democracynow--2020-04-14--Essential or Expendable? Farmworkers Condemn Lack of Protection and Economic Help During 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 .
I ’ m Amy Goodman in New York .
Juan González is in New Jersey .
As the coronavirus continues to sweep through the U.S. , with more than half a million confirmed cases , nearly 24,000 people dead , the country ’ s two-and-a-half million farmworkers are continuing to go to work every day , often facing crowded and unsanitary conditions without personal protective gear , for poverty wages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are maintaining the food supply and keeping Americans fed during the pandemic .
Despite this , the Trump administration is working to slash the wages of migrant farmworkers .
The plan , led by White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue , would actually lower pay for some quarter of a million foreign guest laborers , even though they ’ ve been declared essential workers .
H-2A visa holders make up some 10 % of U.S. farmworkers .
Meanwhile , from Florida to California , farmworkers and their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fields .
The United Farm Workers union is calling on agricultural employers to offer child care , extended sick leave , increased sanitation for workers .
This is Bertha Morales , a farmworker who harvests cilantro in Oxnard , California .
AMY GOODMAN : For more , we go across the country to Immokalee , Florida , where we ’ re joined by Gerardo Reyes Chávez , a farmworker leader with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers .
As of this broadcast , more than 23,000 people have signed the CIW ’ s petition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protect farmworkers during the COVID-19 crisis .
The petition says , quote , “ Make no mistake : Immokalee is like dry tinder in the path of a wildfire.
” Gerardo Reyes Chávez , welcome back to Democracy Now !
Can you please describe the conditions that farmworkers in Florida are facing , and what you ’ re demanding in response ?
GERARDO REYES CHÁVEZ : Yeah .
Thank you for having us , Amy .
These are , no doubt , dire times for the entire world .
As workers , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state government , to take action and prepare for the spread of COVID-19 in our community .
And we have met with just deaf ears .
People here , in terms of government , are not responding in any positive way with us , anything that is going to help us be ready for this .
The cases of COVID-19 started to spread several days ago .
More than a week ago , there was announced that there were some cases here in our community .
And right now they said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yesterday .
This is something that we are highly doubtful , just because , you know , all of these cases happened in a context in which there were no tests available for our community .
They just happened also .
So , for us , this is hugely problematic , because we have been seeing how in our community there hasn ’ t been any real efforts to try to help anyone .
We , as workers , travel to work in crowded buses .
We live in overcrowded spaces .
You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come to work in the fields are people who are living inside trailers with five , eight or 10 people , sometimes even more .
And we are expected to go to do this work because our job has been deemed essential .
But the people who ’ s doing this job are treated as expendable , because no personal protective equipment has been given , no tests have been made available .
And that ’ s one of the things that we have been asking .
And as you were mentioning , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Governor Ron DeSantis , and we started to petition that has been spearheaded by Change.org .
Lots of people , over 100 organizations — 180 organizations , I think — have signed it , and more than 23,000 people have signed it also , asking for the governor to dedicate the resources that are needed to build a field hospital or to repurpose a facility , so that people that start to show severe symptoms of COVID-19 can be treated .
But so far , there hasn ’ t been any concrete @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked for the public resources to be allocated for our community in this moment of crisis .
Nothing significant has been done .
We continue to see how we are just seeing this catastrophe unfold in our community with any kind of protection , but still , instead of offering a solution to this problem , we are met with just news of workers that are producing the food in the national level , with these proposals of cutting wages instead of the — JUAN GONZÁLEZ : And , Gerardo , I wanted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the farmworkers , most Americans are not aware that still a significant portion of farmworker labor are foreign workers under the H-2A program .
Could you talk about them and their situation , as well ?
GERARDO REYES CHÁVEZ : Yeah .
I mean , for farmworkers that come here under H-2A , there ’ s more and more , actually , workers that are working in different companies .
And just to give you a sense — you know , we talked about this before — 90 % of the tomatoes and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are consumed right now in the country , between November to May , are produced by people like the people of Immokalee .
And this production is so key to be able to keep everything else functioning .
That ’ s why our job has been deemed essential .
We ’ re a critical workforce .
But we ’ re not treated in that way .
During the months of November to May — and June , depending on where you are working — many workers come from Mexico , mainly , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a big part of workers here from Guatemala , that are here under political asylum , also working in the fields , and from Haiti .
So , combined , we are the labor force that is making it possible for all the food to move up north , especially now with the crisis — and New York being the epicenter — needing all of these incredibly important resources right now , while at the same time resources are being denied by the federal government , the state and local government , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protected .
We are talking about doing this essential job , and we are going to be unable very soon if attention is not placed where it matters , which is , protecting the workforce that you are deeming as essential .
Because we are , you know ?
We are an essential workforce .
Independently of being here under H-2A or not , everyone who ’ s working in the fields needs to be treated in the same way .
But what we — AMY GOODMAN : And as President Trump hails @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s going out to some people , the same Trump administration , Mark Meadows , the Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue are pushing to cut the wages of H-2A workers .
Even if they ’ re 10 % of the workforce , won ’ t that put a downward pressure on cutting all the wages , as they talk about saving the farmers ?
If you can talk about the effect that this will have , them saying they ’ re cutting the wages of people at the lowest end of the wage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I mean , they say that crisis and pressure can bring the best in people and also the bad , the worst .
I think the government is just showing us how much they do not care about the people who make the food for every family in this country possible .
And this is just going to exacerbate the problems that we have always had .
We don ’ t have a hospital here in town .
We have a clinic .
The closest hospital is about 40 minutes away .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ go to a hospital , either .
And instead of building the infrastructure that ’ s desperately needed to respond to this crisis that ’ s unfolding in front of our eyes , you know , this is going to start very soon to show the dramatic effect of how a virus can spread in a community where you don ’ t have the luxury of the social distancing , you don ’ t have the ability to keep six feet away while doing this work , and you don ’ t have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transported from your living quarters to the fields and back .
And because of that , you are exposed , 24/7 .
So , when you think about that and the fact that you don ’ t have a hospital , the fact that you don ’ t have any kind of resources dedicated to you in a meaningful way — you know , because one thing is to talk about it , to talk about mitigating — JUAN GONZÁLEZ : Gerardo , I wanted to ask you , because we only have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wanted to ask you in terms of what kind of support have the farmworkers been getting from other sectors of the Florida progressive community , because it ’ s very important to focus in on ways that people can help each other .
What can be — other than signing a petition , what are some concrete ways that you can get — that other folks can assist the efforts that you are doing with the farmworkers ?
AMY GOODMAN : And the demands you ’ re making of the governor ?
GERARDO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ something that people can do is if you have the expertise in working and putting together a field hospital .
We recognize that the government is maybe not going to come to do anything in our community .
We hope that they do .
We are asking the Collier County government to step in .
And they said that they have a plan , but they have not yet developed or shown what that plan is .
So , we ’ re asking people to get in touch with us if you think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which you could help us with resources to be able to put together what ’ s needed to respond to this as soon as possible .
There ’ s organizations that have signed onto this , many organizations that are working and trying to see how we can work together .
And we would be happy to connect everyone , including the people from the county , to try to come up with a solution , if that ’ s at all possible .
One thing that we are asking from the governor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four main things that we ’ re asking .
One is the construction of a field hospital or the repurposing of anything that can serve to place intensive care units for those people who need it .
We also want the personal protective equipment , if we ’ re expected to continue to do this work , something that is readily available for workers to be able to protect themselves as much as possible .
We want free and accessible coronavirus testing for all of our community , not just those who show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , you know , there were news about this Smithfield — GERARDO REYES CHÁVEZ : How this Smithfield plant that was closed because everyone — most of the workers were sick .
Here , we only hear about 13 cases because tests was not available .
So , the funds are necessary to be allocated to support Florida farmworkers , instead of slashing their wages .
That ’ s what we need .
And we need people to help us push the government to do what ’ s necessary .
AMY GOODMAN : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thank you for being with us , farmworker leader with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers , speaking to us from Immokalee , Florida .
In a minute , we ’ re going to bring Mónica Ramírez into the conversation , president and founder of Justice for Migrant Women , co-founder and president of The Latinx House , co-founder of the National Farmworkers Women ’ s Alliance .
But first I want to turn to more voices of farmworkers .
This is a strawberry field worker who wished to remain anonymous for fear of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is Juan Antione , a farmworker in the city of Oxnard , California .
AMY GOODMAN : We ’ re joined right now by Mónica Ramírez , president and founder of Justice for Migrant Women , co-founder and president of The Latinx House , as well as a number of other titles , including co-founder of the National Farmworkers Women ’ s Alliance .
Mónica , if you can talk specifically about female farmworkers and the challenges they ’ re facing now ?
MÓNICA RAMÍREZ : Sure .
Thanks for having me on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we ’ re hearing from farmworker women is that given that they don ’ t have child care , many of them are having to quit their jobs , which means that if they ’ re living in a two-income household , their salaries have immediately been cut in half .
They ’ re feeling extremely stressed out about the fact that they don ’ t have enough food to feed their children .
They often can ’ t make it to the places where they ’ re doing food delivery , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And having their income cut in half has come at a huge cost to their families .
They ’ re also concerned that if they have to — if they are working and they need to miss work for any reason , to care for their children or otherwise , that they ’ ll just be fired , and they won ’ t have an opportunity to work at their farm again in the future .
The other thing that we ’ re hearing from people is that their children are talking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They ’ re afraid that they ’ re going to get sick , that their parents are going to get sick , and they ’ re asking a lot of questions , and they don ’ t have enough information .
So there ’ s a lot of anxiety and stress , in addition to the fact that they don ’ t have enough food for their own families , and they ’ re not making the money that they need to survive .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : Mónica , I wanted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DeWine has been one of the few Republican governors who ’ s sort of bucked President Trump on several occasions in term of how to deal with the coronavirus pandemic .
I ’ m wondering what your sense is of what the governor — whether the governor has taken into account at all the plight of farmworkers in Ohio .
MÓNICA RAMÍREZ : Thanks .
Yeah , you know , I believe that the governor is a leader on this issue in taking really important steps to ensure that the people in Ohio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organization that ’ s based here in Ohio , we are in the process of communicating with the governor about exactly the steps that need to be taken to ensure that the farmers have what they need , to have the workforce that they need , and that the workers are also protected in the meantime .
And we do believe that the state of Ohio can show the kind of leadership that is needed for the rest of the country , to make sure that we have the food that we need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s not at the expense of the workers ’ health who are picking the food .
AMY GOODMAN : On Sunday , The New York Times , Mónica , ran an article titled “ Empty Shelves , But Farms Put Food to Waste , ” says tons of milk — I think something like 750,000 eggs were smashed , and produce being buried and dumped .
AMY GOODMAN : On the one hand , you have this food being dumped and destroyed .
And on the other hand , you have hours-long lines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end of the food supply chain .
Can we wrap with that ?
MÓNICA RAMÍREZ : Yeah .
You know , I saw that article , too , and we ’ d been hearing that , that farmers were going to have to dump products .
And the first question that came to mind is , you know , if the federal government intends to help the agricultural industry because the agricultural industry has so much need , as we ’ ve been hearing President Trump say and others say that they want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ farmers , what we say , “ Then help the people who are going hungry because they ’ re not working .
Help the farmworkers who don ’ t have enough food to feed their families.
” You know , I think that the government should be in serious consideration of buying those products from the farmers who are having to dump the products because they can ’ t sell them to the restaurants and other places that ordered them or that used to need them , because there are food banks and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lines of people who are waiting to get products .
And , you know , I was in communication with an outreach worker in Florida last week , and she told me that 500 farmworkers showed up at a local church to get food , and 300 farmworkers went home empty-handed .
So , if we have a crisis in which there ’ s an overproduction of food and they can ’ t get to the restaurants and other places that used to buy them , well , we also have a crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — not just farmworkers — around our country who are not sure where their next meal is going to come from .
And it seems to me that it would be wise of the federal government to make an agreement with these farmers to buy the produce and the other items that they are going to dump , so that they can get those items to the families that need that food at this very moment .
AMY GOODMAN : Mónica Ramírez , thanks so much for being with us , president and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ co-founder and president of The Latinx House and co-founder of the National Farmworkers Women ’ s Alliance .
When we come back , we look at the spike in coronavirus infections at meatpacking plants — 350 workers at one pork plant in South Dakota .
It ’ s almost half the number of infections in the entire state of South Dakota .
Stay with us .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The Quarantine Report. I’m Amy Goodman in New York. Juan González is in New Jersey.
As the coronavirus continues to sweep through the U.S., with more than half a million confirmed cases, nearly 24,000 people dead, the country’s two-and-a-half million farmworkers are continuing to go to work every day, often facing crowded and unsanitary conditions without personal protective gear, for poverty wages. It’s these farmworkers who are maintaining the food supply and keeping Americans fed during the pandemic. Despite this, the Trump administration is working to slash the wages of migrant farmworkers. The plan, led by White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, would actually lower pay for some quarter of a million foreign guest laborers, even though they’ve been declared essential workers. H-2A visa holders make up some 10% of U.S. farmworkers.
Meanwhile, from Florida to California, farmworkers and their advocates are demanding better protections in the fields. The United Farm Workers union is calling on agricultural employers to offer child care, extended sick leave, increased sanitation for workers. This is Bertha Morales, a farmworker who harvests cilantro in Oxnard, California.
BERTHA MORALES: [translated] We are afraid to get sick, because if someone in the family gets sick, you know, they say that with one being infected, they can quarantine everybody. And that’s what we’re afraid of, because if that were to happen, what are we going to do? Who’s going to go out to work?
AMY GOODMAN: For more, we go across the country to Immokalee, Florida, where we’re joined by Gerardo Reyes Chávez, a farmworker leader with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. As of this broadcast, more than 23,000 people have signed the CIW’s petition calling on Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to protect farmworkers during the COVID-19 crisis. The petition says, quote, “Make no mistake: Immokalee is like dry tinder in the path of a wildfire.”
Gerardo Reyes Chávez, welcome back to Democracy Now! Can you please describe the conditions that farmworkers in Florida are facing, and what you’re demanding in response?
GERARDO REYES CHÁVEZ: Yeah. Thank you for having us, Amy. These are, no doubt, dire times for the entire world.
As workers, we have been asking the local government, the state government, to take action and prepare for the spread of COVID-19 in our community. And we have met with just deaf ears. People here, in terms of government, are not responding in any positive way with us, anything that is going to help us be ready for this.
The cases of COVID-19 started to spread several days ago. More than a week ago, there was announced that there were some cases here in our community. And right now they said that there’s 13 cases as of yesterday. This is something that we are highly doubtful, just because, you know, all of these cases happened in a context in which there were no tests available for our community. They just happened also.
So, for us, this is hugely problematic, because we have been seeing how in our community there hasn’t been any real efforts to try to help anyone. We, as workers, travel to work in crowded buses. We live in overcrowded spaces. You know, many of the people that come to work in the fields are people who are living inside trailers with five, eight or 10 people, sometimes even more. And we are expected to go to do this work because our job has been deemed essential. But the people who’s doing this job are treated as expendable, because no personal protective equipment has been given, no tests have been made available.
And that’s one of the things that we have been asking. And as you were mentioning, you know, we sent a letter to Governor Ron DeSantis, and we started to petition that has been spearheaded by Change.org. Lots of people, over 100 organizations — 180 organizations, I think — have signed it, and more than 23,000 people have signed it also, asking for the governor to dedicate the resources that are needed to build a field hospital or to repurpose a facility, so that people that start to show severe symptoms of COVID-19 can be treated. But so far, there hasn’t been any concrete response to this. We have also asked for the public resources to be allocated for our community in this moment of crisis. Nothing significant has been done.
We continue to see how we are just seeing this catastrophe unfold in our community with any kind of protection, but still, instead of offering a solution to this problem, we are met with just news of workers that are producing the food in the national level, with these proposals of cutting wages instead of the —
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Gerardo, I wanted to ask you — in terms of the farmworkers, most Americans are not aware that still a significant portion of farmworker labor are foreign workers under the H-2A program. Could you talk about them and their situation, as well?
GERARDO REYES CHÁVEZ: Yeah. I mean, for farmworkers that come here under H-2A, there’s more and more, actually, workers that are working in different companies. And just to give you a sense — you know, we talked about this before — 90% of the tomatoes and many of the fruits and vegetables that are consumed right now in the country, between November to May, are produced by people like the people of Immokalee. And this production is so key to be able to keep everything else functioning. That’s why our job has been deemed essential. We’re a critical workforce. But we’re not treated in that way.
During the months of November to May — and June, depending on where you are working — many workers come from Mexico, mainly, to work in the fields. And there is a big part of workers here from Guatemala, that are here under political asylum, also working in the fields, and from Haiti. So, combined, we are the labor force that is making it possible for all the food to move up north, especially now with the crisis — and New York being the epicenter — needing all of these incredibly important resources right now, while at the same time resources are being denied by the federal government, the state and local government, for us to be able to be protected.
We are talking about doing this essential job, and we are going to be unable very soon if attention is not placed where it matters, which is, protecting the workforce that you are deeming as essential. Because we are, you know? We are an essential workforce. Independently of being here under H-2A or not, everyone who’s working in the fields needs to be treated in the same way. But what we —
AMY GOODMAN: And as President Trump hails the stimulus package and the relief that’s going out to some people, the same Trump administration, Mark Meadows, the Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue are pushing to cut the wages of H-2A workers. Even if they’re 10% of the workforce, won’t that put a downward pressure on cutting all the wages, as they talk about saving the farmers? If you can talk about the effect that this will have, them saying they’re cutting the wages of people at the lowest end of the wage spectrum?
GERARDO REYES CHÁVEZ: Yeah. I mean, they say that crisis and pressure can bring the best in people and also the bad, the worst. I think the government is just showing us how much they do not care about the people who make the food for every family in this country possible.
And this is just going to exacerbate the problems that we have always had. We don’t have a hospital here in town. We have a clinic. The closest hospital is about 40 minutes away. We don’t have transportation to go to a hospital, either. And instead of building the infrastructure that’s desperately needed to respond to this crisis that’s unfolding in front of our eyes, you know, this is going to start very soon to show the dramatic effect of how a virus can spread in a community where you don’t have the luxury of the social distancing, you don’t have the ability to keep six feet away while doing this work, and you don’t have the protection that you need while being transported from your living quarters to the fields and back. And because of that, you are exposed, 24/7. So, when you think about that and the fact that you don’t have a hospital, the fact that you don’t have any kind of resources dedicated to you in a meaningful way — you know, because one thing is to talk about it, to talk about mitigating —
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Gerardo, I wanted to ask you, because we only have a few more minutes — but I wanted to ask you in terms of what kind of support have the farmworkers been getting from other sectors of the Florida progressive community, because it’s very important to focus in on ways that people can help each other. What can be — other than signing a petition, what are some concrete ways that you can get — that other folks can assist the efforts that you are doing with the farmworkers?
AMY GOODMAN: And the demands you’re making of the governor?
GERARDO REYES CHÁVEZ: Yeah. Well, something that people can do is if you have the expertise in working and putting together a field hospital. We recognize that the government is maybe not going to come to do anything in our community. We hope that they do. We are asking the Collier County government to step in. And they said that they have a plan, but they have not yet developed or shown what that plan is. So, we’re asking people to get in touch with us if you think that there’s a possibility in which you could help us with resources to be able to put together what’s needed to respond to this as soon as possible. There’s organizations that have signed onto this, many organizations that are working and trying to see how we can work together. And we would be happy to connect everyone, including the people from the county, to try to come up with a solution, if that’s at all possible.
One thing that we are asking from the governor in the letter — there’s four main things that we’re asking. One is the construction of a field hospital or the repurposing of anything that can serve to place intensive care units for those people who need it. We also want the personal protective equipment, if we’re expected to continue to do this work, something that is readily available for workers to be able to protect themselves as much as possible. We want free and accessible coronavirus testing for all of our community, not just those who show symptoms, because, as we heard, you know, there were news about this Smithfield —
AMY GOODMAN: Gerardo, we have 30 seconds.
GERARDO REYES CHÁVEZ: How this Smithfield plant that was closed because everyone — most of the workers were sick. Here, we only hear about 13 cases because tests was not available. So, the funds are necessary to be allocated to support Florida farmworkers, instead of slashing their wages. That’s what we need. And we need people to help us push the government to do what’s necessary.
AMY GOODMAN: Gerardo Reyes Chávez, I want to thank you for being with us, farmworker leader with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, speaking to us from Immokalee, Florida. In a minute, we’re going to bring Mónica Ramírez into the conversation, president and founder of Justice for Migrant Women, co-founder and president of The Latinx House, co-founder of the National Farmworkers Women’s Alliance. But first I want to turn to more voices of farmworkers. This is a strawberry field worker who wished to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation.
STRAWBERRY FIELD WORKER: [translated] For me, the coronavirus just means regular daily life, because I have to leave to go to work. I have children in the house. Sometimes I’m afraid I will get sick. … Even with the obstacle of coronavirus, I cannot leave my work. I can’t keep myself in quarantine, because I need to earn a living to support my family.
AMY GOODMAN: And this is Juan Antione, a farmworker in the city of Oxnard, California.
JUAN ANTIONE: [translated] We’re worried about our health and everybody else’s, but I worry that they might stop us from working, because we live day by day, and the money we make is not enough to pay for bills, rent, and feed our kids.
AMY GOODMAN: We’re joined right now by Mónica Ramírez, president and founder of Justice for Migrant Women, co-founder and president of The Latinx House, as well as a number of other titles, including co-founder of the National Farmworkers Women’s Alliance. Mónica, if you can talk specifically about female farmworkers and the challenges they’re facing now?
MÓNICA RAMÍREZ: Sure. Thanks for having me on the show. One of the things that we’re hearing from farmworker women is that given that they don’t have child care, many of them are having to quit their jobs, which means that if they’re living in a two-income household, their salaries have immediately been cut in half. They’re feeling extremely stressed out about the fact that they don’t have enough food to feed their children. They often can’t make it to the places where they’re doing food delivery, because they don’t have transportation. And having their income cut in half has come at a huge cost to their families. They’re also concerned that if they have to — if they are working and they need to miss work for any reason, to care for their children or otherwise, that they’ll just be fired, and they won’t have an opportunity to work at their farm again in the future.
The other thing that we’re hearing from people is that their children are talking to them about being afraid to die. They’re afraid that they’re going to get sick, that their parents are going to get sick, and they’re asking a lot of questions, and they don’t have enough information. So there’s a lot of anxiety and stress, in addition to the fact that they don’t have enough food for their own families, and they’re not making the money that they need to survive.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Mónica, I wanted to ask you — the Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has been one of the few Republican governors who’s sort of bucked President Trump on several occasions in term of how to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. I’m wondering what your sense is of what the governor — whether the governor has taken into account at all the plight of farmworkers in Ohio.
MÓNICA RAMÍREZ: Thanks. Yeah, you know, I believe that the governor is a leader on this issue in taking really important steps to ensure that the people in Ohio are safe and healthy. As an organization that’s based here in Ohio, we are in the process of communicating with the governor about exactly the steps that need to be taken to ensure that the farmers have what they need, to have the workforce that they need, and that the workers are also protected in the meantime. And we do believe that the state of Ohio can show the kind of leadership that is needed for the rest of the country, to make sure that we have the food that we need to eat, but that it’s not at the expense of the workers’ health who are picking the food.
AMY GOODMAN: On Sunday, The New York Times, Mónica, ran an article titled “Empty Shelves, But Farms Put Food to Waste,” says tons of milk — I think something like 750,000 eggs were smashed, and produce being buried and dumped.
MÓNICA RAMÍREZ: That’s right.
AMY GOODMAN: On the one hand, you have this food being dumped and destroyed. And on the other hand, you have hours-long lines at food pantries, at the other end of the food supply chain. Can we wrap with that?
MÓNICA RAMÍREZ: Yeah. You know, I saw that article, too, and we’d been hearing that, that farmers were going to have to dump products. And the first question that came to mind is, you know, if the federal government intends to help the agricultural industry because the agricultural industry has so much need, as we’ve been hearing President Trump say and others say that they want to make sure that they are helping farmers, what we say, “Then help the people who are going hungry because they’re not working. Help the farmworkers who don’t have enough food to feed their families.”
You know, I think that the government should be in serious consideration of buying those products from the farmers who are having to dump the products because they can’t sell them to the restaurants and other places that ordered them or that used to need them, because there are food banks and, as we’ve seen, lines of people who are waiting to get products. And, you know, I was in communication with an outreach worker in Florida last week, and she told me that 500 farmworkers showed up at a local church to get food, and 300 farmworkers went home empty-handed.
So, if we have a crisis in which there’s an overproduction of food and they can’t get to the restaurants and other places that used to buy them, well, we also have a crisis with the fact that there are people — not just farmworkers — around our country who are not sure where their next meal is going to come from. And it seems to me that it would be wise of the federal government to make an agreement with these farmers to buy the produce and the other items that they are going to dump, so that they can get those items to the families that need that food at this very moment.
AMY GOODMAN: Mónica Ramírez, thanks so much for being with us, president and founder of Justice for Migrant Women, co-founder and president of The Latinx House and co-founder of the National Farmworkers Women’s Alliance.
When we come back, we look at the spike in coronavirus infections at meatpacking plants — 350 workers at one pork plant in South Dakota. It’s almost half the number of infections in the entire state of South Dakota. Stay with us.


democracynow--2020-04-14--Juan González: My 92-Year-Old Mother's COVID-19 Experience Shows Me How Rotten Our Health System Is

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 .
I ’ m Amy Goodman in New York , the epicenter of the pandemic in the world , but we begin today ’ s show in New Jersey , one of the hardest-hit states from the pandemic , only second to New York , with nearly 65,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and just under 2,500 deaths .
The state ’ s Democratic Governor Phil Murphy said his state is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for hospital beds and equipment .
On CNN ’ s State of the Union , Governor Murphy said , quote , “ The house is on fire .
We ’ ve got to put the fire on the house out .
Then we ’ ve got to begin to get back on our feet .
And then , at that point , we have to look back and say what could we have done differently.
” Well , for more , we ’ re joined from New Jersey by my co-host Juan González @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his home in New Brunswick .
Juan , how are you and your family doing ?
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : Well , Amy , first of all , welcome to all of our listeners and viewers across the country and around the world .
But this has now hit directly home in the last week or so .
First , my 92-year-old mother got sick last week .
Her caregiver in New York City , where she lived , was felled and had a high fever and had to quarantine , and therefore she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I had to , clearly , go to the Bronx , get her and bring her here to New Brunswick , because she had no one else to care for her .
And she had no fever , though , but she had intense abdominal pains .
And we tried to see if we could deal with her and treat her here for several days , ended up having to go to the emergency room Sunday .
She was hospitalized .
Only when they hospitalized her and they did a COVID test did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So she is now in the hospital dealing with the COVID .
And meanwhile , here , then , yesterday , my wife came down sick , and now she is extremely weak .
And again , she does not have fever , either , but it ’ s clear that something has affected her , even as we were trying to deal with my mother .
And so , it ’ s become much more direct here , not just reporting on it , but trying to deal with it .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jersey , as much of the rest of the East Coast , there are thousands of people trying to figure out , without testing , because they don ’ t test you unless they actually admit you to the hospital , and — AMY GOODMAN : Juan , if you could actually stop there for a second , because when you brought your mother to the hospital — and to say you brought her to the hospital means you brought her to a tent outside the hospital , where you had to leave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you and your wife could not — JUAN GONZÁLEZ : Right , no one is allowed in .
No one is allowed in .
So , you basically — JUAN GONZÁLEZ : You just register them — AMY GOODMAN : And in the emergency room , is it true they wanted to release her ?
They said they would not test her .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : Right .
They initially said they would not test her .
They were going to release her because they thought she had a mild coronavirus .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what about the unbearable pain that she has ?
Can you check that out further ?
” They did check that out further , and they then decided that there were other complications , other health issues that she had .
And then , in order to admit her to the hospital , they had to decide whether she had COVID or not , because they clearly had to segregate all the COVID patients in a certain wing of the hospital .
So , at that point , when they were getting ready @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her .
AMY GOODMAN : And I just want to say one thing , because then I want to ask you about the people that you ’ ve been trying to help in New Jersey , particularly immigrants .
People are under the illusion in this country that , well , you may not be tested if you ’ re at home , and you don ’ t want to risk going to the hospital and getting infected , but that if you go to an emergency room , you will be tested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supply is so lacking that — I have a friend who went to NYU Langone .
He was in the emergency room .
They wouldn ’ t test him .
And the doctors and nurses there decried the fact they couldn ’ t test him .
They said , “ This is a terrible situation that we can ’ t test you.
” AMY GOODMAN : He was in the emergency room .
And your mother , the same .
AMY GOODMAN : The only reason she was tested is because she was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and my mother ’ s caregiver , who had a high fever , twice went to Mount Sinai in New York to the emergency room there , and they sent her home each time , again , not testing her .
They told her , “ You most likely have COVID , but we ’ re not going to do a test.
” So , there is a huge problem in terms of the testing situation , that continues to — and it is just astounding that in the richest country in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ healthcare than any other country , the fact that we already have 20 % — about 20 % of all the COVID deaths in the world , yet we represent only 4 % of the world ’ s population .
We have to ask ourselves why , in a country that spends so much money on healthcare , are we still having problems producing the most basic equipment — masks and gowns to protect people — and rapid production of tests .
It is just an outrage that this continues to bedevil a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I really believe it ’ s part of this whole situation of this neoliberal view of how to run the market , that even hospital executives and industry leaders , who have been pursuing maximum revenue and minimum cost for years , kept insisting on the fewest numbers of unfilled beds , the barest number of staff that they could possibly keep on .
They were always willing to spend ungodly amounts of money on these multimillion-dollar medical equipment , but never stockpiled , never stockpiled basic goods necessary in case of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s just just astounding that this continues to happen .
And unfortunately , tens of thousands of people have already died unnecessarily in their homes and in their hospital beds during this crisis , hundreds of thousands more will die in the coming months , as a direct result of decades of greed by our capitalist elite , who kept pushing this just-in-time production , these data analytics to guarantee that they would know what the future holds , and never taking into account the potential for sudden emergencies that might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coupling that , of course , with the fact that so many millions of people do not have healthcare .
In New York , the population with the highest death rate right now is the Latinx population .
You go to places like Corona , to Elmhurst , Queens , I mean , the concern of the number of people who are dying at home , hundreds of people .
And when people are buried — for example , in potter ’ s field on Hart Island — how often are their families @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries know what has happened ?
And you , Juan , in New Jersey , even as your family is ill — and I want to ask you how you ’ re doing — your work with immigrants who are desperate at this moment ?
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : Yeah , well , we ’ ve had to — you know , I firmly believe that it ’ s not enough for radicals and progressives to just rail against the situation .
And it ’ s not just a question of the ineptness of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Trump administration has a lot to blame , but this has been building for decades .
And for journalists like ourselves , it ’ s not enough to simply expose this train of abuses .
I think we also have to point the way to change , to give people hope and to promote grassroots efforts by everyday people .
That ’ s why I ’ ve gotten involved here in New Brunswick with a thing called the Mutual Aid Fund for New Brunswick .
It ’ s a GoFundMe campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community , which is getting nothing , I mean , because many of them work off the books .
They don ’ t qualify for stimulus .
They don ’ t qualify for unemployment assistance .
And they are basically in terror right now in their homes .
Many don ’ t have health insurance .
They ’ re afraid to go to the hospital .
And there are tens and tens of thousands , not just in New Jersey , but across the country , of immigrants who are now really the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve been very successful , in just a couple of days , of putting together a fund .
And I urge others across the country , in your own neighborhoods , to do what you can .
Don ’ t depend on the private sector or some promised government assistance program which may or may not materialize .
We ’ ve got to pull together as much as we can with our own neighbors , the 99 % , and support each other and keep fighting to preserve and defend people in our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Juan , how are you feeling personally ?
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : I ’ m a little weak .
My wife ’ s in worse shape right now .
And , of course , our biggest concern is that my mother is — basically , she ’ s totally cut off .
She has no way of communicating .
And unfortunately , her cellphone died , and we haven ’ t been able to get her charger to her , so even being able to get a phone call into her and to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hospital , because they ’ re overwhelmed .
We understand that .
They ’ re having enormous problems there .
But if the hospital experience was terrible for many people before this , now it is a total — it ’ s a total nightmare just to be able to communicate with your relatives who are hospitalized .
AMY GOODMAN : Well , Juan , all the best to Lilia , to your mom , and of course to you .
And I ’ m so glad you could join us today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way , just numbers , you have what ?
Over 8 million people .
Almost half a million are undocumented immigrants .
This is Democracy Now !
, democracynow.org , The War and Peace Report .
When we come back , we ’ ll be talking to a migrant worker in Florida , an organizer in Ohio .
We ’ ll be going to Arkansas , where Tyson Foods is based .
And we ’ ll be looking at Smithfield , the meat company , the pork company , that provides almost 5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pork to this country .
More than 350 of the workers inside have tested positive , and the plant ’ s been closed down .
What ’ s happening with the migrant workers of this country ?
We ’ ll look at the food supply chain .
Stay with us .
AMY GOODMAN : “ On the Road Again , ” performed Sunday by Willie Nelson , Lukas Nelson and Micah Nelson as part of Farm Aid at Home 2020 , the annual concert that ’ s raised money and awareness for family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s virtual concert benefited farms impacted by COVID-19 .

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. I’m Amy Goodman in New York, the epicenter of the pandemic in the world, but we begin today’s show in New Jersey, one of the hardest-hit states from the pandemic, only second to New York, with nearly 65,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and just under 2,500 deaths. The state’s Democratic Governor Phil Murphy said his state is trying to stay ahead of the need for hospital beds and equipment. On CNN’s State of the Union, Governor Murphy said, quote, “The house is on fire. We’ve got to put the fire on the house out. Then we’ve got to begin to get back on our feet. And then, at that point, we have to look back and say what could we have done differently.”
Well, for more, we’re joined from New Jersey by my co-host Juan González, who’s joining us from his home in New Brunswick.
Juan, how are you and your family doing?
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Well, Amy, first of all, welcome to all of our listeners and viewers across the country and around the world.
But this has now hit directly home in the last week or so. First, my 92-year-old mother got sick last week. Her caregiver in New York City, where she lived, was felled and had a high fever and had to quarantine, and therefore she was left alone. My wife and I had to, clearly, go to the Bronx, get her and bring her here to New Brunswick, because she had no one else to care for her. And she had no fever, though, but she had intense abdominal pains. And we tried to see if we could deal with her and treat her here for several days, ended up having to go to the emergency room Sunday. She was hospitalized. Only when they hospitalized her and they did a COVID test did she turn out to be positive. So she is now in the hospital dealing with the COVID.
And meanwhile, here, then, yesterday, my wife came down sick, and now she is extremely weak. And again, she does not have fever, either, but it’s clear that something has affected her, even as we were trying to deal with my mother. And so, it’s become much more direct here, not just reporting on it, but trying to deal with it. And, of course, throughout Central New Jersey, as much of the rest of the East Coast, there are thousands of people trying to figure out, without testing, because they don’t test you unless they actually admit you to the hospital, and —
AMY GOODMAN: Juan, if you could actually stop there for a second, because when you brought your mother to the hospital — and to say you brought her to the hospital means you brought her to a tent outside the hospital, where you had to leave your 92-year-old mother, right? Because you and your wife could not —
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Right, no one is allowed in. No one is allowed in. So, you basically —
AMY GOODMAN: — go in.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: You just register them —
AMY GOODMAN: And in the emergency room, is it true they wanted to release her? They said they would not test her.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Right. They initially said they would not test her. They were going to release her because they thought she had a mild coronavirus. But I kept on saying, “But what about the unbearable pain that she has? Can you check that out further?” They did check that out further, and they then decided that there were other complications, other health issues that she had. And then, in order to admit her to the hospital, they had to decide whether she had COVID or not, because they clearly had to segregate all the COVID patients in a certain wing of the hospital. So, at that point, when they were getting ready to admit her, they then tested her.
AMY GOODMAN: And I just want to say one thing, because then I want to ask you about the people that you’ve been trying to help in New Jersey, particularly immigrants. People are under the illusion in this country that, well, you may not be tested if you’re at home, and you don’t want to risk going to the hospital and getting infected, but that if you go to an emergency room, you will be tested. That is not true. The supply is so lacking that — I have a friend who went to NYU Langone. He was in the emergency room. They wouldn’t test him. And the doctors and nurses there decried the fact they couldn’t test him. They said, “This is a terrible situation that we can’t test you.”
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Right.
AMY GOODMAN: He was in the emergency room. And your mother, the same.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Well, my mother’s —
AMY GOODMAN: The only reason she was tested is because she was hospitalized.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Right, and my mother’s caregiver, who had a high fever, twice went to Mount Sinai in New York to the emergency room there, and they sent her home each time, again, not testing her. They told her, “You most likely have COVID, but we’re not going to do a test.”
So, there is a huge problem in terms of the testing situation, that continues to — and it is just astounding that in the richest country in the world, which spends more money on healthcare than any other country, the fact that we already have 20% — about 20% of all the COVID deaths in the world, yet we represent only 4% of the world’s population. We have to ask ourselves why, in a country that spends so much money on healthcare, are we still having problems producing the most basic equipment — masks and gowns to protect people — and rapid production of tests. It is just an outrage that this continues to bedevil a country as wealthy as ours.
And I really believe it’s part of this whole situation of this neoliberal view of how to run the market, that even hospital executives and industry leaders, who have been pursuing maximum revenue and minimum cost for years, kept insisting on the fewest numbers of unfilled beds, the barest number of staff that they could possibly keep on. They were always willing to spend ungodly amounts of money on these multimillion-dollar medical equipment, but never stockpiled, never stockpiled basic goods necessary in case of a public health emergency.
And so, it’s just just astounding that this continues to happen. And unfortunately, tens of thousands of people have already died unnecessarily in their homes and in their hospital beds during this crisis, hundreds of thousands more will die in the coming months, as a direct result of decades of greed by our capitalist elite, who kept pushing this just-in-time production, these data analytics to guarantee that they would know what the future holds, and never taking into account the potential for sudden emergencies that might overwhelm them.
AMY GOODMAN: And coupling that, of course, with the fact that so many millions of people do not have healthcare. In New York, the population with the highest death rate right now is the Latinx population. You go to places like Corona, to Elmhurst, Queens, I mean, the concern of the number of people who are dying at home, hundreds of people. And when people are buried — for example, in potter’s field on Hart Island — how often are their families contacted? Do their families in other countries know what has happened? And you, Juan, in New Jersey, even as your family is ill — and I want to ask you how you’re doing — your work with immigrants who are desperate at this moment?
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Yeah, well, we’ve had to — you know, I firmly believe that it’s not enough for radicals and progressives to just rail against the situation. And it’s not just a question of the ineptness of the current administration in Washington. Sure, the Trump administration has a lot to blame, but this has been building for decades. And for journalists like ourselves, it’s not enough to simply expose this train of abuses. I think we also have to point the way to change, to give people hope and to promote grassroots efforts by everyday people.
That’s why I’ve gotten involved here in New Brunswick with a thing called the Mutual Aid Fund for New Brunswick. It’s a GoFundMe campaign to provide direct assistance to the undocumented community, which is getting nothing, I mean, because many of them work off the books. They don’t qualify for stimulus. They don’t qualify for unemployment assistance. And they are basically in terror right now in their homes. Many don’t have health insurance. They’re afraid to go to the hospital. And there are tens and tens of thousands, not just in New Jersey, but across the country, of immigrants who are now really the most vulnerable. So, we’ve been very successful, in just a couple of days, of putting together a fund.
And I urge others across the country, in your own neighborhoods, to do what you can. Don’t depend on the private sector or some promised government assistance program which may or may not materialize. We’ve got to pull together as much as we can with our own neighbors, the 99%, and support each other and keep fighting to preserve and defend people in our local communities.
AMY GOODMAN: Well, Juan, how are you feeling personally?
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: I’m a little weak. My wife’s in worse shape right now. And, of course, our biggest concern is that my mother is — basically, she’s totally cut off. She has no way of communicating. And unfortunately, her cellphone died, and we haven’t been able to get her charger to her, so even being able to get a phone call into her and to connect with the nurses’ station in the hospital, because they’re overwhelmed. We understand that. They’re having enormous problems there. But if the hospital experience was terrible for many people before this, now it is a total — it’s a total nightmare just to be able to communicate with your relatives who are hospitalized.
AMY GOODMAN: Well, Juan, all the best to Lilia, to your mom, and of course to you. And I’m so glad you could join us today.
In New Jersey, by the way, just numbers, you have what? Over 8 million people. Almost half a million are undocumented immigrants.
This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The War and Peace Report. When we come back, we’ll be talking to a migrant worker in Florida, an organizer in Ohio. We’ll be going to Arkansas, where Tyson Foods is based. And we’ll be looking at Smithfield, the meat company, the pork company, that provides almost 5% — one factory — of the pork to this country. More than 350 of the workers inside have tested positive, and the plant’s been closed down. What’s happening with the migrant workers of this country? We’ll look at the food supply chain. Stay with us.
[break]
AMY GOODMAN: “On the Road Again,” performed Sunday by Willie Nelson, Lukas Nelson and Micah Nelson as part of Farm Aid at Home 2020, the annual concert that’s raised money and awareness for family farms since 1985. This year’s virtual concert benefited farms impacted by COVID-19.


democracynow--2020-04-14--Headlines for April 14, 2020

Headlines for April 14, 2020

The global death toll from the coronavirus has topped 120,000 , with over 1.9 million confirmed cases .
The United States represents by far the largest percentage of known cases , with over 587,000 , and also leads in the death toll , which is nearing 24,000 .
Here in New York , the statewide death toll has topped 10,000 , as total confirmed cases near 200,000 — over half of these in New York City .
Latinx people represent 34 % of those who have died of coronavirus in New York City , the highest death toll in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 28 % of deaths .
Governor Andrew Cuomo said that despite the rising death toll and the high number of current hospitalizations — around 19,000 — other indicators of the outbreak ’ s progress , such as daily death toll and new hospitalized patients , appeared to be leveling off .
Cuomo warned the trend could easily start to reverse if New Yorkers ease up on social distancing and quarantining measures .
Despite the glimmers of hope , New York City hospitals say they continue to be stretched to their limits .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the public Bellevue Hospital have been told to sign forms falsely stating they are trained in certain types of care , in order to compensate for staff and equipment shortages .

The global death toll from the coronavirus has topped 120,000, with over 1.9 million confirmed cases. The United States represents by far the largest percentage of known cases, with over 587,000, and also leads in the death toll, which is nearing 24,000.
Here in New York, the statewide death toll has topped 10,000, as total confirmed cases near 200,000 — over half of these in New York City. Latinx people represent 34% of those who have died of coronavirus in New York City, the highest death toll in the city, while black residents account for 28% of deaths.
Governor Andrew Cuomo said that despite the rising death toll and the high number of current hospitalizations — around 19,000 — other indicators of the outbreak’s progress, such as daily death toll and new hospitalized patients, appeared to be leveling off. Cuomo warned the trend could easily start to reverse if New Yorkers ease up on social distancing and quarantining measures. Despite the glimmers of hope, New York City hospitals say they continue to be stretched to their limits. The news outlet The City reports nurses at the public Bellevue Hospital have been told to sign forms falsely stating they are trained in certain types of care, in order to compensate for staff and equipment shortages.


democracynow--2020-04-13--Wash Your Hands? Despite Pandemic, Thousands Still Have No Water in Detroit, a Coronavirus Hot Spot

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : Dr. Abdul El-Sayed , I want to bring into the conversation another guest , as we turn to another major issue in the city of Detroit , facing amidst the coronavirus pandemic : the water shutoffs .
Despite the city announcing a moratorium on water shutoffs and a program to help thousands of residents restore service last month , people in Detroit are still reporting lack of access to water and even ongoing shutoffs .
This is a video posted by Detroit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago .
AMY GOODMAN : So , more than 140,000 homes in Detroit have had their water shut off since 2014 , according to a local news outlet , the Bridge .
As of March 31st , the city had only restored water to 1,000 of the 10,000 people who called to report issues with their water .
We ’ re now joined by the community pastor , activist , Reverend Roslyn Bouier .
She ’ s frontline practitioner , executive director of Brightmoor Connection Food Pantry in Detroit .
You ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Reverend , because you are so busy out there getting water to people .
Can you explain for people in the rest of the country who might not understand ?
People have had their water cut off , and even though the city has said they won ’ t be doing it anymore , there are many people who still don ’ t have access to water , when the first thing we ’ re told in this pandemic is you must continually wash your hands ?
REV .
ROSLYN BOUIER : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So , here in Detroit , the water is still not on .
I just need to open with that and say that folks are still experiencing water insecurity .
No one still has water .
The city has , historically , since 2014 , turned off over 140,000 .
And so now the city is saying they ’ ve turned on 1,200 households .
That is nothing in comparison to what is needed .
I am seeing folks every day whose water is off .
And folks , just as the video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being shut off from water .
And then , I need to say , Dr. Sayed made a strong point when he said that COVID-19 follows the path of insecurity .
And when your water is shut off — right ?
— when you have no access to clean , affordable water , then that ’ s going to be the community that ’ s hit the hardest .
Brightmoor sits in the northwest section of Detroit .
It has the highest population of water shutoffs .
Brightmoor also has the highest population @ @ @ @ @ @ @ womb and out of the womb , due to water insecurity .
We know that folks normally who would work every day — right ?
— because when your water is shut off , you look just like you and I .
People go to work .
They go to school .
So , folks have the ability to use restrooms and wash up and get water all day for eight to 10 hours , while they ’ re outside of the home .
The children have the ability to do that .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and we are given the directive to shelter in — which , I need to say here and stop for a moment and say , we should stop using that word “ shelter , ” because we ’ re not using that word correctly .
“ Shelter ” is defined as having a place of safety and comfort and protection .
And when you don ’ t have water on , that ’ s not shelter .
It ’ s not shelter when children have to take their waste outside and throw it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not shelter when you don ’ t have water in your home and the sanitation is not available , because the city had declared that laundromats were nonessential providers , so laundromats were closed up , as well .
So , when we see the water shutoff situation , we understand that , contrary to what you ’ re hearing on the news — and I know that the mayor just recently did a statement saying that he had turned everybody back on , that there were only maybe 50 folks left to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not to be the truth , when we just really need the truth to get out .
And the truth is , is that folks are still experiencing water insecurity .
Folks do not have water , and people are still being shut off from water .
Right ?
AMY GOODMAN : Let me ask Dr. Abdul El-Sayed — you were former director of the Detroit Health Department at the time this started .
How can you see this ending ?
Are you calling for the restoration of water to all the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Absolutely .
So , I started at the city after this policy had already started .
It was one of the most frustrating policies to get to city leadership and to the Water Department and say that the public health starts with water .
Public health started the moment we figured out how to make sure that people ’ s water was clean .
And the fact that we don ’ t have clean water , as the reverend rightly points out , what does it mean to tell somebody to stay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hands with warm soapy water for 20 minutes , when they don ’ t have running water in their home ?
It is absurd in the context of a pandemic .
It was absurd even before the pandemic started .
AMY GOODMAN : Well , I want to thank you both for being with us , Dr. Abdul El-Sayed , physician , epidemiologist , former director of the Detroit Health Department , and Reverend Roslyn Bouier , community pastor , executive director of Brightmoor Connection Food Pantry in Detroit .
And that does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Happy Birthday to Joe Parker !
And we have another birthday to celebrate , a little one .
We want to welcome Tully Duncan Littlefield into the world .
And congratulations to his proud mama and papa , Amy Littlefield and Daniel Patterson !
To see our conversation with our former producer Amy Littlefield about being pregnant during the time of the pandemic , go to democracynow.org .
That does it for our show .
Democracy Now !
is working with as few people on site as possible ; the majority of our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prevent community spread .
Democracy Now !
is produced with Renée Feltz , Mike Burke , Deena Guzder , Libby Rainey , Nermeen Shaikh , Carla Wills , Tami Woronoff , Charina Nadura , Sam Alcoff , Tey-Marie Astudillo , John Hamilton , Robby Karran , Hany Massoud , Adriano Contreras and María Taracena .
Our general manager is Julie Crosby .
Special thanks to Denis Moynihan , Becca Staley , Miriam Barnard .
I ’ m Amy Goodman .
Thanks so much for joining us .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, I want to bring into the conversation another guest, as we turn to another major issue in the city of Detroit, facing amidst the coronavirus pandemic: the water shutoffs. Despite the city announcing a moratorium on water shutoffs and a program to help thousands of residents restore service last month, people in Detroit are still reporting lack of access to water and even ongoing shutoffs. This is a video posted by Detroit resident Motisala Ra on Facebook two weeks ago.
MOTISALA RA: So, the Water Department is out here to turn the water off at this home across the street. Mind you, we’re in the middle of a pandemic. They’re here to turn the water off. And this is a family with an infant child. She has two children.
AMY GOODMAN: So, more than 140,000 homes in Detroit have had their water shut off since 2014, according to a local news outlet, the Bridge. As of March 31st, the city had only restored water to 1,000 of the 10,000 people who called to report issues with their water.
We’re now joined by the community pastor, activist, Reverend Roslyn Bouier. She’s frontline practitioner, executive director of Brightmoor Connection Food Pantry in Detroit.
You’re very hard to get a hold of, Reverend, because you are so busy out there getting water to people. Can you explain for people in the rest of the country who might not understand? People have had their water cut off, and even though the city has said they won’t be doing it anymore, there are many people who still don’t have access to water, when the first thing we’re told in this pandemic is you must continually wash your hands?
REV. ROSLYN BOUIER: Yes, that’s true. So, here in Detroit, the water is still not on. I just need to open with that and say that folks are still experiencing water insecurity. No one still has water. The city has, historically, since 2014, turned off over 140,000. And so now the city is saying they’ve turned on 1,200 households. That is nothing in comparison to what is needed. I am seeing folks every day whose water is off. And folks, just as the video that you just showed, are still being shut off from water.
And then, I need to say, Dr. Sayed made a strong point when he said that COVID-19 follows the path of insecurity. And when your water is shut off — right? — when you have no access to clean, affordable water, then that’s going to be the community that’s hit the hardest. Brightmoor sits in the northwest section of Detroit. It has the highest population of water shutoffs. Brightmoor also has the highest population of infant mortality deaths, in the womb and out of the womb, due to water insecurity.
We know that folks normally who would work every day — right? — because when your water is shut off, you look just like you and I. People go to work. They go to school. So, folks have the ability to use restrooms and wash up and get water all day for eight to 10 hours, while they’re outside of the home. The children have the ability to do that.
But when your water is shut off and we are given the directive to shelter in — which, I need to say here and stop for a moment and say, we should stop using that word “shelter,” because we’re not using that word correctly. “Shelter” is defined as having a place of safety and comfort and protection. And when you don’t have water on, that’s not shelter. It’s not shelter when children have to take their waste outside and throw it in the garbage. It’s not shelter when you don’t have water in your home and the sanitation is not available, because the city had declared that laundromats were nonessential providers, so laundromats were closed up, as well.
So, when we see the water shutoff situation, we understand that, contrary to what you’re hearing on the news — and I know that the mayor just recently did a statement saying that he had turned everybody back on, that there were only maybe 50 folks left to turn back on — we know that is not to be the truth, when we just really need the truth to get out. And the truth is, is that folks are still experiencing water insecurity. Folks do not have water, and people are still being shut off from water. Right?
AMY GOODMAN: Let me ask Dr. Abdul El-Sayed — you were former director of the Detroit Health Department at the time this started. How can you see this ending? Are you calling for the restoration of water to all the residents of Detroit?
DR. ABDUL EL-SAYED: Absolutely. So, I started at the city after this policy had already started. It was one of the most frustrating policies to get to city leadership and to the Water Department and say that the public health starts with water. Public health started the moment we figured out how to make sure that people’s water was clean. And the fact that we don’t have clean water, as the reverend rightly points out, what does it mean to tell somebody to stay at home and then to wash their hands with warm soapy water for 20 minutes, when they don’t have running water in their home? It is absurd in the context of a pandemic. It was absurd even before the pandemic started.
AMY GOODMAN: Well, I want to thank you both for being with us, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, physician, epidemiologist, former director of the Detroit Health Department, and Reverend Roslyn Bouier, community pastor, executive director of Brightmoor Connection Food Pantry in Detroit.
And that does it for our broadcast. A very Happy Birthday to Joe Parker! And we have another birthday to celebrate, a little one. We want to welcome Tully Duncan Littlefield into the world. And congratulations to his proud mama and papa, Amy Littlefield and Daniel Patterson! To see our conversation with our former producer Amy Littlefield about being pregnant during the time of the pandemic, go to democracynow.org.
That does it for our show. Democracy Now! is working with as few people on site as possible; the majority of our remarkable team is working from home to prevent community spread. Democracy Now! is produced with Renée Feltz, Mike Burke, Deena Guzder, Libby Rainey, Nermeen Shaikh, Carla Wills, Tami Woronoff, Charina Nadura, Sam Alcoff, Tey-Marie Astudillo, John Hamilton, Robby Karran, Hany Massoud, Adriano Contreras and María Taracena. Our general manager is Julie Crosby. Special thanks to Denis Moynihan, Becca Staley, Miriam Barnard. I’m Amy Goodman. Thanks so much for joining us.


democracynow--2020-04-13--"Reckless and Irresponsible": Dr. Abdul El-Sayed on Trump's Promotion of Hydroxychloroquine

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : This is Democracy Now !
I ’ m Amy Goodman , as we head to Detroit , where the Henry Ford Health System has launched the first major U.S. study into whether the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine could help prevent the spread of coronavirus , following weeks of President Trump promoting the drug despite warnings from medical experts .
The study was announced last week with Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and will test 3,000 people to see if use of the drug can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
President Trump has repeatedly urged Americans to take hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 symptoms , despite Dr. Fauci and others warning there ’ s still insufficient evidence for its effectiveness in treating the virus .
This comes as a study in Brazil involving chloroquine ’ s effect on coronavirus patients was stopped after participants developed irregular heart rates that increased the risk of a potentially fatal arrhythmia .
A man in Arizona died last month , his wife went into critical condition , after the couple took chloroquine to try to prevent a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. , lupus patients have reported shortages of hydroxychloroquine , a drug they need , following Trump ’ s recent statements .
This all comes as The New York Times reports Trump could personally profit if sales of hydroxychloroquine increase , because he owns a small financial interest in a French company that makes the drug .
And the only study that has been cited around hydroxychloroquine , a French study , the journal recently pulled that study , saying it wasn ’ t well done .
Well , for more on hydroxychloroquine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ re going to Detroit to speak with Dr. Abdul El-Sayed .
He is a physician , epidemiologist , former director of the Detroit Health Department .
His new book is titled Healing Politics : A Doctor ’ s Journey into the Heart of Our Political Epidemic .
Metro Detroit became one of the nation ’ s COVID-19 hot spots .
Dr .
El-Sayed , welcome back to Democracy Now !
So , we have this Brazil study , which they stopped because it endangered the people who were being tested .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is a study that ’ s happening because the president has been pushing this so relentlessly .
Can you talk about the significance of this study , who ’ s involved , what kind of informed consent there is , and why you actually support it ?
DR. ABDUL EL-SAYED : Yeah .
So , let me step back for a second .
The whole goal of science is to take what we want to happen out of the picture and formalize a process that takes our biases out and asks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or not a particular medication or particular treatment can do for a particular outcome ?
” And we ask questions about the safety and the efficacy .
We do know that there ’ s been a lot of hype from the president .
And that is so problematic , because we know that hydroxychloroquine , number one , as you mentioned , has some potential side effects that can be really dangerous , and , number two , that there are people who really need hydroxychloroquine , and if you all of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they might not have it .
This study at Henry Ford recruits 3,000 volunteers from the frontlines of healthcare workers , who are most at risk , and randomizes them to receiving either hydroxychloroquine or a placebo , to ask whether or not those who had hydroxychloroquine were less likely to be infected , considering the same overall exposure .
And the reason why this is so important is because we don ’ t know whether or not hydroxychloroquine is safe and effective for either the treatment of COVID-19 or the prevention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ask is to run a randomized control trial that controls for differences in the baseline probability of having gotten both the treatment and having had the outcome .
So this is an important piece of science and the only way that we can know , right ?
Take away the spin from the president , take away the spin from anywhere else , and just ask , “ Does this work ?
Is it safe and effective ?
” The only way we know is through the scientific process .
And this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AMY GOODMAN : Wasn ’ t there a study that just recently leaked out of two Detroit hospitals dealing with chloroquine ?
DR. ABDUL EL-SAYED : So , I ’ m unfamiliar with that literature .
There have been a number of studies that are ongoing .
The truth of the matter is , though , is that we do not have consistent evidence from randomized control trials .
That ’ s why you see the president ’ s top adviser , Anthony Fauci , consistently pushing back against President Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think President Trump is pushing this because he has a financial stake in a company that ultimately makes hydroxychloroquine ?
DR. ABDUL EL-SAYED : It ’ s plausible .
I ’ ve heard and I ’ ve seen reporting to that end .
The key point to me — right ?
— is just that , A , this is reckless and irresponsible , because you have to put the scientific process first , and the scientific process has not borne out whether or not this is safe and effective .
And I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I hear folks argue that hydroxychloroquine is used in folks with diseases all the time , of course it should be safe , now the question is whether or not it ’ s effective .
That ’ s not necessarily true , because we know that underlying biology can change the way that the body processes certain medications .
Hydroxychloroquine may be processed differently in people suffering from COVID-19 .
You talked about the results of that study that got stopped prematurely in Brazil .
And then the French version of the FDA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it ’ s plausible that the baseline risk of arrhythmias , cardiac outcomes , in patients with COVID-19 may be higher than one would expect at baseline .
And so , we ’ ve got to ask — AMY GOODMAN : And here you have President Trump saying , “ What do we have to lose here ?
” When I speak to people with lupus , they ’ re shocked that he is pushing it so aggressively , that just folks should take it — “ What do you have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because they take hydroxychloroquine for lupus , they have to be monitored very carefully around heart issues , even around blindness .
DR. ABDUL EL-SAYED : That ’ s absolutely right .
And so , there ’ s a lot of potential loss there .
And then , for those people who need hydroxychloroquine to keep their lupus symptoms down — and for folks who don ’ t know , lupus is a really scary disease .
Even the name “ lupus ” comes from the name for “ wolf , ” because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any place in the body .
And so these people need that medication .
And creating a run on , because of irresponsible pushing of a medication , on that medication for folks who need it , that ’ s a lot to lose for them , too .
And so , this is not proven safe , and it ’ s not been proven effective .
We need good science to show whether or not it is safe and effective for either the treatment or prevention of COVID-19 .
AMY GOODMAN : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so significant , Healing Politics , because it really , in a way , predicted what we ’ re seeing in this country right now with the racial disparities around who lives and dies with COVID-19 .
In your own city of Detroit , in New Orleans , in Chicago , disproportionately African Americans are dying .
Why ?
DR. ABDUL EL-SAYED : Well , Amy , you know , we talk a lot about the pathogen — in this case , the coronavirus .
But what this book is about is about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ host , and it is a function of the environment .
And so , as we ask questions about where COVID-19 will go , it is following a well-worn path toward society ’ s most vulnerable , people who have been made vulnerable by a system of economics , a system of political marginalization , a system of lack of access to basic resources , including , fundamentally , healthcare , in this moment , that leaves people vulnerable , increases the probability of both the infection with COVID-19 and then death because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got to stand up and say that enough is enough .
We are going to fix these fundamental vulnerabilities in our society , so that , A , something like this doesn ’ t happen in the future , and then , B , that even if it does , that we ’ re prepared for it , that people don ’ t have to suffer as a function of the poverty for which they ’ ve suffered for far too long .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now! I’m Amy Goodman, as we head to Detroit, where the Henry Ford Health System has launched the first major U.S. study into whether the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine could help prevent the spread of coronavirus, following weeks of President Trump promoting the drug despite warnings from medical experts. The study was announced last week with Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and will test 3,000 people to see if use of the drug can keep them from getting sick with COVID-19. President Trump has repeatedly urged Americans to take hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 symptoms, despite Dr. Fauci and others warning there’s still insufficient evidence for its effectiveness in treating the virus.
This comes as a study in Brazil involving chloroquine’s effect on coronavirus patients was stopped after participants developed irregular heart rates that increased the risk of a potentially fatal arrhythmia. A man in Arizona died last month, his wife went into critical condition, after the couple took chloroquine to try to prevent a coronavirus infection.
Meanwhile, in the U.S., lupus patients have reported shortages of hydroxychloroquine, a drug they need, following Trump’s recent statements.
This all comes as The New York Times reports Trump could personally profit if sales of hydroxychloroquine increase, because he owns a small financial interest in a French company that makes the drug.
And the only study that has been cited around hydroxychloroquine, a French study, the journal recently pulled that study, saying it wasn’t well done.
Well, for more on hydroxychloroquine and also the impact of COVID-19, we’re going to Detroit to speak with Dr. Abdul El-Sayed. He is a physician, epidemiologist, former director of the Detroit Health Department. His new book is titled Healing Politics: A Doctor’s Journey into the Heart of Our Political Epidemic. Metro Detroit became one of the nation’s COVID-19 hot spots.
Dr. El-Sayed, welcome back to Democracy Now! So, we have this Brazil study, which they stopped because it endangered the people who were being tested. At Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, there is a study that’s happening because the president has been pushing this so relentlessly. Can you talk about the significance of this study, who’s involved, what kind of informed consent there is, and why you actually support it?
DR. ABDUL EL-SAYED: Yeah. So, let me step back for a second. The whole goal of science is to take what we want to happen out of the picture and formalize a process that takes our biases out and asks, “What is the fact about whether or not a particular medication or particular treatment can do for a particular outcome?” And we ask questions about the safety and the efficacy.
We do know that there’s been a lot of hype from the president. And that is so problematic, because we know that hydroxychloroquine, number one, as you mentioned, has some potential side effects that can be really dangerous, and, number two, that there are people who really need hydroxychloroquine, and if you all of a sudden create a run on the medication, they might not have it.
This study at Henry Ford recruits 3,000 volunteers from the frontlines of healthcare workers, who are most at risk, and randomizes them to receiving either hydroxychloroquine or a placebo, to ask whether or not those who had hydroxychloroquine were less likely to be infected, considering the same overall exposure. And the reason why this is so important is because we don’t know whether or not hydroxychloroquine is safe and effective for either the treatment of COVID-19 or the prevention of COVID-19. The only way to ask is to run a randomized control trial that controls for differences in the baseline probability of having gotten both the treatment and having had the outcome. So this is an important piece of science and the only way that we can know, right? Take away the spin from the president, take away the spin from anywhere else, and just ask, “Does this work? Is it safe and effective?” The only way we know is through the scientific process. And this is a competent study to do that.
AMY GOODMAN: Wasn’t there a study that just recently leaked out of two Detroit hospitals dealing with chloroquine?
DR. ABDUL EL-SAYED: So, I’m unfamiliar with that literature. There have been a number of studies that are ongoing. The truth of the matter is, though, is that we do not have consistent evidence from randomized control trials. That’s why you see the president’s top adviser, Anthony Fauci, consistently pushing back against President Trump’s continued —
AMY GOODMAN: Do you think President Trump is pushing this because he has a financial stake in a company that ultimately makes hydroxychloroquine?
DR. ABDUL EL-SAYED: It’s plausible. I’ve heard and I’ve seen reporting to that end. The key point to me — right? — is just that, A, this is reckless and irresponsible, because you have to put the scientific process first, and the scientific process has not borne out whether or not this is safe and effective.
And I just want to make a point. I hear folks argue that hydroxychloroquine is used in folks with diseases all the time, of course it should be safe, now the question is whether or not it’s effective. That’s not necessarily true, because we know that underlying biology can change the way that the body processes certain medications. Hydroxychloroquine may be processed differently in people suffering from COVID-19. You talked about the results of that study that got stopped prematurely in Brazil. And then the French version of the FDA just recently released pretty concerning evidence suggesting that it’s plausible that the baseline risk of arrhythmias, cardiac outcomes, in patients with COVID-19 may be higher than one would expect at baseline. And so, we’ve got to ask —
AMY GOODMAN: And here you have President Trump saying, “What do we have to lose here?” When I speak to people with lupus, they’re shocked that he is pushing it so aggressively, that just folks should take it — “What do you have to lose?” — because they say because they take hydroxychloroquine for lupus, they have to be monitored very carefully around heart issues, even around blindness.
DR. ABDUL EL-SAYED: That’s absolutely right. And so, there’s a lot of potential loss there. And then, for those people who need hydroxychloroquine to keep their lupus symptoms down — and for folks who don’t know, lupus is a really scary disease. Even the name “lupus” comes from the name for “wolf,” because it can attack at any time in any place in the body. And so these people need that medication. And creating a run on, because of irresponsible pushing of a medication, on that medication for folks who need it, that’s a lot to lose for them, too. And so, this is not proven safe, and it’s not been proven effective. We need good science to show whether or not it is safe and effective for either the treatment or prevention of COVID-19.
AMY GOODMAN: Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, your book is so significant, Healing Politics, because it really, in a way, predicted what we’re seeing in this country right now with the racial disparities around who lives and dies with COVID-19. In your own city of Detroit, in New Orleans, in Chicago, disproportionately African Americans are dying. Why?
DR. ABDUL EL-SAYED: Well, Amy, you know, we talk a lot about the pathogen — in this case, the coronavirus. But what this book is about is about an epidemic of insecurity that affects the host, and it is a function of the environment. And so, as we ask questions about where COVID-19 will go, it is following a well-worn path toward society’s most vulnerable, people who have been made vulnerable by a system of economics, a system of political marginalization, a system of lack of access to basic resources, including, fundamentally, healthcare, in this moment, that leaves people vulnerable, increases the probability of both the infection with COVID-19 and then death because of COVID-19. And we’ve got to stand up and say that enough is enough. We are going to fix these fundamental vulnerabilities in our society, so that, A, something like this doesn’t happen in the future, and then, B, that even if it does, that we’re prepared for it, that people don’t have to suffer as a function of the poverty for which they’ve suffered for far too long.