thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-28--Democratic Senate Candidates Are Lining Up Against The Filibuster

Brianna Soukup/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon , who is expected to win that state 's Democratic primary to take on GOP Sen. Susan Collins , favors ending the filibuster .
The candidates uniformly argue that the filibuster has empowered obstructionists and prevented the country from making needed progress on issues like gun control and health care .
Republicans currently have a 53-47 majority in the Senate , and Democrats are counting on the candidates in these targeted races to defeat incumbent Republicans and help the party win back control of the chamber .
So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for ads in Senate races in six states with incumbent Republicans : Arizona , Colorado , Iowa , Maine , Montana and North Carolina .
In all six states , the leading Democratic candidate is open to eliminating the filibuster if the party wins control of the Senate in November .
Use of the filibuster , which essentially requires a three-fifths majority to pass any major legislation through the Senate , has spiked in recent years , with Republicans using it repeatedly to stymie legislative progress during the Obama administration .
Progressives , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must be eliminated if key Democratic policy goals are to be passed into law .
During the Democratic presidential primaries , Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren , former South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg and a host of other candidates lined up behind ending the filibuster , while several candidates called for more modest reforms to the practice .
Former Vice President Joe Biden disagreed , and his eventual victory seemed to extinguish hopes of eliminating the legislative maneuver .
“ I will not stand idly by for four years and watch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at every turn , ” said the Democratic senator , who is personally close to Biden .
“ I am gon na try really hard to find a path forward that doesn ’ t require removing what ’ s left of the structural guardrails , but if there ’ s a Biden administration , it will be inheriting a mess , at home and abroad .
It requires urgent and effective action.
” “ Like Biden , Coons is a Senate institutionalist and in the past has favored centrist , incremental change , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ democracy policy for the progressive group Indivisible .
“ This may not seem like much , but one of the leading moderates in the Senate , and a close ally of Joe Biden , is finally admitting that the Senate is broken and that we can not achieve progress without looking hard at getting rid of the filibuster.
” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , who , if reelected , is almost certain to lead the Senate GOP in 2021 regardless of which party controls the upper chamber , has already promised to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Think of me as the Grim Reaper , ” he told a crowd in his home state of Kentucky last year .
Among the Democratic Senate candidates looking to take Republican seats , at least two have been clear about ending the filibuster .
Besides Gideon in Maine , there ’ s Montana Gov .
Steve Bullock , who told HuffPost during his failed run for president last year that he would support getting rid of the practice .
A spokeswoman for his Senate campaign confirmed he still holds that position .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McConnell at the expense of hardworking Iowans , Theresa will work to end the corruption and dysfunction , including potential reforms to the filibuster if that ’ s what it takes to get the job done , ” said Sam Newtown , a spokesman for businesswoman Theresa Greenfield , who won the Democratic primary in Iowa .
A spokeswoman for Cal Cunningham , a former military prosecutor who is the Democrats ’ candidate against GOP Sen. Thom Tillis in North Carolina , pointed to the candidate ’ s website , where he says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rule that is too often abused by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to promote gridlock and stop votes on important legislation that would help North Carolina ’ s hardworking families.
” In Arizona , former astronaut Mark Kelly has a significant lead in public polling over GOP Sen. Martha McSally .
“ When he ’ s elected , Mark will consider how any changes to the way the Senate does business could help improve the lives of Arizonans , ” campaign spokesman Jacob Peters said .
In Colorado , Democrats have long been optimistic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Former Gov .
John Hickenlooper , national Democrats ’ pick in the race , said during a forum last month that he would “ listen to any rule change , ” quickly adding : “ I certainly think the way the filibuster is being used now is a joke.
” In states that are ― at least for now ― more peripheral to Democrats ’ hopes to change the Senate map , many candidates are cagier .
Both state Sen. Barbara Bollier , the favored Democratic candidate in Kansas , and Rev .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Georgia special Senate election ( to complete the remaining years of a retired lawmaker ’ s term ) , told HuffPost that they were still studying the issue .
Jon Ossoff , who is the Democrats ’ choice in a regularly scheduled Georgia Senate election against GOP incumbent David Perdue , has said he ’ s open to eliminating the filibuster .
“ When I look at the bills sitting in Mitch McConnell ’ s legislative graveyard that can ’ t even get a vote ― universal background checks , campaign finance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election security ― it is infuriating , ” Hegar told HuffPost in a statement .
“ I am open to looking at any proposal that will get the Senate up and running again but we need to be careful of unintended consequences.
” “ Ending the filibuster is the back door method for allowing radical ideas like Medicare for All and the Green New Deal to be rammed through the Senate , ” said Jack Pandol , a spokesman for the Senate Leadership Fund , a super PAC controlled by McConnell allies .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ showing they couldn ’ t care less about the tradition of bipartisan cooperation in the Senate , and they will own every radical proposal from the fringe .
”

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Leading Democratic Senate candidates from around the country are open to at least reforming the filibuster, according to a HuffPost survey, with at least two supporting wholesale elimination of the Senate’s 60-vote hurdle.
The candidates uniformly argue that the filibuster has empowered obstructionists and prevented the country from making needed progress on issues like gun control and health care. Republicans currently have a 53-47 majority in the Senate, and Democrats are counting on the candidates in these targeted races to defeat incumbent Republicans and help the party win back control of the chamber.
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So far, Democratic groups have reserved airtime for ads in Senate races in six states with incumbent Republicans: Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Maine, Montana and North Carolina. In all six states, the leading Democratic candidate is open to eliminating the filibuster if the party wins control of the Senate in November.
“She supports getting rid of the filibuster so the Senate can function more productively and make a real difference for Mainers,” said Maeve Coyle, a spokeswoman for Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon, who is expected to win the Democratic primary to take on GOP Sen. Susan Collins.
Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon, who is expected to win that state's Democratic primary to take on GOP Sen. Susan Collins, favors ending the filibuster. Brianna Soukup/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images
Use of the filibuster, which essentially requires a three-fifths majority to pass any major legislation through the Senate, has spiked in recent years, with Republicans using it repeatedly to stymie legislative progress during the Obama administration. Progressives, in particular, argue that the practice must be eliminated if key Democratic policy goals are to be passed into law.
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During the Democratic presidential primaries, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg and a host of other candidates lined up behind ending the filibuster, while several candidates called for more modest reforms to the practice. Former Vice President Joe Biden disagreed, and his eventual victory seemed to extinguish hopes of eliminating the legislative maneuver.
But the possibility of a Democratic Senate reforming or junking the filibuster was seemingly revived this past week by an unlikely source. Delaware Sen. Chris Coons, an avowed dealmaker and longtime defender of the filibuster, told Politico that he would be open to scrapping the 60-vote threshold.
“I will not stand idly by for four years and watch the Biden administration’s initiatives blocked at every turn,” said the Democratic senator, who is personally close to Biden. “I am gonna try really hard to find a path forward that doesn’t require removing what’s left of the structural guardrails, but if there’s a Biden administration, it will be inheriting a mess, at home and abroad. It requires urgent and effective action.”
Advocates for filibuster reform were overjoyed.
“Like Biden, Coons is a Senate institutionalist and in the past has favored centrist, incremental change,” said Meagan Hatcher-Mays, director of democracy policy for the progressive group Indivisible. “This may not seem like much, but one of the leading moderates in the Senate, and a close ally of Joe Biden, is finally admitting that the Senate is broken and that we cannot achieve progress without looking hard at getting rid of the filibuster.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who, if reelected, is almost certain to lead the Senate GOP in 2021 regardless of which party controls the upper chamber, has already promised to obstruct most liberal policy proposals. “Think of me as the Grim Reaper,” he told a crowd in his home state of Kentucky last year.
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Among the Democratic Senate candidates looking to take Republican seats, at least two have been clear about ending the filibuster. Besides Gideon in Maine, there’s Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, who told HuffPost during his failed run for president last year that he would support getting rid of the practice. A spokeswoman for his Senate campaign confirmed he still holds that position.
Other Democratic candidates have been more circumspect, leaving open the possibility of supporting reforms that would stop short of totally eliminating the filibuster.
“While Senator Ernst has consistently sided with McConnell at the expense of hardworking Iowans, Theresa will work to end the corruption and dysfunction, including potential reforms to the filibuster if that’s what it takes to get the job done,” said Sam Newtown, a spokesman for businesswoman Theresa Greenfield, who won the Democratic primary in Iowa.
A spokeswoman for Cal Cunningham, a former military prosecutor who is the Democrats’ candidate against GOP Sen. Thom Tillis in North Carolina, pointed to the candidate’s website, where he says the Senate “should reform the filibuster rule that is too often abused by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to promote gridlock and stop votes on important legislation that would help North Carolina’s hardworking families.”
In Arizona, former astronaut Mark Kelly has a significant lead in public polling over GOP Sen. Martha McSally. “When he’s elected, Mark will consider how any changes to the way the Senate does business could help improve the lives of Arizonans,” campaign spokesman Jacob Peters said.
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In Colorado, Democrats have long been optimistic about defeating GOP Sen. Cory Gardner. Former Gov. John Hickenlooper, national Democrats’ pick in the race, said during a forum last month that he would “listen to any rule change,” quickly adding: “I certainly think the way the filibuster is being used now is a joke.”
(Former state House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, Hickenlooper’s underdog opponent in Tuesday’s primary, supports wholly eliminating the filibuster.)
In states that are ― at least for now ― more peripheral to Democrats’ hopes to change the Senate map, many candidates are cagier. Both state Sen. Barbara Bollier, the favored Democratic candidate in Kansas, and Rev. Raphael Warnock, the Democratic candidate in a Georgia special Senate election (to complete the remaining years of a retired lawmaker’s term), told HuffPost that they were still studying the issue. Jon Ossoff, who is the Democrats’ choice in a regularly scheduled Georgia Senate election against GOP incumbent David Perdue, has said he’s open to eliminating the filibuster.
Democrat M.J. Hegar, a military veteran who is the party’s likely candidate to challenge GOP Sen. John Cornyn, indicated that she was worried about how Republicans could take advantage of a rule change.
“When I look at the bills sitting in Mitch McConnell’s legislative graveyard that can’t even get a vote ― universal background checks, campaign finance reform, relief on drug prices, election security ― it is infuriating,” Hegar told HuffPost in a statement. “I am open to looking at any proposal that will get the Senate up and running again but we need to be careful of unintended consequences.”
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The filibuster has already taken a beating in recent years. In 2013, the Democratic-controlled Senate eliminated the option for voting on judicial and executive branch nominees, except those to the Supreme Court. In 2017, in order to confirm Justice Neil Gorsuch, Republicans scrapped the Supreme Court exception.
Making voters care about a procedural change like the elimination of the filibuster is famously difficult. A November 2019 HuffPost/YouGov poll found that 31% of registered voters thought the filibuster was a good rule, while 29% thought it was a bad one. But a 39% plurality of voters were unsure.
Still, Republicans think they can attack Democrats’ calls to end the filibuster, arguing it would pave the wave for progressive proposals that most of the Democratic candidates don’t actually support.
“Ending the filibuster is the back door method for allowing radical ideas like Medicare for All and the Green New Deal to be rammed through the Senate,” said Jack Pandol, a spokesman for the Senate Leadership Fund, a super PAC controlled by McConnell allies. “Democrats who endorse this idea are showing they couldn’t care less about the tradition of bipartisan cooperation in the Senate, and they will own every radical proposal from the fringe.”
In the end, Democrats may have to pay a political price either for eliminating the filibuster or for failing to pass key items on their agenda.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-28--Fireworks Blamed For Utah Wildfire, Local Evacuations: Officials

Someone setting off fireworks in Utah is believed to have ignited a wildfire that engulfed at least 1,000 acres early Sunday , authorities said .
The so-called Traverse fire has burned in the Traverse Mountains near the city of Lehi , roughly 30 miles south of Salt Lake City , since late Saturday night , local fire officials said .
No structures were immediately lost in the blaze , authorities said .
Evacuations in the surrounding area are underway .
No injuries were reported .
The Traverse fire burns behind homes in Lehi , Utah , early Sunday morning .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ forced evacuations .
The use of fireworks is currently not permitted in the state .
They are only permitted on specific days that surround Independence Day and Pioneer Day in July , as well as New Year ’ s Day in late December and early January , according to the state fire marshal .
The person believed to be responsible for igniting the fire is cooperating with authorities , Utah Fire Info said on Twitter .
The Traverse Fire has consumed around 1,000 acres as of Sunday morning .
In the southern part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have burned more than 31 square miles combined .
The so-called Antelope fire and Rock Path fire were both caused by lightning on Friday .
No structures are currently threatened and no closures or evacuations are in place , Salt Lake City TV station Fox 13 reported Saturday .

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Someone setting off fireworks in Utah is believed to have ignited a wildfire that engulfed at least 1,000 acres early Sunday, authorities said.
The so-called Traverse fire has burned in the Traverse Mountains near the city of Lehi, roughly 30 miles south of Salt Lake City, since late Saturday night, local fire officials said.
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No structures were immediately lost in the blaze, authorities said. Evacuations in the surrounding area are underway. No injuries were reported.
The Traverse fire burns behind homes in Lehi, Utah, early Sunday morning. Officials say fireworks caused the wildfire and forced evacuations. ASSOCIATED PRESS
The use of fireworks is currently not permitted in the state. They are only permitted on specific days that surround Independence Day and Pioneer Day in July, as well as New Year’s Day in late December and early January, according to the state fire marshal.
The person believed to be responsible for igniting the fire is cooperating with authorities, Utah Fire Info said on Twitter.
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The Traverse Fire has consumed around 1,000 acres as of Sunday morning. ASSOCIATED PRESS
In the southern part of the state, two ongoing wildfires have burned more than 31 square miles combined. The so-called Antelope fire and Rock Path fire were both caused by lightning on Friday.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-28--'Dungeons & Dragons' Race Issues Have Deep Roots In The World Of Fantasy

“ Dungeons & Dragons , ” commonly known as D & D , is a game in which a group of players creates characters , rolls dice and navigates a story overseen by a Dungeon Master .
Originally created in 1974 , the game issued a fifth edition in 2014 that became its most popular , especially after livestreaming platforms such as Twitch and shows such as Netflix ’ s “ Stranger Things ” introduced D & D to new audiences .
“ ‘ Races ’ in D & D are fundamentally different than our concept of ‘ races ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Paul B. Sturtevant told HuffPost .
“ In D & D , races are based in deep biological differences , whereas we know that in the real world , race is a social construct based upon arbitrary and superficial differences .
Using the word ‘ race ’ in the game where they really mean something more like ‘ species ’ promotes racist ideas.
” This blueprint has been dissected by academics such as Helen Young of Australia ’ s Deakin University , who writes about fantasy and race .
In a 2017 interview @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tolkien ’ s idea of race as a hard reality rather than a social construct was inherently racist , and while Tolkien may not have harbored extremist views personally , his work was filled with examples of “ good ” races with European cultural traits and “ bad ” races described through “ orientalist stereotypes.
” In April , “ orcs ” began trending on social media after D & D players analyzed game guidelines to play as a full-blooded orc .
They pointed out that the language describing orcs was laden with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ traits are innate and unchangeable — and pointed to rules that gave orc characters lower intelligence , as well as sentences that said orcs could potentially be “ domesticated ” but would always have “ blood lust flow [ ing ] just beneath the surface.
” In a statement issued last week , Wizards of the Coast specifically addressed these concerns .
The company said it would downplay biological essentialism in future releases and would also emphasize diverse hiring .
The company added that one of its goals was to ensure that players @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reflections of themselves within our products , ... not just fantasy versions of northern Europeans.
” “ Throughout the 50-year history of D & D , some of the peoples in the game — orcs and drow being two of the prime examples — have been characterized as monstrous and evil , using descriptions that are painfully reminiscent of how real-world ethnic groups have been and continue to be denigrated , ” the statement said .
“ That ’ s just not right , and it ’ s not something we believe in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contrary , we have allowed some of those old descriptions to reappear in the game .
We recognize that to live our values , we have to do an even better job in handling these issues .
If we make mistakes , our priority is to make things right.
” Wizards of the Coast went on to highlight recent releases that painted a more nuanced version of orcs and drow and emphasized that the company had revised “ racially insensitive ” language in “ Curse of Strahd , ” a D & D @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and “ Tomb of Annihilation , ” released in 2017 .
The books feature the Vistani — an ethnic group rooted in tropes of the Roma people — and Chult , a jungle region vaguely inspired by parts of Africa .
Previous versions of the books referred to the Vistani as drunks and called Chult a “ savage ” and “ exotic ” land .
D & D fans on social media reacted to Wizards of the Coast ’ s statement with a mixed response .
Some were in favor of the changes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Multiple voices argued that promises of respecting diversity rang hollow as the company has had an alleged problem with hiring game designers of color in the past .
Young echoed this sentiment .
“ Racism isn ’ t just negative stereotypes ; it is also an underlying belief that a particular group of people have something inherently in common with each other and also that they are also inherently different from other groups , ” she said .
“ The change so that orcs and drow aren ’ t necessarily evil is superficial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is still there , ” Young said .
She stressed that removing gameplay concepts such as orc characters starting with a lower intelligence would be a “ much bigger step because it could remove the basic logic of race.
” ( Wizards of the Coast indicated in its statement that it would be moving towards this in future releases . )
“ I know D & D ’ s creative team will err many more times on the way to fulfilling [ its promises ] — which is OK , if they acknowledge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than defensively , ” he said .
“ To level up , D & D must highlight vulnerable players ’ perspectives .
Only when we may safely speak can they begin to listen .
”

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Wizards of the Coast — the company behind the self-proclaimed “world’s greatest role-playing game,” “Dungeons & Dragons” — has committed to stressing diversity and removing racially problematic language from its product line, and fans are holding the company to account for its promises.
“Dungeons & Dragons,” commonly known as D&D, is a game in which a group of players creates characters, rolls dice and navigates a story overseen by a Dungeon Master. Originally created in 1974, the game issued a fifth edition in 2014 that became its most popular, especially after livestreaming platforms such as Twitch and shows such as Netflix’s “Stranger Things” introduced D&D to new audiences.
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The game’s newfound popularity, however, has also invited critiques. Critics have pointed out that when creating a character, D&D players must choose a “race” — such as an elf, dwarf or gnome — and that this usage of the word is technically a misnomer.
The D&D website invites players to "explore your heritage" and choose a race. HuffPost US
“‘Races’ in D&D are fundamentally different than our concept of ‘races’ in the real world,” medievalist Paul B. Sturtevant told HuffPost. “In D&D, races are based in deep biological differences, whereas we know that in the real world, race is a social construct based upon arbitrary and superficial differences. Using the word ‘race’ in the game where they really mean something more like ‘species’ promotes racist ideas.”
In a 2017 article, Sturtevant wrote that D&D’s idea of “race” is a holdover from “The Lord of the Rings” and author J.R.R. Tolkien, who “conflat[ed] race, culture and ability.”
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In his novel, Tolkien outlined “the ‘racial’ characteristics of men, of dwarves, of elves, of orcs,” Sturtevant wrote, adding that Tolkien “created the blueprint for the troubling relationship between race and fantasy that would govern twentieth-century fantasies.”
This blueprint has been dissected by academics such as Helen Young of Australia’s Deakin University, who writes about fantasy and race. In a 2017 interview with Pacific Standard, Young argued that Tolkien’s idea of race as a hard reality rather than a social construct was inherently racist, and while Tolkien may not have harbored extremist views personally, his work was filled with examples of “good” races with European cultural traits and “bad” races described through “orientalist stereotypes.”
A look at D&D’s “Player’s Handbook” and online resource database offers a glimpse at how modern fantasy has internalized Tolkien’s ideas about race.
Elves, for instance, are described as good and often depicted as white, except for a subset of the species known as “drow,” who are ebony-skinned, “more often evil than not” and occasionally called “dark elves.”
Half-orcs are similarly described as having “a tendency towards chaos” and “the most accomplished half-orcs are those with enough self-control to get by in a civilized land.”
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A half-orc, as depicted in the fifth edition of D&D ”Player's Handbook.” HuffPost US
In April, “orcs” began trending on social media after D&D players analyzed game guidelines to play as a full-blooded orc. They pointed out that the language describing orcs was laden with biological essentialism — the idea that certain traits are innate and unchangeable — and pointed to rules that gave orc characters lower intelligence, as well as sentences that said orcs could potentially be “domesticated” but would always have “blood lust flow[ing] just beneath the surface.”
James Mendez Hodes, a game designer and cultural consultant, wrote a comprehensive analysis of such language on his website. He pointed out that Tolkien, widely acknowledged as the creator of orcs, had initially described orcs in letters as “degraded and repulsive versions of the (to Europeans) least lovely Mongol-types.”
Subsequent fantasy media such as D&D have since described orcs with the same language used to denigrate nonwhite peoples of the real world, specifically those of Asian or Black ethnicity.
Cw blatant racism
I'm in genuine awe that this shit came out for THIS edition of D&D holy shit pic.twitter.com/RcAGY73BzZ — Quinn W-W (ACAB) (@MonkipiQuinn) April 25, 2020
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When Dungeons & Dragons led Tolkien's racist orcs to the US, they attacked new targets. Let's talk model minorities, dehumanization, uncomfortable half-orcs, poor excuses … and how gamers and designers can reclaim and rehabilitate orcs. https://t.co/rBgGU1XUI1 — James Mendez Hodes (@LulaVampiro) July 1, 2019
In a statement issued last week, Wizards of the Coast specifically addressed these concerns. The company said it would downplay biological essentialism in future releases and would also emphasize diverse hiring. The company added that one of its goals was to ensure that players would be able to “see positive reflections of themselves within our products, ... not just fantasy versions of northern Europeans.”
“Throughout the 50-year history of D&D, some of the peoples in the game — orcs and drow being two of the prime examples — have been characterized as monstrous and evil, using descriptions that are painfully reminiscent of how real-world ethnic groups have been and continue to be denigrated,” the statement said. “That’s just not right, and it’s not something we believe in. Despite our conscious efforts to the contrary, we have allowed some of those old descriptions to reappear in the game. We recognize that to live our values, we have to do an even better job in handling these issues. If we make mistakes, our priority is to make things right.”
Wizards of the Coast went on to highlight recent releases that painted a more nuanced version of orcs and drow and emphasized that the company had revised “racially insensitive” language in “Curse of Strahd,” a D&D book that was released in 2016, and “Tomb of Annihilation,” released in 2017. The books feature the Vistani — an ethnic group rooted in tropes of the Roma people — and Chult, a jungle region vaguely inspired by parts of Africa. Previous versions of the books referred to the Vistani as drunks and called Chult a “savage” and “exotic” land.
D&D fans on social media reacted to Wizards of the Coast’s statement with a mixed response. Some were in favor of the changes; others called them “political.” Multiple voices argued that promises of respecting diversity rang hollow as the company has had an alleged problem with hiring game designers of color in the past.
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Sooo... D&D's recent statement on their plans for diversity and depictions of race.
TL;DR here. I support the promise of diversity, inclusion, and community, but I highly doubt that Wizards is going to live up to those words. (1/18) — Russ Wilde 🏳🌈 #BLM (@RussWildest) June 19, 2020
WHY do I only see older white men representing D&D? We need MORE representation, especially queer/trans visibilty and BIPOC, in ALL ASPECTS of your company. — 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐁𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐒 𝐀𝐋𝐖𝐀𝐘𝐒 (@heathernewkirk) June 18, 2020
Well, and I do mean this as politely as I can, the first step is to hire BIPOC and let them direct the business of portraying different kinds of people in your gaming properties. Like, let black, Asian, indigenous, and other people show you how it's done, and pay them for it! — Jesse Heinig (@JesseHeinig) June 18, 2020
I am personally a bit disappointed.
In a rich and diverse fantasy world, our real-life modern societal values should not be the ones to depict what can and cannot be treated in-game.
A good story-teller will make a fantastic game regardless of gender, culture, race or stereotypes — シャープ (@Brother_Sharp) June 18, 2020
I don't think DnD should ever get political. Playing myself a lawful neutral drow character and being almost 30 years DM I believe in plain human capability to tell the right from wrong without being told what is what. Good intentions usually pave the way to hell. Feel sad. — Martin Wilczek (@MartinWilczek) June 18, 2020
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Sturtevant, Young and Mendez Hodes greeted the announcement with a combination of cautious optimism and skepticism.
“I think this shift is a good start, but they must go further,” Sturtevant said. “It’s a problem that [Wizards of the Coast] don’t seem to be getting rid of their use of the term ‘race’ altogether.”
Young echoed this sentiment. “Racism isn’t just negative stereotypes; it is also an underlying belief that a particular group of people have something inherently in common with each other and also that they are also inherently different from other groups,” she said.
“The change so that orcs and drow aren’t necessarily evil is superficial if that racist logic of inherent difference is still there,” Young said. She stressed that removing gameplay concepts such as orc characters starting with a lower intelligence would be a “much bigger step because it could remove the basic logic of race.” (Wizards of the Coast indicated in its statement that it would be moving towards this in future releases.)
“Hopefully the diverse hiring will be more than a token move,” Young added. “Employing people of color from different backgrounds and genuinely valuing everything that they bring will make the game more original, creative and interesting, as well as less racist.”
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Mendez Hodes said it was vital to note that Wizards’ announcement followed years of advocacy and that many D&D fans of color who have criticized the game in the past were accused of “politicizing” it by other players who were unwilling to see characters such as orcs as anything more than disposable, evil enemies.
“For almost all of D&D’s history, systemically oppressive norms masquerading as harmless fun dominated both game content and community interactions,” Mendez Hodes told HuffPost. “What I most want changed are the [D&D] community’s oppressive power dynamics. Right now, being ourselves and expressing our preferences invites gatekeeping and vitriol from players whose fun relies on unexamined cruelty to a sapient Other.”
While it remains to be seen if Wizards of the Coast will truly make good on its aims, the company’s willingness to acknowledge its faults nevertheless gives Mendez Hodes hope.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-28--Louisville Man Fatally Shot During Breonna Taylor Protest, Coroner Says

Reports of shots fired at Jefferson Square Park in downtown Louisville came in around 9 p.m. , Louisville Metro police said in a statement .
A second shooting victim was found across the street .
That person was hospitalized with injuries that were not life-threatening .
Video posted on social media appeared to show a man opening fire into the park as people scrambled for cover .
The footage later showed at least one person bleeding profusely on the ground .
Officers cleared the park and police “ are trying to gather as much information as possible in order to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incident , ” the police statement said .
No information about arrests , possible suspects and the identify and age of the second victim was immediately released .
Several dozen people gathered Sunday at the park .
A few Louisville police officers arrived to hand out flyers that said overnight camping and cooking at the site is banned , but protesters will be allowed to continue gathering during the day .
Police removed tents from the site and told protesters they could pick them up at a separate location .
John Kriner knelt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Jefferson Square near the city ’ s courthouse , to pray for peace .
A group marches to Jefferson Square to join a protest over the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor , Tuesday , June 2 , 2020 , in Louisville , Ky .
The park has for weeks been the epicenter for protests in the city after the police killings of Taylor and George Floyd .
The Saturday night shooting was at least the second during nearly a month of protests in Louisville over Taylor ’ s death .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ gunfire erupted near City Hall , prompting a statement from Taylor ’ s mother asking people to demand justice “ without hurting each other.
” Taylor , a 26-year-old Black woman , was killed in her Louisville home in March by police who were serving a no-knock warrant .
Protesters have been calling for the officers involved in her death to be charged .
One of the officers was recently fired .
Kenneth Walker , Taylor ’ s boyfriend , was originally charged with attempted murder after he fired a shot at one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home .
Walker has said he thought he was defending from an intruder .

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Police in Kentucky on Sunday identified a man who was fatally shot amid a protest over the killing of Breonna Taylor.
Tyler Charles Gerth, 27, of Louisville, died of a gunshot wound Saturday night, the Jefferson County coroner’s office said in a news release.
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Reports of shots fired at Jefferson Square Park in downtown Louisville came in around 9 p.m., Louisville Metro police said in a statement. A second shooting victim was found across the street. That person was hospitalized with injuries that were not life-threatening.
Video posted on social media appeared to show a man opening fire into the park as people scrambled for cover. The footage later showed at least one person bleeding profusely on the ground.
Officers cleared the park and police “are trying to gather as much information as possible in order to identify all who were involved in the incident,” the police statement said. No information about arrests, possible suspects and the identify and age of the second victim was immediately released.
Several dozen people gathered Sunday at the park. A few Louisville police officers arrived to hand out flyers that said overnight camping and cooking at the site is banned, but protesters will be allowed to continue gathering during the day. Police removed tents from the site and told protesters they could pick them up at a separate location.
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John Kriner knelt for nearly 30 minutes at the site, Jefferson Square near the city’s courthouse, to pray for peace.
Kriner said it was his first visit to the protest site.
“I just want there to be peace and calm,” Kriner said.
A group marches to Jefferson Square to join a protest over the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, Tuesday, June 2, 2020, in Louisville, Ky. ASSOCIATED PRESS
The park has for weeks been the epicenter for protests in the city after the police killings of Taylor and George Floyd. The Saturday night shooting was at least the second during nearly a month of protests in Louisville over Taylor’s death. Seven people were wounded May 28 when gunfire erupted near City Hall, prompting a statement from Taylor’s mother asking people to demand justice “without hurting each other.”
Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman, was killed in her Louisville home in March by police who were serving a no-knock warrant. Protesters have been calling for the officers involved in her death to be charged. One of the officers was recently fired.
Kenneth Walker, Taylor’s boyfriend, was originally charged with attempted murder after he fired a shot at one of the officers who came into the home. Walker has said he thought he was defending from an intruder.
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The no-knock search warrant that allows police to enter without first announcing their presence was recently banned by Louisville’s Metro Council.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-29--The Pandemic Could Finally Usher In The 4-Day Workweek

Government employees of the small municipality of Guysborough , Nova Scotia , have worked half the week in the office and half the week at home for the last few months in order to reduce contact with each other and limit the spread of the coronavirus .
Now , as the municipality plans to fully reopen its offices to the public , it ’ s decided to try something new : a four-day workweek .
The town will try it out for nine months and see how it goes .
“ They ’ re working the same number of hours @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to that additional day off to spend more time with families , ” Carroll said .
The pandemic has forced into the open certain fallacies about the way work life is structured .
Companies that previously required their employees to come into the office have now revealed how easy it is to let them work from home ― freeing them from extended commutes , often by car , in climate-harming rush-hour traffic .
Workers in industries such as grocery and delivery services , who have long been essential , are only now being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such .
And the argument that providing universal paid sick leave would hurt the economy has fallen flat as those without it feel forced to work while ill , risking further spread of the disease and reduced productivity .
It ’ s an idea that saw wide support in Europe .
In the late 1990s , in an effort to lower the unemployment rate , France introduced a permanent 35-hour workweek and legislated that minimum-wage earners still make the same amount as they did when working 39 hours .
( That workweek is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , many French workers put in longer hours . )
But last year , the AFL-CIO , the largest federation of unions in the United States , took a step to challenge that dynamic .
It proposed a four-day workweek , among other policies , and made the case for “ limiting the excessive hours worked by some people , thereby making more work hours available to those who want to work more , and giving all workers control over our time.
” The proposal has been slow to gain traction with lawmakers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open a door to revisit this age-old labor ideal .
Working smarter , not longer , appeals to everyone from overworked professionals to parents trying to carve out more time for their children .
Add the overwhelming anxieties and compounding responsibilities we ’ re now all experiencing as the coronavirus upends our lives , and the case for a four-day workweek is stronger than ever .
This is why those who support a shorter workweek often point to its many benefits , such as less time spent commuting and better quality of life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get to spend more time with family and friends doing things they enjoy , making them more refreshed for the next workweek .
HuffPost ’ s “ Work in Progress ” series focuses on the effect of business on society and the environment and is funded by Porticus .
It is part of the This New World series .
All content is editorially independent , with no influence or input from Porticus .
If you have an idea or tip for the editorial series , send an email to thisnewworld @ huffpost.com .

Government employees of the small municipality of Guysborough, Nova Scotia, have worked half the week in the office and half the week at home for the last few months in order to reduce contact with each other and limit the spread of the coronavirus. Now, as the municipality plans to fully reopen its offices to the public, it’s decided to try something new: a four-day workweek.
Employees were given the choice of staying on the old five-day schedule if they wanted to. But no one did. “People are more refreshed,” Barry Carroll, the chief administrative officer of Guysborough, told HuffPost.
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The town will try it out for nine months and see how it goes. “They’re working the same number of hours [per week] but look forward to that additional day off to spend more time with families,” Carroll said.
Guysborough employees will still work full time over the four days, but the move is a modest step toward an alternative work structure in the wake of a shutdown that upended ideas about work for millions of people.
The pandemic has forced into the open certain fallacies about the way work life is structured. Companies that previously required their employees to come into the office have now revealed how easy it is to let them work from home ― freeing them from extended commutes, often by car, in climate-harming rush-hour traffic.
Workers in industries such as grocery and delivery services, who have long been essential, are only now being recognized — and temporarily compensated — as such. And the argument that providing universal paid sick leave would hurt the economy has fallen flat as those without it feel forced to work while ill, risking further spread of the disease and reduced productivity.
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The current crisis is reshaping our beliefs and orthodoxies around work and may open up the conversation to another policy that has fallen by the wayside in America: a shorter, four-day, 32-hour workweek.
Fewer traffic jams during lockdown have led to less pollution. fotog via Getty Images
It’s an idea that saw wider support in Europe. In the late 1990s, in an effort to lower the unemployment rate, France introduced a permanent 35-hour workweek and legislated that minimum-wage earners still make the same amount as they did when working 39 hours. (That workweek is still in effect, although in reality, many French workers put in longer hours.)
Last year, the British Labour Party included a four-day workweek proposal in its 2019 election platform. “We should work to live, not live to work,” then-shadow chancellor John McDonnell said. Labour was defeated by Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party, but the idea has been revived again as a possible solution to help the country recover from COVID-19.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern made headlines recently with her suggestion to institute a four-day workweek, as the country eases into post-lockdown life, as a way to boost the domestic tourism economy by giving people more time to travel within the country.
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The United States has long resisted a more flexible work culture. But in response to the pandemic, companies such as TripAdvisor and publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, as well as cities such as Strongsville, Ohio, have switched to four-day weeks with pay reductions (in addition to furloughs or layoffs in some cases).
For most workers — especially those with low incomes or struggling to afford the basics — clocking fewer hours for less pay is not a feasible option. That’s why some climate and labor activists advocate a post-pandemic path that reduces the workweek while providing a just, livable wage.
Sanitation workers demonstrate for a five-day, 40-hour workweek in New York in 1952. Bettmann via Getty Images
The struggle for shorter working hours has been a core part of the history of the labor movement.
The carpenter’s union in Philadelphia organized the first citywide general strike in the United States in 1835, aimed at winning a 10-hour workday instead of sunup-to-sundown work. During the Great Depression, workers and unions helped put pressure on Congress to pass the Fair Labor Standards Act, which instituted the eight-hour workday.
Over time, labor activists fought to give workers more flexibility and agency over how and when they work. Twenty years ago, there was more of a sentiment that overwork was a problem and that working hours should be shortened, Juliet Schor, a sociology professor at Boston College who has long advocated for shorter workweeks, told HuffPost.
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But as wages stagnated over the last 40 years and more people involuntarily worked part time in the wake of the Great Recession, a “scarcity mentality” — that there wasn’t enough work and wealth to go around — took hold.
In response, politicians across the spectrum doubled down on job creation rather than considering allowing people to work less and share available work, Schor said. The emergence of the gig economy boosted a hustle-to-death attitude as the superrich profited and amassed great wealth.
But last year, the AFL-CIO, the largest federation of unions in the United States, took a step to challenge that dynamic. It proposed a four-day workweek, among other policies, and made the case for “limiting the excessive hours worked by some people, thereby making more work hours available to those who want to work more, and giving all workers control over our time.” The proposal has been slow to gain traction with lawmakers and businesses. But the pandemic might open a door to revisit this age-old labor ideal.
The pandemic has brought on new anxieties and responsibilities. A shorter workweek could mean more time with family. Boston Globe via Getty Images
Working smarter, not longer, appeals to everyone from overworked professionals to parents trying to carve out more time for their children. Add the overwhelming anxieties and compounding responsibilities we’re now all experiencing as the coronavirus upends our lives, and the case for a four-day workweek is stronger than ever.
Advertisement
This is why those who support a shorter workweek often point to its many benefits, such as less time spent commuting and better quality of life for workers. In return, people get to spend more time with family and friends doing things they enjoy, making them more refreshed for the next workweek.
In response to the current crisis, more companies are taking up work-sharing policies that allow employees to cut their work hours while qualifying for government unemployment insurance to pad out their lost wages, Schor said. Germany implemented just such a policy to give employers flexibility beyond keeping employees on full time or firing them.
If the U.S. does start to transition to a shorter workweek, any policy would have to ensure that work-sharing was extended across all jobs and sectors, while also ensuring that everyone was guaranteed a job with a living wage
“The pandemic gives us an opening to talk about what kind of work is really needed,” Schor said.
Many experts point out that working less doesn’t necessarily lead to less productivity. Microsoft, for example, tested a four-day workweek last August in Japan, and the results showed not only happier employees but also a 40% increase in productivity.
But that might not always be the case. Many blue-collar industries such as manufacturing already operate with high efficiency and would find it difficult to increase productivity. Proponents of shorter working hours argue that ramming the same amount of work into fewer hours shouldn’t be a precondition.
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Instead, advocates hope the pandemic will force us to question why we continue to prioritize productivity in our economy in the first place. Rather, they say, we should reshape the economy around the priorities that matter, such as curbing carbon emissions.
“Reducing hours could have enormous benefits for the climate, drastically cutting the energy needed to light, heat, and cool offices — and power computers,” Kate Aronoff wrote in The New Republic. “Furthermore, eliminating one round-trip commute week after week for millions of Americans could radically reduce nationwide transportation emissions — the biggest source of carbon dioxide pollution in the U.S.”
Microsoft found that a shorter workweek can result in immediate environmental benefits. Electricity use in its office dropped 23%, and nearly 60% fewer pages of paper were printed during the monthlong experiment compared with the same period the year before.
“We’re a very wealthy country whose population isn’t growing very much,” Schor said. Now is an ideal time to shift toward practices that decrease production and carbon use and boost sustainability, she added.
Working less isn’t a simplistic argument for increasing leisure time: It’s about fundamentally rethinking what we value and why.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-29--QAnon’s Coronavirus-Fueled Boom Is A Warning Of What's To Come

QAnon ’ s ostensible leader is “ Q , ” an anonymous online poster who adherents believe is a top government insider leaking coded intel to the public .
Q posts cryptic messages to the forum 8kun , which replaced the now-shuttered website 8chan last fall .
There ’ s no clear indication of how many subscribers QAnon has amassed since its origins in 2017 , although researchers estimate that its base could comprise hundreds of thousands of people or more — including at least 57 current and former congressional candidates .
Some QAnon followers have even been inspired to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus took its toll , QAnon had staked its territory in the political realm .
Time magazine listed Q among the most influential people on the internet in 2018 .
A 2019 Civiqs poll of 1,543 registered U.S. voters found that 17 % considered QAnon ’ s theory “ about a conspiracy among deep state elites ” to be “ mostly true.
” Last spring , following a deadly shooting and other violent incidents involving self-proclaimed QAnon believers , the FBI labeled the movement a potential domestic terrorism threat .
Trump has retweeted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including three times on Saturday alone .
And now , an open QAnon promoter is expected to make it to Congress .
Social media algorithms have undoubtedly accelerated the growth of QAnon accounts on their respective platforms .
Facebook and other websites are free to use in exchange for people ’ s attention , which is the commodity that is then sold to advertisers .
So when algorithms detect that certain content has the potential to go viral — whether it relates to the Kardashians , baby animals or a “ deep state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll often promote it further to prolong user engagement and maximize ad revenue .
As QAnon has wormed its way to notoriety from the entrails of the internet , it has become an increasingly effective conspiracy-theory pipeline to much bigger figures in the right-wing ecosystem .
Since elevating the claim about coronavirus fearmongering by the “ deep state ” all the way up to Hannity ’ s radio show in March , QAnon has helped blast out a litany of other terrifying falsehoods tied to COVID-19 , including the widespread assertion that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be used for mind control .
Later that month , QAnon found an even greater megaphone in the president of the United States .
Throughout the crisis , QAnon backers including Tesoriero have been calling on Trump to replace leading infectious-diseases specialist Dr. Anthony Fauci with Shiva Ayyadurai , a Senate GOP candidate and scientist who is staunchly opposed to vaccines , and who has promoted QAnon in the past .
As the government had to enhance Fauci ’ s security detail in response to far-right harassment , an April 10 YouTube @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ embedded in the deep state ” racked up millions of views .
Two days later , the trending hashtag # FireFauci was retweeted by Trump himself .

Hours after the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a global pandemic on March 11, Fox News primetime host Sean Hannity pondered the news on his radio show. It “may be true,” he mused to his audience of millions, that “coronavirus fearmongering by the deep state will go down in history as one of the biggest frauds to manipulate economies, suppress dissent and push mandated medicines.”
Once again, far-right conspiracy theories had broken loose from internet dens and shaped mainstream conservative media coverage. Hannity, a close confidant to President Donald Trump, was parroting a known promoter of QAnon, the online fringe movement that claims a “deep state” cabal of Satanist elites is running an international child sex trafficking ring, among an ever-expanding repertoire of other falsehoods.
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The COVID-19 emergency has turbocharged QAnon’s ability to spread tactical disinformation and attract new followers. As the movement seizes on public anxiety surrounding the virus to lure more people into its conspiratorial web, new data compiled by HuffPost reveals shocking spikes in traffic for dozens of the most influential QAnon accounts across social media. Many have more than tripled in size amid the crisis.
With just months until the polls open in November’s presidential election, QAnon has gained a massive new audience for its unhinged propaganda.
“It’s very concerning,” said Alex Kaplan, a senior researcher at Media Matters who studies online extremism. “Whenever a conspiracy theory or falsehood is circulating on social media, you can usually track it to a QAnon figure playing a role in spreading it.”
Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
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Skyrocketing Online Interest
QAnon’s ostensible leader is “Q,” an anonymous online poster who adherents believe is a top government insider leaking coded intel to the public. Q posts cryptic messages to the forum 8kun, which replaced the now-shuttered website 8chan last fall. There’s no clear indication of how many subscribers QAnon has amassed since its origins in 2017, although researchers estimate that its base could comprise hundreds of thousands of people or more — including at least 57 current and former congressional candidates. Some QAnon followers have even been inspired to commit violent crimes.
Rather than getting their supposed intel directly from Q on 8kun, which can be difficult to navigate, many QAnon supporters rely on a network of so-called “decoders,” or proxy figures, who decipher and extrapolate on Q’s posts on their various social media channels. Whenever QAnon content scores a prominent new endorser, a trending hashtag, an affirming feature on Fox News or a presidential retweet, for example, decoders’ Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook pages tend to light up with curious new followers seeking information about the movement.
That’s been happening a lot lately, particularly as people search for answers about a global health emergency that’s unprecedented in most living memories. QAnon has played a major role in amplifying COVID-19 conspiracy theories into virality — many stemming from the baseless claim that the virus is a state-engineered bioweapon — while attracting hordes of new adherents in the process.
HuffPost analyzed the growth of dozens of the largest QAnon decoder accounts on social media, using the analytics tools Social Blade and CrowdTangle. The data showed explosive spikes in followers and subscribers starting in mid-March, just as the outbreak reached official pandemic status and as much of the world awoke to its severity. Most accounts’ followings have grown at least threefold since March 11, with one QAnon-centric Facebook group’s membership skyrocketing by more than 5,000%.
This graph charts the growth of four of the largest QAnon "decoder" accounts on social media. Each started spiking in followers or subscribers in mid-March — a trend reflected across dozens of other decoder accounts HuffPost analyzed. HuffPost/Datawrapper
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Google searches for “QAnon” also began to soar in mid-March, as Mother Jones reported, along with searches for “deep state”; “Fall of the Cabal,” a popular QAnon video explainer series; and “WWG1WGA,” the movement’s slogan, meaning “Where We Go One, We Go All.” The number of visits to qmap.pub, a website that catalogs Q’s posts, has likewise erupted during the pandemic. The page had more than 10.5 million hits in May, compared to 4.1 million in January, according to the analytics tool SimilarWeb.
This surge in traffic appears to represent a staggering wave of new interest in QAnon. Although it may seem like a bizarre, low-level threat given its #PizzaGate-style theories, QAnon has an outsize real-world impact. As it has bubbled up from the paranoiac cesspools, it has shown time and again its insidious ability to disseminate disinformation to the masses — including, recently, anti-vaccine propaganda, the promotion of bleach as a COVID-19 cure, and hoaxes targeting front-line health care workers.
A 265,000-follower QAnon decoder Instagram account suggests the COVID-19 pandemic is a "great awakening" — a common QAnon reference to people "waking up" to the movement. Instagram
The pandemic has provided the ideal conditions for QAnon to gain critical mass. Fear and desperation abound in times of crisis, and rapidly changing information — such as the shifting advice regarding face masks early on — can rattle people’s confidence in authoritative news sources, rendering them especially vulnerable to conspiracy theories.
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“People are looking for explanations for what feels like randomness,” Kaplan said. Conspiracy theorists are ready and eager to meet that demand.
The coronavirus has even brought unlikely QAnon enthusiasts out of the woodwork to preach Q’s message to entirely new audiences. Over the past three and half months, a series of lifestyle influencers on Instagram have abruptly pivoted their content from fashion, yoga, filtered selfies and the like to far-right agitprop.
“With everything going on in the world, I’m ready to share some of the things that I have been following for a really long time that I think are going to be exposed to the masses very soon,” one influencer-turned-propagandist announced in March, before posting a series of QAnon-themed Story Highlights to “awaken” her more than 100,000 followers.
Since then, she has repeatedly used her platform to advance the notion that the pandemic is a false flag event orchestrated to distract from “deep state” depravity, to mandate vaccines and, more generally, to exert unbridled control over society.
Scott Olson via Getty Images
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A Burgeoning Force For Disinformation
QAnon’s growth is self-perpetuating: As it gains more followers, its ability to sow confusion and hyperpartisan conspiracies gets stronger, helping it attract even more adherents. This cycle is also fueled by social media recommendation engines that drive QAnon content onto people’s screens.
One of the highest-profile examples of coronavirus disinformation is “Plandemic,” the professionally produced but falsehood-laden film featuring discredited former medical researcher Judy Mikovits. Pushing a series of debunked claims, including that wearing face masks “literally activates your own virus” (it doesn’t) and that vaccines are “a money-making enterprise that causes medical harm” (they’re not), “Plandemic” went viral almost overnight — and it happened in large part because of QAnon.
Disinformation researcher Erin Gallagher traced the film’s spread across Facebook and other video-hosting websites. She found that a handful of big QAnon Facebook groups were among “Plandemic’s” most effective promoters on the 2.6 billion-user platform.
These “super spreader” groups can behave like a virus in the way that they propagate false information, Gallagher told HuffPost. “A lot of people come into contact with content there, and are sharing it in and out of the group,” she said.
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One QAnon group played a particularly large role in amplifying “Plandemic,” Gallagher’s research showed. That’s likely because the group has been rapidly expanding since mid-March, like so many other major QAnon social media pages. By the time the video was posted online in early May, the group had already swelled from around 3,300 members pre-pandemic to nearly 120,000. (It’s now closing in on 200,000.)
This graph charts the growth of a QAnon Facebook group that widely amplified the "Plandemic" film. CrowdTangle
Social media algorithms have undoubtedly accelerated the growth of QAnon accounts on their respective platforms. Facebook and other websites are free to use in exchange for people’s attention, which is the commodity that is then sold to advertisers. So when algorithms detect that certain content has the potential to go viral — whether it relates to the Kardashians, baby animals or a “deep state” cabal of Satan-worshipping pedophiles — they’ll often promote it further to prolong user engagement and maximize ad revenue.
By following just a single QAnon account on Instagram, for example, users can wind up viewing dozens more — all served to them by an app that’s designed to keep them scrolling for as long as possible, even if it means distributing disinformation. Facebook, which owns Instagram, has run dozens of ads featuring the “WWG1WGA” slogan.
After HuffPost followed a single QAnon account, Instagram recommended dozens more. Screenshot/Instagram
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In rewarding such content with algorithmic promotion, social media platforms not only legitimize it, but incentivize people to produce more of it.
“Recommendation and engagement algorithms are built to promote this kind of content,” said Gallagher, who was shocked to see Facebook recommend that she check out a QAnon page in April right after she joined a local quarantine-focused group. “They’re built for viral marketing campaigns.”
With Big Tech’s help, QAnon has propagated many of the biggest conspiracy theories that are now plaguing society, and as the movement grows its reach, it’s only becoming more adept at doing so.
Mario Tama via Getty Images
Conservative Media Pickup
As QAnon has wormed its way to notoriety from the entrails of the internet, it has become an increasingly effective conspiracy-theory pipeline to much bigger figures in the right-wing ecosystem. Since elevating the claim about coronavirus fearmongering by the “deep state” all the way up to Hannity’s radio show in March, QAnon has helped blast out a litany of other terrifying falsehoods tied to COVID-19, including the widespread assertion that the vaccine, when it arrives, will be used for mind control.
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The amplification and reach of these theories has impeded the work of public health officials tackling the worst pandemic in a century.
On March 23, Q posted a message to 8kun suggesting that the coronavirus was a bioweapon unleashed to hurt Trump’s re-election chances. Days later, the hashtag #FilmYourHospital started trending on Twitter. Launched by a QAnon supporter, it urged people to show up at health care facilities with cameras in an attempt to expose the media for supposedly exaggerating the extent of the crisis. (More than 125,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 so far.) Former congressional candidate DeAnna Lorraine Tesoriero, a notorious QAnon promoter, tweeted the #FilmYourHospital challenge to her more than 300,000 followers.
In early April, another QAnon-backed conspiracy theory got a boost from Fox News. After QAnon supporters aggressively pushed the baseless claim that Microsoft founder Bill Gates — who is helping to fund COVID-19 vaccine development efforts — will somehow implant people with microchips for tracking and depopulation purposes, Fox’s Laura Ingraham quote-tweeted a post about Gates and vaccines, writing: “Digitally tracking Americans’ every move has been a dream of the globalists for years. This health crisis is the perfect vehicle for them to push this.”
Later that month, QAnon found an even greater megaphone in the president of the United States. Throughout the crisis, QAnon backers including Tesoriero have been calling on Trump to replace leading infectious-diseases specialist Dr. Anthony Fauci with Shiva Ayyadurai, a Senate GOP candidate and scientist who is staunchly opposed to vaccines, and who has promoted QAnon in the past. As the government had to enhance Fauci’s security detail in response to far-right harassment, an April 10 YouTube video of Ayyadurai accusing Fauci of being “embedded in the deep state” racked up millions of views. Two days later, the trending hashtag #FireFauci was retweeted by Trump himself.
One of the largest pro-QAnon accounts on Instagram baselessly suggests the killing of George Floyd was "staged." Instagram
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Now, QAnon is wielding its bolstered momentum to propel fake news about the killing of George Floyd into the mainstream — exacerbating a national tragedy while displaying its own prowess as a purveyor of disinformation in the runup to the presidential election.
QAnon decoders have argued that Floyd’s death was a scam intended to provoke chaos and justify a sweeping government crackdown. A 22-minute YouTube video pushing that falsehood was widely shared in QAnon Facebook groups and reached at least 1.3 million people, The New York Times reported earlier this month. A short time later, a woman in California was filmed tearing down a public memorial for Black victims of police violence as she shouted that Floyd’s death was “staged by antifa and George Soros.”
More recently, QAnon adherents have accused the Black Lives Matter movement of being a front to launder money for Democrats — a debunked claim that was started by a QAnon Twitter account, according to a review by Media Matters. It garnered extraordinary online traction from a number of prominent right-wing pundits, including Fox News host Jesse Watters on Saturday evening.
“I wonder how much Black Lives Matter funneled to [Democratic presidential nominee Joe] Biden just in June alone,” Watters said on his show, “Watters’ World,” which has millions of viewers. Trump retweeted a clip of the segment soon after it aired.
Late Sunday night, Fox News commentator Tomi Lahren tweeted then deleted a picture of a flyer falsely attributed to Black Lives Matter that labeled white men, women and children “the enemy.” Snopes, which had already debunked the hoax as an “attempt to smear” the racial justice movement almost two weeks earlier, reported that the flyer appeared to originate from a QAnon Twitter account.
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QAnon decoders and supporters were also involved early on in spreading the entirely unfounded rumor that Martin Gugino ― the 75-year-old protester who was violently pushed to the ground by police in Buffalo, New York, fracturing his skull — was an antifa activist who faked his injuries. Far-right media outlet One America News Network ran with the conspiracy theory, and within days of the incident, Trump caught wind.
“Buffalo protester shoved by Police could be an ANTIFA provocateur,” the president tweeted to his 82 million followers, as Gugino lay in a hospital bed with a brain injury.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-29--Mississippi Mayor Has A Blunt Message For Coronavirus Conspiracy Theorists

“ Also , ANTIFA is not coming to Tupelo , Elvis statues are not being removed , you are not @ @ @ @ @ of global conspiracy , it is impossible to erase history and no one has attempted @ @ @ @ @ is not a hoax , you shouldn ’ t believe and share posts that are @ @ @ @ @ political propaganda , and there is nothing ‘ liberal ’ about any of the actions @ @ @ @ @ our administration regarding these matters .
”

“Also, ANTIFA is not coming to Tupelo, Elvis statues are not being removed, you are not the target of some type of global conspiracy, it is impossible to erase history and no one has attempted to do so, COVID is not a hoax, you shouldn’t believe and share posts that are obviously false or used as political propaganda, and there is nothing ‘liberal’ about any of the actions that have been taken by our administration regarding these matters.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-29--Missouri Couple Points Guns At Protesters Marching Past Their Home

A couple in St. Louis is coming under fire on social media after images and videos showed them aiming guns at protesters who were marching past their home on a private road .
Footage showed the couple , one with a pistol and the other with what appeared to be a semiautomatic rifle , shouting at the protesters and waving the weapons around .
At times , they appeared to be pointing the firearms toward the demonstrators .
A couple has come out of their house and is pointing guns at protesters in their neighborhood # StLouis # lydakrewson pic.twitter.com/ZJ8a553PAU @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June 29 , 2020 The march was organized by Expect Us , which billed the event as “ a call to action against the violence towards Black people.
” The route reportedly passed the home of Mayor Lyda Krewson ( D ) , where protesters chanted : “ Resign Lyda , take the cops with you.
” Local CBS station KMOV reported that demonstrators also painted “ RESIGN ” in the street outside her home .
Krewson is under pressure to step down after she read aloud the names and home addresses of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during a Facebook Live video , a move critics said equated to doxxing critics of the police .
She later apologized and deleted the post .
here ’ s what happens when you march on Portland Place in St. Louis , MO they ’ re scared of their own community pic.twitter.com/Ng8qW1Pa6C — avery ( @ averyrisch ) June 29 , 2020

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A couple in St. Louis is facing a backlash on social media after images and videos showed them aiming guns at protesters marching past their home on a private road.
Footage showed the couple, one with a pistol and the other with what appeared to be a semiautomatic rifle, shouting at the protesters and waving the weapons around. At times, they appeared to be pointing the firearms toward the demonstrators.
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A couple has come out of their house and is pointing guns at protesters in their neighborhood #StLouis #lydakrewson pic.twitter.com/ZJ8a553PAU — Daniel Shular (@xshularx) June 29, 2020
In remarks to local CBS station KMOV, the homeowner claimed that “a mob of at least 100 smashed through the historic wrought iron gates” of their private street, which were marked with “private street” and “no trespassing” signs, and put his family “in fear of our lives.” St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that police are investigating the incident.
The march was organized by Expect Us, which billed the event as “a call to action against the violence towards Black people.”
The route reportedly passed the home of Mayor Lyda Krewson (D), where protesters chanted: “Resign Lyda, take the cops with you.” The Post-Dispatch reported that demonstrators also painted “RESIGN” in the street outside her home.
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Krewson is under pressure to step down after she read aloud the names and home addresses of constituents who had called for police reform during a Facebook Live video, a move critics said equated to doxing critics of the police.
She later apologized and deleted the post.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-29--Veterans Group Rips ‘Traitor’ Trump Over Russian Bounties To Kill U.S. Soldiers

A group of veterans opposed to President Donald Trump released a new video calling him out over reports that the U.S. government knew the Russian military paid bounties to Afghan militants for killing American soldiers .
On Friday , The New York Times reported that Trump was briefed on the situation in March , but took no action against Russia .
To the contrary , Trump said he would like to invite Russian President Vladimir Putin to the next G-7 meeting in September .
Trump said on Twitter that he was not briefed about the alleged bounties , called the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ nobody ’ s been tougher on Russia ” than his administration .
“ Putin owns Donald Trump , ” the organization wrote on Twitter , along with the # TRE45SON hashtag that went viral over the weekend .
The group also released a new video : “ Intelligence reports on his desk .
He says nothing to his master .
Takes no action to protect us , ” the voiceover stated .
“ If you ’ re going to act like a traitor , you don ’ t get to thank us @ @ @ @ @

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UPDATE: In April 2021, 10 months after The New York Times, Associated Press and Washington Post reported on U.S. intelligence that Russia had offered secret bounties to the Taliban for the deaths of Americans, the Biden administration said that CIA analysts only have “low to moderate confidence” that the bounty program ever existed.
A group of veterans opposed to President Donald Trump released a new video calling him out over reports that the U.S. government knew the Russian military paid bounties to Afghan militants for killing American soldiers.
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On Friday, The New York Times reported that Trump was briefed on the situation in March, but took no action against Russia. To the contrary, Trump said he would like to invite Russian President Vladimir Putin to the next G-7 meeting in September.
Trump said on Twitter that he was not briefed about the alleged bounties, called the Times “fake news” and claimed “nobody’s been tougher on Russia” than his administration.
VoteVets ripped into him.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-29--Twitter Users Hail Woman In 'White Power' Video Who Stood Up To Trump Supporters

A Florida woman is winning fans on social media for a brief appearance in President Donald Trump ’ s “ white power ” video in which she called out both the president and his supporters .
On Sunday , Trump tweeted footage of his supporters in a retirement community known as The Villages ― who he called “ great people ” ― including one who shouted the racist phrase .
Trump later deleted the video and the White House claimed he didn ’ t hear the “ white power ” shout .
But Twitter users noticed that not everyone in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A woman named Sharon Sandler was seen in the video yelling at the president ’ s supporters and offering a steady stream of expletives at a parade of golf carts with pro-Trump signs and banners .
Sandler told Villages News earlier this month that she was there to show her disgust .
“ This is a brain-washed cult here and our country is going down the drain , ” she told the website .
“ We have a pervert , a lying piece of garbage for president , and we need to get @ @ @ @

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A Florida woman is winning fans on social media for a brief appearance in President Donald Trump’s “white power” video in which she called out both the president and his supporters.
On Sunday, Trump tweeted footage of his supporters in a retirement community known as The Villages ― who he called “great people” ― including one who shouted the racist phrase. Trump later deleted the video and the White House claimed he didn’t hear the “white power” shout.
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But Twitter users noticed that not everyone in the clip was a Trump fan. A woman named Sharon Sandler was seen in the video yelling at the president’s supporters and offering a steady stream of expletives at a parade of golf carts with pro-Trump signs and banners.
Sandler told Villages News earlier this month that she was there to show her disgust.
“This is a brain-washed cult here and our country is going down the drain,” she told the website. “We have a pervert, a lying piece of garbage for president, and we need to get rid of him.
Trump’s critics on Twitter were heartened by Sandler:
Sharon: The opposite of Karen https://t.co/XTi6dowRi7 — 💙 Koko 🥁 💙 (@Kokomothegreat) June 28, 2020
Be a Sharon, not a Karen. 🙌🏽 pic.twitter.com/007NuYXDLH — chris evans (@notcapnamerica) June 28, 2020
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Dear Karens,
Meet Sharon. Be more like her. pic.twitter.com/8DDDFP3eNI — Not a Saint (@DontUnderSTM8me) June 28, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-29--'Reopen' Facebook Groups Never Shut Down. Now They're Cesspools Of Conspiracies.

Many of the lockdowns they protested have now been lifted — but the groups live on and have quickly refashioned into hubs for spreading conspiracy theories and anti-vaccination misinformation .
They also aim intense vitriol at the anti-racism demonstrations that have followed the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis last month while sharing messages from the pro-Donald Trump QAnon conspiracy movement .
A review of these public and private Facebook groups by HuffPost and First Draft , an organization that monitors online misinformation , found that anti-lockdown groups have shifted their content over recent months to remain active communities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the largest groups in recent months for violating its policies , dozens are still strewn across its platform , where they have become soapboxes for people who want to share dangerous falsehoods .
Diara J. Townes , an investigative researcher at First Draft , said it ’ s normal for big online groups to evolve past their original cause but that it was “ shocking ” to see how much divisive and inflammatory content had come to dominate the groups .
As states began their first phases of reopening , there were already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be less about specific public health policies and more about a broad array of attacks against the government , the media and health experts .
Posts in one large , private anti-lockdown group promoted conspiracies about doctors lying about death tolls and issued calls for “ resisting tyranny , ” while other groups rebranded themselves as campaigning for liberty or constitutional rights rather than specific economic reopenings .
A group formerly named “ # ReOpenGA ” became “ All Shepherds , No Sheep - Fight to be FREE !
” toward the end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a video of an irate anti-vaccine activist falsely claiming that top White House health official Dr. Deborah Birx “ knows full well ” that a vaccine will kill elderly and immunocompromised people .
The video had been viewed more than 1.5 million times .
While some pages dwindled in size and activity as they drifted away from their original message , others began to increase their membership as they embraced a larger range of grievances — particularly when the anti-racism protests started .
In late May , Townes says some posts in large @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and linking the demonstrations to larger far-right conspiracies .
Posts in one private group with nearly 40,000 members included memes defending Confederate monuments and suggesting philanthropist George Soros , a liberal billionaire and frequent target of anti-Semitic conspiracies , was behind the protests .
In the public Reopen Alabama group , which has over 36,000 members , users commented on a meme suggesting the real threat was not coronavirus but the “ global socialist agenda ” and “ race riots.
” One member posted a rambling , lengthy condemnation of Floyd ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this being treated like a state funeral ?
You ’ d think it was Elvis they ’ re laying to rest today , ” while hundreds liked an image suggesting the killing of Floyd by a white police officer was part of a “ deep state ” conspiracy against President Trump .
Other groups similarly delved into fevered far-right conspiracies .
One post suggested that Black Lives Matter and a COVID-19 vaccine were part of an agenda to throw out the Constitution and “ implement Sharia law.
” Other messages spread fear of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s unfounded warnings of roving , violent anti-fascist activists that have stirred panic and led to armed groups patrolling streets in some communities .
Some members of these ostensibly pro-liberty groups engaged in authoritarian fantasies about cracking down on protesters , with one post advocating spraying protesters with blue dye so that they could be marked for arrest ― a tactic used in Hong Kong against pro-democracy demonstrations .
Facebook ’ s beleaguered fact-checking program has flagged many of the posts in these groups for containing false information , but members can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shared narrative and self-constructed reality .
Multiple groups circulated a widely debunked , edited image that purported to show Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D-N.Y. ) tweeting that governors should keep businesses closed to hurt Trump ’ s reelection chances .
When one member of an anti-lockdown group pointed out that it was fake and linked to a fact-check article , they were shouted down .
But much of the content driving people ’ s engagement and discussion in these groups falls outside the bounds of Facebook ’ s fact-checking system .
While some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dubious sources , much of the content is memes and text-based images promoting divisive rhetoric or conspiracies .
“ The memes , the emotionally triggering captions , that was what was getting the engagement , ” Townes said .
“ The clearly misleading or just full-on misinformation that was getting posted ― that was the stuff that people had a paragraph or essay-length post and opinion on.
” Disinformation researchers have long tried to gauge whether social media posts are being shared with the intent to deceive or are being spread organically , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and its exact origins are difficult .
Facebook and researchers have , however , said they haven ’ t found evidence of any foreign interference campaigns on the platform targeting the public health protests .
Facebook removed a number of anti-lockdown protest events and groups beginning in late April , explaining that they violated state health guidelines .
It also shut down the largest anti-lockdown group , Michiganders Against Excessive Quarantine , which had over 380,000 members at its peak and was eventually removed for posts threatening government officials .
But numerous other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facebook has faced renewed criticism in recent months over its inability or unwillingness to contain the spread of misinformation , extremism and political manipulation .
Multiple companies have issued advertising boycotts against the platform in recent days ( including Verizon , the parent company of Verizon Media Group , which owns HuffPost ) , and Facebook employees staged a virtual walkout at the start of June after Trump posted a threat of violence against protesters .
The proliferation of COVID-19 conspiracies and the growth of the far-right Boogaloo movement now associated with killings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ additionally highlighted how the platform can enable tangible threats to public safety .
News articles and fact-checks debunking various coronavirus-related falsehoods have meanwhile struggled to keep up with the rapid speed at which rumors and misinformation reach huge audiences on the platform — which is especially critical as a presidential election approaches .
And the early-year “ reopen ” groups are now a part of that misinformation ecosystem .

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At the height of nationwide protests over coronavirus lockdowns, Facebook groups with names like Reopen Alabama and Michiganders Against Excessive Quarantine collectively accumulated hundreds of thousands of members and widespread mainstream media coverage as followers of those groups took to the streets to protest social distancing requirements.
Many of the lockdowns they protested have now been lifted — but the groups live on and have quickly refashioned into hubs for spreading conspiracy theories and anti-vaccination misinformation. They also aim intense vitriol at the anti-racism demonstrations that have followed the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis last month while sharing messages from the pro-Donald Trump QAnon conspiracy movement.
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A review of these public and private Facebook groups by HuffPost and First Draft, an organization that monitors online misinformation, found that anti-lockdown groups have shifted their content over recent months to remain active communities. Although Facebook shut down some of the largest groups in recent months for violating its policies, dozens are still strewn across its platform, where they have become soapboxes for people who want to share dangerous falsehoods.
Diara J. Townes, an investigative researcher at First Draft, said it’s normal for big online groups to evolve past their original cause but that it was “shocking” to see how much divisive and inflammatory content had come to dominate the groups.
As states began their first phases of reopening, there were already signs that anti-lockdown groups had pivoted to be less about specific public health policies and more about a broad array of attacks against the government, the media and health experts. Posts in one large, private anti-lockdown group promoted conspiracies about doctors lying about death tolls and issued calls for “resisting tyranny,” while other groups rebranded themselves as campaigning for liberty or constitutional rights rather than specific economic reopenings.
A group formerly named “#ReOpenGA” became “All Shepherds, No Sheep - Fight to be FREE!” toward the end of April. A recent post featured a video of an irate anti-vaccine activist falsely claiming that top White House health official Dr. Deborah Birx “knows full well” that a vaccine will kill elderly and immunocompromised people. The video had been viewed more than 1.5 million times.
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While some pages dwindled in size and activity as they drifted away from their original message, others began to increase their membership as they embraced a larger range of grievances — particularly when the anti-racism protests started. In late May, Townes says some posts in large private groups began criticizing Black Lives Matter and linking the demonstrations to larger far-right conspiracies.
Posts in one private group with nearly 40,000 members included memes defending Confederate monuments and suggesting philanthropist George Soros, a liberal billionaire and frequent target of anti-Semitic conspiracies, was behind the protests. In the public Reopen Alabama group, which has over 36,000 members, users commented on a meme suggesting the real threat was not coronavirus but the “global socialist agenda” and “race riots.” One member posted a rambling, lengthy condemnation of Floyd’s funeral, saying, “Why is this being treated like a state funeral? You’d think it was Elvis they’re laying to rest today,” while hundreds liked an image suggesting the killing of Floyd by a white police officer was part of a “deep state” conspiracy against President Trump.
People take part in a "reopen Pennsylvania" demonstration April 20 in Harrisburg. NICHOLAS KAMM via Getty Images
Other groups similarly delved into fevered far-right conspiracies. One post suggested that Black Lives Matter and a COVID-19 vaccine were part of an agenda to throw out the Constitution and “implement Sharia law.” Other messages spread fear of “antifa,” echoing Trump’s unfounded warnings of roving, violent anti-fascist activists that have stirred panic and led to armed groups patrolling streets in some communities. Some members of these ostensibly pro-liberty groups engaged in authoritarian fantasies about cracking down on protesters, with one post advocating spraying protesters with blue dye so that they could be marked for arrest ― a tactic used in Hong Kong against pro-democracy demonstrations.
“Cockroaches scattering against the light can be stepped on later,” read the caption.
Facebook’s beleaguered fact-checking program has flagged many of the posts in these groups for containing false information, but members can be resistant to any information that challenges their shared narrative and self-constructed reality. Multiple groups circulated a widely debunked, edited image that purported to show Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) tweeting that governors should keep businesses closed to hurt Trump’s reelection chances. When one member of an anti-lockdown group pointed out that it was fake and linked to a fact-check article, they were shouted down.
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“I saw it with my own eyes on Twitter. So you are a liberal who believes SNOPES,” one member replied.
But much of the content driving people’s engagement and discussion in these groups falls outside the bounds of Facebook’s fact-checking system. While some members post links to news articles from dubious sources, much of the content is memes and text-based images promoting divisive rhetoric or conspiracies.
“The memes, the emotionally triggering captions, that was what was getting the engagement,” Townes said. “The clearly misleading or just full-on misinformation that was getting posted ― that was the stuff that people had a paragraph or essay-length post and opinion on.”
Disinformation researchers have long tried to gauge whether social media posts are being shared with the intent to deceive or are being spread organically, but discerning the intent behind the content and its exact origins are difficult. Facebook and researchers have, however, said they haven’t found evidence of any foreign interference campaigns on the platform targeting the public health protests.
Many anti-lockdown groups didn’t need foreign help, as a network of powerful conservative organizations provided funding and bought ads on Facebook to promote the demonstrations. Membership in these Facebook groups also surged as right-wing media became fixated on what began as small and unpopular anti-lockdown protests.
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Facebook removed a number of anti-lockdown protest events and groups beginning in late April, explaining that they violated state health guidelines. It also shut down the largest anti-lockdown group, Michiganders Against Excessive Quarantine, which had over 380,000 members at its peak and was eventually removed for posts threatening government officials. But numerous other groups appear to have escaped scrutiny.
Facebook has faced renewed criticism in recent months over its inability or unwillingness to contain the spread of misinformation, extremism and political manipulation. Multiple companies have issued advertising boycotts against the platform in recent days (including Verizon, the parent company of Verizon Media Group, which owns HuffPost), and Facebook employees staged a virtual walkout at the start of June after Trump posted a threat of violence against protesters. The proliferation of COVID-19 conspiracies and the growth of the far-right Boogaloo movement now associated with killings and violent plots across the country have additionally highlighted how the platform can enable tangible threats to public safety.
News articles and fact-checks debunking various coronavirus-related falsehoods have meanwhile struggled to keep up with the rapid speed at which rumors and misinformation reach huge audiences on the platform — which is especially critical as a presidential election approaches. And the early-year “reopen” groups are now a part of that misinformation ecosystem.
“Misinformation, disinformation ― it’s easy, it’s cheap and it’s quick to make and get out there,” Townes said. “And it’s easy to consume.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-29--Ryan Reynolds Ruins Hugh Jackman's Original 'X-Men' Cast Reunion

“ Ryan , the cast and I were all just reminiscing about the movie that we ’ re in together @ @ @ @ @ Reynolds was not in the original “ X-Men ” film from 2000 , but appeared @ @ @ @ @ : Wolverine.
” As Jackman attempted to nudge his friend off the call , Reynolds @ @ @ @ @ few stars from other movies in the “ X-Men ” franchise , prompting all the @ @ @ @ @ swiftly depart .
Earlier this year , just before a very brief truce , Jackman @ @ @ @ @ on the set of “ X-Men Origins : Wolverine ” after Reynolds married Jackman ’ @ @ @ @ @ Johansson .
Since then , barely a birthday , anniversary or special occasion has gone @ @ @ @ @ two capitalizing on the opportunity to troll the other .
“ Guess it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ , ” Reynolds added .
Hugh Jackman ’ s face said it all :

“Ryan, the cast and I were all just reminiscing about the movie that we’re in together,” Jackman said. Reynolds was not in the original “X-Men” film from 2000, but appeared in 2009′s “X-Men Origins: Wolverine.”
As Jackman attempted to nudge his friend off the call, Reynolds revealed he had invited a few stars from other movies in the “X-Men” franchise, prompting all the stars on the call to swiftly depart.
Earlier this year, just before a very brief truce, Jackman revealed the feud had begun on the set of “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” after Reynolds married Jackman’s close friend, Scarlett Johansson. Since then, barely a birthday, anniversary or special occasion has gone by without one of the two capitalizing on the opportunity to troll the other.
“Guess it’s just you and me Logan,” Reynolds added.
Hugh Jackman’s face said it all:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-29--Video Shows Family Saving Bear With Head Trapped Inside Plastic Cheese Ball Container

A Wisconsin family wasn ’ t expecting to save a bear ’ s life when it embarked on an excursion @ @ @ @ @ , Brian and Brady Hurt were fishing on Saturday when they encountered a small , @ @ @ @ @ trapped inside a plastic cheese ball container , Tricia Hurt said .
As the family @ @ @ @ @ paddling bear and attempted to remove the tub , the animal became distressed trying to @ @ @ @ @ .
Eventually , they were able to dislodge the plastic container from its head .
@ @ @ @ @ bear , a baby , made it safely to shore .
“ Never dreamt we @ @ @ @ @ our lifetime , ” she wrote on Facebook .

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A Wisconsin family wasn’t expecting to save a bear’s life when it embarked on an excursion on Marsh-Miller Lake.
Tricia, Brian and Brady Hurt were fishing when they encountered a small, swimming bear with its head trapped inside a plastic cheese ball container, Tricia Hurt said.
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As the family pulled the boat beside the paddling bear and attempted to remove the tub, the animal became distressed trying to hold its head above water. Eventually, they were able to dislodge the plastic container from its head.
Tricia Hurt told HuffPost the bear, a baby, made it safely to shore.
“Never dreamt we would ever do this in our lifetime,” she wrote on Facebook.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-01--Amsterdam's Sex Workers Ready For Red-Light District To Emerge From Lockdown

AMSTERDAM ( AP ) — It wasn ’ t quite business as usual Wednesday as Amsterdam ’ s red-light district emerged from coronavirus lockdown , but it was close .
“ We are , of course , used to taking care of hygiene , ” said Janet van der Berg of the Prostitution Information Center in the heart of the network of cobbled streets and canals where sex workers pose in windows bathed in red light to attract customers .
Sex work was the professions allowed back in business as of July 1 in the latest relaxation of virus-prevention measures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their doors Wednesday .
Van der Berg said not all of the windows in the historic buildings of the red-light district were occupied on the first day of post-lockdown business .
The number of tourists and visitors to the Dutch capital has slumped since the pandemic all but halted global tourism .
But according to van der Berg , it was bustling as sex workers welcomed clients again .
Sex workers took steps to minimize the risk to themselves and their clients of becoming infected with the coronavirus , including checking individuals for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ There are hand gels and we ’ ve thought about what positions are handy — or not — but that ’ s not in an official protocol , you can work that out for yourself , ” said van der Berg .
“ And once the client is gone , you have to disinfect the place well .
...
I think in this way we can work as safely as other people who have to work close to their clients , like hairdressers.
” The red-light district remains one of Amsterdam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ often seedy mix of bars , brothels , sex shows and coffee shops selling marijuana .

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AMSTERDAM (AP) — It wasn’t quite business as usual Wednesday as Amsterdam’s red-light district emerged from coronavirus lockdown, but it was close.
“We are, of course, used to taking care of hygiene,” said Janet van der Berg of the Prostitution Information Center in the heart of the network of cobbled streets and canals where sex workers pose in windows bathed in red light to attract customers.
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Sex work was the professions allowed back in business as of July 1 in the latest relaxation of virus-prevention measures in the Netherlands. Gyms also reopened their doors Wednesday.
Van der Berg said not all of the windows in the historic buildings of the red-light district were occupied on the first day of post-lockdown business. The number of tourists and visitors to the Dutch capital has slumped since the pandemic all but halted global tourism.
But according to van der Berg, it was bustling as sex workers welcomed clients again.
“I’ve heard that they’re busy. I think there’s a party atmosphere,” she said.
Sex workers took steps to minimize the risk to themselves and their clients of becoming infected with the coronavirus, including checking individuals for symptoms before letting them through a window.
“There are hand gels and we’ve thought about what positions are handy — or not — but that’s not in an official protocol, you can work that out for yourself,” said van der Berg. “And once the client is gone, you have to disinfect the place well. ... I think in this way we can work as safely as other people who have to work close to their clients, like hairdressers.”
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