democracynow--2020-07-13--Attempted Lynching in Indiana. No Arrests? Meet the Survivor: Human Rights Commissioner Vauhxx Booke

Attempted Lynching in Indiana. No Arrests? Meet the Survivor: Human Rights Commissioner Vauhxx Booker

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : This is Democracy Now !
The Quarantine Report .
I ’ m Amy Goodman , as we go to Indiana , where authorities are investigating a violent , racist attack on an African American man that took place over July 4th weekend .
It that was caught on film .
But more than a week later , no arrests have been made in response to the incident .
A warning to our viewers : This story contains disturbing images .
Vauhxx Booker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Indiana , in the Indiana state forest , with friends on July 4th , when five white men pinned him to a tree , beat him , threatened to lynch him .
Booker is a member of the Monroe County Human Rights Commission in Bloomington .
He says he was able to get out of the mob ’ s hands after passers-by intervened to get the attackers off him .
Last week , Vauhxx held a news conference with his attorney , local elected officials and two of the white witnesses who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lynching .
This is a reporter questioning one of those witnesses , Steven Cox .
AMY GOODMAN : And this is a reporter questioning another white witness , Brennan Golightly .
AMY GOODMAN : The FBI is investigating the attack as a potential hate crime , and Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton has condemned it in a statement .
But Vauhxx Booker is now calling on the U.S. District of Southern Indiana to convene a grand jury to take up the case .
Vauhxx Booker joins us now from Bloomington .
Welcome to Democracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to hear about what happened to you .
Can you describe what — it was July 4th ?
VAUHXX BOOKER : It was July 4th , the nation ’ s Independence Day .
I was simply trying to gather with a group of friends to watch the lunar eclipse .
VAUHXX BOOKER : Yeah , we just made — the site was just about a short 10-minute hike in .
A friend and I , we were going to go meet a group of others .
On our way in , we were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a oversized cowboy hat with a Confederate flag print on it .
We were cordial enough , continued towards the site .
A moment later , he pursued us on an ATV , told us we were on private property .
I knew we weren ’ t actually on private property , but rather than have some type of confrontation , we just simply apologized and continued to our site and spoke to the organizer .
From there , we didn ’ t know what would escalate later .
AMY GOODMAN : So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And what did the person who ran the campsite tell you ?
VAUHXX BOOKER : So , he informed us that this gentleman actually wasn ’ t the property owner , that he knew the property owner .
So , from there , we just went ahead and advised the rest of our group that they should take the public accessway of the beach so there wouldn ’ t be any dispute at all .
Shortly later on , some of our group joined , and they had informed us that these gentlemen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or blockade on the beach using their boat and some ATVs .
And as they were coming in , they had “ white power ” and some other phrases chanted at them .
It was all very disturbing .
AMY GOODMAN : So , then explain what happened .
Explain when they actually physically attacked you , Vauhxx .
VAUHXX BOOKER : So , a friend and I went down to see if we could just talk to some of these folks and build a rapport and reason .
The conversation was going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Confederate flag hat on initially joined .
He quickly became belligerent .
We felt a situation developing , so we just simply walked away .
A few moments later , as we were walking away , I heard footsteps quickly approaching .
This man came at me and swung his fist at me .
Another gentleman came .
So , I was on the ground with them .
A third gentleman came .
We tussled for a moment .
Two more men came .
And from there , they were able to pin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and put their bodyweight on me .
And as several of the folks started kicking and punching me , there was a moment where one of these gentlemen jumps on my neck with both of his feet , and I can feel his full bodyweight impact me .
It was scary .
They were literally — in the video , you can hear one of the gentlemen refer to me as “ nappy-headed.
” At that time , he had his hands in my hair and was using my hair as leverage to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ head as his friends held me down .
AMY GOODMAN : And then what happened ?
VAUHXX BOOKER : In the noise , one of the men ’ s daughters heard us .
She came out screaming for her father to let me go , for his friends to get off me .
They refused and tried to tell her to go away .
More people heard the daughter screaming , because we were still close to the roadside and people were passing through .
People just started coming to my defense .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ me go .
They came forward as these men pushed them away or swatted at them .
There was a moment where I hear a lady yell out , “ Don ’ t kill him !
” And it ’ s a moment where you realize that you ’ re hearing your own potential death being narrated in front of you , and you have to be aware of George Floyd and how many other Black folks in our history have heard the executions spoken before them in real time .
I felt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can ’ t breathe , ” with the weight of these men on top of me , and I just couldn ’ t say the words .
So , these folks continued to just stop just merely being bystanders , as we ’ ve seen in so many videos , and actively engage and resist .
And they were finally able to pull me from under these men .
And then they used themselves as sort of a human shield to make sure that as these men pursued us , that I was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you hear one of the men on top of you talk about getting a noose , as they piled on top of you at this tree ?
VAUHXX BOOKER : Absolutely .
So , there was a point where this gentleman , as a command , tells a friend to get a noose — not get a rope , but simply get a noose , as the first term that comes into his mind , with the heavy connotation in American history with Black people and lynchings .
It was an odd thing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get a rope , ” it was just the “ noose ” was the first thing that came to his mind .
AMY GOODMAN : So , how did the police end up coming ?
Did you and the others in your party call the police ?
And what did they do ?
VAUHXX BOOKER : I know that I had called the authorities .
I ’ m not sure if other folks had already called the authorities , as well .
It ’ s a state park , so the Department of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 40 minutes to get there .
Before they even came to see if any of us were injured , they went and spoke to these men that had attacked us first .
Then , about 20 minutes later , they came to us .
They didn ’ t seem very interested in actually doing an investigation .
It wasn ’ t 'til the white bystanders that had stayed on the beach with me just became fiercely passionate in objecting to me being treated this way and feeling like there was a miscarriage of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and got these individuals ' names .
Then they came and took some photographs of my injuries , but they never specifically asked me if I needed an ambulance .
AMY GOODMAN : You had patches of your hair pulled out ?
VAUHXX BOOKER : I did have patches of hair missing .
There was a moment where the commanding officer showed up , and he instantly starts lecturing me on property rights .
One of the things that I do in our community is I also chair the county ’ s Affordable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve done that for two years , so I ’ m intimately acquainted with the details of property rights in our county .
I pulled up the county rights , the land rights , in my phone , in real time , to show this commanding officer that this land wasn ’ t actually these folks ’ land , as they were claiming .
He still continued to berate me .
I explained to him how they had literally tried to lynch me .
And he said , “ Well , I could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could say to us , 'Well , what do you mean ?
We ca n't defend our property ?
’ ” And he was just fixated on this notion that somehow , even if I had been on private property , which I wasn ’ t , that that superseded the importance of my life .
AMY GOODMAN : So they were not arrested for assault there .
And you made it out of the forest .
Can you talk about what happened after this ?
You went to the hospital ?
VAUHXX @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I had symptoms of a concussion .
I went to the emergency room .
I was examined by the physician .
She was enraged .
She called the Department of Natural Resources herself and demanded that they return to the hospital and add her medical report , her diagnosis , into my incident report .
She was very upset with the officers .
She indicated that they should have offered me medical treatment at the time , that they couldn ’ t know whether or not I had injuries , because they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was just a very disturbing situation , and it felt like not only was I attacked in the moment , but I continued to be attacked by the events that followed .
VAUHXX BOOKER : I honestly felt like — I honestly felt like those officers , when they showed up in the moment , would have rather arrested me than the men who attacked me .
AMY GOODMAN : So , explain what ’ s happened at this point .
It ’ s now a week later .
Have the police arrested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Is the FBI involved ?
VAUHXX BOOKER : So , the FBI is actively investigating .
These men remain loose in our community , free to do whatever harm they might do to whomever they might find .
I feel like the Department of Natural Resources is dragging their feet on the investigation .
It ’ s been over a week .
Going back and looking at the events of the night , we also were able to realize that they didn ’ t arrest these men who attacked me , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearby .
It just seemed like my life wasn ’ t a priority to them at any time .
And at this point , I ’ m not sure that we can find justice in our local system , so we ’ ve asked for the federal government to step in .
AMY GOODMAN : And what are you demanding of the federal government ?
I mean , interestingly , your state , Indiana , is also Vice President Pence ’ s state .
VAUHXX BOOKER : Yeah .
So , Mike Pence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ town : Columbus , Indiana .
I grew up interacting with him in various ways all through my life , and our families were acquainted .
The irony is not lost on me .
But the federal government has the capability to not only investigate this incident with me .
Indiana has seen a whole string of hate-fueled assaults and violent encounters with police .
It ’ s time for the federal government , with their resources and federal hate crimes standards , to step in and help the people of our state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the prosecutor ’ s name ?
What about a grand jury ?
VAUHXX BOOKER : So , the prosecutor ’ s name is Erika Oliphant .
We ’ re aware of each other .
We ’ ve interacted .
I hosted a panel on the topic of racial justice that she attended .
And I endorsed her myself .
So , it ’ s painful in a way that I can ’ t describe , that here I am , over a week later , and there ’ s still no justice .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ goes , the grand jury is the citizens acting to indict someone .
In Indiana , there ’ s basically two ways that you can be arrested .
You can have a probable cause issued by an officer — that could have already been done — or you can call a grand jury and ask for the citizens to find probable cause to arrest .
And Indiana doesn ’ t do a lot of grand juries .
I think it ’ s been about 40 or 50 years in our county since we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you know , it seems that we need to do it again .
AMY GOODMAN : Your final comments , Vauhxx , and what you think your parents would say ?
You ’ re outspoken .
Even your name , Vauhxx , explain it .
VAUHXX BOOKER : My name , Vauhxx , it ’ s from the Latin for “ voice.
” There ’ s never been a time that my parents haven ’ t told me to speak up for what ’ s right .
My late mother encouraged me to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others when I saw folks put down .
I think that what ’ s happening here is happening throughout the nation , where our political leaders have sown discord , where property rights are elevated over the lives of Black people .
And it ’ s time for our nation to demand a change .
AMY GOODMAN : Vauhxx Booker , I want to thank you so much for being with us .
We will continue to follow up on your case .
Vauhxx Booker is human rights commissioner for Monroe County in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Commission .
Vauhxx Booker says — just describing to us an attempted lynching .
Stay with us .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now! The Quarantine Report. I’m Amy Goodman, as we go to Indiana, where authorities are investigating a violent, racist attack on an African American man that took place over July 4th weekend. It that was caught on film. But more than a week later, no arrests have been made in response to the incident.
A warning to our viewers: This story contains disturbing images.
Vauhxx Booker was at Lake Monroe, near Bloomington, Indiana, in the Indiana state forest, with friends on July 4th, when five white men pinned him to a tree, beat him, threatened to lynch him. Booker is a member of the Monroe County Human Rights Commission in Bloomington. He says he was able to get out of the mob’s hands after passers-by intervened to get the attackers off him.
Last week, Vauhxx held a news conference with his attorney, local elected officials and two of the white witnesses who intervened on his behalf during the attempted lynching. This is a reporter questioning one of those witnesses, Steven Cox.
REPORTER: Vauhxx, you know, had said multiple times yesterday that when they were holding him down, calling for a noose, threatening to harm him, he truly thought that they were trying to kill him.
STEVEN COX: Yeah.
REPORTER: As someone who was an outsider kind of able to see all the moving parts of this, did you also think that it was a possibility —
STEVEN COX: Yes.
REPORTER: — that Vauhxx might not make it?
STEVEN COX: Yes. When they caught him, “You can leave the 'boy' here. You guys can go, but you can leave the 'boy' here.” So the white people could go, but they wanted us to leave him there, and to do what they wanted to with him. I don’t think anybody could do that in good conscience. I’m not a fighter, so I’m like — but I wasn’t going to leave. But it was scary, I mean, probably the scariest thing I’ve ever seen.
AMY GOODMAN: And this is a reporter questioning another white witness, Brennan Golightly.
REPORTER: In your opinion, if you all, you know, the other people that were there, as well as yourself, that had their phones out, there with Vauhxx — if you were not there, do you think the situation would have ended differently?
BRENNAN GOLIGHTLY: I think it would have ended very differently. … I also feel if it was me or any one of our other campers, that wouldn’t have happened. That’s just my personal feeling of the situation. I do think, because of the color of Vauhxx’s skin, that this happened to him.
AMY GOODMAN: The FBI is investigating the attack as a potential hate crime, and Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton has condemned it in a statement. But Vauhxx Booker is now calling on the U.S. District of Southern Indiana to convene a grand jury to take up the case.
Vauhxx Booker joins us now from Bloomington.
Welcome to Democracy Now! I’m so sorry to hear about what happened to you. Can you describe what — it was July 4th?
VAUHXX BOOKER: It was July 4th, the nation’s Independence Day. I was simply trying to gather with a group of friends to watch the lunar eclipse.
AMY GOODMAN: You walked into Indiana state forest?
VAUHXX BOOKER: Yeah, we just made — the site was just about a short 10-minute hike in. A friend and I, we were going to go meet a group of others. On our way in, we were confronted by a man who was wearing a oversized cowboy hat with a Confederate flag print on it. We were cordial enough, continued towards the site. A moment later, he pursued us on an ATV, told us we were on private property. I knew we weren’t actually on private property, but rather than have some type of confrontation, we just simply apologized and continued to our site and spoke to the organizer. From there, we didn’t know what would escalate later.
AMY GOODMAN: So, you went to your campsite. And what did the person who ran the campsite tell you?
VAUHXX BOOKER: So, he informed us that this gentleman actually wasn’t the property owner, that he knew the property owner. So, from there, we just went ahead and advised the rest of our group that they should take the public accessway of the beach so there wouldn’t be any dispute at all.
Shortly later on, some of our group joined, and they had informed us that these gentlemen had set up sort of a barricade or blockade on the beach using their boat and some ATVs. And as they were coming in, they had “white power” and some other phrases chanted at them. It was all very disturbing.
AMY GOODMAN: So, then explain what happened. Explain when they actually physically attacked you, Vauhxx.
VAUHXX BOOKER: So, a friend and I went down to see if we could just talk to some of these folks and build a rapport and reason. The conversation was going well. Then this gentleman with the Confederate flag hat on initially joined. He quickly became belligerent. We felt a situation developing, so we just simply walked away.
A few moments later, as we were walking away, I heard footsteps quickly approaching. This man came at me and swung his fist at me. Another gentleman came. So, I was on the ground with them. A third gentleman came. We tussled for a moment. Two more men came. And from there, they were able to pin and drag my body to this tree and put their bodyweight on me.
And as several of the folks started kicking and punching me, there was a moment where one of these gentlemen jumps on my neck with both of his feet, and I can feel his full bodyweight impact me. It was scary. They were literally — in the video, you can hear one of the gentlemen refer to me as “nappy-headed.” At that time, he had his hands in my hair and was using my hair as leverage to strike me in the back of the head as his friends held me down.
AMY GOODMAN: And then what happened?
VAUHXX BOOKER: In the noise, one of the men’s daughters heard us. She came out screaming for her father to let me go, for his friends to get off me. They refused and tried to tell her to go away. More people heard the daughter screaming, because we were still close to the roadside and people were passing through. People just started coming to my defense. They yelled at the man to let me go. They came forward as these men pushed them away or swatted at them.
There was a moment where I hear a lady yell out, “Don’t kill him!” And it’s a moment where you realize that you’re hearing your own potential death being narrated in front of you, and you have to be aware of George Floyd and how many other Black folks in our history have heard the executions spoken before them in real time.
I felt myself want to cry out “I can’t breathe,” with the weight of these men on top of me, and I just couldn’t say the words. So, these folks continued to just stop just merely being bystanders, as we’ve seen in so many videos, and actively engage and resist. And they were finally able to pull me from under these men. And then they used themselves as sort of a human shield to make sure that as these men pursued us, that I was still safe.
AMY GOODMAN: Did you hear one of the men on top of you talk about getting a noose, as they piled on top of you at this tree?
VAUHXX BOOKER: Absolutely. So, there was a point where this gentleman, as a command, tells a friend to get a noose — not get a rope, but simply get a noose, as the first term that comes into his mind, with the heavy connotation in American history with Black people and lynchings. It was an odd thing to hear. Rather than even “get a rope,” it was just the “noose” was the first thing that came to his mind.
AMY GOODMAN: So, how did the police end up coming? Did you and the others in your party call the police? And what did they do?
VAUHXX BOOKER: I know that I had called the authorities. I’m not sure if other folks had already called the authorities, as well. It’s a state park, so the Department of Natural Resources responded. They took about 40 minutes to get there. Before they even came to see if any of us were injured, they went and spoke to these men that had attacked us first. Then, about 20 minutes later, they came to us.
They didn’t seem very interested in actually doing an investigation. It wasn’t 'til the white bystanders that had stayed on the beach with me just became fiercely passionate in objecting to me being treated this way and feeling like there was a miscarriage of justice, that these officers went back and got these individuals' names. Then they came and took some photographs of my injuries, but they never specifically asked me if I needed an ambulance.
AMY GOODMAN: You had patches of your hair pulled out?
VAUHXX BOOKER: I did have patches of hair missing.
There was a moment where the commanding officer showed up, and he instantly starts lecturing me on property rights. One of the things that I do in our community is I also chair the county’s Affordable Housing Commission. So, I’ve done that for two years, so I’m intimately acquainted with the details of property rights in our county. I pulled up the county rights, the land rights, in my phone, in real time, to show this commanding officer that this land wasn’t actually these folks’ land, as they were claiming. He still continued to berate me.
I explained to him how they had literally tried to lynch me. And he said, “Well, I could go arrest them, but then they could say to us, 'Well, what do you mean? We can't defend our property?’” And he was just fixated on this notion that somehow, even if I had been on private property, which I wasn’t, that that superseded the importance of my life.
AMY GOODMAN: So they were not arrested for assault there. And you made it out of the forest. Can you talk about what happened after this? You went to the hospital?
VAUHXX BOOKER: So, the following day, I had symptoms of a concussion. I went to the emergency room. I was examined by the physician. She was enraged. She called the Department of Natural Resources herself and demanded that they return to the hospital and add her medical report, her diagnosis, into my incident report. She was very upset with the officers. She indicated that they should have offered me medical treatment at the time, that they couldn’t know whether or not I had injuries, because they weren’t medical professionals. It was just a very disturbing situation, and it felt like not only was I attacked in the moment, but I continued to be attacked by the events that followed.
AMY GOODMAN: So —
VAUHXX BOOKER: I honestly felt like — I honestly felt like those officers, when they showed up in the moment, would have rather arrested me than the men who attacked me.
AMY GOODMAN: So, explain what’s happened at this point. It’s now a week later. Have the police arrested these men? Have they been identified? Is the FBI involved?
VAUHXX BOOKER: So, the FBI is actively investigating. These men remain loose in our community, free to do whatever harm they might do to whomever they might find. I feel like the Department of Natural Resources is dragging their feet on the investigation. It’s been over a week.
Going back and looking at the events of the night, we also were able to realize that they didn’t arrest these men who attacked me, but they arrested some folks who were skinny-dipping nearby. It just seemed like my life wasn’t a priority to them at any time. And at this point, I’m not sure that we can find justice in our local system, so we’ve asked for the federal government to step in.
AMY GOODMAN: And what are you demanding of the federal government? I mean, interestingly, your state, Indiana, is also Vice President Pence’s state.
VAUHXX BOOKER: Yeah. So, Mike Pence and I are from the same small town: Columbus, Indiana. I grew up interacting with him in various ways all through my life, and our families were acquainted. The irony is not lost on me.
But the federal government has the capability to not only investigate this incident with me. Indiana has seen a whole string of hate-fueled assaults and violent encounters with police. It’s time for the federal government, with their resources and federal hate crimes standards, to step in and help the people of our state.
AMY GOODMAN: What’s the prosecutor’s name? What about a grand jury?
VAUHXX BOOKER: So, the prosecutor’s name is Erika Oliphant. We’re aware of each other. We’ve interacted. I hosted a panel on the topic of racial justice that she attended. And I endorsed her myself. So, it’s painful in a way that I can’t describe, that here I am, over a week later, and there’s still no justice.
And as far as a grand jury goes, the grand jury is the citizens acting to indict someone. In Indiana, there’s basically two ways that you can be arrested. You can have a probable cause issued by an officer — that could have already been done — or you can call a grand jury and ask for the citizens to find probable cause to arrest. And Indiana doesn’t do a lot of grand juries. I think it’s been about 40 or 50 years in our county since we had one. But, apparently, you know, it seems that we need to do it again.
AMY GOODMAN: Your final comments, Vauhxx, and what you think your parents would say? You’re outspoken. Even your name, Vauhxx, explain it.
VAUHXX BOOKER: My name, Vauhxx, it’s from the Latin for “voice.” There’s never been a time that my parents haven’t told me to speak up for what’s right. My late mother encouraged me to be vocal and to stand up for others when I saw folks put down.
I think that what’s happening here is happening throughout the nation, where our political leaders have sown discord, where property rights are elevated over the lives of Black people. And it’s time for our nation to demand a change.
AMY GOODMAN: Vauhxx Booker, I want to thank you so much for being with us. We will continue to follow up on your case. Vauhxx Booker is human rights commissioner for Monroe County in Indiana, also chairs the Affordable Housing Commission. Vauhxx Booker says — just describing to us an attempted lynching. Stay with us.


democracynow--2020-07-13--As COVID Infections Soar, Trump Attacks Dr. Fauci, CDC & Pushes Schools to Reopen at All Costs

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : As the world and United States shatter the daily records of COVID-19 infections , President Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos are continuing to push for public schools to reopen in the fall , despite concerns from educators and public health officials .
They ’ ve also vowed to cut off federal funding for public schools that do not reopen .
DeVos is a longtime advocate for privatizing the public school system .
In an interview Sunday , CNN ’ s Dana @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , how it could safely reopen schools amidst the pandemic .
AMY GOODMAN : Democratic Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts tweeted in response to DeVos , quote , “ you have no plan .
… I wouldn ’ t trust you to care for a house plant let alone my child , ” she said .
This comes as the National Education Association and American Federation of Teachers are calling on Congress for more funds to help schools to purchase personal protective equipment , as well as new ventilation systems and cleaning equipment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Family Foundation finds nearly one-and-a-half million teachers are at risk of serious illness if infected with COVID-19 .
In Arizona , three teachers who shared a summer classroom at a school all contracted coronavirus last month .
One of them , Kimberley Chavez Lopez Byrd , died at the age of 61 .
Last week , Trump lashed out at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , saying the CDC ’ s guidelines on safely reopening schools was “ very tough and expensive.
” Hours later , the CDC announced it would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staggered scheduling , new seating arrangements to encourage social distancing , the use of face coverings and the closing of communal spaces .
AMY GOODMAN : For more on all of this , we ’ re joined by Dr. Leana Wen , emergency physician , public health professor at George Washington University .
She previously served as Baltimore ’ s health commissioner .
She ’ s also a contributing columnist for The Washington Post .
Her recent piece is headlined “ If Trump wants to reopen schools , here ’ s what his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Democracy Now !
, Dr. Wen .
What does Trump have to do ?
What is the Trump administration not doing as it demands all schools reopen and that they will cut federal funding for public schools if they don ’ t ?
DR. LEANA WEN : Well , this is the thing : I agree , and I think every American agrees , with the goal of reopening schools , just as we would agree with the goal of reopening the economy .
The key , though , is we need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact , we ’ ve already seen what happens when we use shortcuts and go against public health guidance in reopening .
We ’ re now seeing these massive surges occurring in multiple parts of the country .
And frankly , it ’ s very strange when you hear that , “ Well , if we can not meet these guidelines , that are evidenced-based , so the answer is to change the guidelines.
” That ’ s not right .
It should be the opposite .
If we ’ re unable to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then we need to put in the hard work so that we can actually meet these guidelines and ensure the safety of our students and teachers and staff and their families .
It ’ s not to go back and change the guidelines .
It ’ s to do the work .
And to your point , the single most important thing that we can do right now in order to ensure safe reopening of schools in the fall is to reduce the level of coronavirus in the communities , because there ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a school safe from coronavirus if the virus is raging out of control where the school is in the community .
We have multiple parts of the country where one in a hundred people have COVID-19 .
So , if you have a school of a thousand people , on day one , you ’ re going to have 10 people in that school who have COVID and don ’ t know that they have it .
That ’ s outbreaks that ’ s going to happen on day one .
And so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think through our priorities .
If the priority , if the goal is to reopen schools in the fall , maybe we should keep bars and restaurants and nightclubs closed in the summer .
AMY GOODMAN : I want to turn to the superintendent of schools for Fairfax County in north Virginia , one of the largest school districts in the country .
The district plans to have students return to schools just two days a week and have remote learning the rest of the week .
He explained to CNN how schools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the fall and was viciously attacked by Betsy DeVos .
AMY GOODMAN : So , Dr. Wen , that ’ s the superintendent of the Fairfax schools .
The Education Secretary Betsy DeVos attacked him in her news conference last week , attacked his plan .
Talk about what it means to reopen when , increasingly , tests are not available .
As we see in places like Texas and Arizona , people are waiting 10 hours on line to get a test .
President Trump has signaled he wants fewer tests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look bad .
How you have a sane public health-based program , where you can ’ t figure out who ’ s sick , and then people , once again , do not have enough access to personal protective gear ?
DR. LEANA WEN : Yeah .
So , I ’ ve spoken to school administrators and teachers across the country , who are trying their best .
I mean , they are balancing some incredibly complex factors , including they ’ re trying to follow the CDC guidelines for physical distancing and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re also trying to take into account the needs of students with special needs , who may depend on the school for lunch and may depend on the school for a place for safety , combined with the real health risks of students and teachers and their family members .
They ’ re trying their best .
And really , what the Trump administration should be doing is to support them in this , not shame them or threaten them with loss of funding .
All of these things , like changing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ different hours , spacing out these desks , buying new equipment , that all will cost funding .
And we really should be putting in the work and putting in the resources to help schools reopen .
And also , you mentioned about testing .
I can ’ t believe that it ’ s now July , and we ’ re still talking about the need for a national strategy around testing .
When we look at other countries that have been successful in suppressing the level of COVID-19 , they have one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they have a national coordinated strategy .
They don ’ t just let different regions and different states and cities figure it out on their own .
They don ’ t have different areas compete against one another for things like masks and other PPE .
And I also can not believe that we are at this point again .
Back in March , you and I talked about how doctors and nurses on the frontlines don ’ t have enough masks and gowns and are begging their friends over social media in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mask so that they don ’ t get infected from their patients .
I can ’ t believe that we ’ re facing the same situation once again .
And this all comes from not having a national strategy , and also , unfortunately , having this really confused and mixed messaging coming out from this White House , that instead of using science and evidence to make their decisions , they ’ re making it based on ideology and partisanship .
And that has — politics has no role in a public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then have President Trump yesterday , for one of the first times , wearing a mask in public at Walter Reed Hospital .
He said it was appropriate to wear in a hospital , though he didn ’ t previously , sort of marching down the hall with a group of military men .
And then he is seen talking to some of them with the mask under his nose .
DR. LEANA WEN : Yeah , I mean , it ’ s a strange state of affairs that we ’ re in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when we ’ re trying to commend the president or anyone for wearing a mask , which is something that all public health experts advise , when the evidence is so clear at this point , in the middle of a pandemic .
I mean , that should be a baseline of what we ’ re talking about .
AMY GOODMAN : I want to go — DR. LEANA WEN : I mean , I really need to hear — mm-hmm ?
AMY GOODMAN : Talking about the importance of leadership , go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WEN : No , I think it ’ s just really important that the president and all of our elected leaders model good public health behavior , because , like it or not , there are millions of Americans for whom the president is the most trusted messenger .
And he needs to model the behavior that he wants all Americans to have .
And at this point , that is universal mask wearing .
That is staying six feet away from others , because , at this point , it is our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in saving lives .
AMY GOODMAN : I want to go to the Florida governor , Ron DeSantis , who has said schools must reopen in the fall .
This is the Florida governor — Florida , the single-day largest spike , larger than the total number of infections in a number of countries combined , over 15,000 yesterday .
This is the governor .
AMY GOODMAN : Despite the pleading of many in Florida , he refuses to impose a lockdown or mask requirement statewide .
Can you talk about the significance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and in the world , the largest day single spike not only in Florida , but in the world yesterday ?
DR. LEANA WEN : Yeah .
As a country right now , we are in a worse position than we were back in March .
And I feel terrible saying it , but this is the truth .
Back in March , we saw the number of cases skyrocketing , but it was focused on what epicenter in the New York area .
Now we have multiple epicenters of outbreaks — in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ re seeing the Carolinas , Tennessee , Alabama , Georgia .
I mean , there are many areas that are raging out of control .
And unlike back in March , we don ’ t have a shelter-in-place order .
We have no political appetite , as we just heard , for anything even approaching , even requesting people to stay at home , avoiding indoor gatherings , while we ’ re having everyone require masks .
And I fear that at this point we are not even seeing the peak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot more pain and suffering and death coming our way .
And against this backdrop , we ’ re seeing these same governors and elected officials ask for schools to reopen .
And they ’ re using , I think , actually , faulty arguments in so doing .
The evidence is still out , and we don ’ t know the full evidence , about whether children can be just as effective vectors for transmissions as adults do .
We do know that children tend to get much less sick than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very ill , and some children do die .
And the studies that are currently being done , we ’ re looking at examples from other countries .
Other countries have been able to successfully reopen schools , but here ’ s why .
They ’ ve been able to crush the curve .
They didn ’ t just bend the curve ; they crushed the curve .
They reduced the level of infection to virtually zero .
And at the same time , they were able to ramp up testing and really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So , yes , they have been able to reopen schools safely , although even in other countries there have been outbreaks around schools , too .
The single most important thing , again , that we can do in order to reopen schools in the fall is to suppress the level of virus right now , in the summer .
And I ’ m afraid that we are not doing that consistently across the country , by a long stretch .
AMY GOODMAN : And finally , Dr. Leana Wen , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Love Connection today , saying the CDC is lying , and the White House putting out bullet points of opposition research on Dr. Anthony Fauci ?
DR. LEANA WEN : Public health depends on public trust .
And everyone , from our elected leaders to community leaders to everyone , should be doing their best in order to improve that public trust .
And that public trust also depends on knowing that everyone has your best interest at heart .
And I ’ m really — I mean , I think it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any undermining of Dr. Fauci or our other public health experts .
They are some of the best in the country , some of the best in the world .
And what I want , more than anything , is to hear from Dr. Fauci .
I want to hear from the CDC every day .
Imagine how amazing it would be for the country , for our morale but also for our understanding , if we had daily briefings by public health experts , because , after all , this is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ led by public health experts , and we need to hear their voices every day .
I want to hear Dr. Fauci talking about the state of the outbreak .
I want to hear him and the CDC summarize the latest research and what it is that America should be doing .
I want to hear them talking about school guidelines , and not hearing from political officials pontificate about when schools should open .
I want to hear the evidence and the science .
And that ’ s what should be happening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Finally , Dr. Wen , you ’ re the mother of two .
Now , they ’ re not quite old enough to be in the public schools , but would you send them ?
DR. LEANA WEN : You know , it depends on the part of the country .
There are some parts of the country where the virus is currently under control .
And it would also depend on the health and the risk factors of my children and everybody else in my immediate family , as well .
So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , one-size-fits-all answer .
I agree with that .
But we do need to have basic guidance and meet the science- and evidence-based guidelines for when it ’ s safe , in order to protect our children , as well as our students and — or , as well as our teachers and staff .
My mother was a longtime teacher in Los Angeles .
She had cancer and was undergoing chemotherapy for eight years while she was a teacher , while she taught full-time .
And I know that if she were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , more than anything , to be back in school with her kids .
But we also have an obligation as a society to protect the health of our teachers , too .
AMY GOODMAN : Dr. Leana Wen , I want to thank you for being with us , emergency physician , previously served as Baltimore ’ s health commissioner , also contributing columnist for The Washington Post .
We ’ ll link to her piece , “ If Trump wants to reopen schools , here ’ s what his administration needs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
When we come back , we go to Bloomington , Indiana , to speak with an African American member of the Human Rights Commission of Monroe County .
He describes surviving an attempted lynching on Independence Day weekend .
Has anyone been arrested ?
Stay with us .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: As the world and United States shatter the daily records of COVID-19 infections, President Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos are continuing to push for public schools to reopen in the fall, despite concerns from educators and public health officials. They’ve also vowed to cut off federal funding for public schools that do not reopen.
DeVos is a longtime advocate for privatizing the public school system. In an interview Sunday, CNN’s Dana Bash questioned DeVos about the Trump administration, how it could safely reopen schools amidst the pandemic.
DANA BASH: You’re the secretary of education. You’re asking students to go back. So, why do you not have guidance on what a school should do, just weeks before you want those schools to reopen? And what happens if it faces an outbreak?
EDUCATION SECRETARY BETSY DEVOS: You know, there’s really good examples that have been utilized in the private sector and in — and elsewhere, also with frontline workers in hospitals. And all of that data and all of that information and all of those examples can be referenced —
DANA BASH: I’m not —
EDUCATION SECRETARY BETSY DEVOS: — by school leaders, who have — who have the opportunity —
DANA BASH: OK, but I’m not hearing a plan from the Department of Education. Do you have a plan —
EDUCATION SECRETARY BETSY DEVOS: But — but the — the plan —
DANA BASH: — for what students and what schools should do?
EDUCATION SECRETARY BETSY DEVOS: So, schools should do what’s right on the ground at that time for their students and for their situation. There is no one uniform approach that we can take or should take nationwide. …
DANA BASH: But you are arguing, over and over, that they should handle this on a local level, but at the same time, as the secretary of education, you are trying to push them to do a one-size-fits-all approach, which is go back and reopen schools. You can’t have it both ways.
EDUCATION SECRETARY BETSY DEVOS: I am urging all schools to be — to open and to providing their students a full-time education.
AMY GOODMAN: Democratic Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts tweeted in response to DeVos, quote, “you have no plan. … I wouldn’t trust you to care for a house plant let alone my child,” she said.
This comes as the National Education Association and American Federation of Teachers are calling on Congress for more funds to help schools to purchase personal protective equipment, as well as new ventilation systems and cleaning equipment. A new study from the Kaiser Family Foundation finds nearly one-and-a-half million teachers are at risk of serious illness if infected with COVID-19. In Arizona, three teachers who shared a summer classroom at a school all contracted coronavirus last month. One of them, Kimberley Chavez Lopez Byrd, died at the age of 61.
Last week, Trump lashed out at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, saying the CDC’s guidelines on safely reopening schools was “very tough and expensive.” Hours later, the CDC announced it would revise its guidelines, which call for staggered scheduling, new seating arrangements to encourage social distancing, the use of face coverings and the closing of communal spaces.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: We hope that most schools are going to be open. We don’t want people to make political statements or do it for political reasons. They think it’s going to be good for them politically, so the keep the schools closed. No way. So we’re very much going to put pressure on governors and everybody else to open the schools, to get them open. And it’s very important. It’s very important for our country. It’s very important for the well-being of the student and the parents. So we’re going to be putting a lot of pressure on open your schools in the fall.
AMY GOODMAN: For more on all of this, we’re joined by Dr. Leana Wen, emergency physician, public health professor at George Washington University. She previously served as Baltimore’s health commissioner. She’s also a contributing columnist for The Washington Post. Her recent piece is headlined “If Trump wants to reopen schools, here’s what his administration needs to do.”
Welcome back to Democracy Now!, Dr. Wen. What does Trump have to do? What is the Trump administration not doing as it demands all schools reopen and that they will cut federal funding for public schools if they don’t?
DR. LEANA WEN: Well, this is the thing: I agree, and I think every American agrees, with the goal of reopening schools, just as we would agree with the goal of reopening the economy. The key, though, is we need to be doing this safely. In fact, we’ve already seen what happens when we use shortcuts and go against public health guidance in reopening. We’re now seeing these massive surges occurring in multiple parts of the country.
And frankly, it’s very strange when you hear that, “Well, if we cannot meet these guidelines, that are evidenced-based, so the answer is to change the guidelines.” That’s not right. It should be the opposite. If we’re unable to meet the guidelines for safe reopening, then we need to put in the hard work so that we can actually meet these guidelines and ensure the safety of our students and teachers and staff and their families. It’s not to go back and change the guidelines. It’s to do the work.
And to your point, the single most important thing that we can do right now in order to ensure safe reopening of schools in the fall is to reduce the level of coronavirus in the communities, because there’s no way that you can keep a school safe from coronavirus if the virus is raging out of control where the school is in the community. We have multiple parts of the country where one in a hundred people have COVID-19. So, if you have a school of a thousand people, on day one, you’re going to have 10 people in that school who have COVID and don’t know that they have it. That’s outbreaks that’s going to happen on day one.
And so, we as a society need to think through our priorities. If the priority, if the goal is to reopen schools in the fall, maybe we should keep bars and restaurants and nightclubs closed in the summer.
AMY GOODMAN: I want to turn to the superintendent of schools for Fairfax County in north Virginia, one of the largest school districts in the country. The district plans to have students return to schools just two days a week and have remote learning the rest of the week. He explained to CNN how schools in his area were planning to reopen in the fall and was viciously attacked by Betsy DeVos.
SCOTT BRABRAND: So, you’re in a classroom now where we’ve spaced apart desks at six feet. We’re going to have PPE for all of our teachers and students. And we are going to have a return to school and a new normal. …
COVID doesn’t discriminate based on wealth or poverty. COVID hits all of us. And the guidelines for six-feet social distancing simply mean that you can’t put every kid back in a school with the existing square-footage footprint. It’s just that simple. … We are the size of five Pentagons. You would need another five Pentagons of space to be able to safely accommodate all of the students in Fairfax County Public Schools.
AMY GOODMAN: So, Dr. Wen, that’s the superintendent of the Fairfax schools. The Education Secretary Betsy DeVos attacked him in her news conference last week, attacked his plan. Talk about what it means to reopen when, increasingly, tests are not available. As we see in places like Texas and Arizona, people are waiting 10 hours on line to get a test. President Trump has signaled he wants fewer tests, because he thinks it makes him look bad. How you have a sane public health-based program, where you can’t figure out who’s sick, and then people, once again, do not have enough access to personal protective gear?
DR. LEANA WEN: Yeah. So, I’ve spoken to school administrators and teachers across the country, who are trying their best. I mean, they are balancing some incredibly complex factors, including they’re trying to follow the CDC guidelines for physical distancing and for PPE, for ventilation. They’re also trying to take into account the needs of students with special needs, who may depend on the school for lunch and may depend on the school for a place for safety, combined with the real health risks of students and teachers and their family members. They’re trying their best.
And really, what the Trump administration should be doing is to support them in this, not shame them or threaten them with loss of funding. All of these things, like changing bus routes, having schools be open different hours, spacing out these desks, buying new equipment, that all will cost funding. And we really should be putting in the work and putting in the resources to help schools reopen.
And also, you mentioned about testing. I can’t believe that it’s now July, and we’re still talking about the need for a national strategy around testing. When we look at other countries that have been successful in suppressing the level of COVID-19, they have one thing in common, which is that they have a national coordinated strategy. They don’t just let different regions and different states and cities figure it out on their own. They don’t have different areas compete against one another for things like masks and other PPE.
And I also cannot believe that we are at this point again. Back in March, you and I talked about how doctors and nurses on the frontlines don’t have enough masks and gowns and are begging their friends over social media in order to try to get that extra mask so that they don’t get infected from their patients. I can’t believe that we’re facing the same situation once again. And this all comes from not having a national strategy, and also, unfortunately, having this really confused and mixed messaging coming out from this White House, that instead of using science and evidence to make their decisions, they’re making it based on ideology and partisanship. And that has — politics has no role in a public health response.
AMY GOODMAN: You then have President Trump yesterday, for one of the first times, wearing a mask in public at Walter Reed Hospital. He said it was appropriate to wear in a hospital, though he didn’t previously, sort of marching down the hall with a group of military men. And then he is seen talking to some of them with the mask under his nose.
DR. LEANA WEN: Yeah, I mean, it’s a strange state of affairs that we’re in, for lack of better words, when we’re trying to commend the president or anyone for wearing a mask, which is something that all public health experts advise, when the evidence is so clear at this point, in the middle of a pandemic. I mean, that should be a baseline of what we’re talking about.
AMY GOODMAN: I want to go —
DR. LEANA WEN: I mean, I really need to hear — mm-hmm?
AMY GOODMAN: Talking about the importance of leadership, go ahead, Dr. Wen.
DR. LEANA WEN: No, I think it’s just really important that the president and all of our elected leaders model good public health behavior, because, like it or not, there are millions of Americans for whom the president is the most trusted messenger. And he needs to model the behavior that he wants all Americans to have. And at this point, that is universal mask wearing. That is staying six feet away from others, because, at this point, it is our own actions that will make a difference in saving lives.
AMY GOODMAN: I want to go to the Florida governor, Ron DeSantis, who has said schools must reopen in the fall. This is the Florida governor — Florida, the single-day largest spike, larger than the total number of infections in a number of countries combined, over 15,000 yesterday. This is the governor.
GOV. RON DESANTIS: If you can do Home Depot, if you can do Walmart, if you can do these things, we absolutely can do the schools. I want our kids to be able to minimize this education gap that I think has developed. …
It should not be a political issue. It should be based on the facts. And if we see that this is very low-risk and we see, I think, overwhelmingly, in every study, that the schoolkids are not vectors of transmission…
AMY GOODMAN: Despite the pleading of many in Florida, he refuses to impose a lockdown or mask requirement statewide. Can you talk about the significance of what’s happening in Florida and in the world, the largest day single spike not only in Florida, but in the world yesterday?
DR. LEANA WEN: Yeah. As a country right now, we are in a worse position than we were back in March. And I feel terrible saying it, but this is the truth. Back in March, we saw the number of cases skyrocketing, but it was focused on what epicenter in the New York area. Now we have multiple epicenters of outbreaks — in Florida, Texas, California. Now we’re seeing the Carolinas, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia. I mean, there are many areas that are raging out of control. And unlike back in March, we don’t have a shelter-in-place order. We have no political appetite, as we just heard, for anything even approaching, even requesting people to stay at home, avoiding indoor gatherings, while we’re having everyone require masks. And I fear that at this point we are not even seeing the peak of this epidemic, and we have a lot more pain and suffering and death coming our way.
And against this backdrop, we’re seeing these same governors and elected officials ask for schools to reopen. And they’re using, I think, actually, faulty arguments in so doing. The evidence is still out, and we don’t know the full evidence, about whether children can be just as effective vectors for transmissions as adults do. We do know that children tend to get much less sick than adults, although some children do get very ill, and some children do die.
And the studies that are currently being done, we’re looking at examples from other countries. Other countries have been able to successfully reopen schools, but here’s why. They’ve been able to crush the curve. They didn’t just bend the curve; they crushed the curve. They reduced the level of infection to virtually zero. And at the same time, they were able to ramp up testing and really have a national strategy and clear communication. So, yes, they have been able to reopen schools safely, although even in other countries there have been outbreaks around schools, too.
The single most important thing, again, that we can do in order to reopen schools in the fall is to suppress the level of virus right now, in the summer. And I’m afraid that we are not doing that consistently across the country, by a long stretch.
AMY GOODMAN: And finally, Dr. Leana Wen, the president retweeting the former host of Love Connection today, saying the CDC is lying, and the White House putting out bullet points of opposition research on Dr. Anthony Fauci?
DR. LEANA WEN: Public health depends on public trust. And everyone, from our elected leaders to community leaders to everyone, should be doing their best in order to improve that public trust. And that public trust also depends on knowing that everyone has your best interest at heart.
And I’m really — I mean, I think it’s really tragic that there’s any undermining of Dr. Fauci or our other public health experts. They are some of the best in the country, some of the best in the world. And what I want, more than anything, is to hear from Dr. Fauci. I want to hear from the CDC every day. Imagine how amazing it would be for the country, for our morale but also for our understanding, if we had daily briefings by public health experts, because, after all, this is a public health crisis, that should be led by public health experts, and we need to hear their voices every day. I want to hear Dr. Fauci talking about the state of the outbreak. I want to hear him and the CDC summarize the latest research and what it is that America should be doing. I want to hear them talking about school guidelines, and not hearing from political officials pontificate about when schools should open. I want to hear the evidence and the science. And that’s what should be happening at this time.
AMY GOODMAN: Finally, Dr. Wen, you’re the mother of two. Now, they’re not quite old enough to be in the public schools, but would you send them?
DR. LEANA WEN: You know, it depends on the part of the country. There are some parts of the country where the virus is currently under control. And it would also depend on the health and the risk factors of my children and everybody else in my immediate family, as well. So, it’s not a blanket, one-size-fits-all answer. I agree with that. But we do need to have basic guidance and meet the science- and evidence-based guidelines for when it’s safe, in order to protect our children, as well as our students and — or, as well as our teachers and staff.
My mother was a longtime teacher in Los Angeles. She had cancer and was undergoing chemotherapy for eight years while she was a teacher, while she taught full-time. And I know that if she were alive now, she would have wanted, more than anything, to be back in school with her kids. But we also have an obligation as a society to protect the health of our teachers, too.
AMY GOODMAN: Dr. Leana Wen, I want to thank you for being with us, emergency physician, previously served as Baltimore’s health commissioner, also contributing columnist for The Washington Post. We’ll link to her piece, “If Trump wants to reopen schools, here’s what his administration needs to do.”
This is Democracy Now! When we come back, we go to Bloomington, Indiana, to speak with an African American member of the Human Rights Commission of Monroe County. He describes surviving an attempted lynching on Independence Day weekend. Has anyone been arrested? Stay with us.


democracynow--2020-07-13--Headlines for July 13, 2020

Headlines for July 13, 2020

The World Health Organization reports 230,000 new coronavirus cases were reported across the globe on Sunday — the highest single-day total since the pandemic began .
The United States reported 60,000 new infections on Saturday and 68,000 on Friday — the two highest totals to date .
Florida recorded over 15,000 new coronavirus cases Sunday , setting a new single-day high for any state , but Florida ’ s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis continues to downplay the pandemic and has refused to impose a new lockdown or to order residents to wear face masks .
Deaths are also increasing in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toll tops 135,000 .
At least eight states set new single-day records over the past week : Alabama , Arizona , Florida , Mississippi , North Carolina , South Dakota , Texas and Tennessee .
In Texas , Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner proposed shutting down the state for two weeks as hospitalizations surge to record highs , but Texas Governor Greg Abbott has rejected such calls .
On Saturday , President Trump was photographed wearing a mask in public for the first time since the pandemic began .
Trump put on the mask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Military Medical Center .

The World Health Organization reports 230,000 new coronavirus cases were reported across the globe on Sunday — the highest single-day total since the pandemic began. The United States reported 60,000 new infections on Saturday and 68,000 on Friday — the two highest totals to date. Florida recorded over 15,000 new coronavirus cases Sunday, setting a new single-day high for any state, but Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis continues to downplay the pandemic and has refused to impose a new lockdown or to order residents to wear face masks.
Deaths are also increasing in many states as the official U.S. death toll tops 135,000. At least eight states set new single-day records over the past week: Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Dakota, Texas and Tennessee. In Texas, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner proposed shutting down the state for two weeks as hospitalizations surge to record highs, but Texas Governor Greg Abbott has rejected such calls. On Saturday, President Trump was photographed wearing a mask in public for the first time since the pandemic began. Trump put on the mask during a visit to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.


democracynow--2020-07-14--Trump's Fox Fave Tucker Carlson Goes Fishing After Lead Writer Resigns over Racist Online Comments

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : This is Democracy Now !
I ’ m Amy Goodman , with Juan González .
We turn now to a scandal at President Trump ’ s favorite TV channel , Fox News , where the lead writer for Tucker Carlson Tonight — the most popular cable news show in history — has resigned for posting disturbing racist and misogynist messages to an online forum under a pseudonym for years .
Blake Neff stepped down Friday after CNN broke the story that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ website AutoAdmit , mocking and degrading African Americans , Asian Americans and women , contributing to threads that used the N-word .
On his show Monday night , Tucker Carlson announced he , too — well , he is going on vacation for the rest of the week , after he addressed the controversy .
AMY GOODMAN : For more , we go to Matt Gertz .
He is senior fellow at Media Matters , where he focuses on the relationship between Fox News and the Trump administration .
Matt , welcome to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the chief writer for Tucker Carlson — again , the most popular cable show in U.S. history — him being forced to resign .
MATT GERTZ : Well , I ’ ll let Fox ’ s executives do a little of the talking for me .
They , over the weekend , in a memo to their staff , condemned him for “ horrendous and deeply offensive racist , sexist and homophobic comments.
” That ’ s too racist , sexist and homophobic for Fox News , which takes quite a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s not surprising that a scandal like this has broken on Tucker Carlson ’ s show .
Blake Neff was being crudely bigoted in his free time on this message board , but his day job has been providing copy for Tucker Carlson ’ s more sophisticated bigoted show .
And so , you know , I think it was really only a matter of time until something like this happened .
Tucker Carlson ’ s Daily Caller website has had a series of these scandals .
Blake Neff came to Tucker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He was hired during a period in which Carlson was managing that website .
I think that this is a big problem for Fox News .
It ’ s incredibly damaging to its advertisers , certainly , to be associated with a program like Carlson ’ s .
AMY GOODMAN : We can hear you , Juan .
Juan ?
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : Yes .
I wanted to ask — in terms of the impact on Fox News , it ’ s been one scandal after another on Fox News , whether it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obviously , before him .
In terms of the following of Fox News , it doesn ’ t seem to have much impact in terms of people who watch their so-called news shows .
MATT GERTZ : Fox News has a business model problem .
There are two ways Fox makes money .
One is off of its viewers .
They get a big audience , and then they can sell advertising against that audience .
The way that they attract the audience is with bigoted commentary .
It ’ s with red-meat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by creating a space for the hard-right movement in this country .
But advertisers don ’ t really like that , because , inevitably , it leads to blowups like this .
It gets them in trouble , and then they start fleeing .
Tucker Carlson ’ s show at this point , its advertiser blocks are a wasteland .
It ’ s promos for other Fox content and then advertisements for MyPillow , which is a product run by a Republican businessman .
And so , Fox is leaving a lot of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And I think , in the long run , it ’ s going to be quite damaging to them .
They don ’ t really have a way out of this .
They keep getting caught in this cycle of one scandal after another .
And the reasons for this — AMY GOODMAN : Matt Gertz , in the last seconds we have , can you talk about the relationship between Tucker Carlson — and , overall , Fox — and President Trump ?
So often you hear Tucker Carlson ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was always the first draft of anything Tucker Carlson would say , end up in a tweet of President Trump .
MATT GERTZ : Yeah .
Tucker Carlson is now one of the most powerful media figures in America , and that ’ s because President Trump is part of his audience .
Trump watches a ton of Fox News .
He frequently live-tweets the segments that he takes a shine to .
He also gets advice from Fox hosts directly .
And more often than not , recently , that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against Iran to the coronavirus to , more recently , his attacks on Black Lives Matter and protests , Tucker Carlson ’ s commentary is shaping the president ’ s responses to the events that are happening around us .
It ’ s very dangerous .
AMY GOODMAN : I want to thank you , Matt Gertz , for being with us .
Now Tucker Carlson says he ’ s gone trout fishing .
Matt Gertz is senior fellow at Media Matters .
We ’ ll link to your latest piece , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m Amy Goodman , with Juan González .
Thanks so much for joining us .
Stay safe .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now! I’m Amy Goodman, with Juan González. We turn now to a scandal at President Trump’s favorite TV channel, Fox News, where the lead writer for Tucker Carlson Tonight — the most popular cable news show in history — has resigned for posting disturbing racist and misogynist messages to an online forum under a pseudonym for years.
Blake Neff stepped down Friday after CNN broke the story that he had posted multiple racist messages on the website AutoAdmit, mocking and degrading African Americans, Asian Americans and women, contributing to threads that used the N-word.
On his show Monday night, Tucker Carlson announced he, too — well, he is going on vacation for the rest of the week, after he addressed the controversy.
TUCKER CARLSON: Blake fell short of that standard, and he has paid a very heavy price for it. But we should also point out, to the ghouls now beating their chests in triumph of the destruction of a young man, that self-righteousness also has its costs. We are all human.
AMY GOODMAN: For more, we go to Matt Gertz. He is senior fellow at Media Matters, where he focuses on the relationship between Fox News and the Trump administration.
Matt, welcome to Democracy Now! Talk about the significance of the chief writer for Tucker Carlson — again, the most popular cable show in U.S. history — him being forced to resign.
MATT GERTZ: Well, I’ll let Fox’s executives do a little of the talking for me. They, over the weekend, in a memo to their staff, condemned him for “horrendous and deeply offensive racist, sexist and homophobic comments.” That’s too racist, sexist and homophobic for Fox News, which takes quite a lot.
I mean, I think it’s not surprising that a scandal like this has broken on Tucker Carlson’s show. Blake Neff was being crudely bigoted in his free time on this message board, but his day job has been providing copy for Tucker Carlson’s more sophisticated bigoted show. And so, you know, I think it was really only a matter of time until something like this happened. Tucker Carlson’s Daily Caller website has had a series of these scandals. Blake Neff came to Tucker Carlson’s show from there. He was hired during a period in which Carlson was managing that website.
I think that this is a big problem for Fox News. It’s incredibly damaging to its advertisers, certainly, to be associated with a program like Carlson’s.
AMY GOODMAN: We can hear you, Juan. Juan?
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Yes. I wanted to ask — in terms of the impact on Fox News, it’s been one scandal after another on Fox News, whether it’s Bill O’Reilly, obviously, before him. In terms of the following of Fox News, it doesn’t seem to have much impact in terms of people who watch their so-called news shows.
MATT GERTZ: Fox News has a business model problem. There are two ways Fox makes money. One is off of its viewers. They get a big audience, and then they can sell advertising against that audience. The way that they attract the audience is with bigoted commentary. It’s with red-meat Republican talking points. It’s by creating a space for the hard-right movement in this country.
But advertisers don’t really like that, because, inevitably, it leads to blowups like this. It gets them in trouble, and then they start fleeing. Tucker Carlson’s show at this point, its advertiser blocks are a wasteland. It’s promos for other Fox content and then advertisements for MyPillow, which is a product run by a Republican businessman. And so, Fox is leaving a lot of money on the table because of this. And I think, in the long run, it’s going to be quite damaging to them. They don’t really have a way out of this. They keep getting caught in this cycle of one scandal after another. And the reasons for this —
AMY GOODMAN: Matt Gertz, in the last seconds we have, can you talk about the relationship between Tucker Carlson — and, overall, Fox — and President Trump? So often you hear Tucker Carlson’s words, who Blake Neff had boasted he was always the first draft of anything Tucker Carlson would say, end up in a tweet of President Trump.
MATT GERTZ: Yeah. Tucker Carlson is now one of the most powerful media figures in America, and that’s because President Trump is part of his audience. Trump watches a ton of Fox News. He frequently live-tweets the segments that he takes a shine to. He also gets advice from Fox hosts directly. And more often than not, recently, that’s been Tucker Carlson. From strikes against Iran to the coronavirus to, more recently, his attacks on Black Lives Matter and protests, Tucker Carlson’s commentary is shaping the president’s responses to the events that are happening around us. It’s very dangerous.
AMY GOODMAN: I want to thank you, Matt Gertz, for being with us. Now Tucker Carlson says he’s gone trout fishing. Matt Gertz is senior fellow at Media Matters. We’ll link to your latest piece, “Tucker Carlson has said enough.” I’m Amy Goodman, with Juan González. Thanks so much for joining us. Stay safe.


democracynow--2020-07-14--We Are Not Your Mascots: Washington NFL Team Removes Racist Name After Years of Indigenous Protests

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : This is Democracy Now !
The Quarantine Report .
I ’ m Amy Goodman , with Juan González .
The Washington NFL team , whose name and mascot have been a slur against Native Americans for nearly 90 years , announced Monday it ’ s changing its racist name , facing mounting pressure from corporate sponsors .
The decision is a hard-fought victory for Indigenous activists , who for years have demanded the team remove the R-word from its name .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ movement has forced a reckoning about monuments and tributes to racism around the country .
Earlier this month , FedEx threatened to remove its branding from the team ’ s stadium if it didn ’ t change its name — a demand team owner Daniel Snyder has resisted for decades .
The move comes after Washington , D.C. , removed statues of racist former NFL owner George Preston Marshall , who named the Washington team and was the last owner in the league to sign a Black player .
He did so only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t yet decided on a new mascot but says it will include the military in its new name .
Indigenous campaigners are now calling for the Kansas City NFL franchise to follow suit .
In a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell , Native American leaders and organizations have asked that the league , quote , “ Ban [ all ] use of Native imagery , names , slur names , redface , appropriation of Native culture and spiritually as well as violence toward Native Peoples from the League.
” For more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activist Amanda Blackhorse , who led the fight to change the name and logo of the Washington NFL team .
Welcome back to Democracy Now !
It ’ s great to have you with us .
We had you on years ago , Amanda , speaking to us from Arizona .
We had you on years ago talking about this battle to take the R-word out of the NFL .
Can you respond to what ’ s happened now ?
AMANDA BLACKHORSE : Yes .
And good morning , and thank you for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what has happened , I think , is a response to the groundswell , especially with the push with the Black Lives Matter movement .
You know , this country seems to finally understand what racism is .
And as we watched the unrest in this country completely supporting Black Lives Matter , and what happened in Minneapolis in the murder of George Floyd , you know , this issue — there was a resurgence of this issue again .
And it seemed to just happen organically as people began to topple statues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , looking towards symbols and epithets , racial epithets , and the Washington team was one of those things .
You know , in 2014 , we won our case against the Washington team in a trademark , in trademark law .
Since then , we lost our case in 2017 in an indirect ruling in the Supreme Court .
And so , since 2017 , our case has kind of been dormant .
It ’ s just been there .
You know , nothing has really happened as far as this movement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve always put pressure on the team , but what ’ s been happening in this country really brought this up and brought up this new resurgence of it .
And I will say it ’ s unfortunate that it happened — that it had to happen because of the murder of George Floyd , but , you know , as we ’ re having the larger discussion of racism and systemic racism in this country , this sort of happened .
And it ’ s wonderful to see , because I just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happen .
Indigenous people , we ’ ve always been ignored .
We ’ ve always been pushed aside .
The more that we have fought , the more that we have protested , it seems like Dan Snyder of the Washington team dug his heels in even further and got more aggressive with us , sued us in court , made that statement that he will never change the name .
“ You can put that in all caps , ” is what he said .
And , you know , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been treated .
And we ’ ve been fighting this for decades and decades .
And so , what we have here now — AMANDA BLACKHORSE : — is , finally , the owner finally fell to the pressure of his investors .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : And , Amanda , in terms of the influence of these companies , like FedEx threatening to remove its name from the stadium , because these branding deals by corporations often come with huge , annual , multimillion-dollar payouts , so Snyder was actually facing not only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potential huge financial distress .
Could you talk about this impact of these corporations finally deciding that because of the Black Lives Matter movement , that they had to make public stances ?
AMANDA BLACKHORSE : Yes .
So , the investors pushing Dan Snyder , I think , is what really sort of tipped the — you know , pushed him over the edge , really .
But what a lot of people don ’ t know is that that investor push had been going on for many , many years .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ fighting and have been demanding that the investors — that they divest from racism .
You know , FedEx has been one that has been pushed for a very long time , Bank of America , as well .
And it came from an initiative from the Investors and Indigenous Peoples Working Group .
So , this is not just something that FedEx decided all of a sudden they had a change of heart and wanted to push Dan Snyder to do this ; Indigenous people have been pushing them for many , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to that , as well .
And so , but I think that ’ s what pushed him eventually to make that change .
And I think that just shows you how much money — how powerful money is in this industry .
It ’ s all about money .
Like I said , you know , we ’ ve done everything .
We protested .
We ’ ve gone to court .
We ’ ve done all of these things .
And it was , at the end of the day , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country and money that eventually made him do his thorough review .
But we ’ re not out of — you know , he ’ s not done .
We ’ re not done with this , because Dan Snyder has talked about how he wants to rebrand , and the coach of the team , as well , has talked about rebranding , to something that honors Native Americans and the military .
So , that ’ s very problematic to me .
And in their statement yesterday , they did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to rebrand without any Native imagery .
All they stated was that they were going to retire their name and their logo .
AMY GOODMAN : I wanted to ask you , quickly , Amanda , about the Kansas City Chiefs , the Cleveland Indians — you ’ re also asking them to change their names — and the use of the word , what you call the R-word , how the media uses it .
You don ’ t want even people to say it , like the N-word .
AMANDA BLACKHORSE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We don ’ t want people to say it .
We don ’ t want people to spell it out on social media .
And what we ’ re seeing now is the media just went wild with the name .
And it ’ s all over .
People are saying it over and over and over again .
And for us to hear it is like it ’ s just throwing salt on the wound over and over to Indigenous people .
But I do want to — you know , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ City team , we ’ re talking about the Atlanta team , the Chicago team and the Cleveland team , you know , their names — well , the Braves is — it ’ s a slur .
The Chiefs , it ’ s a slur , as well .
Indians ?
You know , we say American Indian .
But it ’ s the way that it ’ s used .
The terms , you know , they can — the “ Indian ” word may not necessarily be a racial slur @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of it .
And so , that ’ s why , as I was saying earlier , with Dan Snyder , we ’ re hoping that they would rebrand without any sort of Native imagery .
If he called his team the Warriors , you know , they will still attach Native American imagery onto that , and it will still be harmful to Native people .
It won ’ t be a win at all .
It ’ s just perpetuating the cultural appropriation and stereotypes of Native people .
AMY GOODMAN @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to thank you so much for being with us , Navajo activist who has led the fight to change the name and logo of the Washington R-word .
And all the best on the birth of your child .
We wish you the very , very best .
AMANDA BLACKHORSE : Thank you .
Thank you .
AMY GOODMAN : When we come back , we look at President Trump ’ s favorite Fox News TV show , Tucker Carlson Tonight , how its lead writer has just resigned for posting racist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us .
AMY GOODMAN : “ The Rain ” by the legendary jazz trumpeter Eddie Gale .
He died last week at the age of 78 .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now! The Quarantine Report. I’m Amy Goodman, with Juan González. The Washington NFL team, whose name and mascot have been a slur against Native Americans for nearly 90 years, announced Monday it’s changing its racist name, facing mounting pressure from corporate sponsors. The decision is a hard-fought victory for Indigenous activists, who for years have demanded the team remove the R-word from its name. It also comes as the Black Lives Matter movement has forced a reckoning about monuments and tributes to racism around the country.
Earlier this month, FedEx threatened to remove its branding from the team’s stadium if it didn’t change its name — a demand team owner Daniel Snyder has resisted for decades. The move comes after Washington, D.C., removed statues of racist former NFL owner George Preston Marshall, who named the Washington team and was the last owner in the league to sign a Black player. He did so only under federal pressure. The team hasn’t yet decided on a new mascot but says it will include the military in its new name.
Indigenous campaigners are now calling for the Kansas City NFL franchise to follow suit. In a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Native American leaders and organizations have asked that the league, quote, “Ban [all] use of Native imagery, names, slur names, redface, appropriation of Native culture and spiritually as well as violence toward Native Peoples from the League.”
For more, we’re joined by Navajo activist Amanda Blackhorse, who led the fight to change the name and logo of the Washington NFL team.
Welcome back to Democracy Now! It’s great to have you with us. We had you on years ago, Amanda, speaking to us from Arizona. We had you on years ago talking about this battle to take the R-word out of the NFL. Can you respond to what’s happened now?
AMANDA BLACKHORSE: Yes. And good morning, and thank you for having me.
So, recently, what has happened, I think, is a response to the groundswell, especially with the push with the Black Lives Matter movement. You know, this country seems to finally understand what racism is. And as we watched the unrest in this country completely supporting Black Lives Matter, and what happened in Minneapolis in the murder of George Floyd, you know, this issue — there was a resurgence of this issue again. And it seemed to just happen organically as people began to topple statues of colonialism, and, you know, looking towards symbols and epithets, racial epithets, and the Washington team was one of those things.
You know, in 2014, we won our case against the Washington team in a trademark, in trademark law. Since then, we lost our case in 2017 in an indirect ruling in the Supreme Court. And so, since 2017, our case has kind of been dormant. It’s just been there. You know, nothing has really happened as far as this movement goes. Of course, we’ve always put pressure on the team, but what’s been happening in this country really brought this up and brought up this new resurgence of it. And I will say it’s unfortunate that it happened — that it had to happen because of the murder of George Floyd, but, you know, as we’re having the larger discussion of racism and systemic racism in this country, this sort of happened.
And it’s wonderful to see, because I just never thought that this moment would ever happen. Indigenous people, we’ve always been ignored. We’ve always been pushed aside. The more that we have fought, the more that we have protested, it seems like Dan Snyder of the Washington team dug his heels in even further and got more aggressive with us, sued us in court, made that statement that he will never change the name. “You can put that in all caps,” is what he said. And, you know, that’s how we’ve always been treated. And we’ve been fighting this for decades and decades. And so, what we have here now —
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Amanda —
AMANDA BLACKHORSE: — is, finally, the owner finally fell to the pressure of his investors.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Amanda, in terms of the influence of these companies, like FedEx threatening to remove its name from the stadium, because these branding deals by corporations often come with huge, annual, multimillion-dollar payouts, so Snyder was actually facing not only the wrath of the public, but potential huge financial distress. Could you talk about this impact of these corporations finally deciding that because of the Black Lives Matter movement, that they had to make public stances?
AMANDA BLACKHORSE: Yes. So, the investors pushing Dan Snyder, I think, is what really sort of tipped the — you know, pushed him over the edge, really. But what a lot of people don’t know is that that investor push had been going on for many, many years. Indigenous people, Native people have been fighting and have been demanding that the investors — that they divest from racism. You know, FedEx has been one that has been pushed for a very long time, Bank of America, as well. And it came from an initiative from the Investors and Indigenous Peoples Working Group. So, this is not just something that FedEx decided all of a sudden they had a change of heart and wanted to push Dan Snyder to do this; Indigenous people have been pushing them for many, many years. Suzan Harjo can attest to that, as well.
And so, but I think that’s what pushed him eventually to make that change. And I think that just shows you how much money — how powerful money is in this industry. It’s all about money. Like I said, you know, we’ve done everything. We protested. We’ve gone to court. We’ve done all of these things. And it was, at the end of the day, you know, the movement in this country and money that eventually made him do his thorough review.
But we’re not out of — you know, he’s not done. We’re not done with this, because Dan Snyder has talked about how he wants to rebrand, and the coach of the team, as well, has talked about rebranding, to something that honors Native Americans and the military. So, that’s very problematic to me. And in their statement yesterday, they did not make it clear that they are going to rebrand without any Native imagery. All they stated was that they were going to retire their name and their logo.
AMY GOODMAN: I wanted to ask you, quickly, Amanda, about the Kansas City Chiefs, the Cleveland Indians — you’re also asking them to change their names — and the use of the word, what you call the R-word, how the media uses it. You don’t want even people to say it, like the N-word.
AMANDA BLACKHORSE: Yes, that’s correct. We don’t want people to say it. We don’t want people to spell it out on social media. And what we’re seeing now is the media just went wild with the name. And it’s all over. People are saying it over and over and over again. And for us to hear it is like it’s just throwing salt on the wound over and over to Indigenous people.
But I do want to — you know, when we do talk about the Kansas City team, we’re talking about the Atlanta team, the Chicago team and the Cleveland team, you know, their names — well, the Braves is — it’s a slur. The Chiefs, it’s a slur, as well. Indians? You know, we say American Indian. But it’s the way that it’s used. The terms, you know, they can — the “Indian” word may not necessarily be a racial slur, but it depends on the context of it. And so, that’s why, as I was saying earlier, with Dan Snyder, we’re hoping that they would rebrand without any sort of Native imagery. If he called his team the Warriors, you know, they will still attach Native American imagery onto that, and it will still be harmful to Native people. It won’t be a win at all. It’s just perpetuating the cultural appropriation and stereotypes of Native people.
AMY GOODMAN: Well, Amanda Blackhorse, we want to thank you so much for being with us, Navajo activist who has led the fight to change the name and logo of the Washington R-word. And all the best on the birth of your child. We wish you the very, very best.
AMANDA BLACKHORSE: Thank you. Thank you.
AMY GOODMAN: When we come back, we look at President Trump’s favorite Fox News TV show, Tucker Carlson Tonight, how its lead writer has just resigned for posting racist and misogynist messages online. Stay with us.
[break]
AMY GOODMAN: “The Rain” by the legendary jazz trumpeter Eddie Gale. He died last week at the age of 78.