While the public health and economic crises linked to the coronavirus pandemic continue to roil, we’re still learning more about the stakes for our broader public institutions and society.
This week in OtherWords, Sarah Anderson reports on the mortal danger the crisis has put the public postal service in — and how the Trump administration appears eager to use the crisis to gut your post office once and for all.
One thing we’ll really need the mail for? Voting. Coming off the hotly disputed vote in Wisconsin, Robert P. Alvarez argues that our elections are also in grave danger without no-excuse absentee voting.
Also this week, my new colleague Olivia Alperstein, who takes hydroxychloroquine for rheumatoid arthritis, explains the bind she’s in with President Trump promoting the drug — without any hard scientific evidence — as a treatment for covid-19.
Finally, Jim Hightower says the whole episode shows that “small government” is so appealing after all.
New This Week…
Postal Carriers Are Essential Workers. They Need a Stimulus, Too. | Sarah Anderson
The president is trying to use the coronavirus crisis to kill the public postal service. We can’t let him.
I Take Hydroxychloroquine. Please Don’t Hoard It. | Olivia Alperstein
To prevent hoarding and protect public health, we need to move towards universal care and lower-cost drugs.
The Next Coronavirus Bill Must Protect the 2020 Election | Robert P. Alvarez
We need no-excuse absentee voting now — and that’s the bare minimum.
Coronavirus and Small Government Sociopathy | Jim Hightower
As the devastating impact of Trump’s inaction becomes clear, Americans are discovering a hidden socialist streak.
Disunited in Grief | Khalil Bendib
What’s the real cost of covid-19?
In Case You Missed It…
The EPA Just Gave Polluters a License to Kill | Lois Gibbs
Using the pandemic as cover, the agency is suspending environmental regulations. I’ve seen firsthand what happens next — people die.
Cruel Immigration Policies Make the Pandemic Worse | Basav Sen
Warehousing people in unsanitary conditions and then deporting them to poor countries is a recipe for contagion.
A Trillion in Prevention | Dedrick Asante-Muhammad and Anneliese Lederer
Our economy was never as strong for working people as the numbers made it look. As we prepare to spend trillions on this crisis, let’s invest in changing that.
What Could Become Possible | Tracey L. Rogers
From health care for all to lower-carbon lifestyles, many once radical ideas now seem more possible — and more necessary — than ever.
