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UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE: THE GERMAN MODEL

"In Germany, their system resembles the American model, where you have private health insurance companies competing with each other for customers. The main difference is, unlike in America where we have 27.5 million uninsured people, Germany’s system has managed to cover 100% of its citizens. While medical bankruptcies are common occurrences in America, medical bankruptcies are non-existent in Germany."

GOOD AND BAD FROM ELECTION NIGHT 2021

A NOVEMEBER TO REMEMBER

Another eventful election night has come and gone. On Tuesday, we got closure on many high-profile races throughout the country.  We’re gauging how each party stands going into 2022. It’s time to look at some of the good and bad we can take away from this election cycle.

Buffalo NY by Daquella Manera

BAD: INDIA WALTON LOSES BUFFALO MAYORAL RACE

India Walton stormed into the political mainstream by pulling off an upset win in the primary for the Buffalo mayoral race. She defeated the incumbent, Bryon Brown, who had served as mayor for the last four terms. Her win was so notable because she was an open socialist and a strong leader for the BLM movement in her city.

After the primary many assumed Walton would become the first openly socialist mayor of a major American city since Frank Zeidler in 1960. However, Walton ended up losing to Bryon Brown, the person she was able to defeat back in the primary. After losing the primary, Brown launched an aggressive write-in campaign which ended up being very successful. He was able to grab 58.8% of the vote compared to Walton’s 41.2%.

It was painful to see all the hype around Walton get so swiftly crushed by a write-in campaign. Walton becoming the next mayor of Buffalo would have been historical and a fantastic win for the left. Despite winning the primary, Walton was facing an uphill battle once Brown announced his write-in campaign. He has excellent name recognition in the city and received strong support from Republicans and the police union.

Terminal Tower- Cleveland OH – by Lisa C Chamberlain GOOD: PROGRESSIVE WINS IN CLEVELAND The left took a tough loss in Buffalo but scored a win along the shores of a different part of Lake Erie. Progressive, non-profit executive Justin Bibb came out victorious in the Cleveland mayoral race. Bibb won dominantly, collecting 63% of the vote. At only 34 years old, he will become the 2nd youngest mayor in Cleveland’s history. A primary focus of this race became issue 24, a ballot initiative that would create a civilian oversight board for the police. Bibb supported this initiative while his opponent, Kevin Kelley, took a strong stance against it. Kelley used the GOP playbook, smearing Bibb as someone dangerous who wants to defund the police. Voters rejected this messaging from Kelley. Alongside Bibb’s easy victory, issue 24 won in a landslide as well, with 59.4% of voters voting yes on it. This race was a good sign for progressives. Despite the “defund the police” label polling very poorly with the public, being smeared with it didn’t slow down Bibb’s campaign at all. Cleveland voters embraced a young, energetic political outsider keen on shaking up the status quo in the city. With the right campaign and messaging, progressives can thrive.

Skyline Richmond Virginia by RVA PhotoDude

BAD: YOUNGKIN CRUISES PAST MCAULIFFE IN VIRGINIA GOVERNOR’S RACE

Republican Glenn Youngkin was able to knock off Democrat Terry McAuliffe to become the next Governor of Virginia. Youngkin picked up 50.9% of the vote compared to McAuliffe’s 48.4%. An off-year election shouldn’t be read into too much. However, it is impossible to ignore such a substantial shift towards Republicans in a state Biden easily won just a year earlier.

This race became hyper-focused around education, specifically a debate around critical race theory. The Republican party successfully motivated their base with scare tactics about critical race theory being taught in schools. It didn’t matter it had minimal basis in reality. This tactic helped considerably shift the suburban vote to the Republicans compared to how they voted in the 2020 Presidential election.

Republicans have found a very effective motivator for their base going into the 2022 midterms alongside their rallying against the current state of the economy. This paints an alarming picture for the Democrats because the Virginia race showed they currently have no good counter to it. Democrats are too timid and unsure of how to engage in the culture war battle. On top of that, they aren’t offering up a strong enough plan on how they will improve voters’ lives if elected. That combination is a disaster, as demonstrated in the Virginia Governor’s Race.

Alarm Clock by Kost Karubika005

GOOD: POTENTIAL WAKE UP CALL FOR THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY

A silver lining of the bad from election night is it could be a wake-up call for the Democratic Party. Alongside taking a tough loss in Virginia, Democrat Phil Murphy narrowly escaped getting upset in the New Jersey Governor’s race. It’s clear, as it currently stands, voters are not motivated to go out and vote for Democrats.

All of this is happening while Joe Biden’s approval rating continues to sink lower. Democrats have no plan and vision for the country outside of campaigning on “at least we are better than the other guys.” If this path continues, we are more than likely looking at another bloodbath for the Democrats in the 2022 midterms.

Luckily for the Democrats, the solution is right in front of their face, if they’re smart. Embrace the current brewing labor movement throughout the country. US labor unions have started to see a comeback in recent months, with workers all across the country increasingly getting fed up. Millions were lifted up as essential workers but watched their wages remain stagnant while companies recorded record profits.

Democratic politicians should make it clear that they strongly support the workers and unions in their fight for higher wages and better treatment in the workplace. The Republican fear-mongering on culture war issues won’t land as effectively if the other party is adequately addressing the “kitchen table issues” people care about.

How to Fund Democrats Compromise? | Basic Brief

Reconciliation is on the ropes and new funding methods like a billionaire income tax are being considered.

NEW BILLIONAIRE TAX IN DEMOCRATS SIGHTS

By NY Times – October 25th, 2021

“As Democrats race to find ways to pay for President Biden’s social spending plans — particularly as one of their own, Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, blocks efforts to raise corporate and individual tax rates — they’re increasingly turning their eyes to a different kind of tax.”

SUDAN COUP EXPLAINED

By Ivana Kottasova and Eliza Mackintosh – CNN October 26th, 2021

“Sudan has descended into crisis after the military dissolved the country’s power-sharing government and declared a state of emergency on Monday.”

LAWYER STEVEN DOZINGER ORDERED TO PRISON AFTER HOUSE ARREST

By Democracy Now – October 27th, 2021

“The environmental and human rights lawyer Steven Donziger joins us just before he is ordered to report to jail today, after a years-long legal battle with the oil company Chevron and 813 days of house arrest.”

FACEBOOK COLLECTING PEOPLE’S DATA EVEN WHEN ACCOUNTS ARE DEACTIVATED

By Kate Kaye – Digiday October 28th, 2021

“Brains hooked up to machines by mad scientists. Tortured spirits stuck between this world and the next. Limp bodies force-fed to stay alive. Any of these creepy horror flick scenarios might be fitting to describe how Facebook treats deactivated accounts. Not only does the company keep these otherwise dormant digital beings on life-support indefinitely, it continues to latch new data shared by advertisers to deactivated accounts, fortifying identifiable profiles just in case their masters return to electrify them back to life.”

HOW LIBERTY UNIVERSITY DISCOURAGES AND DISMISSES STUDENTS’ REPORTS OF SEXUAL ASSAULTS

By Hannah Dreyfus – ProPublica October 24th, 2021

“The school founded by evangelist Jerry Falwell ignored reports of rape and threatened to punish accusers for breaking its moral code, say former students. An official who says he was fired for raising concerns calls it a “conspiracy of silence.”

JANUARY 6TH PLANNERS CONFESS THEY HAD MULTIPLE MEETINGS WITH MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AND WHITE HOUSE STAFF

By Hunter Walker – October 24th, 2021

“As the House investigation into the January 6th attack heats up, some of the planners of the pro-Trump rallies that took place in Washington, D.C., have begun communicating with congressional investigators and sharing new information about what happened when the former president’s supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol. Two of these people have spoken to Rolling Stone extensively in recent weeks and detailed explosive allegations that multiple members of Congress were intimately involved in planning both Trump’s efforts to overturn his election loss and the January 6th events that turned violent.”

PROPOSED IRS BANK-ACCOUNT REPORTING RULE IS REVISED

By Andrew Keshner – October 26th, 2021

“The Biden administration has already scaled back its controversial idea to have banks tell the Internal Revenue Service about the cash-flow information of certain customer accounts in its bid to make sure rich people are paying their full tax bills.”

TWO CRYPTO-LENDING FIRMS ORDERED SHUT BY NEW YORK’S JAMES

By Joe Light and TIna Davis – Yahoo October 18th, 2021

“New York Attorney General Letitia James said she ordered two cryptocurrency lending platforms to stop operating in the state, and sent three other platforms letters with questions about their operations.”

‘NEW DEMOCRATS’ BREAK WITH THEIR ANTI-WELFARE PAST AND BACK BIDEN’S AGENDA

By Arthur Delaney – HuffPost October 23rd, 2021

“When a small group of Democrats held up a procedural vote on President Joe Biden’s policy agenda in August, news stories described it as a rebellion by the moderates.”

CHINA’S SOLUTION FOR LONELINESS: PLAY TIME FOR GROWN-UPS

By Fan Yiying – Sixth Tone October 26th, 2021

“Inside a downtown community center, eight retirees are sitting around a table, each clutching a length of plastic drainpipe.”

THE BASIC BRIEF – OCTOBER 22ND, 2021

In this week’s Basic Brief, we highlight the reconciliation bill getting cut down, Manchin potentially leaving the Democratic Party, Colin Powell passing away, and more. Also linked is all the content from The People’s Basics this week.

JOE MANCHIN CONSIDERING LEAVING THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY

By David Corn – Mother Jones October 20th, 2021

“In recent days, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) has told associates that he is considering leaving the Democratic Party if President Joe Biden and Democrats on Capitol Hill do not agree to his demand to cut the size of the social infrastructure bill from $3.5 trillion to $1.75 trillion, according to people who have heard Manchin discuss this.”

DEMOCRATS CUTTING DOWN RECONCILIATION BILL

By Margot Sanger-Katz and Alicia Parlapiano – NY Times October 20th, 2021

“As Democrats in Congress debate how to pare back their big social spending bill — to a total budget increase of less than $2 trillion over a decade — they have even further to go than it may appear.”

NIKOLAS CRUZ PLEADS GUILTY TO 2018 PARKLAND SCHOOL MASSACRE

By Terry Spencer – AP News October 20th, 2021

“Nikolas Cruz pleaded guilty Wednesday to murdering 17 people during a rampage at his former high school in Parkland, Florida, leaving a jury to decide whether he will be executed for one of the nation’s deadliest school shootings.”

COLIN POWELL PASSES AWAY

By Devan Cole – CNN October 19th, 2021

“Colin Powell, the first Black US secretary of state whose leadership in several Republican administrations helped shape American foreign policy in the last years of the 20th century and the early years of the 21st, has died from complications from Covid-19, his family said on Facebook. He was 84.”

BIDEN HAS THE POWER TO PREVENT 1.6 BILLION METRIC TONS OF EMISSIONS ANNUALLY

By Joseph Winters – Grist October 15th, 2021

“Hundreds of Indigenous protesters and environmental advocates descended on Washington, D.C. this week to demand that President Joe Biden use his executive authority to nix new fossil fuel projects and declare a climate emergency. Every day since Monday — Indigenous Peoples’ Day — they’ve marched, chanted, and engaged in civil disobedience outside the Capitol and White House.”

HUMAN REMAINS FOUND IN FLORIDA RESERVE CONFIRMED TO BE BRIAN LAUNDRIE

By Doha Madani and Pei-Sze Cheng – NBC News October 21st, 2021

“Partial remains found by authorities searching for Brian Laundrie, Gabby Petito’s fiancé, were confirmed to be his after a review of dental records.”

CRIMINAL JUSTICE DATA SHOWS NEBRASKANS ARE SERVING LONGER SENTENCES IN PRISON

By Bayley Bischof – 1011now October 19th, 2021

“Nebraska’s prisons remain in an overcrowding emergency, at the same time they’re seeing critical staff shortages.

It’s a combination that has lawmakers, corrections staff and the loved ones of inmates calling for change.”

COMPLIANCE WITH VACCINE MANDATE FOR CITY EMPLOYEES WORTH AMONG POLICE, FIREFIGHTERS

By Fran Spielman and Mitch Dudek – Chicago Suntimes October 18th, 2021

“Out of 12,770 CPD employees, 4,543 had failed to report their vaccine status by the midnight Friday deadline. On Monday, employees who have defied the mandate were being called in by their supervisors and given one last chance to report their vaccine status on the city’s portal.”

NEARLY 80% OF REPUBLICANS WANT TO SEE TRUMP RUN IN 2024

By Tal Axelrod – The Hill October 19th, 2021

“Nearly 80 percent of Republicans want to see former President Trump wage a third White House bid in 2024, according to a new Quinnipiac University survey released Tuesday.”

MANCHIN TAKES AIM AT BIDEN’S CLIMATE CHANGE AGENDA

By Zachary B Wolf – CNN October 20th, 2021

THE BASIC BRIEF – OCTOBER 1ST, 2021

This week’s Basic Brief highlights the CTC potentially being on the chopping block, a leaked CIA assassination plan, Congress avoiding a Government shutdown, and more. Also linked is all the content from The People’s Basics this week.

CHILD TAX CREDIT COULD BE ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK

By Jessica Dean, Ali Zaslav, and Tami Luhby – CNN September 29th, 2021

“When Democrats passed a one-year expansion of the child tax credit in their Covid relief bill earlier this year, it was seen by many in the party as a triumph, a move that could reduce child poverty by nearly half this year.”

NOBLE PRIZE-WINNING ECONOMISTS ENDORSE DIRECT CASH PAYMENTS

By Talib Visram – Fast Company September 27th, 2021

“One type of income assistance won’t fit all of the world’s economies, nor all of the people within a single economy, say MIT economists Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee, on a panel at the Fast Company Innovation Festival. Governments need to do better in addressing different needs within their populations, and providing variations of cash relief for different circumstances.”

INSIDE THE CIA’S SECRET WAR PLANS AGAINST WIKILEAKS

By Zach Dorfman, Sean D Naylor, and Michael Isikoff – Yahoo September 26th, 2021

“In 2017, as Julian Assange began his fifth year holed up in Ecuador’s embassy in London, the CIA plotted to kidnap the WikiLeaks founder, spurring heated debate among Trump administration officials over the legality and practicality of such an operation.”

STUDY FINDS THE CHILD TAX CREDIT ENCOURAGES PARENTS TO WORK

By Carmen Reinicke – CNBC September 27th, 2021

“Nearly 94% of parents said they planned to continue working or even work more once receiving the credit, which began in monthly installments in July, according to a report from a team of researchers from Washington University of St. Louis, Appalachian State, UNC-Greensboro, the Urban Institute and Humanity Forward.”

UNVACCINATED PEOPLE ARE MORE LIKELY TO SPREAD COVID

By Katie Spalding – IFL Science September 24th, 2021

“The COVID-19 pandemic may have claimed nearly five million lives so far, but there’s one group of people for which it’s been a real boon: conspiracy theorists. Does the vaccine cause miscarriages? (No.) Can’t I take ivermectin instead? (No, and you’d better prepare yourself for some seriously unappealing side effects.) And of course, everybody’s favorite: what about that rapper’s cousin’s friend’s gigantic balls?”

PELOSI DELAYS VOTE ON TRILLION-DOLLAR INFRASTRUCTURE BILL

By Alex Rogers, Melanie Zanona, and Daniella Diaz – CNN September 30th, 2021

“House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ruled against putting a $1 trillion infrastructure bill on the floor Thursday night, according to a leadership aide, after progressives rebelled, potentially delaying consideration until Democrats strike an agreement on separate, much larger social safety net and climate legislation.”

COVID IS KILLING RURAL AMERICANS AT TWICE THE RATE OF PEOPLE IN URBAN AREAS

By Lauren Weber – NBC News September 30th, 2021

“Rural Americans are dying of Covid at more than twice the rate of their urban counterparts — a divide that health experts say is likely to widen as access to medical care shrinks for a population that tends to be older, sicker, heavier, poorer and less vaccinated.”

CONGRESS AVERTS SHUTDOWN, SENDS 9-WEEK FUNDING PATCH TO BIDEN’S DESK

By Jennifer Scholtes and Caitlin Emma – Politico September 30th, 2021

“Congress thwarted a government shutdown that would occur at midnight on Thursday after both chambers swiftly passed a short-term spending bill, sending the measure to President Joe Biden’s desk just hours before federal cash expires.”

WHY CLIMATE CHANGE IS MAKING IT HARDER TO CHASE FALL FOLIAGE

By Patrick Whittle – AP News September 30th, 2021

“Droughts that cause leaves to turn brown and wither before they can reach peak color. Heat waves prompting leaves to fall before autumn even arrives. Extreme weather events like hurricanes that strip trees of their leaves altogether.”

COLORADO CASE SHOWS POLICE AREN’T TRAINED TO INTERACT WITH THE DEAF COMMUNITY

By Corky Siemaszko – NBC News September 30th, 2021

“For advocates of the deaf, the case of a Colorado man who was jailed for resisting police orders he could not hear is yet another example of law enforcement failing to properly serve and protect a member of their community.”

THE BASIC BRIEF – SEPTEMBER 24TH, 2021 This week’s Basic Brief highlights tomorrow’s Basic Income March, the drama around the debt limit, the Canadian election results, and more. Also linked is all the content from The People’s Basics this week.

NATIONWIDE MARCH FOR BASIC INCOME SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25TH

By Basic Income March

“Join us for the 3rd Annual Basic Income March on September 25th. Help us make this the largest ever event series for basic income!”

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE DEBT LIMIT

By Zachary B Wolf – CNN September 18th, 2021

“Also known as the ‘debt ceiling,’ it’s exactly what it sounds like — the maximum that the federal government is allowed to borrow. Why is there a maximum? Because Congress set one more than a century ago to curtail government borrowing — but instead of sticking to it has gone ahead and raised the limit every time it’s been hit.”

PHOENIX APPROVES UBI PROGRAM FOR 1,000 FAMILIES

By Josh Kelety – Phoenix New Times September 22nd, 2021

“The Phoenix City Council approved a plan Tuesday to give monthly payments to approximately 1,000 local low-income families for a year. Call it Phoenix’s own universal basic income program.”

TWITTER ADDRESSES DISPARITY IN NEWS COVERAGE WHEN BLACK GIRLS GO MISSING

By Cherranda Smith – BIN September 22nd, 2021

“The nationwide coverage of the disappearance of Gabby Petito sparked conversations online about the lack of attention Black girls and people get when they are reported missing.”

SENATE PARLIAMENTARIAN DEALS BLOW TO DEMS IMMIGRATION PUSH

By Alan Fram – September 19th, 2021

“Democrats can’t use their $3.5 trillion package bolstering social and climate programs for their plan to give millions of immigrants a chance to become citizens, the Senate’s parliamentarian said late Sunday, a crushing blow to what was the party’s clearest pathway in years to attaining that long-sought goal.”

7 SHOCKING, PROVEN HEALTH BENEFITS OF VACATION

By Doctor Mike – Youtube February 11th, 2018

“Hi guys! In today’s video, I’m sharing with you 7 shocking but proven health benefits of taking a vacation. Hope this video inspires you to take some time off! “

US DEATH TOLL FROM COVID JUST SURPASSED 1918 FLU PANDEMIC

By Holly Yan – CNN September 20th, 2021

“Despite all the scientific and medical advances of the past 103 years, the Covid-19 pandemic has now killed more Americans than the 1918 flu pandemic did.”

FULL RESULTS OF 2021 CANADIAN ELECTION

By Sean Clarke – The Guardian September 21st, 2021

“Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau will stay in power but has not won the majority he hoped for after calling a snap election”

ANTI-VACCINE PROTESTERS CLASH WITH POLICE IN AUSTRALIA 

By Rachel Treisman – NPR September 21st, 2021

“It’s been a violent few days in Melbourne, Australia, where construction workers and other demonstrators are clashing with police as they protest the government’s COVID-19 vaccine requirements.”

450 ECONOMISTS FAVOR EXTENDING $300 CHILD TAX CREDITS

By Alicia Adamczyk – CNBC September 16th, 2021

“As Democrats debate whether to extend the enhanced and fully refundable child tax credit (CTC) past this year, almost 450 U.S. economists have come out in support of doing so.”

THE BASIC BRIEF – SEPTEMBER 10TH, 2021

In this week’s Basic Brief, we highlight Manchin working to tank Biden’s agenda, climate change spiking disasters, Yang reportedly launching a third party, and more. Also linked is all the content from The People’s Basics this week. Listen to the Audio Version where we discuss two top stories, interview this week’s feature article author and take a question from the audience.  Click Above!

JOE MANCHIN SETS $1.5 TRILLION RECONCILIATION LIMIT TO GET HIS SUPPORT

By Hans Nichols – Axios September 8th, 2021

“Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) has privately warned the White House and congressional leaders that he has specific policy concerns with President Biden’s $3.5 trillion social spending dream — and he’ll support as little as $1 trillion of it.”

WEATHER DISASTERS 5 TIMES MORE LIKELY NOW BECAUSE OF CLIMATE CHANGE

By Eric McDaniel – NPR September 7th, 2021

“Climate change has helped drive a fivefold increase in the number of weather-related disasters in the last 50 years, according to a new report published by the U.N. agency the World Meteorological Organization.”

ANDREW YANG TO LAUNCH THIRD PARTY

By Alex Thompson – Politico September 9th, 2021

“Former presidential and New York mayoral candidate Andrew Yang is set to launch a third party next month, according to two people familiar with the matter.”

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SUES TO STOP TEXAS ABORTION LAW

By Devlin Barrett and Ann E Marimow – Washington Post September 9th, 2021

“The Biden administration sued Texas on Thursday to try to block the nation’s most restrictive abortion law, which bans the procedure as early as six weeks into pregnancy and allows private citizens to take legal action against anyone who helps a woman terminate her pregnancy.”

TEXAS GOVERNOR SIGNS VOTING RESTRICTIONS BILL INTO LAW

By Eric Bradner – CNN September 7th, 2021

“Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday signed into law a bill that bans 24-hour and drive-thru voting, imposes new hurdles on mail-in ballots and empowers partisan poll watchers.”

TRUMP TAX LAW CREATED LOOPHOLE THAT ALLOWED TOP EXECUTIVES TO NET MILLIONS

By Robert Faturechi and Justin Elliot – Pro Publica August 19th, 2021

“The 2017 tax cuts made it more attractive for certain company owners to be paid in profits instead of wages. Some cut their own wages, expanding a loophole that was already costing the U.S. billions.”

MEMBERS OF GEN Z LAUNCH CAMPAIGNS FOR CONGRESS

By Rachel Janfaza – CNN September 4th, 2021

“For the first time in 2022, members of Generation Z — those born after 1996 — could be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.”

E.U. RECOMMENDS TRAVEL BAN FOR AMERICAN TOURISTS

By Suzanne Rowan Kelleher – Forbes August 30th, 2021

“As expected, the European Union recommended today that its 27 member nations reinstate travel restrictions for American tourists because of rising coronavirus infections in the United States.”

CROWDED JAILS DROVE MILLIONS OF COVID CASES

By Bill Chappell – NPR September 2nd, 2021

“If the U.S. had done more to reduce its incarceration rate, it could have prevented millions of COVID-19 cases.”

GUARANTEED BASIC INCOME PILOT GETS PITTSBURGH CITY COUNCIL’S INITIAL APPROVAL

By Jon Delano – CBS Pittsburgh September 8th, 2021

“Pittsburgh City Council gave its initial approval to a program designed to pump cash into the hands of low-income residents, especially Black women. It’s an experimental project that Mayor Bill Peduto has been advocating for over a year.”

THE BASIC BRIEF AUDIO EDITION – SEPTEMBER 3RD

In this week’s Basic Brief Audio Ed, Jackie discusses Texas’ abortion ban, Jon talks about the fallout from Hurricane Ida, and solutions that can help prevent disaster in the future.  Jon & Jackie then interview Isaac Reynold about his Mutual Aid article, and they all take a question from the mail bag. Click the play button above to take a listen!

Be sure to check out the full Basic Brief here.  If you have an idea for a story, want a headline added to next week’s Basic Brief, want to join our team, or want to ask a question submit it here. Finally, please like & subscribe to The People’s Basics on your favorite platforms.