buzzfeed--2020-09-05--The FBI Is Warning Scientists To Watch Out For “Suspicious” Packages

Students walking the University of Washington 's Seattle campus on March 6 , the last day of in-person classes before the school shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic .
BuzzFeed News has reporters around the world bringing you trustworthy stories about the impact of the coronavirus .
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Hundreds of researchers at the University of Washington have been warned to watch out for suspicious mail after the FBI informed the school that a suspicious package was sent to coronavirus scientists elsewhere .
In a Monday email obtained by BuzzFeed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and cautioned that “ threatening mail has been sent to COVID-19 researchers on the east coast ” containing an “ unknown substance ” that the bureau was testing to determine if it was hazardous .
The email , which was sent to about 500 researchers in the biological sciences , advised staff to watch out for suspect packages , including any with “ oily stains , discoloration , or a strange odor.
” An FBI spokesperson confirmed that the bureau , “ along with our local law enforcement partners , responded to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ researchers.
” The spokesperson added that “ preliminary testing has indicated there is no threat to public safety in connection with this mailing.
” The warning comes at a time when the coronavirus pandemic has become dangerously politicized , with top scientists such as Dr. Anthony Fauci receiving death threats , conspiracy theories about the virus ’ s origins circulating widely , people taking to the streets to protest lockdowns , and the internet deluged with reports of people reacting violently when asked to wear masks in stores and airplanes .
If you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or are aware of other incidents involving suspicious mail being sent to COVID-19 researchers , please contact these reporters at ken.bensinger @ buzzfeed.com or jason.leopold @ buzzfeed.com .
You can also pass information on to BuzzFeed News securely and anonymously through a variety of means by following this link .
Deadly packages sent through the mail can be particularly hard to trace .
The Unabomber , Ted Kaczynski , mailed bombs to a variety of people including academics over a 17-year period , killing 3 and injuring more than 20 , before he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the September 11 terrorist attacks , anthrax was sent through the mail , killing five and causing 17 others to get sick .
It took the FBI almost nine years to close the investigation , naming Bruce Ivins , a government scientist who killed himself before charges were filed , as the perpetrator .
Doubts still linger about whether the true culprit was found .
In the current situation , the FBI declined to provide further details about the suspicious mail , including which researchers and institutions received it , whether there was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bureau was notified , what exactly the package or packages contained , what the motive could be , or whether a suspect had been identified .
It also declined to state whether it had contacted other universities about the risk , but said that it encourages “ the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to law enforcement.
” In its Aug. 31 email to staff , the University of Washington ’ s Environmental Health & Safety department advised faculty to look out for suspicious packages , including those with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tape , ” “ oily stains , discoloration , or a strange odor ” or “ no return address.
” A university spokesperson said she was not aware of any employees receiving suspicious mail to date .

Hundreds of researchers at the University of Washington have been warned to watch out for suspicious mail after the FBI informed the school that a suspicious package was sent to coronavirus scientists elsewhere.
In a Monday email obtained by BuzzFeed News, the university cited the FBI and cautioned that “threatening mail has been sent to COVID-19 researchers on the east coast” containing an “unknown substance” that the bureau was testing to determine if it was hazardous. The email, which was sent to about 500 researchers in the biological sciences, advised staff to watch out for suspect packages, including any with “oily stains, discoloration, or a strange odor.”
An FBI spokesperson confirmed that the bureau, “along with our local law enforcement partners, responded to a suspicious package sent to a few university researchers.” The spokesperson added that “preliminary testing has indicated there is no threat to public safety in connection with this mailing.”
The warning comes at a time when the coronavirus pandemic has become dangerously politicized, with top scientists such as Dr. Anthony Fauci receiving death threats, conspiracy theories about the virus’s origins circulating widely, people taking to the streets to protest lockdowns, and the internet deluged with reports of people reacting violently when asked to wear masks in stores and airplanes.
If you have any information about the package, or are aware of other incidents involving suspicious mail being sent to COVID-19 researchers, please contact these reporters at ken.bensinger@buzzfeed.com or jason.leopold@buzzfeed.com. You can also pass information on to BuzzFeed News securely and anonymously through a variety of means by following this link.
Deadly packages sent through the mail can be particularly hard to trace. The Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski, mailed bombs to a variety of people including academics over a 17-year period, killing 3 and injuring more than 20, before he was finally apprehended in 1996. After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, anthrax was sent through the mail, killing five and causing 17 others to get sick. It took the FBI almost nine years to close the investigation, naming Bruce Ivins, a government scientist who killed himself before charges were filed, as the perpetrator. Doubts still linger about whether the true culprit was found.
In the current situation, the FBI declined to provide further details about the suspicious mail, including which researchers and institutions received it, whether there was a single or multiple packages, when the bureau was notified, what exactly the package or packages contained, what the motive could be, or whether a suspect had been identified.
It also declined to state whether it had contacted other universities about the risk, but said that it encourages “the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to law enforcement.”
In its Aug. 31 email to staff, the University of Washington’s Environmental Health and Safety department advised faculty to look out for suspicious packages, including those with “excessive postage,” “excessive tape,” “oily stains, discoloration, or a strange odor” or “no return address.” A university spokesperson said she was not aware of any employees receiving suspicious mail to date.


buzzfeed--2020-09-06--13 Celeb Moms Who Proudly Showed Off Their Postpartum Bodies And Were Refreshingly Honest About It

Former Bachelor contestant Bekah Martinez shared the below photo of herself two months after giving birth to her and Grayson @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Every mom bod is different .
Some are thin and some are round @ @ @ @ @ some are hairy .
Some are light and some are brown .
No one ’ @ @ @ @ @ If you think otherwise , kindly fuck off or unfollow , '' she captioned .

11.
Former Bachelor contestant Bekah Martinez shared the below photo of herself two months after giving birth to her and Grayson Leonard's daughter, Ruthie. "Every mom bod is different. Some are thin and some are round. Some are wrinkly and some are hairy. Some are light and some are brown. No one’s body is 🤢. If you think otherwise, kindly fuck off or unfollow," she captioned.


buzzfeed--2020-09-06--21 Pictures That Show What Social Distancing Looks Like In Different Parts Of The World

This burger stand uses a system of slides to keep distance from their customers — slip your money down the @ @ @ @ @ get your food from the ramp on the right .

1.
This burger stand uses a system of slides to keep distance from their customers — slip your money down the ramp on the left, get your food from the ramp on the right.


buzzfeed--2020-09-06--Tiffany Haddish Revealed She Had Coronavirus And Said The "Really Expensive" Tests Made Her Upset

“ That was three months ago .
I ’ ve been tested 12 times now because I ’ ve been @ @ @ @ @ I get tested again , no virus , and then I had them test me @ @ @ @ @ then they said I do n't have any antibodies , so I think I 'm @ @ @ @ @ .

“That was three months ago. I’ve been tested 12 times now because I’ve been working and everything. Then I get tested again: no virus. And then I had them test me for antibodies again, and then they said I don't have any antibodies. So I think I'm superhuman," she concluded.


buzzfeed--2020-09-06--Chrissy Teigen Revealed She Got Botox To Help With Her Pregnancy Headaches And I Just Learned So Muc

Chrissy Teigen Revealed She Got Botox To Help With Her Pregnancy Headaches And I Just Learned So Much

Over the weekend , Chrissy tweeted about her `` really really bad pregnancy headaches '' and how she combats them @ @ @ @ @ do n't know what I was expecting her to say — but it certainly was @ @ @

Over the weekend, Chrissy tweeted about her "really really bad pregnancy headaches" and how she combats them and, reader, I don't know what I was expecting her to say — but it certainly wasn't Botox.


buzzfeed--2020-09-07--13 Celeb Moms Who Proudly Showed Off Their Postpartum Bodies And Were Refreshingly Honest About It


buzzfeed--2020-09-07--People Are Grinding Their Teeth Down With Nail Files On TikTok, So This Orthodontist Spoke Out About

People Are Grinding Their Teeth Down With Nail Files On TikTok, So This Orthodontist Spoke Out About It

Lastly , Dr. Winters said to remember that `` quick fixes '' are rarely worth it .
`` I see @ @ @ @ @ trying to take shortcuts with their teeth .
You only get one set !
You @ @ @ @ @ how important they are until they ’ re gone , and then you 'll wish @ @ @ @ @ everything you could have to take care of them !
My first responsibility is to @ @ @ @ @ general public safe .
And , unfortunately , as quick and easy as it seems @ @ @ @ @ structure off — especially without guidance — is the opposite of that ! ''

Lastly, Dr. Winters said to remember that "quick fixes" are rarely worth it. "I see people every day who regret trying to take shortcuts with their teeth. You only get one set! You don’t really realize how important they are until they’re gone, and then you'll wish that you would have done everything you could have to take care of them! My first responsibility is to keep my patients and the general public safe. And, unfortunately, as quick and easy as it seems, grinding your own tooth structure off — especially without guidance — is the opposite of that!"


buzzfeed--2020-09-06--Everything You Need To Know About Demisexuality

Demisexuals fall into the subcategory of `` graysexuals '' , or people who are on the asexuality spectrum and still @ @ @ @ @ occasions .
`` Because of that fluidity , demisexuals may engage in partnered sexual activity @ @ @ @ @ out of a desire for intimacy , rather than sexual need or desire , '' @ @ @ @ @ like any spectrum , sexual desire can vary quite a bit for both demisexuals and @ @ @

To sum up? When it comes to sexual identity and orientation, says Hall, the most supportive and inclusive thing you can do is to simply trust that people know what they want (or don’t want) in their own individual relationships.


buzzfeed--2020-09-07--Trump Is Now Trying To Cancel Racial Sensitivity Trainings For Federal Agencies, Calling Them "A Sic

Trump Is Now Trying To Cancel Racial Sensitivity Trainings For Federal Agencies, Calling Them "A Sickness"

In a memorandum issued by the White House Friday , the Budget office said it ’ s planning to withdraw funding from racial sensitivity trainings for federal agencies , calling them “ un-American ” and “ divisive , '' as thousands continue to protest police brutality and systemic racism across the country .
These trainings “ run counter to the fundamental beliefs for which our Nation has stood since its inception , ” the Sept. 4 White House memo said , and they “ undercut our core values as Americans.
” The memo specifically targets the terms “ critical race @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” telling all agencies to review contracts containing those terms and “ identify all available avenues within the law ” to cancel them .
Russell Vought , the director of the Office of Management and Budget ( OMB ) , said on Twitter that racial sensitivity trainings are “ taxpayer funded indoctrination ” that `` sow division and racism . ''
“ The President has directed me to ensure that Federal agencies cease and desist from using taxpayer dollars to fund these divisive , un-American propaganda training sessions , ” Vought wrote in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comes after weeks of pro-Trump pundits attacking critical race theory .
On Tuesday , Fox News host Tucker Carlson dedicated a segment to the idea , painting it as an extreme ideology rather than a social science theory that attempts to explain and contextualize the impact of racism on institutions .
Carlson ’ s guest , Christopher Rufo , called on Trump directly to abolish “ critical race theory trainings from the White House .
”

In a memorandum issued by the White House Friday, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) said it’s planning to withdraw funding from racial sensitivity trainings for federal agencies, calling them “un-American” and “divisive," as thousands continue to protest police brutality and systemic racism across the country.
These trainings “run counter to the fundamental beliefs for which our Nation has stood since its inception,” the Sept. 4 White House memo said, and they “undercut our core values as Americans.”
The memo specifically targets the terms “critical race theory” and “white privilege,” telling all agencies to review contracts containing those terms and “identify all available avenues within the law” to cancel them.
Russell Vought, the director of the OMB, said on Twitter that racial sensitivity trainings are “taxpayer funded indoctrination” that "sow division and racism."
“The President has directed me to ensure that Federal agencies cease and desist from using taxpayer dollars to fund these divisive, un-American propaganda training sessions,” Vought wrote in the memo.
The White House directive comes after weeks of pro-Trump pundits attacking critical race theory. On Tuesday, Fox News host Tucker Carlson dedicated a segment to the idea, painting it as an extreme ideology rather than a social science theory that attempts to explain and contextualize the impact of racism on institutions.
Carlson’s guest, Christopher Rufo, called on Trump directly to abolish “critical race theory trainings from the White House.”


buzzfeed--2020-09-07--Tiffany Haddish Revealed She Had Coronavirus And Said The "Really Expensive" Tests Made Her Upset


buzzfeed--2020-09-07--A Federal Judge Ordered The Trump Administration To Stop Detaining Immigrant Children In Hotels

A federal judge on Friday ordered the Trump administration to stop detaining immigrant children in hotels before quickly expelling them back to their home countries under pandemic-related border restrictions .
Since March , private contractors working for Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) have been detaining hundreds of children who arrive at the border without their parents or legal guardians in a system of hotels .
The children are then quickly sent back to their home countries without being able to access the nation ’ s immigration system under a coronavirus pandemic order .
The government has also been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hotels .
According to court documents , as of July 31 , at least 660 children have been detained in hotels by ICE , and 577 of them were unaccompanied immigrant children .
Attorneys have called the hotels `` black sites '' because of how difficult it is to get information about immigrants once they ’ re put into the system .
US District Judge Dolly Gee ordered the Department of Homeland Security ( DHS ) to stop placing children in hotels by no later than Sept. 15 .
Gee made an exception @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are in transit or before being put on flights .
Gee also ordered US immigration authorities to transfer all immigrant children , whether they arrived at the border alone or with a parent or guardian , currently detained at hotels to licensed facilities `` as expeditiously as possible . ''
Under a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) order , the government has been quickly sending immigrants , adults and children , apprehended at the border back to their countries without the ability to start an immigration claim in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immigrants from staying in the country , citing the need to stop the spread of COVID-19 .
Friday 's order does not stop the Trump administration from continuing to quickly expel immigrant children back to their home country and the practice is expected to continue .
Judge Gee oversees a 1997 court settlement known as the Flores agreement that limits how long the government can detain children for and sets standards for the conditions under which they can be held .
The issue over whether the government can detain immigrant children in hotel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the legality of quickly expelling them to their countries does not .
The pandemic may require temporary emergency changes to the immigration system , said Judge Gee , but “ That is no excuse for DHS to skirt the fundamental humanitarian protections that the Flores agreement guarantees for minors in their custody , especially when there is no persuasive evidence that hoteling is safer than licensed facilities.
” An independent monitor overseeing the conditions under which the US detains immigrant children in a report issued last month said detaining unaccompanied minors in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care for kids of different ages and developmental stages .
US border agents have been immediately sending single adults back to Mexico or Canada .
Unaccompanied immigrant minors and some families with children have been sent to hotels before being flown to their countries on an ICE deportation flight .
Typically , for someone to be formally deported from the US , they would first have to go through the immigration system .
However , the CDC 's coronavirus order has cut immigrants off from that process .
Previously , immigrant children who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by border authorities would have been allowed to seek protection in the US .
The use of hotels to detain children has been widely criticized by immigrant advocates and attorneys .
And a report filed in federal court revealed that the hotel system is larger than previously thought , with unaccompanied minors having been detained in more than 25 hotels in three states , including Texas and Arizona .
A 2008 human trafficking law gives unaccompanied minors certain benefits , among them the ability to make an asylum claim in the US to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act ( TVPRA ) , which establishes care , release , and due process rights for unaccompanied immigrant children , also grants minors access to legal counsel while in government custody .
Immigrant children who traveled to the US border alone before the COVID order would also be housed while officials vetted sponsors , usually a family member or in some cases friends , who would take them in .

A federal judge on Friday ordered the Trump administration to stop detaining immigrant children in hotels before quickly expelling them back to their home countries under pandemic-related border restrictions.
Since March, private contractors working for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have been detaining hundreds of children who arrive at the border without their parents or legal guardians in a system of hotels. The children are then quickly sent back to their home countries without being able to access the nation’s immigration system under a coronavirus pandemic order. The government has also been detaining some children with their parents in hotels.
According to court documents, as of July 31, at least 660 children have been detained in hotels by ICE, and 577 of them were unaccompanied immigrant children. Attorneys have called the hotels "black sites" because of how difficult it is to get information about immigrants once they’re put into the system.
US District Judge Dolly Gee ordered the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to stop placing children in hotels by no later than Sept. 15. Gee made an exception for one to two-night stays while children are in transit or before being put on flights.
Gee also ordered US immigration authorities to transfer all immigrant children, whether they arrived at the border alone or with a parent or guardian, currently detained at hotels to licensed facilities "as expeditiously as possible."
Under a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) order, the government has been quickly sending immigrants, adults and children, apprehended at the border back to their countries without the ability to start an immigration claim in the US. The order has effectively blocked immigrants from staying in the country, citing the need to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Friday's order does not stop the Trump administration from continuing to quickly expel immigrant children back to their home country and the practice is expected to continue.
Judge Gee oversees a 1997 court settlement known as the Flores agreement that limits how long the government can detain children for and sets standards for the conditions under which they can be held. The issue over whether the government can detain immigrant children in hotel falls under her purview, Gee said, the legality of quickly expelling them to their countries does not.
The pandemic may require temporary emergency changes to the immigration system, said Judge Gee, but “That is no excuse for DHS to skirt the fundamental humanitarian protections that the Flores agreement guarantees for minors in their custody, especially when there is no persuasive evidence that hoteling is safer than licensed facilities.”
An independent monitor overseeing the conditions under which the US detains immigrant children in a report issued last month said detaining unaccompanied minors in hotels is not an appropriate way to care for kids of different ages and developmental stages.
US border agents have been immediately sending single adults back to Mexico or Canada. Unaccompanied immigrant minors and some families with children have been sent to hotels before being flown to their countries on an ICE deportation flight.
Typically, for someone to be formally deported from the US, they would first have to go through the immigration system. However, the CDC's coronavirus order has cut immigrants off from that process.
Previously, immigrant children who traveled to the border alone and apprehended by border authorities would have been allowed to seek protection in the US.
The use of hotels to detain children has been widely criticized by immigrant advocates and attorneys. And a report filed in federal court revealed that the hotel system is larger than previously thought, with unaccompanied minors having been detained in more than 25 hotels in three states, including Texas and Arizona.
A 2008 human trafficking law gives unaccompanied minors certain benefits, among them the ability to make an asylum claim in the US to an officer instead of a judge. The Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA), which establishes care, release, and due process rights for unaccompanied immigrant children, also grants minors access to legal counsel while in government custody.
Immigrant children who traveled to the US border alone before the COVID order would also be housed while officials vetted sponsors, usually a family member or in some cases friends, who would take them in.


buzzfeed--2020-09-08--13 Celeb Moms Who Proudly Showed Off Their Postpartum Bodies And Were Refreshingly Honest About It


buzzfeed--2020-09-08--I Bet You Don't Know What Kind Of Medicine These -Ologists Specialize In — Can You Prove Me Wrong?

I Bet You Do n't Know What Kind Of Medicine These -Ologists Specialize In — Can You Prove Me Wrong @ @ @ @ @ difference between a dermatologist and a podiatrist ?

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buzzfeed--2020-09-08--Tiffany Haddish Revealed She Had Coronavirus And Said The "Really Expensive" Tests Made Her Upset

“ That was three months ago .
I ’ ve been tested 12 times now because I ’ ve been @ @ @ @ @ I get tested again : no virus .
And then I had them test me @ @ @ @ @ then they said I do n't have any antibodies .
So I think I 'm @ @ @ @ @ .


buzzfeed--2020-09-08--Chrissy Teigen Revealed She Got Botox To Help With Her Pregnancy Headaches And I Just Learned So Muc


buzzfeed--2020-09-09--The Trump Administration Is Considering Excluding Some Immigrant Children From A Controversial Pande

The Trump Administration Is Considering Excluding Some Immigrant Children From A Controversial Pandemic Border Policy

Immigrants mainly from Central America guide their children through the entrance of a World War II-era bomber hanger in Deming , New Mexico , in 2019 .
The Trump administration is considering changing a pandemic-related border policy to no longer quickly return unaccompanied immigrant children to four countries that require them to test negative for the coronavirus before entering , according to a draft of the order obtained by BuzzFeed News .
The draft would amend an unprecedented order issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention earlier this year that allows border officials to expel immigrants at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facilities in the US for immigration proceedings .
Previously , unaccompanied children were sent to government-run shelters as they attempted to pursue their asylum cases .
Administration officials have argued that the policy , which has led to thousands of immigrants being quickly turned around and deported at the border , is necessary to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in the US and has been a key tool for border agents .
The draft amendment , if implemented , would alter the reality on the ground for those who hail from four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re-entry , including for adults .
It ’ s unclear which countries the draft order is referencing .
The draft indicates that the changes have already been in place since late August .
“ Apparently , the four home countries will accept the return of their citizens expelled under the Order only if their citizens test negative for COVID-19 , ” the amendment , authored by CDC Director Robert Redfield , states .
“ So at least for now , covered aliens who must test negative for COVID-19 before ICE can expel them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries should not be expelled from the United States by ICE.
” Redfield added that the number of people affected by the change is “ relatively small.
” Instead of being quickly deported to their home countries , adult immigrants could be processed normally and sent to ICE custody .
But the amendment does not appear to explicitly prevent border agents from using the CDC policy to quickly turn the adults from these countries back around into Mexico .
Border agents have used the policy more than 140,000 times since March .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries , the process would return back to previous practice and they would go straight to an Office of Refugee Resettlement shelter from ICE custody .
“ On first glance , this revised order seems mostly like an attempt to avoid an embarrassing court defeat , ” said Aaron Reichlin-Melnick , a policy analyst at the American Immigration Council .
“ But on closer examination , it ’ s also notable for the CDC ’ s endorsement of the White House ’ s extreme views that public health laws can be used to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ children and rapidly expel them , even when they ’ ve already tested negative for COVID-19.
” Before the pandemic , unaccompanied children picked up by Border Patrol agents would be sent to the Office of Refugee Resettlement , where they would be housed in shelters as they officially started applying for asylum and waited to be reunited with family members in the US .
But those referrals dropped precipitously after the issuance of the CDC order .
Instead , unaccompanied children at the border are turned back and expelled by DHS officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ referral process was created by the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act , which was signed by then-president George W. Bush in 2008 .
Under the law , CBP officials are generally required to refer the children within 72 hours to the US refugee agency .
“ It is telling that it is not concern for asylum seekers that drove the administration ’ s realization that they could safely accept these migrants , but rather their interest in maintaining a stream for deportations , ” Sarah Pierce , an analyst at Migration Policy Institute @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the administration knows that there are a number of migrants it can safely process , why not move forward with processing at least that number ?
Why limit it to migrants from these four countries ?
”

The Trump administration is considering changing a pandemic-related border policy to no longer quickly return unaccompanied immigrant children to four countries that require them to test negative for the coronavirus before entering, according to a draft of the order obtained by BuzzFeed News.
The draft would amend an unprecedented order issued by the CDC earlier this year that allows border officials to expel immigrants at the southern border instead of housing them at facilities in the US for immigration proceedings.
Previously, unaccompanied children were sent to government-run shelters as they attempted to pursue their asylum cases.
Administration officials have argued that the policy, which has led to thousands of immigrants being quickly turned around and deported at the border, is necessary to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in the US and has been a key tool for border agents.
The draft amendment, if implemented, would alter the reality on the ground for those who hail from four countries that require negative COVID-19 tests for re-entry, including for adults.
It’s unclear which countries the draft order is referencing. The draft indicates that the changes have already been in place since late August.
“Apparently, the four home countries will accept the return of their citizens expelled under the Order only if their citizens test negative for COVID-19,” the amendment, authored by CDC Director Robert Redfield, states. “So at least for now, covered aliens who must test negative for COVID-19 before ICE can expel them directly to one of the four home countries should not be expelled from the United States by ICE.” Redfield added that the number of people affected by the change is “relatively small.”
Instead of being quickly deported to their home countries, adult immigrants could be processed normally and sent to ICE custody. But the amendment does not appear to explicitly prevent border agents from using the CDC policy to quickly turn the adults from these countries back around into Mexico. Border agents have used the policy more than 140,000 times since March.
In the case of unaccompanied minors from the countries, the process would return back to previous practice and they would go straight to an Office of Refugee Resettlement shelter from ICE custody.
“On first glance, this revised order seems mostly like an attempt to avoid an embarrassing court defeat,” said Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a policy analyst at the American Immigration Council. “But on closer examination, it’s also notable for the CDC’s endorsement of the White House’s extreme views that public health laws can be used to permit ICE to deny rights to migrant children and rapidly expel them, even when they’ve already tested negative for COVID-19.”
Before the pandemic, unaccompanied children picked up by Border Patrol agents would be sent to the Office of Refugee Resettlement, where they would be housed in shelters as they officially started applying for asylum and waited to be reunited with family members in the US.
But those referrals dropped precipitously after the issuance of the CDC order. Instead, unaccompanied children at the border are turned back and expelled by DHS officials under the coronavirus order. The ORR referral process was created by the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act, which was signed by then-president George W. Bush in 2008. Under the law, CBP officials are generally required to refer the children within 72 hours to the US refugee agency.
“It is telling that it is not concern for asylum seekers that drove the administration’s realization that they could safely accept these migrants, but rather their interest in maintaining a stream for deportations,” Sarah Pierce, an analyst at Migration Policy Institute, told BuzzFeed News. “If the administration knows that there are a number of migrants it can safely process, why not move forward with processing at least that number? Why limit it to migrants from these four countries?”


buzzfeed--2020-09-08--Judges Confirmed Under Trump Are Splitting With Other Republican Appointees In Cases Against Police

WASHINGTON — In October 2010 , police officers responded to a report that a teenager was walking through a neighborhood in Garland , Texas , with a handgun .
When officers found the 17-year-old , he was holding the gun to his head .
The teenager ’ s family and police disagree about what happened next , but the encounter ended with officers shooting the young man ; he was hit twice , and one shot caused him to involuntarily pull the trigger and shoot himself as well , according to court records .
The teen survived but has permanent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The teen and his family sued , accusing the officers of using excessive force and fabricating evidence .
They argued that even though the young man was armed , the circumstances didn ’ t justify deadly force , and they accused one officer of lying about the teen aiming a gun at the police .
In August 2019 , the US Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit denied immunity to the officers , meaning the case would go to a jury .
The decision was one of a growing number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tapped for lifetime appointments by President Donald Trump split not only with colleagues appointed by Democratic presidents , but also those confirmed under previous Republican administrations .
The 5th Circuit judges who ruled against the officers included Reagan and George W. Bush appointees .
The judges who dissented — they would have granted police immunity against the family ’ s claims — included four of Trump ’ s appointees .
“ No member of this court has stared down a fleeing felon on the interstate or confronted a mentally disturbed teenager who is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Judges Andy Oldham and James Ho , both Trump nominees , wrote in a dissenting opinion .
Judges confirmed during Trump ’ s first term have staked out positions farther to the right on a variety of issues where liberals and conservatives have long seen the courts as a battleground , according to a BuzzFeed News review of dozens of cases in which the president ’ s nominees have participated .
They have taken more conservative positions than their Republican peers on issues including policing , guns , abortion , immigration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how Trump and administration officials have exercised their power .
Taken together , the cases illustrate how Trump ’ s successes in getting conservative judges on the bench are moving the courts to the right in ways that will dovetail with his politics long after he has left office .
Just last month , a majority of the DC Circuit rebuffed efforts by Trump ’ s former national security adviser Michael Flynn and the Justice Department to force a judge to dismiss Flynn ’ s criminal case .
Judge Neomi Rao , one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , joined by a George H.W .
Bush appointee , Judge Karen LeCraft Henderson .
Rao wrote that the majority ’ s decision — to allow a judge to probe DOJ ’ s decision to drop the prosecution — “ ducks our obligation to correct judicial usurpations of executive power.
” The majority included Judge Thomas Griffith , a George W. Bush appointee who has since retired .
He wrote separately in Flynn ’ s case to argue it was wrong to assume judges ’ legal analysis was “ a cover for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judges , including Trump ’ s nominees , have made similar comments arguing they are not political actors whose decisions are rooted in the party of the president who appointed them .
In a rare public statement , Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. said in November 2019 : “ We do not have Obama judges or Trump judges , Bush judges or Clinton judges.
” But Trump has made clear that he sees judges he ’ s put on the bench as a means to carrying out a conservative political agenda .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a tweet : “ Sorry Chief Justice John Roberts , but you do indeed have ‘ Obama judges.
’ ” In tweets on June 18 — the day the US Supreme Court blocked the administration from rolling back the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program — Trump pledged to release an updated list of “ conservative ” nominees he ’ d choose from for the Supreme Court .
“ Based on decisions being rendered now , this list is more important than ever before ( Second Amendment , Right to Life , Religous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , ” the president tweeted .
He hasn ’ t released a new list of names yet , but previous versions of his list have been dominated by judges he ’ s nominated to the federal appeals courts .
In the face of nationwide protests against police brutality , especially the use of force toward Black people , Trump has opposed calls to get rid of qualified immunity , the legal doctrine that can shield police from lawsuits over their conduct ; White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany called it a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ argued for immunity , Trump ’ s nominees haven ’ t just split with their fellow Republican appointees on how to apply the law — they ’ ve expressed full-throated support for law enforcement and made clear they believe courts should do more to shield officers from lawsuits .
“ If we want to stop mass shootings , we should stop punishing police officers who put their lives on the line to prevent them , ” Ho wrote in another case in October 2019 .
He dissented from his colleagues — a mix @ @ @ @ @ @ @ denied immunity to officers accused of using excessive force when they responded to reports of an armed man walking through a neighborhood and shot and killed the suspect .
“ [ These judges are ] clearly trying to take it exactly where President Trump wants it to be , which is to make it virtually impossible to hold police accountable for what could be blatant misconduct , often directed against minorities , but not exclusively , ” said Elliot Mincberg , a senior fellow at the liberal advocacy group People for the American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about how judges confirmed under Trump have split with their colleagues on the bench .
Mincberg reviewed more than 400 federal appeals court rulings since 2017 , and found that in a quarter of cases a Trump appointee wrote an opinion or dissent where they broke with another Republican appointee .
Jay Schweikert , a policy analyst at the libertarian think tank the Cato Institute , cautioned that most of Trump ’ s nominees likely would have been nominated under any Republican president .
Disagreements among Republican appointees in qualified immunity cases reflected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said ; modern conservative legal decision-making is often defined by a focus on the text and historical meaning of laws , but that gets tricky with doctrines like qualified immunity that weren ’ t created by Congress and evolved over time in the courts .
But Schweikert , who has advocated against qualified immunity , acknowledged that the heated rhetoric some judges had used in support of police could be “ confusing ” and suggest to the public that these judges were making “ results-oriented ” decisions .
He said it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on policy issues as long as it was clear they were reaching conclusions based on the law , and not trying to achieve a specific outcome .
“ What ’ s more important than provocative lines in certain opinions is the way judges are actually deciding cases .
In that respect , I think the bulk of Trump ’ s appointees are doing their best to follow what they see as these neutral principles of judicial decision-making , ” he said .
Qualified immunity for police accused of using excessive force or otherwise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t come from any federal law — it grew out of broader protections established by the Supreme Court that shield government employees generally from being sued for carrying out their official duties .
Law enforcement officers can be sued , but they can claim immunity by arguing that they didn ’ t violate “ clearly established ” laws or constitutional rights that a “ reasonable ” officer would have been aware of at the time .
In some cases , judges have found that police did violate someone ’ s rights , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wasn ’ t “ clearly established ” at the time .
It ’ s a standard that leaves too much room for interpretation by judges and makes it too easy for police to avoid accountability for abuses of power , opponents say .
Conservative , libertarian , and liberal groups have joined forces in the past to petition the Supreme Court to take up the issue and get rid of qualified immunity , or at least limit when police can claim it , but so far the justices have declined to step in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Court — the justices voted this year against hearing a cluster of qualified immunity cases , including the 5th Circuit case involving the 17-year-old in Texas who was shot — the federal appeals courts will continue to have the final word on when people can sue police and when they can ’ t .

WASHINGTON — In October 2010, police officers responded to a report that a teenager was walking through a neighborhood in Garland, Texas, with a handgun. When officers found the 17-year-old, he was holding the gun to his head.
The teenager’s family and police disagree about what happened next, but the encounter ended with officers shooting the young man; he was hit twice, and one shot caused him to involuntarily pull the trigger and shoot himself as well, according to court records. The teen survived but has permanent injuries that include paralysis and brain damage.
The teen and his family sued, accusing the officers of using excessive force and fabricating evidence. They argued that even though the young man was armed, the circumstances didn’t justify deadly force, and they accused one officer of lying about the teen aiming a gun at the police. In August 2019, the US Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit denied immunity to the officers, meaning the case would go to a jury.
The decision was one of a growing number of cases reviewed by BuzzFeed News where judges tapped for lifetime appointments by President Donald Trump split not only with colleagues appointed by Democratic presidents, but also those confirmed under previous Republican administrations. The 5th Circuit judges who ruled against the officers included Reagan and George W. Bush appointees. The judges who dissented — they would have granted police immunity against the family’s claims — included four of Trump’s appointees.
“No member of this court has stared down a fleeing felon on the interstate or confronted a mentally disturbed teenager who is brandishing a loaded gun near his school,” Judges Andy Oldham and James Ho, both Trump nominees, wrote in a dissenting opinion.
Judges confirmed during Trump’s first term have staked out positions farther to the right on a variety of issues where liberals and conservatives have long seen the courts as a battleground, according to a BuzzFeed News review of dozens of cases in which the president’s nominees have participated. They have taken more conservative positions than their Republican peers on issues including policing, guns, abortion, immigration, and discrimination, as well as how Trump and administration officials have exercised their power.
Taken together, the cases illustrate how Trump’s successes in getting conservative judges on the bench are moving the courts to the right in ways that will dovetail with his politics long after he has left office.
Just last month, a majority of the DC Circuit rebuffed efforts by Trump’s former national security adviser Michael Flynn and the Justice Department to force a judge to dismiss Flynn’s criminal case. Judge Neomi Rao, one of Trump’s appointees, dissented, joined by a George H.W. Bush appointee, Judge Karen LeCraft Henderson. Rao wrote that the majority’s decision — to allow a judge to probe DOJ’s decision to drop the prosecution — “ducks our obligation to correct judicial usurpations of executive power.”
The majority included Judge Thomas Griffith, a George W. Bush appointee who has since retired. He wrote separately in Flynn’s case to argue it was wrong to assume judges’ legal analysis was “a cover for the exercise of raw political power.” Other judges, including Trump’s nominees, have made similar comments arguing they are not political actors whose decisions are rooted in the party of the president who appointed them. In a rare public statement, Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. said in November 2019: “We do not have Obama judges or Trump judges, Bush judges or Clinton judges.”
But Trump has made clear that he sees judges he’s put on the bench as a means to carrying out a conservative political agenda. He even responded to Roberts’ statement with a tweet: “Sorry Chief Justice John Roberts, but you do indeed have ‘Obama judges.’”
In tweets on June 18 — the day the US Supreme Court blocked the administration from rolling back the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program — Trump pledged to release an updated list of “conservative” nominees he’d choose from for the Supreme Court.
“Based on decisions being rendered now, this list is more important than ever before (Second Amendment, Right to Life, Religous [sic] Liberty, etc.),” the president tweeted. He hasn’t released a new list of names yet, but previous versions of his list have been dominated by judges he’s nominated to the federal appeals courts.
In the face of nationwide protests against police brutality, especially the use of force toward Black people, Trump has opposed calls to get rid of qualified immunity, the legal doctrine that can shield police from lawsuits over their conduct; White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany called it a “nonstarter.”
In cases where police have argued for immunity, Trump’s nominees haven’t just split with their fellow Republican appointees on how to apply the law — they’ve expressed full-throated support for law enforcement and made clear they believe courts should do more to shield officers from lawsuits.
“If we want to stop mass shootings, we should stop punishing police officers who put their lives on the line to prevent them,” Ho wrote in another case in October 2019. He dissented from his colleagues — a mix of Republican and Democratic appointees — who denied immunity to officers accused of using excessive force when they responded to reports of an armed man walking through a neighborhood and shot and killed the suspect.
“[These judges are] clearly trying to take it exactly where President Trump wants it to be, which is to make it virtually impossible to hold police accountable for what could be blatant misconduct, often directed against minorities, but not exclusively,” said Elliot Mincberg, a senior fellow at the liberal advocacy group People for the American Way who published a report this month about how judges confirmed under Trump have split with their colleagues on the bench.
Mincberg reviewed more than 400 federal appeals court rulings since 2017, and found that in a quarter of cases a Trump appointee wrote an opinion or dissent where they broke with another Republican appointee.
Jay Schweikert, a policy analyst at the libertarian think tank the Cato Institute, cautioned that most of Trump’s nominees likely would have been nominated under any Republican president. Disagreements among Republican appointees in qualified immunity cases reflected broader disagreements within the conservative community, he said; modern conservative legal decision-making is often defined by a focus on the text and historical meaning of laws, but that gets tricky with doctrines like qualified immunity that weren’t created by Congress and evolved over time in the courts.
But Schweikert, who has advocated against qualified immunity, acknowledged that the heated rhetoric some judges had used in support of police could be “confusing” and suggest to the public that these judges were making “results-oriented” decisions. He said it was appropriate for judges to share their views on policy issues as long as it was clear they were reaching conclusions based on the law, and not trying to achieve a specific outcome.
“What’s more important than provocative lines in certain opinions is the way judges are actually deciding cases. In that respect, I think the bulk of Trump’s appointees are doing their best to follow what they see as these neutral principles of judicial decision-making,” he said.
Qualified immunity for police accused of using excessive force or otherwise violating people’s rights doesn’t come from any federal law — it grew out of broader protections established by the Supreme Court that shield government employees generally from being sued for carrying out their official duties.
Law enforcement officers can be sued, but they can claim immunity by arguing that they didn’t violate “clearly established” laws or constitutional rights that a “reasonable” officer would have been aware of at the time. In some cases, judges have found that police did violate someone’s rights, but they still granted immunity because the violation wasn’t “clearly established” at the time.
It’s a standard that leaves too much room for interpretation by judges and makes it too easy for police to avoid accountability for abuses of power, opponents say. Conservative, libertarian, and liberal groups have joined forces in the past to petition the Supreme Court to take up the issue and get rid of qualified immunity, or at least limit when police can claim it, but so far the justices have declined to step in.
Absent a decision from the Supreme Court — the justices voted this year against hearing a cluster of qualified immunity cases, including the 5th Circuit case involving the 17-year-old in Texas who was shot — the federal appeals courts will continue to have the final word on when people can sue police and when they can’t.


buzzfeed--2020-09-08--She Challenged Europe’s Last Dictator In Belarus And Was Forced Into Exile. She Says She’s The Count

She Challenged Europe’s Last Dictator In Belarus And Was Forced Into Exile. She Says She’s The Country’s “Chosen President.”

Svetlana Tikhanovskaya does not like being called an opposition leader .
First of all , she says , the movement she has inspired in Belarus is no longer the opposition : “ we are the majority.
” And secondly , she says , she was the winner of Belarus ’ s Aug. 9 presidential election .
“ My role now can be described as national leader , I think .
And , of course , as the national , chosen president , ” Tikhanovskaya told BuzzFeed News in an exclusive interview Monday from Vilnius , Lithuania , where she has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month .
Shaking her head as she considered the events of the past several weeks , she added : “ I never could have imagined that I would be in this place.
” In just three months , the 37-year-old mother of two has gone from being a self-described “ housewife ” with no political ambitions to becoming a hero of the protests shaking Belarus and dictator Alexander Lukashenko ’ s 26-year grip on power .
Hundreds of thousands of Belarusians inspired by her presidential campaign have protested in cities across Belarus — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — since an election that demonstrators believe was won by Tikhanovskaya .
Her supporters said it was rigged in favor of the brutish and mustachioed incumbent Lukashenko , who claimed to have won an astounding 80 % of all votes , versus 10 % for Tikhanovskaya ; the US and the EU said the election was neither free nor fair .
Lukashenko , a former Soviet-era collective farm manager known as “ Europe ’ s last dictator , ” has ruled Belarus with an iron first since 1994 .
All previous attempts by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were crushed by his notorious riot police and KGB security services .
In 2008 , the US tightened sanctions against Belarus over worsening human rights abuses , and Lukashenko responded by expelling the US ambassador and 30 of 35 diplomats .
( The two countries nominated new ambassadors earlier this year as relations warmed , but the confirmation of Washington ’ s new envoy is now uncertain . )
The American democracy group Freedom House rated Belarus one of the least free nations in the world in its 2020 report .
But despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the ropes .
Defying demands of the protesters and much of the international community , he has so far refused to leave office and dug in .
Twice in the past two weeks , he has appeared increasingly desperate , donning riot gear and carrying an automatic assault rifle on the grounds of his presidential palace in Minsk , which he ordered to be surrounded with razor wire and guarded by the military and armored infantry fighting vehicles .
His press service claimed it was all for self-defense when crowds of demonstrators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crowds of more than 100,000 protesters — comprising students and teachers , tech entrepreneurs and state factory workers , pensioners and others — who have faced off with Lukashenko ’ s police and military forces have been largely peaceful .
“ It ’ s hard to know what he ’ s doing , ” Tikhanovskaya said about Lukashenko ’ s gun-toting antics .
“ We don ’ t understand if he wants to show us that he ’ s ready to kill his people or maybe he ’ s so afraid of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gun.
” A former teacher and English translator , Tikhanovskaya said Lukashenko allowed her on the ballot because he didn ’ t think she had any chance of winning .
The Soviet-esque strongman said during the campaign that a woman president “ would collapse , poor thing.
” He was more worried about Tikhanovskaya ’ s husband , popular blogger Sergei Tikhanovsky , who was arrested while trying to register to be on the ballot and is currently languishing in a jail outside of the Belarusian capital , Minsk .
He is able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lawyer twice a week , she said .
Tikhanovskaya said she stepped in to take his place “ for love , ” never thinking that she would find herself in the position she is in today .
“ He feels as good as a person in jail could feel , ” she said of her husband .
“ He knows what ’ s going on in Belarus and he believes in the Belarusian people.
” Gone are the evenings at home when Tikhanovskaya said she would cook cutlets for her 10-year-old son @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the family would take its once-a-year vacation on the Black Sea .
Now she spends her days fighting for the future of her country , meeting with European heads of state and top US officials , and briefing the United Nations Security Council .
At the moment , she is doing it from exile .
On Aug. 11 , she was detained in Minsk , interrogated for hours by Lukashenko ’ s security services , and forced to film a video urging her supporters to stop protesting before being driven to the border @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she still does not want to speak about in detail .
She said the decision to flee was “ one of the most difficult decisions of my life ” and that “ one day I will be able to tell the whole story.
” Her children , whom she sent away to an EU country during her campaign after their school reported that state services were building a case against her to have them removed from her care , have since joined her .
Further underscoring the dangers facing opponents of Lukashenko , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Tikhanovskaya ’ s close ally and fellow political leader Maria Kolesnikova was kidnapped by masked men in central Minsk , along with two other members of a coordination council set up by Tikhanovskaya to negotiate an end to the crisis with Lukashenko ’ s regime .
“ The regime is engaged in terror , there is no other name for it , ” she said .
A witness told the independent news site Tut.by that they saw Kolesnikova being shoved into a minibus and driven away .
After almost 24 hours of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ top Russian state media figures in Minsk on Tuesday that Kolesnikova had been detained while being driven to the Ukrainian border .
At a televised press conference in Kyiv , Anton Rodnenkov and Ivan Kravtsov , Kolesnikova ’ s associates who were with her at the time , told reporters that she had torn up her passport and thrown it out of the car to prevent Belarusian authorities from deporting her .
Kravtsov said that Kolesnikova then “ climbed out of the car and walked bravely to Belarusian territory.
” A Belarusian state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the political leader was pushed from a speeding car by her two associates in the area between crossing points to thwart her deportation .
Ukrainian border guards confirmed in a statement that Kolesnikova never entered Ukrainian territory but said that her two colleagues had .
At the time of publishing , virtually all of Belarus ’ s protest leaders were serving jail sentences , sitting in detention , or else living in forced exile abroad .
But while Lukashenko has threatened and jailed many leaders of the protests , and used his security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demonstrators — many of whom have recounted horrific stories of abuse and torture — he has thus far failed to stamp out the movement against him .
Instead , with each crackdown attempt , the protests have swelled and the solidarity among demonstrators demanding his resignation has grown stronger .
Tikhanovskaya said the moment marks Belarusians ’ “ politically awakening.
” Although she said it was less politics that have jolted her fellow citizens into action and more Lukashenko ’ s mismanagement of the country .
Belarusians are angry at him for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the poorest countries in Europe and more recently for his failure to combat the coronavirus pandemic .
Lukashenko called COVID-19 a “ psychosis ” and claimed wrongly that simply drinking vodka , playing ice hockey , going to the sauna , and even riding tractors — something he called “ tractor therapy ” — would keep the virus at bay .
In the meantime , Belarusians suffered and died and hospitals were left without much-needed personal protective equipment .
In the state ’ s absence , civil society stepped in , something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ When ordinary people started organizing and collecting money for our doctors , ” she said , is when people began to realize that new leadership was needed and that Belarusians could self-organize .
She noted one defining moment , when her husband , Tikhanovsky , published an interview with a doctor who was critical of authorities ’ COVID-19 response .
“ People around the country started to collect money for him .
And in just one day they collected for him his year ’ s salary , ” she said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ work together .
”

Svetlana Tikhanovskaya does not like being called an opposition leader. First of all, she says, the movement she has inspired in Belarus is no longer the opposition: “we are the majority.” And secondly, she says, she was the winner of Belarus’s Aug. 9 presidential election.
“My role now can be described as national leader, I think. And, of course, as the national, chosen president,” Tikhanovskaya told BuzzFeed News in an exclusive interview Monday from Vilnius, Lithuania, where she has been living in exile for the last month. Shaking her head as she considered the events of the past several weeks, she added: “I never could have imagined that I would be in this place.”
In just three months, the 37-year-old mother of two has gone from being a self-described “housewife” with no political ambitions to becoming a hero of the protests shaking Belarus and dictator Alexander Lukashenko’s 26-year grip on power.
Hundreds of thousands of Belarusians inspired by her presidential campaign have protested in cities across Belarus — even in places Lukashenko considered his heartland — since an election that demonstrators believe was won by Tikhanovskaya. Her supporters said it was rigged in favor of the brutish and mustachioed incumbent Lukashenko, who claimed to have won an astounding 80% of all votes, versus 10% for Tikhanovskaya; the US and the EU said the election was neither free nor fair.
Lukashenko, a former Soviet-era collective farm manager known as “Europe’s last dictator,” has ruled Belarus with an iron first since 1994. All previous attempts by political opponents and protesters to oust him were crushed by his notorious riot police and KGB security services. In 2008, the US tightened sanctions against Belarus over worsening human rights abuses, and Lukashenko responded by expelling the US ambassador and 30 of 35 diplomats. (The two countries nominated new ambassadors earlier this year as relations warmed, but the confirmation of Washington’s new envoy is now uncertain.) The American democracy group Freedom House rated Belarus one of the least free nations in the world in its 2020 report.
But despite claiming a landslide victory, Lukashenko is on the ropes. Defying demands of the protesters and much of the international community, he has so far refused to leave office and dug in. Twice in the past two weeks, he has appeared increasingly desperate, donning riot gear and carrying an automatic assault rifle on the grounds of his presidential palace in Minsk, which he ordered to be surrounded with razor wire and guarded by the military and armored infantry fighting vehicles. His press service claimed it was all for self-defense when crowds of demonstrators marched on the palace.
But the crowds of more than 100,000 protesters — comprising students and teachers, tech entrepreneurs and state factory workers, pensioners and others — who have faced off with Lukashenko’s police and military forces have been largely peaceful.
“It’s hard to know what he’s doing,” Tikhanovskaya said about Lukashenko’s gun-toting antics. “We don’t understand if he wants to show us that he’s ready to kill his people or maybe he’s so afraid of his people that he has to have his gun.”
A former teacher and English translator, Tikhanovskaya said Lukashenko allowed her on the ballot because he didn’t think she had any chance of winning. The Soviet-esque strongman said during the campaign that a woman president “would collapse, poor thing.” He was more worried about Tikhanovskaya’s husband, popular blogger Sergei Tikhanovsky, who was arrested while trying to register to be on the ballot and is currently languishing in a jail outside of the Belarusian capital, Minsk. He is able to communicate with his wife only through a lawyer twice a week, she said.
Tikhanovskaya said she stepped in to take his place “for love,” never thinking that she would find herself in the position she is in today. “He feels as good as a person in jail could feel,” she said of her husband. “He knows what’s going on in Belarus and he believes in the Belarusian people.”
Gone are the evenings at home when Tikhanovskaya said she would cook cutlets for her 10-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter and dream of where the family would take its once-a-year vacation on the Black Sea. Now she spends her days fighting for the future of her country, meeting with European heads of state and top US officials, and briefing the United Nations Security Council.
At the moment, she is doing it from exile. On Aug. 11, she was detained in Minsk, interrogated for hours by Lukashenko’s security services, and forced to film a video urging her supporters to stop protesting before being driven to the border and forced to leave Belarus under circumstances she still does not want to speak about in detail. She said the decision to flee was “one of the most difficult decisions of my life” and that “one day I will be able to tell the whole story.” Her children, whom she sent away to an EU country during her campaign after their school reported that state services were building a case against her to have them removed from her care, have since joined her.
Further underscoring the dangers facing opponents of Lukashenko, hours before she spoke with BuzzFeed News, Tikhanovskaya’s close ally and fellow political leader Maria Kolesnikova was kidnapped by masked men in central Minsk, along with two other members of a coordination council set up by Tikhanovskaya to negotiate an end to the crisis with Lukashenko’s regime. “The regime is engaged in terror, there is no other name for it,” she said. A witness told the independent news site Tut.by that they saw Kolesnikova being shoved into a minibus and driven away.
After almost 24 hours of silence, Lukashenko told a pool of top Russian state media figures in Minsk on Tuesday that Kolesnikova had been detained while being driven to the Ukrainian border. At a televised press conference in Kyiv, Anton Rodnenkov and Ivan Kravtsov, Kolesnikova’s associates who were with her at the time, told reporters that she had torn up her passport and thrown it out of the car to prevent Belarusian authorities from deporting her. Kravtsov said that Kolesnikova then “climbed out of the car and walked bravely to Belarusian territory.” A Belarusian state border guard official told the media that the political leader was pushed from a speeding car by her two associates in the area between crossing points to thwart her deportation. Ukrainian border guards confirmed in a statement that Kolesnikova never entered Ukrainian territory but said that her two colleagues had.
At the time of publishing, virtually all of Belarus’s protest leaders were serving jail sentences, sitting in detention, or else living in forced exile abroad.
But while Lukashenko has threatened and jailed many leaders of the protests, and used his security forces to brutalize and detain thousands of demonstrators — many of whom have recounted horrific stories of abuse and torture — he has thus far failed to stamp out the movement against him. Instead, with each crackdown attempt, the protests have swelled and the solidarity among demonstrators demanding his resignation has grown stronger.
Tikhanovskaya said the moment marks Belarusians’ “politically awakening.” Although she said it was less politics that have jolted her fellow citizens into action and more Lukashenko’s mismanagement of the country. Belarusians are angry at him for a stagnant economy that has made Belarus one of the poorest countries in Europe and more recently for his failure to combat the coronavirus pandemic. Lukashenko called COVID-19 a “psychosis” and claimed wrongly that simply drinking vodka, playing ice hockey, going to the sauna, and even riding tractors — something he called “tractor therapy” — would keep the virus at bay.
In the meantime, Belarusians suffered and died and hospitals were left without much-needed personal protective equipment. In the state’s absence, civil society stepped in, something that Tikhanovskaya said marked a turning point.
“When ordinary people started organizing and collecting money for our doctors,” she said, is when people began to realize that new leadership was needed and that Belarusians could self-organize. She noted one defining moment, when her husband, Tikhanovsky, published an interview with a doctor who was critical of authorities’ COVID-19 response. “People around the country started to collect money for him. And in just one day they collected for him his year’s salary,” she said. “People then understood that they can work together.”


buzzfeed--2020-09-08--Trump Is Now Trying To Cancel Racial Sensitivity Trainings For Federal Agencies, Calling Them "A Sic

In a memorandum issued by the White House Friday , the Office of Management and Budget ( OMB ) said it ’ s planning to withdraw funding from racial sensitivity trainings for federal agencies , calling them “ un-American ” and “ divisive , '' as thousands continue to protest police brutality and systemic racism across the country .
These trainings “ run counter to the fundamental beliefs for which our Nation has stood since its inception , ” the Sept. 4 White House memo said , and they “ undercut our core values as Americans.
” The memo specifically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and “ white privilege , ” telling all agencies to review contracts containing those terms and “ identify all available avenues within the law ” to cancel them .
Russell Vought , the director of the OMB , said on Twitter that racial sensitivity trainings are “ taxpayer funded indoctrination ” that `` sow division and racism . ''
“ The President has directed me to ensure that Federal agencies cease and desist from using taxpayer dollars to fund these divisive , un-American propaganda training sessions , ” Vought wrote in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after weeks of pro-Trump pundits attacking critical race theory .
On Tuesday , Fox News host Tucker Carlson dedicated a segment to the idea , painting it as an extreme ideology rather than a social science theory that attempts to explain and contextualize the impact of racism on institutions .
Carlson ’ s guest , Christopher Rufo , called on Trump directly to abolish “ critical race theory trainings from the White House .
”


buzzfeed--2020-09-08--The FBI Is Warning Scientists To Watch Out For “Suspicious” Packages

Hundreds of researchers at the University of Washington have been warned to watch out for suspicious mail after the FBI informed the school that a suspicious package was sent to coronavirus scientists elsewhere .
In a Monday email obtained by BuzzFeed News , the university cited the FBI and cautioned that “ threatening mail has been sent to COVID-19 researchers on the east coast ” containing an “ unknown substance ” that the bureau was testing to determine if it was hazardous .
The email , which was sent to about 500 researchers in the biological sciences , advised staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including any with “ oily stains , discoloration , or a strange odor.
” An FBI spokesperson confirmed that the bureau , “ along with our local law enforcement partners , responded to a suspicious package sent to a few university researchers.
” The spokesperson added that “ preliminary testing has indicated there is no threat to public safety in connection with this mailing.
” The warning comes at a time when the coronavirus pandemic has become dangerously politicized , with top scientists such as Dr. Anthony Fauci receiving death threats , conspiracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ circulating widely , people taking to the streets to protest lockdowns , and the internet deluged with reports of people reacting violently when asked to wear masks in stores and airplanes .
If you have any information about the package , or are aware of other incidents involving suspicious mail being sent to COVID-19 researchers , please contact these reporters at ken.bensinger @ buzzfeed.com or jason.leopold @ buzzfeed.com .
You can also pass information on to BuzzFeed News securely and anonymously through a variety of means by following this link .
Deadly packages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hard to trace .
The Unabomber , Ted Kaczynski , mailed bombs to a variety of people including academics over a 17-year period , killing 3 and injuring more than 20 , before he was finally apprehended in 1996 .
After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks , anthrax was sent through the mail , killing five and causing 17 others to get sick .
It took the FBI almost nine years to close the investigation , naming Bruce Ivins , a government scientist who killed himself before charges were filed , as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the true culprit was found .
In the current situation , the FBI declined to provide further details about the suspicious mail , including which researchers and institutions received it , whether there was a single or multiple packages , when the bureau was notified , what exactly the package or packages contained , what the motive could be , or whether a suspect had been identified .
It also declined to state whether it had contacted other universities about the risk , but said that it encourages “ the public to remain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law enforcement.
” In its Aug. 31 email to staff , the University of Washington ’ s Environmental Health and Safety department advised faculty to look out for suspicious packages , including those with “ excessive postage , ” “ excessive tape , ” “ oily stains , discoloration , or a strange odor ” or “ no return address.
” A university spokesperson said she was not aware of any employees receiving suspicious mail to date .


buzzfeed--2020-09-09--I Bet You Don't Know What Kind Of Medicine These -Ologists Specialize In — Can You Prove Me Wrong?


buzzfeed--2020-09-09--13 Celeb Moms Who Proudly Showed Off Their Postpartum Bodies And Were Refreshingly Honest About It


buzzfeed--2020-09-09--She Challenged Europe’s Last Dictator In Belarus And Was Forced Into Exile. She Says She’s The Count


buzzfeed--2020-09-09--This Vet Went Viral For His Explainer On Popular Items To Avoid From The Pet Store

Both Dr. Emanuel and Dr. Hunter agreed that , when it comes to dog and cat treats and food , all myths are related to marketing .
Dr. Hunter said , `` Just because something has meat as the first ingredient , contains no grains , or is completely raw , does not mean that item is superior compared to others .
In fact , whenever a client asks me about nutritional advice , I always recommend they research the company they are using and make sure they have a full-time , board-certified veterinary nutritionist on their staff .
People @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foods and treats can be placed on the market with pretty minimal testing requirements .
In my opinion , this leads to businesses spending more money and time on advertisement than actually developing a safe product for our fur babies . ''
`` I would say the biggest myth of this day and age for dogs is the continued marketing campaign that grain is bad for dogs .
There is nothing in medical literature to support that it is harmful for pets , but it has created a market for boutique and exotic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to owners .
Recent findings have actually linked it with a heart disease called dilated cardiomyopathy , '' added Dr. Emanuel .

Both Dr. Emanuel and Dr. Hunter agreed that, when it comes to dog and cat treats and food, all myths are related to marketing. Dr. Hunter said, "Just because something has meat as the first ingredient, contains no grains, or is completely raw, does not mean that item is superior compared to others. In fact, whenever a client asks me about nutritional advice, I always recommend they research the company they are using and make sure they have a full-time, board-certified veterinary nutritionist on their staff. People don’t realize that many pet foods and treats can be placed on the market with pretty minimal testing requirements. In my opinion, this leads to businesses spending more money and time on advertisement than actually developing a safe product for our fur babies."


buzzfeed--2020-09-09--An FDA Deadline For Vape Shops Is Today. No One Knows What Comes Next.

Most vape shops might end up being , well , vaporized following the passing of an FDA deadline on Wednesday for legalizing some 400 million varieties of nicotine-laced liquids nationwide .
Vaping liquids have long been sold in a legal gray zone , placed under FDA regulation only four years ago .
But under an April federal court order in an American Academy of Pediatrics lawsuit , vape shops and manufacturers were required to file FDA “ premarket review ” applications for vaping flavors , proving they benefit public health , by Sept. 9 .
Once an application is sent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowed to sell the flavor for a year , unless the agency takes action .
So far , Philip Morris ’ s heated tobacco device IQOS and Snus from Swedish Match are the only two tobacco products to have received such approval .
Juul , which in 2017 was the largest e-cigarette company in the US , submitted its application in July .
But unlike those large firms , the vast majority of vape shop owners and manufacturers see themselves as caught in the crossfire because they can ’ t afford to submit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ businesses , which number about 13,000 nationwide , largely sell liquids that are meant to be added to vaping pens and other devices .
Nobody knows exactly what happens after Wednesday .
Many stores might go on quietly selling vapes unless or until the FDA or local health agencies act on complaints , since the agency in January indicated it would instead prioritize policing vaping products aimed at teens .
The COVID-19 pandemic has also put vape shop inspections on hold , according to the agency .
The industry says the deadline , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic , will drive many vape shops out of business and send smokers back to more harmful cigarettes .
But health organizations that are suspicious that vaping is hooking teens on nicotine , and fueling future tobacco smoking , call the move long overdue .
“ The whole thing will leave the industry in never-never land , with the FDA saying everything will be on a case-by-case basis , ” Mark Anton of the Smoke-Free Alternatives Trade Association , which represents vape shops , told BuzzFeed News .
In the long run , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impossible to get a loan or sign a lease under threat of legal action , which will lead to stores closing .
“ I worry it will be Armageddon for the vaping industry.
” In 2018 , a National Academies of Sciences , Engineering , and Medicine review found that vaping can lead to future tobacco smoking in teens and also help adults kick the habit .
This combustible mixture of benefits and harms — while clearly posing less of a health risk than cigarettes , which cause some 480,000 deaths a year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the center of the long-running fight over whether vaping ’ s threat to kids outweighs its help to adult former smokers .
And while several studies have suggested that smoking is linked to severe COVID-19 cases , likely due to the respiratory pathogen ’ s attack on damaged lungs , recent research is also suggesting that vaping poses risks , too .
“ Although we do not know how many applications will be submitted by the September deadline , we do know that there are over 400 million deemed products , ” Mitch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Center for Tobacco Products , said in an Aug. 31 guide document to vape shops .
He acknowledged the agency was unlikely to be able to review that many vape flavors in the year set for its review .
To date , the FDA has received applications for around 2,000 products , he said , adding that the agency has processed 40 % of those .
Some vape shops are closing ahead of the deadline , citing the costs of complying with the FDA application ’ s demands for safety testing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a “ Youth Action Prevention Plan ” for each flavor , with each package estimated by the agency to cost anywhere from $ 117,000 to $ 466,000 .
The public health proof they must offer is a higher standard than tobacco cigarettes , grandfathered under past law , must meet .
Each store might sell thousands of variations of flavor , nicotine dosage , weight , and packaging of vaping liquids , and each one requires an application .
Although the FDA has offered a pathway for bundled applications of related vaping products @ @ @ @ @ @ @ applications would run still into the trillions of dollars for the $ 8 billion industry , Anton told BuzzFeed News .
“ The costs are impossible for small businesses , ” he said .
Health groups are unsympathetic .
“ The industry has had four years to get ready to submit these applications , ” said Matthew Myers of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids , a party to the AAP lawsuit .
“ Instead they hired high-priced lobbyists when they should have funded scientific studies into the safety of their products.
” An @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , tied to the explosive sales of Juul e-cigarettes , has sharpened the vaping debate .
A 2019 CDC survey found 27.5 % of high school students reported e-cigarette use .
Last year ’ s epidemic of lung injuries among people who vaped illicit e-liquids laced with Vitamin E acetate upped the furor over vaping as well , connected by a Trump administration effort to ban most e-cigarette flavors earlier this year .

Most vape shops might end up being, well, vaporized following the passing of an FDA deadline on Wednesday for legalizing some 400 million varieties of nicotine-laced liquids nationwide.
Vaping liquids have long been sold in a legal gray zone, placed under FDA regulation only four years ago. But under an April federal court order in an American Academy of Pediatrics lawsuit, vape shops and manufacturers were required to file FDA “premarket review” applications for vaping flavors, proving they benefit public health, by Sept. 9.
Once an application is sent to the FDA, the maker is allowed to sell the flavor for a year, unless the agency takes action. So far, Philip Morris’s heated tobacco device IQOS and Snus from Swedish Match are the only two tobacco products to have received such approval. Juul, which in 2017 was the largest e-cigarette company in the US, submitted its application in July.
But unlike those large firms, the vast majority of vape shop owners and manufacturers see themselves as caught in the crossfire because they can’t afford to submit the lengthy, costly applications. These businesses, which number about 13,000 nationwide, largely sell liquids that are meant to be added to vaping pens and other devices.
Nobody knows exactly what happens after Wednesday. Many stores might go on quietly selling vapes unless or until the FDA or local health agencies act on complaints, since the agency in January indicated it would instead prioritize policing vaping products aimed at teens. The COVID-19 pandemic has also put vape shop inspections on hold, according to the agency.
The industry says the deadline, already delayed once in May by the pandemic, will drive many vape shops out of business and send smokers back to more harmful cigarettes. But health organizations that are suspicious that vaping is hooking teens on nicotine, and fueling future tobacco smoking, call the move long overdue.
“The whole thing will leave the industry in never-never land, with the FDA saying everything will be on a case-by-case basis,” Mark Anton of the Smoke-Free Alternatives Trade Association, which represents vape shops, told BuzzFeed News. In the long run, though, he argued it will be impossible to get a loan or sign a lease under threat of legal action, which will lead to stores closing. “I worry it will be Armageddon for the vaping industry.”
In 2018, a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine review found that vaping can lead to future tobacco smoking in teens and also help adults kick the habit. This combustible mixture of benefits and harms — while clearly posing less of a health risk than cigarettes, which cause some 480,000 deaths a year in the US — has been at the center of the long-running fight over whether vaping’s threat to kids outweighs its help to adult former smokers.
And while several studies have suggested that smoking is linked to severe COVID-19 cases, likely due to the respiratory pathogen’s attack on damaged lungs, recent research is also suggesting that vaping poses risks, too.
“Although we do not know how many applications will be submitted by the September deadline, we do know that there are over 400 million deemed products,” Mitch Zeller, director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products, said in an Aug. 31 guide document to vape shops. He acknowledged the agency was unlikely to be able to review that many vape flavors in the year set for its review. To date, the FDA has received applications for around 2,000 products, he said, adding that the agency has processed 40% of those.
Some vape shops are closing ahead of the deadline, citing the costs of complying with the FDA application’s demands for safety testing, science reviews, marketing materials, and a “Youth Action Prevention Plan” for each flavor, with each package estimated by the agency to cost anywhere from $117,000 to $466,000.
The public health proof they must offer is a higher standard than tobacco cigarettes, grandfathered under past law, must meet. Each store might sell thousands of variations of flavor, nicotine dosage, weight, and packaging of vaping liquids, and each one requires an application. Although the FDA has offered a pathway for bundled applications of related vaping products, the total price for all those applications would run still into the trillions of dollars for the $8 billion industry, Anton told BuzzFeed News. “The costs are impossible for small businesses,” he said.
Health groups are unsympathetic. “The industry has had four years to get ready to submit these applications,” said Matthew Myers of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, a party to the AAP lawsuit. “Instead they hired high-priced lobbyists when they should have funded scientific studies into the safety of their products.”
An increase in youth vaping in recent years, tied to the explosive sales of Juul e-cigarettes, has sharpened the vaping debate. A 2019 CDC survey found 27.5% of high school students reported e-cigarette use. Last year’s epidemic of lung injuries among people who vaped illicit e-liquids laced with Vitamin E acetate upped the furor over vaping as well, connected by a Trump administration effort to ban most e-cigarette flavors earlier this year.


buzzfeed--2020-09-10--13 Celeb Moms Who Proudly Showed Off Their Postpartum Bodies And Were Refreshingly Honest About It

Former Bachelor contestant Bekah Martinez shared the below photo of herself two months after giving birth to her and Grayson @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Every mom bod is different .
Some are thin and some are round @ @ @ @ @ some are hairy .
Some are light and some are brown .
No one ’ @ @ @ @ @ If you think otherwise , kindly fuck off or unfollow , '' she captioned .


buzzfeed--2020-09-09--Here Are The Best Trader Joe's Snacks According To Nutritionists

`` I love this snack because it ’ s got two simple ingredients : organic carrots and sea salt .
@ @ @ @ @ and high in fiber , coming in at a whopping 11 grams , which is @ @ @ @ @ general well being .
It ’ s portable , versatile , and you can eat @ @ @ @ @ or dipped in hummus , cashew cream , guac , salsa ... the sky is @ @ @ @ @ Beller , MS , RDN , CEO of Beller Nutritional Institute and author of Power @


buzzfeed--2020-09-09--Trump Said He Underestimated How Quickly The Coronavirus Would Spread Despite Reports Saying He Knew

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump insisted Wednesday that he did n't expect the coronavirus outbreak would spread to the degree it ultimately did , even as a newly released interview showed he was privately worried about how deadly and contagious the virus was in early February .
“ You didn ’ t really think it was going to be to the point where it was , ” Trump told reporters during an unrelated press conference at the White House .
“ All of a sudden , the world was infected .
The entire world was infected.
” His comments contradict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bob Woodward that describe a president who was fully aware of the potential danger Americans faced with the coronavirus and regarded it as “ deadlier than even your strenuous flu.
” Woodward pinpoints the time frame in which the president ’ s aides advised Trump that the pandemic would be the “ roughest thing ” he ’ d face in his presidency .
Ten days later , Woodward writes , Trump reiterated the same sentiment during an interview .
“ You just breathe the air and that ’ s how it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during a Feb. 7 call .
“ And so that ’ s a very tricky one .
That ’ s a very delicate one .
It ’ s also more deadly than even your strenuous flu.
” “ This stuff is deadly , ” he added , according to Woodward .
Trump had repeatedly minimized the danger to the American people during briefings at the time and continued to compare the coronavirus to the flu .
He admitted so during a separate interview with Woodward .
“ I wanted to play it down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Woodward .
During Wednesday ’ s press conference , Trump did not deny Woodward ’ s report but called it a “ political hit job ” before insisting he was trying to avoid showing a sense of panic .
Trump said the same when a reporter asked how the American people can trust what he says .
“ Well , I think that 's really a big part of trust , ” Trump said .
“ We have to have leadership .
We have to show leadership .
And the last thing you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the country.
” More than 190,00 Americans have died from the coronavirus , while more than 6 million people in the US have tested positive for the disease .

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump insisted Wednesday that he didn't expect the coronavirus outbreak would spread to the degree it ultimately did, even as a newly released interview showed he was privately worried about how deadly and contagious the virus was in early February.
“You didn’t really think it was going to be to the point where it was,” Trump told reporters during an unrelated press conference at the White House. “All of a sudden, the world was infected. The entire world was infected.”
His comments contradict reports in an upcoming book from journalist Bob Woodward that describe a president who was fully aware of the potential danger Americans faced with the coronavirus and regarded it as “deadlier than even your strenuous flu.” Woodward pinpoints the time frame in which the president’s aides advised Trump that the pandemic would be the “roughest thing” he’d face in his presidency. Ten days later, Woodward writes, Trump reiterated the same sentiment during an interview.
“You just breathe the air and that’s how it’s passed,” Woodward writes Trump saying during a Feb. 7 call. “And so that’s a very tricky one. That’s a very delicate one. It’s also more deadly than even your strenuous flu.”
“This stuff is deadly,” he added, according to Woodward.
Trump had repeatedly minimized the danger to the American people during briefings at the time and continued to compare the coronavirus to the flu. He admitted so during a separate interview with Woodward. “I wanted to play it down,” Trump said, according to Woodward.
During Wednesday’s press conference, Trump did not deny Woodward’s report but called it a “political hit job” before insisting he was trying to avoid showing a sense of panic. Trump said the same when a reporter asked how the American people can trust what he says.
“Well, I think that's really a big part of trust,” Trump said. “We have to have leadership. We have to show leadership. And the last thing you want to do is create a panic in the country.”
More than 190,00 Americans have died from the coronavirus, while more than 6 million people in the US have tested positive for the disease.


buzzfeed--2020-09-09--A Whistleblower Has Accused Top DHS Officials Of Lying About Border Threats To Support Trump's False

A Whistleblower Has Accused Top DHS Officials Of Lying About Border Threats To Support Trump's False Claims

Brian Murphy , the principal deputy undersecretary in the department 's Office of Intelligence and Analysis , said in his complaint that he was told to provide intelligence reports for former Homeland Security secretary Kirstjen Nielsen that supported the White House 's false argument of a border wall being necessary to keep out large numbers of terrorists crossing into the US from Mexico .
A rare whistleblower complaint released Wednesday detailed behind-the-scenes efforts by top Department of Homeland Security officials to build a false narrative to support President Donald Trump 's bogus claims about terrorists crossing the southern border .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in as she testifies on March 6 , 2019 .
Despite Murphy 's refusal and statements to Nielsen that the documented number of known or suspected terrorists only consisted of no more than three people — not the 3,755 she had told Congress on Dec. 20 , 2018 — the former secretary knowingly made false statements to Congress on the topic again on March 6 , 2019 .
The complaint also says acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf told Murphy to stop producing intelligence reports on Russian disinformation efforts because it “ made the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a senior official performing the duties of deputy DHS secretary , also told Murphy to modify intelligence threat assessments on white supremacists to appear `` less severe '' and include information on the prominence of `` violent 'left wing ' groups , '' according to the complaint .
Murphy also says Wolf told him “ to cease providing intelligence assessments on the threat of Russian interference in the United States , and instead start reporting on interference activities by China and Iran.
” CNN was the first to report on the existence and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday , Wolf gave the “ State of the Homeland Address ” and singled out Nielsen for her contributions to DHS .
Wolf also called China a growing threat to the United States and protesters in Portland `` violent rioters '' who were attacking federal law enforcement officers .
Murphy claims he was later demoted from his post to assistant to the deputy undersecretary for the DHS Management Division in retaliation for not cooperating .
The personnel move prompted him to file his complaint on Tuesday .
Before Murphy was demoted , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DHS had compiled intelligence reports on journalists covering protests in Portland , Oregon , who published leaked and unclassified documents .
The revelation prompted an immediate outcry , and former officials said the reports damaged the the intelligence office 's reputation .
Murphy downplayed the reporting on the issue in the complaint , saying the reporting on the topic was `` significantly flawed . ''
Murphy said there were attempts to track publicly available reporting that had information from government sources , but that there were no efforts to surveil journalists ' private @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Intelligence Committee , Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of California , ordered Murphy to appear before the committee later this month , saying on Twitter that the alleged actions put `` our national security at risk . ''

Despite Murphy's refusal and statements to Nielsen that the documented number of known or suspected terrorists only consisted of no more than three people — not the 3,755 she had told Congress on Dec. 20, 2018 — the former secretary knowingly made false statements to Congress on the topic again on March 6, 2019.
The complaint also says acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf told Murphy to stop producing intelligence reports on Russian disinformation efforts because it “made the President look bad.”
Ken Cuccinelli, a senior official performing the duties of deputy DHS secretary, also told Murphy to modify intelligence threat assessments on white supremacists to appear "less severe" and include information on the prominence of "violent 'left wing' groups," according to the complaint.
Murphy also says Wolf told him “to cease providing intelligence assessments on the threat of Russian interference in the United States, and instead start reporting on interference activities by China and Iran.”
CNN was the first to report on the existence and details of the complaint.
Earlier on Wednesday, Wolf gave the “State of the Homeland Address” and singled out Nielsen for her contributions to DHS. Wolf also called China a growing threat to the United States and protesters in Portland "violent rioters" who were attacking federal law enforcement officers.
Murphy claims he was later demoted from his post to assistant to the deputy undersecretary for the DHS Management Division in retaliation for not cooperating. The personnel move prompted him to file his complaint on Tuesday.
Before Murphy was demoted, the Washington Post reported that his office at DHS had compiled intelligence reports on journalists covering protests in Portland, Oregon, who published leaked and unclassified documents. The revelation prompted an immediate outcry, and former officials said the reports damaged the the intelligence office's reputation.
Murphy downplayed the reporting on the issue in the complaint, saying the reporting on the topic was "significantly flawed." Murphy said there were attempts to track publicly available reporting that had information from government sources, but that there were no efforts to surveil journalists' private data.
The chair of the House Intelligence Committee, Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of California, ordered Murphy to appear before the committee later this month, saying on Twitter that the alleged actions put "our national security at risk."