truthout--2020-06-11--US Passes 2 Million COVID Cases Amid Reopening, Raising Fears of Second Wave

The number of confirmed U.S. coronavirus cases has officially topped 2 million as states continue to ease stay-at-home orders and reopen their economies and more than a dozen see a surge in new infections .
“ I worry that what we ’ ve seen so far is an undercount and what we ’ re seeing now is really just the beginning of another wave of infections spreading across the country , ” says Dr. Craig Spencer , director of global health in emergency medicine at Columbia University Medical Center .
This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : I certainly look forward to the day you ’ re sitting here in the studio right next to me , but right now the numbers are grim .
The number of confirmed U.S. coronavirus cases has officially topped 2 million in the United States , the highest number in the world by far , but public health officials say the true number of infections is certain to be many times greater .
Officially , the U.S. death toll is nearing 113,000 , but that number is expected to be way higher , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump has announced plans to hold campaign rallies in several states that are battling new surges of infections , including Florida , Texas , North Carolina and Arizona — which saw cases rise from nearly 200 a day last month to more than 1,400 a day this week .
On Tuesday , the country ’ s top infectious disease expert , Dr. Anthony Fauci , called the coronavirus his worst nightmare .
AMY GOODMAN : This comes as Vice President Mike Pence tweeted — then deleted — a photo of himself on Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , all of whom were packed tightly together , indoors , wearing no masks , in contravention of CDC guidelines to stop the spread of the coronavirus .
Well , for more , we ’ re going directly to Dr. Craig Spencer , director of global health in emergency medicine at Columbia University Medical Center .
His recent piece in The Washington Post is headlined “ The strange new quiet in New York emergency rooms.
” Dr. Spencer , welcome back to Democracy Now !
It ’ s great to have you with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very painful one .
Cases in the United States have just topped 2 million , though that number is expected to be far higher , with the number of deaths at well over 113,000 , we believe , Harvard University predicting that that number could almost double by the end of September .
Dr. Craig Spencer , your thoughts on the reopening of this country and what these numbers mean ?
DR. CRAIG SPENCER : That ’ s a really good question .
So , when you think about those numbers , remember @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in April , when I was seeing this huge surge in New York City emergency departments , we weren ’ t testing .
We were testing people that were only being admitted to the hospital , so we were knowingly sending home , all across the epicenter , people that were undoubtedly infected with coronavirus , that are not included in that case total .
So you ’ re right : The likely number is much , much higher , maybe 5 , 10 times higher than that .
In addition , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the death count , as well .
This has become this political flashpoint , talking about how many people have died .
We know that it ’ s an incredible and incalculable toll , over 100,000 .
Within the next few days , we ’ ll have more people that have died from COVID than died during World War I here in the United States .
So that ’ s absolutely incredible .
We know that , also , just because New York City was bad , other places across the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that doesn ’ t mean that they ’ re not bad .
So , we had this huge surge , of a bunch of deaths in New York City , you know , over 200,000 cases , tens of thousands of deaths .
What we ’ re seeing now is we ’ re seeing this virus continue to roll across this country , causing these localized outbreaks .
And this is , I think , going to be our reality , until we take this serious , until we actually take the actions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Opening up , like we ’ ve seen in Arizona and many other places , is exactly counter to what we need to be doing to keep this virus under control .
So , yeah , I worry that what we ’ ve seen so far is an undercount and what we ’ re seeing now is really just the beginning of another wave of infections spreading across the country .
NERMEEN SHAIKH : Well , Dr. Spencer , I want to ask — it ’ s not just in the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Worldwide , cases have now topped 7 million , although , like the U.S. , the number is likely to be much higher because of inadequate testing all over the world .
But I ’ d like to focus on the racial dimension of the impact of coronavirus , not just in the U.S. , but also worldwide .
Just as one example , in Brazil — and this is a really stunning statistic — that in Rio ’ s favelas , more people have died than in 15 states in Brazil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about this , both in the context of the U.S. , and explain whether that is still the case , and what you expect in terms of this racial differential , how it will play out as this virus spreads ?
DR. CRAIG SPENCER : Absolutely .
What we ’ re seeing , not just in the United States , but all over the world , is coronavirus is amplifying these racial and ethnic inequities .
It is impacting disproportionately vulnerable and already marginalized populations .
Starting here in the U.S. , if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York City , the likelihood of dying from coronavirus was double if you ’ re Black or African American or Latino or Hispanic , double than what it was for white or Asian New Yorkers , so we already know that this disproportionate impact on already marginalized and vulnerable communities exists here in the United States , in the financial capital of the world .
It ’ s the same throughout the U.S. A lot of the data that we ’ re seeing over the past few days , as we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and ethnic background , is that it is hitting these communities much harder than it is hitting white and other communities in the United States .
The statistics that you give for Brazil are being played out all over the world .
We know that communities that already lack access to good healthcare or don ’ t have the same economic ability to stay home and participate in social distancing are being disproportionately impacted .
That is why we need to focus on and think about , in our public health messaging and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think about those communities that are already on the margins , that are already vulnerable , that are already suffering from chronic health conditions that may make them more likely to get infected with and die from this disease .
We need to think about that as part of our response , not just in New York , not just in the U.S. , but in Brazil , in Peru , in Ecuador , in South Africa , in many other countries , where we ’ re seeing the disproportionate number of cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seeing — you know , I think it was just pointed out that three-quarters of all the new cases , the record-high cases , over 136,000 this past weekend on one day , three-quarters of those are coming from just 10 countries .
And we know that that will continue , and it will burn through those countries and will continue through many more .
As of right now , we haven ’ t seen huge numbers in places like West Africa and East Africa , sub-Saharan Africa , where many people were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is because they have in place a lot of the tools from previous outbreaks , especially in West Africa around Ebola .
But it may be that we need more testing .
It may be that we ’ re still waiting to see the big increase in cases that may eventually hit there , as well .
NERMEEN SHAIKH : Dr. Spencer , you mentioned that on Sunday — it was Sunday where there were 136,000 new infections , which was a first .
It was the highest number since the virus began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spreading , much like states opening in the U.S. , countries are also starting to reopen around the world , including countries that have now among the highest outbreaks .
Brazil is now second only to the U.S. in the number of infections , and Russia is third , and these countries are opening , along with India and so on .
So , could you — I mean , there are various reasons that countries are opening .
A lot of them are not able — large numbers of people are not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country is closed , like , in fact , Brazil and India .
So what are the steps that countries can take to reopen safely ?
What is necessary to arrest the spread of the virus and allow people at the same time to be out ?
DR. CRAIG SPENCER : It ’ s tough , because we know that this virus can not infect you if this virus does not find you .
If there ’ s going to be people in close proximity , whether it ’ s in India or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will infect you .
I have a lot of concern , much as you pointed out , places like India , 1.3 billion people , where they ’ re starting to open up after a longer period of being locked down , and case numbers are steadily increasing .
You ’ re right that a lot of people around the world don ’ t have access to multitrillion-dollar stimulus plans like we do in the United States , the ability to provide at least some sustenance during this time that people are being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if they don ’ t go outside , don ’ t eat .
If they don ’ t work , you know , their families can ’ t pay rent or really just can ’ t live .
What do we do ?
We rely on the exact same tools that we should be relying on here , which is good public health principles .
You need to be able to locate those people who are sick , isolate them , remove them from the community , and try to do contact tracing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Otherwise , we ’ re going to continue to have people circulating with this virus that can continue to infect other people .
It ’ s much harder in places where people may not have access to a phone or may not have an address or may not have the same infrastructure that we have here in the United States .
But it ’ s absolutely possible .
We ’ ve done this with smallpox eradication decades ago .
We need to be doing this good , simple , bread-and-butter , basic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But that takes a lot of commitment , it takes a lot of money , and it takes a lot of time .
AMY GOODMAN : It looks like President Trump is reading the rules and just doing the opposite — I mean , everything from pulling out of the World Health Organization , which — and if you could talk about the significance of this ?
You ’ re a world health expert .
You yourself survived Ebola after working in Africa around that disease .
And also here at home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Charlotte , the Republican convention , because the governor wouldn ’ t agree to no social distancing , and he didn ’ t want those that came to the convention to wear masks .
If you can talk about the significance , what might seem trite to some people , but what exactly masks do ?
And also , in this country , the states we see that have relaxed so much — he might move , announce tomorrow , the convention to Florida .
There ’ s surges there .
There ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ question of whether a lockdown will be reimposed there .
What has to happen ?
What exactly , when we say testing , should be available ?
And do you have enough masks even where you work ?
DR. CRAIG SPENCER : Great .
Yes .
So , let me answer each of those .
I think , first , on the World Health Organization , and really the rhetoric that is coming from the White House , it needs to be one of global solidarity right now .
We are not going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that that ’ s been proven .
This idea of American exceptionalism now is only true in that we have the most cases of anywhere in the world .
We are not going to beat this alone .
No country is going to beat this alone .
As Dr. Fauci said , this is his worst nightmare .
It ’ s my worst nightmare , as well .
This is a virus that was first discovered just months ago , and has now really taken over the world .
We need organizations like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it isn ’ t perfect .
And I ’ ve had qualms with it in the past .
I ’ ve written about it , I ’ ve spoken about it , about the response as part of the West Africa Ebola outbreak that I witnessed firsthand .
But at the end of the day , they do really , really good work , and they do the work that other organizations , including the United States , are not doing around the world , and that protects us .
So , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to further invest and support them .
In terms of masks , masks may be , in addition to social distancing , one of the few things that really , really helps us and has proven to decrease transmission .
We know that if a significant proportion of society — you know , 60 , 70 , 80 % of people — are wearing masks , that will significantly decrease the amount of transmission and can prevent this virus from spreading very rapidly .
Everyone should be wearing masks .
I think , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we should consider the whole country as a hot zone .
And the risk of transmission being very high , regardless of whether you ’ re in New York or North Dakota , people should be wearing a mask when they ’ re going outside and when they ’ re interacting with others that they generally don ’ t interact with .
We know the science is good .
I will say that from a public health perspective , there was some initial reluctance and , really , I guess , some confusion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ using masks .
We didn ’ t have a lot of the science to know whether it would help .
We do now .
And thankfully , we ’ re changing our recommendations .
We also were concerned about the availability of masks early on .
As you mentioned , there was questions around availability of personal protective equipment , whether we had enough in hospitals to provide care while keeping providers safe .
It ’ s better now , but there are still a lot of people who are saying that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still need more personal protective equipment .
So , for the moment , everyone should be wearing a mask .
AMY GOODMAN : And for the protests outside ?
DR. CRAIG SPENCER : Absolutely .
Yeah , of course .
Just because I think we have personal passions around public health crises , that doesn ’ t prevent us from being infected .
From a public health perspective , of course I have concerns that people who are close and are yelling and are being tear-gassed and are not wearing masks , if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s certainly an environment where the coronavirus could spread .
So , what I ’ ve been telling everyone that ’ s protesting is exercise your right to protest — I think that ’ s great — but be safe .
We are in a pandemic .
We ’ re in a public health emergency .
Wear a mask .
Socially distance as much as you possibly can .
Wash your hands .
AMY GOODMAN : And are you telling the authorities to stop tear-gassing and pepper-spraying the protesters ?
DR. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , one , it ’ s illegal .
You should definitely stop tear-gassing .
We know that what happens when people get tear-gassed is they cough , and it increases the secretions , which increases the risk .
It increases the transmissibility of this virus .
In addition to that , you know , holding people and arresting them and putting them into small cells with others without masks is also , as we ’ ve seen from this huge number of cases in places like meatpacking plants or in jails , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been extremely high in those places .
Putting people into holding cells for a prolonged period of time is not going to help ; it ’ s definitely going to increase the transmissibility of this virus .
So , yes , everyone should be wearing a mask .
I think everyone should have a mask on when you ’ re anywhere that your interacting with others can potentially spread this .
I think your other question was around testing .
We know that right now testing has significantly increased in the U.S. Is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t think so .
I know I hear from a lot of people who say they still have to drive two to three hours to get a test .
We still have questions around the reliability of some of serology tests , or the antibody tests .
Those are the tests that will tell you whether or not you ’ ve been previously exposed and now have antibodies to the disease .
Some of the more readily available tests just aren ’ t that great .
And so , we can ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ widespread decisions on who might have antibodies , who might have protection and who can maybe more safely go back into society without the fear of being infected .
NERMEEN SHAIKH : Dr. Spencer , we just have 30 seconds .
Very quickly , there are 135 vaccines in development .
What ’ s your prognosis ?
When will there be a vaccine or a drug treatment ?
DR. CRAIG SPENCER : We have one drug that shortens the time that people are sick .
We don ’ t know about the impact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that are in process now .
Hopefully some of them work .
In terms of vaccines , we will have a vaccine , very likely , that we know is effective , probably at some time later this year .
The bigger process is going to be how do we scale it up to make hundreds of millions of doses ; how do we do it in a way that we can get it to all of the people that deserve it , not just the people that can pay for it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ some of the bigger questions and bigger problems that we ’ re going to face , going forward .
But I ’ m optimistic that we ’ ll have a vaccine or many vaccines , hopefully , in the next year .
AMY GOODMAN : Dr. Craig Spencer , we want to thank you so much for being with us , director of global health in emergency medicine at Columbia University Medical Center .
And thank you so much for your work as an essential worker .
Dr. Spencer ’ s recent piece @ @ @ @ @ @ @ democracynow.org .
It ’ s in The Washington Post , headlined “ The strange new quiet in New York emergency rooms.
” When we come back , George Floyd ’ s brother testifies before Congress , a day after he laid his brother to rest .
Stay with us .

The number of confirmed U.S. coronavirus cases has officially topped 2 million as states continue to ease stay-at-home orders and reopen their economies and more than a dozen see a surge in new infections. “I worry that what we’ve seen so far is an undercount and what we’re seeing now is really just the beginning of another wave of infections spreading across the country,” says Dr. Craig Spencer, director of global health in emergency medicine at Columbia University Medical Center.
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: I certainly look forward to the day you’re sitting here in the studio right next to me, but right now the numbers are grim. The number of confirmed U.S. coronavirus cases has officially topped 2 million in the United States, the highest number in the world by far, but public health officials say the true number of infections is certain to be many times greater. Officially, the U.S. death toll is nearing 113,000, but that number is expected to be way higher, as well.
This comes as President Trump has announced plans to hold campaign rallies in several states that are battling new surges of infections, including Florida, Texas, North Carolina and Arizona — which saw cases rise from nearly 200 a day last month to more than 1,400 a day this week.
On Tuesday, the country’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, called the coronavirus his worst nightmare.
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI: Now we have something that indeed turned out to be my worst nightmare: something that’s highly transmissible, and in a period — if you just think about it — in a period of four months, it has devastated the world. … And it isn’t over yet.
AMY GOODMAN: This comes as Vice President Mike Pence tweeted — then deleted — a photo of himself on Wednesday greeting scores of Trump 2020 campaign staffers, all of whom were packed tightly together, indoors, wearing no masks, in contravention of CDC guidelines to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Well, for more, we’re going directly to Dr. Craig Spencer, director of global health in emergency medicine at Columbia University Medical Center. His recent piece in The Washington Post is headlined “The strange new quiet in New York emergency rooms.”
Dr. Spencer, welcome back to Democracy Now! It’s great to have you with this, though this day is a very painful one. Cases in the United States have just topped 2 million, though that number is expected to be far higher, with the number of deaths at well over 113,000, we believe, Harvard University predicting that that number could almost double by the end of September. Dr. Craig Spencer, your thoughts on the reopening of this country and what these numbers mean?
DR. CRAIG SPENCER: That’s a really good question. So, when you think about those numbers, remember that very early on, in March, in April, when I was seeing this huge surge in New York City emergency departments, we weren’t testing. We were testing people that were only being admitted to the hospital, so we were knowingly sending home, all across the epicenter, people that were undoubtedly infected with coronavirus, that are not included in that case total. So you’re right: The likely number is much, much higher, maybe 5, 10 times higher than that.
In addition, we know that that’s true for the death count, as well. This has become this political flashpoint, talking about how many people have died. We know that it’s an incredible and incalculable toll, over 100,000. Within the next few days, we’ll have more people that have died from COVID than died during World War I here in the United States. So that’s absolutely incredible.
We know that, also, just because New York City was bad, other places across the country might not get as bad, but that doesn’t mean that they’re not bad. So, we had this huge surge, of a bunch of deaths in New York City, you know, over 200,000 cases, tens of thousands of deaths. What we’re seeing now is we’re seeing this virus continue to roll across this country, causing these localized outbreaks.
And this is, I think, going to be our reality, until we take this serious, until we actually take the actions necessary to stop this virus from spreading. Opening up, like we’ve seen in Arizona and many other places, is exactly counter to what we need to be doing to keep this virus under control. So, yeah, I worry that what we’ve seen so far is an undercount and what we’re seeing now is really just the beginning of another wave of infections spreading across the country.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: Well, Dr. Spencer, I want to ask — it’s not just in the U.S. that cases have hit this dreadful milestone. Worldwide, cases have now topped 7 million, although, like the U.S., the number is likely to be much higher because of inadequate testing all over the world. But I’d like to focus on the racial dimension of the impact of coronavirus, not just in the U.S., but also worldwide. Just as one example, in Brazil — and this is a really stunning statistic — that in Rio’s favelas, more people have died than in 15 states in Brazil combined. So, could you talk about this, both in the context of the U.S., and explain whether that is still the case, and what you expect in terms of this racial differential, how it will play out as this virus spreads?
DR. CRAIG SPENCER: Absolutely. What we’re seeing, not just in the United States, but all over the world, is coronavirus is amplifying these racial and ethnic inequities. It is impacting disproportionately vulnerable and already marginalized populations.
Starting here in the U.S., if you think about the fact, in New York City, the likelihood of dying from coronavirus was double if you’re Black or African American or Latino or Hispanic, double than what it was for white or Asian New Yorkers, so we already know that this disproportionate impact on already marginalized and vulnerable communities exists here in the United States, in the financial capital of the world. It’s the same throughout the U.S. A lot of the data that we’re seeing over the past few days, as we’re getting this disaggregated data by race and ethnic background, is that it is hitting these communities much harder than it is hitting white and other communities in the United States.
The statistics that you give for Brazil are being played out all over the world. We know that communities that already lack access to good healthcare or don’t have the same economic ability to stay home and participate in social distancing are being disproportionately impacted.
That is why we need to focus on and think about, in our public health messaging and in our public health efforts, to think about those communities that are already on the margins, that are already vulnerable, that are already suffering from chronic health conditions that may make them more likely to get infected with and die from this disease. We need to think about that as part of our response, not just in New York, not just in the U.S., but in Brazil, in Peru, in Ecuador, in South Africa, in many other countries, where we’re seeing the disproportionate number of cases coming from now.
We’re seeing — you know, I think it was just pointed out that three-quarters of all the new cases, the record-high cases, over 136,000 this past weekend on one day, three-quarters of those are coming from just 10 countries. And we know that that will continue, and it will burn through those countries and will continue through many more.
As of right now, we haven’t seen huge numbers in places like West Africa and East Africa, sub-Saharan Africa, where many people were concerned about initially. Part of that is because they have in place a lot of the tools from previous outbreaks, especially in West Africa around Ebola. But it may be that we need more testing. It may be that we’re still waiting to see the big increase in cases that may eventually hit there, as well.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: Dr. Spencer, you mentioned that on Sunday — it was Sunday where there were 136,000 new infections, which was a first. It was the highest number since the virus began. But even as the virus is spreading, much like states opening in the U.S., countries are also starting to reopen around the world, including countries that have now among the highest outbreaks. Brazil is now second only to the U.S. in the number of infections, and Russia is third, and these countries are opening, along with India and so on. So, could you — I mean, there are various reasons that countries are opening. A lot of them are not able — large numbers of people are not able to survive as long as the country is closed, like, in fact, Brazil and India. So what are the steps that countries can take to reopen safely? What is necessary to arrest the spread of the virus and allow people at the same time to be out?
DR. CRAIG SPENCER: It’s tough, because we know that this virus cannot infect you if this virus does not find you. If there’s going to be people in close proximity, whether it’s in India or Illinois, this virus will pass and will infect you. I have a lot of concern, much as you pointed out, places like India, 1.3 billion people, where they’re starting to open up after a longer period of being locked down, and case numbers are steadily increasing.
You’re right that a lot of people around the world don’t have access to multitrillion-dollar stimulus plans like we do in the United States, the ability to provide at least some sustenance during this time that people are being forced at home. Many people, if they don’t go outside, don’t eat. If they don’t work, you know, their families can’t pay rent or really just can’t live.
What do we do? We rely on the exact same tools that we should be relying on here, which is good public health principles. You need to be able to locate those people who are sick, isolate them, remove them from the community, and try to do contact tracing to see who they potentially have exposed. Otherwise, we’re going to continue to have people circulating with this virus that can continue to infect other people.
It’s much harder in places where people may not have access to a phone or may not have an address or may not have the same infrastructure that we have here in the United States. But it’s absolutely possible. We’ve done this with smallpox eradication decades ago. We need to be doing this good, simple, bread-and-butter, basic public health work all around the world. But that takes a lot of commitment, it takes a lot of money, and it takes a lot of time.
AMY GOODMAN: It looks like President Trump is reading the rules and just doing the opposite — I mean, everything from pulling out of the World Health Organization, which — and if you could talk about the significance of this? You’re a world health expert. You yourself survived Ebola after working in Africa around that disease. And also here at home, I mean, pulling out of Charlotte, the Republican convention, because the governor wouldn’t agree to no social distancing, and he didn’t want those that came to the convention to wear masks. If you can talk about the significance, what might seem trite to some people, but what exactly masks do? And also, in this country, the states we see that have relaxed so much — he might move, announce tomorrow, the convention to Florida. There’s surges there. There’s surges in Arizona, extremely desperate question of whether a lockdown will be reimposed there. What has to happen? What exactly, when we say testing, should be available? And do you have enough masks even where you work?
DR. CRAIG SPENCER: Great. Yes. So, let me answer each of those. I think, first, on the World Health Organization, and really the rhetoric that is coming from the White House, it needs to be one of global solidarity right now. We are not going to beat this alone. I think that that’s been proven. This idea of American exceptionalism now is only true in that we have the most cases of anywhere in the world. We are not going to beat this alone. No country is going to beat this alone. As Dr. Fauci said, this is his worst nightmare. It’s my worst nightmare, as well. This is a virus that was first discovered just months ago, and has now really taken over the world. We need organizations like the World Health Organization, even if it isn’t perfect. And I’ve had qualms with it in the past. I’ve written about it, I’ve spoken about it, about the response as part of the West Africa Ebola outbreak that I witnessed firsthand. But at the end of the day, they do really, really good work, and they do the work that other organizations, including the United States, are not doing around the world, and that protects us. So, we absolutely, despite their imperfections, need to further invest and support them.
In terms of masks, masks may be, in addition to social distancing, one of the few things that really, really helps us and has proven to decrease transmission. We know that if a significant proportion of society — you know, 60, 70, 80% of people — are wearing masks, that will significantly decrease the amount of transmission and can prevent this virus from spreading very rapidly. Everyone should be wearing masks. I think, in the United States right now, we should consider the whole country as a hot zone. And the risk of transmission being very high, regardless of whether you’re in New York or North Dakota, people should be wearing a mask when they’re going outside and when they’re interacting with others that they generally don’t interact with.
We know the science is good. I will say that from a public health perspective, there was some initial reluctance and, really, I guess, some confusion early on about whether people should be using masks. We didn’t have a lot of the science to know whether it would help. We do now. And thankfully, we’re changing our recommendations.
We also were concerned about the availability of masks early on. As you mentioned, there was questions around availability of personal protective equipment, whether we had enough in hospitals to provide care while keeping providers safe. It’s better now, but there are still a lot of people who are saying that they’re reusing masks, that we still need more personal protective equipment. So, for the moment, everyone should be wearing a mask.
AMY GOODMAN: And for the protests outside?
DR. CRAIG SPENCER: Absolutely. Yeah, of course. Just because I think we have personal passions around public health crises, that doesn’t prevent us from being infected. From a public health perspective, of course I have concerns that people who are close and are yelling and are being tear-gassed and are not wearing masks, if that’s all the case, it’s certainly an environment where the coronavirus could spread.
So, what I’ve been telling everyone that’s protesting is exercise your right to protest — I think that’s great — but be safe. We are in a pandemic. We’re in a public health emergency. Wear a mask. Socially distance as much as you possibly can. Wash your hands.
AMY GOODMAN: And are you telling the authorities to stop tear-gassing and pepper-spraying the protesters?
DR. CRAIG SPENCER: I mean, well, one, it’s illegal. You should definitely stop tear-gassing. We know that what happens when people get tear-gassed is they cough, and it increases the secretions, which increases the risk. It increases the transmissibility of this virus.
In addition to that, you know, holding people and arresting them and putting them into small cells with others without masks is also, as we’ve seen from this huge number of cases in places like meatpacking plants or in jails, in prisons, the number of cases have been extremely high in those places. Putting people into holding cells for a prolonged period of time is not going to help; it’s definitely going to increase the transmissibility of this virus.
So, yes, everyone should be wearing a mask. I think everyone should have a mask on when you’re anywhere that your interacting with others can potentially spread this.
I think your other question was around testing. We know that right now testing has significantly increased in the U.S. Is it adequate? No, I don’t think so. I know I hear from a lot of people who say they still have to drive two to three hours to get a test. We still have questions around the reliability of some of serology tests, or the antibody tests. Those are the tests that will tell you whether or not you’ve been previously exposed and now have antibodies to the disease. Some of the more readily available tests just aren’t that great. And so, we can’t use them yet to make really widespread decisions on who might have antibodies, who might have protection and who can maybe more safely go back into society without the fear of being infected.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: Dr. Spencer, we just have 30 seconds. Very quickly, there are 135 vaccines in development. What’s your prognosis? When will there be a vaccine or a drug treatment?
DR. CRAIG SPENCER: We have one drug that shortens the time that people are sick. We don’t know about the impact on mortality. There are other treatments that are in process now. Hopefully some of them work.
In terms of vaccines, we will have a vaccine, very likely, that we know is effective, probably at some time later this year. The bigger process is going to be how do we scale it up to make hundreds of millions of doses; how do we do it in a way that we can get it to all of the people that deserve it, not just the people that can pay for it. I think these are going to be some of the bigger questions and bigger problems that we’re going to face, going forward. But I’m optimistic that we’ll have a vaccine or many vaccines, hopefully, in the next year.
AMY GOODMAN: Dr. Craig Spencer, we want to thank you so much for being with us, director of global health in emergency medicine at Columbia University Medical Center. And thank you so much for your work as an essential worker. Dr. Spencer’s recent piece, we’ll link to at democracynow.org. It’s in The Washington Post, headlined “The strange new quiet in New York emergency rooms.”
When we come back, George Floyd’s brother testifies before Congress, a day after he laid his brother to rest. Stay with us.


truthout--2020-06-11--Trump’s Illegal Use of Military Against Uprisings Portends Battles Ahead

The backlash against Donald Trump ’ s illegal show of military force against anti-racist protesters compelled him to withdraw the troops — for now .
But we must continue raising the illegality of this use of the military and pushing for barriers to guard against future such deployments .
The threat of a resurgence of this violation still looms because as the protests continue , Trump might change his mind .
And if he loses the election , all bets are off .
Government officials , legislators , lawyers and civil society should strenuously oppose the recall of federal troops @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as illegal .
“ Armed forces taking on protesters may cause them to go away , but make no mistake : People would die .
And even one more death is too many , ” Kelsey Baker , a former Marine who deployed to Kuwait and Iraq , wrote for Newsweek .
Although Trump didn ’ t invoke the Insurrection Act to justify his deployment of troops against Black people and their allies , he may well do so in the future .
A review of how Trump ordered military personnel to Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As the collective outrage at the police lynching of George Floyd filled streets nationwide , Donald Trump threatened to use the U.S. military against anti-racist protesters exercising their First Amendment rights .
On May 28 , Trump warned he would “ send in the National Guard & get the job done right , ” tweeting , “ ….These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd , and I won ’ t let that happen .
Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will assume control but , when the looting starts , the shooting starts .
Thank you !
” On June 1 , Trump announced he had dispatched federal troops to Washington , D.C. , “ to protect the rights of law-abiding Americans , including your Second Amendment rights.
” Trump said he was ordering “ thousands and thousands of heavily armed soldiers , military personnel and law enforcement officers ” to the nation ’ s capital .
The U.S. president sees the Movement for Black Lives as the enemy to be vanquished by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to co-opt Floyd ’ s memory and his appeal to his gun rights base were shameful .
“ Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people—does not even pretend to try .
Instead he tries to divide us , ” former Defense Secretary James Mattis charged .
“ All around the country , protests against police violence have been met with more police violence , ” Gerry Condon , former president of Veterans For Peace ( VFP ) , told Truthout .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Guard , however , will make things worse — not better.
” Moreover , it would be illegal .
Trump challenged the nation ’ s governors to deploy large numbers of National Guardsmen in order to “ dominate the streets.
” Otherwise , he warned , “ they ’ re gon na run over you , you ’ re gon na look like a bunch of jerks .
You have to dominate.
” Secretary of Defense Mark Esper echoed Trump , telling the governors , “ the sooner that you mass and dominate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and we can get back to the right normal.
” Several governors said thanks , but no thanks .
“ I reject the notion that the federal government can send troops into the state of Illinois , ” Illinois Gov .
J .
B. Pritzker told CNN .
“ The president has created an incendiary moment here… .
His rhetoric is inflaming passions .
He should stay out of our business .
Every day he has inflamed racial tensions.
” In a joint statement , Colorado Gov .
Jared Polis and Denver Mayor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no need for the deployment of U.S. troops to maintain order in our city .
The President ’ s threat to deploy federal troops is counterproductive and will only stoke the potential for worse violence and destruction.
” About 1,600 troops from Fort Bragg and Fort Drum began arriving in Washington on June 1 .
Trump wanted 10,000 active duty troops dispatched throughout the country , but Esper and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley reportedly talked him out of it .
“ The military is not trained in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to use lethal force , which is often employed against civilians in faraway lands , ” said Condon .
“ Now they are being ordered to suppress peaceful protesters in this country who are exercising their First Amendment rights of freedom of speech and freedom of assembly.
” Indeed , The New York Times reports the Pentagon used Army National Guard helicopters in Washington “ as a show of force usually reserved for combat zones.
” On June 1 , two helicopters flew low over protesters , sending them running for cover and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Intended as a “ persistent presence , ” pilots were given no guidance and were forced to wing it .
“ The wind speeds created by a low-hovering helicopter can lift objects and cause serious damage , potentially leading to injury or death , ” according to a Human Rights Watch report .
On June 7 , after his threat to use federal troops against people exercising their constitutional rights drew widespread condemnation from military leaders , defense officials and members of Congress , Trump complied with Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to withdraw from Washington , adding , “ now that everything is under perfect control.
” But Trump had threatened on June 4 that “ all options are on the table ” and when he gave the June 7 order , he said the troops “ can quickly return if needed.
” Generals and Defense Officials Oppose Using Troops Against Protesters In a stunning statement , 89 former defense officials said on June 5 , “ We are alarmed at how the president is betraying [ his ] oath [ to support and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order members of the U.S. military to violate the rights of their fellow Americans.
” They wrote that Trump gave governors “ a stark choice : either end the protests that continue to demand equal justice under our laws , or expect that he will send active-duty military units into their states.
” The defense officials called on Trump “ to immediately end his plans to send active-duty military personnel into cities as agents of law enforcement , or to employ them or any another military or police forces in ways that undermine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Esper ’ s characterization of U.S. streets filled with protesters , retired Army Gen. Tony Thomas , who commanded the U.S. Special Operations Command , said that U.S. soil should not be called a “ battlespace ” unless a foreign power invades it .
Mattis issued a scathing rebuke of Trump ’ s reaction to the anti-racist protests .
“ ‘ Equal Justice Under Law ’ … is precisely what the protesters are rightly demanding , ” he wrote in a statement .
“ Never did I dream that troops taking that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ circumstance to violate the Constitutional rights of their fellow citizens—much less to provide a bizarre photo op for the elected commander-in-chief , with military leadership standing alongside.
” The former defense secretary was describing Trump ’ s cynical staged appearance in front of a church holding a Bible after his administration used tear gas and flash-bang explosions to disperse a peaceful crowd protesting in front the White House on June 1 .
Before the 2018 midterm elections , Trump also deployed active-duty troops to the southern U.S. border as a prop to show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois , who lost both legs serving as a military helicopter pilot in Iraq , said that Esper ’ s and Milley ’ s participation in Trump ’ s photo op in front of the church “ sends a horrifying message to our troops — including our black and brown troops — that our military ’ s leaders will not protect them from unlawful orders.
” Members of the military “ will obey lawful orders , ” retired Navy Adm. Mike Mullen , former chairman of the Joint Chiefs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ But I am less confident in the soundness of the orders they will be given by this commander in chief , and I am not convinced that the conditions on our streets , as bad as they are , have risen to the level that justifies a heavy reliance on military troops.
” The Uniform Code of Military Justice requires that all military personnel obey lawful orders .
Article 92 says , “ A general order or regulation is lawful unless it is contrary to the Constitution , the laws of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violates the Constitution or a federal statute is an unlawful order .
Both the Army Field Manual and the Nuremberg Principles create a duty to disobey unlawful orders .
Using federal troops for civilian law enforcement violates the Posse Comitatus Act ( PCA ) .
The Insurrection Act contains an exception to the PCA .
But it is reserved for extreme emergencies and has largely been used to enforce , not to violate , civil rights .
There are four ways to trigger the Insurrection Act to deploy the military on U.S. soil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governor of a state asks the president for assistance to put down an insurrection against the government ( section 251 ) ; Second , when the president “ considers that unlawful obstructions , combinations , or assemblages , or rebellion against the authority of the United States , make it impracticable to enforce the laws of the United States in any State by the ordinary course of judicial proceedings ” ( section 252 ) ; Third , when “ any insurrection , domestic violence , unlawful combination , or conspiracy ” deprives people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immunity , or protection , that results in the denial of Equal Protection ( section 253 ( 1 ) ) ; or Fourth , where “ any insurrection , domestic violence , unlawful combination , or conspiracy … .
opposes or obstructs the execution of the laws of the United States or impedes the course of justice under those laws.
” ( section 253 ( 2 ) ) .
Most of the times the Insurrection Act has been invoked have occurred pursuant to section 251 .
For example , in 1992 , California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ H.W .
Bush to deploy federal troops to suppress the uprising after the officers who beat Rodney King were acquitted in their state trial .
Section 252 , which is triggered by the president ’ s subjective belief , requires him to find that it is “ impracticable ” for the courts and criminal legal system to work properly .
That threshold has not been met in the current situation .
Although courts would be unlikely to overrule the president ’ s subjective decision , service members may decide that his order was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moreover , there has been no violation of the Equal Protection Clause sufficient to trigger the use of section 253 , which was enacted after the Civil War to ensure that Southern states enforced the federal rights of Black people .
In 1962 and 1963 , President John F. Kennedy used this section to send federal troops to Alabama and Mississippi to enforce civil rights laws .
And President Lyndon Johnson also used section 253 in 1965 to protect civil rights demonstrators from police violence during the march from Selma to Montgomery , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ troops to violate , not protect , the civil rights of anti-racist protesters exercising their First Amendment rights .
Veterans For Peace called on “ all current National Guard members to lay down their weapons and refuse to fight against their neighbors and fellow community members ” and “ refuse to serve violent and racist interests.
” VFP cited “ a connection between increasing racist violence in the United States and the massive indiscriminate killing of hundreds of thousands of people in other lands .
Growing racism against black , brown and Muslim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reflection of the racism that justifies killing non-white people abroad.
” “ To their credit , many soldiers and National Guard members know this is wrong , ” said VFP ’ s Condon .
“ Some have already gone AWOL .
Others are contacting the GI Rights Hotline for information about their legal alternatives .
They do not want to attack people right here in the United States.
” The National Lawyers Guild ’ s Military Law Task Force ( MLTF ) issued a statement strongly condemning the use of National Guard and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The MLTF is urging “ anyone who is activated or deployed or might be facing a future deployment to call us for referral to a civilian attorney or counselor to discuss your options.
” Almost two dozen Democratic senators wrote to Esper and Milley , opposing the use of the Insurrection Act to deploy federal troops within the United States .
They called it “ a significant departure from important historical uses of the law.
” The senators “ oppose in the strongest terms the use of U.S. military to impede the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who , they said , “ are exercising their civil liberties in a call to hold government institutions to a higher standard in the fight for racial justice.
” They added , “ The military should never be weaponized by the President to limit these expressions for liberty and justice.
” On June 2 , Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia announced he would propose an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act this week to prevent federal funding for the use of military force against protesters .
When called by Rep. Adam Smith @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Services Committee , to testify about the role of the military in the protests , Esper and Milley refused .
Although the outcry against Trump ’ s deployment of federal troops to Washington pressured him into removing them , he could recall them at any time .
We must be vigilant and sustain the opposition to Trump ’ s illegal use of the military against anti-racist protesters .

Even as Trump withdraws troops, we must be prepared for if and when he does recall them to stamp out dissent.
Part of the Series Human Rights and Global Wrongs
The backlash against Donald Trump’s illegal show of military force against anti-racist protesters compelled him to withdraw the troops — for now. But we must continue raising the illegality of this use of the military and pushing for barriers to guard against future such deployments. The threat of a resurgence of this violation still looms because as the protests continue, Trump might change his mind. And if he loses the election, all bets are off.
Government officials, legislators, lawyers and civil society should strenuously oppose the recall of federal troops because it would be deadly as well as illegal. “Armed forces taking on protesters may cause them to go away, but make no mistake: People would die. And even one more death is too many,” Kelsey Baker, a former Marine who deployed to Kuwait and Iraq, wrote for Newsweek.
Although Trump didn’t invoke the Insurrection Act to justify his deployment of troops against Black people and their allies, he may well do so in the future. A review of how Trump ordered military personnel to Washington, D.C., is instructive and alarming.
As the collective outrage at the police lynching of George Floyd filled streets nationwide, Donald Trump threatened to use the U.S. military against anti-racist protesters exercising their First Amendment rights.
On May 28, Trump warned he would “send in the National Guard & get the job done right,” tweeting, “….These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won’t let that happen. Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you!”
On June 1, Trump announced he had dispatched federal troops to Washington, D.C., “to protect the rights of law-abiding Americans, including your Second Amendment rights.” Trump said he was ordering “thousands and thousands of heavily armed soldiers, military personnel and law enforcement officers” to the nation’s capital.
The U.S. president sees the Movement for Black Lives as the enemy to be vanquished by his military. Trump’s attempt to co-opt Floyd’s memory and his appeal to his gun rights base were shameful.
“Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people—does not even pretend to try. Instead he tries to divide us,” former Defense Secretary James Mattis charged.
“All around the country, protests against police violence have been met with more police violence,” Gerry Condon, former president of Veterans For Peace (VFP), told Truthout. “Calling in the Army and the National Guard, however, will make things worse — not better.”
Moreover, it would be illegal.
Trump Threatens Governors and Deploys Troops to Washington
Trump challenged the nation’s governors to deploy large numbers of National Guardsmen in order to “dominate the streets.” Otherwise, he warned, “they’re gonna run over you, you’re gonna look like a bunch of jerks. You have to dominate.” Secretary of Defense Mark Esper echoed Trump, telling the governors, “the sooner that you mass and dominate the battlespace, the quicker this dissipates and we can get back to the right normal.”
Several governors said thanks, but no thanks. “I reject the notion that the federal government can send troops into the state of Illinois,” Illinois Gov. J. B. Pritzker told CNN. “The president has created an incendiary moment here…. His rhetoric is inflaming passions. He should stay out of our business. Every day he has inflamed racial tensions.”
In a joint statement, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and Denver Mayor Michael Hancock noted, “There is no need for the deployment of U.S. troops to maintain order in our city. The President’s threat to deploy federal troops is counterproductive and will only stoke the potential for worse violence and destruction.”
The U.S. president sees the Movement for Black Lives as the enemy to be vanquished by his military.
About 1,600 troops from Fort Bragg and Fort Drum began arriving in Washington on June 1. Trump wanted 10,000 active duty troops dispatched throughout the country, but Esper and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley reportedly talked him out of it.
“The military is not trained in peacekeeping or de-escalation. Soldiers are trained to use lethal force, which is often employed against civilians in faraway lands,” said Condon. “Now they are being ordered to suppress peaceful protesters in this country who are exercising their First Amendment rights of freedom of speech and freedom of assembly.”
Indeed, The New York Times reports the Pentagon used Army National Guard helicopters in Washington “as a show of force usually reserved for combat zones.” On June 1, two helicopters flew low over protesters, sending them running for cover and tearing posters from the sides of buildings. Intended as a “persistent presence,” pilots were given no guidance and were forced to wing it. “The wind speeds created by a low-hovering helicopter can lift objects and cause serious damage, potentially leading to injury or death,” according to a Human Rights Watch report.
On June 7, after his threat to use federal troops against people exercising their constitutional rights drew widespread condemnation from military leaders, defense officials and members of Congress, Trump complied with Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser’s demand and ordered the National Guard to withdraw from Washington, adding, “now that everything is under perfect control.”
But Trump had threatened on June 4 that “all options are on the table” and when he gave the June 7 order, he said the troops “can quickly return if needed.”
Generals and Defense Officials Oppose Using Troops Against Protesters
In a stunning statement, 89 former defense officials said on June 5, “We are alarmed at how the president is betraying [his] oath [to support and defend the Constitution] by threatening to order members of the U.S. military to violate the rights of their fellow Americans.” They wrote that Trump gave governors “a stark choice: either end the protests that continue to demand equal justice under our laws, or expect that he will send active-duty military units into their states.” The defense officials called on Trump “to immediately end his plans to send active-duty military personnel into cities as agents of law enforcement, or to employ them or any another military or police forces in ways that undermine the constitutional rights of Americans.”
Reacting to Esper’s characterization of U.S. streets filled with protesters, retired Army Gen. Tony Thomas, who commanded the U.S. Special Operations Command, said that U.S. soil should not be called a “battlespace” unless a foreign power invades it.
The military is not trained in peacekeeping or de-escalation. Soldiers are trained to use lethal force.
Mattis issued a scathing rebuke of Trump’s reaction to the anti-racist protests. “‘Equal Justice Under Law’ … is precisely what the protesters are rightly demanding,” he wrote in a statement. “Never did I dream that troops taking that same oath would be ordered under any circumstance to violate the Constitutional rights of their fellow citizens—much less to provide a bizarre photo op for the elected commander-in-chief, with military leadership standing alongside.”
The former defense secretary was describing Trump’s cynical staged appearance in front of a church holding a Bible after his administration used tear gas and flash-bang explosions to disperse a peaceful crowd protesting in front the White House on June 1.
Before the 2018 midterm elections, Trump also deployed active-duty troops to the southern U.S. border as a prop to show how “tough” he was.
Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, who lost both legs serving as a military helicopter pilot in Iraq, said that Esper’s and Milley’s participation in Trump’s photo op in front of the church “sends a horrifying message to our troops — including our black and brown troops — that our military’s leaders will not protect them from unlawful orders.”
The Duty to Disobey Unlawful Orders
Members of the military “will obey lawful orders,” retired Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, wrote for The Atlantic. “But I am less confident in the soundness of the orders they will be given by this commander in chief, and I am not convinced that the conditions on our streets, as bad as they are, have risen to the level that justifies a heavy reliance on military troops.”
The Uniform Code of Military Justice requires that all military personnel obey lawful orders. Article 92 says, “A general order or regulation is lawful unless it is contrary to the Constitution, the laws of the United States.” A law that violates the Constitution or a federal statute is an unlawful order. Both the Army Field Manual and the Nuremberg Principles create a duty to disobey unlawful orders.
Using federal troops for civilian law enforcement violates the Posse Comitatus Act (PCA). The Insurrection Act contains an exception to the PCA. But it is reserved for extreme emergencies and has largely been used to enforce, not to violate, civil rights.
There are four ways to trigger the Insurrection Act to deploy the military on U.S. soil:
First, when the legislature or governor of a state asks the president for assistance to put down an insurrection against the government (section 251);
Second, when the president “considers that unlawful obstructions, combinations, or assemblages, or rebellion against the authority of the United States, make it impracticable to enforce the laws of the United States in any State by the ordinary course of judicial proceedings” (section 252);
Third, when “any insurrection, domestic violence, unlawful combination, or conspiracy” deprives people of a legal right, privilege, immunity, or protection, that results in the denial of Equal Protection (section 253(1)); or
Fourth, where “any insurrection, domestic violence, unlawful combination, or conspiracy …. opposes or obstructs the execution of the laws of the United States or impedes the course of justice under those laws.” (section 253(2)).
Most of the times the Insurrection Act has been invoked have occurred pursuant to section 251. For example, in 1992, California Gov. Pete Wilson asked President George H.W. Bush to deploy federal troops to suppress the uprising after the officers who beat Rodney King were acquitted in their state trial.
Trump would use federal troops to violate, not protect, the civil rights of anti-racist protesters exercising their First Amendment rights.
Section 252, which is triggered by the president’s subjective belief, requires him to find that it is “impracticable” for the courts and criminal legal system to work properly. That threshold has not been met in the current situation. Although courts would be unlikely to overrule the president’s subjective decision, service members may decide that his order was illegal and refuse to obey it.
Moreover, there has been no violation of the Equal Protection Clause sufficient to trigger the use of section 253, which was enacted after the Civil War to ensure that Southern states enforced the federal rights of Black people. In 1962 and 1963, President John F. Kennedy used this section to send federal troops to Alabama and Mississippi to enforce civil rights laws. And President Lyndon Johnson also used section 253 in 1965 to protect civil rights demonstrators from police violence during the march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.
But Trump would use federal troops to violate, not protect, the civil rights of anti-racist protesters exercising their First Amendment rights.
Veterans For Peace called on “all current National Guard members to lay down their weapons and refuse to fight against their neighbors and fellow community members” and “refuse to serve violent and racist interests.” VFP cited “a connection between increasing racist violence in the United States and the massive indiscriminate killing of hundreds of thousands of people in other lands. Growing racism against black, brown and Muslim people in the United States is a reflection of the racism that justifies killing non-white people abroad.”
“To their credit, many soldiers and National Guard members know this is wrong,” said VFP’s Condon. “Some have already gone AWOL. Others are contacting the GI Rights Hotline for information about their legal alternatives. They do not want to attack people right here in the United States.”
The National Lawyers Guild’s Military Law Task Force (MLTF) issued a statement strongly condemning the use of National Guard and other active duty troops against anti-racist protesters. The MLTF is urging “anyone who is activated or deployed or might be facing a future deployment to call us for referral to a civilian attorney or counselor to discuss your options.”
Congress Members Oppose Using Troops Against Protesters
Almost two dozen Democratic senators wrote to Esper and Milley, opposing the use of the Insurrection Act to deploy federal troops within the United States. They called it “a significant departure from important historical uses of the law.” The senators “oppose in the strongest terms the use of U.S. military to impede the First Amendment rights of Americans,” who, they said, “are exercising their civil liberties in a call to hold government institutions to a higher standard in the fight for racial justice.” They added, “The military should never be weaponized by the President to limit these expressions for liberty and justice.”
On June 2, Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia announced he would propose an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act this week to prevent federal funding for the use of military force against protesters.
When called by Rep. Adam Smith, Democratic chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, to testify about the role of the military in the protests, Esper and Milley refused.
Although the outcry against Trump’s deployment of federal troops to Washington pressured him into removing them, he could recall them at any time. We must be vigilant and sustain the opposition to Trump’s illegal use of the military against anti-racist protesters.
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truthout--2020-06-11--Black Lives Matter Movement in Seattle Occupies Six-Block “Autonomous Zone”

Black Lives Matter demonstrators in Seattle flooded City Hall Tuesday night for an evening of speeches and protest as the movement took over a six block area in the Capitol Hill neighborhood and issued a list of demands to city government in an ongoing uprising that appears nowhere near over .
“ We can not have a pacified movement , ” activist Nikkita Oliver said Tuesday in a speech to the so-called “ autonomous zone ” likening the nationwide protests over the killing of George Floyd by four Minneapolis police officers last month to the Civil Rights Movement .
Protesters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , filled City Hall Tuesday night .
Chanting “ Black Lives Matter , ” demonstrators heard speeches and conversations between organizers .
In a speech to the crowd , Sawant emphasized that the movement must concentrate on its political power and how to win concessions from the city .
“ Alongside inspiration , we need to be sober , ” said Sawant .
“ We are not going to win any of our demands and it ’ s pointless making lists and lists of demands unless we have a way to win any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needs a clarity about who ’ s on our side and who ’ s not.
” But Sawant ’ s own ambitions came under fire from the next speaker , Moe ’ Neyah Dene Holland , who chided the council member for “ using Black Lives Matter for your political campaigns , ” such as forcing Mayor Jenny Durkan to resign and levying a tax on Amazon .
“ I want to do all of these things too , ” said Holland , “ but can we please talk about Black Lives Matter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ list of demands , the “ Free Capitol Hill ” group calls for police abolition , racial parity in the city ’ s economy , and changes to Seattle ’ s health and education sectors .
“ This is no simple request to end police brutality , ” the demand list reads .
“ This document is to represent the black voices who spoke in victory at the top of 12th & Pine after 9 days of peaceful protest while under constant nightly attack from the Seattle Police Department , ” the document @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that night , June 8th , 2020.
” The six block area is being staffed by movement volunteers who have insisted that demonstrators respect the infrastructure , including the abandoned East Precinct building .
“ If you see someone doing some bullshit , say something about them doing some bullshit , ” a speaker at the zone told the crowd on Monday night .
“ My body is fucked up right now , and I ’ ll be damned if that shit is wasted.
” On Sunday , police fired tear gas into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported , the attacks sparked outrage from city council members and protesters , coming two days after Mayor Durkan promised a 30-day ban on the chemical weapons .
Protesters and the ACLU have responded to the police attacks by suing the city and police department for the nightly use of “ excessive force against protesters , legal observers , journalists , and medical personnel.
” “ We will not let these violent attacks on our constitutional rights go unchecked , ” said ACLU staff attorney Vera Eidelman on Tuesday .
“ Police can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police brutality with yet more brutality .
”

In its list of demands, the “Free Capitol Hill” group calls for police abolition, economic changes and more.
Black Lives Matter demonstrators in Seattle flooded City Hall Tuesday night for an evening of speeches and protest as the movement took over a six block area in the Capitol Hill neighborhood and issued a list of demands to city government in an ongoing uprising that appears nowhere near over.
“We cannot have a pacified movement,” activist Nikkita Oliver said Tuesday in a speech to the so-called “autonomous zone” likening the nationwide protests over the killing of George Floyd by four Minneapolis police officers last month to the Civil Rights Movement.
Nikkita Oliver addresses the crowd here, urging demonstrators to stick with the movement and not lose momentum. She finishes with a final call: “Stay in the streets, y’all” #seattleprotest pic.twitter.com/412nQChjBY — Ash Shah (@itsashshah) June 10, 2020
Protesters, led by council member Kshama Sawant, filled City Hall Tuesday night. Chanting “Black Lives Matter,” demonstrators heard speeches and conversations between organizers.
Councilmember Sawant has a key to City Hall, allowing protesters to enter and chant for the mayor’s removal. #seattleprotest pic.twitter.com/EyC7GdT4Xh — Jake Goldstein-Street (@GoldsteinStreet) June 10, 2020
In a speech to the crowd, Sawant emphasized that the movement must concentrate on its political power and how to win concessions from the city.
“Alongside inspiration, we need to be sober,” said Sawant. “We are not going to win any of our demands and it’s pointless making lists and lists of demands unless we have a way to win any of them. And winning those demands needs a clarity about who’s on our side and who’s not.”
But Sawant’s own ambitions came under fire from the next speaker, Moe’Neyah Dene Holland, who chided the council member for “using Black Lives Matter for your political campaigns,” such as forcing Mayor Jenny Durkan to resign and levying a tax on Amazon.
“I want to do all of these things too,” said Holland, “but can we please talk about Black Lives Matter for one second?”
One of the first speakers here tells CM Sawant not to co-opt Black Lives Matter as a vehicle for her political ambition and agenda. #seattleprotest pic.twitter.com/Xprx2A6vVH — Jake Goldstein-Street (@GoldsteinStreet) June 10, 2020
In its list of demands, the “Free Capitol Hill” group calls for police abolition, racial parity in the city’s economy, and changes to Seattle’s health and education sectors.
“This is no simple request to end police brutality,” the demand list reads.
“This document is to represent the black voices who spoke in victory at the top of 12th & Pine after 9 days of peaceful protest while under constant nightly attack from the Seattle Police Department,” the document continues. “These are words from that night, June 8th, 2020.”
The people of the Seattle Autonomous Zone have issued their demands—and they are both radical and practical. The city could address most of their demands overnight, and the bigger goals are ultimately achievable, too. Solidarity with Free Capitol Hill! https://t.co/E1yUw81rlg — Kim Kelly (@GrimKim) June 10, 2020
The six block area is being staffed by movement volunteers who have insisted that demonstrators respect the infrastructure, including the abandoned East Precinct building.
“If you see someone doing some bullshit, say something about them doing some bullshit,” a speaker at the zone told the crowd on Monday night. “My body is fucked up right now, and I’ll be damned if that shit is wasted.”
Blessings and bravery to all the good people at #CHAZ tonight. Onward. xo https://t.co/73HXJAvjzD — Ava DuVernay (@ava) June 10, 2020
As the Seattle Times reported:
In a dramatic shift in tactics Monday afternoon, the Police Department boarded up and barricaded its East Precinct and then abandoned the surrounding streetscape to protesters. The night passed peacefully. […] [Durkan spokeswoman Kelsey] Nyland described the decision to withdraw from the East Precinct area Monday night as “an important step in the city’s efforts to lead with de-escalation and begin to rebuild community trust.”
On Sunday, police fired tear gas into crowds of protesters. As Common Dreams reported, the attacks sparked outrage from city council members and protesters, coming two days after Mayor Durkan promised a 30-day ban on the chemical weapons.
Protesters and the ACLU have responded to the police attacks by suing the city and police department for the nightly use of “excessive force against protesters, legal observers, journalists, and medical personnel.”
“We will not let these violent attacks on our constitutional rights go unchecked,” said ACLU staff attorney Vera Eidelman on Tuesday. “Police cannot respond to protesters speaking out against police brutality with yet more brutality.”
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
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truthout--2020-06-11--Police Killed Breonna Taylor in Her Home. Their Report Lists Injuries as “None.”

On Wednesday , Louisville Metro Police released the incident report for the death of emergency room technician Breonna Taylor , a Black woman shot and killed in her apartment by police executing a no-knock search warrant nearly three months ago .
Outcry over Taylor ’ s death and the slow pace of the investigation into the police action that killed her helped spark a wave of Black Lives Matter protests in Louisville and across the world that is still ongoing .
The report , obtained by the Courier Journal newspaper , runs four pages and is almost entirely free of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as the incident ’ s time , date , case number and location , as well as the victim ’ s age ( 26 ) , sex ( female ) and full name , Breonna Shaqulle Taylor .
Under injuries , police reported “ none.
” Officers shot Taylor at least eight times and , according to family lawyers , she died on the floor of her apartment hallway in a pool of blood .
The weapon is listed as a handgun .
The description of the incident is “ death investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ forced entry , ” the box for “ no ” was checked .
Officers reportedly broke down Taylor ’ s apartment door with a battering ram .
The report lists the names and ages of the three officers ( “ Offenders ” ) who fired their weapons : Sgt .
Jon Mattingly , 47 ; Myles Cosgrove , 42 ; and Brett Hankison , 44 .
Each is identified as law enforcement , however , the fields identifying their employer — the Louisville Metro Police Department , as noted in the incident @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Under “ bias motivation , ” the report says : NONE ( NO BIAS ) Most frustratingly , the “ narrative ” section — which is supposed to lay out the events as they happened that night — is blank , save for two words : “ PIU investigation.
” “ This document is proof that LMPD continues to make a mockery of transparency , ” said Jon Fleischaker , legal counsel for the Louisville Courier Journal .
Fleischaker was also a lead author of Kentucky ’ s Open Records law , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , barring exceedingly rare circumstances .
The Courier Journal has filed a lawsuit against LMPD , demanding the immediate release of the investigative file .
Police have refused , citing an ongoing investigation .
( The FBI and the state of Kentucky have each opened investigations into the shooting . )
Here is how the events surrounding Taylor ’ s death have been reported so far .
At 12:40 a.m. the night of March 13 , three plainclothes LMPD officers executed a “ no-knock ” search warrant at Taylor ’ s apartment , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her boyfriend , Kenneth Walker , were in bed asleep .
The officers say they announced themselves , but Walker and neighbors disagree .
One officer claims the group identified themselves as police with a warrant on “ six or seven occasions ” ; Walker says the cops pounded on the door for about 30 seconds , but he did not hear them identify themselves .
After the police took the door , Walker , a licensed gun owner , fired a warning shot at what he believed to be criminals , allegedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leg .
The officers then poured more than 20 rounds into the apartment , with at least eight of them striking Taylor .
Eight minutes later , she was dead in her hallway .
Walker was charged with attempted murder and assault , but Kentucky Commonwealth ’ s Attorney Tom Wine dismissed the charges May 22 , saying “ additional investigation is necessary.
” Wine left open the possibility of re-raising charges pending results of investigations by the FBI and the Kentucky Attorney General ’ s office .
Three days later , video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minneapolis police custody went viral , sparking protests against police violence that spooled out over time into a historic bout of nationwide civil unrest .
Audio of Walker ’ s 911 call , released May 28 , more than two months after Taylor ’ s death , appears to support Walker ’ s claim that he did not understand the intruders were police , and coincided with the surge of national outrage .
Louisville quickly became one of the largest protest hotspots .
Though Police Chief Steve Conrad had initially announced on May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end of June — citing events surrounding Taylor ’ s death — he was relieved of duty less than two weeks later after it was revealed that LMPD officers involved in the June 1 police shooting death of local restaurant owner David McAtee had not turned on their body cameras , in violation of departmental policy , amid several days of citywide demonstrations protesting the deaths of Floyd and Taylor .
The detective who requested the “ no-knock ” warrant has been reassigned , and the matter has since been referred to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the warrant ’ s provenance .
Police did not find any drugs at Taylor ’ s home , the pretext for the warrant .
Nor were the officers investigating Taylor as a primary suspect ; they alleged her apartment had been receiving drugs in the mail .
Moreover , the cops ’ main suspect , Jamarcus Glover , had been apprehended earlier that night , along with his accomplices , before the police broke down Taylor ’ s door .
The department obtained the special warrant because , per the application , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ postal inspector that Jamarcus Glover has been receiving packages ” at Taylor ’ s apartment .
“ Mr .
J. Glover may be keeping narcotics and/or proceeds from the sale of narcotics ” at Taylor ’ s apartment “ for safekeeping , ” the detective added .
But the Louisville postal inspector told local station WDRB News last month that in January another law enforcement agency had asked his office to look into whether suspicious mail was being routed to Taylor ’ s apartment .
They concluded Taylor ’ s mail was clean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ referred to the FBI , which has launched its own investigation into Taylor ’ s death .
Brian Gallini , a University of Arkansas professor and Fourth Amendment expert , told the Courier Journal that he doubted circumstances merited the special warrant , which allows police to enter a home without identifying themselves or knocking .
“ If it was appropriate here , then every routine drug transaction would justify grounds for no-knock , ” he said .
“ Under the Fischer administration , there has been a consistent policy and practice of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going on with the police , regardless of how inappropriate the officer conduct has been — even when it was criminal , as in the LMPD Explorer case , ” Fleischaker told the Courier Journal , referencing Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer .
“ How can we even seriously debate police reform if the police won ’ t engage and the mayor won ’ t stand up to them ?
” There is still no word on whether the officers who shot Taylor will face charges or disciplinary action .
Kentucky state law and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ establish high bars for due process requirements for officers , and Mayor Fischer told local NPR affiliate WFPL that any rash moves that went outside the lines could have consequences , including possible reinstatement .
Pending numerous investigations — federal , state and local — the officers remain on administrative reassignment .
One of them , Brett Hankisson , has since been accused of sexual assault by at least two women .
“ He drove me home in uniform , in his marked car , invited himself into my apartment and sexually assaulted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one accuser posted to Facebook on June 4 .

The report runs four pages and is almost entirely free of information about the no-knock raid that killed Taylor.
On Wednesday, Louisville Metro Police released the incident report for the death of emergency room technician Breonna Taylor, a Black woman shot and killed in her apartment by police executing a no-knock search warrant nearly three months ago. Outcry over Taylor’s death and the slow pace of the investigation into the police action that killed her helped spark a wave of Black Lives Matter protests in Louisville and across the world that is still ongoing.
The report, obtained by the Courier Journal newspaper, runs four pages and is almost entirely free of information.
The report includes baseline facts such as the incident’s time, date, case number and location, as well as the victim’s age (26), sex (female) and full name, Breonna Shaqulle Taylor.
Under injuries, police reported “none.” Officers shot Taylor at least eight times and, according to family lawyers, she died on the floor of her apartment hallway in a pool of blood.
The weapon is listed as a handgun.
The description of the incident is “death investigation — LMPD involved,” but under “forced entry,” the box for “no” was checked. Officers reportedly broke down Taylor’s apartment door with a battering ram.
The report lists the names and ages of the three officers (“Offenders”) who fired their weapons: Sgt. Jon Mattingly, 47; Myles Cosgrove, 42; and Brett Hankison, 44.
Each is identified as law enforcement, however, the fields identifying their employer — the Louisville Metro Police Department, as noted in the incident description — were not filled out.
Under “bias motivation,” the report says: NONE (NO BIAS)
Most frustratingly, the “narrative” section — which is supposed to lay out the events as they happened that night — is blank, save for two words: “PIU investigation.”
“This document is proof that LMPD continues to make a mockery of transparency,” said Jon Fleischaker, legal counsel for the Louisville Courier Journal. Fleischaker was also a lead author of Kentucky’s Open Records law, which mandates the release of all public documents, barring exceedingly rare circumstances.
The Courier Journal has filed a lawsuit against LMPD, demanding the immediate release of the investigative file. Police have refused, citing an ongoing investigation. (The FBI and the state of Kentucky have each opened investigations into the shooting.)
Here is how the events surrounding Taylor’s death have been reported so far.
At 12:40 a.m. the night of March 13, three plainclothes LMPD officers executed a “no-knock” search warrant at Taylor’s apartment, breaking down her door while she and her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, were in bed asleep.
The officers say they announced themselves, but Walker and neighbors disagree. One officer claims the group identified themselves as police with a warrant on “six or seven occasions”; Walker says the cops pounded on the door for about 30 seconds, but he did not hear them identify themselves.
After the police took the door, Walker, a licensed gun owner, fired a warning shot at what he believed to be criminals, allegedly hitting one of the officers in the leg.
The officers then poured more than 20 rounds into the apartment, with at least eight of them striking Taylor. Eight minutes later, she was dead in her hallway.
Walker was charged with attempted murder and assault, but Kentucky Commonwealth’s Attorney Tom Wine dismissed the charges May 22, saying “additional investigation is necessary.”
Wine left open the possibility of re-raising charges pending results of investigations by the FBI and the Kentucky Attorney General’s office.
Three days later, video of the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody went viral, sparking protests against police violence that spooled out over time into a historic bout of nationwide civil unrest.
Audio of Walker’s 911 call, released May 28, more than two months after Taylor’s death, appears to support Walker’s claim that he did not understand the intruders were police, and coincided with the surge of national outrage. Louisville quickly became one of the largest protest hotspots.
Though Police Chief Steve Conrad had initially announced on May 20 that he would retire at the end of June — citing events surrounding Taylor’s death — he was relieved of duty less than two weeks later after it was revealed that LMPD officers involved in the June 1 police shooting death of local restaurant owner David McAtee had not turned on their body cameras, in violation of departmental policy, amid several days of citywide demonstrations protesting the deaths of Floyd and Taylor.
The detective who requested the “no-knock” warrant has been reassigned, and the matter has since been referred to the FBI amid a wash of questions about the warrant’s provenance.
Police did not find any drugs at Taylor’s home, the pretext for the warrant. Nor were the officers investigating Taylor as a primary suspect; they alleged her apartment had been receiving drugs in the mail.
Moreover, the cops’ main suspect, Jamarcus Glover, had been apprehended earlier that night, along with his accomplices, before the police broke down Taylor’s door.
The department obtained the special warrant because, per the application, the detective had “verified through a U.S. postal inspector that Jamarcus Glover has been receiving packages” at Taylor’s apartment.
“Mr. J. Glover may be keeping narcotics and/or proceeds from the sale of narcotics” at Taylor’s apartment “for safekeeping,” the detective added.
But the Louisville postal inspector told local station WDRB News last month that in January another law enforcement agency had asked his office to look into whether suspicious mail was being routed to Taylor’s apartment. They concluded Taylor’s mail was clean.
The warrant process has since been referred to the FBI, which has launched its own investigation into Taylor’s death.
Brian Gallini, a University of Arkansas professor and Fourth Amendment expert, told the Courier Journal that he doubted circumstances merited the special warrant, which allows police to enter a home without identifying themselves or knocking.
“If it was appropriate here, then every routine drug transaction would justify grounds for no-knock,” he said.
“Under the Fischer administration, there has been a consistent policy and practice of refusing to tell the public what is going on with the police, regardless of how inappropriate the officer conduct has been — even when it was criminal, as in the LMPD Explorer case,” Fleischaker told the Courier Journal, referencing Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer.
“How can we even seriously debate police reform if the police won’t engage and the mayor won’t stand up to them?”
There is still no word on whether the officers who shot Taylor will face charges or disciplinary action.
Kentucky state law and LMPD’s police union contract both establish high bars for due process requirements for officers, and Mayor Fischer told local NPR affiliate WFPL that any rash moves that went outside the lines could have consequences, including possible reinstatement.
Pending numerous investigations — federal, state and local — the officers remain on administrative reassignment.
One of them, Brett Hankisson, has since been accused of sexual assault by at least two women.
“He drove me home in uniform, in his marked car, invited himself into my apartment and sexually assaulted me while I was unconscious,” one accuser posted to Facebook on June 4.
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.