democracynow--2020-10-30--Native American Voters Could Decide Key Senate Races While Battling Intense Voter Suppression

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : This is Democracy Now !
The Quarantine Report .
I ’ m Amy Goodman .
We turn now to look at how Native American voters could sway key Senate races in next week ’ s election in Montana , North Carolina , Arizona and Maine , and how the presidential candidates are courting the Native vote .
In North Carolina , the Lumbee Tribe could hold significant influence on the Senate showdown between Republican incumbent Thom Tillis and Democratic challenger Cal Cunningham @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donald Trump in 2016 , could also prove to be a key vote in the presidential race .
The Lumbee Tribe is one of two tribes in North Carolina , but it lacks federal recognition .
Both Joe Biden and Donald Trump have pledged to recognize the tribe , if elected .
On Saturday , Trump campaigned in Lumberton , North Carolina .
AMY GOODMAN : Another state to watch is Montana , where Republican incumbent U.S .
Senator Steve Daines is running against the state ’ s governor , Steve Bullock .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Montana ’ s electorate .
Well , for more on these races , voter suppression in Indian Country , and the record number of Native candidates running for office , from local to national races , we go to Santa Fe , New Mexico , where we ’ re joined by investigative journalist Jenni Monet , founder of the newsletter Indigenously : Decolonizing Your Newsfeed and a tribal citizen of the Pueblo of Laguna , her recent piece for Medium headlined “ The Native Voters Who Could Decide Control of the Senate.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Now !
You write in your piece , “ Across Indian Country , Native voters have been known to pack a powerful punch at the polls in some of the most narrowest political victories — and not with any particular party loyalty .
For tribal citizens , elections aren ’ t determined by values that run red or blue , but rather those that run sovereign.
” Explain what you mean , and go through the races that you are watching most closely , Jenni .
JENNI MONET : Well , I made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in certain key states with large Native American , Alaska Native populations , that voters support those who understand their sovereignty , who understand their very unique needs .
And I think one most obvious example of that is in Alaska .
We saw in 2010 an extraordinary and unprecedented show at the polls , where Senator Lisa Murkowski was forced into a write-in candidacy .
And to this day , it ’ s largely credited that it was Alaska Natives who mobilized to give her those write-in votes that she needed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Native corporation financial support in terms of supporting that campaign .
Likewise , what we ’ re seeing now here in Indian Country , you ’ re seeing in Montana , in particular , a race that I ’ m closely watching , a mobilization of Native voters there , where as many as five Native Indigenous-led organizations have vowed to unseat Senator Daines and support Governor Bullock for that position .
And it really comes down to , I think , a disappointment among Native voters in Montana , who , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the state , 7 % , to which some of the decisions that Daines made really struck hard on daily life for Indian Country .
One editorial in the Billings Gazette was by a Crow tribal citizen who still hasn ’ t forgotten Daines ’ support of the government shutdown in 2013 and how that impacted daily tribal life for citizens there .
AMY GOODMAN : And talk about the concerns there , overall , and when you talk about the idea that Native Americans could determine the balance of the Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ JENNI MONET : So , we understand that Native American voter population is small ; however , it is significant .
Another key , significant race happened in South Dakota in the early aughts , where a Democratic senator had been in the closest race , and it wasn ’ t until votes were tallied from the Oglala Nation , of around 500 votes tallied , that he squeaked by in a narrow election .
We saw that also in North Dakota with Senator Heidi Heitkamp ’ s win in 2012 .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the significance of the Native vote in 2020 , in terms of looking at these very critical battleground states to flip the Senate , I wrote about four key races where Native voter populations are small but significant , including Montana , but also North Carolina , where we are seeing two presidential candidates for the first time really courting Native voters in a very public way and dangling sovereignty out for everyone to see .
And I think it ’ s just an extraordinary — it will be an extraordinary race @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home of the Lumbee Tribe , has been a swing vote in the last 2016 election .
They represent 40 % of the population in Robeson County and voted roughly 5 % of the vote , which carried Trump in that county .
And so , now when they have prospects of two presidential candidates both promising their sovereignty to full force , it will be very interesting to see how that might shake out .
I don ’ t know if you noticed this , but Trump was scheduled to return back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ postponing that trip due to windy weather .
But it ’ s slated that he will make his last — one of his last campaign speeches back in Lumbee country , in Columbus County , on Monday .
AMY GOODMAN : And , Jenni Monet , can you talk about the Senate race in Maine , where you have the incumbent senator , the Republican Susan Collins , who is facing a very stiff challenge from Sara Gideon , and the role of Native voters in Maine ?
JENNI MONET : Right .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is Susan Collins ’ fight — you know , the fight of her life .
And Sara Gideon , who is also speaker of the Maine Legislature , she last year came out in rare support for the four Indigenous tribes that are based in Maine .
And the backstory is one that has languished in Maine for the last 40 years , dealing with a land settlement that has really just carried a lot of animosity between tribal-state relations , and it ’ s just never been resolved .
In fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of problems .
And in Maine , it ’ s one of the states where tribes themselves are trying to exercise their full sovereignty under a lot of grip from the state .
And Sara Gideon understands that and has actually seen the Maine tribes in a way that , you know , Maine , which is one of the whitest states , if not the whitest state , in America , has refused to really acknowledge tribes and their sovereignty .
And so , even though voters in Maine represent barely 1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this race should be close , as the polls suggest it is , it might be one of those close ties where the Native vote could be very significant .
AMY GOODMAN : Jenni , let ’ s talk also about Native candidates all over the country , a record number of people running , and also what it means to vote or to hold these elections during COVID , because Native Americans are among , among the Latinx and African Americans , the hardest hit by this virus .
JENNI MONET : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — what we know — at least five lawsuits this year alone around voter suppression rights — stomping out voter suppression and upholding voting rights for Native Americans .
And all but one have really successfully been in favor of tribes .
In Montana , actually , they were trying to challenge a collection ballot that was actually a provision in their 2018 midterms .
And what we saw in Arizona , there were two cases , actually .
One was a mail-in referendum , to which a plaintiff was trying to extend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that got overturned .
And then another happened in Pima County , where a early voting precinct on the Pascua Yaqui Reservation got shut down .
And what we ’ re talking about are measures that are so vital , predating the pandemic , but in a pandemic , where people ’ s safety and lives are at stake , particularly in some of the hardest-hit communities for the coronavirus .
And here , if there ever was a time for these measures to be in place , it would be now .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , time after time .
And one , you talk about the historic candidates running .
Sure , they ’ re running in big races right now , but I find — what I find very fascinating and intriguing is that it ’ s also these little races that are going to pack a huge punch , particularly in Pima County , where that early voting precinct closed , where you have a young woman , Gabriella Cázares-Kelly , who is running for the county recorder position .
And , come on , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to county recorder positions ?
But in this case , where you have had extreme voter suppression , where felons are arrested and incarcerated and overrepresented in the state ’ s prisons more than any other group , here you have an informed Indigenous woman who has seen this kind of disparity on the ground for years , and when she saw the county recorder , who ’ s been in that position for almost three decades , she jumped at the opportunity to step in and start really reforming some of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these organizations .
AMY GOODMAN : And speaking about those kind of very local races , similarly , in South Dakota , the Public Utilities Commission , Remi Bald Eagle running .
And I should say , Jenni , that you were arrested in North Dakota covering the Dakota Access Pipeline protests , as well .
JENNI MONET : As were you , Amy .
And yeah , you know , this week , we were reminded of a very dear anniversary from the No DAPL protest , where , on October 27th @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taking over one of the encampments that was in the path of the pipeline .
And so it ’ s very top of mind for Indian Country right now , what is driving people to the polls .
And for South Dakota , you know , another small race is for a seat for the Public Utilities Commission , where Remi Bald Eagle of the Cheyenne River Sioux , who was an organizer , as well , in the No DAPL protests , he is now running for one of those seats , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And a big part of his campaign is that he ’ s advocating for the land , a plaintiff that he says doesn ’ t have a voice , and so it ’ s up to us to do that .
And as you know , these public utility commissions in the Dakotas determine the permitting for pipeline projects and other infrastructure projects that deal with , you know , natural resource extraction projects throughout and around tribal lands , and so it ’ s very important to the tribal citizenry up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are among the worst hit by the COVID virus right now , in the red zone .
AMY GOODMAN : Finally , the lack of data on Native voters , can you end there , Jenni ?
JENNI MONET : Yeah .
I think what ’ s so fascinating right now is that there ’ s this notion that Native voters have been somewhat apathetic at the polls .
And I think that that is a distortion of the data .
We found out , in our coverage so far , that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of various ethnic groups that showed up at the polls .
And when we talked with the census takers , they told us that Native Americans weren ’ t documented in the data because we were too small of a group to count .
And that happens quite often .
We saw that happen with missing and murdered Indigenous women .
We see that happen with health statistics , and on and on .
There ’ s a thing called “ Asterisk Nation ” for the data crisis that we ’ re in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some of the Native organizations in Indian Country right now who are kind of riding a very data sovereignty movement right now .
Just this week , there was a report released by two nonprofit organizations , IllumiNative and Native Organizers Alliance , and they polled around 6,400 people and found that 77 % of the roughly 6,400 people participated in the last election .
And I don ’ t see that as apathetic at all .
And so , I think that this narrative of somehow Natives are chronically not showing up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I hope that this 2020 election can shine some light on that .
AMY GOODMAN : Jenni Monet , I want to thank you for being with us , investigative journalist , founder of the newsletter Indigenously : Decolonizing Your Newsfeed .
Jenni is a tribal citizen of the Pueblo of Laguna , speaking to us from Santa Fe , New Mexico .
Coming up , Jesse Wegman on , well , his new book , Let the People Pick the President : The Case for Abolishing the Electoral College .
Stay with @ @

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now! The Quarantine Report. I’m Amy Goodman.
We turn now to look at how Native American voters could sway key Senate races in next week’s election in Montana, North Carolina, Arizona and Maine, and how the presidential candidates are courting the Native vote. In North Carolina, the Lumbee Tribe could hold significant influence on the Senate showdown between Republican incumbent Thom Tillis and Democratic challenger Cal Cunningham. The Lumbees, who voted for Donald Trump in 2016, could also prove to be a key vote in the presidential race. The Lumbee Tribe is one of two tribes in North Carolina, but it lacks federal recognition. Both Joe Biden and Donald Trump have pledged to recognize the tribe, if elected. On Saturday, Trump campaigned in Lumberton, North Carolina.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: With us today are members of the incredible Lumbee Tribe, which has been wrongly denied federal recognition for more than a century. … When I’m reelected, I will probably sign the Lumbee Recognition Act. It should have been signed a long time ago.
AMY GOODMAN: Another state to watch is Montana, where Republican incumbent U.S. Senator Steve Daines is running against the state’s governor, Steve Bullock. Native voters make up 7% of Montana’s electorate.
Well, for more on these races, voter suppression in Indian Country, and the record number of Native candidates running for office, from local to national races, we go to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where we’re joined by investigative journalist Jenni Monet, founder of the newsletter Indigenously: Decolonizing Your Newsfeed and a tribal citizen of the Pueblo of Laguna, her recent piece for Medium headlined “The Native Voters Who Could Decide Control of the Senate.”
Jenni Monet, welcome back to Democracy Now! You write in your piece, “Across Indian Country, Native voters have been known to pack a powerful punch at the polls in some of the most narrowest political victories — and not with any particular party loyalty. For tribal citizens, elections aren’t determined by values that run red or blue, but rather those that run sovereign.” Explain what you mean, and go through the races that you are watching most closely, Jenni.
JENNI MONET: Well, I made that statement only in that we know, in certain key states with large Native American, Alaska Native populations, that voters support those who understand their sovereignty, who understand their very unique needs. And I think one most obvious example of that is in Alaska. We saw in 2010 an extraordinary and unprecedented show at the polls, where Senator Lisa Murkowski was forced into a write-in candidacy. And to this day, it’s largely credited that it was Alaska Natives who mobilized to give her those write-in votes that she needed, also with some of the Alaska Native corporation financial support in terms of supporting that campaign.
Likewise, what we’re seeing now here in Indian Country, you’re seeing in Montana, in particular, a race that I’m closely watching, a mobilization of Native voters there, where as many as five Native Indigenous-led organizations have vowed to unseat Senator Daines and support Governor Bullock for that position. And it really comes down to, I think, a disappointment among Native voters in Montana, who, as you said, represent the largest minority in the state, 7%, to which some of the decisions that Daines made really struck hard on daily life for Indian Country. One editorial in the Billings Gazette was by a Crow tribal citizen who still hasn’t forgotten Daines’ support of the government shutdown in 2013 and how that impacted daily tribal life for citizens there.
AMY GOODMAN: And talk about the concerns there, overall, and when you talk about the idea that Native Americans could determine the balance of the Senate, not just any particular race.
JENNI MONET: So, we understand that Native American voter population is small; however, it is significant. Another key, significant race happened in South Dakota in the early aughts, where a Democratic senator had been in the closest race, and it wasn’t until votes were tallied from the Oglala Nation, of around 500 votes tallied, that he squeaked by in a narrow election. We saw that also in North Dakota with Senator Heidi Heitkamp’s win in 2012.
And so, when we’re looking at the significance of the Native vote in 2020, in terms of looking at these very critical battleground states to flip the Senate, I wrote about four key races where Native voter populations are small but significant, including Montana, but also North Carolina, where we are seeing two presidential candidates for the first time really courting Native voters in a very public way and dangling sovereignty out for everyone to see. And I think it’s just an extraordinary — it will be an extraordinary race to watch, because Robeson County, home of the Lumbee Tribe, has been a swing vote in the last 2016 election. They represent 40% of the population in Robeson County and voted roughly 5% of the vote, which carried Trump in that county. And so, now when they have prospects of two presidential candidates both promising their sovereignty to full force, it will be very interesting to see how that might shake out. I don’t know if you noticed this, but Trump was scheduled to return back to North Carolina just yesterday and was postponing that trip due to windy weather. But it’s slated that he will make his last — one of his last campaign speeches back in Lumbee country, in Columbus County, on Monday.
AMY GOODMAN: And, Jenni Monet, can you talk about the Senate race in Maine, where you have the incumbent senator, the Republican Susan Collins, who is facing a very stiff challenge from Sara Gideon, and the role of Native voters in Maine?
JENNI MONET: Right. There’s some are saying that this is Susan Collins’ fight — you know, the fight of her life. And Sara Gideon, who is also speaker of the Maine Legislature, she last year came out in rare support for the four Indigenous tribes that are based in Maine.
And the backstory is one that has languished in Maine for the last 40 years, dealing with a land settlement that has really just carried a lot of animosity between tribal-state relations, and it’s just never been resolved. In fact, it’s exacerbated a lot of problems. And in Maine, it’s one of the states where tribes themselves are trying to exercise their full sovereignty under a lot of grip from the state.
And Sara Gideon understands that and has actually seen the Maine tribes in a way that, you know, Maine, which is one of the whitest states, if not the whitest state, in America, has refused to really acknowledge tribes and their sovereignty. And so, even though voters in Maine represent barely 1% of the voting population, if this race should be close, as the polls suggest it is, it might be one of those close ties where the Native vote could be very significant.
AMY GOODMAN: Jenni, let’s talk also about Native candidates all over the country, a record number of people running, and also what it means to vote or to hold these elections during COVID, because Native Americans are among, among the Latinx and African Americans, the hardest hit by this virus.
JENNI MONET: Amy, there have been at least — what we know — at least five lawsuits this year alone around voter suppression rights — stomping out voter suppression and upholding voting rights for Native Americans. And all but one have really successfully been in favor of tribes. In Montana, actually, they were trying to challenge a collection ballot that was actually a provision in their 2018 midterms. And what we saw in Arizona, there were two cases, actually. One was a mail-in referendum, to which a plaintiff was trying to extend the delivery status of that, and that got overturned. And then another happened in Pima County, where a early voting precinct on the Pascua Yaqui Reservation got shut down. And what we’re talking about are measures that are so vital, predating the pandemic, but in a pandemic, where people’s safety and lives are at stake, particularly in some of the hardest-hit communities for the coronavirus. And here, if there ever was a time for these measures to be in place, it would be now. And they’re being struck down, time after time.
And one, you talk about the historic candidates running. Sure, they’re running in big races right now, but I find — what I find very fascinating and intriguing is that it’s also these little races that are going to pack a huge punch, particularly in Pima County, where that early voting precinct closed, where you have a young woman, Gabriella Cázares-Kelly, who is running for the county recorder position. And, come on, how often are we really paying attention to county recorder positions? But in this case, where you have had extreme voter suppression, where felons are arrested and incarcerated and overrepresented in the state’s prisons more than any other group, here you have an informed Indigenous woman who has seen this kind of disparity on the ground for years, and when she saw the county recorder, who’s been in that position for almost three decades, she jumped at the opportunity to step in and start really reforming some of this systemic racism that’s been in these organizations.
AMY GOODMAN: And speaking about those kind of very local races, similarly, in South Dakota, the Public Utilities Commission, Remi Bald Eagle running. And I should say, Jenni, that you were arrested in North Dakota covering the Dakota Access Pipeline protests, as well.
JENNI MONET: As were you, Amy. And yeah, you know, this week, we were reminded of a very dear anniversary from the No DAPL protest, where, on October 27th, we saw the militarized police raid taking over one of the encampments that was in the path of the pipeline. And so it’s very top of mind for Indian Country right now, what is driving people to the polls.
And for South Dakota, you know, another small race is for a seat for the Public Utilities Commission, where Remi Bald Eagle of the Cheyenne River Sioux, who was an organizer, as well, in the No DAPL protests, he is now running for one of those seats, which only open up every six years. And a big part of his campaign is that he’s advocating for the land, a plaintiff that he says doesn’t have a voice, and so it’s up to us to do that. And as you know, these public utility commissions in the Dakotas determine the permitting for pipeline projects and other infrastructure projects that deal with, you know, natural resource extraction projects throughout and around tribal lands, and so it’s very important to the tribal citizenry up there.
AMY GOODMAN: The Dakotas are among the worst hit by the COVID virus right now, in the red zone.
JENNI MONET: Yes.
AMY GOODMAN: Finally, the lack of data on Native voters, can you end there, Jenni?
JENNI MONET: Yeah. I think what’s so fascinating right now is that there’s this notion that Native voters have been somewhat apathetic at the polls. And I think that that is a distortion of the data.
We found out, in our coverage so far, that the midterm 2018 elections had a robust display of various ethnic groups that showed up at the polls. And when we talked with the census takers, they told us that Native Americans weren’t documented in the data because we were too small of a group to count. And that happens quite often. We saw that happen with missing and murdered Indigenous women. We see that happen with health statistics, and on and on. There’s a thing called “Asterisk Nation” for the data crisis that we’re in.
And so, I actually applaud some of the Native organizations in Indian Country right now who are kind of riding a very data sovereignty movement right now. Just this week, there was a report released by two nonprofit organizations, IllumiNative and Native Organizers Alliance, and they polled around 6,400 people and found that 77% of the roughly 6,400 people participated in the last election. And I don’t see that as apathetic at all. And so, I think that this narrative of somehow Natives are chronically not showing up at the polls is false. And I hope that this 2020 election can shine some light on that.
AMY GOODMAN: Jenni Monet, I want to thank you for being with us, investigative journalist, founder of the newsletter Indigenously: Decolonizing Your Newsfeed. Jenni is a tribal citizen of the Pueblo of Laguna, speaking to us from Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Coming up, Jesse Wegman on, well, his new book, Let the People Pick the President: The Case for Abolishing the Electoral College. Stay with us.


democracynow--2020-10-30--"Fighting for Democracy": Carol Anderson on Voter Suppression & Why Georgia Could Go Blue

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : A record-shattering 82 million people have already voted by mail or in person in the 2020 election .
President Trump and Joe Biden and hundreds of other candidates across the nation are entering the last weekend of campaigning before voting ends on Tuesday .
In addition to the presidency , Democrats are hoping to win back control of the Senate , and perhaps no state is as important as Georgia , where both Republican senators are on the ballot and face stiff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senator David Perdue withdrew from the final debate , which was scheduled for this Sunday , against Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff , who called him a crook during a debate Wednesday night .
AMY GOODMAN : In January , Senator Perdue bought $ 65,000 in stock in a company that made personal protective equipment , on the same day he received a private Senate briefing about the COVID-19 pandemic .
During Wednesday ’ s debate , Jon Ossoff also denounced Perdue for running an anti-Semitic ad against him .
AMY GOODMAN : Instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Senator David Perdue plans to speak at a rally with President Trump , who ’ s in a close race with Joe Biden in Georgia — a state no Democrat has won since 1992 .
Meanwhile , Georgia voters will also be casting ballots in a special election for Georgia ’ s other Senate seat , which was held by Republican Senator Johnny Isakson , who retired last year .
Twenty candidates are on the ballot , including eight Democrats and six Republicans .
The front-runners are incumbent Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appointed earlier this year to temporarily fill the seat ; Republican Doug Collins ; and Democrat Reverend Raphael Warnock , the senior pastor of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta , the former church of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr .
In Georgia , Senate races go to runoffs if no candidate receives more than 50 % of the vote .
It ’ s possible both Georgia races could go to runoffs in January and could be the deciding factor in who controls the Senate .
To talk about all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we go to Atlanta to speak with Emory professor Carol Anderson , author of many books , including One Person , No Vote : How Voter Suppression Is Destroying Our Democracy .
You have Joe Biden , in the last days of this race , very unusual for a Democrat since no Democratic presidential candidate won there since 1992 , going to Warm Springs , Georgia , to give one of his final speeches there of the election campaign , and then these two highly contentious senatorial races .
Can you talk about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
CAROL ANDERSON : I think that what it ’ s really showing is how Georgia is truly in play .
And it ’ s in play because we ’ ve had not only massive demographic changes here in Georgia , but we have had grassroots organizing and mobilizing , registering folks to vote , working through getting through all of the voter suppression barriers to , in fact , bring people out to the polls in unprecedented numbers .
And to have two really viable candidates running for Senate and then to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Georgia , which was the retreat for FDR , President Franklin Delano Roosevelt , begins to give a sense that Georgia is more than in play .
AMY GOODMAN : I mean , that ’ s fascinating that he went to Warm Springs , Georgia , where President FDR would go to convalesce from polio — in this period , in 2020 , in the midst of this pandemic , that the former Vice President Joe Biden would choose Warm Springs to speak .
CAROL ANDERSON : Yes , and I think that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is that just the way the U.S. was in significant trouble during the Great Depression and President Herbert Hoover was unable to work out of his ideological box , that this was going to require government intervention to help the American people , and FDR didn ’ t have that box .
He had the New Deal .
And I think that that is also what is being signified here , is that we are in the middle of a massive pandemic , where we have had 9 million cases in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 225,000 deaths , businesses shutting down , schools not really being able to open safely .
And it ’ s going to take massive government intervention , on the New Deal level , to get us where we need to be .
AMY GOODMAN : I want to go to Republican Senator David Perdue — we just heard Ossoff , his opponent , speaking — who appeared to mock Democratic vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris at a rally for Donald Trump in Georgia , repeatedly mispronouncing her name as Kamala .
And then Jon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ Senator Perdue never would have done this to a male colleague .
Or a white colleague .
And everyone knows it.
” This is Senator Perdue .
AMY GOODMAN : Her name is Senator Kamala Harris , and she ’ s the Democratic vice-presidential candidate .
I wanted to ask you , Professor Anderson , about the effect and the impact of Stacey Abrams and her organization Fair Fight , what it has meant , because whether it ’ s Georgia or Florida or anywhere in this country , talking about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ something you have spent a great deal of time examining .
CAROL ANDERSON : Yes .
And so , one of the key things is that , you know , Stacey Abrams ran for governor here and was — her opponent was Brian Kemp , who was the secretary of state , who did not recuse himself but engaged in massive voter suppression efforts to “ win ” that election .
Stacey Abrams did not concede .
I mean , when you hear her nonconcession speech , you know that you ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who understands that in order to get this democracy back on track , it ’ s not just about an elected office .
It is about doing the heavy lifting of democracy .
And that is what Fair Fight for Action is .
It is massive grassroots organizing , registering folks to vote , and understanding it ’ s not just in Georgia , but it is in all of these states where we have this massive voter suppression .
That kind of organizing , that kind of mobilizing and that kind of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people out to vote and working with other organizations and in making very visible what had been so invisible , which is the evisceration of so many American citizens ’ right to vote , the willingness to create what I call civic death .
Stacey Abrams has been just amazing in terms of the work that she and her organization have been doing .
AMY GOODMAN : And can you talk about the meltdown in the primary that just took place a few months ago ?
CAROL ANDERSON : Yes .
So , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our primary was scheduled for April , but because of the pandemic that has been allowed to just run rampant here in Georgia , is that it got moved to June .
What that meant then was that it was supposed to give the election officials time to prepare .
What in fact happened was that we had these massive , massive lines .
They ’ ve done a recent study , and they found that in precincts that were 90 % or more white for registered voters , their wait time was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over 90 % or more minority , the average wait time was 51 minutes — six minutes to almost an hour .
That ’ s not by accident .
And the work of making clear — what that did was it invoked a kind of sense of we have got to do what we must do in order to vote these folks out , the people who don ’ t believe in democracy , the people who don ’ t believe in voting rights .
We have got to mobilize to vote them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see the massive early voting turnout happening here in Georgia and , frankly , around the nation .
AMY GOODMAN : So , can you talk about the other senatorial race , where so many people are running at once , this special election to fill Isakson ’ s seat , that currently the appointed senator , Loeffler , has ?
And she ’ s running , as well .
And among those she ’ s running against is the Reverend Raphael Warnock .
We saw him preside over the funeral of Congressman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Kelly Loeffler , the white woman supporter of President Trump , co-owner of the WNBA ’ s franchise for Atlanta Dream , talk about her tenure and what this race means .
CAROL ANDERSON : And this race is also highly contentious and really in play .
Part of what you have happening here is that when Senator Isakson resigned , retired , he — there was an opening .
Doug Collins , who was Trump ’ s attack dog in the House impeachment hearings , he thought that he was going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Instead , Kemp chose Kelly Loeffler .
So she is an appointed senator .
She is not elected .
And so she is running for election .
But Doug Collins believed that that was his seat , and so he ’ s still in the election .
And he is right-wing , and so Kelly Loeffler is now trying to run to the right of the right wing .
And so , this is why you see her blasting the WNBA .
This is why you see her blasting Black Lives Matter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conjuring up images of massive Black violence , with the mob that was supposedly there at the Wendy ’ s when the police killed Rayshard Brooks .
All of that is her running a kind of George Wallace campaign to go to the right of Doug Collins .
Then you have Reverend Raphael Warnock .
And in Warnock , you ’ re seeing a vision that is about all of us .
You ’ re seeing a vision about what does it mean when we ’ re in the middle of a pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close in the rural counties .
What does that mean in terms of being so pro-life that we ’ re willing to have the kinds of deaths , over 7,000 deaths that have happened here in the pandemic , and more than 360-some cases of the coronavirus ?
And so , you ’ re getting a vision of the we versus a vision of “ I heard that there was going to — that this COVID-19 thing was going to be really bad , and so , like Perdue , I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some stock sales so that I can do my kind of — I can get mine .
I can make my profit.
” That kind of leadership is the kind of leadership that is really juxtaposed to the kind of vision and compassion and the centering humanity , and that we are not expendable , that we ’ re hearing from Reverend Raphael Warnock .
AMY GOODMAN : I wanted to ask about that report , calls growing for Richard Burr to resign , as well as Georgia Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler facing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — over revelations her husband invested heavily in a medical supply company ahead of the stock market ’ s coronavirus crash .
Loeffler ’ s latest financial disclosures show that her husband , who is chair of the New York Stock Exchange , bought more than $ 200,000 worth of shares of DuPont in late February and early March , when Loeffler had access to privileged briefings about the threat of the coronavirus .
CAROL ANDERSON : Yes .
And so , you see what happened with that report , those calls for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is that she was cleared by the Senate , but Burr has been under it .
And because Burr was in fact the chair of one of the key committees investigating the role of foreign influence and the role of foreign attacks on our election system , and because he was chairing that committee , co-chairing that committee , he was left out there without Republican protection for his wrongdoing , whereas Kelly Loeffler was protected by the Republicans for what she did , for what she and her husband did .
AMY @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what do you expect to see in these coming days ?
I mean , the amount of early voter turnout has been massive all over the country .
And what are you most concerned about ?
CAROL ANDERSON : I am heartened by that massive voter turnout .
What we see here are the American people fighting for democracy , even when their institutions are not .
What I ’ m concerned about are the series of court decisions that have created confusion in the system about when ballots have to be in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And so , I am encouraging everybody , if this is your last day to early vote , please do so .
The turnout lines and the confusion will be strong and long on Election Day , and so we need to mitigate that as much as possible .
And that ’ s what I think is happening with this early voting .
AMY GOODMAN : Carol Anderson , thanks so much for being with us , professor at Emory University , author of White Rage : The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One Person , No Vote : How Voter Suppression Is Destroying Our Democracy .
When we come back , we ’ ll be joined by Indigenous investigative journalist Jenni Monet on the Native vote and how it could determine Senate races .
Stay with us .
AMY GOODMAN : “ Someday ” by The Strokes .
The Strokes ’ lead singer , Julian Casablancas , has just launched a new interview series with Rolling Stone .
I do the first conversation with him .
His series is called S.O.S .
— Earth Is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that interview at democracynow.org .
The Strokes will be appearing on Saturday Night Live this weekend .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: A record-shattering 82 million people have already voted by mail or in person in the 2020 election. President Trump and Joe Biden and hundreds of other candidates across the nation are entering the last weekend of campaigning before voting ends on Tuesday. In addition to the presidency, Democrats are hoping to win back control of the Senate, and perhaps no state is as important as Georgia, where both Republican senators are on the ballot and face stiff opposition. On Thursday, Georgia Republican Senator David Perdue withdrew from the final debate, which was scheduled for this Sunday, against Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff, who called him a crook during a debate Wednesday night.
JON OSSOFF: Well, perhaps Senator Perdue would have been able to respond properly to the COVID-19 pandemic if you hadn’t been fending off multiple federal investigations for insider trading. It’s not just that you’re a crook, Senator. It’s that you’re attacking the health of the people that you represent. You did say COVID-19 was no deadlier than the flu. You did say there would be no significant uptick in cases. All the while, you were looking after your own assets and your own portfolio.
AMY GOODMAN: In January, Senator Perdue bought $65,000 in stock in a company that made personal protective equipment, on the same day he received a private Senate briefing about the COVID-19 pandemic. During Wednesday’s debate, Jon Ossoff also denounced Perdue for running an anti-Semitic ad against him.
JON OSSOFF: You’ve continued to demean yourself throughout this campaign with your conduct. First, you were lengthening my nose in attack ads to remind everybody that I’m Jewish. Then, when that didn’t work, you started calling me some kind of Islamic terrorist. And then, when that didn’t work, you started calling me a Chinese communist. It’s ridiculous. And you shouldn’t do everything that your handlers in Washington tell you to, because you’ll lose your soul along the way, Senator.
AMY GOODMAN: Instead of attending the final debate on Sunday, Senator David Perdue plans to speak at a rally with President Trump, who’s in a close race with Joe Biden in Georgia — a state no Democrat has won since 1992.
Meanwhile, Georgia voters will also be casting ballots in a special election for Georgia’s other Senate seat, which was held by Republican Senator Johnny Isakson, who retired last year. Twenty candidates are on the ballot, including eight Democrats and six Republicans. The front-runners are incumbent Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler, the millionaire Republican donor who was appointed earlier this year to temporarily fill the seat; Republican Doug Collins; and Democrat Reverend Raphael Warnock, the senior pastor of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, the former church of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
In Georgia, Senate races go to runoffs if no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote. It’s possible both Georgia races could go to runoffs in January and could be the deciding factor in who controls the Senate.
To talk about all the races in Georgia and more, we go to Atlanta to speak with Emory professor Carol Anderson, author of many books, including One Person, No Vote: How Voter Suppression Is Destroying Our Democracy.
You have Joe Biden, in the last days of this race, very unusual for a Democrat since no Democratic presidential candidate won there since 1992, going to Warm Springs, Georgia, to give one of his final speeches there of the election campaign, and then these two highly contentious senatorial races. Can you talk about the significance of this, Professor Anderson?
CAROL ANDERSON: I think that what it’s really showing is how Georgia is truly in play. And it’s in play because we’ve had not only massive demographic changes here in Georgia, but we have had grassroots organizing and mobilizing, registering folks to vote, working through getting through all of the voter suppression barriers to, in fact, bring people out to the polls in unprecedented numbers. And to have two really viable candidates running for Senate and then to have Biden going to Warm Springs, Georgia, which was the retreat for FDR, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, begins to give a sense that Georgia is more than in play.
AMY GOODMAN: I mean, that’s fascinating that he went to Warm Springs, Georgia, where President FDR would go to convalesce from polio — in this period, in 2020, in the midst of this pandemic, that the former Vice President Joe Biden would choose Warm Springs to speak.
CAROL ANDERSON: Yes, and I think that part of what it is, too, is that just the way the U.S. was in significant trouble during the Great Depression and President Herbert Hoover was unable to work out of his ideological box, that this was going to require government intervention to help the American people, and FDR didn’t have that box. He had the New Deal. And I think that that is also what is being signified here, is that we are in the middle of a massive pandemic, where we have had 9 million cases in the U.S., where we have had over 225,000 deaths, businesses shutting down, schools not really being able to open safely. And it’s going to take massive government intervention, on the New Deal level, to get us where we need to be.
AMY GOODMAN: I want to go to Republican Senator David Perdue — we just heard Ossoff, his opponent, speaking — who appeared to mock Democratic vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris at a rally for Donald Trump in Georgia, repeatedly mispronouncing her name as Kamala. And then Jon Ossoff tweeted, in response, quote, “Senator Perdue never would have done this to a male colleague. Or a white colleague. And everyone knows it.” This is Senator Perdue.
SEN. DAVID PERDUE: These aren’t activists; these are constitutionalists. They’re out there to protect you and me. But the most insidious thing that Chuck Schumer and Joe Biden are trying to perpetrate, and Bernie and Elizabeth and Kamala, or Kamala, Kamala, Kamalamalamala — I don’t know. Whatever.
AMY GOODMAN: Her name is Senator Kamala Harris, and she’s the Democratic vice-presidential candidate. I wanted to ask you, Professor Anderson, about the effect and the impact of Stacey Abrams and her organization Fair Fight, what it has meant, because whether it’s Georgia or Florida or anywhere in this country, talking about people’s right to vote, something you have spent a great deal of time examining.
CAROL ANDERSON: Yes. And so, one of the key things is that, you know, Stacey Abrams ran for governor here and was — her opponent was Brian Kemp, who was the secretary of state, who did not recuse himself but engaged in massive voter suppression efforts to “win” that election. Stacey Abrams did not concede. I mean, when you hear her nonconcession speech, you know that you’re looking at a warrior, a woman who understands that in order to get this democracy back on track, it’s not just about an elected office. It is about doing the heavy lifting of democracy.
And that is what Fair Fight for Action is. It is massive grassroots organizing, registering folks to vote, and understanding it’s not just in Georgia, but it is in all of these states where we have this massive voter suppression. That kind of organizing, that kind of mobilizing and that kind of litigation has been absolutely instrumental in getting people out to vote and working with other organizations and in making very visible what had been so invisible, which is the evisceration of so many American citizens’ right to vote, the willingness to create what I call civic death. Stacey Abrams has been just amazing in terms of the work that she and her organization have been doing.
AMY GOODMAN: And can you talk about the meltdown in the primary that just took place a few months ago?
CAROL ANDERSON: Yes. So, in the primary, we had — our primary was scheduled for April, but because of the pandemic that has been allowed to just run rampant here in Georgia, is that it got moved to June. What that meant then was that it was supposed to give the election officials time to prepare. What in fact happened was that we had these massive, massive lines. They’ve done a recent study, and they found that in precincts that were 90% or more white for registered voters, their wait time was six minutes; for precincts that were over 90% or more minority, the average wait time was 51 minutes — six minutes to almost an hour. That’s not by accident.
And the work of making clear — what that did was it invoked a kind of sense of we have got to do what we must do in order to vote these folks out, the people who don’t believe in democracy, the people who don’t believe in voting rights. We have got to mobilize to vote them out. And this is why you see the massive early voting turnout happening here in Georgia and, frankly, around the nation.
AMY GOODMAN: So, can you talk about the other senatorial race, where so many people are running at once, this special election to fill Isakson’s seat, that currently the appointed senator, Loeffler, has? And she’s running, as well. And among those she’s running against is the Reverend Raphael Warnock. We saw him preside over the funeral of Congressman John Lewis, the voting rights warrior. Kelly Loeffler, the white woman supporter of President Trump, co-owner of the WNBA’s franchise for Atlanta Dream, talk about her tenure and what this race means.
CAROL ANDERSON: And this race is also highly contentious and really in play. Part of what you have happening here is that when Senator Isakson resigned, retired, he — there was an opening. Doug Collins, who was Trump’s attack dog in the House impeachment hearings, he thought that he was going to get the appointment from Governor Kemp. Instead, Kemp chose Kelly Loeffler. So she is an appointed senator. She is not elected. And so she is running for election.
But Doug Collins believed that that was his seat, and so he’s still in the election. And he is right-wing, and so Kelly Loeffler is now trying to run to the right of the right wing. And so, this is why you see her blasting the WNBA. This is why you see her blasting Black Lives Matter. This is why you see her conjuring up images of massive Black violence, with the mob that was supposedly there at the Wendy’s when the police killed Rayshard Brooks. All of that is her running a kind of George Wallace campaign to go to the right of Doug Collins.
Then you have Reverend Raphael Warnock. And in Warnock, you’re seeing a vision that is about all of us. You’re seeing a vision about what does it mean when we’re in the middle of a pandemic and the Republicans have allowed hospitals to close in the rural counties. What does that mean in terms of being so pro-life that we’re willing to have the kinds of deaths, over 7,000 deaths that have happened here in the pandemic, and more than 360-some cases of the coronavirus? And so, you’re getting a vision of the we versus a vision of “I heard that there was going to — that this COVID-19 thing was going to be really bad, and so, like Perdue, I’m going to do some stock buys and some stock sales so that I can do my kind of — I can get mine. I can make my profit.” That kind of leadership is the kind of leadership that is really juxtaposed to the kind of vision and compassion and the centering humanity, and that we are not expendable, that we’re hearing from Reverend Raphael Warnock.
AMY GOODMAN: I wanted to ask about that report, calls growing for Richard Burr to resign, as well as Georgia Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler facing new calls — this was months ago — over revelations her husband invested heavily in a medical supply company ahead of the stock market’s coronavirus crash. Loeffler’s latest financial disclosures show that her husband, who is chair of the New York Stock Exchange, bought more than $200,000 worth of shares of DuPont in late February and early March, when Loeffler had access to privileged briefings about the threat of the coronavirus.
CAROL ANDERSON: Yes. And so, you see what happened with that report, those calls for resignation, those calls for investigation, is that she was cleared by the Senate, but Burr has been under it. And because Burr was in fact the chair of one of the key committees investigating the role of foreign influence and the role of foreign attacks on our election system, and because he was chairing that committee, co-chairing that committee, he was left out there without Republican protection for his wrongdoing, whereas Kelly Loeffler was protected by the Republicans for what she did, for what she and her husband did.
AMY GOODMAN: Professor Anderson, finally, what do you expect to see in these coming days? I mean, the amount of early voter turnout has been massive all over the country. And what are you most concerned about?
CAROL ANDERSON: I am heartened by that massive voter turnout. What we see here are the American people fighting for democracy, even when their institutions are not. What I’m concerned about are the series of court decisions that have created confusion in the system about when ballots have to be in, when they can be counted. And so, I am encouraging everybody, if this is your last day to early vote, please do so. The turnout lines and the confusion will be strong and long on Election Day, and so we need to mitigate that as much as possible. And that’s what I think is happening with this early voting.
AMY GOODMAN: Carol Anderson, thanks so much for being with us, professor at Emory University, author of White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide; her most recent book, One Person, No Vote: How Voter Suppression Is Destroying Our Democracy.
When we come back, we’ll be joined by Indigenous investigative journalist Jenni Monet on the Native vote and how it could determine Senate races. Stay with us.
[break]
AMY GOODMAN: “Someday” by The Strokes. The Strokes’ lead singer, Julian Casablancas, has just launched a new interview series with Rolling Stone. I do the first conversation with him. His series is called S.O.S. — Earth Is a Mess. We’ll link that interview at democracynow.org. The Strokes will be appearing on Saturday Night Live this weekend.


democracynow--2020-10-30--Headlines for October 30, 2020

Headlines for October 30, 2020

President Trump and Joe Biden held competing campaign rallies just miles apart Thursday in the battleground state of Florida — which is also a “ red zone ” hot spot for the coronavirus .
Biden held a drive-in rally in Tampa , where supporters were required to wear masks and to practice social distancing .
Joe Biden : “ Donald Trump refuses to listen to science .
And we shouldn ’ t be politicizing the race for a vaccine .
We should be planning for its safe use and free and equitable distribution , proving PPE for national standards for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I laid out a plan back in May how to do that.
” Just 10 miles away , President Trump spoke to a crowd of thousands of mostly unmasked supporters , who rallied shoulder to shoulder on the day the U.S. shattered its record for new coronavirus infections .
Trump promised the country would remain open for business , no matter what .
President Donald Trump : “ We ’ re never going to lock down again .
We locked down , we understood the disease , and now we ’ re open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what it is.
” Trump ’ s rally came as the U.S. death toll from COVID-19 topped 228,000 , with over 9 million confirmed cases since March .
President Donald Trump : “ You know the bottom line , though ?
You ’ re going to get better .
You ’ re going to get better .
If I can get better , anybody can get better .
And I got better fast.
” Nearly a dozen Trump supporters at Thursday ’ s rally in Tampa were hospitalized after waiting for hours in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the podium , Trump mocked firefighters who sprayed the crowd with water to help cool people off .
This follows seven hospitalizations for hypothermia that followed a Trump rally in Omaha Tuesday evening after the Trump campaign failed to provide enough buses for supporters , who were left waiting in the freezing cold for hours .
Meanwhile , a CNN study finds 82 % of counties where President Trump held a campaign rally experienced a surge in COVID-19 cases afterward .

President Trump and Joe Biden held competing campaign rallies just miles apart Thursday in the battleground state of Florida — which is also a “red zone” hot spot for the coronavirus. Biden held a drive-in rally in Tampa, where supporters were required to wear masks and to practice social distancing.
Joe Biden: “Donald Trump refuses to listen to science. And we shouldn’t be politicizing the race for a vaccine. We should be planning for its safe use and free and equitable distribution, proving PPE for national standards for schools, businesses to open safely. I laid out a plan back in May how to do that.”
Just 10 miles away, President Trump spoke to a crowd of thousands of mostly unmasked supporters, who rallied shoulder to shoulder on the day the U.S. shattered its record for new coronavirus infections. Trump promised the country would remain open for business, no matter what.
President Donald Trump: “We’re never going to lock down again. We locked down, we understood the disease, and now we’re open for business. And that’s what it is.”
Trump’s rally came as the U.S. death toll from COVID-19 topped 228,000, with over 9 million confirmed cases since March.
President Donald Trump: “You know the bottom line, though? You’re going to get better. You’re going to get better. If I can get better, anybody can get better. And I got better fast.”
Nearly a dozen Trump supporters at Thursday’s rally in Tampa were hospitalized after waiting for hours in the searing heat and humidity. From the podium, Trump mocked firefighters who sprayed the crowd with water to help cool people off.
President Donald Trump: “They may be doing that on purpose. Let’s find out if they’re friend or foe. And if they’re foe, let’s take care of those son of a bitches.”
This follows seven hospitalizations for hypothermia that followed a Trump rally in Omaha Tuesday evening after the Trump campaign failed to provide enough buses for supporters, who were left waiting in the freezing cold for hours. Meanwhile, a CNN study finds 82% of counties where President Trump held a campaign rally experienced a surge in COVID-19 cases afterward.


democracynow--2020-11-02--Author Edwidge Danticat: "Be the Vote for Immigrant Families Under Threat by Trump Administration"

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : This is Democracy Now !
I ’ m Amy Goodman .
We end today ’ s show in the key battleground state of Florida , which could decide the presidential election .
Many political analysts say Trump has little chance of winning the Electoral College if he loses in Florida , which has 29 electoral votes .
We turn now to look at how Trump and Biden ’ s immigration plans could impact the race in Florida .
Over 273,000 U.S.-born children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should Trump win reelection and terminate TPS — that ’ s the temporary protected status program — which has protected migrants from El Salvador , Haiti , Honduras , Nicaragua , Sudan and Nepal .
Tens of thousands of TPS recipients live in Florida .
The award-winning Haitian American author Edwidge Danticat writes about this in her new piece headlined “ Be the vote for immigrant families under threat by the Trump administration.
” Edwidge Danticat joins us from Miami along with 13-year-old Christina Ponthieux , the U.S.-born daughter of two TPS recipients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Family Action Network Movement , or FANM , and a co-chair of the group ’ s Children for Family Reunification initiative .
She testifies anywhere she — anyplace she can to talk about what ’ s happening .
Edwidge Danticat , we are on the eve of the election .
Talk about what ’ s at stake .
EDWIDGE DANTICAT : Good morning , Amy , and thank you so much for having us .
There is a great deal at stake overall , I mean , I think , for so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID , for healthcare .
But what specifically with Christina today is at stake is the fact that — whether she will be able to stay with her family , or she and other children in the same situation as her .
There are so many of them .
And Christina has a very powerful story .
And when I met her in 2007 was the first time that TPS was announced terminated .
And then lawsuits have kept it going — Ramos v. Nielsen in California and Saget v. Trump , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really the only wall between the full termination of TPS and children like Christina being able to stay in the only country that they ’ ve ever known .
AMY GOODMAN : Well , let ’ s bring Christina in right now .
I want to read the beginning , Edwidge , of your — of the op-ed that you wrote : “ I have never seen a child work so hard to keep her family together .
For the past four years , Christina Ponthieux , 13 , has been addressing rallies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , writing open letters and recording videos addressed to elected officials — including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President Donald Trump.
” Christina , tell us your story , your family ’ s story , your parents ’ story , how you all came to the United States — how they came , and you were born here .
CHRISTINA PONTHIEUX : Thank you for having me .
Well , my parents , they came from Haiti , and they ’ ve been living in the U.S. for about 20 years now .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ they were — they came to America for a better life , just because in Haiti they couldn ’ t really make their future a lot better .
They didn ’ t see their future getting better in where they were living .
And in 2010 , they were granted TPS because of the earthquake that happened there .
And they ’ ve been living here ever since 1999 .
And we ’ ve been living [ inaudible ] — AMY GOODMAN : And just to be clear , this earthquake , 300,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PONTHIEUX : Yes .
And many people were affected .
We lost a lot of family that we had there .
And so , that granted them TPS and many other people TPS , too .
And so they ’ ve been living here for 20 years .
And I believe it is 2017 that President Trump was mentioning that he ’ s terminating TPS .
And because of this , terminating TPS would affect all of us , especially kids like me who are U.S.-born children who have never been to their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s other children who may or may not even speak their parents ’ language , their home country ’ s language .
So , many of us could be affected on whether TPS is terminated or not .
And I found out about this when I was 9 years old .
And I found out that my parents could be taken away from me at any time , and there was nothing that I could really do about it .
And I , for the first time , started public speaking in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I could do something with my voice .
And ever since then , I ’ ve been public speaking .
I ’ ve been going to rallies .
I ’ ve been going to Washington to speak with Congress on this issue .
And it ’ s been about four years now .
CHRISTINA PONTHIEUX : Yes .
My mom is a LPN , and my dad is a RN and licensed , yeah , registered nurse .
AMY GOODMAN : Now , you ’ re 13 , so you can ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you tell kids your age to do ?
CHRISTINA PONTHIEUX : Well , I can not personally vote — and there are other kids who can not vote — because of my age .
But I do tell kids my age to , you know , encourage their parents to vote , because they can give their parents a little , like , idea , like , “ You know what ?
I should vote.
” And I do speak to adults , too , and I tell them , like , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that you vote , because even though it is one vote , many votes together can make a difference , and your vote really does matter , and it does count .
AMY GOODMAN : And Florida sure does make a difference .
The other day , we reported on The Guardian reporting that the Trump administration has significantly increased deportations to Haiti in the weeks before the presidential election , triggering concerns for the safety of asylum seekers and the possible spread of coronavirus in Haiti .
The watchdog group Witness at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deportation flights to Haiti this month .
This comes as immigrant advocates say Black asylum seekers are being disproportionately targeted .
Earlier this month , 60 Cameroonian and other — over two dozen Congolese asylum seekers were deported en masse , many alleging ICE agents tortured them to force them to sign removal papers .
And I wanted to bring Edwidge Danticat back into this conversation .
I was speaking to someone who was engaged in a Black voter — Black turn-out-the-vote effort in Massachusetts , who said she spoke to someone , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here for decades , could vote , and she said that she was afraid to go to the polls on Election Day because she could be — she was afraid she would be deported .
Can you talk about the chilling effect this has , and if you think that ’ s part of the intention , all of this activity right before the election , Edwidge ?
EDWIDGE DANTICAT : Absolutely , Amy .
I think this is part of — you know , voter suppression is such a part of Election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election in the United States .
We know the long history of trying to disenfranchise people , to take away their ability to vote .
Now there ’ s another layer of it , I think , with immigration and people who are citizens , like all the ways that they are going to make it harder to vote because we — you know , Miami-Dade , where we live , can potentially decide this election .
So I expect tomorrow there will probably be a lot of obstacles placed in the paths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who might be voting for the first time .
So I ’ m not surprised by that .
I ’ m also — you know , with the deportations , that seems to be part of the start of part two of the Trump administration ’ s immigration policy .
The other day , Stephen Miller outlined what they were going to do , all the restrictions .
And the deportations , especially the most recent deportations during COVID-19 , seem to have accelerated in the last weeks towards that path .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on both fronts , both on this voter suppression front and also on this immigration front .
AMY GOODMAN : You wrote a piece earlier this year for The New Yorker magazine titled “ The Ripple Effects of the Coronavirus on Immigrant Communities.
” As we move into this election and this record surge of COVID-19 throughout Florida , throughout Texas , throughout the Midwest , the Upper Midwest , across the country , the effects you fear this will have on the election ?
And also , if you can comment on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Florida years ago and saying he — when he was running for president , saying he will represent Haitian Americans ?
EDWIDGE DANTICAT : Well , I think very few — I did not believe that he was going to represent — like , be our biggest champion , as he mentioned .
But it ’ s actually been worse than he actually hinted , with these deportations , certainly , that are accelerated during COVID-19 , the family reunification removed .
Haitians can no longer apply for work visas , certain work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So , that is certainly the opposite of that promise .
But I think the ripple effects certainly are throughout the immigrant community where we live , Miami-Dade , which is going to be such an important part of this election , because we have quite a lot of immigration to Miami .
And people , during COVID , we ’ ve had a disproportionate , probably , number of deaths here , as well .
And people who are immigrants might be more afraid to go for healthcare , right ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , if they ’ re on the process to immigration , they might worry about the public charge , about having a green card not available to them later on , which then would reduce their chances of progressing , of becoming citizens .
So , there ’ s a lot .
There ’ s so much at stake .
And I think Christina , which is one of the reasons that I wanted to write about her in this piece , gives us a new way of looking at voting .
Maybe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she reminds us , and all my neighbors remind us , that , you know , the vote , our vote , really affects not just us but people around the world .
AMY GOODMAN : And finally , Edwidge , the whole country , maybe the world , is looking at Florida , absolutely key state .
In order for Donald Trump to win , he must win Florida .
What are you looking at , in these last 30 seconds that we have ?
EDWIDGE DANTICAT : Well , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turnout .
I hope that they won ’ t be putting mountains in people ’ s ways , that they ’ ll be able to come out and vote , and vote in large numbers , and vote for themselves and vote for their neighbors and really vote for the future .
People like Christina , young people like that , who are counting on us , vote for them .
AMY GOODMAN : Well , I want to thank both of you for joining us from the key battleground state of Florida @ @ @ @ @ @ @ novelist , and Christina Ponthieux of the Family Action Network Movement , co-chair of group ’ s Children for Family Reunification initiative , one of 273,000 U.S.-born children who could be separated from their parents if Trump wins reelection and terminates temporary protected status .
Finally , this reminder : Tomorrow , Tuesday , November 3rd , Democracy Now !
will air a three-hour election night special from 9 p.m. to midnight Eastern time .
You can watch it live on our website at democracynow.org .
We ’ ll cover the results from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ races , as well as ballot initiatives around the country .
Democracy Now !
's election night special will feature interviews and perspectives you wo n't hear anywhere else .
We ’ ll include voices of activists , analysts , grassroots leaders , discussing how the movements on the ground will go forward following this historic election .
And we ’ ll discuss election protection .
We ’ ll discuss the voting around the country .
Again , it ’ s 9 p.m. to midnight Eastern time .
You can watch at democracynow.org @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can run the Democracy Now !
special .
That does it for our show .
Democracy Now !
is produced with Renée Feltz , Mike Burke , Deena Guzder , Libby Rainey , Nermeen Shaikh , María Taracena , Carla Wills , Tami Woronoff , Charina Nadura , Sam Alcoff , Tey-Marie Astudillo , John Hamilton , Robby Karran , Hany Massoud and Adriano Contreras .
Special thanks to Julie Crosby and Becca Staley .
I ’ m Amy Goodman .
Save lives .
Wear a mask .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now! I’m Amy Goodman. We end today’s show in the key battleground state of Florida, which could decide the presidential election. Many political analysts say Trump has little chance of winning the Electoral College if he loses in Florida, which has 29 electoral votes.
We turn now to look at how Trump and Biden’s immigration plans could impact the race in Florida. Over 273,000 U.S.-born children could be separated from their parents, should Trump win reelection and terminate TPS — that’s the temporary protected status program — which has protected migrants from El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Sudan and Nepal. Tens of thousands of TPS recipients live in Florida.
The award-winning Haitian American author Edwidge Danticat writes about this in her new piece headlined “Be the vote for immigrant families under threat by the Trump administration.” Edwidge Danticat joins us from Miami along with 13-year-old Christina Ponthieux, the U.S.-born daughter of two TPS recipients from Haiti. Christina is a member of Family Action Network Movement, or FANM, and a co-chair of the group’s Children for Family Reunification initiative. She testifies anywhere she — anyplace she can to talk about what’s happening.
Edwidge Danticat, we are on the eve of the election. Talk about what’s at stake.
EDWIDGE DANTICAT: Good morning, Amy, and thank you so much for having us.
There is a great deal at stake overall, I mean, I think, for so many issues — for immigration, for COVID, for healthcare. But what specifically with Christina today is at stake is the fact that — whether she will be able to stay with her family, or she and other children in the same situation as her. There are so many of them. And Christina has a very powerful story. And when I met her in 2007 was the first time that TPS was announced terminated. And then lawsuits have kept it going — Ramos v. Nielsen in California and Saget v. Trump, which is a case that now is basically really the only wall between the full termination of TPS and children like Christina being able to stay in the only country that they’ve ever known.
AMY GOODMAN: Well, let’s bring Christina in right now. I want to read the beginning, Edwidge, of your — of the op-ed that you wrote: “I have never seen a child work so hard to keep her family together. For the past four years, Christina Ponthieux, 13, has been addressing rallies, attending congressional briefings and press conferences, writing open letters and recording videos addressed to elected officials — including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President Donald Trump.” Christina, tell us your story, your family’s story, your parents’ story, how you all came to the United States — how they came, and you were born here.
CHRISTINA PONTHIEUX: Thank you for having me.
Well, my parents, they came from Haiti, and they’ve been living in the U.S. for about 20 years now. And they came in 1999, where they were — they came to America for a better life, just because in Haiti they couldn’t really make their future a lot better. They didn’t see their future getting better in where they were living. And in 2010, they were granted TPS because of the earthquake that happened there. And they’ve been living here ever since 1999. And we’ve been living [inaudible] —
AMY GOODMAN: And just to be clear, this earthquake, 300,000 Haitians died in the earthquake.
CHRISTINA PONTHIEUX: Yes. And many people were affected. We lost a lot of family that we had there. And so, that granted them TPS and many other people TPS, too. And so they’ve been living here for 20 years.
And I believe it is 2017 that President Trump was mentioning that he’s terminating TPS. And because of this, terminating TPS would affect all of us, especially kids like me who are U.S.-born children who have never been to their parents’ country before. And there’s other children who may or may not even speak their parents’ language, their home country’s language. So, many of us could be affected on whether TPS is terminated or not.
And I found out about this when I was 9 years old. And I found out that my parents could be taken away from me at any time, and there was nothing that I could really do about it. And I, for the first time, started public speaking in this interview, and they realized that I could do something with my voice. And ever since then, I’ve been public speaking. I’ve been going to rallies. I’ve been going to Washington to speak with Congress on this issue. And it’s been about four years now.
AMY GOODMAN: Your parents are nurses?
CHRISTINA PONTHIEUX: Yes. My mom is a LPN, and my dad is a RN and licensed, yeah, registered nurse.
AMY GOODMAN: Now, you’re 13, so you can’t vote.
CHRISTINA PONTHIEUX: No.
AMY GOODMAN: What do you tell kids your age to do?
CHRISTINA PONTHIEUX: Well, I cannot personally vote — and there are other kids who cannot vote — because of my age. But I do tell kids my age to, you know, encourage their parents to vote, because they can give their parents a little, like, idea, like, “You know what? I should vote.” And I do speak to adults, too, and I tell them, like, you know, it’s very important that you vote, because even though it is one vote, many votes together can make a difference, and your vote really does matter, and it does count.
AMY GOODMAN: And Florida sure does make a difference. The other day, we reported on The Guardian reporting that the Trump administration has significantly increased deportations to Haiti in the weeks before the presidential election, triggering concerns for the safety of asylum seekers and the possible spread of coronavirus in Haiti. The watchdog group Witness at the Border has recorded at least 12 deportation flights to Haiti this month. This comes as immigrant advocates say Black asylum seekers are being disproportionately targeted. Earlier this month, 60 Cameroonian and other — over two dozen Congolese asylum seekers were deported en masse, many alleging ICE agents tortured them to force them to sign removal papers.
And I wanted to bring Edwidge Danticat back into this conversation. I was speaking to someone who was engaged in a Black voter — Black turn-out-the-vote effort in Massachusetts, who said she spoke to someone, a Haitian American woman who had lived here for decades, could vote, and she said that she was afraid to go to the polls on Election Day because she could be — she was afraid she would be deported. Can you talk about the chilling effect this has, and if you think that’s part of the intention, all of this activity right before the election, Edwidge?
EDWIDGE DANTICAT: Absolutely, Amy. I think this is part of — you know, voter suppression is such a part of Election Day, especially in such an important election in the United States. We know the long history of trying to disenfranchise people, to take away their ability to vote. Now there’s another layer of it, I think, with immigration and people who are citizens, like all the ways that they are going to make it harder to vote because we — you know, Miami-Dade, where we live, can potentially decide this election. So I expect tomorrow there will probably be a lot of obstacles placed in the paths of people of color, immigrants, people who might be voting for the first time. So I’m not surprised by that.
I’m also — you know, with the deportations, that seems to be part of the start of part two of the Trump administration’s immigration policy. The other day, Stephen Miller outlined what they were going to do, all the restrictions. And the deportations, especially the most recent deportations during COVID-19, seem to have accelerated in the last weeks towards that path. They seem to be trying to attack on both fronts, both on this voter suppression front and also on this immigration front.
AMY GOODMAN: You wrote a piece earlier this year for The New Yorker magazine titled “The Ripple Effects of the Coronavirus on Immigrant Communities.” As we move into this election and this record surge of COVID-19 throughout Florida, throughout Texas, throughout the Midwest, the Upper Midwest, across the country, the effects you fear this will have on the election? And also, if you can comment on President Trump coming to Little Haiti in Florida years ago and saying he — when he was running for president, saying he will represent Haitian Americans?
EDWIDGE DANTICAT: Well, I think very few — I did not believe that he was going to represent — like, be our biggest champion, as he mentioned. But it’s actually been worse than he actually hinted, with these deportations, certainly, that are accelerated during COVID-19, the family reunification removed. Haitians can no longer apply for work visas, certain work visas that were available to us before. So, that is certainly the opposite of that promise.
But I think the ripple effects certainly are throughout the immigrant community where we live, Miami-Dade, which is going to be such an important part of this election, because we have quite a lot of immigration to Miami. And people, during COVID, we’ve had a disproportionate, probably, number of deaths here, as well. And people who are immigrants might be more afraid to go for healthcare, right? Because they might worry. For example, if they’re on the process to immigration, they might worry about the public charge, about having a green card not available to them later on, which then would reduce their chances of progressing, of becoming citizens. So, there’s a lot. There’s so much at stake.
And I think Christina, which is one of the reasons that I wanted to write about her in this piece, gives us a new way of looking at voting. Maybe some people who are jaded about voting, she reminds us, and all my neighbors remind us, that, you know, the vote, our vote, really affects not just us but people around the world.
AMY GOODMAN: And finally, Edwidge, the whole country, maybe the world, is looking at Florida, absolutely key state. In order for Donald Trump to win, he must win Florida. What are you looking at, in these last 30 seconds that we have?
EDWIDGE DANTICAT: Well, I’m looking at tomorrow, the turnout. I hope that they won’t be putting mountains in people’s ways, that they’ll be able to come out and vote, and vote in large numbers, and vote for themselves and vote for their neighbors and really vote for the future. People like Christina, young people like that, who are counting on us, vote for them.
AMY GOODMAN: Well, I want to thank both of you for joining us from the key battleground state of Florida, Edwidge Danticat, the Haitian American novelist, and Christina Ponthieux of the Family Action Network Movement, co-chair of group’s Children for Family Reunification initiative, one of 273,000 U.S.-born children who could be separated from their parents if Trump wins reelection and terminates temporary protected status.
Finally, this reminder: Tomorrow, Tuesday, November 3rd, Democracy Now! will air a three-hour election night special from 9 p.m. to midnight Eastern time. You can watch it live on our website at democracynow.org. We’ll cover the results from the presidential election to congressional and state races, as well as ballot initiatives around the country. Democracy Now!'s election night special will feature interviews and perspectives you won't hear anywhere else. We’ll include voices of activists, analysts, grassroots leaders, discussing how the movements on the ground will go forward following this historic election. And we’ll discuss election protection. We’ll discuss the voting around the country. Again, it’s 9 p.m. to midnight Eastern time. You can watch at democracynow.org, or also stations across the country can run the Democracy Now! special.
That does it for our show. Democracy Now! is produced with Renée Feltz, Mike Burke, Deena Guzder, Libby Rainey, Nermeen Shaikh, María Taracena, Carla Wills, Tami Woronoff, Charina Nadura, Sam Alcoff, Tey-Marie Astudillo, John Hamilton, Robby Karran, Hany Massoud and Adriano Contreras. Special thanks to Julie Crosby and Becca Staley. I’m Amy Goodman. Save lives. Wear a mask.