democracynow--2020-11-25--Barbara Ransby & David Sirota Warn of Close Links Between Biden's Cabinet Picks & Corporate Power

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : This is Democracy Now !
, democracynow.org , The Quarantine Report .
I ’ m Amy Goodman , with Juan González .
We turn now to look at how progressive movements are responding to the Cabinet that President-elect Joe Biden is assembling , as he names a number of establishment figures to key posts .
Biden named longtime adviser Tony Blinken as incoming secretary of state .
Blinken previously served as deputy secretary of state for President Obama .
He spoke Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stage in Wilmington , Delaware , socially distanced from each of the other nominees , telling the story of how his stepfather was the only one of 900 children at his school in Bialystok , Poland , to survive the Holocaust at the end of the war .
AMY GOODMAN : Tony Blinken grew up both in New York and in Paris with his mother and stepfather .
He speaks fluent French .
That was Biden ’ s pick for secretary of state .
The president-elect has also named Linda Thomas-Greenfield , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the new U.S. ambassador to the United Nations .
Thomas-Greenfield was an ambassador to Liberia and assistant secretary of state for African affairs under Obama .
She was fired days into the Trump administration .
Linda Thomas-Greenfield ’ s last job was with Albright Stonebridge Group , which was co-founded by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright .
This is Thomas-Greenfield speaking Tuesday .
AMY GOODMAN : That was Linda Thomas-Greenfield , President-elect Biden ’ s pick to be the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations .
She was born in Louisiana @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” rather than “ gunboat ” diplomacy .
Former secretary of state and presidential candidate John Kerry will serve as Biden ’ s special climate envoy .
He also spoke in Delaware yesterday .
AMY GOODMAN : John Kerry would serve on the National Security Council as the newly created position of climate envoy .
For more on President-elect Biden ’ s new team , we ’ re joined by two guests .
Professor Barbara Ransby , historian , author and activist adviser to the Movement for Black Lives , professor of African @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s studies and history at the University of Illinois , Chicago , she is joining us from Chicago .
And in Denver , Colorado , David Sirota is with us , an investigative journalist , founder of the news website The Daily Poster .
He served as an adviser and speechwriter for Senator Bernie Sanders during his presidential campaign .
We welcome you both to Democracy Now !
Professor Ransby , let ’ s begin with you .
So , you had that scene yesterday in Wilmington , Delaware .
All of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris .
All were masked .
All stood six feet from each other .
And after each person spoke , someone came out and wiped down the podium .
But , Barbara Ransby , the substance of who has been chosen , the beginning of the Cabinet , particularly on national security and foreign policy , your thoughts ?
BARBARA RANSBY : Well , thank you again for having me , Amy , and for the good work that you do every day .
So , yeah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too , and I ’ m certainly glad that they ’ re following the CDC protocols for social distancing .
But , as you say , it ’ s the substance of those appointments that really should concern us .
And I think , listening to Medea Benjamin a few minutes ago talk about this WestExec Advisors that Blinken and Haines are a part of , or were a part of , you know , to look at the absence of some prominent progressives who could have filled some of these positions , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nelson from the flight attendants ’ union , strong advocate for labor and working people .
People who have been international solidarity activists certainly could have filled the position of ambassador to the United Nations .
So , it is of concern .
I think it ’ s an extension of what we ’ ve been hearing from some of this centrist Democrats about the left as being divisive , the need to reach across the aisle .
Look , progressives , Black people helped to put Joe Biden in office .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know , stellar record as a candidate or his eloquence or anything else .
So that has to be taken into consideration .
And , look , we need people who have competence , but we need people who have compassion , who have accountability to the most vulnerable , who pledge to defend the planet , people who have a clear understanding and commitment to fighting white supremacy and police violence and war .
And so , I don ’ t see that in this group , and it concerns me .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ What concerns me also is the presentation of this as a Cabinet of firsts .
Jake Sullivan is the youngest .
Avril Haines is the first woman in the position she ’ s appointed to , etc .
You know , I don ’ t necessarily just want people that look like me .
I want people who are really going to make a difference and who are accountable to the communities that I ’ m committed to , that I come from , that progressive organizers have been working to empower .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve seen diversity .
And diversity is fine .
It ’ s necessary .
I certainly don ’ t want to see an all-white-male Cabinet .
But it is woefully insufficient .
We see that time and again .
We see it with Barack Obama ’ s administration .
This kind of looks like Obama 2.0 in some respects .
And we see it , you know , with Clarence Thomas in the Supreme Court and a whole list and litany of public officials who offer cosmetic change but not substantive change .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ set of crises , and we need people who are going to act to curb the greed of billionaires and provide relief to working people , but we also need people who are going to speak out and stand up against racism and the resurgence of white nationalism .
I ’ m not confident that Biden is heading in that direction , which is why we need to continue to build a movement .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : Well , Barbara Ransby , I wanted to ask you about one person who ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been named but could be , someone that you — whose record you know well as a Chicagoan .
That ’ s Rahm Emanuel , the former mayor of Chicago , who is being talked about , has been mentioned as a possible secretary of transportation .
I ’ m wondering your thoughts on that and whether that would be a further mistake by the president-elect , and also that Rahm Emanuel , since he left office , has gone back into the corporate world in terms of advising companies on mergers and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Well , I think you probably know my answer to that , Juan .
You know , Chicagoans , the Chicago movement would be in the street of Rahm Emanuel was nominated to a Cabinet position .
Not only the commitment to corporate interests , but the cover-up , the inexcusable cover-up , of the Laquan McDonald murder , a young Black man murdered by police , and Rahm Emanuel , by all indications , participating in a cover-up of that murder ; closing schools in Black and Brown neighborhoods ; closing mental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the demands of progressives in this city .
So , no , I mean , you know , we wouldn ’ t support that .
That would be a slap in the face to progressives not just in Chicago , but around this country .
So , you know , another Chicagoan who would be quite an alternative to Rahm Emanuel is Congressman Chuy García , who comes out of our movements , has a progressive record .
So , his name has been floated for the transportation post , and certainly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Rahm Emanuel-type appointment .
AMY GOODMAN : And , David Sirota , if you can weigh in on those who have been chosen ?
I mean , you have Alejandro Mayorkas , who would be the first Latinx head or secretary of the Department of Homeland Security .
He talked about his family , he put it as , fleeing communism , fleeing Cuba , and coming to this country .
You have , as Professor Ransby just talked about , among those , Avril Haines and the climate envoy , John @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President-elect Biden has chosen to say climate change will be front and center .
DAVID SIROTA : Well , look , the nominees , as a whole , I think , represent an effort at restoration , the idea being that we have to bring back familiar faces , Washington careerists , to restore the pre-Trump Washington status quo .
And typically these are people with various corporate ties , ties to the establishment , ties to corporate power .
John Kerry is a good example .
And it ’ s not to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s particularly bad or particularly awful , but here ’ s a guy who was in government .
When he was in government , he was very supportive of fossil fuel development , fracking in particular .
He left office .
He then got a top position at Bank of America , which is one of the largest financiers of fossil fuel development in the world .
And then he comes back into government as Biden ’ s at least first climate pick .
And it ’ s not to say that John @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climate , but it is to say , as one example of many , that we need to understand where these people come from .
Joe Biden , on the campaign , on climate , on climate policy , his campaign very early on said it was seeking a , quote , “ middle ground ” on climate policy .
And so , I think what you see in all of these nominees — and you could go through all of them — is that it is an attempt to restore the old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ picks .
And what that says to me is that it ’ s going to be more important than ever for movements , activists , people all over this country to demand the kinds of policies that Joe Biden , at least rhetorically , promised on the campaign , that the personnel that Joe Biden is appointing so far are not people who are going to necessarily do the right thing on their own .
They are not necessarily people who are going to offer a different kind of path , one that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They ’ re not going to do that alone , unless they are actually pushed and pressured .
And that ’ s going to be the key .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : And , David , I wanted to ask you about — you were a speechwriter for Bernie Sanders .
Clearly , Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren represented , to some degree , the more progressive wing of the Democratic Party .
There ’ s still talk of Bernie Sanders as possible labor secretary , but , clearly , Elizabeth Warren is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ major position , it appears , at this point , in the Biden administration .
Your sense of how they might still be able to influence these choices , and also the argument that Biden may be trying to figure out who he can name that will get confirmation from a Senate that will — could be in Republican hands , but certainly will be very divided ?
DAVID SIROTA : Well , look , I think we need to remember that lawmakers themselves can be independent power centers , that there was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were the so-called giants of the Senate .
And I think people like Bernie Sanders , people like Elizabeth Warren , fit that archetype , or at least potentially do , in the sense that they have — they ’ re well known in the country .
They have large mass movement followings among them , a very large , grassroots — a set of grassroots supporters .
And they can choose to use that power in the Senate on legislation and on nominations .
I mean , the other way to look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just talking about Cabinet nominations , is the progressives in the Senate are also , or also could be , a voting bloc .
If the Republicans are going to oppose Joe Biden nominees , then it means that a progressive bloc of Senate votes can be the difference between confirmation and not confirmation .
And those progressive senators have the potential power to demand progressive Cabinet appointees .
And we ’ ve seen this happen at certain points .
In the second term , in Obama ’ s second term , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appointees on the grounds that they were too close to Wall Street .
And ultimately , those nominees were not confirmed , because of that opposition .
And we ’ ve seen a new poll that ’ s come out that says about 68 % of Americans — this is a poll from Demand Progress that just came out yesterday , that we reported on at The Daily Poster — 68 % of Americans say that if Biden appoints corporate executives or lobbyists to top positions , that 68 % of Americans want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So , I would say that those progressives — Bernie Sanders , Elizabeth Warren , others — in the Senate have serious leverage .
But the question is always : Will they actually use that leverage ?
Not to pick on them .
I think Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren have at times used that leverage .
But will the progressive movement and progressive legislators in the Congress use the leverage that they have ?
That ’ s the open question .
AMY GOODMAN : Congressmembers Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , Ilhan Omar , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of what ’ s known as “ The Squad ” — are the first sitting members of Congress to sign a petition launched by the Justice Democrats against a potential nomination of Joe Biden ’ s former chief of staff , Bruce Reed , as head of the Office of Management and Budget .
Reed is considered a “ deficit hawk , ” has supported cuts to Social Security and Medicare .
The petition calls for OMB to , quote , “ be staffed with people who will prioritize working people , not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put this question to Professor Ransby : In the midst of this serious pandemic-fueled recession , is it possible to build back better with Wall Street-friendly austerity politics ?
And what about these congressmembers speaking out and taking a stand , drawing a line in the sand , on Reed ?
BARBARA RANSBY : Yeah , well , I think that ’ s a welcome and refreshing move by elected officials .
Rashida Tlaib is somebody who is pretty uncompromising in speaking out , so I ’ m not surprised that she ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ petition opposing Bruce Reed .
I mean , we have to be very , very attentive to people being put in positions of power with regard to the economy .
And on one hand , this is not surprising .
On the other hand , we have to be vigilant .
You know , somebody like Darrick Hamilton or Stephanie Kelton , people who have bold ideas that really would serve the economic interests of the majority of people , of poor and working people , rather than people who have consulted for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corporations and financial institutions and Wall Street and so forth .
So , obviously , we have to oppose a Reed nomination .
But I think , bigger than that , Amy — you know , I wanted to go back to something David Sirota said , which is about the importance of movements continuing to organize .
I mean , we have all been so obsessed with this election , so fearful that this maniac and aspiring dictator would have retained power for four more years , that I don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ importance of pressure from the street .
We had literally tens of millions of people in the street after the murder of George Floyd .
And it wasn ’ t just about the murder of George Floyd ; it was about all the George Floyds who struggle in an economy that ’ s not in their interest , who struggle to make ends meet , who are vulnerable to police harassment on the street , partly because of their race and class vulnerabilities .
And so , we have to fight for people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to respond to our demands , but we also have to organize to make those demands as loudly , as persistently as possible .
So , you know , the group The Frontline , which was a coalition to defeat Trump , has called for actions on Inauguration Day in Washington to do exactly that , to push for a progressive agenda .
And so , we need to be supporting movements like that , as well .
I mean , we can get a less bad appointment out of Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that is important .
I am all about , you know , increasing the margin of possibility in that arena , but also really about the importance of building a movement in this period and not forgetting the neoliberal politics of a Joe Biden — Joe Biden who took us into the war in Iraq and supported the crime bill and all of these things that helped to put us in the position we ’ re in now .
So there ’ s a lot of work for movement organizers to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is one of them , but certainly not the only .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : And , David Sirota , we only have about a minute or so left , but I wanted to ask you about the speculation on the Department of Justice that Biden could possibly name Preet Bharara , the former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York — before that , a staff member for Chuck Schumer — as possible head of DOJ or the Securities and Exchange Commission .
I ’ m wondering your thoughts about that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bharara got a reputation as being supposedly tough on crime because he prosecuted some insider trading .
He investigated part of the Cuomo administration in New York .
But we have to remember the big thing about Preet Bharara .
Preet Bharara was the head of the most powerful prosecutorial office in the United States during the financial crisis : the Southern District of New York , as you said , Juan .
And in that time , there were no prosecutions of top executives at major banks in relation to the financial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in power at the top of the Justice Department who played an active role — an active role — in making sure that Wall Street executives were not prosecuted after the financial crisis would be a complete abomination .
It would be a disturbing promotion of the idea of a lack of accountability .
And I ’ ll just say the last thing about all of this , which is that we really are seeing , in a lot of ways , in this whole debate , an effort to pretend that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iraq War , the financial crisis and the like — didn ’ t happen , or if they did happen , that the people who helped lead us into that , there will not be accountability for them .
There will not even be career accountability or job accountability for them in terms of getting promoted later .
So , the point about Preet Bharara is , if he is put in there , the implications for what we ’ re saying about whether Wall Street will ever be held accountable , whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or crises in the future , they would be deeply , deeply disturbing .
AMY GOODMAN : David Sirota , I want to thank you for being with us , award-winning investigative journalist , founder of the news website The Daily Poster , columnist for The Guardian , editor-at-large for Jacobin , serves as an adviser and speechwriter for Senator Bernie Sanders during his presidential campaign .
And I want to thank Barbara Ransby , historian , author and activist adviser to the Movement for Black Lives , professor of African American studies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and history at the University of Illinois , Chicago .
Her latest book , Making All Black Lives Matter : Reimagining Freedom in the 21st Century .
This is Democracy Now !
Next up , we look at the Indigenous-led fight against the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline in northern Minnesota .
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has just granted a key permit , but protests continue .
Stay with us .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The Quarantine Report. I’m Amy Goodman, with Juan González.
We turn now to look at how progressive movements are responding to the Cabinet that President-elect Joe Biden is assembling, as he names a number of establishment figures to key posts. Biden named longtime adviser Tony Blinken as incoming secretary of state. Blinken previously served as deputy secretary of state for President Obama. He spoke Tuesday after his nomination was announced on the stage in Wilmington, Delaware, socially distanced from each of the other nominees, telling the story of how his stepfather was the only one of 900 children at his school in Bialystok, Poland, to survive the Holocaust at the end of the war.
ANTONY BLINKEN: At the end of the war, he made a break from a death march into the woods in Bavaria. From his hiding place, he heard a deep rumbling sound. It was a tank. But instead of the Iron Cross, he saw painted on its side a five-pointed white star. He ran to the tank. The hatch opened. An African American GI looked down at him. He got down on his knees and said the only three words that he knew in English, that his mother taught him before the war: “God bless America.”
AMY GOODMAN: Tony Blinken grew up both in New York and in Paris with his mother and stepfather. He speaks fluent French. That was Biden’s pick for secretary of state.
The president-elect has also named Linda Thomas-Greenfield, a 35-year veteran of the Foreign Service, as the new U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Thomas-Greenfield was an ambassador to Liberia and assistant secretary of state for African affairs under Obama. She was fired days into the Trump administration. Linda Thomas-Greenfield’s last job was with Albright Stonebridge Group, which was co-founded by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. This is Thomas-Greenfield speaking Tuesday.
LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD: On this day, I’m thinking about the American people, my fellow career diplomats and public servants around the world. I want to say to you: America is back. Multilateralism is back. Diplomacy is back. Mr. President-elect, I’ve often heard you say how all politics is personal, and that’s how you build relationships of trust and bridge disagreements and find common ground. And in my 35 years in the Foreign Service across four continents, I put a Cajun spin on it: I called it “gumbo diplomacy.” Wherever I was posted around the world, I’d invite people of different backgrounds and beliefs to help me make a roux and chop onions for the Holy Trinity and make homemade gumbo. It was my way of breaking down barriers, connecting with people and starting to see each other on a human level.
AMY GOODMAN: That was Linda Thomas-Greenfield, President-elect Biden’s pick to be the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. She was born in Louisiana, as she talked about “gumbo” rather than “gunboat” diplomacy.
Former secretary of state and presidential candidate John Kerry will serve as Biden’s special climate envoy. He also spoke in Delaware yesterday.
JOHN KERRY: Mr. President-elect, you’ve put forward a bold, transformative climate plan, but you’ve also underscored that no country alone can solve this challenge. Even the United States, for all of our industrial strength, is responsible for only 13% of global emissions. To end this crisis, the whole world must come together. You’re right to rejoin Paris on day one. And you’re right to recognize that Paris alone is not enough.
AMY GOODMAN: John Kerry would serve on the National Security Council as the newly created position of climate envoy.
For more on President-elect Biden’s new team, we’re joined by two guests. Professor Barbara Ransby, historian, author and activist adviser to the Movement for Black Lives, professor of African American studies, gender and women’s studies and history at the University of Illinois, Chicago, she is joining us from Chicago. And in Denver, Colorado, David Sirota is with us, an investigative journalist, founder of the news website The Daily Poster. He served as an adviser and speechwriter for Senator Bernie Sanders during his presidential campaign.
We welcome you both to Democracy Now! Professor Ransby, let’s begin with you. So, you had that scene yesterday in Wilmington, Delaware. All of the nominees came out on the stage with President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. All were masked. All stood six feet from each other. And after each person spoke, someone came out and wiped down the podium. But, Barbara Ransby, the substance of who has been chosen, the beginning of the Cabinet, particularly on national security and foreign policy, your thoughts?
BARBARA RANSBY: Well, thank you again for having me, Amy, and for the good work that you do every day.
So, yeah, I saw that press conference, too, and I’m certainly glad that they’re following the CDC protocols for social distancing. But, as you say, it’s the substance of those appointments that really should concern us. And I think, listening to Medea Benjamin a few minutes ago talk about this WestExec Advisors that Blinken and Haines are a part of, or were a part of, you know, to look at the absence of some prominent progressives who could have filled some of these positions, people like, say, a Sara Nelson from the flight attendants’ union, strong advocate for labor and working people. People who have been international solidarity activists certainly could have filled the position of ambassador to the United Nations. So, it is of concern.
I think it’s an extension of what we’ve been hearing from some of this centrist Democrats about the left as being divisive, the need to reach across the aisle. Look, progressives, Black people helped to put Joe Biden in office. It certainly wasn’t his, you know, stellar record as a candidate or his eloquence or anything else. So that has to be taken into consideration. And, look, we need people who have competence, but we need people who have compassion, who have accountability to the most vulnerable, who pledge to defend the planet, people who have a clear understanding and commitment to fighting white supremacy and police violence and war. And so, I don’t see that in this group, and it concerns me.
And I’ll say this: What concerns me also is the presentation of this as a Cabinet of firsts. Jake Sullivan is the youngest. Avril Haines is the first woman in the position she’s appointed to, etc. You know, I don’t necessarily just want people that look like me. I want people who are really going to make a difference and who are accountable to the communities that I’m committed to, that I come from, that progressive organizers have been working to empower. So, you know, we’ve seen diversity. And diversity is fine. It’s necessary. I certainly don’t want to see an all-white-male Cabinet. But it is woefully insufficient. We see that time and again. We see it with Barack Obama’s administration. This kind of looks like Obama 2.0 in some respects. And we see it, you know, with Clarence Thomas in the Supreme Court and a whole list and litany of public officials who offer cosmetic change but not substantive change.
We are in a deep and disturbing set of crises, and we need people who are going to act to curb the greed of billionaires and provide relief to working people, but we also need people who are going to speak out and stand up against racism and the resurgence of white nationalism. I’m not confident that Biden is heading in that direction, which is why we need to continue to build a movement.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Well, Barbara Ransby, I wanted to ask you about one person who’s being talked about who has not yet been named but could be, someone that you — whose record you know well as a Chicagoan. That’s Rahm Emanuel, the former mayor of Chicago, who is being talked about, has been mentioned as a possible secretary of transportation. I’m wondering your thoughts on that and whether that would be a further mistake by the president-elect, and also that Rahm Emanuel, since he left office, has gone back into the corporate world in terms of advising companies on mergers and acquisitions.
BARBARA RANSBY: Right. Well, I think you probably know my answer to that, Juan. You know, Chicagoans, the Chicago movement would be in the street of Rahm Emanuel was nominated to a Cabinet position. Not only the commitment to corporate interests, but the cover-up, the inexcusable cover-up, of the Laquan McDonald murder, a young Black man murdered by police, and Rahm Emanuel, by all indications, participating in a cover-up of that murder; closing schools in Black and Brown neighborhoods; closing mental health centers; having a deaf ear to the demands of progressives in this city. So, no, I mean, you know, we wouldn’t support that. That would be a slap in the face to progressives not just in Chicago, but around this country.
So, you know, another Chicagoan who would be quite an alternative to Rahm Emanuel is Congressman Chuy García, who comes out of our movements, has a progressive record. So, his name has been floated for the transportation post, and certainly that would be a welcome divergence from a Rahm Emanuel-type appointment.
AMY GOODMAN: And, David Sirota, if you can weigh in on those who have been chosen? I mean, you have Alejandro Mayorkas, who would be the first Latinx head or secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. He talked about his family, he put it as, fleeing communism, fleeing Cuba, and coming to this country. You have, as Professor Ransby just talked about, among those, Avril Haines and the climate envoy, John Kerry, a new position that clearly President-elect Biden has chosen to say climate change will be front and center.
DAVID SIROTA: Well, look, the nominees, as a whole, I think, represent an effort at restoration, the idea being that we have to bring back familiar faces, Washington careerists, to restore the pre-Trump Washington status quo. And typically these are people with various corporate ties, ties to the establishment, ties to corporate power.
John Kerry is a good example. And it’s not to pick him out and say he’s particularly bad or particularly awful, but here’s a guy who was in government. When he was in government, he was very supportive of fossil fuel development, fracking in particular. He left office. He then got a top position at Bank of America, which is one of the largest financiers of fossil fuel development in the world. And then he comes back into government as Biden’s at least first climate pick. And it’s not to say that John Kerry is going to be terrible on climate, but it is to say, as one example of many, that we need to understand where these people come from. Joe Biden, on the campaign, on climate, on climate policy, his campaign very early on said it was seeking a, quote, “middle ground” on climate policy.
And so, I think what you see in all of these nominees — and you could go through all of them — is that it is an attempt to restore the old Washington. Ideologically, these are middle-ground picks. And what that says to me is that it’s going to be more important than ever for movements, activists, people all over this country to demand the kinds of policies that Joe Biden, at least rhetorically, promised on the campaign, that the personnel that Joe Biden is appointing so far are not people who are going to necessarily do the right thing on their own. They are not necessarily people who are going to offer a different kind of path, one that doesn’t appease corporate interests. They’re not going to do that alone, unless they are actually pushed and pressured. And that’s going to be the key.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, David, I wanted to ask you about — you were a speechwriter for Bernie Sanders. Clearly, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren represented, to some degree, the more progressive wing of the Democratic Party. There’s still talk of Bernie Sanders as possible labor secretary, but, clearly, Elizabeth Warren is not going to get any kind of a major position, it appears, at this point, in the Biden administration. Your sense of how they might still be able to influence these choices, and also the argument that Biden may be trying to figure out who he can name that will get confirmation from a Senate that will — could be in Republican hands, but certainly will be very divided?
DAVID SIROTA: Well, look, I think we need to remember that lawmakers themselves can be independent power centers, that there was a time in this country when there were the so-called giants of the Senate. And I think people like Bernie Sanders, people like Elizabeth Warren, fit that archetype, or at least potentially do, in the sense that they have — they’re well known in the country. They have large mass movement followings among them, a very large, grassroots — a set of grassroots supporters. And they can choose to use that power in the Senate on legislation and on nominations.
I mean, the other way to look at nominations, if we’re just talking about Cabinet nominations, is the progressives in the Senate are also, or also could be, a voting bloc. If the Republicans are going to oppose Joe Biden nominees, then it means that a progressive bloc of Senate votes can be the difference between confirmation and not confirmation. And those progressive senators have the potential power to demand progressive Cabinet appointees. And we’ve seen this happen at certain points. In the second term, in Obama’s second term, you saw Elizabeth Warren oppose various Obama potential appointees on the grounds that they were too close to Wall Street. And ultimately, those nominees were not confirmed, because of that opposition.
And we’ve seen a new poll that’s come out that says about 68% of Americans — this is a poll from Demand Progress that just came out yesterday, that we reported on at The Daily Poster — 68% of Americans say that if Biden appoints corporate executives or lobbyists to top positions, that 68% of Americans want the Senate to vote those nominees down.
So, I would say that those progressives — Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, others — in the Senate have serious leverage. But the question is always: Will they actually use that leverage? Not to pick on them. I think Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren have at times used that leverage. But will the progressive movement and progressive legislators in the Congress use the leverage that they have? That’s the open question.
AMY GOODMAN: Congressmembers Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib — you know, members of what’s known as “The Squad” — are the first sitting members of Congress to sign a petition launched by the Justice Democrats against a potential nomination of Joe Biden’s former chief of staff, Bruce Reed, as head of the Office of Management and Budget. Reed is considered a “deficit hawk,” has supported cuts to Social Security and Medicare. The petition calls for OMB to, quote, “be staffed with people who will prioritize working people, not Wall Street deficit scaremongers.” Let me put this question to Professor Ransby: In the midst of this serious pandemic-fueled recession, is it possible to build back better with Wall Street-friendly austerity politics? And what about these congressmembers speaking out and taking a stand, drawing a line in the sand, on Reed?
BARBARA RANSBY: Yeah, well, I think that’s a welcome and refreshing move by elected officials. Rashida Tlaib is somebody who is pretty uncompromising in speaking out, so I’m not surprised that she’s one of the signatories of the petition opposing Bruce Reed. I mean, we have to be very, very attentive to people being put in positions of power with regard to the economy. And on one hand, this is not surprising. On the other hand, we have to be vigilant. You know, somebody like Darrick Hamilton or Stephanie Kelton, people who have bold ideas that really would serve the economic interests of the majority of people, of poor and working people, rather than people who have consulted for corporations, who have been paid by corporations and financial institutions and Wall Street and so forth. So, obviously, we have to oppose a Reed nomination.
But I think, bigger than that, Amy — you know, I wanted to go back to something David Sirota said, which is about the importance of movements continuing to organize. I mean, we have all been so obsessed with this election, so fearful that this maniac and aspiring dictator would have retained power for four more years, that I don’t want us to lose sight of the importance of pressure from the street. We had literally tens of millions of people in the street after the murder of George Floyd. And it wasn’t just about the murder of George Floyd; it was about all the George Floyds who struggle in an economy that’s not in their interest, who struggle to make ends meet, who are vulnerable to police harassment on the street, partly because of their race and class vulnerabilities.
And so, we have to fight for people in these positions of power that are going to respond to our demands, but we also have to organize to make those demands as loudly, as persistently as possible. So, you know, the group The Frontline, which was a coalition to defeat Trump, has called for actions on Inauguration Day in Washington to do exactly that, to push for a progressive agenda. And so, we need to be supporting movements like that, as well. I mean, we can get a less bad appointment out of Joe Biden in some of these Cabinet positions, and that is important. I am all about, you know, increasing the margin of possibility in that arena, but also really about the importance of building a movement in this period and not forgetting the neoliberal politics of a Joe Biden — Joe Biden who took us into the war in Iraq and supported the crime bill and all of these things that helped to put us in the position we’re in now. So there’s a lot of work for movement organizers to do. Being attentive to these Cabinet posts is one of them, but certainly not the only.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, David Sirota, we only have about a minute or so left, but I wanted to ask you about the speculation on the Department of Justice that Biden could possibly name Preet Bharara, the former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York — before that, a staff member for Chuck Schumer — as possible head of DOJ or the Securities and Exchange Commission. I’m wondering your thoughts about that.
DAVID SIROTA: Well, Preet Bharara got a reputation as being supposedly tough on crime because he prosecuted some insider trading. He investigated part of the Cuomo administration in New York. But we have to remember the big thing about Preet Bharara. Preet Bharara was the head of the most powerful prosecutorial office in the United States during the financial crisis: the Southern District of New York, as you said, Juan. And in that time, there were no prosecutions of top executives at major banks in relation to the financial crisis. The idea of putting someone in power at the top of the Justice Department who played an active role — an active role — in making sure that Wall Street executives were not prosecuted after the financial crisis would be a complete abomination. It would be a disturbing promotion of the idea of a lack of accountability.
And I’ll just say the last thing about all of this, which is that we really are seeing, in a lot of ways, in this whole debate, an effort to pretend that the past crises that we face — the Iraq War, the financial crisis and the like — didn’t happen, or if they did happen, that the people who helped lead us into that, there will not be accountability for them. There will not even be career accountability or job accountability for them in terms of getting promoted later. So, the point about Preet Bharara is, if he is put in there, the implications for what we’re saying about whether Wall Street will ever be held accountable, whether for the financial crisis in the past or crises in the future, they would be deeply, deeply disturbing.
AMY GOODMAN: David Sirota, I want to thank you for being with us, award-winning investigative journalist, founder of the news website The Daily Poster, columnist for The Guardian, editor-at-large for Jacobin, serves as an adviser and speechwriter for Senator Bernie Sanders during his presidential campaign. And I want to thank Barbara Ransby, historian, author and activist adviser to the Movement for Black Lives, professor of African American studies, gender and women’s studies and history at the University of Illinois, Chicago. Her latest book, Making All Black Lives Matter: Reimagining Freedom in the 21st Century.
This is Democracy Now! Next up, we look at the Indigenous-led fight against the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline in northern Minnesota. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has just granted a key permit, but protests continue. Stay with us.


democracynow--2020-11-25--Feminism Not Militarism: Medea Benjamin on the Movement to Oppose Michèle Flournoy as Pentagon Chief

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : President-elect Joe Biden has introduced key members of his national security team , with a vow to reembrace the world , in a clear rejection of Trump ’ s “ America First ” foreign policy .
AMY GOODMAN : The president-elect spoke [ Tuesday ] in Wilmington , Delaware , alongside several members of his future Cabinet , including secretary of state nominee Tony Blinken , national intelligence director nominee Avril Haines , national security adviser nominee Jake Sullivan , secretary of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ambassador nominee Linda Thomas-Greenfield .
We ’ ll hear more about them in our next segment , but first we turn to look at a member of Biden ’ s national security team who has not yet been announced .
We don ’ t know who his pick for the secretary of defense will be .
Several media outlets have reported Biden planned to nominate Michèle Flournoy , but progressives , including some lawmakers , are speaking out in opposition .
If nominated and confirmed , Flournoy would become the first woman in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of defense for policy in the Obama administration from 2009 to 2012 .
After she left , she founded the consultancy firm WestExec Advisors with Tony Blinken , now the secretary of state nominee .
The secretive consulting firm , with the motto “ Bringing the Situation Room to the Board Room , ” has many former Obama administration officials on staff , including former CIA Deputy Director Avril Haines , who helped design Obama ’ s drone program , is now Biden ’ s pick for director of national intelligence .
California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Flournoy supported the war in Iraq & Libya , criticized Obama on Syria , and helped craft the surge in Afghanistan .
I want to support the President ’ s picks .
But will Flournoy now commit to a full withdrawal from Afghanistan & a ban on arms sales to the Saudis to end the Yemen war ?
” Ro Khanna asked .
Meanwhile , CodePink ’ s Medea Benjamin tweeted , quote , “ If Biden puts her name forward , anti-war activists should quickly launch an all-out effort to block @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Medea Benjamin joins us right now .
She is co-founder of CodePink , author of a number of books , including Kingdom of the Unjust : Behind the U.S.-Saudi Connection ; her latest book , Inside Iran : The Real History and Politics of the Islamic Republic of Iran .
Medea , welcome back to Democracy Now !
In a moment , we ’ re going to talk about President-elect Biden ’ s picks .
This is a person who has not yet been named , an extremely important position , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about your concerns and what ’ s going on behind the scenes , both in the grassroots community and among progressive lawmakers ?
MEDEA BENJAMIN : [ inaudible ] Flournoy , yet it shows that there is some division within Biden ’ s people on this right now .
She represents the epitome of what is worst about the Washington blob , the military-industrial complex ’ s revolving door .
Her whole history has been one of going in and out of the Pentagon , first under President Clinton , then under President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the U.S. engaged in , and supported increases in the military budget , and then used her contacts in government in these kind of hawkish think tanks that she either joined or helped create .
She sits on the board of a corporation that works with defense contractors .
She herself has made a lot of money by parlaying these insider contacts into positioning companies to be able to get these very plush Pentagon contracts .
She also sees China as an enemy that has to be confronted with higher-tech weapons , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us on a dangerous path of an increased cold war with China .
So , these are just some of the reasons we think she would be a disastrous pick as secretary of defense .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : Well , Medea , she not only worked in the Defense Department under Obama , she also worked in the Defense Department under Bill Clinton and was rumored to be Hillary Clinton ’ s first choice as secretary of defense , had Hillary won the election in 2016 .
So she definitely is , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the military-industrial complex going way back .
But could you talk about this WestExec Advisors that she helped to create ?
And we already have two people from that consultancy , that strategic advisory consultancy , named by Biden .
She would be the third if she was chosen .
What has been the role of this barely known group , outside of Washington ?
MEDEA BENJAMIN : Well , that ’ s right .
And that ’ s why it ’ s so important to look at this WestExec Advisors , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s a secret organization [ inaudible ] reveal who its clients are .
But we do know that it has been working with Israeli companies .
It seems that they work with the United Arab Emirates .
And their job is to get contracts for the Pentagon from companies , including companies from Silicon Valley .
This is the worst of Washington .
Yes , he ’ s already picked Antony Blinken , who is the co-founder with Michèle Flournoy — bad enough .
Bad enough that they brought in Avril @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Advisors .
But this consulting firm , that seems to be Biden ’ s government-in-waiting , represents the kind of Washington insider revolving door , makes sure that companies have an easy in into the Pentagon , and using these insiders from both the Bill Clinton years and the Obama years — and especially the Obama years — to grease the wheels for those companies .
So , you know , unfortunately , we would like to know more about WestExec Advisors , but it is , as I say , a company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clients are .
AMY GOODMAN : Reading from an article , “ The website for WestExec Advisors includes a map depicting West Executive Avenue , the secure road on the White House grounds between the West Wing and the Eisenhower Executive Office Building , as a way to show what the consulting firm can do for its clients … 'quite literally , the road to the Situation Room , and … the road everyone associated with WestExec Advisors has crossed many times en route to meetings of the highest national security consequences .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Common Dreams is headlined “ Will Michele Flournoy Be the Angel of Death for the American Empire ?
” What do you mean ?
MEDEA BENJAMIN : Well , I feel that we can go one of two ways : We continue on this route of trying to pretend that the U.S. has the right and the ability to dictate what the world should look like , which is Michèle Flournoy ’ s worldview , or Biden could go the other way , which is to understand that the U.S. is an empire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of its problems here at home , like this pandemic , and has to decrease the enormous military budget that is eating up over half of our discretionary funds .
And if he picks Michèle Flournoy , I think we will continue on that road of the declining empire , which will be terrible for us in the United States , because it will mean that we ’ ll continue these wars in Afghanistan , in Iraq , U.S. involvement in Syria , but also , at the same time , try to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t possibly keep this empire going and try to deal with all the crises we have here at home .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : And , Medea , you also write about Michèle Flournoy ’ s involvement with the Center on a New American Security , this think tank that she helped to create .
Could you talk about what that ’ s produced and what she did there ?
MEDEA BENJAMIN : Well , that is seen as one of the most hawkish think tanks .
And it is one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military contractors , as well as oil companies .
So , it is an example , that she started herself , of leaving the administration from the Pentagon , creating — using her Rolodex to create this think tank and get it funded by the very companies that she dealt with when she was inside the Pentagon .
AMY GOODMAN : We ’ re going to break now .
We want to thank you , Medea Benjamin , for joining us , co-founder of the peace organization CodePink , author of a number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Unjust : Behind the U.S.-Saudi Connection .
We ’ ll be joined by Bernie Sanders ’ former speechwriter , David Sirota , as well as professor Barbara Ransby , to look at who was on the stage in Wilmington , Delaware , the choices that President-elect Biden has made so far .
Stay with us .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: President-elect Joe Biden has introduced key members of his national security team, with a vow to reembrace the world, in a clear rejection of Trump’s “America First” foreign policy.
PRESIDENT-ELECT JOE BIDEN: The team meets this moment. This team, behind me. They embody my core beliefs that America is strongest when it works with its allies.
AMY GOODMAN: The president-elect spoke [Tuesday] in Wilmington, Delaware, alongside several members of his future Cabinet, including secretary of state nominee Tony Blinken, national intelligence director nominee Avril Haines, national security adviser nominee Jake Sullivan, secretary of homeland security nominee Alejandro Mayorkas and U.N. ambassador nominee Linda Thomas-Greenfield.
We’ll hear more about them in our next segment, but first we turn to look at a member of Biden’s national security team who has not yet been announced. We don’t know who his pick for the secretary of defense will be. Several media outlets have reported Biden planned to nominate Michèle Flournoy, but progressives, including some lawmakers, are speaking out in opposition.
If nominated and confirmed, Flournoy would become the first woman in the post. She served as undersecretary of defense for policy in the Obama administration from 2009 to 2012. After she left, she founded the consultancy firm WestExec Advisors with Tony Blinken, now the secretary of state nominee. The secretive consulting firm, with the motto “Bringing the Situation Room to the Board Room,” has many former Obama administration officials on staff, including former CIA Deputy Director Avril Haines, who helped design Obama’s drone program, is now Biden’s pick for director of national intelligence.
California Congressmember Ro Khanna tweeted, quote, “Flournoy supported the war in Iraq & Libya, criticized Obama on Syria, and helped craft the surge in Afghanistan. I want to support the President’s picks. But will Flournoy now commit to a full withdrawal from Afghanistan & a ban on arms sales to the Saudis to end the Yemen war?” Ro Khanna asked.
Meanwhile, CodePink’s Medea Benjamin tweeted, quote, “If Biden puts her name forward, anti-war activists should quickly launch an all-out effort to block Senate confirmation. #FeminismNotMilitarism.”
Well, Medea Benjamin joins us right now. She is co-founder of CodePink, author of a number of books, including Kingdom of the Unjust: Behind the U.S.-Saudi Connection; her latest book, Inside Iran: The Real History and Politics of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Medea, welcome back to Democracy Now! In a moment, we’re going to talk about President-elect Biden’s picks. This is a person who has not yet been named, an extremely important position, the secretary of defense. Can you talk about your concerns and what’s going on behind the scenes, both in the grassroots community and among progressive lawmakers?
MEDEA BENJAMIN: [inaudible] Flournoy, yet it shows that there is some division within Biden’s people on this right now. She represents the epitome of what is worst about the Washington blob, the military-industrial complex’s revolving door. Her whole history has been one of going in and out of the Pentagon, first under President Clinton, then under President Obama, where she supported every war that the U.S. engaged in, and supported increases in the military budget, and then used her contacts in government in these kind of hawkish think tanks that she either joined or helped create. She sits on the board of a corporation that works with defense contractors. She herself has made a lot of money by parlaying these insider contacts into positioning companies to be able to get these very plush Pentagon contracts. She also sees China as an enemy that has to be confronted with higher-tech weapons, which justifies increased Pentagon spending and puts us on a dangerous path of an increased cold war with China. So, these are just some of the reasons we think she would be a disastrous pick as secretary of defense.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Well, Medea, she not only worked in the Defense Department under Obama, she also worked in the Defense Department under Bill Clinton and was rumored to be Hillary Clinton’s first choice as secretary of defense, had Hillary won the election in 2016. So she definitely is, as you say, part of this establishment of the military-industrial complex going way back. But could you talk about this WestExec Advisors that she helped to create? And we already have two people from that consultancy, that strategic advisory consultancy, named by Biden. She would be the third if she was chosen. What has been the role of this barely known group, outside of Washington?
MEDEA BENJAMIN: Well, that’s right. And that’s why it’s so important to look at this WestExec Advisors, first of all, to understand that it’s a secret organization [inaudible] reveal who its clients are. But we do know that it has been working with Israeli companies. It seems that they work with the United Arab Emirates. And their job is to get contracts for the Pentagon from companies, including companies from Silicon Valley. This is the worst of Washington.
Yes, he’s already picked Antony Blinken, who is the co-founder with Michèle Flournoy — bad enough. Bad enough that they brought in Avril Haines, who is part of WestExec Advisors. But this consulting firm, that seems to be Biden’s government-in-waiting, represents the kind of Washington insider revolving door, makes sure that companies have an easy in into the Pentagon, and using these insiders from both the Bill Clinton years and the Obama years — and especially the Obama years — to grease the wheels for those companies. So, you know, unfortunately, we would like to know more about WestExec Advisors, but it is, as I say, a company that won’t reveal who its clients are.
AMY GOODMAN: Reading from an article, “The website for WestExec Advisors includes a map depicting West Executive Avenue, the secure road on the White House grounds between the West Wing and the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, as a way to show what the consulting firm can do for its clients … 'quite literally, the road to the Situation Room, and … the road everyone associated with WestExec Advisors has crossed many times en route to meetings of the highest national security consequences.'” Medea, your piece in Common Dreams is headlined “Will Michele Flournoy Be the Angel of Death for the American Empire?” What do you mean?
MEDEA BENJAMIN: Well, I feel that we can go one of two ways: We continue on this route of trying to pretend that the U.S. has the right and the ability to dictate what the world should look like, which is Michèle Flournoy’s worldview, or Biden could go the other way, which is to understand that the U.S. is an empire in crisis, needs to take care of its problems here at home, like this pandemic, and has to decrease the enormous military budget that is eating up over half of our discretionary funds. And if he picks Michèle Flournoy, I think we will continue on that road of the declining empire, which will be terrible for us in the United States, because it will mean that we’ll continue these wars in Afghanistan, in Iraq, U.S. involvement in Syria, but also, at the same time, try to pivot to China, which we can’t possibly keep this empire going and try to deal with all the crises we have here at home.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Medea, you also write about Michèle Flournoy’s involvement with the Center on a New American Security, this think tank that she helped to create. Could you talk about what that’s produced and what she did there?
MEDEA BENJAMIN: Well, that is seen as one of the most hawkish think tanks. And it is one of the most well funded by precisely government and military contractors, as well as oil companies. So, it is an example, that she started herself, of leaving the administration from the Pentagon, creating — using her Rolodex to create this think tank and get it funded by the very companies that she dealt with when she was inside the Pentagon.
AMY GOODMAN: We’re going to break now. We want to thank you, Medea Benjamin, for joining us, co-founder of the peace organization CodePink, author of a number of books, including Kingdom of the Unjust: Behind the U.S.-Saudi Connection.
We’ll be joined by Bernie Sanders’ former speechwriter, David Sirota, as well as professor Barbara Ransby, to look at who was on the stage in Wilmington, Delaware, the choices that President-elect Biden has made so far. Stay with us.


democracynow--2020-11-25--Headlines for November 25, 2020

Headlines for November 25, 2020

The United States reported nearly 173,000 new COVID-19 cases and over 2,100 deaths Tuesday , the deadliest day in more @ @ @ @ @ are at an all-time high at nearly 90,000 .
The U.S. death toll is now @ @ @ @ @ , COVID-19 hospitalizations have gone up over 80 % in the past two weeks , @ @ @ @ @ over 50 % .
Much of California imposed a curfew over the weekend in hopes @ @ @ @ @ health officials fear will only get worse due to Thanksgiving travel and gatherings .
Eleven @ @ @ @ @ Midwest , have recorded more deaths in the past week than in any other week @ @ @ @ @

The United States reported nearly 173,000 new COVID-19 cases and over 2,100 deaths Tuesday, the deadliest day in more than six months. Hospitalizations are at an all-time high at nearly 90,000. The U.S. death toll is now approaching 260,000.
In California, COVID-19 hospitalizations have gone up over 80% in the past two weeks, with ICU hospitalizations increasing by over 50%. Much of California imposed a curfew over the weekend in hopes of slowing a surge that health officials fear will only get worse due to Thanksgiving travel and gatherings. Eleven states, many in the Midwest, have recorded more deaths in the past week than in any other week since the pandemic began.


democracynow--2020-11-24--As 2020 Sets Grim Record for Trans Killings, Advocates Call for Holistic & Uplifting Media Coverage

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : This is Democracy Now !
, democracynow.org , The Quarantine Report .
I ’ m Amy Goodman , with Juan González .
Dominique “ Rem ’ mie ” Fells , Nina Pop , Marilyn Cazares , Tony McDade — just a few of the names of the 37 transgender and gender nonconforming people violently killed in 2020 , the deadliest year for trans and gender nonconforming people on record , this according to a new report from Human Rights Campaign .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since the HRC started recording and reporting this type of violence in 2013 .
Twenty-two of those who were killed were Black ; seven were Latinx .
Human Rights Campaign Foundation president Alphonso David said , quote , “ This grim milestone proves what we have long known : this violence is an epidemic .
Each one of the lives we lost was someone ripped from their family , their friends and their community by an act of senseless violence , often driven by bigotry and transphobia and inflamed by the rhetoric of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
More than 200 trans and gender nonconforming people have lost their lives to violence since 2013 .
Two-thirds of those killed have been Black women .
For more on this devastating study , we go to Atlanta , Georgia , where we ’ re joined by Tori Cooper , Human Rights Campaign director of community engagement for the Transgender Justice Initiative .
We welcome you to Democracy Now !
, Tori .
Start off by talking about what you found in this devastating report .
TORI COOPER : Good morning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ having me .
There are so many things that we found in this report .
We found , as you noted already , that the majority of the deaths have been Black and Brown trans women .
That ’ s really , really unfortunate .
And we are also finding that with Black and Brown trans women , often they ’ re being killed by people who they know .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : And these numbers , Tori , are likely an underreport of the deadly violence targeting transgender and gender nonconforming people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually are cataloguing these and reporting these ?
TORI COOPER : So , as a Black trans women , many of us in the community believe these numbers are terribly low .
And in part it ’ s because police will tell a story , they will talk about a death in a way that ’ s truthful — and by “ truthful , ” I mean perhaps the person ’ s legal identification still has an “ M ” versus an “ F ” — and so , they ’ re telling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not telling stories not accurately , when they discount or , what we call , deadname people and use them by their birth name rather than their chosen name .
We know that this happens , and this is a separate issue .
There are legal consequences to this .
Certainly , there are reporting consequences , as well .
But we believe that that ’ s one of the things that contributes to terribly low numbers and inaccurate counts .
And then , in addition to that , families are not always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s gender identity .
So that certainly plays a part in getting an accurate — a more accurate count , as well .
AMY GOODMAN : Tori , if you could talk about that point you first made ?
You said “ killed by people they know.
” TORI COOPER : So , I use the word “ relationship.
” Yes , what we have found out is that the majority of the Black and Brown trans women who have been killed this year , Black and Latinx , they had some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It may have been a social media person .
There was one or two accounts where folks are believed to have been killed by people they went to school with and perhaps had lost contact with over a number of years .
So they were in some relationship , the social media .
They could have been in an amorous relationship , boyfriend-girlfriend relationship .
Whatever the relationship , there was some way that they knew each other prior .
And as trans women , particularly as Black trans women , if we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that we ’ re in relationship with , then it really takes away all sense of safety , and it makes us feel even more vulnerable .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : Could you talk about the case of Iyanna Dior , a Black trans woman who was brutally beaten by a mob in Saint Paul , Minnesota , back in June ?
How often are these — are these situations even investigated ?
And are some trans people often afraid of reporting such attacks to the police ?
TORI COOPER : Iyanna Dior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not as uncommon as we would like to think .
And now , I do not know her personally , so I will make sure to say that , but I did reach out to her several times , and we communicated , and through my work at HRC , as well .
But with Iyanna Dior ’ s case , from my understanding , there was a simple small tap of a car vehicle , and that escalated into basically a group jumping on her and beating her up inside of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protected by the folks who worked at the store , but as folks realized her gender identity , more and more folks ganged up on her , really for no reason at all .
And what that is , is it ’ s kind of emblematic , symbolic of how we , as trans and gender nonconforming folks — how we ’ re kind of ganged up on in society .
This young lady appeared to be minding her own business .
It was an accident , a small accident , that didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And yet these folks , not only did they beat her up gang style — they just ganged up on her — but then they videotaped it and played it on social media for others ’ entertainment .
As trans people , we feel that our lives are displayed and our victimization is displayed for other people ’ s entertainment all the time .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : Could you talk about the role of the media and how we could have a more positive impact on combating these incidents of violence ?
TORI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Quite often what has happened is the media talks about trans and nonconforming people when we ’ re celebrities or when we ’ re dead .
And the truth is , most of us lie in extremes — from somewhere in between those two extremes .
And so , it is important for the media not just to tell — as with any other marginalized group , may I add that also .
It ’ s important that the media tell our stories in a way that is truthful and accurate .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ some of the negative imagery around us by telling stories that uplift our community , that provide a more holistic view of who we are — I like to say , that add color to the picture of trans and nonbinary people .
That ’ s really , really important .
AMY GOODMAN : Finally , Tori , Sarah McBride is a trans woman who was elected to the Delaware state Legislature , might be the first trans — openly transgender state senator in the United States .
She wrote a book about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called Tomorrow Will Be Different : Love , Loss , and the Fight for Trans Equality , and it has a foreword by Joe Biden , the new president-elect of the United States .
Can you talk about what you want to see this new administration do , and what you think the old one — the effect of Trump ?
TORI COOPER : So , I ’ m so excited for Sarah .
And may I respectfully correct you : She isn ’ t perhaps the first out trans person elected to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trans person elected to Congress .
TORI COOPER : So we ’ re incredibly proud of her — state legislator , thank you .
So , she is — we are very , very proud of her at the Human Rights Campaign , and also proud of her in the trans community .
So , what we expect from her as part of the Legislature , and also from the Biden-Harris administration , is really to hold them accountable .
Joe Biden , in a recent speech , was the first to acknowledge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement on Transgender Day of Remembrance , which was November 20th .
And so , we believe that we now — beginning in January , will now be under the administration that is the most supportive of trans , nonbinary and all other queer folks .
What we believe is we ’ re going to hold them accountable , so that they not only enact hate crime legislation , new hate crime legislation , but enforce hate crime legislation that ’ s already on the books .
We believe that there will now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trans folks , again , being able to join the military .
There will be protections in the workplace and in education .
We believe that there will be more of a sense of equity when it comes to legislation .
AMY GOODMAN : We ’ re going to have to leave it there , Tori .
Thanks so much .
Human Rights Campaign director of community engagement .
I ’ m Amy Goodman , with Juan González .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The Quarantine Report. I’m Amy Goodman, with Juan González.
Dominique “Rem’mie” Fells, Nina Pop, Marilyn Cazares, Tony McDade — just a few of the names of the 37 transgender and gender nonconforming people violently killed in 2020, the deadliest year for trans and gender nonconforming people on record, this according to a new report from Human Rights Campaign. It’s the highest number of deaths since the HRC started recording and reporting this type of violence in 2013. Twenty-two of those who were killed were Black; seven were Latinx.
Human Rights Campaign Foundation president Alphonso David said, quote, “This grim milestone proves what we have long known: this violence is an epidemic. Each one of the lives we lost was someone ripped from their family, their friends and their community by an act of senseless violence, often driven by bigotry and transphobia and inflamed by the rhetoric of those who oppose our progress,” he said.
More than 200 trans and gender nonconforming people have lost their lives to violence since 2013. Two-thirds of those killed have been Black women.
For more on this devastating study, we go to Atlanta, Georgia, where we’re joined by Tori Cooper, Human Rights Campaign director of community engagement for the Transgender Justice Initiative.
We welcome you to Democracy Now!, Tori. Start off by talking about what you found in this devastating report.
TORI COOPER: Good morning, and thank you so much for having me.
There are so many things that we found in this report. We found, as you noted already, that the majority of the deaths have been Black and Brown trans women. That’s really, really unfortunate. And we are also finding that with Black and Brown trans women, often they’re being killed by people who they know.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And these numbers, Tori, are likely an underreport of the deadly violence targeting transgender and gender nonconforming people. Could you talk about how police actually are cataloguing these and reporting these?
TORI COOPER: So, as a Black trans women, many of us in the community believe these numbers are terribly low. And in part it’s because police will tell a story, they will talk about a death in a way that’s truthful — and by “truthful,” I mean perhaps the person’s legal identification still has an “M” versus an “F” — and so, they’re telling stories truthfully, but they’re not telling stories not accurately, when they discount or, what we call, deadname people and use them by their birth name rather than their chosen name. We know that this happens, and this is a separate issue. There are legal consequences to this. Certainly, there are reporting consequences, as well. But we believe that that’s one of the things that contributes to terribly low numbers and inaccurate counts. And then, in addition to that, families are not always as welcoming and understanding about a person’s gender identity. So that certainly plays a part in getting an accurate — a more accurate count, as well.
AMY GOODMAN: Tori, if you could talk about that point you first made? You said “killed by people they know.”
TORI COOPER: So, I use the word “relationship.” Yes, what we have found out is that the majority of the Black and Brown trans women who have been killed this year, Black and Latinx, they had some kind of relationship with the person. It may have been a social media person. There was one or two accounts where folks are believed to have been killed by people they went to school with and perhaps had lost contact with over a number of years. So they were in some relationship, the social media. They could have been in an amorous relationship, boyfriend-girlfriend relationship. Whatever the relationship, there was some way that they knew each other prior. And as trans women, particularly as Black trans women, if we cannot trust people that we know and that we’re in relationship with, then it really takes away all sense of safety, and it makes us feel even more vulnerable.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Could you talk about the case of Iyanna Dior, a Black trans woman who was brutally beaten by a mob in Saint Paul, Minnesota, back in June? How often are these — are these situations even investigated? And are some trans people often afraid of reporting such attacks to the police?
TORI COOPER: Iyanna Dior’s case is, unfortunately, not as uncommon as we would like to think. And now, I do not know her personally, so I will make sure to say that, but I did reach out to her several times, and we communicated, and through my work at HRC, as well.
But with Iyanna Dior’s case, from my understanding, there was a simple small tap of a car vehicle, and that escalated into basically a group jumping on her and beating her up inside of a store. Not only was she not protected by the folks who worked at the store, but as folks realized her gender identity, more and more folks ganged up on her, really for no reason at all.
And what that is, is it’s kind of emblematic, symbolic of how we, as trans and gender nonconforming folks — how we’re kind of ganged up on in society. This young lady appeared to be minding her own business. It was an accident, a small accident, that didn’t create any significant damage. And yet these folks, not only did they beat her up gang style — they just ganged up on her — but then they videotaped it and played it on social media for others’ entertainment. As trans people, we feel that our lives are displayed and our victimization is displayed for other people’s entertainment all the time.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Could you talk about the role of the media and how we could have a more positive impact on combating these incidents of violence?
TORI COOPER: Significant role of the media. Quite often what has happened is the media talks about trans and nonconforming people when we’re celebrities or when we’re dead. And the truth is, most of us lie in extremes — from somewhere in between those two extremes. And so, it is important for the media not just to tell — as with any other marginalized group, may I add that also. It’s important that the media tell our stories in a way that is truthful and accurate. It is important that the media counteract some of the negative imagery around us by telling stories that uplift our community, that provide a more holistic view of who we are — I like to say, that add color to the picture of trans and nonbinary people. That’s really, really important.
AMY GOODMAN: Finally, Tori, Sarah McBride is a trans woman who was elected to the Delaware state Legislature, might be the first trans — openly transgender state senator in the United States. She wrote a book about her life experience. Her book is called Tomorrow Will Be Different: Love, Loss, and the Fight for Trans Equality, and it has a foreword by Joe Biden, the new president-elect of the United States. Can you talk about what you want to see this new administration do, and what you think the old one — the effect of Trump?
TORI COOPER: So, I’m so excited for Sarah. And may I respectfully correct you: She isn’t perhaps the first out trans person elected to Congress; she is the first out trans person elected to Congress.
AMY GOODMAN: State legislature.
TORI COOPER: So we’re incredibly proud of her — state legislator, thank you. So, she is — we are very, very proud of her at the Human Rights Campaign, and also proud of her in the trans community.
So, what we expect from her as part of the Legislature, and also from the Biden-Harris administration, is really to hold them accountable. Joe Biden, in a recent speech, was the first to acknowledge transgender folks. Joe Biden released a statement on Transgender Day of Remembrance, which was November 20th. And so, we believe that we now — beginning in January, will now be under the administration that is the most supportive of trans, nonbinary and all other queer folks.
What we believe is we’re going to hold them accountable, so that they not only enact hate crime legislation, new hate crime legislation, but enforce hate crime legislation that’s already on the books. We believe that there will now be policies that will be inclusive of trans folks, again, being able to join the military. There will be protections in the workplace and in education. We believe that there will be more of a sense of equity when it comes to legislation.
AMY GOODMAN: We’re going to have to leave it there, Tori. Thanks so much. Human Rights Campaign director of community engagement. I’m Amy Goodman, with Juan González.


democracynow--2020-11-24--Betting Pool? Tyson Managers Bet on How Many Workers Would Get COVID. Advocates Call It Grim Pattern

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 Gonzalez , as we turn right now to Iowa .
It was a betting pool .
That ’ s right .
As COVID-19 raged through factories and meatpacking plants in the spring , the mega-corporation Tyson refused to close its largest pork slaughterhouse to protect its workers .
While publicly claiming to be implementing all possible safety measures , the managers of the Waterloo plant in Iowa put money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deadly virus .
Soon after , at least six people at the plant had died , and more than 1,000 were infected .
These horrific allegations were made by the family of meatpacker Isidro Fernandez , who died of COVID-19 April 20th .
In a lawsuit , the family claims that , quote , “ plant manager Tom Hart organized a cash-buy-in , winner-take-all , betting pool for supervisors and managers to wager how many plant employees would test positive for COVID-19 , ” unquote .
Last week , Tyson suspended the managers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do an independent investigation into the claims , to be led by the former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder .
In a statement , Tyson Foods CEO Dean Banks said , quote , “ We are extremely upset about the accusations involving some of the leadership at our Waterloo plant .
… If these claims are confirmed , we ’ ll take all measures necessary to root out and remove this disturbing behavior from our company , ” unquote .
But worker advocates say the betting pool is just further evidence of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plant and its other factories .
Tyson produces 20 % of America ’ s beef , chicken and pork .
The president of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union , which represents workers at the plant , said , quote , “ This shocking report of supervisors allegedly taking bets on how many workers would get infected , pressuring sick workers to stay on the job , and failing to enforce basic safety standards , should outrage every American , ” unquote .
This comes as a new study found up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases came from meatpacking plants .
That ’ s more than 300,000 cases .
As COVID spikes across the United States , again endangering meat workers , we go to Springdale , Arkansas , home of Tyson Foods headquarters , to speak with Magaly Licolli .
She is executive director of Venceremos , an advocacy group for poultry plant workers .
Magaly , it ’ s great to have you back again .
Thank you for joining us , but very sad circumstances .
Talk about what ’ s happened in Iowa — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — and what that means for all meat workers around the country .
MAGALY LICOLLI : Yeah , thank you so much for inviting me .
Definitely this is outrageous and unacceptable .
However , this is shocking for the people that don ’ t know how workers are treated every day .
When I informed the workers about this lawsuit here , they were not shocked at all .
And this is because there exist this practices among workers .
There is a lot of racism , discrimination .
A lot of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black , Asians , and often so vulnerable that really these companies are treating them like animals .
They are treating them as disposable .
And this example of the betting pool is just really an example or the sum up of how these workers are going through every day .
And so , yes , definitely it ’ s shocking to know that on top of that the workers were getting sick , they were dying , these companies or these managers were treating these workers just as animals .
And just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we saw the highlighted issues within this industry that these workers were treated just as disposables and that these workers were purposely put at risk of getting sick .
And this is why even the managers tried to bet , because they knew that it was inevitable that these workers were getting sick , because the company didn ’ t provide even the essential benefits , such as PPE , or even allow workers to practice social distancing .
And really what we saw during the pandemic and during these months , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they care for workers .
And why I said “ pretending , ” because they put a lot of money in PR campaign trying to convince the public that they were doing everything that they could to protect workers ; however , still they didn ’ t provide paid sick leave .
Workers are used to coming to work while sick .
And they said they gave $ 500 in bonuses with the condition that they didn ’ t have to miss any day to work .
And their announcement was made in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases were growing in their plants and that they knew that workers were going to get sick , so they kind of incentivized workers to continue coming to work .
And so , when workers told me back in March about these bonuses and really how the company was forcing them to come to work , when they don ’ t have any benefits , of paid sick leave , of anything like that , and so it was a lot of , like , understanding that this company knew what they were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were putting workers at risk of dying , really , because vulnerable — because these workers have also carried a lot of preexisting conditions of working in the processing plants with high amounts of chemicals .
They have developed respiratory problems .
So they know that if the workers were afraid of losing their lives , they have to give them money to make them come to work .
And that ’ s what happened .
And that ’ s how this all laid out on how they were forcing workers to come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing to mention is , like , these companies , Tyson and other companies , use this punitive system that is like if workers missed a day of work because they were sick , they will get a point .
If they reach up to 13 points , these workers are going to be fired .
So they all the time are afraid of losing their jobs even for missing work because they were sick .
So , yeah , we saw a lot of cases of workers coming in sick , workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the risk of who was in contact with .
So , there was a lot of , like , times where workers didn ’ t know how many workers were sick , if the co-worker next to them was sick .
That information was hidden to workers .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : Magaly , I wanted to ask you , in terms of the — we ’ re in the second , and in some places third , wave of the COVID pandemic .
Have conditions changed at all in any of these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or May ?
And what ’ s your response ?
Because many of these private employers are seeking to have Congress eliminate any liability on their part for not properly protecting their workers .
They want immunity from any possible lawsuits as a result of their negligence in protecting their workers .
Your response to that , as well ?
MAGALY LICOLLI : Yeah , I mean , we saw that the government was really protecting these companies instead of workers .
And so , right now workers are terrified for the second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got sick .
And they also have long-term effects of COVID .
Many of them are disabled , like I know workers who had like only 40 % of the lung capacity after getting the COVID .
And so they are not able to return to work .
And Tyson was not paying workers to quarantine .
They were not paying workers for being sick .
Many workers had to be hospitalized for like three months .
And after that , so many of them died .
Workers were not compensated whatsoever for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of them are facing food insecurity .
Many of them are facing — they are going through hardship , not being able to pay medical bills , not being able to pay , like , the utilities , you know .
And so , right now the fear is , like , with the second wave , Tyson has not done anything to protect workers .
And , in fact , after the outbreaks that we experienced here , the company relaxed its policies about checking the temperature , about asking questions in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or if they traveled outside the state or the country .
So they have relaxed a lot of the policies .
And that ’ s why I said Tyson just was pretending to protect workers , where in fact they didn ’ t do any meaningful changes to continue protecting workers in the long term .
So , we were demanding paid sick leave .
This essential benefit was not granted to workers — is not .
And we are still demanding that these companies provide paid sick leave to workers , so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they stay home , without going through this hardship that they are experiencing right now .
And so , yeah , I think that — MAGALY LICOLLI : Yeah .
So , I think that workers need to — that we need to create a set of Bill of Rights to protect workers , essential workers , moving forward , with fair wages , with healthcare , with paid sick leave , so that these workers don ’ t go through these situations as they have been going through right now .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ really does meaningful changes for workers .
It ’ s time to hold them accountable .
It ’ s time for consumers to join this fight , to put pressure to these companies , because we are also responsible to make them to do the right thing for these workers .
AMY GOODMAN : Well , Magaly Licolli , we want to thank you for being with us , especially on this day before the holidays , perhaps the largest poultry-consuming holiday of the year .
Magaly Licolli , executive director of Venceremos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We will win ” — an advocacy group for poultry plant workers , joining us from Springdale , Arkansas , home to Tyson Foods headquarters .
Next up , we look at how this year was the deadliest on record for transgender and gender nonconforming people .
Stay with us .

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 Gonzalez, as we turn right now to Iowa. It was a betting pool. That’s right. As COVID-19 raged through factories and meatpacking plants in the spring, the mega-corporation Tyson refused to close its largest pork slaughterhouse to protect its workers. While publicly claiming to be implementing all possible safety measures, the managers of the Waterloo plant in Iowa put money on how many workers would get the deadly virus. Soon after, at least six people at the plant had died, and more than 1,000 were infected.
These horrific allegations were made by the family of meatpacker Isidro Fernandez, who died of COVID-19 April 20th. In a lawsuit, the family claims that, quote, “plant manager Tom Hart organized a cash-buy-in, winner-take-all, betting pool for supervisors and managers to wager how many plant employees would test positive for COVID-19,” unquote.
Last week, Tyson suspended the managers without pay and hired a law firm to do an independent investigation into the claims, to be led by the former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. In a statement, Tyson Foods CEO Dean Banks said, quote, “We are extremely upset about the accusations involving some of the leadership at our Waterloo plant. … If these claims are confirmed, we’ll take all measures necessary to root out and remove this disturbing behavior from our company,” unquote.
But worker advocates say the betting pool is just further evidence of mistreatment by Tyson at the Iowa meat plant and its other factories. Tyson produces 20% of America’s beef, chicken and pork. The president of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, which represents workers at the plant, said, quote, “This shocking report of supervisors allegedly taking bets on how many workers would get infected, pressuring sick workers to stay on the job, and failing to enforce basic safety standards, should outrage every American,” unquote.
This comes as a new study found up to 8% of all U.S. COVID-19 cases came from meatpacking plants. That’s more than 300,000 cases.
As COVID spikes across the United States, again endangering meat workers, we go to Springdale, Arkansas, home of Tyson Foods headquarters, to speak with Magaly Licolli. She is executive director of Venceremos, an advocacy group for poultry plant workers.
Magaly, it’s great to have you back again. Thank you for joining us, but very sad circumstances. Talk about what’s happened in Iowa — that’s at a pork slaughterhouse — and what that means for all meat workers around the country.
MAGALY LICOLLI: Yeah, thank you so much for inviting me. Definitely this is outrageous and unacceptable. However, this is shocking for the people that don’t know how workers are treated every day. When I informed the workers about this lawsuit here, they were not shocked at all. And this is because there exist this practices among workers. There is a lot of racism, discrimination. A lot of these workers are immigrants, refugees, Black, Asians, and often so vulnerable that really these companies are treating them like animals. They are treating them as disposable. And this example of the betting pool is just really an example or the sum up of how these workers are going through every day. And so, yes, definitely it’s shocking to know that on top of that the workers were getting sick, they were dying, these companies or these managers were treating these workers just as animals. And just, really, during the pandemic, we saw the highlighted issues within this industry that these workers were treated just as disposables and that these workers were purposely put at risk of getting sick.
And this is why even the managers tried to bet, because they knew that it was inevitable that these workers were getting sick, because the company didn’t provide even the essential benefits, such as PPE, or even allow workers to practice social distancing. And really what we saw during the pandemic and during these months, it was a lot about Tyson pretending that they care for workers. And why I said “pretending,” because they put a lot of money in PR campaign trying to convince the public that they were doing everything that they could to protect workers; however, still they didn’t provide paid sick leave.
Workers are used to coming to work while sick. And they said they gave $500 in bonuses with the condition that they didn’t have to miss any day to work. And their announcement was made in March, when they knew that the cases were growing in their plants and that they knew that workers were going to get sick, so they kind of incentivized workers to continue coming to work. And so, when workers told me back in March about these bonuses and really how the company was forcing them to come to work, when they don’t have any benefits, of paid sick leave, of anything like that, and so it was a lot of, like, understanding that this company knew what they were doing, that they knew that they were putting workers at risk of dying, really, because vulnerable — because these workers have also carried a lot of preexisting conditions of working in the processing plants with high amounts of chemicals. They have developed respiratory problems. So they know that if the workers were afraid of losing their lives, they have to give them money to make them come to work. And that’s what happened. And that’s how this all laid out on how they were forcing workers to come in sick.
And also, one thing to mention is, like, these companies, Tyson and other companies, use this punitive system that is like if workers missed a day of work because they were sick, they will get a point. If they reach up to 13 points, these workers are going to be fired. So they all the time are afraid of losing their jobs even for missing work because they were sick. So, yeah, we saw a lot of cases of workers coming in sick, workers being exposed, and also denying workers of the risk of who was in contact with. So, there was a lot of, like, times where workers didn’t know how many workers were sick, if the co-worker next to them was sick. That information was hidden to workers.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Magaly?
MAGALY LICOLLI: And also — mm-hmm?
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Magaly, I wanted to ask you, in terms of the — we’re in the second, and in some places third, wave of the COVID pandemic. Have conditions changed at all in any of these plants since back in March, April or May? And what’s your response? Because many of these private employers are seeking to have Congress eliminate any liability on their part for not properly protecting their workers. They want immunity from any possible lawsuits as a result of their negligence in protecting their workers. Your response to that, as well?
MAGALY LICOLLI: Yeah, I mean, we saw that the government was really protecting these companies instead of workers. And so, right now workers are terrified for the second wave, because the majority of them got sick. And they also have long-term effects of COVID. Many of them are disabled, like I know workers who had like only 40% of the lung capacity after getting the COVID. And so they are not able to return to work. And Tyson was not paying workers to quarantine. They were not paying workers for being sick. Many workers had to be hospitalized for like three months. And after that, so many of them died. Workers were not compensated whatsoever for those times during being hospitalized. Many of them are facing food insecurity. Many of them are facing — they are going through hardship, not being able to pay medical bills, not being able to pay, like, the utilities, you know.
And so, right now the fear is, like, with the second wave, Tyson has not done anything to protect workers. And, in fact, after the outbreaks that we experienced here, the company relaxed its policies about checking the temperature, about asking questions in regards if they were exposed to others or if they traveled outside the state or the country. So they have relaxed a lot of the policies. And that’s why I said Tyson just was pretending to protect workers, where in fact they didn’t do any meaningful changes to continue protecting workers in the long term. So, we were demanding paid sick leave. This essential benefit was not granted to workers — is not. And we are still demanding that these companies provide paid sick leave to workers, so workers can assure if they are sick, they stay home, without going through this hardship that they are experiencing right now. And so, yeah, I think that —
AMY GOODMAN: We have 10 seconds, Magaly.
MAGALY LICOLLI: Yeah. So, I think that workers need to — that we need to create a set of Bill of Rights to protect workers, essential workers, moving forward, with fair wages, with healthcare, with paid sick leave, so that these workers don’t go through these situations as they have been going through right now. And so, we hope that Tyson really does meaningful changes for workers. It’s time to hold them accountable. It’s time for consumers to join this fight, to put pressure to these companies, because we are also responsible to make them to do the right thing for these workers.
AMY GOODMAN: Well, Magaly Licolli, we want to thank you for being with us, especially on this day before the holidays, perhaps the largest poultry-consuming holiday of the year. Magaly Licolli, executive director of Venceremos — in English, that means “We will win” — an advocacy group for poultry plant workers, joining us from Springdale, Arkansas, home to Tyson Foods headquarters.
Next up, we look at how this year was the deadliest on record for transgender and gender nonconforming people. Stay with us.