democracynow--2020-04-24--"Nobody Wants to Do This": Georgia Reopens Nonessential Businesses Despite Public Health Warnings

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : This is Democracy Now !
, democracynow.org , The War and Peace Report , as we turn right now to Georgia .
That ’ s right , Georgia .
Georgia is opening up for business today .
It ’ s reopening nonessential businesses despite a rising number of COVID-19-related deaths in the state and the objections of the mayors of Savannah , Atlanta , Augusta and many more .
As Georgia ’ s death toll passes 900 , the number of confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kemp , who beat Stacey [ Abrams ] in the election , has ordered hair salons , tattoo shops , nail parlors , gyms , barbershops , bowling alleys to reopen .
Restaurants and movie theaters are set to reopen Monday .
Public health officials warn lifting strict social distancing measures will lead to more deaths .
This is Governor Kemp speaking earlier this week .
AMY GOODMAN : The Associated Press reports President Trump and Vice President Pence told Governor Kemp on Tuesday they approved of his aggressive plan to reopen businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ course and publicly said he opposed the plan .
On Thursday , the Southern Christian Leadership Conference issued a strong warning to the governors of Georgia , Texas and other states who are considering reopening their economies .
SCLC President Dr. Charles Steele Jr. said in a statement , “ We can not use poor people as sacrificial lambs like they did to people during the Tuskegee Experiment .
The businesses that are being reopened are the ones where poor people have to work and put their lives at risk.
” Well , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Pine Lake , Georgia , where we ’ re joined by George Chidi .
He is a public policy director for PadSplit , an Atlanta-based affordable housing organization , former city councilperson for Pine Lake , former reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution .
George , thanks so much for joining us .
Can you explain what is happening ?
If you were going to make a list of the businesses that should not be open right now , I mean , if you asked the public health officials all over this country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they would make the list of the nonessential businesses that the governor is opening today in Georgia .
Why is this happening ?
Please explain .
GEORGE CHIDI : So , my sense of it is that it doesn ’ t really have to do with public health at all , because I can ’ t imagine somebody really needs a mani-pedi right now .
And let me preface this by saying that even though massage parlors and bowling alleys are supposed to be able to be open , nobody ’ s going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Georgia about doing any of this .
I think that this is about reducing the potential unemployment insurance costs to the state .
The order to open these businesses supersedes an order that he made to close these specific businesses a few weeks ago .
But earlier this week , we started to see projections about what the budget shortfall is going to look like in Georgia .
We ’ re looking at $ 4 billion that we weren ’ t going to have before .
And the unemployment fund has about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s going to be a crisis in about a year .
And I think the governor is trying to act now to avert that crisis later .
AMY GOODMAN : But explain what the connection is .
Are you saying that if he says you can go back to work , then those people who work in these places can ’ t file for unemployment ; they can ’ t say , “ No , I just decided to stay home , ” once he said they can go back to work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s a little more complicated than that , because people can file .
The question is whether or not their filing will be accepted , whether or not they ’ ll actually get money and how .
If your restaurant reopens — and some restaurants are going to reopen — and they call back their employees and say , “ Hey , we need you to be a server , ” but the employees don ’ t believe that they ’ ve got enough personal protective equipment or whatever , like , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re going to be sick , well , they ’ ll file for unemployment , but then they ’ ve got to make the case for their unemployment before the Department of Labor .
It ’ s not a slam dunk .
If the business is closed , of course they ’ re going to get unemployment insurance .
But if the business is open , well , according to the Department of Labor ’ s standards right now , fear of infection alone is not a sufficient cause for unemployment coverage .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ up for a fight that might take two weeks , three weeks , four weeks , longer , and , frankly , some people are going to give up .
And I think that ’ s what they want .
They want people to give up their attempt to get unemployment , find a job that might be substandard relative to their skills , and keep from hitting the public dime .
AMY GOODMAN : So , can you give us a breakdown , George Chidi , of the people who work in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demographic breakdown ?
GEORGE CHIDI : So , let ’ s start with nail salons , because nail salons ?
I mean , really , nail salons .
AMY GOODMAN : How do you do that without touching people ?
And , of course , people can wear gloves , but you have to be so close .
When we talk about arm ’ s length , that is far less than six feet .
GEORGE CHIDI : So , the nail technicians , like , there are health and safety guidelines that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it essentially turns a nail technician into a licensed practical nurse .
There ’ s no way they ’ re going to be — everybody gets a mask .
Everybody needs a new mask for each new person .
Basically , everything — AMY GOODMAN : That ’ s more than doctors and nurses get in this country right now .
GEORGE CHIDI : Right , right .
There ’ s no way they ’ re going to be able to get their hands on that kind of equipment , that everything ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and then re-covered after every person comes through the nail salon , temperature checks for everybody who walks through the door .
It ’ s absurd .
Like , nobody ’ s actually going to be able to open under — AMY GOODMAN : So , can you talk about the governor ’ s relationship — he ’ s a close ally of President Trump .
AP is reporting that both Trump and Pence told Kemp that this is a good idea , and then reversed course after enormous pressure from the top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now are saying that Kemp is making the wrong decision .
Is it possible Kemp will go back , since you haven ’ t even hit the peak in Georgia right now ?
The deaths are vastly increasing each day .
GEORGE CHIDI : So , people are arguing that we peaked a week or two ago .
I don ’ t believe that that ’ s true .
Like , our numbers are increasing , and they ’ re — you know , like , that slope doesn ’ t look like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yet .
Trump ’ s going to Trump .
I mean , it ’ s about — Trump is about what is good for Trump .
And honestly , I think he put his finger in the wind .
There is massive skepticism of the governor in Georgia right now .
Nobody wants to do this .
There ’ s no upswelling of desire to go bowling right now .
And frankly , I think he got feedback from the ground and said , “ It ’ s better for me , Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , so that I don ’ t look dumb.
” Shock .
AMY GOODMAN : So , can you talk about the scheduled protest that was called off to reopen the state , because the governor said , “ Don ’ t worry , I am reopening the state ” ?
You have spent much of your time , George Chidi , following the “ alt-right ” in Georgia .
Talk about the people who make up this pressure group and how powerful they are .
GEORGE CHIDI : So , there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we have a problem with the “ alt-right ” in Georgia .
Let ’ s start with that .
We had a terrorist cell of “ alt-right ” terrorists arrested about two months or so ago , just about an hour west of Atlanta .
They were planning to attempt to assassinate people who were aligned with the antifa movement .
It ’ s astroturf , though , mostly .
This isn ’ t — the protest movement here in Georgia was being pushed primarily by political groups that have an agenda .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ — you know , when Trump started to come out and say , “ Oh , yeah , no , this isn ’ t a good idea , ” they — like , I could see the pullback happening .
Some of the protest groups — some of the folks who were protesting were anti-vaxxers in Georgia .
Like , one of the main protest leaders is an anti-vax person .
But the rest were “ Three Percent ” militia people .
And they ’ re a real problem .
AMY GOODMAN : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , is headquartered in Georgia , right ?
In Atlanta .
GEORGE CHIDI : Yes , it is .
And , yeah .
GEORGE CHIDI : We know better .
Just this — whatever you ’ re seeing from our governor , the people of Georgia know better than this .
Like , we ’ re staying home .
Like , we ’ re not just social distancing ; we ’ re shaming other people who aren ’ t social distancing .
This order is — has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It has everything to do with the financial health of the state .
And I ’ m sensitive to that .
Like , we ’ re going to have a real problem in about a year .
But I think it ’ s important right now to deal with the health crisis that we ’ re looking at right now .
AMY GOODMAN : George Chidi , I want to thank you for being with us , public policy director for PadSplit , an Atlanta-based affordable housing organization , former city councilperson for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — GEORGE CHIDI : And a columnist for Decaturish .
There you go .
Thank you .
AMY GOODMAN : And a columnist for Decaturish .
Thank you so much .
This is Democracy Now !
When we come back , it ’ s been described as an “ open-air prison.
” So what does it mean when COVID makes its way there ?
We ’ re talking about Gaza .
Stay with us .
AMY GOODMAN : The choir of Roedean School in South Africa singing Leonard Cohen ’ s “ Hallelujah @ @ @ @

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The War and Peace Report, as we turn right now to Georgia. That’s right, Georgia. Georgia is opening up for business today. It’s reopening nonessential businesses despite a rising number of COVID-19-related deaths in the state and the objections of the mayors of Savannah, Atlanta, Augusta and many more. As Georgia’s death toll passes 900, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases hits 22,000. Governor Brian Kemp, who beat Stacey [Abrams] in the election, has ordered hair salons, tattoo shops, nail parlors, gyms, barbershops, bowling alleys to reopen. Restaurants and movie theaters are set to reopen Monday. Public health officials warn lifting strict social distancing measures will lead to more deaths. This is Governor Kemp speaking earlier this week.
GOV. BRIAN KEMP: When we have more people moving around, we’re probably going to have — see our cases continue to go up. But we’re a lot better prepared for that now than we were over a month ago. We have the hospital bed capacity.
AMY GOODMAN: The Associated Press reports President Trump and Vice President Pence told Governor Kemp on Tuesday they approved of his aggressive plan to reopen businesses — just one day before Trump reversed course and publicly said he opposed the plan.
On Thursday, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference issued a strong warning to the governors of Georgia, Texas and other states who are considering reopening their economies. SCLC President Dr. Charles Steele Jr. said in a statement, “We cannot use poor people as sacrificial lambs like they did to people during the Tuskegee Experiment. The businesses that are being reopened are the ones where poor people have to work and put their lives at risk.”
Well, for more, we’re going to Pine Lake, Georgia, where we’re joined by George Chidi. He is a public policy director for PadSplit, an Atlanta-based affordable housing organization, former city councilperson for Pine Lake, former reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
George, thanks so much for joining us. Can you explain what is happening? If you were going to make a list of the businesses that should not be open right now, I mean, if you asked the public health officials all over this country, including Georgia, I dare say they would make the list of the nonessential businesses that the governor is opening today in Georgia. Why is this happening? Please explain.
GEORGE CHIDI: So, my sense of it is that it doesn’t really have to do with public health at all, because I can’t imagine somebody really needs a mani-pedi right now. And let me preface this by saying that even though massage parlors and bowling alleys are supposed to be able to be open, nobody’s going. There’s widespread skepticism here in Georgia about doing any of this.
I think that this is about reducing the potential unemployment insurance costs to the state. The order to open these businesses supersedes an order that he made to close these specific businesses a few weeks ago. But earlier this week, we started to see projections about what the budget shortfall is going to look like in Georgia. We’re looking at $4 billion that we weren’t going to have before. And the unemployment fund has about $2.6 billion in it. That’s going to be a crisis in about a year. And I think the governor is trying to act now to avert that crisis later.
AMY GOODMAN: But explain what the connection is. Are you saying that if he says you can go back to work, then those people who work in these places can’t file for unemployment; they can’t say, “No, I just decided to stay home,” once he said they can go back to work?
GEORGE CHIDI: So, it’s a little more complicated than that, because people can file. The question is whether or not their filing will be accepted, whether or not they’ll actually get money and how.
If your restaurant reopens — and some restaurants are going to reopen — and they call back their employees and say, “Hey, we need you to be a server,” but the employees don’t believe that they’ve got enough personal protective equipment or whatever, like, or they just believe that they’re going to be sick, well, they’ll file for unemployment, but then they’ve got to make the case for their unemployment before the Department of Labor. It’s not a slam dunk. If the business is closed, of course they’re going to get unemployment insurance. But if the business is open, well, according to the Department of Labor’s standards right now, fear of infection alone is not a sufficient cause for unemployment coverage.
Basically, it’s setting people up for a fight that might take two weeks, three weeks, four weeks, longer, and, frankly, some people are going to give up. And I think that’s what they want. They want people to give up their attempt to get unemployment, find a job that might be substandard relative to their skills, and keep from hitting the public dime.
AMY GOODMAN: So, can you give us a breakdown, George Chidi, of the people who work in these businesses, an economic and racial demographic breakdown?
GEORGE CHIDI: So, let’s start with nail salons, because nail salons? I mean, really, nail salons.
AMY GOODMAN: How do you do that without touching people? And, of course, people can wear gloves, but you have to be so close. When we talk about arm’s length, that is far less than six feet.
GEORGE CHIDI: So, the nail technicians, like, there are health and safety guidelines that have been released. And like, it essentially turns a nail technician into a licensed practical nurse. There’s no way they’re going to be — everybody gets a mask. Everybody needs a new mask for each new person. Basically, everything —
AMY GOODMAN: That’s more than doctors and nurses get in this country right now.
GEORGE CHIDI: Right, right. There’s no way they’re going to be able to get their hands on that kind of equipment, that everything’s got to be covered in plastic and then re-covered after every person comes through the nail salon, temperature checks for everybody who walks through the door. It’s absurd. Like, nobody’s actually going to be able to open under —
AMY GOODMAN: So, can you talk about the governor’s relationship — he’s a close ally of President Trump. AP is reporting that both Trump and Pence told Kemp that this is a good idea, and then reversed course after enormous pressure from the top government scientists on President Trump, and now are saying that Kemp is making the wrong decision. Is it possible Kemp will go back, since you haven’t even hit the peak in Georgia right now? The deaths are vastly increasing each day.
GEORGE CHIDI: So, people are arguing that we peaked a week or two ago. I don’t believe that that’s true. Like, our numbers are increasing, and they’re — you know, like, that slope doesn’t look like it’s anything like a decline yet. Trump’s going to Trump. I mean, it’s about — Trump is about what is good for Trump. And honestly, I think he put his finger in the wind. There is massive skepticism of the governor in Georgia right now. Nobody wants to do this. There’s no upswelling of desire to go bowling right now. And frankly, I think he got feedback from the ground and said, “It’s better for me, Trump, to throw Kemp under the bus, so that I don’t look dumb.” Shock.
AMY GOODMAN: So, can you talk about the scheduled protest that was called off to reopen the state, because the governor said, “Don’t worry, I am reopening the state”? You have spent much of your time, George Chidi, following the “alt-right” in Georgia. Talk about the people who make up this pressure group and how powerful they are.
GEORGE CHIDI: So, there are a bunch of yahoos who are — we have a problem with the “alt-right” in Georgia. Let’s start with that. We had a terrorist cell of “alt-right” terrorists arrested about two months or so ago, just about an hour west of Atlanta. They were planning to attempt to assassinate people who were aligned with the antifa movement.
It’s astroturf, though, mostly. This isn’t — the protest movement here in Georgia was being pushed primarily by political groups that have an agenda. And those political groups weren’t — you know, when Trump started to come out and say, “Oh, yeah, no, this isn’t a good idea,” they — like, I could see the pullback happening.
Some of the protest groups — some of the folks who were protesting were anti-vaxxers in Georgia. Like, one of the main protest leaders is an anti-vax person. But the rest were “Three Percent” militia people. And they’re a real problem.
AMY GOODMAN: Very quickly, the CDC, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is headquartered in Georgia, right? In Atlanta.
GEORGE CHIDI: Yes, it is. And, yeah.
AMY GOODMAN: Final comment?
GEORGE CHIDI: We know better. Just this — whatever you’re seeing from our governor, the people of Georgia know better than this. Like, we’re staying home. Like, we’re not just social distancing; we’re shaming other people who aren’t social distancing. This order is — has nothing to do with public health. It has everything to do with the financial health of the state. And I’m sensitive to that. Like, we’re going to have a real problem in about a year. But I think it’s important right now to deal with the health crisis that we’re looking at right now.
AMY GOODMAN: George Chidi, I want to thank you for being with us, public policy director for PadSplit, an Atlanta-based affordable housing organization, former city councilperson for Pine Lake, former reporter for The —
GEORGE CHIDI: And a columnist for Decaturish. There you go. Thank you.
AMY GOODMAN: And a columnist for Decaturish. Thank you so much.
This is Democracy Now! When we come back, it’s been described as an “open-air prison.” So what does it mean when COVID makes its way there? We’re talking about Gaza. Stay with us.
[break]
AMY GOODMAN: The choir of Roedean School in South Africa singing Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” virtually.


democracynow--2020-04-24--Organizer: Domestic Workers Make All Work Possible, But the Coronavirus Relief Bill Discounts Them

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : This is Democracy Now !
, democracynow.org , The Quarantine Report .
To talk more about how the bills in Washington have affected essential workers , let ’ s bring into the conversation Riya Ortiz , lead organizer , case manager for the nonprofit Damayan Migrant Workers Association in New York City .
Queens is the epicenter of the epicenter .
Every time we talk about the number of deaths , for example , in New York City , Riya , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , because in New York City alone , we ’ re talking about hundreds of people — 200 , 300 people — a day that are dying in their homes , that are not being counted .
And all too often this is happening in Queens , the most diverse borough in the world .
Talk about how the coronavirus relief bills affect the people that you represent , domestic workers , who they are , what ’ s happening to them right now .
RIYA ORTIZ : Hi .
Great .
Good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that question .
I ’ m actually joining you from the epicenter of the epicenter , in Queens .
I live in Jackson Heights , Queens , in New York City , a few blocks away from Elmhurst Hospital , the hospital with the most number of infected patients in the entire U.S .
The wailing sirens have become a staple in our community .
You know , you hear it in the morning , at night , rain or shine .
I also work with Damayan Migrant Workers Association , a grassroots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serves and empowers Filipino domestic workers — babysitters , elder caregivers and housekeepers — and other low-wage Filipino migrant workers , such as restaurant bussers and deli workers .
They care for the elderly and the children , the most vulnerable during the pandemic , in the homes of their employers .
This makes domestic work essential work .
Domestic work makes all work possible .
In our experience , on the first two weeks of the pandemic , we interviewed about 80 of our members , and we found out that 65 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laid off or had their hours reduced .
That ’ s about seven out of 10 of our members .
Sixty-five out of the 80 are also labor-trafficking survivors , who were trafficked by ambassadors and diplomats who work in the consulates and the United Nations , or were trafficked by placement agencies , hotels , resort owners and rich professionals .
They were already not doing well before this started .
The pandemic just made things severely worse for them .
The pandemic also unmasked the government ’ s true nature .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ what communities will survive and die , who will eat and not eat , who will receive care and not receive care .
And my community was branded as one of the communities that will die .
You know , we found out very quickly that either our community members will die a swift , painful death due to the coronavirus in their homes , like what you mentioned , or die — or die because of hunger or physical , mental and emotional stress , because they ’ re not working .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ members are agonized , where they will get the money for food , for rent , or money to send back home , because their families are all also struggling in the Philippines .
So , one example is a caregiver who was trafficked by a Turkish diplomat .
She was caring for this elderly patient .
You know , she was very careful that no virus would come in the house .
She would care for him , like bathe him , even wipe the bottom of his feet just to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But the elderly got infected through his speech therapist .
And then , in turn , she was infected .
So she was sick for almost two or three weeks now .
She had to quarantine in their home .
But because she lives with her husband and two kids , we just assume that the entire family was infected .
She had no insurance , no income and no safety net , that ’ s being given to the rest of the American public .
So , instead , Damayan had to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have groceries .
So , you know , we do hot food delivery .
We gave them groceries , money for grocery shopping .
We referred them to a doctor , who closely monitored their situation .
Our organizers , who are also labor-trafficking survivors , were doing daily check-ins to make sure that they ’ re OK .
They slept with the lights open , because they were afraid that they would die while sleeping .
You know , that ’ s the situation of the elderly caregivers who are caring for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AMY GOODMAN : Riya , I wanted to turn to another domestic worker .
This is Arlene , a Filipina nanny , caregiver .
She lived in with her employer at the beginning of the pandemic .
The employer moved to the Hamptons in March , bringing her with him .
After a month , she says , she asked for time off .
AMY GOODMAN : That ’ s Arlene , speaking at a Zoom news conference of Damayan , Riya Ortiz ’ s organization .
Tell us more , Riya .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arlene is actually one of our board members .
And she worked for an employer who , like the many rich people in New York City , fled New York and went to the Hamptons .
Right ?
But , you know , they know that they can not survive this pandemic without their workers , so they brought Arlene with them , like many of our members .
But there , she had no security .
She was working day in and day out .
Another member , who was asked strongly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was forced to work seven days a week , 10 hours a day .
So that ’ s 70 hours a week .
But , as we know , workers , even undocumented , are still protected by the law .
They can only work 44 hours live-in .
So that means that 26 hours were not being paid overtime , right ?
So I had to assist her and make her choose : Do you want to live in this situation or stay in this situation , or go home with no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because the employer was actually a doctor in Mount Sinai and was sick , you know , with fever , along with the entire family .
You know , they wanted to make sure that she wasn ’ t bringing in the virus in their home , but they were already sick .
So , she had to really think about her family , if she would like to keep working with them .
AMY GOODMAN : And the stimulus bills , the effect they have on the kind of people that you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ re not talking about a couple dozen people .
We ’ re talking about thousands of people .
I mean , if you go to Corona , you can see , on a night , 20 blocks long of people lining up to get food .
Where do the stimulus packages play in here , Riya ?
RIYA ORTIZ : Right , yes .
So , those are our members , too .
Many of our members are undocumented .
They ’ re not eligible for unemployment insurance .
They ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They ’ re not going to get $ 1,200 in the mail .
You know , we have to rely on resources that Damayan is raising .
So , the National Domestic Workers Alliance is actually giving $ 400 financial assistance to any domestic worker who ’ s struggling right now .
So we ’ re making sure that members of our community is availing that .
We ’ re also doing food delivery , because , you know , they ’ ve been out of work for almost six weeks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ are being done , but it ’ s not enough to serve the workers , the domestic workers , who are essential workers and keep the city running .
AMY GOODMAN : Riya Ortiz , I want to thank you so much for being with us .
She is a domestic worker organizer , lead organizer , case manager for the nonprofit Damayan Migrant Workers Association in New York City .
Newsweek called her one of the “ Heroes of the Pandemic .
”

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The Quarantine Report. To talk more about how the bills in Washington have affected essential workers, let’s bring into the conversation Riya Ortiz, lead organizer, case manager for the nonprofit Damayan Migrant Workers Association in New York City.
Queens is the epicenter of the epicenter. Every time we talk about the number of deaths, for example, in New York City, Riya, we actually do not actually know the numbers, because in New York City alone, we’re talking about hundreds of people — 200, 300 people — a day that are dying in their homes, that are not being counted. And all too often this is happening in Queens, the most diverse borough in the world. Talk about how the coronavirus relief bills affect the people that you represent, domestic workers, who they are, what’s happening to them right now.
RIYA ORTIZ: Hi. Great. Good morning, Amy. Thank you for that question. I’m actually joining you from the epicenter of the epicenter, in Queens. I live in Jackson Heights, Queens, in New York City, a few blocks away from Elmhurst Hospital, the hospital with the most number of infected patients in the entire U.S. The wailing sirens have become a staple in our community. You know, you hear it in the morning, at night, rain or shine.
I also work with Damayan Migrant Workers Association, a grassroots organization based in New York City that serves and empowers Filipino domestic workers — babysitters, elder caregivers and housekeepers — and other low-wage Filipino migrant workers, such as restaurant bussers and deli workers. They care for the elderly and the children, the most vulnerable during the pandemic, in the homes of their employers. This makes domestic work essential work. Domestic work makes all work possible.
In our experience, on the first two weeks of the pandemic, we interviewed about 80 of our members, and we found out that 65% of the 80 were fired, laid off or had their hours reduced. That’s about seven out of 10 of our members. Sixty-five out of the 80 are also labor-trafficking survivors, who were trafficked by ambassadors and diplomats who work in the consulates and the United Nations, or were trafficked by placement agencies, hotels, resort owners and rich professionals. They were already not doing well before this started. The pandemic just made things severely worse for them.
The pandemic also unmasked the government’s true nature. Capitalism has relegated our communities, in what communities will survive and die, who will eat and not eat, who will receive care and not receive care. And my community was branded as one of the communities that will die. You know, we found out very quickly that either our community members will die a swift, painful death due to the coronavirus in their homes, like what you mentioned, or die — or die because of hunger or physical, mental and emotional stress, because they’re not working. Day in and day out, our members are agonized, where they will get the money for food, for rent, or money to send back home, because their families are all also struggling in the Philippines.
So, one example is a caregiver who was trafficked by a Turkish diplomat. She was caring for this elderly patient. You know, she was very careful that no virus would come in the house. She would care for him, like bathe him, even wipe the bottom of his feet just to make sure he’s very clean. But the elderly got infected through his speech therapist. And then, in turn, she was infected. So she was sick for almost two or three weeks now. She had to quarantine in their home. But because she lives with her husband and two kids, we just assume that the entire family was infected. She had no insurance, no income and no safety net, that’s being given to the rest of the American public. So, instead, Damayan had to come in and make sure that they have groceries. So, you know, we do hot food delivery. We gave them groceries, money for grocery shopping. We referred them to a doctor, who closely monitored their situation. Our organizers, who are also labor-trafficking survivors, were doing daily check-ins to make sure that they’re OK. They slept with the lights open, because they were afraid that they would die while sleeping. You know, that’s the situation of the elderly caregivers who are caring for the most vulnerable in this society.
AMY GOODMAN: Riya, I wanted to turn to another domestic worker. This is Arlene, a Filipina nanny, caregiver. She lived in with her employer at the beginning of the pandemic. The employer moved to the Hamptons in March, bringing her with him. After a month, she says, she asked for time off.
ARLENE: There, the time that I was there in Hamptons, my work hours was changed from 8 a.m. until 10:30 or 11 p.m. … If you are living with your employers, it’s hard to get an off, even if you want it and even if they say that, yes, you can. But still, when you are there, you are going to do something.
AMY GOODMAN: That’s Arlene, speaking at a Zoom news conference of Damayan, Riya Ortiz’s organization. Tell us more, Riya.
RIYA ORTIZ: Yes. So, Arlene is actually one of our board members. And she worked for an employer who, like the many rich people in New York City, fled New York and went to the Hamptons. Right? But, you know, they know that they cannot survive this pandemic without their workers, so they brought Arlene with them, like many of our members. But there, she had no security. She was working day in and day out.
Another member, who was asked strongly by her employer to work live-in, was forced to work seven days a week, 10 hours a day. So that’s 70 hours a week. But, as we know, workers, even undocumented, are still protected by the law. They can only work 44 hours live-in. So that means that 26 hours were not being paid overtime, right? So I had to assist her and make her choose: Do you want to live in this situation or stay in this situation, or go home with no income? She chose to leave, because the employer was actually a doctor in Mount Sinai and was sick, you know, with fever, along with the entire family. You know, they wanted to make sure that she wasn’t bringing in the virus in their home, but they were already sick. So, she had to really think about her family, if she would like to keep working with them.
AMY GOODMAN: And the stimulus bills, the effect they have on the kind of people that you’re representing, who are — we’re not talking about a couple dozen people. We’re talking about thousands of people. I mean, if you go to Corona, you can see, on a night, 20 blocks long of people lining up to get food. Where do the stimulus packages play in here, Riya?
RIYA ORTIZ: Right, yes. So, those are our members, too. Many of our members are undocumented. They’re not eligible for unemployment insurance. They’re not eligible for a stimulus package. They’re not going to get $1,200 in the mail. You know, we have to rely on resources that Damayan is raising. So, the National Domestic Workers Alliance is actually giving $400 financial assistance to any domestic worker who’s struggling right now. So we’re making sure that members of our community is availing that. We’re also doing food delivery, because, you know, they’ve been out of work for almost six weeks. So, there is not — things are being done, but it’s not enough to serve the workers, the domestic workers, who are essential workers and keep the city running.
AMY GOODMAN: Riya Ortiz, I want to thank you so much for being with us. She is a domestic worker organizer, lead organizer, case manager for the nonprofit Damayan Migrant Workers Association in New York City. Newsweek called her one of the “Heroes of the Pandemic.”


democracynow--2020-04-24--New $484B Relief Bill Lacks Funds for Food Aid, Rent Relief, US Postal Service, Election Protection

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : Members of Congress returned to Washington , D.C. , Thursday and voted nearly unanimously to approve a half a trillion dollars in new COVID-19 emergency funding .
The relief bill adds another $ 310 billion for the small business Paycheck Protection Program , just as the Small Business Administration reports some 1.6 million small businesses received funding from the program , but hundreds of thousands more still are waiting to just hear back about their application status , after the program ran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the money was allocated to large corporations .
The new relief bill also provides billions in aid to hospitals and for testing .
But critics say it falls far short on providing funding for states and cities , and additional money to expand the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program , known as SNAP .
More than 30 state attorneys general say the move could force 3 million people to go hungry in the middle of a pandemic .
Just one Democrat voted against the bill : Congressmember Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , who spoke out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ OCASIO-CORTEZ : On behalf of my constituents in the Bronx and Queens , New York ’ s 14th Congressional District , the most impacted district in America , calling people , losing their families every day , it is a joke when Republicans say that they have urgency around this bill .
The only folks that they have urgency around are folks like Ruth ’ s Chris Steak House and Shake Shack .
Those are the people getting assistance in this bill .
You are not trying to fix this bill for mom-and-pops @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fund hospitals , fighting to fund testing .
That is what we ’ re fighting for in this bill .
It is unconscionable .
If you had urgency , you would legislate like rent was due on May 1st and make sure that we include rent and mortgage relief for our constituents .
Thank you very much .
AMY GOODMAN : Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was speaking as she was holding her mask .
This comes as Democrats have called for key priorities to be added to a new “ Phase 4 ” bill , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election security and the U.S .
Postal Service .
For more , we go to David Dayen , executive editor of The American Prospect , where he writes a daily update on the pandemic called “ Unsanitized , ” his latest books [ sic ] , “ The Fight to Learn Who the Fed Will Bail Out.
” Welcome back to Democracy Now !
, and thanks so much for joining us , David .
Why don ’ t you start off by just reviewing what happened ?
We just played AOC .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with four Republicans , to vote against this stimulus pack .
Explain who ’ s getting bailed out and still who isn ’ t .
DAVID DAYEN : Well , it ’ s a remarkable scene , that it was in the House of Representatives , to see everybody in masks .
And they had to shuttle people in and clean the House of Representatives every — I think they went alphabetically .
The vote took about an hour .
This bill has — it just replenishes the small business lending fund , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billion or more , and it has $ 75 billion for hospital defraying of costs and $ 25 billion to surge testing .
But it leaves out , as you mentioned , all of the very important measures that progressives have been asking for but haven ’ t received .
And now , you know , Republicans got the small business replenishment that they wanted , and it ’ s hard to see what the incentive is for Republicans to come to the table on a fourth round .
AMY GOODMAN : So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , David ?
DAVID DAYEN : Well , certainly , I don ’ t think anybody is saying that this money isn ’ t needed .
I think what AOC and others are saying is that they ’ re disappointed that this didn ’ t have the key measures for individuals , rent relief , fixing the Postal Service , guaranteeing vote by mail for the elections in November , payroll support and things like that .
And , you know , progressives that I ’ ve talked to are very upset that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over again .
You know , in the last big bill in March , you had a giant corporate bailout .
Now you ’ ve had the small business relief that has been put in .
That “ small ” is a relevant term .
It ’ s 500 employees or less , and franchises can still apply .
So , you know , that ’ s kind of what the Republicans wanted .
And now Democrats are going to try to get their priorities through , and it ’ s , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ difficult road .
AMY GOODMAN : On Wednesday , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he ’ s against giving states more federal aid in future pandemic legislation , suggesting states should instead consider bankruptcy .
This was New York Governor Cuomo ’ s response .
AMY GOODMAN : So , that ’ s Governor Cuomo , who just met with Donald Trump in Washington .
He called McConnell “ the Grim Reaper.
” David Dayen , you ’ ve written a lot about governors gaining power right now .
Talk about McConnell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go bankrupt as the corporations are funded — and the rise of governors .
DAVID DAYEN : Yeah , I think this is for one reason and one reason only .
It ’ s to undercut public pensions .
This is about public employees and trying to get out of , you know , the benefits that they earned , that they deserved , over the course of their working lifetimes .
McConnell and the Republicans have been ideologically opposed to public workers and public pensions for some time , and they see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in state and local budgets is absolutely massive .
About $ 3 trillion was spent last year on state and local government .
We ’ ve only seen about $ 150 billion in the CARES Act , the last month ’ s bill , fill that hole .
There ’ s probably going to be a trillion-dollar hole in these budgets .
And so , you know , this is absolutely dire .
If you want to see another depression , watch the austerity at the state and local level .
You know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ print money , so they have to cut services or raise taxes .
And so , this is really dire , and McConnell seems to feel like he holds them hostage .
You know , we have seen governors rise in prominence during this coronavirus pandemic .
They certainly have been able to make policy decisions .
President Trump has sort of given them the ability to make policy decisions by sort of taking responsibility away from himself .
And that has been great , but they run up against a wall when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have the revenues they can take in .
And McConnell is try to exploit that .
It ’ s really damaging .
AMY GOODMAN : Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Congressmember Ro Khanna — who we were going to have on today , but he lost a dear constituent to COVID-19 — introduced the Essential Workers ’ Bill of Rights .
We ’ re going to talk in a minute with a domestic worker organizer in the epicenter of the epicenter , in Queens .
But if you can talk about , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that progressives are making right now , as clearly one after another of the stimulus bills are being passed ?
DAVID DAYEN : Yeah , I mean , a temporary worker standard for workplace safety is absolutely critical .
We ’ re seeing our frontline workers come down sick with infections of the coronavirus .
You know , rent is due on May 1st .
And all of these things now go into a next bill , that Republicans — it ’ s going to be hard-pressed for them to deal with .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ there ’ s no real pressure on Nancy Pelosi .
Nancy Pelosi has been a one-woman Congress for the last month or so .
The constituents — or , the other representatives have not been involved in policymaking .
I ’ m told , from one progressive organization , they ’ re going to try to get members to say out front , “ Give us some of these demands that we need for our constituents , or we ’ re not going to vote for this next package ” — they want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to actually include some of this stuff and work on a bill that actually meets the needs of the American people , especially in these districts .
AMY GOODMAN : David Dayen , we want to thank you so much for being with us , executive editor of The American Prospect , where he writes a daily update on the pandemic called “ Unsanitized.
” Well , when we come back , we speak to a leading domestic worker organizer in the epicenter of the epicenter , in Queens .
Stay with us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bob Dylan ’ s “ Forever Young , ” dedicating it to the heroes of our time — healthcare workers , farmworkers , truckers and many other essential workers .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: Members of Congress returned to Washington, D.C., Thursday and voted nearly unanimously to approve a half a trillion dollars in new COVID-19 emergency funding. The relief bill adds another $310 billion for the small business Paycheck Protection Program, just as the Small Business Administration reports some 1.6 million small businesses received funding from the program, but hundreds of thousands more still are waiting to just hear back about their application status, after the program ran out of money last week. Much of the money was allocated to large corporations. The new relief bill also provides billions in aid to hospitals and for testing.
But critics say it falls far short on providing funding for states and cities, and additional money to expand the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP. More than 30 state attorneys general say the move could force 3 million people to go hungry in the middle of a pandemic. Just one Democrat voted against the bill: Congressmember Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who spoke out on the House floor.
REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ: On behalf of my constituents in the Bronx and Queens, New York’s 14th Congressional District, the most impacted district in America, calling people, losing their families every day, it is a joke when Republicans say that they have urgency around this bill. The only folks that they have urgency around are folks like Ruth’s Chris Steak House and Shake Shack. Those are the people getting assistance in this bill. You are not trying to fix this bill for mom-and-pops. And we have to fight to fund hospitals, fighting to fund testing. That is what we’re fighting for in this bill. It is unconscionable. If you had urgency, you would legislate like rent was due on May 1st and make sure that we include rent and mortgage relief for our constituents. Thank you very much.
AMY GOODMAN: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was speaking as she was holding her mask. This comes as Democrats have called for key priorities to be added to a new “Phase 4” bill, including more funding for rent assistance, election security and the U.S. Postal Service.
For more, we go to David Dayen, executive editor of The American Prospect, where he writes a daily update on the pandemic called “Unsanitized,” his latest books [sic], “The Fight to Learn Who the Fed Will Bail Out.”
Welcome back to Democracy Now!, and thanks so much for joining us, David. Why don’t you start off by just reviewing what happened? We just played AOC. She was the sole Democrat, along with four Republicans, to vote against this stimulus pack. Explain who’s getting bailed out and still who isn’t.
DAVID DAYEN: Well, it’s a remarkable scene, that it was in the House of Representatives, to see everybody in masks. And they had to shuttle people in and clean the House of Representatives every — I think they went alphabetically. The vote took about an hour.
This bill has — it just replenishes the small business lending fund, the PPP, for about $300 billion or more, and it has $75 billion for hospital defraying of costs and $25 billion to surge testing. But it leaves out, as you mentioned, all of the very important measures that progressives have been asking for but haven’t received. And now, you know, Republicans got the small business replenishment that they wanted, and it’s hard to see what the incentive is for Republicans to come to the table on a fourth round.
AMY GOODMAN: So, why was it almost unanimous then, David?
DAVID DAYEN: Well, certainly, I don’t think anybody is saying that this money isn’t needed. I think what AOC and others are saying is that they’re disappointed that this didn’t have the key measures for individuals, rent relief, fixing the Postal Service, guaranteeing vote by mail for the elections in November, payroll support and things like that. And, you know, progressives that I’ve talked to are very upset that leverage keeps leaking out here over and over again. You know, in the last big bill in March, you had a giant corporate bailout. Now you’ve had the small business relief that has been put in. That “small” is a relevant term. It’s 500 employees or less, and franchises can still apply. So, you know, that’s kind of what the Republicans wanted. And now Democrats are going to try to get their priorities through, and it’s, I think, going to be a pretty difficult road.
AMY GOODMAN: On Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he’s against giving states more federal aid in future pandemic legislation, suggesting states should instead consider bankruptcy. This was New York Governor Cuomo’s response.
GOV. ANDREW CUOMO: As soon as the Senate passed it, this current bill, Senator Mitch McConnell goes out, and he says maybe the states should declare bankruptcy. OK? This is one of the really dumb ideas of all time.
AMY GOODMAN: So, that’s Governor Cuomo, who just met with Donald Trump in Washington. He called McConnell “the Grim Reaper.” David Dayen, you’ve written a lot about governors gaining power right now. Talk about McConnell’s suggestion — let the states go bankrupt as the corporations are funded — and the rise of governors.
DAVID DAYEN: Yeah, I think this is for one reason and one reason only. It’s to undercut public pensions. This is about public employees and trying to get out of, you know, the benefits that they earned, that they deserved, over the course of their working lifetimes. McConnell and the Republicans have been ideologically opposed to public workers and public pensions for some time, and they see their moment to strike.
The hole in state and local budgets is absolutely massive. About $3 trillion was spent last year on state and local government. We’ve only seen about $150 billion in the CARES Act, the last month’s bill, fill that hole. There’s probably going to be a trillion-dollar hole in these budgets. And so, you know, this is absolutely dire. If you want to see another depression, watch the austerity at the state and local level. You know, states and localities can’t print money, so they have to cut services or raise taxes. And so, this is really dire, and McConnell seems to feel like he holds them hostage.
You know, we have seen governors rise in prominence during this coronavirus pandemic. They certainly have been able to make policy decisions. President Trump has sort of given them the ability to make policy decisions by sort of taking responsibility away from himself. And that has been great, but they run up against a wall when it comes to spending. They only have the revenues they can take in. And McConnell is try to exploit that. It’s really damaging.
AMY GOODMAN: Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Congressmember Ro Khanna — who we were going to have on today, but he lost a dear constituent to COVID-19 — introduced the Essential Workers’ Bill of Rights. We’re going to talk in a minute with a domestic worker organizer in the epicenter of the epicenter, in Queens. But if you can talk about, very quickly, this and other demands that progressives are making right now, as clearly one after another of the stimulus bills are being passed?
DAVID DAYEN: Yeah, I mean, a temporary worker standard for workplace safety is absolutely critical. We’re seeing our frontline workers come down sick with infections of the coronavirus. You know, rent is due on May 1st. And all of these things now go into a next bill, that Republicans — it’s going to be hard-pressed for them to deal with. But I think the key is that there’s no real pressure on Nancy Pelosi. Nancy Pelosi has been a one-woman Congress for the last month or so. The constituents — or, the other representatives have not been involved in policymaking. I’m told, from one progressive organization, they’re going to try to get members to say out front, “Give us some of these demands that we need for our constituents, or we’re not going to vote for this next package” — they want that guarantee upfront — to pressure Pelosi to actually include some of this stuff and work on a bill that actually meets the needs of the American people, especially in these districts.
AMY GOODMAN: David Dayen, we want to thank you so much for being with us, executive editor of The American Prospect, where he writes a daily update on the pandemic called “Unsanitized.”
Well, when we come back, we speak to a leading domestic worker organizer in the epicenter of the epicenter, in Queens. Stay with us.
[break]
AMY GOODMAN: Joan Baez singing Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young,” dedicating it to the heroes of our time — healthcare workers, farmworkers, truckers and many other essential workers.


democracynow--2020-04-24--Headlines for April 24, 2020

Headlines for April 24, 2020

At the White House , the top scientist at the Department of Homeland Security on Thursday outlined new research showing the novel coronavirus suffers from exposure to warm and humid conditions and from high levels of ultraviolet light .
The findings , which have not yet been peer-reviewed , suggest the coronavirus may become less contagious during summer months .
President Trump seized on the news at Thursday ’ s White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing .
President Donald Trump : “ So , supposing we hit the body with a tremendous — whether it ’ s ultraviolet or just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you said that hasn ’ t been checked , but you ’ re going to test it .
And then I said , supposing you brought the light inside the body , which you can do , either through the skin or in some other way .
And I think you said you ’ re going to test that , too .
Sounds interesting .
And then I see the disinfectant that knocks it out in a minute , one minute .
And is there a way we can do something like that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cleaning ?
” In response , the maker of Lysol disinfectants issued a stern warning that “ under no circumstance should our disinfectant products be administered into the human body ( through injection , ingestion or any other route . )
” Dr. Craig Spencer , director of global health in emergency medicine at New York ’ s Presbyterian/Columbia Hospital , responded on Twitter , “ Instead of being asked about how we improve our # COVID19 response in the coming months , doctors are being asked to comment on why people shouldn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isopropyl alcohol .
This has to stop.
” President Trump also said Thursday he disagreed with his top coronavirus task force scientist , Dr. Anthony Fauci , that the U.S. needs to significantly ramp up testing .
Public health experts say a vast expansion of both diagnostic and serology tests is needed before any states can safely begin reopening their economies .

At the White House, the top scientist at the Department of Homeland Security on Thursday outlined new research showing the novel coronavirus suffers from exposure to warm and humid conditions and from high levels of ultraviolet light. The findings, which have not yet been peer-reviewed, suggest the coronavirus may become less contagious during summer months. President Trump seized on the news at Thursday’s White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing.
President Donald Trump: “So, supposing we hit the body with a tremendous — whether it’s ultraviolet or just very powerful light. And I think you said that hasn’t been checked, but you’re going to test it. And then I said, supposing you brought the light inside the body, which you can do, either through the skin or in some other way. And I think you said you’re going to test that, too. Sounds interesting. And then I see the disinfectant where it knocks it out in a minute, one minute. And is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning?”
In response, the maker of Lysol disinfectants issued a stern warning that “under no circumstance should our disinfectant products be administered into the human body (through injection, ingestion or any other route.)” Dr. Craig Spencer, director of global health in emergency medicine at New York’s Presbyterian/Columbia Hospital, responded on Twitter, “Instead of being asked about how we improve our #COVID19 response in the coming months, doctors are being asked to comment on why people shouldn’t drink things like bleach or isopropyl alcohol. This has to stop.”
President Trump also said Thursday he disagreed with his top coronavirus task force scientist, Dr. Anthony Fauci, that the U.S. needs to significantly ramp up testing. Public health experts say a vast expansion of both diagnostic and serology tests is needed before any states can safely begin reopening their economies.


democracynow--2020-04-27--Scientific American: As Trump Touts Dangerous Cures, Here's What We Know About COVID-19 Drug Tests

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 .
More than 207,000 people have died worldwide from COVID-19 , but there are still no drugs proven to help treat the disease .
This comes as fallout continues from President Trump ’ s dangerous suggestion last week that injecting or ingesting disinfectants could help patients get better .
AMY GOODMAN : After President Trump ’ s remarks on Thursday , governors and other state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about taking disinfectants .
Trump attempted to walk back his comments , saying he was being “ sarcastic.
” But everyone saw the videotape .
Meanwhile , the FDA has issued warnings against people self-medicating with anti-malarial drugs chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine — medications again President Trump also erroneously recommended — after multiple deaths and poisonings were reported .
For more , we ’ re joined by Tanya Lewis , associate editor for health and medicine at Scientific American , whose recent piece is headlined “ Here ’ s What We Know About the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tanya , welcome to Democracy Now !
Start off by just responding to this latest presidential suggestion , and the horror of it for states around the country that reported hundreds and hundreds of people calling in to say , “ Is it OK to inject or ingest Clorox or Lysol ?
” TANYA LEWIS : [ inaudible ] having me .
I mean , as you mentioned , you know , the president ’ s comments really just — they were not really based in any sort of scientific evidence .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in injecting these types of substances into the body , so I ’ m not quite sure what the president was referring to exactly .
But those disinfectants are definitely recommended for use on surfaces , not on the human body or in the human body .
AMY GOODMAN : So , Tanya Lewis , can you talk about what is being looked at right now , for people to understand ?
For example , another drug that he recommended was hydroxychloroquine , and yet the studies had not been done .
Talk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have just begun , results of which have just begun to come out .
TANYA LEWIS : Sure .
So , as you mentioned , the drugs hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine are both anti-malarial drugs , that are also used sometimes for rheumatoid arthritis and lupus , which are autoimmune disorders .
But they are now being tested in clinical trials for COVID-19 , because there is some suggestion that they might work as an antiviral or to prevent replication of the virus , as well as to affect the immune system and kind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reaction that we see in some of the most severe cases .
But as it stands right now , those clinical trials are ongoing .
There have been a few studies that have come out , but these were not randomized clinical trials .
So , basically , in order to show any kind of benefit , you really need to have a randomized trial .
TANYA LEWIS : Sure .
So that just means that you ’ re giving a random subset of patients the drug and a random subset a placebo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can kind of really compare the effect of the drug versus — AMY GOODMAN : So they don ’ t know if they ’ re getting the actual drug or they ’ re getting the placebo , like nothing , a fake .
AMY GOODMAN : And it ’ s very hard to do that , right ?
If patients are sick , and the president recommends a drug could save you , it ’ s very hard to have them be willing to join a randomized study where they might not actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Exactly .
And that ’ s the concern here , is that if you give patients the choice , most of the time they will say , “ Yes , give me the drug , ” because there really isn ’ t anything else available .
So , in order to really show that there ’ s a benefit or not , we really need to have these types of randomized trials .
AMY GOODMAN : I want to turn to STAT news , which recently reported that the summary of a study @ @ @ @ @ @ @ posted to the website of the World Health Organization Thursday .
According to the results , which were quickly removed from the site , the drug , quote , “ failed to speed the improvement of patients with Covid-19 or prevent them from dying , ” unquote .
The drug ’ s manufacturer , Gilead Sciences , which President Trump has also touted , refuted the results , saying the data suggested a potential benefit .
World Health Organization spokesperson Daniela Bagozzi told STAT news , “ A draft manuscript was provided by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the website and taken down as soon as the mistake was noticed .
The manuscript is now undergoing peer review and we are waiting for a final version before WHO comments on it.
” Tanya Lewis , talk about remdesivir and what we know so far .
TANYA LEWIS : Sure .
So , remdesivir is another antiviral drug that is supposed to work by interfering with the virus ’ s replication .
And it was originally developed for Ebola , but was later decided — they decided not to use it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effective as some of the other treatments .
But it was found to be effective against many other coronaviruses , like SARS and MERS , in mice and in cell culture .
So , this is a potentially promising candidate , but , as you mentioned , some of the early data that was leaked may suggest that it may not have much of a benefit and may not decrease the risk of death .
Of course , I have to say that those data have not yet been made widely available and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s hard to sort of comment on that data without seeing the full data .
But we ’ ll just have to wait and see in the coming weeks , when the official data is released , how effective it really is or not .
AMY GOODMAN : If you could talk about what convalescent plasma is ?
TANYA LEWIS : Sure .
So , that ’ s another potential treatment that is being tested .
It ’ s basically , when you take the blood plasma , it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And you take the plasma from somebody who has recovered from the disease — in this case , COVID-19 — and put that plasma into a patient who is currently battling the virus .
And then the idea is that the antibodies from that first patient will help the current patient sort of fight off the virus .
But this is still , you know , again , fairly preliminary .
There are some trials going on now .
And at this point , you know , we ’ ll just have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s a potentially promising avenue of treatment .
AMY GOODMAN : And can you , in the last 30 seconds we have , talk about the FDA now just approving home kits ?
Now , are these for COVID-19 , just to test if you have it , or are they for antibodies ?
TANYA LEWIS : So , there are actually both kinds of tests .
The ones that I ’ m more familiar with are the RNA PCR-based tests , which are basically to tell whether or not you currently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , these at-home test kits are actually test collection kits , so you just collect a sample with a nasal swab and then send that off to the lab to be tested .
AMY GOODMAN : And the reliability of this ?
We have 10 seconds .
TANYA LEWIS : Sure .
So , you know , at this point , it ’ s pretty early , but we think that they are fairly reliable .
But again , there ’ s always a risk that if you ’ re not swabbing correctly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ negative .
AMY GOODMAN : Well , Tanya Lewis , I want to thank you for being with us , associate editor for health and medicine at Scientific American .
We ’ ll link to your piece , “ Here ’ s What We Know About the Most Touted Drugs Tested for COVID-19.
” And that does it for our show .
Democracy Now !
is working with as few people on site as possible .
The majority of our amazing team is working from home .
I ’ m Amy Goodman .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ so much for joining 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. More than 207,000 people have died worldwide from COVID-19, but there are still no drugs proven to help treat the disease. This comes as fallout continues from President Trump’s dangerous suggestion last week that injecting or ingesting disinfectants could help patients get better.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: And then I see the disinfectant where it knocks it out in a minute, one minute. And is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning? Because you see it gets in the lungs, and it does a tremendous number on the lungs. So it would be interesting to check that.
AMY GOODMAN: After President Trump’s remarks on Thursday, governors and other state officials reported a spike in phone calls about taking disinfectants. Trump attempted to walk back his comments, saying he was being “sarcastic.” But everyone saw the videotape.
Meanwhile, the FDA has issued warnings against people self-medicating with anti-malarial drugs chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine — medications again President Trump also erroneously recommended — after multiple deaths and poisonings were reported.
For more, we’re joined by Tanya Lewis, associate editor for health and medicine at Scientific American, whose recent piece is headlined “Here’s What We Know About the Most Touted Drugs Tested for COVID-19.”
Tanya, welcome to Democracy Now! Start off by just responding to this latest presidential suggestion, and the horror of it for states around the country that reported hundreds and hundreds of people calling in to say, “Is it OK to inject or ingest Clorox or Lysol?”
TANYA LEWIS: [inaudible] having me. I mean, as you mentioned, you know, the president’s comments really just — they were not really based in any sort of scientific evidence. There’s actually a lot of danger in injecting these types of substances into the body, so I’m not quite sure what the president was referring to exactly. But those disinfectants are definitely recommended for use on surfaces, not on the human body or in the human body.
AMY GOODMAN: So, Tanya Lewis, can you talk about what is being looked at right now, for people to understand? For example, another drug that he recommended was hydroxychloroquine, and yet the studies had not been done. Talk about the latest round of studies that have just begun, results of which have just begun to come out.
TANYA LEWIS: Sure. So, as you mentioned, the drugs hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine are both anti-malarial drugs, that are also used sometimes for rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, which are autoimmune disorders. But they are now being tested in clinical trials for COVID-19, because there is some suggestion that they might work as an antiviral or to prevent replication of the virus, as well as to affect the immune system and kind of prevent that sort of runaway immune reaction that we see in some of the most severe cases. But as it stands right now, those clinical trials are ongoing. There have been a few studies that have come out, but these were not randomized clinical trials. So, basically, in order to show any kind of benefit, you really need to have a randomized trial.
AMY GOODMAN: And explain what “randomized” means.
TANYA LEWIS: Sure. So that just means that you’re giving a random subset of patients the drug and a random subset a placebo. So, that way, you can kind of really compare the effect of the drug versus —
AMY GOODMAN: So they don’t know if they’re getting the actual drug or they’re getting the placebo, like nothing, a fake.
TANYA LEWIS: Exactly.
AMY GOODMAN: And it’s very hard to do that, right? If patients are sick, and the president recommends a drug could save you, it’s very hard to have them be willing to join a randomized study where they might not actually get the drug.
TANYA LEWIS: Exactly. And that’s the concern here, is that if you give patients the choice, most of the time they will say, “Yes, give me the drug,” because there really isn’t anything else available. So, in order to really show that there’s a benefit or not, we really need to have these types of randomized trials.
AMY GOODMAN: I want to turn to STAT news, which recently reported that the summary of a study of the antiviral drug remdesivir was inadvertently posted to the website of the World Health Organization Thursday. According to the results, which were quickly removed from the site, the drug, quote, “failed to speed the improvement of patients with Covid-19 or prevent them from dying,” unquote. The drug’s manufacturer, Gilead Sciences, which President Trump has also touted, refuted the results, saying the data suggested a potential benefit. World Health Organization spokesperson Daniela Bagozzi told STAT news, “A draft manuscript was provided by the authors to WHO and inadvertently posted on the website and taken down as soon as the mistake was noticed. The manuscript is now undergoing peer review and we are waiting for a final version before WHO comments on it.” Tanya Lewis, talk about remdesivir and what we know so far.
TANYA LEWIS: Sure. So, remdesivir is another antiviral drug that is supposed to work by interfering with the virus’s replication. And it was originally developed for Ebola, but was later decided — they decided not to use it, because it wasn’t as effective as some of the other treatments. But it was found to be effective against many other coronaviruses, like SARS and MERS, in mice and in cell culture.
So, this is a potentially promising candidate, but, as you mentioned, some of the early data that was leaked may suggest that it may not have much of a benefit and may not decrease the risk of death. Of course, I have to say that those data have not yet been made widely available and are not peer-reviewed and vetted, so it’s hard to sort of comment on that data without seeing the full data. But we’ll just have to wait and see in the coming weeks, when the official data is released, how effective it really is or not.
AMY GOODMAN: If you could talk about what convalescent plasma is?
TANYA LEWIS: Sure. So, that’s another potential treatment that is being tested. It’s basically, when you take the blood plasma, it’s everything except for the red blood cells. And you take the plasma from somebody who has recovered from the disease — in this case, COVID-19 — and put that plasma into a patient who is currently battling the virus. And then the idea is that the antibodies from that first patient will help the current patient sort of fight off the virus. But this is still, you know, again, fairly preliminary. There are some trials going on now. And at this point, you know, we’ll just have to kind of see, but it’s a potentially promising avenue of treatment.
AMY GOODMAN: And can you, in the last 30 seconds we have, talk about the FDA now just approving home kits? Now, are these for COVID-19, just to test if you have it, or are they for antibodies?
TANYA LEWIS: So, there are actually both kinds of tests. The ones that I’m more familiar with are the RNA PCR-based tests, which are basically to tell whether or not you currently have COVID-19. And just to clarify, these at-home test kits are actually test collection kits, so you just collect a sample with a nasal swab and then send that off to the lab to be tested.
AMY GOODMAN: And the reliability of this? We have 10 seconds.
TANYA LEWIS: Sure. So, you know, at this point, it’s pretty early, but we think that they are fairly reliable. But again, there’s always a risk that if you’re not swabbing correctly, maybe you would have a false negative.
AMY GOODMAN: Well, Tanya Lewis, I want to thank you for being with us, associate editor for health and medicine at Scientific American. We’ll link to your piece, “Here’s What We Know About the Most Touted Drugs Tested for COVID-19.”
And that does it for our show. Democracy Now! is working with as few people on site as possible. The majority of our amazing team is working from home. I’m Amy Goodman. This is The Quarantine Report. Thanks so much for joining us.


democracynow--2020-04-27--"Never Rarely Sometimes Always": New Film Follows Teenager's Perilous Journey to Access Abortion

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 .
As multiple states try to further restrict access to abortion during the pandemic , we ’ re turning now to a powerful new dramatic film that follows a 17-year-old girl as she travels from her small town in Pennsylvania to New York City to get an abortion without having to notify her parents .
Autumn Callahan is played by Sidney Flanigan in an incredible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Never Rarely Sometimes Always .
AMY GOODMAN : That ’ s the trailer for Never Rarely Sometimes Always , a new independent film that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January to rave reviews .
And , well , it was supposed to hit theaters in March , just as they were closing in response to the pandemic .
Now the film is available online for at-home viewing .
For more , we ’ re joined by the film ’ s director and writer , Eliza Hittman .
Eliza , congratulations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
You could never have predicted what would happen with this pandemic , when your film hit , and yet it is so instructive for what women face today , and young people .
Take us on the journey of your film , why you decided to do this , a young woman making this journey to get an abortion because of restrictions on choice in her home community .
ELIZA HITTMAN : Yeah , I first started thinking about this film in 2012 , after reading about the death of Savita Halappanavar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ myself , I began reading about the history of the Eighth Amendment in Ireland , but also thinking a lot about how restrictive each state can be in the United States .
And I was thinking about the journey that women take from rural areas into urban areas when they can ’ t get access .
And for me , there ’ s something so powerful and heroic about that journey .
And I began to ask myself , “ Why haven ’ t I seen it represented on film before ?
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to focus on the moral dilemma , but I thought it could be a really powerful story to explore how hard it is to get a legal abortion in contemporary America .
So I began to do research and a personal investigation of the issue .
So I went to different pregnancy care centers in rural Pennsylvania and took pregnancy tests and took counseling sessions , and I consulted with Planned Parenthood in New York .
And I just tried to educate myself as best possible about , you know , what the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a young woman ’ s life .
AMY GOODMAN : In this scene from Never Rarely Sometimes Always , Skylar asks her cousin Autumn why she wasn ’ t in school .
AMY GOODMAN : So , in this scene from Never Rarely Sometimes Always — I ’ m going to play yet another clip — Autumn goes to what ’ s called a crisis pregnancy center , which tells her that her pregnancy test is positive .
AMY GOODMAN : So , Eliza Hittman , talk about this so-called pregnancy crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
ELIZA HITTMAN : Yeah , you know , I really wanted to put myself in the shoes of the character .
And I asked myself , like if I lived in this small town — and I chose a town — what would I have access to if I was a young woman in crisis ?
And I went into the local pregnancy care center , and , you know , I signed in , and I took a test .
And , you know , I really went through the dialogue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ film .
And what struck me most from clinic to clinic is that the women who work there , they aren ’ t licensed medical physicians .
They ’ re just layman volunteers who have a very specific religious agenda , and , you know , the services that they offered aren ’ t legitimate or medical .
AMY GOODMAN : And this is very clear in the film when they try to scare her with a film .
And then , I mean , this film isn ’ t a documentary .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ AMY GOODMAN : And the research you did about the journey that Autumn takes , from Pennsylvania — and again , this is the story of a young woman , a 17-year-old , who is in Pennsylvania , one of 37 states that requires parental involvement for minors seeking abortion .
She doesn ’ t feel comfortable telling her parents , so she makes her way , with her cousin , to New York City .
You went on this journey yourself ?
ELIZA HITTMAN : I did .
I took the only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Pennsylvania .
And I really got a chance to sort of absorb the landscapes that would be around the character , and came in through Port Authority and tried to document my own experiences and filter them almost through the eyes of the character , because it was important for me that the film be grounded in authenticity and credibility .
And I didn ’ t want to just sort of write from what I had read online or in books , and wanted to have a firsthand experience with the issues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Now I wanted to go to a clip that , well , brings in the title of your film , Never Rarely Sometimes Always .
You actually filmed this at the Planned Parenthood clinic in New York .
Here , a Planned Parenthood clinic staff member in New York City , a woman who plays her , asks Autumn a number of questions about her life .
AMY GOODMAN : That ’ s a clip from Never Rarely Sometimes Always .
The director and writer is Eliza Hittman .
This is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ core of your film , Eliza , in the Planned Parenthood clinic in New York .
As she ’ s taken this journey , she has had to wait in New York City with her cousin .
Talk more about what the dangers that young women and any woman faces if they can ’ t be in their own town and do a film in the core of this moment .
ELIZA HITTMAN : For me , you know , this character has been , you know , navigating these very deeply complex @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Even though her cousin is with her , you know , and she has support of a friend and a peer who ’ s nonjudgmental , you know , the core of what she ’ s dealing with , she ’ s dealing with alone .
And this is a pivotal moment in the film where , in the safety of a counselor ’ s office , she breaks down from the journey of what she ’ s been through .
And I think that when women don ’ t have access , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sex education , you know , when they don ’ t have resources and money , they are left to navigate a very complex , bureaucratic legal system , reproductive system alone .
And this is an important moment in the film .
And yeah , she ’ s crumbling .
We shot that scene in Margaret Sanger , you know , with the generosity of Planned Parenthood allowing us to use their facilities .
And actually , the counselor who ’ s acting with her in the scene is a trained counselor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ met at Choices clinic in Queens .
AMY GOODMAN : And , Alexis McGill Johnson , before you go , have you gotten an increased number of reports of women having to travel these long distances , or any specific story in this country of what ’ s happening to women right now ?
ALEXIS McGILL JOHNSON : Yes , absolutely .
And , you know , I think that what Eliza has done here in bringing this film to life through narrative is so reflective of what we ’ ve seen , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around these executive orders , but what we ’ ve really honestly been seeing over the last few years as these restrictions go into place in these various states .
And whether or not — you know , while many of them are being appealed , there ’ s still a tremendous amount of confusion around the restrictions .
We ’ re seeing women who have to find child care .
They have to do exactly as Autumn does : find a friend who will travel with them , will go the journey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to pay for the procedure , much less pay for a hotel room .
And I think that that challenge of what we ’ re seeing is being more intensified over the last month with these executive orders .
And , you know , Eliza could not have predicted that art would imitate life so quickly , but it ’ s such an important film for us to really grapple with the amount of restrictions that women are facing when they ’ re trying to get an abortion .
AMY GOODMAN : Will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later abortions , because of their fear right now of going to hospitals or being told that abortion is not essential .
ALEXIS McGILL JOHNSON : Yeah , absolutely .
And we saw it just in Louisiana .
As you know , the Supreme Court is reviewing a case right now .
And I talked to a woman who , very similarly , went to a crisis pregnancy center , was promised over and over again that they would help her get access to an abortion , and pushed her much later into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had to seek a surgical abortion .
And so , the stigmatization , the shaming of women — not just of providers and organizations like Planned Parenthood — shaming women around their need to seek an abortion , I think , is also something really important and powerful that this film really brings out .
AMY GOODMAN : Finally , Eliza Hittman , can you talk about what it means for this film to come out now ?
I mean , you expected movie theaters around the country to be running this film @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of reviews .
And yet , it comes at this time .
In one sense , it may mean access to more people all over the globe seeing it , also at a time when the film festivals , one after another , are being canceled , or it looks like they might be , from the Toronto International Film Festival to the Sundance Film Festival .
What does this all mean for you as a director and a writer , a different kind of access ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ online , virtual meetings with young women around the country .
I watched one when you were talking to young women in Utah , that was run by the Planned Parenthood there .
ELIZA HITTMAN : You know , we didn ’ t expect theaters to shutter in the middle of our — you know , in the beginning of our theatrical release , but we had to pivot , you know , think about how the film could still reach audiences at this very vulnerable moment .
And because of everything that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we talked about , we felt like it was an opportunity to try and push the film into the homes of young women who might be like Autumn , who are very much alone with this issue and without access .
So , you know , the film ’ s urgency tragically increases , and we hope that people are able to access it online .
And we are doing a lot of grassroots outreach with Planned Parenthood and an organization called Cinereach to make sure that young people can see it , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made the film for .
AMY GOODMAN : Well , Eliza Hittman , congratulations on this film hitting at a very , to say the least , unusual time , but a film like this critical to be seen at this time .
Eliza Hittman is writer and director of Never Rarely Sometimes Always .
And I want to thank Alexis McGill Johnson , acting president and CEO of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America .
This is Democracy Now !
When we come back , we look at what ’ s being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to deal with COVID-19 , what should we understand , this coming as the fallout from President Trump suggesting that maybe disinfectants should be ingested or injected into the human body , a very dangerous suggestion that now poison centers around the country are having to deal with .
Stay with us .
AMY GOODMAN : The Met Orchestra and Chorus of the Metropolitan Opera this weekend as part of its “ At-Home Gala.
” Yes , they were performing together alone , all in their homes .

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. As multiple states try to further restrict access to abortion during the pandemic, we’re turning now to a powerful new dramatic film that follows a 17-year-old girl as she travels from her small town in Pennsylvania to New York City to get an abortion without having to notify her parents. Autumn Callahan is played by Sidney Flanigan in an incredible debut performance. This is the trailer for Never Rarely Sometimes Always.
SKYLAR: [played by Talia Ryder] I didn’t see you at school today.
AUTUMN CALLAHAN: [played by Sidney Flanigan] I went to the doctor.
SKYLAR: What’s wrong?
AUTUMN CALLAHAN: Girl problems.
SKYLAR: Don’t you ever just wish you were a dude?
AUTUMN CALLAHAN: All the time.
SHAMOKIN TECHNICIAN: [played by Amy Tribbey] This is the most magical sound you will ever hear.
AUTUMN CALLAHAN: I’m just not ready to be a mom.
SKYLAR: Where else could you go?
AUTUMN CALLAHAN: Nowhere in Pennsylvania.
SKYLAR: I think you should try another place.
JASPER: [played by Théodore Pellerin] You going to New York? What are you doing there?
AUTUMN CALLAHAN: Seeing family and stuff.
PLANNED PARENTHOOD COUNSELOR: [played by Kelly Chapman] Who came with you today?
AUTUMN CALLAHAN: My cousin.
PLANNED PARENTHOOD COUNSELOR: Do you have a place to stay tonight? I know you came from far away.
AUTUMN CALLAHAN: I’ll figure it out.
SECURITY GUARD: This area is closed. You cannot sleep here.
SKYLAR: Where’s the rest of the money?
PLANNED PARENTHOOD COUNSELOR: I want to make sure that you’re safe. I know this is hard. I’m going to ask you some questions. They can be really personal. Just answer either never, rarely, sometimes or always.
AMY GOODMAN: That’s the trailer for Never Rarely Sometimes Always, a new independent film that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January to rave reviews. And, well, it was supposed to hit theaters in March, just as they were closing in response to the pandemic. Now the film is available online for at-home viewing.
For more, we’re joined by the film’s director and writer, Eliza Hittman.
Eliza, congratulations on this deeply moving, profound film. You could never have predicted what would happen with this pandemic, when your film hit, and yet it is so instructive for what women face today, and young people. Take us on the journey of your film, why you decided to do this, a young woman making this journey to get an abortion because of restrictions on choice in her home community.
ELIZA HITTMAN: Yeah, I first started thinking about this film in 2012, after reading about the death of Savita Halappanavar in Ireland. And just to educate myself, I began reading about the history of the Eighth Amendment in Ireland, but also thinking a lot about how restrictive each state can be in the United States.
And I was thinking about the journey that women take from rural areas into urban areas when they can’t get access. And for me, there’s something so powerful and heroic about that journey. And I began to ask myself, “Why haven’t I seen it represented on film before?” So many times films about abortion tend to focus on the moral dilemma, but I thought it could be a really powerful story to explore how hard it is to get a legal abortion in contemporary America.
So I began to do research and a personal investigation of the issue. So I went to different pregnancy care centers in rural Pennsylvania and took pregnancy tests and took counseling sessions, and I consulted with Planned Parenthood in New York. And I just tried to educate myself as best possible about, you know, what the impact of these restrictive barriers look like on a young woman’s life.
AMY GOODMAN: In this scene from Never Rarely Sometimes Always, Skylar asks her cousin Autumn why she wasn’t in school.
SKYLAR: I saw you weren’t at school today.
AUTUMN CALLAHAN: I went to the doctor.
SKYLAR: Are you OK?
AUTUMN CALLAHAN: Yeah, I’m fine.
SKYLAR: What’s wrong?
AUTUMN CALLAHAN: Girl problems.
SKYLAR: Bad cramps?
AUTUMN CALLAHAN: Yeah.
SKYLAR: I get those, too. Pretty much run through a bottle of painkillers like every month.
AUTUMN CALLAHAN: Yeah, same.
SKYLAR: Don’t you ever just wish you were a dude?
AUTUMN CALLAHAN: All the time.
AMY GOODMAN: So, in this scene from Never Rarely Sometimes Always — I’m going to play yet another clip — Autumn goes to what’s called a crisis pregnancy center, which tells her that her pregnancy test is positive.
CRISIS PREGNANCY CENTER DIRECTOR: [played by Mia Dillon] That looks like a positive.
AUTUMN CALLAHAN: If it’s positive, is there any way it could be negative?
CRISIS PREGNANCY CENTER DIRECTOR:No. A positive is always a positive.
AMY GOODMAN: So, Eliza Hittman, talk about this so-called pregnancy crisis center that Autumn finds in her town.
ELIZA HITTMAN: Yeah, you know, I really wanted to put myself in the shoes of the character. And I asked myself, like if I lived in this small town — and I chose a town — what would I have access to if I was a young woman in crisis? And I went into the local pregnancy care center, and, you know, I signed in, and I took a test. And, you know, I really went through the dialogue that the character goes through in the film. And what struck me most from clinic to clinic is that the women who work there, they aren’t licensed medical physicians. They’re just layman volunteers who have a very specific religious agenda, and, you know, the services that they offered aren’t legitimate or medical.
AMY GOODMAN: And this is very clear in the film when they try to scare her with a film. And then, I mean, this film isn’t a documentary. This is a feature dramatic film.
ELIZA HITTMAN: Yeah.
AMY GOODMAN: And the research you did about the journey that Autumn takes, from Pennsylvania — and again, this is the story of a young woman, a 17-year-old, who is in Pennsylvania, one of 37 states that requires parental involvement for minors seeking abortion. She doesn’t feel comfortable telling her parents, so she makes her way, with her cousin, to New York City. You went on this journey yourself?
ELIZA HITTMAN: I did. I took the only Greyhound bus that left from the town in Pennsylvania. And I really got a chance to sort of absorb the landscapes that would be around the character, and came in through Port Authority and tried to document my own experiences and filter them almost through the eyes of the character, because it was important for me that the film be grounded in authenticity and credibility. And I didn’t want to just sort of write from what I had read online or in books, and wanted to have a firsthand experience with the issues that the film explores.
AMY GOODMAN: Now I wanted to go to a clip that, well, brings in the title of your film, Never Rarely Sometimes Always. You actually filmed this at the Planned Parenthood clinic in New York. Here, a Planned Parenthood clinic staff member in New York City, a woman who plays her, asks Autumn a number of questions about her life.
PLANNED PARENTHOOD COUNSELOR: All right, so I’m going to ask you some questions. They can be really personal. And all you have to do is answer either never, rarely, sometimes or always. It’s kind of like multiple choice, but it’s not a test.
AUTUMN CALLAHAN: OK.
PLANNED PARENTHOOD COUNSELOR: OK? In the past year, your partner has refused to wear a condom. Never, rarely, sometimes, always?
AUTUMN CALLAHAN: Sometimes.
PLANNED PARENTHOOD COUNSELOR: OK. And your partner messes with your birth control or tries to get you pregnant when you don’t want to be. Never, rarely, sometimes, always?
AUTUMN CALLAHAN: Never.
PLANNED PARENTHOOD COUNSELOR: OK. Your partner has threatened or frightened you. Never, rarely, sometimes, always?
AUTUMN CALLAHAN: Why are you asking me this?
PLANNED PARENTHOOD COUNSELOR: I want to make sure that you’re safe. Your partner has threatened or frightened you. Never, rarely, sometimes, always?
AUTUMN CALLAHAN: Um, rarely.
PLANNED PARENTHOOD COUNSELOR: OK. Your partner has hit you, slapped you or physically hurt you. Never, rarely, sometimes, always? Has your partner ever hit you, slapped you or physically hurt you? Is someone hurting you?
AUTUMN CALLAHAN: I just don’t…
PLANNED PARENTHOOD COUNSELOR: It’s OK. It’s just a couple more questions, all right? Your partner has made you have sex when you didn’t want to. Never, rarely, sometimes, always? It’s OK. I want to make sure you’re safe, and I want to help you if I can. I have just one more question for you, OK, Autumn? Has anyone forced you into a sexual act ever in your lifetime, yes or no?
AUTUMN CALLAHAN: Uh, yeah.
AMY GOODMAN: That’s a clip from Never Rarely Sometimes Always. The director and writer is Eliza Hittman. This is a deeply emotional, powerful moment at the core of your film, Eliza, in the Planned Parenthood clinic in New York. As she’s taken this journey, she has had to wait in New York City with her cousin. Talk more about what the dangers that young women and any woman faces if they can’t be in their own town and do a film in the core of this moment.
ELIZA HITTMAN: For me, you know, this character has been, you know, navigating these very deeply complex, personal, intimate issues alone. Even though her cousin is with her, you know, and she has support of a friend and a peer who’s nonjudgmental, you know, the core of what she’s dealing with, she’s dealing with alone.
And this is a pivotal moment in the film where, in the safety of a counselor’s office, she breaks down from the journey of what she’s been through. And I think that when women don’t have access, when they don’t have proper sex education, you know, when they don’t have resources and money, they are left to navigate a very complex, bureaucratic legal system, reproductive system alone. And this is an important moment in the film. And yeah, she’s crumbling.
We shot that scene in Margaret Sanger, you know, with the generosity of Planned Parenthood allowing us to use their facilities. And actually, the counselor who’s acting with her in the scene is a trained counselor who trained at Planned Parenthood that I met at Choices clinic in Queens.
AMY GOODMAN: And, Alexis McGill Johnson, before you go, have you gotten an increased number of reports of women having to travel these long distances, or any specific story in this country of what’s happening to women right now?
ALEXIS McGILL JOHNSON: Yes, absolutely. And, you know, I think that what Eliza has done here in bringing this film to life through narrative is so reflective of what we’ve seen, not just in the last few weeks around these executive orders, but what we’ve really honestly been seeing over the last few years as these restrictions go into place in these various states. And whether or not — you know, while many of them are being appealed, there’s still a tremendous amount of confusion around the restrictions. We’re seeing women who have to find child care. They have to do exactly as Autumn does: find a friend who will travel with them, will go the journey, who may not have the resources to pay for the procedure, much less pay for a hotel room. And I think that that challenge of what we’re seeing is being more intensified over the last month with these executive orders. And, you know, Eliza could not have predicted that art would imitate life so quickly, but it’s such an important film for us to really grapple with the amount of restrictions that women are facing when they’re trying to get an abortion.
AMY GOODMAN: Will send more and more women to having later abortions, because of their fear right now of going to hospitals or being told that abortion is not essential.
ALEXIS McGILL JOHNSON: Yeah, absolutely. And we saw it just in Louisiana. As you know, the Supreme Court is reviewing a case right now. And I talked to a woman who, very similarly, went to a crisis pregnancy center, was promised over and over again that they would help her get access to an abortion, and pushed her much later into her pregnancy until the point where she had to seek a surgical abortion. And so, the stigmatization, the shaming of women — not just of providers and organizations like Planned Parenthood — shaming women around their need to seek an abortion, I think, is also something really important and powerful that this film really brings out.
AMY GOODMAN: Finally, Eliza Hittman, can you talk about what it means for this film to come out now? I mean, you expected movie theaters around the country to be running this film. It has just had rave reviews, hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of reviews. And yet, it comes at this time. In one sense, it may mean access to more people all over the globe seeing it, also at a time when the film festivals, one after another, are being canceled, or it looks like they might be, from the Toronto International Film Festival to the Sundance Film Festival. What does this all mean for you as a director and a writer, a different kind of access? You’re having Q&As online, virtual meetings with young women around the country. I watched one when you were talking to young women in Utah, that was run by the Planned Parenthood there.
ELIZA HITTMAN: You know, we didn’t expect theaters to shutter in the middle of our — you know, in the beginning of our theatrical release, but we had to pivot, you know, think about how the film could still reach audiences at this very vulnerable moment. And because of everything that’s happening in the states that we talked about, we felt like it was an opportunity to try and push the film into the homes of young women who might be like Autumn, who are very much alone with this issue and without access. So, you know, the film’s urgency tragically increases, and we hope that people are able to access it online. And we are doing a lot of grassroots outreach with Planned Parenthood and an organization called Cinereach to make sure that young people can see it, because they are the audience that I made the film for.
AMY GOODMAN: Well, Eliza Hittman, congratulations on this film hitting at a very, to say the least, unusual time, but a film like this critical to be seen at this time. Eliza Hittman is writer and director of Never Rarely Sometimes Always. And I want to thank Alexis McGill Johnson, acting president and CEO of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
This is Democracy Now! When we come back, we look at what’s being tested now, what are the drugs to deal with COVID-19, what should we understand, this coming as the fallout from President Trump suggesting that maybe disinfectants should be ingested or injected into the human body, a very dangerous suggestion that now poison centers around the country are having to deal with. Stay with us.
[break]
AMY GOODMAN: The Met Orchestra and Chorus of the Metropolitan Opera this weekend as part of its “At-Home Gala.” Yes, they were performing together alone, all in their homes.