truthout--2020-11-17--National Mask Mandate Remains Popular, Even Among Most Republicans

As President-elect Joe Biden gets ready to push for masks to be worn universally across the country in order to quell the spread of coronavirus , a new poll finds that most Americans back his mask mandate approach to managing the pandemic .
A Hill/HarrisX poll , conducted from November 10 to 13 , shows that 75 percent of Americans would strongly support or somewhat support a national mask mandate .
Just 25 percent say they would somewhat oppose or strongly oppose the idea .
Those results are actually down somewhat from a similar poll conducted in the summer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mask mandate and just 18 percent were against the proposal .
But the minute drop in support demonstrates that such a mandate would be widely accepted by most , and what ’ s more , might have lasting support to allow for it to be enforced long enough to be effective .
Both polls found that a majority of Americans of all political persuasions would back a mask mandate .
Among Republican respondents in the more recent survey , 59 percent said they ’ d support a rule on wearing masks , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Ninety-three percent of Democrats back a mask mandate , and 72 percent of independents supported the idea as well , the poll found .
Currently , 34 states and D.C. have some form of mask mandates , although the rules on when and where one has to wear them are not uniform among all geographic locales .
Some health models , including the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation ( IHME ) at the University of Washington , predict that wearing masks could go a long way toward reducing the spread of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths related to COVID-19 .
By January 20 of next year , if things continue on their present track with no national mandate , the daily death count from COVID-19 could reach as high as 2,138 .
However , if masks are worn universally between now and then , that number would drop by 45 percent to just 1,168 deaths per day , IHME predicts .
Although he would be restricted by federal law from issuing a national mandate , Biden has said he plans to increase the rate of mask use among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaders , once he assumes office .
“ First , I ’ ll go to every governor and urge them to mandate mask wearing in their states , ” the president-elect recently said , “ and , if they refuse , I ’ ll go to the mayors and county executives and get local mask requirements in place nationwide.
” But according to an analysis from Politico , at least 16 Republican governors who already don ’ t have a mandate in place will continue to refuse Biden ’ s request when he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Kristi Noem .
Noem ’ s spokesman Ian Fury explained in an email to Politico that she has trusted residents “ to exercise their personal responsibility to make the best decisions for themselves and their loved-ones.
” “ She will not be changing that approach , ” Fury added .
Noem ’ s home state is considered one of the worst in the nation , and indeed one of the worst places in the world , when it comes to dealing with coronavirus , not just because rates are so high in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there are buying into false claims from Republican leaders , including President Donald Trump , that the virus isn ’ t a big deal .
The direness of the situation was recently exemplified by a nurse from the state , Jodi Doering , whose tweets about the crisis went viral over the weekend .
“ The ones that stick out are those who still don ’ t believe the virus is real , ” Doering wrote in her social media posts .
“ The ones who scream at you for a magic medicine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ruin the USA .
All while gasping for breath on 100 % Vapotherm .
They tell you there must be another reason they are sick .
They call you names and ask why you have to wear all that ‘ stuff ’ because they don ’ t have COViD because it ’ s not real .
Yes .
This really happens .
”

As President-elect Joe Biden gets ready to push for masks to be worn universally across the country in order to quell the spread of coronavirus, a new poll finds that most Americans back his mask mandate approach to managing the pandemic.
A Hill/HarrisX poll, conducted from November 10 to 13, shows that 75 percent of Americans would strongly support or somewhat support a national mask mandate. Just 25 percent say they would somewhat oppose or strongly oppose the idea.
Those results are actually down somewhat from a similar poll conducted in the summer, when 82 percent of Americans backed a mask mandate and just 18 percent were against the proposal. But the minute drop in support demonstrates that such a mandate would be widely accepted by most, and what’s more, might have lasting support to allow for it to be enforced long enough to be effective.
Both polls found that a majority of Americans of all political persuasions would back a mask mandate. Among Republican respondents in the more recent survey, 59 percent said they’d support a rule on wearing masks, with 41 percent saying they would be opposed. Ninety-three percent of Democrats back a mask mandate, and 72 percent of independents supported the idea as well, the poll found.
Currently, 34 states and D.C. have some form of mask mandates, although the rules on when and where one has to wear them are not uniform among all geographic locales.
Some health models, including the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, predict that wearing masks could go a long way toward reducing the spread of coronavirus — including reducing the number of deaths related to COVID-19. By January 20 of next year, if things continue on their present track with no national mandate, the daily death count from COVID-19 could reach as high as 2,138. However, if masks are worn universally between now and then, that number would drop by 45 percent to just 1,168 deaths per day, IHME predicts.
Although he would be restricted by federal law from issuing a national mandate, Biden has said he plans to increase the rate of mask use among Americans by making personal appeals to local leaders, once he assumes office.
“First, I’ll go to every governor and urge them to mandate mask wearing in their states,” the president-elect recently said, “and, if they refuse, I’ll go to the mayors and county executives and get local mask requirements in place nationwide.”
But according to an analysis from Politico, at least 16 Republican governors who already don’t have a mandate in place will continue to refuse Biden’s request when he makes it, including South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem.
Noem’s spokesman Ian Fury explained in an email to Politico that she has trusted residents “to exercise their personal responsibility to make the best decisions for themselves and their loved-ones.”
“She will not be changing that approach,” Fury added.
Noem’s home state is considered one of the worst in the nation, and indeed one of the worst places in the world, when it comes to dealing with coronavirus, not just because rates are so high in South Dakota, but also because residents there are buying into false claims from Republican leaders, including President Donald Trump, that the virus isn’t a big deal.
The direness of the situation was recently exemplified by a nurse from the state, Jodi Doering, whose tweets about the crisis went viral over the weekend.
“The ones that stick out are those who still don’t believe the virus is real,” Doering wrote in her social media posts. “The ones who scream at you for a magic medicine and that Joe Biden is going to ruin the USA. All while gasping for breath on 100% Vapotherm. They tell you there must be another reason they are sick. They call you names and ask why you have to wear all that ‘stuff’ because they don’t have COViD because it’s not real. Yes. This really happens.”
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
Copyright © Truthout. May not be reprinted without permission.


truthout--2020-11-18--Undermining Mail-In Voting Likely Cost Trump Georgia, Says GA Secretary of State

President Donald Trump became the first Republican to lose the state of Georgia since 1992 due largely to his insistence to supporters that voting by mail couldn ’ t be trusted , according to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger .
Speaking to ABC affiliate station WSB-TV in Atlanta , Raffensperger , himself a Republican , pointed out that tens of thousands of Republicans who took part in the state ’ s primary elections in June through absentee voting did not turn out to vote in the presidential election .
“ Twenty-four thousand people did not vote in the fall , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was probable they didn ’ t do so “ because they were told by the president ‘ don ’ t vote absentee , it ’ s not secure . '
” Trump “ would have won by 10,000 votes , ” the Georgia official contended , if he had promoted mail-in voting better .
“ He actually depressed , suppressed his own voting base.
” Raffensperger ’ s comments come as he has faced harsh criticism from the president for failing to acknowledge unsubstantiated claims of fraud in this year ’ s election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toward Raffensperger in a tweet on Friday , making false allegations that the Georgia secretary of state had engaged in fraudulent behavior himself .
“ Georgia Secretary of State , a so-called Republican ( RINO ) , won ’ t let the people checking the ballots see the signatures for fraud , ” Trump claimed .
“ Why ?
Without this the whole process is very unfair and close to meaningless.
” Fact-checking news sites found no validity to Trump ’ s complaints about Raffensperger .
The president has indeed made a number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the past year , questioning the process in many states as it became the preferred mode for voting for those concerned about contracting COVID-19 .
In the spring , Trump took aim at the practice , in spite of having himself voted by mail several times in past elections .
“ Republicans should fight very hard when it comes to state wide mail-in voting .
Democrats are clamoring for it , ” the president wrote in a tweet in April .
“ Tremendous potential for voter fraud , and for whatever reason , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans.
” At the end of July , Trump claimed , without citing evidence , that mail-in voting across the country would result in this year ’ s election being “ the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history.
” Later in the summer , Trump also told Fox News host Chris Wallace that the presidential race would be tainted by mail-in voting .
“ I think mail-in voting is gon na rig the election , I really do , ” Trump said at the time , again providing no evidence for his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s words had made a noticeable impact : only 22 percent of Republicans , by that month , said they were planning to vote by mail , according to a poll from Monmouth University .
Predictably , after media organizations declared Joe Biden as the president-elect , Trump has continued to decry absentee ballots as somehow being rife with fraud , claiming that their being counted for days after Election Day was proof that the race was stolen from him .
Extended vote counting , however , does not constitute fraud and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of states , laws on the books prevented them from counting ballots until Election Day , even if they had received absentee votes prior to November 3 .
Because of the large influx of mail-in voting due to the coronavirus pandemic , as well as the arduous process of verifying such ballots , vote counting lasted for several days after November 3 .
Prior to an automatic recount for the presidential race in Georgia , Biden was leading Trump by a margin of over 14,000 votes .
Biden also leads Trump in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 5.8 million votes , and is ahead in the Electoral College at present by a count of 306 votes to 232 .

24,000 Republicans who voted in the primaries didn’t vote in November, says Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.
President Donald Trump became the first Republican to lose the state of Georgia since 1992 due largely to his insistence to supporters that voting by mail couldn’t be trusted, according to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.
Speaking to ABC affiliate station WSB-TV in Atlanta, Raffensperger, himself a Republican, pointed out that tens of thousands of Republicans who took part in the state’s primary elections in June through absentee voting did not turn out to vote in the presidential election.
“Twenty-four thousand people did not vote in the fall,” Raffensperger said, adding that it was probable they didn’t do so “because they were told by the president ‘don’t vote absentee, it’s not secure.'”
Trump “would have won by 10,000 votes,” the Georgia official contended, if he had promoted mail-in voting better. “He actually depressed, suppressed his own voting base.”
Raffensperger’s comments come as he has faced harsh criticism from the president for failing to acknowledge unsubstantiated claims of fraud in this year’s election as real. Trump tweeted his grievances toward Raffensperger in a tweet on Friday, making false allegations that the Georgia secretary of state had engaged in fraudulent behavior himself.
“Georgia Secretary of State, a so-called Republican (RINO), won’t let the people checking the ballots see the signatures for fraud,” Trump claimed. “Why? Without this the whole process is very unfair and close to meaningless.”
Fact-checking news sites found no validity to Trump’s complaints about Raffensperger.
The president has indeed made a number of allegations about voting by mail over the past year, questioning the process in many states as it became the preferred mode for voting for those concerned about contracting COVID-19.
In the spring, Trump took aim at the practice, in spite of having himself voted by mail several times in past elections.
“Republicans should fight very hard when it comes to state wide mail-in voting. Democrats are clamoring for it,” the president wrote in a tweet in April. “Tremendous potential for voter fraud, and for whatever reason, doesn’t work out well for Republicans.”
At the end of July, Trump claimed, without citing evidence, that mail-in voting across the country would result in this year’s election being “the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history.” Later in the summer, Trump also told Fox News host Chris Wallace that the presidential race would be tainted by mail-in voting.
“I think mail-in voting is gonna rig the election, I really do,” Trump said at the time, again providing no evidence for his assertions.
By August, the president’s words had made a noticeable impact: only 22 percent of Republicans, by that month, said they were planning to vote by mail, according to a poll from Monmouth University.
Predictably, after media organizations declared Joe Biden as the president-elect, Trump has continued to decry absentee ballots as somehow being rife with fraud, claiming that their being counted for days after Election Day was proof that the race was stolen from him.
Extended vote counting, however, does not constitute fraud and is standard practice. For a number of states, laws on the books prevented them from counting ballots until Election Day, even if they had received absentee votes prior to November 3. Because of the large influx of mail-in voting due to the coronavirus pandemic, as well as the arduous process of verifying such ballots, vote counting lasted for several days after November 3.
Prior to an automatic recount for the presidential race in Georgia, Biden was leading Trump by a margin of over 14,000 votes. Biden also leads Trump in the popular vote count across the country by more than 5.8 million votes, and is ahead in the Electoral College at present by a count of 306 votes to 232.
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
Copyright © Truthout. May not be reprinted without permission.


truthout--2020-11-18--Trumpism Can’t Be Voted Away. We Need Radical Social Transformation.

Even as votes are still being counted , a chorus of pundits and politicos have begun attacking the left for allegedly scaring people away from the Democratic Party , jeopardizing Biden ’ s victory and weakening down-ballot races .
Nothing could be further from the truth .
Many Democratic candidates had lackluster showings , because they were , in many cases , lackluster candidates , offering nothing new or hopeful .
In contrast , bold and forward-thinking progressives , like Cori Bush from St. Louis and Jamaal Bowman from New York , did quite well against the odds .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its role in suppressing progressive electoral energy and contributing to the disappointing performance of many down-ballot Democrats reminds me of the title of a song performed by the Black women ’ s a cappella group Sweet Honey in the Rock : “ There Are No Mirrors in My Nana ’ s House.
” Their message was different , but it makes me think… there are no mirrors in Nancy Pelosi ’ s House of Representatives .
We do not need a pale centrist agenda to bridge what has wrongly been termed as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alternative to both Biden ’ s centrism and Trump ’ s far right authoritarianism .
And we do have an alternative , as long as we don ’ t let the Pelosi-Schumer- Clyburn triumvirate talk us out of it .
Our first task has nothing to do with Trump ’ s base , but our own .
In the days ahead , we must not straitjacket our work inside the Democratic Party .
We need to strategize and self-organize on all levels .
And by “ we ” I mean two groups : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call “ the left , ” and the marginalized frontline communities that have borne the brunt of 21st-century racial capitalism ’ s wrath , but may not see themselves as explicitly political , one way or another .
Those are the two groups that need organizations they can own and shape and feel at home inside of .
How do we offer a skeletal frame on which to build that big-tent home , and how do we offer portals of entry to that which is already out there ?
We need to hone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of alternatives to the systems , institutions and policy platforms that now exist , and as social activist Toni Cade Bambara once said about revolution itself , we need to make it all “ irresistible.
” We have the cornerstone of this visionary agenda in three sets of movement-generated documents : ( 1 ) The Green New Deal ( augmented by the Red Deal and the forthcoming Red , Black and Green New Deal ) ; ( 2 ) The Breathe Act , generated by the policy table of the Movement for Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ People ’ s Charter , created by the Working Families Party .
These concrete policy proposals are based on values and vision : a commitment to minimize and repair harm , confront systemic racism , place people above profits , respect the rights and dignity of marginalized and oppressed communities , and save the planet .
These progressive policy documents are important .
They illustrate in stark terms that movements are not simply protest campaigns ; narrowly defined , they are generative spaces where new ideas and creative solutions are incubated .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to really enact these game-changing policies ?
To do so , we need expansive , inclusive organizing efforts at all levels , including the level of self-organization .
More specifically , we need to build stronger labor organizations , cooperatives , block clubs , reading groups , freedom circles , coalitions , networks and parties that connect the different sites of local organizing , while still giving people the self-determining democratic power that local groups provide .
At the same time , we have to create on-ramps and portals of entry to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We need mass-based membership organizations !
We have enough invite-only think tanks , elite policy teams and closed-door leadership circles , and we have too many self-proclaimed celebrity leaders .
We need frameworks that say to people , “ If you agree with us , here is how you join.
” Candidates running for office can not be the only ones making that offer .
The 70-million-plus people who voted Trump out of office need a real political home .
The 23 million who marched against racism and police brutality earlier this year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , how that home is built and on what foundation is key .
Certain sectors of the left still argue for a “ colorblind ” unity but that simply won ’ t work .
Millions of white people have demonstrated unprecedented willingness to stand up to some of the most egregious examples of racism .
The task is to deepen that commitment , not ignore it .
Much work to do on all of these fronts .
Our second set of analytical and political tasks is to dissect , demystify and diffuse Trumpism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support a guy who calls neo-Nazis “ fine people ; ” who cages Brown children ; who pillages the natural environment ; who gives perks and pardons to his thuggish cronies ; who uses his position to fill his own pockets ; who threatens his critics , including media ; and who places lives at risk for the sake of ego , vanity and ambition .
What a guy !
All the makings of a dictator , and tens of millions of Americans went into the voting booth and chose him .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump ’ s political ascendancy , irrespective of his narrow loss at the polls , shows that there is a mass base willing to support a xenophobic , American-style fascist agenda .
So , Trump is out of the White House but Trumpism continues .
The worst-case scenario is that Trump was just the tester , the raggedy and sloppy dress rehearsal for what may come next .
He has emboldened a racist far right fascist movement that now feels aggrieved and on the move .
Thousands of them were in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weekend , and they were violent .
At least two anti-racist protesters were reportedly stabbed .
Despite the jumbled rhetoric of individual liberty , these movements , for the most part , are enamored with a pseudo-strongman leader .
Their next hero may be smarter , more conniving and more effective than Trump .
We have to thwart the growth of this dangerous movement .
They won ’ t simply be voted away Part of the work of undermining fascism , and its willing and unwitting enablers , is to disaggregate the movement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Associates and Southern Poverty Law Center do .
Seventy million Trump voters are not a monolith .
Some of them clearly embraced Trump ’ s racist , venomous ideas wholeheartedly .
Hopefully , they are a minority .
Others are outright ignorant , falling for the many lies they see on television .
Finally , some Trump supporters are undoubtedly seduced by his rhetoric , embodying a kernel of truth as every lie does , that “ the system is rigged , ” and , stretching the limits of credulity , that Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guy , ” and the average Joe .
Throw in a few hundred congregations of opportunist evangelicals with a skewed and selective brand of morality , and you have Trump ’ s base .
So , the “ hearts and minds ” part of the battle is to expose , confront and defeat some , shame ( yes , shame ! )
others , and provide a genuine moral and political alternative to those willing to listen .
We have to make the case — for prison abolition , Medicare for All , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , climate justice , LGBTQ and women ’ s rights , disability rights , housing for all , an end to the debt trap , the redistribution of resources from the few to the many , a just immigration policy and an end to the Muslim ban , peace on our streets and in the world — persuasive and irresistible .
We surely won ’ t win all of them , but we can win some of them .
Can we do this ?
Sí , se puede .
Over 12 million people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earlier this year , two of the most progressive major contenders we have seen in a Democratic Party presidential primary .
Neither one was perfect , but both were left-leaning , if not left on most issues , in contrast to the “ safe ” middle-of-the-roader that won the nomination .
What if half the people who voted for the progressive flank of the party could be energized to organize those who are skeptical about voting altogether , as well as some who voted for what was erroneously framed as the “ safe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or neutralize some of those who drank the Trump Kool-Aid but are now gagging on it ?
This work is not primarily about compromise , it is about strategy and struggle and relentless effort .
So , yes , we can .
We must .
We must roll up our sleeves , get over our aversions and walk into places of worship , community centers , college campuses , unemployment offices , state fairs , internet chat rooms and onto street corners .
We need to talk , listen , debate , build @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of vision-building and freedom making .
We can not pretend to have all the answers , but we do have some of the answers .
And we have to offer people an entry point into a radically democratic process of social transformation grounded in process and principles .
The other path is not a dead end , but a deadly precipice .

Even as votes are still being counted, a chorus of pundits and politicos have begun attacking the left for allegedly scaring people away from the Democratic Party, jeopardizing Biden’s victory and weakening down-ballot races. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Many Democratic candidates had lackluster showings, because they were, in many cases, lackluster candidates, offering nothing new or hopeful. In contrast, bold and forward-thinking progressives, like Cori Bush from St. Louis and Jamaal Bowman from New York, did quite well against the odds.
The Democratic establishment’s failure to acknowledge its role in suppressing progressive electoral energy and contributing to the disappointing performance of many down-ballot Democrats reminds me of the title of a song performed by the Black women’s a cappella group Sweet Honey in the Rock: “There Are No Mirrors in My Nana’s House.” Their message was different, but it makes me think… there are no mirrors in Nancy Pelosi’s House of Representatives.
We do not need a pale centrist agenda to bridge what has wrongly been termed as the Biden-Trump divide. We need a real alternative to both Biden’s centrism and Trump’s far right authoritarianism. And we do have an alternative, as long as we don’t let the Pelosi-Schumer-Clyburn triumvirate talk us out of it.
Our first task has nothing to do with Trump’s base, but our own. In the days ahead, we must not straitjacket our work inside the Democratic Party. We need to strategize and self-organize on all levels.
And by “we” I mean two groups: the eclectic and far-flung motley tribe we call “the left,” and the marginalized frontline communities that have borne the brunt of 21st-century racial capitalism’s wrath, but may not see themselves as explicitly political, one way or another. Those are the two groups that need organizations they can own and shape and feel at home inside of. How do we offer a skeletal frame on which to build that big-tent home, and how do we offer portals of entry to that which is already out there?
We need to hone, polish and sharpen a palpable set of alternatives to the systems, institutions and policy platforms that now exist, and as social activist Toni Cade Bambara once said about revolution itself, we need to make it all “irresistible.”
In the days ahead, we must not straitjacket our work inside the Democratic Party. We need to strategize and self-organize on all levels.
We have the cornerstone of this visionary agenda in three sets of movement-generated documents: (1) The Green New Deal (augmented by the Red Deal and the forthcoming Red, Black and Green New Deal); (2) The Breathe Act, generated by the policy table of the Movement for Black Lives; and (3) The People’s Charter, created by the Working Families Party. These concrete policy proposals are based on values and vision: a commitment to minimize and repair harm, confront systemic racism, place people above profits, respect the rights and dignity of marginalized and oppressed communities, and save the planet.
These progressive policy documents are important. They illustrate in stark terms that movements are not simply protest campaigns; narrowly defined, they are generative spaces where new ideas and creative solutions are incubated. But how do we leverage the power necessary to really enact these game-changing policies? To do so, we need expansive, inclusive organizing efforts at all levels, including the level of self-organization. More specifically, we need to build stronger labor organizations, cooperatives, block clubs, reading groups, freedom circles, coalitions, networks and parties that connect the different sites of local organizing, while still giving people the self-determining democratic power that local groups provide. At the same time, we have to create on-ramps and portals of entry to the national movement groups that already exist.
We need mass-based membership organizations! We have enough invite-only think tanks, elite policy teams and closed-door leadership circles, and we have too many self-proclaimed celebrity leaders. We need frameworks that say to people, “If you agree with us, here is how you join.”
Candidates running for office cannot be the only ones making that offer. The 70-million-plus people who voted Trump out of office need a real political home. The 23 million who marched against racism and police brutality earlier this year need a political home. That said, how that home is built and on what foundation is key. Certain sectors of the left still argue for a “colorblind” unity but that simply won’t work. Millions of white people have demonstrated unprecedented willingness to stand up to some of the most egregious examples of racism. The task is to deepen that commitment, not ignore it. Much work to do on all of these fronts.
This work is not primarily about compromise, it is about strategy and struggle and relentless effort.
Our second set of analytical and political tasks is to dissect, demystify and diffuse Trumpism. Seventy million people were willing to support a guy who calls neo-Nazis “fine people;” who cages Brown children; who pillages the natural environment; who gives perks and pardons to his thuggish cronies; who uses his position to fill his own pockets; who threatens his critics, including media; and who places lives at risk for the sake of ego, vanity and ambition. What a guy! All the makings of a dictator, and tens of millions of Americans went into the voting booth and chose him. That is disturbing, at the very least.
Trump’s political ascendancy, irrespective of his narrow loss at the polls, shows that there is a mass base willing to support a xenophobic, American-style fascist agenda. So, Trump is out of the White House but Trumpism continues. The worst-case scenario is that Trump was just the tester, the raggedy and sloppy dress rehearsal for what may come next. He has emboldened a racist far right fascist movement that now feels aggrieved and on the move. Thousands of them were in the streets in Washington, D.C., last weekend, and they were violent. At least two anti-racist protesters were reportedly stabbed. Despite the jumbled rhetoric of individual liberty, these movements, for the most part, are enamored with a pseudo-strongman leader. Their next hero may be smarter, more conniving and more effective than Trump. We have to thwart the growth of this dangerous movement. They won’t simply be voted away
Part of the work of undermining fascism, and its willing and unwitting enablers, is to disaggregate the movement, as the analysts at Political Research Associates and Southern Poverty Law Center do. Seventy million Trump voters are not a monolith. Some of them clearly embraced Trump’s racist, venomous ideas wholeheartedly. Hopefully, they are a minority. Others are outright ignorant, falling for the many lies they see on television. Finally, some Trump supporters are undoubtedly seduced by his rhetoric, embodying a kernel of truth as every lie does, that “the system is rigged,” and, stretching the limits of credulity, that Trump is out to help “the little guy,” and the average Joe.
Throw in a few hundred congregations of opportunist evangelicals with a skewed and selective brand of morality, and you have Trump’s base. So, the “hearts and minds” part of the battle is to expose, confront and defeat some, shame (yes, shame!) others, and provide a genuine moral and political alternative to those willing to listen.
We have to offer people an entry point into a radically democratic process of social transformation grounded in process and principles.
We have to make the case — for prison abolition, Medicare for All, divesting from police and investing in communities, climate justice, LGBTQ and women’s rights, disability rights, housing for all, an end to the debt trap, the redistribution of resources from the few to the many, a just immigration policy and an end to the Muslim ban, peace on our streets and in the world — persuasive and irresistible. We surely won’t win all of them, but we can win some of them.
Can we do this? Sí, se puede. Over 12 million people voted for Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren earlier this year, two of the most progressive major contenders we have seen in a Democratic Party presidential primary. Neither one was perfect, but both were left-leaning, if not left on most issues, in contrast to the “safe” middle-of-the-roader that won the nomination.
What if half the people who voted for the progressive flank of the party could be energized to organize those who are skeptical about voting altogether, as well as some who voted for what was erroneously framed as the “safe center,” and perhaps even win or neutralize some of those who drank the Trump Kool-Aid but are now gagging on it? This work is not primarily about compromise, it is about strategy and struggle and relentless effort.
So, yes, we can. We must. We must roll up our sleeves, get over our aversions and walk into places of worship, community centers, college campuses, unemployment offices, state fairs, internet chat rooms and onto street corners. We need to talk, listen, debate, build trust and win people to a process of vision-building and freedom making. We cannot pretend to have all the answers, but we do have some of the answers. And we have to offer people an entry point into a radically democratic process of social transformation grounded in process and principles. The other path is not a dead end, but a deadly precipice.
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
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truthout--2020-11-18--Trump Is Sowing Chaos in His Wild Bid to Cling to an Unsalvageable Presidency

Truly , we have descended into a most dangerous form of farce .
Donald Trump , dead-bang loser of the 2020 presidential election , is squatting in the White House like a petulant grease clog that just won ’ t clear the drainpipe , trying to figure out where he can go to war — literally — to “ save ” his unsalvageable presidency .
The ragged remnants of his military advisers dogpiled him when he drooled over a map of Iran recently , and now he ’ s eyeballing the abrupt withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan… not due to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , mind you .
He appears bent on sowing chaos for the sake of chaos and undermining the incoming Biden administration , period .
That endeavor — Screw Biden — is the only policy this shabby bag-of-ass administration is bothering to pursue anymore .
Well , except for the lawsuits , that is .
The Trump campaign ’ s attempts to overturn the election in various courtrooms have fared about as well as Kong did when he tried to lay claim to the Empire State Building .
All that ’ s left is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fear , however , because it ’ s Rudy to the rescue !
Trump , in yet another tactical move on the order of opening a second front in Europe , tapped “ America ’ s Mayor ” to run his collapsing legal challenges .
Giuliani doffed his best grifter cap and reportedly landed a fee of $ 20,000 a day for the gig .
It really would be hilarious if it weren ’ t so unutterably pathetic ; the president of the United States is covered in leeches that are draining him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of are block-letter tweets that deserve their own wing in the Gibberish Hall of Fame .
Two immediate problems presented themselves with this new arrangement : ( 1 ) When Giuliani delivered Trump ’ s legal “ arguments ” before U.S. District Judge Matthew Brann , the judge , according to reports , appeared “ mystified ” by the rhetorical junkwagon Rudy had parked in his courtroom ; ( 2 ) Giuliani ’ s sudden arrival as the savior of the campaign has broken the angst dam within the ranks , and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump .
For the briefest moment on Tuesday night , the Trump camp had a glimmer of hope that their barrage of legal nonsense might have opened a seam .
Monica Palmer and William Hartmann , the two Republican members of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers , “ cast an unprecedented vote against certifying the county ’ s November election results for the county ’ s 43 jurisdictions , including Detroit , Michigan ’ s largest voting jurisdiction , ” according to The Detroit Free Press .
This “ victory ” lasted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Wayne County to draw a deeply outraged breath and bellow righteously about the barefaced racism involved in disenfranchising the voters of Detroit .
Hours after voting against certification of the vote , the two GOP Board of Canvassers members reversed course and voted to certify .
Trump , initially jubilant at the wheezed white power grab by Palmer and Hartmann , returned to his cone of sullen silence after they switched their votes .
Team Trump has filed a flurry of lawsuits in Nevada in search of the elusive silver bullet that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep Trump safe for another four years .
Meanwhile , South Carolina ’ s newly reelected Sen. Lindsey Graham is waist deep in his own pot of hot water after allegedly pressuring Georgia ’ s secretary of state to throw away legally cast ballots .
Graham has hotly denied the accusation , but alas for him , there appears to be a witness .
A Republican witness , no less .
Stay tuned on that one .
Lacking anything effective to do in pursuit of his election goal and sporting a spleen fit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Christopher Krebs , the Department of Homeland Security official who successfully held off foreign interference in this election with a whip and a chair .
For the crime of saying the election was clean , free and fair , Krebs was Twitter-fired in the best traditions of this gutter-bug administration .
Criticism of this firing was stridently bipartisan , and Krebs left his position with head held high .
“ Honored to serve .
We did it right.
” he tweeted on his way out the door .
… and , yeah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with 63 long days of this left to endure .
The remarkable , horrifying , astonishing silence of the Republican Party in the face of this massive broad-daylight mega-scandal leaves me almost breathless with rage .
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger , with his pushback against Graham and the vandals within his own party , appears to be one of the few people of integrity left in this spiraling national humiliation… and when master vote-vandal Gov .
Brian Kemp ’ s secretary of state is the hero of any affair involving ballots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and bewildering space .
I wonder , and dread , what tomorrow will bring .

Truly, we have descended into a most dangerous form of farce. Donald Trump, dead-bang loser of the 2020 presidential election, is squatting in the White House like a petulant grease clog that just won’t clear the drainpipe, trying to figure out where he can go to war — literally — to “save” his unsalvageable presidency.
The ragged remnants of his military advisers dogpiled him when he drooled over a map of Iran recently, and now he’s eyeballing the abrupt withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan… not due to a thought-out plan for dismantling U.S. militarism, mind you. He appears bent on sowing chaos for the sake of chaos and undermining the incoming Biden administration, period.
That endeavor — Screw Biden — is the only policy this shabby bag-of-ass administration is bothering to pursue anymore. Well, except for the lawsuits, that is. The Trump campaign’s attempts to overturn the election in various courtrooms have fared about as well as Kong did when he tried to lay claim to the Empire State Building. All that’s left is the long, long fall.
Never fear, however, because it’s Rudy to the rescue! Trump, in yet another tactical move on the order of opening a second front in Europe, tapped “America’s Mayor” to run his collapsing legal challenges. Giuliani doffed his best grifter cap and reportedly landed a fee of $20,000 a day for the gig. It really would be hilarious if it weren’t so unutterably pathetic; the president of the United States is covered in leeches that are draining him dry, and all he seems capable of are block-letter tweets that deserve their own wing in the Gibberish Hall of Fame.
Two immediate problems presented themselves with this new arrangement: (1) When Giuliani delivered Trump’s legal “arguments” before U.S. District Judge Matthew Brann, the judge, according to reports, appeared “mystified” by the rhetorical junkwagon Rudy had parked in his courtroom; (2) Giuliani’s sudden arrival as the savior of the campaign has broken the angst dam within the ranks, and it is now full-blown civil war within Camp Trump.
For the briefest moment on Tuesday night, the Trump camp had a glimmer of hope that their barrage of legal nonsense might have opened a seam. Monica Palmer and William Hartmann, the two Republican members of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers, “cast an unprecedented vote against certifying the county’s November election results for the county’s 43 jurisdictions, including Detroit, Michigan’s largest voting jurisdiction,” according to The Detroit Free Press.
This “victory” lasted just long enough for the majority-Black denizens of Wayne County to draw a deeply outraged breath and bellow righteously about the barefaced racism involved in disenfranchising the voters of Detroit. Hours after voting against certification of the vote, the two GOP Board of Canvassers members reversed course and voted to certify. Trump, initially jubilant at the wheezed white power grab by Palmer and Hartmann, returned to his cone of sullen silence after they switched their votes.
The remarkable, horrifying, astonishing silence of the Republican party in the face of this massive broad-daylight mega-scandal leaves me almost breathless with rage.
Team Trump has filed a flurry of lawsuits in Nevada in search of the elusive silver bullet that will take down the election results and keep Trump safe for another four years. Meanwhile, South Carolina’s newly reelected Sen. Lindsey Graham is waist deep in his own pot of hot water after allegedly pressuring Georgia’s secretary of state to throw away legally cast ballots. Graham has hotly denied the accusation, but alas for him, there appears to be a witness. A Republican witness, no less. Stay tuned on that one.
Lacking anything effective to do in pursuit of his election goal and sporting a spleen fit to burst, Trump vented late yesterday on Christopher Krebs, the Department of Homeland Security official who successfully held off foreign interference in this election with a whip and a chair.
For the crime of saying the election was clean, free and fair, Krebs was Twitter-fired in the best traditions of this gutter-bug administration. Criticism of this firing was stridently bipartisan, and Krebs left his position with head held high. “Honored to serve. We did it right.” he tweeted on his way out the door.
… and, yeah, it’s only Wednesday, with 63 long days of this left to endure.
The remarkable, horrifying, astonishing silence of the Republican Party in the face of this massive broad-daylight mega-scandal leaves me almost breathless with rage. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, with his pushback against Graham and the vandals within his own party, appears to be one of the few people of integrity left in this spiraling national humiliation… and when master vote-vandal Gov. Brian Kemp’s secretary of state is the hero of any affair involving ballots, we have entered some truly strange and bewildering space.
I wonder, and dread, what tomorrow will bring.
Kill the headlights and put it in neutral
Stock car flamin’ with a loser and the cruise control… — Beck, “Loser”
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
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truthout--2020-11-18--Trump Spends Millions Requesting Recounts in Two Wisconsin Counties Won by Biden

President Donald Trump has requested a partial recount in the state of Wisconsin , contesting the outcome of the 2020 presidential race in the state , which was won by his Democratic opponent , President-elect Joe Biden .
Biden was declared the winner by several media organizations on November 4 , one day after Election Day .
At first , returns on Tuesday evening had appeared to show Trump leading in the state , but as the counting of ballots continued into the night and into the early morning , Biden had pulled ahead .
By Wednesday morning , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
After votes were certified this week across all 72 counties in the state , Biden was shown to be ahead of Trump by a margin of over 20,000 votes .
In a statement announcing their intention to hold a recount , the Trump campaign alleged , without evidence , that ballots were “ illegally altered ” and that some absentee ballots were issued in an illegal manner .
The campaign also claimed that “ illegal advice given by government officials [ allowed ] Wisconsin ’ s Voter ID laws to be circumvented.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump campaign have been substantiated .
The campaign is not requesting a recount of the entire state .
Rather , since Wisconsin law allows for campaigns in statewide races to request recounts of individual counties .
Trump is requesting a recount in just the two most populous counties in Wisconsin , Dane and Milwaukee , both of which voted overwhelmingly for Biden .
Campaigns must pay for the recount process themselves , and the Trump campaign has already paid around $ 3 million to begin the process .
According to most experts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the state has a near zero chance of overturning the election result , as previous recounts have not changed outcomes by more than a couple of hundred votes .
Former Gov .
Scott Walker , a Republican who supports Trump , warned earlier this month that the 20,000-vote difference between Trump and Biden “ is a high hurdle.
” “ After recount in 2011 race for WI Supreme Court , there was a swing of 300 votes , ” Walker tweeted earlier this month .
“ After recount in 2016 Presidential race @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up by 131.
” Beyond his campaign ’ s official statement explaining their basis for a recount , the president has made other false claims on Twitter alleging fraud , contending that polls in the Badger State showing him behind Biden had suppressed the vote .
Trump also said that ballots were found after Election Day that were improperly counted — a claim he has made about returns in other states as well but which have been found to hold no merit .
“ They are finding Biden votes all over the place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Michigan .
So bad for our Country !
” Trump said on November 4 .
Trump ’ s claims are disconnected from reality , as vote counting in Wisconsin ( as well as in other states ) was delayed this year because of a law on the books mandating that absentee ballots not be counted until Election Day itself .
The process of counting absentee ballots is typically a long one , requiring each ballot ’ s signature to be matched to signatures in local poll books .
Ballots that are clearly marked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t allow voting machines to read them are also allowed to be recreated by election officials .
Because of a huge influx of absentee ballots this year — with one estimate saying 1.9 million out of the close to 3.3 million cast in Wisconsin — the process of counting votes after the election took even longer than usual .
Perhaps anticipating the president ’ s claims of fraud ( as he had been signaling his intent to do all year long leading up to the election ) , Meagan Wolfe , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , had said the day before the election that results being later than usual should not be interpreted as a sign of improprieties at the polls .
“ If unofficial results aren ’ t available until the next morning , it does not mean that something went wrong .
It means that election officials are doing their jobs , and their job is to make sure that every valid ballot gets counted , ” Wolfe said on November 2 .

Experts say that the chances of Trump being able to overturn the outcome in the state are very small.
President Donald Trump has requested a partial recount in the state of Wisconsin, contesting the outcome of the 2020 presidential race in the state, which was won by his Democratic opponent, President-elect Joe Biden.
Biden was declared the winner by several media organizations on November 4, one day after Election Day. At first, returns on Tuesday evening had appeared to show Trump leading in the state, but as the counting of ballots continued into the night and into the early morning, Biden had pulled ahead. By Wednesday morning, the former vice president had taken the lead.
After votes were certified this week across all 72 counties in the state, Biden was shown to be ahead of Trump by a margin of over 20,000 votes.
In a statement announcing their intention to hold a recount, the Trump campaign alleged, without evidence, that ballots were “illegally altered” and that some absentee ballots were issued in an illegal manner. The campaign also claimed that “illegal advice given by government officials [allowed] Wisconsin’s Voter ID laws to be circumvented.”
None of the claims presented by the Trump campaign have been substantiated.
The campaign is not requesting a recount of the entire state. Rather, since Wisconsin law allows for campaigns in statewide races to request recounts of individual counties. Trump is requesting a recount in just the two most populous counties in Wisconsin, Dane and Milwaukee, both of which voted overwhelmingly for Biden.
Campaigns must pay for the recount process themselves, and the Trump campaign has already paid around $3 million to begin the process.
According to most experts and politicians in Wisconsin, a recount in the state has a near zero chance of overturning the election result, as previous recounts have not changed outcomes by more than a couple of hundred votes.
Former Gov. Scott Walker, a Republican who supports Trump, warned earlier this month that the 20,000-vote difference between Trump and Biden “is a high hurdle.”
“After recount in 2011 race for WI Supreme Court, there was a swing of 300 votes,” Walker tweeted earlier this month. “After recount in 2016 Presidential race in WI, @realDonaldTrump numbers went up by 131.”
Beyond his campaign’s official statement explaining their basis for a recount, the president has made other false claims on Twitter alleging fraud, contending that polls in the Badger State showing him behind Biden had suppressed the vote. Trump also said that ballots were found after Election Day that were improperly counted — a claim he has made about returns in other states as well but which have been found to hold no merit.
“They are finding Biden votes all over the place — in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan. So bad for our Country!” Trump said on November 4.
Trump’s claims are disconnected from reality, as vote counting in Wisconsin (as well as in other states) was delayed this year because of a law on the books mandating that absentee ballots not be counted until Election Day itself. The process of counting absentee ballots is typically a long one, requiring each ballot’s signature to be matched to signatures in local poll books.
Ballots that are clearly marked but damaged in a way that won’t allow voting machines to read them are also allowed to be recreated by election officials.
Because of a huge influx of absentee ballots this year — with one estimate saying 1.9 million out of the close to 3.3 million cast in Wisconsin — the process of counting votes after the election took even longer than usual.
Perhaps anticipating the president’s claims of fraud (as he had been signaling his intent to do all year long leading up to the election), Meagan Wolfe, the head of the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission, had said the day before the election that results being later than usual should not be interpreted as a sign of improprieties at the polls.
“If unofficial results aren’t available until the next morning, it does not mean that something went wrong. It means that election officials are doing their jobs, and their job is to make sure that every valid ballot gets counted,” Wolfe said on November 2.
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
Copyright © Truthout. May not be reprinted without permission.


truthout--2020-11-18--Mobile Morgues Fill Up in El Paso as Gov. Greg Abbott Refuses New Lockdown

Some Republican governors are dropping their resistance to mask mandates , as public health officials in the United States brace for a COVID-19 surge from the Thanksgiving holiday amid already record-high infection rates .
However , Republican resistance to other public health safety measures continues as coronavirus cases in Texas reach record highs for a second time during the pandemic .
El Paso County , an area along the U.S.-Mexico border where 80 % of residents are Latinx , is also facing one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in the U.S. and now has 10 mobile morgues to hold bodies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 2 an hour to move the bodies as the number of cases and deaths has completely overwhelmed local hospitals .
“ We ’ re at capacity , ” says Dr. Emilio Gonzalez-Ayala , a leading pulmonary disease and critical care specialist in El Paso .
“ We ’ re beyond the limit where we can continue to admit to the hospital patients that come in critically ill. ” AMY GOODMAN : Over 1,700 people died from COVID Tuesday in the United States .
It ’ s the deadliest day of the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public health officials across the country brace for a COVID-19 surge from the Thanksgiving holiday and already record-high infection rates , some Republican governors are dropping their resistance to mask mandates , including Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds , who imposed a limited mask mandate Tuesday .
But many of these same governors continue to hold off on implementing other public health measures .
In Texas , where coronavirus cases have reached record highs for a second time in the pandemic , Governor Greg Abbott says no new lockdown is coming .
He ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in places like El Paso County along the Mexico border , which is facing one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in the country .
After the Texas attorney general sued to stop an order closing nonessential businesses in El Paso , a Texas appeals court agreed with the challenge Thursday , which allowed businesses to open the next day .
About 80 % of El Paso residents are Latinx .
The county now has 10 mobile morgues to hold bodies .
Some prisoners are being paid just $ 2 an hour to move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and deaths has completely overwhelmed the hospitals .
They are moving the corpses .
A traveling nurse who worked at the El Paso University Medical Center spoke out about what she called a “ horrific ” scene for patients with COVID-19 .
In a Facebook video earlier this month , Lawanna Rivers also described a room she calls “ The Pit , ” where she says patients were sent to die with minimal treatment .
LAWANNA RIVERS : They did not aggressively treat them as they should have .
And according to their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wasn ’ t aggressive before COVID , but even with COVID .
So , I saw a lot of people die that I feel like shouldn ’ t have died .
Y ’ all , that assignment there broke me .
I was put in what ’ s called a “ Pit.
” And in this Pit was eight patients , all COVID-positive .
My first day of orientation , I was told that whatever patients go into the Pit , they only come out in a body bag .
… The patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowed to bag them , because we would get too much exposure , which I hadn ’ t seen .
And because they were COVID-positive , this hospital ’ s policy was they only get three rounds of CPR , which is only six minutes .
This , out of all the codes that we had there , there ’ s not a single patient that made it .
Y ’ all , when I say this assignment here , like , literally almost destroyed me .
Like , I called my husband @ @ @ @ @ @ @ friend from there .
And I just cried , and I just said , “ What I ’ m seeing here is just not right.
” Well , for more , we go to El Paso to speak with Dr. Emilio Gonzalez-Ayala , a leading pulmonary disease and critical care specialist .
Thanks so much for taking the time , Dr. Ayala , to speak to us today .
If you can start off by describing the situation in el Paso , so extreme that the county administrator tried to put major restrictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prevented them from being implemented ?
DR. EMILIO GONZALEZ–AYALA : Yeah .
Unfortunately , we ’ ve been facing these decisions by the government of the state .
And , obviously , as you mentioned before , the mandate to close nonessential businesses has impacted us in a significant way , because we continue to see the surge of numbers in the hospitals , in the ERs throughout the city , and we ’ re at capacity .
We ’ re beyond the limit where we can continue to admit to the hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and we ’ re flying them out directly from the ER to other hospitals in the state where they can be admitted and treated .
We are keeping a large number of intubated , mechanically ventilated patients in the ER , waiting for beds to open in the ICU .
But sometimes these patients are too unstable and too critically ill to continue waiting there , so we need to make space for them by either moving the stable patient in the ICU or flying out the stable ones that are in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dr. Gonzalez , I wanted to ask you about also the situation in Juárez , which is across the border , right across the border .
It ’ s often called the sister city of El Paso .
It ’ s actually — some people would argue that El Paso is actually a suburb of Juárez , which is a much , much bigger city .
Your sense of how the close relationship between these two cities has affected the COVID pandemic one way or the other ?
DR. EMILIO GONZALEZ–AYALA : Well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in essence .
It ’ s called a metroplex , Juárez-El Paso .
And , obviously , we have a lot of patients that are U.S. residents and U.S. citizens that reside in the other side of the border , and they can come in legally , obviously , and request to be seen and treated in El Paso , as they ’ re rightly citizens or residents .
And , obviously , we ’ re seeing those patients come across the border .
That impacts also our ability to continue to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ re at capacity , as well .
There is no place in Juárez , no hospital in Juárez , that has available beds .
So , it ’ s the same situation , in essence .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : And this whole — AMY GOODMAN : Dr. Gonzalez — oh , sorry .
Go ahead , Juan .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : This whole issue of the refusal of state officials to allow the municipality and the local officials to implement the kinds of restrictions on public gatherings that you want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of that on your being able to curb the pandemic ?
DR. EMILIO GONZALEZ–AYALA : Well , obviously , we are not going to be able to curb that surge in numbers without those mandates .
Obviously , we ’ re entering the influenza season , and we already are seeing patients presenting with both infections , with influenza and with COVID .
Obviously , that doesn ’ t help at all .
We ’ re pleading with the public to avoid visiting or bringing in visitors during the holidays .
Thanksgiving is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We ’ re asking them not to relax precautions , and to avoid getting even their neighbors into their houses to celebrate .
I think if we want to continue to celebrate these holidays next year , we need to sit out this one .
AMY GOODMAN : Can you talk , Dr. Gonzalez-Ayala , about the rationing that we ’ re hearing ?
We ’ re hearing that the county judge , Ricardo Samaniego , has said that care is being rationed in El Paso hospitals .
And can you talk about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ horror of nurses working in “ The Pit , ” leaving — doctors not being able to go into that area , or not going into that area , people just being left to die , and then prisoners being paid something like $ 2 an hour to move corpses — we ’ re talking 10 mobile morgues that have been set up — all of this ?
DR. EMILIO GONZALEZ–AYALA : So , I am in private practice .
Although I have privileges at University Medical Center , I don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speak to the situation at UMC .
I haven ’ t been there in a while .
I am familiar with the Facebook video that this nurse posted .
I know my colleagues in UMC and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center , which staff that hospital , very well .
And I ’ m not sure that I can fully believe that account .
These are very humane , very ethical , very professional physicians .
I don ’ t see that really happening .
I doubt it , but I haven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tell you that care is not being rationed in the private hospitals where I practice .
Yes , we ’ re overstretched .
We are having to receive help from FEMA with physicians , nurses , respiratory therapists , nurse practitioners .
We ’ re grateful that we ’ re receiving this help to staff the hospitals and continue to deliver the care that we , alone , the people that live here in El Paso , the physicians that work here in El Paso , can not provide on our own without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rationing care .
I mean , we ’ re limited by the number of beds we have available , but we ’ re not deciding who lives and who dies .
And that would be unethical and illegal .
So , I don ’ t see that happening at this point in the facilities where I practice .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : And , Dr. Gonzalez , I wanted to ask you about the — as a frontline worker facing this pandemic , not only the problems that you see at the state level @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when you find that the White House itself often makes contradictory statements to those of the health professionals at the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health .
Your sense of what the impact of these mixed messages from the political leadership has , the impact it has on your ability to work on the frontlines ?
DR. EMILIO GONZALEZ–AYALA : Well , I think that the medical community has better judgment and understands that when , for example , Dr. Fauci speaks , he speaks with the truth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his advice .
He ’ s an authority not only in the country , but worldwide .
And even though we have a lot of political [ inaudible ] coming out from Washington , for the most part , what comes out of Dr. Fauci and most of what the CDC puts out is good advice , and we tend to follow it , for the most part .
When I hear this political messaging , I filter out what doesn ’ t make sense to us from a scientific or medical standpoint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Dr. Gonzalez-Ayala , about Thanksgiving and what this means for El Paso ?
What message are you putting out right now ?
And also , if you could talk about being a pulmonologist and what that means , the kind of deadly combination , if you could talk more about the flu , as well as COVID ?
DR. EMILIO GONZALEZ–AYALA : Well , the message we ’ re trying to send , again , is , please , to everybody , avoid celebrating in person .
It sounds terrible .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ re asking people not to go and visit anybody .
I ’ m following up with patients that have recovered already from COVID over the last few months in my office via telephone encounters , and I have a lot of patients asking , “ Hey , Dr. Gonzalez , can I go and visit my relatives in Houston or my relatives in California ?
” I ’ m pleading with them , “ Please , don ’ t go anywhere .
Stay put .
Even though you already caught COVID @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , you can still catch another virus .
You can catch influenza .
Stay put .
Don ’ t go anywhere .
And sit out this holiday so you can celebrate next year.
” Now , to the question of what it means to be a pulmonologist and dealing with this , I think that it ’ s the experience that I had never been exposed to .
We ’ re seeing this go completely beyond the point where we usually see it with the influenza peak in the months of January and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a lot of patients waiting for beds in the ER , but never to this extent .
It ’ s way beyond .
Never seen it before anywhere , and I ’ ve worked in Miami , and I worked in Houston and , obviously , here in El Paso .
I have never encountered these kinds of extremes , where we ’ re overrun with patients that are critically ill. AMY GOODMAN : Well , Dr. Emilio Gonzalez-Ayala , we want to thank you so much for being with us , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This is Democracy Now !
When we come back , we go from El Paso , which is one of the hot spots of this country , to North Dakota , which currently has the highest COVID-19 death rate in the world .
We will talk with a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe , and we ’ ll go to Navajo Nation in Arizona , which is now going through yet another lockdown .
Stay with us .

Image Credit: Reuters / Ivan Pierre Aguirre
Some Republican governors are dropping their resistance to mask mandates, as public health officials in the United States brace for a COVID-19 surge from the Thanksgiving holiday amid already record-high infection rates. However, Republican resistance to other public health safety measures continues as coronavirus cases in Texas reach record highs for a second time during the pandemic. El Paso County, an area along the U.S.-Mexico border where 80% of residents are Latinx, is also facing one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in the U.S. and now has 10 mobile morgues to hold bodies. Some prisoners are being paid just $2 an hour to move the bodies as the number of cases and deaths has completely overwhelmed local hospitals. “We’re at capacity,” says Dr. Emilio Gonzalez-Ayala, a leading pulmonary disease and critical care specialist in El Paso. “We’re beyond the limit where we can continue to admit to the hospital patients that come in critically ill.”
TRANSCRIPT This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: Over 1,700 people died from COVID Tuesday in the United States. It’s the deadliest day of the pandemic in at least six months. As public health officials across the country brace for a COVID-19 surge from the Thanksgiving holiday and already record-high infection rates, some Republican governors are dropping their resistance to mask mandates, including Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, who imposed a limited mask mandate Tuesday. But many of these same governors continue to hold off on implementing other public health measures.
In Texas, where coronavirus cases have reached record highs for a second time in the pandemic, Governor Greg Abbott says no new lockdown is coming. He’s even pushing back on local policies in places like El Paso County along the Mexico border, which is facing one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in the country. After the Texas attorney general sued to stop an order closing nonessential businesses in El Paso, a Texas appeals court agreed with the challenge Thursday, which allowed businesses to open the next day. About 80% of El Paso residents are Latinx. The county now has 10 mobile morgues to hold bodies. Some prisoners are being paid just $2 an hour to move the bodies as the numbers of cases and deaths has completely overwhelmed the hospitals. They are moving the corpses.
A traveling nurse who worked at the El Paso University Medical Center spoke out about what she called a “horrific” scene for patients with COVID-19. In a Facebook video earlier this month, Lawanna Rivers also described a room she calls “The Pit,” where she says patients were sent to die with minimal treatment.
LAWANNA RIVERS: They did not aggressively treat them as they should have. And according to their staff, the doctors at that hospital wasn’t aggressive before COVID, but even with COVID. So, I saw a lot of people die that I feel like shouldn’t have died. Y’all, that assignment there broke me. I was put in what’s called a “Pit.” And in this Pit was eight patients, all COVID-positive. My first day of orientation, I was told that whatever patients go into the Pit, they only come out in a body bag. … Related Story Interview | Prisons & Policing Hunger Strikers Caged in the Second Wave Are “Just Trying to Survive the Winter” Our society created the framework for this atrocity. Now it's part of a perfect storm. Truthout The patients that we coded, we were not allowed to bag them, because we would get too much exposure, which I hadn’t seen. And because they were COVID-positive, this hospital’s policy was they only get three rounds of CPR, which is only six minutes. This, out of all the codes that we had there, there’s not a single patient that made it. Y’all, when I say this assignment here, like, literally almost destroyed me. Like, I called my husband from there. I called my best friend from there. And I just cried, and I just said, “What I’m seeing here is just not right.”
AMY GOODMAN: That’s visiting nurse Lawanna Rivers describing a hospital in El Paso.
Well, for more, we go to El Paso to speak with Dr. Emilio Gonzalez-Ayala, a leading pulmonary disease and critical care specialist.
Thanks so much for taking the time, Dr. Ayala, to speak to us today. If you can start off by describing the situation in el Paso, so extreme that the county administrator tried to put major restrictions in El Paso, and the governor prevented them from being implemented?
DR. EMILIO GONZALEZ–AYALA: Yeah. Unfortunately, we’ve been facing these decisions by the government of the state. And, obviously, as you mentioned before, the mandate to close nonessential businesses has impacted us in a significant way, because we continue to see the surge of numbers in the hospitals, in the ERs throughout the city, and we’re at capacity. We’re beyond the limit where we can continue to admit to the hospital patients that come in critically ill, and we’re flying them out directly from the ER to other hospitals in the state where they can be admitted and treated. We are keeping a large number of intubated, mechanically ventilated patients in the ER, waiting for beds to open in the ICU. But sometimes these patients are too unstable and too critically ill to continue waiting there, so we need to make space for them by either moving the stable patient in the ICU or flying out the stable ones that are in the ER.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Dr. Gonzalez, I wanted to ask you about also the situation in Juárez, which is across the border, right across the border. It’s often called the sister city of El Paso. It’s actually — some people would argue that El Paso is actually a suburb of Juárez, which is a much, much bigger city. Your sense of how the close relationship between these two cities has affected the COVID pandemic one way or the other?
DR. EMILIO GONZALEZ–AYALA: Well, it’s the same city, in essence. It’s called a metroplex, Juárez-El Paso. And, obviously, we have a lot of patients that are U.S. residents and U.S. citizens that reside in the other side of the border, and they can come in legally, obviously, and request to be seen and treated in El Paso, as they’re rightly citizens or residents. And, obviously, we’re seeing those patients come across the border. That impacts also our ability to continue to treat patients in the hospital. And they’re at capacity, as well. There is no place in Juárez, no hospital in Juárez, that has available beds. So, it’s the same situation, in essence.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And this whole —
AMY GOODMAN: Dr. Gonzalez — oh, sorry. Go ahead, Juan.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: This whole issue of the refusal of state officials to allow the municipality and the local officials to implement the kinds of restrictions on public gatherings that you want to have, what’s the impact of that on your being able to curb the pandemic?
DR. EMILIO GONZALEZ–AYALA: Well, obviously, we are not going to be able to curb that surge in numbers without those mandates. Obviously, we’re entering the influenza season, and we already are seeing patients presenting with both infections, with influenza and with COVID. Obviously, that doesn’t help at all.
We’re pleading with the public to avoid visiting or bringing in visitors during the holidays. Thanksgiving is in the next couple of weeks. We’re asking them not to relax precautions, and to avoid getting even their neighbors into their houses to celebrate. I think if we want to continue to celebrate these holidays next year, we need to sit out this one.
AMY GOODMAN: Can you talk, Dr. Gonzalez-Ayala, about the rationing that we’re hearing? We’re hearing that the county judge, Ricardo Samaniego, has said that care is being rationed in El Paso hospitals. And can you talk about what that traveling nurse said, the horror of nurses working in “The Pit,” leaving — doctors not being able to go into that area, or not going into that area, people just being left to die, and then prisoners being paid something like $2 an hour to move corpses — we’re talking 10 mobile morgues that have been set up — all of this?
DR. EMILIO GONZALEZ–AYALA: So, I am in private practice. Although I have privileges at University Medical Center, I don’t practice there, so I cannot speak to the situation at UMC. I haven’t been there in a while. I am familiar with the Facebook video that this nurse posted. I know my colleagues in UMC and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, which staff that hospital, very well. And I’m not sure that I can fully believe that account. These are very humane, very ethical, very professional physicians. I don’t see that really happening. I doubt it, but I haven’t been there.
I can tell you that care is not being rationed in the private hospitals where I practice. Yes, we’re overstretched. We are having to receive help from FEMA with physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, nurse practitioners. We’re grateful that we’re receiving this help to staff the hospitals and continue to deliver the care that we, alone, the people that live here in El Paso, the physicians that work here in El Paso, cannot provide on our own without that help. But we are not rationing care. I mean, we’re limited by the number of beds we have available, but we’re not deciding who lives and who dies. And that would be unethical and illegal. So, I don’t see that happening at this point in the facilities where I practice.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Dr. Gonzalez, I wanted to ask you about the — as a frontline worker facing this pandemic, not only the problems that you see at the state level, but also at the national level, when you find that the White House itself often makes contradictory statements to those of the health professionals at the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health. Your sense of what the impact of these mixed messages from the political leadership has, the impact it has on your ability to work on the frontlines?
DR. EMILIO GONZALEZ–AYALA: Well, I think that the medical community has better judgment and understands that when, for example, Dr. Fauci speaks, he speaks with the truth. And I think we mostly follow his advice. He’s an authority not only in the country, but worldwide. And even though we have a lot of political [inaudible] coming out from Washington, for the most part, what comes out of Dr. Fauci and most of what the CDC puts out is good advice, and we tend to follow it, for the most part. When I hear this political messaging, I filter out what doesn’t make sense to us from a scientific or medical standpoint.
AMY GOODMAN: Can you talk, Dr. Gonzalez-Ayala, about Thanksgiving and what this means for El Paso? What message are you putting out right now? And also, if you could talk about being a pulmonologist and what that means, the kind of deadly combination, if you could talk more about the flu, as well as COVID?
DR. EMILIO GONZALEZ–AYALA: Well, the message we’re trying to send, again, is, please, to everybody, avoid celebrating in person. It sounds terrible. It sounds like a draconian measure. But we’re asking people not to go and visit anybody. I’m following up with patients that have recovered already from COVID over the last few months in my office via telephone encounters, and I have a lot of patients asking, “Hey, Dr. Gonzalez, can I go and visit my relatives in Houston or my relatives in California?” I’m pleading with them, “Please, don’t go anywhere. Stay put. Even though you already caught COVID and we assume you have some immunity, you can still catch another virus. You can catch influenza. Stay put. Don’t go anywhere. And sit out this holiday so you can celebrate next year.”
Now, to the question of what it means to be a pulmonologist and dealing with this, I think that it’s the experience that I had never been exposed to. We’re seeing this go completely beyond the point where we usually see it with the influenza peak in the months of January and February, where we have, yes, a lot of patients waiting for beds in the ER, but never to this extent. It’s way beyond. Never seen it before anywhere, and I’ve worked in Miami, and I worked in Houston and, obviously, here in El Paso. I have never encountered these kinds of extremes, where we’re overrun with patients that are critically ill.
AMY GOODMAN: Well, Dr. Emilio Gonzalez-Ayala, we want to thank you so much for being with us, leading pulmonary disease and critical care specialist.
This is Democracy Now! When we come back, we go from El Paso, which is one of the hot spots of this country, to North Dakota, which currently has the highest COVID-19 death rate in the world. We will talk with a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, and we’ll go to Navajo Nation in Arizona, which is now going through yet another lockdown. Stay with us.
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
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truthout--2020-11-18--COVID-Positive Health Care Staff Told to Stay on the Job in North Dakota

Nurse Leslie McKamey has gotten used to the 16-hour shifts , to skipping lunch , to the nightly ritual of throwing all her clothes in the laundry and showering as soon as she walks through the door to avoid potentially infecting her children .
She ’ s even grown accustomed to triaging COVID patients , who often arrive at the emergency room so short of breath they struggle to describe their symptoms .
But despite the trauma and exhaustion of the past eight months , she was shocked when North Dakota Gov .
Doug Burgum said last week that health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus but do not display symptoms could still report to work .
The order , in line with CDC guidance for mitigating staff shortages , would allow asymptomatic health workers who test positive to work only in COVID units , and treat patients who already have the virus .
But many feel the idea endangers the workers and their colleagues .
It comes as North Dakota faces one of the worst outbreaks of COVID-19 and grapples with health care staff shortages .
“ We ’ re worried about somebody dying , frankly , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them in time , ” said McKamey , an emergency room registered nurse in Bismarck .
According to data from the COVID Tracking Project , more than 9,400 North Dakotans tested positive for COVID-19 last week alone .
About 1 in 12 North Dakota residents have been infected with the virus ; nearly 1 in 1,000 have died .
In early November , the North Dakota Department of Health reported that there were only 12 open ICU beds in the state .
McKamey said Burgum ’ s order goes against everything she ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ If hospital administrators start forcing COVID-positive staff to go to work , it ’ s going to be very scary .
We ’ re trained to do no harm , and asking COVID-positive , asymptomatic nurses to return to work is putting patients at risk .
It ’ s putting fellow staff members at risk.
” Nine months into the pandemic , it ’ s clear health care workers already face increased risks .
Lost on the Frontline , a joint effort by The Guardian and KHN , is investigating the deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have died of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic .
Nearly a third of those health care workers were nurses .
McKamey described long shifts in an emergency room that has begun taking on patients overnight because other wards of the hospital did not have the capacity to admit them .
Nurses pick up extra shifts to cover for colleagues who have gotten sick and take on multiple critical patients at once .
It is a scene playing out in hospitals across the country , as the coronavirus spreads unabated .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ million people in the United States had been infected with the virus , with health officials reporting 180,000 new infections in a single day .
And the country is bracing for another milestone : It will soon surpass a quarter-million deaths from COVID-19 .
Health care workers are overwhelmed and exhausted .
According to a recent survey from the National Nurses United , more than 70 % of hospital nurses said they were afraid of contracting COVID-19 and 80 % feared they might infect a family member .
More than half said they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stressed and anxious .
Nearly 80 % said they were forced to reuse single-use PPE , like N95 respirators .
Inaction at the state and federal levels have left many health care workers feeling abandoned .
When Gov .
Burgum issued the order that infected but asymptomatic nurses could report to work in COVID units , North Dakota had not implemented any kind of statewide mask mandate , despite expert guidance that such a measure could significantly reduce transmission of the virus .
Tessa Johnson is a registered nurse at a Bismarck nursing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nurses Association , which issued a statement last week denouncing Burgum ’ s order that infected nurses continue to work .
She said the state could have done much more to ensure patients don ’ t become infected in the first place .
“ We ’ ve asked and asked and asked for a mask mandate , and that hasn ’ t happened , ” she said Thursday .
On Friday night , Burgum did an about-face and issued a mask mandate , ordering individuals to cover their faces when inside businesses , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where physical distancing may be impossible .
“ Our doctors and nurses heroically working on the front lines need our help , and they need it now , ” he said in a press statement .
Still , Johnson said there ’ s a disconnect between what health care workers are experiencing inside North Dakota ’ s health facilities , and how the general population perceives the virus .
And that even before Burgum ’ s comments , some of her colleagues felt they had to choose between taking all precautions and limited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closest friends , also a health care worker , said to me the other day , ‘ There ’ s no way I will ever get tested unless I ’ m very sick , because I don ’ t want to use my paid leave.
’ ” McKamey , the ER nurse , said she hasn ’ t had time to process the stress of the past several months .
She ’ s focused on staying healthy , gearing up for what she anticipates will be a difficult winter and keeping her patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ break our backs and work as hard as we physically can , ” McKamey said .
“ But then to ask us to come in as a potential infectious source is just stunning.
” Kaiser Health News ( KHN ) is a national health policy news service .
It is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation which is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente .

This comes as North Dakota faces one of the worst outbreaks of COVID-19 and grapples with health care staff shortages.
Nurse Leslie McKamey has gotten used to the 16-hour shifts, to skipping lunch, to the nightly ritual of throwing all her clothes in the laundry and showering as soon as she walks through the door to avoid potentially infecting her children. She’s even grown accustomed to triaging COVID patients, who often arrive at the emergency room so short of breath they struggle to describe their symptoms.
But despite the trauma and exhaustion of the past eight months, she was shocked when North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum said last week that health care workers who test positive for the coronavirus but do not display symptoms could still report to work. The order, in line with CDC guidance for mitigating staff shortages, would allow asymptomatic health workers who test positive to work only in COVID units, and treat patients who already have the virus.
But many feel the idea endangers the workers and their colleagues. It comes as North Dakota faces one of the worst outbreaks of COVID-19 and grapples with health care staff shortages.
“We’re worried about somebody dying, frankly, because we couldn’t get to them in time,” said McKamey, an emergency room registered nurse in Bismarck.
According to data from the COVID Tracking Project, more than 9,400 North Dakotans tested positive for COVID-19 last week alone. About 1 in 12 North Dakota residents have been infected with the virus; nearly 1 in 1,000 have died. In early November, the North Dakota Department of Health reported that there were only 12 open ICU beds in the state.
McKamey said Burgum’s order goes against everything she’s been taught as a nurse.
“If hospital administrators start forcing COVID-positive staff to go to work, it’s going to be very scary. We’re trained to do no harm, and asking COVID-positive, asymptomatic nurses to return to work is putting patients at risk. It’s putting fellow staff members at risk.”
Nine months into the pandemic, it’s clear health care workers already face increased risks. Lost on the Frontline, a joint effort by The Guardian and KHN, is investigating the deaths of 1,375 health care workers who appear to have died of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. Nearly a third of those health care workers were nurses.
McKamey described long shifts in an emergency room that has begun taking on patients overnight because other wards of the hospital did not have the capacity to admit them. Nurses pick up extra shifts to cover for colleagues who have gotten sick and take on multiple critical patients at once.
It is a scene playing out in hospitals across the country, as the coronavirus spreads unabated. As of Monday, more than 11 million people in the United States had been infected with the virus, with health officials reporting 180,000 new infections in a single day. And the country is bracing for another milestone: It will soon surpass a quarter-million deaths from COVID-19.
Health care workers are overwhelmed and exhausted. According to a recent survey from the National Nurses United, more than 70% of hospital nurses said they were afraid of contracting COVID-19 and 80% feared they might infect a family member. More than half said they struggled to sleep and 62 reported feeling stressed and anxious. Nearly 80% said they were forced to reuse single-use PPE, like N95 respirators.
Inaction at the state and federal levels have left many health care workers feeling abandoned. When Gov. Burgum issued the order that infected but asymptomatic nurses could report to work in COVID units, North Dakota had not implemented any kind of statewide mask mandate, despite expert guidance that such a measure could significantly reduce transmission of the virus.
Tessa Johnson is a registered nurse at a Bismarck nursing home and president of the North Dakota Nurses Association, which issued a statement last week denouncing Burgum’s order that infected nurses continue to work.
She said the state could have done much more to ensure patients don’t become infected in the first place. “We’ve asked and asked and asked for a mask mandate, and that hasn’t happened,” she said Thursday.
On Friday night, Burgum did an about-face and issued a mask mandate, ordering individuals to cover their faces when inside businesses, indoor public settings and outdoor public settings where physical distancing may be impossible.
“Our doctors and nurses heroically working on the front lines need our help, and they need it now,” he said in a press statement.
Still, Johnson said there’s a disconnect between what health care workers are experiencing inside North Dakota’s health facilities, and how the general population perceives the virus. And that even before Burgum’s comments, some of her colleagues felt they had to choose between taking all precautions and limited time off. “One of my closest friends, also a health care worker, said to me the other day, ‘There’s no way I will ever get tested unless I’m very sick, because I don’t want to use my paid leave.’”
McKamey, the ER nurse, said she hasn’t had time to process the stress of the past several months. She’s focused on staying healthy, gearing up for what she anticipates will be a difficult winter and keeping her patients alive. “We are willing to break our backs and work as hard as we physically can,” McKamey said. “But then to ask us to come in as a potential infectious source is just stunning.”
Kaiser Health News (KHN) is a national health policy news service. It is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation which is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.
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.