truthout--2020-04-19--The Coronavirus Pandemic Is Making the Housing Crisis Even Worse

Ninety-five percent of Americans have been ordered to stay at home to reduce the spread of the coronavirus .
As a human geographer who studies experiences of home and housing , I find a certain irony to these orders , particularly when wrapped in messages such as “ Stay Home and Stay Safe.
” Even as almost all Americans are told to remain at home , millions are now unemployed and must scramble to figure out how to pay for that home .
The irony is that the one thing Americans are told to do is preventing many of them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do .
The pandemic is exacerbating the affordable housing crisis that plagues cities throughout the U.S. and contributes to rising inequality , housing insecurity and homelessness .
According to CNN , one-third of Americans did not pay rent this month .
Many are now getting eviction notices , while others are organizing payment plans with their landlords .
Even those tenants who successfully negotiate postponing their payments will eventually have to pay back what they owe .
The stimulus bill recently passed by the U.S. Senate , as well as additional state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , provide some temporary protections .
However , these pieces of legislation only really offer partial and temporary solutions , and others , like undocumented immigrants , many who have lived and worked in the U.S. for years are ineligible to receive aid .
More importantly however , they do not address the structural problems surrounding America ’ s decades-long housing crisis .
Housing prices have skyrocketed in many cities in the country .
In some of the most expensive cities in the U.S. , like New York and Washington , D.C. , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have increased over 50 % from 2009 to 2019 .
Rent prices have also continued to rise , increasing 150 % since 2010 .
In the most affluent cities the median rent price for a one-bedroom apartment is greater than US $ 2,000 .
These price increases have made it increasingly difficult for even middle-class families to rent or purchase homes in many areas in the U.S .
Nationally , 1 in 4 Americans now spend more than half of their monthly income on rent .
Another 6 million are considered cost-burdened , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of their income on rent .
For those working full-time but earning minimum wage , it is now impossible to rent a two-bedroom apartment in any city in the U.S. without being cost-burdened .
The housing crisis has also led to an increase in homelessness .
Currently there are over 550,000 homeless estimated nationwide .
With over 6 million currently unemployed , this number will surely rise .
For low-income families living in neighborhoods undergoing gentrification , the pandemic is just another blow to an ongoing struggle to stay in their neighborhood and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that I study , the Globeville and Elyria-Swansea neighborhoods in northwest Denver , Colorado .
Traditionally marginalized and located in the industrialized areas of the city , these neighborhoods are home to approximately 12,000 residents , and almost 87 % identify as Hispanic or Latino .
The majority of residents earn less than $ 25,000 a year , with many working in the service and health industries and in construction .
Denver ’ s fast-growing housing market and urban redevelopment are making it increasingly hard for these residents to remain in the neighborhood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Now , the pandemic has caused many in Globeville and Elyria-Swansea to lose their jobs , and Globeville is currently one of the neighborhoods with the highest cases of COVID-19 infections in Denver .
Without employment and unable to pay rent or mortgage payments , an already cost-burdened community may finally succumb to their struggle against gentrification .
For communities like Globeville and Elyria-Swansea , displacement usually means being forced to move to areas and homes that are often unhealthier , poorer quality and far away from city resources and community networks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to go to other schools , and parents must commute longer distances to jobs and services .
The effects of the housing crisis are not reserved to just poor communities , but rather all city residents .
Displacement and gentrification lead to greater inequality , greater social and economic insecurity and can undermine social cohesion , to name only a few .
For those already struggling to stay in their homes , the coronavirus is a dramatic blow to an already difficult situation .
Even for those families who have received some temporary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is hard to imagine how families that already pay between 30 % and 50 % of their salary on rent will be able to pay off any debts when relief programs expire .
I fear that many of these Americans will end up on the streets , in motel rooms or isolated in neighborhoods with poor-quality housing , far away from community , schools , jobs and other services and resources .

Millions who are now unemployed must scramble to figure out how to pay their rent or mortgage.
Ninety-five percent of Americans have been ordered to stay at home to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.
As a human geographer who studies experiences of home and housing, I find a certain irony to these orders, particularly when wrapped in messages such as “Stay Home and Stay Safe.”
Even as almost all Americans are told to remain at home, millions are now unemployed and must scramble to figure out how to pay for that home. The irony is that the one thing Americans are told to do is preventing many of them from doing the one thing they need to do.
The pandemic is exacerbating the affordable housing crisis that plagues cities throughout the U.S. and contributes to rising inequality, housing insecurity and homelessness.
Two Crises Collide
According to CNN, one-third of Americans did not pay rent this month.
Many are now getting eviction notices, while others are organizing payment plans with their landlords. Even those tenants who successfully negotiate postponing their payments will eventually have to pay back what they owe.
The stimulus bill recently passed by the U.S. Senate, as well as additional state and city moratoria on evictions and foreclosures, provide some temporary protections.
However, these pieces of legislation only really offer partial and temporary solutions, and others, like undocumented immigrants, many who have lived and worked in the U.S. for years are ineligible to receive aid.
More importantly however, they do not address the structural problems surrounding America’s decades-long housing crisis.
The Housing Crisis
Housing prices have skyrocketed in many cities in the country. In some of the most expensive cities in the U.S., like New York and Washington, D.C., this has meant that median sales prices have increased over 50% from 2009 to 2019.
Rent prices have also continued to rise, increasing 150% since 2010. In the most affluent cities the median rent price for a one-bedroom apartment is greater than US$2,000.
These price increases have made it increasingly difficult for even middle-class families to rent or purchase homes in many areas in the U.S.
Nationally, 1 in 4 Americans now spend more than half of their monthly income on rent. Another 6 million are considered cost-burdened, meaning that they pay over 30% of their income on rent.
For those working full-time but earning minimum wage, it is now impossible to rent a two-bedroom apartment in any city in the U.S. without being cost-burdened.
The housing crisis has also led to an increase in homelessness. Currently there are over 550,000 homeless estimated nationwide. With over 6 million currently unemployed, this number will surely rise.
Those Hardest Hit
For low-income families living in neighborhoods undergoing gentrification, the pandemic is just another blow to an ongoing struggle to stay in their neighborhood and homes
Among those gentrifying communities are two that I study, the Globeville and Elyria-Swansea neighborhoods in northwest Denver, Colorado.
Traditionally marginalized and located in the industrialized areas of the city, these neighborhoods are home to approximately 12,000 residents, and almost 87% identify as Hispanic or Latino. The majority of residents earn less than $25,000 a year, with many working in the service and health industries and in construction.
Denver’s fast-growing housing market and urban redevelopment are making it increasingly hard for these residents to remain in the neighborhood. Many have already been forcibly displaced.
Now, the pandemic has caused many in Globeville and Elyria-Swansea to lose their jobs, and Globeville is currently one of the neighborhoods with the highest cases of COVID-19 infections in Denver. Without employment and unable to pay rent or mortgage payments, an already cost-burdened community may finally succumb to their struggle against gentrification.
For communities like Globeville and Elyria-Swansea, displacement usually means being forced to move to areas and homes that are often unhealthier, poorer quality and far away from city resources and community networks and support. Children are often forced to go to other schools, and parents must commute longer distances to jobs and services.
The effects of the housing crisis are not reserved to just poor communities, but rather all city residents. Displacement and gentrification lead to greater inequality, greater social and economic insecurity and can undermine social cohesion, to name only a few.
For those already struggling to stay in their homes, the coronavirus is a dramatic blow to an already difficult situation. Even for those families who have received some temporary relief for April and May, it is hard to imagine how families that already pay between 30% and 50% of their salary on rent will be able to pay off any debts when relief programs expire.
I fear that many of these Americans will end up on the streets, in motel rooms or isolated in neighborhoods with poor-quality housing, far away from community, schools, jobs and other services and resources.
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--2020-04-19--Corporate News Coverage of the Pandemic Is Rife With Islamophobia

It is no secret that Asian Americans have felt the brunt of the backlash against coronavirus in the U.S .
The racism and hateful attacks , amounting to at least 100 per day , have been well recorded by the media .
But there is another group that has also been marginalized during this time — Muslims .
Every week , we see stories of Muslims facing attacks related to coronavirus , from receiving Islamophobic insults by web conference call intruders to being tasered in supermarkets for wearing a face mask , or facing modern day “ apartheid ” in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by faith .
Unfortunately , the media ’ s coverage of coronavirus isn ’ t helping , as it unnecessarily scapegoats Muslims and ties us to terrorism .
Recently , the conservative New York Post published a piece about a Muslim firefighter named Omar Sattar who caught COVID-19 in the line of duty .
But even before stating his name or what occurred , the authors completely disqualified his heroics and humanity by declaring that his “ father is a convicted terrorist.
” After much outcry , the phrase was removed , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his father interspersed with quotes from Sattar about his long-time admiration for firefighters .
Several other outlets did the same , creating a bizarre and disgusting example of the explicit and implicit Islamophobia perpetuated by the media that has largely gone unchecked during this unprecedented pandemic .
In other reports , news outlets paired photos of people disinfecting mosques around the world alongside stories about coronavirus cases in completely different countries .
On March 13 , for example , the Associated Press ( AP ) published a story about Puerto Rico ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slideshow that accompanied the article did not begin with a scene from Puerto Rico .
Rather , it started with a photo of a mosque in Jakarta being disinfected .
When ABC News ran that same AP article , the outlet did not even offer a slideshow — just a picture from the Jakarta mosque .
To anyone glancing at that story without reading the photo caption , it would appear that Muslims were uniquely afflicted or that Muslim-majority countries had high numbers of cases .
Both were untrue .
Advocates started screenshotting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alleging they were too numerous to be just a coincidence .
In addition to pictures of mosques , news articles and home pages dedicated to the coronavirus featured photos of Muslims praying in protective gear and women in hijab wearing face masks or blowing their nose .
Perhaps the most nonsensical one was The New York Times homepage announcing President Trump ’ s travel ban on European countries .
It displayed a photograph of people walking in front of a mosque in Istanbul , Turkey — which was strange because Turkey is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ban .
This matters because most Americans don ’ t actually know a Muslim , so media play a significant role in influencing non-Muslim perceptions of Muslims .
For years , Muslims have urged media outlets to reverse their tendency to only mention the community in stories relating to terrorism .
These misrepresentations increase perceptions of Muslims as aggressive and encourage negative emotions and harmful policies toward them , including the idea that Islam is not compatible with so-called “ Western values.
” In other words , the media using Muslims as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not only inaccurate , but it is also downright dangerous to the community .
One only need look back at the lead up to the 2016 presidential elections to understand this .
It is not a coincidence that violence against Muslims and those who “ appear Muslim ” skyrocketed during that time , reaching their highest number since 9/11 , while candidates , including now-President Trump , repeatedly bashed Muslims and Islam on the campaign trail .
They called for prohibiting Muslim immigration , patrolling “ Muslim neighborhoods , ” closing mosques @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a database .
Trump even said “ Islam hates us ” and perpetuated Islamophobic stereotypes of oppressed Muslim women by stating that Ghazala Khan , the mother of a soldier killed in Iraq , stayed silent on the Democratic National Convention stage because , “ She probably , maybe she wasn ’ t allowed to have anything to say.
” Fast forward to April 2020 , when TikTok users pointed out the hypocrisy of Trump extolling the virtues of wearing a scarf , the very same one Khan wore on her head and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face .
The current situation in India should serve as a severe warning of what could happen if this misrepresentation continues .
Muslims there have already been subjected to abuse , life-threatening riots and loss of citizenship by the Hindu nationalist ruling party .
And now they are being blamed for COVID-19 .
This has only furthered the rampant Islamophobia there , leading to people committing suicide because their businesses were boycotted , news channels reporting false news about Muslims spreading the virus as a “ Corona Jihad , ” and the tragic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mother was refused admittance to a hospital due to her Islamic faith .
And , as mentioned earlier , these hospitals are now segregating Muslim patients because of lies that they are spreading the virus .
Let us be clear .
Religion and race play no role in whether one contracts or transmits the disease , and Muslims are not a foreign virus that must be identified and defeated .
Media must be held accountable for their role in promoting Islamophobia , because we know full well that stoking this hatred endangers innocent @ @ @ @ @

Part of the Series Despair and Disparity: The Uneven Burdens of COVID-19
It is no secret that Asian Americans have felt the brunt of the backlash against coronavirus in the U.S. The racism and hateful attacks, amounting to at least 100 per day, have been well recorded by the media. But there is another group that has also been marginalized during this time — Muslims. Every week, we see stories of Muslims facing attacks related to coronavirus, from receiving Islamophobic insults by web conference call intruders to being tasered in supermarkets for wearing a face mask, or facing modern day “apartheid” in India, where patients are being segregated by faith. Unfortunately, the media’s coverage of coronavirus isn’t helping, as it unnecessarily scapegoats Muslims and ties us to terrorism.
Recently, the conservative New York Post published a piece about a Muslim firefighter named Omar Sattar who caught COVID-19 in the line of duty. But even before stating his name or what occurred, the authors completely disqualified his heroics and humanity by declaring that his “father is a convicted terrorist.” After much outcry, the phrase was removed, but the article still included several paragraphs about his father interspersed with quotes from Sattar about his long-time admiration for firefighters. Several other outlets did the same, creating a bizarre and disgusting example of the explicit and implicit Islamophobia perpetuated by the media that has largely gone unchecked during this unprecedented pandemic.
In other reports, news outlets paired photos of people disinfecting mosques around the world alongside stories about coronavirus cases in completely different countries. On March 13, for example, the Associated Press (AP) published a story about Puerto Rico’s first cases of the virus. The slideshow that accompanied the article did not begin with a scene from Puerto Rico. Rather, it started with a photo of a mosque in Jakarta being disinfected. When ABC News ran that same AP article, the outlet did not even offer a slideshow — just a picture from the Jakarta mosque. To anyone glancing at that story without reading the photo caption, it would appear that Muslims were uniquely afflicted or that Muslim-majority countries had high numbers of cases. Both were untrue.
Advocates started screenshotting the growing number of similar examples, alleging they were too numerous to be just a coincidence. In addition to pictures of mosques, news articles and home pages dedicated to the coronavirus featured photos of Muslims praying in protective gear and women in hijab wearing face masks or blowing their nose. Perhaps the most nonsensical one was The New York Times homepage announcing President Trump’s travel ban on European countries. It displayed a photograph of people walking in front of a mosque in Istanbul, Turkey — which was strange because Turkey is not one of the countries included in the ban.
This matters because most Americans don’t actually know a Muslim, so media play a significant role in influencing non-Muslim perceptions of Muslims. For years, Muslims have urged media outlets to reverse their tendency to only mention the community in stories relating to terrorism.
These misrepresentations increase perceptions of Muslims as aggressive and encourage negative emotions and harmful policies toward them, including the idea that Islam is not compatible with so-called “Western values.” In other words, the media using Muslims as the stock photo for the universally despised coronavirus is not only inaccurate, but it is also downright dangerous to the community.
One only need look back at the lead up to the 2016 presidential elections to understand this. It is not a coincidence that violence against Muslims and those who “appear Muslim” skyrocketed during that time, reaching their highest number since 9/11, while candidates, including now-President Trump, repeatedly bashed Muslims and Islam on the campaign trail. They called for prohibiting Muslim immigration, patrolling “Muslim neighborhoods,” closing mosques, and registering and tracking Muslims in a database. Trump even said “Islam hates us” and perpetuated Islamophobic stereotypes of oppressed Muslim women by stating that Ghazala Khan, the mother of a soldier killed in Iraq, stayed silent on the Democratic National Convention stage because, “She probably, maybe she wasn’t allowed to have anything to say.” Fast forward to April 2020, when TikTok users pointed out the hypocrisy of Trump extolling the virtues of wearing a scarf, the very same one Khan wore on her head and other Muslim women may wear on their face.
The current situation in India should serve as a severe warning of what could happen if this misrepresentation continues. Muslims there have already been subjected to abuse, life-threatening riots and loss of citizenship by the Hindu nationalist ruling party. And now they are being blamed for COVID-19. This has only furthered the rampant Islamophobia there, leading to people committing suicide because their businesses were boycotted, news channels reporting false news about Muslims spreading the virus as a “Corona Jihad,” and the tragic death of a newborn baby after the mother was refused admittance to a hospital due to her Islamic faith. And, as mentioned earlier, these hospitals are now segregating Muslim patients because of lies that they are spreading the virus.
Let us be clear. Religion and race play no role in whether one contracts or transmits the disease, and Muslims are not a foreign virus that must be identified and defeated. Media must be held accountable for their role in promoting Islamophobia, because we know full well that stoking this hatred endangers innocent people regardless of faith.
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--2020-04-19--The Next Economic Stimulus Must Include Green New Deal Measures

Forty years of deindustrialization , anti-labor policy , wage stagnation and welfare retrenchment has left many U.S. workers — 44 percent of which are low-wage – vulnerable to the compounding crises of the COVID-19 pandemic .
Brookings reported that more than 24.2 million U.S. workers are employed in high-risk industries and face significant virus-related work disruptions .
Oxford Economics Chief U.S .
Economist Greg Daco warned that the unemployment rate could hit 10 percent in April , while Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin cautioned that without effective government intervention , unemployment could jump as high as 20 percent in the coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2 trillion stimulus deal that President Trump signed on March 27 , there was little debate that workers and businesses required critical financial support .
However , Trump and some Republicans swiftly rebuked House Democrats ’ proposed environmental measures as unrelated to the crises .
Not only are they wrong — climate impacts , including increasingly frequent pandemics , have everything to do with the current political-economic system — but by omitting green provisions from the stimulus package , they have put the nation at risk of deepening its dependency on fossil fuels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been more crucial to decarbonize .
While it may seem that the moment for such a green stimulus has already passed , the acceleration of confirmed U.S. cases coupled with Trump ’ s refusal to heed health experts ’ pleas for aggressive containment , do not incite confidence that an end to the pandemic is near .
Additional legislative action will likely be needed in the coming months , as Congress ’ s industrial bailouts and one-off cash payments prove to be merely stopgap measures .
Before we squander yet another stimulus on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system , it is worth seriously considering the following proposed Green New Deal measures .
As former President Barack Obama increased mileage standards following the $ 80 billion auto industry bailout during the Great Recession , the COVID-19 stimulus ’ s $ 500 billion corporate assistance program could have included similar efficiency requirements .
House Democrats argued that the airline bailout should have required carbon neutrality for domestic flights by 2025 , but the provision was dropped as a compromise with Trump , who in exchange agreed to omit a $ 3 billion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal jobs guarantee program would not only assist workers unemployed due to the impacts of COVID-19 but also those needing to transition from carbon-intensive industries .
Pre-pandemic estimates show that if approximately 15 million participants were paid $ 15 per hour , it would cost about $ 500 billion annually , or only 2.5 percent of the federal gross domestic product , barring increased tax revenue and savings from reduced welfare expenditures .
Green jobs , in particular , have the potential to reshape power dynamics between labor and capital by providing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 8 to 19 percent higher than national averages , and half require no more than a high school diploma .
Historical examples of successful federal jobs initiatives include former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt ’ s Works Progress Administration and Civilian Conservation Corps , which employed 9 and 3.5 million workers respectively , with the latter also credited with planting 2 billion trees , developing 800 parks and stocking rivers with 1 million fish .
Economist John Maynard Keynes ’ s “ paradox of thrift ” is often a source of frustration for governments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economy .
A green bonds program , which would fund climate-smart projects such as efficiency or infrastructure improvements , would appeal to citizens ’ inclinations to save during times of crises while also providing an investment opportunity with sizable returns at a time when few exist .
By stimulating research and development , unlocking private investment , driving down costs and stabilizing markets , tax incentives can and have historically been a powerful tool to advance clean energy .
During economic crises , when tax equity markets tighten , converting credits into direct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American Recovery and Reinvestment Act ’ s ( ARRA ) 1603 Cash Grant program – may be more effective .
Although annual federal energy tax credit expenditures have grown from around $ 50 million to $ 2.8 billion since the ARRA was enacted , on March 18 , the Solar Energy Industries and American Wind Energy Associations , each of which represent more than 1,000 member companies , sent a joint letter to Congress arguing that expanding credits would permit the “ hire of thousands of additional workers and inject billions in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ available for green innovation — notably through the U.S. Department of Energy Loan Programs Office and the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy — a national green bank , like that introduced by Sen. Edward Markey could unleash a plethora of green financial tools and products to advance sustainability , drive emergent technology and leverage private investment .
Fourteen green banks across nine states and the District of Columbia already exist in the United States , having spurred $ 3.67 billion in clean energy investments since 2009 .
A national bank could also offer technical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their proliferation is likely necessary to meet Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change emissions targets .
The omission of environmental provisions from the unprecedented $ 2 trillion stimulus is a tough loss in battle against the climate crisis .
We must , however , be vigilant in pushing forward alternatives to the status quo , because those are the ideas that will become the solutions to tomorrow ’ s deepening crises .

Part of the Series Despair and Disparity: The Uneven Burdens of COVID-19
Forty years of deindustrialization, anti-labor policy, wage stagnation and welfare retrenchment has left many U.S. workers — 44 percent of which are low-wage – – vulnerable to the compounding crises of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Brookings reported that more than 24.2 million U.S. workers are employed in high-risk industries and face significant virus-related work disruptions. Oxford Economics Chief U.S. Economist Greg Daco warned that the unemployment rate could hit 10 percent in April, while Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin cautioned that without effective government intervention, unemployment could jump as high as 20 percent in the coming months.
As Congress negotiated the $2 trillion stimulus deal that President Trump signed on March 27, there was little debate that workers and businesses required critical financial support. However, Trump and some Republicans swiftly rebuked House Democrats’ proposed environmental measures as unrelated to the crises.
Not only are they wrong — climate impacts, including increasingly frequent pandemics, have everything to do with the current political-economic system — but by omitting green provisions from the stimulus package, they have put the nation at risk of deepening its dependency on fossil fuels at a time when it has never been more crucial to decarbonize. While it may seem that the moment for such a green stimulus has already passed, the acceleration of confirmed U.S. cases coupled with Trump’s refusal to heed health experts’ pleas for aggressive containment, do not incite confidence that an end to the pandemic is near.
Additional legislative action will likely be needed in the coming months, as Congress’s industrial bailouts and one-off cash payments prove to be merely stopgap measures. Before we squander yet another stimulus on attempts to revive a deeply flawed economic system, it is worth seriously considering the following proposed Green New Deal measures.
Green Bailouts
As former President Barack Obama increased mileage standards following the $80 billion auto industry bailout during the Great Recession, the COVID-19 stimulus’s $500 billion corporate assistance program could have included similar efficiency requirements. House Democrats argued that the airline bailout should have required carbon neutrality for domestic flights by 2025, but the provision was dropped as a compromise with Trump, who in exchange agreed to omit a $3 billion bailout for the oil industry.
Green Jobs Guarantee
By omitting green provisions from the stimulus package, they have put the nation at risk of deepening its dependency on fossil fuels at a time when it has never been more crucial to decarbonize.
A federal jobs guarantee program would not only assist workers unemployed due to the impacts of COVID-19 but also those needing to transition from carbon-intensive industries. Pre-pandemic estimates show that if approximately 15 million participants were paid $15 per hour, it would cost about $500 billion annually, or only 2.5 percent of the federal gross domestic product, barring increased tax revenue and savings from reduced welfare expenditures. Green jobs, in particular, have the potential to reshape power dynamics between labor and capital by providing a floor for compensation. Green jobs pay 8 to 19 percent higher than national averages, and half require no more than a high school diploma. Historical examples of successful federal jobs initiatives include former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration and Civilian Conservation Corps, which employed 9 and 3.5 million workers respectively, with the latter also credited with planting 2 billion trees, developing 800 parks and stocking rivers with 1 million fish.
Green Bonds
Economist John Maynard Keynes’s “paradox of thrift” is often a source of frustration for governments seeking to inject money into a contracting economy. A green bonds program, which would fund climate-smart projects such as efficiency or infrastructure improvements, would appeal to citizens’ inclinations to save during times of crises while also providing an investment opportunity with sizable returns at a time when few exist.
Green Tax Credits
A green bonds program, which would fund climate-smart projects such as efficiency or infrastructure improvements, would appeal to citizens’ inclinations to save during times of crises.
By stimulating research and development, unlocking private investment, driving down costs and stabilizing markets, tax incentives can and have historically been a powerful tool to advance clean energy. During economic crises, when tax equity markets tighten, converting credits into direct grants — like Obama did with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s (ARRA) 1603 Cash Grant program – – may be more effective. Although annual federal energy tax credit expenditures have grown from around $50 million to $2.8 billion since the ARRA was enacted, on March 18, the Solar Energy Industries and American Wind Energy Associations, each of which represent more than 1,000 member companies, sent a joint letter to Congress arguing that expanding credits would permit the “hire of thousands of additional workers and inject billions in the U.S. economy.”
Green Banks
Despite extant federal finance available for green innovation — notably through the U.S. Department of Energy Loan Programs Office and the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy — a national green bank, like that introduced by Sen. Edward Markey , could unleash a plethora of green financial tools and products to advance sustainability, drive emergent technology and leverage private investment. Fourteen green banks across nine states and the District of Columbia already exist in the United States, having spurred $3.67 billion in clean energy investments since 2009. A national bank could also offer technical assistance to green bank startups, as their proliferation is likely necessary to meet Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change emissions targets.
The omission of environmental provisions from the unprecedented $2 trillion stimulus is a tough loss in battle against the climate crisis. We must, however, be vigilant in pushing forward alternatives to the status quo, because those are the ideas that will become the solutions to tomorrow’s deepening crises.
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--2020-04-19--Climate Change Multiplies the Threats of Infectious Diseases

As the novel coronavirus continues to rage like a wildfire across the planet , its devastating toll has left many asking whether climate change — another multifaceted phenomenon with global reach — has played a part in spreading , even triggering , the pandemic .
Some , like Katharine Hayhoe , a climate change scientist and professor of public policy at Texas Tech University , have been able to provide answers .
“ Climate change didn ’ t cause the pandemic , and climate change directly causes very few of them , ” Hayhoe told Truthout .
“ But what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and in many cases has the potential to exacerbate the impacts.
” For those well-versed in the mechanics of climate change , this comes as no surprise — scientists , policy makers and other experts have long acknowledged the links between global warming and the spread of infectious diseases , promulgating the sorts of findings described in the wide-ranging 2018 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report , detailing what efforts are needed to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius .
Dig down , and this multilayered issue has knock-on effects — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health problems to the disruptions that extreme weather events have on the global supply chain — that are inextricably linked with one another .
What ’ s more , the governmental response to the coronavirus crisis , say experts , offers a troubling glimpse into what might happen in the future as the global thermometer inches upwards .
“ What it underscores in the first instance is how underprepared we are , ” said Sherri Goodman , a senior fellow at the Wilson Center ’ s Environmental Change and Security Program and Polar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undersecretary of defense in environmental security , she coined the term “ threat multiplier ” to describe climate change ’ s kaleidoscopic impacts .
“ Our systems — institutional , infrastructure , health , emergency response — could all be overwhelmed from the climate crisis , ” Goodman said , warning that the time for wholesale climate resiliency preparedness is upon us .
“ What we have now is history accelerating itself — things are happening so fast.
” Perhaps most salient in terms of current events is the issue of zoonotic diseases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the COVID-19 virus , which is believed to have originated in bats before being transferred to humans via scaly animals like pangolins .
As the world ’ s population growth continues to rise , natural habitats will continue to be encroached upon and destroyed , not only removing valuable carbon sinks like rainforests but creating environments in which notorious zoonotic disease carriers like bats and rats thrive .
Climate change is also likely to encourage the spread — both in terms of seasonal risk and geographic reach — of “ vector-borne ” diseases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Virus and Lyme Disease that are borne by mosquitoes , ticks and fleas , and already account for a significant number of deaths annually .
According to Sheri Weiser , a professor of medicine at the University of California , San Francisco ( UCSF ) , there ’ s still much to learn about how rising temperatures are impacting the spread of infectious diseases .
“ But we know the common cause of climate change and COVID-19 — the globalization that ’ s driving fossil fuel emissions — contributes to the pre-conditions that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Weiser said .
Indeed , there ’ s already an extensive library of medical literature detailing how climate change can impact human health .
Extreme weather events — a symptom of a warming planet — can lead to fluctuating temperatures which have been shown to contribute to and worsen cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases , kidney disorders and a host of other illnesses .
On top of that , extreme heat and humidity can limit the effectiveness of certain medications used to treat these conditions .
Of course , the burning and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dirty business , responsible for the majority of global greenhouse gas emissions and worsening air quality .
Air pollution is the fifth leading cause of death worldwide , killing nearly 5 million every year through issues like respiratory and heart disease , strokes , lung cancer , diabetes and pneumonia .
“ We even have data showing very strong links between metrics of climate change and HIV prevalence , ” Weiser said , noting how converging risks from global warming can lead to compromised immune systems , which in turn makes individuals more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so , which communities are most at risk ?
“ Well , how are people placed in certain areas , and why ?
” asks Adrienne Hollis , the senior climate justice and health scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists , pointing to low-income communities of color who bear the brunt of the impacts from climate change , and suffer the highest rates of chronic health problems .
African Americans are three times more likely to die of asthma than any other group , and are bedeviled with higher rates of heart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — who are on average five times more likely to be living with HIV than the non-incarcerated — are also especially vulnerable to the spread of diseases like Covid-19 .
Then there ’ s the issue of a growing homeless population nationwide .
“ At times of extreme heat and extreme weather , where can these people go ?
Especially when some shelters are only open for certain periods of time , and some people have been turned away based on gender identity , ” said Hollis .
What ’ s more , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ living quarters , can exacerbate the problem for those who do find temporary shelter .
“ This is a very at-risk population.
” “ Fear Is at the Very Bottom of This ” Global warming might shape the spread of infectious diseases in ways that aren ’ t quite as overt as mosquito-borne diseases .
“ Infrastructure problems ” is an umbrella term involving anything from roads and bridges crumbling from over-pumping of groundwater during a drought , to commercial ports struggling under rising sea levels .
As it relates to the spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problems interfere with the distribution of supplies and goods , therefore hampering organized responses to a major health crisis .
Another pressure point under duress during the COVID-19 pandemic concerns the supply chain of food and other necessary items throughout the lockdown .
Imagine , say experts , if the spread of the disease had coincided with an extreme weather event that disrupts the usual flow of essential goods into the marketplace — flooding in the Midwest , for instance , which destroys vast quantities of crops .
In this event , food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scarce .
“ The chances of this happening are only going to increase , ” says Tracey Woodruff , director of UCSF ’ s Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment .
From a global perspective , climate change-related droughts , food shortages and extreme weather patterns are a driving force behind mass migration , which fosters the sorts of environments — unsanitary conditions in cramped refugee camps , for example — in which diseases proliferate all too easily .
“ We already have the greatest wave of global migration since World War @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa , ungoverned spaces , violent extremism and oppressive regimes , ” said Goodman .
“ But in-built upon that fact is that drought comes with water scarcity , water stress and food insecurity that puts vulnerable populations at risk.
” Which begs the question : What needs to be done to better prepare for the challenges that lie ahead ?
First things first , “ this should illustrate to people how important it is to have a strong government that can intervene where the private @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Weiser , noting how a solid foundation of science and data should guide any federal intervention .
But in this regard , the Trump administration ’ s slash-and-burn approach to the scientific wing of the federal government is the elephant in the room during the COVID-19 pandemic .
Last September , for example , the U.S. Agency for International Development ( USAID ) effectively shuttered its PREDICT program , which was charged with identifying and combating new emerging viruses .
With the COVID-19 death toll in the U.S. now well into five figures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2 million to kickstart the program , at least temporarily .
The Environmental Data and Governance Initiative recently found that the Trump administration has repeatedly , “ and sometimes successfully , ” sought to cut funding aimed at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for fighting global pandemics .
Nevertheless , the Trump administration isn ’ t alone in neglecting science and research ; for nearly two decades now , the amount of federal funds funneled toward basic research has shrunk markedly .
In the same vein , drastic action also needs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deterioration of the nation ’ s infrastructure , “ which is going to take a massive investment , ” said Hollis .
Indeed , every four years , the American Society of Civil Engineers grades the state of the nation ’ s roads , bridges , water systems and electric grids .
The last grade ?
A terrible D + .
“ We ’ re still today building and rebuilding to outdated standards , ” said Goodman , emphasizing the need to cater modernization efforts to demands peculiar to a warming planet .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the historical records to be an adequate predictor.
” Nevertheless , when it comes to the key ingredient in tackling climate change — reducing our dependency on fossil fuels — some , like Hayhoe , are skeptical that the COVID-19 pandemic will trigger the necessary economic reorientation .
“ If you go to Wikipedia [ or ] Google ‘ richest corporations in the world , ’ this really brings it home , ” said Hayhoe , highlighting how six of the top 10 wealthiest global companies are in oil and gas , while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sector .
“ The politicization of climate change , the public arguments , the lack of action and the stalemates are just a symptom of a greater problem that plagues our society : The incredible divisiveness … that is driven by different ideologies and perspectives which are ultimately driven by fear , ” she added .
“ Fear is at the very bottom of this .
”

As the novel coronavirus continues to rage like a wildfire across the planet, its devastating toll has left many asking whether climate change — another multifaceted phenomenon with global reach — has played a part in spreading, even triggering, the pandemic. Some, like Katharine Hayhoe, a climate change scientist and professor of public policy at Texas Tech University, have been able to provide answers.
“Climate change didn’t cause the pandemic, and climate change directly causes very few of them,” Hayhoe told Truthout. “But what climate change does is it interacts with, and in many cases has the potential to exacerbate the impacts.”
For those well-versed in the mechanics of climate change, this comes as no surprise — scientists, policy makers and other experts have long acknowledged the links between global warming and the spread of infectious diseases, promulgating the sorts of findings described in the wide-ranging 2018 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, detailing what efforts are needed to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Dig down, and this multilayered issue has knock-on effects — from the way rising temperatures exacerbate certain health problems to the disruptions that extreme weather events have on the global supply chain — that are inextricably linked with one another. What’s more, the governmental response to the coronavirus crisis, say experts, offers a troubling glimpse into what might happen in the future as the global thermometer inches upwards.
“What it underscores in the first instance is how underprepared we are,” said Sherri Goodman, a senior fellow at the Wilson Center’s Environmental Change and Security Program and Polar Institute. As a former first deputy undersecretary of defense in environmental security, she coined the term “threat multiplier” to describe climate change’s kaleidoscopic impacts.
“Our systems — institutional, infrastructure, health, emergency response — could all be overwhelmed from the climate crisis,” Goodman said, warning that the time for wholesale climate resiliency preparedness is upon us. “What we have now is history accelerating itself — things are happening so fast.”
“Where Can These People Go?”
Perhaps most salient in terms of current events is the issue of zoonotic diseases spread between animals and humans, like the COVID-19 virus, which is believed to have originated in bats before being transferred to humans via scaly animals like pangolins. As the world’s population growth continues to rise, natural habitats will continue to be encroached upon and destroyed, not only removing valuable carbon sinks like rainforests but creating environments in which notorious zoonotic disease carriers like bats and rats thrive.
Natural habitats will continue to be encroached upon and destroyed, creating environments in which notorious zoonotic disease carriers like bats and rats thrive.
Climate change is also likely to encourage the spread — both in terms of seasonal risk and geographic reach — of “vector-borne” diseases. These are illnesses like West Nile Virus and Lyme Disease that are borne by mosquitoes, ticks and fleas, and already account for a significant number of deaths annually.
According to Sheri Weiser, a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), there’s still much to learn about how rising temperatures are impacting the spread of infectious diseases. “But we know the common cause of climate change and COVID-19 — the globalization that’s driving fossil fuel emissions — contributes to the pre-conditions that pave the way for viruses like that,” Weiser said.
Indeed, there’s already an extensive library of medical literature detailing how climate change can impact human health. Extreme weather events — a symptom of a warming planet — can lead to fluctuating temperatures which have been shown to contribute to and worsen cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, kidney disorders and a host of other illnesses. On top of that, extreme heat and humidity can limit the effectiveness of certain medications used to treat these conditions.
Of course, the burning and consumption of fossil fuels can be a dirty business, responsible for the majority of global greenhouse gas emissions and worsening air quality. Air pollution is the fifth leading cause of death worldwide, killing nearly 5 million every year through issues like respiratory and heart disease, strokes, lung cancer, diabetes and pneumonia.
“We even have data showing very strong links between metrics of climate change and HIV prevalence,” Weiser said, noting how converging risks from global warming can lead to compromised immune systems, which in turn makes individuals more susceptible to diseases like COVID-19.
And so, which communities are most at risk?
Climate change-related droughts, food shortages and extreme weather patterns are a driving force behind mass migration, which fosters the sorts of environments in which diseases proliferate all too easily.
“Well, how are people placed in certain areas, and why?” asks Adrienne Hollis, the senior climate justice and health scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists, pointing to low-income communities of color who bear the brunt of the impacts from climate change, and suffer the highest rates of chronic health problems. African Americans are three times more likely to die of asthma than any other group, and are bedeviled with higher rates of heart disease, for example. Prison populations — who are on average five times more likely to be living with HIV than the non-incarcerated — are also especially vulnerable to the spread of diseases like Covid-19.
Then there’s the issue of a growing homeless population nationwide. “At times of extreme heat and extreme weather, where can these people go? Especially when some shelters are only open for certain periods of time, and some people have been turned away based on gender identity,” said Hollis. What’s more, limited hygiene options, coupled with close living quarters, can exacerbate the problem for those who do find temporary shelter. “This is a very at-risk population.”
“Fear Is at the Very Bottom of This”
Global warming might shape the spread of infectious diseases in ways that aren’t quite as overt as mosquito-borne diseases. “Infrastructure problems” is an umbrella term involving anything from roads and bridges crumbling from over-pumping of groundwater during a drought, to commercial ports struggling under rising sea levels. As it relates to the spread of infectious diseases, these sorts of problems interfere with the distribution of supplies and goods, therefore hampering organized responses to a major health crisis.
Another pressure point under duress during the COVID-19 pandemic concerns the supply chain of food and other necessary items throughout the lockdown. Imagine, say experts, if the spread of the disease had coincided with an extreme weather event that disrupts the usual flow of essential goods into the marketplace — flooding in the Midwest, for instance, which destroys vast quantities of crops. In this event, food and other crucial supplies could become critically scarce. “The chances of this happening are only going to increase,” says Tracey Woodruff, director of UCSF’s Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment.
From a global perspective, climate change-related droughts, food shortages and extreme weather patterns are a driving force behind mass migration, which fosters the sorts of environments — unsanitary conditions in cramped refugee camps, for example — in which diseases proliferate all too easily.
“We already have the greatest wave of global migration since World War II, aggravated by political disorder and conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa, ungoverned spaces, violent extremism and oppressive regimes,” said Goodman. “But in-built upon that fact is that drought comes with water scarcity, water stress and food insecurity that puts vulnerable populations at risk.”
Which begs the question: What needs to be done to better prepare for the challenges that lie ahead?
The Trump administration’s slash-and-burn approach to the scientific wing of the federal government is the elephant in the room during the COVID-19 pandemic.
First things first, “this should illustrate to people how important it is to have a strong government that can intervene where the private sector can’t,” said Weiser, noting how a solid foundation of science and data should guide any federal intervention. But in this regard, the Trump administration’s slash-and-burn approach to the scientific wing of the federal government is the elephant in the room during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last September, for example, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) effectively shuttered its PREDICT program, which was charged with identifying and combating new emerging viruses. With the COVID-19 death toll in the U.S. now well into five figures, USAID has injected more than $2 million to kickstart the program, at least temporarily. The Environmental Data and Governance Initiative recently found that the Trump administration has repeatedly, “and sometimes successfully,” sought to cut funding aimed at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for fighting global pandemics. Nevertheless, the Trump administration isn’t alone in neglecting science and research; for nearly two decades now, the amount of federal funds funneled toward basic research has shrunk markedly.
In the same vein, drastic action also needs to be taken to reverse the ongoing deterioration of the nation’s infrastructure, “which is going to take a massive investment,” said Hollis. Indeed, every four years, the American Society of Civil Engineers grades the state of the nation’s roads, bridges, water systems and electric grids. The last grade? A terrible D +.
“We’re still today building and rebuilding to outdated standards,” said Goodman, emphasizing the need to cater modernization efforts to demands peculiar to a warming planet. “We can no longer rely on the historical records to be an adequate predictor.”
Nevertheless, when it comes to the key ingredient in tackling climate change — reducing our dependency on fossil fuels — some, like Hayhoe, are skeptical that the COVID-19 pandemic will trigger the necessary economic reorientation.
“If you go to Wikipedia [or] Google ‘richest corporations in the world,’ this really brings it home,” said Hayhoe, highlighting how six of the top 10 wealthiest global companies are in oil and gas, while another is directly tied to the energy sector.
“The politicization of climate change, the public arguments, the lack of action and the stalemates are just a symptom of a greater problem that plagues our society: The incredible divisiveness … that is driven by different ideologies and perspectives which are ultimately driven by fear,” she added. “Fear is at the very bottom of this.”
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--2020-04-20--Governor Whitmer’s Lockdown Approval Rating Surpasses Trump’s

Despite Trump ’ s calls for residents of Michigan to “ liberate ” themselves against stay-in-place policies implemented by Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer , a recent poll shows greater support and approval for Whitmer ’ s response to the coronavirus than the president ’ s among citizens of The Great Lakes State .
The poll , conducted by the Detroit Regional Chamber and the Glengariff Group , found that Trump ’ s net-approval rating on how he ’ s responded to the spread of COVID-19 was in negative territory , with 44 percent approving of his work and 50 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is widely approved by her constituents , according to the poll .
Only 37 percent disapprove of her response to coronavirus so far , with 57 percent saying they are happy with her actions in trying to quell the spread of the disease .
The Michigan governor , a Democrat who won office two years after Trump yielded an upset victory from the state in the 2016 presidential election , responded to protests that were happening in her state over the weekend , arguing that restrictions related to the stay-in-place order she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ reopen ” the economy would endanger residents .
“ People are struggling with this isolation that we have , you know , on top of all of the other stressors , ” Whitmer said on NBC ’ s “ Meet the Press.
” “ But the fact of the matter is we have to be really smart about how we proceed.
” Michigan has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic .
So far , according to tracking from The New York Times , close to 2,400 individuals in the state have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the third-highest state in terms of the number of people who have perished .
The president and the governor have not always seen eye-to-eye on how to address the spread of the disease , and at times Trump has singled her out in his criticism of governors across the country .
While speaking to reporters in late March , discussing how he had told Vice President Mike Pence not to interact with governors who weren ’ t “ appreciative ” of the White House ’ s efforts on the pandemic , Trump propped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was not happy with .
“ Don ’ t call the woman in Michigan , ” Trump said he told Pence .
Trump , who is widely known for holding grudges , may have ulterior political reasons for targeting Whitmer specifically during the crisis .
In early February , Whitmer delivered the Democratic Party ’ s response to his State of the Union Address , in which she decried the Republican Party ’ s efforts to undo parts of the Affordable Care Act , and brought up Trump ’ s continuous bragging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that much to everyday people .
“ It doesn ’ t matter what the president says about the stock market , ” Whitmer said in her response .
“ What matters is that millions of people struggle to get by or don ’ t have enough money at the end of the month after paying for transportation , student loans , or prescription drugs.
” Whitmer is also considered to be on presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden ’ s “ short list ” for his pick for vice president — another reason @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her .

Despite Trump’s calls for residents of Michigan to “liberate” themselves against stay-in-place policies implemented by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a recent poll shows greater support and approval for Whitmer’s response to the coronavirus than the president’s among citizens of The Great Lakes State.
The poll, conducted by the Detroit Regional Chamber and the Glengariff Group, found that Trump’s net-approval rating on how he’s responded to the spread of COVID-19 was in negative territory, with 44 percent approving of his work and 50 percent saying they disapproved.
Whitmer, meanwhile, is widely approved by her constituents, according to the poll. Only 37 percent disapprove of her response to coronavirus so far, with 57 percent saying they are happy with her actions in trying to quell the spread of the disease.
The Michigan governor, a Democrat who won office two years after Trump yielded an upset victory from the state in the 2016 presidential election, responded to protests that were happening in her state over the weekend, arguing that restrictions related to the stay-in-place order she made were necessary and that calls to “reopen” the economy would endanger residents.
“People are struggling with this isolation that we have, you know, on top of all of the other stressors,” Whitmer said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “But the fact of the matter is we have to be really smart about how we proceed.”
Michigan has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. So far, according to tracking from The New York Times, close to 2,400 individuals in the state have died from the disease, making Michigan the third-highest state in terms of the number of people who have perished.
The president and the governor have not always seen eye-to-eye on how to address the spread of the disease, and at times Trump has singled her out in his criticism of governors across the country. While speaking to reporters in late March, discussing how he had told Vice President Mike Pence not to interact with governors who weren’t “appreciative” of the White House’s efforts on the pandemic, Trump propped Whitmer up as an example of someone he was not happy with.
“Don’t call the woman in Michigan,” Trump said he told Pence.
Trump, who is widely known for holding grudges, may have ulterior political reasons for targeting Whitmer specifically during the crisis. In early February, Whitmer delivered the Democratic Party’s response to his State of the Union Address, in which she decried the Republican Party’s efforts to undo parts of the Affordable Care Act, and brought up Trump’s continuous bragging of economic indicators that may not matter that much to everyday people.
“It doesn’t matter what the president says about the stock market,” Whitmer said in her response. “What matters is that millions of people struggle to get by or don’t have enough money at the end of the month after paying for transportation, student loans, or prescription drugs.”
Whitmer is also considered to be on presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s “short list” for his pick for vice president — another reason why Trump may harbor ill feelings toward her.
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--2020-04-20--Trump’s Inaction on the COVID-19 Crisis Seems More Deliberate Each Day

Within the heart of the problem is this ventricle : Donald Trump defines “ sacrifice ” as “ what other people do to make me happy.
” Trump enjoys having his picture taken with evangelical ministers laying hands on him like he ’ s the very Rock of Ages , but in truth , the man wouldn ’ t know genuine sacrifice if it walked up and stuffed a live bat down his pants .
This is going to become a problem for Trump soon , because millions of Americans are making actual , often painful sacrifices every day to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heel , and he doesn ’ t seem to have done very much of a single damn thing with that dearly gifted time beyond promote himself and yell at reporters .
A great many of these sacrifices are not voluntary .
Service industry and gig-economy workers didn ’ t sign up to be martyrs for the cause of slaying the coronavirus dragon , but there they are at home , listening to Trump brag about robust testing in a country with no national testing plan to speak of .
Health workers did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ garbage bags as their armor , but there they are , every damn day .
Trump says he wants people to go back to work but is doing less than nothing to see that such a transition happens safely and without risking another flare-up .
Meanwhile , parents balance work and homeschooling their kids in a world with harshly shortened horizons and few places to go beyond the four walls of home .
It puts me in mind of “ The Waiting Place ” in Dr. Seuss ’ s classic Oh , The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come , or a plane to go or the mail to come , or the rain to go or the phone to ring , or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No , or waiting for their hair to grow .
Everyone is just waiting.
” Indeed .
Most people will keep waiting , too , despite the rampant jackassery of the president , because they are taking this thing seriously and want to protect their families @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent Quinnipiac poll has a nearly 70 percent of Republicans and 95 percent of Democrats — got ta have that Red/Blue thing — all supporting the idea of a federal stay-at-home order .
That is an astonishing plurality .
Here ’ s the conundrum : The only way this country gets past the COVID-19 pandemic is testing , testing , testing .
We can ’ t even begin to fix it if we don ’ t know how sick we are .
The only way to know how sick we are is through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries like South Korea , which tests tens of thousands of its citizens daily , and with the data collected , has managed to wrestle the virus to the mat .
Trump wants no part of mass testing , because he doesn ’ t want the country to know how sick it actually is .
If the country knew how far this pandemic had reached , people would ( gasp ) refuse to work for fear of dying , and ( gasp ) the industrialists reaping wealth from that labor would lose money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , gasp ) not vote for him in November because of how lethally he botched this crisis from the first day .
And then there are the larger concerns about how COVID-19 may change the country in a way that capitalism would find distasteful .
“ If the electoral danger for the Republican Party is that voters will blame the president for high unemployment and mass death — a reasonable fear , given how Trump loudly denied the threat in the face of warnings from inside and outside his administration — then the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ideological project that captured the state with President Ronald Reagan and is on the path to victory under Donald Trump , ” writes Jamelle Bouie for The New York Times .
In other words , the coronavirus pandemic has put the right-wing , trickle-down Reagan Revolution in deep peril just as its adherents stand on the cusp of accomplishing their long-sought goals .
This can not be allowed , and so the bannermen of conservatism are marshaling their forces in an effort to herd us back to work , back to feeding the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anywhere near ready for anything of the sort .
As has been his way with every other scandal and mess he has gotten us into , Trump has chosen to face the current dilemma with his usual double-barreled shotgun approach .
First barrel : Lie at every opportunity , take credit for other people ’ s work and point out nonexistent progress .
Second barrel : Pander to his far-right , gun-waving base .
Like King Arthur freeing Excalibur from the stone , Trump pulled out a testing swab with a flourish during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claiming , “ Swabs are so easy to get.
” This was so brazen a lie that an avalanche of governors — Ralph Northam of Virginia , Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and even Larry Hogan of Maryland ( a Republican ) — called Trump out with such velocity and volume that the administration promised ( again ) to deploy the Defense Production Act to make more swabs as soon as possible .
Simultaneously , Trump has been egging on various anti-quarantine protests around the country .
As stated in the Quinnipiac poll , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the idea of stay-at-home orders .
Thanks to the organizational skills of a few gun-rights activists who think the NRA is too soft , a “ movement ” to defy the stay-at-home orders has been fomented online .
“ A trio of far-right , pro-gun provocateurs is behind some of the largest Facebook groups calling for anti-quarantine protests around the country , offering the latest illustration that some seemingly organic demonstrations are being engineered by a network of conservative activists , ” reports The Washington Post .
“ The online activity … helps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrictions is more widespread than polling suggests.
” Of course , the mainstream news media pounced on the story , making it seem like this small cohort of far-right citizens who appear bound and determined to catch COVID are actually some massive groundswell .
Ten years ago , this was exactly how the Tea Party got started : A few corporate-backed “ protesters ” got themselves on TV , and we were off to the races .
Meanwhile , the rest of us sit here in The Waiting Place , marking time and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the federal government to organize a response that will end the siege .
Practicing patience and kindness , maybe tending gardens or children or both , maybe staring at the walls worrying about dwindling funds , and maybe dying alone in a crowded hospital filled with nurses wearing used masks soaked in Lysol .
All patience wears out , and Trump ’ s non-action to address this crisis appears more deliberate by the day .
A fearful reckoning is coming to a head .
This article has been updated to more accurately @ @ @ @ @ @

Part of the Series Despair and Disparity: The Uneven Burdens of COVID-19
Within the heart of the problem is this ventricle: Donald Trump defines “sacrifice” as “what other people do to make me happy.” Trump enjoys having his picture taken with evangelical ministers laying hands on him like he’s the very Rock of Ages, but in truth, the man wouldn’t know genuine sacrifice if it walked up and stuffed a live bat down his pants.
This is going to become a problem for Trump soon, because millions of Americans are making actual, often painful sacrifices every day to help him bring the COVID-19 pandemic to heel, and he doesn’t seem to have done very much of a single damn thing with that dearly gifted time beyond promote himself and yell at reporters.
A great many of these sacrifices are not voluntary. Service industry and gig-economy workers didn’t sign up to be martyrs for the cause of slaying the coronavirus dragon, but there they are at home, listening to Trump brag about robust testing in a country with no national testing plan to speak of. Health workers did not expect to run toward the pandemic with garbage bags as their armor, but there they are, every damn day.
Trump says he wants people to go back to work but is doing less than nothing to see that such a transition happens safely and without risking another flare-up. Meanwhile, parents balance work and homeschooling their kids in a world with harshly shortened horizons and few places to go beyond the four walls of home.
It puts me in mind of “The Waiting Place” in Dr. Seuss’s classic Oh, The Places You’ll Go!: “Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No, or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone is just waiting.”
Indeed. Most people will keep waiting, too, despite the rampant jackassery of the president, because they are taking this thing seriously and want to protect their families, their communities and themselves. A recent Quinnipiac poll has a nearly 70 percent of Republicans and 95 percent of Democrats — gotta have that Red/Blue thing — all supporting the idea of a federal stay-at-home order. That is an astonishing plurality.
Here’s the conundrum: The only way this country gets past the COVID-19 pandemic is testing, testing, testing. We can’t even begin to fix it if we don’t know how sick we are. The only way to know how sick we are is through the kind of mass-testing program perfected by countries like South Korea, which tests tens of thousands of its citizens daily, and with the data collected, has managed to wrestle the virus to the mat.
Trump wants no part of mass testing, because he doesn’t want the country to know how sick it actually is. If the country knew how far this pandemic had reached, people would (gasp) refuse to work for fear of dying, and (gasp) the industrialists reaping wealth from that labor would lose money. Worse, they might (gasp, gasp) not vote for him in November because of how lethally he botched this crisis from the first day.
And then there are the larger concerns about how COVID-19 may change the country in a way that capitalism would find distasteful.
“If the electoral danger for the Republican Party is that voters will blame the president for high unemployment and mass death — a reasonable fear, given how Trump loudly denied the threat in the face of warnings from inside and outside his administration — then the ideological danger is that it undermines the ideological project that captured the state with President Ronald Reagan and is on the path to victory under Donald Trump,” writes Jamelle Bouie for The New York Times.
Millions of Americans are making actual, often painful sacrifices every day to help bring the COVID-19 pandemic to heel, and Trump doesn’t seem to give a single damn.
In other words, the coronavirus pandemic has put the right-wing, trickle-down Reagan Revolution in deep peril just as its adherents stand on the cusp of accomplishing their long-sought goals. This cannot be allowed, and so the bannermen of conservatism are marshaling their forces in an effort to herd us back to work, back to feeding the machine, well before the nation is anywhere near ready for anything of the sort.
As has been his way with every other scandal and mess he has gotten us into, Trump has chosen to face the current dilemma with his usual double-barreled shotgun approach. First barrel: Lie at every opportunity, take credit for other people’s work and point out nonexistent progress. Second barrel: Pander to his far-right, gun-waving base.
Like King Arthur freeing Excalibur from the stone, Trump pulled out a testing swab with a flourish during the Sunday “briefing,” glibly claiming, “Swabs are so easy to get.” This was so brazen a lie that an avalanche of governors — Ralph Northam of Virginia, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and even Larry Hogan of Maryland (a Republican) — called Trump out with such velocity and volume that the administration promised (again) to deploy the Defense Production Act to make more swabs as soon as possible.
Simultaneously, Trump has been egging on various anti-quarantine protests around the country. As stated in the Quinnipiac poll, some 70 percent of Republicans agree with the idea of stay-at-home orders. Thanks to the organizational skills of a few gun-rights activists who think the NRA is too soft, a “movement” to defy the stay-at-home orders has been fomented online.
“A trio of far-right, pro-gun provocateurs is behind some of the largest Facebook groups calling for anti-quarantine protests around the country, offering the latest illustration that some seemingly organic demonstrations are being engineered by a network of conservative activists,” reports The Washington Post. “The online activity … helps cement the impression that opposition to the restrictions is more widespread than polling suggests.”
Of course, the mainstream news media pounced on the story, making it seem like this small cohort of far-right citizens who appear bound and determined to catch COVID are actually some massive groundswell. Ten years ago, this was exactly how the Tea Party got started: A few corporate-backed “protesters” got themselves on TV, and we were off to the races.
Trump’s non-action to address this crisis appears more deliberate by the day.
Meanwhile, the rest of us sit here in The Waiting Place, marking time and hoping for some sort of coherent action from the federal government to organize a response that will end the siege. Practicing patience and kindness, maybe tending gardens or children or both, maybe staring at the walls worrying about dwindling funds, and maybe dying alone in a crowded hospital filled with nurses wearing used masks soaked in Lysol.
All patience wears out, and Trump’s non-action to address this crisis appears more deliberate by the day. A fearful reckoning is coming to a head.
This article has been updated to more accurately reflect the referenced Quinnipiac poll.
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