democracynow--2020-11-18--An Election We Could Not Sit Out: How Indigenous Voters Helped Defeat Trump & Elect Biden

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : We ’ re going to break and then come back to talk about what Native Americans can do , and that has to do with voting , which certainly people came out in force .
We ’ d like to ask you to stay with us , Allie .
We ’ re also going to be joined by a Native American from Wisconsin .
But , Jodi Archambault , in this last 30 seconds that we have you , can you , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turnout , at least increase in Native American turnout , not noted in the mainstream media ?
JODI ARCHAMBAULT : Sure .
I just want to say that despite the risk of being exposed to COVID , the numbers were incredible .
And I think that this is something that is often overlooked by mainstream media , only because mainstream media has a tendency to leave out the full picture when it comes to Native Americans .
In fact , CNN did an infographic , and they labeled — they did a breakdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the election , and for Native Americans , they didn ’ t have us labeled as Native Americans .
They called us “ something else , ” 6 % .
AMY GOODMAN : We have that actual graphic right here .
It says “ white.
” It says “ Latinx ” [ sic ] .
It says “ Black.
” And then — or “ Latino , ” “ Black , ” and then “ something else , ” and then “ Asian.
” JODI ARCHAMBAULT : Yeah , yeah .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — our resiliency is through our humor .
And so , it just took off .
Everybody kept saying , like , “ Custer said , 'Yeah , they sure are something else . '
” You know , Custer , from the last couple centuries ago .
And a lot of people have just taken it as a call to try to bring attention to the people at CNN , to the people at the mainstream , who just continuously don ’ t see us .
They don ’ t see us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because we are a reminder of the bloodshed that it took to make this country .
We ’ re not congruent with the American dream .
And we are still here .
We ’ re actually leading , leading the way on how to handle pandemics , because we ’ ve been through so many of them .
And it ’ s so much ingrained in our communities that we ’ re not seeing this as — we ’ re not victims in this ; we ’ re actually ready to fight .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and do what we can to protect ourselves , because it ’ s the only way we ’ ve made it this far .
And we know that people in America don ’ t see us , so we have to do it for ourselves .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : Yeah .
And , Jodi , I wanted to comment on this , because I also , when I saw this figure of “ something else ” or “ other ” in these exit polls , tried to dig down a little deeper into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it had appeared to grow by about a percentage point from the previous election .
It turns out that this is a catch-all placeholder , where they include people who identify themselves as multiracial , people who declined in the exit polls to identify their race , and also Native Americans .
So it ’ s a catch-all , which — it ’ s indefensible , but it is a complex number .
And it turns out that about two-thirds of those who identified as “ other ” or “ something else ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So , it ’ s a shortcut for the exit poll people not to have to do a better job of being able to parse the various parts of the electorate .
AMY GOODMAN : Well , we want to thank Jodi Archambault for joining us , citizen of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in North Dakota .
And we ’ re going to continue on this issue , that Juan is just addressing , with Allie Young , who led horseback riders to the polls .
She ’ s a citizen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Protect the Sacred .
And we ’ re going to go to Wisconsin to speak with a Native American man who ’ s been analyzing the Native American vote .
No , it ’ s not “ something else.
” It is the Native American nations of this country .
Stay with us .
AMY GOODMAN : Tia Wood singing “ Ride to the Polls , ” a song cover of “ Old Town Road ” by Lil Nas and Billy Ray Cyrus .
This is Democracy Now !
I ’ m Amy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we continue to look at how Native American voters in key swing states helped to turn the 2020 presidential election for Joe Biden due to a massive increase in Native voter participation .
As we reported , on election night , CNN sparked swift backlash after posting an image of voter demographics which included a racial category labeling Native American voters as , quote , “ something else.
” They would later apologize .
In fact , it was Native American voters who helped flip several states for Biden in this year ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a state that has not gone blue since 1996 , Navajo voters turned out in much higher rates than 2016 , after a massive grassroots effort to get out the vote .
In Wisconsin , where Biden won by just 21,000 votes , there was also a surge in Native American voter participation that helped turn the state blue .
Trump won Wisconsin in 2016 .
For more on voting in Indian Country and the critical role Native American voters played in this election , we ’ re joined from Wisconsin by Burton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Indian Ave Group .
He is a lawyer who served in the Interior Department .
He is Menominee , Potawatomi and Ho-Chunk .
Still with us in Arizona [ sic ] is Allie Young , a citizen of the Navajo Nation and founder of Protect the Sacred .
Allie , if you could start off by talking about what you did in Arizona ?
Talk about the horseback ride that you took — actually , I understand you ’ re now in New Mexico .
ALLIE YOUNG : Yes , I am .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ New Mexico , and I ’ m with my sister and my mother right now .
Yeah , I work with my father , who lives in Rough Rock , New — or , in Rough Rock , Arizona .
Sorry .
And we work together , and I ’ ve always voted in Arizona , resided with my father .
And we ’ ve always done trail rides .
That ’ s our bonding thing .
And we ’ ve done them throughout Navajo Nation .
And this year , when we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wanted to do a Biden-Harris trail ride .
And when I called him back and thought about the significance of a trail ride and the respect that our people have for the horses — and , you know , as we call it , horse medicine .
And horse medicine is when you are in rhythm with the horse , and almost in sync , and you ’ re reconnected and refocused as you ride in our own homelands and are reminded of exactly what our ancestors have fought for , our lands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and our cultures and also our right to vote .
So , I went back to my father , and I said , “ So , what ’ s happening with the trail ride ?
” And he said , “ Yeah , I don ’ t know .
I don ’ t think we ’ re going to do it.
” And I said , “ I think we should do it .
But with Protect the Sacred , I have to be nonpartisan , so if it ’ s more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ polls so that they can cast their ballots , I think we should do that , ” because at the same time , I think that our Native American youth — I was hearing on the ground that they weren ’ t feeling very motivated to participate in this election , as a lot of other communities of color , because , you know , why continue participating in a system that has never worked for us and is not working for us ?
And I wanted to communicate to them that this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not sit out .
ALLIE YOUNG : And so , I wanted them to — I often find that our Native youth , you know , we are more educated than ever .
That ’ s why there ’ s this resistance , because we know our history and what has happened to us historically .
And also , we ’ re more connected to technology and information than ever , and we ’ re more eager to reconnect to our cultures , and that respect for our ancestors and our elders is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to strategize and use that and say , “ OK , let ’ s find something that will excite our Native youth that ’ s rooted in our culture , that will also help us reclaim Arizona , ” because , you know , I keep saying that Arizona is Indigenous DNA , it is not Republican DNA , as I heard on the news when I was watching about a month before we decided to do trail — ride to the polls .
And that ’ s what really motivated me , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of many tribal communities , and it is not just a place where white conservatives go to retire .
And this is our homeland .
And we wanted — I called on my people : “ Let ’ s show up .
Let ’ s show them that we ’ re still here .
Let ’ s be represented .
Let ’ s make sure that we have a seat at the table and that our voices are heard.
” And so , that ’ s why it was so important .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot of young people did come out .
It did excite them .
I got so many positive messages from our efforts .
And I think it was a positive turnout .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : And , Allie , I wanted to ask you about that .
What were the results , from what you ’ ve been able to tell ?
Not so much , obviously , because the exit polls didn ’ t factor in or count Native American votes , but what ’ s been the result in the actual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to see so far ?
ALLIE YOUNG : Yeah , well , I believe around 60-something thousand Navajos in Navajo Nation .
So , Coconino County , Navajo County — which is where I did all of my work , and I vote in Navajo County — and Apache County , they all overlap the Navajo Nation .
And in those areas , Navajo people turned out to vote .
I think 84 % of those who had registered turned out to vote , and 97 % of those who cast their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s just incredible .
That just shows the contribution of the Native vote in key swing states , in not only Navajo Nation , but there is a map that compares tribal communities , and all of those tribal communities voted blue .
And so , we came out strong .
I think we did do a great job in reclaiming Arizona , saying that we ’ re still here , that we ’ ve always been here , and that now we ’ re going to keep working to hold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
AMY GOODMAN : You know , you not only organized Navajo voters , Allie , but one of the hardest groups not so much to organize , to get out in the streets , to be activists , but to actually vote .
And that ’ s young people .
Maybe it ’ s because of your last name , Allie Young , but you sure managed to galvanize a lot of young people .
What kind of message do you have for what is the most effective way to get first-time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like they really are making a difference , when it ’ s — you know , they haven ’ t done this before ?
ALLIE YOUNG : Well , my strategy was all around , you know , you ’ ve got to think about what we ’ re working within .
With young people , we are very tuned in to social media , so definitely it is a powerful tool .
So , connecting with them that way , we had a huge social media strategy , and also layering in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Native youth , but also , I think , with a lot of other youth across other communities of color , because I think we ’ re in this amazing moment where all of our communities of color are reconnecting to our cultures and really proud of who we are and where we come from .
So , using that and saying , “ Let ’ s show up in that way .
Let ’ s show , through social media , in fighting for our representation , ” that takes work .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we ’ re not just going to automatically be talked about in the media .
We have to show up .
And that ’ s the messaging that I used , especially for Native people , who — we ’ re too often invisible in the media .
We ’ re called “ something else.
” And so , you know , let ’ s turn that on its head .
Let ’ s show them that we ’ re still here , we ’ re not going away , and we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And I think that ’ s really effective , with especially our leaders , our young leaders today .
We are very progressive .
We are — I think , as Native people , we ’ re innately activists and political , because we ’ re not even supposed to be here .
And that ’ s definitely the messaging and strategy that I used .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : Allie , we have less than a minute left , but I ’ m wondering just if you could quickly say what your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration ’ s policy toward Native American people ?
ALLIE YOUNG : Yeah .
Well , we ’ re definitely going to be making sure that we ’ re represented , especially when it comes to climate change .
We do want a seat at the table .
We want to be in that conversation , because we have just incredible knowledge about the ways that we respect Mother Earth , that we honor Mother Earth , and those are things that will end up saving Mother Earth .
And so , learning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and also on issues of — we ’ re still in COVID-19 , and it ’ s still severely impacting our tribal communities , so we ’ re expected — we ’ re expecting them to work with us in helping us to bring the funding and the aid that we need , because $ 8 billion was not enough in the initial stimulus package .
AMY GOODMAN : We want to thank you so much , Allie Young , for being with us , citizen of the Navajo Nation , organized throughout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and founder of Protect the Sacred .
And we will bring you Burton Warrington , Menominee , Potawatomi and Ho-Chunk , at democracynow.org , to talk about the critical Native voter count in Wisconsin .
This is Democracy Now !
I ’ m Amy Goodman , with Juan González .
Stay safe .
Wear a mask .
Save lives .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: We’re going to break and then come back to talk about what Native Americans can do, and that has to do with voting, which certainly people came out in force. We’d like to ask you to stay with us, Allie. We’re also going to be joined by a Native American from Wisconsin. But, Jodi Archambault, in this last 30 seconds that we have you, can you, overall, talk about the massive voter turnout, at least increase in Native American turnout, not noted in the mainstream media?
JODI ARCHAMBAULT: Sure. I just want to say that despite the risk of being exposed to COVID, the numbers were incredible. And I think that this is something that is often overlooked by mainstream media, only because mainstream media has a tendency to leave out the full picture when it comes to Native Americans. In fact, CNN did an infographic, and they labeled — they did a breakdown of all the different people who voted in the election, and for Native Americans, they didn’t have us labeled as Native Americans. They called us “something else,” 6%.
AMY GOODMAN: We have that actual graphic right here. It says “white.” It says “Latinx” [sic]. It says “Black.” And then — or “Latino,” “Black,” and then “something else,” and then “Asian.”
JODI ARCHAMBAULT: Yeah, yeah. And social media, we are very much — our resiliency is through our humor. And so, it just took off. Everybody kept saying, like, “Custer said, 'Yeah, they sure are something else.'” You know, Custer, from the last couple centuries ago. And a lot of people have just taken it as a call to try to bring attention to the people at CNN, to the people at the mainstream, who just continuously don’t see us. They don’t see us, and it’s intentional, because we are a reminder of the bloodshed that it took to make this country. We’re not congruent with the American dream.
And we are still here. We’re actually leading, leading the way on how to handle pandemics, because we’ve been through so many of them. And it’s so much ingrained in our communities that we’re not seeing this as — we’re not victims in this; we’re actually ready to fight. We’re ready to push back and do what we can to protect ourselves, because it’s the only way we’ve made it this far. And we know that people in America don’t see us, so we have to do it for ourselves.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Yeah. And, Jodi, I wanted to comment on this, because I also, when I saw this figure of “something else” or “other” in these exit polls, tried to dig down a little deeper into what was behind it, especially since it had appeared to grow by about a percentage point from the previous election. It turns out that this is a catch-all placeholder, where they include people who identify themselves as multiracial, people who declined in the exit polls to identify their race, and also Native Americans. So it’s a catch-all, which — it’s indefensible, but it is a complex number. And it turns out that about two-thirds of those who identified as “other” or “something else” voted for Joe Biden versus Donald Trump. So, it’s a shortcut for the exit poll people not to have to do a better job of being able to parse the various parts of the electorate.
AMY GOODMAN: Well, we want to thank Jodi Archambault for joining us, citizen of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in North Dakota. And we’re going to continue on this issue, that Juan is just addressing, with Allie Young, who led horseback riders to the polls. She’s a citizen of the Navajo Nation, founder of Protect the Sacred. And we’re going to go to Wisconsin to speak with a Native American man who’s been analyzing the Native American vote. No, it’s not “something else.” It is the Native American nations of this country. Stay with us.
[break]
AMY GOODMAN: Tia Wood singing “Ride to the Polls,” a song cover of “Old Town Road” by Lil Nas and Billy Ray Cyrus. This is Democracy Now! I’m Amy Goodman, with Juan González, as we continue to look at how Native American voters in key swing states helped to turn the 2020 presidential election for Joe Biden due to a massive increase in Native voter participation.
As we reported, on election night, CNN sparked swift backlash after posting an image of voter demographics which included a racial category labeling Native American voters as, quote, “something else.” They would later apologize.
In fact, it was Native American voters who helped flip several states for Biden in this year’s presidential showdown. In Arizona, a state that has not gone blue since 1996, Navajo voters turned out in much higher rates than 2016, after a massive grassroots effort to get out the vote. In Wisconsin, where Biden won by just 21,000 votes, there was also a surge in Native American voter participation that helped turn the state blue. Trump won Wisconsin in 2016.
For more on voting in Indian Country and the critical role Native American voters played in this election, we’re joined from Wisconsin by Burton Warrington. He’s president of Indian Ave Group. He is a lawyer who served in the Interior Department. He is Menominee, Potawatomi and Ho-Chunk. Still with us in Arizona [sic] is Allie Young, a citizen of the Navajo Nation and founder of Protect the Sacred.
Allie, if you could start off by talking about what you did in Arizona? Talk about the horseback ride that you took — actually, I understand you’re now in New Mexico.
ALLIE YOUNG: Yes, I am. Yeah, my mom lives here in New Mexico, and I’m with my sister and my mother right now.
Yeah, I work with my father, who lives in Rough Rock, New — or, in Rough Rock, Arizona. Sorry. And we work together, and I’ve always voted in Arizona, resided with my father. And we’ve always done trail rides. That’s our bonding thing. And we’ve done them throughout Navajo Nation. And this year, when we were thinking about the election, he wanted to do a Biden-Harris trail ride. And when I called him back and thought about the significance of a trail ride and the respect that our people have for the horses — and, you know, as we call it, horse medicine. And horse medicine is when you are in rhythm with the horse, and almost in sync, and you’re reconnected and refocused as you ride in our own homelands and are reminded of exactly what our ancestors have fought for, our lands to still be in our own homelands, and our cultures and also our right to vote.
So, I went back to my father, and I said, “So, what’s happening with the trail ride?” And he said, “Yeah, I don’t know. I don’t think we’re going to do it.” And I said, “I think we should do it. But with Protect the Sacred, I have to be nonpartisan, so if it’s more of a getting folks out to the polls so that they can cast their ballots, I think we should do that,” because at the same time, I think that our Native American youth — I was hearing on the ground that they weren’t feeling very motivated to participate in this election, as a lot of other communities of color, because, you know, why continue participating in a system that has never worked for us and is not working for us? And I wanted to communicate to them that this is an election that we just cannot sit out.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: You’re talking to me, Julie?
AMY GOODMAN: Keep going, Allie.
ALLIE YOUNG: And so, I wanted them to — I often find that our Native youth, you know, we are more educated than ever. That’s why there’s this resistance, because we know our history and what has happened to us historically. And also, we’re more connected to technology and information than ever, and we’re more eager to reconnect to our cultures, and that respect for our ancestors and our elders is still there. And so I wanted to strategize and use that and say, “OK, let’s find something that will excite our Native youth that’s rooted in our culture, that will also help us reclaim Arizona,” because, you know, I keep saying that Arizona is Indigenous DNA, it is not Republican DNA, as I heard on the news when I was watching about a month before we decided to do trail — ride to the polls. And that’s what really motivated me, is because Arizona has this deep history of many tribal communities, and it is not just a place where white conservatives go to retire. And this is our homeland. And we wanted — I called on my people: “Let’s show up. Let’s show them that we’re still here. Let’s be represented. Let’s make sure that we have a seat at the table and that our voices are heard.” And so, that’s why it was so important. And I’m so happy that a lot of young people did come out. It did excite them. I got so many positive messages from our efforts. And I think it was a positive turnout.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Allie, I wanted to ask you about that. What were the results, from what you’ve been able to tell? Not so much, obviously, because the exit polls didn’t factor in or count Native American votes, but what’s been the result in the actual vote totals that you’ve been able to see so far?
ALLIE YOUNG: Yeah, well, I believe around 60-something thousand Navajos in Navajo Nation. So, Coconino County, Navajo County — which is where I did all of my work, and I vote in Navajo County — and Apache County, they all overlap the Navajo Nation. And in those areas, Navajo people turned out to vote. I think 84% of those who had registered turned out to vote, and 97% of those who cast their ballot voted for Joe Biden. And that’s just incredible. That just shows the contribution of the Native vote in key swing states, in not only Navajo Nation, but there is a map that compares tribal communities, and all of those tribal communities voted blue. And so, we came out strong. I think we did do a great job in reclaiming Arizona, saying that we’re still here, that we’ve always been here, and that now we’re going to keep working to hold this new administration accountable, as well.
AMY GOODMAN: You know, you not only organized Navajo voters, Allie, but one of the hardest groups not so much to organize, to get out in the streets, to be activists, but to actually vote. And that’s young people. Maybe it’s because of your last name, Allie Young, but you sure managed to galvanize a lot of young people. What kind of message do you have for what is the most effective way to get first-time voters involved, to make them feel like they really are making a difference, when it’s — you know, they haven’t done this before?
ALLIE YOUNG: Well, my strategy was all around, you know, you’ve got to think about what we’re working within. With young people, we are very tuned in to social media, so definitely it is a powerful tool. So, connecting with them that way, we had a huge social media strategy, and also layering in the cultural revitalization, and particularly with Native youth, but also, I think, with a lot of other youth across other communities of color, because I think we’re in this amazing moment where all of our communities of color are reconnecting to our cultures and really proud of who we are and where we come from. So, using that and saying, “Let’s show up in that way. Let’s show, through social media, in fighting for our representation,” that takes work. And we have to — you know, we’re not just going to automatically be talked about in the media. We have to show up.
And that’s the messaging that I used, especially for Native people, who — we’re too often invisible in the media. We’re called “something else.” And so, you know, let’s turn that on its head. Let’s show them that we’re still here, we’re not going away, and we’re going to make our statements. And I think that’s really effective, with especially our leaders, our young leaders today. We are very progressive. We are — I think, as Native people, we’re innately activists and political, because we’re not even supposed to be here. And that’s definitely the messaging and strategy that I used.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Allie, we have less than a minute left, but I’m wondering just if you could quickly say what your main expectations are of the new Biden administration’s policy toward Native American people?
ALLIE YOUNG: Yeah. Well, we’re definitely going to be making sure that we’re represented, especially when it comes to climate change. We do want a seat at the table. We want to be in that conversation, because we have just incredible knowledge about the ways that we respect Mother Earth, that we honor Mother Earth, and those are things that will end up saving Mother Earth. And so, learning from us and collaborating with us, and also on issues of — we’re still in COVID-19, and it’s still severely impacting our tribal communities, so we’re expected — we’re expecting them to work with us in helping us to bring the funding and the aid that we need, because $8 billion was not enough in the initial stimulus package.
AMY GOODMAN: We want to thank you so much, Allie Young, for being with us, citizen of the Navajo Nation, organized throughout Arizona, is in New Mexico now, and founder of Protect the Sacred. And we will bring you Burton Warrington, Menominee, Potawatomi and Ho-Chunk, at democracynow.org, to talk about the critical Native voter count in Wisconsin.
This is Democracy Now! I’m Amy Goodman, with Juan González. Stay safe. Wear a mask. Save lives.


democracynow--2020-11-18--As North Dakota Faces World's Deadliest Outbreak, Native Communities Condemn States' COVID Response

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : This is Democracy Now !
I ’ m Amy Goodman , with Juan González .
This is The Quarantine Report , as we go to North Dakota , which currently has the highest COVID-19 death rate of any state or country in the world , with one in every thousand residents dead from the virus .
South Dakota ’ s death rate is nearly as bad , after both state governments spent months downplaying the crisis , the Republican governors refusing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in North Dakota .
Over the weekend , facing rapidly spiking numbers , North Dakota ’ s Governor Doug Burgum finally declared a statewide mask mandate , limited indoor restaurant capacity , and shut down high school sports .
The move came just a week after he said infected but asymptomatic healthcare workers should still work and treat COVID-19 patients at hospitals .
Meanwhile , the right-wing South Dakota Republican Governor Kristi Noem , a close Trump ally , who welcomed him to Mount Rushmore , continues to deny the crisis , will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Dakota emergency room nurse told CNN she ’ s treated many patients who deny COVID-19 is making them ill , even as they ’ re hospitalized and die of the disease .
As COVID-19 ravages the Dakotas , we turn to look at how the rapid spread of COVID-19 is affecting Native American communities , which have already faced disproportionate infection and death rates throughout the pandemic .
We ’ re joined by Jodi Archambault .
She ’ s a citizen of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe , the former special assistant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the White House Domestic Policy Council .
She is in the capital of North Dakota ; she ’ s in Bismarck .
She ’ s also the sister of the former chair of the Standing Rock Sioux , Dave Archambault .
And in Farmington , New Mexico , we ’ re joined by Allie Young , a citizen of Navajo Nation , founder of Protect the Sacred .
We welcome you both to Democracy Now !
Jodi , let ’ s begin with you .
North Dakota has the deadliest COVID death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talk about its effect on the Native American community there , of which you are a part ?
JODI ARCHAMBAULT : Thank you , Amy .
Sure .
I would just like to say that this has been a tough several months , just hoping that the government takes action .
The state government , the way that they behave and the way that they react affects our people directly , mostly because we have some of the highest rates of the underlying conditions that make COVID-19 a deadly disease .
And so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of people perish .
We ’ re having a lot of death , a lot of hospitalizations .
And it ’ s affecting us in ways that is not widely known by the rest of America .
We have very few years — we have about maybe a decade , maybe 15 years , where we have to save our language , our Lakota language , our Dakota language .
We also have other tribes in North Dakota , like the Arikara , the Mandan and the Hidatsa .
Most of the speakers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 70 .
And we don ’ t have very much time to spend with them and learn and protect and revitalize our languages .
And COVID-19 has put on an additional layer of risk , that is just putting us into a very difficult time .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : And , Jodi Archambault , how did it get to this stage , especially in the Native communities of the state ?
How did the pandemic spread so rapidly in your community ?
JODI ARCHAMBAULT : It didn ’ t spread very rapidly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the COVID-19 hit the cities first , and hit Seattle and New York City .
In North Dakota and South Dakota , we shut down the businesses and took a lot of precautions early on , until about May .
And North and South Dakota were the first states to open their doors to business as usual — restaurants .
People were shy at first .
But at this point , there ’ s a lot of people who have followed the line of thinking that COVID-19 is a hoax , or it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And a lot of people refuse to wear masks , even with a mask mandate .
This has all accelerated on the reservations .
Reservations or tribal nations , such as Eagle Butte , the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and the Oglala Sioux Tribe , the Sisseton , Wahpeton , Rosebud , they ’ ve all installed roadblocks .
They ’ ve all implemented roadblocks to stop traffic and outsiders from coming on the reservation .
And the response to their action to protect tribal members , elders and the like was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ torture them and hold them hostage with funding .
She has coordinated with the Trump administration to make it difficult to receive the federal resources that are allocated to the tribal governments , and have used that as a stick for them to try to force them to take the roadblocks down .
And rather than supporting them and thanking them for trying to address the lack of health services available on the reservation , she has made it more and more difficult for people , for our tribes to protect ourselves .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ can you talk about his originally saying that people who are healthcare workers who test positive for COVID should remain working if they are asymptomatic , and treat COVID-19 patients , and Governor Burgum then being forced to back down after the outcry , saying no to a mask mandate , then saying yes ?
JODI ARCHAMBAULT : I ’ ll just tell you that from — we don ’ t have — it ’ s really hard to speak up in North Dakota .
The news sources out here don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will say that the Nurses Association , an advocacy group , did issue a press release after Governor Burgum said that they could go back to work while they were testing COVID-positive .
That was last week on Wednesday .
And within hours , there was a pushback from the Nurses Association .
None of the hospitals have taken him up on the offer .
And it ’ s ridiculous that the leadership ’ s response to being the worst COVID rates in the world would be to allow nurses to infect other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by coming to work with COVID .
It ’ s the most preposterous type of government action that I ’ ve ever heard of .
So , the business is — the business of the hospital is asking for this kind of , I guess , allowance , to allow sick people without symptoms to come and spread ?
But actually , this has always — the situation that we ’ re talking about is the lack of compassion for those elders , not just Native elders , but all elders , all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cancer .
It is an absolute choice , a clear choice , to choose profit over people .
So , the governor isn ’ t putting people first ; he ’ s putting profit first .
And the same with Governor Noem down in South Dakota .
They have been — she has been actively asking people to come to South Dakota , come to the hottest spot — second-hottest spot in the world and have your vacation , because we don ’ t care if you wear a mask or not .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and to increase the risk that tribal governments — by forcing them to take down their barriers , or trying to force them down — they haven ’ t taken them down .
It ’ s remarkable that they ’ re able to stick to that governance decision , that is saving lives on the reservations .
It ’ s still spreading .
It ’ s still spreading on the reservations because there is active commerce between reservations and cities .
And so it ’ s getting in .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bring in Allie Young to the conversation , a citizen of the Navajo Nation and founder of Protect the Sacred .
Allie , welcome to Democracy Now !
Could you talk about the situation in Navajo Nation in terms of COVID ?
And also maybe comment on the fact that not all Native areas have gaming , but quite a significant percentage do , and often it ’ s the gaming revenues that help provide health services or social services .
Could you talk about the impact of the shutdowns on the ability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as well ?
ALLIE YOUNG : Yeah .
Yá ’ át ’ ééh , hello , everyone .
Thank you for having me .
Yeah , right now we are seeing another surge in Navajo Nation , as we expected .
We , as you all know , were the number one hot spot in the country per capita in the spring .
And we worked hard to flatten the curve , and we were able to .
There was a day where we had zero reported cases .
But recently , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , what we ’ ve been seeing throughout the nation , with some of the rallies — I mean , you know , some of our border towns around here are Trump territory , and so there were rallies that I witnessed .
And a lot of our people come into these border towns to do their shopping , because on Navajo Nation , you know , we have like 13 grocery stores .
So we have to travel to these territories where they ’ re not thinking about — they ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re not thinking about their neighbors who have been impacted .
And then , to your point about the gaming industry in Native communities , at Navajo Nation we have some casinos and hotels , as well , and they ’ ve all been shut down .
And it has impacted us economically , financially .
And as far as healthcare , we ’ ve had to — you know , I worked on a PSA through Protect the Sacred that called out for medical volunteers .
And that ’ s the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had to make that call out for PPE supplies , medical volunteers , because we just lack all of those resources and funding in our tribal communities , when we ’ re supposed to be guaranteed quality healthcare through our treaties with the federal government .
AMY GOODMAN : And , Allie Young , you ’ ve talked about feeling that so many Native elders are suffering as a result of the decades of uranium mining , particularly of pulmonary and respiratory diseases , making them even more vulnerable .
We ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the Navajo Reservation have died as of this weekend of COVID .
ALLIE YOUNG : Yes .
That is something that I am trying to connect the dots to anyone I speak to : Let ’ s not forget about how the federal government greenlit these companies coming in to extract our minerals on tribal reservations .
In Navajo Nation , for 30-plus years , we had Peabody up in the northwestern region of Navajo Nation , which was our hot spot within the nation .
And a lot of our people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lands are contaminated by uranium .
And our elders had to work through — and even my own uncles — you know , they just shut down last year , in 2019 .
So , a lot of our people have worked through those unsafe environments and certainly have those preexisting and underlying conditions , that we need to consider in why we ’ re so vulnerable to this virus .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now! I’m Amy Goodman, with Juan González. This is The Quarantine Report, as we go to North Dakota, which currently has the highest COVID-19 death rate of any state or country in the world, with one in every thousand residents dead from the virus. South Dakota’s death rate is nearly as bad, after both state governments spent months downplaying the crisis, the Republican governors refusing to issue mask mandates, until just recently in North Dakota.
Over the weekend, facing rapidly spiking numbers, North Dakota’s Governor Doug Burgum finally declared a statewide mask mandate, limited indoor restaurant capacity, and shut down high school sports. The move came just a week after he said infected but asymptomatic healthcare workers should still work and treat COVID-19 patients at hospitals.
Meanwhile, the right-wing South Dakota Republican Governor Kristi Noem, a close Trump ally, who welcomed him to Mount Rushmore, continues to deny the crisis, will not issue a mask mandate. A South Dakota emergency room nurse told CNN she’s treated many patients who deny COVID-19 is making them ill, even as they’re hospitalized and die of the disease.
As COVID-19 ravages the Dakotas, we turn to look at how the rapid spread of COVID-19 is affecting Native American communities, which have already faced disproportionate infection and death rates throughout the pandemic. We’re joined by Jodi Archambault. She’s a citizen of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, the former special assistant to President Obama for Native American affairs for the White House Domestic Policy Council. She is in the capital of North Dakota; she’s in Bismarck. She’s also the sister of the former chair of the Standing Rock Sioux, Dave Archambault. And in Farmington, New Mexico, we’re joined by Allie Young, a citizen of Navajo Nation, founder of Protect the Sacred.
We welcome you both to Democracy Now! Jodi, let’s begin with you. North Dakota has the deadliest COVID death rate in the world. Can you talk about its effect on the Native American community there, of which you are a part?
JODI ARCHAMBAULT: Thank you, Amy. Sure. I would just like to say that this has been a tough several months, just hoping that the government takes action. The state government, the way that they behave and the way that they react affects our people directly, mostly because we have some of the highest rates of the underlying conditions that make COVID-19 a deadly disease. And so, we’re having a lot of people perish. We’re having a lot of death, a lot of hospitalizations.
And it’s affecting us in ways that is not widely known by the rest of America. We have very few years — we have about maybe a decade, maybe 15 years, where we have to save our language, our Lakota language, our Dakota language. We also have other tribes in North Dakota, like the Arikara, the Mandan and the Hidatsa. Most of the speakers of our languages are over the age of 70. And we don’t have very much time to spend with them and learn and protect and revitalize our languages. And COVID-19 has put on an additional layer of risk, that is just putting us into a very difficult time.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Jodi Archambault, how did it get to this stage, especially in the Native communities of the state? How did the pandemic spread so rapidly in your community?
JODI ARCHAMBAULT: It didn’t spread very rapidly at first. As you know, the COVID-19 hit the cities first, and hit Seattle and New York City. In North Dakota and South Dakota, we shut down the businesses and took a lot of precautions early on, until about May. And North and South Dakota were the first states to open their doors to business as usual — restaurants. People were shy at first. But at this point, there’s a lot of people who have followed the line of thinking that COVID-19 is a hoax, or it’s some kind of Democrat conspiracy. And a lot of people refuse to wear masks, even with a mask mandate.
This has all accelerated on the reservations. Reservations or tribal nations, such as Eagle Butte, the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and the Oglala Sioux Tribe, the Sisseton, Wahpeton, Rosebud, they’ve all installed roadblocks. They’ve all implemented roadblocks to stop traffic and outsiders from coming on the reservation. And the response to their action to protect tribal members, elders and the like was for the governor, Noem, to torture them and hold them hostage with funding. She has coordinated with the Trump administration to make it difficult to receive the federal resources that are allocated to the tribal governments, and have used that as a stick for them to try to force them to take the roadblocks down. And rather than supporting them and thanking them for trying to address the lack of health services available on the reservation, she has made it more and more difficult for people, for our tribes to protect ourselves.
AMY GOODMAN: North Dakota governor — can you talk about his originally saying that people who are healthcare workers who test positive for COVID should remain working if they are asymptomatic, and treat COVID-19 patients, and Governor Burgum then being forced to back down after the outcry, saying no to a mask mandate, then saying yes?
JODI ARCHAMBAULT: I’ll just tell you that from — we don’t have — it’s really hard to speak up in North Dakota. The news sources out here don’t cover an alternate perspective. But I will say that the Nurses Association, an advocacy group, did issue a press release after Governor Burgum said that they could go back to work while they were testing COVID-positive. That was last week on Wednesday. And within hours, there was a pushback from the Nurses Association. None of the hospitals have taken him up on the offer. And it’s ridiculous that the leadership’s response to being the worst COVID rates in the world would be to allow nurses to infect other nurses, other doctors and other patients by coming to work with COVID. It’s the most preposterous type of government action that I’ve ever heard of.
So, the business is — the business of the hospital is asking for this kind of, I guess, allowance, to allow sick people without symptoms to come and spread? But actually, this has always — the situation that we’re talking about is the lack of compassion for those elders, not just Native elders, but all elders, all people with underlying health conditions, like cancer. It is an absolute choice, a clear choice, to choose profit over people. So, the governor isn’t putting people first; he’s putting profit first.
And the same with Governor Noem down in South Dakota. They have been — she has been actively asking people to come to South Dakota, come to the hottest spot — second-hottest spot in the world and have your vacation, because we don’t care if you wear a mask or not. That’s what her response is, and to increase the risk that tribal governments — by forcing them to take down their barriers, or trying to force them down — they haven’t taken them down. It’s remarkable that they’re able to stick to that governance decision, that is saving lives on the reservations. It’s still spreading. It’s still spreading on the reservations because there is active commerce between reservations and cities. And so it’s getting in.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Yeah, I’d like to bring in Allie Young to the conversation, a citizen of the Navajo Nation and founder of Protect the Sacred.
Allie, welcome to Democracy Now! Could you talk about the situation in Navajo Nation in terms of COVID? And also maybe comment on the fact that not all Native areas have gaming, but quite a significant percentage do, and often it’s the gaming revenues that help provide health services or social services. Could you talk about the impact of the shutdowns on the ability of Native peoples to provide health services, as well?
ALLIE YOUNG: Yeah. Yá’át’ééh, hello, everyone. Thank you for having me.
Yeah, right now we are seeing another surge in Navajo Nation, as we expected. We, as you all know, were the number one hot spot in the country per capita in the spring. And we worked hard to flatten the curve, and we were able to. There was a day where we had zero reported cases. But recently, because of the spikes across the country, what we’ve been seeing throughout the nation, with some of the rallies — I mean, you know, some of our border towns around here are Trump territory, and so there were rallies that I witnessed. And a lot of our people come into these border towns to do their shopping, because on Navajo Nation, you know, we have like 13 grocery stores. So we have to travel to these territories where they’re not thinking about — they’re not wearing masks, and they’re not thinking about their neighbors who have been impacted.
And then, to your point about the gaming industry in Native communities, at Navajo Nation we have some casinos and hotels, as well, and they’ve all been shut down. And it has impacted us economically, financially. And as far as healthcare, we’ve had to — you know, I worked on a PSA through Protect the Sacred that called out for medical volunteers. And that’s the state that we were in, that we had to make that call out for PPE supplies, medical volunteers, because we just lack all of those resources and funding in our tribal communities, when we’re supposed to be guaranteed quality healthcare through our treaties with the federal government.
AMY GOODMAN: And, Allie Young, you’ve talked about feeling that so many Native elders are suffering as a result of the decades of uranium mining, particularly of pulmonary and respiratory diseases, making them even more vulnerable. We’re talking something like over 600 people just on the Navajo Reservation have died as of this weekend of COVID.
ALLIE YOUNG: Yes. That is something that I am trying to connect the dots to anyone I speak to: Let’s not forget about how the federal government greenlit these companies coming in to extract our minerals on tribal reservations. In Navajo Nation, for 30-plus years, we had Peabody up in the northwestern region of Navajo Nation, which was our hot spot within the nation. And a lot of our people up there — the waters and our lands are contaminated by uranium. And our elders had to work through — and even my own uncles — you know, they just shut down last year, in 2019. So, a lot of our people have worked through those unsafe environments and certainly have those preexisting and underlying conditions, that we need to consider in why we’re so vulnerable to this virus.


democracynow--2020-11-18--As COVID Deaths Soar, El Paso at Breaking Point with Hospitals & Mobile Morgues Filling Up

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : Over 1,700 people died from COVID Tuesday in the United States .
It ’ s the deadliest day of the pandemic in at least six months .
As public health officials across the country brace for a COVID-19 surge from the Thanksgiving holiday and already record-high infection rates , some Republican governors are dropping their resistance to mask mandates , including Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds , who imposed a limited mask mandate Tuesday .
But many of these same governors continue to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measures .
In Texas , where coronavirus cases have reached record highs for a second time in the pandemic , Governor Greg Abbott says no new lockdown is coming .
He ’ s even pushing back on local policies in places like El Paso County along the Mexico border , which is facing one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in the country .
After the Texas attorney general sued to stop an order closing nonessential businesses in El Paso , a Texas appeals court agreed with the challenge Thursday , which allowed businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 80 % of El Paso residents are Latinx .
The county now has 10 mobile morgues to hold bodies .
Some prisoners are being paid just $ 2 an hour to move the bodies as the numbers of cases and deaths has completely overwhelmed the hospitals .
They are moving the corpses .
A traveling nurse who worked at the El Paso University Medical Center spoke out about what she called a “ horrific ” scene for patients with COVID-19 .
In a Facebook video earlier this month , Lawanna Rivers also described @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” where she says patients were sent to die with minimal treatment .
Well , for more , we go to El Paso to speak with Dr. Emilio Gonzalez-Ayala , a leading pulmonary disease and critical care specialist .
Thanks so much for taking the time , Dr. Ayala , to speak to us today .
If you can start off by describing the situation in el Paso , so extreme that the county administrator tried to put major restrictions in El Paso , and the governor prevented them from being implemented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Unfortunately , we ’ ve been facing these decisions by the government of the state .
And , obviously , as you mentioned before , the mandate to close nonessential businesses has impacted us in a significant way , because we continue to see the surge of numbers in the hospitals , in the ERs throughout the city , and we ’ re at capacity .
We ’ re beyond the limit where we can continue to admit to the hospital patients that come in critically ill , and we ’ re flying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other hospitals in the state where they can be admitted and treated .
We are keeping a large number of intubated , mechanically ventilated patients in the ER , waiting for beds to open in the ICU .
But sometimes these patients are too unstable and too critically ill to continue waiting there , so we need to make space for them by either moving the stable patient in the ICU or flying out the stable ones that are in the ER .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : And , Dr. Gonzalez , I wanted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Juárez , which is across the border , right across the border .
It ’ s often called the sister city of El Paso .
It ’ s actually — some people would argue that El Paso is actually a suburb of Juárez , which is a much , much bigger city .
Your sense of how the close relationship between these two cities has affected the COVID pandemic one way or the other ?
DR. EMILIO GONZALEZ-AYALA : Well , it ’ s the same city , in essence .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Paso .
And , obviously , we have a lot of patients that are U.S. residents and U.S. citizens that reside in the other side of the border , and they can come in legally , obviously , and request to be seen and treated in El Paso , as they ’ re rightly citizens or residents .
And , obviously , we ’ re seeing those patients come across the border .
That impacts also our ability to continue to treat patients in the hospital .
And they ’ re at capacity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place in Juárez , no hospital in Juárez , that has available beds .
So , it ’ s the same situation , in essence .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : And this whole — AMY GOODMAN : Dr. Gonzalez — oh , sorry .
Go ahead , Juan .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : This whole issue of the refusal of state officials to allow the municipality and the local officials to implement the kinds of restrictions on public gatherings that you want to have , what ’ s the impact of that on your being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ EMILIO GONZALEZ-AYALA : Well , obviously , we are not going to be able to curb that surge in numbers without those mandates .
Obviously , we ’ re entering the influenza season , and we already are seeing patients presenting with both infections , with influenza and with COVID .
Obviously , that doesn ’ t help at all .
We ’ re pleading with the public to avoid visiting or bringing in visitors during the holidays .
Thanksgiving is in the next couple of weeks .
We ’ re asking them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ avoid getting even their neighbors into their houses to celebrate .
I think if we want to continue to celebrate these holidays next year , we need to sit out this one .
AMY GOODMAN : Can you talk , Dr. Gonzalez-Ayala , about the rationing that we ’ re hearing ?
We ’ re hearing that the county judge , Ricardo Samaniego , has said that care is being rationed in El Paso hospitals .
And can you talk about what that traveling nurse said , the horror of nurses working in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doctors not being able to go into that area , or not going into that area , people just being left to die , and then prisoners being paid something like $ 2 an hour to move corpses — we ’ re talking 10 mobile morgues that have been set up — all of this ?
DR. EMILIO GONZALEZ-AYALA : So , I am in private practice .
Although I have privileges at University Medical Center , I don ’ t practice there , so I can not speak to the situation at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there in a while .
I am familiar with the Facebook video that this nurse posted .
I know my colleagues in UMC and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center , which staff that hospital , very well .
And I ’ m not sure that I can fully believe that account .
These are very humane , very ethical , very professional physicians .
I don ’ t see that really happening .
I doubt it , but I haven ’ t been there .
I can tell you that care is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where I practice .
Yes , we ’ re overstretched .
We are having to receive help from FEMA with physicians , nurses , respiratory therapists , nurse practitioners .
We ’ re grateful that we ’ re receiving this help to staff the hospitals and continue to deliver the care that we , alone , the people that live here in El Paso , the physicians that work here in El Paso , can not provide on our own without that help .
But we are not rationing care .
I mean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of beds we have available , but we ’ re not deciding who lives and who dies .
And that would be unethical and illegal .
So , I don ’ t see that happening at this point in the facilities where I practice .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : And , Dr. Gonzalez , I wanted to ask you about the — as a frontline worker facing this pandemic , not only the problems that you see at the state level , but also at the national level , when you find that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statements to those of the health professionals at the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health .
Your sense of what the impact of these mixed messages from the political leadership has , the impact it has on your ability to work on the frontlines ?
DR. EMILIO GONZALEZ-AYALA : Well , I think that the medical community has better judgment and understands that when , for example , Dr. Fauci speaks , he speaks with the truth .
And I think we mostly follow his advice .
He ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country , but worldwide .
And even though we have a lot of political [ inaudible ] coming out from Washington , for the most part , what comes out of Dr. Fauci and most of what the CDC puts out is good advice , and we tend to follow it , for the most part .
When I hear this political messaging , I filter out what doesn ’ t make sense to us from a scientific or medical standpoint .
AMY GOODMAN : Can you talk , Dr. Gonzalez-Ayala , about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Paso ?
What message are you putting out right now ?
And also , if you could talk about being a pulmonologist and what that means , the kind of deadly combination , if you could talk more about the flu , as well as COVID ?
DR. EMILIO GONZALEZ-AYALA : Well , the message we ’ re trying to send , again , is , please , to everybody , avoid celebrating in person .
It sounds terrible .
It sounds like a draconian measure .
But we ’ re asking people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m following up with patients that have recovered already from COVID over the last few months in my office via telephone encounters , and I have a lot of patients asking , “ Hey , Dr. Gonzalez , can I go and visit my relatives in Houston or my relatives in California ?
” I ’ m pleading with them , “ Please , don ’ t go anywhere .
Stay put .
Even though you already caught COVID and we assume you have some immunity , you can still catch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Stay put .
Don ’ t go anywhere .
And sit out this holiday so you can celebrate next year.
” Now , to the question of what it means to be a pulmonologist and dealing with this , I think that it ’ s the experience that I had never been exposed to .
We ’ re seeing this go completely beyond the point where we usually see it with the influenza peak in the months of January and February , where we have , yes , a lot of patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but never to this extent .
It ’ s way beyond .
Never seen it before anywhere , and I ’ ve worked in Miami , and I worked in Houston and , obviously , here in El Paso .
I have never encountered these kinds of extremes , where we ’ re overrun with patients that are critically ill. AMY GOODMAN : Well , Dr. Emilio Gonzalez-Ayala , we want to thank you so much for being with us , leading pulmonary disease and critical care specialist .
This is Democracy Now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go from El Paso , which is one of the hot spots of this country , to North Dakota , which currently has the highest COVID-19 death rate in the world .
We will talk with a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe , and we ’ ll go to Navajo Nation in Arizona , which is now going through yet another lockdown .
Stay with us .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: Over 1,700 people died from COVID Tuesday in the United States. It’s the deadliest day of the pandemic in at least six months. As public health officials across the country brace for a COVID-19 surge from the Thanksgiving holiday and already record-high infection rates, some Republican governors are dropping their resistance to mask mandates, including Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, who imposed a limited mask mandate Tuesday. But many of these same governors continue to hold off on implementing other public health measures.
In Texas, where coronavirus cases have reached record highs for a second time in the pandemic, Governor Greg Abbott says no new lockdown is coming. He’s even pushing back on local policies in places like El Paso County along the Mexico border, which is facing one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in the country. After the Texas attorney general sued to stop an order closing nonessential businesses in El Paso, a Texas appeals court agreed with the challenge Thursday, which allowed businesses to open the next day. About 80% of El Paso residents are Latinx. The county now has 10 mobile morgues to hold bodies. Some prisoners are being paid just $2 an hour to move the bodies as the numbers of cases and deaths has completely overwhelmed the hospitals. They are moving the corpses.
A traveling nurse who worked at the El Paso University Medical Center spoke out about what she called a “horrific” scene for patients with COVID-19. In a Facebook video earlier this month, Lawanna Rivers also described a room she calls “The Pit,” where she says patients were sent to die with minimal treatment.
LAWANNA RIVERS: They did not aggressively treat them as they should have. And according to their staff, the doctors at that hospital wasn’t aggressive before COVID, but even with COVID. So, I saw a lot of people die that I feel like shouldn’t have died. Y’all, that assignment there broke me. I was put in what’s called a “Pit.” And in this Pit was eight patients, all COVID-positive. My first day of orientation, I was told that whatever patients go into the Pit, they only come out in a body bag. …
The patients that we coded, we were not allowed to bag them, because we would get too much exposure, which I hadn’t seen. And because they were COVID-positive, this hospital’s policy was they only get three rounds of CPR, which is only six minutes. This, out of all the codes that we had there, there’s not a single patient that made it. Y’all, when I say this assignment here, like, literally almost destroyed me. Like, I called my husband from there. I called my best friend from there. And I just cried, and I just said, “What I’m seeing here is just not right.”
AMY GOODMAN: That’s visiting nurse Lawanna Rivers describing a hospital in El Paso.
Well, for more, we go to El Paso to speak with Dr. Emilio Gonzalez-Ayala, a leading pulmonary disease and critical care specialist.
Thanks so much for taking the time, Dr. Ayala, to speak to us today. If you can start off by describing the situation in el Paso, so extreme that the county administrator tried to put major restrictions in El Paso, and the governor prevented them from being implemented?
DR. EMILIO GONZALEZ-AYALA: Yeah. Unfortunately, we’ve been facing these decisions by the government of the state. And, obviously, as you mentioned before, the mandate to close nonessential businesses has impacted us in a significant way, because we continue to see the surge of numbers in the hospitals, in the ERs throughout the city, and we’re at capacity. We’re beyond the limit where we can continue to admit to the hospital patients that come in critically ill, and we’re flying them out directly from the ER to other hospitals in the state where they can be admitted and treated. We are keeping a large number of intubated, mechanically ventilated patients in the ER, waiting for beds to open in the ICU. But sometimes these patients are too unstable and too critically ill to continue waiting there, so we need to make space for them by either moving the stable patient in the ICU or flying out the stable ones that are in the ER.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Dr. Gonzalez, I wanted to ask you about also the situation in Juárez, which is across the border, right across the border. It’s often called the sister city of El Paso. It’s actually — some people would argue that El Paso is actually a suburb of Juárez, which is a much, much bigger city. Your sense of how the close relationship between these two cities has affected the COVID pandemic one way or the other?
DR. EMILIO GONZALEZ-AYALA: Well, it’s the same city, in essence. It’s called a metroplex, Juárez-El Paso. And, obviously, we have a lot of patients that are U.S. residents and U.S. citizens that reside in the other side of the border, and they can come in legally, obviously, and request to be seen and treated in El Paso, as they’re rightly citizens or residents. And, obviously, we’re seeing those patients come across the border. That impacts also our ability to continue to treat patients in the hospital. And they’re at capacity, as well. There is no place in Juárez, no hospital in Juárez, that has available beds. So, it’s the same situation, in essence.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And this whole —
AMY GOODMAN: Dr. Gonzalez — oh, sorry. Go ahead, Juan.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: This whole issue of the refusal of state officials to allow the municipality and the local officials to implement the kinds of restrictions on public gatherings that you want to have, what’s the impact of that on your being able to curb the pandemic?
DR. EMILIO GONZALEZ-AYALA: Well, obviously, we are not going to be able to curb that surge in numbers without those mandates. Obviously, we’re entering the influenza season, and we already are seeing patients presenting with both infections, with influenza and with COVID. Obviously, that doesn’t help at all.
We’re pleading with the public to avoid visiting or bringing in visitors during the holidays. Thanksgiving is in the next couple of weeks. We’re asking them not to relax precautions, and to avoid getting even their neighbors into their houses to celebrate. I think if we want to continue to celebrate these holidays next year, we need to sit out this one.
AMY GOODMAN: Can you talk, Dr. Gonzalez-Ayala, about the rationing that we’re hearing? We’re hearing that the county judge, Ricardo Samaniego, has said that care is being rationed in El Paso hospitals. And can you talk about what that traveling nurse said, the horror of nurses working in “The Pit,” leaving — doctors not being able to go into that area, or not going into that area, people just being left to die, and then prisoners being paid something like $2 an hour to move corpses — we’re talking 10 mobile morgues that have been set up — all of this?
DR. EMILIO GONZALEZ-AYALA: So, I am in private practice. Although I have privileges at University Medical Center, I don’t practice there, so I cannot speak to the situation at UMC. I haven’t been there in a while. I am familiar with the Facebook video that this nurse posted. I know my colleagues in UMC and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, which staff that hospital, very well. And I’m not sure that I can fully believe that account. These are very humane, very ethical, very professional physicians. I don’t see that really happening. I doubt it, but I haven’t been there.
I can tell you that care is not being rationed in the private hospitals where I practice. Yes, we’re overstretched. We are having to receive help from FEMA with physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, nurse practitioners. We’re grateful that we’re receiving this help to staff the hospitals and continue to deliver the care that we, alone, the people that live here in El Paso, the physicians that work here in El Paso, cannot provide on our own without that help. But we are not rationing care. I mean, we’re limited by the number of beds we have available, but we’re not deciding who lives and who dies. And that would be unethical and illegal. So, I don’t see that happening at this point in the facilities where I practice.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Dr. Gonzalez, I wanted to ask you about the — as a frontline worker facing this pandemic, not only the problems that you see at the state level, but also at the national level, when you find that the White House itself often makes contradictory statements to those of the health professionals at the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health. Your sense of what the impact of these mixed messages from the political leadership has, the impact it has on your ability to work on the frontlines?
DR. EMILIO GONZALEZ-AYALA: Well, I think that the medical community has better judgment and understands that when, for example, Dr. Fauci speaks, he speaks with the truth. And I think we mostly follow his advice. He’s an authority not only in the country, but worldwide. And even though we have a lot of political [inaudible] coming out from Washington, for the most part, what comes out of Dr. Fauci and most of what the CDC puts out is good advice, and we tend to follow it, for the most part. When I hear this political messaging, I filter out what doesn’t make sense to us from a scientific or medical standpoint.
AMY GOODMAN: Can you talk, Dr. Gonzalez-Ayala, about Thanksgiving and what this means for El Paso? What message are you putting out right now? And also, if you could talk about being a pulmonologist and what that means, the kind of deadly combination, if you could talk more about the flu, as well as COVID?
DR. EMILIO GONZALEZ-AYALA: Well, the message we’re trying to send, again, is, please, to everybody, avoid celebrating in person. It sounds terrible. It sounds like a draconian measure. But we’re asking people not to go and visit anybody. I’m following up with patients that have recovered already from COVID over the last few months in my office via telephone encounters, and I have a lot of patients asking, “Hey, Dr. Gonzalez, can I go and visit my relatives in Houston or my relatives in California?” I’m pleading with them, “Please, don’t go anywhere. Stay put. Even though you already caught COVID and we assume you have some immunity, you can still catch another virus. You can catch influenza. Stay put. Don’t go anywhere. And sit out this holiday so you can celebrate next year.”
Now, to the question of what it means to be a pulmonologist and dealing with this, I think that it’s the experience that I had never been exposed to. We’re seeing this go completely beyond the point where we usually see it with the influenza peak in the months of January and February, where we have, yes, a lot of patients waiting for beds in the ER, but never to this extent. It’s way beyond. Never seen it before anywhere, and I’ve worked in Miami, and I worked in Houston and, obviously, here in El Paso. I have never encountered these kinds of extremes, where we’re overrun with patients that are critically ill.
AMY GOODMAN: Well, Dr. Emilio Gonzalez-Ayala, we want to thank you so much for being with us, leading pulmonary disease and critical care specialist.
This is Democracy Now! When we come back, we go from El Paso, which is one of the hot spots of this country, to North Dakota, which currently has the highest COVID-19 death rate in the world. We will talk with a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, and we’ll go to Navajo Nation in Arizona, which is now going through yet another lockdown. Stay with us.


democracynow--2020-11-18--Headlines for November 18, 2020

Headlines for November 18, 2020

Over 1,700 people died in the United States Tuesday from COVID-19 in what ’ s been described as the deadliest @ @ @ @ @ six months .
The overall U.S. death toll is approaching a world high of 250,000 @ @ @ @ @ have broken new records for COVID-related hospitalizations .
In news from Washington , D.C. , @ @ @ @ @ has tested positive for COVID-19 .
He is the oldest Republican in the Senate and @ @ @ @ @ making him third in line for the presidency .
Grassley spoke from the Senate floor @ @ @ @ @

Over 1,700 people died in the United States Tuesday from COVID-19 in what’s been described as the deadliest day of the pandemic in six months. The overall U.S. death toll is approaching a world high of 250,000. At least 20 states have broken new records for COVID-related hospitalizations.
In news from Washington, D.C., 87-year-old Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley has tested positive for COVID-19. He is the oldest Republican in the Senate and its president pro tem, making him third in line for the presidency. Grassley spoke from the Senate floor without his mask Monday.


democracynow--2020-11-19--Progressives Demand "Corporate-Free Cabinet" as Biden Taps Pharma & Fossil Fuel Allies for Top Jobs

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : This is Democracy Now !
I ’ m Amy Goodman , with Nermeen Shaikh .
Today , climate and racial justice activists are joining unions and newly elected members of Congress to call on President-elect Joe Biden to address COVID , the economy and climate change , and appoint a , quote , “ corporate-free Cabinet.
” Their push comes as Biden announced several new appointments Tuesday , including Louisiana Congressmember Cedric Richmond to lead the White House Office of Public Engagement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Richmond as a “ betrayal ” because he ’ s the leading Democratic recipient of fossil fuel money in Congress .
This comes as the Sunrise Movement and Justice Democrats are pushing the Biden team to place progressives in key Cabinet positions .
Their dream team includes Barbara Lee as secretary of state , Elizabeth Warren as treasury secretary , Keith Ellison as attorney general , Bernie Sanders as secretary of labor , Mustafa Ali as EPA administrator and Deb Haaland as secretary of interior .
For more , we ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Justice Democrats .
It ’ s great to have you back with us .
Can you talk , Waleed , about what the response has been to the Cabinet and the staff appointments so far ?
Begin with Cedric Richmond and your concerns .
WALEED SHAHID : Yeah , I think progressives are upset with the appointment of Cedric Richmond as one of the leading recipients of fossil fuel donations .
He took money from the corporate PACs of Exxon , Chevron , Valero just this past year .
And he is someone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Orleans , in Louisiana , have said have not taken the issue of regulating the fossil fuel industry , toxic pollution from the fossil fuel industry , and the climate crisis seriously .
So , you know , we are concerned that Representative Richmond was appointed to the inner circle .
Steve Ricchetti was also appointed to the inner circle .
He is a Big Pharma lobbyist , has worked for groups who oppose allowing the government to manufacture prescription drugs , and opposed Medicare for All .
And now , going forward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news that Deb Haaland is being considered for secretary of the interior .
You know , I think this might have been leaked in response to the progressive outcry about these two more corporate-friendly appointments .
And looking forward , we really have to keep a tight eye and scrutiny over this fight for the soul of the Biden presidency .
Will they appoint all of these corporate-friendly insiders , or will they appoint significant numbers of progressives , who make up — you know , nearly 40 % of the seats of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Progressive Caucus .
And so , we think that we deserve adequate representation , if Joe Biden wants to be a unity president and represent the entirety of the Democratic coalition .
NERMEEN SHAIKH : And , Waleed , on the basis of the appointments made so far , you know , there ’ s been a lot of discussion about what you ’ ve just mentioned , the split within the Democratic Party between progressives and centrists .
How do you think it ’ s going to go , the Biden-Harris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them tilting in on the basis of the appointments they ’ ve already made ?
WALEED SHAHID : So , the appointment of Ron Klain as chief of staff is an interesting one .
The other two men in consideration for that , you know , one of the most prominent roles in the White House , were much more hostile to progressives , much more ideologically neoliberal , ideologically part of the conservative wing of the Democratic Party — namely , Bruce Reed and Steve Ricchetti .
And so , appointing Ron @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know , he has given statements saying that he understands that the party has become more progressive , has gone in a progressive direction , especially over the last four years .
And so , you know , we have to be optimistic , because we want Joe Biden to deliver on behalf of working families , but we have to also keep a close eye .
The good thing is that unlike President Obama in 2008 , there is not much of a honeymoon period , as you can tell , for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a lot of scrutiny and oversight in terms of wanting more corporate-free appointments to this administration .
We hope we ’ ll get some .
AMY GOODMAN : And can you talk about the call for Bernie Sanders to be made labor secretary ?
Do you see that actually happening ?
WALEED SHAHID : Yeah , I think Bernie Sanders would make a great labor secretary .
You know , we also — we called for three people per position that we thought would be great .
Bernie Sanders is obviously one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ families .
We would also be happy to see Representative Andy Levin , who is also being considered for that role , as well as Mary Kay Henry , who is the president of the SEIU .
And having someone in all these departments dedicated to bold action , especially if Mitch McConnell controls the Republican Senate , we need people in executive positions who are going to use the full power of the federal government to move forward an agenda that actually solves people ’ s problems and doesn ’ t allow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from governing .
AMY GOODMAN : Finally , the protest that ’ s being held today , what exactly are the demands , as people gather together around the country ?
And your response to those Democrats and the Republicans who , you know , went from Republican to Democrat in their vote for President-elect Biden , in saying you must be quiet until the final runoff elections in Georgia ?
WALEED SHAHID : Yeah , one of the really strange things is to see Democrats , some conservative Democrats , go on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to bring forth a new era of bipartisanship , of working across the aisle , how they ’ re optimistic that Joe Biden and Mitch McConnell can strike some deals .
But , you know , if you actually look across the aisle , it ’ s a scary situation .
I mean , Mitch McConnell has amplified President Trump ’ s efforts to orchestrate a coup , to delegitimize the Biden victory , and therefore delegitimize the next four years of a Biden presidency .
And that ’ s — the majority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way .
And then — AMY GOODMAN : We have five seconds .
WALEED SHAHID : — you know , for Democrats to allow Mitch McConnell to rob this majority of governing would be really terrible for all the Democrats who poured their heart out for Joe Biden and wanted bold action and fundamental change .
AMY GOODMAN : Waleed Shahid , I want to thank you for being with us , spokesperson for Justice Democrats .
I ’ m Amy Goodman , with Nermeen Shaikh .
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, with Nermeen Shaikh.
Today, climate and racial justice activists are joining unions and newly elected members of Congress to call on President-elect Joe Biden to address COVID, the economy and climate change, and appoint a, quote, “corporate-free Cabinet.” Their push comes as Biden announced several new appointments Tuesday, including Louisiana Congressmember Cedric Richmond to lead the White House Office of Public Engagement. The Sunrise Movement described the appointment of Richmond as a “betrayal” because he’s the leading Democratic recipient of fossil fuel money in Congress.
This comes as the Sunrise Movement and Justice Democrats are pushing the Biden team to place progressives in key Cabinet positions. Their dream team includes Barbara Lee as secretary of state, Elizabeth Warren as treasury secretary, Keith Ellison as attorney general, Bernie Sanders as secretary of labor, Mustafa Ali as EPA administrator and Deb Haaland as secretary of interior.
For more, we’re joined by Waleed Shahid, spokesperson for Justice Democrats.
It’s great to have you back with us. Can you talk, Waleed, about what the response has been to the Cabinet and the staff appointments so far? Begin with Cedric Richmond and your concerns.
WALEED SHAHID: Yeah, I think progressives are upset with the appointment of Cedric Richmond as one of the leading recipients of fossil fuel donations. He took money from the corporate PACs of Exxon, Chevron, Valero just this past year. And he is someone who his own constituents, in New Orleans, in Louisiana, have said have not taken the issue of regulating the fossil fuel industry, toxic pollution from the fossil fuel industry, and the climate crisis seriously. So, you know, we are concerned that Representative Richmond was appointed to the inner circle.
Steve Ricchetti was also appointed to the inner circle. He is a Big Pharma lobbyist, has worked for groups who oppose allowing the government to manufacture prescription drugs, and opposed Medicare for All.
And now, going forward, you know, we have heard news that Deb Haaland is being considered for secretary of the interior. You know, I think this might have been leaked in response to the progressive outcry about these two more corporate-friendly appointments.
And looking forward, we really have to keep a tight eye and scrutiny over this fight for the soul of the Biden presidency. Will they appoint all of these corporate-friendly insiders, or will they appoint significant numbers of progressives, who make up — you know, nearly 40% of the seats of Democrats in the House are members of the Progressive Caucus. And so, we think that we deserve adequate representation, if Joe Biden wants to be a unity president and represent the entirety of the Democratic coalition.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: And, Waleed, on the basis of the appointments made so far, you know, there’s been a lot of discussion about what you’ve just mentioned, the split within the Democratic Party between progressives and centrists. How do you think it’s going to go, the Biden-Harris administration? Which direction do you see them tilting in on the basis of the appointments they’ve already made?
WALEED SHAHID: So, the appointment of Ron Klain as chief of staff is an interesting one. The other two men in consideration for that, you know, one of the most prominent roles in the White House, were much more hostile to progressives, much more ideologically neoliberal, ideologically part of the conservative wing of the Democratic Party — namely, Bruce Reed and Steve Ricchetti. And so, appointing Ron Klain was a significant sign. You know, he has given statements saying that he understands that the party has become more progressive, has gone in a progressive direction, especially over the last four years.
And so, you know, we have to be optimistic, because we want Joe Biden to deliver on behalf of working families, but we have to also keep a close eye. The good thing is that unlike President Obama in 2008, there is not much of a honeymoon period, as you can tell, for Joe Biden. I think there will be a lot of scrutiny and oversight in terms of wanting more corporate-free appointments to this administration. We hope we’ll get some.
AMY GOODMAN: And can you talk about the call for Bernie Sanders to be made labor secretary? Do you see that actually happening?
WALEED SHAHID: Yeah, I think Bernie Sanders would make a great labor secretary. You know, we also — we called for three people per position that we thought would be great. Bernie Sanders is obviously one of the most tireless fighters for working families. We would also be happy to see Representative Andy Levin, who is also being considered for that role, as well as Mary Kay Henry, who is the president of the SEIU.
And having someone in all these departments dedicated to bold action, especially if Mitch McConnell controls the Republican Senate, we need people in executive positions who are going to use the full power of the federal government to move forward an agenda that actually solves people’s problems and doesn’t allow Mitch McConnell to rob the American majority from governing.
AMY GOODMAN: Finally, the protest that’s being held today, what exactly are the demands, as people gather together around the country? And your response to those Democrats and the Republicans who, you know, went from Republican to Democrat in their vote for President-elect Biden, in saying you must be quiet until the final runoff elections in Georgia?
WALEED SHAHID: Yeah, one of the really strange things is to see Democrats, some conservative Democrats, go on television and say how excited they are to bring forth a new era of bipartisanship, of working across the aisle, how they’re optimistic that Joe Biden and Mitch McConnell can strike some deals. But, you know, if you actually look across the aisle, it’s a scary situation. I mean, Mitch McConnell has amplified President Trump’s efforts to orchestrate a coup, to delegitimize the Biden victory, and therefore delegitimize the next four years of a Biden presidency. And that’s — the majority of Republicans in Congress are acting that way. And then —
AMY GOODMAN: We have five seconds.
WALEED SHAHID: — you know, for Democrats to allow Mitch McConnell to rob this majority of governing would be really terrible for all the Democrats who poured their heart out for Joe Biden and wanted bold action and fundamental change.
AMY GOODMAN: Waleed Shahid, I want to thank you for being with us, spokesperson for Justice Democrats. I’m Amy Goodman, with Nermeen Shaikh. Wear a mask.