buzzfeed--2020-08-13--Trump’s Surrogates Are Campaigning Across The US In Luxury Buses In A Bid For Suburban Women

Most of the presidential campaign has stayed out of the real world during the pandemic .
But the Trump campaign bus tours are just starting up .
SALFORDVILLE , Pennsylvania — The look of President Donald Trump ’ s campaign trail is changing .
Goodbye , stadium-sized rallies ( for now ) .
There ’ s a pandemic , and the president just isn ’ t into half-filled venues where people are forced to social-distance because of the coronavirus .
“ Oh , that ’ ll look great , ” Trump said on Fox Sports this week about speaking in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You know , you have one person and everything ’ s fake empty around them .
Can ’ t do that.
” Instead , the president ’ s son Eric Trump and his daughter-in-law Lara Trump are leading their own crusade of surrogates on nationwide tours in big luxury buses — one red , the other pink .
The tour , first launched in July , comes after Trump was widely criticized for trying to relaunch his large-scale rallies in Tulsa , Oklahoma .
At the time , thousands of unmasked supporters gathered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when the state was experiencing an uptick in cases despite local health officials having warned against holding the rally .
He has n't held another rally since , after an aborted attempt in New Hampshire .
BuzzFeed News caught up with the pink Women for Trump bus Monday in the parking lot of the Upper Salford Volunteer Fire Company , which rented out the space despite a disclaimer on Facebook that said “ the fire company does not support or condone ” the campaign event .
A big pink bus was parked as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the American and Pennsylvania flags .
Before it , rows of seats were set up just inches apart from one another , while No Doubt ’ s “ Just a Girl ” and the Rolling Stones ’ s “ Sympathy for the Devil ” blasted in the background .
The event started just before 2:30 p.m. , after a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance .
Even with a small crowd , the president ’ s supporters came draped in Trump gear , wearing anything from “ TRUMP 2020 ” masks to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The event brought more than 100 people to Salfordville , a small township in southeast Pennsylvania where “ nothing ever happens , ” according to Greg Wagner , a Trump supporter who lives nearby and told BuzzFeed News , “ This is the biggest thing ever.
” It ’ s a sign of the times : Locals gathering in their hometown to hear the messaging for the next four years , instead of packing into more distant stadiums to see Trump himself .
It ’ s a kind of throwback to what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convention-level stumping .
Only this time , the scene was punctuated with middle-age and senior masked supporters who sometimes forgot to lift their face-coverings above their chins .
The crowd of mostly women gathered in 90-degree heat to get a glimpse of the celebrities associated with Trump and his entourage .
At one point , the emcee referred to the three surrogates — Lara Trump and senior campaign advisers Katrina Pierson and Mercedes Schlapp , who are headlining the 85-day Women for Trump bus tour — as “ stars.
” “ I follow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think she just seems really great , so I wanted to see her , ” one Trump supporter at the event told BuzzFeed News .
While the president isn ’ t on the tour , his stand-ins are pushing his policy and persona .
“ Remember , everyone used to love Donald Trump , ” Lara Trump reminded the audience .
“ The star of The Apprentice , he was a businessman , truly an entrepreneur — truly , really the embodiment of the American dream.
” “ I think he knew he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what needed to be done to save this country , ” Lara Trump said to a cheering audience .
“ That ’ s why he ran for president.
” There was also the usual framing denigrating the “ fake news ” media , referencing Joe Biden ’ s basement , and even the “ perfectly acceptable phone call ” with the Ukrainian president that led to Trump ’ s impeachment .
All of it served as a precursor to the central messaging of “ keep America America , ” which seemed to resonate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were right to the point and they really spoke about what we were interested in , which was the economy and bringing our nation back to its foundations , you know , back to God , ” Joanne Kunz , a Trump supporter , told BuzzFeed News .
Kunz joined her two sisters , all of whom are from the area .
Each of them had positive feedback about the new world of campaigning during a pandemic .
Although , one sister , Carolyn Stenger , thought that it was “ a little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mask-wearing outdoors , especially for seniors .
“ I thought it was really unsafe because you have older people , too , that can ’ t stand the heat , ” she said .
“ Other than that it was great.
” For Irene Matlock , there was no question she ’ d come to show her support .
After all , she said the president is “ saving us , ” and to her , Trump represents “ optimism and hope.
” The North Hampton resident said she is using the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ As I tell everyone I know : Fear not .
Trust God .
Wash your hands .
Do n't lick doorknobs .
We 're gon na be fine .
All is well .
God bless .
Have a good day.
” Matlock ’ s only point of contention was the Trump campaign sign vandalism she ’ s experienced in her hometown about an hour away .
“ If you think stealing a sign is going to change my vote ...
I do n't get it.
” Salfordville is the kind of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mobilize to secure Pennsylvania by at least the slim victory he had in the state in 2016 .
The president has been courting suburban communities for weeks and recently overturned an Obama-era rule intended to curb housing discrimination , but has instead been repackaged by the White House , which claims that Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Act would lead to the “ destruction ” of the suburbs .
Suburban women are a key voting bloc especially in this election , made clear by the location of the bus tour stops , recent executive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president to “ suburban housewives.
” The smaller crowd did not , however , deter protesters .
Before the event started , a handful of protesters that lined the entranceway of the firehouse grew to about two dozen .
Cars along Old Skippack Road showed their support for either Trump supporters or the protesters by honking or giving a thumbs down .
One protester drove by , stopped short , and just pointed to four or five Trump supporters .
It was unclear on what side she leaned but for the sign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her back window that read “ Grandmothers SAY NO ( to TRUMP ) .
” It was an unusual amount of attention for the small town , which became obvious when the local sheriff ’ s office showed up to ask attendees to avoid stepping on people ’ s lawns .
Trump supporters waved big flags but were dwarfed by the number of protesters , most of whom carried the usual anti-Trump signage , criticizing his response to the coronavirus .
Some marked the occasion specifically with signs that read “ Lara , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less fanfare around the next destination , seemingly by design .
For the next stop in Lancaster , only one local media outlet , which had been previously granted an exclusive interview , was on site .
The stop was not listed on the campaign ’ s advisory , and BuzzFeed News was not allowed into the Republican Committee of Lancaster County ’ s headquarters , where the surrogates were scheduled to meet with phone bankers .
BuzzFeed News was able to talk to Schlapp on her way in about what it looks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ For us , we ’ re obviously following the COVID guidelines , ” she told BuzzFeed News .
“ But we want to be able to talk to these volunteers and these people who are sacrificing their time and making sure that the president gets reelected .
“ Virtual events won ’ t get you too far , ” she added .
“ Being in person is critical .
”

The crowd of mostly women gathered in 90-degree heat to get a glimpse of the celebrities associated with Trump and his entourage. At one point, the emcee referred to the three surrogates — Lara Trump and senior campaign advisers Katrina Pierson and Mercedes Schlapp, who are headlining the 85-day Women for Trump bus tour — as “stars.”
“I follow Lara Trump on social media and I think she just seems really great, so I wanted to see her,” one Trump supporter at the event told BuzzFeed News.
While the president isn’t on the tour, his stand-ins are pushing his policy and persona.
“Remember, everyone used to love Donald Trump,” Lara Trump reminded the audience. “The star of The Apprentice, he was a businessman, truly an entrepreneur — truly, really the embodiment of the American dream.”
“I think he knew he was the only person that could do what needed to be done to save this country,” Lara Trump said to a cheering audience. “That’s why he ran for president.”
There was also the usual framing denigrating the “fake news” media, referencing Joe Biden’s basement, and even the “perfectly acceptable phone call” with the Ukrainian president that led to Trump’s impeachment. All of it served as a precursor to the central messaging of “keep America America,” which seemed to resonate with the audience.
“The speakers were right to the point and they really spoke about what we were interested in, which was the economy and bringing our nation back to its foundations, you know, back to God,” Joanne Kunz, a Trump supporter, told BuzzFeed News.
Kunz joined her two sisters, all of whom are from the area. Each of them had positive feedback about the new world of campaigning during a pandemic. Although, one sister, Carolyn Stenger, thought that it was “a little extreme” that the campaign was mandating mask-wearing outdoors, especially for seniors.
“I thought it was really unsafe because you have older people, too, that can’t stand the heat,” she said. “Other than that it was great.”
For Irene Matlock, there was no question she’d come to show her support. After all, she said the president is “saving us,” and to her, Trump represents “optimism and hope.” The North Hampton resident said she is using the same positive approach in dealing with the coronavirus.
“As I tell everyone I know: Fear not. Trust God. Wash your hands. Don't lick doorknobs. We're gonna be fine. All is well. God bless. Have a good day.”
Matlock’s only point of contention was the Trump campaign sign vandalism she’s experienced in her hometown about an hour away. “If you think stealing a sign is going to change my vote...I don't get it.”
Salfordville is the kind of area the Trump campaign is trying to mobilize to secure Pennsylvania by at least the slim victory he had in the state in 2016. The president has been courting suburban communities for weeks and recently overturned an Obama-era rule intended to curb housing discrimination, but has instead been repackaged by the White House, which claims that Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Act would lead to the “destruction” of the suburbs.
Suburban women are a key voting bloc especially in this election, made clear by the location of the bus tour stops, recent executive orders, and occasional Twitter shoutouts from the president to “suburban housewives.”
The smaller crowd did not, however, deter protesters. Before the event started, a handful of protesters that lined the entranceway of the firehouse grew to about two dozen. Cars along Old Skippack Road showed their support for either Trump supporters or the protesters by honking or giving a thumbs down.


buzzfeed--2020-08-13--Belarusians Are Walking Out Of Work And Accusing Police Of Torture As Protests Grip The Country

KYIV — Thousands of workers at state enterprises across Belarus staged walkouts and women dressed in white and carrying flowers formed human chains in the capital , Minsk , on Thursday to protest the brutal crackdown on demonstrators that have gripped the country since Sunday ’ s disputed presidential election .
The public displays of defiance are unlike anything the country has seen since it broke from the Soviet Union in 1991 , and they have significantly upped the pressure on 65-year-old Alexander Lukashenko , the authoritarian president who has ruled Belarus with an iron fist since 1994 .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ secured a landslide reelection victory this weekend despite widespread reports of vote-rigging .
The Belarusian opposition camp has called the vote fraudulent , while the US and the EU have condemned the election as neither free nor fair .
Lukashenko said he defeated Svetlana Tikhanovskaya , a 37-year-old former English teacher who exploded onto the political scene to challenge him in the election after her husband , a popular vlogger , was barred from running and jailed .
Tikhanovskaya ignited a movement in Belarus , where she drew massive crowds inspired by her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fled to Lithuania under tense circumstances and following a mysterious meeting with election officials on Tuesday .
On Wednesday , US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty on a visit to Prague that Washington , DC , wants “ good outcomes for the Belarusian people.
” He also said the US has observed “ the violence and the aftermath , peaceful protesters being treated in ways that are inconsistent with how they should be treated.
” Reuters cited EU diplomats and officials as saying they will likely impose new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ August .
Videos and photos shared on social media on Thursday showed laborers at an auto parts plant , a truck factory , an aircraft accessories shop , and several other state-run enterprises walking off the job .
They told their bosses they would not go back to work until heavily armed riot police stopped beating up demonstrators and authorities released the thousands of people being held in detention centers , according to accounts in local media .
In one video , a supervisor at a plant in the western city of Grodno @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hands if they voted for Tikhanovskaya .
Nearly everyone in the large crowd erupts in approval and raises their hand .

KYIV — Thousands of workers at state enterprises across Belarus staged walkouts and women dressed in white and carrying flowers formed human chains in the capital, Minsk, on Thursday to protest the brutal crackdown on demonstrators that have gripped the country since Sunday’s disputed presidential election.
The public displays of defiance are unlike anything the country has seen since it broke from the Soviet Union in 1991, and they have significantly upped the pressure on 65-year-old Alexander Lukashenko, the authoritarian president who has ruled Belarus with an iron fist since 1994.
The unrest erupted after Lukashenko claimed to have secured a landslide reelection victory this weekend despite widespread reports of vote-rigging. The Belarusian opposition camp has called the vote fraudulent, while the US and the EU have condemned the election as neither free nor fair.
Lukashenko said he defeated Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, a 37-year-old former English teacher who exploded onto the political scene to challenge him in the election after her husband, a popular vlogger, was barred from running and jailed. Tikhanovskaya ignited a movement in Belarus, where she drew massive crowds inspired by her candidacy. After the election, she fled to Lithuania under tense circumstances and following a mysterious meeting with election officials on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty on a visit to Prague that Washington, DC, wants “good outcomes for the Belarusian people.” He also said the US has observed “the violence and the aftermath, peaceful protesters being treated in ways that are inconsistent with how they should be treated.”
Reuters cited EU diplomats and officials as saying they will likely impose new sanctions on Belarus before the end of August.
Videos and photos shared on social media on Thursday showed laborers at an auto parts plant, a truck factory, an aircraft accessories shop, and several other state-run enterprises walking off the job. They told their bosses they would not go back to work until heavily armed riot police stopped beating up demonstrators and authorities released the thousands of people being held in detention centers, according to accounts in local media.
In one video, a supervisor at a plant in the western city of Grodno is heard asking workers to raise their hands if they voted for Tikhanovskaya. Nearly everyone in the large crowd erupts in approval and raises their hand.


buzzfeed--2020-08-13--Facebook’s Preferential Treatment Of US Conservatives Puts Its Fact-Checking Program In Danger

Facebook ’ s employees and fact-checking partners say they are left in the dark about how the company decides what content stays up and what comes down .
On May 8 , Prager University , a nonprofit conservative media outlet , published a video on Facebook that incorrectly claimed “ there is no evidence that CO2 emissions are the dominant factor ” in climate change .
Within days , Climate Feedback , a nonpartisan network of scientists and a member of Facebook ’ s global fact-checking partnership , rated the content as false — a designation that was supposed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PragerU ’ s second strike for false content that month , which under Facebook ’ s own policies should have triggered “ repeat offender ” penalties including the revocation of advertising privileges and the specter of possible deletion .
But it did n't .
As first reported by BuzzFeed News last week , a Facebook employee intervened on PragerU ’ s behalf and asked for a reexamination of the judgment , citing “ partner sensitivity ” and the amount of money the organization had spent on ads .
Eventually , while the false @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Facebook disappeared the strikes from its internal record and no one — not the public , the fact-checkers , or Facebook ’ s own employees — was informed of the decision .
Meanwhile , PragerU cashed in on the fact-checks of its climate misinformation .
On May 19 — the day after it received its first strike for false content — it launched a fundraiser .
“ Facebook is using biased 3rd party fact-checkers to flag content and censor conservatives , '' the organization told its more than 4.2 million followers .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ truth ?
” Since at least late 2016 , CEO Mark Zuckerberg has defended Facebook by insisting it should not be “ an arbiter of truth , ” while creating a third-party fact-checking program to fill that role of umpire .
But journalists and researchers at the dozens of organizations that make up Facebook ’ s fact-checking operation say the company is often just that .
Some told BuzzFeed News they were surprised to learn their verdicts had been ignored or overruled by Facebook in a closed-door process with little transparency , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s credibility .
“ They are the arbiters of the consequences for publishing false or misleading information , ” said one fact-checker who asked not to be named for fear of repercussions from Facebook .
“ If people want to evade consequences , it ’ s easy to do it , ” they added .
Some employees at the social network agreed .
Last week , after BuzzFeed News revealed Facebook executives and staff were intervening in fact-check disputes on behalf of right-wing publishers , workers wondered if the company was caving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Mark likes to say how Facebook should not be ‘ the arbiter of truth , ’ ” one person wrote in an internal Facebook employee group .
“ But escalations ... that are focused on partners who are ‘ sensitive ’ sound exactly like us meddling in this area .
How do we reconcile this contradiction ?
” Evelyn Douek , a lecturer at Harvard Law School , said that even though Facebook doesn ’ t want to be in the business of declaring what is true and false , it still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it structures its policies and fact-checking program that leave it “ in the driver seat.
” “ There will be a pretty big reckoning around fact-checking , ” she said .
“ People don ’ t really understand it either and they see it as a panacea for problems on social media platforms.
” Do you work at Facebook or another technology company ?
We 'd love to hear from you .
Reach out at craig.silverman @ buzzfeed.com , ryan.mac @ buzzfeed.com , or via one of our tip line channels .
Facebook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ questions related to the preferential treatment of right-wing pages that had received misinformation strikes .
Previously the company had said that while it “ defer [ s ] to third-party fact-checkers on the rating that a piece of content receives ” only it is “ responsible for how we manage our internal system for repeat offenders.
” `` Facebook is the only company to partner with more than 70 fact-checking organizations worldwide to fight the spread of viral misinformation , ” Facebook spokesperson Liz Bourgeois said in a statement for this story .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ program like ours and we ’ re constantly working to improve it based on feedback from our partners and what we see on our platform.
” Four days after the 2016 US presidential election , Zuckerberg posted a mea culpa to Facebook addressing mounting evidence that misinformation spread and amplified on the platform might have influenced its result .
In the post , the Facebook CEO — who had previously said misinformation on the social network influencing the election was a `` pretty crazy idea '' — acknowledged hoaxes and fake news did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is an area where I believe we must proceed very carefully though .
Identifying the ‘ truth ’ is complicated , ” he wrote .
“ While some hoaxes can be completely debunked , a greater amount of content , including from mainstream sources , often gets the basic idea right but some details wrong or omitted .
… I believe we must be extremely cautious about becoming arbiters of truth ourselves.
” Facebook launched a third-party fact-checking program a month after Zuckerberg ’ s post , and its CEO ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the social network ’ s executives .
Debates on whether Facebook is a media company that ’ s responsible for the content on its platform have shifted to whether or not the company should play a role in identifying — and subsequently removing — misinformation .
Now , as the US heads toward another contentious presidential election , Zuckerberg is again rolling out the “ arbiter of truth ” talking point .
`` I just believe strongly that Facebook should n't be the arbiter of truth of everything that people say online , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Private companies probably should n't be , especially these platform companies , should n't be in the position of doing that . ''
But internal discussions and documents recently obtained by BuzzFeed News and NBC News revealed that Facebook has been doing just that , deciding whether or not to penalize pages after they ’ ve received strikes for misinformation and , at times , casting aside judgments made by its fact-checking partners seemingly for fear of political blowback or lost revenue .
Unlike fact-checkers , Facebook does not disclose the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decisions to remove misinformation strikes or otherwise choose to overrule its fact-checking partners .
“ The problem with what they ’ re doing is they ’ re saying , ‘ We don ’ t want to be the arbiters of truth , ’ but they do want to be the arbiter of whether pages are taken down or not , ” said Peter Cunliffe-Jones , the founder of Africa Check , who now serves as an adviser to the International Fact-Checking Network .
“ And there is no transparency about that decision making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ page from its fact-checkers and publish its rationale for removing misinformation strikes and other reversals , lest it undermines trust in the entire process .
“ I do understand that even Facebook can ’ t provide granular detail on every decision made across millions of decisions , but on the significant ones they can , ” he said .
“ I think it would help to develop trust in the process .
And if the process [ at Facebook ] is not trustworthy , that would expose it.
” The lack of transparency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social network ’ s own employees .
Following BuzzFeed News ’ story that revealed preferential treatment for conservative pages and personal interventions from executives including vice president of global public policy Joel Kaplan , an internal message board called “ Let ’ s Fix Facebook ( the company ) , ” which has about 10,000 members , exploded in conversation .
“ The silence on this is unacceptable .
Both the pipeline intervention and the firing , ” wrote one employee , referring to the removals of misinformation strikes and the dismissal of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of it .
“ Can we also use this as an opportunity to be more transparent about fact-checking in general ?
” asked another employee .
“ Not just internally but also to our users ?
How escalations and appeals work , who can do them , who is doing them , aggregated statistics about posts labeled ... ” The lack of transparency has also upset those being penalized for misinformation rulings , including the executives at PragerU .
Craig Strazzeri , PragerU ’ s chief marketing officer , said his organization appealed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ May but was not aware of any Facebook employees working on their behalf to get the strikes removed .
“ If someone at Facebook is trying to help us , they ’ re not doing a very good job , ” Strazzeri said , noting that PragerU ’ s organic reach was cut following the two false fact-checks .
PragerU was still able to run ads during that time period , according to Strazzeri , who noted that the company ’ s page is once again under scrutiny after two more strikes for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the director of Science Feedback , the not-for-profit organization that runs Climate Feedback , said PragerU only disputed one of its two May verdicts , which it upheld as false .
He 's concerned that PragerU has found a way to use fact-checks to its advantage .
`` Each time they get a strike , they can raise money , ” he said .
Facebook 's level of attention to concerns from American conservatives on its platform is unlike any other constituency in the world , according to the fact-checkers who spoke to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s detrimental to international efforts to police the platform for misinformation .
Cunliffe-Jones told BuzzFeed News Facebook has failed to act against repeat offender financial scam pages in countries like Kenya .
“ It ’ s been clear from quite early on that there ’ s a problem with the way that some pages that are repeat offenders seem to keep on operating , ” Cunliffe-Jones said .
“ I ’ ve noted this from pages that have been repeatedly fact-checked [ in Kenya ] .
With these pages , I don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ game .
I think it ’ s a lack of attention — and that ’ s also harmful.
” Other international fact-checkers said Facebook ’ s emphasis on the US election cause it to be less responsive to issues in other parts of the world .
One journalist at a fact-checking outlet in a G7 country said Facebook ’ s lack of local staff causes the company to at times ask its checking partners to help with decisions about how to apply company policy .
“ They 're not as well-staffed in some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So they actually do lean on the fact-checkers a little bit more about some of the policy things , ” said the journalist .
Bourgeois said Facebook values the expertise of local checkers .
“ We frequently speak to fact-checkers in different regions to understand how misinformation is spreading in their countries and languages .
This is not in lieu of relying on the expertise of our own teams , it ’ s in addition.
” Agence France-Presse has fact-checkers in more than 30 countries , making it Facebook ’ s biggest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the global news director of AFP , said his organization has not felt pressure from Facebook about its ratings , though anything having to do with the US is given a different level of scrutiny by the company .
“ You can feel there ’ s not much bandwidth for anything outside the US at the moment at Facebook , ” he said .
“ There ’ s just a tremendous concentration of resources on the US.
” Chetwynd said one of the values of participating in the fact-checking program for organizations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face consequences .
If Facebook fails to enforce its policies , it reduces the value of fact-checkers .
And the lack of transparency around the internal decision-making process for removing misinformation strikes only makes things worse .
“ Most fact-checkers have developed a very constructive relationship with Facebook , but this issue around transparency has always been a point of frustration , ” he said .
“ It is something we have voiced to them many times both privately and publicly — we do not get nearly enough precise data on the impact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Our feeling is that making this data public would only add to the credibility of our work and the fact-checking program in general.
” Over the past two months , Facebook and its fact-checking partners have been discussing one of the more contentious issues in their partnership : the so-called opinion exemption .
Facebook ’ s policy is that opinion articles , like statements from political leaders , are exempt from review .
Internal documents obtained by BuzzFeed News show that Facebook employees have cited this policy as justification for removing misinformation strikes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Silk after fact-checkers issued them .
A Facebook partner manager for PragerU said the false claims the publication made about the climate crisis should fall under the “ opinion loophole.
” On Tuesday , Facebook seemingly closed this loophole explaining in a policy update that if “ content is presented as opinion but is based on underlying false information - even if it ’ s an op-ed or editorial - it 's still eligible to be fact-checked.
” Baybars Örsek , director of the International Fact-Checking Network , said the policy update will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be embedded in op-ed pieces .
But he noted that Facebook can still decide whether a piece of fact-checked content is opinion or not .
The company can remove misinformation strikes without informing a fact-checker of its decision .
That lack of transparency is a problem .
“ At the end of the day , it ’ s not the best thing for a fact-checker to learn their flag has been removed by Facebook from the media , ” he said .
Other fact-checkers echoed Örsek ’ s concerns .
One said they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it removes a misinformation strike .
Such an obligation would make it difficult for the company to give preferential treatment to “ the partners who pay a lot of money to Facebook , or the partners who could say something and be heard at the very high levels of the company.
” That appeared to be the case with PragerU , which has managed to avoid severe punishment — and monetize it .
PragerU has raised at least $ 400,000 from Facebook fundraisers protesting alleged censorship on Facebook and YouTube since late 2018 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News .
On Aug. 5 , it launched a fundraiser on Facebook in response to the company ’ s removal of a PragerU post featuring a now-infamous video initially circulated by Breitbart News of a group of doctors making false and potentially harmful claims about COVID-19 .

On May 8, Prager University, a nonprofit conservative media outlet, published a video on Facebook that incorrectly claimed “there is no evidence that CO2 emissions are the dominant factor” in climate change. Within days, Climate Feedback, a nonpartisan network of scientists and a member of Facebook’s global fact-checking partnership, rated the content as false — a designation that was supposed to result in serious consequences.
It was PragerU’s second strike for false content that month, which under Facebook’s own policies should have triggered “repeat offender” penalties including the revocation of advertising privileges and the specter of possible deletion.
But it didn't. As first reported by BuzzFeed News last week, a Facebook employee intervened on PragerU’s behalf and asked for a reexamination of the judgment, citing “partner sensitivity” and the amount of money the organization had spent on ads. Eventually, while the false labels on PragerU’s posts remained, Facebook disappeared the strikes from its internal record and no one — not the public, the fact-checkers, or Facebook’s own employees — was informed of the decision.
Meanwhile, PragerU cashed in on the fact-checks of its climate misinformation. On May 19 — the day after it received its first strike for false content — it launched a fundraiser. “Facebook is using biased 3rd party fact-checkers to flag content and censor conservatives," the organization told its more than 4.2 million followers. "Is Facebook now the arbiter of truth?”
The campaign raised $21,637.
Since at least late 2016, CEO Mark Zuckerberg has defended Facebook by insisting it should not be “an arbiter of truth,” while creating a third-party fact-checking program to fill that role of umpire. But journalists and researchers at the dozens of organizations that make up Facebook’s fact-checking operation say the company is often just that. Some told BuzzFeed News they were surprised to learn their verdicts had been ignored or overruled by Facebook in a closed-door process with little transparency, and warned that this risks undermining the program’s credibility.
“They are the arbiters of the consequences for publishing false or misleading information,” said one fact-checker who asked not to be named for fear of repercussions from Facebook.
“If people want to evade consequences, it’s easy to do it,” they added.


buzzfeed--2020-08-13--A Former Bernie Sanders Campaign Staffer Is Stuck In A Belarus Jail Cell, Charged With Disrupting Th

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

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

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


buzzfeed--2020-08-14--I Tried To Revive My Wavy Hair Using Viral TikTok Methods And Here's How It Went

I think after years of heat damage , the texture of my hair has changed and it will take a @ @ @ @ @ , and further experimentation with products to get it to a *WOW* state , but @ @ @ @ @ the very least !
I 'm glad I tried these products and methods and will @ @ @ @ @ in the future .

My fourth attempt was using a brand-new blow-dryer and diffuser with the Shea Moisture line. (Yes, I know I mentioned heat wasn't going to be involved in this journey, but it was on the lowest setting and it was a method most people on TikTok were using, so I had to try it.) My old hair dryer was...ready to retire. I decided that the T3 Cura Luxe hair dryer would be a great replacement. This thing's won seven awards, so I had high expectations.


buzzfeed--2020-08-14--Kamala Harris Is Eligible To Be Vice President. Some Republicans Are Pretending She Isn't.

The day after presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden announced Kamala Harris as his choice for vice president , Newsweek ran an opinion piece titled “ Some Questions for Kamala Harris About Eligibility , ” in which it falsely claimed that her eligibility was up for debate .
It is n't .
Harris was born in California and is eligible to be president or vice president .
The conspiracy made its way to the White House , where President Donald Trump was asked during Thursday 's press conference about the false claim published in Newsweek .
`` I just heard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she doesn ’ t meet the requirements , '' he said .
`` And by the way , the lawyer that wrote that piece is a very highly qualified , very talented lawyer .
I have no idea if that ’ s right , I would ’ ve assumed the Democrats would ’ ve checked that out before she gets chosen to run for vice president.
” The Newsweek article was widely condemned .
The writer 's tweet promoting the story received 22,000 responses to 6,800 retweets — a spectacular example of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Newsweek 's editors added a note to the bottom of the article claiming sour grapes , saying that the author , John Eastman , had run for the Republican nomination for attorney general in California 10 years ago , losing his bid to Steve Cooley , who in turn lost the race to Harris .
In the opinion piece , Eastman falsely claimed Harris may not be eligible for the vice presidency because `` neither [ of her parents ] was a naturalized U.S. citizen at the time of Harris ' birth .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Oakland in 1964 , which means she was an American citizen at birth and she ’ s qualified to be vice president .
( The outlet also ran another opinion piece accurately saying that Harris was eligible . )
One of the people who tried to forward the false narrative was Jenna Ellis , a Trump campaign legal adviser , who falsely told an ABC reporter on August 13 that Harris ’ s eligibility was “ an open question .
”

The day after presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden announced Kamala Harris as his choice for vice president, Newsweek ran an opinion piece titled “Some Questions for Kamala Harris About Eligibility,” in which it falsely claimed that her eligibility was up for debate.
It isn't. Harris was born in California and is eligible to be president or vice president.
The conspiracy made its way to the White House, where President Donald Trump was asked during Thursday's press conference about the false claim published in Newsweek. "I just heard that, I heard it today that she doesn’t meet the requirements," he said. "And by the way, the lawyer that wrote that piece is a very highly qualified, very talented lawyer. I have no idea if that’s right, I would’ve assumed the Democrats would’ve checked that out before she gets chosen to run for vice president.”
The Newsweek article was widely condemned. The writer's tweet promoting the story received 22,000 responses to 6,800 retweets — a spectacular example of a Twitter ratio. Following the outcry, Newsweek's editors added a note to the bottom of the article claiming sour grapes, saying that the author, John Eastman, had run for the Republican nomination for attorney general in California 10 years ago, losing his bid to Steve Cooley, who in turn lost the race to Harris.
In the opinion piece, Eastman falsely claimed Harris may not be eligible for the vice presidency because "neither [of her parents] was a naturalized U.S. citizen at the time of Harris' birth." In reality, Harris was born in Oakland in 1964, which means she was an American citizen at birth and she’s qualified to be vice president. (The outlet also ran another opinion piece accurately saying that Harris was eligible.)
One of the people who tried to forward the false narrative was Jenna Ellis, a Trump campaign legal adviser, who falsely told an ABC reporter on August 13 that Harris’s eligibility was “an open question.”


buzzfeed--2020-08-14--Congress Has Stopped Negotiating On Coronavirus Aid, As Tens Of Millions Of People Remain Out Of Wor

Congress Has Stopped Negotiating On Coronavirus Aid, As Tens Of Millions Of People Remain Out Of Work

WASHINGTON — The US Senate adjourned for a month Thursday , further signaling there will be no coronavirus relief package passed this summer , nearly three weeks after unemployment benefits expired .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell scheduled the next Senate vote for Tuesday , Sept. 8 .
The House had already recessed for the summer .
If a deal on a coronavirus aid package is reached before then , lawmakers will be given at least 24 hours ' notice to get to Washington to vote .
As things stand , that seems unlikely .
Talks between Democrats and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sides are not currently in active negotiations .
Both parties have presidential conventions in the coming weeks , creating another distraction .
The delay could be catastrophic for millions of Americans .
In March Congress passed the CARES Act extending $ 600-per-week federal unemployment benefits on top of state benefits due to the coronavirus pandemic .
That , along with moratoriums on evictions , prevented a wave of homelessness .
But that benefit expired at the end of July and eviction moratoriums have now lapsed in most states .
About 30 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around 1 million new people applying each week .
The delay also means hundreds of billions of dollars for state and local governments , conducting the election , small businesses , COVID-19 testing , and reopening schools will not be sent out .
A new flashpoint opened up Thursday over funding the United States Postal Service .
Democrats are pushing for $ 25 billion in postal funding and $ 3.5 billion to support mail-in ballots .
In a Fox Business interview Thursday , President Donald Trump seemed to oppose post office funding exactly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote by mail .
“ 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 .
“ Now , if we don ’ t make a deal that means they don ’ t get the money .
That means they can ’ t have universal mail-in voting .
They just can ’ t have it .
So , you know , sort of a crazy thing .
Very interesting.
” Trump has frequently claimed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would end in mass voting fraud .
In place of a new aid bill , Trump announced an executive action Saturday to bring back the federal unemployment benefits at $ 400 per week , though it ’ s unclear what that order will actually do and whether it will hold up to legal scrutiny ( Congress , not Trump , has the power to spend federal dollars ) .
The White House later admitted the payments would actually be $ 300 per week .
Anything on top of that would be up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was extending the eviction ban on federally backed mortgages , which would have provided protection to about one-third of renters .
But when the details were released , the ban was not extended .
Democrats and Republicans remain far apart in negotiations .
Congress ’ s next true deadline to pass legislation is the end of September , when new money will need to be appropriated to avoid a government shutdown and other aspects of the CARES Act , like protections for federal student loan borrowers , will expire .
House Democrats have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans put forward a $ 1 trillion proposal .
“ We are miles apart in our values , ” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said this week .
“ Perhaps you mistook them for somebody who gave a damn.
” Pelosi has publicly offered to meet in the middle — a $ 2 trillion bill — and negotiate on how to spend it .
Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin , one of the key White House negotiators , accused the Democrats of not wanting to negotiate because they refuse to return to the table unless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to .
Pelosi confirmed she declined to meet with Mnuchin until the White House agreed to the $ 2 trillion price tag .

WASHINGTON — The US Senate adjourned for a month Thursday, further signaling there will be no coronavirus relief package passed this summer, nearly three weeks after unemployment benefits expired.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell scheduled the next Senate vote for Tuesday, Sept. 8. The House had already recessed for the summer. If a deal on a coronavirus aid package is reached before then, lawmakers will be given at least 24 hours' notice to get to Washington to vote.
As things stand, that seems unlikely. Talks between Democrats and the White House are at a standstill and the sides are not currently in active negotiations. Both parties have presidential conventions in the coming weeks, creating another distraction. The delay could be catastrophic for millions of Americans.
In March Congress passed the CARES Act extending $600-per-week federal unemployment benefits on top of state benefits due to the coronavirus pandemic. That, along with moratoriums on evictions, prevented a wave of homelessness. But that benefit expired at the end of July and eviction moratoriums have now lapsed in most states. About 30 million people are drawing unemployment benefits, with around 1 million new people applying each week.
The delay also means hundreds of billions of dollars for state and local governments, conducting the election, small businesses, COVID-19 testing, and reopening schools will not be sent out.
A new flashpoint opened up Thursday over funding the United States Postal Service. Democrats are pushing for $25 billion in postal funding and $3.5 billion to support mail-in ballots.
In a Fox Business interview Thursday, President Donald Trump seemed to oppose post office funding exactly because it would allow more people to vote by mail.
“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. “Now, if we don’t make a deal that means they don’t get the money. That means they can’t have universal mail-in voting. They just can’t have it. So, you know, sort of a crazy thing. Very interesting.”
Trump has frequently claimed, without evidence, that universal mail-in voting would end in mass voting fraud.
In place of a new aid bill, Trump announced an executive action Saturday to bring back the federal unemployment benefits at $400 per week, though it’s unclear what that order will actually do and whether it will hold up to legal scrutiny (Congress, not Trump, has the power to spend federal dollars). The White House later admitted the payments would actually be $300 per week. Anything on top of that would be up to the states.
Trump also announced he was extending the eviction ban on federally backed mortgages, which would have provided protection to about one-third of renters. But when the details were released, the ban was not extended.
Democrats and Republicans remain far apart in negotiations. Congress’s next true deadline to pass legislation is the end of September, when new money will need to be appropriated to avoid a government shutdown and other aspects of the CARES Act, like protections for federal student loan borrowers, will expire. House Democrats have passed a $3 trillion plan while Republicans put forward a $1 trillion proposal.
“We are miles apart in our values,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said this week. “Perhaps you mistook them for somebody who gave a damn.”
Pelosi has publicly offered to meet in the middle — a $2 trillion bill — and negotiate on how to spend it. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, one of the key White House negotiators, accused the Democrats of not wanting to negotiate because they refuse to return to the table unless at least $2 trillion is agreed to. Pelosi confirmed she declined to meet with Mnuchin until the White House agreed to the $2 trillion price tag.


buzzfeed--2020-08-14--Kamala Harris’s Friendship With Joe Biden’s Late Son Was Central To Their First Joint Event

Joe Biden listens to Kamala Harris speak during their first press conference together in Wilmington , Delaware , on Aug. 12 .
WILMINGTON — As they appeared together for the first time as a Democratic presidential ticket , it was hard to miss what had drawn Joe Biden to choose Kamala Harris as his running mate .
In a word , it was Beau .
In her speech Wednesday , Harris previewed what she is likely to bring to Biden ’ s campaign : an impressive résumé , a sharp-tongued prosecution of President Donald Trump , and the symbolism of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Democrats ’ most loyal voters .
But it was the talk of Beau , Biden ’ s late son and a longtime friend and ally of Harris ’ s , that made clear to Americans why — after a search that spanned the country and women from all levels of government — Biden had ultimately chosen Harris to stand by his side .
“ I know how much Beau respected Kamala and her work , ” Biden said as he introduced Harris .
“ And that mattered a lot to me , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I made this decision.
” Biden grew visibly emotional as he listened to Harris speak about Beau , who served as Delaware ’ s attorney general when Harris was the attorney general in California .
“ I learned quickly that Beau was the kind of guy who inspired people to be a better version of themselves , ” Harris said .
“ He really was the best of us .
And when I would ask him , ‘ Where ’ d you get that , where ’ d this come from ?
’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden and Harris did not hug , or even touch , as they appeared together Wednesday .
But Biden spoke of a connection that was virtually unique among the many women he has weighed for the vice presidential spot in recent months .
Biden called Harris and her husband , Doug Emhoff , “ honorary Bidens.
” As a woman of color and the daughter of immigrants , Harris , to Biden , also represents future generations of the Democratic Party — a fact that has significant weight given Biden ’ s age @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden mentioned about Harris Wednesday : “ She is ready to lead on day one.
” Biden ’ s speech introducing Harris also leaned into the historic nature of his choice — Harris would be the country ’ s first woman vice president , and is the first Black or South Asian woman to appear on a major party ’ s presidential ticket .
“ And this morning , all across the nation , little girls woke up — especially little Black and brown girls , who so often feel overlooked and undervalued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ today just maybe they ’ re seeing themselves for the first time in a new way , as the stuff of presidents and vice presidents , ” said Biden .
Outside the Wilmington high school where they appeared , a small crowd gathered despite the rain .
There was a handmade sign that read “ Representation Matters , ” a T-shirt from Howard University , Harris ’ s alma mater , and at least three members of Alpha Kappa Alpha , the historically black sorority Harris joined , clad in green and pink @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been welcomed into a large rally celebrating the vice presidential pick .
In the age of the coronavirus pandemic , the crowd caught a fleeting glimpse of Biden and Harris before they were swept into the gym , where a small number of reporters in masks sat in circles marked off on the floor .
Denton Davidson stood out in the rain to try to spot Harris and Biden , wearing a shirt that read “ Jamaica ” and a Black Lives Matter mask .
“ I ’ m an immigrant , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me .
I just wanted to be counted , ” Davidson said .
“ I have to show up .
I ’ ve got two daughters .
I wanted to be present , because women , to me , have never been represented.
” Beatrice Harris , who stood outside Monday in a shirt from Alpha Kappa Alpha , said Biden ’ s choice of Harris confirmed what she has long known about the former vice president .
“ I always felt like he ’ s someone that listens , ” she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talker , and he needs someone around him that straight-talks , too .
”

WILMINGTON — As they appeared together for the first time as a Democratic presidential ticket, it was hard to miss what had drawn Joe Biden to choose Kamala Harris as his running mate. In a word, it was Beau.
In her speech Wednesday, Harris previewed what she is likely to bring to Biden’s campaign: an impressive résumé, a sharp-tongued prosecution of President Donald Trump, and the symbolism of a historic candidacy that looks much like the Democrats’ most loyal voters.
But it was the talk of Beau, Biden’s late son and a longtime friend and ally of Harris’s, that made clear to Americans why — after a search that spanned the country and women from all levels of government — Biden had ultimately chosen Harris to stand by his side.
“I know how much Beau respected Kamala and her work,” Biden said as he introduced Harris. “And that mattered a lot to me, to be honest with you, as I made this decision.”
Biden grew visibly emotional as he listened to Harris speak about Beau, who served as Delaware’s attorney general when Harris was the attorney general in California.
“I learned quickly that Beau was the kind of guy who inspired people to be a better version of themselves,” Harris said. “He really was the best of us. And when I would ask him, ‘Where’d you get that, where’d this come from?’ he always talked about his dad.”
Biden and Harris did not hug, or even touch, as they appeared together Wednesday. But Biden spoke of a connection that was virtually unique among the many women he has weighed for the vice presidential spot in recent months. Biden called Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, “honorary Bidens.”
As a woman of color and the daughter of immigrants, Harris, to Biden, also represents future generations of the Democratic Party — a fact that has significant weight given Biden’s age, 77. Among the first things Biden mentioned about Harris Wednesday: “She is ready to lead on day one.”
Biden’s speech introducing Harris also leaned into the historic nature of his choice — Harris would be the country’s first woman vice president, and is the first Black or South Asian woman to appear on a major party’s presidential ticket.
“And this morning, all across the nation, little girls woke up — especially little Black and brown girls, who so often feel overlooked and undervalued in their communities — but today, today just maybe they’re seeing themselves for the first time in a new way, as the stuff of presidents and vice presidents,” said Biden.
Outside the Wilmington high school where they appeared, a small crowd gathered despite the rain. There was a handmade sign that read “Representation Matters,” a T-shirt from Howard University, Harris’s alma mater, and at least three members of Alpha Kappa Alpha, the historically black sorority Harris joined, clad in green and pink.
In another year, they might have been welcomed into a large rally celebrating the vice presidential pick. In the age of the coronavirus pandemic, the crowd caught a fleeting glimpse of Biden and Harris before they were swept into the gym, where a small number of reporters in masks sat in circles marked off on the floor.
Denton Davidson stood out in the rain to try to spot Harris and Biden, wearing a shirt that read “Jamaica” and a Black Lives Matter mask.
“I’m an immigrant, and this is a big deal for me. I just wanted to be counted,” Davidson said. “I have to show up. I’ve got two daughters. I wanted to be present, because women, to me, have never been represented.”
Beatrice Harris, who stood outside Monday in a shirt from Alpha Kappa Alpha, said Biden’s choice of Harris confirmed what she has long known about the former vice president.
“I always felt like he’s someone that listens,” she said. “He’s a straight talker, and he needs someone around him that straight-talks, too.”


buzzfeed--2020-08-14--The Right Wing Has A New Theory For Why The Pandemic Will End Soon: T Cells

How the immune system responds to the coronavirus is a mystery that scientists are working furiously to unravel — but their findings are being weaponized to make unfounded claims that the pandemic isn ’ t a big threat .
That became clear this week , when President Donald Trump unveiled his newest science adviser on the coronavirus task force , neuroradiologist Scott Atlas .
A senior fellow at Stanford University ’ s Hoover Institution , he has steadily promoted unscientific views about the virus on Fox News and elsewhere , and has said there is “ zero excuse to not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On Monday , Rush Limbaugh said Atlas was “ countering Fauci ” and cited the new adviser ’ s baseless theory that “ we could well be burned out of COVID ” by October .
The reason : “ prior immunities.
” Also on Monday , an unlicensed ophthalmologist and cryptocurrency investor , James Todaro , went viral on Twitter with a similarly misleading screed .
Todaro , who was in the viral “ America ’ s Frontline Doctors ” video shared by Trump and removed from social media platforms for spreading misinformation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ T cell immunity ” meant many regions were already safe from infection and that lockdowns and mask-wearing were likely useless .
But infectious disease experts say these claims grossly distort the underlying science and what it means for public health guidelines — which , right now , is nothing .
If you have tips related to this story , you can reach this reporter at stephanie.lee @ buzzfeed.com or stephaniemlee @ protonmail.com .
The apparent basis for these statements : a slew of recent studies finding that , in some places , 20 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immune cells that unexpectedly recognize the coronavirus .
The newest of these studies suggests that these cells exist because they have responded in the past to similar viruses that can cause colds .
But the significance of this finding remains an open question , as it ’ s unclear what role , if any , these cells play in the body ’ s overall response to the coronavirus .
And there is still no evidence that having these cells from a past cold will save you from getting COVID-19 .
As T cells @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say the bottom line is that none of these findings make COVID-19 any less of a threat .
The research should not be used , they warn , to argue against shutdowns and masks or for reopening workplaces and schools in a developed nation that has uniquely failed to control the virus .
Most of all , they reject the leap of logic that the research means society is close to herd immunity — the point at which enough people are immune to a virus that it stops circulating .
“ We ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the country , ” Shane Crotty , an immunologist at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology who has worked on several of the recent T cell studies , told BuzzFeed News .
“ There ’ s no change in what the virus is doing based on what I find out or anybody else finds out .
The virus is doing its thing and we ’ re doing our best to understand it.
” The claim that T cells could mean the pandemic will end in two months , he said , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Since the outset of the pandemic , Crotty and scientists around the world have been racing to untangle how the virus wreaks havoc on the body and how the body fights back .
The immune system employs different mechanisms to recognize and attack intruders .
Perhaps the best-known of the bunch are antibodies , the proteins that latch onto and neutralize viruses and other invading substances .
But in people who recover from the coronavirus , antibodies may only protect against reinfection for three months , recent research suggests .
Another weapon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is T cells , which come in an assortment of types and functions and are increasingly garnering scientific attention .
In the Netherlands , Germany , Singapore , the United Kingdom , and the US , researchers have discovered that in some people , a specific subset of T cells recognized the new coronavirus , SARS-CoV-2 , when exposed to it .
This was surprising , because these kinds of T cells , by definition , were not expected to recognize a virus they had never encountered before .
In their paper published @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his team reported an explanation for why these cells reacted .
Using human blood samples collected prior to the pandemic , they found cells that reacted to both SARS-CoV-2 and to four other coronaviruses that cause common colds .
These coronaviruses , the researchers said , were apparently similar enough to the new one to make the T cells “ cross-reactive.
” ( Crotty likened SARS-CoV-2 to “ a pretty distantly related evil cousin.
” ) The finding has led scientists to speculate that these cross-reactive T cells could be behind one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why the virus causes severe illness in some people but mild or no symptoms in others .
The latter patients might be better equipped to handle an infection , having fought off related viruses before .
Children ’ s immune systems have to fight off a lot of colds , so maybe this is why they seem to be relatively spared by the new virus .
For now , however , this theory is just that : a theory .
“ It could explain everything and it could explain nothing , ” Crotty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cells may have no impact on the disease at all.
” And even if this theory were borne out , it would have significant limits : As he noted , colds are caused by hundreds of viruses , not just the four identified in the study .
Either way , these cells are still just one piece of the immune system , a highly intricate machine with all kinds of T cells and antibodies working independently and together to stamp out pathogens .
The big , yet-to-be answered questions are which of these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and for how long .
“ While T cells may offer some protection — and that ’ s not really known — T cells would probably not just prevent a person from being infected altogether , ” said Angie Rasmussen , a virologist at Columbia University who is not involved with this research .
But uncertainty hasn ’ t stopped pundits from twisting the research to make a point .
On July 23 , before he was appointed to the White House ’ s coronavirus task force , Scott Atlas declared on Laura @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not eradicate the virus , that the US outbreak was “ not out of control , ” and that “ there is absolutely no reason to panic , ” arguments he ’ d been making since the spring .
That day , the nation ’ s case count passed 4 million .
“ There ’ s a lot of great data coming out about immunity , ” Atlas went on to say .
“ It ’ s probably not known to the public , but there is a lot of data that shows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that didn ’ t get the infection.
” He added , “ That ’ s probably due to this T cell immunity , ” and concluded , “ So I think people should be much more optimistic here.
” The Fox News host responded enthusiastically , saying she ’ d been discussing T cells and what they could mean for herd immunity on the show for “ well over six weeks.
” This week , Limbaugh cited Atlas ’ s theory to tell listeners that the pandemic was almost over .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inert or dormant largely due to some underappreciated T cell , prior immunities from exposure to coronavirus , meaning colds and so forth , ” the conservative radio host explained .
“ Some people who have come down with a cold over the course of the summer miraculously end up less likely to get COVID-19 , according to Scott Atlas .
And people that get colds , that ’ s a large portion of the population.
” Atlas directed a request for comment to White House spokesperson Judd Deere , who said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world renowned physician and scholar of advanced medical care and health care policy ” who , “ like all of the medical experts in the Administration , is working to carry out the President ’ s number one priority : protecting the health and safety of the American people.
” Deere added , “ We are all in this fight together , and only the media would distort and diminish Dr. Atlas ’ highly acclaimed career simply because he has come to serve the President.
” Around the same time Limbaugh was praising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claim was gaining traction on James Todaro ’ s Twitter account .
Todaro , an early and avid proponent of hydroxychloroquine , is an ophthalmologist who earned his medical degree at Columbia University .
He has not practiced since 2018 , according to his LinkedIn profile , and his Michigan medical license expired last year .
He did not respond to a request for comment .
In his thread , Todaro claimed that Crotty ’ s studies and others were growing evidence of “ T-cell immunity.
” “ All those runny noses from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fight COVID-19 , ” he proclaimed .
He calculated that if about “ 50 % of people had T cell immunity prior to SARS-CoV-2 , ” and an additional 10 % to 20 % of people were newly infected , then 60 % to 70 % of the population would be immune — a threshold that he said reached “ herd immunity.
” “ It is likely that many of the hardest hit regions of the world ( e.g .
Lombardy , NYC , Madrid , London , Stockholm ) are now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Lockdowns & mask ordinances ( mostly coming after the peak ) likely had little effect , with the exception of perhaps prolonging the spread.
” That ’ s not at all what the T cell research suggests , however .
Having these cells still means you can get infected , only maybe — maybe — not as badly as if you didn ’ t have them .
“ Herd immunity implies immunity , not just fewer people getting severe disease , ” said Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz , an epidemiologist at the University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ means they do not catch it , do not spread it , they have this immunity that stops them from getting it in the first place.
” Even if 50 % of the population really were somehow immune to the virus , that wouldn ’ t change the number of people who have been hospitalized and killed by the pandemic .
As of Friday , the death toll in the US had exceeded 167,000 .
“ It doesn ’ t change anything from the public health side of things , ” Meyerowitz-Katz said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thread has been retweeted more than 48,000 times .
It has circulated among figures on the right , from a Minnesota state senator to an editor at the Conservative Review to an ex-lawyer who has been retweeted by Trump .
Other retweeters included the World Health Organization ’ s director of epidemic and pandemic diseases , and a Scottish historian who shared it with his more than 1 million followers : “ Interesting thread .
And hopeful if true.
” Crotty is not a heavy Twitter user — he checks it about once @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to respond once he saw how far the misinformation was spreading .
“ It was just not understanding the science , ” he said .
He banged out a series of counterpoints , explaining why Todaro ’ s claims were “ dangerous ” and unfounded .
Nothing about his findings , he stressed , should change what the public should already be doing to stem transmission .
“ Wearing a mask is much more effective than hoping you and the people around you have pre-existing T cell memory .
Wearing a mask stops @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 3,700 times , a mere fraction of Todaro ’ s reach .
Rasmussen , the Columbia virologist , worried that most people watching Fox News or coming across Todaro ’ s tweets would never see Crotty ’ s attempt to correct the record .
As she put it : “ They ’ re just going to look at , ‘ Oh , here ’ s this big thread on T cell immunity .
This sounds great .
We don ’ t even need to worry about waiting for a vaccine.
’ ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t the first time during the pandemic that seemingly credible sources have injected misinformation into the mainstream .
“ We ’ ve seen this a few times : People essentially using the clout of their credentials or their affiliations with a prestigious university to get them onto TV basically and amplify these messages , ” Rasmussen said .
The overarching message , as she saw it , is “ the standard Trump administration downplaying of the severity of the pandemic , saying that ‘ this is not as a big of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be.
’ Which , of course , the epidemiological evidence of over 160,000 deaths suggests otherwise.
” During an interview on Wednesday , it was still dawning on Crotty that his research had suddenly , unwittingly , become another political flashpoint .
“ 2020 , ” the immunologist said .
“ The year when all kinds of unexpected things happen .
”

On July 23, before he was appointed to the White House’s coronavirus task force, Scott Atlas declared on Laura Ingraham’s show that lockdowns would not eradicate the virus, that the US outbreak was “not out of control,” and that “there is absolutely no reason to panic,” arguments he’d been making since the spring. That day, the nation’s case count passed 4 million.
“There’s a lot of great data coming out about immunity,” Atlas went on to say. “It’s probably not known to the public, but there is a lot of data that shows that people have immunity — even people that didn’t get the infection.” He added, “That’s probably due to this T cell immunity,” and concluded, “So I think people should be much more optimistic here.” The Fox News host responded enthusiastically, saying she’d been discussing T cells and what they could mean for herd immunity on the show for “well over six weeks.”
This week, Limbaugh cited Atlas’s theory to tell listeners that the pandemic was almost over. “We could see by early October COVID-19 turn inert or dormant largely due to some underappreciated T cell, prior immunities from exposure to coronavirus, meaning colds and so forth,” the conservative radio host explained. “Some people who have come down with a cold over the course of the summer miraculously end up less likely to get COVID-19, according to Scott Atlas. And people that get colds, that’s a large portion of the population.”
Atlas directed a request for comment to White House spokesperson Judd Deere, who said in a statement that Atlas is “a world renowned physician and scholar of advanced medical care and health care policy” who, “like all of the medical experts in the Administration, is working to carry out the President’s number one priority: protecting the health and safety of the American people.”
Deere added, “We are all in this fight together, and only the media would distort and diminish Dr. Atlas’ highly acclaimed career simply because he has come to serve the President.”
Around the same time Limbaugh was praising Atlas’s theory, a similar claim was gaining traction on James Todaro’s Twitter account. Todaro, an early and avid proponent of hydroxychloroquine, is an ophthalmologist who earned his medical degree at Columbia University. He has not practiced since 2018, according to his LinkedIn profile, and his Michigan medical license expired last year. He did not respond to a request for comment.
In his thread, Todaro claimed that Crotty’s studies and others were growing evidence of “T-cell immunity.” “All those runny noses from the common cold prepared our T cells to fight COVID-19,” he proclaimed. He calculated that if about “50% of people had T cell immunity prior to SARS-CoV-2,” and an additional 10% to 20% of people were newly infected, then 60% to 70% of the population would be immune — a threshold that he said reached “herd immunity.”
“It is likely that many of the hardest hit regions of the world (e.g. Lombardy, NYC, Madrid, London, Stockholm) are now at herd immunity,” he wrote. “Lockdowns & mask ordinances (mostly coming after the peak) likely had little effect, with the exception of perhaps prolonging the spread.”
That’s not at all what the T cell research suggests, however. Having these cells still means you can get infected, only maybe — maybe — not as badly as if you didn’t have them.
“Herd immunity implies immunity, not just fewer people getting severe disease,” said Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz, an epidemiologist at the University of Wollongong in Australia. “That means they do not catch it, do not spread it, they have this immunity that stops them from getting it in the first place.”
Even if 50% of the population really were somehow immune to the virus, that wouldn’t change the number of people who have been hospitalized and killed by the pandemic. As of Friday, the death toll in the US had exceeded 167,000. “It doesn’t change anything from the public health side of things,” Meyerowitz-Katz said.
Nevertheless, Todaro’s 19-part thread has been retweeted more than 48,000 times. It has circulated among figures on the right, from a Minnesota state senator to an editor at the Conservative Review to an ex-lawyer who has been retweeted by Trump. Other retweeters included the World Health Organization’s director of epidemic and pandemic diseases, and a Scottish historian who shared it with his more than 1 million followers: “Interesting thread. And hopeful if true.”
Crotty is not a heavy Twitter user — he checks it about once a week — but he felt compelled to respond once he saw how far the misinformation was spreading. “It was just not understanding the science,” he said.
He banged out a series of counterpoints, explaining why Todaro’s claims were “dangerous” and unfounded. Nothing about his findings, he stressed, should change what the public should already be doing to stem transmission. “Wearing a mask is much more effective than hoping you and the people around you have pre-existing T cell memory. Wearing a mask stops infections.”
His debunk was retweeted more than 3,700 times, a mere fraction of Todaro’s reach.
Rasmussen, the Columbia virologist, worried that most people watching Fox News or coming across Todaro’s tweets would never see Crotty’s attempt to correct the record. As she put it: “They’re just going to look at, ‘Oh, here’s this big thread on T cell immunity. This sounds great. We don’t even need to worry about waiting for a vaccine.’”
And she pointed out that this isn’t the first time during the pandemic that seemingly credible sources have injected misinformation into the mainstream.
“We’ve seen this a few times: People essentially using the clout of their credentials or their affiliations with a prestigious university to get them onto TV basically and amplify these messages,” Rasmussen said. The overarching message, as she saw it, is “the standard Trump administration downplaying of the severity of the pandemic, saying that ‘this is not as a big of a deal as everybody makes it out to be.’ Which, of course, the epidemiological evidence of over 160,000 deaths suggests otherwise.”
During an interview on Wednesday, it was still dawning on Crotty that his research had suddenly, unwittingly, become another political flashpoint.
“2020,” the immunologist said. “The year when all kinds of unexpected things happen.”


buzzfeed--2020-08-14--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--2020-08-14--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--2020-08-14--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--2020-08-14--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).