truthout--2020-08-03--Mnuchin Justifies Slashing $600 Unemployment Boost With Debunked Talking Point

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin on Sunday recycled a debunked right-wing talking point to justify the GOP ’ s proposal to cut by more than half the $ 600-per-week federal boost in unemployment benefits that expired at the end of last week , depriving around 30 million Americans of a key economic lifeline as joblessness remains at historic levels .
In an appearance on ABC ’ s “ This Week , ” Mnuchin claimed “ there ’ s no question ” that the $ 600 weekly boost in unemployment insurance ( UI ) created a disincentive to work .
When host @ @ @ @ @ @ @ study that found “ no evidence that more generous benefits disincentivized work , ” Mnuchin responded , “ I went to Yale , I agree on certain things , I don ’ t always agree.
” As a counterpoint , the Treasury Secretary cited a “ Chicago study ” — apparently referring to May research from the University of Chicago showing that under the $ 600-per-week boost , 68 % of unemployed workers who were eligible for UI could have received benefits that exceeded their previous work income .
That study , however @ @ @ @ @ @ @ created a disincentive for the unemployed to seek work .
“ There are cases where people are overpaid , ” said Mnuchin , a former Goldman Sachs banker whose net worth is estimated to be around $ 400 million .
The $ 600 weekly payment amounts to around what a worker would earn working 40 hours per week at a $ 15-an-hour wage .
The fact that some workers earned more under the enhanced unemployment benefits than they did from their jobs makes the case for raising wages , not cutting benefits , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proposed cutting the $ 600 weekly boost to $ 200 — a $ 1,600 monthly benefit cut for tens of millions of people .
In response to Mnuchin ’ s remarks , Rep. Don Beyer ( D-Va. ) tweeted that “ inflicting suffering on tens of millions of Americans by cutting unemployment benefits because of an anecdotal ‘ some cases ’ argument that has been refuted again and again by studies of actual data is a stupid way to make policy.
” Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) slammed Mnuchin for wanting to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in unemployment benefits for 30 million workers who lost jobs ” while supporting “ the continuation of a $ 500 billion slush fund for corporations.
” “ The Trump administration loves socialism for the rich , unfettered capitalism for everyone else , ” said Sanders .
The $ 600-per-week increase in unemployment benefits expired on Friday as Republican and Democratic negotiators failed to reach an agreement to extend the payments — even amid dire warnings that a lapse could lead to a surge in evictions , increased hunger , and massive job loss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House ’ s offer of a one-week extension of the $ 600 payments , but Democratic congressional leaders and other critics dismissed the proposal as a “ sham ” given that it would likely take weeks for states to distribute the payments .
“ They proposed it after it was too late to prevent a benefits lapse , ” tweeted HuffPost ’ s Arthur Delaney .
“ The last checks had already gone out .
State workforce agencies have thoroughly demonstrated they don ’ t do policy changes on a dime .
Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ received their first check and they made sure the benefits stopped.
” Democratic leaders met with Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows on Saturday for a rare weekend discussion as the two sides remain far apart on key priorities for the next Covid-19 stimulus package , from unemployment benefits to additional aid for state and local governments .
In a Dear Colleague letter on Saturday , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) described the weekend meeting as “ more productive than our previous discussions ” but added that no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a very different kind of negotiation , because of what is at stake , ” Pelosi wrote .
“ Millions of children are food insecure , millions of families are at risk of eviction , and for the nineteenth straight week , over one million Americans applied for unemployment insurance… All parties must understand the gravity of the situation in order to reach an agreement that protects Americans ’ lives , livelihoods , and the life of our democracy .
”

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin on Sunday recycled a debunked right-wing talking point to justify the GOP’s proposal to cut by more than half the $600-per-week federal boost in unemployment benefits that expired at the end of last week, depriving around 30 million Americans of a key economic lifeline as joblessness remains at historic levels.
In an appearance on ABC’s “This Week,” Mnuchin claimed “there’s no question” that the $600 weekly boost in unemployment insurance (UI) created a disincentive to work.
When host Martha Raddatz pointed to a recent Yale study that found “no evidence that more generous benefits disincentivized work,” Mnuchin responded, “I went to Yale, I agree on certain things, I don’t always agree.”
As a counterpoint, the Treasury Secretary cited a “Chicago study” — apparently referring to May research from the University of Chicago showing that under the $600-per-week boost, 68% of unemployed workers who were eligible for UI could have received benefits that exceeded their previous work income. That study, however, did not examine whether the benefits created a disincentive for the unemployed to seek work.
“There are cases where people are overpaid,” said Mnuchin, a former Goldman Sachs banker whose net worth is estimated to be around $400 million.
The $600 weekly payment amounts to around what a worker would earn working 40 hours per week at a $15-an-hour wage. The fact that some workers earned more under the enhanced unemployment benefits than they did from their jobs makes the case for raising wages, not cutting benefits, progressives have argued.
Senate Republicans have proposed cutting the $600 weekly boost to $200 — a $1,600 monthly benefit cut for tens of millions of people.
Treasury Secretary Mnuchin tells @MarthaRaddatz “there’s no question” that $600 unemployment insurance is a disincentive to find a job in “some cases.” “There are cases where people are overpaid,” he adds when pressed about study refuting his argument. https://t.co/HNQgCe39RN pic.twitter.com/1zceOdxULW — This Week (@ThisWeekABC) August 2, 2020
In response to Mnuchin’s remarks, Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) tweeted that “inflicting suffering on tens of millions of Americans by cutting unemployment benefits because of an anecdotal ‘some cases’ argument that has been refuted again and again by studies of actual data is a stupid way to make policy.”
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) slammed Mnuchin for wanting to to “slash $600 a week in unemployment benefits for 30 million workers who lost jobs” while supporting “the continuation of a $500 billion slush fund for corporations.”
“The Trump administration loves socialism for the rich, unfettered capitalism for everyone else,” said Sanders.
The $600-per-week increase in unemployment benefits expired on Friday as Republican and Democratic negotiators failed to reach an agreement to extend the payments — even amid dire warnings that a lapse could lead to a surge in evictions, increased hunger, and massive job loss.
Mnuchin on Sunday touted the White House’s offer of a one-week extension of the $600 payments, but Democratic congressional leaders and other critics dismissed the proposal as a “sham” given that it would likely take weeks for states to distribute the payments.
“They proposed it after it was too late to prevent a benefits lapse,” tweeted HuffPost’s Arthur Delaney. “The last checks had already gone out. State workforce agencies have thoroughly demonstrated they don’t do policy changes on a dime. Republicans opposed the $600 from before anyone received their first check and they made sure the benefits stopped.”
Democratic leaders met with Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows on Saturday for a rare weekend discussion as the two sides remain far apart on key priorities for the next Covid-19 stimulus package, from unemployment benefits to additional aid for state and local governments.
In a Dear Colleague letter on Saturday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) described the weekend meeting as “more productive than our previous discussions” but added that no agreement was reached.
“This is a very different kind of negotiation, because of what is at stake,” Pelosi wrote. “Millions of children are food insecure, millions of families are at risk of eviction, and for the nineteenth straight week, over one million Americans applied for unemployment insurance… All parties must understand the gravity of the situation in order to reach an agreement that protects Americans’ lives, livelihoods, and the life of our democracy.”
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--2020-08-03--White House Health Experts Warn Pandemic Is Entering “New Phase”

Health experts within the White House issued a grave warning over the weekend , stating that “ we are in a new phase , ” with the novel coronavirus spreading beyond city centers and entering rural areas .
“ What we are seeing today is different from March and April , ” said Deborah Birx , who serves as response coordinator for the White House ’ s coronavirus task force .
“ It is extraordinarily widespread ” in city as well as rural centers , she added .
“ To everybody who lives in a rural area : You are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Birx added .
Birx ’ s recommendations for controlling the spread of the pandemic , which has claimed at least 154,000 American lives so far , go beyond what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) has advocated in its guidelines regarding wearing masks in public places .
According to Birx , individuals who live in multigenerational households should also wear masks , even when they ’ re inside their own homes , to prevent the possible spread to at-risk populations , such as elderly persons .
Individuals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have the disease , Birx added , and take necessary precautions to protect each other .
After traveling to 14 states over the past three weeks , Birx said she witnessed a lack of safeguards among the public to prevent the spread of COVID-19 .
“ As I traveled around the country , I saw all of America moving .
If you have chosen to go on vacation into a hotspot , you really need to come back and protect those with comorbidities and assume you ’ re infected , ” she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( WHO ) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned the world that there may not be a single way to stop the spread of coronavirus , even if a vaccine is developed later on .
“ A number of vaccines are now in phase three clinical trials and we all hope to have a number of effective vaccines that can help prevent people from infection , ” he said .
“ However , there ’ s no silver bullet at the moment — and there might never be.
” In the meantime , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in public , social distancing as much as possible , and washing one ’ s hands regularly .
“ The message to people and governments is clear : ‘ Do it all , ' ” Tedros explained .
President Donald Trump , meanwhile , continued to spout disinformation regarding testing , asserting that the United States would have less cases as compared to the rest of the world if testing was paused or limited .
“ We have more cases because we have tested far more than any other country , 60,000,000 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ be less cases , ” Trump claimed .
A number of epidemiologists have pointed out the flaws in Trump ’ s statements on testing , explaining that stopping tests wouldn ’ t reduce cases , but limit our understanding about the spread of the virus .
The U.S. continues to see more coronavirus cases , as well as more deaths as a result of the disease , than any other nation .
According to the CDC , deaths due to COVID-19 are expected to climb in the coming weeks , as the agency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from COVID-19 for the month of August .
The month of July saw a significant spread of coronavirus , in spite of assurances from the Trump administration that things were starting to head in the right direction .
Toward the end of June , the president suggested the disease would be “ going away , ” echoing comments he made as early as February .
Yet in the month of July , 1.9 million new cases of COVID-19 were identified across the country , and at least 25,000 deaths were attributed to the @ @

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts 11,000 Americans could die weekly during August from COVID-19.
Health experts within the White House issued a grave warning over the weekend, stating that “we are in a new phase,” with the novel coronavirus spreading beyond city centers and entering rural areas.
“What we are seeing today is different from March and April,” said Deborah Birx, who serves as response coordinator for the White House’s coronavirus task force. “It is extraordinarily widespread” in city as well as rural centers, she added.
“To everybody who lives in a rural area: You are not immune or protected from this virus,” Birx added.
Birx’s recommendations for controlling the spread of the pandemic, which has claimed at least 154,000 American lives so far, go beyond what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has advocated in its guidelines regarding wearing masks in public places. According to Birx, individuals who live in multigenerational households should also wear masks, even when they’re inside their own homes, to prevent the possible spread to at-risk populations, such as elderly persons.
Individuals in such homes should assume they already have the disease, Birx added, and take necessary precautions to protect each other.
After traveling to 14 states over the past three weeks, Birx said she witnessed a lack of safeguards among the public to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
“As I traveled around the country, I saw all of America moving. If you have chosen to go on vacation into a hotspot, you really need to come back and protect those with comorbidities and assume you’re infected,” she said.
On Monday, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned the world that there may not be a single way to stop the spread of coronavirus, even if a vaccine is developed later on.
“A number of vaccines are now in phase three clinical trials and we all hope to have a number of effective vaccines that can help prevent people from infection,” he said. “However, there’s no silver bullet at the moment — and there might never be.”
In the meantime, the most effective measures include mask-wearing when out in public, social distancing as much as possible, and washing one’s hands regularly.
“The message to people and governments is clear: ‘Do it all,'” Tedros explained.
President Donald Trump, meanwhile, continued to spout disinformation regarding testing, asserting that the United States would have less cases as compared to the rest of the world if testing was paused or limited.
“We have more cases because we have tested far more than any other country, 60,000,000. If we tested less, there would be less cases,” Trump claimed.
A number of epidemiologists have pointed out the flaws in Trump’s statements on testing, explaining that stopping tests wouldn’t reduce cases, but limit our understanding about the spread of the virus.
The U.S. continues to see more coronavirus cases, as well as more deaths as a result of the disease, than any other nation. According to the CDC, deaths due to COVID-19 are expected to climb in the coming weeks, as the agency predicts around 11,000 Americans will die weekly from COVID-19 for the month of August.
The month of July saw a significant spread of coronavirus, in spite of assurances from the Trump administration that things were starting to head in the right direction.
Toward the end of June, the president suggested the disease would be “going away,” echoing comments he made as early as February. Yet in the month of July, 1.9 million new cases of COVID-19 were identified across the country, and at least 25,000 deaths were attributed to the disease.
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--2020-08-03--Trump Wanted a Portland-Style War in Chicago. In a Second Term, He’ll Do It.

Donald Trump isn ’ t the first president to fail on a grand scale , and he certainly isn ’ t the first to test the boundaries of the system to see what he can get away with .
But he is unique in certain respects .
The full panoply of grotesque personality defects and openly corrupt behaviors is something we ’ ve never seen before in someone who ascended to the most powerful office in the land .
People will study this era for a very long time to try to figure out just what cultural conditions allowed such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up with such an ignorant , unqualified leader .
But that ’ s actually less interesting in some ways than how party officials came to support him so unquestioningly and why so few career bureaucrats and civil servants have publicly stood up to him .
What kind of system produces that kind of loyalty for a man who never had the support of more than 45 % of the country , and who won by virtue of an anachronistic electoral system that allowed him to take office with nearly 3 million fewer votes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a uniquely unfit leader , but the party that has backed him without question is not unique .
In fact , the last Republican administration showed many of the same characteristics .
Robert Draper ’ s new book To Start a War : How the Bush Administration Took America Into Iraq reminds us that just 17 years ago , in the wake of the 9/11 attacks , the George W. Bush administration used propaganda and disinformation to persuade the American people to go along with a war that made no logical sense on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world looked on in astonishment , the U.S. — with the shameful cooperation of the U.K. under Tony Blair — invaded a country that had no involvement in that attack .
A certain faction within the administration had come into office with the intention of finding a reason to do that if they could .
They seized the moment , cooked up some flimsy evidence , constructed a convoluted rationale and just went for it .
Draper goes into some detail about how the administration successfully brought the bureaucracy into line , illustrating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any president , even when individuals may stand up or resist .
In fact , he pretty much blows up the idea of an unaccountable “ deep state , ” showing instead that it ’ s pretty much impotent to stop a determined president from using the powerful levers of government when he wants to .
Trump hasn ’ t attacked another country , thank goodness , although I think that ’ s been a matter of luck more than anything else .
We came extremely close last January when he decided to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before his impeachment trial was about to start .
Iran didn ’ t take the bait and we avoided that disaster .
As it turns out , the inevitable Trump catastrophe happened right here at home with his tragically inept management of the COVID-18 pandemic and subsequent economic crisis .
But he has certainly done everything he can to stoke a war at home this summer as people took to the streets to protest the murder of George Floyd and show support for the Black Lives Matter movement .
If Americans weren ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crises and Trump was even slightly more skilled , he might have pulled it off as deftly as Bush and Cheney .
We know from his phone call with the governors back in June that he believes the government should “ dominate ” the streets and throw demonstrators in jail to show who ’ s boss .
And this should be no surprise .
As far back as 1989 , Trump made his beliefs clear with the disgusting Central Park Five full-page ad .
From the moment he took office he has embraced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , congratulating them for their violent crackdowns on their own citizens .
Over the past several weeks Trump and his top henchmen , Attorney General Bill Barr and acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf , directed a disastrous paramilitary operation in Portland , Oregon , ostensibly to “ protect ” a federal building from protesters .
This article in the Daily Beast by Asawin Suebsaeng and Erin Banco reveals chilling details of how Trump wanted to expand that operation into Chicago , and potentially other cities : According to three people familiar with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump previously envisioned an ostentatious , camera-ready show of force .
He wanted to go after what he saw as violent gang leaders , flush them out of hiding in ways that would have them “ shaking in their boots ” like they never had before , and have alleged perpetrators marched out in front of the news cameras .
Violent crime has long plagued Chicago , and murders are spiking to highs not seen in decades .
But Trump insisted that with the right leader , and the right muscle , crime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The president said he wanted something similar to what his administration has done in Portland , an ongoing melee between protesters and rioters and unmarked federal authorities .
Trump has been closely monitoring the conflict — largely on his favorite channel , Fox News — and trumpeting it as a sign of his own supposed strength .
Some senior members of the White House team reportedly realized that such an assault “ would almost certainly result in extreme backlash and hellishly bad PR , ” so they ended up scaling back the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which is simply an expansion of earlier programs to lend federal investigative help to local jurisdictions .
This was described to the Daily Beast reporters as a pattern in which Trump demands “ large-scale , draconian , and potentially disastrous action , with senior officials actively working to temper or inflame , those desires ” : “ There was rarely a time I spoke to him about violent crime when two things didn ’ t come up : Number One , that it ’ s all happening in Democrat-run cities , with Chicago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blight ] , ” said one former senior Trump administration official .
“ And Number Two , if it were up to him , we would return to the old days where it was eye-for-an-eye , tooth-for-a-tooth — or we would forget about proportionality altogether .
He would talk about lining up drug dealers and gang members in front of a firing squad … If it were solely up to him , that is how the country would solve crime in Democrat-run cities [ such as Chicago and Detroit ] .
” That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s been more or less kept in check , often by his own short attention span .
Trump tweets something , and it makes him feel better for the moment .
But what about the rank and file , the lower levels of officialdom ?
What do they do ?
Judging from the Portland operation , they go along .
Some go even further .
Just this week the acting DHS undersecretary for intelligence and analysis , Brian Murphy , was removed from his job after he was found compiling “ intelligence reports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
According to the Washington Post , “ Murphy tried to broaden the definition of violent protesters in Portland , in a way that some officials felt was intended to curry favor with the White House , ” calling them “ violent antifa anarchists.
” If Trump wins the validation he craves by being elected to a second term , true believers like Murphy will be further empowered up and down the line .
And we can expect that Trump ’ s own Deep State will be more than happy to implement his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first time .

Donald Trump isn’t the first president to fail on a grand scale, and he certainly isn’t the first to test the boundaries of the system to see what he can get away with. But he is unique in certain respects. The full panoply of grotesque personality defects and openly corrupt behaviors is something we’ve never seen before in someone who ascended to the most powerful office in the land. People will study this era for a very long time to try to figure out just what cultural conditions allowed such an advanced, wealthy nation to end up with such an ignorant, unqualified leader.
But that’s actually less interesting in some ways than how party officials came to support him so unquestioningly and why so few career bureaucrats and civil servants have publicly stood up to him. What kind of system produces that kind of loyalty for a man who never had the support of more than 45% of the country, and who won by virtue of an anachronistic electoral system that allowed him to take office with nearly 3 million fewer votes than his opponent?
Trump may be a uniquely unfit leader, but the party that has backed him without question is not unique. In fact, the last Republican administration showed many of the same characteristics. Robert Draper’s new book To Start a War: How the Bush Administration Took America Into Iraq reminds us that just 17 years ago, in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, the George W. Bush administration used propaganda and disinformation to persuade the American people to go along with a war that made no logical sense on its face.
As almost the entire world looked on in astonishment, the U.S. — with the shameful cooperation of the U.K. under Tony Blair — invaded a country that had no involvement in that attack. A certain faction within the administration had come into office with the intention of finding a reason to do that if they could. They seized the moment, cooked up some flimsy evidence, constructed a convoluted rationale and just went for it.
Draper goes into some detail about how the administration successfully brought the bureaucracy into line, illustrating the fact that it tends to serve any president, even when individuals may stand up or resist. In fact, he pretty much blows up the idea of an unaccountable “deep state,” showing instead that it’s pretty much impotent to stop a determined president from using the powerful levers of government when he wants to.
Trump hasn’t attacked another country, thank goodness, although I think that’s been a matter of luck more than anything else. We came extremely close last January when he decided to assassinate Iran’s top general right before his impeachment trial was about to start. Iran didn’t take the bait and we avoided that disaster.
As it turns out, the inevitable Trump catastrophe happened right here at home with his tragically inept management of the COVID-18 pandemic and subsequent economic crisis. But he has certainly done everything he can to stoke a war at home this summer as people took to the streets to protest the murder of George Floyd and show support for the Black Lives Matter movement. If Americans weren’t already overwhelmed from the other two crises and Trump was even slightly more skilled, he might have pulled it off as deftly as Bush and Cheney.
We know from his phone call with the governors back in June that he believes the government should “dominate” the streets and throw demonstrators in jail to show who’s boss. And this should be no surprise. As far back as 1989, Trump made his beliefs clear with the disgusting Central Park Five full-page ad. From the moment he took office he has embraced the most authoritarian dictators in the world, congratulating them for their violent crackdowns on their own citizens.
Over the past several weeks Trump and his top henchmen, Attorney General Bill Barr and acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf, directed a disastrous paramilitary operation in Portland, Oregon, ostensibly to “protect” a federal building from protesters. This article in the Daily Beast by Asawin Suebsaeng and Erin Banco reveals chilling details of how Trump wanted to expand that operation into Chicago, and potentially other cities:
According to three people familiar with the president’s private remarks, Trump previously envisioned an ostentatious, camera-ready show of force. He wanted to go after what he saw as violent gang leaders, flush them out of hiding in ways that would have them “shaking in their boots” like they never had before, and have alleged perpetrators marched out in front of the news cameras. Violent crime has long plagued Chicago, and murders are spiking to highs not seen in decades. But Trump insisted that with the right leader, and the right muscle, crime there could be reduced “very quickly.” The president said he wanted something similar to what his administration has done in Portland, an ongoing melee between protesters and rioters and unmarked federal authorities. Trump has been closely monitoring the conflict — largely on his favorite channel, Fox News — and trumpeting it as a sign of his own supposed strength.
Some senior members of the White House team reportedly realized that such an assault “would almost certainly result in extreme backlash and hellishly bad PR,” so they ended up scaling back the plan to “Operation Legend,” which is simply an expansion of earlier programs to lend federal investigative help to local jurisdictions.
This was described to the Daily Beast reporters as a pattern in which Trump demands “large-scale, draconian, and potentially disastrous action, with senior officials actively working to temper or inflame, those desires”:
“There was rarely a time I spoke to him about violent crime when two things didn’t come up: Number One, that it’s all happening in Democrat-run cities, with Chicago being shorthand for that kind of [blight],” said one former senior Trump administration official. “And Number Two, if it were up to him, we would return to the old days where it was eye-for-an-eye, tooth-for-a-tooth — or we would forget about proportionality altogether. He would talk about lining up drug dealers and gang members in front of a firing squad … If it were solely up to him, that is how the country would solve crime in Democrat-run cities [such as Chicago and Detroit].”
That’s his impulse and it’s been more or less kept in check, often by his own short attention span. Trump tweets something, and it makes him feel better for the moment. But what about the rank and file, the lower levels of officialdom? What do they do?
Judging from the Portland operation, they go along. Some go even further. Just this week the acting DHS undersecretary for intelligence and analysis, Brian Murphy, was removed from his job after he was found compiling “intelligence reports” about journalists and protesters in Portland. According to the Washington Post, “Murphy tried to broaden the definition of violent protesters in Portland, in a way that some officials felt was intended to curry favor with the White House,” calling them “violent antifa anarchists.”
If Trump wins the validation he craves by being elected to a second term, true believers like Murphy will be further empowered up and down the line. And we can expect that Trump’s own Deep State will be more than happy to implement his program. It wouldn’t be the first time.
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--2020-08-03--Trump Judges to Rule on Florida Poll Tax Case Despite Potential Ethical Conflict

Betty Riddle is 62 years old , and she hopes to vote in a presidential election for the first time this year .
She was ineligible to vote in previous election years because of felony convictions in the 1970s and 1980s .
Riddle became eligible to register to vote last year , but a new state law required people to first pay outstanding court fines and fees , which totaled thousands of dollars for Riddle and many others .
Riddle joined a class-action lawsuit challenging Florida ’ s law as a poll tax , and a federal judge in May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state to block citizens who are “ genuinely unable to pay ” from voting .
On July 1 , the 11th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a lower court ’ s decision blocking the poll tax for the August primary election while it reviews the judge ’ s ruling .
Two judges on that appeals court are refusing to sit out the case — even though they considered a related issue while serving on the Florida Supreme Court .
Last month , Democrats on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and suggested that their participation in the case violated judicial ethics rules , which bars judges from hearing cases if their impartiality could “ reasonably be questioned.
” Another Trump appointee , Judge Andrew Brasher , recused himself after getting a letter from the senators .
Brasher explained that he was sitting out the case because he had represented Alabama when it filed a brief supporting Florida ’ s position in the poll tax case .
Recently , Lagoa and Luck explained their decision to hear the case , pointing out what they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court decision and the federal lawsuit .
They said the federal lawsuit doesn ’ t ask them “ to review the correctness of the Florida Supreme Court ’ s decision.
” Lagoa and Luck argued the cases weren ’ t part of the same “ proceeding , ” as defined by ethics rules .
The judges served on the Florida Supreme Court for less than a year before being nominated by President Donald Trump and confirmed to lifetime seats on the 11th Circuit , which hears appeals from Alabama , Florida , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ participated in oral arguments about Amendment 4 , a 2018 referendum approved by Florida voters that restored voting rights to nearly 1 million people with felony convictions .
DeSantis asked the Florida Supreme Court if the amendment ’ s restoration of voting rights to people who completed “ the terms of their sentence , including probation and parole , ” included people with outstanding fines or fees .
During oral arguments , then-Justices Lagoa and Luck asked the parties questions , and Lagoa cited statements from Amendment 4 supporters that “ terms of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Florida Supreme Court ultimately decided that “ terms of their sentence ” includes fines and fees .
DeSantis celebrated the decision with a tweet that referred to voting as “ a privilege.
” Lagoa and Luck , who had just been confirmed as federal judges , didn ’ t sign the court ’ s advisory opinion .
When Florida Republicans passed what opponents call “ the poll tax law , ” referring to unconstitutional voting fees that historically targeted African Americans , they also claimed that Amendment 4 required the payment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The law could keep more than 750,000 citizens from getting their voting rights back , and they are disproportionately Black .
Earlier this year , a panel of three 11th Circuit judges affirmed that Florida can not deny citizens their right to vote just because they can not afford to pay .
The ruling allowed the plaintiffs to register to vote .
“ It made me feel a part of , instead of apart , ” Riddle said in response to the ruling .
“ I knew that my voice would be heard.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ last long .
On July 1 , the full 11th Circuit agreed to review the panel ’ s decision .
It also took the unusual step of allowing the state to enforce the law while it reviewed the trial court ’ s decision .
The 11th Circuit is hearing arguments on Aug. 18 — primary election day in Florida .
The U.S. Supreme Court recently refused to intervene .
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas , the Court ’ s only Black justice and its only Southerner , is designated to hear emergency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ referred the voters ’ appeal seeking to block the Florida poll tax to the entire Court , which declined to act .
The “ Court ’ s inaction continues a trend of condoning disfranchisement , ” Justice Sonia Sotomayor said in dissent .
“ Under this scheme , nearly a million otherwise-eligible citizens can not vote unless they pay money.
” Justices Elena Kagan and Ruth Bader Ginsburg joined the dissent .
In a few high-profile cases this year , including one challenging a restrictive Louisiana abortion law , conservative justices crossed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ justices .
But every chance it got , the Court ’ s conservative majority has come together to rule against expanded voting rights .
Recently , for example , the justices overturned a lower court decision that eased voting rules during the COVID-19 pandemic in Alabama .
The Court threw out a similar lawsuit from Texas in June .
It has yet to weigh in on lawsuits out of Southern states that are challenging restrictions on voting by mail .
Trump ’ s appointments have shifted the South ’ s federal courts further @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diverse .
The U.S. Senate recently filled the final appellate court vacancies with nominees who had records of defending voter ID laws and other forms of voter suppression .
Some state courts in the South have acted to protect voting rights this year .
But not in Florida , where DeSantis ’ appointees have come from the ranks of the conservative Federalist Society .
A lawyer in the DeSantis administration said last year that adhering to the group ’ s ideology is the “ singular test ” for the governor ’ s nominees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump on his nominees .
The group does not disclose who its donors are .
The Federalist Society ’ s former leader , Leonard Leo , flew from Washington , D.C. , to Florida to interview Luck and Lagoa before DeSantis appointed them .
But Leo recently left that job to launch a new group , the Honest Elections Project , which is fighting efforts to allow more access to mail-in voting during the pandemic .

Betty Riddle is 62 years old, and she hopes to vote in a presidential election for the first time this year. She was ineligible to vote in previous election years because of felony convictions in the 1970s and 1980s. Riddle became eligible to register to vote last year, but a new state law required people to first pay outstanding court fines and fees, which totaled thousands of dollars for Riddle and many others.
Riddle joined a class-action lawsuit challenging Florida’s law as a poll tax, and a federal judge in May ruled that it’s unconstitutional for the state to block citizens who are “genuinely unable to pay” from voting. On July 1, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a lower court’s decision blocking the poll tax for the August primary election while it reviews the judge’s ruling.
Two judges on that appeals court are refusing to sit out the case — even though they considered a related issue while serving on the Florida Supreme Court. Last month, Democrats on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee wrote to Judges Barbara Lagoa and Robert Luck and suggested that their participation in the case violated judicial ethics rules, which bars judges from hearing cases if their impartiality could “reasonably be questioned.”
Another Trump appointee, Judge Andrew Brasher, recused himself after getting a letter from the senators. Brasher explained that he was sitting out the case because he had represented Alabama when it filed a brief supporting Florida’s position in the poll tax case.
Recently, Lagoa and Luck explained their decision to hear the case, pointing out what they see as fundamental differences between the state court decision and the federal lawsuit. They said the federal lawsuit doesn’t ask them “to review the correctness of the Florida Supreme Court’s decision.” Lagoa and Luck argued the cases weren’t part of the same “proceeding,” as defined by ethics rules.
The judges served on the Florida Supreme Court for less than a year before being nominated by President Donald Trump and confirmed to lifetime seats on the 11th Circuit, which hears appeals from Alabama, Florida, and Georgia. During that time, they participated in oral arguments about Amendment 4, a 2018 referendum approved by Florida voters that restored voting rights to nearly 1 million people with felony convictions.
DeSantis asked the Florida Supreme Court if the amendment’s restoration of voting rights to people who completed “the terms of their sentence, including probation and parole,” included people with outstanding fines or fees. During oral arguments, then-Justices Lagoa and Luck asked the parties questions, and Lagoa cited statements from Amendment 4 supporters that “terms of their sentence” included fines and fees.
The Florida Supreme Court ultimately decided that “terms of their sentence” includes fines and fees. DeSantis celebrated the decision with a tweet that referred to voting as “a privilege.” Lagoa and Luck, who had just been confirmed as federal judges, didn’t sign the court’s advisory opinion.
When Florida Republicans passed what opponents call “the poll tax law,” referring to unconstitutional voting fees that historically targeted African Americans, they also claimed that Amendment 4 required the payment of outstanding court fines and fees. The law could keep more than 750,000 citizens from getting their voting rights back, and they are disproportionately Black.
Earlier this year, a panel of three 11th Circuit judges affirmed that Florida cannot deny citizens their right to vote just because they cannot afford to pay. The ruling allowed the plaintiffs to register to vote.
“It made me feel a part of, instead of apart,” Riddle said in response to the ruling. “I knew that my voice would be heard.” But her relief didn’t last long. On July 1, the full 11th Circuit agreed to review the panel’s decision. It also took the unusual step of allowing the state to enforce the law while it reviewed the trial court’s decision.
The 11th Circuit is hearing arguments on Aug. 18 — primary election day in Florida. The U.S. Supreme Court recently refused to intervene.
SCOTUS Tosses Voter Suits
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, the Court’s only Black justice and its only Southerner, is designated to hear emergency appeals from the 11th Circuit. Thomas referred the voters’ appeal seeking to block the Florida poll tax to the entire Court, which declined to act.
The “Court’s inaction continues a trend of condoning disfranchisement,” Justice Sonia Sotomayor said in dissent. “Under this scheme, nearly a million otherwise-eligible citizens cannot vote unless they pay money.” Justices Elena Kagan and Ruth Bader Ginsburg joined the dissent.
In a few high-profile cases this year, including one challenging a restrictive Louisiana abortion law, conservative justices crossed the ideological line and voted with the liberal justices. But every chance it got, the Court’s conservative majority has come together to rule against expanded voting rights.
Recently, for example, the justices overturned a lower court decision that eased voting rules during the COVID-19 pandemic in Alabama. The Court threw out a similar lawsuit from Texas in June. It has yet to weigh in on lawsuits out of Southern states that are challenging restrictions on voting by mail.
Trump’s appointments have shifted the South’s federal courts further to the right and made them less diverse. The U.S. Senate recently filled the final appellate court vacancies with nominees who had records of defending voter ID laws and other forms of voter suppression.
Some state courts in the South have acted to protect voting rights this year. But not in Florida, where DeSantis’ appointees have come from the ranks of the conservative Federalist Society. A lawyer in the DeSantis administration said last year that adhering to the group’s ideology is the “singular test” for the governor’s nominees. The Federalist Society also advises President Trump on his nominees. The group does not disclose who its donors are.
The Federalist Society’s former leader, Leonard Leo, flew from Washington, D.C., to Florida to interview Luck and Lagoa before DeSantis appointed them. But Leo recently left that job to launch a new group, the Honest Elections Project, which is fighting efforts to allow more access to mail-in voting during the pandemic.
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--2020-08-03--COVID-19 “Microschools” Are Betsy DeVos’s Latest Privatization Scheme

Working parents grappling with the difficult choices before them this school semester — keeping their children home to learn remotely , or risking COVID-19 transmission by sending them to class — are increasingly turning to a new trend being hailed as a “ solution ” to the pandemic : privatized “ microschools.
” Microschools consist of small groups , or “ pods , ” of mixed-level students located in homes or local facilities like churches or community centers , who are guided through personalized pedagogies by parents or educators as an alternative to public education .
The model blends a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flexibility of homeschooling while relying on paid teachers to facilitate a classroom experience .
Right-wing and libertarian proponents of privatization , including Charles Koch , the Walton Family Foundation , the Heritage Foundation , the Reason Foundation and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos , are exploiting the pandemic to push the model .
DeVos tweeted her support several times last week for the School Choice Now Act that would provide $ 5 billion in tax credits for families opting for homeschooling or private school .
At the same time , DeVos and the Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from any school that does not open its classrooms fully in the fall .
Microschools were already gaining interest over the last several years with companies like Prenda piloting the model in Arizona in 2018 .
Since its launch , Prenda has opened more than 200 “ campuses ” in the state , according to its CEO , Kelly Smith .
The pandemic , however , has strengthened the appeal : Google searches for “ microschool ” have spiked since major districts began announcing plans to remain online for the fall .
Now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bandwagon , with several new start-ups hoping to take advantage of what they see as a big market amid the COVID-19 crisis .
New online platforms in Seattle and San Francisco are connecting families and educators looking to pool resources and form microschools .
But educators and union activists warn privatized microschools could exacerbate inequality as affluent parents leave public schools for the social and economic benefits of cocooning their children into pods .
Predominantly Black and Brown families are likely to be left behind , widening an already dire racial gap in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back against the impossible choice driving many parents toward private microschools .
The Demand Safe Schools Coalition , made up of progressive teachers unions and organizations , is mobilizing today for increased government resources to ensure safe , equitable and science-based school reopenings for working families .
The Chicago Teachers Union , the United Teachers Los Angeles and National Educators United are among the coalition groups demanding more nurses and counselors , personal protective equipment , cleaning supplies and virus testing services .
The coalition is also targeting DeVos ’ s privatization agenda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and voucher programs .
Meanwhile , teachers across the U.S. are set to revitalize the Red for Ed movement in a strike wave similar to 2018 .
Today ’ s “ Day of Resistance ” comes as the American Federation of Teachers adopted a resolution last week authorizing last-resort “ safety strikes ” if school reopening plans fail to meet demands to ensure teachers ’ and students ’ health and safety amid the pandemic .
In Arizona , teachers are mobilizing today in the state ’ s capitol as part of a motor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delivering their own signed obituaries to Gov .
Doug Ducey .
Hundreds of teachers have held similar motor marches in cars painted with slogans like “ Red for Ed , Not Dead for Ed , ” over the last several weeks .
Governor Ducey announced last week that schools would wait for a green light from public health officials before reopening .
His latest order requires schools to open in-person in some capacity starting August 17 .
When it comes to privatizers ’ proposed solution to the crisis though , Arizona educators say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public dollars into a charter model .
Organizers with Save Our Schools Arizona and the Mesa Education Association successfully beat back a proposed microschool pilot for 100 K-8 students in Arizona ’ s Mesa Unified School District by flooding school board members with 76 public comments in opposition to the proposal ahead of a special board meeting on July 23 .
The district proposed an emergency procurement of $ 440,000 to partner with Prenda on the program , which would have placed students with unlicensed “ guides ” teaching company curricula with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ teacher of record.
” During the July 23 public meeting , Prenda CEO Smith told Mesa Public Schools board members that the company ’ s microschools are about 80 percent white , 8 percent Black and 8 percent Latinx , emphasizing that those figures include many poor rural students .
He insisted that the pilot would be representative of demographics of the predominantly Latinx school district , but board members questioned the extent to which Prenda guides determine which students are selected .
“ Speaking as a person of color , this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , so we ’ ll have a special meeting for children of color and families of color … in this model .
Absolutely not .
I don ’ t like anything that ’ s been said , ” said Mesa Governing Board Member Kiana Maria Sears during the meeting .
She described the plan as chasing down students who were leaving the district for charters .
“ This is unconscionable , where we are right now.
” Later Smith cited his participation in a program led by 4.0 Schools , which trains “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dozens of start-ups and private schools in New Orleans .
The lessons he learned in the program , he said , helped him design Prenda .
Board Member Sears was again shocked , saying , “ That ’ s an explosive point for someone who ’ s originally from New Orleans , who saw … the decline and the privatization of all of Orleans Parish , ” where more than 93 percent of students now attend charter schools .
Smith declined to discuss how many other districts in the state are weighing potential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ telling Truthout that , “ We like [ that kind of partnership ] a lot .
We ’ re in talks with various people in multiple states about doing more of that as one of our goals to make this model accessible.
” Partnerships with school districts , he says , are “ the best way ” for the company to ensure equity .
According to its website , Prenda is backed by 4.0 Schools , the Walton Family Foundation and the Mercatus Center at George Mason University , a right-wing think tank @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the organization ’ s board of directors .
Koch also funds 4.0 Schools .
In 2018 , the Walton Family Foundation gave $ 325,000 to Prenda , according to the Foundation ’ s publicly listed grantees .
Moreover , Prenda microschools are partly funded through the state ’ s voucher-style Empowerment Scholarship Account ( ESA ) program .
The company also partners with several charter schools , through which state funding flows to its campuses .
In June 2020 , Prenda raised $ 6,149,990 in new equity , according to a news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ privatization groups backed by the Kochs and the Waltons , such as Yes .
Every Kid .
and the American Federation for Children , are already promoting similar voucher programs for microschools as an innovative solution for families in crisis .
“ My goal is not to engage in a political struggle , ” Smith said when asked about company ’ s backers .
“ My goal is to empower kids as learners , and we ’ re excited to work together with anyone who wants to work with us.
” His company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ is not to replace , it ’ s not to destroy ; it ’ s to augment and add and innovate together.
” Christina Bustos , an executive board member with the Mesa Education Association , doesn ’ t see it that way .
She told Truthout that Prenda ’ s failed partnership with Mesa Public Schools was in part due to the company ’ s desire to extract funds from the district after the May 15 extended deadline for ESA applications .
She also argued that new legislation is needed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use tax dollars to place children as young as 5 in a private home or facility with an unlicensed and untrained independent contractor .
To make matters worse , there is no law in the state regulating this kind of corporate operation .
Smith , similarly , has no background in education .
Bustos is not just concerned about safety ; she ’ s also worried about the cultural competency of Prenda ’ s untrained guides .
“ They have these Black and Brown kids coming into these white people ’ s homes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what these white people are saying to our children , or how they ’ re teaching them to think critically or question or not question authority , ” Bustos says .
“ I ’ m far more confident that there ’ s checks and balances in public schools.
” That ’ s if Mesa ’ s Black and Brown kids are included at all .
Teachers and Mesa school board members questioned the model ’ s ability to include low-income families who live in apartments or those who can ’ t access broadband @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fact that communities of color are the ones that have been hardest hit by COVID-19 .
“ It ’ s white flight , but for the schools , ” Bustos says .
Research on charters has long confirmed that self-selection ultimately becomes self-segregation , and widens existing gaps in achievement and school funding .
Bustos says it ’ s all part and parcel of DeVos ’ s plan to dismantle public education by depriving schools of federal support amid a national crisis .
The GOP ’ s new coronavirus relief package includes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two-thirds of the funding is tied to schools reopening for in-person instruction .
DeVos outlined the privatization plan on “ Fox News Sunday ” saying , “ American investment in education is a promise to students and their families .
If schools aren ’ t going to reopen and not fulfill that promise , they shouldn ’ t get the funds .
Then give it to the families to decide to go to a school that is going to meet that promise.
” Just as privatization proponents exploited Hurricane Katrina to decimate the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DeVos is now exploiting the pandemic to redirect federal relief funds intended for public schools into vouchers for private schools .
If the current trend continues , more and more of those federal relief dollars are likely to be funneled into corporate microschools .
“ This community was trying to create some kind of a solution to a problem that they think that they have : that people are going to pull their kids out of the school because they want them homeschooled , ” Bustos told Truthout .
“ In my mind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re having this problem is because Betsy DeVos is pushing this model.
” Mesa school board members ultimately agreed that it would be better to replicate a public version of the microschool model , using district teachers and resources instead of outsourcing to a private company .
Until a vaccine for COVID-19 is fully developed and distributed , public school districts are finding real merits in the model .
Bustos supports the effort , which is already underway .
“ We as teachers have been begging for school districts to allow us more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are more meaningful , bring more joy , inspiration and natural curiosity to our schools , ” Bustos submitted to the Mesa school board on July 23 .
“ If you divided up the money [ originally allocated for Prenda ] with a small cohort of teachers , we would be overjoyed to teach a small group of students in a very similar way.
” Despite the company ’ s defeat in Mesa , Smith ’ s microschool model is spreading rapidly across the state and across the U.S. Prenda is building fast-growing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to share tips and resources .
But Arizona isn ’ t the only state in which parents and educators are scrambling over Facebook to organize themselves into microschools and more informal pods for child care and education .
Throughout the nation , parents are increasingly pooling their time and sharing the costs of nannies and tutors .
Others are volunteering their living rooms as contemporary one-room schoolhouses .
Tech start-ups are taking advantage , using the forums to advertise and hone their services .
School districts are also turning to such online platforms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ microschools in their own communities .
A new public-private partnership may already be in the works in Seattle , where Bloomberg reported that the CEO of one such startup , Weekdays , said she has been in contact with administrators at Seattle Public Schools .
Last week , San Francisco officials announced plans to open 40 “ learning hubs ” of low-income students to assist their remote learning needs .
Susan Solomon , president of United Educators of San Francisco , tells Truthout the district hasn ’ t yet involved the union in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hubs , but the union is also struggling with the creation of pandemic pods among wealthier families in the Bay Area .
“ All of this is taking advantage of a pandemic to do what certain people like Betsy DeVos have wanted to do all along , and that is starve public education to death , ” Solomon says .
“ If all the money and effort that ’ s going into monetizing microschools and starting private pods would be going toward … helping public schools have enough resources to reopen safely , @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Part of the Series Despair and Disparity: The Uneven Burdens of COVID-19
Working parents grappling with the difficult choices before them this school semester — keeping their children home to learn remotely, or risking COVID-19 transmission by sending them to class — are increasingly turning to a new trend being hailed as a “solution” to the pandemic: privatized “microschools.”
Microschools consist of small groups, or “pods,” of mixed-level students located in homes or local facilities like churches or community centers, who are guided through personalized pedagogies by parents or educators as an alternative to public education. The model blends a private school and homeschool approach, retaining flexibility of homeschooling while relying on paid teachers to facilitate a classroom experience.
Right-wing and libertarian proponents of privatization, including Charles Koch, the Walton Family Foundation, the Heritage Foundation, the Reason Foundation and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, are exploiting the pandemic to push the model.
DeVos tweeted her support several times last week for the School Choice Now Act that would provide $5 billion in tax credits for families opting for homeschooling or private school. At the same time, DeVos and the Trump administration have threatened to withhold federal funds from any school that does not open its classrooms fully in the fall.
Microschools were already gaining interest over the last several years with companies like Prenda piloting the model in Arizona in 2018. Since its launch, Prenda has opened more than 200 “campuses” in the state, according to its CEO, Kelly Smith. The pandemic, however, has strengthened the appeal: Google searches for “microschool” have spiked since major districts began announcing plans to remain online for the fall.
Now, Silicon Valley is jumping on the bandwagon, with several new start-ups hoping to take advantage of what they see as a big market amid the COVID-19 crisis. New online platforms in Seattle and San Francisco are connecting families and educators looking to pool resources and form microschools.
“We have no control over what these white people are saying to our children.”
But educators and union activists warn privatized microschools could exacerbate inequality as affluent parents leave public schools for the social and economic benefits of cocooning their children into pods. Predominantly Black and Brown families are likely to be left behind, widening an already dire racial gap in public education.
These educators are fighting back against the impossible choice driving many parents toward private microschools. The Demand Safe Schools Coalition, made up of progressive teachers unions and organizations, is mobilized Monday for increased government resources to ensure safe, equitable and science-based school reopenings for working families.
The Chicago Teachers Union, the United Teachers Los Angeles and National Educators United are among the coalition groups demanding more nurses and counselors, personal protective equipment, cleaning supplies and virus testing services. The coalition is also targeting DeVos’s privatization agenda, demanding a moratorium on new charter and voucher programs.
Meanwhile, teachers across the U.S. are set to revitalize the Red for Ed movement in a strike wave similar to 2018. Monday’s “Day of Resistance” comes as the American Federation of Teachers adopted a resolution last week authorizing last-resort “safety strikes” if school reopening plans fail to meet demands to ensure teachers’ and students’ health and safety amid the pandemic.
“It’s white flight but for the schools.”
In Arizona, teachers mobilized Monday in the state’s capitol as part of a motor march “funeral procession” of educators delivering their own signed obituaries to Gov. Doug Ducey. Hundreds of teachers have held similar motor marches in cars painted with slogans like “Red for Ed, Not Dead for Ed,” over the last several weeks.
Governor Ducey announced last week that schools would wait for a green light from public health officials before reopening. His latest order requires schools to open in-person in some capacity starting August 17.
When it comes to privatizers’ proposed solution to the crisis though, Arizona educators say microschools are just another way to siphon public dollars into a charter model.
Mesa Rejects Microschool Pilot
Organizers with Save Our Schools Arizona and the Mesa Education Association successfully beat back a proposed microschool pilot for 100 K-8 students in Arizona’s Mesa Unified School District by flooding school board members with 76 public comments in opposition to the proposal ahead of a special board meeting on July 23.
The district proposed an emergency procurement of $440,000 to partner with Prenda on the program, which would have placed students with unlicensed “guides” teaching company curricula with a Mesa public school teacher overseeing as the “teacher of record.”
During the July 23 public meeting, Prenda CEO Smith told Mesa Public Schools board members that the company’s microschools are about 80 percent white, 8 percent Black and 8 percent Latinx, emphasizing that those figures include many poor rural students. He insisted that the pilot would be representative of demographics of the predominantly Latinx school district, but board members questioned the extent to which Prenda guides determine which students are selected.
“So we’ll have a special meeting for children of color and families of color in this model. Absolutely not. I don’t like anything that’s been said.”
“Speaking as a person of color, this just reeks of just separating — ok, so we’ll have a special meeting for children of color and families of color … in this model. Absolutely not. I don’t like anything that’s been said,” said Mesa Governing Board Member Kiana Maria Sears during the meeting. She described the plan as chasing down students who were leaving the district for charters. “This is unconscionable, where we are right now.”
Later Smith cited his participation in a program led by 4.0 Schools, which trains “education entrepreneurs” and has helped launch dozens of start-ups and private schools in New Orleans. The lessons he learned in the program, he said, helped him design Prenda. Board Member Sears was again shocked, saying, “That’s an explosive point for someone who’s originally from New Orleans, who saw … the decline and the privatization of all of Orleans Parish,” where more than 93 percent of students now attend charter schools.
Smith declined to discuss how many other districts in the state are weighing potential partnerships or pilot programs with Prenda, telling Truthout that, “We like [that kind of partnership] a lot. We’re in talks with various people in multiple states about doing more of that as one of our goals to make this model accessible.” Partnerships with school districts, he says, are “the best way” for the company to ensure equity.
According to its website, Prenda is backed by 4.0 Schools, the Walton Family Foundation and the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, a right-wing think tank funded by Charles Koch, who serves on the organization’s board of directors. Koch also funds 4.0 Schools. In 2018, the Walton Family Foundation gave $325,000 to Prenda, according to the Foundation’s publicly listed grantees.
Moreover, Prenda microschools are partly funded through the state’s voucher-style Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program. The company also partners with several charter schools, through which state funding flows to its campuses. In June 2020, Prenda raised $6,149,990 in new equity, according to a news site that tracks venture capital.
Other privatization groups backed by the Kochs and the Waltons, such as Yes. Every Kid. and the American Federation for Children, are already promoting similar voucher programs for microschools as an innovative solution for families in crisis.
“My goal is not to engage in a political struggle,” Smith said when asked about company’s backers. “My goal is to empower kids as learners, and we’re excited to work together with anyone who wants to work with us.” His company’s goal, he says, “is not to replace, it’s not to destroy; it’s to augment and add and innovate together.”
Christina Bustos, an executive board member with the Mesa Education Association, doesn’t see it that way. She told Truthout that Prenda’s failed partnership with Mesa Public Schools was in part due to the company’s desire to extract funds from the district after the May 15 extended deadline for ESA applications. She also argued that new legislation is needed to regulate microschools.
Prenda’s microschools use tax dollars to place children as young as 5 in a private home or facility with an unlicensed and untrained independent contractor. To make matters worse, there is no law in the state regulating this kind of corporate operation. Smith, similarly, has no background in education.
“I’m far more confident that there’s checks and balances in public schools.”
Bustos is not just concerned about safety; she’s also worried about the cultural competency of Prenda’s untrained guides. “They have these Black and Brown kids coming into these white people’s homes, and we have no control over what these white people are saying to our children, or how they’re teaching them to think critically or question or not question authority,” Bustos says. “I’m far more confident that there’s checks and balances in public schools.”
That’s if Mesa’s Black and Brown kids are included at all. Teachers and Mesa school board members questioned the model’s ability to include low-income families who live in apartments or those who can’t access broadband internet. The problem is amplified by the fact that communities of color are the ones that have been hardest hit by COVID-19. “It’s white flight but for the schools,” Bustos says.
Research on charters has long confirmed that self-selection ultimately becomes self-segregation, and widens existing gaps in achievement and school funding. Bustos says it’s all part and parcel of DeVos’s plan to dismantle public education by depriving schools of federal support amid a national crisis.
The GOP’s new coronavirus relief package includes $105 billion for education, but two-thirds of the funding is tied to schools reopening for in-person instruction. DeVos outlined the privatization plan on “Fox News Sunday” saying, “American investment in education is a promise to students and their families. If schools aren’t going to reopen and not fulfill that promise, they shouldn’t get the funds. Then give it to the families to decide to go to a school that is going to meet that promise.”
Just as privatization proponents exploited Hurricane Katrina to decimate the public school system in New Orleans, DeVos is now exploiting the pandemic to redirect federal relief funds intended for public schools into vouchers for private schools. If the current trend continues, more and more of those federal relief dollars are likely to be funneled into corporate microschools.
“This community was trying to create some kind of a solution to a problem that they think that they have: that people are going to pull their kids out of the school because they want them homeschooled,” Bustos told Truthout. “In my mind, part of the reason they’re having this problem is because Betsy DeVos is pushing this model.”
“Part of the reason they’re having this problem is because Betsy DeVos is pushing this model.”
Mesa school board members ultimately agreed that it would be better to replicate a public version of the microschool model, using district teachers and resources instead of outsourcing to a private company. Until a vaccine for COVID-19 is fully developed and distributed, public school districts are finding real merits in the model. Bustos supports the effort, which is already underway.
“We as teachers have been begging for school districts to allow us more freedom to teach children in ways that are more meaningful, bring more joy, inspiration and natural curiosity to our schools,” Bustos submitted to the Mesa school board on July 23. “If you divided up the money [originally allocated for Prenda] with a small cohort of teachers, we would be overjoyed to teach a small group of students in a very similar way.”
Beyond Arizona, Microschools Multiply
Despite the company’s defeat in Mesa, Smith’s microschool model is spreading rapidly across the state and across the U.S. Prenda is building fast-growing Facebook communities for both guides and parents to share tips and resources.
But Arizona isn’t the only state in which parents and educators are scrambling over Facebook to organize themselves into microschools and more informal pods for child care and education. Throughout the nation, parents are increasingly pooling their time and sharing the costs of nannies and tutors. Others are volunteering their living rooms as contemporary one-room schoolhouses.
Tech start-ups are taking advantage, using the forums to advertise and hone their services. School districts are also turning to such online platforms, hoping to formalize the creation of microschools in their own communities.
“If all the money going into monetizing microschools would be going toward helping public schools have enough resources to reopen safely, we could solve this crisis.”
A new public-private partnership may already be in the works in Seattle, where Bloomberg reported that the CEO of one such startup, Weekdays, said she has been in contact with administrators at Seattle Public Schools. Last week, San Francisco officials announced plans to open 40 “learning hubs” of low-income students to assist their remote learning needs.
Susan Solomon, president of United Educators of San Francisco, tells Truthout the district hasn’t yet involved the union in its communications regarding the new plan for hubs, but the union is also struggling with the creation of pandemic pods among wealthier families in the Bay Area.
“All of this is taking advantage of a pandemic to do what certain people like Betsy DeVos have wanted to do all along, and that is starve public education to death,” Solomon says. “If all the money and effort that’s going into monetizing microschools and starting private pods would be going toward … helping public schools have enough resources to reopen safely, we could solve this crisis.”
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Copyright © Truthout. May not be reprinted without permission.


truthout--2020-08-04--Giroux: Growing Rebellion Will Breathe New Life Into a Transformed Social Order

Henry A. Giroux is Paulo Freire Distinguished Scholar in Critical Pedagogy and Chair for Scholarship in the Public Interest at McMaster University .
He has written more than 56 books since his first book , Ideology , Culture and the Process of Schooling , was published in 1981 , and he has been generous with his time over the years as he published books such as Zombie Politics in the Age of Casino Capitalism ; Disposable Youth : Racialized Memories , and the Culture of Cruelty ; The Violence of Organized Forgetting : Thinking Beyond America ’ s Disimagination Machine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Violence in the Age of Spectacle ; America at War with Itself ; American Nightmare : The Challenge of US Authoritarianism ; and The Terror of the Unforeseen .
On the day that Henry Giroux finished his latest book , Race , Politics , and Pandemic Pedagogy : Education in a Time of Crisis , he graciously joined us for an interview .
In this interview , Giroux looks at the COVID-19 crisis as both a new kind of crisis and as a historical turning point .
He discusses this crisis as both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left and as a potential threat to democracy as many authoritarian governments might and can use it as a pretext for limiting civil liberties , implementing regressive policies and silencing dissent .
In an intersectional analysis , Giroux covers the centrality of education to politics , the pros and cons of current struggles of resistance , youth as a political category , the importance of culture as a force for education , the meaning of pandemic pedagogy as a propaganda tool used by right-wing forces and the increasing rise of fascist politics in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issues of globalization , racism , inequality , militarism and ultra-nationalism , Giroux also talks about higher education and the politics of a militant hope .
The COVID-19 pandemic , which spread rapidly across the globe in March , unleashed both a dystopian nightmare and the opportunity to rethink matters of politics , ethics , power and social change .
Giroux also examines in some detail what it means to take seriously the fact that a new political horizon opened up that points to a growing rebellion against the lethal merging of racism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of inequality — and how this demands that we rethink the very notion of politics itself .
Finally , Giroux notes he is hopeful that the growing rebellion will breathe new life into a transformed social order , forged within the crucible of a radical demand that a socialist democracy will emerge and fulfill its promises and ideals .

Hundreds of protesters gather in Times Square in New York City on July 26, 2020. Pablo Monsalve / VIEWpress via Getty Images
Part of the Series The Public Intellectual
Henry A. Giroux is Paulo Freire Distinguished Scholar in Critical Pedagogy and Chair for Scholarship in the Public Interest at McMaster University. He has written more than 56 books since his first book, Ideology, Culture and the Process of Schooling, was published in 1981, and he has been generous with his time over the years as he published books such as Zombie Politics in the Age of Casino Capitalism; Disposable Youth: Racialized Memories, and the Culture of Cruelty; The Violence of Organized Forgetting: Thinking Beyond America’s Disimagination Machine; Disposable Futures: The Seduction of Violence in the Age of Spectacle; America at War with Itself; American Nightmare: The Challenge of US Authoritarianism; and The Terror of the Unforeseen. On the day that Henry Giroux finished his latest book, Race, Politics, and Pandemic Pedagogy: Education in a Time of Crisis, he graciously joined us for an interview.
In this interview, Giroux looks at the COVID-19 crisis as both a new kind of crisis and as a historical turning point. He discusses this crisis as both a window of opportunity for the progressive left and as a potential threat to democracy as many authoritarian governments might and can use it as a pretext for limiting civil liberties, implementing regressive policies and silencing dissent. In an intersectional analysis, Giroux covers the centrality of education to politics, the pros and cons of current struggles of resistance, youth as a political category, the importance of culture as a force for education, the meaning of pandemic pedagogy as a propaganda tool used by right-wing forces and the increasing rise of fascist politics in the United States.
Connecting the crucial issues of globalization, racism, inequality, militarism and ultra-nationalism, Giroux also talks about higher education and the politics of a militant hope. The COVID-19 pandemic, which spread rapidly across the globe in March, unleashed both a dystopian nightmare and the opportunity to rethink matters of politics, ethics, power and social change. Giroux also examines in some detail what it means to take seriously the fact that a new political horizon opened up that points to a growing rebellion against the lethal merging of racism, class divisions and the punishing registers of inequality — and how this demands that we rethink the very notion of politics itself. Finally, Giroux notes he is hopeful that the growing rebellion will breathe new life into a transformed social order, forged within the crucible of a radical demand that a socialist democracy will emerge and fulfill its promises and ideals.
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--2020-08-04--Billionaires Are Funding Trump’s Voter Suppression Lawsuits

With millions of people out of work and struggling to keep up with their bills because of the coronavirus shutdown , the federal government has passed new tax breaks for the rich and created trillions for bailing out large corporations .
The 2020 election could give voters a chance to remove the politicians who enacted these policies , but if the Trump administration and Republican Party get their way , many voters will be forced to put their health at risk by voting in-person in November , almost certainly before a vaccine or a reliable treatment for the coronavirus is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , national Republican have been at war in the courts over state policies — advanced mainly by Democrats , but also by Republicans in some states — designed to make it easier for people to safely vote .
In more than a dozen states , including battlegrounds like Wisconsin and Michigan , the Republican National Committee ( RNC ) has initiated or joined lawsuits to block states from expanding vote-by-mail systems or to oppose Democratic lawsuits in states that have resisted putting universal vote-by-mail systems in place .
The lawsuits are financed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Republicans have amassed for fighting Democrats on voting issues .
Trump and Republicans have repeatedly said that mail ballots are more susceptible to electoral fraud , though nonpartisan groups like Brennan Center for Justice say there is “ no evidence ” that voting by mail results in significant levels of fraud .
Trump has said that he believes high levels of voting hurts Republicans .
“ My biggest risk is that we don ’ t win lawsuits , ” Trump told Politico in June .
“ We have many lawsuits going all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t win those lawsuits , I think — I think it puts the election at risk.
” In Pennsylvania , a key swing state , the RNC has sued to stop state officials from making remote drop boxes available for voters to submit their ballots and from counting ballots that are mailed without being sealed in internal secrecy envelopes .
In Iowa , another swing state , the RNC joined a motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought by Democratic groups that seeks to overturn a law barring election officials from using voter rolls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballots .
In California , the RNC filed a lawsuit in partnership with other Republican groups to prevent state election officials from following an executive order from Gov .
Gavin Newsom to mail absentee ballots to all voters , but recently conceded after the legislature passed a legislative version of the order .
In a tweet on Thursday , now pinned to his profile , Trump said , “ With Universal Mail-In Voting ( not Absentee Voting , which is good ) , 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Election until people can properly , securely and safely vote ?
?
?
” Election experts like Rick Hasen , Professor of Law and Political Science at UC Irvine , interpret Trump ’ s tweet as encouraging the continued slowdown of the U.S .
Postal Service and withholding of needed funding from state boards of election to prepare vote-by-mail systems .
Trump recently selected former RNC convention finance chair Louis DeJoy to the position of postmaster general .
Besides helping to raise money for the RNC , DeJoy has donated $ 122,500 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ RNC legal proceedings account has raised more than $ 23 million so far in the 2019-20 election cycle , including transfers from a Trump joint fundraising committee and large donations from more than two dozen billionaires , according to Sludge ’ s review of Federal Election Commission records .
While a Biden administration is unlikely to substantially roll back upwards wealth redistribution , the billionaires backing the lawsuits would almost certainly fare better under another four years of Trump .
Biden , for example , has said he would try to end Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which has disproportionately benefited the wealthy .
According to research from University of California , Berkeley economists Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman , Trump ’ s tax bill reduced tax rates for the country ’ s 400 richest households below the level that any other income group pays .
Below is a table of the billionaires , per Forbes latest list , who have donated to the RNC legal proceedings account so far this election cycle , including donations from spouses of billionaires .
The donations listed below comprise about 15 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proceedings account has received from individuals this cycle .
At least 17 of the 24 billionaire donors to the RNC legal fund are among the top 400 wealthiest American households as ranked by Forbes magazine , including the following : Kelcy Warren , CEO of natural gas and propane pipeline giant Energy Transfer Partners , net worth $ 4.3 billion ; Stephen Schwarzman , CEO of The Blackstone Group private equity firm , net worth $ 17.7 billion ; and Charles Schwab , net worth $ 7.7 billion .
Two more top donor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Frank III , fall just outside the top 400 richest Americans , with net worth around $ 1.6 billion apiece .
Also siding with the RNC on the lawsuits is a network of conservative “ dark money ” nonprofits tied through personnel and funding to groups that have worked to build support for the confirmation of Trump ’ s Supreme Court nominees and to elect conservtaive judges to state supreme courts .
One such group that recently emerged , the Honest Election Project , is a rebrand of the shadowy Judicial Education @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Guardian .
The Judicial Education Project is established as a charity , allowing it to keep the sources of its millions of dollars in annual revenue hidden .
In addition to its election lawsuit work as the Honest Elections Project , it makes grants to consevrative groups including SpeechNow , which helped establish the legal basis for super PACs through a 2010 case against the FEC .
The Honest Election Project also funds Private Citizen , a First Amendment legal expense fund , and the George Mason University Foundation , a law school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hired multiple Federalist Society-linked academics after receiving millions in donations from the Charles Koch Foundation .
The Honest Elections Project , which shares a law firm with the RNC , Viriginia-based Consovoy McCarthy PPLC , has filed multiple briefs in states and federal courts defending states against lawsuits from Democrat-aligned groups that seek to expand mail voting or ease requirements on ballot signatures .
It also worked to force states to clean up voter registration rolls , a process that critics have labeled “ purging.
” The group recently spent $ 250,000 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Democrats have sought to expand mail voting for partisan advantage and advocating for limited or no changes to voting laws to accommodate voters during the pandemic .
According to OpenSecrets and The Guardian , Judicial Education Project ( the Honest Elections Project ’ s alias ) has been funded almost entirely by DonorsTrust , a donor-advised fund sponsor that specializes in helping conservative donors anonymously fund “ sensitive or controversial issues ” while also securing special tax advantages .
DonorsTrust has been a major funder of groups in the Koch network , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Legislative Exchange Council , and the State Policy Network , and in 2018 it provided 99 % of Judicial Education Project ’ s funding .

Dozens of billionaires have donated to the RNC’s legal fund that is being used to fight expanded access to mail voting.
This article was produced by Sludge, an independent, ad-free investigative news site covering money in politics. Click here to support Sludge.
With millions of people out of work and struggling to keep up with their bills because of the coronavirus shutdown, the federal government has passed new tax breaks for the rich and created trillions for bailing out large corporations. The 2020 election could give voters a chance to remove the politicians who enacted these policies, but if the Trump administration and Republican Party get their way, many voters will be forced to put their health at risk by voting in-person in November, almost certainly before a vaccine or a reliable treatment for the coronavirus is available.
For the past several months, national Republican have been at war in the courts over state policies — advanced mainly by Democrats, but also by Republicans in some states — designed to make it easier for people to safely vote. In more than a dozen states, including battlegrounds like Wisconsin and Michigan, the Republican National Committee (RNC) has initiated or joined lawsuits to block states from expanding vote-by-mail systems or to oppose Democratic lawsuits in states that have resisted putting universal vote-by-mail systems in place. The lawsuits are financed by a $20 million litigation budget that the Republicans have amassed for fighting Democrats on voting issues.
Trump and Republicans have repeatedly said that mail ballots are more susceptible to electoral fraud, though nonpartisan groups like Brennan Center for Justice say there is “no evidence” that voting by mail results in significant levels of fraud. Trump has said that he believes high levels of voting hurts Republicans.
“My biggest risk is that we don’t win lawsuits,” Trump told Politico in June. “We have many lawsuits going all over. And if we don’t win those lawsuits, I think — I think it puts the election at risk.”
In Pennsylvania, a key swing state, the RNC has sued to stop state officials from making remote drop boxes available for voters to submit their ballots and from counting ballots that are mailed without being sealed in internal secrecy envelopes. In Iowa, another swing state, the RNC joined a motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought by Democratic groups that seeks to overturn a law barring election officials from using voter rolls to look up information missing on mailed ballots. In California, the RNC filed a lawsuit in partnership with other Republican groups to prevent state election officials from following an executive order from Gov. Gavin Newsom to mail absentee ballots to all voters, but recently conceded after the legislature passed a legislative version of the order.
In a tweet on Thursday, now pinned to his profile, Trump said, “With Universal Mail-In Voting (not Absentee Voting, which is good), 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history,” adding, “Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote???” Election experts like Rick Hasen, Professor of Law and Political Science at UC Irvine, interpret Trump’s tweet as encouraging the continued slowdown of the U.S. Postal Service and withholding of needed funding from state boards of election to prepare vote-by-mail systems.
Trump recently selected former RNC convention finance chair Louis DeJoy to the position of postmaster general. Besides helping to raise money for the RNC, DeJoy has donated $122,500 to the RNC legal fund.
The RNC legal proceedings account has raised more than $23 million so far in the 2019-20 election cycle, including transfers from a Trump joint fundraising committee and large donations from more than two dozen billionaires, according to Sludge’s review of Federal Election Commission records.
While a Biden administration is unlikely to substantially roll back upwards wealth redistribution, the billionaires backing the lawsuits would almost certainly fare better under another four years of Trump. Biden, for example, has said he would try to end Trump’s signature 2017 tax law, which has disproportionately benefited the wealthy. According to research from University of California, Berkeley economists Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman, Trump’s tax bill reduced tax rates for the country’s 400 richest households below the level that any other income group pays.
Below is a table of the billionaires, per Forbes latest list, who have donated to the RNC legal proceedings account so far this election cycle, including donations from spouses of billionaires. The donations listed below comprise about 15% of the total amount that the RNC legal proceedings account has received from individuals this cycle.
At least 17 of the 24 billionaire donors to the RNC legal fund are among the top 400 wealthiest American households as ranked by Forbes magazine, including the following: Kelcy Warren, CEO of natural gas and propane pipeline giant Energy Transfer Partners, net worth $4.3 billion; Stephen Schwarzman, CEO of The Blackstone Group private equity firm, net worth $17.7 billion; and Charles Schwab, net worth $7.7 billion. Two more top donor families, those of Fertitta brothers Lorenzo and Frank III, fall just outside the top 400 richest Americans, with net worth around $1.6 billion apiece.
Dark Money Assistance
Also siding with the RNC on the lawsuits is a network of conservative “dark money” nonprofits tied through personnel and funding to groups that have worked to build support for the confirmation of Trump’s Supreme Court nominees and to elect conservtaive judges to state supreme courts.
One such group that recently emerged, the Honest Election Project, is a rebrand of the shadowy Judicial Education Project, according to OpenSecrets and The Guardian. The Judicial Education Project is established as a charity, allowing it to keep the sources of its millions of dollars in annual revenue hidden. In addition to its election lawsuit work as the Honest Elections Project, it makes grants to consevrative groups including SpeechNow, which helped establish the legal basis for super PACs through a 2010 case against the FEC. The Honest Election Project also funds Private Citizen, a First Amendment legal expense fund, and the George Mason University Foundation, a law school that established conservative ideological law centers and hired multiple Federalist Society-linked academics after receiving millions in donations from the Charles Koch Foundation.
The Honest Elections Project, which shares a law firm with the RNC, Viriginia-based Consovoy McCarthy PPLC, has filed multiple briefs in states and federal courts defending states against lawsuits from Democrat-aligned groups that seek to expand mail voting or ease requirements on ballot signatures. It also worked to force states to clean up voter registration rolls, a process that critics have labeled “purging.” The group recently spent $250,000 to run ads on cable news channels claiming that Democrats have sought to expand mail voting for partisan advantage and advocating for limited or no changes to voting laws to accommodate voters during the pandemic.
According to OpenSecrets and The Guardian, Judicial Education Project (the Honest Elections Project’s alias) has been funded almost entirely by DonorsTrust, a donor-advised fund sponsor that specializes in helping conservative donors anonymously fund “sensitive or controversial issues” while also securing special tax advantages. DonorsTrust has been a major funder of groups in the Koch network, including Americans for Prosperity, the American Legislative Exchange Council, and the State Policy Network, and in 2018 it provided 99% of Judicial Education Project’s funding.
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.