buzzfeed--2020-12-10--Nina Turner Is Bringing Bernie Sanders' Revolution Home To Cleveland

CLEVELAND — The last time Nina Turner ran for office , she was a Ready for Hillary enthusiast who enjoyed the support of Bill Clinton in her unsuccessful bid for Ohio secretary of state .
Now she ’ s preparing to be a congressional candidate with the national cred she acquired through her years as one of Bernie Sanders ' most prominent allies .
Turner this week filed paperwork that signals her intent to seek Ohio ’ s 11th District House seat , which will become vacant if Rep. Marcia Fudge is confirmed as President-elect Joe Biden ’ s secretary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign would set up 2021 's first high-profile test of the progressive movement 's strength .
Turner , 53 , is returning to the local scene as a bit of an outsider who likely will have to defeat the more moderate Black political establishment in Cleveland and its eastern suburbs .
Turner ’ s transformation in the six years since she was last on a ballot has been remarkably circular .
She first made her mark as a state senator more than a decade ago as the only Black leader to split with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the corrupt county government .
She soon defied the status quo again , by briefly threatening to primary Fudge .
No one ever denied Turner ’ s potential , though .
She thrived in the legislature , where her oratorical skills and laser focus on voting rights in an electorally important state often got her on MSNBC .
Even her rivals believed she ’ d be the next mayor of Cleveland .
After she lost the secretary of state race in 2014 , the Ohio Democratic Party created a job for her , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as she helped Clinton allies raise money for 2016 and pondered her next move .
Then she stunned everyone by going to work for Sanders , ditching an establishment that had finally embraced her .
“ I always find myself doing the hardest work , doing the most life-altering work , not going with the status quo , ” Turner , who has not officially declared her candidacy , told BuzzFeed News in March , as Sanders ’ campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination was losing steam against Biden .
“ When you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know the difficulty is there .
I don ’ t run from that.
” Ohio Gov .
Mike DeWine will set dates for the special elections when Fudge officially resigns .
Cleveland-area Democrats expect a free-for-all in the primary , which , given the 11th District ’ s partisan makeup , will almost certainly determine the winner .
Party insiders are floating roughly a dozen names with varying levels of seriousness .
After Turner filed federal paperwork to establish a campaign committee Wednesday , at least two others scrambled to launch their bids @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shontel Brown , 45 , who is close with Fudge .
Turner , who previously led the Sanders-aligned political nonprofit Our Revolution and frequently opened for Sanders at campaign rallies , is expected to tap into the national grassroots organizing and fundraising energy that surrounded the Vermont senator ’ s White House campaigns .
One veteran Ohio Democratic strategist predicted to BuzzFeed News that she could raise $ 1 million in her first 24 hours as an official candidate .
`` Nina Turner would be an incredible congresswoman , ” Rep. Ro Khanna @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , served as a cochair of Sanders ’ 2020 campaign — said in an emailed statement Wednesday before Tuner filed her paperwork .
“ I hope she runs , and she 'd have my full support.
” A candidate like Turner , with built-in national infrastructure , might clear the field in other districts , but not in the Ohio 11th .
Minority-majority seats like this one , created in the 1960s to better ensure Black representation , don ’ t open often .
Fudge is only the third person to hold it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ preparing to run next year for mayor of Cleveland , the office a younger Turner once seemed destined for , are now weighing whether they can and should enter what could be a once-in-a-generation congressional primary .
( One example of this : The always cagey Dennis Kucinich , who was mayor in the 1970s and later served in Congress , was already weighing a return as mayor before telling the Cleveland Plain Dealer on Wednesday that he ’ d also consider running for the 11th District seat . )
Brown ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , whom she considers a mentor , backed her campaign for Democratic chair three years ago .
Her post leading the party in the district ’ s largest county affords Brown and her allies significant influence over endorsements that could bring access to a discounted direct mail program and other helpful resources .
“ The positions that I currently hold — two very influential positions — do put me in a strong position , ” Brown , who also serves as an elected representative on the Cuyahoga County Council , told BuzzFeed News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said she has no plans to step down as party chair .
And though Fudge , as a Cabinet nominee or secretary , is unlikely to be explicit in her preference , Brown said she has had conversations with the lawmaker about succeeding her in the House .
Both are from Warrensville Heights , a small Cleveland suburb where Fudge used to be mayor and Brown previously served on the city council .
“ We talk often and she has been very supportive … throughout my political career , ” Brown added .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a national following and another with a strong base in Cuyahoga County could make the district ’ s tinier sliver of Summit County , which includes Akron , a tipping point .
Emilia Sykes , the Democratic leader in the Ohio House , is among those from that area considering a run .
Sykes , though , is seen as a candidate for statewide office in 2022 and also could wait to see if future redistricting yields a more Akron-centric seat .
Tara Mosley-Samples , an Akron City Council member who is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , believes Turner ’ s broader profile helps her in outlying parts of the district .
“ The district comes through Summit County , ” Mosley-Samples told BuzzFeed News .
“ We know Nina .
She has come through Akron and Summit County for many , many years.
” Other hopefuls think they could sneak through the middle in any primary that plays out as a Turner versus Brown fight .
Among the best-known contenders is Jeff Johnson , a former state senator and Cleveland City Council member who plans to seek the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first run , in 1998 , was derailed by a corruption case that sent him to prison for extortion .
He tried again in 2008 , after being granted an expungement , but finished a distant second to Fudge in a special primary to succeed the late Stephanie Tubbs Jones .
The following year , Johnson won back his old council seat , which he held for two terms before losing a bid for mayor in 2017 .
“ This is the first time I ’ m running for this seat where there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ myself , having been reelected twice and having come in third in the mayor ’ s race , ” Johnson told BuzzFeed News in a telephone interview Thursday .
“ My record is clear , so it ’ s not like I ’ m hiding from anything .
I am the most experienced candidate .
I ’ ve been at this since 1984.
” Johnson , 62 , plans to pitch himself as a bridge between the Biden and Sanders factions of the party .
He noted his relationships with Sanders allies in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ service this year as a Biden delegate .
He also subtly characterized Turner — who once colorfully and profanely equated voting for Biden with eating half of a “ bowl of shit ” — as someone who couldn ’ t be trusted to work with the new Democratic administration .
“ I think it is a significant benefit for Sen. Turner to have those who are coming from the Bernie Sanders movement , ” Johnson said .
“ She earned that , she put the time in with Bernie .
I understand that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t have the national following , but this race is about the 11th Congressional District .
A lot of folks want to know , when we go to Washington , who we will stand with .
I will stand with Biden–Harris .
There will be no question about that .
”

CLEVELAND — The last time Nina Turner ran for office, she was a Ready for Hillary enthusiast who enjoyed the support of Bill Clinton in her unsuccessful bid for Ohio secretary of state.
Now she’s preparing to be a congressional candidate with the national cred she acquired through her years as one of Bernie Sanders' most prominent allies.
Turner this week filed paperwork that signals her intent to seek Ohio’s 11th District House seat, which will become vacant if Rep. Marcia Fudge is confirmed as President-elect Joe Biden’s secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Her campaign would set up 2021's first high-profile test of the progressive movement's strength. Turner, 53, is returning to the local scene as a bit of an outsider who likely will have to defeat the more moderate Black political establishment in Cleveland and its eastern suburbs.
Turner’s transformation in the six years since she was last on a ballot has been remarkably circular. She first made her mark as a state senator more than a decade ago as the only Black leader to split with Democrats and back a massive overhaul of the corrupt county government. She soon defied the status quo again, by briefly threatening to primary Fudge.
No one ever denied Turner’s potential, though. She thrived in the legislature, where her oratorical skills and laser focus on voting rights in an electorally important state often got her on MSNBC. Even her rivals believed she’d be the next mayor of Cleveland. After she lost the secretary of state race in 2014, the Ohio Democratic Party created a job for her, eager to keep her close and happy as she helped Clinton allies raise money for 2016 and pondered her next move. Then she stunned everyone by going to work for Sanders, ditching an establishment that had finally embraced her.
“I always find myself doing the hardest work, doing the most life-altering work, not going with the status quo,” Turner, who has not officially declared her candidacy, told BuzzFeed News in March, as Sanders’ campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination was losing steam against Biden. “When you take on the hardest assignments, you know the difficulty is there. I don’t run from that.”
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine will set dates for the special elections when Fudge officially resigns. Cleveland-area Democrats expect a free-for-all in the primary, which, given the 11th District’s partisan makeup, will almost certainly determine the winner.
Party insiders are floating roughly a dozen names with varying levels of seriousness. After Turner filed federal paperwork to establish a campaign committee Wednesday, at least two others scrambled to launch their bids, including Cuyahoga County Democratic Party Chair Shontel Brown, 45, who is close with Fudge.
Turner, who previously led the Sanders-aligned political nonprofit Our Revolution and frequently opened for Sanders at campaign rallies, is expected to tap into the national grassroots organizing and fundraising energy that surrounded the Vermont senator’s White House campaigns. One veteran Ohio Democratic strategist predicted to BuzzFeed News that she could raise $1 million in her first 24 hours as an official candidate.
"Nina Turner would be an incredible congresswoman,” Rep. Ro Khanna of California — who, like Turner, served as a cochair of Sanders’ 2020 campaign — said in an emailed statement Wednesday before Tuner filed her paperwork. “I hope she runs, and she'd have my full support.”
A candidate like Turner, with built-in national infrastructure, might clear the field in other districts, but not in the Ohio 11th. Minority-majority seats like this one, created in the 1960s to better ensure Black representation, don’t open often. Fudge is only the third person to hold it. A bunch of Democrats who are preparing to run next year for mayor of Cleveland, the office a younger Turner once seemed destined for, are now weighing whether they can and should enter what could be a once-in-a-generation congressional primary. (One example of this: The always cagey Dennis Kucinich, who was mayor in the 1970s and later served in Congress, was already weighing a return as mayor before telling the Cleveland Plain Dealer on Wednesday that he’d also consider running for the 11th District seat.)
Brown’s candidacy could be particularly potent. Fudge, whom she considers a mentor, backed her campaign for Democratic chair three years ago. Her post leading the party in the district’s largest county affords Brown and her allies significant influence over endorsements that could bring access to a discounted direct mail program and other helpful resources.
“The positions that I currently hold — two very influential positions — do put me in a strong position,” Brown, who also serves as an elected representative on the Cuyahoga County Council, told BuzzFeed News in a telephone interview Wednesday.
Brown said she has no plans to step down as party chair. And though Fudge, as a Cabinet nominee or secretary, is unlikely to be explicit in her preference, Brown said she has had conversations with the lawmaker about succeeding her in the House. Both are from Warrensville Heights, a small Cleveland suburb where Fudge used to be mayor and Brown previously served on the city council.
“We talk often and she has been very supportive … throughout my political career,” Brown added.
A crowded field that includes one candidate with a national following and another with a strong base in Cuyahoga County could make the district’s tinier sliver of Summit County, which includes Akron, a tipping point. Emilia Sykes, the Democratic leader in the Ohio House, is among those from that area considering a run. Sykes, though, is seen as a candidate for statewide office in 2022 and also could wait to see if future redistricting yields a more Akron-centric seat.
Tara Mosley-Samples, an Akron City Council member who is close with Turner and the Sanders movement, believes Turner’s broader profile helps her in outlying parts of the district.
“The district comes through Summit County,” Mosley-Samples told BuzzFeed News. “We know Nina. She has come through Akron and Summit County for many, many years.”
Other hopefuls think they could sneak through the middle in any primary that plays out as a Turner versus Brown fight. Among the best-known contenders is Jeff Johnson, a former state senator and Cleveland City Council member who plans to seek the seat for a third time. His first run, in 1998, was derailed by a corruption case that sent him to prison for extortion. He tried again in 2008, after being granted an expungement, but finished a distant second to Fudge in a special primary to succeed the late Stephanie Tubbs Jones. The following year, Johnson won back his old council seat, which he held for two terms before losing a bid for mayor in 2017.
“This is the first time I’m running for this seat where there’s been enough time to reestablish myself, having been reelected twice and having come in third in the mayor’s race,” Johnson told BuzzFeed News in a telephone interview Thursday. “My record is clear, so it’s not like I’m hiding from anything. I am the most experienced candidate. I’ve been at this since 1984.”
Johnson, 62, plans to pitch himself as a bridge between the Biden and Sanders factions of the party. He noted his relationships with Sanders allies in the Cuyahoga County Progressive Caucus and his service this year as a Biden delegate. He also subtly characterized Turner — who once colorfully and profanely equated voting for Biden with eating half of a “bowl of shit” — as someone who couldn’t be trusted to work with the new Democratic administration.
“I think it is a significant benefit for Sen. Turner to have those who are coming from the Bernie Sanders movement,” Johnson said. “She earned that, she put the time in with Bernie. I understand that. I supported Joe Biden. I don’t have the national following, but this race is about the 11th Congressional District. A lot of folks want to know, when we go to Washington, who we will stand with. I will stand with Biden–Harris. There will be no question about that.”


buzzfeed--2020-12-10--Barack Obama Revealed The Sweet Reason Why Malia And Sasha Are One Of His "Greatest Successes"

`` Malia and Sasha found their own ways to get involved with the demonstrations and activism that you saw with @ @ @ @ @ without any prompting from Michelle and myself , on their own initiative , '' he @ @ @ @ @ not have been prouder of them . ''

"Malia and Sasha found their own ways to get involved with the demonstrations and activism that you saw with young people this summer, without any prompting from Michelle and myself, on their own initiative," he said. "I could not have been prouder of them."


buzzfeed--2020-12-11--Lizzo Delivered A Powerful Message On TikTok For Anyone Who's Had "Negative Thoughts" About Body Ima

Lizzo Delivered A Powerful Message On TikTok For Anyone Who's Had "Negative Thoughts" About Body Image

She continued , `` Normally , I would have some positive thing to say to get me out of this @ @ @ @ @ , and that 's okay too .
[ It 's ] normal , and [ @ @ @ @ @ .
It happens to the best of us . ''

She continued, "Normally, I would have some positive thing to say to get me out of this, but I don't, and that's okay too. [It's] normal, and [it happens] to everybody. It happens to the best of us."


buzzfeed--2020-12-11--Taylor Swift Had A Powerful Message For People Who "Don't Care" About Following COVID Guidelines

`` If they make it out of this , if they see the other side of it , there 's @ @ @ @ @ of trauma that comes with that .
There 's going to be things that they @ @ @ @ @ be able to unsee . ''

"If they make it out of this, if they see the other side of it, there's going to be a lot of trauma that comes with that. There's going to be things that they witnessed that they will never be able to unsee."


buzzfeed--2020-12-11--This Woman Caught Her Boyfriend Jerking Off Even Though She Asked Him Not To Anymore — Is She Being

This Woman Caught Her Boyfriend Jerking Off Even Though She Asked Him Not To Anymore — Is She Being Unfair?

The one exception to all of this , I should mention , is if your partner 's masturbation or porn @ @ @ @ @ point of concern .
Like , if he 's sequestered in his room all day @ @ @ @ @ and it 's negatively impacting your sex life together , that may require an intervention @ @ @ @ @ sound like that 's the case here .
You 've walked in on him jerking @ @ @ @ @ in the course of two years .
That does n't indicate to me that he @ @ @ @ @ that needs to be addressed — although it does indicate that he should get better @ @ @ @

The one exception to all of this, I should mention, is if your partner's masturbation or porn use is excessive to the point of concern. Like, if he's sequestered in his room all day endlessly scrolling through PornHub, and it's negatively impacting your sex life together, that may require an intervention. But it doesn't sound like that's the case here. You've walked in on him jerking off a handful of times in the course of two years. That doesn't indicate to me that he has any sort of problem that needs to be addressed — although it does indicate that he should get better at locking doors.


buzzfeed--2020-12-11--My Boyfriend Set Up A Trap To Try To Catch Me Cheating — WTF Should I Do?

When you think about it , this actually makes some sense .
Serial cheaters* are people who put their own @ @ @ @ @ and who will jump at a chance for instant gratification even if it hurts their @ @ @ @ @ It logically follows that someone who operates in such a selfish , me-first kind of @ @ @ @ @ hard time trusting people .
When you 're incapable of making sacrifices for others , @ @ @ @ @ believe that others will make sacrifices for you .

When you think about it, this actually makes some sense. Serial cheaters* are people who put their own desires above all else, and who will jump at a chance for instant gratification even if it hurts their partner down the road. It logically follows that someone who operates in such a selfish, me-first kind of way might also have a hard time trusting people. When you're incapable of making sacrifices for others, it becomes much harder to believe that others will make sacrifices for you.


buzzfeed--2020-12-11--Did You Know You Can Have Sex Without Penetration? Yes, Here's 11 Ways

2020 is hard .
So let yourself get hard and hold each other .
If it leads to something else @ @ @ @ @ , even better .

BuzzFeed Bring Me
Obsessed with travel? Discover unique things to do, places to eat, and sights to see in the best destinations around the world with Bring Me!


buzzfeed--2020-12-11--16 Tips For Anal Sex That Everyone Should Know

Never put any body parts or toys in the vagina right after they were in the anus .
`` You @ @ @ @ @ infections that way .
If you really want to be able to switch quickly , @ @ @ @ @ partner , partners , or dildo before anal , and then take off the condom @ @ @ @ @ vagina ( if you do n't need a condom for that part , of course @ @ @ @ @ a condom for both , take the time to switch . ''

13. Never put any body parts or toys in the vagina right after they were in the anus.
"You can get all sorts of infections that way. If you really want to be able to switch quickly, put a condom on the partner, partners, or dildo before anal, and then take off the condom quickly to switch to the vagina (if you don't need a condom for that part, of course). If you need a condom for both, take the time to switch."
—u/donaisabelle


buzzfeed--2020-12-11--If You Can't Identify 9/12 Of These Types Of Birth Control, I'm Sending You Back To Sex Ed.

If You Ca n't Identify 9/12 Of These Types Of Birth Control , I 'm Sending You Back To Sex @ @ @ @ @ take some rubbers .


buzzfeed--2020-12-11--14 Experiences From People Who Actually Have OnlyFans Accounts

It can be a nice side hustle and a great way to connect .
`` I started an account a @ @ @ @ @ upside down .
I have about 1,500 vids and 3,000 selfies on my phone because @ @ @ @ @ figured I already had content ; I just wasn ’ t making money on it @ @ @ @ @ account like a side hustle .
`` Since I have premade content , I just @ @ @ @ @ picture post per day .
I never intended to 'make money , ' and take @ @ @ @ @ I ’ ve built a healthy recurring fan base that allows me to treat myself @ @ @ @ @ that we wouldn ’ t normally get ourselves .
I also really enjoy interacting with @ @ @ @ @ more direct line to me personally .
I find that most folks are just seeking @ @ @ @ @ attractive .
I don ’ t necessarily make 'porn , ' so I think that @ @ @ @ @ as something within reach . ''

5. It can be a nice side hustle and a great way to connect.
"I started an account a month before the world turned upside down. I have about 1,500 vids and 3,000 selfies on my phone because I like selfies. I figured I already had content; I just wasn’t making money on it. So I approached the account like a side hustle.
"Since I have premade content, I just schedule one video and one picture post per day. I never intended to 'make money,' and take whatever comes as gravy. I’ve built a healthy recurring fan base that allows me to treat myself and my husband to things that we wouldn’t normally get ourselves. I also really enjoy interacting with the fans who have a more direct line to me personally. I find that most folks are just seeking connection with someone they find attractive. I don’t necessarily make 'porn,' so I think that fans can appreciate my content as something within reach."
—cigarsmokinalpha


buzzfeed--2020-12-11--24 Things People Wish They'd Learned About Sex A Whole Lot Sooner

`` Sex can be so amazing when both parties are respected and taken into account .
Sex can also be @ @ @ @ @ or disrespected .
Sex can be incredibly empowering and it can be the complete opposite @ @ @ @ @ and mind .
There 's no 'right way ' to have sex .
You 're @ @ @ @ @ something you do n't want to try , you 're not 'easy ' or ' @ @ @ @ @ 're experimental . ''

8. "Orgasms do not equal love or even consent."
"Sometimes, our nerves just respond, and it means absolutely nothing besides having functioning nerves. So no, that orgasm in itself is not a sign that the person who you had it with is The Right One For You. Nor is it a sign that you actually wanted it, after all, even if you said no, and it doesn't negate your no."
—ista


buzzfeed--2020-12-11--People Are Sharing The Sex Books That Basically Changed Everything For Them

`` I read this until tears welled up in my eyes and then I put it down for a time @ @ @ @ @ how much I had been taught by society and past partners about my own ( @ @ @ @ @ and how that affects my ability to function . ''
—ashleighp4ce2cb1ef Get it from Amazon @ @ @ @ @ for $ 17.47 , or find it at a local bookstore .

That's why we asked the BuzzFeed Community about the sex ed books that were most impactful to them. Here are several of their top recommendations!


buzzfeed--2020-12-11--Can You Pass A Middle School Sex Ed Test?

The penis is made up of two parts : the _____ and the ______ .


buzzfeed--2020-12-12--The Supreme Court Rejected Texas’s Last-Ditch Legal Challenge To Biden’s Win

WASHINGTON — The US Supreme Court on Friday rejected Texas ’ s unprecedented last-ditch effort to challenge President-elect Joe Biden ’ s win in Pennsylvania , Michigan , Georgia , and Wisconsin by suing those four states in the high court .
A majority of the justices concluded that Texas lacked standing to bring the case at all , a threshold the state had to clear before the case could go any further .
`` Texas has not demonstrated a judicially cognizable interest in the manner in which another State conducts its elections , '' the court wrote in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they had dissented from the decision to knock out Texas 's case from the start .
It would have taken at least five justices to agree to hear the case , but the justices do n't have to individually indicate how they voted , so there 's no way to know the vote breakdown for certain .
Justice Samuel Alito Jr. , joined by Justice Clarence Thomas , wrote that they believed the court had to allow Texas to file its lawsuit , but they would n't have granted any other relief that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ significant loss not only for Texas but also for President Donald Trump , who had asked to intervene in the case and spent the past two days tweeting about why the justices should effectively hand him an election that Biden won .
The court denied all of the other motions filed in the case as moot once it decided Texas could n't bring the case at all , which ended Trump 's bid to get before the justices .
“ It is unfortunate that the Supreme Court decided not to take this case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states ’ failure to follow federal and state election law , '' Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a statement Friday .
`` I will continue to tirelessly defend the integrity and security of our elections and hold accountable those who shirk established election law for their own convenience.
” There were five other election-related cases pending before the Supreme Court as of Friday evening , but they involve either too few ballots to change the results or claims of fraud and illegal election practices that numerous lower court judges have rejected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Attorney General Josh Shapiro tweeted that the justices `` saw through this seditious abuse of our electoral process . ''
`` This swift denial should make anyone contemplating further attacks on our election think twice , '' he wrote .
On Dec. 7 , Texas took the extraordinary step of attempting to sue Pennsylvania , Michigan , Georgia , and Wisconsin directly in the Supreme Court .
Paxton , a Republican , has been a fierce supporter of the Trump administration and spearheaded conservative legal causes in court over the past four years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Affordable Care Act that the Supreme Court heard last month .
The Supreme Court normally only hears cases that have worked their way through the lower courts , but there are a few categories of legal disputes that the justices can have “ original jurisdiction ” over , including cases between states .
Those cases typically involve disputes over land or water rights , not one state broadly objecting to the laws and practices of another .
In Texas ’ s court filings , Paxton lodged complaints about how the four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the coronavirus pandemic and alluded to baseless conspiracy theories of widespread voter fraud that federal and state judges across the country have rejected in the weeks since Election Day .
Paxton presented an extreme ask to the justices : He argued for an order that would give the state legislatures in Pennsylvania , Michigan , Georgia , and Wisconsin — all of which are controlled by Republicans — the power to decide which candidate received their state ’ s electoral votes , effectively invalidating the tens of millions of ballots cast by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Paxton also asked the justices for an immediate injunction stopping the four states from having electors participate when the Electoral College meets on Dec. 14 .
Two days after Texas petitioned the court , Trump jumped in , arguing he should be allowed to intervene in the case as a party .
Although Trump had vowed to take the election to the Supreme Court the morning after Election Day , lawyers for his campaign haven ’ t tried to petition the justices to hear any of the campaign ’ s state and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has boosted baseless claims of widespread voter fraud over the past month , and used his Supreme Court filing to promote the inflammatory and unfounded claim that the election was “ stolen.
” But he also created some distance from the fraud narrative .
His lawyer , John Eastman , a professor at Chapman University Fowler School of Law , wrote that they didn ’ t have to prove fraud had actually occurred , focusing instead on the argument that election officials in the swing states at issue ran the election in ways @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legislatures had intended .
“ The constitutional issue is not whether voters committed fraud but whether state officials violated the law by systematically loosening the measures for ballot integrity so that fraud becomes undetectable , ” Eastman wrote .
Trump used Twitter to try to boost the Texas case , posting on Friday afternoon : “ If the Supreme Court shows great Wisdom and Courage , the American People will win perhaps the most important case in history , and our Electoral Process will be respected again !
” Texas also got support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ filed a friend-of-court brief , as did Republican attorneys general in 17 states , six of whom went even further , separately asking to intervene as parties on their own .
Not all Republican attorneys general joined that effort , however .
A spokesperson for Georgia ’ s Republican attorney general , Chris Carr — the current chair of the executive committee of the Republican Attorneys General Association — said that Paxton was “ constitutionally , legally and factually wrong about Georgia , ” according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution .
Carr and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Wisconsin responded to Texas ’ s filings on Thursday afternoon , defending how they ’ d run the election and blasting Texas for trying to convince the justices to undermine their authority and the will of their citizens .
“ The State of Texas has now added its voice to the cacophony of bogus claims .
Texas seeks to invalidate elections in four states for yielding results with which it disagrees , ” the Pennsylvania attorney general ’ s office wrote in its brief .
“ Its request for this Court to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Texas ’ s preferred candidate for President is legally indefensible and is an afront [ sic ] to principles of constitutional democracy.
” Meanwhile , the Texas Republican Party decried the Supreme Court 's decision to reject the case and suggested the state should join some sort of `` Union '' with like-minded states .
`` The decisions will have far-reaching ramifications for the future of our constitutional republic , '' Allen West , chair of the Texas Republican Party , said in a statement .
`` Perhaps law-abiding states should bond together @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will abide by the constitution . ''
What exactly courts have the power to do once key federal election deadlines have passed is a largely untested area of the law .
In 2000 , when the presidential race between Al Gore and George W. Bush reached the Supreme Court , the justices ruled on Dec. 12 , which was the “ safe harbor ” deadline for states to certify federal election results and receive special protection against Congress deciding which candidate received a state ’ s electoral votes .
Election law experts have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interfering with elections and injecting confusion and chaos , and would become even more cautious once critical dates set by Congress — like the safe harbor deadline and the date of the Electoral College meeting — had passed .
The safe harbor deadline this year was Dec. 8 .
BuzzFeed News has journalists around the US bringing you trustworthy stories on the 2020 elections .
To help keep this news free , become a member .
Paxton may have filed a novel type of case in the Supreme Court , but he promoted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voter fraud that campaign lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Jenna Ellis , along with attorney Sidney Powell , have pushed in the weeks since the election .
Judges who have examined these claims so far have either rejected them as not credible or unsupported , or they have concluded that even if there were problems with how voting was managed in some places , the appropriate legal solution was not for a court to invalidate millions of legally cast votes .
It was the second postelection case to reach the Supreme Court since Nov. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court rejected a request from Rep. Mike Kelly and other Pennsylvania Republicans for an immediate injunction to nullify the state ’ s certification of Biden ’ s win .
The Pennsylvania challengers had filed a lawsuit in late November arguing that a law passed by the state legislature in October 2019 expanding mail-in voting was unlawful .
They tried to get the US Supreme Court to step in after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled the case was filed far too late to go forward now and potentially jeopardize millions of ballots that voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voting rules .
The Supreme Court denied Kelly ’ s application in a one-line order , and no justices publicly disclosed that they ’ d dissented .
A lawyer for Kelly and the other Republican challengers announced on Friday that they were filing a petition for the Supreme Court to take the case up on the merits going forward .
Two GOP challengers who unsuccessfully brought cases contesting Biden ’ s wins in Arizona and Georgia — Arizona Republican Party Chair Kelli Ward and conservative lawyer L. Lin Wood Jr. , respectively — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to hear their cases as well .
Conservative attorney Sidney Powell , who has unsuccessfully pressed four conspiratorial election challenges in federal courts in Arizona , Georgia , Michigan , and Wisconsin , also filed an emergency motion on Friday asking the Supreme Court to take up her Georgia case .
One election-related case filed before Nov. 3 is pending before the US Supreme Court , related to the validity of absentee ballots that arrived in Pennsylvania during a three-day window after Election Day .
The state ’ s Supreme Court had ruled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the US Supreme Court has yet to weigh in .
But the Pennsylvania secretary of state ’ s office has said that case would affect approximately 10,000 ballots — not enough to flip the state , since Biden won by more than 80,000 votes .
This is a developing story .
Check BuzzFeed News on Twitter for updates .
If you have a news tip , we ’ d like to hear from you .
Reach out to us via one of our tip line channels .

WASHINGTON — The US Supreme Court on Friday rejected Texas’s unprecedented last-ditch effort to challenge President-elect Joe Biden’s win in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Georgia, and Wisconsin by suing those four states in the high court.
A majority of the justices concluded that Texas lacked standing to bring the case at all, a threshold the state had to clear before the case could go any further.
"Texas has not demonstrated a judicially cognizable interest in the manner in which another State conducts its elections," the court wrote in the brief order.
No justice noted that they had dissented from the decision to knock out Texas's case from the start. It would have taken at least five justices to agree to hear the case, but the justices don't have to individually indicate how they voted, so there's no way to know the vote breakdown for certain. Justice Samuel Alito Jr., joined by Justice Clarence Thomas, wrote that they believed the court had to allow Texas to file its lawsuit, but they wouldn't have granted any other relief that the state requested.
It was a significant loss not only for Texas but also for President Donald Trump, who had asked to intervene in the case and spent the past two days tweeting about why the justices should effectively hand him an election that Biden won. The court denied all of the other motions filed in the case as moot once it decided Texas couldn't bring the case at all, which ended Trump's bid to get before the justices.
“It is unfortunate that the Supreme Court decided not to take this case and determine the constitutionality of these four states’ failure to follow federal and state election law," Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a statement Friday. "I will continue to tirelessly defend the integrity and security of our elections and hold accountable those who shirk established election law for their own convenience.”
There were five other election-related cases pending before the Supreme Court as of Friday evening, but they involve either too few ballots to change the results or claims of fraud and illegal election practices that numerous lower court judges have rejected across the board to date.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro tweeted that the justices "saw through this seditious abuse of our electoral process."
"This swift denial should make anyone contemplating further attacks on our election think twice," he wrote.
On Dec. 7, Texas took the extraordinary step of attempting to sue Pennsylvania, Michigan, Georgia, and Wisconsin directly in the Supreme Court. Paxton, a Republican, has been a fierce supporter of the Trump administration and spearheaded conservative legal causes in court over the past four years; his office led the latest challenge to the Affordable Care Act that the Supreme Court heard last month.
The Supreme Court normally only hears cases that have worked their way through the lower courts, but there are a few categories of legal disputes that the justices can have “original jurisdiction” over, including cases between states. Those cases typically involve disputes over land or water rights, not one state broadly objecting to the laws and practices of another.
In Texas’s court filings, Paxton lodged complaints about how the four states had decided to run their elections during the coronavirus pandemic and alluded to baseless conspiracy theories of widespread voter fraud that federal and state judges across the country have rejected in the weeks since Election Day.
Paxton presented an extreme ask to the justices: He argued for an order that would give the state legislatures in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Georgia, and Wisconsin — all of which are controlled by Republicans — the power to decide which candidate received their state’s electoral votes, effectively invalidating the tens of millions of ballots cast by the voters. In the short term, Paxton also asked the justices for an immediate injunction stopping the four states from having electors participate when the Electoral College meets on Dec. 14.
Two days after Texas petitioned the court, Trump jumped in, arguing he should be allowed to intervene in the case as a party. Although Trump had vowed to take the election to the Supreme Court the morning after Election Day, lawyers for his campaign haven’t tried to petition the justices to hear any of the campaign’s state and federal court losses to date.
Trump has boosted baseless claims of widespread voter fraud over the past month, and used his Supreme Court filing to promote the inflammatory and unfounded claim that the election was “stolen.” But he also created some distance from the fraud narrative. His lawyer, John Eastman, a professor at Chapman University Fowler School of Law, wrote that they didn’t have to prove fraud had actually occurred, focusing instead on the argument that election officials in the swing states at issue ran the election in ways that “deviated” from what state legislatures had intended.
“The constitutional issue is not whether voters committed fraud but whether state officials violated the law by systematically loosening the measures for ballot integrity so that fraud becomes undetectable,” Eastman wrote.
Trump used Twitter to try to boost the Texas case, posting on Friday afternoon: “If the Supreme Court shows great Wisdom and Courage, the American People will win perhaps the most important case in history, and our Electoral Process will be respected again!”
Texas also got support from 126 Republican members of Congress who filed a friend-of-court brief, as did Republican attorneys general in 17 states, six of whom went even further, separately asking to intervene as parties on their own. Not all Republican attorneys general joined that effort, however. A spokesperson for Georgia’s Republican attorney general, Chris Carr — the current chair of the executive committee of the Republican Attorneys General Association — said that Paxton was “constitutionally, legally and factually wrong about Georgia,” according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Carr and the attorneys general of Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin responded to Texas’s filings on Thursday afternoon, defending how they’d run the election and blasting Texas for trying to convince the justices to undermine their authority and the will of their citizens.
“The State of Texas has now added its voice to the cacophony of bogus claims. Texas seeks to invalidate elections in four states for yielding results with which it disagrees,” the Pennsylvania attorney general’s office wrote in its brief. “Its request for this Court to exercise its original jurisdiction and then anoint Texas’s preferred candidate for President is legally indefensible and is an afront [sic] to principles of constitutional democracy.”
Meanwhile, the Texas Republican Party decried the Supreme Court's decision to reject the case and suggested the state should join some sort of "Union" with like-minded states.
"The decisions will have far-reaching ramifications for the future of our constitutional republic," Allen West, chair of the Texas Republican Party, said in a statement. "Perhaps law-abiding states should bond together and form a Union of states that will abide by the constitution."
Trump railed against the Supreme Court's decision in a tweet late on Friday.
"The Supreme Court really let us down," he wrote. "No Wisdom, No Courage!"
On Saturday morning, he again tweeted about the court, saying: "The Supreme Court had ZERO interest in the merits of the greatest voter fraud ever perpetrated on the United States of America. All they were interested in is 'standing', which makes it very difficult for the President to present a case on the merits. 75,000,000 votes!"
What exactly courts have the power to do once key federal election deadlines have passed is a largely untested area of the law. In 2000, when the presidential race between Al Gore and George W. Bush reached the Supreme Court, the justices ruled on Dec. 12, which was the “safe harbor” deadline for states to certify federal election results and receive special protection against Congress deciding which candidate received a state’s electoral votes.
Election law experts have said that judges are already wary of interfering with elections and injecting confusion and chaos, and would become even more cautious once critical dates set by Congress — like the safe harbor deadline and the date of the Electoral College meeting — had passed. The safe harbor deadline this year was Dec. 8.
BuzzFeed News has journalists around the US bringing you trustworthy stories on the 2020 elections. To help keep this news free, become a member.
Paxton may have filed a novel type of case in the Supreme Court, but he promoted many of the same conspiracy theories about voter fraud that campaign lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Jenna Ellis, along with attorney Sidney Powell, have pushed in the weeks since the election. Judges who have examined these claims so far have either rejected them as not credible or unsupported, or they have concluded that even if there were problems with how voting was managed in some places, the appropriate legal solution was not for a court to invalidate millions of legally cast votes.
It was the second postelection case to reach the Supreme Court since Nov. 3. On Dec. 8, the court rejected a request from Rep. Mike Kelly and other Pennsylvania Republicans for an immediate injunction to nullify the state’s certification of Biden’s win. The Pennsylvania challengers had filed a lawsuit in late November arguing that a law passed by the state legislature in October 2019 expanding mail-in voting was unlawful. They tried to get the US Supreme Court to step in after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled the case was filed far too late to go forward now and potentially jeopardize millions of ballots that voters had cast relying on the new mail-in voting rules.
The Supreme Court denied Kelly’s application in a one-line order, and no justices publicly disclosed that they’d dissented. A lawyer for Kelly and the other Republican challengers announced on Friday that they were filing a petition for the Supreme Court to take the case up on the merits going forward. Two GOP challengers who unsuccessfully brought cases contesting Biden’s wins in Arizona and Georgia — Arizona Republican Party Chair Kelli Ward and conservative lawyer L. Lin Wood Jr., respectively — filed petitions on Friday asking the justices to hear their cases as well.
Conservative attorney Sidney Powell, who has unsuccessfully pressed four conspiratorial election challenges in federal courts in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, and Wisconsin, also filed an emergency motion on Friday asking the Supreme Court to take up her Georgia case.
One election-related case filed before Nov. 3 is pending before the US Supreme Court, related to the validity of absentee ballots that arrived in Pennsylvania during a three-day window after Election Day. The state’s Supreme Court had ruled that the state could count those ballots, and the US Supreme Court has yet to weigh in. But the Pennsylvania secretary of state’s office has said that case would affect approximately 10,000 ballots — not enough to flip the state, since Biden won by more than 80,000 votes.
If you have a news tip, we’d like to hear from you. Reach out to us via one of our tip line channels.


buzzfeed--2020-12-11--After The US Election, Key People Are Leaving Facebook And Torching The Company In Departure Notes

On Wednesday , a Facebook data scientist departed the social networking company after a two-year stint , leaving a farewell note for their colleagues to ponder .
As part of a team focused on “ Violence and Incitement , ” they had dealt with some of the worst content on Facebook , and they were proud of their work at the company .
Despite this , they said Facebook was simply not doing enough .
“ With so many internal forces propping up the production of hateful and violent content , the task of stopping hate and violence on Facebook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it already is , ” the employee wrote in their “ badge post , ” a traditional farewell note for any departing Facebook employee .
“ It also makes it embarrassing to work here.
” The departing employee declined to speak with BuzzFeed News but asked that they not be named for fear of abuse and reprisal .
Using internal Facebook data and projections to support their points , the data scientist said in their post that roughly 1 of every 1,000 pieces of content — or 5 million of the 5 billion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ network daily — violates the company ’ s rules on hate speech .
More stunning , they estimated using the company ’ s own figures that , even with artificial intelligence and third-party moderators , the company was “ deleting less than 5 % of all of the hate speech posted to Facebook.
” ( After this article was published , Facebook VP of integrity Guy Rosen disputed the calculation , saying it `` incorrectly compares views and content . ''
The employee addressed this in their post and said it did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expressed in the badge post are hardly new .
Since May , a number of Facebook employees have quit , saying they were ashamed of the impact the company was having on the world or worried that the company ’ s inaction in moderating hate and misinformation had led to political interference , division , and bloodshed .
Another employee was fired for documenting instances of preferential treatment of influential conservative pages that repeatedly spread false information .
`` While we don ’ t comment on individual employee matters , this is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spokesperson Joe Osborne said of this incident .
But in just the past few weeks , at least four people involved in critical integrity work related to reducing violence and incitement , crafting policy to reduce hate speech , and tracking content that breaks Facebook ’ s rules have left the company .
In farewell posts obtained by BuzzFeed News , each person expressed concerns about the company ’ s approach to handling US political content and hate speech , and called out Facebook leadership for its unwillingness to be more proactive about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ content .
“ We have made massive integrity investments over the past four years , including substantially growing the team that works to keep the platform safe , improving our ability to find and take down hate speech , and protecting the US 2020 elections , '' said Osborne .
`` We ’ re proud of this work and will continue to invest and build on learnings moving forward.
” Do you work at Facebook or another technology company ?
We ’ d love to hear from you .
Reach out at ryan.mac @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or via one of our tip line channels .
The departures come as Facebook ’ s “ election integrity ” effort is undergoing major changes in the wake of the 2020 US election .
The Information recently reported that the company ’ s civic integrity team — which was charged with `` helping to protect the democratic process '' and reducing `` the spread of viral misinformation and fake accounts '' — was recently disbanded as a stand-alone unit .
It also reported that a proposal from the company ’ s integrity teams @ @ @ @ @ @ @ misleading election content from prominent political accounts , like President Donald Trump ’ s , was shot down by company leadership .
`` We continue to have teams and people dedicated to elections work , and will expand on the work of our civic team to other focus areas for the company , '' Osborne said about changes to the civc integrity team .
`` Integrity touches everything we do , which is why it ’ s important to grow and better integrate the teams doing this work across the organization . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ some employees leaving say they do not have confidence in the company to fix or even temper its problems .
While Facebook publicly claims its artificial intelligence measures catch a lot of offending content before it ’ s reported by users , there have been manifold examples where that system failed , leading to disastrous real-life consequences like a Facebook-organized militia event that coincided with the shooting deaths of two protestors in Kenosha , Wisconsin .
“ AI will not save us , ” wrote Nick Inzucchi , a civic integrity product designer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ implicit vision guiding most of our integrity work today is one where all human discourse is overseen by perfect , fair , omniscient robots owned by [ CEO ] Mark Zuckerberg .
This is clearly a dystopia , but one so deeply ingrained we hardly notice it any more.
” The departing data scientist expressed similar concerns .
“ Our current approach to automation is not going to solve most of our integrity problems , ” they wrote .
Their post also argued , with data , that Facebook ’ s “ very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are fanning the flames of the very fire we are trying to put out ” makes it impossible for people to do their jobs .
“ How is an outsider supposed to believe that we care whatsoever about getting rid of hate speech when it is clear to anyone that we are propping it up ?
” they asked .
Using data from a Facebook tool called the “ Hate Bait dashboard , ” which can track content from groups and pages that leads to hateful interactions , the data scientist listed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concentrated volume of likely violating Hate Speech comments ” in the past 14 days .
All were pages associated with conservative outlets or personalities , including Breitbart News , Fox News , the Daily Caller , Donald Trump ’ s campaign and main account , and Ben Shapiro .
They also shared a sample of the hateful comments posted on a recent Breitbart News post about Nancy Pelosi ’ s support for transgender athletes .
“ I can ’ t overemphasize that this is a completely average run-of-the-mill post for Breitbart or any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” they wrote , referring to comments that called for the assault or killing of trans individuals .
“ They all create dozens or hundreds of posts like this [ a ] day , each eliciting endless volumes of hateful vile comments—and we reward them fantastically for it , ” they wrote , emphasizing their own words .
The data scientist ’ s comments about preferential treatment of US conservative pages and voices follow other internal concerns and evidence .
In November , a departing member of Facebook ’ s policy organization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far more likely than others to engage in hate speech and violence incitement and far more likely to spread misinformation.
” The person declined to speak with BuzzFeed News and asked that their name not be published for fear of retaliation .
“ Very conservative and conservative users shared more than seven times as much misinformation on the platform in a given period as did moderate , liberal , or very liberal users , ” they wrote , linking to a news article of a recent study to support their claim .
Another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ five years , also quit the company this week .
They asked BuzzFeed News not to be named in case of reprisal , but echoed their colleagues ' concerns in their farewell post .
“ I think Facebook probably has a net negative effect on the quality of political discourse , at least in Western counties , ” they wrote .
They described a randomized trial that found that “ paying people to stop using Facebook for a month caused a decline in negative partisan feelings by around 0.1 [ standard deviation ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said they had seen “ a dozen proposals to measure the objective quality of content on News Feed diluted or killed because … they have a disproportionate impact across the US political spectrum , typically harming conservative content more.
” Beyond that , they added that Facebook ’ s content policy decisions are “ routinely influenced by political considerations ” to ensure the company “ avoids antagonizing powerful political players.
” The other departing data scientist said their team ’ s incremental changes can improve things on the margin but lack any major @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For example , they cited a colleague who was able to detect and prevent an additional 500,000 views of English language hate content in the US a day .
But they pointed to Trump ’ s infamous “ When the looting starts , the shooting starts ” post as an example of how the team ’ s wins were eclipsed by Facebook ’ s unwillingness to take action against prominent purveyors of hate speech or violent incitement .
“ Trump ’ s ‘ Looting and Shooting ’ post was viewed orders of magnitude @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of views that we prevent in a day , ” they wrote , citing the president ’ s May post , which was not taken down by the company despite its suggestion that those protesting the police killing of George Floyd be shot .
“ It ’ s not hard to draw a straight line from that post to the actual shooting that took place at protests in the months that followed.
” Despite their pointed criticism , the data scientist commended what they said was an improvement of Facebook ’ s “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to prevent “ a number of events that might have ended up being similar to Kenosha.
” They said the company enacted dozens of interventions that they believe led to a lower-than-expected amount of violence and incitement reports during and following Election Day .
For context , the data scientist shared a graph that showed user reports for violence and incitement peaked at around 50,000 in the days after the election , while the top day during the height of protests in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd saw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previously reported the existence of a “ violence and incitement trends ” metric that jumped 45 % over five days in the period after Election Day as misinformation spread about the totaling of votes in the recent presidential election .
The data scientist also offered parting advice to Facebook : “ hire more people.
” Noting that the company was able to afford it , they suggested doubling the size of employees in the integrity organization .
They said it would allow the company to branch out from focusing on US and English-centric @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data scientist .
The four departures and their badge posts triggered a discussion on Facebook ’ s internal message boards this week , with employees concerned that they could kick off a wider trend .
“ To what extent are integrity leadership and FB INC leadership hearing and responding to these criticisms ?
” one person posted to an internal group called “ Let ’ s Fix Facebook.
” Internal survey data from more than 49,000 Facebook employees first reported by BuzzFeed News last month showed that only 51 % of respondents said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impact on the world .
A question about the company ’ s leadership saw only 56 % of employees offer a favorable response .
On Thursday , Zuckerberg detailed some of the turnover and subsequent hiring at the company .
In a company-wide meeting , he said he was proud of employees ' ability to adapt to the new normal of working from home , particularly for those people who joined recently and have yet to see the inside of a Facebook office .
`` I think we now have 20,000 employees who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they joined this year , '' he said to the more than 50,000 employees at the company .
The Facebook chief also said he expects some people to start coming back to offices next year , though the company would not make a COVID-19 vaccine mandatory for returning workers .
As morale inside Facebook plummets , leaders are growing more concerned about employee discussions occurring on the company ’ s internal forums .
Once known for its open culture , Facebook and CEO Zuckerberg , who are staring down landmark antitrust lawsuits from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Commission , repeatedly advised employees this week to avoid discussing anything related to the ongoing litigation given the possibility of legal discovery .
Employees have also been required to take online “ Competition Training ” courses to understand “ Competition Compliance Policy.
” The training instructs people who are discussing “ complicated issues ” to meet in person or over videoconference , while reminding them that others may have access to their communications .
Facebook was quick to shield the departing data scientist ’ s post from outside eyes .
Having initially published @ @ @ @ @ @ @ create “ an additional layer of security ” and prevent it from getting to this news outlet , they were asked by an internal moderator to take the post off Google ’ s tools .
“ Your badge post just got flagged for having confidential information in it , ” the moderator wrote to the data scientist .
●

On Wednesday, a Facebook data scientist departed the social networking company after a two-year stint, leaving a farewell note for their colleagues to ponder. As part of a team focused on “Violence and Incitement,” they had dealt with some of the worst content on Facebook, and they were proud of their work at the company.
Despite this, they said Facebook was simply not doing enough.
“With so many internal forces propping up the production of hateful and violent content, the task of stopping hate and violence on Facebook starts to feel even more sisyphean than it already is,” the employee wrote in their “badge post,” a traditional farewell note for any departing Facebook employee. “It also makes it embarrassing to work here.”
The departing employee declined to speak with BuzzFeed News but asked that they not be named for fear of abuse and reprisal.
Using internal Facebook data and projections to support their points, the data scientist said in their post that roughly 1 of every 1,000 pieces of content — or 5 million of the 5 billion pieces of content posted to the social network daily — violates the company’s rules on hate speech. More stunning, they estimated using the company’s own figures that, even with artificial intelligence and third-party moderators, the company was “deleting less than 5% of all of the hate speech posted to Facebook.” (After this article was published, Facebook VP of integrity Guy Rosen disputed the calculation, saying it "incorrectly compares views and content." The employee addressed this in their post and said it did not change the conclusion.)


buzzfeed--2020-12-11--A New Law Will Close The Loophole That Lets Criminals Launder Money Through US Banks

Members of the House Armed Services Committee during the markup of the National Defense Authorization Act ( NDAA ) earlier this year .
In a move that could make it much harder for criminals to launder money through US banks , Congress has passed legislation that would require anonymous shell companies to disclose their true owners .
The action , which still faces a veto threat from President Donald Trump , comes three months after the FinCEN Files , an expansive investigation by BuzzFeed News and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists , showed that shell companies are a cornerstone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interests and their allies in Congress had long opposed efforts to unmask these secretive corporate entities because they said it would place unfair burdens on legitimate companies .
But rising concerns about money laundering and terrorist financing , combined with reworking the legislation to be more business-friendly , gradually turned the tide .
The legislation was included in the National Defense Authorization Act ( NDAA ) , which passed the Senate by a vote of 84–3 Friday .
Earlier in the week , it passed the House by a more than 4 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee , said the stories from the FinCEN Files series “ underscored that we need to strengthen , reform , and update our nation ’ s anti-money laundering laws.
” Congress ’ s action on shell companies , he said in a statement , “ will finally update and reform our tools to crack down on anonymous shell companies and on big banks that enable criminals or have lax anti-money laundering compliance programs .
We know that criminals have long been adjusting their tactics to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will enable us to get ahead of them , and stay ahead of them.
” Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chair Sen. Mark Warner said it is `` past time to put an end to the secrecy that allows drug cartels , human traffickers , arms dealers , terrorists and kleptocrats to exploit the United States ' banking system in order to carry out anti-American activities . ''
He added that `` the current holes in our financial system pose a serious threat to national security.
`` The new measure is part of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has promised to veto unless it repeals Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act , which shields social media companies from liability for content that users post on their platform .
Trump and many Congressional Republicans allege that Section 230 has allowed social media companies to censor and silence conservative voices .
The NDAA passed with more than two-thirds support in each chamber , which would be enough to override a presidential veto .
But it is not clear whether enough Republicans will stick with their support of the bill in defiance of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the NDAA also addresses many of the other issues identified in the FinCEN Files .
If signed into law , it would require the government to report on how law enforcement agents use suspicious activity reports , documents sent by banks to the Treasury Department when they detect possible financial misconduct .
The Justice Department would have to file yearly reports justifying its use of deferred prosecution agreements — a type of deal that banks regularly cut with the government to avoid a criminal trial when they run afoul of anti-money laundering laws @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who blow the whistle on misconduct from retaliation and offer them financial rewards for stepping forward .
The bill also requires FinCEN — the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network , a division of the Treasury Department — to study new technologies to identify criminal money flows and to improve communication with the private sector .
The Financial Accountability and Corporate Transparency Coalition , a group that advocates for a fair tax system and has pushed for this legislation , applauded the action in Congress .
“ It has been decades since our nation ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” the group said in a statement this week .
“ Over time , rogue nations , criminals , and kleptocrats have developed ever more sophisticated strategies , but national security and law enforcement officials are currently working with outdated and insufficient tools to counter these emerging threats.
” At present , anonymous shell companies can be set up with less disclosure than what is required to get a library card .
These companies can be used to hide wealth or launder the proceeds of crime through legitimate assets .
Requiring companies to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off them was first proposed in Congress in 2008 .
Various bills have been proposed since then , but failed .
After years of debate on the issue , and years of failure to get legislation passed , momentum for the banking reforms built over the last 12 months as compromises were made and coalitions built .
Earlier proposals would have forced companies to disclose their ownership publicly .
Under the new legislation , ownership information would be shared only with FinCEN .
Companies with more than 20 employees and at least $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well as a physical presence in the United States , would be exempt under the assumption they ’ re legitimate businesses rather than shell companies .
Those who fail to disclose their ownership or provide false information face fines of up to $ 10,000 and up to two years imprisonment .
The legislation passed this week also establishes a new FinCEN whistleblower program for financial crimes .
“ Providing the means for whistleblowers to report to the government is the best way to incentivize insiders to come forward with the necessary information , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ specializing in whistleblower cases for the firm of Constantine Cannon .
“ This new law goes a long way towards providing a safe and secure forum for insiders to help law enforcement connect the dots.
” The broad coalition favoring the legislation included labor unions , the US Chamber of Commerce , and the banking industry .
Banks , in particular , were a major force lobbying in favor of the corporate transparency legislation .
Banks currently bear the burden of reporting suspicious financial activity to FinCEN and are looking to push some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reports are a major expense for banks .
The Banking Policy Institute , whose members include both domestic banks and large foreign banks doing business in the US , said these financial institutions employ 14,000 people dedicated to compliance .
The National Federation of Independent Business was the loudest voice arguing against the legislation .
Kevin Kuhlman , its vice president of federal government affairs , said the banks don ’ t actually care about cracking down on money laundering .
“ Banks are attempting to offload their regulatory burden onto small businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will not begin filling out honest paperwork , and honest business owners will become unsuspecting criminals , ” he said .

In a move that could make it much harder for criminals to launder money through US banks, Congress has passed legislation that would require anonymous shell companies to disclose their true owners.
The action, which still faces a veto threat from President Donald Trump, comes three months after the FinCEN Files, an expansive investigation by BuzzFeed News and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, showed that shell companies are a cornerstone of fraud and financial corruption.
Business interests and their allies in Congress had long opposed efforts to unmask these secretive corporate entities because they said it would place unfair burdens on legitimate companies. But rising concerns about money laundering and terrorist financing, combined with reworking the legislation to be more business-friendly, gradually turned the tide.
The legislation was included in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which passed the Senate by a vote of 84–3 Friday. Earlier in the week, it passed the House by a more than 4 to 1 margin.
Sen. Sherrod Brown, the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee, said the stories from the FinCEN Files series “underscored that we need to strengthen, reform, and update our nation’s anti-money laundering laws.”
Congress’s action on shell companies, he said in a statement, “will finally update and reform our tools to crack down on anonymous shell companies and on big banks that enable criminals or have lax anti-money laundering compliance programs. We know that criminals have long been adjusting their tactics to get around our current laws. This bill will enable us to get ahead of them, and stay ahead of them.”
Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chair Sen. Mark Warner said it is "past time to put an end to the secrecy that allows drug cartels, human traffickers, arms dealers, terrorists and kleptocrats to exploit the United States' banking system in order to carry out anti-American activities."
He added that "the current holes in our financial system pose a serious threat to national security. "
The new measure is part of a sweeping defense spending bill, which Trump has promised to veto unless it repeals Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which shields social media companies from liability for content that users post on their platform. Trump and many Congressional Republicans allege that Section 230 has allowed social media companies to censor and silence conservative voices.
The NDAA passed with more than two-thirds support in each chamber, which would be enough to override a presidential veto. But it is not clear whether enough Republicans will stick with their support of the bill in defiance of a Trump veto attempt.
Legislation in the NDAA also addresses many of the other issues identified in the FinCEN Files.
If signed into law, it would require the government to report on how law enforcement agents use suspicious activity reports, documents sent by banks to the Treasury Department when they detect possible financial misconduct.
The Justice Department would have to file yearly reports justifying its use of deferred prosecution agreements — a type of deal that banks regularly cut with the government to avoid a criminal trial when they run afoul of anti-money laundering laws.
And the law will protect those who blow the whistle on misconduct from retaliation and offer them financial rewards for stepping forward.
The bill also requires FinCEN — the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, a division of the Treasury Department — to study new technologies to identify criminal money flows and to improve communication with the private sector.
The Financial Accountability and Corporate Transparency Coalition, a group that advocates for a fair tax system and has pushed for this legislation, applauded the action in Congress. “It has been decades since our nation’s anti-money laundering laws were updated,” the group said in a statement this week. “Over time, rogue nations, criminals, and kleptocrats have developed ever more sophisticated strategies, but national security and law enforcement officials are currently working with outdated and insufficient tools to counter these emerging threats.”
At present, anonymous shell companies can be set up with less disclosure than what is required to get a library card. These companies can be used to hide wealth or launder the proceeds of crime through legitimate assets.
Requiring companies to disclose who owns them and who profits off them was first proposed in Congress in 2008. Various bills have been proposed since then, but failed. After years of debate on the issue, and years of failure to get legislation passed, momentum for the banking reforms built over the last 12 months as compromises were made and coalitions built.
Earlier proposals would have forced companies to disclose their ownership publicly. Under the new legislation, ownership information would be shared only with FinCEN.
Companies with more than 20 employees and at least $5 million in annual sales, as well as a physical presence in the United States, would be exempt under the assumption they’re legitimate businesses rather than shell companies.
Those who fail to disclose their ownership or provide false information face fines of up to $10,000 and up to two years imprisonment. The legislation passed this week also establishes a new FinCEN whistleblower program for financial crimes.
“Providing the means for whistleblowers to report to the government is the best way to incentivize insiders to come forward with the necessary information,” said Poppy Alexander, a lawyer specializing in whistleblower cases for the firm of Constantine Cannon. “This new law goes a long way towards providing a safe and secure forum for insiders to help law enforcement connect the dots.”
The broad coalition favoring the legislation included labor unions, the US Chamber of Commerce, and the banking industry. Banks, in particular, were a major force lobbying in favor of the corporate transparency legislation.
Banks currently bear the burden of reporting suspicious financial activity to FinCEN and are looking to push some responsibility onto the corporations themselves. These reports are a major expense for banks. The Banking Policy Institute, whose members include both domestic banks and large foreign banks doing business in the US, said these financial institutions employ 14,000 people dedicated to compliance.
The National Federation of Independent Business was the loudest voice arguing against the legislation. Kevin Kuhlman, its vice president of federal government affairs, said the banks don’t actually care about cracking down on money laundering.
“Banks are attempting to offload their regulatory burden onto small businesses. My fear is that bad actors will not begin filling out honest paperwork, and honest business owners will become unsuspecting criminals,” he said.


buzzfeed--2020-12-11--Here Are The Names Of 126 Members Of The House Who Refuse To Accept That Biden Won

House Republicans gather on the steps of the US Capitol for a press conference .
All 50 states have officially certified the results of the 2020 presidential election as of this week , reaffirming what has been known for over a month now : Joe Biden will be the next president of the United States .
And yet , on Thursday , 106 Republican members of Congress signed an amicus brief asking the Supreme Court to allow the state of Texas to file a lawsuit that seeks to invalidate the election results in the states of Georgia , Michigan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which President Donald Trump lost .
On Friday , Republicans filed an updated brief to include an additional 20 members .
Several hours later on Friday evening , the court rejected Texas 's challenge , saying the state lacked standing to sue .
With electors scheduled to meet on Monday to officially name Biden the victor , it was a long shot that the court would step in .
On Tuesday , the Supreme Court justices denied a Republican effort to challenge a 2019 Pennsylvania law that expanded mail-in voting .
Among the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who have just won races in the very states whose elections they now allege are so rife with `` irregularities '' that they want the court to throw out the results .
There is no evidence of widespread electoral fraud .
Here are their names :

All 50 states have officially certified the results of the 2020 presidential election as of this week, reaffirming what has been known for over a month now: Joe Biden will be the next president of the United States.
And yet, on Thursday, 106 Republican members of Congress signed an amicus brief asking the Supreme Court to allow the state of Texas to file a lawsuit that seeks to invalidate the election results in the states of Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, all of which President Donald Trump lost. On Friday, Republicans filed an updated brief to include an additional 20 members.
Several hours later on Friday evening, the court rejected Texas's challenge, saying the state lacked standing to sue.
With electors scheduled to meet on Monday to officially name Biden the victor, it was a long shot that the court would step in. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court justices denied a Republican effort to challenge a 2019 Pennsylvania law that expanded mail-in voting.
Among the representatives who signed on are several members who have just won races in the very states whose elections they now allege are so rife with "irregularities" that they want the court to throw out the results. There is no evidence of widespread electoral fraud.
Here are their names:
Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana’s 4th Congressional District
Rep. Gary Palmer of Alabama’s 6th Congressional District
Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio’s 4th Congressional District
Rep. Ralph Abraham of Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District
Rep. Rick W. Allen of Georgia’s 12th Congressional District
Rep. James R. Baird of Indiana’s 4th Congressional District
Rep. Jim Banks of Indiana’s 3rd Congressional District
Rep. Jack Bergman of Michigan’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona’s 5th Congressional District
Rep. Gus Bilirakis of Florida’s 12th Congressional District
Rep. Dan Bishop of North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District
Rep. Mike Bost of Illinois’s 12th Congressional District
Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas’s 8th Congressional District
Rep. Mo Brooks of Alabama’s 5th Congressional District
Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado’s 4th Congressional District
Rep. Ted Budd of North Carolina’s 13th Congressional District
Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee’s 2nd Congressional District
Rep. Michael C. Burgess of Texas’s 26th Congressional District
Rep. Bradley Byrne of Alabama’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Ken Calvert of California’s 42nd Congressional District
Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter of Georgia’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Ben Cline of Virginia’s 6th Congressional District
Rep. Michael Cloud of Texas’s 27th Congressional District
Rep. Mike Conaway of Texas’s 11th Congressional District
Rep. Rick Crawford of Arkansas’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Dan Crenshaw of Texas’s 2nd Congressional District
Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida’s 25th Congressional District
Rep. Jeff Duncan of South Carolina’s 3rd Congressional District
Rep. Neal P. Dunn of Florida’s 2nd Congressional District
Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota’s 6th Congressional District
Rep. Ron Estes of Kansas’s 4th Congressional District
Rep. Drew Ferguson of Georgia’s 3rd Congressional District
Rep. Chuck Fleischmann of Tennessee's 3rd Congressional District
Rep. Bill Flores of Texas’s 17th Congressional District
Rep. Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Virginia Foxx of North Carolina’s 5th Congressional District
Rep. Russ Fulcher of Idaho’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Greg Gianforte of Montana’s at-large congressional district
Rep. Bob Gibbs of Ohio’s 7th Congressional District
Rep. Louie Gohmert of Texas’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Lance Gooden of Texas’s 5th Congressional District
Rep. Sam Graves of Missouri’s 6th Congressional District
Rep. Mark Green of Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District
Rep. Michael Guest of Mississippi’s 3rd Congressional District
Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Vicky Hartzler of Missouri’s 4th Congressional District
Rep. Kevin Hern of Oklahoma’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Clay Higgins of Louisiana’s 3rd Congressional District
Rep. Trey Hollingsworth of Indiana’s 9th Congressional District
Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina’s 8th Congressional District
Rep. Bill Huizenga of Michigan’s 2nd Congressional District
Rep. Bill Johnson of Ohio’s 6th Congressional District
Rep. John Joyce of Pennsylvania’s 13th Congressional District
Rep. Fred Keller of Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional District
Rep. Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania’s 16th Congressional District
Rep. Trent Kelly of Mississippi’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Steve King of Iowa’s 4th Congressional District
Rep. David Kustoff of Tennessee’s 8th Congressional District
Rep. Darin LaHood of Illinois’s 18th Congressional District
Rep. Doug LaMalfa of California’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Doug Lamborn of Colorado’s 5th Congressional District
Rep. Robert E. Latta of Ohio’s 5th Congressional District
Rep. Debbie Lesko of Arizona’s 8th Congressional District
Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer of Missouri’s 3rd Congressional District
Rep. Kenny Marchant of Texas’s 24th Congressional District
Rep. Roger Marshall of Kansas’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Tom McClintock of California’s 4th Congressional District
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington’s 5th Congressional District
Rep. Dan Meuser of Pennsylvania’s 9th Congressional District
Rep. Carol D. Miller of West Virginia’s 3rd Congressional District
Rep. John Moolenaar of Michigan’s 4th Congressional District
Rep. Alex X. Mooney of West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District
Rep. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma’s 2nd Congressional District
Rep. Gregory Murphy of North Carolina’s 3rd Congressional District
Rep. Dan Newhouse of Washington’s 4th Congressional District
Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina’s 5th Congressional District
Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District
Rep. Guy Reschenthaler of Pennsylvania’s 14th Congressional District
Rep. Tom Rice of South Carolina’s 7th Congressional District
Rep. John Rose of Tennessee’s 6th Congressional District
Rep. David Rouzer of North Carolina’s 7th Congressional District
Rep. John Rutherford of Florida’s 4th Congressional District
Rep. Austin Scott of Georgia’s 8th Congressional District
Rep. Mike Simpson of Idaho’s 2nd Congressional District
Rep. Adrian Smith of Nebraska’s 3rd Congressional District
Rep. Jason Smith of Missouri’s 8th Congressional District
Rep. Ross Spano of Florida’s 15th Congressional District
Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York’s 21st Congressional District
Rep. Glenn Thompson of Pennsylvania’s 15th Congressional District
Rep. Tom Tiffany of Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District
Rep. William Timmons of South Carolina’s 4th Congressional District
Rep. Ann Wagner of Missouri’s 2nd Congressional District
Rep. Tim Walberg of Michigan’s 7th Congressional District
Rep. Michael Waltz of Florida’s 6th Congressional District
Rep. Randy Weber of Texas’s 14th Congressional District
Rep. Daniel Webster of Florida’s 11th Congressional District
Rep. Brad Wenstrup of Ohio’s 2nd Congressional District
Rep. Bruce Westerman of Arkansas’s 4th Congressional District
Rep. Roger Williams of Texas’s 25th Congressional District
Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina’s 2nd Congressional District
Rep. Rob Wittman of Virginia’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Ron Wright of Texas’s 6th Congressional District
Rep. Ted S. Yoho of Florida’s 3rd Congressional District
Rep. Lee Zeldin of New York’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California’s 23rd Congressional District
Rep. Robert Aderholt of Alabama’s 4th Congressional District
Rep. Jodey Arrington of Texas’s 19th Congressional District
Rep. Brian Babin of Texas’s 36th Congressional District
Rep. Doug Collins of Georgia’s 9th Congressional District
Rep. Scott DesJarlais of Tennessee’s 4th Congressional District
Rep. Morgan Griffith of Virginia’s 9th Congressional District
Rep. Jim Hagedorn of Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Jody Hice of Georgia’s 10th Congressional District
Rep. Billy Long of Missouri’s 7th Congressional District
Rep. Barry Loudermilk of Georgia’s 11th Congressional District
Rep. Steven Palazzo of Mississippi’s 4th Congressional District
Rep. Greg Pence of Indiana’s 6th Congressional District
Rep. Bill Posey of Florida’s 8th Congressional District
Rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama’s 3rd Congressional District
Rep. Pete Stauber of Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District
Rep. W. Gregory Steube of Florida’s 17th Congressional District
Rep. Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District
Rep. Mark Walker of North Carolina’s 6th Congressional District
Rep. Jackie Walorski of Indiana’s 2nd Congressional District