buzzfeed--2020-10-25--Mike Pence's Top Aide Tested Positive For The Coronavirus And Pence Will Keep Campaigning

Vice President Mike Pence 's chief of staff tested positive for the coronavirus , but Pence still plans to keep his travel schedule in the closing days of the presidential race , his office announced late Saturday night .
`` Today , Marc Short , Chief of Staff to the Vice President , tested positive for COVID-19 , began quarantine and assisting in the contact tracing process , '' the vice president 's press secretary Devin O'Malley said in a statement .
Pence and Second Lady Karen Pence both tested negative for COVID-19 on Saturday , according to Pence 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staffers have recently tested positive , the New York Times and ABC News reported Saturday night .
`` While Vice President Pence is considered a close contact with Mr. Short , in consultation with the White House Medical Unity , the Vice President will maintain his schedule in accordance with the CDC guidelines for essential personnel , '' the statement said .
Pence is scheduled to appear at a campaign rally in North Carolina on Sunday , after campaigning in Florida on Saturday .
The CDC defines a `` close contact '' as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a person person infected with COVID-19 for at least 15 minutes within two days of either the start of someone 's symptoms beginning or a positive COVID-19 test .
The CDC generally advises anyone who has been in close contact with a person who tests positive to quarantine for 14 days after their last contact with that person .
Pence 's office is working around that step by declaring Pence `` essential , '' though his planned travel this week , including to North Carolina and South Carolina on Tuesday , is for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business .
The Saturday night statement did not specify when Pence and Short were last in close contact , and Pence 's office did not immediately respond to questions when asked by BuzzFeed News .
Karen Pence is also scheduled for a campaign trip , to North Carolina on Monday .
The vice president is the head of the White House 's Coronavirus Task Force , though he has not always stuck by common guidelines to prevent the virus 's spread..
The Trump campaign , with ten days to go before the election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus pandemic , as the country sees a booming growth in cases and hospitalizations .
President Donald Trump , who tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this month , has been holding large rallies across the country in recent days , including in states like Wisconsin where virus rates are surging .
Earlier Saturday , at a rally in Ohio , Trump complained about media coverage of the pandemic , which he has generally insisted is fading , despite reality .
`` The news , the CNN , all they talk about , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Trump told the thousands of supporters .

Vice President Mike Pence's chief of staff tested positive for the coronavirus, but Pence still plans to keep his travel schedule in the closing days of the presidential race, his office announced late Saturday night.
"Today, Marc Short, Chief of Staff to the Vice President, tested positive for COVID-19, began quarantine and assisting in the contact tracing process," the vice president's press secretary Devin O'Malley said in a statement.
Pence and second lady Karen Pence both tested negative for COVID-19 on Saturday, according to Pence's office. At least two other Pence staffers have recently tested positive, the New York Times and ABC News reported Saturday night.
"While Vice President Pence is considered a close contact with Mr. Short, in consultation with the White House Medical Unity, the Vice President will maintain his schedule in accordance with the CDC guidelines for essential personnel," the statement said. Pence is scheduled to appear at a campaign rally in North Carolina on Sunday, after campaigning in Florida on Saturday.
The CDC defines a "close contact" as someone who was within 6 feet of a person infected with COVID-19 for at least 15 minutes within two days of either the start of someone's symptoms beginning or a positive COVID-19 test. The CDC generally advises anyone who has been in close contact with a person who tests positive to quarantine for 14 days after their last contact with that person.
Pence's office is working around that step by declaring Pence "essential," though his planned travel this week, including to North Carolina and South Carolina on Tuesday, is for the presidential campaign, not for official business. The Saturday night statement did not specify when Pence and Short were last in close contact, and Pence's office did not immediately respond to questions when asked by BuzzFeed News.
Karen Pence is also scheduled for a campaign trip, to North Carolina on Monday.
The vice president is the head of the White House's coronavirus task force, though he has not always stuck by common guidelines to prevent the virus's spread.
The Trump campaign, with 10 days to go before the election, is consistently downplaying the seriousness of the coronavirus pandemic, as the country sees a booming growth in cases and hospitalizations. President Donald Trump, who tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this month, has been holding large rallies across the country in recent days, including in states like Wisconsin where virus rates are surging.
Earlier Saturday, at a rally in Ohio, Trump complained about media coverage of the pandemic, which he has generally insisted is fading, despite reality.
"The news, the CNN, all they talk about, COVID! COVID, COVID, COVID," Trump told the thousands of supporters.


buzzfeed--2020-10-25--The Pandemic Election Has The Two Presidential Campaigns Living In Different Universes

CLEVELAND — Kamala Harris paced joyfully down the middle of East 30th Street .
Masked and holding a cordless microphone , she addressed a line of early voters that had backed up for blocks past the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections and spilled onto a freeway off-ramp .
“ It ’ s Kamala , and I came to Cleveland to say thank you !
” the Democratic nominee for vice president began .
“ Thank you for voting and voting early .
Your vote is your voice , your voice is your vote .
There is so much at stake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take your power.
” There were maybe a few hundred people within earshot .
It would be the largest audience she addressed during her five-hour visit here Saturday — and a sign of how carefully Joe Biden ’ s campaign is proceeding through coronavirus protocols .
Most of the voters in line to cast ballots in this overwhelmingly Democratic county cheered Harris ’ s presence .
And the sight of this on social media worked at least one of President Donald Trump ’ s allies into a competitive lather .
“ When you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” a Trump senior adviser from Ohio snarked on Twitter .
One campaign follows best pandemic practices .
The other doesn ’ t .
It ’ s not that Biden and Harris can ’ t draw a big crowd .
It ’ s that they ’ re choosing not to .
And scenes Saturday from both campaigns clarified the divergent and disorienting state of the presidential race 10 days from Election Day .
As Harris was leaving Ohio , Trump was arriving for his own visit , to Circleville near Columbus .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its annual pumpkin show , a five-day festival that draws hundreds of thousands of people .
Saturday would have been the closing night , but the pandemic forced organizers to cancel this year ’ s event .
Circleville got a Trump rally instead .
“ The energy is off the charts , ” Michael Hartley , a Republican strategist who lives in Circleville , told BuzzFeed News when asked if locals were disappointed to trade pumpkins for Trump .
“ It ’ s like it ’ s own festival .
Vendors and carnival @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” If you do wear a mask and you do your best to stay six feet apart , a Trump event can feel an awful lot like gaslighting .
When Vice President Mike Pence campaigned last week in Columbus , most in the outdoor , but closely-smooshed-together , crowd were maskless as they sat , stood , shook hands , and hollered .
The exceptions were those seated directly behind Pence , in the TV shot .
And they didn ’ t put their masks on until soon before Pence took the stage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic that has killed more than 224,000 Americans is treated , and understood by his supporters , as a problem Trump has already fought and won .
`` The news , the CNN , all they talk about , COVID !
COVID , COVID , COVID , '' Trump said in Circleville .
`` You have to lead your life .
And you have to get out .
You have to be vigilant , be careful , socially distance .
Get too close , put the mask on , put it on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things , '' he said soon after to a crowd of supporters who largely were not doing those things .
Biden and Harris have made the coronavirus — and their criticism of the president ’ s response to it — the dominant focus of their campaign .
After deplaning Saturday at Burke Lakefront Airport , Harris took a question about the electoral importance of Ohio into an opportunity to hit that message .
`` First of all , ” she responded , “ Ohio is going to help determine the outcome of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But also you look at the challenges that Ohioans are facing … we 've had the highest number in Ohio of hospitalizations since the beginning of the pandemic .
”

CLEVELAND — Kamala Harris paced joyfully down the middle of East 30th Street. Masked and holding a cordless microphone, she addressed a line of early voters that had backed up for blocks past the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections and spilled onto a freeway off-ramp.
“It’s Kamala, and I came to Cleveland to say thank you!” the Democratic nominee for vice president began. “Thank you for voting and voting early. Your vote is your voice, your voice is your vote. There is so much at stake. Don’t let anyone ever take your power.”
There were maybe a few hundred people within earshot. It would be the largest audience she addressed during her five-hour visit here Saturday — and a sign of how carefully Joe Biden’s campaign is proceeding through coronavirus protocols. Most of the voters in line to cast ballots in this overwhelmingly Democratic county cheered Harris’s presence. And the sight of this on social media worked at least one of President Donald Trump’s allies into a competitive lather.
“When you can’t draw a crowd...” a Trump senior adviser from Ohio snarked on Twitter.
One campaign follows best pandemic practices. The other doesn’t. It’s not that Biden and Harris can’t draw a big crowd. It’s that they’re choosing not to. And scenes Saturday from both campaigns clarified the divergent and disorienting state of the presidential race 10 days from Election Day.
As Harris was leaving Ohio, Trump was arriving for his own visit, to Circleville near Columbus. The city of roughly 14,000 is known for its annual pumpkin show, a five-day festival that draws hundreds of thousands of people. Saturday would have been the closing night, but the pandemic forced organizers to cancel this year’s event. Circleville got a Trump rally instead.
“The energy is off the charts,” Michael Hartley, a Republican strategist who lives in Circleville, told BuzzFeed News when asked if locals were disappointed to trade pumpkins for Trump. “It’s like its own festival. Vendors and carnival food. Small town America showing out.”
The outdoor rally drew thousands, many maskless.
If you do wear a mask and you do your best to stay 6 feet apart, a Trump event can feel an awful lot like gaslighting. When Vice President Mike Pence campaigned last week in Columbus, most in the outdoor, but closely smooshed together, crowd were maskless as they sat, stood, shook hands, and hollered. The exceptions were those seated directly behind Pence, in the TV shot. And they didn’t put their masks on until soon before Pence took the stage. At Trump and Pence events, the pandemic that has killed more than 224,000 Americans is treated, and understood by his supporters, as a problem Trump has already fought and won.
"The news, the CNN, all they talk about, COVID! COVID, COVID, COVID," Trump said in Circleville.
"You have to lead your life. And you have to get out. You have to be vigilant, be careful, socially distance. Get too close, put the mask on, put it on, you know, lots of different things," he said soon after to a crowd of supporters who largely were not doing those things.
Biden and Harris have made the coronavirus — and their criticism of the president’s response to it — the dominant focus of their campaign. After deplaning Saturday at Burke Lakefront Airport, Harris took a question about the electoral importance of Ohio into an opportunity to hit that message. "First of all,” she responded, “Ohio is going to help determine the outcome of this election, there's no question. But also you look at the challenges that Ohioans are facing … we've had the highest number in Ohio of hospitalizations since the beginning of the pandemic.”


buzzfeed--2020-10-25--Voters In Alabama’s Largest County Could Have Their Ballots Thrown Out After A Court Ruled Instructi

Voters In Alabama’s Largest County Could Have Their Ballots Thrown Out After A Court Ruled Instructions They Were Sent Are No Longer Valid

WASHINGTON — An unknown number of absentee voters in Alabama ’ s most populous county are at risk of having their ballots thrown out because elections officials mailed special instructions that became invalid after a recent court ruling .
Elections officials in Jefferson County , Alabama , sent out a waiver with absentee ballots allowing voters with some medical conditions to bypass a state law requiring them to have witnesses sign their ballots due to the coronavirus pandemic .
But since a court ruled that those waivers will not be allowed , it ’ s unclear if county officials have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to notify the voters who received them .
The situation in Jefferson County is a casualty of the frantic pace of litigation around this year ’ s presidential election .
State and local election officials have had to make difficult decisions about how to provide accurate information to voters about election rules that could change at any moment as long as court cases are pending .
Alabama requires absentee voters to have two witnesses or a notary present when they sign their ballot ; the witnesses have to sign the ballot , too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judge blocked the witness requirement for voters with underlying medical conditions that put them at higher risk of COVID-19 , the disease caused by the novel coronavirus .
At some point after that September ruling , election officials in Jefferson County — which has close to 500,000 registered voters , according to Alabama ’ s secretary of state — sent out absentee ballots with a special form that voters could sign to certify that they had a medical condition and waive the witness requirement , in an attempt to comply with the judge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 13 , the US Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit reversed that order and reinstated the witness requirement .
Deuel Ross , a lawyer with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund who has been involved in the Alabama litigation and is monitoring the situation in Jefferson County , told BuzzFeed News that as of Oct. 23 , they aren ’ t aware of an effort by the county to notify voters who received the now-inoperative waiver .
The Alabama attorney general ’ s office filed notice that it was appealing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judge ruled , but the witness waiver form sent by Jefferson County doesn ’ t mention that litigation was still pending , according to a copy obtained by BuzzFeed News .
Ross ’ organization and other voting rights groups sent a letter to Jefferson County officials on Oct. 21 asking them to alert voters who received the waiver that they can not use it and to come up with a way for voters whose ballots have arrived with the waiver after the 11th Circuit ruled to “ cure ” their ballots .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response yet from the county .
“ We understand that your office has been managing an historic volume of absentee ballot applications and in-person absentee voters in recent weeks , ” the groups wrote in the letter .
“ However , it is crucial that voters are given the opportunity to correct any issue with their ballot that resulted through no fault of their own.
” Ross said they don ’ t know how many Jefferson County residents received the waiver form , but given the two-week window between the two court decisions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Ross said he wasn ’ t aware of any other Alabama county where this was an issue .
“ Jefferson County was trying to do the right thing and inform voters , ” Ross said .
“ Unfortunately the higher court stepped in and prevented voters from continuing to have that option after the two-week period there , so I think Jefferson County can and should do everything they can ... and give voters a chance to cure their ballots.
” County election officials and attorneys did not return requests by BuzzFeed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ published a press release on its website on Oct. 13 about the 11th Circuit order reviving the witness requirement but didn ’ t post updates on its Facebook or Twitter accounts .
The federal district judge ’ s Sept. 30 order had also blocked Alabama ’ s photo ID requirement for absentee ballot applications for voters over age 65 or who have a disability that puts them at higher risk of COVID-19 ; the 11th Circuit reversed that order as well .
Jefferson County sent out a separate waiver form for absentee ballot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the September 30 order , and the voting rights groups have asked the county to also find a way to make sure voters who apply for ballots using that waiver are notified and given a way to now satisfy the ID requirement .
Alabama voters have until Oct. 29 to apply for absentee ballots , which must be received by Election Day in order to be counted .

WASHINGTON — An unknown number of absentee voters in Alabama’s most populous county are at risk of having their ballots thrown out because elections officials mailed special instructions that became invalid after a recent court ruling.
Elections officials in Jefferson County, Alabama, sent out a waiver with absentee ballots allowing voters with some medical conditions to bypass a state law requiring them to have witnesses sign their ballots due to the coronavirus pandemic. But since a court ruled that those waivers will not be allowed, it’s unclear if county officials have done — or will do — anything to notify the voters who received them.
The situation in Jefferson County is a casualty of the frantic pace of litigation around this year’s presidential election. State and local election officials have had to make difficult decisions about how to provide accurate information to voters about election rules that could change at any moment as long as court cases are pending.
Alabama requires absentee voters to have two witnesses or a notary present when they sign their ballot; the witnesses have to sign the ballot, too. On Sept. 30, a federal judge blocked the witness requirement for voters with underlying medical conditions that put them at higher risk of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
At some point after that September ruling, election officials in Jefferson County — which has close to 500,000 registered voters, according to Alabama’s secretary of state — sent out absentee ballots with a special form that voters could sign to certify that they had a medical condition and waive the witness requirement, in an attempt to comply with the judge’s order.
But on Oct. 13, the US Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit reversed that order and reinstated the witness requirement. Deuel Ross, a lawyer with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund who has been involved in the Alabama litigation and is monitoring the situation in Jefferson County, told BuzzFeed News that as of Oct. 23, they aren’t aware of an effort by the county to notify voters who received the now-inoperative waiver.
The Alabama attorney general’s office filed notice that it was appealing the Sept. 30 order the same day the judge ruled, but the witness waiver form sent by Jefferson County doesn’t mention that litigation was still pending, according to a copy obtained by BuzzFeed News.
Ross’s organization and other voting rights groups sent a letter to Jefferson County officials on Oct. 21 asking them to alert voters who received the waiver that they cannot use it and to come up with a way for voters whose ballots have arrived with the waiver after the 11th Circuit ruled to “cure” their ballots. He said they haven’t received a response yet from the county.
“We understand that your office has been managing an historic volume of absentee ballot applications and in-person absentee voters in recent weeks,” the groups wrote in the letter. “However, it is crucial that voters are given the opportunity to correct any issue with their ballot that resulted through no fault of their own.”
Ross said they don’t know how many Jefferson County residents received the waiver form, but given the two-week window between the two court decisions, it could be thousands of voters. Ross said he wasn’t aware of any other Alabama county where this was an issue.
“Jefferson County was trying to do the right thing and inform voters,” Ross said. “Unfortunately the higher court stepped in and prevented voters from continuing to have that option after the two-week period there, so I think Jefferson County can and should do everything they can ... and give voters a chance to cure their ballots.”
County election officials and attorneys did not return requests by BuzzFeed News for comment. The county government published a press release on its website on Oct. 13 about the 11th Circuit order reviving the witness requirement but didn’t post updates on its Facebook or Twitter accounts.
On Oct. 8, BirminghamWatch reported that a Jefferson County official had suggested that voters should get witnesses for their absentee ballot in case the Sept. 30 order was reversed, but a county attorney said that wasn't necessary. The attorney didn't address what would happen if ballots arrived without witness signatures in the event the appeals court did reinstate the requirement, and was quoted as saying that if ballots went through "the absentee process at this time, that will be valid and counted."
The federal district judge’s Sept. 30 order had also blocked Alabama’s photo ID requirement for absentee ballot applications for voters over age 65 or who have a disability that puts them at higher risk of COVID-19; the 11th Circuit reversed that order as well.
Jefferson County sent out a separate waiver form for absentee ballot applications in an effort to comply with the Sept. 30 order, and the voting rights groups have asked the county to also find a way to make sure voters who apply for ballots using that waiver are notified and given a way to now satisfy the ID requirement. Alabama voters have until Oct. 29 to apply for absentee ballots, which must be received by Election Day in order to be counted.


buzzfeed--2020-10-25--Two Major Coronavirus Vaccine Trials Have Restarted After Being Paused For Safety Investigations

Pharmaceutical companies running clinical trials for two high profile coronavirus vaccine candidates announced on Friday that the trials would resume , after safety investigations found that serious illnesses in volunteers did not appear to be related to the vaccines .
The FDA authorized AstraZeneca to resume its trial after a six-week pause spurred by a neurological illness in a trial participant .
Johnson & Johnson 's trial was paused earlier this month .
Study pauses are not unusual in clinical trials .
Unexpected illnesses are expected in trials that involve large numbers of patients , and safety investigations are necessary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the vaccine .
“ The restart of clinical trials across the world is great news as it allows us to continue our efforts to develop this vaccine to help defeat this terrible pandemic , '' AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot said in a statement .
`` We should be reassured by the care taken by independent regulators to protect the public and ensure the vaccine is safe before it is approved for use . ''
AstraZeneca 's trial , which is being conducted in a partnership with the University of Oxford in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The first pause occurred after a patient in July developed multiple sclerosis , which was determined to be unrelated to the vaccine .
The trial was was paused again in September after a participant developed a neurological illness called transverse myelitis .
Trials quickly resumed in the UK , Brazil , Brazil , South Africa , and Japan , while the US arm of the trial remained in limbo for weeks .
It 's still unclear why the US safety investigation took so long .
According to the New York Times , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alert trial participants about symptoms like weakness and numbness that could indicate a mild case of transverse myelitis .
The FDA did not respond to a request for comment .
AstraZeneca did not respond to questions about the advisory sent to trial participants .
`` You want this to happen .
You want people to be careful as they move forward , '' Paul Offit , a vaccine expert at Children ’ s Hospital of Philadelphia , who sits on the FDA vaccine advisory committee , told BuzzFeed News .
`` I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' `` In some ways you may be scaring people unnecessarily , or you might be informing them about something that could be a bigger problem , '' Offit added .
`` You don ’ t know .
But in fairness you have to let people know that it might be problem . ''
Johnson & Johnson 's trial , which is being tested in 60,000 participants , paused earlier this month .
`` After a thorough evaluation of a serious medical event experienced by one study participant , no clear cause has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a statement .
`` There are many possible factors that could have caused the event .
Based on the information gathered to date and the input of independent experts , the Company has found no evidence that the vaccine candidate caused the event . ''
Offit stressed that a lot was still unknown about both of the cases .
AstraZeneca 's pause was only reported publicly after a private call with investors was leaked to the science publication Stat .
Scientists have called for greater transparency from pharmaceutical companies as they move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and as public trust in the vaccines continues to drop .
`` There 's a lot we do n't know , '' Offit said , urging that it would be helpful to know more about what the companies found during their safety investigations .
`` We just read the tea leaves here . ''
Both AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson 's vaccines use the same technology to work .
A harmless chimpanzee adenovirus , which typically cause harmless colds , is used to shuttle a coronavirus gene into human cells to spur @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yet to lead to an approved vaccine , but has been tested in experimental vaccines against other viruses , including influenza and Ebola .
During Thursday 's presidential debate , President Donald Trump said , “ We have a vaccine that ’ s coming .
It ’ s ready .
It ’ s going to be announced within weeks.
” In reality , no vaccine candidates have yet made it through their late-stage trials .
An FDA science advisory committee about vaccine development on Thursday recommended that the agency collect more safety data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for emergency approval , a step that would further delay the availability of a vaccine .

Pharmaceutical companies running clinical trials for two high-profile coronavirus vaccine candidates announced on Friday that the trials would resume, after safety investigations found that serious illnesses in volunteers did not appear to be related to the vaccines.
The FDA authorized AstraZeneca to resume its trial after a six-week pause spurred by a neurological illness in a trial participant. Johnson & Johnson's trial was paused earlier this month.
Study pauses are not unusual in clinical trials. Unexpected illnesses are expected in trials that involve large numbers of patients, and safety investigations are necessary to determine whether the illnesses are linked to the vaccine.
“The restart of clinical trials across the world is great news as it allows us to continue our efforts to develop this vaccine to help defeat this terrible pandemic," AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot said in a statement. "We should be reassured by the care taken by independent regulators to protect the public and ensure the vaccine is safe before it is approved for use."
AstraZeneca's trial, which is being conducted in a partnership with the University of Oxford in the UK, has been halted twice. The first pause occurred after a patient in July developed multiple sclerosis, which was determined to be unrelated to the vaccine. The trial was paused again in September after a participant developed a neurological illness called transverse myelitis. Trials quickly resumed in the UK, Brazil, South Africa, and Japan, while the US arm of the trial remained in limbo for weeks.
It's still unclear why the US safety investigation took so long. According to the New York Times, the FDA has now advised the company to alert trial participants about symptoms like weakness and numbness that could indicate a mild case of transverse myelitis.
Asked about the update, an AstraZeneca spokesperson stressed that the FDA had concluded it was safe to resume the trial. "Following the FDA review, we have made changes to the Informed Consent Form, which reflects the outcome of their review and is intended to provide study participants with updated information about participating in the trial," the spokesperson said.
The FDA did not respond to a request for comment.
"You want this to happen. You want people to be careful as they move forward," Paul Offit, a vaccine expert at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, who sits on the FDA vaccine advisory committee, told BuzzFeed News. "I think it's an abundance of caution."
"In some ways, you may be scaring people unnecessarily, or you might be informing them about something that could be a bigger problem," Offit added. "You don’t know. But in fairness, you have to let people know that it might be a problem."
Johnson & Johnson's trial, which is being tested in 60,000 participants, paused earlier this month.
"After a thorough evaluation of a serious medical event experienced by one study participant, no clear cause has been identified," the company said in a statement. "There are many possible factors that could have caused the event. Based on the information gathered to date and the input of independent experts, the Company has found no evidence that the vaccine candidate caused the event."
Offit stressed that a lot was still unknown about both of the cases. AstraZeneca's pause was only reported publicly after a private call with investors was leaked to the science publication Stat. Scientists have called for greater transparency from pharmaceutical companies as they move at breakneck speed to test a vaccine, and as public trust in the vaccines continues to drop.
"There's a lot we don't know," Offit said, urging that it would be helpful to know more about what the companies found during their safety investigations. "We just read the tea leaves here."
Both AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson's vaccines use the same technology to work. A harmless chimpanzee adenovirus, which typically causes harmless colds, is used to shuttle a coronavirus gene into human cells to spur an immune response. The approach has yet to lead to an approved vaccine, but it has been tested in experimental vaccines against other viruses, including influenza and Ebola.
During Thursday's presidential debate, President Donald Trump said, “We have a vaccine that’s coming. It’s ready. It’s going to be announced within weeks.”
In reality, no vaccine candidates have yet made it through their late-stage trials. An FDA science advisory committee about vaccine development on Thursday recommended that the agency collect more safety data on the vaccine candidates before authorizing them for emergency approval, a step that would further delay the availability of a vaccine.


buzzfeed--2020-10-25--Stevie Nicks Spoke Candidly About Her Abortion And Said She "Would Have Had To Walk Away" From Fleet

Stevie Nicks Spoke Candidly About Her Abortion And Said She "Would Have Had To Walk Away" From Fleetwood Mac Without It

Stevie just gave an interview to the Guardian , and in it , she opened up about the abortion she @ @ @ @ @ her career was at an all-time high .
Stevie explained that the death of Supreme @ @ @ @ @ has made her reflect on that abortion and whether women of future generations will be @ @ @ @ @ choice .

Stevie just gave an interview to the Guardian, and in it, she opened up about the abortion she had in 1979, when her career was at an all-time high. Stevie explained that the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has made her reflect on that abortion and whether women of future generations will be given the same freedom of choice.


buzzfeed--2020-10-26--Voters In Alabama’s Largest County Could Have Their Ballots Thrown Out After A Court Ruled Instructi

WASHINGTON — An unknown number of absentee voters in Alabama ’ s most populous county are at risk of having their ballots thrown out because elections officials mailed special instructions that became invalid after a recent court ruling .
Elections officials in Jefferson County , Alabama , sent out a waiver with absentee ballots allowing voters with some medical conditions to bypass a state law requiring them to have witnesses sign their ballots due to the coronavirus pandemic .
But since a court ruled that those waivers will not be allowed , it ’ s unclear if county officials have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to notify the voters who received them .
The situation in Jefferson County is a casualty of the frantic pace of litigation around this year ’ s presidential election .
State and local election officials have had to make difficult decisions about how to provide accurate information to voters about election rules that could change at any moment as long as court cases are pending .
Alabama requires absentee voters to have two witnesses or a notary present when they sign their ballot ; the witnesses have to sign the ballot , too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judge blocked the witness requirement for voters with underlying medical conditions that put them at higher risk of COVID-19 , the disease caused by the novel coronavirus .
At some point after that September ruling , election officials in Jefferson County — which has close to 500,000 registered voters , according to Alabama ’ s secretary of state — sent out absentee ballots with a special form that voters could sign to certify that they had a medical condition and waive the witness requirement , in an attempt to comply with the judge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 13 , the US Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit reversed that order and reinstated the witness requirement .
Deuel Ross , a lawyer with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund who has been involved in the Alabama litigation and is monitoring the situation in Jefferson County , told BuzzFeed News that as of Oct. 23 , they aren ’ t aware of an effort by the county to notify voters who received the now-inoperative waiver .
The Alabama attorney general ’ s office filed notice that it was appealing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judge ruled , but the witness waiver form sent by Jefferson County doesn ’ t mention that litigation was still pending , according to a copy obtained by BuzzFeed News .
Ross ’ organization and other voting rights groups sent a letter to Jefferson County officials on Oct. 21 asking them to alert voters who received the waiver that they can not use it and to come up with a way for voters whose ballots have arrived with the waiver after the 11th Circuit ruled to “ cure ” their ballots .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response yet from the county .
“ We understand that your office has been managing an historic volume of absentee ballot applications and in-person absentee voters in recent weeks , ” the groups wrote in the letter .
“ However , it is crucial that voters are given the opportunity to correct any issue with their ballot that resulted through no fault of their own.
” Ross said they don ’ t know how many Jefferson County residents received the waiver form , but given the two-week window between the two court decisions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Ross said he wasn ’ t aware of any other Alabama county where this was an issue .
“ Jefferson County was trying to do the right thing and inform voters , ” Ross said .
“ Unfortunately the higher court stepped in and prevented voters from continuing to have that option after the two-week period there , so I think Jefferson County can and should do everything they can ... and give voters a chance to cure their ballots.
” County election officials and attorneys did not return requests by BuzzFeed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ published a press release on its website on Oct. 13 about the 11th Circuit order reviving the witness requirement but didn ’ t post updates on its Facebook or Twitter accounts .
On Oct. 8 , BirminghamWatch reported that a Jefferson County official had suggested that voters should get witnesses for their absentee ballot in case the Sept. 30 order was reversed , but a county attorney said that was n't necessary .
The attorney did n't address what would happen if ballots arrived without witness signatures in the event the appeals court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quoted as saying that if ballots went through `` the absentee process at this time , that will be valid and counted . ''
The federal district judge ’ s Sept. 30 order had also blocked Alabama ’ s photo ID requirement for absentee ballot applications for voters over age 65 or who have a disability that puts them at higher risk of COVID-19 ; the 11th Circuit reversed that order as well .
Jefferson County sent out a separate waiver form for absentee ballot applications in an effort to comply with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rights groups have asked the county to also find a way to make sure voters who apply for ballots using that waiver are notified and given a way to now satisfy the ID requirement .
Alabama voters have until Oct. 29 to apply for absentee ballots , which must be received by Election Day in order to be counted .


buzzfeed--2020-10-26--This Scary Statistic Predicts Growing US Political Violence — Whatever Happens On Election Day

Two researchers claim that a single number they call the “ political stress indicator ” can warn when societies are at risk of erupting into violence .
It ’ s spiking in the US , just like it did before the Civil War .
Many Americans are clinging to the idea that if Joe Biden wins the presidential election , calm can return to a nation riven by protests and rattled by President Donald Trump ’ s authoritarian rhetoric .
Not so fast , caution two academics who claim they have devised a measure of political instability that shows that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keg that is waiting to blow , even if a Biden landslide means that Trump has little choice but to step aside .
“ The tendency is to blame Trump , but I don ’ t really agree with that , ” Peter Turchin , an evolutionary anthropologist at the University of Connecticut who studies the forces that drive political instability , told BuzzFeed News .
“ Trump is really not the deep structural cause.
” The most dangerous element in the mix , argue Turchin and George Mason University sociologist Jack Goldstone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on society .
They believe they have a model that explains how inequality escalates and leads to political instability : Worsened by elites who monopolize economic gains , narrow the path to social mobility , and resist taxation , inequality ends up undermining state institutions while fomenting distrust and resentment .
Building on Goldstone ’ s work showing that revolutions tend to follow periods of population growth and urbanization , Turchin has developed a statistic called the political stress indicator , or PSI .
It incorporates measures of wage stagnation , national debt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government , urbanization , and the age structure of the population .
Turchin raised warning signs of a coming storm a decade ago , predicting that instability would peak in the years around 2020 .
“ In the United States , we have stagnating or declining real wages , a growing gap between rich and poor , overproduction of young graduates with advanced degrees , and exploding public debt , ” he wrote , in a letter to the journal Nature .
“ Historically , such developments have served as leading indicators of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nation in turmoil , Turchin ’ s prediction seems remarkably prescient .
We live in a pandemic hellscape that has disproportionately harmed Black and brown Americans and those living in poverty .
We have widespread civil unrest over racial injustice .
And we are hurtling toward an election in which Trump is stoking unfounded fears of voter fraud and refusing to commit to a peaceful transition of power .
In August , Turchin gave himself a pat on the back for his predictive ability with an analysis showing a significant rise in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last 10 years .
But he and Goldstone fear that much worse is to come .
The political stress indicator for the US is rising rapidly , much like it did before the Civil War .
When Goldstone talks about America ’ s darkest days in the 1860s , he provocatively calls it the “ First Civil War.
” He fears that we may be on the way to a second one , with the 2020 election serving as a potential “ fire-starter ” event .
Goldstone has some credentials in predicting conflict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US military ’ s ill-fated efforts to support UN intervention in Somalia ’ s civil war , which led to the downing of two Black Hawk helicopters and the gruesome spectacle of a dead US soldier being dragged through the streets , Goldstone was tapped by the CIA to help lead the State Failure Task Force .
This group of academic social scientists was asked to identify factors that predict when a nation is likely to spiral into chaos .
The task force ’ s initial report , published in 1995 , identified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether a state would fail within the next two years in about two-thirds of cases : high infant mortality , low openness to international trade , and level of democracy .
On the last measure , partial democracies were more vulnerable to collapse than fully democratic states or autocratic regimes .
Goldstone continued to work on the project , later renamed the Political Instability Task Force , until 2012 , tweaking its statistical model to predict both civil wars and democratic collapses with about 80 % accuracy over the same two-year lead time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ applying a similar approach to assess the risk of political conflict in the US until Turchin got in touch in 2015 .
“ I didn ’ t expect political violence because I believed the US was a strong and flexible democracy , ” Goldstone said .
But he is now convinced that Turchin ’ s PSI heralds a disturbing future for the US that won ’ t be solved by politics as usual after the 2020 election , even if Trump is defeated and goes quietly .
“ If those trends continue after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the occurrence of violence will likely continue , ” Goldstone told BuzzFeed News .
“ I ’ m worried about that no matter who wins , ” he added .
“ The social problems are the gasoline .
Trump is throwing matches.
” The PSI doesn ’ t explicitly address America ’ s deep divisions over racial justice .
“ Race has been an enduring faultline , ever since the founding of the Republic , ” Turchin said .
But he argued that it ’ s the additional dynamics captured by the PSI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right now .
One key concern , according to Goldstone , is that people across the political spectrum have lost faith in government and political institutions .
“ In short , given the accumulated grievances , anger and distrust fanned for the last two decades , almost any election scenario this fall is likely to lead to popular protests on a scale we have not seen this century , ” he and Turchin wrote in a recent article published by the Berggruen Institute , a think tank based in Los Angeles .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of political instability the researchers dubbed “ the turbulent twenties.
” “ Given the Black Lives Matter protests and cascading clashes between competing armed factions in cities across the United States , from Portland , Oregon , to Kenosha , Wisconsin , we are already well on our way there , ” the article said .
“ But worse likely lies ahead.
” Turchin said people who rule out the possibility of serious political violence in the US based on “ the strength of American institutions ” are being “ unduly optimistic.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in is extremely fragile , ” Turchin said .
Other social scientists consulted by BuzzFeed News were skeptical that the US is on the brink of a civil war .
But they were concerned about the trends highlighted by Goldstone and Turchin , and worried about the potential for violence around the coming election — especially from right-wing militia groups if Trump loses and contests the result .
“ No matter what the outcome is , it is going to be disputed by some components of the other side , ” Craig Jenkins @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who studies political violence , told BuzzFeed News .
“ The difference is that the Trump forces have militia that have some capacity for violence and mayhem.
” One reason that most experts in conflict studies don ’ t predict an outright civil war as a consequence of the US ’ s gap between rich and poor is that inequality hasn ’ t emerged as a major driving factor in studies of such conflicts in the modern era .
“ Civil war has been predominantly a phenomenon in low-income countries , ” James @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University and coauthor of a 2003 paper that identified national poverty as an important condition that can lead to violent insurgency , told BuzzFeed News .
Another influential study , published in 2000 by the economists Paul Collier of the University of Oxford and Anke Hoeffler , now at the University of Konstanz in Germany , suggested that an armed group ’ s ability to seize control over significant economic resources — such as diamonds in several conflict-prone African nations and drug crops in Colombia — was a key driver of modern civil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a diverse and robust economy , the US should have a fairly low chance of falling into civil war according to these theories .
And if push comes to shove and order needs to be restored by force , few experts in political conflict expect even a well-armed militia to be a match for federal law enforcement or the National Guard .
The circumstances in the 19th century that led the US into the bloodiest conflict in its history were also unusual .
The young nation was growing , adding states that either @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fundamental economic and moral divide that couldn ’ t easily be resolved .
“ That was an irreconcilable dynamic , ” Jenkins said .
“ I think you need the accumulation of irresolvable conflicts to get a true civil war.
” But recent events , notably the plot by a group of right-wing militants to kidnap and potentially kill the Democratic governor of Michigan , Gretchen Whitmer , over her policies to limit the spread of the coronavirus , have shocked even skeptics of the idea that the US is teetering on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is really concerning , ” Fearon said .
The PSI isn ’ t the only indicator that has set alarm bells ringing about the stability of the US .
The Fund for Peace , a nonprofit based in Washington , DC , has developed a measure called the Fragile States Index ( FSI ) that , like the work of the State Failure Task Force , seeks to identify nations that are at risk of violence and instability from a range of underlying pressures including economic distress , refugee flows , and their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US looks reasonably healthy on the FSI , ranked 149th out of 178 countries for its potential for instability .
But there are worrying signs for the US on a component of the FSI labeled “ cohesion , ” according to Fund for Peace programs manager Natalie Fiertz .
“ Over the past decade-plus , we ’ ve seen very rapid worsening of the score for those dimensions , ” she told BuzzFeed News .
The Fragile States Index shows that the US is becoming a less cohesive society .
This chart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the three cohesion components of the FSI for the members of the G7 group of rich democracies .
These measure security threats including terrorism and organized crime , factionalization of a nation ’ s elites , and schisms between different groups in society .
Not surprisingly , given the intense and growing political polarization in the US , it is the last two measures that explain why the nation ’ s cohesion score has gone from the second best among the G7 to the worst in just 15 years .
( In recent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US on this measure , driven by its own political divisions over Brexit . )
But political polarization may be just another consequence of the economic inequality that Goldstone and Turchin argue lies at the heart of the US ’ s current vulnerability to political violence .
Political scientists have put a great deal of energy into identifying why polarization in the US is escalating .
But factors including the influence of partisan cable TV news and congressional redistricting don ’ t seem to provide the answer — the latter , for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Senate has become increasingly divided .
What is clear is that polarization in Congress has historically tracked closely with income inequality .
And recent studies have shown that states with greater income inequality tend to have more polarized state legislatures — supporting the idea that inequality is a fundamental cause of America ’ s deep political divisions .
Even the International Monetary Fund has weighed in , warning nations of the corrosive effects of inequality in a 2017 publication : “ While some inequality is inevitable in a market-based economic system , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lead to political polarization , and ultimately lower economic growth.
” Inequality can also damage public health .
In their 2009 book The Spirit Level , the British epidemiologists Kate Pickett of the University of York and Richard Wilkinson of the University of Nottingham looked at differences across rich nations for an index of health and social outcomes including infant mortality , life expectancy , mental illness , incarceration , and literacy .
They could find no correlation with gross national income per person , but found a strong relationship between poor outcomes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in incomes between the top and bottom 20 % of a country ’ s earners .
“ Inequality is a social stressor , ” Wilkinson told BuzzFeed News .
“ One of the big changes in our understanding of social determinants of health is the role of chronic stress.
” The pandemic has made inequality much worse — but it may also be a catalyst for change .
Given all of the evidence linking inequality to a raft of bad outcomes , it should come as no surprise that unrest has surged during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poverty and people of color have not only been disproportionately sickened and killed by the virus , but they have also been hit harder by the recession it has caused — which has further widened the gulf between rich and poor .
“ What we need is a new social contract that will enable us to get past extreme polarization to find consensus , tip the shares of economic growth back toward workers and improve government funding for public health , education and infrastructure , ” Goldstone and Turchin wrote in their Berggruen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in today ’ s combat zone of weaponized social media , in which even modest proposals to ratchet back inequality are framed as “ communism ” ?
One hopeful sign is that the US has pulled back from the brink of chaos before through similar reforms , within the lifetime of its oldest citizens .
In the 1930s , as parts of Europe slid into fascism , the US went in a different direction , electing Franklin D. Roosevelt to drag the nation out of the Great Depression by ushering in the New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think the US could pull off a similar feat again .
“ You can reform your way out of dramatically polarized societies , ” said George Lawson of the Australian National University in Canberra , who has studied societal transformations including the peaceful transition to majority rule in South Africa .
Even given Trump ’ s flouting of democratic norms and the current upsurge in civil unrest , Lawson believes the US , by and large , has withstood a political “ stress test.
” “ I would err on the side that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ robust than fragile , ” Lawson said .
“ One thing to come out of the past few years is an energization of political engagement that is healthy .
”

Turchin said people who rule out the possibility of serious political violence in the US based on “the strength of American institutions” are being “unduly optimistic.”
“The social system that we live in is extremely fragile,” Turchin said.
Other social scientists consulted by BuzzFeed News were skeptical that the US is on the brink of a civil war. But they were concerned about the trends highlighted by Goldstone and Turchin, and worried about the potential for violence around the coming election — especially from right-wing militia groups if Trump loses and contests the result.
“No matter what the outcome is, it is going to be disputed by some components of the other side,” Craig Jenkins, a sociologist at Ohio State University who studies political violence, told BuzzFeed News. “The difference is that the Trump forces have militia that have some capacity for violence and mayhem.”
One reason that most experts in conflict studies don’t predict an outright civil war as a consequence of the US’s gap between rich and poor is that inequality hasn’t emerged as a major driving factor in studies of such conflicts in the modern era.
“Civil war has been predominantly a phenomenon in low-income countries,” James Fearon, a political scientist at Stanford University and coauthor of a 2003 paper that identified national poverty as an important condition that can lead to violent insurgency, told BuzzFeed News.
Another influential study, published in 2000 by the economists Paul Collier of the University of Oxford and Anke Hoeffler, now at the University of Konstanz in Germany, suggested that an armed group’s ability to seize control over significant economic resources — such as diamonds in several conflict-prone African nations and drug crops in Colombia — was a key driver of modern civil wars.
As a rich nation with a diverse and robust economy, the US should have a fairly low chance of falling into civil war according to these theories. And if push comes to shove and order needs to be restored by force, few experts in political conflict expect even a well-armed militia to be a match for federal law enforcement or the National Guard.
The circumstances in the 19th century that led the US into the bloodiest conflict in its history were also unusual. The young nation was growing, adding states that either opposed or supported slavery, creating a fundamental economic and moral divide that couldn’t easily be resolved. “That was an irreconcilable dynamic,” Jenkins said. “I think you need the accumulation of irresolvable conflicts to get a true civil war.”
But recent events, notably the plot by a group of right-wing militants to kidnap and potentially kill the Democratic governor of Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer, over her policies to limit the spread of the coronavirus, have shocked even skeptics of the idea that the US is teetering on the brink of civil conflict. “This is really concerning,” Fearon said.
The PSI isn’t the only indicator that has set alarm bells ringing about the stability of the US. The Fund for Peace, a nonprofit based in Washington, DC, has developed a measure called the Fragile States Index (FSI) that, like the work of the State Failure Task Force, seeks to identify nations that are at risk of violence and instability from a range of underlying pressures including economic distress, refugee flows, and their record on human rights.
Overall, the US looks reasonably healthy on the FSI, ranked 149th out of 178 countries for its potential for instability. But there are worrying signs for the US on a component of the FSI labeled “cohesion,” according to Fund for Peace programs manager Natalie Fiertz. “Over the past decade-plus, we’ve seen very rapid worsening of the score for those dimensions,” she told BuzzFeed News.
The Fragile States Index shows that the US is becoming a less cohesive society.


buzzfeed--2020-10-25--Mitch McConnell's Hand Is Discolored But He Swears Nothing Is Wrong

Viral photos show McConnell picking up a face mask , revealing his right hand to be much darker than the rest of his body , as well as a bandaged thumb .
Mitch McConnell , the 78-year-old Senate Majority Leader currently running for reelection , is denying any health issues despite photos showing his hand bandaged and severely discolored .
On Wednesday , photos went viral of McConnell bending down to pick up a dropped face mask on Capitol Hill the day prior , revealing his right hand to be much darker than the rest of his body and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office did not respond to numerous requests for comment from BuzzFeed News about the health of the top Senate Republican , who is up for reelection in Kentucky in just under two weeks .
However , when asked by a reporter on Thursday about his health and the concerning photos of his hand , McConnell denied there was an issue .
`` Do you have some kind of health issue ? ''
asked Politico reporter John Bresnahan .
`` Everyone been 's talking about your hands . ''
`` I 've been worried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are you feeling ? ''
replied McConnell , using the reporter 's nickname .
`` But I 'm serious , is there anything going on we should know about ? ''
asked Bresnahan .
`` Of course not , '' replied McConnell .
However , the discoloration and bandages were still somewhat visible in C-SPAN video of McConnell speaking on the Senate floor on Thursday morning .
On Thursday afternoon , another reporter tried to ask McConnell about his hands .
`` You have a bruise or something , sir .
Everything ok @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Take a look at Bres , '' McConnell replied , referring to the Politico reporter .
`` So , no concerns ? ''
the CNN reporter continued .
The reporter then asked if McConnell had sought medical treatment for the issue and the senator ignored the question .
McConnell 's health may be a relevant issue for voters in Kentucky , where early voting began on Oct. 13 .
`` It 's understandable that Senator McConnell might not want to discuss questions about his health so close to an election , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kentucky Democratic Party .
`` But as Senate Majority Leader , he is a public figure which requires more disclosure and transparency than just the average private person . ''
McNee also noted that McConnell has spoken openly in the past about his medical care , such as undergoing surgery following a shoulder fracture .
`` It 's not clear why he 's suddenly become so secretive , but we certainly wish him well and hope he is okay , '' said McNee .
In most photos taken of McConnell in recent days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hand hidden in his suit pocket .
The health of the country 's aging politicians has been brought into sharp focus in recent weeks , particularly after President Donald Trump , 74 , was hospitalized for several days and received experimental drug treatments after testing positive for COVID-19 .
If elected president , Joe Biden will become the oldest person to ever lead the nation , at 77 .
At the beginning of the current Congress in 2018 , the average age of a US senator was 61.8 years .
They are `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' according to an analysis by the Congressional Research Service .
McConnell leads a Senate that includes multiple octogenarians and which is currently working to confirm Amy Coney Barrett , 48 , to a lifetime appointment on the Supreme Court less than two weeks out from an election .
McConnell previously led the charge to stop former president Barack Obama from nominating a justice to the court in the final year of his presidency .
On Thursday , Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to approve Judge Barrett 's nomination to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calling it `` illegitimate , '' but a vote to finalize her nomination will take place on Monday .
Recently concerns were raised about Dianne Feinstein 's capabilities due to her age — the Californian senator is 87 — during the hearings for a new SCOTUS appointee , where she is the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee .
When other senators were asked if they believed her age was affecting her job , Politico quoted Sen. Chuck Grassley responding : `` She ’ s only three months older than I am , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m not running for reelection . ''

Mitch McConnell, the 78-year-old Senate Majority Leader currently running for reelection, is denying any health issues despite photos showing his hand bandaged and severely discolored.
On Wednesday, photos went viral of McConnell bending down to pick up a dropped face mask on Capitol Hill the day prior, revealing his right hand to be much darker than the rest of his body and that his thumb is bandaged.
McConnell's office did not respond to numerous requests for comment from BuzzFeed News about the health of the top Senate Republican, who is up for reelection in Kentucky in just under two weeks.
However, when asked by a reporter on Thursday about his health and the concerning photos of his hand, McConnell denied there was an issue.


buzzfeed--2020-10-26--Two Major Coronavirus Vaccine Trials Have Restarted After Being Paused For Safety Investigations

Pharmaceutical companies running clinical trials for two high profile coronavirus vaccine candidates announced on Friday that the trials would resume , after safety investigations found that serious illnesses in volunteers did not appear to be related to the vaccines .
The FDA authorized AstraZeneca to resume its trial after a six-week pause spurred by a neurological illness in a trial participant .
Johnson & Johnson 's trial was paused earlier this month .
Study pauses are not unusual in clinical trials .
Unexpected illnesses are expected in trials that involve large numbers of patients , and safety investigations are necessary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the vaccine .
“ The restart of clinical trials across the world is great news as it allows us to continue our efforts to develop this vaccine to help defeat this terrible pandemic , '' AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot said in a statement .
`` We should be reassured by the care taken by independent regulators to protect the public and ensure the vaccine is safe before it is approved for use . ''
AstraZeneca 's trial , which is being conducted in a partnership with the University of Oxford in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The first pause occurred after a patient in July developed multiple sclerosis , which was determined to be unrelated to the vaccine .
The trial was was paused again in September after a participant developed a neurological illness called transverse myelitis .
Trials quickly resumed in the UK , Brazil , Brazil , South Africa , and Japan , while the US arm of the trial remained in limbo for weeks .
It 's still unclear why the US safety investigation took so long .
According to the New York Times , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alert trial participants about symptoms like weakness and numbness that could indicate a mild case of transverse myelitis .
Asked about the update , an AstraZeneca spokesperson stressed that the FDA had concluded it was safe to resume the trial .
`` Following the FDA review , we have made changes to the Informed Consent Form , which reflects the outcome of their review and is intended to provide study participants with updated information about participating in the trial , '' the spokesperson said .
The FDA did not respond to a request @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to happen .
You want people to be careful as they move forward , '' Paul Offit , a vaccine expert at Children ’ s Hospital of Philadelphia , who sits on the FDA vaccine advisory committee , told BuzzFeed News .
`` I think it 's an abundance of caution . ''
`` In some ways you may be scaring people unnecessarily , or you might be informing them about something that could be a bigger problem , '' Offit added .
`` You don ’ t know .
But in fairness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it might be problem . ''
Johnson & Johnson 's trial , which is being tested in 60,000 participants , paused earlier this month .
`` After a thorough evaluation of a serious medical event experienced by one study participant , no clear cause has been identified , '' the company said in a statement .
`` There are many possible factors that could have caused the event .
Based on the information gathered to date and the input of independent experts , the Company has found no evidence that the vaccine candidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that a lot was still unknown about both of the cases .
AstraZeneca 's pause was only reported publicly after a private call with investors was leaked to the science publication Stat .
Scientists have called for greater transparency from pharmaceutical companies as they move at breakneck speed to test a vaccine , and as public trust in the vaccines continues to drop .
`` There 's a lot we do n't know , '' Offit said , urging that it would be helpful to know more about what the companies found during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ read the tea leaves here . ''
Both AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson 's vaccines use the same technology to work .
A harmless chimpanzee adenovirus , which typically cause harmless colds , is used to shuttle a coronavirus gene into human cells to spur an immune response .
The approach has yet to lead to an approved vaccine , but has been tested in experimental vaccines against other viruses , including influenza and Ebola .
During Thursday 's presidential debate , President Donald Trump said , “ We have a vaccine that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ready .
It ’ s going to be announced within weeks.
” In reality , no vaccine candidates have yet made it through their late-stage trials .
An FDA science advisory committee about vaccine development on Thursday recommended that the agency collect more safety data on the vaccine candidates before authorizing them for emergency approval , a step that would further delay the availability of a vaccine .


buzzfeed--2020-10-27--Ohio Democrats Want To Make Their Republican Senator The Next Susan Collins

Sen .
Rob Portman is not on the ballot this year , but Democrats in Ohio — eager to tap into progressive anger and energy — are raising money now to unseat him in 2022 .
The Ohio Senate 2022 Democratic Nominee Fund launched Monday night via the ActBlue fundraising platform , timed to coincide with Portman ’ s vote to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett , President Donald Trump ’ s latest Supreme Court nominee .
Organizers , who shared details first with BuzzFeed News , likened the effort to one that began two years ago against Maine Sen. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirm Justice Brett Kavanaugh and is now one of the most vulnerable Republicans up for reelection next week .
Among those leading the effort are several Democrats who could challenge Portman , including Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley and Aftab Pureval , the clerk of courts in Cincinnati ’ s Hamilton County .
The fund will be hosted by the Ohio Democratic Party and money raised will be earmarked for whichever candidate wins the Senate primary .
“ One of the things over the past 15 months , 18 months with Portman is , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but then he goes and does what the Trump folks tell him to do , ” Whaley said in an interview .
“ I think he ’ s gotten much more compliant to the president .
When George Will writes about the Republican senators who are complicit in this , I think about Rob Portman.
” A Portman spokesperson alluded to polls that showed support for Barrett ’ s confirmation .
“ Amy Coney Barrett is exceptionally well-qualified to serve on the Supreme Court and Rob agrees with the majority of the American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the spokesperson , Emily Benavides , said in an emailed statement .
The anti-Portman campaign links into an early push by progressive leaders across the country to capitalize on anti-Trump momentum that exists now and to get a head start on 2022 , even though Trump may then be out of office .
Democrats in Wisconsin , for example , are already preparing to challenge Sen. Ron Johnson , a Trump loyalist who has used his office to investigate Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden .
Midterm elections can be tough , though , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House , as Democrats would be if Biden wins next month .
And Portman won his second term in 2016 by vastly outperforming Trump — Portman won by 21 points , Trump by 8 .
The campaign recruited thousands of college and high school students , building a team that wasn ’ t dependent on or beholden to Trump ’ s organization .
Portman ’ s advisers framed the reelection bid around hyperlocal issues such as the opioid crisis .
“ I would caution any potential challenger to pause and ask themselves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fisher , because the same fate awaits that person in 2022 , ” said Corry Bliss , Portman ’ s 2016 campaign manager , mentioning the former Ohio governor and lieutenant governor who lost to Portman four and ten years ago , respectively .
“ Rob is a proud conservative , and he wakes up every day trying to deliver results to the people of Ohio .
”

Sen. Rob Portman is not on the ballot this year, but Democrats in Ohio — eager to tap into progressive anger and energy — are raising money now to unseat him in 2022.
The Ohio Senate 2022 Democratic Nominee Fund launched Monday night via the ActBlue fundraising platform, timed to coincide with Portman’s vote to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett, President Donald Trump’s latest Supreme Court nominee. Organizers, who shared details first with BuzzFeed News, likened the effort to one that began two years ago against Maine Sen. Susan Collins, who voted then to confirm Justice Brett Kavanaugh and is now one of the most vulnerable Republicans up for reelection next week.
Among those leading the effort are several Democrats who could challenge Portman, including Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley and Aftab Pureval, the clerk of courts in Cincinnati’s Hamilton County. The fund will be hosted by the Ohio Democratic Party and money raised will be earmarked for whichever candidate wins the Senate primary.
“One of the things over the past 15 months, 18 months with Portman is, he acts like he cares about Ohio but then he goes and does what the Trump folks tell him to do,” Whaley said in an interview. “I think he’s gotten much more compliant to the president. When George Will writes about the Republican senators who are complicit in this, I think about Rob Portman.”
A Portman spokesperson alluded to polls that showed support for Barrett’s confirmation.
“Amy Coney Barrett is exceptionally well-qualified to serve on the Supreme Court and Rob agrees with the majority of the American people who support her confirmation,” the spokesperson, Emily Benavides, said in an emailed statement.
The anti-Portman campaign links into an early push by progressive leaders across the country to capitalize on anti-Trump momentum that exists now and to get a head start on 2022, even though Trump may then be out of office. Democrats in Wisconsin, for example, are already preparing to challenge Sen. Ron Johnson, a Trump loyalist who has used his office to investigate Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
Midterm elections can be tough, though, for the party in control of the White House, as Democrats would be if Biden wins. And Portman won his second term in 2016 by vastly outperforming Trump — Portman won by 21 points, Trump by 8. The campaign recruited thousands of college and high school students, building a team that wasn’t dependent on or beholden to Trump’s organization. Portman’s advisers framed the reelection bid around hyperlocal issues such as the opioid crisis.
“I would caution any potential challenger to pause and ask themselves what happened to Ted Strickland and Lee Fisher, because the same fate awaits that person in 2022,” said Corry Bliss, Portman’s 2016 campaign manager, mentioning the former Ohio governor and lieutenant governor who lost to Portman four and ten years ago, respectively. “Rob is a proud conservative, and he wakes up every day trying to deliver results to the people of Ohio.”


buzzfeed--2020-10-27--Amy Coney Barrett Has Been Confirmed As Trump’s Third Supreme Court Justice

Barrett will also join the Supreme Court just in time to hear arguments on Nov. 10 in the latest major legal challenge to the Affordable Care Act .
Republican state attorneys general , with the support of the Trump administration , are arguing that the individual mandate to have insurance is unlawful after Congress eliminated the financial penalty and that as a result , the entire law must fall .
Asked about the case in a recent interview with 60 Minutes , Trump said , “ I hope that they end it .
It ’ ll be so good if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be just days for Barrett ’ s influence to manifest — legal fights over how states are handling mail-in voting are pending before the court a week out from Election Day , and Trump has said he is “ counting on ” the Supreme Court to “ look at the ballots.
” Trump and former vice president Joe Biden have amassed teams of hundreds of lawyers and million-dollar legal budgets in anticipation of an election that winds up before the courts .
Barrett ’ s confirmation just a week before the election brings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2016 to dramatically reshape the federal judiciary with young , conservative judges .
The court ’ s conservative-leaning members now outnumber the liberals 6–3 .
Justices now routinely serve into their eighties , setting the stage for the 48-year-old Barrett to shape American law for decades .
The vote came less than a week after the Senate Judiciary Committee sent Barrett ’ s nomination to the floor on Oct. 22 , in a vote that took place despite a boycott by all of the committee ’ s Democratic members .
McConnell began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , keeping the Senate in session over the weekend to set up Monday ’ s final vote .
The Senate voted 52-48 to confirm Barrett , with one Republican , Maine Sen. Susan Collins , breaking ranks to join Democrats in opposing her nomination .
The vote was a crowning achievement for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , who shepherded Barrett ’ s nomination through the Senate at a record pace to deliver on a pledge he made to fill the late justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg ’ s seat just hours after her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barrett will join the nation ’ s highest court amid an election dominated by legal fights over how Americans vote during the coronavirus pandemic ; the justices are currently considering cases affecting mail-in voting in North Carolina , Pennsylvania , and Wisconsin .
She ’ ll also be sworn in two weeks before the court again considers the fate of the Affordable Care Act .
WASHINGTON — The Senate voted Monday to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the US Supreme Court , capping off a month of frantic activity by Republicans to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nominee for the court just days before the election and cementing an even deeper conservative majority that could last for decades .
At her confirmation hearings last week , Barrett tried to avoid taking firm positions on how she would rule in any election-related cases as well as on other hot button issues that will come before the court , including abortion , the Affordable Care Act , gun rights , and LGBTQ discrimination .
Her answers did nothing to win over Democrats already wary of her solidly conservative record , first as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a judge on the US Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit .
The court ’ s docket this fall also includes other blockbuster cases , including challenges to Trump ’ s plan to exclude undocumented immigrants from census data used to decide how many seats in Congress each state receives ; his effort to divert defense dollars for border wall construction ; and congressional Democrats ’ fight to get grand jury materials from the Mueller investigation .
In her remarks at the White House after Trump announced her nomination on Sept. 26 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to judicial decision-making aligned with her mentor , the late justice Antonin Scalia , who was generally a stalwart vote in favor of Republicans in the big political fights that reached the court .
She has embraced a legal theory known as originalism , which says that judges should interpret the Constitution based on what the “ original ” public meaning of a particular passage or phrase was when it was adopted .
“ I clerked for the justice more than 20 years ago but the lessons I learned still resonate .
His @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” she said of Scalia .
“ A judge must apply the law as written .
Judges are not policymakers and they must be resolute in setting aside any policy views they might hold . ''
Testifying before the Senate , Barrett insisted that her alignment with Scalia ’ s judicial philosophy did not mean she would rule exactly the same way that he would have — she noted that Scalia and Justice Clarence Thomas did not always agree even though they both subscribed to originalism .
If Biden wins the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pressure on his new administration to respond to calls from a growing number of liberal activists and congressional Democrats to explore structural changes to the Supreme Court to try to undercut the power of a 6–3 conservative majority .
Democrats fear that even if they control the White House and both houses of Congress , the court will stand in the way of any major policy moves by a Biden administration .
Biden has resisted proposals for court-packing , which would involve expanding the number of justices , although in recent weeks he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ position , saying he ’ ll wait to see what happens with Barrett ’ s nomination .
Legal scholars and court watchdogs have also proposed imposing term limits on justices , although that would take longer to practically change anything at the court .
Barrett was one of Trump ’ s earliest federal appeals court nominees .
The Senate voted 55–43 to confirm her to the 7th Circuit in late October 2017 , mostly along party lines .
She previously had spent the bulk of her career in academia , where her work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go about interpreting federal laws .
Her focus on originalism , her stated opposition to abortion and the Affordable Care Act , and her bona fides within conservative legal circles — from her Scalia clerkship to her membership in the Federalist Society — made her a Supreme Court frontrunner from the start .
Trump announced her as an addition to his nominee shortlist just over two weeks after she was confirmed to the 7th Circuit .
Born in New Orleans , Barrett earned her bachelor ’ s degree in English from Rhodes College @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Law School .
She came back to Notre Dame as a law professor in 2002 following prestigious clerkships and a few years working at private law firms and teaching .
She is the only current justice who didn ’ t earn a law degree from Harvard or Yale .
Republicans repeatedly made a point of emphasizing Barrett ’ s Catholic faith , even as they preemptively criticized anyone who might make an issue of it during her confirmation fight ; Democrats largely stayed away from it .
Before becoming a judge , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her faith communities opposing abortion and marriage for same-sex couples .
At her confirmation hearing , she said she would set aside her beliefs in deciding cases .
“ For any issue that comes up , abortion or anything else , I ’ ll follow the law , ” Barrett said .
This is a developing story .
Check back for updates and follow BuzzFeed News on Twitter.

At her confirmation hearings last week, Barrett tried to avoid taking firm positions on how she would rule in any election-related cases as well as on other hot button issues that will come before the court, including abortion, the Affordable Care Act, gun rights, and LGBTQ discrimination. Her answers did nothing to win over Democrats already wary of her solidly conservative record, first as a law professor and most recently as a judge on the US Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit.
The court’s docket this fall also includes other blockbuster cases, including challenges to Trump’s plan to exclude undocumented immigrants from census data used to decide how many seats in Congress each state receives; his effort to divert defense dollars for border wall construction; and congressional Democrats’ fight to get grand jury materials from the Mueller investigation.
Barrett on Monday night reiterated that her personal views would not impact her work as a justice. She said that her Senate confirmation hearings, in which Democrats challenged her particularly on her views on Obamacare and abortion, had highlighted the difference for her between the elected and judicial branches of government.
"It is the job of a senator to pursue her policy preferences. In fact, it would be a dereliction of duty for her to put policy goals aside. By contrast, it is the job of a judge to resist her policy preferences. It would be a dereliction of duty for her to give into them," Barrett said. "Federal judges don't stand for election. Thus they have no basis for claiming that their preferences reflect those of the people."
Trump's campaign celebrated Barrett's confirmation in a statement, calling it "a reminder to millions of Americans why they voted for President Trump in the first place. She is now the third solid, conservative Justice appointed to the Supreme Court by the President and she will apply the Constitution and not turn the Court into a super legislature."
In her remarks at the White House after Trump announced her nomination on Sept. 26, Barrett made clear that her approach to judicial decision-making aligned with her mentor, the late justice Antonin Scalia, who was generally a stalwart vote in favor of Republicans in the big political fights that reached the court. She has embraced a legal theory known as originalism, which says that judges should interpret the Constitution based on what the “original” public meaning of a particular passage or phrase was when it was adopted.
“I clerked for the justice more than 20 years ago but the lessons I learned still resonate. His judicial philosophy is mine, too,” she said of Scalia. “A judge must apply the law as written. Judges are not policymakers and they must be resolute in setting aside any policy views they might hold."
Testifying before the Senate, Barrett insisted that her alignment with Scalia’s judicial philosophy did not mean she would rule exactly the same way that he would have — she noted that Scalia and Justice Clarence Thomas did not always agree even though they both subscribed to originalism.
If Biden wins the White House, Barrett’s confirmation ramps up pressure on his new administration to respond to calls from a growing number of liberal activists and congressional Democrats to explore structural changes to the Supreme Court to try to undercut the power of a 6–3 conservative majority. Democrats fear that even if they control the White House and both houses of Congress, the court will stand in the way of any major policy moves by a Biden administration.
Biden has resisted proposals for court-packing, which would involve expanding the number of justices, although in recent weeks he’s refused to take a firm position, saying he’ll wait to see what happens with Barrett’s nomination. Legal scholars and court watchdogs have also proposed imposing term limits on justices, although that would take longer to practically change anything at the court.
Barrett was one of Trump’s earliest federal appeals court nominees. The Senate voted 55–43 to confirm her to the 7th Circuit in late October 2017, mostly along party lines. She previously had spent the bulk of her career in academia, where her work focused on constitutional law and how courts go about interpreting federal laws.
Her focus on originalism, her stated opposition to abortion and the Affordable Care Act, and her bona fides within conservative legal circles — from her Scalia clerkship to her membership in the Federalist Society — made her a Supreme Court frontrunner from the start. Trump announced her as an addition to his nominee shortlist just over two weeks after she was confirmed to the 7th Circuit.
Born in New Orleans, Barrett earned her bachelor’s degree in English from Rhodes College in Memphis before landing at Notre Dame Law School. She came back to Notre Dame as a law professor in 2002 following prestigious clerkships and a few years working at private law firms and teaching. She is the only current justice who didn’t earn a law degree from Harvard or Yale.
Republicans repeatedly made a point of emphasizing Barrett’s Catholic faith, even as they preemptively criticized anyone who might make an issue of it during her confirmation fight; Democrats largely stayed away from it. Before becoming a judge, she’d signed public statements organized by her faith communities opposing abortion and marriage for same-sex couples. At her confirmation hearing, she said she would set aside her beliefs in deciding cases.
“For any issue that comes up, abortion or anything else, I’ll follow the law,” Barrett said.


buzzfeed--2020-10-27--She’s A Biden Supporter. Trump Just Held A Rally Outside Her House.

ALLENTOWN , Pennsylvania — When Tara Doyle heard President Donald Trump would be in Lehigh Valley , she scrambled to find out where .
She turned to a community website where she found the rally would take place Monday , the next day , just feet away from her doorstep .
“ I said ‘ Jesus Christ , he ’ s coming right up the road from us , ’ ” Doyle told BuzzFeed News Monday afternoon during an interview in her home , a few hours after Trump and his thousands of supporters had left her neighborhood .
Her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like his wife , was set on one thing : “ ‘ Goddammit , ’ he says , ‘ We ’ re not taking the signs down , ” she said .
Trump came to Allentown for a last-minute rally Monday that brought several thousand to the parking lot of a local business near the Doyles .
Four lone signs are lined methodically on the front lawn of their brick house along Airport Road : one for state Rep. Tara Zrinski , another for Susan Wild for Congress , and two Biden–Harris signs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a month ago , and according to Tara , they were the only ones with lawn signs on their street , until Monday .
For a moment on Monday , dozens of Trump supporters streamed down their street on foot past their home .
Some of them waved flags , most of them had on gear that with the president ’ s name : a red MAGA hat , a T-shirt , or a mask with some reference in support of the president .
And while her Biden–Harris signs remained untouched , Doyle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to work earlier , and a distant neighbor had been calling to check in on her throughout the day .
“ I kept going outside to put out the trash , just so people knew there was somebody here , ” Doyle said .
She thought it was best she stayed home from her job as a medical biller “ just in case.
” “ You know , I was getting nervous and nervous and nervous .
I thought , I do n't know what 's gon na happen , ” she said @

ALLENTOWN, Pennsylvania — When Tara Doyle heard President Donald Trump would be in Lehigh Valley, she scrambled to find out where. She turned to a community website where she found the rally would take place Monday, the next day, just feet away from her doorstep.
“I said ‘Jesus Christ, he’s coming right up the road from us,’” Doyle told BuzzFeed News Monday afternoon during an interview in her home, a few hours after Trump and his thousands of supporters had left her neighborhood. Her husband, Don Doyle, a Democrat like his wife, was set on one thing: “‘Goddammit,’ he says, ‘We’re not taking the signs down,” she said.
Trump came to Allentown for a last-minute rally Monday that brought several thousand to the parking lot of a local business near the Doyles. Four lone signs are lined methodically on the front lawn of their brick house along Airport Road: one for state Rep. Tara Zrinski, another for Susan Wild for Congress, and two Biden–Harris signs. The couple erected the signs about a month ago, and according to Tara, they were the only ones with lawn signs on their street, until Monday.
For a moment on Monday, dozens of Trump supporters streamed down their street on foot past their home. Some of them waved flags, most of them had on gear that with the president’s name: a red MAGA hat, a T-shirt, or a mask with some reference in support of the president. And while her Biden–Harris signs remained untouched, Doyle said her husband, who had gone to work earlier, and a distant neighbor had been calling to check in on her throughout the day.
“I kept going outside to put out the trash, just so people knew there was somebody here,” Doyle said. She thought it was best she stayed home from her job as a medical biller “just in case.”
“You know, I was getting nervous and nervous and nervous. I thought, I don't know what's gonna happen,” she said.


buzzfeed--2020-10-26--Texas Voters Who Contract COVID Before Election Day Will Need A Doctor’s Note To Vote Absentee

Texans who are suddenly unable to go to the polls because they contract the coronavirus shortly before Election Day will need a certified doctor ’ s note to vote absentee , a state appeals court ruled .
In Texas , any registered voter with a qualifying disability can request an absentee ballot simply by checking a box on a form up until 11 days before the election — this year , that deadline was Oct. 23 .
But if voters contract the coronavirus or become otherwise medically unable to vote after that date , they can ’ t self-certify that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they need a doctor ’ s note with specific language stating they have “ a sickness or physical condition ” that prevents them from voting in person .
MOVE Texas Action Fund , the voter outreach nonprofit , had sued the state arguing the doctor ’ s note requirement was too burdensome , particularly for people of color and voters without health insurance .
The Centers for Disease Control has encouraged employers not to require doctor ’ s notes for employees who contract the coronavirus , noting that many people “ can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that “ healthcare provider offices and medical facilities may be extremely busy and not able to provide such documentation in a timely manner.
” A county judge issued an order earlier this month that lifted the doctor ’ s note rule for the Nov. 3 election , but on Oct. 23 an appeals court put it back in place .
MOVE said it won ’ t ask the state Supreme Court to weigh in before the election .
Instead , MOVE has launched an “ emergency telemedicine program ” to connect voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meet virtually and digitally sign late ballot applications .
“ The current rules requiring doctors ’ notes for emergency ballots effectively create a pay-to-play system for voters who are struggling to vote and stay safe in the middle of a pandemic , ” said Ryan Cox , senior staff attorney with the Texas Civil Rights Project .
MOVE originally challenged the requirement in an early October lawsuit against Texas ’ s secretary of state , Ruth Hughs .
The coronavirus pandemic made the mandate too burdensome , MOVE argued , especially for voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doctors and can ’ t afford medical care — voters who are also disproportionately racial minorities .
Texas has the highest rate of uninsured people in the country , and CDC statistics “ indicate that positive COVID-19 test results are also disproportionately in communities of color , ” the lawsuit said .
When MOVE filed suit in Travis County court , 96 cases of COVID-19 were being diagnosed in the area per day , meaning that more than 1,000 people in that county alone would be diagnosed with COVID-19 between the deadline and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the nonprofit argued .
The pandemic has killed more than 16,000 Texans and infected nearly 800,000 .
On October 16 , a county district judge ruled that the doctor ’ s note mandate violated the Texas Constitution ’ s Equal Protection guarantee “ because it places an improper disparate burden on voters who are diagnosed with COVID-19 after the deadline.
” He also said it risked the health of voters and the general public , and placed “ a severe burden on the right to vote ” that was “ likely to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and minority voters , effectively requiring a pay-to-play voting procedure.
” He granted a temporary injunction , blocking the state from enforcing the requirement .
Hughs appealed .
Under Texas law , Hughs ’ position as secretary of state overrode the temporary injunction , so MOVE had to ask the Austin-based 3rd Court of Appeals to put the injunction back in place while the appeal moved forward .
The three-judge appeals panel ruled in Hughs ’ favor .
The judges , two of whom are Democrats and one of whom is Republican , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requirement that had been in place since 1986 “ would change the longstanding requirements governing late mail-in ballots and risk voter confusion.
” The appeal is still pending , but in the meantime , MOVE didn ’ t prove an injunction was “ necessary to preserve the parties ’ rights , ” they wrote .
The denial came on Oct. 23 — the deadline in contention — meaning that any newly sick Texan unable to vote in person will now need a doctor ’ s note .

Texans who are suddenly unable to go to the polls because they contract the coronavirus shortly before Election Day will need a certified doctor’s note to vote absentee, a state appeals court ruled.
In Texas, any registered voter with a qualifying disability can request an absentee ballot simply by checking a box on a form up until 11 days before the election — this year, that deadline was Oct. 23. But if voters contract the coronavirus or become otherwise medically unable to vote after that date, they can’t self-certify that they need an absentee ballot. Instead, they need a doctor’s note with specific language stating they have “a sickness or physical condition” that prevents them from voting in person.
MOVE Texas Action Fund, the voter outreach nonprofit, had sued the state arguing the doctor’s note requirement was too burdensome, particularly for people of color and voters without health insurance. The Centers for Disease Control has encouraged employers not to require doctor’s notes for employees who contract the coronavirus, noting that many people “can recover at home without medical care” and that “healthcare provider offices and medical facilities may be extremely busy and not able to provide such documentation in a timely manner.”
A county judge issued an order earlier this month that lifted the doctor’s note rule for the Nov. 3 election, but on Oct. 23 an appeals court put it back in place. MOVE said it won’t ask the state Supreme Court to weigh in before the election. Instead, MOVE has launched an “emergency telemedicine program” to connect voters with volunteer physicians who are willing to meet virtually and digitally sign late ballot applications.
“The current rules requiring doctors’ notes for emergency ballots effectively create a pay-to-play system for voters who are struggling to vote and stay safe in the middle of a pandemic,” said Ryan Cox, senior staff attorney with the Texas Civil Rights Project.
MOVE originally challenged the requirement in an early October lawsuit against Texas’s secretary of state, Ruth Hughs. The coronavirus pandemic made the mandate too burdensome, MOVE argued, especially for voters who don’t have primary care doctors and can’t afford medical care — voters who are also disproportionately racial minorities. Texas has the highest rate of uninsured people in the country, and CDC statistics “indicate that positive COVID-19 test results are also disproportionately in communities of color,” the lawsuit said.
When MOVE filed suit in Travis County court, 96 cases of COVID-19 were being diagnosed in the area per day, meaning that more than 1,000 people in that county alone would be diagnosed with COVID-19 between the deadline and Election Day, with greater numbers statewide, the nonprofit argued. The pandemic has killed more than 16,000 Texans and infected nearly 800,000.
On October 16, a county district judge ruled that the doctor’s note mandate violated the Texas Constitution’s Equal Protection guarantee “because it places an improper disparate burden on voters who are diagnosed with COVID-19 after the deadline.” He also said it risked the health of voters and the general public, and placed “a severe burden on the right to vote” that was “likely to burden primarily low-income and uninsured voters, and minority voters, effectively requiring a pay-to-play voting procedure.” He granted a temporary injunction, blocking the state from enforcing the requirement.
Hughs appealed. Under Texas law, Hughs’ position as secretary of state overrode the temporary injunction, so MOVE had to ask the Austin-based 3rd Court of Appeals to put the injunction back in place while the appeal moved forward.
The three-judge appeals panel ruled in Hughs’ favor. The judges, two of whom are Democrats and one of whom is Republican, wrote that making last-second changes to a requirement that had been in place since 1986 “would change the longstanding requirements governing late mail-in ballots and risk voter confusion.” The appeal is still pending, but in the meantime, MOVE didn’t prove an injunction was “necessary to preserve the parties’ rights,” they wrote.
The denial came on Oct. 23 — the deadline in contention — meaning that any newly sick Texan unable to vote in person will now need a doctor’s note.