buzzfeed--2020-08-14--Trump Refused To Denounce The Preposterous QAnon Conspiracy Theory

President Donald Trump dodged a question on QAnon during a press conference Friday , refusing to denounce or reject the baseless far-right conspiracy theory that the FBI has said poses a domestic terror threat .
During a White House press briefing , Associated Press reporter Jill Colvin asked the president about Marjorie Taylor Greene , the winner of Tuesday 's Republican primary for Georgia 's 14th Congressional District who has said QAnon was `` something worth listening to . ''
`` Do you agree with her on that ? ''
Colvin asked Trump .
`` Well , [ Greene ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Trump responded .
`` She won by a lot .
She was very popular .
She comes from a great state , and she had a tremendous victory , so , absolutely , I did congratulate her . ''
As Colvin repeated that Greene has embraced the preposterous conspiracy theory , Trump made a pointed effort to move on , gesturing to another reporter and saying , `` Go ahead , please . ''
Colvin reiterated , `` Do you agree with [ Greene ] on that ? ''
The president ignored @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another reporter , who asked about his brother Robert , who was reportedly hospitalized in New York this week .
A White House spokesperson did not comment on why the president did not answer the question or if he believes in the conspiracy .

President Donald Trump dodged a question on QAnon during a press conference Friday, refusing to denounce or reject the baseless far-right conspiracy theory that the FBI has said poses a domestic terror threat.
During a White House press briefing, Associated Press reporter Jill Colvin asked the president about Marjorie Taylor Greene, the winner of Tuesday's Republican primary for Georgia's 14th Congressional District who has said QAnon was "something worth listening to."
"Do you agree with her on that?" Colvin asked Trump.
"Well, [Greene] did very well in the election," Trump responded. "She won by a lot. She was very popular. She comes from a great state, and she had a tremendous victory, so, absolutely, I did congratulate her."
As Colvin repeated that Greene has embraced the preposterous conspiracy theory, Trump made a pointed effort to move on, gesturing to another reporter and saying, "Go ahead, please."
Colvin reiterated, "Do you agree with [Greene] on that?"
The president ignored Colvin, immediately switching his attention to another reporter, who asked about his brother Robert, who was reportedly hospitalized in New York this week.
A White House spokesperson did not comment on why the president did not answer the question or if he believes in the conspiracy.


buzzfeed--2020-08-14--Belarus Is Detaining Thousands Of Peaceful Protesters. Many Are Telling Gruesome Stories Of Physical

Belarus Is Detaining Thousands Of Peaceful Protesters. Many Are Telling Gruesome Stories Of Physical And Psychological Abuse By Police.

“ They said if they were given an order to kill us , they would kill us all without any hesitation , ” 16-year-old Miron Vitushka , who was detained by police , told BuzzFeed News .
KYIV — People detained across Belarus this week say they were tortured physically and psychologically by the police forces loyal to the authoritarian regime of Alexander Lukashenko while in custody .
More than 6,000 people have been detained during protests that have rocked Belarus since the presidential election widely rejected as fraudulent last Sunday .
On Thursday , many of them came staggering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brought with them horrific accounts of their experiences .
In interviews with independent Belarusian media and BuzzFeed News , many of those detained recalled being refused water and food and forced to endure stress positions with their hands tied behind their backs for several hours .
They said police had locked them up with as many as 60 people in jail cells meant for 10 people or less .
Some said police put guns to their heads and threatened to blow them up with grenades , the independent Belarusian news site Tut.by reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detainees lying facedown on floors soaked with blood , and hearing the spine-tingling howls of others being kicked , punched , twisted , and clobbered by police with batons .
Audio recorded by Nasha Niva , an independent news outlet , and shared by Belarusian journalist Franak Viacorka captured those disturbing sounds from outside one detention center .
Upon being freed , some of those who were detained lifted up their shirts or rolled their pant legs up to show media what were melon-sized bruises on their bodies .
In a photograph seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the imprints of a police truncheon on his back in the shape of a cross .
It was unclear whether that was intentional , but some said there had been a perverse religious element involved in what many said was torture : Police had forced many to recite the “ Our Father ” prayer , beg God for forgiveness for participating in the protests , and vow never to do so again , OUTLET reported .
Miron Vitushka , a 16-year-old Minsk student who studies history and plays in a psychedelic rock band @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while he was crossing the street with his mother and some friends in the Belarusian capital .
Speaking to BuzzFeed News by phone , he said he was not even protesting at the time .
Vitushka said police officers in unmarked vans jumped out , beat him , handcuffed him , and threw him into the van before speeding off .
He said he was forced facedown onto the floor of the vehicle .
As police rounded up others , they threw them on top of Vitushka .
Vitushka said he was moved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school gymnasium , where about 100 men were kept tied with their hands behind their backs and faces flat on the floor .
Officers beat the men , who howled and pleaded for the abuse to stop , he said .
“ The police said if they were given an order to kill us , they would kill us all without any hesitation , ” Vitushka told BuzzFeed News .
“ They were shouting , ‘ Oh yeah , do you need your democracy now ?
’ ” “ They were trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take part in any protests , ” he added .
Vitushka said his parents eventually figured out where he was being held and came to the makeshift detention center to demand his release , along with dozens of others asking the same for their family members .
But instead of freeing those detained , police beat and arrested the group , including his parents .
And so the family of three endured what Vitushka described as “ three days of hell.
” Vitushka was released on Tuesday , his mother was released on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Thursday .
The family is currently meeting with lawyers to discuss the possibility of bringing a suit against the state .
Several other Belarusians described similarly horrendous experiences in detention .
One young woman who was detained while peacefully demonstrating on Wednesday and was released Thursday from the notorious Okrestina detention center on the outskirts of Minsk recounted her ordeal through tears to the Tut.by news site .
In a video , she said 10 riot police officers pummeled her with batons and their fists , forced her against a wall , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to gang rape and kill her .
“ They told me , ‘ We ’ ll fuck you so hard , your own mother won ’ t recognize you , ’ ” she recalled a police officer telling her .
At least one man has died in custody , Belarusian authorities said on Wednesday .
On Thursday , the country ’ s interior minister , Yuri Karayev , said he took responsibility for “ random people ” getting caught up in the protests and injured .
But he expressed no regret for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , an Interior Ministry official declined to comment on the reported abuses by police .
Vitushka called it an empty apology and claimed Karayev was merely trying to quell the large-scale demonstrations that have engulfed the country and threatened the 26-year rule of Lukashenko .
The demonstrations erupted following Sunday ’ s election , which culminated in the 65-year-old incumbent president claiming a sixth election victory despite widespread reports of vote-rigging .
His challenger , 37-year-old former English teacher Svetlana Tikhanovskaya , declared victory for herself , citing reports from dozens of precincts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 60 % and 70 % of votes at each .
Under pressure from Lukashenko ’ s government and fearful of arrest , she fled to Lithuania on Tuesday .
Her husband , a popular political vlogger who was barred from running in the election , has been in state custody since May .
On Friday , Tikhanovskaya published a video in which she said Belarusians no longer want to live under the Lukashenko regime .
“ The majority do not believe in his victory , ” she said .
She also called on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” of protesters and agree to a dialogue .
“ I ask the mayors of all cities to organize peaceful mass assemblies in every city on Aug. 15 and 16 , ” she added .
Later in another statement , she called for the “ creation of a coordinating council to ensure the transfer of power ” in the country .
Meanwhile , workers at state and private enterprises across Belarus walked off the job for a second straight day to protest police violence and demand the release of all those detained .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ office , with a sign at one factory saying “ we didn ’ t elect him.
” Lukashenko has said little since the election and the outbreak of protests against him and his regime .
But on Friday , in comments carried by state media during a meeting to discuss the economy , he appeared defiant .
Suggesting he was not ready to step down , he said , “ I am still alive and not abroad .
”

Upon being freed, some of those who were detained lifted up their shirts or rolled their pant legs up to show media what were melon-sized bruises on their bodies. In a photograph seen by BuzzFeed News, one man had the imprints of a police truncheon on his back in the shape of a cross. It was unclear whether that was intentional, but some said there had been a perverse religious element involved in what many said was torture: Police had forced many to recite the “Our Father” prayer, beg God for forgiveness for participating in the protests, and vow never to do so again, Russian News outlet Znak reported.
Miron Vitushka, a 16-year-old Minsk student who studies history and plays in a psychedelic rock band, described being detained on Monday evening while he was crossing the street with his mother and some friends in the Belarusian capital. Speaking to BuzzFeed News by phone, he said he was not even protesting at the time.
Vitushka said police officers in unmarked vans jumped out, beat him, handcuffed him, and threw him into the van before speeding off. He said he was forced facedown onto the floor of the vehicle. As police rounded up others, they threw them on top of Vitushka.
Vitushka said he was moved to a police station and later a school gymnasium, where about 100 men were kept tied with their hands behind their backs and faces flat on the floor. Officers beat the men, who howled and pleaded for the abuse to stop, he said.
“The police said if they were given an order to kill us, they would kill us all without any hesitation,” Vitushka told BuzzFeed News. “They were shouting, ‘Oh yeah, do you need your democracy now?’”


buzzfeed--2020-08-15--Only People Who Can See Red Foods Really Well Can See These Images

The food in the box is an apple !

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buzzfeed--2020-08-15--The Right Wing Has A New Theory For Why The Pandemic Will End Soon: T Cells

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

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


buzzfeed--2020-08-15--This Woman Was Just Accused Of Sleeping With Her Friend's Boyfriend — How Can She Prove Her Innocenc

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

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

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


buzzfeed--2020-08-15--Alex Morse Would Like You To Know He Has Sex

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

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


buzzfeed--2020-08-15--Belarus Is Detaining Thousands Of Peaceful Protesters. Many Are Telling Gruesome Stories Of Physical

“ They said if they were given an order to kill us , they would kill us all without any hesitation , ” 16-year-old Miron Vitushka , who was detained by police , told BuzzFeed News .
KYIV — People detained across Belarus this week say they were tortured physically and psychologically by the police forces loyal to the authoritarian regime of Alexander Lukashenko while in custody .
More than 6,000 people have been detained during protests that have rocked Belarus since the presidential election widely rejected as fraudulent last Sunday .
On Thursday , many of them came staggering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brought with them horrific accounts of their experiences .
In interviews with independent Belarusian media and BuzzFeed News , many of those detained recalled being refused water and food and forced to endure stress positions with their hands tied behind their backs for several hours .
They said police had locked them up with as many as 60 people in jail cells meant for 10 people or less .
Some said police put guns to their heads and threatened to blow them up with grenades , the independent Belarusian news site Tut.by reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detainees lying facedown on floors soaked with blood , and hearing the spine-tingling howls of others being kicked , punched , twisted , and clobbered by police with batons .
Audio recorded by Nasha Niva , an independent news outlet , and shared by Belarusian journalist Franak Viacorka captured those disturbing sounds from outside one detention center .
Upon being freed , some of those who were detained lifted up their shirts or rolled their pant legs up to show media what were melon-sized bruises on their bodies .
In a photograph seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the imprints of a police truncheon on his back in the shape of a cross .
It was unclear whether that was intentional , but some said there had been a perverse religious element involved in what many said was torture : Police had forced many to recite the “ Our Father ” prayer , beg God for forgiveness for participating in the protests , and vow never to do so again , Russian News outlet Znak reported .
Miron Vitushka , a 16-year-old Minsk student who studies history and plays in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Monday evening while he was crossing the street with his mother and some friends in the Belarusian capital .
Speaking to BuzzFeed News by phone , he said he was not even protesting at the time .
Vitushka said police officers in unmarked vans jumped out , beat him , handcuffed him , and threw him into the van before speeding off .
He said he was forced facedown onto the floor of the vehicle .
As police rounded up others , they threw them on top of Vitushka .
Vitushka said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and later a school gymnasium , where about 100 men were kept tied with their hands behind their backs and faces flat on the floor .
Officers beat the men , who howled and pleaded for the abuse to stop , he said .
“ The police said if they were given an order to kill us , they would kill us all without any hesitation , ” Vitushka told BuzzFeed News .
“ They were shouting , ‘ Oh yeah , do you need your democracy now ?
’ ” “ They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wouldn ’ t take part in any protests , ” he added .
Vitushka said his parents eventually figured out where he was being held and came to the makeshift detention center to demand his release , along with dozens of others asking the same for their family members .
But instead of freeing those detained , police beat and arrested the group , including his parents .
And so the family of three endured what Vitushka described as “ three days of hell.
” Vitushka was released on Tuesday , his mother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ father was released on Thursday .
The family is currently meeting with lawyers to discuss the possibility of bringing a suit against the state .
Several other Belarusians described similarly horrendous experiences in detention .
One young woman who was detained while peacefully demonstrating on Wednesday and was released Thursday from the notorious Okrestina detention center on the outskirts of Minsk recounted her ordeal through tears to the Tut.by news site .
In a video , she said 10 riot police officers pummeled her with batons and their fists , forced her against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and threatened to gang rape and kill her .
“ They told me , ‘ We ’ ll fuck you so hard , your own mother won ’ t recognize you , ’ ” she recalled a police officer telling her .
At least one man has died in custody , Belarusian authorities said on Wednesday .
On Thursday , the country ’ s interior minister , Yuri Karayev , said he took responsibility for “ random people ” getting caught up in the protests and injured .
But he expressed no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reached by phone , an Interior Ministry official declined to comment on the reported abuses by police .
Vitushka called it an empty apology and claimed Karayev was merely trying to quell the large-scale demonstrations that have engulfed the country and threatened the 26-year rule of Lukashenko .
The demonstrations erupted following Sunday ’ s election , which culminated in the 65-year-old incumbent president claiming a sixth election victory despite widespread reports of vote-rigging .
His challenger , 37-year-old former English teacher Svetlana Tikhanovskaya , declared victory for herself , citing reports from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won somewhere between 60 % and 70 % of votes at each .
Under pressure from Lukashenko ’ s government and fearful of arrest , she fled to Lithuania on Tuesday .
Her husband , a popular political vlogger who was barred from running in the election , has been in state custody since May .
On Friday , Tikhanovskaya published a video in which she said Belarusians no longer want to live under the Lukashenko regime .
“ The majority do not believe in his victory , ” she said .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ bloody slaughter ” of protesters and agree to a dialogue .
“ I ask the mayors of all cities to organize peaceful mass assemblies in every city on Aug. 15 and 16 , ” she added .
Later in another statement , she called for the “ creation of a coordinating council to ensure the transfer of power ” in the country .
Meanwhile , workers at state and private enterprises across Belarus walked off the job for a second straight day to protest police violence and demand the release of all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lukashenko to leave office , with a sign at one factory saying “ we didn ’ t elect him.
” Lukashenko has said little since the election and the outbreak of protests against him and his regime .
But on Friday , in comments carried by state media during a meeting to discuss the economy , he appeared defiant .
Suggesting he was not ready to step down , he said , “ I am still alive and not abroad .
”


buzzfeed--2020-08-15--This Red Food Visual Test Is Harder Than You Probably Think

The food in the box is an apple !


buzzfeed--2020-08-16--This Woman With Down Syndrome Went Viral For Explaining Things About Her Life That Don't Make Sense

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

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


buzzfeed--2020-08-15--Women Are Sharing The Most Surprising Things They Didn't Realize About Penises, And It's Hysterical

`` What struck me the most was that it 's just there , dangling away , all day , every @ @ @ @ @ with its ball buddies .
Like how do you not sit on it ?
Is @ @ @ @ @ ?
Is the satisfaction of unsticking it from your thighs worth the discomfort of it @ @ @ @ @ ? ''

4.
"What struck me the most was that it's just there, dangling away, all day, every day, just hanging out with its ball buddies. Like how do you not sit on it? Is it not constantly annoying you? Is the satisfaction of unsticking it from your thighs worth the discomfort of it sticking in the first place?"


buzzfeed--2020-08-15--I Tried To Revive My Wavy Hair Using Viral TikTok Methods And Here's How It Went

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

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


buzzfeed--2020-08-15--Solidcore Sells Itself As An Empowering Fitness Boutique. Employees Say Its CEO Created A Culture Of

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

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

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