alternet--2020-12-31--'Disappointing': Fauci admits the Trump administration's vaccine rollout is not living up to its pro

'Disappointing': Fauci admits the Trump administration's vaccine rollout is not living up to its promises

Dr. Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , is not pleased with the Trump administration 's rollout of the coronavirus vaccine .
During an appearance on `` The TODAY Show , '' Fauci expressed concern about the slow distribution of the vaccine as he shared details about the year-end goal he had in mind .
`` We would have liked to have seen it run smoothly and have 20 million doses into people today by the end of the 2020 , which was the projection , '' Fauci said on Thursday , Dec. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't happen , and that 's disappointing . ''
Fauci went on to discuss the additional effort needed where resources are concerned .
According to the nation 's top infectious disease expert , there will likely need to be serious changes in the coming weeks to effectively vaccinate a substantial number of Americans .
`` There really has to be a lot more effort in the sense of resources for the locals , namely , the states , the cities , the counties , the places where the vaccine is actually going into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
However , he did admit that there is a silver lining .
Despite President Donald Trump 's continued efforts to undermine science and the recommendations regarding public health , Fauci believes science will ultimately prevail as more vaccines will likely be made readily available over the next few months .
`` The good news is that science has and will come to the rescue getting us vaccines , '' he said .
`` More than one vaccine , hopefully , five , six , seven or more vaccines throughout the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this and put this in the rear-view mirror , behind us . ''
As of Thursday , Dec. 31 , the United States has reported a total of 20,260,964 positive coronavirus cases since the beginning of the pandemic .
A total of 351,697 Americans have also died due to complications of coronavirus .

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is not pleased with the Trump administration's rollout of the coronavirus vaccine.
During an appearance on "The TODAY Show," Fauci expressed concern about the slow distribution of the vaccine as he shared details about the year-end goal he had in mind.
"We would have liked to have seen it run smoothly and have 20 million doses into people today by the end of the 2020, which was the projection," Fauci said on Thursday, Dec. 31. "Obviously, it didn't happen, and that's disappointing."
Fauci went on to discuss the additional effort needed where resources are concerned. According to the nation's top infectious disease expert, there will likely need to be serious changes in the coming weeks to effectively vaccinate a substantial number of Americans.
"There really has to be a lot more effort in the sense of resources for the locals, namely, the states, the cities, the counties, the places where the vaccine is actually going into the arms of individuals," he said.
However, he did admit that there is a silver lining. Despite President Donald Trump's continued efforts to undermine science and the recommendations regarding public health, Fauci believes science will ultimately prevail as more vaccines will likely be made readily available over the next few months.
"The good news is that science has and will come to the rescue getting us vaccines," he said. "More than one vaccine, hopefully, five, six, seven or more vaccines throughout the world, that will get us out of this and put this in the rear-view mirror, behind us."
As of Thursday, Dec. 31, the United States has reported a total of 20,260,964 positive coronavirus cases since the beginning of the pandemic. A total of 351,697 Americans have also died due to complications of coronavirus.


alternet--2020-12-31--Government official confirms stunning report about Trump administration 'violations'

A career employee for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is confirming details about many of the Trump administration 's violations , behaviors , and practices .
A new report published by Politico highlights the days following the departure of Tom Novotny , who previously served as the Assistant Surgeon General in the U.S. Public Health Service and Deputy Assistant Secretary for International and Refugee Health .
Joshua Prasad , who served as a public health adviser under Novotny , penned a letter about his Sept. 13 , 2017 meeting where he claims he was `` pushed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then swiftly marched out of the building by security . ''
The timing of Prasad 's firing raised red flags .
The termination is said to have gone into effect on Sept. 15 , 2017 just one day before `` Prasad 's protections as a career civil servant would have kicked in , which would have made it nearly impossible for the Trump administration to swiftly fire him . ''
When Prasad was used as an example for other employees within the department , it left a wave that reportedly `` lingered with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was instructed not to talk to anyone , even longtime teammates that saw him escorted out the door , '' according to the publication .
`` Science and Medicine , in my opinion , has been a particularly important team in [ our office ] in recent years , '' Prasad wrote in a subsequent resignation letter , obtained by POLITICO , in which he pleaded with the office 's acting leader to preserve his colleagues ' efforts to protect LGBTQ health , improve tobacco control and gather data on racial disparities , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I hope that you and your new teams will find a way to keep the ideas , leadership and passions provided by our team alive . ''
Kimberly Konkel , a career HHS official also weighed in on the editorial as she confirmed that she witnessed many of the violations detailed in the piece .
`` I am a witness to these behaviors/practices .
I was asked to pray twice by the same Trump official , '' Konkel tweeted .
`` Once in a cafeteria with our team & once in a 1:1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was then removed from my position .
She added , `` This is what I 'm referring to : 'Other violations of what career HHS employees saw as good government popped up nearly every week .
Trump appointees asked career staff to join them in prayer before meetings , said two officials . '
'' Many former HHS officials noted the many changes within the federal agency that took place seemingly overnight after Trump 's Inauguration in 2017 .
`` They ran all of HHS like it was a political campaign and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one former official who recalled the stark changes that appeared to happen `` overnight after Inauguration Day in 2017 .
The former official also noted the change in television networks .
Instead of a rotation between networks as had been standard during the previous administration , the Trump administration trained all televisions on Fox News .
`` In the Obama administration , the TVs rotated between Fox News , MSNBC , and CNN , '' the former official added .
`` But things changed very rapidly under Trump , with Fox News being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It 's like they only wanted the TVs to repeat the news they wanted to hear . ''
The series of events that unfolded following Novotny 's departure set the tone for the Trump administration 's chaotic coronavirus pandemic response .
The firings that took place in September of 2017 were merely a prelude to Trump 's pressuring and undermining of scientists amid the pandemic .
`` Years before Trump 's deputies pressured scientists to rush the president 's preferred malaria drugs as Covid-19 treatments without evidence of their effectiveness , Trump 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ variety of health programs — from Obamacare ads to teen pregnancy prevention — driven by their own beliefs rather than data showing that the programs did n't work . ''
The Trump administration 's impact continues to ravage the United States .
As of Thursday , Dec. 31 , there have been more than 20 million coronavirus cases reported across the country .
America 's COVID-related death toll has now surpassed 350,000 .

A career employee for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is confirming details about many of the Trump administration's violations, behaviors, and practices.
A new report published by Politico highlights the days following the departure of Tom Novotny, who previously served as the Assistant Surgeon General in the U.S. Public Health Service and Deputy Assistant Secretary for International and Refugee Health. Joshua Prasad, who served as a public health adviser under Novotny, penned a letter about his Sept. 13, 2017 meeting where he claims he was "pushed to resign or be fired himself, and then swiftly marched out of the building by security."
The timing of Prasad's firing raised red flags. The termination is said to have gone into effect on Sept. 15, 2017 just one day before "Prasad's protections as a career civil servant would have kicked in, which would have made it nearly impossible for the Trump administration to swiftly fire him."
When Prasad was used as an example for other employees within the department, it left a wave that reportedly "lingered with them for months — especially because Prasad was instructed not to talk to anyone, even longtime teammates that saw him escorted out the door," according to the publication.
"Science and Medicine, in my opinion, has been a particularly important team in [our office] in recent years," Prasad wrote in a subsequent resignation letter, obtained by POLITICO, in which he pleaded with the office's acting leader to preserve his colleagues' efforts to protect LGBTQ health, improve tobacco control and gather data on racial disparities, among other public health priorities. "I hope that you and your new teams will find a way to keep the ideas, leadership and passions provided by our team alive."
Kimberly Konkel, a career HHS official also weighed in on the editorial as she confirmed that she witnessed many of the violations detailed in the piece.
"I am a witness to these behaviors/practices. I was asked to pray twice by the same Trump official," Konkel tweeted. "Once in a cafeteria with our team & once in a 1:1 at the start our first meeting. I was then removed from my position.
She added, "This is what I'm referring to: 'Other violations of what career HHS employees saw as good government popped up nearly every week. Trump appointees asked career staff to join them in prayer before meetings, said two officials.'"
Many former HHS officials noted the many changes within the federal agency that took place seemingly overnight after Trump's Inauguration in 2017.
"They ran all of HHS like it was a political campaign and not an executive agency," said one former official who recalled the stark changes that appeared to happen "overnight after Inauguration Day in 2017.
The former official also noted the change in television networks. Instead of a rotation between networks as had been standard during the previous administration, the Trump administration trained all televisions on Fox News. "In the Obama administration, the TVs rotated between Fox News, MSNBC, and CNN," the former official added. "But things changed very rapidly under Trump, with Fox News being put on all the TVs. … It's like they only wanted the TVs to repeat the news they wanted to hear."
The series of events that unfolded following Novotny's departure set the tone for the Trump administration's chaotic coronavirus pandemic response. The firings that took place in September of 2017 were merely a prelude to Trump's pressuring and undermining of scientists amid the pandemic.
"Years before Trump's deputies pressured scientists to rush the president's preferred malaria drugs as Covid-19 treatments without evidence of their effectiveness, Trump's deputies pressured health officials to kill a variety of health programs — from Obamacare ads to teen pregnancy prevention — driven by their own beliefs rather than data showing that the programs didn't work."
The Trump administration's impact continues to ravage the United States. As of Thursday, Dec. 31, there have been more than 20 million coronavirus cases reported across the country. America's COVID-related death toll has now surpassed 350,000.


alternet--2020-12-31--New report details how Republicans are pulling the wool over the eyes of their own voters

Some progressive Democrats have argued that if GOP voters knew more about their party 's positions , they would n't be voting Republican .
Of course , many GOP voters know exactly what they 're voting for , but others do n't — and Ethan Winter , an analyst for Data for Progress , takes a look at the more uninformed Republican voters in an article published on New Year 's Eve Day .
`` As part of a Data for Progress survey fielded in mid-November 2020 , '' Winter explains , `` I posed five questions to voters where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to each of their major parties .
To do this , I employed an A/B split , where half the sample was asked if the Democrats supported a policy and the other half of the sample was asked if the Republicans supported that policy . ''
Winter adds that the issues he `` tested '' included : `` ( 1 ) protecting the ability of those with preexisting conditions to get health insurance , ( 2 ) expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act , ( 3 ) raising the minimum wage to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 4 ) allowing companies to dump mining debris into mountain streams . ''
The Data for Progress analyst found that a shocking amount of Republicans are voting for positions they disagree with — and they do n't even know it .
For example , Winter found that many GOP voters who oppose overturning the ACA and ending its protections for preexisting health conditions do n't realize that the Republicans they are voting for do n't share that position .
`` While 78 % of likely voters know , correctly , that Democrats support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a plurality , 45 , of likely voters , incorrectly , think that Republicans do as well , '' Winter observes .
`` Among voters that self-identify as Republican , 76 % think that their party supports these protections . ''
Winter adds , `` Likely voters do a slightly better job assigning policy positions when it comes to Medicaid expansion ; 72 % percent of voters know that Democrats support its expansion .
Still , a quarter , 25 % , of likely voters think that Republicans support this policy .
Among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % . ''
Winter also found that `` almost a third , 30 % , of Republicans think that their party supports increasing the minimum wage to $ 15 an hour . ''
In February 2017 — President Donald Trump 's first full month in office — a Morning Consult poll showed just how uninformed some Republican voters are .
According to Morning Consult , 72 % of Republicans surveyed realized that Obamacare and the Affordable Care Act of 2010 were the same thing — which means that 28 % did n't .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there were Republican voters who did n't realize they were contradicting themselves by saying that they supported Trump 's desire to end Obamacare but were opposed to repealing the Affordable Care Act .
That same month , the Los Angeles Times ' Noam M. Levy profiled a Florida resident named Kathy Watson — who , at the time , was a 55-year-old cancer survivor and a diabetic who , Levy reported , `` credits Obamacare with saving her life . ''
Yet she voted for Trump in 2016 .
Winter concludes his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forward , will need to do better job laying out the positions of the political parties they are reporting on .
`` For politics to rebalance at a healthier outcome where voters are actually able to assign the correct positions to the parties , '' Winter writes , `` we will need a new kind of reporting — one that does n't flinch from assigning policy views to the parties or drawing out the implications of these ideas in clear and materially-grounded terms .
Without that , our politics will continue to march @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ''

Some progressive Democrats have argued that if GOP voters knew more about their party's positions, they wouldn't be voting Republican. Of course, many GOP voters know exactly what they're voting for, but others don't — and Ethan Winter, an analyst for Data for Progress, takes a look at the more uninformed Republican voters in an article published on New Year's Eve Day.
"As part of a Data for Progress survey fielded in mid-November 2020," Winter explains, "I posed five questions to voters where I asked them to assign policy positions to each of their major parties. To do this, I employed an A/B split, where half the sample was asked if the Democrats supported a policy and the other half of the sample was asked if the Republicans supported that policy."
Winter adds that the issues he "tested" included: "(1) protecting the ability of those with preexisting conditions to get health insurance, (2) expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, (3) raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, and (4) allowing companies to dump mining debris into mountain streams."
The Data for Progress analyst found that a shocking amount of Republicans are voting for positions they disagree with — and they don't even know it. For example, Winter found that many GOP voters who oppose overturning the ACA and ending its protections for preexisting health conditions don't realize that the Republicans they are voting for don't share that position.
"While 78% of likely voters know, correctly, that Democrats support protections for those with preexisting conditions, a plurality, 45, of likely voters, incorrectly, think that Republicans do as well," Winter observes. "Among voters that self-identify as Republican, 76% think that their party supports these protections."
Winter adds, "Likely voters do a slightly better job assigning policy positions when it comes to Medicaid expansion; 72% percent of voters know that Democrats support its expansion. Still, a quarter, 25%, of likely voters think that Republicans support this policy. Among Republicans, this number sits at 38%."
Winter also found that "almost a third, 30%, of Republicans think that their party supports increasing the minimum wage to $15 an hour."
In February 2017 — President Donald Trump's first full month in office — a Morning Consult poll showed just how uninformed some Republican voters are. According to Morning Consult, 72% of Republicans surveyed realized that Obamacare and the Affordable Care Act of 2010 were the same thing — which means that 28% didn't. That poll explains why, in 2017, there were Republican voters who didn't realize they were contradicting themselves by saying that they supported Trump's desire to end Obamacare but were opposed to repealing the Affordable Care Act.
That same month, the Los Angeles Times' Noam M. Levy profiled a Florida resident named Kathy Watson — who, at the time, was a 55-year-old cancer survivor and a diabetic who, Levy reported, "credits Obamacare with saving her life." Yet she voted for Trump in 2016.
Winter concludes his article by saying that reporters, going forward, will need to do better job laying out the positions of the political parties they are reporting on.
"For politics to rebalance at a healthier outcome where voters are actually able to assign the correct positions to the parties," Winter writes, "we will need a new kind of reporting — one that doesn't flinch from assigning policy views to the parties or drawing out the implications of these ideas in clear and materially-grounded terms. Without that, our politics will continue to march on in a fog of confusion."


alternet--2020-12-31--Conservative writer reveals 3 main fears insiders have about Trump's last days in office

Bill Kristol , like Charlie Sykes and many of his other colleagues at the conservative website The Bulwark , has been expressing his concerns about things that could go wrong before President-elect Joe Biden is inaugurated on January 20 .
In a Twitter thread posted on the last day of 2020 , the Never Trump journalist offers some reasons why Americans `` should not panic but should worry , even be a bit alarmed '' during this lame duck period .
And Kristol describes his concerns as the three I 's : Iran , the Insurrection Act and `` insanity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with former Trump Administration officials and with other former senior national security types who remain plugged in to the Pentagon , '' he said .
Kristol , a neocon who is known for his hawkish views on foreign policy , notes that January 3 will mark the first anniversary of the death of Gen. Qasem Soleimani — who was a leading figure in Iran 's military and the commander of the country 's elite Quds Force .
Soleimani was killed by a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad .
Kristol notes , `` There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to which a U.S. response , or conceivably preemptive action , would certainly be legitimate . ''
But he adds that he fears the possibility of Trump 's administration `` using an Iranian provocation to launch an action that 's way beyond proportionate , as well as the possibility of simply inventing a predicate for U.S .
action . ''
An `` Iranian retaliation , '' according to Kristol , `` would n't stop the transition or even endanger it '' — the transition being Biden 's inauguration — but the Never Trumper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ atmosphere of crisis and even chaos in which… .
the Insurrection Act might seem more doable . ''
Kristol is referring to the Insurrection Act of 1807 , which allows the president of the United States to deploy military troops and federalized National Guard troops under certain extreme circumstances .
Contemplating the possibility of President Donald Trump invoking the Insurrection Act during his final weeks in office , Kristol tweets , `` Even trying to invoke the Insurrection Act would create a full-blown constitutional and governmental crisis… .
The only reasons to worry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( mentioned ) this to allies in recent days , and , I 'm told , the senior civilians at ( the Department of Defense ) have been asking around — just in case !
— about how it would work . ''
Kristol adds , `` Of course , Trump is encouraging his supporters to come to ( Washington ) D.C. on January 6 ; it 's not at all unlikely there 'll be turmoil , disturbances , perhaps violence , which would obviously be Trump 's excuse for trying to invoke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the day in which the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives are set to meet for a joint session of Congress and vote to certify the Electoral College results , which found Biden winning 306 electoral votes .
The Bulwark co-founder wraps up his thread by discussing the `` third I : insanity . ''
According to Kristol , `` The third ' I ' is kind of a catchall , meant to capture the real craziness of many of those with whom Trump is consulting , but also , of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Pentagon… .
And even though the Trump appointees are serving in 'acting ' capacities , and are totally out of their depth , they do have actual authorities that are worrisome .
Their orders could be resisted or appealed or leaked or challenged as unlawful — but as one person put it to me , these civilian officials do have levers to pull or at least try to pull , and that 's worrisome . ''

Bill Kristol, like Charlie Sykes and many of his other colleagues at the conservative website The Bulwark, has been expressing his concerns about things that could go wrong before President-elect Joe Biden is inaugurated on January 20. In a Twitter thread posted on the last day of 2020, the Never Trump journalist offers some reasons why Americans "should not panic but should worry, even be a bit alarmed" during this lame duck period. And Kristol describes his concerns as the three I's: Iran, the Insurrection Act and "insanity."
"I've been speaking with former Trump Administration officials and with other former senior national security types who remain plugged in to the Pentagon," he said.
Kristol, a neocon who is known for his hawkish views on foreign policy, notes that January 3 will mark the first anniversary of the death of Gen. Qasem Soleimani — who was a leading figure in Iran's military and the commander of the country's elite Quds Force. Soleimani was killed by a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad.
Kristol notes, "There is the prospect of Iranian retaliation, to which a U.S. response, or conceivably preemptive action, would certainly be legitimate." But he adds that he fears the possibility of Trump's administration "using an Iranian provocation to launch an action that's way beyond proportionate, as well as the possibility of simply inventing a predicate for U.S. action."
An "Iranian retaliation," according to Kristol, "wouldn't stop the transition or even endanger it" — the transition being Biden's inauguration — but the Never Trumper worries that it could "create an atmosphere of crisis and even chaos in which…. the Insurrection Act might seem more doable."
Kristol is referring to the Insurrection Act of 1807, which allows the president of the United States to deploy military troops and federalized National Guard troops under certain extreme circumstances. Contemplating the possibility of President Donald Trump invoking the Insurrection Act during his final weeks in office, Kristol tweets, "Even trying to invoke the Insurrection Act would create a full-blown constitutional and governmental crisis…. The only reasons to worry about this are that Trump apparently has (mentioned) this to allies in recent days, and, I'm told, the senior civilians at (the Department of Defense) have been asking around — just in case! — about how it would work."
Kristol adds, "Of course, Trump is encouraging his supporters to come to (Washington) D.C. on January 6; it's not at all unlikely there'll be turmoil, disturbances, perhaps violence, which would obviously be Trump's excuse for trying to invoke the Act."
January 6 is the day in which the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives are set to meet for a joint session of Congress and vote to certify the Electoral College results, which found Biden winning 306 electoral votes.
The Bulwark co-founder wraps up his thread by discussing the "third I: insanity."
According to Kristol, "The third 'I' is kind of a catchall, meant to capture the real craziness of many of those with whom Trump is consulting, but also, of many of the newly installed Trump civilians in the Pentagon…. And even though the Trump appointees are serving in 'acting' capacities, and are totally out of their depth, they do have actual authorities that are worrisome. Their orders could be resisted or appealed or leaked or challenged as unlawful — but as one person put it to me, these civilian officials do have levers to pull or at least try to pull, and that's worrisome."


alternet--2020-12-31--Biden is inheriting a failed state

Biden is inheriting a failed state

In the waning days of the Trump presidency , there 's a steady drumbeat coming from the corporate news media and its pundits : the suggestion that , come Jan. 21 , everything will suddenly and magically return to `` normal . ''
Never mind the mounting COVID death toll , which on several days this month has spiked above 3,000 a day .
The projection of normalcy is essential to preserving the existing economic order , to organize our self-image as the noblest of nations built on the wisdom of great white men , the landed gentry , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on slavery — were divinely inspired when they wrote the Constitution .
After four years with Donald Trump at the helm , one would have to be a comatose ancestor worshipper not to see how Trump exploited the shaky 18th-century architecture of patriotism for his own family 's enrichment .
A man who failed to win the majority of the popular vote in 2016 had carte blanche to turn state against state in a COVID civil war that produced a body count that may end up rivaling that of the Rwandan civil war @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were used to kill 800,000 .
The Trumpian internecine conflict tore the nation asunder at the granular level .
Millions of once close-knit extended families have become alienated from each other over arguments as to the efficacy of wearing a mask or socially distancing .
And the legitimate public health remedy of social distancing and limiting in-person communication only encouraged the stratification of our society that was already well underway , thanks to late-stage vulture capitalism and its acceleration of wealth concentration .
Trump , by pitting red against blue , robbed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : cohesion .
But Trump was not happy with that alone .
He dug deeper , like the sadist he is , fanning the flames of racism and xenophobia that existed in volcanic fissures just below the surface of our nation .
He hoped to ride that lava flow of ash and burning cinder to realize his ambition .
But to finger Trump alone for our miserable situation fails to not fully grasp the awful truth that 's been decades in the making .
That true narrative reads more like science fiction than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recounting of our post-9/11 history it is .
As the world 's wealthiest nation , we invested vast sums in the deadliest and most ecologically destructive weapons known to man .
We cut public health spending and closed hospitals in rural and urban areas where the poor lived .
Life expectancy declined in the U.S. three years in a row , just as it did around the time of the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic .
Two decades into the 21st century , millions of American households either had no health care insurance or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the onset of the pandemic , we had a significant population of Americans beset with chronic disease and with inadequate medical care .
Even though we also have the most expensive health care system in the world .
In pre-COVID America , the vast wealth inequality we were seeing rivaled what we had experienced during the Great Depression .
Now , in the jaws of this killer virus , the daily experience gap between those who are privileged enough to work from home , and those forced by economics to go out in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , harkens back to the era of feudalism : the nobility safe in the castle , while the `` essential '' serfs must face bandits , wolves and weather outside the walls .
`` There are the college-educated knowledge-based workers , who can continue to work insulated in their homes , who are served by the essential workers in transit and retail sectors who have to be out in the world to serve them , '' observed Dr. Harriet Fraad , a New York psychotherapist who focuses on the intersection of family life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during this pandemic that it 's the poor and working class , made up primarily of women and people of color , who are more likely to die . ''
In his victory speech , President-elect Joe Biden pledged `` to be a president who seeks not to divide but unify '' and who will seek to `` heal and restore the American soul . ''
That presumes America had a soul before the pandemic .
A fully honest examination of the struggles of tens of millions of American households before COVID , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic , suggests we have yet to find it .

In the waning days of the Trump presidency, there's a steady drumbeat coming from the corporate news media and its pundits: the suggestion that, come Jan. 21, everything will suddenly and magically return to "normal."
Never mind the mounting COVID death toll, which on several days this month has spiked above 3,000 a day.
The projection of normalcy is essential to preserving the existing economic order, to organize our self-image as the noblest of nations built on the wisdom of great white men, the landed gentry, who — with the exception of their reliance on slavery — were divinely inspired when they wrote the Constitution.
After four years with Donald Trump at the helm, one would have to be a comatose ancestor worshipper not to see how Trump exploited the shaky 18th-century architecture of patriotism for his own family's enrichment.
A man who failed to win the majority of the popular vote in 2016 had carte blanche to turn state against state in a COVID civil war that produced a body count that may end up rivaling that of the Rwandan civil war of the 1990s, when actual weapons were used to kill 800,000.
The Trumpian internecine conflict tore the nation asunder at the granular level. Millions of once close-knit extended families have become alienated from each other over arguments as to the efficacy of wearing a mask or socially distancing.
And the legitimate public health remedy of social distancing and limiting in-person communication only encouraged the stratification of our society that was already well underway, thanks to late-stage vulture capitalism and its acceleration of wealth concentration.
Trump, by pitting red against blue, robbed the entire county of its most essential defense: cohesion. But Trump was not happy with that alone. He dug deeper, like the sadist he is, fanning the flames of racism and xenophobia that existed in volcanic fissures just below the surface of our nation. He hoped to ride that lava flow of ash and burning cinder to realize his ambition.
But to finger Trump alone for our miserable situation fails to not fully grasp the awful truth that's been decades in the making. That true narrative reads more like science fiction than like the accurate, if bleak, recounting of our post-9/11 history it is.
As the world's wealthiest nation, we invested vast sums in the deadliest and most ecologically destructive weapons known to man. We cut public health spending and closed hospitals in rural and urban areas where the poor lived.
Life expectancy declined in the U.S. three years in a row, just as it did around the time of the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic. Two decades into the 21st century, millions of American households either had no health care insurance or were underinsured. Thus, well before the onset of the pandemic, we had a significant population of Americans beset with chronic disease and with inadequate medical care. Even though we also have the most expensive health care system in the world.
In pre-COVID America, the vast wealth inequality we were seeing rivaled what we had experienced during the Great Depression. Now, in the jaws of this killer virus, the daily experience gap between those who are privileged enough to work from home, and those forced by economics to go out in the world to earn their daily bread, harkens back to the era of feudalism: the nobility safe in the castle, while the "essential" serfs must face bandits, wolves and weather outside the walls.
"There are the college-educated knowledge-based workers, who can continue to work insulated in their homes, who are served by the essential workers in transit and retail sectors who have to be out in the world to serve them," observed Dr. Harriet Fraad, a New York psychotherapist who focuses on the intersection of family life and the economy. "This means during this pandemic that it's the poor and working class, made up primarily of women and people of color, who are more likely to die."
In his victory speech, President-elect Joe Biden pledged "to be a president who seeks not to divide but unify" and who will seek to "heal and restore the American soul."
That presumes America had a soul before the pandemic.
A fully honest examination of the struggles of tens of millions of American households before COVID, and how they have fared during the pandemic, suggests we have yet to find it.


alternet--2020-12-31--Trump worries he's losing his grip on the GOP: report

As January 6 approaches , President Donald Trump is doing all that he can to sow more seeds of chaos in a desperate attempt to maintain his grip on the Republican Party .
Publicly , Trump continues to post dangerous and unhinged tweets to further push his political agenda , but behind closed doors , sources close to the president have revealed he actually fears his Republican Party influence could be fading , according to The Daily Beast .
There are a number of occurrences that may confirm Trump 's fears , report found .
First , many Republican lawmakers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ win , despite Trump 's refusal to concede .
Second , many disregarded calls for $ 2,000 stimulus checks and the repeal of Section 230 of the Communication Decency Act .
They seem increasingly willing to ignore the president 's demand An inside source has also detailed some of Trump 's grievances : Trump 's latest remarks reportedly came during his stay at Mar-a-Lago over the Christmas holiday .
The publication reports that those who heard his remarks admitted that it is the closest he has come to facing the grim reality of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Trump is `` insistent that he was robbed of a re-election victory , '' but privately , `` he has privately groused that too many in his party are acknowledging the reality of his actual loss and showing signs of tiptoeing away from him . ''
However , the embattled president is still not done with Republican lawmakers .
Although his days in the White House are numbered , he is still maintaining a list of Republicans he believes have been disloyal to him as he fights to overturn the election results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ mental ] list of Republicans who he believes have wronged him since the election , '' an inside source close to the president said .
`` The president certainly wants it out there that he 's capable of holding a grudge , and that he has campaigned against [ some ] Republicans before and could do it again . ''
Lately , very little has been said about Trump 's 2024 plans to run for president again .
However , the list he is maintaining may suggest he still has future political @ @

As January 6 approaches, President Donald Trump is doing all that he can to sow more seeds of chaos in a desperate attempt to maintain his grip on the Republican Party.
Publicly, Trump continues to post dangerous and unhinged tweets to further push his political agenda, but behind closed doors, sources close to the president have revealed he actually fears his Republican Party influence could be fading, according to The Daily Beast.
There are a number of occurrences that may confirm Trump's fears, report found. First, many Republican lawmakers have acknowledged President-elect Joe Biden's election win, despite Trump's refusal to concede. Second, many disregarded calls for $2,000 stimulus checks and the repeal of Section 230 of the Communication Decency Act. They seem increasingly willing to ignore the president's demand
An inside source has also detailed some of Trump's grievances:
"Why aren't they just listening [to me]?" one of the sources recalled Trump asking during a diatribe against prominent GOPers who the president felt weren't fighting for him on his current battle lines: from nullifying the 2020 election outcome to torpedoing liability law for Big Tech, to sending out $2,000 checks for COVID-19 relief.
Trump's latest remarks reportedly came during his stay at Mar-a-Lago over the Christmas holiday. The publication reports that those who heard his remarks admitted that it is the closest he has come to facing the grim reality of his ending presidential reign. In public, Trump is "insistent that he was robbed of a re-election victory," but privately, "he has privately groused that too many in his party are acknowledging the reality of his actual loss and showing signs of tiptoeing away from him."
However, the embattled president is still not done with Republican lawmakers. Although his days in the White House are numbered, he is still maintaining a list of Republicans he believes have been disloyal to him as he fights to overturn the election results.
"He is keeping a running [mental] list of Republicans who he believes have wronged him since the election," an inside source close to the president said. "The president certainly wants it out there that he's capable of holding a grudge, and that he has campaigned against [some] Republicans before and could do it again."
Lately, very little has been said about Trump's 2024 plans to run for president again. However, the list he is maintaining may suggest he still has future political aspirations.


alternet--2020-12-31--Republican senator goes off on his own party for 'playing with fire' and trying to overturn the elec

Republican senator goes off on his own party for 'playing with fire' and trying to overturn the election

Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri and Rep. Mo Brooks of Alabama are among the far-right Republican supporters of President Donald Trump who have vowed to contest the Electoral College results when the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives meet for a joint session of Congress on January 6 .
Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska , however , is a conservative Republican who has acknowledged former Vice President Joe Biden as president-elect .
And in a lengthy Facebook post this week , Sasse denounces the actions of fellow Republicans who are refusing to accept the Electoral College results as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Sasse writes on Facebook , `` 160 million Americans voted .
On December 14 , members of the Electoral College — spread across all 50 states and the District of Columbia — assembled to cast their votes to confirm the winning candidate .
And on January 6 , the Congress will gather together to formally count the Electoral College 's votes and bring this process to a close .
Some members of the House and the Senate are apparently going to object to counting the votes of some states that were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rest of Senate Republicans , I have been approached by many Nebraskans demanding that I join in this project . ''
The Nebraska Republican continues , `` Having been in private conversation with two dozen of my colleagues over the past few weeks , it seems useful to explain in public why I will not be participating in a project to overturn the election — and why I have been urging my colleagues also to reject this dangerous ploy .
Every public official has a responsibility to tell the truth , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is — about our duties on January 6 , about claims of election fraud , and about what it takes to keep a republic . ''
Sasse goes on to lay out some reasons why he is so opposed to the `` dangerous ploy . ''
`` A member of the House and the Senate can object and , in order for the vote ( s ) in question to be dismissed , both chambers must vote to reject those votes , '' Sasse explains .
`` But is it wise ?
Is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Absolutely not .
Since the Electoral College Act of 1887 was passed into law in the aftermath of the Civil War , not a single electoral vote has ever been thrown out by the Congress . ''
The GOP senator sees no merit in Trump 's debunked and baseless claims of widespread voter fraud .
`` For President-elect Biden 's 306-232 Electoral College victory to be overturned , President Trump would need to flip multiple states , '' Sasse notes .
`` But not a single state is in legal doubt .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump voter in either 2016 or 2020 — I wrote in Mike Pence in both elections — I understand that many Trump supporters will not want to take my word for it . ''
Sasse goes into details on the election results in six states that Biden won : Pennsylvania , Wisconsin , Michigan , Georgia , Arizona and Nevada , stressing that hard evidence of widespread voter fraud in those states does n't exist .
And he notes that `` one of the President Trump 's strongest supporters , '' former Attorney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` We have not seen fraud on a scale that could have effected a different outcome in the election . ''
Sasse warns , `` The president and his allies are playing with fire .
They have been asking — first the courts , then state legislatures , now the Congress — to overturn the results of a presidential election .
They have unsuccessfully called on judges and are now calling on federal officeholders to invalidate millions and millions of votes .
If you make big claims , you had better have the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and neither do the institutional arsonist members of Congress who will object to the Electoral College vote . ''

Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri and Rep. Mo Brooks of Alabama are among the far-right Republican supporters of President Donald Trump who have vowed to contest the Electoral College results when the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives meet for a joint session of Congress on January 6. Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska, however, is a conservative Republican who has acknowledged former Vice President Joe Biden as president-elect. And in a lengthy Facebook post this week, Sasse denounces the actions of fellow Republicans who are refusing to accept the Electoral College results as "dangerous."
"In November," Sasse writes on Facebook, "160 million Americans voted. On December 14, members of the Electoral College — spread across all 50 states and the District of Columbia — assembled to cast their votes to confirm the winning candidate. And on January 6, the Congress will gather together to formally count the Electoral College's votes and bring this process to a close. Some members of the House and the Senate are apparently going to object to counting the votes of some states that were won by Joe Biden. Just like the rest of Senate Republicans, I have been approached by many Nebraskans demanding that I join in this project."
The Nebraska Republican continues, "Having been in private conversation with two dozen of my colleagues over the past few weeks, it seems useful to explain in public why I will not be participating in a project to overturn the election — and why I have been urging my colleagues also to reject this dangerous ploy. Every public official has a responsibility to tell the truth, and here's what I think the truth is — about our duties on January 6, about claims of election fraud, and about what it takes to keep a republic."
Sasse goes on to lay out some reasons why he is so opposed to the "dangerous ploy."
"A member of the House and the Senate can object and, in order for the vote(s) in question to be dismissed, both chambers must vote to reject those votes," Sasse explains. "But is it wise? Is there any real basis for it here? Absolutely not. Since the Electoral College Act of 1887 was passed into law in the aftermath of the Civil War, not a single electoral vote has ever been thrown out by the Congress."
The GOP senator sees no merit in Trump's debunked and baseless claims of widespread voter fraud.
"For President-elect Biden's 306-232 Electoral College victory to be overturned, President Trump would need to flip multiple states," Sasse notes. "But not a single state is in legal doubt. But given that I was not a Trump voter in either 2016 or 2020 — I wrote in Mike Pence in both elections — I understand that many Trump supporters will not want to take my word for it."
Sasse goes into details on the election results in six states that Biden won: Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada, stressing that hard evidence of widespread voter fraud in those states doesn't exist. And he notes that "one of the President Trump's strongest supporters," former Attorney General William Barr, bluntly said, "We have not seen fraud on a scale that could have effected a different outcome in the election."
Sasse warns, "The president and his allies are playing with fire. They have been asking — first the courts, then state legislatures, now the Congress — to overturn the results of a presidential election. They have unsuccessfully called on judges and are now calling on federal officeholders to invalidate millions and millions of votes. If you make big claims, you had better have the evidence. But the president doesn't, and neither do the institutional arsonist members of Congress who will object to the Electoral College vote."


alternet--2020-12-31--The L.A. coronavirus outbreak is so bad one hospital is treating patients in the waiting room: repor

The L.A. coronavirus outbreak is so bad one hospital is treating patients in the waiting room: report

California , in recent weeks , has been hit especially hard by the COVID-19 pandemic , and many of its hospitals are being overwhelmed with critically ill patients .
But the Los Angeles-area hospitals that are the most overwhelmed , according to the Los Angeles Times , are the ones serving primarily people of color and low-income patients .
Times reporters Matt Stiles , Emily Baumgaertner , Jaclyn Cosgrove and Andrew J. Campa , in an article published this week , explain that according to the publication 's research and analysis , `` densely populated and non-White communities '' are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care . ''
According to the journalists , `` Hospitals in South Los Angeles , the cities in Southeast L.A. County along the 710 Freeway and in parts of the southern San Gabriel Valley are experiencing the greatest capacity problems , the data showed .
Many of these facilities are relatively small and are less able to add intensive care staff or expand bed capacity than the county 's biggest hospitals . ''
The reporters continue , `` The data underscores how communities of color have been disproportionately hit by the pandemic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely to get the virus and die of it compared with Whites .
Low-income essential workers often get sick while on the job and then spread COVID-19 to family , officials have said . ''
Data release by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services , they write , `` shows that more than 6,000 patients with the coronavirus were hospitalized in L.A. County on average last week , nearly four times as many as a month ago , pushing the share of all admitted patients with the disease above 40 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Kaiser Permanente Downey Medical Center , where , according to the Times reporters , `` more than 80 % of the patients have or are suspected to have been infected with the virus . ''
`` Some new patients with the disease are being treated near the emergency department waiting area , in a triage room staffed with doctors , and some who are stable enough to leave are being sent home with oxygen , '' the Times journalists explain .
`` Patients were 'piled in administrative hallways , stuffed in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said one healthcare worker , who asked for anonymity out of fear of retribution .
When the emergency room ran out of crevices , staffers began treating people right in the waiting room . ''

California, in recent weeks, has been hit especially hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, and many of its hospitals are being overwhelmed with critically ill patients. But the Los Angeles-area hospitals that are the most overwhelmed, according to the Los Angeles Times, are the ones serving primarily people of color and low-income patients.
Times reporters Matt Stiles, Emily Baumgaertner, Jaclyn Cosgrove and Andrew J. Campa, in an article published this week, explain that according to the publication's research and analysis, "densely populated and non-White communities" are facing "the greatest challenge in providing care."
According to the journalists, "Hospitals in South Los Angeles, the cities in Southeast L.A. County along the 710 Freeway and in parts of the southern San Gabriel Valley are experiencing the greatest capacity problems, the data showed. Many of these facilities are relatively small and are less able to add intensive care staff or expand bed capacity than the county's biggest hospitals."
The reporters continue, "The data underscores how communities of color have been disproportionately hit by the pandemic, with Latino and Black residents far more likely to get the virus and die of it compared with Whites. Low-income essential workers often get sick while on the job and then spread COVID-19 to family, officials have said."
Data release by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, they write, "shows that more than 6,000 patients with the coronavirus were hospitalized in L.A. County on average last week, nearly four times as many as a month ago, pushing the share of all admitted patients with the disease above 40%."
The situation is especially dire at Kaiser Permanente Downey Medical Center, where, according to the Times reporters, "more than 80% of the patients have or are suspected to have been infected with the virus."
"Some new patients with the disease are being treated near the emergency department waiting area, in a triage room staffed with doctors, and some who are stable enough to leave are being sent home with oxygen," the Times journalists explain. "Patients were 'piled in administrative hallways, stuffed in the corners, hanging over chairs,' said one healthcare worker, who asked for anonymity out of fear of retribution. When the emergency room ran out of crevices, staffers began treating people right in the waiting room."


alternet--2020-12-31--Right-wing WSJ editorial board slams Trump's 'embarrassing' and desperate attempt to stay in power

It may seem as if President Donald Trump has done everything he possibly could to overturn the results of the presidential election but his most `` embarrassing '' ploy is likely yet to come , according to the Wall Street Journal editorial board .
According to a piece published Wednesday night , Trump 's worst attempt to invalidate President-elect Joe Biden 's win will likely come on January 6 during the Congressional hearing to formally record the Electoral College votes affirmed on Dec. 14 .
Trump is already demanding that Republican lawmakers push back to contest the results and ignore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans despite having little to no evidence of their reasons for doing so .
But despite the lack of evidence , there are a number of ways the situation could play out .
Based on the Electoral Count Act , `` if a state 's electors are challenged by both a Senator and a Representative , then each chamber is supposed to retire to consider it , '' the board explained .
`` If they rejected the electors of enough states to deny Mr. Biden 270 electoral votes , then the House would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ justification is where the problem lies .
Although Trump , his campaign legal team , and other allies have been relentless in tweeting about widespread voter fraud conspiracies , there is no substantial evidence that supports the magnitude of voter fraud Trump is suggesting .
More than 60 post-election lawsuits on his behalf have been rejected in courts across the country due to claims being completely false or unsupported .
His allegations that the election was rigged have been repeatedly debunked .
In fact , Trump is still posting nonsensical tweets several weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday , Dec. 31 , the president actually attacked Journal for failing `` to mention my big & easy wins in Texas , Florida , Ohio , Iowa & many other states '' despite his losing the full election .
While there have been a scarce number of Republicans willing to speak out in Trump 's defense , upholding an objection to the Electoral College vote would require a majority objection in both chambers , which likely will not happen .
Even if Trump opts to lean on the U.S. Constitution , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only allow Vice President Mike Pence to `` open all the certificates and the votes shall then be counted . ''
The publication notes that this does not give Pence `` unilateral authority to set aside electors . ''
The Wall Street Journal also lambasted Republicans for allowing Trump 's antics to go on for so long while placing Pence in a highly awkward predicament .
Despite Trump 's ploys , Biden received 306 electors leaving the lame-duck president with no definitive path to 270 .

It may seem as if President Donald Trump has done everything he possibly could to overturn the results of the presidential election but his most "embarrassing" ploy is likely yet to come, according to the Wall Street Journal editorial board.
According to a piece published Wednesday night, Trump's worst attempt to invalidate President-elect Joe Biden's win will likely come on January 6 during the Congressional hearing to formally record the Electoral College votes affirmed on Dec. 14.
Trump is already demanding that Republican lawmakers push back to contest the results and ignore the votes of more than 80 million Americans despite having little to no evidence of their reasons for doing so. But despite the lack of evidence, there are a number of ways the situation could play out.
Based on the Electoral Count Act, "if a state's electors are challenged by both a Senator and a Representative, then each chamber is supposed to retire to consider it," the board explained. "If they rejected the electors of enough states to deny Mr. Biden 270 electoral votes, then the House would choose the President."
However, justification is where the problem lies. Although Trump, his campaign legal team, and other allies have been relentless in tweeting about widespread voter fraud conspiracies, there is no substantial evidence that supports the magnitude of voter fraud Trump is suggesting. More than 60 post-election lawsuits on his behalf have been rejected in courts across the country due to claims being completely false or unsupported. His allegations that the election was rigged have been repeatedly debunked.
In fact, Trump is still posting nonsensical tweets several weeks after losing the presidential election. On Thursday, Dec. 31, the president actually attacked Journal for failing "to mention my big & easy wins in Texas, Florida, Ohio, Iowa & many other states" despite his losing the full election.
While there have been a scarce number of Republicans willing to speak out in Trump's defense, upholding an objection to the Electoral College vote would require a majority objection in both chambers, which likely will not happen. Even if Trump opts to lean on the U.S. Constitution, the Electoral College legalese in 12th Amendment would only allow Vice President Mike Pence to "open all the certificates and the votes shall then be counted."
The publication notes that this does not give Pence "unilateral authority to set aside electors." The Wall Street Journal also lambasted Republicans for allowing Trump's antics to go on for so long while placing Pence in a highly awkward predicament. Despite Trump's ploys, Biden received 306 electors leaving the lame-duck president with no definitive path to 270.
The board concluded:
Republicans should be embarrassed by Mr. Trump's Electoral College hustle. Mr. Trump is putting his loyal VP in a terrible spot, and what do Republicans think would happen if Mr. Pence pulled the trigger, Mr. Biden was denied 270 electoral votes, and the House chose Mr. Trump as President? Riots in the streets would be the least of it.
Mr. Pence is too much of a patriot to go along, but the scramble to overturn the will of the voters tarnishes Mr. Trump's legacy and undermines any designs he has on running in 2024. Republicans who humor him will be giving Democrats license to do the same in the future, and then it might matter.


alternet--2020-12-31--Biden has a plan to undo Trump's 'midnight regulations'

A spokesperson for President-elect Joe Biden announced Wednesday that the incoming administration will quickly move to stop or postpone the rush of regulatory rollbacks being hastily enacted during the final weeks of President Donald Trump 's tenure .
`` The Biden-Harris White House will issue a memo to take effect afternoon Eastern Time on January 20 that will halt , or delay , midnight regulations , '' transition spokesperson Jen Psaki said at a press conference , referring to the last-minute flurry of federal rulemaking common with lame-duck administrations .
Psaki said that while it is normal for incoming administrations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , `` this freeze will apply not only to regulations but also guidance documents , [ which ] can have enormous consequences on the lives of the American people . ''
As an example Psaki named a Labor Department rule that would make it easier for employers to classify their workers as independent contractors and not employees in order to avoid paying them the minimum wage or providing legally mandated benefits .
`` If it takes effect , that rule will make it easier to misclassify employees as independent contractors , costing workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' said Psaki .
`` The [ Biden ] memo would potentially freeze this rule and not allow it to be implemented . ''
The Trump administration has been ramming through rollbacks of rules and regulations , which critics say could adversely affect millions of Americans , the environment , and the ability of the Biden administration to carry out its agenda .
Mandatory public comment periods and detailed policy analyses are being eschewed in favor of streamlined approval processes that have alarmed even some ardent deregulation advocates .
Trump has overseen the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affecting everything from bomb trains to biometrics .
Many of Trump 's 11th-hour rollbacks take aim at environmental regulations .
Common Dreams reported Tuesday that the eco-advocacy group Environment America is urging Biden to immediately restore protections gutted by the outgoing president .
`` By undoing the Trump administration 's rollbacks of environmental protections , the Biden administration will be able to protect our natural landscapes and give Americans cleaner air , cleaner water , and a more livable climate , '' the group said .

A spokesperson for President-elect Joe Biden announced Wednesday that the incoming administration will quickly move to stop or postpone the rush of regulatory rollbacks being hastily enacted during the final weeks of President Donald Trump's tenure.
"The Biden-Harris White House will issue a memo to take effect afternoon Eastern Time on January 20 that will halt, or delay, midnight regulations," transition spokesperson Jen Psaki said at a press conference, referring to the last-minute flurry of federal rulemaking common with lame-duck administrations.
Psaki said that while it is normal for incoming administrations to block their predecessors' midnight regulations, "this freeze will apply not only to regulations but also guidance documents, [which] can have enormous consequences on the lives of the American people."
As an example Psaki named a Labor Department rule that would make it easier for employers to classify their workers as independent contractors and not employees in order to avoid paying them the minimum wage or providing legally mandated benefits.
"If it takes effect, that rule will make it easier to misclassify employees as independent contractors, costing workers more than $3.7 billion annually," said Psaki. "The [Biden] memo would potentially freeze this rule and not allow it to be implemented."
The Trump administration has been ramming through rollbacks of rules and regulations, which critics say could adversely affect millions of Americans, the environment, and the ability of the Biden administration to carry out its agenda.
Mandatory public comment periods and detailed policy analyses are being eschewed in favor of streamlined approval processes that have alarmed even some ardent deregulation advocates. Trump has overseen the reversal or weakening of over 100 regulations affecting everything from bomb trains to biometrics.
Many of Trump's 11th-hour rollbacks take aim at environmental regulations. Common Dreamsreported Tuesday that the eco-advocacy group Environment America is urging Biden to immediately restore protections gutted by the outgoing president.
"By undoing the Trump administration's rollbacks of environmental protections, the Biden administration will be able to protect our natural landscapes and give Americans cleaner air, cleaner water, and a more livable climate," the group said.


alternet--2020-12-31--National park ranger condemned for attacking unarmed Indigenous man on sacred native land

Indigenous and wilderness conservation groups were among those on Wednesday responding with outrage to video of a National Park Service ranger tasering an unarmed Indigenous man after he walked off a trail in Petroglyph National Monument in New Mexico on Sunday and then refused to comply with the ranger 's orders .
Darrell House , a Diné ( Navajo ) and Oneida U.S. Marine Corps veteran , was hiking with his sister and his dog in the Albuquerque park—which features many petroglyphs , or ancient stone carvings that are sacred to tribes—so that he could harvest dirt for ceremonies and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a marked trail in order to socially distance himself from a large group of walkers when `` this park ranger started following me . ''
`` I guess he was upset about me going off trail before , you know , doing my prayers for the rocks , '' House told KOB .
In a video released by the National Park Service , House repeatedly refuses to disclose his real name to the rangers .
`` I did n't see a reason to give my identification , '' House told NBC News .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ people why I 'm coming there to pray and give things in honor to the land .
I do n't need permission or consent .
And I do n't think he liked that very much . ''
A ranger House identifed by his last name Graden then fired his Taser at him .
In a video recorded by his sister , House is seen writhing on the ground in agony next to his dog while the woman pleads for the attackers to stop .
`` I do n't have anything ; I apologize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House says between cries of pain .
House said the attack left him `` traumatized '' and bleeding .
`` I 'm shaking , '' he wrote in an Instagram post .
`` What hurt me the most was when my baby Geronimo felt the shock , '' he said , referring to his dog .
`` Here , you will see a white man abuse his power , '' House .
`` The law does n't work for the Indigenous ... You would think with George Floyd and Breonna Taylor , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would try to avoid having to pull a weapon out .
Imagine I disarm him from the taser then what , I get charged with assault , or worse he grabs for his gun and ends me . ''
`` These scenarios have been going through my head since this afternoon , '' he added .
`` I 'm a son , I 'm a brother , I 'm a father .
More importantly , I 'm a human being . ''
The Indigenous liberation group Red Nation released a statement on Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ read , in part : '' LandBack begins with defunding racist police on Indigenous land , the Department of the Interior is no exception , '' the group added .
Michael Casaus , New Mexico state director at the Wilderness Society , also released a statement condemning the incident : House said the incident would not deter him from returning to walk and pray in the park again .
`` I will go back , he told KRQE .
`` I am going to continue to do my prayers , going off trail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is my right . ''

Indigenous and wilderness conservation groups were among those on Wednesday responding with outrage to video of a National Park Service ranger tasering an unarmed Indigenous man after he walked off a trail in Petroglyph National Monument in New Mexico on Sunday and then refused to comply with the ranger's orders.
Darrell House, a Diné (Navajo) and Oneida U.S. Marine Corps veteran, was hiking with his sister and his dog in the Albuquerque park—which features many petroglyphs, or ancient stone carvings that are sacred to tribes—so that he could harvest dirt for ceremonies and pray.
House said he walked off a marked trail in order to socially distance himself from a large group of walkers when "this park ranger started following me."
"I guess he was upset about me going off trail before, you know, doing my prayers for the rocks," House toldKOB. In a video released by the National Park Service, House repeatedly refuses to disclose his real name to the rangers.
"I didn't see a reason to give my identification," House toldNBC News. "I don't need to tell people why I'm coming there to pray and give things in honor to the land. I don't need permission or consent. And I don't think he liked that very much."
A ranger House identifed by his last name Graden then fired his Taser at him. In a video recorded by his sister, House is seen writhing on the ground in agony next to his dog while the woman pleads for the attackers to stop.
"I don't have anything; I apologize for going off the trail," House says between cries of pain.
House said the attack left him "traumatized" and bleeding.
"I'm shaking," he wrote in an Instagram post. "What hurt me the most was when my baby Geronimo felt the shock," he said, referring to his dog.
"Here, you will see a white man abuse his power," House. "The law doesn't work for the Indigenous... You would think with George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, with the Black Lives Matter Movement, authorities would try to avoid having to pull a weapon out. Imagine I disarm him from the taser then what, I get charged with assault, or worse he grabs for his gun and ends me."
"These scenarios have been going through my head since this afternoon," he added. "I'm a son, I'm a brother, I'm a father. More importantly, I'm a human being."
The Indigenous liberation group Red Nation released a statement on Wednesday condemning the attack on House. It read, in part:
The Petroglyphs National Monument, which is home to ancient Indigenous rock art that still retains spiritual and cultural significance to Indigenous people today, was initially created at the request of Native activists to protect the area from vandalism and developers. Instead, the NPS under the authority of the Department of Interior is policing Native people on Native land.
Public lands are stolen lands. Indigenous people have the right to practice their culture and spiritual ways on Indigenous land without fear of repression, discrimination, or violence. In consultation with our dear relative Darrell House, The Red Nation calls for a full investigation of NPS actions of racial terror that day, the termination of rangers Wineland and Graden, and restitution and a full apology to Darrell and his sister.
"LandBack begins with defunding racist police on Indigenous land, the Department of the Interior is no exception," the group added.
Michael Casaus, New Mexico state director at the Wilderness Society, also released a statement condemning the incident:
Park rules are there for protecting the lands but the enforcement of those policies should not come at the expense of protecting the humanity of all those who visit, especially if these are their traditional homelands. Our parks and open spaces should be welcoming and inclusive places of healing and comfort, yet they are not for so many, especially for Black and Indigenous people and people of color.
The original purpose of the monument was to protect and promote the understanding of the petroglyphs in relation to the cultural and natural features of the West Mesa and to further the heritage of traditional communities connected to these lands. Petroglyph National Monument is a place where Native people should be able to visit and honor the past, the present, and the future on the very lands their ancestors stood without fear for their safety.
House said the incident would not deter him from returning to walk and pray in the park again.
"I will go back, he toldKRQE. "I am going to continue to do my prayers, going off trail without permission. Without consent. That is my right."


alternet--2020-12-31--Why we have reached 'America's moment of reckoning'

Scholars Cornel West and Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor respond to the global uprising against racism and police violence following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis .
`` We 're seeing the convergence of a class rebellion with racism and racial terrorism at the center of it , '' said Princeton professor Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor .
`` And in many ways , we are in uncharted territory in the United States . ''
This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : This is Democracy Now !
, democracynow.org , The Quarantine Report .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue to look at the uprisings against police brutality and racism , I want to turn to a conversation Democracy Now !
's Nermeen Shaikh and I had in early June with the scholars Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor of Princeton University and Cornel West of Harvard .
I began by asking professor Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor to talk about the mass uprising and the police killing of George Floyd .
AMY GOODMAN : Professors Cornel West and Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor .
We 'll hear more from them in a moment , but first let 's turn to former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She spoke at a rally in Minneapolis days after the police killed George Floyd .
When we come back , antiracist activist Bree Newsome Bass and Princeton professor Eddie Glaude , speaking about the election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris .

Scholars Cornel West and Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor respond to the global uprising against racism and police violence following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. "We're seeing the convergence of a class rebellion with racism and racial terrorism at the center of it," said Princeton professor Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor. "And in many ways, we are in uncharted territory in the United States."
Transcript
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The Quarantine Report. I'm Amy Goodman.
As we continue to look at the uprisings against police brutality and racism, I want to turn to a conversationDemocracy Now!'s Nermeen Shaikh and I had in early June with the scholars Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor of Princeton University and Cornel West of Harvard. I began by asking professor Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor to talk about the mass uprising and the police killing of George Floyd.
KEEANGA-YAMAHTTA TAYLOR: Part of what we are seeing is years and years of pent-up rage. Many people have referenced the 1960s, have referenced Ferguson in 2014, but I think it's important to say that these are not just repeats of past events. These are the consequences of the failures of this government and the political establishment, the economic establishment of this country to resolve those crises, and so they build and accumulate over time. And we are watching the boiling over of that.
Imagine how angry, desperate, rage-filled you would have to be to come out and protest in the conditions of a historical pandemic that has already killed over 103,000 Americans, that has had a disproportionately horrendous impact in Black communities. I believe 23,000 or 24,000 Black people have died. To put it more bluntly, one in every 2,000 African Americans in the United States has died as the result of COVID. So imagine how difficult things have to be for people to come out in those conditions. So, I think that the buildup around police brutality, the continuation of police brutality, police abuse and violence and murder has compelled people to have to endure those conditions, because it is obvious that there is either nothing that our government can do about this or that the government is complicit and chooses not to do anything about this.
And I think that we have to add to that the crisis that is unfolding beyond police brutality in the country, as well, because we all know that the videotapes of police beatings, abuse, murder have never stopped. So, the movement that grew out of the Ferguson uprising, that became Black Lives Matter, the conditions that led to that never actually ended. And I think that what has reignited that is obviously the public lynching of George Floyd one week ago in Minneapolis, but also the conditions, the wider context within which that is spilling over. And because of that wider condition of mass unemployment, of the death that has been caused by the pandemic, that this is not just — I don't believe these are just protests around or against police brutality.
But we see a lot of — hundreds, if not thousands, of young white people in these uprisings, making these multiracial rebellions, really. And I think that that is important. Some people have sort of described the participation of white people as outside agitators, or I know that there are reports of white supremacists infiltrating some of the demonstrations. And I think that those are things that we have to pay attention to, keep track of and try to understand. But I think we cannot dismiss in a widespread way the participation of young white people, because we have to see that what has happened over the last decade has gutted their lives, too. And there has been some discussion about this with perhaps their parents' generation, with the description of deaths by despair.
So, we know that the life expectancy of ordinary white men and women has gone into reverse — something, by the way, that does not typically happen in the developed world. And it is driven by opioid addiction, alcoholism and suicide. And so, this generation, whose lives really — you know, if you've graduated from college, your life has been bracketed by war at the turn of the 21st century, by recession and now by a deadly pandemic. And so, I think we're seeing the convergence of a class rebellion with racism and racial terrorism at the center of it. And in many ways, we are in uncharted territory in the United States.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: Dr. Cornel West, could you respond to what professor Yamahtta Taylor said? You agree that, of course, the murder of George Floyd was a lynching. You've also said that his murder and the demonstrations that have followed show that America is a failed social experiment. So could you respond to that and also the way that the state and police forces have responded to the protests, following George Floyd's killing, with the National Guard called out in so many cities and states across the country?
CORNEL WEST: Well, there's no doubt that this is America's moment of reckoning. But we want to make the connection between the local and the global, because, you see, when you sow the seeds of greed — domestically, inequality; globally, imperial tentacles, 800 military units abroad, violence and AFRICOM in Africa, supporting various regimes, dictatorial ones in Asia and so forth — there is a connection between the seeds that you sow of violence externally and internally. Same is true in terms of the seed of hatred, of white supremacy, hating Black people, anti-Blackness hatred having its own dynamic within the context of a predatory capitalist civilization obsessed with money, money, money, domination of workers, marginalization of those who don't fit — gay brothers, lesbian sisters, trans and so forth. So, it's precisely this convergence that my dear sister Professor Taylor is talking about of the ways in which the American Empire, imploding, its foundations being shaken, with uprisings from below.
The catalyst was certainly Brother George Floyd's public lynching, but the failures of the predatory capitalist economy to provide the satisfaction of the basic needs of food and healthcare and quality education, jobs with a decent wage, at the same time the collapse of your political class, the collapse of your professional class. Their legitimacy has been radically called into question, and that's multiracial. It's the neofascist dimension in Trump. It's the neoliberal dimension in Biden and Obama and the Clintons and so forth. And it includes much of the media. It includes many of the professors in universities. The young people are saying, "You all have been hypocritical. You haven't been concerned about our suffering, our misery. And we no longer believe in your legitimacy." And it spills over into violent explosion.
And it's here. I won't go on, but, I mean, it's here, where I think Ella Baker and Fannie Lou Hamer and Rabbi Heschel and Edward Said, and especially Brother Martin and Malcolm, their legacies, I think, become more central, because they provide the kind of truth telling. They provide the connection between justice and compassion in their example, in their organizing. And that's what is needed right now. Rebellion is not the same thing in any way as revolution. And what we need is a nonviolent revolutionary project of full-scale democratic sharing — power, wealth, resources, respect, organizing — and a fundamental transformation of this American Empire.
AMY GOODMAN: And your thoughts, Professor West, on the governor of Minnesota saying they're looking into white supremacist connections to the looting and the burning of the city, and then President Trump tweeting that he's going to try to put antifa, the anti-fascist activists, on the terror list — which he cannot do — and William Barr emphasizing this, saying he's going after the far left to investigate?
CORNEL WEST: No, I mean, that's ridiculous. You know, you remember, Sister Amy — and I love and respect you so — that antifa saved my life in Charlottesville. There's no doubt about it, that they provided the security, you see. So the very notion that they become candidates for a terrorist organization, but the people who were trying to kill us — the Nazis, the Klan — they're not candidates for terrorist organization status — but that's what you're going to get. You're going to get a Trump-led neofascist backlash and clampdown on what is going on. We ought to be very clear about that. The neofascism has that kind of obsession with militaristic imposition in the face of any kind of disorder. And so we've got to be fortified for that.
But most importantly, I think we've got to make sure that we preserve our own moral, spiritual, quality, fundamental focus on truth and justice, and keep track of legalized looting, Wall Street greed; legalized murder, police; legalized murder abroad in Yemen, in Pakistan, in Africa with AFRICOM, and so forth. That's where our focus has to be, because with all of this rebellious energy, it's got to be channeled through organizations rooted in a quest for truth and justice.
AMY GOODMAN: Professors Cornel West and Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor. We'll hear more from them in a moment, but first let's turn to former Women's March co-chair Tamika Mallory. She spoke at a rally in Minneapolis days after the police killed George Floyd.
TAMIKA MALLORY: We are not responsible for the mental illness that has been inflicted upon our people by the American government, institutions and those people who are in positions of power. I don't give a damn if they burn down Target, because Target should be on the streets with us calling for the justice that our people deserve. Where was AutoZone at the time when Philando Castile was shot in a car, which is what they actually represent? Where were they?
So, if you are not coming to the people's defense, then don't challenge us when young people and other people who are frustrated and instigated by the people you pay — you are paying instigators to be among our people out there, throwing rocks, breaking windows and burning down buildings. And so young people are responding to that. They are enraged.
And there's an easy way to stop it: Arrest the cops. Charge the cops. Charge all the cops, not just some of them, not just here in Minneapolis. Charge them in every city across America where our people are being murdered. Charge them everywhere. That's the bottom line. Charge the cops. Do your job. Do what you say this country is supposed to be about — the land of the free for all. It has not been free for Black people, and we are tired.
Don't talk to us about looting. Y'all are the looters. America has looted Black people. America looted the Native Americans when they first came here, so looting is what you do. We learned it from you. We learned violence from you. We learned violence from you. The violence was what we learned from you. So if you want us to do better, then, damn it, you do better.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: Tamika Mallory speaking in Minneapolis over the weekend. Professor Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, if you could respond to her extraordinary speech, and also the way in which public officials, including liberal officials like New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, have responded to the protests, simultaneously saying they feel the pain of the protesters but condemning the violence and looting, as they say?
KEEANGA-YAMAHTTA TAYLOR: I mean, one thing that becomes so apparent with the cops on the street, one, you understand — I mean, for most of America, you get a glimpse of why people are so angry. I mean, look at the kind of wanton, reckless abuse and violence that the police are instigating, and attacking people who are trying to protest. I feel like what we've seen over the weekend is a national police riot. And, you know, it's no wonder. They feel emboldened by the white nationalism of the president of the United States and, really, the lawlessness of the Republican Party writ large. And so, it feels like we're bearing the consequences of that.
But I think that there is a bigger issue about the cops that is also worth talking about, which is, why these police are never arrested, prosecuted, punished, really, even beyond just arresting and prosecuting people, but just punishing them as public servants for their kind of racist, abusive and violent behavior. And I think that, you know, regardless of what these elected officials have to say, I think that we're actually going to see a lot more of this, which is why the conflicts will continue.
And the reason why I say that is because it has been a strategy of cities across this country that have committed themselves to not investing in the civic and public sector infrastructure — so, public schools, public hospitals, public libraries — all of the things that make a city function. Those have been systematically defunded, increasingly privatized. And the way that cities manage the inevitable crises that arise from that, when combined with unemployment, when combined with poverty, when combined with evictions and all of the insecurities that we see wracking cities across this country, the police are used to manage that crisis. And that is why, in city after city, as other public institutions take financial hits, as other public institutions are defunded, it's the police that always get to maintain their budgets. And we look around now, where, because of the COVID crisis, every city is talking about massive budget cuts, but not to the police. The police almost never have to incur layoffs. They never have to incur budget cuts, because they are seen as the public policy of last resort.
And so, this is — when we talk about defunding the police, it is that the police should not be absorbing a third of the budget, as they do in cities like Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, while we're closing public schools, while public hospitals don't have the proper personal protective equipment. Look at the way that police are — the gear and the equipment that they have, compared to hospital workers dressing themselves in garbage bags, being forced to use the same N95 masks for weeks at a time. Look at the contrast between that, and then you understand what the actual priorities of the governing politicians and bodies are.
Which is why — and this is the last thing I'll say — the hypocrisy of someone like Andrew Cuomo or Bill de Blasio or any of these politicians coming on television, on their press conference, wringing their hands about the police, talking about these issues as if they are passive bystanders or just concerned citizens, and not elected officials who have power, who have authority, who have the ability to punish the police, who have the ability to make budgetary priorities, who have the ability to shift resources in one direction or another, but they sit back and act as if they are just watching the train wreck in slow motion, and not that they are actually in control of the gears. And this is part of the hypocrisy that is making people so angry.
AMY GOODMAN: That's Princeton University professor Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor and Harvard University's Cornel West.
When we come back, antiracist activist Bree Newsome Bass and Princeton professor Eddie Glaude, speaking about the election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.


alternet--2020-12-31--500 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine were 'intentionally' destroyed: officials

Officials at the Aurora Medical Center in Grafton , Wisconsin , have discovered that someone `` intentionally '' removed 500 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine from a pharmacy refrigerator and left them out overnight on Dec. 26 , irreparably damaging them and forcing their disposal .
The center had previously revealed that the 57 vials had been left out overnight , causing the vaccine to become unusable , but it attributed the loss to a simple mistake .
`` We immediately launched an internal review and were led to believe this was caused by inadvertent human error , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first reported by local outlet Fox 6 .
But on Wednesday night , the center revealed that the person responsible had eventually `` acknowledged that they intentionally removed the vaccine from refrigeration . ''
It 's not clear what motivation the person could have had for destroying the vaccine , and the center did not provide the individual 's name .
`` We have notified appropriate authorities for further investigation , '' the statement said .
`` We continue to believe that vaccination is our way out of the pandemic . ''
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disappointed that this individual 's actions will result in a delay of more than 500 people receiving their vaccine .
This was a violation of our core values , and the individual is no longer employed by us . ''
The Moderna vaccine must be kept at a low temperature to remain viable .
A loss of five hundred doses is a major blow because the supply of vaccines is limited , and the distribution has been more sluggish than expected .
With the virus 's spread surging to new heights — a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus on Wednesday in the U.S. , according to Worldometer — delaying vaccination is literally a matter of a life and death .

Officials at the Aurora Medical Center in Grafton, Wisconsin, have discovered that someone "intentionally" removed 500 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine from a pharmacy refrigerator and left them out overnight on Dec. 26, irreparably damaging them and forcing their disposal.
The center had previously revealed that the 57 vials had been left out overnight, causing the vaccine to become unusable, but it attributed the loss to a simple mistake.
"We immediately launched an internal review and were led to believe this was caused by inadvertent human error," the center said in a statement, first reported by local outlet Fox 6.
But on Wednesday night, the center revealed that the person responsible had eventually "acknowledged that they intentionally removed the vaccine from refrigeration."
It's not clear what motivation the person could have had for destroying the vaccine, and the center did not provide the individual's name.
"We have notified appropriate authorities for further investigation," the statement said. "We continue to believe that vaccination is our way out of the pandemic."
It continued: "We are more than disappointed that this individual's actions will result in a delay of more than 500 people receiving their vaccine. This was a violation of our core values, and the individual is no longer employed by us."
The Moderna vaccine must be kept at a low temperature to remain viable.
A loss of five hundred doses is a major blow because the supply of vaccines is limited, and the distribution has been more sluggish than expected. With the virus's spread surging to new heights — a record 3,880 people reportedly died from the virus on Wednesday in the U.S., according to Worldometer — delaying vaccination is literally a matter of a life and death.