truthout--2020-08-06--New York AG Letitia James Files Lawsuit Seeking to Dissolve the NRA

New York State Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit Thursday against the National Rifle Association ( NRA ) , stating that leaders of the organization engaged misused donations from members to fund their own personal expenditures for decades .
In the filing she made to the state ’ s Supreme Court , James alleged $ 64 million of funds were improperly spent by a number of executives with the non-profit pro-gun group , including by CEO Wayne LaPierre .
A statement from James ’ s office noted “ a culture of self-dealing , mismanagement , and negligent oversight at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and fraudulent.
” The attorney general called for the removal of LaPierre from his post , punitive actions against him and other officials at the NRA , and for the dissolution of the organization altogether .
James told reporters she was taking the extraordinary step of seeking to dissolve the organization “ [ b ] ecause the corruption was so broad .
And because of the level of waste .
And because they have basically destroyed all of the assets of the operation.
” The New York Attorney General also said precedent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including in 2018 when the Trump Foundation was dissolved after allegations came about that Trump had used the charity to fund his personal expenses .
The NRA issued a response regarding the lawsuit , alleging it was without merit .
“ This was a baseless , premeditated attack on our organization and the Second Amendment freedoms it fights to defend , ” the statement read .
“ You could have set your watch by it : the investigation was going to reach its crescendo as we move into the 2020 election cycle.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ began investigating the NRA in February of 2019 , alleges that leaders of the group signed off on a number of financial reports they knew to be fraudulent , all while using funds from the organization ’ s coffers to benefit themselves and their friends .
The attorney general also noted that serious inquiries into the activities of the NRA in recent years were hampered due to the organization ’ s political influence .
“ The NRA ’ s influence has been so powerful that the organization went unchecked for decades while top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” James said .
Following the announcement of the lawsuit , President Donald Trump issued out a tweet alleging to his followers that the “ Radical Left New York is trying to destroy the NRA.
” Trump also warned that if he wasn ’ t reelected president , Americans ’ “ guns will be taken away , immediately and without notice.
” The political wing of the NRA spent tens of millions of dollars to support Trump ’ s election in 2016 .
Viewpoints of the NRA have taken a significant dive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Gallup .
At its height in 2005 , 60 percent of Americans had a favorable view of the organization , with only 34 percent expressing a negative opinion .
In 2019 , however , that favorable opinion dropped down to 48 percent , with 49 percent saying they had an unfavorable view of the NRA .

James alleges tens of millions of dollars of donations were spent for personal reasons by several NRA executives.
New York State Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit Thursday against the National Rifle Association (NRA), stating that leaders of the organization engaged misused donations from members to fund their own personal expenditures for decades.
In the filing she made to the state’s Supreme Court, James alleged $64 million of funds were improperly spent by a number of executives with the non-profit pro-gun group, including by CEO Wayne LaPierre.
A statement from James’s office noted “a culture of self-dealing, mismanagement, and negligent oversight at the NRA that was illegal, oppressive, and fraudulent.” The attorney general called for the removal of LaPierre from his post, punitive actions against him and other officials at the NRA, and for the dissolution of the organization altogether.
James told reporters she was taking the extraordinary step of seeking to dissolve the organization “[b]ecause the corruption was so broad. And because of the level of waste. And because they have basically destroyed all of the assets of the operation.”
The New York Attorney General also said precedent allowed her to make such a request, including in 2018 when the Trump Foundation was dissolved after allegations came about that Trump had used the charity to fund his personal expenses.
The NRA issued a response regarding the lawsuit, alleging it was without merit.
“This was a baseless, premeditated attack on our organization and the Second Amendment freedoms it fights to defend,” the statement read. “You could have set your watch by it: the investigation was going to reach its crescendo as we move into the 2020 election cycle.”
James’s office, which began investigating the NRA in February of 2019, alleges that leaders of the group signed off on a number of financial reports they knew to be fraudulent, all while using funds from the organization’s coffers to benefit themselves and their friends.
The attorney general also noted that serious inquiries into the activities of the NRA in recent years were hampered due to the organization’s political influence.
“The NRA’s influence has been so powerful that the organization went unchecked for decades while top executives funneled millions into their own pockets,” James said.
Following the announcement of the lawsuit, President Donald Trump issued out a tweet alleging to his followers that the “Radical Left New York is trying to destroy the NRA.” Trump also warned that if he wasn’t reelected president, Americans’ “guns will be taken away, immediately and without notice.”
The political wing of the NRA spent tens of millions of dollars to support Trump’s election in 2016.
Viewpoints of the NRA have taken a significant dive in recent years, according to polling from Gallup. At its height in 2005, 60 percent of Americans had a favorable view of the organization, with only 34 percent expressing a negative opinion. In 2019, however, that favorable opinion dropped down to 48 percent, with 49 percent saying they had an unfavorable view of the NRA.
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--2020-08-06--Fauci Is Getting Death Threats After a White House Campaign to Discredit Him

White House coronavirus task force member Anthony Fauci said Wednesday that he and his family have faced harassments and threats from individuals who are angry about his medical advice on COVID-19 .
The threats made have been so extreme , Fauci said , that he ’ s had to hire security to protect his family .
“ The unseemingly things that crises bring out in the world , it brings out the best of people and the worst of people , and getting death threats to my family and harassing my daughters to the point where I have to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Fauci lamented during an interview that aired on CNN .
Fauci , who serves as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , explained that he “ wouldn ’ t have imagined in my wildest dreams ” that people would act in such ways .
“ I mean , that to me is just strange , ” he added .
Fauci is widely seen by the public as a trustworthy source when it comes to issues surrounding the coronavirus pandemic in the United States .
A recent Politico/Morning Consult @ @ @ @ @ @ @ view his handling of the crisis as “ excellent ” or “ good , ” while just 30 percent would give him a “ fair ” or “ poor ” rating overall .
Those numbers change , however , when it comes to those who voted for President Donald Trump in 2016 .
Among that subset of voters , only 45 percent give Fauci grades of “ excellent ” or “ good ” when it comes to his handling of coronavirus , while 50 percent said he deserves only “ fair ” or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be due to the fact that Trump himself has expressed being irritated or in disagreement with Fauci on a number of occasions .
Fauci has frequently contradicted Trump ’ s comments on the pandemic .
Trump has sometimes lashed out at Fauci ’ s corrections .
During testimony before Congress last week , for example , Fauci said that Europe was controlling the spread of COVID-19 better than the U.S. because those nations shut down their economies much earlier .
“ Wrong !
” the president wrote in response .
“ We have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than any other country , 60,000,000 .
If we tested less , there would be less cases.
” Trump ’ s assertion that more testing explains the rise in cases has been debunked several times .
In mid-July , the White House even attempted to discredit Fauci as a trustworthy source on coronavirus , a move that ultimately backfired .
Weeks later , Trump complained about Fauci being seen as more reliable when it comes to the pandemic .
“ He ’ s got this high approval rating .
So why don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rating with respect — and the administration — with respect to the virus ?
” Trump asked .
A number of right-wing media have pushed false narratives and conspiracy theories about Fauci , including claims that he ’ s a member of the so-called “ deep state.
” Far-right podcast host and fervent Trump supporter Bill Mitchell has also suggested , without evidence , that Fauci is a “ plant ” for Trump ’ s main 2016 presidential opponent Hillary Clinton .
Some conspiracy theorists have also peddled the claim that Fauci is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president has done very little to dispel those theories or to defend Fauci against dubious claims .
Late last month , Trump even retweeted a video that included harsh criticisms of Fauci and argued the infectious diseases expert was misleading the American public .
“ I have not been misleading the American public under any circumstances , ” Fauci later said in response to the president ’ s retweet .

“It brings out the best of people and the worst of people,” Fauci said regarding threats received during the pandemic.
White House coronavirus task force member Anthony Fauci said Wednesday that he and his family have faced harassments and threats from individuals who are angry about his medical advice on COVID-19.
The threats made have been so extreme, Fauci said, that he’s had to hire security to protect his family.
“The unseemingly things that crises bring out in the world, it brings out the best of people and the worst of people, and getting death threats to my family and harassing my daughters to the point where I have to get security — it’s amazing,” Fauci lamented during an interview that aired on CNN.
Fauci, who serves as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, explained that he “wouldn’t have imagined in my wildest dreams” that people would act in such ways. “I mean, that to me is just strange,” he added.
Fauci is widely seen by the public as a trustworthy source when it comes to issues surrounding the coronavirus pandemic in the United States. A recent Politico/Morning Consult poll found that 62 percent of Americans view his handling of the crisis as “excellent” or “good,” while just 30 percent would give him a “fair” or “poor” rating overall.
Those numbers change, however, when it comes to those who voted for President Donald Trump in 2016. Among that subset of voters, only 45 percent give Fauci grades of “excellent” or “good” when it comes to his handling of coronavirus, while 50 percent said he deserves only “fair” or “poor” marks.
That may be due to the fact that Trump himself has expressed being irritated or in disagreement with Fauci on a number of occasions. Fauci has frequently contradicted Trump’s comments on the pandemic.
Trump has sometimes lashed out at Fauci’s corrections.
During testimony before Congress last week, for example, Fauci said that Europe was controlling the spread of COVID-19 better than the U.S. because those nations shut down their economies much earlier.
“Wrong!” the president wrote in response. “We have more cases because we have tested far more than any other country, 60,000,000. If we tested less, there would be less cases.”
Trump’s assertion that more testing explains the rise in cases has been debunked several times.
In mid-July, the White House even attempted to discredit Fauci as a trustworthy source on coronavirus, a move that ultimately backfired.
Weeks later, Trump complained about Fauci being seen as more reliable when it comes to the pandemic. “He’s got this high approval rating. So why don’t I have a high approval rating with respect — and the administration — with respect to the virus?” Trump asked.
A number of right-wing media have pushed false narratives and conspiracy theories about Fauci, including claims that he’s a member of the so-called “deep state.” Far-right podcast host and fervent Trump supporter Bill Mitchell has also suggested, without evidence, that Fauci is a “plant” for Trump’s main 2016 presidential opponent Hillary Clinton. Some conspiracy theorists have also peddled the claim that Fauci is responsible for creating the coronavirus.
The president has done very little to dispel those theories or to defend Fauci against dubious claims. Late last month, Trump even retweeted a video that included harsh criticisms of Fauci and argued the infectious diseases expert was misleading the American public.
“I have not been misleading the American public under any circumstances,” Fauci later said in response to the president’s retweet.
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--2020-08-06--Trump Isn’t “Failing” on COVID Testing. He’s Carrying Out a Brutal Plan.

The still-potent remnants of a dying hurricane rumbled up from the south on Tuesday night and landed a big wet haymaker on my little corner of the northern woods .
Electricity , phones — land and cell — and internet were gone with the crash of falling trees and the howl of a humid wind , and for about 40 hours it was the 19th century around here .
For someone in the RIGHT NOW news biz , this was an unnatural state of affairs , but there was little I could do ; I had to drive 25 minutes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in fact , to find a signal so I could email my boss and tell her there was little I could do .
My deadlines would have to hang fire until the utility workers put Humpty back together again , which they did , and in fine style .
That kind of work is an especially hard hustle around here , as most of the power lines run through the woods .
Downed lines and bears , o my .
The silence that descended once the storm passed was otherworldly .
No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phone beeping alerts for new messages and email , no news input of any kind , and for 40 sweet hours , no new Donald Trump horrors to encompass .
For the first time in over five years , I was not getting lashed about in the maelstrom of Trumpian mayhem that my line of work has become .
I didn ’ t know how exhausted and horrified I really was until the screaming stopped , and I was able , finally , to be still .
I saw a few things in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others , but when your cerebral cortex is plugged directly into the Niagara Falls of news data that never , ever stops , a big-picture perspective can be elusive .
It has never been clearer to me just how deliberate all of this is .
Not COVID-19 itself , but the manner in which Trump and his people have reacted to it .
This is many light-years beyond mere incompetence , and even farther beyond anything that resembles cruel indifference .
Men like White House adviser Stephen Miller are rolling out their most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rises , and they are playing Trump like a badly tuned cello to do it .
Take COVID testing and the census , for one example .
Aside from masks and social distancing , a rigorous national testing regimen is the only way the country will be able to get a handle on this thing absent an effective vaccine .
It is a week into August , and that national testing regimen still hasn ’ t come to pass because Donald Trump doesn ’ t want it to .
His gibberish arguments that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nightmares and very possibly illegal in their official neglect , but behind it all is a simple truth : He does not want testing because he does not want the country to know how sick it is .
It is the information he fears most .
This is the same deliberate thinking that has led the Trump administration to trash the census process .
As with COVID testing , it is the forthcoming knowledge Trump and his allies fear .
They don ’ t want to know how Black the country really is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white , how young , how poor .
Knowing this would rattle the underpinnings of the white power structure in the U.S. , and so that information collection must be thwarted .
The census and COVID testing have failed in spectacular fashion , and neither collapse is due to incompetence or indifference .
Both have been wrecked to benefit those in power , to help them stay in power .
It is cruel , but it is no accident .
The question as ever with these brigands : cui bono ?
Who benefits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down to local governments across the country , because if the president does it , so can they .
Recently , a student at North Paulding High School , just west of Atlanta , snapped a photo of a hallway in his school packed shoulder-to-shoulder with students .
The photo — an appalling example of how COVID safety measures are being ignored in the rush to reopen schools — went viral .
Rather than speak to the conditions captured in the photo , the school administrators threatened the student body .
“ Anything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s negative or alike without permission , photography , that ’ s video or anything , there will be consequences , ” was the announcement at North Paulding High .
Inconvenient data ?
Make sure it never sees the light of day , even if you have to twist some arms to do it .
The Republican-controlled Senate went home today after once again failing to come up with a compromise stimulus package to help the millions of people whose lives are falling apart around them because of the pandemic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ even as 1.2 million new unemployment claims were announced this morning .
One of the many looming side effects of mass unemployment is the potential for mass evictions .
The longer Congress waits to help people who are about to lose their homes , the more likely it is that a terrifying number of people will be put out on the street .
Losing your home or being forced to move makes it much harder to vote — the change of address , perhaps no address at all , could leave many people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Cui bono ?
At this point , you don ’ t even have to ask .
That storm knocked down some trees , but around here , it sure let in the light .

Both COVID testing and the census have been thwarted to benefit those in power, to help them stay in power.
The still-potent remnants of a dying hurricane rumbled up from the south on Tuesday night and landed a big wet haymaker on my little corner of the northern woods. Electricity, phones — land and cell — and internet were gone with the crash of falling trees and the howl of a humid wind, and for about 40 hours it was the 19th century around here.
For someone in the RIGHT NOW news biz, this was an unnatural state of affairs, but there was little I could do; I had to drive 25 minutes over broken branches and around closed roads, in fact, to find a signal so I could email my boss and tell her there was little I could do. My deadlines would have to hang fire until the utility workers put Humpty back together again, which they did, and in fine style. That kind of work is an especially hard hustle around here, as most of the power lines run through the woods. Downed lines and bears, o my.
The silence that descended once the storm passed was otherworldly. No braying TV in the corner, no phone beeping alerts for new messages and email, no news input of any kind, and for 40 sweet hours, no new Donald Trump horrors to encompass. For the first time in over five years, I was not getting lashed about in the maelstrom of Trumpian mayhem that my line of work has become. I didn’t know how exhausted and horrified I really was until the screaming stopped, and I was able, finally, to be still.
I saw a few things in that stillness that are probably obvious to others, but when your cerebral cortex is plugged directly into the Niagara Falls of news data that never, ever stops, a big-picture perspective can be elusive.
It has never been clearer to me just how deliberate all of this is. Not COVID-19 itself, but the manner in which Trump and his people have reacted to it. This is many light-years beyond mere incompetence, and even farther beyond anything that resembles cruel indifference. Men like White House adviser Stephen Miller are rolling out their most vivid fascist fantasies as the body count rises, and they are playing Trump like a badly tuned cello to do it.
Take COVID testing and the census, for one example. Aside from masks and social distancing, a rigorous national testing regimen is the only way the country will be able to get a handle on this thing absent an effective vaccine.
It is a week into August, and that national testing regimen still hasn’t come to pass because Donald Trump doesn’t want it to. His gibberish arguments that testing is counterproductive are the stuff of nightmares and very possibly illegal in their official neglect, but behind it all is a simple truth: He does not want testing because he does not want the country to know how sick it is. It is the information he fears most.
This is the same deliberate thinking that has led the Trump administration to trash the census process. As with COVID testing, it is the forthcoming knowledge Trump and his allies fear. They don’t want to know how Black the country really is, how Latinx, how anything but white, how young, how poor. Knowing this would rattle the underpinnings of the white power structure in the U.S., and so that information collection must be thwarted.
The census and COVID testing have failed in spectacular fashion, and neither collapse is due to incompetence or indifference. Both have been wrecked to benefit those in power, to help them stay in power. It is cruel, but it is no accident.
The question as ever with these brigands: cui bono? Who benefits?
This way of being has trickled down to local governments across the country, because if the president does it, so can they. Recently, a student at North Paulding High School, just west of Atlanta, snapped a photo of a hallway in his school packed shoulder-to-shoulder with students. The photo — an appalling example of how COVID safety measures are being ignored in the rush to reopen schools — went viral.
Rather than speak to the conditions captured in the photo, the school administrators threatened the student body. “Anything that’s going on social media that’s negative or alike without permission, photography, that’s video or anything, there will be consequences,” was the announcement at North Paulding High.
Inconvenient data? Make sure it never sees the light of day, even if you have to twist some arms to do it.
The Republican-controlled Senate went home today after once again failing to come up with a compromise stimulus package to help the millions of people whose lives are falling apart around them because of the pandemic. There is still no emergency unemployment benefit even as 1.2 million new unemployment claims were announced this morning.
One of the many looming side effects of mass unemployment is the potential for mass evictions. The longer Congress waits to help people who are about to lose their homes, the more likely it is that a terrifying number of people will be put out on the street.
Losing your home or being forced to move makes it much harder to vote — the change of address, perhaps no address at all, could leave many people unable to cast a ballot in November.
Cui bono? At this point, you don’t even have to ask.
That storm knocked down some trees, but around here, it sure let in the light.
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--2020-08-06--On 75th Anniversary, Hiroshima Survivor Warns Against Nuclear Weapons

On the 75th anniversary of when the United States dropped the world ’ s first atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima , killing some 140,000 people , we speak with Hideko Tamura Snider , who was 10 years old when she survived the attack .
“ The shaking was so huge , ” she recalls .
“ I remember the sensation , the color and the smell like yesterday.
” Tamura Snider describes her harrowing journey through a shattered city , suffering radiation sickness following the attack , and her message to President Trump .
This is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : Seventy-five years ago today at 8:15 in the morning , the U.S. dropped the world ’ s first atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima .
Destruction from the bomb was massive .
Shock waves , radiation and heat rays took the lives of some 140,000 people , ultimately .
Three days later , the U.S. dropped a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki , killing another 74,000 people .
President Harry Truman announced the attack on Hiroshima in a nationally televised address , August @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Today , 75 years later , at 8:15 this morning , a temple bell tolled in Hiroshima to commemorate the world ’ s first nuclear attack .
Tens of thousands normally gather to commemorate the bombing anniversary , but this year ’ s ceremony at Hiroshima ’ s Peace Memorial Park was kept small due to the coronavirus pandemic .
Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui addressed a group of survivors and public officials .
AMY GOODMAN : For more , we ’ re joined by a survivor of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years old when the bomb was dropped .
Her memoir recounting the moment is titled One Sunny Day : A Child ’ s Memories of Hiroshima .
She ’ s a retired psychiatric social worker , founder of One Sunny Day Initiatives , a peace education organization .
She ’ s joining us from Medford , Oregon .
We welcome you to Democracy Now !
It ’ s an honor to have you with us , Hideko Tamura Snider .
Can you go back 75 years ago , 8:15 in the morning , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us where you were and what happened next .
HIDEKO TAMURA SNIDER : Thank you , Amy , for inviting me .
Yes , I remember , even though over 75 years , just like yesterday .
I was the happiest child , just home from country haven from night before , thinking so fortunate to be home .
The morning was very sunny .
Birds were chirping , butterflies over flowers .
And I was leaning over in my own house with my back to the garden , reading a book .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ warning siren , but the radio I turned on said the planes , three planes , came and turned around and went away .
“ It ’ s safe now .
Go back to work .
It was safe now .
Go back to work.
” So , we could resume our daily affairs .
And suddenly there was a flash in my peripheral vision .
I jumped on my feet and turned around .
And simultaneously , practically , with the flash came a humongous , deafening sound — so huge , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and went on , just resounding with a huge sound .
And luckily , my mother had taught me what to do if something akin to a bomb hitting our house or garden directly , to try to find very sturdy furniture and place myself between , which I did .
She said , likely , even if the house collapsed on top of us , there will be a small room left .
And tried to hang on , but I couldn ’ t even squat .
The shaking was so huge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wind from the explosion was so violent , everything was hitting me , even if I was between two sturdy furniture .
So , I was under the wreckage .
I think it was pitch dark .
I could not see anything .
And I think the sound of it — I did not pass out .
I wish that I did .
So I remember the sensation , the color and the smell like yesterday .
I think it went on , in the pitch dark , almost 10 or 15 minutes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I found myself under the debris .
The house was well built with large pillars , so the roof did not come down flat on top of me .
But I was not able to get out .
And there was an effort , try to move towards where there was a light coming , and somehow crawl to get from under the debris .
And I was sure that it was one bomb hit our yard .
But when we came out — it was a household , the family of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had passed away by that time , was the chair of a multinational corporation , and Tamura Industry name , I noticed that in the map of the Allied forces , American military map had Tamura Industry clearly marked .
I suppose , for all incendiary attacks and so forth , they would mark factories , you know , to aim .
And so , we were one of them , and our house was fairly close to it .
When I came up outside , I found myself , huge shards of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And , you know , I was an only child , not given to efficient self-care .
The smallest scar , I would run to my mother .
You know , “ Help me , mother !
” — a little bruise .
So I had no idea what to do .
I was just terribly frightened .
You couldn ’ t walk around with it .
So , our Tamura household was filled with Tamura family extended relations .
I asked an aunt , “ Oh , Auntie , please help me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on my foot !
” She was not able to help me .
Everyone was scarred , bruised .
And my father ’ s older brother , Uncle Hisao , who took over the Tamura Industry , had barely made it back to the house and was sitting and screaming to us , “ It is the end !
End has come !
” And gashing cuts from the middle of his throat , I think he had more glass shards than everybody in the factory .
The glasses , when it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and he was bleeding from it , and bleeding all over .
It was really a very scary sight , as was when I mustered my courage — “ Nobody is going to help me .
I am the only one who can do ” — and , with trembling hand , washed around it , after I very slowly picked this huge glass out of my leg , realizing it ’ s the first time I had to do something this awful and this scary , and knew , looking back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day of my childhood .
It ’ s a really long story , leaving the scene by myself , because the heat of radiation was so strong , you know , multiplied by it from the heat that will melt steel , so much more , and turned the woods on fire and turned buildings on fire .
And across the street went , with a huge sound , the block full of flame , and I realized we ’ re going to be surrounded and burned to death if we don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s instruction was , “ Get away from under the debris , go to the river , and save yourself .
Stay by the river , and escape along the river.
” And Hiroshima had several rivers — seven — from a major river coming in and pouring into the inland sea .
So that ’ s where I headed .
In front of the gate were women on the ground , reaching out to me .
And these first ladies I saw on the ground bleeding , and not even sitting , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But I could understand from the gesture .
But I was only a child .
I ’ ve never been hurt the way I was , or seen anything like this , or the house come down .
You know , a child has this feeling your parents are always going to be there , and your room is going to be there , and , you know , all your books and your world .
You don ’ t picture it to change , even though we had been evacuated , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I know the B-29 — hundreds would go over our sky — and we were in a war .
But the child , you know , can ’ t imagine anything changing that drastic , and people dying and bleeding and reaching , raising hands and begging , “ Please help !
” And there was nothing I could do .
I was needing help myself .
I don ’ t know how much you ’ d like to know , because it ’ s a long story about fleeing that day .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tamura Snider , thank you so much for that extremely powerful account .
We wanted to know if you could say a little about what happened to your mother and to your siblings , and also the ongoing health impact of radiation , of the dropping of this nuclear bomb on Hiroshima .
HIDEKO TAMURA SNIDER : OK .
I never wanted to accept it , but the last she was seen was screaming as the heavy concrete , a part of the building , falling on her .
She was buried alive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of age , a beautiful woman , and very loving .
I was an only child , therefore no sibling , but I had a sibling-like playmate , beloved cousin — I lived under the same — Cousin Hideyuki .
The last he was seen , he was with over 8,000 children at ground zero , barely being able to walk .
But a classmate of his , months after the explosion , told us he caught up with him .
“ Aren ’ t you Tamura ?
” Because , you know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ skin hanging , but the shape of his head , he sort of kind of recognized it must be my cousin .
And he said yes .
And so , the two started to walk a little bit .
My cousin was barely making it .
Then the plane came back , and we all thought that they came to shoot , like in the other kinds of attack .
AMY GOODMAN : Hideko Tamura , you suffered radiation sickness .
Can you describe what that was like ?
You ’ re a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , yes , yes .
I was caught up with my cousin ’ s story .
I ’ m sorry .
I loved him so much , that I just slow down .
I was covered with boils in August , afterwards .
And then , suddenly , I started to run a very high fever , off the chart .
Hair falling , stomach trouble .
And I think I bordered life and death for weeks , and then finally it came down , but followed with jaundice .
My white of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you could tell , even though Asian skin tends toward golden , I was totally yellow , in a sort of much yellowish hue .
And I was exhausted , like liver trouble , you know , jaundiced .
I had no energy to even walk around .
And I would sit where I was with my relations , where we took refuge .
I was not able to go to a school .
I missed most of my school days because of that .
It was in a sort of like a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place , in a town called Kabe , quite a bit away from Hiroshima .
And I noticed , where I was , you know , exhausted and ailing , some of the people who had been in Hiroshima were dying , with thyroid blowing up , high fever , and then bleeding from orifices and having red spots all over .
We didn ’ t know , you know .
We were even worried about mosquito bites , if it was a start of the radiation sickness .
We didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t know it was atom bomb-related , because only those people who barely survived , but not really .
It was like you were not well .
People suddenly then died .
Even those who came to look for their kins entered the city , had the similar kind of reaction .
AMY GOODMAN : Astoundingly , you would ultimately come to the United States to go to college , Bennett College in North Carolina , and you then got training as a psychiatric social worker .
You live in Portland .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as you have told your story to people , to students , to community groups .
What message do you have for President Trump today , as many fear the beginning of a new nuclear arms race ?
HIDEKO TAMURA SNIDER : Well , you know , I came to a conclusion — all survivors did — the people of Hiroshima now would like to issue message that this is a horrific bomb , so harmful and inhumane that the human race can not live with it .
And we want to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my way , as a former clinical social worker , is to encourage , to former enemies especially , to come closer , in what I call collective healings , because there seems to be still anger tied up about the Pacific War against Japanese .
And that means they ’ re not healed , either .
And in our attempt to heal , we have to promote : “ Don ’ t let this happen to you .
This is horrible.
” I chair One Sunny Day Initiatives to do that , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would encourage seeking solutions and seeking treaties and seeking collective approach to be able to live in peace in the world .
However , if you are especially pointing me to speak something to President Trump , I would say the same thing .
Mr. President , this is unallowable weapon on this Earth .
Please help us .
Talk it out through treaties , rather than intimidating , intimidating and pushing , because throughout the history it ’ s not the intimidator that will start a war and do unwise things .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ study any of their chances , and if they thought there was nothing , they would strike back with everything possible .
And should they have their hand in nuclear weapon , please be prepared .
It is the beginning of our end .
AMY GOODMAN : Hideko Tamura Snider , I want to thank you so much for being with us , survivor of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima .
The memoir recounting that moment is titled One Sunny Day : A Child ’ s Memories of Hiroshima .
She ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of One Sunny Day Initiatives , peace education organization .
She lives in Medford , Oregon .
When we come back , we ’ ll be joined by Greg Mitchell , author of many books on Hiroshima , including his latest , The Beginning or the End : How Hollywood — and America — Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb .
Stay with us .

On the 75th anniversary of when the United States dropped the world’s first atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, killing some 140,000 people, we speak with Hideko Tamura Snider, who was 10 years old when she survived the attack. “The shaking was so huge,” she recalls. “I remember the sensation, the color and the smell like yesterday.” Tamura Snider describes her harrowing journey through a shattered city, suffering radiation sickness following the attack, and her message to President Trump.
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: Seventy-five years ago today at 8:15 in the morning, the U.S. dropped the world’s first atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Destruction from the bomb was massive. Shock waves, radiation and heat rays took the lives of some 140,000 people, ultimately. Three days later, the U.S. dropped a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki, killing another 74,000 people. President Harry Truman announced the attack on Hiroshima in a nationally televised address, August 6, 1945.
PRESIDENT HARRY TRUMAN: A short time ago, an American airplane dropped one bomb on Hiroshima and destroyed its usefulness to the enemy. That bomb has more power than 20,000 tons of TNT.
AMY GOODMAN: Today, 75 years later, at 8:15 this morning, a temple bell tolled in Hiroshima to commemorate the world’s first nuclear attack. Tens of thousands normally gather to commemorate the bombing anniversary, but this year’s ceremony at Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park was kept small due to the coronavirus pandemic. Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui addressed a group of survivors and public officials.
MAYOR KAZUMI MATSUI: [translated] On August 6, 1945, a single atomic bomb destroyed Hiroshima. Rumor at the time had it that nothing will grow here for 75 years. And yet, Hiroshima recovered, becoming a symbol of peace, with many people from all over the world visiting the city.
AMY GOODMAN: For more, we’re joined by a survivor of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Hideko Tamura Snider. She was 10 years old when the bomb was dropped. Her memoir recounting the moment is titled One Sunny Day: A Child’s Memories of Hiroshima. She’s a retired psychiatric social worker, founder of One Sunny Day Initiatives, a peace education organization. She’s joining us from Medford, Oregon.
We welcome you to Democracy Now! It’s an honor to have you with us, Hideko Tamura Snider. Can you go back 75 years ago, 8:15 in the morning, in your city of Hiroshima? Tell us where you were and what happened next.
HIDEKO TAMURA SNIDER: Thank you, Amy, for inviting me.
Yes, I remember, even though over 75 years, just like yesterday. I was the happiest child, just home from country haven from night before, thinking so fortunate to be home. The morning was very sunny. Birds were chirping, butterflies over flowers. And I was leaning over in my own house with my back to the garden, reading a book.
First, at 7:30, was a warning siren, but the radio I turned on said the planes, three planes, came and turned around and went away. “It’s safe now. Go back to work. It was safe now. Go back to work.” So, we could resume our daily affairs.
And suddenly there was a flash in my peripheral vision. I jumped on my feet and turned around. And simultaneously, practically, with the flash came a humongous, deafening sound — so huge, I had never, ever heard — and went on, just resounding with a huge sound.
And luckily, my mother had taught me what to do if something akin to a bomb hitting our house or garden directly, to try to find very sturdy furniture and place myself between, which I did. She said, likely, even if the house collapsed on top of us, there will be a small room left. And tried to hang on, but I couldn’t even squat. The shaking was so huge, in whichever way, and thermal wind from the explosion was so violent, everything was hitting me, even if I was between two sturdy furniture.
So, I was under the wreckage. I think it was pitch dark. I could not see anything. And I think the sound of it — I did not pass out. I wish that I did. So I remember the sensation, the color and the smell like yesterday. I think it went on, in the pitch dark, almost 10 or 15 minutes. And when the sound subsided, I found myself under the debris. The house was well built with large pillars, so the roof did not come down flat on top of me. But I was not able to get out. And there was an effort, try to move towards where there was a light coming, and somehow crawl to get from under the debris.
And I was sure that it was one bomb hit our yard. But when we came out — it was a household, the family of the Tamura Industry. My grandfather, who had passed away by that time, was the chair of a multinational corporation, and Tamura Industry name, I noticed that in the map of the Allied forces, American military map had Tamura Industry clearly marked. I suppose, for all incendiary attacks and so forth, they would mark factories, you know, to aim. And so, we were one of them, and our house was fairly close to it.
When I came up outside, I found myself, huge shards of glass were stuck in my foot. And, you know, I was an only child, not given to efficient self-care. The smallest scar, I would run to my mother. You know, “Help me, mother!” — a little bruise. So I had no idea what to do. I was just terribly frightened. You couldn’t walk around with it. So, our Tamura household was filled with Tamura family extended relations. I asked an aunt, “Oh, Auntie, please help me! There’s this horrible thing on my foot!” She was not able to help me.
Everyone was scarred, bruised. And my father’s older brother, Uncle Hisao, who took over the Tamura Industry, had barely made it back to the house and was sitting and screaming to us, “It is the end! End has come!” And gashing cuts from the middle of his throat, I think he had more glass shards than everybody in the factory. The glasses, when it was destroyed, stuck all over his body, and he was bleeding from it, and bleeding all over.
It was really a very scary sight, as was when I mustered my courage — “Nobody is going to help me. I am the only one who can do” — and, with trembling hand, washed around it, after I very slowly picked this huge glass out of my leg, realizing it’s the first time I had to do something this awful and this scary, and knew, looking back on it, it was the last day of my childhood.
It’s a really long story, leaving the scene by myself, because the heat of radiation was so strong, you know, multiplied by it from the heat that will melt steel, so much more, and turned the woods on fire and turned buildings on fire. And across the street went, with a huge sound, the block full of flame, and I realized we’re going to be surrounded and burned to death if we don’t escape.
And my mother’s instruction was, “Get away from under the debris, go to the river, and save yourself. Stay by the river, and escape along the river.” And Hiroshima had several rivers — seven — from a major river coming in and pouring into the inland sea. So that’s where I headed.
In front of the gate were women on the ground, reaching out to me. And these first ladies I saw on the ground bleeding, and not even sitting, crawling, were speaking in Korean. But I could understand from the gesture.
But I was only a child. I’ve never been hurt the way I was, or seen anything like this, or the house come down. You know, a child has this feeling your parents are always going to be there, and your room is going to be there, and, you know, all your books and your world. You don’t picture it to change, even though we had been evacuated, and my mother had told me, and I know the B-29 — hundreds would go over our sky — and we were in a war. But the child, you know, can’t imagine anything changing that drastic, and people dying and bleeding and reaching, raising hands and begging, “Please help!” And there was nothing I could do. I was needing help myself.
I don’t know how much you’d like to know, because it’s a long story about fleeing that day.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: Well, Ms. Hideko Tamura Snider, thank you so much for that extremely powerful account. We wanted to know if you could say a little about what happened to your mother and to your siblings, and also the ongoing health impact of radiation, of the dropping of this nuclear bomb on Hiroshima.
HIDEKO TAMURA SNIDER: OK. I never wanted to accept it, but the last she was seen was screaming as the heavy concrete, a part of the building, falling on her. She was buried alive and burned alive at barely 30 years of age, a beautiful woman, and very loving.
I was an only child, therefore no sibling, but I had a sibling-like playmate, beloved cousin — I lived under the same — Cousin Hideyuki. The last he was seen, he was with over 8,000 children at ground zero, barely being able to walk. But a classmate of his, months after the explosion, told us he caught up with him. “Aren’t you Tamura?” Because, you know, all his clothes are burned and skin hanging, but the shape of his head, he sort of kind of recognized it must be my cousin. And he said yes. And so, the two started to walk a little bit. My cousin was barely making it. Then the plane came back, and we all thought that they came to shoot, like in the other kinds of attack.
AMY GOODMAN: Hideko Tamura, you suffered radiation sickness. Can you describe what that was like? You’re a child.
HIDEKO TAMURA SNIDER: Oh, yes, yes. I was caught up with my cousin’s story. I’m sorry. I loved him so much, that I just slow down.
I was covered with boils in August, afterwards. And then, suddenly, I started to run a very high fever, off the chart. Hair falling, stomach trouble. And I think I bordered life and death for weeks, and then finally it came down, but followed with jaundice. My white of my eyes were completely yellowed. And you could tell, even though Asian skin tends toward golden, I was totally yellow, in a sort of much yellowish hue. And I was exhausted, like liver trouble, you know, jaundiced.
I had no energy to even walk around. And I would sit where I was with my relations, where we took refuge. I was not able to go to a school. I missed most of my school days because of that. It was in a sort of like a top of the mountain type of a place, in a town called Kabe, quite a bit away from Hiroshima.
And I noticed, where I was, you know, exhausted and ailing, some of the people who had been in Hiroshima were dying, with thyroid blowing up, high fever, and then bleeding from orifices and having red spots all over. We didn’t know, you know. We were even worried about mosquito bites, if it was a start of the radiation sickness. We didn’t have that word. We didn’t know it was atom bomb-related, because only those people who barely survived, but not really. It was like you were not well. People suddenly then died. Even those who came to look for their kins entered the city, had the similar kind of reaction.
AMY GOODMAN: Hideko Tamura Snider —
HIDEKO TAMURA SNIDER: Yeah.
AMY GOODMAN: Astoundingly, you would ultimately come to the United States to go to college, Bennett College in North Carolina, and you then got training as a psychiatric social worker. You live in Portland. It’s 75 years ago today, as you have told your story to people, to students, to community groups. What message do you have for President Trump today, as many fear the beginning of a new nuclear arms race?
HIDEKO TAMURA SNIDER: Well, you know, I came to a conclusion — all survivors did — the people of Hiroshima now would like to issue message that this is a horrific bomb, so harmful and inhumane that the human race cannot live with it. And we want to get that message out to everyone.
And my way, as a former clinical social worker, is to encourage, to former enemies especially, to come closer, in what I call collective healings, because there seems to be still anger tied up about the Pacific War against Japanese. And that means they’re not healed, either. And in our attempt to heal, we have to promote: “Don’t let this happen to you. This is horrible.” I chair One Sunny Day Initiatives to do that, and I try to bring that which would encourage seeking solutions and seeking treaties and seeking collective approach to be able to live in peace in the world.
However, if you are especially pointing me to speak something to President Trump, I would say the same thing. Mr. President, this is unallowable weapon on this Earth. Please help us. Talk it out through treaties, rather than intimidating, intimidating and pushing, because throughout the history it’s not the intimidator that will start a war and do unwise things. It’s the intimidated that would study any of their chances, and if they thought there was nothing, they would strike back with everything possible. And should they have their hand in nuclear weapon, please be prepared. It is the beginning of our end.
AMY GOODMAN: Hideko Tamura Snider, I want to thank you so much for being with us, survivor of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. The memoir recounting that moment is titled One Sunny Day: A Child’s Memories of Hiroshima. She’s a retired psychiatric social worker, founder of One Sunny Day Initiatives, peace education organization. She lives in Medford, Oregon.
When we come back, we’ll be joined by Greg Mitchell, author of many books on Hiroshima, including his latest, The Beginning or the End: How Hollywood — and America — Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. Stay with us.


truthout--2020-08-06--Corporate Lobbyists Vote to Keep Corporate Lobbyists in the DNC

Last week , a proposal to reduce corporate influence over the Democratic Party was hastily rejected during a virtual meeting of the Democratic National Convention Rules Committee by a vote of 105 to 45 , with eight abstentions .
The resolution , which would have changed the DNC Charter to permanently bar corporate PAC donations and ban corporate lobbyists from serving on the party organization , was introduced by Brent Welder , a Kansas City area attorney and delegate appointed by the Bernie Sanders campaign .
Several of the Rules Committee appointees who voted against Welder ’ s resolution have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least ten current corporate lobbyists and one major former lobbyist — as well as three corporate consultants , four corporate lawyers , and five corporate executives — among the members who voted against the proposal .
“ If you are a lobbyist for a for-profit corporation , you shouldn ’ t serve on the DNC , ” Welder told Sludge .
“ I guarantee you that 99.9 % of Democrats in America agree with that , and only the place you find people who disagree with it are in the leadership of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s virtual meeting was co-chaired by former Rep. Barney Frank , who serves on the board of directors of New York commercial bank Signature Bank , and Maria Cardona , a principal at Dewey Square Group , a lobbying and public relations firm that worked for the insurance industry during the debate over health care reform early in the Obama presidency .
Welder , who also proposed a resolution on ranked-choice voting , said that he was approached by the Biden campaign through an intermediary and pressured to withdraw his measures .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of all the amendments put forth , the Biden campaign was most upset about those two amendments , and urged me to withdraw them , which I politely declined to do , ” Welder said .
“ There had been about 30 amendments originally proposed , the deadline was a few days before .
By time the meeting happened , it was down to eight , as people had been pressured to withdraw amendment through various means .
Of all the amendments , they tried to kill them without anyone knowing who voted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hours into the virtual meeting , which is viewable on YouTube , Welder was recognized for several minutes in the main room to speak on behalf of his resolution .
“ We need to neutralize the corporate influence , first within our party , that is preventing us from living up to the platform , our ideals , and being a true party of the people , ” Welder said .
After Welder ’ s remarks , co-chair Maria Cardona opened the debate and said that members could begin voting on the proposal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turned the floor over to Illinois lobbyist Mike Kreloff , who read prepared remarks explaining that as a lobbyist who sometimes worked for corporations he thought a separate DNC commission , which he said has been running for 18 months , should be the venue for evaluating the resolutions .
Jerry Goldfeder , a Biden appointee and a New York election lawyer , echoed Kreloff ’ s remarks and succinctly moved to table the resolution .
Andrew Tuozzolo , chief of staff to New Orleans City Councilwoman Helena Moreno , immediately seconded the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Cardona initiated a new vote to table Welders ’ resolution .
Welder then asked Frank for how long the resolution would be tabled and Frank replied that it would be tabled “ until someone makes a successful motion to take it off the table , ” adding that “ with the expiration of the committee that wouldn ’ t be possible.
” Welder replied , “ Gotcha , that doesn ’ t make any sense at all.
” The vote to table Welder ’ s resolution was then announced as 122-46 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ The co-chairs shoved [ my video call ] back into the side room , where I couldn ’ t be heard.
” Welder said that he believes his microphone had initially been left on inadvertently by the meeting co-chairs .
“ With other members there , protests sustained for 10-15 minutes , until the chairs first said the meeting was adjourned , but then said there would be an up or down vote on the proposal .
Bernie campaign leadership had convinced them to untable it , ” through an off-camera @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the long meeting ended , the final vote against Welder ’ s resolution among the committee of mostly Biden campaign appointees came in at almost two-to-one against .
While he decried the process for considering the resolution as flawed by design , Welder describes being able to raise his amendment as a “ big step forward in transparency , to hold the DNC accountable for corruption that ’ s occurring.
” “ Getting Big Money out of politics makes everything else possible , ” Welder said .
“ A lot of people don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the top ranks of the DNC , that rank and file Democrats have lots of good ideas that get railroaded by leadership.
” Sludge sought to confirm Welder ’ s account with DNC Communications Director Xochitl Hinojosa , a top Perez adviser going back to his stint as secretary of Labor , and DNC Secretary Jason Rae , but did not receive a response .
Below are some of the committee members with backgrounds in advancing corporate interests who voted against Welder ’ s resolution .
Maria Cardona , an at-large DNC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ firm Dewey Square Group , whose past lobbying clients include AT & T ( on “ telecom liability issues ” ) , multiple medical companies , and Countrywide financial corporation , the implosion of which triggered the subprime mortgage crisis .
In 2016 , The Intercept reported that consultants with Dewey Square Group lobbied against Obamacare and the Dodd-Frank financial reform package .
In advocacy efforts for insurance industry clients such as the Massachusetts Association of Health Plans , Dewey Square Group placed letters to the editor in newspapers “ under names of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consent.
” Committee co-chair Barney Frank , who had received over $ 1 million in payments from Signature Bank as of May 2018 when he agreed that the Trump administration ’ s deregulation of banks did not pose a major threat , did not appear to vote on Welder ’ s resolution , as no roll call vote was recorded for him .
Harold Ickes , an at-large DNC member , is a powerful lobbyist and party insider whose past clients have included Deloitte Consulting , Verizon , Northwell Health , JP Morgan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Ickes was appointed to the regular rules committee by Chair Tom Perez in an October 2017 “ purge ” of DNC leaders who had favored greater reforms for party transparency or backed Perez ’ s rival Rep. Keith Ellison for chair .
Joe Donnelly , a former U.S. senator from Indiana , is a partner at prominent lobbying firm Akin Gump , joining last April to “ advise clients in the financial services , defense and health care industries , among others , on a host of policy matters.
” Donnelly is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under Senate “ cooling off ” rules until January 2021 .
Steve Dettelbach , an attorney , is a partner at lobbying firm Baker & Hostetler , where he is co-leader of the White Collar , Investigations and Securities Enforcement and Litigation team .
Mark Siegel is a partner at lobbying firm Locke Lord Strategies , where he has represented Pakistan in the United States .
Siegel ’ s previous lobbying clients with the firm include America ’ s Mutual Banks ( 2014 and before ) , America ’ s Mutual Holding Companies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Financial Planning Coalition ( 2013 and before ) , and the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan .
Dennis Speight , a DNC member from Texas , is registered in Texas as a lobbyist , as director of political affairs for the Texas Trial Lawyers Association and its PAC .
Joe Garcia , who appears to be the former U.S. representative from Florida from 2013-2015 and co-chairman of lobbying firm Mercury , is based in Miami .
Mercury was hired by 68 clients to lobby the federal government last year , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United Technologies , natural gas company PennEast Pipeline , and EnVen Energy Ventures , an oil and gas exploration and drilling company that operates in the Gulf of Mexico .
John Podesta , a party insider and former chief of staff to President Bill Clinton , founded the Podesta Group lobbying firm , which through 2017 lobbied for hundreds of major corporations , including a coalition of major American coal companies that from 2009 to 2012 fought against President Obama ’ s Clean Power plan .
Podesta founded the Center for American Progress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a think tank whose corporate donors have included Comcast , Walmart , General Motors , Pacific Gas and Electric , General Electric , Boeing and Lockheed .
Over the past several years , CAP has advanced increasingly neoliberal policies and rejected a single-payer health care system in favor of a public option plan , with senior staffers leading attacks on Bernie Sanders ’ Medicare for All plan during last year ’ s Democraic presidential primary .
Leticia Van de Putte , a former Texas state senator , is a lobbyist who co-founded the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ & Associates , which a San Antonio Express News column last year described as “ connecting business clients with government officials.
” One set of photos in the company ’ s website gallery is labeled at an event with the South San Antonio Chamber of Commerce and Councilmember Rebecca Viagran .
Michael Stratton is the senior policy director at Denver , Colorado-based law firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber and Schreck , whose hundreds of corporate lobbying clients include dozens of oil , gas , and natural resources companies .
Brownstein Hyatt Farber and Schreck @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the federal level .
Mike Kreloff , who delivered the first prepared statement against Welder ’ s resolution , is a Springfield , Illinois lobbyist whose recent clients include the Chicago-based clean energy company Elevate Energy and the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics .
Kate Cook is a partner at Boston-based litigation firm Sugarman Roberts and former chief legal counsel to Gov .
Deval Patrick .
The firm ’ s services include environmental and energy law and business disputes .
Marcel Groen , former chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ LLP , a politically-connected Philadelphia law firm whose corporate clients include Oaktree Capital , Biomed America , life sciences company Novasep Holding SAS , and PuraCap Pharmaceutical , LLC .
James Morphew , who appears to be a partner at Sorling Northrup , a Springfield , IL law firm with corporate practices in banking , insurance , and real estate .
Joseph Smallhoover , one of eight DNC members elected by Democrats Abroad , is an attorney whose boutique firm serves U.S. business clients in industries including mining , health products , speciality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ major US based pharmaceutical company in connection with its acquisition of rights to various molecules and their marketing in Europe.
” Corporate Executives and Consultants on the Convention Rules Committee Daniel Halpern , a restaurant executive and co-chair of the DNC Budget and Finance Committee , voted no .
Earlier this year , multiple DNC members told Sludge that the committee was not meeting its responsibility to distribute regular written reports to DNC members on the efficacy of the chair ’ s expenditures .
Halpern is a past chairman of the Georgia Restaurant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2014 opposed a minimum wage increase to $ 10.10 in Georgia .
Erskine Bowles , a former chief of staff to President Bill Clinton from 1996-1998 and a co-chair with Alan Simpson of President Obama ’ s deficit-reduction commission in 2010 , co-founded the investment banking firm Bowles Hollowell Conner , which was active in private equity before its acquisition in 1998 by a bank holding company that later became part of Wachovia .
A board member of the bipartisan policy organization Committee For a Responsible Federal Budget , Bowles went on to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funded by Wall Street billionaire Pete Peterson , which has been criticized as an advocacy group that advances corporate tax cuts and for slashing spending on social services .
Fix The Debt “ are spending millions , but they are protecting billions in defense contracts and tax giveaways that would otherwise be on the chopping block , ” said Kevin Connor of the watchdog group Public Accountability Initiative in The New York Times .
Chris Tapio is the president of Townsend Calkin Tapio Public Affairs , a Sacramento-based firm whose “ Successes ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health Plans , Kaiser Permanente , California Hospital Association , Chevron , Visa , PG & E , and California Association of Health Facilities ( CAHF ) .
In 2016 , he was described by California ’ s Capitol Weekly : “ A 20-year veteran of capitol politics , strategist Chris Tapio is best known as a consultant and adviser to the moderate Democrats in the Legislature … busy working to connect newly-elected legislators with like-minded supporters in the business community.
” A similar experience was reported by Jennifer Ann Leister , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Virginia Democratic Central Committee , who was nominated in June to the Convention Credentials Committee .
The Credentials committee voted last week on several measures regarding the seating of convention delegates , such as those from states including Iowa , and delegates elected from Puerto Rico , after Mayor Mike Bloomberg discontinued his campaign .
Regarding the virtual meeting ’ s main room proceedings ( viewable on YouTube ) , Leister told Sludge , “ We were in a separate room where we couldn ’ t interact with speakers , the chat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Rules of Order were not being followed , ” even though the committee ’ s Rules of Procedure documented stated , “ Chairs of the Credentials Committee shall rely on Robert ’ s Rules of Order.
” “ People were shouting but speakers couldn ’ t hear us , ” Leister said .
“ It was interesting to see the difference between 2016 and 2020 , because in 2016 everything was very public regarding who are the delegates and who ’ s on the committees .
The Biden and Sanders campaigns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so that it would be non-confrontational and I respect that — I do not understand why we weren ’ t allowed to ask questions about what we were voting on and have them answered.
” DNC-approved portions of the Convention Committee meetings are available to view on YouTube , but not the entire meeting proceedings with all 150+ committee members .
What was video-captured and is shown on the DNC ’ s YouTube channel is just the “ closed door ” room of chosen speakers , not the separate side room of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Under the opaque process of the virtual meetings , which was not detailed to all committee members ahead of time , the side rooms with the hundred-plus delegates — including those appointed by Bernie Sanders ’ former presidential campaign , present under an April 30 deal negotiated with the Biden campaign — were not permitted to speak directly to main room presenters or raise issues during proceedings .
In October 2017 , the DNC approved a resolution banning corporate PAC donations from contributors whose work conflicts with the party ’ s platform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party leadership refused efforts by reform-minded national DNC members to strengthen the ban to encompass all corporate PAC money and formalize the rule in the party charter .
Tom Perez ’ s narrow win over then-Rep. Keith Ellison for DNC chair in February 2017 was widely seen as a victory for establishment party figures comfortable with the revolving door and a reliance on big money corporate fundraising .
The Convention Rules Committee is one of three DNC “ standing committees ” that form in the run-up to the national convention every four years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Platform Committee , and which are composed primarily of delegates appointed by the presidential nominee — this year , the campaign of former Vice President Joe Biden .
These temporary bodies are different from the DNC ’ s Charter call for standing committees on Credentials , Resolutions , Rules and Bylaws , and Budget and Finance , which are smaller in size , and some of which meet annually .
The convention committees that met last week , including the Platform Committee that voted against endorsing a single-payer health care system by 125 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , are now dissolved after their one virtual meeting .
DNC officials emailed by Sludge did not respond to a request for updated lists of members of DNC committees , which are not posted publicly on the DNC ’ s website or any official social media accounts .

This article was produced by Sludge, an independent, ad-free investigative news site covering money in politics. Click here to support Sludge.
Last week, a proposal to reduce corporate influence over the Democratic Party was hastily rejected during a virtual meeting of the Democratic National Convention Rules Committee by a vote of 105 to 45, with eight abstentions. The resolution, which would have changed the DNC Charter to permanently bar corporate PAC donations and ban corporate lobbyists from serving on the party organization, was introduced by Brent Welder, a Kansas City area attorney and delegate appointed by the Bernie Sanders campaign.
Several of the Rules Committee appointees who voted against Welder’s resolution have backgrounds in corporate lobbying. Sludge found at least ten current corporate lobbyists and one major former lobbyist — as well as three corporate consultants, four corporate lawyers, and five corporate executives — among the members who voted against the proposal.
“If you are a lobbyist for a for-profit corporation, you shouldn’t serve on the DNC,” Welder told Sludge. “I guarantee you that 99.9% of Democrats in America agree with that, and only the place you find people who disagree with it are in the leadership of DNC.”
The Convention Rules Committee’s virtual meeting was co-chaired by former Rep. Barney Frank, who serves on the board of directors of New York commercial bank Signature Bank, and Maria Cardona, a principal at Dewey Square Group, a lobbying and public relations firm that worked for the insurance industry during the debate over health care reform early in the Obama presidency.
Welder, who also proposed a resolution on ranked-choice voting, said that he was approached by the Biden campaign through an intermediary and pressured to withdraw his measures.
“I was informed before the meeting that of all the amendments put forth, the Biden campaign was most upset about those two amendments, and urged me to withdraw them, which I politely declined to do,” Welder said. “There had been about 30 amendments originally proposed, the deadline was a few days before. By time the meeting happened, it was down to eight, as people had been pressured to withdraw amendment through various means. Of all the amendments, they tried to kill them without anyone knowing who voted for or against them.”
About two hours into the virtual meeting, which is viewable on YouTube, Welder was recognized for several minutes in the main room to speak on behalf of his resolution. “We need to neutralize the corporate influence, first within our party, that is preventing us from living up to the platform, our ideals, and being a true party of the people,” Welder said.
After Welder’s remarks, co-chair Maria Cardona opened the debate and said that members could begin voting on the proposal immediately through the portal. Cardona then turned the floor over to Illinois lobbyist Mike Kreloff, who read prepared remarks explaining that as a lobbyist who sometimes worked for corporations he thought a separate DNC commission, which he said has been running for 18 months, should be the venue for evaluating the resolutions. Jerry Goldfeder, a Biden appointee and a New York election lawyer, echoed Kreloff’s remarks and succinctly moved to table the resolution. Andrew Tuozzolo, chief of staff to New Orleans City Councilwoman Helena Moreno, immediately seconded the motion in the main speaking room, and Cardona initiated a new vote to table Welders’ resolution.
Welder then asked Frank for how long the resolution would be tabled and Frank replied that it would be tabled “until someone makes a successful motion to take it off the table,” adding that “with the expiration of the committee that wouldn’t be possible.” Welder replied, “Gotcha, that doesn’t make any sense at all.” The vote to table Welder’s resolution was then announced as 122-46.
At that point, Wedler told Sludge, “The co-chairs shoved [my video call] back into the side room, where I couldn’t be heard.” Welder said that he believes his microphone had initially been left on inadvertently by the meeting co-chairs. “With other members there, protests sustained for 10-15 minutes, until the chairs first said the meeting was adjourned, but then said there would be an up or down vote on the proposal. Bernie campaign leadership had convinced them to untable it,” through an off-camera process, Welder said. Minutes before the long meeting ended, the final vote against Welder’s resolution among the committee of mostly Biden campaign appointees came in at almost two-to-one against.
While he decried the process for considering the resolution as flawed by design, Welder describes being able to raise his amendment as a “big step forward in transparency, to hold the DNC accountable for corruption that’s occurring.”
“Getting Big Money out of politics makes everything else possible,” Welder said. “A lot of people don’t realize the corruption that happens at the top ranks of the DNC, that rank and file Democrats have lots of good ideas that get railroaded by leadership.”
Sludge sought to confirm Welder’s account with DNC Communications Director Xochitl Hinojosa, a top Perez adviser going back to his stint as secretary of Labor, and DNC Secretary Jason Rae, but did not receive a response.
Below are some of the committee members with backgrounds in advancing corporate interests who voted against Welder’s resolution.
Corporate Lobbyists on Convention Rules
Maria Cardona, an at-large DNC member, is a principal at lobbying firm Dewey Square Group, whose past lobbying clients include AT&T (on “telecom liability issues”), multiple medical companies, and Countrywide financial corporation, the implosion of which triggered the subprime mortgage crisis. In 2016, The Intercept reported that consultants with Dewey Square Group lobbied against Obamacare and the Dodd-Frank financial reform package. In advocacy efforts for insurance industry clients such as the Massachusetts Association of Health Plans, Dewey Square Group placed letters to the editor in newspapers “under names of elderly Massachusetts residents without their knowledge or consent.”
Committee co-chair Barney Frank, who had received over $1 million in payments from Signature Bank as of May 2018 when he agreed that the Trump administration’s deregulation of banks did not pose a major threat, did not appear to vote on Welder’s resolution, as no roll call vote was recorded for him.
Harold Ickes, an at-large DNC member, is a powerful lobbyist and party insider whose past clients have included Deloitte Consulting, Verizon, Northwell Health, JP Morgan Chase, Mastercard, and United Airlines. Ickes was appointed to the regular rules committee by Chair Tom Perez in an October 2017 “purge” of DNC leaders who had favored greater reforms for party transparency or backed Perez’s rival Rep. Keith Ellison for chair.
Joe Donnelly, a former U.S. senator from Indiana, is a partner at prominent lobbying firm Akin Gump, joining last April to “advise clients in the financial services, defense and health care industries, among others, on a host of policy matters.” Donnelly is not allowed to register as a lobbyist under Senate “cooling off” rules until January 2021.
Steve Dettelbach, an attorney, is a partner at lobbying firm Baker & Hostetler, where he is co-leader of the White Collar, Investigations and Securities Enforcement and Litigation team.
Mark Siegel is a partner at lobbying firm Locke Lord Strategies, where he has represented Pakistan in the United States. Siegel’s previous lobbying clients with the firm include America’s Mutual Banks (2014 and before), America’s Mutual Holding Companies (2014 and before), the Financial Planning Coalition (2013 and before), and the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
Dennis Speight, a DNC member from Texas, is registered in Texas as a lobbyist, as director of political affairs for the Texas Trial Lawyers Association and its PAC.
Joe Garcia, who appears to be the former U.S. representative from Florida from 2013-2015 and co-chairman of lobbying firm Mercury, is based in Miami. Mercury was hired by 68 clients to lobby the federal government last year, including the Government of Qatar, defense company United Technologies, natural gas company PennEast Pipeline, and EnVen Energy Ventures, an oil and gas exploration and drilling company that operates in the Gulf of Mexico.
John Podesta, a party insider and former chief of staff to President Bill Clinton, founded the Podesta Group lobbying firm, which through 2017 lobbied for hundreds of major corporations, including a coalition of major American coal companies that from 2009 to 2012 fought against President Obama’s Clean Power plan. Podesta founded the Center for American Progress (CAP) in October 2003, a think tank whose corporate donors have included Comcast, Walmart, General Motors, Pacific Gas and Electric, General Electric, Boeing and Lockheed. Over the past several years, CAP has advanced increasingly neoliberal policies and rejected a single-payer health care system in favor of a public option plan, with senior staffers leading attacks on Bernie Sanders’ Medicare for All plan during last year’s Democraic presidential primary.
Leticia Van de Putte, a former Texas state senator, is a lobbyist who co-founded the bipartisan external relations firm Andrade-Van de Putte & Associates, which a San Antonio Express News column last year described as “connecting business clients with government officials.” One set of photos in the company’s website gallery is labeled at an event with the South San Antonio Chamber of Commerce and Councilmember Rebecca Viagran.
Michael Stratton is the senior policy director at Denver, Colorado-based law firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber and Schreck, whose hundreds of corporate lobbying clients include dozens of oil, gas, and natural resources companies. Brownstein Hyatt Farber and Schreck is the second largest lobbying firm at the federal level.
Mike Kreloff, who delivered the first prepared statement against Welder’s resolution, is a Springfield, Illinois lobbyist whose recent clients include the Chicago-based clean energy company Elevate Energy and the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Corporate Lawyers on the Convention Rules Committee
Kate Cook is a partner at Boston-based litigation firm Sugarman Roberts and former chief legal counsel to Gov. Deval Patrick. The firm’s services include environmental and energy law and business disputes.
Marcel Groen, former chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, is a partner at Fox Rothschild LLP, a politically-connected Philadelphia law firm whose corporate clients include Oaktree Capital, Biomed America, life sciences company Novasep Holding SAS, and PuraCap Pharmaceutical, LLC.
James Morphew, who appears to be a partner at Sorling Northrup, a Springfield, IL law firm with corporate practices in banking, insurance, and real estate.
Joseph Smallhoover, one of eight DNC members elected by Democrats Abroad, is an attorney whose boutique firm serves U.S. business clients in industries including mining, health products, speciality plastics, and “Counsel to a major US based pharmaceutical company in connection with its acquisition of rights to various molecules and their marketing in Europe.”
Corporate Executives and Consultants on the Convention Rules Committee
Daniel Halpern, a restaurant executive and co-chair of the DNC Budget and Finance Committee, voted no. Earlier this year, multiple DNC members told Sludge that the committee was not meeting its responsibility to distribute regular written reports to DNC members on the efficacy of the chair’s expenditures. Halpern is a past chairman of the Georgia Restaurant Association, a business group that in 2014 opposed a minimum wage increase to $10.10 in Georgia.
Erskine Bowles, a former chief of staff to President Bill Clinton from 1996-1998 and a co-chair with Alan Simpson of President Obama’s deficit-reduction commission in 2010, co-founded the investment banking firm Bowles Hollowell Conner, which was active in private equity before its acquisition in 1998 by a bank holding company that later became part of Wachovia. A board member of the bipartisan policy organization Committee For a Responsible Federal Budget, Bowles went on to found Campaign to Fix the Debt, funded by Wall Street billionaire Pete Peterson, which has been criticized as an advocacy group that advances corporate tax cuts and for slashing spending on social services. Fix The Debt “are spending millions, but they are protecting billions in defense contracts and tax giveaways that would otherwise be on the chopping block,” said Kevin Connor of the watchdog group Public Accountability Initiative in The New York Times.
Chris Tapio is the president of Townsend Calkin Tapio Public Affairs, a Sacramento-based firm whose “Successes” page lists ExxonMobil, California Association of Health Plans, Kaiser Permanente, California Hospital Association, Chevron, Visa, PG&E, and California Association of Health Facilities (CAHF). In 2016, he was described by California’s Capitol Weekly: “A 20-year veteran of capitol politics, strategist Chris Tapio is best known as a consultant and adviser to the moderate Democrats in the Legislature … busy working to connect newly-elected legislators with like-minded supporters in the business community.”
Rules of Order, Unfollowed
A similar experience was reported by Jennifer Ann Leister, a Bernie Sanders campaign delegate and member of the Virginia Democratic Central Committee, who was nominated in June to the Convention Credentials Committee. The Credentials committee voted last week on several measures regarding the seating of convention delegates, such as those from states including Iowa, and delegates elected from Puerto Rico, after Mayor Mike Bloomberg discontinued his campaign.
Regarding the virtual meeting’s main room proceedings (viewable on YouTube), Leister told Sludge, “We were in a separate room where we couldn’t interact with speakers, the chat feature was turned off, and Robert’s Rules of Order were not being followed,” even though the committee’s Rules of Procedure documented stated, “Chairs of the Credentials Committee shall rely on Robert’s Rules of Order.”
“People were shouting but speakers couldn’t hear us,” Leister said. “It was interesting to see the difference between 2016 and 2020, because in 2016 everything was very public regarding who are the delegates and who’s on the committees. The Biden and Sanders campaigns were doing their best to arrange things so that it would be non-confrontational and I respect that — I do not understand why we weren’t allowed to ask questions about what we were voting on and have them answered.”
DNC-approved portions of the Convention Committee meetings are available to view on YouTube, but not the entire meeting proceedings with all 150+ committee members. What was video-captured and is shown on the DNC’s YouTube channel is just the “closed door” room of chosen speakers, not the separate side room of the majority of delegates on the 2020 committees. Under the opaque process of the virtual meetings, which was not detailed to all committee members ahead of time, the side rooms with the hundred-plus delegates — including those appointed by Bernie Sanders’ former presidential campaign, present under an April 30 deal negotiated with the Biden campaign — were not permitted to speak directly to main room presenters or raise issues during proceedings.
In October 2017, the DNC approved a resolution banning corporate PAC donations from contributors whose work conflicts with the party’s platform, but in the years since, party leadership refused efforts by reform-minded national DNC members to strengthen the ban to encompass all corporate PAC money and formalize the rule in the party charter. Tom Perez’s narrow win over then-Rep. Keith Ellison for DNC chair in February 2017 was widely seen as a victory for establishment party figures comfortable with the revolving door and a reliance on big money corporate fundraising.
The Convention Rules Committee is one of three DNC “standing committees” that form in the run-up to the national convention every four years, along with a Credentials Committee and Platform Committee, and which are composed primarily of delegates appointed by the presidential nominee — this year, the campaign of former Vice President Joe Biden. These temporary bodies are different from the DNC’s Charter call for standing committees on Credentials, Resolutions, Rules and Bylaws, and Budget and Finance, which are smaller in size, and some of which meet annually.
The convention committees that met last week, including the Platform Committee that voted against endorsing a single-payer health care system by 125 to 36 (with three abstentions), are now dissolved after their one virtual meeting. DNC officials emailed by Sludge did not respond to a request for updated lists of members of DNC committees, which are not posted publicly on the DNC’s website or any official social media accounts.
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--2020-08-06--New Sanders Bill Would Tax “Obscene” Pandemic Windfall of Billionaires

Sen. Bernie Sanders plans to introduce legislation Thursday that would heavily tax the “ obscene wealth gains ” America ’ s billionaires have accumulated during the Covid-19 crisis to help fund the U.S. recovery from the pandemic and resulting economic collapse .
In a speech on the Senate floor Wednesday , Sanders said “ if we taxed 60 percent of the windfall gains these billionaires made from March 18th until August 3rd , we could raise over $ 420 billion.
” “ That ’ s enough revenue to allow Medicare to pay all of the out-of-pocket healthcare expenses for everyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Sanders .
“ By taxing 60 % of the wealth gains made by just 467 billionaires during this horrific pandemic , we could guarantee healthcare as a right for an entire year.
” According to the latest figures from the Institute for Policy Studies and Americans for Tax Fairness ( ATF ) — groups that have been tracking the wealth gains of the richest Americans since the start of the pandemic — U.S. billionaires have seen their wealth grow by more than $ 750 billion since mid-March , even as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and tens of millions of Americans lost their jobs and health insurance .
“ Billionaires & their corporations have received tons of bailout money , ” ATF tweeted late Wednesday in support of Sanders ’ proposal .
“ It ’ s time we ask them to step up and pay it forward.
” Condemning “ do-nothing Republicans ” for refusing to act , Sanders warned Wednesday that the United States is “ currently witnessing what is likely the greatest transfer of wealth from the middle class and the poor to the very rich @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” as the U.S. Congress fails to provide additional relief to workers and the unemployed while continuing to bail out large corporations .
“ In the midst of a pandemic , in the midst of an economic meltdown for working families , in the midst of a great struggle regarding systemic racism and police brutality , in the midst of the existential threat of climate change , in the midst of a president undermining democracy and moving us toward an authoritarian government , in the midst of all of that , we are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wealth inequality and the movement in this country toward oligarchy , ” Sanders said .
The Vermont senator went on to list several examples of “ morally obscene ” billionaire profiteering during the pandemic : • While Amazon is denying paid sick leave , hazard pay and personal protective equipment to 450,000 of its workers , Jeff Bezos has increased his wealth by over $ 70 billion .
• While U.S. taxpayers are subsidizing the starvation wages at Walmart , our nation ’ s largest private employer , the Walton family has made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and now has a net worth of over $ 200 billion .
• While 40 million Americans face eviction , Elon Musk has nearly tripled his wealth over the past four months and now has a net worth of more than $ 70 billion .
• While millions of Americans are lining up at emergency food banks because they don ’ t have enough money to put food on the table , Mark Zuckerberg the founder of Facebook has increased his wealth by more than $ 37 billion during the pandemic and is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ At a time of enormous economic pain and suffering , we have a choice to make , ” Sanders said .
“ We can continue to allow the very rich to get much richer while everyone else gets poorer and poorer .
Or we can tax the winnings a handful of billionaires made during the pandemic to improve the health and well-being of tens of millions of Americans .
”

The tax would help fund the U.S. recovery from the pandemic and resulting economic collapse.
Sen. Bernie Sanders plans to introduce legislation Thursday that would heavily tax the “obscene wealth gains” America’s billionaires have accumulated during the Covid-19 crisis to help fund the U.S. recovery from the pandemic and resulting economic collapse.
In a speech on the Senate floor Wednesday, Sanders said “if we taxed 60 percent of the windfall gains these billionaires made from March 18th until August 3rd, we could raise over $420 billion.”
“That’s enough revenue to allow Medicare to pay all of the out-of-pocket healthcare expenses for everyone in America over the next 12 months,” said Sanders. “By taxing 60% of the wealth gains made by just 467 billionaires during this horrific pandemic, we could guarantee healthcare as a right for an entire year.”
According to the latest figures from the Institute for Policy Studies and Americans for Tax Fairness (ATF) — groups that have been tracking the wealth gains of the richest Americans since the start of the pandemic — U.S. billionaires have seen their wealth grow by more than $750 billion since mid-March, even as the economy plunged into a deep recession and tens of millions of Americans lost their jobs and health insurance.
“Billionaires & their corporations have received tons of bailout money,” ATF tweeted late Wednesday in support of Sanders’ proposal. “It’s time we ask them to step up and pay it forward.”
BREAKING: Tomorrow, Sen. Bernie Sanders will introduce a bill calling for a wealth tax on billionaires to fund our recovery from the coronavirus crisis. Billionaires & their corporations have received tons of bailout money. It’s time we ask them to step up and pay it forward. https://t.co/7ARzhntpH6 — For Tax Fairness (@4TaxFairness) August 5, 2020
Condemning “do-nothing Republicans” for refusing to act, Sanders warned Wednesday that the United States is “currently witnessing what is likely the greatest transfer of wealth from the middle class and the poor to the very rich in the modern history of this country” as the U.S. Congress fails to provide additional relief to workers and the unemployed while continuing to bail out large corporations.
“In the midst of a pandemic, in the midst of an economic meltdown for working families, in the midst of a great struggle regarding systemic racism and police brutality, in the midst of the existential threat of climate change, in the midst of a president undermining democracy and moving us toward an authoritarian government, in the midst of all of that, we are seeing a massive increase in income and wealth inequality and the movement in this country toward oligarchy,” Sanders said.
The Vermont senator went on to list several examples of “morally obscene” billionaire profiteering during the pandemic:
While Amazon is denying paid sick leave, hazard pay and personal protective equipment to 450,000 of its workers, Jeff Bezos has increased his wealth by over $70 billion.
While U.S. taxpayers are subsidizing the starvation wages at Walmart, our nation’s largest private employer, the Walton family has made over $20 billion during the pandemic and now has a net worth of over $200 billion.
While 40 million Americans face eviction, Elon Musk has nearly tripled his wealth over the past four months and now has a net worth of more than $70 billion.
While millions of Americans are lining up at emergency food banks because they don’t have enough money to put food on the table, Mark Zuckerberg the founder of Facebook has increased his wealth by more than $37 billion during the pandemic and is now worth over $90 billion.
“At a time of enormous economic pain and suffering, we have a choice to make,” Sanders said. “We can continue to allow the very rich to get much richer while everyone else gets poorer and poorer. Or we can tax the winnings a handful of billionaires made during the pandemic to improve the health and well-being of tens of millions of Americans.”
Watch the full speech:
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.