buzzfeed--2020-08-06--Facebook Fired An Employee Who Collected Evidence Of Right-Wing Pages Getting Preferential Treatment

Facebook employees collected evidence showing the company is giving right-wing pages preferential treatment when it comes to misinformation .
And they ’ re worried about how the company will handle the president ’ s falsehoods in an election year .
After months of debate and disagreement over the handling of inflammatory or misleading posts from Donald Trump , Facebook employees want CEO Mark Zuckerberg to explain what the company would do if the leader of the free world uses the social network to undermine the results of the 2020 US presidential election .
“ I do think we ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is going to be used to aggressively undermine the legitimacy of the US elections , in a way that has never been possible in history , ” one Facebook employee wrote in a group on Workplace , the company ’ s internal communication platform , earlier this week .
For the past week , this scenario has been a topic of heated discussion inside Facebook and was a top question for its leader .
Some 2,900 employees asked Zuckerberg to address it publicly during a company-wide meeting on Thursday , which he partly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ position . ''
Zuckerberg ’ s remarks came amid growing internal concerns about the company 's competence in handling misinformation , and the precautions it is taking to ensure its platform isn ’ t used to disrupt or mislead ahead of the US presidential election .
Though Facebook says it has committed more money and resources to avoid repeating its failures during the 2016 election , some employees believe it isn ’ t enough .
President Trump has already spent months raising questions about the legitimacy of the upcoming 2020 election , spreading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to say if he ’ d accept the possibility of losing to Democratic nominee Joe Biden in November .
In July , Trump told Fox News he wasn ’ t sure if he ’ d concede to Biden , casting doubt on whether there would be a peaceful transition of power if the former vice president wins the election .
`` I have to see .
I 'm not just going to say yes .
I 'm not going to say no , '' the president said .
On Facebook ’ s internal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election question remained civil prior to Thursday ’ s all-hands meeting .
Employees debated the merits of censoring a sitting president ’ s potentially false statements about election results with one person noting that “ it would be a really troubling policy to apply globally.
” `` America ca n't afford for Facebook to take a wait-and-see approach when it comes to the integrity of our democracy , ” said Jesse Lehrich , a former foreign policy spokesperson to Hillary Clinton and cofounder of Accountable Tech , a nonprofit advocacy group .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enforcement mechanisms to safeguard the election , the platform will be weaponized to undermine it . ''
Do you work at Facebook or another technology company ?
We 'd love to hear from you .
Reach out at craig.silverman @ buzzfeed.com , ryan.mac @ buzzfeed.com , or via one of our tip line channels .
On Thursday , Zuckerberg told employees that the increased use of mail-in ballots due to the pandemic will likely lead to a situation where election results will not be available `` for days '' or `` for weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commentators may attempt to try to call an election early , in which case the company may label a post explaining that results are not yet final .
Zuckerberg did not have a clear answer for what the company would do should Trump declared the election results invalid .
`` This is where we 're in unprecedented territory with the president saying some of the things that he 's saying that I find quite troubling , '' he said .
`` We 're thinking through what policy may be appropriate here .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing to work through . ''
While there are signs Facebook will stand up to Trump in cases where he violates its rules — as on Wednesday when it removed a video post from the president in which he claimed that children are “ almost immune ” to COVID-19 — there are others who suggest the company is caving to critical voices on the right .
In another recent Workplace post , a senior engineer collected internal evidence that showed Facebook was giving preferential treatment to prominent conservative accounts to help them remove @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responded by removing his post and restricting internal access to the information he cited .
On Wednesday the engineer was fired , according to internal posts seen by BuzzFeed News .
With heightened internal tensions and morale at a low point , concerns about how the company handles fact-checked content have exploded in an internal Workplace group dedicated to misinformation policy .
Last Friday , at another all-hands meeting , employees asked Zuckerberg how right-wing publication Breitbart News could remain a Facebook News partner after sharing a video that promoted unproven treatments and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ novel coronavirus .
The video racked up 14 million views in six hours before it was removed from Breitbart ’ s page , though other accounts continued to share it .
Zuckerberg danced around the question but did note that Breitbart could be removed from the company 's news tab if it were to receive two strikes for publishing misinformation within 90 days of each other .
( Facebook News partners , which include dozens of publications such as BuzzFeed News and the Washington Post , receive compensation and placement in a special @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) “ This was certainly one strike against them for misinformation , but they do n't have others in the last 90 days , ” Zuckerberg said .
“ So by the policies that we have , which by the way I think are generally pretty reasonable on this , it does n't make sense to remove them.
” But some of Facebook ’ s own employees gathered evidence they say shows Breitbart — along with other right-wing outlets and figures including Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk , Trump supporters Diamond and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prager University — has received special treatment that helped it avoid running afoul of company policy .
They see it as part of a pattern of preferential treatment for right-wing publishers and pages , many of which have alleged that the social network is biased against conservatives .
“ We defer to third-party fact-checkers on the rating that a piece of content receives , '' Facebook spokesperson Liz Bourgeois said in a statement .
`` When a fact checker applies a rating , we apply a label and demotion .
But we are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ systems for repeat offenders .
We apply additional system wide penalties for multiple false ratings , including demonetization and the inability to advertise , unless we determine that one or more of those ratings does not warrant additional consequences . ''
On July 22 , a Facebook employee posted a message to the company ’ s internal misinformation policy group noting that some misinformation strikes against Breitbart had been cleared by someone at Facebook seemingly acting on the publication 's behalf .
“ A Breitbart escalation marked ‘ urgent : end of day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with all misinformation strikes against Breitbart ’ s page and against their domain cleared without explanation , ” the employee wrote .
The same employee said a partly false rating applied to an Instagram post from Charlie Kirk was flagged for “ priority ” escalation by Joel Kaplan , the company ’ s vice president of global public policy .
Kaplan once served in George W. Bush ’ s administration and drew criticism for publicly supporting Brett Kavanaugh ’ s controversial nomination to the Supreme Court .
Aaron Sharockman , the executive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a contact at Facebook did call to discuss Kirk ’ s post .
“ We had a call with them where they wanted to know how this post was aligned with the program , ” Sharockman said .
`` Was this just a minor inaccuracy or was it something that we thought was something that had potential harmful effects ? ''
PolitiFact did not change its rating on the post .
“ We stuck to our guns there , ” Sharockman said .
Past Facebook employees , including Yaël Eisenstat , Facebook 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have expressed concerns with Kaplan ’ s influence over content enforcement decisions .
She previously told BuzzFeed News a member of Kaplan 's Washington policy team attempted to influence ad enforcement decisions for an ad placed by a conservative organization .
Facebook did not respond to questions about why Kaplan would personally intervene in matters like this .
These and other interventions appear to be in violation of Facebook ’ s official policy , which requires publishers wishing to dispute a fact check rating to contact the Facebook fact-checking partner responsible .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intervening in fact-checks on behalf of *exclusively* right-wing publishers , to avoid them getting repeat-offender status , ” wrote another employee in the company ’ s internal “ misinformation policy ” discussion group .
Individuals that spoke out about the apparent special treatment of right-wing pages have also faced consequences .
In one case , a senior Facebook engineer collected multiple instances of conservative figures receiving unique help from Facebook employees , including those on the policy team , to remove fact-checks on their content .
His July post was removed because it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communication policy.
” After the engineer ’ s post was removed , the related internal “ tasks ” he ’ d cited as examples of the alleged special treatment were made private and inaccessible to employees , according to a Workplace post from another employee .
“ Personally this makes me so angry and ashamed of this company , ” wrote the employee in support of their colleague .
The engineer joined the company in 2016 and most recently worked on Instagram .
He left the company on Wednesday .
One employee on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that they received permission from the engineer to say that the dismissal “ was not voluntary.
” In an internal post before his dismissal , the engineer said he was “ told to expect to be contacted by legal and HR if my post is found to be violating other policies in addition to Respectful Comms.
” Facebook denied the employee had been terminated for the post but said it was because `` they broke the company 's rules . ''
“ We have an open culture and encourage employees to speak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bourgeois said .
News of his firing caused some Facebook employees to say that they now fear speaking critically about the company in internal discussions .
One person said they were deleting old posts and comments , while another said this was “ hardly the first time the respectful workplace guidelines have been used to snipe a prominent critic of company policies/ethics.
” “ [ He ] was a conscience of this company , and a tireless voice for us doing the right thing , ” said another employee .
The terminated employee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be named for fear of repercussions .
The internal evidence gathered by the engineer aligns with the experience of a journalist who works for one of Facebook ’ s US fact-checking partners .
They told BuzzFeed News that conservative pages often complain directly to the company .
“ Of the publishers that don ’ t follow the procedure , it seems to be mostly ones on the right .
Instead of appealing to the fact-checker they immediately call their rep at Facebook , ” said the journalist , who declined to be named @ @ @ @ @ @ @ publicly .
“ They jump straight up and say ‘ censorship , First Amendment , freedom.
’ ” “ I think Facebook is a bit afraid of them because of the Trump administration , ” they added .
Facebook typically assigns dedicated partner managers to pages with large followings or big ad budgets .
They help their clients maximize their use of the platform .
But in the cases identified in the engineer 's post , partner reps appear to have sought preferential treatment for right-wing publishers .
This resulted in phone calls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and instances where misinformation strikes appear to have been removed from content without a fact-checker ’ s knowledge or involvement .
A Facebook employee ’ s July 22 post restating the engineer ’ s findings identified multiple cases in which a fact-check complaint from a right-wing page was escalated and in some cases resolved in the account ’ s favor the same day .
According to the post , Joel Kaplan flagged a fact check of a Charlie Kirk Instagram post for resolution “ ASAP/before 12 p.m.
ET ” .
This same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of a “ two weeks long effort ” to prevent the site from being given Repeat Offender status , a designation that would have limited its reach and advertising privileges .
Citing “ partner sensitivity , '' the rep noted that PragerU runs a lot of ads , and argued that the content in question qualified as opinion and was therefore exempt from being fact-checked .
Facebook did not answer questions about why a partner manager would cite ad volume as a reason for not acting against a group of pages .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facebook have never asked them to change a rating .
But Facebook reps do reach out to discuss whether a post is opinion or otherwise outside of the scope of the program .
“ We have had discussions where our partners have asked us , ‘ Why did you fact check this ?
Why did you come to this conclusion ?
How do you think it fits within the scope of Facebook 's rules or regulations within fact-checking ?
’ ” he said .
`` We sometimes reach out to fact-checkers to clarify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Bourgeois said .
Mark Provost manages multiple large progressive Facebook pages , including The Other 98 % , one of the biggest on the platform .
He said his Facebook partner manager is far less responsive than what the Facebook employee documented for Provost ’ s counterparts on the right .
And he ’ s not aware of any case where Facebook contacted a fact-checker on his behalf .
“ We do n't get a message back for 10 days , ” Provost said of Facebook .
“ I imagine the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal.
” His Other 98 % page is currently at risk of deletion because it has three strikes .
Provost said one strike is for a hate speech violation three months ago , though as of now no one at Facebook has told him what the offending post was .
His partner representative said they would look into it , according to Provost .
That was last week and he says he still hasn ’ t received an update .
“ I 'm getting so frustrated with this , ” Provost said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facebook were as responsive as the fact-checking companies that they 've assigned.
” Provost said Facebook ’ s fact-checking partners are easy to deal with when he contacts them to dispute a rating .
In some cases , he provided additional proof of his claim to get a rating changed ; in other cases , he corrected the offending post and the false rating was removed .
The fact-checker who spoke to BuzzFeed News said most page owners follow the policy and contact them to dispute a rating .
But in some cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partner manager assigned to work with fact-checkers .
“ They will ask us , ‘ Could you take a look at this again ?
Are you sure ?
’ ” the checker said .
In other cases , Facebook itself will quietly remove a fact-check applied by one of its partners .
That appears to be what happened with a March 25 post from Diamond and Silk .
The duo wrote on Facebook , “ How the hell is allocating 25 million dollars in order to give a raise to house members , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans , going to help stimulate America 's economy ?
Tell me how ?
# PutAmericansBackToWorkNow.
” Lead Stories , a Facebook fact-checking partner , rated the post false .
Diamond and Silk initially followed the proper procedure and appealed directly to Lead Stories .
“ They were detailed in their appeal and we replied promptly , ” Alan Duke , the editor-in-chief of Lead Stories , told BuzzFeed News .
“ The result was that we decided that a false rating initially given their content should be revised downward to ‘ partly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rating apparently didn ’ t satisfy Diamond and Silk , who reportedly lost their online Fox News show after spreading coronavirus misinformation .
As detailed in the July 22 internal Facebook post , Diamond and Silk appealed to their partner manager , who opened an internal ticket for the issue .
The Facebook rep argued the post was opinion and warned that the duo “ is extremely sensitive and has not hesitated going public about their concerns around alleged conservative bias on Facebook.
” While the partly false fact-check is still visible on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the strike against their account internally .
The Facebook employee said “ someone described on the task as ‘ Policy/Leadership ’ made the call to not only completely remove this strike , but also the one from January.
” PolitiFact ’ s Sharockman said he does n't know what goes on inside Facebook when it comes to applying or removing strikes for misinformation .
All the Facebook fact-checking partners can do is try to be honest , even if the other parties involved aren ’ t .
`` We 're trying to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open and transparent .
And no one else is .
Everyone else is using the system to their personal benefit . ''
●

On Facebook’s internal message boards, discussion about the Trump election question remained civil prior to Thursday’s all-hands meeting. Employees debated the merits of censoring a sitting president’s potentially false statements about election results with one person noting that “it would be a really troubling policy to apply globally.”
"America can't afford for Facebook to take a wait-and-see approach when it comes to the integrity of our democracy,” said Jesse Lehrich, a former foreign policy spokesperson to Hillary Clinton and cofounder of Accountable Tech, a nonprofit advocacy group. “Unless they proactively outline clear policies and enforcement mechanisms to safeguard the election, the platform will be weaponized to undermine it."
Do you work at Facebook or another technology company? We'd love to hear from you. Reach out at craig.silverman@buzzfeed.com, ryan.mac@buzzfeed.com, or via one of our tip line channels.
On Thursday, Zuckerberg told employees that the increased use of mail-in ballots due to the pandemic will likely lead to a situation where election results will not be available "for days" or "for weeks." He noted political figures and commentators may attempt to try to call an election early, in which case the company may label a post explaining that results are not yet final.
Zuckerberg did not have a clear answer for what the company would do should Trump declared the election results invalid.
"This is where we're in unprecedented territory with the president saying some of the things that he's saying that I find quite troubling," he said. "We're thinking through what policy may be appropriate here. This is obviously going to be a sensitive thing to work through."
While there are signs Facebook will stand up to Trump in cases where he violates its rules — as on Wednesday when it removed a video post from the president in which he claimed that children are “almost immune” to COVID-19 — there are others who suggest the company is caving to critical voices on the right. In another recent Workplace post, a senior engineer collected internal evidence that showed Facebook was giving preferential treatment to prominent conservative accounts to help them remove fact-checks from their content.
The company responded by removing his post and restricting internal access to the information he cited. On Wednesday the engineer was fired, according to internal posts seen by BuzzFeed News.
“Intervening in Fact-Checks”
With heightened internal tensions and morale at a low point, concerns about how the company handles fact-checked content have exploded in an internal Workplace group dedicated to misinformation policy.
Last Friday, at another all-hands meeting, employees asked Zuckerberg how right-wing publication Breitbart News could remain a Facebook News partner after sharing a video that promoted unproven treatments and said masks were unnecessary to combat the novel coronavirus. The video racked up 14 million views in six hours before it was removed from Breitbart’s page, though other accounts continued to share it.
Zuckerberg danced around the question but did note that Breitbart could be removed from the company's news tab if it were to receive two strikes for publishing misinformation within 90 days of each other. (Facebook News partners, which include dozens of publications such as BuzzFeed News and the Washington Post, receive compensation and placement in a special news tab on the social network.)
“This was certainly one strike against them for misinformation, but they don't have others in the last 90 days,” Zuckerberg said. “So by the policies that we have, which by the way I think are generally pretty reasonable on this, it doesn't make sense to remove them.”
But some of Facebook’s own employees gathered evidence they say shows Breitbart — along with other right-wing outlets and figures including Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, Trump supporters Diamond and Silk, and conservative video production nonprofit Prager University — has received special treatment that helped it avoid running afoul of company policy. They see it as part of a pattern of preferential treatment for right-wing publishers and pages, many of which have alleged that the social network is biased against conservatives.
“We defer to third-party fact-checkers on the rating that a piece of content receives," Facebook spokesperson Liz Bourgeois said in a statement. "When a fact checker applies a rating, we apply a label and demotion. But we are responsible for how we manage our internal systems for repeat offenders. We apply additional system wide penalties for multiple false ratings, including demonetization and the inability to advertise, unless we determine that one or more of those ratings does not warrant additional consequences."
On July 22, a Facebook employee posted a message to the company’s internal misinformation policy group noting that some misinformation strikes against Breitbart had been cleared by someone at Facebook seemingly acting on the publication's behalf.
“A Breitbart escalation marked ‘urgent: end of day’ was resolved on the same day, with all misinformation strikes against Breitbart’s page and against their domain cleared without explanation,” the employee wrote.
The same employee said a partly false rating applied to an Instagram post from Charlie Kirk was flagged for “priority” escalation by Joel Kaplan, the company’s vice president of global public policy. Kaplan once served in George W. Bush’s administration and drew criticism for publicly supporting Brett Kavanaugh’s controversial nomination to the Supreme Court.
Aaron Sharockman, the executive director of PolitiFact, told BuzzFeed News a contact at Facebook did call to discuss Kirk’s post.
“We had a call with them where they wanted to know how this post was aligned with the program,” Sharockman said. "Was this just a minor inaccuracy or was it something that we thought was something that had potential harmful effects?"
PolitiFact did not change its rating on the post. “We stuck to our guns there,” Sharockman said.
Past Facebook employees, including Yaël Eisenstat, Facebook's former global election ads integrity lead, have expressed concerns with Kaplan’s influence over content enforcement decisions. She previously told BuzzFeed News a member of Kaplan's Washington policy team attempted to influence ad enforcement decisions for an ad placed by a conservative organization.
Facebook did not respond to questions about why Kaplan would personally intervene in matters like this.


buzzfeed--2020-08-06--Twitter Is Locking People Fact-Checking Trump Out Of Their Accounts

At least four people who attempted to debunk coronavirus misinformation that President Donald Trump said in a Fox & Friends @ @ @ @ @ their Twitter accounts when they tweeted Trump 's words .
In the Wednesday interview , @ @ @ @ @ `` almost immune '' to the virus — which is false .
“ This is @ @ @ @ @ ” tweeted Aaron Rupar , an editor at Vox , who was one of the @ @ @ @ @ “ My account was locked for quoting and fact-checking Trump , and I was forced @ @ @ @ @ Why am I getting punished for shining a light on the president ’ s falsehoods @ @

At least four people who attempted to debunk coronavirus misinformation that President Donald Trump said in a Fox & Friends interview were locked out of their Twitter accounts when they tweeted Trump's words. In the Wednesday interview, the president said children are "almost immune" to the virus — which is false.
“This is nuts, @TwitterSupport,” tweeted Aaron Rupar, an editor at Vox, who was one of the people Twitter locked out. “My account was locked for quoting and fact-checking Trump, and I was forced to delete this tweet. Why am I getting punished for shining a light on the president’s falsehoods?”


buzzfeed--2020-08-06--Customers For Glenn Beck’s Botched Cruise Can Get Their Money Back — If They Sell Their Tickets

The journalists at BuzzFeed News are proud to bring you trustworthy and relevant reporting about the coronavirus .
To help keep this news free , become a member .
A planned cruise around the Mediterranean with Glenn Beck that was postponed because of the coronavirus is causing further uproar among some already-unhappy customers who had been waiting for a refund — and are now being told they may only be able to get their money back if someone else buys their ticket .
Instead , CruiseBuilder , the travel company that arranged the cruise that was planned for earlier this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Do nothing and remain booked on the cruise , find someone else to buy their tickets , or give their tickets back to the company and allow them to try and resell them either partially or in full — and only get a refund if the company is successful .
Customers received a DocuSign contract outlining the deal when the new May 2021 dates for the cruise were announced on July 14 .
Upon signing , customers would agree that “ if another traveler is not able to acquire my package , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Glenn Beck or any affiliated party.
” CruiseBuilder is offering them either an “ exact match release , ” “ cabin match release , ” or “ à la carte release , ” making them eligible for different levels of refunds based on CruiseBuilder ’ s ability to sell either their identical package or parts thereof .
In all cases , a $ 250 processing fee will be charged .
The bloodless details of the offer are a far cry from the grand vision presented for the cruise , marketed as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beck with stops in Italy , Greece , Croatia , and Israel and originally announced last May .
Several other prominent conservatives were to join the trip , most notably former Fox News host Bill O ’ Reilly .
Guests were slated to sail on Costa Cruises ’ Costa Luminosa and enjoy sightseeing trips and on-board entertainment for a trip that was scheduled for the end of March and beginning of April .
“ This isn ’ t just another eastern Mediterranean cruise , as wonderful as they are .
This is even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But the coronavirus pandemic caused a total shutdown of the cruise industry this spring , and while the cruise industry has promised other customers refunds , Beck ’ s would-be cruisers , many of whom are of retirement age and especially susceptible to the virus , have been unable to get any money back after the cruise was postponed just weeks before its scheduled departure amid a worsening global outbreak .
In June , Beck told BuzzFeed News for a previous story about the trip , “ My position is that anyone who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should receive one , and I 've strongly encouraged the cruise line , airlines , and the hotels to accommodate.
” At the time , CruiseBuilder promised that “ options ” would become available once new dates were set , and CruiseBuilder executives told BuzzFeed News that these options would include refunds .
A source close to Beck said last week that “ when he said refunds he meant refunds with no strings attached.
” In a statement , Scott Knutson , vice president of sales and marketing for Costa Cruises North America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comment on CruiseBuilder ’ s “ process.
” “ As a sold charter , the voyage belongs to Cruise Builder , which means Cruise Builder sets the policies for payment and cancellation terms , ” Knutson said .
“ Costa confirms that the planned itinerary is identical to the original charter ’ s itinerary.
” “ We have been receiving release forms from customers who are unable to go on the new dates , ” CruiseBuilder president Wes Cobos said in an email .
“ We have started reselling those cabins making reimbursements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the seriousness of the coronavirus , which has killed more than 155,000 people in the United States .
He revealed last month that his children had been diagnosed with COVID-19 and described their symptoms as a “ wussy little fever and a headache.
” “ I ’ m just assuming I ’ m going to get it , I guess , ” Beck said , adding that his doctor told him he had immune issues .
“ Really it was like a bad cold — if that ’ s it , I want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so I have the antibodies.
” In March , Beck said everyone over 50 should go back to work and that he would rather die from the virus than “ kill the country.
” CruiseBuilder executives told BuzzFeed News in June that they were unable to offer refunds at that time because the cruise involved a large array of vendors who had not all agreed to refund the money used to book their services .
Because the cruise was being rescheduled and not canceled , even those who bought travel insurance couldn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cruises , the cruise line conducting the cruise , promised that the rescheduled cruise would be identical to the original .
With the coronavirus outbreak not under control , no guarantee of a vaccine before next year , and economic hardship on the rise , it ’ s difficult to square the promise of an “ identical ” cruise with what will be offered more than a year later and organized amid a pandemic and recession .
Suzanne Cheney , 69 , is a fan of Beck ’ s and initially heard about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cheney , a retired Pennsylvania state worker who is divorced and lives with her adult son in Pittsburgh , doesn ’ t have much money but figured the cruise would be her “ last hurrah.
” She dipped into her retirement savings to pay for it , using a debit card and finding another woman traveling alone to split a cabin with .
The trip cost her over $ 5,000 , not counting the new clothes she bought after losing weight for the trip .
As the coronavirus spread , Cheney became increasingly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ read about the ship that was supposed to take the Beck cruise , the Costa Luminosa .
( The rescheduled cruise will be on a different ship , the Costa Deliziosa . )
A New York Times story in March described how the ship ’ s crew was slow to act after passengers became sick with coronavirus on board .
Some passengers subsequently sued Costa Cruise Lines in April .
Now , even with new dates next year , “ I 'm sick to my stomach about it , ” Cheney said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus to want to go on the rescheduled cruise .
“ I don ’ t want to go then , ” Cheney said of the cruise next year .
“ I wanted to go when I wanted to go.
” Cheney hasn ’ t signed the contract .
“ I ’ d just as soon have my money back , because I don ’ t trust them , ” Cheney said .
“ I wish there was a way I could get ahold of Glenn Beck.
” Some customers , like Cheney , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ document , not giving up hope that they will eventually get reimbursed .
As months have gone by with no refunds , some angry customers formed a Facebook group called `` Glenn Beck Cruise : Want My Money Back '' where they have been commiserating about their experiences and discussing strategies to get a refund .
But others are settling for one of the offers , figuring that it is their best chance of getting money back at all .
Beth Wolak and her husband , a couple in their sixties and seventies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chose to give their package to CruiseBuilder and let CruiseBuilder sell pieces of it , hoping to be reimbursed for whatever is sold .
“ A little is better than none at all , ” Wolak said in an email .
The Wolaks haven ’ t gotten word yet if any part of their package was resold .
Julie Edwards , 45 , and her 52-year-old husband , Scott , of Kaysville , Utah , spent over $ 34,000 booking the cruise for themselves and six of their relatives , including Scott ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issues .
They and their six children had previously traveled to Beck ’ s “ Restoring Love ” rally and had a good experience .
The Edwardses doubted that another group of eight would come along and try to buy their package , so they decided to go through their credit card company to get a refund .
To do so they had to cancel their trip with CruiseBuilder and are waiting to hear within the next 30 days if they ’ ve won the dispute .
Their airline tickets were booked through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Delta to find out if they could be refunded directly , the representative told her that the amount had already been refunded to a corporate MasterCard .
“ As mentioned during our call , some contracted vendors have issued cash refunds , but the majority have only offered credits , ” Cobos said in an email .
Edwards wrote directly to Beck , explaining the tight spot her family had been put in and describing CruiseBuilder ’ s actions .
“ I 'm not sure if you actually had the chance to vet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you and they have lost the trust of many people , ” Edwards wrote .
“ Please help them to understand.
” Beck hasn ’ t written back .
“ I hope he gets ahold of me and answers me , ” Edwards said .
“ I ’ d really like to hear his voice on this .
”

A planned cruise around the Mediterranean with Glenn Beck that was postponed because of the coronavirus is causing further uproar among some already-unhappy customers who had been waiting for a refund — and are now being told they may only be able to get their money back if someone else buys their ticket.
Instead, CruiseBuilder, the travel company that arranged the cruise that was planned for earlier this spring, is giving customers three options: Do nothing and remain booked on the cruise, find someone else to buy their tickets, or give their tickets back to the company and allow them to try and resell them either partially or in full — and only get a refund if the company is successful.
Customers received a DocuSign contract outlining the deal when the new May 2021 dates for the cruise were announced on July 14. Upon signing, customers would agree that “if another traveler is not able to acquire my package, I will not receive reimbursement from CruiseBuilder, Glenn Beck or any affiliated party.” CruiseBuilder is offering them either an “exact match release,” “cabin match release,” or “à la carte release,” making them eligible for different levels of refunds based on CruiseBuilder’s ability to sell either their identical package or parts thereof. In all cases, a $250 processing fee will be charged.
The bloodless details of the offer are a far cry from the grand vision presented for the cruise, marketed as a “Cruise Thru History” hosted by Beck with stops in Italy, Greece, Croatia, and Israel and originally announced last May. Several other prominent conservatives were to join the trip, most notably former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly. Guests were slated to sail on Costa Cruises’ Costa Luminosa and enjoy sightseeing trips and on-board entertainment for a trip that was scheduled for the end of March and beginning of April. “This isn’t just another eastern Mediterranean cruise, as wonderful as they are. This is even WONDERFULLER!” the website promised.
But the coronavirus pandemic caused a total shutdown of the cruise industry this spring, and while the cruise industry has promised other customers refunds, Beck’s would-be cruisers, many of whom are of retirement age and especially susceptible to the virus, have been unable to get any money back after the cruise was postponed just weeks before its scheduled departure amid a worsening global outbreak. In June, Beck told BuzzFeed News for a previous story about the trip, “My position is that anyone who wants a refund in these uncertain times should receive one, and I've strongly encouraged the cruise line, airlines, and the hotels to accommodate.” At the time, CruiseBuilder promised that “options” would become available once new dates were set, and CruiseBuilder executives told BuzzFeed News that these options would include refunds.
A source close to Beck said last week that “when he said refunds he meant refunds with no strings attached.” In a statement, Scott Knutson, vice president of sales and marketing for Costa Cruises North America, said the cruise line could not comment on CruiseBuilder’s “process.” “As a sold charter, the voyage belongs to Cruise Builder, which means Cruise Builder sets the policies for payment and cancellation terms,” Knutson said. “Costa confirms that the planned itinerary is identical to the original charter’s itinerary.”
“We have been receiving release forms from customers who are unable to go on the new dates,” CruiseBuilder president Wes Cobos said in an email. “We have started reselling those cabins making reimbursements available.”
Beck has seeded skepticism about the seriousness of the coronavirus, which has killed more than 155,000 people in the United States. He revealed last month that his children had been diagnosed with COVID-19 and described their symptoms as a “wussy little fever and a headache.”
“I’m just assuming I’m going to get it, I guess,” Beck said, adding that his doctor told him he had immune issues. “Really it was like a bad cold — if that’s it, I want it. I want it right now so I have the antibodies.” In March, Beck said everyone over 50 should go back to work and that he would rather die from the virus than “kill the country.”
CruiseBuilder executives told BuzzFeed News in June that they were unable to offer refunds at that time because the cruise involved a large array of vendors who had not all agreed to refund the money used to book their services. Because the cruise was being rescheduled and not canceled, even those who bought travel insurance couldn’t get their money back. Costa Cruises, the cruise line conducting the cruise, promised that the rescheduled cruise would be identical to the original.
With the coronavirus outbreak not under control, no guarantee of a vaccine before next year, and economic hardship on the rise, it’s difficult to square the promise of an “identical” cruise with what will be offered more than a year later and organized amid a pandemic and recession.
Suzanne Cheney, 69, is a fan of Beck’s and initially heard about the cruise on his radio show. Cheney, a retired Pennsylvania state worker who is divorced and lives with her adult son in Pittsburgh, doesn’t have much money but figured the cruise would be her “last hurrah.” She dipped into her retirement savings to pay for it, using a debit card and finding another woman traveling alone to split a cabin with. The trip cost her over $5,000, not counting the new clothes she bought after losing weight for the trip. As the coronavirus spread, Cheney became increasingly concerned, and was alarmed when she read about the ship that was supposed to take the Beck cruise, the Costa Luminosa. (The rescheduled cruise will be on a different ship, the Costa Deliziosa.) A New York Times story in March described how the ship’s crew was slow to act after passengers became sick with coronavirus on board. Some passengers subsequently sued Costa Cruise Lines in April.
Now, even with new dates next year, “I'm sick to my stomach about it,” Cheney said. She’s too worried about the coronavirus to want to go on the rescheduled cruise. “I don’t want to go then,” Cheney said of the cruise next year. “I wanted to go when I wanted to go.”
Cheney hasn’t signed the contract. “I’d just as soon have my money back, because I don’t trust them,” Cheney said. “I wish there was a way I could get ahold of Glenn Beck.”
Some customers, like Cheney, are so far declining to sign the document, not giving up hope that they will eventually get reimbursed. As months have gone by with no refunds, some angry customers formed a Facebook group called "Glenn Beck Cruise: Want My Money Back" where they have been commiserating about their experiences and discussing strategies to get a refund. But others are settling for one of the offers, figuring that it is their best chance of getting money back at all.
Beth Wolak and her husband, a couple in their sixties and seventies in Willow Spring, North Carolina, chose to give their package to CruiseBuilder and let CruiseBuilder sell pieces of it, hoping to be reimbursed for whatever is sold. “A little is better than none at all,” Wolak said in an email. The Wolaks haven’t gotten word yet if any part of their package was resold.
Julie Edwards, 45, and her 52-year-old husband, Scott, of Kaysville, Utah, spent over $34,000 booking the cruise for themselves and six of their relatives, including Scott’s elderly parents who both have health issues. They and their six children had previously traveled to Beck’s “Restoring Love” rally and had a good experience. The Edwardses doubted that another group of eight would come along and try to buy their package, so they decided to go through their credit card company to get a refund. To do so they had to cancel their trip with CruiseBuilder and are waiting to hear within the next 30 days if they’ve won the dispute.
Their airline tickets were booked through CruiseBuilder, and when Julie Edwards called Delta to find out if they could be refunded directly, the representative told her that the amount had already been refunded to a corporate MasterCard. “As mentioned during our call, some contracted vendors have issued cash refunds, but the majority have only offered credits,” Cobos said in an email.
Edwards wrote directly to Beck, explaining the tight spot her family had been put in and describing CruiseBuilder’s actions. “I'm not sure if you actually had the chance to vet them or not, but they represent you and they have lost the trust of many people,” Edwards wrote. “Please help them to understand.” Beck hasn’t written back.
“I hope he gets ahold of me and answers me,” Edwards said. “I’d really like to hear his voice on this.”


buzzfeed--2020-08-06--The Truth Behind A Viral Picture Of A Reopening School Is Worse Than It Looked

An alarming photo of a hallway crowded by mostly maskless students in a Georgia high school raises issues with reopening schools all around the country .
Behind a viral photo of a crowded hallway at a high school in Georgia , a potentially dire situation is brewing .
Students , teachers , and parents fear the Paulding County school ’ s rushed reopening plans may be spiraling out of control just two days after students — who said they were told they could face expulsion for remaining home — returned to class despite reports of positive coronavirus cases among students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , about an hour outside Atlanta , reopened Monday despite an outbreak among members of its high school football team , many of whom , a Facebook video shows , worked out together in a crowded indoor gym last week as part of a weightlifting fundraiser .
Within days of that workout , several North Paulding players had tested positive for the coronavirus .
The school ’ s parents were notified just hours before the first day of class .
And multiple teachers at North Paulding say there are positive tests among school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came into contact with most teachers at the school while exhibiting symptoms last week .
Teachers and staff said the school won ’ t confirm coronavirus infections among district employees , citing privacy reasons .
`` That was exactly one week ago , so we are all waiting to see who gets sick next week , ” a North Paulding teacher told BuzzFeed News of her exposure to the virus .
Despite recommendations from CDC health officials , the district has called mask-wearing a “ personal choice ” and said that social distancing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” in “ most cases.
” While the school provided teachers with face shields and masks and encouraged staff and students to wear them , they are not required and not all teachers have chosen to use them .
One North Paulding teacher resigned last month over concerns about virus safety .
We want your help !
If you have a tip about how schools are reopening in your district , reach us securely at tips.buzzfeed.com .
“ Days before school even started , they knew that many of the football players were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the issues at the high school .
“ They knew from before day one that it was n't going to work.
” Some students at North Paulding say they were forced to attend school in person because all of the slots for the district ’ s virtual learning option were filled .
A narrow sign-up window for virtual classes meant many parents missed their opportunity to enroll their children online .
James , a North Paulding senior , said he came to school Tuesday because his mother was unable to enroll him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mask , but many of his classmates did not .
And while some classes practiced distancing , in one , a teacher had pushed together students ’ desks to allow for group work .
His name has been changed in the story because of concerns about retribution from the school .
“ It ’ s the hallway situation that has me most paranoid , ” he said .
“ There ’ s a lot of people in the hallways , and you can ’ t do nothing about it , so it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of one of those hallways , crammed with largely maskless students and with just a handful of masks in sight , that spread across the internet Tuesday .
The district superintendent , Brian Otott , sent a message to parents in the wake of the photo .
He offered “ context ” for the photograph : “ Class changes that look like this may happen , especially at a high school with more than 2,000 students.
” There was little the district could do , he said , beyond encouraging masks .
Neither @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Schools responded to multiple requests for comment .
According to a person familiar with North Paulding High School , the plan shared with teachers said hallways were supposed to be one-way ; the photograph was taken in one of the only two-laned hallways in the school .
But the one-lane hallways had their own downsides , causing students to walk long routes between classes — spending more time in exposed common areas .
James ’ parents saw the photograph that had been circulating Tuesday and told him , “ You are not going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
But a few hours later , his mother had spoken to the school and was told that students who “ chose not to go to school ” could face suspension or expulsion .
On Wednesday , he went back to school .
“ I had no choice , ” he said .
North Paulding teachers said they too felt they had no choice but to show up to work , even after a staff member texted colleagues saying she had tested positive for the virus .
The staffer had attended planning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
She did not attend school after testing positive .
But teachers have heard nothing from the school , they said , which won ’ t confirm that staff members have tested positive , citing privacy concerns .
“ A lot of us are terrified , and they wo n't let us know if we have been exposed until a state contact tracer has contacted us , ” one teacher said .
“ These teachers are deeply concerned for their health , especially the older ones and those with major health problems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a North Paulding teacher .
Amy , a school nurse , resigned from Paulding County Schools in July over concerns about virus safety .
She said under the school district ’ s plan , school nurses were supposed to act as contact tracers for thousands of kids and staff , and that a district plan to sequester children believed to be exposed until their parents could pick them up seemed insufficient .
“ I did not want to have any part of that , ” she said .
“ It was completely and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she shared with BuzzFeed News , she wrote , “ Masks are not a ‘ personal choice ’ during a pandemic .
I can not return knowing I am not supportive of your decision to open so quickly and not at least mandate masks.
” Many other parents and family members of students in Paulding County , however , are not concerned about the risk of attending school in person .
The district said the majority of parents had chosen in-person schooling , despite the overfilling of its virtual schools .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Mary Wells , the grandmother of multiple students in the district , referring to Republican Gov .
Brian Kemp .
“ He has done a great job and the school administrators in Paulding are doing the best they can in this insane time.
” Anthony Fauci , the country ’ s top infectious disease official , has been openly critical of Kemp for his decision this spring to reopen the state , allow indoor dining , and not mandate masks .
The school district cited the fact that the rate of infection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Georgia as part of its reason for deciding to reopen , but cases throughout the state have been high and the case numbers in counties that border Paulding — including Polk , Cobb , and Bartow — are high .
Many other districts have delayed reopening .
Meanwhile , in Cherokee County , Georgia , a second-grader who went back to school there on Monday has tested positive for COVID-19 , according to CBS News .
Chelsea Gibson has two children attending grade school in Paulding County .
In June , Gibson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and two children all contracted COVID-19 , and her husband ’ s breathing grew so labored that she said she nearly took him to the emergency room .
In the end , the family recovered , although Gibson said she still has residual breathing issues .
The whole family recovered from the virus several weeks before school started .
On Monday , both of her kids went back to school in person .
Because she works full-time and the entire household shares a single desktop computer , Gibson said she didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We couldn ’ t do online at all , ” she said .
“ It wasn ’ t feasible.
” The mother is on the school council at Northside Elementary , where her kids are enrolled , and she said she feels very confident that the school ’ s plan for keeping students and teachers safe is a good one .
There ’ s limited passing in the halls , most teachers have opted to wear masks , and students ’ lunches are delivered to their classrooms so they don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They are going above and beyond , ” she said .
But she ’ s worried the unfolding disaster at North Paulding High School will make the precautions taken in the grade schools moot and force her kids back home , where they ’ ll once again pick up paper packets from school and be unable to learn from a teacher for months .
“ I feel like they handled that completely wrong , ” she said of the coronavirus outbreak among the football team .
“ These individual schools that are handling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up for the entire district.
” “ In the end it ’ s going to hurt all the students who can ’ t go back to school , ” she continued .
“ My kids need to go back to school so they can learn.
” As they watched the photograph of their school hallway spread across the Internet , some North Paulding students said they felt their school was being treated unfairly .
Virtual learning was not an option for many low-income students without access to devices , or for students in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one student pointed out .
And Kemp himself has refused a mask mandate .
Steven , a North Paulding student who asked that only his middle name be used , said he felt safe going to school without a mask .
Most of the hallways he encountered , he said , were far less crowded than in the one in the photograph .
And the virus itself , he said , didn ’ t seem like “ much of a problem ” in Paulding County .
“ I ’ ve only known three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the football players , obviously , ” Steven said .
“ If I get it , I get it .
I believe that ’ s what most people in my area 's ideology is — if we get it , we get it.
” Steven said he didn ’ t want to let worries about spreading the virus to his family control his life .
“ Most of my family , including my grandparents , think the same as well , ” he said .
“ We just go on about our business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” On Wednesday , the school addressed the controversy that had swirled around the viral photograph via an intercom announcement from North Paulding High School principal Gabe Carmona .
In it , according to two people familiar with the situation , he stated that any student found criticizing the school on social media could face disciplinary consequences .

North Paulding teachers said they too felt they had no choice but to show up to work, even after a staff member texted colleagues saying she had tested positive for the virus. The staffer had attended planning sessions while exhibiting symptoms, one teacher said.
She did not attend school after testing positive. But teachers have heard nothing from the school, they said, which won’t confirm that staff members have tested positive, citing privacy concerns.
“A lot of us are terrified, and they won't let us know if we have been exposed until a state contact tracer has contacted us,” one teacher said.
“These teachers are deeply concerned for their health, especially the older ones and those with major health problems,” said a family member of a North Paulding teacher.
Amy, a school nurse, resigned from Paulding County Schools in July over concerns about virus safety. She said under the school district’s plan, school nurses were supposed to act as contact tracers for thousands of kids and staff, and that a district plan to sequester children believed to be exposed until their parents could pick them up seemed insufficient.
“I did not want to have any part of that,” she said. “It was completely and totally irresponsible.”
In a resignation letter she shared with BuzzFeed News, she wrote, “Masks are not a ‘personal choice’ during a pandemic. I cannot return knowing I am not supportive of your decision to open so quickly and not at least mandate masks.”
Many other parents and family members of students in Paulding County, however, are not concerned about the risk of attending school in person. The district said the majority of parents had chosen in-person schooling, despite the overfilling of its virtual schools.
“We have faith in our governor,” said Mary Wells, the grandmother of multiple students in the district, referring to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp. “He has done a great job and the school administrators in Paulding are doing the best they can in this insane time.”
Anthony Fauci, the country’s top infectious disease official, has been openly critical of Kemp for his decision this spring to reopen the state, allow indoor dining, and not mandate masks. The school district cited the fact that the rate of infection in Paulding County is lower than elsewhere in Georgia as part of its reason for deciding to reopen, but cases throughout the state have been high and the case numbers in counties that border Paulding — including Polk, Cobb, and Bartow — are high. Many other districts have delayed reopening. Meanwhile, in Cherokee County, Georgia, a second-grader who went back to school there on Monday has tested positive for COVID-19, according to CBS News.
Chelsea Gibson has two children attending grade school in Paulding County. In June, Gibson, her husband, her mother-in-law, and two children all contracted COVID-19, and her husband’s breathing grew so labored that she said she nearly took him to the emergency room. In the end, the family recovered, although Gibson said she still has residual breathing issues.
The whole family recovered from the virus several weeks before school started. On Monday, both of her kids went back to school in person. Because she works full-time and the entire household shares a single desktop computer, Gibson said she didn’t even consider the virtual learning option.
“We couldn’t do online at all,” she said. “It wasn’t feasible.”
The mother is on the school council at Northside Elementary, where her kids are enrolled, and she said she feels very confident that the school’s plan for keeping students and teachers safe is a good one. There’s limited passing in the halls, most teachers have opted to wear masks, and students’ lunches are delivered to their classrooms so they don’t eat together in the cafeteria.
“They are going above and beyond,” she said.
But she’s worried the unfolding disaster at North Paulding High School will make the precautions taken in the grade schools moot and force her kids back home, where they’ll once again pick up paper packets from school and be unable to learn from a teacher for months.
“I feel like they handled that completely wrong,” she said of the coronavirus outbreak among the football team. “These individual schools that are handling it wrong are going to mess it up for the entire district.”
“In the end it’s going to hurt all the students who can’t go back to school,” she continued. “My kids need to go back to school so they can learn.”


buzzfeed--2020-08-07--19 Celebrities Who Are Brutally Honest About How Hard Breastfeeding Is

`` [ I ] felt so lucky to be so close to her and give her that start .
I know many women are not able to and for that I am sympathetic and very grateful that I could .
For six wonderful months , '' Hilary wrote on Instagram about breastfeeding her daughter , Banks .
`` But I needed a break .
I was going to break .
With the stress of a dropping milk supply and a baby that was getting bored or not caring about nursing when I was available to , I was sad and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the time .
When really I ’ m a badass rock star ...
I wasn ’ t myself at all .
Something scary was hovering over my brain and my heart ... the part of me that I know is smart and rational .
The lows felt horrible ...
I am happy to say that I haven ’ t fed or pumped in three days and it ’ s crazy how fast you can come out on the other side .
I feel fine and happy and relieved and silly that I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Banks is thriving and I get even more time with her and daddy gets to do more feeds !
And mommy gets a tiny bit more sleep ! ''

For many, the image of breastfeeding is one of total serenity: a glowing mom peacefully feeding her baby with a smile. But, in reality, it's a lot less pretty, at least most of the time, and especially in the beginning. Breastfeeding can be really, really hard — and it doesn't help that the stigma of "breast is best" is still rampant over the thought that "a fed baby is a well-fed baby." So it might be reassuring that even the moms with every resource at their disposal can struggle.


buzzfeed--2020-08-07--TikTok "Shocked" By Trump Ban Threat

TikTok "Shocked" By Trump Ban Threat

TikTok has slammed President Donald Trump ’ s executive order — which bans the app in the US unless it is bought by an American company — as “ undermining the rule of law.
” “ We are shocked by the recent Executive Order , which was issued without any due process , ” the company wrote in a statement early Friday morning .
“ For nearly a year , we have sought to engage with the US government in good faith to provide a constructive solution to the concerns that have been expressed .
What we encountered instead was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facts , dictated terms of an agreement without going through standard legal processes , and tried to insert itself into negotiations between private businesses.
” Trump ’ s order , issued on Thursday night , bars anyone “ subject to the jurisdiction of the United States ” from carrying out transactions with ByteDance , TikTok ’ s Beijing-based parent company .
The order said that TikTok “ automatically ” captures “ vast swathes of information from its users , ” and could be used by China ’ s authoritarian government to influence Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also said that TikTok “ reportedly censors ” content about the Chinese government ’ s treatment of Uighur Muslims , as well as “ sensitive ” videos showing protests .
“ [ TikTok ] may also be used for disinformation campaigns that benefit the Chinese Communist Party , such as when TikTok videos spread debunked conspiracy theories about the origins of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus , ” the order said .
TikTok disputed these claims in its statement , saying that they rely on “ unnamed ‘ reports ’ with no citations ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that it does not share data with the Chinese government .
“ This Executive Order risks undermining global businesses ' trust in the United States ' commitment to the rule of law , which has served as a magnet for investment and spurred decades of American economic growth , ” TikTok said .
“ And it sets a dangerous precedent for the concept of free expression and open markets .
We will pursue all remedies available to us in order to ensure that the rule of law is not discarded and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fairly – if not by the Administration , then by the US courts.
” TikTok has been under global scrutiny for its links to China .
Last week , President Trump said that the United States would ban the app citing national security concerns around ByteDance .
Since then , the President has changed his mind and said that TikTok would be allowed to function in the US as long as an American company bought its operations in the country and as long as the United States received a “ substantial portion ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week , tech giant Microsoft confirmed in a blog post that it was in talks to buy TikTok , and would close negotiations by September 15 .

TikTok has slammed President Donald Trump’s executive order — which bans the app in the US unless it is bought by an American company — as “undermining the rule of law.”
“We are shocked by the recent Executive Order, which was issued without any due process,” the company wrote in a statement early Friday morning. “For nearly a year, we have sought to engage with the US government in good faith to provide a constructive solution to the concerns that have been expressed. What we encountered instead was that the Administration paid no attention to facts, dictated terms of an agreement without going through standard legal processes, and tried to insert itself into negotiations between private businesses.”
Trump’s order, issued on Thursday night, bars anyone “subject to the jurisdiction of the United States” from carrying out transactions with ByteDance, TikTok’s Beijing-based parent company. The order says TikTok “automatically” captures “vast swathes of information from its users,” and could be used by China’s authoritarian government to influence Americans and compromise their privacy.
The order also says TikTok “reportedly censors” content about the Chinese government’s treatment of Uighur Muslims, as well as “sensitive” videos showing protests. “[TikTok] may also be used for disinformation campaigns that benefit the Chinese Communist Party, such as when TikTok videos spread debunked conspiracy theories about the origins of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus,” the order says.
TikTok disputed these claims in its statement, saying that they rely on “unnamed ‘reports’ with no citations” or “substantiation.” The company also said that it does not share data with the Chinese government.
“This Executive Order risks undermining global businesses' trust in the United States' commitment to the rule of law, which has served as a magnet for investment and spurred decades of American economic growth,” TikTok said. “And it sets a dangerous precedent for the concept of free expression and open markets. We will pursue all remedies available to us in order to ensure that the rule of law is not discarded and that our company and our users are treated fairly – if not by the Administration, then by the US courts.”
TikTok has been under global scrutiny for its links to China. Last week, Trump said the United States would ban the app citing national security concerns around ByteDance.
Since then, the president has changed his mind and said TikTok would be allowed to function in the US as long as an American company bought its operations in the country, and as long as the United States received a “substantial portion” of the sale price.
Earlier this week, tech giant Microsoft confirmed in a blog post that it was in talks to buy TikTok and would close negotiations by Sept. 15.


buzzfeed--2020-08-07--The US Government Is Texting Russians Offering $10 Million For Information On Election Interference

“ I realized that I was wrong and this is really true , ” Vysokov , who runs a blog about monetizing websites , told BuzzFeed News .
“ But sending such text messages through a service that usually sends spam was not the best idea.
” But then he saw reports from several Russian news outlets about other people receiving similar messages on their cellphones and realized they were coming shortly after the US State Department announced a new campaign to defend the American presidential election from foreign attackers .
KYIV — When Artyom Vysokov received a text message @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million for information on Russian election interference from a number used mainly for distributing spam and phishing messages , he thought it was “ some type of fraud.
” On Thursday , Russians shared screenshots of SMS messages apparently sent by the State Department with the offer of huge monetary rewards for information on hackers trying to interfere with the November presidential election .
Many of them — from residents of Vladivostok in the far east and Yekaterinburg at the foot of the Ural Mountains , to Vysokov in Volzhskiy in the southern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shared by Russian tech news site TJournal .
And they weren ’ t the only ones .
According to Reuters , Iranians were sent the same messages to their cellphones .
Written in Russian and Farsi the text messages say : “ The United States pays up to $ 10 million for any information on foreign interference in American elections.
” They include a link to the US Rewards for Justice ( RFJ ) Program , which offers cash bounties in return for information about threats to American national security .
For the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ verified Twitter account with the State Department logo that was created in February .
There , Russian-language tweets provide readers with more information about the program .
The texts came after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday that the US was now offering up to $ 10 million “ for information leading to the identification or location of any person who , acting at the direction or under the control of a foreign government , interferes with U.S. elections by engaging in certain criminal cyber activities.
” While many people who received @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Daily Beast quoted a State Department official as saying they were in fact real and merely one of “ a variety of other communications tools and techniques ” being used to advertise a reward in exchange for information .
BuzzFeed News has reached out to the State Department for further comment and will update this story with any response .
In a Facebook post , Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova poked fun at Pompeo ’ s announcement , joking that many people would want to cash in on the offer .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will go down from denunciations about its neighbors , ” she wrote .
As news of the texts spread on Thursday , she posted another statement .
“ By calling on people to talk for money about interference in American elections , the American special services are unceremoniously interfering in our life , ” Zakharova wrote .
She accused Washington of targeting Russians in a manner similar to what American intelligence officials have accused Moscow of doing .
“ What is this if not a real hybrid attack ?
” she said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign comes after Russia ’ s attempts to interfere in the 2016 election , which cast a shadow over the presidency of Donald Trump .
Ahead of the November election , Democratic lawmakers have raised the alarm about what they say are active attempts by Russia to interfere and called for the FBI to share information about the effort .
Of particular concern to Democrats is an inquiry being led by Republican Ron Johnson , chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee , which is looking at the work that Joe Biden ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden was the Obama administration ’ s point man in the country .
Democrats allege Johnson is using disinformation from pro-Russian Ukrainians to in his inquiry , an accusation that the Republican senator denies .

On Thursday, Russians shared screenshots of SMS messages apparently sent by the State Department with the offer of huge monetary rewards for information on hackers trying to interfere with the November presidential election. Many of them — from residents of Vladivostok in the far east and Yekaterinburg at the foot of the Ural Mountains to Vysokov in Volzhskiy in the southern Volgograd region — were rounded up and shared by Russian tech news site TJournal.
And they weren’t the only ones. According to Reuters, Iranians were sent the same messages to their cellphones. Written in Russian and Farsi the text messages say: “The United States pays up to $10 million for any information on foreign interference in American elections.” They include a link to the US Rewards for Justice (RFJ) Program, which offers cash bounties in return for information about threats to American national security. For the Russians, the link jumps to a verified Twitter account with the State Department logo that was created in February. There, Russian-language tweets provide readers with more information about the program.
The texts came after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday that the US was now offering up to $10 million “for information leading to the identification or location of any person who, acting at the direction or under the control of a foreign government, interferes with U.S. elections by engaging in certain criminal cyber activities.”
While many people who received the texts questioned their legitimacy, a State Department spokesperson told BuzzFeed News that they were in fact real. “This is a worldwide campaign in multiple languages,” the spokesperson said. “RFJ has used this and a variety of other messages to inform the public about its rewards and program.”
In a Facebook post, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova poked fun at Pompeo’s announcement, joking that many people would want to cash in on the offer. “Now the State Department’s site will go down from denunciations about its neighbors,” she wrote.
As news of the texts spread on Thursday, she posted another statement. “By calling on people to talk for money about interference in American elections, the American special services are unceremoniously interfering in our life,” Zakharova wrote. She accused Washington of targeting Russians in a manner similar to what American intelligence officials have accused Moscow of doing. “What is this if not a real hybrid attack?” she said.
The State Department’s blanket text message campaign comes after Russia’s attempts to interfere in the 2016 election, which cast a shadow over the presidency of Donald Trump.
Ahead of the November election, Democratic lawmakers have raised the alarm about what they say are active attempts by Russia to interfere and called for the FBI to share information about the effort.
Of particular concern to Democrats is an inquiry being led by Republican Ron Johnson, chair of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, which is looking at the work that Joe Biden’s son Hunter did in Ukraine while Biden was the Obama administration’s point person in the country.
Democrats allege Johnson is using disinformation from pro-Russian Ukrainians to in his inquiry, an accusation that the Republican senator denies.


buzzfeed--2020-08-07--The Truth Behind A Viral Picture Of A Reopening School Is Worse Than It Looked


buzzfeed--2020-08-07--Convalescent Plasma Is Looking Like A Coronavirus Success Story

A nurse holding blood plasma from a person who has recovered from COVID-19 , which will be used to help critically ill patients , in Basra , Iraq .
As we await a coronavirus vaccine , the spotlight in COVID-19 treatments is returning to antibodies , the body ’ s natural defenses against viruses .
On Monday , federal health officials kicked off two large clinical trials of synthetic antibodies to treat mild , moderate , and hospitalized coronavirus cases .
A biotech firm is starting a related trial in nursing homes .
And the FDA is expected to soon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the “ convalescent plasma ” of COVID-19 survivors — the part of blood that is rich in antibodies .
While almost no US hospitals were using convalescent plasma treatment before April , it is now administered to an estimated 1,500 patients a day in around 2,000 hospitals nationwide .
And antibodies look only more likely to expand in use until a vaccine arrives .
A preliminary analysis of data from about 50,000 patients presented to the FDA on Saturday at a Mayo Clinic symposium found a 10 % drop in deaths among critically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ higher concentrations of antibodies compared to those given lower dose ones .
But since plasma treatment relies on people continuing to get sick and recover from COVID-19 , it ’ s not a permanent solution .
Other treatment options involving antibodies , including manufacturing them from scratch , could hold longer-term promise .
“ Convalescent plasma was never intended to be the final treatment for a disease , ” infectious disease expert Nicole Bouvier of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai told BuzzFeed News .
“ It gives us more time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Antibodies are made in dizzying varieties by patients with a SARS-CoV-2 infection , with studies showing that people with more severe illness may produce higher levels of the protective proteins .
They work by glomming onto the outside of viruses , blocking their reproduction and marking them for disposal by other cells .
Their signature in the bloodstream is a sign of a past infection .
Convalescent plasma , the yellowish fluid transfused into patients , is essentially blood stripped of red and white blood cells , leaving behind antibodies , water , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus pandemic , tests to tell convalescent plasma doses with high amounts of antibodies from those with low doses have only been validated in recent months .
In the Mayo Clinic analysis , scientists were in many cases only able to check how high of a dose of antibodies patients got in retrospect , allowing them to see how those doses may have affected their outcomes .
“ Nature is the manufacturer , ” said Bouvier .
“ That ’ s why it is both the quickest therapy we will have for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never be more than a stopgap.
” In April , the FDA had first promoted antibodies for that stopgap role as US cases started to surge in New York , calling for the Mayo Clinic and blood banks nationwide to deliver convalescent plasma to patients under nationwide emergency use guidelines .
At least 85,000 patients have received convalescent plasma under the program , so far , Mayo Clinic cardiologist Scott Wright told BuzzFeed News .
“ The machinery to do this is running .
We ’ ve made extraordinary strides.
” Convalescent plasma @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than a century , including in the 1918 flu pandemic and as far back as 1907 against polio , as well as more recently in the SARS and MERS coronavirus outbreaks .
Ironically , the popularity of convalescent plasma has undermined attempts to verify its effectiveness in fully randomized clinical trials for at least two reasons .
First , doctors are reluctant to enter sick patients into trials since they face a chance of receiving a placebo instead of the antibodies , as the New York Times reported this week .
And as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like New York City where the trials were first launched , the clinical trials “ have run out of patients , ” immunologist Arturo Casadevall of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health told BuzzFeed News .
A trial in Wuhan , China , was also halted after only enrolling 103 volunteers , half the number it needed , when the outbreak ended there .
The published results of that trial didn ’ t find a statistical benefit to the treatment , but did point to better recoveries in patients who received @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Asking doctors to organize the protocols and get permissions for a clinical trial — which are vital to protecting patient safety , and just take time — in the middle of them treating crushing numbers of people isn ’ t going to happen , ” said Bouvier .
Nevertheless , the data are very encouraging from less rigorous studies where patients who received plasma are matched retrospectively against those who didn ’ t , said Bouvier .
In particular , these early studies show that high-antibody doses of convalescent plasma don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called cytokine storms , that cause many of the most severe COVID-19 patients to die .
A related effort is underway to pool the data from half-completed randomized clinical trials to complete a study as well .

As we await a coronavirus vaccine, the spotlight in COVID-19 treatments is returning to antibodies, the body’s natural defenses against viruses.
On Monday, federal health officials kicked off two large clinical trials of synthetic antibodies to treat mild, moderate, and hospitalized coronavirus cases. A biotech firm is starting a related trial in nursing homes. And the FDA is expected to soon give emergency authorization to treating patients with the “convalescent plasma” of COVID-19 survivors — the part of blood that is rich in antibodies.
While almost no US hospitals were using convalescent plasma treatment before April, it is now administered to an estimated 1,500 patients a day in around 2,000 hospitals nationwide. And antibodies look only more likely to expand in use until a vaccine arrives. A preliminary analysis of data from about 50,000 patients presented to the FDA on Saturday at a Mayo Clinic symposium found a 10% drop in deaths among critically ill hospitalized COVID-19 patients given plasma with higher concentrations of antibodies compared to those given lower dose ones.
But since plasma treatment relies on people continuing to get sick and recover from COVID-19, it’s not a permanent solution. Other treatment options involving antibodies, including manufacturing them from scratch, could hold longer-term promise.
“Convalescent plasma was never intended to be the final treatment for a disease,” infectious disease expert Nicole Bouvier of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai told BuzzFeed News. “It gives us more time to work on making other therapeutics.”
Antibodies are made in dizzying varieties by patients with a SARS-CoV-2 infection, with studies showing that people with more severe illness may produce higher levels of the protective proteins. They work by glomming onto the outside of viruses, blocking their reproduction and marking them for disposal by other cells. Their signature in the bloodstream is a sign of a past infection.
Convalescent plasma, the yellowish fluid transfused into patients, is essentially blood stripped of red and white blood cells, leaving behind antibodies, water, salt, and enzymes. In the coronavirus pandemic, tests to tell convalescent plasma doses with high amounts of antibodies from those with low doses have only been validated in recent months. In the Mayo Clinic analysis, scientists were in many cases only able to check how high of a dose of antibodies patients got in retrospect, allowing them to see how those doses may have affected their outcomes.
“Nature is the manufacturer,” said Bouvier. “That’s why it is both the quickest therapy we will have for a virus, and also why it will never be more than a stopgap.”
In April, the FDA had first promoted antibodies for that stopgap role as US cases started to surge in New York, calling for the Mayo Clinic and blood banks nationwide to deliver convalescent plasma to patients under nationwide emergency use guidelines. At least 85,000 patients have received convalescent plasma under the program, so far, Mayo Clinic cardiologist Scott Wright told BuzzFeed News. “The machinery to do this is running. We’ve made extraordinary strides.”
Convalescent plasma has been employed against viruses for more than a century, including in the 1918 flu pandemic and as far back as 1907 against polio, as well as more recently in the SARS and MERS coronavirus outbreaks.
Ironically, the popularity of convalescent plasma has undermined attempts to verify its effectiveness in fully randomized clinical trials for at least two reasons. First, doctors are reluctant to enter sick patients into trials since they face a chance of receiving a placebo instead of the antibodies, as the New York Times reported this week.
And as case numbers have dropped in the cities like New York City where the trials were first launched, the clinical trials “have run out of patients,” immunologist Arturo Casadevall of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health told BuzzFeed News. A trial in Wuhan, China, was also halted after only enrolling 103 volunteers, half the number it needed, when the outbreak ended there. The published results of that trial didn’t find a statistical benefit to the treatment, but did point to better recoveries in patients who received plasma with higher concentrations of antibodies.
“Asking doctors to organize the protocols and get permissions for a clinical trial — which are vital to protecting patient safety, and just take time — in the middle of them treating crushing numbers of people isn’t going to happen,” said Bouvier.
Nevertheless, the data are very encouraging from less rigorous studies where patients who received plasma are matched retrospectively against those who didn’t, said Bouvier. In particular, these early studies show that high-antibody doses of convalescent plasma don’t trigger the immune system overreactions, called cytokine storms, that cause many of the most severe COVID-19 patients to die. A related effort is underway to pool the data from half-completed randomized clinical trials to complete a study as well.


buzzfeed--2020-08-07--You'll Be Stunned To Learn Which 2020 Candidate Russian Trolls Are Trying To Bring Down

Russia is again attempting to interfere in the US presidential election and is using `` a range of measures '' to undermine former vice president Joe Biden 's candidacy , a top intelligence official said Friday .
William Evanina , director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center , made the revelation public in a statement describing the efforts the intelligence community believes foreign actors are making to meddle in the November general election .
Intelligence officials are also concerned about efforts by China and Iran to interfere in the election , saying that foreign actors generally have preferences for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and overt influence measures '' in an attempt to sway voters and `` undermine the American people ’ s confidence in our democratic process . ''
The intelligence community believes China would like Trump to lose reelection , according to the statement , citing his administration 's COVID-19 response , the closure of China 's Houston consulate , and recent actions on the Chinese-owned app TikTok .
`` China has been expanding its influence efforts ahead of November 2020 to shape the policy environment in the United States , pressure political figures it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interests , and deflect and counter criticism of China , '' Evanina said .
Iran , Evanina added , `` seeks to undermine U.S. democratic institutions , President Trump , and to divide the country in advance of the 2020 elections , '' and aims to do so primarily online through misinformation campaigns .
In a statement Friday afternoon , Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh said , `` We don ’ t need or want foreign interference , and President Trump will beat Joe Biden fair and square . ''
Murtaugh specifically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump `` concerning . ''
Evanina said as part of Russia 's efforts , Andriy Derkach , whom he described as a `` pro-Russia Ukrainian parliamentarian , '' has been leaking phone calls purportedly between Biden and former Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko to spread corruption claims .
Evanina added that Russia is using social media and Russian television `` to boost '' Trump 's candidacy .
`` We assess that Russia is using a range of measures to primarily denigrate former Vice President Biden and what it sees as an anti-Russia 'establishment , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is consistent with Moscow ’ s public criticism of him when he was Vice President for his role in the Obama Administration ’ s policies on Ukraine and its support for the anti-Putin opposition inside Russia . ''
`` Our election should be our own , '' Evanina added .
`` Foreign efforts to influence or interfere with our elections are a direct threat to the fabric of our democracy . ''
Republican Sen. Marco Rubio and Democratic Sen. Mark Warner , who serve as acting chair and vice-chair , respectively , of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thanked the director for providing the information to the public , saying in a joint statement that it was important for Americans to know about the threats .
“ Everyone — from the voting public , local officials , and members of Congress — needs to be aware of these threats , '' the lawmakers said .
`` And all of us should endeavor to prevent outside actors from being able to interfere in our elections , influence our politics , and undermine confidence in our democratic institutions . ''
Citing the committee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interference , Rubio and Warner said sharing information about these efforts by foreign actors is one of the best ways to fight them .
`` We encourage political leaders on all sides to refrain from weaponizing intelligence matters for political gain , as this only furthers the divisive aims of our adversaries , '' they said .

Russia is again attempting to interfere in the US presidential election and is using "a range of measures" to undermine former vice president Joe Biden's candidacy, a top intelligence official said Friday.
William Evanina, director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, made the revelation public in a statement describing the efforts the intelligence community believes foreign actors are making to meddle in the November general election.
Intelligence officials are also concerned about efforts by China and Iran to interfere in the election, saying that foreign actors generally have preferences for who wins and will "use covert and overt influence measures" in an attempt to sway voters and "undermine the American people’s confidence in our democratic process."
The intelligence community believes China would like Trump to lose reelection, according to the statement, citing his administration's COVID-19 response, the closure of China's Houston consulate, and recent actions on the Chinese-owned app TikTok.
"China has been expanding its influence efforts ahead of November 2020 to shape the policy environment in the United States, pressure political figures it views as opposed to China’s interests, and deflect and counter criticism of China," Evanina said.
Iran, Evanina added, "seeks to undermine U.S. democratic institutions, President Trump, and to divide the country in advance of the 2020 elections," and aims to do so primarily online through misinformation campaigns.
In a statement Friday afternoon, Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh said, "We don’t need or want foreign interference, and President Trump will beat Joe Biden fair and square." Murtaugh specifically called the Chinese and Iranian efforts against Trump "concerning."
Evanina said as part of Russia's efforts, Andriy Derkach, whom he described as a "pro-Russia Ukrainian parliamentarian," has been leaking phone calls purportedly between Biden and former Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko to spread corruption claims.
Evanina added that Russia is using social media and Russian television "to boost" Trump's candidacy.
"We assess that Russia is using a range of measures to primarily denigrate former Vice President Biden and what it sees as an anti-Russia 'establishment,'" Evanina said. "This is consistent with Moscow’s public criticism of him when he was Vice President for his role in the Obama Administration’s policies on Ukraine and its support for the anti-Putin opposition inside Russia."
"Our election should be our own," Evanina added. "Foreign efforts to influence or interfere with our elections are a direct threat to the fabric of our democracy."
Republican Sen. Marco Rubio and Democratic Sen. Mark Warner, who serve as acting chair and vice-chair, respectively, of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, thanked the director for providing the information to the public, saying in a joint statement that it was important for Americans to know about the threats.
“Everyone — from the voting public, local officials, and members of Congress — needs to be aware of these threats," the lawmakers said. "And all of us should endeavor to prevent outside actors from being able to interfere in our elections, influence our politics, and undermine confidence in our democratic institutions."
Citing the committee's investigation into the 2016 Russian election interference, Rubio and Warner said sharing information about these efforts by foreign actors is one of the best ways to fight them.
"We encourage political leaders on all sides to refrain from weaponizing intelligence matters for political gain, as this only furthers the divisive aims of our adversaries," they said.


buzzfeed--2020-08-07--A Former Bernie Sanders Campaign Staffer Is Stuck In A Belarus Jail Cell, Charged With Disrupting Th

A Former Bernie Sanders Campaign Staffer Is Stuck In A Belarus Jail Cell, Charged With Disrupting The Peace

In his first communication with Western media since his detention , Shkliarov denied the charges and told BuzzFeed News through Gashinsky that he believes the charges are retaliation for his public criticism of President Alexander Lukashenko .
If convicted , Shkliarov could be fined or imprisoned for up to three years , or both , according to the criminal code under which he ’ s charged .
The lawyer , Anton Gashinsky , said that authorities also allege Shkliarov violated the “ legitimate demands of government officials , resulting in disruption of transport , enterprises , institutions , and organizations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Belarusian citizen who as the spouse of a US diplomat holds an American diplomatic passport , is being held because of “ group actions that grossly violate public order , '' according to Shkliarov 's lawyer .
KYIV — Belarus on Friday charged a former campaign staffer for Bernie Sanders and Barack Obama with allegedly organizing an illegal political rally for the candidate running against the country ’ s authoritarian president in Sunday ’ s election , his lawyer told BuzzFeed News .
The jailing and indictment of Shkliarov is the latest in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heavy-handed authorities ahead of Sunday ’ s presidential election .
Neither the State Department nor the Belarusian authorities responded immediately to requests for comment .
More than 1,300 people , including journalists and election monitors , have been detained ahead of the poll , according to the Viasna human rights group .
Thirty-three Russian military contractors accused of trying to destabilize the country have also been detained .
Authorities allege that Shkliarov is responsible for organizing a May 29 event in the western Belarusian city of Grodno where popular vlogger Sergei Tikhanovsky was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to run for president .
Tikhanovsky was detained at the event and remains in jail , while his wife has gone on to build an extraordinary campaign that has rallied Belarusians who told BuzzFeed News they are hungry for change after 26 years under the iron-fisted rule of President Alexander Lukashenko .
Lukashenko has been accused by international watchdogs of human rights abuses over the course of his five terms in office .
International election monitors have deemed all but his first election victory rigged .
This year , the government has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Shkliarov runs a popular Telegram channel where he publishes analysis about political events in the US , Russia , Ukraine , and Belarus .
A week before he was detained , he also blasted Lukashenko for his use of “ populism and brute force ” in a column published with Forbes Russia .
Shkliarov , a fluent English speaker and a self-described political junkie , is based along with his wife in Washington but makes frequent trips to Eastern Europe .
His most recent campaign work came in 2018 , when he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a Russian socialite who went on to lose the election to President Vladimir Putin .
Shkliarov worked on the 2016 presidential campaign of Sanders as director of mobilization for Nevada and on President Obama ’ s 2012 reelection campaign , during which he ran a team of some 40 organizers , according to CNN .
Shkliarov told BuzzFeed news through his lawyer that he was in his hometown of Gomel with his son to visit his mother , who has cancer , and his father when he was detained on July 29 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s home to buy a watermelon .
He said he didn ’ t get far before agents from Belarus ’ s KGB security service “ kidnapped ” him and hauled him to a pretrial detention center in Minsk .
He had only enough time to send one word to followers of his Telegram social media channel : “ Arrested.
” On July 31 , the country ’ s deputy prosecutor general ordered Shkliarov to remain in pretrial detention , according to Gashinsky .
Since then , Shkliarov said through his lawyer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and endured horrific conditions .
In one case , he said he was crammed into an overcrowded cell inside a damp basement with mold and cockroaches , as well as inmates who were constantly smoking .
Gashinsky has filed complaints about Shkliarov ’ s detention and the conditions in which he is being held but said they have been ignored by authorities .
Little had been mentioned publicly about Shkliarov in Belarus until Thursday , when Lukashenko in public remarks carried by the Belta news agency spoke about a US passport holder who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Some people were detained with American passports , married to Americans , working in the State Department , ” Lukashenko said , likely alluding to Shkliarov .

The jailing and indictment of Shkliarov is the latest in a crackdown by Belarus’s notoriously heavy-handed authorities ahead of Sunday’s presidential election.
Neither the State Department nor the Belarusian authorities responded immediately to requests for comment.
More than 1,300 people, including journalists and election monitors, have been detained ahead of the poll, according to the Viasna human rights group. Thirty-three Russian military contractors accused of trying to destabilize the country have also been detained.
Authorities allege that Shkliarov is responsible for organizing a May 29 event in the western Belarusian city of Grodno where popular vlogger Sergei Tikhanovsky was collecting signatures for his wife, Svetlana, to run for president.
Tikhanovsky was detained at the event and remains in jail, while his wife has gone on to build an extraordinary campaign that has rallied Belarusians who told BuzzFeed News they are hungry for change after 26 years under the iron-fisted rule of President Alexander Lukashenko.
Lukashenko has been accused by international watchdogs of human rights abuses over the course of his five terms in office. International election monitors have deemed all but his first election victory rigged. This year, the government has banned outside monitors from observing the vote.
Shkliarov runs a popular Telegram channel where he publishes analysis about political events in the US, Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus. A week before he was detained, he also blasted Lukashenko for his use of “populism and brute force” in a column published with Forbes Russia.
Shkliarov, a fluent English speaker and a self-described political junkie, is based along with his wife in Washington but makes frequent trips to Eastern Europe. His most recent campaign work came in 2018, when he served as senior adviser for Ksenia Sobchak, a Russian socialite who went on to lose the election to President Vladimir Putin.
Shkliarov worked on the 2016 presidential campaign of Sanders as director of mobilization for Nevada and on President Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign, during which he ran a team of some 40 organizers, according to CNN.
Shkliarov told BuzzFeed news through his lawyer that he was in his hometown of Gomel with his son to visit his mother, who has cancer, and his father when he was detained on July 29; he had just left the family’s home to buy a watermelon.
He said he didn’t get far before agents from Belarus’s KGB security service “kidnapped” him and hauled him to a pretrial detention center in Minsk. He had only enough time to send one word to followers of his Telegram social media channel: “Arrested.”
On July 31, the country’s deputy prosecutor general ordered Shkliarov to remain in pretrial detention, according to Gashinsky.
Since then, Shkliarov said through his lawyer, he has changed jail cells several times and endured horrific conditions. In one case, he said he was crammed into an overcrowded cell inside a damp basement with mold and cockroaches, as well as inmates who were constantly smoking.
Gashinsky has filed complaints about Shkliarov’s detention and the conditions in which he is being held but said they have been ignored by authorities.
Little had been mentioned publicly about Shkliarov in Belarus until Thursday, when Lukashenko in public remarks carried by the Belta news agency spoke about a US passport holder who had been taken into custody. “Some people were detained with American passports, married to Americans, working in the State Department,” Lukashenko said, likely alluding to Shkliarov.