therealnews--2020-06-30--Climate Crisis: Historic Arizona Wildfires May Worsen COVID-19

Welcome back to TRNN ’ s Climate Crisis News Roundup .
In recent weeks , this column has focused heavily on the intersection between COVID-19 and the climate crisis , and that will continue as the pandemic sweeps the world .
Now that we ’ re approaching wildfire season in the United States and already seeing wildfire season-like fires , expect to see that and other extreme weather events in the U.S. and globally covered in this space more regularly going forward .
These events could intersect with the now-worsening pandemic in unprecedented ways , creating environmental injustices—both racial and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highlight .
If you have a story you think deserves a spot in the roundup or story pitches in general , get in touch with me at [ email protected ] or on Twitter at @ SteveAHorn .
You can read the previous edition here .
A state more known for its vast desert land has faced record-sized forest and brush fires the past few weeks .
Three of those fires now sit within the top ten biggest fires in Arizona state history , all burning simultaneously .
Over 432,000 acres of wildfires @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than the total burned acreage for all of 2019 combined .
It also exceeds any year ’ s total burned acreage , except for two of those years , since 2002 .
The fires have resulted in thousands of evacuations , and though few people died , the toll the fires have taken on broader wildlife and plant life is still to be determined .
June is generally the beginning of monsoon season in Arizona , but instead of rain , the state is experiencing drought and scorching temperatures of 105-110°F , literally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Grand Canyon .
This , combined with windy conditions and bone dry brush and forestry , has fuelled the fires .
The three largest fires—Mangum Fire in Kaibab National Forest , the Bush Fire in Teton National forest , and Bighorn Fire in Tucson , are a combined nearly 372,000 acres in size as of the morning of June 29 , Pacific Standard Time .
That ’ s roughly the landmass of Washington , DC , San Francisco , Baltimore , Chicago , Miami , Minneapolis and Manhattan combined .
And climate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 2016 study published by climate scientists for the group Climate Central , Arizona is the southwestern state at the highest risk level for wildfire weather risks due to climate change , with 34 annual projected high risk days predicted by 2050 .
The state has also seen the biggest increase in high risk days since 1970 , according to the study , with 11 more annually since then .
And temperatures have increased greatly between spring and summer there , too , a 2.34°F difference between the 2010-2015 and 1970-1979 year period @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Arizona is seeing an average of 11 more large wildfires each year than it did in the 1970s , ” that report detailed .
“ Arizona also has the second-largest increase in the area burned by large wildfires with 186,000 more acres burned each year in the last five years , compared to the 1970s.
” Joe Trudeau , a Prescott , Arizona-based Southwest Conservation Advocate for the Center for Biological Diversity , told The Real News that the climate change-worsened fires have acted as a “ threat multiplier ” in killing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the fires .
That , combined with the seemingly-nonstop growth of invasive species like cheatgrass , has created a vicious cycle of climate change “ feedback loops ” —a term generally applied to the impacts of melting Arctic sea ice .
“ There are a number of things that are threatening the environment , whether it ’ s plant communities or individuals , wildlife species and climate change makes them all worse , ” said Trudeau .
“ So when we look at the issue of non-native grasses being spread by livestock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a much bigger issue when you consider the degree to which the world is warming and drying right now .
So climate change multiplies the magnitude of the threat of those non-native grasses.
” Only one home burned down via the 893 acre Aquila Fire in northern Phoenix .
That many other homeowners did not suffer the same fate was a narrow escape from another scary reality .
Like much of the western United States , housing in Arizona often exists in a “ sprawl ” style , and sits within what scholars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Arizona has the second-largest population ( 2.9 million ) living in the wildland-urban interface of any state , ” the report further explains , highlighting that 45 % of the state ’ s population lives within this nexus .
“ This is the area where development abuts and intersperses with wild lands and homes are more at risk from wildfire than in urban areas.
” Just because homes did not go up in flames en masse , though , does not mean the state ’ s residents are not feeling the fires @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is Jennifer Loewenstein , a past TRNN guest who is an academic expert on Middle East politics .
She lives near the Catalina Foothills in Tucson by Mount Kimball in Coronado National Forest , the epicenter of the Bighorn Fire ( over 107,000 acres as of June 29 ) .
“ They ’ re really heartbreaking .
It ’ s so beautiful here otherwise and these days the skies are filled with smoke—and , at night , flames , ” she said .
“ I don ’ t react well to smoke and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my throat hurts and I had to get an inhaler .
My favorite walking place has now been hit by the fire .
It ’ s all so sad.
” Loewenstein added that though Tucson was only under a voluntary basis designation for evacuating , she left her home for five days to stay in a hotel to get away from the smoke .
The smoke was so bad that she had to go to an urgent care clinic for treatment .
“ One morning I woke up and they were swollen shut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I could barely see a thing .
That ’ s part of why I went to Urgent Care.
” Inhalation of PM 2.5 ( tiny air particles that are two and one half microns wide or less ) has public health scientists especially worried in the age of COVID-19 .
According to researchers at Northeastern University , these particles enveloped the air at a massive scale during the late-2019 and early-2020 Australian wildfires .
And because these particles compromise immune systems , it could give the coronavirus an easier pathway into human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protective equipment ( PPE ) can not currently halt PM 2.5 , researchers say , concluding that firefighters and other emergency responders—as well as others who live near the fires—will face a high risk of contracting the virus if they come into contact with it .
But in Arizona , a nightmare scenario has already taken place , with the fires igniting as the state sees a huge uptick in COVID-19 cases , hospitalizations , and deaths since reopening in mid-May .
In a soon-to-be released TRNN segment , Arizona State University professor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ historian and author of the book Fire : A Brief History , among other works , put the confluence of the climate crisis , COVID-19 , and wildfire season in blunt terms : “ There ’ s an old saying that it ’ s better to be lucky than good , ” he said .
“ And this is a case , it doesn ’ t matter how good we are or think we are .
We need to be lucky this year.
” In Arizona , there is no such luck to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relates to fires not happening on a massive scale .
How bad things become remains to be seen , but it ’ s a warning siren for the rest of the region as summer completes its first week , and the coronavirus tears through other fire-prone states like California and Nevada .
I went on KPFA Radio out of Berkeley , CA on June 26 to discuss the fires as a guest alongside Loewenstein .
Give it a listen here beginning at 46:57 .
In other news , and in a move that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the climate crisis and COVID-19 pandemic , California Governor Gavin Newsom approved 12 new permits for fracking on June 1 .
That ’ s now 36 new fracking wells permitted since lifting the moratorium on April 3 .
All permits have been issued to a single company : Aera Energy , a joint venture of ExxonMobil and Shell .
The Newsom Administration doled out the permits to do the fracking in the Lost Hill Oil Field on the same day Newsom gave a speech on racial justice in the state and nationally , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a town of about 2,500 residents with a 97 % Latino population .
An investigation by this writer for the outlet Capital & Main revealed that two lobbyists with close connections to Newsom , his former senior policy advisor while Lieutenant Governor under Jerry Brown and a man described as the “ majordomo ” of his political career who helped head up his Transition Team after becoming Governor in 2018 , are registered lobbyists on behalf of Aera .
The lobbyists also advocate for Marathon Petroleum , owner of the west coast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Angeles County which intakes much of the oil extracted in Lost Hills and the broader San Joaquin Basin .
And one lobbyist ’ s wife , the investigation reveals , was in the past the personal stylist for Newsom ’ s wife , Jennifer Siebel Newsom .
The company also has lobbied actively against AB 345 , a bill previously covered by TRNN which would have imposed a 2500-foot setback distance between where oil wells get permits and places such as homes , schools , and playgrounds .
Aera is also a member @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a group which spearheaded the creation of the Common Ground Alliance—a union of Big Oil and some major labor unions—in the midst of the 2019 debate over AB 345 .
In the aftermath of Common Ground Alliance ’ s lobbying , the bill turned into a “ two year ” one and extended into the second year of the 2019-2020 legislative session .
Originally having a 2020 deadline by which it would become law , it now has a 2022 deadline and only calls for the Geologic Energy Management Division ( CalGEM ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
CalGEM recently completed phase one of that consideration process , doing a mix of pre-coronavirus field hearings and then pandemic-era virtual sessions .
As with the fire smoke , a recent Harvard University study has linked the inhalation of toxins near industrial facilities to higher rates of COVID-19 contraction in the communities living near those sites .
Those facilities , like the Lost Hills Oil Field and the Marathon Petroleum refinery in southern Los Angeles County , are sited disproportionately in communities of color .
Lost Hills Oil Field is also a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gas 84 times more potent than carbon dioxide during its first 20 years in the atmosphere , the key time period during which climate scientists say steady and major action must be taken to tackle the climate crisis .
The decision to permit the dozen new fracking wells drew strong rebuke from Cesar Aguirre , an organizer for the Central California Environmental Justice Network who lives near Lost Hills in Bakersfield .
“ The Lost Hills community is already surrounded by extraction and the Newsom administration and CalGEM continue to show that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communities as an afterthought , ” he told me .
“ These actions show us that Californians can ’ t depend on empty political promises to protect public health.
” The investigation came out a week after National Geographic reported that many of the idling tankers stirring massive crude oil tankers with nowhere to sell it due to the COVID-19 era global oil price crash and economic collapse have also spewed enormous levels of PM 2.5 into the atmosphere .
Once again , it is disproportionately impacting communities of color living near the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Long Beach .
As I reported recently for TRNN , some activists have a different solution to that oil price crisis : nationalization of the industry as a means of winding it down , and transitioning to a more sustainable economy while helping those who worked in the sector find other secure-paying jobs in the renewable energy sector .
I also discussed Newsom and fracking on KPFA Radio out of Berkeley , CA on that same June 26 episode alongside a source from that story , Cesar Aguirre , a community organizer with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Give it a listen beginning at 8:24 .

Welcome back to TRNN’s Climate Crisis News Roundup. In recent weeks, this column has focused heavily on the intersection between COVID-19 and the climate crisis, and that will continue as the pandemic sweeps the world.
Now that we’re approaching wildfire season in the United States and already seeing wildfire season-like fires, expect to see that and other extreme weather events in the U.S. and globally covered in this space more regularly going forward. These events could intersect with the now-worsening pandemic in unprecedented ways, creating environmental injustices—both racial and economic—that this newsletter will report on and highlight.
If you have a story you think deserves a spot in the roundup or story pitches in general, get in touch with me at steve@therealnews.com or on Twitter at @SteveAHorn. You can read the previous edition here.
Arizona on Fire
A state more known for its vast desert land has faced record-sized forest and brush fires the past few weeks.
Three of those fires now sit within the top ten biggest fires in Arizona state history, all burning simultaneously. Over 432,000 acres of wildfires have ignited statewide in June, bigger than the total burned acreage for all of 2019 combined. It also exceeds any year’s total burned acreage, except for two of those years, since 2002.
The fires have resulted in thousands of evacuations, and though few people died, the toll the fires have taken on broader wildlife and plant life is still to be determined. June is generally the beginning of monsoon season in Arizona, but instead of rain, the state is experiencing drought and scorching temperatures of 105-110°F, literally hot enough to melt through shoes at the Grand Canyon. This, combined with windy conditions and bone dry brush and forestry, has fuelled the fires.
The three largest fires—Mangum Fire in Kaibab National Forest, the Bush Fire in Teton National forest, and Bighorn Fire in Tucson, are a combined nearly 372,000 acres in size as of the morning of June 29, Pacific Standard Time. That’s roughly the landmass of Washington, DC, San Francisco, Baltimore, Chicago, Miami, Minneapolis and Manhattan combined.
And climate change sparked the ignition. According to a 2016 study published by climate scientists for the group Climate Central, Arizona is the southwestern state at the highest risk level for wildfire weather risks due to climate change, with 34 annual projected high risk days predicted by 2050. The state has also seen the biggest increase in high risk days since 1970, according to the study, with 11 more annually since then. And temperatures have increased greatly between spring and summer there, too, a 2.34°F difference between the 2010-2015 and 1970-1979 year period.
“Over the last five years, Arizona is seeing an average of 11 more large wildfires each year than it did in the 1970s,” that report detailed. “Arizona also has the second-largest increase in the area burned by large wildfires with 186,000 more acres burned each year in the last five years, compared to the 1970s.”
Joe Trudeau, a Prescott, Arizona-based Southwest Conservation Advocate for the Center for Biological Diversity, told The Real News that the climate change-worsened fires have acted as a “threat multiplier” in killing native plant species in the lowlands portion of the fires. That, combined with the seemingly-nonstop growth of invasive species like cheatgrass, has created a vicious cycle of climate change “feedback loops”—a term generally applied to the impacts of melting Arctic sea ice.
“There are a number of things that are threatening the environment, whether it’s plant communities or individuals, wildlife species and climate change makes them all worse,” said Trudeau. “So when we look at the issue of non-native grasses being spread by livestock which are non-native animals, it becomes a much bigger issue when you consider the degree to which the world is warming and drying right now. So climate change multiplies the magnitude of the threat of those non-native grasses.”
Only one home burned down via the 893 acre Aquila Fire in northern Phoenix. That many other homeowners did not suffer the same fate was a narrow escape from another scary reality.
Like much of the western United States, housing in Arizona often exists in a “sprawl” style, and sits within what scholars call the “wildland urban interface.”
“Arizona has the second-largest population (2.9 million) living in the wildland-urban interface of any state,” the report further explains, highlighting that 45% of the state’s population lives within this nexus. “This is the area where development abuts and intersperses with wild lands and homes are more at risk from wildfire than in urban areas.”
Just because homes did not go up in flames en masse, though, does not mean the state’s residents are not feeling the fires’ impacts. One of those impacted is Jennifer Loewenstein, a past TRNN guest who is an academic expert on Middle East politics. She lives near the Catalina Foothills in Tucson by Mount Kimball in Coronado National Forest, the epicenter of the Bighorn Fire (over 107,000 acres as of June 29).
“They’re really heartbreaking. It’s so beautiful here otherwise and these days the skies are filled with smoke—and, at night, flames,” she said. “I don’t react well to smoke and am very sensitive to it, so my throat hurts and I had to get an inhaler. My favorite walking place has now been hit by the fire. It’s all so sad.”
Loewenstein added that though Tucson was only under a voluntary basis designation for evacuating, she left her home for five days to stay in a hotel to get away from the smoke. The smoke was so bad that she had to go to an urgent care clinic for treatment.
“One morning I woke up and they were swollen shut almost completely,” she said. “I could barely see a thing. That’s part of why I went to Urgent Care.”
Inhalation of PM 2.5 (tiny air particles that are two and one half microns wide or less) has public health scientists especially worried in the age of COVID-19. According to researchers at Northeastern University, these particles enveloped the air at a massive scale during the late-2019 and early-2020 Australian wildfires. And because these particles compromise immune systems, it could give the coronavirus an easier pathway into human bodies.
Even the very best personal protective equipment (PPE) cannot currently halt PM 2.5, researchers say, concluding that firefighters and other emergency responders—as well as others who live near the fires—will face a high risk of contracting the virus if they come into contact with it.
But in Arizona, a nightmare scenario has already taken place, with the fires igniting as the state sees a huge uptick in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths since reopening in mid-May.
Image Credit: Worldometer
Image Credit: Worldometer
In a soon-to-be released TRNN segment, Arizona State University professor emeritus, Stephen Pyne, a fire historian and author of the book Fire: A Brief History, among other works, put the confluence of the climate crisis, COVID-19, and wildfire season in blunt terms:
“There’s an old saying that it’s better to be lucky than good,” he said. “And this is a case, it doesn’t matter how good we are or think we are. We need to be lucky this year.”
In Arizona, there is no such luck to be had, at least as it relates to fires not happening on a massive scale. How bad things become remains to be seen, but it’s a warning siren for the rest of the region as summer completes its first week, and the coronavirus tears through other fire-prone states like California and Nevada.
I went on KPFA Radio out of Berkeley, CA on June 26 to discuss the fires as a guest alongside Loewenstein. Give it a listen here beginning at 46:57.
Newsom Fracking, Oil Tankers
In other news, and in a move that environmental justice activists say could worsen both the climate crisis and COVID-19 pandemic, California Governor Gavin Newsom approved 12 new permits for fracking on June 1. That’s now 36 new fracking wells permitted since lifting the moratorium on April 3. All permits have been issued to a single company: Aera Energy, a joint venture of ExxonMobil and Shell.
The Newsom Administration doled out the permits to do the fracking in the Lost Hill Oil Field on the same day Newsom gave a speech on racial justice in the state and nationally, despite the fact Lost Hills, California is a town of about 2,500 residents with a 97% Latino population.
An investigation by this writer for the outlet Capital & Main revealed that two lobbyists with close connections to Newsom, his former senior policy advisor while Lieutenant Governor under Jerry Brown and a man described as the “majordomo” of his political career who helped head up his Transition Team after becoming Governor in 2018, are registered lobbyists on behalf of Aera. The lobbyists also advocate for Marathon Petroleum, owner of the west coast’s biggest refinery in southern Los Angeles County which intakes much of the oil extracted in Lost Hills and the broader San Joaquin Basin. And one lobbyist’s wife, the investigation reveals, was in the past the personal stylist for Newsom’s wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom.
The company also has lobbied actively against AB 345, a bill previously covered by TRNN which would have imposed a 2500-foot setback distance between where oil wells get permits and places such as homes, schools, and playgrounds. Aera is also a member of the Western States Petroleum Association, a group which spearheaded the creation of the Common Ground Alliance—a union of Big Oil and some major labor unions—in the midst of the 2019 debate over AB 345.
In the aftermath of Common Ground Alliance’s lobbying, the bill turned into a “two year” one and extended into the second year of the 2019-2020 legislative session. Originally having a 2020 deadline by which it would become law, it now has a 2022 deadline and only calls for the Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM) to “consider” a 2500-foot resolution. CalGEM recently completed phase one of that consideration process, doing a mix of pre-coronavirus field hearings and then pandemic-era virtual sessions.
Image Credit: AB 345 California Legislative Information
As with the fire smoke, a recent Harvard University study has linked the inhalation of toxins near industrial facilities to higher rates of COVID-19 contraction in the communities living near those sites. Those facilities, like the Lost Hills Oil Field and the Marathon Petroleum refinery in southern Los Angeles County, are sited disproportionately in communities of color. Lost Hills Oil Field is also a major emitter of methane, a greenhouse gas 84 times more potent than carbon dioxide during its first 20 years in the atmosphere, the key time period during which climate scientists say steady and major action must be taken to tackle the climate crisis.
The decision to permit the dozen new fracking wells drew strong rebuke from Cesar Aguirre, an organizer for the Central California Environmental Justice Network who lives near Lost Hills in Bakersfield.
“The Lost Hills community is already surrounded by extraction and the Newsom administration and CalGEM continue to show that they intend to put the environment and frontline communities as an afterthought,” he told me. “These actions show us that Californians can’t depend on empty political promises to protect public health.”
The investigation came out a week after National Geographic reported that many of the idling tankers stirring massive crude oil tankers with nowhere to sell it due to the COVID-19 era global oil price crash and economic collapse have also spewed enormous levels of PM 2.5 into the atmosphere. Once again, it is disproportionately impacting communities of color living near the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach. As I reported recently for TRNN, some activists have a different solution to that oil price crisis: nationalization of the industry as a means of winding it down, and transitioning to a more sustainable economy while helping those who worked in the sector find other secure-paying jobs in the renewable energy sector.
I also discussed Newsom and fracking on KPFA Radio out of Berkeley, CA on that same June 26 episode alongside a source from that story, Cesar Aguirre, a community organizer with the Central California Environmental Justice Network. Give it a listen beginning at 8:24.
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therealnews--2020-06-29--Pride 2020 Brings Wins And Losses For LGBTQ Civil Rights

This is a rush transcript and may contain errors .
It will be updated .
Kim Brown : Welcome to The Real News , I ’ m Kim Brown .
June is Pride Month where the achievements and challenges of gay and trans people are celebrated and acknowledged .
And Pride Month 2020 has been a legal rollercoaster for LGBTQ folks here in the US .
On Friday , June 12th , the Trump administration finalized a rule essentially stripping away civil rights for trans people clearing the way for legal discrimination against transgender folks seeking medical care .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Court issued a decision on the Bostock versus Clayton County case ruling in favor of the plaintiffs that gender identity or sexual orientation isn ’ t grounds for termination by your employer .
And to discuss this and several other issues that are affecting the gay and trans community , we are joined today with Bre Kidman .
Bre is an attorney who is currently running for the Democratic nomination for Senator in Maine to challenge Republican incumbent , Susan Collins .
The primary is set for July 14th .
Bre is joining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so much for being here , Bre .
Bre Kidman : Thanks for having me .
It ’ s great to be back .
Kim Brown : First and foremost , let ’ s start with what the Trump administration decided a week ago , Friday , June 12th .
They basically overturned protections that were set forth by the Obama administration in the Affordable Care Act , which said legally , people could not be denied access to healthcare on the basis of , quote , “ Race , color , national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disability in certain health programs and activities.
” Now the Obama administration went on to further clarify this by saying that sex is to include gender identity as male , female , neither , or a combination of male and female .
Bre , I wanted to get your take on this because it ’ s so disturbing that the Trump administration authorized this legal discrimination against trans people in the healthcare field generally .
But the fact that this is happening during the midst of a pandemic is cool .
There ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
What was your reaction to what the Trump administration did in effect overturning these protections ?
Bre Kidman : Well , my initial reaction was to have my heart sink into my gut , right ?
Because as a trans person , it ’ s terrifying to see that the Trump administration has such bare animus for us that in the midst of a pandemic , they would fight to take our healthcare protections away .
As we know from the 2015 U.S. Trans Survey , which is the biggest collection that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , trans people experienced medical discrimination at radically higher rates than I think any other group where trans people get turned away from the doctor at extraordinarily high rates , not just for things like trans related care , like surgery and hormones , but for basic medical needs just because they ’ re trans .
And so Trump making this kind of unilateral decision basically says , yeah , that ’ s fine .
We ’ re okay with that .
And the good news is that with the definition of sex @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I think it doesn ’ t foreclose the idea that someone would bring suit for a healthcare related claim , but it ’ s essentially a signal from the executive branch saying , well , we ’ re going to try and stop you from doing that .
So it ’ s sickening .
Kim Brown : I wanted to read a quote to you from a member of the Trump team from the Health and Human Services Department , where they said , quote , “ We ’ re going back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which is based on biological sex.
” Tell us why this is wrongheaded and why it is possibly going to cost people their lives if they are not able to get access to healthcare , or if they are denied healthcare services from providers .
Bre Kidman : Traditionally is an interesting word because for quite some time now , based on Pricewaterhouse and other decisions , discrimination on the basis of sex has legally meant discrimination based on characteristics that one associates with sex assigned at birth .
And so while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of sex meaning male or female based on your genitals , what you ’ re assigned at birth , there are years of legal precedent saying that that ’ s not what sex discrimination is , or that ’ s not all sex discrimination is because sex discrimination includes even cisgender or heterosexual women who dress in a masculine fashion , if they ’ re discriminated based on the way that they dress if they don ’ t present femininely enough , that ’ s sex discrimination .
So there ’ s no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trans people who may present in a way that differs from their biological sex assigned at birth , but it ’ s still sex discrimination because you ’ re assuming that they would behave or act or dress or present a certain way based on the sex assigned at birth that is assumed to be the correct sex .
I mean , sex is a spectrum too .
I don ’ t think we have time to get into that .
And so the same is true of all other members of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that was made in the Bostock cases and in Pricewaterhouse and in other cases before it , and the argument that the Supreme Court has held up is that if you were discriminating because you believe that people who are assigned one gender at birth , male , female should behave a certain way because they are male or female .
Whether that means men should date women , men should be masculine , men should be men , and I say that meaning people who are assigned men , that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s discrimination based on the sex assigned at birth .
And so it ’ s wrongheaded , it doesn ’ t make sense because these characteristics are all deviations from , and I say deviations that has connotation to , but deviations from the assumption of what someone born with a certain set of genitals would do .
And that ’ s particularly harmful to trans people , but also to LGBTQIA people all over the spectrum .
Because essentially what the Trump administration is saying , well , if you don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were when you were born , we don ’ t care if people treat you fairly .
That ’ s a tough one to swallow .
And frankly , I don ’ t think it will hold up in the courts when , I say when it is challenged .
Kim Brown : Without a doubt , because it seems that suing is probably going to be the only legal remedy here unless Trump loses in November and a new president comes in and reverses this rule .
I want to read a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Severino , who is the director of the Office for Civil Rights in the Department for Health and Human Services .
And what this person basically goes on to say is that there is confusion in the medical field about how to treat trans gender people and that the elimination of these legal protections in the Affordable Care Act will in effect , eliminate this confusion .
Now , just to be clear , Roger Severino as reported by NPR , came to the Trump administration from The Heritage Foundation , he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with woman type of life outlook on the issue of gender identity .
This is extremely scary , I would imagine for people who are trans and gay also for the simple fact that now the only way to correct this legal discrimination is to fight it in the courts and that can also be a lengthy process .
It can vary from state to state .
It may not come in the form of a federal decision initially .
How do you see this going forward ?
You did mention court as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ haven ’ t really thought through legally or talked with experts on this , but it ’ s possible that the decision as applied to employment will trickle down to healthcare through another means .
I ’ m not sure what that means would be because it is explicitly applied to employment .
But it ’ s a definition from the Supreme Court of a term that is used across different legal arenas .
I think the idea that doctors have a difficult time treating trans people is a bad faith argument .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ beings should be able to get medical care regardless of what their hormonal balance is .
And there are people across all different realms of gender identity , all different realms of sex .
There ’ re intersex people , there are people with hormonal differences all the way across the gender and identity spectrum .
And if doctors don ’ t have problems treating people who identify as cis-gender with different hormonal balances , there shouldn ’ t be a difference when treating trans people who are receiving hormone replacement therapy or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trans people don ’ t say that they can ’ t , not trans people , doctors don ’ t say that they can ’ t treat people who ’ ve had extensive plastic surgery for cosmetic reasons .
So I don ’ t really understand why , but I do understand why , it ’ s discrimination .
But I think that it ’ s in bad faith to argue that it ’ s not possible to treat people who are medically transitioning or people who aren ’ t medically transitioning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but people who identify without undergoing hormone therapy or without undergoing other medical procedures .
Kim Brown : Let ’ s move along to the Supreme Court decision ruling in favor of the plaintiffs in Bostock versus Clayton County .
This is an amalgamation not just of that case , but two other related cases .
And the Supreme Court found that gender identity or sexual orientation is not grounds for your employer to fire you .
I saw a lot of actually mixed reactions about this decision on social media .
Obviously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ civil rights protections extend now legally to transgender folks .
But at the same time , I saw people acknowledging first and foremostly sometimes the rampant discrimination in hiring of transgender people to begin with .
So if you ’ re on your job and you ’ re transgender , it ’ s good to know that now legally your employer can ’ t fire you .
But if you ’ re transgender , it ’ s hard to even get in the door to get a job .
Talk to me about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bre Kidman : This is not a crural for employment discrimination for trans people .
It does give us a legal footing to stand on , but it won ’ t solve the problem of getting trans people in the door .
And frankly , people across all lines of marginalization know that if they don ’ t fire you explicitly for being trans , they might fire you for being five minutes late one day .
There ’ s any number of excuses that an employer can come up with for firing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s not a prohibited purpose on paper .
And that practice isn ’ t solved by a ruling like this .
A ruling like this , what it does do is say , well , no , it actually allows you to make the argument that , well , no , actually it was transgender discrimination and that ’ s not allowed .
Previously , that kind of argument would be difficult to make where there wasn ’ t an explicit protection .
And now that there isn ’ t explicit protection , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on .
And it ’ s , like I said , it ’ s certainly not a crural , it ’ s a start towards being able to address that issue head on .
Kim Brown : I wanted to talk about Pride Month 2020 , and I believe , are we in the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprisings where gay people in New York City were targeted by New York City police department and they got fed up and made it known in the form of gathering and uprising that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and harassed and violated by the police .
And we ’ re seeing now many movements across the country where thousands of people are taking to the streets in objection to police brutality and calling now more for police accountability .
But police harassment and police brutality is very much an issue that affects the gay and trans community .
Talk to me about how this intersection comes with gay and trans folks who have been leading the way on civil rights really on a myriad of issues , but specifically as it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Bre Kidman : Trans women of color were leaders at the Stonewall uprising .
Trans women of color still face the steepest rates of murder , of police brutality , of discrimination across the board of any group that I can think of .
Trans women of color have really been out fighting the fight and really not seeing many of the rewards .
And so we see that now especially in , it ’ s tough to talk about this , in movements where we ’ re talking about black liberation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police discrimination , trans women getting beat up at those demonstrations .
There have been , I think at least three trans murders over the course of these last few weeks where this has been going on .
Having to explicitly say that black trans lives matter too , I think it ’ s a challenging intersection because it ’ s a big tent .
Racial injustice is a big tent and LGBTQ justice is a somewhat smaller tent within that tent .
And so we ’ re at a point now where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on board with collective liberation for everybody .
And certainly , I ’ m not in a place to say what that looks like or where it comes from .
I ’ m here to listen to movement leaders and amplify that message .
But it ’ s interesting to watch that unfold .
I think the demonstrations that I ’ ve seen , there ’ s been some trans pride , some black trans pride .
There ’ s been demonstrations alongside or with , or in addition to the kind of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think there is some movement to fold in together because we are ultimately talking about an issue that impacts everyone .
But there is work to be done .
There ’ s work to be done specifically for trans women of color and all trans people of color because while trans people experience higher discrimination than most other groups , trans people of color get that on multiple fronts .
Kim Brown : And lastly , Bre , what is a way in your opinion that white folks can best ally with black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trans women and gay black people ?
What is the best way from your perspective and from your experience to stand in solidarity with people as we are experiencing this tremendous moment in American history ?
Bre Kidman : I think I would be a bad accomplice if I said that I had the perfect answer to this question .
It ’ s not my place to say what the best way to be an ally or an accomplice is , but that ’ s kind of , I guess my point .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the best thing for white people to do in this moment is to listen , is to listen to movement leaders , is to listen more than you speak , and is to take the message that you ’ re receiving from movement leaders about what people need and amplify it .
Amplify the messages of black and brown people , make space for black and brown people to speak .
Don ’ t speak over black and Brown people .
And certainly don ’ t , I think that I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grading to me right now is a lot of white liberals have this impulse to polish the message or change the message to be more palatable to white people .
And I think that ’ s incredibly offensive and wrongheaded .
I think we need to let people who are closest to the issue speak about what they need and our job as accomplices is to amplify that and make it happen to the best of our ability .
We need to relax into black leadership at this moment and , not relax @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behind black leadership and use our privilege to give that effect .
Kim Brown : We ’ ve been speaking with activist and attorney , Bre Kidman .
They are seeking the Democratic nomination for Senate in Maine to face off against Republican Susan Collins in November .
The primary is July 14th .
Bre , we appreciate you joining us and thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us .
Bre Kidman : Thank you so much for having me .
Kim Brown : And thank you for @ @ @ @ @ @

Trump reverses medical discrimination protections for trans people, while SCOTUS rules employers cannot fire workers for being gay or trans.
Story Transcript
This is a rush transcript and may contain errors. It will be updated.
Kim Brown: Welcome to The Real News, I’m Kim Brown. June is Pride Month where the achievements and challenges of gay and trans people are celebrated and acknowledged. And Pride Month 2020 has been a legal rollercoaster for LGBTQ folks here in the US. On Friday, June 12th, the Trump administration finalized a rule essentially stripping away civil rights for trans people clearing the way for legal discrimination against transgender folks seeking medical care. And in the same week, the Supreme Court issued a decision on the Bostock versus Clayton County case ruling in favor of the plaintiffs that gender identity or sexual orientation isn’t grounds for termination by your employer.
And to discuss this and several other issues that are affecting the gay and trans community, we are joined today with Bre Kidman. Bre is an attorney who is currently running for the Democratic nomination for Senator in Maine to challenge Republican incumbent, Susan Collins. The primary is set for July 14th. Bre is joining us today from Maine. Thank you so much for being here, Bre.
Bre Kidman: Thanks for having me. It’s great to be back.
Kim Brown: First and foremost, let’s start with what the Trump administration decided a week ago, Friday, June 12th. They basically overturned protections that were set forth by the Obama administration in the Affordable Care Act, which said legally, people could not be denied access to healthcare on the basis of, quote, “Race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability in certain health programs and activities.” Now the Obama administration went on to further clarify this by saying that sex is to include gender identity as male, female, neither, or a combination of male and female.
Bre, I wanted to get your take on this because it’s so disturbing that the Trump administration authorized this legal discrimination against trans people in the healthcare field generally. But the fact that this is happening during the midst of a pandemic is cool. There’s no other way to describe it. What was your reaction to what the Trump administration did in effect overturning these protections?
Bre Kidman: Well, my initial reaction was to have my heart sink into my gut, right? Because as a trans person, it’s terrifying to see that the Trump administration has such bare animus for us that in the midst of a pandemic, they would fight to take our healthcare protections away. As we know from the 2015 U.S. Trans Survey, which is the biggest collection that we have for data on trans people, trans people experienced medical discrimination at radically higher rates than I think any other group where trans people get turned away from the doctor at extraordinarily high rates, not just for things like trans related care, like surgery and hormones, but for basic medical needs just because they’re trans.
And so Trump making this kind of unilateral decision basically says, yeah, that’s fine. We’re okay with that. And the good news is that with the definition of sex, including gender identity in many contexts, I think it doesn’t foreclose the idea that someone would bring suit for a healthcare related claim, but it’s essentially a signal from the executive branch saying, well, we’re going to try and stop you from doing that. So it’s sickening.
Kim Brown: I wanted to read a quote to you from a member of the Trump team from the Health and Human Services Department, where they said, quote, “We’re going back to the plain meaning of these terms, which is based on biological sex.” Tell us why this is wrongheaded and why it is possibly going to cost people their lives if they are not able to get access to healthcare, or if they are denied healthcare services from providers.
Bre Kidman: Traditionally is an interesting word because for quite some time now, based on Pricewaterhouse and other decisions, discrimination on the basis of sex has legally meant discrimination based on characteristics that one associates with sex assigned at birth. And so while Trump is certainly thinking about the meaning of sex meaning male or female based on your genitals, what you’re assigned at birth, there are years of legal precedent saying that that’s not what sex discrimination is, or that’s not all sex discrimination is because sex discrimination includes even cisgender or heterosexual women who dress in a masculine fashion, if they’re discriminated based on the way that they dress if they don’t present femininely enough, that’s sex discrimination.
So there’s no reason that that shouldn’t include trans people who may present in a way that differs from their biological sex assigned at birth, but it’s still sex discrimination because you’re assuming that they would behave or act or dress or present a certain way based on the sex assigned at birth that is assumed to be the correct sex. I mean, sex is a spectrum too. I don’t think we have time to get into that. And so the same is true of all other members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Essentially, the argument that was made in the Bostock cases and in Pricewaterhouse and in other cases before it, and the argument that the Supreme Court has held up is that if you were discriminating because you believe that people who are assigned one gender at birth, male, female should behave a certain way because they are male or female.
Whether that means men should date women, men should be masculine, men should be men, and I say that meaning people who are assigned men, that’s still discrimination based on sex, that’s discrimination based on the sex assigned at birth. And so it’s wrongheaded, it doesn’t make sense because these characteristics are all deviations from, and I say deviations that has connotation to, but deviations from the assumption of what someone born with a certain set of genitals would do. And that’s particularly harmful to trans people, but also to LGBTQIA people all over the spectrum. Because essentially what the Trump administration is saying, well, if you don’t act like what your genitals were when you were born, we don’t care if people treat you fairly.
That’s a tough one to swallow. And frankly, I don’t think it will hold up in the courts when, I say when it is challenged.
Kim Brown: Without a doubt, because it seems that suing is probably going to be the only legal remedy here unless Trump loses in November and a new president comes in and reverses this rule. I want to read a bit from a statement released from Roger Severino, who is the director of the Office for Civil Rights in the Department for Health and Human Services. And what this person basically goes on to say is that there is confusion in the medical field about how to treat trans gender people and that the elimination of these legal protections in the Affordable Care Act will in effect, eliminate this confusion.
Now, just to be clear, Roger Severino as reported by NPR, came to the Trump administration from The Heritage Foundation, he’s uber religious, very much man with woman type of life outlook on the issue of gender identity. This is extremely scary, I would imagine for people who are trans and gay also for the simple fact that now the only way to correct this legal discrimination is to fight it in the courts and that can also be a lengthy process. It can vary from state to state. It may not come in the form of a federal decision initially. How do you see this going forward? You did mention court as a remedy.
Bre Kidman: I haven’t really thought through legally or talked with experts on this, but it’s possible that the decision as applied to employment will trickle down to healthcare through another means. I’m not sure what that means would be because it is explicitly applied to employment. But it’s a definition from the Supreme Court of a term that is used across different legal arenas. I think the idea that doctors have a difficult time treating trans people is a bad faith argument. Trans people are human beings. Human beings should be able to get medical care regardless of what their hormonal balance is.
And there are people across all different realms of gender identity, all different realms of sex. There’re intersex people, there are people with hormonal differences all the way across the gender and identity spectrum. And if doctors don’t have problems treating people who identify as cis-gender with different hormonal balances, there shouldn’t be a difference when treating trans people who are receiving hormone replacement therapy or trans people who’ve had surgery. Trans people don’t say that they can’t, not trans people, doctors don’t say that they can’t treat people who’ve had extensive plastic surgery for cosmetic reasons.
So I don’t really understand why, but I do understand why, it’s discrimination. But I think that it’s in bad faith to argue that it’s not possible to treat people who are medically transitioning or people who aren’t medically transitioning and who just, not just, but people who identify without undergoing hormone therapy or without undergoing other medical procedures.
Kim Brown: Let’s move along to the Supreme Court decision ruling in favor of the plaintiffs in Bostock versus Clayton County. This is an amalgamation not just of that case, but two other related cases. And the Supreme Court found that gender identity or sexual orientation is not grounds for your employer to fire you. I saw a lot of actually mixed reactions about this decision on social media. Obviously those who are very happy that that civil rights protections extend now legally to transgender folks. But at the same time, I saw people acknowledging first and foremostly sometimes the rampant discrimination in hiring of transgender people to begin with.
So if you’re on your job and you’re transgender, it’s good to know that now legally your employer can’t fire you. But if you’re transgender, it’s hard to even get in the door to get a job. Talk to me about your reaction to the Bostock decision.
Bre Kidman: This is not a crural for employment discrimination for trans people. It does give us a legal footing to stand on, but it won’t solve the problem of getting trans people in the door. And frankly, people across all lines of marginalization know that if they don’t fire you explicitly for being trans, they might fire you for being five minutes late one day. There’s any number of excuses that an employer can come up with for firing someone to make sure that it’s not a prohibited purpose on paper. And that practice isn’t solved by a ruling like this. A ruling like this, what it does do is say, well, no, it actually allows you to make the argument that, well, no, actually it was transgender discrimination and that’s not allowed.
Previously, that kind of argument would be difficult to make where there wasn’t an explicit protection. And now that there isn’t explicit protection, it’s a leg to stand on. And it’s, like I said, it’s certainly not a crural, it’s a start towards being able to address that issue head on.
Kim Brown: I wanted to talk about Pride Month 2020, and I believe, are we in the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprisings where gay people in New York City were targeted by New York City police department and they got fed up and made it known in the form of gathering and uprising that they were tired of being targeted and discriminated and harassed and violated by the police. And we’re seeing now many movements across the country where thousands of people are taking to the streets in objection to police brutality and calling now more for police accountability. But police harassment and police brutality is very much an issue that affects the gay and trans community.
Talk to me about how this intersection comes with gay and trans folks who have been leading the way on civil rights really on a myriad of issues, but specifically as it relates to police brutality in this moment.
Bre Kidman: Trans women of color were leaders at the Stonewall uprising. Trans women of color still face the steepest rates of murder, of police brutality, of discrimination across the board of any group that I can think of. Trans women of color have really been out fighting the fight and really not seeing many of the rewards. And so we see that now especially in, it’s tough to talk about this, in movements where we’re talking about black liberation, where we’re talking about police discrimination, trans women getting beat up at those demonstrations. There have been, I think at least three trans murders over the course of these last few weeks where this has been going on.
Having to explicitly say that black trans lives matter too, I think it’s a challenging intersection because it’s a big tent. Racial injustice is a big tent and LGBTQ justice is a somewhat smaller tent within that tent. And so we’re at a point now where we’re trying to bring everybody on board with collective liberation for everybody. And certainly, I’m not in a place to say what that looks like or where it comes from. I’m here to listen to movement leaders and amplify that message. But it’s interesting to watch that unfold. I think the demonstrations that I’ve seen, there’s been some trans pride, some black trans pride.
There’s been demonstrations alongside or with, or in addition to the kind of larger groups of demonstrations. And I think there is some movement to fold in together because we are ultimately talking about an issue that impacts everyone. But there is work to be done. There’s work to be done specifically for trans women of color and all trans people of color because while trans people experience higher discrimination than most other groups, trans people of color get that on multiple fronts.
Kim Brown: And lastly, Bre, what is a way in your opinion that white folks can best ally with black people in this moment, especially black trans women and gay black people? What is the best way from your perspective and from your experience to stand in solidarity with people as we are experiencing this tremendous moment in American history?
Bre Kidman: I think I would be a bad accomplice if I said that I had the perfect answer to this question. It’s not my place to say what the best way to be an ally or an accomplice is, but that’s kind of, I guess my point. My point is, I think that the best thing for white people to do in this moment is to listen, is to listen to movement leaders, is to listen more than you speak, and is to take the message that you’re receiving from movement leaders about what people need and amplify it. Amplify the messages of black and brown people, make space for black and brown people to speak.
Don’t speak over black and Brown people. And certainly don’t, I think that I’m seeing a lot of that is really grading to me right now is a lot of white liberals have this impulse to polish the message or change the message to be more palatable to white people. And I think that’s incredibly offensive and wrongheaded. I think we need to let people who are closest to the issue speak about what they need and our job as accomplices is to amplify that and make it happen to the best of our ability. We need to relax into black leadership at this moment and, not relax into, but I mean, stand behind black leadership and use our privilege to give that effect.
Kim Brown: We’ve been speaking with activist and attorney, Bre Kidman. They are seeking the Democratic nomination for Senate in Maine to face off against Republican Susan Collins in November. The primary is July 14th. Bre, we appreciate you joining us and thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us.
Bre Kidman: Thank you so much for having me.
Kim Brown: And thank you for watching The Real News Network.
Production: Genevieve Montinar
Studio: Adam Coley
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therealnews--2020-07-01--This is Not a Drill: LIVE, July 1st

This is Not a Drill: LIVE, July 1st

What lessons does the long arc of Black political struggle bring to bear on the Bernie Sanders movement ?
In @ @ @ @ @ , the shortcomings of the campaign are stark .
And yet , Bernie 's campaign @ @ @ @ @ of thousands of people , many of whom are still in motion .
What are @ @ @ @ @ learn from the Bernie Sanders 2020 campaign ?
What lessons can be learned by examining @ @ @ @ @ Black political struggle ?
How has the terrain been fundamentally changed by the summer uprisings @ @ @ @ @ it have on the November elections ?
In this OrgUp exclusive , hosts Adam Gold @ @ @ @ @ difficult questions and more with Bill Fletcher Jr. , Alicia Garza , Claire Sandberg , @ @ @ @

What lessons does the long arc of Black political struggle bring to bear on the Bernie Sanders movement? In this moment of Black-led uprising, the shortcomings of the campaign are stark. And yet, Bernie’s campaign popularized socialism and organized tens of thousands of people, many of whom are still in motion. What are the real lessons we should learn from the Bernie Sanders 2020 campaign? What lessons can be learned by examining the history and trajectory of Black political struggle? How has the terrain been fundamentally changed by the summer uprisings, and what impact will it have on the November elections?
In this OrgUp exclusive, hosts Adam Gold and Rishi Awatramani tackle these difficult questions and more with Bill Fletcher Jr., Alicia Garza, Claire Sandberg, and Marcus Ferrell.
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therealnews--2020-07-02--Anti-Racism Protesters Face Ongoing Police Violence

Protests against racism and police brutality are being violently attacked across the country , even as they receive less media attention .
A photographer was killed in Louisville , Kentucky , after a gunman opened fire into a crowd of demonstrators demanding justice for Breonna Taylor on June 27 .
The deceased was identified as Steven Lopez .
A gunman is in custody for his killing .
Taylor was a 26-year-old African American woman killed during a no-knock police raid by Louisville police on March 13 .
Brett Hankison , one of the officers involved in the incident , was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protests .
No officers have been charged with Taylor ’ s death .
On June 27 , Aurora , Colorado police used tear gas and pepper spray to attack protesters and a violin vigil .
Protesters were demanding the arrest of the officers who killed Elijah McClain , a 23-year-old Black man who died in police custody .
McClain also played the violin .
McClain was violently arrested in August 2019 as he walked down the street .
Police used a chokehold on him , causing him to sob , “ I can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phrase uttered by George Floyd during his arrest .
While handcuffed on the ground , he was injected with ketamine , a powerful sedative , and lapsed into a coma from which he never recovered .
McClain later died at the hospital .
Weeks of protest prompted the state to open an investigation into McClain ’ s killing , but protests continue and no arrests have yet been made .
A couple brandished firearms at protesters marching through their neighbourhood during a protest against St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson on June 28 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Krewson , following a statement she delivered during a Facebook live on June 26 where she identified members of the public who had written letters to the City Hall demanding she defund the police .
Krewson has issued an apology for her statement via Twitter , and the Facebook video has since been taken down .
In a video posted to social media , peaceful protesters walking past the armed couple looked on in astonishment as they were ordered by the couple to stay away from the home .
President Donald Trump tweeted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Police have opened an investigation after a video captured police SUV repeatedly accelerating and striking a group of anti-police brutality protests on June 28 .
Several demonstrators were hospitalized .
Click on Detroit spoke to some of those taking part : One protester said the officer ’ s actions validate the protests and said the Detroit police “ feels like they could do anything with impunity.
” “ That ’ s why we march , ” he said .
“ The police feel like their badge gives them the authority to do harm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took part in the Queer Liberation Marches against police brutality and racism in cities across the country .
Video shows New York Police officers attacking protesters observing the anniversary of Stonewall .
On June 30 , the New York Police Department violently cleared a protest encampment outside of City Hall just prior to a vote on the city budget .
Activists are demanding New York Mayor Bill de Blasio cut $ 1 billion from the NYPD ’ s $ 6 billion police budget to invest in education , housing , and other social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 100 students , faculty , and community members delivered a petition of 6,000 signatures demanding Johns Hopkins abandon its armed private police force .
On June 12 , Hopkins announced the force would be suspended for two years , but activists are demanding it be cancelled altogether .
“ As a senior at Johns Hopkins University , I want to graduate from a university that fulfills its mission to support and uplift exploration and creativity , ” said Smitha Mahesh , member of Leaders for Equitable and Accessible Policies and Voices of Color @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This can only be achieved by protecting Black Lives , actively being anti-racist throughout the entire structure of the university , and abandoning any and all plans of a private police force .
”

Protests against racism and police brutality are being violently attacked across the country, even as they receive less media attention.
A photographer was killed in Louisville, Kentucky, after a gunman opened fire into a crowd of demonstrators demanding justice for Breonna Taylor on June 27. The deceased was identified as Steven Lopez. A gunman is in custody for his killing.
Louisville shutdown a bridge and put the issues in their face! Arrest the Officers that killed Breonna Taylor!!! pic.twitter.com/p6utTf7SJh — Bendin Corners (@THE96Q) June 29, 2020
Taylor was a 26-year-old African American woman killed during a no-knock police raid by Louisville police on March 13. Brett Hankison, one of the officers involved in the incident, was fired on June 23 after weeks of protests. No officers have been charged with Taylor’s death.
On June 27, Aurora, Colorado police used tear gas and pepper spray to attack protesters and a violin vigil.
Yesterday Aurora, Colorado was holding a violin vigil for Elijah McClain, who was known for playing his violin, especially to animals.
Then the police decided they’d seen enough.pic.twitter.com/aujN7xxpAQ — Joshua Potash (@JoshuaPotash) June 28, 2020
Protesters were demanding the arrest of the officers who killed Elijah McClain, a 23-year-old Black man who died in police custody. McClain also played the violin. McClain was violently arrested in August 2019 as he walked down the street. Police used a chokehold on him, causing him to sob, “I can’t breathe,” the same phrase uttered by George Floyd during his arrest. While handcuffed on the ground, he was injected with ketamine, a powerful sedative, and lapsed into a coma from which he never recovered. McClain later died at the hospital. Weeks of protest prompted the state to open an investigation into McClain’s killing, but protests continue and no arrests have yet been made.
A couple brandished firearms at protesters marching through their neighbourhood during a protest against St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson on June 28.
here’s what happens when you march on Portland Place in St. Louis, MO
they’re scared of their own community pic.twitter.com/Ng8qW1Pa6C — Avery Risch (@averyrisch) June 29, 2020
Protesters were marching towards the home of Krewson, following a statement she delivered during a Facebook live on June 26 where she identified members of the public who had written letters to the City Hall demanding she defund the police.
Krewson has issued an apology for her statement via Twitter, and the Facebook video has since been taken down. In a video posted to social media, peaceful protesters walking past the armed couple looked on in astonishment as they were ordered by the couple to stay away from the home. President Donald Trump tweeted a video of the incident.
Detroit Police have opened an investigation after a video captured police SUV repeatedly accelerating and striking a group of anti-police brutality protests on June 28. Several demonstrators were hospitalized.
Click on Detroit spoke to some of those taking part:
One protester said the officer’s actions validate the protests and said the Detroit police “feels like they could do anything with impunity.” “That’s why we march,” he said. “The police feel like their badge gives them the authority to do harm and damage under any circumstances.”
Demonstrators took part in the Queer Liberation Marches against police brutality and racism in cities across the country. Video shows New York Police officers attacking protesters observing the anniversary of Stonewall.
When de Blaiso tweeted this NYPD was beating and arresting queer liberation demonstrators who were observing the anniversary of Stonewall
pic.twitter.com/PL3ee4keRD https://t.co/Jjz7F0UX1S — jordan (@JordanUhl) June 29, 2020
On June 30, the New York Police Department violently cleared a protest encampment outside of City Hall just prior to a vote on the city budget. Activists are demanding New York Mayor Bill de Blasio cut $1 billion from the NYPD’s $6 billion police budget to invest in education, housing, and other social services.
Here’s the moment when things came to a boiling point. NYPD removing barricades closing off park behind city hall, which has been occupied by a round the clock sit-in amid demands to #DefundTheNYPD since last Tuesday. @PIX11News @VOCALNewYork pic.twitter.com/rolYObmokg — Anthony DiLorenzo (@ADiLorenzoTV) June 30, 2020
On June 29, about 100 students, faculty, and community members delivered a petition of 6,000 signatures demanding Johns Hopkins abandon its armed private police force. On June 12, Hopkins announced the force would be suspended for two years, but activists are demanding it be cancelled altogether.
Gathered in front of Johns Hopkins University President Ron Daniels house in protest of Hopkins getting a private police force. After years of organizing Hopkins condensed it would DELAY the force by two years. Organizers say that’s not good enough pic.twitter.com/xABpkuvYZc — brandon soderberg (@notrivia) June 29, 2020
“As a senior at Johns Hopkins University, I want to graduate from a university that fulfills its mission to support and uplift exploration and creativity,” said Smitha Mahesh, member of Leaders for Equitable and Accessible Policies and Voices of Color, in a press release. “This can only be achieved by protecting Black Lives, actively being anti-racist throughout the entire structure of the university, and abandoning any and all plans of a private police force.”
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therealnews--2020-07-02--Stir Crazy! Episode #62: Fourth of July is Cancelled

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therealnews--2020-07-02--Why You Should Give A F*ck | Ep. 4 | Voter Rights

Studio Technician (former)
Coming from a background in video production and filmmaking, Tunde Ogunfolaju was a studio tech for TRNN from 2018-2020. He operated, monitored, and adjusted audio, video, lighting, and broadcast equipment for the purposes of handling day-to-day production of in-studio, remote and live streamed interviews involving current political news for TRNN. He is a Baltimore native and great enthusiast of 90’s R&B as well as old school wrestling.


therealnews--2020-07-03--Whose Freedom Do We Celebrate On The Fourth of July

Story Transcript
JACQUELINE LUQMAN: The 4th of July is celebrated as the day that the so-called Founding Fathers adopted the document that officially delivered the citizens of the former colonies of Britain from the tyranny and oppression of the Crown, and enshrined into law the establishment of the United States of America. The Declaration of Independence, written to announce and explain the colonies’ separation from British rule, boldly declared “…We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness,” in defiance of the subjugation imposed upon them by the British government.
It was a brilliant statement conveying a simple truth that no man had the right to deny another man the right to live, live free, and to live a life of their own fulfillment. But while they embarked upon securing their freedom from the oppression of the British crown, their commitment to private property rights and eliminating the influence of, and their obligation to, a foreign colonial government; half of the so-called Founding Fathers denied those very freedoms to human beings they enslaved. And it’s not as if they were unaware of their hypocrisy.
In his initial draft of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson acknowledged slavery was against the principles set forth in the Declaration, but it wasn’t the colonists’ fault for enslaving Africans – it was the fault of the British for sending Africans to the colonies to be enslaved. This passage is not found in the final Declaration, because it was deleted, indicating that these men who are so highly regarded as heroes of this nation not only laid the foundation for the establishment of the United States based on the premise that the colonists’ denial of the freedom of Africans was the fault of the British, but they also relegated that issue as insignificant compared to the pursuit of their freedom.
It is this glaring hypocrisy that the descendants of those enslaved people who were left out of the Declaration of Independence have struggled with ever since. But it is one that Frederick Douglass noted in his famous address “What To The Slave Is The Fourth of July” that he delivered to the Rochester Ladies’ Anti-Slavery Society on July 5, 1852, just 76 years after the Declaration was written. He asks:
“Are the great principles of political freedom and of natural justice, embodied in that Declaration of Independence, extended to us?”
Sixty-nine years after the end of the War of Independence, or the Revolutionary War that freed the Thirteen Colonies from British rule, Douglass understood this blatant and damning hypocrisy of the celebration of the 4th of July, as he – a man formerly enslaved himself and an escapee from it – because not only were the enslaved not included in the Declaration of Independence when it was written in 1776, but the enslaved were not free when the Thirteen Colonies defeated their British masters in 1783, and they were not free when he made this speech! And those few Black people who were free, or not enslaved, were definitely not equal in American society.
“I am not included within the pale of this glorious anniversary! Your high independence only reveals the immeasurable distance between us. The blessings in which you, this day, rejoice, are not enjoyed in common. — The rich inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity and independence, bequeathed by your fathers, is shared by you, not by me. The sunlight that brought life and healing to you, has brought stripes and death to me. This Fourth [of] July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn. To drag a man in fetters into the grand illuminated temple of liberty, and call upon him to join you in joyous anthems, were inhuman mockery and sacrilegious irony.”
Slavery would remain the legal reality in what the Founders established as the United States of America until the Civil War ended and the Emancipation Proclamation was signed on January 1, 1863. But even then, freedom was not immediate for the enslaved, as Texas did not officially end slavery until two and a half years later, on June 19, 1865. Union troops carried the news of emancipation throughout Texas, and beginning in 1866 Black people began to hold parades, picnics, barbecues, and gave speeches in remembrance of the day the news of the end of their enslavement reached the state. By 1900 the festivities had grown to include baseball games, horse races, street fairs, rodeos, railroad excursions, and formal balls. We, the descendants of those formerly enslaved, call this day Juneteenth, and it is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. We still celebrate it today.
So the way I see it, the descendants of European colonists celebrate their freedom from British colonialism on July 4th. And we the descendants of the Africans forced to the colonies in chains celebrate our freedom from slavery under the American colonists on June 19th.
But as we approach another July 4th, and the nation is once again facing the legacy of the original sin of not just slavery, but of the evil hypocrisy of denying liberty to some in the pursuit of establishing it for others, I can still hear Frederick Douglass’ voice asking, “What, to the slave, is the fourth of July?”
The Founding Fathers’ refusal to ensure the freedom of enslaved Africans as they established their own resulted in “compromise” legislation like the ⅗ clause in the Constitution that gave Southern slaveholding states most of the power in the House of Representatives, the fugitive slave clause that directed “free” states to return the enslaved who escaped to non-slave states back to their enslavement, and in individual states deciding to continue importing Africans to be enslaved while others chose not to.
The legacy of that original sin of relegating the freedom of another human being to irrelevance by those who themselves yearned for freedom from colonization has perpetuated centuries of policies that have produced the current society that is indeed two Americas, one white, one Black, and grossly unequal. The racial prejudices that allowed so-called learned men who valued freedom for themselves and their posterity to deny the humanity and freedom of Africans and their offspring has been passed down through the generations of policymakers and citizens alike in this country like freckles and eye color.
The beliefs that Africans needed to be enslaved because they were uncivilized beasts from an uncivilized land, had to be forced to work because they were lazy, could be bred like cattle to produce more slaves because they didn’t care for their children and were little more than animals, needed to be beaten and tortured into submission because they were naturally disobedient and criminal persisted past the Civil War and were transformed into vengeful white riots against Black bodies and the plunder of Black communities; those beliefs were the foundation for segregation and Jim Crow; the excuse for transforming slave labor into sharecropping; they were the logic behind criminalizing homelessness and vagrancy and the convict lease system. Those attitudes informed white American hatred of equal access to public accommodations, their violent resistance to the desegregation of schools, the unequal application of federal programs to help military members and lift the nation out of the Depression (New Deal). Those beliefs influenced unequal pay for Black people for the same job and same level of experience as White people, the unequal treatment of Black people in medical care, the unequal discipline of Black kids in every grade of school. Those racist beliefs that Africans enslaved by the Founding Fathers in the colonies yearning to be free did not deserve to be free from the colonists blinded the descendants of the colonists to the demands for justice for decades of violent white lynch mobs, the terrorism of violent and racist police – who were often members of the lynch mobs – the terrorism of disparate impact, and the terrorism of government-imposed and approved segregation in public housing, education, healthcare, the military, federal employment, home finance, insurance, and every aspect of post-Civil War American life that white Americans believe is equal and just, but that these people in the streets today are a continuing, living testimony to the fact that this society is not at all equal, and we are still asking: WHAT, TO THE SLAVE, IS THE FOURTH OF JULY?
But who is still a slave, you ask? WE are still slaves to this idea that this country was founded on the notion that all men are created equal, but the truth is that the principles of this country were written by men who did not intend that what they wrote should apply to those they enslaved, and we live today with the tangible inequalities that were written into the slave society that the ideology of American freedom was built on in 1776.
So what, to ME, the descendant of those excluded bondsmen, is the 4th of July? It is the day I am reminded that freedom did not ring for our people in this nation’s song of independence in 1776. Nor did it in 1856. I am reminded that we are bullied by the posterity of those men who wrote those documents, demanding that we join with them in commemorating a declaration of independence that did not include our ancestors, but we are called “unAmerican” if we do not. I am reminded that our people and our Indigenous brothers and sisters have fought for our freedom, justice, and equality long after those holy texts of American independence were enshrined into law. Today especially, I am reminded that we fight for freedom, justice, and equality in this so-called free country still. And I am rejoicing in this knowledge because I AM my ancestors, so I will fight on.
And we will be free.
Studio: Taylor Hebden
Post-Production: Oscar León
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therealnews--2020-07-03--Cop Pulled A Gun On Woman’s Unarmed Son, Then Used Facebook Posts Against Her In Court

PAR investigates police use of Facebook posts in the cases of Korryn Gaines , Arturo Adame , and Michael Avery @ @ @ @ @ 's fight for accountability for an off-duty officer who pulled a gun on her child @ @ @ @ @ bus .

Host & Producer
Stephen Janis is an award winning investigative reporter turned documentary filmmaker. His first feature film, The Friendliest Town was distributed by Gravitas Ventures and won an award of distinction from The Impact Doc Film Festival, and a humanitarian award from The Indie Film Fest. He is the co-host and creator of The Police Accountability Report on The Real News Network, which has received more than 10,000,000 views on YouTube. His work as a reporter has been featured on a variety of national shows including the Netflix reboot of Unsolved Mysteries, Dead of Night on Investigation Discovery Channel, Relentless on NBC, and Sins of the City on TV One.
He has co-authored several books on policing, corruption, and the root causes of violence including Why Do We Kill: The Pathology of Murder in Baltimore and You Can’t Stop Murder: Truths about Policing in Baltimore and Beyond. He is also the co-host of the true crime podcast Land of the Unsolved. Prior to joining The Real News, Janis won three Capital Emmys for investigative series working as an investigative producer for WBFF. Follow him on Twitter.


therealnews--2020-07-03--What Happens When Wildfires and Covid Collide?

Steve Horn is a San Diego-based climate reporter and producer. He was also a reporter on a part-time basis for The Coast News—covering Escondido, San Marcos, and the San Diego North County region—from mid-2018 until early 2020.
Also a freelance investigative reporter, his work has appeared in The Guardian, Al Jazeera America, The Intercept, Vice News, Wisconsin Watch, and other publications. He worked from 2011-2018 for the climate news website DeSmog.com, a publication which investigates climate change disinformation and the fossil fuel industry influence campaigns.
His stories and research have received citation in a U.S. Senate report and mention in outlets such as The New York Times, The New Yorker, Bloomberg Businessweek, Mexico’s La Jornada, and The Colbert Report.
In his free time, Steve is a competitive distance runner, with a personal best time in the marathon of 2:43:04 and a 4:43 mile. He also has served on the film screening committee for the Heartland Film Festival in Indianapolis and serves on the screening committee for the San Diego International Film Festival.


therealnews--2020-07-03--Whose Freedom Do We Celebrate On The Fourth Of July?


therealnews--2020-07-06--Majority Black Prison Populations In Maryland See Disproportionate COVID-19 Spikes

Racial disparities in Maryland prisons are affecting COVID-19 ’ s spread , with majority white populations receiving protective equipment even @ @ @ @ @ Black populations struggle to get supplies .

Racial disparities in Maryland prisons are affecting COVID-19’s spread, with majority white populations receiving protective equipment even as Jessup institutions with majority Black populations struggle to get supplies.
Story Transcript
This is a rush transcript and may contain errors. It will be updated.
Eddie Conway: Welcome to this episode of Rattling the Bars. I’m Eddie Conway, your host. We have been following COVID-19’s rise across the country and obviously it’s rising even more dramatically now. But we have been looking at the impact that this pandemic have had on prisoners. Over 70,000 prisoners in the United States has tested positive so far. And because we’re in Maryland, we’re looking at Maryland and asking the question what’s happening here. And we see that almost 5,000 prisoners have tested positive for COVID-19, but what’s disturbing is one particular jail in the Jessup region has the most cases. It has over 350 cases. Of the deaths that’s occurred in Maryland, most of those deaths also have occurred in the Jessup region. And of course there’s five major regions in the state with massive prison complexes, but the Jessup region seem to be the one that’s hit the hardest.
So joining me today to kind of explain what’s going on and talk about these cases in Maryland is Gregory [Shamsuddin 00:01:37] Carpenter. Gregory, well Shamsuddin, thanks for joining me.
Gregory: Thank you for having me, Eddie.
Eddie Conway: Okay. First, kind of like you were in Jessup yourself. I mean, what’s the deal? MCI-J has so many cases, it’s unimaginable. Why do you think that’s happening? And just so, by comparison, there’s 3,000 prisoners up in Cumberland, Maryland. They have like one case. There’s over 4,000 prisoners in Eastern Shore. They have like two cases. Hagerstown have three or four cases with 5,000 prisoners. Jessup, which has about 3,000… That Jessup region has about 3,000 prisoners it’s self, but it’s got 350 cases. Can you talk about that a little bit and MCI-J and the culture there?
Gregory: Well, I mean, that’s a very interesting diagnosis in a lot of ways, but one of the things that we learned is that they’re not really providing people [inaudible 00:02:59] there with proper cleaning supplies and those types of things. And even just the living conditions are not as well as they could be. So that’s one of those things. And then all it takes is just one person to show up and then it begins to kind of snowball from there. But we had got some reports about them just mishandling the situation and the individuals there. That’s one of those real reasons I think for the rise in numbers there.
Eddie Conway: You know, what concerns me… I’ve spent years in the Jessup region myself, as well as years in Hagerstown and unfortunately, sometime in Cumberland. What strikes me is that the jails in the regions with the least amount of cases are all jails in white communities. Cumberland is a pretty much all white community. Hagerstown is pretty much all white community. Eastern Shore, ECI is all white community. But now Jessup is a black community. And so up in these other regions, apparently they’re given out face masks, hand sanitizers, gloves, social distancing, et cetera, et cetera. Why is that not happening in Jessup? Is that the Department of Correction? Or is that management in the Jessup region?
Gregory: Well, always the buck stops at the top, you know? However, boots on the ground, it’s a management problem because the people who are tasked with making sure certain things are in place and following through with are not doing it. I mean, for whatever reasons they are, it may be just the whole orientation about the system itself. And a lot of times, because we know that the officers, et cetera, they now have masks and shields, all these kinds of things that in some ways can protect them. But by and large, it’s just the whole application of the policies and the processes that have been put in place and how effective they are in carrying them out. And I think again, even though the buck stops at the top, it’s boots on the ground who creates the weakness in the process.
Eddie Conway: Is there any idea of the number of people that’s been released that… At some point early, on there was put on Hogan, Governor Hogan that is, to release at risk prisoners, age prisoners, et cetera. I understand only a few has been released. Do you have any idea how many prisoners have been released? Or what’s the holdup for releasing all of them?
Gregory: Well, I don’t know exact numbers. Like you said, I know that there has been several released just throughout the system, both on pre-trial and the convicted individuals, but like any new processes it’s just bureaucracy. And it’s just that paperwork is sitting on somebody’s desk or somebody has failed to follow through with a phone call just to make the process complete. And again, it becomes a part of the human inconsistency that we deal with when we deal with any situation. However, you think that because of the seriousness of this pandemic, that they would be a little bit more progressive in addressing and allowing those people who have been qualified or met the requirements to be released, to be released and be done with it.
Eddie Conway: Since all these cases apparently are happening in MCI-J, which is the Maryland Correctional Institute in Jessup, what can the public do? Especially those people that has loved ones or friends or family members, is there something the public can do to put a spotlight on this particular place? It’s ground zero. It’s a hotspot. And it’s the only spot that seems to be just exploding with the amount of contagions. What can the public do?
Gregory: That’s a very, very interesting and timely question, I think, because in light of… I mean clearly with social media, we are seeing stuff instantly that happens around the world now. I think that even though visits are not happening, but loved ones and concerned people can reach out to the politicians in their local area and the areas in which the Jessup region is located, and put pressure on politicians. Because even though we just had a series of elections in Baltimore City… Well, primaries I should say. So they just identified a new Mayor. We just identified a new City Council President. We just identified a new Comptroller. And we’ve identified some other new councilmatic district people, as well as those who are incumbent.
And I think that these people need to understand, one, that yeah individuals who may have committed crime and they have been sentenced according to the structures that are in place. However, we shouldn’t allow individuals to just be sitting ducks. And I’m saying all that to say is that use social media, you have these platforms, you have these individuals who follow you, to get them to call the Department of Corrections Headquarters. Call your local councilmatic person. Call your Congressman. Again, that’s another one, just add a new Congressman installed.
And so call these people. Put them to work. They wanted to be representatives of the people, put them to work. It may not be the sweetest tasting opportunity, but it’s an opportunity nonetheless. And especially when we have identified… When I say “we”, the structure has identified individuals who are high risk and we know that you have a large number of individuals in the penal system, and in the Jessup region in particular, who fall into that category, one, of age, two, of health. And so these individuals should be focused on clearly. And then their loved ones, if they still have loved one that exists, to knock on the doors, make the phone calls, send the letters, do whatever it is they can do to make the people aware. And the people meaning the power structure, the people who make the decisions, the people who can say, “let them go” and they’re let go.
And then make sure that as you’re going to do this, just have a support network so that these individuals, once they come home, they’re not left to chance. They are not put in a more vulnerable situation. So I think that just that… And I think that’s a small ask, although it will ring loud, it’s a small ask. That’s all it takes is a couple of minutes to pick up the phone, a couple of minutes to send an email. And then if you don’t know what to say, organizations like Out For Justice, you can reach out to them. And there are other organizations, even Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle. I mean, they’ll give you ideas about what to say in a phone conversation or in an email or in a text or just if you want to set up a social platform and you’re going to go live.
It doesn’t have to be a long piece. It’s just some things that you want them to know, that our loved ones are in a vulnerable situation. Those that are eligible to come home, release them. We will receive them, but we need you to act. And so that’s, I think, what the public can do just right now.
Eddie Conway: All right. So I think we’ll make an effort to add the Secretary of Public Safety’s email, phone number, and maybe Out For Justice and information also. And I’m thinking that the easiest and the best acts might be to say, “Everybody needs to have mass. Everybody needs to have sanitizing stuff. Everybody needs to be practicing… They need to practice safe distancing. Those things apparently are happening in other jails, why are they not happening in MCI-J?” And I think the public and loved ones and friends need to ask that question of the Secretary of Public Safety.
And I think we need to revisit this again, probably in another week, because those numbers seem to be going up. So if you could keep an eye on it and we could get back and look at it again in a week or so, that would be helpful. Can you do that?
Gregory: Absolutely. I would make it a point. In fact, I will get on top of that as soon as we conclude what we are doing so that we can put some things in motion. But you’re right. Just making sure that the whole… But that’s the other part of it, one of the conversations that I heard from inside was that that’s not happening and that should happen. So those things you just mentioned, it should be reinforced and mandated basically.
Eddie Conway: Okay. So thanks for joining me, Shamsuddin.
Gregory: I appreciate you asking me to be a part of it, Eddie. Thank you.
Eddie Conway: Okay. And thank you for joining this episode of Rattling the Bars.
Studio: Cameron Granadino
Production: Cameron Granadino, Ericka Blount Danois
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therealnews--2020-07-03--What Happens When Wildfires And COVID-19 Collide?