Part one: The Washington Monthly magazine asked a distinguished group of area experts and beat reporters—including Wesley Clark, David Cole, and Julie Rovner—to think through the unthinkable: what if Donald Trump wins in November?
We chat with Grace Gedye Editor, Washington Monthly about the series: What if Trump Wins? https://washingtonmonthly.com/magazine/april-may-june-2020/what-if-trump-wins/,
Sanders had suspended his presidential campaign. Now, with no Republican challengers to Trump, only Biden remains. The themes that the experts identified, with the supposition that Trump wins the election in November 2020 were:
a. Judicial appointments that would be made, especially to the Supreme Court. Republicans have been focused on the judges that Trump would appoint. Currently, 25% of federal judges are Trump appointees. This will have effects on abortion rights, civil rights, gun legislation, religious influence in government, LGBT civil rights, the ACA, labor relations, among others.
b. What lessons Trump will have learned from the pandemic. Unfortunately, it appears that there may be none, if he is reelected.
People in the US may be increasingly aware of the importance of the health care debate. Public health is not well served with the current health care system we have. We are learning that rather than the more advantaged people being essential, it is the ordinary workers who are essential. It is they who produce and deliver what the rest of the country needs. Unfortunately, Republicans seem to have become cult-like in their devotion to Trump. It will take a long time to rehabilitate the US after him. But the elections are likely to be ‘fixed’ due to the courts, as we have seen in Wisconsin, where the Republican-controlled state legislatures resisted the use of mail in ballots, and shut down polling places to a small fraction, and forced voters to stand in long lines, during the social distancing of the Corona Virus.
Part Two:
Our regular check in with Robert Hennelly, reporter at the Chief-Leader (which reports on Labor Issues and Local Politics in New York), columnist at Salon.com and can be found @stucknation.
Death on the MTA
https://thechiefleader.com/news/news_of_the_week/subway-conductor-with-20-years-on-job-is-mtas-first-coronavirus-victim/article_44f9602c-7056-11ea-b493-fb909d176ec6.html
Under staffed prisons
https://thechiefleader.com/news/news_of_the_week/saddle-short-staffed-federal-prisons-with-added-burden-from-virus/article_028981d2-7442-11ea-8603-9f08bf34ea4f.html
We discuss with Bob the effects of the Corona virus on workers in New York City, particularly workers in the public service sector. Whole communities are sick, and any remedies must be at the whole community level. As of April 8, 33 public transit workers have died. EMTs are in danger, as are other public service workers, including nurses . Unfortunately, these are not individuals that are being tested, are not supplied with masks, gloves, and other protections that are needed. Instead of being treated medically, if they exhibit symptoms, they simply told to go home. This not only ignores their danger, but the danger to their families and communities.
DeBlasio, the mayor, is at least feeding the communities. Since children are not attending school, they are missing out on the meals they used to get there. Now, the city is feeding all who ask, and has set up feeding programs for residents. This, at least, shows some situational awareness of the scope of the problem. However, the wrong people are still being tested.
Fatalities are being underreported in New York, and likely elsewhere. The underreporting occurs when people die at home, and their symptoms are not known. They are often reported to have died from causes such as heart disease or other, common causes. Those who die as the EMTs arrive, or just before the EMTs arrive are not tested to determine whether Corona virus is the cause. But there seems no time to check the deceased. Workers are thus exposed as these deaths occur. In New Hampshire, 26% of health care workers have tested positive for Corona Virus.
