-Ellis, a high school teacher who is off for the summer, put on a protective mask to guard against the new virus and a hat to ward off the sun before showing up to distribute food. The need, she said, never goes away.
“It’s every day, all day,” she said. “That’s why I am here.”
The Black Belt Community Foundation also is giving away 100,000 face masks, and people are using social media to share tips and resources, trying to reach residents who lack any internet at home. While broadband access is spotty across much of rural Alabama, some entire counties lack service in the Black Belt.
Dorothy Hall, a retired hospital worker who lives with her husband on disability, said that along with causing illness and death, the pandemic has dried up jobs, increased grocery prices, and made it more difficult to do little things like get food and household supplies.
“You’re sort of like locked in every which way you turn,” said Ms. Hall, who arrived at the food distribution at Selma High School hours early to get the first spot in line. The school is less than 2 miles from the Edmund Pettus Bridge, where state troopers beat voting rights marchers 55 years ago.
Nearly 50 miles away in Hale County, Pastor James Franks' Pine Grove Baptist Church is coordinating a weekly distribution of milk donated by Borden Dairy.
“Not just during this time, but at all times we should be assisting," he said. "We’re trying to help so it won’t get to be that bad.”
At the West Alabama Food Bank, which distributes food in half of Alabama's 10 poorest counties, director Jean Rykaczewski said workers have distributed 1.4 million pounds of food since mid-March, or about 40% more than during a normal quarter.
But in far-flung areas where around a third of families either lack a vehicle or share just one, simply getting food to people has been a problem, since normal distribution channels through churches and assistance groups broke down during the virus shutdown, she said. People without transportation are having to pay as much as $20 for rides to the store or distribution sites, she said.
“You can set up trucks in parks all day long, but if you don’t have a way to get there it doesn't help," she said.
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
This story was reported by The Associated Press.
Editor’s note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.


csmonitor--2020-05-01--Why coronavirus looks different to black America

Now , Mr. Johnson ’ s approach is starting to win converts in Savannah .
And more broadly , the need is for treatment that goes beyond medical care to building relationships , says Lisa Price Stevens , chief medical officer of a Virginia facility .
“ Those relationships do everything when you talk about health.
” Figures in Georgia and beyond show these trends playing out .
Black leaders note , anecdotally , that some community members didn ’ t take the virus seriously early on .
But the problems now center around a lack of access to health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Savannah is 54 % black , and he ’ s seen too much evidence – recently and over the years – that black health outcomes in America are worse than for other groups .
COVID-19 “ exploited what we already knew : If you were poor , if you were darker , if you were less educated , if you did not have a home , you were going to be disproportionately affected by this , ” he says .
Mayor Van Johnson made a lot of unpopular decisions in aggressively shutting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the spread of coronavirus .
And he ’ s not about to apologize .
Back in early March , shortly after Mardi Gras had raged in New Orleans and Florida welcomed spring breakers , Savannah Mayor Van Johnson made an unpopular decision .
He canceled the second largest St. Patrick ’ s Day parade in the country .
It fit with the Democratic mayor ’ s early response to the COVID-19 pandemic , which was as aggressive as that of any civic leader in the South at the time .
He issued his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 19 – more than two weeks before the statewide order in early April .
He closed non-essential businesses , including barber shops and beauty salons , cracking down on 30 businesses that refused to close .
He ordered police drones to disperse street parties .
And he even broke up a fight at a local Walmart , which he said had become a version of “ the club ” – a replacement for the loss of evening revelries .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , all our coronavirus coverage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bristled at the early shutdown , calling the mayor a tyrant and sending him about 2,000 mostly critical messages .
But Mr. Johnson had a different perspective .
Back when he first issued his stay-at-home order , startling racial disparities in the country ’ s coronavirus cases were just gaining attention .
Now , they are in stark relief .
Black residents make up less than a third of Georgia ’ s population but account for more than half its COVID-19 fatalities – a trend seen nationwide .
Some causes are seen as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of black leaders noting , anecdotally , that members of the community weren ’ t taking the virus seriously early on .
But the deeper problems are chronic , with the coronavirus merely amplifying long-standing inequities , from a lack of access to care to the related dearth of trust in the health system .
“ What this [ virus ] did was it exploited every weakness we ’ ve had in our socioeconomic system , every single one , ” says Mr. Johnson .
“ It exploited what we already knew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you were darker , if you were less educated , if you did not have a home , you were going to be disproportionately affected by this .
The national figures bear that out.
” That was why he acted the way he did .
“ A lot of people are just , like , ‘ Why we got to talk about race ?
’ ” he adds .
“ We have to talk about race .
The problem is that we haven ’ t been talking about race .
All of those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us.
” Indeed , at least part of Mayor Johnson ’ s actions sprang from the experience of his own family .
His father , sister , and brother-in-law , who live in New York City , had each contracted the virus .
A deacon at his church had died .
Now , Mr. Johnson ’ s approach is coming into conflict with his governor ’ s .
Georgia Gov .
Brian Kemp , a Republican , announced the state – among the last to issue a stay-at-home order – would begin to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , bowling alleys , tattoo parlors , as well as hair salons and barbershops , were allowed to reopen on April 24 with strict social-distancing rules – a move the Savannah mayor called “ reckless , premature , and dangerous.
” Savannah , which is 54 % black , has seen its cases stabilize .
Its numbers have also been more evenly distributed across racial groups .
That has helped change the attitudes of many of Savannah ’ s black residents .
Early resistance has shifted to solid support – and kinder messages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus ain ’ t racist , ” says Bobby Lewis , pitmaster at Randy ’ s BBQ , a popular local haunt that has stayed open for delivery and pickup .
“ No one is immune .
Everybody has to step up.
” As a community , “ we ’ re trying to get from where we ’ ve been to where we need to be , ” he adds .
“ Van Johnson ’ s attitude has been a big part of that .
Not everybody likes it .
But I do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” That blunt message was needed , some say .
“ When COVID first came out , there really was a sense that this is not a black people ’ s disease because it started in China and went to Europe , ” says Sandra Elizabeth Ford , head of the DeKalb and Fulton County health departments in Georgia .
That perception has changed .
Since March , a number of national polls have indicated that black and Hispanic Americans have been more concerned about the virus than white Americans .
The Pew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hispanics and 31 % of black adults said they were very concerned about contracting COVID-19 , compared with 18 % of white adults .
“ There are so many dimensions that matter for African Americans with this pandemic , ” says Alford Young , a sociologist at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor .
“ Every social and health-related and structural factor in their lives exacerbates their exposure to the virus.
” “ African Americans live in smaller spaces and in more densely populated communities , ” Dr. Young continues .
What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family for the black community is about as intimate as the immediate family for a lot of other Americans .
When African Americans check in on their family , they ’ re thinking cousins , uncles , my aunts , grandparents – not just siblings and parents at home.
” The racial disparities seen in the COVID-19 pandemic are nothing new and stem from structural inequities woven into American society for decades , if not centuries , scholars say .
For example , the deliberate “ redlining ” of black neighborhoods to exclude @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has chronically depressed black wealth .
With education funding based on local property taxes , that has contributed to underresourced schools .
These economic stresses have made it hard for hospitals and health clinics to survive , too .
Few residents have health insurance , and Medicare and Medicaid simply can ’ t pay the bills .
All these factors contribute to the greater vulnerability of minority populations in general , and during a pandemic in particular .
“ We have an economy where you ’ re going to see people of color @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are essential workers , but they may not be getting the right protective equipment , ” says Andra Gillespie , a political scientist at Emory University in Atlanta .
“ But then there is , ‘ OK , if you ’ re going to ignore congregation bans and go to a party – that ’ s not race-specific , but just individual dumb behavior.
’ ” “ What can we empower people to do , to be their own best advocate and their own defense against contracting this disease against so many systemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ answer is to help build trust in the health care system among black Americans .
“ There ’ s a level of distrust that ’ s rooted in history and in lived experiences that makes it more difficult for life-saving messages to get through to these communities , ” says Jamila Michener , professor of government at Cornell University in Ithaca , New York .
That is a big reason why Lisa Price Stevens became a doctor in the first place .
She ’ s wanted to be a doctor ever since , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mother save another family member with the Heimlich maneuver .
“ As physicians , we are innately concerned about the health care disparities and racial disparities we ’ re seeing , and particularly as an African American physician , this is a passion of mine , ” says Dr. Stevens , chief medical officer at JenCare Senior Medical Center in Norfolk , Virginia .
Her patients are among those most vulnerable : lower-income , Medicare-eligible seniors , over half of whom are people of color .
So treatment includes more than just medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ teams where we address the social determinants of our patient ’ s health , with social workers and case managers so that we not only address the holistic caring of the mind , body , and soul , we ’ re looking at , Where do you live ?
Housing is health .
How do you obtain your nutrition ?
So I can manage your diabetes , ” Dr. Stevens says .
“ Those relationships do everything when you talk about health , ” she adds .
It ’ s one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Savannah .
“ I don ’ t live in a spirit of fear .
I ’ m not going to be intimidated , ” he continues .
“ The vast majority of people recognize that these are extraordinary times that require extraordinary measures , and we have extraordinary tools to keep our citizens safe.
” Editor ’ s note : As a public service , all our coronavirus coverage is free .
No paywall .

Now, Mr. Johnson’s approach is starting to win converts in Savannah. And more broadly, the need is for treatment that goes beyond medical care to building relationships, says Lisa Price Stevens, chief medical officer of a Virginia facility. “Those relationships do everything when you talk about health.”
Figures in Georgia and beyond show these trends playing out. Black leaders note, anecdotally, that some community members didn’t take the virus seriously early on. But the problems now center around a lack of access to health care and historic distrust of the system.
The coronavirus has hit black communities disproportionately hard. Understanding why can help improve health care for minorities going forward.
Savannah is 54% black, and he’s seen too much evidence – recently and over the years – that black health outcomes in America are worse than for other groups. COVID-19 “exploited what we already knew: If you were poor, if you were darker, if you were less educated, if you did not have a home, you were going to be disproportionately affected by this,” he says.
Mayor Van Johnson made a lot of unpopular decisions in aggressively shutting down Savannah, Georgia, to blunt the spread of coronavirus. And he’s not about to apologize.
Back in early March, shortly after Mardi Gras had raged in New Orleans and Florida welcomed spring breakers, Savannah Mayor Van Johnson made an unpopular decision. He canceled the second largest St. Patrick’s Day parade in the country.
It fit with the Democratic mayor’s early response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which was as aggressive as that of any civic leader in the South at the time.
He issued his city’s stay-at-home order on March 19 – more than two weeks before the statewide order in early April. He closed non-essential businesses, including barber shops and beauty salons, cracking down on 30 businesses that refused to close. He ordered police drones to disperse street parties. And he even broke up a fight at a local Walmart, which he said had become a version of “the club” – a replacement for the loss of evening revelries.
Why We Wrote This The coronavirus has hit black communities disproportionately hard. Understanding why can help improve health care for minorities going forward.
Editor’s note: As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. No paywall.
Residents bristled at the early shutdown, calling the mayor a tyrant and sending him about 2,000 mostly critical messages.
But Mr. Johnson had a different perspective. Back when he first issued his stay-at-home order, startling racial disparities in the country’s coronavirus cases were just gaining attention. Now, they are in stark relief. Black residents make up less than a third of Georgia’s population but account for more than half its COVID-19 fatalities – a trend seen nationwide.
Patrik Jonsson/The Christian Science Monitor View caption Hide caption Mayor Van Johnson of Savannah, seen here on April 20 in his office at Savannah City Hall, has been a relentless enforcer of social distancing rules in Savannah, Georgia, after after three members of his own family in New York contracted the virus. "We keep the faith and follow the science," he says.
Some causes are seen as particular to this pandemic, with a number of black leaders noting, anecdotally, that members of the community weren’t taking the virus seriously early on. But the deeper problems are chronic, with the coronavirus merely amplifying long-standing inequities, from a lack of access to care to the related dearth of trust in the health system.
“What this [virus] did was it exploited every weakness we’ve had in our socioeconomic system, every single one,” says Mr. Johnson. “It exploited what we already knew: If you were poor, if you were darker, if you were less educated, if you did not have a home, you were going to be disproportionately affected by this. The national figures bear that out.”
That was why he acted the way he did.
“A lot of people are just, like, ‘Why we got to talk about race?’” he adds. “We have to talk about race. The problem is that we haven’t been talking about race. All of those things become very, very real to us.”
Indeed, at least part of Mayor Johnson’s actions sprang from the experience of his own family. His father, sister, and brother-in-law, who live in New York City, had each contracted the virus. A deacon at his church had died.
The view from Savannah
Now, Mr. Johnson’s approach is coming into conflict with his governor’s. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, announced the state – among the last to issue a stay-at-home order – would begin to restart its economy last week. Gyms, bowling alleys, tattoo parlors, as well as hair salons and barbershops, were allowed to reopen on April 24 with strict social-distancing rules – a move the Savannah mayor called “reckless, premature, and dangerous.”
Savannah, which is 54% black, has seen its cases stabilize. Its numbers have also been more evenly distributed across racial groups. That has helped change the attitudes of many of Savannah’s black residents. Early resistance has shifted to solid support – and kinder messages, the mayor says.
“This virus ain’t racist,” says Bobby Lewis, pitmaster at Randy’s BBQ, a popular local haunt that has stayed open for delivery and pickup. “No one is immune. Everybody has to step up.”
As a community, “we’re trying to get from where we’ve been to where we need to be,” he adds. “Van Johnson’s attitude has been a big part of that. Not everybody likes it. But I do. I think it’s working.”
That blunt message was needed, some say.
“When COVID first came out, there really was a sense that this is not a black people’s disease because it started in China and went to Europe,” says Sandra Elizabeth Ford, head of the DeKalb and Fulton County health departments in Georgia.
That perception has changed. Since March, a number of national polls have indicated that black and Hispanic Americans have been more concerned about the virus than white Americans. The Pew Research Center found that 43% of Hispanics and 31% of black adults said they were very concerned about contracting COVID-19, compared with 18% of white adults.
“There are so many dimensions that matter for African Americans with this pandemic,” says Alford Young, a sociologist at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. “Every social and health-related and structural factor in their lives exacerbates their exposure to the virus.”
“African Americans live in smaller spaces and in more densely populated communities,” Dr. Young continues. What’s more, “the extended family for the black community is about as intimate as the immediate family for a lot of other Americans. When African Americans check in on their family, they’re thinking cousins, uncles, my aunts, grandparents – not just siblings and parents at home.”
The deeper challenges
The racial disparities seen in the COVID-19 pandemic are nothing new and stem from structural inequities woven into American society for decades, if not centuries, scholars say.
For example, the deliberate “redlining” of black neighborhoods to exclude them from federal programs to purchase homes has chronically depressed black wealth. With education funding based on local property taxes, that has contributed to underresourced schools.
These economic stresses have made it hard for hospitals and health clinics to survive, too. Few residents have health insurance, and Medicare and Medicaid simply can’t pay the bills.
All these factors contribute to the greater vulnerability of minority populations in general, and during a pandemic in particular.
“We have an economy where you’re going to see people of color disproportionately working low-paying service jobs where they are essential workers, but they may not be getting the right protective equipment,” says Andra Gillespie, a political scientist at Emory University in Atlanta. “But then there is, ‘OK, if you’re going to ignore congregation bans and go to a party – that’s not race-specific, but just individual dumb behavior.’”
“What can we empower people to do, to be their own best advocate and their own defense against contracting this disease against so many systemic odds?” she asks.
One answer is to help build trust in the health care system among black Americans.
“There’s a level of distrust that’s rooted in history and in lived experiences that makes it more difficult for life-saving messages to get through to these communities,” says Jamila Michener, professor of government at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.
Giving care, building relationships
That is a big reason why Lisa Price Stevens became a doctor in the first place. She’s wanted to be a doctor ever since, at age 7, she saw her mother save another family member with the Heimlich maneuver.
“As physicians, we are innately concerned about the health care disparities and racial disparities we’re seeing, and particularly as an African American physician, this is a passion of mine,” says Dr. Stevens, chief medical officer at JenCare Senior Medical Center in Norfolk, Virginia.
Her patients are among those most vulnerable: lower-income, Medicare-eligible seniors, over half of whom are people of color. So treatment includes more than just medical care.
“We work in care teams where we address the social determinants of our patient’s health, with social workers and case managers so that we not only address the holistic caring of the mind, body, and soul, we’re looking at, Where do you live? Housing is health. How do you obtain your nutrition? So I can manage your diabetes,” Dr. Stevens says.
“Those relationships do everything when you talk about health,” she adds.
It’s one of the reasons Mayor Johnson has turned things around in Savannah.
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
“I don’t live in a spirit of fear. I’m not going to be intimidated,” he continues. “The vast majority of people recognize that these are extraordinary times that require extraordinary measures, and we have extraordinary tools to keep our citizens safe.”
Editor’s note: As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. No paywall.


csmonitor--2020-05-27--Coronavirus relief or ‘bailout’? The debate over aid to states.

As Congress considers further coronavirus aid , some lawmakers worry that states may use federal money to solve prepandemic budgetary problems .
“ Why should the people and taxpayers of America be bailing out poorly run states ( like Illinois , as example ) and cities , in all cases Democrat run and managed , when most of the other states are not looking for bailout help ?
I am open to discussing anything , but just asking ?
” President Donald Trump tweeted in late April .
But while many states with deep pension debts are left of center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of state politics at the University of Illinois at Chicago , that doesn ’ t mean more aid would amount to “ blue state bailouts.
” Editor ’ s note : As a public service , all our coronavirus coverage is free .
No paywall .
For one thing , the response to COVID-19 has created a genuine fiscal emergency .
Also , data from the Rockefeller Institute of Government in New York shows that Democratic states such as New Jersey , Massachusetts , and Connecticut pay the federal government far more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deep-red states such as Alabama and Mississippi , meanwhile , get much more than they give .
The imbalances largely stem from demographics .
America ’ s progressive tax system means that residents in wealthy states ( often heavily urban and Democratic-controlled ) pay higher federal taxes than those in other states .
Meanwhile , urban-oriented states usually have high demands for public services – and hence relatively high spending by state and local governments , says Professor Mooney .
In other words , ideology may give directions but demographics are in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it comes to how states are managed , says Professor Mooney , that will almost always be a matter of opinion .
“ When you start throwing out words like ‘ well run ’ or ‘ poorly run , ’ unless you have very specific criteria in mind ... it ’ s subjective by definition , ” he says .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , all our coronavirus coverage is free .
No paywall .

As Congress considers further coronavirus aid, some lawmakers worry that states may use federal money to solve prepandemic budgetary problems.
“Why should the people and taxpayers of America be bailing out poorly run states (like Illinois, as example) and cities, in all cases Democrat run and managed, when most of the other states are not looking for bailout help? I am open to discussing anything, but just asking?” President Donald Trump tweeted in late April.
But while many states with deep pension debts are left of center, says Christopher Mooney, a professor of state politics at the University of Illinois at Chicago, that doesn’t mean more aid would amount to “blue state bailouts.”
Why We Wrote This There’s debate in Washington over whether to prioritize emergency relief or fiscal responsibility. Specifically, should aid be withheld from states that have poor fiscal track records? Our infographic sheds light on the controversy.
Editor’s note: As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. No paywall.
For one thing, the response to COVID-19 has created a genuine fiscal emergency.
Also, data from the Rockefeller Institute of Government in New York shows that Democratic states such as New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Connecticut pay the federal government far more than they receive each year. And some deep-red states such as Alabama and Mississippi, meanwhile, get much more than they give.
The imbalances largely stem from demographics. America’s progressive tax system means that residents in wealthy states (often heavily urban and Democratic-controlled) pay higher federal taxes than those in other states. Meanwhile, urban-oriented states usually have high demands for public services – and hence relatively high spending by state and local governments, says Professor Mooney.
In other words, ideology may give directions but demographics are in the driver’s seat.
And when it comes to how states are managed, says Professor Mooney, that will almost always be a matter of opinion.
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
“When you start throwing out words like ‘well run’ or ‘poorly run,’ unless you have very specific criteria in mind ... it’s subjective by definition,” he says.
SOURCE: U.S. Federal Reserve, Rockefeller Institute of Government, Ballotpedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics | Jacob Turcotte and Noah Robertson/Staff
Editor’s note: As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. No paywall.


csmonitor--2020-05-27--Another Eric Garner? Minnesota cops fired for Floyd's death.

To the general public , the video of a white police officer pressing his knee into the neck of a black man prone on the street , crying out for help until he finally stopped moving , was horrifying .
Four police officers were fired a day after George Floyd 's death , a remarkably swift move by the Minneapolis chief with the mayor 's full backing .
But despite their dismissal , whether the incident will be considered criminal , or even excessive force , is a more complicated question that will likely take months to investigate .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s video taken outside a south Minneapolis grocery store Monday night showed an officer kneeling on the handcuffed man ’ s neck , even after he pleaded that he could not breathe and stopped moving .
Mr. Floyd ’ s death prompted protests Tuesday , with thousands taking to the streets at the intersection where he died .
Many protesters marched more than 2 miles to the police precinct station in that part of the city , with some damaging the building ’ s windows and squad cars and spraying graffiti .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with tear gas and projectiles , with tense skirmishes stretching late into the evening .
Bridgett Floyd told NBC 's “ Today ” show in an interview Wednesday morning that the officers involved in her brother 's death should be charged with murder because “ that ’ s exactly what they did.
” She said she had n't watched the bystander 's video , but told ABC 's “ Good Morning America ” that “ I don ’ t understand how someone could possibly let an individual go out like that . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Twitter , saying : `` This is the right call.
” The FBI and state law enforcement were investigating Mr. Floyd 's death , which immediately drew comparisons to the case of Eric Garner , an unarmed black man who died in 2014 in New York after he was placed in a chokehold by police and pleaded for his life , saying he could not breathe .
But in the Garner case , local prosecutors , the NYPD ’ s internal affairs unit , and the Justice Department all finished investigations into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Mr. Garner ’ s family and activists spent years begging for the officer to be removed .
The officers in the Minneapolis incident haven ’ t been publicly identified , though one defense attorney has confirmed he is representing Derek Chauvin , the officer seen with his knee on Mr. Floyd ’ s neck .
The attorney , Tom Kelly , declined to comment further .
The police union asked the public to wait for the investigation to take its course and not to “ rush to judgment and immediately condemn our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the firings were not returned .
During Tuesday 's protests , some chanted and carried banners that read , “ I can ’ t breathe ” and “ Jail killer KKKops.
” And some stacked shopping carts to make a barricade at a Target store across the street from the station .
Police Chief Medaria Arradondo said the department would conduct a full internal investigation , and prosecutors will decide whether to file criminal charges against the officers involved .
The Hennepin County Attorney ’ s Office said it was “ shocked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pledged to handle the case fairly .
Part of that investigation will likely focus on the intent of the officers , whether they meant to harm Mr. Floyd or whether it was a death that happened in the course of police work .
The FBI was investigating whether the officers willfully deprived Mr. Floyd of his civil rights .
News accounts show Mr. Chauvin was one of six officers who fired their weapons in the 2006 death of Wayne Reyes , whom police said pointed a sawed-off shotgun at officers after stabbing two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wounded a man in 2008 in a struggle after Mr. Chauvin and his partner responded to a reported domestic assault .
Police did not immediately respond to a request for Mr. Chauvin ’ s service record .
In Minneapolis , kneeling on a suspect ’ s neck is allowed under the department ’ s use-of-force policy for officers who have received training in how to compress a neck without applying direct pressure to the airway .
It is considered a “ non-deadly force option , ” according to the department ’ s policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deadly force option and involves someone obstructing the airway .
According to the department ’ s use-of-force policy , officers are to use only an amount of force necessary that would be objectively reasonable .
But two use-of-force experts told The Associated Press that the officer clearly restrained the man too long .
They noted the man was under control and no longer fighting .
Andrew Scott , a former Boca Raton , Florida , police chief who now testifies as an expert witness in use-of-force cases , called Mr. Floyd ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trained properly or disregarding their training.
” “ He couldn ’ t move .
He was telling them he couldn ’ t breathe , and they ignored him , ” Mr. Scott said .
“ I can ’ t even describe it .
It was difficult to watch.
” In a post on his Facebook page , the mayor , who is white , apologized Tuesday to the black community for the officer ’ s treatment of Mr. Floyd , who worked security at a restaurant .
“ Being Black in America should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ five minutes , we watched a white officer press his knee into a Black man ’ s neck .
Five minutes .
When you hear someone calling for help , you ’ re supposed to help .
This officer failed in the most basic , human sense , ” Mr. Frey posted .
Police said the man matched the description of a suspect in a forgery case at a grocery store , and that he resisted arrest .
The video starts with the man on the ground , and does not show what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unidentified officer is kneeling on his neck , ignoring his pleas .
“ Please , please , please , I can ’ t breathe .
Please , man , ” said Mr. Floyd , who has his face against the pavement .
Even in the coronavirus pandemic that has killed nearly 100,000 people in the United States and prompted police departments around the country to change how they ’ re doing work , the officers in the video aren ’ t wearing masks .
In some cities , low-level arrests such as attempted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Floyd also moans .
One of the officers tells him to “ relax.
” Mr. Floyd calls for his mother and says : “ My stomach hurts , my neck hurts , everything hurts ...
I can ’ t breathe.
” As bystanders shout their concern , one officer says , “ He ’ s talking , so he ’ s breathing.
” But Mr. Floyd slowly becomes motionless under the officer ’ s restraint .
The officer does not remove his knee until the man is loaded onto a gurney by paramedics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearby sidewalk , some recording the scene on their phones .
The bystanders become increasingly agitated .
One man yells repeatedly .
“ He ’ s not responsive right now !
” Two witnesses , including one woman who said she was a Minneapolis firefighter , yell at the officers to check the man ’ s pulse .
“ Check his pulse right now and tell me what it is !
” she said .
At one point , an officer says : “ Don ’ t do drugs , guys.
” And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t do drugs , bro ?
What is that ?
What do you think this is ?
” The Hennepin County medical examiner identified Mr. Floyd but said the cause of death was pending .
Mr. Floyd had worked security for five years at a restaurant called Conga Latin Bistro and rented a home from the restaurant owner , Jovanni Thunstrom .
He was “ a good friend , person , and a good tenant , ” the restaurateur told the Star Tribune .
“ He was family .
His co-workers and friends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prominent civil rights and personal injury attorney , said he had been hired by Mr. Floyd ’ s family .
The death came amid outrage over the death of Ahmaud Arbery , who was fatally shot on Feb. 23 in Georgia after a white father and son pursued the black man they had spotted running in their subdivision .
More than two months passed before charges were brought .
Mr. Crump also represents Mr. Arbery 's father .
This story was reported by The Associated Press .
AP writers Gretchen Ehlke in Milwaukee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , contributed to this report .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage .
It ’ s free .

To the general public, the video of a white police officer pressing his knee into the neck of a black man prone on the street, crying out for help until he finally stopped moving, was horrifying.
Four police officers were fired a day after George Floyd's death, a remarkably swift move by the Minneapolis chief with the mayor's full backing. But despite their dismissal, whether the incident will be considered criminal, or even excessive force, is a more complicated question that will likely take months to investigate.
The officers were dismissed soon after a bystander’s video taken outside a south Minneapolis grocery store Monday night showed an officer kneeling on the handcuffed man’s neck, even after he pleaded that he could not breathe and stopped moving. Mr. Floyd’s death prompted protests Tuesday, with thousands taking to the streets at the intersection where he died.
Many protesters marched more than 2 miles to the police precinct station in that part of the city, with some damaging the building’s windows and squad cars and spraying graffiti. Police in riot gear eventually confronted them with tear gas and projectiles, with tense skirmishes stretching late into the evening.
Bridgett Floyd told NBC's “Today” show in an interview Wednesday morning that the officers involved in her brother's death should be charged with murder because “that’s exactly what they did.” She said she hadn't watched the bystander's video, but told ABC's “Good Morning America” that “I don’t understand how someone could possibly let an individual go out like that."
Mayor Jacob Frey announced the firings on Twitter, saying: "This is the right call.”
The FBI and state law enforcement were investigating Mr. Floyd's death, which immediately drew comparisons to the case of Eric Garner, an unarmed black man who died in 2014 in New York after he was placed in a chokehold by police and pleaded for his life, saying he could not breathe.
But in the Garner case, local prosecutors, the NYPD’s internal affairs unit, and the Justice Department all finished investigations into the case before the officer was ultimately fired. Mr. Garner’s family and activists spent years begging for the officer to be removed.
The officers in the Minneapolis incident haven’t been publicly identified, though one defense attorney has confirmed he is representing Derek Chauvin, the officer seen with his knee on Mr. Floyd’s neck. The attorney, Tom Kelly, declined to comment further.
The police union asked the public to wait for the investigation to take its course and not to “rush to judgment and immediately condemn our officers.” Messages left with the union after the firings were not returned.
During Tuesday's protests, some chanted and carried banners that read, “I can’t breathe” and “Jail killer KKKops.” And some stacked shopping carts to make a barricade at a Target store across the street from the station.
Police Chief Medaria Arradondo said the department would conduct a full internal investigation, and prosecutors will decide whether to file criminal charges against the officers involved. The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said it was “shocked and saddened” by the video and pledged to handle the case fairly. Part of that investigation will likely focus on the intent of the officers, whether they meant to harm Mr. Floyd or whether it was a death that happened in the course of police work. The FBI was investigating whether the officers willfully deprived Mr. Floyd of his civil rights.
News accounts show Mr. Chauvin was one of six officers who fired their weapons in the 2006 death of Wayne Reyes, whom police said pointed a sawed-off shotgun at officers after stabbing two people. Mr. Chauvin also shot and wounded a man in 2008 in a struggle after Mr. Chauvin and his partner responded to a reported domestic assault. Police did not immediately respond to a request for Mr. Chauvin’s service record.
In Minneapolis, kneeling on a suspect’s neck is allowed under the department’s use-of-force policy for officers who have received training in how to compress a neck without applying direct pressure to the airway. It is considered a “non-deadly force option,” according to the department’s policy handbook.
A chokehold is considered a deadly force option and involves someone obstructing the airway. According to the department’s use-of-force policy, officers are to use only an amount of force necessary that would be objectively reasonable.
But two use-of-force experts told The Associated Press that the officer clearly restrained the man too long. They noted the man was under control and no longer fighting. Andrew Scott, a former Boca Raton, Florida, police chief who now testifies as an expert witness in use-of-force cases, called Mr. Floyd’s death “a combination of not being trained properly or disregarding their training.”
“He couldn’t move. He was telling them he couldn’t breathe, and they ignored him,” Mr. Scott said. “I can’t even describe it. It was difficult to watch.”
In a post on his Facebook page, the mayor, who is white, apologized Tuesday to the black community for the officer’s treatment of Mr. Floyd, who worked security at a restaurant.
“Being Black in America should not be a death sentence. For five minutes, we watched a white officer press his knee into a Black man’s neck. Five minutes. When you hear someone calling for help, you’re supposed to help. This officer failed in the most basic, human sense,” Mr. Frey posted.
Police said the man matched the description of a suspect in a forgery case at a grocery store, and that he resisted arrest.
The video starts with the man on the ground, and does not show what happened in the moments prior. The unidentified officer is kneeling on his neck, ignoring his pleas. “Please, please, please, I can’t breathe. Please, man,” said Mr. Floyd, who has his face against the pavement.
Even in the coronavirus pandemic that has killed nearly 100,000 people in the United States and prompted police departments around the country to change how they’re doing work, the officers in the video aren’t wearing masks. In some cities, low-level arrests such as attempted forgery are skipped right now.
Mr. Floyd also moans. One of the officers tells him to “relax.” Mr. Floyd calls for his mother and says: “My stomach hurts, my neck hurts, everything hurts ... I can’t breathe.” As bystanders shout their concern, one officer says, “He’s talking, so he’s breathing.”
But Mr. Floyd slowly becomes motionless under the officer’s restraint. The officer does not remove his knee until the man is loaded onto a gurney by paramedics.
Several witnesses had gathered on a nearby sidewalk, some recording the scene on their phones. The bystanders become increasingly agitated. One man yells repeatedly. “He’s not responsive right now!” Two witnesses, including one woman who said she was a Minneapolis firefighter, yell at the officers to check the man’s pulse. “Check his pulse right now and tell me what it is!” she said.
At one point, an officer says: “Don’t do drugs, guys.” And one man yells, “Don’t do drugs, bro? What is that? What do you think this is?”
The Hennepin County medical examiner identified Mr. Floyd but said the cause of death was pending.
Mr. Floyd had worked security for five years at a restaurant called Conga Latin Bistro and rented a home from the restaurant owner, Jovanni Thunstrom.
He was “a good friend, person, and a good tenant,” the restaurateur told the Star Tribune. “He was family. His co-workers and friends loved him.”
Ben Crump, a prominent civil rights and personal injury attorney, said he had been hired by Mr. Floyd’s family.
The death came amid outrage over the death of Ahmaud Arbery, who was fatally shot on Feb. 23 in Georgia after a white father and son pursued the black man they had spotted running in their subdivision. More than two months passed before charges were brought. Mr. Crump also represents Mr. Arbery's father.
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
This story was reported by The Associated Press. AP writers Gretchen Ehlke in Milwaukee and Todd Richmond in Madison, Wisconsin, contributed to this report.
Editor’s note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.


csmonitor--2020-03-12--In abrupt shift, Trump cuts off travel from Europe to US

Taking dramatic action , President Donald Trump sharply restricted passenger travel from 26 European nations to the United States and moved to ease the economic cost of a viral pandemic that is roiling global financial markets and disrupting the daily lives of Americans .
Mr. Trump , in a rare Oval Office address to the nation Wednesday night , said the monthlong restriction on travel would begin late Friday , at midnight .
After days of playing down the coronavirus threat , he blamed Europe for not acting quickly enough to address the “ foreign virus ” and claimed that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ European travelers .
“ We made a lifesaving move with early action on China , '' Mr. Trump said .
`` Now we must take the same action with Europe . ''
The European Union quickly slammed Mr. Trump 's `` unilateral '' decision , declaring that the coronavirus pandemic is a `` global crisis , not limited to any continent and it requires cooperation rather than unilateral action . ''
Mr. Trump said the restrictions wo n't apply to the United Kingdom , and there would be exemptions for `` Americans who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the U.S. would monitor the situation to determine if travel could be reopened earlier .
The State Department followed Trump 's remarks by issuing an extraordinary global health advisory cautioning U.S. citizens to “ reconsider travel abroad ” due to the virus and associated quarantines and restrictions .
Mr. Trump spoke after days of confusion in Washington and in the face of mounting calls on the president to demonstrate greater leadership .
At times , though , his remarks contributed to the uncertainty .
While Mr. Trump said all European travel would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later clarified that the new travel restrictions would apply only to most foreign nationals who have been in the `` Schengen Area '' at any point for 14 days prior to their scheduled arrival to the United States .
The area includes France , Italy , German , Greece , Austria , Belgium , and others , and the White House said the zone has the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases outside of mainland China .
The restrictions do n't apply to legal permanent residents , immediate family of U.S. citizens , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' signed by Mr. Trump .
And Mr. Trump misspoke when he said the prohibitions would `` not only apply to the tremendous amount of trade and cargo , but various other things . ''
The official proclamation released after Mr. Trump spoke made clear it applies to people , not goods and cargo .
The Oval Office address represented an abrupt shift in tone from a president who has repeatedly sought to play down the severity of the virus outbreak .
Many Americans shared a similar mindset in recent weeks , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mood : Communities canceled public events nationwide , universities moved to cancel in-person classes , and families grappled with the impact of disruptions to public schools .
The number of confirmed cases of the infection topped 1,000 in the U.S. and the World Health Organization declared the global crisis is now a pandemic .
Even as Mr. Trump spoke from behind the Resolute Desk , the pandemic ’ s rewriting of American daily life continued .
The National Basketball Association suspended its season , and Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks announced that he and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tested positive for COVID-19 .
The first confirmed case on Capitol Hill was reported in a legislative staffer .
After Mr. Trump spoke , the White House cancelled a planned trip by the president to Nevada and Colorado this week , `` out of an abundance of caution . ''
Mr. Trump 's re-election campaign also postponed a planned March 19 event in Milwaukee that was set to feature the president .
After a week of mixed messages and false starts , and as government officials warned in increasingly urgent terms that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worse , Washington suddenly seemed poised to act .
Congress unveiled a multibillion-dollar aid package Wednesday that was expected to be voted on by the House as soon as Thursday .
S & P 500 futures went from a loss of about 0.4 % before Mr. Trump spoke to a decline of 1.5 % afterwards .
The decline in the futures market followed a steep 4.9 % drop in regular trading Wednesday .
Wall Street investors are increasingly concerned that the Trump administration and other governments won ’ t be able to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ causing significant damage to the global economy .
After Mr. Trump ’ s address , Defense Secretary Mark Esper announced a series of moves , including restrictions for 60 days on travel by service members , Defense Department civilians , and their families to , from and through the four counties currently designated by the Centers for Disease Control as the highest risk COVID-19 counties – China , Iran , South Korea , and Italy .
In his remarks , Trump focused more on the threat of travel continuing to bring in illness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the country there already is `` community spread '' – meaning people who do n't have a known travel exposure are becoming infected .
In an omission that Democratic leaders called `` alarming , '' Mr. Trump left unaddressed the testing backlog that is hampering efforts to learn just how many Americans already are infected .
And while he warned the elderly to avoid risky crowds , advised nursing homes to suspend visitors , and told sick people to stay home from work , he didn ’ t address one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to handle the sick or will be overwhelmed .
Georgetown University public health expert Lawrence Gostin tweeted in reaction to Mr. Trump 's speech , `` Most of Europe is as safe as US , '' and COVID-19 `` is already here ; germs do n't respect borders . ''
Mr. Trump said he was also directing agencies to provide unspecified financial relief for `` for workers who are ill , quarantined or caring for others due to coronavirus , '' and asked Congress to take action to extend it .
White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's announcement .
Mr. Trump said the U.S. will defer tax payments for some individual and business filers for three months to lessen the impacts of the virus outbreak .
He said the Small Business Administration will also make low-interest loans available to businesses to help them weather the storm .
`` This is not a financial crisis , '' he said .
`` This just a temporary moment of time that we will overcome together as a nation and as a world . ''
Mr. Trump also reiterated his call on Congress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ payroll tax in order to stimulate the economy , though that idea has been dismissed by many lawmakers on both sides of the aisle .
He remained silent on his previous calls to provide assistance to industries hard-hit by the pandemic like airlines and cruise ships .
On Capitol Hill , House Democrats late Wednesday introduced an economic assistance plan that would provide free coronavirus testing nationwide and emergency funding to reimburse lost paychecks for those self-quarantining , missing work or losing jobs amid the outbreak .
The draft legislation contains a new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus victims and caregivers – two-thirds of an employee 's monthly income for up to three months – as well as a permanent mandate for employers to provide up to seven days of sick leave for their workers and 14 days leave in case of public health emergencies .
Facing a likely surge in unemployment claims , the package would also give states money for the newly jobless .
It would provide additional funding for food and nutrition benefits for pregnant women , mothers , and young children .
It also would up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and food for low-income elderly people , as well as additional Medicaid funding for states facing a fiscal crunch .
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin , whom Mr. Trump tapped to negotiate with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , urged Congress `` to pass legislation quickly . ''
But while the ambitious package should breeze through the House on Thursday , Senate Republicans are likely to seek changes .
The administration had floated several other strategies , including the rare idea of declaring a national disaster that could potentially unlock funding streams , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and granted anonymity .
But Mr. Trump ultimately opted against taking that step Wednesday .
Mr. Trump , 73 , is considered at higher risk because of his age and has repeatedly flouted the advice of public health experts , who have advised the public to stop hand-shaking and practice social distancing .
But that did n't stop him from calling on fellow citizens to help combat the virus ' spread .
`` For all Americans , it is essential that everyone take extra precautions and practice good hygiene .
Each of us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this virus , '' he said .
The vast majority of people recover from the new virus .
According to the World Health Organization , people with mild illness recover in about two weeks , while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover .
Congress ' attending physician told staff there could be 70 million to 100 million coronavirus cases in the U.S. That 's on par with other estimates .
A Harvard official has estimated that 20 % to 60 % of adults will get the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pretty wide range.
” In Washington , tourists still arrived at the U.S. Capitol , but an official unauthorized to discuss the situation and speaking on condition of anonymity confirmed that tours would soon be shut down .
This story was reported by The Associated Press .
AP writers Lauran Neergaard , Martin Crutsinger , Laurie Kellman and Kevin Freking in Washington contributed to this report .

Taking dramatic action, President Donald Trump sharply restricted passenger travel from 26 European nations to the United States and moved to ease the economic cost of a viral pandemic that is roiling global financial markets and disrupting the daily lives of Americans.
Mr. Trump, in a rare Oval Office address to the nation Wednesday night, said the monthlong restriction on travel would begin late Friday, at midnight. After days of playing down the coronavirus threat, he blamed Europe for not acting quickly enough to address the “foreign virus” and claimed that U.S. clusters were “seeded” by European travelers.
“We made a lifesaving move with early action on China," Mr. Trump said. "Now we must take the same action with Europe."
The European Union quickly slammed Mr. Trump's "unilateral" decision, declaring that the coronavirus pandemic is a "global crisis, not limited to any continent and it requires cooperation rather than unilateral action."
Mr. Trump said the restrictions won't apply to the United Kingdom, and there would be exemptions for "Americans who have undergone appropriate screenings." He said the U.S. would monitor the situation to determine if travel could be reopened earlier.
The State Department followed Trump's remarks by issuing an extraordinary global health advisory cautioning U.S. citizens to “reconsider travel abroad” due to the virus and associated quarantines and restrictions.
Mr. Trump spoke after days of confusion in Washington and in the face of mounting calls on the president to demonstrate greater leadership. At times, though, his remarks contributed to the uncertainty.
While Mr. Trump said all European travel would be cut off, Homeland Security officials later clarified that the new travel restrictions would apply only to most foreign nationals who have been in the "Schengen Area" at any point for 14 days prior to their scheduled arrival to the United States. The area includes France, Italy, German, Greece, Austria, Belgium, and others, and the White House said the zone has the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases outside of mainland China.
The restrictions don't apply to legal permanent residents, immediate family of U.S. citizens, or others "identified in the proclamation" signed by Mr. Trump.
And Mr. Trump misspoke when he said the prohibitions would "not only apply to the tremendous amount of trade and cargo, but various other things." The official proclamation released after Mr. Trump spoke made clear it applies to people, not goods and cargo.
The Oval Office address represented an abrupt shift in tone from a president who has repeatedly sought to play down the severity of the virus outbreak. Many Americans shared a similar mindset in recent weeks, but the grueling events of Wednesday changed the mood: Communities canceled public events nationwide, universities moved to cancel in-person classes, and families grappled with the impact of disruptions to public schools. The number of confirmed cases of the infection topped 1,000 in the U.S. and the World Health Organization declared the global crisis is now a pandemic.
Even as Mr. Trump spoke from behind the Resolute Desk, the pandemic’s rewriting of American daily life continued. The National Basketball Association suspended its season, and Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks announced that he and his wife, Rita Wilson, had tested positive for COVID-19. The first confirmed case on Capitol Hill was reported in a legislative staffer.
After Mr. Trump spoke, the White House cancelled a planned trip by the president to Nevada and Colorado this week, "out of an abundance of caution." Mr. Trump's re-election campaign also postponed a planned March 19 event in Milwaukee that was set to feature the president.
After a week of mixed messages and false starts, and as government officials warned in increasingly urgent terms that the outbreak in the U.S. will only get worse, Washington suddenly seemed poised to act.
Congress unveiled a multibillion-dollar aid package Wednesday that was expected to be voted on by the House as soon as Thursday.
S&P 500 futures went from a loss of about 0.4% before Mr. Trump spoke to a decline of 1.5% afterwards. The decline in the futures market followed a steep 4.9% drop in regular trading Wednesday. Wall Street investors are increasingly concerned that the Trump administration and other governments won’t be able to do enough to prevent the virus outbreak from causing significant damage to the global economy.
After Mr. Trump’s address, Defense Secretary Mark Esper announced a series of moves, including restrictions for 60 days on travel by service members, Defense Department civilians, and their families to, from and through the four counties currently designated by the Centers for Disease Control as the highest risk COVID-19 counties – China, Iran, South Korea, and Italy.
In his remarks, Trump focused more on the threat of travel continuing to bring in illness when, in fact, in parts of the country there already is "community spread" – meaning people who don't have a known travel exposure are becoming infected.
In an omission that Democratic leaders called "alarming," Mr. Trump left unaddressed the testing backlog that is hampering efforts to learn just how many Americans already are infected. And while he warned the elderly to avoid risky crowds, advised nursing homes to suspend visitors, and told sick people to stay home from work, he didn’t address one of the biggest concerns — whether hospitals are equipped to handle the sick or will be overwhelmed.
Georgetown University public health expert Lawrence Gostin tweeted in reaction to Mr. Trump's speech, "Most of Europe is as safe as US," and COVID-19 "is already here; germs don't respect borders."
Mr. Trump said he was also directing agencies to provide unspecified financial relief for "for workers who are ill, quarantined or caring for others due to coronavirus," and asked Congress to take action to extend it. White House aides declined to provide details on Trump's announcement.
Mr. Trump said the U.S. will defer tax payments for some individual and business filers for three months to lessen the impacts of the virus outbreak. He said the Small Business Administration will also make low-interest loans available to businesses to help them weather the storm.
"This is not a financial crisis," he said. "This just a temporary moment of time that we will overcome together as a nation and as a world."
Mr. Trump also reiterated his call on Congress to pass a cut to the federal payroll tax in order to stimulate the economy, though that idea has been dismissed by many lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. He remained silent on his previous calls to provide assistance to industries hard-hit by the pandemic like airlines and cruise ships.
On Capitol Hill, House Democrats late Wednesday introduced an economic assistance plan that would provide free coronavirus testing nationwide and emergency funding to reimburse lost paychecks for those self-quarantining, missing work or losing jobs amid the outbreak.
The draft legislation contains a new, temporary federal sick leave benefit for coronavirus victims and caregivers – two-thirds of an employee's monthly income for up to three months – as well as a permanent mandate for employers to provide up to seven days of sick leave for their workers and 14 days leave in case of public health emergencies.
Facing a likely surge in unemployment claims, the package would also give states money for the newly jobless. It would provide additional funding for food and nutrition benefits for pregnant women, mothers, and young children.
It also would up money for “meals on wheels” and food for low-income elderly people, as well as additional Medicaid funding for states facing a fiscal crunch.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, whom Mr. Trump tapped to negotiate with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, urged Congress "to pass legislation quickly." But while the ambitious package should breeze through the House on Thursday, Senate Republicans are likely to seek changes.
The administration had floated several other strategies, including the rare idea of declaring a national disaster that could potentially unlock funding streams, according to a person unauthorized to discuss the planning and granted anonymity. But Mr. Trump ultimately opted against taking that step Wednesday.
Mr. Trump, 73, is considered at higher risk because of his age and has repeatedly flouted the advice of public health experts, who have advised the public to stop hand-shaking and practice social distancing. But that didn't stop him from calling on fellow citizens to help combat the virus' spread. "For all Americans, it is essential that everyone take extra precautions and practice good hygiene. Each of us has a role to play in defeating this virus," he said.
The vast majority of people recover from the new virus. According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover.
Congress' attending physician told staff there could be 70 million to 100 million coronavirus cases in the U.S. That's on par with other estimates. A Harvard official has estimated that 20% to 60% of adults will get the virus, noting it's “a pretty wide range.”
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
In Washington, tourists still arrived at the U.S. Capitol, but an official unauthorized to discuss the situation and speaking on condition of anonymity confirmed that tours would soon be shut down.
This story was reported by The Associated Press. AP writers Lauran Neergaard, Martin Crutsinger, Laurie Kellman and Kevin Freking in Washington contributed to this report.