buzzfeed--2020-07-08--The Supreme Court Made It Easier For Employers To Deny Insurance Coverage For Birth Control

The Supreme Court sided with the Trump administration Wednesday , granting businesses and universities the ability to refuse to provide birth control coverage for their employees for religious or moral reasons .
The decision pertains to two cases — which the Supreme Court combined and heard together over video chat in May — Little Sisters of the Poor v. Pennsylvania and Trump v. Pennsylvania .
Both cases concern an Obama administration–era requirement under the Affordable Care Act which mandated that all employers in the US provide their employees with insurance coverage for contraception , or apply for an exemption that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coverage through another entity .
Religious organizations , like the Catholic charity organization Little Sisters of the Poor — one of the plaintiffs in the cases decided Wednesday — argued that filling out a form to get the exemption was a violation of their “ freedom of conscience , ” as they were still participating in enabling their employees to get contraception , which they are religiously opposed to .
The case was decided 5–2–2 , with Justices Elena Kagan and Stephen Breyer departing from their more liberal colleagues and writing concurring opinions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Supreme Court 's majority , Justice Clarence Thomas wrote : '' We hold that the Departments had the authority to provide exemptions from the regulatory contraceptive requirements for employers with religious and conscientious objections . ''
Thomas also noted that `` contraceptive mandate '' has existed for approximately nine years and `` litigation surrounding that requirement has lasted nearly as long . ''
In their dissent , Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor wrote that Wednesday ’ s decision `` casts totally aside countervailing rights and interests in its zeal to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
The decision “ leaves women workers to fend for themselves , to seek contraceptive coverage from sources other than their employer ’ s insurer , and , absent another available source of funding , to pay for contraceptive services out of their own pockets . ''
They wrote that , under the Trump administration ’ s own estimate , this decision will cause between 70,500 and 126,400 people “ to immediately lose access to no-cost contraceptive services.
” In 2017 , the Trump administration passed two rules attempting to accommodate organizations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with moral or religious opposition to providing contraception to opt out entirely .
The rules were quickly blocked in the courts , so in 2018 , the administration issued second versions of the rules , which had essentially the same effect but with different language .
Opponents of the rules , led by the state of Pennsylvania , took the administration to court , arguing that Trump ’ s rules were too broad and could allow any employer to deny birth control coverage to its employees .
They especially took issue with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ morality is not easily enough defined to qualify as a reason for being exempt from the contraception coverage requirement .
Justices Kagan and Breyer wrote a joint opinion in which they concurred with the judgment of the court , “ but for different reasons than the court gives , ” Kagan wrote .
She also suggested that despite Wednesday ’ s ruling , the case may not be over .
On behalf of Breyer , Kagan wrote that she does not think the statute gives clear directive on whether or not the ACA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what coverage is provided to employees , despite both the majority opinion and the dissent seeming entirely sure that they are right .
“ Sometimes when I squint , I read the law as giving the [ Department of Health ] discretion over all coverage issues : The agency gets to decide who needs to provide what services to women , ” Kagan wrote , adding that at other times , she does not .
Because of this ambiguity , Kagan and Breyer interpreted precedent as dictating that they have to agree to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agency , ” in this case the Trump Health Department ’ s Health Resources and Services Administration ( HRSA ) .
However , Kagan noted , she and Breyer believe that the birth control exemptions may not survive further legal review .
“ I also write separately because I question whether the exemptions can survive administrative law ’ s demand for reasoned decisionmaking , ” she continued .
“ That issue remains open for the lower courts to address.
” What Kagan is referring to here is complex .
The chief argument in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups like Little Sisters of the Poor , but another central argument was about whether the Trump administration violated the Administrative Procedures Act , which governs how administrations release new rules , with the way Trump enacted the birth control exemption .
Opponents of the Trump rules argued that they were “ arbitrary and capricious ” and outside HRSA ’ s authority to enact .
In Thomas ’ s opinion , he stated that the Trump administration was not in violation of the APA , but Kagan countered that this question needs to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who did not reach a decision on that aspect of the case .
Kagan argued that the new exemption greatly expands who the rules could affect and that the Trump administration did not consider this expansion enough before enacting it .
She also questioned the “ moral exemption ” created by the Trump administration , writing , “ The Departments ’ contrary decision to extend the exemption to those without any religious need for it yielded all costs and no benefits.
” “ A careful agency would have weighed anew , in this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more employers from the mandate against the harms of depriving more women of contraceptive coverage , ” she wrote .
“ In the absence of such a reassessment , it seems a close call whether the moral exemption can survive ” when considered again by lower courts .
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro , who led one of the two cases considered by the Supreme Court Wednesday , said in a statement that he planned to return the case to the lower courts in the hopes it will be overturned there .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the majority opinion , I am pleased the Court allowed our challenge to the Administration ’ s overly broad rules to proceed , '' Shapiro 's statement said .
`` We now return to the lower courts to address whether the exemptions are arbitrary and capricious .
This fight is not over . ''
The ACA ’ s “ contraception mandate , ” as it is often referred to in court arguments , has been challenged repeatedly in court since it was first implemented in 2012 .
In fact , it has come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2016 the court heard Zubik v. Burwell , a case in which religious organizations argued that the contraceptive mandate violated their religious freedoms .
The Supreme Court did not expressly rule on the mandate in this case , but instead vacated all prior decisions in the lower courts and instructed the parties in the case to “ clarify and refine ” the rules so that they still applied to most employers , but did not infringe on the religious rights of the objecting groups .
Since then , most attempts to alter the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Supreme Court decided another case pertaining to reproductive rights in late June called June Medical Services v. Russo .
In that case , the court came down on the side of abortion rights organizations , ruling that a Louisiana law that required physicians performing abortions at clinics to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital was unconstitutional .

The Supreme Court sided with the Trump administration Wednesday, granting businesses and universities the ability to refuse to provide birth control coverage for their employees for religious or moral reasons.
The decision pertains to two cases — which the Supreme Court combined and heard together over video chat in May — Little Sisters of the Poor v. Pennsylvania and Trump v. Pennsylvania.
Both cases concern an Obama administration–era requirement under the Affordable Care Act which mandated that all employers in the US provide their employees with insurance coverage for contraception, or apply for an exemption that would enable their employees to get insurance coverage through another entity.
Religious organizations, like the Catholic charity organization Little Sisters of the Poor — one of the plaintiffs in the cases decided Wednesday — argued that filling out a form to get the exemption was a violation of their “freedom of conscience,” as they were still participating in enabling their employees to get contraception, which they are religiously opposed to.
The case was decided 5–2–2, with Justices Elena Kagan and Stephen Breyer departing from their more liberal colleagues and writing concurring opinions.
In his opinion on behalf of the Supreme Court's majority, Justice Clarence Thomas wrote:
"We hold that the Departments had the authority to provide exemptions from
the regulatory contraceptive requirements for employers with religious and conscientious objections."
Thomas also noted that "contraceptive mandate" has existed for approximately nine years and "litigation surrounding that requirement has lasted nearly as long."
In their dissent, Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor wrote that Wednesday’s decision "casts totally aside countervailing rights and interests in its zeal to secure religious rights to the nth degree." The decision “leaves women workers to fend for themselves, to seek contraceptive coverage from sources other than their employer’s insurer, and, absent another available source of funding, to pay for contraceptive services out of their own pockets."
They wrote that, under the Trump administration’s own estimate, this decision will cause between 70,500 and 126,400 people “to immediately lose access to no-cost contraceptive services.”
In 2017, the Trump administration passed two rules attempting to accommodate organizations that oppose contraception, allowing any organization with moral or religious opposition to providing contraception to opt out entirely. The rules were quickly blocked in the courts, so in 2018, the administration issued second versions of the rules, which had essentially the same effect but with different language.
Opponents of the rules, led by the state of Pennsylvania, took the administration to court, arguing that Trump’s rules were too broad and could allow any employer to deny birth control coverage to its employees. They especially took issue with the “moral” exemption, arguing that morality is not easily enough defined to qualify as a reason for being exempt from the contraception coverage requirement.
Justices Kagan and Breyer wrote a joint opinion in which they concurred with the judgment of the court, “but for different reasons than the court gives,” Kagan wrote. She also suggested that despite Wednesday’s ruling, the case may not be over.
On behalf of Breyer, Kagan wrote that she does not think the statute gives clear directive on whether or not the ACA gives any directive on who can decide what coverage is provided to employees, despite both the majority opinion and the dissent seeming entirely sure that they are right.
“Sometimes when I squint, I read the law as giving the [Department of Health] discretion over all coverage issues: The agency gets to decide who needs to provide what services to women,” Kagan wrote, adding that at other times, she does not.
Because of this ambiguity, Kagan and Breyer interpreted precedent as dictating that they have to agree to a “reasonable interpretation by the implementing agency,” in this case the Trump Health Department’s Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
However, Kagan noted, she and Breyer believe that the birth control exemptions may not survive further legal review.
“I also write separately because I question whether the exemptions can survive administrative law’s demand for reasoned decisionmaking,” she continued. “That issue remains open for the lower courts to address.”
What Kagan is referring to here is complex. The chief argument in the case concerned the religious freedom of groups like Little Sisters of the Poor, but another central argument was about whether the Trump administration violated the Administrative Procedures Act, which governs how administrations release new rules, with the way Trump enacted the birth control exemption.
Opponents of the Trump rules argued that they were “arbitrary and capricious” and outside HRSA’s authority to enact. In Thomas’s opinion, he stated that the Trump administration was not in violation of the APA, but Kagan countered that this question needs to go back to the lower courts, who did not reach a decision on that aspect of the case.
Kagan argued that the new exemption greatly expands who the rules could affect and that the Trump administration did not consider this expansion enough before enacting it. She also questioned the “moral exemption” created by the Trump administration, writing, “The Departments’ contrary decision to extend the exemption to those without any religious need for it yielded all costs and no benefits.”
“A careful agency would have weighed anew, in this different context, the benefits of exempting more employers from the mandate against the harms of depriving more women of contraceptive coverage,” she wrote. “In the absence of such a reassessment, it seems a close call whether the moral exemption can survive” when considered again by lower courts.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, who led one of the two cases considered by the Supreme Court Wednesday, said in a statement that he planned to return the case to the lower courts in the hopes it will be overturned there.
"While I am disappointed with much of the majority opinion, I am pleased the Court allowed our challenge to the Administration’s overly broad rules to proceed," Shapiro's statement said. "We now return to the lower courts to address whether the exemptions are arbitrary and capricious. This fight is not over."
The ACA’s “contraception mandate,” as it is often referred to in court arguments, has been challenged repeatedly in court since it was first implemented in 2012. In fact, it has come before the Supreme Court before.
In 2016 the court heard Zubik v. Burwell, a case in which religious organizations argued that the contraceptive mandate violated their religious freedoms. The Supreme Court did not expressly rule on the mandate in this case, but instead vacated all prior decisions in the lower courts and instructed the parties in the case to “clarify and refine” the rules so that they still applied to most employers, but did not infringe on the religious rights of the objecting groups.
Since then, most attempts to alter the rules have ended up back in court.
The Supreme Court decided another case pertaining to reproductive rights in late June called June Medical Services v. Russo. In that case, the court came down on the side of abortion rights organizations, ruling that a Louisiana law that required physicians performing abortions at clinics to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital was unconstitutional.


buzzfeed--2020-07-09--Gwyneth Paltrow Gifted Her 14-Year-Old Son A Boobs Puzzle To Keep Busy With During Quarantine

Back in February , Gwyneth talked about how Moses is a fan of her sex-positive blog while on Jimmy Kimmel @ @ @ @ @ “ Actually , my son said to me the other day , he was like @ @ @ @ @ thought it was really embarrassing that there were vibrators on your website and now I @ @ @ @ @ great thing ! '
He ’ s like , ‘ You ’ re a feminist @ @ @ @ @ re a badass.
’ I was like , ‘ Thank you !
’ ”

Back in February, while on Jimmy Kimmel Live !, Gwyneth talked about how Moses is a fan of her sex-positive blog, saying, “Actually, my son said to me the other day, he was like, ‘At first I thought it was really embarrassing that there were vibrators on your website, and now I think it’s a great thing!' He’s like, ‘You’re a feminist, Mom. You’re a badass.’ I was like, ‘Thank you!’”


buzzfeed--2020-07-09--New York's Latest Coronavirus Sex Advice Basically Encourages Glory Holes And Zoom Orgies

Remember back in mid-March , right as the coronavirus pandemic was taking off in the United States , New York City officials issued some helpful advice on sex practices during the outbreak ?
The guide , issued by the New York City Health Department , advised residents on `` how to enjoy sex and avoid spreading COVID-19 '' by essentially sticking to masturbation and only having sex with people in your household , meaning your partner or consenting roommate ( if that 's the deal you have with them — not wise , IMHO !
!
! )
.
Well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , because the good folks at the health department are back , and they are feeling KINKY .
On Monday , the city updated its advisory , and among its new recommendations are masks , glory holes , and Zoom orgies .
`` Wear a face covering or mask , '' advised health officials .
`` Maybe it ’ s your thing , maybe it ’ s not , but during COVID-19 wearing a face covering that covers your nose and mouth is a good way to add a layer of protection during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread the virus further , and if you or your partner have COVID-19 and don ’ t know it , a mask can help stop that spread . ''
`` Make it a little kinky , '' they suggested before alluding to something that can only be construed as a glory hole .
`` Be creative with sexual positions and physical barriers , like walls , that allow sexual contact while preventing close face to face contact . ''

Remember back in mid-March, right as the coronavirus pandemic was taking off in the United States, New York City officials issued some helpful advice on sex practices during the outbreak?
The guide, issued by the New York City Health Department, advised residents on "how to enjoy sex and avoid spreading COVID-19" by essentially sticking to masturbation and only having sex with people in your household, meaning your partner or consenting roommate (if that's the deal you have with them — not wise, IMHO!!!).
Well, get ready, you horny quarantinos, because the good folks at the health department are back, and they are feeling KINKY.
On Monday, the city updated its advisory, and among its new recommendations are masks, glory holes, and Zoom orgies.
"Wear a face covering or mask," advised health officials. "Maybe it’s your thing, maybe it’s not, but during COVID-19 wearing a face covering that covers your nose and mouth is a good way to add a layer of protection during sex. Heavy breathing and panting can spread the virus further, and if you or your partner have COVID-19 and don’t know it, a mask can help stop that spread."
"Make it a little kinky," they suggested before alluding to something that can only be construed as a glory hole. "Be creative with sexual positions and physical barriers, like walls, that allow sexual contact while preventing close face to face contact."


buzzfeed--2020-07-09--International Students Are Trying To Cope With Trump's Online Class Rule: "America Is Ready To Kick

International Students Are Trying To Cope With Trump's Online Class Rule: "America Is Ready To Kick Me Out"

BuzzFeed News has reporters around the world bringing you trustworthy stories about the impact of the coronavirus .
To help keep this news free , become a member .
“ This has to be a lie , it ’ s surely a rumor , ” thought S.G. , who requested that only her initials be used for fear of how her immigration status might change in the coming days .
“ Why would we have to leave if we are here legally and we have a visa ?
” On Monday , the Trump administration announced that foreign students whose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amid the coronavirus pandemic would have to leave the country .
Shortly after , S.G. ’ s cell phone began lighting up with a frenzy of messages and links .
An undergraduate student from Venezuela , S.G. has been living in Florida for four years .
The news she received earlier this week seemed as bizarre and implausible as some of the rumors that regularly float around in her home country .
But this was happening in the US , and it was happening to her .
Her parents , S.G. said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ savings on her college education , even as Venezuela ’ s economy was nosediving .
Her parents still live in Venezuela , unlike many of their friends and neighbors who fled widespread insecurity , hyperinflation , a crumbling healthcare system and frequent blackouts .
If she is forced to go back home , how will S.G. be able to take online classes when the power goes out ?
The new policy , issued by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement , which runs the Student and Exchange Visitor Program , is the latest in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legal immigration into the US .
It puts more than one million international students in the US at risk of deportation amid a global pandemic that has severely restricted air travel .
If they are forced to return home , many of these students will be on different time zones and in locations where access to the internet might be spotty , at best , making it harder for them to follow the course than if they were in the US .
This modification “ will encourage schools to reopen , ” Acting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Holders of F-1 and M-1 visas , which are for academic and vocational students , must transfer to a school that offers partial in-person courses or leave the country .
The State Department issued more than 398,000 of these types of visas in fiscal year 2019 .
On Wednesday , Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration in an effort to halt the new policy .
In a letter to students and faculty , Harvard President Lawrence Bacow said the policy aimed to pressure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fall despite record numbers of coronavirus infections , and said its cruelty was “ surpassed only by its recklessness.
” Harvard had announced last month that classes next year would be held remotely with rare exceptions .
Professors across the country scrambled to understand the effects of the vaguely worded policy , and many offered to provide in-person classes , reimagined to protect students from COVID-19 transmission .
“ If outdoors is the safest place to be and we need to meet in person , I will find a palm tree , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communication at the University of South Florida , told BuzzFeed News .
There are more than 4,700 international students from 141 different countries at USF .
Professors at the University of California , Columbia University , DePaul University , and Syracuse University , among others , made similar offers on Twitter .
S.G. said several professors reached out to her on the social media platform to offer support , even if it was only emotional .
More than half of the 1.1 million international students in the US come from China and India @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Education .
Many others come from Latin American countries , where they are often fleeing drug-related violence and political oppression .
When S.G. left Venezuela in 2016 , food , water and electricity shortages were already widespread .
But things have worsened and now — they only get running water 30 minutes a day .
“ I can ’ t imagine returning to that now , ” said S.G , who reckons there are at least 300 other Venezuelan students at her university .

Her parents, S.G. said, decided to spend much of their life savings on her college education, even as Venezuela’s economy was nose-diving. Her parents still live in Venezuela, unlike many of their friends and neighbors who fled widespread insecurity, hyperinflation, a crumbling healthcare system, and frequent blackouts.
If she is forced to go back home, how will S.G. be able to take online classes when the power goes out?
The new policy, issued by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which runs the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, is the latest in a series of directives aimed at curbing legal immigration into the US. It puts more than 1 million international students in the US at risk of deportation amid a global pandemic that has severely restricted air travel.
If they are forced to return home, many of these students will be in different time zones and in locations where access to the internet might be spotty, at best, making it harder for them to follow the course than if they were in the US.
This modification “will encourage schools to reopen,” acting Deputy DHS Secretary Ken Cuccinelli told CNN. Holders of F-1 and M-1 visas, which are for academic and vocational students, must transfer to a school that offers partial in-person courses or leave the country. The State Department issued more than 398,000 of these types of visas in fiscal year 2019.
On Wednesday, Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration in an effort to halt the new policy.
In a letter to students and faculty, Harvard President Lawrence Bacow said the policy aimed to pressure universities to open their campuses in the fall despite record numbers of coronavirus infections, and said its cruelty was “surpassed only by its recklessness.” Harvard had announced last month that classes next year would be held remotely with rare exceptions.
Professors across the country scrambled to understand the effects of the vaguely worded policy, and many offered to provide in-person classes, reimagined to protect students from COVID-19 transmission.
“If outdoors is the safest place to be and we need to meet in person, I will find a palm tree,” Joshua Scacco, a professor of political communication at the University of South Florida, told BuzzFeed News. There are more than 4,700 international students from 141 different countries at USF.
Professors at the University of California, Columbia University, DePaul University, and Syracuse University, among others, made similar offers on Twitter. S.G. said several professors reached out to her on the social media platform to offer support, even if it was only emotional.
More than half of the 1.1 million international students in the US come from China and India, according to the Institute of International Education. Many others come from Latin American countries, where they are often fleeing drug-related violence and political oppression.
When S.G. left Venezuela in 2016, food, water, and electricity shortages were already widespread. But things have worsened and now — they only get running water 30 minutes a day.
“I can’t imagine returning to that now,” said S.G., who reckons there are at least 300 other Venezuelan students at her university.


buzzfeed--2020-07-09--Tulsa's Top Health Official Said Trump's Rally Likely Contributed To The Surge In COVID-19 Cases The

Tulsa's Top Health Official Said Trump's Rally Likely Contributed To The Surge In COVID-19 Cases There

BuzzFeed News has reporters around the world bringing you trustworthy stories about the impact of the coronavirus .
To help keep this news free , become a member .
A top health official in Oklahoma said Wednesday that President Donald Trump 's rally in Tulsa last month and the protests associated with the event `` more than likely '' contributed to the surge in coronavirus cases .
In Tulsa County , 206 new cases of COVID-19 were identified on Tuesday , Dr. Bruce Dart , director of the Tulsa City–County Health Department , told reporters at a press conference .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ — a record high for the county .
`` Right now we do have the highest number of cases [ in Oklahoma ] , '' Dart said .
`` We ’ ve had some significant events in the past few weeks that more than likely contributed to that . ''
Asked again about the Trump rally , which was held on June 20 , Dart discussed the average time it takes between an infection and a case to be diagnosed .
`` The past two days we ’ ve had almost 500 cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ large events a little over two weeks ago , which is about right , '' he said .
`` So I guess we just connect the dots . ''
More than 1,000 people are currently infected with COVID-19 in the county , according to public health data .
At least 72 people have died .
A graph of new cases in Tulsa County has fluctuated wildly since the June 20 rally , although the average number of new cases has been exponentially increasing there since early June .

A top health official in Oklahoma said Wednesday that President Donald Trump's rally in Tulsa last month and the protests associated with the event "more than likely" contributed to the surge in coronavirus cases.
In Tulsa County, 206 new cases of COVID-19 were identified on Tuesday, Dr. Bruce Dart, director of the Tulsa City–County Health Department, told reporters at a press conference. On Monday, there were 261 cases — a record high for the county.
"Right now we do have the highest number of cases [in Oklahoma]," Dart said. "We’ve had some significant events in the past few weeks that more than likely contributed to that."
Asked again about the Trump rally, which was held on June 20, Dart discussed the average time it takes between an infection and a case to be diagnosed. "The past two days we’ve had almost 500 cases, and we knew we had several large events a little over two weeks ago, which is about right," he said. "So I guess we just connect the dots."
More than 1,000 people are currently infected with COVID-19 in the county, according to public health data. At least 72 people have died.
A graph of new cases in Tulsa County has fluctuated wildly since the June 20 rally, although the average number of new cases has been exponentially increasing there since early June.


buzzfeed--2020-07-09--Facebook Said It “Stands Firmly Against Hate.” It Still Ran A White Nationalist Ad.

“ White people make up just 8 % of the world 's population so if you flood all white majority countries with nonwhites you eliminate white children for ever , ” White Wellbeing Australia ’ s Facebook ad read , accompanied by a cartoon drawing of a white woman .
“ There will still be a billion Africans in Africa a billion Indians in India and 2 billion Asians in Asia.
” Between July 4 and July 8 , the company ran an ad from “ White Wellbeing Australia , ” a two-month-old Facebook page with 386 followers that has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and fearmongered about the erasure of white children .
But as Sandberg hit publish , the social network was running an ad from a white nationalist Facebook page .
On Tuesday , ahead of a meeting with social justice organizations and the release of a civil rights audit that took two years to complete , Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg wrote on her personal page that the company “ stands firmly against hate.
” Facebook 's ad library shows that a page promoting white nationalism has been running an ad on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facebook took down the ad more than six hours after being alerted to it by BuzzFeed News .
“ The ads shouldn ’ t have run on Facebook and they ’ ve been removed , '' said Rob Leathern , director of product management at Facebook .
`` We ’ ve also permanently banned this Page from using our advertising system.
” The ad comes at a particularly fraught time for Facebook , in which it has faced an external ad boycott from major corporations as well as internal employee pressure for its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Its executives have promised that the company is doing more to clarify and enforce its policies — particularly following a decision to leave up a post from President Donald Trump suggesting violence against protesters .
But critics are getting tired of the assurances .
Yesterday , following a meeting with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg , Sandberg , and other company leaders , the organizers of the ad boycott said that all they heard were the “ same old talking points.
” “ I ’ m deeply disappointed that Facebook still refuses to hold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advertisers and society at large , ” said Jessica J. González , co-CEO of Free Press , one of the groups behind the # StopProfitForHate boycott .
“ I was hoping to see deep humility and reflection about the outsized role that Facebook plays in shaping beliefs , opinions and behavior , and the many harms it ’ s caused and facilitated in real life .
Instead we saw more dialogue and no action.
” Have a tip about Facebook or another technology company ?
We 'd love to hear from you .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ via one of our tip line channels .
Zuckerberg , who has majority shareholder control of the company , has resisted calls for accountability , a stance that came into sharp relief on Wednesday , with the release of Facebook ’ s long-awaited civil rights audit .
Published on Wednesday , the two-year study found the company 's decisions “ represent significant setbacks for civil rights , ” including leaving up one post from President Trump alleging “ illegal ” absentee ballot voting and another that stated “ once the looting starts , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not always enforced , the company ’ s policy changes demonstrated to the public , its own employees , and regulators that the only thing missing from Facebook leadership ’ s efforts is their own political will and courage , ” Rashad Robinson , the president of civil rights group Color of Change , said in a statement .
“ Ridding the platform of hate and misinformation against Black people only became a priority when there was a PR crisis to endure.
” Robinson criticized the company for not adding a C-suite executive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did create a role for senior vice president of civil rights that will report through the company ’ s legal department and to Sandberg .
The company also made it clear that it felt it was under no legal obligation to follow the audit 's suggestions .
In June , BuzzFeed News found that the company had been running paid content from the Boogaloo movement , a group of anti-government extremists calling for violence against police and state officials .
The white nationalist ad found by BuzzFeed News on Wednesday makes it clear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its platform of hateful content , and is still profiting off it .
According to its Facebook page , the ad 's creator , White Wellbeing Australia , claims to be a “ wellbeing community ” seeking “ to share information and allow like minded people to create contacts online and in the community.
” Because the ad is not classified as a political cause , Facebook ’ s ad library does not show how much was spent on the paid content , or who it targeted .
The ad began running on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and managed out of Australia , the page has posted racist memes and content suggesting whites should “ protect your people.
” In a May 23 post , the page wrote , “ Antiwhites use the myth of 'complexity ' to justify harming and replacing white children in all white majority countries.
” “ You do n't have to be a genius to understand that Demographics is Destiny , ” the post read , accompanied by an image that stated “ # WhiteGenocide.
” An administrator for the page did not return a @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Facebook took down the ad more than six hours after being alerted to it by BuzzFeed News.
“The ads shouldn’t have run on Facebook and they’ve been removed," said Rob Leathern, director of product management at Facebook. "We’ve also permanently banned this Page from using our advertising system.”
The ad comes at a particularly fraught time for Facebook, in which it has faced an external ad boycott from major corporations as well as internal employee pressure for its handling of hateful and racist content. Its executives have promised that the company is doing more to clarify and enforce its policies — particularly following a decision to leave up a post from President Donald Trump suggesting violence against protesters.
But critics are getting tired of the assurances.
Yesterday, following a meeting with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Sandberg, and other company leaders, the organizers of the ad boycott said that all they heard were the “same old talking points.”
“I’m deeply disappointed that Facebook still refuses to hold itself accountable to its users, its advertisers and society at large,” said Jessica J. González, co-CEO of Free Press, one of the groups behind the #StopProfitForHate boycott. “I was hoping to see deep humility and reflection about the outsized role that Facebook plays in shaping beliefs, opinions and behavior, and the many harms it’s caused and facilitated in real life. Instead we saw more dialogue and no action.”
Have a tip about Facebook or another technology company? We'd love to hear from you. Reach out at ryan.mac@buzzfeed.com or via one of our tip line channels.
Zuckerberg, who has majority shareholder control of the company, has resisted calls for accountability, a stance that came into sharp relief on Wednesday, with the release of Facebook’s long-awaited civil rights audit.
Published on Wednesday, the two-year study found the company's decisions “represent significant setbacks for civil rights,” including leaving up one post from President Trump alleging “illegal” absentee ballot voting and another that stated “once the looting starts, the shooting starts.”
“Even if not always enforced, the company’s policy changes demonstrated to the public, its own employees, and regulators that the only thing missing from Facebook leadership’s efforts is their own political will and courage,” Rashad Robinson, the president of civil rights group Color of Change, said in a statement. “Ridding the platform of hate and misinformation against Black people only became a priority when there was a PR crisis to endure.”
Robinson criticized the company for not adding a C-suite executive to handle civil rights, although Facebook did create a role for senior vice president of civil rights that will report through the company’s legal department and to Sandberg. The company also made it clear that it felt it was under no legal obligation to follow the audit's suggestions.
In June, BuzzFeed News found that the company had been running paid content from the Boogaloo movement, a group of anti-government extremists calling for violence against police and state officials. The white nationalist ad found by BuzzFeed News on Wednesday makes it clear that Facebook still hasn’t rid its platform of hateful content, and is still profiting off it.
According to its Facebook page, the ad's creator, White Wellbeing Australia, claims to be a “wellbeing community” seeking “to share information and allow like minded people to create contacts online and in the community.” Because the ad is not classified as a political cause, Facebook’s ad library does not show how much was spent on the paid content, or who it targeted. The ad began running on July 4.
Created on April 25 and managed out of Australia, the page has posted racist memes and content suggesting whites should “protect your people.” In a May 23 post, the page wrote, “Antiwhites use the myth of 'complexity' to justify harming and replacing white children in all white majority countries.”
“You don't have to be a genius to understand that Demographics is Destiny,” the post read, accompanied by an image that stated “#WhiteGenocide.”
An administrator for the page did not return a request for comment from BuzzFeed News.


buzzfeed--2020-07-09--Equinox Instructors Feel Betrayed And Scared As Gyms Start To Open

“ I 'm a poor person… I just do n't get how they 're comfortable with those losses happening at the bottom .
It 's just so weird and greedy to me.
” When Monica Davis , a Southern California barre and cardio class instructor , teaches a group fitness class , it takes her about an hour to commute to the gym , an hour to put together a playlist , another hour to plan the class itself , an hour to teach it , and another hour to commute back home .
Davis works for Equinox , an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 80 locations across the US , Canada , and the UK .
Before the coronavirus outbreak hit , she was being paid $ 60 a class .
When the gyms closed , Equinox paid Davis 75 % of what she ’ d been making while teaching .
Now , gyms in the US are beginning to reopen despite rising COVID-19 cases nationally , meaning group fitness instructors like Davis are facing the prospect of teaching classes indoors , to sweating , panting students — many of whom , instructors like Davis say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks .
Columbia University health policy professor Irwin Redlener said during an interview with BuzzFeed News earlier this spring that even if gyms spaced out equipment , there would still be a lot of close contact between members and staff , which could spread the virus further .
Redlener said that without sufficient testing and contract tracing , gyms wo n't be safe .
As gyms reopen , he said , `` if the virus actually ends up being still prevalent and we 're not aware of who has it , who doesn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the safety of both the employees of the gym and the customers.
” But despite the risk , Equinox is asking its group fitness instructors to come back to the gym and teach classes at a discounted rate , keeping the teachers at their 75 % pay , rather than restoring their pre-COVID-19 rates .
Instructors have also been asked to help clean the group fitness studios after classes , without additional pay , as part of an effort to more frequently deep-clean the studios , according to company emails shared with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instructors based in California and Washington , DC , and reviewed nearly two dozen emails , which include ones from instructors sent to Equinox management raising their concerns as well as company responses and announcements , and Facebook conversations between instructors .
The messages show an overwhelming nervousness and frustration from instructors being asked to return to work before they feel safe — and to do so not only without hazard pay , but for a reduced wage .
“ Everybody was like , Okay , record scratch .
What ?
” Davis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News .
“ Now I 'm working for $ 45 for five hours of work .
That comes out to what , $ 9 an hour ?
Now in essence I 'm under minimum wage.
” ( Minimum wage in California , where Davis works , is $ 12 per hour , but she is paid on a per-class basis and her prep work isn ’ t accounted for . )
Another Equinox instructor who has worked in both New York and Washington , DC , gyms , who asked to remain anonymous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simply : “ I honestly think it 's ridiculous .
I think it 's absolutely ridiculous.
” The instructor now lives in DC , and when she was asked to come back to work she said she wasn ’ t comfortable .
“ Everyone 's kind of loosened up a bit , but I do n't think that means that I can go into a sweaty , hot environment where , you know , part of my job is like touching people .
I 'm obviously not going to do that , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manager said ] ‘ You ’ re going to be be paid 75 % of your normal rate until Equinox gets back on its feet , ’ I was kinda like , What the fuck , Equinox ?
” The DC instructor was told that if she didn ’ t come back to teach within two months of her location reopening , she would be considered an inactive employee and be required to reaudition for her role .
“ I am really leery about going inactive and being kicked off the payroll , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being sketchy about it , ” she said .
Instead , she said she believes no instructor should be considered “ inactive ” if they don ’ t immediately return because of the pandemic .
Liz Levitan , a spokesperson for Equinox , said the DC employee had received inaccurate information .
“ After 8 weeks we simply rehire an employee who goes inactive in payroll .
No audition is required , ” she wrote in an emailed statement to BuzzFeed News last Thursday .
“ In our clubs that we have reopened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 100 % of our teams.
” But that same morning , Equinox ’ s executive chair Harvey Spevak announced that the company was furloughing some instructors and other employees who have not returned to work , including the DC instructor and Davis .
According to a source close to the company , 1,500 employees were furloughed .
According to Spevak ’ s announcement , which was shared with BuzzFeed News by two Equinox employees , active employees of open clubs will continue to receive their “ initial opening compensation , ” and some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as active employees , including “ Group Fitness Instructors with greater than 14 classes/week.
” But the announcement made no mention of inactive employees at open locations like Davis and the DC instructor who had not yet returned to teach out of fears for their safety .
They both soon learned via email that they were among the furloughed group .
Three days later , neither employee had received any more information about if or how they could return to teaching when they felt safe .
“ I ’ m pissed , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ message to BuzzFeed News .
“ I ’ m pretty mad that no one called me before I got the email and that STILL no one has reached out.
” Levitan said in a statement that Equinox was proud to compensate its employees for as long as it did while gyms were closed .
“ We have already welcomed back 95 percent of our team in the markets in which we have reopened , and it is our hope and our intention to welcome back as much of our team as possible as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ With city and state governments in New York , New Jersey and the Bay Area unable to give us any certainty regarding reopening , we have no choice but to furlough certain members of the team in our unopened markets.
” In a follow-up statement after BuzzFeed News asked for clarification on the terms of the furloughs , Equinox spokesperson Samantha Bonizzi said , “ As markets reopen , instructors have been and will continue to be welcomed back with no re-audition necessary.
” But Davis is an instructor in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prior to being furloughed , she ’ d had a conversation with her manager about returning to the gym .
She said she was given just two days to sign an agreement that would lock in her pay cut and bring her back to work .
“ [ I said , ] ‘ You guys are asking the people at the bottom of your food chains to take this hit and bear the breadth of lost revenue , and I just kind of want you to know that like , I 'm a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a poor person to now earn 25 % less , ’ ” she told BuzzFeed News .
“ I just do n't get how they 're comfortable with those losses happening at the bottom .
It 's just so weird and greedy to me.
” Another Southern California instructor wrote an email to Spevak on June 13 calling the pay cuts “ disappointing and devaluing.
” If you 're someone who is seeing the impact of the coronavirus firsthand , we ’ d like to hear from you .
Reach out to us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ In addition to the hourly rate decrease , our duties have been expanded and most important so [ has ] our vulnerability to the virus , ” the instructor wrote .
“ The increased measures are not a safeguard to being in a room of breathing , sweating people even with social distancing.
” The instructor signed off , “ On behalf of myself and all group fitness instructors who have devoted years to Equinox ( 16 years personally ) , it is only fair to pay us our original teaching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we can return to work as a valued employee.
” Although she ’ s young and healthy , Davis is still nervous about the safety of returning to work , even if she were to be paid in full .
“ Gyms are , if nothing else , recycled air and body fluids , ” she said .
“ Even on our best day — I 'm somebody who is in really good health and I have really strong lungs because I exercise for a living , I take a multivitamin — but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Equinox has said it intends to follow all guidance from the CDC , which Davis said is good in theory , but she thinks it ’ s unlikely to happen in practice .
“ I 'm thinking , yeah , that 's great , you know , that 's great in a vacuum .
But when you start dealing with Equinox clientele , it 's like , these are really spoiled , entitled people , ” she said .
Already , at least one Equinox member has tested positive for COVID-19 since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a notification they got from the company announcing that a member at the Beverly Hills location who tested positive had been in the gym the mornings of June 20 and June 22 .
“ The member was primarily in the Group Fitness Studio , cardio area and strength floors , ” the email said .
Only people who were in the gym at that time got the notification , and many instructors learned about the positive case in the Facebook Group .
Levitan confirmed the case , and said the company had only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of caution ” and hadn ’ t closed for cleaning because the gyms are cleaned three times throughout the day and once more overnight .
On Thursday , July 2 , another instructor shared a similar notification they ’ d gotten after an employee at Equinox ’ s Century City location had tested positive .
( Equinox did not respond to a request for comment on the case . )
Another Southern California instructor , who teaches yoga and asked to remain anonymous so she could speak freely about Equinox , said she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ return was handled poorly .
“ I got an email from my manager basically saying , ‘ I hope you guys are still in great shape , because we 're opening Tuesday.
’ The email was so blasé , ” she said .
“ Just , oh , we 're supposed to have stayed in good shape for the past three months ?
Our world was shut down.
” She said she was also frustrated because there was no personal check-in when employees were asked to return .
“ It was just sort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was no reach out for managers or like , ‘ Hey , checking in .
Are you high risk ?
Do you want to come back to work ?
’ That type of thing .
‘ Do you have childcare ?
’ ” she said .
She said she feels like managers have been “ guilt-tripping ” employees to come back to work because they were paid 75 % of their fees during the shutdown .
“ People pushed back , and the manager said , ‘ Oh , but we paid you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and there was a whole guilt trip going on.
” The instructor also said she was upset because while Equinox paid instructors their discounted rate while the gyms were closed , it did not do so for maintenance staff .
“ So we got 75 % , but the [ maintenance staff ] … were not paid for three months , which I find disgusting , ” she said .
Levitan , the Equinox spokesperson , confirmed that maintenance staff was not paid during the shutdown .
“ Despite the pressure of having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have kept much of our workforce with as minimal reduction in pay as possible and are continuing health coverage for all employees enrolled , ” she said in an email .
“ A subset of employees unable to work have been furloughed , and that decision was made based on a variety of factors , including new government legislation passed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
” Now that employees are returning to work , it ’ s still unclear to them whether members and staff will be required to wear masks in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re teaching .
It ’ s something that ’ s been a frequent topic in a Facebook Group of Southern California Equinox group fitness instructors , screenshots of which were shared with BuzzFeed News by two employees .
“ I wear a mask and constantly think I should drop my classes , ” one instructor recently wrote .
“ Better spacing at [ Equinox ’ s ] Hollywood [ location ] , but does that really matter when [ a ] student sneezes ?
” Several other instructors wrote in the group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person in their group class wearing a face mask .
“ I felt [ the students ] didn ’ t actually love that I was wearing one , but maybe I ’ m projecting and was uncomfortable because they weren ’ t wearing masks , ” one posted in the group .
“ One girl asked if I preferred they wear masks .
I said I preferred they wear them , but if it ’ s too uncomfortable that ’ s okay .
So , no one wore them.
” While it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she wrote , “ their sweat freaked me out , ” and it took extra energy to pretend it didn ’ t bother her .
In a June 19 email to group fitness instructors , a West Hollywood manager clarified the rules .
“ You do not have to wear a mask when you teach , ” the manager wrote .
“ But , if you are walking around the club before or after your class , please wear a blue mask or the black Equinox mask .
We are trying to keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Levitan said in an email to BuzzFeed News July 2 that Equinox ’ s rules adhere to local law .
In California , where masks are required , Levitan said , “ Our teams are provided with face masks and gloves and as mandated by local law , members are required to wear a mask and gloves at all times.
” Last Thursday , after gyms in California had been open for about a week , one member posted in the Facebook Group to ask how instructors have been feeling and whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feel safe ?
Do I feel like [ Equinox ] is looking out for me with managerial support ?
Not really , ” one instructor responded .
Another instructor outlined his concerns in a June 24 email to Spevak and Equinox ’ s head of HR , noting that he was told that gloves , too , were optional in the gym .
“ How are gloves ‘ optional ’ ?
” he wrote .
The instructor wrote that he teaches in several locations in the Los Angeles area and that at some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ glaringly obvious.
” The instructor attached photos of spin bikes that were stationed just 3 feet apart , only half of the CDC ’ s recommended 6 feet of distance to help stop the spread of the virus .
“ If there were to be an outbreak of Covid 19 at Equinox , given the current conditions , it will happen in the group fitness space , ” he wrote .
The instructor said he is at high risk for severe illness should he contract the virus , so he ’ s been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raised concerns in the past to management , he was “ met with excuses as to why things will not change.
” “ When I suggested to members that they should wear a mask because I had taught a lot of classes that day and probably a high risk for exposure , I was called by management and told not to say anything as it was perceived as offensive and that members signed a waver [ sic ] so it is at their discretion , ” the instructor wrote .
“ I was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that bikes ( specifically ) would not be moved and house rules , masks ect [ sic ] ... .would not be enforced because their primary concern was revenue not on member safety .
If there is any indication that the gym is not safe , then members might cancel , new members might not join and refunds might be requested.
” Levitan , the Equinox spokesperson , said in an email that any bikes in use in cycling studios are spaced 6 feet apart , and if any bikes are closer than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because they are not in use .
To ensure that , Levitan said the saddles on unused bikes are removed .
The instructor attached two pictures of the cycling studio to his email , which showed the saddles on all bikes .
Davis said the situation has been personally devastating to her after dedicating years of her life to the company .
Before , she said , she felt safe because of how many LGBTQ people and people of color she worked with .
She referenced Equinox ’ s owner , Stephen Ross @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SoulCycle and faced calls for a boycott of the brands after he hosted a fundraiser for President Donald Trump last summer .
“ I 'm a woman of color .
I just feel like my workplace , Equinox , who I devoted three really loyal years of my life to , who I stuck by after some Stephen Ross Trumpy bullshit , it 's like I just always felt so supported , ” she said last week .
“ This image that Equinox is feeding is so far and away opposite once you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Once you start getting to like the executive level , it is all , trust me , Trumpy , greedy , capitalist-y bullshit.
” ●

Levitan, the Equinox spokesperson, confirmed that maintenance staff was not paid during the shutdown.
“Despite the pressure of having no revenue during club closure, we have kept much of our workforce with as minimal reduction in pay as possible and are continuing health coverage for all employees enrolled,” she said in an email. “A subset of employees unable to work have been furloughed, and that decision was made based on a variety of factors, including new government legislation passed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Now that employees are returning to work, it’s still unclear to them whether members and staff will be required to wear masks in the gyms or in the classes they’re teaching. It’s something that’s been a frequent topic in a Facebook Group of Southern California Equinox group fitness instructors, screenshots of which were shared with BuzzFeed News by two employees.
“I wear a mask and constantly think I should drop my classes,” one instructor recently wrote. “Better spacing at [Equinox’s] Hollywood [location], but does that really matter when [a] student sneezes?”
Several other instructors wrote in the group saying they’d been the only person in their group class wearing a face mask.
“I felt [the students] didn’t actually love that I was wearing one, but maybe I’m projecting and was uncomfortable because they weren’t wearing masks,” one posted in the group. “One girl asked if I preferred they wear masks. I said I preferred they wear them, but if it’s too uncomfortable that’s okay. So, no one wore them.”
While it was nice to teach people in person, she wrote, “their sweat freaked me out,” and it took extra energy to pretend it didn’t bother her.
In a June 19 email to group fitness instructors, a West Hollywood manager clarified the rules.
“You do not have to wear a mask when you teach,” the manager wrote. “But, if you are walking around the club before or after your class, please wear a blue mask or the black Equinox mask. We are trying to keep everyone looking the same who works here.”
Levitan said in an email to BuzzFeed News July 2 that Equinox’s rules adhere to local law.
In California, where masks are required, Levitan said, “Our teams are provided with face masks and gloves and as mandated by local law, members are required to wear a mask and gloves at all times.”
Last Thursday, after gyms in California had been open for about a week, one member posted in the Facebook Group to ask how instructors have been feeling and whether they feel safe. “Do I feel safe? Do I feel like [Equinox] is looking out for me with managerial support? Not really,” one instructor responded.
Another instructor outlined his concerns in a June 24 email to Spevak and Equinox’s head of HR, noting that he was told that gloves, too, were optional in the gym.
“How are gloves ‘optional’?” he wrote. The instructor wrote that he teaches in several locations in the Los Angeles area and that at some locations, “inadequate social distancing is glaringly obvious.”
The instructor attached photos of spin bikes that were stationed just 3 feet apart, only half of the CDC’s recommended 6 feet of distance to help stop the spread of the virus. “If there were to be an outbreak of Covid 19 at Equinox, given the current conditions, it will happen in the group fitness space,” he wrote.
The instructor said he is at high risk for severe illness should he contract the virus, so he’s been hypervigilant, but when he’s raised concerns in the past to management, he was “met with excuses as to why things will not change.”
“When I suggested to members that they should wear a mask because I had taught a lot of classes that day and probably a high risk for exposure, I was called by management and told not to say anything as it was perceived as offensive and that members signed a waver [sic] so it is at their discretion,” the instructor wrote. “I was told in confidence from one manager, that bikes (specifically) would not be moved and house rules, masks ect [sic] ....would not be enforced because their primary concern was revenue not on member safety. If there is any indication that the gym is not safe, then members might cancel, new members might not join and refunds might be requested.”
Levitan, the Equinox spokesperson, said in an email that any bikes in use in cycling studios are spaced 6 feet apart, and if any bikes are closer than 6 feet, it’s only because they are not in use. To ensure that, Levitan said the saddles on unused bikes are removed. The instructor attached two pictures of the cycling studio to his email, which showed the saddles on all bikes.
Davis said the situation has been personally devastating to her after dedicating years of her life to the company. Before, she said, she felt safe because of how many LGBTQ people and people of color she worked with. She referenced Equinox’s owner, Stephen Ross, who also owns the spinning brand SoulCycle and faced calls for a boycott of the brands after he hosted a fundraiser for President Donald Trump last summer.
“I'm a woman of color. I just feel like my workplace, Equinox, who I devoted three really loyal years of my life to, who I stuck by after some Stephen Ross Trumpy bullshit, it's like I just always felt so supported,” she said last week. “This image that Equinox is feeding is so far and away opposite once you start sort of peeling back the layers. Once you start getting to like the executive level, it is all, trust me, Trumpy, greedy, capitalist-y bullshit.” ●


buzzfeed--2020-07-09--Gwyneth Paltrow Gifted Her 14-Year-Old Son With A Boobs Puzzle To Keep Him Busy During Quarantine

Back in February , while on Jimmy Kimmel Live !
, Gwyneth talked about how Moses is a fan of @ @ @ @ @ , “ Actually , my son said to me the other day , he was @ @ @ @ @ I thought it was really embarrassing that there were vibrators on your website , and @ @ @ @ @ s a great thing ! '
He ’ s like , ‘ You ’ re @ @ @ @ @ You ’ re a badass.
’ I was like , ‘ Thank you !
’ @


buzzfeed--2020-07-09--She Called Out Equinox On Safety And Cutting Gym Instructors’ Pay. They Fired Her.

WASHINGTON — Monica Davis worked for Equinox , a high-end gym chain , for three years teaching barre and cardio group fitness classes in Southern California .
On Thursday , after speaking out to BuzzFeed News about her concerns about taking a pay cut and safely returning to teach in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic , Davis was fired .
Davis told BuzzFeed News for a story published Wednesday that she didn ’ t feel safe going back to work and that she was upset by Equinox ’ s decision to pay instructors only 75 % of their class @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expressed concerns about her health , saying that she is nervous about the fact that gyms are “ if nothing else , recycled air and body fluids.
” Davis ’ s concerns were echoed by two other Equinox instructors , who declined to be named for the story out of concerns about their continued employment , and by others who teach at Equinox gyms in emails to the company ’ s leadership as well as in Facebook group posts reviewed by BuzzFeed News .
On a Thursday call with Stephanie Vitorino , Equinox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fitness , as well as an Equinox people services representative whose full name Davis said she didn ’ t know , Davis was fired .
“ I didn ’ t want to resign , but I wanted to say how kind of hurtful some of the actions of the company have made me feel , ” Davis said during the call , a recording of which was shared with BuzzFeed News .
“ You know , coming back for less money rubbed me the wrong way and just so soon , and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in clubs , and just the whole thing just made me feel weird and it made me feel weird about the company .
… I went on the record because I thought it was important to say.
” Before she was told she was fired , Davis said she would consider coming back for her full fee and potentially hazard pay , as well as increased safety measures , before the people services representative , who identified herself as “ Jeanette ” on the recording , said , “ I do have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disparaging comments you made about both our members and the company executives in the recent BuzzFeed article , the company has made the decision to separate your employment .
”

WASHINGTON — Monica Davis worked for Equinox, a high-end gym chain, for three years teaching barre and cardio group fitness classes in Southern California. On Thursday, after speaking out to BuzzFeed News about her concerns about taking a pay cut and safely returning to teach in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, Davis was fired.
Davis told BuzzFeed News for a story published Wednesday that she didn’t feel safe going back to work and that she was upset by Equinox’s decision to pay instructors only 75% of their class fees as gyms reopen. Davis also expressed concerns about her health, saying that she is nervous about the fact that gyms are “if nothing else, recycled air and body fluids.” Davis’s concerns were echoed by two other Equinox instructors, who declined to be named for the story out of concerns about their continued employment, and by others who teach at Equinox gyms in emails to the company’s leadership as well as in Facebook group posts reviewed by BuzzFeed News.
On a Thursday call with Stephanie Vitorino, Equinox’s West Coast director of group fitness, as well as an Equinox people services representative whose full name Davis said she didn’t know, Davis was fired.
“I didn’t want to resign, but I wanted to say how kind of hurtful some of the actions of the company have made me feel,” Davis said during the call, a recording of which was shared with BuzzFeed News. “You know, coming back for less money rubbed me the wrong way and just so soon, and a couple of [COVID-19] cases found in clubs, and just the whole thing just made me feel weird and it made me feel weird about the company. … I went on the record because I thought it was important to say.”
Before she was told she was fired, Davis said she would consider coming back for her full fee and potentially hazard pay, as well as increased safety measures, before the people services representative, who identified herself as “Jeanette” on the recording, said, “I do have to let you know that due to the disparaging comments you made about both our members and the company executives in the recent BuzzFeed article, the company has made the decision to separate your employment.”


buzzfeed--2020-07-10--A Mail Carrier Took People's Absentee Ballot Requests And Switched Their Party To Republican

An election workers sorts vote-by-mail ballots for the presidential primary in Washington state in March .
A West Virginia mail carrier is facing prison time after admitting he attempted election fraud by changing the party registrations of people who had requested absentee ballots for the state 's June primary , officials announced Thursday .
Thomas Cooper , 47 , of Dry Fork signed an agreement in which he pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to defraud the residents of West Virginia of a fair election and one count of injury to the mail .
In a May 26 criminal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Pendleton County discovered the eight 2020 primary election COVID-19 mail-in absentee requests appeared to have been altered using a black pen .
Five of the requests had been altered so the voters ' ballot choice was switched from Democrat to Republican .
But the clerk knew some of the voters were not Republicans , and when she called them they told her they had used blue pens to request Democratic ballots before dropping off the requests at the post office .
For the other three , officials said the party wasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been altered .
When investigators met with Cooper in late April , he admitted to changing some of the ballots .
`` [ I did it ] as a joke , '' he said , according to the complaint .
`` [ I ] do n't even know them . ''
Cooper faces up to eight years in prison , although prosecutors have agreed as part of the plea deal to call for a reduced sentence .
Cooper attorney Scott Curnutte told BuzzFeed News his client had engaged in a `` silly lark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the implications for our democratic process , '' Curnutte said .
`` It should be remembered , however , that the mail he altered were requests for ballots , not ballots themselves . ''
According to data from the West Virginia secretary of state , some 2,236 votes were cast in Pendleton County for the primary election , including 943 Republican ballots and 1,209 Democratic ballots .

A West Virginia mail carrier is facing prison time after admitting he attempted election fraud by changing the party registrations of people who had requested absentee ballots for the state's June primary, officials announced Thursday.
Thomas Cooper, 47, of Dry Fork signed an agreement in which he pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to defraud the residents of West Virginia of a fair election and one count of injury to the mail.
In a May 26 criminal complaint, prosecutors detailed how the Clerk of Pendleton County discovered the eight 2020 primary election COVID-19 mail-in absentee requests appeared to have been altered using a black pen.
Five of the requests had been altered so the voters' ballot choice was switched from Democrat to Republican. But the clerk knew some of the voters were not Republicans, and when she called them they told her they had used blue pens to request Democratic ballots before dropping off the requests at the post office.
For the other three, officials said the party wasn’t changed, but the request had been altered.
When investigators met with Cooper in late April, he admitted to changing some of the ballots.
"[I did it] as a joke," he said, according to the complaint. "[I] don't even know them."
Cooper faces up to eight years in prison, although prosecutors have agreed as part of the plea deal to call for a reduced sentence.
Cooper attorney Scott Curnutte told BuzzFeed News his client had engaged in a "silly lark."
"He is deeply sorry for the implications for our democratic process," Curnutte said. "It should be remembered, however, that the mail he altered were requests for ballots, not ballots themselves."
According to data from the West Virginia secretary of state, some 2,236 votes were cast in Pendleton County for the primary election, including 943 Republican ballots and 1,209 Democratic ballots.


buzzfeed--2020-07-09--Michael Cohen Was Taken Back Into Custody After Refusing The Terms Of His Early Release

President Donald Trump 's former attorney Michael Cohen was taken back into custody after refusing the terms of his early release from prison for lying to Congress , the Bureau of Prisons confirmed to BuzzFeed News .
Cohen , who meeting with probation officials Thursday , objected to terms of his release that would have prevented him from talking to the press , publishing a book , or speaking on social media , his former attorney Lanny Davis said .
`` That was a point that disturbed him because he pointed out that he was able to speak to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Davis said .
When US Marshals began to take Cohen into custody , Davis said , Cohen said he would `` sign exactly what you want me to sign , '' but that an agent with the US Marshals told him , `` It 's out of our hands . ''
Cohen was released from prison on May 21 and limited to home confinement as part of the Department of Justice 's effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus in federal prisons .
A longtime attorney for Trump and often referred to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president and cooperated with federal investigators .
As part of his cooperation , Cohen pleaded guilty to tax evasion , campaign finance fraud , and lying to the Senate intelligence committee about plans to build a Trump Tower in Moscow .
Cohen 's charges regarding campaign finance fraud involved his role in paying Playboy model Karen McDougal and porn star Stormy Daniels money in 2016 to keep quiet about their alleged affairs with Trump .
Prosecutors alleged the money was paid to influence the election .
The White House has denied the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cohen was ultimately sentenced to three years in prison .
On Thursday , officials with the Bureau of Prisons said Cohen `` refused the conditions of his home confinement and as a result , has been returned to a BOP facility . ''
Cohen 's re-arrest comes a week after the New York Post photographed him dining at a Manhattan restaurant .
But Davis said Cohen was never told that he was not allowed to eat out at a restaurant near his home , and that he believed he was able to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When he brought back into court on Thursday , CNBC reported that Cohen refused to accept a judge 's order that would have prevented him from speaking to reporters , accept any book deals , or post on social media .
Davis said Cohen and his attorney , Jeffrey Levine , pointed out that his book had already been completed , at which point probation officials left the meeting room to discuss the terms of release .
An hour-and-a-half later , Davis said , Marshals returned with shackles .
BOP officials said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Cohen is still a federal inmate and `` remains subject to compliance with BOP policy , which includes being subject to electronic monitoring and obtaining pre-approval for media interviews . ''
Cohen 's attorney , Jeffrey Levine , did not immediately respond to BuzzFeed News ' request for comment .

President Donald Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen was taken back into custody after refusing the terms of his early release from prison for lying to Congress, the Bureau of Prisons confirmed to BuzzFeed News.
Cohen, who meeting with probation officials Thursday, objected to terms of his release that would have prevented him from talking to the press, publishing a book, or speaking on social media, his former attorney Lanny Davis said.
"That was a point that disturbed him because he pointed out that he was able to speak to the media" when he was incarcerated, Davis said.
When US Marshals began to take Cohen into custody, Davis said, Cohen said he would "sign exactly what you want me to sign," but that an agent with the US Marshals told him, "It's out of our hands."
Cohen was released from prison on May 21 and limited to home confinement as part of the Department of Justice's effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus in federal prisons.
A longtime attorney for Trump and often referred to as his fixer, Cohen turned on the president and cooperated with federal investigators. As part of his cooperation, Cohen pleaded guilty to tax evasion, campaign finance fraud, and lying to the Senate intelligence committee about plans to build a Trump Tower in Moscow.
Cohen's charges regarding campaign finance fraud involved his role in paying Playboy model Karen McDougal and porn star Stormy Daniels money in 2016 to keep quiet about their alleged affairs with Trump. Prosecutors alleged the money was paid to influence the election. The White House has denied the president had affairs with the women.
Cohen was ultimately sentenced to three years in prison.
On Thursday, officials with the Bureau of Prisons said Cohen "refused the conditions of his home confinement and as a result, has been returned to a BOP facility."
Cohen's re-arrest comes a week after the New York Post photographed him dining at a Manhattan restaurant.
But Davis said Cohen was never told that he was not allowed to eat out at a restaurant near his home, and that he believed he was able to do so under the terms of his release.
When he brought back into court on Thursday, CNBC reported that Cohen refused to accept a judge's order that would have prevented him from speaking to reporters, accept any book deals, or post on social media.
Davis said Cohen and his attorney, Jeffrey Levine, pointed out that his book had already been completed, at which point probation officials left the meeting room to discuss the terms of release.
An hour-and-a-half later, Davis said, Marshals returned with shackles.
BOP officials said that despite being placed in home confinement, Cohen is still a federal inmate and "remains subject to compliance with BOP policy, which includes being subject to electronic monitoring and obtaining pre-approval for media interviews."
Cohen's attorney, Jeffrey Levine, did not immediately respond to BuzzFeed News' request for comment.


buzzfeed--2020-07-09--Her Case To Be In Congress Is Unique. She’s Running Because She Doesn't Think It Should Be.

Desiree Tims has worked in Washington , and she did n't see people like her — a Black woman who knows what it means to be working-class .
Now she 's trying to flip a Republican seat in Congress .
DAYTON , Ohio — Desiree Tims moved back home on a Tuesday .
That Saturday , the Ku Klux Klan marched on Courthouse Square .
Two days later , devastating tornadoes whipped through the area .
A few months after that , a mass shooting in a popular nightlife district left nine dead .
During her decade away in Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House internship , worked for two prominent senators , and earned a Georgetown Law degree by taking night classes .
If she left with one takeaway , it was that so few of those she observed in power — and so few of her peers close to power — had life experiences remotely comparable to hers .
Black .
Born to a teenage mother .
Raised by her grandparents in a neighborhood many political professionals obsessed with labels would simply identify as working-class if white people lived there .
First in her family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after easy A ’ s at public schools , a mental grind at a private university .
The question she was always sure everyone was asking : Can this little Black girl from West Dayton do it ?
It ’ s a question that now underpins her campaign for Congress in Ohio ’ s 10th District .
When Tims returned last year , her name on the deed of the brick ranch she grew up in , she hadn ’ t planned to seek office so soon .
But the tragedies that had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this moment , 2020 , groaning under the weight of crises that have magnified the injustices put upon people of color , has the makings of upheaval that could carry someone like Tims .
She won her primary in April with 70 % of the vote , but without the national progressive energy or attention that recently lifted young Black congressional candidates such as Jamaal Bowman and Mondaire Jones against white , establishment-aligned choices in New York .
The victories encouraged Tims , who would be the district ’ s first Black representative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that for so long , so much has been decided by so few people who are too alike , she frames her run quite literally as a fight for representation .
“ I get very passionate about it , because it 's very frustrating when you see that up close , the neglect that is consistent in the halls of Congress , ” Tims , 32 , said in an interview at her childhood home .
“ So instead of begging and advocating people to do the right thing , let 's just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who are running in safe Democratic districts , Tims is attempting to unseat Rep. Mike Turner , a nine-term Republican .
Democrats have targeted him for years without success , but Turner ’ s margin of victory was cut by more than half between 2016 and 2018 , from 31 points to 14 .
Black turnout in the district dropped from 73 % to 59 % between the two previous presidential elections and was 43 % in 2018 , according to data provided by Tims ’ polling team .
Her advisers see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ young Black candidate and a base motivated to defeat President Donald Trump — who carried the district by 7 points last time — turns out enough votes to win .
Tims announced her candidacy days after the shooting last August .
Dayton hasn ’ t had much of a rest since .
The coronavirus pandemic has hit hard , with a recent spike in COVID-19 cases prompting the mayor , and days later the governor , to require masks in public places .
The national outrage over systemic racism after the deaths of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been profound in a city where the 2019 KKK rally , which attracted only nine members , was an emotional and financial burden .
Tims participated in the anti-racism protests here in May .
And she views several disturbing incidents — like the six bullets fired through the storefront of a local Democratic Party headquarters where a Tims sign and Black Lives Matter sign hung in the windows — as a threat to her .
“ Sometimes when you 're living in the whirlwind of history , you can ’ t appreciate the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Bob Mendenhall , a Tims supporter and co-owner of Blind Bob ’ s , a tavern in the neighborhood where last year ’ s shooting occurred .
“ Like , the old world is dead , and the new world has n't arrived yet .
And we are in this transformational period .
I try to find a silver lining .
Maybe COVID-19 can make us all slow down for just a second , and reflect on what we want this country to be.
” Tims has scored nice endorsements from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Sherrod Brown and New York ’ s Kirsten Gillibrand .
And Gillibrand has joined forces with two other senators with national profiles , Cory Booker of New Jersey and Kamala Harris of California , to raise money for her campaign .
Tims , though , is largely unknown to voters here — a point the National Republican Congressional Committee , in defense of Turner , stressed in an April memo .
Before the primary , her name had never appeared on a ballot .
She hadn ’ t been preparing for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school language arts teacher , now the head of a local teachers union and excited about her candidacy , recalled Tims as a “ bright and enthusiastic ” student , but never pictured her as a politician .
Nan Whaley , Dayton ’ s mayor and one of the savviest Democratic activists in the state , has known Tims for barely a year .
To her supporters , this only reinforces that Tims has the fresh eyes the district needs .
“ Symbols and substance rarely have an opportunity to be handmaids for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Peter Matthews , Tims ’ pastor at the McKinley United Methodist Church .
“ The fact that she would bring a Georgetown Law degree back to West Dayton and offer herself for service , that ’ s a pretty big deal .
For other young kids , not just African American , but kids of all stripes in a city desperate for hope , she ’ s putting herself out there front and center.
” Tims ’ grandfather — Papaw , she called him — loved watching Wheel of Fortune .
He would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the words was especially tough for him .
He hadn ’ t made it past the first grade in Opelika , Alabama .
There were fields to work , a family depending on any ounce of income he could contribute .
Eventually he ’ d be part of the Great Migration from the Deep South to the Midwest , from sharecropper to steelworker , settling first in Middletown , Ohio .
“ I always remember him sitting at the table , spelling the words out , ” Tims said .
“ He was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
All of the time he was like , ‘ What is this word ?
How do you spell this word ?
’ And , you know , I ’ m doing something else , and I ’ m like , ‘ Yeah , yeah , yeah , add an E. ’ I didn ’ t appreciate it at the time , but not everyone was sitting with their grandparents or their parents , teaching them English , and how to spell , and how to say things.
” Tims ’ mother and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was born and divorced not long after that .
She grew up in the tiny ranch , with her mom and her maternal grandparents — Papaw and Grandma — and for a while her great-grandparents .
“ My grandmother was the matriarch , and her word meant a little more , ” Tims recalled .
There were few kids her age on the block .
She would cut through the backyards of the cul-de-sac to go play with friends at the Y or walk to visit her dad , who lived nearby with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of workers .
Tims ’ mom went back to school to be a nurse .
Papaw worked at a steel mill in Middletown for years , commuting a half-hour each way after moving to West Dayton .
“ When they talk about the Midwest and Middle America , they show this white guy with Popeye arms , like toot toot , like coal mines and steel mills , ” Tims said .
“ And I ’ m like , yeah , there are Black people in the steel mills .
There are Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , coincidentally , is the hometown of J.D .
Vance , whose 2016 memoir Hillbilly Elegy tapped into a white working-class zeitgeist that surrounded Trump ’ s election .
The book became highly politicized — Vance used it to promote a conservative point of view .
But Tims sees him as somewhat of a kindred spirit .
“ Until the end of it , ” she said , “ that book is amazing .
I thought he nailed it.
” She recalled the part where , while studying at Yale , Vance panicked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fancy dinner .
“ I was like , I feel seen.
” Politics was always in the background .
Grandma paid close attention .
And Tims recalled accompanying family to civil rights marches , but not quite processing the experience .
“ I was like , Oh , we ’ re going to a festival or a parade .
I didn ’ t get it.
” Tims excelled at Paul Laurence Dunbar High , named for the Black poet and playwright from Dayton .
For college she chose Xavier , a Jesuit school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but far enough to have her own life .
She was soon in another world .
“ I got a D , ” she said with a gasp .
When she asked classmates who were coasting how they got by , she learned how their time at private or wealthier public schools prepared them , or how a paper they wrote in 10th grade could be recycled for college .
“ I was pissed because I felt like I got cheated , ” she said .
“ I missed a lot of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the library .
And a lot of times it was the dictionary to the left of me , an actual reading assignment to the right.
” The lesson was not lost on her .
She would think of Papaw playing Wheel of Fortune with his pencil , writing down the words he didn ’ t know .
“ How , ” she would wonder , “ can I drive back up I-75 to Dayton and say it ’ s too hard ?
” Tims spent her nights browsing CareerBuilder .
Her grandmother spent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ young presidency of Barack Obama , and picturing her granddaughter as part of it .
Tims had knocked on doors for Obama in 2008 , but the family had no Washington connections to work , no favors to call in .
Grandma , though , insisted she try for a White House job .
“ I was like , ‘ You need to clasp your pretty little hands together and get on your knees and pray for Procter & Gamble or General Electric , ’ ” Tims recalled .
“ She just kept @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t until months later , after Wells Fargo had rehired and relocated her to Virginia , that the White House called Tims to follow up on the internship application she had completed in five minutes and long forgotten .
She was so sure a friend was playing a joke that she hung up the first time .
But the timing was convenient .
She was miserable in her new job as a personal banker .
She had accepted the posting because she figured she ’ d at least be closer to Virginia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In reality she was more than 200 miles away in McLean , an affluent DC suburb .
Things in Washington were like that for Tims .
Her surroundings could be disorienting , if not intimidating .
On the first day of her White House internship , she had no idea she was sitting next to Valerie Jarrett , the Obama confidant , until starstruck colleagues made a fuss .
Her work included a rotation through the Office of Presidential Correspondence , where she “ read all of Obama ’ s hate mail , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Engagement , which Jarrett ran .
“ I was never much enamored by people like Valerie Jarrett , ” Tims said .
“ I was inspired by them … but it wasn ’ t like ooh and aah , because I was on a mission to get the information , to bring it back home.
” Tims had opportunities to stay at the White House after the internship ended but wanted to learn more about policy and legislation .
She said she submitted her résumé to Brown ’ s Senate office at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on civil rights , judicial , and education issues .
She later moved on to Gillibrand ’ s staff , where she specialized in agriculture and women ’ s issues .
Eventually she was elected president of the Senate Black Legislative Staff Caucus , but she could not shake the same feelings she had at Xavier : that her life experiences , not just her skin color , placed her squarely in the minority .
“ What I found was most of those people are from privileged backgrounds , regardless of race or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ How are you relating to someone who said they can ’ t afford groceries on Friday ?
They don ’ t understand what it ’ s like to ration out gas , because you can ’ t take all of your trips , because you need to make sure this full tank lasts two weeks.
” Tims ’ point of view was beginning to align with her own political ambitions , but first she wanted to get away from Capitol Hill .
She took a job at a childcare advocacy group while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all the ways she would use what she learned in Washington to help Dayton .
“ It ’ s a challenge , because she didn ’ t come to it the way some do , ” Brown said in a telephone interview .
“ But it ’ ll make her a better public official , because she ’ s seen it from the outside [ and the ] inside that way.
” And that , really , is the point of the campaign .
The experiences of Desiree Tims — this little Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ internalized it for all those years — form the core of every argument she makes to be the next representative for West Dayton .
Putting herself out there carries a cost .
Her campaign manager says they have “ taken appropriate steps to document threats with law enforcement.
” Tims sees and hears more nasty and racist vitriol than ever on social media and in her community .
The burden of speaking out fell on her when a local state senator asked if COVID-19 rates are higher among Black people because “ the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their hands as well as other groups.
” As a child , marches were fun , a chance to follow .
As a Black candidate , protests over systemic racism and police brutality bring an expectation to lead .
Tims worries that a Facebook post advertising her plans to participate in a May 30 protest in downtown Dayton made her a target .
As she drove to the protest that morning , she noticed her car , which had been parked in her driveway , had a tire losing air .
The problem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in .
“ That ’ s what stuck with me — it ’ s not a nail , ” she said .
When she left the protest that afternoon , she received the call that the Greene County Democratic Party headquarters in nearby Xenia , where signs for Tims ’ campaign and Black Lives Matter are prominently displayed , had been shot up overnight .
A month earlier someone had chucked a piece of concrete through the storefront window .
There have been no arrests , and the cases are closed .
An @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was “ no overt indication ” of a racial motive or hate crime .
Doris Adams , the party chair , believes otherwise , recalling arguments she ’ s had at parades with those who criticized the party ’ s support for the Black Lives Matter movement .
“ They didn ’ t leave a calling card saying it was that , ” she said .
“ But that was the window they hit .
Both times.
” Rev .
Matthews , Tims ’ pastor , drove her to survey the damage from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had ruined her tire .
“ Obviously I was full of dismay , but I had to remind her that heroes live with courage out loud , ” he said .
“ I think these instances have reminded her that she ’ s doing the right thing.
” They have .
So , too , have the instances that reward Tims ’ hope that voters , not just in the Ohio 10th but around the country , are ready for new representation , whether that ’ s Jamaal Bowman or Mondaire Jones in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Virginia ’ s 5th District .
Webb , who won a four-person primary last month , would be the first Black doctor to be a voting member of Congress .
Like Tims , he is trying to pull off an upset in a Republican-leaning district that Democrats see as competitive .
“ It ’ s certainly inspiring to see people in my generation , millennials — to see Black people , to see gay people , to see people whose great-great-grandfather wasn ’ t a state senator go run for Congress and win @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to her large margin of victory in the primary , a contest where she was able to win white , Black , and Latino votes across the district ’ s urban , suburban , and rural areas .
“ The common denominator is we all want opportunity , ” she said .
“ We all want access to the American dream .
And that is the best language that I can speak : opportunity .
So people definitely are taking a look — Can this little Black girl from West Dayton do it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 've already done it.
” ●

DAYTON, Ohio — Desiree Tims moved back home on a Tuesday. That Saturday, the Ku Klux Klan marched on Courthouse Square. Two days later, devastating tornadoes whipped through the area. A few months after that, a mass shooting in a popular nightlife district left nine dead.
During her decade away in Washington, DC, Tims completed a White House internship, worked for two prominent senators, and earned a Georgetown Law degree by taking night classes. If she left with one takeaway, it was that so few of those she observed in power — and so few of her peers close to power — had life experiences remotely comparable to hers.
Black. Born to a teenage mother. Raised by her grandparents in a neighborhood many political professionals obsessed with labels would simply identify as working-class if white people lived there. First in her family to attend a four-year college, but after easy A’s at public schools, a mental grind at a private university. The question she was always sure everyone was asking: Can this little Black girl from West Dayton do it?
It’s a question that now underpins her campaign for Congress in Ohio’s 10th District. When Tims returned last year, her name on the deed of the brick ranch she grew up in, she hadn’t planned to seek office so soon. But the tragedies that had visited Dayton accelerated the timeline. And this moment, 2020, groaning under the weight of crises that have magnified the injustices put upon people of color, has the makings of upheaval that could carry someone like Tims.
She won her primary in April with 70% of the vote, but without the national progressive energy or attention that recently lifted young Black congressional candidates such as Jamaal Bowman and Mondaire Jones against white, establishment-aligned choices in New York. The victories encouraged Tims, who would be the district’s first Black representative. As the country confronts the truth that for so long, so much has been decided by so few people who are too alike, she frames her run quite literally as a fight for representation.
“I get very passionate about it, because it's very frustrating when you see that up close, the neglect that is consistent in the halls of Congress,” Tims, 32, said in an interview at her childhood home. “So instead of begging and advocating people to do the right thing, let's just replace them.”
Unlike Bowman and Jones, who are running in safe Democratic districts, Tims is attempting to unseat Rep. Mike Turner, a nine-term Republican. Democrats have targeted him for years without success, but Turner’s margin of victory was cut by more than half between 2016 and 2018, from 31 points to 14. Black turnout in the district dropped from 73% to 59% between the two previous presidential elections and was 43% in 2018, according to data provided by Tims’ polling team. Her advisers see a path where the combination of a young Black candidate and a base motivated to defeat President Donald Trump — who carried the district by 7 points last time — turns out enough votes to win.
Tims announced her candidacy days after the shooting last August. Dayton hasn’t had much of a rest since. The coronavirus pandemic has hit hard, with a recent spike in COVID-19 cases prompting the mayor, and days later the governor, to require masks in public places. The national outrage over systemic racism after the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor also has been profound in a city where the 2019 KKK rally, which attracted only nine members, was an emotional and financial burden. Tims participated in the anti-racism protests here in May. And she views several disturbing incidents — like the six bullets fired through the storefront of a local Democratic Party headquarters where a Tims sign and Black Lives Matter sign hung in the windows — as a threat to her.