The first coronavirus relief bill (the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act) was signed into law by President Trump on March 27, 2020, and excluded many immigrants from its delivery of direct payments to taxpayers and free coronavirus testing, among other provisions.
Read MoreCalifornia’s unemployment rate jumped to 5.3% in March—up from 3.9% in February—as a result of nearly 100,000 lost jobs. If urgent action is not taken, the number of people in California experiencing homelessness will only skyrocket.
Read MorePeople detained in rural jails are likely to be there because they cannot afford cash bail. Judges in rural courts often send people to jail for drug possession, in part because there are few diversion programs.
Read MoreThe coronavirus crisis is intensifying as President Trump and the Republican Party together fail to respond adequately. As unemployment continues to rise, the need for additional economic relief is becoming increasingly clear.
Read MoreThe past month has presented the nation with a crisis, the scope of which is so immense that it has rippled out from the novel coronavirus itself, COVID-19, to create unprecedented effects on our economic system and the way we live our daily lives. At the same time, as the pandemic continues to unfold, our inherent interconnectedness—the shared vulnerability we all have at this moment—is forcing many people to reexamine the ways in which we live our lives and organize our society.
Read MoreWith millions of renters in a desperate situation, bold legislation to relieve renters is imperative.
Read MoreCalifornia has quickly become one of the epicenters for the coronavirus pandemic. To date, the state has one of the highest infection rates and over 500 deaths from the coronavirus. The Center for Disease Control currently predicts that the United States will see around 200,000 deaths even if citizens practice “social distancing,” which requires that people maintain six feet of distance from others.
Read MoreData for Progress ran a message test on different potential Democratic responses to Trump’s claims that he is doing a “great job” handling the coronavirus crisis, to determine which were the most effective.
Read MoreWhile office workers are figuring out Zoom calls and creating improvised desks, essential workers, defined as those performing work that may involve the safety of human life or the protection of property, are continuing to show up at their workplaces in order to keep grocery stores, hospitals, and other important services running.
Read MoreIn recent weeks, the humanitarian disaster that doctors and public health experts predicted has turned into reality: coronavirus has reached prisons and jails in California and across the country, sparking outbreaks that threaten the lives of incarcerated people, staff, and surrounding communities. California’s elected prosecutors—the district attorney in each county—are uniquely positioned to address this crisis.
Read MoreIf states are serious about preventing the spread of COVID-19, they must take immediate action to reduce the number of people in state prisons. While every state’s mechanisms will differ according to constitutional and statutory provisions, there are a number of actions that state actors – including governors – can take.
Read MoreNot leaving one’s home, or “shelter in place,” is the primary strategy to prevent the continued increase in coronavirus infection. In other words, safety from potentially deadly illness requires that people have homes, meaning that the harms generally associated with eviction or foreclosure are exponentially greater.
Read MoreThe economy is in free fall. The clearest indicator of this grim reality is the latest unemployment numbers: The United States Department of Labor registered 6.6 million initial unemployment claims for the week ending on March 28. This surpassed the previous record (3.3 million), which was set the week prior. This rapidly deteriorating situation is one that most voters are acutely aware of.
Read MoreIt is important for policymakers to understand the toll this is taking on the public, as well as noting the racial disparities that are being further exacerbated by this situation. And they need to act now because, through no fault of their own, millions of Americans have been laid off, had their hours reduced at their jobs or lost their health insurance.
Read MoreAcross the country and throughout the world, there has been wide recognition that reducing the number of people inside jails and prisons is critical to slowing the spread of the coronavirus—both within these facilities and in the general public. At stake is the health not only of incarcerated people, but of the correctional staff whose job requires interacting with them daily and in unavoidably close quarters.
Read MoreOn April 2, the National Juvenile Defender Center likewise issued a statement on the urgent need to halt new detentions and release all youth who can safely return home to their families or caregivers.
Read MoreUnhoused populations are always vulnerable to health risks and disease, a vulnerability now heightened by the coronavirus epidemic and the spread of COVID-19. People without homes more often come into contact with potentially infected surfaces and people, and those in emergency shelters must congregate in tight spaces and share facilities like showers and laundry.
Read MoreThe United States is now facing two interconnected crises. The first is the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The outbreak is spreading rapidly. The second crisis is economic. As businesses shutter, the ranks of the unemployed are swelling. The stock market has tumbled precipitously, and GDP is projected to contract sharply. President Trump and the Republicans in Congress have done little to combat either crisis.
Read MoreThe Covid-19 virus is posing enormous challenges to the United States and world at large. We are suffering both an acute public-health emergency and a staggering blow to the economy. In order to save lives, protect working families, and boost our economy in sustainable and healthy ways, we need to take actions that are swift, bold, and well beyond what Congress has thus far been willing to approve.
Read MoreThe coronavirus is a public health crisis that requires collective effort and sacrifice to slow its spread. We are no safer, or healthier, than the least protected among us. If we leave vulnerable populations exposed to the virus, we are only accelerating its spread. And that applies to people confined in jails and prisons perhaps more than anyone else.
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