truthout--2020-07-08--Trump Threatens to Cut Funding for Schools If They Don’t Reopen in the Fall

President Donald Trump threatened on Wednesday morning to cut federal funding to schools that choose not to reopen their doors this fall in response to concerns about coronavirus .
Trump tweeted his dismay that U.S. schools couldn ’ t reopen the way that other countries in the world were able to do so , and suggested refusing to start classes back up was a ploy by Democrats to hurt him in a political way .
“ In Germany , Denmark , Norway , Sweden and many other countries , SCHOOLS ARE OPEN WITH NO PROBLEMS , ” Trump wrote .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ bad for them politically if U.S. schools open before the November Election , but is important for the children & families.
” “ May cut off funding if not open !
” Trump added at the end of his tweet .
In a second tweet later in the morning , Trump took aim at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ’ s ( CDC ) recommendations for reopening schools , describing them as being too expensive and lacking practicality .
“ I disagree with @ CDCgov on their very tough & expensive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want them open , they are asking schools to do very impractical things , ” Trump said .
During an event on Tuesday that was billed as a conference call with governors across the country , Trump ’ s Education Secretary Betsy DeVos made similar complaints about schools not reopening .
“ Risk is involved in everything we do , from learning to ride a bike to riding a rocket into space and everything in between , ” DeVos added .
Hours after Trump ’ s tweets on Wednesday morning , it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not fully reopen in the fall .
Instead , New York is planning to implement distance learning for students of the largest school district in the country , with staggered in-person attendance for pupils one-to-three days per week , in classrooms with no more than a dozen individuals ( including teachers ) within them .
The CDC has a number of recommendations for schools that plan to reopen this fall , including requiring masks for most students , keeping students distanced in classrooms , and having students sit every-other seat on buses , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread of COVID-19 .
Such rules , if implemented , would likely require an increase in costs for districts across the country .
Trump ’ s complaint over how schools are reopening in Europe fails to take into account the fact that those nations are themselves implementing strong rules for social distancing and other methods for preventing the spread of COVID-19 .
In Germany , for example , hallways go in designated one-way directions , masks must be worn , and desks are assigned , in addition to being socially distanced apart from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strict rules , with elementary students placed in micro-groups away from each other and kept in separate “ zones ” on playground equipment .
They are also required to engage in regular , almost hourly handwashing .
There ’ s another problem with Trump ’ s complaint : coronavirus has been more widespread in the U.S. than it has in the countries he listed .
According to numbers compiled by Our World in Data , the per capita number of cases in the countries listed by Trump in his Wednesday morning tweet are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the United States .
Norway has around 1,648 cases per million residents , while Denmark has about 2,225 cases per million .
Germany is not that much different from Denmark , with about 2,355 cases per million .
Sweden , with 7,262 cases per million residents , comes the closest to the U.S. numbers , which are 9,051 cases per million .

Trump suggested other countries’ schools were reopening, ignoring the fact that U.S. infection rates are much higher.
President Donald Trump threatened on Wednesday morning to cut federal funding to schools that choose not to reopen their doors this fall in response to concerns about coronavirus.
Trump tweeted his dismay that U.S. schools couldn’t reopen the way that other countries in the world were able to do so, and suggested refusing to start classes back up was a ploy by Democrats to hurt him in a political way.
“In Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and many other countries, SCHOOLS ARE OPEN WITH NO PROBLEMS,” Trump wrote. “The Dems think it would be bad for them politically if U.S. schools open before the November Election, but is important for the children & families.”
“May cut off funding if not open!” Trump added at the end of his tweet.
In a second tweet later in the morning, Trump took aim at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) recommendations for reopening schools, describing them as being too expensive and lacking practicality.
“I disagree with @CDCgov on their very tough & expensive guidelines for opening schools. While they want them open, they are asking schools to do very impractical things,” Trump said.
During an event on Tuesday that was billed as a conference call with governors across the country, Trump’s Education Secretary Betsy DeVos made similar complaints about schools not reopening.
“Risk is involved in everything we do, from learning to ride a bike to riding a rocket into space and everything in between,” DeVos added.
Hours after Trump’s tweets on Wednesday morning, it was reported that New York City schools would not fully reopen in the fall. Instead, New York is planning to implement distance learning for students of the largest school district in the country, with staggered in-person attendance for pupils one-to-three days per week, in classrooms with no more than a dozen individuals (including teachers) within them.
The CDC has a number of recommendations for schools that plan to reopen this fall, including requiring masks for most students, keeping students distanced in classrooms, and having students sit every-other seat on buses, among many other ideas to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Such rules, if implemented, would likely require an increase in costs for districts across the country.
Trump’s complaint over how schools are reopening in Europe fails to take into account the fact that those nations are themselves implementing strong rules for social distancing and other methods for preventing the spread of COVID-19.
In Germany, for example, hallways go in designated one-way directions, masks must be worn, and desks are assigned, in addition to being socially distanced apart from one another. Denmark is also implementing strict rules, with elementary students placed in micro-groups away from each other and kept in separate “zones” on playground equipment. They are also required to engage in regular, almost hourly handwashing.
There’s another problem with Trump’s complaint: coronavirus has been more widespread in the U.S. than it has in the countries he listed. According to numbers compiled by Our World in Data, the per capita number of cases in the countries listed by Trump in his Wednesday morning tweet are considerably less than what’s seen in the United States.
Norway has around 1,648 cases per million residents, while Denmark has about 2,225 cases per million. Germany is not that much different from Denmark, with about 2,355 cases per million. Sweden, with 7,262 cases per million residents, comes the closest to the U.S. numbers, which are 9,051 cases per million.
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--2020-07-09--Supreme Court Affirms Tribal Jurisdiction on Oklahoma Reservation Lands

The United States Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that nearly half the entire state of Oklahoma , as far as federal criminal law is concerned , is still under the jurisdiction of Native American tribes .
The plaintiff in the case , Jimcy McGirt , is a member of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma .
Although charged and convicted in state courts , McGirt argued that his case belonged in federal court because the crimes had been committed on tribal land , specifically an area that was designated as belonging to the Muscogee ( Creek ) Nation .
The state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that those lands were no longer “ Indian Country , ” even though no formal law or treaty was made that would suggest as much .
In a 5-4 decision that saw conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch siding with the four liberal bloc justices , the Court ruled in favor of McGirt , finding that major crimes committed on Native American tribal land — described as nearly the entire eastern half of the state of Oklahoma — require federal courts to rule on them , not state ones .
Gorsuch held to a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a theory of jurisprudence that is typically embodied by right-wing jurists .
Since the treaty that established the eastern half of Oklahoma as a reservation had not been formally removed , as far as criminal cases went , it was still in place .
“ Today we are asked whether the land these treaties promised remains an Indian reservation for purposes of federal criminal law , ” Gorsuch wrote in his opinion .
“ Because Congress has not said otherwise , we hold the government to its word.
” In his ruling , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” specifically , an action by the federal government in the 19th century that removed hundreds of thousands of Indigenous People from their lands east of the Mississippi River to Oklahoma .
“ On the far end of the Trail of Tears was a promise .
Forced to leave their ancestral lands in Georgia and Alabama , the Creek Nation received assurances that their new lands in the West would be secure forever , ” Gorsuch wrote .
While the state of Oklahoma or Congress itself might have “ wished ” for tribal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that in itself doesn ’ t allow either to act as if they had .
“ Wishes don ’ t make for laws , and saving the political branches the embarrassment of disestablishing a reservation is not one of our constitutionally assigned prerogatives , ” the justice wrote .
The Native American Rights Fund , an organization “ dedicated to asserting and defending the rights of Indian tribes , ” applauded the ruling .
“ In this case , the Muscogee ( Creek ) Nation had to fight long and hard to protect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their treaty agreements with the United States , ” Native American Rights Fund Executive Director John Echohawk said in a statement .
“ In holding the federal government to its treaty obligations , the U.S. Supreme Court put to rest what never should have been at question.
” Some , including the state of Oklahoma itself , had argued prior to Thursday ’ s decision that ruling in favor of recognizing tribal sovereignty in cases similar to McGirt ’ s could cause thousands of convictions to be tossed out or to require a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nagle , a Cherokee writer who authored an opinion piece in The Atlantic in May , such claims are greatly exaggerated .
Only a “ small fraction ” of convictions — in her estimation , according to research she conducted , “ fewer than 10 percent ” of cases out of potentially 1,887 — “ would actually qualify for a new trial , ” Nagle said .
“ Even for that lucky 10 percent , the prospects of freedom would still be dim , ” Nagle added .
“ They would still have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appeals process — for many , without the right to a lawyer .
”

The United States Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that nearly half the entire state of Oklahoma, as far as federal criminal law is concerned, is still under the jurisdiction of Native American tribes.
The plaintiff in the case, Jimcy McGirt, is a member of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma. Although charged and convicted in state courts, McGirt argued that his case belonged in federal court because the crimes had been committed on tribal land, specifically an area that was designated as belonging to the Muscogee (Creek) Nation.
The state of Oklahoma, meanwhile, had argued that those lands were no longer “Indian Country,” even though no formal law or treaty was made that would suggest as much.
In a 5-4 decision that saw conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch siding with the four liberal bloc justices, the Court ruled in favor of McGirt, finding that major crimes committed on Native American tribal land — described as nearly the entire eastern half of the state of Oklahoma — require federal courts to rule on them, not state ones.
Gorsuch held to a “textualist” vision of the law, a theory of jurisprudence that is typically embodied by right-wing jurists. Since the treaty that established the eastern half of Oklahoma as a reservation had not been formally removed, as far as criminal cases went, it was still in place.
“Today we are asked whether the land these treaties promised remains an Indian reservation for purposes of federal criminal law,” Gorsuch wrote in his opinion. “Because Congress has not said otherwise, we hold the government to its word.”
In his ruling, Gorsuch cited “The Trail of Tears” specifically, an action by the federal government in the 19th century that removed hundreds of thousands of Indigenous People from their lands east of the Mississippi River to Oklahoma.
“On the far end of the Trail of Tears was a promise. Forced to leave their ancestral lands in Georgia and Alabama, the Creek Nation received assurances that their new lands in the West would be secure forever,” Gorsuch wrote.
While the state of Oklahoma or Congress itself might have “wished” for tribal lands to shrink, Gorsuch added, that in itself doesn’t allow either to act as if they had.
“Wishes don’t make for laws, and saving the political branches the embarrassment of disestablishing a reservation is not one of our constitutionally assigned prerogatives,” the justice wrote.
The Native American Rights Fund, an organization “dedicated to asserting and defending the rights of Indian tribes,” applauded the ruling.
“In this case, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation had to fight long and hard to protect their homelands, which were promised in their treaty agreements with the United States,” Native American Rights Fund Executive Director John Echohawk said in a statement. “In holding the federal government to its treaty obligations, the U.S. Supreme Court put to rest what never should have been at question.”
Some, including the state of Oklahoma itself, had argued prior to Thursday’s decision that ruling in favor of recognizing tribal sovereignty in cases similar to McGirt’s could cause thousands of convictions to be tossed out or to require a new trial. Yet according to Rebecca Nagle, a Cherokee writer who authored an opinion piece in The Atlantic in May, such claims are greatly exaggerated.
Only a “small fraction” of convictions — in her estimation, according to research she conducted, “fewer than 10 percent” of cases out of potentially 1,887 — “would actually qualify for a new trial,” Nagle said.
“Even for that lucky 10 percent, the prospects of freedom would still be dim,” Nagle added. “They would still have to go through a long and complicated appeals process — for many, without the right to a lawyer.”
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--2020-07-09--No “Revision” of Guidelines for School Reopenings, CDC Director Says

Following complaints from President Donald Trump about recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) on how schools across the country should reopen in the fall while the coronavirus pandemic rages on , Vice President Mike Pence suggested on Wednesday that the agency would be issuing out new protocols in line with the president ’ s thinking .
But in an interview on Thursday on ABC ’ s “ Good Morning America , ” CDC Director Robert Redfield dispelled notions that new recommendations would be made .
Rather , the updates set to be announced next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issued out .
“ It ’ s not a revision of the guidelines .
It ’ s just to provide additional information to help schools be able to use the guidance that we put forward , ” Redfield said .
Documents that Pence had spoken of that would be released soon by the agency wouldn ’ t change what the CDC had already been recommending , he added .
“ Our guidelines are our guidelines , ” Redfield stated , “ but we are going to provide additional reference documents to aid communities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12.
” Trump on Wednesday bemoaned the idea that some schools across the country might not reopen their doors but continue to use distance learning , or open their doors part-time in order to address worries about the spread of coronavirus .
According to him , however , such efforts were more about hurting him politically than limiting exposure to the disease .
“ The Dems think it would be bad for them politically if U.S. schools open before the November Election , but is important for the children & families , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also suggested he “ may cut off funding ” to schools that do not open in the ways that he thinks they should .
In a separate tweet , Trump criticized the CDC for guidelines that he believes would make reopening school districts “ very tough & expensive.
” “ While they want them open , they are asking schools to do very impractical things , ” Trump said .
Prior to Trump ’ s tweets , Pence ’ s rhetoric was more reflective of what Redfield had suggested on Thursday , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week would be supplemental to the original CDC guidelines .
After Trump ’ s complaints , however , Pence reframed what was going on to address the president ’ s qualms .
“ The president said today we just don ’ t want the guidance to be too tough , ” Pence said on Wednesday after Trump ’ s tweets were made .
“ That ’ s the reason why , next week , CDC is going to be issuing a new set of tools , five different documents that will be giving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forward.
” The CDC has a number of recommendations for schools on how they can reopen safer , if their specific communities deem it possible to do so , including requiring masks for most students , keeping students and their desks safely distanced in the classrooms , and having only every other seat occupied on buses on their way to and from school , for example .
Such moves would likely require the use of more resources , although Trump himself never mentioned in his social media posts which CDC policies he thought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about what guidelines Trump thought were too restrictive or expensive , Redfield mostly avoided answering the question , reiterating that his agency was issuing out guidelines , not requirements for schools to adhere to .

On Thursday, Robert Redfield said the CDC will only be issuing new information to help schools meet existing guidelines.
Following complaints from President Donald Trump about recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on how schools across the country should reopen in the fall while the coronavirus pandemic rages on, Vice President Mike Pence suggested on Wednesday that the agency would be issuing out new protocols in line with the president’s thinking.
But in an interview on Thursday on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” CDC Director Robert Redfield dispelled notions that new recommendations would be made. Rather, the updates set to be announced next week will be supplemental to guidelines already issued out.
“It’s not a revision of the guidelines. It’s just to provide additional information to help schools be able to use the guidance that we put forward,” Redfield said.
Documents that Pence had spoken of that would be released soon by the agency wouldn’t change what the CDC had already been recommending, he added.
“Our guidelines are our guidelines,” Redfield stated, “but we are going to provide additional reference documents to aid communities that are trying to reopen K through 12.”
Trump on Wednesday bemoaned the idea that some schools across the country might not reopen their doors but continue to use distance learning, or open their doors part-time in order to address worries about the spread of coronavirus. According to him, however, such efforts were more about hurting him politically than limiting exposure to the disease.
“The Dems think it would be bad for them politically if U.S. schools open before the November Election, but is important for the children & families,” Trump wrote in a tweet. He also suggested he “may cut off funding” to schools that do not open in the ways that he thinks they should.
In a separate tweet, Trump criticized the CDC for guidelines that he believes would make reopening school districts “very tough & expensive.”
“While they want them open, they are asking schools to do very impractical things,” Trump said.
Prior to Trump’s tweets, Pence’s rhetoric was more reflective of what Redfield had suggested on Thursday, that new information set to be released next week would be supplemental to the original CDC guidelines. After Trump’s complaints, however, Pence reframed what was going on to address the president’s qualms.
“The president said today we just don’t want the guidance to be too tough,” Pence said on Wednesday after Trump’s tweets were made. “That’s the reason why, next week, CDC is going to be issuing a new set of tools, five different documents that will be giving even more clarity on the guidance going forward.”
The CDC has a number of recommendations for schools on how they can reopen safer, if their specific communities deem it possible to do so, including requiring masks for most students, keeping students and their desks safely distanced in the classrooms, and having only every other seat occupied on buses on their way to and from school, for example. Such moves would likely require the use of more resources, although Trump himself never mentioned in his social media posts which CDC policies he thought were too onerous to follow.
Asked about what guidelines Trump thought were too restrictive or expensive, Redfield mostly avoided answering the question, reiterating that his agency was issuing out guidelines, not requirements for schools to adhere to.
“It was intentionally non-prescriptive,” he added.
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--2020-07-09--A Bad Day for Trump Is a Good Day for the Country

If you were hoping to see Donald Trump ’ s financial records before the 2020 election , today was not your day .
If you were hoping to go to bed tonight in a nation with a president and not a sovereign , sleep tight , because you won .
In two Supreme Court decisions freighted with the potential for generational impact — Trump v. Vance and Trump v. Mazars — a 7-2 majority remanded both cases back to the lower courts for further review while delivering a slashing rebuke to a president who would put himself outside the scope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ powers .
Specifically in Vance , the court resoundingly affirmed that the president of the United States is not above the law .
“ Two hundred years ago , a great jurist of our Court established that no citizen , not even the President , is categorically above the common duty to produce evidence when called upon in a criminal proceeding , ” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the majority .
“ We reaffirm that principle today and hold that the President is neither absolutely immune from state criminal subpoenas seeking his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ standard of need.
” The Vance ruling concluded by returning the case to the lower courts , because after having settled the issue of absolute immunity , the majority held that Trump still has the right to redress the other proffered arguments .
“ The arguments presented here and in the Court of Appeals were limited to absolute immunity and heightened need , ” wrote Roberts .
“ The Court of Appeals , however , has directed that the case be returned to the District Court , where the President may raise further @ @ @ @ @ @ @ General Cyrus Vance Jr. stands a very strong chance of prevailing in the upcoming lower court arguments for his case .
“ This is a tremendous victory for our nation ’ s system of justice and its founding principle that no one — not even a president — is above the law , ” said Vance in a statement .
“ Our investigation , which was delayed for almost a year by this lawsuit , will resume , guided as always by the grand jury ’ s solemn obligation to follow the law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lead.
” The Mazars ruling was another disappointing decision for those seeking to make Trump ’ s financial records public before the presidential election .
Certainly , Democratic House members were hoping for a different outcome .
That being said , the Mazars ruling was not a death blow to the efforts toward obtaining those documents — the Supreme Court justices punted it back to the lower courts because , they argued , the serious issues of separation of powers deserve more scrutiny before an ultimate ruling .
“ Congressional subpoenas for information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ special concerns regarding the separation of powers , ” reads the majority decision .
“ The courts below did not take adequate account of those concerns .
The judgments of the Courts of Appeals for the D. C. Circuit and the Second Circuit are vacated , and the cases are remanded for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.
” More importantly , however , the justices could have ruled that the president does not have to heed congressional subpoenas or endure congressional oversight .
The court did not do so , and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Between Vance and Mazars , the court was clear : The separation of powers stands , and Donald Trump is not a king .
Attorney General Vance has been seeking financial documents from the Trump Organization to determine if that organization falsified business records to cover up hush money to two women whom Trump reportedly had affairs with .
Congress wanted Trump ’ s tax records because providing tax records is what presidents have done for decades , and House investigators want to know who may be pulling Trump ’ s financial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national security .
Vance won , while Congress has suffered a setback but remains in the fight if it chooses to pursue it .
As the tax documents will not be provided to House committees before the election per the Mazars ruling , it remains to be seen if they will maintain this effort absent its hoped-for political impact .
House Speaker Pelosi certainly sounded like the issue is not settled .
“ We have a path that the Supreme Court has laid out that we will certainly not ignore , ” she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will never stop our oversight.
” Trump allies fanned out saying this is a great day for the White House .
You wouldn ’ t know it from Trump ’ s Twitter feed .
The president , for lack of a better description , is volcanically pissed .
Adding insult to injury , Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh — each Trump appointees he fought hard for — sided with Roberts and the majority in both cases .
That has to burn .
This day could have been much worse for Trump , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for years to keep these tax documents secret .
The massive review of Trump ’ s older family financial records released by The New York Times in 2018 tell a fair portion of the utterly corrupt tale , but more recent data has remained beyond the public ’ s reach , and remains so today .
The fact that his records will in all likelihood fall into the hands of a New York grand jury is not welcome news for Trump .
However , he avoided the fate of Richard Nixon , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying to keep the Watergate tapes secret , and was soon forced to resign .
Conversely , this day could have been utterly calamitous for the nation and its constitutional framework .
Had the high court accepted Trump ’ s broad claims of immunity in either Vance or Mazars , the office of the president would have been placed forever above the reach of law or oversight , and the republic itself would have crumbled before dinner .
Put this day at court in the bank and call it a win , though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anything that infuriates Trump like this has to be a good thing .

The Supreme Court has affirmed that the president of the United States is not above the law. Trump is infuriated.
If you were hoping to see Donald Trump’s financial records before the 2020 election, today was not your day. If you were hoping to go to bed tonight in a nation with a president and not a sovereign, sleep tight, because you won.
In two Supreme Court decisions freighted with the potential for generational impact — Trump v. Vance and Trump v. Mazars — a 7-2 majority remanded both cases back to the lower courts for further review while delivering a slashing rebuke to a president who would put himself outside the scope of oversight and the constitutional separation of powers.
Specifically in Vance, the court resoundingly affirmed that the president of the United States is not above the law. “Two hundred years ago, a great jurist of our Court established that no citizen, not even the President, is categorically above the common duty to produce evidence when called upon in a criminal proceeding,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the majority. “We reaffirm that principle today and hold that the President is neither absolutely immune from state criminal subpoenas seeking his private papers nor entitled to a heightened standard of need.”
The Vance ruling concluded by returning the case to the lower courts, because after having settled the issue of absolute immunity, the majority held that Trump still has the right to redress the other proffered arguments. “The arguments presented here and in the Court of Appeals were limited to absolute immunity and heightened need,” wrote Roberts. “The Court of Appeals, however, has directed that the case be returned to the District Court, where the President may raise further arguments as appropriate.”
District Attorney of New York County Cyrus Vance Jr. stands a very strong chance of prevailing in the upcoming lower court arguments for his case. “This is a tremendous victory for our nation’s system of justice and its founding principle that no one — not even a president — is above the law,” said Vance in a statement. “Our investigation, which was delayed for almost a year by this lawsuit, will resume, guided as always by the grand jury’s solemn obligation to follow the law and the facts, wherever they may lead.”
The Mazars ruling was another disappointing decision for those seeking to make Trump’s financial records public before the presidential election. Certainly, Democratic House members were hoping for a different outcome. That being said, the Mazars ruling was not a death blow to the efforts toward obtaining those documents — the Supreme Court justices punted it back to the lower courts because, they argued, the serious issues of separation of powers deserve more scrutiny before an ultimate ruling.
“Congressional subpoenas for information from the President, however, implicate special concerns regarding the separation of powers,” reads the majority decision. “The courts below did not take adequate account of those concerns. The judgments of the Courts of Appeals for the D. C. Circuit and the Second Circuit are vacated, and the cases are remanded for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.”
More importantly, however, the justices could have ruled that the president does not have to heed congressional subpoenas or endure congressional oversight. The court did not do so, and that terrible possibility did not come to pass. Between Vance and Mazars, the court was clear: The separation of powers stands, and Donald Trump is not a king.
Attorney General Vance has been seeking financial documents from the Trump Organization to determine if that organization falsified business records to cover up hush money to two women whom Trump reportedly had affairs with. Congress wanted Trump’s tax records because providing tax records is what presidents have done for decades, and House investigators want to know who may be pulling Trump’s financial strings, perhaps in ways that damage national security.
Vance won, while Congress has suffered a setback but remains in the fight if it chooses to pursue it. As the tax documents will not be provided to House committees before the election per the Mazars ruling, it remains to be seen if they will maintain this effort absent its hoped-for political impact. House Speaker Pelosi certainly sounded like the issue is not settled. “We have a path that the Supreme Court has laid out that we will certainly not ignore,” she said on Thursday, “and we will never stop our oversight.”
Trump allies fanned out saying this is a great day for the White House. You wouldn’t know it from Trump’s Twitter feed. The president, for lack of a better description, is volcanically pissed.
We have a totally corrupt previous Administration, including a President and Vice President who spied on my campaign, AND GOT CAUGHT…and nothing happens to them. This crime was taking place even before my election, everyone knows it, and yet all are frozen stiff with fear…. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 9, 2020
Courts in the past have given “broad deference”. BUT NOT ME! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 9, 2020
The Supreme Court sends case back to Lower Court, arguments to continue. This is all a political prosecution. I won the Mueller Witch Hunt, and others, and now I have to keep fighting in a politically corrupt New York. Not fair to this Presidency or Administration! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 9, 2020
Adding insult to injury, Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh — each Trump appointees he fought hard for — sided with Roberts and the majority in both cases. That has to burn.
This day could have been much worse for Trump, who has fought like a cornered wolverine for years to keep these tax documents secret. The massive review of Trump’s older family financial records released by The New York Times in 2018 tell a fair portion of the utterly corrupt tale, but more recent data has remained beyond the public’s reach, and remains so today.
The fact that his records will in all likelihood fall into the hands of a New York grand jury is not welcome news for Trump. However, he avoided the fate of Richard Nixon, who lost unanimously before the high court in trying to keep the Watergate tapes secret, and was soon forced to resign.
Conversely, this day could have been utterly calamitous for the nation and its constitutional framework. Had the high court accepted Trump’s broad claims of immunity in either Vance or Mazars, the office of the president would have been placed forever above the reach of law or oversight, and the republic itself would have crumbled before dinner.
Put this day at court in the bank and call it a win, though not a complete one. Still, anything that infuriates Trump like this has to be a good thing.
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--2020-07-09--UN Report Links Disease Outbreaks to Climate Crisis and Industrial Farming

As the unprecedented global health emergency continues to unfold , a new United Nations report says humans must lower stress on the natural environment to prevent the next pandemic .
COVID-19 , the disease caused by the novel coronavirus , has a zoonotic origin , meaning it jumped from animals to humans , and the U.N. report finds that such diseases are spreading with greater frequency due to human activity , including industrial farming and the climate crisis .
“ Rather than focusing on the symptoms , we were looking at the causes , ” says Delia Grace , lead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the International Livestock Research Institute in Kenya and professor of food safety at the U.K. Natural Resources Institute .
This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : This is Democracy Now !
, democracynow.org , The Quarantine Report .
I ’ m Amy Goodman , with Nermeen Shaikh .
As the global health emergency caused by the coronavirus continues to unfold , we look now at a new United Nations report on how to prevent the next pandemic .
The COVID-19 virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jumped from animals to humans .
It spilled over .
Other zoonotic diseases include Ebola , MERS , HIV/AIDS and the West Nile virus .
Researchers with the United Nations found zoonotic diseases are spreading with greater frequency because of stresses humans have placed on animal habitats , including industrial farming and the climate crisis .
Their new report outlines steps for how to break this chain of transmission .
It was published Monday , which was World Zoonoses Day , commemorating the work of the French biologist Louis Pasteur .
It was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administered the first vaccine against rabies , a zoonotic disease .
For more , we ’ re going to Nairobi , , Kenya , where we ’ re joined by Delia Grace , lead author of this report by the United Nations Environment Programme and the International Livestock Research Institute .
She ’ s also professor of food safety systems at the Natural Resources Institute .
We welcome you to Democracy Now !
, Delia Grace .
If you can start off by laying out what you have found ?
DELIA GRACE : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a pleasure to be here and to share some of the findings from my report .
One of the novelties or the unique aspects of this report is that while there have been many attempts to understand the impacts of COVID-19 and how to manage it and how to deal with the economic and other social kind of aspects of it , there has been much less attention paid to the actual causes of COVID , why it came , and will something similar come again .
And this is what our report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so much about how to deal with pandemics , but why they come in the first place and how we can prevent them or catch them early so they do less harm .
Our main findings , I think , were to focus firstly on the drivers of zoonoses , of emerging zoonoses .
So , rather than focusing on the symptoms , we were looking at the causes .
And then , our next major part of the report was looking at recommendations and what should be done .
So , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And maybe if you have some specific questions , I can go back to those in more detail .
NERMEEN SHAIKH : Well , Professor Delia Grace , before we get into more details from your report , I also want to say that it ’ s striking that already before the coronavirus , 2 million people every year died from zoonotic diseases .
So , can you say a little about what those diseases are and why they ’ ve not been talked about ?
You also , in the report , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemics from some of these diseases .
Could you talk about what those are and what areas are most at risk ?
DELIA GRACE : So , in epidemiology , which is the study of diseases , we often make a distinction between what we call endemic disease and epidemic disease .
So , endemic diseases are those which are present more or less continuously in a population .
And the epidemic diseases are ones which suddenly increase in their geographical spread or the number of people they affect .
So , most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dying of the first type , the endemic diseases , the diseases which have been mainly controlled in rich countries , and so most of the sickness and death occurs in poor countries .
And that ’ s why , I think , it has received less attention .
If these diseases were equally prevalent or common in rich countries , they would get a lot more notice , a lot more news coverage , and maybe better control .
On the other hand , it ’ s the emerging diseases which are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country to country , like we ’ ve seen with COVID-19 and like we saw with West Nile virus and Riff Valley fever and avian influenza and swine flu .
So , these are the diseases which typically kill far fewer people .
I mean , COVID-19 has killed a lot of people , but some of the other diseases — mad cow disease , the SARS , sudden acute respiratory syndrome , which was a problem in the early 2000s — actually had less effect on human health but more effect on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they got into rich countries .
So , yes .
So , a lot of the problem of these zoonotic diseases is poverty and lack of development and people living in places where they ’ re in very close contact with animals , sometimes in the same house — chickens kept under the bed , because if they ’ re not under the bed , they ’ re going to be stolen — and also health services which are not very good .
So , this combination of poverty , people highly dependent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health services is a lethal cocktail for these zoonotic diseases , diseases which jump between people — animals and people , and the other way around , people and animals .
AMY GOODMAN : And can you talk about how the climate crisis plays into this , and this whole issue of it ’ s not animals encroaching on land where humans are , it ’ s humans increasingly encroaching — for example , the issue of deforestation forcing out animals from their natural habitat who would not want to be interacting with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s land fragmentation .
It ’ s also extractive industries , especially in Africa , Southeast Asia .
We ’ ve seen a big uptick in things like logging , mining .
Many of these require roads to get in , to get the resources out .
Many of these resources are not being — they ’ re being exported .
They ’ re not being used by the local communities .
But these roads also then offer a way to get the livestock or the wildlife out from their pristine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ areas into the emerging urban markets , where they ’ re often in demand by wealthy elites as exotic foods , which can — yeah , which provides income for very poor people .
So , habitat fragmentation , land-use change has a big role in this .
In terms of climate change , it ’ s not so much that it drives the emergence of disease , that it helps disease jump from one animal to another or from animals to people , but rather that it changes the distribution of pathogens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which cause disease — and also what we call vectors , which are often insects or other animals that move pathogens around , such as mosquitoes or midges or flies .
And many of these are dependent on climate factors , such as humidity , rainfall , growing season , air temperature .
So , when you get climate change , you get vectors and disease-causing organisms moving , coming to new places .
And what they encounter there is naive populations , people who have not been exposed to these .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreaks of epidemics of disease .
So climate change is less a direct driver and more a facilitator of these pandemics we are increasingly seeing .
NERMEEN SHAIKH : Professor Grace , many of the diseases , zoonotic diseases , have their origins now in the Global South .
One thinks of Ebola , the West Nile virus and earlier coronaviruses .
But you ’ ve pointed out that previously , ’ til as recently as the year 2000 — so just 20 years ago — most new human diseases , zoonotic diseases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Europe and North America .
So , what is it that changed ?
DELIA GRACE : Yes .
I think there ’ s — I mean , one complication is that it ’ s really only in the last century we ’ ve had good records of emerging diseases .
And certainly we have better ability to detect the diseases in rich countries , whereas that is now changing .
Some of the best diagnostic facilities are now in Southeast Asia and China and in other countries .
So there is an element @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increased .
But there also , we believe — and , you know , we have published on this — it also appears to be driven by the switch in low- and middle-income countries to highly intensive industrial agriculture , which was not a phenomenon even a hundred years ago , and also the increasingly rapid degradation of natural resources , driven by population growth but also people ’ s increasing demand for animal protein .
And our study we did in the last decade suggested that emerging diseases were now shifting increasingly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more common and , B , increasingly coming from the Global South .
AMY GOODMAN : Can you talk about Uganda , mentioned in the report as a leading example of how to manage zoonotic diseases ?
DELIA GRACE : We actually see several — you know , one of the most encouraging and saddening issues with these emerging diseases is that they are actually not terribly difficult to control , if you only invest in them in the right places and at the right time .
So , we gave an example @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community-level workers .
So it ’ s basically training communities to — and working with them and learning from them , because they are the people who often have the greatest knowledge of the diseases they face , but they don ’ t have the ability always to report them or to manage them .
So it ’ s basically working with communities in order to manage diseases at a local level before they become a problem .
And this was an example of training environmental officers who could work with the communities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ low cost , and was able to demonstrate good benefits on reduction of disease control .
In Kenya , too , where I work , we have what ’ s called the Zoonotic Disease Unit , which brings together the government , different ministries with the government , from health , from environment , from veterinary , as well as researchers like myself .
And again , this unit has been extremely successful in dealing with these zoonotic diseases , because zoonoses occur , as we say , at the intersection .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wildlife , livestock and the environment .
And things which happen at the intersection can best be managed at the intersection .
And that ’ s how bringing together these groups has been very successful in Africa , I would say more successful than in Europe or in America .
AMY GOODMAN : Delia Grace , we want to thank you very much for being with us .
A quick question : Another , what people don ’ t usually think of as a zoonotic disease , I would guess , is Lyme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chronic condition — right ?
— where ticks are transferring the virus into humans .
DELIA GRACE : Yes , I mean , and that is a classic disease , again , which has environmental and wildlife elements and land-use change .
We identified land-use change as a key driver .
So , we ’ ve seen a complete ecological transformation , especially in parts of Europe and northern America .
And this has allowed diseases to behave in ways , partly because the predators were removed from the system , so therefore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then you get far more ticks .
And then also you get people wanting to interact with the environment .
And then you get outbreaks of zoonotic diseases .
And that can be managed best — one of the other key premises for this one health approach is that rather than treating the sick human , waiting ’ til the human get sick and then trying to treat them , we treat the environment .
We try to get a healthy environment so that people don ’ t get sick in the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we want to thank you so much for being with us .
Of course , we have to comment that this week in the United States , the worst surge for coronavirus during the pandemic is the time that the president of the United States is pulling the United States out of the World Health Organization .
Delia Grace , lead author of a new report by the United Nations Environment Programme and the International Livestock Research Institute titled “ Preventing the next pandemic–Zoonotic diseases and how to break the chain of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that at democracynow.org .
She ’ s also professor of food safety systems at the Natural Resources Institute , speaking to us from Nairobi , Kenya .
This is Democracy Now !
When we come back , we will talk about the Democratic Republic of Congo and Belgium ’ s legacy there .
We will speak with the great-grandniece of King Leopold II , who considered the Congo his own personal fiefdom .
Stay with us .

As the unprecedented global health emergency continues to unfold, a new United Nations report says humans must lower stress on the natural environment to prevent the next pandemic. COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, has a zoonotic origin, meaning it jumped from animals to humans, and the U.N. report finds that such diseases are spreading with greater frequency due to human activity, including industrial farming and the climate crisis. “Rather than focusing on the symptoms, we were looking at the causes,” says Delia Grace, lead author of the report, veterinary epidemiologist at the International Livestock Research Institute in Kenya and professor of food safety at the U.K. Natural Resources Institute.
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The Quarantine Report. I’m Amy Goodman, with Nermeen Shaikh. As the global health emergency caused by the coronavirus continues to unfold, we look now at a new United Nations report on how to prevent the next pandemic.
The COVID-19 virus has a zoonotic origin, meaning it jumped from animals to humans. It spilled over. Other zoonotic diseases include Ebola, MERS, HIV/AIDS and the West Nile virus. Researchers with the United Nations found zoonotic diseases are spreading with greater frequency because of stresses humans have placed on animal habitats, including industrial farming and the climate crisis.
Their new report outlines steps for how to break this chain of transmission. It was published Monday, which was World Zoonoses Day, commemorating the work of the French biologist Louis Pasteur. It was July 6, 1885, when Pasteur administered the first vaccine against rabies, a zoonotic disease.
For more, we’re going to Nairobi,, Kenya, where we’re joined by Delia Grace, lead author of this report by the United Nations Environment Programme and the International Livestock Research Institute. She’s also professor of food safety systems at the Natural Resources Institute.
We welcome you to Democracy Now!, Delia Grace. If you can start off by laying out what you have found?
DELIA GRACE: Thank you, and it’s a pleasure to be here and to share some of the findings from my report.
One of the novelties or the unique aspects of this report is that while there have been many attempts to understand the impacts of COVID-19 and how to manage it and how to deal with the economic and other social kind of aspects of it, there has been much less attention paid to the actual causes of COVID, why it came, and will something similar come again. And this is what our report focuses on. It’s not so much about how to deal with pandemics, but why they come in the first place and how we can prevent them or catch them early so they do less harm.
Our main findings, I think, were to focus firstly on the drivers of zoonoses, of emerging zoonoses. So, rather than focusing on the symptoms, we were looking at the causes. And then, our next major part of the report was looking at recommendations and what should be done. So, that’s just a quick overview. And maybe if you have some specific questions, I can go back to those in more detail.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: Well, Professor Delia Grace, before we get into more details from your report, I also want to say that it’s striking that already before the coronavirus, 2 million people every year died from zoonotic diseases. So, can you say a little about what those diseases are and why they’ve not been talked about? You also, in the report, anticipate further pandemics from these — potential pandemics from some of these diseases. Could you talk about what those are and what areas are most at risk?
DELIA GRACE: So, in epidemiology, which is the study of diseases, we often make a distinction between what we call endemic disease and epidemic disease. So, endemic diseases are those which are present more or less continuously in a population. And the epidemic diseases are ones which suddenly increase in their geographical spread or the number of people they affect.
So, most of the people dying of zoonoses are dying of the first type, the endemic diseases, the diseases which have been mainly controlled in rich countries, and so most of the sickness and death occurs in poor countries. And that’s why, I think, it has received less attention. If these diseases were equally prevalent or common in rich countries, they would get a lot more notice, a lot more news coverage, and maybe better control.
On the other hand, it’s the emerging diseases which are new and which can spread rapidly from country to country, like we’ve seen with COVID-19 and like we saw with West Nile virus and Riff Valley fever and avian influenza and swine flu. So, these are the diseases which typically kill far fewer people. I mean, COVID-19 has killed a lot of people, but some of the other diseases — mad cow disease, the SARS, sudden acute respiratory syndrome, which was a problem in the early 2000s — actually had less effect on human health but more effect on human economies, and that was because they got into rich countries.
So, yes. So, a lot of the problem of these zoonotic diseases is poverty and lack of development and people living in places where they’re in very close contact with animals, sometimes in the same house — chickens kept under the bed, because if they’re not under the bed, they’re going to be stolen — and also health services which are not very good. So, this combination of poverty, people highly dependent on animals, degraded environments and poor health services is a lethal cocktail for these zoonotic diseases, diseases which jump between people — animals and people, and the other way around, people and animals.
AMY GOODMAN: And can you talk about how the climate crisis plays into this, and this whole issue of it’s not animals encroaching on land where humans are, it’s humans increasingly encroaching — for example, the issue of deforestation forcing out animals from their natural habitat who would not want to be interacting with humans?
DELIA GRACE: Yes, it’s land fragmentation. It’s also extractive industries, especially in Africa, Southeast Asia. We’ve seen a big uptick in things like logging, mining. Many of these require roads to get in, to get the resources out. Many of these resources are not being — they’re being exported. They’re not being used by the local communities. But these roads also then offer a way to get the livestock or the wildlife out from their pristine, their previously kind safe, isolated areas into the emerging urban markets, where they’re often in demand by wealthy elites as exotic foods, which can — yeah, which provides income for very poor people. So, habitat fragmentation, land-use change has a big role in this.
In terms of climate change, it’s not so much that it drives the emergence of disease, that it helps disease jump from one animal to another or from animals to people, but rather that it changes the distribution of pathogens — that’s of the things which cause disease — and also what we call vectors, which are often insects or other animals that move pathogens around, such as mosquitoes or midges or flies. And many of these are dependent on climate factors, such as humidity, rainfall, growing season, air temperature. So, when you get climate change, you get vectors and disease-causing organisms moving, coming to new places. And what they encounter there is naive populations, people who have not been exposed to these. And that’s when you can get outbreaks of epidemics of disease. So climate change is less a direct driver and more a facilitator of these pandemics we are increasingly seeing.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: Professor Grace, many of the diseases, zoonotic diseases, have their origins now in the Global South. One thinks of Ebola, the West Nile virus and earlier coronaviruses. But you’ve pointed out that previously, ’til as recently as the year 2000 — so just 20 years ago — most new human diseases, zoonotic diseases, originated in the western seaboards of Europe and North America. So, what is it that changed?
DELIA GRACE: Yes. I think there’s — I mean, one complication is that it’s really only in the last century we’ve had good records of emerging diseases. And certainly we have better ability to detect the diseases in rich countries, whereas that is now changing. Some of the best diagnostic facilities are now in Southeast Asia and China and in other countries. So there is an element of our ability to detect diseases has increased.
But there also, we believe — and, you know, we have published on this — it also appears to be driven by the switch in low- and middle-income countries to highly intensive industrial agriculture, which was not a phenomenon even a hundred years ago, and also the increasingly rapid degradation of natural resources, driven by population growth but also people’s increasing demand for animal protein. And our study we did in the last decade suggested that emerging diseases were now shifting increasingly. They were, A, getting more common and, B, increasingly coming from the Global South.
AMY GOODMAN: Can you talk about Uganda, mentioned in the report as a leading example of how to manage zoonotic diseases?
DELIA GRACE: We actually see several — you know, one of the most encouraging and saddening issues with these emerging diseases is that they are actually not terribly difficult to control, if you only invest in them in the right places and at the right time.
So, we gave an example in Uganda, where basically it was community-level workers. So it’s basically training communities to — and working with them and learning from them, because they are the people who often have the greatest knowledge of the diseases they face, but they don’t have the ability always to report them or to manage them. So it’s basically working with communities in order to manage diseases at a local level before they become a problem. And this was an example of training environmental officers who could work with the communities, in the communities, at relatively low cost, and was able to demonstrate good benefits on reduction of disease control.
In Kenya, too, where I work, we have what’s called the Zoonotic Disease Unit, which brings together the government, different ministries with the government, from health, from environment, from veterinary, as well as researchers like myself. And again, this unit has been extremely successful in dealing with these zoonotic diseases, because zoonoses occur, as we say, at the intersection. They occur at the intersection of humans, wildlife, livestock and the environment. And things which happen at the intersection can best be managed at the intersection. And that’s how bringing together these groups has been very successful in Africa, I would say more successful than in Europe or in America.
AMY GOODMAN: Delia Grace, we want to thank you very much for being with us. A quick question: Another, what people don’t usually think of as a zoonotic disease, I would guess, is Lyme disease in the United States, this chronic condition — right? — where ticks are transferring the virus into humans.
DELIA GRACE: Yes, I mean, and that is a classic disease, again, which has environmental and wildlife elements and land-use change. We identified land-use change as a key driver. So, we’ve seen a complete ecological transformation, especially in parts of Europe and northern America. And this has allowed diseases to behave in ways, partly because the predators were removed from the system, so therefore you got far more deer, and then you get far more ticks. And then also you get people wanting to interact with the environment. And then you get outbreaks of zoonotic diseases.
And that can be managed best — one of the other key premises for this one health approach is that rather than treating the sick human, waiting ’til the human get sick and then trying to treat them, we treat the environment. We try to get a healthy environment so that people don’t get sick in the first place.
AMY GOODMAN: Delia Grace, we want to thank you so much for being with us. Of course, we have to comment that this week in the United States, the worst surge for coronavirus during the pandemic is the time that the president of the United States is pulling the United States out of the World Health Organization. Delia Grace, lead author of a new report by the United Nations Environment Programme and the International Livestock Research Institute titled “Preventing the next pandemic–Zoonotic diseases and how to break the chain of transmission.” We’ll link to that at democracynow.org. She’s also professor of food safety systems at the Natural Resources Institute, speaking to us from Nairobi, Kenya.
This is Democracy Now! When we come back, we will talk about the Democratic Republic of Congo and Belgium’s legacy there. We will speak with the great-grandniece of King Leopold II, who considered the Congo his own personal fiefdom. Stay with us.


truthout--2020-07-09--Sanders: “Richest 1 Percent Is Responsible for 70 Percent of All Unpaid Taxes”

A Congressional Budget Office report commissioned by Sen. Bernie Sanders and published Wednesday found the amount of unpaid taxes from 2011 to 2013 averaged around $ 381 billion per year , a revenue shortfall the Vermont senator called an “ absolute outrage ” that is largely the result of big corporations and “ wealthy tax cheats ” dodging their obligations .
“ The richest 1 % is responsible for 70 % of all unpaid taxes , ” Sanders said in a statement late Wednesday , pointing to a separate study of the so-called “ tax gap ” published last November @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out Wednesday found that massive Internal Revenue Service budget cuts and staff reductions over the past decade have resulted in a sharp decline in examination and enforcement of tax underpayment and avoidance .
“ Enforcement activity for many high-income nonfilers has been reduced to a series of notices , ” the report says .
The CBO ’ s findings bolster reporting by ProPublica last year that found the IRS “ now audits poor Americans at about the same rate as the top 1 % ” due in part to the high costs of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The IRS examination rate for the largest corporations , those with $ 20 billion or more in assets , dropped by about half from 2010 to 2018 , ” Sanders ’ office noted .
“ The wealthiest taxpayers , with more than $ 1 million in income , saw their audit rate cut by 63 % during the same time period.
” If the federal government collected the hundreds of billions in unpaid taxes owed mostly by the richest Americans , Sanders pointed out , “ we could fund tuition-free college @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ensure clean drinking water for every American household , build half a million affordable housing units , provide masks to all , produce the protective gear and medical supplies our health workers need to combat this pandemic , and fully fund the U.S .
Postal Service.
” “ That is an absolute outrage , and this report should make us take a long , hard look at what our national priorities are all about , ” said Sanders .
“ Congress is leaving hundreds of billions of dollars in taxes uncollected from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the IRS budget for audits and collections by $ 20 billion over the next decade would increase federal tax revenue by $ 61 billion—and , as a result , reduce the federal budget deficit by $ 40 billion .
“ For every dollar we invest in getting the IRS the staffing and resources it needs , we get three dollars back in unpaid taxes .
Make no mistake : the primary beneficiaries of IRS funding cuts are wealthy tax cheats and large corporations , ” said Sanders .
“ Do not think for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Earth is unable to make critical investments to meet people ’ s basic needs in terms of healthcare , food security , education , and unemployment .
”

A Congressional Budget Office report commissioned by Sen. Bernie Sanders and published Wednesday found the amount of unpaid taxes from 2011 to 2013 averaged around $381 billion per year, a revenue shortfall the Vermont senator called an “absolute outrage” that is largely the result of big corporations and “wealthy tax cheats” dodging their obligations.
“The richest 1% is responsible for 70% of all unpaid taxes,” Sanders said in a statement late Wednesday, pointing to a separate study of the so-called “tax gap” published last November.
The CBO analysis (pdf) out Wednesday found that massive Internal Revenue Service budget cuts and staff reductions over the past decade have resulted in a sharp decline in examination and enforcement of tax underpayment and avoidance.
“Enforcement activity for many high-income nonfilers has been reduced to a series of notices,” the report says. The CBO’s findings bolster reporting by ProPublica last year that found the IRS “now audits poor Americans at about the same rate as the top 1%” due in part to the high costs of examining the tax returns of the rich.
“The IRS examination rate for the largest corporations, those with $20 billion or more in assets, dropped by about half from 2010 to 2018,” Sanders’ office noted. “The wealthiest taxpayers, with more than $1 million in income, saw their audit rate cut by 63% during the same time period.”
If the federal government collected the hundreds of billions in unpaid taxes owed mostly by the richest Americans, Sanders pointed out, “we could fund tuition-free college for all, eliminate child hunger, ensure clean drinking water for every American household, build half a million affordable housing units, provide masks to all, produce the protective gear and medical supplies our health workers need to combat this pandemic, and fully fund the U.S. Postal Service.”
“That is an absolute outrage, and this report should make us take a long, hard look at what our national priorities are all about,” said Sanders. “Congress is leaving hundreds of billions of dollars in taxes uncollected from the wealthy.”
The CBO found that boosting the IRS budget for audits and collections by $20 billion over the next decade would increase federal tax revenue by $61 billion—and, as a result, reduce the federal budget deficit by $40 billion.
“For every dollar we invest in getting the IRS the staffing and resources it needs, we get three dollars back in unpaid taxes. Make no mistake: the primary beneficiaries of IRS funding cuts are wealthy tax cheats and large corporations,” said Sanders. “Do not think for one second that the wealthiest country on Earth is unable to make critical investments to meet people’s basic needs in terms of healthcare, food security, education, and unemployment.”
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truthout--2020-07-09--Health Official Says Tulsa’s Spike in COVID Cases Likely Linked to Trump Rally

A public health official in Tulsa , Oklahoma , suggested this week that President Donald Trump ’ s campaign rally in the city last month likely caused a spike in new cases of coronavirus seen in the jurisdiction .
Trump held a campaign rally indoors at the BOK Center in Tulsa on June 20 .
Bruce Dart , the director of the Tulsa City-Council Health Department , explained on Wednesday that large events like Trump ’ s rally likely resulted in the spread of COVID-19 in the city and county since that time .
While the health department does not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people contracted the virus , speaking broadly , Dart said that large gatherings in recent weeks ( which would include the Trump rally ) “ more than likely ” contributed to an increase in numbers .
“ In the past few days , we ’ ve seen almost 500 new cases , and we had several large events just over two weeks ago , so I guess we just connect the dots , ” Dart explained .
On the Monday and Tuesday before Trump ’ s campaign rally in Tulsa took place , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus reported .
Conversely , this week ’ s totals from Monday and Tuesday saw a total of 467 new cases .
Before Trump hosted his event , Dart had warned about him coming to the city , arguing it was a bad idea due to the potential harm it could cause with regard to the disease .
“ I think it ’ s an honor for Tulsa to have a sitting president want to come and visit our community , but not during a pandemic , ” Dart said the week before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m concerned about our ability to protect anyone who attends a large , indoor event , and I ’ m also concerned about our ability to ensure the president stays safe as well.
” The suggestion that Tulsa ’ s coronavirus numbers increased because of large events in the area recently , including Trump ’ s rally , comes as the president ’ s reelection campaign is set to hold another event , this time in Portsmouth , New Hampshire , this weekend .
While this event is set to take place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many have called on Republican Gov .
Chris Sununu to issue an order requiring masks or facial coverings for gatherings that feature 50 people or more .
Sununu , however , has declined to issue such an order .
However , while he does intend to greet Trump at the airport , Sununu himself is not planning to attend the rally .
“ I ’ m going to meet the president as the governor , I will not be in the crowd of thousands of people , ” the governor said .
Ahead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced “ there will be ample access to hand sanitizer and all attendees will be provided a face mask that they are strongly encouraged to wear , ” but such masks will not be required of those who are at the event .
New Hampshire Democratic Party chair Ray Buckley decried the president ’ s decision to come to the state in the middle of a pandemic .
“ Trump ’ s response to the COVID-19 crisis has been chaotic and woefully inadequate , resulting in thousands of Granite Staters contracting the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ causing significant damage to our state ’ s economy , ” Buckley said after the announcement of Trump ’ s campaign stop .
“ Instead of helping our state safely recover , Trump is flying in for a political rally that will only further highlight the chaos he has caused.
” While polling has indicated that most of Trump ’ s own supporters would support requirements to wear a mask or facial covering , they are the political group that is least likely to do so .
According to a Farleigh Dickinson University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of those who call themselves Trump supporters said they ’ d be fine with mask requirements .
Meanwhile , 95 percent of those who say they are critics of Trump said they ’ d be supportive of a mask mandate .

Despite the spike, the Trump campaign is holding a rally this weekend where masks are “encouraged” but not required.
A public health official in Tulsa, Oklahoma, suggested this week that President Donald Trump’s campaign rally in the city last month likely caused a spike in new cases of coronavirus seen in the jurisdiction.
Trump held a campaign rally indoors at the BOK Center in Tulsa on June 20. Bruce Dart, the director of the Tulsa City-Council Health Department, explained on Wednesday that large events like Trump’s rally likely resulted in the spread of COVID-19 in the city and county since that time.
While the health department does not identify specific events or individual settings where people contracted the virus, speaking broadly, Dart said that large gatherings in recent weeks (which would include the Trump rally) “more than likely” contributed to an increase in numbers.
“In the past few days, we’ve seen almost 500 new cases, and we had several large events just over two weeks ago, so I guess we just connect the dots,” Dart explained.
On the Monday and Tuesday before Trump’s campaign rally in Tulsa took place, Tulsa County saw 172 new cases of coronavirus reported. Conversely, this week’s totals from Monday and Tuesday saw a total of 467 new cases.
Before Trump hosted his event, Dart had warned about him coming to the city, arguing it was a bad idea due to the potential harm it could cause with regard to the disease.
“I think it’s an honor for Tulsa to have a sitting president want to come and visit our community, but not during a pandemic,” Dart said the week before Trump came to Tulsa. “I’m concerned about our ability to protect anyone who attends a large, indoor event, and I’m also concerned about our ability to ensure the president stays safe as well.”
The suggestion that Tulsa’s coronavirus numbers increased because of large events in the area recently, including Trump’s rally, comes as the president’s reelection campaign is set to hold another event, this time in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, this weekend. While this event is set to take place outdoors at the Portsmouth International Airport, many have called on Republican Gov. Chris Sununu to issue an order requiring masks or facial coverings for gatherings that feature 50 people or more.
Sununu, however, has declined to issue such an order. However, while he does intend to greet Trump at the airport, Sununu himself is not planning to attend the rally.
“I’m going to meet the president as the governor, I will not be in the crowd of thousands of people,” the governor said.
Ahead of the event, the Trump campaign announced “there will be ample access to hand sanitizer and all attendees will be provided a face mask that they are strongly encouraged to wear,” but such masks will not be required of those who are at the event.
New Hampshire Democratic Party chair Ray Buckley decried the president’s decision to come to the state in the middle of a pandemic.
“Trump’s response to the COVID-19 crisis has been chaotic and woefully inadequate, resulting in thousands of Granite Staters contracting the virus and hundreds of lives lost, while causing significant damage to our state’s economy,” Buckley said after the announcement of Trump’s campaign stop. “Instead of helping our state safely recover, Trump is flying in for a political rally that will only further highlight the chaos he has caused.”
While polling has indicated that most of Trump’s own supporters would support requirements to wear a mask or facial covering, they are the political group that is least likely to do so.
According to a Farleigh Dickinson University poll conducted last month, 63 percent of those who call themselves Trump supporters said they’d be fine with mask requirements. Meanwhile, 95 percent of those who say they are critics of Trump said they’d be supportive of a mask mandate.
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truthout--2020-07-09--Betsy DeVos Compares Risk of Returning to School to Riding a Rocket Ship

Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos reportedly told U.S. governors in a Tuesday conference call that the health risks surrounding the coronavirus pandemic should not deter them from reopening schools , because other activities like riding a bike or attaining enough velocity to escape the Earth ’ s atmosphere also involve taking risks .
“ Education leaders need to examine real data and weigh risk , ” DeVos was quoted as saying .
“ Risk is involved in everything we do , from learning to ride a bike to riding a rocket into space and everything in between.
” DeVos , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fortune , doubled down on those private remarks in Wednesday ’ s White House coronavirus task force briefing , where she demanded that schools be “ fully operational ” this fall .
“ Ultimately , it ’ s not a matter of if schools should reopen .
It ’ s simply a matter of how .
They must fully open and they must be fully operational , ” she said , a striking break from her position in the spring that some schools may need to continue with virtual learning .
“ How @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and community leaders , ” she added .
Despite the fact that she herself is the nation ’ s premiere education leader , DeVos did not elaborate on the question of “ how.
” But she did not hesitate to push blame onto education officials and teachers , alleging that some “ just gave up.
” “ I and state school leaders were disappointed , ” DeVos said , in reference to measures that public schools took to accommodate government and public health emergency guidance in the spring .
“ Some didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students , ” she said .
“ They just gave up.
” DeVos singled out Fairfax County Public Schools , one of the top public school systems in the nation , whose plan to split the school week into two days of classroom learning and three days of virtual learning was , in her view , an abomination .
“ Their springtime attempt at distance learning was a disaster , ” she said of the largest and wealthiest school district in the D.C. metro area , without further explanation .
“ Things like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fall.
” DeVos repeated the claim later that day in an interview with Fox News host Neil Cavuto .
“ The president is threatening aid to those that don ’ t [ reopen ] .
What do you think of that ?
” Cavuto asked .
When DeVos replied that those schools would be breaking a “ promise ” to families , Cavuto pointedly called attention to the elephant in the room .
“ But there are extenuating circumstances , right ?
” he asked .
“ There was this little thing called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those circumstances , instead reiterating that schools must fully reopen .
She again called Fairfax County a “ disaster.
” COVID-19 infections have soared in the last two weeks following a slapdash nationwide reopening effort .
Forty-five states are currently reporting increases , most troublingly in Sun Belt states with large populations , such as Texas , Florida , California and Arizona .
But DeVos , in three rare public appearances in as many days — after President Donald Trump ’ s tweet Monday that “ SCHOOLS MUST OPEN IN THE FALL !
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ reality .
When the education secretary stepped down from the podium at Wednesday ’ s briefing , Vice President Mike Pence took her place and almost immediately told reporters the opposite message .
It should be expected that school districts would “ adjust to a certain set of days or certain limitations ” depending on local conditions , he said .
“ We ’ re going to respect unique community challenges of rising cases or positivity , ” he said .
DeVos ’ proposals also contradicted Centers for Disease Control and Prevention chief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House task force coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx .
Birx and Pence contradicted each other , plus the president .
Redfield told reporters that federal CDC guidelines , which advise physical distancing of six feet , are not meant to “ supplant ” local and state rules .
Birx urged individuals to cancel indoor gatherings amid rising infection and hospitalization rates .
She gave that advice moments after Pence said , “ It ’ s time to get our kids back to school.
” Pence , for his part , would not back up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to withhold federal funds from public schools that refuse to reopen in the fall .
On Fox News , DeVos backed the president , saying : “ We are looking at this very seriously.
” The threat , however , is constitutionally untenable .
“ When it comes to our schools , Congress funds federal education programs that serve some of the most vulnerable young people in our country , ” Evan Hollander , spokesperson for the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee , said in a statement .
“ The president has no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students , and threatening to do so to prop up his flailing campaign is offensive.
” Pence , for his part , pointed to the roughly $ 13 billion Congress set aside for schools as part of the CARES Act , though those funds were intended to provide relief for districts and students financially impacted by the pandemic — not to support re-opening efforts several months down the road .
DeVos herself has diverted a large portion of that money away from public schools , directing them to share it with private and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the Democratic-led House , which would provide another $ 58 billion for education , has stalled out in the Senate .

DeVos reportedly told governors that the health risks of COVID should not deter them from reopening schools.
Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos reportedly told U.S. governors in a Tuesday conference call that the health risks surrounding the coronavirus pandemic should not deter them from reopening schools, because other activities like riding a bike or attaining enough velocity to escape the Earth’s atmosphere also involve taking risks.
“Education leaders need to examine real data and weigh risk,” DeVos was quoted as saying. “Risk is involved in everything we do, from learning to ride a bike to riding a rocket into space and everything in between.”
DeVos, who married into the multibillion-dollar Amway pyramid-scheme fortune, doubled down on those private remarks in Wednesday’s White House coronavirus task force briefing, where she demanded that schools be “fully operational” this fall.
“Ultimately, it’s not a matter of if schools should reopen. It’s simply a matter of how. They must fully open and they must be fully operational,” she said, a striking break from her position in the spring that some schools may need to continue with virtual learning.
“How that happens is best left to education and community leaders,” she added.
Despite the fact that she herself is the nation’s premiere education leader, DeVos did not elaborate on the question of “how.” But she did not hesitate to push blame onto education officials and teachers, alleging that some “just gave up.”
“I and state school leaders were disappointed,” DeVos said, in reference to measures that public schools took to accommodate government and public health emergency guidance in the spring.
“Some didn’t figure out how to teach their students,” she said. “They just gave up.”
DeVos singled out Fairfax County Public Schools, one of the top public school systems in the nation, whose plan to split the school week into two days of classroom learning and three days of virtual learning was, in her view, an abomination.
“Their springtime attempt at distance learning was a disaster,” she said of the largest and wealthiest school district in the D.C. metro area, without further explanation. “Things like this cannot happen again in the fall.”
DeVos repeated the claim later that day in an interview with Fox News host Neil Cavuto.
“The president is threatening aid to those that don’t [reopen]. What do you think of that?” Cavuto asked.
When DeVos replied that those schools would be breaking a “promise” to families, Cavuto pointedly called attention to the elephant in the room.
“But there are extenuating circumstances, right?” he asked. “There was this little thing called the coronavirus.”
DeVos did not address those circumstances, instead reiterating that schools must fully reopen. She again called Fairfax County a “disaster.”
COVID-19 infections have soared in the last two weeks following a slapdash nationwide reopening effort. Forty-five states are currently reporting increases, most troublingly in Sun Belt states with large populations, such as Texas, Florida, California and Arizona.
But DeVos, in three rare public appearances in as many days — after President Donald Trump’s tweet Monday that “SCHOOLS MUST OPEN IN THE FALL!” — seems uniquely inured to that reality.
When the education secretary stepped down from the podium at Wednesday’s briefing, Vice President Mike Pence took her place and almost immediately told reporters the opposite message. It should be expected that school districts would “adjust to a certain set of days or certain limitations” depending on local conditions, he said.
“We’re going to respect unique community challenges of rising cases or positivity,” he said.
DeVos’ proposals also contradicted Centers for Disease Control and Prevention chief Robert Redfield, as well as White House task force coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx. Birx and Pence contradicted each other, plus the president.
Redfield told reporters that federal CDC guidelines, which advise physical distancing of six feet, are not meant to “supplant” local and state rules.
Birx urged individuals to cancel indoor gatherings amid rising infection and hospitalization rates. She gave that advice moments after Pence said, “It’s time to get our kids back to school.”
Pence, for his part, would not back up President Donald Trump’s Twitter threat to withhold federal funds from public schools that refuse to reopen in the fall.
In Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and many other countries, SCHOOLS ARE OPEN WITH NO PROBLEMS. The Dems think it would be bad for them politically if U.S. schools open before the November Election, but is important for the children & families. May cut off funding if not open! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 8, 2020
On Fox News, DeVos backed the president, saying: “We are looking at this very seriously.”
The threat, however, is constitutionally untenable.
“When it comes to our schools, Congress funds federal education programs that serve some of the most vulnerable young people in our country,” Evan Hollander, spokesperson for the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee, said in a statement. “The president has no authority to cut off funding for these students, and threatening to do so to prop up his flailing campaign is offensive.”
Pence, for his part, pointed to the roughly $13 billion Congress set aside for schools as part of the CARES Act, though those funds were intended to provide relief for districts and students financially impacted by the pandemic — not to support re-opening efforts several months down the road.
DeVos herself has diverted a large portion of that money away from public schools, directing them to share it with private and charter school students.
A bill passed by the Democratic-led House, which would provide another $58 billion for education, has stalled out in the Senate.
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.