"I Haven't Heard About Testing in Weeks": In Leaked Audio, Trump Dismisses Governors' Concerns About Lack of Coronavirus Equipment

"It would be shocking to me that... anyone who has had access to any newspaper, radio, social networks, or any other communication would not be knowledgeable about the need for test kits."


by
Jake Johnson, staff writer




https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/03/31/i-havent-heard-about-testing-weeks-leaked-audio-trump-dismisses-governors-concerns







In a conference call with governors on Monday, President Donald Trump dismissed concerns about shortages of coronavirus testing equipment in states across the nation, claiming he "hasn't heard about testing being a problem" despite loud warnings from local officials and near-constant reporting on the issue by media outlets.

"I haven't heard about testing in weeks," the president said, according to leaked audio of the call obtained by CBS News. "We've tested more now than any nation in the world. We've got these great tests and we come out with another one tomorrow that's, you know, almost instantaneous testing. But I haven't heard about testing being a problem."

Trump's remarks came after Montana Gov. Steve Bullock said on the call that his state doesn't "have enough supplies to even do the testing" for coronavirus, which has officially infected more than 163,000 people in the United States.

"Literally we are one day away, if we don't get test kits from the CDC, that we wouldn't be able to do testing in Montana," said Bullock.

Listen to the audio clip:


Washington Gov. Jay Inslee told the New York Times that he was stunned by the president's remarks.




"It would be shocking to me that... anyone who has had access to any newspaper, radio, social networks, or any other communication would not be knowledgeable about the need for test kits," Inslee said, noting his state is in "dire" need of equipment. "I can be assured that the White House knows very well about this desperate need for test kits."

Trump has repeatedly ignored or brushed aside warnings from frontline workers and local officials about shortages of of testing kits and other medical equipment as the coronavirus continues to spread rapidly across the United States.

During a press briefing Monday evening, Trump lashed out at PBS reporter Yamiche Alcindor after she pressed the president on why, despite his frequent claims to the contrary, the United States continues to lag behind other major nations in coronavirus testing per capita.

"You should be saying congratulations instead of asking a really snarky question," Trump said.

Watch:

New York AG Denounces 'Immoral and Inhumane' Firing of Amazon Worker Who Led Protest Over Lack of Coronavirus Protections

"Taking action cost me my job," said Chris Smalls. "Because I tried to stand up for something that's right, the company decided to retaliate against me."


by
Jake Johnson, staff writer





35 Comments




https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/03/31/new-york-ag-denounces-immoral-and-inhumane-firing-amazon-worker-who-led-protest-over







New York Attorney General Letitia James late Monday condemned as "immoral and inhumane" Amazon's firing of a Staten Island fulfillment center employee who organized a walkout protesting the retail giant's failure to provide workers with adequate protections against the coronavirus outbreak.

James said in a statement that her office is considering taking legal action against Amazon and called on the National Labor Relations Board to investigate the firing of Chris Smalls, who accused the company of retaliating against him for Monday's demonstration.


Amazon, owned by world's richest man Jeff Bezos, said in a statement that it terminated Smalls for "violating social distancing guidelines" by returning to the Staten Island fulfillment center after he was asked to self-quarantine for 14 days following his exposure to a worker infected by COVID-19."It is disgraceful that Amazon would terminate an employee who bravely stood up to protect himself and his colleagues," said James. "At the height of a global pandemic, Chris Smalls and his colleagues publicly protested the lack of precautions that Amazon was taking to protect them from COVID-19. Today, Chris Smalls was fired."

In an interview with Bloomberg Monday, Smalls called Amazon's claim "ridiculous."

"Taking action cost me my job," said Smalls, who was an assistant manager. "Because I tried to stand up for something that's right, the company decided to retaliate against me."






Thus far, only one worker at the Staten Island fulfillment center has officially tested positive for the novel coronavirus, but Smalls told Bloomberg he believes more employees have been infected and condemned the company's failure to take necessary precautions.

"The conditions there are horrific," said Smalls. "The items that we use to clean up the building are scarce... We don't have the proper masks, we don't have the latex gloves."

"It's all false, it's all sugarcoated," Smalls said of Amazon's insistence that it has put in place adequate safety procedures. "We have plenty of workers that haven't been to work for the entire month of March because they're scared for their lives... We have people that have Lupus, we have people that have asthma, we have people that have infants at home, that have people that's pregnant."

As Common Dreams reported, dozens of employees at Amazon's Staten Island warehouse walked off the job Monday afternoon to protest the facility's unsanitary conditions.

"We're not asking for much," Smalls told CNN ahead of the protest. "We're asking the building to be closed and sanitized, and for us to be paid [during that process]."

Fed Economists Warn US Unemployment Rate Could Soon Reach 32%—During Great Depression It Peaked at 25%

"These are very large numbers by historical standards, but this is a rather unique shock that is unlike any other experienced by the U.S. economy in the last 100 years."




by
Jake Johnson, staff writer




https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/03/31/fed-economists-warn-us-unemployment-rate-could-soon-reach-32-during-great-depression







Economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis are warning that if the current rate of U.S. job losses continues, the country's unemployment rate could reach a staggering 32.1% by the end of June as the coronavirus pandemic-induced downturn sparks mass layoffs across the nation.

Miguel Faria-e-Castro, an economist with the St. Louis Fed, wrote in an analysis last week that 47 million more workers could lose their jobs by the end of the second quarter of 2020, bringing the total number of unemployed people in the U.S. to 52.8 million. As CNBC noted, that number would be "more than three times worse than the peak of the Great Recession."

Faria-e-Castro's projection of 32.1% unemployment would put the U.S. jobless rate significantly higher than the Depression-era peak of 24.9%.

"The projections are even worse than St. Louis Fed President James Bullard's much-publicized estimate of 30% [unemployment]," CNBC reported. "They reflect the high nature of at-risk jobs that ultimately could be lost."

Faria-e-Castro stressed that "the expected duration of unemployment" could matter more "than the unemployment rate itself, especially if the recovery is quick (and so duration is short)."

"These are very large numbers by historical standards," Faria-e-Castro wrote, "but this is a rather unique shock that is unlike any other experienced by the U.S. economy in the last 100 years."


In response to the St. Louis Fed analysis, HuffPost senior reporter Zach Carter tweeted, "It remains simply incredible that Congress is not even in town during a crisis of this magnitude."




"An astonishing, bipartisan failure of government," Carter added.


As Common Dreams reported last Friday, 3.3 million people filed jobless claims two weeks ago, shattering the previous record of 695,000 set in 1982.

"I have been a labor economist for a very long time and I have never seen anything like this," Heidi Shierholz of the Economic Policy Institute wrote in a blog post last week. "Furthermore, this is just the tip of the iceberg."

More than 40 economists surveyed by Bloomberg on Monday said they believe new Labor Department unemployment numbers set for release Thursday will be even higher.

Thomas Costerg, an economist at the investment firm Pictet Wealth Management, predicted that new jobless claims could be as high as 6.5 million while Goldman Sachs estimated 5.25 million.

New York magazine's Eric Levitz wrote Monday that while the "St. Louis Fed's projection is just a rough estimate... there's reason to think its catastrophic prediction is in the right ballpark."

"It's hard not to suspect that most every part of our economic life is going to get worse before it gets better," Levitz added.

With Bills Due April 1, More Than 400,000 Demand Congress Freeze All Rent, Mortgage, and Utility Payments

"Millions are wondering how they'll pay their rent or mortgage by tomorrow. We need additional emergency action suspending rent, mortgage and utility payments for the duration of this crisis."

by

Jake Johnson, staff writer

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/03/31/bills-due-april-1-more-400000-demand-congress-freeze-all-rent-mortgage-and-utility

More than 400,000 people have signed a petition calling on Congress to freeze all rent, mortgage, and utility payments nationwide in order to prevent a looming "housing catastrophe" as millions of Americans head into April jobless and unsure whether they will be able to afford their bills.

"Millions are wondering how they'll pay their rent or mortgage by tomorrow," said Justin Ruben, co-director of ParentsTogether Action, which organized the petition. "We need additional emergency action suspending rent, mortgage and utility payments for the duration of this crisis."

"This isn't a choice we should be forcing people to make," said Ruben.On Tuesday, ParentsTogether released a survey showing that just 38% of parents believe they will be able to make their rent or mortgage payments on Wednesday without cutting back on food, medicine, or other necessities.

An estimated 43 million U.S. households are renters, according to the National Multifamily Housing Council. Wednesday marks the first time rent payments are due since the coronavirus crisis shuttered large segments of the economy and sparked mass layoffs. Nearly 3.3 million people filed unemployment claims two weeks ago and millions more likely lost their jobs last week.

An NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll released earlier this month showed that nearly one in five U.S. adults have either lost their jobs or seen a reduction in hours as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

"How the hell are people expected to pay their bills tomorrow?" asked consumer advocacy group Public Citizen. "Rent, mortgages, utilities, and more must be frozen immediately."

As Common Dreams reported Sunday, calls for a nationwide rent moratorium have surged in recent days as the economic fallout from the coronavirus shows no sign of abating.

Cea Weaver, spokesperson for the New York-based tenant coalition Housing Justice for All, warned that the U.S. could see "apocalyptic levels of homelessness and evictions" if lawmakers don't freeze rent and other monthly payments immediately.

The Intercept's Aída Chávez reported last Friday that "major bill payments have barely factored into U.S. politicians' response" to the coronavirus pandemic.

"While some states—namely New York—have taken steps to temporarily block evictions, congressional Democrats, with the exception of a handful of progressive lawmakers, have shown almost no interest in addressing the bills due in less than a week, one of the most pressing financial concerns ordinary people currently face," Chávez noted.

One exception is Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who on Tuesday criticized New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo for demanding a 90-day moratorium on mortgage payments while ignoring renters.

"If you called for a suspension or moratorium on mortgage payments, then we should also call for that same treatment on rent payments," Ocasio-Cortez said during an appearance on "The Brian Lehrer Show" on WNYC.

"We're essentially rewarding and offering preferential treatment to landowners and folks who are more wealthy," the New York Democrat added, "and we're not offering that same kind of relief to renters."

'Fanatical Cruelty': As Pandemic Rages, Trump Refuses to Reopen Affordable Care Act Enrollment to Help Uninsured

"This isn't just an outrageous decision, but it's also a deadly one."



by
Jake Johnson, staff writer




https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/04/01/fanatical-cruelty-pandemic-rages-trump-refuses-reopen-affordable-care-act-enrollment




As millions of people across the United States lose their jobs—and their employer-provided health insurance—amid the coronavirus pandemic, President Donald Trump has reportedly decided against reopening Affordable Care Act enrollment to ease the economic pain of the uninsured and help protect them from devastating medical costs.

An anonymous White House official told Politico Tuesday night that the Trump administration will not reopen HealthCare.gov for a special enrollment period as the U.S. battles the COVID-19 outbreak, disregarding urgent pleas from a diverse array of advocacy groups (pdf) and more than 100 members of Congress (pdf). The White House is "exploring other options," the official said without elaborating.


The annual ACA enrollment period ended in December, though some are still eligible for special enrollment despite the Trump administration's tireless efforts to restrict eligibility."This isn't just an outrageous decision, but it's also a deadly one," said Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas.). "Moments ago, Donald Trump announced we should expect 100-200k deaths in the U.S. For those without health insurance, this is fatal. It's time to end this senseless war on healthcare."

While around a dozen states that run their own ACA exchanges have reopened enrollment, most states rely on the federal marketplace directed by the Trump administration, which is currently backing a Republican lawsuit that, if successful, would overturn the ACA and throw tens of millions more off their insurance.

"In the middle a pandemic that could kill hundreds of thousands, Trump and his toadies are deliberately blocking Americans from buying healthcare," tweeted Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.Y.). "Theirs is fanatical cruelty that will kill people."

As HuffPost's Jeff Young wrote late Tuesday, "the negative consequences of this active refusal to offer help to vulnerable Americans are obvious":





The people living in the 38 states that use HealthCare.gov—and those in Idaho, which hasn't reactivated its state-run exchange—will likely remain uninsured, leaving them potentially exposed to tens of thousands of dollars in costs if they get sick from the novel coronavirus and need medical treatment.

Moreover, the high cost of healthcare frequently discourages Americans from seeking care, especially those who are among the 28 million uninsured. And sick people not being isolated and treated means they are at risk of spreading the coronavirus to more people.

Progressives have argued repeatedly in recent weeks that the spread of the novel coronavirus and the resulting economic collapse have exposed the cruelty of a for-profit healthcare system that ties insurance to employment and essential care to one's ability to shoulder the often exorbitant costs. Medicare for All, advocates say, is the only humane and reasonable solution to the crisis in the long-term.

In the meantime, progressive lawmakers and activists have demanded that all coronavirus testing, treatment, and potential cures by made free and available for everyone in the United States.

As Common Dreams reported Monday, an analysis by Covered California found that insurance companies could raise premiums by more than 40% next year, which would put already expensive healthcare entirely out of reach for millions of people.

"Corporate-run health insurance isn't about saving lives," tweeted Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate. "It's about making as much money as possible. With Medicare for All we can finally put an end to this international disgrace."

Trump Throws Up 'Outrageous' Roadblock for Seniors, People With Disabilities in Need of $1,200 Relief Checks

"The Trump administration is throwing up an unnecessary barrier that will make it harder for seniors, people with disabilities, and veterans to get the payments they desperately need."


by
Jake Johnson, staff writer




https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/04/01/trump-throws-outrageous-roadblock-seniors-people-disabilities-need-1200-relief




As millions of Americans await the $1,200 cash payments authorized by the latest coronavirus stimulus package, experts and progressive advocates are condemning a move by the Trump administration which would force millions of seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities to jump through unnecessary hoops to receive money they are entitled to under law.

The Internal Revenue Service issued guidance earlier this week announcing that people who do not typically file a tax return—a group that includes millions of Social Security recipients and low-income Americans—"will need to file a simple tax return to receive an economic impact payment."


"Instead, the Trump administration is throwing up an unnecessary barrier that will make it harder for seniors, people with disabilities, and veterans to get the payments they desperately need," said Altman. "In the middle of a pandemic to which they are most vulnerable, the groups can't afford any delay.""This is outrageous," Nancy Altman, president of advocacy group Social Security Works, said in a statement on the policy Wednesday. "The $1200 payments could easily be added automatically to the benefits these people already receive every month."

Altman noted that the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act explicitly gives the Treasury Department authority to use Social Security Administration (SSA) data already on file to distribute the one-time payments to those who did not file a tax return in 2018 or 2019.

Chuck Marr, senior director of federal tax policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, urged the Treasury Department to "aggressively use that authority" to ensure that seniors and other vulnerable people don't fall through the cracks.

"Requiring seniors and people with disabilities who receive Form SSA-1099 (the annual Social Security benefit statement) to file a tax return is unnecessary," Marr wrote in a blog post Tuesday. "The federal government already has all of the information it needs... Likely more than 15 million Social Security recipients who currently don't file tax returns and aren't otherwise required to do so would have to file if Treasury doesn't use its authority to get those people payments automatically."

HuffPost's Arthur Delaney reported Tuesday that what the IRS described as a "simple tax return" is anything but simple to actually file, particularly at a time when volunteer tax clinics that help Americans navigate the process are closed due to the coronavirus outbreak.

As Delaney wrote:


Theoretically, any low-income household should be able to file its taxes online for free (here is the IRS.gov page with links to approved free services). But new filers trying to get rebate payments through the free online process may have some problems.

One person in Indiana, who said their only income is disability benefits, said the free online tax software wouldn't allow them to file online or enter bank account information. The person, who requested anonymity, had received too little in disability benefits to owe federal tax, and because they had no earned income, wouldn't receive a normal refund, so the filing software said they weren't eligible to file online.

I created a TurboTax account and tried to make a dummy return for a single person with no earned income. The software said that because my Form 1040 would have zeroes on lines for income, tax, credits, and payments, that my federal return was "ineligible for e-filing, according to IRS rules."

After publishing his story, Delaney tweeted that he received "a dozen emails overnight from seniors on Social Security unable to file taxes online because the tax prep software won't let them, apparently due to their lack of earned income and tax liability."




"This is a problem!" Delaney said.




House Democrats said they have heard similar complaints from their constituents.

In a statement Tuesday in the wake of the IRS guidance, House Ways and Means chairman Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.) said he and other Democrats in Congress "have been inundated with calls from concerned senior citizens regarding their ability to receive the economic impact payments Congress included in the CARES Act."

"Crucial filing resources, like Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE), are not available to provide assistance due to the COVID-19 crisis," said Neal. "My colleagues and I strongly urge Treasury Secretary [Steve] Mnuchin and Social Security Administrator [Andrew] Saul to find a solution that will allow vulnerable groups to receive these funds automatically, without needing to file an additional return."


Millions of Americans without direct deposit information on file with the IRS could face months of delays in receiving their payments, House Democratic aides have warned.Mnuchin said a Sunday morning appearance on CBS' "Face the Nation" that Americans with direct deposit information on file with the IRS can expect to receive their one-time payments automatically "within three weeks," but the Washington Post reported Wednesday that "technical glitches and mismanagement" could disrupt that timeline.

The cash payments are phased out for Americans with higher incomes; individuals earning up to $75,000 a year are eligible for the maximum amount of $1,200.

Altman of Social Security Works said that to ensure that everyone who is eligible receives their payment, the Trump administration must roll back its requirement that many seniors and other vulnerable Americans file a return.

"Millions of people who need these payments won't get them [if the policy remains in place]," Altman said. "At best, the payments will be delayed—even though the federal government pays these people benefits right now, each and every month."

"The Trump administration must reverse course immediately and make a clear public statement that all Social Security beneficiaries, SSI recipients, and veterans receiving pensions will get their $1200 payments without filing a tax return," said Altman. "And then the government should pay—without delay—what it owes."

Medicare for All Support Surges to 9-Month High in New Poll After Coronavirus Exposes Horrors of Private Insurance

"How can it be that we spend 18% of our GDP on healthcare but still lack the beds, masks, ventilators, gowns, gloves, and test kits we need to adequately respond to this crisis?" asked Sen. Bernie Sanders.


by
Jake Johnson, staff writer




https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/04/01/medicare-all-support-surges-9-month-high-new-poll-after-coronavirus-exposes-horrors







Support for Medicare for All among U.S. voters has reached a nine-month high in a Morning Consult/Politico tracking poll as the deadly and ongoing coronavirus pandemic lays bare the horrors and systemic inefficiencies of America's profit-driven healthcare system.

The survey (pdf), released Wednesday, found that 55 percent of U.S. voters support Medicare for All, a nine-point jump since February. While support for Medicare for All is highest among Democratic voters at 75%, a majority of Independents—52%—also support the policy, along with 31% of Republicans.

"We must transform our dysfunctional healthcare system."
—Sen. Bernie Sanders

Morning Consult's Yusra Murad wrote that the poll, conducted between March 27-29, "suggests progressive lawmakers may have an opportunity to sway key demographics—support for Medicare for All grew among people in the $50,000-$100,000 income bracket, voters between 45 and 54 years old, and black voters by roughly 10 points each."

"With the discussion of enacting a universal healthcare system in the United States intensifying, 43 percent of voters say they are more likely to support reforms to grant all Americans health insurance from the government because of the coronavirus outbreak," Murad noted. "Notably, that support does not include the frontrunner in the Democratic presidential primary election—former Vice President Joe Biden."

As Common Dreams reported, Biden on Monday doubled down on his opposition to Medicare for All, telling MSNBC that single-payer healthcare would "not solve" the coronavirus crisis.




Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Biden's only remaining opponent in the Democratic presidential primary race, has repeatedly argued in recent weeks—alongside many other experts and advocates—that the coronavirus outbreak and the resulting economic meltdown bolsters the case for Medicare for All, the Vermont senator's signature policy proposal.

Sanders' Medicare for All plan would provide everyone in the U.S. with comprehensive healthcare for free at the point of service and virtually eliminate the private insurance system which has left 80 million Americans uninsured or underinsured—a number that is rising rapidly as millions lose their jobs due to the coronavirus outbreak.

"How can it be that we spend 18% of our [gross domestic product] on healthcare—more than any other major country on Earth—but still lack the beds, masks, ventilators, gowns, gloves, and test kits we need to adequately respond to this crisis?" Sanders asked in a tweet on Wednesday.

"We must transform our dysfunctional healthcare system," said Sanders.