truthout--2020-08-31--If Trump Tries to Hijack the Election, We Must Be Ready to Resist

For nearly four years , we have been laser focused on November 3 , 2020 , the day that Donald Trump could be voted out of office .
In all likelihood , however , the election will not be decided that evening as it has in the past ( with the notable exception of the 2000 election ) .
That is because in order to protect themselves against COVID-19 , a record number of people will forego the polls and mail their ballots , which take longer to count .
There are several scenarios of what could transpire between November @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them are frightening .
Once again , Trump has deployed federal agents on U.S. soil over the objection of local authorities , in an apparent attempt to sow chaos and then claim he must be reelected to restore law and order .
On August 26 , Trump tweeted he would send “ federal law enforcement and the National Guard to Kenosha , WI to restore LAW and ORDER ” in the wake of protests against the shooting of Jacob Blake , a Black man shot in the back seven times by a police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s children .
Blake , who remains in critical condition , was left paralyzed .
Wisconsin Gov .
Tony Evers declined the White House ’ s offer of federal assistance .
Although Evers had deployed the National Guard the day before , Trump said , “ Governor should call in the National Guard in Wisconsin.
” Trump had declared a national emergency and sent federal troops to Washington , D.C. , and Portland , Oregon , during anti-racism protests after the public police lynching of George Floyd .
Attorney General William Barr ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency action documents ( PEADs ) .
PEADs , which originated with President Dwight D. Eisenhower to deal with a possible Soviet attack , have purported to authorize unconstitutional actions , such as the suspension of habeas corpus , arbitrary detention and the declaration of martial law .
They are so secret that not even Congress has seen them , but Freedom of Information Act requests have occasionally led to the revelation of their contents in public sources .
PEADs could provide Trump with an unfettered opportunity to employ authoritarian , even military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is preemptively sowing doubt about the outcome of the election .
On July 30 , he suggested delaying the election , although he does not have the legal authority to do so .
And he has floated the idea of sending federal troops to the polls ( to police nonexistent voter fraud ) which would cause voter intimidation .
Citing no evidence , Trump declared on the first night of the Republican National Convention , “ [ Democrats are ] trying to steal the election.… The only way they can take this election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a rigged election.
” Indeed , when Chris Wallace asked Trump on “ Fox News Sunday ” in late July , “ Are you suggesting that you might not accept the results of the election ?
” Trump replied , “ No .
I have to see.
” Former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen likewise warned during his testimony last year before the House of Representatives Oversight and Reform Committee , “ Given my experience working for Mr. Trump , I fear that if he loses the election in 2020 , there will never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Worried that large numbers of mail ballots will be cast for Joe Biden , Trump admitted he is blocking emergency funding for the beleaguered United States Postal Service ( USPS ) .
Touting a false fear of widespread fraud , Trump stated , “ They don ’ t have the money to do the universal mail-in voting .
So therefore , they can ’ t do it , I guess , ” adding , “ Now , they need that money in order to make the Post Office work , so it can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of ballots.
” It is no coincidence that since June 15 , when Postmaster General Louis DeJoy assumed the reins , the USPS instituted several changes that have slowed down mail service , including the removal of 671 sorting machines .
DeJoy , who had no prior experience with the Postal Service and has extensive conflicts of interest , is also a major Trump campaign contributor .
The Transition Integrity Project ( TIP ) is a bipartisan organization of campaign chairs , academics and former government officials , established last year out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2020 presidential election and transition .
It was convened by Georgetown University Law Center professor Rosa Brooks and Nils Gilman , former vice chancellor of the University of California , Berkeley .
In June , TIP conducted election crisis scenario exercises , called “ Preventing a Disrupted Presidential Election and Transition , ” to “ identify risks to the rule of law or to the integrity of the democratic process ” between Election Day and Inauguration Day .
TIP assembled a group of more than 100 experts for the experiment .
Calling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s report assessed “ with a high degree of likelihood that November ’ s elections will be marked by a chaotic legal and political landscape ” and “ Trump is likely to contest the result by both legal and extra-legal means , in an attempt to hold onto power.
” The report warned of “ an unprecedented assault on the outcome ” of the election .
“ Of particular concern is how the military would respond in the context of uncertain election results.
” Most frightening is TIP ’ s warning , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high , particularly since Trump encourages his supporters to take up arms.
” TIP ’ s report noted , “ President Trump has begun to lay the groundwork for potentially ignoring or disrupting the voting process , by claiming , for instance , that any mail-in ballots will be fraudulent and that his opponents will seek to have non-citizens vote through fraud.
” Four scenarios developed by TIP were as follows : ( 1 ) the winner was unknown the morning after the election and the race was too close to predict with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won outright ” the popular vote and the Electoral College ; ( 3 ) Trump won the Electoral College by a healthy margin but lost the popular vote by a healthy margin ; and ( 4 ) Biden won both the popular vote and the Electoral College by narrow margins .
The report stated that in all four hypothetical exercises , Trump cast doubt on the official election results .
The second scenario initially showed him alleging massive fraud , demanding investigations and appealing to the media to cast doubt on the result @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” once it became clear that his attempts to overturn the election results would not likely succeed .
In the fourth scenario , Trump would not concede and set up a fierce competition that concluded with “ an uneasy and combative but ultimately successful transition.
” In all four scenarios , Trump encouraged violence and chaos in the streets .
His strategy called for recounts , investigations into “ voting irregularities ” to undermine public confidence in the results of the election , attempting to stop the counting of mail ballots — even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organizing his base to take to the streets , and relying on right-wing media to sow chaos and intimidate officials to side with Team Trump .
When he trailed in the popular vote count , Trump challenged Biden to “ prove a negative ” — that there had been no voting fraud .
Participants in the exercises were particularly concerned about “ the President ’ s ability to federalize the national guard ; to deploy the military domestically ; to launch investigations into opponents and to freeze their assets ; and even to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ security.
” Barr ’ s Justice Department “ could provide legal cover for the President ’ s actions.
” The report cited Trump ’ s prior appeals to “ Second Amendment people ” to defend their rights and his calls to supporters to “ liberate ” states with restrictive COVID-19 rules .
Trump could initiate a foreign crisis after the election or during the transition .
Barr might launch a bogus investigation of “ terrorist ties ” of members of Biden ’ s transition team to justify surveillance or a false flag operation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ period after the election .
In addition , Republican state legislators in swing states could refuse to certify a Biden victory in the face of Trump ’ s claims of fraud , according to Harvard government professor Daniel Carpenter .
Vanita Gupta , former head of the Justice Department ’ s Civil Rights Division , worries that Trump could “ weaponize ” COVID and use it as a pretext to issue stay-at-home orders to prevent people from going to the polls when the deadline for requesting absentee ballots has expired .
Yale Law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which Congress must choose the victor and Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi are deadlocked .
The Presidential Succession Act would make Pelosi the president but is the Supreme Court likely to ratify that outcome ?
Meanwhile , there would be violence in the streets .
The TIP exercises did not really consider legal strategies both sides could employ , nor did they predict how “ the media will shape and drive public opinion.
” What Can Be Done to Safeguard the Election Process ?
TIP recommends that congressional leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military and agency leaders about their contingency plans .
“ Military and law enforcement leaders need to plan now for these possibilities to avoid becoming unwitting pawns in a partisan battle , ” the report concluded .
As Veterans for Peace has urged , service members have a duty to obey lawful orders and a duty to disobey unlawful orders .
Many would refuse orders to deploy to U.S. cities to help Trump illegitimately maintain power .
Ackerman proposes that Congress create a special election commission with five Supreme Court justices , comprised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the chief justice .
It would investigate election challenges and determine the validity of disqualifications .
Meanwhile , Facebook is taking steps to counter false claims of victory on the site by Trump supporters .
It is planning for what to do if Trump tries to invalidate the election results with accusations that USPS lost mail ballots or other groups meddled with the vote .
Facebook has considered a “ kill switch ” to stop political advertising from spreading misinformation after Election Day .
Twitter and YouTube have also considered unspecified actions they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bottom line is that Facebook , YouTube and Twitter “ have to potentially treat the president as a bad actor ” who may subvert the democratic process , Alex Stamos , director of Stanford ’ s Internet Observatory and former executive at Facebook , told The New York Times .
The National Lawyers Guild ( NLG ) will continue to dispatch legal observers to observe and document potentially unlawful or unjustified interference with demonstrators ’ rights by law enforcement .
NLG members provide legal support for those arrested for exercising their First Amendment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ACLU and Protect Democracy will ready their legal strategies for the battles in the courts .
Finally , the people must mobilize to mount mass actions to ensure the integrity of the election .
Those of us who write and do media commentary should continue to educate people about the legal and political situation and organize resistance to attempts to undermine the veracity of the election results .
In light of the massive uprisings against white supremacy in response to the murder of George Floyd , and now the shooting of Jacob Blake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if Trump tries to hijack the election .

Since Trump will try to undermine the election results, we must take steps to safeguard the democratic process.
Part of the Series Human Rights and Global Wrongs
For nearly four years, we have been laser focused on November 3, 2020, the day that Donald Trump could be voted out of office. In all likelihood, however, the election will not be decided that evening as it has in the past (with the notable exception of the 2000 election). That is because in order to protect themselves against COVID-19, a record number of people will forego the polls and mail their ballots, which take longer to count. There are several scenarios of what could transpire between November 3 and January 20. All of them are frightening.
Once again, Trump has deployed federal agents on U.S. soil over the objection of local authorities, in an apparent attempt to sow chaos and then claim he must be reelected to restore law and order. On August 26, Trump tweeted he would send “federal law enforcement and the National Guard to Kenosha, WI to restore LAW and ORDER” in the wake of protests against the shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man shot in the back seven times by a police officer in the presence of Blake’s children. Blake, who remains in critical condition, was left paralyzed. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers declined the White House’s offer of federal assistance. Although Evers had deployed the National Guard the day before, Trump said, “Governor should call in the National Guard in Wisconsin.”
Trump had declared a national emergency and sent federal troops to Washington, D.C., and Portland, Oregon, during anti-racism protests after the public police lynching of George Floyd.
Attorney General William Barr’s Department of Justice is reviewing presidential emergency action documents (PEADs). PEADs, which originated with President Dwight D. Eisenhower to deal with a possible Soviet attack, have purported to authorize unconstitutional actions, such as the suspension of habeas corpus, arbitrary detention and the declaration of martial law. They are so secret that not even Congress has seen them, but Freedom of Information Act requests have occasionally led to the revelation of their contents in public sources. PEADs could provide Trump with an unfettered opportunity to employ authoritarian, even military, tactics to maintain power.
Trump is preemptively sowing doubt about the outcome of the election. On July 30, he suggested delaying the election, although he does not have the legal authority to do so. And he has floated the idea of sending federal troops to the polls (to police nonexistent voter fraud) which would cause voter intimidation.
Citing no evidence, Trump declared on the first night of the Republican National Convention, “[Democrats are] trying to steal the election.… The only way they can take this election away from us is if this is a rigged election.”
Indeed, when Chris Wallace asked Trump on “Fox News Sunday” in late July, “Are you suggesting that you might not accept the results of the election?” Trump replied, “No. I have to see.”
Former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen likewise warned during his testimony last year before the House of Representatives Oversight and Reform Committee, “Given my experience working for Mr. Trump, I fear that if he loses the election in 2020, there will never be a peaceful transition of power.”
Worried that large numbers of mail ballots will be cast for Joe Biden, Trump admitted he is blocking emergency funding for the beleaguered United States Postal Service (USPS). Touting a false fear of widespread fraud, Trump stated, “They don’t have the money to do the universal mail-in voting. So therefore, they can’t do it, I guess,” adding, “Now, they need that money in order to make the Post Office work, so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots.”
It is no coincidence that since June 15, when Postmaster General Louis DeJoy assumed the reins, the USPS instituted several changes that have slowed down mail service, including the removal of 671 sorting machines. DeJoy, who had no prior experience with the Postal Service and has extensive conflicts of interest, is also a major Trump campaign contributor.
Post-Election Scenarios
The Transition Integrity Project (TIP) is a bipartisan organization of campaign chairs, academics and former government officials, established last year out of concern about the manipulation and disruption of the 2020 presidential election and transition. It was convened by Georgetown University Law Center professor Rosa Brooks and Nils Gilman, former vice chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley.
In June, TIP conducted election crisis scenario exercises, called “Preventing a Disrupted Presidential Election and Transition,” to “identify risks to the rule of law or to the integrity of the democratic process” between Election Day and Inauguration Day. TIP assembled a group of more than 100 experts for the experiment. Calling the results “alarming,” TIP’s report assessed “with a high degree of likelihood that November’s elections will be marked by a chaotic legal and political landscape” and “Trump is likely to contest the result by both legal and extra-legal means, in an attempt to hold onto power.”
The report warned of “an unprecedented assault on the outcome” of the election. “Of particular concern is how the military would respond in the context of uncertain election results.” Most frightening is TIP’s warning, “The potential for violent conflict is high, particularly since Trump encourages his supporters to take up arms.”
TIP’s report noted, “President Trump has begun to lay the groundwork for potentially ignoring or disrupting the voting process, by claiming, for instance, that any mail-in ballots will be fraudulent and that his opponents will seek to have non-citizens vote through fraud.”
Four scenarios developed by TIP were as follows: (1) the winner was unknown the morning after the election and the race was too close to predict with certainty; (2) Biden “won outright” the popular vote and the Electoral College; (3) Trump won the Electoral College by a healthy margin but lost the popular vote by a healthy margin; and (4) Biden won both the popular vote and the Electoral College by narrow margins.
The report stated that in all four hypothetical exercises, Trump cast doubt on the official election results. The second scenario initially showed him alleging massive fraud, demanding investigations and appealing to the media to cast doubt on the result. He “later accepted a loss” once it became clear that his attempts to overturn the election results would not likely succeed. In the fourth scenario, Trump would not concede and set up a fierce competition that concluded with “an uneasy and combative but ultimately successful transition.”
In all four scenarios, Trump encouraged violence and chaos in the streets. His strategy called for recounts, investigations into “voting irregularities” to undermine public confidence in the results of the election, attempting to stop the counting of mail ballots — even ordering Barr to seize mail ballots — organizing his base to take to the streets, and relying on right-wing media to sow chaos and intimidate officials to side with Team Trump. When he trailed in the popular vote count, Trump challenged Biden to “prove a negative” — that there had been no voting fraud.
Participants in the exercises were particularly concerned about “the President’s ability to federalize the national guard; to deploy the military domestically; to launch investigations into opponents and to freeze their assets; and even to control communication in the name of national security.” Barr’s Justice Department “could provide legal cover for the President’s actions.” The report cited Trump’s prior appeals to “Second Amendment people” to defend their rights and his calls to supporters to “liberate” states with restrictive COVID-19 rules. Trump could initiate a foreign crisis after the election or during the transition. Barr might launch a bogus investigation of “terrorist ties” of members of Biden’s transition team to justify surveillance or a false flag operation before the election or in the contested period after the election.
In addition, Republican state legislators in swing states could refuse to certify a Biden victory in the face of Trump’s claims of fraud, according to Harvard government professor Daniel Carpenter. Vanita Gupta, former head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, worries that Trump could “weaponize” COVID and use it as a pretext to issue stay-at-home orders to prevent people from going to the polls when the deadline for requesting absentee ballots has expired.
Yale Law professor Bruce Ackerman posits a situation in which Congress must choose the victor and Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi are deadlocked. The Presidential Succession Act would make Pelosi the president but is the Supreme Court likely to ratify that outcome? Meanwhile, there would be violence in the streets.
The TIP exercises did not really consider legal strategies both sides could employ, nor did they predict how “the media will shape and drive public opinion.”
What Can Be Done to Safeguard the Election Process?
TIP recommends that congressional leaders conduct oversight hearings and seek assurances from military and agency leaders about their contingency plans. “Military and law enforcement leaders need to plan now for these possibilities to avoid becoming unwitting pawns in a partisan battle,” the report concluded. As Veterans for Peace has urged, service members have a duty to obey lawful orders and a duty to disobey unlawful orders. Many would refuse orders to deploy to U.S. cities to help Trump illegitimately maintain power.
Ackerman proposes that Congress create a special election commission with five Supreme Court justices, comprised of two liberals, two conservatives and the chief justice. It would investigate election challenges and determine the validity of disqualifications.
Meanwhile, Facebook is taking steps to counter false claims of victory on the site by Trump supporters. It is planning for what to do if Trump tries to invalidate the election results with accusations that USPS lost mail ballots or other groups meddled with the vote. Facebook has considered a “kill switch” to stop political advertising from spreading misinformation after Election Day. Twitter and YouTube have also considered unspecified actions they might take after the election. The bottom line is that Facebook, YouTube and Twitter “have to potentially treat the president as a bad actor” who may subvert the democratic process, Alex Stamos, director of Stanford’s Internet Observatory and former executive at Facebook, told The New York Times.
The National Lawyers Guild (NLG) will continue to dispatch legal observers to observe and document potentially unlawful or unjustified interference with demonstrators’ rights by law enforcement. NLG members provide legal support for those arrested for exercising their First Amendment rights. Organizations including the NLG, ACLU and Protect Democracy will ready their legal strategies for the battles in the courts.
Finally, the people must mobilize to mount mass actions to ensure the integrity of the election. Those of us who write and do media commentary should continue to educate people about the legal and political situation and organize resistance to attempts to undermine the veracity of the election results.
In light of the massive uprisings against white supremacy in response to the murder of George Floyd, and now the shooting of Jacob Blake, we can expect widespread popular resistance if Trump tries to hijack the election.
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truthout--2020-08-31--GOP Incumbents’ Opposition to the Affordable Care Act Could Be Their Undoing

In the 2014 elections , Republicans rode a wave of anti-Affordable Care Act sentiment to pick up nine Senate seats , the largest gain for either party since 1980 .
Newly elected Republicans such as Cory Gardner in Colorado and Steve Daines in Montana had hammered their Democratic opponents over the health care law during the campaign and promised to repeal it .
Six years later , those senators are up for reelection .
Not only is the law still around , but it ’ s gaining in popularity .
What was once a winning strategy has become a political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , also known as Obamacare , has shifted considerably during the Trump administration after Republicans tried but failed to repeal it .
Now , in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing economic crisis , which has led to the loss of jobs and health insurance for millions of people , health care again looks poised to be a key issue for voters this election .
With competitive races in Colorado , Montana , Arizona , North Carolina and Iowa pitting Republican incumbents who voted to repeal the ACA against Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surrounding the health law could help determine control of the Senate .
Republicans hold a slim three-vote majority in the Senate but are defending 23 seats in the Nov. 3 election .
Only one Democratic Senate seat — in Alabama , where incumbent Doug Jones is up against former Auburn University football coach Tommy Tuberville — is considered in play for Republicans .
“ The fall election will significantly revolve around people ’ s belief about what [ candidates ] will do for their health coverage , ” said Dr. Daniel Derksen , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University of Arizona .
The Affordable Care Act has been a wedge issue since it was signed into law in 2010 .
Because it then took four years to enact , its opponents talked for years about how bad the not-yet-created marketplace for insurance would be , said Joe Hanel , spokesperson for the Colorado Health Institute , a nonpartisan nonprofit focused on health policy analysis .
And they continued to attack the law as it took full effect in 2014 .
Gardner , for example , ran numerous campaign ads that year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , President Barack Obama ’ s assertion that “ if you like your health care plan , you ’ ll be able to keep your health care plan.
” But now , Hanel said , the ACA ’ s policies have become much more popular in Colorado as the costs of health exchange plans have dropped .
Thus , political messaging has changed , too .
“ This time it ’ s the opposite , ” Hanel said .
“ The people bringing up the Affordable Care Act are the Democrats.
” Despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ACA , he has largely avoided talking about the measure during the 2020 campaign .
He even removed his pro-repeal position from his campaign website .
Democratic attack ads in July blasted Gardner for repeatedly dodging questions in an interview with Colorado Public Radio about his stance on a lawsuit challenging the ACA .
His opponent , Democrat John Hickenlooper , fully embraced the law when he was Colorado governor , using the measure to expand Medicaid eligibility to more low-income people and to create a state health insurance exchange .
Now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ record , with promises to expand health care access even further .
Polling conducted by KFF for the past 10 years shows a shift in public opinion has occurred nationwide .
( KHN is an editorially independent program of KFF , the Kaiser Family Foundation . )
“ Since Trump won the election in 2016 , we now have consistently found that a larger share of the public holds favorable views ” of the health law , said Ashley Kirzinger , associate director of public opinion and survey research for the foundation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the failed repeal in the Senate.
” The foundation ’ s polling found that , in July 2014 , 55 % of voters opposed the law , while 36 % favored it .
By July 2020 , that had flipped , with 51 % favoring the law and 38 % opposing it .
A shift was seen across all political groups , though 74 % of Republicans still viewed it unfavorably in the latest poll .
Public support for individual provisions of the ACA — such as protections for people with preexisting conditions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their parents ’ health plans until age 26 — have proved even more popular than the law as a whole .
And the provision that consistently polled unfavorably — the mandate that those without insurance must pay a fine — was eliminated in 2017 .
“ We ’ re 10 years along and the sky hasn ’ t caved in , ” said Sabrina Corlette , a health policy professor at Georgetown University .
Following the passage of the ACA , Democrats didn ’ t reference the law in their campaigns , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Wesleyan University and the director of the Wesleyan Media Project , which tracks political advertising .
“ They ran on any other issue they could find , ” Fowler said .
Republicans , she said , kept promising to “ repeal and replace ” but weren ’ t able to do so .
Then , in the 2018 election , Democrats seized on the shift in public opinion , touting the effects of the law and criticizing Republicans for their attempts to overturn it .
“ In the decade I have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t a single-issue topic that was as prominent as health care was in 2018 , ” she said .
As the global health crisis rages , health care concerns again dominate political ads in the 2020 races , Fowler said , although most ads haven ’ t explicitly focused on the ACA .
Many highlight Republicans ’ support for the lawsuit challenging preexisting condition protections or specific provisions of the ACA that their votes would have overturned .
Republicans say they , too , will protect people with preexisting conditions but otherwise have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Cory Gardner has been running a lot on his environmental bills and conservation funding , ” Fowler said .
“ It ’ s not difficult to figure out why he ’ s doing that .
It ’ s easier for him to tout that in a state like Colorado than it is to talk about health care.
” Similar dynamics are playing out in other key Senate races .
In Arizona , Republican Sen. Martha McSally was one of the more vocal advocates of repealing the ACA while she served in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those votes may have hurt her 2018 Senate bid .
“ I did vote to repeal and replace Obamacare , ” McSally said on conservative pundit Sean Hannity ’ s radio show during the 2018 campaign .
“ I ’ m getting my ass kicked for it right now.
” She indeed lost but was appointed to fill the seat of Sen. Jon Kyl after he resigned at the end of 2018 .
Now McSally is in a tight race with Democratic challenger Mark Kelly , an astronaut and the husband of former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t have a track record of voting one way or another , but certainly in his campaign this is one of his top speaking points : what he would do to expand coverage and reassure people that coverage won ’ t be taken away , ” said Derksen , the University of Arizona professor .
The ACA has proved a stumbling block for Republican Sens .
Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Joni Ernst of Iowa .
In Maine , GOP Sen. Susan Collins cast a key vote that prevented the repeal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that weakened it .
She now also appears vulnerable — but more for her vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh ’ s nomination to the Supreme Court and for not doing more to oppose President Donald Trump .
In Montana , Daines , who voted to repeal the ACA , is trying to hold on to his seat against Democratic Gov .
Steve Bullock , who used the law to expand the state ’ s Medicaid enrollment in 2015 .
At its peak , nearly 1 in 10 Montanans were covered through the expansion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high cost of paying for health care on their own amid pandemic-related job losses , Montana State University political science professor David Parker said he expects Democrats to talk about Daines ’ votes to repeal cost-saving provisions of the ACA .
“ People are losing jobs , and their jobs bring health care with them , ” Parker said .
“ I don ’ t think it ’ s a good space for Daines to be right now.
” Kaiser Health News ( KHN ) is a national health policy news service .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation which is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente .

Public sentiment about the ACA has shifted considerably since Republicans tried but failed to repeal it.
In the 2014 elections, Republicans rode a wave of anti-Affordable Care Act sentiment to pick up nine Senate seats, the largest gain for either party since 1980. Newly elected Republicans such as Cory Gardner in Colorado and Steve Daines in Montana had hammered their Democratic opponents over the health care law during the campaign and promised to repeal it.
Six years later, those senators are up for reelection. Not only is the law still around, but it’s gaining in popularity. What was once a winning strategy has become a political liability.
Public sentiment about the ACA, also known as Obamacare, has shifted considerably during the Trump administration after Republicans tried but failed to repeal it. Now, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing economic crisis, which has led to the loss of jobs and health insurance for millions of people, health care again looks poised to be a key issue for voters this election.
With competitive races in Colorado, Montana, Arizona, North Carolina and Iowa pitting Republican incumbents who voted to repeal the ACA against Democratic challengers promising to protect it, attitudes surrounding the health law could help determine control of the Senate. Republicans hold a slim three-vote majority in the Senate but are defending 23 seats in the Nov. 3 election. Only one Democratic Senate seat — in Alabama, where incumbent Doug Jones is up against former Auburn University football coach Tommy Tuberville — is considered in play for Republicans.
“The fall election will significantly revolve around people’s belief about what [candidates] will do for their health coverage,” said Dr. Daniel Derksen, a professor of public health at the University of Arizona.
The Affordable Care Act has been a wedge issue since it was signed into law in 2010. Because it then took four years to enact, its opponents talked for years about how bad the not-yet-created marketplace for insurance would be, said Joe Hanel, spokesperson for the Colorado Health Institute, a nonpartisan nonprofit focused on health policy analysis. And they continued to attack the law as it took full effect in 2014.
Gardner, for example, ran numerous campaign ads that year criticizing the ACA and, in particular, President Barack Obama’s assertion that “if you like your health care plan, you’ll be able to keep your health care plan.”
But now, Hanel said, the ACA’s policies have become much more popular in Colorado as the costs of health exchange plans have dropped. Thus, political messaging has changed, too.
“This time it’s the opposite,” Hanel said. “The people bringing up the Affordable Care Act are the Democrats.”
Despite Gardner’s multiple votes to repeal the ACA, he has largely avoided talking about the measure during the 2020 campaign. He even removed his pro-repeal position from his campaign website.
Democratic attack ads in July blasted Gardner for repeatedly dodging questions in an interview with Colorado Public Radio about his stance on a lawsuit challenging the ACA.
His opponent, Democrat John Hickenlooper, fully embraced the law when he was Colorado governor, using the measure to expand Medicaid eligibility to more low-income people and to create a state health insurance exchange. Now, he’s campaigning on that record, with promises to expand health care access even further.
Polling Data
Polling conducted by KFF for the past 10 years shows a shift in public opinion has occurred nationwide. (KHN is an editorially independent program of KFF, the Kaiser Family Foundation.)
“Since Trump won the election in 2016, we now have consistently found that a larger share of the public holds favorable views” of the health law, said Ashley Kirzinger, associate director of public opinion and survey research for the foundation. “This really solidified in 2017 after the failed repeal in the Senate.”
The foundation’s polling found that, in July 2014, 55% of voters opposed the law, while 36% favored it. By July 2020, that had flipped, with 51% favoring the law and 38% opposing it. A shift was seen across all political groups, though 74% of Republicans still viewed it unfavorably in the latest poll.
Public support for individual provisions of the ACA — such as protections for people with preexisting conditions or allowing young adults to stay on their parents’ health plans until age 26 — have proved even more popular than the law as a whole. And the provision that consistently polled unfavorably — the mandate that those without insurance must pay a fine — was eliminated in 2017.
“We’re 10 years along and the sky hasn’t caved in,” said Sabrina Corlette, a health policy professor at Georgetown University.
Political Messaging
Following the passage of the ACA, Democrats didn’t reference the law in their campaigns, said Erika Franklin Fowler, a government professor at Wesleyan University and the director of the Wesleyan Media Project, which tracks political advertising.
“They ran on any other issue they could find,” Fowler said.
Republicans, she said, kept promising to “repeal and replace” but weren’t able to do so.
Then, in the 2018 election, Democrats seized on the shift in public opinion, touting the effects of the law and criticizing Republicans for their attempts to overturn it.
“In the decade I have been tracking political advertising, there wasn’t a single-issue topic that was as prominent as health care was in 2018,” she said.
As the global health crisis rages, health care concerns again dominate political ads in the 2020 races, Fowler said, although most ads haven’t explicitly focused on the ACA. Many highlight Republicans’ support for the lawsuit challenging preexisting condition protections or specific provisions of the ACA that their votes would have overturned. Republicans say they, too, will protect people with preexisting conditions but otherwise have largely avoided talking about the ACA.
“Cory Gardner has been running a lot on his environmental bills and conservation funding,” Fowler said. “It’s not difficult to figure out why he’s doing that. It’s easier for him to tout that in a state like Colorado than it is to talk about health care.”
Similar dynamics are playing out in other key Senate races. In Arizona, Republican Sen. Martha McSally was one of the more vocal advocates of repealing the ACA while she served in the House of Representatives. She publicly acknowledged those votes may have hurt her 2018 Senate bid.
“I did vote to repeal and replace Obamacare,” McSally said on conservative pundit Sean Hannity’s radio show during the 2018 campaign. “I’m getting my ass kicked for it right now.”
She indeed lost but was appointed to fill the seat of Sen. Jon Kyl after he resigned at the end of 2018. Now McSally is in a tight race with Democratic challenger Mark Kelly, an astronaut and the husband of former Rep. Gabby Giffords.
“Kelly doesn’t have a track record of voting one way or another, but certainly in his campaign this is one of his top speaking points: what he would do to expand coverage and reassure people that coverage won’t be taken away,” said Derksen, the University of Arizona professor.
The ACA has proved a stumbling block for Republican Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Joni Ernst of Iowa. In Maine, GOP Sen. Susan Collins cast a key vote that prevented the repeal of the law but cast other votes that weakened it. She now also appears vulnerable — but more for her vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court and for not doing more to oppose President Donald Trump.
In Montana, Daines, who voted to repeal the ACA, is trying to hold on to his seat against Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock, who used the law to expand the state’s Medicaid enrollment in 2015. At its peak, nearly 1 in 10 Montanans were covered through the expansion.
As more Montanans now face the high cost of paying for health care on their own amid pandemic-related job losses, Montana State University political science professor David Parker said he expects Democrats to talk about Daines’ votes to repeal cost-saving provisions of the ACA.
“People are losing jobs, and their jobs bring health care with them,” Parker said. “I don’t think it’s a good space for Daines to be right now.”
Kaiser Health News (KHN) is a national health policy news service. It is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation which is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.
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--2020-08-31--Schools Are Preparing for a Mental Health Crisis Amid COVID

The calls started at 6 a.m. , and Patrick McCauley was ready , having retreated to the privacy of his garage where he sat waiting for Angelenos to share how they ’ re coping with the stresses of the coronavirus pandemic .
For the last 14 years , McCauley has worked as a mental health counselor and consultant in the Los Angeles Unified School District .
In April , he began staffing a new hotline the district created to reach students , parents and teachers in need of mental health supports and other services as the virus forced people into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One day he heard from a fifth grader who was terrified that her parents would catch the illness .
Another day , a mother wanted advice on her once mild-mannered daughter , who had started throwing tantrums and yelling profanities after the quarantine began .
Teachers wanted to know how to respond to students who appeared distraught during Zoom lessons , or what to do about the kids who didn ’ t log on at all .
McCauley , who has a soothing voice and a surfer ’ s unruffled mien , listened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were experiencing understandable reactions to highly abnormal circumstances .
Their testimony amounted to a warning , though , of what schools may face when they restart this fall : kids with a history of mental health problems whose symptoms have worsened , students who maybe experiencing anxiety or anger for the first time , children in households that have become financially precarious and those who are experiencing loss .
More and more , schools are recognizing that academic learning may at times have to take a back seat to alleviating those challenges .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ academically , let ’ s ask how they ’ re doing , with no unrealistic expectations that we can somehow solve all their problems or magically fix everything and make all this go away , but just a lot of acknowledgement , a lot of listening to kids and trying to get them the support they need , ” McCauley said .
Around the country , school leaders are trying to anticipate how these mental health burdens will shape what unfolds in classrooms and via screens during a school year in which the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school districts , such as Los Angeles Unified and Baltimore City , are running hotlines to provide guidance and connect families to services .
Other schools are offering grief training to teachers , counseling them on how to recognize signs of distress , and encouraging them to attend to their own emotional wellbeing .
Still others are setting up virtual “ wellness rooms , ” inviting community mental health agencies into schools and unveiling new or expanded “ social-emotional curricula ” to help students process their feelings .
“ What ’ s happening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regardless of their backgrounds , are experiencing a potential stressor , ” said Marisha Humphries , an associate professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago and a licensed clinical psychologist .
“ Schools appear to be very focused on academics and how do we combat summer slide , but I think the first priority has to be how are we going to support children ’ s social and emotional development .
You can not do effective instruction if children ’ s social and emotional needs aren ’ t met .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if you ’ re anxious or depressed.
” Research on the emotional toll of the pandemic on kids is relatively scant , given how new the crisis is .
But what does exist is worrisome : A study of more than 2,300 kids who endured home confinement during the pandemic in Hubei province , China , found that nearly 23 percent reported symptoms of depression , and nearly 19 percent reported experiencing anxiety .
In a review of past studies on loneliness and disease , researchers noted that , even early in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adolescents reported increased loneliness during the pandemic .
Given the “ well-established links between loneliness and mental health , ” the researchers wrote , children and teens were more likely to experience depression and anxiety , even after quarantine concludes .
Already , in the U.S. , up to 1 in 5 children experience a mental health challenge such as anxiety , depression or a behavioral problem in a given year .
And yet many children don ’ t get the help they need .
Even before the pandemic , many schools were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health services and helping kids develop emotional coping skills .
Now their efforts may be further complicated by the education system ’ s looming financial crisis , which is expected to bring layoffs for teachers , counselors and other school staff who work closely with students and can provide emotional support .
The virus ’ resurgence has also made efforts to support students more difficult by prolonging their isolation and ending hopes for an immediate return to face-to-face instruction and counseling in much of the country .
The Cleveland Metropolitan School District , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the poverty line , has tried for more than a decade to prioritize its students ’ social-emotional needs .
Administrators hope that before the district reopens in early September for remote-only learning , teachers and principals will have an opportunity to participate in “ restorative learning circles ” where they can debrief on how the pandemic has affected them .
Then , when virtual learning begins , teachers would model those circles for their students , encouraging them to share their experiences since schools closed in March .
At the top of each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a “ temperature check ” of students , asking them how they ’ re doing , while mindfulness exercises would be sprinkled throughout the day , said William Stencil , who leads the district ’ s social-emotional work .
In recent decades , lessons like these have become popular in schools nationwide , amid a growing body of evidence suggesting that children ’ s capacity to regulate their emotions affects their ability to learn .
But the lessons can be a burden for teachers , who have to squeeze them in between the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The pandemic , though , has left adults with little choice about prioritizing these needs .
“ We ’ re going to have to offer an astounding amount of support , ” said James Wagner , a fifth-grade teacher at Cleveland ’ s Benjamin Franklin PK-8 school .
“ We ’ re going to have to embed social-emotional learning within every single subject we teach , every minute that we ’ re with the students.
” Wagner , who has taught in the district for 33 years , said he worries about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whom showed up for Zoom lessons in the spring .
It ’ s not just the virus that is leaving students feeling overwhelmed and anxious .
Next door , in the East Cleveland school district , Jerome West said he wants to make space this year for conversations around racial injustice , which some psychologists refer to as “ the second pandemic.
” This spring , when George Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis police officer , “ kids were upset , they were angry , they were enraged , they thought how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 , ” said West , executive director of the East Cleveland Neighborhood Center .
The nonprofit center provides social-emotional support to the school district , where 99 percent of students are Black .
When schools shut , the group held “ wellness calls ” with parents , and ran virtual programs for small groups of students , including a You Matter Academy designed to help kids cope with stress .
Kids reported feeling lonely , frustrated and concerned that teachers were piling on worksheets and other assignments to compensate for the lack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anxious about taking on the role of teacher , but they also appreciated having more time with their kids , West said .
The Philadelphia school district , which will open remotely on September 2 , plans to train principals , teachers and other staff on trauma and coping with stress , with a particular focus on racial injustice and social isolation .
While the district has done social-emotional work in a piecemeal way in the past , all schools will now ask students to spend 30 minutes greeting each other and talking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Abigail Gray , deputy chief of school climate and culture .
The district also intends to contract with additional counselors and social workers from local mental health agencies to work directly with students who need additional support .
At some KIPP charter schools in New Jersey , teachers will receive training in suicide prevention , grief counseling and how to spot signs of distress in an online environment .
This fall , teachers will also trade “ calming corners ” in classrooms for an online wellness space where kids can listen to music @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yoga on the school ’ s virtual learning platform .
If students seem upset , a teacher might ping them through the virtual learning platform and encourage them to visit the web tool , said Sheyla Riaz , director of social work for KIPP New Jersey .
As crises go , the pandemic is unusual in that it combines a public health emergency and an economic downturn while isolating kids from school , friends , activities and other support .
Each of these emergencies has the potential to create adverse child experiences , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long-term consequences on children ’ s health and wellbeing .
Archana Basu , a clinical psychologist and instructor at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School and a researcher at the Harvard T.H .
Chan School of Public Health , noted that studies after the 2008 recession showed increases in partner violence and child maltreatment , which are among the experiences that can make a child more vulnerable to later health problems .
Basu also expects to see an increase in social anxiety and in students refusing to attend school .
And Michael @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research , noted that following the death of Floyd , anxiety and depression among Black Americans shot up .
Violence , overpolicing and hate “ all play a role in the psyche and mental health of Black youth that may make them reflect on whether their lives really matter , it might make them feel hopeless about their futures and if things might change , ” he said .
“ Teachers are going to have to be very understanding and considerate of the frustrations that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important to emphasize that this is not just remote or homeschooling , ” Basu wrote in an email .
“ This is really very different .
It is crisis schooling.
” This doesn ’ t mean that every kid will experience trauma from the events of this year ; most won ’ t .
Sadness and anxiety are perfectly natural responses to the pandemic and typically don ’ t become clinical concerns , said Karestan Koenen , a professor of psychiatric epidemiology at the Harvard school of public health .
On the whole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than adults , she said .
“ What ’ s hard in a lot of these situations , after any disaster , is that a lot of people have symptoms of anxiety , depression , even PTSD , ” said Koenen .
“ Some of that is going to be normal reactions to difficult circumstances , and in many people and kids they will resolve over time … But in some people they won ’ t , and we can ’ t always predict well where the problem is.
” That reinforces the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social-emotional work that some school districts are trying , experts say .
But efforts to intervene and help kids can be expensive .
Social-emotional lessons sometimes require curricula schools must purchase and professional development for teachers .
Counseling and other one-on-one supports for kids who need greater attention is costly and counselors are already stretched thin : Nationally , counselors serve an average of more than 430 students .
Many schools lack social workers , psychologists and other mental-health staff .
It ’ s unclear whether schools will have the money to help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when falling tax revenues will soon force deep cuts in U.S. public education .
Historically , districts have been relatively quick to shed school counseling jobs .
The Philadelphia school system , for example , eliminated hundreds of school counselors and nurses during a 2013 budget crisis .
But Jayme Banks , director of trauma-informed school practices , said the district recognized the toll that spreading counseling staff thin had on students , and would prioritize mental health through this crisis .
“ Lessons were learned , ” she said .
In Tennessee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to put $ 250 million in a trust fund for mental health in schools .
But in June , amid predictions of a $ 1 billion shortfall , that money was cut from a revised budget .
Teachers , counselors and parents say they worry how schools will grapple with the increased needs this fall , in a state where youth suicide rates have been steadily climbing .
“ It ’ s the opposite of robust , ” said Rachel Bauer , a parent in Memphis , of the support available at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attends .
“ It ’ s minimal , basic.
” Four years ago , after her son died of misdiagnosed strep throat , Bauer sought school counseling for Noel , who is now 11 .
For a while Noel benefited from seeing the counselor once a month , but “ there are just too many students who need her as well , ” said Bauer .
When the year ended , they turned to private counseling , an option unavailable to many families .
Bauer worries that the pandemic will exacerbate feelings of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who ’ ve experienced past trauma .
This spring , said Bauer , “ I saw her spirits dim.
” Still , there are a few places that have made investments in counseling and support .
In June , the Dallas Independent School District announced that it would hire 53 new clinicians and reorganize its work helping children with emotional and behavioral needs under a new Mental Health Services Department .
That expansion was prompted by the fact that students were waiting an average of three months to see a clinician , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leadership .
“ Three months is a long time to say , ‘ Deal with it the best you can , ’ ” she said .
For now , Dallas schools are planning to open in early September under a hybrid model , with a mix of virtual and in-person classes .
Paula Agulefo , a clinician who has worked in the district for 10 years , said she was able to stay in touch with students this spring via video calls .
She spoke with kids who couldn ’ t sleep , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bed again , and children who ’ d been chatterboxes but had gone quiet .
It was harder to connect with kids virtually but not impossible , she said .
“ If they ’ re watching a Disney movie , I ’ m watching the Disney movie too .
If they ’ re playing a hand game , they ’ re telling me about it .
I know more about Fortnite than I have ever known , ” she said .
“ Children are very good at allowing you into their world when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s optimistic teachers and administrators will find a way to meet kids ’ emotional and academic needs when schools reopen .
“ There ’ s no blueprint or examples of how this can be done , but we know it has to be done , ” she said .
“ We have to get it done because kids , they have to learn.
” This story on mental health in schools was produced by The Hechinger Report , a nonprofit , independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education .

The calls started at 6 a.m., and Patrick McCauley was ready, having retreated to the privacy of his garage where he sat waiting for Angelenos to share how they’re coping with the stresses of the coronavirus pandemic.
For the last 14 years, McCauley has worked as a mental health counselor and consultant in the Los Angeles Unified School District. In April, he began staffing a new hotline the district created to reach students, parents and teachers in need of mental health supports and other services as the virus forced people into isolation and cost jobs and lives.
One day he heard from a fifth grader who was terrified that her parents would catch the illness. Another day, a mother wanted advice on her once mild-mannered daughter, who had started throwing tantrums and yelling profanities after the quarantine began. Teachers wanted to know how to respond to students who appeared distraught during Zoom lessons, or what to do about the kids who didn’t log on at all.
McCauley, who has a soothing voice and a surfer’s unruffled mien, listened carefully and reassured the callers that they were experiencing understandable reactions to highly abnormal circumstances. Their testimony amounted to a warning, though, of what schools may face when they restart this fall: kids with a history of mental health problems whose symptoms have worsened, students who maybe experiencing anxiety or anger for the first time, children in households that have become financially precarious and those who are experiencing loss. More and more, schools are recognizing that academic learning may at times have to take a back seat to alleviating those challenges.
“Before we push anything at students academically, let’s ask how they’re doing, with no unrealistic expectations that we can somehow solve all their problems or magically fix everything and make all this go away, but just a lot of acknowledgement, a lot of listening to kids and trying to get them the support they need,” McCauley said.
Around the country, school leaders are trying to anticipate how these mental health burdens will shape what unfolds in classrooms and via screens during a school year in which the trauma is likely to worsen. Some school districts, such as Los Angeles Unified and Baltimore City, are running hotlines to provide guidance and connect families to services. Other schools are offering grief training to teachers, counseling them on how to recognize signs of distress, and encouraging them to attend to their own emotional wellbeing. Still others are setting up virtual “wellness rooms,” inviting community mental health agencies into schools and unveiling new or expanded “social-emotional curricula” to help students process their feelings.
“What’s happening right now is that all children, regardless of their backgrounds, are experiencing a potential stressor,” said Marisha Humphries, an associate professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago and a licensed clinical psychologist. “Schools appear to be very focused on academics and how do we combat summer slide, but I think the first priority has to be how are we going to support children’s social and emotional development. You cannot do effective instruction if children’s social and emotional needs aren’t met. It’s very hard to focus on algebra if you’re anxious or depressed.”
Research on the emotional toll of the pandemic on kids is relatively scant, given how new the crisis is. But what does exist is worrisome: A study of more than 2,300 kids who endured home confinement during the pandemic in Hubei province, China, found that nearly 23 percent reported symptoms of depression, and nearly 19 percent reported experiencing anxiety. In a review of past studies on loneliness and disease, researchers noted that, even early in the shutdown, more than a third of adolescents reported increased loneliness during the pandemic. Given the “well-established links between loneliness and mental health,” the researchers wrote, children and teens were more likely to experience depression and anxiety, even after quarantine concludes.
Already, in the U.S., up to 1 in 5 children experience a mental health challenge such as anxiety, depression or a behavioral problem in a given year. And yet many children don’t get the help they need. Even before the pandemic, many schools were overwhelmed with helping to fill gaps in health services and helping kids develop emotional coping skills. Now their efforts may be further complicated by the education system’s looming financial crisis, which is expected to bring layoffs for teachers, counselors and other school staff who work closely with students and can provide emotional support. The virus’ resurgence has also made efforts to support students more difficult by prolonging their isolation and ending hopes for an immediate return to face-to-face instruction and counseling in much of the country.
The Cleveland Metropolitan School District, where 42 percent of children live below the poverty line, has tried for more than a decade to prioritize its students’ social-emotional needs. Administrators hope that before the district reopens in early September for remote-only learning, teachers and principals will have an opportunity to participate in “restorative learning circles” where they can debrief on how the pandemic has affected them. Then, when virtual learning begins, teachers would model those circles for their students, encouraging them to share their experiences since schools closed in March.
At the top of each school day, teachers would also do a “temperature check” of students, asking them how they’re doing, while mindfulness exercises would be sprinkled throughout the day, said William Stencil, who leads the district’s social-emotional work.
In recent decades, lessons like these have become popular in schools nationwide, amid a growing body of evidence suggesting that children’s capacity to regulate their emotions affects their ability to learn. But the lessons can be a burden for teachers, who have to squeeze them in between the avalanche of academic content they must cover. The pandemic, though, has left adults with little choice about prioritizing these needs.
“We’re going to have to offer an astounding amount of support,” said James Wagner, a fifth-grade teacher at Cleveland’s Benjamin Franklin PK-8 school. “We’re going to have to embed social-emotional learning within every single subject we teach, every minute that we’re with the students.” Wagner, who has taught in the district for 33 years, said he worries about many of his students, few of whom showed up for Zoom lessons in the spring.
It’s not just the virus that is leaving students feeling overwhelmed and anxious. Next door, in the East Cleveland school district, Jerome West said he wants to make space this year for conversations around racial injustice, which some psychologists refer to as “the second pandemic.” This spring, when George Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis police officer, “kids were upset, they were angry, they were enraged, they thought how is this still happening, this is 2020,” said West, executive director of the East Cleveland Neighborhood Center. The nonprofit center provides social-emotional support to the school district, where 99 percent of students are Black.
When schools shut, the group held “wellness calls” with parents, and ran virtual programs for small groups of students, including a You Matter Academy designed to help kids cope with stress. Kids reported feeling lonely, frustrated and concerned that teachers were piling on worksheets and other assignments to compensate for the lack of in-person classes. Parents reported feeling anxious about taking on the role of teacher, but they also appreciated having more time with their kids, West said.
The Philadelphia school district, which will open remotely on September 2, plans to train principals, teachers and other staff on trauma and coping with stress, with a particular focus on racial injustice and social isolation. While the district has done social-emotional work in a piecemeal way in the past, all schools will now ask students to spend 30 minutes greeting each other and talking through their feelings each day, said Abigail Gray, deputy chief of school climate and culture. The district also intends to contract with additional counselors and social workers from local mental health agencies to work directly with students who need additional support.
At some KIPP charter schools in New Jersey, teachers will receive training in suicide prevention, grief counseling and how to spot signs of distress in an online environment. This fall, teachers will also trade “calming corners” in classrooms for an online wellness space where kids can listen to music, fill online coloring books or practice yoga on the school’s virtual learning platform. If students seem upset, a teacher might ping them through the virtual learning platform and encourage them to visit the web tool, said Sheyla Riaz, director of social work for KIPP New Jersey.
As crises go, the pandemic is unusual in that it combines a public health emergency and an economic downturn while isolating kids from school, friends, activities and other support. Each of these emergencies has the potential to create adverse child experiences, known as ACES, that can have long-term consequences on children’s health and wellbeing. Archana Basu, a clinical psychologist and instructor at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School and a researcher at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, noted that studies after the 2008 recession showed increases in partner violence and child maltreatment, which are among the experiences that can make a child more vulnerable to later health problems.
Basu also expects to see an increase in social anxiety and in students refusing to attend school. And Michael Lindsey, who directs New York University’s McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research, noted that following the death of Floyd, anxiety and depression among Black Americans shot up. Violence, overpolicing and hate “all play a role in the psyche and mental health of Black youth that may make them reflect on whether their lives really matter, it might make them feel hopeless about their futures and if things might change,” he said. “Teachers are going to have to be very understanding and considerate of the frustrations that kids have experienced.”
“It is important to emphasize that this is not just remote or homeschooling,” Basu wrote in an email. “This is really very different. It is crisis schooling.”
This doesn’t mean that every kid will experience trauma from the events of this year; most won’t. Sadness and anxiety are perfectly natural responses to the pandemic and typically don’t become clinical concerns, said Karestan Koenen, a professor of psychiatric epidemiology at the Harvard school of public health. On the whole, kids tend to be more resilient than adults, she said.
“What’s hard in a lot of these situations, after any disaster, is that a lot of people have symptoms of anxiety, depression, even PTSD,” said Koenen. “Some of that is going to be normal reactions to difficult circumstances, and in many people and kids they will resolve over time … But in some people they won’t, and we can’t always predict well where the problem is.” That reinforces the need for universal interventions such as the social-emotional work that some school districts are trying, experts say.
But efforts to intervene and help kids can be expensive. Social-emotional lessons sometimes require curricula schools must purchase and professional development for teachers. Counseling and other one-on-one supports for kids who need greater attention is costly and counselors are already stretched thin: Nationally, counselors serve an average of more than 430 students. Many schools lack social workers, psychologists and other mental-health staff. It’s unclear whether schools will have the money to help kids who need it at a time when falling tax revenues will soon force deep cuts in U.S. public education.
Historically, districts have been relatively quick to shed school counseling jobs. The Philadelphia school system, for example, eliminated hundreds of school counselors and nurses during a 2013 budget crisis. But Jayme Banks, director of trauma-informed school practices, said the district recognized the toll that spreading counseling staff thin had on students, and would prioritize mental health through this crisis. “Lessons were learned,” she said.
In Tennessee, the governor had pledged in February to put $250 million in a trust fund for mental health in schools. But in June, amid predictions of a $1 billion shortfall, that money was cut from a revised budget. Teachers, counselors and parents say they worry how schools will grapple with the increased needs this fall, in a state where youth suicide rates have been steadily climbing.
“It’s the opposite of robust,” said Rachel Bauer, a parent in Memphis, of the support available at the PK-8 school her daughter, Noel, attends. “It’s minimal, basic.”
Four years ago, after her son died of misdiagnosed strep throat, Bauer sought school counseling for Noel, who is now 11. For a while Noel benefited from seeing the counselor once a month, but “there are just too many students who need her as well,” said Bauer. When the year ended, they turned to private counseling, an option unavailable to many families.
Bauer worries that the pandemic will exacerbate feelings of grief and anxiety in kids like Noel who’ve experienced past trauma. This spring, said Bauer, “I saw her spirits dim.”
Still, there are a few places that have made investments in counseling and support. In June, the Dallas Independent School District announced that it would hire 53 new clinicians and reorganize its work helping children with emotional and behavioral needs under a new Mental Health Services Department.
That expansion was prompted by the fact that students were waiting an average of three months to see a clinician, said Leslie Stephens, assistant superintendent of school leadership. “Three months is a long time to say, ‘Deal with it the best you can,’ ” she said.
For now, Dallas schools are planning to open in early September under a hybrid model, with a mix of virtual and in-person classes. Paula Agulefo, a clinician who has worked in the district for 10 years, said she was able to stay in touch with students this spring via video calls.
She spoke with kids who couldn’t sleep, kids who’d started wetting the bed again, and children who’d been chatterboxes but had gone quiet. It was harder to connect with kids virtually but not impossible, she said.
“If they’re watching a Disney movie, I’m watching the Disney movie too. If they’re playing a hand game, they’re telling me about it. I know more about Fortnite than I have ever known,” she said. “Children are very good at allowing you into their world when they trust you.”
Agulefo said she’s optimistic teachers and administrators will find a way to meet kids’ emotional and academic needs when schools reopen. “There’s no blueprint or examples of how this can be done, but we know it has to be done,” she said. “We have to get it done because kids, they have to learn.”
This story on mental health in schools was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education.
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--2020-09-01--Fauci Fires Back Against Errant Claim on COVID Shared by Trump

Anthony Fauci , the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a member of the White House ’ s coronavirus task force team , spoke out against the false notion being perpetuated on social media , including by President Donald Trump , that the number of deaths associated with COVID-19 is significantly smaller than what ’ s being reported .
A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) noted that for a significant number of deaths being counted , COVID-19 and other underlying causes were frequently notated together as having been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to the CDC , the average person who has died from coronavirus has had around 2.6 comorbidities listed on their death certificates as well .
“ For 6 percent of the deaths , COVID-19 was the only cause mentioned , ” that report stated .
This led to a number of memes and social media posts , mainly from accounts in support of the president , suggesting that only 6 percent of coronavirus-related deaths ( about 9,000 in total ) were legitimately due to the disease itself , while wrongly asserting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than coronavirus in the deaths of those people .
Indeed , Trump himself shared one such post , from a QAnon user on Twitter , which was later deleted by the social media site for violating its rules on spreading misinformation about the disease .
Missing from these memes and posts was another important point that the very same CDC report had noted : In spite of the high number of comorbidities listed , 95 percent of the COVID-related death certificates had noted the virus as the main cause of death .
Fauci @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a guest on ABC ’ s “ Good Morning America ” on Tuesday morning .
While noting that only a small number of deaths recorded “ had nothing else but just COVID ” listed , the infectious disease expert explained that it does not mean that coronavirus wasn ’ t the cause of the many COVID deaths in the U.S. so far .
The wording of the report that so many have cited “ does not mean that someone who has hypertension or diabetes who dies of COVID didn ’ t die @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ They did.
” Fauci added that the number of deaths reported so far — “ there are 180,000-plus deaths , ” he said — are “ real deaths from COVID-19.
” Fauci made certain to reiterate the point : “ It ’ s not 9,000 deaths from Covid-19 , it ’ s 180-plus-thousand deaths , ” he said .
A high proportion of Americans have underlying conditions that make them more vulnerable to coronavirus .
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation , 37.6 percent of adults ages 18 and older — nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ a higher risk of developing serious illness if they become infected with coronavirus ” due to being 65 years or older , or having a health condition that puts them at greater risk , or both .
As of Tuesday afternoon , the U.S. has identified more than 6 million cases of coronavirus , with nearly 184,000 Americans having died from the disease so far .

Some social media users have wrongly interpreted a CDC stat as showing COVID is less deadly than what’s being reported.
Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a member of the White House’s coronavirus task force team, spoke out against the false notion being perpetuated on social media, including by President Donald Trump, that the number of deaths associated with COVID-19 is significantly smaller than what’s being reported.
A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noted that for a significant number of deaths being counted, COVID-19 and other underlying causes were frequently notated together as having been responsible for cause of death. Indeed, according to the CDC, the average person who has died from coronavirus has had around 2.6 comorbidities listed on their death certificates as well.
“For 6 percent of the deaths, COVID-19 was the only cause mentioned,” that report stated.
This led to a number of memes and social media posts, mainly from accounts in support of the president, suggesting that only 6 percent of coronavirus-related deaths (about 9,000 in total) were legitimately due to the disease itself, while wrongly asserting that the comorbidities played a larger role than coronavirus in the deaths of those people. Indeed, Trump himself shared one such post, from a QAnon user on Twitter, which was later deleted by the social media site for violating its rules on spreading misinformation about the disease.
Missing from these memes and posts was another important point that the very same CDC report had noted: In spite of the high number of comorbidities listed, 95 percent of the COVID-related death certificates had noted the virus as the main cause of death.
Fauci sought to correct the record while appearing as a guest on ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Tuesday morning. While noting that only a small number of deaths recorded “had nothing else but just COVID” listed, the infectious disease expert explained that it does not mean that coronavirus wasn’t the cause of the many COVID deaths in the U.S. so far.
The wording of the report that so many have cited “does not mean that someone who has hypertension or diabetes who dies of COVID didn’t die of COVID-19,” he explained. “They did.”
Fauci added that the number of deaths reported so far — “there are 180,000-plus deaths,” he said — are “real deaths from COVID-19.”
Fauci made certain to reiterate the point: “It’s not 9,000 deaths from Covid-19, it’s 180-plus-thousand deaths,” he said.
A high proportion of Americans have underlying conditions that make them more vulnerable to coronavirus. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 37.6 percent of adults ages 18 and older — nearly 93 million Americans overall — are at “a higher risk of developing serious illness if they become infected with coronavirus” due to being 65 years or older, or having a health condition that puts them at greater risk, or both.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the U.S. has identified more than 6 million cases of coronavirus, with nearly 184,000 Americans having died from the disease so far.
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.
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truthout--2020-09-01--Trump Pushes Baseless Conspiracy Theory Alleging “Dark Shadows” Control Biden

During an interview with Fox News that aired on Monday evening , President Trump claimed that armed individuals wearing unspecified “ gear ” had boarded a plane last week with the intent of doing “ damage ” during the Republican National Convention ( RNC ) .
Trump ’ s comments are not verifiable — there are no media reports nor government documents to back up his claims , and the Federal Aviation Administration would not comment on them .
When pressed by host Laura Ingraham , Trump said he wouldn ’ t go into further details because the alleged actions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump was insistent that his assertions were true , based on information from an unnamed person who supposedly had been a witness .
The president suggested the individuals involved were “ wearing these dark uniforms , black uniforms with gear , and this and that.
” Trump would not comment on which agencies were conducting the supposed investigation .
He also did not divulge on which RNC site the purported planned attack was set to happen — in Charlotte , North Carolina , where party delegates from each state had met , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accepted his party ’ s nomination for president .
Earlier in the interview , Trump had fired off another conspiracy theory : that Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his campaign are being controlled by unknown elements who are also orchestrating uprisings in cities across the country .
“ People that you ’ ve never heard of , people that are in the dark shadows , ” Trump said .
These allegations , too , were made without a shred of evidence to support them .
When Ingraham asked for more details about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coy : “ I ’ ll tell you sometime.
” On Tuesday , as he was departing for Kenosha , Wisconsin , Trump was asked by reporters for more details on the allegations about “ people … in the dark shadows ” he had made during the Fox News interview , but the president ’ s responses were vague and fantastical .
“ I would like to ask that person ” he said as he boarded Air Force One , referring to the person who allegedly witnessed the events , “ if it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The person on the plane said there were about six people like that person or more or less , and what happened is the entire plane filled up with the looters , the anarchists , rioters , people looking for trouble.
” Trump further added that the so-called witness — who apparently was also on that mysterious plane — was “ a person you know.
” However , according to reporting from NBC News , Trump ’ s description of a plane heading toward an unknown destination full of people intent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is similar to conspiracy theories that spread on social media sites earlier this summer .
A Facebook post in June , for example , told people in Boise , Idaho , to “ be ready for attacks downtown and [ in ] residential areas ” from people very like the people the president described during his interview on Monday .
That post has had many different variations , sometimes alleging that members of antifa — which is not an organization but an umbrella term for those with an ethical set of beliefs in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attack on local communities .
Even though the posts had no legitimacy , they still inspired a number of individuals to take action , including some who armed themselves and waited at bus stops for the fictional conspirators to arrive .
At times , these local squads of armed civilians have acted violently toward others they baselessly accused of being violent antifa activists .
A multiracial family of four , for example , on a camping trip to Forks , Washington , this past June , was followed and harassed by at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who also prevented them from leaving by cutting down trees to block their exit from the campsite .
It was alleged by those who had followed them that the family was part of the antifa conspiracy theory connected to the social media postings .
Trump ’ s remarks about “ dark shadows ” purportedly controlling Biden or orchestrating attacks elsewhere is being widely dismissed as fraudulent , much like the conspiracy theories that have been made on social media sites in prior months .
“ This president is a conspiracy theorist , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , pointing out that Trump ’ s political career has been full of such baseless theories , including claims that former President Barack Obama was born outside the United States and that windmills cause cancer .
“ He just does this , and he ’ s doing it again , ” Dale added .

The theory Trump pushed on Monday is similar to unfounded ones made on Facebook earlier this year.
During an interview with Fox News that aired on Monday evening, President Trump claimed that armed individuals wearing unspecified “gear” had boarded a plane last week with the intent of doing “damage” during the Republican National Convention (RNC).
Trump’s comments are not verifiable — there are no media reports nor government documents to back up his claims, and the Federal Aviation Administration would not comment on them. When pressed by host Laura Ingraham, Trump said he wouldn’t go into further details because the alleged actions were still “under investigation.”
Yet Trump was insistent that his assertions were true, based on information from an unnamed person who supposedly had been a witness. The president suggested the individuals involved were “wearing these dark uniforms, black uniforms with gear, and this and that.”
Trump would not comment on which agencies were conducting the supposed investigation. He also did not divulge on which RNC site the purported planned attack was set to happen — in Charlotte, North Carolina, where party delegates from each state had met, or at the White House where Trump controversially accepted his party’s nomination for president.
Earlier in the interview, Trump had fired off another conspiracy theory: that Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his campaign are being controlled by unknown elements who are also orchestrating uprisings in cities across the country.
“People that you’ve never heard of, people that are in the dark shadows,” Trump said.
These allegations, too, were made without a shred of evidence to support them. When Ingraham asked for more details about these claims, Trump responded with a coy: “I’ll tell you sometime.”
On Tuesday, as he was departing for Kenosha, Wisconsin, Trump was asked by reporters for more details on the allegations about “people … in the dark shadows” he had made during the Fox News interview, but the president’s responses were vague and fantastical.
“I would like to ask that person” he said as he boarded Air Force One, referring to the person who allegedly witnessed the events, “if it was okay” to talk about it. “The person on the plane said there were about six people like that person or more or less, and what happened is the entire plane filled up with the looters, the anarchists, rioters, people looking for trouble.”
Trump further added that the so-called witness — who apparently was also on that mysterious plane — was “a person you know.”
However, according to reporting from NBC News, Trump’s description of a plane heading toward an unknown destination full of people intent on causing “damage” to communities is similar to conspiracy theories that spread on social media sites earlier this summer. A Facebook post in June, for example, told people in Boise, Idaho, to “be ready for attacks downtown and [in] residential areas” from people very like the people the president described during his interview on Monday.
That post has had many different variations, sometimes alleging that members of antifa — which is not an organization but an umbrella term for those with an ethical set of beliefs in opposition to fascism — were planning an attack on local communities. Even though the posts had no legitimacy, they still inspired a number of individuals to take action, including some who armed themselves and waited at bus stops for the fictional conspirators to arrive.
At times, these local squads of armed civilians have acted violently toward others they baselessly accused of being violent antifa activists. A multiracial family of four, for example, on a camping trip to Forks, Washington, this past June, was followed and harassed by at least four vehicles with people wielding semi-automatic weapons, who also prevented them from leaving by cutting down trees to block their exit from the campsite. It was alleged by those who had followed them that the family was part of the antifa conspiracy theory connected to the social media postings.
Trump’s remarks about “dark shadows” purportedly controlling Biden or orchestrating attacks elsewhere is being widely dismissed as fraudulent, much like the conspiracy theories that have been made on social media sites in prior months.
“This president is a conspiracy theorist,” CNN’s Daniel Dale explained, pointing out that Trump’s political career has been full of such baseless theories, including claims that former President Barack Obama was born outside the United States and that windmills cause cancer.
“He just does this, and he’s doing it again,” Dale added.
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.