buzzfeed--2020-08-17--Solidcore Sells Itself As An Empowering Fitness Boutique. Employees Say Its CEO Created A Culture Of

Solidcore Sells Itself As An Empowering Fitness Boutique. Employees Say Its CEO Created A Culture Of Toxicity And Sexual Harassment.

“ I was just a shell of myself , ” one former employee said .
“ We worked so hard and we were never working hard enough.
” WASHINGTON — Emily Collinson returned to work at Solidcore , a high-end , rapidly expanding boutique fitness studio patronized by Michelle Obama and Ivanka Trump , on the first day gyms were able to reopen under Washington , DC ’ s coronavirus guidelines in late June .
She taught two classes , one at 6 a.m. and one an hour later .
She didn ’ t feel safe .
To give clients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Solidcore has flipped half their workout machines so that people can work out head-toe , head-toe , with their faces 6 feet apart .
But the machines themselves are only about 2 feet apart , and people in class are face-to-face for some exercises .
This arrangement violates the DC Department of Health ’ s coronavirus guidelines , which state that workout equipment should be spaced 10 feet apart on all sides , not just 6 .
And until recently when DC issued a more expansive mask mandate , Solidcore did not require @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not respond to multiple requests for comment from BuzzFeed News about the company ’ s compliance with the DC Department of Health ’ s guidelines .
Worried about safety , Collinson started reaching out to other instructors , hoping to organize them and bring their concerns to company leadership .
It didn ’ t take long for Collinson to get a call from Solidcore headquarters .
The company ’ s senior director of people , Sarah Kiernan , told Collinson she had heard she was sending messages that made people uncomfortable .
Collinson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and she was perfectly within her rights to do so .
Just a few hours later , in an email reviewed by BuzzFeed News , Kiernan informed Collinson that the company was ending its relationship with her .
Collinson soon filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board , which she shared with BuzzFeed News , contending that the company restrained employees from speaking negatively about the company , illegally prevented coaches from organizing , and told employees they should quit if they didn ’ t feel safe at work .
Solidcore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ firing or the charges she filed with the NLRB against the company .
A spokesperson for the NLRB said the board could not comment on an ongoing investigation , but confirmed they were investigating Collinson ’ s charges .
Collinson ’ s firing received coverage in the Washington Post and Washingtonian , but two dozen current and former Solidcore employees and contractors told BuzzFeed News that the company ’ s handling of her firing and the coronavirus pandemic is symptomatic of a broader , toxic culture at the company .
Interviews with 25 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corporate leaders , as well as coaches and a vendor who had previously worked with Solidcore , described an abusive workplace , marked by relentless bullying and favoritism from founder and CEO Anne Mahlum , who they allege has created a culture of fear , body-shaming , racial microaggressions , and sexual harassment .
Many of them shared emails , text messages , and other documents backing up their accounts with BuzzFeed News .
Two former employees recounted an incident when Mahlum took off her clothes in front of employees .
Other employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the company putting a scale in front of employee snacks , and alleged that Mahlum had fired two instructors she felt were not thin enough .
Former senior employees allege the company has a practice of avoiding paying vendor bills until they are 90 days past due and , in some cases , trying to get out of paying altogether .
Mahlum , multiple former members of corporate leadership alleged , also consistently bent the rules and appeared to them to sometimes violate the law , including opening new studios before certificates of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contractors to avoid paying taxes .
As Solidcore ’ s gyms have begun to reopen across the country , coaches and employees , led in part by Collinson , have formed a group they call Solidcore United .
The mostly anonymous organizing team has focused its work for now on the company ’ s response to the coronavirus , making demands for better air filtration and cleaning practices , among other safety measures .
But some of the group ’ s members said they felt mistreated by the company long before the outbreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was the resounding overall thought that Solidcore cares more about their bottom line than they do about anything else , ” one current coach , who asked to remain anonymous to speak freely about the company , told BuzzFeed News .
Solidcore declined to make Mahlum available for an interview and did not respond directly to allegations made by current and former employees and coaches .
The company provided a statement from Mahlum in response to the allegations , which read in part , “ Building and growing a company is a challenging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that works tirelessly in this pursuit .
I am deeply apologetic that anyone in the company or community was uncomfortable – whether now or 4-5 years ago .
I am committed to learning and growing .
We have taken steps to make sure our employees have a safe , confidential , space to voice concerns , they are integral to this community and this company , and I want to ensure they know their voice will be heard .
I hope those who I made uncomfortable will accept my apology.
” Malum said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s studios “ comply with all guidelines , regulations , and laws , ” and said Solidcore and her own career are both “ built on inspiring and connecting people through our inclusive community , which includes a diverse staff – race , gender and body type throughout every level of the organization.
” “ As a leader and individual , I am outspoken , opinionated , demanding , and I have high expectations of myself and my team , ” Mahlum ’ s statement said .
“ I am publicly transparent about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family , my relationship , my history with an eating disorder , my politics and more – I speak about these topics regularly.
” Solidcore said they have had more than 1,300 people work for the company over the past seven years and argued their annual turnover rate is less than half the industry average .
Asked for more details , the company said their turnover rate is 37 % a year and linked to a sponsored post from a website called Club Industry that said the annual turnover rate for personal trainers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbers cited by many people in the fitness industry.
” “ My team is critical to the company ’ s success , ” Mahlum said in the statement , “ which is why all of our full-time employees will receive a portion of the proceeds from my personal equity when the company sells .
We ’ ve built a steadfast and devoted community .
I will work hard to ensure that does not change.
” Founded in DC in 2013 , Solidcore now has 69 studios across the country , and , before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 100 studios around the US by the end of 2020 .
The classes — 50 minutes of intense Pilates-inspired strength training — cost about $ 40 each in DC .
Solidcore has attracted high-profile clients , including Michelle Obama , whose love for the workout Mahlum touts in her bio on the company website , and Ivanka Trump , who used an alias to book a class in 2017 , after which Mahlum tried to meet with her .
“ While I don ’ t know her and I always seek to understand… @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rights of many of my beloved clients and coaches and as a business owner , I take my responsibility to protect and fight for my people very seriously , ” Mahlum wrote on Facebook at the time .
Employees and coaches who spoke to BuzzFeed News said they applied to work at Solidcore because they loved the workout and wanted to work for a company that empowered women and focused on strength and personal wellness .
But once they actually joined the company , employees said they quickly noticed red flags .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ out to me in my time there was , like , we were constantly kind of pushing this image of , like , inclusion and community , ” a former member of the company ’ s marketing team said .
“ But it kind of felt like that was n't really something that was actually prioritized with this company.
” Like the coach and former marketing team member , most current and former employees and coaches who spoke to BuzzFeed News asked to remain anonymous due to nondisclosure agreements and out of fear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a verbally abusive boss who expected employees to be on call constantly , including on holidays and while on vacation .
Mahlum , they said , would encourage her employees to take risks , speak out , and ask questions , but , as one former employee put it , would “ castrate ” anyone who spoke up .
The employees who spoke with BuzzFeed News said they worked — and in some cases continue to work — in fear , never knowing when it would be their time to be the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including screaming phone calls about minor mistakes and berating employees in front of their peers .
Solidcore declined to comment about the specific allegations of verbal abuse from employees .
“ The anxiety of seeing an email come through from Anne or a phone call , I mean , literally like your heart would jump like from your chest .
… [ I ] would be terrified , ” one former senior employee said .
The former employee said in an interview with BuzzFeed News that he hated and feared the weekly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into Mahlum “ literally just screaming at people , and it would just be like the most awkward three hours of your life.
” Current and former employees said that hardly a day went by without someone crying in the office , and that it was near impossible to do the jobs they were actually hired to do because of Mahlum ’ s micromanaging .
Many of the two dozen employees and coaches who spoke to BuzzFeed News said they started to experience serious panic attacks , depression , and other mental health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the company , and said they spend hours discussing and dissecting Mahlum ’ s own mental health .
“ It just felt like we 're being taken advantage of because we love the company , you know , we love the workout and the communities , ” one former employee told BuzzFeed News .
“ It ’ s like , ‘ Well , we can treat them whatever way we want because we kind of know that they 'll just do it.
’ ” In her role as founder and CEO , employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ growth , and obsessed with eventually selling the company .
When asked about the company culture , many employees pointed to the recent firing of Solidcore ’ s six regional managers , who were let go suddenly last year after they ’ d all come to the company ’ s Washington , DC , headquarters for a retreat .
Mahlum asked three managers who had traveled to DC to change their travel plans home and stay an extra day , and after they did so , they were all fired .
Solidcore declined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The rest of the staff was upset after the group was let go , but when Mahlum picked up on the mood at the headquarters , multiple employees said , she chided her staff for “ gossiping.
” One employee who left the company said she quit because she was having constant nightmares .
“ I was just a shell of myself , ” she said .
“ We worked so hard and we were never working hard enough .
We were paid shit.
” One current coach said the company culture has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she ’ s considering leaving .
“ Every time I go to coach , I go back and forth on whether or not it 's the right thing to be doing and whether or not I should quit , ” she said in a recent interview .
“ One of my other former coach friends , honestly I think she said it best : ‘ I think I 'm willing to sacrifice abs for a clean conscience.
’ ” Current and former employees also alleged in interviews that Mahlum often violates professional boundaries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff .
“ Very frequently , [ it has been her ] asking either me ... or other people in front of me about their sex life and wanting to get into specifics , ” one current employee told BuzzFeed News .
“ She ’ ll want to talk about , you know , do you enjoy anal ?
Like , is that something that you like ?
How do you feel about monogamy ?
Are you into threesomes ?
Like , what do you think about that ?
” Other employees said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Can you see my vagina through these pants ?
” Employees at Solidcore ’ s headquarters said when these conversations made people visibly uncomfortable , Mahlum wouldn ’ t stop , but rather lean in , before eventually pivoting to talk about work again .
Employees also said they could not turn to the company ’ s HR department for help .
A current employee described an instance when another employee went to HR to make a complaint , and the HR head went directly to Mahlum , who then called the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ If you think about a toxic work environment , ” she said , “ logically you would have HR support or being able to feel like that was a safe space to go and express concerns about the company.
” She added , “ It was not a safe place to file any sort of grievance or concern , especially about Anne.
” Solidcore declined to comment specifically about allegations of sexual harassment made by current and former employees .
The company also declined to provide a copy of its sexual harassment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the company ’ s head of HR , saying in an email , “ Anne 's statement speaks for itself.
” In one particularly serious incident , in the summer of 2016 , when a group of employees were at Mahlum ’ s lake house for a retreat , two former employees said Mahlum took her pants off and exposed herself in front of a large group in her dining room .
BuzzFeed News reviewed contemporaneous text messages between two employees discussing the incident .
One of the former employees who was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most uncomfortable thing I ’ ve ever been a part of.
” “ It was the weirdest thing I 've ever seen in my entire life , ” he said .
“ And I was just like , this lady is out of her mind .
And those are the kinds of things that would happen at these like Solidcore retreats .
It was just , like , out of control.
” After BuzzFeed News contacted Solidcore with details of the allegations in this story , Kiernan , the company 's senior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all-staff call ( a recording of which was shared with BuzzFeed News ) that Solidcore would be “ researching an external hotline ” that employees could use to report wrongdoing .
The decision was the result of an employee survey about the company ’ s leadership that asked , among other things , whether employees feel the company ’ s people team is a safe and confidential place to report misconduct .
The responses to the question , Kiernan said , made them realize it was “ an area of opportunity.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a safe place to report grievances , particularly about Mahlum , said she felt it was “ unfortunate ” that although the issue was addressed , neither the company nor Kiernan herself took any responsibility .
“ It ’ s interesting they would need to bring in an external hotline instead of looking into why people do not feel safe with HR in the first place , ” the employee said in a text message to BuzzFeed News .
Other employees and coaches described harassment and discrimination due to their race or weight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so many incidents that happened during my time there that were just triggering and unprofessional , ” one former studio manager and coach told BuzzFeed News .
“ I am a Black American , and I was one of the only Black females on the corporate team , and on more than one occasion , I was singled out in that regard.
” The former manager said a colleague once referred to her as “ the cute little Black girl ” in front of other employees .
She also said that while she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not invited to join the photo shoots other coaches and employees participated in .
Solidcore leadership often told her that she was “ off brand , ” she said .
“ I got an email saying that my attire was off brand or that I was off brand .
And it was hard for me to really accept that and I didn ’ t really understand what they meant by that.
” What exactly about her was “ off brand ” was never explained to her , but she said she felt as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the company that she would never be “ on brand.
” Solidcore declined to comment specifically on what “ off brand ” means at the company and the former employee ’ s feeling that the critique was related to her race .
Another woman of color , the former member of the marketing team , described similar concerns .
She said she tried to push for more diverse and inclusive branding and marketing — including more people of color and more diverse body types — for the company , but she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ space for or interest in that work from Mahlum and the heads of the company ’ s marketing team .
She said she was also told in a conversation with her manager not long before she left the company that she had an “ attitude.
” “ It just felt like really coded and targeted language .
As a woman of color , when somebody says that you have an attitude , especially in a work environment , it 's like , what are we really talking about here ?
” she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it just kind of made me wonder , if a white man responded in that same way ... would you really have accused them of having an attitude ?
” Current and former employees said that body-shaming and sizeism were embedded in the culture at Solidcore .
When Solidcore began expanding into Texas , several former high-level employees said that Mahlum personally called for the termination of two new coaches in the state who were heavier than she thought instructors should be .
Two former high-level employees said they couldn ’ t remember @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but believed it was fall of 2018 .
The two women had already been through training and were ready to start coaching , but former senior leaders at the company said Mahlum had them fired after meeting them in person .
One former employee alleged that Mahlum sent text messages after the incident with pictures of obese people , and joked , “ Should we hire these people ?
” Eight employees also said that Mahlum kept a scale in front of the snacks at headquarters and several said she would make comments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like , “ Are you sure about that ?
” Current and former coaches said the weight-shaming was infuriating because of how much it was driven into them during Solidcore training never to comment on body aesthetics while teaching classes .
“ During class , if we ’ re working on lower body , like , no one 's gon na say , ‘ Get that peach emoji , like , summer ’ s coming up , like , fit into your bikini.
’ Like , none of that is what we care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I have clients of all shapes and sizes , all ages , men , women , everybody .
And they all love the workout , we embrace each other , and then you take one of Anne ’ s classes … [ and ] she breaks her rules.
” A former Solidcore brand manager said in an interview that after just a couple months at the company , she had a midyear review , where the only feedback she was given was that she needed to work out more .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to show very thin and fit people on the company ’ s social media ; Solidcore ’ s Instagram features almost exclusively thin and muscular body types .
“ That 's why I wanted to work for this company , because they 're super strong , female-founded , very body-positive , and getting into the nitty-gritty of marketing , it was the exact opposite , ” she said .
“ Everyone that we had to call on for photo shoots had to have abs , ” she continued .
“ It was just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't advocating for , like , inclusivity even though that was one of our so-called brand values.
” One upsetting incident that stood out to her was when she wanted to post on social media the story of a Solicore client who had lost 90 pounds from doing the workouts .
Over several rounds of edits , the brand manager was told to crop the photos higher and higher until the woman ’ s stomach was left out of the image .
“ I wanted to post that just as is , because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I know people do n't want to be criticized on their body — especially when they 're so proud and happy of how far they 've come , ” she said .
“ And I was told that I had to crop out her stomach or crop out all of her weight , and I was just not comfortable with that .
But that was actually the most successful post we had to date because it was a real person telling their story instead of these , like , shredded trainers showing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former employees , the body- and weight-shaming was a major reason they ultimately left the company .
Erin DeBoer , who coached Solidcore classes in Chicago for a year and a half , hit a breaking point earlier this year after Mahlum posted a picture to her Instagram story in early May saying she still had her “ thigh gap ” several weeks into quarantining .
“ Anyone knows that ‘ thigh gap ’ is like a trigger word for an eating disorder , ” DeBoer said during an interview with BuzzFeed News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ email shared with BuzzFeed News , DeBoer wrote to all Solidcore employees and coaches , “ I am absolutely sick to my stomach about this post on IG .
As a woman who has battled an eating disorder in the past , skinny does not mean sexy/strong .
A CEO of a company should be a leader , a supporter , a cheerleader for being healthy , and healthy does not mean SKINNY .
In addition , a CEO should be PROFESSIONAL , should always choose the higher ground , and lead by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their relationship with her , and Mahlum posted another picture of herself to Instagram , which was viewed by BuzzFeed News .
“ Thigh gap , abs , cleavage , ” she wrote .
“ Hate on me if my confidence makes you feel better.
” But earlier this month , during the company call after BuzzFeed News first approached Solidcore for responses to the allegations employees made in this story , Mahlum apologized for some of her social media posts .
“ There have definitely been a couple times during COVID where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the best of me .
And there are a couple moments where those came out on social media , ” she said , according to the recording of the call shared with BuzzFeed News .
“ I as a person know that there 's a lot of expectations and responsibilities that come with leadership , and I 'm not gon na lie , like there was some poor judgment in moments that were made that , you know , some things did n't need to be put on Instagram that I reacted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , you guys , not only do I know better than that , but you guys deserve better than that.
” The apology rang hollow for one current employee .
“ I think her apology was for optics .
Anne has a pattern of acting out and then asking for forgiveness .
The apology was vague , ” the employee wrote in an email .
“ She asked for people to talk to her if they felt her IG posts and how she acts are inappropriate in the future , which multiple people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in regards to the thigh gap post ) and she put them on blast .
I understand and 100 % agree that people should provide feedback in a respectful way , but it is not reciprocated.
” “ It 's one of the silliest things I 've ever heard about , honestly , ” one coach said of being classified as a contractor .
Solidcore declined repeated requests for comment on the company ’ s use of 1099s , as well as requests for comment from the company ’ s legal counsel .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ who managed Solidcore ’ s finances for the company believe there are several things that make it clear to them the instructors should be considered employees , not contractors : The certifications the coaches get to teach at Solidcore studios can only be used at Solidcore , not any other fitness company .
Solidcore also controls their schedules , almost everything the coaches say in class , and until recently required them to wear Solidcore-branded clothing while they taught .
Coaches also have to clean the studios , take out the trash , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in addition to teaching classes .
They also attend trainings and company meetings without extra pay .
A former employee who worked closely on Solidcore ’ s finances for several years said , “ Anything that could save [ Mahlum ] money or affect her bottom line , she was going to do it .
And of course it 's cheaper to have 1099s on your staff , because you 're not needing to pay employer taxes , you know , workers comp and all the things that come along with having people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also said that coach pay and manager bonus structures changed frequently and without explanation , and employees are often asked to take on additional responsibilities without additional pay .
Studio managers and employees at headquarters also said that many of them worked 80- to 100-hour weeks for what worked out to barely a living wage , never able to hit the bonuses they were promised because the goalposts were moved so frequently .
Solidcore declined to comment on the concerns employees raised about changing pay structures .
“ Every time [ the pay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big PR email as to why it 's better for the coaches , but nobody 's stupid , ” one former studio manager told BuzzFeed News .
“ It ’ s better for the company .
And really the only way you can make a really decent amount of money is if you fill your classes to the brim , not one open spot .
But as soon as you fill your classes , they 're adding to the schedule to make sure that there 's not full classes.
” ( Several coaches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more classes added to the schedule so that classes were consistently less full and coaches could be paid less for the same work . )
Mahlum also has a habit of opening studios before certificates of occupancy were issued , several former company leaders told BuzzFeed News .
“ She would pick a day that she would want to open ” and would make it happen no matter what , one former executive said .
Employees with knowledge of the studio opening processes said construction delays and fire code compliance did not stop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ She did not care .
It did n't matter , ” the former executive said .
“ We would do whatever we needed to do to have class , even if a light fixture was , like , hanging from a wire from the top of the ceiling and just not installed properly.
” Employees also allege Mahlum never wanted them to pay invoices on time , if at all .
Employees said they were told to pay vendors only 90 days after the bill was due , and were frequently made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be paid at all because Mahlum had decided the product was not up to snuff .
“ I 'm not talking [ about vendors ] that were millionaires or corporate companies , like , utilities or whatever , ” the former high-level employee who used to manage the company ’ s finances said .
“ The cleaning people , for example , [ she would ] be like , ‘ We 're gon na wait until the last minute to pay them , because we want to make sure that our bank account @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for as long as possible.
’ ” Solidcore declined to comment on any specific allegations related to studios opening without certificates of occupancy and refusing to pay vendors .
One vendor who previously worked with Solidcore called his experience “ awful , ” and said it was “ most likely the worst ” professional experience he had ever had .
The vendor said Mahlum was frequently verbally abusive over the phone , and that employees who worked under Mahlum mirrored her behavior .
“ Not just with the person , Anne — obviously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but the culture that she created was scary , ” he said .
“ I mean , the place was a cult , ” he continued .
“ I never felt so mistreated.
” ●

“It's one of the silliest things I've ever heard about, honestly,” one coach said of being classified as a contractor.
Solidcore declined repeated requests for comment on the company’s use of 1099s, as well as requests for comment from the company’s legal counsel.
The coaches at Solidcore and former employees who managed Solidcore’s finances for the company believe there are several things that make it clear to them the instructors should be considered employees, not contractors: The certifications the coaches get to teach at Solidcore studios can only be used at Solidcore, not any other fitness company. Solidcore also controls their schedules, almost everything the coaches say in class, and until recently required them to wear Solidcore-branded clothing while they taught. Coaches also have to clean the studios, take out the trash, and act as front desk staff, in addition to teaching classes. They also attend trainings and company meetings without extra pay.
A former employee who worked closely on Solidcore’s finances for several years said, “Anything that could save [Mahlum] money or affect her bottom line, she was going to do it. And of course it's cheaper to have 1099s on your staff, because you're not needing to pay employer taxes, you know, workers comp and all the things that come along with having people classified as employees.”
Employees and coaches also said that coach pay and manager bonus structures changed frequently and without explanation, and employees are often asked to take on additional responsibilities without additional pay. Studio managers and employees at headquarters also said that many of them worked 80- to 100-hour weeks for what worked out to barely a living wage, never able to hit the bonuses they were promised because the goalposts were moved so frequently. Solidcore declined to comment on the concerns employees raised about changing pay structures.
“Every time [the pay structure] changes, there's a big PR email as to why it's better for the coaches, but nobody's stupid,” one former studio manager told BuzzFeed News. “It’s better for the company. And really the only way you can make a really decent amount of money is if you fill your classes to the brim, not one open spot. But as soon as you fill your classes, they're adding to the schedule to make sure that there's not full classes.” (Several coaches said they had similar experiences of having more classes added to the schedule so that classes were consistently less full and coaches could be paid less for the same work.)
Mahlum also has a habit of opening studios before certificates of occupancy were issued, several former company leaders told BuzzFeed News.
“She would pick a day that she would want to open” and would make it happen no matter what, one former executive said.
Employees with knowledge of the studio opening processes said construction delays and fire code compliance did not stop Mahlum from meeting her opening date.
“She did not care. It didn't matter,” the former executive said. “We would do whatever we needed to do to have class, even if a light fixture was, like, hanging from a wire from the top of the ceiling and just not installed properly.”
Employees also allege Mahlum never wanted them to pay invoices on time, if at all. Employees said they were told to pay vendors only 90 days after the bill was due, and were frequently made to tell vendors they wouldn’t be paid at all because Mahlum had decided the product was not up to snuff.
“I'm not talking [about vendors] that were millionaires or corporate companies, like, utilities or whatever,” the former high-level employee who used to manage the company’s finances said. “The cleaning people, for example, [she would] be like, ‘We're gonna wait until the last minute to pay them, because we want to make sure that our bank account is like the fluffiest it can be for as long as possible.’”
Solidcore declined to comment on any specific allegations related to studios opening without certificates of occupancy and refusing to pay vendors.
One vendor who previously worked with Solidcore called his experience “awful,” and said it was “most likely the worst” professional experience he had ever had. The vendor said Mahlum was frequently verbally abusive over the phone, and that employees who worked under Mahlum mirrored her behavior.
“Not just with the person, Anne — obviously she's responsible for the culture, but the culture that she created was scary,” he said. “I mean, the place was a cult,” he continued. “I never felt so mistreated.” ●


buzzfeed--2020-08-17--The US Postal Service Is Now A Trump Target In The 2020 Election. Here's What's Going On.

The United States Postal Service has unexpectedly emerged as a central figure in the 2020 election as President Donald Trump steps up attacks on the agency as part of his crusade against voting by mail in November amid the coronavirus pandemic — including saying he won ’ t fund it in order to hinder its ability to deliver mail-in ballots .
If you ’ re confused about why the USPS is involved at all and what any of it has to do with voter suppression , you first need to know a little bit about what the agency , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from 2007 to 2018 , is dealing with .
How did we get here ?
The USPS is essentially waging a war on a three-headed beast : its longstanding financial woes , limited resources stretched even thinner during the pandemic , and the Trump administration ’ s threat to dismantle the agency and privatize it .
The Postal Service ’ s biggest money problems stem from the 2006 Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act ( PAEA ) , which New Jersey Rep. Bill Pascrell called “ one of the worst pieces of legislation Congress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PAEA required that the USPS set up a $ 72-billion fund for future USPS retirees ’ healthcare benefits 75 years into the future , and it had to put in $ 5.5 billion into the fund every year .
The agency , which receives no regular taxpayer money and operates on sales from postage , products , and services , defaulted on that annual payment by 2012 .
Mark Dimondstein , president of the American Postal Workers Union , told BuzzFeed News that the PAEA “ forced the Post Office to do something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public or private.
” “ It was an absurd mandate to fund healthcare retiree benefits for people who not only weren ’ t in the Post Office yet , but in some cases weren ’ t even born yet , ” he said .
“ And it drained tons of money out of the Postal Service.
” Early this year , Congress was on its way to ending the agency ’ s payments to the fund , with the House passing the bipartisan USPS Fairness Act in February .
Then the coronavirus pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ financial distress and leaving the bill on the backburner .
Though the USPS saw a significant increase in demand for home deliveries at the start of the pandemic , that demand further strained an overburdened and understaffed system , and did little to ease its financial woes .
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have mostly agreed that the USPS will need financial assistance from the government if it ’ s going to continue operating at all .
Discussions about the next round of coronavirus relief funding — which Democrats have asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funds for the agency , or $ 3.5 billion more for election resources — have stalled .
The president — who has falsely claimed that mail-in ballots lead to voter fraud even though he himself has repeatedly cast absentee ballots in Florida — said this week that he did not want to give the Postal Service money because it would then be able to deliver mail-in ballots to voters across the country .
( He later backtracked . )
Who is running the USPS ?
Which brings us to Louis DeJoy , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was appointed postmaster general and CEO of the USPS in early May , much to the alarm of Democrats and ethics watchdogs .
DeJoy came into the USPS with little related experience and a lot of red flags .
In 2014 , his company , New Breed Logistics , was bought by transportation and logistics company XPO Logistics , a USPS contractor .
DeJoy sat on XPO ’ s board and still held a large equity stake in the company when he became postmaster general , CNN reported , raising a potential conflict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 100,000 and $ 250,000 in Amazon stock when he was appointed to the USPS .
Though he divested those shares in June , DeJoy also bought between $ 50,000 and $ 100,000 in stock options for Amazon , CNN reported , raising questions about why he would be investing in a competitor to an agency he leads ( Amazon has its own delivery network that carries non-Amazon packages , as well as its own ) .
Sen. Elizabeth Warren has called for an investigation into DeJoy ’ s purchase of Amazon stock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ USPS 's partnership with Amazon , blasting the agency for charging Amazon below market rates .
“ Why is the United States Post Office , which is losing many billions of dollars a year , while charging Amazon and others so little to deliver their packages , making Amazon richer and the Post Office dumber and poorer ? ''
Trump tweeted in December 2017 .
A few months later , in April 2018 , Trump tweeted , “ Amazon costing the United States Post Office massive amounts of money for being their Delivery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans and held fundraisers for Trump and the RNC .
In 2019 , he was named the finance chair for the 2020 Republican National Convention , a job that involved leading fundraising for the planned convention in Charlotte , North Carolina .
The convention has since been largely moved out of the state because of the coronavirus and Trump ’ s feud with North Carolina ’ s Democrat governor .
DeJoy has already made broad changes to the Postal Service in the few months that he has served as postmaster general , shuffling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including prohibiting employees from working overtime , telling them to leave mail behind if it slows down their route , and removing mailboxes around the country .
The USPS , under pressure , reportedly said Friday night that it would suspend the removal of mailboxes .
DeJoy ’ s appointment to the USPS has led to concern that the Trump administration is attempting to further exert control over the independent agency .
Dimondstein said the union is concerned that DeJoy ’ s appointment was intended to undermine the Postal Service “ to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” What is Trump doing exactly ?
Trump has spent the past year attacking the Postal Service — especially in connection with Amazon ( Trump ’ s feud with Amazon is tied up with the fact that Amazon ’ s owner , Jeff Bezos , also owns the Washington Post ) .
He ’ s spent recent months falsely claiming that an increase in mail-in voting would enable voter fraud and would taint the results of the presidential election , as the country has shifted toward voting by mail during the coronavirus pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT election in history .
It will be a great embarrassment to the USA , ” Trump tweeted in late July .
The president told Fox Business Network on Thursday that a new coronavirus relief package was being stalled over the inclusion of billions of dollars to help post offices sort an increased amount of mail-in ballots .
“ They need that money in order to have the Post Office work so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots , ” Trump said on Mornings with Maria @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get those two items , that means you can ’ t have universal mail-in voting because they ’ re not equipped to have it.
” On Friday , Trump said he would be willing to agree to the $ 25 billion in funding for the USPS in a new coronavirus relief package if Democrats “ give us what we want.
” The coronavirus negotiations , though , are currently stalled at best , with the Senate leaving DC for the rest of the month .
Voting advocates have said the recent changes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the lead up to the election are just another example of voter suppression .
During his remarks at Rep. John Lewis ’ s funeral in Atlanta , former president Barack Obama took thinly veiled shots at the Trump administration ’ s Postal Service changes .
`` Even as we sit here , there are those in power who are doing their darndest to discourage people from voting , '' Obama said while delivering Lewis ’ s eulogy , `` by closing polling locations , by targeting minorities and students with restrictive ID @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with surgical precision , even undermining the Postal Service in the run-up to an election that 's going to be dependent on mail-in ballots so people don ’ t get sick . ''
Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden told reporters that the president ’ s unwillingness to approve funding for the USPS was “ pure Trump.
” “ He doesn ’ t want an election , ” he added .
Biden ’ s campaign released a statement Thursday accusing the Trump administration of “ sabotaging ” a basic service because “ he wants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to vote safely during the most catastrophic public health crisis in over 100 years.
” NAACP President Derrick Johnson told BuzzFeed News that “ this is the most blatant attempt to suppress voters in modern history at least since the voter suppression tactics of the 1960s.
” Johnson added that the administration is “ forcing people to put their lives and their health at risk to vote.
” What does this mean for the election ?
USPS officials have started warning 46 states that their voters could be disenfranchised by slower delivery times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rules and deadlines for absentee ballots , as first reported by the Washington Post .
Deadlines for requesting and returning ballots vary widely for each state , which could lead to ballots not being received or counted in time .
“ The Postal Service is asking election officials and voters to realistically consider how the mail works , ” a spokesperson for the USPS told the Washington Post .
The USPS did not give additional comment to BuzzFeed News Friday night .
And mail sorting machines that could be used to sort ballots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this week .
The results of slower postal services could lead to voters not receiving their ballots in time or their ballots arriving back after election results have been tallied .
It also may mean that the election results themselves take a significant length of time to be finalized .
Trump has pointed to the slow-moving results of New York ’ s 12th Congressional District primary election as evidence that mail-in voting systems are flawed .
“ You won ’ t know the election result for weeks , months , maybe years after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Rep. Carolyn Maloney , who represents the 12th Congressional District , recently told BuzzFeed News that Trump “ needs to stop talking about my race and fix the Post Office .
”

The United States Postal Service has unexpectedly emerged as a central figure in the 2020 election as President Donald Trump steps up attacks on the agency as part of his crusade against voting by mail in November amid the coronavirus pandemic — including saying he won’t fund it in order to hinder its ability to deliver mail-in ballots.
If you’re confused about why the USPS is involved at all and what any of it has to do with voter suppression, you first need to know a little bit about what the agency, which reported $69 billion in net losses from 2007 to 2018, is dealing with.
How did we get here?
The USPS is essentially waging a war on a three-headed beast: its longstanding financial woes, limited resources stretched even thinner during the pandemic, and the Trump administration’s threat to dismantle the agency and privatize it.
The Postal Service’s biggest money problems stem from the 2006 Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA), which New Jersey Rep. Bill Pascrell called “one of the worst pieces of legislation Congress has passed in a generation.” The PAEA required that the USPS set up a $72-billion fund for future USPS retirees’ healthcare benefits 75 years into the future, and it had to put in $5.5 billion into the fund every year. The agency, which receives no regular taxpayer money and operates on sales from postage, products, and services, defaulted on that annual payment by 2012.
Mark Dimondstein, president of the American Postal Workers Union, told BuzzFeed News that the PAEA “forced the Post Office to do something that nobody else has to do, public or private.”
“It was an absurd mandate to fund healthcare retiree benefits for people who not only weren’t in the Post Office yet, but in some cases weren’t even born yet,” he said. “And it drained tons of money out of the Postal Service.”
Early this year, Congress was on its way to ending the agency’s payments to the fund, with the House passing the bipartisan USPS Fairness Act in February.
Then the coronavirus pandemic hit, exacerbating the agency’s financial distress and leaving the bill on the backburner. Though the USPS saw a significant increase in demand for home deliveries at the start of the pandemic, that demand further strained an overburdened and understaffed system, and did little to ease its financial woes.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have mostly agreed that the USPS will need financial assistance from the government if it’s going to continue operating at all. Discussions about the next round of coronavirus relief funding — which Democrats have asked to include $25 billion in emergency funds for the agency, or $3.5 billion more for election resources — have stalled.
The president — who has falsely claimed that mail-in ballots lead to voter fraud even though he himself has repeatedly cast absentee ballots in Florida — said this week that he did not want to give the Postal Service money because it would then be able to deliver mail-in ballots to voters across the country. (He later backtracked.)
Who is running the USPS?


buzzfeed--2020-08-18--This Red Food Visual Test Is Harder Than You Probably Think

The food in the box is an apple !

BuzzFeed Bring Me
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buzzfeed--2020-08-18--A Video Of Shia LaBeouf Getting Tested For COVID Went Viral Because Of How Wholesome It Is

The nose swab test can be pretty uncomfortable .
Yesterday , I saw a grown man squirm while being tested @ @ @ @ @ having a swab up his nose .
And as someone who 's been tested a @ @ @ @ @ I can say that while it 's not the worst thing , it 's definitely @ @ @ @ @ handled it like a champ .

The nose swab test can be pretty uncomfortable. Yesterday, I saw a grown man squirm while being tested because he couldn't stand having a swab up his nose. And as someone who's been tested a couple of times already, I can say that while it's not the worst thing, it's definitely not great. But Shia handled it like a champ.


buzzfeed--2020-08-18--Michelle Obama’s Convention Speech Was An Urgent Plea For Voters Not To Sit Out 2020

Former first lady Michelle Obama made an impassioned plea for Americans to vote out President Donald Trump en masse , in a key role during the first night of the Democratic National Convention .
Her speech was radically different from the one she gave at Democrats ' convention in 2016 , which focused above all else on making a positive case for Hillary Clinton 's presidential campaign .
Instead , Obama 's pre-recorded speech Monday night painted a picture of a country in chaos under Trump , with a plea for Americans to vote in large numbers if they want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of normalcy .
“ If you think things can not possibly get worse , trust me , they can and they will if we don ’ t make a change in this election , ” Obama said .
“ If we have any hope of ending this chaos , we have got to vote for Joe Biden like our lives depend on it.
” Obama 's speech was delivered remotely after party officials asked Democrats not to attend the planned Milwaukee convention in person and moved to a fully digital convention , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nationally .
The pandemic textured much of what Obama said .
“ Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country .
He has had more than enough time to prove that he can do the job , but he is clearly in over his head , ” Obama said during her speech , which was recorded days before Monday ’ s start to the convention .
“ He can not meet this moment .
He simply can not be who we need him to be for us .
It is what it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heavily on race relations and conditions during the pandemic , Obama urged voters to turn out to restore empathy to the country for future generations .
She pointed toward strained conditions like Black Lives Matter protestors being shot with rubber bullets outside the White House , families struggling during the pandemic , and the faltering economy to urge voters that they need to turn out en masse .
This isn ’ t the first time that Obama has criticized Trump or the racial tension he helped foster across the country .
During her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the birtherism conspiracy that Trump fueled during Obama ’ s presidency .
“ We urge them to ignore those who question their father 's citizenship or faith .
How we insist that the hateful language they hear from public figures on TV does not represent the true spirit of this country , ” Obama said on stage in 2016 .
“ How we explain that when someone is cruel or acts like a bully , you do n't stoop to their level .
No , our motto is , when they go low @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a sharp turn from her 2016 speech , Obama urged voters in Monday ’ s speech that “ going high ” wasn ’ t about just “ putting on a smile and saying nice things ” .
She told Democrats that “ going high ” required action .
“ It means scraping and clawing our way to that mountain top .
Going high means standing fierce against hatred while remembering that we are one nation under God , and if we want to survive , we ’ ve got to find a way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our differences .
”

Former first lady Michelle Obama made an impassioned plea for Americans to vote out President Donald Trump en masse, in a key role during the first night of the Democratic National Convention.
Her speech was radically different from the one she gave at Democrats' convention in 2016, which focused above all else on making a positive case for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. Instead, Obama's prerecorded speech Monday night painted a picture of a country in chaos under Trump, with a plea for Americans to vote in large numbers if they want to return the country to a semblance of normalcy.
“If you think things cannot possibly get worse, trust me, they can and they will if we don’t make a change in this election,” Obama said. “If we have any hope of ending this chaos, we have got to vote for Joe Biden like our lives depend on it.”
Obama's speech was delivered remotely after party officials asked Democrats not to attend the planned Milwaukee convention in person and moved to a fully digital convention, as the coronavirus pandemic has continued to spread nationally. The pandemic textured much of what Obama said.
“Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country. He has had more than enough time to prove that he can do the job, but he is clearly in over his head,” Obama said during her speech, which was recorded days before Monday’s start to the convention. “He cannot meet this moment. He simply cannot be who we need him to be for us. It is what it is.”
In a speech that focused heavily on race relations and conditions during the pandemic, Obama urged voters to turn out to restore empathy to the country for future generations. She pointed toward strained conditions like Black Lives Matter protesters being shot with rubber bullets outside the White House, families struggling during the pandemic, and the faltering economy to urge voters that they need to turn out en masse.
This isn’t the first time that Obama has criticized Trump or the racial tension he helped foster across the country. During her 2016 DNC speech, she alluded to the birtherism conspiracy that Trump fueled during Obama’s presidency.
“We urge them to ignore those who question their father's citizenship or faith. How we insist that the hateful language they hear from public figures on TV does not represent the true spirit of this country,” Obama said on stage in 2016.
“How we explain that when someone is cruel or acts like a bully, you don't stoop to their level. No, our motto is, when they go low, we go high.”
But in a sharp turn from her 2016 speech, Obama urged voters in Monday’s speech that “going high” wasn’t about just “putting on a smile and saying nice things.” She told Democrats that “going high” required action.
“It means scraping and clawing our way to that mountain top. Going high means standing fierce against hatred while remembering that we are one nation under God, and if we want to survive, we’ve got to find a way to live together and work together across our differences.”


buzzfeed--2020-08-18--Michelle Obama Said "It Is What It Is" About Trump During The Democratic National Convention And Peo

Michelle Obama Said "It Is What It Is" About Trump During The Democratic National Convention And People Felt It

Michelle Obama delivered a poignant speech at the end of the first night of the Democratic National Convention on Monday @ @ @ @ @ full transcript here , but one simple phrase seemed to have perfectly captured a collective @ @ @ @ @ , there is no better word for it .
After calling Donald Trump the `` @ @ @ @ @ '' and listing off a few reasons why , the former first lady then said @ @ @ @ @ is what it is . ''
The line caught people off-guard because it was not @ @ @ @ @ discourse we typically expect to hear .
Immediately , people reacted strongly to it online @ @ @ @ @ Twitter it seemed to resonate a phrase Black Americans have been using , and/or how @ @ @ @ @ feeling , for some time .

Michelle Obama delivered a poignant speech at the end of the first night of the Democratic National Convention on Monday.
You can read the full transcript here, but one simple phrase seemed to have perfectly captured a collective vibe — and, really, there is no better word for it. After calling Donald Trump the "wrong president for our country" and listing off a few reasons why, the former first lady then said, plainly, "it is what it is."
President Donald Trump used the exact same phrase earlier this month when he was asked during an interview with Axios about the coronavirus death toll in the US.
"A thousand Americans are dying a day," interviewer Jonathan Swan said.
"They are dying. That's true. And you — it is what it is," Trump responded. "But that doesn't mean we aren't doing everything we can. It's under control as much as you can control it."
Obama's use of the line caught people off guard because it was not the kind of canned political discourse we typically expect to hear. Immediately, people reacted strongly to it online. But specifically on Black Twitter, it seemed to resonate a phrase Black Americans have been using, and/or how many of them have been feeling, for some time.


buzzfeed--2020-08-18--George Floyd's Brothers Made a Live Appearance During the Democratic Convention, Remembering Victims

George Floyd's Brothers Made a Live Appearance During the Democratic Convention, Remembering Victims Of Police Brutality

George Floyd 's brothers , Philonise and Rodney , made a live appearance from their homes in Houston on the first night of the Democratic National Convention on Monday , and led a national moment of silence .
Philonise gave a heartfelt tribute to his brother George , who was killed by a police officer .
His death led to a national uprising against police brutality , with protests ongoing across the nation .
`` My brother George was selfless .
He always made sacrifices for his family , friends , and even complete strangers , '' said Philonise .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a spirit that has shown up on streets around our nation , and around the world .
People of all races , all ages , all genders , all backgrounds — peacefully protesting in the name of love and unity . ''
The brothers were part of a segment the convention dedicated to the Black Lives Matter movement .
They were introduced by DC mayor Muriel Bowser , who came out attacking President Donald Trump for `` fanning the flames of racism '' while in office .
`` George should be alive today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brothers also named of other Black people who died at the hands of police officers — including those who `` did n't go viral . ''
`` Breonna Taylor should be alive today .
Eric Garner should be alive today .
Stephon Clark , Atatiana Jefferson , Sandra Bland , they should all be alive today , '' he said .
`` It 's up to us to carry on the fight for justice .
Our actions will be their legacies .
We must always find ourselves in what John Lewis called 'good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do not know , the faces we will never see , those who ca n't mourn , because their murders did n't go viral , '' he said .
The brothers then led a moment of silence in honor of George Floyd , with the programming went completely silent for several seconds .

George Floyd's brothers, Philonise and Rodney, made a live appearance from home in Houston on the first night of the Democratic National Convention on Monday and led a national moment of silence.
Philonise gave a heartfelt tribute to his brother George, who was killed by a police officer. His death led to a national uprising against police brutality, with protests ongoing across the nation.
"My brother George was selfless. He always made sacrifices for his family, friends, and even complete strangers," said Philonise. "George had a giving spirit — a spirit that has shown up on streets around our nation, and around the world. People of all races, all ages, all genders, all backgrounds — peacefully protesting in the name of love and unity."
The brothers were part of a segment of the convention dedicated to the Black Lives Matter movement. They were introduced by DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, who came out attacking President Donald Trump for "fanning the flames of racism" while in office.
"George should be alive today," Philonise said.
George's brothers also named other Black people who have died at the hands of police officers — including those who "didn't go viral."
"Breonna Taylor should be alive today. Eric Garner should be alive today. Stephon Clark, Atatiana Jefferson, Sandra Bland, they should all be alive today," he said.
"It's up to us to carry on the fight for justice. Our actions will be their legacies. We must always find ourselves in what John Lewis called 'good trouble.' For the names we do not know, the faces we will never see, those who can't mourn, because their murders didn't go viral," he said.
The brothers then led a moment of silence in honor of George Floyd, with the programming went completely silent for several seconds.
Watch the entire segment below.


buzzfeed--2020-08-18--Why John Kasich, A Lifelong Republican, Is Helping Launch Joe Biden’s Democratic Party

The former Republican presidential candidate will be featured at this week ’ s Democratic National Convention .
He sees his inclusion as a testament to Biden ’ s vision .
John Kasich spent decades trying to shape and reshape his beloved Republican Party .
Now the former Ohio governor — an unrelenting critic of President Donald Trump — is offering his services to Democrats , who will use them this week to make the case for Joe Biden .
Kasich will be featured in primetime during the opening night of the Democratic National Convention on Monday .
When word of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t lost on faithful Democrats that a onetime tea party conservative and Fox News host had scored one of the precious few speaking assignments during an event that has been scaled down heavily for television because of the coronavirus pandemic .
`` Maybe , ” one veteran Democratic operative who has experience in Ohio reacted upon hearing the news , “ we shouldn ’ t have guys who tried to break unions and put gag orders on rape crisis counselors speak at our convention ? ''
In an interview , Kasich told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approached him to speak — an assertion Biden ’ s presidential campaign did not dispute .
“ This was not something that I instigated , ” Kasich said by phone last week .
“ And when they came and asked , ‘ Do you want to do it ?
’ I had to think about it , right ?
I had to think about it .
And it 's not like I 'm gon na be turning around .
I ’ m a Republican .
But I just think that at this point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outweighed by my concern about the direction of the country.
” Kasich ’ s welcome endorsement and the overall programming of the convention say a lot about Biden ’ s vision for the Democratic Party he now leads .
Viewers may get a minute of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , the young New York lawmaker who excites progressives , but they ’ ll also hear from John Kerry , an elder of the establishment .
And Kasich is sharing a night with Sen. Bernie Sanders — a democratic socialist and the runner-up for this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scheduling move intended to demonstrate Biden ’ s ideology-spanning support .
“ I think both parties have to have new ideas , and I think this country is moderate , ” said Kasich , winding up to a gentle criticism of Ocasio-Cortez .
“ People on the extreme , whether they 're on the left or on the right , they get outsized publicity that tends to define their party .
You know , I listen to people all the time make these statements , and because AOC gets outsized publicity does n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She 's just a part , just some member of it .
And it 's on both sides , whether it 's the Republicans or whether it 's the Democrats.
” Kasich ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016 as a pragmatic conservative , the kind of leader who balanced budgets in Congress , expanded Medicaid as governor , and won overwhelmingly Democratic counties during his 2014 reelection campaign .
His message was drowned out by Trump ’ s far-right populism and appeal to tribalism .
Biden ran as a pragmatic progressive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was criticized for emphasizing his bipartisan sensibilities .
His message , though , prevailed .
Many Democrats remember a more right-wing Kasich .
He chaired the House Budget Committee during the Gingrich Revolution of the 1990s , and even some of his bipartisan milestones of that era — welfare overhaul , for example — aged poorly .
( Biden has experienced a similar dynamic with the crime bills that he championed as a senator . )
After he left Congress in 2000 , following his first unsuccessful presidential run , Kasich had his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ filled in for Bill O ’ Reilly .
He worked for Lehman Brothers ahead of the 2008 banking meltdown .
And when he ran for governor in Ohio in 2010 , he did so as a tea party warrior .
His first major act stripped public employees of their collective bargaining power — a measure that voters overturned at the ballot box by a margin embarrassing to Kasich .
Even so , Republicans gave Kasich a primetime slot at their 2012 convention , featuring him along with a crop of other governors who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ future of the party .
After Mitt Romney lost to Barack Obama that year , Kasich was among the Republicans who internalized the concerns that the party had become too mean and too doctrinaire .
As he prepared for a reelection bid that he and his close advisers saw as a catapult for a 2016 presidential campaign , he pushed for Medicaid expansion ( under the Obama healthcare program he and other Republicans had strenuously opposed ) and suggested a fracking tax .
“ You know , I have a right to lead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2014 , when asked about his political shift .
“ I have a right to shape what conservative philosophy means .
You know , I have a right to move forward with programs that I think maybe in the short term may not be that popular but in the long term may yield an awful lot of good .
Why not ?
Why would I not do that ?
” Known for being brusque , Kasich branded himself anew as “ the prince of light and hope ” during the 2016 primaries — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politics of antagonism , fear , and grievance .
He lasted longer in the race than most expected , serving to the end as a contrast to what his party was becoming .
He refused to appear at Trump ’ s coronation that summer in Cleveland , even though as governor he had lobbied hard for Ohio to host the convention .
Had most Republicans not so completely and uncompromisingly aligned themselves with Trump , Kasich might have challenged him in 2020 .
He kept his team intact , wrote books and op-eds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made several trips to New Hampshire , the first primary state .
But the party stitched things up early for the incumbent .
The Republican National Committee voted to scrap primary debates , and several state parties went as far as canceling their primaries .
The few Republicans who did try to challenge Trump earned some media attention but failed to gain any traction .
Kasich was left , as he was four years ago , as a man without a party .
“ There 's no mystery here , but people should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what it means , ” Kasich said last week about his invitation to be a prominent part of this year ’ s Democratic convention .
“ I do n't care if people agree or disagree with my speaking there .
Whatever .
We ’ ve got to settle things down .
We 're not in two warring camps , Republicans and Democrats.
” Anger about Kasich ’ s involvement in the convention persists , though — especially among progressives on social media or pro-Trump conservatives who see it as the latest in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ released Sunday by CBS found that just 38 % of Democrats would like to hear from Kasich at the convention , compared to 63 % who said the same of Ocasio-Cortez .
You can also count on Kasich ’ s name being invoked when someone is upset about their favorite Democrats being left off the prime time schedule or with limited speaking time .
But party leaders believe Kasich can help reach independents and moderate Republicans .
“ I won ’ t get into the convention speakers lineup , ” said David Pepper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who sidestepped a question about Kasich ’ s role specifically .
“ To have a high-profile Republican saying , ‘ vote Biden , not Trump ’ — I think those voices do matter.
” Sen. Sherrod Brown , another Democrat from Kasich ’ s state , was more generous .
“ Kasich is an example of a Republican with some spine , ” Brown told BuzzFeed News in a telephone interview .
“ I hope that other Republicans follow his principled leadership.
” Nancy Patton Mills , the Democratic chair in Pennsylvania , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pittsburgh area .
( Kasich in 2016 constantly introduced himself as the “ son of a mailman , ” a tidbit that might have new relevance at a time when Trump is undermining the United States Postal Service during a pandemic election that ’ s expected to see a surge in mail-in ballots . )
“ Hillary Clinton did not perform well in the red counties around Pittsburgh and southwestern Pennsylvania , ” Mills said .
“ So when Kasich says that he is going to support Biden , some people of course @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but it 's kind of important here because Kasich 's from a suburb of Pittsburgh and thousands of people remember him.
” What comes next for Kasich is an open question .
He lost control of the Ohio Republican Party in early 2017 , his closest allies pushed out of power in favor of operatives willing to disavow the governor and pledge loyalty to Trump .
Later that year , Kasich joined Biden for a forum on civility at the University of Delaware .
The way Kasich saw it , a mutual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there were things we agreed upon , things we did n't agree upon , but it was very , very pleasant , ” Kasich recalled .
“ And so I believe that he 's the kind of person that will , you know , he 's gon na be able to let other people have a say .
I do n't think he 's gon na just bully people.
” Kasich describes his alliance with Biden and the Democrats as a “ team of rivals ” — a phrase borrowed from the historian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Abraham Lincoln ’ s Cabinet .
Kasich acknowledged that his convention speech , which he prerecorded from Westerville , Ohio , will raise speculation that he might be in line for a post in Biden ’ s Cabinet .
“ People say , ‘ Well , he must have been promised something or he must have received something.
’ I have n't been promised anything , nor have I received anything , ” he said .
“ I 'd be more than glad to advise , but I 'm not going back to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Could you imagine my being Secretary of Commerce ?
I mean , I would n't survive .
I 'll try to keep my voice out there .
And look , you know , we 'll just see how it goes .
Let 's just see how it goes .
”

John Kasich spent decades trying to shape and reshape his beloved Republican Party.
Now the former Ohio governor — an unrelenting critic of President Donald Trump — is offering his services to Democrats, who will use them this week to make the case for Joe Biden.
Kasich will be featured in primetime during the opening night of the Democratic National Convention on Monday. When word of his appearance first spread, it wasn’t lost on faithful Democrats that a onetime tea party conservative and Fox News host had scored one of the precious few speaking assignments during an event that has been scaled down heavily for television because of the coronavirus pandemic. "Maybe,” one veteran Democratic operative who has experience in Ohio reacted upon hearing the news, “we shouldn’t have guys who tried to break unions and put gag orders on rape crisis counselors speak at our convention?"
In an interview, Kasich told BuzzFeed News that it was Democrats who approached him to speak — an assertion Biden’s presidential campaign did not dispute.
“This was not something that I instigated,” Kasich said by phone last week. “And when they came and asked, ‘Do you want to do it?’ I had to think about it, right? I had to think about it. And it's not like I'm gonna be turning around. I’m a Republican. But I just think that at this point in time, my Republican affiliation is outweighed by my concern about the direction of the country.”
Kasich’s welcome endorsement and the overall programming of the convention say a lot about Biden’s vision for the Democratic Party he now leads. Viewers may get a minute of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the young New York lawmaker who excites progressives, but they’ll also hear from John Kerry, an elder of the establishment. And Kasich is sharing a night with Sen. Bernie Sanders — a democratic socialist and the runner-up for this year’s nomination — in a scheduling move intended to demonstrate Biden’s ideology-spanning support.
“I think both parties have to have new ideas, and I think this country is moderate,” said Kasich, winding up to a gentle criticism of Ocasio-Cortez. “People on the extreme, whether they're on the left or on the right, they get outsized publicity that tends to define their party. You know, I listen to people all the time make these statements, and because AOC gets outsized publicity doesn't mean she represents the Democratic Party. She's just a part, just some member of it. And it's on both sides, whether it's the Republicans or whether it's the Democrats.”
Kasich ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016 as a pragmatic conservative, the kind of leader who balanced budgets in Congress, expanded Medicaid as governor, and won overwhelmingly Democratic counties during his 2014 reelection campaign. His message was drowned out by Trump’s far-right populism and appeal to tribalism. Biden ran as a pragmatic progressive in this year’s primaries and was criticized for emphasizing his bipartisan sensibilities. His message, though, prevailed.
Many Democrats remember a more right-wing Kasich. He chaired the House Budget Committee during the Gingrich Revolution of the 1990s, and even some of his bipartisan milestones of that era — welfare overhaul, for example — aged poorly. (Biden has experienced a similar dynamic with the crime bills that he championed as a senator.) After he left Congress in 2000, following his first unsuccessful presidential run, Kasich had his own show on Fox News and occasionally filled in for Bill O’Reilly. He worked for Lehman Brothers ahead of the 2008 banking meltdown. And when he ran for governor in Ohio in 2010, he did so as a tea party warrior. His first major act stripped public employees of their collective bargaining power — a measure that voters overturned at the ballot box by a margin embarrassing to Kasich.


buzzfeed--2020-08-18--I Spent Two Terrifying Days Imprisoned In Belarus

A week of protests has followed a rigged election in Belarus , where President Alexander Lukashenko ’ s security state deployed violence and fear to cling to power .
With those words , the hulking , masked officer slammed the door shut .
Around 20 of us knelt in agony on the steel floor of the troop transport vehicle , our faces pressed against the seats , following his orders , as we began trundling to an unknown destination .
The hot August air was thick with sweat and fear .
I wondered if I ’ d see my parents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Minsk and other cities around the country , the sound of Alexander Lukashenko ’ s Belarus has now become the roar of crowds demanding his ouster , fair elections , and a freer country .
But for me , and the thousands of others detained last week , it ’ s a combat boot striking the side of a human torso .
Or the cries of a person buckled in pain .
Judging by the horrendous accounts of police abuse trickling out of Belarus , my experience was far from the worst @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough to understand what kept Belarusians cowed and submissive for years — and why that ’ s now changing .
As anger bubbled across this post-Soviet nation of 9.5 million following last Sunday ’ s clumsily rigged election , which handed the former collective farm boss a sixth term , I was sucked into the dark heart of the brutal security apparatus that ’ s helped keep him in power since 1994 .
Random detentions .
Vicious beatings .
Psychological abuse .
Deployed freely in the days following Lukashenko ’ s deeply flawed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ autocratic security state may actually mark its undoing .
Eager to watch the election unfold , I ’ d hoped to secure accreditation before arriving in Minsk last Saturday .
Like the vast majority of my fellow foreign correspondents , my request was ignored .
But with tickets already in hand , I traveled to Belarus anyway , intent on observing — at a reasonably safe distance , I figured — how events would play out .
I conducted no interviews , published nothing , and stayed mostly off social media .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I walked its regal boulevards and spotless sidewalks , watching and waiting for signs of unrest .
It finally came Sunday evening .
After preliminary results handed Lukashenko an utterly unbelievable 80 % of the vote , Belarusians flooded the streets of central Minsk , leading to clashes in several places between police and protesters , including outside my building .
After briefly stepping out to watch the feared riot cops tighten their grip on the central boulevard , I quietly retreated back to my apartment .
The following evening was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an eerie calm had gripped the city , as both residents and authorities anxiously anticipated more turmoil .
Strolling toward a park near the previous night ’ s clashes — with no signs of building protests — I was approached by a group of black-clad riot police , known by their acronym “ OMON.
” With balaclavas pulled over their faces , and their bodies covered by layers of fatigues and armor , their steely , violent eyes were the only sign a human resided underneath .
“ Where are you going ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ your hands in your pockets ?
” barked another .
Several more questions were hurled my way .
They weren ’ t interested in answers ; they were fishing for excuses to detain me .
Mere seconds after it emerged that I was an American who ’ d arrived from recently revolutionary Ukraine — a potential propaganda gift for an autocrat obsessed with alleged foreign meddling — I was manhandled into the windowless prisoner transport vehicle parked nearby .
Within half an hour , six or seven of us filled a space the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bodies awkwardly contorted around one another .
Driven to the Pervomaisk district police station , we were pulled into the courtyard and lined up facing the wall with our heads down , legs spread , and hands behind our backs , asked for our names and dates of birth .
Some of those not standing rigidly enough received a fist to the side , or a kick in the knee .
When my turn came , I calmly stated I was an American citizen .
“ Who fucking cares , ” the officer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we were stripped of our belongings and cataloged again .
Fate failed the young man who had a can of pepper spray : Riot officers beat him to the ground and continued pummeling him as he groaned in agony , shouting , “ Why the fuck would you need this ?
” His body absorbed the blows like a sandbag bursting at the seams .
Over the next few hours , the crowd inside the gym swelled to several dozen .
As riot police returned to the streets , we were ordered by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though mostly disinterested in our comfort — to sit on a narrow wooden ledge along the wall , heads down and hands on our knees .
I eventually convinced them to let me lie on the floor , since an old back injury left me grimacing in pain .
Later , I was allowed to stay on a wrestling mat on the other side of the gym .
That helped police keep track of me as the lone American , perhaps sparing me from the beatings that befell others .
Occasionally , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of water among the detainees .
Some requests to visit the bathroom were granted , others ignored .
Throughout the night , we were called one-by-one — many bloodied or limping in pain — to complete our arrest sheets .
All were charged with the administrative offense of participating in an unsanctioned rally , which carries a maximum sentence of 15 days .
Sometime in the middle of the night , OMON burst into the gymnasium , visibly heated and full of hate from what must have been a night of street fights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state , they are the tip of the spear — violence-craving , brainwashed goons who equate even the slightest dissent with treason .
Their sole purpose is to strike fear into citizens ’ hearts .
That night , they called the shots .
They forced us up , then down on our knees , hands behind our backs and heads pressed to the floor .
We lay in fear as the officers paced around the room , amid a tirade of expletives and threats , like predators sniffing out their prey .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hardwood court and echoed throughout the frigid gym , its windows agape as the cool air wafted in .
Again , those deemed not submissive enough were beaten or their heads were kicked into the “ proper ” position .
After several more random assaults , they left , and over the next several hours the tension slightly dispersed as we gradually eased into various forms of semi-fetal positions .
Clutching my knees to my chest as tightly I as could , I shivered into a faint slumber .
Around noon the next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we were split into two groups .
“ American , go with them , ” the chief officer shouted , pointing to the group assembling by the door and corralled by newly arrived riot police .
With my heart in my stomach , I simply stared at him in denial , pretending not to have understood .
During my booking , I was able to sneak in two calls — to my parents in the US and to a journalist in Kyiv — but if I left that gym , my passport @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never be found .
Dragged outside and into an idling troop carrier , we were again forced onto our knees along the aisle , hands behind our backs and heads against the seats .
Amid endless streams of profanity , including the dire warning to keep our heads down , another beating or two was meted out to a deeply unlucky detainee .
We pulled away , clueless as to where we were going .
The OMON officers taunted us : “ Is this the change you wanted ?
” referring to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Changes , ” that ’ s become the anthem of the opposition movement .
As we drove , the young man pressed up against my right side — a bespectacled , seemingly harmless nerd — began gasping for air , then quietly crying in pain .
“ Hold on , ” I whispered repeatedly through the side of my mouth .
I told him to focus on breathing deeply , hoping he ’ d follow my lead .
Sitting on my heels , praying the guards wouldn ’ t notice , I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Bent so far back , my feet felt as if they ’ d snap off .
Between thinking of my parents and trying to picture my friends ’ smiling faces , I mused over how a recent heartbreak seemed absurdly trivial .
So did COVID-19 , which I assumed I ’ d already contracted .
I just wanted to live , and for someone to find me .
An hour and a half later , we arrived at a detention facility in Zhodino , about 40 miles outside Minsk .
As we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ began : “ Welcome to the worst place on Earth , ” one officer said , demonstratively chuckling .
Another said ominously , “ This is where you ’ ll learn.
” Led through dark basement corridors reminiscent of a Cold War spy film , the barking of massive dogs and the crackling chatter of walkie-talkies pierced the dank air .
“ This can ’ t be real , ” I repeated to myself .
After being strip-searched and processed , we were split up further and led toward a cell .
When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stunned : The 10-bed , 150-square-foot cell was already over capacity — and now there were 27 of us in total .
Still , the men inside erupted into applause and offered their hands .
“ Hey , fellow political prisoners !
” The mood lightened , and for the first time , I understood that something had changed .
I scanned my fellow cellmates .
Beaten faces and shirts stained orange from day-old blood .
Knees split open , oozing from infection .
Baton-shaped bruises across backs .
Yet except for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 18 and 20 years old , few were visibly afraid .
Over the next day-and-a-half in that musty , oxygen-deprived cell — packed with students , techies , small business owners , and blue-collar workers — inmates traded stories about how their arrest sheets had been fabricated to claim they ’ d been shouting slogans or inciting protests .
Most had been picked off the street like me ; some right front of their homes .
Angry but not radical , they referred to cops in street slang meaning “ trash.
” But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up with economic stagnation and being treated like cattle .
Vasya , a middle-aged man who owns an auto parts store , complained of the inordinate level of taxes he pays , which finances the security apparatus that snatched him from a bus stop .
For Artyom , a wispy-haired programmer resembling Rasputin , and who was serving a 10-day sentence for participating in an earlier protest , the experience was a turning point : “ I ’ m no longer afraid , ” he said .
“ After this , what ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ short , not a single man believed the Lukashenko regime had any legitimacy left .
We cracked jokes , sang songs , celebrated the rare and sacred deliveries of bread and prison gruel .
When things got too quiet , the more jovial among us would yell , “ Long live Belarus !
” — a long-favored chant of the opposition — which would solicit the bellowing response , “ Live on !
” Human decency ruled : Whenever one man realized he ’ d spent a couple hours in bed , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sprawled across the cold floor or hunched over the crooked communal table .
If someone hadn ’ t eaten , he ’ d be implored to do so .
Today , these men are my heroes ; facing the unknown , their priority was to maintain our collective spirit .
But mostly , we waited .
Legally , a judge in Belarus has 72 hours to try a case before the suspect is released from detention .
Those of us who hadn ’ t been sentenced gamed out various scenarios : What if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ freed ?
With a broken pen and tiny scraps of paper snuck in , they traded relatives ’ contact information .
At one point , a guard summoned three of our youngest cellmates and told them they were headed home .
Shortly after , one of them returned saying he was told he ’ d receive a 15-day sentence in the morning .
That sparked jeers .
“ So that ’ s how you sent him home , you fucker ?
” yelled one of my cellmates .
Through a crack in our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the constant stream of new prisoners overwhelming a system not designed for such mass detentions .
The unnerving clank of prison doors never seemed to cease .
Communicating with our neighbors by banging on the wall and yelling through the window , we tried to feel out the situation by finding out how many had been sentenced .
Around midnight on the third day of my detention , a guard barged in .
“ Peleschuk !
” he shouted .
“ Where is he ?
” I slid off my cot and sauntered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cellmates — who had begged me to “ tell the world ” about everything I ’ d seen — as they wished me luck .
I had no idea where I was going .
Led through several corridors crammed with prisoners ’ belongings , I was shocked at the disarray : Hundreds of individual black plastic bags strewn across the floor , many torn open .
Belts , phones , wallets , shoelaces scattered everywhere .
Guards , meanwhile , darted back and forth , barely managing the influx of prisoners .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s fearsome police state is simply another part of the country ’ s bloated bureaucracy : mired in paperwork and run by hacks loyal only to a state paycheck .
Except , of course , for OMON : As long as these brutal punishers are patrolling the streets with state support , Belarusians will never truly be safe .
Eventually , I was led to a portly administrator who claimed I was being released with a warning , and that representative from the US Embassy had arrived to pick me up .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of my greatest fears throughout my detention was becoming a political pawn , my face splashed across state media as an “ agent provocateur ” sent to stir unrest .
It wasn ’ t until I was led through the prison courtyard and into the administrative wing near the entrance that I exhaled .
When I saw the consular officer sitting inside a small office , I knew I was free .
The next day , I picked up my passport from the police precinct ( which required more wheel-greasing by the embassy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my base in Kyiv .
During my drive to the airport , I watched thousands of cheerful protesters line the city ’ s main boulevard , led by women in white clothing and accessories , such as flowers and flags .
A direct contrast to the evils that mark Lukashenko ’ s police state , those are the faces now filling streets across the country in what amounts to the single biggest challenge to Belarusian authorities since the collapse of the Soviet Union .
Now safe in Kyiv , I have not yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smell of prison to linger , to help me remember the much better men left behind , with no embassy to rescue them .
As I was writing this account , a friend from Minsk wrote me a birthday greeting .
“ Just like in a game of survival , ” she said , “ you ’ ve been born again.
” Judging the momentum building by the day against Lukashenko , the same just might be true for the Belarusian people .

Funneled into the gym, we were stripped of our belongings and cataloged again. Fate failed the young man who had a can of pepper spray: Riot officers beat him to the ground and continued pummeling him as he groaned in agony, shouting, “Why the fuck would you need this?”
His body absorbed the blows like a sandbag bursting at the seams.
Over the next few hours, the crowd inside the gym swelled to several dozen. As riot police returned to the streets, we were ordered by local guards — much less severe, though mostly disinterested in our comfort — to sit on a narrow wooden ledge along the wall, heads down and hands on our knees. I eventually convinced them to let me lie on the floor, since an old back injury left me grimacing in pain.
Later, I was allowed to stay on a wrestling mat on the other side of the gym. That helped police keep track of me as the lone American, perhaps sparing me from the beatings that befell others.
Occasionally, the guards would pass around two liter-sized bottles of water among the detainees. Some requests to visit the bathroom were granted, others ignored. Throughout the night, we were called one-by-one — many bloodied or limping in pain — to complete our arrest sheets. All were charged with the administrative offense of participating in an unsanctioned rally, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 days.
Sometime in the middle of the night, OMON burst into the gymnasium, visibly heated and full of hate from what must have been a night of street fights downtown. In Lukashenko’s police state, they are the tip of the spear — violence-craving, brainwashed goons who equate even the slightest dissent with treason. Their sole purpose is to strike fear into citizens’ hearts.
That night, they called the shots.
They forced us up, then down on our knees, hands behind our backs and heads pressed to the floor. We lay in fear as the officers paced around the room, amid a tirade of expletives and threats, like predators sniffing out their prey. The stomping of their boots reverberated across the hardwood court and echoed throughout the frigid gym, its windows agape as the cool air wafted in.
Again, those deemed not submissive enough were beaten or their heads were kicked into the “proper” position. After several more random assaults, they left, and over the next several hours the tension slightly dispersed as we gradually eased into various forms of semi-fetal positions.
Clutching my knees to my chest as tightly I as could, I shivered into a faint slumber.


buzzfeed--2020-08-18--This Red-Food Visual Test Is Harder Than You Probably Think

The food in the box is an apple !


buzzfeed--2020-08-18--The Democratic Convention May Seem Awkward, But The Party Thinks It’s A Test Run For A Virtual Campa

The Democratic Convention May Seem Awkward, But The Party Thinks It’s A Test Run For A Virtual Campaign

It was just past 7 p.m. on the opening night of the Democratic National Convention .
Instead of working her way into a basketball arena , Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz was in her poorly lit family room , dialed into a Zoom videoconference .
The picture on her end was a little blurry , but those tuned in could see the strips of tape holding her Joe Biden sign to an armchair .
The Florida lawmaker and former national party chair acknowledged how weird it all was .
And then , from their respective squares onscreen , she and Tampa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s dog , barking in the background — launched a Women for Biden phone bank .
The coronavirus has reduced a four-day convention to a work-from-home webinar .
Democrats who had planned to gather in Milwaukee and keep a packed schedule of party-building meetings are instead submitting themselves to the awkwardness and improvisation of webcasts and to the mercy of their internet connections .
Video segments and big speeches , many of them prerecorded from remote locations , are airing in primetime , but without the applause of a large live audience @ @ @ @ @ @ @ return to their communities amped to get out the vote for the general election .
All of this makes it tough to measure what success would look like .
“ I think that 99 % of the people only experience the convention on television , ” Nancy Patton Mills , chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party , told BuzzFeed News last week in a telephone interview .
“ In other words , I don ’ t think that it ’ s something where , if we do something wrong , we lose.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TV anyway .
Live ratings for Monday night were down about 25 % compared to 2016 , but Biden ’ s campaign reported more than 10 million views on streaming platforms , up from what they said was 3 million streaming views on opening night in 2016 .
Democrats see digital campaigning as the future and optimistically are using this week ’ s events as an opportunity to figure out what works .
Barring a swift and unforeseen retreat of a pandemic that has killed more than 170,000 Americans , Biden ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan to engage in door-to-door canvassing or in-person events .
The virtual format means that not only can people experience the conventions on TV , they can experience them through Zoom watch parties — and through the once-exclusive delegate breakfasts , lunches , and afterparties that draw big speakers .
State parties in some cases are throwing open the virtual doors to anyone who provides an email address , phone number , and other data helpful for organizing .
“ It ’ s like a broader democratization of the DNC in a way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partner at Rising Tide Interactive , a digital marketing agency that works with Democratic campaigns .
Biden , addressing Florida delegates during a virtual event Tuesday afternoon , said they were part of history .
“ You ’ re part of the most creative , inclusive convention we ’ ve ever had , ” Biden told them , according to a pool report .
“ I doubt we ’ ll ever go back to the same exact conventions we had in the past .
It ’ s a template for the future.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in all 50 states this week , recruiting former 2020 presidential candidates such as New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg and actors such as Connie Britton and BD Wong to headline them .
President Donald Trump and Republicans also scaled back plans for their convention next week , originally set for Charlotte and Jacksonville .
The specifics of next week ’ s Republican National Convention are not yet public , though Trump plans to give his speech accepting the party ’ s nomination at the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a robust in-person field operation in spite of the coronavirus .
( A New York magazine piece this week found purported canvassing activities in battleground Pennsylvania to be nonexistent . )

It was just past 7 p.m. on the opening night of the Democratic National Convention. Instead of working her way into a basketball arena, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz was in her poorly lit family room, dialed into a Zoom videoconference. The picture on her end was a little blurry, but those tuned in could see the strips of tape holding her Joe Biden sign to an armchair.
The Florida lawmaker and former national party chair acknowledged how weird it all was. And then, from their respective squares onscreen, she and Tampa Mayor Jane Castor — and briefly Castor’s dog, barking in the background — launched a Women for Biden phone bank.
The coronavirus has reduced a four-day convention to a work-from-home webinar. Democrats who had planned to gather in Milwaukee and keep a packed schedule of party-building meetings are instead submitting themselves to the awkwardness and improvisation of webcasts and to the mercy of their internet connections. Video segments and big speeches, many of them prerecorded from remote locations, are airing in primetime, but without the applause of a large live audience of delegates who under normal circumstances would return to their communities amped to get out the vote for the general election.
All of this makes it tough to measure what success would look like.
“I think that 99% of the people only experience the convention on television,” Nancy Patton Mills, chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, told BuzzFeed News last week in a telephone interview. “In other words, I don’t think that it’s something where, if we do something wrong, we lose.”
Fewer people are watching the convention on TV anyway. Live ratings for Monday night were down about 25% compared to 2016, but Biden’s campaign reported more than 10 million views on streaming platforms, up from what they said was 3 million streaming views on opening night in 2016. Democrats see digital campaigning as the future and optimistically are using this week’s events as an opportunity to figure out what works.
Barring a swift and unforeseen retreat of a pandemic that has killed more than 170,000 Americans, Biden’s team and other party leaders do not plan to engage in door-to-door canvassing or in-person events. The virtual format means that not only can people experience the conventions on TV, they can experience them through Zoom watch parties — and through the once-exclusive delegate breakfasts, lunches, and afterparties that draw big speakers. State parties in some cases are throwing open the virtual doors to anyone who provides an email address, phone number, and other data helpful for organizing.
“It’s like a broader democratization of the DNC in a way,” said Annie Levene, a partner at Rising Tide Interactive, a digital marketing agency that works with Democratic campaigns.
Biden, addressing Florida delegates during a virtual event Tuesday afternoon, said they were part of history.
“You’re part of the most creative, inclusive convention we’ve ever had,” Biden told them, according to a pool report. “I doubt we’ll ever go back to the same exact conventions we had in the past. It’s a template for the future.”
The Biden campaign has initiated watch parties in all 50 states this week, recruiting former 2020 presidential candidates such as New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg and actors such as Connie Britton and BD Wong to headline them.
President Donald Trump and Republicans also scaled back plans for their convention next week, originally set for Charlotte and Jacksonville. The specifics of next week’s Republican National Convention are not yet public, though Trump plans to give his speech accepting the party’s nomination at the White House. Trump’s supporters insist they have a robust in-person field operation in spite of the coronavirus. (A New York magazine piece this week found purported canvassing activities in battleground Pennsylvania to be nonexistent.)