Have want to heal with less time. Amy the u. S. Death toll from covid19 has topped 250,000 as the number of infections soar across the country. Nearly 2000 deaths in one day. But President Trump is all but missing in action. He has not attended a Coronavirus Task force meeting in five months. He continues to have no Public Meetings on his schedule. We will speak with the atlantics ed yong. Then to iran. As President Trump installs loyalists in a shakeup at the pentagon, is the president laying the groundwork to attack iran . Plus, we will look at why climate activists and progressive democrats are protesting president elect joe bidens decision to tap congressman Cedric Richmond to a Top White House post. He is the leading democrat recipient of fossil el money in congress. All that and more, coming up. Welcome to democracy now , democracynow. Org, the quarantine report. Im amy goodman. The official u. S. Death toll from covid19 has passed a quarter of a Million People as the virus rages out of control from coasttocoast in the United States, with 172,000 infections and nearly 2000 deaths reported on wednesday alone. U. S. Hospitalizations continue to shatter records now at over 73,000 covid19 patients and the average daily death toll is rising in 33 states. Columbia university epidemiologists estimate more than 3 Million People across the u. S. Are currently contagious with coronavirus, nearly 1 of the population. On tuesday, chicagos Public Health commissioner dr. Allison arwady urged City Residents to put off thanksgiving holiday plans, warning as many as 180,000 residents are currently infectious. One in 15 as chicagoans has active covid19 right now. And that is why the risk of gathering is significant. Amy here in new york, mayor bill de blasio has canceled inperson classes for the citys Public School system come the largest in the country even as bars, restaurants, and gyms remain open for limited service. The drug maker pfizer said wednesday it will seek emergency use authorization for its Coronavirus Vaccine after it proved 95 eective at preventi covid19 in a large clinicalrial. Pfizer also reports the vaine poses no serious safety concerns and appears to prevent severe disease among the recipits who beco infected with coronaviru the findings have not yet be peer reviewed. Theaccine still has to be reviewed by the food and drug administration. Its not known how long recipients of pfizers vaccine will remain protected against covid19 or whether it confers immunity. G in waterloo, iowa, a wrongful death lawsuit accuses tyson foods of willful and wanton disregard for Workplace Safety at a pork slaughterhouse that led to over 1000 workplace infections and at least five deaths. The family of meatpacker isidro fernandez, who died of covid19 on april 20, alleges in an amended lawsuit that plant manager tom hart organized a cashbuyin, winnertakeall, betting pool for supervisors and managers to wager how many plant employees would test positive for covid19. In the midwest, over 900 employees of the Mayo Clinic Hospital system have contracted covid19 in just the last two weeks. The infections led to a labor shortage at the mayo clinic campus in rochester, minnesota, where intensive care unit beds are filled to capacity and over healthcare workers are off the 1000 job due to covid19 exposure or diagnosis. Stat news reports hospitals in at least 25 states are critically short of nurses, doctors, and other staff. In a Conference Call with president elect joe biden wednesday, Minnesota Nurses Association president mary turner described the toll the outbreak is having on frontline healthcare workers. Physical impact of this virus have been devastating. I myself have held the hand of dying patnts crying out for their families that they cant see. I have taken care of coworkers as they fight for their lives on a ventilator. Amy as the head of the Minnesota Nurses Association broke down, president elect biden also wiped away a tear, promising personal protective equipment and paying sick leave for frontline workers. He said the Trump Administrations refusal to acknowledge the outcome of the election was preventing his Transition Team from accessing Critical Data about the u. S. Outbreak and could slow the distribution of vaccines in 2021. Mr. Biden there are a whole lot of things we just dont have available to us. Made available soon, we will be behind weeks or months being able to put together the whole initiative. Amy in washington, health and Human Services secretary alex azar said wednesday he wont work with president elect bidens Transition Team until the administrator of the General Services administration only murphy determines biden won the election. When gsa makes a determination, we will ensure complete cooperative, professional transitions and planning. Amy President Trump continues to refuse to concede to joe biden and has retreated from public view, with no Public Events on his calendar today for the 12th day since the election. On twitter, trump continues to promote baseless conspiracy theories about flipped votes and a stolen election. In arizona, secretary of state katie hobbs said her family has been subjected to ongoing and escalating threats of violence since bidens victory. She said in a statement there are those, including the president , members of congress and other elected officials, who are perpetuating misinformation and are encouraging others to distrust the Election Results in a manner that violates the oath of office they took. It is well past time that they stop. Their words and actions have consequences, arizonas secretary of state wrote. On capitol hill, House Democrats voted wednesday to keep nancy pelosi as House Speaker for two more years. Pelosi said she will relinquish the role after the 2022 midterm elections. The head of the Australian Military has apologized to the people of afghanistan after a fouryear probe found Australian Special forces committed war crimes by murdering at least 39 noncombatants in afghanistan. The probe reveals a practice known as blooding where patrol commanders ordered junior soldiers to shoot a prisoner in order to achieve the soldiers first kill. The military has now referred dozens of cases to the Australian Federal police for criminal investigation. Secretary of state mike pompeo has arrived in israel, where he toured an illegal israeli settlement in the occupied west bank. In a surprise move, pompeo also said he would tour a settlement in the occupied Golan Heights on syrian land israel illegally annexed in 1981. Its the first time a u. S. Secretary of state has toured israeli settlements. Which violate multiple u. N. Resolutions and the geneva convention. Speaking in jerusalem alongside israeli Prime Minister benjamin netanyahu, pompeo said the u. S. Would label the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement antisemitic. It is a nonviolent movement. Many of its leaders are jewish peace activists. In central america, at least 30 people have died from hurricane iota, the strongest atlantic hurricane of the year. Some 160,000 nicaraguans and 70,000 hondurans were forced to flee their homes. The colombian island of providencia was vastated with 98 of its infrastructure ruined. The storm came just two weeks after hurricane eta devastated the region, killing at least 150 people. In haiti, protesters marched in portauprince wednesday calling for the resignation of jovenel moise, haitis u. S. Backed president , who is now ruling the country by decree after he dismissed parliament in january. Protesters called on president elect biden to stop supporting moise. President trump is no longer in power. He was supporting president moise. Were going to the embassy to tell them to abandon them so the country can develop. Amy new information has emerged about why u. S. Prosecutors may have dropped all charges against mexicos former defense secretary, general salvador cienfuegos, who had been indicted on Money Laundering and Drug Trafficking charges. Vice news reports mexico threatened to kick the u. S. Drug Enforcement Administration out of the country and limit cooperation with the u. S. On drug investigations if the case proceeded. Mexico has also announced it has opened its own probe of cienfuegos. The federal government is scheduled to execute orlando hall today at the federal penitentiary in terra haute, indiana. Hall is an African American man who was sentenced to die by an allwhite jury. He will be the eighth person to be executed by the federal government this year. On wednesday, a federal Appeals Court refused to delay the execution of hall after lawyers challenged the governments lethal injection methods. Meanwhile, the United States is moving ahead with plans to execute lisa coleman on december 8. The African American woman is set to become the first woman executed by the federal government in nearly 70 years. Her chances of receiving clemency have been dealt a setback after two of her attorneys became infected with covid19 after visiting her in prison. The u. S. Federal Aviation Administration has lifted an order that grounded all boeing 737 max planes for 20 months following two fatal crashes in ethiopia and indonesia that killed all 346 people on board. Boeing says it has made changes to the design, software, and crew training for the 737 max, but the plane is still grounded in europe, canada, brazil and china. Michael stumo, whose daughter samya died in the ethiopian crash, criticized the faas decision. Crashfamily and the families are very upset this plane is going back in the air. We dont have a final true art from the ethiopian authorities. Address thet inherent instability of this aircraft, because of the actual figuration, the software theyre keeping the software analysis,the hazard theyre keeping it secret. Amy michael stumos daughter samya was the niece of consumer advocate and president ial candidate ralph nader, who had urged the faa to never let the 737 max fly again because of its flawed design. The Philadelphia City council has formally apologized for the 1985 Police Bombing of the radical, black liberation, antipolicebrutality group move, which killed six adults and five children and destroyed over 60 homes. The City Council Resolution acknowledges the fundamental injustice, cruelty, brutality, and inhumanity of the move bombing. May 13, the anniversary of the massacre, will be established as an annual day of observation, reflection and recommitment. And activist and former professional Football PlayerColin Kaepernick has come out in support of freeing renowned political prisoner and journalist mumia abujamal. He posted this video online. Who haslitical prisoner since the age of 14 dedicated his life to fighting against racism, continues to be caged and lives his life on a slow death row. We are the midst of a movement that says black lives matter. If that is truly the case, then it means his life and legacy must matter. Amy and the National Book award for nonfiction has been awarded to the dead are arising the life of malcolm x by the late journalist les payne and his daughter tamara payne. It is based on decades of research by les payne, who died in 2018. And those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the quarantine report. Im amy goodman in new york, joined remotely by my cohost nermeen shaikh. Hi, nermeen. Nermeen good morning, amy. Lcome to all of our listeners and viewers from around the country and around the world. Amy the official u. S. Death all from covid19 has passed quarter of a Million People as the virus rages out of control withcoasttocoast, 172,000 infections and nearly 2000 deaths reported on wednesday alone. U. S. Hospitalizations continue to shatter records with over 73,000 covid9 patien. The average daily death toll is rising in 33 states. But as covid breaks every reco here in the United States with expected holiday spikes still to come, health and Human Services secretary alex azar said he will not work with wednesday president elect joe biden until the General Services administration declares an election winner. Hhs staffers have been directed to not communicate with bidens team. Biden said the move could delay Vaccine Distribution by weeks or even months. This comes amid reports of hospitals reaching capacity, overwhelmed healthcare workers and a lack of personal protective equipment reminiscent of the first months of the pandemic. Biden spoke with frontline workers on a video call wednesday. This is part of his Emotional Exchange with mary turner, the president of the minnesota chapter of National Nurses united. Yet have not been tested and i have been on the front lines in the icu since february. Mr. Biden you are kidding me. No. We also need safe staffing of patientsnd must be isolated from the general patient population. Orkers who have been exposed are sick need to be allowed to quarantine at home without fear of losing income and thr jobs. This is a novel virus, but principles of Infection Control are not. Our hospitals have not been provided these basic protections. Nurses across the country were so relieved and grateful, mr. President elect, when you committed to taking action that we need to have to get this pandemic under control. We nurses, we know we are facing immense death and suffering in the coming weeks. And we will there, but we need to act now. We need to act quickly to protect our Health Care Workers so we can save as many lives as possible. Thank you. Mr. Biden mary i am sorry im so emotional. Mr. Biden you got me emotional. Amy that is president elect joe biden responding to mary turner, president of the minnesota chapter of National Nurses united. Well, for more, we go to washington, d. C. , where were joined by ed yong, Science Writer at the atlantic. His latest story is headlined no one is listening to us more people than ever are hospitalized with covid19. Healthcare workers cant go on like this. Ed yong, we are nearing 2000 people in a day dying in this country, by far shattering every record in the world for covid19. Your latest piece focuses on healthcare workers. Meanwhile, President Trump remains uncured in the white down in thekered white house. For 12 days he has had no Public Events. Can you talk about the state of this country right now . It is not about what it could have been, although that is a critical issue to look at, but what is happening right now there are many days that President Trump will remain president. That means thousands and thousands of people will die. And cant really overemphasize how important the next few days are. Let me paint the picture for you. It is interesting you said trump has been closed for 12 days. There are typically a 12 day lag between rises in cases and rights as any hospitalizations. That means all the stories you have just heard, that icu nurse, all the stories about hospitals in the midwest being completely at capacity and unable to cope that does not even account for the 1. 5 Million People who have been confirmed as infected over the last 12 days. Some of those people will slam into those hospitals that are already unable to cope with what they have right now over the next few weeks into thanksgiving. And the people who get infected at thanksgiving, they are going to slam into those hospitals and then to be exact or that, and some of those people are going to be dead before christmas. That is what we are looking at. We are looking at enormous tragedy. It is hard to explain how nurses and doctors are dealing with this. I have spent the last couple of weeks interviewing many of them around the country. I have had nurses crying to me on the phone. A nurse ld me nurse w works in canr ward told earliethis week th she caotven she esneven know h to procs the amnt of deathhe iseeing onhe vid word one of thbest ppared hospitalin the eire couny in nraskhas turn an entire wer intcovidnits. Ey are dling witso many more patient in neral and specifically Covid Patients and they have ever had to deal with. Nermeen ed yong, in your piece about medical workers,