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Brian: It's Brian Lehrer Show on WNYC. Good morning, everyone. It is Joe Biden day three, right? It's hard to keep up with all the executive orders. We're told that another few are coming today on food and labor rights. Now one of them, according to The Washington Post, would allow unemployment benefits for people who refuse to go back to work because their specific job could expose them to the coronavirus. Another is expected to increase SNAP benefits food stamps by 15% for low-income students on remote learning, who used to get free or reduced-price meals at school. That would mean about another $50 for food per child for many families.

They say these are nuts and bolts things that get into the quality of life for people during the pandemic. We'll take calls a little later from any of you who might not be going back to work because of potential COVID exposures, but you can't get unemployment. Another executive order we're told is coming today would start a process to revise food stamp benefits upwards, in general, to catch up with today's cost of food. They say 50 million Americans, including 17 million children are food insecure today in the pandemic economy. Another order expected today would restore collective bargaining rights to federal workers and instruct government agencies to only hire contractors who pay a $15 minimum wage and offer paid emergency leave to people with COVID or who need to quarantine. On day three, it's hunger relief and labor rights in Biden's sights.

None of this means Biden's inaugural theme of unity is anywhere in sight. As Politico reports, Republicans are already berating Biden for rejoining the Paris climate accord and for revoking a permit for the proposed Keystone XL pipeline. Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package has met resistance from some Republicans, and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told reporters yesterday that he was "Disappointed to see within hours of assuming office, the new administration was more interested in helping illegal immigrants than helping our own citizens. More interested in virtue signals to the climate activists than supporting the union workers who are building the Keystone pipeline," from Kevin McCarthy among other complaints from Politico.

Unity we should say it's also not automatic between Biden and the most progressive wing of his own party. Congress passed a waiver yesterday for retired Army General Lloyd Austin to become defense secretary, even though he was in the military recently. Members of the squad, ASC and others, voted against that to reinforce the idea of civilian control of the military and even though Austin will become the first Black Secretary of Defense. Congresswoman Ayanna Presley, a member of the squad wants Biden to cancel billions of dollars of student debt as an economic and racial justice issue. He's offering a weaker moratorium. Presley and Senator Cory Booker want a baby bonds program, as it's known, in the next COVID relief bill, a birthright grant of cash to every newborn to reduce our shocking wealth disparities. Everybody starts with something that can grow by the time they're 18. No commitment from Biden on that yet.

Maybe this is all what a return-to-normal without Donald Trump looks like and maybe that's okay. If it's about policy debates, and not how much you're paying homage to the Emperor maybe it depends on your definition of unity. With us now, Politico White House correspondent, Natasha Korecki. She covered Joe Biden during the campaign and has just officially become the White House correspondent. Relevant to monitoring Biden's success or failure, Natasha has also been covering Midwest issues for Politico. She used to work in Illinois and was named Illinois Journalist of the Year in 2015. She also has done extensive reporting at the US-Mexico border, so there's a lot in our guest's reporting background that informs this moment. Natasha, thanks for coming on. Congratulations on landing the White House fete, and welcome to WNYC.

Natasha: Wow. Thank you so much. That was quite a generous opening there.

Brian: Let's start with these hunger and labor rights orders, if we can. Do they reflect a democratic versus Republican set of priorities?

Natasha: I certainly think so. I also certainly think, as you mentioned, looking at some of these labor issues and trying to address the labor issues right away is something that progressives have been pushing for, pointing out the $15 minimum wage. Just think about how there was so much resistance to that even just a couple of years ago, even within the Democratic Party, and it's really transformed. To put that into an executive order now, Biden's really trying to make some statements here. I think politically he's really trying to bring, as much as he can, a unified democratic force here.

Certainly in terms of your question about Republicans, well, he's undoing some things that Trump did. We'll see about that. Republicans are already, as you mentioned, pushing back on a lot of things that Biden's doing. It's hard to believe he was just sworn in on Wednesday, but he's really pushing through a lot of executive orders. He had promised to do that, but he's coming through on that promise.

Brian: Yes. If there's a record in the record books for executive orders per day, Biden's probably breaking it. The unemployment one is interesting, taking the position that people whose jobs expose them to the coronavirus should be able to refuse to work and be eligible for unemployment benefits. Is it clear yet how those jobs will be defined or if the workers need to be at an elevated risk in their personal age or health status to refuse those exposed positions?

Natasha: I'm a little unclear on what those guidelines are at the moment. He's going to ask the Labor Department to clarify those guidelines, but certainly what he's trying to do is tackle this issue that he's said that COVID is going to be his number one issue, he wants to tackle it. What he's doing right now is saying that, "That doesn't just mean the vaccinations. That means all of these different tangential issues that emanate from it." He thinks that these types of things are going to help the economy.

Also, keep in mind, midterms are not that far off. When you don't have Trump to run against, all you have is what you've done, what you've accomplished. He has to start doing things right now, as soon as possible, to get them going. At least tackling this, at least saying, "Hey, let's find some guidelines for who are these frontline workers? Who are the types that would--" They've mentioned people like grocery store clerks and even some healthcare workers. You're putting yourself at risk, you should have some kind of alternative.

Brian: Your mention of 2022's midterms, that gives me goosebumps, and makes me all warm and fuzzy inside, to think that people are actually going to be running on as you say, what they've done, rather than running on, "How do we save our country from becoming Russia?" We will look forward to that. Let me play a couple of clips from yesterday, and get your take. Biden's got 100 million vaccines in his first 100 days goal, but after he signed a set of COVID executive actions yesterday, a reporter shouted a question and Biden snapped at him in a way that Biden sometimes does. This starts with the question.

Reporter: You set the goal at 100 million vaccines [unintelligible 00:08:57] mandate. Is that high enough? Shouldn't you set the bar higher [unintelligible 00:09:00] where the US is right now?

Biden: When I announced it, you all said it's not possible. Come on, give me a break man. It's a good start. 100 million. Thank you.

[crosstalk]

Brian: Come on, give me a break, man. After the reporter, I don't know if it was very audible. He asked, "Is 100 million doses enough?" What happened there?

Natasha: Just last week, we wrote a story talking about this lofty promise that Biden made and he's not going to be able-- It's going to be so difficult to get these 100 million vaccinations in 100 days, and what happens if he can't do that? He's talking about taking all these measures, calling out the National Guard, executive order, "I'm going to get it done." His first full day someone's asking, "Well, that's not enough." It went from, "You're not able to do this," to "Okay, let's just say you've already done it, and let's move on from there."

I think the question though emanates from the fact that people need two vaccinations, two shots. If you're saying there's 100 million, then that means it's 50 million people that are getting it. It's just [unintelligible 00:10:20].

Brian: Whoa. That's interesting. There's a difference between 100 million shots and 100 million people. Yes. Dr. Leana Wen in The Washington Post, a frequent guest here, writes today that the national COVID strategy that Biden released yesterday, "is to be applauded for its comprehensiveness, but not for its boldness," because even under Trump, they were vaccinating more than 800,000 people a day, so a larger goal than 100 million in 100 days is needed. Here's another clip. By the way, listeners, we'll do a vaccine-specific segment coming up later this hour and we'll tackle that in more depth. Here's another clip. Dr. Fowchee on not having to weigh every bit of scientific analysis against deference to the emperor. I'm saying, emperor. He just put it this way.

Dr. Fowchee: The idea that you can get up here and talk about what you know, what the evidence, what the science is and no, that's it. Let the science speak. It is somewhat of a liberating field.

Brian: That's just for the record folks. Fowchee said that. Science can just be science again. Here's one more. The new press secretary, Jen Saki has gotten a few questions now on if Biden is President unity, where is his outreach to Republicans. Here's yesterday afternoon's answer after a reporter from The New York Times asked about the lack of a fig leaf, as he put it, to the Republicans. Nobody in the cabinet who's a Republican, no explicit Republican priority bills being introduced by Biden and the new press secretary said--

Jen: Well, I guess what I would send back too, there's a lot in there. Let me do my best here. Mike, "Is unemployment insurance only an issue that Democrats in the country want? Do only Democrats want their kids to go back to schools do only Democrats want vaccines to be distributed across the country." We feel that that package, he feels that package is designed for bipartisan support.

Brian: The press secretary also offered an argument that, "If you talk to Republicans on TheHill, they're not looking for something symbolic. They're looking for engagement, looking to have a conversation," her words. But there was no fig leaf explicitly like centering a Republican priority or appointing a cabinet member. Natasha, is there anything like that in the works, or is Jen Saki right about Republicans being happy enough to have quality engagement?

Natasha: [laughs] Yes. I don't think so on your latter question. I think if they stick to that kind of messaging, they're going to have a lot of problems. Republicans want more and, to a certain extent, Democrats are going to have to play ball. They have very slim majorities, as you know, in both houses. They're going to need cooperation. I think Biden's trying to send a message like, "Look, these are my priorities. This is what I'm going to get through now, and I'm going to do it with, or without you. I'm going to do it in executive orders. Down the road, you need something, then let's start talking." I think that's what he's trying to do right now.

This week, I think Biden is sending a message to the American people and it's, "I am going to get things done. I'm not going to be business as usual," which is what a lot of people saw him as when he first ran in the primary. He was not a fresh face. He was an institutional Washington person. He is trying to just come in hard and aggressively and say, "These are all the issues I'm tackling because this is what the economy needs. This is what I need to tackle COVID." The Republican unity side, that is going to come. I think that will come in due time. I'm not saying that it'll work, but I think they're going to make more overtures and offer fig leaf. I think that will happen. There's going to be a lot of negotiating. It's going to happen behind the scenes. People are going to have to say what they have to say publicly, but there is going to be a lot of back and forth.

There was a wonderful piece today in Politico, by Alex Thompson that talks about the long very lengthy relationship between McConnell and Biden which it's interesting. They know each other, they know the institution and I think there will be a lot of deal-making

Brian: Obama did some explicit reaching out in 2009, but didn't really get anything back. One could understand why Biden is just trying to more start maybe near one of the political polls and then start a negotiation from there. I know you've got to go in a minute, Natasha. For you, as a Midwest correspondent for Politico these last few years, and the Midwest swing States being so key to Biden's election, is he doing anything early on? I realize it is only day three, but that's a reinforcement of them, whether that means white working-class people who didn't vote for him, or white suburban, or Black and brown voters who did.

Natasha: I think the number one issue right now for everyone is COVID. They want to go back to schools, they want to go back to restaurants, they want to go back to normal life. If he is conveying, which I think it is a smart move, some forward movement, some plan, "Here's a plan. This is what I'm going to do." We had no plan on vaccinations as we're learning under Trump. I think those things are very pertinent to people in the Midwest. Illinois, Wisconsin, every state. Wisconsin's numbers have been going through the roof and I'm talking for months, they've been through the roof. To the extent that there's someone out there saying there's hope down the line-- and that's what he's saying. A hundred million vaccinations, that sounds very helpful to people.

Yes, I think those things speak to Midwesterners who just want to get back to normal life as they know. Of course, there's harsh winters in the Midwest. I'm in DC right now. You couldn't walk around outside. It's a lot more difficult to even go for a walk right now. It's very cold. People are antsy and they want to have some hope and a path forward and I think that's what he's trying to provide now.

Brian: By the way, one linguistic comment from a listener on Twitter, you could tell your White House correspondent colleague, Mike Scheer at The Times. It says, "I think you meant Biden extending an olive branch to Republicans, not a fig leaf." Although they would probably prefer the latter, like this listener, but the reporter did say fig leaf in the question. I'm pretty sure. There you go. Natasha Korecki, newly minted White House correspondent for Politico. Thank you so much for coming on with us on day three. Let's do this again.

Natasha: Okay. Thanks so much.

Brian: Now we'll take some calls. Coming off that interview, I'd like to invite three groups of you in particular. One, is anyone in that position we talked about where you don't want to go back to your old job because of coronavirus exposures that the job involves? (646) 435-7280. Biden wants to let some of you in that position collect unemployment, which is not the case now. Does anyone listening have a story to tell, to humanize and personalize that issue? Anyone declining to return to work or who would prefer to decline, but can't afford it because of COVID exposures that the job entails, but you can't get unemployment insurance while you look for a different kind of job?

President Biden seems to be open to your story, and we invite you to call and tell it at (646) 435-7280, (646) 435-7280. Also, Biden is reversing some of Trump's executive action, immigration policies. Is anyone listening now who's personally affected by one of those? Maybe ending the Muslim bans or technically travel bans from certain countries with majority Muslim populations, but we know they were. it's hard to get into the country without a COVID test from anywhere right now, but not based on your religion. Does lifting the Muslim bans affect you or a loved one? Call in with your story about that. (646) 435-7280. Let's document change as it's happening.

One more. Biden is trying to get faster action for people who qualify for the stimulus checks, but never got them in the mail. People with no direct deposit and for various bureaucratic reasons never received a paper check for stim one or stim two. If that includes you, we invite you to call in and tell your story. How come you didn't get your stimulus checks that you qualified for under the rules and what do you think it'll take to get it to you now? In any of those three groups, wanting to leave your job because of its COVID risks, getting some personal relief from reversing the Muslim bans and other Trump immigration policies, or if your stimulus checks that you qualified for haven't come in all these months. (646)

435 7280 and we'll take your calls right after this.

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Brian: Brian Lehrer on WNYC and now to your calls on the three questions that I laid out before the break that pertained to new Biden policies, wanting to leave your job because of its COVID risks, which it seems like he's going to enable now for some people, and you would qualify for unemployment, which you don't currently. Getting some personal relief from the reversing of the Muslim bans and other Trump immigration policies that Biden is undoing with his signatures this week, or if your stimulus checks that you qualify for haven't come. James in Oceanside, you're on WNYC. Hi James. Thanks so much for calling in.

James: Hi. No problem. Just thanks for having me.

Brian: You have a story about your wife and her job.

James: Yes, she was a pharmacy tech for a local Jewish pharmacy that supported the neighborhood. The local Rabbi got COVID early on and it spread to the community. She ended up having to leave her job. They keep trying to get her back because they're so short-staffed, but essentially everyone there has gotten it and continues to keep spreading. It's just not safe for her to go back. Unfortunately, because of that, and she, right now, can't collect unemployment.

Brian: There's a perfect example of James, thank you, of someone who might benefit. As our reporter from Politico couldn't, I can't either, and I don't think it's been written yet, this specific more fine print on who's going to qualify and under what exact circumstances, but now they have to develop that rule at I think the labor department. That story from James about his wife sounds like perhaps a perfect example. Adam, in Brooklyn, you're on NYC. Hi, Adam.

Adam: Hi. I'm just calling on behalf of all of the teachers. There are many teachers who have either no unions or weak unions, and there are many teachers who have these preexisting conditions that make them immunocompromised and their districts are trying to force them back into the classroom. This could be a real powder keg of a lot of teachers catching COVID, especially teachers who might be older, who might have immunocompromised conditions. I think that having them have the option of being able to leave, especially if they're older, but they don't have retirement packages and they could collect unemployment, you see where I'm going with this?

Brian: I absolutely do. Some school districts, I think New York city included, somebody can correct me on Twitter if I'm wrong, allows anybody over 65 to choose to teach remotely.

Adam: Yes, I think the New York. The UFT has done a great job, but we also have a really strong union. I'm sure as the last few [unintelligible 00:23:05] teachers in other areas of the country don't [crosstalk].

Brian: Yes. A lot of places don't have that. That's right. I guess then you get into what might be more complicated than the last caller's situation of, "Well, what if the rates of transmission in the schools, as they've been in most schools, are extremely low?" The risk is there because you're there in a room with other people breathing in the same space, but what if the risk is really low? Would teachers qualify under this new Biden rule? I would say we don't know yet but that's going to be one of the complications. That question will have to be answered. Thank you for raising it. Timothy in Babylon, you're on WNYC. Hi, Timothy.

Timothy: Hey, good morning. How are you?

Brian: Good. And you?

Timothy: I'm doing pretty well. I'm in the hospitality industry, and it's the industry that's been probably affected the worst. It's not like I don't love working. I love to work, but I also have a young family and I keep seeing friends and other patrons getting sick, even with all the precautions in place. With the social distancing, with hand sanitizers everywhere, it still happens. I don't know what the best strategy is for restaurants, besides a massive bailout. If there's an ability for me to [unintelligible 00:24:30] walk away and collect unemployment and be safe at home with my family, I would do that. As it stands right now, that's not necessarily an option because there's no rent freeze, and my rent is like $1,700 a month, plus everything on top of that. I can't afford not to work, so [unintelligible 00:24:46].

Brian: Well, and I think what you're raising as it pertains to yourself, is an under-covered part of the indoor dining ban or not to ban question. I think people think of it in terms of general population spread or the rest of the diners. Some of the biggest risks are to the staff because they have to continue to be in there throughout the workday and sometimes the kitchens, for example, even if you're not dealing with customers, the kitchens are really tight spaces with multiple people working in them. The indoor dining issue has so much to do with people who have to work in the industry like you, and so I'm glad we got to say that out loud.

Timothy: Yes. Kitchens are sometimes really small, behind the bar could be really small. There's not many places for you to stand when you're a waiter. Like yes, you can do everything in your power to socially distance. You could wear multiple masks, hand sanitize all the time, but there's always going to be that one guest or two guests that don't take it as seriously. I know a lot of my colleagues hate the 10 o'clock rule, but people, when they get inebriated, behave differently. I had a problem with guests refusing to put on their masks because they were inebriated.

Brian: It happens more.

Timothy: I get it. The industry as a whole has been limping on and people have been dropping like flies and it seems like, no, one's talking about it.

Brian: Timothy, thank you for talking about it. Call us again. Suzie in Harlem, your own WNYC. You didn't get your stimulus check.

Suzie: No. We did not. Both my husband and I did not. We filed jointly and we didn't get it, didn't get it, didn't get it. Finally, at the end of June, I got through to an IRS number and they told me that my social security number had been classified as not for work purposes. I was born in California. I'm 56 years old. I've worked, I've shown my social security card for every job I've had. It was new to me. Then I found out that because my social security number was listed incorrectly, then my husband did not get his stimulus either because we filed jointly and I guess I was considered non-citizen. Then I finally got it to social security, but I had to send my passport, my birth certificate in the mail, which I did not want to do.

I finally did it at the beginning of September. I got a new social security card. I had to fill out a new form for a new card. When I called the IRS, they say that my social security number looks fine, but they haven't processed my 2019 taxes yet. We haven't gotten anything, we're not going to get the second one, and they keep saying that, maybe we can apply for the tax credit, but I'm wary because I got stuck in this hole that doesn't make any sense. I don't know how many other Americans maybe were also misclassified and didn't get their stimulus, and maybe they don't even know it.

Brian: How can they fix it in your opinion?

Suzie: I think, for one, maybe there needs to be some other stop-gap measure so that it's not just if something is misclassified that you have a way of remedying it, other than just this blind faith that they're going to get it done and maybe be able to check up on them other than them just telling you that you can apply for the tax credit. My husband and I are entertainers. We haven't really worked very much this year and we would have loved to have had that money. A tax credit is nice, but it's not going to do me as much good as cash-in-pocket would've been in March, and April, and May.

Brian: Right. You can't retroactively spend that money to live. Suzie, thank you for sharing your story. I think Jessica in Larchmont might have a similar one. Let's see if this brings us any closer to a solution. Hi Jessica, you're on WNYC.

Jessica: Hi, Brian. How are you?

Brian: Good. What's happening?

Jessica: Yes, I've been trying to receive my first round of stimulus payment for-- I guess since April. It was supposed to come out as a paper check and it was never received on my end. I called a bunch of times, they kept telling me over at the IRS that they had glitches in their system, and to just keep trying and then on that, get my payment website. I was able to enter my checking account info and supposedly they tried to make a payment in August. It never went through. When I go still to check on it now, it still says that it's supposedly went through, but it didn't. Interestingly enough, the second payment I was paid immediately, the day right after they released it.

Brian: Even though you never the first.

Jessica: I don't know. Right. What I am hearing is that the first round will be used as a credit towards my taxes when I file. Which is nice, but it defeats the purpose of a stimulus payment.

Brian: Tha's right. Jessica, thank you. Thanks to all of you who called in this segment on those three questions personalizing some of the executive orders or your experiences that are pertinent to the executive orders, a few of them that Biden has issued. We'll do a lot more of this as so much change is in the works.

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