Topic: Occupancy Rates

Mayor Eric Adams announced a three-point plan for New York City hospitals, pledging over $100 million in new funding to address staffing challenges and PPE needs. While reports indicate that COVID-19 hospitalizations are at their highest levels since May 2020, current data shows a citywide hospital occupancy rate of 75%. This discrepancy has led to skepticism regarding the severity of the current "surge" compared to the early days of the pandemic.

The Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) has offered to buy state prisons in 48 states under the condition that they maintain a 90% occupancy rate. The hosts characterize this as the institutionalization of slave labor, where the state is incentivized to keep citizens incarcerated to meet corporate profit goals. They argue that this privatization removes legal recourse for prisoners and turns justice into a profit-driven enterprise.