truthout--2020-05-26--Trump Ridicules Biden’s Use of a Face Mask as US COVID Infections Near 2 Million

President Donald Trump shared a tweet that seemed to have ridiculed the way Joe Biden , his presumed Democratic Party opponent in this year ’ s presidential race , looked while wearing a mask during a Memorial Day Ceremony .
Biden wore a black mask while laying a wreath at a military memorial in Delaware , his first public appearance since states across the country issued stay-at-home orders to combat the spread of coronavirus .
Conservative media personality Brit Hume took note of the way Biden appeared during the event , and shared an image on Twitter mocking the candidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explain why Trump doesn ’ t like to wear a mask in public , ” Hume wrote .
Trump then shared the tweet with his millions of followers on the social media website .
Although Trump and Hume appear to be dismissive of Biden ’ s decision to wear a mask , current recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) urge individuals to wear a facial covering whenever they venture out into public settings .
“ Everyone should wear a cloth face cover when they have to go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the grocery store or to pick up other necessities , ” the CDC states on its website .
Exceptions are made for those who are under 2 years old and for those who have a difficult time breathing in general .
Wearing a cloth covering isn ’ t only to protect the individual donning it , according to the CDC .
“ The cloth face cover is meant to protect other people in case you are infected , ” the website says .
Even while wearing a mask , the CDC cautions people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ignore other social distancing rules .
The agency still recommends , for instance , that people remain six feet apart from others when they venture about in public .
In spite of these measures promoted by the CDC , Trump has famously not worn a facial covering at a number of public appearances he ’ s made over the past several weeks .
The only known instance of him wearing a mask was believed to be snapped by a photographer with The Detroit Free Press during a tour of a Ford Motor plant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when a photographer snagged an image of him wearing one during a tour of the facility .
Even so , during public statements he made after the tour , Trump appeared to address reporters without wearing a mask .
The president has flouted the idea of him needing to wear facial coverings since the CDC started making recommendations for Americans to do so .
In early April , asked why he didn ’ t want to wear a mask , Trump suggested he was more concerned with how he ’ d appear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a mask in the Oval Office .
“ I just don ’ t want to wear one myself , ” Trump said at the time .
“ It ’ s a recommendation .
I am feeling good .
I just don ’ t want to be doing — I don ’ t know , somehow sitting in the Oval Office behind that beautiful Resolute Desk , the great Resolute Desk , I think wearing a face mask as I greet presidents , prime ministers , dictators , kings , queens .
I don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t see it for myself .
”

Health authorities around the world have strongly urged the use of face masks to stop the spread of COVID-19.
President Donald Trump shared a tweet that seemed to have ridiculed the way Joe Biden, his presumed Democratic Party opponent in this year’s presidential race, looked while wearing a mask during a Memorial Day Ceremony.
Biden wore a black mask while laying a wreath at a military memorial in Delaware, his first public appearance since states across the country issued stay-at-home orders to combat the spread of coronavirus.
Conservative media personality Brit Hume took note of the way Biden appeared during the event, and shared an image on Twitter mocking the candidate for president.
“This might help explain why Trump doesn’t like to wear a mask in public,” Hume wrote. Trump then shared the tweet with his millions of followers on the social media website.
Although Trump and Hume appear to be dismissive of Biden’s decision to wear a mask, current recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urge individuals to wear a facial covering whenever they venture out into public settings.
“Everyone should wear a cloth face cover when they have to go out in public, for example to the grocery store or to pick up other necessities,” the CDC states on its website. Exceptions are made for those who are under 2 years old and for those who have a difficult time breathing in general.
Wearing a cloth covering isn’t only to protect the individual donning it, according to the CDC. “The cloth face cover is meant to protect other people in case you are infected,” the website says.
Even while wearing a mask, the CDC cautions people against believing wearing one means they can ignore other social distancing rules. The agency still recommends, for instance, that people remain six feet apart from others when they venture about in public.
In spite of these measures promoted by the CDC, Trump has famously not worn a facial covering at a number of public appearances he’s made over the past several weeks. The only known instance of him wearing a mask was believed to be snapped by a photographer with The Detroit Free Press during a tour of a Ford Motor plant in Ypsilanti, Michigan, last week, when a photographer snagged an image of him wearing one during a tour of the facility.
Even so, during public statements he made after the tour, Trump appeared to address reporters without wearing a mask.
The president has flouted the idea of him needing to wear facial coverings since the CDC started making recommendations for Americans to do so. In early April, asked why he didn’t want to wear a mask, Trump suggested he was more concerned with how he’d appear to world leaders if he was wearing a mask in the Oval Office.
“I just don’t want to wear one myself,” Trump said at the time. “It’s a recommendation. I am feeling good. I just don’t want to be doing — I don’t know, somehow sitting in the Oval Office behind that beautiful Resolute Desk, the great Resolute Desk, I think wearing a face mask as I greet presidents, prime ministers, dictators, kings, queens. I don’t know, somehow, I don’t see it for myself.”
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
Copyright © Truthout. May not be reprinted without permission.


truthout--2020-05-26--Trump Adviser Says “Human Capital Stock” Should Get Back to Work

As the United States trembles on the verge of 100,000 COVID deaths and nearly 1.7 million confirmed infections — a “ badge of honor ” in the fetid mind of Donald Trump — the question of how we got to this horrific place stands out like a pustule on the skin of the nation .
Trump has wielded outsize influence in driving this ship onto the reef , to be sure , but he has not acted alone .
Enter Kevin Hassett , current senior adviser and former chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers for the White House .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the basement to the roof deck , and they have done much to turn a terrible situation into a nigh-inescapable nightmare .
Hassett has spent the last 21 years of his career being wrong .
A creature of the American Enterprise Institute , the far right think tank that sought a more violent U.S. foreign policy by way of a “ new Pearl Harbor ” on the eve of September 11 , Hassett made a name for himself by writing a book in 1999 predicting a huge upswing in the stock market @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ink on his pages was dry , and the market cratered accordingly .
So much for “ Dow 36,000.
” Hassett was chief economic adviser for John McCain ’ s doomed 2000 and 2008 presidential campaigns .
He was an economic adviser for Mitt Romney ’ s failed 2012 presidential bid .
Perhaps most tellingly , Hassett was an economic adviser for George W. Bush ’ s 2004 re-election campaign .
Bush , of course , went on to preside over the last massive economic collapse before the current one .
One senses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ current White House role on March 20 , 2020 .
Despite having no experience whatsoever with infectious disease modeling , he began peddling a series of shabby models that grossly downplayed the severity of the crisis .
According to Hassett , there would be no more COVID deaths by mid-May .
Hassett was roundly denounced by scientists , medical professionals and various commentators for these astonishing inaccuracies , but Trump embraced his nonsense “ data ” with the same enthusiasm as he embraced hydroxychloroquine and the injection of disinfectants as COVID cure-alls .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House , Hassett played the tune the boss wanted to hear , even as the bodies piled higher and higher .
On Sunday , as the nation observed Memorial Day weekend , Hassett went on CNN to again peddle his “ No Big Deal ” snake oil , and did so in a way that will not be soon forgotten .
“ Our capital stock hasn ’ t been destroyed , ” he said of the damage done by COVID .
“ Our human capital stock is ready to get back to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to believe that we can get going way faster than we have in previous crises.
” “ Our human capital stock is ready to get back to work.
” Stock ( noun ) : farm animals such as cattle , pigs and sheep , bred and kept for their meat or milk ; livestock .
Let that sink in good and deep , down through the skin and into the marrow within your bones .
Hassett ’ s remarkable statement on Sunday puts into stark relief the reason why this disaster has unfolded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than mere gross incompetence .
This White House does not see us as human beings with intrinsic value and rights of our own .
We are cattle who exist only for the profit of the few , sheep to be sheared , pigs to be hung up for slaughter .
To them , we are only meat for the machine , nothing more than an entirely expendable commodity .
The “ human capital stock ” being lethally affected by COVID no longer reside primarily in the nation ’ s large urban centers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 100,000 , the disease caused by the virus has made a fundamental shift in who it touches and where it reaches in America , ” reports The Washington Post .
“ The pandemic that first struck in major metropolises is now increasingly finding its front line in the country ’ s rural areas ; counties with acres of farmland , cramped meatpacking plants , out-of-the-way prisons and few hospital beds.
” As social distancing strictures are eased in all 50 states to one degree or another , Alabama , Arkansas , Florida , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carolina , North Dakota , Ohio , South Carolina , Utah and Virginia have all seen infection spikes of varying severity .
Researchers at Imperial College London released a study reporting that COVID is still spreading at epidemic rates in at least 24 U.S. states , many of them far away from COVID epicenters like New York City .
In Texas , where authorities conflated data on active infections with data on antibodies testing to camouflage the severity of the situation , the mayor of Houston warned that his city ’ s medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases , even as revelers flouted safety strictures because the state decided being open for business was more important than human life .
Minnesota is dealing with a new spike in COVID cases requiring a record-high number of intensive care beds .
Wisconsin just reported the largest three-day spike in cases since the pandemic began , even as images from the long weekend of hundreds of unmasked people grouped together at beer gardens rumbled across the newswires .
On April 16 , I wrote this : “ This is the very living essence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ labored mightily to convince his people that this is all some sort of ruse to keep him from being re-elected , and millions of those people have swallowed it whole .
This is a snake eating its own tail in real time while the snake-handler-in-chief cheers it on … except we are not talking about snakes .
These are people , all of whom are somebody ’ s children , many of whom have children .
They trusted Donald Trump , and that will get many of them killed while subsequently prolonging a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people worldwide.
” More than a month later , in the still-glaring absence of a national testing plan and with “ Reopen Now ” on the lips of Trump sycophants in government and media , a portion of that “ human capital stock ” spent the weekend trusting the words of this president as they crushed together in large groups with no defense against the virus .
Those people deserve their share of blame for following these fools with such misplaced partisan trust , but the fact remains that many of them would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flagrantly dangerous behavior had they not received express permission from Trump , his right-wing allies , and from people like Kevin Hassett , who told us the “ human capital stock ” would stop dying by the middle of this month .
The COVID-19 pandemic is far from over , has only gotten started in the middle of the country , and will become worse by orders of magnitude so long as some people continue to believe the greedy , reckless words of this administration .
You are not cattle .
Please don @ @ @ @ @ @

To them, we are only meat for the machine, nothing more than an entirely expendable commodity.
Part of the Series Despair and Disparity: The Uneven Burdens of COVID-19
As the United States trembles on the verge of 100,000 COVID deaths and nearly 1.7 million confirmed infections — a “badge of honor” in the fetid mind of Donald Trump — the question of how we got to this horrific place stands out like a pustule on the skin of the nation. Trump has wielded outsize influence in driving this ship onto the reef, to be sure, but he has not acted alone.
Enter Kevin Hassett, current senior adviser and former chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers for the White House. Men like Hassett pollute the Trump administration from the basement to the roof deck, and they have done much to turn a terrible situation into a nigh-inescapable nightmare.
Hassett has spent the last 21 years of his career being wrong. A creature of the American Enterprise Institute, the far right think tank that sought a more violent U.S. foreign policy by way of a “new Pearl Harbor” on the eve of September 11, Hassett made a name for himself by writing a book in 1999 predicting a huge upswing in the stock market. The dot-com bubble burst before the ink on his pages was dry, and the market cratered accordingly. So much for “Dow 36,000.”
Hassett was chief economic adviser for John McCain’s doomed 2000 and 2008 presidential campaigns. He was an economic adviser for Mitt Romney’s failed 2012 presidential bid. Perhaps most tellingly, Hassett was an economic adviser for George W. Bush’s 2004 re-election campaign. Bush, of course, went on to preside over the last massive economic collapse before the current one. One senses the pattern here.
Hassett assumed his current White House role on March 20, 2020. Despite having no experience whatsoever with infectious disease modeling, he began peddling a series of shabby models that grossly downplayed the severity of the crisis. According to Hassett, there would be no more COVID deaths by mid-May.
Hassett was roundly denounced by scientists, medical professionals and various commentators for these astonishing inaccuracies, but Trump embraced his nonsense “data” with the same enthusiasm as he embraced hydroxychloroquine and the injection of disinfectants as COVID cure-alls. Within the airtight bubble of the Trump White House, Hassett played the tune the boss wanted to hear, even as the bodies piled higher and higher.
On Sunday, as the nation observed Memorial Day weekend, Hassett went on CNN to again peddle his “No Big Deal” snake oil, and did so in a way that will not be soon forgotten. “Our capital stock hasn’t been destroyed,” he said of the damage done by COVID. “Our human capital stock is ready to get back to work. There are lots of reasons to believe that we can get going way faster than we have in previous crises.”
“Our human capital stock is ready to get back to work.”
Stock (noun): farm animals such as cattle, pigs and sheep, bred and kept for their meat or milk; livestock.
Let that sink in good and deep, down through the skin and into the marrow within your bones. Hassett’s remarkable statement on Sunday puts into stark relief the reason why this disaster has unfolded as it has.
It is far more than mere gross incompetence. This White House does not see us as human beings with intrinsic value and rights of our own. We are cattle who exist only for the profit of the few, sheep to be sheared, pigs to be hung up for slaughter. To them, we are only meat for the machine, nothing more than an entirely expendable commodity.
This White House does not see us as human beings with intrinsic value and rights of our own. We are cattle who exist only for the profit of the few.
The “human capital stock” being lethally affected by COVID no longer reside primarily in the nation’s large urban centers. “As the death toll nears 100,000, the disease caused by the virus has made a fundamental shift in who it touches and where it reaches in America,” reports The Washington Post. “The pandemic that first struck in major metropolises is now increasingly finding its front line in the country’s rural areas; counties with acres of farmland, cramped meatpacking plants, out-of-the-way prisons and few hospital beds.”
As social distancing strictures are eased in all 50 states to one degree or another, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, Utah and Virginia have all seen infection spikes of varying severity. Researchers at Imperial College London released a study reporting that COVID is still spreading at epidemic rates in at least 24 U.S. states, many of them far away from COVID epicenters like New York City.
In Texas, where authorities conflated data on active infections with data on antibodies testing to camouflage the severity of the situation, the mayor of Houston warned that his city’s medical infrastructure could not handle another spike in cases, even as revelers flouted safety strictures because the state decided being open for business was more important than human life.
Minnesota is dealing with a new spike in COVID cases requiring a record-high number of intensive care beds. Wisconsin just reported the largest three-day spike in cases since the pandemic began, even as images from the long weekend of hundreds of unmasked people grouped together at beer gardens rumbled across the newswires.
The COVID-19 pandemic is far from over, has only gotten started in the middle of the country, and will become worse by orders of magnitude so long as some people continue to believe the greedy, reckless words of this administration.
On April 16, I wrote this: “This is the very living essence of tragedy and farce. Trump has labored mightily to convince his people that this is all some sort of ruse to keep him from being re-elected, and millions of those people have swallowed it whole. This is a snake eating its own tail in real time while the snake-handler-in-chief cheers it on … except we are not talking about snakes. These are people, all of whom are somebody’s children, many of whom have children. They trusted Donald Trump, and that will get many of them killed while subsequently prolonging a pandemic that has already infected 2 million people worldwide.”
More than a month later, in the still-glaring absence of a national testing plan and with “Reopen Now” on the lips of Trump sycophants in government and media, a portion of that “human capital stock” spent the weekend trusting the words of this president as they crushed together in large groups with no defense against the virus.
Those people deserve their share of blame for following these fools with such misplaced partisan trust, but the fact remains that many of them would almost certainly not be partaking in such flagrantly dangerous behavior had they not received express permission from Trump, his right-wing allies, and from people like Kevin Hassett, who told us the “human capital stock” would stop dying by the middle of this month.
The COVID-19 pandemic is far from over, has only gotten started in the middle of the country, and will become worse by orders of magnitude so long as some people continue to believe the greedy, reckless words of this administration. You are not cattle. Please don’t act like it.
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
Copyright © Truthout. May not be reprinted without permission.


truthout--2020-05-26--Hawaii Considers an Explicitly Feminist Plan for COVID-Era Economic Recovery

“ The road to economic recovery should not be across women ’ s backs , ” reads the first sentence of Hawaii ’ s Feminist Economic Recovery Plan .
As states put forth dozens of recovery plans that all aim to redress the economic devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic , Hawaii ’ s remains the first and only that is explicitly “ feminist.
” The plan — which was released on April 14 by the Hawaii Department of Human Services ’ State Commission on the Status of Women — does not seek to reinstate a status quo riddled with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis as the “ moment to build a system that is capable of delivering gender equality.
” It calls for a universal basic income , countering the systemic wage and wealth gender gap .
It calls for free , publicly provided child care for essential workers , a nearly $ 25/hour minimum wage for single mothers , and the creation of public emergency funds available for high-risk groups , like undocumented women who are ineligible for the federal cash refund , domestic workers who are experiencing financial hardship , and people classified as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exited the commercial sex industry.
” The plan calls for a reinvestment in midwifery services to provide maternal health care as hospitals become strained with pandemic response .
It calls for a 20 percent pro-rata share of the state ’ s COVID-19-response funds to go immediately , no strings attached , to Native Hawaiian communities .
The 23-page document is a vision for a new kind of economy while also conveying concrete policy recommendations , delivered directly to Hawaii legislators as they begin to apportion state funds toward recovery .
Khara Jabola-Carolus saw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jabola-Carolus works as the executive director of the State Commission on the Status of Women , and by early March , had seen enough to know that this would be a severely gendered crisis .
Women , burdened with the vast amount of unpaid care work , were most impacted by stay-at-home orders , child care and school closures .
Women quarantined in abusive homes with their perpetrators had little to no access to financial and social support systems .
Women were performing the majority of essential , high-risk health care positions and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but weren ’ t even receiving enough protective equipment or livable wages .
Any policy response that ignored these gendered realities would only reinforce them .
Jabola-Carolus recalls the exact moment she knew she needed to push for a feminist response .
As the head of the Commission on the Status of Women , she was asked by legislators working on the state budget to provide a pro-woman plan to restructure and stimulate the economy — in less than half a day .
“ I was given only a few hours to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me damn angry .
How could executives and bureaucrats , so far removed from the edge and illiterate in the struggles of women , define their future in a few hours ?
” She wanted to draft the recommendations in a very different way , one that modeled a community-based consultative process that prioritized Native , immigrant and working-class women and LGBTQIA+ peoples .
“ We were careful to go beyond the elite , white-dominated ‘ advocates ’ circles , ” she told Truthout .
The contributors in this circle were organizers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , representing grassroots organizations , large nonprofits , unions and government agencies .
“ This is how we should be doing all of our policy making and planning , ” said Kathleen Algire , director of the Hawaii Children ’ s Action Network , who was a member of the task force .
“ We can no longer say that ‘ we can ’ t wait for the time community collaboration takes.
’ We did it fast and we didn ’ t sacrifice the community to get it done.
” Mykie Ozoa , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state ’ s largest grassroots feminist network , saw this collaboration as key to producing pragmatic recommendations .
“ The Commission was adamant that the voices of women organizing to address issues on the ground in our communities were included , and I believe it is one reason this plan is so unique and offers urgent but easily attainable recommendations.
” Within the plan itself , the attention given to care work , such as child care and elder care , is substantial .
“ You can not separate women from caregiving , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who helped draft the child care recommendations .
They include universal free child care for all emergency and essential workers , paid family and sick leave , and mandated pay parity for child care workers to educators and nurses .
“ What we keep repeating is ‘ there is no economic recovery without child care.
’ For parents to go back to work , their children need to be cared for.
” Algire pointed out the stark shortage of child care spaces available in Hawaii , even before the pandemic , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the state .
For many , child care costs are already their second-highest expense , after rent .
“ When families don ’ t have access to safe , affordable , quality child care , they are put in an impossible situation , ” Algire told Truthout .
“ If it ’ s a two-parent household , one parent will likely leave the workforce .
Because women are paid less , they are typically who we see staying home.
” This often cost two-parent households a second income and many single mothers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impacts the employment side of the child care industry , too , where the workforce is mostly women .
“ Like many other professions , you may see men owning or serving as directors of large centers , but the primary workforce is women , ” Algire said .
“ Child care is a low-paying job and [ that fact ] is a disgrace .
These are the people we are entrusting our children ’ s lives to and they should be paid more than minimum wage.
” The plan emphasizes that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ normal ” — state economic policies must help it change .
“ If a community , state or country wants to see workforce participation like we had [ pre-pandemic ] , child care as an industry will need support .
It will need to be subsidized , ” Algire said .
“ The folks that are supporting , teaching , guiding , caring and loving our kids deserve better .
Caring for children is hard , draining work .
It is undervalued because it is seen as ‘ women ’ s work.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that.
” Health care for women and LGBTQIA+ people is also centered in the plan , with significant attention paid to supporting maternal health services in the state .
Tanya Smith-Johnson , who worked at an organization called The Big Push for Midwives , told Truthout that maternal care policy must include deep and consistent consultation with pregnant and birthing people in order to fully address their needs , especially Black and Native people , who face additional marginalization within the maternal health care system .
In fact , one of the five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the economy is “ to harness the role of midwifery to improve deficits in maternal and neonatal health care in Hawaii , especially in rural areas.
” The plan ’ s recommendations include ensuring that insurance companies and Medicaid cover midwifery services fully , and matching hospital-based midwives with community midwives to meet the increasing demand for out-of-hospital birth options , as many who are pregnant wish to give birth out of hospitals to reduce COVID-19 transmission risk .
The writers of the plan wanted the word “ feminism ” front and center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the conversations it will spur .
“ If the plan isn ’ t feminist , it ’ s patriarchal and will fail to deliver a resilient , strong economy , ” Jabola-Carolus said , and urged that the individual policy recommendations put forth can not be removed from the systemic critique that “ feminism ” actually articulates .
“ Feminism , in terms of policy , is mostly stuff that has broad public support , but we need to say ‘ feminist ’ in order to actually talk about the culture surrounding those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ root causes , ” Jabola-Carolus said .
Take paid family leave , for example .
It ’ s an incredibly popular policy , and would decrease one form of gender inequality in the workplace , where women are often forced out of careers in order to perform unpaid care work for family members .
But if paid family leave is not introduced as an explicitly feminist policy , it can erase the broader structures of inequality that allow other forms of workplace discrimination to persist .
It just seems like one problem with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of anything systemic .
For Jabola-Carolus , “ this was a call to the left to be explicitly feminist in the same way that it ’ s finally , explicitly naming systemic racism.
” She says naming feminism is critical for progressive movements ’ policy platforms to adequately address institutionalized oppression .
The word “ feminism ” might be used in popular culture more than ever before , but this is not reflected in policy .
Only one federal bill has ever been proposed that uses it : a 2017 piece of legislation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bella Abzug for her “ feminist presence ” in Congress .
Jabola-Carolus said she wasn ’ t aware of any other state-level economic plan that put feminism in its title .
All of the advocates Truthout spoke to also viewed this first-time inclusion of “ feminist ” as hugely significant .
Sarah Michal Hamid , a youth organizer who also sat on the committee , said it was “ groundbreaking , ” as “ it means that finally a government agency is recognizing that women and non-men are unevenly burdened under our current @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change.
” But the goal is for its usage in policy to be eventually commonplace , a consequence of serious gender consideration in all planning .
“ It shouldn ’ t be unique that a state plan centers women and girls .
When the most marginalized are centered , everyone else ’ s needs will also be met , ” Ozoa said .
“ I hope that other states use this opportunity to take stock and reprioritize.
” The women who put together the Hawaii plan do believe that their work can provide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other states .
“ I hope other states adapt it to their needs , keeping the essence of the document , because it really is a plan that is universal and necessary , ” Smith-Johnson told Truthout .
This might look different based on each state ’ s demographic , employment and industry needs , but could share common commitments to tackling economic realities that marginalize women .
For other states embarking on their own drafting processes , Hawaii ’ s advocates are the first to admit that there is room for these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , both Jabola-Carolus and Ozoa noted they would like to see a stronger integration of transformative justice frameworks that pursue gender-based violence prevention without relying on mass incarceration .
Smith-Johnson would like to see how these recommendations could influence federal-level feminist economic policy : “ Can you imagine the impact that would have ?
” For now , the report lives in the halls of Hawaii ’ s House and Senate , as legislators review proposals and apportion COVID-19 recovery funds in the weeks that follow .
“ I know this plan will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move forward , ” said Algire .
“ Unlike other plans that will sit on a shelf and be forgotten , this will be a guiding document for years to come.
” Hamid said she hopes that the questions raised in this report reverberate all around the country .
“ As other governments begin this ‘ road to recovery , ’ they should carefully consider who is allowed on that road , and whose backs it is being built on .
”

Part of the Series Despair and Disparity: The Uneven Burdens of COVID-19
“The road to economic recovery should not be across women’s backs,” reads the first sentence of Hawaii’s Feminist Economic Recovery Plan.
As states put forth dozens of recovery plans that all aim to redress the economic devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Hawaii’s remains the first and only that is explicitly “feminist.”
The plan — which was released on April 14 by the Hawaii Department of Human Services’ State Commission on the Status of Women — does not seek to reinstate a status quo riddled with inequality. Instead it recognizes the current crisis as the “moment to build a system that is capable of delivering gender equality.”
It calls for a universal basic income, countering the systemic wage and wealth gender gap. It calls for free, publicly provided child care for essential workers, a nearly $25/hour minimum wage for single mothers, and the creation of public emergency funds available for high-risk groups, like undocumented women who are ineligible for the federal cash refund, domestic workers who are experiencing financial hardship, and people classified as “sex trafficking survivors who have recently exited the commercial sex industry.”
The plan calls for a reinvestment in midwifery services to provide maternal health care as hospitals become strained with pandemic response. It calls for a 20 percent pro-rata share of the state’s COVID-19-response funds to go immediately, no strings attached, to Native Hawaiian communities. The 23-page document is a vision for a new kind of economy while also conveying concrete policy recommendations, delivered directly to Hawaii legislators as they begin to apportion state funds toward recovery.
Khara Jabola-Carolus saw the writing on the wall early. Jabola-Carolus works as the executive director of the State Commission on the Status of Women, and by early March, had seen enough to know that this would be a severely gendered crisis. Women, burdened with the vast amount of unpaid care work, were most impacted by stay-at-home orders, child care and school closures. Women quarantined in abusive homes with their perpetrators had little to no access to financial and social support systems. Women were performing the majority of essential, high-risk health care positions and other essential care work positions like teaching, but weren’t even receiving enough protective equipment or livable wages. Any policy response that ignored these gendered realities would only reinforce them.
Jabola-Carolus recalls the exact moment she knew she needed to push for a feminist response. As the head of the Commission on the Status of Women, she was asked by legislators working on the state budget to provide a pro-woman plan to restructure and stimulate the economy — in less than half a day. “I was given only a few hours to answer these enormous questions and it made me damn angry. How could executives and bureaucrats, so far removed from the edge and illiterate in the struggles of women, define their future in a few hours?”
She wanted to draft the recommendations in a very different way, one that modeled a community-based consultative process that prioritized Native, immigrant and working-class women and LGBTQIA+ peoples. “We were careful to go beyond the elite, white-dominated ‘advocates’ circles,” she told Truthout. The contributors in this circle were organizers, academics, activists, midwives and mothers, representing grassroots organizations, large nonprofits, unions and government agencies.
“This is how we should be doing all of our policy making and planning,” said Kathleen Algire, director of the Hawaii Children’s Action Network, who was a member of the task force. “We can no longer say that ‘we can’t wait for the time community collaboration takes.’ We did it fast and we didn’t sacrifice the community to get it done.”
Mykie Ozoa, an organizer with AF3IRM Hawaii, the state’s largest grassroots feminist network, saw this collaboration as key to producing pragmatic recommendations. “The Commission was adamant that the voices of women organizing to address issues on the ground in our communities were included, and I believe it is one reason this plan is so unique and offers urgent but easily attainable recommendations.”
Within the plan itself, the attention given to care work, such as child care and elder care, is substantial. “You cannot separate women from caregiving, unpaid or paid,” said Algire, who helped draft the child care recommendations. They include universal free child care for all emergency and essential workers, paid family and sick leave, and mandated pay parity for child care workers to educators and nurses. “What we keep repeating is ‘there is no economic recovery without child care.’ For parents to go back to work, their children need to be cared for.”
Algire pointed out the stark shortage of child care spaces available in Hawaii, even before the pandemic, with space for only 1 in 37 toddlers in the state. For many, child care costs are already their second-highest expense, after rent. “When families don’t have access to safe, affordable, quality child care, they are put in an impossible situation,” Algire told Truthout. “If it’s a two-parent household, one parent will likely leave the workforce. Because women are paid less, they are typically who we see staying home.”
This often cost two-parent households a second income and many single mothers their only income, and it also impacts the employment side of the child care industry, too, where the workforce is mostly women. “Like many other professions, you may see men owning or serving as directors of large centers, but the primary workforce is women,” Algire said. “Child care is a low-paying job and [that fact] is a disgrace. These are the people we are entrusting our children’s lives to and they should be paid more than minimum wage.”
The plan emphasizes that the industry cannot return to this unsustainable “normal” — state economic policies must help it change. “If a community, state or country wants to see workforce participation like we had [pre-pandemic], child care as an industry will need support. It will need to be subsidized,” Algire said. “The folks that are supporting, teaching, guiding, caring and loving our kids deserve better. Caring for children is hard, draining work. It is undervalued because it is seen as ‘women’s work.’ We’ve got to change that.”
Health care for women and LGBTQIA+ people is also centered in the plan, with significant attention paid to supporting maternal health services in the state. Tanya Smith-Johnson, who worked at an organization called The Big Push for Midwives, told Truthout that maternal care policy must include deep and consistent consultation with pregnant and birthing people in order to fully address their needs, especially Black and Native people, who face additional marginalization within the maternal health care system.
In fact, one of the five key recommendations made in diversifying and reshaping the economy is “to harness the role of midwifery to improve deficits in maternal and neonatal health care in Hawaii, especially in rural areas.” The plan’s recommendations include ensuring that insurance companies and Medicaid cover midwifery services fully, and matching hospital-based midwives with community midwives to meet the increasing demand for out-of-hospital birth options, as many who are pregnant wish to give birth out of hospitals to reduce COVID-19 transmission risk.
The writers of the plan wanted the word “feminism” front and center — in the report itself and in the conversations it will spur. “If the plan isn’t feminist, it’s patriarchal and will fail to deliver a resilient, strong economy,” Jabola-Carolus said, and urged that the individual policy recommendations put forth cannot be removed from the systemic critique that “feminism” actually articulates. “Feminism, in terms of policy, is mostly stuff that has broad public support, but we need to say ‘feminist’ in order to actually talk about the culture surrounding those policies. It has to be about root causes,” Jabola-Carolus said.
Take paid family leave, for example. It’s an incredibly popular policy, and would decrease one form of gender inequality in the workplace, where women are often forced out of careers in order to perform unpaid care work for family members. But if paid family leave is not introduced as an explicitly feminist policy, it can erase the broader structures of inequality that allow other forms of workplace discrimination to persist. It just seems like one problem with one policy fix, and not part of anything systemic. For Jabola-Carolus, “this was a call to the left to be explicitly feminist in the same way that it’s finally, explicitly naming systemic racism.” She says naming feminism is critical for progressive movements’ policy platforms to adequately address institutionalized oppression.
The word “feminism” might be used in popular culture more than ever before, but this is not reflected in policy. Only one federal bill has ever been proposed that uses it: a 2017 piece of legislation to commemorate women’s rights leader Bella Abzug for her “feminist presence” in Congress.
Jabola-Carolus said she wasn’t aware of any other state-level economic plan that put feminism in its title. All of the advocates Truthout spoke to also viewed this first-time inclusion of “feminist” as hugely significant. Sarah Michal Hamid, a youth organizer who also sat on the committee, said it was “groundbreaking,” as “it means that finally a government agency is recognizing that women and non-men are unevenly burdened under our current economy, and that this needs to change.”
But the goal is for its usage in policy to be eventually commonplace, a consequence of serious gender consideration in all planning. “It shouldn’t be unique that a state plan centers women and girls. When the most marginalized are centered, everyone else’s needs will also be met,” Ozoa said. “I hope that other states use this opportunity to take stock and reprioritize.”
The women who put together the Hawaii plan do believe that their work can provide a pathway for feminists’ engagement in other states.
“I hope other states adapt it to their needs, keeping the essence of the document, because it really is a plan that is universal and necessary,” Smith-Johnson told Truthout. This might look different based on each state’s demographic, employment and industry needs, but could share common commitments to tackling economic realities that marginalize women.
For other states embarking on their own drafting processes, Hawaii’s advocates are the first to admit that there is room for these recommendations to grow. In future iterations, both Jabola-Carolus and Ozoa noted they would like to see a stronger integration of transformative justice frameworks that pursue gender-based violence prevention without relying on mass incarceration. Smith-Johnson would like to see how these recommendations could influence federal-level feminist economic policy: “Can you imagine the impact that would have?”
For now, the report lives in the halls of Hawaii’s House and Senate, as legislators review proposals and apportion COVID-19 recovery funds in the weeks that follow. “I know this plan will have a ripple effect on how we move forward,” said Algire. “Unlike other plans that will sit on a shelf and be forgotten, this will be a guiding document for years to come.”
Hamid said she hopes that the questions raised in this report reverberate all around the country. “As other governments begin this ‘road to recovery,’ they should carefully consider who is allowed on that road, and whose backs it is being built on.”
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
Copyright © Truthout. May not be reprinted without permission.


truthout--2020-05-26--Tennessee’s Secret to Plentiful Coronavirus Testing? Picking Up the Tab.

To reopen businesses and public spaces safely , experts say , states need to be testing and contact tracing on a massive scale .
But only a handful of states are doing enough testing to stay on top of potential outbreaks , according to a state-by-state analysis published by NPR .
Among those , Tennessee stands out for its aggressive approach to testing .
In Tennessee , anyone who wants a test can get one , and the state will pick up the tab .
The guidance has evolved to “ when in doubt , get a test , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in April .
It ’ s still rare for a community to encourage such broad symptom-free testing .
“ In most places , you still need to show you have the signs and symptoms of COVID-19 to get a test , ” research professor Sabrina Corlette of Georgetown University said .
“ It ’ s really patchwork.
” Ample testing , preferably including people who are not symptomatic , can help contain future outbreaks of COVID-19 by giving health officials the knowledge to act quickly to suppress any new cluster of cases .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ still have limitations on who can get a test .
Some states , such as Alabama , are inviting people without symptoms to be tested , but only if they qualify as high-risk .
A few counties in Nevada have started asymptomatic testing , and Rite Aid in a dozen states has opened up its walk-in testing , but it ’ s still for people who preregister .
Tennessee ’ s commitment to testing so broadly has helped it pull ahead of most other states in its rate of testing .
According to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing more than double the minimum number of tests needed to control its outbreak .
Tennessee Department of Health Commissioner Lisa Piercey gave credit for much of the state ’ s testing success to private , commercial labs .
“ We ’ ve called on almost all of them to say , ‘ We need you to ramp up , because you ’ re about to get a flood of tests , ’ and that ’ s exactly what we ’ ve given them , ” Piercey said at a daily briefing in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was more than 11,000 tests .
But private labs are shouldering the testing load in most states .
What ’ s novel in Tennessee is that the state guaranteed payment to those companies upfront .
So , rather than making them bill various health insurance plans — which are required to cover coronavirus testing but still create paperwork — the state is picking up the tab .
And the typical rate set by the federal government just doubled to $ 100 a swab .
Memphis-based American Esoteric Laboratories has been processing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company declined to comment for this story .
Nashville-based Aegis Sciences Corp. jumped in more recently and is already doubling its capacity to 7,000 tests a day .
CEO Frank Basile said the guaranteed payment was a big motivator .
“ Clearly , it ’ s beneficial for the lab companies like us to receive the assurance of payment , ” Basile said .
“ That ’ s definitely a positive .
And it gives us the confidence to put the effort and the capital in to make this happen.
” And coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the swabs and chemicals necessary to do it are in such high demand .
The tax dollars are well spent , said Dr. Ashish Jha , faculty director of the Harvard Global Health Institute , which has been tracking testing capacity by state .
He said Tennessee ’ s investment could more than pay for itself since ample capacity is seen as a necessity to reopen businesses .
Jha said he ’ s been recommending this approach to government officials across the country .
“ If the state says they ’ ll just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do a test , that strikes me as very smart policy , ” he said .
Tennessee officials said they ’ re banking on being reimbursed by the federal government at some point .
The Tennessee Department of Health doesn ’ t yet know exactly how much it ’ s on the hook for .
But the tab grows by millions of dollars a week .
Aside from weekend drive-thru events , the state is also paying to process the weekday testing being done by local health departments in 95 counties .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people were tested at a site in Hendersonville .
Christine Garner was willing to wait in her minivan as she slowly moved through the parking lot of a local high school .
“ I said , ‘ I know there will be a long line , but we ’ ll just sit and wait.
’ We charged our tablets , and I ’ m doing sight words with the kids , ” she said .
Garner closes refinanced mortgages for a living , which puts her in close contact with multiple families a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Still , she had no symptoms .
And her closest contact to someone with COVID-19 was secondhand .
“ I ’ m just hypersensitive to any change in my body at all .
I think a lot of people are , ” she said .
All this testing access is generally a good thing , said Dr. Kelly Moore , a pandemic consultant , formerly of the state health department .
She refers to the test takers as primarily “ the worried well ” since nearly 99 % of them have tested negative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these highly motivated , worried well people coming out for free tests are not taking up scarce resources we need for someone else , then it ’ s definitely not a problem to test them , ” Moore said .
But there ’ s a potential downside .
All those negative test results improve a state ’ s closely watched positivity rate — that is the percentage of cases coming back positive .
A low rate of positives is seen as a sign that a community is doing enough testing .
But it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infection among people who might not have the awareness or resources to get tested .
“ We can ’ t draw conclusions about what ’ s going on in the whole community based on this self-selected group of people who are so motivated they come out to get tested , ” Moore said .
Recently , Tennessee started using its testing muscle in a more targeted way and is also testing everyone who lives or works in nursing homes and prisons .
And on May 7 , the National Guard started testing everyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This story is part of a partnership that includes WPLN , NPR and Kaiser Health News .

Ample testing, preferably including people who are not symptomatic, can help contain future outbreaks.
To reopen businesses and public spaces safely, experts say, states need to be testing and contact tracing on a massive scale. But only a handful of states are doing enough testing to stay on top of potential outbreaks, according to a state-by-state analysis published by NPR.
Among those, Tennessee stands out for its aggressive approach to testing. In Tennessee, anyone who wants a test can get one, and the state will pick up the tab. The guidance has evolved to “when in doubt, get a test,” and the state started paying for it in April.
It’s still rare for a community to encourage such broad symptom-free testing.
“In most places, you still need to show you have the signs and symptoms of COVID-19 to get a test,” research professor Sabrina Corlette of Georgetown University said. “It’s really patchwork.”
Ample testing, preferably including people who are not symptomatic, can help contain future outbreaks of COVID-19 by giving health officials the knowledge to act quickly to suppress any new cluster of cases.
Because of testing shortages, many states still have limitations on who can get a test. Some states, such as Alabama, are inviting people without symptoms to be tested, but only if they qualify as high-risk. A few counties in Nevada have started asymptomatic testing, and Rite Aid in a dozen states has opened up its walk-in testing, but it’s still for people who preregister.
Tennessee’s commitment to testing so broadly has helped it pull ahead of most other states in its rate of testing. According to NPR’s analysis, Tennessee is doing more than double the minimum number of tests needed to control its outbreak.
Tennessee Department of Health Commissioner Lisa Piercey gave credit for much of the state’s testing success to private, commercial labs.
“We’ve called on almost all of them to say, ‘We need you to ramp up, because you’re about to get a flood of tests,’ and that’s exactly what we’ve given them,” Piercey said at a daily briefing in late April.
In one weekend, it was more than 11,000 tests.
But private labs are shouldering the testing load in most states. What’s novel in Tennessee is that the state guaranteed payment to those companies upfront.
So, rather than making them bill various health insurance plans — which are required to cover coronavirus testing but still create paperwork — the state is picking up the tab. And the typical rate set by the federal government just doubled to $100 a swab.
Memphis-based American Esoteric Laboratories has been processing the bulk of the state-collected swabs. The company declined to comment for this story.
Nashville-based Aegis Sciences Corp. jumped in more recently and is already doubling its capacity to 7,000 tests a day. CEO Frank Basile said the guaranteed payment was a big motivator.
“Clearly, it’s beneficial for the lab companies like us to receive the assurance of payment,” Basile said. “That’s definitely a positive. And it gives us the confidence to put the effort and the capital in to make this happen.”
And coronavirus testing requires more investment right now because the swabs and chemicals necessary to do it are in such high demand.
The tax dollars are well spent, said Dr. Ashish Jha, faculty director of the Harvard Global Health Institute, which has been tracking testing capacity by state. He said Tennessee’s investment could more than pay for itself since ample capacity is seen as a necessity to reopen businesses. Jha said he’s been recommending this approach to government officials across the country.
“If the state says they’ll just pay everybody 100 bucks every time you do a test, that strikes me as very smart policy,” he said.
Tennessee officials said they’re banking on being reimbursed by the federal government at some point.
The Tennessee Department of Health doesn’t yet know exactly how much it’s on the hook for. But the tab grows by millions of dollars a week. Aside from weekend drive-thru events, the state is also paying to process the weekday testing being done by local health departments in 95 counties.
On a recent Sunday, more than 800 people were tested at a site in Hendersonville. Christine Garner was willing to wait in her minivan as she slowly moved through the parking lot of a local high school. “I said, ‘I know there will be a long line, but we’ll just sit and wait.’ We charged our tablets, and I’m doing sight words with the kids,” she said.
Garner closes refinanced mortgages for a living, which puts her in close contact with multiple families a day — often in their homes. Still, she had no symptoms. And her closest contact to someone with COVID-19 was secondhand.
“I’m just hypersensitive to any change in my body at all. I think a lot of people are,” she said.
All this testing access is generally a good thing, said Dr. Kelly Moore, a pandemic consultant, formerly of the state health department. She refers to the test takers as primarily “the worried well” since nearly 99% of them have tested negative at some testing events.
“If these highly motivated, worried well people coming out for free tests are not taking up scarce resources we need for someone else, then it’s definitely not a problem to test them,” Moore said.
But there’s a potential downside. All those negative test results improve a state’s closely watched positivity rate — that is the percentage of cases coming back positive. A low rate of positives is seen as a sign that a community is doing enough testing. But it’s possible to miss pockets of infection among people who might not have the awareness or resources to get tested.
“We can’t draw conclusions about what’s going on in the whole community based on this self-selected group of people who are so motivated they come out to get tested,” Moore said.
Recently, Tennessee started using its testing muscle in a more targeted way and is also testing everyone who lives or works in nursing homes and prisons. And on May 7, the National Guard started testing everyone who lives in public housing in Tennessee.
This story is part of a partnership that includes WPLN, NPR and Kaiser Health News.
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
This piece was reprinted by Truthout with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.


truthout--2020-05-27--Trump’s Press Secretary Says It’s Okay for Her and Trump to Vote by Mail

As she spent the better part of last week defending President Donald Trump ’ s constant attacks against mail-in voting , White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany apparently failed to disclose that she herself had engaged in the practice with great frequency .
According to reporting from The Tampa Bay Times , McEnany has voted by mail 11 times since 2010 .
That accounts for every time she ever cast a ballot in any election over the past decade .
McEnany is a Florida resident , as is Trump .
Both have taken advantage of the state ’ s absentee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and both have responded with questionable rationales for why it ’ s acceptable for them to do so but not for the nation at large .
In April , when Trump began his strong pushback against the idea of mail-in voting for citizens fearful of contracting coronavirus by having to vote in person , the president wrongly asserted the practice was rife with “ cheaters.
” When confronted with the fact that he was among Florida ’ s absentee voting participants , Trump said it was okay for him to do because he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m allowed to , ” Trump said to reporters at the time .
“ Well , that ’ s called out of state — you know why I voted ?
Because I happened to be in the White House and I won ’ t be able to go to Florida and vote.
” McEnany echoed those sentiments on Wednesday , wrongly asserting that absentee ballot voting by mail was reserved only for voters who were not geographically able to vote in person .
“ Absentee voting has the word absent in it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re absent from the jurisdiction or unable to vote in person , ” she said .
Florida , however , does not agree with McEnany ’ s assertions , at least based on that state ’ s allowance of any individual to request a mail-in ballot without having to provide an excuse to do so .
Indeed , most states are “ no-excuse ” absentee ballot states , meaning anyone in those states can vote absentee and by mail if they make a request for such a ballot .
Even in states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by mail , however , there is no strict rule in most that absentee ballots can only be handed out to those who will be outside the jurisdiction on Election Day .
Among the small number of states that require an excuse for voting by mail , for example , eight of them grant absentee ballots to individuals on the basis of age , allowing older Americans to exercise their voting rights without having to do it in person if they so wish , even if they ’ re in town at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may expand in a big way this year , as fears over COVID-19 persist .
Last week , a federal judge in Texas ruled that those who worried about voting in person would be allowed to request an absentee ballot to vote by mail instead .
The state is planning an appeal of that ruling , however .
Trump and several other Republicans who are against voting by mail across the U.S. cite the possibility of voter fraud and other complications related to such practices .
Yet such concerns seem to be misplaced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Indeed , the chances of absentee ballot voter fraud happening are less likely than the odds of a person getting hit by lightning .

Mail-in ballots are essential for holding a safe election amid COVID-19 and should be made available to everyone.
As she spent the better part of last week defending President Donald Trump’s constant attacks against mail-in voting, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany apparently failed to disclose that she herself had engaged in the practice with great frequency.
According to reporting from The Tampa Bay Times, McEnany has voted by mail 11 times since 2010. That accounts for every time she ever cast a ballot in any election over the past decade.
McEnany is a Florida resident, as is Trump. Both have taken advantage of the state’s absentee ballot rules to vote by mail, and both have responded with questionable rationales for why it’s acceptable for them to do so but not for the nation at large.
In April, when Trump began his strong pushback against the idea of mail-in voting for citizens fearful of contracting coronavirus by having to vote in person, the president wrongly asserted the practice was rife with “cheaters.” When confronted with the fact that he was among Florida’s absentee voting participants, Trump said it was okay for him to do because he lived far away.
“Because I’m allowed to,” Trump said to reporters at the time. “Well, that’s called out of state — you know why I voted? Because I happened to be in the White House and I won’t be able to go to Florida and vote.”
McEnany echoed those sentiments on Wednesday, wrongly asserting that absentee ballot voting by mail was reserved only for voters who were not geographically able to vote in person.
“Absentee voting has the word absent in it for a reason. It means you’re absent from the jurisdiction or unable to vote in person,” she said.
Florida, however, does not agree with McEnany’s assertions, at least based on that state’s allowance of any individual to request a mail-in ballot without having to provide an excuse to do so. Indeed, most states are “no-excuse” absentee ballot states, meaning anyone in those states can vote absentee and by mail if they make a request for such a ballot.
Even in states that do require an excuse to vote by mail, however, there is no strict rule in most that absentee ballots can only be handed out to those who will be outside the jurisdiction on Election Day. Among the small number of states that require an excuse for voting by mail, for example, eight of them grant absentee ballots to individuals on the basis of age, allowing older Americans to exercise their voting rights without having to do it in person if they so wish, even if they’re in town at the time of the election.
Mail-in voting may expand in a big way this year, as fears over COVID-19 persist. Last week, a federal judge in Texas ruled that those who worried about voting in person would be allowed to request an absentee ballot to vote by mail instead. The state is planning an appeal of that ruling, however.
Trump and several other Republicans who are against voting by mail across the U.S. cite the possibility of voter fraud and other complications related to such practices. Yet such concerns seem to be misplaced, as fraud is incredibly rare. Indeed, the chances of absentee ballot voter fraud happening are less likely than the odds of a person getting hit by lightning.
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
Copyright © Truthout. May not be reprinted without permission.


truthout--2020-05-27--Trump Demanded Meat Plants Stay Open, COVID Cases Have Now Tripled

President Donald Trump issued an executive order in late April requiring all meat processing plants in the U.S. to remain open , despite reports of coronavirus infections and related deaths being prevalent at a number of the plants .
Since that order was issued , the number of COVID-19 cases that have been identified at meat plants across the country has likely tripled , according to estimates from a nonprofit watchdog group .
At the time of Trump ’ s executive order , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) had identified around 5,000 employees across 20 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and 17 workers at those plants who had died from the disease .
In spite of concerns about the disease spreading at these and other locations , the president issued his order , utilizing the Defense Production Act to classify processing plants as essential infrastructure .
The order from Trump came about two days after Tyson Foods , one of the largest meatpacking companies in the country , suggested stay-at-home orders were threatening the nation ’ s food supply chain .
The executive order prevented local governments and health officials from enforcing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak and it ’ s now apparent that the disease has indeed spread at these meatpacking locations since the order .
More than 100 plants across the country have seen a high number of cases of COVID-19 .
The Food & Environment Reporting Network ( FERN ) , a nonprofit journalism watchdog group dedicated to food and agricultural issues , estimated in a report published last week that 17,000 workers may have now contracted the disease , with at least 66 COVID-related deaths recorded among employees at meat processing plants .
In light @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the federal government take a more proactive approach toward limiting the spread of COVID-19 .
Citing the large numbers of workers at meat processing plants contracting coronavirus , the Center for Food Safety produced a petition in which it demanded the U.S. Department of Labor ’ s Occupational Safety and Health Administration ( OSHA ) issue new emergency standards to protect employees ’ health .
“ Protecting workers in meatpacking plants is important not just for the workers , but also for our food safety , ” the organization wrote in its letter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more likely to make mistakes , making it more likely that tainted meat gets onto store shelves .
The last thing we need during this pandemic is a major foodborne illness outbreak.
” There are a number of reasons why meatpacking plants could be hotbeds for COVID-19 .
Workers typically stand close together , often shoulder-to-shoulder , on the assembly line .
Many workers aren ’ t wearing protective gear at this time either , as it slows down their pace of work , while the companies themselves have admitted to struggling to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers , even after Trump ’ s executive order was issued .
Colder temperatures in the plants may also be helping the virus linger longer on surfaces or in air particles , and ventilation systems may be spreading coronavirus throughout the buildings .
Among the U.S. population in general , it ’ s feared that coronavirus will likely continue to spread even more than it already has , as several states begin transitioning away from stay-at-home orders that were previously issued .
As of Tuesday this week , the nation surpassed 100,000 deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that 30,000 more Americans could die from the disease by Independence Day .
Many health experts agree that a second wave of cases is likely to come about as states reopen businesses and other public areas .

President Donald Trump issued an executive order in late April requiring all meat processing plants in the U.S. to remain open, despite reports of coronavirus infections and related deaths being prevalent at a number of the plants.
Since that order was issued, the number of COVID-19 cases that have been identified at meat plants across the country has likely tripled, according to estimates from a nonprofit watchdog group.
At the time of Trump’s executive order, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had identified around 5,000 employees across 20 meat processing plants who had contracted COVID-19, and 17 workers at those plants who had died from the disease. In spite of concerns about the disease spreading at these and other locations, the president issued his order, utilizing the Defense Production Act to classify processing plants as essential infrastructure.
The order from Trump came about two days after Tyson Foods, one of the largest meatpacking companies in the country, suggested stay-at-home orders were threatening the nation’s food supply chain.
The executive order prevented local governments and health officials from enforcing plant closures in the event of an outbreak and it’s now apparent that the disease has indeed spread at these meatpacking locations since the order.
More than 100 plants across the country have seen a high number of cases of COVID-19. The Food & Environment Reporting Network (FERN), a nonprofit journalism watchdog group dedicated to food and agricultural issues, estimated in a report published last week that 17,000 workers may have now contracted the disease, with at least 66 COVID-related deaths recorded among employees at meat processing plants.
In light of this, other organizations are demanding the federal government take a more proactive approach toward limiting the spread of COVID-19. Citing the large numbers of workers at meat processing plants contracting coronavirus, the Center for Food Safety produced a petition in which it demanded the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issue new emergency standards to protect employees’ health.
“Protecting workers in meatpacking plants is important not just for the workers, but also for our food safety,” the organization wrote in its letter. “Unprotected and sick workers are more likely to make mistakes, making it more likely that tainted meat gets onto store shelves. The last thing we need during this pandemic is a major foodborne illness outbreak.”
There are a number of reasons why meatpacking plants could be hotbeds for COVID-19. Workers typically stand close together, often shoulder-to-shoulder, on the assembly line. Many workers aren’t wearing protective gear at this time either, as it slows down their pace of work, while the companies themselves have admitted to struggling to find the necessary protective equipment for their workers, even after Trump’s executive order was issued.
Colder temperatures in the plants may also be helping the virus linger longer on surfaces or in air particles, and ventilation systems may be spreading coronavirus throughout the buildings.
Among the U.S. population in general, it’s feared that coronavirus will likely continue to spread even more than it already has, as several states begin transitioning away from stay-at-home orders that were previously issued.
As of Tuesday this week, the nation surpassed 100,000 deaths from COVID-19, and one estimate forecasts that 30,000 more Americans could die from the disease by Independence Day. Many health experts agree that a second wave of cases is likely to come about as states reopen businesses and other public areas.
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
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truthout--2020-05-27--As US Death Count Nears 100,000, Trump Indulges His Ego and Deflects Blame

Donald Trump had quite a day for himself on Tuesday .
During a Rose Garden event intended to promote protections for senior citizens with diabetes , the man who recently pondered the possibility of injecting COVID-19 patients with disinfectant mused audibly on the potential virtues of insulin… for himself .
“ I don ’ t use insulin , ” he said .
“ Should I be ?
Huh ?
I never thought about it .
But I know a lot of people are very badly affected , right ?
Unbelievable.
” As the event blundered on , diabetic seniors took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ceaseless cascade of petty grudges and serial lies .
He blamed Joe Biden for the pandemic , pledged to protect Social Security and Medicare after threatening to link cuts to those programs to COVID relief payments , garblewarbled his way through comments on “ price transparency ” in the face of skyrocketing insulin costs , called for a murder investigation into MSNBC host Joe Scarborough , insisted he has the authority to overrule state governors on reopening houses of worship ( he does not ) , referred to voting as an “ honor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dismissed wearing a mask to thwart the virus as being “ politically correct.
” This was just one small slice of Trump ’ s day .
“ For all of the political hacks out there , ” he ranted on Twitter before lunch , “ if I hadn ’ t done my job well , & early , we would have lost 1 1/2 to 2 Million People , as opposed to the 100,000 plus that looks like will be the number.
” This , from the man who spent the early portion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was “ going to go away ” and was “ very well under control.
” I ’ m so old , I remember when Republicans went out of their way to grovel at the feet of all things military .
Not so much anymore in Trump ’ s GOP , it seems , given that the commander-in-chief of all U.S. forces attacked Marine Corps veteran Rep. Conor Lamb of Pennsylvania as an “ American fraud.
” Not to be outdone even by himself , Trump vividly misrepresented Lamb ’ s voting record , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as “ Connor Lamm ” in a since-deleted tweet .
“ There is NO WAY ( ZERO ! )
that Mail-In Ballots will be anything less than substantially fraudulent , ” Trump bleated for breakfast .
“ Mail boxes will be robbed , ballots will be forged & even illegally printed out & fraudulently signed.
” Trump is eyeing the 2020 election the way recalcitrant children stare dolefully at the broccoli on their dinner plates , and for good reason : His re-election numbers are slipping .
He is in favor of anything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ November a more challenging , if not lethal affair , despite the fact that mail-in voting would be a boon to his loyal rural supporters .
This tsunami of presidential bilge did manage to summon a bit of tepid pushback from some uncommon corners .
The eternally conservative editorial page of The Wall Street Journal rose in post-horse-barn-door dudgeon to denounce Trump ’ s attacks on MSNBC ’ s Scarborough as behavior that is “ debasing his office.
” Trump had been debasing his office every day for the last 1,222 days when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they picked this media-centric mini-scandal to get righteous about .
Color me unimpressed .
Trump has used Twitter as the main vector for the poison he vomits into the body politic , and yesterday , the social media giant finally did a very small thing to address this : It slapped a “ fact check ” label on Trump ’ s tweet about mail-in voter fraud .
The brass at Twitter probably believe this is some kind of thunderclap move , the internet equivalent of hanging a scarlet letter around Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Twitter has allowed misinformation by world leaders and everyday citizens to spread virtually unchecked , ” reports The Washington Post .
But yeah , totally , that “ fact check ” label will straighten everything out .
The ragged , haggard , desolate , bleak , wrenching , altogether horrifying truth of the matter is that I could have written an article almost exactly like this each and every one of those 1,222 days , and almost certainly could do so tomorrow and the day after , ad infinitum .
Why is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end of this day , or by tomorrow , the United States will pass the brutal threshold of 100,000 COVID-19 deaths .
According to Johns Hopkins , the count stood at 98,933 souls as of 9:45 am this morning .
It did not have to be this way , and in the face of such a towering failure , Donald Trump has chosen once again to take Steve Bannon ’ s advice and “ flood the zone with shit.
” “ We pass 15,000,000 Tests Today , by far the most in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this morning .
Meanwhile , executive director of the Association of Public Health Laboratories Scott Becker referred to Trump ’ s gossamer national testing strategy as being equivalent to The Hunger Games .

Part of the Series Despair and Disparity: The Uneven Burdens of COVID-19
Donald Trump had quite a day for himself on Tuesday. During a Rose Garden event intended to promote protections for senior citizens with diabetes, the man who recently pondered the possibility of injecting COVID-19 patients with disinfectant mused audibly on the potential virtues of insulin… for himself.
“I don’t use insulin,” he said. “Should I be? Huh? I never thought about it. But I know a lot of people are very badly affected, right? Unbelievable.”
As the event blundered on, diabetic seniors took a back seat to Trump’s ceaseless cascade of petty grudges and serial lies. He blamed Joe Biden for the pandemic, pledged to protect Social Security and Medicare after threatening to link cuts to those programs to COVID relief payments, garblewarbled his way through comments on “price transparency” in the face of skyrocketing insulin costs, called for a murder investigation into MSNBC host Joe Scarborough, insisted he has the authority to overrule state governors on reopening houses of worship (he does not), referred to voting as an “honor” and not a right, and dismissed wearing a mask to thwart the virus as being “politically correct.”
This was just one small slice of Trump’s day. “For all of the political hacks out there,” he ranted on Twitter before lunch, “if I hadn’t done my job well, & early, we would have lost 1 1/2 to 2 Million People, as opposed to the 100,000 plus that looks like will be the number.” This, from the man who spent the early portion of the pandemic pretending the whole thing was “going to go away” and was “very well under control.”
I’m so old, I remember when Republicans went out of their way to grovel at the feet of all things military. Not so much anymore in Trump’s GOP, it seems, given that the commander-in-chief of all U.S. forces attacked Marine Corps veteran Rep. Conor Lamb of Pennsylvania as an “American fraud.” Not to be outdone even by himself, Trump vividly misrepresented Lamb’s voting record, but that was before misspelling his name as “Connor Lamm” in a since-deleted tweet.
“There is NO WAY (ZERO!) that Mail-In Ballots will be anything less than substantially fraudulent,” Trump bleated for breakfast. “Mail boxes will be robbed, ballots will be forged & even illegally printed out & fraudulently signed.” Trump is eyeing the 2020 election the way recalcitrant children stare dolefully at the broccoli on their dinner plates, and for good reason: His re-election numbers are slipping. He is in favor of anything that will make casting a ballot in November a more challenging, if not lethal affair, despite the fact that mail-in voting would be a boon to his loyal rural supporters.
This tsunami of presidential bilge did manage to summon a bit of tepid pushback from some uncommon corners. The eternally conservative editorial page of The Wall Street Journal rose in post-horse-barn-door dudgeon to denounce Trump’s attacks on MSNBC’s Scarborough as behavior that is “debasing his office.” Trump had been debasing his office every day for the last 1,222 days when the Journal finally perked up, and they picked this media-centric mini-scandal to get righteous about. Color me unimpressed.
By the end of this day, or by tomorrow, the United States will pass the brutal threshold of 100,000 COVID-19 deaths.
Trump has used Twitter as the main vector for the poison he vomits into the body politic, and yesterday, the social media giant finally did a very small thing to address this: It slapped a “fact check” label on Trump’s tweet about mail-in voter fraud. The brass at Twitter probably believe this is some kind of thunderclap move, the internet equivalent of hanging a scarlet letter around Trump’s neck. “For its 14-year existence, Twitter has allowed misinformation by world leaders and everyday citizens to spread virtually unchecked,” reports The Washington Post. But yeah, totally, that “fact check” label will straighten everything out.
The ragged, haggard, desolate, bleak, wrenching, altogether horrifying truth of the matter is that I could have written an article almost exactly like this each and every one of those 1,222 days, and almost certainly could do so tomorrow and the day after, ad infinitum.
Why is today different? Because either by the end of this day, or by tomorrow, the United States will pass the brutal threshold of 100,000 COVID-19 deaths. According to Johns Hopkins, the count stood at 98,933 souls as of 9:45 am this morning. It did not have to be this way, and in the face of such a towering failure, Donald Trump has chosen once again to take Steve Bannon’s advice and “flood the zone with shit.”
“We pass 15,000,000 Tests Today, by far the most in the World,” Trump crowed on Twitter this morning.
Meanwhile, executive director of the Association of Public Health Laboratories Scott Becker referred to Trump’s gossamer national testing strategy as being equivalent to The Hunger Games.
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.