thenation--2020-05-07--Just Because It’s Natural Doesn’t Mean It’s Moral: A Conversation With Alan Levinovitz

“ We ’ re the last stop , ” Brian Clement said in 2010 .
“ We have dealt with mostly stage three , stage four catastrophic cancers , a big percentage , probably 25 percent of them have literally been told they ’ re gon na die.
” A codirector of the Hippocratic Health Institute , Clement frequently claimed to help thousands “ reverse ” or “ heal ” their own cancer with raw vegan diets and various alternative treatments .
In one videotaped interview , when asked what ailments he ’ d cured by putting people on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hesitate before answering , “ Every known disease.
” By the time Alan Levinovitz visited the HHI ’ s lush West Palm Beach compound in 2018 , Clement had backed off those assertions , at least somewhat .
“ Because of liability issues , in public interviews Clement has repeatedly insisted that his approach neither ‘ cures ’ nor ‘ heals , ’ ” Levinovitz writes .
But after his interview with Clement at the HHI facility in Florida , Clement encouraged him to buy a documentary whose tagline is : “ If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you think diet can not cure cancer… Think again.
” On its Cancer and Chronic Immune Diseases program ’ s webpage , HHI alleges that its protocol “ naturally correct [ s ] metabolic pathways to restore immune system regulation ” and “ optimal balanced physiology , ” which “ activate [ s ] a person ’ s own healing potential.
” In Natural : How Faith In Nature ’ s Goodness Leads to Harmful Fads , Unjust Laws , and Flawed Science , Levinovitz ’ s background in religious studies provides a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like the HHI appeals to so many .
In asserting that we ’ ve divinized nature , rendering it a source of unquestionable moral authority , he explores everything from natural birth to the nature-based metaphors employed by cryptocurrency enthusiasts .
Levinovitz makes a compelling argument , particularly at a time when climate change is causing many people to turn to a concept of divinized nature for answers .
At one point , he even speaks to a leading Hippocratic scholar , who tells him that the oft-cited adage “ Let food be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” supposedly comes from a text that is “ almost impossible to understand.
” In my recent conversation with Levinovitz , we talked about the rise of secular anti-vaxxers , seeking guidance from divine forces , and the real cost of a $ 500,000 wellness upgrade .
Our conversation has been edited for length and clarity .
Alex Ronan : As a professor of religion , how did you land on the subject of your book ?
Alan Levinovitz : I was writing about food and started to notice that religions often draw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of foods you can or can ’ t eat .
I discovered that “ naturalness ” was a central feature of how people who are fastidious about what they eat would justify their choices .
I realized that there was actually something much larger going on , that there was a hidden theology there in which nature was replacing God in every aspect of our culture .
Even in really unlikely places like economic theory .
Who Gets Forgotten in a Pandemic AR : Is it inevitable that we find some sort of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in realms that are seen to be strictly secular , like economics ?
AL : I really do think that we have a tendency to want to come up with simple overarching sets of rules that can guide us in every aspect of our lives .
We also have a tendency to want to trace those rules back to a single origin that is fundamentally good and fundamentally wise .
And as the sphere of religious authority shrinks and we no longer look to priests and rabbis for our guidance on how to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our economies or how to be healthy , something needs to come in to fill that mythic explanatory hole that has been left .
We are alienated from nature in many ways , destroying the natural world at an unprecedented rate and on a huge scale , so it makes a lot of sense to think that the antidote for these kinds of problems is as simple as being more natural .
AR : What ’ s the problem with deifying nature or treating nature as a barometer for goodness ?
AL : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first is that it gives a false sense of scientific objectivity to what might actually be reflexive disgust , cultural idiosyncrasy , or religious belief .
Instead of saying “ Homosexuals are sinners according to my religion , ” you can substitute “ Homosexuality is unnatural , ” concealing the actual foundation for your position with an appeal to nature .
The second problem is that the association is almost always a function of privilege .
Naive romanticization of nature can only happen when you ’ ve got clean running water and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the steps many people take to be more “ natural ” focus on practices and rituals that preserve their privilege—buy a Tesla instead of taking public transportation , eat organic meat and produce instead of changing your diet to more sustainable products .
Finally , it can create needless bias against solutions that are perceived as “ unnatural , ” even when those solutions can help the natural world .
Lab-grown meat , GM crops , dense urban living , nuclear energy—all are potentially helpful in the fight for conservation , but many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deification of nature makes it hard to believe that you could “ save ” nature with something unnatural .
AR : How does nostalgia fit in here ?
AL : The power of nostalgia is an incredibly important factor in why people value nature .
For many , nature is this archetypal Eden in which everything was perfect and sin was taking an unnatural action .
So the more we eat foods that aren ’ t natural and live in homes that are away from nature and so on and so forth , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ utopia .
And that ’ s an incredibly powerful story , not only because it gives us an easy explanation for our own suffering , but also because it gives us a simple map for getting back to a time when there was no suffering .
AR : What was it like going to the HHI and meeting Brian Clement ?
AL : You can ’ t make this stuff up .
He was so manifestly a charlatan and yet was master of the story he was telling .
This natural healing clinic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it discusses what causes people ’ s diseases , in terms of the therapies that it offers .
And yet I still managed to see what it was that people wanted there .
AR : I was interested in what you found lacking in our current medical system ’ s treatment of illness , particularly because it may inadvertently make a place like the HHI more appealing .
Tell me about that .
AL : Having spoken with many people who are very sick , dealing with chronic conditions , or conditions where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I came to realize that the ambiguity about one ’ s illness can be as painful , certainly existentially , as the illness itself .
When people seek medical care , they ’ re not just seeking the best intervention science has to offer .
They also are looking for an explanatory framework in which to situate their own suffering .
The idea that illness is a departure from nature provides that framework .
It tells you why you are sick , what you can do to avoid being sick , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ empowering package .
I am not recommending that modern medicine simply start offering people [ that kind of ] explanatory framework .
But I am suggesting that much more attention to the existential side of illness , the disempowerment and alienation , is essential to improving our way of healing people .
AR : How do you understand the anti-vaccine movement that is rising outside of religious communities ?
AL : I think the only way to understand the anti-vaccine movement is by using naturalness as the backdrop .
There are a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corporations , understandably .
The opioid crisis is raging around us .
The way medicines are produced is frequently inscrutable to the layperson .
The purest , most natural version of humanity is the baby , and the same people who seem to be in the clutches of corporations are asking you to give up your child [ to be vaccinated ] .
With the coronavirus , there ’ s going to be a vaccine developed and there are going to be pockets of people who don ’ t want to use it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but we need to understand what ’ s causing that [ reluctance ] .
Again , it ’ s something that I think makes a lot of sense , that kind of inchoate fear of technology gone awry , mucking with the natural order of the world .
AR : So how do you reach these people ?
AL : I have become much more sympathetic to anti-vaxxers—not to their position , which I believe is completely unfounded and dangerous , but to how they end up holding it .
To reach them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ symptom of a medical system that , for some , is very alienating .
At its worst that system feels unnatural , from the sterile white hospital halls and stainless steel to the white-robed doctor who speaks in a strange vocabulary .
Many physicians and health care advocates are trying to change this , to “ humanize ” medicine , and I think that will go a long way to helping with vaccine skepticism .
We also need to come down much harder on pharmaceutical companies that push drugs with little benefit or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system holds these bad actors accountable in the way they should be , there will be people who , understandably , write off the whole “ unnatural ” medical system and turn to natural healing .
AR : One of the areas I feel most swayed by this divinized nature you write about is that of natural food .
AL : The problem for me is that the term means something very vague .
We need to figure out what we mean when we say “ natural foods are better.
” Does it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be confident are being produced in a way that ’ s good for the environment ?
I think that ’ s a part of it .
But we need to do the careful and difficult work of unpacking all of the different values that are bundled up in that single word .
The simplicity of “ natural ” gets in the way of a multipronged approach to fixing the problems that the word is a response to .
AR : Let ’ s talk about wellness .
You describe luxury condos where an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chopra wellness upgrade , with “ mood aligning paint colors ” he ’ s selected to “ mimic nature , ” plus systems that purify water and detect pollution .
You write , “ When natural living is a luxury commodity , the act of making money , lots and lots of money , turns into a sacrament .
The wellness upgrade doesn ’ t just transform your shower into a religious ritual ; it transforms the work you did that paid for that shower.
” I feel that this second part , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t come up as much when it comes to dissecting wellness culture .
AL : At the end of the day , there are systemic problems that we need to address .
The people who benefit most from systems existing the way they are are the people who are going to be most resistant to any kind of changes .
I think it ’ s very dangerous to give the people who benefit most from those systems the out of believing that they can purchase their way out of having to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right things .
When we think about our problems as systemic rather than individual , then these kinds of choices that function to marginalize people who can ’ t afford whatever version of purity we ’ ve come up with don ’ t look as important .
We need to be very careful when we are talking about our ideals , whether it ’ s our ideal purchases or ideal way of living , to examine whether or not those are actually just a function of what is beloved by the upper classes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ erase the importance of confronting unnatural privilege when we start romanticizing natural living .

“We’re the last stop,” Brian Clement said in 2010. “We have dealt with mostly stage three, stage four catastrophic cancers, a big percentage, probably 25 percent of them have literally been told they’re gonna die.” A codirector of the Hippocratic Health Institute, Clement frequently claimed to help thousands “reverse” or “heal” their own cancer with raw vegan diets and various alternative treatments. In one videotaped interview, when asked what ailments he’d cured by putting people on a vegan diet, he didn’t hesitate before answering, “Every known disease.”
By the time Alan Levinovitz visited the HHI’s lush West Palm Beach compound in 2018, Clement had backed off those assertions, at least somewhat. “Because of liability issues, in public interviews Clement has repeatedly insisted that his approach neither ‘cures’ nor ‘heals,’” Levinovitz writes. But after his interview with Clement at the HHI facility in Florida, Clement encouraged him to buy a documentary whose tagline is: “If you think conventional treatments cure cancer… if you think diet cannot cure cancer… Think again.” On its Cancer and Chronic Immune Diseases program’s webpage, the HHI alleges that its protocol “naturally correct[s] metabolic pathways to restore immune system regulation” and “optimal balanced physiology,” which “activate[s] a person’s own healing potential.”
In Natural: How Faith In Nature’s Goodness Leads to Harmful Fads, Unjust Laws, and Flawed Science, Levinovitz’s background in religious studies provides a useful framework for unpacking why a place like the HHI appeals to so many. In asserting that we’ve divinized nature, rendering it a source of unquestionable moral authority, he explores everything from natural birth to the nature-based metaphors employed by cryptocurrency enthusiasts. Levinovitz makes a compelling argument, particularly at a time when climate change is causing many people to turn to a concept of divinized nature for answers.
At one point, he even speaks to a leading Hippocratic scholar, who tells him that the oft-cited adage “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” supposedly comes from a text that is “almost impossible to understand.”
In my recent conversation with Levinovitz, we talked about the rise of secular anti-vaxxers, seeking guidance from divine forces, and the real cost of a $500,000 wellness upgrade. Our conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
—Alex Ronan
Alex Ronan: As a professor of religion, how did you land on the subject of your book?
Alan Levinovitz: I was writing about food and started to notice that religions often draw lines about purity based on which kinds of foods you can or can’t eat. I discovered that “naturalness” was a central feature of how people who are fastidious about what they eat would justify their choices. I realized that there was actually something much larger going on, that there was a hidden theology there in which nature was replacing God in every aspect of our culture—even in really unlikely places like economic theory. 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 Related Article Who Gets Forgotten in a Pandemic Mike Davis
AR: Is it inevitable that we find some sort of mythology or divinity to guide us even in realms that are seen to be strictly secular, like economics?
AL: I really do think that we have a tendency to want to come up with simple, overarching sets of rules that can guide us in every aspect of our lives. We also have a tendency to want to trace those rules back to a single origin that is fundamentally good and fundamentally wise. And as the sphere of religious authority shrinks and we no longer look to priests and rabbis for our guidance on how to raise our children or how to organize our economies or how to be healthy, something needs to come in to fill that mythic explanatory hole that has been left. We are alienated from nature in many ways, destroying the natural world at an unprecedented rate and on a huge scale, so it makes a lot of sense to think that the antidote for these kinds of problems is as simple as being more natural.
AR: What’s the problem with deifying nature or treating nature as a barometer for goodness?
AL: There are three major problems. The first is that it gives a false sense of scientific objectivity to what might actually be reflexive disgust, cultural idiosyncrasy, or religious belief. Instead of saying “Homosexuals are sinners according to my religion,” you can substitute “Homosexuality is unnatural,” concealing the actual foundation for your position with an appeal to nature.
The second problem is that the association is almost always a function of privilege. Naive romanticization of nature can only happen when you’ve got clean running water and a hospital down the street. Likewise, the steps many people take to be more “natural” focus on practices and rituals that preserve their privilege—buy a Tesla instead of taking public transportation, eat organic meat and produce instead of changing your diet to more sustainable products.
Finally, it can create needless bias against solutions that are perceived as “unnatural,” even when those solutions can help the natural world. Lab-grown meat, GM crops, dense urban living, nuclear energy—all are potentially helpful in the fight for conservation, but many conservationists reflexively reject these ideas. The deification of nature makes it hard to believe that you could “save” nature with something unnatural.
AR: How does nostalgia fit in here?
AL: The power of nostalgia is an incredibly important factor in why people value nature. For many, nature is this archetypal Eden in which everything was perfect and sin was taking an unnatural action. So the more we eat foods that aren’t natural and live in homes that are away from nature and so on and so forth, the more distant we are from that utopia. And that’s an incredibly powerful story, not only because it gives us an easy explanation for our own suffering, but also because it gives us a simple map for getting back to a time when there was no suffering.
AR: What was it like going to the HHI and meeting Brian Clement?
AL: You can’t make this stuff up. He was so manifestly a charlatan and yet was master of the story he was telling. This natural healing clinic is incredibly irresponsible in terms of how it discusses what causes people’s diseases, in terms of the therapies that it offers. And yet I still managed to see what it was that people wanted there.
AR: I was interested in what you found lacking in our current medical system’s treatment of illness, particularly because it may inadvertently make a place like the HHI more appealing. Tell me about that.
AL: Having spoken with many people who are very sick, dealing with chronic conditions or conditions where there’s no clear way forward, I came to realize that the ambiguity about one’s illness can be as painful, certainly existentially, as the illness itself. When people seek medical care, they’re not just seeking the best intervention science has to offer. They also are looking for an explanatory framework in which to situate their own suffering. The idea that illness is a departure from nature provides that framework. It tells you why you are sick, what you can do to avoid being sick, and how to heal yourself in a simple empowering package. I am not recommending that modern medicine simply start offering people [that kind of] explanatory framework. But I am suggesting that much more attention to the existential side of illness, the disempowerment and alienation, is essential to improving our way of healing people.
AR: How do you understand the anti-vaccine movement that is rising outside of religious communities?
AL: I think the only way to understand the anti-vaccine movement is by using naturalness as the backdrop. There are a lot of people who are afraid of pharmaceutical corporations, understandably. The opioid crisis is raging around us. The way medicines are produced is frequently inscrutable to the layperson. The purest, most natural version of humanity is the baby, and the same people who seem to be in the clutches of corporations are asking you to give up your child [to be vaccinated]. With the coronavirus, there’s going to be a vaccine developed and there are going to be pockets of people who don’t want to use it. This will be extremely frustrating, but we need to understand what’s causing that [reluctance]. Again, it’s something that I think makes a lot of sense, that kind of inchoate fear of technology gone awry, mucking with the natural order of the world.
AR: So how do you reach these people?
AL: I have become much more sympathetic to anti-vaxxers—not to their position, which I believe is completely unfounded and dangerous, but to how they end up holding it. To reach them, we need to recognize they are a symptom of a medical system that, for some, is very alienating. At its worst that system feels unnatural, from the sterile white hospital halls and stainless steel to the white-robed doctor who speaks in a strange vocabulary. Many physicians and health care advocates are trying to change this, to “humanize” medicine, and I think that will go a long way to helping with vaccine skepticism.
We also need to come down much harder on pharmaceutical companies that push drugs with little benefit or with proven harm. Until our legal system holds these bad actors accountable in the way they should be, there will be people who, understandably, write off the whole “unnatural” medical system and turn to natural healing.
AR: One of the areas I feel most swayed by this divinized nature you write about is that of natural food.
AL: The problem for me is that the term means something very vague. We need to figure out what we mean when we say, “Natural foods are better.” Does it mean we want foods that we can be confident are being produced in a way that’s good for the environment? I think that’s a part of it. But we need to do the careful and difficult work of unpacking all of the different values that are bundled up in that single word. The simplicity of “natural” gets in the way of a multipronged approach to fixing the problems that the word is a response to.
AR: Let’s talk about wellness. You describe luxury condos where an additional $500,000 gets you a Deepak Chopra wellness upgrade, with “mood aligning paint colors” he’s selected to “mimic nature,” plus systems that purify water and detect pollution. You write, “When natural living is a luxury commodity, the act of making money, lots and lots of money, turns into a sacrament. The wellness upgrade doesn’t just transform your shower into a religious ritual; it transforms the work you did that paid for that shower.” I feel that this second part, transforming the act of making money, doesn’t come up as much when it comes to dissecting wellness culture.
AL: At the end of the day, there are systemic problems that we need to address. The people who benefit most from systems existing the way they are are the people who are going to be most resistant to any kind of changes. I think it’s very dangerous to give the people who benefit most from those systems the out of believing that they can purchase their way out of having to change the systems by simply buying the right things.
When we think about our problems as systemic rather than individual, then these kinds of choices that function to marginalize people who can’t afford whatever version of purity we’ve come up with don’t look as important. We need to be very careful when we are talking about our ideals, whether it’s our ideal purchases or ideal way of living, to examine whether or not those are actually just a function of what is beloved by the upper classes. We don’t want to erase the importance of confronting unnatural privilege when we start romanticizing natural living.


thenation--2020-05-07--The NFL Is Now Part of Trump’s Reelection Project

Donald Trump wants the NFL on the field this fall , and he wants it bad .
“ We have to get our sports back , ” he says .
Why is this such an issue for him amid the deadliest pandemic in a century ?
The obvious answer is his reelection , which hinges in large part on whether people feel we are returning to some sense of normalcy in our Covid-19-ravaged world .
Even though Trump hasn ’ t done any of the hard work to make sure we can reopen , he has to sell the illusion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ normal .
You can go to your salon .
You can get a beer .
You can watch football .
Culturally , there is no greater sign of normalcy than the NFL coming back into the routine of our lives .
It ’ s the country ’ s most widespread entertainment obsession .
Its absence tells voters , particularly Trump ’ s base , that after all these months , we are still in an unconscionable and unnecessary death spiral .
Trump , of course , has allies in this project .
Many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They handed him millions in 2016 and are prepared to do the same in 2020 .
Trump ’ s “ reopen sports ” committee includes no union reps , no health authorities , no women , and no people of color , but does include friends of Trump like the execrable Jerry Jones , owner of the Cowboys , and scandal-marred Bob Kraft of the Patriots .
He and his cronies want the games back , even if it means watching from hermetically sealed bunkers while the players risk their lives .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proven over the years that he cares little for the health of the players , 70 percent of whom are black .
Some players joke that NFL stands for “ Not For Long ” or “ N___ for Lease.
” Most players are in a terrible situation , with the average career lasting only three years .
If they don ’ t play , they will lose their jobs .
They only have a small window to earn a hefty NFL salary , and aren ’ t in a position to tell the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ match and shove it .
The NFL owners hold all the cards , so the only thing stopping them from opening prematurely would be their consciences .
In other words : nothing .
It doesn ’ t even matter to them if they play the games in front of empty stadiums .
The billions of dollars at stake are in the television rights , and they are going to put games on the field , even if the games feel like they are being played in a massive , publicly funded crypt .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there is not even the pretension of covering this critically .
They are in a multibillion-dollar partnership with the NFL .
All of their daily yak-fests are dependent on the NFL for new content .
They can only argue about whether Michael Jordan , who retired almost 20 years ago , is the greatest player of all time for so many segments .
So instead ESPN will air a three-hour special where they go over the NFL ’ s release of the schedule with a Coke and a smile .
Meanwhile , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a memo obtained by Pro Football Talk , is that no team executives are even allowed to discuss hypotheticals when it comes to the coming season .
No one can wonder what happens if players start to get infected .
No one should opine about the motivations of the league .
No one can say anything .
Only Roger Goodell can speak on the reopening of the league , and Roger wants these games played by any means necessary .
Their slogan should shift from “ NFL is family ” to “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shut your mouths.
” The NFL and ESPN are now party to the Trump reelection strategy .
Any pretense of journalism is gone .
They are taking advantage of the desperation of the players to get on the field , and the desperation of fans for some sense of normalcy and entertainment , and making us complicit in this project .
It stinks to high heaven .
The players , the fans , and the very game of football all deserve better than Roger Goodell and Donald Trump .

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Donald Trump wants the NFL on the field this fall, and he wants it bad. “We have to get our sports back,” he says. Why is this such an issue for him amid the deadliest pandemic in a century? The obvious answer is his reelection, which hinges in large part on whether people feel we are returning to some sense of normalcy in our Covid-19-ravaged world.
Even though Trump hasn’t done any of the hard work to make sure we can reopen, he has to sell the illusion that things are back to something near normal. You can go to your salon. You can get a beer. You can watch football.
Culturally, there is no greater sign of normalcy than the NFL coming back into the routine of our lives. It’s the country’s most widespread entertainment obsession. Its absence tells voters, particularly Trump’s base, that after all these months, we are still in an unconscionable and unnecessary death spiral.
Trump, of course, has allies in this project. Many NFL owners are billionaire Trump supporters. They handed him millions in 2016 and are prepared to do the same in 2020. Trump’s “reopen sports” committee includes no union reps, no health authorities, no women, and no people of color, but does include friends of Trump like the execrable Jerry Jones, owner of the Cowboys, and scandal-marred Bob Kraft of the Patriots. He and his cronies want the games back, even if it means watching from hermetically sealed bunkers while the players risk their lives.
For his part, Commissioner Roger Goodell has proven over the years that he cares little for the health of the players, 70 percent of whom are black. Some players joke that NFL stands for “Not For Long” or “N___ for Lease.” Most players are in a terrible situation, with the average career lasting only three years. If they don’t play, they will lose their jobs. They only have a small window to earn a hefty NFL salary, and aren’t in a position to tell the franchise owners to take their celebrity death match and shove it. The NFL owners hold all the cards, so the only thing stopping them from opening prematurely would be their consciences. In other words: nothing.
It doesn’t even matter to them if they play the games in front of empty stadiums. The billions of dollars at stake are in the television rights, and they are going to put games on the field, even if the games feel like they are being played in a massive, publicly funded crypt.
As for the sports networks like ESPN, there is not even the pretension of covering this critically. They are in a multibillion-dollar partnership with the NFL. All of their daily yak-fests are dependent on the NFL for new content. They can only argue about whether Michael Jordan, who retired almost 20 years ago, is the greatest player of all time for so many segments. So instead ESPN will air a three-hour special where they go over the NFL’s release of the schedule with a Coke and a smile.
Meanwhile, the word from Roger Goodell, according to a memo obtained by Pro Football Talk, is that no team executives are even allowed to discuss hypotheticals when it comes to the coming season. No one can wonder what happens if players start to get infected. No one should opine about the motivations of the league. No one can say anything. Only Roger Goodell can speak on the reopening of the league, and Roger wants these games played by any means necessary. Their slogan should shift from “NFL is family” to “Bury your head in the sand and shut your mouths.”
The NFL and ESPN are now party to the Trump reelection strategy. Any pretense of journalism is gone. They are taking advantage of the desperation of the players to get on the field, and the desperation of fans for some sense of normalcy and entertainment, and making us complicit in this project. It stinks to high heaven. The players, the fans, and the very game of football all deserve better than Roger Goodell and Donald Trump.


thenation--2020-05-07--The Labor Department Is Sacrificing Workers on the Altar of ‘Reopening’

The last time the United States faced an unemployment challenge as daunting as the one that now exists—and that will intensify as the economic crisis that extends from the coronavirus pandemic worsens—President Franklin Roosevelt named sociologist Frances Perkins as the secretary of labor .
He could not have chosen better .
Perkins understood that “ the people are what matter to government , and a government should aim to give all the people under its jurisdiction the best possible life.
” Perkins knew that the starting point for guaranteeing that best possible life was an emphasis on the safety and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not be said of the current secretary of labor , Eugene Scalia , who operates on the principle that nothing matters so much as protecting the bottom lines of the business interests he represented as a corporate lawyer .
That ’ s a serious problem , because , while attention to the federal response to Covid-19 has focused on President Trump ’ s press briefings and congressional bills , key cabinet agencies will play a huge role in determining whether the “ reopening ” of the American economy is functional and fair and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back to work when the coronavirus pandemic ebbs is going to require visionary leadership , and ideally it would come from the Department of Labor , which , according to its mission statement , is supposed “ to foster , promote , and develop the welfare of the wage earners , job seekers , and retirees of the United States ; improve working conditions ; advance opportunities for profitable employment ; and assure work-related benefits and rights.
” Unfortunately , Scalia , the son of a notorious former Supreme Court justice who made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Attorney General William P. Barr during the presidency of Bush père and went on to serve under Bush fils as United States solicitor of labor , appears to be the wrong man in the wrong place at the wrong time .
Bernie Sanders Reflects on the Power of International Solidarity The Most Consequential Decision of Biden ’ s 2020 Campaign If Woody Guthrie Were Singing Now About the Postal Service Last year , a New York Times assessment described Scalia as “ perhaps best known for his opposition to a regulation that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at risk of repetitive stress injuries.
” That was actually a generous take .
In the years before President Trump nominated him for the labor post in 2019 , Scalia became the lawyer of choice for corporate interests that wanted to curtail the rights of workers and consumers .
He fought against efforts to force large corporations to provide health care coverage for employees , sought to limit worker protections under the Americans with Disabilities Act , and literally led the fight to upend requirements that financial advisers give counsel that is in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Scalia has represented Walmart , Boeing , and the US Chamber of Commerce , a lot .
Workers ?
Not so much .
Scalia ’ s biases would warrant concern at any time , but they are doubly troubling at a point when jobless claims have spiked , the unemployment insurance system is overwhelmed , and essential workers have not received adequate protection .
As the economy reopens , the great danger is that corners will be cut in order to serve the bottom lines of corporations—and that workers will be further endangered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Let Transit Workers Be Treated Like Cannon Fodder ’ How Sex Workers Are Using Mutual Aid to Respond to the Coronavirus The best way to avert that threat is for Congress to give Scalia and the Department of Labor clear , unequivocal directions on how to reopen America .
To that end , Senators Tammy Baldwin , the Wisconsin Democrat who is the ranking member of the Senate Subcommittee on Employment and Workforce Safety ; Patty Murray , the Washington Democrat who is the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( HELP ) ; and Martin Heinrich , the New Mexico Democrat who is the party ’ s top Senate representative on the Joint Economic Committee are demanding that Scalia direct the Occupational Safety and Health Administration ( OSHA ) to outline specific worker health and safety standards , guidance principles , outreach initiatives , and enforcement protocols before the reopening of the economy .
“ Protecting our country ’ s workers is essential to their safety and health , to the lives and well-being of customers and patrons , to our collective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of our economy .
Not only do you have an obligation to protect our workers , you have the statutory authority to do it ; we respectfully request you do so with urgency , ” write the senators in a new letter that is signed by 26 of their colleagues .
Arguing that “ employers need clear guidance on what they should do to ensure safe workplaces—and workers across the country have been waiting for your leadership , ” the senators are calling on Scalia to : • Issue an Emergency Temporary Standard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ After months of delays despite pleas from workers and multiple requests from Democratic lawmakers , OSHA must establish a legal obligation for workplaces to implement comprehensive exposure-control plans to keep workers safe .
• Issue additional interpretations of existing OSHA standards .
OSHA must issue additional interpretation of existing standards to increase enforceable protections for workers .
• Develop comprehensive guidance for employers and notify them that it will be enforced .
OSHA must issue guidance regarding what all employers must do to protect their workers and notify employers that it will enforce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under the Occupational Safety and Health Act .
• Withdraw harmful guidance already issued .
OSHA must withdraw recently issued counterproductive guidance , including guidance that does not require employers to record Covid-19 cases among workers and an enforcement policy that does not require on-site workplace inspections to follow most worker complaints regarding Covid-19 .
These demands need to be amplified .
Too much focus has been placed on President Trump ’ s outrageous statements and his refusal to follow the counsel of public health experts who warn against a haphazard reopening of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a Department of Labor that fails to protect workers in a perilous moment .
As Senator Baldwin and her colleagues remind us , “ This is not good for workers , and it is not good for public health .
”

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The last time the United States faced an unemployment challenge as daunting as the one that now exists—and that will intensify as the economic crisis that extends from the coronavirus pandemic worsens—President Franklin Roosevelt named sociologist Frances Perkins as the secretary of labor. He could not have chosen better. Perkins understood that “the people are what matter to government, and a government should aim to give all the people under its jurisdiction the best possible life.”
Perkins knew that the starting point for guaranteeing that best possible life was an emphasis on the safety and security of workers.
The same cannot be said of the current secretary of labor, Eugene Scalia, who operates on the principle that nothing matters so much as protecting the bottom lines of the business interests he represented as a corporate lawyer. That’s a serious problem, because, while attention to the federal response to Covid-19 has focused on President Trump’s press briefings and congressional bills, key cabinet agencies will play a huge role in determining whether the “reopening” of the American economy is functional and fair and safe for American workers.
Getting America back to work when the coronavirus pandemic ebbs is going to require visionary leadership, and ideally it would come from the Department of Labor, which, according to its mission statement, is supposed “to foster, promote, and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers, and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights.” Unfortunately, Scalia, the son of a notorious former Supreme Court justice who made his own name as a special assistant to Attorney General William P. Barr during the presidency of Bush père and went on to serve under Bush fils as United States solicitor of labor, appears to be the wrong man in the wrong place at the wrong time. 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
Last year, a New York Times assessment described Scalia as “perhaps best known for his opposition to a regulation that would have mandated greater protections for workers at risk of repetitive stress injuries.” That was actually a generous take.
In the years before President Trump nominated him for the labor post in 2019, Scalia became the lawyer of choice for corporate interests that wanted to curtail the rights of workers and consumers. He fought against efforts to force large corporations to provide health care coverage for employees, sought to limit worker protections under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and literally led the fight to upend requirements that financial advisers give counsel that is in the best interest of their clients. Scalia has represented Walmart, Boeing, and the US Chamber of Commerce, a lot. Workers? Not so much. 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
Scalia’s biases would warrant concern at any time, but they are doubly troubling at a point when jobless claims have spiked, the unemployment insurance system is overwhelmed, and essential workers have not received adequate protection. As the economy reopens, the great danger is that corners will be cut in order to serve the bottom lines of corporations—and that workers will be further endangered. Working During Covid-19 ‘We Will Not Sit Back and Let Transit Workers Be Treated Like Cannon Fodder’ John Nichols McConnell’s Stimulus Scam: Vaccinate Businesses, Expose Workers Elie Mystal How Sex Workers Are Using Mutual Aid to Respond to the Coronavirus Jack Herrera
The best way to avert that threat is for Congress to give Scalia and the Department of Labor clear, unequivocal directions on how to reopen America. To that end, Senators Tammy Baldwin, the Wisconsin Democrat who is the ranking member of the Senate Subcommittee on Employment and Workforce Safety; Patty Murray, the Washington Democrat who is the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP); and Martin Heinrich, the New Mexico Democrat who is the party’s top Senate representative on the Joint Economic Committee are demanding that Scalia direct the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to outline specific worker health and safety standards, guidance principles, outreach initiatives, and enforcement protocols before the reopening of the economy.
“Protecting our country’s workers is essential to their safety and health, to the lives and well-being of customers and patrons, to our collective public health, and to the health of our economy. Not only do you have an obligation to protect our workers, you have the statutory authority to do it; we respectfully request you do so with urgency,” write the senators in a new letter that is signed by 26 of their colleagues.
Arguing that “employers need clear guidance on what they should do to ensure safe workplaces—and workers across the country have been waiting for your leadership,” the senators are calling on Scalia to:
Issue an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) for infectious disease. After months of delays despite pleas from workers and multiple requests from Democratic lawmakers, OSHA must establish a legal obligation for workplaces to implement comprehensive exposure-control plans to keep workers safe.
After months of delays despite pleas from workers and multiple requests from Democratic lawmakers, OSHA must establish a legal obligation for workplaces to implement comprehensive exposure-control plans to keep workers safe. Issue additional interpretations of existing OSHA standards. OSHA must issue additional interpretation of existing standards to increase enforceable protections for workers.
OSHA must issue additional interpretation of existing standards to increase enforceable protections for workers. Develop comprehensive guidance for employers and notify them that it will be enforced. OSHA must issue guidance regarding what all employers must do to protect their workers and notify employers that it will enforce key portions of these safety standards, under the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
OSHA must issue guidance regarding what all employers must do to protect their workers and notify employers that it will enforce key portions of these safety standards, under the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Withdraw harmful guidance already issued. OSHA must withdraw recently issued counterproductive guidance, including guidance that does not require employers to record Covid-19 cases among workers and an enforcement policy that does not require on-site workplace inspections to follow most worker complaints regarding Covid-19.
These demands need to be amplified. Too much focus has been placed on President Trump’s outrageous statements and his refusal to follow the counsel of public health experts who warn against a haphazard reopening of businesses.
Trump is a dangerous player.
But so, too, is a Department of Labor that fails to protect workers in a perilous moment. As Senator Baldwin and her colleagues remind us, “This is not good for workers, and it is not good for public health.”


thenation--2020-05-07--Instead of Killing the US Postal System, Let’s Expand It

The postal system has been a key public infrastructure since the dawn of the US republic .
Today , the United States Postal Service faces an existential threat as President Trump blocks a desperately needed emergency loan .
Instead of defunding and privatizing the postal system , now ’ s an opportune moment to reimagine its purpose and revitalize it .
We ’ ve heard by now many compelling arguments for saving the USPS .
It offers a secure and private means of communication ( especially important with mail-in voting ) ; it provides more than 600,000 jobs for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ essential service of delivering important goods ( including prescription medicine ) to far-flung locales at affordable and equal rates .
Remarkably , the USPS serves as both a national communication network and a local anchor institution for small communities across the country .
Its loss would be a profound blow to American culture and democracy .
But we should be striving for something bolder than just preserving a noble institution .
Instead of fighting over whether to scrap or save the USPS , we should be pushing to expand it .
Reimagining and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tremendous benefits for all of society .
Recent years have witnessed increased calls for building on the postal system ’ s infrastructure by offering such services as postal banking .
But one intriguing idea missing from these discussions is the post office ’ s unique potential for producing community-level news .
Letters From the May 18/25 , 2020 , Issue If Woody Guthrie Were Singing Now About the Postal Service Congress Must Stand Up to the White House and Deliver Relief to the Postal Service More in this series Given that local media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ devastated in recent years—a crisis that ’ s been greatly accelerated by the pandemic—communities are increasingly losing access to reliable information .
What if the post office were called upon to help save local journalism ?
More than 30,000 post offices span the United States , covering small towns , suburbs , and urban centers .
These spaces could serve as multimedia hubs for community journalism , especially within news deserts where local media outlets no longer exist .
Along with libraries , universities , and public broadcasting stations , we could leverage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for local journalism .
These spaces could become centers for different kinds of community media , from weekly newspapers to municipal broadband networks .
A real-world example of this model has flourished in Urbana , Ill. , for 15 years .
In 2005 , local media activists raised funds to purchase the historic downtown post office building .
Over the years , citizen journalists have gathered there to produce a wide range of media , including a newspaper , low-power radio broadcasting , community wireless services , and a local-news website .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ programs , the center also houses an art gallery , a performance venue , a makerspace , public access computers , and a library .
Not all post office buildings are as large as Urbana ’ s , but all could accommodate public broadband services and a few reporters whose job it was to cover local affairs and produce community media .
With proper subsidies , this model could be replicated across the country .
Given the devastation of so many core systems and infrastructures , our current crisis calls for redrawing boundaries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public goods , and reclaiming essential services from the market .
The idea that public services—whether the USPS or local news—should be subjected to unbridled commerce , with the sole criterion of profit justifying their existence , is absurd .
In fact , the postal system was never meant to pay for itself .
Since 1792 , it ’ s been subsidized as a core democratic infrastructure .
In what was arguably the first major US communications policy debate , the nation ’ s founders determined that the post office ’ s civic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rationale.
” The notion that it should break even was roundly rejected .
Instead , the US government heavily subsidized the postal system to circulate important information about public affairs to all citizens .
The universal service mission girding the post office was radical when it was founded , and it ’ s still revolutionary today .
Its egalitarian logic reminds us what a different kind of society might look like—one founded on serving social needs instead of optimizing profits .
It stands in stark contrast to an overly commercialized landscape that impoverishes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regions underserved .
The Postal Service Is Breaking Down From the postal system ’ s beginning , government support ( such as reduced postage fees for newspapers ) subsidized what was primarily a news-delivery infrastructure , ensuring that even rural communities had access to important information .
Adjusting for inflation , this subsidy amounted to billions of dollars per year well into the 20th century .
It ’ s time to reclaim this history and protect the post office ’ s original ideal of facilitating the exchange of ideas and providing equal access @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thousands of post offices into community media-making spaces , we ’ d strengthen the institution ’ s historic purpose of informing and connecting communities .
This crisis presents a fleeting opportunity to not just salvage threatened public infrastructures but also reinvent and expand them .
The future of our democracy may depend on it .

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The postal system has been a key public infrastructure since the dawn of the US republic. Today, the United States Postal Service faces an existential threat as President Trump blocks a desperately needed emergency loan. Instead of defunding and privatizing the postal system, now’s an opportune moment to reimagine its purpose and revitalize it.
We’ve heard by now many compelling arguments for saving the USPS. It offers a secure and private means of communication (especially important with mail-in voting); it provides more than 600,000 jobs for a diverse workforce; and it ensures an essential service of delivering important goods (including prescription medicine) to far-flung locales at affordable and equal rates. Remarkably, the USPS serves as both a national communication network and a local anchor institution for small communities across the country. Its loss would be a profound blow to American culture and democracy.
But we should be striving for something bolder than just preserving a noble institution. Instead of fighting over whether to scrap or save the USPS, we should be pushing to expand it. Reimagining and repurposing this vital public infrastructure could yield tremendous benefits for all of society.
Recent years have witnessed increased calls for building on the postal system’s infrastructure by offering such services as postal banking. But one intriguing idea missing from these discussions is the post office’s unique potential for producing community-level news. USPS Do We Really Need a 24-Hour Economy? Rebecca Gordon ’Tis the Season for DeJoy’s Removal John Nichols Fire Louis DeJoy! John Nichols
Given that local media institutions, especially newspapers, have been devastated in recent years—a crisis that’s been greatly accelerated by the pandemic—communities are increasingly losing access to reliable information. What if the post office were called upon to help save local journalism?
More than 30,000 post offices span the United States, covering small towns, suburbs, and urban centers. These spaces could serve as multimedia hubs for community journalism, especially within news deserts where local media outlets no longer exist. Along with libraries, universities, and public broadcasting stations, we could leverage such public infrastructure to provide institutional support for local journalism. These spaces could become centers for different kinds of community media, from weekly newspapers to municipal broadband networks. 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
A real-world example of this model has flourished in Urbana, Ill., for 15 years. In 2005, local media activists raised funds to purchase the historic downtown post office building. Over the years, citizen journalists have gathered there to produce a wide range of media, including a newspaper, low-power radio broadcasting, community wireless services, and a local-news website. A vibrant space for community activist and artistic programs, the center also houses an art gallery, a performance venue, a makerspace, public access computers, and a library. Current Issue View our current issue
Not all post office buildings are as large as Urbana’s, but all could accommodate public broadband services and a few reporters whose job it was to cover local affairs and produce community media. With proper subsidies, this model could be replicated across the country.
Given the devastation of so many core systems and infrastructures, our current crisis calls for redrawing boundaries between public and private ownership, defending public goods, and reclaiming essential services from the market. The idea that public services—whether the USPS or local news—should be subjected to unbridled commerce, with the sole criterion of profit justifying their existence, is absurd.
In fact, the postal system was never meant to pay for itself. Since 1792, it’s been subsidized as a core democratic infrastructure. In what was arguably the first major US communications policy debate, the nation’s founders determined that the post office’s civic purpose took precedence over a “fiscal rationale.” The notion that it should break even was roundly rejected. Instead, the US government heavily subsidized the postal system to circulate important information about public affairs to all citizens.
The universal service mission girding the post office was radical when it was founded, and it’s still revolutionary today. Its egalitarian logic reminds us what a different kind of society might look like—one founded on serving social needs instead of optimizing profits. It stands in stark contrast to an overly commercialized landscape that impoverishes public services and leaves entire communities and regions underserved. Coronavirus and Postal The Postal Service Is Breaking Down Jake Bittle
From the postal system’s beginning, government support (such as reduced postage fees for newspapers) subsidized what was primarily a news-delivery infrastructure, ensuring that even rural communities had access to important information. Adjusting for inflation, this subsidy amounted to billions of dollars per year well into the 20th century. It’s time to reclaim this history and protect the post office’s original ideal of facilitating the exchange of ideas and providing equal access to news.
By converting tens of thousands of post offices into community media-making spaces, we’d strengthen the institution’s historic purpose of informing and connecting communities. This crisis presents a fleeting opportunity to not just salvage threatened public infrastructures but also reinvent and expand them. The future of our democracy may depend on it.


thenation--2020-05-07--Iowa’s Republican Governor Sacrifices Citizens to Trump

Winterset , Iowa—This weekend , Iowa began reopening 77 of its 99 counties , despite having some of the fastest-growing outbreaks of Covid-19 in the United States .
According to The New York Times , the Sioux City metro area has the highest number of new confirmed cases per 1,000 residents in the country , largely due to the area ’ s meatpacking plants .
Sioux City is in Woodbury County , which has 1,323 of Iowa ’ s 10,404 confirmed cases of Covid-19 as of this writing and wasn ’ t allowed to begin reopening .
Next door , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quieter place with about 7 percent of Woodbury County ’ s population and no confirmed cases of Covid-19 .
In fact , none of the five counties bordering Woodbury County have even 100 confirmed cases , but Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has just provided incentive for the people of Woodbury County , and other counties with high infection rates , to travel to these more rural counties , by allowing the opening of their restaurants , fitness centers , malls , and other establishments as long as they operate at half capacity and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Iowa ’ s geography , that situation isn ’ t uncommon .
Polk County is home to another of the country ’ s fastest-growing outbreaks , with 1,875 confirmed cases , and it was also forced to remain closed .
But it ’ s not hard to imagine some of its residents heading south to Warren County or north to Story County , both of which were allowed to open , with only 67 cases between them .
Given the frequency of asymptomatic cases , it ’ s also not hard to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus with them .
At her daily coronavirus press briefing on Monday , Reynolds claimed that her response to the pandemic isn ’ t political—though evidence would suggest it isn ’ t rooted in science , either .
Reynolds ignored a report from the University of Iowa College of Public Health warning that Iowa hasn ’ t yet hit its peak and that ending mitigation efforts too soon would likely result in a second wave of cases .
National models also projected an increase in deaths as states begin reopening .
Early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Medicine and Iowa Medical Society both sent letters to Reynolds asking her to issue a shelter-in-place order .
Instead , Reynolds relied on a rubric dividing the state into six regions and scoring each region on a 12-point scale .
Scores ranged from zero to three in four categories : percentage of population older than 65 , percentage of identified cases requiring hospitalization , infection rate per 100,000 population in the past 14 days , and the number of outbreaks at long-term-care facilities .
A region would have to score a 10 or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ implemented .
Reynolds has been a perfect Trumpian model throughout the pandemic , never issuing a stay-at-home order , temporarily banning abortions by declaring them nonessential surgeries , and even parroting Trump ’ s line that sunlight could be what we need right now .
And as she follows Trump ’ s calls to begin reopening the country , Iowa Workforce Development is using the move as a way to strip people of their unemployment benefits—even as Republicans at the federal level seek protections for the employers who will force these people to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation updated its prediction of how many Iowans will die of Covid-19 by August 4 , increasing the total by about 1,000 .
But testing is still limited in the state , and it ’ s unclear if Iowans will ever know the true impact of Reynolds ’ s decision .
On a tip from Cedar Rapids native Ashton Kutcher , she signed a $ 26 million contract with a Utah-based health software company whose tests , according to new reporting by The Salt Lake Tribune @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less than half as often as those of other companies .
Republicans have posited a false dichotomy during the pandemic : Save lives or save the economy .
It shouldn ’ t have to be said , but mass death is bad for economies .
In a survey of economists from the Initiative on Global Markets , the vast majority agreed : “ Abandoning severe lockdowns at a time when the likelihood of a resurgence in infections remains high will lead to greater total economic damage than sustaining the lockdowns to eliminate the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most financially precarious situations back to work in unsafe conditions isn ’ t just cruel and dangerous .
It also threatens to erase any gains workers have made toward a functioning social safety net over the past two months .
But when workers realize how much really depends on their labor , they become more powerful .
They can make demands , and they ’ ve started to do so .
The choice isn ’ t between public health and the economy ; it ’ s between keeping workers safe and keeping capitalists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among other GOP leaders , have made it very clear which side they ’ re on .
Thankfully , activists in Iowa aren ’ t staying silent .
Iowa Student Action recently won a tuition freeze worth $ 6.5 million for Iowa students , and Iowa State student Alexa Rodriguez reflected on the victory with a perspective that can be applied to so many victories workers and students have won in the past month : These institutions have always had the power to protect the working class , students , and people of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high rates not only by the pandemic but by the structure of our education , health care , and economic systems as well .
They have actively chosen not to help .
Reynolds and the GOP are trying to make people feel powerless so they can continue exploiting them , but victories like Iowa Student Action ’ s prove it doesn ’ t have to be that way .

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Winterset, Iowa—This weekend, Iowa began reopening 77 of its 99 counties, despite having some of the fastest-growing outbreaks of Covid-19 in the United States. According to The New York Times, the Sioux City metro area has the highest number of new confirmed cases per 1,000 residents in the country, largely due to the area’s meatpacking plants. Sioux City is in Woodbury County, which has 1,323 of Iowa’s 10,404 confirmed cases of Covid-19 as of this writing and wasn’t allowed to begin reopening.
Next door, however, is Ida County: a quieter place with about 7 percent of Woodbury County’s population and no confirmed cases of Covid-19. In fact, none of the five counties bordering Woodbury County have even 100 confirmed cases, but Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has just provided incentive for the people of Woodbury County, and other counties with high infection rates, to travel to these more rural counties, by allowing the opening of their restaurants, fitness centers, malls, and other establishments as long as they operate at half capacity and follow some social distancing guidelines. And with Iowa’s geography, that situation isn’t uncommon. Polk County is home to another of the country’s fastest-growing outbreaks, with 1,875 confirmed cases, and it was also forced to remain closed. But it’s not hard to imagine some of its residents heading south to Warren County or north to Story County, both of which were allowed to open, with only 67 cases between them. Given the frequency of asymptomatic cases, it’s also not hard to imagine some of those visitors accidentally bringing the virus with them.
At her daily coronavirus press briefing on Monday, Reynolds claimed that her response to the pandemic isn’t political—though evidence would suggest it isn’t rooted in science, either. Reynolds ignored a report from the University of Iowa College of Public Health warning that Iowa hasn’t yet hit its peak and that ending mitigation efforts too soon would likely result in a second wave of cases. National models also projected an increase in deaths as states begin reopening. Early in April, the Iowa Board of Medicine and Iowa Medical Society both sent letters to Reynolds asking her to issue a shelter-in-place order. Instead, Reynolds relied on a rubric dividing the state into six regions and scoring each region on a 12-point scale. Scores ranged from zero to three in four categories: percentage of population older than 65, percentage of identified cases requiring hospitalization, infection rate per 100,000 population in the past 14 days, and the number of outbreaks at long-term-care facilities. A region would have to score a 10 or higher for a stay-at-home order to be implemented. 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
Reynolds has been a perfect Trumpian model throughout the pandemic, never issuing a stay-at-home order, temporarily banning abortions by declaring them nonessential surgeries, and even parroting Trump’s line that sunlight could be what we need right now. And as she follows Trump’s calls to begin reopening the country, Iowa Workforce Development is using the move as a way to strip people of their unemployment benefits—even as Republicans at the federal level seek protections for the employers who will force these people to go back to work. On Monday, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation updated its prediction of how many Iowans will die of Covid-19 by August 4, increasing the total by about 1,000. But testing is still limited in the state, and it’s unclear if Iowans will ever know the true impact of Reynolds’s decision. On a tip from Cedar Rapids native Ashton Kutcher, she signed a $26 million contract with a Utah-based health software company whose tests, according to new reporting by The Salt Lake Tribune, show a positive result for Covid-19 less than half as often as those of other companies.
Republicans have posited a false dichotomy during the pandemic: Save lives or save the economy. It shouldn’t have to be said, but mass death is bad for economies. In a survey of economists from the Initiative on Global Markets, the vast majority agreed: “Abandoning severe lockdowns at a time when the likelihood of a resurgence in infections remains high will lead to greater total economic damage than sustaining the lockdowns to eliminate the resurgence risk.” Sending people in the most financially precarious situations back to work in unsafe conditions isn’t just cruel and dangerous. It also threatens to erase any gains workers have made toward a functioning social safety net over the past two months. But when workers realize how much really depends on their labor, they become more powerful. They can make demands, and they’ve started to do so. The choice isn’t between public health and the economy; it’s between keeping workers safe and keeping capitalists rich, and Reynolds and Trump, among other GOP leaders, have made it very clear which side they’re on.
Thankfully, activists in Iowa aren’t staying silent. Iowa Student Action recently won a tuition freeze worth $6.5 million for Iowa students, and Iowa State student Alexa Rodriguez reflected on the victory with a perspective that can be applied to so many victories workers and students have won in the past month: These institutions have always had the power to protect the working class, students, and people of color who have been harmed at disproportionately high rates not only by the pandemic but by the structure of our education, health care, and economic systems as well. They have actively chosen not to help. Reynolds and the GOP are trying to make people feel powerless so they can continue exploiting them, but victories like Iowa Student Action’s prove it doesn’t have to be that way.


thenation--2020-05-07--We Didn’t Need Video to Know Ahmaud Arbery Was Lynched

Why do white people need video ?
Why does the white justice system refuse to even consider taking action against the destroyers of black lives unless there is video ?
Why do we have to wait until the entire black community can be traumatized by video evidence of a lynching before some white people are moved to act ?
By now , many have seen the lynching of Ahmaud Arbery .
Arbery , a 25-year-old African American , was shot dead in Glynn County , Ga. , by a father-and-son team of racists who suspected he had committed burglaries in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jogging through his own neighborhood , in broad freaking daylight .
The video shows the two men chasing Arbery in their truck , stopping him , scuffling with him , and then shooting him dead as he tried to run away .
The two men who murdered Arbery , Gregory McMichael , 64 , and his 34-year-old son , Travis McMichael , have not been arrested .
The video is sickening .
Watch it yourself if you don ’ t believe me .
And if you ’ re white , you may not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ black man trying to explain the acknowledged facts of the case .
The thing to remember is that this video , which was leaked this week , contains no new information .
Arbery was shot dead on February 23 .
Police have had everything they ’ ve needed to arrest these men since then .
That ’ s because the McMichaels ’ own “ official ” story is an admission of crime .
According to the police , Gregory McMichael was standing in his front yard as Arbery ran past .
( Arbery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taking a run , which he regularly did . )
McMichael determined that Arbery “ looked like a suspect ” in a string of burglaries in his neighborhood .
Let me stop the police narrative right there .
You ’ re telling me that a 64-year-old white man sees a black man running past his house , uses his white man clairvoyance to determine that the black man is a “ suspect , ” ends up shooting that black man dead , and he ’ s not arrested at the scene of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t already seem ridiculous to you , just flip the races .
Imagine a black guy like me tried to sell this story to a cop : “ Well , officer , I was outside watering my tulips when this young white guy just comes running past my home in broad daylight .
He matched the description of nearly every suspect in every mass shooting I ’ ve ever seen .
Eventually , me and my boy caught him and shot him to death .
In , uhh , self-defense .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ You ’ re welcome.
” In any event , Gregory McMichael ’ s official story is that he called on his son , Travis , to join him in a chase of this “ suspect.
” They grabbed their guns , hopped in their truck , and rode Arbery down in an attempt to make a “ citizen ’ s arrest.
” It ’ s worth noting that citizen ’ s arrest prerogatives in Georgia apply only to citizens who actually witness the perpetrator of a crime , at the crime scene .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of men to pursue a suspect through the streets with weapons .
The McMichaels claimed that as they neared Arbery , they shouted , “ Stop , stop… we want to talk to you !
” Wouldn ’ t you know , this black guy continued to try to run away from two armed white men chasing him in a damn truck .
Covid Is About to Become the Newest Excuse for Police Brutality It ’ s Time to Bring the Supreme Court Into the Modern Era—and the Light When they were finally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ensued .
Gregory McMichael left the truck and Arbery tried to get his shotgun , which is precisely what I would do if I were being chased by a lynch mob .
Arbery failed , one of the McMichaels shot at him .
Arbery tried to run away again , but Travis McMichael fired a second shot with his .357 magnum revolver from the flatbed of his truck .
And killed him .
Their official story marks them as killers .
They drove after a black man who was literally running away .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a confrontation .
And by their own admission , they used deadly force against an unarmed individual , twice .
Even if you somehow think their story leaves open the possibility of “ self-defense , ” even if you think their story is closer to “ manslaughter ” than murder , there is simply no excuse for these men to have been left free on their own recognizance .
They should have been arrested on the spot .
You don ’ t need to see the video ( which clearly shows Arbery running @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed him ) to know that these men should be charged with a crime .
Of course , they weren ’ t arrested or charged .
And they still haven ’ t been , even now after the video ’ s release .
Because in addition to the dripping white privilege that the McMichaels enjoyed to help them escape arrest at the scene of their crime , the McMichaels also have friends in the prosecutor ’ s office .
The Arbery case is on its third district attorney since he was killed in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McMichael is ( wait for it ) a former police officer and used to work as an investigator in the district attorney ’ s office .
The first DA assigned to the case recused himself because he used to work with McMichael .
The second DA assigned was forced to recuse because his son used to work in the office McMichael worked in .
But on his way out , that DA , George Barnhill , wrote a letter saying there wasn ’ t probable cause to arrest the McMichaels because they were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for citizen arrests .
The only law that should apply here is the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act .
But of course the Republican Senate hasn ’ t gotten around to passing that .
The current DA on the case , Tom Durden , still hasn ’ t issued an arrest warrant for the McMichaels .
But he announced this week that he would send the case up to a grand jury .
He made that decision after the video was leaked .
Video that Tom Durden had for at least a month before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
With the video comes the outrage .
With the video comes the willingness of the white justice system to engage in some performative concern over the death of Ahmaud Arbery .
But make no mistake , George and Travis McMichael described in their own words how they executed a lynching .
The police didn ’ t care .
The prosecutors didn ’ t care .
The governor didn ’ t care .
If there weren ’ t video of the event , no white person in a position of authority would care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it takes video .
I don ’ t know how many black men are buried while their killers walk free because nobody happened to record their final , terrifying moments as they succumbed to unrelenting white supremacy .
I don ’ t know why white people must be titillated by the snuff films of murdered blacks before some of them are willing to consider the notion of justice .
I also know that video isn ’ t enough .
Video only makes white people shake their heads and mutter platitudes about the need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ makes white people marvel at the wanton destruction of black lives .
Video is not enough to make white people put a stop to the killings .
Video won ’ t make white people change their laws , change their votes , or change their implicit biases when they see a black man jogging past their homes .
White people will forget about this video , soon .
There was video of Stephon Clark being shot 20 times , and his killers were never charged .
There was video of Alton Sterling being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were never charged .
There was video of Terence Crutcher being shot to death ; his killer was acquitted .
I could go on and on with names of black people who were shot dead on video and whom most white people have forgotten about .
Black people don ’ t need to see the video to know Ahmaud Arbery was lynched , and that we might be next .

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Why do white people need video? Why does the white justice system refuse to even consider taking action against the destroyers of black lives unless there is video? Why do we have to wait until the entire black community can be traumatized by video evidence of a lynching before some white people are moved to act?
By now, many have seen the lynching of Ahmaud Arbery. Arbery, a 25-year-old African American, was shot dead in Glynn County, Ga., by a father-and-son team of racists who suspected he had committed burglaries in the area. In reality Arbery was jogging through his own neighborhood, in broad freaking daylight. The video shows the two men chasing Arbery in their truck, stopping him, scuffling with him, and then shooting him dead as he tried to run away.
The two men who murdered Arbery, Gregory McMichael, 64, and his 34-year-old son, Travis McMichael, have not been arrested.
The video is sickening. Watch it yourself if you don’t believe me. And if you’re white, you may not, because I’m merely a black man trying to explain the acknowledged facts of the case.
The thing to remember is that this video, which was leaked this week, contains no new information. Arbery was shot dead on February 23. Police have had everything they’ve needed to arrest these men since then. That’s because the McMichaels’ own “official” story is an admission of crime.
According to the police, Gregory McMichael was standing in his front yard as Arbery ran past. (Arbery’s family contends that Ahmaud was taking a run, which he regularly did.) McMichael determined that Arbery “looked like a suspect” in a string of burglaries in his neighborhood.
Let me stop the police narrative right there. You’re telling me that a 64-year-old white man sees a black man running past his house, uses his white man clairvoyance to determine that the black man is a “suspect,” ends up shooting that black man dead, and he’s not arrested at the scene of the crime? Current Issue View our current issue
If the McMichaels’ story doesn’t already seem ridiculous to you, just flip the races. Imagine a black guy like me tried to sell this story to a cop: “Well, officer, I was outside watering my tulips when this young white guy just comes running past my home in broad daylight. He matched the description of nearly every suspect in every mass shooting I’ve ever seen. Eventually, me and my boy caught him and shot him to death. In, uhh, self-defense. Just doing my part, officer. You’re welcome.” 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
In any event, Gregory McMichael’s official story is that he called on his son, Travis, to join him in a chase of this “suspect.” They grabbed their guns, hopped in their truck, and rode Arbery down in an attempt to make a “citizen’s arrest.” It’s worth noting that citizen’s arrest prerogatives in Georgia apply only to citizens who actually witness the perpetrator of a crime, at the crime scene. The law does not allow a posse of men to pursue a suspect through the streets with weapons.
The McMichaels claimed that as they neared Arbery, they shouted, “Stop, stop… we want to talk to you!” Wouldn’t you know, this black guy continued to try to run away from two armed white men chasing him in a damn truck. More From Elie Mystal How Black People Won the Battle of Montgomery August 10, 2023 For Trump, the Stakes of the 2024 Election Just Became: Win—or Go to Jail August 2, 2023 Merrick Garland Is Letting Texas Get Away With Sadism July 27, 2023
When they were finally able to corral Arbery, a struggle ensued. Gregory McMichael left the truck and Arbery tried to get his shotgun, which is precisely what I would do if I were being chased by a lynch mob. Arbery failed, one of the McMichaels shot at him. Arbery tried to run away again, but Travis McMichael fired a second shot with his .357 magnum revolver from the flatbed of his truck. And killed him.
Their official story marks them as killers. They drove after a black man who was literally running away. They caught up to him and initiated a confrontation. And by their own admission, they used deadly force against an unarmed individual, twice.
Even if you somehow think their story leaves open the possibility of “self-defense,” even if you think their story is closer to “manslaughter” than murder, there is simply no excuse for these men to have been left free on their own recognizance. They should have been arrested on the spot. You don’t need to see the video (which clearly shows Arbery running away when they fire the shot that killed him) to know that these men should be charged with a crime.
Of course, they weren’t arrested or charged. And they still haven’t been, even now after the video’s release. Because in addition to the dripping white privilege that the McMichaels enjoyed to help them escape arrest at the scene of their crime, the McMichaels also have friends in the prosecutor’s office.
The Arbery case is on its third district attorney since he was killed in February. It turns out that Gregory McMichael is (wait for it) a former police officer and used to work as an investigator in the district attorney’s office.
The first DA assigned to the case recused himself because he used to work with McMichael. The second DA assigned was forced to recuse because his son used to work in the office McMichael worked in. But on his way out, that DA, George Barnhill, wrote a letter saying there wasn’t probable cause to arrest the McMichaels because they were legally carrying their firearms and Georgia allows for citizen arrests. The only law that should apply here is the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act. But of course the Republican Senate hasn’t gotten around to passing that.
The current DA on the case, Tom Durden, still hasn’t issued an arrest warrant for the McMichaels. But he announced this week that he would send the case up to a grand jury. He made that decision after the video was leaked. Video that Tom Durden had for at least a month before it was made available to the public.
With the video comes the outrage. With the video comes the willingness of the white justice system to engage in some performative concern over the death of Ahmaud Arbery.
But make no mistake, George and Travis McMichael described in their own words how they executed a lynching. The police didn’t care. The prosecutors didn’t care. The governor didn’t care. If there weren’t video of the event, no white person in a position of authority would care.
I don’t know why it takes video. I don’t know how many black men are buried while their killers walk free because nobody happened to record their final, terrifying moments as they succumbed to unrelenting white supremacy. I don’t know why white people must be titillated by the snuff films of murdered blacks before some of them are willing to consider the notion of justice.
I also know that video isn’t enough. Video only makes white people shake their heads and mutter platitudes about the need for investigations and trials. Video only makes white people marvel at the wanton destruction of black lives. Video is not enough to make white people put a stop to the killings. Video won’t make white people change their laws, change their votes, or change their implicit biases when they see a black man jogging past their homes.
White people will forget about this video, soon. There was video of Stephon Clark being shot 20 times, and his killers were never charged. There was video of Alton Sterling being shot to death, and his killers were never charged. There was video of Terence Crutcher being shot to death; his killer was acquitted. I could go on and on with names of black people who were shot dead on video and whom most white people have forgotten about.
Black people don’t need to see the video to know Ahmaud Arbery was lynched, and that we might be next.