truthout--2020-10-06--Fauci Says Trump Could See “Reversal” of His COVID Recovery This Week or Next

Anthony Fauci , the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a member of the White House ’ s coronavirus task force , suggested that officials within the Trump administration ought to keep their “ heads up ” to the possibility that President Trump ’ s condition may deteriorate this week ( or even next week ) after having been treated for COVID-19 over the weekend .
Discussing the issue on Monday evening during a segment on CNN , Fauci said he felt the president “ looks fine ” at the moment , but that things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days .
“ The issue is that he ’ s still early enough in the disease , that it ’ s not a secret that , if you look at the clinical course of people , sometimes when you are five to eight days in , you can have a reversal , ” Fauci said .
“ A reversal meaning going in the wrong direction and getting into trouble.
” In a separate interview with New Yorker staff writer Michael Specter , Fauci recognized that most people who contract coronavirus either show no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ symptoms associated with it .
“ But there are a group of individuals who fall into a certain subset or category , mainly the elderly and those with underlying conditions at any age , who can have a severe outcome , ” Fauci added .
“ And we know that severe outcome could be anything from just feeling really , really sick to requiring hospitalization , requiring intensive care , possibly ventilation and even death.
” Trump is putting forward an image of him having “ defeated ” the disease , of having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ propagandistic reasons .
In reality , his condition looks to be worse than what he and the White House are trying to suggest , according to many observers .
Video of Trump removing his mask at the White House shortly after leaving Walter Reed National Military Medical Center looked to many like he was having difficulty breathing .
Indeed , video of Trump at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center also appeared to have been heavily edited , according to some who say the video was cut to hide coughs or other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least two separate episodes over the weekend where his oxygen levels dropped , and his own chief of staff described his condition as being “ very concerning.
” Fauci ’ s assertions over the need for Trump ’ s staff to keep an eye out for diminishing health conditions are also shared by the president ’ s medical team , who stressed after Trump announced he would be leaving Walter Reed , that he was not yet “ out of the woods ” when it came to recovery .
Trump ’ s personal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday that the president was showing “ no symptoms ” of coronavirus as of Tuesday afternoon .
But Conley ’ s words may not have credibility with many owing to the fact that in speaking to the media over the weekend , Conley admitted he had been purposely misleading when he had previously spoken about Trump ’ s condition .
As Trump paints a rosy picture of his own health , he also continued to mislead Americans on the seriousness of coronavirus , wrongly stating in a tweet on Tuesday that the disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later placed a disclaimer on Trump ’ s tweet that said his message contained “ potentially harmful information related to COVID-19 .
”

Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a member of the White House’s coronavirus task force, suggested that officials within the Trump administration ought to keep their “heads up” to the possibility that President Trump’s condition may deteriorate this week (or even next week) after having been treated for COVID-19 over the weekend.
Discussing the issue on Monday evening during a segment on CNN, Fauci said he felt the president “looks fine” at the moment, but that things could change rapidly in the next few days.
“The issue is that he’s still early enough in the disease, that it’s not a secret that, if you look at the clinical course of people, sometimes when you are five to eight days in, you can have a reversal,” Fauci said. “A reversal meaning going in the wrong direction and getting into trouble.”
In a separate interview with New Yorker staff writer Michael Specter, Fauci recognized that most people who contract coronavirus either show no signs of the disease or have mild symptoms associated with it.
“But there are a group of individuals who fall into a certain subset or category, mainly the elderly and those with underlying conditions at any age, who can have a severe outcome,” Fauci added. “And we know that severe outcome could be anything from just feeling really, really sick to requiring hospitalization, requiring intensive care, possibly ventilation and even death.”
Trump is putting forward an image of him having “defeated” the disease, of having overcome coronavirus for what appear to be propagandistic reasons. In reality, his condition looks to be worse than what he and the White House are trying to suggest, according to many observers.
Video of Trump removing his mask at the White House shortly after leaving Walter Reed National Military Medical Center looked to many like he was having difficulty breathing. Indeed, video of Trump at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center also appeared to have been heavily edited, according to some who say the video was cut to hide coughs or other signs of illness. Trump had at least two separate episodes over the weekend where his oxygen levels dropped, and his own chief of staff described his condition as being “very concerning.”
Fauci’s assertions over the need for Trump’s staff to keep an eye out for diminishing health conditions are also shared by the president’s medical team, who stressed after Trump announced he would be leaving Walter Reed, that he was not yet “out of the woods” when it came to recovery.
Trump’s personal doctor, Sean Conley, reported on Tuesday that the president was showing “no symptoms” of coronavirus as of Tuesday afternoon. But Conley’s words may not have credibility with many owing to the fact that in speaking to the media over the weekend, Conley admitted he had been purposely misleading when he had previously spoken about Trump’s condition.
As Trump paints a rosy picture of his own health, he also continued to mislead Americans on the seriousness of coronavirus, wrongly stating in a tweet on Tuesday that the disease was akin to the flu. Twitter later placed a disclaimer on Trump’s tweet that said his message contained “potentially harmful information related to COVID-19.”
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--2020-10-06--After Being Airlifted to a World-Class Hospital, Trump Compares COVID to the Flu

On what should be his first full day back at the White House since he was airlifted by helicopter to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to be treated for coronavirus last week , President Trump arrogantly and foolishly compared COVID-19 to the flu in a tweet riddled with falsehoods on Tuesday morning .
“ Many people every year , sometimes over 100,000 , and despite the Vaccine , die from the Flu , ” Trump wrote .
“ Are we going to close down our Country ?
No , we have learned to live with it , just like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in most populations far less lethal !
!
!
” Trump ’ s words , though incorrect , were consistent with what he said in a video on Monday evening after he had returned from Walter Reed .
“ Don ’ t let [ coronavirus ] dominate you .
Don ’ t be afraid of it .
You ’ re going to beat it , ” Trump insisted .
In fact , Trump ’ s figures on the flu are way off — from 2010 to 2016 , estimates of yearly flu @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact , have averaged just over 34,000 deaths per year .
If you add in the annual estimates for flu deaths from the past three years to that figure , the yearly average for the last nine years only increases to just 38,000 .
By comparison , the coronavirus has resulted in more than five times as many deaths in less than 10 months this year .
The president ’ s claim that Americans can “ beat ” COVID-19 must be particularly jarring to the millions of family members of the more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ died from the disease so far .
Current projections from the University of Washington ’ s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation ( IHME ) model , which has been cited by the White House in the past , predict close to another 150,000 Americans will die between now and New Year ’ s Day .
It ’ s not as if the president doesn ’ t understand that coronavirus isn ’ t deadlier than the flu — he admitted to knowing as much in recorded conversations with journalist Bob Woodward back in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off in the U.S. COVID-19 is even “ more deadly than your , you know , your , even your strenuous flus , ” Trump said back then , though he hid that fact from the American people even as he misled them with claims that COVID would simply “ disappear ” within weeks .
Trump himself is not “ out of the woods , ” according to his own medical team , with regard to his prognosis , which was announced to the public late last week .
He was urged by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospital rather than return to the White House on Monday .
His presence back at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is not just potentially harmful to his own health but also puts staffers there at risk , as he remains infectious with the disease .
Morale among some at the White House appears to be low , as many staffers are getting sick and taking time off to quarantine themselves for 14 days .
“ Folks are dropping like flies over here .
Shit is very crazy , ” one White House official said of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even aware that they have been in close proximity to someone who has tested positive , often finding out through media reports that they have been exposed to the virus , according to sources at the White House .
While Trump may be trying to project strength through the crisis using his own experience with the disease , most Americans do not view his behavior in such high regard .
After months of seeing Trump downplay the pandemic , mislead about the seriousness of the virus , and hold campaign rallies and events @ @ @ @ @ @ @ superspreader events , a new CNN/SSRS poll published on Monday finds that 63 percent of Americans believe the president has acted irresponsibly in handling the risk of infecting people close to him .
That same poll found that only 37 percent of Americans approve of Trump ’ s handling of the pandemic , while 60 percent disapprove of his performance in this crisis — his worst approval rating on the issue since the CNN/SSRS poll began asking the question .

On what should be his first full day back at the White House since he was airlifted by helicopter to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to be treated for coronavirus last week, President Trump arrogantly and foolishly compared COVID-19 to the flu in a tweet riddled with falsehoods on Tuesday morning.
“Many people every year, sometimes over 100,000, and despite the Vaccine, die from the Flu,” Trump wrote. “Are we going to close down our Country? No, we have learned to live with it, just like we are learning to live with Covid, in most populations far less lethal!!!”
Trump’s words, though incorrect, were consistent with what he said in a video on Monday evening after he had returned from Walter Reed. “Don’t let [coronavirus] dominate you. Don’t be afraid of it. You’re going to beat it,” Trump insisted.
In fact, Trump’s figures on the flu are way off — from 2010 to 2016, estimates of yearly flu deaths never exceeded 51,000, and in fact, have averaged just over 34,000 deaths per year. If you add in the annual estimates for flu deaths from the past three years to that figure, the yearly average for the last nine years only increases to just 38,000.
By comparison, the coronavirus has resulted in more than five times as many deaths in less than 10 months this year. The president’s claim that Americans can “beat” COVID-19 must be particularly jarring to the millions of family members of the more than 215,000 people in the U.S. who have died from the disease so far. Current projections from the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) model, which has been cited by the White House in the past, predict close to another 150,000 Americans will die between now and New Year’s Day.
It’s not as if the president doesn’t understand that coronavirus isn’t deadlier than the flu — he admitted to knowing as much in recorded conversations with journalist Bob Woodward back in February, before the pandemic had taken off in the U.S. COVID-19 is even “more deadly than your, you know, your, even your strenuous flus,” Trump said back then, though he hid that fact from the American people even as he misled them with claims that COVID would simply “disappear” within weeks.
Trump himself is not “out of the woods,” according to his own medical team, with regard to his prognosis, which was announced to the public late last week. He was urged by his advisers to stay longer in the hospital rather than return to the White House on Monday. His presence back at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is not just potentially harmful to his own health but also puts staffers there at risk, as he remains infectious with the disease.
Morale among some at the White House appears to be low, as many staffers are getting sick and taking time off to quarantine themselves for 14 days. “Folks are dropping like flies over here. Shit is very crazy,” one White House official said of the situation. Many staffers are not even aware that they have been in close proximity to someone who has tested positive, often finding out through media reports that they have been exposed to the virus, according to sources at the White House.
While Trump may be trying to project strength through the crisis using his own experience with the disease, most Americans do not view his behavior in such high regard. After months of seeing Trump downplay the pandemic, mislead about the seriousness of the virus, and hold campaign rallies and events at the White House that were likely superspreader events, a new CNN/SSRS poll published on Monday finds that 63 percent of Americans believe the president has acted irresponsibly in handling the risk of infecting people close to him.
That same poll found that only 37 percent of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of the pandemic, while 60 percent disapprove of his performance in this crisis — his worst approval rating on the issue since the CNN/SSRS poll began asking the question.
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--2020-10-06--Trump Fans Flames of COVID-19 Misinformation Effort After Hospital Exit

Shocking medical experts , President Trump has returned to the White House while still infectious with the coronavirus and after more than a dozen people in Trump ’ s orbit have already tested positive for COVID-19 .
Emergency room physician Dr. Dara Kass says she was “ horrified ” by President Trump ’ s dismissive attitude toward a pandemic that has killed more than 200,000 people in the United States .
“ I had this virus , ” says Dr. Kass .
“ I never left my bedroom without an N95 mask on my face , because I was petrified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family.
” This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : In a shocking show of recklessness , President Trump left Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for the White House on Monday evening , staging a series of photo ops as he walked out through its golden doors after a 72-hour stay and boarded the presidential helicopter back to the White House to continue his COVID-19 treatment .
It was the beginning of a bizarre sequence of events that alarmed public health experts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stepped off Marine One , then ascended a set of stairs to the first floor balcony , where he removed his mask , despite having COVID , and waved farewell to the helicopter in a propaganda-style video he soon posted to Twitter accompanied by dramatic music .
He entered the White House unmasked , potentially exposing more staff , after at least two housekeeping staff recently tested positive .
Trump filmed a video in front of the White House , which has become a COVID hot spot due to his administration ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s comments sparked outrage and alarm from public health officials and came as the U.S. COVID death toll passed 210,000 .
Other video of Trump ’ s homecoming shows the president appearing short of breath .
Dr. Abdul El-Sayed tweeted , quote , “ This is not how a healthy man breathes.
” Meanwhile , White House physician Dr. Sean Conley refused Monday to answer questions from reporters about the health of Trump ’ s lungs .
AMY GOODMAN : Dr. Conley also refused to disclose the last time the president tested negative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This comes as the number of coronavirus cases emanating from the White House continues to grow .
On Monday , Trump ’ s Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said she had tested positive , along with two of her press deputies , bringing the number of people in Trump ’ s circle with COVID to well over a dozen .
For more , we ’ re joined by Dr. Dara Kass , emergency medicine physician , Columbia University Medical Center , and Yahoo News medical contributor .
Dr. Kass , welcome to Democracy Now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ witnessed last night , Trump standing at the White House , returning home , saying he had learned real lessons , removing his mask , giving a thumbs up , and then turning and walking into the White House , where so many staff are under siege now , where people are talking about it as half-shutdown because of the number of people who are testing positive ?
DR. DARA KASS : So , a couple things .
First of all , I think myself and really anybody that ’ s been touched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans that have had it themselves , the hundreds of thousands of — the family members of the hundreds of thousands who have passed away , were horrified at this display of , really , nonchalantness around a virus that has killed so many Americans and affected all of our lives .
The idea that — first of all , you need to remember that anyone watching this video does not think that the president is healthy right now .
There ’ s no evidence that he is over this , he is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know this president has this idea that if he thinks positively , positive things will happen .
And so , he may be convincing himself that he is somehow over this virus , that he has somehow finished the course .
But as somebody that both had the virus myself and also has taken care of hundreds of patients who have had it over the past six months , I can tell you that the virus takes time on your body , especially when you have known lung disease .
And we know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just because he was clearly short of breath in that video — ” # GaspingForAir ” was trending on Twitter — but also that he ’ s being treated with the medications we give for patients that have lung disease .
And that ’ s what ’ s going to happen to a significant percentage of patients who are in his age bracket , who have his risk factors .
They ’ re going to get lung disease .
There ’ s nothing wrong with having , you know , side effects of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ body .
There is no indictment of your strength if you are ill from this virus or if you pass away .
And I think the worst thing for us , as doctors , as public health professionals , is the idea that this display of , you know , aggrandized , boisterous bravado will somehow protect him from a virus that has hurt so many Americans , that he is somehow better than the rest of us .
I had this virus .
I was in bed for over a week , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I moved my children out of my house .
And I never left my bedroom without an N95 mask on my face , because I was petrified of giving it to my friends and family .
So the idea the president would pose for a photo op unmasked and expose even one person to his virus , I think , says a lot about how he feels about the people around him .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : And , Dr. Kass , I ’ m wondering if you could talk about the treatment that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the experimental monoclonal antibody made by Regeneron , but also the antiviral drug remdesivir and especially dexamethasone , which is a common steroid that ’ s recommended only for critically ill patients .
And yet , we were told , initially , and there hasn ’ t been anything to contradict it , that his case is largely mild .
DR. DARA KASS : Right .
So , a couple of things .
So , going on the course of what we heard from the White House about his treatment , the Regeneron @ @ @ @ @ @ @ antibodies , is supposed to give your body a head start on the antibody response , right ?
If your body hasn ’ t made its own antibodies , they give you the antibodies .
We do think it ’ s interesting that he got the Regeneron cocktail as opposed to convalescent plasma , which his FDA rushed an emergency use authorization for , since they functionally do the same thing .
But , obviously , his physicians made the choice to go with this experimental medication , which I think says a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That helps your body fight the virus and ideally would decrease the viral load in your body so that the other effects of the virus on your body would not happen — the lung disease , the kidney disease , the blood clots , the difficulty breathing and , eventually , the heart disease and other system problems we ’ re seeing .
After that , we know that he moved to the hospital , right ?
So , that ’ s not to say that that didn ’ t work .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was sick .
And he went into the hospital and got the remdesivir .
Remdesivir is an antiviral that has shown to shorten the course of hospitalization .
So it ’ s really recommended in hospitalized patients to make them come out of the hospital faster .
But it hasn ’ t shown to change whether or not somebody lives or dies .
And we know that it ’ s given to patients who are moderate , you know , illness in this course — again , inconsistent with what we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abundance of caution .
But then , afterwards , we find out that maybe his oxygen levels were low for a short period of time , remembering that those low oxygen levels reflect lung damage .
And it ’ s not likely that there was transient lung damage .
It ’ s more that he was able to compensate and then not able to compensate , on and off .
The last medication he received we know about is dexamethasone .
And we know that that happened after these multiple levels of hypoxia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this medication , which is the oldest medication — it ’ s been around forever — is given on patients who have oxygen needs .
So , they ’ re getting supplemental oxygen , and they ’ re , you know , serious , moderate , even critically ill patients .
And this has actually been shown to save lives in that subset of patients .
We also know that that cocktail of three medications has never been given to one patient before , because of the fact this is a new and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s only being given in compassionate use , meaning that the risks to the patient are lower than the benefit of him living , because we don ’ t know much about the medication .
So , it ’ s a very aggressive cocktail of medications .
We don ’ t know how they interact , although we don ’ t think they would have side effects interacting with each other .
They all act differently on the body .
Again , but the most concerning thing , and , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it ’ s not that he ’ s sick or that he got medications .
That ’ s going to happen to somebody in his age bracket with his risk factors .
It ’ s that somehow he ’ s able to override his physicians in minimizing that effect on his body or , more importantly , the risk he poses to other people .
You know , the president is the president of the United States .
He ’ s an incredibly important patient .
We want to make sure that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he ’ s obviously as well as possible .
But he also is an infectious patient putting other people ’ s lives at risk .
And most importantly , he ’ s an example for the rest of America .
How many patients who find out they ’ re exposed to this virus will now not quarantine because the people in his orbit are not quarantining ?
Or how many patients will not isolate themselves in their house , and expose their partner , their children , their elderly grandmother to this virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House without a mask ?
And how many people will declare themselves COVID-cured ?
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : You mentioned him — Dr. Kass , you mentioned him trying to override his physicians .
Could you talk a little bit about how the physicians , especially Dr. Sean Conley and others — how they ’ ve been transmitting information to the public on this issue ?
DR. DARA KASS : So , I would say that their press conferences have been a lot more like a press briefing than a medical briefing .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re leading with what the president wants to hear , not what we need to know .
As Americans , we deserve to know about the condition of the president and our commander-in-chief in a transparent and consistent way .
And it ’ s the backtracking and inconsistencies .
Again , none of us need to be the president ’ s doctor .
He has an excellent medical team .
What we need to know is what does his health mean for our country and how is that virus transmitted to other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the simple fact of them not telling us when he was testing negative versus when he tested positive , while for months they ’ re telling us that he ’ s getting negative tests all the time , or that they don ’ t — they ’ re not transparent on when his oxygen levels drop — now , again , it ’ s not because we want to manage his medical care .
It ’ s because that represents not just severe disease , but potentially impaired decision-making capacity .
And so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s incumbent on them , as Americans and as service providers to this country , to be true and to be honest with the American people .
Instead , it seems like they ’ re just serving at the pleasure of the president .
And in a lot of ways , in this particular case , the patient is guiding his care , which we know , as physicians , is a very bad idea .
AMY GOODMAN : On Monday , Democratic Congressmember Ro Khanna from California tweeted , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 in the White House than in New Zealand , Taiwan , and Vietnam combined ” — in the White House than in New Zealand , Taiwan and Vietnam combined — “ and they have 124 million people .
Let that sink in , ” Ro Khanna said .
Your thoughts , Dr. Kass ?
DR. DARA KASS : My thoughts are , if Jacinda Ardern was in charge of the White House , it would be locked down .
AMY GOODMAN : And what about the fact that he walked in there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got so many different issues .
Dexamethasone has a side effect of what ?
Grandiose delusions .
It ’ s hard to separate that from President Trump on a regular day without the steroid .
But what that means in terms of decision-making ?
And taking off that mask and walking inside , where the majority of the nonpolitical staff , the household staff , are older people of color , and we know that is the most vulnerable group when it comes to COVID-19 .
If you can just talk about what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the White House — and after saying he had learned something , not textbook-wise , he said , but , you know , he lived the learning — and took off his mask ?
DR. DARA KASS : You know , it ’ s an affront to them and their service to this country .
Very much it says their lives don ’ t matter to him , and neither do their families ’ lives , remembering that all of those people who work at the White House have children and spouses .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ re immune-compromised .
He has no idea about their children trying to stay in school , about their own personal circumstances .
We also know from a memo in the White House that they ’ re not doing contact tracing to anyone at the Rose Garden .
They ’ re not offering testing to anybody that ’ s not well known to the American public .
In a world where the president was supposed to be getting testing daily , they ’ re telling people who work at the White House that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if they ’ re concerned .
Any employer that puts their employees at risk to this level should be mandated to take care of their patients , which at a minimum includes paying them for their quarantine and making sure they ’ re testing and supported if they get sick from their employment .
AMY GOODMAN : And , of course , we know that two household staff have tested positive .
And it ’ s going to be very hard to know , both in Trump ’ s family and the staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tested positive or how many people have tested positive .
Right before the Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany tested positive , she told reporters on Sunday she would no longer be reporting the number or the people in the White House , that , you know , it would go dark .
How are we going to find out this information now ?
Because this goes to the issue of contact tracing , something the White House says it also is not going to do for the large Rose Garden ceremony and , more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indoors last weekend for the Supreme Court Justice [ sic ] Amy Coney Barrett .
AMY GOODMAN : I mean , for the woman he nominated as a Supreme Court justice .
DR. DARA KASS : Right .
And it ’ s a real national security issue , right ?
Because we don ’ t know how many people are exposed or even how their offices are going to be exposed .
What if we find out this has gotten into the Pentagon ?
What if we find out that this has gotten @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Remembering that by not contact tracing — you know , to quote Dr. Conley , who said , “ We ’ re not going to look back , ” looking back — contact tracing is looking back , right ?
And the idea that somehow they ’ re not going to report out how many people are positive minimizes the risk to all of Americans , and the idea that when it gets into your workplace , you need to be responsible to share that information .
How many Americans are going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ act like if they don ’ t have a positive test , they don ’ t have to tell anyone that they ’ re positive ?
All this is going to do is perpetuate the spread of this virus through this country .
I spoke at a ceremony on Sunday in front of the White House , commemorating the 200,000 Americans that have passed away from this virus , you know , remembering that they represent a fraction of the millions of Americans that have been affected by this virus .
It was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a way that is almost surreal , to speak in front of the White House , commemorating the 200,000 Americans dying and asking America to help us not see the next 200,000 more pass away , and then literally watch the president take a joyride , currently infectious , around Walter Reed , exposing his Secret Service members to this virus .
You know , we need to remember that we don ’ t have to have the next 200,000 die .
We can do this , even if our president is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Dr. Kass , I wanted to ask you about a New York Times report on Monday that the White House is blocking stricter guidelines proposed by the FDA for emergency approval of a coronavirus vaccine .
The White House is supposedly objecting to a rule that would make the authorization of a vaccine before the election almost impossible .
Could you talk about that and also your sense of where the vaccine trials stand right now ?
DR. DARA KASS : Sure .
So , the vaccine trials are actually very encouraging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ invested a significant amount of money in multiple vaccines .
And these candidates seem to be conferring an antibody response .
And we ’ re in the middle of Phase 3 trials for multiple vaccine candidates , and that ’ s really encouraging .
Unfortunately , we ’ ve seen that this White House politicizes the process — right ?
— of approval .
And like I said , we saw this with hydroxychloroquine and with convalescent plasma .
And one of the reasons we were nervous with the plasma is that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do this with a vaccine — basically jumping in before Phase 3 trials were complete , and saying , “ This one ’ s good enough for us .
We ’ re going to say now we have a vaccine .
You know , ’ Here ’ s our miracle cure.
’ And we ’ re going to start giving it to Americans , and we ’ re going to start with vulnerable Americans ” — again , remembering that there ’ s a history of distrust around new vaccines in vulnerable populations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pigs , in all fairness .
And so , we do need to understand that community trust around this vaccine is critically important .
And going through the proper channels through the FDA , and approval , is going to be critical to actually getting the vaccine in people ’ s arms .
The FDA put forward some rule that really was built to get public trust around the vaccine .
It didn ’ t do much for the approval process , right ?
The most stringent thing they said was they were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last dose of vaccine to make sure that the safety profile was robust , that nobody had any side effects of the virus — of the vaccine , and that really enough people were protected from this vaccine , then didn ’ t get the virus themselves — really , bottom-floor minimum standards .
And we knew , as soon as they said that , that there was a really good chance the White House was going to put their finger on the scale and try to undo that .
And we heard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when asked about this , “ Well , we ’ ll see what they get to do .
Remember who ’ s really in charge.
” And we need to remember that the FDA and the CDC have both had to walk back recommendations that they ’ ve given , or change processes , because of direct intervention from this White House , on the communication and the approval of medications and therapeutics and vaccines — well , not vaccines yet , but you know what I mean — for this coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things like quarantine and isolation .
So , this is really unsurprising .
And I ’ m really hoping that the vaccine makers and the FDA really stand up against this president and say , “ No , the science must come first.
” AMY GOODMAN : Finally , Dr. Dara Kass , we just have 30 seconds , but the vice-presidential debate is taking place tomorrow night , in person at this point .
But do you think that Vice President Mike Pence , who ’ s clearly in and out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the ceremony , the Supreme Court ceremony , should be self-quarantining at this point ?
DR. DARA KASS : Yeah .
Objectively , there is no reason that — Mike Pence should be quarantining .
Unfortunately , he ’ s not .
And he ’ s requiring that the vice-presidential candidate on the Democratic side put herself at risk by standing next to him .
And so she ’ s going to protect herself as best that she needs to .
AMY GOODMAN : And there , they mock her and say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dare she stand behind a plexiglass partition ?
” But also , Vice President Biden , do you think he should be quarantining ?
We do not know when President Trump last tested negative .
It was clear he did not test on Tuesday because he so-called came too late to the debate to be tested .
There was Biden not so far away from him .
DR. DARA KASS : So , we know that if the president would be honest about his testing , it would be easier for the vice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision .
We also know that with the information the vice president has , being over 10 feet away from the president and currently wearing a mask everywhere he goes , he ’ s following the CDC guidelines of President Trump ’ s administration .
So , right now the information the vice president has , I think , says that he doesn ’ t need to quarantine .
But it would be really important , if there was missing information , for the president of the United States and his office to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AMY GOODMAN : Well , Dr. Dara Kass , we want to thank you for being with us , emergency medicine physician at Columbia University Medical Center , Yahoo News medical contributor .
When we come back , we ’ ll be joined by Kristin Urquiza , speaking out after her father , a Trump supporter , died from COVID .
She attended last week ’ s presidential debate , sitting just feet away from President Trump , now in self-quarantine .
Stay with us .

Shocking medical experts, President Trump has returned to the White House while still infectious with the coronavirus and after more than a dozen people in Trump’s orbit have already tested positive for COVID-19. Emergency room physician Dr. Dara Kass says she was “horrified” by President Trump’s dismissive attitude toward a pandemic that has killed more than 200,000 people in the United States. “I had this virus,” says Dr. Kass. “I never left my bedroom without an N95 mask on my face, because I was petrified of giving it to my friends and family.”
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: In a shocking show of recklessness, President Trump left Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for the White House on Monday evening, staging a series of photo ops as he walked out through its golden doors after a 72-hour stay and boarded the presidential helicopter back to the White House to continue his COVID-19 treatment. It was the beginning of a bizarre sequence of events that alarmed public health experts.
At the White House, Trump stepped off Marine One, then ascended a set of stairs to the first floor balcony, where he removed his mask, despite having COVID, and waved farewell to the helicopter in a propaganda-style video he soon posted to Twitter accompanied by dramatic music. He entered the White House unmasked, potentially exposing more staff, after at least two housekeeping staff recently tested positive. Trump filmed a video in front of the White House, which has become a COVID hot spot due to his administration’s negligence.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I stood out front. I led. Nobody that’s a leader would not do what I did. And I know there’s a risk, there’s a danger, but that’s OK. And now I’m better, and maybe I’m immune. I don’t know. But don’t let it dominate your lives. Get out there. Be careful. We have the best medicines in the world. Related Story News | Environment & Health Researchers Say Trump Is the “Largest Single Component” of COVID Misinformation From hydroxychloroquine to sunlight, Trump has promoted many false whoppers about how to treat the virus. Truthout
AMY GOODMAN: Trump’s comments sparked outrage and alarm from public health officials and came as the U.S. COVID death toll passed 210,000.
Other video of Trump’s homecoming shows the president appearing short of breath. Dr. Abdul El-Sayed tweeted, quote, “This is not how a healthy man breathes.” Meanwhile, White House physician Dr. Sean Conley refused Monday to answer questions from reporters about the health of Trump’s lungs.
KATHERINE FAULDERS: Have you seen any evidence of pneumonia or any inflammation in his lungs at all? DR. SEAN CONLEY: So, we’ve done routine standard imaging. I’m just not at liberty to discuss. KATHERINE FAULDERS: So you’re actively not telling us what those lung scans showed, just to be clear? DR. SEAN CONLEY: So, there are HIPAA rules and regulations that restrict me in sharing certain things, for his safety and his own health.
AMY GOODMAN: Dr. Conley also refused to disclose the last time the president tested negative for the virus.
KATHERINE FAULDERS: Can you tell us, please, on testing, can you tell us when he had his last negative test? Was it Thursday? Was it Wednesday? Do you remember when he had his last negative test? DR. SEAN CONLEY: Yeah, I don’t want to go backwards.
AMY GOODMAN: This comes as the number of coronavirus cases emanating from the White House continues to grow. On Monday, Trump’s Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said she had tested positive, along with two of her press deputies, bringing the number of people in Trump’s circle with COVID to well over a dozen.
For more, we’re joined by Dr. Dara Kass, emergency medicine physician, Columbia University Medical Center, and Yahoo News medical contributor.
Dr. Kass, welcome to Democracy Now! Can you talk about what you witnessed last night, Trump standing at the White House, returning home, saying he had learned real lessons, removing his mask, giving a thumbs up, and then turning and walking into the White House, where so many staff are under siege now, where people are talking about it as half-shutdown because of the number of people who are testing positive?
DR. DARA KASS: So, a couple things. First of all, I think myself and really anybody that’s been touched by this virus, the millions of Americans that have had it themselves, the hundreds of thousands of — the family members of the hundreds of thousands who have passed away, were horrified at this display of, really, nonchalantness around a virus that has killed so many Americans and affected all of our lives.
The idea that — first of all, you need to remember that anyone watching this video does not think that the president is healthy right now. There’s no evidence that he is over this, he is immune, he is better. We know this president has this idea that if he thinks positively, positive things will happen. And so, he may be convincing himself that he is somehow over this virus, that he has somehow finished the course. But as somebody that both had the virus myself and also has taken care of hundreds of patients who have had it over the past six months, I can tell you that the virus takes time on your body, especially when you have known lung disease.
And we know the president has lung disease, not just because he was clearly short of breath in that video — ”#GaspingForAir” was trending on Twitter — but also that he’s being treated with the medications we give for patients that have lung disease. And that’s what’s going to happen to a significant percentage of patients who are in his age bracket, who have his risk factors. They’re going to get lung disease.
There’s nothing wrong with having, you know, side effects of this virus, having effects on your body. There is no indictment of your strength if you are ill from this virus or if you pass away. And I think the worst thing for us, as doctors, as public health professionals, is the idea that this display of, you know, aggrandized, boisterous bravado will somehow protect him from a virus that has hurt so many Americans, that he is somehow better than the rest of us.
I had this virus. I was in bed for over a week, while taking naps, hydrating myself. I moved my children out of my house. And I never left my bedroom without an N95 mask on my face, because I was petrified of giving it to my friends and family. So the idea the president would pose for a photo op unmasked and expose even one person to his virus, I think, says a lot about how he feels about the people around him.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Dr. Kass, I’m wondering if you could talk about the treatment that the president has received, not only the experimental monoclonal antibody made by Regeneron, but also the antiviral drug remdesivir and especially dexamethasone, which is a common steroid that’s recommended only for critically ill patients. And yet, we were told, initially, and there hasn’t been anything to contradict it, that his case is largely mild.
DR. DARA KASS: Right. So, a couple of things. So, going on the course of what we heard from the White House about his treatment, the Regeneron antibody cocktail, which is two monoclonal antibodies, is supposed to give your body a head start on the antibody response, right? If your body hasn’t made its own antibodies, they give you the antibodies. We do think it’s interesting that he got the Regeneron cocktail as opposed to convalescent plasma, which his FDA rushed an emergency use authorization for, since they functionally do the same thing. But, obviously, his physicians made the choice to go with this experimental medication, which I think says a lot about the potential for this medication. That helps your body fight the virus and ideally would decrease the viral load in your body so that the other effects of the virus on your body would not happen — the lung disease, the kidney disease, the blood clots, the difficulty breathing and, eventually, the heart disease and other system problems we’re seeing.
After that, we know that he moved to the hospital, right? So, that’s not to say that that didn’t work. It’s just to say that he was sick. And he went into the hospital and got the remdesivir. Remdesivir is an antiviral that has shown to shorten the course of hospitalization. So it’s really recommended in hospitalized patients to make them come out of the hospital faster. But it hasn’t shown to change whether or not somebody lives or dies. And we know that it’s given to patients who are moderate, you know, illness in this course — again, inconsistent with what we’re telling, that it was an abundance of caution. But then, afterwards, we find out that maybe his oxygen levels were low for a short period of time, remembering that those low oxygen levels reflect lung damage. And it’s not likely that there was transient lung damage. It’s more that he was able to compensate and then not able to compensate, on and off.
The last medication he received we know about is dexamethasone. And we know that that happened after these multiple levels of hypoxia, low oxygen. And we know this medication, which is the oldest medication — it’s been around forever — is given on patients who have oxygen needs. So, they’re getting supplemental oxygen, and they’re, you know, serious, moderate, even critically ill patients. And this has actually been shown to save lives in that subset of patients.
We also know that that cocktail of three medications has never been given to one patient before, because of the fact this is a new and experimental medication, the first one, that’s only being given in compassionate use, meaning that the risks to the patient are lower than the benefit of him living, because we don’t know much about the medication. So, it’s a very aggressive cocktail of medications. We don’t know how they interact, although we don’t think they would have side effects interacting with each other. They all act differently on the body.
Again, but the most concerning thing, and, I think, the disconnect here, is that it’s not that he’s sick or that he got medications. That’s going to happen to somebody in his age bracket with his risk factors. It’s that somehow he’s able to override his physicians in minimizing that effect on his body or, more importantly, the risk he poses to other people. You know, the president is the president of the United States. He’s an incredibly important patient. We want to make sure that he gets the best treatment and that he’s obviously as well as possible. But he also is an infectious patient putting other people’s lives at risk.
And most importantly, he’s an example for the rest of America. How many patients who find out they’re exposed to this virus will now not quarantine because the people in his orbit are not quarantining? Or how many patients will not isolate themselves in their house, and expose their partner, their children, their elderly grandmother to this virus, because he walked into the White House without a mask? And how many people will declare themselves COVID-cured?
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: You mentioned him — Dr. Kass, you mentioned him trying to override his physicians. Could you talk a little bit about how the physicians, especially Dr. Sean Conley and others — how they’ve been transmitting information to the public on this issue?
DR. DARA KASS: So, I would say that their press conferences have been a lot more like a press briefing than a medical briefing. And what I mean by that is they’re leading with what the president wants to hear, not what we need to know. As Americans, we deserve to know about the condition of the president and our commander-in-chief in a transparent and consistent way. And it’s the backtracking and inconsistencies.
Again, none of us need to be the president’s doctor. He has an excellent medical team. What we need to know is what does his health mean for our country and how is that virus transmitted to other people in the White House. And the simple fact of them not telling us when he was testing negative versus when he tested positive, while for months they’re telling us that he’s getting negative tests all the time, or that they don’t — they’re not transparent on when his oxygen levels drop — now, again, it’s not because we want to manage his medical care. It’s because that represents not just severe disease, but potentially impaired decision-making capacity.
And so, it’s really a — it’s incumbent on them, as Americans and as service providers to this country, to be true and to be honest with the American people. Instead, it seems like they’re just serving at the pleasure of the president. And in a lot of ways, in this particular case, the patient is guiding his care, which we know, as physicians, is a very bad idea.
AMY GOODMAN: On Monday, Democratic Congressmember Ro Khanna from California tweeted, “There are now more recorded cases of COVID-19 in the White House than in New Zealand, Taiwan, and Vietnam combined” — in the White House than in New Zealand, Taiwan and Vietnam combined — “and they have 124 million people. Let that sink in,” Ro Khanna said. Your thoughts, Dr. Kass?
DR. DARA KASS: My thoughts are, if Jacinda Ardern was in charge of the White House, it would be locked down.
AMY GOODMAN: And what about the fact that he walked in there — I mean, you’ve got so many different issues. Dexamethasone has a side effect of what? Grandiose delusions. It’s hard to separate that from President Trump on a regular day without the steroid. But what that means in terms of decision-making? And taking off that mask and walking inside, where the majority of the nonpolitical staff, the household staff, are older people of color, and we know that is the most vulnerable group when it comes to COVID-19. If you can just talk about what this means that he went back to the White House — and after saying he had learned something, not textbook-wise, he said, but, you know, he lived the learning — and took off his mask?
DR. DARA KASS: You know, it’s an affront to them and their service to this country. Very much it says their lives don’t matter to him, and neither do their families’ lives, remembering that all of those people who work at the White House have children and spouses. He has no idea if they’re immune-compromised. He has no idea about their children trying to stay in school, about their own personal circumstances.
We also know from a memo in the White House that they’re not doing contact tracing to anyone at the Rose Garden. They’re not offering testing to anybody that’s not well known to the American public. In a world where the president was supposed to be getting testing daily, they’re telling people who work at the White House that they should go to their primary care provider if they’re concerned. Any employer that puts their employees at risk to this level should be mandated to take care of their patients, which at a minimum includes paying them for their quarantine and making sure they’re testing and supported if they get sick from their employment.
AMY GOODMAN: And, of course, we know that two household staff have tested positive. And it’s going to be very hard to know, both in Trump’s family and the staff of the White House, who has tested positive or how many people have tested positive. Right before the Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany tested positive, she told reporters on Sunday she would no longer be reporting the number or the people in the White House, that, you know, it would go dark. How are we going to find out this information now? Because this goes to the issue of contact tracing, something the White House says it also is not going to do for the large Rose Garden ceremony and, more significantly, the receptions that were held indoors last weekend for the Supreme Court Justice [sic] Amy Coney Barrett.
DR. DARA KASS: I mean, it’s a real national security issue.
AMY GOODMAN: I mean, for the woman he nominated as a Supreme Court justice.
DR. DARA KASS: Right. And it’s a real national security issue, right? Because we don’t know how many people are exposed or even how their offices are going to be exposed. What if we find out this has gotten into the Pentagon? What if we find out that this has gotten into other areas of the White House? Remembering that by not contact tracing — you know, to quote Dr. Conley, who said, “We’re not going to look back,” looking back — contact tracing is looking back, right? And the idea that somehow they’re not going to report out how many people are positive minimizes the risk to all of Americans, and the idea that when it gets into your workplace, you need to be responsible to share that information. How many Americans are going to not get tested now, to act like if they don’t have a positive test, they don’t have to tell anyone that they’re positive? All this is going to do is perpetuate the spread of this virus through this country.
I spoke at a ceremony on Sunday in front of the White House, commemorating the 200,000 Americans that have passed away from this virus, you know, remembering that they represent a fraction of the millions of Americans that have been affected by this virus. It was like — almost like jarring, in a way that is almost surreal, to speak in front of the White House, commemorating the 200,000 Americans dying and asking America to help us not see the next 200,000 more pass away, and then literally watch the president take a joyride, currently infectious, around Walter Reed, exposing his Secret Service members to this virus. You know, we need to remember that we don’t have to have the next 200,000 die. We can do this, even if our president is not going to lead us.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Dr. Kass, I wanted to ask you about a New York Times report on Monday that the White House is blocking stricter guidelines proposed by the FDA for emergency approval of a coronavirus vaccine. The White House is supposedly objecting to a rule that would make the authorization of a vaccine before the election almost impossible. Could you talk about that and also your sense of where the vaccine trials stand right now?
DR. DARA KASS: Sure. So, the vaccine trials are actually very encouraging, right? Operation Warp Speed has invested a significant amount of money in multiple vaccines. And these candidates seem to be conferring an antibody response. And we’re in the middle of Phase 3 trials for multiple vaccine candidates, and that’s really encouraging.
Unfortunately, we’ve seen that this White House politicizes the process — right? — of approval. And like I said, we saw this with hydroxychloroquine and with convalescent plasma. And one of the reasons we were nervous with the plasma is that we were worried that they were going to do this with a vaccine — basically jumping in before Phase 3 trials were complete, and saying, “This one’s good enough for us. We’re going to say now we have a vaccine. You know, ’Here’s our miracle cure.’ And we’re going to start giving it to Americans, and we’re going to start with vulnerable Americans” — again, remembering that there’s a history of distrust around new vaccines in vulnerable populations because of them being used as guinea pigs, in all fairness. And so, we do need to understand that community trust around this vaccine is critically important.
And going through the proper channels through the FDA, and approval, is going to be critical to actually getting the vaccine in people’s arms. The FDA put forward some rule that really was built to get public trust around the vaccine. It didn’t do much for the approval process, right? The most stringent thing they said was they were going to wait two months after the last dose of vaccine to make sure that the safety profile was robust, that nobody had any side effects of the virus — of the vaccine, and that really enough people were protected from this vaccine, then didn’t get the virus themselves — really, bottom-floor minimum standards.
And we knew, as soon as they said that, that there was a really good chance the White House was going to put their finger on the scale and try to undo that. And we heard from the president himself. He said, when asked about this, “Well, we’ll see what they get to do. Remember who’s really in charge.” And we need to remember that the FDA and the CDC have both had to walk back recommendations that they’ve given, or change processes, because of direct intervention from this White House, on the communication and the approval of medications and therapeutics and vaccines — well, not vaccines yet, but you know what I mean — for this coronavirus, in addition to the recommendations on things like quarantine and isolation. So, this is really unsurprising. And I’m really hoping that the vaccine makers and the FDA really stand up against this president and say, “No, the science must come first.”
AMY GOODMAN: Finally, Dr. Dara Kass, we just have 30 seconds, but the vice-presidential debate is taking place tomorrow night, in person at this point. But do you think that Vice President Mike Pence, who’s clearly in and out of the White House and was right there at the ceremony, the Supreme Court ceremony, should be self-quarantining at this point?
DR. DARA KASS: Yeah. Objectively, there is no reason that — Mike Pence should be quarantining. Unfortunately, he’s not. And he’s requiring that the vice-presidential candidate on the Democratic side put herself at risk by standing next to him. And so she’s going to protect herself as best that she needs to.
AMY GOODMAN: And there, they mock her and say how — you know, “How dare she stand behind a plexiglass partition?” But also, Vice President Biden, do you think he should be quarantining? We do not know when President Trump last tested negative. It was clear he did not test on Tuesday because he so-called came too late to the debate to be tested. There was Biden not so far away from him.
DR. DARA KASS: So, we know that if the president would be honest about his testing, it would be easier for the vice president to be able to make that decision. We also know that with the information the vice president has, being over 10 feet away from the president and currently wearing a mask everywhere he goes, he’s following the CDC guidelines of President Trump’s administration. So, right now the information the vice president has, I think, says that he doesn’t need to quarantine. But it would be really important, if there was missing information, for the president of the United States and his office to share that with the vice president.
AMY GOODMAN: Well, Dr. Dara Kass, we want to thank you for being with us, emergency medicine physician at Columbia University Medical Center, Yahoo News medical contributor.
When we come back, we’ll be joined by Kristin Urquiza, speaking out after her father, a Trump supporter, died from COVID. She attended last week’s presidential debate, sitting just feet away from President Trump, now in self-quarantine. Stay with us.


truthout--2020-10-06--Capitalism Made Women of Color More Vulnerable to the COVID Recession

The Bureau of Labor Statistics ( BLS ) monthly jobs report for September proves with numbers what we have all known anecdotally and experientially : This pandemic-laced recession has been disastrous for women , especially women of color .
Between August and September , 865,000 women dropped out of the workforce , a rate four times higher than that for men .
One in 9 Black women , and 1 in 9 Latinas , aged 20 and over , respectively at rates of 11 percent and 11 percent , became unemployed in September .
Compare this to white men who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and white women who have a rate of 6.9 percent .
These figures are not very different from the spring , when the Bureau of Labor Statistics report in April told us that women accounted for 55 percent of the 20.5 million job losses .
The unemployment rate for adult women then was 15 percent , as compared to the 13 percent unemployment rate for adult men .
From the start of the pandemic , job losses for women have been so much greater than for men that some feminist policy makers have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in contrast with 2008 .
And “ she ” is most certainly a woman of color .
Sometimes numbers — percentages and charts — can obscure social wounds .
We can see the 11 percent job loss figure for Black women , but we don ’ t necessarily associate that number with the impacts on people like Kyaira Jackson , a seventh grader in my daughter ’ s class , whose mother , the sole earner for her family , just lost her job at Walmart .
Her mother , Jazmine Pinckney , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some of Kyaira ’ s school things as the family would be moving soon .
As is the case for most Americans , Jazmine ’ s family ’ s health care , as well as her ability to pay rent and buy food , were solely and relentlessly dependent on her wage .
She would now move back to her childhood home in Atlanta , back to the house she left to make her way in the world , this time with her two young children .
Jazmine ’ s life , like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in this pandemic , is like Ariadne ’ s thread , leading us through the maze of capitalist social relations .
It helps illuminate the monsters behind the inequality that existed long before the virus was even heard of .
The first step to understanding the devastation caused by the virus in the lives of women and people of color , is to understand that it was merely the spark ; the kindling was there all along .
Let us begin with the wage , since its tyranny shapes not just our working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the workplace .
Well before the pandemic , women in this country earned 82 cents to the dollar that a man earned , while Black women earned 62 cents on the dollar , and Latina women earned 54 cents on the dollar .
Often it is difficult to determine cause and effect for gendered wages .
It is because women earn less than men that they tend to work part-time and spend their unwaged time doing care work in the home , as both child care and elder care remain exorbitant in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ true that certain jobs become less prestigious and lower paid when women become the ones primarily performing them .
Teaching was treated with much respect and remunerated better in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century when it was mostly men who became teachers ; now , K-12 teachers are mostly women , and they are neither as well paid nor well respected .
Waged work remains inextricably braided with unwaged work .
Lack of access to quality child care and elder care forces women to consider quitting waged work before their male @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to begin with .
This in turn ensures that women are pushed into , or remain locked into , lower-paid work due to “ lack of experience ” or for having taken “ career breaks.
” Just under a third of single mothers were already living below the poverty line ; since the pandemic , over a million of them have lost their jobs .
When schools and child care centers closed in the spring , and as they continue to offer partial services through the fall , many women , particularly white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ force .
As Stefania Albanesi put it in The New York Times , “ white families tend to have higher wealth and higher average income so they can afford to reduce labor supply , compared to most African-American households , where earnings are quite low.
” If our analysis stops at the doors of the workplace , and only pays attention to the wage gap or unemployment figures , it will fail to see the multiple ways in which waged work orchestrates the unwaged slices of our lives .
Ecologists use the term @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to understand how primary extinction of a species can trigger multiple secondary extinctions .
The tyranny of the wage has a similar cascade effect on our life-making .
Consider the health of Black women and Latinas during this pandemic .
Low wages certainly determine the kind of health care these women have or whether they have it at all .
But we should not only be concerned about low wages in the here and now .
Historically , Black communities have been forced to live in neighborhoods that have poor air quality and/or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more likely to live near polluting industries that produces hazardous waste .
Schools that predominantly serve Black and Brown communities are chronically underfunded and the first ones to close during a financial crisis .
Consistent redlining through the years have ensured that these neighborhoods are also more likely to be what the federal government calls “ food deserts ” or “ areas in which residents are hard-pressed to find affordable , healthy food.
” When a virus with no apparent cure comes into the lives of people in these communities , who , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disproportionately high death rates ?
It is not simply the pandemic or the recession that is driving the disproportionate harm experienced by women of color in this moment .
It is an economic system stacked against them .
For all the women who have lost their jobs during this pandemic , for Black women and Latinas who have performed the bulk of the essential work during lockdown and borne the brunt of the recession , for all the Black and Brown elders who have lost their lives during this crisis , it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Part of the Series Despair and Disparity: The Uneven Burdens of COVID-19
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) monthly jobs report for September proves with numbers what we have all known anecdotally and experientially: This pandemic-laced recession has been disastrous for women, especially women of color.
Between August and September, 865,000 women dropped out of the workforce, a rate four times higher than that for men. One in 9 Black women, and 1 in 9 Latinas, aged 20 and over, respectively at rates of 11 percent and 11 percent, became unemployed in September. Compare this to white men who have an unemployment rate of 6.5 percent and white women who have a rate of 6.9 percent.
These figures are not very different from the spring, when the Bureau of Labor Statistics report in April told us that women accounted for 55 percent of the 20.5 million job losses. The unemployment rate for adult women then was 15 percent, as compared to the 13 percent unemployment rate for adult men.
From the start of the pandemic, job losses for women have been so much greater than for men that some feminist policy makers have called this a “shecession,” in contrast with 2008. And “she” is most certainly a woman of color.
Sometimes numbers — percentages and charts — can obscure social wounds. We can see the 11 percent job loss figure for Black women, but we don’t necessarily associate that number with the impacts on people like Kyaira Jackson, a seventh grader in my daughter’s class, whose mother, the sole earner for her family, just lost her job at Walmart. Her mother, Jazmine Pinckney, asked me if I could help return some of Kyaira’s school things as the family would be moving soon. As is the case for most Americans, Jazmine’s family’s health care, as well as her ability to pay rent and buy food, were solely and relentlessly dependent on her wage. She would now move back to her childhood home in Atlanta, back to the house she left to make her way in the world, this time with her two young children.
Jazmine’s life, like the lives of so many Black women in this pandemic, is like Ariadne’s thread, leading us through the maze of capitalist social relations. It helps illuminate the monsters behind the inequality that existed long before the virus was even heard of. The first step to understanding the devastation caused by the virus in the lives of women and people of color, is to understand that it was merely the spark; the kindling was there all along.
Let us begin with the wage, since its tyranny shapes not just our working lives but crucially, our lives outside of the workplace.
Between August and September, 865,000 women dropped out of the workforce, a rate four times higher than that for men.
Well before the pandemic, women in this country earned 82 cents to the dollar that a man earned, while Black women earned 62 cents on the dollar, and Latina women earned 54 cents on the dollar. Often it is difficult to determine cause and effect for gendered wages. It is because women earn less than men that they tend to work part-time and spend their unwaged time doing care work in the home, as both child care and elder care remain exorbitant in the U.S. But it is also true that certain jobs become less prestigious and lower paid when women become the ones primarily performing them. Teaching was treated with much respect and remunerated better in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century when it was mostly men who became teachers; now, K-12 teachers are mostly women, and they are neither as well paid nor well respected.
Waged work remains inextricably braided with unwaged work. Lack of access to quality child care and elder care forces women to consider quitting waged work before their male partners since their jobs were less paying to begin with. This in turn ensures that women are pushed into, or remain locked into, lower-paid work due to “lack of experience” or for having taken “career breaks.” Just under a third of single mothers were already living below the poverty line; since the pandemic, over a million of them have lost their jobs.
When schools and child care centers closed in the spring, and as they continue to offer partial services through the fall, many women, particularly white women, decided to leave the work force. As Stefania Albanesi put it in The New York Times, “white families tend to have higher wealth and higher average income so they can afford to reduce labor supply, compared to most African-American households, where earnings are quite low.”
Just under a third of single mothers were already living below the poverty line; since the pandemic, over a million of them have lost their jobs.
If our analysis stops at the doors of the workplace, and only pays attention to the wage gap or unemployment figures, it will fail to see the multiple ways in which waged work orchestrates the unwaged slices of our lives. Ecologists use the term “cascade effect” as a concept to understand how primary extinction of a species can trigger multiple secondary extinctions. The tyranny of the wage has a similar cascade effect on our life-making.
Consider the health of Black women and Latinas during this pandemic. Low wages certainly determine the kind of health care these women have or whether they have it at all. But we should not only be concerned about low wages in the here and now. Historically, Black communities have been forced to live in neighborhoods that have poor air quality and/or contaminated water. They are 75 percent more likely to live near polluting industries that produces hazardous waste.
Schools that predominantly serve Black and Brown communities are chronically underfunded and the first ones to close during a financial crisis. Consistent redlining through the years have ensured that these neighborhoods are also more likely to be what the federal government calls “food deserts” or “areas in which residents are hard-pressed to find affordable, healthy food.”
When a virus with no apparent cure comes into the lives of people in these communities, who, then, shall we blame for the disproportionately high death rates? It is not simply the pandemic or the recession that is driving the disproportionate harm experienced by women of color in this moment. It is an economic system stacked against them.
For all the women who have lost their jobs during this pandemic, for Black women and Latinas who have performed the bulk of the essential work during lockdown and borne the brunt of the recession, for all the Black and Brown elders who have lost their lives during this crisis, it is capitalism that has been their preexisting condition.
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--2020-10-06--Clarence Thomas Screed Suggests Supreme Court Should Overturn Same-Sex Marriage

Obergefell v. Hodges was the landmark 2015 ruling in which the U.S. Supreme Court , in a 5-4 decision , legalized same-sex marriage in all 50 states .
Two of the dissenters in that ruling were Justice Clarence Thomas and Justice Samuel Alito — and now , Thomas and Alito are calling for that decision to be overturned .
This comes at a time when there is a very real possibility that Justice Amy Coney Barrett , a far-right social conservative nominated by President Donald Trump , will be replacing the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg .
In a petition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was an attack on religious freedom , saying , “ The Court has created a problem that only it can fix .
Until then , Obergefell will continue to have ‘ ruinous consequences for religious liberty . '
” Half a decade ago , the majority in Obergefell v. Hodges came from both the left and the right .
Justice Anthony Kennedy , nominated by President Ronald Reagan in 1987 , sided with Ginsburg in that decision .
Kennedy was fiscally conservative , yet his libertarian streak showed itself when he agreed with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , same-sex marriage and abortion .
But the makeup of the Supreme Court has changed a lot since Obergefell .
The late Justice Antonin Scalia , one of the dissenters in Obergefell , died in 2016 and was replaced by Justice Neal Gorsuch — another social conservative — in 2017 .
Replacing Scalia with Gorsuch wasn ’ t a game-changer for the High Court , but when Kennedy announced his retirement in 2018 and was replaced by the more socially conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh , that was a game-changer .
And now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Supreme Court is facing the possibility of an even greater game-changer — one in which Obergefell could be in danger along with Roe v. Wade , Griswold v. Connecticut , Lawrence v. Texas and many other right-to-privacy decisions .

Obergefell v. Hodges was the landmark 2015 ruling in which the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, legalized same-sex marriage in all 50 states. Two of the dissenters in that ruling were Justice Clarence Thomas and Justice Samuel Alito — and now, Thomas and Alito are calling for that decision to be overturned. This comes at a time when there is a very real possibility that Justice Amy Coney Barrett, a far-right social conservative nominated by President Donald Trump, will be replacing the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
In a petition, Thomas and Alito argue that Obergefell was an attack on religious freedom, saying, “The Court has created a problem that only it can fix. Until then, Obergefell will continue to have ‘ruinous consequences for religious liberty.'”
Half a decade ago, the majority in Obergefell v. Hodges came from both the left and the right. Justice Anthony Kennedy, nominated by President Ronald Reagan in 1987, sided with Ginsburg in that decision. Kennedy was fiscally conservative, yet his libertarian streak showed itself when he agreed with Ginsburg on social issues like gay rights, same-sex marriage and abortion.
But the makeup of the Supreme Court has changed a lot since Obergefell. The late Justice Antonin Scalia, one of the dissenters in Obergefell, died in 2016 and was replaced by Justice Neal Gorsuch — another social conservative — in 2017. Replacing Scalia with Gorsuch wasn’t a game-changer for the High Court, but when Kennedy announced his retirement in 2018 and was replaced by the more socially conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh, that was a game-changer. And now, with Barrett likely to replace Ginsburg, the Supreme Court is facing the possibility of an even greater game-changer — one in which Obergefell could be in danger along with Roe v. Wade, Griswold v. Connecticut, Lawrence v. Texas and many other right-to-privacy decisions.
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--2020-10-06--Trump Blocks FDA on Stricter COVID-19 Vaccine Standards

Taking the advice of profit-driven pharmaceutical corporations over that of his own public health agencies and experts , President Donald Trump is blocking the Food and Drug Administration from imposing tougher safety requirements on the authorization of a coronavirus vaccine after drug company executives privately voiced disapproval with the push for stricter federal standards .
Politico reported late Monday that the White House ’ s “ decision to halt release of new standards for emergency authorization of a Covid-19 vaccine came after officials close to [ Trump ] told the FDA that the pharmaceutical industry had objected to the tougher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the private-sector opposition as a chief reason for blocking the guidelines , which aim to hold companies ’ vaccines to a higher bar for safety and effectiveness and would likely push any authorization beyond Election Day , ” according to Politico .
“ The fact that the president was siding with drug makers over his own regulators in shelving the guidance… adds a new dimension to concerns about White House interference in the FDA.
” Trump ’ s stonewalling of more stringent federal standards comes amid widespread concerns that the president ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus vaccine before November 3 could result in a product that is insufficiently tested and unsafe .
Late Monday , shortly after his release from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center , the president declared that “ vaccines are coming momentarily ” — a timeline scientists have rejected .
During the presidential debate last week with Democratic nominee Joe Biden , Trump dismissed more cautious vaccine timelines suggested by experts in his own administration as “ very political ” and said pharmaceutical executives have personally told him that “ they can go faster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ ve spoken to Pfizer , I ’ ve spoken to all of the people that you have to speak to , Moderna , Johnson & Johnson , and others , ” the president said .
When Biden said he trusts scientists over Trump , the president responded , “ You don ’ t trust Johnson & Johnson , Pfizer ?
” As Common Dreams reported last month , the CEO of pharma giant Eli Lilly insisted that the drug industry can police itself as it works to develop an effective coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dismissed as “ like the wolf saying he ’ ll guard the henhouse.
” As the New York Times reported Monday , “ a main sticking point ” for the Trump White House has been the FDA ’ s “ recommendation that volunteers who have participated in vaccine clinical trials be followed for a median of two months after the final dose before any authorization is granted.
” “ Given where the clinical trials stand , that two-month follow-up period would all but preclude any emergency clearance before Election Day , ” noted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows — a former Republican congressman with no public health or scientific expertise — has been leading the charge against the stricter FDA standards .
“ This administration is a menace to public health , ” tweeted Jonathan Reiner , professor of medicine and surgery at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences .
Joseph Sakran , a public health expert and trauma surgeon at Johns Hopkins Medicine , said the Trump White House ’ s blocking of tougher vaccine safety guidelines is further “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exactly what so many of us were worried about .
”

Following the FDA recommendations would all but preclude any emergency clearance for a vaccine before Election Day.
Taking the advice of profit-driven pharmaceutical corporations over that of his own public health agencies and experts, President Donald Trump is blocking the Food and Drug Administration from imposing tougher safety requirements on the authorization of a coronavirus vaccine after drug company executives privately voiced disapproval with the push for stricter federal standards.
Politico reported late Monday that the White House’s “decision to halt release of new standards for emergency authorization of a Covid-19 vaccine came after officials close to [Trump] told the FDA that the pharmaceutical industry had objected to the tougher requirements.”
“The White House cited the private-sector opposition as a chief reason for blocking the guidelines, which aim to hold companies’ vaccines to a higher bar for safety and effectiveness and would likely push any authorization beyond Election Day,” according to Politico. “The fact that the president was siding with drug makers over his own regulators in shelving the guidance… adds a new dimension to concerns about White House interference in the FDA.”
Trump’s stonewalling of more stringent federal standards comes amid widespread concerns that the president’s politically motivated push for approval of a coronavirus vaccine before November 3 could result in a product that is insufficiently tested and unsafe. Late Monday, shortly after his release from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, the president declared that “vaccines are coming momentarily” — a timeline scientists have rejected.
During the presidential debate last week with Democratic nominee Joe Biden, Trump dismissed more cautious vaccine timelines suggested by experts in his own administration as “very political” and said pharmaceutical executives have personally told him that “they can go faster than that by a lot.”
“I’ve spoken to Pfizer, I’ve spoken to all of the people that you have to speak to, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, and others,” the president said.
When Biden said he trusts scientists over Trump, the president responded, “You don’t trust Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer?”
As Common Dreams reported last month, the CEO of pharma giant Eli Lilly insisted that the drug industry can police itself as it works to develop an effective coronavirus vaccine — a claim watchdog group Accountable.US dismissed as “like the wolf saying he’ll guard the henhouse.”
Trump just blocked @US_FDA guidance for stricter guidelines around the emergency approval of a #COVID19 vaccine. This is a major breach of public trust.https://t.co/oe7XgKUgRs — Accountable.US (@accountable_us) October 6, 2020
As the New York Times reported Monday, “a main sticking point” for the Trump White House has been the FDA’s “recommendation that volunteers who have participated in vaccine clinical trials be followed for a median of two months after the final dose before any authorization is granted.”
“Given where the clinical trials stand, that two-month follow-up period would all but preclude any emergency clearance before Election Day,” noted the Times, which reported that White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows — a former Republican congressman with no public health or scientific expertise — has been leading the charge against the stricter FDA standards.
“This administration is a menace to public health,” tweeted Jonathan Reiner, professor of medicine and surgery at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.
Joseph Sakran, a public health expert and trauma surgeon at Johns Hopkins Medicine, said the Trump White House’s blocking of tougher vaccine safety guidelines is further “political manipulation of science — this is exactly what so many of us were worried about.”
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.