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Amid a surge in Covid-19 patients, Providence St. Mary Medical Center in Apple Valley, CA is operating at over 200 percent of its normal ICU capacity. (Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Nearly 4,000 Americans Died From Covid-19 on Wednesday as Trump Incited Anti-Democratic Insurrection
"Trump completely abdicating all responsibility for federal Covid response is not even on the radar today."
Jan 06, 2021
Public Citizen president Robert Weissman called Wednesday a "dark, dark day for America." He was understandably referring to the spectacle of an insurrectionary mob of fascists--egged on by President Donald Trump and abetted by Republican lawmakers--storming the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to undermine the democratic process that handed President-elect Joe Biden a legitimate and decisive Electoral College victory.
The violent invasion of the halls of Congress, however, coincided with another tragedy that unfolded relatively quietly nationwide: 3,865 Americans died from Covid-19 on Wednesday, surpassing the record high set one day earlier.
That brought the overall number of Covid-19 deaths in the nation to 361,453 people, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
Wednesday's right-wing riots in Washington, D.C. and the federal government's disastrous pandemic response are linked, critics say, since both are products of decades of inequality-worsening "free-market" policies as well as Trump's catastrophic failure of leadership.
Yet, as Georgetown University political scientist Elizabeth Saunders pointed out, Trump's complete abdication of responsibility for the federal response to the coronavirus crisis was "not even on the radar."
Instead, the deadliest day in U.S. history was overshadowed by a pro-Trump coup attempt, an assault on democracy instigated by the president himself.
Unfortunately, epidemiologists are warning that in the coming weeks, coronavirus infections and mortality are likely to intensify in the U.S., where 21,314,415 cases have been recorded as of press time.
According to the latest data from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, the country's total Covid-19 death count is projected to hit about 518,945 by February 7, while the daily death toll is expected to peak at roughly 5,490 on February 10.
That forecast is based on the assumptions that "vaccine distribution is scaled up over 90 days" and "governments do not re-impose mandates if cases increase," the IHME explains.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Kenny Stancil
Kenny Stancil is senior researcher at the Revolving Door Project and a former staff writer for Common Dreams.
Public Citizen president Robert Weissman called Wednesday a "dark, dark day for America." He was understandably referring to the spectacle of an insurrectionary mob of fascists--egged on by President Donald Trump and abetted by Republican lawmakers--storming the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to undermine the democratic process that handed President-elect Joe Biden a legitimate and decisive Electoral College victory.
The violent invasion of the halls of Congress, however, coincided with another tragedy that unfolded relatively quietly nationwide: 3,865 Americans died from Covid-19 on Wednesday, surpassing the record high set one day earlier.
That brought the overall number of Covid-19 deaths in the nation to 361,453 people, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
Wednesday's right-wing riots in Washington, D.C. and the federal government's disastrous pandemic response are linked, critics say, since both are products of decades of inequality-worsening "free-market" policies as well as Trump's catastrophic failure of leadership.
Yet, as Georgetown University political scientist Elizabeth Saunders pointed out, Trump's complete abdication of responsibility for the federal response to the coronavirus crisis was "not even on the radar."
Instead, the deadliest day in U.S. history was overshadowed by a pro-Trump coup attempt, an assault on democracy instigated by the president himself.
Unfortunately, epidemiologists are warning that in the coming weeks, coronavirus infections and mortality are likely to intensify in the U.S., where 21,314,415 cases have been recorded as of press time.
According to the latest data from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, the country's total Covid-19 death count is projected to hit about 518,945 by February 7, while the daily death toll is expected to peak at roughly 5,490 on February 10.
That forecast is based on the assumptions that "vaccine distribution is scaled up over 90 days" and "governments do not re-impose mandates if cases increase," the IHME explains.
Kenny Stancil
Kenny Stancil is senior researcher at the Revolving Door Project and a former staff writer for Common Dreams.
Public Citizen president Robert Weissman called Wednesday a "dark, dark day for America." He was understandably referring to the spectacle of an insurrectionary mob of fascists--egged on by President Donald Trump and abetted by Republican lawmakers--storming the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to undermine the democratic process that handed President-elect Joe Biden a legitimate and decisive Electoral College victory.
The violent invasion of the halls of Congress, however, coincided with another tragedy that unfolded relatively quietly nationwide: 3,865 Americans died from Covid-19 on Wednesday, surpassing the record high set one day earlier.
That brought the overall number of Covid-19 deaths in the nation to 361,453 people, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
Wednesday's right-wing riots in Washington, D.C. and the federal government's disastrous pandemic response are linked, critics say, since both are products of decades of inequality-worsening "free-market" policies as well as Trump's catastrophic failure of leadership.
Yet, as Georgetown University political scientist Elizabeth Saunders pointed out, Trump's complete abdication of responsibility for the federal response to the coronavirus crisis was "not even on the radar."
Instead, the deadliest day in U.S. history was overshadowed by a pro-Trump coup attempt, an assault on democracy instigated by the president himself.
Unfortunately, epidemiologists are warning that in the coming weeks, coronavirus infections and mortality are likely to intensify in the U.S., where 21,314,415 cases have been recorded as of press time.
According to the latest data from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, the country's total Covid-19 death count is projected to hit about 518,945 by February 7, while the daily death toll is expected to peak at roughly 5,490 on February 10.
That forecast is based on the assumptions that "vaccine distribution is scaled up over 90 days" and "governments do not re-impose mandates if cases increase," the IHME explains.
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