thenation--2020-04-23--Want to Slow the Climate Crisis? Don’t Use Single-Use Plastics.

The fossil fuel industry is in trouble and has a sneaky idea for saving itself : It wants to produce lots more plastic .
Many people don ’ t realize it , but almost all plastic is made from fossil fuels .
So the same oil and gas companies whose products have overheated the planet are also behind the mountains of plastic that litter our communities , beaches , and oceans .
Almost 40 percent of the world ’ s ocean surface is now covered by swirling gyres of plastic that never fully decompose and kill countless numbers of fish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is single-use plastic—bottles , bags , and other items designed to be used once and thrown away .
Now , as pressure grows to phase out fossil fuels in the name of climate survival , industry giants including ExxonMobil , Shell , BP , and Chevron Phillips envision increased plastic production as an economic lifeline .
The petrochemical industry has announced investments of more than $ 200 billion since 2010 to expand production capacity in the United States .
To greenwash this apparent effort to lock in increased plastics use for decades @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down on a public relations claim it first crafted 40 years ago : Plastic recycling will stop plastic pollution .
That is a lie almost as brazen as these same companies ’ lie that their products don ’ t cause global warming .
In fact , only 9 percent of all mass-produced plastic ever created has actually been recycled .
Greenpeace , where I work , is collaborating with scientists , public officials , and activists around the world to defeat this assault on public and planetary health , and we believe the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ten years ago , the oil industry appeared unstoppable .
The oil industry ’ s business model is built on the myth of perpetually increasing demand .
Fracking and other new technologies were opening new vistas of production .
Capital expenditures for exploration , drilling , pipelines , and other infrastructure soared on the assumption that “ if you build it , they will come.
” The landscape has changed dramatically since then .
Warnings from scientists of the reality and costs of climate change are clear .
Climate emergencies are unfolding in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Caribbean suffers one record-breaking hurricane after another , and drought crushes farmers across Africa ’ s Sahel .
Youth-led climate strikes have raised the political stakes , and more and more governments are calling for versions of a Green New Deal that will leave fossil fuels in the ground .
Even the financial class is souring on fossil fuels , as some of the world ’ s largest investment companies have said they will stop financing climate destabilizing projects like Arctic oil drilling .
We are finally able to see , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fossil fuels .
Yet even as we press for a rapid , equitable transition to climate-friendly energy sources , we must recognize that fossil fuel production will continue unless the vast majority of single-use plastics also are phased out .
There are limited cases where single-use plastics may make sense—for example , in the masks and other protective gear health workers must wear to treat coronavirus patients .
But corporate profit maximization , not human need , is the reason production of single-use plastics has soared in recent decades .
For example , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” which markets products in single-serve plastic packages to appeal to low-income consumers unable to afford larger quantities of the deodorant or shampoo on offer .
Sachets overwhelm municipal waste infrastructure systems and can not be recycled , imposing an intrusive double standard that exploits inequity .
As with most environmental scourges , the resulting pollution hits people of color and poor and working-class communities hardest .
And the plastics industry is determined to keep expanding for decades .
The industry ’ s $ 200 billion of planned new investment , spread across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ global production by 2050 ( link here ) .
ExxonMobil alone pledges to invest more than $ 20 billion over 10 years in what it calls “ Growing the Gulf , ” an initiative to enlarge production at “ more than a dozen major chemical , refining , lubricant and liquified natural gas projects ” along the Texas and Louisiana coasts .
Predictably omitted from ExxonMobil ’ s dubious PR claims , which include a promise to create “ tens of thousands of jobs , ” is the fact that the industry ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ massive government subsidies—in other words , by taxpayers .
The new petrochemical plant ExxonMobil is building in Texas with a subsidiary of the state-owned Saudi Arabian oil company Aramco received an estimated $ 460 million in subsidies .
Exxon received around $ 62 million in 2017 alone for its Louisiana refineries and plastics production .
Shell received $ 1.6 billion in state subsidies for its Pennsylvania ethane cracker .
Joining the petrochemical industry in its “ plastics forever ” dream are consumer goods companies such as Coca-Cola , Nestlé , and Unilever that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their products in single-use plastic .
The companies ’ bottles and containers often become part of the 8 million metric tons of plastic that enter the oceans every year .
Some of those discarded consumer items end up in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch , a gigantic swirl of debris halfway between Hawaii and California that is roughly the size of the state of Alaska .
Plastic has also been found in more than 60 percent of all seabirds and in 100 percent of sea turtles .
Despite these horror stories , industry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the production of single-use plastic ; it wants to increase production while posing as good corporate citizens by claiming that all those additional shopping bags , shampoo bottles , and vegetable cartons can be recycled .
The Alliance to End Plastic Waste sounds like the name of an environmentally righteous organization , but the group is in fact sponsored by ExxonMobil , Chevron Phillips , Shell , Dow , PepsiCo , Procter & Gamble , and dozens of other giant corporations .
In their view , the culprit is not plastic but “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gamble ’ s CEO David Taylor piously affirms “ does not belong in our oceans or anywhere in the environment.
” The solution , they say , is better waste management and more recycling .
But decades of experience and scientific studies have demonstrated that plastics recycling simply doesn ’ t work , at least not at the scale commensurate with ever-increasing plastic production and marketing .
A peer-reviewed survey of the nation ’ s 367 recycling facilities found that only PET # 1 and HDPE # 2 plastic bottles and jugs may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of these false solutions , what ’ s truly needed is clear .
To tackle the plastics crisis , we need to stop producing so much plastic in the first place .
To that end , we should pressure consumer goods companies to end their reliance on single-use plastic and instead invest in “ reuse and refill ” consumption models .
Governments should ban unnecessary applications of single-use plastics , such as plastic shopping bags , and stop subsidizing fossil fuels as well .
Individuals can refuse to buy unnecessary plastics , seek @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reduce and reuse ” lifestyle .
Ultimately , the plastics crisis is rooted in the short-term convenience-over-everything throwaway culture that corporations encourage .
We need to reject their seductive narratives that buying disposable stuff supposedly brings personal fulfillment .
Under today ’ s paradigm , we are extracting fossil fuels at enormous economic and social cost to manufacture products that people use for minutes but will pollute for generations .
Does that really make sense for anything but these corporations ’ profit margins ?
The plastics crisis and the climate crisis are two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can not end the era of single-use plastics without stopping the fossil fuel industry , and we can not stop the fossil fuel industry without ending single-use plastics .
Join us .
Together , we can build a cleaner , healthier future for everyone .

This story is published as part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story.
The fossil fuel industry is in trouble and has a sneaky idea for saving itself: It wants to produce lots more plastic. Many people don’t realize it, but almost all plastic is made from fossil fuels. So the same oil and gas companies whose products have overheated the planet are also behind the mountains of plastic that litter our communities, beaches, and oceans.
Almost 40 percent of the world’s ocean surface is now covered by swirling gyres of plastic that never fully decompose and kill countless numbers of fish and other marine animals. Much of this is single-use plastic—bottles, bags, and other items designed to be used once and thrown away.
Now, as pressure grows to phase out fossil fuels in the name of climate survival, industry giants including ExxonMobil, Shell, BP, and Chevron Phillips envision increased plastic production as an economic lifeline. The petrochemical industry has announced investments of more than $200 billion since 2010 to expand production capacity in the United States. To greenwash this apparent effort to lock in increased plastics use for decades to come, the industry is doubling down on a public relations claim it first crafted 40 years ago: Plastic recycling will stop plastic pollution. That is a lie almost as brazen as these same companies’ lie that their products don’t cause global warming. In fact, only 9 percent of all mass-produced plastic ever created has actually been recycled.
Greenpeace, where I work, is collaborating with scientists, public officials, and activists around the world to defeat this assault on public and planetary health, and we believe the battle is shifting in our favor. Ten years ago, the oil industry appeared unstoppable. The oil industry’s business model is built on the myth of perpetually increasing demand. Fracking and other new technologies were opening new vistas of production. Capital expenditures for exploration, drilling, pipelines, and other infrastructure soared on the assumption that “if you build it, they will come.”
The landscape has changed dramatically since then. Warnings from scientists of the reality and costs of climate change are clear. Climate emergencies are unfolding in real time as Australia erupts into flames, the Caribbean suffers one record-breaking hurricane after another, and drought crushes farmers across Africa’s Sahel. Youth-led climate strikes have raised the political stakes, and more and more governments are calling for versions of a Green New Deal that will leave fossil fuels in the ground. Even the financial class is souring on fossil fuels, as some of the world’s largest investment companies have said they will stop financing climate destabilizing projects like Arctic oil drilling. We are finally able to see, on the horizon, a world beyond fossil fuels. Popular "swipe left below to view more authors"Swipe → The Evisceration of a Public University The Evisceration of a Public University Lisa M. Corrigan The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks Chris Lehmann “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash Dave Zirin How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection Chris Lehmann Popular "swipe left below to view more authors"Swipe → The Evisceration of a Public University The Evisceration of a Public University Lisa M. Corrigan The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks Chris Lehmann “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash Dave Zirin How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection Chris Lehmann
Yet even as we press for a rapid, equitable transition to climate-friendly energy sources, we must recognize that fossil fuel production will continue unless the vast majority of single-use plastics also are phased out. There are limited cases where single-use plastics may make sense—for example, in the masks and other protective gear health workers must wear to treat coronavirus patients. But corporate profit maximization, not human need, is the reason production of single-use plastics has soared in recent decades. For example, Unilever pioneered the “sachet economy,” which markets products in single-serve plastic packages to appeal to low-income consumers unable to afford larger quantities of the deodorant or shampoo on offer. Sachets overwhelm municipal waste infrastructure systems and cannot be recycled, imposing an intrusive double standard that exploits inequity. As with most environmental scourges, the resulting pollution hits people of color and poor and working-class communities hardest. Current Issue View our current issue
And the plastics industry is determined to keep expanding for decades. The industry’s $200 billion of planned new investment, spread across over 340 projects, aims to triple global production by 2050 (link here). ExxonMobil alone pledges to invest more than $20 billion over 10 years in what it calls “Growing the Gulf,” an initiative to enlarge production at “more than a dozen major chemical, refining, lubricant and liquified natural gas projects” along the Texas and Louisiana coasts.
Predictably omitted from ExxonMobil’s dubious PR claims, which include a promise to create “tens of thousands of jobs,” is the fact that the industry’s expansion is made possible partly by massive government subsidies—in other words, by taxpayers. The new petrochemical plant ExxonMobil is building in Texas with a subsidiary of the state-owned Saudi Arabian oil company Aramco received an estimated $460 million in subsidies. Exxon received around $62 million in 2017 alone for its Louisiana refineries and plastics production. Shell received $1.6 billion in state subsidies for its Pennsylvania ethane cracker.
Joining the petrochemical industry in its “plastics forever” dream are consumer goods companies such as Coca-Cola, Nestlé, and Unilever that have been packaging an increasing share of their products in single-use plastic. The companies’ bottles and containers often become part of the 8 million metric tons of plastic that enter the oceans every year. Some of those discarded consumer items end up in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a gigantic swirl of debris halfway between Hawaii and California that is roughly the size of the state of Alaska. Plastic has also been found in more than 60 percent of all seabirds and in 100 percent of sea turtles.
Despite these horror stories, industry’s answer is not to limit the production of single-use plastic; it wants to increase production while posing as good corporate citizens by claiming that all those additional shopping bags, shampoo bottles, and vegetable cartons can be recycled. The Alliance to End Plastic Waste sounds like the name of an environmentally righteous organization, but the group is in fact sponsored by ExxonMobil, Chevron Phillips, Shell, Dow, PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble, and dozens of other giant corporations. In their view, the culprit is not plastic but “plastic waste,” which Procter & Gamble’s CEO David Taylor piously affirms “does not belong in our oceans or anywhere in the environment.” The solution, they say, is better waste management and more recycling. But decades of experience and scientific studies have demonstrated that plastics recycling simply doesn’t work, at least not at the scale commensurate with ever-increasing plastic production and marketing. A peer-reviewed survey of the nation’s 367 recycling facilities found that only PET #1 and HDPE #2 plastic bottles and jugs may legitimately be labeled as recyclable.
Instead of these false solutions, what’s truly needed is clear. To tackle the plastics crisis, we need to stop producing so much plastic in the first place. To that end, we should pressure consumer goods companies to end their reliance on single-use plastic and instead invest in “reuse and refill” consumption models. Governments should ban unnecessary applications of single-use plastics, such as plastic shopping bags, and stop subsidizing fossil fuels as well. Individuals can refuse to buy unnecessary plastics, seek out alternatives, and embrace a “reduce and reuse” lifestyle.
Ultimately, the plastics crisis is rooted in the short-term convenience-over-everything throwaway culture that corporations encourage. We need to reject their seductive narratives that buying disposable stuff supposedly brings personal fulfillment. Under today’s paradigm, we are extracting fossil fuels at enormous economic and social cost to manufacture products that people use for minutes but will pollute for generations. Does that really make sense for anything but these corporations’ profit margins?
The plastics crisis and the climate crisis are two fronts in the same battle. We cannot end the era of single-use plastics without stopping the fossil fuel industry, and we cannot stop the fossil fuel industry without ending single-use plastics. Join us. Together, we can build a cleaner, healthier future for everyone.


thenation--2020-04-24--The Coronovirus Has Imposed a Fermata on the Music World

In music , a fermata is a symbol that means “ a pause of unspecified length on a note or rest.
” The length of that fermata is totally at the discretion of the conductor or bandleader .
It is important for us to understand that Mother Nature has always been the conductor .
We have found ourselves in a position that , perhaps , had we been following her baton in the first place , we could have avoided ; maybe we ’ d still be hugging our friends , visiting our loved ones , hanging out listening to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ movie theater , going to a public park—you know , those things that we ’ ve always taken for granted .
Well , Mother Nature ’ s baton is up , and only she can decide when she will release her hold and start keeping time again .
You might think it ’ s a politician who makes that call , but that call comes only when the Earth says , “ It ’ s safe now.
” As a musician trained in both American and European classical musics , I ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As a bassist in either a jazz or r & b group , the goal always is to support the lead instrument .
My foremost job is always to support .
Maybe the world now realizes that we ’ re all bass players—or at least we need to be .
Since mid-March , America has pretty much been on a lockdown .
We ’ ve seen a steady course of drastic social actions to stop the spread of this living nightmare known as Covid-19 , the disease caused by the novel coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there have been over 2.6 million confirmed cases , with over 185,000 deaths worldwide .
I remember being in Europe on September 11 , 2001 , rehearsing for a concert with Sting .
After we were summoned to immediately stop our rehearsal , we watched the horror unfold on television .
Sting called a band meeting .
The question was asked , “ What do we do now ?
Do we cancel the concert ?
Do we play anyway ?
What do we do ?
” We were all numb with shock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on television , so none of us were able to answer with a clear mind .
We somehow pulled our collective emotions together and decided that as artists , it is we who can help the healing process—not only for ourselves but for everyone who would be in attendance that night .
Our music would be the grief counselor .
But the circumstances of this new disease have drastically changed those options .
That evening , people came to hear us .
No one can come to hear us now .
That evening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crying in each other ’ s arms .
We can not do that anymore , either .
After the audience left , we sat around eating and drinking ourselves back to pseudo-sanity .
We can not do that , either .
A few days later , we all got back on a plane and flew back to the USA .
It ’ s been warned that we should not do that , either .
What can we do now ?
Musicians all over the world have turned their homes into virtual venues .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Only there ’ s little to no money exchanged in this transaction .
Many jazz musicians and cultural institutions that are nonprofit entities have lost a significant bulk of income .
But how do we , in good conscience , ask people for money , when currently over 26 million Americans have filed for unemployment ?
Once Again , Trump Shreds US Immigration Law Students Across the Country Are Going on Strike More in this series Well , first things first .
Technology can be a good thing .
I find it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ musicians , from beginners to legends , are finding ways to share their music via livestreams , myself included .
Some are creating specifically designed content ; some are just logging on and literally practicing in front of people .
It ’ s a whole new sequestered , quarantined world .
My dear friend the drummer Antonio Sanchez and his vocalist wife , Thana Alexa , were instrumental in creating a livestreamed music festival , which my wife , Melissa , and I participated in .
I ’ ve done numerous talks and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and organizations , along with hosting two weekly online chat series for Jazz House Kids and the Newport Jazz Festival .
I find this new indoor-based world , personally speaking , both relaxing and creatively riveting .
I now have more time to read , write , and practice .
My life up until March 14 , like that of many musicians , was a head-spinning daily routine of playing , showering , briefly sleeping , hopefully eating , and traveling to the next city .
I can think of how traumatizing this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as we ’ ve lost quite a large number of friends in this nightmare , but what we choose to do is to think of “ us ” as a collective .
There are some people who don ’ t have the benefit of having a house large enough to have a safe distance of separation or money to buy groceries , or who have an elderly loved one that they can not visit .
We musicians play for them , for us , for everyone .
We hope to wash away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or anxiety .
That ’ s what music does .
We don ’ t know how or when this will end .
Maybe one day soon , I will be able to play both Lincoln Center and the Village Vanguard again… or get on a plane and fly to London to play in a venue that seats anywhere between 200 and 2,000… or play at a festival with 20,000 people mashed together having the time of their lives .
But until that day comes back , I will continue to pay attention to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should not be a political issue .
This is the planet Earth slapping us upside the head , making us slow down and take a look at ourselves .
You can continue playing while the baton is up .
Just make sure you ’ re doing it at home !

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Nation believes that helping readers stay informed about the impact of the coronavirus crisis is a form of public service. For that reason, this article, and all of our coronavirus coverage, is now free. Please subscribe to support our writers and staff, and stay healthy.
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In music, a fermata is a symbol that means “a pause of unspecified length on a note or rest.” The length of that fermata is totally at the discretion of the conductor or bandleader.
It is important for us to understand that Mother Nature has always been the conductor. We have found ourselves in a position that, perhaps, had we been following her baton in the first place, we could have avoided; maybe we’d still be hugging our friends, visiting our loved ones, hanging out listening to our favorite ensemble, going to a movie theater, going to a public park—you know, those things that we’ve always taken for granted. Well, Mother Nature’s baton is up, and only she can decide when she will release her hold and start keeping time again. You might think it’s a politician who makes that call, but that call comes only when the Earth says, “It’s safe now.”
As a musician trained in both American and European classical musics, I’ve always been required to watch the conductor. As a bassist in either a jazz or r&b group, the goal always is to support the lead instrument. My foremost job is always to support. Maybe the world now realizes that we’re all bass players—or at least we need to be.
Since mid-March, America has pretty much been on a lockdown. We’ve seen a steady course of drastic social actions to stop the spread of this living nightmare known as Covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. At the time of this writing, there have been over 2.6 million confirmed cases, with over 185,000 deaths worldwide. Current Issue View our current issue
I remember being in Europe on September 11, 2001, rehearsing for a concert with Sting. After we were summoned to immediately stop our rehearsal, we watched the horror unfold on television. Sting called a band meeting. The question was asked, “What do we do now? Do we cancel the concert? Do we play anyway? What do we do?” We were all numb with shock after what we’d just seen on television, so none of us were able to answer with a clear mind. We somehow pulled our collective emotions together and decided that as artists, it is we who can help the healing process—not only for ourselves but for everyone who would be in attendance that night. Our music would be the grief counselor.
But the circumstances of this new disease have drastically changed those options.
That evening, people came to hear us. No one can come to hear us now.
That evening, we fraternized with the audience, crying in each other’s arms. We cannot do that anymore, either. Popular "swipe left below to view more authors"Swipe → The Evisceration of a Public University The Evisceration of a Public University Lisa M. Corrigan The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks Chris Lehmann “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash Dave Zirin How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection Chris Lehmann Popular "swipe left below to view more authors"Swipe → The Evisceration of a Public University The Evisceration of a Public University Lisa M. Corrigan The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks Chris Lehmann “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash Dave Zirin How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection Chris Lehmann
After the audience left, we sat around eating and drinking ourselves back to pseudo-sanity. We cannot do that, either.
A few days later, we all got back on a plane and flew back to the USA. It’s been warned that we should not do that, either.
What can we do now?
Musicians all over the world have turned their homes into virtual venues. Social media has been the concert promoter. Only there’s little to no money exchanged in this transaction. Many jazz musicians and cultural institutions that are nonprofit entities have lost a significant bulk of income. But how do we, in good conscience, ask people for money, when currently over 26 million Americans have filed for unemployment? Coronavirus Amid Partisan Politicking, Revelations on a Covid Origins Article Jimmy Tobias It’s Not “Unreasonable” to Want to Change Our Rotten Health Care System Gregg Gonsalves Covid Has Left Deep Wounds in America’s Rural Communities Anne N. Sosin
Well, first things first. Technology can be a good thing. I find it somewhat relieving and inspiring that so many musicians, from beginners to legends, are finding ways to share their music via livestreams, myself included. Some are creating specifically designed content; some are just logging on and literally practicing in front of people. It’s a whole new sequestered, quarantined world. My dear friend the drummer Antonio Sanchez and his vocalist wife, Thana Alexa, were instrumental in creating a livestreamed music festival, which my wife, Melissa, and I participated in. I’ve done numerous talks and workshops online since mid-March with various institutions and organizations, along with hosting two weekly online chat series for Jazz House Kids and the Newport Jazz Festival.
I find this new indoor-based world, personally speaking, both relaxing and creatively riveting. I now have more time to read, write, and practice. My life up until March 14, like that of many musicians, was a head-spinning daily routine of playing, showering, briefly sleeping, hopefully eating, and traveling to the next city. I can think of how traumatizing this has been for me and Melissa personally, as we’ve lost quite a large number of friends in this nightmare, but what we choose to do is to think of “us” as a collective. There are some people who don’t have the benefit of having a house large enough to have a safe distance of separation or money to buy groceries, or who have an elderly loved one that they cannot visit. We musicians play for them, for us, for everyone. We hope to wash away some level of pain, grief, or anxiety. That’s what music does.
We don’t know how or when this will end. Maybe one day soon, I will be able to play both Lincoln Center and the Village Vanguard again… or get on a plane and fly to London to play in a venue that seats anywhere between 200 and 2,000… or play at a festival with 20,000 people mashed together having the time of their lives. But until that day comes back, I will continue to pay attention to Mother Nature’s baton. This should not be a political issue. This is the planet Earth slapping us upside the head, making us slow down and take a look at ourselves. You can continue playing while the baton is up. Just make sure you’re doing it at home!


thenation--2020-04-24--Once Again, Trump Shreds US Immigration Law

There is only one Signal for me this week , and it ’ s the shameless , authoritarian way that Trump has used the Covid-19 pandemic as an excuse to lock down immigration in a drastic manner .
For at least the next 60 days , US immigration will basically be at a standstill , courtesy of yet another barrage of in ( s ) ane presidential tweets followed by a hastily drawn-up executive order .
Guest workers and some specialized workers will still be allowed in , since business interests revolted against a complete lockdown .
But for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coming months , Trump ’ s order means they are stranded overseas .
On one level , this is just Noise , a needless restatement of the obvious : After all , embassies are shuttered , regular visa processing isn ’ t taking place , the borders of North America are , by mutual consent , closed to nonessential traffic , and almost no international flights are taking place in and out of the United States .
That ’ s true for not just this country but pretty much every country on earth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the height of a pandemic , population flows between countries slow to a crawl .
But in formalizing this via executive order , in a way that explicitly casts blame on immigrants , Trump is laying down an election gambit—that despite the pandemic , despite record levels of unemployment , despite three years of corruption and governmental dysfunction and tantrums and bullying , he can win reelection by doubling down on xenophobia ; that he and his hard-line immigration advisers such as Stephen Miller can use the pandemic to reinvent America in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been urging from the dark recesses of the Internet .
He has reserved the right to extend—and expand—his executive order two months from now .
And while I guess it ’ s possible that Trump will allow regular , congressionally mandated immigration proceedings to resume this summer , it ’ s a fair bet that as the election nears , his anti-immigrant actions will actually get even worse , and that in the face of legal challenges and protests , he will stir up even more resentment and violence among his base .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Covid-19 and for taking jobs away from red-blooded Americans .
Of course , neither of Trump ’ s claims is even close to being true .
America has the largest number of infections and the highest number of deaths because , for the first three months of 2020 , Trump refused to take the pandemic seriously .
The federal government didn ’ t prepare , didn ’ t marshal industrial resources to meet medical needs , didn ’ t strategize about how to contain the epidemic , didn ’ t roll out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In short , at every step of the way , the administration chose to do pretty much the worst possible thing .
It ’ s no exaggeration to say that Trump ’ s response has been so inept , and so criminal , that he has a huge amount of blood on his hands .
Twenty million–plus Americans didn ’ t lose their jobs in March and April because of immigrants .
That ’ s perhaps the most preposterous , malicious thing that this preposterous , malicious man has ever said or implied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immigrants received green cards , a few tens of thousands of refugees were admitted , and a few tens of thousands of asylum-seekers had their cases resolved favorably .
That may seem like a lot of immigrants , but even if one accepts the false argument that each one has cost an American his or her job instead of cumulatively helping to grow the economy , it doesn ’ t begin to explain why we have now surged into an era of double-digit unemployment .
Immigrants work in health care , as entrepreneurs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schoolteachers , and so on .
During good times , they are an absolutely essential part of the country ’ s economy , and during bad times , they are at least as likely as anyone else to suffer .
Immigrants have seen their employment and earnings dry up in the last couple of months—and because of Trump ’ s anti-immigrant animus , they are ineligible for stimulus checks .
But in Trumpland , where the buck stops anywhere but the Oval Office , the inability to craft a European-style wage-subsidy program so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers en masse has resulted in the biggest economic crisis since the Great Depression .
By ordering an end to practically all immigration , Trump is distracting the public from his own culpability .
This response , which is contemptuous of the long-established role of Congress in shaping immigration policy , will devastate families , many of whom have waited years for relatives to join them in the United States .
It will shatter economic renewal efforts , depriving the country of much-needed talent and entrepreneurial and scientific drive .
If it includes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of higher education institutions , many of which increasingly rely on the full-tuition fees paid by overseas students to keep their operations going .
Trump is crossing a particularly awful nationalist Rubicon .
Having already alienated key allies by withdrawing from the Paris climate accords and the Iran nuclear deal , his response to the Covid-19 pandemic could be the last straw .
Why should Germany or France , or any other liberal democracy , give the time of day to an “ ally ” that defunds the World Health Organization in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a century ; that commits what the German interior minister called “ modern piracy ” in seizing personal protective equipment paid for , and slated to be shipped to , other countries ; whose president undermines globally accepted public health advice by urging citizens to ignore stay-in-place orders , lies about miracle cures that don ’ t work , and shreds by decree decades of US immigration law ?
This isn ’ t the stuff of democracy ; it ’ s the rule-by-whim of a tyrant .

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Nation believes that helping readers stay informed about the impact of the coronavirus crisis is a form of public service. For that reason, this article, and all of our coronavirus coverage, is now free. Please subscribe to support our writers and staff, and stay healthy.
There is only one Signal for me this week, and it’s the shameless, authoritarian way that Trump has used the Covid-19 pandemic as an excuse to lock down immigration in a drastic manner. For at least the next 60 days, US immigration will basically be at a standstill, courtesy of yet another barrage of in(s)ane presidential tweets followed by a hastily drawn-up executive order. Guest workers and some specialized workers will still be allowed in, since business interests revolted against a complete lockdown. But for the vast majority of would-be immigrants in the coming months, Trump’s order means they are stranded overseas.
On one level, this is just Noise, a needless restatement of the obvious: After all, embassies are shuttered, regular visa processing isn’t taking place, the borders of North America are, by mutual consent, closed to nonessential traffic, and almost no international flights are taking place in and out of the United States. That’s true for not just this country but pretty much every country on earth at the moment. Inevitably, at the height of a pandemic, population flows between countries slow to a crawl.
But in formalizing this via executive order, in a way that explicitly casts blame on immigrants, Trump is laying down an election gambit—that despite the pandemic, despite record levels of unemployment, despite three years of corruption and governmental dysfunction and tantrums and bullying, he can win reelection by doubling down on xenophobia; that he and his hard-line immigration advisers such as Stephen Miller can use the pandemic to reinvent America in a way the fascist “accelerationists” have been urging from the dark recesses of the Internet. He has reserved the right to extend—and expand—his executive order two months from now. And while I guess it’s possible that Trump will allow regular, congressionally mandated immigration proceedings to resume this summer, it’s a fair bet that as the election nears, his anti-immigrant actions will actually get even worse, and that in the face of legal challenges and protests, he will stir up even more resentment and violence among his base.
Trump is blaming immigrants for the spread of Covid-19 and for taking jobs away from red-blooded Americans. Of course, neither of Trump’s claims is even close to being true. America has the largest number of infections and the highest number of deaths because, for the first three months of 2020, Trump refused to take the pandemic seriously. The federal government didn’t prepare, didn’t marshal industrial resources to meet medical needs, didn’t strategize about how to contain the epidemic, didn’t roll out mass testing and random serological tests. In short, at every step of the way, the administration chose to do pretty much the worst possible thing. More Signal:Noise Trump’s Pandemic Priorities? Incite Violence, Increase Pollution. Sasha Abramsky ‘The President Is Not a King’: NY Attorney General Tish James Sasha Abramsky
It’s no exaggeration to say that Trump’s response has been so inept, and so criminal, that he has a huge amount of blood on his hands.
Twenty million–plus Americans didn’t lose their jobs in March and April because of immigrants. That’s perhaps the most preposterous, malicious thing that this preposterous, malicious man has ever said or implied. Popular "swipe left below to view more authors"Swipe → The Evisceration of a Public University The Evisceration of a Public University Lisa M. Corrigan The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks Chris Lehmann “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash Dave Zirin How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection Chris Lehmann Popular "swipe left below to view more authors"Swipe → The Evisceration of a Public University The Evisceration of a Public University Lisa M. Corrigan The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks Chris Lehmann “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash Dave Zirin How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection Chris Lehmann
Last year, roughly 1 million immigrants received green cards, a few tens of thousands of refugees were admitted, and a few tens of thousands of asylum-seekers had their cases resolved favorably. That may seem like a lot of immigrants, but even if one accepts the false argument that each one has cost an American his or her job instead of cumulatively helping to grow the economy, it doesn’t begin to explain why we have now surged into an era of double-digit unemployment. Current Issue View our current issue
Immigrants work in health care, as entrepreneurs, taxi drivers, restaurant cooks, schoolteachers, and so on. During good times, they are an absolutely essential part of the country’s economy, and during bad times, they are at least as likely as anyone else to suffer. Immigrants have seen their employment and earnings dry up in the last couple of months—and because of Trump’s anti-immigrant animus, they are ineligible for stimulus checks.
But in Trumpland, where the buck stops anywhere but the Oval Office, the inability to craft a European-style wage-subsidy program so that companies wouldn’t lay off workers en masse has resulted in the biggest economic crisis since the Great Depression. By ordering an end to practically all immigration, Trump is distracting the public from his own culpability.
This response, which is contemptuous of the long-established role of Congress in shaping immigration policy, will devastate families, many of whom have waited years for relatives to join them in the United States. It will shatter economic renewal efforts, depriving the country of much-needed talent and entrepreneurial and scientific drive. If it includes students, it could bankrupt a large number of higher education institutions, many of which increasingly rely on the full-tuition fees paid by overseas students to keep their operations going.
Trump is crossing a particularly awful nationalist Rubicon. Having already alienated key allies by withdrawing from the Paris climate accords and the Iran nuclear deal, his response to the Covid-19 pandemic could be the last straw. Why should Germany or France, or any other liberal democracy, give the time of day to an “ally” that defunds the World Health Organization in the middle of the worst pandemic in a century; that commits what the German interior minister called “modern piracy” in seizing personal protective equipment paid for, and slated to be shipped to, other countries; whose president undermines globally accepted public health advice by urging citizens to ignore stay-in-place orders, lies about miracle cures that don’t work, and shreds by decree decades of US immigration law? This isn’t the stuff of democracy; it’s the rule-by-whim of a tyrant.
That’s the Signal. Cry, the beloved country.


thenation--2020-04-24--Students Across the Country Are Going on Strike

Since campuses began shutting down across the country in early March , college students have been speaking out about the economic uncertainty , lack of food , and housing insecurity the nationwide upheaval has brought on .
Despite this , many colleges have been reluctant to take measures to ensure student safety and comfort—most schools have not changed their grading policies , for example , and many campuses have not provided alternative resources after forcing students to evacuate dorms or cancel meal plans , prompting further uncertainty and stress .
In response , college students across the country are going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Student Nation , a section devoted to highlighting campus activism and student movements from students in their own words .
For more Student Nation , check out our archive .
Are you a student with a campus activism story ?
Send questions and pitches to Samantha Schuyler at samantha @ thenation.com .
The Student Nation program is made possible through generous funding from The Puffin Foundation .
Striking students at the University of Chicago , Pomona College , The New School , Vassar College , and more are putting pressure on their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ classes or pay tuition payments or rent , saying its response to the coronavirus pandemic has been inadequately meeting the needs of the students paying to attend .
At the University of Chicago , undergraduate and graduate students have come together under the umbrella of UChicago for Fair Tuition to organize a tuition strike .
According to senior Julia Attie , an organizer with UChicago for Fair Tuition , over 950 students are committed to or considering withholding spring quarter tuition if the university does not negotiate with students over their demands before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Our demands now have over 1,700 signatures from students , ” Attie said .
“ We are arguing the school needs to reduce tuition by 50 percent and waive all fees for the duration of the crisis , beginning in the spring quarter .
We also want to see a budgetary breakdown of university expenditure and spending and are demanding that the school not raise tuition in future quarters.
” In response to students ’ demands , the University of Chicago agreed to freeze tuition in an April 13 letter to students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no increase in the combined total of tuition , housing , and fees for College students in the 2020-2021 academic year.
” Many student organizers were not satisfied with this response , noting that there are students who are still struggling to pay tuition during the current spring quarter .
“ We have done the math , ” Attie said .
“ The University of Chicago recently announced a huge $ 5.4 billion fundraising campaign , separate from their over $ 8 billion endowment .
The president claims that this campaign focuses on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take less than 2 percent of the $ 5.4 billion to halve spring quarter tuition for all undergraduate and graduate students.
” UChicago ’ s response has been better than that of some other universities , however .
At The New School in New York City , students have been on strike since April 6 , following the university ’ s announcement that it will raise tuition by 3.8 percent for the following academic year .
Students say a tuition raise is uncalled for ; instead , because classes had to be moved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they should receive a partial tuition refund for this semester .
“ The strike has taken a few different forms , including an attendance strike , a refusal to participate in class or turn in assignments , and a boycott of fall 2020 class registration until our demands are met , ” Keaton Slansky , a junior at The New School who helped organize the strike , told The Nation .
“ We also met with the school administration to discuss our concerns , but it was disappointing , to say the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the meeting , and it was clear the school was…feigning to ‘ hear us ’ without actually intending to meet our demands any time soon.
” A lack of student input is a common grievance among those who have chosen to strike .
Students at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie , who are currently organizing for a strike from classes after the school refused to implement a Universal Pass system , were similarly upset that the college did not ask for students ’ opinions before amending their grading system for the semester .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ break for a Universal Pass grading Policy , ” said Charlie Jones , a junior at Vassar and a member of the student organization Nobody Fails VC .
“ Striking was not our first choice , but after attending meetings with administrators , sending countless e-mails , and engaging in lively discourse with peer students , our needs have still not been met on an institutional level .
Vassar also had the faculty vote on a grading policy for the semester without any student input and before most professors had even seen our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across the country have been similarly pushing for a grading system that better reflects the conditions of the pandemic .
Students at Simmons University in Boston , the University of Pennsylvania , Cornell University , and countless other schools are petitioning for various amended policies in light of the pandemic .
While some students still want to get letter grades this semester to show graduate programs or improve their GPA , many are arguing for a Universal Pass system , noting that marginalized students with unstable housing , bad internet connection , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their grades during the course of the pandemic .
The response to students ’ organizing has been uneven .
At Vassar , the administration opted for a variation of an opt-in pass/fail system , with the dean of studies writing in an e-mail to students that “ faculty members do not accept the premise that the best solution for addressing serious social and economic inequities among students is to prevent students who are in reasonable positions from earning letter grades.
” “ The policy allows individual professors and departments to implement their own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ models , but fails to implement school-wide protection , ” Jones said .
“ It also does not ensure that students will not fail their courses due to circumstances beyond their control such as financial insecurity , mental health crises instigated by Covid-19 , and unhealthy or unsafe ‘ home ’ environments .
This is why we felt further action from students was necessary.
” It ’ s not just undergraduate students who have chosen to strike—PhD students at Columbia University are also going on strike on April 24 .
Students are arguing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ research stipends should be increased , and an extra year should be added to their degree to make up for time lost because of the pandemic .
According to Columbia student Danielle Carr , who is in her fifth year completing a doctorate in anthropology , hundreds of students from over 20 departments will be participating in the strike .
“ We are going on strike because the university is taking a profit-oriented response to the crisis , rather than an approach that puts its vulnerable workers ’ needs first , ” she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refused to cancel rent for its graduate students , and instead is trying to herd people out of their apartments during a global pandemic .
We reject the university ’ s austerity .
We reject its facade of liberal values while it ruthlessly squeezes graduate students for labor and rent .
We won ’ t work , we won ’ t teach , and we won ’ t pay rent.
” The strikes taking place on college campuses are a microcosm of organizing happening across the country in response to poor working and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Amazon , Instacart , Target , and other companies are on strike to protest unsafe or unfair working conditions , and threats of a rent strike have arisen in cities across the country , including New York , Los Angeles , and Chicago .
Students at Ohio State University are participating in a rent strike as well ; many have refused to pay their rent this month , which was due April 1 .
“ I wanted to participate in the rent strike because the owner of my apartment is a million-dollar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tenants , especially during a pandemic , ” Daija Kidd , a junior at Ohio State University , told The Nation .
“ Housing is a human right , and you can ’ t take that away from someone and expect them to ‘ pull themselves up by the bootstraps ’ when they don ’ t even have a place to call home.
” Strikes are not the only way that college students are protesting their university ’ s actions—and , frequently , inactions .
Students at Drexel University , New York University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ filing class-action lawsuits against their universities , arguing that they paid for services that they are no longer receiving through online instruction .
Face-to-face interaction with professors , access to campus facilities and hands-on learning , and athletics and wellness programs have dissipated because of campus closures , and yet they are still expected to pay the same amount of money .
In some cases , the threat of a strike has succeeded .
Students at Pomona College in Claremont , California , were prepared to strike after the school forced most of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refused to implement a Universal Pass grading system .
In response , a group of students and sympathetic professors were able to help several students back into campus housing and convince the school to implement a Universal Pass , according to students organizing with Occupy Pomona .
The decision not to strike was also tactical .
“ We decided that since the school gave us most of what we wanted , it simply wouldn ’ t make sense to strike at this point , ” said Isabella Cayetano , a member of Occupy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ college .
“ We want to make sure that professors and the administration are still on our side in the fall , because we have more we want to argue for once we get back on campus .
We want the fall 2020 semester to also be Universal Pass because people are going to need time to get back on their feet after the pandemic is over.
” While some students have successfully pressured their respective universities to meet their demands , organizing has still been fraught with challenges .
Most students have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their studies , and their health in addition to trying to negotiate with wealthy and powerful institutions over e-mail or Zoom .
“ The University of Chicago is prestigious and powerful , ” Attie confirmed .
“ Because they have such elite status , they are able to charge high tuition and rest assured few students will leave or transfer .
And because the university has such large financial resources , we can not even be sure there will be any significant economic effect from the strike.
” Despite these challenges , students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their respective universities .
“ This is all work that students are doing in addition to survival during a pandemic , ” Jones said .
“ It ’ s work and labor that students should not have to do because schools should not be leaning into their bureaucratic standards during this time .
Instead , this is time to implement change that sustains a more equitable present and future for the college .
”

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Since campuses began shutting down across the country in early March, college students have been speaking out about the economic uncertainty, lack of food, and housing insecurity the nationwide upheaval has brought on. Despite this, many colleges have been reluctant to take measures to ensure student safety and comfort—most schools have not changed their grading policies, for example, and many campuses have not provided alternative resources after forcing students to evacuate dorms or cancel meal plans, prompting further uncertainty and stress.
In response, college students across the country are going on strike. This story was produced for Student Nation, a section devoted to highlighting campus activism and student movements from students in their own words. For more Student Nation, check out our archive. Are you a student with a campus activism story? Send questions and pitches to Samantha Schuyler at [email protected]. The Student Nation program is made possible through generous funding from The Puffin Foundation.
Striking students at the University of Chicago, Pomona College, The New School, Vassar College, and more are putting pressure on their school administration by refusing to go to classes or pay tuition payments or rent, saying its response to the coronavirus pandemic has been inadequately meeting the needs of the students paying to attend.
At the University of Chicago, undergraduate and graduate students have come together under the umbrella of UChicago for Fair Tuition to organize a tuition strike. According to senior Julia Attie, an organizer with UChicago for Fair Tuition, over 950 students are committed to or considering withholding spring quarter tuition if the university does not negotiate with students over their demands before the tuition deadline of April 29.
“Our demands now have over 1,700 signatures from students,” Attie said. “We are arguing the school needs to reduce tuition by 50 percent and waive all fees for the duration of the crisis, beginning in the spring quarter. We also want to see a budgetary breakdown of university expenditure and spending and are demanding that the school not raise tuition in future quarters.”
In response to students’ demands, the University of Chicago agreed to freeze tuition in an April 13 letter to students, promising, “There will be no increase in the combined total of tuition, housing, and fees for College students in the 2020-2021 academic year.” Many student organizers were not satisfied with this response, noting that there are students who are still struggling to pay tuition during the current spring quarter.
“We have done the math,” Attie said. “The University of Chicago recently announced a huge $5.4 billion fundraising campaign, separate from their over $8 billion endowment. The president claims that this campaign focuses on providing aid to students. It would take less than 2 percent of the $5.4 billion to halve spring quarter tuition for all undergraduate and graduate students.” Popular "swipe left below to view more authors"Swipe → The Evisceration of a Public University The Evisceration of a Public University Lisa M. Corrigan The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks Chris Lehmann “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash Dave Zirin How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection Chris Lehmann Popular "swipe left below to view more authors"Swipe → The Evisceration of a Public University The Evisceration of a Public University Lisa M. Corrigan The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks Chris Lehmann “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash Dave Zirin How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection Chris Lehmann Current Issue View our current issue
UChicago’s response has been better than that of some other universities, however. At The New School in New York City, students have been on strike since April 6, following the university’s announcement that it will raise tuition by 3.8 percent for the following academic year. Students say a tuition raise is uncalled for; instead, because classes had to be moved online in the shadow of the coronavirus, they should receive a partial tuition refund for this semester.
“The strike has taken a few different forms, including an attendance strike, a refusal to participate in class or turn in assignments, and a boycott of fall 2020 class registration until our demands are met,” Keaton Slansky, a junior at The New School who helped organize the strike, told The Nation. “We also met with the school administration to discuss our concerns, but it was disappointing, to say the least. No decision makers were present in the meeting, and it was clear the school was…feigning to ‘hear us’ without actually intending to meet our demands any time soon.”
A lack of student input is a common grievance among those who have chosen to strike. Students at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, who are currently organizing for a strike from classes after the school refused to implement a Universal Pass system, were similarly upset that the college did not ask for students’ opinions before amending their grading system for the semester.
“Students have been organizing since spring break for a Universal Pass grading Policy,” said Charlie Jones, a junior at Vassar and a member of the student organization Nobody Fails VC. “Striking was not our first choice, but after attending meetings with administrators, sending countless e-mails, and engaging in lively discourse with peer students, our needs have still not been met on an institutional level. Vassar also had the faculty vote on a grading policy for the semester without any student input and before most professors had even seen our proposal for a Universal Pass.”
Students across the country have been similarly pushing for a grading system that better reflects the conditions of the pandemic. Students at Simmons University in Boston, the University of Pennsylvania, Cornell University, and countless other schools are petitioning for various amended policies in light of the pandemic. While some students still want to get letter grades this semester to show graduate programs or improve their GPA, many are arguing for a Universal Pass system, noting that marginalized students with unstable housing, bad internet connection, or poor mental health might struggle to maintain their grades during the course of the pandemic.
The response to students’ organizing has been uneven. At Vassar, the administration opted for a variation of an opt-in pass/fail system, with the dean of studies writing in an e-mail to students that “faculty members do not accept the premise that the best solution for addressing serious social and economic inequities among students is to prevent students who are in reasonable positions from earning letter grades.”
“The policy allows individual professors and departments to implement their own versions of Universal Pass or double-A grading models, but fails to implement school-wide protection,” Jones said. “It also does not ensure that students will not fail their courses due to circumstances beyond their control such as financial insecurity, mental health crises instigated by Covid-19, and unhealthy or unsafe ‘home’ environments. This is why we felt further action from students was necessary.”
It’s not just undergraduate students who have chosen to strike—PhD students at Columbia University are also going on strike on April 24. Students are arguing that their rent should be canceled, research stipends should be increased, and an extra year should be added to their degree to make up for time lost because of the pandemic. According to Columbia student Danielle Carr, who is in her fifth year completing a doctorate in anthropology, hundreds of students from over 20 departments will be participating in the strike.
“We are going on strike because the university is taking a profit-oriented response to the crisis, rather than an approach that puts its vulnerable workers’ needs first,” she told The Nation. “Columbia has refused to cancel rent for its graduate students, and instead is trying to herd people out of their apartments during a global pandemic. We reject the university’s austerity. We reject its facade of liberal values while it ruthlessly squeezes graduate students for labor and rent. We won’t work, we won’t teach, and we won’t pay rent.”
The strikes taking place on college campuses are a microcosm of organizing happening across the country in response to poor working and living conditions during the pandemic. Workers at Amazon, Instacart, Target, and other companies are on strike to protest unsafe or unfair working conditions, and threats of a rent strike have arisen in cities across the country, including New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago.
Students at Ohio State University are participating in a rent strike as well; many have refused to pay their rent this month, which was due April 1. “I wanted to participate in the rent strike because the owner of my apartment is a million-dollar corporation who should be flexible with their tenants, especially during a pandemic,” Daija Kidd, a junior at Ohio State University, told The Nation. “Housing is a human right, and you can’t take that away from someone and expect them to ‘pull themselves up by the bootstraps’ when they don’t even have a place to call home.”
Strikes are not the only way that college students are protesting their university’s actions—and, frequently, inactions. Students at Drexel University, New York University, and the University of Miami are filing class-action lawsuits against their universities, arguing that they paid for services that they are no longer receiving through online instruction. Face-to-face interaction with professors, access to campus facilities and hands-on learning, and athletics and wellness programs have dissipated because of campus closures, and yet they are still expected to pay the same amount of money.
In some cases, the threat of a strike has succeeded. Students at Pomona College in Claremont, California, were prepared to strike after the school forced most of its students to evacuate on-campus housing and refused to implement a Universal Pass grading system. In response, a group of students and sympathetic professors were able to help several students back into campus housing and convince the school to implement a Universal Pass, according to students organizing with Occupy Pomona.
The decision not to strike was also tactical. “We decided that since the school gave us most of what we wanted, it simply wouldn’t make sense to strike at this point,” said Isabella Cayetano, a member of Occupy Pomona and a first year at the college. “We want to make sure that professors and the administration are still on our side in the fall, because we have more we want to argue for once we get back on campus. We want the fall 2020 semester to also be Universal Pass because people are going to need time to get back on their feet after the pandemic is over.”
While some students have successfully pressured their respective universities to meet their demands, organizing has still been fraught with challenges. Most students have had to worry about their grades, their studies, and their health in addition to trying to negotiate with wealthy and powerful institutions over e-mail or Zoom. “The University of Chicago is prestigious and powerful,” Attie confirmed. “Because they have such elite status, they are able to charge high tuition and rest assured few students will leave or transfer. And because the university has such large financial resources, we cannot even be sure there will be any significant economic effect from the strike.”
Despite these challenges, students continue to advocate for better treatment from their respective universities. “This is all work that students are doing in addition to survival during a pandemic,” Jones said. “It’s work and labor that students should not have to do because schools should not be leaning into their bureaucratic standards during this time. Instead, this is time to implement change that sustains a more equitable present and future for the college.”


thenation--2020-04-24--What’s Super Popular? Voting by Mail.

What’s Super Popular? Voting by Mail.

President Trump and his hyper-partisan Republican allies have been attacking proposals to vote by mail in November .
The reason has nothing to do with honest concerns about this system for voting , which has gotten high marks in the handful of states where it has already been implemented—and which offers an option for a safe , high-turnout national election even as the coronavirus pandemic lingers , or diminishes and returns in the fall .
Trump , who lost the 2016 election by 2.9 million votes and prevailed only because of the antidemocratic Electoral College , fears a high-turnout election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American people understand that election procedures aren ’ t supposed to be enacted to help or hinder particular politicians .
So it is that , for all of Trump ’ s ranting about the supposed perils of voting by mail , the American people love the idea .
Democrats need to recognize this reality .
Instead of bending to the president , they can demand in coming stimulus negotiations that Trump and the Republicans bend—knowing that the numbers are on their side .
The latest Harvard-Harris survey , which was conducted April 14–16 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three states ( Oregon , Washington , and Colorado ) conduct their elections completely by mail .
Would you support a decision to conduct the 2020 Presidential election entirely by mail in all 50 states ?
” Congress Desperately Needs to Call Out Trump ’ s Authoritarianism Congress Must Seize the Spotlight Back From Trump Seventy-two percent of those who answered said “ yes.
” “ Voting entirely by mail in all 50 states ” is a more militant plan than voting rights advocates are proposing .
The right fix must be more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and , where possible , safe in-person voting , as well as no-excuses absentee balloting .
( A number of states currently require voters requesting an absentee ballot to provide an excuse for why they won ’ t be able to vote in person on Election Day . )
There also has to be an understanding that states will have different approaches in a federal system .
But planning for a massive increase in voting by mail , and paying for the change , is a necessary reform that has immense popular appeal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other surveys that have been done since Trump started trying to discredit voting by mail with outbursts like , “ Mail ballots , they cheat .
Mail ballots are very dangerous for this country because of cheaters .
They go collect them .
They are fraudulent in many cases .
They have to vote .
They should have voter ID , by the way.
” The president ’ s Republican allies have tried to present more coherent critiques of voting by mail , but the polls suggest they are not getting far with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and frankly outlandish claims .
A Democracy Corps poll of 2,000 people in 16 battleground states , which was conducted in early April on behalf of the nonpartisan Center for Voter Information , found that 73 percent of those surveyed favored no-excuse absentee voting—with 85 percent of Democrats , 70 percent of independents , and 59 percent of Republicans supporting the idea .
Asked about the ambitious reform of having everyone in their state vote by mail , 68 percent responded favorably—with 83 of Democrats , 68 percent of independents , and 51 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We are witnessing a giant shift in American ’ s perceptions towards absentee voting and voting by mail , ” Page Gardner , the founder and board chair of the Center for Voter Information , told Newsweek .
“ The pandemic has altered how people want to vote.
” Democrats in Congress , and in the states , should forge their negotiating strategies based on this new thinking .
Voting by mail is a winning idea that is a necessary part of any strategy to ensure that the November election does not degenerate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wisconsin , where Republicans refused to go along with a plan by Democratic Governor Tony Evers to conduct the state ’ s April 7 election with absentee ballot and voting by mail options .
In some states , governors are taking immediate steps to implement voting by mail for elections that are likely to be conducted as the battle against Covid-19 continues .
In New York , for instance , it was reported this week that Governor Andrew Cuomo would issue an executive order to send ballots to all registered voters so they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scheduled for June 23 .
But to assure that the nationwide November elections are safe and fair , Congress has to step up .
Congressional Democratic leaders should have bargained harder for necessary action in the initial measures to respond to Covid-19—especially the Coronavirus Aid , Relief , and Economic Security ( CARES ) Act that was approved in late March and the supplemental economic aid package that Democrats and Republicans agreed to this week .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer now say that “ we will advance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and far-reaching.
” They ’ ll face steadily greater resistance from Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell , however .
As such , the next negotiations may be the last chance to take needed steps in time for the fall .
This is why Democrats must make the defense of democracy an unequivocal demand .
Two interventions are immediately necessary .
The US Postal Service must be fully funded and fully supported .
This will sustain the essential work the postal service is now doing and , as the American Postal Workers Union notes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s “ important role continues to grow as our elections move to vote-by-mail.
” “ As millions of Americans seek shelter in their homes , postal workers continue to carry out their vital work and deliver for the United States of America every day , ” APWU president Mark Dimondstein pointed out after the CARES Act was approved , “ but the White House has failed to support these efforts .
In the recent negotiations over the stimulus package , the administration wouldn ’ t spare a dime to ensure that this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” On April 14 , the Federal Postal Coalition called on Congress “ to enact provisions in the next stimulus bill that would provide : provide [ sic ] an immediate ‘ public service ’ appropriation to the USPS of at least $ 25 billion ; quarterly emergency ‘ public service ’ appropriations during Fiscal Year 2021 to cover the difference between postage revenues and total USPS expenses ; treatment of the USPS as a covered employer in the program funding the cost of COVID-19-related sick leave and family medical leave that was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and equal treatment for postal employees in legislation that authorizes and funds hazard pay for frontline workers in this crisis.
” These are vital first steps that are needed to save the postal service and to prepare it for the heavy lift of implementing broader absentee balloting and vote-by-mail systems .
States must be provided with the necessary funds to implement vote-by-mail strategies and other election reforms .
The initial CARES Act included $ 400 million to help states address voting issues that could arise during the coronavirus pandemic and in its immediate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York Times , “ The figure falls far short of what state officials and voting rights experts have said is needed to ensure a safe and accurate count if the virus keeps millions of people away from polling places in primary elections and on Election Day .
The $ 400 million in the stimulus package is one-fifth of the $ 2 billion that voting experts said was needed and that some Democrats had sought.
” The Brennan Center for Justice developed the initial $ 2 billion estimate .
But that was just for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ developed at a point when the full impact of the pandemic was only beginning to be understood .
Now , the center “ recommends that Congress make available at least double our preliminary estimate to ensure all elections between now and November are free , fair , safe , and secure.
” That ’ s a lot of money .
But it is a small amount compared with necessary outlays to cover health care costs and address mass unemployment .
Savvy members of Congress have come to recognize that there ’ s no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ April 17 , House Administration Committee chair Zoe Lofgren and House Oversight and Reform Committee chair Carolyn Maloney joined House Administration Subcommittee on Elections chair Marcia Fudge and Representatives Jamie Raskin and Stephen Lynch to demand a hard line for democracy .
“ Without decisive action by Congress , ” they argued , “ the coronavirus crisis may exacerbate dangerous impediments for voters , including closed or restricted access to polling places and public health restrictions that deter voter participation—all of which could result in depressed voter turnout that undermines the will of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our elections .
”

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President Trump and his hyper-partisan Republican allies have been attacking proposals to vote by mail in November. The reason has nothing to do with honest concerns about this system for voting, which has gotten high marks in the handful of states where it has already been implemented—and which offers an option for a safe, high-turnout national election even as the coronavirus pandemic lingers, or diminishes and returns in the fall. Trump, who lost the 2016 election by 2.9 million votes and prevailed only because of the antidemocratic Electoral College, fears a high-turnout election might not favor him.
But the American people understand that election procedures aren’t supposed to be enacted to help or hinder particular politicians.
So it is that, for all of Trump’s ranting about the supposed perils of voting by mail, the American people love the idea. Democrats need to recognize this reality. Instead of bending to the president, they can demand in coming stimulus negotiations that Trump and the Republicans bend—knowing that the numbers are on their side.
The latest Harvard-Harris survey, which was conducted April 14–16, asked 2,394 voters, “Currently three states (Oregon, Washington, and Colorado) conduct their elections completely by mail. Would you support a decision to conduct the 2020 Presidential election entirely by mail in all 50 states?” More From John Nichols A GOP Debate Without Trump Is the Definition of Pointlessness August 11, 2023 A Win for Abortion Rights, a Win for Democracy: Ohio Voters Reject Issue 1 August 9, 2023 The Biggest Threat to Donald Trump Could Be the Constitution Itself August 4, 2023
Seventy-two percent of those who answered said “yes.”
Just 28 percent said “no.”
“Voting entirely by mail in all 50 states” is a more militant plan than voting rights advocates are proposing. The right fix must be more flexible, with support for early voting and, where possible, safe in-person voting, as well as no-excuses absentee balloting. (A number of states currently require voters requesting an absentee ballot to provide an excuse for why they won’t be able to vote in person on Election Day.) There also has to be an understanding that states will have different approaches in a federal system. But planning for a massive increase in voting by mail, and paying for the change, is a necessary reform that has immense popular appeal. Current Issue View our current issue
The Harvard-Harris numbers are consistent with other surveys that have been done since Trump started trying to discredit voting by mail with outbursts like, “Mail ballots, they cheat. Mail ballots are very dangerous for this country because of cheaters. They go collect them. They are fraudulent in many cases. They have to vote. They should have voter ID, by the way.” The president’s Republican allies have tried to present more coherent critiques of voting by mail, but the polls suggest they are not getting far with what are broadly understood to be unproven and frankly outlandish claims.
A Democracy Corps poll of 2,000 people in 16 battleground states, which was conducted in early April on behalf of the nonpartisan Center for Voter Information, found that 73 percent of those surveyed favored no-excuse absentee voting—with 85 percent of Democrats, 70 percent of independents, and 59 percent of Republicans supporting the idea. Asked about the ambitious reform of having everyone in their state vote by mail, 68 percent responded favorably—with 83 of Democrats, 68 percent of independents, and 51 percent of Republicans expressing approval. Popular "swipe left below to view more authors"Swipe → The Evisceration of a Public University The Evisceration of a Public University Lisa M. Corrigan The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks Chris Lehmann “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash Dave Zirin How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection Chris Lehmann Popular "swipe left below to view more authors"Swipe → The Evisceration of a Public University The Evisceration of a Public University Lisa M. Corrigan The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks Chris Lehmann “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash Dave Zirin How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection Chris Lehmann
“We are witnessing a giant shift in American’s perceptions towards absentee voting and voting by mail,” Page Gardner, the founder and board chair of the Center for Voter Information, told Newsweek. “The pandemic has altered how people want to vote.”
Democrats in Congress, and in the states, should forge their negotiating strategies based on this new thinking.
Voting by mail is a winning idea that is a necessary part of any strategy to ensure that the November election does not degenerate into the chaos that was seen in Wisconsin, where Republicans refused to go along with a plan by Democratic Governor Tony Evers to conduct the state’s April 7 election with absentee ballot and voting by mail options.
In some states, governors are taking immediate steps to implement voting by mail for elections that are likely to be conducted as the battle against Covid-19 continues. In New York, for instance, it was reported this week that Governor Andrew Cuomo would issue an executive order to send ballots to all registered voters so they can vote by mail in the elections scheduled for June 23.
But to assure that the nationwide November elections are safe and fair, Congress has to step up. Congressional Democratic leaders should have bargained harder for necessary action in the initial measures to respond to Covid-19—especially the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act that was approved in late March and the supplemental economic aid package that Democrats and Republicans agreed to this week. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer now say that “we will advance CARES 2, which must be transformative and far-reaching.” They’ll face steadily greater resistance from Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, however. As such, the next negotiations may be the last chance to take needed steps in time for the fall. This is why Democrats must make the defense of democracy an unequivocal demand.
Two interventions are immediately necessary.
The US Postal Service must be fully funded and fully supported.
This will sustain the essential work the postal service is now doing and, as the American Postal Workers Union notes, will be necessary as the USPS’s “important role continues to grow as our elections move to vote-by-mail.” “As millions of Americans seek shelter in their homes, postal workers continue to carry out their vital work and deliver for the United States of America every day,” APWU president Mark Dimondstein pointed out after the CARES Act was approved, “but the White House has failed to support these efforts. In the recent negotiations over the stimulus package, the administration wouldn’t spare a dime to ensure that this essential service continues in the months ahead.”
On April 14, the Federal Postal Coalition called on Congress “to enact provisions in the next stimulus bill that would provide: provide [sic] an immediate ‘public service’ appropriation to the USPS of at least $25 billion; quarterly emergency ‘public service’ appropriations during Fiscal Year 2021 to cover the difference between postage revenues and total USPS expenses; treatment of the USPS as a covered employer in the program funding the cost of COVID-19-related sick leave and family medical leave that was enacted in the Families First legislation; and equal treatment for postal employees in legislation that authorizes and funds hazard pay for frontline workers in this crisis.” These are vital first steps that are needed to save the postal service and to prepare it for the heavy lift of implementing broader absentee balloting and vote-by-mail systems.
States must be provided with the necessary funds to implement vote-by-mail strategies and other election reforms.
The initial CARES Act included $400 million to help states address voting issues that could arise during the coronavirus pandemic and in its immediate aftermath. But, noted The New York Times, “The figure falls far short of what state officials and voting rights experts have said is needed to ensure a safe and accurate count if the virus keeps millions of people away from polling places in primary elections and on Election Day. The $400 million in the stimulus package is one-fifth of the $2 billion that voting experts said was needed and that some Democrats had sought.”
The Brennan Center for Justice developed the initial $2 billion estimate. But that was just for the November election, and it was developed at a point when the full impact of the pandemic was only beginning to be understood. Now, the center “recommends that Congress make available at least double our preliminary estimate to ensure all elections between now and November are free, fair, safe, and secure.” That’s a lot of money. But it is a small amount compared with necessary outlays to cover health care costs and address mass unemployment. Savvy members of Congress have come to recognize that there’s no question the money is needed. On April 17, House Administration Committee chair Zoe Lofgren and House Oversight and Reform Committee chair Carolyn Maloney joined House Administration Subcommittee on Elections chair Marcia Fudge and Representatives Jamie Raskin and Stephen Lynch to demand a hard line for democracy.
“Without decisive action by Congress,” they argued, “the coronavirus crisis may exacerbate dangerous impediments for voters, including closed or restricted access to polling places and public health restrictions that deter voter participation—all of which could result in depressed voter turnout that undermines the will of the American people and degrades confidence in our elections.”