truthout--2020-07-16--87 Face Felony Charges for Kentucky Sit-In for Breonna Taylor

In Louisville , Kentucky , civil rights groups are calling on prosecutors to drop felony charges against 87 people who held a peaceful sit-in protest Tuesday outside the home of Attorney General Daniel Cameron .
The demonstrators were demanding the arrest and prosecution of the officers who killed Breonna Taylor , a Black Louisville resident who was shot inside her own home in March .
Among those arrested : the president of the Minneapolis NAACP , Houston Texans wide receiver Kenny Stills and Women ’ s March co-founder Linda Sarsour .
If convicted on felony charges , they could face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ What they ’ re attempting to do is intimidate protesters , ” says Marc Lamont Hill .
“ They ’ re attempting to send a message that nobody should be out here investigating something that clearly needs investigation.
” 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 , with Nermeen Shaikh .
Scores of protesters gathered Tuesday for a peaceful sit-in outside the home of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , urging him to charge the officers involved in the killing of Breonna Taylor .
She ’ s the 26-year-old Black woman , an EMT , who was treating COVID patients , an aspiring nurse , who was shot to death by police inside her own apartment in March .
Several celebrities , including NFL player Kenny Stills of the Houston Texans , and activists Tamika Mallory and Linda Sarsour were arrested , along with more than 80 other protesters .
They all face several charges , including a felony for intimidating a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gardner , a reporter for The Courier-Journal in Louisville , tweeted Sarsour saying , quote , “ We are being charged with a felony as an intimidation tactic by the LMPD in hopes that they believe we will never do this ever again because of that charge .
As you know , we are not intimidated , in fact , very emboldened right now.
” For more , we continue our conversation with Marc Lamont Hill , professor of media studies and urban education at Temple University , author of a number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America ’ s War on the Vulnerable , from Ferguson to Flint and Beyond .
So , talk about what ’ s happened in Louisville , Marc , this killing of Breonna Taylor , this remarkable young woman who was treating people with COVID-19 , an EMT , hoping to be a nurse .
Police storm her apartment .
She ’ s there with her boyfriend .
They shoot into it blindly , one of the officers shooting into the window of her bedroom , where there were curtains .
She was shot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Talk about what happened this week .
MARC LAMONT HILL : Yeah .
And again , I think you ’ re right , and I know you know this very well , Amy , and Breonna Taylor was an extraordinary , remarkable woman .
But even had she been unremarkable , even if she had made many mistakes and even if she hadn ’ t been a hero , she still deserves not to die at the hands of the state .
And what we saw this week was the public responding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , excuse me , the people responding very powerfully to the state ’ s failure to produce any semblance of justice in her case .
When I saw 87 people were arrested — you know , we ’ ve all protested ; we ’ ve all been arrested .
And usually we get a slap on the wrist .
Usually we get misdemeanors for civil disobedience .
But when you see someone getting a Class D felony for intimidating a person involved in a legal process , as Linda Sarsour said , what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intimidate protesters .
They ’ re attempting to send a message that no one should be out here investigating something that clearly needs investigation .
You know , you have someone who dies in March , and until the public scrutiny is on there , we get no movement , even though there ’ s so many questions about this case , from why they were there to why he was wantonly shooting a gun , to why the police report had no information about even her being killed or even harmed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so slowly and with so little commitment to justice .
And so , you see people protesting and risking their lives , risking their careers , and it ’ s a beautiful statement .
But we can ’ t stand here as a public and allow them to intimidate these protesters .
And finally , Amy , I just want to thank you for keeping Breonna Taylor ’ s case in the public eye , because , for so long , this was not a story .
And too often the deaths of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unnoticed .
And so it ’ s really important that people like you and others keep these stories in the public mind .
NERMEEN SHAIKH : And , Marc , could you also talk about the attorney general , the Kentucky attorney general , Daniel Cameron , who is the state ’ s first Black attorney general , and the first Republican to hold the office in more than 17 years ?
He ’ s been backed by President Trump .
MARC LAMONT HILL : Yeah .
You know , the great anthropologist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you know , sometimes your skinfolk ain ’ t your kinfolk .
You know , I don ’ t look to Black people in positions of power to necessarily produce justice for Black people .
I ’ m interested in what their politics are .
I ’ m interested in what their commitments are .
And so , when I see a Black appointee reinforcing the very same racist practices and policies that his white predecessors have , I find no joy or no pleasure in that .
And the fact that this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to how unlikely we are to get justice from this position , but how important it is in November for us to do everything we can to remove Trump from office .
NERMEEN SHAIKH : And , Marc , I want to go to another case , the decision by the Manhattan District Attorney ’ s Office to indict Amy Cooper .
You ’ ve questioned this decision .
Amy Cooper is the woman who called the police and falsely claimed that a Black man in Central Park was threatening her .
You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We can ’ t criminalize our way out of social problems .
… [ T ] hese retributive approaches will not largely impact the powerful .
Who will be most likely criminalized if we intensify prosecutions for filing false police reports ?
Not the Amy Coopers of the world , ” you tweeted .
Could you elaborate on why you think this is so problematic ?
MARC LAMONT HILL : Well , ultimately — well , fundamentally , I ’ m an abolitionist .
I believe in the abolition of prisons .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I stand in a long tradition of people who believe this — the Angela Davises , the Ruth Gilmores , the Mariame Kabas of the world , who sort of intellectually and politically led the way toward a vision of a world without prisons .
And so , at every opportunity , I look for restorative approaches .
I look to not use punishment and caging human beings as a primary response to social problems , whether it ’ s drug addiction , whether it ’ s being unhoused , whether it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ try to find ways that are outside the prison and outside the logic of the prison .
For me , Amy Cooper was an opportunity to do that , not — given the specifics of that case .
I understand very much , in this moment , that without any other mechanism for justice , I don ’ t shame or criticize or even challenge people who call for the killer cops to be arrested or incarcerated .
That ’ s not an abolitionist vision for me , but I do understand that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ re left with very little other — anything else to hold onto with regard to the possibilities of justice .
I want us to have a more robust and ambitious freedom dream than that in the long term .
And in the short term , when we have opportunities to not use the prison for drug addiction , again , for dealing with a dispute between people , to deal with someone asleep in a Wendy ’ s parking lot , like Rayshard Brooks , I say let ’ s do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Taylor or others , I understand that we have fewer mechanisms , and we have to do something to hold the state accountable in the short term , while we look for a broader and more ambitious , again , freedom dream in the long term .
AMY GOODMAN : Marc , we ’ re going to end where we began , and that ’ s with COVID , the reports and studies showing that African Americans and Latinx people are nearly three times as likely to be infected and twice as likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their white neighbors .
We just heard that the Republican white governor of Oklahoma , Governor Stitt , has tested positive for COVID .
He was maskless at Trump ’ s Tulsa rally , held almost on Juneteenth , had to push it to the next because of outcry .
But what Trump hasn ’ t been tweeting about as he tweets against the left protesting in this country is that Herman Cain , a major supporter , who came to support Trump at the Tulsa rally , also has tested positive , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the 70-year-old former African American presidential candidate , cancer survivor .
AMY GOODMAN : Can you talk about the connection between President Trump trying to , quote , “ move on ” and not deal with the pandemic , as over 137,000 people have died in this country , disproportionately African American and Latinx people ?
MARC LAMONT HILL : Yeah .
We live in a country that renders the poor disposable , anyone who we can ’ t extract value from disposable , Black and Brown people disposable , trans folk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ became very clear that the people catching the most hell at the epidemiological level , the people who were dying the most from COVID , were people who were Black and Brown and poor , there was a very quick move to , quote-unquote , “ open the country back up.
” There was a very quick move to not worry about the health consequences for those who were left behind .
And that ’ s something that Trump has been very clear about , and we saw that throughout the country .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ You had the lieutenant governor of Texas a few months ago talking about , you know , that grandparents should being willing to sacrifice their lives for the country .
And so , now , when Trump is walking around without a mask , when Trump is — for the last few months , when Trump is essentially saying that we should just open things up and everything will just be fine , he ’ s essentially saying that some people are death-eligible , and other people are not .
And that is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a very , very dangerous thing .
Herman Cain is someone with some sense of power and resource and access , and yet he is still vulnerable .
The elderly are vulnerable .
People who are immunocompromised are vulnerable .
And people who don ’ t have the luxury of social distancing , the luxury of working from home , are vulnerable .
And until we have a very serious conversation about investing in the vulnerable , through housing , through healthcare , through education , we ’ re going to continue to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as we have an administration that ’ s willing to open up schools , to open up the economy and to continue to let people die in the streets as long as they ’ re not white and privileged , we ’ re going to continue to have the moral crisis that is America right now .
AMY GOODMAN : Marc Lamont Hill , we want to thank you for being with us , professor of media studies and urban education at Temple University , author of several books , including Nobody : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Vulnerable , from Ferguson to Flint and Beyond .
We wish you all the very best as you cope with COVID .
We ’ ll be thinking about you — and not just thinking , taking action .
We , too , will be wearing our masks .
And this news just in : The U.S. just carried out its second execution this week , killing Wesley Ira Purkey by lethal injection , even though his lawyers argued he had dementia .
The last federal execution before this week was 17 years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with public health historian John Barry , who says the pandemic could get much , much worse if we don ’ t take bolder action now .
Stay with us .
AMY GOODMAN : Elsa Nilsson , playing her alto flute as part of the Lattice Concert Series at home in Greenpoint , Brooklyn .

In Louisville, Kentucky, civil rights groups are calling on prosecutors to drop felony charges against 87 people who held a peaceful sit-in protest Tuesday outside the home of Attorney General Daniel Cameron. The demonstrators were demanding the arrest and prosecution of the officers who killed Breonna Taylor, a Black Louisville resident who was shot inside her own home in March. Among those arrested: the president of the Minneapolis NAACP, Houston Texans wide receiver Kenny Stills and Women’s March co-founder Linda Sarsour. If convicted on felony charges, they could face up to five years in prison. “What they’re attempting to do is intimidate protesters,” says Marc Lamont Hill. “They’re attempting to send a message that nobody should be out here investigating something that clearly needs investigation.”
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, with Nermeen Shaikh. Scores of protesters gathered Tuesday for a peaceful sit-in outside the home of the Kentucky attorney general, Daniel Cameron, urging him to charge the officers involved in the killing of Breonna Taylor. She’s the 26-year-old Black woman, an EMT, who was treating COVID patients, an aspiring nurse, who was shot to death by police inside her own apartment in March.
Several celebrities, including NFL player Kenny Stills of the Houston Texans, and activists Tamika Mallory and Linda Sarsour were arrested, along with more than 80 other protesters. They all face several charges, including a felony for intimidating a participant in the legal process. Hayes Gardner, a reporter for The Courier-Journal in Louisville, tweeted Sarsour saying, quote, “We are being charged with a felony as an intimidation tactic by the LMPD in hopes that they believe we will never do this ever again because of that charge. As you know, we are not intimidated, in fact, very emboldened right now.”
For more, we continue our conversation with Marc Lamont Hill, professor of media studies and urban education at Temple University, author of a number of books, including Nobody: Casualties of America’s War on the Vulnerable, from Ferguson to Flint and Beyond.
So, talk about what’s happened in Louisville, Marc, this killing of Breonna Taylor, this remarkable young woman who was treating people with COVID-19, an EMT, hoping to be a nurse. Police storm her apartment. She’s there with her boyfriend. They shoot into it blindly, one of the officers shooting into the window of her bedroom, where there were curtains. She was shot to death with eight bullets in her. Talk about what happened this week.
MARC LAMONT HILL: Yeah. And again, I think you’re right, and I know you know this very well, Amy, and Breonna Taylor was an extraordinary, remarkable woman. But even had she been unremarkable, even if she had made many mistakes and even if she hadn’t been a hero, she still deserves not to die at the hands of the state.
And what we saw this week was the public responding very powerfully to — or, rather, excuse me, the people responding very powerfully to the state’s failure to produce any semblance of justice in her case. When I saw 87 people were arrested — you know, we’ve all protested; we’ve all been arrested. And usually we get a slap on the wrist. Usually we get misdemeanors for civil disobedience. But when you see someone getting a Class D felony for intimidating a person involved in a legal process, as Linda Sarsour said, what they’re attempting to do is intimidate protesters. They’re attempting to send a message that no one should be out here investigating something that clearly needs investigation.
You know, you have someone who dies in March, and until the public scrutiny is on there, we get no movement, even though there’s so many questions about this case, from why they were there to why he was wantonly shooting a gun, to why the police report had no information about even her being killed or even harmed, to why the state attorney is acting so slowly and with so little commitment to justice. And so, you see people protesting and risking their lives, risking their careers, and it’s a beautiful statement. But we can’t stand here as a public and allow them to intimidate these protesters.
And finally, Amy, I just want to thank you for keeping Breonna Taylor’s case in the public eye, because, for so long, this was not a story. And too often the deaths of Black women, girls and fems go unnoticed. And so it’s really important that people like you and others keep these stories in the public mind.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: And, Marc, could you also talk about the attorney general, the Kentucky attorney general, Daniel Cameron, who is the state’s first Black attorney general, and the first Republican to hold the office in more than 17 years? He’s been backed by President Trump.
MARC LAMONT HILL: Yeah. You know, the great anthropologist and novelist Zora Neale Hurston said, you know, sometimes your skinfolk ain’t your kinfolk. You know, I don’t look to Black people in positions of power to necessarily produce justice for Black people. I’m interested in what their politics are. I’m interested in what their commitments are. And so, when I see a Black appointee reinforcing the very same racist practices and policies that his white predecessors have, I find no joy or no pleasure in that. And the fact that this is a Trump appointee speaks not only to how unlikely we are to get justice from this position, but how important it is in November for us to do everything we can to remove Trump from office.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: And, Marc, I want to go to another case, the decision by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office to indict Amy Cooper. You’ve questioned this decision. Amy Cooper is the woman who called the police and falsely claimed that a Black man in Central Park was threatening her. You tweeted in response, quote, “We can’t criminalize our way out of social problems. … [T]hese retributive approaches will not largely impact the powerful. Who will be most likely criminalized if we intensify prosecutions for filing false police reports? Not the Amy Coopers of the world,” you tweeted. Could you elaborate on why you think this is so problematic?
MARC LAMONT HILL: Well, ultimately — well, fundamentally, I’m an abolitionist. I believe in the abolition of prisons. I believe in the abolition of police. I stand in a long tradition of people who believe this — the Angela Davises, the Ruth Gilmores, the Mariame Kabas of the world, who sort of intellectually and politically led the way toward a vision of a world without prisons. And so, at every opportunity, I look for restorative approaches. I look to not use punishment and caging human beings as a primary response to social problems, whether it’s drug addiction, whether it’s being unhoused, whether it’s poverty. You know, I try to find ways that are outside the prison and outside the logic of the prison.
For me, Amy Cooper was an opportunity to do that, not — given the specifics of that case. I understand very much, in this moment, that without any other mechanism for justice, I don’t shame or criticize or even challenge people who call for the killer cops to be arrested or incarcerated. That’s not an abolitionist vision for me, but I do understand that without any other tools or resources, we’re left with very little other — anything else to hold onto with regard to the possibilities of justice. I want us to have a more robust and ambitious freedom dream than that in the long term. And in the short term, when we have opportunities to not use the prison for drug addiction, again, for dealing with a dispute between people, to deal with someone asleep in a Wendy’s parking lot, like Rayshard Brooks, I say let’s do it. But in cases like Breonna Taylor or others, I understand that we have fewer mechanisms, and we have to do something to hold the state accountable in the short term, while we look for a broader and more ambitious, again, freedom dream in the long term.
AMY GOODMAN: Marc, we’re going to end where we began, and that’s with COVID, the reports and studies showing that African Americans and Latinx people are nearly three times as likely to be infected and twice as likely to die from the virus compared to their white neighbors. We just heard that the Republican white governor of Oklahoma, Governor Stitt, has tested positive for COVID. He was maskless at Trump’s Tulsa rally, held almost on Juneteenth, had to push it to the next because of outcry. But what Trump hasn’t been tweeting about as he tweets against the left protesting in this country is that Herman Cain, a major supporter, who came to support Trump at the Tulsa rally, also has tested positive, has been hospitalized for weeks. He is the 70-year-old former African American presidential candidate, cancer survivor.
MARC LAMONT HILL: Yeah.
AMY GOODMAN: Can you talk about the connection between President Trump trying to, quote, “move on” and not deal with the pandemic, as over 137,000 people have died in this country, disproportionately African American and Latinx people?
MARC LAMONT HILL: Yeah. We live in a country that renders the poor disposable, anyone who we can’t extract value from disposable, Black and Brown people disposable, trans folk disposable. And as soon as it became very clear that the people catching the most hell at the epidemiological level, the people who were dying the most from COVID, were people who were Black and Brown and poor, there was a very quick move to, quote-unquote, “open the country back up.” There was a very quick move to not worry about the health consequences for those who were left behind. And that’s something that Trump has been very clear about, and we saw that throughout the country. And the same with the elderly. You had the lieutenant governor of Texas a few months ago talking about, you know, that grandparents should being willing to sacrifice their lives for the country.
And so, now, when Trump is walking around without a mask, when Trump is — for the last few months, when Trump is essentially saying that we should just open things up and everything will just be fine, he’s essentially saying that some people are death-eligible, and other people are not. And that is very, very — it’s a very, very dangerous thing. Herman Cain is someone with some sense of power and resource and access, and yet he is still vulnerable. The elderly are vulnerable. People who are immunocompromised are vulnerable. And people who don’t have the luxury of social distancing, the luxury of working from home, are vulnerable. And until we have a very serious conversation about investing in the vulnerable, through housing, through healthcare, through education, we’re going to continue to have this problem. And as long as we have an administration that’s willing to open up schools, to open up the economy and to continue to let people die in the streets as long as they’re not white and privileged, we’re going to continue to have the moral crisis that is America right now.
AMY GOODMAN: Marc Lamont Hill, we want to thank you for being with us, professor of media studies and urban education at Temple University, author of several books, including Nobody: Casualties of America’s War on the Vulnerable, from Ferguson to Flint and Beyond. We wish you all the very best as you cope with COVID. We’ll be thinking about you — and not just thinking, taking action. We, too, will be wearing our masks.
And this news just in: The U.S. just carried out its second execution this week, killing Wesley Ira Purkey by lethal injection, even though his lawyers argued he had dementia. The last federal execution before this week was 17 years ago.
Up next, we speak with public health historian John Barry, who says the pandemic could get much, much worse if we don’t take bolder action now. Stay with us.
[break]
AMY GOODMAN: Elsa Nilsson, playing her alto flute as part of the Lattice Concert Series at home in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.


truthout--2020-07-16--Disturbing Memo Reveals Trump’s USPS Chief Has Slowed Delivery

President Donald Trump ’ s newly confirmed U.S. postmaster general ordered the endangered public service Monday to make major cost-cutting changes , which could slow mail delivery .
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy , a top Trump donor who has given more than $ 2 million to the GOP , warned employees that the agency needed to make “ difficult ” decisions to stay afloat , according to a new report in The Washington Post .
“ If the plants run late , they will keep the mail for the next day , ” one guideline says , according to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ verified by the American Postal Workers Union .
Carriers do not typically leave mail behind , often making multiple trips under heavy loads to get letters and packages to marked recipients as soon as possible .
Experts who reviewed the internal document , titled “ New PMG ’ s [ Postmaster General ’ s ] expectations and plan , ” said it presented “ a stark reimagining of the USPS , ” which could alienate customers .
If the agency increases package delivery rates , which has the support of the administration , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ throw new weight behind smothering the agency .
DeJoy , a North Carolina businessman , ascended to the head office in May after the resignation of Ron Stroman .
Stroman , who had defended the integrity of voting by mail , was reportedly forced out amid coordinated Republican attempts to undermine public faith in the service .
“ Stroman was specifically key on elections and vote by mail — this is not a good sign , ” ProPublica ’ s Jessica Huseman tweeted in response to the resignation .
A USPS spokesperson told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was “ developing a business plan to ensure that we will be financially stable and able to continue to provide reliable , affordable , safe and secure delivery of mail , packages and other communications to all Americans as a vital part of the nation ’ s critical infrastructure.
” That plan has not been finalized , but it will “ certainly include new and creative ways for us to fulfill our mission , ” the spokesperson added .
Vote-by-mail advocates say any new policy which slows deliveries might mean bad news for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requests and possible confusion surrounding the tabulations of votes .
This represents an acute concern for upstart Democratic congressional candidates looking to pick off Republican seats .
“ The people in power are trying to keep voter turnout low , and they ’ re hoping that fear keeps us from exercising our constitutional right to vote so they can stay in power .
But they have another thing coming , ” MJ Hegar , who on Wednesday was declared the winner of the Democratic Senate primary in Texas , told Salon .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allow Texans to vote by mail and ensure Texans don ’ t have to choose between exercising their constitutional right to vote and public health , ” she added .
James Mackler , aspiring Democratic candidate for Senate in Tennessee and a veteran of the War in Iraq , called the report in The Post “ deeply disturbing ” in an email to Salon .
“ This deeply disturbing report is another example of a willingness to abuse the powers of the executive branch for political gain , ” Mackler said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , volunteer and make their voices heard .
Efforts to suppress Americans ’ right to vote — and do so safely by mail — fly in the face of what I fought to defend on the battlefield and in the courtroom.
” A West Virginia mail carrier last week pleaded guilty to election fraud and injury to the mail after admitting he had altered requests for mail-in ballots along his route , changing party affiliation from Democratic to Republican .
The USPS spokesperson dismissed these concerns , saying the agency ’ s “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impact our ability to deliver election and political mail this year.
” “ I want to emphasize we will run our operations on time and on schedule , which will result in affordable , efficient and reliable service , ” the spokesperson added .
The new guidance has also raised old fears about a decades-long Republican drive to privatize the postal service , which now finds itself strapped for cash in the middle of a once-in-a-century infrastructure emergency .
In an early coronavirus relief bill , lawmakers authorized an additional $ 10 billion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the pandemic , but the loan has stalled amid a dispute with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin over terms which would allow his department to take over some agency operations .
On July 1 , Mnuchin announced a $ 700 million bailout of a trucking company and Pentagon contractor worth only $ 70 million , whose former CEO , Bill Zollars , was confirmed to the USPS board of governors the month prior .
Salon reported that the Department of Justice has accused the company in federal court of crimes committed under Zollars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Pentagon to the tune of millions of dollars .
Two months ago , the Democrat-controlled House passed another $ 25 billion emergency aid package to keep the beleaguered agency alive , but the Republican-led Senate has not yet taken up the measure .
The decision would likely fall to Ron Johnson , R-Wisc.
, the chair of the Republican-led Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs , which conducts oversight of the agency .
Johnson did not reply to a request for comment .
However , his Democratic counterpart , ranking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issued a statement to Salon .
“ The Postal Service is a critical lifeline for our communities .
Millions of Americans depend on the Postal Service to deliver prescription drugs and supplies to seniors , help small businesses stay connected with their customers , exercise the fundamental right to vote and ship the goods families need at home — no matter where they live , ” Peters said .
“ The Postal Service should not slow down mail or compromise service in any way , especially during this crisis , ” he added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leadership is prioritizing cost-cutting over customer service , and I am conducting oversight of their actions.
” A Peters aide told Salon that the USPS Board of Governors said the Postal Service could be insolvent in the coming months because of the pandemic , and the senator ’ s office was committed to securing bipartisan support .
Emphasizing Peters ’ belief that “ the independent Board of Governors and the Postal Regulatory Commission should be making the decisions about what ’ s best for their business models — not the administration , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the administration ’ s hand was at play .
Johnson has not outwardly expressed interest in reform .
However , this April he and Sen. Tammy Baldwin , D-Wisc.
, put bipartisan pressure on the USPS to resolve issues with delivery of mail ballots in their state ’ s primary .
A number of prominent Republicans , including Trump , have pushed baseless conspiracy theories about the security of voting by mail as part of a broader effort to inject doubt into the nationwide election system .
An individual familiar with internal White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strategists had as recently as last week stressed concerns about brutal internal poll numbers to the president , who has routinely attacked the mail-in system he views as a threat .
However , many of those officials have availed themselves of that same system , including Vice President Mike Pence , Attorney General William Barr , Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos , Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel , White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany , counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway and the president himself .

President Donald Trump’s newly confirmed U.S. postmaster general ordered the endangered public service Monday to make major cost-cutting changes, which could slow mail delivery.
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a top Trump donor who has given more than $2 million to the GOP, warned employees that the agency needed to make “difficult” decisions to stay afloat, according to a new report in The Washington Post.
“If the plants run late, they will keep the mail for the next day,” one guideline says, according to a document obtained by The Washington Post and verified by the American Postal Workers Union.
Carriers do not typically leave mail behind, often making multiple trips under heavy loads to get letters and packages to marked recipients as soon as possible.
Experts who reviewed the internal document, titled “New PMG’s [Postmaster General’s] expectations and plan,” said it presented “a stark reimagining of the USPS,” which could alienate customers. If the agency increases package delivery rates, which has the support of the administration, competing private companies could smell blood and throw new weight behind smothering the agency.
DeJoy, a North Carolina businessman, ascended to the head office in May after the resignation of Ron Stroman. Stroman, who had defended the integrity of voting by mail, was reportedly forced out amid coordinated Republican attempts to undermine public faith in the service.
“Stroman was specifically key on elections and vote by mail — this is not a good sign,” ProPublica’s Jessica Huseman tweeted in response to the resignation.
A USPS spokesperson told Salon in a statement that the service was “developing a business plan to ensure that we will be financially stable and able to continue to provide reliable, affordable, safe and secure delivery of mail, packages and other communications to all Americans as a vital part of the nation’s critical infrastructure.”
That plan has not been finalized, but it will “certainly include new and creative ways for us to fulfill our mission,” the spokesperson added.
Vote-by-mail advocates say any new policy which slows deliveries might mean bad news for mail-in ballots, yielding delays in ballot requests and possible confusion surrounding the tabulations of votes. This represents an acute concern for upstart Democratic congressional candidates looking to pick off Republican seats.
“The people in power are trying to keep voter turnout low, and they’re hoping that fear keeps us from exercising our constitutional right to vote so they can stay in power. But they have another thing coming,” MJ Hegar, who on Wednesday was declared the winner of the Democratic Senate primary in Texas, told Salon.
“We are going to keep fighting to allow Texans to vote by mail and ensure Texans don’t have to choose between exercising their constitutional right to vote and public health,” she added.
James Mackler, aspiring Democratic candidate for Senate in Tennessee and a veteran of the War in Iraq, called the report in The Post “deeply disturbing” in an email to Salon.
“This deeply disturbing report is another example of a willingness to abuse the powers of the executive branch for political gain,” Mackler said. “Our democracy works best when people vote, volunteer and make their voices heard. Efforts to suppress Americans’ right to vote — and do so safely by mail — fly in the face of what I fought to defend on the battlefield and in the courtroom.”
A West Virginia mail carrier last week pleaded guilty to election fraud and injury to the mail after admitting he had altered requests for mail-in ballots along his route, changing party affiliation from Democratic to Republican.
The USPS spokesperson dismissed these concerns, saying the agency’s “current financial condition is not going to impact our ability to deliver election and political mail this year.”
“I want to emphasize we will run our operations on time and on schedule, which will result in affordable, efficient and reliable service,” the spokesperson added.
The new guidance has also raised old fears about a decades-long Republican drive to privatize the postal service, which now finds itself strapped for cash in the middle of a once-in-a-century infrastructure emergency.
In an early coronavirus relief bill, lawmakers authorized an additional $10 billion for the USPS to fund emergency operations during the pandemic, but the loan has stalled amid a dispute with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin over terms which would allow his department to take over some agency operations.
On July 1, Mnuchin announced a $700 million bailout of a trucking company and Pentagon contractor worth only $70 million, whose former CEO, Bill Zollars, was confirmed to the USPS board of governors the month prior. Salon reported that the Department of Justice has accused the company in federal court of crimes committed under Zollars’ tenure, including allegations of defrauding the Pentagon to the tune of millions of dollars.
Two months ago, the Democrat-controlled House passed another $25 billion emergency aid package to keep the beleaguered agency alive, but the Republican-led Senate has not yet taken up the measure. The decision would likely fall to Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., the chair of the Republican-led Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, which conducts oversight of the agency.
Johnson did not reply to a request for comment. However, his Democratic counterpart, ranking member Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan, issued a statement to Salon.
“The Postal Service is a critical lifeline for our communities. Millions of Americans depend on the Postal Service to deliver prescription drugs and supplies to seniors, help small businesses stay connected with their customers, exercise the fundamental right to vote and ship the goods families need at home — no matter where they live,” Peters said.
“The Postal Service should not slow down mail or compromise service in any way, especially during this crisis,” he added. “I am concerned Postal Service leadership is prioritizing cost-cutting over customer service, and I am conducting oversight of their actions.”
A Peters aide told Salon that the USPS Board of Governors said the Postal Service could be insolvent in the coming months because of the pandemic, and the senator’s office was committed to securing bipartisan support.
Emphasizing Peters’ belief that “the independent Board of Governors and the Postal Regulatory Commission should be making the decisions about what’s best for their business models — not the administration,” the aide also implied a suspicion that the administration’s hand was at play.
Johnson has not outwardly expressed interest in reform. However, this April he and Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc., put bipartisan pressure on the USPS to resolve issues with delivery of mail ballots in their state’s primary.
A number of prominent Republicans, including Trump, have pushed baseless conspiracy theories about the security of voting by mail as part of a broader effort to inject doubt into the nationwide election system. An individual familiar with internal White House campaign discussions told Salon that Republican strategists had as recently as last week stressed concerns about brutal internal poll numbers to the president, who has routinely attacked the mail-in system he views as a threat.
However, many of those officials have availed themselves of that same system, including Vice President Mike Pence, Attorney General William Barr, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway and the president himself.
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
This piece was reprinted by Truthout with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.


truthout--2020-07-16--Lawmakers Demand Answers After Trump Upends CDC’s COVID-19 Reporting System

Lawmakers and public health experts are demanding that the Trump administration answer for its abrupt decision this week to cut the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention out of the coronavirus data-collection process , a move critics warned could impede state efforts to combat the pandemic and leave crucial information open to politically motivated spin .
“ The Trump administration is going to have to give a full justification for this , because until they do , it ’ s hard to see how this step won ’ t further sideline public health experts and obscure the severity of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the top Democrat on the Senate Health , Education , Labor , and Pensions Committee .
“ CDC has had a system in place for over a decade to track infection data and hospitals and states know and trust this system , ” Murray added .
“ So it ’ s entirely unclear why the Trump administration has asked states and hospitals to upend their reporting systems in the middle of a pandemic — in 48 hours nonetheless — without a single explanation as to why this new system is better or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which took effect Wednesday as coronavirus cases surge across the U.S. — instructed hospitals to bypass the CDC and instead send information about Covid-19 patients , bed capacity , and medical supplies to a Health and Human Services Department ( HHS ) database run by TeleTracking Technologies , a private firm that was quietly awarded a $ 10.2 million federal contract in April .
Democratic lawmakers have raised questions about the details of the TeleTracking contract , which remain shrouded in secrecy .
In a tweet late Wednesday , Rep. Ayanna Pressley ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s decision to divert Covid-19 data to a system run by a private contractor “ a shameful attempt to hide its incompetence.
” “ The Trump administration is rerouting important Covid-19 data , like racial disparities , from the CDC ’ s public database to a private portal operated by political appointees , ” said Pressley .
“ The more he politicizes this pandemic , the more lives we risk.
” Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D-Mass . )
warned that given the White House ’ s willingness to “ lie to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gain , ” giving HHS control over Covid-19 data “ is potentially dangerous for America and horrible for transparency.
” Trump administration officials insist the directive will streamline the Covid-19 data-gathering process without hindering transparency , but health officials are worried the order will deprive experts of information the CDC previously made available to the public and cause chaos as hospitals scramble to adjust to the new reporting system .
Bruce Meyer , president of Jefferson Health in Philadelphia , told the Washington Post that the longstanding CDC data-collection system was “ highly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ established tracking systems creates deep concerns that we will be unable to obtain appropriate and reliable information to perform research and manage our response to the virus , ” said Meyer .
In a statement late Tuesday , Thomas File Jr. , president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America , warned that “ placing medical data collection outside of the leadership of public health experts could severely weaken the quality and availability of data , add an additional burden to already overwhelmed hospitals , and add a new challenge to the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time when many states are experiencing surges , reliable , comprehensive data are essential to inform the distribution of supplies and treatment , ” said File .
“ We urge the administration to follow public health expertise in addressing this public health crisis .
”

The Trump administration has upended a system the CDC has had in place for over a decade.
Lawmakers and public health experts are demanding that the Trump administration answer for its abrupt decision this week to cut the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention out of the coronavirus data-collection process, a move critics warned could impede state efforts to combat the pandemic and leave crucial information open to politically motivated spin.
“The Trump administration is going to have to give a full justification for this, because until they do, it’s hard to see how this step won’t further sideline public health experts and obscure the severity of this crisis,” said Sen. Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.
“CDC has had a system in place for over a decade to track infection data and hospitals and states know and trust this system,” Murray added. “So it’s entirely unclear why the Trump administration has asked states and hospitals to upend their reporting systems in the middle of a pandemic — in 48 hours nonetheless — without a single explanation as to why this new system is better or necessary.”
The White House directive — which took effect Wednesday as coronavirus cases surge across the U.S. — instructed hospitals to bypass the CDC and instead send information about Covid-19 patients, bed capacity, and medical supplies to a Health and Human Services Department (HHS) database run by TeleTracking Technologies, a private firm that was quietly awarded a $10.2 million federal contract in April.
Democratic lawmakers have raised questions about the details of the TeleTracking contract, which remain shrouded in secrecy. In a tweet late Wednesday, Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) called the Trump administration’s decision to divert Covid-19 data to a system run by a private contractor “a shameful attempt to hide its incompetence.”
“The Trump administration is rerouting important Covid-19 data, like racial disparities, from the CDC’s public database to a private portal operated by political appointees,” said Pressley. “The more he politicizes this pandemic, the more lives we risk.”
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) warned that given the White House’s willingness to “lie to the American people about this pandemic for political gain,” giving HHS control over Covid-19 data “is potentially dangerous for America and horrible for transparency.”
The Trump administration has shown that they’re willing to lie to the American people about this pandemic for political gain. Allowing them to have control of this important data is potentially dangerous for America and horrible for transparency. https://t.co/h8FJp9myxE — Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) July 15, 2020
Trump administration officials insist the directive will streamline the Covid-19 data-gathering process without hindering transparency, but health officials are worried the order will deprive experts of information the CDC previously made available to the public and cause chaos as hospitals scramble to adjust to the new reporting system.
Bruce Meyer, president of Jefferson Health in Philadelphia, told the Washington Post that the longstanding CDC data-collection system was “highly reliable and efficient.”
“Sidestepping these established tracking systems creates deep concerns that we will be unable to obtain appropriate and reliable information to perform research and manage our response to the virus,” said Meyer.
In a statement late Tuesday, Thomas File Jr., president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, warned that “placing medical data collection outside of the leadership of public health experts could severely weaken the quality and availability of data, add an additional burden to already overwhelmed hospitals, and add a new challenge to the U.S. pandemic response.”
“At this critical time when many states are experiencing surges, reliable, comprehensive data are essential to inform the distribution of supplies and treatment,” said File. “We urge the administration to follow public health expertise in addressing this public health crisis.”
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
This piece was reprinted by Truthout with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.


truthout--2020-07-16--It’s Time to Shut the Country Down — and Pay People to Stay Home

The school districts for the cities of Los Angeles , San Diego , Houston , San Francisco and Atlanta have announced that all fall classes will be held online because of the current eruption of new COVID-19 cases across the South and West .
Last night , however , Georgia ’ s Republican Gov .
Brian Kemp issued an order nullifying all locally declared mask mandates in the state , including in Atlanta .
A Utah County Commission meeting was held Wednesday night to discuss the use of masks in schools , if and when the schools should open .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the room was flooded with maskless , MAGA-hatted “ anti-mask protesters ” whose defiance of public health guidelines brought the meeting to an abrupt halt .
“ This mandate for the children to wear masks is baloney , ” one protester told the Salt Lake Tribune .
Also on Wednesday , Oklahoma ’ s Republican Gov .
Kevin Stitt announced he has been infected with COVID and is quarantining .
Stitt embraced Donald Trump ’ s debacle of a Tulsa rally last month , which local health experts believe led to a spike @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and may have even been responsible for Stitt ’ s own infection .
Governor Stitt was quick to state that , despite his own present experience with COVID , he will not even consider a mask mandate to protect public health .
“ We ’ re not going to mandate [ masks ] in the state of Oklahoma , ” he told the Tulsa World , “ and we ’ re not going to be mask-shamers either.
” Back in Washington , D.C. , reality remains on an eerily similar hiatus at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s re-election campaign has struggled to tear down former Vice President Joe Biden with less than four months until Election Day , the president ’ s staff have devoted considerable resources to finding novel ways to make him feel better about the crumbling world around him , ” reports The Daily Beast .
“ They tell him tales of his sagging poll numbers being fake .
They ’ ve concocted ways of convincing him that the adoring crowds he loves on the campaign trail are still there and ready .
They ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and economic crises ravaging the nation are ephemeral .
And they ’ ve carried his water as he seeks to reassert his authority over situations falling beyond his control.
” That water-carrying apparently led Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro to pen an astonishingly vicious and ill-timed editorial broadside against Anthony Fauci , the government ’ s top COVID expert and the deeply popular face of the fight against the pandemic in the United States .
Trump and the White House distanced themselves from Navarro ’ s attack , but at least one White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s express permission to lob the brick .
“ Not only was he authorized by Trump , he was encouraged , ” the unnamed official said .
A day in the life of Pandemic America , one which saw more than 66,000 new COVID infections nationally , and which was the 37th consecutive day those numbers have risen .
The death toll , also rising again , stands at more than 137,000 souls .
The cognitive dissonance on display across the country , and especially in regions currently being harshly affected by COVID @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this nation has ever seen .
This self-destructive Trump-inspired defiance of basic safety measures , from leaders as well as voters , has few peers in the annals of our history .
There were anti-mask protesters during the 1918 influenza pandemic , too .
That calamity lasted years and killed half a million people .
We are on our way to a similar fate if matters continue as they are .
There is but one solution .
It is the hard and wildly unpopular option , but it is also the only option @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what is shaping up to be the bleakest winter in living memory .
The nation , and specifically the regions currently most affected , must shutter stores , businesses and gatherings of more than a few people .
No churches , no schools , no sports , with mandated masks and stay-at-home orders back in place .
These were the actions that beat back COVID in the nightmare that was March and April , and did so with such success , in fact , that the country barnstormed into the current crisis because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recognize that staggering error in judgment and accept the consequences .
It is as bad now as it was back at the beginning , and is growing worse by the day .
We are out of choices , and running short on time .
Congress , and specifically Mitch McConnell ’ s Republican majority in the Senate , must walk or be shoved away from what appears to be their current strategy : Offer no new aid to the people to saddle an increasingly likely President Biden with a ruined economy .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of that kind of lethal political calculus , I have an instant COVID cure to sell you .
McConnell must be made to move .
Workers and businesses must be provided with enough federal aid to remain home and closed , while surviving and sustaining .
This time , it must mean everyone , especially lower-wage workers , and not just Trump ’ s wealthy pals .
As more school districts close and millions of children prepare for schooling at home , those parents must receive all the aid they need to keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passes .
This will require multiple acts of specifically targeted legislation , and oversight must be severe to thwart the same brigands who plundered the CARES Act , the one and only significant aid package Congress has managed to pass .
A study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology ’ s Sloan School argues that the most effective way to mitigate the economic damage from the pandemic is to save as many lives as possible , which means shut it down and keep ‘ em safe .
“ A pandemic is so destructive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , author of the study .
“ Ultimately any policy to mitigate it is going to be good for the economy.
” Common sense and science can also dictate how and where this happens .
Regions where the outbreak is exploding will have to close virtually everything down that is not deemed essential .
Towns like Allagash , Maine ( pop .
239 ) , however , should have the latitude to lean a bit more toward normal if the infection rate in such places remains under control .
This is a vast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shut down can and must be weighed against the potential risks .
If those risks are low in places , the sterner shutdown protocols can be partially avoided .
The math is there , and solid .
If the United States government can cough up $ 1.5 trillion for the ridiculous F-35 Joint Strike fighter — one of thousands of hyper-costly Pentagon boondoggle programs — it can pay to keep people from choking to death alone in overcrowded hospitals .
It can pay waiters to wait at home for the storm to pass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their children on the couch , and it can pay teachers to stay away from the potential virus bomb of classrooms .
It is high summer today , but as Eddard Stark always correctly warned , winter is coming .
This winter — with a national election , an ongoing pandemic , the seasonal flu , and cold dry air beloved by many viruses — holds the high potential for shutting the country down massively , violently and entirely against our will .
The time to act is now , right now .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ price of inaction at this juncture is very nearly unthinkable , and coming all too soon .

It will be hard, but the far side of inaction at this juncture is very nearly unthinkable.
The school districts for the cities of Los Angeles, San Diego, Houston, San Francisco and Atlanta have announced that all fall classes will be held online because of the current eruption of new COVID-19 cases across the South and West. Last night, however, Georgia’s Republican Gov. Brian Kemp issued an order nullifying all locally declared mask mandates in the state, including in Atlanta.
A Utah County Commission meeting was held Wednesday night to discuss the use of masks in schools, if and when the schools should open. The conversation never got started, because the room was flooded with maskless, MAGA-hatted “anti-mask protesters” whose defiance of public health guidelines brought the meeting to an abrupt halt. “This mandate for the children to wear masks is baloney,” one protester told the Salt Lake Tribune.
Also on Wednesday, Oklahoma’s Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt announced he has been infected with COVID and is quarantining. Stitt embraced Donald Trump’s debacle of a Tulsa rally last month, which local health experts believe led to a spike in COVID cases in that city, and may have even been responsible for Stitt’s own infection.
Governor Stitt was quick to state that, despite his own present experience with COVID, he will not even consider a mask mandate to protect public health. “We’re not going to mandate [masks] in the state of Oklahoma,” he told the Tulsa World, “and we’re not going to be mask-shamers either.”
Back in Washington, D.C., reality remains on an eerily similar hiatus at the White House.
“As Trump’s re-election campaign has struggled to tear down former Vice President Joe Biden with less than four months until Election Day, the president’s staff have devoted considerable resources to finding novel ways to make him feel better about the crumbling world around him,” reports The Daily Beast. “They tell him tales of his sagging poll numbers being fake. They’ve concocted ways of convincing him that the adoring crowds he loves on the campaign trail are still there and ready. They’ve pledged that the social, racial, and economic crises ravaging the nation are ephemeral. And they’ve carried his water as he seeks to reassert his authority over situations falling beyond his control.”
That water-carrying apparently led Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro to pen an astonishingly vicious and ill-timed editorial broadside against Anthony Fauci, the government’s top COVID expert and the deeply popular face of the fight against the pandemic in the United States. Trump and the White House distanced themselves from Navarro’s attack, but at least one White House source claims Navarro had Trump’s express permission to lob the brick. “Not only was he authorized by Trump, he was encouraged,” the unnamed official said.
A day in the life of Pandemic America, one which saw more than 66,000 new COVID infections nationally, and which was the 37th consecutive day those numbers have risen. The death toll, also rising again, stands at more than 137,000 souls.
The cognitive dissonance on display across the country, and especially in regions currently being harshly affected by COVID, is as remarkable a phenomenon as this nation has ever seen.
The cognitive dissonance on display across the country, and especially in regions currently being harshly affected by COVID, is as remarkable a phenomenon as this nation has ever seen. This self-destructive Trump-inspired defiance of basic safety measures, from leaders as well as voters, has few peers in the annals of our history. There were anti-mask protesters during the 1918 influenza pandemic, too. That calamity lasted years and killed half a million people.
We are on our way to a similar fate if matters continue as they are. There is but one solution. It is the hard and wildly unpopular option, but it is also the only option to take if we wish to avoid what is shaping up to be the bleakest winter in living memory.
Shut it down.
The nation, and specifically the regions currently most affected, must shutter stores, businesses and gatherings of more than a few people. No churches, no schools, no sports, with mandated masks and stay-at-home orders back in place. These were the actions that beat back COVID in the nightmare that was March and April, and did so with such success, in fact, that the country barnstormed into the current crisis because it reopened too soon.
We must recognize that staggering error in judgment and accept the consequences. It is as bad now as it was back at the beginning, and is growing worse by the day. We are out of choices, and running short on time.
Congress, and specifically Mitch McConnell’s Republican majority in the Senate, must walk or be shoved away from what appears to be their current strategy: Offer no new aid to the people to saddle an increasingly likely President Biden with a ruined economy. If you think Mitch isn’t capable of that kind of lethal political calculus, I have an instant COVID cure to sell you. McConnell must be made to move.
Workers and businesses must be provided with enough federal aid to remain home and closed, while surviving and sustaining. This time, it must mean everyone, especially lower-wage workers, and not just Trump’s wealthy pals. As more school districts close and millions of children prepare for schooling at home, those parents must receive all the aid they need to keep their heads above water until the storm passes.
This will require multiple acts of specifically targeted legislation, and oversight must be severe to thwart the same brigands who plundered the CARES Act, the one and only significant aid package Congress has managed to pass.
A study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School argues that the most effective way to mitigate the economic damage from the pandemic is to save as many lives as possible, which means shut it down and keep ‘em safe. “A pandemic is so destructive,” says MIT economist Emil Verner, author of the study. “Ultimately any policy to mitigate it is going to be good for the economy.”
If the United States government can cough up $1.5 trillion for the ridiculous F-35 Joint Strike fighter, it can pay to keep people from choking to death alone in overcrowded hospitals.
Common sense and science can also dictate how and where this happens. Regions where the outbreak is exploding will have to close virtually everything down that is not deemed essential. Towns like Allagash, Maine (pop. 239), however, should have the latitude to lean a bit more toward normal if the infection rate in such places remains under control. This is a vast and complicated nation; the need to shut down can and must be weighed against the potential risks. If those risks are low in places, the sterner shutdown protocols can be partially avoided.
The math is there, and solid. If the United States government can cough up $1.5 trillion for the ridiculous F-35 Joint Strike fighter — one of thousands of hyper-costly Pentagon boondoggle programs — it can pay to keep people from choking to death alone in overcrowded hospitals. It can pay waiters to wait at home for the storm to pass. It can pay parents to teach their children on the couch, and it can pay teachers to stay away from the potential virus bomb of classrooms.
It is high summer today, but as Eddard Stark always correctly warned, winter is coming. This winter — with a national election, an ongoing pandemic, the seasonal flu, and cold dry air beloved by many viruses — holds the high potential for shutting the country down massively, violently and entirely against our will.
The time to act is now, right now. It will be hard, but the price of inaction at this juncture is very nearly unthinkable, and coming all too soon.
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
Copyright © Truthout. May not be reprinted without permission.


truthout--2020-07-16--Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Prohibits Cities From Mandating Masks

Georgia Gov .
Brian Kemp signed an executive order on Wednesday night declaring that any local government ’ s rules or regulations mandating masks or facial coverings were null and void .
The order affects more than a dozen city and county governments that had mandated wearing of masks in public to stop the spread of coronavirus in their localities .
In spite of the ban on cities and counties to create their own regulations , the Republican governor encouraged residents of his state to wear masks on a voluntary basis .
After the order was issued , a spokesperson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the mask mandate in the city was still in place .
“ The mayor ’ s order remains in effect , as science and data will continue to drive the city ’ s decisions .
Masks save lives , ” spokesperson Michael Smith said .
Other leaders from around the state expressed outrage at Kemp ’ s order , decrying it as out of step with the prevailing scientific views on the efficacy of mask-wearing in order to stop COVID-19 from spreading .
“ It is officially official .
Governor Kemp does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Savannah Mayor Van Johnson said on Twitter after the order was issued .
“ Every man and woman for himself/herself .
Ignore the science and survive the best you can.
” Johnson added that the city would make masks available for residents if they needed them .
Russell Edwards , the mayor pro tempore of Athens , Georgia , Kemp ’ s hometown , called on the governor to resign over his leadership during the pandemic .
“ Words fail to describe this monstrous behavior , ” Edwards said of the executive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against Kemp in the 2018 gubernatorial race , spoke out against the order as well .
“ What he continues to do is downplay not only the challenge to Georgians , but the deaths of Georgians , ” Abrams said on MSNBC .
“ More than 3,000 Georgians have perished , disproportionately black and brown Georgians .
And he continues to fiddle while Rome burns.
” Georgia was among the first states in the country to reopen , and began the process of easing social distancing restrictions on businesses on April 24 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Presently , the state has reported more than 118,147 cumulative cases of the disease , making it the state with the eighth-highest number of total cases counted in the U.S. Georgia also has seen a spike in new cases .
On July 10 , the state reported its highest single-day number of positive tests , with 4,904 Georgians contracting the disease .
Currently , around 3,087 new cases are being reported daily , on average , based on figures from the past seven days .
A number of studies have found that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ways to stop the spread of coronavirus .
At Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston , for example , the positivity rate of hospital workers being diagnosed with COVID-19 dropped by 58 percent after a mask mandate was enforced .
CDC director Robert Redfield recently encouraged all Americans to wear coverings when they were out in public .
“ Cloth face coverings are one of the most powerful weapons we have to slow and stop the spread of the virus — particularly when used universally within a community setting , ” he said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ All Americans have a responsibility to protect themselves , their families and their communities .
”

A number of studies have shown that wearing masks significantly reduces the chances of spreading coronavirus.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed an executive order on Wednesday night declaring that any local government’s rules or regulations mandating masks or facial coverings were null and void.
The order affects more than a dozen city and county governments that had mandated wearing of masks in public to stop the spread of coronavirus in their localities.
In spite of the ban on cities and counties to create their own regulations, the Republican governor encouraged residents of his state to wear masks on a voluntary basis.
After the order was issued, a spokesperson for Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms insisted that the mask mandate in the city was still in place.
“The mayor’s order remains in effect, as science and data will continue to drive the city’s decisions. Masks save lives,” spokesperson Michael Smith said.
Other leaders from around the state expressed outrage at Kemp’s order, decrying it as out of step with the prevailing scientific views on the efficacy of mask-wearing in order to stop COVID-19 from spreading.
“It is officially official. Governor Kemp does not give a damn about us,” Savannah Mayor Van Johnson said on Twitter after the order was issued. “Every man and woman for himself/herself. Ignore the science and survive the best you can.”
Johnson added that the city would make masks available for residents if they needed them.
Russell Edwards, the mayor pro tempore of Athens, Georgia, Kemp’s hometown, called on the governor to resign over his leadership during the pandemic. “Words fail to describe this monstrous behavior,” Edwards said of the executive order.
Stacey Abrams, who faced-off against Kemp in the 2018 gubernatorial race, spoke out against the order as well.
“What he continues to do is downplay not only the challenge to Georgians, but the deaths of Georgians,” Abrams said on MSNBC. “More than 3,000 Georgians have perished, disproportionately black and brown Georgians. And he continues to fiddle while Rome burns.”
Georgia was among the first states in the country to reopen, and began the process of easing social distancing restrictions on businesses on April 24, just weeks after Kemp issued state-at-home orders. Presently, the state has reported more than 118,147 cumulative cases of the disease, making it the state with the eighth-highest number of total cases counted in the U.S.
Georgia also has seen a spike in new cases. On July 10, the state reported its highest single-day number of positive tests, with 4,904 Georgians contracting the disease. Currently, around 3,087 new cases are being reported daily, on average, based on figures from the past seven days.
A number of studies have found that masks or facial coverings help in significant ways to stop the spread of coronavirus. At Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, for example, the positivity rate of hospital workers being diagnosed with COVID-19 dropped by 58 percent after a mask mandate was enforced.
CDC director Robert Redfield recently encouraged all Americans to wear coverings when they were out in public.
“Cloth face coverings are one of the most powerful weapons we have to slow and stop the spread of the virus — particularly when used universally within a community setting,” he said in a statement earlier this week. “All Americans have a responsibility to protect themselves, their families and their communities.”
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
Copyright © Truthout. May not be reprinted without permission.