buzzfeed--2020-10-28--Alabama’s Most Populous County Says It’s Trying To Contact Voters Who Received Instructions That Wou

Alabama’s Most Populous County Says It’s Trying To Contact Voters Who Received Instructions That Would Invalidate Their Ballots

WASHINGTON — The election official in charge of absentee voting in Alabama ’ s most populous county announced this week that they are working to identify and contact voters who received special ballot instructions that could invalidate their ballots due to a recent court ruling .
Over the span of approximately a week and a half this month , Jefferson County sent voters a form that they could sign that would allow people with medical conditions that put them at higher risk of contracting COVID-19 to vote by mail without needing witnesses to sign their ballots .
But a federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oct. 13 , invalidating any waivers that voters put in the mail after that date .
Voting rights groups expressed concern that the county wasn ’ t taking steps to alert voters who received the waiver that they could no longer use it , and risked having their ballots rejected if they hadn ’ t been postmarked by Oct. 13 .
On Oct. 26 , two days after BuzzFeed News first reported on the waiver issue , Jefferson County published a press release on its website directing voters who had sent in absentee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or after Oct. 14 to contact Jackie Anderson Smith , the absentee election manager for the county .
The release said the county had a plan for voters to correct “ deficiencies ” with their ballots , although it didn ’ t offer details about what that plan involved .
In an email to BuzzFeed News on Oct. 26 , Smith wrote that she had “ implemented procedures ” to contact voters who were sent the waiver form , but didn ’ t respond as of publication time to questions asking for details @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may have received the waiver form , and what voters who submitted the waiver would need to do to make sure their vote is counted .
The county is promoting the new information about the waivers on Twitter , Facebook , and other social media platforms .
Smith said the waivers were sent out with absentee ballot materials between the Sept. 30 ruling and the Oct. 13 appeals court decision but didn ’ t say how many voters may have received them .
Absentee ballots that don ’ t comply with the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two witness signatures or one notary signature — and are postmarked after Oct. 13 will be rejected , regardless of whether voters relied on the information that Jefferson County sent out , Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill told BuzzFeed News in a phone interview .
He said voters who signed the Jefferson County waiver and were worried about their absentee ballot being rejected could cast a provisional ballot in person , which would be counted if their absentee ballot was later deemed invalid .
“ Ballots that were submitted after the deadline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not legitimate ballots , ” Merrill said , referring to the US Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit ’ s ruling on Oct. 13 that reinstated the witness requirement .
Deuel Ross , a lawyer with the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund involved in sending a letter to the county on Oct. 21 that raised concerns about the waiver , told BuzzFeed News on Tuesday that they hadn ’ t received new information about the county ’ s plan beyond what was in the press release .
“ We ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proactively working to contact affected voters .
We encourage other Alabama counties to similarly assist voters and establish a cure process for unwitnessed absentee ballots that were postmarked on or after October 14 , ” Ross wrote in an email .
The situation in Jefferson County highlighted the uncertainty that state and local election officials have faced as courts have continued to rule and strike down prior orders in legal fights over election practices this year after voting had already started .
Alabama election law requires absentee voters to have two witnesses or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On Sept. 30 , US District Judge Abdul Kallon blocked that rule and other voting restrictions in Alabama during the pandemic , finding that they “ unduly burden the fundamental Constitutional rights of Alabama ’ s most vulnerable voters and violate federal laws designed to protect America ’ s most marginalized citizens.
” In a 2–1 vote , the 11th Circuit granted Alabama ’ s request to reinstate the witness requirement while the state appealed Kallon ’ s decision .
Jefferson County published a press release on its website about the 11th @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t include information making clear that voters could no longer use the waiver form they ’ d received .
On Oct. 21 , the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and other groups that had been involved in the litigation sent a letter to Jefferson County officials asking them to alert voters who had received the waiver and come up with a way for voters who had sent it in after Oct. 14 to fix their now-invalid ballots .
Merrill , the Alabama secretary of state , said he learned about the Jefferson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t know what the county planned to do .
Asked if the state had an obligation to make sure voters who had acted on information they received from election officials had their votes counted , Merrill replied , “ Our obligation is to ensure we have a safe , secure and free election and that 's what we 're going to do .
”

WASHINGTON — The election official in charge of absentee voting in Alabama’s most populous county announced this week that they are working to identify and contact voters who received special ballot instructions that could invalidate their ballots due to a recent court ruling.
Over the span of approximately a week and a half this month, Jefferson County sent voters a form that they could sign that would allow people with medical conditions that put them at higher risk of contracting COVID-19 to vote by mail without needing witnesses to sign their ballots. But a federal appeals court reinstated the witness requirement on Oct. 13, invalidating any waivers that voters put in the mail after that date. Voting rights groups expressed concern that the county wasn’t taking steps to alert voters who received the waiver that they could no longer use it, and risked having their ballots rejected if they hadn’t been postmarked by Oct. 13.
On Oct. 26, two days after BuzzFeed News first reported on the waiver issue, Jefferson County published a press release on its website directing voters who had sent in absentee ballots using the witness waiver form on or after Oct. 14 to contact Jackie Anderson Smith, the absentee election manager for the county. The release said the county had a plan for voters to correct “deficiencies” with their ballots, although it didn’t offer details about what that plan involved.
In an email to BuzzFeed News on Oct. 26, Smith wrote that she had “implemented procedures” to contact voters who were sent the waiver form, but didn’t respond as of publication time to questions asking for details about those procedures, how many voters may have received the waiver form, and what voters who submitted the waiver would need to do to make sure their vote is counted. The county is promoting the new information about the waivers on Twitter, Facebook, and other social media platforms.
Smith said the waivers were sent out with absentee ballot materials between the Sept. 30 ruling and the Oct. 13 appeals court decision but didn’t say how many voters may have received them.
Absentee ballots that don’t comply with the state’s witness requirement — voters need two witness signatures or one notary signature — and are postmarked after Oct. 13 will be rejected, regardless of whether voters relied on the information that Jefferson County sent out, Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill told BuzzFeed News in a phone interview.
He said voters who signed the Jefferson County waiver and were worried about their absentee ballot being rejected could cast a provisional ballot in person, which would be counted if their absentee ballot was later deemed invalid.
“Ballots that were submitted after the deadline will not be counted because they're not legitimate ballots,” Merrill said, referring to the US Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit’s ruling on Oct. 13 that reinstated the witness requirement.
Deuel Ross, a lawyer with the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund involved in sending a letter to the county on Oct. 21 that raised concerns about the waiver, told BuzzFeed News on Tuesday that they hadn’t received new information about the county’s plan beyond what was in the press release.
“We’re pleased to see that Jefferson County is proactively working to contact affected voters. We encourage other Alabama counties to similarly assist voters and establish a cure process for unwitnessed absentee ballots that were postmarked on or after October 14,” Ross wrote in an email.
The situation in Jefferson County highlighted the uncertainty that state and local election officials have faced as courts have continued to rule and strike down prior orders in legal fights over election practices this year after voting had already started.
Alabama election law requires absentee voters to have two witnesses or one notary sign off on their ballots. On Sept. 30, US District Judge Abdul Kallon blocked that rule and other voting restrictions in Alabama during the pandemic, finding that they “unduly burden the fundamental Constitutional rights of Alabama’s most vulnerable voters and violate federal laws designed to protect America’s most marginalized citizens.”
In a 2–1 vote, the 11th Circuit granted Alabama’s request to reinstate the witness requirement while the state appealed Kallon’s decision. Jefferson County published a press release on its website about the 11th Circuit’s order but didn’t include information making clear that voters could no longer use the waiver form they’d received. On Oct. 21, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and other groups that had been involved in the litigation sent a letter to Jefferson County officials asking them to alert voters who had received the waiver and come up with a way for voters who had sent it in after Oct. 14 to fix their now-invalid ballots.
Merrill, the Alabama secretary of state, said he learned about the Jefferson County waivers over the weekend and didn’t know what the county planned to do.
Asked if the state had an obligation to make sure voters who had acted on information they received from election officials had their votes counted, Merrill replied, “Our obligation is to ensure we have a safe, secure and free election and that's what we're going to do.”


buzzfeed--2020-10-28--Here Is The Last Day Mail-In Ballots Will Be Accepted In Every State

Most states require that your ballot be postmarked on Election Day , Nov. 3 , but even if they ’ re postmarked in time , some will not accept those ballots if they arrive too late ; the specific rules vary state by state .
Here is the latest possible date in each state when absentee ballots will be accepted ; these may not apply to voters overseas or in the military who are subject to special deadlines .
In order to ensure your ballot is counted , officials suggest mail-in ballots be sent in early , especially given USPS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballot at least one week before Election Day ( that ’ s today ) to make sure it arrives in time .
WASHINGTON — Millions of people are voting by mail in the 2020 election — many for the first time due to the coronavirus pandemic .
Two states , Utah and Louisiana , require that ballots be postmarked the day before Election Day .
In Louisiana , all ballots must be received by 4:30 p.m. CST on Nov. 2 in order to be counted , though Utah will count ballots received through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long as they are postmarked on Nov .
However , voters in Utah can deliver their ballots in person to their local polling place on Nov. 3 before 8 p.m. MST .
One state , Ohio , requires that ballots be postmarked by Nov. 2 , but they can arrive as late as the close of business on Nov. 13 , 10 full days after Election Day , and still be counted .
Most states require mail-in ballots to be received by the time the polls close in the state on Election Day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local time , but some allow ballots received after Election Day to be counted .
Washington state , which votes entirely by mail , has the latest deadline , allowing ballots received through Nov. 23 to be counted .
For months leading up to Election Day , President Donald Trump has baselessly attacked mail-in voting , but the process is safe and secure : According to the Brennan Center for Justice , Oregon , another fully vote-by-mail state , has found fraud in just 0.00001 % of all votes cast by mail since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legal fights over the absentee ballot deadlines in two battleground states — North Carolina and Pennsylvania .
That means those dates could still change , although the closer it gets to Election Day , the less willing the justices will be to change the status quo , at least in theory .
Pennsylvania is currently accepting ballots through Nov. 6 , after the state Supreme Court extended the deadline and the US Supreme Court voted 4–4 to leave that timeline intact .
But state Republicans have gone back to the court in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Election Day , just as the Senate confirmed Justice Amy Coney Barrett as the court ’ s ninth justice .
Wisconsin , meanwhile , will only accept ballots received by Election Day , after the Supreme Court ruled 5–3 this week to block a lower court judge who ordered an extension .

Two states, Utah and Louisiana, require that ballots be postmarked the day before Election Day. In Louisiana, all ballots must be received by 4:30 p.m. CST on Nov. 2 in order to be counted, though Utah will count ballots received through Nov. 4 at 12 p.m. MST as long as they are postmarked on Nov. However, voters in Utah can deliver their ballots in person to their local polling place on Nov. 3 before 8 p.m. MST.
One state, Ohio, requires that ballots be postmarked by Nov. 2, but they can arrive as late as the close of business on Nov. 13, 10 full days after Election Day, and still be counted.
Most states require mail-in ballots to be received by the time the polls close in the state on Election Day, usually 7 p.m. or 8 p.m. local time, but some allow ballots received after Election Day to be counted. Washington state, which votes entirely by mail, has the latest deadline, allowing ballots received through Nov. 23 to be counted.
For months leading up to Election Day, President Donald Trump has baselessly attacked mail-in voting, but the process is safe and secure: According to the Brennan Center for Justice, Oregon, another fully vote-by-mail state, has found fraud in just 0.00001% of all votes cast by mail since the year 2000.
There are pending legal fights over the absentee ballot deadlines in two battleground states — North Carolina and Pennsylvania. That means those dates could still change, although the closer it gets to Election Day, the less willing the justices will be to change the status quo, at least in theory.
Pennsylvania is currently accepting ballots through Nov. 6, after the state Supreme Court extended the deadline and the US Supreme Court voted 4–4 to leave that timeline intact. But state Republicans have gone back to the court in a last-ditch attempt to push the deadline back to Election Day, just as the Senate confirmed Justice Amy Coney Barrett as the court’s ninth justice.
Wisconsin, meanwhile, will only accept ballots received by Election Day, after the Supreme Court ruled 5–3 this week to block a lower court judge who ordered an extension.


buzzfeed--2020-10-27--Amy Coney Barrett Was Just Confirmed By The Senate, And We Want To Know How You Feel About That

Everyone 's experience and opinions are different , and we want to learn more about how you think this shift @ @ @ @ @ the way the US functions .

Everyone's experience and opinions are different, and we want to learn more about how you think this shift in our government could change the way the US functions.


buzzfeed--2020-10-27--Here’s What Will Happen On Election Night

This is a really confusing time .
BuzzFeed News is working to answer some of your burning questions leading up to the election .
Have a question you want answered ?
Email addy.baird @ buzzfeed.com .
WASHINGTON — There ’ s one question on everyone ’ s mind these days : What the hell will happen on election night ?
With the coronavirus pandemic prompting mass mail-in voting , calling an official winner will likely take longer than usual .
If the election is a blowout for either candidate , it ’ s possible a winner could be declared on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in how absentee votes are counted in different states , it could be days or weeks before an official call is made .
The first polls will close at 6 p.m .
ET on Election Day in parts of Indiana and Kentucky , and the last polls will close at 1 a.m .
ET in Alaska .
If the election is close , it may initially look like President Donald Trump is winning , regardless of the final outcome .
Because of the president ’ s relentless — and baseless — attacks on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that in-person votes , which will be counted more quickly , will break for Trump , resulting in what Hawkfish , a political data firm founded by Michael Bloomberg , has called a “ red mirage.
” Polling has consistently shown Republican voters prefer to vote in person on Election Day by a giant margin , relative to Democrats .
Essentially , without comprehensive reporting of mail-in ballots in a close election , it might look on election night like Trump is winning big .
And it ’ s certainly possible that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ballots have been counted .
But once absentee ballots have been counted , former vice president Joe Biden could seriously cut into or overcome the president ’ s lead .
Some states , like Arizona , Florida , and North Carolina — all-important swing states to watch — have laws that allow them to begin processing mail-in ballots before Election Day itself , which could result in clear and relatively comprehensive results after the polls close on Nov. 3 .
But many other states , like Ohio , Pennsylvania , and Michigan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absentee votes prior to Election Day , and because they don ’ t have robust histories with mass mail-in voting , their results could likely be delayed .
Even states with strong histories of mail-in voting , however , could take longer to get results simply due to the possibly historic numbers of ballots they ’ ll have to count .

WASHINGTON — There’s one question on everyone’s mind these days: What the hell will happen on election night?
With the coronavirus pandemic prompting mass mail-in voting, calling an official winner will likely take longer than usual. If the election is a blowout for either candidate, it’s possible a winner could be declared on Nov. 3. But because of incongruities in how absentee votes are counted in different states, it could be days or weeks before an official call is made.
The first polls will close at 6 p.m. ET on Election Day in parts of Indiana and Kentucky, and the last polls will close at 1 a.m. ET in Alaska.
If the election is close, it may initially look like President Donald Trump is winning, regardless of the final outcome. Because of the president’s relentless — and baseless — attacks on mail-in voting, it’s likely that in-person votes, which will be counted more quickly, will break for Trump, resulting in what Hawkfish, a political data firm founded by Michael Bloomberg, has called a “red mirage.” Polling has consistently shown Republican voters prefer to vote in person on Election Day by a giant margin, relative to Democrats.
Essentially, without comprehensive reporting of mail-in ballots in a close election, it might look on election night like Trump is winning big. And it’s certainly possible that he could try to claim victory before all the ballots have been counted. But once absentee ballots have been counted, former vice president Joe Biden could seriously cut into or overcome the president’s lead.
Some states, like Arizona, Florida, and North Carolina — all-important swing states to watch — have laws that allow them to begin processing mail-in ballots before Election Day itself, which could result in clear and relatively comprehensive results after the polls close on Nov. 3.
But many other states, like Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Michigan, are not able to begin processing absentee votes prior to Election Day, and because they don’t have robust histories with mass mail-in voting, their results could likely be delayed.
Even states with strong histories of mail-in voting, however, could take longer to get results simply due to the possibly historic numbers of ballots they’ll have to count.


buzzfeed--2020-10-27--Schools Don’t Seem To Be COVID Hotbeds. That Doesn’t Mean They Should All Open, Scientists Say.

So far , schools don ’ t appear to be COVID-19 superspreading sites .
But Scott Atlas ’ s assertion that there is “ zero excuse ” to keep classrooms closed is an oversimplification , experts say .
From the moment Scott Atlas joined the White House ’ s coronavirus task force , one of his loudest rallying cries has been to open all schools .
A few weeks ago , he crowed on Twitter about new research that backed him up — or so he claimed .
The study in question found no significant coronavirus transmission from young children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
” the neuroradiologist tweeted .
But the paper did not say it was safe to open schools during a pandemic .
In fact , it had nothing to do with schools .
It was about childcare centers for kids aged 6 and under , and it explicitly stated that its findings did not apply to K–12 schools or colleges .
Atlas ’ s claim took the study “ completely out of context , ” Walter Gilliam , the Yale professor who led it , told BuzzFeed News .
“ It would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to talk about science , to have actually read it or read a journalist ’ s take on science , not just make up some stuff.
” Seven months into the US pandemic , children and their families are paying a steep price for the government ’ s failure to control a virus that is now once again surging across most of the country .
After schools shut down en masse , President Donald Trump and Atlas insisted that they should all reopen for in-person classes this fall .
In areas where they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would follow .
Those concerns seem to have been mostly overblown : Early data suggests that , at least so far , schools are not COVID-19 superspreading sites .
But Atlas ’ s assertions that there is “ zero excuse ” to keep schools closed , and that kids “ almost never ” transmit the virus , oversimplify the risks that reopened schools can face .
That ’ s according to researchers studying the issue , including some whom Atlas has cited — erroneously , they say — to argue for universal in-person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chance of avoiding outbreaks if it ’ s in a community with low transmission and if it ’ s adhering to safety protocols , the researchers say .
There will be exceptions , however : some schools may be able to keep cases low even in areas with high transmission , for instance .
And clusters of cases can still pop up even when all those boxes are checked .
That makes the calculus for reopening different everywhere .
“ I think there ’ s ample room to open schools and to keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said David Rubin , a pediatrician and researcher at Children ’ s Hospital of Philadelphia .
“ But to do so without recognizing that kids can transmit this virus , and there can be outbreak events originating in schools that can impact teachers or can impact caregivers at home , to me , is just not true.
” In two months , Atlas , a senior fellow at the conservative Hoover Institution at Stanford University , has become the most visible and controversial presence on the White House ’ s coronavirus task force @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Anthony Fauci , he does not have expertise in infectious diseases or epidemiology , which he considers an asset .
“ I have a background in medical science , but my role really is to translate medical science into public policy , ” Atlas told the site UnHerd .
“ That ’ s very different from being an epidemiologist or a virologist with a single , limited view on things.
” ( He did not return multiple requests for comment . )
Atlas reportedly helped push the CDC to narrow its criteria for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Twitter removed a message of his — “ Masks work ?
NO ” — for violating its policy against sharing “ false or misleading content related to COVID-19 that could lead to harm.
” And he has embraced the Great Barrington Declaration , a push for the unprecedented public health strategy of reaching herd immunity during a pandemic without a vaccine .
“ Vulnerable ” people should be isolated , the proposal argues , and the rest of society should be reopened , including schools , so the virus can spread unchecked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infectious disease experts say this plan would be practically impossible to carry out and would cause many needless deaths .
Atlas has been demanding to keep classrooms open even before many of them first closed and the world had much data about how the virus affected children .
On March 13 , Atlas proclaimed that there was “ no medical reason to broadly close schools.
” During a Senate committee hearing in May , he argued to “ open all K–12 schools.
” In July , he declared : “ Closing schools denies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing Atlas focused on as a newly minted member of the White House ’ s coronavirus task force .
During his first week on the job in August , Atlas spoke at a White House event dedicated to resuming in-person education .
In seeking reelection , Trump is making schools a centerpiece of his administration ’ s insistence on business as usual .
“ We have to open our schools , ” he said during the presidential debate on Thursday .
“ We can ’ t close up our nation or you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” But in an interview , Oster stressed that the data is preliminary and that she is not calling for universally reopening schools , despite what Atlas suggested .
“ What I ’ m saying is in low-prevalence areas where the pandemic is under control , many of which do not have open schools , we should make moves in the direction of reopening schools in those areas , ” she said .
She cited San Francisco , which just entered California ’ s least-restrictive reopening tier thanks to declining virus rates , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rest of 2020 .
The major obstacle , in her view , is that school reopenings have become deeply politicized under the Trump administration .
“ When the president said all schools should reopen , the divide on who was going to open meant that the red states opened and the blue states did not , as opposed to everyone making a decision based on what the best science said , ” Oster said .
“ This has gotten in the way of a lot of the things we need to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possible.
” Rubin , the pediatrician at Children ’ s Hospital of Philadelphia , is also encouraged by what he ’ s seeing .
He is leading a team that is tracking reopenings and compiling safety guidelines for school districts .
Understanding the exact nature of an outbreak is important , and Rubin said most of the transmission he has analyzed is happening off campus , during carpools or slumber parties or athletic events with lax hygiene protocols , and brought onto school grounds .
Rapid contact tracing is key , but hard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ initially thought for deciding when to open or close , according to his team ’ s guidance .
Instead , schools should make these calls as part of a constant dialogue with their local public health department .
Schools improve their likelihood of staying open when the whole community works to keep virus levels low , and when students , teachers , and staff comply with masking , surveillance for symptoms , social distancing , contact tracing , and hand hygiene , according to the group ’ s recommendations .
Even so , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expect zero COVID cases — which , for some families and teachers , may be deeply uncomfortable or unacceptable .
“ The question is : Are your school protocols strong enough to avert the likelihood that one of those people leads to an event in the school ?
” he said .
And each school ’ s needs will differ depending in part on the level of spread in its community .
“ There ’ s no way to universally do this , ” said Tan , the pediatrician at Northwestern .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schools may well be able to eventually open and keep the virus largely at bay .
But it would be incorrect to say that schools and public health officials had all the tools and knowledge they needed to do so in the spring , Rubin said .
It ’ s taken until now for researchers in the US to start studying what makes a successful reopening in real time , and for other schools to learn from those findings .
“ The delay of a few weeks to get schools open in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me , it ’ s a small cost to pay for knowing that we ’ re doing it safely , ” Rubin said .
He and other experts recommend that elementary schools be prioritized , given those students ’ relatively low health risks and the greater harm of keeping them at home .
A new study from Yale adds to the case for opening up settings with young children .
Researchers surveyed 57,000 daycare centers across the US and compared coronavirus infections and hospitalizations among employees in sites that stayed open during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those that closed .
There was no difference between them , leading the researchers to conclude that childcare doesn ’ t pose a heightened risk of coronavirus transmission .
But “ a lot of stuff they were doing in childcare providers , I just don ’ t see how it could be replicable at all in a school — which doesn ’ t mean schools can ’ t be safe , ” said Walter Gilliam , the study ’ s lead author and a professor of child psychiatry and psychology .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take this data and prove that they would be , because it ’ s a completely different scenario.
” These children were ages 6 and under and were kept in small groups of six to eight .
The majority of employees also reported taking extensive safety measures , including disinfecting as often as three times a day .
From kindergarten onward , classes get bigger and harder to clean .
Older students are constantly changing classrooms and mingling in hallways and during extracurriculars .
In his study on daycares , Gilliam took pains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not be applied to K–12 schools or universities , ” as did Yale ’ s press release .
That context was made clear in the Wall Street Journal and in other media outlets that covered it .
Atlas , however , did not register that key detail when he shared the Journal ’ s story on Twitter earlier this month .
“ Where have I heard that before , ” he wrote .
“ Yep , it ’ s the science ... again .
End the hysteria .
OPEN the schools !
# @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the study on Fox News .
“ We now have a consensus forming around the president ’ s policy of protecting seniors and ending the lockdowns , opening schools and jobs , ” he said , citing “ the new study from Yale that was just put out , talking about how there ’ s very little transmission from children to adults.
” When Gilliam found out about Atlas ’ s spin , he was floored .
“ We wrote up the science in a way we thought any layperson , without any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what this means and what this does not mean , ” he said , “ but we were not able to dummy-proof it against the adviser of the coronavirus taskforce.
” So he sought to set the record straight .
“ You clearly need to read the science before tweeting it , ” he tweeted in response to Atlas ’ s message .
“ I should know — I ’ m the study ’ s lead author.
” So far , it ’ s gotten seven retweets , compared to Atlas ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not necessarily the claim that schools are safe to open , which could end up being true .
It is that the coronavirus adviser does not seem to recognize the extent to which childcare providers bent over backward this year to keep their kids and employees safe , despite getting very little direction or resources from the government , Gilliam said .
“ It ’ s just a further slap in the face of the people you were supposed to be serving , ” he said , “ and didn ’ t .
@

Just about everyone agrees that in-person learning is the ideal. School closures disrupt learning and socializing, increase anxiety and depression, and burden working parents. In many large districts that started the year with all-virtual schooling, enrollment has declined. Low-income students of color are feeling the greatest impacts: They are cut off from a crucial source of meals and are disproportionately affected by the digital divide exacerbated by distance learning.
According to Atlas and researchers who share his view, these costs outweigh the health benefits of preventing COVID-19 in kids. Children and adolescents can get infected by the virus, but for reasons still not understood, they are much less likely than adults to get severely ill or die.
But other experts, even those who agree that society should prioritize opening schools, do not share Atlas’s one-size-fits-all stance.
The American Academy of Pediatrics advocates for in-person instruction as much as possible. “The importance of in-person learning is well-documented, and there is already evidence of the negative impacts on children because of school closures in the spring of 2020,” its recommendation states. When this guideline was released in the summer, members of the Trump administration seized on it as support for their push to open schools.
“Schools are essential businesses, aren’t they?” Atlas tweeted, not long before he joined the taskforce. “AAP says it’s extremely harmful to keep them closed.”
But that was not the full story: The guidance also acknowledged that “the current widespread circulation of the virus will not permit in-person learning to be safely accomplished in many jurisdictions.” In a follow-up statement after Atlas’s tweet, the AAP and educator groups stressed that “public health agencies must make recommendations based on evidence, not politics.”
One major reason to proceed with caution, according to experts, is that while children’s risk of transmitting the virus appears to be very low under age 10, it increases with age. A contagious student could infect not just a fellow classmate, but an adult in the room.
“If they transmit it to a teacher or a staff member that has an underlying condition, those individuals are at higher risk of complications with COVID,” said Tina Tan, a pediatrics professor at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine and a spokesperson for the Infectious Diseases Society of America.
To date, evidence from around the world indicates that schools are not intrinsic COVID-19 hot spots. Based on data from 191 countries from Feb. 10 to Sept. 29, Insights for Education reported “no consistent pattern between school status and infection levels.” Many country-specific factors, such as the economy, testing, tracing, and healthcare capacity, likely all play a role in how much the coronavirus spreads in the population, according to the independent nonprofit’s report.
Countries where schools have opened have seen a dizzying array of outcomes. In Spain, for instance, cases spiked when schools were closed and kept rising when they opened. But in the United Kingdom, infections were low during the summer break and rose after schools reopened. In Croatia, meanwhile, cases rose during the break, then dropped after reopenings. And in Thailand, cases stayed relatively low when schools were both closed and open.
In the US, the CDC was criticized for confusing and at times contradictory reopening guidelines. The agency was reportedly under pressure by the White House to downplay the risks of in-person instruction. Many states, too, have unclear guidance, leaving 13,000 school districts to forge ahead largely on their own.
Stories of successes and setbacks abound. In New York City, where the virus has dramatically leveled off since the spring, schools have only seen a handful of cases. In Florida, cases among school-age children did not immediately spike after reopenings. Yet outbreaks have happened in Utah and Georgia. Some teachers have died from COVID-19, though it’s not always clear where and how they got infected.
Overall, however, in-person learning seems to be going more smoothly than not, according to a new project, the COVID-19 School Response Dashboard, that is collecting data on reopenings. So far, school-submitted data about more than 200,000 students across all 50 states shows a low infection rate of 0.14%. Among the more than 81,000 staff working at these schools, the rate is slightly higher, at 0.37%.
Emily Oster, a Brown University health economist spearheading the project, shared an early version of these findings in the Atlantic this month. Contrary to fears “that school infections would balloon and spread outward to the broader community,” she wrote, these “numbers are small — smaller than what many had forecasted.”
Her essay, titled “Schools Aren’t Super-Spreaders,” caught Atlas’s eye. In a recent appearance on Laura Ingraham’s Fox News show, he said, “We have the recent studies finally coming into the so-called mainstream, even the magazines like the Atlantic, talking about ‘schools should be open.’”


buzzfeed--2020-10-27--The Former Bernie Sanders Campaign Staffer Who Was Jailed In Belarus Has Been Allowed To Leave The C

The Former Bernie Sanders Campaign Staffer Who Was Jailed In Belarus Has Been Allowed To Leave The Country

Vitali Shkliarov ( right ) with his lawyer , Anton Gashinsky ( left ) , after he was released from jail in Belarus .
Vitali Shkliarov , a dual American-Belarusian citizen and political strategist for US presidential candidates who was jailed by Belarusian authorities in July , has left Belarus , his lawyer told BuzzFeed News .
The lawyer , Anton Gashinsky , said Shkliarov is flying to Washington , where he 'll undergo a full medical examination .
His departure on Tuesday was due in large part to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo ’ s call with Alexander Lukashenko @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Saturday , Gashinsky said .
“ The fact that the petition for permission to leave was granted is certainly a consequence of Pompeo 's call , ” Gashinsky told BuzzFeed News .
“ It was Vitali ’ s release that was the main purpose and reason for the call.
” Shkliarov , who worked on both Sen. Bernie Sanders ' and Barack Obama 's presidential campaigns , was arrested and jailed in late July for allegedly organizing an illegal political rally for an opponent of Lukashenko in Belarus .
The country ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Europe ’ s last dictator , ” has served as president for 26 years and claimed victory in August ’ s contested election .
Shkliarov denies the charges .
Shkliarov was abused in jail and refused treatment or a coronavirus test when he began exhibiting symptoms of the disease , including a fever , his wife , Heather Shkliarov , a US diplomat based in Kyiv , told BuzzFeed News last month in a statement sent through his lawyer .
She said he had endured horrific conditions in jail .
In one case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an overcrowded cell inside a damp basement with mold and cockroaches .
Shkliarov was released from jail this month and ordered to remain under house arrest pending results of the investigation and a possible trial .
He faces up to three years behind bars .

Vitali Shkliarov, a dual American-Belarusian citizen and political strategist for US presidential candidates who was jailed by Belarusian authorities in July, has left Belarus, his lawyer told BuzzFeed News.
The lawyer, Anton Gashinsky, said Shkliarov is flying to Washington, where he'll undergo a full medical examination. His departure on Tuesday was due in large part to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s call with Alexander Lukashenko, the longtime president of Belarus, on Saturday, Gashinsky said.
“The fact that the petition for permission to leave was granted is certainly a consequence of Pompeo's call,” Gashinsky told BuzzFeed News. “It was Vitali’s release that was the main purpose and reason for the call.”
Shkliarov, who worked on both Sen. Bernie Sanders' and Barack Obama's presidential campaigns, was arrested and jailed in late July for allegedly organizing an illegal political rally for an opponent of Lukashenko in Belarus. The country’s authoritarian leader, known as “Europe’s last dictator,” has served as president for 26 years and claimed victory in August’s contested election. Shkliarov denies the charges.
Shkliarov was abused in jail and refused treatment or a coronavirus test when he began exhibiting symptoms of the disease, including a fever, his wife, Heather Shkliarov, a US diplomat based in Kyiv, told BuzzFeed News last month in a statement sent through his lawyer. She said he had endured horrific conditions in jail. In one case, he said he was crammed into an overcrowded cell inside a damp basement with mold and cockroaches.
Shkliarov was released from jail this month and ordered to remain under house arrest pending results of the investigation and a possible trial. He faces up to three years behind bars.


buzzfeed--2020-10-27--He’s About To Be The First Openly Gay Black Member Of Congress — And He’s Talking About Mental Healt

He’s About To Be The First Openly Gay Black Member Of Congress — And He’s Talking About Mental Health Like Few Politicians Ever Have

Ritchie Torres is grappling with how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting his likely New York district ’ s mental health and opening up about his own .
WASHINGTON — At 32 , Ritchie Torres has already been a star in New York City politics for years .
At 25 , he became the youngest member of the City Council .
Soon , he ’ ll likely become one of the youngest members of the House , and , along with fellow New York Democratic congressional nominee Mondaire Jones , the first openly gay Black member of Congress .
Torres loves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of policy debates , and he ’ ll name every healthcare provider in New York City if you ask him .
He ’ ll outline his vision for housing vouchers that would ensure no family in the city pays more than 30 % of their income on their rent .
And while a member of the New York City Council , he helped secure billions in federal funding for public housing in the city and investigated Kushner family real estate companies , alleging they were illegally operating eight buildings .
He ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , striking smile and a calm confidence that plays perfectly on TV .
Given how blue his district is , he ’ s very likely to win in November and join a historic Congress , along with a slew of other younger , more diverse , and more progressive lawmakers who have chartered a new type of politics that ’ s more open and more relatable to young voters .
For Torres , part of that is talking about his mental health , a rarity in Congress .
Torres was diagnosed with depression @ @ @ @ @ @ @ takes antidepressants .
It ’ s something he said he talks about with constituents , especially now , as the coronavirus pandemic has left many people feeling isolated , burned out , and traumatized .
“ The devastation that COVID-19 has wrought on communities like mine is creating a mental health crisis in America , so it does figure prominently in my conversations with constituents , ” Torres said in a recent interview with BuzzFeed News .
“ Most people find their elected officials to be distant and unapproachable , and there 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ struggle with mental health.
” Torres said his experience of mental illness began in late high school , but he didn ’ t have the language to talk about it .
He dropped out of college because of his depression , and he was hospitalized due to the condition .
It was the first time , he said , that he understood his depression was not his fault , but rather an illness .
“ I used substances .
I lost my best friend from an opioid overdose .
There were times when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It felt as if the world around me had collapsed , ” he said .
“ I assumed that the problem was me , that I was experiencing a failure of willpower or character , and then I came to later realize that I was struggling with a condition.
” The pandemic has affected Torres , too , he said .
He worries about his mom , who , at 60 and with comorbidities , is at high risk .
He said he worries about the unemployment rate in the Bronx , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ higher rates of substance abuse and mental illness , too .
But he sees being honest about his own struggles with mental health as one of his important responsibilities as a politician .
“ I feel like as a public servant , a public figure , I have an obligation to break the silence and the stigma and the shame that too often surrounds mental illness , ” he said .
It has been , for him , “ a form of coming out.
” “ I think my own acknowledgment of struggling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of coming out , ” he said .
“ The process of coming out , the integrity that it demands from you … has taught me how to be more open and honest about my struggle with depression .
It teaches you an ethic of radical authenticity.
” Without treatment , Torres said he would not be alive today , and he said antidepressant medication enables him to be a productive public servant .
“ And I 'm grateful for that , ” he said .
On the night of his primary in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the winner but when it looked like he would come out on top , Torres teared up on live television and told NY1 , “ It would be the honor of my life to represent ” New York ’ s 15th District .
“ It ’ s my home , ” he said .
“ The opportunity to represent the essential workers of this borough , to represent the powerful mothers of this borough , it ’ s the culmination of a dream.
” A few weeks later , once it became clear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a call from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , who represents the district neighboring his .
“ I had asked AOC , ‘ Do you have any advice for me ?
’ and what she said left an impression , ” Torres said .
“ She said , ‘ Come November , get rest and take care of yourself.
’ And that ’ s right , you know , those of us in elected office have to be mindful of a need to take care of ourselves .
We 're human too.
” Torres , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for All and a Green New Deal , sees the country “ entering the makings of an FDR moment , ” and he wants to be a part of it , a vision of the future he described confidently and at length .
“ If the Democrats control all the levers of power , the executive and the legislative branches , then we are going to have a once-in-a-century opportunity to fundamentally reinvest in America on the scale of the 21st century New Deal , a Marshall Plan , and a massive reinvestment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at once : recover from COVID-19 , fight catastrophic climate change , create the next generation of jobs , modernize infrastructure , build a comprehensive social safety net that establishes health and housing as human rights , and begin to address the root causes of systemic racism , which was laid bare by the 1619 Project , ” he said , laying it out in one very long sentence .
“ So I feel like this is a rare moment of transformational change in the making.
” But , of course , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a world where Democrats don ’ t control all the levers of power , and one where Torres becomes a member of Congress and President Donald Trump is inaugurated for a second term .
Torres doesn ’ t like to think about that possible world .
“ Four more years of Donald Trump is too terrifying to imagine , ” he said .
“ To be honest with you , I have not really come to grips with the worst-case scenario .
… I would feel as if the world around me had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Sean McElwee , a pollster and friend of Torres ’ , told BuzzFeed News that he thinks progressives need “ someone who really is into the details of policy and wants to get down and dirty ” working on major progressive legislation .
“ We ’ re gon na move legislation in 2021 , like , laws are going to be passed .
And if progressives want a seat at the table , you ’ re going to have to have really specific policy domain knowledge and be able to pick strategic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There is a necessity to have sort of ideological folks who call us to higher grounds morally , but you also have to have someone sit across the table actually figuring out what we want … I think Ritchie ’ s certainly a person in that mold.
” Torres calls himself a “ pragmatic progressive , ” and he supports many of the left ’ s progressive priorities .
But he ’ s said that the Democratic Socialists of America — of which Ocasio-Cortez counts herself a member — are out of touch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ black church in the South Bronx , you are unlikely to come across an assemblage of Democratic Socialist revolutionaries , ” he told the New York Times in June .
“ It ’ s a fact that the DSA has the most robust membership in wealthier , whiter gentrified neighborhoods.
” And the DSA style of leadership , presenting big , long-term ideas and rejecting piecemeal compromises , doesn ’ t fit with the sense Torres has that he needs to “ bring home the bacon ” — as McElwee , the pollster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which has the lowest median household income of any in the country .
If former vice president Joe Biden wins , Democrats will have a particular opportunity to actually move police reform legislation , an issue Torres has worked on closely over his years on the City Council .
Last month , Torres opened Twitter and started to scroll when suddenly he saw a photo of himself tweeted out from the Sergeants Benevolent Association Twitter account , and a caption that read , “ This is what a first class whore looks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was in a state of shock , ” Torres said of the now-deleted tweet .
“ If you look at the tweet it is as if Donald Trump himself wrote it.
” The tweet came after Torres held a press conference with Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams , calling for an independent investigation to determine if there had been a slowdown in NYPD responses to gun crimes , despite a spike in shootings .
As Torres noted , a New York Times report found that from January to early July , police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , down from 30 % , and NY1 reported that NYPD response times fell significantly this summer .
“ So there 's been an outbreak of gun violence against a backdrop of the NYPD making far fewer gun arrests , solving far fewer gun cases , and responding more slowly to gun crime to progress , all of which are possible signs of a slowdown , ” Torres told BuzzFeed News .
“ Those were the concerns that I presented publicly .
Instead of responding rationally , with an argument with facts and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to assassinate my character and call me a ‘ first-class whore.
’ ” It was further proof to Torres of the “ coarsening effect ” Trump has had on political culture .
Torres has called for the resignation of Ed Mullins , the head of the police union , because , he said , “ he has no business being in public life.
” But Torres has also drawn the ire of some progressives on policing .
A few years ago , a police reform group accused Torres of “ surrender ” on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ City Council .
The Right to Know Act was designed to get police officers to identify themselves in interactions with community members , but Torres ’ version of the bill ultimately exempted police from identifying themselves in some common interactions , like traffic stops .
“ This NYPD bill being advanced by Torres is neither the Right to Know Act nor a compromise , but political backroom dealing and a surrender of legislative independence to the NYPD and the Mayor , ” Monifa Bandele , a spokesperson for Communities United for Police Reform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He has also reneged on his public pledge to the Right to Know Act coalition to not pass a version of the bill that the coalition does not support.
” At the time , Torres said , “ I refuse to cede my prerogatives as a legislator to a fanatical few.
” Today , he says , “ I did the best I could , given the circumstances.
” “ Compromise is an inescapable fact of governing .
It 's not enough to label yourself progressive .
There needs to be a governing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ball forward , ” he said .
“ For me , the central value of progressivism is actual progress .
… And I came to conclude that some progress is better than none at all .
And we should never let purity be the enemy of progress.
” But the bill still frustrates some progressives .
“ There ’ s certain things I value , ” New York state Sen. Gustavo Rivera , whose district overlaps with Torres ’ , said in an interview with BuzzFeed News .
“ I value honesty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there 's been times when I 've just doubted whether that 's something that can be said about Ritchie.
” Rivera said he believed Torres should have brought in police reform activists and explained why he agreed to a compromise bill .
“ I just have my concerns , ” the state senator said .
“ I do n't think that he can be counted on to be a progressive champion .
He 's not claiming that either .
… He 's not claiming he ’ s going to be a progressive champion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or twice that , but he ’ s not Rashida Tlaib , he ’ s not Jamaal Bowman , he ’ s not AOC .
And he knows this .
So he 's not gon na be a part of the Squad.
” Asked directly about his criticism of DSA and whether that will make it hard for him to work with Ocasio-Cortez and the growing Squad she leads , Torres was quick to point to the ways they could work together .
“ There are differences but there are larger policy questions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I support the Green New Deal , and Medicare for All , which are the two highest priorities of the progressive movement , ” he said .
“ And , look , I have deep admiration for the talent of AOC .
She has a singular ability to set the terms of political discourse , and I have great appreciation for the prosecutorial approach that she has taken to congressional oversight.
” But many on the left want more from Torres : Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders both endorsed against Torres in his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who ran on a guaranteed housing for all platform .
And since winning the primary , Torres has managed to piss off many on the left with an aggressive pro-Israel stance .
“ The leadership of the DSA declines to affirm that the state of Israel should exist , ” he tweeted in August .
“ ‘ Insane ’ is the word that comes to mind.
” But Torres says doesn ’ t care that he ’ s frustrated some progressives before even officially joining the next Congress .
“ I think when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a mind of his own , there are going to be haters who are out there to destroy you , ” he said .
“ And the critics are resentful .
And envious , I guess .
But my record speaks for itself , and I won a race that few people thought I would win .
… If there are members of the peanut gallery who have an issue with it , I do n't give a damn .
Get over it .
I ’ m going to be in the @ @ @ @ @

If former vice president Joe Biden wins, Democrats will have a particular opportunity to actually move police reform legislation, an issue Torres has worked on closely over his years on the City Council.
Last month, Torres opened Twitter and started to scroll when suddenly he saw a photo of himself tweeted out from the Sergeants Benevolent Association Twitter account, and a caption that read, “This is what a first class whore looks like. Meet LYING RITCHIE.”
“I was in a state of shock,” Torres said of the now-deleted tweet. “If you look at the tweet it is as if Donald Trump himself wrote it.”
The tweet came after Torres held a press conference with Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, calling for an independent investigation to determine if there had been a slowdown in NYPD responses to gun crimes, despite a spike in shootings. As Torres noted, a New York Times report found that from January to early July, police made arrests in 23% of shootings, down from 30%, and NY1 reported that NYPD response times fell significantly this summer.
“So there's been an outbreak of gun violence against a backdrop of the NYPD making far fewer gun arrests, solving far fewer gun cases, and responding more slowly to gun crime to progress, all of which are possible signs of a slowdown,” Torres told BuzzFeed News. “Those were the concerns that I presented publicly. Instead of responding rationally, with an argument with facts and statistics, the Sergeants Benevolent Association chose to assassinate my character and call me a ‘first-class whore.’”
It was further proof to Torres of the “coarsening effect” Trump has had on political culture. Torres has called for the resignation of Ed Mullins, the head of the police union, because, he said, “he has no business being in public life.”
But Torres has also drawn the ire of some progressives on policing. A few years ago, a police reform group accused Torres of “surrender” on a bill that came up in the City Council. The Right to Know Act was designed to get police officers to identify themselves in interactions with community members, but Torres’ version of the bill ultimately exempted police from identifying themselves in some common interactions, like traffic stops.
“This NYPD bill being advanced by Torres is neither the Right to Know Act nor a compromise, but political backroom dealing and a surrender of legislative independence to the NYPD and the Mayor,” Monifa Bandele, a spokesperson for Communities United for Police Reform, said at the time. “He has also reneged on his public pledge to the Right to Know Act coalition to not pass a version of the bill that the coalition does not support.”
At the time, Torres said, “I refuse to cede my prerogatives as a legislator to a fanatical few.” Today, he says, “I did the best I could, given the circumstances.”
“Compromise is an inescapable fact of governing. It's not enough to label yourself progressive. There needs to be a governing progressivism. You have to actually move the ball forward,” he said. “For me, the central value of progressivism is actual progress. … And I came to conclude that some progress is better than none at all. And we should never let purity be the enemy of progress.”
But the bill still frustrates some progressives.
“There’s certain things I value,” New York state Sen. Gustavo Rivera, whose district overlaps with Torres’, said in an interview with BuzzFeed News. “I value honesty, and I value consistency, and there's been times when I've just doubted whether that's something that can be said about Ritchie.”
Rivera said he believed Torres should have brought in police reform activists and explained why he agreed to a compromise bill.
“I just have my concerns,” the state senator said. “I don't think that he can be counted on to be a progressive champion. He's not claiming that either. … He's not claiming he’s going to be a progressive champion. He might have called himself once or twice that, but he’s not Rashida Tlaib, he’s not Jamaal Bowman, he’s not AOC. And he knows this. So he's not gonna be a part of the Squad.”
Asked directly about his criticism of DSA and whether that will make it hard for him to work with Ocasio-Cortez and the growing Squad she leads, Torres was quick to point to the ways they could work together.
“There are differences but there are larger policy questions on which there’s agreement: I support the Green New Deal, and Medicare for All, which are the two highest priorities of the progressive movement,” he said. “And, look, I have deep admiration for the talent of AOC. She has a singular ability to set the terms of political discourse, and I have great appreciation for the prosecutorial approach that she has taken to congressional oversight.”
But many on the left want more from Torres: Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders both endorsed against Torres in his primary, favoring instead Samelys López, who ran on a guaranteed housing for all platform.
And since winning the primary, Torres has managed to piss off many on the left with an aggressive pro-Israel stance. “The leadership of the DSA declines to affirm that the state of Israel should exist,” he tweeted in August. “‘Insane’ is the word that comes to mind.”
But Torres says he doesn’t care that he’s frustrated some progressives before even officially joining the next Congress.
“I think when you're a young person of color with a mind of his own, there are going to be haters who are out there to destroy you,” he said. “And the critics are resentful. And envious, I guess. But my record speaks for itself, and I won a race that few people thought I would win. … If there are members of the peanut gallery who have an issue with it, I don't give a damn. Get over it. I’m going to be in the United States Congress.” ●


buzzfeed--2020-10-27--A Judge Ruled The Justice Department Can’t Take Over Trump’s Defense Against E. Jean Carroll’s Defam

A Judge Ruled The Justice Department Can’t Take Over Trump’s Defense Against E. Jean Carroll’s Defamation Lawsuit

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department can not take over President Donald Trump ’ s private defense against a defamation lawsuit that accused him of lying when he denied raping the writer E. Jean Carroll more than two decades ago , a federal judge ruled Tuesday .
The decision from US District Judge Lewis Kaplan means that Trump will continue to have to personally fight Carroll ’ s claims in court .
Kaplan wrote that the president didn ’ t fall under a law meant to shield federal government employees from being sued for doing their jobs , and that even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carroll ’ s allegations weren ’ t “ within the scope of his employment.
” “ A comment about government action , public policy , or even an election is categorically different than a comment about an alleged sexual assault that took place roughly twenty years before the president took office .
And the public ’ s reasons for being interested in these comments are different as well , ” Kaplan wrote .
“ The president ’ s views on the former topics are interesting because they alert the public about what the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s views on the plaintiff ’ s sexual assault allegation may be interesting to some , but they reveal nothing about the operation of government.
” A Justice Department spokesperson did not immediately return a request for comment .
Carroll ’ s lawyer Roberta Kaplan ( she is not related to the judge ) released a statement saying they were looking forward to continuing to press Carroll ’ s claim against Trump .
“ The simple truth is that President Trump defamed our client because she was brave enough to reveal that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that brutal , personal attack can not be attributed to the Office of the President , ” Roberta Kaplan said .
Carroll last year accused Trump of raping her more than 20 years ago in the dressing room of a department store in New York .
According to her court filings , Carroll said she told two friends about the alleged attack soon after it happened , but decided not to report it or go public at the time because she feared legal action from Trump , was worried no one would believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ denied that he had raped Carroll , claimed he ’ d never met her before , and accused her of making up the allegation to sell copies of her book .
Carroll filed a defamation lawsuit against Trump in November 2019 in state court in New York .
Trump and a team of personal lawyers had been fighting Carroll ’ s lawsuit in state court for ten months when DOJ took the unusual step of stepping in and attempting to substitute the United States government as the defendant instead of Trump .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government employee and that his conduct at issue — his public statements denying that he ’ d raped Carroll and that he ’ d ever met her — fell within the scope of that employment .
If DOJ prevailed , it would effectively end the case .
The US government enjoys “ sovereign immunity ” against a range of civil claims , including libel , which means the judge would have to dismiss Carroll ’ s case .
The future of the lawsuit turned on whether Trump was a government employee for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a law that dictates how lawsuits can , and can not , proceed against federal employees over actions they take as part of their jobs .
Even if Kaplan determined Trump did qualify as a government employee under the law , the judge then had to decide if Trump ’ s denials of Carroll ’ s accusations fell “ within the scope ” of that employment .
Kaplan concluded that the government failed on both fronts .
The judge wrote that the president didn ’ t fall under any of the categories @ @ @ @ @ @ @ situation like this , including “ officers or employees of any federal agency ” or “ persons acting on behalf of a federal agency in an official capacity.
” The US Supreme Court had previously made clear in a Nixon-era case that the president was entitled to absolute immunity against being sued for damages for official acts .
Citing that case , Kaplan wrote it didn ’ t make sense that Congress would then extend the same legal protections to the president as other federal agency employees .
Kaplan noted that if he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it could “ ignite a significant expansion ” of legal exposure for the president , opening the door to a host of new civil lawsuits .
Even if Trump did qualify as a government employee , Kaplan wrote that he wasn ’ t acting as an employee of anyone or advancing an employer ’ s business interests when he made the public comments denying Carroll ’ s claims .
“ No one gives him permission to speak .
No one can require him to say , or not to say , anything at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to cut him off .
And the statements he makes , as well as the topics he discusses , are entirely of his own choosing , ” Kaplan wrote .
“ No one even arguably directed or controlled President Trump when he commented on the plaintiff ’ s accusation , which had nothing to do with the official business of government , that he raped her decades before he took office .
And no one had the ability to control him.
” The Justice Department argued that Carroll ’ s allegations implicated Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but Kaplan wrote that went “ too far ” in shielding the president from being liable for anything he said .
“ Accepting it would mean that a president is free [ to ] defame anyone who criticizes his conduct or impugns his character — without adverse consequences to that president and no matter what injury he inflicts on the person defamed , ” Kaplan wrote .
“ Indeed , the same would be true for many government officials , who plausibly could argue that criticism of their behavior or character , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employment , would undermine their ability to perform effectively while in office.
” Kaplan issued his 61-page opinion without hearing arguments from either side .
The Justice Department and Carroll ’ s lawyer were set to present at a hearing last week , but it was canceled at the last minute after the DOJ lawyer was denied entry to the federal courthouse in Manhattan for failing to follow New York ’ s coronavirus quarantine rules after traveling from his home in Virginia .
Kaplan gave the government a choice — to send a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by phone , or to cancel the hearing and have the judge decide based on the briefs alone .
The government chose the last option .
As Kaplan pointed out in a footnote in Monday ’ s decision , the government ’ s choice meant the judge would not consider any new arguments that DOJ raised in a final brief filed shortly before the hearing .
That brief had included more expansive arguments about why Trump qualified as a federal employee — but Kaplan wrote the government would still lose on that even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department cannot take over President Donald Trump’s private defense against a defamation lawsuit that accused him of lying when he denied raping the writer E. Jean Carroll more than two decades ago, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.
The decision from US District Judge Lewis Kaplan means that Trump will continue to have to personally fight Carroll’s claims in court. Kaplan wrote that the president didn’t fall under a law meant to shield federal government employees from being sued for doing their jobs, and that even if he did, his comments denying Carroll’s allegations weren’t “within the scope of his employment.”
“A comment about government action, public policy, or even an election is categorically different than a comment about an alleged sexual assault that took place roughly twenty years before the president took office. And the public’s reasons for being interested in these comments are different as well,” Kaplan wrote. “The president’s views on the former topics are interesting because they alert the public about what the government is up to. President Trump’s views on the plaintiff’s sexual assault allegation may be interesting to some, but they reveal nothing about the operation of government.”
A Justice Department spokesperson did not immediately return a request for comment. Carroll’s lawyer Roberta Kaplan (she is not related to the judge) released a statement saying they were looking forward to continuing to press Carroll’s claim against Trump.
“The simple truth is that President Trump defamed our client because she was brave enough to reveal that he had sexually assaulted her, and that brutal, personal attack cannot be attributed to the Office of the President,” Roberta Kaplan said.
Carroll last year accused Trump of raping her more than 20 years ago in the dressing room of a department store in New York. According to her court filings, Carroll said she told two friends about the alleged attack soon after it happened, but decided not to report it or go public at the time because she feared legal action from Trump, was worried no one would believe her, and blamed herself.
Trump denied that he had raped Carroll, claimed he’d never met her before, and accused her of making up the allegation to sell copies of her book. Carroll filed a defamation lawsuit against Trump in November 2019 in state court in New York.
Trump and a team of personal lawyers had been fighting Carroll’s lawsuit in state court for ten months when DOJ took the unusual step of stepping in and attempting to substitute the United States government as the defendant instead of Trump. The government argued that Trump was a federal government employee and that his conduct at issue — his public statements denying that he’d raped Carroll and that he’d ever met her — fell within the scope of that employment.
If DOJ prevailed, it would effectively end the case. The US government enjoys “sovereign immunity” against a range of civil claims, including libel, which means the judge would have to dismiss Carroll’s case.
The future of the lawsuit turned on whether Trump was a government employee for the purposes of the Federal Tort Claims Act, a law that dictates how lawsuits can, and cannot, proceed against federal employees over actions they take as part of their jobs. Even if Kaplan determined Trump did qualify as a government employee under the law, the judge then had to decide if Trump’s denials of Carroll’s accusations fell “within the scope” of that employment.
Kaplan concluded that the government failed on both fronts. The judge wrote that the president didn’t fall under any of the categories of government personnel that applied in a situation like this, including “officers or employees of any federal agency” or “persons acting on behalf of a federal agency in an official capacity.”
The US Supreme Court had previously made clear in a Nixon-era case that the president was entitled to absolute immunity against being sued for damages for official acts. Citing that case, Kaplan wrote it didn’t make sense that Congress would then extend the same legal protections to the president as other federal agency employees. Kaplan noted that if he adopted the government’s interpretation, it could “ignite a significant expansion” of legal exposure for the president, opening the door to a host of new civil lawsuits.
Even if Trump did qualify as a government employee, Kaplan wrote that he wasn’t acting as an employee of anyone or advancing an employer’s business interests when he made the public comments denying Carroll’s claims.
“No one gives him permission to speak. No one can require him to say, or not to say, anything at all. No one has the authority to cut him off. And the statements he makes, as well as the topics he discusses, are entirely of his own choosing,” Kaplan wrote. “No one even arguably directed or controlled President Trump when he commented on the plaintiff’s accusation, which had nothing to do with the official business of government, that he raped her decades before he took office. And no one had the ability to control him.”
The Justice Department argued that Carroll’s allegations implicated Trump’s fitness to serve as president, but Kaplan wrote that went “too far” in shielding the president from being liable for anything he said.
“Accepting it would mean that a president is free [to] defame anyone who criticizes his conduct or impugns his character — without adverse consequences to that president and no matter what injury he inflicts on the person defamed,” Kaplan wrote. “Indeed, the same would be true for many government officials, who plausibly could argue that criticism of their behavior or character, even if completely unrelated to their government employment, would undermine their ability to perform effectively while in office.”
Kaplan issued his 61-page opinion without hearing arguments from either side. The Justice Department and Carroll’s lawyer were set to present at a hearing last week, but it was canceled at the last minute after the DOJ lawyer was denied entry to the federal courthouse in Manhattan for failing to follow New York’s coronavirus quarantine rules after traveling from his home in Virginia. Kaplan gave the government a choice — to send a different lawyer to court, to argue by phone, or to cancel the hearing and have the judge decide based on the briefs alone. The government chose the last option.
As Kaplan pointed out in a footnote in Monday’s decision, the government’s choice meant the judge would not consider any new arguments that DOJ raised in a final brief filed shortly before the hearing. That brief had included more expansive arguments about why Trump qualified as a federal employee — but Kaplan wrote the government would still lose on that even if he did consider their new arguments.


buzzfeed--2020-10-27--People Who Aren’t Voting Explain Why

People Who Aren’t Voting Explain Why

For these eligible voters , the idea of a just and fair democratic process that truly represents them has evaporated , leaving many embittered by the notion that their vote actually matters .
“ I think our country has become extremely efficient at putting forth an image that we live in a democracy , even though it ’ s much closer to a dictatorship in definition , ” said Andrew , a 35-year-old manager at a residential drug treatment center , who lives in Prescott , Arizona , and has decided not to vote this year .
“ I can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ action that would need to be taken for me to have any trust in our electoral process.
” He added that when he was a teen he “ watched live as George W. Bush and his brother Jeb literally rigged the election.
” “ We 've made an industry out of telling people to vote , ” Jessica , a 24-year-old from San Francisco who now lives in Peekskill , New York , told me over the phone about her heavily Democratic district , which , incidentally , happens to be represented by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jessica feels that , for too many people , “ the be-all , end-all of their activism is telling people to go vote and posting pictures of themselves with ‘ I voted ’ stickers and things like that , which also contributes to my apathy on this situation.
” There are those who don ’ t believe either incumbent Donald Trump or former vice president Joe Biden are qualified candidates to lead the country , like Maddie , a 21-year-old living in Houston , Texas , who does not identify with a specific @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be voting for the lesser of two evils , and I ca n't bring myself to vote for either of them .
It would feel morally wrong , ” she said .
Everyone from influencers to celebrities to private companies has been encouraging their followers to vote with more energy than ever before .
Organizations like Headcount and Rock the Vote continue to use celebrities like Ariana Grande and Becky G to get out the vote .
And while those organizations have taken a more traditional approach , others are going more fun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters to cast their ballots .
Barack Obama stepped into the Shade Room , strippers from Atlanta ’ s iconic Magic City strip club launched a campaign to “ Get Your Booty to the Poll , ” and LeBron James ’ s “ We Got Next ” initiative has successfully registered thousands of poll workers to help out in Black districts on Election Day .
Still , some people have decided to opt out of voting in the upcoming election altogether because of their frustrations with both the candidates running and the electoral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives in upstate New York , said she voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016 , but her politics started to change during and after college , when she read books like Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire and work by Ta-Nehisi Coates .
So began her “ unlearning process [ about ] a lot of what ’ s wrong with this country.
” She characterized herself as a former “ big neoliberal consumer of media , ” though that changed fairly quickly , she said , after she read more critical theory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ begrudge anyone for voting , Jessica said she now puts her energy into things like mutual aid funds , which have received more attention and participation during the pandemic .
“ Seeing the type of work that they do and how little of the work actually involves telling people to participate in institutionalized politics ” was encouraging , she said , because it was about direct action , support , and “ being the people who actually bring aid to communities instead of relying on politicians who are never going to allocate to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their disappointment in the country ’ s trajectory over the last several years is what ’ s been chipping away at their enthusiasm for voting .
In Andrew ’ s home state of Arizona , Trump won against Clinton by more than 84,000 votes in 2016 .
He told me he voted for Barack Obama in both 2008 and 2012 , when he “ thought our government wasn ’ t suppressing voters.
” He only recently lost faith in the electoral process in 2016 after Trump became president-elect .
“ I refused at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote a billionaire TV personality into the highest office of the land , ” he said .
“ Trump has shown countless times that he can be bought .
I think we are very close to a dark time in our history , one in which the freedoms we used to enjoy will be replaced.
” Chief among Andrew ’ s concerns for the country are human rights and Trump ’ s handling of foreign policy .
“ He has been combative and threatening in his language , ” Andrew said , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” ( As dispiriting as the process might seem , voting is still one of the most important ways to affect change with regard to the country ’ s leadership . )
Then there are Americans who weren ’ t even of voting age in 2016 and already felt that the system was out of step with their personal beliefs .
Brianna , a 20-year-old English major and part-time tutor who attends University of Massachusetts Amherst , said she became much more interested in politics at age 14 , describing herself as “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ‘ Oh yes , Obama is so cool.
’ ” But she credited her attendance at a conservative high school with people who drove trucks with Confederate flag decals and the “ stifling ” atmosphere it fomented as one of the reasons she became “ somewhat disillusioned from mainstream politics ” and “ made more controversial leftist political ideas appealing to me , ” describing her current ideology as something much more akin to anarcho-communism .
( In essence , this belief suggests there should be no government and people should live @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) Brianna said she ’ s not saying she ’ ll never vote in the future , but her disinterest in voting boils down to the fact that , to her , there is no obvious distinction between a Trump or Biden presidency .
“ Since my personal vote means nothing , ” said Brianna , who lives in Massachusetts , which Biden has a greater than 60 % chance of winning , according to various polls , “ I ’ m not reducing harm to anyone by voting .
I know this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but hey , take it up with the [ Electoral College ] .
” Though some eligible voters have become apathetic about the state of the nation , others aren ’ t necessarily indifferent to the host of issues currently plaguing the country .
They just can ’ t bring themselves to vote in either direction as a matter of principle .
“ I am fearful we are heading into a civil war in this country , and that is terrifying for so many reasons , ” said Jillian , a 33-year-old marketing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Massachusetts , who would ’ ve preferred Tulsi Gabbard as the Democratic nominee .
“ Our country is stuck in a very unhealthy place today and in my opinion , when considering all the candidates , I thought her persona resonated most with young voters and maybe more so independents like myself .
To see Trump up against a strong smart woman like Gabbard would have been incredible.
” A vote for Biden , according to Jillian , who is biracial , is really “ a vote for [ Kamala ] Harris , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power-hungry socialist '' who `` will do anything humanly possible to get her ways . ''
Jillian said she wants nothing more than to `` see a woman in the White House , but not Kamala Harris .
What does it say about someone when they outright accuse someone of being racist and then shortly agrees to be his running mate ? ''
( Harris did not call Biden racist. )
.
“ I think beyond that , the lack of truth from our leaders is only bringing down this country and creating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make matters worse.
” She said she has “ zero faith ” in both Trump and Joe Biden , adding that it ’ s “ beyond frustrating ” that they are the only options to choose from as she doesn ’ t believe either could resolve the issues most important to her .
Jillian would n't disclose her specific gripes with Harris ' policies and summed up her feelings on the candidate , saying , `` Long story short , I do n't trust her.
” However , she did say that she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with `` two happy and fully supported gay siblings , '' is married to a person in law enforcement , and her opinions `` fall in many difference places . ''
Another concern for nonvoters who responded to BuzzFeed News ’ callout is the rise of fascism in the US .
Christopher , 29 , who lives in Harrisonburg , Virginia , and who would have voted if Bernie Sanders were the Democratic nominee , believes Trump is a “ literal fascist.
” Following up with Christopher , he elaborated on that biting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a textbook right-wing authoritarian and follows the fascist playbook over and over again , ” Christopher said , calling fascism the final defense of capitalism when the “ system is no longer ‘ working.
’ ” He continued .
“ The knee-jerk reactionary pivot to an administration like Trump 's is a very typical trend in declining civilizations .
If Trump had the unfettered power he wishes he had , I truly believe he would operate as a full-blown fascist and things would somehow be even uglier than they currently are .
@

Jessica, the 24-year-old who lives in upstate New York, said she voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016, but her politics started to change during and after college, when she read books like Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire and work by Ta-Nehisi Coates. So began her “unlearning process [about] a lot of what’s wrong with this country.” She characterized herself as a former “big neoliberal consumer of media,” though that changed fairly quickly, she said, after she read more critical theory. And though she doesn’t begrudge anyone for voting, Jessica said she now puts her energy into things like mutual aid funds, which have received more attention and participation during the pandemic. “Seeing the type of work that they do and how little of the work actually involves telling people to participate in institutionalized politics” was encouraging, she said, because it was about direct action, support, and “being the people who actually bring aid to communities instead of relying on politicians who are never going to allocate to those funds.”
For some Americans, their disappointment in the country’s trajectory over the last several years is what’s been chipping away at their enthusiasm for voting. In Andrew’s home state of Arizona, Trump won against Clinton by more than 84,000 votes in 2016. He told me he voted for Barack Obama in both 2008 and 2012, when he “thought our government wasn’t suppressing voters.” He only recently lost faith in the electoral process in 2016 after Trump became president-elect. “I refused at the time to believe that Americans would vote a billionaire TV personality into the highest office of the land,” he said. “Trump has shown countless times that he can be bought. I think we are very close to a dark time in our history, one in which the freedoms we used to enjoy will be replaced.” Chief among Andrew’s concerns for the country are human rights and Trump’s handling of foreign policy. “He has been combative and threatening in his language,” Andrew said, “essentially daring other countries to attack us.” (As dispiriting as the process might seem, voting is still one of the most important ways to affect change with regard to the country’s leadership.)
Then there are Americans who weren’t even of voting age in 2016 and already felt that the system was out of step with their personal beliefs. Brianna, a 20-year-old English major and part-time tutor who attends University of Massachusetts Amherst, said she became much more interested in politics at age 14, describing herself as “one of those kids who was like, ‘Oh yes, Obama is so cool.’” But she credited her attendance at a conservative high school with people who drove trucks with Confederate flag decals and the “stifling” atmosphere it fomented as one of the reasons she became “somewhat disillusioned from mainstream politics” and “made more controversial leftist political ideas appealing to me,” describing her current ideology as something much more akin to anarcho-communism. (In essence, this belief suggests there should be no government and people should live in a stateless society without hierarchies.)
Brianna said she’s not saying she’ll never vote in the future, but her disinterest in voting boils down to the fact that, to her, there is no obvious distinction between a Trump or Biden presidency. “Since my personal vote means nothing,” said Brianna, who lives in Massachusetts, which Biden has a greater than 60% chance of winning, according to various polls, “I’m not reducing harm to anyone by voting. I know this is kinda mental gymnastics and rather childish but hey, take it up with the [Electoral College].”
Though some eligible voters have become apathetic about the state of the nation, others aren’t necessarily indifferent to the host of issues currently plaguing the country. They just can’t bring themselves to vote in either direction as a matter of principle. “I am fearful we are heading into a civil war in this country, and that is terrifying for so many reasons,” said Jillian, a 33-year-old marketing professional and registered independent from Stoneham, Massachusetts, who would’ve preferred Tulsi Gabbard as the Democratic nominee. “Our country is stuck in a very unhealthy place today and in my opinion, when considering all the candidates, I thought her persona resonated most with young voters and maybe more so independents like myself. To see Trump up against a strong smart woman like Gabbard would have been incredible.”
A vote for Biden, according to Jillian, who is biracial, is really “a vote for [Kamala] Harris,” who she believes is a "power-hungry socialist" who "will do anything humanly possible to get her ways." Jillian said she wants nothing more than to "see a woman in the White House, but not Kamala Harris. What does it say about someone when they outright accuse someone of being racist and then shortly agrees to be his running mate?" (Harris did not call Biden racist.). “I think beyond that, the lack of truth from our leaders is only bringing down this country and creating extremist groups who can act violently and make matters worse.” She said she has “zero faith” in both Trump and Joe Biden, adding that it’s “beyond frustrating” that they are the only options to choose from as she doesn’t believe either could resolve the issues most important to her. Jillian wouldn't disclose her specific gripes with Harris' policies and summed up her feelings on the candidate, saying, "Long story short, I don't trust her.” However, she did say that she grew up in a predominantly white community with "two happy and fully supported gay siblings," is married to a person in law enforcement, and her opinions "fall in many difference places."
Another concern for nonvoters who responded to BuzzFeed News’ callout is the rise of fascism in the US. Christopher, 29, who lives in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and who would have voted if Bernie Sanders were the Democratic nominee, believes Trump is a “literal fascist.” Following up with Christopher, he elaborated on that biting claim and its implications. “He is a textbook right-wing authoritarian and follows the fascist playbook over and over again,” Christopher said, calling fascism the final defense of capitalism when the “system is no longer ‘working.’” He continued. “The knee-jerk reactionary pivot to an administration like Trump's is a very typical trend in declining civilizations. If Trump had the unfettered power he wishes he had, I truly believe he would operate as a full-blown fascist and things would somehow be even uglier than they currently are.”