truthout--2020-05-04--Defying Trump and Their Governors, Many Workers Are Refusing to “Reopen”

The argument over whether or not to extend stay-at-home orders has reached a crescendo after weeks of COVID-19 cloistering — combined with scant assistance from the federal government — and left millions forced to choose between their money and their lives .
Many people need cash after weeks without working ; those people want and need to work , but many of those people don ’ t want to die for work .
If Congress and Donald Trump were to act with the powers at their disposal — a national testing program ( finally ! )
, serious and sustained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ramped-up production of protective gear — those fears would not be nearly so acute .
Likewise , if the federal government had acted months ago to contain this thing with speed and vigor , many of those fears would be allayed .
That is not the country we live in , however .
The abject failure to contain COVID-19 has left us with only one option : “ mitigation ” — containing the damage through hand-washing , social distancing , mass closures of schools and businesses , stay-at-home orders , masks in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The other option — let the virus “ burn through ” and take the old and ill to their “ natural conclusions ” — is advocacy for mass murder in order to “ save ” the economy .
The people , by a vast margin , prefer the former option .
Recent polling puts public support for continuing the stay-at-home orders at a staggering 76 percent .
The minority percentage of “ Re-open Now ” supporters , represented by some armed protesters here and there and the people flooding some California beaches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the population .
People are wise to be wary .
COVID-19 has proven itself to be a wily foe that attacks on whatever front makes it easiest to kill its host : Pneumonia in the lungs , kidney failure , strokes , blood clots are all in play when a person is infected .
There are more than 1.1 million confirmed COVID-19 cases in the U.S. , with over 68,000 confirmed fatalities .
Yet those infection numbers are almost certainly lower than the actual infection rate .
This clever viral predator also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaving infected asymptomatic people to unknowingly walk the world spraying the virus into the wind , or the crowd , or both .
Early , incomplete but telling antibody tests in places like New York have shown thousands have been infected without being affected , making them stealth vectors for the spread of the pandemic .
It is within this frightening and uncertain context that the debate over reopening the economy is unfolding .
State governments in Georgia , Oklahoma , North Carolina , Florida , and elsewhere are barnstorming toward fully reopening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the disease begins its long burn through those populations .
Some 40 states , according to CNN ’ s Monday morning broadcast , will soon have reopened at least a portion of their economies and public gathering spaces .
Most states still lack any significant testing regimen .
Virtually every medical professional involved — including Trump ’ s two hostages , Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx — have loudly insisted that reopening too soon is a deeply perilous , even reckless endeavor .
Trump has consistently blown past such warnings in his rush @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cratering re-election hopes , and has embraced the fringe “ Re-Open ” protesters .
Economist Robert Reich has distilled Trump ’ s actions regarding reopening the national economy to a chilling four-point plan : Remove income support , so people have no choice but to return to work ; hide the facts ; pretend it ’ s about “ freedom ” ; and shield businesses against lawsuits for spreading the infection .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is hard at work on the first and last items , while Trump handles the rest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay-at-home strictures are being lifted , however , the people themselves don ’ t appear to be cooperating .
Acts of flagrant disobedience of safe-spacing requests find their way onto the nightly news broadcasts , but millions more are voting with their feet and staying home .
A recent PBS NewsHour/NPR/Marist poll has 85 percent of people opposing the idea of reopening schools , 80 percent opposing the reopening of sit-down service at restaurants , and 65 percent opposing a mass return to work .
This has created an excruciating and escalating crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and often need to work .
The $ 1,200 one-time sop offered by Congress didn ’ t reach many of the people who need it most , and in any event , that sum is triflingly insulting given the assistance millions will need over the many , many months this pandemic is expected to be with us .
If you ’ re not forced to work outside the home in this moment , please join me in placing yourself in the shoes of a grocery store worker making minimum wage .
The TV @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you ’ re only working in a building with a high chance of contagion because you can not live without the paycheck .
What you count on most for your own safety is the responsible behavior of others .
If everyone plays it safe , the chance of them carrying COVID-19 into your store is diminished .
With states throwing their doors open without sufficient testing , the odds of your becoming infected at work increase dramatically .
Yet you have to work .
There are solutions to this dilemma .
Mass testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because he does not want the country to know how sick it is ) , combined with New Deal-style assistance from Congress ( which McConnell will not allow because it is ideologically unsound ) , will give the people the informational and financial cushion they need to weather this long storm .
In the absence of this common-sense approach , the people are being forced deeper and deeper into an impossible and dangerous situation .
To date , a majority of us have decided to stay safe , and those who have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while under threat are counting on us to keep it up .
We are witnessing the beginning of a wholly organic mass movement .
People are staying home , in defiance of their governors and the president himself , because science says that is what must happen .
We do this to protect and defend the people who can ’ t stay home , who feed us and care for us when we are sick .
The pain of it is increasing , but that pain will be overshadowed by the agonies to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again , and again , and again .
The path to that nightmare is straight : reopening states too soon .
And right now is far too soon .
With states and the federal government failing them , the people are sitting down and saying “ No.
” It is one of many indications that this country will be a far different place when this is finished .
In the near term , that resistance may be the only tool people have to force Trump , McConnell and the “ Re-Open ” governors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Your money or your life ” is the calling card of bank robbers , not responsible democratic governments .
The people deserve better choices , and until they have them , many who can afford to do so appear to be going nowhere but the home office or the couch .
In this , they labor to rescue themselves and their country from a pandemic , and from the “ leaders ” who let it happen the way it has .

Part of the Series Despair and Disparity: The Uneven Burdens of COVID-19
The argument over whether or not to extend stay-at-home orders has reached a crescendo after weeks of COVID-19 cloistering — combined with scant assistance from the federal government — and left millions forced to choose between their money and their lives. Many people need cash after weeks without working; those people want and need to work, but many of those people don’t want to die for work.
If Congress and Donald Trump were to act with the powers at their disposal — a national testing program (finally!), serious and sustained financial assistance for more than large companies, ramped-up production of protective gear — those fears would not be nearly so acute. Likewise, if the federal government had acted months ago to contain this thing with speed and vigor, many of those fears would be allayed.
That is not the country we live in, however. The abject failure to contain COVID-19 has left us with only one option: “mitigation” — containing the damage through hand-washing, social distancing, mass closures of schools and businesses, stay-at-home orders, masks in public, and full self-quarantine if exposed. The other option — let the virus “burn through” and take the old and ill to their “natural conclusions” — is advocacy for mass murder in order to “save” the economy.
The people, by a vast margin, prefer the former option. Recent polling puts public support for continuing the stay-at-home orders at a staggering 76 percent. The minority percentage of “Re-open Now” supporters, represented by some armed protesters here and there and the people flooding some California beaches, amount to less than a quarter of the population.
People are wise to be wary. COVID-19 has proven itself to be a wily foe that attacks on whatever front makes it easiest to kill its host: Pneumonia in the lungs, kidney failure, strokes, blood clots are all in play when a person is infected. There are more than 1.1 million confirmed COVID-19 cases in the U.S., with over 68,000 confirmed fatalities.
Yet those infection numbers are almost certainly lower than the actual infection rate. This clever viral predator also affects people without ever showing symptoms, leaving infected asymptomatic people to unknowingly walk the world spraying the virus into the wind, or the crowd, or both. Early, incomplete but telling antibody tests in places like New York have shown thousands have been infected without being affected, making them stealth vectors for the spread of the pandemic.
We are witnessing the beginning of a wholly organic mass movement. People are staying home, in defiance of their governors and the president himself, because science says that is what must happen.
It is within this frightening and uncertain context that the debate over reopening the economy is unfolding. State governments in Georgia, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Florida, and elsewhere are barnstorming toward fully reopening their states’ economies, even as the disease begins its long burn through those populations. Some 40 states, according to CNN’s Monday morning broadcast, will soon have reopened at least a portion of their economies and public gathering spaces.
Most states still lack any significant testing regimen. Virtually every medical professional involved — including Trump’s two hostages, Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx — have loudly insisted that reopening too soon is a deeply perilous, even reckless endeavor. Trump has consistently blown past such warnings in his rush to restart the economy and salvage his cratering re-election hopes, and has embraced the fringe “Re-Open” protesters.
Economist Robert Reich has distilled Trump’s actions regarding reopening the national economy to a chilling four-point plan: Remove income support, so people have no choice but to return to work; hide the facts; pretend it’s about “freedom”; and shield businesses against lawsuits for spreading the infection. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is hard at work on the first and last items, while Trump handles the rest.
In many of these states where stay-at-home strictures are being lifted, however, the people themselves don’t appear to be cooperating. Acts of flagrant disobedience of safe-spacing requests find their way onto the nightly news broadcasts, but millions more are voting with their feet and staying home. A recent PBS NewsHour/NPR/Marist poll has 85 percent of people opposing the idea of reopening schools, 80 percent opposing the reopening of sit-down service at restaurants, and 65 percent opposing a mass return to work.
This has created an excruciating and escalating crisis, because again, many people want and often need to work. The $1,200 one-time sop offered by Congress didn’t reach many of the people who need it most, and in any event, that sum is triflingly insulting given the assistance millions will need over the many, many months this pandemic is expected to be with us.
“Your money or your life” is the calling card of bank robbers, not responsible democratic governments. The people deserve better choices.
If you’re not forced to work outside the home in this moment, please join me in placing yourself in the shoes of a grocery store worker making minimum wage. The TV people call you a hero, but you’re only working in a building with a high chance of contagion because you cannot live without the paycheck. What you count on most for your own safety is the responsible behavior of others. If everyone plays it safe, the chance of them carrying COVID-19 into your store is diminished. With states throwing their doors open without sufficient testing, the odds of your becoming infected at work increase dramatically. Yet you have to work.
There are solutions to this dilemma. Mass testing (which Trump won’t do because he does not want the country to know how sick it is), combined with New Deal-style assistance from Congress (which McConnell will not allow because it is ideologically unsound), will give the people the informational and financial cushion they need to weather this long storm.
In the absence of this common-sense approach, the people are being forced deeper and deeper into an impossible and dangerous situation. To date, a majority of us have decided to stay safe, and those who have to work in the stores and the hospitals while under threat are counting on us to keep it up.
We are witnessing the beginning of a wholly organic mass movement. People are staying home, in defiance of their governors and the president himself, because science says that is what must happen. We do this to protect and defend the people who can’t stay home, who feed us and care for us when we are sick. The pain of it is increasing, but that pain will be overshadowed by the agonies to come if we allow COVID-19 to spike again, and again, and again.
The path to that nightmare is straight: reopening states too soon. And right now is far too soon. With states and the federal government failing them, the people are sitting down and saying “No.”
It is one of many indications that this country will be a far different place when this is finished. In the near term, that resistance may be the only tool people have to force Trump, McConnell and the “Re-Open” governors to do what must be done.
“Your money or your life” is the calling card of bank robbers, not responsible democratic governments. The people deserve better choices, and until they have them, many who can afford to do so appear to be going nowhere but the home office or the couch. In this, they labor to rescue themselves and their country from a pandemic, and from the “leaders” who let it happen the way it has.
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--2020-05-05--Trump “Ragetweets” Over Conservative Group’s Political Ad Against Him

A new political ad from a conservative group that has pledged to oppose President Donald Trump ’ s reelection campaign has caused the commander-in-chief to lash out on social media against it .
The ad is produced by The Lincoln Project , a group of four conservative political strategists and consultants , including George Conway , husband to Trump ’ s White House adviser Kellyanne Conway .
The ad , titled “ Mourning in America , ” borrows a phrase from a famous political advertisement by President Ronald Reagan , but changes the wording from “ Morning ” to “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Trump ’ s inaction during the earlier stages of the coronavirus pandemic .
“ More than 60,000 Americans have died from a deadly virus Donald Trump ignored , ” The Lincoln Project ’ s ad states .
In addition to the human toll the virus has wrought , the ad also points out the economic hardships that tens of millions of Americans are currently facing .
It lays much of the blame for those hardships on Trump himself .
( As of last week , over 30 million had filed for unemployment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Street , but not Main Street , ” the ad says .
Because of Trump , “ our country is weaker , and sicker , and poorer.
” “ Americans are asking , if we have another four years like this , will there even be an America ?
” the spot concludes .
The president was not happy with the ad ’ s overall tone and message , to say the least .
Trump expressed his disdain for the advertisement , and called the members of The Lincoln Group “ losers ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ morning .
“ A group of RINO [ Republican in name only ] Republicans who failed badly 12 years ago , then again 8 years ago , and then got BADLY beaten by me , a political first timer , 4 years ago , have copied ( no imagination ) the concept of an ad from Ronald Reagan , ‘ Morning in America ’ , doing everything possible to…get even for their many failures , ” Trump wrote .
The president , in subsequent tweets , tried to list what he has accomplished @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and his signature tax cuts for the wealthy .
“ I didn ’ t use any of them , ” Trump said of the group ’ s members , “ because they don ’ t know how to win , and their so-called Lincoln Project is a disgrace to Honest Abe.
” “ They ’ re all LOSERS , but Abe Lincoln , Republican , is all smiles , ” he added .
Trump ’ s own characterizations of President Abraham Lincoln have been questioned as of late , too .
On Sunday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that was filmed in front of the Lincoln Memorial , Trump suggested he has been treated “ worse ” than any other president , Lincoln included , by his critics — even though Lincoln was assassinated while in office .
One thing that was noticeably missing from Trump ’ s Twitter rant , however , was any direct rebuttal to the assertions made in The Lincoln Project ’ s ad itself .
Trump ’ s tweets , however , didn ’ t seem to alarm members of The Lincoln Project .
George Conway @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the group ’ s next ad in response to Trump ’ s tirade .
“ I guess our next ad should be ‘ Moron in America , ' ” he wrote .
The Lincoln Project , it should be noted , is a decidedly conservative organization .
Indeed , one of the organization ’ s many complaints about Trump is over how they view the president as not being conservative enough , writing in The New York Times last year that Trump and his supporters “ have abandoned conservatism and longstanding Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s members in this sense appear to advocate for a pre-Trump Republican Party — one that supported massive tax cuts for the wealthy and a hawkish , interventionist foreign policy , and opposed the Affordable Care Act .

Trump’s anger at the group’s ad was evident, as he called those who created it “losers.”
A new political ad from a conservative group that has pledged to oppose President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign has caused the commander-in-chief to lash out on social media against it.
The ad is produced by The Lincoln Project, a group of four conservative political strategists and consultants, including George Conway, husband to Trump’s White House adviser Kellyanne Conway.
The ad, titled “Mourning in America,” borrows a phrase from a famous political advertisement by President Ronald Reagan, but changes the wording from “Morning” to “Mourning,” conveying the disastrous consequences of Trump’s inaction during the earlier stages of the coronavirus pandemic.
“More than 60,000 Americans have died from a deadly virus Donald Trump ignored,” The Lincoln Project’s ad states.
In addition to the human toll the virus has wrought, the ad also points out the economic hardships that tens of millions of Americans are currently facing. It lays much of the blame for those hardships on Trump himself. (As of last week, over 30 million had filed for unemployment.)
“Trump bailed out Wall Street, but not Main Street,” the ad says. Because of Trump, “our country is weaker, and sicker, and poorer.”
“Americans are asking, if we have another four years like this, will there even be an America?” the spot concludes.
The president was not happy with the ad’s overall tone and message, to say the least. Trump expressed his disdain for the advertisement, and called the members of The Lincoln Group “losers” in a series of tweets early Tuesday morning.
“A group of RINO [Republican in name only] Republicans who failed badly 12 years ago, then again 8 years ago, and then got BADLY beaten by me, a political first timer, 4 years ago, have copied (no imagination) the concept of an ad from Ronald Reagan, ‘Morning in America’, doing everything possible to…get even for their many failures,” Trump wrote.
The president, in subsequent tweets, tried to list what he has accomplished while in office, namely court appointments and his signature tax cuts for the wealthy.
“I didn’t use any of them,” Trump said of the group’s members, “because they don’t know how to win, and their so-called Lincoln Project is a disgrace to Honest Abe.”
“They’re all LOSERS, but Abe Lincoln, Republican, is all smiles,” he added.
Trump’s own characterizations of President Abraham Lincoln have been questioned as of late, too. On Sunday, during a Fox News town hall that was filmed in front of the Lincoln Memorial, Trump suggested he has been treated “worse” than any other president, Lincoln included, by his critics — even though Lincoln was assassinated while in office.
One thing that was noticeably missing from Trump’s Twitter rant, however, was any direct rebuttal to the assertions made in The Lincoln Project’s ad itself.
Trump’s tweets, however, didn’t seem to alarm members of The Lincoln Project. George Conway said he was already planning the name of the group’s next ad in response to Trump’s tirade. “I guess our next ad should be ‘Moron in America,'” he wrote.
The Lincoln Project, it should be noted, is a decidedly conservative organization. Indeed, one of the organization’s many complaints about Trump is over how they view the president as not being conservative enough, writing in The New York Times last year that Trump and his supporters “have abandoned conservatism and longstanding Republican principles.” Many of Lincoln Project’s members in this sense appear to advocate for a pre-Trump Republican Party — one that supported massive tax cuts for the wealthy and a hawkish, interventionist foreign policy, and opposed the Affordable Care Act.
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--2020-05-05--The Fed Just Changed Its Own Rules to Bail Out the Fossil Fuel Industry

“ Banks got bailed out , we got sold out ” was one of the recurring chants at Occupy Wall Street , which began as an encampment in Zuccotti Park three years after the 2008 financial crisis .
Who the government chose to rescue — and how easy or difficult it is to be rescued — is not an accident .
Instead , it ’ s always been a policy choice .
When lawmakers advocated for emergency aid during the current pandemic to help states with their debts as their budgets get crushed , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so-called “ blue state bailouts , ” and that states should go bankrupt instead .
When Senate Democrats proposed cancelling student debt for 43 million borrowers and a more people-focused economic stimulus to all , Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said , “ What the hell does that have to do with the virus ?
” But when the oil and gas companies face bankruptcy due to their staggering debts , Republicans are ready and eager to help .
And this week , the Federal Reserve — which claims political independence and holds itself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — obliged with precisely the changes that the energy sector , and its congressional apologists , requested .
The fossil fuel industry and the Senate GOP had been lobbying the Fed hard for changes to help big oil .
One of the changes they sought was the ability to use emergency loans to pay down or refinance other debts .
Heavily indebted fossil fuel companies are teetering on the edge of bankruptcy and under increasing pressure from their lenders , like the big banks to whom the sector owes $ 200 billion .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Wells Fargo ’ s portfolio of loans to energy companies is so distressed , it ’ s been described as a “ bloodbath.
” Two fossil fuel companies have already declared bankruptcy since April — Whiting Petroleum and Diamond Offshore .
Desperate to prop up these failing firms , Sen. Ted Cruz complained to the Fed in an April 24 letter that oil and gas firms needed help , because the original Main Street Lending Program terms explicitly prevented companies from using the funds to “ repay or refinance pre-existing loans , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bankruptcy .
A trade group for big oil , the Independent Petroleum Association of America ( IPAA ) , made the very same complaint .
On April 30 , the Fed gave the oil industry precisely what it asked for , expanding the lending programs to allow more debt , looser standards and bigger loan amounts to accommodate the oil industry .
The changes allow companies to use taxpayer-backed emergency relief funds to refinance and pay down pre-existing debt .
The very same day the Fed acted , Chesapeake Energy was about to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changes the Fed made benefited both Chesapeake and a host of other oil companies .
Previously , businesses with large amounts of debt were not able to get large loans , another thing Senator Cruz complained about .
The senator got what he asked for when the Fed raised the threshold to allow more heavily indebted companies to participate .
The Fed also gave the industry more flexibility to play accounting games to make their earnings look rosier for the purposes of that threshold , changes that benefited both the teetering Chesapeake Energy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump adviser and mega-donor Carl Icahn has a nearly 10 percent stake in Occidental .
And this isn ’ t even the only change that benefitted Occidental .
Previously , firms using the Main Street Lending Program could have no more than 10,000 employees .
The Fed raised it to 15,000 .
Occidental Petroleum just so happens to have 14,400 employees .
Yet another oil sector request the Fed granted was Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette ’ s ask to raise the cap on one of the loan programs from $ 150 million to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t just getting the supposedly independent Fed to change the rules to stay afloat despite a decade of bad bets .
Taxpayer funds are now effectively being used to reduce debt costs for oil companies and bail out their Wall Street creditors .
While some argue that the Fed ’ s Main Street Lending Program isn ’ t taxpayer money , this is inaccurate : the program uses $ 75 billion from the CARES Act to partially cover any losses these loans incur for the Fed .
At the end of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a down payment for loans to big oil .
Those who benefit the most are those who ’ ve loaned money to big oil — banks and bondholders .
Those that justify these loans do so on the basis that they support jobs , but the connection to actual worker protections are minimal , as the Fed doesn ’ t explicitly bar firms who take these loans from laying off their employees .
One of the most appalling changes the Fed made was to delete its original language that said the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company ’ s financial distress .
With the removal of that language , the Fed is now free to give emergency loans to a sector that ’ s been buried in debt since long before the pandemic .
Oil and gas firms have been the largest issuers of the riskiest kind of corporate debt for a decade .
In the third quarter of 2019 , a staggering 91 percent of defaults on corporate debt were due to oil and gas companies .
Over 200 fracking companies have gone bankrupt since 2015 , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Even oil giants like Exxon and Chevron can only turn a profit at their U.S. drilling sites at $ 31/barrel ( oil is currently less than $ 20/barrel ) .
It ’ s unclear when — or if — they will return to profitability , as the fallout from overproduction means oil is still sitting on floating tankers waiting to fill up overfilled storage , as demand slumps to the lowest levels in 25 years .
The Trump administration is quite brazenly declaring that this was a rescue for oil and gas .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , tweeting “ Great news out of the Fed today in support of struggling U.S. energy companies.
” Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer , who sent a different letter to the Fed and Treasury asking for favors for big oil , recorded a video of himself personally thanking the Fed .
Meanwhile , climate groups slammed the action .
Tara Houska , founder of Giniw Collective — a frontlines collective dedicated to land defense and cultural revitalization — called the bailout “ unconscionable , ” while Moira Birss of Amazon Watch said it “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the oil industry and some of its Republican champions.
” Bharat Ramamurti of the Congressional Oversight Commission overseeing the CARES Act tweeted that the changes “ mirror the top requests of the oil and gas industry.
” Routing this rescue of oil and gas through the Fed is essentially an end-run around Congress .
Congress passed the CARES Act and abdicated fiscal policy decisions to the Fed to both obscure the choices being made and insulate themselves from political liability .
This isn ’ t the first time the Fed has undertaken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responsibility in the 2008 bailouts , providing broad authority to the Fed to pick winners and losers .
The Fed used that authority to make Wall Street whole , but did a poor job of saving homeowners .
But even Congress didn ’ t know the full extent of the Fed ’ s 2008 emergency lending until Bloomberg news sued all the way up to the Supreme Court to obtain data about the loans .
Former Democratic Senator and former Joe Biden Chief of Staff Ted Kaufman has said that if Congress had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the help the Fed was providing , he would have been able to line up more support for his proposal to break up the banks .
Today , the Fed is once again acting as the main vehicle for implementing rescues for politically unpopular , over-leveraged firms that Congress doesn ’ t want the blame for helping .
Whether it is biasing rescues to the powerful , politically connected and the wealthy , or cowing to demands of an irresponsible sector , this crisis is looking similar to the last one .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s big oil who ’ s getting bailed out as the rest of us are sold out .

Part of the Series Despair and Disparity: The Uneven Burdens of COVID-19
“Banks got bailed out, we got sold out” was one of the recurring chants at Occupy Wall Street, which began as an encampment in Zuccotti Park three years after the 2008 financial crisis. Who the government chose to rescue — and how easy or difficult it is to be rescued — is not an accident. Instead, it’s always been a policy choice.
When lawmakers advocated for emergency aid during the current pandemic to help states with their debts as their budgets get crushed, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he’d fight to stop these so-called “blue state bailouts,” and that states should go bankrupt instead. When Senate Democrats proposed cancelling student debt for 43 million borrowers and a more people-focused economic stimulus to all, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said, “What the hell does that have to do with the virus?” But when the oil and gas companies face bankruptcy due to their staggering debts, Republicans are ready and eager to help. And this week, the Federal Reserve — which claims political independence and holds itself out as the epitome of technocratic excellence — obliged with precisely the changes that the energy sector, and its congressional apologists, requested.
The fossil fuel industry and the Senate GOP had been lobbying the Fed hard for changes to help big oil. One of the changes they sought was the ability to use emergency loans to pay down or refinance other debts. Heavily indebted fossil fuel companies are teetering on the edge of bankruptcy and under increasing pressure from their lenders, like the big banks to whom the sector owes $200 billion. In the case of one big bank, Wells Fargo’s portfolio of loans to energy companies is so distressed, it’s been described as a “bloodbath.” Two fossil fuel companies have already declared bankruptcy since April — Whiting Petroleum and Diamond Offshore. Desperate to prop up these failing firms, Sen. Ted Cruz complained to the Fed in an April 24 letter that oil and gas firms needed help, because the original Main Street Lending Program terms explicitly prevented companies from using the funds to “repay or refinance pre-existing loans,” and that made them vulnerable to bankruptcy. A trade group for big oil, the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA), made the very same complaint.
On April 30, the Fed gave the oil industry precisely what it asked for, expanding the lending programs to allow more debt, looser standards and bigger loan amounts to accommodate the oil industry. The changes allow companies to use taxpayer-backed emergency relief funds to refinance and pay down pre-existing debt. The very same day the Fed acted, Chesapeake Energy was about to go bankrupt. But these and other changes the Fed made benefited both Chesapeake and a host of other oil companies.
Previously, businesses with large amounts of debt were not able to get large loans, another thing Senator Cruz complained about. The senator got what he asked for when the Fed raised the threshold to allow more heavily indebted companies to participate. The Fed also gave the industry more flexibility to play accounting games to make their earnings look rosier for the purposes of that threshold, changes that benefited both the teetering Chesapeake Energy, but also Occidental Petroleum. Former Trump adviser and mega-donor Carl Icahn has a nearly 10 percent stake in Occidental. And this isn’t even the only change that benefitted Occidental. Previously, firms using the Main Street Lending Program could have no more than 10,000 employees. The Fed raised it to 15,000. Occidental Petroleum just so happens to have 14,400 employees. Yet another oil sector request the Fed granted was Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette’s ask to raise the cap on one of the loan programs from $150 million to $200 million.
Big oil isn’t just getting the supposedly independent Fed to change the rules to stay afloat despite a decade of bad bets. Taxpayer funds are now effectively being used to reduce debt costs for oil companies and bail out their Wall Street creditors. While some argue that the Fed’s Main Street Lending Program isn’t taxpayer money, this is inaccurate: the program uses $75 billion from the CARES Act to partially cover any losses these loans incur for the Fed. At the end of the day, taxpayer money is being used as a down payment for loans to big oil. Those who benefit the most are those who’ve loaned money to big oil — banks and bondholders. Those that justify these loans do so on the basis that they support jobs, but the connection to actual worker protections are minimal, as the Fed doesn’t explicitly bar firms who take these loans from laying off their employees.
Taxpayer funds are now effectively being used to reduce debt costs for oil companies and bail out their Wall Street creditors.
One of the most appalling changes the Fed made was to delete its original language that said the coronavirus needed to be the source of a company’s financial distress. With the removal of that language, the Fed is now free to give emergency loans to a sector that’s been buried in debt since long before the pandemic. Oil and gas firms have been the largest issuers of the riskiest kind of corporate debt for a decade. In the third quarter of 2019, a staggering 91 percent of defaults on corporate debt were due to oil and gas companies. Over 200 fracking companies have gone bankrupt since 2015, with 32 declaring bankruptcy in 2019 alone. Even oil giants like Exxon and Chevron can only turn a profit at their U.S. drilling sites at $31/barrel (oil is currently less than $20/barrel). It’s unclear when — or if — they will return to profitability, as the fallout from overproduction means oil is still sitting on floating tankers waiting to fill up overfilled storage, as demand slumps to the lowest levels in 25 years.
The Trump administration is quite brazenly declaring that this was a rescue for oil and gas. Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette praised the action, tweeting , “Great news out of the Fed today in support of struggling U.S. energy companies.” Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer, who sent a different letter to the Fed and Treasury asking for favors for big oil, recorded a video of himself personally thanking the Fed. Meanwhile, climate groups slammed the action. Tara Houska, founder of Giniw Collective — a frontlines collective dedicated to land defense and cultural revitalization — called the bailout “unconscionable,” while Moira Birss of Amazon Watch said it “looks like the Fed acquiesced to pressure from the oil industry and some of its Republican champions.” Bharat Ramamurti of the Congressional Oversight Commission overseeing the CARES Act tweeted that the changes “mirror the top requests of the oil and gas industry.”
Congress abdicated fiscal policy decisions to the Fed to both obscure the choices being made and insulate themselves from political liability.
Routing this rescue of oil and gas through the Fed is essentially an end-run around Congress. Congress passed the CARES Act and abdicated fiscal policy decisions to the Fed to both obscure the choices being made and insulate themselves from political liability. This isn’t the first time the Fed has undertaken such a rescue. Congress also abdicated responsibility in the 2008 bailouts, providing broad authority to the Fed to pick winners and losers. The Fed used that authority to make Wall Street whole, but did a poor job of saving homeowners. But even Congress didn’t know the full extent of the Fed’s 2008 emergency lending until Bloomberg news sued all the way up to the Supreme Court to obtain data about the loans. Former Democratic Senator and former Joe Biden Chief of Staff Ted Kaufman has said that if Congress had known at the time the extent of the help the Fed was providing, he would have been able to line up more support for his proposal to break up the banks.
Today, the Fed is once again acting as the main vehicle for implementing rescues for politically unpopular, over-leveraged firms that Congress doesn’t want the blame for helping. Whether it is biasing rescues to the powerful, politically connected and the wealthy, or cowing to demands of an irresponsible sector, this crisis is looking similar to the last one. But instead of the banks, it’s big oil who’s getting bailed out as the rest of us are sold out.
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--2020-05-05--After Bailout, United Airlines Urges Workers to Leave or Face Layoffs

United Airlines urged its employees to consider leaving the company voluntarily as it cuts pay and prepares for layoffs even though it received a $ 5 billion bailout from taxpayers last month .
United COO Greg Hart said in a leaked staff memo obtained by CNN that the company needs to “ right size ” its workforce .
“ You may want to seriously consider if you ’ re in a position to take a voluntary separation , ” he wrote .
“ We recognize that this is painful news , but it provides what we believe is the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our company.
” The airline is barred from laying off staff for six months under the terms of the bailout it received as part of the $ 2.2 trillion CARES Act , but it is expected to lay off workers as soon as Oct. 1 , according to a letter from CEO Oscar Munoz and President Scott Kirby last month .
And despite the bailout , the company said Friday that 15,000 airport employees would be reduced to part-time work , according to The Daily Beast .
Hart said in the memo that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all full-time passenger and fleet service employees due to a “ severe drop in demand.
” “ Travel demand is essentially zero , ” but the company plans to “ employ 100 percent of our workforce ” over the next “ several months , ” he said .
“ That ’ s not sustainable for any company , and that ’ s why we are making difficult decisions across our entire business , ” he added .
“ We ’ ve slashed our schedule by 90 percent , eliminated all discretionary spending , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our CEO and president ’ s base salary and bonus by 100 percent , reduced officer salaries by 50 percent , suspended raises and bonuses for all [ management and administrative ] employees , suspended operational bonuses and introduced company offered leaves of absence for all employees , among other measures.
” Hart said the moves were in compliance with the CARES Act , which set aside the money , but the machinist union , which represents a large number of the airline ’ s employees , warned ahead of the announcement that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bill .
“ United Airlines has advised us they are looking to reduce all employees who work under the passenger service — including reservations — and fleet agreements to part-time to save money , ” Mike Klemm , president of the union ’ s District 141 in suburban Chicago , said in a Friday memo .
“ Money for a company that has over $ 10 billion on hand today — that will have between $ 8 and $ 10 billion at the end of June and between $ 4 and $ 6 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Klemm said any pay cut is “ unacceptable under the CARES Act , and even though we don ’ t and won ’ t agree to any pay cuts , they should at least give everyone 30 hours a week.
” Hart said in his memo that “ while our contract allows for a reduction of full-time employees all the way to 20 hours , we will commit to an equivalent number of 30 hour bid lines.
” Bloomberg News reported that while the bill does not allow changes to pay rates , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hours .
A United baggage handler in Houston told The Daily Beast that the move was driven by “ corporate greed.
” “ I can understand if they ’ re losing money , but they took money from the taxpayers and turned around and put the money in their own pockets , ” they told the outlet .
“ You ’ re taking food off our table and basically forcing people in the streets .
They begged us to help them get this CARES money , and now they turn around and are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sheila Jackson Lee , D-Texas , called out the airline in a letter to Klemm last week .
The legislation was “ intended to make employees whole during this devastating time due to COVID-19 , ” she wrote .
“ I realize that the airline industry , along with most businesses , have been severely impacted , but it was not the intent of Congress for this program to be used as an economic bail-out.
” Hart said Friday that the airline had been unable to reach a “ favorable agreement ” with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tough , ” Klemm said .
“ It ’ s easy to be an employee-friendly company when you ’ re making billions on top of billions of dollars — which again , they still have.
” The cuts have drawn criticism from the right , as well .
Sen. Josh Hawley , D-Mo.
, demanded that the airline “ reverse this decision immediately.
” “ You must keep your promises to your workers or give the money back , ” he wrote in a letter to Munoz , noting that the CARES Act @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money from reducing the rate of pay or benefits to workers .
“ Yet United Airlines recently announced working hours would be reduced by 25 % for approximately 15,000 workers , effectively forcing a layoff to part-time status .
It was not the intention of Congress that recipients of this taxpayer money would then turn around and disguise pay reduction by cutting hours.
” The machinists union said in a statement after the announcement that the cuts will have unintended consequences for the airline .
“ As air travel rebounds , United ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ misappropriated the tax money intended to preserve workers ’ pay and benefits and will bring their business to responsible carriers , ” the statement said .
“ United ’ s short-term solution will cause long-term problems for the carrier and its shareholders .
”

The company also plans to cut hours for 15,000 airport workers, a move which violates the CARES Act, lawmakers say.
United Airlines urged its employees to consider leaving the company voluntarily as it cuts pay and prepares for layoffs even though it received a $5 billion bailout from taxpayers last month.
United COO Greg Hart said in a leaked staff memo obtained by CNN that the company needs to “right size” its workforce.
“You may want to seriously consider if you’re in a position to take a voluntary separation,” he wrote. “We recognize that this is painful news, but it provides what we believe is the most accurate assessment of what lies ahead for our company.”
The airline is barred from laying off staff for six months under the terms of the bailout it received as part of the $2.2 trillion CARES Act, but it is expected to lay off workers as soon as Oct. 1, according to a letter from CEO Oscar Munoz and President Scott Kirby last month.
And despite the bailout, the company said Friday that 15,000 airport employees would be reduced to part-time work, according to The Daily Beast.
Hart said in the memo that the company will cut the hours of all full-time passenger and fleet service employees due to a “severe drop in demand.”
“Travel demand is essentially zero,” but the company plans to “employ 100 percent of our workforce” over the next “several months,” he said.
“That’s not sustainable for any company, and that’s why we are making difficult decisions across our entire business,” he added. “We’ve slashed our schedule by 90 percent, eliminated all discretionary spending, put a freeze on hiring, cut our CEO and president’s base salary and bonus by 100 percent, reduced officer salaries by 50 percent, suspended raises and bonuses for all [management and administrative] employees, suspended operational bonuses and introduced company offered leaves of absence for all employees, among other measures.”
Hart said the moves were in compliance with the CARES Act, which set aside the money, but the machinist union, which represents a large number of the airline’s employees, warned ahead of the announcement that the cuts violated the terms of the bill.
“United Airlines has advised us they are looking to reduce all employees who work under the passenger service — including reservations — and fleet agreements to part-time to save money,” Mike Klemm, president of the union’s District 141 in suburban Chicago, said in a Friday memo. “Money for a company that has over $10 billion on hand today — that will have between $8 and $10 billion at the end of June and between $4 and $6 billion at the end of September.”
Klemm said any pay cut is “unacceptable under the CARES Act, and even though we don’t and won’t agree to any pay cuts, they should at least give everyone 30 hours a week.”
Hart said in his memo that “while our contract allows for a reduction of full-time employees all the way to 20 hours, we will commit to an equivalent number of 30 hour bid lines.”
Bloomberg News reported that while the bill does not allow changes to pay rates, it does not prohibit changes to work hours.
A United baggage handler in Houston told The Daily Beast that the move was driven by “corporate greed.”
“I can understand if they’re losing money, but they took money from the taxpayers and turned around and put the money in their own pockets,” they told the outlet. “You’re taking food off our table and basically forcing people in the streets. They begged us to help them get this CARES money, and now they turn around and are stabbing us in the back.”
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, called out the airline in a letter to Klemm last week.
The legislation was “intended to make employees whole during this devastating time due to COVID-19,” she wrote. “I realize that the airline industry, along with most businesses, have been severely impacted, but it was not the intent of Congress for this program to be used as an economic bail-out.”
Hart said Friday that the airline had been unable to reach a “favorable agreement” with the machinists union.
“Times are tough,” Klemm said. “It’s easy to be an employee-friendly company when you’re making billions on top of billions of dollars — which again, they still have.”
The cuts have drawn criticism from the right, as well. Sen. Josh Hawley, D-Mo., demanded that the airline “reverse this decision immediately.”
“You must keep your promises to your workers or give the money back,” he wrote in a letter to Munoz, noting that the CARES Act “specifically forbade recipients of this taxpayer money from reducing the rate of pay or benefits to workers.
“Yet United Airlines recently announced working hours would be reduced by 25% for approximately 15,000 workers, effectively forcing a layoff to part-time status. It was not the intention of Congress that recipients of this taxpayer money would then turn around and disguise pay reduction by cutting hours.”
The machinists union said in a statement after the announcement that the cuts will have unintended consequences for the airline.
“As air travel rebounds, United’s passengers will know that the airline misappropriated the tax money intended to preserve workers’ pay and benefits and will bring their business to responsible carriers,” the statement said. “United’s short-term solution will cause long-term problems for the carrier and its shareholders.”
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--2020-05-05--80 Percent of People Held in Ohio’s Marion Prison Test Positive for COVID-19

We get an update on one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in the United States , at the Marion Correctional Institution in Ohio , where 11 prisoners and one staff member have died , and at least 80 % of prisoners and half of the prison staff tested positive .
Despite growing calls to release thousands of Ohio ’ s nearly 50,000 incarcerated people as the coronavirus spreads , Governor Mike DeWine has only approved the release of more than 100 people in the state ’ s prisons .
“ We ’ re seeing a few people being released … @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we are ] demanding , ” says Azzurra Crispino , whose husband , James , is incarcerated at Marion .
She is co-founder of Prison Abolition Prisoner Support .
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 Juan González , as we turn now to a prison in Ohio where one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in the U.S. has killed at least 11 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent of the prisoners , half the prison staff at Marion Correctional Institution tested positive for COVID-19 in April , making it the largest virus hot spot in the country .
A massive outbreak has also devastated Pickaway prison , where at least 23 prisoners and one staff member have died from the virus .
This is an incarcerated person at Marion describing conditions inside the prison .
INCARCERATED PERSON : I ’ m in Marion Correctional , where the coronavirus is just spreading like wildfire .
Out of 2,500 people , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know , that ’ s a scary thought .
I might not make it home to my children , you know .
I just wanted to speak up for what I believe in , and hopefully that this will make a difference and it reaches the right hands and , you know , we get some kind of relief .
All I can ask is just keep us in your prayers .
AMY GOODMAN : Despite growing calls to release thousands of Ohio ’ s nearly 50,000 prisoners as the coronavirus spreads , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ release of more than 100 people in the state ’ s prisons .
Protesters recently held a car demonstration outside the Ohio Statehouse demanding the governor free 20,000 people in May .
Demonstrators spoke to ABC News .
This clip begins with Teresa Rogers , whose son is imprisoned in Ohio .
TERESA ROGERS : I think it ’ s a reasonable number , but most of them are going to get out anyway .
Most of them are on their way out anyway .
CHAZIDY BOWMAN : How are we protecting these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proper PPEs .
Some of them have masks that are made from toilet paper and sheets .
AMY GOODMAN : This comes as a new report by the Prison Policy Initiative finds that while some jails have drastically cut populations , state prisons have released almost no one .
Well , for more , we go to Austin , Texas , where we ’ re joined by Azzurra Crispino , co-founder of Prison Abolition Prisoner Support , or PAPS , associate professor of philosophy at Austin Community College in Texas .
Her husband @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Democracy Now !
Can you tell us , Azzurra , about the situation at Marion ?
I mean , this is 80 % of the prisoners and half the staff ?
What are you demanding ?
How is your husband ?
You ’ re asking that he be released .
He has served the vast majority of his time .
What is the response ?
AZZURRA CRISPINO : So far , we have received a response from the County Prosecutor ’ s Office filing a motion against his judicial release , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to decide whether she will grant him a hearing or if she will deny his judicial release .
We ’ re seeing a few people being released out of Marion through the judicial release process .
They are able to attend hearings by teleconference , if they wish , but not anywhere near the 20,000 in May that we and others in our coalition are demanding .
In terms of conditions at Marion , Governor DeWine has been bragging about the fact that he called in the National Guard .
However , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have people who are not trained in deescalation and really don ’ t understand the prison environment .
You have incarcerated people who are taking care of each other , as they are scared to request medical facilities , because they are led to believe , and probably are , being placed in solitary confinement conditions if they are seen as being too sick , and then they won ’ t be able to help each other .
So , we ’ re getting reports of people using Vicks VapoRub and putting it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their fellow incarcerated people .
Meanwhile , the governor is bragging about how great a resolution to this situation Ohio has .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : And , Azzurra Crispino , this is not just an Ohio problem .
Obviously , we ’ re getting the reports — we ’ ve seen reports that in Cook County Jail in Chicago , 800 confirmed cases of the virus , and so far six prisoners and one correction officer have died .
We ’ re seeing in New York City , at Rikers Island , 800 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and eight have died .
The city jails seem to be moving much more quickly to reduce prison populations , but some of the state prison systems are much more slower to react or are resisting .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : Why do you think that is ?
AZZURRA CRISPINO : Well , I think that it ’ s a political problem , right ?
The governors don ’ t want to be seen as being soft on crime .
And politically , they have absolutely nothing to lose .
Whereas those of us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incarcerated understand that these are loved ones , and we don ’ t want to see them die .
In addition , I don ’ t think that there ’ s been enough focus on the judiciary and how it can be involved .
Now , Ohio is a little unique because it has a completely different parole system than most states .
Long/short , it almost got rid of parole in ’ 97 .
So , what that means is that it ’ s easier for political officials to basically be able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think , in state facilities , in a way that we have not seen at the federal level or at the city and county jails , where , due to the pretrial nature of many people , I think there ’ s been a greater focus on helping people who are presumed innocent .
So , I think , ultimately , this is a question of humanization .
As long as we continue to see incarcerated people as disposable , then we ’ re not going to deal with this problem head @ @

We get an update on one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in the United States, at the Marion Correctional Institution in Ohio, where 11 prisoners and one staff member have died, and at least 80% of prisoners and half of the prison staff tested positive. Despite growing calls to release thousands of Ohio’s nearly 50,000 incarcerated people as the coronavirus spreads, Governor Mike DeWine has only approved the release of more than 100 people in the state’s prisons. “We’re seeing a few people being released … but not anywhere near the 20,000 [we are] demanding,” says Azzurra Crispino, whose husband, James, is incarcerated at Marion. She is co-founder of Prison Abolition Prisoner Support.
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 Juan González, as we turn now to a prison in Ohio where one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in the U.S. has killed at least 11 prisoners and one staff member. Eighty percent of the prisoners, half the prison staff at Marion Correctional Institution tested positive for COVID-19 in April, making it the largest virus hot spot in the country. A massive outbreak has also devastated Pickaway prison, where at least 23 prisoners and one staff member have died from the virus. This is an incarcerated person at Marion describing conditions inside the prison.
INCARCERATED PERSON: I’m in Marion Correctional, where the coronavirus is just spreading like wildfire. Out of 2,500 people, they say 1,300 people got it. You know, that’s a scary thought. I might not make it home to my children, you know. I just wanted to speak up for what I believe in, and hopefully that this will make a difference and it reaches the right hands and, you know, we get some kind of relief. All I can ask is just keep us in your prayers.
AMY GOODMAN: Despite growing calls to release thousands of Ohio’s nearly 50,000 prisoners as the coronavirus spreads, Governor Mike DeWine has only approved the release of more than 100 people in the state’s prisons. Protesters recently held a car demonstration outside the Ohio Statehouse demanding the governor free 20,000 people in May. Demonstrators spoke to ABC News. This clip begins with Teresa Rogers, whose son is imprisoned in Ohio.
TERESA ROGERS: I think it’s a reasonable number, but most of them are going to get out anyway. Most of them are on their way out anyway. CHAZIDY BOWMAN: How are we protecting these people? They don’t have proper PPEs. Some of them have masks that are made from toilet paper and sheets.
AMY GOODMAN: This comes as a new report by the Prison Policy Initiative finds that while some jails have drastically cut populations, state prisons have released almost no one.
Well, for more, we go to Austin, Texas, where we’re joined by Azzurra Crispino, co-founder of Prison Abolition Prisoner Support, or PAPS, associate professor of philosophy at Austin Community College in Texas. Her husband James is incarcerated at Marion.
Welcome to Democracy Now! Can you tell us, Azzurra, about the situation at Marion? I mean, this is 80% of the prisoners and half the staff? What are you demanding? How is your husband? You’re asking that he be released. He has served the vast majority of his time. What is the response?
AZZURRA CRISPINO: So far, we have received a response from the County Prosecutor’s Office filing a motion against his judicial release, and we are waiting for Judge Wanda Jones to decide whether she will grant him a hearing or if she will deny his judicial release. We’re seeing a few people being released out of Marion through the judicial release process. They are able to attend hearings by teleconference, if they wish, but not anywhere near the 20,000 in May that we and others in our coalition are demanding.
In terms of conditions at Marion, Governor DeWine has been bragging about the fact that he called in the National Guard. However, that has substantially increased tensions, as you have people who are not trained in deescalation and really don’t understand the prison environment. You have incarcerated people who are taking care of each other, as they are scared to request medical facilities, because they are led to believe, and probably are, being placed in solitary confinement conditions if they are seen as being too sick, and then they won’t be able to help each other. So, we’re getting reports of people using Vicks VapoRub and putting it in hotpots to basically create steamers for their fellow incarcerated people. Meanwhile, the governor is bragging about how great a resolution to this situation Ohio has.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Azzurra Crispino, this is not just an Ohio problem. Obviously, we’re getting the reports — we’ve seen reports that in Cook County Jail in Chicago, 800 confirmed cases of the virus, and so far six prisoners and one correction officer have died. We’re seeing in New York City, at Rikers Island, 800 city correction employees have tested positive, and eight have died. The city jails seem to be moving much more quickly to reduce prison populations, but some of the state prison systems are much more slower to react or are resisting.
AZZURRA CRISPINO: Absolutely.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Why do you think that is?
AZZURRA CRISPINO: Well, I think that it’s a political problem, right? The governors don’t want to be seen as being soft on crime. And politically, they have absolutely nothing to lose. Whereas those of us who have family and friends who are incarcerated understand that these are loved ones, and we don’t want to see them die. In addition, I don’t think that there’s been enough focus on the judiciary and how it can be involved. Now, Ohio is a little unique because it has a completely different parole system than most states. Long/short, it almost got rid of parole in ’97.
So, what that means is that it’s easier for political officials to basically be able to pass the hot potato around, I think, in state facilities, in a way that we have not seen at the federal level or at the city and county jails, where, due to the pretrial nature of many people, I think there’s been a greater focus on helping people who are presumed innocent. So, I think, ultimately, this is a question of humanization. As long as we continue to see incarcerated people as disposable, then we’re not going to deal with this problem head on.


truthout--2020-05-05--Navajo Nation Suffers Third-Highest COVID-19 Infection Rate in US

We get an update from two doctors treating patients with the Navajo Nation , the largest Indigenous reservation in the country , which has been hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic .
Dr. Michelle Tom is a member of the Navajo Nation and a family physician treating COVID-19 patients at the Winslow Indian Health Care Center and Little Colorado Medical Center in northern Arizona near the Navajo reservation .
In Gallup , New Mexico , Dr. Sriram Shamasunder is leading a medical volunteer group of 21 nurses and doctors from the University of California , San Francisco , as part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus hit harder on the Navajo Nation due to a “ trajectory of an underfunded health system , ” and notes the Indian Health Service is funded at one-third the rate per capita as Medicare .
“ The level of inequity that you ’ re seeing … it ’ s part of this pattern.
” 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 in New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Juan González is in New Jersey .
It ’ s number two for coronavirus infections .
And now we ’ re going to number three , per capita , Navajo Nation , as we continue to look at how the Navajo Nation has been so hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic , highest number of coronavirus infections per capita in the United States following New York and New Jersey .
The rural community has reported having nearly 2,300 known cases of COVID-19 , 73 deaths as of Sunday .
The Navajo Nation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States with a population of some 350,000 , a territory that spreads over 27,000 square miles .
As we turn now to two doctors who know this land well , on the ground treating patients .
Joining us from Gallup , New Mexico , Dr. Sriram Shamasunder is a leading medical volunteer — he ’ s leading a medical volunteer group of 21 nurses and doctors from University of California , San Francisco , where he ’ s an associate professor of medicine , to the Native American reservation near Gallup .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ HEAL Initiative , which has worked across nine countries , including Navajo Nation , since 2015 , promoting health equity .
And joining us from Winslow , Arizona , Dr. Michelle Tom , member of the Navajo Nation , family physician , treating COVID-19 patients at the Winslow Indian Health Care Center and Little Colorado Medical Center in northern Arizona near the Navajo reservation .
She was a basketball star in college at Arizona State University .
We welcome you both , Doctors , to Democracy Now !
Dr. Tom , let ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the clinic where you were born .
As you listen to Valentina ’ s story , a 28-year-old Navajo woman who suddenly died after being diagnosed with COVID-19 , your response ?
Can you put it in the context of what ’ s happening right now in the Navajo Nation ?
DR. MICHELLE TOM : It just kind of is a reflection of what we ’ re going through as a people , and it correlates with what this virus can do to our young and someone who was very motivated , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , our rich and strong , and our language .
And that ’ s what we ’ re trying to fight for .
You know , there ’ s not many who really promote really great things , who is a young person , and she was one of them .
And she was going to lead our next generation .
And so , it was a hard loss of our community .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : And , Dr. Tom , why do you think there has been such a devastation in terms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ especially in Navajo Country ?
DR. MICHELLE TOM : I think the spread — we ’ re a very matriarchal society , and we have a connection to the land and to our community .
And so , we really concentrate on the community .
And when someone is sick , we tend to be there for one another .
And we live in multigenerational homes .
So , the contact of that and the spread is obviously more than we wanted , but that was just part of our culture , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one another and encourage one another .
And being with a very strong family and all these strong ties , that was probably — you know , it ’ s multifactorial , but that was one of the reasons .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : And what about the external conditions confronted day to day ?
For instance , as much as 40 % of people in the Navajo reservation do not have running water , how that affects their ability to combat this disease ?
DR. MICHELLE TOM : Oh , absolutely .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of histories with treaties and our relationship with the government .
We ’ ve had — set aside for certain things like that , and our infrastructure for water has never been at the capacity where we can provide water for everyone on the reservation .
So , you ’ re telling people to wash your hands for 20 seconds , and yet people are trying just to get water just to drink and just to cook with .
And we know that water is part of a healthy body .
You know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying to have people wash things all the time , we are struggling with just clean water in general .
AMY GOODMAN : I want to bring Dr. Sriram Shamasunder into the conversation .
You ’ re leading this group of volunteer doctors and nurses from San Francisco to Navajo Nation .
You ’ re in Gallup , that is put under lockdown right now by the governor because of this massive outbreak .
You ’ ve described treating four generations of one family .
Talk about your work that you ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SRIRAM SHAMASUNDER : Yes .
So , I helped co-found the HEAL Initiative , which is a global health immersive fellowship that trains and transforms frontline health professionals to make serving the underserved a lifelong choice .
And so , over the last five years , we ’ ve had 150 frontline health professionals come through our program .
And half of them are U.S. doctors or nurses , and the other half are either Navajo or from countries such as Haiti or Mexico or Malawi or India .
And so it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers that are trying to get better at serving underserved populations .
And we worked in Navajo Nation for the last five years , since 2015 , and had partnerships .
And I think it ’ s important to know that before COVID-19 , Indian Health Service , Navajo population , what we ’ re seeing right now is this trajectory of an underfunded health system , where IHS is funded one-third the rate per capita as the VA or Medicare .
And the level of inequity that you ’ re seeing and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seeing in Gallup , as well as Chinle , it ’ s part of this pattern .
You know , in Michigan and Chicago , we know that in Michigan , 14 % of the population are Black folks , and yet 40 % of the deaths are Black people .
And in Navajo Nation and in New Mexico , 11 % of the population is Native American , but you see almost a third of the cases , of COVID cases , being Native American .
And I think in — I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , New Mexico , with our team of volunteers , as well as Chinle , Arizona .
In Gallup , I think what ’ s amazing is that I am running a sprint , but my colleagues , like Dr. Tom , have really been running this marathon for a long period of time .
And so , in Gallup , they ’ ve done an amazing job .
I think you ’ ve have seen this incredible local leadership , where they ’ ve been able to put 125 unsheltered people , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a collaboration to take care of them , as well as stop community spread .
And in Chinle , Arizona , this last weekend , I was taking care of patients .
And like you mentioned , Amy , there ’ s been four generations — a great-grandmother , a grandmother , a mother and daughter — that were all hospitalized .
And I think that this is what the Navajo — my Navajo colleagues have been dealing with for the last six weeks .
And the surge is upon us , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this last weekend , we ’ re always deciding whether these facilities can manage .
And it ’ s such a humbling disease , because a lot of the facilities that we ’ re in , once you intubate the patient , you have to transfer them to Phoenix or Albuquerque .
And so , all the providers are trying to learn what is the trajectory , because every time you intubate a patient , it ’ s just one more level beyond what we deal with in San Francisco , because the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so sacred , they are going to wake up isolated in another city , such as Phoenix or Albuquerque .
And I think that that is humbling .
So , the providers , the Navajo providers , are trying to see how much can they take care of their patients in their facilities , and when is it not safe anymore and they ’ re going to have to transfer patients out .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : Dr. Shamasunder , I wanted to ask you about the extraordinary mobilization of the tribal authorities to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government of New Mexico , the state government , has responded .
Obviously , there was a lot of reports about the state invoking the Riot Control Act and sealing off Gallup .
Could you talk about both , the state response and the tribal government response , especially in view of what we ’ ve been seeing of the relative inaction at the federal level on this disease ?
DR. SRIRAM SHAMASUNDER : Yeah .
I think that the incredible resourcefulness and resilience of the Navajo people is totally apparent when we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Nez , the Navajo president , when we arrived .
And he ’ s really been on the forefront of having people shelter in place .
And really , you know , like Dr. Tom was saying , when you ’ re trying to shelter in place and you live with eight or 10 people and this expansive definition of family where the community is so connected , you ’ re going to have community spread .
And so , the outbreak , I think , in Navajo Nation is not a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nez has been incredible at having these weekend lockdowns , which is extremely difficult for the Navajo people , and is really leading with wearing masks in public , and so doing all the right things , I think , from the national sovereign level .
And he ’ s been very vocal to say that the federal response has been extremely slow .
And that ’ s what I ’ ve seen in Chinle , Arizona .
We have HEAL fellows that are behavioral health coaches , that are not — are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at this time , so they ’ ve taken over the cafeteria and are making PPE and sewing PPE , and so the whole cafeteria has folks sewing PPE .
So , I think you see , from the top of the Navajo leadership to the citizens and health professionals , really leading an incredible response .
And the federal government has just been incredibly slow .
And then , obviously , Gallup is a border town , which is not under jurisdiction of the Navajo government , but it is an area @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get groceries , come into town , and there ’ s a lot of activity .
And it ’ s the second-highest caseload of new cases in the country in the last two weeks .
And , you know , I ’ m here .
I ’ m going to go on shift later today .
And the Gallup providers have just said — earlier , last week , they said , you know , “ I don ’ t think we need you.
” And this week , they ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exhausted .
The surge is just coming and coming , and there ’ s more and more patients .
And we need you to help out and do some shifts.
” And I think the New Mexican government has been strong and really almost following the lead that the Navajo president has put in place .
AMY GOODMAN : And finally , Dr. Michelle Tom , we have 30 seconds .
What you feel the rest of the country should understand , especially with compromised healthcare , in general , in the area @ @ @ @ @ @ @ uranium mining and how that compromises the health of so many people ?
DR. MICHELLE TOM : Yes , it ’ s just access , just funding .
And it ’ s kind of made our work harder .
But like Dr. Sri said , we ’ re coming together as community .
I ’ m proud of our nation .
I ’ m proud of the facilities I work for .
And yeah , just getting the public health notice out there , of just wash your hands , social distancing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ listening to our leaders right now , and healthcare professionals .
So , you know — AMY GOODMAN : We want to thank you so much , Dr. Michelle Tom — AMY GOODMAN : — speaking to us from Winslow , Arizona , Navajo Nation family physician , one of the few Navajo doctors on the reservation .
And Dr. Sriram Shamasunder , associate professor of medicine at University of California , San Francisco , has led a group of doctors and nurses to Navajo Nation , has been doing that since 2015 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , right now , which is under lockdown .
When we come back , the pandemic in prisons .
We go to one prison in Ohio where 80 % of the prisoners have tested positive , half the staff .
We ’ ll go to Marion .
And we ’ ll talk about prison abolition .
Stay with us .
AMY GOODMAN : That ’ s the audio premiere of Steve Earle ’ s new song , “ Union , God , and Country , ” from his latest album , Ghosts of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ May 22nd and centers on the Upper Big Branch coal mine explosion that killed 29 men in that state in 2010 , making it one of the worst mining disasters in American history .
Steve Earle says , quote , “ West Virginia was the most unionized place in America until very recently .
Upper Big Branch was the first non-union mine on that mountain — and it blew up and killed 29 men .
This is a song about better days , ” he said .

We get an update from two doctors treating patients with the Navajo Nation, the largest Indigenous reservation in the country, which has been hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic. Dr. Michelle Tom is a member of the Navajo Nation and a family physician treating COVID-19 patients at the Winslow Indian Health Care Center and Little Colorado Medical Center in northern Arizona near the Navajo reservation. In Gallup, New Mexico, Dr. Sriram Shamasunder is leading a medical volunteer group of 21 nurses and doctors from the University of California, San Francisco, as part of the HEAL Initiative. He says the coronavirus hit harder on the Navajo Nation due to a “trajectory of an underfunded health system,” and notes the Indian Health Service is funded at one-third the rate per capita as Medicare. “The level of inequity that you’re seeing … it’s part of this pattern.”
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 in New York, the epicenter of the pandemic. Juan González is in New Jersey. It’s number two for coronavirus infections. And now we’re going to number three, per capita, Navajo Nation, as we continue to look at how the Navajo Nation has been so hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic, highest number of coronavirus infections per capita in the United States following New York and New Jersey. The rural community has reported having nearly 2,300 known cases of COVID-19, 73 deaths as of Sunday. The Navajo Nation is the largest Indigenous reservation in the United States with a population of some 350,000, a territory that spreads over 27,000 square miles.
As we turn now to two doctors who know this land well, on the ground treating patients. Joining us from Gallup, New Mexico, Dr. Sriram Shamasunder is a leading medical volunteer — he’s leading a medical volunteer group of 21 nurses and doctors from University of California, San Francisco, where he’s an associate professor of medicine, to the Native American reservation near Gallup. He’s the co-founder of the HEAL Initiative, which has worked across nine countries, including Navajo Nation, since 2015, promoting health equity. And joining us from Winslow, Arizona, Dr. Michelle Tom, member of the Navajo Nation, family physician, treating COVID-19 patients at the Winslow Indian Health Care Center and Little Colorado Medical Center in northern Arizona near the Navajo reservation. She was a basketball star in college at Arizona State University.
We welcome you both, Doctors, to Democracy Now! Dr. Tom, let’s begin with you. You work in the clinic where you were born. As you listen to Valentina’s story, a 28-year-old Navajo woman who suddenly died after being diagnosed with COVID-19, your response? Can you put it in the context of what’s happening right now in the Navajo Nation?
DR. MICHELLE TOM: It just kind of is a reflection of what we’re going through as a people, and it correlates with what this virus can do to our young and someone who was very motivated, loved our culture, spread our culture, our rich and strong, and our language. And that’s what we’re trying to fight for. You know, there’s not many who really promote really great things, who is a young person, and she was one of them. And she was going to lead our next generation. And so, it was a hard loss of our community.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Dr. Tom, why do you think there has been such a devastation in terms of COVID-19 throughout the Native population, especially in Navajo Country?
DR. MICHELLE TOM: I think the spread — we’re a very matriarchal society, and we have a connection to the land and to our community. And so, we really concentrate on the community. And when someone is sick, we tend to be there for one another. And we live in multigenerational homes. So, the contact of that and the spread is obviously more than we wanted, but that was just part of our culture, is to help one another and to visit one another and encourage one another. And being with a very strong family and all these strong ties, that was probably — you know, it’s multifactorial, but that was one of the reasons.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And what about the external conditions confronted day to day? For instance, as much as 40% of people in the Navajo reservation do not have running water, how that affects their ability to combat this disease?
DR. MICHELLE TOM: Oh, absolutely. And that’s from a long state of histories with treaties and our relationship with the government. We’ve had — set aside for certain things like that, and our infrastructure for water has never been at the capacity where we can provide water for everyone on the reservation. So, you’re telling people to wash your hands for 20 seconds, and yet people are trying just to get water just to drink and just to cook with. And we know that water is part of a healthy body. You know, so, when you’re trying to have people wash things all the time, we are struggling with just clean water in general.
AMY GOODMAN: I want to bring Dr. Sriram Shamasunder into the conversation. You’re leading this group of volunteer doctors and nurses from San Francisco to Navajo Nation. You’re in Gallup, that is put under lockdown right now by the governor because of this massive outbreak. You’ve described treating four generations of one family. Talk about your work that you’ve been doing there for years.
DR. SRIRAM SHAMASUNDER: Yes. So, I helped co-found the HEAL Initiative, which is a global health immersive fellowship that trains and transforms frontline health professionals to make serving the underserved a lifelong choice. And so, over the last five years, we’ve had 150 frontline health professionals come through our program. And half of them are U.S. doctors or nurses, and the other half are either Navajo or from countries such as Haiti or Mexico or Malawi or India. And so it’s this really diverse community of frontline workers that are trying to get better at serving underserved populations.
And we worked in Navajo Nation for the last five years, since 2015, and had partnerships. And I think it’s important to know that before COVID-19, Indian Health Service, Navajo population, what we’re seeing right now is this trajectory of an underfunded health system, where IHS is funded one-third the rate per capita as the VA or Medicare. And the level of inequity that you’re seeing and the COVID cases that you’re seeing in Gallup, as well as Chinle, it’s part of this pattern. You know, in Michigan and Chicago, we know that in Michigan, 14% of the population are Black folks, and yet 40% of the deaths are Black people. And in Navajo Nation and in New Mexico, 11% of the population is Native American, but you see almost a third of the cases, of COVID cases, being Native American.
And I think in — I’ve been practicing both in Gallup, New Mexico, with our team of volunteers, as well as Chinle, Arizona. In Gallup, I think what’s amazing is that I am running a sprint, but my colleagues, like Dr. Tom, have really been running this marathon for a long period of time. And so, in Gallup, they’ve done an amazing job. I think you’ve have seen this incredible local leadership, where they’ve been able to put 125 unsheltered people, community members, into motel rooms and have a collaboration to take care of them, as well as stop community spread.
And in Chinle, Arizona, this last weekend, I was taking care of patients. And like you mentioned, Amy, there’s been four generations — a great-grandmother, a grandmother, a mother and daughter — that were all hospitalized. And I think that this is what the Navajo — my Navajo colleagues have been dealing with for the last six weeks. And the surge is upon us, where, taking care of a grandmother this last weekend, we’re always deciding whether these facilities can manage.
And it’s such a humbling disease, because a lot of the facilities that we’re in, once you intubate the patient, you have to transfer them to Phoenix or Albuquerque. And so, all the providers are trying to learn what is the trajectory, because every time you intubate a patient, it’s just one more level beyond what we deal with in San Francisco, because the Navajo people, where the land is so sacred, they are going to wake up isolated in another city, such as Phoenix or Albuquerque. And I think that that is humbling. So, the providers, the Navajo providers, are trying to see how much can they take care of their patients in their facilities, and when is it not safe anymore and they’re going to have to transfer patients out.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Dr. Shamasunder, I wanted to ask you about the extraordinary mobilization of the tribal authorities to combat COVID-19, and also how the government of New Mexico, the state government, has responded. Obviously, there was a lot of reports about the state invoking the Riot Control Act and sealing off Gallup. Could you talk about both, the state response and the tribal government response, especially in view of what we’ve been seeing of the relative inaction at the federal level on this disease?
DR. SRIRAM SHAMASUNDER: Yeah. I think that the incredible resourcefulness and resilience of the Navajo people is totally apparent when we come here. We actually met with President Nez, the Navajo president, when we arrived. And he’s really been on the forefront of having people shelter in place. And really, you know, like Dr. Tom was saying, when you’re trying to shelter in place and you live with eight or 10 people and this expansive definition of family where the community is so connected, you’re going to have community spread. And so, the outbreak, I think, in Navajo Nation is not a lack of leadership. I think President Nez has been incredible at having these weekend lockdowns, which is extremely difficult for the Navajo people, and is really leading with wearing masks in public, and so doing all the right things, I think, from the national sovereign level. And he’s been very vocal to say that the federal response has been extremely slow.
And that’s what I’ve seen in Chinle, Arizona. We have HEAL fellows that are behavioral health coaches, that are not — are usually not taking care of COVID patients at this time, so they’ve taken over the cafeteria and are making PPE and sewing PPE, and so the whole cafeteria has folks sewing PPE. So, I think you see, from the top of the Navajo leadership to the citizens and health professionals, really leading an incredible response. And the federal government has just been incredibly slow.
And then, obviously, Gallup is a border town, which is not under jurisdiction of the Navajo government, but it is an area where a lot of Navajo people come to get groceries, come into town, and there’s a lot of activity. And it’s the second-highest caseload of new cases in the country in the last two weeks. And, you know, I’m here. I’m going to go on shift later today. And the Gallup providers have just said — earlier, last week, they said, you know, “I don’t think we need you.” And this week, they’re saying, “We’re getting exhausted. The surge is just coming and coming, and there’s more and more patients. And we need you to help out and do some shifts.” And I think the New Mexican government has been strong and really almost following the lead that the Navajo president has put in place.
AMY GOODMAN: And finally, Dr. Michelle Tom, we have 30 seconds. What you feel the rest of the country should understand, especially with compromised healthcare, in general, in the area, due to poverty, due to uranium mining and how that compromises the health of so many people?
DR. MICHELLE TOM: Yes, it’s just access, just funding. And it’s kind of made our work harder. But like Dr. Sri said, we’re coming together as community. I’m proud of our nation. I’m proud of the facilities I work for. And yeah, just getting the public health notice out there, of just wash your hands, social distancing, maybe hand sanitizer, and really just listening to our leaders right now, and healthcare professionals. So, you know —
AMY GOODMAN: We want to thank you so much, Dr. Michelle Tom —
DR. MICHELLE TOM: Thank you.
AMY GOODMAN: — speaking to us from Winslow, Arizona, Navajo Nation family physician, one of the few Navajo doctors on the reservation. And Dr. Sriram Shamasunder, associate professor of medicine at University of California, San Francisco, has led a group of doctors and nurses to Navajo Nation, has been doing that since 2015, and in Gallup, New Mexico, right now, which is under lockdown.
When we come back, the pandemic in prisons. We go to one prison in Ohio where 80% of the prisoners have tested positive, half the staff. We’ll go to Marion. And we’ll talk about prison abolition. Stay with us.
[break]
AMY GOODMAN: That’s the audio premiere of Steve Earle’s new song, “Union, God, and Country,” from his latest album, Ghosts of West Virginia, that will be released May 22nd and centers on the Upper Big Branch coal mine explosion that killed 29 men in that state in 2010, making it one of the worst mining disasters in American history. Steve Earle says, quote, “West Virginia was the most unionized place in America until very recently. Upper Big Branch was the first non-union mine on that mountain — and it blew up and killed 29 men. This is a song about better days,” he said.