buzzfeed--2020-08-23--Opinion: Miles Taylor's Actions At DHS Are Not Excused By His Support For Biden

On November 6th , 2019 , I sent the last email I would ever send using my Google corporate account .
My coworkers and I had been expressing concerns about the hiring of a former Department of Homeland Security chief of staff , Miles Taylor .
According to internal DHS emails obtained by BuzzFeed News , Taylor played direct roles in the defense of a version of the Muslim travel ban and child separation policies .
His hiring raised serious concerns for us about workplace safety , especially for Muslim , Latinx , and immigrant workers who , along with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worries and question leadership via the corporate network .
In response , the company censored us by deleting emails , memes , and questions from the corporate network , ironically claiming in part that they caused a hostile workplace for Taylor .
In my email , I explained that expressing these concerns about the workplace seemed to be protected by labor law ; by deleting them , Google appeared to be violating those laws .
Within 30 minutes , I was locked out of my account and put on administrative leave .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and three other workplace organizers .
Because we were fired without notice on the week of Thanksgiving , the press called us “ the Thanksgiving Four ” .
So imagine my surprise to read Taylor ’ s Washington Post op-ed excoriating Donald Trump for , among other things , precisely the policies he worked to defend while at the DHS that caused so many at Google ( and in Congress ) to object to his hiring .
Taylor is now supporting Joe Biden for President , and has even taken a leave of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to support the Biden campaign .
Given that Taylor and I now strongly agree on one of the most important decisions Americans will face in the coming months , I was originally hesitant to comment publicly .
Despite our many differences of opinion , I can respect never-Trump Republicans such as George Conway because they have consistently condemned the Trump administration for an almost unending list of failings .
But I can not help viewing with great cynicism the timing of Taylor ’ s jumping from a now-sinking ship on whose crew he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I see Taylor ’ s very public change of heart , and Google ’ s willingness to indulge it , less as an act of moral courage than as a simple attempt to distance himself from a role that suddenly seems likely to be more of a liability than an asset to his future prospects .
Not only did Taylor decline to repudiate his former role when his new coworkers objected a year ago , he still does not do so now .
Instead , he prefers to simply ignore his integral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ professes to find objectionable , as if he were a passive observer .
In interviews , he has claimed not to have been at DHS when the family separation policy was developed .
But his own emails prove that not only was he there prior to its enactment , he even helped prepare its roll out — in an email to former DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen in the days before the policy was announced , he sent her talking points with the Orwellian title , `` Protecting Children Narrative . ''
I certainly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of [ Trump ] are unthinkable.
”  However , as former Trump officials seek to distance themselves from complicity in the administration ’ s many violations of morals , ethics , and decency , I note that Taylor and those like him admit no guilt , display no contrition , and offer no apologies .
While he enjoys time off from a golden parachute position in a policy role at a tech behemoth to pen op-eds and film TV commercials , perhaps as much to rehabilitate his public image as anything , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regret ?
The impression left with the astute reader is that Taylor does not believe he did anything wrong .
Taylor , once again , is looking for a soft landing .
I am not ready to accept with open arms the many former administration officials who , over the next two months , will no doubt try to chart a similar path to a post-Trump career .
If Taylor really believes that policies like Muslim bans and the caging of children are wrong , why doesn ’ t he apologize for working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he do that work in the first place ?
I do not know if any of the countless thousands whose lives were destroyed by these policies could ever forgive Taylor for his part in their suffering ; I can not speak for them , and I can only hope that those who survived will one day be able to come forward and tell us exactly what they went through and how it affected them .
Compared to what Taylor did at the behest of Trump , the harm my coworkers and I have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comparatively small , but nonetheless he harmed us , too .
Like he did in his role at DHS , Taylor is again crafting a narrative , one in which he is another of Trump ’ s victims , but he and others who played a part in the atrocities of the Trump administration can not be absolved of their past simply by supporting Biden ’ s bid for the presidency .
If they truly are asking for our forgiveness , they will first need to admit that what they did was wrong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ himself surely never will : “ I ’ m sorry .
”

On Nov. 6, 2019, I sent the last email I would ever send using my Google corporate account. My coworkers and I had been expressing concerns about the hiring of a former Department of Homeland Security chief of staff, Miles Taylor. According to internal DHS emails obtained by BuzzFeed News, Taylor played direct roles in the defense of a version of the Muslim travel ban and child separation policies. His hiring raised serious concerns for us about workplace safety, especially for Muslim, Latinx, and immigrant workers who, along with many others, chose to express their worries and question leadership via the corporate network. In response, the company censored us by deleting emails, memes, and questions from the corporate network, ironically claiming in part that they caused a hostile workplace for Taylor. In my email, I explained that expressing these concerns about the workplace seemed to be protected by labor law; by deleting them, Google appeared to be violating those laws. Within 30 minutes, I was locked out of my account and put on administrative leave. A few weeks later, Google fired me and three other workplace organizers. Because we were fired without notice on the week of Thanksgiving, the press called us “the Thanksgiving Four.”
So imagine my surprise to read Taylor’s Washington Post op-ed excoriating Donald Trump for, among other things, precisely the policies he worked to defend while at the DHS that caused so many at Google (and in Congress) to object to his hiring. Taylor is now supporting Joe Biden for president and has even taken a leave of absence from his policy role at Google to support the Biden campaign. Given that Taylor and I now strongly agree on one of the most important decisions Americans will face in the coming months, I was originally hesitant to comment publicly. Despite our many differences of opinion, I can respect Never Trump Republicans such as George Conway because they have consistently condemned the Trump administration for an almost unending list of failings.
But I cannot help viewing with great cynicism the timing of Taylor’s jumping from a now-sinking ship on whose crew he enthusiastically served for more than two years.
I see Taylor’s very public change of heart, and Google’s willingness to indulge it, less as an act of moral courage than as a simple attempt to distance himself from a role that suddenly seems likely to be more of a liability than an asset to his future prospects. Not only did Taylor decline to repudiate his former role when his new coworkers objected a year ago, he still does not do so now. Instead, he prefers to simply ignore his integral part in the very actions he now professes to find objectionable, as if he were a passive observer. In interviews, he has claimed not to have been at DHS when the family separation policy was developed. But his own emails prove that not only was he there prior to its enactment, he even helped prepare its roll out — in an email to former DHS secretary Kirstjen Nielsen in the days before the policy was announced, he sent her talking points with the Orwellian title, "Protecting Children Narrative."
I certainly agree that “four more years of [Trump] are unthinkable.” However, as former Trump officials seek to distance themselves from complicity in the administration’s many violations of morals, ethics, and decency, I note that Taylor and those like him admit no guilt, display no contrition, and offer no apologies. While he enjoys time off from a golden parachute position in a policy role at a tech behemoth to pen op-eds and film TV commercials, perhaps as much to rehabilitate his public image as anything, where is the sense of responsibility or regret? The impression left with the astute reader is that Taylor does not believe he did anything wrong. Taylor, once again, is looking for a soft landing.
I am not ready to accept with open arms the many former administration officials who, over the next two months, will no doubt try to chart a similar path to a post-Trump career. If Taylor really believes that policies like Muslim bans and the caging of children are wrong, why doesn’t he apologize for working to perpetrate them, and why did he do that work in the first place?
I do not know if any of the countless thousands whose lives were destroyed by these policies could ever forgive Taylor for his part in their suffering; I cannot speak for them, and I can only hope that those who survived will one day be able to come forward and tell us exactly what they went through and how it affected them. Compared to what Taylor did at the behest of Trump, the harm my coworkers and I have suffered by Taylor’s actions is comparatively small, but nonetheless he harmed us, too.
Like he did in his role at DHS, Taylor is again crafting a narrative, one in which he is another of Trump’s victims, but he and others who played a part in the atrocities of the Trump administration cannot be absolved of their past simply by supporting Biden’s bid for the presidency. If they truly are asking for our forgiveness, they will first need to admit that what they did was wrong, and say those words that Trump himself surely never will: “I’m sorry.”


buzzfeed--2020-08-23--Two Weeks For Joe Biden's 24 Minutes: Inside The Rapidly Planned Democratic Convention

WILMINGTON , Del .
— The stage where Joe Biden was set to assume the Democratic nomination for president , fulfilling a dream of more than four decades in national politics , was sitting in parts on the backs of trucks , already assembled , waiting to be unloaded in Milwaukee , Wisconsin .
The event was exactly two weeks away when Ricky Kirshner , the producer who has put on every Democratic convention since Bill Clinton 's election in 1992 , had to call his trucks and turn them around .
Hundreds of pounds of equipment — screens , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already arrived in Wisconsin .
One of his trucks , which came from across the country , was scheduled to depart that morning until Kirshner intercepted it and sent the driver coordinates for their new destination in Wilmington , Delaware .
A small group of Biden and party officials made the call to make the Democratic convention almost entirely virtual in a morning meeting on Aug. 3 , two days before the deadline to begin physically moving equipment into Milwaukee , due to concerns over the coronavirus .
The decision to relocate Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news made public in a short tweet by a Bloomberg News reporter , privately set off an absolute fury of planning , and re-planning , and calls to Milwaukee officials to apologize and explain — and then , of course , there was the matter of the speech .
They had no site , no audience , and two weeks to pull off the size and build of a speech that is supposed to signify the start of a general election , the sweep of a candidate 's political career , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the country projects onto presidential campaigns — all of it captured by the weight of a massive stage , perfectly lit , with balloons and bags of confetti and an arena full of delegates , elected officials , and activists chanting the candidate 's name .
Kirshner 's production team usually leads conventions from a high platform behind the center camera platform , inside the room .
`` So we feel the energy and we call the show from the room , ” he said in an interview on Friday .
What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Half our staff wanted to go outside just to see it , to see if it was really happening , because we 're watching it on TV just like everybody else .
We cued it , we ran the music , and then it was like , ‘ Well , we 'll watch it on TV like everybody else.
’ It 's a totally different feeling . ''
Americans saw the finished product on Thursday night as it was made for television — an unprecedented technological feat led by hundreds of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team , the convention committee , and Biden ’ s campaign , concluding with the nominee ’ s 24-minute speech .
It was somber and earnest in pitch , the lens trained direct-to-camera on Biden , delivered in the style of an Oval Office or East Room address , followed by a drive-in movie-style fireworks show .
`` The nation needed to see him as president , and the setting matched the moment — well-dressed flags , great lighting , an eloquent but not overdone stage , '' said Greg Hale , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for nearly every recent Democratic nominee .
`` Mission accomplished . ''
But here in Wilmington , the result was a much stranger scene — a quiet and eerie reminder of the convention that this was not , the one Biden did n't get .
At 77 years old , Biden delivered the most important speech of his life in a darkened room to about 30 members of the press and a skeleton production crew .
By the time they moved the acceptance speech to the Chase Center in Wilmington , there had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : First , the original setting in Milwaukee 's Fiserv Forum , capacity 18,000 .
Then COVID-19 hit , and they devised a socially distanced convention , also in the Fiserv Forum .
Then COVID got worse , and they moved to a big stage in the Wisconsin Center , a smaller venue in Milwaukee .
The last version , an even tighter room in the Wisconsin Center , was their final attempt to keep the convention in a crucial battleground state for Biden this fall .
Shortly after Aug. 3 , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — the people who do the meticulous work , often out of sight , of making an event look and feel perfect on television and in photographs — arrived in Wilmington , Biden ’ s hometown , to develop a fifth and final version .
Over the next two weeks , signs of their efforts appeared in and around the Chase Center , a large event venue situated on a tributary of the Delaware River .
Layers of a secure perimeter , consisting of 5,000 feet of bike rack , 5,000 feet of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feet of concrete jersey barrier , were erected around the parking lot in a matter of days .
Eight giant American flags , ranging in size from 10-by-15 to 30-by-50 feet , were hoisted in the air and affixed to various buildings .
And a little more than 1,300 firework shells were procured in advance of the finale on Thursday .
Earlier this week , a large tree that slightly obscured a Democratic convention sign — a large “ D20 ” banner draped over the west side of the Chase Center — disappeared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of fresh mulch .
A day later , shrubs and flowering plants appeared in place of the tree .
( Convention staff had only asked landscapers to prune the tree , not remove it , one Democrat familiar with the incident said . )
In Milwaukee , ghosts of the original convention came in the form of a small gift shop bearing such items as Wisconsin pins and `` The Cream City ” t-shirts .
Back in Wilmington , there were echoes of a city 800 miles away .
Nurses on site greeted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thick , friendly Midwestern accents .
They had been flown in from Wisconsin to set up shop in the `` Health and Safety Testing Center , '' a ballroom in the back of the Westin Hotel in Wilmington where convention participants waited in line every morning for the required three consecutive days of COVID tests , standing on stickers placed six feet apart .
Every afternoon , the cotton swabs were transported back to the original labs in Wisconsin for testing , with results returned less than 24 hours later .
Signs printed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things got as bad as they did , advised participants to `` Wear A Mask When Possible . ''
When reporters arrived in Wilmington on Monday , the `` When Possible '' had been crossed out with sharpie .
A day later , someone had covered the sharpie with white tape and written in marker : `` At All Times . ''
Reporters tweeted about the sign .
( There was little else to do — no color for their stories , they commiserated . )
By Wednesday , a white board appeared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NO PHOTOS , '' it read in black marker .

WILMINGTON, Delaware — The stage where Joe Biden was set to assume the Democratic nomination for president, fulfilling a dream of more than four decades in national politics, was sitting in parts on the backs of trucks, already assembled, waiting to be unloaded in Milwaukee.
The event was exactly two weeks away when Ricky Kirshner, the producer who has put on every Democratic convention since Bill Clinton's election in 1992, had to call his trucks and turn them around. Hundreds of pounds of equipment — screens, lights, audio visual hardware — had already arrived in Wisconsin. One of his trucks, which came from across the country, was scheduled to depart that morning until Kirshner intercepted it and sent the driver coordinates for their new destination in Wilmington, Delaware.
A small group of Biden and party officials made the call to make the Democratic convention almost entirely virtual in a morning meeting on Aug. 3, two days before the deadline to begin physically moving equipment into Milwaukee, due to concerns over the coronavirus. The decision to relocate Biden’s acceptance speech to Wilmington, news made public in a short tweet by a Bloomberg News reporter, privately set off an absolute fury of planning, and replanning, and calls to Milwaukee officials to apologize and explain — and then, of course, there was the matter of the speech.
They had no site, no audience, and two weeks to pull off the size and build of a speech that is supposed to signify the start of a general election, the sweep of a candidate's political career, and the mix of religious fervor and high stakes that the country projects onto presidential campaigns — all of it captured by the weight of a massive stage, perfectly lit, with balloons and bags of confetti and an arena full of delegates, elected officials, and activists chanting the candidate's name.
Kirshner's production team usually leads conventions from a high platform behind the center camera platform, inside the room. "So we feel the energy and we call the show from the room,” he said in an interview on Friday. What happened here in Wilmington was different. “Half our staff wanted to go outside just to see it, to see if it was really happening, because we're watching it on TV just like everybody else. We cued it, we ran the music, and then it was like, ‘Well, we'll watch it on TV like everybody else.’ It's a totally different feeling."
Americans saw the finished product on Thursday night as it was made for television — an unprecedented technological feat led by hundreds of people across the country on Ricky Kirshner's team, the convention committee, and Biden’s campaign, concluding with the nominee’s 24-minute speech. It was somber and earnest in pitch, the lens trained direct-to-camera on Biden, delivered in the style of an Oval Office or East Room address, followed by a drive-in movie-style fireworks show.
"The nation needed to see him as president, and the setting matched the moment — well-dressed flags, great lighting, an eloquent but not overdone stage," said Greg Hale, a veteran Democratic operative who has produced events for nearly every recent Democratic nominee. "Mission accomplished."
But here in Wilmington, the result was a much stranger scene — a quiet and eerie reminder of the convention that this was not, the one Biden didn't get.
At 77 years old, Biden delivered the most important speech of his life in a darkened room to about 30 members of the press and a skeleton production crew.
By the time they moved the acceptance speech to the Chase Center in Wilmington, there had been four versions of the stage already: First, the original setting in Milwaukee's Fiserv Forum, capacity 18,000. Then COVID-19 hit, and they devised a socially distanced convention, also in the Fiserv Forum. Then COVID got worse, and they moved to a big stage in the Wisconsin Center, a smaller venue in Milwaukee. The last version, an even tighter room in the Wisconsin Center, was their final attempt to keep the convention in a crucial battleground state for Biden this fall.
Shortly after Aug. 3, a new team of “advance” staffers — the people who do the meticulous work, often out of sight, of making an event look and feel perfect on television and in photographs — arrived in Wilmington, Biden’s hometown, to develop a fifth and final version.
Over the next two weeks, signs of their efforts appeared in and around the Chase Center, a large event venue situated on a tributary of the Delaware River. Layers of a secure perimeter, consisting of 5,000 feet of bike rack, 5,000 feet of tall, black fencing, and 5,000 feet of concrete jersey barrier, were erected around the parking lot in a matter of days. Eight giant American flags, ranging in size from 10-by-15 to 30-by-50 feet, were hoisted in the air and affixed to various buildings. And a little more than 1,300 firework shells were procured in advance of the finale on Thursday.
Earlier this week, a large tree that slightly obscured a Democratic convention sign — a large “D20” banner draped over the west side of the Chase Center — disappeared seemingly overnight, replaced by a pile of fresh mulch. A day later, shrubs and flowering plants appeared in place of the tree. (Convention staff had only asked landscapers to prune the tree, not remove it, one Democrat familiar with the incident said.)
In Milwaukee, ghosts of the original convention came in the form of a small gift shop bearing such items as Wisconsin pins and "The Cream City” T-shirts. Back in Wilmington, there were echoes of a city 800 miles away. Nurses on site greeted reporters and production staff each day with thick, friendly Midwestern accents. They had been flown in from Wisconsin to set up shop in the "Health and Safety Testing Center," a ballroom in the back of the Westin Hotel in Wilmington where convention participants waited in line every morning for the required three consecutive days of COVID tests, standing on stickers placed 6 feet apart. Every afternoon, the cotton swabs were transported back to the original labs in Wisconsin for testing, with results returned less than 24 hours later.
Signs printed with COVID guidelines, presumably made before things got as bad as they did, advised participants to "Wear a Mask When Possible." When reporters arrived in Wilmington on Monday, the "When Possible" had been crossed out with sharpie. A day later, someone had covered the sharpie with white tape and written in marker: "At All Times." Reporters tweeted about the sign. (There was little else to do — no color for their stories, they commiserated.)
By Wednesday, a white board appeared in the COVID testing room. "NO PHOTOS," it read in black marker.


buzzfeed--2020-08-23--This Election Is Going To Be Completely Different. Here's What To Expect.

“ It ’ s just a precarious time to be running an election as significant as this one is.
” Socially distanced lines , poll workers in face shields , ballots piling up in elections offices .
Election Day this fall is going to be completely unrecognizable from anything we have seen before .
The very act of voting will change for millions of people because of the coronavirus .
The tidy and traditional expectation that you can stay up past midnight — or wake up the next morning — and know who the next president will be is uncertain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the sitting president intentionally confuses people into thinking there is widespread , and unfounded , voter fraud .
“ We live in a time where there is an incredible amount of concern rising to the level of fear over the legitimacy and the accuracy of the vote-counting process in this country , ” said Darry Sragow , a longtime Democratic strategist and political science professor at the University of Southern California .
Pair that with the nation ’ s inability to contain the coronavirus , the renewed reckoning over systemic racism , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amid a weak economy , and “ it ’ s just a precarious time to be running an election as significant as this one is , ” Sragow said .
Fearing the virus might spread at polling locations , local and state officials across the country have changed how elections are administered to make it easier for people to vote from home — infuriating President Donald Trump , who admitted last week that he withheld funding from the US Postal Service to make it harder for states to expand voting by mail .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ voting — and litigation over the election law changes that have made remote voting more accessible — could make it more difficult to call races on election night and create a lot of confusion and uncertainty about the outcome .
Every day brings new , incremental developments .
It ’ s a lot to keep track of .
Below , BuzzFeed News will lay out some of the big-picture issues and how they might change how we process what happens after the polls open on Nov. 3 .
“ Obviously COVID-19 has changed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aren ’ t immune from that , ” said Drew McCoy , president of the election-calling company Decision Desk HQ .
Voting in person will look different — and may take longer — because of social distancing and sanitizing protocols .
Long lines are polling locations are not new .
But due to social distancing and sanitizing protocols , the lines may look a lot longer and take more time to get through at early voting sites and at the polls on Election Day .
“ Individuals who choose to go vote in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wait , ” said Kristi Royston , elections supervisor for Gwinnett County in Georgia .
It ’ s hard to say how long that wait could be — the long lines during the Super Tuesday primaries caused outrage .
But election officials in several battleground states are hopeful that the increased opportunities to vote remotely will lead to fewer people at the polls and fewer lines overall .
“ We hope that because we ’ ve done the front-end work of promoting mail-in ballots , there are going to be fewer people , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of elections in Pinellas County in Florida .
Election officials said poll workers will regularly clean voting booths and other commonly touched surfaces , and sanitize pens or have voters dispose of their ballot-marking tool or take it home as a keepsake .
Poll workers and voters will be required to wear masks — and some will also don face shields — in the more than 30 states where face coverings are mandated .
In other states , like Florida , it will be up to local officials to decide whether to enforce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters will be encouraged to wear them in line and inside , even if it ’ s not required by their state or local government .
“ We hope that people are going to wear masks , ” Chase said , noting that while Pinellas County adopted an ordinance requiring masks , poll workers can ’ t enforce it .
Voting by mail ?
Know the deadlines , read the ballot instructions , and act early .
With an unprecedented number of Americans expected to cast ballots by mail in November — many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — election officials are encouraging voters to educate themselves about the deadlines and latest rules for voting by mail in their states and to request and return their ballots as soon as possible .
“ It ’ s not a panacea of just ease in most cases , and people need to be aware of deadlines , ” McCoy said .
Each jurisdiction has its own laws on who can receive absentee ballots , whether voters need to request them , and how to fill the ballots out .
And a lot of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in response to the pandemic .
According to a recent New York Times analysis , a record 76 % of voters will be eligible to vote by mail in the general election .
In nine states and Washington , DC , all registered voters will automatically receive a ballot in the mail , with California , Vermont , Nevada , New Jersey , and DC voting that way for the first time .
Other states have expanded their excuses for absentee voting to include concerns about COVID-19 as a valid reason to receive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no-excuse absentee voting .
In all jurisdictions , voters are required to sign their ballots before mailing them in , but some states , like Wisconsin , also require voters to have a witness sign their ballots .
“ If either of those are missing , your ballot can not be counted , ” said Milwaukee County Clerk George Christenson .
States also have different deadlines for when ballots need to be returned .
Some require ballots to be in the possession of election officials — either received by mail to their office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a voting site — by the time the polls close , while other jurisdictions , like California , require ballots to be postmarked on or before Election Day .
“ The earlier that voter can request the ballot the better … and the sooner that they can get it back into us the better , ” Royston said , adding that voters need to factor possible mail delivery delays into their timelines .
“ I may think something should take two days to get from one city to the other , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days just because you do n't know how the mail is going to run.
” Trump ’ s efforts to undermine mail-in voting have made some voters wary , but election officials are still confident in the process .
Despite regularly voting absentee himself , Trump has claimed that widespread adoption of voting by mail will result in a “ Rigged Election , ” and on Monday he said the only way he would lose the election is if it is “ rigged.
” Political science and voting experts say there is no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that voting by mail is indeed very secure .
Even Twitter has started labeling Trump ’ s tweets about fraudulent mail-in voting as unsubstantiated .
But the Trump administration ’ s efforts to undermine the Postal Service , which has been hamstrung by large cost-cutting measures , have made some voters feel less confident in the agency ’ s ability to handle the large spike in ballots whether or not they believe in the president ’ s false claims that mail-in voting is more susceptible to fraud .
Now , USPS officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could be disenfranchised by slower delivery times if they don ’ t alter their rules and deadlines for absentee ballots .
Sixty-six-year-old Michael Claus , of Milwaukee , said he prefers to vote in person but plans to vote absentee in the general election because of COVID-19 .
“ I ’ m African American , I ’ m over 65 , I have high blood pressure , so yeah , I have some health concerns , ” Claus told BuzzFeed News .
But because he also is worried that his ballot could get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office on time , Claus , who said he usually votes for Democrats , plans to return his ballot at an early voting site or polling location .
“ We aren ’ t going to trust the mail , ” he said .
“ If I ’ m voting in person , I know my vote is counted .
I ’ m absolutely sure it ’ s counted .
If I ’ m doing it by mail , I ’ m trusting somebody else to take my ballot , count it , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Goodman , 75 , a registered Republican , said he ’ s never considered voting by mail — and that the pandemic hasn ’ t changed that — but he is concerned that the process is more susceptible to interference despite experts and election officials ’ insistence that it is not .
“ If there was going to be any type of hanky-panky or fooling around with the voting , it would probably be easier by mail , ” said Goodman , who lives in Lake Worth , Florida .
“ Anytime there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and knowing how evil the world seems to have become , there 's always a chance that somebody is trying to do something illegal.
” Despite the challenges facing the Postal Service , election officials told BuzzFeed News that they have confidence in the system and believe voting by mail is still a safe and secure way for voters to have their voices heard .
Michael Dickerson , director of elections for Mecklenburg County in North Carolina , said he had “ no doubt ” in the agency ’ s ability to deliver @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is expecting to get back by mail .
The key is for voters to act early .
“ Once you ’ re ready to vote it , vote it and go ahead and put it in the mail and get it back to us so that we can not have to worry about whether or not it makes the deadline , ” Dickerson said .
The postmaster general , under pressure from the public and Democrats in Congress , said this week that the USPS would suspend changes to its operations until after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concerned about their ballots being received in time can also drop them off in person to their local elections office , early voting sites , polling locations , or leave them in drop boxes , depending on what is allowed and available in their state .
Some states also allow voters to track the status of their mail-in ballot .
“ It is a very easy process for the voter .
That 's what I want everybody to realize , ” Dickerson said .
“ It creates more work for us , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing more work , so that 's fine with us.
” Fran Drago , 72 , of Cape Coral , Florida , said she and her husband have already requested mail-in ballots for November .
“ I ’ d like to go to the polls , but I live in Florida and nothing ’ s going to get any better down there , ” Drago told BuzzFeed News , adding that her son lives in Oregon , a state that has conducted elections entirely by mail for years .
“ He ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never been any problem.
” She called Trump ’ s attacks on voting by mail “ a bunch of hooey , ” and said that while she certainly enjoys going to the polls , she doesn ’ t think it ’ s worth possibly being exposed to the coronavirus .
“ I want to be around to know what happens with this election , ” Drago said .
“ I think I have a better chance of that if I 'm not trotting into a polling place.
” Early results may look a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballots is more time-consuming than receiving an in-person voter ’ s ballot at the polling station , which means it may take a lot longer to get a clear picture of the election results .
When ballots are received , officials need to first verify that the signature on the return envelope matches the voter ’ s signature in the state ’ s registration database before they can actually open up the envelope and scan the ballot .
If the signatures don ’ t match , some states allow election officials to notify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to correct the issue .
In some states , like Wisconsin and Pennsylvania , elections workers can ’ t even open the envelopes until Election Day .
“ It 's very labor intensive and tedious , so it ’ s going to take some time , ” Christenson said .
Election officials who spoke to BuzzFeed News said they ’ ve taken steps to hire more temporary staff to process mail-in ballots and acquire more equipment to open and scan the ballots before counting can begin , which only starts when the polls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be election results on election night , but absentee by mail will no longer be completed on Election Day , ” Royston said .
Experts say the delay in absentee ballot counting could result in election night results favoring Republicans even in areas where Democrats typically do well because Democrats tend to vote late and are more open to voting by mail .
A recent ABC News and Washington Post poll found that among Biden supporters , 54 % say they prefer to vote by mail this fall , while only 17 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a whopping 78 % think it ’ s vulnerable to fraud .
“ You ’ ll see some potentially odd things , ” McCoy said .
“ Over the course of that week to 10 days to two weeks [ as ] those votes [ are ] being processed and counted and if history holds , if voting patterns hold , you will see a move towards Democrats.
” It ’ s not a new phenomenon .
In 2018 , California ’ s “ blue wave ” in congressional district races only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closed , largely due to changes in the state ’ s election laws that expanded the time it takes to count ballots .
Democrats ultimately flipped seven Republican-held districts after trailing in four on election night .
“ It did n't change .
It was always there .
We just got around to counting it , ” McCoy said , noting that the difference between early results and the official , final tally is in no way indicative of something nefarious going on at the elections office .
That ’ s always happened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just that it happened “ in a shorter time frame so it really did n't catch your attention.
” Be patient .
It may take days — or weeks — for some races to be called .
Because it could take days or weeks to process and count all absentee or mail-in ballots across the country , it may be difficult for news outlets to call the winners on election night when so many ballots will still be uncounted .
McCoy said he thinks “ it ’ s possible , maybe even probable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calls on election night given the influx in mail-in ballots .
“ It 's as much about what 's not been reported yet as it is about what has been reported , ” said McCoy , whose company feeds results and race calls and data to BuzzFeed News , Vox , and other news organizations .
In Pennsylvania , which just last year adopted a law allowing all registered voters to vote absentee , officials warned that the expansion in mail-in voting may delay the battleground state ’ s presidential election results after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by mail in the state ’ s June 2 primary — 17 times the number that voted absentee in the 2016 primary .
“ The reality is people need to expect it 's going to take two weeks to get through those ballots , ” said Delaware County Councilmember Christine Reuther , who serves as the council ’ s liaison to the elections bureau and board .
Reuther said she would be surprised to see Trump win in the suburban Philadelphia county , which has trended Democratic in recent elections , but the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by which he or former vice president Joe Biden wins or loses Pennsylvania .
“ That ’ s something networks certainly are going to have to deal with , is that case in Pennsylvania , where Donald Trump may be up by several tens of thousands of votes , and if Philadelphia is sitting there with twice as many uncounted votes on an election night , you would just wait until Philadelphia came in , ” McCoy said .
“ So waiting an hour , you know , waiting three hours , waiting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ takes two weeks ?
” Calling races isn ’ t just about projecting a winner , McCoy said .
Rather , it ’ s determining whether the trailing candidate has lost .
“ You know certain parts of a county trend certain ways , and if you know where those votes are coming from , you understand what 's left and that 's how you make that projection , ” he said .
“ A lot of this has been thrown into question because people that traditionally vote in person may vote by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may open the doors to more legal challenges .
Litigation over changes to laws that have expanded mail-in voting amid the pandemic could also lead to delays in certifying election results .
As of Sunday , more than 200 lawsuits had already been filed in 43 states and DC over absentee or mail-in voting requirements , voting deadlines , and other issues , according to a list compiled by Loyola Law School professor Justin Levitt .
Sragow , who teaches election law at USC , said every aspect of the process — from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballots need to be returned to how long officials have to notify voters of a mismatched signature and give them a chance to prove they filled out the ballot — is ripe for being challenged in court .
“ The fear is that there will be this incredible avalanche of legal actions challenging everything that 's gone on and as a result there will be incredibly high levels of uncertainty about the outcome , ” he said .
It ’ s hard to know what the impact of those actions will be , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close the election ultimately is .
“ If an election is not close , a lot of this doesn ’ t matter , but if an election is tight , then everything we ’ ve just talked about could create a great deal of uncertainty about the outcome in certain elections , ” Sragow said .
●

Trump’s efforts to undermine mail-in voting have made some voters wary, but election officials are still confident in the process.
Despite regularly voting absentee himself, Trump has claimed that widespread adoption of voting by mail will result in a “Rigged Election,” and on Monday he said the only way he would lose the election is if it is “rigged.” Political science and voting experts say there is no evidence to support Trump’s allegations and that voting by mail is indeed very secure. Even Twitter has started labeling Trump’s tweets about fraudulent mail-in voting as unsubstantiated.
But the Trump administration’s efforts to undermine the Postal Service, which has been hamstrung by large cost-cutting measures, have made some voters feel less confident in the agency’s ability to handle the large spike in ballots whether or not they believe in the president’s false claims that mail-in voting is more susceptible to fraud.
Now, USPS officials are warning 46 states that their voters could be disenfranchised by slower delivery times if they don’t alter their rules and deadlines for absentee ballots.
Sixty-six-year-old Michael Claus, of Milwaukee, said he prefers to vote in person but plans to vote absentee in the general election because of COVID-19.
“I’m African American, I’m over 65, I have high blood pressure, so yeah, I have some health concerns,” Claus told BuzzFeed News.
But because he also is worried that his ballot could get lost or not arrive at the elections office on time, Claus, who said he usually votes for Democrats, plans to return his ballot at an early voting site or polling location.
“We aren’t going to trust the mail,” he said. “If I’m voting in person, I know my vote is counted. I’m absolutely sure it’s counted. If I’m doing it by mail, I’m trusting somebody else to take my ballot, count it, and make sure it gets in.”
Harold Goodman, 75, a registered Republican, said he’s never considered voting by mail — and that the pandemic hasn’t changed that — but he is concerned that the process is more susceptible to interference despite experts and election officials’ insistence that it is not.
“If there was going to be any type of hanky-panky or fooling around with the voting, it would probably be easier by mail,” said Goodman, who lives in Lake Worth, Florida. “Anytime there's a delay, knowing the public and knowing how evil the world seems to have become, there's always a chance that somebody is trying to do something illegal.”
Despite the challenges facing the Postal Service, election officials told BuzzFeed News that they have confidence in the system and believe voting by mail is still a safe and secure way for voters to have their voices heard.
Michael Dickerson, director of elections for Mecklenburg County in North Carolina, said he had “no doubt” in the agency’s ability to deliver the 100,000 or so ballots his office is expecting to get back by mail. The key is for voters to act early.
“Once you’re ready to vote it, vote it and go ahead and put it in the mail and get it back to us so that we can not have to worry about whether or not it makes the deadline,” Dickerson said.
The postmaster general, under pressure from the public and Democrats in Congress, said this week that the USPS would suspend changes to its operations until after the election.
Voters who are still concerned about their ballots being received in time can also drop them off in person to their local elections office, early voting sites, polling locations, or leave them in drop boxes, depending on what is allowed and available in their state. Some states also allow voters to track the status of their mail-in ballot.
“It is a very easy process for the voter. That's what I want everybody to realize,” Dickerson said. “It creates more work for us, but we’re in the business of doing more work, so that's fine with us.”
Fran Drago, 72, of Cape Coral, Florida, said she and her husband have already requested mail-in ballots for November.
“I’d like to go to the polls, but I live in Florida and nothing’s going to get any better down there,” Drago told BuzzFeed News, adding that her son lives in Oregon, a state that has conducted elections entirely by mail for years. “He’s mailed in his votes. There's never been any problem.”
She called Trump’s attacks on voting by mail “a bunch of hooey,” and said that while she certainly enjoys going to the polls, she doesn’t think it’s worth possibly being exposed to the coronavirus.
“I want to be around to know what happens with this election,” Drago said. “I think I have a better chance of that if I'm not trotting into a polling place.”


buzzfeed--2020-08-23--The US Postal Service Is Now A Trump Target In The 2020 Election. Here's What's Going On.

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

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


buzzfeed--2020-08-23--Alex Morse Would Like You To Know He Has Sex

Alex Morse would probably prefer to be talking about , well , anything else .
As the 31-year-old mayor of Holyoke , Massachusetts , mounts his left-wing challenge to unseat Democratic Rep. Richard Neal , he ’ d surely rather be spending the last few weeks of his campaign talking about the progressive change he wants to bring to the district ( Morse supports Medicare for All , defunding ICE , and the Green New Deal ) or his powerful opponent ’ s three decades of relative conservatism in Congress .
Instead , he ’ s answering questions from BuzzFeed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ content he uploads to his Instagram “ close friends ” stories feature , and the fact that , yes , as a young single gay man , he does indeed have sex , sometimes with men he meets online .
“ It ’ s important to be unapologetically myself — being gay and a young person and someone who has sex , ” he said in a Thursday phone interview , “ and I won ’ t apologize for being gay and using gay dating apps and going on dates with other adult @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state ’ s 1st District suddenly exploded into national headlines this past week after allegations were made against Morse by the College Democrats of Massachusetts ( CDMA ) and its affiliates at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Amherst College .
On Aug. 7 , the students shared a letter they had sent Morse with the school ’ s newspaper , the Daily Collegian , informing him he had been disinvited from their events .
The allegations — which were vague , anonymous , and unspecified — accused Morse , who worked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2019 in addition to his mayoral work , of matching with students on dating and hookup apps , such as Tinder and Grindr ; having sex with college students ; and making others feel “ uncomfortable ” by adding them on Instagram , messaging them , and adding them to his “ close friends ” on the app .
“ Even if these scenarios are mutually consensual , ” the students wrote , “ the pattern of Morse using his platform and taking advantage of his position of power for romantic or sexual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is unacceptable.
” The news , which landed just three weeks before voters were set to head to the polls on Sept. 1 , quickly caused shockwaves .
Morse swiftly denied any nonconsensual sex and insisted that any students he had slept with were adults and not in any of his classes .
He vowed to cooperate with any investigations but said he would remain in the race .
Still , the damage was done .
The university vowed to investigate , the powerful Justice Democrats group that had backed him said they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ties , and fellow progressive Jamaal Bowman said he would “ pause ” his endorsement of Morse as he learned more .
Online , Morse was labeled “ a blight on the Left and higher education , ” someone who had worked to “ groom ” students and who was not thinking of his “ survivors.
” He was urged to drop out of the race and resign as mayor .
He was dubbed “ an abuser ” and “ a sex predator.
” But no person has yet come forward with any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Instead , the college students behind the vague , anonymous accusations against the candidate have found themselves in the spotlight .
Fellow members of the UMass Amherst College Democrats told the Intercept and the Republican earlier this week that their chief strategist , Timothy Ennis , had taken a class taught at the university by Neal , Morse ’ s opponent , and was a fan of the lawmaker and was seeking to break into politics through him .
Then , on Wednesday night , the Intercept published a bombshell report alleging the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , had been trying since October to find compromising material on Morse in order to “ sink his campaign.
” They reportedly planned to track down his dating profiles and lead him to say something incriminating .
“ I need a job , ” wrote Ennis in messages seen by the Intercept .
“ Neal will give me an internship.
” A screenshot of an Instagram message published by the Intercept showed Morse exchanging polite pleasantries about their respective weekends with Andrew Abramson , a student who would later become the college club @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but it ’ s very clear he ’ s not talking to me for no reason , ” wrote Abramson as he shared the Instagram exchange with associates .
“ Also don ’ t mind me totally leading him on.
” It appeared the students had been trying for months to get the national media to run a story about Morse .
After the Intercept story was published , Business Insider reporter Grace Panetta said on Twitter that she had received a vague anonymous tip via email about Morse in April but had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I just looked back at the email itself , ” Panetta wrote , “ and yep , two of the names on the list of people who I was told had dirt on Morse were the names of the two people The Intercept identified as spearheading this plan.
” Ennis and Abramson did not respond to requests for this story .
They ’ ve both also since deleted their Facebook and Twitter accounts .
The UMass Amherst College Dems also did not respond to a request for comment ; nor did CDMA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hayley Fleming did write an email to members on Thursday night in which she tried to explain how the letter came to be , but also apologized to Morse for the “ homophobic responses ” he had received that she said played on “ inappropriate stereotypes ” about gay men .
“ I apologize for the role that we played in that harm , ” she said .
Fleming said “ several students ” had “ legitimate concerns ” that Morse had a “ pattern of behavior that put college students in uncomfortable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ specific stories were not being shared due to concerns for their safety .
“ While I can not speak to anyone ’ s motivations other than my own , ” she added , “ I believed that we were acting in good faith to protect the individuals who felt they were subject to inappropriate behavior.
” The Massachusetts Democratic Party is now investigating the origins of the claims against Morse , Fleming confirmed .
But there are allegations that the state party itself may have been involved .
Fleming claimed that the letter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advice of legal counsel , which she declined to specify .
Morse has suggested an attorney from the state party seeking to quash his outsider bid may have advised the students .
A state party spokesperson confirmed to the Berkshire Eagle they had referred the CDMA to legal counsel but insisted they had no further involvement .
But the Intercept reported on Friday that text messages showed Veronica Martinez , executive director of the Massachusetts Democratic Party , had taken “ an active role in directing the group on the strategy behind the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including coaching on how to interact with the press.
” ( State party officials , including Martinez , did not respond to requests for comment for this story ) .

Alex Morse would probably prefer to be talking about, well, anything else.
As the 31-year-old mayor of Holyoke, Massachusetts, mounts his left-wing challenge to unseat Democratic Rep. Richard Neal, he’d surely rather be spending the last few weeks of his campaign talking about the progressive change he wants to bring to the district (Morse supports Medicare for All, defunding ICE, and the Green New Deal) or his powerful opponent’s three decades of relative conservatism in Congress.
Instead, he’s answering questions from BuzzFeed News about his Tinder profile, what content he uploads to his Instagram “close friends” stories feature, and the fact that, yes, as a young single gay man, he does indeed have sex, sometimes with men he meets online.
“It’s important to be unapologetically myself — being gay and a young person and someone who has sex,” he said in a Thursday phone interview, “and I won’t apologize for being gay and using gay dating apps and going on dates with other adult men.
“I won’t apologize for being human.”
The Democratic battle to represent the state’s 1st District suddenly exploded into national headlines this past week after allegations were made against Morse by the College Democrats of Massachusetts (CDMA) and its affiliates at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Amherst College. On Aug. 7, the students shared a letter they had sent Morse with the school’s newspaper, the Daily Collegian, informing him he had been disinvited from their events.
The allegations — which were vague, anonymous, and unspecified — accused Morse, who worked as a UMass Amherst adjunct professor in 2019 in addition to his mayoral work, of matching with students on dating and hookup apps, such as Tinder and Grindr; having sex with college students; and making others feel “uncomfortable” by adding them on Instagram, messaging them, and adding them to his “close friends” on the app.
“Even if these scenarios are mutually consensual,” the students wrote, “the pattern of Morse using his platform and taking advantage of his position of power for romantic or sexual gain, specifically toward young students, is unacceptable.”
The news, which landed just three weeks before voters were set to head to the polls on Sept. 1, quickly caused shockwaves. Morse swiftly denied any nonconsensual sex and insisted that any students he had slept with were adults and not in any of his classes. He vowed to cooperate with any investigations but said he would remain in the race. Still, the damage was done.
The university vowed to investigate, the powerful Justice Democrats group that had backed him said they were “disappointed” and evaluating their ties, and fellow progressive Jamaal Bowman said he would “pause” his endorsement of Morse as he learned more.
Online, Morse was labeled “a blight on the Left and higher education,” someone who had worked to “groom” students and who was not thinking of his “survivors.” He was urged to drop out of the race and resign as mayor. He was dubbed “an abuser” and “a sex predator.”
But no person has yet come forward with any specific or detailed claim against Morse. Instead, the college students behind the vague, anonymous accusations against the candidate have found themselves in the spotlight.
Fellow members of the UMass Amherst College Democrats told the Intercept and the Republican earlier this week that their chief strategist, Timothy Ennis, had taken a class taught at the university by Neal, Morse’s opponent, and was a fan of the lawmaker and was seeking to break into politics through him.
Then, on Wednesday night, the Intercept published a bombshell report alleging the club’s leadership, including Ennis, had been trying since October to find compromising material on Morse in order to “sink his campaign.” They reportedly planned to track down his dating profiles and lead him to say something incriminating. “I need a job,” wrote Ennis in messages seen by the Intercept. “Neal will give me an internship.”
A screenshot of an Instagram message published by the Intercept showed Morse exchanging polite pleasantries about their respective weekends with Andrew Abramson, a student who would later become the college club’s president. “Not overt but it’s very clear he’s not talking to me for no reason,” wrote Abramson as he shared the Instagram exchange with associates. “Also don’t mind me totally leading him on.”
It appeared the students had been trying for months to get the national media to run a story about Morse. After the Intercept story was published, Business Insider reporter Grace Panetta said on Twitter that she had received a vague anonymous tip via email about Morse in April but had decided not to pursue the story. “I just looked back at the email itself,” Panetta wrote, “and yep, two of the names on the list of people who I was told had dirt on Morse were the names of the two people The Intercept identified as spearheading this plan.”
Ennis and Abramson did not respond to requests for this story. They’ve both also since deleted their Facebook and Twitter accounts. The UMass Amherst College Dems also did not respond to a request for comment; nor did CDMA, the state chapter.
CDMA President Hayley Fleming did write an email to members on Thursday night in which she tried to explain how the letter came to be, but also apologized to Morse for the “homophobic responses” he had received that she said played on “inappropriate stereotypes” about gay men. “I apologize for the role that we played in that harm,” she said.
Fleming said “several students” had “legitimate concerns” that Morse had a “pattern of behavior that put college students in uncomfortable situations,” but she said their specific stories were not being shared due to concerns for their safety.
“While I cannot speak to anyone’s motivations other than my own,” she added, “I believed that we were acting in good faith to protect the individuals who felt they were subject to inappropriate behavior.”
The Massachusetts Democratic Party is now investigating the origins of the claims against Morse, Fleming confirmed.
But there are allegations that the state party itself may have been involved. Fleming claimed that the letter to Morse had been written on the advice of legal counsel, which she declined to specify. Morse has suggested an attorney from the state party seeking to quash his outsider bid may have advised the students. A state party spokesperson confirmed to the Berkshire Eagle they had referred the CDMA to legal counsel but insisted they had no further involvement. But the Intercept reported on Friday that text messages showed Veronica Martinez, executive director of the Massachusetts Democratic Party, had taken “an active role in directing the group on the strategy behind the letter before and after its release, including coaching on how to interact with the press.” (State party officials, including Martinez, did not respond to requests for comment for this story).


buzzfeed--2020-08-23--Trump Refused To Denounce The Preposterous QAnon Conspiracy Theory

President Donald Trump dodged a question on QAnon during a press conference Friday , refusing to denounce or reject the baseless far-right conspiracy theory that the FBI has said poses a domestic terror threat .
During a White House press briefing , Associated Press reporter Jill Colvin asked the president about Marjorie Taylor Greene , the winner of Tuesday 's Republican primary for Georgia 's 14th Congressional District who has said QAnon was `` something worth listening to . ''
`` Do you agree with her on that ? ''
Colvin asked Trump .
`` Well , [ Greene ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Trump responded .
`` She won by a lot .
She was very popular .
She comes from a great state , and she had a tremendous victory , so , absolutely , I did congratulate her . ''
As Colvin repeated that Greene has embraced the preposterous conspiracy theory , Trump made a pointed effort to move on , gesturing to another reporter and saying , `` Go ahead , please . ''
Colvin reiterated , `` Do you agree with [ Greene ] on that ? ''
The president ignored @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another reporter , who asked about his brother Robert , who was reportedly hospitalized in New York this week .
A White House spokesperson did not comment on why the president did not answer the question or if he believes in the conspiracy .

President Donald Trump dodged a question on QAnon during a press conference Friday, refusing to denounce or reject the baseless far-right conspiracy theory that the FBI has said poses a domestic terror threat.
During a White House press briefing, Associated Press reporter Jill Colvin asked the president about Marjorie Taylor Greene, the winner of Tuesday's Republican primary for Georgia's 14th Congressional District who has said QAnon was "something worth listening to."
"Do you agree with her on that?" Colvin asked Trump.
"Well, [Greene] did very well in the election," Trump responded. "She won by a lot. She was very popular. She comes from a great state, and she had a tremendous victory, so, absolutely, I did congratulate her."
As Colvin repeated that Greene has embraced the preposterous conspiracy theory, Trump made a pointed effort to move on, gesturing to another reporter and saying, "Go ahead, please."
Colvin reiterated, "Do you agree with [Greene] on that?"
The president ignored Colvin, immediately switching his attention to another reporter, who asked about his brother Robert, who was reportedly hospitalized in New York this week.
A White House spokesperson did not comment on why the president did not answer the question or if he believes in the conspiracy.


buzzfeed--2020-08-23--A Woman's Obituary For Her Husband Who Died From The Coronavirus Is Going Viral

David W. Nagy did n't usually like it when his wife talked politics , but when he died last month from COVID-19 she channeled her devastation and anger into his short obituary , blaming his death on President Trump , the governor of Texas , and `` the many ignorant , self-centered and selfish people '' who refuse to wear a mask .
`` Dave did everything he was supposed to do , but you did not , '' Stacey Nagy , 72 , wrote in the six-paragraph tribute to her 79-year-old husband , who died on July 22 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and may Karma find you all ! ''
David had a list of medical conditions that increased his risk of becoming severely ill from COVID-19 , Stacey told BuzzFeed News , including diabetes , heart problems , and early signs of dementia .
As the pandemic spread through the US , Stacey and her husband tried to take every single precaution possible to stay safe , but they never could have accounted for the politicization of the pandemic and basic health recommendations .
`` We were married for 20 years and now I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
`` It 's just been devastating for me .
It pisses me off because he did n't need to die .
Had people been following the recommendations , things would have been different .
But people do n't . ''
Published in the Jefferson Jimplecute newspaper on July 30 , the obituary has been shared widely in social media , where Stacey lays blame on the Trump administration and Texas Gov .
Greg Abbott .
`` Family members believe David 's death was needless , '' the obituary reads .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of all other innocent people , on Trump , Abbott and all of the other politicians who did not take this pandemic seriously and were more concerned with their popularity and votes than lives . ''
Stacey said she believes Trump and Abbott dismissed early recommendations like wearing face masks , helping to fuel anti-mask movements across the country .
`` Also to blame are the many ignorant , self-centered and selfish people who refused to follow the advice of the medical professionals , believing their 'right ' not to wear a mask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' she wrote .

David W. Nagy didn't usually like it when his wife talked politics, but when he died last month from COVID-19 she channeled her devastation and anger into his short obituary, blaming his death on President Trump, the governor of Texas, and "the many ignorant, self-centered and selfish people" who refuse to wear a mask.
"Dave did everything he was supposed to do, but you did not," Stacey Nagy, 72, wrote in the six-paragraph tribute to her 79-year-old husband, who died on July 22. "Shame on all of you, and may Karma find you all!"
David had a list of medical conditions that increased his risk of becoming severely ill from COVID-19, Stacey told BuzzFeed News, including diabetes, heart problems, and early signs of dementia.
As the pandemic spread through the US, Stacey and her husband tried to take every single precaution possible to stay safe, but they never could have accounted for the politicization of the pandemic and basic health recommendations.
"We were married for 20 years and now I'm not with him," she said. "It's just been devastating for me. It pisses me off because he didn't need to die. Had people been following the recommendations, things would have been different. But people don't."
Published in the Jefferson Jimplecute newspaper on July 30, the obituary has been shared widely in social media, where Stacey lays blame on the Trump administration and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
"Family members believe David's death was needless," the obituary reads. "They blame his death and the deaths of all other innocent people, on Trump, Abbott and all of the other politicians who did not take this pandemic seriously and were more concerned with their popularity and votes than lives."
Stacey said she believes Trump and Abbott dismissed early recommendations like wearing face masks, helping to fuel anti-mask movements across the country.
"Also to blame are the many ignorant, self-centered and selfish people who refused to follow the advice of the medical professionals, believing their 'right' not to wear a mask was more important than killing innocent people," she wrote.


buzzfeed--2020-08-24--Kellyanne Conway, One Of Trump’s Closest Advisors, Is Leaving The White House

Conway said she is leaving this month to spend time with her family .
Her high-profile anti-Trump husband is also stepping back from public view .
WASHINGTON — White House advisor Kellyanne Conway announced late Sunday night that she ’ s leaving the White House at the end of the month to take care of family issues .
Conway tweeted a statement of the announcement , which was first reported by the Washington Post .
“ I am deeply grateful to the President for his honor , and to the First Lady , the Vice President and Mrs. Pence , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Administration , and the countless people who supported my work , ” Conway wrote in a statement .
Conway ’ s husband , lawyer George Conway , also announced he would withdraw from The Lincoln Project — a Republican PAC intended to prevent the reelection of Trump .
Both cited they would address family issues .
He said he would also step back from Twitter , a platform that has helped make him famous in anti-Trump social media .
The Conways have four children .
Their daughter Claudia Conway had publicly opposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of followers on social media to vote for Joe Biden , the Democratic nominee for president .
Earlier Sunday , the 15-year old announced on Twitter she would “ take a mental health break from social media.
” Kellyanne Conway referred to her children in her announcement .
“ This is completely my choice and my voice , ” Conway wrote .
“ In time , I will announce future plans .
For now , and for my beloved children , it will be less drama , more mama ” Kellyanne and George @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a public fascination for most of Trump ’ s time in the White House .
Just earlier Sunday in a Twitter thread , George Conway questioned how anyone could work for Trump .
“ We disagree about plenty but we are united on what matters most : the kids , ” Kellyanne Conway said in her Sunday statement .
Conway had been scheduled to speak Wednesday at the Republican National Convention , and it was not immediately clear Sunday night if she would keep that speaking role .
Conway is one of Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the very few people remaining with him in the White House from his 2016 presidential campaign .
Conway , a longtime Republican pollster , was Trump ’ s final campaign manager of that race and is the first woman to have managed a winning presidential campaign .
Before coming the White House , Conway owned and operated The Polling Company , a prominent polling firm which she sold to CRC Public Relations in 2017 .
After the campaign , Conway joined the White House as Trump ’ s counselor and top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TV throughout Trump ’ s first term , relentlessly defending the president and the administration .
Whenever the White House was under fire , Conway was a frequent guest on cable news shows playing defense , while often being accused of perpetuating falsehoods coming from the administration .
She also led the White House ’ s response to the country ’ s opioid epidemic .
Conway herself faced a handful of controversies , including citing a nonexistent “ Bowling Green massacre ” to defend Trump ’ s refugee ban and committing a potential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go buy Ivanka Trump ’ s products after Nordstrom announced they dropped the clothing brand .
Her defining moment as Trump ’ s adviser , though , may have come at the very outset of the president ’ s administration .
Just two days after Trump ’ s inauguration , which then-press secretary Sean Spicer falsely insisted featured the largest audience for a presidential inauguration , Conway defended Spicer , saying he was merely offering “ alternative facts .
”

WASHINGTON — White House adviser Kellyanne Conway announced late Sunday night that she’s leaving the White House at the end of the month to take care of family issues.
Conway tweeted a statement of the announcement, which was first reported by the Washington Post.
“I am deeply grateful to the President for his honor, and to the First Lady, the Vice President and Mrs. Pence, my colleagues in the White House and the Administration, and the countless people who supported my work,” Conway wrote in a statement.
Conway’s husband, lawyer George Conway, also announced he would withdraw from the Lincoln Project — a Republican PAC intended to prevent the reelection of Trump. Both cited they would address family issues. He said he would also step back from Twitter, a platform that has helped make him famous in anti-Trump social media.


buzzfeed--2020-08-24--The FDA Authorized The Use Of Convalescent Plasma To Treat COVID-19

Scientists say plasma collected from the blood of patients who have recovered from COVID-19 may be beneficial , but rigorous trials have not yet proven that it ’ s an effective treatment .
President Donald Trump announced on Sunday evening that convalescent plasma , the antibody-rich portion of blood collected from patients who have recovered from COVID-19 , has received an emergency use authorization from the FDA .
“ To deliver treatments and vaccines , we 're removing unnecessary barriers and delays , not by cutting corners , but by marshaling the full power of the federal government , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the eve of the Republican National Convention .
“ Based on the science and the data the FDA has made the independent determination that the treatment is safe and very effective.
” But scientists caution that plasma has not yet been proven to be effective through the gold standard of evidence-based medicine , randomized controlled trials , which look at the outcomes of patients who are randomly assigned to receive a drug versus those who get a placebo .
And an emergency authorization could further hamper efforts to complete those trials in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know if it ’ s safe and effective if it ’ s not a decision based on randomized controlled data .
Period .
End of story , ” said Steven Nissen , Chief Academic Officer of the Heart and Vascular Institute at the Cleveland Clinic .
When asked by a reporter if he considered plasma treatment `` safe and effective '' or if it showed `` promising efficacy , '' FDA Commissioner , Stephen Hahn , did not directly answer , but said , `` Under our legal authority — for emergency use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as an approval , but it 's an authorization . ''
Hahn said the authorization `` allows us to expand access to this . ''
`` We ’ re going to continue to collect data , '' Hahn said .
`` It 's the nuances of the language around the authorization that we use in the legal aspect . ''
Plasma is widely regarded to be safe .
“ There are really large troves of reassuring data suggesting that plasma isn ’ t going to hurt people , ” said Katharine Bar , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Pennsylvania .
And early data on its use as a treatment has been promising .
A large , non-peer reviewed study of more than 35,000 patients led by the Mayo Clinic found that providing COVID-19 patients with infusions of plasma early on in their illness showed a small benefit in reducing the number of deaths in patients with severe illnesses .
While 8.7 % of patients who received plasma within three days of getting sick , those who got plasma infusions afterwards died at a rate of 11.9 % .
Hospitals across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ desperate patients as well , under compassionate use guidelines .
US hospitals are currently treating around 1,500 COVID-19 patients a day with blood infusions of plasma .
But experts caution that the availability of plasma in hospitals has also made it very difficult to recruit patients to participate in randomized controlled trials , since they could end up getting a placebo , and that the EUA will likely make that even harder .
“ I just think logistically it ’ s going to be very challenging , ” Bar said .
“ If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family is considering using plasma and they hear that the government just said it ’ s effective , but you want to enroll me into a study where there ’ s a chance I ’ ll get a placebo ?
That makes it really difficult .
We don ’ t do RCTs for things that are shown to be effective.
” Emergency use authorizations do not require the same amount of evidence as a full drug approval , but will make it easier for hospitals to move ahead with doing the infusions .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ House ’ s role in pressuring the FDA to issue such authorizations , particularly after the agency revoked its authorization for hydroxychloroquine , following studies showing that it was not effective as a treatment and could cause heart problems in some patients .
On Friday , the New York Times reported that top federal health officials including National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases chief Anthony Fauci had intervened last week to block the FDA ’ s authorization , citing the need for stronger evidence from rigorous clinical trials .
On Saturday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , of playing politics by delaying efforts to develop vaccines and therapeutics for the coronavirus and tagged Hahn in the tweet .
“ I think there might have been a holdup , but we broke the logjam in the last week , ” Trump said during Sunday 's press conference .
He once again suggested , without evidence , that there were people in the FDA and the Department of Health who `` can see things be held up and would n't mind so much ... and that 's for political reasons .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Peter Navarro , confronted FDA officials in a meeting on Monday , saying , `` You are all Deep State and you need to get on Trump Time , '' according to Axios .
Asked by a reporter after the press conference whether Trump had pressured the FDA to make the emergency authorization for plasma , the FDA commissioner , Stephen Hahn , did not respond .
Scientists have raised similar concerns that Trump could put pressure on the FDA to approve a COVID-19 vaccine ahead of the presidential election .
To @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear answers about the efficacy of plasma via randomized controlled trials is indicative of the tension between needing to quickly treat very sick patients versus wanting to collect solid evidence before doing so .
`` That ’ s always a tension that exists when we ’ re trying to treat people who are sick and also learn how to treat future people who are sick , '' said Bar .
But the FDA 's emergency authorization makes that tension much more severe .
“ I don ’ t think we have a better @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do basic randomized studies and just have not , ” said Peter Bach , a physician at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital in New York .
“ It ’ s a very unfortunate example of where we just did n't handle doing the science of this pandemic well at all .
It should be a source of shame .
”

President Donald Trump announced on Sunday evening that convalescent plasma, the antibody-rich portion of blood collected from patients who have recovered from COVID-19, has received an emergency use authorization from the FDA.
“To deliver treatments and vaccines, we're removing unnecessary barriers and delays, not by cutting corners, but by marshaling the full power of the federal government,” Trump said at a press conference on the eve of the Republican National Convention. “Based on the science and the data the FDA has made the independent determination that the treatment is safe and very effective.”
But scientists caution that plasma has not yet been proven to be effective through the gold standard of evidence-based medicine, randomized controlled trials, which look at the outcomes of patients who are randomly assigned to receive a drug versus those who get a placebo. And an emergency authorization could further hamper efforts to complete those trials in the future.
“We don’t know if it’s safe and effective if it’s not a decision based on randomized controlled data. Period. End of story,” said Steven Nissen, chief academic officer of the Heart and Vascular Institute at the Cleveland Clinic.
When asked by a reporter if he considered plasma treatment "safe and effective" or if it showed "promising efficacy," FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn did not directly answer, but said, "Under our legal authority — for emergency use authorization — this is not the same as an approval, but it's an authorization."
Hahn said the authorization "allows us to expand access to this."
"We’re going to continue to collect data," Hahn said. "It's the nuances of the language around the authorization that we use in the legal aspect."


buzzfeed--2020-08-25--9 Teachers Who Deserve Recognition For The Creative Ways They Are Keeping Their Classrooms Safe This

9 Teachers Who Deserve Recognition For The Creative Ways They Are Keeping Their Classrooms Safe This Year

And this teacher who is teaching virtually but still came up with a clever way to help her students have @ @ @ @ @ they ca n't be there physically :

9.
And this teacher who is teaching virtually but still came up with a clever way to help her students have fun in class even though they can't be there physically:


buzzfeed--2020-08-24--We Want To Hear What It Was Like Giving Birth During *All Of This*

Giving birth can be a challenging experience even in normal times , but the coronavirus has made it a whole @ @ @ @ @ , if you had a baby during all of *waves at everything* , we want @ @ @ @ @ was like .

Giving birth can be a challenging experience even in normal times, but the coronavirus has made it a whole lot more complicated. So, if you had a baby during all of *waves at everything*, we want to hear about what it was like.