Socially Distant; By the Numbers; and Environmental Victories

I. Socially Distant

Percent who say that they are concerned about a coronavirus outbreak in their area. More than 80% of Democrats expressed concern, in contrast to fewer than 40% of Republicans.  

A. Percent who think Trump's covid-19 policy is not taking the risks seriously enough: Democrats - 79%; Republicans -  12%.

B. Percent who think the federal government should be responsible for ramping up testing: Democrats - 72%; Republicans - 33%.

C. Percent who think a stay-at-home order is a violation of constitutional rights: Democrats - 6%; Republicans - 42%.

D. Percent who say they will get vaccinated when coronavirus vaccine is available: Democrats - 70%; Republicans - 47%. (For sources, visit motherjones.com/red-blue.)

II. DACA On My Mind

5 - Number of Supreme Court justices who ruled on June 18 that the Trump administration may not act immediately to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

650K - Approximate number of DACA recipients in the US.

7 - Average age of DACA recipients when they came to the US.

200K - DACA recipients who are essential workers in healthcare, education, food, and other industries.

256K - Children who are US citizens and have at least one parent enrolled in DACA. (Source: The Nation, July 13/20, 2020.)

III. Nursing Home Numbers

1.5M - Number of people in the US who are cared for in nursing homes.

54K - Minimum number of nursing home residents and employees who have died from covid-19 in the US, as of June 30.

24% - Share of nursing home workers who were tested or presumed positive for covid-19 in New York state from March to early June.

24 - Number of states in which the majority of covid-19 deaths are linked to nursing homes.

$13 - Median hourly pay of a certified nursing assistant at a nursing home.

70% - Share of nursing homes in the  US that are for-profit. (Source: The Nation, July 27/August 3, 2020.)

IV. Policing By the Numbers

170% - Increase in the cost of policing in the US from 1977 to 2017.

$7.4B - Value of equipment that has flowed from the Pentagon to police departments since 1997.

41% - Share of the Oakland, California general fund dedicated to police expenditures.

$220M - Amount paid New York City taxpayers to settle legal issues involving the NYPD in fiscal year 2019.

809K - Number of police officers and detectives in the US in 2018.

616K - Number of middle school teachers in the US in 2018.

5 Cents - Amount that Chicago spends on its Department of Family and Support Services for every dollar earmarked for the police. (Source: The Nation, August 10/17, 2020.)

V. Environmental Victories

#A court ordered Trump's EPA to finalize a ban on the pesticide chlorpyrifos, which can harm the developing brains of children. The agency refused and so the  legal battle will continue.

#The NRDC lawsuit blocked the Interior Department's climate-weakening plan to offer up 80 billion tons of coal for leasing on public lands in Montana and Wyoming.

#A California court rejected Monsanto's latest effort to remove glyphosate, used in its Roundup weed killer, from the state's public list of cancer-causing chemicals.

#Carmakers who disregard climate-saving fuel economy standards will face stiff penalties, thanks to an NRDC-led victory over Trump's Department of Transportation.

#A courtroom victory blocked President Trump from reversing President Obama's ban on offshore drilling across vast swaths of land and water. (Source: NRDC fact sheet.)

ADDENDUMS:

*Within a 25-hour period, Trump tweeted: "When the looting starts, the shooting starts," and "The only good Democrat is a dead Democrat."

*Trump has called hydroxychoroquine a preventive and curative treatment. 

*Sen, Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) has said: "Without sufficient explanation,it's fair to question the president's rationale for removing an inspector general. If the president has a good reason to remove an inspector general, just tell Congress what it is. Otherwise, the American people will be left speculating whether political or self interests are to blame."

*A nationwide review conducted by ABC News has identified 54 criminal cases where Trump was involved in direct connection with violent acts, threats of violence or allegations of assaults.

*Trump has said he will brand the loosely organized Antifa movement as a terrorist organization; however, the law states that such a designation can only be applied to international organizations.

*A new study by Monmouth University found 57% of Americans believe police are more likely to use force on Black people.