buzzfeednews--2020-03-17--The Coronavirus Is Hindering One Of The Trump Administration’s Ways To Deport Asylum-Seekers

Salvadoran immigrants who were deported from the US arrive at a shelter , March 14 .
The Guatemalan government has suspended accepting flights carrying asylum-seekers trying to enter the US — rebuffing one of the Trump administration ’ s key methods of deporting would-be immigrants — as a way to prevent the spread of the coronavirus within its borders .
The controversial policy , which has been in place since late last year , sends people from Honduras and El Salvador who try to seek asylum in the US to Guatemala to seek protection there instead .
It has resulted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Guatemala so far .
Guatemala ’ s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the change on Tuesday .
Department of Homeland Security officials did not respond to a request for comment .
The policy — officially labeled as an Asylum Cooperative Agreement and colloquially called a “ safe third country ” agreement — is a key element in its strategy to deter immigration at the border and restrict asylum-seekers from entering the US .
Advocates and asylum officers previously told BuzzFeed News that the unprecedented agreement lacks legality and organization and will lead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Guatemala ’ s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it had also suspended flights of Guatemalan deportees from the US while it established health protocols to ensure a deportee doesn ’ t take the virus back to their community .
Officials said plans include three medical checks in the US , as well as one before getting on a plane for Guatemala and another inspection when they land .
There is no timeline for when that would happen .
Senior administration officials have said the policy of sending asylum-seekers from El Salvador and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ individuals from the countries to seek protection closer to their home countries .
“ We are building protections that will be available to the region ’ s vulnerable populations closer to home — eliminating the need to make the dangerous journey north and lining the pockets of transnational criminal organizations , ” acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said in December .
The coronavirus pandemic has been spreading within US communities for weeks .
This has led to cancellations of large conferences , concerts , and other events ; widespread closures of schools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recently reported the first death of an individual from COVID-19 , the disease caused by the novel coronavirus , within its country on Sunday .
On Tuesday afternoon , US Citizenship and Immigration Services asylum officers had yet to receive guidance on the reported suspension of flights to Guatemala .
The officers oversee key aspects of the program to send asylum-seekers from El Salvador and Honduras to Guatemala .

The Guatemalan government has suspended accepting flights carrying asylum-seekers trying to enter the US — rebuffing one of the Trump administration’s key methods of deporting would-be immigrants — as a way to prevent the spread of the coronavirus within its borders.
The controversial policy, which has been in place since late last year, sends people from Honduras and El Salvador who try to seek asylum in the US to Guatemala to seek protection there instead.
It has resulted in more than 900 asylum-seekers being deported to Guatemala so far.
Guatemala’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the change on Tuesday. Department of Homeland Security officials did not respond to a request for comment.
The policy — officially labeled as an Asylum Cooperative Agreement and colloquially called a “safe third country” agreement — is a key element in its strategy to deter immigration at the border and restrict asylum-seekers from entering the US. Advocates and asylum officers previously told BuzzFeed News that the unprecedented agreement lacks legality and organization and will lead to immigrants being placed in dangerous circumstances.
Guatemala’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it had also suspended flights of Guatemalan deportees from the US while it established health protocols to ensure a deportee doesn’t take the virus back to their community. Officials said plans include three medical checks in the US, as well as one before getting on a plane for Guatemala and another inspection when they land.
There is no timeline for when that would happen.
Senior administration officials have said the policy of sending asylum-seekers from El Salvador and Honduras to Guatemala is an opportunity for individuals from the countries to seek protection closer to their home countries.
“We are building protections that will be available to the region’s vulnerable populations closer to home — eliminating the need to make the dangerous journey north and lining the pockets of transnational criminal organizations,” acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said in December.
The coronavirus pandemic has been spreading within US communities for weeks. This has led to cancellations of large conferences, concerts, and other events; widespread closures of schools; and other containment measures.
Guatemala recently reported the first death of an individual from COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, within its country on Sunday.
On Tuesday afternoon, US Citizenship and Immigration Services asylum officers had yet to receive guidance on the reported suspension of flights to Guatemala. The officers oversee key aspects of the program to send asylum-seekers from El Salvador and Honduras to Guatemala.


buzzfeednews--2020-03-17--I Made It Out Of The Coronavirus “Epicenter” Even After The Travel Ban

“ I ’ ll give it a week , ” I had told the friends who reached out to see if the spread of the coronavirus would prompt me to cut short my stay in Seville , Spain .
I had spent the last few days doing some morbid math .
Infection rates were skyrocketing .
Still , it seemed safer to stay than to share air with hundreds of other passengers on a trans-Atlantic flight .
But then the Spanish prime minister announced plans to shut down the country — starting the very next day .
The equation I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to solve now had an answer in an instant .
I booked a flight leaving from Madrid at 9:45 the next morning .
I had five hours to shove my belongings into a suitcase and catch the last train from Seville to Madrid .
Over the radio , reporters gave details of the state of emergency declaration in a tone that I ’ d heard only once before : on 9/11 , when my alarm sounded with a voice saying , “ the Pentagon has just been hit.
” At the taxi stand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ habits placed masks over their faces and slathered sanitizer on their hands .
Cleanliness and godliness , after all .
There ’ s a lot we still don ’ t know about the coronavirus outbreak .
Our newsletter , Outbreak Today , will do its best to put everything we do know in one place — you can sign up here .
Do you have questions you want answered ?
You can always get in touch .
And if you 're someone who is seeing the impact of this firsthand , we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( you can reach out to us via one of our tip line channels ) .
Economy-class tickets were all sold out , so guilt and I would share a seat in first class .
I felt ridiculous in that splendor , but I was grateful for the added distance from my sniffling , coughing fellow passengers .
We landed in Dallas .
The seatbelt sign turned off and my fellow passengers stood to collect their belongs .
Until a flight attendant announced , “ They ’ re not ready .
Go back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passed .
“ We ’ re not sure what ’ s happening , ” the attendant admitted .
A few more minutes went by .
Then a group of American Airlines employees marched through the cabin , handing out a sheet of questions asking about our travel history and if we ’ re experiencing a fever .
It looked hastily done , a plain printout devoid of any government seals .
“ We were notified just seconds before we landed , ” the flight attendant apologized .
“ We just don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on top of the jet bridge.
” When we exited , we filed past people from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , plastic shields over their faces .
Another group from the private company American Medical Response met us at the gate .
A man took my questionnaire , scanned my answers , and placed a red check mark on my form .
He waved me through .
No thermometer check .
The whole thing took less than 30 seconds .
An endless line at passport control .
Travelers piled up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social distancing .
Ten minutes passed .
Then 30 .
Then 40 , as my chance to catch my connecting flight ticked away .
Some passengers , I ’ d later learn , would spend up to eight hours in a botched rollout of the new protocol .
A group of officers congregated around a single screen , trying to figure out the new system .
Finally a customs officer motioned me over .
“ This is going to take a little bit , ” he warned me .
He thumbed through my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to ask you questions three times , ” he said .
Once for the customs office , a second time for the CDC , and a third for American Medical Response .
“ It makes sense , doesn ’ t it ?
” He shook his head no , as if to answer for me .
I missed my connection but caught a later flight to New Mexico .
Along the way I thought of the story I ’ d spent the last several months reporting , about refugees seeking safety in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ danger of a virus — one I had a good chance of surviving .
So many of the families I ’ d interviewed had fled dangers that were much more imminent .
Bullets fired into homes .
Death threats sent to their phones .
Family members killed .
If I felt stressed knowing I was fleeing a hotel and heading to a plane , how must it feel to leave the only home you ’ ve ever known and be smuggled across a border by a stranger ?
As I waited for my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Are you glad to be back ?
” one asked .
I thought of my life in Spain .
Long runs along the river .
Of the full string quartet busking in the street .
The scent of the orange blossoms .
And then of the virus , the lockdowns there , and the seemingly scattered response here .

Friday, March 13
3:51 p.m.
“I’ll give it a week,” I had told the friends who reached out to see if the spread of the coronavirus would prompt me to cut short my stay in Seville, Spain.
I had spent the last few days doing some morbid math. Infection rates were skyrocketing. Still, it seemed safer to stay than to share air with hundreds of other passengers on a trans-Atlantic flight.
But then the Spanish prime minister announced plans to shut down the country — starting the very next day. The equation I’d been giving myself a week to solve now had an answer in an instant.
I booked a flight leaving from Madrid at 9:45 the next morning. I had five hours to shove my belongings into a suitcase and catch the last train from Seville to Madrid.
Over the radio, reporters gave details of the state of emergency declaration in a tone that I’d heard only once before: on 9/11, when my alarm sounded with a voice saying, “the Pentagon has just been hit.”
Saturday, March 14, 12 a.m.
Puerta de Atocha, Madrid’s central train station, was practically empty.
At the taxi stand, a group of nuns in full habits placed masks over their faces and slathered sanitizer on their hands. Cleanliness and godliness, after all.


buzzfeednews--2020-04-02--Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp Said He Only Just Found Out The Coronavirus Can Be Transmitted By People Wit

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp Said He Only Just Found Out The Coronavirus Can Be Transmitted By People Without Symptoms

The journalists at BuzzFeed News are proud to bring you trustworthy and relevant reporting about the coronavirus .
To help keep this news free , become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Outbreak Today .
Kemp said Dr. Kathleen E. Toomey , the commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health , called the news a `` game-changer . ''
`` Those individuals could have been infecting people before they ever felt bad , '' he said , `` but we did n't know that until the last 24 hours . ''
In explaining the state 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kemp said in a press conference that he only just found out that COVID-19 could be transmitted by people before they show symptoms , or what is known as `` presymptomatic . ''
Kemp had recently come under pressure to implement stricter measures , with several Georgia mayors surpassing Kemp to announce their own shelter-in-place orders , including in Atlanta , Savannah , and Athens .
Georgia Gov .
Brian Kemp announced a statewide shelter-in-place order on Wednesday night in an effort to curtail the rapid spread of the coronavirus in his state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kemp , apparently had no idea until today that people without symptoms can still spread the coronavirus .
The news is not , in fact , a game-changer .
Officials have been warning for more than two months about the possibility of transmission by people who don ’ t immediately or ever show symptoms .
`` You know that , in the beginning , we were not sure if there were asymptomatic infection , which would make it a much broader outbreak than what we ’ re seeing .
Now we know for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , said at a White House press briefing on Jan. 31 .
The CDC , which is based in Georgia , has been warning since at least the beginning of March that presymptomatic spread might be possible .
`` Some spread might be possible before people show symptoms , '' read the CDC website in early March .
`` There have been reports of this occurring with this new coronavirus , but this is not thought to be the main @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ Silent Carriers ” Are Helping Spread The Coronavirus .
Here ’ s What We Know About Them .
CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield also said on Feb. 13 that spread was possible between people who were asymptomatic , meaning they never experience symptoms .
“ There ’ s been good communication with our colleagues to confirm asymptomatic infection , to confirm asymptomatic transmission , to be able to get a better handle on the clinical spectrum of illness in China , '' he told CNN .
`` What we don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the asymptomatic cases are driving transmission . ''
`` What I ’ ve learned in the last two weeks is that the spectrum of this illness is much broader than was originally presented .
There ’ s much more asymptomatic illness , '' Redfield said .
Redfield did tell NPR Monday that it had since been `` pretty much confirmed '' that as many as 25 % of people with COVID-19 remain asymptomatic .
`` That 's important , because now you have individuals that may not have any symptoms that can contribute @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` and we have learned that in fact they do contribute to transmission . ''
Scientific studies had been suggesting since mid-March that anywhere between 18 % and 86 % of people with COVID-19 do not have symptoms or at least are not diagnosed as having the disease .

The news is not, in fact, a game-changer. Officials have been warning for more than two months about the possibility of transmission by people who don’t immediately or ever show symptoms.
"You know that, in the beginning, we were not sure if there were asymptomatic infection, which would make it a much broader outbreak than what we’re seeing. Now we know for sure that there are," Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said at a White House press briefing on Jan. 31.
The CDC, which is based in Georgia, has been warning since at least the beginning of March that presymptomatic spread might be possible.
"Some spread might be possible before people show symptoms," read the CDC website in early March. "There have been reports of this occurring with this new coronavirus, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads."
Related: “Silent Carriers” Are Helping Spread The Coronavirus. Here’s What We Know About Them.
CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield also said on Feb. 13 that spread was possible between people who were asymptomatic, meaning they never experience symptoms.
“There’s been good communication with our colleagues to confirm asymptomatic infection, to confirm asymptomatic transmission, to be able to get a better handle on the clinical spectrum of illness in China," he told CNN. "What we don’t know though is how much of the asymptomatic cases are driving transmission."
"What I’ve learned in the last two weeks is that the spectrum of this illness is much broader than was originally presented. There’s much more asymptomatic illness," Redfield said.
Redfield did tell NPR Monday that it had since been "pretty much confirmed" that as many as 25% of people with COVID-19 remain asymptomatic.
"That's important, because now you have individuals that may not have any symptoms that can contribute to transmission," he said, "and we have learned that in fact they do contribute to transmission."
Scientific studies had been suggesting since mid-March that anywhere between 18% and 86% of people with COVID-19 do not have symptoms or at least are not diagnosed as having the disease.


buzzfeednews--2020-03-24--An ICE Detainee Has Become The First To Test Positive For The Coronavirus

The journalists at BuzzFeed News are proud to bring you trustworthy and relevant reporting about the coronavirus .
To help keep this news free , become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Outbreak Today .
An immigrant being held at a facility in New Jersey has become the first Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainee to test positive for the coronavirus in the US , an agency official confirmed .
The 31-year-old Mexican detainee has been held at the Bergen County Jail , where last week local officials reported that a correctional officer at the facility had also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staffers that the detainee had been quarantined and that intakes at the facility were suspended .
Immigrant advocates , medical experts , and former senior Department of Homeland Security officials have called for ICE to release detainees who are most at risk , like the elderly or those with compromised immune systems .
ICE officials have said they are constantly monitoring detainees and staying in close touch with medical experts on the potential spread of the disease in detention facilities .
`` The individual was sent out for medical evaluation at Hackensack-Meridian Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday and declared presumptive positive by their rapid response test later that evening , '' the Bergen County Sheriff 's Office said in a statement .
`` The test will be sent to the Center for Disease Control for confirmation . ''
The jail has been placed under a `` lockdown protocol , '' which includes limitations on the movements of detainees at the facility , including county inmates .
ICE has come under fire in recent months for issues related to medical care provided within its detention centers .
In December , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it had opened an investigation into the medical care of detainees in the wake of a BuzzFeed News story that revealed a series of allegations of substandard care from a whistleblower .
BuzzFeed News first reported the memo and documented its reports of detainees being given incorrect medication and suffering from delays in treatment of withdrawal symptoms .
In March , BuzzFeed News reported on a 2019 DHS memo outlining issues with a detention center in New Mexico .
The internal email detailed how immigrants were exposed to poor sanitation and quarantine practices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mumps .
Investigators also said they saw immigrants housed in an area that was not “ appropriately cleaned and sanitized , ” potentially contributing to the spread of infectious diseases .
Immigrants in custody have reportedly been finding out about the coronavirus pandemic through news reports and family members , according to Keren Zwick , litigation director for the National Immigrant Justice Center .
The group ’ s clients have reported a lack of easy access to soap , hand sanitizer , and cleaning supplies .
Other ICE detainees have described seeing people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On March 6 , the Bronx Defenders , a public defender nonprofit , sent a letter to the Bergen County Jail pushing for more information on how clients with underlying medical issues would be treated and calling for the release of ICE detainees from the facility .
The group represents more than two dozen ICE detainees currently at the facility .
`` It is inexcusable that ICE has taken no measures to release people from local jails within the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States , ” said Sophia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bronx Defenders .
“ Elected officials from New York ’ s city , state and federal government have unequivocally called for ICE to take steps , including release , to mitigate against this crisis on their hands but the agency has been unmoved .
ICE needs to immediately release people from its facilities in the tri-state area . ''
There are more than 37,000 ICE detainees in private and local jails across the US .
The agency relies on a variety of methods to provide medical care .
In some facilities , ICE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the agency has a few employees assist private or public contractors .
In many facilities , a contractor provides care .
“ Learning of the pandemic through the television and correspondence with family and friends on the outside , but without reliable information or training on precautionary measures from staff , leaves our clients in detention with more questions than answers as to how to protect themselves and others , ” Zwick wrote in a statement describing the reports from detainees .
“ One of the men detained at the Jerome Combs who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explained that ‘ everyone is anxious ’ because they have been watching the news and seeing recommendations that people not cluster in groups of 10 or more people , which is impossible at that facility because it houses 48 people per block.
” On Monday , an ICE official told BuzzFeed News that a guard at the Montgomery Processing Center in Conroe , Texas — which houses ICE detainees — had tested positive for the coronavirus .
The facility is run by Geo Group , a private prison company .
`` On March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing center in Harris County , Texas , that an employee at the Montgomery Processing Center has tested positive for COVID-19 ( Coronavirus ) , '' a GEO Group spokesperson said in a statement .
`` This employee has been self-quarantining at home since March 18th and has shown signs of improved health .
Three additional employees have been advised to self-quarantine at home .
Additionally , one detainee has been isolated from the general population in the medical area at the facility . ''
Family members of ICE detainees have grown worried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the virus within jails , including at the Montgomery Processing Center .
“ I ’ m scared to get a phone call saying about my dad , ” said Maria Vazquez , a 31-year-old US citizen whose 58-year-old father has been in custody at the Texas detention center for several weeks .
“ I know he has health issues .
The virus could hurt him .
He is more vulnerable.
” Her father , Roman Vazquez , was recently taken to the hospital from the facility and diagnosed with pneumonia , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pulmonary issues , has reported to his daughters that he is short of breath and being kept isolated in the detention center ’ s medical unit .
“ I am scared , ” Maria said .
Her children , she added , have asked in recent days when their grandfather was coming home .
“ They miss him.
” Roman Vazquez is a green card holder who had been detained by DHS officials after arriving from a trip abroad , according to his attorney , Armand Jawanmardi .
ICE officials have cited a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revoke his permanent residency , detain him for the time being , and deport him from the country , he said .
“ He is very sick , ” Jawanmardi said .

An immigrant being held at a facility in New Jersey has become the first Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainee to test positive for the coronavirus in the US, an agency official confirmed.
The 31-year-old Mexican detainee has been held at the Bergen County Jail, where last week local officials reported that a correctional officer at the facility had also tested positive. ICE officials told congressional staffers that the detainee had been quarantined and that intakes at the facility were suspended.
Immigrant advocates, medical experts, and former senior Department of Homeland Security officials have called for ICE to release detainees who are most at risk, like the elderly or those with compromised immune systems. ICE officials have said they are constantly monitoring detainees and staying in close touch with medical experts on the potential spread of the disease in detention facilities.
"The individual was sent out for medical evaluation at Hackensack-Meridian Health University Medical Center after displaying symptoms on Monday and declared presumptive positive by their rapid response test later that evening," the Bergen County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. "The test will be sent to the Center for Disease Control for confirmation."
The jail has been placed under a "lockdown protocol," which includes limitations on the movements of detainees at the facility, including county inmates.
ICE has come under fire in recent months for issues related to medical care provided within its detention centers. In December, the House Oversight and Reform Committee announced it had opened an investigation into the medical care of detainees in the wake of a BuzzFeed News story that revealed a series of allegations of substandard care from a whistleblower. BuzzFeed News first reported the memo and documented its reports of detainees being given incorrect medication and suffering from delays in treatment of withdrawal symptoms.
In March, BuzzFeed News reported on a 2019 DHS memo outlining issues with a detention center in New Mexico. The internal email detailed how immigrants were exposed to poor sanitation and quarantine practices during an outbreak of chicken pox and mumps. Investigators also said they saw immigrants housed in an area that was not “appropriately cleaned and sanitized,” potentially contributing to the spread of infectious diseases.
Immigrants in custody have reportedly been finding out about the coronavirus pandemic through news reports and family members, according to Keren Zwick, litigation director for the National Immigrant Justice Center. The group’s clients have reported a lack of easy access to soap, hand sanitizer, and cleaning supplies. Other ICE detainees have described seeing people sick with flulike symptoms enter the facilities.
On March 6, the Bronx Defenders, a public defender nonprofit, sent a letter to the Bergen County Jail pushing for more information on how clients with underlying medical issues would be treated and calling for the release of ICE detainees from the facility. The group represents more than two dozen ICE detainees currently at the facility.
"It is inexcusable that ICE has taken no measures to release people from local jails within the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States,” said Sophia Gurulé, immigration policy counsel at the Bronx Defenders. “Elected officials from New York’s city, state and federal government have unequivocally called for ICE to take steps, including release, to mitigate against this crisis on their hands but the agency has been unmoved. ICE needs to immediately release people from its facilities in the tri-state area."
There are more than 37,000 ICE detainees in private and local jails across the US. The agency relies on a variety of methods to provide medical care. In some facilities, ICE provides it directly; in others, the agency has a few employees assist private or public contractors. In many facilities, a contractor provides care.
“Learning of the pandemic through the television and correspondence with family and friends on the outside, but without reliable information or training on precautionary measures from staff, leaves our clients in detention with more questions than answers as to how to protect themselves and others,” Zwick wrote in a statement describing the reports from detainees. “One of the men detained at the Jerome Combs who learned of the virus through the news explained that ‘everyone is anxious’ because they have been watching the news and seeing recommendations that people not cluster in groups of 10 or more people, which is impossible at that facility because it houses 48 people per block.”
On Monday, an ICE official told BuzzFeed News that a guard at the Montgomery Processing Center in Conroe, Texas — which houses ICE detainees — had tested positive for the coronavirus. The facility is run by Geo Group, a private prison company.
"On March 23rd, we received notification from a testing center in Harris County, Texas, that an employee at the Montgomery Processing Center has tested positive for COVID-19 (Coronavirus)," a GEO Group spokesperson said in a statement. "This employee has been self-quarantining at home since March 18th and has shown signs of improved health. Three additional employees have been advised to self-quarantine at home. Additionally, one detainee has been isolated from the general population in the medical area at the facility."
Family members of ICE detainees have grown worried in recent days about the potential spread of the virus within jails, including at the Montgomery Processing Center.
“I’m scared to get a phone call saying about my dad,” said Maria Vazquez, a 31-year-old US citizen whose 58-year-old father has been in custody at the Texas detention center for several weeks. “I know he has health issues. The virus could hurt him. He is more vulnerable.”
Her father, Roman Vazquez, was recently taken to the hospital from the facility and diagnosed with pneumonia, she said. Vazquez, who has underlying pulmonary issues, has reported to his daughters that he is short of breath and being kept isolated in the detention center’s medical unit.
“I am scared,” Maria said. Her children, she added, have asked in recent days when their grandfather was coming home. “They miss him.”
Roman Vazquez is a green card holder who had been detained by DHS officials after arriving from a trip abroad, according to his attorney, Armand Jawanmardi. ICE officials have cited a years-old assault conviction as a basis to revoke his permanent residency, detain him for the time being, and deport him from the country, he said.
“He is very sick,” Jawanmardi said.


buzzfeednews--2020-03-24--Greta Thunberg Said She Likely Had The Coronavirus And Urged Young People To Stay Home

`` Our actions can be the difference between life and death for many others . ''
The journalists at BuzzFeed News are proud to bring you trustworthy and relevant reporting about the coronavirus .
To help keep this news free , become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Outbreak Today .
Greta Thunberg , the 17-year-old Swedish climate activist , urged young people to stay home after announcing she likely had the coronavirus disease COVID-19 .
In an Instagram post Tuesday , Thunberg said she had recovered after isolating herself for the last two weeks .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she felt some symptoms of COVID-19 , including fatigue , shivers , a sore throat , and a cough , and that her father , who traveled with her from Brussels , experienced more intense symptoms with a fever .
Thunberg said she could not get tested for COVID-19 in Sweden as she was not in need of emergency medical treatment .
`` I have therefore not been tested for COVID-19 , but it ’ s extremely likely that I ’ ve had it , given the combined symptoms and circumstances , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ young people to stay home even if they only had very mild symptoms , or none at all , as they could unwittingly spreading the disease to those more at risk of developing serious complications .
`` THIS IS THE BOTTOM LINE : I almost didn ’ t feel ill , '' Thunberg said .
`` My last cold was much worse than this ! ''
Thunberg added that she would n't have suspected anything had her father not experienced the similar symptoms .
`` And this is what makes it so much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Many ( especially young people ) might not notice any symptoms at all , or very mild symptoms .
Then they don ’ t know they have the virus and can pass it on to people in risk groups .
We who don ’ t belong to a risk group have an enormous responsibility , our actions can be the difference between life and death for many others . ''
She urged people to `` flatten the curve '' and follow the advice of medical experts and local authorities .
The activist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials who have said young people could not only get seriously ill or die from the virus , but endanger the lives of more vulnerable populations .
`` I have a message for young people : You are not invincible .
This virus could put you in hospital for weeks or even kill you , '' the head of the World Health Organization , Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus , said recently .
`` Even if you do n't get sick , the choices you make about where you go could be the difference between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' In the US , nearly 40 % of those sick enough to be hospitalized from the virus were between the ages of 20 to 54 , according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
Thunberg has previously called on her followers to engage in digital climate strikes in order to curb the spread of the coronavirus .
`` We can ’ t solve a crisis without treating it as a crisis and we must unite behind experts and science , '' Thunberg said in a tweet .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by this virus but it ’ s essential that we act in solidarity with the most vulnerable and that we act in the best interest of our common society . ''

Greta Thunberg, the 17-year-old Swedish climate activist, urged young people to stay home after announcing she likely had the coronavirus disease COVID-19.
In an Instagram post Tuesday, Thunberg said she had recovered after isolating herself for the last two weeks. She said that around 10 days ago, she felt some symptoms of COVID-19, including fatigue, shivers, a sore throat, and a cough, and that her father, who traveled with her from Brussels, experienced more intense symptoms with a fever.
Thunberg said she could not get tested for COVID-19 in Sweden as she was not in need of emergency medical treatment.
"I have therefore not been tested for COVID-19, but it’s extremely likely that I’ve had it, given the combined symptoms and circumstances," Thunberg said.
The teen then urged young people to stay home even if they only had very mild symptoms, or none at all, as they could unwittingly spreading the disease to those more at risk of developing serious complications.
"THIS IS THE BOTTOM LINE: I almost didn’t feel ill," Thunberg said. "My last cold was much worse than this!"


buzzfeednews--2020-03-24--The Coronavirus Is Hitting US Prisons, And Advocates Fear Sick Inmates Will Be Afraid To Get Treatme

The Coronavirus Is Hitting US Prisons, And Advocates Fear Sick Inmates Will Be Afraid To Get Treatment

The journalists at BuzzFeed News are proud to bring you trustworthy and relevant reporting about the coronavirus .
To help keep this news free , become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Outbreak Today .
Advocates say prisons and county jails are `` powder kegs '' waiting to blow in the coronavirus pandemic .
As confirmed cases of COVID-19 , the disease caused by the novel coronavirus , rise among inmates , they worry others who get infected wo n't come forward until it 's too late .
As of Monday , at least four people incarcerated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 — including Harvey Weinstein .
Meanwhile , several dozen cases have been confirmed among inmates and staff at New York City 's jails , particularly Rikers Island .
Inmates are restricted to small cells in sometimes crowded conditions and with limited cleaning supplies ; former prisoners and advocates told BuzzFeed News the conditions are ripe for a widespread outbreak , and they worry the limited health care resources available to inmates will quickly be overwhelmed .
`` If you think a cruise ship is bad , think of a prison , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and policy at the Justice Collaborative , told BuzzFeed News .
`` They 're sitting ducks . ''
Those inmates who do become infected , advocates added , might not inform health care staff they 're feeling sick out of fear that the treatment is worse than the disease .
Quarantine may involve time in the same solitary cells used to punish inmates .
Any reluctance to come forward about symptoms could give the virus a running start to spread well before it is detected .
`` Quarantine is punitive , '' Adnan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Store Justice and a former inmate at San Quentin State Prison in California , told BuzzFeed News .
`` For [ inmates ] it 's known that , if you do n't just have the flu , sniffles , or something like that , there 's fear of going to solitary confinement . ''
Khan went through the experience himself in 2015 , he said , when he spent three days experiencing hot and cold flashes in his cell , shivering and unable to keep any food down .
He quickly decided not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knew he 'd be removed and placed in the same cells that were used as solitary confinement for inmates who violated rules or got into fights .
He had spent 30 days in solitary himself over a fight in the prison and , like other inmates , was intent on avoiding going back if he could help it .
In solitary , he said , there were limited resources ; no personal items were allowed , and there was no access to phones or other inmates who could get the word to family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So all I did was drink water from my sink , '' he said .
`` A lot of people do that . ''
Michelle Lind , whose 73-year-old husband is incarcerated at Sullivan Correctional Facility in Fallsburg , New York , for attempted murder , said her husband spent months refusing to tell correctional officers or nurses he was seriously ill until he collapsed during a visit in 2017 .
`` He does n't want to ruffle any feathers ; he does n't want to ask for anything , '' she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , but he 's scared . ''
Her husband , Robert Lind , had to have surgery after doctors found he had been infected with Helicobacter pylori , a bacteria that causes sores and ulcers in the stomach , for about two years .
`` He was telling them his stomach was upset , and they were feeding him Zantac [ for months ] like candy , '' she said .
For her husband , isolation from the general population meant losing privileges , access to the small number of personal belongings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all , the daily phone calls he makes to her .
A few months later , Lind said , her husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer and underwent a month of chemotherapy .
His follow-up appointments to see if that treatment was effective have now been canceled because of concerns over the pandemic .
Because of the cancer diagnosis , she said , she particularly fears for his vulnerable immune system .
His only defense against getting sick , she said , is the bottle of bleach he and other inmates are now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a hot commodity since bleach is normally considered contraband .
`` I ask him , 'Is anyone in there coughing ?
Do you see anyone with signs [ of COVID-19 ] ?
Stay away from them , ' '' she said .
`` But it 's a Petri dish in there . ''

Advocates say prisons and county jails are "powder kegs" waiting to blow in the coronavirus pandemic. As confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, rise among inmates, they worry others who get infected won't come forward until it's too late.
As of Monday, at least four people incarcerated at US prisons have tested positive for COVID-19 — including Harvey Weinstein. Meanwhile, several dozen cases have been confirmed among inmates and staff at New York City's jails, particularly Rikers Island. Inmates are restricted to small cells in sometimes crowded conditions and with limited cleaning supplies; former prisoners and advocates told BuzzFeed News the conditions are ripe for a widespread outbreak, and they worry the limited health care resources available to inmates will quickly be overwhelmed.
"If you think a cruise ship is bad, think of a prison," Kate Chatfield, senior adviser for legislation and policy at the Justice Collaborative, told BuzzFeed News. "They're sitting ducks."
Those inmates who do become infected, advocates added, might not inform health care staff they're feeling sick out of fear that the treatment is worse than the disease. Quarantine may involve time in the same solitary cells used to punish inmates. Any reluctance to come forward about symptoms could give the virus a running start to spread well before it is detected.
"Quarantine is punitive," Adnan Khan, executive director of Re:Store Justice and a former inmate at San Quentin State Prison in California, told BuzzFeed News. "For [inmates] it's known that, if you don't just have the flu, sniffles, or something like that, there's fear of going to solitary confinement."
Khan went through the experience himself in 2015, he said, when he spent three days experiencing hot and cold flashes in his cell, shivering and unable to keep any food down.
He quickly decided not to ask for medical help because he knew he'd be removed and placed in the same cells that were used as solitary confinement for inmates who violated rules or got into fights. He had spent 30 days in solitary himself over a fight in the prison and, like other inmates, was intent on avoiding going back if he could help it.
In solitary, he said, there were limited resources; no personal items were allowed, and there was no access to phones or other inmates who could get the word to family or friends on the outside.
"So all I did was drink water from my sink," he said. "A lot of people do that."
Michelle Lind, whose 73-year-old husband is incarcerated at Sullivan Correctional Facility in Fallsburg, New York, for attempted murder, said her husband spent months refusing to tell correctional officers or nurses he was seriously ill until he collapsed during a visit in 2017.
"He doesn't want to ruffle any feathers; he doesn't want to ask for anything," she said. "He doesn't act like it, but he's scared."
Her husband, Robert Lind, had to have surgery after doctors found he had been infected with Helicobacter pylori, a bacteria that causes sores and ulcers in the stomach, for about two years.
"He was telling them his stomach was upset, and they were feeding him Zantac [for months] like candy," she said.
For her husband, isolation from the general population meant losing privileges, access to the small number of personal belongings he had, and, worst of all, the daily phone calls he makes to her.
A few months later, Lind said, her husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer and underwent a month of chemotherapy. His follow-up appointments to see if that treatment was effective have now been canceled because of concerns over the pandemic. Because of the cancer diagnosis, she said, she particularly fears for his vulnerable immune system.
His only defense against getting sick, she said, is the bottle of bleach he and other inmates are now given daily to disinfect their cells — a hot commodity since bleach is normally considered contraband.
"I ask him, 'Is anyone in there coughing? Do you see anyone with signs [of COVID-19]? Stay away from them,'" she said. "But it's a Petri dish in there."


buzzfeednews--2020-06-04--A Popular QAnon Twitter Account That Claims To Have Explosive DC Dirt Is Really Just A Random Italia

A Popular QAnon Twitter Account That Claims To Have Explosive DC Dirt Is Really Just A Random Italian Guy

Near the end of her May 26 briefing , White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany called on Chanel Rion , the chief White House correspondent for pro-Trump cable outlet One America News Network .
Rion began her question by making the explosive — and false — claim that “ new information ” had revealed that former president Barack Obama had used a foreign intelligence service to surveil two floors of Trump Tower during the 2016 campaign .
“ So to what extent was [ former CIA director ] John Brennan behind that ?
” she asked .
People in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heads , but a hyperactive Twitter user with a photo of one of the astronauts from 2001 : A Space Odyssey as its avatar was elated .
“ Great job !
” tweeted @ GregRubini at Rion , claiming she had “ asked a spicy question from my book.
” It was another coup for the pseudonymous account with more than 120,000 followers .
He has injected himself into major news events , in part by claiming to have sources in the FBI , Trump Tower , and within government and intelligence circles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through the US , @ GregRubini tweeted that antifa is `` controlled by the CIA . ''
New York mayor `` De Blasio is ANTIFA , '' he also wrote , in a post that was retweeted thousands of times .
His viral Twitter threads helped his conspiracy-filled self-published book , The Spy Operations on Trump , climb Amazon bestseller lists after its May 22 release .
He was among the first to tweet the name of the alleged Ukraine whistleblower .
His tweets claiming that Dr. Anthony Fauci , the country ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made ” the novel coronavirus went viral and helped launch that baseless rumor into the mainstream .
And thanks to national reporters like Rion who follow his path of conspiratorial thinking , he even has a line to the White House itself .
But the Rubini account ’ s claims of insider intel and “ high placed ” sources appear to be some of its author 's litany of fabrications — which include his online identity .
The man behind @ GregRubini is Gregorio Palusa , a 61-year-old Italian sound engineer and marketer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
His background includes a pattern of unverified claims about his business relationships and expertise , and a brief spell as a groupie for a Pink Floyd tribute band .
Palusa did not respond to multiple emails and phone calls .
The Rubini account first attracted national attention late last year when it tweeted the name of the alleged whistleblower more than 20 times , according to the Washington Post .
Since then it ’ s become a mainstay of far-right conspiracy thinking .
May 's White House briefing was the second time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claims to prominence .
In mid-March , OAN aired an outlandish report from Rion that suggested a link between the novel coronavirus in Wuhan and a lab in North Carolina .
Rion , who has spread conspiracy theories and false information in the past , credited Rubini for the information , describing him as “ a citizen investigator and monitored source amongst a certain set in the DC intelligence community.
” Rion did not respond to a request for comment .
Rion ’ s story sparked a firestorm of criticism and caused the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , exposing that she had changed her name , made misleading claims about her past , and had little journalism experience .
But her source escaped a similar level of scrutiny .
Until now .
Palusa was born on Jan. 4 , 1959 , in Trieste , a seaport in the northeast of Italy , according to a consulting contract that Palusa signed with an Italian book publisher in 2012 .
Two former business partners said Palusa had spent years in the US and in London , and spoke English very well .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ end of the 1990s and in the first decade of the 2000s , a former business associate who requested anonymity told BuzzFeed News .
His mother still lives in Trieste , but in a phone call told BuzzFeed News he was no longer living with her .
She said she didn ’ t know where her son currently was and wasn ’ t sure whether she could get in touch with him .
Around 2010 , Palusa moved to Tuscany , listing an address in Pienza , a small town near Siena , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to domain registration records .
Several music and film festivals held in the Siena area between 2013 and 2018 included Palusa ’ s name in promotional materials .
An artist from Trieste told BuzzFeed News that he had ended a business partnership relating to several collaborative creative and design projects with Palusa more than a decade ago .
The artist said he had not been in contact with Palusa for at least 10 years .
“ He started to have delusions of greatness , claimed to ask millions of dollars from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ companies with which he had had no relationship , ” said the artist , who spoke on condition of anonymity .
He also said Palusa became more difficult to deal with over time , eventually forcing him to hire a lawyer to end their partnership .
“ I never wanted to deal with this person again , '' he said , `` because of his growing megalomania that can seriously endanger those who work honestly.
” These days , Palusa claims to be employed in marketing .
His LinkedIn profile lists him as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ marketing firm Vertygo Team , although on other sites he claimed his title was director of communications .
Palusa has also used “ Greg Rubini ” as an alias in the past , according to a Facebook post in March 2016 from an Italian book publisher that specializes in books about spirituality , ancient astronauts , and religious history .
In the post , the publisher claimed a WordPress blog authored by `` Gregorio Palusa aka Greg Rubini on social media '' had defamed the publisher by pushing false and “ delirious ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of euros from the company , and had wasted a year of its time after pretending to represent a nonexistent marketing company .
Uno Editori CEO Prabhat Eusebio told BuzzFeed News that Palusa , who lived in Tuscany at the time , had contacted his company in 2012 , promising to bring one of its authors to the US .
“ He claimed to have contacts with large American publishers , ” said Eusebio .
“ We realized the fraud after a loss of about 6,000 euros , ” Eusebio alleged .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but it all ended up in a soap bubble.
” The Uno Editori CEO claimed that Palusa became increasingly uncompromising as it seemed more clear he was unlikely to deliver on his promises .
“ After repeated requests to meet , and questions about how things were going in the search for publishers and agents , his position became more and more intransigent — and he blackmailed us when we stopped paying his fee.
” Eusebio said Palusa threatened to not return revised texts , and to sue and go after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paid .
`` He also asked for an exorbitant amount — €137,000 — outside the scope of the contract as compensation for his time , arbitrarily counting hours worked without providing any evidence.
” Eusebio said the company paid some of those fees , but started legal proceedings , after which Palusa created a WordPress blog to attack the company .
The publisher said he had to abandon proceedings because it had become too costly .
Palusa also appears to have worked as an audio engineer .
His Blogger profile includes the claim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Klaus Hiemann , whom the Rubini account has tweeted about .
( Deutsche Grammophon didn ’ t respond to a request for comment . )
Italian organist Marco Lo Muscio said Palusa was a sound engineer on his 2009 album , Dark and Light .
Palusa ’ s YouTube account showcases musical performances that he claims to have filmed and edited , many of which have to do with the rock band Pink Floyd .
At an Italian festival held in Tuscany in 2013 , Palusa presented a multimedia exhibition called Pink Floyd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a performance by tribute band Pink Noise .
Carmelo J. , a member of the band , said they fell out of touch after Palusa began offering the unsolicited feedback about its work .
“ Greg Palusa liked us very much as a band , he followed us for a bit , ” Carmelo J. told BuzzFeed News in a Facebook message .
“ Then he disappeared ( I do n't remember why , probably some small squabble ) and we have no more news of him.
” Asked if he could recall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ J. replied : “ I just remember that at a certain point his stylistic ‘ advice ’ about us became ‘ critical , ’ expressed even in an inelegant way.
” Palusa also said he ’ s worked with several prominent companies , a claim which could not be independently verified .
Many of the companies that Palusa listed on his Blogger profile as having worked with told BuzzFeed News they had never heard of him .
He claims to have worked with London marketing agency AKQA , Angels Costumes , Ferrari , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The managing director of AKQA , who ’ s been there for 13 years , told BuzzFeed News that Palusa ’ s name did not appear in any records and he didn ’ t recognize him .
Angels Costumes of London said the same .
A spokesperson for Apple said the company has never employed Palusa and had no record of working with Vertygo Team .
EMI did not respond to requests for comment .
Ferrari declined to comment , but Palusa ’ s claim that he had worked for the company made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the Ford Motor Company against Ferrari .
In the suit , filed in Michigan , Ford alleged that Ferrari had infringed on Ford ’ s F-150 trademark .
Ford ’ s complaint described Palusa ’ s company , Vertygo Team , as “ Ferrari ’ s outside marketing consultant ” and quoted from an article he published on his website about Ferrari ’ s marketing strategy .
The suit was dismissed less than a month later after the parties came to a settlement .
Palusa claims on his LinkedIn profile that his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was being studied by companies including Nokia , Microsoft , Sony , and Goldman Sachs .
Backlink data from SEMrush showed the vast majority of links to the post came from spammy online coupon sites .
As @ GregRubini , Palusa claims to have sources inside the US government with knowledge of intelligence , judicial , and White House matters .
For example , in May of 2019 , he said his “ well placed source inside the FBI ” had seen indictments for former CIA director John Brennan and former FBI director @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He has also tweeted that people should stop asking him who these supposed insiders are : “ my sources are confidential .
I always honor my commitment to confidentiality , so : do n't even ask who my sources are.
” He threatened to block anyone who asked about his sources .
None of these things happened , of course .
But Palusa kept adding new followers .
On May 22 , he published a book in which he alleges a broad deep state conspiracy against Trump .
In its appendix , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ February of this year his tweets generated 53.8 million views .
His book is filled with references to supposedly high-placed sources , including the false claim that Rion cited in the White House .
In the book , Palusa also offers a document he claims is a memo from the head of the British communications intelligence agency to then–foreign minister Boris Johnson outlining the Trump surveillance operation .
Palusa ’ s attempts to verify the memo and its implications occupy close to half of the book .
He writes that the most likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % authentic.
” In fact , according to responses from the UK government as well as outlets who examined it , it is a sloppy forgery that doesn ’ t hold up to the slightest scrutiny .
Palusa also cites a March 2017 claim from Fox News commentator Andrew Napolitano that the UK spied on the Trump campaign at Obama ’ s request , an allegation that has been widely discredited .
When that surfaced , the usually tight-lipped GCHQ called it “ nonsense ” and “ utterly ridiculous.
” A spokesperson for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claim was `` ridiculous and should have been ignored . ''
The US government agreed to not repeat it .
Even Donald Trump — the person who benefits most if the claim is true — has declined to repeat it .
But none of that is mentioned in the book .
Instead , Palusa writes that three “ high placed confidential sources have confirmed to the author of this book , Greg Rubini , that the GCHQ Top Secret document is authentic.
” ●

“He started to have delusions of greatness, claimed to ask millions of dollars from companies, boasted about having assignments with companies with which he had had no relationship,” said the artist, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
He also said Palusa became more difficult to deal with over time, eventually forcing him to hire a lawyer to end their partnership. “I never wanted to deal with this person again," he said, "because of his growing megalomania that can seriously endanger those who work honestly.”
These days, Palusa claims to be employed in marketing. His LinkedIn profile lists him as the London-based director of international relations of marketing firm Vertygo Team, although on other sites he claimed his title was director of communications.
Palusa has also used “Greg Rubini” as an alias in the past, according to a Facebook post in March 2016 from an Italian book publisher that specializes in books about spirituality, ancient astronauts, and religious history. In the post, the publisher claimed a WordPress blog authored by "Gregorio Palusa aka Greg Rubini on social media" had defamed the publisher by pushing false and “delirious” information, that Palusa had stolen thousands of euros from the company, and had wasted a year of its time after pretending to represent a nonexistent marketing company.
Uno Editori CEO Prabhat Eusebio told BuzzFeed News that Palusa, who lived in Tuscany at the time, had contacted his company in 2012, promising to bring one of its authors to the US. “He claimed to have contacts with large American publishers,” said Eusebio.
“We realized the fraud after a loss of about 6,000 euros,” Eusebio alleged. “He seemed like an expert in publishing, but it all ended up in a soap bubble.”
The Uno Editori CEO claimed that Palusa became increasingly uncompromising as it seemed more clear he was unlikely to deliver on his promises. “After repeated requests to meet, and questions about how things were going in the search for publishers and agents, his position became more and more intransigent — and he blackmailed us when we stopped paying his fee.” Eusebio said Palusa threatened to not return revised texts, and to sue and go after the publisher in public if he wasn't paid. "He also asked for an exorbitant amount — €137,000 — outside the scope of the contract as compensation for his time, arbitrarily counting hours worked without providing any evidence.”
Eusebio said the company paid some of those fees, but started legal proceedings, after which Palusa created a WordPress blog to attack the company. The publisher said he had to abandon proceedings because it had become too costly.
Palusa also appears to have worked as an audio engineer.
His Blogger profile includes the claim that he worked with Deutsche Grammophon engineer Klaus Hiemann, whom the Rubini account has tweeted about. (Deutsche Grammophon didn’t respond to a request for comment.)
Italian organist Marco Lo Muscio said Palusa was a sound engineer on his 2009 album, Dark and Light. Palusa’s YouTube account showcases musical performances that he claims to have filmed and edited, many of which have to do with the rock band Pink Floyd. At an Italian festival held in Tuscany in 2013, Palusa presented a multimedia exhibition called Pink Floyd: Odyssey in Space in conjunction with a performance by tribute band Pink Noise.
Carmelo J., a member of the band, said they fell out of touch after Palusa began offering the unsolicited feedback about its work.
“Greg Palusa liked us very much as a band, he followed us for a bit,” Carmelo J. told BuzzFeed News in a Facebook message. “Then he disappeared (I don't remember why, probably some small squabble) and we have no more news of him.”
Asked if he could recall what the argument was about, Carmelo J. replied: “I just remember that at a certain point his stylistic ‘advice’ about us became ‘critical,’ expressed even in an inelegant way.”
Palusa also said he’s worked with several prominent companies, a claim which could not be independently verified.
Many of the companies that Palusa listed on his Blogger profile as having worked with told BuzzFeed News they had never heard of him. He claims to have worked with London marketing agency AKQA, Angels Costumes, Ferrari, Apple, and music label EMI.
The managing director of AKQA, who’s been there for 13 years, told BuzzFeed News that Palusa’s name did not appear in any records and he didn’t recognize him. Angels Costumes of London said the same. A spokesperson for Apple said the company has never employed Palusa and had no record of working with Vertygo Team. EMI did not respond to requests for comment.
Ferrari declined to comment, but Palusa’s claim that he had worked for the company made its way into a 2011 lawsuit filed by the Ford Motor Company against Ferrari. In the suit, filed in Michigan, Ford alleged that Ferrari had infringed on Ford’s F-150 trademark. Ford’s complaint described Palusa’s company, Vertygo Team, as “Ferrari’s outside marketing consultant” and quoted from an article he published on his website about Ferrari’s marketing strategy. The suit was dismissed less than a month later after the parties came to a settlement.
Palusa claims on his LinkedIn profile that his article about Apple’s marketing strategy was being studied by companies including Nokia, Microsoft, Sony, and Goldman Sachs. Backlink data from SEMrush showed the vast majority of links to the post came from spammy online coupon sites.


buzzfeednews--2020-05-26--Joe Biden Has Struggled With Young People. He Has A New Plan To Win Them.

Joe Biden ’ s presidential campaign is organizing a new effort around young voters — a sign Biden will more aggressively target a group that could be vital in the general election and that resisted him for much of the Democratic primaries .
League 46 will be “ the coalition of young people that will make Joe Biden the 46th president , ” says the narrator of an introductory video shared first with BuzzFeed News .
Symone Sanders , a senior adviser to Biden and one of his most visible spokespeople , will lead the project .
League 46 will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Students for Biden while forging alliances with young professionals and young elected officials .
The organization stems from months of internal discussion on how to best reach young voters .
Millennial and Generation Z voters in the primaries went big for Bernie Sanders ( no relation to Symone , though she worked on his 2016 campaign ) .
There have been questions about whether enough of those voters , drawn to Sanders ’ comparatively more liberal politics , would turn out for Biden — a 77-year-old moderate who ’ s at his most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ 80s , and ‘ 90s — this fall .
“ Everyone keeps asking , How do we plan to engage young people in this election ?
It ’ s really about meeting people where they are , ” Symone Sanders , 30 , said Monday in a telephone interview .
The plan for League 46 is that young professionals and officeholders working with the campaign will help make inroads with other young voters in their communities .
These “ local validators , ” as Sanders described them , will help the campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s by discussing the challenges of finding work during a pandemic or brainstorming new ideas for engagement .
“ This is a way to take our message directly to voters , ” Sanders said .
“ They ’ re probably not getting on our website or watching CNN.
” The campaign already had been experimenting with formats that could work at a time when traditional on-the-ground campaigning has been suspended because of the coronavirus quarantines .
There have been virtual brunches and happy hours , hosted by some of the campaign ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week , for example , Michigan Lt. Gov .
Garlin Gilchrist , 37 , led an event with former presidential candidate Andrew Yang , a 45-year-old entrepreneur whose millennial appeal came through during the primaries .
Among the events planned for this week is the kickoff of a young professionals finance council , featuring an online conversation Sanders will moderate with Pete Buttigieg , the 38-year-old former mayor of South Bend , Indiana , who was a top contender for this year ’ s Democratic nomination .
Others expected to be involved in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 38-year-old mayor of Birmingham , Alabama , and Svante Myrick , the 33-year-old mayor of Ithaca , New York .
“ Obviously we would love to be able to do in-person engagement , ” Sanders said .
“ But I do think in the absence of in-person engagement we 've seen a number of people step up virtually .
Just because we are connecting virtually does not mean we aren ’ t connecting with real people.
” A polling analysis last month by CNN ’ s Harry Enten found that Biden ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 34-year-olds was narrower than Hillary Clinton ’ s in the final weeks of the 2016 campaign .
Biden has made overtures to these voters in recent months as he became his party ’ s presumptive nominee , and has described himself as a “ bridge ” to the next generations of Democratic leaders .
He has empathized with college students and graduates — and their slightly older peers who were just starting out in the job market during the 2008 financial meltdown — who have seen opportunities disappear because of the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the financial future of millennials , and the pandemic has created even more economic hardship for millennials and now Generation Z facing unemployment , furloughs , and pay cuts , ” reads a Biden campaign statement announcing the new project .
“ League 46 will be focused on bringing together young leaders that will help Joe Biden win and enact a bold , progressive agenda in 2021 that addresses critical issues young Americans are passionate about and ensure they are a key priority during the recovery.
” Campaign officials saw potential in expanding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ primary , Students for Biden , especially after Biden ’ s success in Michigan .
Bernie Sanders won the contest there against Clinton in 2016 , fueled in part by a double-digit margin in Washtenaw County , home to the University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University .
Sanders won those college towns again in March , but Biden won the county .
Students for Biden , which includes groups aimed at high school students and historically black colleges and universities , has more than 275 chapters , according to the campaign .

Joe Biden’s presidential campaign is organizing a new effort around young voters — a sign Biden will more aggressively target a group that could be vital in the general election and that resisted him for much of the Democratic primaries.
League 46 will be “the coalition of young people that will make Joe Biden the 46th president,” says the narrator of an introductory video shared first with BuzzFeed News.
Symone Sanders, a senior adviser to Biden and one of his most visible spokespeople, will lead the project. League 46 will build on work by the previously launched Students for Biden while forging alliances with young professionals and young elected officials.
The organization stems from months of internal discussion on how to best reach young voters. Millennial and Generation Z voters in the primaries went big for Bernie Sanders (no relation to Symone, though she worked on his 2016 campaign). There have been questions about whether enough of those voters, drawn to Sanders’ comparatively more liberal politics, would turn out for Biden — a 77-year-old moderate who’s at his most comfortable telling stories from the 1970s, ‘80s, and ‘90s — this fall.
“Everyone keeps asking, How do we plan to engage young people in this election? It’s really about meeting people where they are,” Symone Sanders, 30, said Monday in a telephone interview.
The plan for League 46 is that young professionals and officeholders working with the campaign will help make inroads with other young voters in their communities. These “local validators,” as Sanders described them, will help the campaign connect with new people, whether it’s by discussing the challenges of finding work during a pandemic or brainstorming new ideas for engagement.
“This is a way to take our message directly to voters,” Sanders said. “They’re probably not getting on our website or watching CNN.”
The campaign already had been experimenting with formats that could work at a time when traditional on-the-ground campaigning has been suspended because of the coronavirus quarantines. There have been virtual brunches and happy hours, hosted by some of the campaign’s most prominent young supporters. Last week, for example, Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist, 37, led an event with former presidential candidate Andrew Yang, a 45-year-old entrepreneur whose millennial appeal came through during the primaries.
Among the events planned for this week is the kickoff of a young professionals finance council, featuring an online conversation Sanders will moderate with Pete Buttigieg, the 38-year-old former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, who was a top contender for this year’s Democratic nomination. Others expected to be involved in League 46 include Randall Woodfin, the 38-year-old mayor of Birmingham, Alabama, and Svante Myrick, the 33-year-old mayor of Ithaca, New York.
“Obviously we would love to be able to do in-person engagement,” Sanders said. “But I do think in the absence of in-person engagement we've seen a number of people step up virtually. Just because we are connecting virtually does not mean we aren’t connecting with real people.”
A polling analysis last month by CNN’s Harry Enten found that Biden’s lead over President Donald Trump among 18- to 34-year-olds was narrower than Hillary Clinton’s in the final weeks of the 2016 campaign. Biden has made overtures to these voters in recent months as he became his party’s presumptive nominee, and has described himself as a “bridge” to the next generations of Democratic leaders. He has empathized with college students and graduates — and their slightly older peers who were just starting out in the job market during the 2008 financial meltdown — who have seen opportunities disappear because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“The Great Recession stunted the financial future of millennials, and the pandemic has created even more economic hardship for millennials and now Generation Z facing unemployment, furloughs, and pay cuts,” reads a Biden campaign statement announcing the new project. “League 46 will be focused on bringing together young leaders that will help Joe Biden win and enact a bold, progressive agenda in 2021 that addresses critical issues young Americans are passionate about and ensure they are a key priority during the recovery.”
Campaign officials saw potential in expanding their initiative targeting young voters during the primary, Students for Biden, especially after Biden’s success in Michigan. Bernie Sanders won the contest there against Clinton in 2016, fueled in part by a double-digit margin in Washtenaw County, home to the University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University. Sanders won those college towns again in March, but Biden won the county.
Students for Biden, which includes groups aimed at high school students and historically black colleges and universities, has more than 275 chapters, according to the campaign.


buzzfeednews--2020-05-26--These Charts And Maps Show Where The Coronavirus Is Surging Across The US — And Where It Is In Decli

These Charts And Maps Show Where The Coronavirus Is Surging Across The US — And Where It Is In Decline

The journalists at BuzzFeed News are proud to bring you trustworthy and relevant reporting about the coronavirus .
To help keep this news free , become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Outbreak Today .
New coronavirus infections are on the rise in parts of the country , while falling in former hot spots like New York .
As the weeks and months drag on , experts expect to see a patchwork of surging and subsiding local epidemics — particularly if the virus starts to spread rapidly in places that are relaxing lockdowns that have brought the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and maps below will help you track this shifting landscape and will be updated regularly .
The colors indicate whether the number of new cases has risen or fallen in the last two weeks .
In locations highlighted in pink , new cases have surged , while green shows where the number has declined .
The darker the shade of pink or green , the larger the relative rise or fall .
Because the number of confirmed new cases on any day can fluctuate widely , we have used the daily average of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to provide a more stable measure on any given day .
Locations shown in light gray have either had very few cases in the past two weeks , or the number has changed by less than 5 % .

New coronavirus infections are on the rise in parts of the country, while falling in some former hot spots.
As the weeks and months drag on, experts expect to see a patchwork of surging and subsiding local epidemics — particularly if the virus starts to spread rapidly in places that are relaxing lockdowns that have brought the economy to its knees.
The charts and maps below will help you track this shifting landscape and will be updated regularly. The colors indicate whether the number of new cases has risen or fallen in the last two weeks. In locations highlighted in pink, new cases have surged, while green shows where the number has declined. The darker the shade of pink or green, the larger the relative rise or fall.
Because the number of confirmed new cases on any day can fluctuate widely, we have used the daily average of new cases over the last seven days to provide a more stable measure on any given day. Locations shown in light gray have either had very few cases in the past two weeks, or the number has changed by less than 5%.
States


buzzfeednews--2020-02-13--Coronavirus Case Numbers Jumped Overnight. It’s Because We Changed How We Count Them.

Some 15,000 coronavirus case numbers were added on Wednesday night , the biggest jump seen so far in the outbreak , driven by doctors in the hardest-hit Chinese province changing how they diagnose cases .
A cruise ship filled with ever more sick passengers .
A second death outside China .
An overnight jump of over 15,000 additional people diagnosed with a new , dangerous , coronavirus .
It ’ s all bad news , and a tragedy for the 1,370 people who have died in the outbreak , still just over a month old .
But the skyrocketing case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s jump , doesn ’ t point to a worldwide explosion of the disease now called COVID-19 , public health experts say .
Instead , it 's due to a change in how the case numbers are being counted .
“ We ’ re not dealing with a spike of 14,000 cases in one day , ” said the World Health Organization ’ s Mike Ryan , executive director of the Health Emergencies Programme , speaking at a Thursday news conference .
WHO officials had warned the jump was coming for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in diagnosis criteria .
Until now , cases had only been confirmed by lab tests finding the virus in swab samples from patients .
But in Hubei province , patients with lung scans showing the signature pneumonia seen in COVID-19 cases over the last several weeks were just added to the case totals , causing the overnight jump .
( Everywhere else in the world , confirmation still requires a lab test result . )
That caused a 34 % overnight jump in the most recent case counts .
A total of 60,360 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday , with 99 % of them clustered in China ’ s central Hubei province , the origin of the outbreak .
The illness is marked by fever , coughing , and pneumonia , and on Tuesday , WHO finally gave it an official name : COVID-19 .
The same day , the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses suggested the coronavirus that causes it , which until now has only been identified by its family name , be officially referred to as “ severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 ( SARS-CoV-2 ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ using this name for the virus however , according to Science .
The increase in cases , Ryan said , “ does not appear to be a sign of a change in the trajectory of the disease.
” He cited the continued slow growth in cases seen outside Hubei province , with only 8 of some 537 cases outside mainland China not tied to travel to Wuhan or a traveler from there , possible evidence against a pandemic spread of COVID-19 .
The biggest cluster of outside cases so far has been among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ship anchored off Japan , with 218 cases on the ship as of Wednesday .
Passengers without symptoms would be allowed to disembark the ship , the cruise line announced Wednesday .
So far , two deaths from the disease have been reported outside China , with the latest reported last night in Japan , of a woman in her eighties .
COVID-19 seems most dangerous to people over 50 with underlying illnesses like lung disease or diabetes .
The US reported its 15th case on Thursday , in a traveler from Wuhan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
More than 600 such travellers remain under quarantine in the US , and the CDC has predicted that more cases will turn up among them .
In the last week , experts such as NIAID ’ s Anthony Fauci have suggested this month will tell us whether COVID-19 remains largely bottled up in China , or whether it turns into a global pandemic .
The hope is that warmer months , which typically drive down infections with other more common types of coronavirus ( responsible for 10 % to 30 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ subsidence of cases in the Northern Hemisphere , Fauci told BuzzFeed News .
This would also give hospitals and public health systems more time to prepare if there is a resurgence of the outbreak .
In a press conference on Wednesday before the jump in cases announced by China , WHO noted a downturn in the numbers of newly reported cases , from 3,700 new cases on Feb. 5 to 2,000 new cases on Feb. 12 , but had cautioned against seeing that as a turning point in the outbreak .
“ In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is doubtful health authorities can find all cases and contacts , ” Georgetown University ’ s Lawrence Gostin told BuzzFeed News .
Ebola cases in a still ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo , for example , have plateaued several times only to rise again , he noted .
“ So we need to be exceedingly cautious interpreting these numbers.
” The biggest need in the outbreak right now is for the development of a blood test for antibodies to the disease , which can give a true picture of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Currently , case reports based on the most severe cases are suggesting a 2 % mortality rate , while Chinese provinces away from Hubei say it is much lower , around 0.16 % .
In the long term , many public health experts see COVID-19 spreading worldwide either this year or next year , given its apparent infectiousness and the thousands of cases already confirmed .
“ Even with a high success rate in stopping these local chains of transmission outside China , it is nearly inevitable that multiple novel corona-virus transmission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ containment efforts , ” Eyal Leshem of Israel 's Sheba Medical Center told BuzzFeed News by email .
“ My interpretation is that the likelihood of sustained transmission outside China is becoming high .
”

A cruise ship filled with ever more sick passengers. A second death outside China. An overnight jump of over 15,000 additional people diagnosed with a new, dangerous, coronavirus.
It’s all bad news, and a tragedy for the 1,370 people who have died in the outbreak, still just over a month old. But the skyrocketing case count, driven primarily by last night’s jump, doesn’t point to a worldwide explosion of the disease now called COVID-19, public health experts say. Instead, it's due to a change in how the case numbers are being counted.
“We’re not dealing with a spike of 14,000 cases in one day,” said the World Health Organization’s Mike Ryan, executive director of the Health Emergencies Programme, speaking at a Thursday news conference. WHO officials had warned the jump was coming for the last few days, anticipating a change in diagnosis criteria.
Until now, cases had only been confirmed by lab tests finding the virus in swab samples from patients. But in Hubei province, patients with lung scans showing the signature pneumonia seen in COVID-19 cases over the last several weeks were just added to the case totals, causing the overnight jump. (Everywhere else in the world, confirmation still requires a lab test result.)


buzzfeednews--2020-05-30--Someone Who Attended That Crowded Lake Of The Ozarks Pool Party Has The Coronavirus

BuzzFeed News has reporters bringing you trustworthy stories about the impact of the coronavirus .
To help keep this news free , become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Outbreak Today .
Images of a pool party in Missouri 's Lake of the Ozarks over Memorial Day weekend had people around the world concerned about a possible coronavirus outbreak due to the wildly apparent lack of social distancing among revelers .
Local officials confirmed Friday that those fears were warranted .
One of those who attended the packed festivities at Backwater Jacks Bar and Grill has tested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health Department said Friday in a press release .
The person from Boone County arrived at the Lake of the Ozarks on Saturday , May 23 , of the holiday weekend and attended the pool party that evening and again on Sunday , May 24 .
They also dined at a Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant that day .
The health department said the individual began showing symptoms of the coronavirus later that Sunday .
Because of this , they warned the person `` was likely incubating illness and possibly infectious at the time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attended the party or any of the other venues were warned to monitor themselves for symptoms of COVID-19 : fever , cough , shortness of breath , body aches , headache , nausea , vomiting , diarrhea , or a loss of taste or smell .
Missouri health officials said Saturday that there have been 12,962 cases of COVID-19 in the state and 771 deaths .
Organizers for the party , called `` Zero Ducks Given , '' had said there would be extra precautions put in place , including reduced capacity , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But social media pictures made clear that there were too many partygoers present to maintain a distance of 6 feet .

Images of a pool party in Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks over Memorial Day weekend had people around the world concerned about a possible coronavirus outbreak due to the wildly apparent lack of social distancing among revelers.
Local officials confirmed Friday that those fears were warranted.
One of those who attended the packed festivities at Backwater Jacks Bar and Grill has tested positive for COVID-19, the Camden County Health Department said Friday in a press release.
The person from Boone County arrived at the Lake of the Ozarks on Saturday, May 23, of the holiday weekend and attended the pool party that evening and again on Sunday, May 24. They also dined at a Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant that day.
The health department said the individual began showing symptoms of the coronavirus later that Sunday.
Because of this, they warned the person "was likely incubating illness and possibly infectious at the time of the visit."
People who attended the party or any of the other venues were warned to monitor themselves for symptoms of COVID-19: fever, cough, shortness of breath, body aches, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or a loss of taste or smell.
Missouri health officials said Saturday that there have been 12,962 cases of COVID-19 in the state and 771 deaths.
Organizers for the party, called "Zero Ducks Given," had said there would be extra precautions put in place, including reduced capacity, temperature screening, and extra sanitizing.
But social media pictures made clear that there were too many partygoers present to maintain a distance of 6 feet.