By Jessie Seigel / Washington, D.C. Poor Matt Gaetz. The Florida Congressman has provided us with so many entertaining antics. He —invited a Holocaust denier to the 2018 State of the Union address. With the enthusiasm of a Robespierre storming the Bastille, Gaetz led a 2019 Republican charge on the House Intelligence Committee during the first Impeachment investigation. He and his cohorts occupied the committee’s secure chamber and prevented them from interviewing witnesses for five hours. And of course, there was Gaetz, wearing a gas mask on the House floor in March, 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic, mocking those who donned cloth masks against Covid. But just because of one little investigation into whether Gaetz has been involved in sex trafficking, everyone is deserting him. Last week, his communications director Luke Ball resigned, as did his legislative director Devin Murphy. Friend Joel Greenberg, a former tax collector in Seminole County, Florida, who has been indicted on numerous charges, including transfer of government funds to himself, making fake IDs and drivers licenses, and sex trafficking, is very likely negotiating a plea bargain in which he may implicate his old buddy, Gaetz. And the House Ethics committee has opened an investigation of Gaetz’s actions. But the betrayal by Donald Trump must sting the most. After all, it was for Trump’s benefit that Gaetz led the disruption of the House Intelligence Committee’s first impeachment investigation, organized the January 6 last ditch challenge to President Biden’s election victory, and crossed the country to go to Wyoming in order to hold a rally against Republican Representative Liz Cheney. Cheney, the third-ranking Republican in the House, had had the temerity to vote for Trump’s second impeachment based on his incitement of the January 6 insurrection. But after his perfect show of fealty, poor Gaetz did not even receive personal public support from the former President. Instead, he just got a tepid statement issued by Trump’s office denying that Gaetz ever asked Trump for a pardon, and stating, “It must also be remembered that [Gaetz] has totally denied the accusations against him.” The Accusations In relation to sex trafficking, there is a confounding web of allegations involving Gaetz and his indicted friend, Joel Greenberg. It has been alleged that Greenberg met women through websites that connect wealthy men with women who go on dates in exchange for gifts, fine dining, travel, and allowances, and that Greenberg then introduced the women to Gaetz, who also had sex with them. It has further been alleged that one was an underage 17-year old girl. Legally speaking, treating the payment for hotels and dinners as an exchange of monetary value for sex might be difficult to distinguish from footing the bill on a legitimate date or in a relationship. Cash payments make a clearer case. The New York Times reviewed receipts of payments to the mobile payment apps Cash App and Apple Pay, which Gaetz and Greenberg made to the same woman, as well as a payment Greenberg made to a second woman. According to the Times, the women who received them told their friends the payments were for sex. In addition, Gaetz and Greenberg are alleged to have arranged meeting times and places, stated the amount of money they were willing to pay, and sometimes paid in cash withdrawn from a hotel ATM. Gaetz supposedly also asked women to find others to have sex with him and his buddies. But the allegation concerning the 17-year old girl places Gaetz in greatest jeopardy. According to the Times, providing anyone under 18 with anything of value in exchange for sex—including meals, hotels, drugs, alcohol or cigarettes—would constitute federal child sex-trafficking, and carry a 10-year mandatory minimum sentence. Thus, it is a central question whether Gaetz had sex with the 17-year old, and whether she received anything of material value, as well as whether he took her over state lines. It has been reported that the sex trafficking charge already brought against Greenberg involves the same 17-year-old girl, that Greenberg is negotiating a plea bargain, and that information about Gaetz could be his bargaining chip. On April 8, Greenberg’s lawyer was asked whether Greenberg had introduced Gaetz to underage girls for sex. He hemmed and hawed, and finally said, “I’m sure Matt Gaetz is not feeling very comfortable today, all right?” On the political side, adding to Gaetz’s problems, the House Ethics Committee began an investigation on April 9, covering not only his possible sexual misconduct but whether Gaetz “may have engaged in… illicit drug use, shared inappropriate images or videos on the House floor, misused state identification records, converted campaign funds to personal use, and/or accepted a bribe, improper gratuity or impermissible gift in violation of House Rules, laws, or other standards of conduct.” Gaetz’s Reply: Gaetz denies it all and has not been charged with any crimes. But his denials ring increasingly hollow. First, Gaetz denied paying for sex or having sex with a minor, contending that he is just a generous boyfriend, and that his enemies are trying to make it into something discreditable. He asserted, “I have a suspicion that someone is trying to recategorize my generosity to ex-girlfriends as something more untoward.” Then, playing a Trump-like card, Gaetz tried to deflect public attention from his behavior by counterclaiming there was an attempt to extort $25 million from his father to make his legal jeopardy go away. Gaetz maintains that the extortionists had connections to the Justice Department, and the sex trafficking investigation was a plot by Democrats out to get him. But the Justice Department’s investigation of Gaetz began under the Trump Administration while Trump’s Attorney General, William Barr, was still heading it. Furthermore, the two supposed extortionists—Bob Kent, a former U.S. Air Force intelligence officer, and Stephen Alford, who has twice been convicted of fraud—have no known current connection to the government, let alone the Justice Department. If they were attempting extortion, that fact is irrelevant to the Justice Department’s Gaetz investigation. Furthermore, although Trump’s office denies he personally spoke with Gaetz, the Times has reported that in the weeks before Trump left office, Gaetz asked the White House for “blanket preemptive pardons for himself and unidentified congressional allies for any crimes they may have committed.” So selfless of Gaetz to include others in the request! Of course, the questions currently being asked are: Did the Congressman know he was under investigation when he asked Trump for the pardons? And did he include others in his request as a smokescreen to hide his own iniquity? Gaetz’s office went on the offensive, issuing a statement: “Matt Gaetz has never paid for sex. Matt Gaetz refutes all the disgusting allegations completely. Matt Gaetz has never ever been on any such websites whatsoever. Matt Gaetz cherishes the relationships in his past and looks forward to marrying the love of his life.” One must wonder whether this stilted phrasing was composed before or after Gaetz lost his communications director. The embattled Representative’s office later issued the following statement, purportedly composed by female staffers: “Congressman Gaetz has always been a principled and morally grounded leader…At no time has any one of us experienced or witnessed anything less than the utmost professionalism and respect. No hint of impropriety. No ounce of untruthfulness.” But this statement contains no named signatories, and no actual signatures. Those defending Gaetz are identified only by the moniker, “The women of the Office of U.S. Congressman Matt Gaetz.” Apparently, Gaetz couldn’t get a single female in his office to put her name on the document. It could have been concocted by anyone in his office. Given the resignation of his communications director, it’s even possible Gaetz wrote and issued it himself. Matt Gaetz is Nothing Special: Matt Gaetz is basically a mini-Trump—a misogynist bully who has gotten ahead by having a loud, obnoxious mouth and his own daddy’s questionable financial backing. According to a 2019 Mother Jones article, Gaetz reputedly showed naked photos and videos of his purported sexual conquests to others on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. In addition, in January 2020, GOP Florida Representative Chris Latvala claimed that, when in the Florida House of Representatives, Gaetz set up a game in which male colleagues got points for sleeping with aides, interns, lobbyists and married legislators. These assertions, if true, do not prove he took an underage girl across state lines for purposes of sex. But they certainly would speak to the nature of the man’s character, his arrogant contempt for women, and his stereotypical frat boy sense of entitlement, as well as betraying an underlying insecurity about his manhood. If Matt Gaetz is indicted and convicted of the crimes of which he is accused, or even if, at a minimum, the House Ethics Committee’s investigation results in his expulsion from the House, the Congressman will deserve his fate. But even as a nasty piece of work, Gaetz is nothing special—just another sideshow in the open, shameless circus of corruption brought to us by Donald Trump. The would-be Trumps coming up behind Gaetz –narcissists with no moral compass, no sense of honor, and no concern for the truth—are a dime a dozen. And now that the former President has shown them the way, the Trump wannabes will keep coming. We must remain watchful and be ready to hold them accountable. Jessie Seigel is a fiction writer, an associate editor at the Potomac Review, a reviewer for The Washington Independent Review of Books, and a dabbler in political cartoons at Daily Kos. She has twice received an Artist’s Fellowship from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities for her work. But, Seigel also had a long career as a government attorney, in which she honed her analytic skills. Of this double career, Seigel would say, “I guess my right and left brains are well balanced.” More on and from Seigel can be found at The Adventurous Writer, https://www.jessieseigel.com.

By Andy Borowitz April 14, 2021 WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—In a phone conversation that the White House characterized as “frank,” President Biden told the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, that he had to return his Oval Office keys. Putin, who reportedly has had the keys since 2017, was taken aback by Biden’s demand, sources said. “Look, pal, if you want to have a summit meeting, you’re gonna have to give back the keys,” Biden reportedly told the Russian. “Those are the rules of the road.” Despite Putin’s response, which was described as “frosty,” sources indicated that Biden refused to give ground. “Don’t get all mopey now, champ,” Biden said. “You had a good run.” Andy Borowitz is a Times best-selling author and a comedian who has written for The New Yorker since 1998. He writes The Borowitz Report, a satirical column on the news.

“In my experience, when a woman wants to get pregnant, not even a pandemic will stand in her way.” “Nancy,” a 39-year-old new mother Despite the pandemic, life goes on—literally. Although research has consistently shown that pregnant women with Covid-19 are at a higher risk of hospitalization and severe disease then nonpregnant women of the same age, millions of women are still eager to embark on the path to motherhood, masks and all. This week, The Insider brings you candid interviews with five women who have been pregnant during the pandemic. Several are still pregnant, while others are new mothers. In order to encourage the greatest amount of candor, we have granted these women anonymity, using fictional names. We think you will find their honesty about how they decided whether to get pregnant during the pandemic, to whether they should get vaccinated while pregnant or breastfeeding, as compelling as we do. "Vicki" “I ended up needing a D&C and with Covid, that meant going in alone. Having to sit alone waiting to medically complete a natural miscarriage–especially for a wanted pregnancy–is not something I would wish on anyone.” The Insider: How old are you and your husband? “Vicki”: I’m 32 and my husband is 34. The Insider: What date did you find out you were pregnant? “Vicki”: Early October. The Insider: And how many weeks pregnant are you now? “Vicki”: 32 weeks. The Insider: Had you planned on getting pregnant? “Vicki”: Yes, we had been trying for just about a year. The Insider: Do you live in a city or a rural area? “Vicki”: City. The Insider: And is the Covid rate bad there now? “Vicki”: It’s bad in my state and neighboring counties but doing much better locally. The Insider: How did you feel when you found out you were pregnant? “Vicki”: This is my second pregnancy during the pandemic. The first ended in miscarriage. The first was right in March of last year; Covid was still too new to impact my thoughts regarding the pregnancy. This pregnancy, I was and am excited of course, but sad that it won’t be and hasn’t been the pregnancy experience I had hoped for. My husband not being able to come to appointments with me, not being able to celebrate with my family in person, being extra cautious with my health. The Insider: How far along were you in your first pregnancy when you miscarried? What date was that on? “Vicki”: I was about 11 weeks. Found out in March 2020. Miscarried in May 2020 I found out on May 9th, the day before Mother’s Day last year. The Insider: I’m so sorry. In your first pregnancy, what was it like realizing that you were pregnant and Covid was getting worse? Were you very worried about your health? “Vicki”: Worried isn’t quite the right word. Cautious would fit best. In the beginning my husband was adamant about doing all the shopping and errands to reduce my possible exposure. I was only truly worried when our hospitals started reaching capacity. I wasn’t overly worried about needing the hospital for Covid reasons, but if I needed emergency help for anything else especially related to the pregnancy places were full. The idea of not being able to access quick emergency care for me or my baby is terrifying. The Insider: I’m interested in what your ob/gyn was advising during your first pregnancy. Not as much was known about Covid. What was she telling you to do? “Vicki”: She advised the typical CDC guidelines at the time. Wash your hands, stay home as much as possible, wear a mask in public, don’t socialize. I know we talked briefly about the unknowns of Covid’s impact on developing fetuses. We just didn’t know. We also talked about the overlap of Covid symptoms and pregnancy symptoms. Though that was more relevant in my current pregnancy. It’s a little nerve wracking to tweeze out what is normal pregnancy and what may be Covid. The Insider: It’s hard to ask you this, but when you miscarried, did you wonder whether it had anything to do with the pandemic? “Vicki”: I did not wonder that, honestly. I had been so isolated. I will say that I ended up needing a D&C and with Covid that meant going in alone. Having to sit alone waiting to medically complete a natural miscarriage– especially for a wanted pregnancy–is not something I would wish on anyone. The Insider: Yes, that sounds very, very difficult. I’m sorry. They must have been taking a huge number of precautions in the hospital. “Vicki”: Yes and rightfully so. The Insider: Obviously, everyone was wearing a mask all of the time. Were you? “Vicki”: Yes, The Insider: Now, on to your current pregnancy! Are you still with the same ob/gyn? “Vicki”: Yes plus an expanded team. It’s a program my insurance calls “centering.” The Insider: What does that mean? “Vicki”: I have access and appointments with a team of four midwives led by an ob. It also includes Zoom sessions with seven other pregnant women who are due around the same time. This way I will definitely know the midwife helping with my delivery, in case my primary is unavailable. The Insider: Now that more is known about Covid, has your ob/gyn’s advice changed at all since your first pregnancy? “Vicki”: There has been more focus on the added risks. Pregnant women tend to get sicker than non-pregnant women. And many of the treatments for Covid are not approved for use during pregnancy. The Insider: Did your ob/gyn advise you to get vaccinated? “Vicki”: 100% and as soon as I can. My ob is currently breastfeeding her little one and shared how confident she is in getting the vaccine for herself and to protect her daughter. One of the midwives is also expecting and she shared her initial vaccine concern but that she’s really glad she got it. I know the science is still new but my ob said the vaccine itself cannot cross the placenta barrier. So added protection for any possible negative vaccine effects. I just got my first Moderna vaccine. My second one is on May 8th. The Insider: Did you have any side effects? “Vicki”: I barely had a sore arm The Insider: How have you felt as you’ve gotten more pregnant and the has pandemic continued? “Vicki”: I mostly just feel isolated. I’m blessed to have a job I can do from home. But I’m not socializing with people outside of my quarantine pod, not going out. Pregnancy can be lonely enough but not being able to meet with other expecting people is tough. The Insider: Have you been able to see your family during your current pregnancy? Parents? Siblings? In-laws? “Vicki”: Yes and no. My in-laws, no, as they are across the country. My mother yes, Only after her vaccine. My father, no, since he is very loose with his mask and social distancing. Same with my extended family; most of them have or have had Covid. The Insider: Do they currently have cover? “Vicki”: Several of my extended family members do. Aunts, uncles, and cousins. The Insider: People who live together, or people in different locations? “Vicki”: Both, The Insider: So of course you can’t see them. “Vicki”: You tell them that. Haha. They keep asking about when I’ll be hosting a baby shower. The Insider: Have they generally been less careful during the pandemic? “Vicki”: Yes and it’s frustrating. The Insider: They must understand that you need to be extra careful. “Vicki”: It’s funny--you would think that. But my cousin is due with her second a few weeks before me. And she doesn’t believe in Covid. The family has tried to persuade me that since she feels it’s safe, I should feel it’s safe too. Thankfully my pregnant cousin has not had Covid. The Insider: Wow! Are any of your friends pregnant now? If so, are they ultra-careful too? “Vicki”: Yes. One friend is due this week and they’ve been just as cautious as me and my husband The Insider: Do you know anyone who has decided not to get pregnant now because of the pandemic? “Vicki”: I do not. The Insider: Last question: how do you expect your delivery to be different because of the pandemic? “Vicki”: Laboring in a mask just sounds awful; not looking forward to that. I’m only allowed one support person with me. My mom can’t be there. My mother-in-law can’t be there. We couldn’t hire a doula if we wanted. I can’t tour the location either. Which adds a slight anxiety of not knowing exactly where I’ll be delivering The Insider: Very complicated! I wish you all good luck! What is your due date? “Vicki”: June 3rd. We’re expecting a little boy 😊 The Insider: Wonderful!!!!! “Vicki”: If we truly can get most people vaccinated by May I’ll be beyond thrilled! "Susan" “With my first pregnancy I was working outside of the house and going to night school to fulfill a dream. Enjoying date nights with my husband and seeing friends. Even traveling. For my pandemic pregnancy, I became a hermit.” The Insider: Congratulations on your new baby! When was he born? “Susan”: He was born on December 28th. The Insider: And how old is your older child? “Susan”: My daughter is nearly 22 months old now, so she was 18 months when my son was born. The Insider: When did you find out that you were pregnant with your son? “Susan”: I found out I was pregnant with my son in mid-April. The Insider: That was right at the beginning of the pandemic. Was your pregnancy a surprise or planned? “Susan”: The pregnancy was planned. We took into consideration the pandemic and as much of what we knew about it as possible before we started trying to get pregnant. We weighed our options. But my husband and I are in our mid 30s, and I have an autoimmune disease, so we decided that we didn’t want to put our family’s growth on hold during a time with so many unknowns, such as the length of the pandemic. The Insider: How old are you and your husband? “Susan”: I am 35 and my husband is 36. The Insider: Do you live in a rural or an urban area? “Susan”: Closer to urban. But I’d say suburban. The Insider: A red or a blue state? “Susan”: Blue. The Insider: A bad Covid situation there? “Susan”: My state is now the worst off. Just last week, five people in my and my husband’s social circle tested positive. Luckily everyone is doing ok. The Insider: Did you discuss the safety concerns regarding getting pregnant during the pandemic with your doctor beforehand? Did you read a lot about the pandemic? “Susan”: No. I did not discuss safety concerns with my doctor beforehand. I did have a telemedicine appointment with my gynecologist for a pregnancy-related concern, even before testing positive, and it became evident that even the medical community was having trouble figuring “this” out and how to handle the medical needs of their patients. We had the news on our TV 24/7 during the beginning of the pandemic and we were glued to it. The Insider: Were you working outside the home when you got pregnant? “Susan”: No. I’m a stay-at-home mom. The Insider: Did your life change dramatically because of safety concerns when you found out you were pregnant? “Susan”: For me, no. I didn’t leave the house much before the pandemic while caring for my daughter. But once the pandemic hit, I left the house even less and became overly anxious about safety when I did leave. The Insider: What did you go out for? Shopping? Visiting with people? “Susan”: Since March of 2020 I have left the house to go to the grocery store, pharmacy, doctor’s appointments and to Target twice. As well as to visit my parents who are in our bubble. My children have only been to the doctor and my parents’ house. The Insider: What kind of lifestyle was your husband living during your pregnancy? “Susan”: His company had him working from home. He followed the same lifestyle that I did, only leaving for necessities. I forgot to mention that we also visited my brother-in-law and his wife when the weather was warm for a few distanced outdoor visits. The Insider: What advice did you ob/gyn give you about dealing with the pandemic? “Susan”: To wear a mask when in public and not to interact with people within six feet. To wash hands frequently and to not touch my face. Basically what was being recommended by the CDC. The Insider: What was this like for you? Was it a hard experience? “Susan”: It was stressful and anxiety-inducing. And then I started feeling trapped and frustrated after probably the first month. The Insider: Was that partly because you weren’t supposed to see people outside of your family? “Susan”: Yes definitely. A bigger frustration was seeing other people carrying on like normal. It felt like we were in school doing a group project and to pass you need 100% participation. My husband and I keep saying to this day that if only everyone had worn masks and laid low for the first two months, maybe we wouldn’t be dealing with this still today. The Insider: How would you compare the experience of your first pregnancy with your second one? “Susan”: Night and day. With my first pregnancy I was working outside of the house and going to night school to fulfill a dream. Enjoying date nights with my husband and seeing friends. Even traveling. For my pandemic pregnancy I became a hermit. The Insider: Did you ever have a Covid health scare during it? “Susan”: Not one based on a real risk encounter. But every sneeze or tickle made me think I had picked it up at my last doctor”s ‘appointment. The Insider: Tell me about the difference between the two deliveries. Was the second delivery greatly affected by pandemic precautions? “Susan”: For my second delivery, I was only allowed one support person–my husband. No one else was welcome to visit. With my first pregnancy, my husband was my only support person by choice. But my parents and in-laws were in the waiting room while I was delivering, and visiting with us and our newborn within an hour of delivering. For my second delivery, I had to have a Covid test. That obviously didn’t happen in 2019. And I had to labor and recover with a mask on. I was able to take off my mask when laboring became intense and for pushing. After that they wanted my husband and I to wear our masks whenever the hospital staff was present. And again, no visitors. The Insider: Have you been vaccinated yet? ‪Susan: I received my first vaccine a couple weeks ago. Need to go back for our second in a couple of weeks. The Insider: What is your lifestyle like now, in order to protect your son and your daughter? ‪Susan: We are still living in our bomb shelter. Nothing has changed. My parents are our only people who we visit and provide childcare if my husband and I have an appointment where we can’t bring the children. They are fully vaccinated. Even so, we have asked them to remain very conservative too until my husband and I are both fully vaccinated. We haven’t yet determined how to bring our kids into public just yet and we probably won’t for quite a bit longer considering how badly our state is doing. The Insider: Are you breastfeeding now? Is that an issue? ‪Susan: I am breastfeeding. I had a lot of anxiety getting vaccinated for that matter. Vaccination positively outweighed the unknowns. Breastfeeding has been smoothly running. The Insider: Have you talked with or heard about any other women who have decided NOT to get pregnant because of the pandemic? “Susan”: Yes. Or at least that was the plan at first, but after months of pandemic, she and her husband decided to start trying. The Insider: Is that a friend of yours? “Susan”: Yes The Insider: Based on your own experience, what would you advise women who are trying to decide whether to get pregnant during the pandemic? Do it? Wait? “Susan”: Oh goodness. Every experience is so personal. For us, the stars sort of aligned. My husband was working from home which was so so helpful in taking care of our oldest, while I was dealing with all the typical pregnancy challenges. We also thought the timing was pretty ok for us too since while pregnant you might miss out on some fun anyway. I would say getting pregnant during a pandemic isn’t all that bad if mom has the ability to stay out of harm’s way. However, if I were a woman working on the front line, or even if my husband were, I would discourage a pregnancy during a pandemic. With every doctor’s appointment, I was asked beforehand if I had any of the Covid symptoms. I don’t know how care would have changed if I answered yes. I don’t doubt that I would be cared for, but I also don’t know if it would have been telemedicine care or what. Postpartum I had complications and also chills and night sweats (fairly typical postpartum but also Covid symptoms, which was worrisome since I had just spent 2 nights in a hospital). I had to get tested on my own before seeking help at my normal doctor’s office. To put it simply- If you can wait. I’d say wait. "Miriam" “At first, we thought the pandemic would be over in a few months so we didn’t mind waiting. However, when we realized that Covid would change our lives for the foreseeable future, we decided that we couldn’t put our family on hold indefinitely and decided to go forward with our plans.” The Insider: How old are you and how old is your husband? “Miriam”: I’m 32 and my husband is 37. The Insider: Would you describe the location of your home as urban or rural? “Miriam”: It’s a mix of both because it has sections that feels very urban but also has many sections with single family homes and parks that give it a suburban feel. The Insider: Do you live in a red state or a blue state? “Miriam”: Blue State. The Insider: How would you describe the Covid conditions in your state now? “Miriam”: Improving but it is still a threat and it is still affecting day to day routines. The Insider: What date did you find out that you were pregnant? “Miriam”: It was on the night of Halloween, so October 31, 2020. The Insider: Did you take a test at home to determine that? “Miriam”: Yes, I took an at-home pregnancy test and my doctor confirmed the pregnancy about a week or two later. The Insider: Is this your first child? “Miriam”: It is. The Insider: Were you thinking seriously about having a baby before the beginning of the pandemic, or did the pandemic make you decide to move things up? “Miriam”: We were actually thinking of having a baby right before the pandemic hit and the pandemic made us postpone our plans. We planned on starting a family soon after our honeymoon (at the end of January 2020) but once the pandemic hit and we realized it was very serious, we decided to hold off on having a baby until things settled down. At first, we thought the pandemic would be over in a few months so we didn’t mind waiting. However, when we realized that Covid would change our lives for the foreseeable future, we decided that we couldn’t put our family on hold indefinitely and decided to go forward with our plans. It helped knowing that the vaccine was being released soon and we anticipated the pandemic getting better by the time I would give birth. The Insider: What’s your due date? How many weeks pregnant are you now? “Miriam”: I’m 28 weeks pregnant and my due date is July 6. The Insider: Are pregnant women eligible to be vaccinated in your state? “Miriam": Pregnant women are eligible to be vaccinated and many doctors are recommending it. There have been studies showing the benefits of the vaccine for pregnant women and their fetuses, so I am very confident I made the right decision to get vaccinated. The Insider: Did you have any negative reactions from the vaccines? “Miriam”: After both shots, my arm felt sore, but I felt no other side effects. I was expecting to at least feel feverish or lethargic, but I felt completely normal. The Insider: When your doctor determined that you were pregnant, did she ask you to take a Covid test? “Miriam”: She did not. The Insider: Are women being advised to terminate their pregnancies if they get Covid? Have you and your doctor discussed what would happen if you got Covid? “Miriam”: I haven’t discussed that with my doctor. I haven’t heard that women are being advised to terminate their pregnancy if they get Covid. The Insider: I bet you’ve done a lot of reading on this subject. "Miriam" Yes, both my husband and I did extensive reading on Covid and its effects on pregnant women. We wanted to make sure we were making a well-informed decision and that we wouldn’t be putting our baby in harm’s way. The Insider: Are you being told to take any special pandemic precautions during your pregnancy? “Miriam”: We’ve been very careful with regard to Covid since it started, so we have just continued to take the same precautions. We don’t meet with anyone, including family, indoors and are always masked. We do, however, go outside while masked. The doctors also have restrictions in their office where you are not allowed to bring anyone to your appointments. This, unfortunately, means that my husband has been unable to come with me to any of my sonograms. The Insider: Have you been told yet about Covid protections regarding giving birth? “Miriam”: I’ve asked my doctor and she said many hospitals are giving women private rooms during Covid, whereas before you had to pay separately for that. I’ve heard hospitals are also making women give birth while wearing a mask. Mt doctor said some of these regulations might change in a few months as more people get vaccinated. The Insider: Do you have friends who are also pregnant now? “Miriam”: No, but I have some friends who are actively trying to conceive and have friends who have very recently given birth (a few months ago). The Insider: Please tell me about your lifestyle now. Are you working? “Miriam”: I’m working remotely from home. Generally there are consecutive days that I don’t go outside unless I have doctor appointments or have some errands to run. The Insider: Do you get to see your family other than your husband? “Miriam”: Not as much, especially during the winter. We see them more often in the spring when we can meet up outdoors. We will see them more often now both my husband and I are fully vaccinated. The Insider: Has it been a hardship not to be able to be with your family during your pregnancy? “Miriam”: It’s difficult missing out on family events like birthday parties and holidays since my family holds them even during Covid. The Insider: Do you and your family have different attitudes about how to handle the pandemic? “Miriam”: Definitely. My husband and I are a lot more careful when it comes to Covid. My parents and grandfather all have had it so although they take some precautions they aren’t as careful. My siblings and their families don’t think of Covid as a big deal and have often reduced it to a political game so they are taking the least precautions. My siblings are Trump supporters and have unfortunately bought into his rhetoric on Covid. The Insider: Do your family members think you’re being overly careful during your pregnancy? “Miriam”: My parents have always been supportive of our precautions, but my siblings only became fairly supportive only after I became pregnant since they acknowledge I’m now in a higher risk group. One of my siblings is a nurse practitioner so she’s aware that I’m immunocompromised. The Insider: Just a few more questions, but one of them is a biggie. Overall, what is it like emotionally to be going through a pregnancy during the pandemic? Isolating? Gratifying? What you expected to be going through? “Miriam”: Being pregnant during Covid allowed me to work from home, which has been amazing. I don’t have to deal with a long commute to work and have more time to relax when I need to. At the same time it’s also kept me isolated from friends and family that would have made the experience more fun. I guess the pros of working from home have outweighed the cons of not being with family and friends because I’ve enjoyed my pregnancy so far. It also helps that I have a very close relationship with my husband so I don’t feel lonely. "Debbie" “We sanitized every single thing that came into our house, and we never brought in carry-out food or anything like that until the baby was born. In hindsight, we clearly went a little overboard!” The Insider: Congratulations on the birth of your baby! What was the birth date? “Debbie”: Thank you! September 16, 2020. The Insider: How old are you and your husband? “Debbie”: I am 38 and my husband is 37. The Insider: Would you describe where you live as urban or rural? “Debbie”: VERY rural. The Insider: Was this your first child? “Debbie”: No. The Insider: How much older is your oldest child? “Debbie”: Two years and nine months. The Insider: What date did you find out you were pregnant with your second? “Debbie”: Mid-January-ish The Insider: So it was before the pandemic began. “Debbie”: Yes. The Insider: And when it became obvious in early March that the pandemic was going to be serious, what did you think in regard to your pregnancy? “Debbie”: I was worried that catching it would harm the baby. But I never tested positive for Covid. The Insider: Did you immediately talk about it with your ob/gyn? What did he say to you? “Debbie”: I didn't because I'm a teacher and my school closed in March. This is not an exaggeration–from the moment my school closed until I had my baby, I only left the house to go to ob visits. Because I was so secluded, I really was not too concerned about Covid for the majority of my pregnancy. However, I was supposed to return to school two weeks before the baby was due. At that point I had extensive conversations with my OB, and he excused me from work until I had the baby because of the risks. The Insider: Was your husband going out of the house during that time? “Debbie”: He was also able to work from home during that time. He went to grocery stores to do curbside pickup during that time, but that was about it. We sanitized every single thing that came into our house, and we never brought in carry-out food or anything like that until the baby was born. In hindsight, we clearly went a little overboard! I should mention how invaluable my husband was during my whole pregnancy. He had a feeling that Covid was going to get really bad, so he went out and got groceries and other types of supplies ahead of everyone else. I really don’t know how I could have felt safe for me and the baby if he weren’t the one getting the groceries, quarantining our mail and our packages, and buying things to get ready for the baby. The Insider: That’s understandable! There’s still so much we don’t know about Covid. “Debbie”: I know! Even now I do a decontamination shower every day when I come home from work, just to be safe. The Insider: So you didn’t see people other than your husband your whole pregnancy? “Debbie”: We did one or two socially distanced walks with another couple in their kid, but that was about it. The Insider: So you never were able to see your family? “Debbie”: My in-laws came to stay with us two days before I was induced so they could get comfortable with watching our older kid. Other than that, no. The Insider: That separation must have been very difficult. “Debbie”: It was rough. I felt like I was having a secret pregnancy. I felt especially bad for my older kid because he didn't get to see his grandparents for almost a year. Both my parents and my in-laws were under strict instruction about how to quarantine before they came down. My in-laws stayed with us for the first week after the baby was born. Then they left and my parents came down for another week. The Insider: Are you fully vaccinated now? Debbie: Yes The Insider: How has that changed your lifestyle? Debbie: The most exciting way it has changed my lifestyle is that we can go visit our family again! We also got together at our house with another fully vaccinated couple and their kid, which was wonderful! The Insider: That is exciting! What precautions do you still take to make sure that your children are safe from Covid? Debbie: We only visit with fully vaccinated people. If we go into a store, I cover the baby and my older child wears a mask. My husband and I make sure to change our clothes and shower as soon as we get home if we were somewhere crowded or at work. We don't take our kids into stores or other places where we can't socially distance. The Insider: You are in a unique position, having had a recent non-pandemic pregnancy, and a pandemic one. How would you compare the two pregnancies? “Debbie”: They really were totally different. My husband came to every single visit with my first child. He was only able to come to the first visit with the pandemic baby because the visit was pre-pandemic. All subsequent visits limited me to just one person, and we didn't want to introduce any new potential sources of infection into our house to watch our older kid, so my husband stayed home with him instead of coming to the visits. There was also a whole lot of anxiety about going to the visits and sitting in the waiting room and thinking about what was going to happen when the time came to go to the hospital to have the baby. Fortunately, he was born in September. At that time there was a real dip in Covid cases around here The Insider: Some women said they’ve felt very isolated during their pandemic pregnancies. Was that your feeling too? “Debbie”: Isolated isn't really the feeling. It was much more of me wanting to celebrate the pregnancy with friends and family and not being able to. I had bought a shirt to wear to school to announce my pregnancy but I never got to because our high school closed The Insider: What was it like to reemerge after such a sheltered experience? “Debbie”: It was very scary. I felt like I was doing something really wrong leaving the house. I wear two masks all the time still. For my first month back after maternity (in December) I kept my windows open to get better air circulation in my room. I spent the majority of my time telling kids to make sure their masks were over their noses and their mouths. I still don't take my mask off to eat or drink during the day or in my classroom, just to be safe, but I relaxed about the windows! The Insider: Please tell me a little about the birth itself. Was it different than your first birth because of the pandemic? “Debbie”: It was a little different. We had to wear masks, but I was allowed to take mine down when we were alone in the room. We were allowed to take our masks off to sleep once I was in the recovery room. The biggest difference was that my parents and my in-laws were not able to come to see their new grandkid in the hospital like they could the first time. Once the baby was born, I was very concerned about the nurses treating him if their masks were not on properly. It just added a whole extra layer of anxiety on top of the anxiety of being a mom to a newborn The Insider: Where do you wear masks now? I wear masks when I go to work, and my husband wears masks when he goes to the store. My older kid wears a mask only if we go out in public. We tried to get him to wear a mask when he returned to preschool, but none of the other kids do and it was impossible for them to enforce it. The Insider: During this whole period, have you ever had a Covid test or a Covid scare? “Debbie”: I am pretty sure that I had Covid in mid-February of last year, before we really knew what it was. My husband and I got very sick, as did like 65 percent of my school. I believe there was even a discussion about having to close the school for a little bit because there were so many kids out at that time. I tested negative for the flu twice and then recovered. The Insider: While you were pregnant? “Debbie”: Yes, it was very early pregnancy. At that point I was just worried about having a high fever while pregnant. The doctor reassured me that everything was okay. Once Covid became known to the public, there was not much he could tell me about it anyway The Insider: What did your doctor advise about breastfeeding during the pandemic? “Debbie”: I didn't specifically ask about breastfeeding during the pandemic. In the hospital they just promoted it so I figured there was no problem. I ran into a much bigger problem regarding breastfeeding and the vaccine. There is no concrete information about its safety, so I got a lot of it "should be safe" from the ob, the pediatrician, and even the nurse administering the shot. The Insider: Can babies get Covid? “Debbie”: It is very rare, but yes they can. When I was obsessively looking stuff up right before he was born, I found that babies have never been born with Covid, but it can be transmitted from the mom to the baby after birth. "Nancy" “Not being able to see friends, some family members, stuck at home with a toddler who couldn't go to playgrounds or see her friends. It was brutal.” The Insider: What date did you find out you were pregnant? “Nancy”: June 15, 2020. The Insider: That was just a few months after the beginning of the pandemic. Had you decided to get pregnant then? “Nancy”: I wanted to, but it was unplanned. The Insider: Were you worried about the pandemic when you found out that you were pregnant, or wasn’t that an issue? “Nancy”: I thought it would be a good time to be pregnant, since we were home and working remotely. I wasn't overly concerned about it. The Insider: Would you have normally been working full-time in an office? “Nancy”: I was already working from home. I'm an independent contractor. I work in international development. The Insider: Would your husband have been working in an office otherwise? “Nancy”: Yes. The Insider: Did you go to an obstetrician right away? “Nancy”: Yes. My longtime gynecologist and ob, who had followed my first pregnancy. The Insider: How old is your older child? “Nancy”: 3 and a half years The Insider: Did he give you any advice regarding the pandemic? “Nancy”: He told me to be extremely careful, limit travel, wear masks and a face shield. The Insider: Did you follow that advice completely, or were there times where you did otherwise? And did he give your husband the same advice? “Nancy”: My husband and I were very careful and went into lockdown before it was even recommended because half my family is Italian and was already living the pandemic in February. That said, my family is based in Tuscany, which saw very few cases during the first wave, so I ended up traveling to Italy in August 2020 and staying for a month. It was a much-needed break from the madness in the States. He didn't interact with my husband, but yes he would have given him the same advice. The Insider: Were you concerned about traveling internationally? “Nancy”: Less so than traveling domestically. Also, flights were practically empty, and National Geographic came out with an article about how traveling in a plane with proper mask was actually safer than going to a grocery store. In any case, we wore N95s, face shields and were hyper-paranoid about sanitizing everything. The Insider: When did you wear a face shield? “Nancy”: On the transatlantic flights over the summer and in the airports. Airports felt less safe than the actual flight. The Insider: But not in the U.S.? “Nancy”: I rarely went out. We ordered our groceries by delivery during the really bad months The Insider: When your doctor said to be “extremely careful,’ was that adjusted towards pregnancy, or were the rules the same as for any cautious person? For example, he didn’t say ten feet instead of six feet? “Nancy”: Well, he gave the standard recommendations he had given to his own kids. But given how poorly Covid was being dealt with in the U.S,, most doctors were trying to convey the importance of masks, safety and social distancing. And yes, he said given how little was known about Covid and pregnancy, and that what we did know was generally bad, I should be as cautious as possible. The Insider: Did you see your ob/gyn the standard number of times, or more often because it was the pandemic? “Nancy”: Standard for an ob practice. I ended up switching to the midwifery practice that delivered my baby later in the pregnancy, but I did all the standard ultrasounds and tests through my OB’s office. The Insider: Did you have an easy pregnancy, or were there other problems? “Nancy”: Very easy pregnancy without complications. The Insider: What made you switch midway to a midwife? Did it have anything to do with the pandemic. “Nancy”: I had considered a midwife with my first pregnancy, but given that it was the first, ended up going to hospital. But I don't trust the US healthcare system, particularly with regards to pregnancy and birth since it's so interventionist and driven by health insurance. There were several reasons. First, my pregnancy, like my first one, was smooth and without complications, I was low risk. Second, I had a rapid first labor (I gave birth 11 minutes after arriving at the hospital with my first birth), so the likelihood that my second delivery would also be rapid was even higher. so I would either have to get to the hospital early (which would almost assuredly lead to some kind of intervention), or risk having the baby in the car. The Insider: 11 minutes! That must be the world’s record! “Nancy”: Well, I labored at home and my contractions were very close together when we headed to hospital, partly because I was in denial about being in labor for most of it, Another reason why I was even more weary of a hospital birth: the one where my old ob delivers, which caters to older mothers, has an absurdly high C-section rate The Insider: How old are you and your husband? “Nancy”: We're both 39. The Insider: Do you live in a city or in a rural area? “Nancy”: We live in a city. The Insider: Which month did you switch to the midwife? “Nancy”: I switched in November. The Insider: Which was the month of your pregnancy? “Nancy”: Seven months. But I had decided I would do a home birth from start. I just hadn't selected my midwifery practice yet and interviewed several. Did a lot of research beforehand. The Insider: Did you discuss the pandemic with her? Was her advice any different from the ob/gyn? “Nancy”: The midwives were even more cautious. I had to sign an agreement to go into quarantine for two weeks before birth and get Covid-tested two times and an antibody test. The Insider: Was there more than one midwife? “Nancy”: Yes, one primary midwife, and a second to handle baby. Standard of practice for midwives. The Insider: That’s very careful. “Nancy”: Had I tested positive for Covid, even if asymptomatic, they would have transferred my care to a hospital, again because of all the unknowns re Covid and pregnancy. The Insider: Do they make women who are giving birth in hospitals now do those things? “Nancy”: No, not that I know of. Midwives also had way more pre-natal and post-natal checks than the standard practice. And the checks lasted between one and two hours The Insider: Please explain what you mean by “checks.” “Nancy”: Checks mean visits, checking vitals, blood pressure, weight, fundal height, temperature, for any symptoms, etc. The Insider: Did the midwives take Covid tests before they came to your home? “Nancy”: Yes the midwives took regular tests and were fully vaccinated as soon as the vaccine was made available to them. The Insider: Were you vaccinated while you were pregnant? “Nancy”: I was not because the Covid vaccine was not available for pregnant women yet. It is now. Although, while I would jump at the chance to get vaccinated now while breast feeding, I wouldn't have gotten the vaccine until the third trimester because of the lack of studies or data on pregnant women. The Insider: So you are breastfeeding now? “Nancy”: Yes. And preliminary studies show that a vaccinated mother can pass those antibodies to her child thru breast milk, which would be the main draw. The Insider: Did you wear a mask during the birth itself? Did the midwives? “Nancy”: The midwives wore masks the whole time. I took my mask off during the really intense last 30 minutes because I needed to breathe deeply. The Insider: How long were you in labor this time? “Nancy”: Active labor (5cm dilated and onwards) was 3 hours, 19 minutes, Faster than my first birth, but the pushing was about 10 minutes The Insider: And what date did you give birth? “Nancy”: February 17th The Insider: Congratulations! Boy or a girl? Weight? “Nancy”: Thank you. Girl, 7 lbs. Born at 40 weeks. Two days shy of her due date. Another reason why I wanted a home birth. I didn't want to be pressured to induce of the baby went past due date The Insider: So basically, you had to be extra careful because of the pandemic, but you weren’t otherwise affected by it, right? “Nancy”: Oh, I wouldn't say that, no. I was very affected by the pandemic, particularly from an emotional standpoint. Not being able to see friends, some family members, stuck at home with a toddler who couldn't go to playgrounds or see her friends. It was brutal. That said, we had it easier than most, and I had a smooth pregnancy. But it was really taxing emotionally. The Insider: Knowing what you know now, what would you advise other women about getting pregnant or giving birth during the pandemic? “Nancy”: Well, it depends on the individual circumstances, health, etc, But all things being equal, I would say that you shouldn't put pregnancy on hold due to the pandemic (certainly not if your biological clock is ticking), or if it feels right to you. I'm a big proponent of home birth if a woman is low risk (after all, pregnancy is not a disease), and I would avoid a hospital setting even without the pandemic, but more so now. The Insider: Have you ever heard a woman say she had decided NOT to get pregnant now because of the pandemic? “Nancy”: Yes, several. But I do believe there were other factors at play too. In my experience, when a woman wants to get pregnant, not even a pandemic will stand in her way The Insider: What were their concerns in regard to the pandemic? “Nancy”: Concerns about getting sick, but mainly about the very many unknowns. Pregnant women have been left out of all studies, at least until recently. The Insider: Have you ever heard of a woman terminating a pandemic pregnancy for those reasons? “Nancy”: No, I haven't. The Insider: What are your vaccination plans now? Are new mothers eligible? “Nancy”: I would love to get vaccinated. I don’t currently qualify, but I would gladly wait at the pharmacy or hospital for those sought-after leftovers. The Insider: It’s crazy that you’re not eligible now! “Nancy”: New mothers are not eligible unless you have some other qualifying health conditions, such as history of asthma, high BMI, cancer, etc. At least in the U.S. I don't know about other countries The Insider: I’m all done! Many thanks for your help.

By Stephani Tikalsky / Bloomington, Minnesota The editor of The Insider has been after me for almost a month to “write something." She even peppered me with praise regarding my writing abilities. Bless her. But I was just getting ready to tell her, sorry. I’m just not feeling it. In fact, I just had this conversation with my husband, Jim, that I don’t know what it is but I have this sense of sadness, a weight, immobilization, the need to just keep sighing deeply. He pointed out, rightly, that I’m not immobilized. I am keeping up with my exercise regimen, proudly I might add. I continue to do my volunteer shifts for Planned Parenthood. So, no, not immobilized but something is weighing me down. Perhaps it’s still my father’s death in January? And then WHAM! Today’s news: another senseless, unnecessary murder of an even younger (than George Floyd) Black man by a white cop; this time during a traffic stop in a northern suburb of Minneapolis. Now I can add dismay, anger, WTF-ness to my previous sense of sadness. Seriously, what the hell is going on? As my son-in-law, Carter, so aptly put it, “All the positives coming from the Chauvin trial, that one superior police officer after another was coming forward, on the stand, calling what happened murder, and the medical experts stating that George Floyd would not have died that day had it not been for the actions of the police officers at the scene, the seemingly clear direction the case was going…. and now we’re here. Again.” We’re. Here. Again. Indeed. There’s a metro-wide curfew from 7 p.m. Monday until 6 a.m.Tuesday now for the second time in less than a year. That had never happened prior to George Floyd's murder.  It was an attempt to avoid the mass protests and looting that occurred then. Sadly, while much more limited in scope, neither was avoided this time either. The protests I understand; the looting of one’s neighborhood businesses, not so much. It just doesn’t seem the “right” way to express anger and grief. That said, I am the aforementioned white woman; suburban and middle-aged to boot. What do I know of the frustration? I’ll be honest. I am all over the place on this new case. Why, why, why did Daunte Wright resist? Wait--that’s blaming the victim! But wait, I’ve heard and read time and again that the “facts of life” presented to black male youths are what to do in the event of being stopped by the police. In the video, Daunte actually seemed to be cooperating until you see Kim Potter, the female officer, get involved. But the onus cannot be on Daunte. But Potter, a 26-year police veteran, thought she was using her taser…. Life as she knew it just ended. I can hear her shock when she realizes she shot Daunte. I can’t imagine what she must be feeling and yet, let’s be real: actual life ended for Daunte. Period. Done. Twenty-years old, a rash decision to resist arrest, perhaps, but done. Because of expired tabs, a hanging air freshener, an outstanding misdemeanor warrant and an accidental shooting? No. Just, no. And please, let’s acknowledge another reality: had Daunte been white, he would be alive. No question. None on my part. White boys and men simply do not die during traffic stops. White boys and men, in army uniforms, are not pepper sprayed and abused because the police officer didn't see the temporary license in the back window of their new SUV. Yep, I do indeed know that I’m now “piling on,” something we’re often advised against doing. But sadly it would be so easy to continue to pile on because we have so many examples of inexcusable behavior. I have only one Black friend. How sad is that? One Black friend. I always think of him, and his now twentysomething son, and reach out to him when things like this happen. He’s a big teddy bear of a man who lives by the Golden Rule. He is kind and respectful and gives the best hugs. I say “cops;” he says “police.” I apologize and text “I don’t know what to say; please be safe.” He texts back “nothing for you to apologize for; tell the family I love them.” Wouldn’t we all be better off living by the Golden Rule? As of this writing the judge in the case of Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis police officer being tried for the murder of George Floyd, has decided against the Chauvin defense team’s request to sequester jurors. While I believe the defense does not have a winning case, I worry and can’t imagine they won’t use the death of another Black man at the hands of a white cop to call for a mistrial. Much will unfold in the days ahead, including for me more feelings of sadness, now defined and undefined, and more heavy, deep sighs. Deep down, I know that the good outweighs the bad, but I may just wallow a bit longer UPDATE: Kimberly Potter, the Minneapolis police officer, who shot and killed Daunte Wright during a traffic stop this past Sunday, has been charged with second-degree manslaughter. Both the Brooklyn Center police chief, Tim Gannon, and Potter resigned from their positions on Tuesday.

Opinion by Jeffrey D. Sachs | CNN.com Tuesday April 13, 2021 Editor's Note: Jeffrey Sachs is a professor and director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University and president of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network. His most recent book is "The Ages of Globalization" (Columbia University Press, 2020). The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author; view more opinion on CNN (CNN) - America's corporate sector owes the rest of the economy big time. And the Biden administration is taking first steps to redress this through long-overdue tax reforms that will help pay for the modernization of infrastructure that businesses -- and all of us -- need to thrive. At the core of President Joe Biden's proposals is an effort to lift the top statutory corporate tax rate from 21% to 28% and to coordinate with other high-income countries to restore corporate tax revenues. Not surprisingly, Biden's proposals are hitting resistance from corporate lobbies and conservative media, including The Wall Street Journal editorial board, which vociferously opposes the tax measures and warns that corporate collapse will ensue. The Journal's editorial on the issue last week conveniently left out that the Biden proposal would reverse only half of the 2017 corporate tax cut, which cut the top statutory rate from 35% to 21%, lower by far than any time during the preceding 76 years. From 1941 to 2017, the top statutory rate never fell below 31%. Biden, indeed, might well have reversed the entire 2017 tax cut -- and with good reason -- but the ensuing political firestorm would have made his road that much harder. The corporate sector and the richest Americans that own these companies have long been using their vast political power to amend the corporate tax code and make a mockery of tax justice. As corporate money has increasingly flooded into federal election campaigns, especially with the advent of "soft money," beginning in 1979, the corporate tax has been systematically gutted. In 1949, corporate taxes accounted for 28% of federal tax revenues, but by 2019, corporate taxes were a mere 7% of federal revenues. And, according to the nonpartisan Institute of Taxation and Economy Policy, at least 55 profitable US companies paid $0 in corporate income taxes in 2020 through the use of various loopholes. In the meantime, the share of wealth held by the richest Americans has grown astronomically. The rise in wealth was never more stunning than in 2020. As tens of millions of Americans suffered mass unemployment, hunger and disease, America's billionaires enjoyed a soaring stock market, reflecting the profits flowing into our increasingly digital economy, the effects of low corporate taxes and the near-zero interest rates engineered by the Federal Reserve Board in response to the pandemic. According to Forbes Magazine, the net worth of America's billionaires in March 2021 totaled $4.4 trillion, rising from $2.9 trillion just one year earlier. Many of these corporations, of course, claim that they are providing an unalloyed service to all of us in return for their "well-deserved" wealth, but the truth is different. These companies depend on public outlays on infrastructure, research and development, and other investments, yet they do not fairly share the financial returns through adequate tax payments. The US government rightly invested vast sums -- potentially as much as $18 billion -- to develop the Covid-19 vaccines, for example. Yet the beneficiary companies expect to make huge profits on the vaccines without the US government sharing the returns to the new technologies on behalf of the American people. Meanwhile, many companies -- from pharmaceuticals to Big Tech -- wield far too much market power. As a result of such market power, Americans pay far more than residents of Canada and Europe for the very same drugs and medical services. So while pharma profits skyrocket, US households are gouged. And a 16-month congressional investigation completed last year found that Amazon, Apple, Google and Facebook hold "monopoly power" and abuse their dominance in certain markets (a characterization all the companies vehemently denied). Yet the greed goes beyond tax cuts and market power. Even with low tax rates, companies use additional subterfuges to cut their taxes further, especially by shifting their international profits into offshore tax-havens. Lo and behold, the US Treasury reports that some 60% of the international profits of US multinational companies are booked in seven small tax havens: Bermuda, the Caymans, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Singapore and Switzerland. This is the diligent handiwork of politicians, lobbyists and America's top corporate law firms. To paraphrase Captain Louis Renault in the 1942 film "Casablanca," we should be "shocked, shocked" to know how many people in high places are involved in scamming and fleecing the American people. Wisely and indeed boldly, given the sway of the corporate lobby with both political parties, Biden and Secretary of Treasury Janet Yellen are calling for five interconnected measures, which are needed to function as a package. The first is to raise the corporate tax rate to 28%. The second is to impose a minimum tax of 21% on US multinational companies' foreign intangible income (profits due to patents, trademarks, copyrights, etc.) to stop these companies from sheltering such profits in tax havens. The third is to call on other countries to join in similar minimum tax rates to prevent "leakage" of the US tax reforms. The fourth is to prevent US companies from falsely claiming an overseas tax "residence" when their operations and management are in the US. And the fifth is to restore staffing at the Internal Revenue Service so that it can resume audits of large corporations. As the US Treasury notes, IRS audit scrutiny of large companies has declined to less than 50% of the 2011 level. Biden's proposals are admittedly limited steps in the right direction. Some progressives are calling for much bolder measures. And while bolder steps are warranted, these are good first steps. Biden and Yellen are taking on the herculean job of cleaning the Augean stables after decades of rampant and growing tax abuse. The administration's valiant efforts at corporate tax reform are vital and urgent efforts toward fiscal responsibility and economic justice. https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/13/opinions/corporations-must-pay-owe-america-sachs/index.html

By Janice M. Horowitz “Every time a physician writes a prescription, orders a test, or dispenses medical wisdom, there’s something else going on behind the scenes,” says Janice M. Horowitz, author of the forthcoming book, Health Your Self: What's Really Driving Your Care and How to Take Charge (May 18). Horowitz, a longtime health journalist with Time magazine, shows in her new book the hidden forces at work whenever medical consumers receive health care–and how to successfully navigate around them.. It started with what’s now a familiar scene. My husband and I were working together at home, he, on his computer at the desk, and me on my laptop on the couch. Suddenly I felt sick and as if I were going to throw up. Off I bolted to the bathroom, and there, in my wretched state, I shouted out to my husband: Is vomiting a symptom of Covid-19? “Yes, I see it. It’s on the list!” was his answer from down the hall. With that, panic set in, made worse a couple of hours later when I developed a fever. Food poisoning, stomach flu, both reasons for gastrointestinal distress, are upsetting enough. But now there’s barely a symptom that doesn’t bring on a deeper level of anguish. We have become a new breed of worried well, the very worried well, and we’re all fretting about the same malady. For me, I was up most the night, not just making use of an old pot placed near my bed, but ruminating about what I had done that might have given me Covid. Maybe, my mask wasn’t tight-fitting enough? Maybe I had gotten too close to that woman in the tiny bakery I never should have gone into? I spent even more mental anguish blaming myself for having been careless. The deadly disease I had thus far averted was now ever more real and terrifying. Given how broad the symptoms of Covid are, from respiratory ones such as trouble breathing, to benign-seeming ones like a runny nose or a headache, we are making ourselves sick with worry, even when we’re not so terribly sick. As it turned out, I had food poisoning from tainted arugula, an ordeal that would resolve in a couple of days. Not nothing, but in those moments of distress, I had every reason to believe that I could wind up at death’s door from Covid. With allergy season on its way, someone could go down the same spiral of anxiety over a bout of sniffles. The worry is bad for us. Anxiety pumps out stress hormones such as cortisol, which left unchecked, famously contribute to a lowered immune system and poor health outcomes. A report in the British Medical Journal found that health-related anxiety increases the odds of experiencing a heart attack or angina by 70 percent. Meantime, more than half of Americans are reporting that the Covid crisis is harming their mental health, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation tracking poll. Surely what’s contributing is the ample time we now have at home, ever more preoccupied with ourselves, lost in our own desperate thoughts. For the new very worried well, it’s the perfect setup for every ache and pain to loom as a catastrophe. And we can’t catch a break. Trying to quell our coronavirus concerns is an exercise in even more worry. Before Covid, if you felt sick, you went to the doctor, got examined and maybe had blood drawn for a ready explanation. But now, you have to fend for yourself, ramping up all of your energy just to learn what you’re facing. Figuring out how to get a test for Covid, weighing the options and navigating that provides enough consternation to flood your mind so you wind up with a worry within a worry. Urgent Care, for example, often means waking up early to wait on line and you have to decide whether you want a less reliable, but speedy, antigen test, or wait days for the results of a gold-standard PCR test. There are home PCR tests, too, but they are only optimal if you thought ahead and had a testing kit already overnighted to you; then, you still have to wait days for results. If you can find one, rapid test centers are able to give you the result of a PCR test in a matter of hours. Then there are tests in doctors’ offices, under tents and even nurses can make house calls. Try sorting out all of this when you’re sick and overwrought. Now, of course we have the stress of finding a way to get vaccinated. But, unlike the possibility of a positive Covid test, at least the end result will be, by definition, a good one:: not just an inoculation against a virus, but an inoculation against worrying about it. Janice M. Horowitz, the author of the forthcoming book, Health Your Self, covered health for Time magazine for nearly two decades. She also created and hosted the public radio segment Dueling Docs: The Cure to Contradictory Medicine; and contributed to The Economist, Allure, and The New York Times.

By Naomi Serviss I miss my kids. Haven’t hugged Emmy or Ben since Thanksgiving, 2019. We had gathered in Mississippi for a feast. The food was sensational. Everyone pitched in. I goofed around with Luna, our granddog, rescued from a bad outcome. Her name suits her as she is wont to lose her mind. Luna’s a gangly, teenage-y creature still learning the ropes. She can leap over a six-foot fence faster than Ben can code. The leftovers were stashed. The kitchen and dining rooms tidied. Hedgehog salt and pepper shakers reunited. The millennials are into games. Out came the cards. Board games, dice, betting chips, drawing pads and colored markers filled the table. Ben strolled about with Luna and gazed fondly at his fiancée, Katherine. Emmy’s thunderous laughter triggered mine. I folded my poker hand and tripped down memory lane. First stop was a soft landing at our home on Long Island. A weekly cartoon from the ‘60s launched my trip. The Rocky & Bullwinkle Show, a subversively satirical touchstone resonates still. Mr. Peabody, a bespectacled genius beagle, time-traveled in “The Wayback Machine” with his boy Sherman. I Waybacked 30 years to our modest, corner-lot Cape Cod house in Greenlawn. Designed with good intentions and terrible taste. Indestructible yellow-brown-orange speckled linoleum floored the darkly paneled kitchen. No-frills foam ceiling squares and interrogation-room fluorescent lighting were unfortunate choices. But where better to stage Broadway musicals and roller skate? Sometimes simultaneously. Emmy was less than thrilled when Ben joined our tribe. “I don’t want him. I want the black baby.” At least she used her words. Emmy thawed when presented with a black baby doll from Toys R Us. She stripped off its clothes and named her Robin. Emmy grudgingly accepted Ben’s permanency. As Ben grew, she realized he was an easy mark. She coaxed him into Broadway-lite productions she wrote and directed. Nudged Ben into singing loudly for the cheap seats. Gypsy, Miss Saigon and Les Misérables were in constant rotation. Emmy slinked around in a pink bodysuit, crinoline skirt and feather boa as Gypsy Rose Lee. Her signature move was dipping and dropping a frayed shoulder strap. Ben had the last laugh. He learned Jiu Jitsu. Emmy never messed with him again. Now adults, they’re tight friends and confidantes. They make each other laugh like fools. This has been a cruel year for all of us. Zoom helps. Maybe 60%. Ben pays Katherine a quarter every time we share a rusty anecdote or groaner pun. Katherine will be a wealthy woman come August. Ben larks around laptop in hand. He aims it towards the tent pitched in the living room for fun. He points out their latest home improvements. Like the screened-in porch and backyard upgrades. Proud, maybe a little show off-y, he’s an enthusiastic realtor. Luna’s perched on the couch, fawny limbs splayed unselfconsciously. Positioned to highlight well-turned ankles. They are pretty cute. Ben and Katherine are getting married soon. Emmy’s working on an “Aunt Lorraine” lip sync video. Allan Sherman songs never sounded as funny or looked so glam. Every few weeks we’ll watch a movie “together.” We watch them watching. I feel bad because I can’t rub Emmy’s back. My husband Lew and I are last to Zoom off, reluctant to close the portal. It’s a jolt watching them blip off. But they’re not really gone. Their photos are everywhere. There’s one of Emmy and me, heads touching. Ben and Katherine’s proposal pictures are propped against the orange Café du Monde can. It holds my paintbrushes and a black Sharpie. Photos cover walls. There’s Emmy squinting in the Tucson son. Ben standing with windswept hair in a Rosthern, Saskatchewan parking lot. Ben’s sculptures and origami boats are scattershot. A blue beaded octopus from Emmy tops Lew’s desktop speaker. Emmy sends brown boxes filled with meticulously wrapped presents. Tiny gold and silver stars spill on the floor. Frankly, it was a pain to pick them up. Now we sprinkle them here and there on the floor. At night they twinkle, like Emmy’s eyes. Naomi Serviss is a New York-based award-winning journalist whose work has been published in The New York Times, Newsday, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Highroads (AAA magazine), in-flight publications, spa and travel magazines and websites, including BroadwayWorld.com

One film journalist’s stream-of-consciousness cinematic journey through the pandemic, Part 32 By Laurence Lerman I raved over the work of Gene Hackman a couple of columns back, zeroing in on two years of his four-decade, 80-film career and maintained that though a number of the titles may have been stinkers, there was nary a poor performance in the bunch. Well, two weeks and a dozen or so streams later, I’m prepared to make the same declaration for the German actress Nina Hoss, who, for nearly two decades, has proven herself to be one of her country’s shining stars. Over the past ten years or so, she’s emerged as one of Europe’s leading actors, appearing in ever more international productions and a handful of notable Hollywood projects. Probably not coincidentally, she’s been asked to join the juries of several international film festivals that have previously honored her with awards for her work. Over the previous month, I’ve streamed more than a dozen of Hoss’s nearly 30 films, starting with the devastating 2008 drama A Woman in Berlin, about a German journalist struggling to survive the Soviet troops’ invasion of Berlin during the last days of World War II, and then moving my way up to a pair of her most recent releases. At this point, I've decided that in terms of emotional resonance, physical presence and a purity of technique that initially calls to mind the work of Isabelle Huppert, Nina Hoss appears to be incapable of a bad performance. Though she is a well-known and appreciated presence on the art-house circuit, Hoss is probably best recognized on these shores from the handful of American productions she’s appeared in over the past several years. She was initially effective as an efficient German government operative in Anton Corbijn’s 2014 A Most Wanted Man with Philip Seymour Hoffman, which then led to a higher-profiled three-season recurring role as a German spy in Showtime’s Homeland (2014-17). But it’s Hoss’s work with leading German filmmaker Christian Petzold that’s worth placing at the front of your streaming queue. Petzold is the most successful director of Germany’s “Berlin School” movement of character-driven, realistic works by filmmakers who were primarily schooled in Berlin and who began to emerge in the late Nineties following the fall of the Berlin Wall and the city’s reunification in 1990. Directing his own screenplays, Petzold’s dramas and thrillers are all set in a contemporary Germany populated by characters whose quietly growing tensions find them moving unsurely through their outwardly attractive surroundings. Everything seems to be aligned but vaguely not…until things become more noticeably unsure and off-balance. Plot points contribute to this mood, of course, but Petzold’s strikingly stark compositions and the work of his actors are the primary factors here. In many cases, it’s not what the actors are saying as much as the quiet moments in between. Unlike the colorful films of the New German Cinema’s R.W. Fassbinder and his favorite leading lady Hanna Schygulla, it's that sense of unspoken, uneasy calm where Petzold and Hoss have truly connected over the course of their six collaborations. It began back in 2001 with the TV movie Something To Remind Me, a Hitchcockian thriller about a parole officer and a seemingly lonely blonde. Hoss and Petzold’s four most recent films all subtly tease their way through a particular genre while commenting on the many changes and contradictions of life in and around a reunified Berlin. Yella (2007), a veiled remake of Herk Hervey’s 1962 cult horror favorite Carnival of Souls, stars Hoss as a woman whose troubled past continues to haunt her after she leaves her life in Eastern Germany and plunges into the shady world of venture capitalism in the West. In Jerichow (2008), Hoss is a small-time immigrant local businessman’s bored wife who gets dangerously involved with her husband’s new driver à la James Cain’s The Postman Always Rings Twice; And in the nearly pastoral drama Barbara (2012), Hoss is a Berlin doctor in 1980s East Germany who’s banished to a small country clinic as a punishment for applying for an exit visa to the West. Then there’s 2014’s strikingly original Phoenix—Hoss’s latest film with Petzold and definitely the pair’s strongest—where she is Nelly, a Jewish survivor of Auschwitz whose horrible disfigurement from a bullet wound to the face prompts a series of facial reconstruction surgeries. With a new face and tenuous identity, Nelly returns to Berlin and her husband Johnny, who doesn’t recognize her even as he notes she bears an uncomfortable resemblance to his presumably dead wife. It’s when Johnny convinces her to impersonate his late wife in a scheme to collect the deceased’s inheritance that Nelly begins to suspect that Johnny may have betrayed her to the Nazis years ago. Again, it’s the unsettling stillness in the film and its leading lady that makes it all so effective. Hoss’s sad eyes hold us in thrall, particularly in the early scenes when they’re sorrowfully staring out from her bandage-covered face. In this past year, Hoss starred in two international productions that have made some ripples stateside (virtual ripples, which is no small feat during this Covid-drenched era). First, she serves up just the right dose of intelligent frazzle in Ina Weisse’s The Audition (2019), as a violin teacher at a German music-oriented high school who causes problems for herself and her family by taking on a questionably promising new student. Next, in 2020’s My Little Sister, Hoss is a successful playwright who puts her own agenda aside to care for her twin brother, a well-regarded actor who’s terminally ill. Switzerland’s submission for Best International Feature Film in this year’s Academy Awards, My Little Sister is a finely detailed tale about a contemporary woman, a creative and successful one, and how she navigates through the dictates of her career, her family life as a wife and mother and the immediate demands of being a caretaker to her beloved twin. It’s the kind of film that would be slotted as a “women’s melodrama” if it was made in Hollywood, but in the hands of young Swiss writer/directors Stéphanie Chuat and Véronique Reymond, it’s a low-key, realistic and very telling study, filled with the quiet strength and sensitivity for which its leading lady is known. And speaking of Hollywood, in 2019, Nina Hoss accepted an invitation to become a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. That’s actually one of the better decisions the Academy has made recently—and only a couple of years after bestowing on Isabelle Huppert her first-ever Best Actress nomination for her role in Paul Verhoweven’s 2016 Elle (which also garnered Huppert a Golden Globe award, her first). And soon, like Huppert before her, Nina Hoss, whose remarkable body of work finds its center in the quiet, might be on the verge of making a lot of noise on this side of the Atlantic. Laurence Lerman is a film journalist, former editor of Video Business--Variety's DVD trade publication--and husband to The Insider's own Gwen Cooper. Over the course of his career he has conducted one-on-one interviews with just about every major director working today, including Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, Clint Eastwood, Kathryn Bigelow, Ridley Scott, Walter Hill, Spike Lee, and Werner Herzog, among numerous others. Once James Cameron specifically requested an interview with Laurence by name, which his wife still likes to brag about. Most recently, he is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of the online review site DiscDish.com.

By Bonnie Fishman For many of us who are “of the age” to be blessed with grandchildren, the pandemic has wreaked havoc on our ability to visit them in person. Many months have passed since we’ve been able to hug those delicious little humans. I have 2 grandsons, 4 and 7, who live in Los Angeles. I haven’t seen them for six months now. During this formative time in their lives, much growth both physically and emotionally has occurred. And I missed it. We all missed it. Next week, my husband and I will have the good fortune to stay in my son’s guest house in Santa Monica where we can squeeze the kids all we want. They may think it a bit much, but hey, I don’t really care! We have been vaccinated and we’re ready to go. Will the boys still squeal with delight when Baba and Nana arrive at their door? Will we pick up where we left off? I know one thing for sure: the way to anyone’s heart is through their stomach. And grandchildren are no different. What they know about this Nana is that we make the best pancakes together on Sunday mornings. The four-year-old hears “Nana”, he hears “chocolate chip pancakes,” his favorite. The kid has a major sweet tooth, particularly for anything homemade, just like me. It was no accident that I opened my Patisserie. I loved being surrounded by the aromas, the cinnamon buns, the brownies, the coffee cakes. You get the idea. On Saturday, we will walk up a few blocks to a delightful Farmer’s Market, with stalls brimming with beautiful produce. We will also see many other offerings: honey, olives, nuts, fresh fish, breads. Nothing gets my fingers itching to cook more than this. I would imagine it’s like a painter going into an art supply store or a gardener trotting up and down the aisles of a plant nursery. At the market, the boys will pick out juicy berries to put in the pancakes. Sometimes they go rogue and want chocolate chips instead. No matter, this is a Nana-grandson ritual every time we are together. The boys have been helping me make the batter since they were old enough to hold a whisk. Their task is beating the eggs and measuring in the flour. I would have to set them on the kitchen counter and put the mixing bowl next to them. So what if it’s messy and flour and egg is all over them and the kitchen? Let it go. I have found that if you ask children to participate in preparing their meal, they now have a vested interest in its outcome, a sense of pride, and a good basis for future cooking endeavors throughout their lives. One tradition in our house has been to make shapes out of pancakes. This takes a hot, lightly oiled pan and a deft hand. Favorite shapes are snowmen and Mickey Mouse. We use blueberries or chocolate chips for eyes, buttons, a smile. This adds another layer of excitement to the pancake cooking ritual. There are pancakes and there are pancakes. Ask 10 different people for their recipe and you’ll get 10 different recipes. It doesn’t matter! Who doesn’t love pancakes, right? This Pandemic Pancake recipe is a standard buttermilk batter. I always have buttermilk in my fridge pantry because I use it for pancakes, muffins and salad dressings. I’m prepared! It lasts a long time; I have even used it a month after opening. It’s already sour so don’t worry about it spoiling any time soon. If you don’t have buttermilk, do not run to the store. You are prepared: measure out regular milk and squeeze in about a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice. The acid in the lemon resembles the acid in the buttermilk when it comes in contact with the baking powder and soda. If you like a heavier, fluffier batter, the batter should be thicker. If you like a thinner pancake, then a thinner batter. To thin the mixture, just add more buttermilk. It’s really best to let the batter rest about 30 minutes before cooking. This will result in a more delicate crumb, because the glutens in the flour will relax. However, if you have two hungry boys waiting at the table for breakfast like I do, just use the batter right away. If you have leftover batter, cover and refrigerate. The next day, you may need to add some more buttermilk to the desired consistency. Even though we are are a blueberry or chocolate chip pancake family, other possible additions to pancake batter include strawberries, raspberries, bananas, pecans or any combination. True confession: one of my favorite ways to eat pancakes is to make them plain, pour on some pure maple syrup and top with either a poached or over-easy egg. Season egg with salt and pepper and you end up with a rich, slightly sweet, slightly salty dish. One last idea for making pancakes: If you are lucky enough to have several people in your household, make a pancake bar. If you have an electric griddle, this is the time to haul it out. Have your batter ready in a nice pitcher. Put a variety of ingredients in small bowls near the griddle. Have ready the syrup, butter or other toppings. Your guests can design their own pancake as you make it right in front of them. We used to do this at our catered events. It was a nice touch when serving brunch. I know there are many Insider readers who will be having their own post-vaccine get-togethers with their children and grandchildren. I would love to hear about your family’s favorite meal at your reunion. Nana’s Pandemic Buttermilk Pancakes Yield: 10-12 4" Pancakes 1 lg. egg 1 c. buttermilk 2 Tbs. vegetable oil 1 c. flour 1 Tbs. sugar 1 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. salt vegetable oil for the pan or griddle fillings of your choice–berries, chocolate chips, nuts, bananas In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the egg. Whisk in the buttermilk and oil. Pour in the dry ingredients. Blend until just combined. Add buttermilk to desired consistency, more for thinner pancakes. Put enough vegetable oil in a large skillet or griddle to barely cover the bottom. Heat over high. When the oil is hot, pour in enough batter to make 4” diameter circles. Put the fillings on, scattering them over the batter. When the bottom of the pancake is set and golden, flip to the other side. Cook another 1-2 minutes. You may not need to add oil for each batch. Bonnie Fishman attended the Cordon Bleu Cookery School in London. Later, she owned and operated Bonnie’s Patisserie in Southfield, Mich. and Bonnie’s Kitchen and Catering in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. She has taught cooking for over 35 years and created hundreds of recipes. She is now living in Northern California.

FRED PLOTKIN is one of America’s foremost experts on opera and has distinguished himself in many fields as a writer, speaker, consultant and as a compelling teacher. He is an expert on everything Italian, the person other so-called Italy experts turn to for definitive information.  Fred discovered the concept of "The Renaissance Man" as a small child and has devoted himself to pursuing that ideal as the central role of his life. In a “Public Lives” profile in The New York Times on August 30, 2002, Plotkin was described as "one of those New York word-of-mouth legends, known by the cognoscenti for his renaissance mastery of two seemingly separate disciplines: music and the food of Italy." In the same publication, on May 11, 2006, it was written that "Fred is a New Yorker, but has the soul of an Italian."

By Andy Borowitz April 5, 2021 WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—Senator Rand Paul said that he is opposing President Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan because it “infringes on bridges’ constitutional right to crumble.” “Decay, deterioration, and collapse are all a part of the natural process of entropy,” Paul said. “It is not the job of government to play God and interfere with that.” Warning of the “slippery slope of government overreach,” Paul said that the Biden plan is “threatening our infrastructure’s precious freedom to disintegrate.” “First they came for our bridges, then they came for our potholes, and then they came for our lead water pipes,” he said. The Kentucky senator’s comments drew support from an unlikely ally, Dr. Anthony Fauci. “Look, I was just glad to see Rand talking about something besides the pandemic,” Fauci said. Andy Borowitz is a Times best-selling author and a comedian who has written for The New Yorker since 1998. He writes The Borowitz Report, a satirical column on the news.

April 6, 2021 Jeffrey D. Sachs | Project Syndicate A new allocation of up to $650 billion worth of the IMF’s reserve asset, special drawing rights, would ensure that governments have the means to combat the coronavirus pandemic and start on the path of investment-led recovery. We must seize this critical opportunity to cooperate effectively for the sake of humanity. NEW YORK – This week’s spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank offer a historic chance for financial cooperation. The major economies, including the United States, the European Union, China, and other G20 countries, have already signaled their support for a new allocation of $650 billion worth of the IMF’s reserve asset, special drawing rights (SDRs), to ensure that governments in low-income and middle-income countries have the means to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and start on the path of investment-led recovery. With leadership, boldness, and creativity, this global financial cooperation can help to end the pandemic. Mass immunization is key. Less than a year after SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, was first identified and sequenced, financial backing by governments – including the US, United Kingdom, Germany, Russia, China, and India – enabled several companies to roll out safe and effective vaccines. Rich countries that quickly negotiated favorable deals with vaccine makers have received most of the doses so far. But ending the pandemic requires that all countries achieve comprehensive vaccine coverage as soon as possible. In practical terms, the target should be no later than the end of 2022. Such an unprecedented global undertaking requires strong cooperation, including financial support. Yet the urgency should be clear to all. As long as COVID-19 persists at high rates of transmission anywhere in the world, the pandemic will continue to disrupt global production, trade, and travel, and will also give rise to viral mutations that threaten to undermine previously acquired immunity from past infections and vaccinations. Still worse, on the current trajectory, COVID-19 could well become endemic in many regions of the world, imposing high health and economic costs for years to come. As US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen emphasized this week, all countries, therefore, share a strong interest in ending the pandemic everywhere. The world’s governments established the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A), which includes the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access (COVAX) facility, the vaccine pillar of ACT-A, to ensure universal control of SARS-CoV-2. But while ACT-A and COVAX have established global plans for vaccines, tests, and treatments, the plans need urgently to be strengthened for two closely related reasons. First, the operational target currently used by COVAX – a minimum of 27% of all eligible countries’ population immunized by the end of this year – must be raised to vaccination of all adults by the end of 2022. This is necessary to end the pandemic and to reduce the chances of new mutations. Second, planning until the end of 2022 is urgently needed, given the lead times for scaling up the production and supply chains of vaccines and other crucial commodities. Yet ACT-A and COVAX remain underfunded even for 2021: the $11 billion governments have allocated to date leaves a financing gap of $22 billion for this year – a shortfall that has so far delayed necessary planning through the end of 2022. In the meantime, the current vaccine shortfall is leading countries to scramble to jump the queue, including by paying premium prices. This underscores the urgent need to ensure that all countries, including the poorest, can achieve comprehensive vaccine coverage in a fair and timely manner. The additional sums needed to ensure universal vaccine coverage by the end of 2022, and other COVID-19 supplies, are modest – perhaps $50 billion for ACT-A. That is a negligible amount relative to the enormous global benefits of ending the pandemic and the massive pandemic-related spending by governments of high-income countries around the world. The US government alone has spent roughly $5 trillion in emergency outlays between March 2020 and March 2021. To do its job, ACT-A (including COVAX) needs front-loaded funding to cover vaccine needs through 2022. Given that scaling up the production of vaccines (and some other commodities) requires a lead time of 6-12 months, the $50 billion should be guaranteed within the coming weeks, so that ACT-A and COVAX can work with manufacturers to ensure the necessary supplies. The IMF’s allocation of new SDRs offers a unique – and perhaps the only – opportunity to get this funding in hand. When the new SDRs are issued, around $20 billion of new reserves will go directly to the poorest countries. In addition, around $100 billion or more that is allocated to rich countries will be recycled to the IMF to be used for long-term, low-interest loans. IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva has been working closely and creatively with G20 governments to design this novel, promising approach. One excellent idea is to use the SDRs to bolster the IMF’s Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT), the Fund’s financing window for poor countries. There is an important precedent here. In 2015, the IMF created a Catastrophe and Containment Relief Fund to help provide emergency Ebola-control financing to Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. This time, the PRGT financing could be made conditional on its use for ACT-A and COVAX-related procurements and for other COVID-19 control measures that the borrowing government documents to the IMF (such as reimbursements for COVID-19 vaccines that have been contracted by the member state outside COVAX). ACT-A is now preparing estimates of the financing that the world’s 92 low- and middle-income countries eligible for COVAX support will need for vaccines, testing, therapeutics, and other supplies until the end of 2022. Based on the estimated financing needs, an ACT-A financial plan can be established for each country, to be supported by the SDRs and the expanded PRGT funds. In the next few weeks, a rational plan to finance all countries’ COVID-19 balance-of-payments needs until the end of 2022 should emerge. The IMF was created to handle such a balance-of-payments emergency. Access to IMF financing will protect the well-being and macroeconomic stability of individual countries and the world as a whole. We must seize this critical opportunity for the United Nations, the IMF, and key governments – including the US, China, Russia, the EU, Japan, the UK, and others – to cooperate effectively for the sake of humanity. https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/global-pandemic-financing-imf-sdr-allocation-by-jeffrey-d-sachs-2021-04 Jeffrey D. Sachs, University Professor at Columbia University, is Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University and President of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. He has served as adviser to three UN Secretaries-General, and currently serves as an SDG Advocate under Secretary-General António Guterres. His books include The End of Poverty, Common Wealth, The Age of Sustainable Development, Building the New American Economy, A New Foreign Policy: Beyond American Exceptionalism, and, most recently, The Ages of Globalization.