truthout--2020-11-13--The Fight to Re-Enfranchise Voters Continues

In Florida , tens of thousands of newly eligible voters who were previously disenfranchised due to their criminal records turned out to the polls for the 2020 election .
Amendment 4 , a measure that in 2018 overturned a Jim Crow-era law aimed at keeping African Americans from voting , restored voting rights to people with nonviolent felonies who have completed their sentences and was hailed as the biggest win for voting rights in decades .
However , hundreds of thousands of people in Florida remain disenfranchised due to a modern-day poll tax that requires formerly incarcerated voters to pay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they can cast a ballot .
We speak with Desmond Meade , president of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition and chair of Floridians for a Fair Democracy , about the ongoing fight to re-enfranchise people .
He voted for the first time ever this year .
“ That act of voting gave me a deeper appreciation for what I was engaged in , ” Meade says .
“ The right to vote is sacred.
” This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , The Quarantine Report , as we end today ’ s show in Florida .
AMY GOODMAN : That ’ s the sound of supporters cheering Desmond Meade as he came out of a polling place , where he voted for president for the first time in 30 years .
Desmond ’ s visit to the polls came after a years-long battle to restore the right to vote for an estimated 1.4 million people in Florida who were formerly disenfranchised due to their criminal records .
In 2018 , Desmond Meade led the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measure to restore voting rights to people with nonviolent felonies who have fully completed their sentences .
The constitutional amendment overturned a Jim Crow-era law aimed at keeping African Americans from voting and was hailed as the biggest win for voting rights in decades .
But since its passage , Florida Republicans , led by the governor , Ron DeSantis , have fought to keep people from voting .
The Republican Senate passed a bill requiring formerly incarcerated people with felony convictions to repay all fines and fees to courts before their voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legal battle .
Hundreds of thousands of people in Florida remained disenfranchised during this election due to the modern-day poll tax , as many described it .
Despite this , tens of thousands of newly eligible voters returned to the polls .
For more on Amendment 4 ’ s impact on the election , the ongoing battle to re-enfranchise people , and his own election story , we go to Orlando , where we are joined by Desmond Meade himself , the president of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition and chairman of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s out with a new book .
It ’ s called Let My People Vote : My Battle to Restore the Civil Rights of Returning Citizens .
Welcome back to Democracy Now !
, Desmond Meade .
It ’ s great to have you with us .
Describe that moment when you walked into your polling place and cast your vote for president of the United States for the first time in 30 years .
DESMOND MEADE : Well , first of all , good morning , Amy .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I can tell you that that moment was surreal .
You know , that was my first time voting for president .
And just the act of voting really gave me a deeper appreciation for what I was engaged in , you know , realizing the sacrifices that was made by my ancestors so I could have that opportunity , even taking with me the spirit of the over 700,000 returning citizens in Florida who could not get to vote because of the financial obstacles that our Florida Legislature had placed in front @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I could tell you , man , when I was in that act of voting , you know , just like previously even in the primary , I really had a deeper appreciation for the sacredness of the right to vote .
And even though there ’ s a lot of political things about voting , I realized that voting actually transcended partisan politics , even racial anxieties , because it took me to a place that said something very simple , but yet powerful .
It said that I am .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voice matters .
Right ?
And it validated me and made me a complete American citizen .
And I think that that was something that felt so great that I just can ’ t help but want every American citizen to experience that feeling and understand that the right to vote is sacred and we should honor it by actually voting .
AMY GOODMAN : So , I remember going down to Melbourne , Florida , to interview you on stage , Desmond .
And at the time , it was quite amazing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gone on for Amendment 4 , which would affect 1.4 million , as you call people “ returning citizens.
” And this just flew through .
It sailed through .
And it won by an overwhelming majority .
It was only after it was passed that the Republicans moved in on this , that Governor DeSantis — explain what happened and the demand that was made on people before they could vote , after they came out of prison .
DESMOND MEADE : Amy , I think what we ’ ve seen is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , you know , that they sat idly by for 150 years while this policy was in place in Florida , and didn ’ t lift a finger to change it .
But the people took matters into their own hands .
And then , once we passed — overwhelmingly passed — Amendment 4 , with a strong bipartisan support , people from all walks of life and all political persuasions — the people did that — then you had the arrogance of politicians that insisted that they insert themselves into this beautiful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be able to register to vote .
And they laid out a series of financial obligations that a person must pay before they ’ re even able to register .
Our ensuing lawsuit , by the ACLU , Southern Poverty Law Center , Legal Defense Fund , successfully challenged that in the lower courts .
But , unfortunately , the state insisted on fighting back .
They apparently want to force American citizens to choose between being able to put food on their table or voting .
And that ’ s totally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And so , rather than sit back and wallow in the sorrow and complain about the state , we decided that we ’ re going to approach this the way we ’ ve always approached things .
And that ’ s , when we see obstacles , we turn them into opportunities .
And we organized the entire United States , where over 90,000 individuals across the state and corporations and celebrities and athletes and sports teams donated over $ 27 million to our Fines and Fees Fund .
And we were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fees of over 40,000 returning citizens .
And we know , since the passage of Amendment 4 , we were able to register — in the face of this pandemic and all of the obstacles and the uncertainty about registration , we were still able to register over 87,000 returning citizens since the passage of Amendment 4 .
AMY GOODMAN : So , 1.4 million would have been eligible .
President Trump won in Florida by close to 400,000 .
Not saying everyone who came out of prison who had a felony conviction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to say the least , this is extremely significant .
DESMOND MEADE : Oh , most definitely .
You know , one of the things that I told my staff , even before the first vote was counted , I told them that we won .
We won because we were able to impact so many lives in the state of Florida , people who would have never thought that they would be able to vote again .
We ’ re seeing people in their sixties and seventies .
We even had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she was able to vote for the first time in all of her life .
And then you had people — we had a young lady in South Florida who was given six months to live , Amy .
And her dying wish was not to visit an exotic location or meet a celebrity .
Her dying wish was to be able to cast a ballot , to be able to feel what it felt like to be a complete citizen and have their voices heard .
And that passion and that desire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upon thousands of returning citizens throughout the state of Florida .
So , our efforts reinvigorated hope in the communities and in the individuals who would have thought that there was no opportunity for them to have their voices heard .
And because we passed Amendment 4 , it was able to inspire a movement across the country .
In California , where they passed Prop 17 to allow people on parole to be able to vote , it ’ s huge .
And we ’ ve seen what happened in Iowa and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And so , we know that we have touched hundreds of thousands of lives , and it has increased voter engagement throughout this country .
And so , we won .
AMY GOODMAN : Desmond , the numbers are staggering .
When we talked about this in 2018 , one in five African Americans in Florida , more than 10 % of Florida ’ s adult population , were ineligible to vote in the 2018 election in Florida .
Then , one in 16 Black Americans can not vote due to their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ figure .
DESMOND MEADE : Yes , it is .
And I talk about this in my new book , you know , where the challenge is me as an African American man that was leading this effort and understanding the staggering impact that felon disenfranchisement had on the African American community , and not just Black men , but Black women , as well , you know , to be able to thread that needle , understanding that felon disenfranchisement grew from just impacting newly released slaves to really impacting all Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think , challenging to really bring in a much broader audience without ignoring the impact that it has on the African American community .
But we were able to successfully do it , I think , billing this as an all-American issue , understanding that even if it ’ s just African Americans that are hurting because of policies , that means that all Americans are hurting , because we are all connected .
DESMOND MEADE : Wow , that ’ s a great question , Amy .
And I can tell you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the things that impact policies , and no matter what policies you ’ re dealing with , is that narrative , right ?
How are you viewing people ?
And when you use the term “ ex-felon , ” “ convict , ” “ ex-con , ” what you ’ re doing is you ’ re actually dehumanizing that individual while desensitizing the public towards that individual or the issue that they ’ re dealing with .
We ’ ve seen the United States use this tactic before they bombed Hiroshima and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is the same thing that we see today with the use of the word “ ex-felon.
” Where else do you see anyone going around calling somebody , “ Oh , that ’ s an ex-liar , ” or “ That ’ s an ex-adulterer , ” or “ That ’ s an ex-tax evader , ” for the rest of their lives ?
When you call someone an “ ex-felon ” — right ?
— what you gloss over , the fact that that ’ s someone ’ s son , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ re still deserving of being treated with dignity and respect , in spite of what they ’ ve done .
We have to be very careful on how we treat the least among us .
And so , the first step is to really try to humanize individuals who may have been caught up in the criminal justice system , and recognize that they ’ re still a citizen of their community , their state and this country , and they should be treated accordingly .
AMY GOODMAN : You talk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your book and continually , as tens of thousands were able to vote as a result of your work .
I wanted to turn to the former NFL quarterback Michael Vick , one of the 1.4 million returning citizens in Florida who became eligible to vote in the election .
Of course , DeSantis , the governor , whittled that down .
But Vick discussed his journey with the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition , your group , Desmond .
AMY GOODMAN : So , that ’ s former NFL star Michael Vick .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ And tell us more about your book , the book that just came out , because you have written another , as well .
DESMOND MEADE : Yeah , so , Michael Vick was great to work with .
You know , I think his story really speaks to a couple of things .
Number one , just that desire that people have to be a part of this country , to be a part of this process , right ?
And then the other thing that it speaks to is that , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we dealt with was that , even though Florida Legislature had imposed this poll tax and it impacted 774,000 returning citizens , there were still 500,000 to 600,000 returning citizens who could have registered to vote without having any financial obligations to pay .
However , they didn ’ t know .
And I termed this as the Juneteenth effect , where the slaves in Galveston , Texas , didn ’ t find out that they were free until two years later .
You know , here , passage of Amendment 4 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and there are so many people who did not know that they could register to vote in spite of their previous felony conviction .
And we see that phenomenon even in states like Georgia , Louisiana and so many states across the country , where people are walking around believing that they can not be a part of this democratic process because of a previous felony conviction .
Michael Vick kind of exemplified this .
And he was actually able to vote for quite some time , but he didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take .
And we were so grateful to be able to work with him and really walk him through that process and make sure that , yes , he did qualify , under the Amendment 4 , passing of Amendment 4 , and he was successfully able to register and be able to vote .
And that ’ s an amazing thing .
And I think that that ’ s an experience that we want more returning citizens , not only in the state of Florida , but across the country , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who have been impacted by the criminal justice system will make a significant impact in elections in the future , as well as around criminal justice reform .
And I ’ ve got to remind you , Amy , that it ’ s not just about the presidential race .
There are so many down-ballot races , that of state attorneys , of DAs , sheriffs , judges , public defenders , clerk of courts and supervisors of elections , that are up for reelection throughout the upcoming years .
And people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an opportunity to have their voices heard in a very , very significant way .
And in my book , you know , I talk about how , in spite of the fact that we may have made mistakes in the past , in spite of the fact that society may have [ inaudible ] — DESMOND MEADE : Right — we have an opportunity to overcome and be a changemaker in our community and in this country .
AMY GOODMAN : Desmond Meade , we want to thank you so much for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Florida Rights Restoration Coalition , chair of the Floridians for a Fair Democracy , spearheaded Amendment 4 , which re-enfranchised 1.4 million Floridians , who he ’ s still fighting for , his new book called Let My People Vote : My Battle to Restore the Civil Rights of Returning Citizens .
A very Happy Birthday to Ishmael Daro !
Democracy Now !
is produced with Mike Burke , Renée Feltz , Deena Guzder , Libby Rainey , Nermeen Shaikh , María Taracena , Carla Wills , Tami Woronoff , Charina Nadura , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hamilton , Robby Karran , Hany Massoud , Adriano Contreras .
Our general manager is Julie Crosby .
Special thanks to Becca Staley , Miriam Barnard , Paul Powell , Mike Di Filippo , Miguel Nogueira .
Stay safe .
Wear a mask .
I ’ m Amy Goodman .

Image Credit: Florida Rights Restoration Coalition
In Florida, tens of thousands of newly eligible voters who were previously disenfranchised due to their criminal records turned out to the polls for the 2020 election. Amendment 4, a measure that in 2018 overturned a Jim Crow-era law aimed at keeping African Americans from voting, restored voting rights to people with nonviolent felonies who have completed their sentences and was hailed as the biggest win for voting rights in decades. However, hundreds of thousands of people in Florida remain disenfranchised due to a modern-day poll tax that requires formerly incarcerated voters to pay all fees and fines to courts before they can cast a ballot. We speak with Desmond Meade, president of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition and chair of Floridians for a Fair Democracy, about the ongoing fight to re-enfranchise people. He voted for the first time ever this year. “That act of voting gave me a deeper appreciation for what I was engaged in,” Meade says. “The right to vote is sacred.”
Transcript
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The Quarantine Report, as we end today’s show in Florida.
DESMOND MEADE SUPPORTERS: [cheering]
AMY GOODMAN: That’s the sound of supporters cheering Desmond Meade as he came out of a polling place, where he voted for president for the first time in 30 years. Desmond’s visit to the polls came after a years-long battle to restore the right to vote for an estimated 1.4 million people in Florida who were formerly disenfranchised due to their criminal records.
In 2018, Desmond Meade led the successful fight for Amendment 4, a measure to restore voting rights to people with nonviolent felonies who have fully completed their sentences. The constitutional amendment overturned a Jim Crow-era law aimed at keeping African Americans from voting and was hailed as the biggest win for voting rights in decades.
But since its passage, Florida Republicans, led by the governor, Ron DeSantis, have fought to keep people from voting. The Republican Senate passed a bill requiring formerly incarcerated people with felony convictions to repay all fines and fees to courts before their voting rights were restored, sparking a prolonged legal battle. Hundreds of thousands of people in Florida remained disenfranchised during this election due to the modern-day poll tax, as many described it. Despite this, tens of thousands of newly eligible voters returned to the polls.
For more on Amendment 4’s impact on the election, the ongoing battle to re-enfranchise people, and his own election story, we go to Orlando, where we are joined by Desmond Meade himself, the president of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition and chairman of the Floridians for a Fair Democracy. He’s out with a new book. It’s called Let My People Vote: My Battle to Restore the Civil Rights of Returning Citizens.
Welcome back to Democracy Now!, Desmond Meade. It’s great to have you with us. Describe that moment when you walked into your polling place and cast your vote for president of the United States for the first time in 30 years.
DESMOND MEADE: Well, first of all, good morning, Amy. It’s always great to see you.
And I can tell you that that moment was surreal. You know, that was my first time voting for president. And just the act of voting really gave me a deeper appreciation for what I was engaged in, you know, realizing the sacrifices that was made by my ancestors so I could have that opportunity, even taking with me the spirit of the over 700,000 returning citizens in Florida who could not get to vote because of the financial obstacles that our Florida Legislature had placed in front of them.
But, Amy, I could tell you, man, when I was in that act of voting, you know, just like previously even in the primary, I really had a deeper appreciation for the sacredness of the right to vote. And even though there’s a lot of political things about voting, I realized that voting actually transcended partisan politics, even racial anxieties, because it took me to a place that said something very simple, but yet powerful. It said that I am. It said that I existed, that my voice matters. Right? And it validated me and made me a complete American citizen. And I think that that was something that felt so great that I just can’t help but want every American citizen to experience that feeling and understand that the right to vote is sacred and we should honor it by actually voting.
AMY GOODMAN: So, I remember going down to Melbourne, Florida, to interview you on stage, Desmond. And at the time, it was quite amazing, the level of organizing that had gone on for Amendment 4, which would affect 1.4 million, as you call people “returning citizens.” And this just flew through. It sailed through. And it won by an overwhelming majority. It was only after it was passed that the Republicans moved in on this, that Governor DeSantis — explain what happened and the demand that was made on people before they could vote, after they came out of prison.
DESMOND MEADE: Amy, I think what we’ve seen is an example of the arrogance of politicians, you know, that they sat idly by for 150 years while this policy was in place in Florida, and didn’t lift a finger to change it. But the people took matters into their own hands. And then, once we passed — overwhelmingly passed — Amendment 4, with a strong bipartisan support, people from all walks of life and all political persuasions — the people did that — then you had the arrogance of politicians that insisted that they insert themselves into this beautiful movement and determine the qualifications for people to be able to register to vote. And they laid out a series of financial obligations that a person must pay before they’re even able to register.
Our ensuing lawsuit, by the ACLU, Southern Poverty Law Center, Legal Defense Fund, successfully challenged that in the lower courts. But, unfortunately, the state insisted on fighting back. They apparently want to force American citizens to choose between being able to put food on their table or voting. And that’s totally contrary to what democracy is all about.
And so, rather than sit back and wallow in the sorrow and complain about the state, we decided that we’re going to approach this the way we’ve always approached things. And that’s, when we see obstacles, we turn them into opportunities. And we organized the entire United States, where over 90,000 individuals across the state and corporations and celebrities and athletes and sports teams donated over $27 million to our Fines and Fees Fund. And we were able to pay off the fines and fees of over 40,000 returning citizens. And we know, since the passage of Amendment 4, we were able to register — in the face of this pandemic and all of the obstacles and the uncertainty about registration, we were still able to register over 87,000 returning citizens since the passage of Amendment 4.
AMY GOODMAN: So, 1.4 million would have been eligible. President Trump won in Florida by close to 400,000. Not saying everyone who came out of prison who had a felony conviction would have voted against Trump, but, to say the least, this is extremely significant.
DESMOND MEADE: Oh, most definitely. You know, one of the things that I told my staff, even before the first vote was counted, I told them that we won. We won because we were able to impact so many lives in the state of Florida, people who would have never thought that they would be able to vote again. We’re seeing people in their sixties and seventies. We even had a lady, 84 years old, she was able to vote for the first time in all of her life. And then you had people — we had a young lady in South Florida who was given six months to live, Amy. And her dying wish was not to visit an exotic location or meet a celebrity. Her dying wish was to be able to cast a ballot, to be able to feel what it felt like to be a complete citizen and have their voices heard. And that passion and that desire was something that was indicative in thousands upon thousands of returning citizens throughout the state of Florida.
So, our efforts reinvigorated hope in the communities and in the individuals who would have thought that there was no opportunity for them to have their voices heard. And because we passed Amendment 4, it was able to inspire a movement across the country. In California, where they passed Prop 17 to allow people on parole to be able to vote, it’s huge. And we’ve seen what happened in Iowa and in Kentucky, in so many places. And so, we know that we have touched hundreds of thousands of lives, and it has increased voter engagement throughout this country. And so, we won.
AMY GOODMAN: Desmond, the numbers are staggering. When we talked about this in 2018, one in five African Americans in Florida, more than 10% of Florida’s adult population, were ineligible to vote in the 2018 election in Florida. Then, one in 16 Black Americans cannot vote due to their criminal record. This is a staggering figure.
DESMOND MEADE: Yes, it is. And I talk about this in my new book, you know, where the challenge is me as an African American man that was leading this effort and understanding the staggering impact that felon disenfranchisement had on the African American community, and not just Black men, but Black women, as well, you know, to be able to thread that needle, understanding that felon disenfranchisement grew from just impacting newly released slaves to really impacting all Americans, and how it was, I think, challenging to really bring in a much broader audience without ignoring the impact that it has on the African American community. But we were able to successfully do it, I think, billing this as an all-American issue, understanding that even if it’s just African Americans that are hurting because of policies, that means that all Americans are hurting, because we are all connected.
AMY GOODMAN: Desmond Meade, talk about the term “returning citizens.”
DESMOND MEADE: Wow, that’s a great question, Amy. And I can tell you this. A lot of — one of the things that impact policies, and no matter what policies you’re dealing with, is that narrative, right? How are you viewing people? And when you use the term “ex-felon,” “convict,” “ex-con,” what you’re doing is you’re actually dehumanizing that individual while desensitizing the public towards that individual or the issue that they’re dealing with. We’ve seen the United States use this tactic before they bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki by demonizing the Japanese people.
This is the same thing that we see today with the use of the word “ex-felon.” Where else do you see anyone going around calling somebody, “Oh, that’s an ex-liar,” or “That’s an ex-adulterer,” or “That’s an ex-tax evader,” for the rest of their lives? When you call someone an “ex-felon” — right? — what you gloss over, the fact that that’s someone’s son, daughter, grandson, granddaughter, and they’re still deserving of being treated with dignity and respect, in spite of what they’ve done. We have to be very careful on how we treat the least among us. And so, the first step is to really try to humanize individuals who may have been caught up in the criminal justice system, and recognize that they’re still a citizen of their community, their state and this country, and they should be treated accordingly.
AMY GOODMAN: You talk about other people’s stories in your book and continually, as tens of thousands were able to vote as a result of your work. I wanted to turn to the former NFL quarterback Michael Vick, one of the 1.4 million returning citizens in Florida who became eligible to vote in the election. Of course, DeSantis, the governor, whittled that down. But Vick discussed his journey with the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, your group, Desmond.
MICHAEL VICK: Today, I’m going to vote. This is the first time I’m going to vote, you know, for various reasons, mainly because of my past. … I had to go through a whole process of getting my absentee ballot, had to go through some loops, had to get everything sent out here to California. Definitely, it’s your right to vote. … My absentee ballot finally arrived, and I’m ready to vote.
AMY GOODMAN: So, that’s former NFL star Michael Vick. Desmond Meade, tell us more. And tell us more about your book, the book that just came out, because you have written another, as well.
DESMOND MEADE: Yeah, so, Michael Vick was great to work with. You know, I think his story really speaks to a couple of things. Number one, just that desire that people have to be a part of this country, to be a part of this process, right? And then the other thing that it speaks to is that, you know, and the issue that we dealt with was that, even though Florida Legislature had imposed this poll tax and it impacted 774,000 returning citizens, there were still 500,000 to 600,000 returning citizens who could have registered to vote without having any financial obligations to pay. However, they didn’t know. And I termed this as the Juneteenth effect, where the slaves in Galveston, Texas, didn’t find out that they were free until two years later. You know, here, passage of Amendment 4, we came up on our second-year anniversary, and there are so many people who did not know that they could register to vote in spite of their previous felony conviction. And we see that phenomenon even in states like Georgia, Louisiana and so many states across the country, where people are walking around believing that they cannot be a part of this democratic process because of a previous felony conviction. Michael Vick kind of exemplified this. And he was actually able to vote for quite some time, but he didn’t realize the steps that he needed to take. And we were so grateful to be able to work with him and really walk him through that process and make sure that, yes, he did qualify, under the Amendment 4, passing of Amendment 4, and he was successfully able to register and be able to vote. And that’s an amazing thing.
And I think that that’s an experience that we want more returning citizens, not only in the state of Florida, but across the country, to experience, because I do believe that people who have been impacted by the criminal justice system will make a significant impact in elections in the future, as well as around criminal justice reform. And I’ve got to remind you, Amy, that it’s not just about the presidential race. There are so many down-ballot races, that of state attorneys, of DAs, sheriffs, judges, public defenders, clerk of courts and supervisors of elections, that are up for reelection throughout the upcoming years. And people who have been impacted the most have an opportunity to have their voices heard in a very, very significant way. And in my book, you know, I talk about how, in spite of the fact that we may have made mistakes in the past, in spite of the fact that society may have [inaudible] —
AMY GOODMAN: We have 15 seconds.
DESMOND MEADE: Right — we have an opportunity to overcome and be a changemaker in our community and in this country.
AMY GOODMAN: Desmond Meade, we want to thank you so much for being with us, president of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, chair of the Floridians for a Fair Democracy, spearheaded Amendment 4, which re-enfranchised 1.4 million Floridians, who he’s still fighting for, his new book called Let My People Vote: My Battle to Restore the Civil Rights of Returning Citizens.
A very Happy Birthday to Ishmael Daro! Democracy Now! is produced with Mike Burke, Renée Feltz, Deena Guzder, Libby Rainey, Nermeen Shaikh, María Taracena, Carla Wills, Tami Woronoff, Charina Nadura, Sam Alcoff, Tey-Marie Astudillo, John Hamilton, Robby Karran, Hany Massoud, Adriano Contreras. Our general manager is Julie Crosby. Special thanks to Becca Staley, Miriam Barnard, Paul Powell, Mike Di Filippo, Miguel Nogueira. Stay safe. Wear a mask. I’m Amy Goodman.
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truthout--2020-11-13--Report Finds Over 100 Rebellions in Jails and Prisons Over COVID Conditions

U.S jails and prisons , already death traps , have been completely ravaged by COVID-19 .
Crowded quarters , a lack of PPE , inadequate medical care , an aging population , and unsanitary conditions have contributed to an infection rate 5.5 times higher than the already ballooned average in the U.S. As of this writing , over 252,000 people in jails and prisons have been infected and at least 1,450 incarcerated people and officers have died from the novel coronavirus .
Evidence suggests these figures are underreported , however .
( The entire state of Wisconsin , for example @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the public . )
In response , incarcerated people have shown strong solidarity , coming together to demand baseline safety measures and advocating for their release , only to be met with brutal repression and punishment .
According to a new report released by the archival group Perilous : A Chronicle of Prisoner Unrest on November 13 , incarcerated people in the U.S. collectively organized at least 106 COVID-19 related rebellions from March 17 to June 15 .
Perilous , a volunteer collective project that tracks information on all prison uprisings , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unrest within carceral facilities , described this activity as “ clearly one of the most massive waves of prisoner resistance in the past decade.
” Duncan Tarr , a researcher at Perilous , tells Truthout , “ Since corrections departments and ICE contractors are unwilling to prevent the spread of the virus , prisoners and detainees have been taking action themselves to draw attention to the dangerous situation they find themselves in and to resist the system of incarceration that is killing them.
” Perilous ’ s analysis found that people rose up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , juvenile carceral centers , and Immigration Detention Centers in 39 states .
Immigrant Detention Centers rebelled most frequently , with 45 separate events .
Thirty-tworebellions took place in private prisons ( 25 of which had contracts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement ) , a disproportionate response as less than 9 percent of prisons in the United States are privately operated .
Louisiana , with a rich history of work stoppages , rebellions and an indefatigable support infrastructure , was the state with the highest frequency of COVID-19-related prison rebellions .
California and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respectively .
Common demands have included that guards wear masks and that departments provide individuals with protective items like soap , masks , and hand sanitizer .
In early April , an estimated 120 to 180 detainees inside GEO Group ’ s Adelanto ICE “ Processing Center ” in California went on hunger strike after two individuals exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms were sent to the hospital .
Striker Marcos Duran told Perilous that the private prison ’ s guards weren ’ t wearing masks .
Detainees did not have access tosoap or shampoo , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detainees , and slept in the same room as seven others , Duran said .
As of October 7 , according to Desert Sun , nearly 20 percent of detainees at Adelanto had contracted COVID-19 .
Beyond hunger strikes , Perilous documented 21 “ uprisings ” in American prisons , defined as collective acts of rebellion that exceed the usual scope of a protest through unpredictable or chaotic means .
In Monroe , Washington , after six incarcerated people and five staff members were diagnosed with COVID-19 , an estimated 100 to 200 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protective measures and a downplaying of the virus in the recreation yard at Monroe Correctional Complex on April 8 .
Joshua Vermaat , an incarcerated person at MCC , described his concerns in a letter to a friend , excerpts of which were published in KUOW , NPR .
He said the Department of Corrections was transferring uninfected incarcerated people into contaminated tiers .
He wrote , “ We ’ ve been safe until now , but because of their lack of foresight and proper planning , now they need rooms for more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go into the ‘ hot zone ’ to make room for them.
” “ They tried to bribe us with McDonald ’ s food .
Are you flipping kidding … if you would do anything I ask you to tell this to the news and to the governor , this isn ’ t right.
” Some people refused orders to move .
Their grievances were met with chemical weapons , rubber bullets and sting balls , according to the Department of Corrections .
Demonstrators were ultimately forced to surrender .
The next day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change in tone from the DOC , but that the facility went on lock down .
“ No one here wants violence , NO ONE , but at the same time you ’ ve got 400+ … who are now being backed into corners.
” One month later , a guard at Monroe Correctional died from COVID-19 .
Cook County Jail in Chicago , a site with the largest outbreak of any location in the state of Illinois , rebelled on six separate occasions including one uprising and several hunger strikes .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or threatened to attempt suicide .
Over the course of April , the jail had released nearly a fourth of its population , decreasing it from 5,604 to 4,301 .
But , despite early resistance , Cook County Jail ’ s population has crept up again to nearly pre-pandemic levels .
COVID-19 flareups behind bars have undoubtedly contributed to the United States ’ abysmal failure to control the virus .
Despite urgent calls for action from public health scientists in The Lancet , the ACLU and countless other organizations , Democratic and Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Andrew Cuomo to Alabama Gov .
Kay Ivey , have largely refused to reduce prison populations by any meaningful margin .
In the ACLU ’ s evaluation of state efforts to prevent COVID-19 deaths behind bars , Colorado , Kentucky , Maine , Michigan , Minnesota , Oregon , Tennessee , Vermont and West Virginia received the best scores , all with a “ D- ” .
After sustained activism and a mounting death toll , on November 4 , New Jersey released more than 2,000 incarcerated people who were already nearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the face of negligence , Ivan Von Staich , an incarcerated person at the notoriously brutal San Quentin State Prison , filed a lawsuit in May against the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation alleging “ deliberate indifference to the risk of substantial harm to inmates by failing to immediately reduce the prison population of San Quentin by releasing or transferring at least 50 percent of the population of the prison.
” After the filing , San Quentin suffered an outbreak of at least 2,500 cases and at least 29 deaths .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Appeal in California ruled in Von Staich ’ s favor , ordering the release or transfer of nearly 1,500 incarcerated people .
The court wrote , “ If necessary to achieve this reduction , respondents are ordered to revise their expedited release programs to include inmates over 60 , who have served at least 25 years of their sentences and are eligible for parole , such as life prisoners eligible for parole and second or third strike prisoners , even if such prisoners are serving a sentence for a violent offense.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , however , that transfers increase the spread of COVID-19 .
San Quentin ’ s massive outbreak resulted from transfers .
“ The best way to help keep prisoners from contracting the virus would be mass releases , ” Christopher Blackwell , an incarcerated man at Monroe previously told Truthout .
“ Absent those , it is essential to cease transfers and provide incarcerated people with adequate supplies.
” Instead of mass releases , as the U.S. enters its third wave , many departments ’ chosen preventative measures continue to be “ lockdowns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cells for 21 to 23 hours a day .
It ’ s estimated that 300,000 people incarcerated in state and federal prisons are in lockdown or solitary confinement conditions .
Many incarcerated people have lost phone privileges and ( already scant ) programming .
As budgets are slashed without complementary mass releases , healthcare services behind bars will continue to deteriorate , according to Perilous ’ report .
Prior to COVID-19 , experts considered U.S. prisons to be ‘ ticking time bombs.
’ Baseline volatile conditions remain and the virus is an accelerant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus will be better managed once Biden and Harris take power , although they have not yet released a plan that puts people over profit .
Tarr hopes that the Perilous report will bring some attention to the struggle behind bars during this chaotic time .
“ As the national political crisis continues to play out over the next few months , it is important that some of the most vulnerable to COVID-19 — those locked up by our government — are not forgotten and that their cries for help and freedom do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ And a close look at the first few months of their resistance to the pandemic can shed some light on how we might move forward in preventing more unneeded deaths inside prison walls .
”

U.S jails and prisons, already death traps, have been completely ravaged by COVID-19. Crowded quarters, a lack of PPE, inadequate medical care, an aging population, and unsanitary conditions have contributed to an infection rate 5.5 times higher than the already ballooned average in the U.S. As of this writing, over 252,000 people in jails and prisons have been infected and at least 1,450 incarcerated people and officers have died from the novel coronavirus. Evidence suggests these figures are underreported, however. (The entire state of Wisconsin, for example, isn’t releasing any information to the public.)
In response, incarcerated people have shown strong solidarity, coming together to demand baseline safety measures and advocating for their release, only to be met with brutal repression and punishment.
According to a new report released by the archival group Perilous: A Chronicle of Prisoner Unrest on November 13, incarcerated people in the U.S. collectively organized at least 106 COVID-19 related rebellions from March 17 to June 15. Perilous, a volunteer collective project that tracks information on all prison uprisings, riots, protests, strikes and other unrest within carceral facilities, described this activity as “clearly one of the most massive waves of prisoner resistance in the past decade.”
Duncan Tarr, a researcher at Perilous, tells Truthout, “Since corrections departments and ICE contractors are unwilling to prevent the spread of the virus, prisoners and detainees have been taking action themselves to draw attention to the dangerous situation they find themselves in and to resist the system of incarceration that is killing them.”
Perilous’s analysis found that people rose up inside federal and state prisons, jails, juvenile carceral centers, and Immigration Detention Centers in 39 states. Immigrant Detention Centers rebelled most frequently, with 45 separate events. Thirty-tworebellions took place in private prisons (25 of which had contracts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement), a disproportionate response as less than 9 percent of prisons in the United States are privately operated. Louisiana, with a rich history of work stoppages, rebellions and an indefatigable support infrastructure, was the state with the highest frequency of COVID-19-related prison rebellions. California and Washingtonwere the second and third most rebellious respectively.
Common demands have included that guards wear masks and that departments provide individuals with protective items like soap, masks, and hand sanitizer.
Over 252,000 people in jails and prisons have been infected and at least 1,450 incarcerated people and officers have died from the novel coronavirus.
In early April, an estimated 120 to 180 detainees inside GEO Group’s Adelanto ICE “Processing Center” in California went on hunger strike after two individuals exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms were sent to the hospital. Striker Marcos Duran told Perilous that the private prison’s guards weren’t wearing masks. Detainees did not have access tosoap or shampoo, were forced to eat alongside 50-60 other detainees, and slept in the same room as seven others, Duran said. As of October 7, according to Desert Sun, nearly 20 percent of detainees at Adelanto had contracted COVID-19.
Beyond hunger strikes, Perilous documented 21 “uprisings” in American prisons, defined as collective acts of rebellion that exceed the usual scope of a protest through unpredictable or chaotic means.
In Monroe, Washington, after six incarcerated people and five staff members were diagnosed with COVID-19, an estimated 100 to 200 incarcerated people staged a protest over inadequate protective measures and a downplaying of the virus in the recreation yard at Monroe Correctional Complex on April 8. Joshua Vermaat, an incarcerated person at MCC, described his concerns in a letter to a friend, excerpts of which were published in KUOW, NPR. He said the Department of Corrections was transferring uninfected incarcerated people into contaminated tiers. He wrote, “We’ve been safe until now, but because of their lack of foresight and proper planning, now they need rooms for more vulnerable inmates and they want us to go into the ‘hot zone’ to make room for them.”
Incarcerated people in the U.S. collectively organized at least 106 COVID-19 related rebellions from March 17 to June 15.
“They tried to bribe us with McDonald’s food. Are you flipping kidding … if you would do anything I ask you to tell this to the news and to the governor, this isn’t right.”
Some people refused orders to move. Their grievances were met with chemical weapons, rubber bullets and sting balls, according to the Department of Corrections. Demonstrators were ultimately forced to surrender.
The next day Vermaat said the resistance led to a change in tone from the DOC, but that the facility went on lock down. “No one here wants violence, NO ONE, but at the same time you’ve got 400+ … who are now being backed into corners.”
One month later, a guard at Monroe Correctional died from COVID-19.
Cook County Jail in Chicago, a site with the largest outbreak of any location in the state of Illinois, rebelled on six separate occasions including one uprising and several hunger strikes. On at least one occasion some detainees attempted or threatened to attempt suicide.
Over the course of April, the jail had released nearly a fourth of its population, decreasing it from 5,604 to 4,301. But, despite early resistance, Cook County Jail’s population has crept up again to nearly pre-pandemic levels.
COVID-19 flareups behind bars have undoubtedly contributed to the United States’ abysmal failure to control the virus. Despite urgent calls for action from public health scientists in The Lancet, the ACLU and countless other organizations, Democratic and Republican politicians alike, from New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, have largely refused to reduce prison populations by any meaningful margin. In the ACLU’s evaluation of state efforts to prevent COVID-19 deaths behind bars, Colorado, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, Tennessee, Vermont and West Virginia received the best scores, all with a “D-”. After sustained activism and a mounting death toll, on November 4, New Jersey released more than 2,000 incarcerated people who were already nearing the end of their sentences.
In the face of negligence, Ivan Von Staich, an incarcerated person at the notoriously brutal San Quentin State Prison, filed a lawsuit in May against the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation alleging “deliberate indifference to the risk of substantial harm to inmates by failing to immediately reduce the prison population of San Quentin by releasing or transferring at least 50 percent of the population of the prison.” After the filing, San Quentin suffered an outbreak of at least 2,500 cases and at least 29 deaths. On October 20, the First District Court of Appeal in California ruled in Von Staich’s favor, ordering the release or transfer of nearly 1,500 incarcerated people. The court wrote, “If necessary to achieve this reduction, respondents are ordered to revise their expedited release programs to include inmates over 60, who have served at least 25 years of their sentences and are eligible for parole, such as life prisoners eligible for parole and second or third strike prisoners, even if such prisoners are serving a sentence for a violent offense.”
Incarcerated people and public health experts warn, however, that transfers increase the spread of COVID-19. San Quentin’s massive outbreak resulted from transfers. “The best way to help keep prisoners from contracting the virus would be mass releases,” Christopher Blackwell, an incarcerated man at Monroe previously told Truthout. “Absent those, it is essential to cease transfers and provide incarcerated people with adequate supplies.”
Instead of mass releases, as the U.S. enters its third wave, many departments’ chosen preventative measures continue to be “lockdowns,” or confining people in their cells for 21 to 23 hours a day. It’s estimated that 300,000 people incarcerated in state and federal prisons are in lockdown or solitary confinement conditions. Many incarcerated people have lost phone privileges and (already scant) programming. As budgets are slashed without complementary mass releases, healthcare services behind bars will continue to deteriorate, according to Perilous’ report.
Prior to COVID-19, experts considered U.S. prisons to be ‘ticking time bombs.’ Baseline volatile conditions remain and the virus is an accelerant. There is some hope that the virus will be better managed once Biden and Harris take power, although they have not yet released a plan that puts people over profit.
Tarr hopes that the Perilous report will bring some attention to the struggle behind bars during this chaotic time. “As the national political crisis continues to play out over the next few months, it is important that some of the most vulnerable to COVID-19 — those locked up by our government — are not forgotten and that their cries for help and freedom do not go unheard,” he said. “And a close look at the first few months of their resistance to the pandemic can shed some light on how we might move forward in preventing more unneeded deaths inside prison walls.”
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
Copyright © Truthout. May not be reprinted without permission.


truthout--2020-11-13--Pfizer CEO Dumped $5.6 Million in Stock on Day of Encouraging Vaccine News

A watchdog group called for the Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate stock sales by Pfizer chief executive Dr. Albert Bourla on the day the pharmaceutical giant announced that its coronavirus vaccine was more than 90 % effective .
In a press release on Monday that made worldwide headlines , Pfizer claimed that study data indicates that the company ’ s experimental coronavirus vaccine is highly effective at preventing infection .
Scientists warned that data from Pfizer ’ s clinical trial and specific details on the vaccine were not yet available .
But President Trump and others touted the report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stock price by nearly 8 % .
Bourla unloaded 132,506 shares of Pfizer stock at $ 41.94 , near the company ’ s peak , for a total of nearly $ 5.6 million on the same day , SEC filings show .
The transaction appeared to be Bourla ’ s first public sale of stock since 2016 , though he has made non-market transactions , according to federal filings .
The stock sale raised questions after Bourla told CNN ’ s Sanjay Gupta that he learned of the positive trial results a day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rose , the company ’ s vice president of global media relations , told Salon that the sale was prearranged through an SEC-compliant trading plan in August .
“ The sale of these shares is part of Dr. Bourla ’ s personal financial planning and a pre-established ( 10b5-1 ) plan , which allows , under SEC rules , major shareholders and insiders of exchange-listed corporations to trade a predetermined number of shares at a predetermined time , ” Rose said in an email .
“ Through our stock plan administrator , Dr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in February and renewed that authorization in August with the same price and volume terms .
After being with the company for more than 25 years , Albert owns a substantial amount of Pfizer stock under our qualified and nonqualified savings plans .
He now holds approximately nine times his salary in Pfizer stock after the sale this week.
” Sally Susman , the company ’ s executive vice president , also sold 43,662 shares for a total value of around $ 1.83 million under a pre-arranged plan , according to filings .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the impression conveyed to regulators or the public by these sales , or about whether it would freeze future stock sales by executives .
The prearranged plans are a common way to “ shield corporate executives from allegations of illegal insider trading ” but they have also become “ increasingly controversial ” given the “ billions of dollars the government has promised Pfizer if its vaccine meets the approval of federal regulators , ” NPR reported .
While such plans are intended only to be used when executives are not “ in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affect a company ’ s stock price , the timing of Bourla ’ s plan raised questions because it was implemented on Aug. 19 , a day before Pfizer announced that it was “ on track to seek regulatory review ” by October , NPR added .
Daniel Taylor , an insider trading expert at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania , told NPR that the timing of the stock plan appeared “ very suspicious.
” “ It ’ s wholly inappropriate for executives at pharmaceutical companies to be implementing or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they announce data or results from drug trials , ” he said .
A spokesperson for the company told NPR that it did not believe the Aug. 20 announcement had any material nonpublic information , adding that the company previously announced its plan to seek approval by October and was merely confirming the timeline .
Accountable Pharma , a progressive watchdog group , has called for Pfizer and other pharmaceutical companies to freeze the sale of stocks by executives “ to prevent the kind of insider profiteering off of positive news that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last few months.
” Eli Zupnick , a spokesman for the group , on Thursday called on the SEC to investigate the Pfizer sales .
“ This appears to be another example of a shameless pump-and-dump and egregious pandemic profiteering that , if nothing else , is a terrible look for a drug industry that is desperately trying to rehabilitate its image , ” he said in a statement to Salon .
“ We called on Pfizer to freeze all insider sales for exactly this reason , and now we ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trades to determine if these executives ’ trading plans were inappropriately adjusted or if their options were exercised based on inside information.
” Zupnick added in a press release that Pfizer “ should immediately release their study data for full independent review.
” “ Given the billions of guaranteed taxpayer dollars that supported and incentivized the development of this vaccine , Pfizer must now explain how much they intend to profiteer off of this vaccine and what they intend to charge patients and the federal government beyond the initial doses , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from taxpayers have also come under fire for their executives ’ stock trades .
Executives at the pharmaceutical giant Moderna have sold off tens of millions in stock ahead of announcements about its vaccine development while receiving large contracts from the Trump administration .
“ It ’ s troubling to me that the general counsel or the internal controls of these companies would consider it legitimate to adopt a 10b5-1 plan one day before a major vaccine announcement , ” Taylor told NPR .
“ If this isn ’ t a wake-up call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we need to reform these 10b5-1 plans , I don ’ t know what it is.
” SEC Chairman Jay Clayton warned back in May that pharmaceutical firms should avoid these types of stock sales .
“ We ’ ve said for a long time : In this volatile time , please practice good corporate hygiene , ” he told CNBC .
“ Why would you want to even raise the question that you were doing something that was inappropriate ?
”

A watchdog group has called for Pfizer and other pharmaceutical companies to freeze the sale of stocks by executives.
A watchdog group called for the Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate stock sales by Pfizer chief executive Dr. Albert Bourla on the day the pharmaceutical giant announced that its coronavirus vaccine was more than 90% effective.
In a press release on Monday that made worldwide headlines, Pfizer claimed that study data indicates that the company’s experimental coronavirus vaccine is highly effective at preventing infection. Scientists warned that data from Pfizer’s clinical trial and specific details on the vaccine were not yet available. But President Trump and others touted the report, which lifted the company’s stock price by nearly 8%.
Bourla unloaded 132,506 shares of Pfizer stock at $41.94, near the company’s peak, for a total of nearly $5.6 million on the same day, SEC filings show. The transaction appeared to be Bourla’s first public sale of stock since 2016, though he has made non-market transactions, according to federal filings.
The stock sale raised questions after Bourla told CNN’s Sanjay Gupta that he learned of the positive trial results a day before they were publicly announced.
Amy Rose, the company’s vice president of global media relations, told Salon that the sale was prearranged through an SEC-compliant trading plan in August.
“The sale of these shares is part of Dr. Bourla’s personal financial planning and a pre-established (10b5-1) plan, which allows, under SEC rules, major shareholders and insiders of exchange-listed corporations to trade a predetermined number of shares at a predetermined time,” Rose said in an email. “Through our stock plan administrator, Dr. Bourla authorized the sale of these shares in February and renewed that authorization in August with the same price and volume terms. After being with the company for more than 25 years, Albert owns a substantial amount of Pfizer stock under our qualified and nonqualified savings plans. He now holds approximately nine times his salary in Pfizer stock after the sale this week.”
Sally Susman, the company’s executive vice president, also sold 43,662 shares for a total value of around $1.83 million under a pre-arranged plan, according to filings.
The company did not respond to questions about the impression conveyed to regulators or the public by these sales, or about whether it would freeze future stock sales by executives.
The prearranged plans are a common way to “shield corporate executives from allegations of illegal insider trading” but they have also become “increasingly controversial” given the “billions of dollars the government has promised Pfizer if its vaccine meets the approval of federal regulators,” NPR reported.
While such plans are intended only to be used when executives are not “in possession of inside information” that could affect a company’s stock price, the timing of Bourla’s plan raised questions because it was implemented on Aug. 19, a day before Pfizer announced that it was “on track to seek regulatory review” by October, NPR added.
Daniel Taylor, an insider trading expert at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, told NPR that the timing of the stock plan appeared “very suspicious.”
“It’s wholly inappropriate for executives at pharmaceutical companies to be implementing or modifying 10b5-1 plans the business day before they announce data or results from drug trials,” he said.
A spokesperson for the company told NPR that it did not believe the Aug. 20 announcement had any material nonpublic information, adding that the company previously announced its plan to seek approval by October and was merely confirming the timeline.
Accountable Pharma, a progressive watchdog group, has called for Pfizer and other pharmaceutical companies to freeze the sale of stocks by executives “to prevent the kind of insider profiteering off of positive news that we’ve seen across the industry over the last few months.”
Eli Zupnick, a spokesman for the group, on Thursday called on the SEC to investigate the Pfizer sales.
“This appears to be another example of a shameless pump-and-dump and egregious pandemic profiteering that, if nothing else, is a terrible look for a drug industry that is desperately trying to rehabilitate its image,” he said in a statement to Salon. “We called on Pfizer to freeze all insider sales for exactly this reason, and now we’re calling on the SEC to investigate these trades to determine if these executives’ trading plans were inappropriately adjusted or if their options were exercised based on inside information.”
Zupnick added in a press release that Pfizer “should immediately release their study data for full independent review.”
“Given the billions of guaranteed taxpayer dollars that supported and incentivized the development of this vaccine, Pfizer must now explain how much they intend to profiteer off of this vaccine and what they intend to charge patients and the federal government beyond the initial doses,” he said.
Other pharmaceutical companies receiving funding from taxpayers have also come under fire for their executives’ stock trades. Executives at the pharmaceutical giant Moderna have sold off tens of millions in stock ahead of announcements about its vaccine development while receiving large contracts from the Trump administration.
“It’s troubling to me that the general counsel or the internal controls of these companies would consider it legitimate to adopt a 10b5-1 plan one day before a major vaccine announcement,” Taylor told NPR. “If this isn’t a wake-up call for the SEC and a wake-up call that we need to reform these 10b5-1 plans, I don’t know what it is.”
SEC Chairman Jay Clayton warned back in May that pharmaceutical firms should avoid these types of stock sales.
“We’ve said for a long time: In this volatile time, please practice good corporate hygiene,” he told CNBC. “Why would you want to even raise the question that you were doing something that was inappropriate?”
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--2020-11-13--Health Workers Don’t Need Heroizing Amid COVID Third Wave. They Need Resources.

There ’ s a joke I ’ ve seen circulating online , over and over during this pandemic , that goes along the lines of , “ Months this year : January , February , March , March , March , March , March… ” My lips pull into a smile , but my heart ’ s not in it .
I was on the phone two weeks ago with a nurse who lives in Missouri , where cases have risen from 1,100 per day in August to about 3,400 daily in November .
Her husband works in the ER @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a patient suspected of having COVID-19 walks in , the sample is sent to be tested in St. Louis , an hour and a half away .
Results take eight hours or more to process .
Medical workers don ’ t get enough protective equipment .
“ They ’ re given one N95 mask and have to keep it in a bag to reuse for days , ” the nurse said , fretting about her husband ’ s safety .
“ He should at least get a new mask for every shift , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calendar : It was Oct. 30 , but it might as well have been March .
I could still hear the voice of another nurse , Sarah , in Illinois , who poured out her fears to me on March 2 , when the coronavirus was just starting to make its presence known in her city .
Sarah told me she had been instructed to write her name on a brown paper bag and put her mask in it to reuse for the week .
“ There ’ s this feeling like , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , ” she told me , sounding more resigned than scared .
As a health reporter covering the pandemic , I ’ ve experienced too many moments of deja vu .
This summer , as the virus swept through the South , news footage of overwhelmed hospitals in Houston turning away ambulances recalled similar scenes from March and April in New York City .
Now , we ’ re in the so-called third wave of the pandemic , with the virus slamming into Midwestern states , and this week , Dr. Gregory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics , said his colleagues are converting 16 hospital beds into new ICU beds in anticipation of an influx of COVID-19 patients .
“ People in leadership are starting to say things in meetings like , ‘ I have a sense of impending doom.
’ ” I ’ m exhausted and infuriated to be doing the same interviews and hearing the same stories for a third time .
Why haven ’ t we learned ?
What have we been doing between March and November ?
Why is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ West Virginia , only now able to order a point-of-care test system for his community clinic , just to be told that the cartridges for it will arrive in December at the earliest ?
Why are clinicians at Mountain Family Health Centers in Glenwood Springs , Colorado , once again facing seven- to 10-day wait times for their patients ’ test results ?
I remind myself that many things have improved since March .
An incredible amount of scientific knowledge has been amassed about the virus itself .
Thanks to detailed contact tracing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve learned that the virus can be spread beyond 6 feet via small particles suspended in the air , teaching us the importance of good ventilation to decrease transmission risk .
Thanks to antibody studies , we ’ re learning that reinfection , while possible , is likely rare .
We now use ventilators less aggressively and know the benefits of steroids like dexamethasone , while other treatments like hydroxychloroquine have lost favor thanks to rigorous studies that have debunked anecdotal hype .
This week , an antibody therapy developed by Eli Lilly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Food and Drug Administration .
Trials have shown that it can help mild to moderate COVID-19 patients reduce hospitalizations .
And Pfizer shared encouraging , early news from its ongoing trial , saying its vaccine was more than 90 % effective in preventing people from getting sick .
It is thanks to the work of so many career scientists and medical personnel that if one gets infected with the coronavirus today , the chance of survival is higher than in March .
Yet while some material supplies have increased since March ( we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still not enough ) , humans are a fixed resource , and the skilled labor of a veteran respiratory therapist or an ICU nurse is hard to come by .
Before the pandemic , America already had a nursing shortage .
Now , this dearth is becoming acutely felt .
A ER nurse who lives in Wisconsin told me that her hospital is starting to run out of beds , but more urgently , it is running out of staff , in part because some workers have gotten sick and others are in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about how many beds there are , but that doesn ’ t mean there ’ s staff for them , ” she said .
When no hospital beds are available , the emergency department gets full , she explained to me ; she ’ s had to board patients there for 20 hours .
Meanwhile , she wields a faulty forehead thermometer at the door .
Her own temperature recently read 84.9 F — hypothermic , if true .
Staff members were given plastic water bottles emblazoned with the hospital ’ s logo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s so demoralizing , ” she told me .
“ I would take getting punched on a daily basis rather than what we ’ re going through now.
” Tim Size , executive director of the Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative , said some of his 43 member hospitals are seeing “ significant staff shortages.
” Initially , he said , they were able to hire from staffing agencies , which recruit traveling nurses to work short-term contracts , but now that the virus is surging in multiple states , hospitals all over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ So people are working more overtime , which is causing more fatigue , which will lead to more burnout , ” Size said .
“ If we don ’ t stop the growth… ” He shook his head .
Schmidt , at the University of Iowa , tells me he ’ s concerned not just about overwork , but also about the psychological toll on medical staff .
“ You watch patients who are young and who should have had good lives die without their families by them , and their families @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out through your community and you see people partying and going to bars.
” He paused , then added .
“ We can do anything for two months , ” he said .
“ But surge after surge , it ’ s hard for everybody.
” One thing that ’ s burned into my head is what Chrissie Juliano , executive director of the Big Cities Health Coalition , told me when I asked her whether the constant struggles to get on top of the coronavirus have simply been because this pandemic is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for it .
“ We would be overwhelmed to some extent , ” she told me .
“ But it didn ’ t have to be this bad.
” So much has fed into our quagmire : a lack of national leadership , the perpetuation of misinformation .
The nurse in Missouri told me about a man with preexisting conditions who ended up in the ICU because he believed that the virus would go away by Nov. 4 and went out to eat at restaurants .
Of course , it didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we hit a record high of 103,067 cases , the first time we broke six digits ; 1,116 people died .
It didn ’ t have to be this bad .
I don ’ t want to hear the same stories in a fourth wave , a fifth wave , to feel like we are trapped in an endless spiral , unnecessarily repeating our own mistakes .
New leadership is coming to the White House ; Joe Biden ’ s first move as president-elect was to announce a COVID-19 advisory board .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our public health leaders , depoliticize the pandemic and deliver for all of the weary front-line workers .
But we don ’ t have to wait until then .
The best way to help our medical workers isn ’ t to stand at our windows at 7 p.m. cheering or to give them thank-you water bottles .
It ’ s to stay out of their ERs and ICUs by keeping ourselves and our neighbors safe .

There’s a joke I’ve seen circulating online, over and over during this pandemic, that goes along the lines of, “Months this year: January, February, March, March, March, March, March…”
My lips pull into a smile, but my heart’s not in it.
I was on the phone two weeks ago with a nurse who lives in Missouri, where cases have risen from 1,100 per day in August to about 3,400 daily in November. Her husband works in the ER of a rural hospital. Every time a patient suspected of having COVID-19 walks in, the sample is sent to be tested in St. Louis, an hour and a half away. Results take eight hours or more to process.
Medical workers don’t get enough protective equipment. “They’re given one N95 mask and have to keep it in a bag to reuse for days,” the nurse said, fretting about her husband’s safety. “He should at least get a new mask for every shift, right?”
I looked at the calendar: It was Oct. 30, but it might as well have been March.
I could still hear the voice of another nurse, Sarah, in Illinois, who poured out her fears to me on March 2, when the coronavirus was just starting to make its presence known in her city.
Sarah told me she had been instructed to write her name on a brown paper bag and put her mask in it to reuse for the week. “There’s this feeling like, we’re just going to get it,” she told me, sounding more resigned than scared.
As a health reporter covering the pandemic, I’ve experienced too many moments of deja vu. This summer, as the virus swept through the South, news footage of overwhelmed hospitals in Houston turning away ambulances recalled similar scenes from March and April in New York City. Now, we’re in the so-called third wave of the pandemic, with the virus slamming into Midwestern states, and this week, Dr. Gregory Schmidt, associate chief medical officer at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, said his colleagues are converting 16 hospital beds into new ICU beds in anticipation of an influx of COVID-19 patients. “People in leadership are starting to say things in meetings like, ‘I have a sense of impending doom.’”
I’m exhausted and infuriated to be doing the same interviews and hearing the same stories for a third time. Why haven’t we learned? What have we been doing between March and November?
Why is Dr. Peter Wentzel, in Grafton, West Virginia, only now able to order a point-of-care test system for his community clinic, just to be told that the cartridges for it will arrive in December at the earliest? Why are clinicians at Mountain Family Health Centers in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, once again facing seven- to 10-day wait times for their patients’ test results?
I remind myself that many things have improved since March. An incredible amount of scientific knowledge has been amassed about the virus itself. Thanks to detailed contact tracing studies around the world, we’ve learned that the virus can be spread beyond 6 feet via small particles suspended in the air, teaching us the importance of good ventilation to decrease transmission risk. Thanks to antibody studies, we’re learning that reinfection, while possible, is likely rare.
We now use ventilators less aggressively and know the benefits of steroids like dexamethasone, while other treatments like hydroxychloroquine have lost favor thanks to rigorous studies that have debunked anecdotal hype. This week, an antibody therapy developed by Eli Lilly was granted emergency use authorization by the Food and Drug Administration. Trials have shown that it can help mild to moderate COVID-19 patients reduce hospitalizations. And Pfizer shared encouraging, early news from its ongoing trial, saying its vaccine was more than 90% effective in preventing people from getting sick. It is thanks to the work of so many career scientists and medical personnel that if one gets infected with the coronavirus today, the chance of survival is higher than in March.
Yet while some material supplies have increased since March (we thankfully have more COVID-19 tests, though still not enough), humans are a fixed resource, and the skilled labor of a veteran respiratory therapist or an ICU nurse is hard to come by. Before the pandemic, America already had a nursing shortage. Now, this dearth is becoming acutely felt.
A ER nurse who lives in Wisconsin told me that her hospital is starting to run out of beds, but more urgently, it is running out of staff, in part because some workers have gotten sick and others are in quarantine. “The state keeps talking about how many beds there are, but that doesn’t mean there’s staff for them,” she said.
When no hospital beds are available, the emergency department gets full, she explained to me; she’s had to board patients there for 20 hours. Meanwhile, she wields a faulty forehead thermometer at the door. Her own temperature recently read 84.9 F — hypothermic, if true. Staff members were given plastic water bottles emblazoned with the hospital’s logo as a thank you.
“It’s so demoralizing,” she told me. “I would take getting punched on a daily basis rather than what we’re going through now.”
Tim Size, executive director of the Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative, said some of his 43 member hospitals are seeing “significant staff shortages.” Initially, he said, they were able to hire from staffing agencies, which recruit traveling nurses to work short-term contracts, but now that the virus is surging in multiple states, hospitals all over are competing for the same personnel. “So people are working more overtime, which is causing more fatigue, which will lead to more burnout,” Size said. “If we don’t stop the growth…” He shook his head.
Schmidt, at the University of Iowa, tells me he’s concerned not just about overwork, but also about the psychological toll on medical staff. “You watch patients who are young and who should have had good lives die without their families by them, and their families being distraught, and then you go out through your community and you see people partying and going to bars.”
He paused, then added. “We can do anything for two months,” he said. “But surge after surge, it’s hard for everybody.”
One thing that’s burned into my head is what Chrissie Juliano, executive director of the Big Cities Health Coalition, told me when I asked her whether the constant struggles to get on top of the coronavirus have simply been because this pandemic is so unprecedented that nobody could have prepared for it.
“We would be overwhelmed to some extent,” she told me. “But it didn’t have to be this bad.”
So much has fed into our quagmire: a lack of national leadership, the perpetuation of misinformation. The nurse in Missouri told me about a man with preexisting conditions who ended up in the ICU because he believed that the virus would go away by Nov. 4 and went out to eat at restaurants. Of course, it didn’t go away that day. Instead, we hit a record high of 103,067 cases, the first time we broke six digits; 1,116 people died. It didn’t have to be this bad.
I don’t want to hear the same stories in a fourth wave, a fifth wave, to feel like we are trapped in an endless spiral, unnecessarily repeating our own mistakes. New leadership is coming to the White House; Joe Biden’s first move as president-elect was to announce a COVID-19 advisory board. I hope it will amplify the voices of our public health leaders, depoliticize the pandemic and deliver for all of the weary front-line workers.
But we don’t have to wait until then. The best way to help our medical workers isn’t to stand at our windows at 7 p.m. cheering or to give them thank-you water bottles. It’s to stay out of their ERs and ICUs by keeping ourselves and our neighbors safe.
Lisa Song contributed reporting.
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--2020-11-13--One-Time Stimulus Checks Aren’t Good Enough. We Need Universal Basic Income.

“ We set up a tent in the woods , ” Bonnie said .
“ My husband will get money for us to eat.
” We sat outside , sharing coffee and I asked how they became homeless .
She begged at the off-ramp , held a cardboard sign and occasionally plucked a dollar dangled from a car window .
In New York City , the poor increasingly camp on sidewalks or in parks .
In the nation at large , millions are at risk of eviction .
The CARES Act , the first stimulus package during the pandemic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homes and falling into poverty .
It was emergency stopgap legislation whose effects have worn off .
Another stimulus bill will not be enough .
We need Universal Basic Income ( UBI ) , which is the cash transfer from the government to all or nearly all of its citizens .
It is unconditional .
It is consistent .
In the middle of a global financial meltdown , it can stop poverty from destroying another generation and maybe repair the damage of the past .
The ongoing crisis of COVID-19 laid waste the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was already a catastrophe .
Alongside plagues are growing dangers like climate change and widening wealth inequality .
It is unsustainable — sheer folly , really — to imagine society can hold up under those pressures .
Yet a practical solution stares us in the face .
Free money for everyone .
This spring in New York , ambulances wailed day and night to pick up the sick and dying .
COVID-19 tore through the region .
In February , Wall Street crashed .
In March , the city shut down .
Restaurants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The rest of the nation followed and 3.3 million filed for unemployment that month alone .
In order to keep the economy alive , on March 27 , Congress passed and Trump signed the CARES Act , a stimulus bill that along with corporate giveaways , gave a $ 1,200 one-time check and $ 600 a week unemployment benefit .
It helped families and whole neighborhoods .
Now , seven months later , the U.S. presidential election has ended with the victory of President-elect Joe Biden , just as the country hit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases while a third wave cuts a deadly swath through the land .
Compounding that crisis , the fight over a new stimulus bill has intensified as a gridlocked Senate takes shape .
The proposed HEROES Act would continue where the CARES Act left off with another round of $ 1,200 checks and the $ 600 a week employment benefit .
It will not be enough .
The economic ruin is worse than is known .
New York ’ s eviction ban was just renewed by Gov .
Andrew Cuomo for 90 days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rise as landlords find loopholes in the law .
Not only will current rent be due but back rent too .
A recent Truthout essay warned of the immense wave of debt that is looming over masses of people .
According to a report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities , nearly 23 million adults face hunger , which spills over to 7 to 11 million children whose stomachs twist in knots from lack of food .
The highest unemployment is concentrated in the lowest-paying jobs .
Running through all of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Blacks and Latinos face the worst conditions .
Every day that goes by , more people fall into poverty as the rich get wealthier .
The CARES Act kept Americans afloat but its effects have expired and the economy is still in shambles .
Since April , an estimated 8 million have become destitute .
The real unemployment rate is hidden behind selective reporting , which often uses the U-3 category of those looking for new work , rather than the U-6 which counts discouraged and part-time workers .
According to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million unemployment insurance claims in September gives a clearer picture of how many people face deep poverty .
A startling reality becomes visible .
The U.S. is at a 16 percent unemployment rate , just 4 percentage points shy of what economist Paul Krugman described as “ Depression level.
” Even as so many people struggle to eat or pay rent , the top 1 percent hoard massive amounts of wealth .
Just three famous billionaires — Bill Gates , Jeff Bezos and Warren Buffet — collectively own more wealth than the bottom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flesh and blood language , it means right now a family is being kicked out of their home by a constable .
Right now , a parent is counting pennies to pay for gas .
Right now , a child is waking up to a new life of fear , hunger and shame .
But none of this has to happen .
“ I thought Universal Basic Income was a good idea , ” said 2020 presidential candidate Andrew Yang to Bloomberg QuickTake .
“ But it ’ s more urgent than ever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death.
” During the presidential campaign , Yang generated buzz by promoting UBI on talk shows , speeches and town halls .
He called it the Freedom Dividend in which each citizen got $ 1,000 a month .
The idea of UBI goes back to Thomas Paine ’ s 1797 pamphlet “ Agrarian Justice ” that called for money to be given to all citizens , and to the fiery Sen. Huey Long ’ s Share the Wealth program in the 1930s .
In 1966 , it was the capstone of the civil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Philip Randolph proposed the Freedom Budget .
The right-wing eugenicist Charles Murray has also advocated UBI to replace welfare programs , a position shared in part by Yang .
Murray and Yang ’ s position is a cynical one that would leave individuals with cash but not enough to replace the social support taken away .
What drove UBI from the margins to the center of politics are the crises each generation has faced .
The oldest one is poverty , whether in Appalachia or Harlem .
Even before the pandemic , wage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives of workers who faced international competition and high-tech machines cutting the need for human labor .
Now the long-term economic effect of COVID-19 could be millions desperate for work , who will accept low wages , and internalize rage at failing the “ American Dream.
” The previous factor of mechanization will pick up speed and hit a tipping point .
A report by McKinsey & Company said that by 2030 , a moderate rate of automation could lead to 400 million jobs displaced by robots or 800 million at a fast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people going to live when the work they can get is low paying and part time ?
Another existential danger is climate change , which will bring rising seas , droughts and fires that will cause interrupted supply chains , damaged infrastructure and more expensive food .
How are people to work when train tracks are flooded or fiber optic cables are damaged by higher tides ?
Is the solution to the crisis-filled future stimulus bill after stimulus bill ?
How many are passed before a society stumbles into UBI ?
Without waiting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ begun experimenting with small-scale versions .
The cities of Hamilton in Canada , Barcelona in Spain and Stockton in California led the way , and now nine mayors of U.S. cities from Los Angeles to Newark joined Mayors for a Guaranteed Income to push for pilot programs and share data .
“ The pandemic exposed just how fragile the economic underpinnings of our society are , ” said Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs .
“ COVID-19 has put us in the midst of another Great Depression which necessitates bold , New Deal-type investments in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fix for our current crisis ?
No .
The slate of COVID-19 vaccines could be ready by the end of the year , but even then , it must be distributed in phases to essential front-line workers first and then eventually to the public at large .
No vaccine can undo the damage left by COVID-19 like depression or debt or poverty .
During my conversation with Bonnie , she told me how invisible she felt .
“ Rich people look right past you , ” she said .
“ They don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have more heart .
They ’ ll give me a $ 20 [ bill ] .
They know what it ’ s like to be hungry.
” UBI would help heal these invisible wounds .
It could replenish faith in society .
It could give back a sense of safety that the pandemic destroyed .
Imagine waking up and seeing $ 1,000 in your bank account .
Imagine the good feeling when you can pay your rent , or put gas in the car or buy food and after your needs are met @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move on with life .
Imagine knowing your child will never have to go hungry , or your grandparent without medicine .
Imagine another world is possible .

“We set up a tent in the woods,” Bonnie said. “My husband will get money for us to eat.” We sat outside, sharing coffee and I asked how they became homeless. She begged at the off-ramp, held a cardboard sign and occasionally plucked a dollar dangled from a car window.
In New York City, the poor increasingly camp on sidewalks or in parks. In the nation at large, millions are at risk of eviction. The CARES Act, the first stimulus package during the pandemic, prevented masses of people from losing their homes and falling into poverty. It was emergency stopgap legislation whose effects have worn off. Another stimulus bill will not be enough.
We need Universal Basic Income (UBI), which is the cash transfer from the government to all or nearly all of its citizens. It is unconditional. It is consistent. In the middle of a global financial meltdown, it can stop poverty from destroying another generation and maybe repair the damage of the past.
The ongoing crisis of COVID-19 laid waste the economy. For many, life pre-pandemic was already a catastrophe. Alongside plagues are growing dangers like climate change and widening wealth inequality. It is unsustainable — sheer folly, really — to imagine society can hold up under those pressures. Yet a practical solution stares us in the face. Free money for everyone.
State of Emergency
This spring in New York, ambulances wailed day and night to pick up the sick and dying. COVID-19 tore through the region. In February, Wall Street crashed. In March, the city shut down. Restaurants and airports, cinemas and clubs closed. The rest of the nation followed and 3.3 million filed for unemployment that month alone.
In order to keep the economy alive, on March 27, Congress passed and Trump signed the CARES Act, a stimulus bill that along with corporate giveaways, gave a $1,200 one-time check and $600 a week unemployment benefit. It helped families and whole neighborhoods. Now, seven months later, the U.S. presidential election has ended with the victory of President-elect Joe Biden, just as the country hit a morbid milestone of 10 million COVID-19 cases while a third wave cuts a deadly swath through the land. Compounding that crisis, the fight over a new stimulus bill has intensified as a gridlocked Senate takes shape. The proposed HEROES Act would continue where the CARES Act left off with another round of $1,200 checks and the $600 a week employment benefit. It will not be enough.
Universal Basic Income (UBI) is unconditional. It is consistent. In the middle of a global financial meltdown, it can stop poverty from destroying another generation and maybe repair the damage of the past.
The economic ruin is worse than is known. New York’s eviction ban was just renewed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo for 90 days, but around the country, evictions rise as landlords find loopholes in the law. Not only will current rent be due but back rent too. A recent Truthout essay warned of the immense wave of debt that is looming over masses of people. According to a report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, nearly 23 million adults face hunger, which spills over to 7 to 11 million children whose stomachs twist in knots from lack of food. The highest unemployment is concentrated in the lowest-paying jobs. Running through all of this is the evidence of structural racism as Blacks and Latinos face the worst conditions.
Every day that goes by, more people fall into poverty as the rich get wealthier. The CARES Act kept Americans afloat but its effects have expired and the economy is still in shambles. Since April, an estimated 8 million have become destitute. The real unemployment rate is hidden behind selective reporting, which often uses the U-3 category of those looking for new work, rather than the U-6 which counts discouraged and part-time workers. According to a Forbes article, turning to the 26 million unemployment insurance claims in September gives a clearer picture of how many people face deep poverty. A startling reality becomes visible. The U.S. is at a 16 percent unemployment rate, just 4 percentage points shy of what economist Paul Krugman described as “Depression level.” Even as so many people struggle to eat or pay rent, the top 1 percent hoard massive amounts of wealth. Just three famous billionaires — Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos and Warren Buffet — collectively own more wealth than the bottom half of all Americans.
In real flesh and blood language, it means right now a family is being kicked out of their home by a constable. Right now, a parent is counting pennies to pay for gas. Right now, a child is waking up to a new life of fear, hunger and shame. But none of this has to happen.
Money for Nothing
“I thought Universal Basic Income was a good idea,” said 2020 presidential candidate Andrew Yang to Bloomberg QuickTake. “But it’s more urgent than ever. It’s literally life and death.”
During the presidential campaign, Yang generated buzz by promoting UBI on talk shows, speeches and town halls. He called it the Freedom Dividend in which each citizen got $1,000 a month. The idea of UBI goes back to Thomas Paine’s 1797 pamphlet “Agrarian Justice” that called for money to be given to all citizens, and to the fiery Sen. Huey Long’s Share the Wealth program in the 1930s. In 1966, it was the capstone of the civil rights movement when Bayard Rustin and A. Philip Randolph proposed the Freedom Budget. The right-wing eugenicist Charles Murray has also advocated UBI to replace welfare programs, a position shared in part by Yang. Murray and Yang’s position is a cynical one that would leave individuals with cash but not enough to replace the social support taken away.
What drove UBI from the margins to the center of politics are the crises each generation has faced. The oldest one is poverty, whether in Appalachia or Harlem. Even before the pandemic, wage stagnation had since the 1970s eroded the lives of workers who faced international competition and high-tech machines cutting the need for human labor. Now the long-term economic effect of COVID-19 could be millions desperate for work, who will accept low wages, and internalize rage at failing the “American Dream.” The previous factor of mechanization will pick up speed and hit a tipping point.
[Universal Basic Income] could give back a sense of safety that the pandemic destroyed.
A report by McKinsey & Company said that by 2030, a moderate rate of automation could lead to 400 million jobs displaced by robots or 800 million at a fast rate. How are the masses of people going to live when the work they can get is low paying and part time? Another existential danger is climate change, which will bring rising seas, droughts and fires that will cause interrupted supply chains, damaged infrastructure and more expensive food. How are people to work when train tracks are flooded or fiber optic cables are damaged by higher tides?
Is the solution to the crisis-filled future stimulus bill after stimulus bill? How many are passed before a society stumbles into UBI? Without waiting for a catastrophe, some municipalities have begun experimenting with small-scale versions. The cities of Hamilton in Canada, Barcelona in Spain and Stockton in California led the way, and now nine mayors of U.S. cities from Los Angeles to Newark joined Mayors for a Guaranteed Income to push for pilot programs and share data.
“The pandemic exposed just how fragile the economic underpinnings of our society are,” said Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs. “COVID-19 has put us in the midst of another Great Depression which necessitates bold, New Deal-type investments in our people.”
Poverty Is Also a Pandemic
Is there a quick fix for our current crisis? No. The slate of COVID-19 vaccines could be ready by the end of the year, but even then, it must be distributed in phases to essential front-line workers first and then eventually to the public at large. No vaccine can undo the damage left by COVID-19 like depression or debt or poverty.
During my conversation with Bonnie, she told me how invisible she felt. “Rich people look right past you,” she said. “They don’t give you nothing. Poor people have more heart. They’ll give me a $20 [bill]. They know what it’s like to be hungry.”
UBI would help heal these invisible wounds. It could replenish faith in society. It could give back a sense of safety that the pandemic destroyed. Imagine waking up and seeing $1,000 in your bank account. Imagine the good feeling when you can pay your rent, or put gas in the car or buy food and after your needs are met, you calmly think about how to move on with life. Imagine knowing your child will never have to go hungry, or your grandparent without medicine. Imagine another world is possible.
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.