truthout--2020-11-19--US Passes 250,000 COVID Deaths as Hospitals Brace for Holiday Surge

As the official U.S. COVID-19 death toll breaks worldwide records and passes 250,000 , hospitals are at capacity , and overwhelmed healthcare workers still lack personal protective equipment .
Health officials say conditions will worsen further with holiday travel and family gatherings for Thanksgiving .
“ I can ’ t really overemphasize how important the next few days are , ” says Ed Yong , science writer at The Atlantic .
“ The people who get infected at Thanksgiving , they are going to slam into those hospitals in the two weeks after that , and some of those people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : The official U.S. death toll from COVID-19 has passed a quarter of a million people as the virus rages out of control from coast to coast , with 172,000 infections and nearly 2,000 deaths reported on Wednesday alone .
U.S. hospitalizations continue to shatter records , with over 73,000 COVID-19 patients .
The average daily death toll is rising in 33 states .
But as COVID breaks every record here in the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said Wednesday he will not work with President-elect Joe Biden until the General Services Administration declares an election winner .
HHS staffers have been directed to not communicate with Biden ’ s team .
Biden said the move could delay vaccine distribution by weeks or even months .
This comes amidst reports of hospitals reaching capacity and overwhelmed healthcare workers and a lack of personal protective equipment reminiscent of the first months of the pandemic .
Biden spoke with frontline workers on a video call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emotional exchange with Mary Turner , an intensive care unit nurse , president of the Minnesota chapter of National Nurses United .
As she spoke , Biden wiped away a tear .
AMY GOODMAN : That ’ s President-elect Joe Biden responding to Mary Turner , president of the Minnesota chapter of National Nurses United .
Well , for more , we ’ re going to Washington , D.C. , where we ’ re joined by Ed Yong .
He ’ s science writer at The Atlantic , his latest story headlined “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ : More people than ever are hospitalized with COVID-19 .
Health-care workers can ’ t go on like this.
” Ed Yong , we ’ re nearing 2,000 people in a day dying in this country , by far shattering every record in the world for COVID-19 .
Your latest piece focuses on healthcare workers .
Meanwhile , President Trump remains bunkered down in the White House .
For 12 days , he has had no public events , and on his schedule to come , no public events to be seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of this country right now ?
It ’ s not about what could have been , though that is an absolutely critical issue to look at , but what is happening right now .
There are many days that President Trump will remain president , that mean that thousands and thousands of people will die .
ED YONG : Yeah , I can ’ t really overemphasize how important the next few days are .
So , let me paint the full picture for you .
It ’ s really interesting you said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , because that number is important .
There is typically a 12-day lag between rises in cases and rises in hospitalizations .
And that means that all the stories you ’ ve just heard , that ICU nurse , all the stories about hospitals in the Midwest being completely at capacity and unable to cope , that doesn ’ t even account for the one-and-a-half million people who have been confirmed as infected over the last 12 days .
Some of those people will slam into those hospitals , that are already unable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now , over the next two weeks into Thanksgiving .
And the people who get infected at Thanksgiving , they are going to slam into those hospitals in the two weeks after that , and some of those people are going to be dead before Christmas .
That is what we are looking at .
We are looking at enormous tragedy .
And I can not — it ’ s really hard to explain how nurses and doctors are dealing with this .
I have spent the last couple of weeks interviewing many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve had nurses crying to me down the phone .
A nurse told me — a nurse who works in a cancer ward told me earlier this week that she can not even process — she doesn ’ t even know how to process the amount of death that she is seeing on the COVID wards .
One of the best-prepared hospitals in the entire country , in Nebraska , has turned an entire tower into COVID units .
They ’ re dealing with so many more patients , in general and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve ever had to deal with .
NERMEEN SHAIKH : Well , Ed Yong , in your piece about medical workers , in addition , of course , to the burnout that you speak of , there is also the issue of the effects of the politicization of the pandemic and the Trump administration ’ s response .
You write in the recent piece that , quote , “ Health-care workers and public-health officials have received threats and abusive messages accusing them of fearmongering.
” So , in addition to these extremely injurious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ re also being abused .
ED YONG : They are being abused .
They ’ re being harassed .
Public health officials are taking the brunt of this .
But even if you — you know , say you ’ re not getting harassed and abused .
You ’ re still — you know , some of the people I ’ ve talked to are still spending 12-hour shifts in the ICU .
They ’ re watching patients die on them .
They ’ re having to zip those patients up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end those shifts , and they drive home past rows of packed restaurants , past packed sporting venues , past people having parties and going out to bars .
That is emotionally devastating .
You know , these are the people who are trying to save everyone ’ s lives .
They are inundated .
They are exhausted .
And at the end of the day , they are forced to watch the people who will likely be in their ICUs and adding to their burden in about two weeks ’ time .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal with a society that isn ’ t doing its part is crushing .
People I ’ ve spoken to have said that in the spring , when this first started , they were energetic , and they had a sense of purpose and drive to them .
And partly that was buoyed by the fact that other people were doing their part and everyone was in it together .
But we ’ re past the days now when people were clapping for healthcare workers in the evening .
People have forgotten , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And that means that healthcare workers , who have been at this for the entire year , almost without a break , and who are now exhausted , feel like they ’ ve been left alone by the very public that they are trying to save .
NERMEEN SHAIKH : Ed , we ’ ve been talking now , of course , about infections , but principally about deaths in the U.S. and how the U.S. stands out .
It ’ s number one in the world in terms of deaths .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a piece about long haulers , so-called COVID long haulers .
This was in August .
Could you talk about what long haulers are and what we ’ ve learned since August about this condition , which afflicts not just people who are older and more vulnerable , but also , as you ’ ve said in that piece , people who were previously healthy and also the young ?
ED YONG : Yeah .
So , a lot of COVID patients have had ongoing symptoms for many months now , well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is meant to finish .
These symptoms are often not severe enough to send them into an ICU , but they are certainly severe enough to debilitate their lives .
They include neurological problems , like brain fog ; crushing fatigue that prevents them from doing even the simplest tasks and that makes daily activity — like , even mild amounts of physical and mental activity can send them into a big physiological crash .
Like many other people with related chronic illnesses , like dysautonomia or myalgic encephalomyelitis , long haulers have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and neglected .
But they have been pushing for their own recognition .
They ’ ve been doing research on their own community .
They have got the attention of the NIH and the WHO .
And they are forming communities and pushing and advocating for themselves .
The really stark thing here is that we know that a certain proportion , a still unidentified proportion , of people who get COVID-19 will end up in this bucket .
And with millions of people being infected now at an ever faster rate than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ huge proportion of people who are still going to be suffering from the consequences of COVID-19 well into next year , and maybe for even longer than that .
We are looking at a really , really large toll of long-term disability , that I don ’ t think America is even remotely ready for .
AMY GOODMAN : Ed , can you talk about the Trump administration refusing to communicate with the incoming Biden administration , what exactly this means ?
That Emily Murphy , who , apparently , day to day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yes , she must take orders from the Trump administration , but every individual can make their own decision about what they want to do if it involves , for example , saving lives , where she would do the — sign off on an ascertainment that means that the Biden administration can start to plan , like a relay race , where you don ’ t stop and then take a baton and run — you are running alongside the runner behind you , and you take the baton from them .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ now where Biden is saying this could set back , for example , the distribution of the vaccine , not only weeks , but by months .
That ’ s just one part of this .
Talk about the significance of this , as President Trump hides away in the White House .
ED YONG : Well , it ’ s just another of a long line of decisions that the Trump administration has made that has severely hampered the U.S. ’ s ability to control this very controllable , very preventable crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out in the way that it has , and it is because of the utter incompetence of this administration throughout the entire year .
And it seems like having lost the recent election , they show no signs of charting a different course .
It is really unfortunate , because for the first time , I think , true hope is on the horizon .
We have an administration coming in that has vowed to take this seriously , that has appointed actual medical experts to its task force , that has a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all the other roadmaps and plans that experts have been pushing for the last year .
We have the promise of two very effective vaccines on the horizon .
And while , of course , we await actual data on those , the early signs look very , very promising , perhaps far better than a lot of experts had been hoping for .
And so , the light at the end of the tunnel is brighter than ever , but the tunnel itself is incredibly dark .
Some healthcare systems are going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that you have seen are going to get even higher when that happens , when doctors and nurses simply can not any longer take care of every patient .
We are approaching that point , where they will have to choose who to save and who to let die .
And so , you know , it is a problem , of course , that Trump is not aiding the Biden transition , but we can not wait for that point .
We can not wait for a new administration to come in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this interregnum , it falls upon not just the Biden transition team and task force , it falls upon all of us to do our part .
It falls upon all of us to cancel our travel plans .
It calls upon us to stay away from other people in indoor spaces who aren ’ t from our households .
Indoor spaces are the best way — indoor spaces provide some of the best conditions for the virus to transmit — bars , restaurants , gyms , house parties , dinner parties .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus spreads easily , and we need to avoid those for the immediate future .
We need to hunker down , and we need to distance ourselves from each other , even at this painful time when we really want to be seeing and gathering and hugging our families , because if we don ’ t , many parts of our country ’ s healthcare system are just going to collapse within the next few months , before those signs of hope , before the new administration and before vaccines start coming into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ed Yong , as you have talked about , the vaccine is giving hope — not just the two possibly very successful vaccines are giving hope not just to people in the U.S. , but also , of course , around the world .
But I ’ d like to ask about some of the problems that many countries — in fact , the majority of countries in the world — will face in accessing these vaccines , number one having to do with distribution , because both vaccines require storage and transportation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the question of intellectual property rights — there are a number of developing countries , led by India and South Africa , that are pushing for the suspension of property rights with respect to the COVID-19 vaccine to make the vaccine more accessible to the majority of countries in the world ; and lastly , the fact that rich countries have already bought up almost the majority — I think 46 % — of projected vaccine doses , leaving many in the world to anticipate receiving this vaccine only several years from now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some of the issues , some of the problems , that this lack of access might create , not just for people around the world outside the rich countries , but also for the rich countries , if such large numbers of people don ’ t receive the vaccine ?
ED YONG : Yeah .
So , to be clear , this is not something I personally reported on , so I don ’ t want to stray outside what I know .
My colleague Sarah Zhang has written some credible pieces about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going forward .
What I will say is that a pandemic , obviously , is a global issue , and countries can not be fighting it alone .
America is in a weird position here , because it has uniquely botched its response to this vaccine and is in worse straits than a lot of other places in the world with much fewer resources .
But , you know , the traditional posture of trying to help the rest of the world and being part of this global community still stands .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to ensure equitable international distribution of vaccines to get the entire pandemic under control around the world , on the understanding that if any one country is vulnerable , every country is vulnerable .
The U.S. should , I hope , in future , in the coming administration , sign up to those alliances and be part of its place within the global community .
But it also needs a massive dose of humility here .
You know , gone are the days when it is the big player offering aid and advice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world .
The U.S. is in a position where it has as much to learn from other countries as it has to teach .
I will add that , yes , the problems of distributing a vaccine and allocating it fairly within the U.S. and more broadly are substantial .
And they mean that these vaccines , when they get approved , which hopefully won ’ t be too long from now , that ’ s not going to be the end of the pandemic .
It ’ s not going to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and restoring the world of 2019 that we have longed for .
It is going to be a slow process of gradually rolling out doses around the country and around the world , slowly ramping up immunity and slowly bringing this thing under control .
The end is in sight .
We do have an endgame .
But it is going to be a long endgame , and we are only going to begin that process soon .
And in that time , we will still need all the public health measures that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need testing .
We need access to rapid diagnostic tests , that can make a huge difference in controlling this pandemic .
We will need contact tracing .
We will need social interventions , like paid sick leave .
We will need clear communication from people in charge .
And we will need some measure of physical distancing still for many months to come , to prevent the kinds of healthcare system collapses that we are facing right now .
NERMEEN SHAIKH : Before we conclude , I want to ask you about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ piece , namely that whoever wins the election — so , we know now , the Biden-Harris administration — will probably have to deal with another major epidemic during their term in office .
Could you explain why you think that ’ s the case ?
ED YONG : Because that has been case for every administration in recent history .
So , take Barack Obama .
In his two terms , he had to deal with MERS , another coronavirus , the H1N1 flu pandemic .
He had to deal with Zika @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the massive , historic Ebola outbreak in West Africa .
Now , of course , not all of those epidemics hit the U.S. , but many of them did .
And the current pandemic shows just how easily a new disease can affect the entire world .
We live in an age of epidemics , where new viruses are coming out all the time , when old foes are popping their — are resurging to threaten us once more .
And this is not a problem , therefore , that we can expect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at any time soon .
Those of us fortunate enough to survive the COVID-19 pandemic will almost certainly experience more pandemics in our lifetimes , certainly more epidemics that we need to worry about .
And I just can ’ t overstate how important this is .
I wrote a piece in The Atlantic in 2018 about the need to prepare for pandemics and the fact that the U.S. was not prepared enough .
And look around you .
Clearly , that was the case .
And I ’ m saying to you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fix .
We have gaps in our preparedness .
We have seen how overstretched our hospitals are , how underfunded our public health systems are , how vulnerable prisons and nursing homes and meatpacking plants can be , how poorly ventilated a lot of our buildings are , how long-lasting some of the injustices that have plagued the country for decades and centuries are that have now led to people of color , Indigenous communities , disabled communities and elderly communities being disproportionately hit by this virus .
We have a lot to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us .
AMY GOODMAN : Ed , if you have a big family dinner for Thanksgiving , can you expect a small funeral for Christmas ?
ED YONG : I would prefer if you don ’ t have a large family dinner at all .
Look , I know we really want to see our families .
I miss my family .
I miss my friends .
I have not seen most of them since the start of the year , and even longer than that .
But if you gather indoors , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loudly , for days on end , in close contact , without masks , those are the perfect conditions for spreading this coronavirus .
And as I said , a lot of the people who get infected in Thanksgiving are going to be rushing into hospitals in the middle of December , possibly finding no staff or beds available to them , and they will be in the morgue by Christmas .
That is how this virus acts .
It works in a predictable way that we have seen throughout the entire year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be safer .
And if you can , try just to cancel your plans full stop .
If we went to have a nice Thanksgiving in 2021 , which we should be able to because of a better administration and because of vaccines , then we need to make the right choices this year .
You don ’ t want to be at the Thanksgiving table in 2021 looking at an empty chair from the person who you lost based on bad decisions this year .
AMY GOODMAN : Ed Yong , thanks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We ’ re going to link to all your pieces at The Atlantic , your latest piece , “ ’ No One Is Listening to Us.
’ ” When we come back , is President Trump trying to make plans to attack Iran before he leaves office ?
Stay with us .
AMY GOODMAN : “ Life Is Good Again ” by Dolly Parton .
Earlier this year , she made a $ 1 million donation that ’ s being credited with helping Moderna develop its promising COVID-19 vaccine .

As the official U.S. COVID-19 death toll breaks worldwide records and passes 250,000, hospitals are at capacity, and overwhelmed healthcare workers still lack personal protective equipment. Health officials say conditions will worsen further with holiday travel and family gatherings for Thanksgiving. “I can’t really overemphasize how important the next few days are,” says Ed Yong, science writer at The Atlantic. “The people who get infected at Thanksgiving, they are going to slam into those hospitals in the two weeks after that, and some of those people are going to be dead before Christmas.”
TRANSCRIPT
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: The official U.S. death toll from COVID-19 has passed a quarter of a million people as the virus rages out of control from coast to coast, with 172,000 infections and nearly 2,000 deaths reported on Wednesday alone. U.S. hospitalizations continue to shatter records, with over 73,000 COVID-19 patients. The average daily death toll is rising in 33 states.
But as COVID breaks every record here in the United States with expected holiday spikes still to come, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said Wednesday he will not work with President-elect Joe Biden until the General Services Administration declares an election winner. HHS staffers have been directed to not communicate with Biden’s team. Biden said the move could delay vaccine distribution by weeks or even months.
This comes amidst reports of hospitals reaching capacity and overwhelmed healthcare workers and a lack of personal protective equipment reminiscent of the first months of the pandemic. Biden spoke with frontline workers on a video call Wednesday. This is part of his emotional exchange with Mary Turner, an intensive care unit nurse, president of the Minnesota chapter of National Nurses United. As she spoke, Biden wiped away a tear.
MARY TURNER: Do you know that I have not been tested yet, and I have been on the frontlines in the ICU since February? PRESIDENT–ELECT JOE BIDEN: You’re kidding me. MARY TURNER: No. We also need safe staffing of nurses in the hospital units. And patients who are or may be COVID-positive patients must be isolated from the general patient population. Workers who have been exposed or who are sick need to be allowed to quarantine at home, without fear of losing income and their jobs. This is a novel virus, but the principles of infection control are not. Our hospitals have not been providing these basic protections. … Nurses across the country were so relieved and grateful, Mr. President-elect, when you committed to taking action that we need to have to get this pandemic under control. … You know, we nurses, we know that we are facing immense death and suffering in the coming weeks. And we will be there. But we need to act now. We need to act quickly to protect our healthcare workers, so that we can save as many lives as possible. Thank you. PRESIDENT–ELECT JOE BIDEN: Mary — MARY TURNER: I’m sorry I’m so emotional. PRESIDENT–ELECT JOE BIDEN: No. MARY TURNER: It’s just — PRESIDENT–ELECT JOE BIDEN: You got me emotional.
AMY GOODMAN: That’s President-elect Joe Biden responding to Mary Turner, president of the Minnesota chapter of National Nurses United.
Well, for more, we’re going to Washington, D.C., where we’re joined by Ed Yong. He’s science writer at The Atlantic, his latest story headlined “’No One Is Listening to Us’: More people than ever are hospitalized with COVID-19. Health-care workers can’t go on like this.”
Ed Yong, we’re nearing 2,000 people in a day dying in this country, by far shattering every record in the world for COVID-19. Your latest piece focuses on healthcare workers. Meanwhile, President Trump remains bunkered down in the White House. For 12 days, he has had no public events, and on his schedule to come, no public events to be seen. Can you talk about the state of this country right now? It’s not about what could have been, though that is an absolutely critical issue to look at, but what is happening right now. There are many days that President Trump will remain president, that mean that thousands and thousands of people will die.
ED YONG: Yeah, I can’t really overemphasize how important the next few days are. So, let me paint the full picture for you. It’s really interesting you said Trump has been closed off 12 days, because that number is important. There is typically a 12-day lag between rises in cases and rises in hospitalizations. And that means that all the stories you’ve just heard, that ICU nurse, all the stories about hospitals in the Midwest being completely at capacity and unable to cope, that doesn’t even account for the one-and-a-half million people who have been confirmed as infected over the last 12 days. Some of those people will slam into those hospitals, that are already unable to cope with what they have right now, over the next two weeks into Thanksgiving. And the people who get infected at Thanksgiving, they are going to slam into those hospitals in the two weeks after that, and some of those people are going to be dead before Christmas. That is what we are looking at. We are looking at enormous tragedy.
And I cannot — it’s really hard to explain how nurses and doctors are dealing with this. I have spent the last couple of weeks interviewing many of them around the country. I’ve had nurses crying to me down the phone. A nurse told me — a nurse who works in a cancer ward told me earlier this week that she cannot even process — she doesn’t even know how to process the amount of death that she is seeing on the COVID wards. One of the best-prepared hospitals in the entire country, in Nebraska, has turned an entire tower into COVID units. They’re dealing with so many more patients, in general and specifically COVID patients, than they’ve ever had to deal with.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: Well, Ed Yong, in your piece about medical workers, in addition, of course, to the burnout that you speak of, there is also the issue of the effects of the politicization of the pandemic and the Trump administration’s response. You write in the recent piece that, quote, “Health-care workers and public-health officials have received threats and abusive messages accusing them of fearmongering.” So, in addition to these extremely injurious effects on nurses and on doctors, they’re also being abused.
ED YONG: They are being abused. They’re being harassed. Public health officials are taking the brunt of this. But even if you — you know, say you’re not getting harassed and abused. You’re still — you know, some of the people I’ve talked to are still spending 12-hour shifts in the ICU. They’re watching patients die on them. They’re having to zip those patients up in body bags. And then they end those shifts, and they drive home past rows of packed restaurants, past packed sporting venues, past people having parties and going out to bars. That is emotionally devastating. You know, these are the people who are trying to save everyone’s lives. They are inundated. They are exhausted. And at the end of the day, they are forced to watch the people who will likely be in their ICUs and adding to their burden in about two weeks’ time. And that social fatigue of having to deal with a society that isn’t doing its part is crushing.
People I’ve spoken to have said that in the spring, when this first started, they were energetic, and they had a sense of purpose and drive to them. And partly that was buoyed by the fact that other people were doing their part and everyone was in it together. But we’re past the days now when people were clapping for healthcare workers in the evening. People have forgotten, and pandemic fatigue has set in. And that means that healthcare workers, who have been at this for the entire year, almost without a break, and who are now exhausted, feel like they’ve been left alone by the very public that they are trying to save.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: Ed, we’ve been talking now, of course, about infections, but principally about deaths in the U.S. and how the U.S. stands out. It’s number one in the world in terms of deaths. But you wrote earlier, in August, in a piece about long haulers, so-called COVID long haulers. This was in August. Could you talk about what long haulers are and what we’ve learned since August about this condition, which afflicts not just people who are older and more vulnerable, but also, as you’ve said in that piece, people who were previously healthy and also the young?
ED YONG: Yeah. So, a lot of COVID patients have had ongoing symptoms for many months now, well past the period where supposedly mild COVID is meant to finish. These symptoms are often not severe enough to send them into an ICU, but they are certainly severe enough to debilitate their lives. They include neurological problems, like brain fog; crushing fatigue that prevents them from doing even the simplest tasks and that makes daily activity — like, even mild amounts of physical and mental activity can send them into a big physiological crash.
Like many other people with related chronic illnesses, like dysautonomia or myalgic encephalomyelitis, long haulers have often been dismissed by the medical establishment and neglected. But they have been pushing for their own recognition. They’ve been doing research on their own community. They have got the attention of the NIH and the WHO. And they are forming communities and pushing and advocating for themselves.
The really stark thing here is that we know that a certain proportion, a still unidentified proportion, of people who get COVID-19 will end up in this bucket. And with millions of people being infected now at an ever faster rate than ever, we are looking at a huge proportion of people who are still going to be suffering from the consequences of COVID-19 well into next year, and maybe for even longer than that. We are looking at a really, really large toll of long-term disability, that I don’t think America is even remotely ready for.
AMY GOODMAN: Ed, can you talk about the Trump administration refusing to communicate with the incoming Biden administration, what exactly this means? That Emily Murphy, who, apparently, day to day, is deciding what to do — yes, she must take orders from the Trump administration, but every individual can make their own decision about what they want to do if it involves, for example, saving lives, where she would do the — sign off on an ascertainment that means that the Biden administration can start to plan, like a relay race, where you don’t stop and then take a baton and run — you are running alongside the runner behind you, and you take the baton from them. We’re at a point right now where Biden is saying this could set back, for example, the distribution of the vaccine, not only weeks, but by months. That’s just one part of this. Talk about the significance of this, as President Trump hides away in the White House.
ED YONG: Well, it’s just another of a long line of decisions that the Trump administration has made that has severely hampered the U.S.’s ability to control this very controllable, very preventable crisis. None of this should be playing out in the way that it has, and it is because of the utter incompetence of this administration throughout the entire year. And it seems like having lost the recent election, they show no signs of charting a different course.
It is really unfortunate, because for the first time, I think, true hope is on the horizon. We have an administration coming in that has vowed to take this seriously, that has appointed actual medical experts to its task force, that has a plan that just reads very much like all the other roadmaps and plans that experts have been pushing for the last year. We have the promise of two very effective vaccines on the horizon. And while, of course, we await actual data on those, the early signs look very, very promising, perhaps far better than a lot of experts had been hoping for. And so, the light at the end of the tunnel is brighter than ever, but the tunnel itself is incredibly dark. Some healthcare systems are going to collapse. And those death rates that you have seen are going to get even higher when that happens, when doctors and nurses simply cannot any longer take care of every patient. We are approaching that point, where they will have to choose who to save and who to let die.
And so, you know, it is a problem, of course, that Trump is not aiding the Biden transition, but we cannot wait for that point. We cannot wait for a new administration to come in, in January. And even in this interregnum, it falls upon not just the Biden transition team and task force, it falls upon all of us to do our part. It falls upon all of us to cancel our travel plans. It calls upon us to stay away from other people in indoor spaces who aren’t from our households. Indoor spaces are the best way — indoor spaces provide some of the best conditions for the virus to transmit — bars, restaurants, gyms, house parties, dinner parties. These are the means through which SARS-CoV-2 virus spreads easily, and we need to avoid those for the immediate future. We need to hunker down, and we need to distance ourselves from each other, even at this painful time when we really want to be seeing and gathering and hugging our families, because if we don’t, many parts of our country’s healthcare system are just going to collapse within the next few months, before those signs of hope, before the new administration and before vaccines start coming into play.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: Well, Ed Yong, as you have talked about, the vaccine is giving hope — not just the two possibly very successful vaccines are giving hope not just to people in the U.S., but also, of course, around the world. But I’d like to ask about some of the problems that many countries — in fact, the majority of countries in the world — will face in accessing these vaccines, number one having to do with distribution, because both vaccines require storage and transportation in subzero temperatures; and second, the question of intellectual property rights — there are a number of developing countries, led by India and South Africa, that are pushing for the suspension of property rights with respect to the COVID-19 vaccine to make the vaccine more accessible to the majority of countries in the world; and lastly, the fact that rich countries have already bought up almost the majority — I think 46% — of projected vaccine doses, leaving many in the world to anticipate receiving this vaccine only several years from now. So, could you talk about some of the issues, some of the problems, that this lack of access might create, not just for people around the world outside the rich countries, but also for the rich countries, if such large numbers of people don’t receive the vaccine?
ED YONG: Yeah. So, to be clear, this is not something I personally reported on, so I don’t want to stray outside what I know. My colleague Sarah Zhang has written some credible pieces about vaccines and some of the logistical problems going forward.
What I will say is that a pandemic, obviously, is a global issue, and countries cannot be fighting it alone. America is in a weird position here, because it has uniquely botched its response to this vaccine and is in worse straits than a lot of other places in the world with much fewer resources. But, you know, the traditional posture of trying to help the rest of the world and being part of this global community still stands. There are agreements and alliances that are meant to ensure equitable international distribution of vaccines to get the entire pandemic under control around the world, on the understanding that if any one country is vulnerable, every country is vulnerable. The U.S. should, I hope, in future, in the coming administration, sign up to those alliances and be part of its place within the global community. But it also needs a massive dose of humility here. You know, gone are the days when it is the big player offering aid and advice and expertise to the rest of the world. The U.S. is in a position where it has as much to learn from other countries as it has to teach.
I will add that, yes, the problems of distributing a vaccine and allocating it fairly within the U.S. and more broadly are substantial. And they mean that these vaccines, when they get approved, which hopefully won’t be too long from now, that’s not going to be the end of the pandemic. It’s not going to be a matter of flipping a light switch and restoring the world of 2019 that we have longed for. It is going to be a slow process of gradually rolling out doses around the country and around the world, slowly ramping up immunity and slowly bringing this thing under control.
The end is in sight. We do have an endgame. But it is going to be a long endgame, and we are only going to begin that process soon. And in that time, we will still need all the public health measures that have been insufficient thus far. We need testing. We need access to rapid diagnostic tests, that can make a huge difference in controlling this pandemic. We will need contact tracing. We will need social interventions, like paid sick leave. We will need clear communication from people in charge. And we will need some measure of physical distancing still for many months to come, to prevent the kinds of healthcare system collapses that we are facing right now.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: Before we conclude, I want to ask you about something you wrote about in an October piece, namely that whoever wins the election — so, we know now, the Biden-Harris administration — will probably have to deal with another major epidemic during their term in office. Could you explain why you think that’s the case?
ED YONG: Because that has been case for every administration in recent history. So, take Barack Obama. In his two terms, he had to deal with MERS, another coronavirus, the H1N1 flu pandemic. He had to deal with Zika, and he had to deal with the massive, historic Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Now, of course, not all of those epidemics hit the U.S., but many of them did. And the current pandemic shows just how easily a new disease can affect the entire world.
We live in an age of epidemics, where new viruses are coming out all the time, when old foes are popping their — are resurging to threaten us once more. And this is not a problem, therefore, that we can expect to go away at any time, at any time soon. Those of us fortunate enough to survive the COVID-19 pandemic will almost certainly experience more pandemics in our lifetimes, certainly more epidemics that we need to worry about.
And I just can’t overstate how important this is. I wrote a piece in The Atlantic in 2018 about the need to prepare for pandemics and the fact that the U.S. was not prepared enough. And look around you. Clearly, that was the case. And I’m saying to you now that we still have holes to fix. We have gaps in our preparedness. We have seen how overstretched our hospitals are, how underfunded our public health systems are, how vulnerable prisons and nursing homes and meatpacking plants can be, how poorly ventilated a lot of our buildings are, how long-lasting some of the injustices that have plagued the country for decades and centuries are that have now led to people of color, Indigenous communities, disabled communities and elderly communities being disproportionately hit by this virus. We have a lot to fix before the next big epidemic hits us.
AMY GOODMAN: Ed, if you have a big family dinner for Thanksgiving, can you expect a small funeral for Christmas?
ED YONG: I would prefer if you don’t have a large family dinner at all. Look, I know we really want to see our families. I miss my family. I miss my friends. I have not seen most of them since the start of the year, and even longer than that. But if you gather indoors, if multiple generations gather indoors, speaking loudly, for days on end, in close contact, without masks, those are the perfect conditions for spreading this coronavirus. And as I said, a lot of the people who get infected in Thanksgiving are going to be rushing into hospitals in the middle of December, possibly finding no staff or beds available to them, and they will be in the morgue by Christmas. That is how this virus acts. It works in a predictable way that we have seen throughout the entire year.
If you can, try and be safer. And if you can, try just to cancel your plans full stop. If we went to have a nice Thanksgiving in 2021, which we should be able to because of a better administration and because of vaccines, then we need to make the right choices this year. You don’t want to be at the Thanksgiving table in 2021 looking at an empty chair from the person who you lost based on bad decisions this year.
AMY GOODMAN: Ed Yong, thanks so much for being with us. We’re going to link to all your pieces at The Atlantic, your latest piece, “’No One Is Listening to Us.’”
When we come back, is President Trump trying to make plans to attack Iran before he leaves office? Stay with us.
[break]
AMY GOODMAN: “Life Is Good Again” by Dolly Parton. Earlier this year, she made a $1 million donation that’s being credited with helping Moderna develop its promising COVID-19 vaccine.
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--2020-11-19--GAO Study Shows How Taxpayers Subsidize “Starvation Wages” of Corporate Giants

Pinpointing a reality denounced as “ morally obscene ” by Sen. Bernie Sanders , a new government study shows how some of the nation ’ s largest and most profitable corporations — including Walmart , McDonald ’ s , Dollar General , and Amazon — feast upon taxpayer money by paying their employees such low wages that huge numbers of those workers throughout the year are forced to rely on public assistance programs such as Medicaid and food assistance just to keep themselves and their families afloat .
According to a statement from Sanders ’ office , the study he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out — titled “ Millions of Full-time Workers Rely on Federal Health Care and Food Assistance Programs ” — found that an estimated 5.7 million Medicaid enrollees and 4.7 million SNAP ( Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ) recipients who worked full-time for 50 or more weeks in 2018 earned wages so low that they qualified for these federal benefits .
In addition , an estimated 12 million wage-earning adults enrolled in Medicaid and 9 million wage-earning adults living in households receiving SNAP benefits worked at some point in 2018 .
Upon the study @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , staff director and policy adviser for Sen. Sanders , tweeted : “ The real looting in America is the Walton family becoming $ 63 billion richer during a pandemic , while paying wages so low that 14,541 of their workers in 9 states need food stamps — all subsidized by U.S. taxpayers .
Yes .
The Walton family is the real welfare queen in America.
” According to the Washington Post : , based on the GAO report : Walmart was one of the top four employers of SNAP and Medicaid beneficiaries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was in the top five of employers with employees receiving federal benefits in at least nine states .
In the nine states that responded about SNAP benefits—Arkansas , Georgia , Indiana , Maine , Massachusetts , Nebraska , North Carolina , Tennessee and Washington—Walmart was found to have employed about 14,500 workers receiving the benefit , followed by McDonald ’ s with 8,780 , according to Sanders ’ s team .
In six states that reported Medicaid enrollees , Walmart again topped the list , with 10,350 employees , followed by McDonald ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for example , Walmart employed an estimated 3,959 workers on Medicaid—an estimated 2.1 percent of the total of non-elderly , non-disabled people in the state receiving the benefit .
McDonald ’ s was next on the list , employing 1,480 who received Medicaid , or 0.8 percent of the total of non-elderly , non-disabled people on the program .
“ At a time when huge corporations like Walmart and McDonald ’ s are making billions in profits and giving their CEOs tens of millions of dollars a year , they ’ re relying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by paying their workers starvation wages , ” said Sanders in a statement .
“ That is morally obscene.
” With the individual wealth of high-ranking executives and members of billionaire families like the Walton ’ s , who own Walmart , soaring even as front-line , minimum wage employees and their families struggling to stay afloat amid the devastating Covid-19 pandemic , Sanders argues that the stark contrast should be a wakeup call for those who have refused to see how unjust and economically backward it is for the federal government , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wages that massive profitable companies force their workers to accept .
“ U.S .
taxpayers should not be forced to subsidize some of the largest and most profitable corporations in America , ” said Sanders .
“ It is time for the owners of Walmart , McDonald ’ s and other large corporations to get off of welfare and pay their workers a living wage.
” “ No one in this country should live in poverty , ” Sanders added .
“ No one should go hungry .
No one should be unable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It is long past time to increase the federal minimum wage from a starvation wage of $ 7.25 an hour to $ 15 , and guarantee health care to all Americans as a human right .
”

Pinpointing a reality denounced as “morally obscene” by Sen. Bernie Sanders, a new government study shows how some of the nation’s largest and most profitable corporations — including Walmart, McDonald’s, Dollar General, and Amazon — feast upon taxpayer money by paying their employees such low wages that huge numbers of those workers throughout the year are forced to rely on public assistance programs such as Medicaid and food assistance just to keep themselves and their families afloat.
According to a statement from Sanders’ office, the study he commissioned the Government Accountability Office to carry out — titled “Millions of Full-time Workers Rely on Federal Health Care and Food Assistance Programs” — found that an estimated 5.7 million Medicaid enrollees and 4.7 million SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) recipients who worked full-time for 50 or more weeks in 2018 earned wages so low that they qualified for these federal benefits. In addition, an estimated 12 million wage-earning adults enrolled in Medicaid and 9 million wage-earning adults living in households receiving SNAP benefits worked at some point in 2018.
Upon the study’s release Wednesday, Warren Gunnels, staff director and policy adviser for Sen. Sanders, tweeted: “The real looting in America is the Walton family becoming $63 billion richer during a pandemic, while paying wages so low that 14,541 of their workers in 9 states need food stamps — all subsidized by U.S. taxpayers. Yes. The Walton family is the real welfare queen in America.”
According to the Washington Post:, based on the GAO report:
Walmart was one of the top four employers of SNAP and Medicaid beneficiaries in every state. McDonald’s was in the top five of employers with employees receiving federal benefits in at least nine states. Related Story Op-Ed | Economy & Labor Real Economic Recovery Can’t Happen Until COVID Is Under Control, Biden Says It is almost impossible to explain how difficult a task President-elect Joe Biden has before him. Truthout In the nine states that responded about SNAP benefits—Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Nebraska, North Carolina, Tennessee and Washington—Walmart was found to have employed about 14,500 workers receiving the benefit, followed by McDonald’s with 8,780, according to Sanders’s team. In six states that reported Medicaid enrollees, Walmart again topped the list, with 10,350 employees, followed by McDonald’s with 4,600. In Georgia, for example, Walmart employed an estimated 3,959 workers on Medicaid—an estimated 2.1 percent of the total of non-elderly, non-disabled people in the state receiving the benefit. McDonald’s was next on the list, employing 1,480 who received Medicaid, or 0.8 percent of the total of non-elderly, non-disabled people on the program.
“At a time when huge corporations like Walmart and McDonald’s are making billions in profits and giving their CEOs tens of millions of dollars a year, they’re relying on corporate welfare from the federal government by paying their workers starvation wages,” said Sanders in a statement. “That is morally obscene.”
With the individual wealth of high-ranking executives and members of billionaire families like the Walton’s, who own Walmart, soaring even as front-line, minimum wage employees and their families struggling to stay afloat amid the devastating Covid-19 pandemic, Sanders argues that the stark contrast should be a wakeup call for those who have refused to see how unjust and economically backward it is for the federal government, meaning taxpayers, to subsidize the cruel wages that massive profitable companies force their workers to accept.
“U.S. taxpayers should not be forced to subsidize some of the largest and most profitable corporations in America,” said Sanders. “It is time for the owners of Walmart, McDonald’s and other large corporations to get off of welfare and pay their workers a living wage.”
The Walton family is worth $238 billion. Yet they pay wages so low, 14,541 of their workers in 9 states are forced to rely on food stamps to feed their families. Outrageous. I say to the Walton family: Get off welfare. Pay your workers a living wage—at least $15 an hour. https://t.co/tJwLQoeWRR — Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) November 18, 2020
“No one in this country should live in poverty,” Sanders added. “No one should go hungry. No one should be unable to get the medical care they need. It is long past time to increase the federal minimum wage from a starvation wage of $7.25 an hour to $15, and guarantee health care to all Americans as a human right.”
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
This piece was reprinted by Truthout with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.


truthout--2020-11-19--Trump Is Escalating the Potential for US-Iran Conflict Before He Leaves Office

President Trump ’ s firing of top Pentagon officials has paved the way for his administration to escalate conflict between the U.S. and Iran before President-elect Joe Biden ’ s inauguration .
Trump fired Secretary of Defense Mark Esper on November 9 , leading to a series of resignations at the highest levels of the Department of Defense .
The agency is now slated to be overseen for the next few months by officials who are hardline Trump loyalists , including a former aide to the president who pushed for Esper ’ s dismissal , and a retired military officer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ destroy Iranian cultural heritage sites , which is a violation of international treaties .
On November 12 , Trump asked top cabinet officials about his options for attacking Iranian nuclear facilities “ in the coming weeks , ” according to a November 16 report in The New York Times .
Iran has resumed uranium enrichment activities barred under the 2015 multilateral nuclear agreement spearheaded by President Obama after President Trump ordered the U.S. to break the accord in 2018 .
Both Iran and President-elect Biden have expressed an interest in reviving the deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ however , seems determined to wreck the possibility of any rapprochement between the U.S. and Iran .
Cabinet secretaries appear to have dissuaded the president from carrying out a direct missile strike on Iranian facilities , according to The New York Times .
But cyberwarfare options are still on the table , as are U.S. military operations on Iranian assets in Iraq — not unlike the January assassination of Iranian Gen. Qassim Suleimani , which almost started a war .
Acting Secretary of Defense Chris Miller was among the officials at the November @ @ @ @ @ @ @ direct missile strike on targets within Iran , according to The New York Times .
Those appointed by Trump to serve under Miller , however , have shown themselves to lack any kind of similar moderating influences .
In the wake of his recent Pentagon purge , Trump appointed Kash Patel to serve as the defense secretary ’ s chief of staff .
Patel is a former aide to staunch Trump ally , Rep. Devin Nunes ( R-California ) and most recently served on the White House National Security Council .
In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part in turning the president against Esper , according to The Wall Street Journal .
He and the head of the White House Personnel Office , John McEntee , argued that Esper “ displayed disloyalty by saying he would oppose a request by the president to deploy military troops to Washington during racial justice protests in June and for other reasons , ” the paper reported .
Serving alongside Patel is another person who indulges Trump ’ s reactionary tendencies : Anthony Tata , now the acting undersecretary of defense for policy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ role on a permanent basis , but the confirmation process fell apart in the summer after various opinions of his came to light .
A Fox News commentator and a retired brigadier general who churns out paperback fiction fantasizing about war , Tata was exposed by CNN as having a “ a history of making Islamophobic and inflammatory remarks against prominent Democratic politicians.
” In January , Tata also defended President Trump ’ s threats to destroy Iranian cultural heritage sites , a violation of the Geneva Conventions , by citing a conspiracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Iran hides much of their nuclear weapons development from the international community by labeling those locations as Cultural Sites [ sic ] in order to dupe noncritical thinkers , ” he said .
Trump threatened to destroy Iranian cultural sites after he ordered the assassination of Suleimani , an act that led to widespread condemnation and an Iranian strike on U.S. military facilities in Iraq .
Tata was a vociferous defender of the Suleimani killing , accusing Democratic lawmakers criticizing the act as supporting “ Hamas , Hezbollah , and Iran , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their districts.
” The danger of Trump escalating conflict with Iran was already present even before the appointments of Tata and Patel to top civilian positions within the U.S. military .
The so-called “ maximum pressure ” sanctions campaign against Iran has been a centerpiece of the Trump administration ’ s foreign policy , despite evidence that it has been a total failure with U.S. trading partners refusing to abide by the sanctions regime .
Trump ’ s recent push for sanctions also started just before Esper was dismissed .
To formulate the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy aide , neoconservative hatchet man Elliot Abrams , to Israel , Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates .
The goal of the eleventh-hour push , according to Axios , is to “ make it harder for the Biden administration to revive the 2015 nuclear deal .
”

President Trump’s firing of top Pentagon officials has paved the way for his administration to escalate conflict between the U.S. and Iran before President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration. Trump fired Secretary of Defense Mark Esper on November 9, leading to a series of resignations at the highest levels of the Department of Defense.
The agency is now slated to be overseen for the next few months by officials who are hardline Trump loyalists, including a former aide to the president who pushed for Esper’s dismissal, and a retired military officer who defended Trump’s vow to destroy Iranian cultural heritage sites, which is a violation of international treaties.
On November 12, Trump asked top cabinet officials about his options for attacking Iranian nuclear facilities “in the coming weeks,” according to a November 16 report in The New York Times. Iran has resumed uranium enrichment activities barred under the 2015 multilateral nuclear agreement spearheaded by President Obama after President Trump ordered the U.S. to break the accord in 2018.
Both Iran and President-elect Biden have expressed an interest in reviving the deal after Trump leaves office. Trump, however, seems determined to wreck the possibility of any rapprochement between the U.S. and Iran. Cabinet secretaries appear to have dissuaded the president from carrying out a direct missile strike on Iranian facilities, according to The New York Times. But cyberwarfare options are still on the table, as are U.S. military operations on Iranian assets in Iraq — not unlike the January assassination of Iranian Gen. Qassim Suleimani, which almost started a war.
Acting Secretary of Defense Chris Miller was among the officials at the November 12 meeting who advised Trump against a direct missile strike on targets within Iran, according to The New York Times. Those appointed by Trump to serve under Miller, however, have shown themselves to lack any kind of similar moderating influences.
In the wake of his recent Pentagon purge, Trump appointed Kash Patel to serve as the defense secretary’s chief of staff. Patel is a former aide to staunch Trump ally, Rep. Devin Nunes (R-California) and most recently served on the White House National Security Council. In the latter role, Patel played a key part in turning the president against Esper, according to The Wall Street Journal. He and the head of the White House Personnel Office, John McEntee, argued that Esper “displayed disloyalty by saying he would oppose a request by the president to deploy military troops to Washington during racial justice protests in June and for other reasons,” the paper reported.
Trump seems determined to wreck the possibility of any rapprochement between the U.S. and Iran.
Serving alongside Patel is another person who indulges Trump’s reactionary tendencies: Anthony Tata, now the acting undersecretary of defense for policy. Tata had been nominated to fill the role on a permanent basis, but the confirmation process fell apart in the summer after various opinions of his came to light. A Fox News commentator and a retired brigadier general who churns out paperback fiction fantasizing about war, Tata was exposed by CNN as having a “a history of making Islamophobic and inflammatory remarks against prominent Democratic politicians.”
In January, Tata also defended President Trump’s threats to destroy Iranian cultural heritage sites, a violation of the Geneva Conventions, by citing a conspiracy theory. “It is well understood that Iran hides much of their nuclear weapons development from the international community by labeling those locations as Cultural Sites [sic] in order to dupe noncritical thinkers,” he said.
Trump’s recent push for sanctions started just before Esper was dismissed.
Trump threatened to destroy Iranian cultural sites after he ordered the assassination of Suleimani, an act that led to widespread condemnation and an Iranian strike on U.S. military facilities in Iraq. Tata was a vociferous defender of the Suleimani killing, accusing Democratic lawmakers criticizing the act as supporting “Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran, as opposed to who they represent in their districts.”
The danger of Trump escalating conflict with Iran was already present even before the appointments of Tata and Patel to top civilian positions within the U.S. military. The so-called “maximum pressure” sanctions campaign against Iran has been a centerpiece of the Trump administration’s foreign policy, despite evidence that it has been a total failure with U.S. trading partners refusing to abide by the sanctions regime.
Trump’s recent push for sanctions also started just before Esper was dismissed. To formulate the plans, Trump dispatched a top foreign policy aide, neoconservative hatchet man Elliot Abrams, to Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The goal of the eleventh-hour push, according to Axios, is to “make it harder for the Biden administration to revive the 2015 nuclear deal.”
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
Copyright © Truthout. May not be reprinted without permission.


truthout--2020-11-20--Activists Center the Grief, Joy and Humanity of the Black Trans Community

It remains one of the most striking demonstrations from a year defined by protest : tens of thousands of people dressed in white t-shirts , wearing white face masks and white head wraps , from all backgrounds , all marching the streets in defense of Black trans lives .
The summer march in Brooklyn , N.Y. was one of the largest , most diverse and celebratory rallies of 2020 , a year when grief has been rampant in the trans community .
Black trans people , in particular , felt the weight of the coronavirus pandemic and its ensuing economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violence at the hands of the criminal justice system .
Then there ’ s this grim statistic : 2020 has been the most violent year for transgender people for five years , with 37 transgender or gender non-conforming people slain over the past 11 months .
As the nation recognizes Transgender Day of Remembrance , Imara Jones , trans journalist and founder of the multimedia platform TransLash media , thought of the June rally as one of the highlights of a difficult but pivotal year .
Organized by Black trans women , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worldwide , ” Jones told The Root via email this week .
“ The biggest obstacle we face is that as we increase our visibility , we also embolden the ongoing transgender backlash , ” she added .
“ This means that there ’ s a long way to go to achieve liberation with a lot of battles left ahead.
” Transgender Day of Remembrance , which comes at the end of Transgender Awareness Week , began in 1999 to honor Rita Hester , a trans woman murdered in Massachusetts the year before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country recognize the Day of Remembrance than ever before , it offers an opportunity to reflect on the victims of that violent backlash — to remember their lives and their potential — as well as to consider how this pain continues to shape the trans community .
In Minneapolis , a highway bridge will be lit up with blue , pink and white lights — colors representing the trans flag .
Vigils will be hosted at colleges like the University of Tennessee .
In Philadelphia , organizers are planning marches and roundtable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the trans community .
Several places , like Savannah , Ga. , will be formally recognizing the somber day for the first time .
This widespread recognition of Trans Remembrance Day is “ pivotal , ” Jones said , because it directly tackles “ the historic wrong of marginalization and invisibility , imposed by the wider society , which has meant so much suffering for our community.
” That suffering has also been concentrated in the Black trans community .
As CBS News notes , Black transgender women have constituted 76 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even though Black people comprise only 16 percent of all trans people .
They also appear to be at a higher risk for violence in Puerto Rico and the South : Texas , Florida and Louisiana , in particular , had a high concentration of trans killings .
One video tackles the daily grief that Black trans people face — while also weaving in the resilience and joy that knits the community together during hard times .
“ Because…I Survived , ” directed and choreographed by John Alix , offers a brief , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actor and singer Peppermint , musician Mila Jam and makeup artist Deja “ The Lady Deja Davenport ” Smith .
“ I see how these women have to carry the weight of their fallen sisters around with them daily , knowing that they were senselessly murdered for being brave enough to be who they truly are , yet continue to make positive changes rather than hide , ” Alix said in a press release .
“ As we see trans women only begin to be respected and upheld in mainstream culture , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way just by being themselves , and paid the ultimate price.
” The video shows all three artists holding the images of slain Black trans women , women like Muhlaysia Booker , Antash ’ a English , Chynal Lindsey and Riah Milton .
Each image , each news clip , a reminder of their own vulnerability .
“ The video either directly or indirectly addresses the lives of trans people of color , who are still today affected by an incredible amount of grief .
It truly is life imitating art , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and focusing on the resilience and support that could be found within the community—also offered a respite .
“ As heavy as this is on my heart , being able to gather with friends and fellow artists to create this meaningful video feels wonderful , ” she added .
Despite the trans community ’ s deep engagement in liberation struggles , they still remain sidelined in broader justice movements , like the queer rights movement of the early 1970s and the nation ’ s ongoing movement for racial justice .
“ The marginalization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Rather it is a consequence of a choice , ” noted Jones .
She points to how trans people helped start the fight for gay rights , but were later pushed to the side by white gay men because trans people of color were viewed as less “ acceptable ” to wider society , and “ were therefore an impediment to gay rights.
” This exclusionary idea of acceptability has pushed trans activists to the side in Black communities and mainstream Black civil rights organizations as well , Jones continues .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why trans people face incredible odds ” and have not benefited equally from these movements , she said .
And it ’ s not just trans people who suffer as a result of this .
A foundational philosophy of intersectional justice is that uplifting and empowering the most vulnerable among us creates a more just , equitable system for all of us .
Jones points to healthcare as a prime example .
Trans people are especially susceptible to medical bias , and potential social isolation and lack of resources mean access to adequate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that focuses on trans people would need to address issues of universal access , Jones says , and would have to be more comprehensive and holistic than we ’ re accustomed to .
There would need to be an increased emphasis on social services and safe housing , as well as a more aggressive approach to curtailing implicit bias , which can not only lead to injury and death but discourage people from ever stepping back into a doctor ’ s office until it ’ s too late .
“ If we built @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outcomes of trans people then it would be a healthcare system which works for everyone , ” Jones said .
Perhaps most importantly , Trans Awareness Week and Trans Remembrance Day give the community the opportunity to foreground their stories ; to remind people of the human cost of not viewing trans rights as human rights .
What America needs to empower and protect trans people is devastatingly simple , Jones pointed out—it ’ s just “ the ability to see us as humans.
” This is why Jones centers storytelling as her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are the way in which we travel into the lives of other people , ” she said .
“ They help us to connect our own experience with the experiences of others , and they highlight our universal desire to matter .
Once we understand our common humanity it becomes much harder to harm each other .
”

On Trans Remembrance Day let’s recognize the centrality of the struggle for trans rights for all justice movements.
It remains one of the most striking demonstrations from a year defined by protest: tens of thousands of people dressed in white t-shirts, wearing white face masks and white head wraps, from all backgrounds, all marching the streets in defense of Black trans lives.
The summer march in Brooklyn, N.Y. was one of the largest, most diverse and celebratory rallies of 2020, a year when grief has been rampant in the trans community. Black trans people, in particular, felt the weight of the coronavirus pandemic and its ensuing economic crisis, and continue to experience unique violence at the hands of the criminal justice system. Then there’s this grim statistic: 2020 has been the most violent year for transgender people for five years, with 37 transgender or gender non-conforming people slain over the past 11 months.
As the nation recognizes Transgender Day of Remembrance, Imara Jones, trans journalist and founder of the multimedia platform TransLash media, thought of the June rally as one of the highlights of a difficult but pivotal year. Organized by Black trans women, “it was a highlight for trans people worldwide,” Jones told The Root via email this week.
“The biggest obstacle we face is that as we increase our visibility, we also embolden the ongoing transgender backlash,” she added. “This means that there’s a long way to go to achieve liberation with a lot of battles left ahead.”
Transgender Day of Remembrance, which comes at the end of Transgender Awareness Week, began in 1999 to honor Rita Hester, a trans woman murdered in Massachusetts the year before. Today, as more places around the country recognize the Day of Remembrance than ever before, it offers an opportunity to reflect on the victims of that violent backlash — to remember their lives and their potential — as well as to consider how this pain continues to shape the trans community.
In Minneapolis, a highway bridge will be lit up with blue, pink and white lights — colors representing the trans flag. Vigils will be hosted at colleges like the University of Tennessee. In Philadelphia, organizers are planning marches and roundtable discussions about the importance of end-of-life planning for the trans community. Several places, like Savannah, Ga., will be formally recognizing the somber day for the first time.
This widespread recognition of Trans Remembrance Day is “pivotal,” Jones said, because it directly tackles “the historic wrong of marginalization and invisibility, imposed by the wider society, which has meant so much suffering for our community.”
That suffering has also been concentrated in the Black trans community. As CBS News notes, Black transgender women have constituted 76 percent of all homicide victims since 2017, even though Black people comprise only 16 percent of all trans people. They also appear to be at a higher risk for violence in Puerto Rico and the South: Texas, Florida and Louisiana, in particular, had a high concentration of trans killings.
One video tackles the daily grief that Black trans people face — while also weaving in the resilience and joy that knits the community together during hard times.
“Because…I Survived,” directed and choreographed by John Alix, offers a brief, multidimensional look at three trans artists, actor and singer Peppermint, musician Mila Jam and makeup artist Deja “The Lady Deja Davenport” Smith.
“I see how these women have to carry the weight of their fallen sisters around with them daily, knowing that they were senselessly murdered for being brave enough to be who they truly are, yet continue to make positive changes rather than hide,” Alix said in a press release. “As we see trans women only begin to be respected and upheld in mainstream culture, we must remember those who helped pave the way just by being themselves, and paid the ultimate price.”
The video shows all three artists holding the images of slain Black trans women, women like Muhlaysia Booker, Antash’a English, Chynal Lindsey and Riah Milton. Each image, each news clip, a reminder of their own vulnerability.
“The video either directly or indirectly addresses the lives of trans people of color, who are still today affected by an incredible amount of grief. It truly is life imitating art,” said Peppermint.
Making the video — and focusing on the resilience and support that could be found within the community—also offered a respite.
“As heavy as this is on my heart, being able to gather with friends and fellow artists to create this meaningful video feels wonderful,” she added.
Despite the trans community’s deep engagement in liberation struggles, they still remain sidelined in broader justice movements, like the queer rights movement of the early 1970s and the nation’s ongoing movement for racial justice.
“The marginalization of trans people is not an accident. Rather it is a consequence of a choice,” noted Jones. She points to how trans people helped start the fight for gay rights, but were later pushed to the side by white gay men because trans people of color were viewed as less “acceptable” to wider society, and “were therefore an impediment to gay rights.”
This exclusionary idea of acceptability has pushed trans activists to the side in Black communities and mainstream Black civil rights organizations as well, Jones continues.
“This deliberate marginalization across the board is why trans people face incredible odds” and have not benefited equally from these movements, she said.
And it’s not just trans people who suffer as a result of this. A foundational philosophy of intersectional justice is that uplifting and empowering the most vulnerable among us creates a more just, equitable system for all of us. Jones points to healthcare as a prime example.
Trans people are especially susceptible to medical bias, and potential social isolation and lack of resources mean access to adequate care is difficult. A healthcare approach that focuses on trans people would need to address issues of universal access, Jones says, and would have to be more comprehensive and holistic than we’re accustomed to. There would need to be an increased emphasis on social services and safe housing, as well as a more aggressive approach to curtailing implicit bias, which can not only lead to injury and death but discourage people from ever stepping back into a doctor’s office until it’s too late.
“If we built a healthcare system which centered the health outcomes of trans people then it would be a healthcare system which works for everyone,” Jones said.
Perhaps most importantly, Trans Awareness Week and Trans Remembrance Day give the community the opportunity to foreground their stories; to remind people of the human cost of not viewing trans rights as human rights. What America needs to empower and protect trans people is devastatingly simple, Jones pointed out—it’s just “the ability to see us as humans.”
This is why Jones centers storytelling as her way of combating violence.
“Stories are the way in which we travel into the lives of other people,” she said. “They help us to connect our own experience with the experiences of others, and they highlight our universal desire to matter. Once we understand our common humanity it becomes much harder to harm each other.”
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--2020-11-20--Biden COVID Adviser Warns Stalling Transition Will Result in More Deaths

A member of President-elect Joe Biden ’ s COVID-19 advisory board , Celine Gounder , is warning that more people will die from the coronavirus in the coming months due to Donald Trump ’ s refusal to concede the election .
Gounder , an epidemiologist , warned that the rollout for a coronavirus vaccine will suffer as a result of the Trump White House ’ s delays in initiating an orderly presidential transition .
“ The longer we wait on transition the more people will get infected and die , ” Gounder said in an interview with CNBC on Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( GSA ) head Emily Murphy is required before any transition processes can begin .
But Murphy has so far not made any statement acknowledging Biden ’ s win .
“ The fact that the GSA has not followed through with ascertainment of the election results is really a major impediment to us because we ’ re not able to be on the inside of these very important discussions in terms of how these different vaccines are going to be distributed , ” Gounder said .
Distributing the vaccine will be a huge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be better executed if both the incoming and outgoing administrations could coordinate on it .
“ The logistics of vaccinating 330 million Americans over the coming year or more is really a massive undertaking unlike anything people in this country have seen since the days of the polio vaccine , ” Gounder added .
Gounder ’ s comments came as the U.S. recorded the highest number of new coronavirus cases in a single day , with 187,428 new infections reported on that day alone .
Thursday also saw the highest number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start of May , with 1,962 having died from COVID-19 within a single reporting day .
More than 11.8 million cases and 252,373 deaths from COVID-19 have been recorded in the U.S. since the start of the pandemic .
Health models are projecting that this winter will be worse .
According to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington , by January 1 , the U.S will reach 2,530 deaths per day under the current circumstances .
The U.S. could bring that number down to 1,542 deaths per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the end of the year , the health model shows .
Gounder has promoted masks as a way to combat the spread of coronavirus on her social media profiles .
“ Masks are one of the most important things we can do to prevent transmission of coronavirus and protect the economy , ” she tweeted last week , adding that “ politicizing masks , ” as Trump has done in the past , is a lot like “ politicizing toilet paper .
”

A member of President-elect Joe Biden’s COVID-19 advisory board, Celine Gounder, is warning that more people will die from the coronavirus in the coming months due to Donald Trump’s refusal to concede the election.
Gounder, an epidemiologist, warned that the rollout for a coronavirus vaccine will suffer as a result of the Trump White House’s delays in initiating an orderly presidential transition.
“The longer we wait on transition the more people will get infected and die,” Gounder said in an interview with CNBC on Thursday.
Formal approval from General Services Administration (GSA) head Emily Murphy is required before any transition processes can begin. But Murphy has so far not made any statement acknowledging Biden’s win.
“The fact that the GSA has not followed through with ascertainment of the election results is really a major impediment to us because we’re not able to be on the inside of these very important discussions in terms of how these different vaccines are going to be distributed,” Gounder said.
Distributing the vaccine will be a huge undertaking, Gounder insisted, one that would be better executed if both the incoming and outgoing administrations could coordinate on it.
“The logistics of vaccinating 330 million Americans over the coming year or more is really a massive undertaking unlike anything people in this country have seen since the days of the polio vaccine,” Gounder added.
Gounder’s comments came as the U.S. recorded the highest number of new coronavirus cases in a single day, with 187,428 new infections reported on that day alone. Thursday also saw the highest number of deaths within a 24-hour period since the start of May, with 1,962 having died from COVID-19 within a single reporting day.
More than 11.8 million cases and 252,373 deaths from COVID-19 have been recorded in the U.S. since the start of the pandemic.
Health models are projecting that this winter will be worse. According to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, by January 1, the U.S will reach 2,530 deaths per day under the current circumstances.
The U.S. could bring that number down to 1,542 deaths per day if masks are worn universally until the end of the year, the health model shows.
Gounder has promoted masks as a way to combat the spread of coronavirus on her social media profiles. “Masks are one of the most important things we can do to prevent transmission of coronavirus and protect the economy,” she tweeted last week, adding that “politicizing masks,” as Trump has done in the past, is a lot like “politicizing toilet paper.”
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
Copyright © Truthout. May not be reprinted without permission.


truthout--2020-11-20--In Rebuke to Trump, Georgia Recount Affirms Biden Win

A hand recount of ballots in Georgia has confirmed that Joe Biden is the winner of the state in this year ’ s presidential race , defeating President Donald Trump .
While Trump was able to close the gap in votes between him and Biden through the recount , the former vice president ( and now president-elect ) still leads the current commander-in-chief by a margin of more than 12,000 votes .
Georgia ’ s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger , a Republican , announced his intention during a press conference Thursday to certify the election results .
“ Working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I live by the motto that numbers don ’ t lie .
As secretary of state , I believe that the numbers that we have presented today are correct , ” Raffensperger said .
“ The numbers reflect the verdict of the people , not a decision by the secretary of state ’ s office or of courts or of either campaign.
” By law , Raffensperger must certify the results by 5 p.m. on Friday .
By the same time on Saturday , Gov .
Brian Kemp ( R-Georgia ) must certify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will participate in the Electoral College vote .
Trump wrongly alleged after the election that the process was rife with fraud and that Raffensperger was sabotaging efforts to obtain an accurate count .
“ Georgia Secretary of State , a so-called Republican ( RINO ) , won ’ t let the people checking the ballots see the signatures for fraud , ” Trump wrote in a tweet earlier this month .
In fact , no evidence exists to back Trump ’ s complaint , and a number of fact-checking websites have debunked the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appears ready to certify its election results , Trump ’ s legal team and political allies elsewhere have continued to lose lawsuits challenging the vote across the country .
State judges in Arizona and Pennsylvania rejected motions brought forward by Trump-aligned litigants on Thursday , and a federal judge in Georgia also rejected claims by a Republican elector that the election was fraudulent .
The Georgia judge , who was appointed by Trump himself , called the legal case before him “ quite striking ” for its attempt to disenfranchise millions of voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the right to vote is fundamental does not mean that individual voters have the right to direct the manner in which votes will be cast , accepted or rejected , ” Judge Steven Grimberg said of the litigant ’ s attempt to challenge rules that were agreed upon in the state by both major political parties in March .
Despite the spate of court losses , Trump and his legal team , including the president ’ s personal lawyer former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani , continue to allege widespread fraud took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up their claims .
Trump tweeted on Thursday that ballots in Georgia couldn ’ t be trusted because of the fact that so many were accepted .
“ Almost ZERO ballots rejected in Georgia this election .
In years past , close to 4 % , ” he wrote .
“ Not possible.
” In fact , at least 2,000 absentee ballots were rejected because of invalid or missing signatures this year — the same rate of rejection that was seen in the 2018 midterm elections .
Giuliani repeated a version of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday .
“ There ’ s not a singular vote fraud in one state , ” Trump ’ s lawyer said .
“ This pattern repeats itself in a number of states , almost exactly the same pattern.
” Giuliani said that this “ suggests there was a plan from a centralized place to execute these various acts of voter fraud , specifically focused on big cities , and specifically focused on big cities controlled by Democrats.
” But the former federal prosecutor , much like other Trump lawyers , has had poorer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fraud has changed the results of the election .
A complaint he filed in Pennsylvania was filled with misspellings , typos and other errors .
Giuliani hasn ’ t fared too well during arguments before a judge , either , at times stating that there were substantial cases of fraud across the country but also arguing that the case he was making on behalf of Trump , in which he sought to completely toss out the election results in the state , wasn ’ t a fraud case at all .
Although a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden as the victor , the former vice president is widely regarded as the president-elect , set to take office on January 20 , 2021 .
The Democratic candidate for president won this year ’ s race against Trump by a margin of almost 6 million votes , attaining 51 percent of the popular vote , and winning the Electoral College by a count of 306 to Trump ’ s 232 votes .

A hand recount of ballots in Georgia has confirmed that Joe Biden is the winner of the state in this year’s presidential race, defeating President Donald Trump.
While Trump was able to close the gap in votes between him and Biden through the recount, the former vice president (and now president-elect) still leads the current commander-in-chief by a margin of more than 12,000 votes. Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, announced his intention during a press conference Thursday to certify the election results.
“Working as an engineer throughout my life, I live by the motto that numbers don’t lie. As secretary of state, I believe that the numbers that we have presented today are correct,” Raffensperger said. “The numbers reflect the verdict of the people, not a decision by the secretary of state’s office or of courts or of either campaign.”
By law, Raffensperger must certify the results by 5 p.m. on Friday. By the same time on Saturday, Gov. Brian Kemp (R-Georgia) must certify the list of presidential electors, who will participate in the Electoral College vote.
Trump wrongly alleged after the election that the process was rife with fraud and that Raffensperger was sabotaging efforts to obtain an accurate count.
“Georgia Secretary of State, a so-called Republican (RINO), won’t let the people checking the ballots see the signatures for fraud,” Trump wrote in a tweet earlier this month.
In fact, no evidence exists to back Trump’s complaint, and a number of fact-checking websites have debunked the president’s claim.
As Georgia appears ready to certify its election results, Trump’s legal team and political allies elsewhere have continued to lose lawsuits challenging the vote across the country. State judges in Arizona and Pennsylvania rejected motions brought forward by Trump-aligned litigants on Thursday, and a federal judge in Georgia also rejected claims by a Republican elector that the election was fraudulent.
The Georgia judge, who was appointed by Trump himself, called the legal case before him “quite striking” for its attempt to disenfranchise millions of voters in the state.
“Just because the right to vote is fundamental does not mean that individual voters have the right to direct the manner in which votes will be cast, accepted or rejected,” Judge Steven Grimberg said of the litigant’s attempt to challenge rules that were agreed upon in the state by both major political parties in March.
Despite the spate of court losses, Trump and his legal team, including the president’s personal lawyer former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, continue to allege widespread fraud took place, without much evidence to back up their claims.
Trump tweeted on Thursday that ballots in Georgia couldn’t be trusted because of the fact that so many were accepted.
“Almost ZERO ballots rejected in Georgia this election. In years past, close to 4%,” he wrote. “Not possible.”
In fact, at least 2,000 absentee ballots were rejected because of invalid or missing signatures this year — the same rate of rejection that was seen in the 2018 midterm elections.
Giuliani repeated a version of this errant claim in a press briefing on Thursday. “There’s not a singular vote fraud in one state,” Trump’s lawyer said. “This pattern repeats itself in a number of states, almost exactly the same pattern.”
Giuliani said that this “suggests there was a plan from a centralized place to execute these various acts of voter fraud, specifically focused on big cities, and specifically focused on big cities controlled by Democrats.”
But the former federal prosecutor, much like other Trump lawyers, has had poorer successes in the actual courtroom arguing that fraud has changed the results of the election. A complaint he filed in Pennsylvania was filled with misspellings, typos and other errors.
Giuliani hasn’t fared too well during arguments before a judge, either, at times stating that there were substantial cases of fraud across the country but also arguing that the case he was making on behalf of Trump, in which he sought to completely toss out the election results in the state, wasn’t a fraud case at all.
Although a number of Trump-aligned Republicans refuse to recognize Biden as the victor, the former vice president is widely regarded as the president-elect, set to take office on January 20, 2021. The Democratic candidate for president won this year’s race against Trump by a margin of almost 6 million votes, attaining 51 percent of the popular vote, and winning the Electoral College by a count of 306 to Trump’s 232 votes.
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
Copyright © Truthout. May not be reprinted without permission.