truthout--2020-12-23--Trump’s Biggest Opposition on $2,000 Stimulus Checks? His Own Party.

On Tuesday night , President Donald Trump suggested that he would veto the stimulus bill that Congress passed late Monday night , rejecting parts of the omnibus and demanding that the direct relief payments be raised from $ 600 to $ 2,000 per person .
His 4-minute speech , which he posted on Twitter , was riddled with xenophobia and unmerited attacks on Democrats .
Though the bill ’ s text contained some minor wins for Democrats , it also included the same for Republicans and was a truly mixed bag .
Toward the end of his speech , Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ send the bill back to Congress and demands that the “ ridiculously low ” $ 600 stimulus checks be increased to $ 2,000 .
“ Despite all of this wasteful spending and much more , the $ 900 billion package provides hardworking taxpayers with only $ 600 each in relief payments , ” he said .
“ I ’ m also asking Congress to immediately get rid of the wasteful and unnecessary items from this legislation and to send me a suitable bill or else the next administration will have to deliver a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to suggest without merit , or the backing of his own party , that maybe he would remain president .
His extended stay in the White House isn ’ t the only thing that his fellow Republicans would disagree with .
Throughout the negotiations for the most recent stimulus passed on Monday , as for the CARES Act , the biggest opposition to the $ 600 and $ 1,200 stimulus checks , respectively , has come from members of Trump ’ s own party .
In fact , many within his party don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — they reject the payments altogether .
Senators like Mitch McConnell ( R-Kentucky ) , Lindsey Graham ( R-South Carolina ) , Ron Johnson ( R-Wisconsin ) and David Perdue ( R-Georgia ) have all come out against the direct relief checks , citing spurious concerns about austerity and government spending .
There have been ever more Republicans who haven ’ t necessarily objected to the checks specifically , but also to the entire idea of the stimulus itself .
Ted Cruz ( R-Texas ) stood in scant company and voted against the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any conservative who voted for the stimulus would “ lose [ their ] soul.
” It was only very late in the negotiations that the $ 600 checks were added to the bill that Congress passed on Monday ; the addition appears to have been hard-fought .
Republicans only hopped on because of a dual effort by Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin , working on behalf of Trump , and McConnell , who only changed his mind about the checks because he was worried about the Georgia Senate runoffs .
( Progressives like New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fighting hard for the inclusion of the stimulus checks throughout the entire pandemic . )
The prevailing motivation for much of the party ’ s actions lately has been to help their chances in the Georgia runoffs , as their result in January will determine which party controls the Senate .
Though it ’ s true that Trump has been trying to get checks added for a while , it ’ s entirely possible , if not probable , that considering how popular the stimulus checks are among the electorate , his motive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results .
The $ 2,000 may be a last ditch effort to help his party , since he was only calling for $ 1,200 in October .
It ’ s unclear what will happen with the bill going forward .
It was passed with enough Congressional votes to override a veto , though Trump has not yet vetoed it .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi agreed with Trump ’ s call for $ 2,000 checks on Tuesday night and is planning to bring the increased check amounts to a vote soon — an easy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rashida Tlaib ( D-Wisconsin ) have already co-written the amendment for it .
Ocasio-Cortez indicated there is wide support among Democrats , saying on Twitter that Congress could “ pass $ 2k checks this week if the Senate GOP agrees to stand down.
” The measure will be brought by unanimous consent , which means it will only take one lawmaker to shoot it down .
If these months have shown anything , that lawmaker will probably come from the Republican Party .

On Tuesday night, President Donald Trump suggested that he would veto the stimulus bill that Congress passed late Monday night, rejecting parts of the omnibus and demanding that the direct relief payments be raised from $600 to $2,000 per person.
His 4-minute speech, which he posted on Twitter, was riddled with xenophobia and unmerited attacks on Democrats. Though the bill’s text contained some minor wins for Democrats, it also included the same for Republicans and was a truly mixed bag. Toward the end of his speech, Trump suggests that he’s going to send the bill back to Congress and demands that the “ridiculously low” $600 stimulus checks be increased to $2,000.
“Despite all of this wasteful spending and much more, the $900 billion package provides hardworking taxpayers with only $600 each in relief payments,” he said. “I’m also asking Congress to immediately get rid of the wasteful and unnecessary items from this legislation and to send me a suitable bill or else the next administration will have to deliver a COVID relief package.” He goes on to suggest without merit, or the backing of his own party, that maybe he would remain president.
His extended stay in the White House isn’t the only thing that his fellow Republicans would disagree with. Throughout the negotiations for the most recent stimulus passed on Monday, as for the CARES Act, the biggest opposition to the $600 and $1,200 stimulus checks, respectively, has come from members of Trump’s own party.
In fact, many within his party don’t just object to the amount — they reject the payments altogether. Senators like Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky), Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin) and David Perdue (R-Georgia) have all come out against the direct relief checks, citing spurious concerns about austerity and government spending. There have been ever more Republicans who haven’t necessarily objected to the checks specifically, but also to the entire idea of the stimulus itself. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) stood in scant company and voted against the bill, while Rand Paul said that any conservative who voted for the stimulus would “lose [their] soul.”
It was only very late in the negotiations that the $600 checks were added to the bill that Congress passed on Monday; the addition appears to have been hard-fought. Republicans only hopped on because of a dual effort by Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, working on behalf of Trump, and McConnell, who only changed his mind about the checks because he was worried about the Georgia Senate runoffs. (Progressives like New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have also been fighting hard for the inclusion of the stimulus checks throughout the entire pandemic.)
The prevailing motivation for much of the party’s actions lately has been to help their chances in the Georgia runoffs, as their result in January will determine which party controls the Senate. Though it’s true that Trump has been trying to get checks added for a while, it’s entirely possible, if not probable, that considering how popular the stimulus checks are among the electorate, his motive has always been to boost the election results. The $2,000 may be a last ditch effort to help his party, since he was only calling for $1,200 in October.
It’s unclear what will happen with the bill going forward. It was passed with enough Congressional votes to override a veto, though Trump has not yet vetoed it. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi agreed with Trump’s call for $2,000 checks on Tuesday night and is planning to bring the increased check amounts to a vote soon — an easy and swift process since Ocasio-Cortez and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Wisconsin) have already co-written the amendment for it. Ocasio-Cortez indicated there is wide support among Democrats, saying on Twitter that Congress could “pass $2k checks this week if the Senate GOP agrees to stand down.” The measure will be brought by unanimous consent, which means it will only take one lawmaker to shoot it down. If these months have shown anything, that lawmaker will probably come from the Republican Party.
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--2020-12-23--Congressional Progressives Aim for Much More Than Most Recent COVID Deal

This holiday season , struggling families and businesses came close to getting a lump of coal from Congress .
Only at the 11th hour , just three days before Christmas Eve and as critical relief programs were about to expire , did lawmakers manage to pass a $ 900 billion aid package .
The deal is a welcome stopgap .
But the nearly 100-member Congressional Progressive Caucus immediately made clear that in the next session , they will be demanding much more .
As the House was preparing to vote on the modest relief package , Rep. Pramila Jayapal was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The People ’ s Agenda , the top legislative priorities of the Progressive Caucus for 2021 .
The Seattle Democrat will chair the Caucus in the 117th Congress .
The People ’ s Agenda begins with multiple Covid relief actions that go beyond the just-passed package to meet the immense scale of the crisis , especially for people of color and poor and low-income Americans .
The Caucus aims , for example , to provide monthly stimulus checks of $ 2,000 , significantly more than the $ 600 one-time payouts the new deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many other urgent fronts that were left out of the 11th hour deal entirely , such as hazard pay and strong workplace health and safety protections for frontline workers and debt cancellation for holders of student and medical debt .
The Institute for Policy Studies joined with Kairos , Repairers of the Breach , and the Poor People ’ s Campaign to analyze the potential benefits of the People ’ s Agenda for the country , with a particular focus on women , people of color , and poor and low-income families .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for example , that canceling up to $ 50,000 in student debt would erase all debt for more than three-quarters of student loan borrowers and significantly narrow racial and gender wealth divides .
Black and female graduates have heavier than average debt loads — and have a harder time paying them off because of racial and gender wage gaps .
The just-passed deal did not extend a moratorium on student debt payments set to expire in February .
Without debt cancellation , millions of families will face painful decisions between making loan payments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The co-chairs of the non-partisan Poor People ’ s Campaign , Rev .
Dr. William J. Barber II and Rev .
Dr. Liz Theoharis , and other movement leaders joined members of the Progressive Caucus at the People ’ s Agenda launch .
“ The price of inequality is too high and the deaths from unjust policies are too many to not address , ” Barber said .
“ The only way to heal the nation and have domestic tranquility is to first establish justice .
This agenda sets us on the path @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members of the Progressive Caucus voted against the relief package , they described the deal as “ not nearly sufficient to address the enormous and growing need in our nation.
” The jobs picture has improved slightly since the initial spike in unemployment , but the pandemic recession is raging on and could worsen if Covid rates continue to surge .
The official unemployed numbered 10.7 million in November 2020 — nearly five million more than in February 2020 .
The vast majority of jobless Americans are low-income .
In fact , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 60,000 a year had returned to pre-pandemic levels by November , while the rate for those earning less than $ 27,000 was still down 20 percent .
White Americans make up the largest number of unemployed , while the rates are significantly higher among all other racial groups .
The official unemployment rate does not include millions of Americans who ’ ve left the job market .
Workforce withdrawal rates have been highest among women , particularly women of color , who shoulder more responsibility than men for pandemic-related challenges to family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disruptions .
Providing emergency relief for the duration of the crisis is priority # 1 for the Congressional Progressive Caucus .
But the People ’ s Agenda also aims to jumpstart an equitable economic recovery that creates good jobs , gives workers more power , and accelerates the transformation to a renewable energy economy .
As our joint fact sheet points out , robust public investment in renewable energy generation capacity and energy efficiency retrofits could help the country achieve a full employment economy while reducing energy insecurity , particularly for low-income and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent of U.S. households who are energy insecure are disproportionately Indigenous , Black , people of color , and/or low-wealth .
A shift in transportation priorities from highways to public transit would benefit communities broadly , but most particularly people of color and low-wealth households .
Only 12.5 percent of white households do not own any vehicles , compared to 22.4 percent of Latinx households and almost 33 percent of Black households .
The Progressive Caucus will also be fighting to restructure our tax system to ensure that the wealthy , corporations , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Institute for Policy Studies researchers have calculated that the collective wealth of America ’ s 651 billionaires jumped by over $ 1 trillion between the beginning of the pandemic and December 7 , 2020 .
Under the current tax code , the ultra-wealthy will pay steeply discounted tax rates on their stock market earnings , compared to the rates on income from labor .
Long before the pandemic , the nation ’ s wealth gap was staggering , particularly along racial lines .
According to the Institute for Policy Studies , between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family saw their wealth drop by more than half after adjusting for inflation , compared to a 33 percent increase for the median white household .
The Forbes 400 richest Americans own more wealth than all Black households plus a quarter of Latinx households .
The People ’ s Agenda also calls for cutting military spending , a move that would free up substantial resources for social programs .
For example , a 10 percent cut to the Pentagon ( $ 74 billion ) could cover the cost of ending homelessness or purchasing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 55 million essential workers to use one a day for more than a year , according to the National Priorities Project of the Institute for Policy Studies .
Some of proposals could be carried out without Congressional approval , including cancelling federal student loans , ending the U.S. wars in Yemen and Afghanistan , and imposing new , “ high road ” standards on federal contractors .
By including these demands in the People ’ s Agenda , the Progressive Caucus is signaling that in addition to driving bold legislation , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aggressive executive action strategy .
Congress and the Biden administration will need to use every tool in the toolbox to combat the challenges of our time — and make our country stronger in the face of future crises .

Congress and the Biden administration will need to use every tool in the toolbox to combat the challenges of our time.
This holiday season, struggling families and businesses came close to getting a lump of coal from Congress. Only at the 11th hour, just three days before Christmas Eve and as critical relief programs were about to expire, did lawmakers manage to pass a $900 billion aid package.
The deal is a welcome stopgap. But the nearly 100-member Congressional Progressive Caucus immediately made clear that in the next session, they will be demanding much more.
As the House was preparing to vote on the modest relief package, Rep. Pramila Jayapal was leading a virtual town hall to unveil The People’s Agenda, the top legislative priorities of the Progressive Caucus for 2021. The Seattle Democrat will chair the Caucus in the 117th Congress.
The People’s Agenda begins with multiple Covid relief actions that go beyond the just-passed package to meet the immense scale of the crisis, especially for people of color and poor and low-income Americans.
The Caucus aims, for example, to provide monthly stimulus checks of $2,000, significantly more than the $600 one-time payouts the new deal offers. They also demand action on many other urgent fronts that were left out of the 11th hour deal entirely, such as hazard pay and strong workplace health and safety protections for frontline workers and debt cancellation for holders of student and medical debt.
The Institute for Policy Studies joined with Kairos, Repairers of the Breach, and the Poor People’s Campaign to analyze the potential benefits of the People’s Agenda for the country, with a particular focus on women, people of color, and poor and low-income families.
Our joint fact sheet points out, for example, that canceling up to $50,000 in student debt would erase all debt for more than three-quarters of student loan borrowers and significantly narrow racial and gender wealth divides. Black and female graduates have heavier than average debt loads — and have a harder time paying them off because of racial and gender wage gaps. The just-passed deal did not extend a moratorium on student debt payments set to expire in February.
Without debt cancellation, millions of families will face painful decisions between making loan payments or buying food and other essentials.
The co-chairs of the non-partisan Poor People’s Campaign, Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II and Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, and other movement leaders joined members of the Progressive Caucus at the People’s Agenda launch.
“The price of inequality is too high and the deaths from unjust policies are too many to not address,” Barber said. “The only way to heal the nation and have domestic tranquility is to first establish justice. This agenda sets us on the path towards doing just that.”
While no members of the Progressive Caucus voted against the relief package, they described the deal as “not nearly sufficient to address the enormous and growing need in our nation.”
The jobs picture has improved slightly since the initial spike in unemployment, but the pandemic recession is raging on and could worsen if Covid rates continue to surge. The official unemployed numbered 10.7 million in November 2020 — nearly five million more than in February 2020.
The vast majority of jobless Americans are low-income. In fact, the employment rate for workers earning more than $60,000 a year had returned to pre-pandemic levels by November, while the rate for those earning less than $27,000 was still down 20 percent. White Americans make up the largest number of unemployed, while the rates are significantly higher among all other racial groups.
The official unemployment rate does not include millions of Americans who’ve left the job market. Workforce withdrawal rates have been highest among women, particularly women of color, who shoulder more responsibility than men for pandemic-related challenges to family health, school closures, and other disruptions.
Providing emergency relief for the duration of the crisis is priority #1 for the Congressional Progressive Caucus. But the People’s Agenda also aims to jumpstart an equitable economic recovery that creates good jobs, gives workers more power, and accelerates the transformation to a renewable energy economy.
As our joint fact sheet points out, robust public investment in renewable energy generation capacity and energy efficiency retrofits could help the country achieve a full employment economy while reducing energy insecurity, particularly for low-income and people of color communities. The 31 percent of U.S. households who are energy insecure are disproportionately Indigenous, Black, people of color, and/or low-wealth.
A shift in transportation priorities from highways to public transit would benefit communities broadly, but most particularly people of color and low-wealth households. Only 12.5 percent of white households do not own any vehicles, compared to 22.4 percent of Latinx households and almost 33 percent of Black households.
The Progressive Caucus will also be fighting to restructure our tax system to ensure that the wealthy, corporations, and Wall Street pay their fair share. Institute for Policy Studies researchers have calculated that the collective wealth of America’s 651 billionaires jumped by over $1 trillion between the beginning of the pandemic and December 7, 2020. Under the current tax code, the ultra-wealthy will pay steeply discounted tax rates on their stock market earnings, compared to the rates on income from labor.
Long before the pandemic, the nation’s wealth gap was staggering, particularly along racial lines. According to the Institute for Policy Studies, between 1983 and 2016, the median Black family saw their wealth drop by more than half after adjusting for inflation, compared to a 33 percent increase for the median white household. The Forbes 400 richest Americans own more wealth than all Black households plus a quarter of Latinx households.
The People’s Agenda also calls for cutting military spending, a move that would free up substantial resources for social programs. For example, a 10 percent cut to the Pentagon ($74 billion) could cover the cost of ending homelessness or purchasing enough N95 face masks for all of the 55 million essential workers to use one a day for more than a year, according to the National Priorities Project of the Institute for Policy Studies.
Some of proposals could be carried out without Congressional approval, including cancelling federal student loans, ending the U.S. wars in Yemen and Afghanistan, and imposing new, “high road” standards on federal contractors. By including these demands in the People’s Agenda, the Progressive Caucus is signaling that in addition to driving bold legislation, they will be a forceful advocate of an aggressive executive action strategy.
Congress and the Biden administration will need to use every tool in the toolbox to combat the challenges of our time — and make our country stronger in the face of future crises.
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--2020-12-23--US Airports Are Portals for Disease Spread. Venezuela Shows Another Way.

I recently traveled to Venezuela to be an observer for its National Assembly election and was struck by a stark difference between the ways Venezuela and the United States are handling the COVID-19 pandemic .
My experience at the airport in Caracas , Venezuela , gave me a taste of what a coordinated public health approach looks like in practice , compared to the disjointed politicized approach in the United States .
Airports in the United States are currently serving as uncontrolled portals of disease spread .
Venezuela demonstrates it doesn ’ t have to be this way and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ done in an empowering and compassionate way , rather than an oppressive way .
Despite the economic war being waged against Venezuela by the United States that has caused a fuel crisis and serious shortages of medications and basic medical supplies , Venezuela is handling the pandemic better than all the other countries in South America except Guyana , which has comparable numbers of cases and deaths per million residents .
Brazil , Argentina , Colombia and Peru have 7 to 9 times as many cases and 23 to 33 times as many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States and Venezuela is even more disparate — the United States has almost 14 times as many cases and 28 times the deaths .
My travels provided a window into the widespread availability of protective equipment and sanitizing supplies in Venezuela .
Flight attendants wearing disposable coveralls over their uniforms handed out packets of masks and hand sanitizer as people boarded the airplane .
Similar packets were found in the hotel rooms .
People were sprayed with sanitizing mist and had their temperature checked before entering hotels .
As election observers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of N95 masks , eye protection and sanitizing spray on arrival in Caracas .
At the airport in Caracas , passengers were checked as soon as they left the airplane .
Stickers on the ground indicated where to stand in line to maintain physical distancing .
Posters of a cute character demonstrating how to stop the spread of infection were posted throughout the airport .
Temperatures were taken and travelers passed through a sanitizing mist into an area staffed by health professionals where they were screened .
If someone did not have proof @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or if there were concerns , a free test was given .
This took place before entering immigration .
On departure , a similar screening was performed before entering the airport .
Contrast this with my travel in the United States , where no such screening was done .
Going through security was just as crowded as before the pandemic , and travelers did not respect physical distancing .
The bottle of hand sanitizer spray given to me in Caracas was confiscated by an agent upon my return to the United States because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The security area in the Miami airport was particularly congested .
A Transportation Security Agency ( TSA ) supervisor there explained they did not have the staff or authority to encourage passengers to follow distancing guidelines .
Due to COVID-19 , 195 TSA agents were out on leave .
The supervisor shared that only the county government has the authority to enforce public health measures and it is refusing to do so .
In exasperation , he said that when TSA agents asked travelers to take precautions , they were sometimes yelled at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It is no surprise this is happening in Florida .
Gov .
Ron DeSantis has thwarted local efforts to control the spread of COVID-19 .
CNN interviewed public health officers in Florida and found they feared losing their jobs if they informed people about or enforced public health guidelines .
The governor has actively blocked local governments from instating mask mandates or closing nonessential businesses .
He even did public events with Scott Atlas , a former adviser to President Trump who has been pushing a hands-off approach of letting the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County “ has the highest per capita rate of confirmed coronavirus cases of any of the 50 most populous counties in the U.S. , ” according to CNN .
When it comes to infectious agents , what happens in Miami doesn ’ t stay there .
Without appropriate screening , the virus can freely travel throughout the United States and beyond .
Recall what happened when college students traveled to Florida for spring break this year and brought the virus back to their communities .
One study found that in the period three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths from COVID-19 increased .
Miami isn ’ t the only problem .
The U.S. ’ s lack of travel-related public health precautions is worsening the pandemic .
This is demonstrated by the increase in cases following Thanksgiving when airplane travel was at its highest since the pandemic began .
Prior to the holiday , the number of new cases each day was declining , but within a week , that number surpassed the peak of the fall surge and continues to rise .
The number of deaths each day is also rising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ travel can not be left up to local authorities alone .
It requires a national strategy , and that ’ s where the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) ought to come in .
Although the CDC warned people to stay home over Thanksgiving , nearly 10 million of them traveled by plane .
Obviously , more is needed .
If people are going to fly , then actions must be taken to protect them .
During our conversation , the TSA supervisor in Miami asked why the CDC wasn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CDC has the authority to set up mechanisms that promote physical distancing .
It can screen people before they travel and upon arrival , as Venezuela does .
It can provide information about how to protect themselves from infection and give out N95 masks and hand sanitizer .
These measures must be included in public demands for stronger COVID-19 protections .
In Venezuela , free COVID-19 PCR tests were also offered at the hotels .
Health professionals were available to assist as needed .
One person from Puerto Rico who was part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , tested positive while she was in Caracas .
Truthout spoke to her about the experience .
Rios spoke highly about her care in Caracas , where she continues to quarantine .
She was informed of her positive result discretely and reassured that she could stay in her hotel room as long as was necessary with meals provided through room service .
A health team was in frequent communication with her and when her health status became concerning , she was transported to the COVID-19 unit of the local hospital by ambulance for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic blockade that has caused shortages of some medicines , Rios described the care at the hospital as “ tremendous ” and said she felt lucky this happened in Venezuela , where there is socialized medicine , rather than in Puerto Rico , where she does not have health insurance .
She was particularly grateful for the integration of complementary and allopathic medicine at the hospital , where she stayed for six days .
She said the care she received also showed a genuine concern for her mental well-being and she was “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , respect and dignity.
” Of course , the health care system in Venezuela does face challenges .
The economic blockade has not only decimated Venezuela ’ s once-thriving pharmaceutical industry , but it also makes it hard to get parts to repair equipment and to maintain basic infrastructure .
This is one reason why there is so much emphasis on preventing infection with the virus that causes COVID-19 .
“ We have a lot to learn from the Venezuelan people about what is important , ” Rios added .
Alone at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with an English teacher who helped her with translation .
People at the hospital treated her like family and kept in touch with her family members in Puerto Rico .
Now back at the hotel , Rios will continue to quarantine until she has a negative PCR test and can safely fly home .
People in the United States do have a lot to learn from Venezuelans and from people in many other countries that are handling the pandemic well .
Corporate media rarely tell stories like Rios ’ s .
They often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other countries as inferior , perpetuating myths about rationing and consistently long waits .
The fact that rationing occurs in the United States based on ability to pay or that tens of millions of people without health care coverage can ’ t even get in a line for necessary care is generally not discussed .
Perhaps the dominant media outlets ’ corporate funders fear people in the U.S. would demand more if they knew what they were missing .
Until the United States government puts structures in place to protect public health , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coverage and safe places to quarantine with support for those who test positive , we will have to do what we can to protect ourselves and those around us .
The current surge is expected to last for several months , so heed the CDC ’ s advice and stay home if you can .
And let ’ s continue to make demands for systemic changes that uphold the ability of every person to meet their basic needs and live with dignity .

I recently traveled to Venezuela to be an observer for its National Assembly election and was struck by a stark difference between the ways Venezuela and the United States are handling the COVID-19 pandemic.
My experience at the airport in Caracas, Venezuela, gave me a taste of what a coordinated public health approach looks like in practice, compared to the disjointed politicized approach in the United States. Airports in the United States are currently serving as uncontrolled portals of disease spread. Venezuela demonstrates it doesn’t have to be this way and that mitigating the spread of infection can be done in an empowering and compassionate way, rather than an oppressive way.
Despite the economic war being waged against Venezuela by the United States that has caused a fuel crisis and serious shortages of medications and basic medical supplies, Venezuela is handling the pandemic better than all the other countries in South America except Guyana, which has comparable numbers of cases and deaths per million residents. Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Peru have 7 to 9 times as many cases and 23 to 33 times as many deaths as Venezuela. The difference between the United States and Venezuela is even more disparate — the United States has almost 14 times as many cases and 28 times the deaths.
My travels provided a window into the widespread availability of protective equipment and sanitizing supplies in Venezuela. Flight attendants wearing disposable coveralls over their uniforms handed out packets of masks and hand sanitizer as people boarded the airplane. Similar packets were found in the hotel rooms. People were sprayed with sanitizing mist and had their temperature checked before entering hotels. As election observers, we were also given a packet of N95 masks, eye protection and sanitizing spray on arrival in Caracas.
At the airport in Caracas, passengers were checked as soon as they left the airplane. Stickers on the ground indicated where to stand in line to maintain physical distancing. Posters of a cute character demonstrating how to stop the spread of infection were posted throughout the airport. Temperatures were taken and travelers passed through a sanitizing mist into an area staffed by health professionals where they were screened. If someone did not have proof of a recent negative COVID-19 PCR test or if there were concerns, a free test was given. This took place before entering immigration. On departure, a similar screening was performed before entering the airport.
Margaret Flowers
Contrast this with my travel in the United States, where no such screening was done. Going through security was just as crowded as before the pandemic, and travelers did not respect physical distancing. The bottle of hand sanitizer spray given to me in Caracas was confiscated by an agent upon my return to the United States because it was more than three ounces.
The security area in the Miami airport was particularly congested. A Transportation Security Agency (TSA) supervisor there explained they did not have the staff or authority to encourage passengers to follow distancing guidelines. Due to COVID-19, 195 TSA agents were out on leave. The supervisor shared that only the county government has the authority to enforce public health measures and it is refusing to do so. In exasperation, he said that when TSA agents asked travelers to take precautions, they were sometimes yelled at and told the virus is a hoax.
Flight attendants wearing disposable coveralls over their uniforms handed out packets of masks and hand sanitizer as people boarded the airplane.
It is no surprise this is happening in Florida. Gov. Ron DeSantis has thwarted local efforts to control the spread of COVID-19. CNN interviewed public health officers in Florida and found they feared losing their jobs if they informed people about or enforced public health guidelines. The governor has actively blocked local governments from instating mask mandates or closing nonessential businesses. He even did public events with Scott Atlas, a former adviser to President Trump who has been pushing a hands-off approach of letting the virus spread.
As a result, Miami-Dade County “has the highest per capita rate of confirmed coronavirus cases of any of the 50 most populous counties in the U.S.,” according to CNN. When it comes to infectious agents, what happens in Miami doesn’t stay there. Without appropriate screening, the virus can freely travel throughout the United States and beyond. Recall what happened when college students traveled to Florida for spring break this year and brought the virus back to their communities. One study found that in the period three to five weeks after their return, deaths from COVID-19 increased.
Miami isn’t the only problem. The U.S.’s lack of travel-related public health precautions is worsening the pandemic. This is demonstrated by the increase in cases following Thanksgiving when airplane travel was at its highest since the pandemic began. Prior to the holiday, the number of new cases each day was declining, but within a week, that number surpassed the peak of the fall surge and continues to rise. The number of deaths each day is also rising.
Mitigating the spread of COVID-19 through travel cannot be left up to local authorities alone. It requires a national strategy, and that’s where the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ought to come in. Although the CDC warned people to stay home over Thanksgiving, nearly 10 million of them traveled by plane. Obviously, more is needed. If people are going to fly, then actions must be taken to protect them.
Stickers on the ground indicated where to stand in line to maintain physical distancing.
During our conversation, the TSA supervisor in Miami asked why the CDC wasn’t there screening people. The CDC has the authority to set up mechanisms that promote physical distancing. It can screen people before they travel and upon arrival, as Venezuela does. It can provide information about how to protect themselves from infection and give out N95 masks and hand sanitizer. These measures must be included in public demands for stronger COVID-19 protections.
In Venezuela, free COVID-19 PCR tests were also offered at the hotels. Health professionals were available to assist as needed. One person from Puerto Rico who was part of an election observer delegation, Monisha Rios, tested positive while she was in Caracas. Truthout spoke to her about the experience.
Rios spoke highly about her care in Caracas, where she continues to quarantine. She was informed of her positive result discretely and reassured that she could stay in her hotel room as long as was necessary with meals provided through room service. A health team was in frequent communication with her and when her health status became concerning, she was transported to the COVID-19 unit of the local hospital by ambulance for observation and treatment.
Despite the U.S.-imposed economic blockade that has caused shortages of some medicines, Rios described the care at the hospital as “tremendous” and said she felt lucky this happened in Venezuela, where there is socialized medicine, rather than in Puerto Rico, where she does not have health insurance. She was particularly grateful for the integration of complementary and allopathic medicine at the hospital, where she stayed for six days. She said the care she received also showed a genuine concern for her mental well-being and she was “treated as a human being with compassion, respect and dignity.”
Of course, the health care system in Venezuela does face challenges. The economic blockade has not only decimated Venezuela’s once-thriving pharmaceutical industry, but it also makes it hard to get parts to repair equipment and to maintain basic infrastructure. This is one reason why there is so much emphasis on preventing infection with the virus that causes COVID-19.
“We have a lot to learn from the Venezuelan people about what is important,” Rios added. Alone at the hospital without family, Rios was paired with an English teacher who helped her with translation. People at the hospital treated her like family and kept in touch with her family members in Puerto Rico. Now back at the hotel, Rios will continue to quarantine until she has a negative PCR test and can safely fly home.
People in the United States do have a lot to learn from Venezuelans and from people in many other countries that are handling the pandemic well.
People in the United States do have a lot to learn from Venezuelans and from people in many other countries that are handling the pandemic well. Corporate media rarely tell stories like Rios’s. They often describe the universal health care systems in other countries as inferior, perpetuating myths about rationing and consistently long waits. The fact that rationing occurs in the United States based on ability to pay or that tens of millions of people without health care coverage can’t even get in a line for necessary care is generally not discussed. Perhaps the dominant media outlets’ corporate funders fear people in the U.S. would demand more if they knew what they were missing.
Until the United States government puts structures in place to protect public health, such as increased screening, health care coverage and safe places to quarantine with support for those who test positive, we will have to do what we can to protect ourselves and those around us. The current surge is expected to last for several months, so heed the CDC’s advice and stay home if you can. And let’s continue to make demands for systemic changes that uphold the ability of every person to meet their basic needs and live with dignity.
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--2020-12-23--Chicago Teachers Pledge Collective Action as January Reopening Approaches

The second wave is killing 130 people per day in Illinois .
So why are Chicago Public Schools reopening on January 11 ?
Kelly Hayes talks with Chicago public school teacher Silvia Gonzalez about the perils of Chicago ’ s hybrid reopening plan and why “ simultaneous instruction ” simply doesn ’ t make sense .
Note : This a rush transcript and has been lightly edited for clarity .
Copy may not be in its final form .
Kelly Hayes : Welcome to “ Movement Memos , ” a Truthout podcast about things you should know if you want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m your host , Kelly Hayes .
A lot of people are on edge this week after hearing about a new strain of COVID-19 that could be up to 70 percent more transmissible than others .
The new strain now accounts for more than 60 percent of all new cases in the U.K. , and amid a troubled vaccine rollout , the idea of an even more transmissible strain of a highly transmissible and deadly disease has many of us shaken .
This is especially true in Chicago , where teachers and students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next month .
In-person classes are set to resume for some students on January 11 .
On February 1 , Chicago ’ s elementary and junior high classes will be hybridized , with teachers attempting to teach in-person and online , simultaneously .
On Thursday , the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board refused to grant an injunction against the reopening plan that had been requested by the Chicago Teachers Union ( CTU ) , but Chicago teachers have refused to back down .
Teachers have presented a host of safety concerns , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The union has argued that public schools should not reopen until the city ’ s 7.4 percent positivity rate is under 3 percent .
Teachers have also expressed great concern about the quality of so-called “ simultaneous instruction , ” wherein masked teachers will be instructing students in-person and remotely at the same time .
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot ’ s administration says that remote learning has been unfair to Black and Latinx students , who are being set back by the shortcomings of long distance instruction .
But only about 37 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school next month , and the majority of them are white .
Lightfoot quietly extended the city ’ s existing stay at home order by 21 days on Sunday , meaning classes will resume for some students only one day after the order expires .
Having reviewed the city ’ s reopening plan , I already found it incredibly troubling , prior to hearing about this new strain of COVID-19 .
And after hearing about what ’ s happening in the U.K. , where people are about to spend Christmas on lockdown , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not the person best equipped to explain why the plan was already terrible , or what ’ s at stake , so I want to welcome my friend Silvia Gonzalez to the show .
Silvia is a Chicago public school teacher and organizer who actually created a guide to help parents and teachers understand the risks of the mayor ’ s reopening plan .
Silvia Gonzalez , welcome to the show .
Silvia Gonzalez : Hi , Kelly .
Thank you so much .
KH : How are you doing today , friend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it through .
And I ’ m also , like you mentioned in the beginning , looking at [ Chicago Public Schools ( CPS ) ] has plans to reopen , and have a lot of concerns about the myths and the facts that are being published by CPS and the videos that are being put out by CPS that , quite frankly , continue to just really make me question what safety is going to look like when and if we should return .
So that ’ s what I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So first thing ’ s first , can you tell us a bit about the mayor ’ s reopening plan for Chicago Public Schools , or CPS , as we tend to call it here in town , and why Chicago teachers are so concerned ?
SG : For me , one of the things that I ’ ve been really trying to get across is the day-to-day logistics and what that ’ s gon na look like for educators , and also what that ’ s gon na look like for our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and are probably going to be nervous and afraid .
And that ’ s not an equitable learning condition to be found in .
This new format of hybrid and remote model is not sustainable .
It will burn out teachers .
It is a very challenging thing to just sort of say , “ Okay , well then just teach the students remote and teach the students hybrid at the same time .
And by the way , you have a week to prepare for this.
” I find it to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now being asked to essentially risk and adapt according to what CPS believes is best .
But the reality is that , according to the way the schedule is set up for an A and B hybrid model , students would only be in classes two days out of the week ; their classes , as they know it , would not resume as they know it .
They would be sitting six feet apart from their peers , masked for the entire day .
And we ’ re talking about K through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about young people who miss their friends , young people who will no doubt need help from their teachers .
Young people who will no doubt , probably need to go to the restroom plenty of times And so to ask a student to adapt to this and to take a risk during their lunch period , during which they would be taking off their masks to eat in a classroom , just doesn ’ t make any sense when we ’ re talking about restaurants and small businesses closing .
None of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And so , on top of that , I ’ m really concerned about the social and emotional needs that will arise with the trauma of knowing that their normal teachers will not be coming back .
A lot of the teachers have been taking leaves due to pre-existing conditions and they have every right to do so .
So they will not be in front of the students .
There have been other teachers who are afraid to come back and are considering resigning .
So what we ’ re asking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adapt to a completely irrational plan in the middle of the school year .
KH : I keep hearing people say Dr. Fauci supports reopening schools , but unless he has reviewed Chicago ’ s actual plan , and can say that , under the conditions we have , that it ’ s safe to reopen the schools , I am thoroughly unconvinced .
Because we are not talking about some generalized example of a school system .
We are talking about a school system that was already in crisis , due to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where teachers were already being forced to clean their own classrooms prior to the pandemic .
We are talking about broken down buildings , and a school board that has a history of covering up unsafe conditions .
All of these generalizations from federal officials about districts , and buildings with vastly different challenges and capacities — in matters of public health , I want specificity .
Because austerity mayors like Lori Lightfoot obviously can not be trusted to oversee our children ’ s safety .
She fought to keep the city open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The governor had to step in and shut things down .
Then she reopened the bars in November and we saw an immediate , corresponding boom in cases .
Lori Lightfoot ’ s decision-making around when it is safe to do things during the pandemic has been uniformly terrible .
She allowed a demolition in Little Village that created a dust cloud that consumed the whole neighborhood — during a respiratory pandemic .
She wants open businesses , open schools , and a resumption of normality , as though we aren ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Biden administration is actually promising funding for schools , to help make them safer , and I don ’ t necessarily believe him , but if people do believe him , they should be screaming to high heaven that Lori Lightfoot needs to wait .
And with this new strain , it ’ s just unthinkable .
SG : Right .
So I want to take a moment to shout out the efforts of the Chicago Teachers Union , because part of what they ’ ve been petitioning and asking the mayor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if they really want to reopen .
If they really have the best interest of our students and teachers and staff in mind , they need to consider three very important things : first and foremost , safety .
Establishing a clear public health criteria .
If you want to open this up , we have to be very clear on how safety is established .
We can ’ t just be told that classrooms are safe and they ’ ve been inspected .
CTU has asked CPS and the city to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , how they ’ re looked at .
And so , to really have an opportunity to be at the table with folks that are making the decisions for teachers and students .
And from what I ’ ve heard , we ’ ve been denied that opportunity .
CPS and the city believed that that ’ s an , um — sort of like we ’ re over overstepping our bounds .
CTU has asked for equity , CTU has asked for trust .
And that ’ s sort of where I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ joint committee on COVID-19 , which would include independent experts , and can make inspections , investigations , and issue directives .
CTU has also proposed for a safety committee in each school , that involves the members , the engineers of the buildings , the delegates .
The people that are most familiar with these school buildings on a day-to-day basis are not being allowed to sit at the table and help inform these decisions .
And so how can we have trust in what the mayor is saying or what CPS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the middle of winter months ?
Keep our windows open , right ?
Like some schools don ’ t even have properly installed windows .
So , these are just some of the things that I know CTU is really working to bargain , but for my understanding , there hasn ’ t been a whole lot of collaboration and meeting in the middle , which is very concerning for me .
KH : One thing I can not get past is that the shortcomings of remote learning are being held up as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though most students will still be learning remotely .
Most Black and Latinx students , who the mayor keeps mentioning , will keep learning remotely , because their parents do not want to send them back yet .
And we know remote learning has already been a struggle for teachers and students .
So won ’ t piling on simultaneous instruction , where teachers are interacting with students in the room , and livestreaming to students at home , make remote learning harder for students at home ?
SG : Yeah , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , while we ’ re sitting and debating , teachers are trying to continue to adapt to remote learning .
And so that ’ s sort of where I ’ ve been asking the question , “ Have we even taken the time to resolve the issues of remote learning in order to best prepare for a hybrid model ?
” And the answer is no .
We get thrown these tests that we have to take online in order to meet certain expectations .
We got one , we got an email @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needed to go through another training online .
And so for me , it ’ s like , that ’ s not really preparing us for what we ’ re going to be coming into qualms with .
Do we have a solid understanding of the equipment or the technical support needed to be effective teachers , when we ’ re doing the hybrid model ?
Do we even have that now ?
Do we have the proper equipment for students to be doing their work at home , now ?
Are students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city meeting our basic human needs first , before they ask us to go back , risk and adapt to a model that ’ s completely disastrous in my opinion ?
The way that I ’ ve experienced , even the day to day , you know , having to be flexible and having to figure things out on the fly .
If we can ’ t figure out how to make remote learning equitable , and we can ’ t figure out how to make it sustainable for students now , what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students go back and figure things out in the middle of the school year ?
You know , part of the petition of the CTU has also been to consider our schools and students diverse needs and to adjust remote learning schedules so that students have less screen time , to allow more experiential , asynchronous learning , to provide more materials and resources for use at home , and to build in more time for educators to collaborate with colleagues and parents and caregivers .
And that ’ s just been flat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like we ’ re being told that we ’ re asking too much , that we ’ re being unreasonable .
Unreasonable for who , when we ’ re talking about equity , and using that as a phrase as a city and saying , “ Well , we really care about our black and Brown students , and they ’ re the ones that are being put at a disadvantage.
” Well , when we ’ re putting these demands out , are we still putting them at a disadvantage by asking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue their education in a time of a pandemic ?
Like , that ’ s the thing that just continuously blows my mind that we ’ re teaching and learning at the height of a pandemic , when I have to go to meetings and do moments of silence for colleagues that have passed on , when I have to get a surge of emails telling me that there ’ ve been new cases of COVID in our larger CPS schools , right ?
Like , I don ’ t know if people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being in the building , CTU has documented over 500 reports in schools .
That ’ s a huge number and that ’ s without even being in school .
When we look at the data of the increase of COVID cases , we ’ re literally asking teachers to choose between job and life .
We ’ re asking students to choose between safety or what the mayor and other folks believe is in their best interest .
And quite frankly , when I have moments of conversations of this with students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Yeah , we want to go back , but we want the pandemic to be over.
” Nobody — kids are very fully aware that their family members are getting sick , that their family members are dying , that people that they know are being harmed by this pandemic .
And , I ’ m not even just talking physically only .
I ’ m also thinking about the distress that this has brought on to people , the trauma , the emotional strain .
And if we can ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now , while students have been remote learning , I have some serious questions about how we ’ re going to do that with a hybrid model .
KH : The Chicago Teachers Union has gone toe-to-toe with mayor Lightfoot in the past .
Lori Lightfoot , who ran on a progressive platform , and swore there would not be a teacher ’ s strike on her watch .
And in 2019 , we found out that was a lie .
The Chicago Teachers Union also had to threaten to strike to prevent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So can you say a bit about what it ’ s been like for you as teachers to interact with this mayor ?
SG : Am I allowed to just say , “ Thumbs down !
Just overall , not very good.
” No , I ’ m sorry .
I just , I guess if I have to give a more eloquent response is , I ’ m very disappointed , but I ’ m not surprised , you know ?
I think that she ran on a progressive platform and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then when the teacher ’ s strike came and went , she showed her true colors .
She really showed where her position stood , and that was not with the working-class families that we have to work with on a day-to-day basis .
That ’ s not with the teachers that are part of forming our city and making our city as great as it is .
And so for me , knowing that somebody that was elected is harnessing that much power and using it in such a destructive manner , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Chicago , I ’ m extremely disappointed .
I don ’ t really know how else to , how else to express that .
And I think what ’ s been more disappointing is that CTU is asking to sit at the table , is asking to not be quoted for having had 42 meetings .
No meeting in the middle , right ?
Like , nobody can come to a consensus .
I ’ m looking for — Look , if you had 42 meetings , couldn ’ t you have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and like put the ego down .
We ’ re talking about people ’ s lives here .
We ’ re talking about people ’ s livelihoods .
We ’ re talking about Chicago being a majority of working class folks .
Right ?
The minute I saw the way that the CARES Act funding was being used and the way in which policing was heightened in the city of Chicago , I knew that there is no best interest in our public education .
This mayor prioritizes policing and has other priorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the things that CTU brought up was Lincoln Yards and the TIF money .
If that ’ s not enough of a witness to the ways in which she believes our money needs to be allocated instead of supporting our working class families and supporting public education , I don ’ t know what else to point to .
KH : What are you most afraid of personally , right now , as you all are faced with the prospect of reopening ?
SG : You know , Kelly , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for some time .
I ’ m , I try to keep my joy , I try to guard my joy .
But these days I ’ m afraid .
I have some real fears and sometimes even expressing those makes me more fearful because I don ’ t feel understood .
I feel like the data has not been enough .
And as someone who has to sit during a virtual vigil and look at the faces of people that have passed as a result of COVID , is terrifying .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a part of a slideshow , the thought of having a moment of silence with my students is terrifying .
How are we expected to perform the day-to-day duties when everything is happening all at the same time , in the middle of a pandemic ?
How can I best support the young people that I love and do the work that I adore , knowing everything is on fire right now ?
And that for me is a fear I try not to sit too long with because I will very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , at the end of the day we don ’ t want to strike .
At the end of the day , the Chicago Teachers Union , we don ’ t have a constant , like , strike and battle mentality .
We want the best for our students .
We want the best for our colleagues .
We deserve that much and more .
But we want our students to be safe .
We want these fears to be diminished .
We want to have some sort of normalcy .
We want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even with everything that ’ s going on .
So , you know , this kind of is a breach in our contract .
This doesn ’ t follow the safety that we require in our contract .
So , we don ’ t want to strike first .
We want to have the best interest in mind and really say , “ Hey , we ’ re looking for safety .
We ’ re looking for equity .
We ’ re looking for trust .
This is what that would look like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lists of demands .
Is there a way we can meet halfway ?
Is there a way we can put the interest of our students first ?
And what would that look like ?
Can we meet at the table and have some of these things discussed in a way that ’ s respectful , and honestly just has our livelihoods at the top as priority ?
” I don ’ t think that ’ s too much to ask for , but I do think that what I ’ ve mentioned in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the things that I ’ m afraid of , that we just won ’ t be able to do that .
Most of us are just tired .
So that ’ s sort of where my fear is at , that we ’ re just very quickly burning out .
But I don ’ t want to lose hope .
I don ’ t want to lose my joy .
I want to guard it and I want to support my students , come what may .
KH : So what can people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now ?
SG : You know , I think just holding our elected officials accountable .
Right now , the Chicago Teachers Union has their list of petitions on the CTU Local One website , where you can also enter your return address and start writing a letter that will directly be sent to your alderman and elected officials .
And so I would really ask that folks take a few minutes out of their day to sign this petition which is asking our elected officials to stop the reckless reopening plan .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a preliminary ruling not to impose an injunction .
Yet the plan that CPS has put out is forcing pre-K and special ed cluster students .
And so we ’ re asking folks to please take some time and ask our elected officials to raise their voices and demand safety and equity , so that when we do whatever the case may be , we want to know that our city has our back .
And so for me , I don ’ t know , I always , I ’ m always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , just put the word out .
I feel like not enough people know what this really looks like .
And I think that that ’ s really irresponsible to blindside our parents and families and CPS constituents , and just give them this very pretty plan that sounds decent , but like , without really having the precaution of , “ …but also keep this in mind , ” right ?
And so I just want people to have as much of the full scope of information as they can and continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , continue to sign these petitions , continue to ask that our mayor do better by our city .
KH : Well , thank you for that .
And we ’ ll definitely be linking that petition and other resources in the show notes , in the transcript of this episode on our website at truthout.org .
I ’ d also just like to remind folks , just really everywhere in the country , that it ’ s not enough to say that the federal government or Biden or Fauci says that our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should know what reopening plans in our area consist of .
All of us should know about the conditions on the ground that children and students are being expected to negotiate with because it ’ s an abdication of responsibility to speak to something as vast and varied as the U.S. education system without any specificity .
You can be very educated and also completely ignorant of a situation , and no one is exempt from that reality .
So I hope that we will look at what ’ s happening and also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know what ’ s happening with this new strain yet .
And with some students slated to return on January 11th , I think we need to be responsible .
I think we need to do the opposite of what Trump did last winter and say , “ This new strain is serious .
We don ’ t know how serious .
But we are going to prioritize life.
” So I hope we all support our teachers as they advocate for their safety and the safety of their students .
This is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under to keep capitalism afloat .
This is a time to insist that our survival comes first .
Silvia , I want to thank you so much for joining us today and for everything that you ’ re doing .
KH : I also want to thank our listeners for joining us today and remember , our best defense against cynicism is to do good , and to remember that the good we do matters .
Until next time , I ’ ll see you in the streets .
You can find the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lightfoot ’ s reopening plan here .
You can find Sylvia ’ s fact sheet on hybrid and remote learning in Chicago here .

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot wants to reopen schools one day after her stay-at-home order expires. (FG Trade / Getty Images)
Part of the Series Movement Memos
The second wave is killing 130 people per day in Illinois. So why are Chicago Public Schools reopening on January 11? Kelly Hayes talks with Chicago public school teacher Silvia Gonzalez about the perils of Chicago’s hybrid reopening plan and why “simultaneous instruction” simply doesn’t make sense.
TRANSCRIPT
Note: This a rush transcript and has been lightly edited for clarity. Copy may not be in its final form.
Kelly Hayes: Welcome to “Movement Memos,” a Truthout podcast about things you should know if you want to change the world. I’m your host, Kelly Hayes.
A lot of people are on edge this week after hearing about a new strain of COVID-19 that could be up to 70 percent more transmissible than others. The new strain now accounts for more than 60 percent of all new cases in the U.K., and amid a troubled vaccine rollout, the idea of an even more transmissible strain of a highly transmissible and deadly disease has many of us shaken. This is especially true in Chicago, where teachers and students are expected to return to in-person classes next month.
In-person classes are set to resume for some students on January 11. On February 1, Chicago’s elementary and junior high classes will be hybridized, with teachers attempting to teach in-person and online, simultaneously. On Thursday, the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board refused to grant an injunction against the reopening plan that had been requested by the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), but Chicago teachers have refused to back down.
Teachers have presented a host of safety concerns, including the city’s positivity rate. The union has argued that public schools should not reopen until the city’s 7.4 percent positivity rate is under 3 percent. Teachers have also expressed great concern about the quality of so-called “simultaneous instruction,” wherein masked teachers will be instructing students in-person and remotely at the same time. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration says that remote learning has been unfair to Black and Latinx students, who are being set back by the shortcomings of long distance instruction. But only about 37 percent of Chicago students plan to return to school next month, and the majority of them are white.
Lightfoot quietly extended the city’s existing stay at home order by 21 days on Sunday, meaning classes will resume for some students only one day after the order expires.
Having reviewed the city’s reopening plan, I already found it incredibly troubling, prior to hearing about this new strain of COVID-19. And after hearing about what’s happening in the U.K., where people are about to spend Christmas on lockdown, I am alarmed. But I am not the person best equipped to explain why the plan was already terrible, or what’s at stake, so I want to welcome my friend Silvia Gonzalez to the show. Silvia is a Chicago public school teacher and organizer who actually created a guide to help parents and teachers understand the risks of the mayor’s reopening plan. Silvia Gonzalez, welcome to the show.
Silvia Gonzalez: Hi, Kelly. Thank you so much.
KH: How are you doing today, friend?
SG: I’m making it through. And I’m also, like you mentioned in the beginning, looking at [Chicago Public Schools (CPS)] has plans to reopen, and have a lot of concerns about the myths and the facts that are being published by CPS and the videos that are being put out by CPS that, quite frankly, continue to just really make me question what safety is going to look like when and if we should return. So that’s what I’m grappling with these days.
KH: So first thing’s first, can you tell us a bit about the mayor’s reopening plan for Chicago Public Schools, or CPS, as we tend to call it here in town, and why Chicago teachers are so concerned?
SG: For me, one of the things that I’ve been really trying to get across is the day-to-day logistics and what that’s gonna look like for educators, and also what that’s gonna look like for our students who are going to show up and are probably going to be nervous and afraid. And that’s not an equitable learning condition to be found in. This new format of hybrid and remote model is not sustainable. It will burn out teachers. It is a very challenging thing to just sort of say, “Okay, well then just teach the students remote and teach the students hybrid at the same time. And by the way, you have a week to prepare for this.” I find it to be really destabilizing for our students that are now being asked to essentially risk and adapt according to what CPS believes is best.
But the reality is that, according to the way the schedule is set up for an A and B hybrid model, students would only be in classes two days out of the week; their classes, as they know it, would not resume as they know it. They would be sitting six feet apart from their peers, masked for the entire day. And we’re talking about K through eight students. We’re talking about young people who miss their friends, young people who will no doubt need help from their teachers. Young people who will no doubt, probably need to go to the restroom plenty of times
And so to ask a student to adapt to this and to take a risk during their lunch period, during which they would be taking off their masks to eat in a classroom, just doesn’t make any sense when we’re talking about restaurants and small businesses closing. None of this, for me, makes sense.
And so, on top of that, I’m really concerned about the social and emotional needs that will arise with the trauma of knowing that their normal teachers will not be coming back. A lot of the teachers have been taking leaves due to pre-existing conditions and they have every right to do so. So they will not be in front of the students. There have been other teachers who are afraid to come back and are considering resigning. So what we’re asking teachers and students to do is to adapt to a completely irrational plan in the middle of the school year.
KH: I keep hearing people say Dr. Fauci supports reopening schools, but unless he has reviewed Chicago’s actual plan, and can say that, under the conditions we have, that it’s safe to reopen the schools, I am thoroughly unconvinced. Because we are not talking about some generalized example of a school system. We are talking about a school system that was already in crisis, due to austerity and neglect and privatization efforts, where teachers were already being forced to clean their own classrooms prior to the pandemic. We are talking about broken down buildings, and a school board that has a history of covering up unsafe conditions. All of these generalizations from federal officials about districts, and buildings with vastly different challenges and capacities — in matters of public health, I want specificity. Because austerity mayors like Lori Lightfoot obviously cannot be trusted to oversee our children’s safety. She fought to keep the city open as long as possible last winter. The governor had to step in and shut things down. Then she reopened the bars in November and we saw an immediate, corresponding boom in cases. Lori Lightfoot’s decision-making around when it is safe to do things during the pandemic has been uniformly terrible. She allowed a demolition in Little Village that created a dust cloud that consumed the whole neighborhood — during a respiratory pandemic. She wants open businesses, open schools, and a resumption of normality, as though we aren’t still living in a horror movie.
The Biden administration is actually promising funding for schools, to help make them safer, and I don’t necessarily believe him, but if people do believe him, they should be screaming to high heaven that Lori Lightfoot needs to wait. And with this new strain, it’s just unthinkable.
SG: Right. So I want to take a moment to shout out the efforts of the Chicago Teachers Union, because part of what they’ve been petitioning and asking the mayor and our elected officials to consider is if they really want to reopen.
If they really have the best interest of our students and teachers and staff in mind, they need to consider three very important things: first and foremost, safety. Establishing a clear public health criteria. If you want to open this up, we have to be very clear on how safety is established. We can’t just be told that classrooms are safe and they’ve been inspected. CTU has asked CPS and the city to get involved in how the schools are screened, how they’re looked at. And so, to really have an opportunity to be at the table with folks that are making the decisions for teachers and students. And from what I’ve heard, we’ve been denied that opportunity. CPS and the city believed that that’s an, um — sort of like we’re over overstepping our bounds. CTU has asked for equity, CTU has asked for trust.
And that’s sort of where I was talking about that CTU, CPS joint committee on COVID-19, which would include independent experts, and can make inspections, investigations, and issue directives. CTU has also proposed for a safety committee in each school, that involves the members, the engineers of the buildings, the delegates. The people that are most familiar with these school buildings on a day-to-day basis are not being allowed to sit at the table and help inform these decisions. And so how can we have trust in what the mayor is saying or what CPS is asking for us to do in the middle of winter months? Keep our windows open, right? Like some schools don’t even have properly installed windows.
So, these are just some of the things that I know CTU is really working to bargain, but for my understanding, there hasn’t been a whole lot of collaboration and meeting in the middle, which is very concerning for me.
KH: One thing I cannot get past is that the shortcomings of remote learning are being held up as reason to resume in-person classes, even though most students will still be learning remotely. Most Black and Latinx students, who the mayor keeps mentioning, will keep learning remotely, because their parents do not want to send them back yet. And we know remote learning has already been a struggle for teachers and students. So won’t piling on simultaneous instruction, where teachers are interacting with students in the room, and livestreaming to students at home, make remote learning harder for students at home?
SG: Yeah, and I think even on a day-to-day basis, while we’re sitting and debating, teachers are trying to continue to adapt to remote learning. And so that’s sort of where I’ve been asking the question, “Have we even taken the time to resolve the issues of remote learning in order to best prepare for a hybrid model?”
And the answer is no. We get thrown these tests that we have to take online in order to meet certain expectations. We got one, we got an email this past Friday telling us that we needed to go through another training online. And so for me, it’s like, that’s not really preparing us for what we’re going to be coming into qualms with.
Do we have a solid understanding of the equipment or the technical support needed to be effective teachers, when we’re doing the hybrid model? Do we even have that now? Do we have the proper equipment for students to be doing their work at home, now? Are students ensured stable living conditions? Is our city meeting our basic human needs first, before they ask us to go back, risk and adapt to a model that’s completely disastrous in my opinion? The way that I’ve experienced, even the day to day, you know, having to be flexible and having to figure things out on the fly. If we can’t figure out how to make remote learning equitable, and we can’t figure out how to make it sustainable for students now, what right do we have to demand that students go back and figure things out in the middle of the school year? You know, part of the petition of the CTU has also been to consider our schools and students diverse needs and to adjust remote learning schedules so that students have less screen time, to allow more experiential, asynchronous learning, to provide more materials and resources for use at home, and to build in more time for educators to collaborate with colleagues and parents and caregivers. And that’s just been flat out denied, where it’s like we’re being told that we’re asking too much, that we’re being unreasonable. Unreasonable for who, when we’re talking about equity, and using that as a phrase as a city and saying, “Well, we really care about our black and Brown students, and they’re the ones that are being put at a disadvantage.”
Well, when we’re putting these demands out, are we still putting them at a disadvantage by asking that they have the appropriate tools to continue their education in a time of a pandemic? Like, that’s the thing that just continuously blows my mind that we’re teaching and learning at the height of a pandemic, when I have to go to meetings and do moments of silence for colleagues that have passed on, when I have to get a surge of emails telling me that there’ve been new cases of COVID in our larger CPS schools, right? Like, I don’t know if people are aware, but without students even being in the building, CTU has documented over 500 reports in schools.
That’s a huge number and that’s without even being in school. When we look at the data of the increase of COVID cases, we’re literally asking teachers to choose between job and life. We’re asking students to choose between safety or what the mayor and other folks believe is in their best interest. And quite frankly, when I have moments of conversations of this with students, they’ve all stated, “Yeah, we want to go back, but we want the pandemic to be over.”
Nobody — kids are very fully aware that their family members are getting sick, that their family members are dying, that people that they know are being harmed by this pandemic. And, I’m not even just talking physically only. I’m also thinking about the distress that this has brought on to people, the trauma, the emotional strain. And if we can’t figure out how to deal with that now, while students have been remote learning, I have some serious questions about how we’re going to do that with a hybrid model.
KH: The Chicago Teachers Union has gone toe-to-toe with mayor Lightfoot in the past. Lori Lightfoot, who ran on a progressive platform, and swore there would not be a teacher’s strike on her watch. And in 2019, we found out that was a lie. The Chicago Teachers Union also had to threaten to strike to prevent in-person classes in the fall of 2020. So can you say a bit about what it’s been like for you as teachers to interact with this mayor?
SG: Am I allowed to just say, “Thumbs down! Just overall, not very good.” No, I’m sorry. I just, I guess if I have to give a more eloquent response is, I’m very disappointed, but I’m not surprised, you know? I think that she ran on a progressive platform and made a lot of promises, but then when the teacher’s strike came and went, she showed her true colors. She really showed where her position stood, and that was not with the working-class families that we have to work with on a day-to-day basis. That’s not with the teachers that are part of forming our city and making our city as great as it is. And so for me, knowing that somebody that was elected is harnessing that much power and using it in such a destructive manner, not really looking out for the folks of Chicago, I’m extremely disappointed. I don’t really know how else to, how else to express that. And I think what’s been more disappointing is that CTU is asking to sit at the table, is asking to not be quoted for having had 42 meetings. No meeting in the middle, right? Like, nobody can come to a consensus.
I’m looking for — Look, if you had 42 meetings, couldn’t you have already come up with 42 different solutions and like put the ego down. We’re talking about people’s lives here. We’re talking about people’s livelihoods. We’re talking about Chicago being a majority of working class folks. Right?
The minute I saw the way that the CARES Act funding was being used and the way in which policing was heightened in the city of Chicago, I knew that there is no best interest in our public education. This mayor prioritizes policing and has other priorities that are not — you know, one of the things that CTU brought up was Lincoln Yards and the TIF money. If that’s not enough of a witness to the ways in which she believes our money needs to be allocated instead of supporting our working class families and supporting public education, I don’t know what else to point to.
KH: What are you most afraid of personally, right now, as you all are faced with the prospect of reopening?
SG: You know, Kelly, I feel like you’ve known me for some time. I’m, I try to keep my joy, I try to guard my joy. But these days I’m afraid. I have some real fears and sometimes even expressing those makes me more fearful because I don’t feel understood. I feel like the data has not been enough. And as someone who has to sit during a virtual vigil and look at the faces of people that have passed as a result of COVID, is terrifying. The thought of seeing myself or my colleagues as a part of a slideshow, the thought of having a moment of silence with my students is terrifying. How are we expected to perform the day-to-day duties when everything is happening all at the same time, in the middle of a pandemic? How can I best support the young people that I love and do the work that I adore, knowing everything is on fire right now? And that for me is a fear I try not to sit too long with because I will very quickly spiral.
And I just think, at the end of the day we don’t want to strike. At the end of the day, the Chicago Teachers Union, we don’t have a constant, like, strike and battle mentality. We want the best for our students. We want the best for our colleagues. We deserve that much and more. But we want our students to be safe. We want these fears to be diminished. We want to have some sort of normalcy. We want to have some sort of comfort, even with everything that’s going on. So, you know, this kind of is a breach in our contract. This doesn’t follow the safety that we require in our contract. So, we don’t want to strike first. We want to have the best interest in mind and really say, “Hey, we’re looking for safety. We’re looking for equity. We’re looking for trust. This is what that would look like. This is, these are our lists of demands. Is there a way we can meet halfway? Is there a way we can put the interest of our students first? And what would that look like? Can we meet at the table and have some of these things discussed in a way that’s respectful, and honestly just has our livelihoods at the top as priority?”
I don’t think that’s too much to ask for, but I do think that what I’ve mentioned in terms of my fears, those are the things that I’m afraid of, that we just won’t be able to do that. Most of us are just tired. So that’s sort of where my fear is at, that we’re just very quickly burning out. But I don’t want to lose hope. I don’t want to lose my joy. I want to guard it and I want to support my students, come what may.
KH: So what can people do to show solidarity and support right now?
SG: You know, I think just holding our elected officials accountable. Right now, the Chicago Teachers Union has their list of petitions on the CTU Local One website, where you can also enter your return address and start writing a letter that will directly be sent to your alderman and elected officials. And so I would really ask that folks take a few minutes out of their day to sign this petition which is asking our elected officials to stop the reckless reopening plan. The Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board issued a preliminary ruling not to impose an injunction. Yet the plan that CPS has put out is forcing pre-K and special ed cluster students. And so we’re asking folks to please take some time and ask our elected officials to raise their voices and demand safety and equity, so that when we do whatever the case may be, we want to know that our city has our back.
And so for me, I don’t know, I always, I’m always like, I don’t know, just put the word out. I feel like not enough people know what this really looks like. And I think that that’s really irresponsible to blindside our parents and families and CPS constituents, and just give them this very pretty plan that sounds decent, but like, without really having the precaution of, “…but also keep this in mind,” right? And so I just want people to have as much of the full scope of information as they can and continue to have these discussions with each other, continue to sign these petitions, continue to ask that our mayor do better by our city.
KH: Well, thank you for that. And we’ll definitely be linking that petition and other resources in the show notes, in the transcript of this episode on our website at truthout.org. I’d also just like to remind folks, just really everywhere in the country, that it’s not enough to say that the federal government or Biden or Fauci says that our schools should reopen. All of us should know what reopening plans in our area consist of. All of us should know about the conditions on the ground that children and students are being expected to negotiate with because it’s an abdication of responsibility to speak to something as vast and varied as the U.S. education system without any specificity. You can be very educated and also completely ignorant of a situation, and no one is exempt from that reality.
So I hope that we will look at what’s happening and also process that we really don’t know what’s happening with this new strain yet. And with some students slated to return on January 11th, I think we need to be responsible. I think we need to do the opposite of what Trump did last winter and say, “This new strain is serious. We don’t know how serious. But we are going to prioritize life.”
So I hope we all support our teachers as they advocate for their safety and the safety of their students. This is not a time to keep grinding people under to keep capitalism afloat. This is a time to insist that our survival comes first. Silvia, I want to thank you so much for joining us today and for everything that you’re doing.
SG: Thank you, Kelly.
KH: I also want to thank our listeners for joining us today and remember, our best defense against cynicism is to do good, and to remember that the good we do matters. Until next time, I’ll see you in the streets.
Show Notes:
You can find the Chicago Teachers Union petition to halt Lori Lightfoot’s reopening plan here.
You can find Sylvia’s fact sheet on hybrid and remote learning in Chicago here.
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
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truthout--2020-12-24--Trump Pardons Stone and Manafort as DOJ Proceeds With Executions

Throwing the deeply unequal nature of the U.S. criminal justice system into sharp relief , President Donald Trump late Wednesday issued another wave of pardons for his wealthy political and personal allies as his administration continues its unprecedented lame-duck spree of executions — a punishment almost exclusively reserved for the poor and marginalized .
Just 24 hours after issuing full pardons or commutations for two Republican loyalists , four former Blackwater mercenaries jailed for massacring Iraqi civilians , a Medicare fraudster , and others , Trump rolled out an additional list of pardons that includes longtime adviser Roger Stone , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Charles Kushner , a wealthy New Jersey real estate developer and father of the president ’ s son-in-law , Jared Kushner .
“ A flow of pardons for the wealthy and corrupt , yet Brandon Bernard was left to die when his own jurors and prosecutor begged for mercy , ” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D-N.Y. ) said late Wednesday , referring to the 40-year-old Black man the Trump Justice Department killed earlier this month for a crime he committed at the age of 18 .
“ Our carceral system laid bare for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bush ( D-Mo . )
tweeted that the combination of Trump ’ s wave of pardons for the well-connected and last-minute rush of executions amounts to “ mercy for the rich and state-sanctioned murder for the poor.
” “ Trump is pardoning his political allies while he ’ s executing people on death row at an unprecedented rate , ” said Bush .
“ His deeds are unconscionable.
” According to the Pew Research Center , the outgoing president “ has used his clemency power less often than any president in modern history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clemency recipients have had a ‘ personal or political connection to the president . '
” “ The only modern president who granted clemency almost as infrequently as Trump is George H.W .
Bush , who granted 77 pardons and commutations in his single term , ” the research outfit noted .
“ Trump has granted clemency to less than half of 1 % of the more than 10,000 people who petitioned him for it through the end of the 2020 fiscal year ( which ended Sept. 30 ) , according to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of watchdog group Accountable.US , said in a statement Wednesday that the president ’ s lame-duck pardons “ are just the latest example of Trump ’ s longstanding pattern of promoting cronyism and corruption in his administration at all costs.
” “ As millions of Americans are suffering and afraid of losing their homes and livelihoods , all Trump has time for is handing out political favors to his friends and allies , ” said Herrig .
“ There ’ s little more we can expect from a president who has held ethics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of everyday Americans for his entire four-year term.
” The Trump administration ’ s execution spree , meanwhile , appears on track to continue as the Justice Department — which resumed federal executions in July after a 17-year hiatus — aims to execute three additional people before President-elect Joe Biden , an opponent of the death penalty , takes office next month .
Attorneys representing the three federal inmates set to be executed — Corey Johnson , Dustin John Higgs , and Lisa Montgomery — have asked Trump to commute their sentences to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have both tested positive for the coronavirus as it sweeps through the federal penitentiary in Terre Haute , Indiana .
In a letter ( pdf ) on Monday , a group of Democratic senators and Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) demanded that the Justice Department inspector general investigate the Trump administration ’ s execution spree , which the lawmakers described as “ a break with both modern history and decades-old practice.
” “ The federal government had not executed a federal prisoner since 2003 and had only executed three people in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote .
“ The executions that have already taken place since November 3 , 2020 , and those scheduled to occur in January 2021 , are ‘ the first executions under a lame-duck president in over 100 years . '
”

Throwing the deeply unequal nature of the U.S. criminal justice system into sharp relief, President Donald Trump late Wednesday issued another wave of pardons for his wealthy political and personal allies as his administration continues its unprecedented lame-duck spree of executions — a punishment almost exclusively reserved for the poor and marginalized.
Just 24 hours after issuing full pardons or commutations for two Republican loyalists, four former Blackwater mercenaries jailed for massacring Iraqi civilians, a Medicare fraudster, and others, Trump rolled out an additional list of pardons that includes longtime adviser Roger Stone, former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, and Charles Kushner, a wealthy New Jersey real estate developer and father of the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
“A flow of pardons for the wealthy and corrupt, yet Brandon Bernard was left to die when his own jurors and prosecutor begged for mercy,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said late Wednesday, referring to the 40-year-old Black man the Trump Justice Department killed earlier this month for a crime he committed at the age of 18. “Our carceral system laid bare for the world to see.”
Rep.-elect Cori Bush (D-Mo.) tweeted that the combination of Trump’s wave of pardons for the well-connected and last-minute rush of executions amounts to “mercy for the rich and state-sanctioned murder for the poor.”
“Trump is pardoning his political allies while he’s executing people on death row at an unprecedented rate,” said Bush. “His deeds are unconscionable.”
According to the Pew Research Center, the outgoing president “has used his clemency power less often than any president in modern history,” and many of his “clemency recipients have had a ‘personal or political connection to the president.'”
“The only modern president who granted clemency almost as infrequently as Trump is George H.W. Bush, who granted 77 pardons and commutations in his single term,” the research outfit noted. “Trump has granted clemency to less than half of 1% of the more than 10,000 people who petitioned him for it through the end of the 2020 fiscal year (which ended Sept. 30), according to the Justice Department.”
Tomorrow marks 28 years since George H.W. Bush pardoned six defendants as part of the Iran-Contra cover up, one of whom, confessed criminal Elliott Abrams, was brought back into government by George W. Bush, and now serves as Trump’s Iran/Venezuela envoy. Corruption is the rule. — Matt Duss (@mattduss) December 24, 2020
Kyle Herrig, president of watchdog group Accountable.US, said in a statement Wednesday that the president’s lame-duck pardons “are just the latest example of Trump’s longstanding pattern of promoting cronyism and corruption in his administration at all costs.”
“As millions of Americans are suffering and afraid of losing their homes and livelihoods, all Trump has time for is handing out political favors to his friends and allies,” said Herrig. “There’s little more we can expect from a president who has held ethics in low regard and ignored the struggles of everyday Americans for his entire four-year term.”
The Trump administration’s execution spree, meanwhile, appears on track to continue as the Justice Department — which resumed federal executions in July after a 17-year hiatus — aims to execute three additional people before President-elect Joe Biden, an opponent of the death penalty, takes office next month.
Attorneys representing the three federal inmates set to be executed — Corey Johnson, Dustin John Higgs, and Lisa Montgomery — have asked Trump to commute their sentences to life without parole. Johnson and Higgs have both tested positive for the coronavirus as it sweeps through the federal penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana.
In a letter (pdf) on Monday, a group of Democratic senators and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) demanded that the Justice Department inspector general investigate the Trump administration’s execution spree, which the lawmakers described as “a break with both modern history and decades-old practice.”
“The federal government had not executed a federal prisoner since 2003 and had only executed three people in the previous 50 years,” the senators wrote. “The executions that have already taken place since November 3, 2020, and those scheduled to occur in January 2021, are ‘the first executions under a lame-duck president in over 100 years.'”
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.