truthout--2020-05-14--McConnell’s PATRIOT Act Expansion Would Hand Barr Unprecedented Spy Powers

Sen. Ron Wyden was joined by privacy advocates Wednesday in forcefully condemning a new proposed amendment to the PATRIOT Act put forward by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell that would greatly expand the U.S. attorney general ’ s surveillance powers under FISA .
McConnell ’ s amendment , which the Senate began debating Wednesday as lawmakers took up the reauthorization of the 2001 PATRIOT Act , would explicitly permit the FBI to collect records of Americans ’ internet search and browsing histories without a warrant .
It would also mandate that Attorney General William Barr , and his successors , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s submissions into the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act ( FISA ) Court .
Barr would be permitted to review for “ accuracy and completeness ” evidence presented to the FISA Court by the FBI regarding potential surveillance targets .
“ Under the McConnell amendment , Barr gets to look through the web browsing history of any American — including journalists , politicians , and political rivals — without a warrant , just by saying it is relevant to an investigation , ” Wyden told the Daily Beast this week , before speaking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ floor .
“ Typical Americans may think to themselves , ‘ I ’ ve got nothing to worry about , I ’ ve done nothing wrong .
The government has no reason to suspect me of anything , ' ” said the senator .
“ Unfortunately , the question is not whether you did anything , the question is whether a government agent believes they have the right to look at your web searches… It is open season on anybody ’ s most personal information.
” “ If that doesn ’ t give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what will , ” Wyden added on social media .
“ I ’ m fighting it every step of the way.
” Evan Greer , deputy director of the digital privacy group Fight for the Future , was more succinct in her rejection of McConnell ’ s proposal : An amendment proposed by Wyden and Sen. Steve Daines ( R-Mont . )
, which would have required the Justice Department to show probable cause before collecting data under the PATRIOT Act , was voted down by one vote on Wednesday .
Journalist Jeremy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the majority of Republicans in opposing the bill , as well as Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) , who did not attend the vote .
Critics raised concern that the McConnell amendment would allow the Trump administration to spy on its political opponents , with Barr giving approval of evidence used to argue in favor of beginning surveillance .
Under the proposal , the FISA Court and its amicus — an attorney appointed to challenge the government ’ s submissions for potential surveillance — would be limited in their ability to question @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would limit the involvement of an amicus only when the FBI submits an application to “ targe [ t ] a campaign for federal office or an application that targets a United States person when the application relies for its criminal predicate on only the provisions of the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
” Sens .
Patrick Leahy ( D-Vt. ) and Mike Lee ( R-Utah ) proposed an amendment which would require an amicus to challenge evidence presented for targeting “ a domestic religious or political organization , ” a “ domestic public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their staff , according to The Daily Beast .
“ Adversarial process is a cornerstone of our legal system , ” wrote Neema Singh Guiliani and Billy Easley of the ACLU this week .
“ Americans expect that when the government makes a claim in a court of law that they aren ’ t the only voice heard in the courtroom.
” Critics said the amendment ’ s provision allowing Barr — or any future attorney general — to review evidence presented to the FISA Court is likely a response to the FBI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Donald Trump ’ s campaign aide , Carter Page .
Singh Giuliani told The Daily Beast it was “ bizarre ” to “ create an amicus to participate when targeting political candidates , but we ’ re not going to provide that same oversight in cases involving religious organizations , domestic news media or everyday individuals who are facing new or significant civil rights concerns.
” “ It ’ s hard to look at that amendment and conclude it ’ s intended to really address not just problems exposed by the Carter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” she added .
The progressive group Demand Justice called McConnell ’ s provisions “ two of the most cynical attempts to undermine surveillance reform.
” “ McConnell is literally trying to take a privacy safeguard designed for the press and religious groups and instead give it only to politicians and people suspected of being foreign agents .
He ’ s also trying to sneak warrantless surveillance of internet and search histories into an amendment that claims to prohibit it , ” Sean Vitka , senior policy council for the group , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Wyden wrote that whistleblowers like Dr. Rick Bright and the anonymous person who disclosed the president ’ s attempt to pressure the Ukrainian government into investigating former Vice President Joe Biden could be targeted for surveillance under Barr ’ s expanded powers .
“ These amendments would pretty much guarantee the ability of an incumbent administration to spy on its political opponents without consequence , ” wrote Charles Pierce at Esquire .

The amendments could guarantee the ability of an incumbent administration to spy on its political opponent.
Sen. Ron Wyden was joined by privacy advocates Wednesday in forcefully condemning a new proposed amendment to the PATRIOT Act put forward by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell that would greatly expand the U.S. attorney general’s surveillance powers under FISA.
McConnell’s amendment, which the Senate began debating Wednesday as lawmakers took up the reauthorization of the 2001 PATRIOT Act, would explicitly permit the FBI to collect records of Americans’ internet search and browsing histories without a warrant. It would also mandate that Attorney General William Barr, and his successors, conduct an annual review of the FBI’s submissions into the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Court.
Barr would be permitted to review for “accuracy and completeness” evidence presented to the FISA Court by the FBI regarding potential surveillance targets.
“Under the McConnell amendment, Barr gets to look through the web browsing history of any American — including journalists, politicians, and political rivals — without a warrant, just by saying it is relevant to an investigation,” Wyden told the Daily Beast this week, before speaking out against the amendment on the Senate floor.
“Typical Americans may think to themselves, ‘I’ve got nothing to worry about, I’ve done nothing wrong. The government has no reason to suspect me of anything,'” said the senator. “Unfortunately, the question is not whether you did anything, the question is whether a government agent believes they have the right to look at your web searches… It is open season on anybody’s most personal information.”
“If that doesn’t give you chills I don’t know what will,” Wyden added on social media. “I’m fighting it every step of the way.”
Evan Greer, deputy director of the digital privacy group Fight for the Future, was more succinct in her rejection of McConnell’s proposal:
An amendment proposed by Wyden and Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), which would have required the Justice Department to show probable cause before collecting data under the PATRIOT Act, was voted down by one vote on Wednesday. Journalist Jeremy Scahill denounced 10 Democratic senators who joined the majority of Republicans in opposing the bill, as well as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who did not attend the vote.
Remember this vote next time one of these 10 Democrats or Sanders tells you that Trump is the most dangerous president in history. They just facilitated outrageous surveillance powers for William Barr and the FBI. — jeremy scahill (@jeremyscahill) May 13, 2020
Critics raised concern that the McConnell amendment would allow the Trump administration to spy on its political opponents, with Barr giving approval of evidence used to argue in favor of beginning surveillance.
Under the proposal, the FISA Court and its amicus — an attorney appointed to challenge the government’s submissions for potential surveillance — would be limited in their ability to question the FBI’s reasoning.
McConnell would limit the involvement of an amicus only when the FBI submits an application to “targe[t] a campaign for federal office or an application that targets a United States person when the application relies for its criminal predicate on only the provisions of the Foreign Agents Registration Act.”
Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) proposed an amendment which would require an amicus to challenge evidence presented for targeting “a domestic religious or political organization,” a “domestic public official or political candidate,” or their staff, according to The Daily Beast.
“Adversarial process is a cornerstone of our legal system,” wrote Neema Singh Guiliani and Billy Easley of the ACLU this week. “Americans expect that when the government makes a claim in a court of law that they aren’t the only voice heard in the courtroom.”
Critics said the amendment’s provision allowing Barr — or any future attorney general — to review evidence presented to the FISA Court is likely a response to the FBI’s reasoning for conducting surveillance on President Donald Trump’s campaign aide, Carter Page.
Singh Giuliani told The Daily Beast it was “bizarre” to “create an amicus to participate when targeting political candidates, but we’re not going to provide that same oversight in cases involving religious organizations, domestic news media or everyday individuals who are facing new or significant civil rights concerns.”
“It’s hard to look at that amendment and conclude it’s intended to really address not just problems exposed by the Carter Page report but the subsequent IG audit,” she added.
The progressive group Demand Justice called McConnell’s provisions “two of the most cynical attempts to undermine surveillance reform.”
“McConnell is literally trying to take a privacy safeguard designed for the press and religious groups and instead give it only to politicians and people suspected of being foreign agents. He’s also trying to sneak warrantless surveillance of internet and search histories into an amendment that claims to prohibit it,” Sean Vitka, senior policy council for the group, told The Daily Beast.
On Twitter, Wyden wrote that whistleblowers like Dr. Rick Bright and the anonymous person who disclosed the president’s attempt to pressure the Ukrainian government into investigating former Vice President Joe Biden could be targeted for surveillance under Barr’s expanded powers.
Bill Barr’s top priority as Trump’s AG is consolidation of power by unmasking anyone who makes his client look bad. If McConnell’s amendment to give Barr access to Americans’ browser history passes, whistleblowers are sure to be some of the first people Barr will target. https://t.co/83QZz0aRaS — Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) May 13, 2020
“These amendments would pretty much guarantee the ability of an incumbent administration to spy on its political opponents without consequence,” wrote Charles Pierce at Esquire.
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
This piece was reprinted by Truthout with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.


truthout--2020-05-14--Trump Campaign Spends Unprecedented Sums on Legal Fees as Lawsuits Pile up

President Donald Trump ’ s 2020 campaign is spending unprecedented amounts of donor dollars on lawsuits and cease-and-desist orders as it wages an expensive reelection battle .
The Trump campaign has spent more than $ 16 million on legal and compliance services between the 2018 and 2020 election cycles , according to OpenSecrets ’ analysis of campaign expenditures .
That sum accounts for roughly 10 percent of the campaign ’ s total spending through the end of March .
No other presidential campaign has ever spent that much money on legal services , including President George Bush ’ s 2004 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Hillary Clinton ’ s 2016 campaign ( $ 6.5 million ) and President Barack Obama ’ s 2012 reelection campaign ( $ 5.5 million ) .
Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden has spent roughly $ 1.3 million on legal services this cycle .
Over the course of Trump ’ s presidency , his campaign has helped pay legal fees for associates caught up in high-profile lawsuits and investigations .
Now the cash-rich Trump campaign is using costly litigation in an attempt to crack down on negative news coverage and attack ads aired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Trump campaign spent its biggest sum , totaling $ 7.9 million , with Jones Day , the law firm that retains former White House counsel Don McGahn .
McGahn is at the center of a U.S. Court of Appeals case over whether Trump can block his former employee from testifying before the House .
The Trump campaign ’ s payments to Jones Day fell off over the last year , with some White House aides blaming that on Trump ’ s soured relationship with McGahn .
Trump ’ s reelection committee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to New Jersey law firm LaRocca , Hornik et al .
The campaign has shifted many of its payments to Harder LLP , spending $ 2.9 million with the Los Angeles-based law firm led by Trump attorney Charles Harder .
Harder and the Trump campaign have used litigation as a defense mechanism against what they view as negative or misleading press .
They won retractions from London ’ s Daily Telegraph and MSNBC last year over misleading news coverage .
The Trump campaign in February sued The New York Times for libel over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quid pro quo ” between Russian government officials and Trump ’ s 2016 campaign .
It sued The Washington Post for libel a few days later over opinion pieces that alleged Trump campaign coordination with Russia .
The Trump campaign has also used its legal team to go after individuals making unofficial pro-Trump merchandise and rogue PACs that pledge to support the president ’ s reelection bid .
These companies and political groups are harming the Trump campaign ’ s bottom line by siphoning off potential donations from Trump supporters .
Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lessening , with both candidates reporting raising around $ 60 million for their campaigns and party committees in April .
The campaign is now leveraging its extensive legal budget in an attempt to remove anti-Trump political ads from the airwaves and intimidate news outlets airing those ads with costly lawsuits .
The Trump campaign recently sued a Wisconsin TV station for airing an ad from Democratic super PAC Priorities USA , arguing that it misrepresents the president ’ s statements on the coronavirus outbreak .
The TV station asked the court to dismiss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ litigation.
” While the Trump campaign is filing defamation lawsuits now , it previously invoked free speech to defend itself in several cases , including a defamation lawsuit from adult film actress Stormy Daniels and a lawsuit from donors to the Democratic National Committee .
The Trump campaign is looking at the possibility of further legal battles in the near future .
CNN recently sent a cease-and-desist letter to the Trump campaign over a TV ad that the network says deceptively uses CNN footage to mislead viewers .
And the committee still owes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that hosted Trump campaign rallies .
The largest bill , over $ 569,000 , is owed to the city of El Paso , Texas , which is threatening to sue the Trump campaign .
Although none spent as much as Trump , other presidential campaigns have had their own legal battles , In 2012 , President Barack Obama ’ s reelection campaign sued Ohio over a law that restricted in-person voting .
Obama ’ s 2008 campaign had some legal issues , including settling a copyright dispute with the Associated Press over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poster .
It also paid a $ 375,000 fine from the Federal Election Commission for failing to disclose some of its donors .
The Supreme Court will hear two crucial cases regarding presidential powers this week unrelated to the Trump campaign .
The high court will weigh in on whether Trump can block prosecutors and congressional committees from subpoenaing his personal financial records .

President Donald Trump’s 2020 campaign is spending unprecedented amounts of donor dollars on lawsuits and cease-and-desist orders as it wages an expensive reelection battle.
The Trump campaign has spent more than $16 million on legal and compliance services between the 2018 and 2020 election cycles, according to OpenSecrets’ analysis of campaign expenditures. That sum accounts for roughly 10 percent of the campaign’s total spending through the end of March.
No other presidential campaign has ever spent that much money on legal services, including President George Bush’s 2004 reelection campaign ($8.8 million), Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign ($6.5 million) and President Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign ($5.5 million). Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden has spent roughly $1.3 million on legal services this cycle.
Over the course of Trump’s presidency, his campaign has helped pay legal fees for associates caught up in high-profile lawsuits and investigations. Now the cash-rich Trump campaign is using costly litigation in an attempt to crack down on negative news coverage and attack ads aired by his political rivals as November nears.
The Trump campaign spent its biggest sum, totaling $7.9 million, with Jones Day, the law firm that retains former White House counsel Don McGahn. McGahn is at the center of a U.S. Court of Appeals case over whether Trump can block his former employee from testifying before the House.
The Trump campaign’s payments to Jones Day fell off over the last year, with some White House aides blaming that on Trump’s soured relationship with McGahn. Trump’s reelection committee has also shelled out $1.2 million to New Jersey law firm LaRocca, Hornik et al. The campaign has shifted many of its payments to Harder LLP, spending $2.9 million with the Los Angeles-based law firm led by Trump attorney Charles Harder.
Harder and the Trump campaign have used litigation as a defense mechanism against what they view as negative or misleading press. They won retractions from London’s Daily Telegraph and MSNBC last year over misleading news coverage. The Trump campaign in February sued The New York Times for libel over an opinion piece that alleged a “quid pro quo” between Russian government officials and Trump’s 2016 campaign. It sued The Washington Post for libel a few days later over opinion pieces that alleged Trump campaign coordination with Russia.
The Trump campaign has also used its legal team to go after individuals making unofficial pro-Trump merchandise and rogue PACs that pledge to support the president’s reelection bid. These companies and political groups are harming the Trump campaign’s bottom line by siphoning off potential donations from Trump supporters. Trump’s massive fundraising edge over Biden is lessening, with both candidates reporting raising around $60 million for their campaigns and party committees in April.
The campaign is now leveraging its extensive legal budget in an attempt to remove anti-Trump political ads from the airwaves and intimidate news outlets airing those ads with costly lawsuits. The Trump campaign recently sued a Wisconsin TV station for airing an ad from Democratic super PAC Priorities USA, arguing that it misrepresents the president’s statements on the coronavirus outbreak. The TV station asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit, calling it “speech-chilling litigation.”
While the Trump campaign is filing defamation lawsuits now, it previously invoked free speech to defend itself in several cases, including a defamation lawsuit from adult film actress Stormy Daniels and a lawsuit from donors to the Democratic National Committee.
The Trump campaign is looking at the possibility of further legal battles in the near future. CNN recently sent a cease-and-desist letter to the Trump campaign over a TV ad that the network says deceptively uses CNN footage to mislead viewers. And the committee still owes at least $1.8 million to cities that hosted Trump campaign rallies. The largest bill, over $569,000, is owed to the city of El Paso, Texas, which is threatening to sue the Trump campaign.
Although none spent as much as Trump, other presidential campaigns have had their own legal battles, In 2012, President Barack Obama’s reelection campaign sued Ohio over a law that restricted in-person voting. Obama’s 2008 campaign had some legal issues, including settling a copyright dispute with the Associated Press over the campaign’s iconic “Hope” poster. It also paid a $375,000 fine from the Federal Election Commission for failing to disclose some of its donors.
The Supreme Court will hear two crucial cases regarding presidential powers this week unrelated to the Trump campaign. The high court will weigh in on whether Trump can block prosecutors and congressional committees from subpoenaing his personal financial records.
Researcher Andrew Mayersohn contributed to this report.
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
This piece was reprinted by Truthout with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.


truthout--2020-05-14--Ousted Vaccine Agency Director Will Testify That Our “Darkest Winter” Is Ahead

Rick Bright , the former director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority ( BARDA ) , is testifying before Congress today , and it ’ s going to be 40 miles of bad road for Donald Trump .
It is also going to be the hard , unvarnished truth the entire country needs to hear .
Earlier in the week , Trump had to suffer through the congressional testimony of his hostage , Anthony Fauci , who contradicted Trump ’ s lethal happy talk about reopening the country while the COVID pandemic still rages .
Now Trump has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all reports , Bright will reiterate Fauci ’ s warning with a side of ghost peppers and actual fire .
“ Rick Bright is the former director of BARDA , a Health and Human Services sub-agency whose purview is ‘ preparing the nation for influenza pandemics and coordinating production , acquisition and delivery of medical countermeasures during a pandemic response , ’ ” I wrote a little over a week ago .
Bright was demoted from his position specifically because he refused to coddle Trump ’ s dangerous obsession with chloroquine , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact untested and highly dangerous .
Bright was also vocally appalled by the stark lack of preparation within the administration , and by White House resistance to moving quickly to address these deeply pressing concerns .
Before the pandemic , Bright found himself on the administration ’ s bad side for refusing to play footsie with pharmaceutical companies tied to Jared Kushner .
So Trump knocked Bright out of the box for “ disloyalty , ” but now he ’ s back , and look out below .
Bright ’ s prepared opening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Committee on Energy and Commerce ’ s health subcommittee today details the myriad ways the White House and the Department of Health and Human Services ( HHS ) blew through warning after warning in their quest for good press and favorable polls , even as the body count spun upward like a Manhattan taxi meter .
“ I spoke out then and I am testifying today , ” reads the prepared statement , “ because science — not politics or cronyism — must lead the way to combat this deadly virus.
” Taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement is a thunderclap warning to all of us , and a shot across the bow of the foundering USS Trump : Our window of opportunity is closing .
If we fail to develop a national coordinated response , based in science , I fear the pandemic will get far worse and be prolonged , causing unprecedented illness and fatalities .
While it is terrifying to acknowledge the extent of the challenge that we currently confront , the undeniable fact is there will be a resurgence of the COVID19 this fall , greatly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ putting an unprecedented strain on our health care system .
Without clear planning and implementation of the steps that I and other experts have outlined , 2020 will be darkest winter in modern history .
In his statement , Bright makes it clear that the country needs conscientious leadership first and foremost : “ [ O ] ur leaders must lead by modeling the behavior ” necessary to keep the virus from spreading , which includes wearing masks and practicing social distancing .
Bright will underscore the mortal need for a comprehensive national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to encompass the unbelievable fact that we still lack such a plan after all these weeks and with more than 80,000 dead .
Bright ’ s statement calls for “ tests that are accurate , rapid , easy to use , low cost , and available to everyone who needs them.
” For myself , I believe the tests should be free , but we can have that argument once we actually have the damn tests .
Trump has been frantically , and often incoherently , making the argument that COVID is on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases is dropping “ all throughout the country.
” Yet data compiled by his very own White House shows a 1,000 percent spike in rural areas of Tennessee and Kansas , and a 400 percent spike in cases in rural areas in Missouri , Nebraska , Minnesota and Wisconsin .
In Michigan , the right-wing gun-toting protesters who have been marching on the Capitol in Lansing and threatening the life of Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer are catching COVID and spreading it in the rural communities where they live .
These are the people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and that behavior is going to get a whole lot of people sick and dead before the Fourth of July , if the COVID pattern holds .
This thing doesn ’ t care what you think .
It wants your lungs and your life .
It is far past time to bring this Monster ’ s Ball to an end .
Trump has been publicly dismissive of Anthony Fauci , and will likely have some twisted tweets to offer regarding the testimony of Rick Bright .
Bright will be the blue plate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ propagandists on Fox News .
Lather , rinse , repeat .
Perhaps , however , people will hear Bright ’ s words and heed them , and stay home , and stay alive .
It is the best we can hope for in this strange and bitter age we live in .
His testimony begins at 10:00 am Eastern time .
Pull up a chair , and watch or listen as science puts this president in his place .

Part of the Series Despair and Disparity: The Uneven Burdens of COVID-19
Rick Bright, the former director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), is testifying before Congress today, and it’s going to be 40 miles of bad road for Donald Trump. It is also going to be the hard, unvarnished truth the entire country needs to hear.
Earlier in the week, Trump had to suffer through the congressional testimony of his hostage, Anthony Fauci, who contradicted Trump’s lethal happy talk about reopening the country while the COVID pandemic still rages. Now Trump has Bright to contend with, and by all reports, Bright will reiterate Fauci’s warning with a side of ghost peppers and actual fire.
“Rick Bright is the former director of BARDA, a Health and Human Services sub-agency whose purview is ‘preparing the nation for influenza pandemics and coordinating production, acquisition and delivery of medical countermeasures during a pandemic response,’” I wrote a little over a week ago.
Bright was demoted from his position specifically because he refused to coddle Trump’s dangerous obsession with chloroquine, the “miracle cure” that was in fact untested and highly dangerous. Bright was also vocally appalled by the stark lack of preparation within the administration, and by White House resistance to moving quickly to address these deeply pressing concerns. Before the pandemic, Bright found himself on the administration’s bad side for refusing to play footsie with pharmaceutical companies tied to Jared Kushner.
So Trump knocked Bright out of the box for “disloyalty,” but now he’s back, and look out below. Bright’s prepared opening statement for his testimony before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s health subcommittee today details the myriad ways the White House and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) blew through warning after warning in their quest for good press and favorable polls, even as the body count spun upward like a Manhattan taxi meter.
“I spoke out then and I am testifying today,” reads the prepared statement, “because science — not politics or cronyism — must lead the way to combat this deadly virus.” Taken as a whole, Bright’s statement is a thunderclap warning to all of us, and a shot across the bow of the foundering USS Trump:
Our window of opportunity is closing. If we fail to develop a national coordinated response, based in science, I fear the pandemic will get far worse and be prolonged, causing unprecedented illness and fatalities. While it is terrifying to acknowledge the extent of the challenge that we currently confront, the undeniable fact is there will be a resurgence of the COVID19 this fall, greatly compounding the challenges of seasonal influenza and putting an unprecedented strain on our health care system. Without clear planning and implementation of the steps that I and other experts have outlined, 2020 will be darkest winter in modern history.
In his statement, Bright makes it clear that the country needs conscientious leadership first and foremost: “[O]ur leaders must lead by modeling the behavior” necessary to keep the virus from spreading, which includes wearing masks and practicing social distancing.
Bright will underscore the mortal need for a comprehensive national strategy, and pause for a moment to encompass the unbelievable fact that we still lack such a plan after all these weeks and with more than 80,000 dead. Bright’s statement calls for “tests that are accurate, rapid, easy to use, low cost, and available to everyone who needs them.” For myself, I believe the tests should be free, but we can have that argument once we actually have the damn tests.
It is far past time to bring this Monster’s Ball to an end.
Trump has been frantically, and often incoherently, making the argument that COVID is on the wane, and the number of cases is dropping “all throughout the country.” Yet data compiled by his very own White House shows a 1,000 percent spike in rural areas of Tennessee and Kansas, and a 400 percent spike in cases in rural areas in Missouri, Nebraska, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
In Michigan, the right-wing gun-toting protesters who have been marching on the Capitol in Lansing and threatening the life of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer are catching COVID and spreading it in the rural communities where they live. These are the people Trump has been egging on for weeks, and that behavior is going to get a whole lot of people sick and dead before the Fourth of July, if the COVID pattern holds. This thing doesn’t care what you think. It wants your lungs and your life.
It is far past time to bring this Monster’s Ball to an end. Trump has been publicly dismissive of Anthony Fauci, and will likely have some twisted tweets to offer regarding the testimony of Rick Bright. Bright will be the blue plate special for Sean Hannity and the other propagandists on Fox News. Lather, rinse, repeat.
Perhaps, however, people will hear Bright’s words and heed them, and stay home, and stay alive. It is the best we can hope for in this strange and bitter age we live in. His testimony begins at 10:00 am Eastern time. Pull up a chair, and watch or listen as science puts this president in his place.
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--2020-05-15--MI Legislature Cancels Work as “Reopen” Protesters Call for Whitmer’s “Lynching”

The Michigan state legislature called off meetings scheduled to take place on Thursday as demonstrations were set to take place against Democratic Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer ’ s stay-at-home order .
According to state police , 200 individuals took part in a demonstration near the capitol building in Lansing against Whitmer ’ s social distancing measures , which were put in place in order to stem the spread of coronavirus across Michigan .
A number of the protesters were armed .
The building itself was closed due to the legislature not being in session at the time , and because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be closed when business isn ’ t being conducted .
Members of the State Senate voted on Wednesday to adjourn until the following Tuesday , even though there had been plans for a meeting to take place on Thursday of this week .
Lawmakers were reportedly fearful that the protest could lead to a confrontation similar to that seen in April , when demonstrators barged their way into the capitol building , demanding to be allowed into legislative chambers during active sessions .
Many of those protesters , too , were seen holding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social media posts showing members screaming at law enforcement in the building .
Those fears were prompted by several social media postings in private Facebook groups that have become public .
In the group “ Michigan United for Liberty , ” for example , which organized the protest this week , many members had advocated killing Whitmer over her stay-at-home order .
( The page was later removed from Facebook for violating the site ’ s terms of service . )
Members of other inflammatory and hate-filled groups based in Michigan have also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We need a good old fashioned lynch mob to storm the Capitol , drag her tyrannical ass out onto the street and string her up as our forefathers would have , ” one member of the group “ People of Michigan vs. Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer ” wrote online .
“ Either President Trump sends in the troops or there is going to be a midnight lynching in Lansing soon , ” another user said in the same group .
One member of the protest , James Chapman , carried an American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ noose around its neck attached to a fishing rod .
Chapman , a Republican running for one of Michigan ’ s 110 state representative seats , told media at the event that the hanged doll was meant to represent Governor Whitmer .

One protester at the capitol on Thursday brought a doll hanging by a noose that was meant to represent the governor.
The Michigan state legislature called off meetings scheduled to take place on Thursday as demonstrations were set to take place against Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s stay-at-home order.
According to state police, 200 individuals took part in a demonstration near the capitol building in Lansing against Whitmer’s social distancing measures, which were put in place in order to stem the spread of coronavirus across Michigan. A number of the protesters were armed.
The building itself was closed due to the legislature not being in session at the time, and because coronavirus protocols dictate that the building should be closed when business isn’t being conducted. Members of the State Senate voted on Wednesday to adjourn until the following Tuesday, even though there had been plans for a meeting to take place on Thursday of this week.
Lawmakers were reportedly fearful that the protest could lead to a confrontation similar to that seen in April, when demonstrators barged their way into the capitol building, demanding to be allowed into legislative chambers during active sessions. Many of those protesters, too, were seen holding assault rifles, with a number of social media posts showing members screaming at law enforcement in the building.
Those fears were prompted by several social media postings in private Facebook groups that have become public. In the group “Michigan United for Liberty,” for example, which organized the protest this week, many members had advocated killing Whitmer over her stay-at-home order. (The page was later removed from Facebook for violating the site’s terms of service.)
Members of other inflammatory and hate-filled groups based in Michigan have also advocated for violence against the governor.
“We need a good old fashioned lynch mob to storm the Capitol, drag her tyrannical ass out onto the street and string her up as our forefathers would have,” one member of the group “People of Michigan vs. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer” wrote online.
“Either President Trump sends in the troops or there is going to be a midnight lynching in Lansing soon,” another user said in the same group.
One member of the protest, James Chapman, carried an American flag and a nude doll with a noose around its neck attached to a fishing rod. Chapman, a Republican running for one of Michigan’s 110 state representative seats, told media at the event that the hanged doll was meant to represent Governor Whitmer.
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--2020-05-15--“Faithless Electors” SCOTUS Case Tests If Electoral College Members Can Go Rogue

The Supreme Court heard arguments on Wednesday in a case that could shape the outcome of future presidential elections .
@ @ @ @ @ whether Electoral College members can “ go rogue ” and support candidates who did not @ @ @ @ @ popular vote .
In 2016 , one of Colorado ’ s nine electors , Michael @ @ @ @ @ his Electoral College ballot for Republican John Kasich instead of Democrat Hillary Clinton .
The @ @ @ @ @ the time — a Republican — removed Baca as an elector .
Colorado is one @ @ @ @ @ has a law requiring presidential electors to vote for the candidate who wins the state @ @ @ @ @ vote .
Baca sued Colorado , and the Denver-based 10th U.S .
Circuit Court of @ @ @ @ @ unconstitutional .
The case reached the Supreme Court this week .
We speak with Colorado @ @ @ @ @ , who says , “ What is at stake in this case is the foundation @ @ @ @ @ check back later for full transcript .

The Supreme Court heard arguments on Wednesday in a case that could shape the outcome of future presidential elections. The question at hand was whether Electoral College members can “go rogue” and support candidates who did not win the state’s popular vote. In 2016, one of Colorado’s nine electors, Michael Baca, attempted to cast his Electoral College ballot for Republican John Kasich instead of Democrat Hillary Clinton. The Colorado secretary of state at the time — a Republican — removed Baca as an elector. Colorado is one of 31 other states that has a law requiring presidential electors to vote for the candidate who wins the state’s presidential election popular vote. Baca sued Colorado, and the Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled his removal was unconstitutional. The case reached the Supreme Court this week. We speak with Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, who says, “What is at stake in this case is the foundation of our democracy.”
Please check back later for full transcript.
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
This piece was reprinted by Truthout with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.


truthout--2020-05-15--US Deports COVID-Positive Immigrants to Haiti and Guatemala, Spreading Virus

The United States continues to deport thousands during the coronavirus pandemic , causing a dangerous spread of COVID-19 to Central America and the Caribbean .
We speak with Haitian American novelist Edwidge Danticat , who says “ U.S .
deportations to Haiti during coronavirus pandemic are ‘ unconscionable , ’ ” and go to Guatemala City for an update from reporter José Alejandro García Escobar .
This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : We turn now to look at how the U.S. has continued to deport thousands of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dangerous spread of COVID-19 to Central America and the Caribbean .
In Guatemala , at least 117 people deported from the U.S. have tested positive for the virus as of May 4th , making up some 15 % of Guatemala ’ s cases .
Guatemala had temporarily suspended deportations from the U.S. after dozens of deported immigrants on a single April 13th flight tested positive , but allowed deportations to resume under the promise of stringent testing .
But last week , someone who was deported after testing negative was confirmed COVID-19-positive after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health minister , Hugo Monroy , has called the U.S. “ the Wuhan of the Americas.
” On Monday , Immigration and Customs Enforcement reversed plans to deport five immigrants who tested positive for COVID-19 , after it was reported on in the media .
A deportation flight from San Antonio , Texas , to Port-au-Prince , Haiti , departed with 50 passengers , who were sent to hotels to quarantine at the Haitian government ’ s expense upon arrival .
The same day , Florida Democratic Congresswoman Frederica Wilson introduced the Haitian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the suspension of deportations to Haiti , saying they are , quote , “ tantamount to a death sentence for Haitians who are living with compromised water and sanitation systems and do not have access to the sanitation measures we ’ ve undertaken in the United States , ” unquote .
This comes as calls to halt all deportations from the U.S. during the pandemic are growing .
Well , for more , we ’ re joined by two guests .
In Miami , Florida , Edwidge Danticat is with us .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ author of a number of books , including The Art of Death : Writing the Final Story and The Farming of Bones , which won an American Book Award .
Her piece in the Miami Herald is headlined “ U.S .
deportations to Haiti during coronavirus pandemic are ‘ unconscionable.
’ ” And in The New Yorker magazine , she ’ s written about “ The Ripple Effects of the Coronavirus on Immigrant Communities.
” Also joining us , from Guatemala City , is journalist José Alejandro García Escobar .
He ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Agencia Ocote .
His most recent work in Guatemala highlights the health and economic impacts faced by undocumented Guatemalan workers living in the U.S. in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic .
We welcome you both to Democracy Now !
Edwidge Danticat , let ’ s begin with you .
Can you respond to the U.S. deporting COVID-positive Haitians back to Haiti ?
What are you calling for ?
EDWIDGE DANTICAT : Well , these deportations are obviously a threat to Haiti and a threat to the entire region .
Two hundred — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , people who work with immigrant communities , have called for the administration to stop these deportations and find alternatives to detention that are contingent with COVID-19 regulations .
But these deportations have continued .
And since in April , when the first set began , we ’ ve had three people test positive for COVID-19 after they ’ ve arrived in Haiti .
It ’ s a disgrace .
It ’ s dangerous , really , for the health of the communities that these folks are being returned to .
And so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as people whose loved ones are affected or will continue to be affected by this , are calling for the deportations to stop .
AMY GOODMAN : And what is the response of the U.S. government ?
EDWIDGE DANTICAT : Well , initially — yesterday , for example , I texted with one of the wives of one of the men who had tested COVID-positive and in the end didn ’ t end up on the flight .
But she said that he was taken out of the quarantine where he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , before he was returned back to the general population while he was in detention .
ICE has said that they would test people before they were returned — they were deported , but asymptomatic people can still spread the virus , obviously , and people have tested positive once they ’ ve arrived in Guatemala , for example , and , in the previous case , in Haiti .
AMY GOODMAN : In your piece in The New Yorker magazine , Edwidge , you cite a common saying , that whenever Haiti @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But in the midst of this pandemic , it clearly is the case that the reverse is true .
Can you talk about the pandemic ’ s effect on Haitians where you live , in Miami , as well as this — what this means for their loved ones at home ?
EDWIDGE DANTICAT : Well , we ’ ve watched — we ’ re in a community where people work as home health aides or in the tourism industry or in the service industry or hospitality industry .
And so many people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jobs .
And Haiti counts a lot on remittances .
A lot of people who are working here are working a job for — you know , like my father was , when I was a kid , was working one job to support himself and another job to support someone back home .
So , this will also have ripple effects in Haiti , in which people who have lost their jobs here or who might have fallen ill — we ’ ve had a lot of COVID cases , for example @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And so , that will certainly have effects on the economy , on the ability of people in Haiti , who are already unable to shelter in place , who have to work in the informal economy — this will also reduce their ability to feed themselves , because a lot of family members here also are affected by the COVID-19 financially , which will then lead to greater hardship , financially and medically , back home .
AMY GOODMAN : Edwidge Danticat , you also talk about Haiti ’ s history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past collisions with microbes.
” Talk about what happened after the earthquake a decade ago .
EDWIDGE DANTICAT : Well , after the earthquake , when it seemed like this was the worst thing that could possibly happen , when 300,000 people had been killed and close to 2 million people were homeless , you had the United Nations come and basically poison one of the central rivers in Haiti , causing a cholera epidemic that killed 10,000 people and infected close to a million people .
Now , the U.N. has never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , some of their own monitors have come out and said that they have not done enough in terms of compensating families or creating health structures .
So , the U.N. and the cholera epidemic has left Haiti even more vulnerable in terms of being able to deal with this current pandemic .
AMY GOODMAN : I wanted to bring José Alejandro García Escobar into this discussion , from Guatemala City .
If you could talk about what happens to Guatemalans who are deported from the United States to Guatemala City ?
JOSÉ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it has started that a new shelter has opened up really close by to the airport , so people have been moving the deportees to that shelter .
However , on May 13th , a group of 71 persons — 71 people were moved to that shelter , and they only spent a couple of days there .
A spokesperson for migration said they were tested and that they were OK .
But still , they were only there for a couple of days , and they were moved to their original @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about what is the scope of the problem .
How has this happened , the Guatemalans who are being deported from the United States ?
The response of Guatemalans where you are , in Guatemala City ?
The response of the government , who stopped these deportations but then has allowed them to resume ?
JOSÉ ALEJANDRO GARCÍA ESCOBAR : Well , at the beginning , there was little to no information .
We got our first confirmed cases in mid-March , and there were barely any information about what was going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flights .
But as cases began on the rise , suddenly people had to address this issue .
As you said during the introduction , immigration stopped the deportation flights for a couple of times to strengthen the measures .
Then there was that awful flight on April 15th , when there were up to 25 % of all deportees tested positive .
So , things have been moving up and down with this issue .
The government has rarely addressed it .
This has been mainly from immigration , from the immigration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , you have a lot of people infected going back to small communities with little to no access to health facilities .
So it has been creating a great impact in the country , bringing people infected with the coronavirus .
AMY GOODMAN : You say that the U.S. is being referred to now in Guatemala as “ the Wuhan of the Americas ” ?
JOSÉ ALEJANDRO GARCÍA ESCOBAR : Yes .
This was a quote made by Hugo Monroy , our health minister .
AMY GOODMAN : If you could talk about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hold the U.S. accountable ?
And if you can talk about the latest people who have been deported ?
One , the U.S. said , was COVID-negative , but when he arrived in Guatemala City , he was positive .
JOSÉ ALEJANDRO GARCÍA ESCOBAR : Well , the couple of times that the flights had stopped , allegedly , it was to strengthen the measures and the testings in the U.S. to make sure that the people that were getting deported — were getting deported were healthy , and they wouldn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this has not been the case entirely .
We have been getting reports of people coming in with certificates , signed by ICE , saying that they were healthy .
But the certificates that are allowed here in Guatemala , they can be made no longer than 72 hours prior to their deportation .
But people have been coming in , and still we have a few cases — obviously not as high as the one we got in April 15 , but still , this has been — we still get flights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flights .
AMY GOODMAN : José , can you talk about the Guatemalan residents who have been placing white flags outside their homes ?
And talk about the double pandemic , the pandemic that people are deeply concerned about , COVID-19 , and then also the effects of not having jobs , running out of food and money .
JOSÉ ALEJANDRO GARCÍA ESCOBAR : Well , a lot of people in Guatemala rely on informal economy .
I mean people selling stuff in the streets , people selling food in the streets .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ as we had our first case and the government began putting on measures , people began losing their jobs , or people began losing their income .
So , rapidly , you would see people out on the streets waving white flags as a signal of they don ’ t have any money , they don ’ t have any food , so Guatemalans might — there ’ s a strong coalition of Guatemalans helping other Guatemalans .
The government promised a thousand quetzales , which is a little under $ 200 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ businesswomen .
However , they then mentioned that those benefited from this 1,000 quetzales , they needed to be within the formal economy — informal economy , but they needed to show proof of their taxes .
So , a lot of people don ’ t extend a receipt when they ’ re working out in the streets , so a lot of people have not been getting this .
And just last night , we had these new measures that the city — that the country is closed until Monday morning .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to be allowed out into the streets to go and to receive aid from other Guatemalans , to go to local restaurants who have been helping people who don ’ t have any jobs or food .
So , right now , this weekend is going to be a little chaotic with what happens with these people .
AMY GOODMAN : In this last minute , the effect on — the healthcare system , overall , in Guatemala , and how difficult it already is , before dealing with the pandemic ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Just a few days ago , there have been a few developments in the hospitals .
Doctors in hospitals , and nurses , have been out into the streets , outside the hospitals , protesting that they don ’ t have enough material to take care of the patients .
Suddenly , as you mentioned , the health system in Guatemala is overwhelmed .
We had reached a little over 1,300 cases , active cases , here in Guatemala , and this has put our health system really on the edge of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me end with Edwidge Danticat .
The situation with the healthcare system , with the hospitals in Haiti right now ?
EDWIDGE DANTICAT : Well , certainly , there ’ s a medical group that ’ s advising the president , that ’ s come out and said that Haiti is just not ready .
And the deportations are adding fuel to the fire .
We don ’ t have these ventilators .
We don ’ t have the beds .
And the more exposure that we ’ re getting from this exportation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is for a country that has suffered already so much through other exposures that could have been avoided .
And so , people go to a wedding someplace , and the virus spreads .
And these are called super-spreader events .
These deportations are international super-spreader events and are putting a great deal of lives at risk and are offering them up to a medical system that in the — you know , the richest countries have suffered .
Imagine what it would be like in a place , like , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mistreated , like we have been .
Haitian people are strong , but this is just — this is a lot .
AMY GOODMAN : Well , I want to thank you so much for joining us , Edwidge Danticat , Haitian American novelist — we will link your piece in the [ Miami Herald ] at democracynow.org — speaking to us from Miami , and José Alejandro García Escobar , Guatemalan journalist , speaking to us from Guatemala City .
When we come back , for the first time in history , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arguments remotely .
We ’ ll look at a case they heard Wednesday that could shape the outcome of the future of presidential elections .
And we ’ ll talk about whether democracy can survive the pandemic here in the United States .
Stay with us .
AMY GOODMAN : Rhiannon Giddens , singing the Bill Withers classic “ Just the Two of Us , ” featuring photos and videos taken by friends and family in quarantine and workers in the North Carolina UNC and NewYork-Presbyterian healthcare systems .
Proceeds from the song @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fund .

The United States continues to deport thousands during the coronavirus pandemic, causing a dangerous spread of COVID-19 to Central America and the Caribbean. We speak with Haitian American novelist Edwidge Danticat, who says “U.S. deportations to Haiti during coronavirus pandemic are ‘unconscionable,’” and go to Guatemala City for an update from reporter José Alejandro García Escobar.
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: We turn now to look at how the U.S. has continued to deport thousands of people during the coronavirus pandemic, causing a dangerous spread of COVID-19 to Central America and the Caribbean. In Guatemala, at least 117 people deported from the U.S. have tested positive for the virus as of May 4th, making up some 15% of Guatemala’s cases. Guatemala had temporarily suspended deportations from the U.S. after dozens of deported immigrants on a single April 13th flight tested positive, but allowed deportations to resume under the promise of stringent testing. But last week, someone who was deported after testing negative was confirmed COVID-19-positive after arriving in Guatemala. Guatemala’s health minister, Hugo Monroy, has called the U.S. “the Wuhan of the Americas.” On Monday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement reversed plans to deport five immigrants who tested positive for COVID-19, after it was reported on in the media.
A deportation flight from San Antonio, Texas, to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, departed with 50 passengers, who were sent to hotels to quarantine at the Haitian government’s expense upon arrival. The same day, Florida Democratic Congresswoman Frederica Wilson introduced the Haitian Deportation Relief Act, which calls for the suspension of deportations to Haiti, saying they are, quote, “tantamount to a death sentence for Haitians who are living with compromised water and sanitation systems and do not have access to the sanitation measures we’ve undertaken in the United States,” unquote. This comes as calls to halt all deportations from the U.S. during the pandemic are growing.
Well, for more, we’re joined by two guests. In Miami, Florida, Edwidge Danticat is with us. She’s the Haitian American novelist, author of a number of books, including The Art of Death: Writing the Final Story and The Farming of Bones, which won an American Book Award. Her piece in the Miami Herald is headlined “U.S. deportations to Haiti during coronavirus pandemic are ‘unconscionable.’” And in The New Yorker magazine, she’s written about “The Ripple Effects of the Coronavirus on Immigrant Communities.”
Also joining us, from Guatemala City, is journalist José Alejandro García Escobar. He’s a reporter with the independent media outlet Agencia Ocote. His most recent work in Guatemala highlights the health and economic impacts faced by undocumented Guatemalan workers living in the U.S. in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
We welcome you both to Democracy Now! Edwidge Danticat, let’s begin with you. Can you respond to the U.S. deporting COVID-positive Haitians back to Haiti? What are you calling for?
EDWIDGE DANTICAT: Well, these deportations are obviously a threat to Haiti and a threat to the entire region. Two hundred — nearly 200 organizations, professionals in healthcare, people who work with immigrant communities, have called for the administration to stop these deportations and find alternatives to detention that are contingent with COVID-19 regulations. But these deportations have continued. And since in April, when the first set began, we’ve had three people test positive for COVID-19 after they’ve arrived in Haiti. It’s a disgrace. It’s dangerous, really, for the health of the communities that these folks are being returned to. And so, we are, as a community, as people whose loved ones are affected or will continue to be affected by this, are calling for the deportations to stop.
AMY GOODMAN: And what is the response of the U.S. government?
EDWIDGE DANTICAT: Well, initially — yesterday, for example, I texted with one of the wives of one of the men who had tested COVID-positive and in the end didn’t end up on the flight. But she said that he was taken out of the quarantine where he was and was not retested, for example, before he was returned back to the general population while he was in detention. ICE has said that they would test people before they were returned — they were deported, but asymptomatic people can still spread the virus, obviously, and people have tested positive once they’ve arrived in Guatemala, for example, and, in the previous case, in Haiti.
AMY GOODMAN: In your piece in The New Yorker magazine, Edwidge, you cite a common saying, that whenever Haiti sneezes, Miami catches a cold. But in the midst of this pandemic, it clearly is the case that the reverse is true. Can you talk about the pandemic’s effect on Haitians where you live, in Miami, as well as this — what this means for their loved ones at home?
EDWIDGE DANTICAT: Well, we’ve watched — we’re in a community where people work as home health aides or in the tourism industry or in the service industry or hospitality industry. And so many people have been furloughed or have lost their jobs. And Haiti counts a lot on remittances. A lot of people who are working here are working a job for — you know, like my father was, when I was a kid, was working one job to support himself and another job to support someone back home. So, this will also have ripple effects in Haiti, in which people who have lost their jobs here or who might have fallen ill — we’ve had a lot of COVID cases, for example, in the population in New York. And so, that will certainly have effects on the economy, on the ability of people in Haiti, who are already unable to shelter in place, who have to work in the informal economy — this will also reduce their ability to feed themselves, because a lot of family members here also are affected by the COVID-19 financially, which will then lead to greater hardship, financially and medically, back home.
AMY GOODMAN: Edwidge Danticat, you also talk about Haiti’s history with what you’ve called “past collisions with microbes.” Talk about what happened after the earthquake a decade ago.
EDWIDGE DANTICAT: Well, after the earthquake, when it seemed like this was the worst thing that could possibly happen, when 300,000 people had been killed and close to 2 million people were homeless, you had the United Nations come and basically poison one of the central rivers in Haiti, causing a cholera epidemic that killed 10,000 people and infected close to a million people. Now, the U.N. has never quite taken the proper responsibility. Recently, some of their own monitors have come out and said that they have not done enough in terms of compensating families or creating health structures. So, the U.N. and the cholera epidemic has left Haiti even more vulnerable in terms of being able to deal with this current pandemic.
AMY GOODMAN: I wanted to bring José Alejandro García Escobar into this discussion, from Guatemala City. If you could talk about what happens to Guatemalans who are deported from the United States to Guatemala City?
JOSÉ ALEJANDRO GARCÍA ESCOBAR: Well, recently, it has started that a new shelter has opened up really close by to the airport, so people have been moving the deportees to that shelter. However, on May 13th, a group of 71 persons — 71 people were moved to that shelter, and they only spent a couple of days there. A spokesperson for migration said they were tested and that they were OK. But still, they were only there for a couple of days, and they were moved to their original cities.
AMY GOODMAN: And talk about what is the scope of the problem. How has this happened, the Guatemalans who are being deported from the United States? The response of Guatemalans where you are, in Guatemala City? The response of the government, who stopped these deportations but then has allowed them to resume?
JOSÉ ALEJANDRO GARCÍA ESCOBAR: Well, at the beginning, there was little to no information. We got our first confirmed cases in mid-March, and there were barely any information about what was going to happen to immigration, to deportees’ flights. But as cases began on the rise, suddenly people had to address this issue.
As you said during the introduction, immigration stopped the deportation flights for a couple of times to strengthen the measures. Then there was that awful flight on April 15th, when there were up to 25% of all deportees tested positive. So, things have been moving up and down with this issue. The government has rarely addressed it. This has been mainly from immigration, from the immigration department here in Guatemala. But still, you have a lot of people infected going back to small communities with little to no access to health facilities. So it has been creating a great impact in the country, bringing people infected with the coronavirus.
AMY GOODMAN: You say that the U.S. is being referred to now in Guatemala as “the Wuhan of the Americas”?
JOSÉ ALEJANDRO GARCÍA ESCOBAR: Yes. This was a quote made by Hugo Monroy, our health minister.
AMY GOODMAN: If you could talk about what the Guatemalan government is doing to hold the U.S. accountable? And if you can talk about the latest people who have been deported? One, the U.S. said, was COVID-negative, but when he arrived in Guatemala City, he was positive.
JOSÉ ALEJANDRO GARCÍA ESCOBAR: Well, the couple of times that the flights had stopped, allegedly, it was to strengthen the measures and the testings in the U.S. to make sure that the people that were getting deported — were getting deported were healthy, and they wouldn’t infect anyone in Guatemala. Obviously, this has not been the case entirely. We have been getting reports of people coming in with certificates, signed by ICE, saying that they were healthy. But the certificates that are allowed here in Guatemala, they can be made no longer than 72 hours prior to their deportation. But people have been coming in, and still we have a few cases — obviously not as high as the one we got in April 15, but still, this has been — we still get flights with a couple people infected in the flights.
AMY GOODMAN: José, can you talk about the Guatemalan residents who have been placing white flags outside their homes? And talk about the double pandemic, the pandemic that people are deeply concerned about, COVID-19, and then also the effects of not having jobs, running out of food and money.
JOSÉ ALEJANDRO GARCÍA ESCOBAR: Well, a lot of people in Guatemala rely on informal economy. I mean people selling stuff in the streets, people selling food in the streets. So, pretty quickly, as soon as we had our first case and the government began putting on measures, people began losing their jobs, or people began losing their income. So, rapidly, you would see people out on the streets waving white flags as a signal of they don’t have any money, they don’t have any food, so Guatemalans might — there’s a strong coalition of Guatemalans helping other Guatemalans.
The government promised a thousand quetzales, which is a little under $200, for families and small businessmen and small businesswomen. However, they then mentioned that those benefited from this 1,000 quetzales, they needed to be within the formal economy — informal economy, but they needed to show proof of their taxes. So, a lot of people don’t extend a receipt when they’re working out in the streets, so a lot of people have not been getting this.
And just last night, we had these new measures that the city — that the country is closed until Monday morning. So a lot of people are not going to be allowed out into the streets to go and to receive aid from other Guatemalans, to go to local restaurants who have been helping people who don’t have any jobs or food. So, right now, this weekend is going to be a little chaotic with what happens with these people.
AMY GOODMAN: In this last minute, the effect on — the healthcare system, overall, in Guatemala, and how difficult it already is, before dealing with the pandemic?
JOSÉ ALEJANDRO GARCÍA ESCOBAR: Yes. Just a few days ago, there have been a few developments in the hospitals. Doctors in hospitals, and nurses, have been out into the streets, outside the hospitals, protesting that they don’t have enough material to take care of the patients. Suddenly, as you mentioned, the health system in Guatemala is overwhelmed. We had reached a little over 1,300 cases, active cases, here in Guatemala, and this has put our health system really on the edge of their seats.
AMY GOODMAN: And let me end with Edwidge Danticat. The situation with the healthcare system, with the hospitals in Haiti right now?
EDWIDGE DANTICAT: Well, certainly, there’s a medical group that’s advising the president, that’s come out and said that Haiti is just not ready. And the deportations are adding fuel to the fire. We don’t have these ventilators. We don’t have the beds. And the more exposure that we’re getting from this exportation of the virus, the more dangerous it is for a country that has suffered already so much through other exposures that could have been avoided.
And so, people go to a wedding someplace, and the virus spreads. And these are called super-spreader events. These deportations are international super-spreader events and are putting a great deal of lives at risk and are offering them up to a medical system that in the — you know, the richest countries have suffered. Imagine what it would be like in a place, like, that’s been so battered and so mistreated, like we have been. Haitian people are strong, but this is just — this is a lot.
AMY GOODMAN: Well, I want to thank you so much for joining us, Edwidge Danticat, Haitian American novelist — we will link your piece in the [Miami Herald] at democracynow.org — speaking to us from Miami, and José Alejandro García Escobar, Guatemalan journalist, speaking to us from Guatemala City.
When we come back, for the first time in history, the Supreme Court is holding its oral arguments remotely. We’ll look at a case they heard Wednesday that could shape the outcome of the future of presidential elections. And we’ll talk about whether democracy can survive the pandemic here in the United States. Stay with us.
[break]
AMY GOODMAN: Rhiannon Giddens, singing the Bill Withers classic “Just the Two of Us,” featuring photos and videos taken by friends and family in quarantine and workers in the North Carolina UNC and NewYork-Presbyterian healthcare systems. Proceeds from the song go to GlobalGiving’s Coronavirus Relief Fund.


truthout--2020-05-15--“Wartime President” Trump Thinks His Culture War With Democrats Will Save Him

A few weeks ago , in one of his many branding brainstorms during this COVID-19 crisis , President Trump started calling himself a “ wartime ” president who was valiantly leading the country in the battle against “ the invisible enemy.
” This was rolled out like a campaign slogan , indicating that it was part of a planned strategy to put Trump at the center of the response to the pandemic .
In remarks obviously prepared by someone else , he evoked World War II and said : Not bad .
This was in mid-March , during the period @ @ @ @ @ @ @ force briefings and pretending to be in charge , before he realized that everything had gone awry and that he was being blamed for the failures .
In fact , it was just a day later that he started passing the buck to the governors for failing to save their states , explaining that the federal government is simply “ back-up ” and not a “ shipping clerk.
” In the end , Trump didn ’ t have anything close to the ability to take charge of the response and do what any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the circumstances .
So the nation ’ s pandemic response has remained chaotic and unfocused and now the states are simply operating on their own .
But that doesn ’ t mean that Trump is not a wartime president .
He is .
It ’ s just that he ’ s not bringing the country together to fight “ the invisible enemy.
” He ’ s dividing the country to fight the culture war .
It ’ s the only battle Trump knows how to fight , and he clearly believes it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which is the only issue he really cares about .
The coronavirus is just another weapon to use against his political enemies .
He ’ s been single-mindedly encouraging the governors to ignore the guidelines put out by his own administration and “ open up ” without regard to any concerns about spreading the virus .
Bars were bustling anyway as some Wisconsin residents , without wearing masks or social distancing , rushed out to start drinking the minute the ruling came down .
With the help of right-wing media , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a just another culture war clash .
Here ’ s an example of how that ’ s playing out in the Long Island suburbs of New York : This Bloomberg headline isn ’ t something you ’ d normally expect to see in America but Trump thinks it ’ s great : “ Michigan Cancels Legislative Session to Avoid Armed Protesters.
” The jury is still out on whether this represents more than a small number of Republicans .
Polling suggests that the vast majority of Americans , including significant proportions of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , aren ’ t signing up .
The problem , of course , is that it only takes a few irresponsible folks to spread this highly contagious virus to a whole bunch of others who didn ’ t enlist in this particular battle .
Trump isn ’ t relying on this coronavirus backlash alone .
He ’ s opened up a second front in his war .
The “ Obamagate ” frenzy that broke out this week on the news of Attorney General Bill Barr ’ s latest move to nullify the Mueller @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state of mass hysteria , with Trump leading the charge .
They ’ re gearing up for hearings in the Senate in June and the highly anticipated conclusion of special counsel John Durham ’ s investigation appears to be timed to coincide with it .
Trump is telling the troops that Barack Obama himself — and of course Joe Biden , his apparent November opponent — may go to prison for their nefarious crimes ( none of which he is able to articulate in detail . )
He knows his people .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have Michael Flynn lead a “ Lock them up !
” chant at the virus vector also known as the Republican National Convention , which the party still plans on holding in person this summer .
Trump apparently figures that pretending the pandemic is over and taking up some good old-fashioned Obama bashing is his ticket to re-election .
He should probably think twice .
He might be able to energize his base , but attacking the most popular Democrat in the country will also set the Democratic base on fire .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ isn ’ t likely to make them feel better about dropping the ball on a crisis that may kill them in large numbers .
And as Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said , in uncharacteristically defying Trump ’ s wishes to call Obama before the Senate Judiciary Committee : “ Be careful what you wish for.
” Perhaps even more alarming than Trump ’ s depraved re-election campaign is the war he is more broadly waging against “ Blue America.
” Trump has never seen himself as the president of any citizen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for him , and is continuing to use whatever tools he has at his disposal to further divide the country .
The Atlantic ’ s Ron Brownstein has analyzed the president ’ s recent behavior during the crisis and finds numerous instances of the administration and Trump himself institutionalizing this notion — with Republican officials backing his move .
Even aside from the empty threats to throw Barack Obama in jail , Bill Barr ’ s moves to turn the Department of Justice into a tool for presidential retribution against Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of anyone Trump believes has failed to show loyalty , throughout the COVID-19 crisis Trump has made clear that Democratic governors need to grovel before him if they expect any federal aid .
He did the same thing , of course , with Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria and California in the wake of the devastating wildfires of the last two years .
Trump suggested that governors of various states would have to “ negotiate ” with him and agree to give up sanctuary cities in exchange for federal aid .
He and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up a plan to deny pandemic aid to liberal-leaning states , literally calling it “ No Blue State Bailouts.
” Republican governors are now following his lead and doing the same with the Democratic mayors of major cities .
After years and years of bellowing about “ local control , ” they are now overruling mayors ’ stay-at-home orders in an effort to force people back to work .
As Brownstein writes , “ From the office that symbolizes national unity , Trump is pursuing a form of secession from common purpose.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might have assured his re-election — guiding an effective national response and bringing the country together to confront the gravest health crisis in a century and the worst economic upheaval since the Great Depression — Trump is consciously tearing the country apart to satisfy his ego and give his followers the red meat they crave .
Americans are worried about losing their jobs , their businesses , their homes , their loved ones .
They are worried about dying .
Donald Trump thinks he can keep playing his greatest hits and voters will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wants to do what he loves , which is campaign and campaign dirty .
That ’ s the only part of the job he knows how to do .

A few weeks ago, in one of his many branding brainstorms during this COVID-19 crisis, President Trump started calling himself a “wartime” president who was valiantly leading the country in the battle against “the invisible enemy.” This was rolled out like a campaign slogan, indicating that it was part of a planned strategy to put Trump at the center of the response to the pandemic.
In remarks obviously prepared by someone else, he evoked World War II and said:
Every generation of Americans has been called to make shared sacrifices for the good of the nation. … Now it’s our time. We must sacrifice together, because we are all in this together, and we will come through together. It’s the invisible enemy. That’s always the toughest enemy, the invisible enemy.
Not bad. This was in mid-March, during the period when he was appearing at the task force briefings and pretending to be in charge, before he realized that everything had gone awry and that he was being blamed for the failures. In fact, it was just a day later that he started passing the buck to the governors for failing to save their states, explaining that the federal government is simply “back-up” and not a “shipping clerk.”
In the end, Trump didn’t have anything close to the ability to take charge of the response and do what any other national leader would have done in the circumstances. So the nation’s pandemic response has remained chaotic and unfocused and now the states are simply operating on their own.
But that doesn’t mean that Trump is not a wartime president. He is. It’s just that he’s not bringing the country together to fight “the invisible enemy.” He’s dividing the country to fight the culture war. It’s the only battle Trump knows how to fight, and he clearly believes it’s necessary for him to win re-election, which is the only issue he really cares about.
The coronavirus is just another weapon to use against his political enemies. He’s been single-mindedly encouraging the governors to ignore the guidelines put out by his own administration and “open up” without regard to any concerns about spreading the virus.
The Great State of Wisconsin, home to Tom Tiffany’s big Congressional Victory on Tuesday, was just given another win. Its Democrat Governor was forced by the courts to let the State Open. The people want to get on with their lives. The place is bustling! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 14, 2020
Bars were bustling anyway as some Wisconsin residents, without wearing masks or social distancing, rushed out to start drinking the minute the ruling came down. With the help of right-wing media, he is attempting to turn the pandemic into a just another culture war clash.
Here’s an example of how that’s playing out in the Long Island suburbs of New York:
The level of anger directed at the media from these protestors was alarming. As always, I will tell a fair and unbiased story today. pic.twitter.com/5jCR0YY9VH — Kevin Vesey (@KevinVesey) May 14, 2020
This Bloomberg headline isn’t something you’d normally expect to see in America but Trump thinks it’s great: “Michigan Cancels Legislative Session to Avoid Armed Protesters.”
The jury is still out on whether this represents more than a small number of Republicans. Polling suggests that the vast majority of Americans, including significant proportions of the Trump base, such as senior citizens, aren’t signing up. The problem, of course, is that it only takes a few irresponsible folks to spread this highly contagious virus to a whole bunch of others who didn’t enlist in this particular battle.
Trump isn’t relying on this coronavirus backlash alone. He’s opened up a second front in his war. The “Obamagate” frenzy that broke out this week on the news of Attorney General Bill Barr’s latest move to nullify the Mueller investigation has the right wing in a state of mass hysteria, with Trump leading the charge. They’re gearing up for hearings in the Senate in June and the highly anticipated conclusion of special counsel John Durham’s investigation appears to be timed to coincide with it.
Trump is telling the troops that Barack Obama himself — and of course Joe Biden, his apparent November opponent — may go to prison for their nefarious crimes (none of which he is able to articulate in detail.) He knows his people. There is nothing they would love more than to have Michael Flynn lead a “Lock them up!” chant at the virus vector also known as the Republican National Convention, which the party still plans on holding in person this summer.
Trump apparently figures that pretending the pandemic is over and taking up some good old-fashioned Obama bashing is his ticket to re-election. He should probably think twice. He might be able to energize his base, but attacking the most popular Democrat in the country will also set the Democratic base on fire. Paternalistically telling seniors that he loves them isn’t likely to make them feel better about dropping the ball on a crisis that may kill them in large numbers. And as Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said, in uncharacteristically defying Trump’s wishes to call Obama before the Senate Judiciary Committee: “Be careful what you wish for.”
Perhaps even more alarming than Trump’s depraved re-election campaign is the war he is more broadly waging against “Blue America.” Trump has never seen himself as the president of any citizen or state that didn’t vote for him, and is continuing to use whatever tools he has at his disposal to further divide the country.
The Atlantic’s Ron Brownstein has analyzed the president’s recent behavior during the crisis and finds numerous instances of the administration and Trump himself institutionalizing this notion — with Republican officials backing his move.
Even aside from the empty threats to throw Barack Obama in jail, Bill Barr’s moves to turn the Department of Justice into a tool for presidential retribution against Trump’s political enemies, and the ongoing purge of anyone Trump believes has failed to show loyalty, throughout the COVID-19 crisis Trump has made clear that Democratic governors need to grovel before him if they expect any federal aid. He did the same thing, of course, with Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria and California in the wake of the devastating wildfires of the last two years.
Trump suggested that governors of various states would have to “negotiate” with him and agree to give up sanctuary cities in exchange for federal aid. He and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell even cooked up a plan to deny pandemic aid to liberal-leaning states, literally calling it “No Blue State Bailouts.” Republican governors are now following his lead and doing the same with the Democratic mayors of major cities. After years and years of bellowing about “local control,” they are now overruling mayors’ stay-at-home orders in an effort to force people back to work.
As Brownstein writes, “From the office that symbolizes national unity, Trump is pursuing a form of secession from common purpose.” Rather than doing the one thing that might have assured his re-election — guiding an effective national response and bringing the country together to confront the gravest health crisis in a century and the worst economic upheaval since the Great Depression — Trump is consciously tearing the country apart to satisfy his ego and give his followers the red meat they crave.
Americans are worried about losing their jobs, their businesses, their homes, their loved ones. They are worried about dying. Donald Trump thinks he can keep playing his greatest hits and voters will rise up and reward him. He wants to do what he loves, which is campaign and campaign dirty. That’s the only part of the job he knows how to do.
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
This piece was reprinted by Truthout with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.


truthout--2020-05-15--USPS Reportedly Considering Price Hikes as Trump’s Takeover Accelerates

With the leadership of the U.S .
Postal Service soon to be completely under the control of President Donald Trump ’ s appointees , the agency has reportedly launched a review of its package prices and bulk delivery contracts as it faces the possibility of imminent collapse due in large part to the coronavirus crisis .
According to the Washington Post , USPS has in recent weeks “ sought bids from consulting firms to reassess what it charges companies such as Amazon , UPS , and FedEx to deliver products on their behalf — often in the ‘ last mile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ customer ’ s home.
” “ The moves… underscore how Trump is moving closer to reshaping an independent agency he has dubbed ‘ a joke , ' ” the Post reported Thursday , citing anonymous sources familiar with USPS decision-making .
“ Higher package rates would cost shippers and online retailers billions of dollars , potentially spurring them to invest in their own distribution networks instead of relying on the Postal Service.
” Trump has threatened to block any emergency funding for the Postal Service if it does not agree to quadruple its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say would hurt small businesses more than large companies like Amazon , a frequent target of the president ’ s ire .
“ President Trump ’ s clear intent is to raise prices and force a crisis at the Post Office so that his political benefactors at the corporate shippers can increase their company profits at the expense of the people , ” warned the 200,000-member American Postal Workers Union .
“ Trump ’ s plan to increase package prices by four or five times would hasten the demise of the public U.S @ @ @ @ @ @ @ universal delivery to every address in the country.
” Sen. Tom Udall ( D-N.M. ) tweeted Thursday that “ the president ’ s political agenda against the USPS is wrong and dangerous.
” “ Higher package rates make it much harder for working Americans to get what they need — USPS is a vital public service and we need to provide relief to make sure it stays that way , ” said Udall .
News of the Postal Service ’ s decision to launch a review of its prices comes as the Treasury @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the agency in exchange for a $ 10 billion emergency loan approved by Congress in March .
“ Trump and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin have sought to attach terms to a $ 10 billion emergency loan to the USPS that would allow the administration to dictate package prices , review , and alter bulk-discount contracts known as negotiated service agreements ( NSAs ) , appoint the next postmaster general , and direct negotiations with labor unions , ” the Post reported .
The Trump administration ’ s interference with the independent government agency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chairman of the USPS Board of Governors who resigned in protest on April 30 .
Just days later , on May 8 , Deputy Postmaster General Ronald Stroman also submitted his resignation , with some reporting indicating that he was forced out of his position .
Stroman ’ s resignation , which will take effect on June 1 , was particularly alarming to progressives because of his crucial role as the USPS point-man on mail-in voting .
“ Stroman ’ s untimely departure signals deepening chaos and disruption inside the Postal Service at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ season , ” said Kristen Clarke , president and executive director of the Lawyers ’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law .
“ We call on Congress to convene oversight hearings to determine whether the recent wave of leadership shifts at the Postal Service stands to harm the public by jeopardizing implementation of the Census and vote-by-mail amid the pandemic.
” Last week , as Common Dreams reported , the USPS Board of Governors announced its selection of Louis DeJoy , a top GOP and Trump donor , to serve as postmaster general @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chief Megan Brennan on June 15 .
DeJoy will take charge of the agency as it faces an existential crisis : Brennan warned Congress last month that the Postal Service could completely run out of money by the end of September without an infusion of $ 75 billion in emergency funding .
USPS has been hit hard by the decline in mail volume caused by the coronavirus pandemic and it remains shackled by a 2006 congressional mandate requiring the agency to prefund its retirees health benefits through the year 2056 .
Unions representing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawmakers and the Trump administration could attempt to exploit the Covid-19 crisis to advance their longstanding goal of privatizing the agency .
House Democrats , in their $ 3 trillion HEROES Act , are proposing $ 25 billion in emergency funding for the Postal Service and attempting to bar the Trump administration from attaching conditions to the $ 10 billion loan authorized by previous coronavirus stimulus legislation .
“ At the very moment House Democrats are trying to rescue the Postal Service by providing emergency cash and removing onerous loan terms , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and leverage this pandemic to privatize and dismantle the USPS , ” Rep. Gerry Connolly ( D-Va. ) told the Post .
“ It ’ s shameful and will hurt every American and business .
”

Trump threatened to block emergency funding for the Postal Service if it doesn’t agree to quadruple its package prices.
With the leadership of the U.S. Postal Service soon to be completely under the control of President Donald Trump’s appointees, the agency has reportedly launched a review of its package prices and bulk delivery contracts as it faces the possibility of imminent collapse due in large part to the coronavirus crisis.
According to the Washington Post, USPS has in recent weeks “sought bids from consulting firms to reassess what it charges companies such as Amazon, UPS, and FedEx to deliver products on their behalf — often in the ‘last mile’ between a post office and a customer’s home.”
“The moves… underscore how Trump is moving closer to reshaping an independent agency he has dubbed ‘a joke,'” the Post reported Thursday, citing anonymous sources familiar with USPS decision-making. “Higher package rates would cost shippers and online retailers billions of dollars, potentially spurring them to invest in their own distribution networks instead of relying on the Postal Service.”
Trump has threatened to block any emergency funding for the Postal Service if it does not agree to quadruple its package prices, a move that critics say would hurt small businesses more than large companies like Amazon, a frequent target of the president’s ire.
“President Trump’s clear intent is to raise prices and force a crisis at the Post Office so that his political benefactors at the corporate shippers can increase their company profits at the expense of the people,” warned the 200,000-member American Postal Workers Union. “Trump’s plan to increase package prices by four or five times would hasten the demise of the public U.S. Postal Service and end affordable, universal delivery to every address in the country.”
Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) tweeted Thursday that “the president’s political agenda against the USPS is wrong and dangerous.”
“Higher package rates make it much harder for working Americans to get what they need — USPS is a vital public service and we need to provide relief to make sure it stays that way,” said Udall.
News of the Postal Service’s decision to launch a review of its prices comes as the Treasury Department is attempting to impose changes on the agency in exchange for a $10 billion emergency loan approved by Congress in March.
“Trump and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin have sought to attach terms to a $10 billion emergency loan to the USPS that would allow the administration to dictate package prices, review, and alter bulk-discount contracts known as negotiated service agreements (NSAs), appoint the next postmaster general, and direct negotiations with labor unions,” the Post reported.
The Trump administration’s interference with the independent government agency angered David Williams, the former vice chairman of the USPS Board of Governors who resigned in protest on April 30.
Just days later, on May 8, Deputy Postmaster General Ronald Stroman also submitted his resignation, with some reporting indicating that he was forced out of his position. Stroman’s resignation, which will take effect on June 1, was particularly alarming to progressives because of his crucial role as the USPS point-man on mail-in voting.
“Stroman’s untimely departure signals deepening chaos and disruption inside the Postal Service at a critical moment during the 2020 election season,” said Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. “We call on Congress to convene oversight hearings to determine whether the recent wave of leadership shifts at the Postal Service stands to harm the public by jeopardizing implementation of the Census and vote-by-mail amid the pandemic.”
Last week, as Common Dreams reported, the USPS Board of Governors announced its selection of Louis DeJoy, a top GOP and Trump donor, to serve as postmaster general following the retirement of current Postal Service chief Megan Brennan on June 15.
DeJoy will take charge of the agency as it faces an existential crisis: Brennan warned Congress last month that the Postal Service could completely run out of money by the end of September without an infusion of $75 billion in emergency funding.
USPS has been hit hard by the decline in mail volume caused by the coronavirus pandemic and it remains shackled by a 2006 congressional mandate requiring the agency to prefund its retirees health benefits through the year 2056. Unions representing postal workers have repeatedly warned that Republican lawmakers and the Trump administration could attempt to exploit the Covid-19 crisis to advance their longstanding goal of privatizing the agency.
House Democrats, in their $3 trillion HEROES Act, are proposing $25 billion in emergency funding for the Postal Service and attempting to bar the Trump administration from attaching conditions to the $10 billion loan authorized by previous coronavirus stimulus legislation.
“At the very moment House Democrats are trying to rescue the Postal Service by providing emergency cash and removing onerous loan terms, the president and his cronies continue to try and leverage this pandemic to privatize and dismantle the USPS,” Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) told the Post. “It’s shameful and will hurt every American and business.”
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.