truthout--2020-07-24--Black Lives Matter Chicago Sues to Prevent Occupation by Trump’s Paramilitaries

Taking a page from Hitler ’ s Brownshirts , Donald Trump is sending his secret paramilitary forces into U.S. cities to terrorize the population .
Ostensibly designed to “ restore order ” in the wake of massive uprisings against white supremacy and police brutality , this move appears to have a more cynical purpose lurking behind it : Trump ’ s desire to tar Democrat-led cities with a false narrative to boost his sagging poll numbers .
But protesters are taking to the courts to rein in an out-of-control executive .
In light of the brutal federal occupation of Portland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BLM ) Chicago and other organizations filed a lawsuit on July 23 to prevent a Portland-style federal domination of their city .
They allege that Trump is dispatching agents to Chicago in order to “ intimidate and falsely arrest civilians who are exercising their constitutional right to speak and to assemble.
” The groups seek an injunction to prohibit federal agents from “ interfering in or otherwise policing lawful and peaceful assemblies and protests ” in Chicago or arresting people without probable cause .
The same day the BLM Chicago suit was filed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 14-day temporary restraining order that bars federal agents from threatening or attacking journalists and legal observers .
Significantly , the judge wrote that any “ willful violation ” of his order will constitute “ a clearly established constitutional right ” and thus the officer will not be able to claim the qualified immunity defense .
On July 12 , federal agents in Portland shot two journalists , Mathieu Lewis-Rolland and Garrison Davis , with impact munitions .
Lewis-Rolland was shot 10 times in the back and side , all above the waist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a tear gas canister , which fell into his bag and inundated him with tear gas .
He was also shot with pepper bullets and other munitions .
Both men were clearly marked as members of the press .
Davis witnessed federal agents swinging truncheons as they chased legal observers clearly affiliated with the National Lawyers Guild .
Portland has seen unidentified federal officials in unmarked vehicles snatch peaceful protesters off the streets , transport them to unknown locations , without informing them of why they ’ re being arrested , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their arrest .
The troops are lobbing chemical weapons and dangerous projectiles at protesters , journalists and legal observers .
These actions violate the First Amendment ’ s free speech and press guarantees , the Fourth Amendment ’ s prohibition on unreasonable searches and seizures , and the Fifth Amendment ’ s right to due process of law .
Moreover , the Tenth Amendment provides that powers not delegated to the feds are reserved to the states .
The abductions took place outside the jurisdiction of federal authorities , the people abducted were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and those abducted were not on federal property when they were abducted , according to a lawsuit filed in federal court by a public benefit corporation , a church and two Oregon state representatives .
Furthermore , Trump ’ s troops are present over the objection of Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler , who says federal troops “ are sharply escalating the situation … actually leading to more violence and more vandalism.
” Oregon Gov .
Kate Brown tweeted , “ I told Acting [ Department of Homeland Security ] Secretary Wolf that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from our streets .
His response showed me he is on a mission to provoke confrontation for political purposes.
” Federal forces are supposedly there to protect federal property , which is a miniscule area of Portland .
“ The idea that there ’ s a threat to a federal courthouse and the federal authorities are going to swoop in and do whatever they want to do without any cooperation and coordination with state and local authorities is extraordinary outside the context of a civil war , ” said Cornell law professor Michael @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are beyond the authority and training of Trump ’ s troops .
Yet agents from Customs and Border Protection , U.S .
Marshals Service and Federal Protective Service have been patrolling non-federal areas of Portland , brutalizing and illegally arresting law-abiding people .
The only uniforms they wear are military fatigues with patches that say “ POLICE.
” They have no other identifying information .
Oregon Department of Justice Sues Department of Homeland Security and U.S .
Marshals “ Ordinarily , a person exercising his right to walk through the streets of Portland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military-type fatigues and ordered into an unmarked van can reasonably assume that he is being kidnapped and is the victim of a crime , ” the Oregon Department of Justice ( DOJ ) states in its lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security , U.S .
Marshals Service and Federal Protective Service , filed on July 17 .
Kidnapping by “ militia or other malfeasants dressed in paramilitary gear ” would trigger the lawful right of self-defense .
The Oregon DOJ ’ s lawsuit accuses the federal forces of violating “ the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laws and in protecting people within its borders from kidnap and false arrest.
” It alleges violations of Portlanders ’ First Amendment rights to peacefully gather and express themselves .
The purpose is to discourage lawful protest , “ an illegal prior restraint ” on the right “ to peacefully protest racial inequality.
” In addition , the lawsuit alleges that defendants violated the Fourth Amendment by seizing protesters without a warrant or lawful exception to the warrant requirement .
And it charges defendants with violating the Fifth Amendment ’ s prohibition against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ liberty or property without due process of law.
” On July 15 , plaintiff Mark Pettibone was accosted by armed men dressed in camouflage , removed from the street , forced into a van and driven through downtown to a building believed to be the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse .
Pettibone was placed in a cell and read his Miranda rights , but was never told why he was arrested .
He was not given a lawyer and was later released with no citation , paperwork or record of his arrest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oregon DOJ and the Multnomah County district attorney have launched an investigation in the case of Donavan LaBella , who was shot in the head with an impact munition on July 11 , as he was holding a speaker above his head .
The federal agents fractured LaBella ’ s skull and shattered his facial bones .
In a July 21 interview on Fox News , acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf made an astounding claim .
He said that federal law enforcement officers in Portland are “ proactively ” arresting protesters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fourth Amendment , which requires an arrest to be supported by probable cause that a crime has been committed .
When she announced the filing of the DOJ ’ s lawsuit , Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum said in a statement , “ The federal administration has chosen Portland to use their scare tactics to stop our residents from protesting police brutality and from supporting the Black Lives Matter movement .
Every American should be repulsed when they see this happening .
If this can happen here in Portland , it can happen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ test Trump ’ s plan to assert unbridled federal power in cities led by Democrats .
He intends to send about 200 troops to Chicago this week .
After initially opposing the presence of federal agents in her city , Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has now conditionally agreed .
Trump , apparently signaling where he intends to order federal troops , told reporters in the Oval Office , “ I ’ m going to do something — that , I can tell you .
Because we ’ re not going to let New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Baltimore and all of these — Oakland is a mess .
We ’ re not going to let this happen in our country .
All run by liberal Democrats.
” Trump is trying to paint a picture of violent anarchy if Joe Biden is elected .
On July 21 , the House of Representatives approved an amendment to the Insurrection Act which would require that the president consult with Congress before deploying federal troops to U.S. cities .
It compels the administration to certify to Congress with “ demonstrable evidence ” that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quell the violence and would forbid federal troops from conducting searches , seizures , arrests or “ other similar activity ” unless “ otherwise expressly authorized by law.
” But it is unlikely the GOP-controlled Senate will agree to such an amendment .
The House chairs of the Judiciary , Oversight and Reform , and Homeland Security Committees wrote to the Inspectors General of the U.S. Department of Justice and Homeland Security on July 19 , asking them to investigate the use of federal law enforcement agencies “ to suppress First Amendment protected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ launch such an inquiry .
The congressional leaders noted , “ The Administration ’ s insistence on deploying these forces over the objections of state and local authorities suggest that these tactics have little to do with public safety , but more to do with political gamesmanship.
” This is part of Trump ’ s reelection strategy .
Indeed , Juan Cole wrote at Informed Consent , “ It now appears clear that part of that strategy is to send Federal agents dressed like Iraq War troops to Democratic-run cities , on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then for them to attack and provoke Black Lives Matter and Defund the Police protesters , causing violence to escalate and using it … to scare the [ white ] suburbs ” into voting for Trump .
Perhaps most alarming are reports that Trump is consulting Bush administration torture lawyer John Yoo to justify his dictatorial agenda .
The Berkeley law professor subscribes to the marginal “ unitary executive ” theory that places unfettered executive power in the hands of the president .
On June 22 , Yoo wrote in the National Review @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would not enforce federal firearms laws , and that a new ‘ Trump permit ’ would free any holder of state and local gun-control restrictions.
” Yoo opined , “ Even if Trump knew that his scheme lacked legal authority , he could get away with it for the length of his presidency .
And , moreover , even if courts declared the permit illegal , his successor would have to keep enforcing the program for another year or two.
” Now Yoo is advising White House officials that Trump can issue executive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I talked to them a fair amount about cities , because of the disorder , ” he told the Guardian .
The ramifications of Yoo ’ s scenario are frightening : Trump continues to send his federal goons to Democratic cities to foment chaos and frighten people into thinking a strong leader is required to achieve order .
If he is not reelected , Trump illegally declares martial law and marshals his federal forces to suspend civil liberties .
When asked by Chris Wallace on “ Fox News Sunday ” whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election , Trump demurred , saying , “ I have to see.
” Be very afraid .
But as the legendary labor leader Joe Hill said , “ Don ’ t mourn , organize !
”

Part of the Series Human Rights and Global Wrongs
Taking a page from Hitler’s Brownshirts, Donald Trump is sending his secret paramilitary forces into U.S. cities to terrorize the population. Ostensibly designed to “restore order” in the wake of massive uprisings against white supremacy and police brutality, this move appears to have a more cynical purpose lurking behind it: Trump’s desire to tar Democrat-led cities with a false narrative to boost his sagging poll numbers. But protesters are taking to the courts to rein in an out-of-control executive.
In light of the brutal federal occupation of Portland, Oregon, Black Lives Matter (BLM) Chicago and other organizations filed a lawsuit on July 23 to prevent a Portland-style federal domination of their city. They allege that Trump is dispatching agents to Chicago in order to “intimidate and falsely arrest civilians who are exercising their constitutional right to speak and to assemble.” The groups seek an injunction to prohibit federal agents from “interfering in or otherwise policing lawful and peaceful assemblies and protests” in Chicago or arresting people without probable cause.
The same day the BLM Chicago suit was filed, a federal judge in Portland issued a 14-day temporary restraining order that bars federal agents from threatening or attacking journalists and legal observers. Significantly, the judge wrote that any “willful violation” of his order will violate “a clearly established constitutional right” and thus the officer will not be able to claim the qualified immunity defense.
On July 12, federal agents in Portland shot two journalists, Mathieu Lewis-Rolland and Garrison Davis, with impact munitions. Lewis-Rolland was shot 10 times in the back and side, all above the waist. Davis was hit in the back with a tear gas canister, which fell into his bag and inundated him with tear gas. He was also shot with pepper bullets and other munitions. Both men were clearly marked as members of the press. Davis witnessed federal agents swinging truncheons as they chased legal observers clearly affiliated with the National Lawyers Guild.
Portland has seen unidentified federal officials in unmarked vehicles snatch peaceful protesters off the streets, transport them to unknown locations, without informing them of why they’re being arrested, and later release them with no record of their arrest. The troops are lobbing chemical weapons and dangerous projectiles at protesters, journalists and legal observers. These actions violate the First Amendment’s free speech and press guarantees, the Fourth Amendment’s prohibition on unreasonable searches and seizures, and the Fifth Amendment’s right to due process of law.
Moreover, the Tenth Amendment provides that powers not delegated to the feds are reserved to the states. The abductions took place outside the jurisdiction of federal authorities, the people abducted were not attacking federal personnel or property, and those abducted were not on federal property when they were abducted, according to a lawsuit filed in federal court by a public benefit corporation, a church and two Oregon state representatives.
Portland is the bellwether to test Trump’s plan to assert unbridled federal power in cities led by Democrats.
Furthermore, Trump’s troops are present over the objection of Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, who says federal troops “are sharply escalating the situation … actually leading to more violence and more vandalism.” Oregon Gov. Kate Brown tweeted, “I told Acting [Department of Homeland Security] Secretary Wolf that the federal government should remove all federal officers from our streets. His response showed me he is on a mission to provoke confrontation for political purposes.”
Federal forces are supposedly there to protect federal property, which is a miniscule area of Portland. “The idea that there’s a threat to a federal courthouse and the federal authorities are going to swoop in and do whatever they want to do without any cooperation and coordination with state and local authorities is extraordinary outside the context of a civil war,” said Cornell law professor Michael Dorf.
Incognito arrests and crowd control are beyond the authority and training of Trump’s troops. Yet agents from Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Marshals Service and Federal Protective Service have been patrolling non-federal areas of Portland, brutalizing and illegally arresting law-abiding people. The only uniforms they wear are military fatigues with patches that say “POLICE.” They have no other identifying information.
Oregon Department of Justice Sues Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Marshals
“Ordinarily, a person exercising his right to walk through the streets of Portland who is confronted by anonymous men in military-type fatigues and ordered into an unmarked van can reasonably assume that he is being kidnapped and is the victim of a crime,” the Oregon Department of Justice (DOJ) states in its lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Marshals Service and Federal Protective Service, filed on July 17. Kidnapping by “militia or other malfeasants dressed in paramilitary gear” would trigger the lawful right of self-defense.
The Oregon DOJ’s lawsuit accuses the federal forces of violating “the state’s sovereign interests in enforcing its laws and in protecting people within its borders from kidnap and false arrest.” It alleges violations of Portlanders’ First Amendment rights to peacefully gather and express themselves. The purpose is to discourage lawful protest, “an illegal prior restraint” on the right “to peacefully protest racial inequality.”
In addition, the lawsuit alleges that defendants violated the Fourth Amendment by seizing protesters without a warrant or lawful exception to the warrant requirement. And it charges defendants with violating the Fifth Amendment’s prohibition against “depriving a person of life, liberty or property without due process of law.”
Perhaps most alarming are reports that Trump is consulting Bush administration torture lawyer John Yoo to justify his dictatorial agenda.
On July 15, plaintiff Mark Pettibone was accosted by armed men dressed in camouflage, removed from the street, forced into a van and driven through downtown to a building believed to be the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse. Pettibone was placed in a cell and read his Miranda rights, but was never told why he was arrested. He was not given a lawyer and was later released with no citation, paperwork or record of his arrest.
The Criminal Justice Division of the Oregon DOJ and the Multnomah County district attorney have launched an investigation in the case of Donavan LaBella, who was shot in the head with an impact munition on July 11, as he was holding a speaker above his head. The federal agents fractured LaBella’s skull and shattered his facial bones.
In a July 21 interview on Fox News, acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf made an astounding claim. He said that federal law enforcement officers in Portland are “proactively” arresting protesters. Wolf should know this violates the Fourth Amendment, which requires an arrest to be supported by probable cause that a crime has been committed.
Portland Is Trump’s Bellwether
When she announced the filing of the DOJ’s lawsuit, Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum said in a statement, “The federal administration has chosen Portland to use their scare tactics to stop our residents from protesting police brutality and from supporting the Black Lives Matter movement. Every American should be repulsed when they see this happening. If this can happen here in Portland, it can happen anywhere.”
Portland is the bellwether to test Trump’s plan to assert unbridled federal power in cities led by Democrats. He intends to send about 200 troops to Chicago this week. After initially opposing the presence of federal agents in her city, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has now conditionally agreed.
Trump, apparently signaling where he intends to order federal troops, told reporters in the Oval Office, “I’m going to do something — that, I can tell you. Because we’re not going to let New York and Chicago and Philadelphia and Detroit and Baltimore and all of these — Oakland is a mess. We’re not going to let this happen in our country. All run by liberal Democrats.” Trump is trying to paint a picture of violent anarchy if Joe Biden is elected.
On July 21, the House of Representatives approved an amendment to the Insurrection Act which would require that the president consult with Congress before deploying federal troops to U.S. cities. It compels the administration to certify to Congress with “demonstrable evidence” that local authorities are unable or unwilling to quell the violence and would forbid federal troops from conducting searches, seizures, arrests or “other similar activity” unless “otherwise expressly authorized by law.” But it is unlikely the GOP-controlled Senate will agree to such an amendment.
The House chairs of the Judiciary, Oversight and Reform, and Homeland Security Committees wrote to the Inspectors General of the U.S. Department of Justice and Homeland Security on July 19, asking them to investigate the use of federal law enforcement agencies “to suppress First Amendment protected activities,” and they agreed to launch such an inquiry. The congressional leaders noted, “The Administration’s insistence on deploying these forces over the objections of state and local authorities suggest that these tactics have little to do with public safety, but more to do with political gamesmanship.” This is part of Trump’s reelection strategy.
Indeed, Juan Cole wrote at Informed Consent, “It now appears clear that part of that strategy is to send Federal agents dressed like Iraq War troops to Democratic-run cities, on the pretext of protecting Federal property, and then for them to attack and provoke Black Lives Matter and Defund the Police protesters, causing violence to escalate and using it … to scare the [white] suburbs” into voting for Trump.
Perhaps most alarming are reports that Trump is consulting Bush administration torture lawyer John Yoo to justify his dictatorial agenda. The Berkeley law professor subscribes to the marginal “unitary executive” theory that places unfettered executive power in the hands of the president. On June 22, Yoo wrote in the National Review that Trump “could declare that he would not enforce federal firearms laws, and that a new ‘Trump permit’ would free any holder of state and local gun-control restrictions.” Yoo opined, “Even if Trump knew that his scheme lacked legal authority, he could get away with it for the length of his presidency. And, moreover, even if courts declared the permit illegal, his successor would have to keep enforcing the program for another year or two.” Now Yoo is advising White House officials that Trump can issue executive orders about whether to apply existing laws. “I talked to them a fair amount about cities, because of the disorder,” he told the Guardian.
The ramifications of Yoo’s scenario are frightening: Trump continues to send his federal goons to Democratic cities to foment chaos and frighten people into thinking a strong leader is required to achieve order. If he is not reelected, Trump illegally declares martial law and marshals his federal forces to suspend civil liberties. When asked by Chris Wallace on “Fox News Sunday” whether he will accept the results of the election, Trump demurred, saying, “I have to see.”
Be very afraid. But as the legendary labor leader Joe Hill said, “Don’t mourn, organize!”
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--2020-07-24--GOP COVID Relief Plan Includes Romney Bill to Slash Social Security and Medicare

Shortly after publicly ditching one attack on Social Security — the payroll tax cut — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell confirmed Thursday that the Republican coronavirus relief package will include legislation sponsored by Sen. Mitt Romney that one advocacy group described as an “ equally menacing ” threat to the New Deal program .
In a speech on the Senate floor , McConnell touted Romney ’ s TRUST ACT as “ a bipartisan bill , co-sponsored by Senate Democrats , to help a future Congress evaluate bipartisan proposals for protecting and strengthening the programs that Americans count on.
” Ostensibly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s trust fund programs , Romney ’ s bill — first introduced last October with the backing of three Democratic senators — would initiate a secretive process that could result in cuts to Social Security and Medicare benefits , a longtime objective of lawmakers like the Utah Republican .
Romney celebrated the inclusion of his bill Thursday and pointed to statements praising the legislation from a slew of right-wing advocacy groups , including the Koch-funded organization Americans for Prosperity .
The Utah Republican ’ s bill currently has 13 Senate co-sponsors , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic caucus .
Last month , as Common Dreams reported , 30 House Democrats joined 30 of their Republican colleagues in endorsing the TRUST Act .
“ Donald Trump and his stooges in the Senate can ’ t stop trying to rob us of our Social Security , ” Alex Lawson , executive director of advocacy group Social Security Works , told Common Dreams in response to McConnell ’ s remarks .
“ They will use every opportunity and every crisis — including the mass death and economic carnage from Covid — as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our Social Security system.
” If passed , Romney ’ s bill would give the Treasury Department 45 days to deliver a report to Congress on America ’ s “ endangered ” trust funds .
Congress would then set up one “ rescue committee ” per trust fund with a mandate to craft legislation that — in the words of Romney ’ s office — “ restores solvency and otherwise improves each trust fund program.
” Legislation proposed by the committees would receive expedited consideration in the House and Senate — meaning no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would still need 60 votes to clear the upper chamber .
“ This would allow benefit cuts to be fast-tracked through Congress , ” said Max Richtman , president and CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare .
“ Seniors and people with disabilities need their benefits boosted , not slashed .
Like payroll tax cuts , the TRUST Act is bad medicine for everyday Americans struggling to stay financially afloat , especially during the Covid crisis.
” Nancy Altman , president of Social Security Works , warned the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undermine the economic security of Americans without political accountability.
” “ Donald Trump , Mitch McConnell , and all congressional Republicans have made their priorities clear , ” said Altman .
“ In the midst of a catastrophic pandemic , they should be focused on protecting seniors , essential workers , and the unemployed .
Instead , they are plotting to use the cover of the pandemic to slash Social Security.
” “ Democrats must stand united , ” Altman continued , “ and unequivocally reject any package that includes the TRUST Act.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , chairman of the House Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee and co-sponsor of legislation that would expand benefits , called Romney ’ s TRUST Act “ a direct assault on Social Security ” that must be opposed .
“ During a pandemic , people are relying on Social Security now more than ever , ” Larson said in a statement Thursday .
“ These are Americans ’ earned benefits .
Cutting them will only further hurt the economy.
” As part of their effort to hold Republican lawmakers accountable for pushing Social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tax March on Thursday launched mobile billboards targeting GOP senators in Iowa , Maine , Arizona , and North Carolina .
“ Senate Republicans are rubber stamps who are happy to raid our Social Security system to please Trump , ” said Lawson .
“ We say to both Trump and Senate Republicans : Hands off our earned benefits !
”

Romney’s bill would initiate a secretive process that could result in cuts to Social Security and Medicare benefits.
Shortly after publicly ditching one attack on Social Security — the payroll tax cut — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell confirmed Thursday that the Republican coronavirus relief package will include legislation sponsored by Sen. Mitt Romney that one advocacy group described as an “equally menacing” threat to the New Deal program.
In a speech on the Senate floor, McConnell touted Romney’s TRUST ACT as “a bipartisan bill, co-sponsored by Senate Democrats, to help a future Congress evaluate bipartisan proposals for protecting and strengthening the programs that Americans count on.”
Ostensibly an effort to “rescue” America’s trust fund programs, Romney’s bill — first introduced last October with the backing of three Democratic senators — would initiate a secretive process that could result in cuts to Social Security and Medicare benefits, a longtime objective of lawmakers like the Utah Republican.
Romney celebrated the inclusion of his bill Thursday and pointed to statements praising the legislation from a slew of right-wing advocacy groups, including the Koch-funded organization Americans for Prosperity.
The Utah Republican’s bill currently has 13 Senate co-sponsors, five of whom are members of the Democratic caucus. Last month, as Common Dreams reported, 30 House Democrats joined 30 of their Republican colleagues in endorsing the TRUST Act.
“Donald Trump and his stooges in the Senate can’t stop trying to rob us of our Social Security,” Alex Lawson, executive director of advocacy group Social Security Works, told Common Dreams in response to McConnell’s remarks. “They will use every opportunity and every crisis — including the mass death and economic carnage from Covid — as cover for their sick desire to destroy our Social Security system.”
If passed, Romney’s bill would give the Treasury Department 45 days to deliver a report to Congress on America’s “endangered” trust funds. Congress would then set up one “rescue committee” per trust fund with a mandate to craft legislation that — in the words of Romney’s office — “restores solvency and otherwise improves each trust fund program.”
Legislation proposed by the committees would receive expedited consideration in the House and Senate — meaning no amendments would be permitted. Any bill would still need 60 votes to clear the upper chamber.
“This would allow benefit cuts to be fast-tracked through Congress,” said Max Richtman, president and CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare. “Seniors and people with disabilities need their benefits boosted, not slashed. Like payroll tax cuts, the TRUST Act is bad medicine for everyday Americans struggling to stay financially afloat, especially during the Covid crisis.”
Nancy Altman, president of Social Security Works, warned the TRUST ACT is “a way to undermine the economic security of Americans without political accountability.”
“Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell, and all congressional Republicans have made their priorities clear,” said Altman. “In the midst of a catastrophic pandemic, they should be focused on protecting seniors, essential workers, and the unemployed. Instead, they are plotting to use the cover of the pandemic to slash Social Security.”
“Democrats must stand united,” Altman continued, “and unequivocally reject any package that includes the TRUST Act.”
BREAKING: Republicans ARE INCLUDING the TRUST Act in their COVID package. The TRUST Act creates a closed door commission to fast track Social Security and Medicare cuts. Democrats must stand united against this attack on our earned benefits. https://t.co/lSrcKjZcCW — SocialSecurityWorks (@SSWorks) July 23, 2020
Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.), chairman of the House Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee and co-sponsor of legislation that would expand benefits, called Romney’s TRUST Act “a direct assault on Social Security” that must be opposed.
“During a pandemic, people are relying on Social Security now more than ever,” Larson said in a statement Thursday. “These are Americans’ earned benefits. Cutting them will only further hurt the economy.”
As part of their effort to hold Republican lawmakers accountable for pushing Social Security cuts, Social Security Works and Tax March on Thursday launched mobile billboards targeting GOP senators in Iowa, Maine, Arizona, and North Carolina.
We’re in Maine with @taxmarch sending @SenSusanCollins a message: Hands off Social Security, No Payroll Tax Cut! pic.twitter.com/QoEbFzBW9q — SocialSecurityWorks (@SSWorks) July 23, 2020
“Senate Republicans are rubber stamps who are happy to raid our Social Security system to please Trump,” said Lawson. “We say to both Trump and Senate Republicans: Hands off our earned benefits!”
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--2020-07-24--Self-Inflicted Wound of Brexit Will Make It Harder for UK to Recover From COVID

Even as Britain pivots its pandemic response and struggles to reopen businesses and schools amid the global pandemic , it is simultaneously hurtling toward its final , year-end break with the European Union ( EU ) — a self-inflicted wound that will be even harder to heal from in the age of COVID-19 , as it will not have access to the huge pool of rescue funds recently negotiated by the 27 remaining EU nations .
Starting in mid-June , the British government pivoted in its pandemic response and Prime Minister Boris Johnson , as well as his cabinet ministers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and traveling and spending their money again .
On July 4 , to huge fanfare , the pubs reopened .
But even as the government has been promoting a get-back-to-normal message , opening not only pubs but also restaurants again , and urging schools to hold in-person classes , Britain is edging closer to Brexit and its accompanying giant scale of dislocation .
Brits like to travel .
In fact , on average , each of Britain ’ s more than 60 million residents traveled overseas nearly twice in 2019 .
Yet , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come year ’ s end , British residents would no longer be covered by the European Health Insurance Card ( EHIC ) system , which allows anyone within the EU to have health coverage whenever they travel to other countries in the system .
Come January 1 , 2021 , Brits traveling to the EU will need to buy health insurance , or , if they don ’ t buy it , to risk catastrophic medical bills should they fall sick .
In practice , this may well mean that those with preexisting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ travel abroad without huge economic risk to themselves and their families .
Meanwhile , British residents hoping to relocate to the continent to seek work will no longer have access to the labor market of the 27 member states of Europe .
And while Britain had hoped to attract the world ’ s best and brightest through replacing the EU free movement of labor with a global , points-based immigration system — that would apply to EU residents and residents from the rest of the world alike — COVID-19 has rendered that something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given the scale of economic dislocation unleashed in the U.K. by the pandemic , it ’ s entirely possible that Britain will hang out a shingle saying that it is open for high-skilled immigrants only to find that few migrants take up the offer to come to a beggared , humbled , nativist , post-Brexit U.K. And the unraveling isn ’ t restricted to the labor market .
If a comprehensive agreement with the EU isn ’ t reached by year ’ s end , it ’ s unclear if the U.K. will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relationships allowing British students to study overseas and EU students to come and study in the U.K. , or allowing the transfer of scientific information between member countries .
Nearly a half-century of carefully crafted mutual benefits between Britain and its European neighbors are now being shredded .
The ugly , self-defeating similarities with Trump ’ s U.S. are revealing .
Trump has spent much of the past four years claiming that he will “ Make America Great Again , ” in large part by building physical and legal barriers against immigrants .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the COVID-19 pandemic resulting in millions of Americans being infected , in the end it has turned out that it is the rest of the world that does not want Americans coming to them .
One country after another has barred entry to Americans .
There are , at this point , fewer than two dozen countries globally that will admit American travelers .
And even among these countries , several — the U.K. among them — require Americans to quarantine upon arrival .
While the U.K. and its residents haven ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a result of failing to get COVID-19 infection rates under control , Johnson ’ s Brexit-Britain is seeing a similar contraction in status , a similar shrinkage in its global footprint and soft-power reputation .
It ’ s not only the EHIC card debacle , which will make travel so much more cumbersome for Brits , and which will , in consequence , lock Brits behind their own legal and nationalistic walls ; it ’ s also that the country ’ s relevance in Europe is shriveling .
Johnson ’ s government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic , resulting in a higher per capita death rate than practically anywhere else on Earth — and the resulting economic implosion has , in consequence , been deeper than that of most other countries in Europe .
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development ( OECD ) estimates that the U.K. ’ s GDP will decline by 11.5 percent this year , nearly twice the decline that Germany is going to experience .
Almost 20 years of economic growth has suddenly evaporated , and Britain ’ s public finances are looking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government has borrowed to keep the country afloat during the pandemic piles up .
In 2021 , while the rest of the EU will have access to a pool of hundreds of billions of euros to reinflate and to reimagine national economies as they come out of the COVID crisis , because Britain is no longer part of the EU , it will be navigating these treacherous waters alone .
At the moment , the British government is preventing a surge in unemployment by backstopping 80 percent of the wages of furloughed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slated to end in August but has now been extended through October .
It is protecting the jobs of a staggering 7.5 million workers .
When it ends later this year , estimates are that , even as the economy reopens , millions of those workers will end up unemployed .
The OECD predicts Britain will see an unemployment rate of more than 11 percent .
But that ’ s the optimistic end of the spectrum .
If the country is badly hit by a second wave of infections , unemployment could , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the workforce .
In other words , Britain looks set to follow in the U.S. ’ s catastrophic path toward Depression-era levels of unemployment when it comes to damage to the labor market caused by the pandemic and the short-sighted government responses to it .
Things could well end up even worse in London , long the financial hub of the continent .
The city was already being cut down in size by Brexit even before COVID .
Now , it is facing many of the same woes that New York City @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Age prosperity is replaced by unrelenting austerity .
The metropolis ’ s economy is going to have to reinvent itself in an era in which commercial real estate is suddenly far less valuable , public transport systems are seen as health hazards , and service industries , from restaurants to hotels to entertainment and culture hubs , have been ground to dust .
Yet London is , in some ways , even more vulnerable than New York : for in the Brexit era , those global companies wanting a European hub from which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to choose London over , say , Paris , Dublin , Amsterdam or Frankfurt .
The overlay of pandemic with Brexit could undo decades of wealth and influence creation in London .
Moreover , Johnson ’ s hope that he could protect British trade interests and London ’ s financial status by tempting the U.S. with a quick and comprehensive free-trade agreement looks to have gone the way of the dodo .
Trump has , in the past , dangled out the prospect of a sweeping trade deal once Britain fully exited from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so much else this year , the vastly complex negotiating process never really got off the ground once the pandemic hit .
There were still negotiating sessions held in May and June , but those negotiations haven ’ t yet come close to generating an agreement , and there is little sign that Congress will swiftly unite around any proposals the trade negotiators do put forward .
In this summer of discontent , Trump ’ s team is interested in nothing except the perpetuation of power in the run-up to the November election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ability in the halls of power in Washington , D.C. , to forge any kind of durable new arrangements with any allies .
To the contrary , in the COVID-19 world , Trump ’ s default response has been to double down on his xenophobia and protectionism , shutting out allies and foes alike , and seeking to create a Fortress America .
All of which leaves Johnson ’ s U.K. shockingly isolated and economically fragile .
Brexit was always based on an illusion — it floated aloft on a gaseous pillow of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Now , with COVID-19 having upended the global economic and political order , even that illusion has gone .
Come 2021 , Britain faces a calamity , a cutting-down-to-size that will likely destroy the standard of living for much of its populace and leave the country struggling on the margins of a Europe that is embracing collective , continental solutions to the great challenges of the age .
None of this had to happen .
As with Trumpism in the United States , the Brexit that Britain is now hurtling toward is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , will prove all but impossible to fully heal from .

Even as Britain pivots its pandemic response and struggles to reopen businesses and schools amid the global pandemic, it is simultaneously hurtling toward its final, year-end break with the European Union (EU) — a self-inflicted wound that will be even harder to heal from in the age of COVID-19, as it will not have access to the huge pool of rescue funds recently negotiated by the 27 remaining EU nations.
Starting in mid-June, the British government pivoted in its pandemic response and Prime Minister Boris Johnson, as well as his cabinet ministers, began urging residents to start working and traveling and spending their money again. On July 4, to huge fanfare, the pubs reopened. But even as the government has been promoting a get-back-to-normal message, opening not only pubs but also restaurants again, and urging schools to hold in-person classes, Britain is edging closer to Brexit and its accompanying giant scale of dislocation.
Brits like to travel. In fact, on average, each of Britain’s more than 60 million residents traveled overseas nearly twice in 2019. Yet, in June, the government confirmed that come year’s end, British residents would no longer be covered by the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) system, which allows anyone within the EU to have health coverage whenever they travel to other countries in the system. Come January 1, 2021, Brits traveling to the EU will need to buy health insurance, or, if they don’t buy it, to risk catastrophic medical bills should they fall sick. In practice, this may well mean that those with preexisting conditions or the elderly can no longer travel abroad without huge economic risk to themselves and their families.
Meanwhile, British residents hoping to relocate to the continent to seek work will no longer have access to the labor market of the 27 member states of Europe. And while Britain had hoped to attract the world’s best and brightest through replacing the EU free movement of labor with a global, points-based immigration system — that would apply to EU residents and residents from the rest of the world alike — COVID-19 has rendered that something of a mockery; in fact, given the scale of economic dislocation unleashed in the U.K. by the pandemic, it’s entirely possible that Britain will hang out a shingle saying that it is open for high-skilled immigrants only to find that few migrants take up the offer to come to a beggared, humbled, nativist, post-Brexit U.K.
And the unraveling isn’t restricted to the labor market. If a comprehensive agreement with the EU isn’t reached by year’s end, it’s unclear if the U.K. will even be able to retain its reciprocal relationships allowing British students to study overseas and EU students to come and study in the U.K., or allowing the transfer of scientific information between member countries. Nearly a half-century of carefully crafted mutual benefits between Britain and its European neighbors are now being shredded.
The ugly, self-defeating similarities with Trump’s U.S. are revealing. Trump has spent much of the past four years claiming that he will “Make America Great Again,” in large part by building physical and legal barriers against immigrants. But, with the shambolic response to the COVID-19 pandemic resulting in millions of Americans being infected, in the end it has turned out that it is the rest of the world that does not want Americans coming to them. One country after another has barred entry to Americans. There are, at this point, fewer than two dozen countries globally that will admit American travelers. And even among these countries, several — the U.K. among them — require Americans to quarantine upon arrival.
Because Britain is no longer part of the EU, it will be navigating these treacherous waters alone.
While the U.K. and its residents haven’t been shunned in quite the same way as a result of failing to get COVID-19 infection rates under control, Johnson’s Brexit-Britain is seeing a similar contraction in status, a similar shrinkage in its global footprint and soft-power reputation. It’s not only the EHIC card debacle, which will make travel so much more cumbersome for Brits, and which will, in consequence, lock Brits behind their own legal and nationalistic walls; it’s also that the country’s relevance in Europe is shriveling. Johnson’s government stumbled badly in the early days of the pandemic, resulting in a higher per capita death rate than practically anywhere else on Earth — and the resulting economic implosion has, in consequence, been deeper than that of most other countries in Europe. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) estimates that the U.K.’s GDP will decline by 11.5 percent this year, nearly twice the decline that Germany is going to experience. Almost 20 years of economic growth has suddenly evaporated, and Britain’s public finances are looking increasingly precarious as the level of debt the government has borrowed to keep the country afloat during the pandemic piles up.
In 2021, while the rest of the EU will have access to a pool of hundreds of billions of euros to reinflate and to reimagine national economies as they come out of the COVID crisis, because Britain is no longer part of the EU, it will be navigating these treacherous waters alone.
At the moment, the British government is preventing a surge in unemployment by backstopping 80 percent of the wages of furloughed workers; that wage-subsidy program was initially slated to end in August but has now been extended through October. It is protecting the jobs of a staggering 7.5 million workers. When it ends later this year, estimates are that, even as the economy reopens, millions of those workers will end up unemployed. The OECD predicts Britain will see an unemployment rate of more than 11 percent. But that’s the optimistic end of the spectrum. If the country is badly hit by a second wave of infections, unemployment could, the OECD calculates, exceed 15 percent of the workforce. In other words, Britain looks set to follow in the U.S.’s catastrophic path toward Depression-era levels of unemployment when it comes to damage to the labor market caused by the pandemic and the short-sighted government responses to it.
Things could well end up even worse in London, long the financial hub of the continent. The city was already being cut down in size by Brexit even before COVID. Now, it is facing many of the same woes that New York City is suddenly beset by, as Gilded Age prosperity is replaced by unrelenting austerity. The metropolis’s economy is going to have to reinvent itself in an era in which commercial real estate is suddenly far less valuable, public transport systems are seen as health hazards, and service industries, from restaurants to hotels to entertainment and culture hubs, have been ground to dust. Yet London is, in some ways, even more vulnerable than New York: for in the Brexit era, those global companies wanting a European hub from which to do business are far less likely to choose London over, say, Paris, Dublin, Amsterdam or Frankfurt. The overlay of pandemic with Brexit could undo decades of wealth and influence creation in London.
As with Trumpism in the United States, the Brexit that Britain is now hurtling toward is a self-inflicted wound that, once inflicted, will prove all but impossible to fully heal from.
Moreover, Johnson’s hope that he could protect British trade interests and London’s financial status by tempting the U.S. with a quick and comprehensive free-trade agreement looks to have gone the way of the dodo.
Trump has, in the past, dangled out the prospect of a sweeping trade deal once Britain fully exited from the EU; but, as with so much else this year, the vastly complex negotiating process never really got off the ground once the pandemic hit. There were still negotiating sessions held in May and June, but those negotiations haven’t yet come close to generating an agreement, and there is little sign that Congress will swiftly unite around any proposals the trade negotiators do put forward. In this summer of discontent, Trump’s team is interested in nothing except the perpetuation of power in the run-up to the November election; and there seems neither appetite nor ability in the halls of power in Washington, D.C., to forge any kind of durable new arrangements with any allies. To the contrary, in the COVID-19 world, Trump’s default response has been to double down on his xenophobia and protectionism, shutting out allies and foes alike, and seeking to create a Fortress America.
All of which leaves Johnson’s U.K. shockingly isolated and economically fragile. Brexit was always based on an illusion — it floated aloft on a gaseous pillow of nostalgia for an imperial past long gone. Now, with COVID-19 having upended the global economic and political order, even that illusion has gone. Come 2021, Britain faces a calamity, a cutting-down-to-size that will likely destroy the standard of living for much of its populace and leave the country struggling on the margins of a Europe that is embracing collective, continental solutions to the great challenges of the age.
None of this had to happen. As with Trumpism in the United States, the Brexit that Britain is now hurtling toward is a self-inflicted wound that, once inflicted, will prove all but impossible to fully heal from.
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--2020-07-27--Trump Changes Tone on COVID After Advisers Warn “Our People” Are Being Hit Hard

Several individuals who are close to President Donald Trump are suggesting that his recent statements on coronavirus , indicating a change in tone on how he views the crisis in the United States , came about more due to politics than a genuine concern for the American people as a whole .
According to reporting from The Washington Post , several aides and advisers to the president , both in and out of the White House , had tried to convince Trump long ago to have a more reality-based approach to COVID-19 , with some telling him it ’ d @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ reopen ” its economies barely a few weeks into the issuance of stay-at-home orders from their governors .
Trump has flouted many recommendations from health experts , including some of those coming from his own coronavirus task force .
These , and other actions he has taken , have led to many criticizing his response to the disease , including some suggesting that it could prolong how long the crisis lasts .
But last week , it appeared that Trump had ( almost ) done a complete 180 on how he viewed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all Americans to wear masks when they ’ re out in public — a marked change from views he previously held about masks and facial coverings , including believing that they were worn by some to spite him .
He also canceled parts of the Republican National Convention that was set to take place in Jacksonville , Florida , in light of coronavirus ’ s spread in that state .
To be sure , Trump has not made significant changes to his coronavirus strategy yet — for instance , he said he won @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to wear masks anytime soon .
Still , his statements are surprising , given his strong reluctance to take the disease seriously up until now .
According to The Post , his change of heart came about when advisers showed him charts and other visual media detailing how the disease was spiking in traditionally Republican states and strongholds , telling the president that “ our people ” were becoming victims of COVID-19 .
They also told him voters in swing states like Michigan , Minnesota and Wisconsin were in jeopardy from the disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ led to Trump ’ s staying more “ on script ” when it came to speaking about the crisis , and to his promising more action on handling the disease .
“ This could have been stopped .
It could have been stopped quickly and easily .
But for some reason , it wasn ’ t , and we ’ ll figure out what that reason was , ” Trump said on Thursday .
In spite of his assurances , data from a number of polls over the past week have demonstrated that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a two-to-one margin , are more likely to disapprove of his response to COVID-19 than approve of it so far .
Trump ’ s initial failure to take the disease seriously came about for a number of reasons , individuals speaking anonymously to The Post explained .
For starters , his refusal to ever admit he has done anything wrong made it hard for him to see the crisis as going badly .
They also cited a “ feedback loop ” of positive grades he ’ s received from some advisers and conservative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as his own “ magical ” belief that the pandemic would end on its own , for the way he previously behaved .
Whether Trump decides to take coronavirus seriously from this point on or not is anybody ’ s guess , as it ’ s equally ( if not , more ) possible he will change his tone again in the coming days .
The president had the same dismissive attitude about the disease in February and early March of this year .
When it became clear that the disease posed a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he finally relented and issued out social distancing recommendations for the American people to follow .
Days later , however , after states began imposing stay-at-home orders based , in part , on those recommendations , Trump launched a campaign of demanding that those orders be relaxed and rescinded , perhaps in part due to his seeing the economy respond negatively to them and believing his reelection chances would sour if Americans blamed him for the poor economic outcomes .
Given his record of being dismissive , then accepting , then dismissive again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s quite possible he could shift his feelings again in the next few days , back toward viewing the disease with a contemptuous demeanor all over again .

Sources say Trump shifted his views after he saw charts showing spikes in states important for his reelection chances.
Several individuals who are close to President Donald Trump are suggesting that his recent statements on coronavirus, indicating a change in tone on how he views the crisis in the United States, came about more due to politics than a genuine concern for the American people as a whole.
According to reporting from The Washington Post, several aides and advisers to the president, both in and out of the White House, had tried to convince Trump long ago to have a more reality-based approach to COVID-19, with some telling him it’d be wiser not to insist every state “reopen” its economies barely a few weeks into the issuance of stay-at-home orders from their governors.
Trump has flouted many recommendations from health experts, including some of those coming from his own coronavirus task force. These, and other actions he has taken, have led to many criticizing his response to the disease, including some suggesting that it could prolong how long the crisis lasts.
But last week, it appeared that Trump had (almost) done a complete 180 on how he viewed aspects of the pandemic, including advising all Americans to wear masks when they’re out in public — a marked change from views he previously held about masks and facial coverings, including believing that they were worn by some to spite him. He also canceled parts of the Republican National Convention that was set to take place in Jacksonville, Florida, in light of coronavirus’s spread in that state.
To be sure, Trump has not made significant changes to his coronavirus strategy yet — for instance, he said he won’t issue a mandate to Americans to wear masks anytime soon. Still, his statements are surprising, given his strong reluctance to take the disease seriously up until now.
According to The Post, his change of heart came about when advisers showed him charts and other visual media detailing how the disease was spiking in traditionally Republican states and strongholds, telling the president that “our people” were becoming victims of COVID-19. They also told him voters in swing states like Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin were in jeopardy from the disease’s spread.
Revelations like these led to Trump’s staying more “on script” when it came to speaking about the crisis, and to his promising more action on handling the disease.
“This could have been stopped. It could have been stopped quickly and easily. But for some reason, it wasn’t, and we’ll figure out what that reason was,” Trump said on Thursday.
In spite of his assurances, data from a number of polls over the past week have demonstrated that the American people, by more than a two-to-one margin, are more likely to disapprove of his response to COVID-19 than approve of it so far.
Trump’s initial failure to take the disease seriously came about for a number of reasons, individuals speaking anonymously to The Post explained. For starters, his refusal to ever admit he has done anything wrong made it hard for him to see the crisis as going badly. They also cited a “feedback loop” of positive grades he’s received from some advisers and conservative media like Fox News, as well as his own “magical” belief that the pandemic would end on its own, for the way he previously behaved.
Whether Trump decides to take coronavirus seriously from this point on or not is anybody’s guess, as it’s equally (if not, more) possible he will change his tone again in the coming days.
The president had the same dismissive attitude about the disease in February and early March of this year. When it became clear that the disease posed a real threat to the United States, he finally relented and issued out social distancing recommendations for the American people to follow.
Days later, however, after states began imposing stay-at-home orders based, in part, on those recommendations, Trump launched a campaign of demanding that those orders be relaxed and rescinded, perhaps in part due to his seeing the economy respond negatively to them and believing his reelection chances would sour if Americans blamed him for the poor economic outcomes.
Given his record of being dismissive, then accepting, then dismissive again about the threat COVID-19 poses, it’s quite possible he could shift his feelings again in the next few days, back toward viewing the disease with a contemptuous demeanor all over again.
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--2020-07-27--Donald Trump Has Ruined Our Lives and Now He’s Ruining Baseball Too

With all that ’ s going on at home and abroad , you ’ d hope something as picayune as baseball could offer a moment of wholesome distraction and relief .
That ’ s the point of it , right ?
The national pastime ?
Turn on a game and unplug your brain for three hours .
Hell , that ’ s why Major League Baseball was in such a hot rush to get the season going even in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic ( well , that and the money , of course ) .
Baseball is “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in desperately short supply .
I suspect that even those who detest sports might find a wrinkle of comfort in the return of something we all took for granted until it was gone .
The crack of the bat , the voice of the play-by-play announcer marching up the octaves as the ball sails out of sight in a majestic arc… it is the stuff and sound of summer .
There is no swelling crowd noise now , and home runs clank inelegantly off empty seats instead of falling into a swarm of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If we ’ ve learned anything in this passage , it is what we have learned to live without , individually and collectively .
Getting a slice of that back is a boon , and if you listen to the games on the radio , you ’ d hardly know the stadium was empty .
So , of course , Donald Trump had to screw that all up , too .
This time , however , he had help .
New York Yankees president Randy Levine invited Trump to throw the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 15 .
Given everything that city has endured because of Trump ’ s galactically bungled pandemic response , take a moment with the fact that the invitation was proffered in the first place .
Before becoming president of the most storied franchise in baseball history , Levine served as Commissioner of Labor Relations under then-New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani , and was one of Giuliani ’ s closest aides .
In 2008 , according to OpenSecrets , Levine was a campaign fundraising “ bundler ” for presidential candidate John McCain .
From @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s old barn… yeah , it ’ s pretty safe to say we know what kind of cat he is .
Somewhere along the way , Levine acquired the standard Trump-brand tin ear , one so massive that he believed rolling out the red carpet for a president whose botched COVID response contributed to consigning over 23,000 New York City residents to early graves was a good idea .
Trump , to the surprise of none , happily accepted the invitation .
Why not ?
The first pitch is cool president stuff , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which basically appears to be the thing that gets him out of bed these days .
Plus , the stadium would be empty ( thanks to him ) , so there would be no chance of him getting thunderbooed the way he did when he dared to show his face at a Washington Nationals game last year .
Cooler heads apparently prevailed , however , and Trump backed out of the appearance .
I ’ d hazard a guess his campaign advisers didn ’ t relish the optics of an entire city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dirt mound in the Bronx .
Plus , there was the very real chance Trump would accidentally and embarrassingly wing the ball into left field .
For a rare change of pace , it seems , Trump listened to his people when they were being wiser than he is .
That the invitation was made is disgusting , verging on performative obscenity given the travails that city has endured .
That Trump turned it down is one of the infinitesimally few good things he has done while in office .
The way Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perhaps the most galling portion of this sordid little baseball tale .
“ Because of my strong focus on the China Virus , including scheduled meetings on Vaccines , our economy and much else , I won ’ t be able to be in New York to throw out the opening pitch for the Yankees on August 15th , ” he tweeted on Sunday , using his customary xenophobic and race-baiting name for COVID-19 .
“ We will make it later in the season !
” So much garbage crammed into 47 words @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bizarro World .
There have been more than 4 million diagnosed cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began , and nearly 150,000 people are dead .
The pandemic is out of control in the South and West on the doorstep of schools reopening , and an already fragile economy is threatening to fly apart at the seams , again .
In such a moment one would expect a president to be busy , but in this case the Television President has “ meetings ” with Sean Hannity , and afterward with whoever is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Fox News these days .
That is what passes for “ busy ” in this White House , along with the ubiquitous golf outings that have finally and thoroughly murdered shame .
Meanwhile Trump ’ s own national security adviser , Robert O ’ Brien , has been diagnosed with COVID .
The call is coming from inside the house , Don .
The man simply does not , can not , will not care .
Even Trump ’ s most devoted aides and advisers have ( finally ) begun to despair @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that wave at the escalating calamities before him while firing racist “ China virus ” dog-whistle trills at his base .
“ People close to Trump , many speaking anonymously to share candid discussions and impressions , say the president ’ s inability to wholly address the crisis is due to his almost pathological unwillingness to admit error ; ” reports The Washington Post , “ a positive feedback loop of overly rosy assessments and data from advisers and Fox News ; and a penchant for magical thinking that prevented him from fully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ll never hear me wax rhapsodic about the “ purity ” of baseball .
It ’ s a billion-dollar industry that has a long , bad habit of screwing municipalities to get stadiums at the expense of the people ( Looking at you , Dodgers ) , and for every breakthrough Jackie Robinson there have been a thousand flagrantly racist actors like Kenesaw Mountain Landis , who as commissioner of baseball almost singlehandedly kept the game whites-only decades after integration should have happened .
Moreover , I never expected the league to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ circumstances , and it turns out my concern was sound .
On Monday afternoon , news broke that as many as a dozen players and coaches for the Miami Marlins tested positive for COVID , and more may have been infected .
It was news that , while unwelcome , was entirely unsurprising .
Two upcoming games have been postponed , and the outbreak may come to be severe enough to imperil a season that is only days old .
Calling off the season entirely would seem to be the prudent move ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not ready to begin play again , and given the insidious nature of COVID , the outbreak may even motivate the other leagues to reconsider opening or continuing their own seasons .
In other words , it seems entirely possible that Trump would not have gotten to throw out that first pitch next month , even if he had kept the invitation .
Still , we had the new version of real baseball for a few days there , and I tried to enjoy it while it was still around .
Instead , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city he nearly destroyed before turning down that invitation with a pellet of lies so vile it would poison a rattlesnake at 20 paces .
I can ’ t wait to see what he does if/when football season starts , and whole teams kneel in solidarity with the racial justice uprising that shows no sign of ebbing .
As with all things Trump , best you bring a helmet , and a mask .

With all that’s going on at home and abroad, you’d hope something as picayune as baseball could offer a moment of wholesome distraction and relief. That’s the point of it, right? The national pastime? Turn on a game and unplug your brain for three hours. Hell, that’s why Major League Baseball was in such a hot rush to get the season going even in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic (well, that and the money, of course). Baseball is “normal,” and normal has been in desperately short supply.
I suspect that even those who detest sports might find a wrinkle of comfort in the return of something we all took for granted until it was gone. The crack of the bat, the voice of the play-by-play announcer marching up the octaves as the ball sails out of sight in a majestic arc… it is the stuff and sound of summer.
There is no swelling crowd noise now, and home runs clank inelegantly off empty seats instead of falling into a swarm of upraised hands, but it is enough. If we’ve learned anything in this passage, it is what we have learned to live without, individually and collectively. Getting a slice of that back is a boon, and if you listen to the games on the radio, you’d hardly know the stadium was empty.
So, of course, Donald Trump had to screw that all up, too.
This time, however, he had help. New York Yankees president Randy Levine invited Trump to throw the first pitch at a home game on August 15. Given everything that city has endured because of Trump’s galactically bungled pandemic response, take a moment with the fact that the invitation was proffered in the first place.
Before becoming president of the most storied franchise in baseball history, Levine served as Commissioner of Labor Relations under then-New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, and was one of Giuliani’s closest aides. In 2008, according to OpenSecrets, Levine was a campaign fundraising “bundler” for presidential candidate John McCain. From Rudy to McCain/Palin to George Steinbrenner’s old barn… yeah, it’s pretty safe to say we know what kind of cat he is.
Somewhere along the way, Levine acquired the standard Trump-brand tin ear, one so massive that he believed rolling out the red carpet for a president whose botched COVID response contributed to consigning over 23,000 New York City residents to early graves was a good idea.
Trump, to the surprise of none, happily accepted the invitation. Why not? The first pitch is cool president stuff, and he gets to be on TV, which basically appears to be the thing that gets him out of bed these days. Plus, the stadium would be empty (thanks to him), so there would be no chance of him getting thunderbooed the way he did when he dared to show his face at a Washington Nationals game last year.
Cooler heads apparently prevailed, however, and Trump backed out of the appearance. I’d hazard a guess his campaign advisers didn’t relish the optics of an entire city simultaneously booing one guy standing on a dirt mound in the Bronx. Plus, there was the very real chance Trump would accidentally and embarrassingly wing the ball into left field. For a rare change of pace, it seems, Trump listened to his people when they were being wiser than he is.
That the invitation was made is disgusting, verging on performative obscenity given the travails that city has endured. That Trump turned it down is one of the infinitesimally few good things he has done while in office.
The way Trump turned it down, however, is perhaps the most galling portion of this sordid little baseball tale. “Because of my strong focus on the China Virus, including scheduled meetings on Vaccines, our economy and much else, I won’t be able to be in New York to throw out the opening pitch for the Yankees on August 15th,” he tweeted on Sunday, using his customary xenophobic and race-baiting name for COVID-19. “We will make it later in the season!”
So much garbage crammed into 47 words, like the Gettysburg Address delivered in Bizarro World.
There have been more than 4 million diagnosed cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began, and nearly 150,000 people are dead. The pandemic is out of control in the South and West on the doorstep of schools reopening, and an already fragile economy is threatening to fly apart at the seams, again.
In such a moment one would expect a president to be busy, but in this case the Television President has “meetings” with Sean Hannity, and afterward with whoever is filling Tucker Carlson’s racist chair on Fox News these days. That is what passes for “busy” in this White House, along with the ubiquitous golf outings that have finally and thoroughly murdered shame.
Meanwhile Trump’s own national security adviser, Robert O’Brien, has been diagnosed with COVID. The call is coming from inside the house, Don. The man simply does not, cannot, will not care.
Even Trump’s most devoted aides and advisers have (finally) begun to despair that he will ever do anything more that wave at the escalating calamities before him while firing racist “China virus” dog-whistle trills at his base.
“People close to Trump, many speaking anonymously to share candid discussions and impressions, say the president’s inability to wholly address the crisis is due to his almost pathological unwillingness to admit error;” reports The Washington Post, “a positive feedback loop of overly rosy assessments and data from advisers and Fox News; and a penchant for magical thinking that prevented him from fully engaging with the pandemic.”
You’ll never hear me wax rhapsodic about the “purity” of baseball. It’s a billion-dollar industry that has a long, bad habit of screwing municipalities to get stadiums at the expense of the people (Looking at you, Dodgers), and for every breakthrough Jackie Robinson there have been a thousand flagrantly racist actors like Kenesaw Mountain Landis, who as commissioner of baseball almost singlehandedly kept the game whites-only decades after integration should have happened.
Moreover, I never expected the league to get a whole season in under the present circumstances, and it turns out my concern was sound. On Monday afternoon, news broke that as many as a dozen players and coaches for the Miami Marlins tested positive for COVID, and more may have been infected. It was news that, while unwelcome, was entirely unsurprising.
Two upcoming games have been postponed, and the outbreak may come to be severe enough to imperil a season that is only days old. Calling off the season entirely would seem to be the prudent move; this crisis clearly shows the league is not ready to begin play again, and given the insidious nature of COVID, the outbreak may even motivate the other leagues to reconsider opening or continuing their own seasons.
In other words, it seems entirely possible that Trump would not have gotten to throw out that first pitch next month, even if he had kept the invitation. Still, we had the new version of real baseball for a few days there, and I tried to enjoy it while it was still around.
Instead, I got Trump being invited to the city he nearly destroyed before turning down that invitation with a pellet of lies so vile it would poison a rattlesnake at 20 paces. I can’t wait to see what he does if/when football season starts, and whole teams kneel in solidarity with the racial justice uprising that shows no sign of ebbing. As with all things Trump, best you bring a helmet, and a mask.
UPDATE 7/28/20: The New York Post’s report that Trump had been invited by Randy Levine to throw out the first pitch at Yankee Stadium was, as it turns out, based on yet another fabulation by the president. According to a later report by The New York Times, Levine never invited Trump. Worse, Trump manufactured the tale of his invitation because he was jealous of the press coverage Anthony Fauci got after Fauci threw out the first pitch for the Nationals on Opening Day.
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truthout--2020-07-27--4 in 5 Voters Say the US Is on the “Wrong Direction” Under Trump

A poll published over the weekend has some bad news for President Donald Trump : Most Americans , by a wide margin , believe we ’ re headed in the “ wrong direction.
” According to an Associated Press/NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll , just 20 percent of respondents think the United States is headed in the right direction .
Conversely , a whopping 80 percent of the country says the U.S. is going down the wrong track .
A record-high number of respondents in the poll gave Trump bad marks since he became president , likely due @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Just 32 percent of Americans approve of how Trump has handled COVID-19 , while 68 percent say they disapprove of his response .
The poll also found that 38 percent approve of the president ’ s overall performance , with 61 percent saying they disapprove .
The “ right direction , wrong direction ” poll , which is frequently used by many national polling organizations , is seen by some political pundits as a signal for how the incumbent party will fare during a presidential election year .
For example , when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for president against Trump in 2016 , polls found that roughly 20 to 30 percent of voters felt the country was headed in the right direction , even as then-President Barack Obama , also a Democrat , earned high marks from the public .
Clinton lost the Electoral College to Trump in a tight national race .
However , experts have also warned that there isn ’ t enough data to conclude whether this polling data can predict what will happen in November .
Indeed , in 2012 , a similar poll found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country was going down the wrong path — and yet , Obama was able to win reelection .
However , the recent AP/NORC poll suggests Trump faces an uphill battle in the coming months in the race against presumptive Democratic Party challenger , former Vice President Joe Biden , with 46 percent of respondents saying Biden is their preferred candidate and only 34 percent saying they want Trump to serve another term .
Other polls show the incumbent isn ’ t doing well in important statewide races like in Florida or North Carolina @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2016 .
Even Texas , which Trump won last election , could possibly become a swing state in this year ’ s presidential race .

A poll published over the weekend has some bad news for President Donald Trump: Most Americans, by a wide margin, believe we’re headed in the “wrong direction.”
According to an Associated Press/NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll, just 20 percent of respondents think the United States is headed in the right direction. Conversely, a whopping 80 percent of the country says the U.S. is going down the wrong track.
A record-high number of respondents in the poll gave Trump bad marks since he became president, likely due to his response to the coronavirus pandemic. Just 32 percent of Americans approve of how Trump has handled COVID-19, while 68 percent say they disapprove of his response. The poll also found that 38 percent approve of the president’s overall performance, with 61 percent saying they disapprove.
The “right direction, wrong direction” poll, which is frequently used by many national polling organizations, is seen by some political pundits as a signal for how the incumbent party will fare during a presidential election year.
For example, when Hillary Clinton, a Democrat, ran for president against Trump in 2016, polls found that roughly 20 to 30 percent of voters felt the country was headed in the right direction, even as then-President Barack Obama, also a Democrat, earned high marks from the public. Clinton lost the Electoral College to Trump in a tight national race.
However, experts have also warned that there isn’t enough data to conclude whether this polling data can predict what will happen in November.
Indeed, in 2012, a similar poll found that 55 percent of Americans felt the country was going down the wrong path — and yet, Obama was able to win reelection.
However, the recent AP/NORC poll suggests Trump faces an uphill battle in the coming months in the race against presumptive Democratic Party challenger, former Vice President Joe Biden, with 46 percent of respondents saying Biden is their preferred candidate and only 34 percent saying they want Trump to serve another term.
Other polls show the incumbent isn’t doing well in important statewide races like in Florida or North Carolina, two states which Trump won in 2016. Even Texas, which Trump won last election, could possibly become a swing state in this year’s presidential race.
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.