buzzfeed--2020-08-15--The US Postal Service Is Now A Trump Target In The 2020 Election. Here's What's Going On.

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

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


buzzfeed--2020-08-16--As A 32-Year-Old Woman Who Might Want Another Kid, I Took An At-Home Reproductive Health Test And He

As A 32-Year-Old Woman Who Might Want Another Kid, I Took An At-Home Reproductive Health Test And Here's What I Learned

What exactly does the Modern Fertility hormone test show ?
1 .
It tells you if you may have more @ @ @ @ @ for your age .
2 .
It predicts if you may hit menopause earlier or @ @ @ @ @ .
It helps you understand egg freezing and what probable IVF outcomes would be like @ @ @ @ @ It gives you an overview of how your general health is related to your hormones @ @ @ @ @ different factors that may affect your fertility , like your thyroid .
6 .
It @ @ @ @ @ if you have PCOS ( a hormone condition that affects your body ’ s ability @ @ @ @ @ month ) .

1. It tells you if you may have more or less eggs than average for your age.
2. It predicts if you may hit menopause earlier or later than average.
3. It helps you understand egg freezing and what probable IVF outcomes would be like for you.
4. It gives you an overview of how your general health is related to your hormones.
5. It tests different factors that may affect your fertility, like your thyroid.
6. It may also help you discover if you have PCOS (a hormone condition that affects your body’s ability to release an egg every month).


buzzfeed--2020-08-16--This Woman Was Just Accused Of Sleeping With Her Friend's Boyfriend — How Can She Prove Her Innocenc

This Woman Was Just Accused Of Sleeping With Her Friend's Boyfriend — How Can She Prove Her Innocence?

Sure , you could indulge her paranoia and try to find ways to prove , irrefutably and without a shadow @ @ @ @ @ you are n't sleeping with her boyfriend .
You could let her search through your @ @ @ @ @ confirm your alibis for each alleged tryst , submit yourself to a full-blown interrogation of @ @ @ @ @ But that sort of thing is n't fair to you , and it is n't @ @ @ @ @ , the only real way you two can move forward is with trust — and @ @ @ @ @ think she 'll be able to trust anyone in her life until she dumps the @ @ @ @ @ wreaking havoc upon it .

Sure, you could indulge her paranoia and try to find ways to prove, irrefutably and without a shadow of a doubt, that you aren't sleeping with her boyfriend. You could let her search through your phone, get eyewitnesses to confirm your alibis for each alleged tryst, submit yourself to a full-blown interrogation of your entire sexual history. But that sort of thing isn't fair to you, and it isn't healthy for her. Ultimately, the only real way you two can move forward is with trust — and honestly, I don't think she'll be able to trust anyone in her life until she dumps the man who seems to be wreaking havoc upon it.


buzzfeed--2020-08-16--People Are Sharing The Worst Sex Advice They Got In School, And It's Horrifying

`` Did anyone else get the tape thing ?
My teacher took two pieces of tape and stuck them to @ @ @ @ @ then peel them off and re-stick them to her sleeves , getting the back side @ @ @ @ @ each time .
She said that the pieces of tape were people , and every @ @ @ @ @ her sleeve , it represented them having sex with a different person .
Eventually , @ @ @ @ @ , they did n't stick very well from all of the shirt fibers , and @ @ @ @ @ emotionally disconnected that they could n't form a lasting bond .
So do n't have @ @ @ @ @ a broken shell of a person unable to love . ''

11.
"Did anyone else get the tape thing? My teacher took two pieces of tape and stuck them to her sleeves. She would then peel them off and re-stick them to her sleeves, getting the back side of the tape more linty each time. She said that the pieces of tape were people, and every time she put them on her sleeve, it represented them having sex with a different person. Eventually, when she put them together, they didn't stick very well from all of the shirt fibers, and this meant they were so emotionally disconnected that they couldn't form a lasting bond. So don't have sex or you'll be a broken shell of a person unable to love."


buzzfeed--2020-08-16--Solidcore Sells Itself As An Empowering Fitness Boutique. Employees Say Its CEO Created A Culture Of

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

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

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


buzzfeed--2020-08-16--The US Postal Service Is Now A Trump Target In The 2020 Election. Here's What's Going On.


buzzfeed--2020-08-16--Alex Morse Would Like You To Know He Has Sex

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

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


buzzfeed--2020-08-16--This Red Food Visual Test Is Harder Than You Probably Think

The food in the box is an apple !

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buzzfeed--2020-08-17--This Woman With Down Syndrome Went Viral For Explaining Things About Her Life That Don't Make Sense

Another inequality people with Down syndrome face is their employment wages .
Ashley explained , `` The US Department of @ @ @ @ @ that allow them to pay people with disabilities below minimum wage .
The way it @ @ @ @ @ up is the employers will have an employee without a disability perform a task and @ @ @ @ @ the disability perform the same task .
They will both be timed .
However long @ @ @ @ @ the disability to perform the task is the time that holds minimum wage .
Then @ @ @ @ @ takes the person with the disability to do it , they deduct from minimum wage @ @ @ @ @ .
I would hope that we , as a society , have moved passed that @ @ @ @ @ we have not . ''

Another inequality people with Down syndrome face is their employment wages. Ashley explained, "The US Department of Labor provides employers with certificates that allow them to pay people with disabilities below minimum wage. The way it's supposed to be set up is the employers will have an employee without a disability perform a task and then have the person with the disability perform the same task. They will both be timed. However long it takes the person without the disability to perform the task is the time that holds minimum wage. Then, however much longer it takes the person with the disability to do it, they deduct from minimum wage. It's pretty ridiculous. I would hope that we, as a society, have moved passed that, but, unfortunately, we have not."


buzzfeed--2020-08-17--I Spent Two Terrifying Days Imprisoned In Belarus

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

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


buzzfeed--2020-08-17--Dinesh D’Souza’s Attacks On Kamala Harris Are Part Of A Bigger Problem In The Indian Community

D ’ Souza is an immigrant from Mumbai but raised Catholic , who has seemingly spent his entire life trying to outrun his own heritage and his outsider-status anxiety , desperate to fit in even at the expense of his own community , or of communities with even less privilege than upwardly mobile , middle-class , America-bound Indians .
His entire career has been built on boot-licking white conservatives , as if that ’ ll give him some protection as a brown immigrant living in America .
I guess , to some degree , this has worked — in 2018 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he pleaded guilty to using straw donors , illegally , to contribute to a Republican Senate candidate in 2014 .
I have known so many Indians like D ’ Souza in my life .
They ’ re in my family , despite my best efforts to have them excommunicated .
They pronounce their first names as anglicized as possible — Din-esh instead of Dhin-eish , trust me , I notice the difference , and I make fun of you — to , I can only assume , make white people comfortable .
Maybe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Janata Party , or the BJP , if they ’ re living in India , and say things like , “ Well , I ’ m polite to Muslims , I just wouldn ’ t want to befriend one.
” There are many legitimate critiques to make of Kamala Harris , especially now that she ’ s the Democratic vice presidential pick .
You can criticize her for being too much of a centrist while young Democratic voters are looking for more progressive representation .
You can go after her for being a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t align with more progressive abolitionist views of the police .
But going after her Blackness , and arguing that she isn ’ t actually Black because some of her ancestors might have been slave owners — as is true for many Black Americans , something beyond their control — is hardly relevant .
It ’ s hard to deny that D ’ Souza has built his career off making ad hominem attacks against Black people .
As a brown man in the media , D ’ Souza gets more cover than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s as if he ’ s saying , Me , a racist ?
That ’ s unpossible !
I ’ m an ethnic !
D ’ Souza ’ s latest round of comments may also be some of his dumbest .
Last week he went on Twitter to , again , defend Donald Trump when the president pronounced Thailand as “ Thighland.
” “ ‘ Thighland , ’ not ‘ Tai-land , ’ is how English speakers around the world say it , ” tweeted D ’ Souza , which is too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yesterday , he hopped over to Fox News to argue that Kamala Harris shouldn ’ t be considered “ African American ” because she ’ s related to “ one of the largest slave owners in Jamaica.
” If you ’ re not versed in D ’ Souza ’ s oeuvre , you ’ re very lucky .
Originally from Mumbai , he ’ s a right-wing commentator perhaps best known for his yearslong hard-on for attacking Barack Obama , first in 2010 with his book The Roots of Obama ’ s Rage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ documentary based on the book .
He ’ s also released a few other documentaries including Hillary ’ s America ( which is an extended argument against the Democratic Party ) and Death of a Nation , which features white nationalist Richard Spencer , and compares Trump to Abraham Lincoln and Democrats to fascists .
Whenever white people do something terrible — I could give you an example or you could just Google “ Karen ” and save me the trouble — I often joke to my white friends that they have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given conservative political commentator Dinesh D ’ Souza ’ s recent statements defending the president and attacking Kamala Harris , I must accept my burden , and collect this idiot .
Fox News has D ’ Souza on its shows regularly , perhaps because he offers the network some leeway .
Ben Shapiro , with his do-you-have-a-hall-pass-to-go-to-the-bathroom voice , likely can ’ t cast aspersions on Harris ’ s ethnic background without getting some well-earned criticism for it .
( It ’ s the same reason why Shapiro won ’ t just say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his chest and instead reads the lyrics to “ WAP ” like he ’ s allergic to them , which I assume he is , since he is the alleged president and treasurer of the DAP Society . )
But D ’ Souza can appear on The Ingraham Angle like a Trojan horse , his Indian name , his namaskar , Dinesh Uncle-Ji hair , and his dark — oop , but not too dark — skin , and spout off racist arguments against a Black politician .
It ’ s a symbiotic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the last few months have been a good time for all non-Black people to reflect on how we participate in the oppression of Black people .
Indians , in particular , have a unique responsibility here — we have privilege not in spite of how Black people are treated around the world , but because of that treatment .
My father , the other day , called me and mentioned I should keep a Gandhi portrait in my home .
I gently ( or as gently as the Kouls get , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scraper being dragged across concrete ) reminded him that Gandhi , too , was a racist .
Gandhi said Black people are “ troublesome , very dirty and live like animals.
” He believed in the “ purity of races ” and thought white people should be the “ predominating race ” in South Africa in the early 1900s .
Just like white people , Indians have also been steeped in anti-Blackness from early on in our history , even in moments when we , too , were being oppressed .
D ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ subtlety and no guile .
His language around Black people is something just about every Indian has heard from their own family .
The difference , of course , is my racist cousin isn ’ t on television and doesn ’ t write books .
I ’ m not even friends with him on Facebook anymore .
That ’ s growth , kids .
There ’ s a long tradition of Indians being racist against Black people , and the logic is clear : If Black people remain one of — if not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America , then Indians are given a slightly elevated pedestal .
If we act like the model minority white people want us to be , then we can thrive .
D ’ Souza , I ’ m guessing , is just fine getting privilege at the cost of Black people ’ s dignity .
White people get away with anti-Black racism enough as it is , but anti-Blackness takes an even more pernicious tone with D ’ Souza because he ’ s using his Indianness to get away with even more .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point out anti-Blackness wherever they see it , but as Harris becomes more and more prominent in this election cycle , it ’ s essential for Indian people to point it out in our own community , loudly and often , too .
Harris is a Black woman , but she ’ s also an Indian woman , and her right to live in both of those identities should be protected .
It ’ s our duty to point out those within Indian communities — even if we don ’ t really want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — who use anti-Blackness as a way to prop themselves up .
It ’ s our responsibility to stay vigilant in how we criticize D ’ Souza , his toxic rhetoric that ’ s nothing more than misdirection during an already fraught election cycle .
He isn ’ t better than a white man saying the same thing — in fact , he might be worse .
I suspect that on some level , he knows what it ’ s like to have your life made smaller because of racism , discrimination , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white people in 2020 , and no passes for anti-Black Indian people either .
D ’ Souza , I ’ m sure , can continue going on Fox News to keep upping the ante on what ’ s acceptable speech , but at the very least , I can do what so many of my fellow Indians have done for me when I did something wrong : Yell far and wide about my failures , so that every aunty in the world knew my shame .

Fox News has D’Souza on its shows regularly, perhaps because he offers the network some leeway. Ben Shapiro, with his do-you-have-a-hall-pass-to-go-to-the-bathroom voice, likely can’t cast aspersions on Harris’s ethnic background without getting some well-earned criticism for it. (It’s the same reason why Shapiro won’t just say that he resents Black female sexuality with his chest and instead reads the lyrics to “WAP” like he’s allergic to them, which I assume he is, since he is the alleged president and treasurer of the DAP Society.)
But D’Souza can appear on The Ingraham Angle like a Trojan horse, his Indian name, his namaskar, Dinesh Uncle-Ji hair, and his dark — oop, but not too dark — skin, and spout off racist arguments against a Black politician. It’s a symbiotic relationship.
The Black Lives Matter protests in the last few months have been a good time for all non-Black people to reflect on how we participate in the oppression of Black people. Indians, in particular, have a unique responsibility here — we have privilege not in spite of how Black people are treated around the world, but because of that treatment. My father, the other day, called me and mentioned I should keep a Gandhi portrait in my home. I gently (or as gently as the Kouls get, which is about as gentle as an ice scraper being dragged across concrete) reminded him that Gandhi, too, was a racist. Gandhi said Black people are “troublesome, very dirty and live like animals.” He believed in the “purity of races” and thought white people should be the “predominating race” in South Africa in the early 1900s.
Just like white people, Indians have also been steeped in anti-Blackness from early on in our history, even in moments when we, too, were being oppressed. D’Souza continues this long-held tradition with no subtlety and no guile. His language around Black people is something just about every Indian has heard from their own family. The difference, of course, is my racist cousin isn’t on television and doesn’t write books. I’m not even friends with him on Facebook anymore. That’s growth, kids.
There’s a long tradition of Indians being racist against Black people, and the logic is clear: If Black people remain one of — if not the — most oppressed groups in North America, then Indians are given a slightly elevated pedestal. If we act like the model minority white people want us to be, then we can thrive. D’Souza, I’m guessing, is just fine getting privilege at the cost of Black people’s dignity.
White people get away with anti-Black racism enough as it is, but anti-Blackness takes an even more pernicious tone with D’Souza because he’s using his Indianness to get away with even more. It’s important for white people to point out anti-Blackness wherever they see it, but as Harris becomes more and more prominent in this election cycle, it’s essential for Indian people to point it out in our own community, loudly and often, too. Harris is a Black woman, but she’s also an Indian woman, and her right to live in both of those identities should be protected.
It’s our duty to point out those within Indian communities — even if we don’t really want them in our community, hare raaaaaaam — who use anti-Blackness as a way to prop themselves up. It’s our responsibility to stay vigilant in how we criticize D’Souza, his toxic rhetoric that’s nothing more than misdirection during an already fraught election cycle. He isn’t better than a white man saying the same thing — in fact, he might be worse. I suspect that on some level, he knows what it’s like to have your life made smaller because of racism, discrimination, and bias.
No passes for anti-Black white people in 2020, and no passes for anti-Black Indian people either. D’Souza, I’m sure, can continue going on Fox News to keep upping the ante on what’s acceptable speech, but at the very least, I can do what so many of my fellow Indians have done for me when I did something wrong: Yell far and wide about my failures, so that every aunty in the world knew my shame.


buzzfeed--2020-08-17--This Red Food Visual Test Is Harder Than You Probably Think

The food in the box is an apple !


buzzfeed--2020-08-17--This Woman Was Just Accused Of Sleeping With Her Friend's Boyfriend — How Can She Prove Her Innocenc