truthout--2020-12-16--COVID Cases in Prisons and ICE Immigration Jails Surpass 250,000

The United States has the world ’ s highest incarceration rate and largest systems for locking people up .
As soon as the COVID-19 pandemic began , experts and advocates warned the virus would be amplified by prisons and jails , where social distancing is impossible , ventilation is often poor and people are more likely to have underserved medical needs .
The virus , they warned , would spread quickly both inside and beyond prison walls .
They were right .
As new cases and deaths surge nationwide , the combined number of confirmed cases among people incarcerated in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has surpassed 250,000 , according to federal data and the Marshall Project .
The number of cases has more than quadrupled since July , and infection rates have steadily grown since September .
During the week prior to December 8 , 2,224 new cases were reported nationally , an increase of 10 percent from the week before .
At least 1,665 incarcerated people have died due to the virus , although that may be an undercount , because testing and reporting practices vary wildly across various prison systems .
In the spring , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials and immigration jailers release as many people as possible — if not everyone — and implement clear pandemic protocols , but advocates say decision makers did not move fast enough .
Instead , prison officials and local sheriffs downplayed or simply ignored the crisis , some of them wrongly believing their facilities would be immune from a virus impacting the entire globe .
There were modest dips in incarceration rates during the initial months of the pandemic , in part because some wardens and sheriffs refused to take new prisoners or judges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
However , the decarceration process has been slow and inconsistent across various prison systems , often prodded along by court orders , frustrated state governors , media scandals , and the sheer reality of the pandemic .
Now incarceration rates appear headed in the opposite direction , even as the pandemic reaches its most intense phase to date .
Population drops at state prisons slowed or reversed over the summer , and the number of people held in local jails is the highest since April , according to the Prison Policy Initiative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prioritize prisoners as vaccines become available , but activists say we must rethink mass incarceration altogether .
“ If incarceration stopped violence , the U.S. would be the safest country in the world , ” said Lewis Webb , a healing justice coordinator for the American Friends Service Committee ( AFSC ) .
“ Instead , we have 2.3 million people in cages while our communities lack access to quality health care , education , employment , addiction and mental health services , and an approach to justice that actually addresses the root @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prison and immigration jail staff have tested positive , and at least 112 have died , according to reports and available data .
These workers return home to their families every day , potentially bringing the virus with them .
Prisons and jails topped the New York Times list of largest outbreaks in late summer and early fall , and research now shows that the virus has spread much faster in parts of the country where prisons and immigration jails are located .
The Prison Policy Initiative estimates that mass incarceration added 500,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ summer as outbreaks behind bars spread into surrounding communities .
People released from jail and prison often return to lower-income communities of color , which are disproportionately impacted by mass incarceration and the COVID-19 pandemic , according to the National Academies of Sciences .
Between May and August , jails run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) and its contractors alone were responsible for about 245,000 cases across the country , according to a new report from the Detention Watch Network .
“ The consequences of ICE ’ s callous disregard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its own staff were magnified many times over by the uncontrolled spread of COVID-19 in communities across the country , ” said Gregory Hooks , co-author of the report , in a statement .
“ Counties with ICE facilities were more likely to experience outbreaks of COVID-19 , both small and large ; in the spring , and over the summer , the impacts rippled outward , extending to nearby communities and counties.
” The number of people caged in ICE jails ballooned under the Trump administration ’ s harsh crackdown on immigration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis .
In April , a federal judge in California ruled that ICE delayed its pandemic response with dangerous results and ordered the agency to review its decisions to incarcerate people at particular risk of COVID-19 complications due to health problems .
In October , the judge issued a terse clarifying order after finding that ICE had “ fallen short , ” and its review of custody decisions was a “ disorganized patchwork of non-responses or perfunctory denials.
” Other courts also rebuked ICE and the private contractors that run many of its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judge ordered ICE to stop transferring people to an immigration prison in Farmville , Virginia , after the facility saw an outbreak of 339 cases , according to Detention Watch Network .
In late October , a judge in California ordered an ICE prison in southern California to reduce its population by 250 people to make room for social distancing .
The list goes on .
At least 1,909 people have been released from immigration jails under court orders , according to ICE .
ICE now reports that 16,163 people are incarcerated in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from an average daily population of over 50,000 before COVID hit in 2019 .
However , ICE reports that it has released only 900 people with medical conditions that put them at risk of COVID-19 complications , after reviewing their immigration histories and criminal records .
The population drop is likely driven by pandemic restrictions at the border preventing asylum seekers and migrants from entering the country and being detained in the first place .
Maru Mora-Villalpando , an organizer with La Resistencia , a group led by undocumented people that works to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Washington State , said the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma only recently began releasing immigrants under the court order from April .
The immigration jail is run by GEO Group , a for-profit prison company whose revenue is shaped by the number of people incarcerated under a contract with ICE .
“ They really didn ’ t do anything , until maybe now , ” Mora-Villalpando said in an interview .
Mora-Villalpando said it ’ s unclear how officials at the Northwest Detention Center decide who is released .
One man was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a trailer put in place by volunteers to house people waiting for a ride after their release had left for the night .
The man slept in a tent left by volunteers until Mora-Villalpando found him in the morning , shivering in winter weather without enough warm clothes .
The man suspected he was released late in the day in retaliation for raising complaints and helping others file immigration paperwork , according to Mora-Villalpando .
“ We have seen a lot of releases of … people who are in really bad shape medically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] released months ago , and people who are not sick , ” Mora-Villalpando said .
Mora-Villalpando said at least four people are now on hunger strike at the facility in protest of conditions during a pandemic .
One man , Victor Fonseca , has been on strike for at least 12 days , and three women announced they would join him this week .
Immigrants have launched more than 100 protest actions and hunger strikes in ICE jails across the U.S .
Earlier this year , Mora-Villalpando said people caged at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” with their bodies in the jail yard that was visible from the sky .
“ I can ’ t eat this food — it has gotten worse in here since the pandemic started , ” said Gloria , one of the hunger strikers , in a phone call to supporters .
“ I ’ m afraid of eating the food and getting COVID-19 because the virus is all around us.
” ICE reports that one person has tested positive for COVID at the Northwest Detention Center , but Mora-Villalpando says her group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the facility .
A man was recently put in medical isolation after suffering chills and a fever , but a report submitted under court orders due to ongoing litigation claimed the man was asymptomatic , according to La Resistencia .
Mora-Villalpando said this is another example of ICE attempting to cover for its inability to control the virus — and why people still incarcerated at the jail fear for their lives .
Now that ICE is finally releasing people from the Northwest Detention Center and other immigration jails across the country to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months into the pandemic , Mora-Villalpando said it goes to show that thousands of people were needlessly incarcerated under the Trump administration ’ s border crackdown .
The population at the Northwest Detention Center has dropped from more than 1,500 to 300 in recent weeks .
“ Thousands of people are in immigration detention — including people who recently came to the U.S. seeking asylum and those who have lived here with their families for years before getting caught up in the Trump administration ’ s cruel immigration policies , ” said Kristin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Human Migration and Mobility , in a statement .
“ I think it shows that there was no need in the first place for these huge numbers in detention centers , ” Mora-Villalpando said .
The hunger strikers and La Resistencia are demanding that the remaining 300 people be released , starting with the most medically vulnerable .
Activists across the country are holding actions this week calling for the release of prisoners during the pandemic and pushing new visions of public safety under the hashtag # FreeThemAll .

Activists across the country are holding actions this week calling for the release of prisoners during the pandemic.
Part of the Series Despair and Disparity: The Uneven Burdens of COVID-19
The United States has the world’s highest incarceration rate and largest systems for locking people up. As soon as the COVID-19 pandemic began, experts and advocates warned the virus would be amplified by prisons and jails, where social distancing is impossible, ventilation is often poor and people are more likely to have underserved medical needs.
The virus, they warned, would spread quickly both inside and beyond prison walls. They were right.
As new cases and deaths surge nationwide, the combined number of confirmed cases among people incarcerated in immigration jails and state and federal prisons has surpassed 250,000, according to federal data and the Marshall Project. The number of cases has more than quadrupled since July, and infection rates have steadily grown since September. During the week prior to December 8, 2,224 new cases were reported nationally, an increase of 10 percent from the week before.
At least 1,665 incarcerated people have died due to the virus, although that may be an undercount, because testing and reporting practices vary wildly across various prison systems.
In the spring, activists demanded that local sheriffs, prison officials and immigration jailers release as many people as possible — if not everyone — and implement clear pandemic protocols, but advocates say decision makers did not move fast enough. Instead, prison officials and local sheriffs downplayed or simply ignored the crisis, some of them wrongly believing their facilities would be immune from a virus impacting the entire globe.
There were modest dips in incarceration rates during the initial months of the pandemic, in part because some wardens and sheriffs refused to take new prisoners or judges ordered the release of the medically vulnerable. However, the decarceration process has been slow and inconsistent across various prison systems, often prodded along by court orders, frustrated state governors, media scandals, and the sheer reality of the pandemic.
Now incarceration rates appear headed in the opposite direction, even as the pandemic reaches its most intense phase to date. Population drops at state prisons slowed or reversed over the summer, and the number of people held in local jails is the highest since April, according to the Prison Policy Initiative. Public health experts are pushing to prioritize prisoners as vaccines become available, but activists say we must rethink mass incarceration altogether.
Research now shows that the virus has spread much faster in parts of the country where prisons and immigration jails are located.
“If incarceration stopped violence, the U.S. would be the safest country in the world,” said Lewis Webb, a healing justice coordinator for the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC). “Instead, we have 2.3 million people in cages while our communities lack access to quality health care, education, employment, addiction and mental health services, and an approach to justice that actually addresses the root causes of violence.”
More than 66,000 prison and immigration jail staff have tested positive, and at least 112 have died, according to reports and available data. These workers return home to their families every day, potentially bringing the virus with them. Prisons and jails topped the New York Times list of largest outbreaks in late summer and early fall, and research now shows that the virus has spread much faster in parts of the country where prisons and immigration jails are located.
The Prison Policy Initiative estimates that mass incarceration added 500,000 COVID cases over the three months of summer as outbreaks behind bars spread into surrounding communities. People released from jail and prison often return to lower-income communities of color, which are disproportionately impacted by mass incarceration and the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the National Academies of Sciences.
Between May and August, jails run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and its contractors alone were responsible for about 245,000 cases across the country, according to a new report from the Detention Watch Network.
“The consequences of ICE’s callous disregard for the health of people detained and its own staff were magnified many times over by the uncontrolled spread of COVID-19 in communities across the country,” said Gregory Hooks, co-author of the report, in a statement. “Counties with ICE facilities were more likely to experience outbreaks of COVID-19, both small and large; in the spring, and over the summer, the impacts rippled outward, extending to nearby communities and counties.”
The number of people caged in ICE jails ballooned under the Trump administration’s harsh crackdown on immigration and set the stage for a COVID crisis. In April, a federal judge in California ruled that ICE delayed its pandemic response with dangerous results and ordered the agency to review its decisions to incarcerate people at particular risk of COVID-19 complications due to health problems. In October, the judge issued a terse clarifying order after finding that ICE had “fallen short,” and its review of custody decisions was a “disorganized patchwork of non-responses or perfunctory denials.”
Other courts also rebuked ICE and the private contractors that run many of its jails. In August, a federal judge ordered ICE to stop transferring people to an immigration prison in Farmville, Virginia, after the facility saw an outbreak of 339 cases, according to Detention Watch Network. In late October, a judge in California ordered an ICE prison in southern California to reduce its population by 250 people to make room for social distancing. The list goes on. At least 1,909 people have been released from immigration jails under court orders, according to ICE.
ICE now reports that 16,163 people are incarcerated in its jails across the country, down from an average daily population of over 50,000 before COVID hit in 2019. However, ICE reports that it has released only 900 people with medical conditions that put them at risk of COVID-19 complications, after reviewing their immigration histories and criminal records. The population drop is likely driven by pandemic restrictions at the border preventing asylum seekers and migrants from entering the country and being detained in the first place.
Maru Mora-Villalpando, an organizer with La Resistencia, a group led by undocumented people that works to end the deportation and incarceration of immigrants in Washington State, said the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma only recently began releasing immigrants under the court order from April. The immigration jail is run by GEO Group, a for-profit prison company whose revenue is shaped by the number of people incarcerated under a contract with ICE.
“They really didn’t do anything, until maybe now,” Mora-Villalpando said in an interview.
Mora-Villalpando said it’s unclear how officials at the Northwest Detention Center decide who is released. One man was recently released in the evening, after a trailer put in place by volunteers to house people waiting for a ride after their release had left for the night. The man slept in a tent left by volunteers until Mora-Villalpando found him in the morning, shivering in winter weather without enough warm clothes. The man suspected he was released late in the day in retaliation for raising complaints and helping others file immigration paperwork, according to Mora-Villalpando.
“We have seen a lot of releases of … people who are in really bad shape medically [and] should have [been] released months ago, and people who are not sick,” Mora-Villalpando said.
Mora-Villalpando said at least four people are now on hunger strike at the facility in protest of conditions during a pandemic. One man, Victor Fonseca, has been on strike for at least 12 days, and three women announced they would join him this week. Immigrants have launched more than 100 protest actions and hunger strikes in ICE jails across the U.S. Earlier this year, Mora-Villalpando said people caged at the Northwest Detention Center formed an “S.O.S.” with their bodies in the jail yard that was visible from the sky.
“I can’t eat this food — it has gotten worse in here since the pandemic started,” said Gloria, one of the hunger strikers, in a phone call to supporters. “I’m afraid of eating the food and getting COVID-19 because the virus is all around us.”
ICE reports that one person has tested positive for COVID at the Northwest Detention Center, but Mora-Villalpando says her group has reports of an additional case inside the facility. A man was recently put in medical isolation after suffering chills and a fever, but a report submitted under court orders due to ongoing litigation claimed the man was asymptomatic, according to La Resistencia.
Mora-Villalpando said this is another example of ICE attempting to cover for its inability to control the virus — and why people still incarcerated at the jail fear for their lives. Now that ICE is finally releasing people from the Northwest Detention Center and other immigration jails across the country to make room for social distancing more than six months into the pandemic, Mora-Villalpando said it goes to show that thousands of people were needlessly incarcerated under the Trump administration’s border crackdown. The population at the Northwest Detention Center has dropped from more than 1,500 to 300 in recent weeks.
“Thousands of people are in immigration detention — including people who recently came to the U.S. seeking asylum and those who have lived here with their families for years before getting caught up in the Trump administration’s cruel immigration policies,” said Kristin Kumpf, AFSC’s director of Human Migration and Mobility, in a statement.
Mora-Villalpando agreed.
“I think it shows that there was no need in the first place for these huge numbers in detention centers,” Mora-Villalpando said.
The hunger strikers and La Resistencia are demanding that the remaining 300 people be released, starting with the most medically vulnerable. Activists across the country are holding actions this week calling for the release of prisoners during the pandemic and pushing new visions of public safety under the hashtag #FreeThemAll.
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truthout--2020-12-16--Nina Turner Pledges “No Honeymoon” for Biden as She Launches Bid for Congress

We speak with Nina Turner , one of Bernie Sanders ’ s top allies , the day after she announced she is running for Congress in Ohio to fill the seat of Congressmember Marcia Fudge , who Biden tapped to head the Department of Housing and Urban Development .
Turner has promised to hold the Biden team accountable and pressure the incoming administration to enact a progressive agenda .
“ I ’ m running in service of the people , ” says Turner .
“ We need more , not just bold voices , but people who will take action @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to standing up for what is just , for what is right and for what is good.
” Turner is a former state senator from Ohio who served as president of Our Revolution , the progressive organization spun out of the 2016 Bernie Sanders campaign , and national co-chair of Bernie Sanders ’ s 2020 presidential campaign .
If elected , she will join the growing progressive wing of the Democratic Party in Congress .
This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The former Ohio state senator became a national figure as one of presidential candidate Bernie Sanders ’ most visible allies , in his 2020 campaign , national co-chair .
On Tuesday , she announced she ’ s now launching her own campaign .
AMY GOODMAN : Nina Turner is running to fill a seat left open by Congressmember Marcia Fudge , who was tapped by the Biden administration to be secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development .
Turner is now the third candidate to announce their candidacy in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County Democratic Party Chair Shontel Brown and former Ohio State Senator Jeff Johnson .
Bernie Sanders , California Congressmember Ro Khanna , Congresswoman-elect from Missouri Cori Bush have all lined up to endorse Nina Turner ’ s campaign .
If elected , she ’ ll join the growing progressive wing of the Democratic Party in Congress , which has been putting pressure on other lawmakers to pass a second coronavirus stimulus package amidst the largest spike in COVID infections since the start of the pandemic .
The relief package currently being considered does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American families , despite a surge in unemployment and evictions by the end of the month .
Nina Turner ’ s platform includes direct COVID relief payments , Medicare for All , free college and a $ 15-an-hour minimum wage .
She has also been a vocal part of the movement to hold President-elect Joe Biden accountable to the grassroots organizers and communities that helped elect him .
AMY GOODMAN : “ No Honeymoon ” was produced by RootsAction .
Nina Turner ’ s campaign announcement comes as Biden announced more Cabinet picks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , mayor and presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg will be nominated to be secretary of transportation .
Former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm has been tapped to be secretary of energy .
Politico reports Biden has quietly expanded his transition team to include veterans from Goldman Sachs , McKinsey & Company , Facebook and Google .
Well , for more on the Cabinet , coronavirus relief and her run for Congress , Nina Turner joins us now from Cleveland , Ohio .
We welcome you to Democracy Now !
It ’ s great to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nina Turner .
Can you talk about why you have thrown your hat in the ring ?
NINA TURNER : Well , this moment calls for that .
I mean , this is my home .
I am a daughter of Cleveland .
I ’ ve lived in the 11th Congressional District , served in this district as a councilwoman , as a state senator , as you have laid out .
I was the Democratic nominee for secretary of state in 2014 , fighting against one of the worst secretaries of state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have done heretofore has been because of my love for my community and my love for this nation , to stand up and make sure that people understand that they deserve better than what they have been getting .
I definitely congratulate Congresswoman Marcia Fudge for being tapped for the secretary of HUD position .
There has not been a Black woman , I believe , in that position in over 40 years .
And the greater Cleveland area has a lot to be proud of .
The state of Ohio has a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m running in service of the people .
And we need more , not just bold voices , but people who will take action and will be fearless when it comes to standing up for what is just , for what is right and for what is good .
So , in your title , Amy — and to Juan , good morning — Democracy Now !
, we need this type of leadership right now .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : Well , Nina Turner , do you expect much pushback from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the progressive wing of the Democratic Party ?
There ’ s been some talk that Dennis Kucinich , who had been toying with a possibility of running for mayor of Cleveland again , may also consider running for this seat , as well ?
NINA TURNER : Yes , that is true .
The more , the merrier .
I mean , this is what democracy is all about .
People should be able to run .
You know , I don ’ t come from the school that tries to push @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GONZÁLEZ : And in terms of the key policies that you would — NINA TURNER : — within the Democratic Party all over the country , that ’ s been — AMY GOODMAN : We ’ re having a little bit of a video stutter here , so sometimes you break up , Nina .
Go ahead , Juan .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : Yeah , I was just going to ask : In terms of some of the key policies that you would run as the plank of your campaign , could you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yes , $ 15-an-hour minimum wage , a living wage , people deserve that .
It is immoral how the working class of this nation , from all backgrounds , have steadily not — their wages have not kept pace with inflation .
And so , we have to , especially , Juan — even before the pandemic , but especially now , how are people going to survive ?
And if you can ’ t even survive , you will never get to thrive .
COVID relief , absolutely .
It is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sides of the Congress and the current president — that there has not been a second stimulus package for the American people that contains direct payment .
That is a must .
It is a necessity ; it ’ s not a luxury .
And we need to follow the lead of other industrialized nations who have set in place — either folks get checks on a regular basis and/or helping the businesses that employ them be able to [ inaudible ] .
It is a shame that this hegemon nation has not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should be ashamed .
AMY GOODMAN : Democratic Congressmember Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez talked about the COVID relief package during an Instagram Live video last week .
This is what she said .
AMY GOODMAN : So , that is New York Congressmember Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez .
A bipartisan group of senators introduced a COVID relief bill Monday that does not include direct cash payments .
It does include a so-called liability shield for businesses , which Republicans secured in exchange for agreeing to approve funding for local and state governments .
Bernie Sanders says he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this corporate liability shield .
You have Congress , that has a majority of members who are millionaires , saying no to , at this point , a COVID stimulus , though McConnell now says he will move forward , though he ’ s absolutely insisting on this shield for corporations .
Talk about the significance of this , and what exactly you want to see in a stimulus package .
NINA TURNER : I definitely , Amy , want to see a guaranteed basic income , not a one check .
You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : That one-time check does nothing , even if it was in there .
We need guaranteed basic income , especially for the magnitude of this particular crisis .
Amy and Juan , it shows a heartlessness .
If you want to talk about a shield for businesses , what about the shield for the American people ?
What about the shield for folks who are facing eviction ?
What about the shield for people who go to bed hungry every night ?
What about the shield for the homeless ?
This is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s business , their bidding .
And the American people are going to have to stand up and say , in the words of Fannie Lou Hamer , “ I ’ m sick and tired of being sick and tired.
” How heartless do you have to be to care more about industry and corporations than you do about the everyday people of this nation , Amy ?
It can not — this can not continue .
And the healthcare portion of it , absolutely right , we need Medicare for All @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic .
We especially need it right now .
And we know that millions , almost 14 , 15 million people , have lost their “ employer-sponsored , ” air-quote , healthcare , on top of the millions of people , almost 97 million or so people , who were already uninsured or underinsured .
This is a crisis of epic proportions .
It was a crisis before the COVID , and it is especially a crisis right now .
And it can not be tolerated .
It can not stand .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : Well , Nina Turner , the latest reports coming out of Washington last night were suggesting that the compromise effort would separate this stimulus into two bills : one that would include the federal aid to cities and states and the liability shield for corporations , and a separate one that would deal with assistance to ordinary Americans .
Admittedly , it would only have $ 300 in additional unemployment benefits instead of the $ 600 from last time , but it would include some rental assistance and some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s advisable , if you were in Congress right now , to go ahead and pass the bigger bill and then wait until the new Congress comes in , in January , to decide on the liability shield and the municipal assistance ?
NINA TURNER : Well , they shouldn ’ t be connecting that liability shield to the municipal assistance .
You know , as a state senator , I had to deal often with cuts to local government .
And to put those two things together , Juan , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
They ’ re playing games with the American people .
You know , this is a complicated issue .
I believe firmly that we ’ ve got to — we have to get the checks .
The $ 300 is certainly not enough at all .
As a matter of fact , we ’ re going backwards and not going forward .
And we ’ ve got to awaken the sleeping giants in this country , Juan .
It ’ s unacceptable .
The American people — and I know COVID @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t want anybody to get COVID , but we ’ ve got to stand up strong .
And we ’ ve got to find a way to make it known that this kind of throwing crumbs , if you will , will not be tolerated .
We need a social contract .
That is our money , Juan and Amy .
Our money .
And I want the American people to understand that you ’ ve got people in the Congress , in both chambers , who are playing games with our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back to the American people that fund — that fund — this nation , period .
So , it just can not be accepted .
AMY GOODMAN : This is former Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders speaking to MSNBC about the incoming Biden administration ’ s Cabinet .
AMY GOODMAN : So , there is Bernie Sanders — you were co-chair of his national campaign — looking for progressive representation at the Cabinet level .
He was pushing , apparently , very hard for labor secretary .
Any word if that is going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then if you can respond to Joe Biden saying — you know , pushing people to back off before the January 5th runoff election , senatorial races , in Georgia , that will determine the balance of the Senate ?
You just narrated that film that says “ no honeymoon.
” So , first , what would a Bernie Sanders as labor secretary mean ?
And are you satisfied with the Cabinet so far ?
NINA TURNER : Having Senator Sanders as labor secretary would change everything .
As we know , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ house of labor .
Even in this last presidential run , when the Walmart workers could have picked from any of the 25 or so candidates running on the Democratic side , they chose Senator Bernie Sanders to come to that meeting of stakeholders and represent them .
He has been on the streets with the house of labor .
So , not just in the House of Representatives , and now the Senate , talking about it , he has been on the streets with the workers .
He is the ultimate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , his vision for labor , the $ 15-an-hour minimum wage , making sure people have a right to form a union , you name it , he ’ s been there .
He would be an extraordinary labor secretary .
In terms of the Cabinet picks so far , I mean , yes , I certainly agree with the senator : There have not been a lot of progressives put up thus far .
We ’ ve got to do better .
I mean , I would love to see stratification economist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dr. Debra Furr-Holden , people like Michael Render , aka Killer Mike .
Oh my god , what kind of Cabinet would that be !
Certainly members of Congress , like Congresswoman Barbara Lee or Congresswoman Karen Bass .
Those are the other types of people that they should be looking at to put in that Cabinet so that he has a robust — people in there with a robust commitment , who will not flinch , to lead and to serve , but to clearly be on the side of the poor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ middle class in this country .
That is what we need , Amy .
And I don ’ t see that thus far .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : I wanted to ask you about the issue of immigration .
We ’ re seeing reports now of a increasing surge of migrants coming to the Mexican border , trying to cross the Mexican border .
Obviously , there have been a few major hurricanes in Central America that have devastated huge portions of Central America .
What kind of advice or pressure would you put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to what he should do in terms of immigration — reversing the immigration policies of President Trump , especially given the fact that we may be facing a new surge of migrants at the border ?
NINA TURNER : Yeah , absolutely , Juan .
So , that ’ s job number one .
Whatever he could do via executive order to overturn or — yeah , overturn or reverse , rather , what President Trump has done in his heartless administration should be done .
And then , beyond that , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the climate crisis , that in many ways is driving this .
There ’ s a push-and-pull factor that happens when you have this kind of disruption .
So , whether it ’ s famine , whether it is the weather — you know , hurricanes , tornadoes — you ’ re going to have people all over the world who need relief .
And so , in that particular case , the president-elect needs to bring together world leaders so that we can deal with this issue .
Climate crisis and immigration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with as a world , because we , the United States , should certainly be one of the many leaders — not the only one , but one of the many leaders — that deals with these types of complex issues that impact the everyday lives of our sisters and brothers all over the world .
We should do that as a collective , as a coalition .
That is how we ’ re going to build the type of strength that we need , not only in our country , but in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said , “ What happens to one directly happens to us all indirectly.
” And the COVID virus has certainly shown that .
The pandemic has shown that .
And the climate crisis that we have , that is driving most of this , not all of it , has shown that , as well .
And so it needs a world — a national and a worldwide response .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : And speaking of the COVID crisis that you mentioned , the reports in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the wealthy nations of the world have basically been locking up the supplies of vaccines that are coming out right now to deal with the pandemic , says Canada has already locked five — the ability to — contracts to inoculate their people five times over their population ; the United States , three times over its population ; the European Union and the United Kingdom .
Meanwhile , the nations of Africa , Asia and Latin America , very few of them have been able to obtain supplies of the vaccine until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the inequity here of who ’ s going to be getting this vaccine , or these vaccines ?
NINA TURNER : It is the height of inequity .
But it is a formula that has been carried out throughout the history of this world : You leave the Black and Brown nations in peril , vulnerable , and nations that are primarily white or European , they get to lock it up .
That can not stand , either , because , again , the connection — we are certainly citizens of our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also citizens of the world .
And another example of what affects one directly affects us all indirectly is called a pandemic for a reason .
And so , world leaders to be — that ’ s a level of selfishness that will impact everybody .
So , we can run , but we can ’ t hide .
So , those nations that have locked up the vaccine in that way may think what they ’ re doing is OK and good for their citizens , but ultimately it is not , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that there is no border when it comes to something of this magnitude .
It ’ s the wrong thing to do , Juan , and it must be — we ’ ve got to stand up against that , as well .
We can ’ t accept that .
So , the nations of Canada and the United States and others , that can ’ t sit well with us .
AMY GOODMAN : And finally , Nina Turner , in 2014 , Cleveland police officer Timothy Loehmann shot Tamir Rice within @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where he was playing with a pellet gun .
He was 12 years old .
When Tamir ’ s 14-year-old sister rushed to her brother ’ s side , they tackled her to the ground , handcuffed her and put her in their cruiser .
Tamir Rice died the next day .
Neither officer was indicted .
Very quietly , in October , the Trump administration ended a civil rights investigation into the police killing of Rice .
The New York Times reports the Justice Department ignored pleas by career prosecutors to open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s killing for more than two years before denying the request in 2019 .
Nina Turner , we went with you in 2016 during the Democratic National Convention in Cleveland to that park , and you showed us where Tamir Rice was shot by police .
If you could , finally , talk about the issue of defunding the police , and also the fact that Joe Biden says no to defunding the police and no to Medicare for All ?
NINA TURNER : Well , Amy , the Medicare for All is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know some folks don ’ t want to use the term “ defund the police , ” but we have a crisis in this country that is a long time in the making .
None of this stuff happened overnight .
And , Amy , you ’ re absolutely right .
I mean , I know my face can not be seen right now , but , yes , you and I were at that park .
You know , I was in the last term of my Senate term in 2014 when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And I called then-Governor John Kasich .
And I didn ’ t call him as a state senator ; I called him as a Black mother and American .
I think I shared some of this with you , Amy .
And I said , “ Governor , we ’ ve got to do something .
We can not let folks explode in this state , and they have every reason to do so .
We ’ ve got to let them know that we hear their cries .
What happened to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ son , to any other Black mother ’ s or Black father ’ s son .
And it can not stand at all .
I mean , we have to do something.
” And to his credit , he did .
And that is how we were able to launch the Task Force on Community-Police Relations and , for the first time in the history of our state , to have standards by which law enforcement agencies have to abide by and have the community be able to judge them and critique whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ standards .
Amy , a crisis in this nation a long time coming , generationally , the way that police and then other law enforcement agencies were set in this country , never to really protect and serve the Black community , but rather to be there to lord over the Black community , historically .
And that is embedded in the DNA of this country .
And let me say this , because my husband is a retired police officer , our son is in law enforcement right now , so I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , both warning and understanding that the really very real dangers of being out there to try to protect and serve , those that have the mindset to do so , and then understanding that both of my Black men have been racially profiled throughout their life .
We have got to , as a nation , rethink policing in this country .
We have got to put the requisite resources in mental health , the requisite resources in education , the requisite resources in making sure that people have a job , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people can live in safe communities .
We need to overhaul the entire system .
It ’ s not just what happens in policing ; it is what happens with judges and prosecutors .
It is the entire system .
Some people may call that “ defund the police.
” The more important aspect here is that we must totally reform — and some people would say “ transform ” — and destroy and rebuild the way that the legal system works in this country .
AMY GOODMAN : Nina Turner , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it there , but we expect to be talking to you soon in the future , candidate for Ohio ’ s 11th congressional seat , announced yesterday .
She ’ s former national co-chair of the Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential campaign , former Ohio state senator .
When we come back , immigrant rights activists are pushing Biden to enact a moratorium on deportations and release people from immigrant jails .
Stay with us .

We speak with Nina Turner, one of Bernie Sanders’s top allies, the day after she announced she is running for Congress in Ohio to fill the seat of Congressmember Marcia Fudge, who Biden tapped to head the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Turner has promised to hold the Biden team accountable and pressure the incoming administration to enact a progressive agenda. “I’m running in service of the people,” says Turner. “We need more, not just bold voices, but people who will take action and will be fearless when it comes to standing up for what is just, for what is right and for what is good.” Turner is a former state senator from Ohio who served as president of Our Revolution, the progressive organization spun out of the 2016 Bernie Sanders campaign, and national co-chair of Bernie Sanders’s 2020 presidential campaign. If elected, she will join the growing progressive wing of the Democratic Party in Congress.
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: Nina Turner is running for Congress. The former Ohio state senator became a national figure as one of presidential candidate Bernie Sanders’ most visible allies, in his 2020 campaign, national co-chair. On Tuesday, she announced she’s now launching her own campaign.
NINA TURNER: Today, I am announcing my candidacy for Congress for the 11th Congressional District of Ohio.
AMY GOODMAN: Nina Turner is running to fill a seat left open by Congressmember Marcia Fudge, who was tapped by the Biden administration to be secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Turner is now the third candidate to announce their candidacy in the 11th District, following Cuyahoga councilwoman, County Democratic Party Chair Shontel Brown and former Ohio State Senator Jeff Johnson.
Bernie Sanders, California Congressmember Ro Khanna, Congresswoman-elect from Missouri Cori Bush have all lined up to endorse Nina Turner’s campaign. If elected, she’ll join the growing progressive wing of the Democratic Party in Congress, which has been putting pressure on other lawmakers to pass a second coronavirus stimulus package amidst the largest spike in COVID infections since the start of the pandemic. The relief package currently being considered does not include direct COVID relief payments for American families, despite a surge in unemployment and evictions by the end of the month.
Nina Turner’s platform includes direct COVID relief payments, Medicare for All, free college and a $15-an-hour minimum wage. She has also been a vocal part of the movement to hold President-elect Joe Biden accountable to the grassroots organizers and communities that helped elect him.
Nina Turner narrated a video released today titled “No Honeymoon”.
NEWS ANCHOR: CNN projects Joseph R. Biden Jr. is elected the 46th president of the United States. NINA TURNER: “No honeymoon.” What do we mean by that? We mean that we the people hold the power, that we must continue to fight for what is just, right and good, and fight against what is not just, right and good. We mean that we must have solidarity and commitment, one to another. We who believe in freedom cannot rest. What do we mean by that? That as long as there are injustices, we will continue to fight. What do we mean by that? We know that when everyday people put a little extra on their ordinary, extraordinary things happen. ACTIVIST: The pressure on Biden starts now! We are holding him accountable because we got him elected! NINA TURNER: We mean we will continue to pursue those things that lift and edify, and we will reject those things that do not. We mean that we will not be seduced by smiles. We need action, and we need it right now. We will not relent. And that’s what we mean when we say “no honeymoon.”
AMY GOODMAN: “No Honeymoon” was produced by RootsAction. Nina Turner’s campaign announcement comes as Biden announced more Cabinet picks Tuesday. Former South Bend, Indiana, mayor and presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg will be nominated to be secretary of transportation. Former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm has been tapped to be secretary of energy. Politico reports Biden has quietly expanded his transition team to include veterans from Goldman Sachs, McKinsey & Company, Facebook and Google.
Well, for more on the Cabinet, coronavirus relief and her run for Congress, Nina Turner joins us now from Cleveland, Ohio.
We welcome you to Democracy Now! It’s great to have you with us, former state legislator Nina Turner. Can you talk about why you have thrown your hat in the ring?
NINA TURNER: Well, this moment calls for that. I mean, this is my home. I am a daughter of Cleveland. I’ve lived in the 11th Congressional District, served in this district as a councilwoman, as a state senator, as you have laid out. I was the Democratic nominee for secretary of state in 2014, fighting against one of the worst secretaries of state in this country. All that I have done heretofore has been because of my love for my community and my love for this nation, to stand up and make sure that people understand that they deserve better than what they have been getting.
I definitely congratulate Congresswoman Marcia Fudge for being tapped for the secretary of HUD position. There has not been a Black woman, I believe, in that position in over 40 years. And the greater Cleveland area has a lot to be proud of. The state of Ohio has a lot to be proud of.
But I’m running in service of the people. And we need more, not just bold voices, but people who will take action and will be fearless when it comes to standing up for what is just, for what is right and for what is good. So, in your title, Amy — and to Juan, good morning — Democracy Now!, we need this type of leadership right now.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Well, Nina Turner, do you expect much pushback from the Democratic establishment or possible even competitors on the progressive wing of the Democratic Party? There’s been some talk that Dennis Kucinich, who had been toying with a possibility of running for mayor of Cleveland again, may also consider running for this seat, as well?
NINA TURNER: Yes, that is true. The more, the merrier. I mean, this is what democracy is all about. People should be able to run. You know, I don’t come from the school that tries to push people out of an election —
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And in terms of the key policies that you would —
NINA TURNER: — within the Democratic Party all over the country, that’s been —
AMY GOODMAN: We’re having a little bit of a video stutter here, so sometimes you break up, Nina. Go ahead, Juan.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Yeah, I was just going to ask: In terms of some of the key policies that you would run as the plank of your campaign, could you talk about those?
NINA TURNER: Yes, $15-an-hour minimum wage, a living wage, people deserve that. It is immoral how the working class of this nation, from all backgrounds, have steadily not — their wages have not kept pace with inflation. And so, we have to, especially, Juan — even before the pandemic, but especially now, how are people going to survive? And if you can’t even survive, you will never get to thrive.
COVID relief, absolutely. It is immoral — and that is for both sides of the Congress and the current president — that there has not been a second stimulus package for the American people that contains direct payment. That is a must. It is a necessity; it’s not a luxury. And we need to follow the lead of other industrialized nations who have set in place — either folks get checks on a regular basis and/or helping the businesses that employ them be able to [inaudible]. It is a shame that this hegemon nation has not done that heretofore. And we all should be ashamed.
AMY GOODMAN: Democratic Congressmember Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez talked about the COVID relief package during an Instagram Live video last week. This is what she said.
REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO–CORTEZ: What Mitch McConnell said is that we want to give big corporations total immunity for five years from COVID-related lawsuits. Now, if we do that, if we accept that for a one-time $1,200 check or a super short expansion of unemployment insurance, the deal is, is that you’re going to end up behind, because you may get one $1,200 check, on one hand, but you also may also get a multimillion-dollar hospital bill, with no recourse and no ability to protect yourself from a negligent corporation or employer. And so, that’s not worth it, right? Your check is not worth your life.
AMY GOODMAN: So, that is New York Congressmember Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. A bipartisan group of senators introduced a COVID relief bill Monday that does not include direct cash payments. It does include a so-called liability shield for businesses, which Republicans secured in exchange for agreeing to approve funding for local and state governments. Bernie Sanders says he will not support a bill that includes this corporate liability shield. You have Congress, that has a majority of members who are millionaires, saying no to, at this point, a COVID stimulus, though McConnell now says he will move forward, though he’s absolutely insisting on this shield for corporations. Talk about the significance of this, and what exactly you want to see in a stimulus package.
NINA TURNER: I definitely, Amy, want to see a guaranteed basic income, not a one check. You know, Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez is absolutely correct: That one-time check does nothing, even if it was in there. We need guaranteed basic income, especially for the magnitude of this particular crisis.
Amy and Juan, it shows a heartlessness. If you want to talk about a shield for businesses, what about the shield for the American people? What about the shield for folks who are facing eviction? What about the shield for people who go to bed hungry every night? What about the shield for the homeless? This is a heartless way to do the people’s business, their bidding. And the American people are going to have to stand up and say, in the words of Fannie Lou Hamer, “I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.” How heartless do you have to be to care more about industry and corporations than you do about the everyday people of this nation, Amy? It cannot — this cannot continue.
And the healthcare portion of it, absolutely right, we need Medicare for All right now. We needed it before the pandemic. We especially need it right now. And we know that millions, almost 14, 15 million people, have lost their “employer-sponsored,” air-quote, healthcare, on top of the millions of people, almost 97 million or so people, who were already uninsured or underinsured. This is a crisis of epic proportions. It was a crisis before the COVID, and it is especially a crisis right now. And it cannot be tolerated. It cannot stand. And we’ve got to fight.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Well, Nina Turner, the latest reports coming out of Washington last night were suggesting that the compromise effort would separate this stimulus into two bills: one that would include the federal aid to cities and states and the liability shield for corporations, and a separate one that would deal with assistance to ordinary Americans. Admittedly, it would only have $300 in additional unemployment benefits instead of the $600 from last time, but it would include some rental assistance and some food assistance. Do you think it’s advisable, if you were in Congress right now, to go ahead and pass the bigger bill and then wait until the new Congress comes in, in January, to decide on the liability shield and the municipal assistance?
NINA TURNER: Well, they shouldn’t be connecting that liability shield to the municipal assistance. You know, as a state senator, I had to deal often with cuts to local government. And to put those two things together, Juan, we know exactly why they’re doing it. They’re playing games with the American people. You know, this is a complicated issue. I believe firmly that we’ve got to — we have to get the checks. The $300 is certainly not enough at all. As a matter of fact, we’re going backwards and not going forward.
And we’ve got to awaken the sleeping giants in this country, Juan. It’s unacceptable. The American people — and I know COVID is out there, and I don’t want anybody to get COVID, but we’ve got to stand up strong. And we’ve got to find a way to make it known that this kind of throwing crumbs, if you will, will not be tolerated.
We need a social contract. That is our money, Juan and Amy. Our money. And I want the American people to understand that you’ve got people in the Congress, in both chambers, who are playing games with our money. That money should be given back to the American people that fund — that fund — this nation, period. So, it just cannot be accepted.
AMY GOODMAN: This is former Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders speaking to MSNBC about the incoming Biden administration’s Cabinet.
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS: I’ve seen some good appointments, people that I like, I think people who are really, really smart, experienced. But I have not seen people from the progressive movement per se in that Cabinet.
AMY GOODMAN: So, there is Bernie Sanders — you were co-chair of his national campaign — looking for progressive representation at the Cabinet level. He was pushing, apparently, very hard for labor secretary. Any word if that is going to happen, Nina Turner? And then if you can respond to Joe Biden saying — you know, pushing people to back off before the January 5th runoff election, senatorial races, in Georgia, that will determine the balance of the Senate? You just narrated that film that says “no honeymoon.” So, first, what would a Bernie Sanders as labor secretary mean? And are you satisfied with the Cabinet so far?
NINA TURNER: Having Senator Sanders as labor secretary would change everything. As we know, the senator has always been committed to the house of labor. Even in this last presidential run, when the Walmart workers could have picked from any of the 25 or so candidates running on the Democratic side, they chose Senator Bernie Sanders to come to that meeting of stakeholders and represent them. He has been on the streets with the house of labor. So, not just in the House of Representatives, and now the Senate, talking about it, he has been on the streets with the workers. He is the ultimate champion of the workers. And so, his vision for labor, the $15-an-hour minimum wage, making sure people have a right to form a union, you name it, he’s been there. He would be an extraordinary labor secretary.
In terms of the Cabinet picks so far, I mean, yes, I certainly agree with the senator: There have not been a lot of progressives put up thus far. We’ve got to do better. I mean, I would love to see stratification economist Dr. Darrick Hamilton, you know, Dr. Debra Furr-Holden, people like Michael Render, aka Killer Mike. Oh my god, what kind of Cabinet would that be! Certainly members of Congress, like Congresswoman Barbara Lee or Congresswoman Karen Bass. Those are the other types of people that they should be looking at to put in that Cabinet so that he has a robust — people in there with a robust commitment, who will not flinch, to lead and to serve, but to clearly be on the side of the poor, the working poor and the barely middle class in this country. That is what we need, Amy. And I don’t see that thus far.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: I wanted to ask you about the issue of immigration. We’re seeing reports now of a increasing surge of migrants coming to the Mexican border, trying to cross the Mexican border. Obviously, there have been a few major hurricanes in Central America that have devastated huge portions of Central America. What kind of advice or pressure would you put on President Biden at this point as to what he should do in terms of immigration — reversing the immigration policies of President Trump, especially given the fact that we may be facing a new surge of migrants at the border?
NINA TURNER: Yeah, absolutely, Juan. So, that’s job number one. Whatever he could do via executive order to overturn or — yeah, overturn or reverse, rather, what President Trump has done in his heartless administration should be done. And then, beyond that, we have to deal with the global — the climate crisis, that in many ways is driving this. There’s a push-and-pull factor that happens when you have this kind of disruption. So, whether it’s famine, whether it is the weather — you know, hurricanes, tornadoes — you’re going to have people all over the world who need relief.
And so, in that particular case, the president-elect needs to bring together world leaders so that we can deal with this issue. Climate crisis and immigration, on whole, we can deal with as a world, because we, the United States, should certainly be one of the many leaders — not the only one, but one of the many leaders — that deals with these types of complex issues that impact the everyday lives of our sisters and brothers all over the world. We should do that as a collective, as a coalition. That is how we’re going to build the type of strength that we need, not only in our country, but in the world.
You know, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “What happens to one directly happens to us all indirectly.” And the COVID virus has certainly shown that. The pandemic has shown that. And the climate crisis that we have, that is driving most of this, not all of it, has shown that, as well. And so it needs a world — a national and a worldwide response.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And speaking of the COVID crisis that you mentioned, the reports in The New York Times today say that the wealthy nations of the world have basically been locking up the supplies of vaccines that are coming out right now to deal with the pandemic, says Canada has already locked five — the ability to — contracts to inoculate their people five times over their population; the United States, three times over its population; the European Union and the United Kingdom. Meanwhile, the nations of Africa, Asia and Latin America, very few of them have been able to obtain supplies of the vaccine until possibly 2022. Could you talk about the inequity here of who’s going to be getting this vaccine, or these vaccines?
NINA TURNER: It is the height of inequity. But it is a formula that has been carried out throughout the history of this world: You leave the Black and Brown nations in peril, vulnerable, and nations that are primarily white or European, they get to lock it up.
That cannot stand, either, because, again, the connection — we are certainly citizens of our respective nations, but we’re also citizens of the world. And another example of what affects one directly affects us all indirectly is called a pandemic for a reason. And so, world leaders to be — that’s a level of selfishness that will impact everybody. So, we can run, but we can’t hide. So, those nations that have locked up the vaccine in that way may think what they’re doing is OK and good for their citizens, but ultimately it is not, because the pandemic has shown very clearly that there is no border when it comes to something of this magnitude.
It’s the wrong thing to do, Juan, and it must be — we’ve got to stand up against that, as well. We can’t accept that. So, the nations of Canada and the United States and others, that can’t sit well with us.
AMY GOODMAN: And finally, Nina Turner, in 2014, Cleveland police officer Timothy Loehmann shot Tamir Rice within two seconds of arriving at a park where he was playing with a pellet gun. He was 12 years old. When Tamir’s 14-year-old sister rushed to her brother’s side, they tackled her to the ground, handcuffed her and put her in their cruiser. Tamir Rice died the next day. Neither officer was indicted.
Very quietly, in October, the Trump administration ended a civil rights investigation into the police killing of Rice. The New York Times reports the Justice Department ignored pleas by career prosecutors to open a grand jury probe into Rice’s killing for more than two years before denying the request in 2019.
Nina Turner, we went with you in 2016 during the Democratic National Convention in Cleveland to that park, and you showed us where Tamir Rice was shot by police. If you could, finally, talk about the issue of defunding the police, and also the fact that Joe Biden says no to defunding the police and no to Medicare for All?
NINA TURNER: Well, Amy, the Medicare for All is totally unacceptable in every way. I know some folks don’t want to use the term “defund the police,” but we have a crisis in this country that is a long time in the making. None of this stuff happened overnight.
And, Amy, you’re absolutely right. I mean, I know my face cannot be seen right now, but, yes, you and I were at that park. You know, I was in the last term of my Senate term in 2014 when that happened. It was in November. And I called then-Governor John Kasich. And I didn’t call him as a state senator; I called him as a Black mother and American. I think I shared some of this with you, Amy. And I said, “Governor, we’ve got to do something. We cannot let folks explode in this state, and they have every reason to do so. We’ve got to let them know that we hear their cries. What happened to Tamir Rice could have happened to my son, to any other Black mother’s or Black father’s son. And it cannot stand at all. I mean, we have to do something.”
And to his credit, he did. And that is how we were able to launch the Task Force on Community-Police Relations and, for the first time in the history of our state, to have standards by which law enforcement agencies have to abide by and have the community be able to judge them and critique whether or not they are answering to those standards.
Amy, a crisis in this nation a long time coming, generationally, the way that police and then other law enforcement agencies were set in this country, never to really protect and serve the Black community, but rather to be there to lord over the Black community, historically. And that is embedded in the DNA of this country.
And let me say this, because my husband is a retired police officer, our son is in law enforcement right now, so I get this in a very unique way, both warning and understanding that the really very real dangers of being out there to try to protect and serve, those that have the mindset to do so, and then understanding that both of my Black men have been racially profiled throughout their life. We have got to, as a nation, rethink policing in this country. We have got to put the requisite resources in mental health, the requisite resources in education, the requisite resources in making sure that people have a job, the requisite resources in making sure that people can live in safe communities. We need to overhaul the entire system. It’s not just what happens in policing; it is what happens with judges and prosecutors. It is the entire system. Some people may call that “defund the police.” The more important aspect here is that we must totally reform — and some people would say “transform” — and destroy and rebuild the way that the legal system works in this country.
AMY GOODMAN: Nina Turner, we’re going to have to leave it there, but we expect to be talking to you soon in the future, candidate for Ohio’s 11th congressional seat, announced yesterday. She’s former national co-chair of the Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential campaign, former Ohio state senator.
When we come back, immigrant rights activists are pushing Biden to enact a moratorium on deportations and release people from immigrant jails. Stay with us.


truthout--2020-12-16--Betsy DeVos Is Reportedly Urging Career Education Staff to Obstruct Biden Agenda

After spending much of her nearly four-year tenure in government attacking public schools and pushing privatization schemes , outgoing Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is now reportedly encouraging career staffers at her department to obstruct President-elect Joe Biden ’ s policy agenda .
During a department-wide virtual meeting Tuesday , according to Politico , DeVos pointed out that many Education Department employees “ will be here through the coming transition and beyond.
” “ Let me leave you with this plea : Resist , ” DeVos said , co-opting language used in opposition to President Donald Trump .
“ Be the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from doing what ’ s right for students .
In everything you do , please put students first — always.
” DeVos ’ remarks came just two weeks after the billionaire education secretary lashed out at proposals to forgive student loan debt and eliminate tuition for public colleges and universities , dismissing such popular proposals as “ government gift-giving.
” Last December , as Common Dreams reported , DeVos proposed putting the federal government ’ s massive student loan portfolio under the control of a “ stand-alone government corporation , ” a move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ future administrations from canceling student loan debt .
Biden , who has not yet announced his nominee to succeed DeVos , has vowed to forgive some of the student loan debt held by tens of millions of Americans and make public colleges and universities tuition-free for families with incomes below $ 125,000 a year .
In response to DeVos ’ comments Tuesday , Randi Weingarten , president of the American Federation of Teachers , tweeted that “ because of DeVos ’ ‘ resistance , ’ thousands of public schools have no resources to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic .
“ Because of her ‘ resistance , ' ” Weingarten added , “ thousands of student loan borrowers have fewer avenues for justice and repayment .
”

The remarks come after the billionaire dismissed student loan forgiveness as “government gift-giving.”
After spending much of her nearly four-year tenure in government attacking public schools and pushing privatization schemes, outgoing Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is now reportedly encouraging career staffers at her department to obstruct President-elect Joe Biden’s policy agenda.
During a department-wide virtual meeting Tuesday, according to Politico, DeVos pointed out that many Education Department employees “will be here through the coming transition and beyond.”
“Let me leave you with this plea: Resist,” DeVos said, co-opting language used in opposition to President Donald Trump. “Be the resistance against forces that will derail you from doing what’s right for students. In everything you do, please put students first — always.”
DeVos’ remarks came just two weeks after the billionaire education secretary lashed out at proposals to forgive student loan debt and eliminate tuition for public colleges and universities, dismissing such popular proposals as “government gift-giving.”
Last December, as Common Dreams reported, DeVos proposed putting the federal government’s massive student loan portfolio under the control of a “stand-alone government corporation,” a move critics denounced as an attempt to prevent future administrations from canceling student loan debt.
Biden, who has not yet announced his nominee to succeed DeVos, has vowed to forgive some of the student loan debt held by tens of millions of Americans and make public colleges and universities tuition-free for families with incomes below $125,000 a year.
January 20 can’t come soon enough when this disgrace is pushed out the door and her bags are dropped at the curb.https://t.co/vVblrwDxWl — Bill Pascrell, Jr. (@BillPascrell) December 16, 2020
In response to DeVos’ comments Tuesday, Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, tweeted that “because of DeVos’ ‘resistance,’ thousands of public schools have no resources to reopen safely” amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
“Because of her ‘resistance,'” Weingarten added, “thousands of student loan borrowers have fewer avenues for justice and repayment.”
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truthout--2020-12-16--Months After AOC Demand and Federal Suit, USPS Releases Redacted DeJoy Calendar

Nearly four months after Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez first demanded that Postmaster General Louis DeJoy turn over his daily calendar , the U.S .
Postal Service on Tuesday released documents rendered almost completely useless by heavy redactions concealing who DeJoy met with as he worked to implement his destructive overhaul of mail operations .
The Postal Service released DeJoy ’ s calendar in response to a public records lawsuit filed in September by watchdog group American Oversight , which was not at all amused by what it finally received from the agency .
“ Shrouding his calendar in secrecy likely violates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certainly violates its spirit , ” Austin Evers , executive director of American Oversight , told HuffPost .
“ DeJoy works for the public , but you wouldn ’ t know it from his calendar .
Even in the Trump era , this is an extraordinary level of obfuscation.
” In a series of tweets on Tuesday , American Oversight noted that the Postal Service “ didn ’ t specify which specific exemptions they are claiming applied to the individual redactions , ” as is generally required by law .
“ DeJoy supervised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is now delivering Covid-19 vaccines , ” the group noted .
“ The public is entitled to see how he ’ s spending his time and who has been influencing his decisions , but USPS continues to obscure this information.
” The only details left visible after the redactions are the dates and times of DeJoy ’ s meetings between June 15 — when the postmaster general formally took over the agency — and November 7 as well as a handful of words , such as “ meeting ” and “ in office.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ gon na work , ” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted in response to the redacted calendar .
When the New York Democrat requested during an August 24 hearing that DeJoy submit his calendar to lawmakers , the postmaster general said he would need to check with counsel before doing so .
In a subpoena issued in September , the House Oversight Committee demanded that the Postal Service provide DeJoy ’ s “ complete , unredacted calendar from June 15 , 2020 , to the present.
” DeJoy , a GOP megadonor who was appointed to lead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of a number of government officials who will likely remain in power long after Trump leaves office in January , given that the president does not have the authority to remove the postmaster general .
As such , Democrats in Congress are facing pressure to exercise their oversight powers and pursue impeachment of DeJoy , whose brief tenure at the Postal Service has been enveloped in scandal .
“ DeJoy is a ‘ civil officer ’ and is clearly impeachable under Article 2 , Section 4 , ” The Nation ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stands accused of committing crimes and of lying to Congress .
There is more than enough evidence that he has abused his position in order to benefit a political ally and benefactor , Donald Trump .
In addition , there is daunting evidence that he has done harm to an agency that was outlined in Article 1 , Section 8.
” With the presidential election over , the DeJoy-led USPS has wasted no time resuming work on sweeping operational changes that dramatically slowed mail delivery nationwide before they were briefly put on pause @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in front of a criminal grand jury for his postal sabotage and subversion of our elections , ” Rep. Bill Pascrell , Jr. ( D-N.J. ) demanded on Tuesday .

Nearly four months after Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez first demanded that Postmaster General Louis DeJoy turn over his daily calendar, the U.S. Postal Service on Tuesday released documents rendered almost completely useless by heavy redactions concealing who DeJoy met with as he worked to implement his destructive overhaul of mail operations.
The Postal Service released DeJoy’s calendar in response to a public records lawsuit filed in September by watchdog group American Oversight, which was not at all amused by what it finally received from the agency.
“Shrouding his calendar in secrecy likely violates the letter of the law, and certainly violates its spirit,” Austin Evers, executive director of American Oversight, told HuffPost. “DeJoy works for the public, but you wouldn’t know it from his calendar. Even in the Trump era, this is an extraordinary level of obfuscation.”
In a series of tweets on Tuesday, American Oversight noted that the Postal Service “didn’t specify which specific exemptions they are claiming applied to the individual redactions,” as is generally required by law.
“DeJoy supervised the delivery of mail-in ballots and USPS is now delivering Covid-19 vaccines,” the group noted. “The public is entitled to see how he’s spending his time and who has been influencing his decisions, but USPS continues to obscure this information.”
The only details left visible after the redactions are the dates and times of DeJoy’s meetings between June 15 — when the postmaster general formally took over the agency — and November 7 as well as a handful of words, such as “meeting” and “in office.”
In response to our #FOIA lawsuit, USPS sent us Postmaster General Louis Dejoy’s calendar — but it’s almost entirely redacted. https://t.co/mqp2cg8bUL pic.twitter.com/qKEasg1ebu — American Oversight (@weareoversight) December 16, 2020
“Yeaaaah that’s not gonna work,” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted in response to the redacted calendar. When the New York Democrat requested during an August 24 hearing that DeJoy submit his calendar to lawmakers, the postmaster general said he would need to check with counsel before doing so.
In a subpoena issued in September, the House Oversight Committee demanded that the Postal Service provide DeJoy’s “complete, unredacted calendar from June 15, 2020, to the present.”
Here’s @AOC suggesting lawmakers subpoena Postmaster General Louis DeJoy over possible conflicts of interest. A subpoena was just issued by the House Oversight Committee. pic.twitter.com/Fjf0MOHvXv — Public Citizen (@Public_Citizen) September 2, 2020
DeJoy, a GOP megadonor who was appointed to lead the Postal Service in May, is one of a number of government officials who will likely remain in power long after Trump leaves office in January, given that the president does not have the authority to remove the postmaster general.
As such, Democrats in Congress are facing pressure to exercise their oversight powers and pursue impeachment of DeJoy, whose brief tenure at the Postal Service has been enveloped in scandal.
“DeJoy is a ‘civil officer’ and is clearly impeachable under Article 2, Section 4,” The Nation’s John Nichols recently argued. “He stands accused of committing crimes and of lying to Congress. There is more than enough evidence that he has abused his position in order to benefit a political ally and benefactor, Donald Trump. In addition, there is daunting evidence that he has done harm to an agency that was outlined in Article 1, Section 8.”
With the presidential election over, the DeJoy-led USPS has wasted no time resuming work on sweeping operational changes that dramatically slowed mail delivery nationwide before they were briefly put on pause in August.
“Haul Louis DeJoy in front of a criminal grand jury for his postal sabotage and subversion of our elections,” Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-N.J.) demanded on Tuesday.
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.
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truthout--2020-12-16--Georgia’s Senate Runoffs Set New Record for In-Person Voting on First Day

As in-person voting begins for two Georgia senatorial runoff races , a surprising statistic has emerged : more people voted on the first day of in-person voting this week than on the first day of in-person voting for the general election earlier this year .
More than 168,000 Georgia voters came out to cast ballots at designated voting locations on Monday .
That number surpasses in-person voting that took place on October 12 , when 126,000 voted ahead of the general election races last month .
The latest numbers from the U.S .
Elections Project as of Wednesday morning also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with more than 1.6 million Georgia voters asking to vote by mail .
Of those mail-in ballots , more than 379,000 ( over 1-in-5 that have been sent out so far ) have already been returned .
More ballot requests are likely to come about , as Georgia residents have until January 1 to ask for them , ahead of the January 5 runoff elections .
For comparison , the general election saw 1.78 million absentee ballots requested in total .
The runoff races that voters are casting ballots for are important @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party will control the Senate in the upcoming congressional term .
Incumbent Republican Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue are squaring off against Democratic challengers Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff , respectively .
If Democrats win both races , then Senate control will go to that party ; Republicans only need to win one of the two races to ensure they retain power in the “ upper chamber ” of Congress .
In spite of the higher numbers for in-person voting seen so far , most election experts don ’ t expect the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was observed in the general election .
Runoff races in Georgia typically see a significant drop in turnout compared to how many vote in their respective general elections .
In 2018 , for example , the runoff race for Georgia secretary of state saw a 62 percent drop from the number who voted in the general election in November of that year .
But given the importance of this runoff Senate race , experts are predicting a higher-than-normal turnout rate from runoffs in past years .
Some are of the opinion that as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cast — a figure not too far off from the 4.9 million ballots cast for the Senate race in the general election last month .
It ’ s unclear at this time who the higher turnout numbers benefit , but Republicans in the state are reportedly worried about their chances , due to continued attacks by President Donald Trump on the integrity of last month ’ s election .
Trump maintains , without proof of any kind , that election irregularities and fraud resulted in his own loss to President-elect Joe Biden in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Because of his continued attacks on the state ’ s election process , Trump ’ s words could depress turnout for their side , GOP insiders worry , as voters may feel reluctant to take part in an exercise they can not trust .
There ’ s some statistical evidence to back up their concerns .
According to a nationwide Fox News poll released this week , which asked respondents whether last month ’ s election made them more or less likely to take part in the presidential election in 2024 , 16 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent of Trump supporters ) said they were less likely to trust the process .
While the poll was done on the national level and doesn ’ t necessarily reflect the views of Georgia voters , it does showcase a higher level of distrust in the elections among the GOP and those faithful to Trump .
Even a small level of wariness to vote in the state ’ s runoff races next month could hurt the Republican candidates ’ chances , as current polling shows tight races in both contests .

As in-person voting begins for two Georgia senatorial runoff races, a surprising statistic has emerged: more people voted on the first day of in-person voting this week than on the first day of in-person voting for the general election earlier this year.
More than 168,000 Georgia voters came out to cast ballots at designated voting locations on Monday. That number surpasses in-person voting that took place on October 12, when 126,000 voted ahead of the general election races last month.
The latest numbers from the U.S. Elections Project as of Wednesday morning also demonstrate an upswing in absentee ballot requests, with more than 1.6 million Georgia voters asking to vote by mail. Of those mail-in ballots, more than 379,000 (over 1-in-5 that have been sent out so far) have already been returned.
More ballot requests are likely to come about, as Georgia residents have until January 1 to ask for them, ahead of the January 5 runoff elections. For comparison, the general election saw 1.78 million absentee ballots requested in total.
The runoff races that voters are casting ballots for are important, as they will determine which political party will control the Senate in the upcoming congressional term. Incumbent Republican Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue are squaring off against Democratic challengers Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, respectively. If Democrats win both races, then Senate control will go to that party; Republicans only need to win one of the two races to ensure they retain power in the “upper chamber” of Congress.
In spite of the higher numbers for in-person voting seen so far, most election experts don’t expect the race to see the same turnout that was observed in the general election. Runoff races in Georgia typically see a significant drop in turnout compared to how many vote in their respective general elections. In 2018, for example, the runoff race for Georgia secretary of state saw a 62 percent drop from the number who voted in the general election in November of that year.
But given the importance of this runoff Senate race, experts are predicting a higher-than-normal turnout rate from runoffs in past years. Some are of the opinion that as many as 4 million ballots may be cast — a figure not too far off from the 4.9 million ballots cast for the Senate race in the general election last month.
It’s unclear at this time who the higher turnout numbers benefit, but Republicans in the state are reportedly worried about their chances, due to continued attacks by President Donald Trump on the integrity of last month’s election. Trump maintains, without proof of any kind, that election irregularities and fraud resulted in his own loss to President-elect Joe Biden in the state’s presidential contest.
Because of his continued attacks on the state’s election process, Trump’s words could depress turnout for their side, GOP insiders worry, as voters may feel reluctant to take part in an exercise they cannot trust.
There’s some statistical evidence to back up their concerns. According to a nationwide Fox News poll released this week, which asked respondents whether last month’s election made them more or less likely to take part in the presidential election in 2024, 16 percent of Republican voters (and 19 percent of Trump supporters) said they were less likely to trust the process.
While the poll was done on the national level and doesn’t necessarily reflect the views of Georgia voters, it does showcase a higher level of distrust in the elections among the GOP and those faithful to Trump. Even a small level of wariness to vote in the state’s runoff races next month could hurt the Republican candidates’ chances, as current polling shows tight races in both contests.
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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