rawstory--2020-04-16--‘The public deserves to know’: Watchdog demands Federal Reserve release names of corporations receiv

‘The public deserves to know’: Watchdog demands Federal Reserve release names of corporations receiving taxpayer bailouts

“ The Fed will soon lend trillions to companies .
But it has not committed to disclosing which private companies are getting taxpayer-backed support .
That ’ s wrong.
” The lone watchdog on a congressional committee formed to oversee the Trump administration ’ s handling of a multi-trillion-dollar coronavirus bailout package demanded Wednesday that the Federal Reserve release to the public both the names of corporations receiving taxpayer bailout money and details on how the funds are being used .
“ The public deserves to know which companies are receiving taxpayer-backed lending through the Fed and on what terms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what those companies do after receiving taxpayer support , ” Bharat Ramamurti , thus far the only person who has been appointed to the newly created Congressional Oversight Commission , wrote in a letter to Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin .
The commission is supposed to have five members chosen by congressional leaders of both parties , but the other slots have not yet been filled even as taxpayer money flies out the door .
“ I don ’ t think we ’ re in a position where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the right thing with this money.
” —Bharat Ramamurti , Congressional Oversight CommissionUnder the CARES Act—a nearly 900-page stimulus package President Donald Trump signed into law last month—the Fed was given sweeping control over hundreds of billions of dollars in taxpayer money , which the central bank can leverage into trillions of dollars in funds to prop up large corporations .
Ramamurti , a former economic adviser to Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D-Mass . )
, expressed concern that the Fed has not committed to releasing key details about transactions involving such an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The public deserves a full documentation of how the Fed uses this money—who gets or doesn ’ t , and on what terms and conditions—to assess whether the Fed is using public money wisely and in accordance with Congress ’ goals in the CARES Act , ” Ramamurti wrote in his letter , which can be read in full at the bottom of this story .
“ It would undermine public confidence in the Fed for it to provide taxpayer-backed support to a company without the public ever finding out who that company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Ramamurti added .
Ramamurti ’ s demands come as watchdog groups continue to raise alarm about the lack of oversight measures in place to prevent Trump and members of his administration from using coronavirus stimulus money for political purposes or personal enrichment .
As Common Dreams reported , Trump last week abruptly fired an official who was appointed by a group of U.S. inspectors general to head the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee ( PRAC ) , another oversight panel established by the CARES Act .
“ Clearly he ’ s planning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spending Congress just approved , whether it ’ s by steering the money to political favorites , negotiating more favorable terms with certain parties or punishing his enemies with a failure to provide aid , ” Bartlett Naylor , financial policy advocate with Public Citizen , said of the president in a statement last week .
“ Who could have seen this coming ?
Literally everyone.
” Critics have also pointed to an “ extremely alarming ” provision in the CARES Act that allows the Fed to avoid longstanding transparency requirements as it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bailouts amid the ongoing pandemic .
In an interview on MSNBC Wednesday night , Ramamurti—who was appointed to the Congressional Oversight Commission by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ( D-N.Y. ) —warned that the CARES Act imposes “ more onerous ” restrictions on small businesses seeking taxpayer bailout money than large corporations .
“ I think it ’ s particularly disturbing because we ’ ve seen over the last eight or 10 years that corporate America tends to look out for shareholders and executives first , ” said Ramamurti .
“ We ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go into stock buybacks and dividends , and at the same time we ’ ve seen wages for workers basically stagnate .
So I don ’ t think we ’ re in a position where we can just trust corporations to do the right thing with this money.
” The Federal Reserve has already announced plans for more than $ 2 trillion in emergency lending , with potentially trillions more to come .
Yet it has not announced what information it will publicly release about individual transactions with private companies through taxpayer-backed lending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ names of individual beneficiaries .
I write to respectfully request that the Federal Reserve publicly release detailed and timely information about each individual transaction .
The public deserves to know which companies are receiving taxpayer-backed lending through the Fed and on what terms , and to be able to monitor what those companies do after receiving taxpayer support .
As you know , Section 4003 of the Coronavirus Aid , Relief , and Economic Security Act ( “ CARES Act ” ) authorizes the Treasury Secretary to “ make loans , loan guarantees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eligible businesses , States , and municipalities that do not , in the aggregate , exceed $ 500,000,000,000.
” The Treasury can use as much as $ 500 billion “ to make loans and loan guarantees to , and other investments in programs or facilities established by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System for the purpose of providing liquidity to the financial system that supports lending to eligible businesses , States , or municipalities.
” The $ 500 billion from the CARES Act supplements billions in taxpayer money that was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disposal in the Exchange Stabilization Fund .
In recent weeks , the Treasury Department has used taxpayer money from the Exchange Stabilization Fund and from the CARES Act to support several Fed lending facilities for businesses .
Specifically : • Primary Market Corporate Credit Facility : The Fed , through a special-purpose vehicle ( “ SPV ” ) , will purchase bonds and syndicated loans , at issuance , from corporations rated investment grade as of March 22 , 2020 .
The Treasury is contributing $ 50 billion .
• Secondary Market Corporate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a SPV , will purchase corporate debt issued by corporations rated investment-grade as of March 22 , 2020 , on the secondary market , as well as purchase U.S.-listed ETFs that provide exposure to investment-grade corporate bonds .
The Treasury is contributing $ 25 billion .
The Primary and Secondary Market Facilities will provide up to $ 750 billion in total lending .
• Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility : The Fed , through its SPV , will make loans of up to three years , fully secured by eligible asset-backed securities .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to support lending of up to $ 100 billion .
• Money Market Mutual Fund Liquidity Facility : The Fed will lend to U.S. depository institutions , U.S. bank holding companies , or U.S. branches of foreign banks in exchange for collateral that the borrowers purchase from money market mutual funds .
The Treasury is contributing $ 10 billion .
• Commercial Paper Funding Facility : The Fed , through its SPV , will purchase three-month , dollar-denominated commercial paper , included asset-backed commercial paper , that is highly rated and issued by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contributing $ 10 billion .
• Main Street New Loan Facility and Expanded Loan Facility : The Fed , through its SPV , will purchase 95 % participation in new and pre-existing four-year loans make by banks and other lenders to businesses with up to 10,000 employees or up to $ 2.5 billion in annual revenues .
The Treasury is contributing $ 75 billion to support up to $ 600 billion in lending .
Collectively , these facilities could pump trillions of dollars into the economy through tens of thousands of individual transactions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of how the Fed uses this money—who gets or doesn ’ t , and on what terms and conditions—to assess whether the Fed is using public money wisely and in accordance with Congress ’ goals in the CARES Act .
It would undermine public confidence in the Fed for it to provide taxpayer-backed support to a company without the public ever finding out who that company is and what exactly the company received .
Accordingly , I respectfully request that the Fed provide regular public reports ( no more than 30 days apart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information on individual transactions through each taxpayer-backed facility that supports businesses : • The identity of the borrower , including the name of the legal entity and any information the Fed collects about the beneficial owners of that entity • The stated or intended use of the proceeds • The amount of supporting equity behind the deal • If applicable , any supporting information offered to demonstrate that the beneficiary complies with the CARES Acts ’ prohibition on Fed lending to foreign businesses and to companies controlled by top Executive Branch officials , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In addition , I request that the Fed provide the following information for transactions under specific facilities : • The bond rating and the identity of the ratings agency providing the rating • For purchases of shares in a syndicated loan , the identities of other syndicated loan participants • For ETF purchases , the underlying portfolio holdings of the ETF • The identity of the “ Eligible Lender ” ( the bank that makes the initial loan ) • The text of the attestations offered by both the Eligible Lender and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amount for the entire securitization • The underlying loan data for the securitization ( the loan collateral supporting the securitization ) , including the identity of the borrowers in the case of corporate and commercial real estate loans • The supporting credit ratings and the identity of the rating agencies • The identities of the securitization issuers and arrangers , and the total fees they get from selling the entire securitization ( including the junior tranches not bought by the Fed ) • The latest Form N-MFP for the borrower at the time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prompt consideration .


rawstory--2020-04-16--How new global fault lines will usher in the most profound worldwide changes since World War II

The coronavirus pandemic has upended the global economic system , and just as importantly , cast out 40 years of neoliberal orthodoxy that dominated the industrialized world .
Forget about the “ new world order.
” Offshoring and global supply chains are out ; regional and local production is in .
Market fundamentalism is passé ; regulation is the norm .
Public health is now more valuable than just-in-time supply systems .
Stockpiling and industrial capacity suddenly make more sense , which may have future implications in the recently revived antitrust debate in the U.S. Biodata will drive the next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with near-term consequences for the way countries handle immigration and customs .
Health care and education will become digitally integrated the way newspapers and television were 10 years ago .
Health care itself will increasingly be seen as a necessary public good , rather than a private right , until now in the U.S. predicated on age , employment or income levels .
Each of these will produce political tensions within their constituencies and in the society generally as they adapt to the new normal .
This political sea change doesn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but simply a case of minimizing our future risks of infection by providing full-on universal coverage .
Beyond that , as Professor Michael Sandel has argued , one has to query the “ moral logic ” of providing “ coronavirus treatment for the uninsured , ” while leaving “ health coverage in ordinary times… to the market ” ( especially when our concept of what constitutes “ ordinary times ” has been upended ) .
Internationally , there will be many positive and substantial international shifts to address overdue global public health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And it is finally dawning on Western-allied economic planners that the military price tag that made so-called cheap oil and cheap labor possible is vastly higher than investment in advanced research and next-generation manufacturing .
This also means that the old North ( developed world ) versus South ( emerging world ) division that long preoccupied scholars and policymakers in the post–World War II period will become increasingly stark again , particularly for those emerging economies that have hitherto attracted investment largely on the grounds of being repositories of low-cost labor .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ as they seek assistance in an increasingly divided and multipolar world .
The fault lines of the next economic era have already begun to surface , creating friction with the previous international structure of banking and finance , trade and industry .
There is a force beyond elites and critical industries driving this : The proletariat has literally become the “ precariat.
” In the U.S. and Europe , the staggering number of service economy workers are going to be quickly politicized by the shortfalls : People have seen a collapse in income @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and health care .
Union-busting , pension fleecing , and austerity budgets and new technologies that concentrate wealth away from labor have created a circumstance where ownership and profit models must be revisited to sustain stability .
The needs are too acute to be distracted by the lies of Trump , or the inadequate responses in other parts of the industrialized world .
The current crisis will likely prompt geopolitical and economic shifts and dislocations we haven ’ t seen since World War II .
Death of Chimerica , the Rise of New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the current order is the breakdown of “ Chimerica , ” the decades-old nexus between the U.S. and Chinese economies , along with other leading countries ’ partnerships with Chinese manufacturing .
While the geopolitics of blame for the origins of coronavirus continue to shake out , the process that saw a decrease in exports from China to the U.S. from $ 816 billion in 2018 to $ 757 billion in 2019 will accelerate and intensify over the next decade .
While a decoupling is unlikely to lead to armed conflict , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emerge as a new global fault line .
Much as the Cold War did not preclude some degree of collaboration between the U.S. and the former Soviet Union , so too today there may still be areas of cooperation between Washington and Beijing from climate to public health , advanced research to weapons proliferation .
Nor does this shift necessarily spell the sudden collapse of Chinese power or influence—it has a colossal and still-growing domestic market and is on the international leaderboard for a wide range of advanced indicators .
But its status @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offshore manufacturing hub is a thing of the past , along with the economic stability that steady inflows of foreign capital brought with it .
It does show a susceptibility to domestic stress , with the Hong Kong protests last year providing a hint of what is in store as the party leadership can ’ t pivot to new realities that include slower economic growth and declining foreign investment .
As investment flows turn inward back to industrialized countries , there will likely be corresponding diminution of the global labor arbitrage emanating from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s a negative for the global South , but potentially a positive factor for workers elsewhere , whose wages and living standards have stagnated for decades as they lost jobs to competing overseas low-cost manufacturing centers ( the increase in inequality is principally a product of 40 years of sustained attacks on unions ) .
The jobs won ’ t be the same , but to be sure , manufacturing incomes exceed those of the service industry .
As each country adopts a “ sauve-qui-peut ” mentality , businesses and investors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been a wake-up call , as countries trying to import medical goods from existing global supply chains face a shortage of air and ocean freight options to ship goods back to home markets .
Already , the Japanese government has announced its plans “ to spend over $ 2 billion to help its country ’ s firms move production out of China , ” according to the Spectator Index .
The EU leadership is publicly indicating a policy of subsidy and state investment in companies to prevent Chinese buyouts or undercutting prices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compared to what is likely to be spent by the U.S. and other countries going forward .
And it can ’ t simply be done via research and development tax credits .
The state can and must drive this redomiciling process in other ways : via local content requirements ( LCRs ) , tariffs , quotas and/or government procurement local sourcing requirements .
And with a $ 750-billion-plus budget , the U.S. military will likely play a role here , as it ponders disruptions from overseas supply sources .
Of course , if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the world—China , the EU , Japan—will likely do the same , which will accelerate the regionalization trends in trade .
This may mean that some U.S. firms will have to operate in foreign markets through local subsidiaries with local content preferences and local workforces ( that is how it worked in the 1920s—Ford UK was a mostly local British company , different from the U.S. Ford Motor Company , but with shared profits ) .
An examination of U.S. planning for the post-1945 world reveals the emphasis was on free trade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goods .
( The U.S. only adopted one-way “ free trade ” with its Asian and European allies later as a Cold War measure to accelerate their development and keep them in the American orbit . )
Domestically within the U.S. , as Dalia Marin writes , the coming declines in interest rates will accelerate “ robot adoption ” by 75.7 percent , with concentration “ in the sectors that are most exposed to global value chains .
In Germany , that means autos and transport equipment , electronics , and textiles—industries that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from low-wage countries .
… Globally , the industries where the most reshoring activity is taking place are chemicals , metal products , and electrical products and electronics.
” As the coronavirus pandemic is illustrating , a viable industrial ecosystem can not work effectively if it is dispersed to too many geographic extremities or there are insufficient redundancies built into the transportation of goods back into the home market ( rail , highway , etc. )
.
Proximity has become a significant competitive advantage for manufacturers , and a strategic advantage for governments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an expanded role in the planning process .
The U.S. is still a leader in many high-tech areas , but is suffering the consequences of a generation-long effort to undermine the government ’ s natural role as an economic planner .
In the form of the regionalized blocs that are being sketched , in the Americas , Mexico is likely to be one of the leading recipients of American foreign direct investment ( FDI ) .
It already has a $ 17 billion medical device industry and is sure to absorb much more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ started to happen as a result of the U.S.–Mexico–Canada Agreement ( USMCA , or new NAFTA ) .
Furthermore , the Washington Post reports that “ [ a ] s demand soars for medical devices and personal protective equipment in the fight against the coronavirus , the United States has turned to the phalanx of factories south of the border that are now the outfitters of many U.S. hospitals.
” This is in addition to the thousands of assembly plants already in place in Mexico since the establishment of NAFTA .
Indeed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China move to Mexico , Central America , and South America , this likely addresses many long-standing social tensions in regard to immigration management , currency imbalances and corresponding black market industries ( ironically , it also likely means the end of Trump ’ s wall , as the industrial ecosystem of the Americas becomes more cohesive and widespread ) .
But this will also have significant impacts closer to home : Much as Franklin Delano Roosevelt ultimately prioritized domestic ramp-ups in wartime production over trust-busting , so too national champions are likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ domestic scale and balance sheet strength are given precedence to accommodate the drive to revive employment quickly , and work collaboratively to halt the spread of the coronavirus .
The scale of companies will not be regarded as a political problem if they can both deliver for consumers and show the capacity of following political direction for what the public ’ s needs are .
Tech companies like Apple and Google are stepping up to fill the void left by massive federal government dysfunction .
The “ break up Big Tech ” voices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moment .
We still need a more robust form of regulation for these corporate behemoths , but via a system of regulation that is “ function-centric , ” rather than size-centric .
As co-author Marshall Auerback has written before , this kind of regulation “ restricts the range of corporate activities ( e.g.
, structural separation so as to prevent companies like Amazon and Google from owning both the platform as well as participating as a seller on that platform ) , or the prices such companies can charge ( as regulators often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ These considerations would be ‘ size neutral ’ : they would apply independently of corporate size per se.
” Capitalism has always had its plutocrats , but scaling back America ’ s overly financialized model ( by preventing stock buybacks , to cite one example ) would represent a useful reform and prevent a lot of economic waste .
Instead of going to enrich executives and shareholders beyond the dreams of Croesus , that measure might help to ensure that the profits of these companies will be directed to the workers ’ wages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , or plowed back into investment ( e.g.
, increased robotics ) .
Biodata , Privacy , and an End to Pandemic Profiteering And there are fault lines in the business world .
The pharmaceutical and medical research industries face immense pressure from other businesses to end the pandemic so they can get back to profitability .
That means temporarily setting aside profits and pooling intellectual property to encourage collaborative efforts on the part of biotech and pharmaceutical companies to find proper treatments for COVID-19 , and make them freely available , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scrutiny in exchange for all of the data Big Pharma companies collectively hold .
As the Guardian reports , “ [ t ] here is a precedent .
Last June , 10 of the world ’ s largest pharmaceutical companies—including Johnson & Johnson , AstraZeneca and GlaxoSmithKline—announced they would pool data for an AI-based search for new antibiotics , which are urgently needed as antibiotic-resistant bacteria have proliferated across the world , threatening the growth of untreatable disease.
” Privacy advocates are already expressing concerns about a growing and overweening medical surveillance state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : From the 19th century on , serious health problems were met by hardline government policies to reduce them .
Policies ranging from quarantine to vaccine were not always mandatory , but there was an understanding that personal concessions had to be made to manage a huge population and an advanced society ; the Constitution was not a suicide pact .
We can further alleviate those concerns today by ensuring that the information uncovered does not become a precondition or additional cost of receiving insurance coverage .
In light of coronavirus , cost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ customs are a no-brainer for governments , and are certain to cause friction with individuals who may not want to give blood or saliva to get a visa or work permit , and agribusiness leaders who know that safety measures cut into profitability .
But the scales have tipped in the other direction .
What about the other countries in the developing world that don ’ t have close geographic proximity to a home market , or abundant supplies of key commodities required for 21st-century manufacturing needs , or even a well-developed manufacturing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries that have hitherto been large recipients of investment solely on the grounds of cheap labor ) ?
Many of them have faced immediate pressure with the collapse in global trade , unprecedented capital flight that is sure to grow as the coronavirus spreads , all the while coping with COVID-19 with highly inadequate health systems .
In the meantime , the multi-trillion-dollar market for emerging market debt , both sovereign bonds and commercial paper , has collapsed .
Many of these countries , via their state pension funds and sovereign wealth funds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many of the newer asset-backed securities that finally revived years after the 2008 financial crisis .
This has become the potential new stress point in the $ 52 trillion “ shadow banking ” market .
The U.S. Federal Reserve has sought to ease the funding stresses of much of the developing economies by offering central bank swap lines .
It has also broadened prime dealer collateral acceptance rules , and set up commercial paper swap facilities , all of which have eased short-term funding pressures in these economies that have incurred substantial dollar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ banks then start to lend on those lines to their own banks , it should start to alleviate the shortage of dollars in the offshore dollar funding markets .
We are starting to see some easing of stresses , notably in Indonesia—because it ’ s an exporter of resources more than a cheap labor price economy .
But whereas in previous emerging markets crises , China was able to buttress these economies via initiatives such as the “ Belt and Road Initiative , ” Beijing itself is likely to be buffeted by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a reversal of foreign direct investment , which declined 8.6 percent in the first two months of this year .
Longer-term , many other countries face comparable challenges to China : Capital controls , collapsing domestic currencies , and widespread debt defaults are likely to become the norm .
That ’ s already happened to serial defaulter Argentina again .
South Africa has been downgraded to junk status .
Turkey remains vulnerable .
The so-called “ BRICS ” economies—Brazil , Russia , India , China and South Africa—are all sinking like bricks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that coronavirus and likely future pandemics will create additional stresses on developing economies that depend on their labor price advantage in the international marketplace to survive .
By contrast , countries like South Korea and Taiwan have had a “ good crisis.
” Both have vibrant manufacturing sectors and created successful multiparty democracies .
Foreign investment in South Korea continued to grow in the first quarter of this year , as it rapidly moved to contain the spread of COVID-19 through an extensive testing regime ( while keeping its economy open ) .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ national emergency response system launched in 2004 ( following the SARS virus ) , that country has mounted a thoroughly competent coronavirus intervention of unprecedented effectiveness .
The results speak for themselves : as of April 15 , in South Korea , a mere 225 deaths , while in Taiwan , an astonishingly low total of six deaths in a country of 24 million people—this despite far more exposure to infected Chinese visitors than Italy , Spain or the U.S. Of course , the very success of Taiwan ’ s response revives another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ underlying the “ One China ” policy .
Before COVID-19 , it is noteworthy that the WHO “ even refused to publicly report Taiwan ’ s cases of SARS until public pressure prompted numbers to be published under the label of ‘ Taiwan , province of China , ’ ” according to Dr. Anish Koka .
At the very least , Taiwan ’ s divergent approach and success at fighting the pandemic will bolster its pro-independence factions .
The question of foreign nations upholding Taiwan ’ s sovereignty with regard to China is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ growing military capacities .
This will present an ongoing diplomatic challenge to Western parties who seek to increase engagement with Taipei without heightening tensions in the region .
We have outlined many fault lines likely to be exposed or exacerbated as a consequence of COVID-19 .
Happily , there is one fault line likely to be slammed shut : namely , the false dichotomy that has long existed between economic growth and environmentalism .
The Global Assessment from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services reports that “ land degradation has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the global land surface , up to US $ 577 billion in annual global crops are at risk from pollinator loss and 100-300 million people are at increased risk of floods and hurricanes because of loss of coastal habitats and protection.
” Likewise , the study cites the fact that as of 2015 , 33 percent of marine fish stocks “ were being harvested at unsustainable levels , ” and notes the rise of plastic pollution ( which “ has increased tenfold since 1980 ” ) , both of which play a key @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ultimately destroys economic growth .
Finally , repeated pandemics over the past few decades have shown these are not blips , but recurrent features of today ’ s world .
Hence , there is an increasing public appetite for regulation to deal with this ongoing problem .
Some industries , such as agribusinesses , won ’ t like this , but the concerns are well-founded .
According to expert Josh Balk , 75 percent of new diseases start in domestic and wild-caught animals , and 2.2 million people die each year from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of these are transferred from poorly regulated factory farm chickens , cows and pigs ; still , the “ wet markets ” of Asia and Africa , and the trade in potential “ transfer species , ” such as pangolins , a major driver of the $ 19 billion-a-year global trade in illegal wildlife , must also be addressed .
Beijing has suggested it will ban trade in illegal wildlife and seek tighter regulation of the wet markets .
The latter in particular may be easier said than done , according to Dr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Canada ’ s University of Waterloo who specializes in Chinese food security , sustainability , and rural development .
Dr. Si argued that “ [ b ] anning wet markets is not only going to be impossible , but will also be destructive for urban food security in China as they play such a pivotal role in ensuring urban residents ’ access to affordable and healthy food.
” To be fair , this isn ’ t the first time that the sacred tenets of the global economic framework have dealt with a crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ era .
The same thing happened in the aftermath of the financial crisis of 2008 .
But that was largely seen as a financial crisis , a product of faulty global financial plumbing that nobody truly understood , as opposed to a widespread social collapse closely approximating the conditions of the Great Depression as we have today .
Not only has the current lockdown put the entire global economy into deep freeze , but it also came amidst a backdrop of widespread political and social upheaval , and a faux recovery whose fruits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A collateralized debt obligation is not intuitively easy to grasp .
By contrast , being forced to stay at home , deprived of vital income and isolated from loved ones , while health care workers perish from overwork and lack of protective gear , is a different order of magnitude .
Even as we re-integrate , it is hard to envisage a return to the “ old normal.
” Trade patterns will change .
Self-sufficiency and geographic proximity will be prioritized over global integration .
There will be new winners and losers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the model of capitalism we are describing—one that does not feature obscenely overcompensated CEO pay co-existing with serf labor and the widespread offshoring of manufacturing—has existed in different forms in the U.S. from 1945 into the 1980s , and still exists in parts of Europe ( Germany ) and East Asia ( Japan , South Korea , Taiwan ) to this day .
Our everyday lives will be impacted as selective quarantines and some forms of social distancing become the new normal ( much as they were when we dealt with tuberculosis epidemics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a multitude of industries : restaurants , leisure , travel , tourism , sporting events , entertainment , and media , as well as our evolving definition of “ essential ” industries .
Even our concept of personal privacy will likely have to be amended , especially in regard to medical matters .
Concerns about medical surveillance—stigma ( STDs , alcoholism , mental illness ) and denial of insurance—can be alleviated if everyone is guaranteed treatment regardless of ability to pay , which will mean greater government intrusion into the lives of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public sector seeks to socialize costs .
Taken in aggregate , we are about to experience the most profound social , economic and political changes since World War II .
Jan Ritch-Frel is the executive director of the Independent Media Institute .
This article was produced by Economy for All , a project of the Independent Media Institute .

Marshall Auerback, Independent Media Institute

The coronavirus pandemic has upended the global economic system, and just as importantly, cast out 40 years of neoliberal orthodoxy that dominated the industrialized world.
Forget about the “new world order.” Offshoring and global supply chains are out; regional and local production is in. Market fundamentalism is passé; regulation is the norm. Public health is now more valuable than just-in-time supply systems. Stockpiling and industrial capacity suddenly make more sense, which may have future implications in the recently revived antitrust debate in the U.S.
Biodata will drive the next phase of social management and surveillance, with near-term consequences for the way countries handle immigration and customs. Health care and education will become digitally integrated the way newspapers and television were 10 years ago. Health care itself will increasingly be seen as a necessary public good, rather than a private right, until now in the U.S. predicated on age, employment or income levels. Each of these will produce political tensions within their constituencies and in the society generally as they adapt to the new normal.
This political sea change doesn’t represent a sudden conversion to full-on socialism, but simply a case of minimizing our future risks of infection by providing full-on universal coverage. Beyond that, as Professor Michael Sandel has argued, one has to query the “moral logic” of providing “coronavirus treatment for the uninsured,” while leaving “health coverage in ordinary times… to the market” (especially when our concept of what constitutes “ordinary times” has been upended).
Internationally, there will be many positive and substantial international shifts to address overdue global public health needs and accords on mitigating climate change. And it is finally dawning on Western-allied economic planners that the military price tag that made so-called cheap oil and cheap labor possible is vastly higher than investment in advanced research and next-generation manufacturing.
This also means that the old North (developed world) versus South (emerging world) division that long preoccupied scholars and policymakers in the post–World War II period will become increasingly stark again, particularly for those emerging economies that have hitherto attracted investment largely on the grounds of being repositories of low-cost labor. They will now find themselves picking sides as they seek assistance in an increasingly divided and multipolar world.
The fault lines of the next economic era have already begun to surface, creating friction with the previous international structure of banking and finance, trade and industry. There is a force beyond elites and critical industries driving this: The proletariat has literally become the “precariat.”
In the U.S. and Europe, the staggering number of service economy workers are going to be quickly politicized by the shortfalls: People have seen a collapse in income, and big failures in education, and health care. Union-busting, pension fleecing, and austerity budgets and new technologies that concentrate wealth away from labor have created a circumstance where ownership and profit models must be revisited to sustain stability. The needs are too acute to be distracted by the lies of Trump, or the inadequate responses in other parts of the industrialized world. The current crisis will likely prompt geopolitical and economic shifts and dislocations we haven’t seen since World War II.
Death of Chimerica, the Rise of New Production Blocs
One of the biggest casualties of the current order is the breakdown of “Chimerica,” the decades-old nexus between the U.S. and Chinese economies, along with other leading countries’ partnerships with Chinese manufacturing. While the geopolitics of blame for the origins of coronavirus continue to shake out, the process that saw a decrease in exports from China to the U.S. from $816 billion in 2018 to $757 billion in 2019 will accelerate and intensify over the next decade.
While a decoupling is unlikely to lead to armed conflict, a Cold War style of competition could emerge as a new global fault line. Much as the Cold War did not preclude some degree of collaboration between the U.S. and the former Soviet Union, so too today there may still be areas of cooperation between Washington and Beijing from climate to public health, advanced research to weapons proliferation.
Nor does this shift necessarily spell the sudden collapse of Chinese power or influence—it has a colossal and still-growing domestic market and is on the international leaderboard for a wide range of advanced indicators. But its status as the world’s most desirable offshore manufacturing hub is a thing of the past, along with the economic stability that steady inflows of foreign capital brought with it. It does show a susceptibility to domestic stress, with the Hong Kong protests last year providing a hint of what is in store as the party leadership can’t pivot to new realities that include slower economic growth and declining foreign investment.
As investment flows turn inward back to industrialized countries, there will likely be corresponding diminution of the global labor arbitrage emanating from the emerging world. In general, that’s a negative for the global South, but potentially a positive factor for workers elsewhere, whose wages and living standards have stagnated for decades as they lost jobs to competing overseas low-cost manufacturing centers (the increase in inequality is principally a product of 40 years of sustained attacks on unions). The jobs won’t be the same, but to be sure, manufacturing incomes exceed those of the service industry.
As each country adopts a “sauve-qui-peut” mentality, businesses and investors are drawing the necessary conclusions. Coronavirus has been a wake-up call, as countries trying to import medical goods from existing global supply chains face a shortage of air and ocean freight options to ship goods back to home markets. Already, the Japanese government has announced its plans “to spend over $2 billion to help its country’s firms move production out of China,” according to the Spectator Index. The EU leadership is publicly indicating a policy of subsidy and state investment in companies to prevent Chinese buyouts or undercutting prices.
Two billion dollars is small potatoes compared to what is likely to be spent by the U.S. and other countries going forward. And it can’t simply be done via research and development tax credits. The state can and must drive this redomiciling process in other ways: via local content requirements (LCRs), tariffs, quotas and/or government procurement local sourcing requirements. And with a $750-billion-plus budget, the U.S. military will likely play a role here, as it ponders disruptions from overseas supply sources.
Of course, if the U.S. does this, other parts of the world—China, the EU, Japan—will likely do the same, which will accelerate the regionalization trends in trade. This may mean that some U.S. firms will have to operate in foreign markets through local subsidiaries with local content preferences and local workforces (that is how it worked in the 1920s—Ford UK was a mostly local British company, different from the U.S. Ford Motor Company, but with shared profits).
An examination of U.S. planning for the post-1945 world reveals the emphasis was on free trade in raw materials mostly, not finished goods. (The U.S. only adopted one-way “free trade” with its Asian and European allies later as a Cold War measure to accelerate their development and keep them in the American orbit.)
Domestically within the U.S., as Dalia Marin writes, the coming declines in interest rates will accelerate “robot adoption” by 75.7 percent, with concentration “in the sectors that are most exposed to global value chains. In Germany, that means autos and transport equipment, electronics, and textiles—industries that import around 12 percent of their inputs from low-wage countries. … Globally, the industries where the most reshoring activity is taking place are chemicals, metal products, and electrical products and electronics.”
As the coronavirus pandemic is illustrating, a viable industrial ecosystem cannot work effectively if it is dispersed to too many geographic extremities or there are insufficient redundancies built into the transportation of goods back into the home market (rail, highway, etc.). Proximity has become a significant competitive advantage for manufacturers, and a strategic advantage for governments. But the U.S. government must play an expanded role in the planning process. The U.S. is still a leader in many high-tech areas, but is suffering the consequences of a generation-long effort to undermine the government’s natural role as an economic planner.
In the form of the regionalized blocs that are being sketched, in the Americas, Mexico is likely to be one of the leading recipients of American foreign direct investment (FDI). It already has a $17 billion medical device industry and is sure to absorb much more capacity from China. This has already started to happen as a result of the U.S.–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA, or new NAFTA). Furthermore, the Washington Post reports that “[a]s demand soars for medical devices and personal protective equipment in the fight against the coronavirus, the United States has turned to the phalanx of factories south of the border that are now the outfitters of many U.S. hospitals.” This is in addition to the thousands of assembly plants already in place in Mexico since the establishment of NAFTA. Indeed, if the jobs that had moved to China move to Mexico, Central America, and South America, this likely addresses many long-standing social tensions in regard to immigration management, currency imbalances and corresponding black market industries (ironically, it also likely means the end of Trump’s wall, as the industrial ecosystem of the Americas becomes more cohesive and widespread).
Big Business Is Good Business
But this will also have significant impacts closer to home: Much as Franklin Delano Roosevelt ultimately prioritized domestic ramp-ups in wartime production over trust-busting, so too national champions are likely to feature more prominently today, as domestic scale and balance sheet strength are given precedence to accommodate the drive to revive employment quickly, and work collaboratively to halt the spread of the coronavirus. The scale of companies will not be regarded as a political problem if they can both deliver for consumers and show the capacity of following political direction for what the public’s needs are. Tech companies like Apple and Google are stepping up to fill the void left by massive federal government dysfunction. The “break up Big Tech” voices are nowhere to be heard at the moment.
We still need a more robust form of regulation for these corporate behemoths, but via a system of regulation that is “function-centric,” rather than size-centric. As co-author Marshall Auerback has written before, this kind of regulation “restricts the range of corporate activities (e.g., structural separation so as to prevent companies like Amazon and Google from owning both the platform as well as participating as a seller on that platform), or the prices such companies can charge (as regulators often do for utilities or railways). These considerations would be ‘size neutral’: they would apply independently of corporate size per se.”
Capitalism has always had its plutocrats, but scaling back America’s overly financialized model (by preventing stock buybacks, to cite one example) would represent a useful reform and prevent a lot of economic waste. Instead of going to enrich executives and shareholders beyond the dreams of Croesus, that measure might help to ensure that the profits of these companies will be directed to the workers’ wages (which also means supporting increased unionization), or plowed back into investment (e.g., increased robotics).
Biodata, Privacy, and an End to Pandemic Profiteering
And there are fault lines in the business world. The pharmaceutical and medical research industries face immense pressure from other businesses to end the pandemic so they can get back to profitability. That means temporarily setting aside profits and pooling intellectual property to encourage collaborative efforts on the part of biotech and pharmaceutical companies to find proper treatments for COVID-19, and make them freely available, especially if governments were to waive antitrust scrutiny in exchange for all of the data Big Pharma companies collectively hold. As the Guardian reports, “[t]here is a precedent. Last June, 10 of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies—including Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca and GlaxoSmithKline—announced they would pool data for an AI-based search for new antibiotics, which are urgently needed as antibiotic-resistant bacteria have proliferated across the world, threatening the growth of untreatable disease.”
Privacy advocates are already expressing concerns about a growing and overweening medical surveillance state. These surveillance concerns lack historical context: From the 19th century on, serious health problems were met by hardline government policies to reduce them. Policies ranging from quarantine to vaccine were not always mandatory, but there was an understanding that personal concessions had to be made to manage a huge population and an advanced society; the Constitution was not a suicide pact. We can further alleviate those concerns today by ensuring that the information uncovered does not become a precondition or additional cost of receiving insurance coverage. In light of coronavirus, cost savings of incorporating biodata into immigration and customs are a no-brainer for governments, and are certain to cause friction with individuals who may not want to give blood or saliva to get a visa or work permit, and agribusiness leaders who know that safety measures cut into profitability. But the scales have tipped in the other direction.
North Versus South
What about the other countries in the developing world that don’t have close geographic proximity to a home market, or abundant supplies of key commodities required for 21st-century manufacturing needs, or even a well-developed manufacturing base (in other words, the countries that have hitherto been large recipients of investment solely on the grounds of cheap labor)? Many of them have faced immediate pressure with the collapse in global trade, unprecedented capital flight that is sure to grow as the coronavirus spreads, all the while coping with COVID-19 with highly inadequate health systems.
In the meantime, the multi-trillion-dollar market for emerging market debt, both sovereign bonds and commercial paper, has collapsed. Many of these countries, via their state pension funds and sovereign wealth funds, have become the ultimate endpoint for many of the newer asset-backed securities that finally revived years after the 2008 financial crisis. This has become the potential new stress point in the $52 trillion “shadow banking” market. The U.S. Federal Reserve has sought to ease the funding stresses of much of the developing economies by offering central bank swap lines. It has also broadened prime dealer collateral acceptance rules, and set up commercial paper swap facilities, all of which have eased short-term funding pressures in these economies that have incurred substantial dollar liabilities.
As the emerging world central banks then start to lend on those lines to their own banks, it should start to alleviate the shortage of dollars in the offshore dollar funding markets. We are starting to see some easing of stresses, notably in Indonesia—because it’s an exporter of resources more than a cheap labor price economy.
But whereas in previous emerging markets crises, China was able to buttress these economies via initiatives such as the “Belt and Road Initiative,” Beijing itself is likely to be buffeted by the twin shocks of declining global trade and a reversal of foreign direct investment, which declined 8.6 percent in the first two months of this year.
Longer-term, many other countries face comparable challenges to China: Capital controls, collapsing domestic currencies, and widespread debt defaults are likely to become the norm. That’s already happened to serial defaulter Argentina again. South Africa has been downgraded to junk status. Turkey remains vulnerable. The so-called “BRICS” economies—Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa—are all sinking like bricks. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that coronavirus and likely future pandemics will create additional stresses on developing economies that depend on their labor price advantage in the international marketplace to survive.
By contrast, countries like South Korea and Taiwan have had a “good crisis.” Both have vibrant manufacturing sectors and created successful multiparty democracies. Foreign investment in South Korea continued to grow in the first quarter of this year, as it rapidly moved to contain the spread of COVID-19 through an extensive testing regime (while keeping its economy open). Similarly in Taiwan, by activating a national emergency response system launched in 2004 (following the SARS virus), that country has mounted a thoroughly competent coronavirus intervention of unprecedented effectiveness. The results speak for themselves: as of April 15, in South Korea, a mere 225 deaths, while in Taiwan, an astonishingly low total of six deaths in a country of 24 million people—this despite far more exposure to infected Chinese visitors than Italy, Spain or the U.S.
Of course, the very success of Taiwan’s response revives another potential fault line, namely the tension underlying the “One China” policy. Before COVID-19, it is noteworthy that the WHO “even refused to publicly report Taiwan’s cases of SARS until public pressure prompted numbers to be published under the label of ‘Taiwan, province of China,’” according to Dr. Anish Koka. At the very least, Taiwan’s divergent approach and success at fighting the pandemic will bolster its pro-independence factions.
The question of foreign nations upholding Taiwan’s sovereignty with regard to China is increasingly thorny, given Beijing’s growing military capacities. This will present an ongoing diplomatic challenge to Western parties who seek to increase engagement with Taipei without heightening tensions in the region.
A Recalculation of ‘Economic Value’
We have outlined many fault lines likely to be exposed or exacerbated as a consequence of COVID-19. Happily, there is one fault line likely to be slammed shut: namely, the false dichotomy that has long existed between economic growth and environmentalism. The Global Assessment from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services reports that “land degradation has reduced the productivity of 23 percent of the global land surface, up to US$577 billion in annual global crops are at risk from pollinator loss and 100-300 million people are at increased risk of floods and hurricanes because of loss of coastal habitats and protection.” Likewise, the study cites the fact that as of 2015, 33 percent of marine fish stocks “were being harvested at unsustainable levels,” and notes the rise of plastic pollution (which “has increased tenfold since 1980”), both of which play a key role in degrading ecosystems in a manner that ultimately destroys economic growth.
Finally, repeated pandemics over the past few decades have shown these are not blips, but recurrent features of today’s world. Hence, there is an increasing public appetite for regulation to deal with this ongoing problem. Some industries, such as agribusinesses, won’t like this, but the concerns are well-founded. According to expert Josh Balk, 75 percent of new diseases start in domestic and wild-caught animals, and 2.2 million people die each year from illnesses transferred from animals. The majority of these are transferred from poorly regulated factory farm chickens, cows and pigs; still, the “wet markets” of Asia and Africa, and the trade in potential “transfer species,” such as pangolins, a major driver of the $19 billion-a-year global trade in illegal wildlife, must also be addressed. Beijing has suggested it will ban trade in illegal wildlife and seek tighter regulation of the wet markets. The latter in particular may be easier said than done, according to Dr. Zhenzhong Si, a research associate at Canada’s University of Waterloo who specializes in Chinese food security, sustainability, and rural development. Dr. Si argued that “[b]anning wet markets is not only going to be impossible, but will also be destructive for urban food security in China as they play such a pivotal role in ensuring urban residents’ access to affordable and healthy food.”
To be fair, this isn’t the first time that the sacred tenets of the global economic framework have dealt with a crisis that seemed to usher in a new era. The same thing happened in the aftermath of the financial crisis of 2008. But that was largely seen as a financial crisis, a product of faulty global financial plumbing that nobody truly understood, as opposed to a widespread social collapse closely approximating the conditions of the Great Depression as we have today.
Not only has the current lockdown put the entire global economy into deep freeze, but it also came amidst a backdrop of widespread political and social upheaval, and a faux recovery whose fruits were largely restricted to the top tier. A collateralized debt obligation is not intuitively easy to grasp. By contrast, being forced to stay at home, deprived of vital income and isolated from loved ones, while health care workers perish from overwork and lack of protective gear, is a different order of magnitude.
Even as we re-integrate, it is hard to envisage a return to the “old normal.” Trade patterns will change. Self-sufficiency and geographic proximity will be prioritized over global integration. There will be new winners and losers, but it is worth noting that the model of capitalism we are describing—one that does not feature obscenely overcompensated CEO pay co-existing with serf labor and the widespread offshoring of manufacturing—has existed in different forms in the U.S. from 1945 into the 1980s, and still exists in parts of Europe (Germany) and East Asia (Japan, South Korea, Taiwan) to this day.
Our everyday lives will be impacted as selective quarantines and some forms of social distancing become the new normal (much as they were when we dealt with tuberculosis epidemics). All of this has implications for a multitude of industries: restaurants, leisure, travel, tourism, sporting events, entertainment, and media, as well as our evolving definition of “essential” industries. Even our concept of personal privacy will likely have to be amended, especially in regard to medical matters. Concerns about medical surveillance—stigma (STDs, alcoholism, mental illness) and denial of insurance—can be alleviated if everyone is guaranteed treatment regardless of ability to pay, which will mean greater government intrusion into the lives of citizens and activities of businesses as the public sector seeks to socialize costs.
Taken in aggregate, we are about to experience the most profound social, economic and political changes since World War II.
Marshall Auerback is a market analyst and commentator.
Jan Ritch-Frel is the executive director of the Independent Media Institute.
This article was produced by Economy for All, a project of the Independent Media Institute.


rawstory--2020-04-16--Lifelong Republicans endorse Joe Biden for president — and say ‘Trump must be defeated’

A group of lifelong Republicans on Thursday said that they were endorsing former Vice President Joe Biden for president , while arguing that the United States simply can not afford another four years of Donald Trump in the White House .
In an editorial published by the Washington Post , conservatives George Conway , Reed Galen , Steve Schmidt , John Weaver , and Rick Wilson argued that American absolutely needs a change in leadership as it faces its worst crisis in years .
“ Biden has the experience , the attributes and the character to defeat Trump this fall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump , for whom the presidency is just one more opportunity to perfect his narcissism and self-aggrandizement , Biden sees public service as an opportunity to do right by the American people and a privilege to do so.
” The authors then recount Biden ’ s long history of serving in government , and the personal family tragedies that have shaped his character .
All of this , they say , puts him head and shoulders above Trump as a prospective president .
“ Unlike Trump , Biden is not an international embarrassment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” they write .
“ A President Biden will steady the ship of state and begin binding up the wounds of a fractured country .
We have faith that Biden will surround himself by advisers of competence , expertise and wisdom , not an endless parade of disposable lackeys .
”

Trained in political science and the law, he has no formal education in disaster preparedness or response. And prior to his current role, he never held a full-time job dedicated to emergency management.
Instead, his main qualification was being chief of staff to then-mayor Alan Arakawa. But in that role, he told Civil Beat Tuesday, he assisted during emergency operations. And he said he participated in online FEMA trainings and workshops throughout the years.
In 2017, Andaya beat out 40 other applicants for the job, Maui Now reported at the time.
As the mayor’s administration was coming to a close, a panel of government officials – which said it was independent of the mayor – chose Andaya for the civil service role.
Civil Beat reviewed Andaya’s experience after historic Lahaina was swallowed by an inferno last week, killing scores of residents and visitors who never saw it coming.
The Maui Emergency Management Agency had the authority to issue siren warnings that might have alerted people. After Andaya’s agency decided not to sound them, many survivors reported they only became aware of the fire when they saw and smelled smoke.
Andaya said sounding the sirens wasn’t an option officials considered because they’re “mainly used for tsunamis.” That’s why they’re mostly located on the coast, he said.
But the state’s own website says the sirens are useful for many kinds of emergencies.
“The all-hazard siren system can be used for a variety of both natural and human-caused events; including tsunamis, hurricanes, dam breaches, flooding, wildfires, volcanic eruptions, terrorist threats, hazardous material incidents, and more,” the site states.
Andaya wasn’t on the island when the fires started, and he hasn’t made any appearances at press conferences since the disaster occurred.
Asked about Andaya’s resume, David Hafner, a retired telecommunications planner for the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, questioned whether his relative inexperience affected his agency’s performance in a crisis.
“It’s a good ol’ boy network,” Hafner said. “This time it cost lives.”
Hafner said it’s “absolutely essential” for emergency management leaders to have experience in the field so they make the right decisions both before and after disasters strike.
Not having it, he said, “can lead to grave mistakes in judgment.”
Andaya’s hiring came at a time when Hawaii’s counties had just taken on increased responsibility for disaster response, according to Hafner. State emergency management officials used to be the designated authority to respond to emergencies, he said, but an update to the law in 2014 put the counties in the driver’s seat.
Asked about Andaya’s LinkedIn resume, Colin Moore, a political scientist at the University of Hawaii, said he was shocked by the emergency administrator’s lack of relevant experience. He said the public is owed an explanation.
“It’s a legitimate question to ask why the person leading the county emergency services agency has no clear background in fire, police, public health, the usual emergency services backgrounds,” he said.
“Having that on-the-ground experience, you develop the instincts and the connections to be able to perform a job like this. And if you just have general government experience, there is just no opportunity to have that kind of on-the-ground knowledge that often is really useful in a crisis.”
Andaya said as a former member of the mayor’s cabinet, he was qualified for the job.
“Whenever there was an activation in the emergency operations center, we were involved,” he said. “To say that I have no experience or no background in emergency management is not correct.”
‘Political Influence’ A Concern
Andaya, 52, is from Maui and graduated from HP Baldwin High School.
He has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science from the University of Hawaii Manoa. He also has a law degree from the UH Richardson School of Law, although he never became a licensed attorney, according to the Hawaii State Bar Association’s online database.
He began his career clerking for Maui Judge Artemio Baxa. He then worked for the law office of Lynn Araki-Regan, an attorney who is the wife of Arakawa’s managing director, Keith Regan.
When Andaya vacated his position as chief of staff, it was filled by Araki-Regan, who was by then the county budget director. Regan said he had no involvement in Andaya’s hiring.
From the early 2000s onward, Andaya has held leadership positions in Maui’s Department of Housing and Human Concerns and worked as the assistant to the chancellor of UH’s Maui College, according to his LinkedIn resume. He is married to Rowena Dagdag-Andaya, a former elementary school teacher who served as Maui’s public works director and now works in Maui’s Office on Aging.
Andaya was Arakawa’s chief of staff from 2011 through 2017. That year, the mayor appointed him acting administrator of MEMA, and he became permanent by the end of that year.
In contrast, Honolulu’s emergency management director, Hiro Toiya, has technical training in emergency response, worked for years as a preparedness planner for the Hawaii health department and rose up the ranks of Honolulu’s Department of Emergency Management. He worked there for more than seven years before becoming the director.
Asked how he stood out among a pool of 40 job candidates, Andaya said Maui doesn’t have a lot of emergency management professionals to begin with. He noted that he had to take an exam and based on his score was determined to be a finalist.
“You would have to question the civil service process if you can believe that politics was involved,” he said. “This is something that my predecessors have to go through as well.”
Before Andaya was hired, there were concerns in Maui’s political scene that the county was considering someone who wasn’t qualified.
“In the past, this position has sometimes been filled by individuals without the proper emergency response background.”
Former Maui County Council Chairman Mike White
In July 2017, the chair of the Maui County Council at the time, Mike White, took the unusual step of writing a Maui News column warning that the job of emergency management was too important to be “subject to political influence.”
“In the past, this position has sometimes been filled by individuals without the proper emergency response background,” White wrote.
“The administration must search for well-qualified candidates who can make a seamless transition in leading our Emergency Management Agency. The stakes are too high and our community has grown to a point where emergency coordination has become quite sophisticated in its implementation.”
In his column, White praised the outgoing emergency management chief, Anna Foust, who had previously worked for years leading the Maui branch of the Red Cross. White emphasized her expertise.
“During her tenure, she used her emergency response experience and training to help guide the county to keep citizens safe during hurricane warnings and watches, flooding events and tsunami warnings,” White wrote.
Civil Beat wasn’t able to reach White for comment.
Panel Of Specialists Chose Andaya
On Tuesday, Arakawa’s former managing director, Keith Regan, said that politics was not a factor in Andaya’s hiring. Asked why Andaya was the best candidate, Regan said he didn’t know because he wasn’t on the hiring committee. But he was adamant there was “zero” political influence in the process.
“This was a straightforward civil service process,” said Regan, who is now the state comptroller.
When Regan ran for Maui County Council in 2015, Andaya was his campaign manager. This year, Andaya wrote a letter of support of Regan’s nomination to state comptroller.
Regan noted that the hiring panel included numerous experts in the field. Maui Now identified them at the time as then-Maui Police Chief Tivoli Faaumu; then-Maui Fire Chief Jeff Murray; Elton Ushio, administrator of the Kauai Emergency Management Agency; and Vern Miyagi, then-administrator of the Hawaii State Emergency Management Agency.
At the time, Ushio was quoted by Maui Now as saying Andaya’s “proven leadership abilities, executive level experience, and impressive knowledge of emergency management” made him a great fit for the job. Murray cited Andaya’s familiarity with government processes, his “institutional knowledge of the various emergency incidents” in recent years, and his then-recent work as acting leader of the department.
“These are not people that, you know, are just political people,” Regan said. “They’re people who understand emergency management and are going to make the right choice for the community.”
In a statement, former HI-EMA director Miyagi said the public’s focus should be on working together on response and recovery.
“Herman Andaya and his staff at MEMA are really good people,” he said. “They carried Maui successfully through numerous hurricanes, floods, and other disasters.”
He said the public should wait for the attorney general’s investigation before drawing conclusions.
Civil Beat left messages with the other hiring committee members on Tuesday, but they were not returned. Former mayor Arakawa also did not respond to a request for comment.
“Herman is a very skilled, experienced, knowledgeable, professional individual,” Regan said. “I trust that is making the right decisions … There is no question in my mind that he cares about that community, and he’s going to do everything he can to keep that community safe.”


rawstory--2020-04-16--Tucker Carlson attacks Michelle Obama and says she’s trying to ‘destroy’ American democracy

Fox News host Tucker Carlson claimed Tuesday that former first lady Michelle Obama ’ s support for mail-in voting could “ destroy ” American democracy .
“ Former first lady Michelle Obama is using this crisis to promote the radical expansion of nationwide voting by mail , ” Carlson said .
“ Citizens could request ballots online and then print them at home .
Now , no serious person at the national level has ever suggested doing that before , because of course , it would instantly destroy the public ’ s faith in election outcomes , and hence , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ever a time to sneak something this disruptive past a beleaguered and distracted population , this is it.
” Obama and When We All Vote , the non-partisan voter registration organization she co-chairs , released a statement Monday arguing that “ Americans should never have to choose between making their voices heard and keeping themselves and their families safe .
Expanding access to vote-by-mail , online voter registration and early voting are critical steps for this moment — and they ’ re long overdue.
” The statement added that “ there is nothing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the promise of our country ; making the democracy we all cherish more accessible ; and protecting our neighbors , friends and loved ones as they participate in this cornerstone of American life.
” It also said the measures it supports are necessary “ to promote fair and safe access to the 2020 primary and general elections amid COVID-19 ’ s ongoing impact .
Every American deserves the right to cast their ballot safely and without unnecessary risk.
” When We All Vote and the former first lady support the Natural Disaster and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bill introduced last month by Democratic Sens .
Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Ron Wyden of Oregon .
It would guarantee voters 20 days of early in-person voting and no-excuse absentee vote-by-mail .
In addition , the bill would aim to “ guarantee that all voter registration applications submitted by mail or online , up until and 21 days prior to Election Day , are deemed valid.
” Salon spoke last week with Marian Schneider , president of the nongovernmental and nonpartisan voting rights organization Verified Voting .
When discussing an editorial by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opposition to expanded access to mail-in voting , Schneider told Salon that “ we are in the midst of a public health crisis , and we have to look at how we ’ re going to deliver the election in a way that keeps voters and poll workers alike safe .
And I do think vote-by-mail has a role to play , but Verified Voting is , of course , focused on election security .
That ’ s our mission , and we have some top-line recommendations for states that are ramping up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concerns.
” McDaniel claimed in her editorial that “ the Democrats ’ all-mail ballots proposal is a ruse to legalize ballot harvesting nationwide .
Any person would be allowed to return an unlimited number of absentee ballots for voters , opening the door for political operatives to deliver ballots in bulk .
They could even be paid , as long as he or she is not paid based on the number of ballots returned.
” You can watch the clip below via Media Matters for America :


rawstory--2020-04-16--Expert slams Trump’s threat to adjourn Congress to unilaterally install political nominees: ‘That’s

Expert slams Trump’s threat to adjourn Congress to unilaterally install political nominees: ‘That’s banana republic stuff’

President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened to adjourn both chambers of Congress so he can unilaterally ram through judges and political appointees amid the coronavirus pandemic , a move Democratic lawmakers and legal experts said would be dictatorial and unconstitutional .
During a press conference in the Rose Garden of the White House Wednesday evening , Trump urged Congress to voluntarily vote to end the current legislative session so he can “ recess appoint ” nominees without Senate approval .
Members of Congress are currently in their home districts and not expected to return to Washington , D.C. until next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the spread of Covid-19 .
“ Donald Trump thinks he ’ s above the law .
Time and again , the Republican justices on the Supreme Court have told him he ’ s right—enabling his worst impulses.
” —Demand Justice “ If the House will not agree to that adjournment , I will exercise my constitutional authority to adjourn both chambers of Congress , ” Trump declared .
“ The current practice of leaving town while conducting phony pro forma sessions is a dereliction of duty that the American people can not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a scam what they do.
” The Constitution does give the president the authority to unilaterally adjourn both chambers of Congress , but only “ in Case of Disagreement between them , with Respect to the Time of Adjournment.
” As Steve Vladeck , a professor at the University of Texas School of Law , pointed out on Twitter , there is no such disagreement at present .
“ Article II of the Constitution gives the president the power to adjourn Congress if—and only if—the House and Senate can not agree on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” wrote Vladeck .
“ But they have agreed—January 3 , 2021 .
There ’ s a reason why this power has never been exercised before.
” Trump ’ s threat was immediately condemned by Democratic members of Congress .
Rep. Jamie Raskin ( D-Md . )
, a constitutional law expert and member of the House Judiciary Committee , told the Washington Post Wednesday that “ dissolving an assembly comes out of a dictator ’ s handbook.
” Trump ’ s warning to Congress came after the president had a conversation with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) earlier Wednesday in which the two reportedly discussed Senate Democrats ’ supposedly “ unprecedented obstruction of the president ’ s well-qualified nominees.
” As Common Dreams reported , Trump and McConnell have not allowed the coronavirus pandemic to hinder their effort to shift the U.S. judiciary further to the right by filling vacancies with disproportionately young and—contrary to the president ’ s claims—unqualified nominees .
Earlier this month , Trump announced the nomination of U.S. District Judge Justin Walker to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C .
Circuit .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Court of Appeals Judge Cory Wilson to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit .
As for nominees to vacant posts within his administration , Trump claimed Wednesday that the positions must be filled to help the White House with its coronavirus response .
But as the Post reported , “ most of the vacancies in the federal government are because Trump hasn ’ t selected anyone to fill them.
” Trump said that if Congress doesn ’ t agree to voluntarily end the current session , he plans to attempt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it out in the courts .
“ They know they ’ ve been warned and they ’ ve been warned right now , ” said Trump .
“ If they don ’ t approve it , then we ’ re going to go this route and we ’ ll probably be challenged in court and we ’ ll see who wins.
” Advocacy group Demand Justice tweeted in response to the president ’ s remarks that “ Donald Trump thinks he ’ s above the law.
” “ Time and again , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told him he ’ s right , ” the group said , “ enabling his worst impulses .
”


rawstory--2020-04-16--Fox News fights coronavirus misinformation lawsuit: First Amendment protects ‘false’ speech

Fox News has moved to dismiss a lawsuit filed by a Washington state group accusing the network of “ deceptive ” coronavirus coverage by arguing that the First Amendment protects “ false ” and “ outrageous ” speech .
The network ’ s lawyers said in a motion seeking to dismiss the lawsuit that the “ First Amendment does not permit censoring this type of speech based on the theory that it is ‘ false ’ or ‘ outrageous.
’ Nor does the law of the State of Washington.
” The Washington League for Increased Transparency and Ethics ( WASHLITE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earlier this month seeking a court order barring the network from “ interfering with reasonable and necessary measures to contain the virus by publishing further false and deceptive content.
” The suit accused the network of violating the state ’ s Consumer Protection Act by “ falsely and deceptively disseminating ‘ news ’ via cable news contracts that the coronavirus was a ‘ hoax ’ and that it was otherwise not a danger to public health and safety.
” The suit specifically cited Fox News host Sean Hannity and former Fox Business host @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bad faith to willfully and maliciously disseminate false information denying and minimizing the danger posed by the spread of the novel coronavirus.
” Hannity downplayed the threat of the coronavirus and argued it was less dangerous than the flu .
Regan was fired shortly after accusing Democrats of pushing a “ coronavirus impeachment scam.
” Though there are numerous examples of Fox opinion hosts downplaying the threat posed by the virus , many legal experts have dismissed the idea that the network could be sued for its coverage of the pandemic .
One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has since withdrawn from the case .
“ It ’ s Constitutional Law 101 : the First Amendment protects our right to speak openly and freely on matters of public concern , ” Fox News Media general counsel Lily Fu Claffee said in a statement .
“ If WASHLITE doesn ’ t like what we said , it can criticize us , but it can ’ t silence us with a lawsuit.
” The network ’ s 76-page filing , which includes dozens of pages of show transcripts and examples of other media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus early this year , argues that the hosts “ never described the Coronavirus as a ‘ hoax ’ or a ‘ conspiracy , ’ but instead used those terms to comment on efforts to exploit the pandemic for political points.
” The network ’ s lawyers argued that Hannity and Regan simply took part in an “ intense public debate ” over “ how serious of a threat ” the virus posed , noting that Hannity , in March , urged the elderly and people with compromised immune systems to take “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The motion also noted that when Regan wrongly argued that the “ flu … can be even more deadly ” than the coronavirus , she emphasized that she was “ not saying that people should not take [ the coronavirus ] seriously.
” “ Under the First Amendment and state law , the truth or falsity of this type of speech must be resolved through free and open debate in the marketplace of ideas — not through burdensome litigation seeking to impose legal penalties on political statements that a jury might deem ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” the motion said .
“ In addition , the Complaint also fails because the statements are constitutionally protected opinions .
Again , even accepting the Complaint ’ s characterization of the speech at issue , the Fox commentators were expressing their view on the scientific question of how dangerous the Coronavirus is and how society should respond to it — including what type of governmental action should be taken.
” The motion went on to cite CNN and New York Times coverage that compared the coronavirus to the flu , arguing that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ false ’ speech can be censored , then free and open debate on matters of public concern is a dead letter.
” The network added that WASHLITE ’ s bid to get an injunction preventing Fox News from expressing similar opinions in the future is an example of unlawful “ extraordinary prior restraint.
” The Washington CPA also “ does not regulate political commentary … nor is such commentary the type of ‘ extreme and outrageous conduct ’ covered by the tort of ‘ outrage , ' ” the motion said .
Legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s position that the lawsuit was unlikely to succeed .
Catherine Clark , an attorney for WASHLITE , vowed to respond to the motion and told Variety that the suit “ was not about prohibiting free speech , but making sure that news organizations convey accurate information.
” Legal culpability aside , media analysts have widely criticized Fox News for putting their viewers at risk by downplaying the threat posed by the virus , which has now killed 26,000 people in the United States .
“ Fox failed its viewers and the broader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lethal , ” wrote New York Times columnist Ben Smith .
A letter signed by more than 70 journalism professors around the country criticized Fox News for spreading “ misinformation ” about the virus .
“ Viewers of Fox News , including the president of the United States , have been regularly subjected to misinformation relayed by the network — false statements downplaying the prevalence of COVID-19 and its harms ; misleading recommendations of activities that people should undertake to protect themselves and others , including casual recommendations of untested drugs ; false @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upon the public by their elected political leadership and public health authorities , ” the letter said , pointing to a recent poll that found that 79 % of Fox News viewers believed the media had overstated the danger posed by the virus .
The network ’ s competitors have seized on the criticism .
“ There are surveys on this , showing a majority of people who get information from Fox still think the virus threat is overblown , ” MSNBC host Ari Melber said last week :


rawstory--2020-04-16--Presidential historian Douglas Brinkley: Trump is ‘the worst president you can imagine’ for the COVI

Presidential historian Douglas Brinkley: Trump is ‘the worst president you can imagine’ for the COVID-19 crisis

A presidential historian on Thursday said he couldn ’ t imagine any other president responding to the COVID-19 pandemic as poorly as President Donald Trump has so far .
Appearing on MSNBC ’ s “ Morning Joe , ” Rice University history professor Douglas Brinkley said that the United States has been getting hit hard by the coronavirus in part because Trump completely distrusts scientists .
“ With Donald Trump , we ’ ve had a president who has been denouncing scientific experts since day one , ” he said .
“ Total climate denial , saying 99 percent of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , treating it as if it is some kind of hoax .
So this is a president that ’ s been having a war against science his entire administration .
He gutted CDC , got rid of the experts in the White House , so he was caught deeply flat-footed.
” Brinkley then looked back to history and tried to think of a worse president to have in charge during a nationwide pandemic — and he came up empty handed .
“ If you go back in history , this is the worst @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .


rawstory--2020-04-16--Chilean author Luis Sepulveda dies of virus in Spain

Best-selling Chilean writer Luis Sepulveda has died at a hospital in northern Spain some six weeks after testing positive for coronavirus , his publishing house said on Thursday .
He was 70 .
“ The writer Luis Sepulveda has died in Oviedo , ” said a statement by Barcelona-based Tusquets , adding it “ deeply regretted his loss ” .
Best known for “ The Old Man Who Read Love Stories ” , Sepulveda was exiled from Chile in 1977 by the Pinochet dictatorship and traveled extensively before settling in Europe in the 1980s .
He first began showing symptoms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from a festival in northern Portugal and was taken to hospital in Oviedo in the northern Asturias region where he had lived for more than 20 years .
By March 10 , local newspapers reported he was in critical condition , but since then , no further details have been made public at the family ’ s request .
“ Health workers gave everything to save his life but he never got over the illness .
My condolences to his wife and family , ” tweeted Adrian Barbon , president of the Asturias @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ovalle , north of the Chilean capital Santiago , Sepulveda became a political activist when he was young , first with Chile ’ s Communist Youth , and then with the Socialists .
In 1973 , he was arrested by the Pinochet regime and jailed for treason for two-and-a-half years , but was freed after Amnesty International intervened , then spending time on the run before his exile in 1977 .
He wrote some 20 novels , chronicles , stories and children ’ s books which are known for their simple humour and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been translated into multiple languages .


rawstory--2020-04-16--Police thy neighbor: Virus fears fuel quarantine shaming

Some complain about joggers panting on passers-by .
Others wonder what to do when they overhear drunken partygoers rejecting quarantine measures .
Still more question whether people they see in the street are really on “ essential ” business .
Local social media networks , long places for recipe swaps and restaurant tips , are rapidly becoming sites where neighbors police neighbors during the global coronavirus pandemic .
And as users test the line between civic duty and intrusive surveillance — often trying to shame their peers into obeying social distancing rules — experts worry that a practice once frowned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me greatly to see a few uncaring louts who scoff at the safety rules that are meant for all of us to get through this awful situation , ” said one user on a listserv for a wealthy suburb of the capital Washington , which has seen a slew of complaints about people ignoring distancing guidelines .
“ I have a suggestion – if you see such behaviors as mentioned above – why not take photos/videos of the offenders ?
This could discourage their dangerous behaviors , ” said another .
Online shaming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neighbors keeping tabs on one another — but never in history have so many people had such a high stake in enforcing social rules , or such a fast and accessible platform on which to do so .
“ There is a sense that if you do it you can save lives… With COVID-19 , we ’ re scared and there is an urgency to enforce the social distancing rules .
Shaming is really one of the only tools we have , ” says Dr Emily Laidlaw , an associate professor at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and online shaming .
Examples are rife on platforms such as Nextdoor , a hyperlocal social media network which demands users post under their real names and verify their locations .
“ My neighbors are all drunk and having a party next door .
One of them went on a loud tirade near my door that another month of quarantine is stupid and that he wasn ’ t going to do it , ” posted one frustrated resident of a middle class west Los Angeles neighborhood recently .
“ You need to report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that just means another month for us to be indoors , ” another user replied .
Public shaming is against community guidelines and comments deemed as falling into the category will be removed , according to the app .
It also touts the Kindness Reminder , a feature announced last year to keep conversations respectful , and which has been modified in recent weeks with language specific to COVID-19 .
Wicca Davidson , who runs a listserv for a municipality in Maryland , says that since the pandemic began she has seen an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We don ’ t want to give a few people the ability to derail the use of the listserv , ” she told AFP .
“ There ’ s definitely social shaming .
That ’ s part of what ’ s working to stay home , ” 31-year-old Divya Sonti , an employee of IQ Solutions , which specializes in public health communications and health information technology , told AFP .
Privacy expert Laidlaw also believes such policing can be effective .
But “ there is a cost that should be acknowledged — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unfairly , and the normalization of neighborhood surveillance , ” she said .
One member of the Washington suburb listserv echoed her fears .
“ I sympathize with the concern but becoming a police-state type of community isn ’ t healthy , ” the user wrote .
“ This is not ok to take picture of people and post them , ” another person wrote on a Nextdoor group in Los Angeles , after a user posted photographs of people they felt were walking too closely together .
“ What is next ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ policing and shaming were already on their way to being normalized online before the pandemic , noting that “ shaming sites are not new , nor are neighborhood watch/surveillance sites ” .
But until now , she says , there was also strong condemnation of public shaming .
“ I worry when the dust has settled , what was once contentious will be the new normal.
” That is problematic because of the lack of context online , and the speed at which such condemnation can spread .
For example , in Brooklyn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seeing a group of people in the street — a group which another user said was likely from a local substance abuse meeting .
The sentiment is also echoed in one of the many viral Facebook posts calling for compassion at a time when so many are already struggling to cope .
“ Do you ever think maybe that guy buying a gallon of paint knows he must keep busy because idle hands in the past has caused him to relapse and pick up that case of beer ?
” it reads .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ edge but please stop being so judgemental of others .
”


rawstory--2020-04-16--‘Grave concerns’ about Covid-19 immunity passports

Trapped between the competing urgencies of saving lives from Covid-19 and avoiding economic calamity , some government officials have mooted “ immunity passports ” as a way through the impasse .
But experts told FRANCE 24 that the necessary antibody testing is not reliable enough – and even if the scheme were feasible , it could create a dangerous incentive for some to acquire the virus in order to qualify for the passport .
The global tally of confirmed coronavirus cases surpassed 2 million on Wednesday – a day after researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health warned that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social distancing measures until 2022 , while the IMF predicted that , thanks to “ the Great Lockdown ” , the world will suffer the worst recession since the Great Depression .
Anxious about both the unfolding economic disaster and the risk of Covid-19 resurging if lockdowns are reversed prematurely , some officials in hard-hit countries have suggested that a system of immunity passports could be a route out of the coronavirus crisis – for some at least .
The idea is that people who have already had the disease and thereby gained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their lives mostly like they did before the pandemic .
Shortly after emerging from self-isolation after testing positive for Covid-19 , the UK ’ s Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced in early April that the British government was considering an “ immunity certificate ” system to allow those who qualify to “ get back as much as possible to normal life ” .
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has also given the idea her backing – putting it in a list of proposals for returning to business as usual in the City of Lights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On the other side of the Atlantic , Anthony Fauci , the director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , told CNN that immunity passports are “ being discussed ” in the Trump administration .
“ It might actually have some merit under some circumstances , ” he added .
Immunity passports would require tests for antibodies specific to Covid-19 , which would be different from those used to discern whether or not people currently have the virus .
The problem is that , as things stand , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for individual immunity passports ” , which means that “ we are still a long way off it being useful to test individuals with these methods ” , said Claire Standley , an assistant professor at Georgetown University ’ s Center for Global Health Science and Security .
A major reason why such tests look likely to be ineffective , Standley explained , is that they do not seem specific enough to avoid mistaking a similar virus for Covid-19 : “ There may be cross-reactivity between the antibodies for SARS-CoV-2 [ Covid-19 ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that cause common colds – meaning a positive result might not indicate past exposure to SARS-CoV-2 but maybe another coronavirus instead.
” As well as flagging up people who have recovered from ailments that merely seem similar to Covid-19 , Standley said these tests also have a problem in failing to detect some people who have experienced a minor form of the virus : “ High false negative rates ( lack of sensitivity ) of the test mean that those currently available are not recommended for patient-level clinical diagnosis ; unless the sensitivity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be effective in identifying people who have recovered from mild cases of Covid-19 , and thus may have lower levels of antibodies in their blood.
” Immunity for less than one year ?
Issues with the accuracy of testing equipment may be solved through rapid technological advances as the world ’ s scientists focus their energy and resources on tackling the coronavirus pandemic .
However , one potentially intractable problem with immunity passports is that immunity might not last terribly long .
“ At this point , the virus has been widely circulating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a couple of months , and so that is all the information we have – we will know in a year if immunity lasts a year ; we will know in two years if immunity lasts two years , ” noted Abram Wagner , an assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Michigan .
“ From past research into other coronaviruses , immunity was not long lasting , and I would not be surprised if , for most people , immunity lasted less than one year.
” In addition to these scientific @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passports , there are worries about the social implications : “ I suspect many people will be resentful if others were able to return to work and make money because they had an immunity passport , ” Wagner put it .
“ I have grave concerns about how these types of schemes could be implemented equitably and fairly , even assuming a reliable antibody test were available , and more known about the length of immunity and how protective it is , ” Standley added .
In particular , she said , immunity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ haves and have-nots , which lockdowns have already intensified : “ If the tests need to be purchased , this could further exacerbate disparities between those who can afford the tests ( and who may already have been able to work from home/maintain an income during lockdown ) versus those who can not , and thus would be further barred from re-entering the workforce.
” Another unsettling point Standley raised is that immunity passports could create a perverse incentive to contract the coronavirus : “ In an effort to return to work , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , will the promise of an immunity passport make people behave less responsibly , and risk infection , in order to end up with a positive antibody test ?
” In this way , an idea touted as a way of giving people their lives back could disadvantage those who have acted most virtuously , Standley warned : “ The scheme would potentially punish those citizens who have behaved responsibly and tried their best to reduce their own risk of exposure and that of transmission within their communities .
”


rawstory--2020-04-16--‘Box it in’: Ex US health chief on how to beat the coronavirus

How will things shape up for Americans this summer ?
The key here is to box it in , and that means strengthening all four corners of that box , the ability to test , the safe isolation of everyone infected , vigorous and extensive contact tracing , and safe and attractive quarantine of those who are exposed .
If we can do those four things , we can put the virus in a box .
Focus on the date rather than the data on how well we ’ re doing those four things is misplaced .
We need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hunkered down in our homes to prepare so that when we come out , we ’ ll be able to stay out .
A Harvard study suggested intermittent social distancing until 2022 would allow the population to accumulate herd immunity in ‘ off ’ periods .
Do you support this idea ?
The idea that we would intentionally allow people to get infected is just misguided , because people have contact with others .
So if you get infected , but you don ’ t get very ill , you may then spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the checkout person at the grocery store The key here is to develop a systematic and rational way , gradually loosening the faucet so that we can resume activities as soon and safely as possible .
That does mean that older people and medically vulnerable people will need to shelter in place for longer .
Emphasis has been placed on antibody tests that might give us a sense of who is immune , but you ’ ve said many already available are “ junk ” — why did the Food and Drug Administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t quite found the Goldilocks point where they ’ re doing the right level of assessment of tests .
It ’ s not easy to get the serological tests right and has to be done quite rigorously .
And fundamentally we don ’ t know if antibodies will correlate to immunity , and if so for how long ?
Viruses can remain inside people ’ s noses long after the infection has passed , which is how common colds continue to spread throughout the year .
How might this apply to SARS-CoV-2 ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ called , is a common phenomenon in various viruses and can continue for days or weeks .
Just today there was a report of a patient from China in the media who had a positive after being on quarantine for two weeks and having two negatives at the end of quarantine .
Whether he had a longer incubation period , we don ’ t know .
But there ’ s a lot we ’ re still learning about this virus and it ’ s not eradicable , we can not eliminate it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ response .
It ’ s extraordinarily proactive .
They recognize there are asymptomatic cases .
They ’ re testing widely , including contacts , and people on quarantine , and they ’ re finding asymptomatic cases .
When they find a case that pops up , and there ’ s no known source case , they go back around that person to identify the asymptomatic cases .
What will it take to do that here in America ?
There are goals of using proximity tracking through apps or cell phones and I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be successful .
But by all means they should be explored as a tool to support contact tracers .
But it ’ s going to take a lot more people than we have .
If the ratio is the same as the ratio in Wuhan ( where the virus was first detected ) , it is about 300,000 ( workers ) .
This is traditional , tried and true public health .
This is talking to people , treating patients as the VIP of the program , getting their trust , helping them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people .
Your thoughts on the US cutting funding to the WHO , and the criticism the WHO has faced ?
Every organization can always look back and ask what they could have done differently or better and what went well , but fundamentally , WHO is functioning as it was constructed to do by its member states .
As we come out of this , we can think of whether that construction shouldn ’ t be different and whether they should have more authority than they do .
Their budget isn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York City Health Commissioner , so it ’ s not a particularly well resourced organization .
They ’ ve been warning about the dangers of the pandemic for some time and I think WHO ’ s structure makes it difficult for them to be as effective as we would wish .
The CDC has been sidelined by the White House since its early warnings were ignored .
How has that impacted the response ?
This is the most serious public health crisis in 100 years , and in many countries we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s unfortunate because in this public health crisis , it is public health that can guide us forward .