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The Stars Aligned to Enable a Biden Presidency
News Editorial
By U.S. Resist Staff
An extraordinary set of events, circumstances and people came together at the right time to enable Joe Biden to become the 46th President of the United States.
Congress at Impasse as Situation Worsens for Millions of Americans
Brief #100—Economic Policy
By Rosalind Gottfried
As winter recess approaches the Congress remains at an impasse regarding a new stimulus package which is likely to fall by the wayside as it turns its attention to passing legislation to avert a December 11th federal shutdown.
Trump, Pressured to Reject Mining Permit in Alaska, Races to Sell Drilling Leases in the Arctic
Brief #100—Environment
By Jacob Morton
Since the beginning of his presidency, Donald Trump has had his eye on Alaska, hoping to expand extraction of its rich mineral and fossil fuel deposits.
Amazon’s Troubling Worker Surveillance Practices
Brief #27—Technology
By Scout Burchill
Over the past few months a number of reports and leaks from Amazon have emerged that expose the shocking lengths that the corporation goes to surveil their workers and quell labor organizing efforts.
The Assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh
Brief #100—Foreign Policy
By Will Solomon
On November 27, leading Iranian nuclear scientist and IRGC General Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was assassinated in the city of Absard, outside Tehran.
Georgia Senate Race 1
Brief #12—Congressional Campaign Update
By William Borque
In Georgia, the battle for the United States Senate rages on, with both races going to a runoff in January.
Supreme Court Sides with Religious Groups Over COVID-19 Mitigation Strategies
Brief #85—Health and Gender
ByTaylor J Smith
The US Supreme Court upheld challenges from New York Churches and synagogues to state pandemic restrictions on religious services just before Thanksgiving.
Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn v. Cuomo Decision Hints At Future of Religious Liberty Cases In Supreme Court
Brief #144—Civil Rights
By Rod Maggay
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic Governor Andrew Cuomo of the State of New York enacted regulations that allowed him to identify “hot spots” of COVID-19 activity and to designate areas according to a color – coded scheme.
Kamala Harris Forges History-Making Path to the Vice Presidency
Brief #6—Transition of Power
By Linda F. Hersey
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris is a woman of firsts.
Ban On Further Protest Activity By Arrested Protestors Likely Unconstitutional
Policy Summary: For more than sixty consecutive days, protesters in Portland, Oregon have marched and protested throughout the city to protest against racism and police brutality. The protests started in the aftermath of the killings of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers in May 2020. At times in Portland, protesters have clashed violently with law enforcement officers with officers sustaining a number of injuries and protesters suffering physical harm as well. A number of protesters have been arrested by federal officials (due to concerns about violence to buildings on federal property) and were detained in federal holding facilities. Many of the protesters were charged with the offense of “failing to obey a lawful order” which is classified as a class “c” misdemeanor.
The website ProPublica has reported that a number of protesters detained were only released on the condition that they “may not attend any other protests, rallies, assemblies or public gathering in the State of Oregon.” A separate release order document stated, “Do not participate in any protests, demonstrations, rallies, assemblies while this case is pending.” Protestors released on July 23 had these bans on protesting handwritten into their release documents. A protester released on July 24th did not initially have the ban on protesting in his release order. But his order was modified to include the ban. Of the fifteen protesters released on July 27 three of the protesters had the protest ban added to their release orders. Had the protesters refused to agree to the protest ban, they likely would not have been released from custody. The majority of the orders were signed by U.S. Magistrate Judges John V. Acosta and Jolie A. Russo. LEARN MORE
Policy Analysis: The disturbing news coming out of Portland is a clear violation of an individuals’ constitutional right. The First Amendment provides individuals with the right to free assembly and so it is astonishing that the U.S. Magistrates who signed the release orders imposed the bans on protesting in the first place.
Legal scholars have begun to weigh in and there is near unanimous agreement that these bans are likely unconstitutional because of how overbroad the bans are written. The protesters were arrested for their activities related to the racism and police brutality protests but the wording of the bans can conceivably be applied to any other public gathering that the protester might choose to attend. What if a protester recently released wanted to attend an environmental protest or a political rally? Under the terms of the protest ban as written the protester would be in violation of the court order for attending one of those events.
Additionally, imposing the protest ban on the individuals as a condition of their release forces the individual to give up a constitutional right in order to be released which is not comparable to the crimes they have been charged with. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Oregon has even weighed in and stated that they did not ask for the “no protest” restriction and that the court on its own added the condition. Many of these protesters have been charged with only a misdemeanor. These were not severe or life threatening crimes and so individuals should not be forced to give up their right to protest and advocate for closely held beliefs and issues. By silencing an individual in this way it indirectly implicates an individual’s First Amendment Free Speech rights because the government is telling a person what rallies they can attend what they can and cannot say at public gatherings. These conditions of release are likely unconstitutional and they should be modified to remove the “protest bans” as soon as the court can hear the cases. LEARN MORE
Engagement Resources:
- Defending Rights And Dissent – Defend the right to protest webpage from non – profit group.
- American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) – webpage on repression of peaceful protest issues.
This brief was compiled by Rod Maggay. If you have comments or want to add the name of your organization to this brief, please contact Rod@USResistnews.org.
Free Trade: Recipe for Overcoming Covid-19
August 6,2020
Policy Summary
While American-first has been a theme for the Trump administration’s foreign policy, its unintended consequences have certainly restricted the collective response necessary to overcome Covid-19. President Trump continues to use populist rhetoric to convince Americans that the only way to ensure survival in the global arena is to pivot away from the international community, while shielding domestic business and industry from foreign competition.
For the past two years, under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, the Trump Administration has continued to impose higher degrees of tariffs on a wide range of products from abroad. Imports from China, India, Canada, Mexico, and the European Union have been some of the main targets that have ended up in the crosshairs of U.S. trade policy. Products ranging from steel and aluminum to textiles and from electrical components to chemicals are among the valuable global inputs to production needed by U.S. firms to produce globally competitive products. Billions of dollars of these products have fallen under the blanket of tariffs imposed by the Trump Administration ranging from 15 – 25%, artificially raising the cost of production for many small businesses and manufacturers. Additionally, over $360 billion of Chinese imports have been targeted as well, encompassing more than 60% of U.S. consumer demand from China.
Unfortunately, many of these products incorporated within the president’s protectionist agenda are major components of the healthcare industry, many of which Americans have come to rely on for health, safety, and well-being. Nearly $5 billion of medical necessities from China alone were subjected to U.S. tariffs, accounting for almost 26% of all medical supplies imported by Americans.
To fight against the adversities of this global pandemic, medical professionals have acknowledged the importance of essential consumables such as personal protective equipment, masks, gloves, goggles, hand sanitizer, and medical-wear just to name a few. Additionally, for hospitals and medical facilities to properly treat patients, they should be equipped with necessary durable supplies ranging from respirators to CT systems and patient monitors. In the past, duties on these devices were relatively low, enabling hospitals and medical establishments to stock up on critical care inventory. Prior to the Covid outbreak, Americans were importing over $20 billion of essential medical supplies, which are now subject to higher prices due to heavy trade regulation. Currently, products like pulse oximeters, hand sanitizers, ultrasound and x-ray systems from China are subject to 25% tariffs, while personal protective equipment, goggles, and gloves are levied at 15%.
Back in 2019, medical professionals testified to Congress about the risk tariffs would pose to the healthcare sector by limiting necessary supplies in the likelihood of abnormally high demand resulting from a medical anomaly. Unfortunately, these warnings were disregarded.
Analysis:
The Trump Administration’s trade policy has been predicated on the idea of using one hand to solve a problem that the other hand creates. The president’s protectionist policies have shielded some businesses from foreign competition but has increased the costs of operating for others. Because of the difficulty of protecting one industry without causing harm to another, government ends up subsidizing those who have been adversely affected from the higher costs precipitated by the tariffs. Subsequently this begins the downward spiral of legislation that forces excess challenges on already-burdened taxpayers.
Fighting the effects of Covid-19 will take a mutual unified effort, which underlines the benefits of globalization and free trade. One of the very best ways to protect Americans from the affliction of this pandemic is to allow consumers the advantage of acquiring medical necessities from a global market, rather than limiting supplies from abroad in order to protect concentrated special interests. Because such a wide range of products have fallen under layers of costly trade regulation, it becomes almost impossible for medical manufacturers and suppliers to operate efficiently. While protecting certain participants in the upstream sectors of the market, others in the downstream sectors, who have in the past, depended heavily on selective imports, find themselves absorbing the increased costs of operating. Higher input costs mean fewer output returns. Because several domestic manufacturers are the ones bearing the burden of higher costs associated with tariffs, they have been less incentivized to prioritize the development of critical-care supplies, which exacerbates the shortages associated with global hoarding from other countries who the U.S. has come to rely on.
The driving success behind globalization has been as a result of countries being able to put aside political, social, and religious differences in order to come together to solve a common problem, ultimately promoting both peace and prosperity. Global actors who share collective interests rarely engage in conflict. However, when individual nations begin to deviate from unification, there exists more adversity. The beauty and efficiency of globalization and free trade is evident when we see how different nations have been able to take advantage of specialization and come together to produce globally competitive products like cars, computers, cell-phones, and other devices that the world has become the benefactors of. Supply chains have been the engine of enriched productivity, effectively being the paradigm that has given the international community the collective resources to ensure a higher standard of living.
It is no secret that because of the benefits of globalization and free trade, the quality of life has improved globally and that has shielded not only Americans, but others around the world, from disease and sickness. True, there are large swaths of the global population who unfortunately still live in abject poverty, but globalization and free trade offer the best possibility of alleviating the persistency of deprivation rather than the ideological mindset of the president’s nationalist-isolationist strategy.
Even before the pandemic, regulating demand of medical essentials from abroad through tariffs and quotas has put pressure on healthcare, especially since the baby-boomers are aging and requiring more medical services. It makes no sense to close the country off to the benefits of a global market, while almost ensuring that both patients and medical manufacturers would be restricted to a minimal supply of resources, all in the name of protecting some of the most powerful interests.
If the conditions dictate that a definitive second round of Covid could emerge, policies that force the domestic market into shortages and rationing by artificially limiting medical supplies from abroad should be considered both shortsighted and obtuse.
Resistance Resources
- Peterson Institute for International Economics – [https://www.piie.com/] – An independent research organization dedicated to strengthening cooperation and prosperity globally through practical solutions.
- Cato Institute – [https://www.cato.org/research/trade-policy] – is a public policy research organization dedicated to the principles of freedom, free-trade, and peace. Through publishing policy proposals, blogs, web features, op-eds, and TV appearances, Cato has worked vigorously to present citizens with incisive and understandable analysis.
- FEE – Foundation for Economic Education – [fee.org] – An educational foundation that inspires leaders with sound economic and political solutions in both domestic and international policy issues.
The Corruption of Elaine Chao
The Corruption Blog digs into the details of the all-encompassing corruption of the Trump administration.
Post # 19 The Corruption of Elaine Chao
By Sean Gray
August 4, , 2020
United States Transportation Secretary, Elaine Chao is responsible for much of the commerce and movement that takes place over federal jurisdiction. Her department oversees 55,000 employees spread out between 11 agencies focused on the nation’s comings and goings by land, air and sea. She is also a long entrenched bureaucrat, having served in each Republican Administration dating back to Ronald Regan. Chao has been married to Kentucky Senator, Mitch McConnell since 1993.
Addressing the nation’s crumbling infrastructure was a persistent talking point of Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign. A 2018 study using the Federal Highway Administration’s own data showed near 10% of the nation’s bridges in need of repair. So far, Trump has failed on his promise of creating a ‘’$550 billion fund for infrastructure and development.’’ Americans cross said faulty bridges an average of 174 million times a day. The closures, and subsequent delays they cause cost the trucking industry alone, $60 billion in lost fuel in productivity. Chao cannot be held responsible for her boss’ failure to deliver on a promise. But with the nation’s infrastructure still badly in need of repair, Chao has spent much of her time in office acting primarily on behalf of the interest of herself, her husband and family in mind.
The Department of Transportation has ordinarily provided access to its Secretary’s work schedule. Chao was not so forthcoming upon taking office. A Freedom of Information Act request secured in 2018 revealed that in her first year on the job, Chao had almost seven full weeks of her schedule redacted as ‘’private’’. The hours in question were limited to weekdays between 9AM and 6PM. Several former department officials quoted in a Politico article described the circumstances as atypical. Administration officials described the redactions as security-related, but they warrant further scrutiny. For example, Donald Trump revealed his $1.5 trillion infrastructure plan in March of 2018. It was largely illusory, expecting to shift cost burdens to individual states and represent a windfall for private investors. In the work-week preceding the announcement, which had major implications for the DOT, Chao had 11 hours on her calendar set aside for private meetings. Chao’s scheduling opacity begs the question whether the American taxpayer is regularly getting a full day’s work from her. And worse than that, what she is doing in work hours hidden from the public. And for what reason has she attempted to obscure such a significant portion of her professional activity.
As mentioned above, Chao is married to Senate Majority Leader McConnell. Her father is James Chao, founder of Foremost Group. Foremost is a nominally American shipping company, which does most of its business in China and sails under the flags of Liberia and Hong Kong. Its presence in the US is minimal, with only a small, unlisted headquarters in Manhattan. As a result, it falls under the regulatory purview of the US Maritime Administration, regulated by the DOT. This triad has long been involved in reciprocal self-dealing on the taxpayer’s dime.
Federal officials are not permitted to use their office to promote one business over another, particularly a family business. While Elaine Chao holds no formal stake in Foremost Group, she and her husband were the recipients of a gift valued between $5-$25 million from James Chao, according to their federal disclosures. The ethics ban on endorsing products or businesses did not deter Elaine from appearing in Chinese language interviews with her father promoting him and his shipping company. In one such interview, the DOT flag appeared behind the two as they spoke.
By all accounts, the American shipping industry is in serious trouble. China has largely usurped the US in this realm. Chao’s family business has benefited greatly from this trend and is bolstered by deep ties to political and economic elites in China. As the head Secretary of Transportation, closing the gap between the two nations should be a priority of Chao’s. Instead, and at the same time she was appearing at events promoting Foremost, Chao attempted to further imperil US maritime shipping. Her department’s budget has repeatedly tried to cut grants for small domestic shipyards and loan guarantees for US shipbuilders. The DOT has also attempted to slash a program which would keep 60 American-flagged ships in service. In contrast, her family has paid for scholarships and a ship simulator in China to train seamen.
Mitch McConnell has increased his net-worth ten-fold in his 36 years in the Senate. The Chao family played no small part in enriching him, and keeping him in power. McConnell has seen over $1 million dollars in campaign contributions from the Chao family. He faces reelection in the upcoming 2020 election. His dutiful wife proved willing to assist in his bid. Chao’s aide, Todd Inman, was asked to help Kentucky secure grants for federal projects. No other state enjoys such an ease of access. Beginning in 2017 Chao and Inman began meeting with a delegation from Owensboro, KY to discuss two highway improvement projects McConnell saw as key to his reelection effort. The projects had twice been rejected for grant applications. Through the efforts of Chao and Inman, Kentucky was approved for $78 million in federal money to upgrade critical infrastructure. In the interest of full disclosure, Kentucky ranks 26th in population and 25th in DOT money. Nevertheless, the timing hardly seems coincidental, particularly considering McConnell’s effusive pride in allocating federal resources to his home state.
Like all Federal Departments, the Department of Transportation has an Inspector General to conduct oversight and investigate malfeasance. The DOT’s previous IG had been Mitch Belm, who was not a political appointee. In an all too common occurrence in the last four years, he was removed by the Trump administration when he began investigating whether Chao was showing preferential treatment towards Kentucky-based projects. He was replaced in the role by Howard ‘’Skip’’ Elliot. Elliot had previously been an interim IG while simultaneously heading the department’s agency responsible for pipelines and hazardous wastes. In the latter role he was a subordinate of Elaine Chao’s. It also means that he’s now responsible for investigating the potential fraud and waste of himself and his former boss.
US infrastructure needs improvement. It is perhaps the subject least likely to raise ire in political debate in Washington. The Department of Transportation appears seriously dysfunctional. Not all the blame can be laid at the feet of Elaine Chao. But her ethical lapses and lack of transparency have compounded the dysfunction, and invite
Trump and Putin: A Kremlin Arranged Marriage
By Brandon Mooney
August 4, 2020
Unless you’ve had your head buried in the sand for the past month, you have no doubt heard about the controversy surrounding whether Trump had been briefed on intelligence claiming that Russia offered bounties to the Taliban in Afghanistan for the targeting and killing of U.S. servicemen.
Policy Summary:
Unless you’ve had your head buried in the sand for the past month, you have no doubt heard about the controversy surrounding whether Trump had been briefed on intelligence claiming that Russia offered bounties to the Taliban in Afghanistan for the targeting and killing of U.S. servicemen. With more right-wing news sources and the Trump administration offering a variety of arguments such as that the intelligence was not verified, that the intelligence was never brought to Trump’s attention, or that Russian and Taliban denials of the affair should be taken as truth; one can quickly surmise that the American public will probably never know the truth. Plausible deniability is on Trump’s side, and however much liberal audiences may cry out, it is unlikely that the official narrative will change. It has become, as all things are in the era of Trump, a “he said, she said” debate with each side claiming wrongdoing by the other. However, this event raises the opportunity to take a look back over Trump’s foreign policy with Russia.
As many media sources have pointed out, the Trump administration’s seeming foreign policy goals and treatment of Russia has been nothing if not confusing. Marked by anti-Kremlin policies from the administration and GOP allies mixed with a litany of pro-Putin sentiments from Trump, it is an odd tangle of conflicting elements. Looking first at moves by the Trump administration, one finds a fairly homogenous approach of resisting Russian influence. Back in 2017, the Trump administration closed two Russian diplomatic trade annexes and shut down Russia’s consulate in San Francisco over accusations of espionage. However, it was reported that Trump had either been disinterested in said closings or had never been brought in on the decision, with then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and then-Secretary of Defense James Mattis spearheading the move. In the same year, the administration approved the selling of lethal arms to Ukraine to resist Russian-backed forces in Crimea, a move that the Obama administration had refused to do. Moving forward, in 2018, the Trump administration pushed for a $1.4 billion increase in the European Deterrence Initiative budget, an almost 41% increase over the Obama-era.
However, these foreign policy decisions are juxtaposed by Trump’s personal rhetoric. He has suggested re-instating Russia into the G-7, from which it was removed in 2014 following the annexation of Crimea. He has also floated withdrawing U.S. troops from Germany, which many see as allowing Russian influence in the region to swell and a weakening of NATO power. He was criticized for revealing top-secret Israeli intelligence on ISIS bomb-making to Kremlin officials in a closed-door meeting as well. Trump has posted various pro-Putin remarks over Twitter, and even sent out a congratulations on Putin’s election victory. Trump has also largely denied Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and seems to give Russia the benefit of the doubt on most issues. A series of bipartisan sanctions imposed on Russia in 2017 by Congress was met by heavy criticism by Trump’s White House and on Twitter.
Analysis:
Whenever he comes under criticism about his personal treatment of Russia, Trump argues that he has been the toughest president on Russia in recent history and points to the moves by his administration that I mentioned above. However, one has to wonder how many of those moves came from him and how many came from those around him. Is he truly anti-Kremlin and just admires an oil-rich autocrat masquerading as a democratically elected president? Although I do believe that Trump wishes to push American national interest, I seriously doubt that his version of national interest involves an aggressive anti-Russian component. This is not to say that diplomacy should be abandoned or that the U.S. should be antagonistic, but that refusing to admit to Putin’s authoritarian tendencies and the Kremlin’s desire to manipulate the American electorate in order to erode our power abroad is ultimately far worse than turning a blind eye.
As much as Trump may say it doesn’t, his rhetoric matters. Posting on Twitter is his main avenue for communicating with the wider world and acting congenial and supportive of the Russian regime should not be dismissed as casual talk without meaning. You can bet that the Kremlin is watching, learning, anticipating, and acting upon the things that Trump posts. They obviously see him as an ally in a world order that views Russia with suspicion. The fact that his administration has been tough on them has not appeared to overly sour Putin’s chummy relationship with Trump nor dissuade Russian trolls and interference.
In closing, although the Trump administration as a whole has made admirable moves towards resisting Russian influence and pushing for the expansion of American national interest, Trump’s own feelings and narrative of Russia is highly divergent and does not fill me with confidence. Hypothetically, if Trump was told that Russian operatives were paying the Taliban to kill U.S. servicemen, from a reading of his tweets, I am not confident that Trump would take this as intelligence to act upon. And in a world where our president has openly expressed admiration for a world leader that utilizes the organs of state for personal enrichment, that should worry all of us.
What Is the Significance of the 32.9% Second Quarter GDP Drop?
Rosalind Gottfried
Economics
August 2, 2020
Policy
The headline 32.9% drop in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the second quarter is stunning, but what does it actually signify? A Dow Jones survey had predicted a drop of 34.7%. The GDP represents all the purchases made in the US plus the net exports, government spending, and investments made in the period discussed. This figure actually indicates what the annual figure would be if the same rate occurred for the entire year. If this really reflects the annual rate, it will be far worse than the worst year of the depression which was a 12.9% drop in 1932.
The second quarter represents activities from April through June. The actual figure for the second quarter, compared to the same quarter last year, is 9.5%. The largest quarterly drop was 10% in 1958. How does this translate in behavioral terms? Overall personal consumption, the largest chunk of the GDP, was down 10%. In contrast, expenditures for the unemployed population rose by 10%. This is likely attributable to the generous benefits subsidized by the $600 weekly payment provided by the federal government. Low income workers likely could make purchases of essential goods they had put off for lack of funds. Spending for healthcare, clothing, footwear was down as was inventory investment for motor vehicle dealerships, equipment, and personal housing. Prices for domestic purchases fell 1.5% and for personal care expenditures 1.9%, indicating some deflation. Exports were down by 9.4% and offset by increases in imports of 10%.
The last week of July saw 1.4 million filings for new unemployment claims. New claims filed by gig and self-employed workers were at 830,000 for the same week. This continued an upward trend for the past two weeks, down from 15 weeks previously where the claims had decreased after the initial virus swelling. Nevertheless, claims numbered over one million for the past 19 weeks. Research indicates a spreading pessimism as 47% of the unemployed expect their jobs to be permanently lost while in April 78% expected to return to their jobs. Unemployment for women, particularly women of color, is really at risk partially due to the types of jobs they have had and also as a consequence of lack of childcare.
Stocks fell in response to the data though the tech industry has had explosive growth. Facebook, for example, reports an 11% uptake in revenue compared to the same quarter in 2019. They report a profit increase of 98%. Three billion people use one of its apps regularly and 2.47 billion do so daily. This use data is an increase of 12% from a year ago and likely reflects the greater dependence on tech due to the sheltering in place mandates. June saw a grass roots campaign Stop the Hate for Profit to pressure advertisers to pull back ads to protest hate speech on the sites. Sources admitted that Facebook did see an impact in their July figures as a consequence of the campaign. Zuckerberg, chief executive of Facebook, pledged to maintain his free speech policies in spite of the campaign.
Analysis
Most of the trends seen in the second quarter represent the dramatic impact of a full quarter of viral repercussions. There was some mitigation in the reopening that occurred in June, much of which has been drawn back. It is notable that spending went up only for the unemployed which has been attributed to the government payouts and unemployment aid. These have not yet been renewed and Federal Covid-19 unemployment benefits ended July 31st. The consequences of a failure to provide another stimulus package are imagined to be dire. In order to divert the worst possible economic fallout another stimulus should be imminent and generous. There should be more cash transfers to all low and moderate income; sustained generous federal aid for the unemployed; rent assistance; an eviction moratorium; subsidies for childcare and healthcare; and aid for schools and communities. With appropriate planning the worst economic fallout can be averted. The successes in the government programs of the European Union can be used as guides.
Learn More
- https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2020/07/9941810/gdp-drop-2nd-quarter-great-depression-2020
- https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gdp-drop-q2-32-9-us-economy-suffers-biggest-quarterly-decline-on-record/
- https://www.nytimes.com/live/2020/07/30/business/stock-market-today-coronavirus
Resistance Resources
- https://www.stophateforprofit.org/ Website for the campaign to pressure advertisers to cut support to Facebook
Recommended Democratic Party Platform Goals
U.S. RESIST NEWS proposes the following set of public policy goals to guide the Democratic Party’s 2020 presidential campaign platform. We support all progressive policy proposals but would like to emphasize the policy goals below as ones we think need to be prioritized. They reflect the suggestions of our talented team of reporters, journalists, and bloggers.
The Most Important Goal
The most important goal in the upcoming presidential election is to win. We need to win the presidency, maintain control of the house, and flip the senate. To do this we need all Democrats everywhere and anywhere to vote (in-person or by mail) for Joe Biden and his Vice-Presidential running mate.
- Civil Rights: Voter suppression in all of its forms (limiting access to the ballot box, legislative obstacles such as shorter registration deadlines, voter purges, etc.) should be deemed unconstitutional. Civil rights and equality efforts should be promoted, especially those aimed at promoting racial justice and ending discrimination on the basis of gender, sexual orientation and gender identity. The Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ+ efforts that have been at the forefront of these issues deserve enhanced and continued support.
- Ethics Reform :Mandate that the president, his appointees and members of Congress, disclose their previous 10 years of tax returns. Require a divestiture of all holdings which may represent a conflict of interest as defined by the Office of Government Ethics. Bar any outgoing president, appointee or member of Congress, from working for those who’ve lobbied them for a period of ten years.
- The Economy: Implement a comprehensive adequate safety net to address the economic needs of those at risk. Right now, services to low-income populations are dispersed and levels of support inadequate. We should have universal health care that is not related to employment, subsidized daycare, paid sick, parental, and family leave with job security, and a minimum basic income so that rent and food are not in question. Transition America’s economic dependence upon what is now a global industrial carbon-based supply chain to a more self-reliant locally sourced economy; while also recognizing that the United States is part of a worldwide interdependent economic order. Well-designed free trade agreements among nations, that respect labor rights, human, rights, and environmental standards, are often in America’s best interest.
- Education: Forgive the debt of those who cannot afford to repay students loans, and ease repayment terms on all loans. Make tuition at all community colleges free, and provide reduced tuition at public colleges and universities for anyone with moderate incomes. Restore higher education affirmative action programs. Increase public school teacher salaries and make sure that schools in low income communities have the resources to provide quality education to their students.
- Environment: Triple our country’s investment in renewable energy. Make the US the world’s leader in clean energy research, investment, commercialization, manufacturing, and exports by 2030. Mandate that all new and renegotiated electricity generation contracts have to be based on 100% low-carbon electricity starting in 2021. Rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement.
- Ethics Reform: Mandate the president, his appointees and members of Congress disclose their previous 10 years of tax returns. Require a divestiture of all holdings which may represent a conflict of interest as defined by the Office of Government Ethics. Bar any outgoing president, appointee or member of Congress from working for those who’ve lobbied them for a period of ten years.
- Foreign Policy: Rejoin and strengthen our alliances in Europe and Asia. Reset our relationships with Russia and China. Emphasize multilateral collaboration in solving global problems such as climate change. Strengthen the effectiveness of international organizations, such as the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, and the International Criminal Court. Increase our foreign assistance program for developing countries.
- Gun Control: Pass major gun control legislation that includes mandatory background checks; the banning of assault weapons of all kinds; raising the age to buy guns; and promoting the use of red flag laws.
- Health Policy: Secure proper funding for the American healthcare system to provide hospitals with the equipment needed to support patients and staff during COVID-19 treatments. Fully contain COVID-19 in all 50 states and rebuild our public health system so the US is better prepared for future pandemics. Make sure that pharmaceutical companies are held accountable for their role in the opioid crisis and ensure that addiction treatment is prioritized. A strong commitment to reproductive rights is imperative after the recent attacks on the rights of womxn). And an inclusive health insurance option must be made available for every person in America, at no cost for those who can’t afford it.
- Immigration: Reassert America’s commitment to asylum-seekers and refugees. Encourage foreign entrepreneurs, innovators, scholars, medical professionals, and creative thinkers to come to the United States. American policymakers should make a point to address the value and skills that immigrants bring to our country. Tear down the Trump border wall, and provide citizenship to all Dreamers.
- Police Reform: Prohibit the use of chokeholds. Pursue criminal and civil penalties for police misconduct and ban no-knock warrants in drug-related cases. Create a national registry to track police misconduct, and establish standards for police conduct and certification. Delegate non-criminal police responsibilities to health care workers, social workers, and others. Promote local adoption of existing campaigns such as #8CantWait, Campaign Zero, #8toAbolition, and President Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing. Towns and cities can decide which of these make the most sense for their municipalities based on their histories and current practices.
- Technology: Strengthen Federal regulation over the posting of hate speech and false advertising on social media platforms. Strengthen the protection of individual privacy rights from the intrusion of technology platforms. Support broadband access for all Americans. Encourage greater government, business, not-for-profit and educational collaboration to increase internet security and guarantee individual freedoms.
Corona Virus Update:The US Death Toll Reaches 150,000
COVID-19’s Status in the US
As the coronavirus continues spread, cases are rapidly increasing in in at least 29 states. New hotspots are Florida, California, Arizona, and Texas. High hospitalizations, especially in the four mentioned states, have led to a shortage of hospital beds. As a result, cities and states are shattering previously set records: Los Angeles reported the highest number of hospitalizations in a day (2,216), Georgia and North Carolina highest single-day increase of cases (4,688 and 2,522), Arizona had its highest deaths in a day (147) and Florida has broken its single-day case increase repeatedly over the past few weeks.
Contentiously, President Donald Trump has ordered all US hospitals to report COVID-19 data directly to the Department of Health and Human Services, bypassing the Center for Disease Control. This decision comes on the heels of statements by the President saying less testing needs to be done; such a move is likely a result of the American people’s dissatisfaction with his management of the pandemic and him wanting to keep the worsening condition out of the public eye.
Vaccines are a major hope as mask wearing is uncommon in parts of the country. The final phase of Moderna’s vaccine trial is currently underway, where there will be around 30,000 participants based out of Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Oxford University’s vaccine has had promising outcomes partnered with caution, as phased trials have commenced. One issue facing all manufacturers is the commonality of adverse effects.
There have been over 16.8 million cases and over 660,000 deaths worldwide. Medical experts warn that US deaths will skyrocket into the hundreds of thousands if the nation does not get the virus under control.
COVID-19’s Status Internationally
The virus has continued to rage in Latin America. Colombia recently surpassed 200,000 cases, as Mexico reported at least 300 deaths in a day, their highest. Brazilian President, and frequent opposer of COVID-19 preventative measures, Jair Bolsonaro, tested positive for the disease as the country surpassed 2 million cases and 80,000 deaths.
After a survey, it was found that less than a quarter of citizens in Japan are in favor of hosting the previously postponed 2021 Olympic Games planned in Tokyo. This is after Japan saw the highest daily spike of 981 new cases. An estimated 23% of residents, or 4 million people, have had the coronavirus, according to recent data. Hong Kong has experienced eight straight days of over 100 new cases per day, causing great concern.
After five days of negotiations, European Union leaders have reached an agreement on a $858 billion coronavirus stimulus package. The money is intended to fund the bloc’s recovery from the pandemic, with a focus on countries most severely hit. Since the June 21st quarantine lift, Spain has seen a significant increase in COVID-19 cases, with hotspots being in the region of Catalonia and Aragon.
New Zealand has reported their first two cases of coronavirus, after lifting restrictions and declaring the country was “virus-free” on June 8th. These cases are currently being held off the coast and are being treated in isolation.
South Africa has the fifth highest number of cases across the globe, with an aggressive case acceleration of about 30% in the last week. Iraq hit a new daily record with just under 3,000 new COVID cases. India is experiencing a surge in cases, as the total number of cases surpasses 1.5 million, with more than half a million new cases recorded in just twelve days.
United States passport holders will find that their passports are essentially useless as countries close their borders. The US has seen a spike in nearly every state and as a result, other nations are weary of allowing Americans to visit.
Analysis:
While multiple vaccine trials are underway and countries are funneling money for vaccine efforts, there is little hope for a quick vaccine. The German Health Ministry estimated the earliest a vaccine could be available is mid-2021. The concern regarding an accelerated vaccine, that would be available sooner, is mainly over the side effects and its effectiveness. Recent trial participants have experienced prolonged discomfort, citing headaches, sore arms, fatigue, a fever and chills; all of which are common symptoms of COVID-19. It can be expected that multiple trials, with fewer side effects, will be needed to reassure people, not only in America, to take a newly developed vaccine.
On July 14th, Trump ordered all hospitals to report COVID-19 data to the Department of Health and Human Services and not to the CDC. Such a move eliminates roughly any transparency regarding this highly communicable virus. It is imperative to have reliable and transparent data when dealing with a global pandemic. The move to circumvent the proper channels from a trustworthy and science-driven organization like the CDC to the vocally anti-science Administration will undoubtedly harm the American people. Additionally, continuing to be untrustworthy in its management of Covid-19 will likely hurt the Administration and other governments when it comes time for mass vaccinations. Americans will be understandably hesitant in accepting a, presumably mandated, vaccine from the federal government after previously shrouding critical COVID-19 data.
States that have recently reopened after state-issued stay-at-home orders, are reevaluating options in the wake of an onslaught of new cases. Such backtracking in legislation is causing conflict in regions that were already opposed to the initial lockdown. Opponents of reclosure cite the economy’s fragile state as their biggest concern. Nevertheless, states must consider public health when proposing reopening. Experts predict a second wave similar to what the nation experienced in late spring, to come in the winter, during flu season. Experts, like Dr. Anthony Fauci, have made it very clear that three things are needed in order to slow the spread and ultimately save lives. Those three things being: washing hands or sanitizing, masks or face coverings, and social distancing. Rejection of these solutions by state leaders is what has caused the virus to run rampant, as seen by comparing the US to nations where such solutions were prioritized.
Most recently, Trump contradicted experts and blatantly lied during his most recent press conference. He revived his push for hydroxychloroquine use, supported a quack doctor, and incorrectly claimed that most of America is “COVID free”. This virus is currently running through the US with unabated vigor with an average of 64,000+ cases per day in the past seven days. Effective and trustworthy leadership is necessary to combat this disease and to prevent further harm on the American people.
Keywords:
Healthcare, health, COVID-19, virus, coronavirus, epidemic, pandemic, infection, vaccine.
Engagement Resources:
For concerns about COVID-19, please seek assistance with the Center for Disease Control, the World Health Organization, or local health officials.
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Number of COVID-19 cases and deaths as of July 29, 2020 – Consult the CDC or Johns Hopkins for an update in numbers.
| Nation | Confirmed Cases | Deaths |
| Globally | 16,940,174 | 664,748 |
| United States | 4,414,834 | 150,447 |
| Brazil | 2,552,265 | 90,134 |
| India | 1,531,669 | 34,193 |
| Russia | 827,509 | 13,650 |
| South Africa | 471,123 | 7,497 |
| Mexico | 402,697 | 44,876 |
| Peru | 395,005 | 18,612 |
| Chile | 351,575 | 9,278 |
| United Kingdom | 303,058 | 46,046 |
| Iran | 298,909 | 16,343 |
The November Election is in Jeopardy and Trump is the Problem
By Charles A. Rubin
The November Election is in Jeopardy and Trump is the Problem
July 30,2020
Policy Summary
In less than 100 days, Americans will be voting in what is arguably the most important election in our lifetimes. The continuing and potentially worsening COVID-19 pandemic is adding a unique complication to a process that is already plagued with technical and political challenges. The clear alternative to in-person balloting would be vote-by-mail, a “technology” that has been used without fraud or controversy since the Civil War.
President Trump, however, is using his bully pulpit to undermine the process before it has a chance to gain public acceptance. A tweet on May 26, 2020 unequivocally stated:
There is NO WAY (ZERO!) that Mail-In Ballots will be anything less than substantially fraudulent. Mail boxes will be robbed, ballots will be forged & even illegally printed out & fraudulently signed. The Governor of California is sending Ballots to millions of people, anyone…..
….living in the state, no matter who they are or how they got there, will get one. That will be followed up with professionals telling all of these people, many of whom have never even thought of voting before, how, and for whom, to vote. This will be a Rigged Election. No way!
Without offering any alternative, the President is working feverishly to undermine the best chance for the greatest number of people to vote in November.
Analysis
The November elections bring into sharp relief a number of logistical problems that are exacerbated by the pandemic. The first issue is that the number of polling places will be significantly reduced because of a lack of personnel to staff them. Election workers tend to skew to older retired people who will shy away from a situation where they need to come face-to-face with a large number of people. Voters, in turn, will balk at travelling longer distances to the remaining polling stations for fear of the long waits that they will likely find there and also entering public places in which social distancing may be difficult.
The President has backed up his rhetoric of vote-by-mail bashing by threatening to cut federal funding to Michigan, Nevada and other states that have been proactively sending out vote-by-mail forms and falsely claiming that the states were sending “illegal” absentee ballots to voters.
Technology won’t save us either. Recent primary elections in Georgia, Texas and Iowa have been marred by breakdowns in their new electronic voting machines further undermining voter confidence.
Vote-by-mail is not without problems either. The primary election in New York demonstrated that it could take weeks to declare the winners in several key races.
We are an electorate that is accustomed to rapid results in our elections, particularly the Presidential race. The process of counting absentee ballots will be slow and add to Trump’s inevitable claims that the election has been “rigged”. The right thing to do now would be to embrace vote-by-mail and adjust the expectation that we may need to wait some time for the results to be final. We need to express faith in our local officials to conduct honest and fair elections and build the safeguards and oversight to ensure that they are.
President Trump needs to demonstrate his faith in the American people and our local election officials so that we can rise to the challenge of this momentous election. His preemptive dismissal of vote-by-mail is nothing other than an attempt at voter suppression.
Resistance Resources
- The National Election Defense Coalition (NEDC) has built the only bipartisan movement in defense of election security. They are educating, mobilizing, and moving the agenda for significant policy reform.
- Let America Vote is fighting voter suppression nationwide
- The National Conference of State Legislatures has published a guide for states that would like to explore all mail elections.
- Vote.org is the largest 501(c)(3) non-profit, non-partisan voting registration and get out the vote (GOTV) technology platform in America
Trump Deploys Troops to Chicago to Help His Re-Election
By Erika Shannon
July 28, 2020
Policy Summary
The Trump Administration has announced a plan to deploy federal agents to several American cities as a part of “Operation Legend” and the so-called “Protecting American Communities Task Force.” The federal agents started being deployed as early as June as a rejoinder to the George Floyd protests. Trump’s claim is that he wants to help curb street violence; violence that he says is worsened by anti-police policies. Chicago is at the forefront of the cities that the Trump Administration has their eyes on. The plan is to send 150 federal agents to Chicago as part of an urban crime fighting strategy. There is debate as to whether or not these federal agents will act as “secret police” in the city, but Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot says she does not want the agents in Chicago to be utilized in the same way that agents deployed to Portland this month were. These federal agents have been sent to predominantly left-leaning cities, with Trump claiming they have spiraled out of control due to Democratic leadership. The Department of Homeland Security has cited an executive order regarding monuments, memorials, and statues that would allow deployment of federal troops to individual US states without their permission.
There is no doubt that Chicago needs help with their street violence issue. This past weekend in Chicago, 51 people were shot and 3 of those people succumbed to their wounds. It is a pattern that repeats most weekends in the Windy City.
Analysis
The real solution is not rooted in sending “secret police” to sweep protestors into unmarked vans or to engage in violence against demonstrators. The overwhelming feeling in Chicago is that militarizing communities does not make them safer to live in and is not guaranteed to help curb gun violence. Many believe that this is an authoritarian show of power by President Trump, and lawsuits have been filed in several cities, including Chicago. Several community organizations such as Black Lives Matter Chicago, GoodKids MadCity, and National Lawyers Guild Chicago have already filed suit, hoping to get the federal agents to back off. These organizations condemn the use of federal agents as “secret police,” and there is fear that these federal agents will interfere with lawful protests or arrest people with no probable cause that they have committed a federal crime. Using federal agents to secretly arrest people and put them into unmarked vans is a scare tactic that people are not taking lightly, in Chicago or elsewhere. Trump is trying to make a point that he is in control with the upcoming election. This move will only cause tensions, that are already high, to continue rising.
Resistance Resources
- Black Lives Matter Chicago is an organization that is volunteer-run and fights for justice in Chicago. They work to end state violence and criminalization of Black communities
- First Defense Legal Aid is an organization that will send an attorney to anybody being held by the Chicago Police or other Cook County Police Departments. They mobilize attorneys to help with public defense
- The #LetUsBreathe Collective is an alliance of artists and activists that organize through a creative lens to imagine a world without prisons a
The Corruption of Andrew Wheeler
USRN Corruption Blog Post
The Corruption Blog digs into the details of the all-encompassing corruption of the Trump administration.
Post # 19 The Corruption of Andrew Wheeler
By Sean Gray
July 27, 2020
The Environmental Protection Agency has a wide range or responsibilities related to human health and conservation. With limited time remaining to avert the worst consequences of climate change, its mission has never been more crucial. Donald Trump and many of his allies have long been skeptical of the scientific consensus that the planet is warming at an untenable rate, primarily as a result of human activity. Andrew Wheeler, the former coal lobbyist, is the EPA’s current administrator. He serves at the pleasure of the president, and is tasked with ensuring safe land, air, and water in the US. In more than two years on the job, his fealty to the president has influenced a rash of policies that run counter to his department’s stated goals.
Wheeler’s credentials make him a questionable choice for his position. He did work for the EPA in the early 1990’s. Since then his career trajectory has taken a hard left turn. Wheeler was Chief Counsel to Oklahoma Senator Jim Inhofe, the most ardent and outspoken opponent of climate change science in Congress; the senator once brought a snowball on the Senate floor to disprove global warming. Wheeler would later serve the same role for the Senate’s Committee on Environment and Public works. Most of his time was spent reducing regulations on pollutant industries. More recently, Wheeler served as a lobbyist for Murray Energy, the fourth largest coal producer in the country. When he was confirmed as deputy director of the EPA, Wheeler was asked whether or not he accepted the scientific consensus on climate change. He acknowledged that human beings have an impact on the environment, but what impact was unclear. A simple ‘’no’’ would have been briefer while expressing the same sentiment. He was confirmed by a 52-47 vote, mostly along party lines.
Rather than focus his agency’s urgent environmental protection agenda, Wheeler has made it his mission to save the coal industry and increase pollution. Upon Trump’s election, Wheeler was present at a closed door meeting attended by his former boss, Bob Murray, of Murray Energy. The eponymous CEO brought with him drafts of six executive orders that amounted to a wish list beneficial to him and his industry. Among them were a repeal of the EPA’s finding that greenhouses gases cause environmental harm and a revocation of tax credits on wind and solar energy. Trump’s signature never found its way onto any of the drafted executive orders, but the meeting, and Wheeler’s attendance are demonstrative of the influences guiding his decision making process.
As one could envisage, given his track record, Wheeler has taken a combative stance towards pollution-reducing regulation. His environmental assaults are too numerous to list, but some of the highlights include:
- Proposing to eliminate an Obama-era rule which restricts the emission of mercury from coal and oil fire power plants. Using cost-benefit analysis the previous administration determined reducing the amount of particulates in the air would prevent 11,000 premature deaths and represent $80 billion in public health benefits. Trump’s EPA distorted the numbers by magnitudes to reach a finding in the opposite direction. 20 states are currently suing to keep the rule in place.
- The Trump administration is in the final stages of weakening emissions standards in the auto industry. The SAFE rule will increase carbon emission standards in the transportation sector by 1.5% annually rather than 5% annually under the previous guidelines. Wheeler said in a statement the move strikes the correct regulatory balance between protecting the environment and setting attainable goals for car manufacturers. The administration’s stance is that the deregulation will result in cheaper vehicles for American consumer. Not only is this unsupported by data (fuel-efficient cars are cheaper over time), but the change is expected to add one billion metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. As he has been for most of his tenure, Wheeler is in lock step with his boss and out of touch with relevant scientific data.
- Wheeler has seized on the Covid-19 pandemic to further denigrate the EPA’s work. In March, as he announced the indefinite suspension of all inspections and enforcement related to environmental laws. he informed companies that not only needn’t they meet environmental standards during the pandemic, but that the agency would not seek retroactive penalties for noncompliance.
Under the guise of increased transparency, Wheeler has sought to undermine the efficacy and reliability of his own agency’s data. By law, the EPA is required to use the best available science to inform policy decisions. Wheeler’s paradoxically named ‘’Strengthening Transparency in Regulatory Science’’ proposal directly conflicts with the law. The rule change would ban the use of all science in which the underlying raw data is not made publicly available. On the surface it seems benign. However much of the information gathered to inform policy, specifically relating to human health, is acquired under strict confidentiality agreements. Precluding data gathered in such fashion would do little to increase meaningful transparency. Worse, it would hinder government scientists by allowing bureaucrats to determine what information influences their policy recommendations. The rule was proposed in April of 2018 and was recently shot down in a vote by the House Appropriations Committee. An amendment banning its passage is included in an upcoming spending bill heading to the Senate. While it appears unlikely to become law, the regressive proposal is antithetical to the work of the Environmental Protection Agency.
At a 2019 rally, Trump bragged that the US had the cleanest air and water anywhere on Earth. He was apparently oblivious to a federal report released earlier in the same day showing an increas in polluted air days over the previous two years, versus the two years prior to his election. According to the State of the Air report, issued by the American Lung Association, nearly half the country’s population live in counties with unhealthy ozone or particle pollution. Neither Wheeler or Trump is solely responsible for these conditions, but their agenda has undoubtedly exacerbated the issue and will continue to do so.
Scott Pruitt, another former coal lobbyist, proceeded Andrew Wheeler as head of the EPA. He resigned amid 14 individual conflict-if-interest investigations by the Government Accountability Office. Wheeler may lack ethics violations typical of a corrupt public official, but the damage he’s wrought is more significant than a few military charters on the taxpayer’s dime. Like climate change itself, the only part of Wheeler’s job performance up for debate is how bad the damage will be.