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In the middle of a pandemic, 2 million more Americans are uninsured

In the middle of a pandemic, 2 million more Americans are uninsured

This piece was originally published in the September 24, 2020 edition of CAP Action’s daily newsletter, the Progress Report. Subscribe to the Progress Report here.

“Justice was met for her neighbor’s apartment walls and not her beautiful life.”

— LeBron James, responding to the insufficient charges announced in Breonna Taylor’s killing. The charges only addressed stray bullets that police shot into the unit next door.

2 million more Americans have become uninsured during the pandemic — at a time when people need health care more than ever. Trump’s only plan is a lawsuit to strip coverage from 20 million more.

Trump’s chaos has a price. Share this graphic on Twitter and Facebook to get the facts out:

IN THE NEWS

  • Protesters gathered in cities across the country last night after we learned that the officers who killed Breonna Taylor would face no charges directly related to her death. One officer was charged, but not for the fatal shots — rather, he faces three charges of wanton endangerment for stray bullets shot into a neighboring apartment. Lawyers for Taylor’s boyfriend and family have expressed serious concerns with Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron’s handling of the case. While the irreversible and unjust loss of Breonna Taylor means her family may never experience true justice, the utter lack of accountability for those who killed her is insulting.
  • At a press conference yesterday afternoon, Trump refused to commit to accepting the results of the upcoming election. Asked by a reporter if he would partake in a peaceful transition of power should he not be re-elected, he said that he would “have to see what happens.” He went on to repeat his previous lies about mail-in voting and ballot security. Questioning the election results before the election even takes place is a pretty clear sign that it has never really been about election integrity for Trump. He’s simply afraid of losing — and he’s signaling that he’ll do anything to hold on to his power.
  • Meanwhile, Mark Zuckerberg attempted to calm public fears this week by saying he wouldn’t let Trump run ads on election night that prematurely claim he has won the election. Sounds good, right? Not exactly. As readers of our new newsletter, What’s Trending?, know, paid ads are not the biggest enemy in the war against online disinformation. The biggest problem is organic posts, which get much more engagement than paid ads and reach millions of Americans every week, often containing unchecked right-wing lies. Just like you and me, Trump could simply make a Facebook post in which he prematurely claims victory, and nothing will be done to correct it, according to Zuckerberg’s plan. Thanks for nothing!

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

  • While many Americans will be taking advantage of their states’ absentee or mail-in voting systems this year, it’s still important for states to advance policies that offer ample in-person voting opportunities. As this piece from The Appeal explains, mail-in voting poses particular challenges for Native people living on reservations, who have historically faced voter suppression on multiple fronts. And this new report from CAP’s Hauwa Ahmed outlines the importance of maintaining in-person options to prevent the inadvertent disenfranchisement of people of color, Americans with disabilities, and those who rely on same-day voter registration.

WHAT WE’RE READING (AND LISTENING TO)

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