buzzfeed--2020-12-07--The Trump Administration Is Trying To Force BuzzFeed News To Divulge Its Sources With A Subpoena

Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigators issued a subpoena this week demanding BuzzFeed News identify its sources — an extraordinary attempt by the government to interfere with a news outlet acting under the protections of the First Amendment, and a move that the agency’s former chief lambasted as “embarrassing.”
The effort to pressure BuzzFeed News into revealing sources comes after relentless efforts by President Donald Trump’s administration to undermine the free press. The outgoing president has for years lied about news outlets that publish true but critical stories about him and his administration, calling them “fake news,” which has opened reporters up to threats and violence.
BuzzFeed News is proud to bring you trustworthy reporting about ICE, DHS, and other government agencies. If you have information, reach out to reporter Hamed Aleaziz at hamed.aleaziz@buzzfeed.com or via one of our secure tip line channels.
The administration has also targeted journalist sources. Specifically in the Department of Homeland Security, officials have warned employees not to discuss internal policies or documents with the media. They have also told employees to report colleagues they suspected of sharing sensitive internal information, along with those who requested information that fell out of their day-to-day duties.
The subpoena appears to be an escalation of the Trump administration’s efforts to track down the identities of people who provide information to news outlets. It comes just months after the Washington Post reported that DHS investigators had created “intelligence reports” about media members who had reported on leaked documents.
ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
"BuzzFeed News emphatically rejects any requests for information about possible sources and methods of our reporting,” said BuzzFeed News Editor-in-Chief Mark Schoofs. “We do not confirm or discuss confidential sources, and this subpoena is an outrageous overreach by the federal government. It's fundamentally at odds with the US Constitution and will not have any impact on our journalism."
A former ICE leader castigated the subpoena to BuzzFeed News.
“This is embarrassing for ICE. I think it is a weak effort to intimidate the press,” said John Sandweg, former acting director of the agency. “When you’re trying to intimidate the press, you cross a line. It is something that the agency should never do.”
Legal experts also raised alarm that the subpoena was an effort to undermine democracy.
“If journalists had to divulge sources or information they obtained in the course of reporting, they’d be no better than the investigative arm of the state,” said David Snyder, a lawyer and executive director of the nonprofit First Amendment Coalition. “The power of journalism to advance the cause of our democracy would be severely diminished.”
The subpoena, issued on Dec. 1 by an agent with the ICE Office of Professional Responsibility, concerns emails sent to ICE attorneys on a fast-track deportation program and plans to fine certain undocumented immigrants. It demands that BuzzFeed News “provide all documentation including, but not limited to: (1) date of receipt, (2) method of receipt, (3) source of document, and (4) contact information for the source of the document.”
The subpoena states that BuzzFeed News should produce the records to an ICE agent in Virginia by Dec. 22.
“Failure to comply with this summons will render you liable to proceedings in a U.S. District Court to enforce compliance with this summons as well as other sanctions,” the document sent to BuzzFeed News reads. “You are requested not to disclose the existence of this summons for an indefinite period of time. Any such disclosure will impede this investigation and thereby interfere with the enforcement of federal law.”
The Trump administration is trying to expand a program of quick deportations for undocumented immigrants who cannot prove they have been in the country continuously for two years before agents pick them up. The effort was blocked by a federal judge soon after the policy was first announced in 2019. But in June, the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia lifted the preliminary injunction, opening the door for ICE officers to arrest and deport undocumented immigrants without a hearing in front of an immigration judge.


buzzfeed--2020-12-08--The Kardashians Will Not Be Having Any More Parties During the Pandemic In 2020

Matriarch Kris Jenner later defended the party against backlash , saying , `` At Kendall 's , everyone got [ @ @ @ @ @ walked in the door .
...
So we are really responsible and we make sure @ @ @ @ @ and our closest friends are tested religiously .
... We do what we can , @ @ @ @ @ follow the rules .
And then if people are , you know , they 're @ @ @ @ @ critical , I ca n't control that . ''

@rodashian I pray not! I think it will have to be way smaller obviously. And I’m totally fine with that! But we’re definitely celebrating Christmas! It will just have to be small and safe. Maybe do rapid testing before 😳 We have to think of what is safest


buzzfeed--2020-12-08--Miley Cyrus Opened Up About Breaking Her Sobriety During The Pandemic

`` I 'm not the best partner ; I 'm not the best daughter ; I 'm not the best @ @ @ @ @ a little unreliable .
So if that 's an alcoholic — if we 're not @ @ @ @ @ we drink but how we perform as a human being — then I would say @ @ @ @ @ me because I 'm not at my best . ''

"I'm not the best partner; I'm not the best daughter; I'm not the best sister. I can be a little unreliable. So if that's an alcoholic — if we're not measuring it by how much we drink but how we perform as a human being — then I would say alcohol is a problem for me because I'm not at my best."


buzzfeed--2020-12-09--Taylor Swift Had A Powerful Message For People Who "Don't Care" About Following COVID Guidelines

`` If they make it out of this , if they see the other side of it , there 's @ @ @ @ @ of trauma that comes with that .
There 's going to be things that they @ @ @ @ @ be able to unsee . ''

"If they make it out of this, if they see the other side of it, there's going to be a lot of trauma that comes with that. There's going to be things that they witnessed that they will never be able to unsee."


buzzfeed--2020-12-08--Bill Nye Went Mega-Viral On TikTok After He Shut Down "Anti-Maskers" For Their Fake Science

And indeed , when Bill dropped three fake `` spit balls '' through a board with a bunch of `` @ @ @ @ @ all three balls were stopped almost immediately : `` So when the droplet gets into @ @ @ @ @ , it gets trapped .
This is not that hard to understand , everybody .
@ @ @ @ @ rules about wearing a mask . ''

And indeed, when Bill dropped three fake "spit balls" through a board with a bunch of "tangles" on it, all three balls were stopped almost immediately: "So when the droplet gets into the fibers of the mask, it gets trapped. This is not that hard to understand, everybody. That's why we have rules about wearing a mask."


buzzfeed--2020-12-09--This Viral Video Of A Girl Explaining Things She Never Realized About Abortion Has Some Truth To It

In 1857 , a doctor named Horatio Storer led the American Medical Association ( AMA ) in a campaign to @ @ @ @ @ Storer did argue in favor of life beginning at fertilization and not quickening ( when @ @ @ @ @ ) , one of his main agendas was to prove that physicians were superior to @ @ @ @ @ were competing for business at the time .
`` The argument that abortion was murder @ @ @ @ @ immoral — was central to Storer 's campaign .
However , the campaign had self-interest @ @ @ @ @ doctors like Storer to claim that they were better informed and had more moral scruples @ @ @ @ @ adding that Storer was Harvard-educated .

In 1857, a doctor named Horatio Storer led the American Medical Association (AMA) in a campaign to criminalize all abortions. While Storer did argue in favor of life beginning at fertilization and not quickening (when fetal movements can be felt), one of his main agendas was to prove that physicians were superior to midwives and other practitioners who were competing for business at the time. "The argument that abortion was murder — and that it was immoral — was central to Storer's campaign. However, the campaign had self-interest. Talking about abortion allowed doctors like Storer to claim that they were better informed and had more moral scruples," she said, adding that Storer was Harvard-educated.


buzzfeed--2020-12-08--This Woman Caught Her Boyfriend Jerking Off Even Though She Asked Him Not To Anymore — Is She Being

This Woman Caught Her Boyfriend Jerking Off Even Though She Asked Him Not To Anymore — Is She Being Unfair?

The one exception to all of this , I should mention , is if your partner 's masturbation or porn @ @ @ @ @ point of concern .
Like , if he 's sequestered in his room all day @ @ @ @ @ and it 's negatively impacting your sex life together , that may require an intervention @ @ @ @ @ sound like that 's the case here .
You 've walked in on him jerking @ @ @ @ @ in the course of two years .
That does n't indicate to me that he @ @ @ @ @ that needs to be addressed — although it does indicate that he should get better @ @ @ @

The one exception to all of this, I should mention, is if your partner's masturbation or porn use is excessive to the point of concern. Like, if he's sequestered in his room all day endlessly scrolling through PornHub, and it's negatively impacting your sex life together, that may require an intervention. But it doesn't sound like that's the case here. You've walked in on him jerking off a handful of times in the course of two years. That doesn't indicate to me that he has any sort of problem that needs to be addressed — although it does indicate that he should get better at locking doors.


buzzfeed--2020-12-08--A Vaccine Critic Told Congress To Focus On Toilets Instead Of Masks To Stop COVID

BuzzFeed News has reporters around the world bringing you trustworthy stories about the impact of the coronavirus .
To help keep this news free , become a member .
WASHINGTON — The Republican chair of a Senate committee held a hearing Tuesday that featured witnesses who pushed unproven COVID-19 cures and questioned widely accepted measures like wearing masks and social distancing .
Democrats and even several Republicans stayed away .
Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee chair Sen. Ron Johnson said the hearing was designed to explore unconventional approaches to combating the COVID-19 pandemic .
“ The root cause @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
But Democrats boycotted the meeting , saying Johnson was irresponsibly promoting fringe viewpoints and unproven theories that could be harmful .
Republican Sen. Mitt Romney also denounced the hearing .
“ I think it 's nuts to bring that into the Senate , ” he said about one witness , Jane Orient , a vocal critic of vaccinations .
If you have a news tip , we ’ d like to hear from you .
Reach out to us via one of our tip line channels .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and scientifically dubious territory , such as when Orient speculated that COVID was largely being transmitted by fecal matter being spread through the air after toilet flushings .
“ Maybe instead of putting masks on everybody , we should be putting lids on the toilet or pouring Clorox into it before you flush it , ” she said .
The CDC currently states that , while the coronavirus has been detected in feces , there has yet to be a confirmed report of the virus spreading from person to person this way .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ramin Oskoui , told the committee that common safety measures like wearing masks , social distancing , and quarantining do not work .
This stance flies in the face of scientific consensus and the recommendations of the CDC , which is urging universal mask-wearing , social distancing , and quarantining when a person may have been exposed to COVID .
Witnesses also praised unproven treatments like hydroxychloroquine , an antimalarial drug promoted by President Donald Trump , and ivermectin , a drug used to fight parasitic worms , as game-changing solutions to stop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been approved as a COVID treatment by federal experts .
The Food and Drug Administration revoked its emergency authorization for hydroxychloroquine after it was shown to be ineffective as a COVID-19 treatment and could cause serious side effects .
During a previous hearing on hydroxychloroquine , Democrats called Brown University school of public health dean Ashish Jha as a witness .
Jha reported being harassed online after he testified that the drug was a medical dead end , with no evidence supporting the claim that it helps COVID patients .
This time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rounds of questioning or call any witnesses .
“ The panelists have been selected for their political , not their medical views .
And for that reason the composition of the panel creates a false and terribly harmful impression of the scientific and medical consensus , ” said ranking Democratic Sen. Gary Peters , in his opening statement before leaving the hearing .
Aside from Johnson , only two other Republican members took part — Sens .
Rand Paul and Josh Hawley .
It ’ s not clear whether the others did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or simply had conflicting commitments .
Sen .
Rob Portman ’ s office told BuzzFeed News he is spending every free moment he has working on a COVID relief bill .
Sen. James Lankford said he was present at the beginning of the hearing , though he did not ask any questions .
Johnson has increasingly used his committee gavel in ways that have baffled and exasperated his Democratic colleagues .
He spent much of the year investigating the overseas business dealings of Hunter Biden , son of President-elect Joe Biden .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential election , despite the states certifying the results that Biden won a 306 to 232 Electoral College victory , and Trump ’ s various legal filings failing to prove a single case of voter fraud .
After Tuesday ’ s hearing , Johnson insisted his committee was helping uncover new scientific solutions .
“ I thought it was an excellent hearing , ” he said .
“ It just blows me away why people are so close-minded .
”

BuzzFeed News has reporters around the world bringing you trustworthy stories about the impact of the coronavirus. To help keep this news free, become a member.
WASHINGTON — The Republican chair of a Senate committee held a hearing Tuesday that featured witnesses who pushed unproven COVID-19 cures and questioned widely accepted measures like wearing masks and social distancing. Democrats and even several Republicans stayed away.
Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee chair Sen. Ron Johnson said the hearing was designed to explore unconventional approaches to combating the COVID-19 pandemic. “The root cause of our problems is just closed minds,” he said. But Democrats boycotted the meeting, saying Johnson was irresponsibly promoting fringe viewpoints and unproven theories that could be harmful.
Republican Sen. Mitt Romney also denounced the hearing. “I think it's nuts to bring that into the Senate,” he said about one witness, Jane Orient, a vocal critic of vaccinations.
If you have a news tip, we’d like to hear from you. Reach out to us via one of our tip line channels.
The committee hearing repeatedly ranged into unfounded theories and scientifically dubious territory, such as when Orient speculated that COVID was largely being transmitted by fecal matter being spread through the air after toilet flushings.
“Maybe instead of putting masks on everybody, we should be putting lids on the toilet or pouring Clorox into it before you flush it,” she said.
The CDC currently states that, while the coronavirus has been detected in feces, there has yet to be a confirmed report of the virus spreading from person to person this way.
Another witness, Sibley Memorial Hospital cardiologist Ramin Oskoui, told the committee that common safety measures like wearing masks, social distancing, and quarantining do not work. This stance flies in the face of scientific consensus and the recommendations of the CDC, which is urging universal mask-wearing, social distancing, and quarantining when a person may have been exposed to COVID.
Witnesses also praised unproven treatments like hydroxychloroquine, an antimalarial drug promoted by President Donald Trump, and ivermectin, a drug used to fight parasitic worms, as game-changing solutions to stop the spread of COVID. Neither drug has been approved as a COVID treatment by federal experts. The Food and Drug Administration revoked its emergency authorization for hydroxychloroquine after it was shown to be ineffective as a COVID-19 treatment and could cause serious side effects.
During a previous hearing on hydroxychloroquine, Democrats called Brown University school of public health dean Ashish Jha as a witness. Jha reported being harassed online after he testified that the drug was a medical dead end, with no evidence supporting the claim that it helps COVID patients. This time, Democrats did not take part in rounds of questioning or call any witnesses.
“The panelists have been selected for their political, not their medical views. And for that reason the composition of the panel creates a false and terribly harmful impression of the scientific and medical consensus,” said ranking Democratic Sen. Gary Peters, in his opening statement before leaving the hearing.
Aside from Johnson, only two other Republican members took part — Sens. Rand Paul and Josh Hawley. It’s not clear whether the others did not want to be associated with the hearing or simply had conflicting commitments. Sen. Rob Portman’s office told BuzzFeed News he is spending every free moment he has working on a COVID relief bill. Sen. James Lankford said he was present at the beginning of the hearing, though he did not ask any questions.
Johnson has increasingly used his committee gavel in ways that have baffled and exasperated his Democratic colleagues. He spent much of the year investigating the overseas business dealings of Hunter Biden, son of President-elect Joe Biden. He continues to reject that Trump lost the presidential election, despite the states certifying the results that Biden won a 306 to 232 Electoral College victory, and Trump’s various legal filings failing to prove a single case of voter fraud.
After Tuesday’s hearing, Johnson insisted his committee was helping uncover new scientific solutions. “I thought it was an excellent hearing,” he said. “It just blows me away why people are so close-minded.”


buzzfeed--2020-12-09--The Supreme Court Denied A Republican Challenge To Joe Biden's Pennsylvania Win

WASHINGTON — The US Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a last-ditch Republican effort to undo President-elect Joe Biden ’ s win in Pennsylvania .
In a one-line order , the justices denied an attempt by Rep. Mike Kelly and other Republican challengers to press a challenge to a Pennsylvania law that had expanded mail-in voting in the state .
No justice indicated that they had dissented .
`` The application for injunctive relief presented to Justice Alito and by him referred to the Court is denied , '' the order stated .
State and federal judges in Pennsylvania have repeatedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his supporters to challenge Biden ’ s win in the state .
The president and his allies have lost a string of cases challenging specific sets of absentee ballots that were missing certain information on the envelope , and Trump lost a lawsuit in federal court seeking to invalidate millions of ballots statewide .
Leading up to Election Day and in the weeks after , Trump , his lawyers , and his allies have insisted that the results would wind up before the Supreme Court and that the justices would rule in his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first time the justices had considered one of the postelection legal challenges , and they swiftly rejected it .
There are two other election-related cases pending before the court : a preelection case out of Pennsylvania involving a set of absentee ballots that would n't be large enough to overcome Biden 's margin of victory , and an extraordinary action filed on Monday by Texas seeking to sue four other states where Biden had won over how they 'd managed the election .
The case at issue in Tuesday 's order involved a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that allows all eligible voters in Pennsylvania to apply to vote by mail without needing to provide a reason .
The state legislature passed the law in October 2019 , months before the coronavirus pandemic hit the US and prompted many states to adopt special voting procedures for elections this year .
BuzzFeed News has journalists around the US bringing you trustworthy stories on the 2020 elections .
To help keep this news free , become a member .
Trump ’ s campaign and the Republican National Committee challenged a slew of pandemic-related @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with mixed results .
But Kelly and the other Republican challengers in Pennsylvania didn ’ t bring their case objecting to Act 77 until Nov. 21 — three weeks after Election Day and more than a year after the legislature had passed the law .
Before Act 77 , only specific categories of Pennsylvania voters — people who would be out of town on Election Day or who had a disability or illness , for instance — were eligible for an absentee ballot .
Act 77 left the absentee voting rules in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all other eligible voters .
Kelly and the other Republican challengers claimed the law was an end run around the state constitution ’ s limits on absentee voting .
The Pennsylvania legislature is in the process of amending the state constitution to merge the absentee and mail-in voting rules , but that hasn ’ t happened yet .
One day after filing suit in the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania , the Republican challengers asked for an immediate order blocking the state from certifying the results of the election .
Biden won Pennsylvania by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results posted by the secretary of state ’ s office .
On Nov. 24 , the secretary of state officially certified the results and Democratic Gov .
Tom Wolf signed the certificate .
On Nov. 25 , the Commonwealth Court judge handling the case issued an order that temporarily blocked Pennsylvania from taking any more steps to finalize the state ’ s election results while it was pending ; the judge scheduled a hearing for later in the week .
Lawyers for the state immediately petitioned the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to step in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the state ’ s justices reversed the lower court judge ’ s decision and dismissed the challenge .
In the three-page order , the court found that Kelly and the other challengers had simply waited too long to bring the case , violating what ’ s known as the doctrine of laches .
They had “ failed to act with due diligence , ” the court concluded .
The Republican challengers ’ delay in bringing the case caused “ substantial prejudice , ” the court found .
By waiting until after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would result in the disenfranchisement of millions of Pennsylvania voters ” if Kelly and the challengers got what they wanted , the justices wrote .
Two of the Pennsylvania justices partially dissented , but only on the grounds that they ’ d allow a lower court to consider the constitutional challenge to Act 77 going forward .
They agreed with the rest of their colleagues , however , that the Republican challengers were not entitled to an emergency order that would affect the results of the presidential election , calling those requests “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a news tip , we ’ d like to hear from you .
Reach out to us via one of our tip line channels .
The Republican challengers then took the case to the US Supreme Court .
On Dec. 3 , they filed a petition asking for an emergency order to nullify the state ’ s certification of election results and to block Pennsylvania officials from taking any other steps .
They also asked the court to take up the merits of their challenge to Act 77 .
They argued that Pennsylvania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which gives state legislatures the power to set election rules — because they went beyond the limits of the state constitution .
Each justice handles emergency petitions from different parts of the country , and Justice Samuel Alito covers the 3rd Circuit , which includes Pennsylvania .
He originally ordered Pennsylvania to respond to the petition by Dec. 9 ; that would have been one day after the “ safe harbor ” deadline for states to certify federal election results and get special protection against Congress stepping in to decide which presidential candidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On Dec. 6 , however , the docket changed to show that the deadline had changed and that Pennsylvania had until the morning of Dec. 8 to respond .
Alito and the court didn ’ t provide an explanation for moving up the date .
In their response , Pennsylvania ’ s lawyers argued that the Republican challengers were asking the court “ to undertake one of the most dramatic , disruptive invocations of judicial power in the history of the Republic.
” “ After waiting over a year to challenge Act @ @ @ @ @ @ @ along the way , they come to this Court with unclean hands and ask it to disenfranchise an entire state , ” Pennsylvania ’ s lawyers wrote .
“ They make that request without any acknowledgment of the staggering upheaval , turmoil , and acrimony it would unleash.
” Nearly two dozen Republican members of Congress filed a friend-of-court brief supporting Kelly and the other Republican challengers .
Sen. Ted Cruz , the former Texas solicitor general , announced that he was prepared to argue the case on their behalf if the justices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of former government officials and lawyers who served in Republican administrations filed a brief supporting Pennsylvania , as did the Pennsylvania General Assembly .

WASHINGTON — The US Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a last-ditch Republican effort to undo President-elect Joe Biden’s win in Pennsylvania.
In a one-line order, the justices denied an attempt by Rep. Mike Kelly and other Republican challengers to press a challenge to a Pennsylvania law that had expanded mail-in voting in the state. No justice indicated that they had dissented.
"The application for injunctive relief presented to Justice Alito and by him referred to the Court is denied," the order stated.
State and federal judges in Pennsylvania have repeatedly rejected efforts by President Donald Trump and his supporters to challenge Biden’s win in the state. The president and his allies have lost a string of cases challenging specific sets of absentee ballots that were missing certain information on the envelope, and Trump lost a lawsuit in federal court seeking to invalidate millions of ballots statewide.
Leading up to Election Day and in the weeks after, Trump, his lawyers, and his allies have insisted that the results would wind up before the Supreme Court and that the justices would rule in his favor. Tuesday's order marked the first time the justices had considered one of the postelection legal challenges, and they swiftly rejected it. There are two other election-related cases pending before the court: a preelection case out of Pennsylvania involving a set of absentee ballots that wouldn't be large enough to overcome Biden's margin of victory, and an extraordinary action filed on Monday by Texas seeking to sue four other states where Biden had won over how they'd managed the election.
The case at issue in Tuesday's order involved a challenge to Act 77, a law that allows all eligible voters in Pennsylvania to apply to vote by mail without needing to provide a reason. The state legislature passed the law in October 2019, months before the coronavirus pandemic hit the US and prompted many states to adopt special voting procedures for elections this year.
BuzzFeed News has journalists around the US bringing you trustworthy stories on the 2020 elections. To help keep this news free, become a member.
Trump’s campaign and the Republican National Committee challenged a slew of pandemic-related voting changes leading up to the election, with mixed results. But Kelly and the other Republican challengers in Pennsylvania didn’t bring their case objecting to Act 77 until Nov. 21 — three weeks after Election Day and more than a year after the legislature had passed the law.
Before Act 77, only specific categories of Pennsylvania voters — people who would be out of town on Election Day or who had a disability or illness, for instance — were eligible for an absentee ballot. Act 77 left the absentee voting rules in place but created a separate process for all other eligible voters. Kelly and the other Republican challengers claimed the law was an end run around the state constitution’s limits on absentee voting. The Pennsylvania legislature is in the process of amending the state constitution to merge the absentee and mail-in voting rules, but that hasn’t happened yet.
One day after filing suit in the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, the Republican challengers asked for an immediate order blocking the state from certifying the results of the election. Biden won Pennsylvania by more than 80,000 votes, according to results posted by the secretary of state’s office. On Nov. 24, the secretary of state officially certified the results and Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf signed the certificate.
On Nov. 25, the Commonwealth Court judge handling the case issued an order that temporarily blocked Pennsylvania from taking any more steps to finalize the state’s election results while it was pending; the judge scheduled a hearing for later in the week. Lawyers for the state immediately petitioned the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to step in.
On Nov. 28, a majority of the state’s justices reversed the lower court judge’s decision and dismissed the challenge. In the three-page order, the court found that Kelly and the other challengers had simply waited too long to bring the case, violating what’s known as the doctrine of laches. They had “failed to act with due diligence,” the court concluded.
The Republican challengers’ delay in bringing the case caused “substantial prejudice,” the court found. By waiting until after the election to sue, the case “would result in the disenfranchisement of millions of Pennsylvania voters” if Kelly and the challengers got what they wanted, the justices wrote.
Two of the Pennsylvania justices partially dissented, but only on the grounds that they’d allow a lower court to consider the constitutional challenge to Act 77 going forward. They agreed with the rest of their colleagues, however, that the Republican challengers were not entitled to an emergency order that would affect the results of the presidential election, calling those requests “extreme and untenable.”
If you have a news tip, we’d like to hear from you. Reach out to us via one of our tip line channels.
The Republican challengers then took the case to the US Supreme Court. On Dec. 3, they filed a petition asking for an emergency order to nullify the state’s certification of election results and to block Pennsylvania officials from taking any other steps. They also asked the court to take up the merits of their challenge to Act 77. They argued that Pennsylvania lawmakers had violated the US Constitution — which gives state legislatures the power to set election rules — because they went beyond the limits of the state constitution.
Each justice handles emergency petitions from different parts of the country, and Justice Samuel Alito covers the 3rd Circuit, which includes Pennsylvania. He originally ordered Pennsylvania to respond to the petition by Dec. 9; that would have been one day after the “safe harbor” deadline for states to certify federal election results and get special protection against Congress stepping in to decide which presidential candidate gets a state’s electoral votes.
On Dec. 6, however, the docket changed to show that the deadline had changed and that Pennsylvania had until the morning of Dec. 8 to respond. Alito and the court didn’t provide an explanation for moving up the date. In their response, Pennsylvania’s lawyers argued that the Republican challengers were asking the court “to undertake one of the most dramatic, disruptive invocations of judicial power in the history of the Republic.”
“After waiting over a year to challenge Act 77, and engaging in procedural gamesmanship along the way, they come to this Court with unclean hands and ask it to disenfranchise an entire state,” Pennsylvania’s lawyers wrote. “They make that request without any acknowledgment of the staggering upheaval, turmoil, and acrimony it would unleash.”
Nearly two dozen Republican members of Congress filed a friend-of-court brief supporting Kelly and the other Republican challengers. Sen. Ted Cruz, the former Texas solicitor general, announced that he was prepared to argue the case on their behalf if the justices agreed to hear it. A coalition of former government officials and lawyers who served in Republican administrations filed a brief supporting Pennsylvania, as did the Pennsylvania General Assembly.


buzzfeed--2020-12-08--Biden Plans To Give 50 Million Americans COVID-19 Vaccinations In His First 100 Days

President-elect Joe Biden is planning a vaccination program that would inoculate 50 million Americans against COVID-19 in his first 100 days in office .
`` This team will help get at least 100 million COVID-19 vaccine shots into the arms of Americans in 100 days , '' the president-elect said in a speech on Tuesday .
A transition team official clarified afterward that 50 million Americans would be vaccinated — because the two most promising early vaccines require two shots per person .
Those vaccinations will be `` one of the hardest and most costly operational challenges in our nation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Operation Warp Speed , the Trump administration program to fast-track the development of coronavirus vaccines , is currently aiming to vaccinate 100 million people by the end of February .
While laying out his plan , he acknowledged that in order for it to work , it will require the cooperation of lawmakers in Congress to fund the program .
If Republicans win two runoff elections in Georgia and retain control of the Senate , that is likely to be a challenge .
Biden also reiterated that he will mandate wearing masks for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every area he has the authority to do so — on federal grounds , and during interstate travel .
Acknowledging the limits of that authority , he said he would “ speak directly to the American people ” and ask them to `` Wear a mask for the first 100 days … whatever your politics or your point of view . ''
He added that he believes the majority of schools nationally could be reopened by the end of his first 100 days .
`` It should be a national priority to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them in school , '' he said .
The president would not have the authority to directly reopen schools , but could use federal funding and other incentives to influence those decisions on a state and local level .
Biden announced the vaccination goal on Tuesday as he officially introduced key nominees and appointees on his healthcare team , including California Attorney General Xavier Becerra for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services , Vivek Murthy for surgeon general — a role Murthy also filled during the Obama administration — Rochelle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nunez-Smith to chair the COVID-19 equity task force , and Anthony Fauci to be chief medical adviser to Biden on the pandemic .
“ These actions are bold , but they are doable and essential to help the public avoid unnecessary risks , to help us save lives , reopen schools and businesses , and to eventually beat the pandemic , ” Fauci said in a prerecorded video statement at the Biden event .
“ I look forward to advising you on these most urgent priorities , and to work with this team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ known for many years , and deeply respect.
” Fauci was not present or mentioned at a vaccine event held at the same time by President Donald Trump at the White House , except for in a clip in a video that aired at the start of the event that criticized experts , Biden , and others for doubting Trump ’ s vaccine timeline .
Trump at the event signed an executive order that he said would ensure Americans have priority access to the vaccines when they begin to be distributed globally .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ order would change anything about how the vaccines will actually be distributed — the head of Trump ’ s vaccine program , Moncef Slaoui , said , “ Frankly , I don ’ t know , and frankly , I ’ m staying out of this .
I can ’ t comment .
I literally don ’ t know , ” when asked how Trump ’ s executive order on vaccines would make a difference during an interview with Good Morning America on Tuesday morning .
The executive order was signed just one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Trump turned down a deal this summer to secure more vaccine doses from Pfizer .
The company signed a deal to provide 100 million doses of the vaccine to the US and is expected to become the first vaccine to receive emergency authorization from the FDA later this week .
Pfizer has since signed other deals with foreign governments .
The UK began vaccinating its population with Pfizer ’ s vaccine on Tuesday .
During a phone briefing with reporters on Monday , a senior administration official was unable to provide any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would work to ensure Americans were prioritized for more vaccines .
He said that they expect 40 million doses to be available for the first 20 million people this month and that enough doses would be available to vaccinate all Americans by the end of the second quarter of 2021 .
“ We think by spring we ’ re going to be in a position that nobody would have believed possible , ” Trump said .
“ They say it ’ s somewhat of a miracle.
” Representatives from Pfizer and Moderna were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stat News reported that the drug manufacturing companies declined invitations to attend .
Trump , who during the event again refused to accept that he had lost the election , generally displayed a radically different approach to the vaccine on Tuesday from Biden .
The president-elect ’ s decision to appoint Nunez-Smith to lead a pandemic task force focused on equity is one of several significant departures from how Trump has evaded and downplayed the crisis — Trump has never acknowledged that people of color have been disproportionately hit by the virus itself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden team has yet to detail how that task force would reduce inequities in COVID-19 treatment and vaccination .

President-elect Joe Biden is planning a vaccination program that would inoculate 50 million Americans against COVID-19 in his first 100 days in office.
"This team will help get at least 100 million COVID-19 vaccine shots into the arms of Americans in 100 days," the president-elect said in a speech on Tuesday. A transition team official clarified afterward that 50 million Americans would be vaccinated — because the two most promising early vaccines require two shots per person.
Those vaccinations will be "one of the hardest and most costly operational challenges in our nation's history,” Biden said. Operation Warp Speed, the Trump administration program to fast-track the development of coronavirus vaccines, is currently aiming to vaccinate 100 million people by the end of February.
While laying out his plan, he acknowledged that in order for it to work, it will require the cooperation of lawmakers in Congress to fund the program. If Republicans win two runoff elections in Georgia and retain control of the Senate, that is likely to be a challenge.
Biden also reiterated that he will mandate wearing masks for his first 100 days in office in every area he has the authority to do so — on federal grounds, and during interstate travel. Acknowledging the limits of that authority, he said he would “speak directly to the American people” and ask them to "Wear a mask for the first 100 days … whatever your politics or your point of view."
He added that he believes the majority of schools nationally could be reopened by the end of his first 100 days.
"It should be a national priority to get our kids back into school and keep them in school," he said.
The president would not have the authority to directly reopen schools, but could use federal funding and other incentives to influence those decisions on a state and local level.
Biden announced the vaccination goal on Tuesday as he officially introduced key nominees and appointees on his healthcare team, including California Attorney General Xavier Becerra for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Vivek Murthy for surgeon general — a role Murthy also filled during the Obama administration — Rochelle Walensky to direct the CDC, Marcella Nunez-Smith to chair the COVID-19 equity task force, and Anthony Fauci to be chief medical adviser to Biden on the pandemic.
“These actions are bold, but they are doable and essential to help the public avoid unnecessary risks, to help us save lives, reopen schools and businesses, and to eventually beat the pandemic,” Fauci said in a prerecorded video statement at the Biden event. “I look forward to advising you on these most urgent priorities, and to work with this team of World Class experts who I have known for many years, and deeply respect.”
Fauci was not present or mentioned at a vaccine event held at the same time by President Donald Trump at the White House, except for in a clip in a video that aired at the start of the event that criticized experts, Biden, and others for doubting Trump’s vaccine timeline.
Trump at the event signed an executive order that he said would ensure Americans have priority access to the vaccines when they begin to be distributed globally. It wasn’t clear whether the order would change anything about how the vaccines will actually be distributed — the head of Trump’s vaccine program, Moncef Slaoui, said, “Frankly, I don’t know, and frankly, I’m staying out of this. I can’t comment. I literally don’t know,” when asked how Trump’s executive order on vaccines would make a difference during an interview with Good Morning America on Tuesday morning.
The executive order was signed just one day after the New York Times reported that Trump turned down a deal this summer to secure more vaccine doses from Pfizer. The company signed a deal to provide 100 million doses of the vaccine to the US and is expected to become the first vaccine to receive emergency authorization from the FDA later this week. Pfizer has since signed other deals with foreign governments. The UK began vaccinating its population with Pfizer’s vaccine on Tuesday.
During a phone briefing with reporters on Monday, a senior administration official was unable to provide any further details on how the executive order would work to ensure Americans were prioritized for more vaccines. He said that they expect 40 million doses to be available for the first 20 million people this month and that enough doses would be available to vaccinate all Americans by the end of the second quarter of 2021.
“We think by spring we’re going to be in a position that nobody would have believed possible,” Trump said. “They say it’s somewhat of a miracle.”
Representatives from Pfizer and Moderna were not present at the summit Tuesday. Stat News reported that the drug manufacturing companies declined invitations to attend.
Trump, who during the event again refused to accept that he had lost the election, generally displayed a radically different approach to the vaccine on Tuesday from Biden. The president-elect’s decision to appoint Nunez-Smith to lead a pandemic task force focused on equity is one of several significant departures from how Trump has evaded and downplayed the crisis — Trump has never acknowledged that people of color have been disproportionately hit by the virus itself and its economic fallout. But the Biden team has yet to detail how that task force would reduce inequities in COVID-19 treatment and vaccination.


buzzfeed--2020-12-08--How ICE Became The Face Of Trump’s Immigration Crackdown And Where It Goes From Here After Biden Is

How ICE Became The Face Of Trump’s Immigration Crackdown And Where It Goes From Here After Biden Is In Charge

`` ICE put their MAGA hat on .
They ’ re gon na try to take it off come January , but I don ’ t know how successful that will be . ''
On the day James Schwab realized the extent of the US government ’ s hard turn on immigration under President Donald Trump , he was sitting in a police station in Santa Cruz , the coastal city in California known for its surf spots and liberal leanings .
It was Feb. 13 , 2017 .
Immigration and Customs Enforcement , which employed Schwab as a spokesperson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to join up with local cops to arrest 10 people suspected of ties to an affiliate of the MS-13 gang .
Schwab , then less than two years into the job , expected a routine gang takedown run by agents from Homeland Security Investigations , or HSI .
The lesser-known wing of ICE typically focused on criminal cases — smuggling , document fraud , that kind of thing .
But the atmosphere in the station that morning grew tense .
The regional ICE leaders there , Schwab said , began to receive phone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Later , he heard one senior agent describe the order they had been given : “ We need to take collaterals.
” “ Collaterals ” is agency slang for undocumented immigrants who cross paths with agents because they are in the same home or business as the target of an ICE action .
Under President Obama , agents had been told to mostly refrain from such arrests in order to concentrate on threats to public safety and to avoid striking terror in immigrant communities across the country .
Looking back , Schwab said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the first signs that his job , and his agency , had changed .
Over the next year , he said , there were more such signs , dictates that garnered headlines for their perceived harshness toward immigrants or anyone — including mayors and governors — who disagreed with the agency ’ s aggressive new enforcement stance .
Schwab was called upon to publicly highlight crimes committed by immigrants .
He was also asked , he said , to issue press releases criticizing elected leaders of so-called sanctuary cities and states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the federal government for deportation .
“ At the time , I just did it , ” Schwab said of his public relations job .
“ I didn ’ t see the whole picture.
” But eventually , he said , he came to feel that under the Trump administration , ICE “ wasn ’ t about the humans , ” it was “ about being anti-immigrant and every statement we made , every minute that we spent on our statements , were about showing how immigrants have negatively influenced our country and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden prepares to take office , ICE , which is responsible for immigration enforcement and deportations inside the nation ’ s borders , is at a crossroads , its reputation in tatters and the scope of its mission in question .
The agency has lost the faith of many Americans .
According to a Pew Research Center poll earlier this year , ICE had the lowest favorability rating of the 10 federal agencies it asked about .
Biden has said he plans to halt all deportations for 100 days and has promised a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week , Biden ’ s nominee to run the Department of Homeland Security , Alejandro Mayorkas , signaled the new tone : “ We must stop vilifying these communities , ” he said .
“ We must bring to an immediate end the inhumane and unjust treatment of immigrants.
” But what that change will look like remains to be seen .
There are strong political headwinds on all sides : The union that represents ICE officers supported Trump in 2016 ; many progressives , meanwhile , revile the agency .
BuzzFeed News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials who served during the Trump administration about their experiences and their thoughts about the future .
Many , like Schwab , said the new president must find a way to correct the excesses of the past four years and restore public trust in the agency by revamping policies and tactics .
But many also cautioned that it won ’ t be easy .
“ It has been branded as a partisan agency .
Law enforcement should be neutral , should be driven by policy and through fair and humane implementation of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ official , who served under both Obama and Trump .
“ Unfortunately , ICE put their MAGA hat on .
They ’ re gon na try to take it off come January , but I don ’ t know how successful that will be.
” The list of controversial policies that came out of ICE under Trump is a long one .
ICE leaders advocated publicly for city leaders in sanctuary cities to be charged with crimes , and planned massive worksite raids , along with operations targeting undocumented immigrant families .
Stories @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deporting sympathetic characters , like a cancer nurse in Oakland , became commonplace .
ICE arrested the potential adult sponsors who came forward to take care of unaccompanied children who had been in government shelters .
ICE officials also conducted operations targeting states and cities with sanctuary laws .
When some mayors and governors refused to increase their cooperation with ICE , the agency paid for billboards with photographs of “ wanted ” immigrants in the same areas .
An executive order signed by Trump made it so nearly every undocumented immigrant became @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after , ICE prosecutors were restricted from granting reprieves for certain immigrants facing deportation and ordered to review and potentially reopen previously closed cases , which was first revealed by BuzzFeed News through Freedom of Information Act requests .
Soon , the proportion of immigrants with no prior criminal convictions who were being arrested and placed into deportation proceedings began to shoot up .
That , along with a surge of immigrants at the border in 2019 , led to the agency detaining people at record levels in private prisons and local jails @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their family or others who could help them .
There were allegations of inadequate medical care within the facilities .
A government whistleblower detailed a string of incidents of bad patient outcomes , including two who were given the wrong drugs , and one immigrant who died after getting “ grossly negligent ” care , according to a document obtained by BuzzFeed News .
Comments by ICE leaders did little to help the perception of the agency .
At different times , one ICE leader said family detention centers were like “ summer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should be afraid if they were in the country illegally .
Agency officials also publicly defended , and privately recommended , one of the Trump administration ’ s most controversial policies , the move to separate children from their parents at the border .
ICE , and its parent agency DHS , have also taken an aggressive stance with the media–at one point DHS investigators created “ intelligence reports ” about journalists who reported on leaked documents .
Last week , ICE investigators issued a subpoena to BuzzFeed News demanding the news outlet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mark Schoofs rejected the demand , calling it “ outrageous.
” “ The whole agency changed a lot , ” said one former lead ICE detention official who worked under both Obama and Trump .
“ It felt uncontrolled.
” She added that many in the agency were elated when Trump came in , and that there was “ a feeling amongst some that law enforcement was finally a priority.
” But preserving civil rights “ got a lot harder.
” Ultimately , ICE was never able to reach the astronomical deportation numbers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t even manage to match Obama ’ s .
But what it lost in statistics it made up for in aggressive messaging coupled with controversial operations and policies .
Under Obama , the agency did not shy away from deporting people .
In fact , some critics called President Obama the “ deporter in chief ” because of the huge numbers of people deported during the first years of his administration .
But criticism from immigrant advocates , along with unfavorable court rulings , led the Obama administration to alter a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrested by local officials .
Meanwhile , counties and states , such as California , began passing laws limiting jail cooperation with ICE .
In November 2014 , DHS rolled out the “ priority enforcement program , ” in which local entities had the ability to simply notify ICE of a detainee ’ s release date after a fingerprint hit as opposed to holding them for longer than needed .
At the same time , DHS leaders restricted who ICE would target for arrest to only those convicted of serious crimes , among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a dramatic downturn in arrests .
To some on the ground charged with carrying out the program , the changes were problematic .
“ If you went out and arrested someone who wasn ’ t a criminal , when you got back , you got in trouble .
There was this fear : Crap , I ’ m going to get in trouble , ” said one ICE official who works in the deportation enforcement wing of the agency .
When Trump took over , the restrictions issued by Obama were lifted .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It was being able to do the job without any fear — that is the difference , ” the official said .
In 2017 , then acting ICE Director Thomas Homan , who won an award from Obama for his work , celebrated the shift saying that Trump had “ taken the handcuffs ” off ICE officers .
“ ICE is doing their job to enforce the laws enacted by Congress , it shouldn ’ t apologize for it , ” he told BuzzFeed News .
But if the goal was to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to come back on board with ICE and work with officials to deport people who were detained in local jails , that did not happen .
“ Despite issuing a highly publicized executive order that significantly expanded the enforcement authority and leeway of ICE officers just five days after he took office , Trump has seen arrests and deportations idle , especially when compared to the peak Obama years , ” wrote Muzaffar Chishti and Sarah Pierce in a Migration Policy Institute report .
“ This is due to significant resistance from state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cooperation with ICE.
” In its place , ICE conducted high-profile operations , like one in Mississippi in August 2019 that led to more than 600 arrests , the largest single-state workplace raid ever .
The agency also spoke of going after entire families .
Then-acting director Mark Morgan held a press conference in which he said such an operation would “ send a strong message to those individuals contemplating coming here illegally not to do so.
” The operation was eventually delayed by Trump himself after negative publicity .
Ultimately , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the publicity around it caused many immigrants to literally hide in their homes out of fear .
Morgan , who got the ICE job after praising Trump on Lou Dobbs Tonight , had left for a role heading up US Customs and Border Protection by the time the results were revealed .
Morgan was one of five ICE leaders during the Trump administration , none of whom underwent Senate scrutiny and confirmation — a sign of how transient leadership was during the Trump years .
One former ICE official who served during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying to please the White House , including senior adviser Stephen Miller , with policy proposals that would prove their willingness to carry out the president ’ s agenda .
“ There was a constant demand for numbers and for new ideas .
Getting tough and taking action to stop sanctuary cities , holding everyone accountable under the law .
The agency became focused in service to , in my opinion , a xenophobic enforcement policy , ” the former official said .
“ Immigration enforcement is contentious and difficult and it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you can have on communities and on people .
That ’ s what happened under Trump — on steroids.
” In some cases , said one ICE official , some officers pushed the limits of the law .
“ We had officers who just stopped talking to their agency counsel .
They took to heart Trump ’ s early messaging .
They didn ’ t want or need their agency attorneys telling them that they couldn ’ t do something because it wasn ’ t in the law and would get us sued.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ certainly lead to a change in messaging .
It is likely , many predicted , the agency will stop paying for billboards depicting “ wanted ” immigrants , for example .
The agency ’ s deportation efforts will return to the background , and officers will almost assuredly be once again limited on who they should and should not arrest .
“ In the first 100 days of my administration , no one , no one will be deported at all .
From that point on , the only deportations that will take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States of America , ” he said in a March debate .
But these reforms and a return to the Obama-era version of the agency may not be enough to satisfy immigrant advocates who have long criticized those policies as well .
The Democratic primary largely left unresolved sticky debates over immigration policy , such as how much ICE should push local jails to collaborate with them to arrest and deport people and what types of “ felons ” should be targeted for enforcement .
Also left unaddressed was whether they should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the Trump administration to expel people from the US citing the coronavirus pandemic .
And while the incoming administration can implement changes , it will still have a workforce that ’ s dedicated to a single mission : arresting and deporting undocumented immigrants .
“ You have 7,000 officers who are tasked with removing people from the United States .
You can ’ t tell them to stop working , ” said John Sandweg , who headed up the agency during the Obama administration .
What ’ s more , many who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Among them is James Schwab , the public relations official who was so shocked by the decision to “ take collaterals ” in Santa Cruz .
“ I wish more people would ’ ve stood up to the administration and would ’ ve looked outside the bubble they were living in , ” he said .
“ Many were on the same page as me knowing what we were doing was wrong.
” In the time since Biden ’ s victory , progressive organizations have recommended significant changes to the way ICE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to dismantle a program that allows local sheriffs to actively help ICE in arresting immigrants and to no longer request jails across the country hold immigrants for longer than necessary .
The Center for American Progress also had its share of recommendations , including winding down the agency ’ s detention apparatus and relying more on community-based programs .
Sandweg said the Biden administration should prioritize a cultural reset : deportation officers less focused on statistics and more focused on a smaller number of “ high-quality ” arrests of serious convicted criminals that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ There ’ s going to be a lot of pressure , but it ’ s not as simple as issuing a directive .
It ’ s going to take a lot of work , ” he said .
●

On the day James Schwab realized the extent of the US government’s hard turn on immigration under President Donald Trump, he was sitting in a police station in Santa Cruz, the coastal city in California known for its surf spots and liberal leanings. It was Feb. 13, 2017.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which employed Schwab as a spokesperson based in San Francisco, had planned to join up with local cops to arrest 10 people suspected of ties to an affiliate of the MS-13 gang.
Schwab, then less than two years into the job, expected a routine gang takedown run by agents from Homeland Security Investigations, or HSI. The lesser-known wing of ICE typically focused on criminal cases — smuggling, document fraud, that kind of thing.
But the atmosphere in the station that morning grew tense. The regional ICE leaders there, Schwab said, began to receive phone calls that left them visibly stressed. Later, he heard one senior agent describe the order they had been given: “We need to take collaterals.”
“Collaterals” is agency slang for undocumented immigrants who cross paths with agents because they are in the same home or business as the target of an ICE action. Under President Obama, agents had been told to mostly refrain from such arrests in order to concentrate on threats to public safety and to avoid striking terror in immigrant communities across the country.
Looking back, Schwab said, the events of that morning were one of the first signs that his job, and his agency, had changed. Over the next year, he said, there were more such signs, dictates that garnered headlines for their perceived harshness toward immigrants or anyone — including mayors and governors — who disagreed with the agency’s aggressive new enforcement stance.
Schwab was called upon to publicly highlight crimes committed by immigrants. He was also asked, he said, to issue press releases criticizing elected leaders of so-called sanctuary cities and states that refused to turn over immigrants to the federal government for deportation.
“At the time, I just did it,” Schwab said of his public relations job. “I didn’t see the whole picture.” But eventually, he said, he came to feel that under the Trump administration, ICE “wasn’t about the humans,” it was “about being anti-immigrant and every statement we made, every minute that we spent on our statements, were about showing how immigrants have negatively influenced our country and communities.”
Now, as President-elect Joe Biden prepares to take office, ICE, which is responsible for immigration enforcement and deportations inside the nation’s borders, is at a crossroads, its reputation in tatters and the scope of its mission in question. The agency has lost the faith of many Americans. According to a Pew Research Center poll earlier this year, ICE had the lowest favorability rating of the 10 federal agencies it asked about.
Biden has said he plans to halt all deportations for 100 days and has promised a new approach to immigration enforcement. Last week, Biden’s nominee to run the Department of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, signaled the new tone: “We must stop vilifying these communities,” he said. “We must bring to an immediate end the inhumane and unjust treatment of immigrants.” But what that change will look like remains to be seen. There are strong political headwinds on all sides: The union that represents ICE officers supported Trump in 2016; many progressives, meanwhile, revile the agency.
BuzzFeed News spoke with 12 current and former ICE officials who served during the Trump administration about their experiences and their thoughts about the future. Many, like Schwab, said the new president must find a way to correct the excesses of the past four years and restore public trust in the agency by revamping policies and tactics. But many also cautioned that it won’t be easy.
“It has been branded as a partisan agency. Law enforcement should be neutral, should be driven by policy and through fair and humane implementation of the law,” said one former ICE official, who served under both Obama and Trump. “Unfortunately, ICE put their MAGA hat on. They’re gonna try to take it off come January, but I don’t know how successful that will be.”


buzzfeed--2020-12-09--Lena Dunham Delivered Some Hard Truths About Body Image Issues During The Pandemic

`` Over the years , as my body guided me through my career and illness and disability , I started @ @ @ @ @ capable of .
But somehow , this pandemic time has brought back some of those @ @ @ @ @ I think it all comes back to that damned to-do list , the one that @ @ @ @ @ lockdown . ''

"Over the years, as my body guided me through my career and illness and disability, I started to appreciate what it was capable of. But somehow, this pandemic time has brought back some of those old feelings of self-loathing and I think it all comes back to that damned to-do list, the one that started when we went into lockdown."


buzzfeed--2020-12-09--This Woman Caught Her Boyfriend Jerking Off Even Though She Asked Him Not To Anymore — Is She Being


buzzfeed--2020-12-09--A Vaccine Critic Told Congress To Focus On Toilets Instead Of Masks To Stop COVID


buzzfeed--2020-12-09--How ICE Became The Face Of Trump’s Immigration Crackdown And Where It Goes From Here After Biden Is


buzzfeed--2020-12-09--Bill Nye Went Mega-Viral On TikTok After He Shut Down "Anti-Maskers" For Their Fake Science


buzzfeed--2020-12-09--Hunter Biden Says He's Under Federal Investigation Over His Taxes

President-elect Joe Biden ’ s son Hunter revealed Wednesday that he ’ s under federal investigation related to his taxes .
“ I learned yesterday for the first time that the US Attorney ’ s Office in Delaware advised my legal counsel , also yesterday , that they are investigating my tax affairs , ” Hunter Biden said in a two-sentence statement distributed by his father ’ s transition team .
“ I take this matter very seriously but I am confident that a professional and objective review of these matters will demonstrate that I handled my affairs legally and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ professional tax advisors.
” The statement did not offer further details about the nature of the investigation .
A source familiar with the matter told BuzzFeed News that it is not related to the attacks that outgoing President Donald Trump and his allies have made against Hunter Biden during the campaign .
A query to the US Attorney ’ s Office in Delaware was not immediately returned .
Biden ’ s son was a constant target for Trump in the closing months of the campaign , with the president and Republicans frequently raising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s business dealings overseas .
Trump ’ s obsession with investigating the father and son , via the Ukrainian government , led to his impeachment this year .
At the first presidential debate , Trump responded to Biden ’ s tribute to his late son , Beau , by raising Hunter ’ s past issues with substance abuse .
“ President-elect Biden is deeply proud of his son , who has fought through difficult challenges , including the vicious personal attacks of recent months , only to emerge stronger , ” the Biden–Harris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement .
Trump , meanwhile , has discussed preemptive pardons for his three eldest children and son-in-law Jared Kushner , a senior White House adviser , the New York Times reported last week .
None of Trump 's children nor Kushner has been charged with a crime , but the president is reportedly concerned about investigations that could launch after he leaves office in January .
Trump ’ s taxes have largely been a mystery since he entered politics .
Breaking from tradition , he 's refused to make his own tax records @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t release his returns until a long-standing IRS audit is finalized .
The Times reported earlier this year , based on tax return data the newspaper said it had obtained , that Trump paid no federal income taxes in 10 of the 15 years before he became president .
As he prepares to leave office , Trump is also facing two investigations by authorities in New York connected to his company ’ s business and tax dealings .

President-elect Joe Biden’s son Hunter revealed Wednesday that he’s under federal investigation related to his taxes.
“I learned yesterday for the first time that the US Attorney’s Office in Delaware advised my legal counsel, also yesterday, that they are investigating my tax affairs,” Hunter Biden said in a two-sentence statement distributed by his father’s transition team. “I take this matter very seriously but I am confident that a professional and objective review of these matters will demonstrate that I handled my affairs legally and appropriately, including with the benefit of professional tax advisors.”
The statement did not offer further details about the nature of the investigation. A source familiar with the matter told BuzzFeed News that it is not related to the attacks that outgoing President Donald Trump and his allies have made against Hunter Biden during the campaign.
A query to the US Attorney’s Office in Delaware was not immediately returned.
Biden’s son was a constant target for Trump in the closing months of the campaign, with the president and Republicans frequently raising unfounded and debunked accusations about Hunter’s business dealings overseas. Trump’s obsession with investigating the father and son, via the Ukrainian government, led to his impeachment this year.
At the first presidential debate, Trump responded to Biden’s tribute to his late son, Beau, by raising Hunter’s past issues with substance abuse.
“President-elect Biden is deeply proud of his son, who has fought through difficult challenges, including the vicious personal attacks of recent months, only to emerge stronger,” the Biden–Harris transition team said in Wednesday’s statement.
Trump, meanwhile, has discussed preemptive pardons for his three eldest children and son-in-law Jared Kushner, a senior White House adviser, the New York Times reported last week. None of Trump's children nor Kushner has been charged with a crime, but the president is reportedly concerned about investigations that could launch after he leaves office in January.
Trump’s taxes have largely been a mystery since he entered politics. Breaking from tradition, he's refused to make his own tax records public and repeatedly said he wouldn’t release his returns until a long-standing IRS audit is finalized. The Times reported earlier this year, based on tax return data the newspaper said it had obtained, that Trump paid no federal income taxes in 10 of the 15 years before he became president.
As he prepares to leave office, Trump is also facing two investigations by authorities in New York connected to his company’s business and tax dealings.


buzzfeed--2020-12-09--YouTube Will Start Removing Election Conspiracy Content (32 Days After Joe Biden Won)

YouTube , where conspiracies about voter fraud and the outcome of the 2020 election have thrived , will begin taking down videos that are uploaded from Wednesday and which contain lies and misleading information about the election .
The new policy will not apply to the thousands of misleading and conspiratorial videos uploaded before Wednesday , some 32 days since Joe Biden was projected as the winner .
`` Yesterday was the safe harbor deadline for the U.S. Presidential election and enough states have certified their election results to determine a President-elect , '' the company said in a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start removing any piece of content uploaded today ( or anytime after ) that misleads people by alleging that widespread fraud or errors changed the outcome of the 2020 U.S. Presidential election '' The so-called safe harbor deadline is the date by which state-level election challenges are generally supposed to have been completed .
Spokesperson Ivy Choi confirmed to BuzzFeed News that false election content uploaded prior to Dec. 9 is allowed to remain on the platform .
`` Content that is not violative / stays up will show our information panel , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election results certification status , '' Choi said .
Like other social media platforms , YouTube — whose parent company Alphabet also owns Google — has failed to assertively push back against falsehoods about the election .
On Nov. 4 , One America News Network , a pro-Trump , far-right cable channel that Trump himself has personally promoted , uploaded a video claiming that `` President Trump won four more years in office last night '' as millions of votes in key swing states were being counted .
Despite intense backlash , YouTube @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has nearly half a million views , and instead slapped a notice on the page first saying that the results are not final , and then days later updated it to note that the Associated Press had projected Biden as the winner .
Conspiracies about the election results have similarly spread on other platforms .
Trump 's favorite website , Twitter , has plastered lukewarm warning labels on false and misleading tweets about the election — including from the president himself — but has avoided taking down those tweets altogether .
Facebook , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pages that promote conspiracies and violence on the website , also opted to label misleading posts about the election from Trump .
BuzzFeed News reported in mid-November that internal data show those labels have been ineffective in discouraging people from sharing and engaging with those posts .

YouTube, where conspiracies about voter fraud and the outcome of the 2020 election have thrived, will begin taking down videos that are uploaded from Wednesday and which contain lies and misleading information about the election.
The new policy will not apply to the thousands of misleading and conspiratorial videos uploaded before Wednesday, some 32 days since Joe Biden was projected as the winner.
"Yesterday was the safe harbor deadline for the U.S. Presidential election and enough states have certified their election results to determine a President-elect," the company said in a statement. "Given that, we will start removing any piece of content uploaded today (or anytime after) that misleads people by alleging that widespread fraud or errors changed the outcome of the 2020 U.S. Presidential election"
The so-called safe harbor deadline is the date by which state-level election challenges are generally supposed to have been completed.
Spokesperson Ivy Choi confirmed to BuzzFeed News that false election content uploaded prior to Dec. 9 is allowed to remain on the platform.
"Content that is not violative / stays up will show our information panel, which will be updated to reflect the election results certification status," Choi said.
Like other social media platforms, YouTube — whose parent company Alphabet also owns Google — has failed to assertively push back against falsehoods about the election.
On Nov. 4, One America News Network, a pro-Trump, far-right cable channel that Trump himself has personally promoted, uploaded a video claiming that "President Trump won four more years in office last night" as millions of votes in key swing states were being counted.
Despite intense backlash, YouTube declined to remove the video, which has nearly half a million views, and instead slapped a notice on the page first saying that the results are not final, and then days later updated it to note that the Associated Press had projected Biden as the winner.
Conspiracies about the election results have similarly spread on other platforms.
Trump's favorite website, Twitter, has plastered lukewarm warning labels on false and misleading tweets about the election — including from the president himself — but has avoided taking down those tweets altogether.
Facebook, known for its reluctance to reprimand right-wing pages that promote conspiracies and violence on the website, also opted to label misleading posts about the election from Trump. BuzzFeed News reported in mid-November that internal data show those labels have been ineffective in discouraging people from sharing and engaging with those posts.


buzzfeed--2020-12-09--The Supreme Court Denied A Republican Challenge To Joe Biden's Pennsylvania Win In A One-Sentence Or

The Supreme Court Denied A Republican Challenge To Joe Biden's Pennsylvania Win In A One-Sentence Order


buzzfeed--2020-12-10--Lizzo Delivered A Powerful Message On TikTok For Anyone Who's Had "Negative Thoughts" About Body Ima

Lizzo Delivered A Powerful Message On TikTok For Anyone Who's Had "Negative Thoughts" About Body Image

`` Normally , I would have some positive thing to say to get me out of this , but I @ @ @ @ @ 's okay too .
[ It 's ] normal , and [ it happens ] @ @ @ @ @ to the best of us . ''

She continued, "Normally, I would have some positive thing to say to get me out of this, but I don't, and that's okay too. [It's] normal, and [it happens] to everybody. It happens to the best of us."


buzzfeed--2020-12-10--Bill Nye Went Mega-Viral On TikTok After He Shut Down "Anti-Maskers" For Their Fake Science


buzzfeed--2020-12-10--This Viral Video Of A Girl Explaining Things She Never Realized About Abortion Has Some Truth To It


buzzfeed--2020-12-10--This Woman Caught Her Boyfriend Jerking Off Even Though She Asked Him Not To Anymore — Is She Being


buzzfeed--2020-12-11--Here Are The Names Of 106 Members Of The House Who Refuse To Accept That Biden Won

House Republicans gather on the steps of the US Capitol for a press conference .
All 50 states have officially certified the results of the 2020 presidential election as of this week , reaffirming what has been known for over a month now : Joe Biden will be the next president of the United States .
And yet , on Thursday , 106 Republican members of Congress signed an amicus brief asking the Supreme Court to allow the state of Texas to file a lawsuit that seeks to invalidate the election results in the states of Georgia , Michigan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which President Donald Trump lost .
With electors scheduled to meet on Monday to officially name Biden the victor , it 's a long shot that the court will step in .
On Tuesday , the Supreme Court justices denied a Republican effort to challenge a 2019 Pennsylvania law that expanded mail-in voting .
Among the representatives who signed on are several members who have just won races in the very states whose elections they now allege are so rife with `` irregularities '' that they want the court to throw out the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ widespread electoral fraud .
Here are their names :

All 50 states have officially certified the results of the 2020 presidential election as of this week, reaffirming what has been known for over a month now: Joe Biden will be the next president of the United States.
And yet, on Thursday, 106 Republican members of Congress signed an amicus brief asking the Supreme Court to allow the state of Texas to file a lawsuit that seeks to invalidate the election results in the states of Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, all of which President Donald Trump lost. On Friday, Republicans filed an updated brief to include an additional 20 members.
Several hours later on Friday evening, the court rejected Texas's challenge, saying the state lacked standing to sue.
With electors scheduled to meet on Monday to officially name Biden the victor, it was a long shot that the court would step in. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court justices denied a Republican effort to challenge a 2019 Pennsylvania law that expanded mail-in voting.
Among the representatives who signed on are several members who have just won races in the very states whose elections they now allege are so rife with "irregularities" that they want the court to throw out the results. There is no evidence of widespread electoral fraud.
Here are their names:
Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana’s 4th Congressional District
Rep. Gary Palmer of Alabama’s 6th Congressional District
Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio’s 4th Congressional District
Rep. Ralph Abraham of Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District
Rep. Rick W. Allen of Georgia’s 12th Congressional District
Rep. James R. Baird of Indiana’s 4th Congressional District
Rep. Jim Banks of Indiana’s 3rd Congressional District
Rep. Jack Bergman of Michigan’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona’s 5th Congressional District
Rep. Gus Bilirakis of Florida’s 12th Congressional District
Rep. Dan Bishop of North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District
Rep. Mike Bost of Illinois’s 12th Congressional District
Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas’s 8th Congressional District
Rep. Mo Brooks of Alabama’s 5th Congressional District
Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado’s 4th Congressional District
Rep. Ted Budd of North Carolina’s 13th Congressional District
Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee’s 2nd Congressional District
Rep. Michael C. Burgess of Texas’s 26th Congressional District
Rep. Bradley Byrne of Alabama’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Ken Calvert of California’s 42nd Congressional District
Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter of Georgia’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Ben Cline of Virginia’s 6th Congressional District
Rep. Michael Cloud of Texas’s 27th Congressional District
Rep. Mike Conaway of Texas’s 11th Congressional District
Rep. Rick Crawford of Arkansas’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Dan Crenshaw of Texas’s 2nd Congressional District
Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida’s 25th Congressional District
Rep. Jeff Duncan of South Carolina’s 3rd Congressional District
Rep. Neal P. Dunn of Florida’s 2nd Congressional District
Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota’s 6th Congressional District
Rep. Ron Estes of Kansas’s 4th Congressional District
Rep. Drew Ferguson of Georgia’s 3rd Congressional District
Rep. Chuck Fleischmann of Tennessee's 3rd Congressional District
Rep. Bill Flores of Texas’s 17th Congressional District
Rep. Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Virginia Foxx of North Carolina’s 5th Congressional District
Rep. Russ Fulcher of Idaho’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Greg Gianforte of Montana’s at-large congressional district
Rep. Bob Gibbs of Ohio’s 7th Congressional District
Rep. Louie Gohmert of Texas’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Lance Gooden of Texas’s 5th Congressional District
Rep. Sam Graves of Missouri’s 6th Congressional District
Rep. Mark Green of Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District
Rep. Michael Guest of Mississippi’s 3rd Congressional District
Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Vicky Hartzler of Missouri’s 4th Congressional District
Rep. Kevin Hern of Oklahoma’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Clay Higgins of Louisiana’s 3rd Congressional District
Rep. Trey Hollingsworth of Indiana’s 9th Congressional District
Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina’s 8th Congressional District
Rep. Bill Huizenga of Michigan’s 2nd Congressional District
Rep. Bill Johnson of Ohio’s 6th Congressional District
Rep. John Joyce of Pennsylvania’s 13th Congressional District
Rep. Fred Keller of Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional District
Rep. Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania’s 16th Congressional District
Rep. Trent Kelly of Mississippi’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Steve King of Iowa’s 4th Congressional District
Rep. David Kustoff of Tennessee’s 8th Congressional District
Rep. Darin LaHood of Illinois’s 18th Congressional District
Rep. Doug LaMalfa of California’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Doug Lamborn of Colorado’s 5th Congressional District
Rep. Robert E. Latta of Ohio’s 5th Congressional District
Rep. Debbie Lesko of Arizona’s 8th Congressional District
Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer of Missouri’s 3rd Congressional District
Rep. Kenny Marchant of Texas’s 24th Congressional District
Rep. Roger Marshall of Kansas’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Tom McClintock of California’s 4th Congressional District
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington’s 5th Congressional District
Rep. Dan Meuser of Pennsylvania’s 9th Congressional District
Rep. Carol D. Miller of West Virginia’s 3rd Congressional District
Rep. John Moolenaar of Michigan’s 4th Congressional District
Rep. Alex X. Mooney of West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District
Rep. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma’s 2nd Congressional District
Rep. Gregory Murphy of North Carolina’s 3rd Congressional District
Rep. Dan Newhouse of Washington’s 4th Congressional District
Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina’s 5th Congressional District
Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District
Rep. Guy Reschenthaler of Pennsylvania’s 14th Congressional District
Rep. Tom Rice of South Carolina’s 7th Congressional District
Rep. John Rose of Tennessee’s 6th Congressional District
Rep. David Rouzer of North Carolina’s 7th Congressional District
Rep. John Rutherford of Florida’s 4th Congressional District
Rep. Austin Scott of Georgia’s 8th Congressional District
Rep. Mike Simpson of Idaho’s 2nd Congressional District
Rep. Adrian Smith of Nebraska’s 3rd Congressional District
Rep. Jason Smith of Missouri’s 8th Congressional District
Rep. Ross Spano of Florida’s 15th Congressional District
Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York’s 21st Congressional District
Rep. Glenn Thompson of Pennsylvania’s 15th Congressional District
Rep. Tom Tiffany of Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District
Rep. William Timmons of South Carolina’s 4th Congressional District
Rep. Ann Wagner of Missouri’s 2nd Congressional District
Rep. Tim Walberg of Michigan’s 7th Congressional District
Rep. Michael Waltz of Florida’s 6th Congressional District
Rep. Randy Weber of Texas’s 14th Congressional District
Rep. Daniel Webster of Florida’s 11th Congressional District
Rep. Brad Wenstrup of Ohio’s 2nd Congressional District
Rep. Bruce Westerman of Arkansas’s 4th Congressional District
Rep. Roger Williams of Texas’s 25th Congressional District
Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina’s 2nd Congressional District
Rep. Rob Wittman of Virginia’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Ron Wright of Texas’s 6th Congressional District
Rep. Ted S. Yoho of Florida’s 3rd Congressional District
Rep. Lee Zeldin of New York’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California’s 23rd Congressional District
Rep. Robert Aderholt of Alabama’s 4th Congressional District
Rep. Jodey Arrington of Texas’s 19th Congressional District
Rep. Brian Babin of Texas’s 36th Congressional District
Rep. Doug Collins of Georgia’s 9th Congressional District
Rep. Scott DesJarlais of Tennessee’s 4th Congressional District
Rep. Morgan Griffith of Virginia’s 9th Congressional District
Rep. Jim Hagedorn of Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Jody Hice of Georgia’s 10th Congressional District
Rep. Billy Long of Missouri’s 7th Congressional District
Rep. Barry Loudermilk of Georgia’s 11th Congressional District
Rep. Steven Palazzo of Mississippi’s 4th Congressional District
Rep. Greg Pence of Indiana’s 6th Congressional District
Rep. Bill Posey of Florida’s 8th Congressional District
Rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama’s 3rd Congressional District
Rep. Pete Stauber of Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District
Rep. W. Gregory Steube of Florida’s 17th Congressional District
Rep. Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District
Rep. Mark Walker of North Carolina’s 6th Congressional District
Rep. Jackie Walorski of Indiana’s 2nd Congressional District