buzzfeed--2020-06-26--People Spent Thousands To Go On A Cruise With Glenn Beck. Now They Can’t Get Their Money Back.

“ We are booked on the Glenn Beck Cruise but are concerned about our safety from the Corona virus , ” the Wolaks wrote to CruiseBuilder customer support on Feb. 20 .
“ What have you been instructed to tell customers ?
What is the time limit to cancel and get full refund if we decide to go that way ?
Please be honest.
” Beth Wolak and her husband , Stephen , 67 and 70 , from Willow Spring , North Carolina , had fully paid for their cruise by Nov. 30 last year .
But when news of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was going to happen with the trip , Beth began emailing the travel agency .
The Wellivers , who are from Montoursville , Pennsylvania , spent over $ 10,000 on their cruise ; after weeks of haggling with anyone he could think of , including complaining to the Utah and Pennsylvania attorneys general , the Better Business Bureau , and CruiseBuilder , Jeff finally got the couple ’ s credit card company to give them a temporary credit for the bulk of the expenses , though he said they are awaiting a final @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worse position ; some couples spent $ 20,000 or more on the postponed trip .
“ My position is that anyone who wants a refund in these uncertain times should receive one , and I 've strongly encouraged the cruise line , airlines , and the hotels to accommodate , ” Beck said in an emailed statement on Thursday .
“ I look forward to going on this Cruise Through History when the circumstances surrounding this global pandemic allow us to do so . ''
But the cruise is now indefinitely postponed because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ booked it say they ’ ve been unable to get their money back even while other cruise customers around the world have been refunded for virus-impeded trips .
Multiple passengers told BuzzFeed News they have begged CruiseBuilder , the Utah-based travel agency that handled the bookings , to give them information as far back as February , when the coronavirus outbreak in Italy was becoming severe and as cruise ships were in the news as major vectors of the virus .
But they 've struggled to get a clear answer on what was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve since been left in limbo as the company insists the cruise is not canceled , only postponed to sometime in late fall or next spring — and thus refunds aren ’ t available .
A Facebook Group set up by the company to discuss the cruise has become a hotbed of discontent as angry customers have demanded answers .
And through it all , Beck has remained almost totally silent about the cruise apart from a short video message in March — until BuzzFeed News reached out to his spokesperson this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ roughly 2,000 people who registered for Beck ’ s “ Cruise Thru History ” that was scheduled to take place this spring .
The cruise was to stop in Italy , Croatia , Israel , and Greece , with tours along the way .
“ What better way could there be to let your family embrace the faith , culture and values that you cherish than to let them experience it for themselves in the places where it actually happened : Jerusalem , Athens or Venice ?
” reads the website for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Venice on March 25 , and the cruise would return on April 5 .
The ship , Costa Cruise Lines ’ Costa Luminosa , had space for 2,260 guests and “ every creature comfort imaginable.
” The most basic cabins started at $ 5,395 with airfare and going up to $ 9,395 for a “ Grand Suite.
” Guests could pay an extra $ 4,999 per person for the “ Inner Circle ” package with access to a cocktail hour with Beck and other hosts , exclusive onstage access to a show with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ 2 nights dining with Glenn Beck.
” “ This was going to be our big fling , ” Jeff said .
“ And then it turned out to be a nightmare.
” Last June , Jeff and Jennifer Welliver heard about a cruise around the Mediterranean to be hosted by conservative radio host Glenn Beck and featuring other right-wing luminaries like Bill O ’ Reilly .
Jeff , 68 , a retired pharmacist , and Jennifer , 66 , had never been on a cruise before .
But they ’ re conservatives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Bill O'Reilly–sponsored .
And we thought it would be nice to be around like-minded people and not have to worry about political conversation or any innuendos.
” A customer support representative replied , saying the company was “ taking precautions ” and that the trip was moving forward .
“ I understand your concern , and we are doing everything we can , your trip is important to us .
In saying that , you are welcome to cancel but there would be no refund at this time.
” Finally in March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be rescheduled .
But this wasn ’ t going to work for the Wolaks ; Beth needed back surgery , which she had in April and is still recovering from .
On April 27 , the Wolaks emailed CruiseBuilder again , asking for a refund .
“ That money was very hard to save but we were willing to spend on [ the ] trip of a lifetime but now we need it for medical issues.
” CruiseBuilder again declined to issue a refund , saying that the money had already been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ As of now , we are unable to issue any refunds simply because we have already used the money you paid to pay for everything in your cruise package , ” the customer support representative wrote .
The Wolaks have now hired a lawyer , who sent a letter to CruiseBuilder demanding their refund within 14 days on June 16 .
Despite CruiseBuilder 's insistence that the cruise has only been postponed , not canceled , the cruise line itself referred to the situation as a cancellation in an automated email to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We write to inform you that due to the cancellation of your cruise , all related optional bookings made on MyCosta have also been canceled , ” Costa Cruise Lines wrote .
Costa Cruise Lines did not comment on the customer complaints about the trip .
But in a comment responding to a customer seeking answers on the cruise Facebook Group last week , CruiseBuilder wrote that the company had not received its money back from the cruise line and that it was looking at two potential new dates for the cruise , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year and one next spring .
Beck ’ s only public comments on the subject before this week came in a YouTube video shot selfie-style and uploaded on March 6 .
He sounded apologetic to the cruisers while telling them the trip was being postponed .
“ I really want to go see the Holy Land and have these experiences and have them with you when we ’ re all relaxed and not freaking out about the coronavirus , ” he said .
Beck has encouraged older Americans to go back to work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ May , “ I would rather have my children stay home and have all of us who are over 50 go in and keep this economy going and working .
Even if we all get sick , I ’ d rather die than kill the country .
Because it ’ s not the economy that ’ s dying , it ’ s the country.
” Beck in the March video thanked CruiseBuilder , which “ have been remarkable partners for us '' and promised that the cruise organizers would “ get back to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ details on when this is happening.
” O ’ Reilly did not reply to a request for comment about the trip .
CruiseBuilder is based in South Jordan , Utah , and was launched in 2017 .
According to a source familiar with the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity , CruiseBuilder approached Beck to do the cruise .
The source also said Beck hadn ’ t yet received any compensation for the cruise .
In a phone call with BuzzFeed News , two CruiseBuilder executives , President Wes Cobos and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , confirmed they had been the ones to retain Beck and the other talent for the trip , and the company was now looking at a spring 2021 date .
“ Overwhelmingly , the large majority of our guests are super excited about this trip , ” Burgess said .
But , he added , “ we totally understand that there are some who simply won ’ t be able to make the new dates work ” and that “ options ” would be provided to people in that category when the new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ options ” would include a refund .
The pair said the future cruise would feature the same itinerary as the original one .
Cobos and Burgess said the cruise had involved dealing with dozens of different vendors in various countries , and “ very few of them have offered refunds.
” Cobos said some of the vendors had offered travel credits , but because the postponement had taken place within 20 days of the scheduled departure date , they weren ’ t “ contractually obligated to do anything.
” He blamed “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” for the continuing uncertainty around the dates , adding , “ patience is one thing we ’ ve asked of our customers.
” When asked about Beck ’ s statement that refunds should be offered to anyone who wants one , Cobos said , “ We 're an advocate for our customer .
That 's why we 'll have options for them that they 'll be able to be reimbursed if they 're unable to make those new dates , and we 'll continue to do that.
” Asked if they felt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place , Burgess said , “ We 're excited and looking ahead to 2021 , and like the majority of our customers , they 're excited , too .
We ’ re aware of those who are excited to go , and we ’ re aware of those who have questions and are trying to address those and help those individually.
” The comments piling up on CruiseBuilder ’ s Yelp page , the “ Come Sail Away ” page on Facebook built for the Beck cruise , the Facebook Group it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Better Business Bureau indicate a different customer experience .
“ Why do you refuse to issue a refund , ” wrote one angry customer , Chris D. Connell , on the `` Come Sail Away '' Facebook page .
“ These people are criminals and are not to be trusted , ” wrote “ Jon M. ” in a review on CruiseBuilder ’ s Better Business Bureau page in February .
It ’ s unclear how many people are demanding their money back , and there are indications that some interest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the “ Glenn Beck Cruise Thru History : Book Club ” Facebook Group , which now features weekly complaints from disgruntled passengers , a separate group has sprung up “ for only those who are going on Glenn 's Cruise .
If you have decided you can not go forward and commit to the new dates , please no angry/disrespectful commentary will be allowed .
Comments will be deleted and you will be blocked from the page .
We want to keep the excitement of the cruise to continue.
” Even people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policies don ’ t cover this situation , since CruiseBuilder is continuing to say that the trip is not canceled , merely postponed .
Bess Foster and Jon Mabry , 52 and 49 , who live just outside the Grand Canyon in Arizona , bought travel insurance through American Express after the news about the coronavirus in February raised doubts about the trip .
Like everyone else , the couple spent weeks in suspense about the status of the trip before learning it was being “ rescheduled.
” “ It seems like they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ word 'canceled , ' ” Foster said .
Foster compiled all the information they would need to file a claim through their travel insurance , but the claim was denied because the trip has not been officially canceled .
Foster and Mabry spent $ 22,000 on their trip .
Nancy Lee Clark , a travel insurance agent who has two customers in this situation , said it was highly unusual that cruise companies would refuse to issue refunds in the current environment .
“ It 's extremely unusual right now , ” Clark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who are just being told , ‘ you 're basically out of luck until we feel like doing this.
’ ” Kelly Stevenson , 39 , an author of teen romance novels who lives in the Dallas area with her husband , said that going through CruiseBuilder had been the only way to book the trip .
That fact has ended up preventing the couple from getting back the $ 13,000 they spent booking the trip ; Stevenson spoke with Costa Cruise Lines and was told that although they had issued refunds to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not do so for people on Beck ’ s cruise because they had booked through CruiseBuilder .
Stevenson said her and her husband ’ s experience with CruiseBuilder has been “ awful.
” She said they have had to badger the company almost daily with phone calls and emails , only to be either ignored or told they won ’ t be getting a refund — or in one case , she said , mocked for expressing reservations about going to Italy .
“ The way we ’ ve been treated by this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beck , has been beyond disappointing , ” Stevenson wrote .
“ When all the cruise lines ( and airlines ) are offering refunds and Glenn Beck is silent on the matter ... it ’ s downright disgusting.
” Asked about the Stevensons ' experience , CruiseBuilder 's Burgess on Friday said , `` This is concerning because it is not typical at all .
As was mentioned yesterday , our goal is 100 % customer satisfaction '' and that the company would `` look into the matter further . ''
Even if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fall , some who signed up are now wary of getting on a cruise at any point , like Jeff Welliver , who has preexisting conditions that make him especially vulnerable to the virus .
“ It is almost laughable to listen to Glenn Beck on the radio right now knowing what I know now , ” he said .
“ His crusade for righteousness is the biggest hypocrisy I have ever encountered .
He knows what the right thing is to do .
It 's just a matter of : Is he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our money ?
”

A customer support representative replied, saying the company was “taking precautions” and that the trip was moving forward. “I understand your concern, and we are doing everything we can, your trip is important to us. In saying that, you are welcome to cancel but there would be no refund at this time.”
Finally in March, the travel agency announced the trip would be rescheduled. But this wasn’t going to work for the Wolaks; Beth needed back surgery, which she had in April and is still recovering from. On April 27, the Wolaks emailed CruiseBuilder again, asking for a refund. “That money was very hard to save but we were willing to spend on [the] trip of a lifetime but now we need it for medical issues.”
CruiseBuilder again declined to issue a refund, saying that the money had already been spent on vendors for the cruise. “As of now, we are unable to issue any refunds simply because we have already used the money you paid to pay for everything in your cruise package,” the customer support representative wrote.
The Wolaks have now hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to CruiseBuilder demanding their refund within 14 days on June 16.
Despite CruiseBuilder's insistence that the cruise has only been postponed, not canceled, the cruise line itself referred to the situation as a cancellation in an automated email to the Wellivers on March 11. “We write to inform you that due to the cancellation of your cruise, all related optional bookings made on MyCosta have also been canceled,” Costa Cruise Lines wrote.
In a comment responding to a customer seeking answers on the cruise Facebook Group last week, CruiseBuilder wrote that the company had not received its money back from the cruise line and that it was looking at two potential new dates for the cruise, one in the last quarter of this year and one next spring.
In a statement Saturday evening, Cruisebuilder said the company is "evaluating ongoing transportation restrictions and pending port openings with the goal of setting a new departure date within the next two weeks."
The company said because the cruise was postponed and not canceled, guests booked on the cruise have not received refunds. "Refund options will be clarified once a date is set," according to the statement.
Scott Knutson, vice president of sales and marketing for Costa Cruises North America, said, “Obviously, the COVID-19 pandemic created new and unprecedented challenges that have continued to complicate our efforts to fix an alternative departure date. Cruisebuilder and Costa are working with the relevant authorities and ports to set a replacement date, and we anticipate making an announcement in the coming weeks relative to providing an identical package to the one guests originally purchased.”
Beck’s only public comments on the subject before this week came in a YouTube video shot selfie-style and uploaded on March 6. He sounded apologetic to the cruisers while telling them the trip was being postponed. “I really want to go see the Holy Land and have these experiences and have them with you when we’re all relaxed and not freaking out about the coronavirus,” he said. Beck has encouraged older Americans to go back to work on his radio show, saying in May, “I would rather have my children stay home and have all of us who are over 50 go in and keep this economy going and working. Even if we all get sick, I’d rather die than kill the country. Because it’s not the economy that’s dying, it’s the country.”
Beck in the March video thanked CruiseBuilder, which “have been remarkable partners for us" and promised that the cruise organizers would “get back to you next week with all of the details on when this is happening.”
O’Reilly did not reply to a request for comment about the trip.
CruiseBuilder is based in South Jordan, Utah, and was launched in 2017. According to a source familiar with the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity, CruiseBuilder approached Beck to do the cruise. The source also said Beck hadn’t yet received any compensation for the cruise.
In a phone call with BuzzFeed News, two CruiseBuilder executives, President Wes Cobos and Jason Burgess, vice president for marketing, confirmed they had been the ones to retain Beck and the other talent for the trip, and the company was now looking at a spring 2021 date.
“Overwhelmingly, the large majority of our guests are super excited about this trip,” Burgess said. But, he added, “we totally understand that there are some who simply won’t be able to make the new dates work” and that “options” would be provided to people in that category when the new dates are finalized. He said the “options” would include a refund. The pair said the future cruise would feature the same itinerary as the original one.
Cobos and Burgess said the cruise had involved dealing with dozens of different vendors in various countries, and “very few of them have offered refunds.” Cobos said some of the vendors had offered travel credits, but because the postponement had taken place within 20 days of the scheduled departure date, they weren’t “contractually obligated to do anything.” He blamed “multiple factors that are beyond our control” for the continuing uncertainty around the dates, adding, “patience is one thing we’ve asked of our customers.”
When asked about Beck’s statement that refunds should be offered to anyone who wants one, Cobos said, “We're an advocate for our customer. That's why we'll have options for them that they'll be able to be reimbursed if they're unable to make those new dates, and we'll continue to do that.”
Asked if they felt certain that the rescheduled cruise would take place, Burgess said, “We're excited and looking ahead to 2021, and like the majority of our customers, they're excited, too. We’re aware of those who are excited to go, and we’re aware of those who have questions and are trying to address those and help those individually.”
The comments piling up on CruiseBuilder’s Yelp page, the “Come Sail Away” page on Facebook built for the Beck cruise, the Facebook Group it’s hosting for cruisers, and complaints to the Better Business Bureau indicate a different customer experience.
“Why do you refuse to issue a refund,” wrote one angry customer, Chris D. Connell, on the "Come Sail Away" Facebook page.
“These people are criminals and are not to be trusted,” wrote “Jon M.” in a review on CruiseBuilder’s Better Business Bureau page in February.
It’s unclear how many people are demanding their money back, and there are indications that some interest in the trip continues; apart from the “Glenn Beck Cruise Thru History: Book Club” Facebook Group, which now features weekly complaints from disgruntled passengers, a separate group has sprung up “for only those who are going on Glenn's Cruise. If you have decided you can not go forward and commit to the new dates, please no angry/disrespectful commentary will be allowed. Comments will be deleted and you will be blocked from the page. We want to keep the excitement of the cruise to continue.”
Even people who bought travel insurance have found that their policies don’t cover this situation, since CruiseBuilder is continuing to say that the trip is not canceled, merely postponed.
Bess Foster and Jon Mabry, 52 and 49, who live just outside the Grand Canyon in Arizona, bought travel insurance through American Express after the news about the coronavirus in February raised doubts about the trip.
Like everyone else, the couple spent weeks in suspense about the status of the trip before learning it was being “rescheduled.”
“It seems like they were very careful to never use the word 'canceled,'” Foster said. Foster compiled all the information they would need to file a claim through their travel insurance, but the claim was denied because the trip has not been officially canceled. Foster and Mabry spent $22,000 on their trip.
Nancy Lee Clark, a travel insurance agent who has two customers in this situation, said it was highly unusual that cruise companies would refuse to issue refunds in the current environment.
“It's extremely unusual right now,” Clark said. “These are older Americans who are just being told, ‘you're basically out of luck until we feel like doing this.’”
Kelly Stevenson, 39, an author of teen romance novels who lives in the Dallas area with her husband, said that going through CruiseBuilder had been the only way to book the trip. That fact has ended up preventing the couple from getting back the $13,000 they spent booking the trip; Stevenson spoke with Costa Cruise Lines and was told that although they had issued refunds to people on other cruises, they could not do so for people on Beck’s cruise because they had booked through CruiseBuilder.
Stevenson said her and her husband’s experience with CruiseBuilder has been “awful.” She said they have had to badger the company almost daily with phone calls and emails, only to be either ignored or told they won’t be getting a refund — or in one case, she said, mocked for expressing reservations about going to Italy.
“The way we’ve been treated by this company, and the silence from Glenn Beck, has been beyond disappointing,” Stevenson wrote. “When all the cruise lines (and airlines) are offering refunds and Glenn Beck is silent on the matter... it’s downright disgusting.”
Asked about the Stevensons' experience, CruiseBuilder's Burgess on Friday said, "This is concerning because it is not typical at all. As was mentioned yesterday, our goal is 100% customer satisfaction" and that the company would "look into the matter further."
Even if the cruise does take place in the fall, some who signed up are now wary of getting on a cruise at any point, like Jeff Welliver, who has preexisting conditions that make him especially vulnerable to the virus.
“It is almost laughable to listen to Glenn Beck on the radio right now knowing what I know now,” he said. “His crusade for righteousness is the biggest hypocrisy I have ever encountered. He knows what the right thing is to do. It's just a matter of: Is he gonna sacrifice us rather than refund our money?”


buzzfeed--2020-06-27--At Least 18 Members Of One Family Have The Coronavirus After A Surprise Birthday Party

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`` Everybody says , 'Oh , it 's my family .
I 'm going to go see my brother .
I ’ m going to see my cousin , ' and they think that ’ s a safe word , '' Barbosa told BuzzFeed News .
Three have become so ill that they have been hospitalized : Barbosa 's 88-year-old dad , his 86-year-old mom , and his sister , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But after family members went golfing and threw a surprise birthday dinner party for one of Barbosa 's family members last month , at least 18 members of the extended family have become sick with COVID-19 .
Ron Barbosa 's family has always been close .
Members of the Dallas-area family see each other practically every day , and when the coronavirus pandemic struck , many of them thought it would be OK to continue spending time together .
While they are n't certain if the virus started spreading among the family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 53 , who did not attend the gathering , said that based on the time they started to see symptoms , it seems like the initial transmission among family members happened that weekend .
`` It ’ s a big loving family that gets together all the time and they have dinner and this just happened to be a surprise birthday dinner , '' Barbosa said .
He said he believes his nephew , who hosted the party with his wife , was first exposed to the disease at work and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the gathering .
Earlier in the day , some of the men in the family went golfing together , and now Barbosa thinks it 's possible they were exposed then .
`` Next thing you know , the two nephews that basically live next door to him , they get the same cough and diarrhea , body aches , and they start getting sick , '' Barbosa said .
`` By the 6th [ of June ] , there was a lot of symptoms .
And by the 9th , people are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the 13th , [ my family ] had to take my sister and my mom to the hospital . ''
The rapid spread of the coronavirus among the family comes as cases explode in Texas , prompting officials there to scramble to bring things under control .
As of Thursday , the state has recorded more than 130,000 cases of COVID-19 and more than 2,200 deaths .
Due to recent increases in case numbers and hospitalizations , Gov .
Greg Abbott said on Thursday the state will pause any further reopening .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ do as a state is go backwards and close down businesses , '' Abbott said in a statement .
`` This temporary pause will help our state corral the spread until we can safely enter the next phase of opening our state for business . ''
Public health experts have advised people to avoid any close contact with those outside of their immediate household , wear face coverings , and keep a safe distance from others when they leave home to protect those who are at higher risk of severe illness .
Barbosa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ photographer , said he and his wife , a doctor , have not been spending much time with family outside of their own household and that they wear masks and keep their distance when they do see them .
But he knows not everyone in his family has been doing the same .
`` The kids feel like they ’ re bulletproof , '' he said .
`` [ They say ] , 'We ’ re safe .
We ’ re going to keep living .
We ’ re going to take trips @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We 're blasting off ! '
''

While they aren't certain if the virus started spreading among the family at the May 30 party, Barbosa, 53, who did not attend the gathering, said that based on the time they started to see symptoms, it seems like the initial transmission among family members happened that weekend.
"It’s a big loving family that gets together all the time and they have dinner and this just happened to be a surprise birthday dinner," Barbosa said.
He said he believes his nephew, who hosted the party with his wife, was first exposed to the disease at work and that he had a cough on the day of the gathering. Earlier in the day, some of the men in the family went golfing together, and now Barbosa thinks it's possible they were exposed then.
"Next thing you know, the two nephews that basically live next door to him, they get the same cough and diarrhea, body aches, and they start getting sick," Barbosa said. "By the 6th [of June], there was a lot of symptoms. And by the 9th, people are getting really, really bad. And by the 13th, [my family] had to take my sister and my mom to the hospital."
The rapid spread of the coronavirus among the family comes as cases explode in Texas, prompting officials there to scramble to bring things under control. As of Thursday, the state has recorded more than 130,000 cases of COVID-19 and more than 2,200 deaths.
Due to recent increases in case numbers and hospitalizations, Gov. Greg Abbott said on Thursday the state will pause any further reopening. "The last thing we want to do as a state is go backwards and close down businesses," Abbott said in a statement. "This temporary pause will help our state corral the spread until we can safely enter the next phase of opening our state for business."
Public health experts have advised people to avoid any close contact with those outside of their immediate household, wear face coverings, and keep a safe distance from others when they leave home to protect those who are at higher risk of severe illness.
Barbosa, who is a volunteer EMT and photographer, said he and his wife, a doctor, have not been spending much time with family outside of their own household and that they wear masks and keep their distance when they do see them. But he knows not everyone in his family has been doing the same.
"The kids feel like they’re bulletproof," he said. "[They say], 'We’re safe. We’re going to keep living. We’re going to take trips, even. The airfares are down. We're blasting off!'"


buzzfeed--2020-06-27--Miley Cyrus Revealed She Quit Drugs Six Months Ago And Opened Up About The "Stigma" Of Being Young A

Miley Cyrus Revealed She Quit Drugs Six Months Ago And Opened Up About The "Stigma" Of Being Young And Sober

`` My mom was adopted , and I inherited some of the feelings she had , the abandonment feelings and @ @ @ @ @ ’ re wanted and valuable , '' Miley explained .
She went on : `` @ @ @ @ @ family history , which has a lot of addiction and mental health challenges .
So @ @ @ @ @ asking , 'Why am I the way that I am ? '
By understanding the @ @ @ @ @ present and the future much more clearly . ''

"I’ve been sober sober for the past six months. At the beginning, it was just about this vocal surgery," she said, before revealing she had done some research into her family background and found a history of addiction.


buzzfeed--2020-06-27--Some People Just Learned Washing Machines Have Filters You Need To Clean, So They Are Doing It For T

Some People Just Learned Washing Machines Have Filters You Need To Clean, So They Are Doing It For The First Time And It's Gnarly

I will fully admit that all of this information was news to me .
So I went to look at @ @ @ @ @ sure enough , at the bottom was a little door with a sticker that said @ @ @ @ @ two months .
I did not see anything about draining the hose , so I @ @ @ @ @ Bob Vila , only some machines have the drain hose , but they still should @ @ @ @ @ .

I will fully admit that all of this information was news to me. So I went to look at my washing machine and, sure enough, at the bottom was a little door with a sticker that said to clean the filter every two months. I did not see anything about draining the hose, so I googled that. According to Bob Vila, only some machines have the drain hose, but they still should be regularly drained for cleanliness.


buzzfeed--2020-06-27--Trump's Visa Ban Has Sent Foreign Workers And Families In A Panic: "We Don't Know What Else To Do"

Sraboni Bose was sitting in her parents ’ home in India this week closely reading a proclamation signed by President Trump that restricted the entry of thousands of foreign workers and their families .
As she did , she looked for any confirmation that it wouldn ’ t affect her family .
Her husband , a software engineer , was in Texas and had a current H-1B visa .
Check .
She had come to India in February for her brother ’ s wedding , but had her H-4 visa —for spouses and children of certain foreign workers — stamped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daughter was set to get her H-4 visa renewed before the coronavirus pandemic prompted the US to halt regular processing of visas .
Foreign workers and their families can receive extensions on their stay in America , but if they travel abroad , updated visa stamps are necessary to reenter the US .
She had yet to get the stamp .
Bose , 32 , read the order over and over , and every time she came to the same fear : Since her daughter did not have her valid visa on June @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she believes she will not be allowed to return to the US .
“ I was devastated .
We never imagined this would occur , ” she told BuzzFeed News .
“ How can a 5-year-old affect the economy ?
She studies pre-K and wants to see her dad.
” “ How can A H4 minor waiting for stamping for 4 months in India affect the economy !
?
?
@ USCIS @ StateDept .
We have been waiting in India for four months for her F2F Interview which was cancelled in light @ @ @ @ @ @ @ considerations when the H1 is in USA , ” she wrote .
A State Department spokesperson said the agency could not comment on individual cases because visa records are confidential under federal law , and instead referred to the text of Trump 's proclamation .
Bose is just one of thousands of people stuck abroad or who have family outside the US seeking answers on social media in the days since Trump signed his order suspending some employment-based visas for foreigners .
It ’ s a phenomenon that ’ s played out since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a broad order impacting thousands of people who are left confused , anxious , and seeking help or advice online .
The proclamation has spawned hashtags such as # excludeusfromban and # LetMeGoHome .
Immigration attorneys who have put out calls for stories or offered advice have been inundated with replies and messages .
The State Department has been responding to tweets all week on the order ’ s particulars .
Even some reporters have been sought out for their expertise .
“ The administration 's execution of this and other immigration policies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ populations , ” said Sarah Pierce , an analyst at the Migration Policy Institute .
“ Ideally , a major policy change like this one would have been accompanied by Q & As from relevant agencies to educate the public and efforts to reach out to stakeholders so they were prepared for the change .
Instead , we 've seen the affected population and their advocates reduced to seeking advice on their futures in 240-character bits.
” Trump ’ s proclamation details how “ under ordinary circumstances , properly administered temporary worker programs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But under the economic situation following the pandemic , “ certain nonimmigrant visa programs authorizing such employment pose an unusual threat to the employment of American workers.
” The order , signed Monday , suspended H-1B visas for specialized highly skilled workers , most H-2B visas for nonagricultural seasonal workers , most J-1 visas for exchange visitors , and H-4 visas for those accompanying workers .
Sharvari Dalal-Dheini , director of government relations at the American Immigration Lawyers Association , said the conversations on Twitter were proof of “ total confusion , lack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people ’ s livelihoods and their futures.
” The outpouring of questions and pleas for help this past week could also be attributed to the large number of people affected and the cumulative impact of yet another immigration order restricting access to the US , said Greg Siskind , a Tennessee-based immigration lawyer .
Siskind said he has received thousands of messages on social media .
When he can ’ t get to a question on Twitter , people flood his LinkedIn , Facebook , and email seeking advice .
“ This is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve gotten used to with this White House , ” he said in reference to previous orders like the initial ban on travel from seven Muslim-majority countries that led to chaos at airports across the US .
This time around , he said , the order ’ s language has tripped up even the most seasoned of attorneys .
“ The order itself is written confusingly so even the experts can ’ t really be sure who ’ s in and who ’ s out , ” he said .
There are still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visas , but leave the US and go abroad , will be subject to the ban if they need new visa stamps to return .
Siskind said State Department officials have said online that these individuals would not be able to return to the US , but “ that ’ s a complete contradiction of the plain language of the order.
” He believes that those like Bose ’ s child could be denied entry .
Gayatri Patankar , a 32-year-old Arizona resident , was one of those who reached out to Siskind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ India along with her infant and husband earlier this year .
She had needed a new H1B visa stamp , but was unable to receive it because of the consulate closures .
She later lost her job and hoped to return to the US on an H4 visa along with her husband .
“ Hi , I came India with 2 month old infant for family reasons and have been stuck here since then .
I have been studying/working in USA for 7 years now .
We have our home , car and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help us go back home .
This is not fair , ” Patankar tweeted at Siskind .
She asked for help and guidance on Twitter , she added , because “ we don ’ t know what else to do.
” Sakshi Sharma , a 30-year-old H-1B visa holder who lives in Baltimore , had been thinking about her husband when she went on social media .
He had to leave the US for Canada once his student visa ran out .
Because of the proclamation , he will not be able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the US .
“ I am personally impacted by the family separation ban .
I know friends who visited India to meet dying parents for one last time , leaving newly wedded spouse , home , car , everything in US and are now stuck !
This is inhuman , ” she tweeted .
She posted her predicament on Twitter because she wanted people to know that the proclamation “ separates me from my husband..we have a lot of things planned for our personal and professional life for the next 6 -12 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have lost all of that.
” Meanwhile , Bose is left with difficult conversations with her 5-year-old daughter on whether they will be able to return to the US anytime soon .
The family has lived in the US for the last three years .
“ I don ’ t know how to explain it to her , ” she said .
“ I told her , ‘ Right now the proclamation is not letting us because they think some of us can work and that can not help them because they want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you ’ re grounded or in a timeout .
You can ’ t see your dad for another 6 months .
’ ”

Sraboni Bose was sitting in her parents’ home in India this week closely reading a proclamation signed by President Trump that restricted the entry of thousands of foreign workers and their families. As she did, she looked for any confirmation that it wouldn’t affect her family.
Her husband, a software engineer, was in Texas and had a current H-1B visa. Check.
She had come to India in February for her brother’s wedding, but had her H-4 visa —for spouses and children of certain foreign workers — stamped and renewed. Check.
Her 5-year-old daughter was set to get her H-4 visa renewed before the coronavirus pandemic prompted the US to halt regular processing of visas. Foreign workers and their families can receive extensions on their stay in America, but if they travel abroad, updated visa stamps are necessary to reenter the US. She had yet to get the stamp.
Bose, 32, read the order over and over, and every time she came to the same fear: Since her daughter did not have her valid visa on June 24 as required by the proclamation, she believes she will not be allowed to return to the US.
“I was devastated. We never imagined this would occur,” she told BuzzFeed News. “How can a 5-year-old affect the economy? She studies pre-K and wants to see her dad.”
Desperate, Bose tweeted about her family’s saga.
“How can A H4 minor waiting for stamping for 4 months in India affect the economy!?? @USCIS @StateDept . We have been waiting in India for four months for her F2F Interview which was cancelled in light of Covid-19. There should be some considerations when the H1 is in USA,” she wrote.


buzzfeed--2020-06-27--The CDC Lost Control Of The Coronavirus Pandemic. Then The Agency Disappeared.

The world ’ s premier health agency pushed a flawed coronavirus containment strategy — until it disappeared from public view one day before the outbreak was declared a pandemic .
On January 17 , the world ’ s most trusted public health agency , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , announced it was screening travelers from Wuhan , China , because of a new infectious respiratory illness striking that city .
It was the CDC ’ s first public briefing on the outbreak , coming as China reported 45 cases of the illness and two deaths linked to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Chinese health officials had not yet confirmed that the new illness was transmitted from person to person .
But there was reason to believe that it might be : four days earlier , officials in Thailand confirmed their first case , a traveler from Wuhan who had not visited the seafood market .
“ Based on the information that CDC has today , we believe the current risk from this virus to the general public is low , ” said Nancy Messonnier , the CDC ’ s director of the National Center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 54 , was a veteran of the CDC ’ s renowned Epidemiological Intelligence Service , where she had risen through the ranks during the national responses to the anthrax attacks and the previous decade ’ s swine flu pandemic to eventually head the agency ’ s vaccines center .
Most of the novel coronavirus ’ s infections apparently went “ from animals to people , ” she explained , and human transmission was “ limited.
” There were many reasons why the information the CDC had on January 17 was wrong .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaders withheld what they already knew about the virus from the World Health Organization .
It was wrong , perhaps , because Trump administration officials had cut CDC staffers in Beijing who might have reported the truth directly from China .
And it was wrong because past coronavirus outbreaks provided a false guide to an illness new to humanity .
That last reason — a fateful misjudgment of the basic biology of the virus — drove a flawed strategy to contain the outbreak .
In 17 press briefings from January to March , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ travelers , first from Wuhan and then from China , were quickly identified , traced , and isolated , it could “ slow and reduce ” the spread of the virus on US soil .
Believing people without symptoms did n't spread the virus , the agency limited testing , discouraged masking , and left the country blinded by a faulty COVID-19 test .
Then , when the containment strategy 's failure became undeniable , just one day before the WHO declared the outbreak a pandemic — the CDC disappeared from public view @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we had an aggressive tracing program , but unfortunately , as the cases rose , it went beyond the capacity , ” CDC Director Robert Redfield later testified to Congress .
A fatal misunderstanding about the new virus At that first CDC coronavirus briefing , Messonnier explained what two other coronaviruses , MERS and SARS , could tell us about how to contain the mysterious new virus .
And she described the crux of their containment plan : stopping the disease from entering the US by screening for travelers with a fever and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ putting sick people in isolation .
“ We know from investigation of those two viruses that they are more likely to spread when somebody is more contagious , ” she said .
“ Asymptomatic people can spread , but at a much lower rate.
” SARS was a novel coronavirus whose outbreak in 2002 and 2003 killed 774 people , largely travelers and hospital personnel .
It was most contagious when someone was severely ill , making quarantines very effective because by the time someone was most contagious , they were usually already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which has killed at least 845 people since 2012 , is likewise most often transmitted from terribly ill patients .
SARS-CoV-2 is entirely different .
We now know that COVID-19 patients have the heaviest viral load — and appear most infectious — at the onset of symptoms , not at the end .
People who haven ’ t yet developed any symptoms , and therefore wouldn ’ t show up in the CDC ’ s temperature checks , are responsible for more than 40 % of the virus ’ s spread .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ early in an infection will develop a fever .
In its first briefing , CDC officials acknowledged they still knew very little about the new virus .
“ CDC will adjust its screening and response procedures appropriately , ” said the CDC ’ s Marty Cetron , director of the Global Migration and Quarantine Division .
Three days later , China confirmed the virus spread from person to person .
Within a week , Chinese officials took the unprecedented move of quarantining Wuhan , a city of 11 million people , sending a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread outside the hospital setting .
Nevertheless , the CDC stuck to its screening plan .
“ We are looking for returning travelers who have fever , cough , and respiratory symptoms , ” said Messonnier at the agency ’ s next briefing on January 23 .
At the following briefing , on January 27 , she reiterated the core assumption of the agency ’ s screening strategy : “ We at CDC don ’ t have any clear evidence of patients being infectious before symptom onset.
” We now know that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soil by this time , with at least four lines of evidence supporting that conclusion .
There is the case of a Northern California woman who became sick on January 31 and died within a week .
And there is genetic evidence : The slow but steady mutation rate of the novel coronavirus , amounting to a few tiny changes every month , serves as a kind of footprint to track its spread .
Scientists currently believe that trail points to the virus ’ s spread starting in November in China and arriving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through undetected , asymptomatic cases .
On January 30 , with 7,800 known cases in 22 countries , the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern .
The same day , the US announced the first case of person-to-person transmission of the virus in the country ; the husband of a Chicago woman who had acquired the illness in China .
The next day , Health and Human Service Secretary Alex Azar announced the outbreak was a national public health emergency , and the White House declared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China .
China typically sent 14,000 air passengers a day into the US .
The order allowed the quarantine of anyone exposed to the virus , and both Redfield and Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , cited the risk of asymptomatic transmission to justify the action .
Despite the need for widespread testing made apparent by the reports of people without symptoms spreading the disease , the CDC ’ s criteria was very narrow : Only people with a fever , cough , and shortness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ province or had close contact with a confirmed patient could be tested .
Hospitalized patients with those symptoms who had traveled to China within the last 14 days could also get a test .
Driven in part by these restrictions , others with symptoms — including healthcare workers concerned about their exposure to the virus in hospitals — initially struggled to get tested .
Genetic tests for coronavirus work by detecting traces of signature genetic material from the virus called RNA .
The CDC developed a test that looked for three pieces of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The WHO , meanwhile , had been sending a reliable test made by the German Center for Infection Research worldwide since the middle of January .
China had five commercial tests already on the market by the beginning of February .
The US had only the CDC test , used on fewer than 250 people by February 1 and processed solely at the agency ’ s Atlanta headquarters .
When asked about the other testing options , Messonnier said the CDC preferred to have its own , more precise test .
Whatever the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ touted the authorization of its genetic test for wider use alongside FDA Chief Scientist Denise Hinton , who said her agency had sent the template for similar authorizations to 35 other test developers .
Things went bad quickly .
On February 9 , the Association of Public Health Laboratories sent a message to its member labs in all 50 states , notifying them that they ’ d had problems verifying the test .
In a press conference five days later , optimism about containing the virus began to fade , with Messonnier acknowledging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” in the diagnostic test .
“ We must prepare for the possibility that at some point we may see sustained community spread in other countries or in the US , and this will trigger a change in our response strategies.
” Asked what that meant , Messonier replied that switching from containment to “ mitigation ” of the outbreak would mean “ social distancing , school closures , canceling mass gatherings , ” as well as “ teleschooling , telemedicine , teleworking ” — the first mention of such measures at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s playbook on flu pandemics , Messonnier discouraged the public from using face masks , echoing similar advice from the WHO and US Surgeon General Jerome Adams .
Since masks were thought to prevent the transmission of a virus from coughing , health officials feared a run on surgical masks would keep them from reaching vulnerable public health workers in hospitals , where most infectious patients driving a coronavirus outbreak would be located .
In April , facing increasing pressure from public health experts , the CDC urged Americans to don cloth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first noted by Redfield and Fauci at the end of January .
But the damage was done : Months later , the initial confusion over the utility of widespread use of face coverings has only made masks more of a political flashpoint .
Meanwhile , as February came to a close , the CDC ’ s test still wasn ’ t working in most labs .
An FDA official arrived to inspect the CDC ’ s lab on February 22 , a Saturday , but was not allowed in until the next day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contamination fouling the test .
A June HHS investigation confirmed that the CDC ’ s Respiratory Virus Diagnostic Lab , which was assembling the reagents , was also likely contaminated .
The investigation noted that the agency skipped quality control testing on the kits before shipping them to public health labs .
Frustrated , the Association of Public Health Laboratories on February 25 requested that the FDA allow its labs across the country to go ahead with their own tests .
Only a dozen labs were able to run the CDC ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the federal health agency was running tests for only around 100 patients a day .
In her opening remarks at a fateful CDC briefing on February 25 , Messonnier finally dropped any pretense that the US would not suffer from the outbreak .
“ You should ask your children ’ s school about their plans for school dismissals or school closures , ” she said .
“ You should think about what you would do for childcare if schools or daycares close , if teleworking is an option for you.
” The remarks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , combined with a stock market drop , reportedly enraged President Donald Trump .
The next day , he replaced Azar with Vice President Mike Pence as chair of his coronavirus task force , which began daily briefings that would soon replace the CDC ’ s .
`` It 's going to disappear .
One day , it ’ s like a miracle , it will disappear , '' Trump said on February 27 , at a Black History Month reception .
The FDA and the CDC soon gave public health labs , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , permission to use their own tests instead of the CDC ’ s .
No other authorized tests were available yet for the virus in the US at the time , despite the FDA ’ s claim that 35 companies were working to develop their own tests at the beginning of the month .
Then , weeks after its first guidance was issued , the CDC broadened its criteria for testing patients , eliminating the travel requirement and allowing anyone with pneumonia to get tested .
One day later , Washington State Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tested positive for the coronavirus without any link to a travel-connected case , making it the first known case of community spread in the country .
In an interview with BuzzFeed News , the CDC pushed back against the notion that the health agency could have detected the spread of the virus earlier if it had not had such narrow testing guidelines and a defective test .
The CDC would have needed “ a huge amount of testing available at that time ” to detect the virus before it had started spreading on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a member of the agency ’ s COVID-19 Response Team who later worked on a report finding genetic signs of the coronavirus in the US since late January .
“ It still would have been difficult to pick up community transmission in early February .
I think probably at best we would have been able to pick it up a week or two earlier , ” Armstrong said .
“ You would have had to test everybody who comes to the emergency room , ” he added .
But many experts have noted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a challenge , not an impossibility .
“ The federal government has consistently underestimated the need for urgency around testing for this virus , ” said Boston University School of Public Health Dean Sandro Galea , adding that this misjudgment has been a fiasco for public health labs .
Two days later , on February 29 , those same Washington state officials reported the first suspected US death from COVID-19 , of a man in his fifties with an underlying illness .
They also reported the first outbreak in a nursing home , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington , where ultimately at least 43 residents died .
The same day , Gov .
Jay Inslee declared a state of emergency .
The virus was clearly loose in the US .
Asked on the day of the Life Care Center report whether nursing homes should be closed , Messonnier replied , “ Right now , we still judge the general risk to the American public to be low , and that includes residents of long-term care facilities.
” Another Washington state resident , a man in his seventies , died that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more died , bringing the death total in the US to six people .
Four of them were Life Care Center residents .
Nursing home residents would eventually account for about 40 % of coronavirus deaths in the US .
At the same CDC briefing on February 29 , Jeff Duchin of Seattle and King County ’ s public health office revealed that the man who had died was only eligible for testing because of the CDC ’ s updated recommendations .
“ If we had the ability to test earlier , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients earlier in the community , ” he said .
Frieden , the former CDC chief , argued that the agency failed largely because it has been shackled to an inept administration .
“ The overarching problem has been the failure to have a clear national strategy , a national plan , and consistent communication .
Everything really stems from that , ” he said .
“ Hindsight really always is twenty-twenty , and there were absolutely mistakes made by CDC , but also by FDA , by HHS — and by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after more than 113,000 Americans had died in the pandemic , the CDC held its first briefing in three months .
In a presentation by CDC Director Redfield , he shared the agency ’ s recommendations for lowering the risk of infection as states begin to reopen .
Along with the CDC ’ s Jay Butler , deputy director for infectious diseases , he emphasized staying 6 feet apart , washing hands , and wearing cloth masks .
The pair deflected questions on whether the guidelines applied to mass rallies announced by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the surges in cases currently hitting states like Arizona , Florida , and Texas , Butler suggested it could be explained by a rise in testing , a suggestion Fauci would dismiss in a congressional hearing two weeks later .
Messonnier was not on the call .
“ You know , I 'm hopeful that we 'll continue to have these dialogues , ” said Redfield at the close of the briefing .
” I want to thank you for what you do to help communicate the messages that we feel are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” ●

In her opening remarks at a fateful CDC briefing on February 25, Messonnier finally dropped any pretense that the US would not suffer from the outbreak. “You should ask your children’s school about their plans for school dismissals or school closures,” she said. “You should think about what you would do for childcare if schools or daycares close, if teleworking is an option for you.”
The remarks set off a news firestorm, which, combined with a stock market drop, reportedly enraged President Donald Trump. The next day, he replaced Azar with Vice President Mike Pence as chair of his coronavirus task force, which began daily briefings that would soon replace the CDC’s. "It's going to disappear. One day, it’s like a miracle, it will disappear," Trump said on February 27, at a Black History Month reception.
The FDA and the CDC soon gave public health labs, starting with New York state’s, permission to use their own tests instead of the CDC’s. No other authorized tests were available yet for the virus in the US at the time, despite the FDA’s claim that 35 companies were working to develop their own tests at the beginning of the month.
Then, weeks after its first guidance was issued, the CDC broadened its criteria for testing patients, eliminating the travel requirement and allowing anyone with pneumonia to get tested. One day later, Washington State Department of Health officials reported a teenager had tested positive for the coronavirus without any link to a travel-connected case, making it the first known case of community spread in the country.
In an interview with BuzzFeed News, the CDC pushed back against the notion that the health agency could have detected the spread of the virus earlier if it had not had such narrow testing guidelines and a defective test. The CDC would have needed “a huge amount of testing available at that time” to detect the virus before it had started spreading on US soil, said Greg Armstrong, a member of the agency’s COVID-19 Response Team who later worked on a report finding genetic signs of the coronavirus in the US since late January.
“It still would have been difficult to pick up community transmission in early February. I think probably at best we would have been able to pick it up a week or two earlier,” Armstrong said.
“You would have had to test everybody who comes to the emergency room,” he added.
But many experts have noted that this level of widespread testing was a challenge, not an impossibility. “The federal government has consistently underestimated the need for urgency around testing for this virus,” said Boston University School of Public Health Dean Sandro Galea, adding that this misjudgment has been a fiasco for public health labs.
Two days later, on February 29, those same Washington state officials reported the first suspected US death from COVID-19, of a man in his fifties with an underlying illness. They also reported the first outbreak in a nursing home, the Life Care Center of Kirkland, Washington, where ultimately at least 43 residents died. The same day, Gov. Jay Inslee declared a state of emergency.
The virus was clearly loose in the US.
Asked on the day of the Life Care Center report whether nursing homes should be closed, Messonnier replied, “Right now, we still judge the general risk to the American public to be low, and that includes residents of long-term care facilities.”
Another Washington state resident, a man in his seventies, died that Sunday. And on Monday, four more died, bringing the death total in the US to six people. Four of them were Life Care Center residents. Nursing home residents would eventually account for about 40% of coronavirus deaths in the US.
At the same CDC briefing on February 29, Jeff Duchin of Seattle and King County’s public health office revealed that the man who had died was only eligible for testing because of the CDC’s updated recommendations.
“If we had the ability to test earlier, I’m sure we would have identified patients earlier in the community,” he said.


buzzfeed--2020-06-28--19 High-Protein White Chicken Chili Recipes That'll Feed Your Whole House

White chicken chili is easy to make — and even easier to customize .
🥘 Make a super hearty batch @ @ @ @ @ a lighter version packed with produce in the summer .
If you 're vegetarian ?
@ @ @ @ @ beans .
Not in the mood to cook ?
Try a hands-off version for the @ @ @ @ @ .
You 'll find recipes for all of these ( and more ! )
below @

White chicken chili is easy to make — and even easier to customize. 🥘
Make a super hearty batch in the colder months or a lighter version packed with produce in the summer. If you're vegetarian? Ditch the chicken for white beans. Not in the mood to cook? Try a hands-off version for the Crock Pot or Instant Pot. You'll find recipes for all of these (and more!) below.


buzzfeed--2020-06-27--A Black Psychologist Shares Some Tips On Starting Therapy

Scientists can say with confidence that racism is bad for Black mental health .
Multiple experts using different approaches to studying racism-related problems have determined that racial discrimination is psychologically and physically harmful to Black people .
This may seem obvious , but even those of us who are well versed in the research likely fail to fully grasp the depth of these findings .
A professional “ collaboration ” can help .
There are psychology professionals who are trained to guide you through your scariest , most debilitating fears so you don ’ t have to be numb , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the idea of talking to a room full of people , flying on an airplane , driving down the street where you experienced a traumatic accident , or even meeting Ms. Oprah Winfrey .
A therapist can guide you toward your own resources so getting out of bed isn ’ t so hard and purpose can move dread out of your mind .
If you are overwhelmed and need help working through some considerable setbacks in your life — the loss of a loved one , a miscarriage , your addiction to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feelings of inferiority , and your recurrent thoughts of driving off the road on your way home after work ( and that was just in the last month ) — therapy can help resolve the trauma .
It can empower you to rise from hopelessness to make beneficial changes in how you live .
Unfortunately , the mental health system can be daunting .
Emotional health care is not necessarily designed with Black people in mind .
The discipline of psychology is made better with racial and ethnic diversity , but sincere efforts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who have been systematically subjected to inhumane treatment are relatively nonexistent .
( After all , psychology is the field of study that provided “ evidence ” that Black people are inferior to white people . )
There have been some efforts to be more inclusive of but there is much more work to be done .
You can , nevertheless , benefit from learning tools and strategies that help with common problems that everyone faces .
I aim to help you navigate a complex mental health care system to get what you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about .
Locating the Right Therapeutic Help Ideally , you would get a personal recommendation for a therapist from someone who has gone to that person , but I understand that you may ( 1 ) still have reservations about disclosing that you are looking for a therapist and ( 2 ) have wondered whether your personal business might get “ leaked ” to that person through the therapist .
Until our community , including African Americans , Africans , and West Indians , see therapy as beneficial and not as a sign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seek help more discreetly .
Here are some resources .
• Employee assistance programs ( EAP ) are voluntary programs offered through an employer that provide employees free and confidential assessments , short-term counseling , referrals , and follow-up services for their personal and work-related problems .
Most programs provide counselors who are equipped to address issues affecting mental and emotional well-being like the ones that we have been discussing .
• Your health insurance provider may have mental health coverage , and if you do , the health insurance company will likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This information is often accessible online .
You 'll want to look or ask specifically for “ psychotherapists.
” The search for “ counselor ” typically works but is also quite broad .
Your pastor is also a counselor but will not likely have training in psychotherapy .
A psychotherapist provides therapy for the mind and behavior .
There are numerous online resources that detail the various types of mental health professionals .
Here are some : • Therapy for Black Girls : Therapists provide contact information along with a photograph and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ site is not comprehensive by far , but many Black and African American therapists from across the United States have signed on to the directory .
• Psychology Today : This directory of therapists offers photos and detailed credentialing .
The site provides a stamp for therapists in their directory whose name , license , and contact information have been verified .
• The American Psychological Association 's psychologist locator : Only members of the American Psychological Association ( who are presumably licensed psychologists ) can be listed in the directory .
Similar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ photos , and areas of expertise are detailed and identifiable using region or therapist name .
• Research universities : Many have psychological clinics on campus that provide care to people in the community through doctoral students .
Clients benefit from cutting-edge care on a sliding-fee scale .
• The National Alliance on Mental Illness ( NAMI ) : NAMI has been around since the 1970s as a national grassroots organization .
It is a tremendous resource that provides education about mental health–related topics and advocacy for bringing attention to psychological problems .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States for you to look up to see what they offer near you .
Even if you are the only Black person in the room , you may still benefit from sharing with others who can relate to your struggles .
Suffering in isolation is much more difficult than suffering with others .
Until circumstances shift , you may be the only one seeking support who looks like you .
When my dad passed away , I participated in a monthly grief support group for a year .
I was the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parent .
I was twenty-nine years old .
The facilitator and all the other members of the group were white women in their sixties or older who had lost their spouse .
Having someone listen to my stories about my dad was helpful .
Sometimes , you just want someone to listen to you— someone who can relate somewhat to your experience and tell you that you are going to be okay .
What All Those Credentials Mean Your needs and preferences will determine who is the most qualified professional for you .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ level degrees .
There are also providers who specialize in treatment of substance-use problems who may not have graduate degrees but have earned a certification to practice .
• Licensed professional counselors ( LPC ) , licensed mental health counselors ( LMHC ) , and marriage and family therapists ( MFT ) have completed master ’ s degree level coursework in psychology , counseling , or marriage and family therapy and obtained the required number of supervised clinical hours before being authorized to see clients independently .
• Licensed clinical social workers ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ master ’ s degree level and provide individual , family , and group therapy .
• Psychiatric nurse practitioners provide mental health services and are often affiliated with a medical center or hospital .
• Psychiatrists are doctors of medicine ( MDs ) who prescribe medication .
Psychiatrists are specifically trained in the use of medicine to improve mental health .
The medications that influence brain functioning are known as “ psychotropics.
” Some psychiatrists also provide talk therapy , but the majority do not .
In most states , psychologists can not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ finding a therapist can be a dice roll , but review their personal websites for their expertise and what they offer to clients .
It may also take some of the pressure off of your search if you know that the provider that you begin with may not be the provider that you end up with .
Make a list of three possible therapist options from the start .
What to Expect in Therapy In the very first session of structured therapy , your new therapist begins by discussing confidentiality and limits to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other logistics .
The therapist will obtain background information from you ( e.g.
, work , level of education , living situation , etc. )
.
She will ask what it is that brings you in for therapy .
She will also talk about her approach to therapy .
The amount of information that the therapist shares about herself will vary but will be relatively limited in the interest of focusing more on you .
If you prefer to ask questions of the therapist to feel more comfortable , you can do so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you may have : • What is your approach to psychotherapy ?
In the first session , the therapist needs to describe her understanding of how problems come about and how best to solve them through therapy .
Therapists are trained in various approaches , and we understand the source of the problem based on our training .
As an example , some might assume that current problems are based on unresolved issues from your upbringing versus others who focus on how you see the world today .
As a result , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ understand the problem .
My own approach to therapy is cognitively oriented , and the therapy or interventions that I supervise fall in the realm of “ cognitive behavioral ” work that addresses problems that arise due to how people think about the world around them .
• How does the therapist know where to begin ?
Your new therapist will often ask you questions until she understands what is troubling you and your expectations for what life will look like when you have completed therapy .
Your expectations are tied to your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wanting life to be different or better but do not often have a specific goal in mind .
Your therapist can help you zero in on a goal if she has a sense of the problem , but ideally , this is a collaborative effort .
Just because you say that you are tired and frustrated does not mean that your fatigue is the same as the last client ’ s fatigue .
It may take a couple of sessions to break down what all is really going on .
• How long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot .
It is unlikely that any actual “ change ” would take place in the first session .
However , the therapist may ask you questions that will cause you to seriously evaluate your life situation and give you a different perspective and new insight .
Over the course of therapy , you and your therapist will work together to address the unhappiness that brought you to therapy .
You ’ ll do so in a way that makes sense to you .
At agreed-upon intervals , you can evaluate how things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , you will want to be as open as you can possibly be so the therapist understands the true nature of your problems .
You will also want to complete any assignments , tasks , or homework that the therapist advises .
You May Have to See a White Therapist Because therapy relationships are so important , you may feel that you can only trust and be comfortable with a Black therapist .
This feeling is absolutely understandable .
You would not want to subject yourself to yet another “ space ” where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you , avoid your African American vernacular to speak standard English or even worse , have your therapist act like she doesn ’ t see you as Black .
Finding a Black therapist might be ideal .
But ethnicity is not the only criteria , or the most important , for you to consider .
Your Black therapist might be nice , but if she has no experience with trauma , your capacity to improve will be limited .
The therapy might feel good because she is a great listener in a way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ listens , but you won ’ t address the trouble that your trauma has been causing you .
There are white therapists who are perfectly fine seeing a Black client .
This is important because when you are struggling emotionally , the last thing that you want to do is see a therapist who is uncomfortable around Black people .
However , I assure you that there are therapists out there who would be good at establishing a relationship with you .
You are best served if you do your homework , get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As you might expect , most therapists are white women .
The mental health system is , in many ways , a microcosm of our larger society .
Not everyone is “ culturally competent ” and able to demonstrate their ability to work with individuals who are culturally different from them .
To my knowledge , graduate programs in clinical psychology do not admit doctoral students based on their capacity to not be racist .
The assumption is that they are admitted with some common sense not to be racist in our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ learn to demonstrate cultural competence while in graduate training .
Most accredited programs , at least in psychology , embrace cultural competence as an objective .
That means that students in training take a course or two in multicultural psychology and are expected to be able to successfully navigate the nuances of working with clients who are Black , Asian , Latinx/Hispanic , LGBTQ , or from a lower income bracket—any reality that impacts how the client experiences the world that is not a mainstream , middle class , Eurocentric lens .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ practice seeing clients from diverse backgrounds is sufficient .
If you find that a white therapist may be your only option , you can assess whether or not that person could be a good fit for you .
• Ask what percentage of her clients have been African American or Jamaican or who are first-generation United States citizens .
If the question elicits discomfort , that might be all the data that you need to move on to the next therapist on your list .
• She might make missteps .
Mainstream psychology @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we arrive as professionals .
We either check the competence box or we do not .
It is better , however , for a therapist to recognize that he or she is continually evolving and must be open to that process .
Given the success that you have had in navigating predominantly white work settings , you have a sense of whether or not a white person has some “ humility ” about their whiteness .
It does not mean that they will not make any missteps .
However , they certainly won @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like trying to touch your hair in the first session or insisting that the microaggression that you experienced was in your head .
• You want to know that your therapist will be genuinely receptive when you give her feedback about her interactions with you .
Therapists who aspire to cultural humility are willing to be critical of themselves .
They are flexible and willing to learn more about you and , importantly , what your culture means to you .
They also obtain information without relying solely on you as a sole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ magical .
It does not work overnight .
If you go into a session thinking that you will be healed of your ills inside of two weeks , you will be disappointed .
When you decide to see a professional , you may be at the height of distress or at your lowest psychological fortitude .
The therapist ’ s first responsibility is to establish a relationship with you and gain some insight about what is going on for you , how the problem came to be , and what you have done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to uncover decades of hurt in order to understand your current problem .
What this looks like is that you address one problem , but then another seems to emerge unexpectedly .
You would not expect someone to fix your car without diagnosing what the car is doing that it ’ s not supposed to do , how the problem came about , and whether or not you did anything to address the problem .
However , if there is a chance that you would not return to that therapist because you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it is best that you let the therapist know up front .
In doing so , the therapist can take time to determine what might be done to fix your most pressing problem ( because there is often more than one ) or let you know what additional information is needed to address that problem .
In any case , follow your instincts .
If you do not feel comfortable with the therapist , you can let her know that it is not working out .
If you are comfortable , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ settle in for a while .
For therapy in general , plan on no less than twelve to sixteen sessions , but this depends on your level of distress and your willingness to work on assigned tasks outside of session .
You can get professional help—whether you are addressing a serious disorder or you are hoping to increase your psychological fortitude .
If you feel isolated and just need to be heard because no one is listening to you , it may be helpful to talk to someone who can provide you with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go out of your comfort zone to find the help that you need , but therapy will help you with a new and different perspective and give you some tools for coping .
When you find the right professional to help you make your way to wellness , all the effort is well worth it .
● Reprinted and adapted from The Unapologetic Guide to Black Mental Health : Navigate an Unequal System , Learn Tools for Emotional Wellness , and Get the Help You Deserve with permission : New Harbinger Publications , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , PhD .
Get your copy .

You May Have to See a White Therapist
Because therapy relationships are so important, you may feel that you can only trust and be comfortable with a Black therapist. This feeling is absolutely understandable. You would not want to subject yourself to yet another “space” where you have to pretend to not be you, avoid your African American vernacular to speak standard English or even worse, have your therapist act like she doesn’t see you as Black. Finding a Black therapist might be ideal. But ethnicity is not the only criteria, or the most important, for you to consider. Your Black therapist might be nice, but if she has no experience with trauma, your capacity to improve will be limited. The therapy might feel good because she is a great listener in a way that no one else in your life listens, but you won’t address the trouble that your trauma has been causing you.
There are white therapists who are perfectly fine seeing a Black client. This is important because when you are struggling emotionally, the last thing that you want to do is see a therapist who is uncomfortable around Black people. However, I assure you that there are therapists out there who would be good at establishing a relationship with you. You are best served if you do your homework, get reliable referrals, and research your options.
As you might expect, most therapists are white women. The mental health system is, in many ways, a microcosm of our larger society. Not everyone is “culturally competent” and able to demonstrate their ability to work with individuals who are culturally different from them. To my knowledge, graduate programs in clinical psychology do not admit doctoral students based on their capacity to not be racist. The assumption is that they are admitted with some common sense not to be racist in our field of psychology and that they will learn to demonstrate cultural competence while in graduate training.
Most accredited programs, at least in psychology, embrace cultural competence as an objective. That means that students in training take a course or two in multicultural psychology and are expected to be able to successfully navigate the nuances of working with clients who are Black, Asian, Latinx/Hispanic, LGBTQ, or from a lower income bracket—any reality that impacts how the client experiences the world that is not a mainstream, middle class, Eurocentric lens. For some, a course or two with practice seeing clients from diverse backgrounds is sufficient.
If you find that a white therapist may be your only option, you can assess whether or not that person could be a good fit for you.


buzzfeed--2020-06-28--At Least 18 Members Of One Family Have The Coronavirus After A Surprise Birthday Party


buzzfeed--2020-06-27--17 Delightfully Weird Things Babies Do That Make Exactly 0% Sense

Why do babies get to sleep on the floor with no pillows and still look like they ’ re having @ @ @ @ @ lives but when I do it I die .

Why do babies get to sleep on the floor with no pillows and still look like they’re having the best sleep of their lives but when I do it I die.


buzzfeed--2020-06-27--This Woman's Boyfriend Wants To Have A Threesome With Her Best Friend — What Should She Do?

And then there 's the fact that he keeps pushing this idea on you , despite what I imagine must @ @ @ @ @ discomfort on your part whenever he does .
Frankly , anything less than an enthusiastic @ @ @ @ @ you should have been his cue to drop it .
At this point , he @ @ @ @ @ 's crossed the line from `` merely suggesting '' into `` pressuring , '' and @ @ @ @ @

And then there's the fact that he keeps pushing this idea on you, despite what I imagine must be some obvious, visible discomfort on your part whenever he does. Frankly, anything less than an enthusiastic "hell yes" from you should have been his cue to drop it. At this point, he should be aware that he's crossed the line from "merely suggesting" into "pressuring," and that's not cool.


buzzfeed--2020-06-28--Joe Biden Says 35% Of His Campaign Staffers Are People Of Color

LANCASTER , PA - JUNE 25 : Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks to families who have benefited from the Affordable Care Act during an event at the Lancaster Recreation Center on June 25 , 2020 in Lancaster , Pennsylvania .
Biden met with families who have benefited from the Affordable Care Act and made remarks on his plan for affordable healthcare .
( Photo by Joshua Roberts/Getty Images ) Joe Biden , under increasing pressure to be more transparent about his presidential campaign ’ s diversity , released figures Saturday that show people of color accounting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The numbers also show a staff that ’ s 53 % female and a senior staff — in which the Biden team counted consultants “ who spend the majority of their time on the campaign ” — who is 36 % nonwhite and 58 % female .
Over the last decade , representation in political campaigns and in high government offices has become a point of criticism and concern about , especially , Democratic officials and stakeholders .
But recently , as the country examines systemic racism , those concerns have become @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and media .
Biden , the presumptive Democratic nominee , had for months claimed to have the most diverse staff , even as his campaign refused to back him up with data .
( During the primaries , several of Biden ’ s top rivals — including Pete Buttigieg , Bernie Sanders , and Elizabeth Warren — reported having staffs that were at least 40 % nonwhite . )
Biden ’ s silence continued earlier this week , when , in response to questions from BuzzFeed News , campaign officials declined to provide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soon .
It was Biden himself who expedited the release .
At a Saturday forum for Asian-American and Pacific Islander voters , moderator Amna Nawaz of PBS NewsHour pressed him on the matter , eliciting a promise that the numbers would be available after the online forum .
“ When we look at dismantling systemic racism in America , political institutions like campaigns are often among the worst offenders , ” Nawaz told Biden during their exchange .
“ So what do you now say to the voters of color who worry that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way on fixing this on your own team right now , then maybe you can ’ t lead the way on fixing it in the rest of the country ?
” Nawaz then added : “ When will you release that staff diversity data ?
” Biden quickly responded .
“ I will release that staff diversity data today , ” he said .
“ When we get off this call , we ’ ll call you .
You know , the fact of the matter is we have a very diverse staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that goes across the board , and high level and senior positions .
So I will make sure we release that to you and it does include AAPI members as well as a significant number of African Americans , a significant number of women , and Latinos.
” The campaign emailed overall numbers to reporters several hours later and emphasized AAPI senior leaders , including the campaign ’ s chief financial and campaign officers .
There were no detailed breakdowns by race or ethnicity — metrics that are also important , said Alida @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group that promotes racial diversity in national politics .
“ While Inclusv focuses on increasing the number of Black , indigenous , and people of color working in politics broadly , we think it ’ s critically important that each community knows their makeup within this data so that they can self advocate for increased representation across organization , ” Garcia said Saturday .
Democratic candidates released staff diversity data on a quarterly basis in the last presidential election .
A summary of data from the end of Hillary Clinton ’ s 2016 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff who identified as racially and ethnically diverse comprised more than 38 % of the campaign and more than 34 % of leadership , according to a former Clinton official .
Biden advisers have not addressed why they kept the numbers a secret for so long , though this week the campaign , responding to BuzzFeed News questions , for the first time disclosed that it employs — and has for nearly a year — a chief people , diversity , and inclusion officer .

Joe Biden, under increasing pressure to be more transparent about his presidential campaign’s diversity, released figures Saturday that show people of color accounting for 35% of his full-time staff.
The numbers also show a staff that’s 53% women and a senior staff — in which the Biden team counted consultants “who spend the majority of their time on the campaign” — who is 36% nonwhite and 58% women.
Over the last decade, representation in political campaigns and in high government offices has become a point of criticism and concern about, especially, Democratic officials and stakeholders. But recently, as the country examines systemic racism, those concerns have become more pointed in politics, business, and media. Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, had for months claimed to have the most diverse staff, even as his campaign refused to back him up with data. (During the primaries, several of Biden’s top rivals — including Pete Buttigieg, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren — reported having staffs that were at least 40% nonwhite.)
Biden’s silence continued earlier this week, when, in response to questions from BuzzFeed News, campaign officials declined to provide numbers but indicated they might do so soon.
It was Biden himself who expedited the release. At a Saturday forum for Asian American and Pacific Islander voters, moderator Amna Nawaz of PBS NewsHour pressed him on the matter, eliciting a promise that the numbers would be available after the online forum.
“When we look at dismantling systemic racism in America, political institutions like campaigns are often among the worst offenders,” Nawaz told Biden during their exchange. “So what do you now say to the voters of color who worry that if you can’t lead the way on fixing this on your own team right now, then maybe you can’t lead the way on fixing it in the rest of the country?”
Nawaz then added: “When will you release that staff diversity data?”
Biden quickly responded. “I will release that staff diversity data today,” he said. “When we get off this call, we’ll call you. You know, the fact of the matter is we have a very diverse staff, and we have a diverse staff that goes across the board, and high level and senior positions. So I will make sure we release that to you and it does include AAPI members as well as a significant number of African Americans, a significant number of women, and Latinos.”
The campaign emailed overall numbers to reporters several hours later and emphasized AAPI senior leaders, including the campaign’s chief financial and campaign officers. There were no detailed breakdowns by race or ethnicity — metrics that are also important, said Alida Garcia, founder of Inclusv, a group that promotes racial diversity in national politics.
“While Inclusv focuses on increasing the number of Black, Indigenous, and people of color working in politics broadly, we think it’s critically important that each community knows their makeup within this data so that they can self advocate for increased representation across organization,” Garcia said Saturday.
Democratic candidates released staff diversity data on a quarterly basis in the last presidential election. A summary of data from the end of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign shows the number of people on staff who identified as racially and ethnically diverse comprised more than 38% of the campaign and more than 34% of leadership, according to a former Clinton official.
Biden advisers have not addressed why they kept the numbers a secret for so long, though this week the campaign, responding to BuzzFeed News questions, for the first time disclosed that it employs — and has for nearly a year — a chief people, diversity, and inclusion officer.
President Donald Trump's reelection campaign also had resisted requests for staff diversity data but shared limited data late Saturday, following Biden's disclosure. Trump's senior staff is 25% nonwhite and 56% women, according to the campaign, with 52% of the full-time staff women. Full staff data tracking people of color was "not available."