buzzfeed--2020-08-21--Joe Biden Promised A Way Out Of The Darkness — And The Coronavirus Crisis — As He Accepted The Democ

Joe Biden Promised A Way Out Of The Darkness — And The Coronavirus Crisis — As He Accepted The Democratic Nomination For President

Joe Biden , who often dwells on the darkness of President Donald Trump , accepted the Democratic nomination for president Thursday promising to lead America down a “ path of hope and light.
” “ Here and now , I give you my word , ” Biden said at the top of a speech that punctuated a convention downsized because of the coronavirus , stripped of pageantry and a live audience .
“ If you entrust me with the presidency , I will draw on the best of us , not the worst.
” The speech , broadcast from Wilmington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden and Democrats have pushed since the beginning of his campaign into a tight , forward-looking case to move the country past a moment of great crises .
“ As president , the first step I will take will be to get control of the virus that has ruined so many lives , because I understand something this president has n't from the beginning : we will never get our economy back on track , we will never get our kids safely back in schools , we 'll never have our lives back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Biden said .
Like other Democrats who addressed voters watching at home , the former vice president framed Trump as a threat to democracy and decency .
Biden also spoke of his personal losses , making a connection to those grieving and suffering in the midst of a prolonged pandemic that has killed more than 170,000 Americans .
“ On this summer night , let me take a moment to speak to those of you who have lost the most , ” said Biden , whose first wife and young daughter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1972 .
“ I have some idea how it feels to lose someone you love , ” Biden continued .
“ I know that deep black hole that opens up in the middle of your chest and you feel your being sucked into it .
I know how mean and cruel and unfair life can be sometimes .
But I 've learned two things : First , your loved ones may have left this Earth but they ’ ll never leave your heart .
They ’ ll always be with you , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second , I found the best way through pain and loss and grief is to find purpose.
” Biden put forth a federalized approach to curbing the coronavirus ’ s spread : fast testing with fast results , more American-made medical and personal protective equipment , and a national mandate to wear masks .
Trump has downplayed the severity of the pandemic , largely left the response to states and their governors , complained that more testing yields more positive cases ( reflecting more poorly on him ) , and offered mixed messages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Biden said , “ we ’ ll do what we should have done from the very beginning .
Our current president has failed in his most basic duty to this nation .
He ’ s failed to protect us.
” Much of the convention week was spent defining two men most voters already know : Trump , the business tycoon-turned-TV star-turned-president , and Biden , a politician for nearly 50 years .
Few speakers — Sen. Bernie Sanders , the runner-up to Biden for the nomination , being a somewhat surprising exception @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden based on policy .
Many used their time to condemn Trump or to celebrate Biden ’ s empathy and compassion .
In one of the most emotional moments of Thursday ’ s program , Brayden Harrington , a 13-year-old from New Hampshire , shared how Biden , who stuttered as a child , helped him with his own stutter after meeting him on the campaign trail .
There also were constant reminders of the Biden family tragedies , including a video tribute to the former vice president ’ s son Beau , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Biden , though his remarks at points touched on all of those things , centered his candidacy around three areas : racial injustice , economic injustice , and environmental justice .
All tie into the crises of the moment , and the latter two are areas where those to the left of Biden in the Democratic Party wish he would be more progressive .
His plan for combating climate change , for example , is not packaged as the Green New Deal that ’ s favored by Sanders and others on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ideas more mildly and briskly , as “ an opportunity for America to lead the world in clean energy and create millions of new good-paying jobs in the process.
” He spent considerable time on the crisis of systemic racism .
“ History , ” Biden said , “ has thrust one more urgent task on us .
Will we be the generation that finally wipes out the stain of racism from our national character ?
” He spoke of how Trump ’ s mollifying response to the white supremacist rallies in Charlottesville @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him toward a third run for president .
And he talked about George Floyd , the unarmed Black man killed by Minneapolis police in May in a case that has inspired anti-racism protests and opened a new national dialogue on race .
“ One of the most important conversations I 've had this entire campaign is with someone who was much too young to vote , ” Biden said .
“ I met with 6-year-old Gianna Floyd , a day before her daddy George Floyd was laid to rest .
She is an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ll never forget .
When I leaned down to speak with her , she looked into my eyes and said , ‘ Daddy , changed the world.
’ ‘ Daddy , changed the world.
’ Her words burrowed deep into my heart .
Maybe George Floyd 's murder was the breaking point.
” Trump , whom the Republican Party will renominate for president next week , has so far struggled to find criticisms of Biden that resonate with many voters — a stark contrast to 2016 , when anti-Hillary Clinton messages and chants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential bid .
Trump ’ s reelection team has leaned heavily on Biden ’ s age — at 77 , he is three years older than Trump — and his tendency to misspeak .
His campaign has repeatedly made baseless accusations that Biden is mentally unfit for the job .
Ahead of Biden ’ s speech Thursday , Trump allies sent billboard trucks to Wilmington emblazoned with slogans like “ If you can ’ t complete a sentence , you shouldn ’ t be president ” and “ I ’ m Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The tactic , and the months of talk about senility that accompanied it , had the effect of setting a strikingly low bar Thursday for the most consequential speech of Biden ’ s career .
Trump had just one tweet during Biden ’ s speech Thursday night , moving the goalposts and accusing him of hollow words .
“ In 47 years , ” he wrote , “ Joe did none of the things of which he now speaks .
”

Joe Biden, who often dwells on the darkness of President Donald Trump, accepted the Democratic nomination for president Thursday promising to lead America down a “path of hope and light.”
“Here and now, I give you my word,” Biden said at the top of a speech that punctuated a convention downsized because of the coronavirus, stripped of pageantry and a live audience. “If you entrust me with the presidency, I will draw on the best of us, not the worst.”
The speech, broadcast from Wilmington, Delaware, tied the existential themes Biden and Democrats have pushed since the beginning of his campaign into a tight, forward-looking case to move the country past a moment of great crises.
“As president, the first step I will take will be to get control of the virus that has ruined so many lives, because I understand something this president hasn't from the beginning: we will never get our economy back on track, we will never get our kids safely back in schools, we'll never have our lives back, until we deal with this virus,” Biden said.
Like other Democrats who addressed voters watching at home, the former vice president framed Trump as a threat to democracy and decency. Biden also spoke of his personal losses, making a connection to those grieving and suffering in the midst of a prolonged pandemic that has killed more than 170,000 Americans.
“On this summer night, let me take a moment to speak to those of you who have lost the most,” said Biden, whose first wife and young daughter were killed in a car accident in 1972.
“I have some idea how it feels to lose someone you love,” Biden continued. “I know that deep black hole that opens up in the middle of your chest and you feel you're being sucked into it. I know how mean and cruel and unfair life can be sometimes. But I've learned two things: First, your loved ones may have left this Earth but they’ll never leave your heart. They’ll always be with you, you’ll always hear them. And second, I found the best way through pain and loss and grief is to find purpose.”


buzzfeed--2020-08-21--Mike Bloomberg Pissed Off Everyone. He Still Got A Prime Spot At The Democratic Convention.

Mike Bloomberg addresses after announcing that he will be ending his campaign on March 4 in New York City .
Mike Bloomberg ’ s campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination this year was a bit of a disaster : the former New York mayor spent more than a billion dollars just to wipe out after Super Tuesday , winning American Samoa and the open disdain of many of the Democrats he ran against .
In the weeks after his early March exit , many former campaign staffers openly rebelled against him after he decided not to keep them on with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as he ’ d initially said he would do .
Some of his ex staff have sued him for fraud .
On Thursday night , the Democrat-turned-Republican-turned-Independent-turned-Democrat spoke in primetime at the Democratic National Convention .
It was the kind of speaking role many in the party he only officially rejoined in late 2018 would have killed for , including some of the Democrats he ran against for president , many of whom were bunched into a group video that ran just before Bloomberg spoke .
Biden , Bloomberg said in his speech @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis .
Trump , he said , has failed to lead .
“ When confronted with the biggest calamity any president has faced in the modern era , Donald Trump spent the year downplaying the threat , ignoring science , and recommending quack cures , which let COVID-19 spread much faster than it should ’ ve , leaving hundreds of thousands needlessly sick or dead , ” Bloomberg said .
“ He has failed the American people , catastrophically.
” Bloomberg , despite the bad blood within the party from his campaign earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party ’ s key donors .
He may have spent a billion dollars on his own run , but he ’ s still spending many millions of dollars on others .
In 2018 , Bloomberg ’ s efforts and spending on behalf of Democrats helped the party take House seats around the country .
In recent years he ’ s poured large sums into climate change and gun control efforts .
And while Bloomberg hasn ’ t followed through on the $ 1 billion he once said he would spend expressly to beat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 18 million to the Democratic National Committee and has said he will spend $ 60 million to help Democrats in gain and keep seats in Congress .
Bloomberg ’ s data company Hawkfish is also still being put to use helping Democrats .
Still , Bloomberg staffers who had been led to believe they would have a job through November were unceremoniously cut loose , and Bloomberg only agreed to keep former staff on health insurance through November after unflattering media coverage .
Bloomberg allies still argue he ’ s a strong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks against Trump .
“ Yes , it 's the Democratic convention , but we also need to reach independents , moderates , and frustrated Republicans in order to win , and he ’ s a good voice for that , '' a former Bloomberg campaign staffer said earlier Thursday .
Plus , the former staffer argued , Bloomberg ’ s expertise on the economy lends credibility to Biden on one of the top issues for voters .
And Bloomberg did lean into the economy in his speech Thursday .
“ Trump says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s a great businessman , ” he said .
“ Really ?
He drove his companies into bankruptcy six times , always leaving behind customers and contractors who were cheated and swindled and stopped doing business with him.
” Bloomberg had a prominent role in the last Democratic convention as well , endorsing Hillary Clinton and branding Trump as a dangerous con .
The endorsement carried added weight at the time because of Bloomberg ’ s affiliation as a political independent , not a Democrat .
He called back to that 2016 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago , I came before this very convention and said New Yorkers know a con when we see one .
But tonight , I ’ m not asking you to vote against Trump because he ’ s a bad guy .
I ’ m urging you to vote against him because he ’ s done a bad job.
” Biden ’ s convention , over the course of four nights , has featured several Republicans .
Former Ohio governor John Kasich has a significant speaking slot on the first night , which also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Whitman and former California gubernatorial candidate and current Quibi CEO Meg Whitman .
Colin Powell , the Republican former secretary of state , endorsed Biden in a convention address on Tuesday .
Bloomberg ’ s successor as mayor of New York City , Bill de Blasio , also briefly ran for president .
He has had no direct involvement with this year ’ s Democratic convention .

Mike Bloomberg’s campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination this year was a bit of a disaster: The former New York mayor spent more than a billion dollars just to wipe out after Super Tuesday, winning American Samoa and the open disdain of many of the Democrats he ran against. In the weeks after his early March exit, many former campaign staffers openly rebelled against him after he decided not to keep them on with a Democratic-boosting campaign arm through November, as he’d initially said he would do. Some of his ex-staff have sued him for fraud.
And yet.
On Thursday night, the Democrat turned Republican turned Independent turned Democrat spoke in primetime at the Democratic National Convention. It was the kind of speaking role many in the party he only officially rejoined in late 2018 would have killed for, including some of the Democrats he ran against for president, many of whom were bunched into a group video that ran just before Bloomberg spoke.
Biden, Bloomberg said in his speech, has proven he can handle a crisis. Trump, he said, has failed to lead.
“When confronted with the biggest calamity any president has faced in the modern era, Donald Trump spent the year downplaying the threat, ignoring science, and recommending quack cures, which let COVID-19 spread much faster than it should’ve, leaving hundreds of thousands needlessly sick or dead,” Bloomberg said. “He has failed the American people, catastrophically.”
Bloomberg, despite the bad blood within the party from his campaign earlier this year, remains one of the party’s key donors. He may have spent a billion dollars on his own run, but he’s still spending many millions of dollars on others.
In 2018, Bloomberg’s efforts and spending on behalf of Democrats helped the party take House seats around the country. In recent years, he’s poured large sums into climate change and gun control efforts. And while Bloomberg hasn’t followed through on the $1 billion he once said he would spend expressly to beat President Donald Trump, he has given $18 million to the Democratic National Committee and has said he will spend $60 million to help Democrats in gain and keep seats in Congress. Bloomberg’s data company Hawkfish is also still being put to use helping Democrats.
Still, Bloomberg staffers who had been led to believe they would have a job through November were unceremoniously cut loose, and Bloomberg only agreed to keep former staff on health insurance through November after unflattering media coverage.
Bloomberg allies still argue he’s a strong voice for Biden heading into the final weeks against Trump.
“Yes, it's the Democratic convention, but we also need to reach independents, moderates, and frustrated Republicans in order to win, and he’s a good voice for that," a former Bloomberg campaign staffer said earlier Thursday. Plus, the former staffer argued, Bloomberg’s expertise on the economy lends credibility to Biden on one of the top issues for voters.
And Bloomberg did lean into the economy in his speech Thursday.
“Trump says we should vote for him because he’s a great businessman,” he said. “Really? He drove his companies into bankruptcy six times, always leaving behind customers and contractors who were cheated and swindled and stopped doing business with him.”
Bloomberg had a prominent role in the last Democratic convention as well, endorsing Hillary Clinton and branding Trump as a dangerous con. The endorsement carried added weight at the time because of Bloomberg’s affiliation as a political independent, not a Democrat.
He called back to that 2016 speech on Thursday. “Four years ago, I came before this very convention and said New Yorkers know a con when we see one. But tonight, I’m not asking you to vote against Trump because he’s a bad guy. I’m urging you to vote against him because he’s done a bad job.”
Biden’s convention, over the course of four nights, has featured several Republicans. Former Ohio governor John Kasich had a significant speaking slot on the first night, which also featured former New Jersey governor Christine Todd Whitman and former California gubernatorial candidate and current Quibi CEO Meg Whitman. Colin Powell, the Republican former secretary of state, endorsed Biden in a convention address on Tuesday.
Bloomberg’s successor as mayor of New York City, Bill de Blasio, also briefly ran for president. He has had no direct involvement with this year’s Democratic convention.


buzzfeed--2020-08-21--The Founder Of We Build The Wall Was Arrested For Fraud. Now Trump Wants Nothing To Do With It.

Brian Kolfage filled the board of directors with Trump supporters , visited the White House , and was often photographed with members of the Trump family .
Eight months before he was arrested for allegedly using his We Build the Wall nonprofit to enrich himself , Brian Kolfage was headed to the White House .
He posted a picture of his RSVP confirmation on Twitter for the Dec. 4 visit and tagged it `` # wallBuildersClub . ''
His wife posted Instagram photos of their two children next to Christmas trees in the East Wing .
It 's not clear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or what the purpose of his visit was .
The White House did not respond to inquiries about the visit , and Kolfage told BuzzFeed News it was `` most likely an undocumented trip . ''
But nearly immediately after starting a viral campaign that raised more than $ 26 million to build a privately funded border wall along the US–Mexico border , pictures , videos , and social media accounts show that Kolfage and We Build the Wall repeatedly tried to make connections in the White House , the Trump administration , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ succeeded .
The president 's son even praised the group at a fundraising event in New Mexico — funds that federal officials now allege were used to personally enrich Kolfage , Bannon , and two other associates .
`` Brian , thank you so much for all your sacrifices , doing this , and showing really what capitalism is all about , '' Donald Trump Jr. told Kolfage in Sunland Park , New Mexico , in July 2019 .
`` This is what private enterprise is at its finest . ''
Trump 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chair of the Trump Victory Finance Committee , also spoke , telling the group gathered for a livestreamed fundraiser : `` Don and I wanted to come down and see what 's going on , and it 's really impressive at what you 've been able to accomplish . ''
As a gift , the group gave the president 's son a custom-built Springfield 1911 handgun emblazoned with their logo on the handle .
A spokesperson for Trump Jr. told BuzzFeed News the praise of the group at the time `` was based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about their supposed intention to help build the wall on our southern border and if he and others were deceived , the group deserves to be held accountable for their actions . ''
She added that Trump Jr. 's involvement with the group was one speech , and that he never gave the group permission to use him as a testimonial .
At the time , We Build the Wall had also offered donors a free autographed copy of Trump Jr. 's book , Triggered .
But after charges of wire fraud and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and former top Trump aide Steve Bannon in connection to the fundraising campaign , the White House sought to distance itself from the group .
`` President Trump has no involvement in this project and felt it was only being done in order to showboat , and perhaps raise funds , '' White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Thursday said .
In July , the president for the first time mentioned the border wall project , saying he `` disagreed with doing this very small ( tiny ) section of wall , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ private group , '' and suggested that it was `` only done to make me look bad . ''
But We Build the Wall 's board of directors was composed of ardent Trump supporters , including Bannon , Erik Prince , Curt Schilling , Tom Tancredo , and Kris Kobach .
Kolfage was often photographed with members of Trump 's family , including his sons .
In January 2019 , when Kolfage was given an award at Trump 's Mar-a-Lago resort recognizing him for his work with the nonprofit , Eric Trump attended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a spokesperson for We Build the Wall said she had been able to speak with President Trump about the nonprofit 's effort to build the private wall .
`` He said I really know my stuff & our group needs to bid the whole wall project , '' Amanda Shea wrote on Twitter after mentioning she had been able to meet personally with the president at the Hamptons .
At one point , Kolfage told BuzzFeed News the group would end up building a `` federal wall '' completely funded by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on how such an arrangement would work .
But some of Kolfage 's critics said they did n't believe he or the group had made real inroads at the White House , and were instead using the appearance of having done so to their advantage .
`` Don Jr. gets sent out to make whatever yokel group feel special , but do you really think Don Jr returns from these trips and debriefs his daddy on the organizational structures and membership participation or anything at all ?
Of course not , '' said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2014 won a legal battle against Kolfage over a Facebook harassment incident .
`` With Kolfage , Don Jr probably saw an opportunity to sell his book to a pack of idiots that will clearly throw their money at anything . ''
For some people who worked with Kolfage , news of the indictment were received with a `` feeling of elation . ''
`` We want truth to prevail , and we knew he was pulling the wool over people 's eyes , '' said Savannah Pointer , who worked with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` I truly hope that people understand that Kolfage and Bannon do n't speak for most conservatives .
They always and forever spoke for ( and looked out for ) themselves , and that 's what eventually brought them down . ''
Lindsay Lowery , who worked in 2017 for Kolfage 's main conservative website , Freedom Daily , said she tried to warn people about his past during the wall fundraising campaign , saying `` many people continued to believe the war hero facade he hides behind . ''
`` Sadly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who have fallen prey to this relentless bully and con artist , '' she told BuzzFeed News .
In July , after Trump tweeted that he `` disagreed '' with the We Build the Wall project , Kolfage brushed off the comment .
`` He is easily influenced by fake news , '' he told BuzzFeed News in direct messages responding to a report that federal inspectors would be sent to a second wall funded partially by We Build the Wall in Texas that had shown signs of erosion .
`` Trump himself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Instead , he alleged opposition to We Build the Wall came from Jared Kushner , President Trump 's senior adviser and son-in-law , and the Army Corps of Engineers .
`` [ They ] do n't like the private industry , '' Kolfage said .
Asked if he had any way to backing up his claim , he said he could n't .
`` You know who I work with , '' he said .
`` They all communicate regularly , [ all ] verbal . ''

Eight months before he was arrested for allegedly using his We Build the Wall nonprofit to enrich himself, Brian Kolfage was headed to the White House.
He posted a picture of his RSVP confirmation on Twitter for the Dec. 4 visit and tagged it "#wallBuildersClub." His wife posted Instagram photos of their two children next to Christmas trees in the East Wing.
It's not clear whom Kolfage met with that night, or what the purpose of his visit was. The White House did not respond to inquiries about the visit, and Kolfage told BuzzFeed News it was "most likely an undocumented trip."
But nearly immediately after starting a viral campaign that raised more than $26 million to build a privately funded border wall along the US–Mexico border, pictures, videos, and social media accounts show that Kolfage and We Build the Wall repeatedly tried to make connections in the White House, the Trump administration, and the first family — and they succeeded. The president's son even praised the group at a fundraising event in New Mexico — funds that federal officials now allege were used to personally enrich Kolfage, Bannon, and two other associates.
"Brian, thank you so much for all your sacrifices, doing this, and showing really what capitalism is all about," Donald Trump Jr. told Kolfage in Sunland Park, New Mexico, in July 2019. "This is what private enterprise is at its finest."
Trump's girlfriend, Kimberly Guilfoyle, the national chair of the Trump Victory Finance Committee, also spoke, telling the group gathered for a livestreamed fundraiser: "Don and I wanted to come down and see what's going on, and it's really impressive at what you've been able to accomplish."
As a gift, the group gave the president's son a custom-built Springfield 1911 handgun emblazoned with their logo on the handle.


buzzfeed--2020-08-21--Kamala Harris’s Acceptance Speech Made Clear How Important Her Identity Will Be For The Rest Of The

Kamala Harris’s Acceptance Speech Made Clear How Important Her Identity Will Be For The Rest Of The Campaign

Kamala Harris speaks during the third day of the Democratic National Convention , at the Chase Center in Wilmington , Delaware , Aug. 19 .
When Kamala Harris was introduced for the first time to millions of Americans who knew little of her identity , or her personal history , it was with a simple phrase : “ The daughter of immigrants .
The daughter of Shyamala.
” Harris accepted the Democratic nomination for vice president at the Democratic National Convention Wednesday night in a speech that wove a vision of an American ideal with the evocative specifics of Harris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , idealistic immigrant mother , Shyamala ; her historically Black sorority ; her `` chitthis '' ; her sprawling blended family .
In her political career so far , those pieces of Harris — who is the first Black and South Asian woman to appear on a major party ’ s presidential ticket — have sometimes been lost .
Just as often , they have been overlooked .
But her speech Wednesday left little doubt about the importance that her identity will hold this election for a party whose base is made up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a country mired in a reckoning over racial justice , and a pandemic that has disproportionately inflicted suffering on Black and brown Americans .
“ This virus has no eyes , and yet it knows exactly how we see each other — and how we treat each other , ” Harris said from a largely empty convention center in Wilmington , Delaware .
“ And let ’ s be clear : There is no vaccine for racism .
We ’ ve got ta do the work .
For George Floyd , for Breonna @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many others to name .
For our children .
For all of us.
” Threads from Harris ’ s presidential campaign , which she ended in December , were woven throughout the speech Wednesday night : a promise to “ speak truths , ” a description of the country as standing at an “ inflection point , ” her career as a prosecutor and how it has shaped her understanding of Donald Trump .
But the Harris who stood onstage to accept the party ’ s nomination was , by many measures , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , shifting seamlessly between the powerful , prosecutorial sharpness that has so far defined much of her image and tones of hope , joy , and intimacy .
Harris ’ s introduction at the convention was one that carried weight beyond the vice presidency .
Joe Biden has spoken of himself as a “ bridge ” to a new generation of Democrats .
It was , at first , an abstract idea .
But Biden ’ s choice of Harris , 55 , as vice president has made clear what — and who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
After Democrats chose Biden , a 77-year-old white man , ahead of a historically diverse slate of candidates in the 2020 primary , Harris ’ s selection has energized swaths of the Democratic Party , spurring an outpouring of donations .
On Wednesday night , the party ’ s introduction of Harris opened with the celebrations of young girls as they heard the news that she had been chosen : joyful leaps , and even tears .
While other speakers , including former president Barack Obama , traded in dire condemnations of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s speech was rooted in idealism with grounding in the civil rights movement : Harris and Biden ’ s vision , she said , for a “ beloved community , one that is strong , and decent , and kind.
” “ That ’ s the vision that our parents and grandparents fought for , ” she said .
“ The vision that made my own life possible .
The vision that makes the American promise — for all its complexities and imperfections — a promise worth fighting for .
”

When Kamala Harris was introduced for the first time to millions of Americans who knew little of her identity, or her personal history, it was with a simple phrase: “The daughter of immigrants. The daughter of Shyamala.”
Harris accepted the Democratic nomination for vice president at the Democratic National Convention Wednesday night in a speech that wove a vision of an American ideal with the evocative specifics of Harris’s own life: her young, idealistic immigrant mother, Shyamala; her historically Black sorority; her "chitthis"; her sprawling blended family.
In her political career so far, those pieces of Harris — who is the first Black and South Asian woman to appear on a major party’s presidential ticket — have sometimes been lost. Just as often, they have been overlooked.
But her speech Wednesday left little doubt about the importance that her identity will hold this election for a party whose base is made up of people of color — and for a country mired in a reckoning over racial justice, and a pandemic that has disproportionately inflicted suffering on Black and brown Americans.
“This virus has no eyes, and yet it knows exactly how we see each other — and how we treat each other,” Harris said from a largely empty convention center in Wilmington, Delaware.
“And let’s be clear: There is no vaccine for racism. We’ve gotta do the work. For George Floyd, for Breonna Taylor, for the lives of too many others to name. For our children. For all of us.”
Threads from Harris’s presidential campaign, which she ended in December, were woven throughout the speech Wednesday night: a promise to “speak truths,” a description of the country as standing at an “inflection point,” her career as a prosecutor and how it has shaped her understanding of Donald Trump.
But the Harris who stood onstage to accept the party’s nomination was, by many measures, a different candidate than a year earlier, shifting seamlessly between the powerful, prosecutorial sharpness that has so far defined much of her image and tones of hope, joy, and intimacy.
Harris’s introduction at the convention was one that carried weight beyond the vice presidency.
Joe Biden has spoken of himself as a “bridge” to a new generation of Democrats. It was, at first, an abstract idea. But Biden’s choice of Harris, 55, as vice president has made clear what — and who — he envisions on the other side.
After Democrats chose Biden, a 77-year-old white man, ahead of a historically diverse slate of candidates in the 2020 primary, Harris’s selection has energized swaths of the Democratic Party, spurring an outpouring of donations.
On Wednesday night, the party’s introduction of Harris opened with the celebrations of young girls as they heard the news that she had been chosen: joyful leaps, and even tears.
While other speakers, including former president Barack Obama, traded in dire condemnations of the Trump administration, much of Harris’s speech was rooted in idealism with grounding in the civil rights movement: Harris and Biden’s vision, she said, for a “beloved community, one that is strong, and decent, and kind.”
“That’s the vision that our parents and grandparents fought for,” she said. “The vision that made my own life possible. The vision that makes the American promise — for all its complexities and imperfections — a promise worth fighting for.”


buzzfeed--2020-08-22--COVID Is Making Younger, Healthy People Debilitatingly Sick For Months. Now They’re Fighting For Rec

COVID Is Making Younger, Healthy People Debilitatingly Sick For Months. Now They’re Fighting For Recognition.

Across the globe , scores of COVID “ long-haulers ” have been fighting for doctors to believe and help them .
On Friday , they finally got a meeting with the World Health Organization .
There were weeks when Hannah Davis couldn ’ t remember how to send a text message .
On top of the extreme fatigue , racing heart rate , and difficulty breathing she experienced daily , the most terrifying part of being sick with COVID-19 for the last 21 weeks , Davis said , has also been one of the hardest to explain : losing her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a brain injury .
I have a hard time remembering who I was , ” she said .
“ It was hard to remember I had to feed myself a couple times a day.
” Davis , 32 , is a programmer who spent her days pre-pandemic working on machine learning and artificial intelligence , often presenting to big audiences , including at the Library of Congress .
That all came crashing to a halt in March , when she got sick .
She had to move back in with her mom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been unable to function normally .
Doctors , even sympathetic ones , had no answers .
Most questioned whether her symptoms , particularly the neurological ones , were linked to COVID at all .
But Davis soon realized that she was not alone .
She ’ s among the thousands of people across the globe — many of whom were young , active , and healthy — who have been debilitated by ongoing , unexplainable symptoms .
These patients , also known as long-haulers , are crushing the popular idea that COVID is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vulnerable people .
And after months of self-organizing on social media to document their symptoms and collect data , Davis is now part of a group that ’ s pushing for the medical establishment to take them seriously too .
On Friday , led by LongCovidSOS , a patient-led advocacy group in the UK , Davis and about 60 other long-haulers had a closed , invite-only meeting with top officials from the World Health Organization in the biggest recognition yet that the medical world is starting to pay attention and figure out solutions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that this small but significant progress — eight months into the pandemic , with almost 800,000 deaths from COVID-19 worldwide so far — will draw attention to the more than tens of millions who have survived , blurring what we understand as the difference between illness and recovery .
The long-haulers called in to the WHO meeting from places around the world — the US , the UK , India , France , Finland , Senegal , and South Africa — but they all shared largely the same story : I was young @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I can not seem to get better .
I haven ’ t been able to get my doctor to believe me because I do not have a positive test result , and I need a lot of care that does not exist where I live .
Leaders from the WHO , including the director-general , said they were “ very aware ” of and now doing research into “ long COVID , ” people who attended the meeting told BuzzFeed News .
But even top medical specialists acknowledged they didn ’ t know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happening in younger people whose cases had been initially categorized as “ mild ” — meaning they were sick , but not sick enough to be hospitalized .
While the meeting was a positive , validating step for Davis and the other long-haulers , conversations around testing , antibodies , and the need for rehabilitative care made it clear that there is far more work that needs to be done .
“ This is not just a respiratory illness .
This is a systemic illness that makes you lose connection with the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her mom ’ s Rhode Island home , where she is now living .
“ And the most shocking thing to me is how long it has taken for doctors and the general public to realize this basic fact.
” David Putrino , the director of rehabilitation innovation at New York City ’ s Mount Sinai hospital , has been studying and caring for long-haulers at one of the nation ’ s only post-COVID clinics since May .
He said that as important as these grassroots advocacy efforts are , they are far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WHO need to be throwing their resources behind them , Putrino said , or else millions of people are going to be “ left out in the cold.
” “ It 's not that we do n't have capacity — we do have capacity .
What we need to do is rapidly mobilize and educate people that long COVID is a real thing , and it ’ s going to be around for a while , ” he said .
“ There 's a lot of hurt and we are doing what we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot of people to pick up the torch and run with us.
” Davis had no idea what was happening to her back in March .
She had to stop showering because there were too many steps — it was exhausting .
She would stare at her fingers trying to parse a text message , wondering what they were doing .
It sometimes felt , she said , like someone had suddenly turned a windshield wiper on over her brain — everything would go blank .
For 24 days , she felt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across an op-ed by Fiona Lowenstein , another woman in New York who had started a support group to talk about recovery .
The group she launched , called Body Politic , now has 7,500 members on Slack .
Davis also joined several Facebook groups , with more than 17,500 long-haulers in one Facebook group and 5,000 in another .
Scrolling through Body Politic ’ s nearly 50 Slack channels , Davis was stunned to keep reading accounts identical to hers , but from yoga instructors in Chicago , college students in Kentucky @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in their forties .
BuzzFeed News spoke with more than 100 of these long-haulers who described a set of similar symptoms : Their hearts would race and palpate .
They got winded walking up stairs and were unable to stand for long periods of time .
Though fatigue was common , many people also said they couldn ’ t sleep .
They had relentless fevers , violent diarrhea , and throbbing headaches .
The tips of their fingers and toes often burned intensely , like they got plugged into an electrical socket .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ — or no periods at all — and having their hair fall out in clumps .
And , like Davis , most of them were trying to figure out what was going on with their bodies while navigating what they call a “ brain fog , ” a mix between short-term memory loss and an inability to focus .
Most notably , the vast majority of long-haulers described visiting doctors with no answers to give — or worse , who suggested that their symptoms could possibly be linked to anxiety or depression instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other Body Politic members with backgrounds in data , science , and medicine saw a way to counter that doubt : harnessing the anecdotes in the group to gather data and force change .
They formed their own research group and began organizing patients ’ daily symptoms .
It was a “ coping strategy , ” she said , to sift through information and search for answers .
On May 11 , they published the first extensive report detailing the volatile and often unpredictable recovery process , based on the experiences of 640 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ a huge shock to the narrative of what COVID actually was , ” Davis said , and caught the attention of reporters and prestigious medical journals .
It also made clear that testing systems were failing : Only a quarter of the respondents tested positive — nearly half were never able to get a test — but they still all reported experiencing about 60 of the same persistent symptoms .
They are aiming to publish another report soon highlighting what long-haulers ’ symptoms look like after six months .
“ The group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ history of the virus , ” said Lowenstein , Body Politic ’ s founder .
She calls the group “ a headquarters for patient advocacy efforts.
” “ You can see how the symptoms have morphed over time and how diverse the patient experience is , ” Lowenstein said , describing how people have been joining the group in geographic waves .
“ In the beginning of the summer , a bunch of people from Brazil were messaging me .
Then I started hearing from more people in India and Mexico.
” A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data on the longer-term effects of COVID too .
A study out of Germany found that 78 out of 100 patients — most of whom recovered at home — had heart complications two months later .
An Italian study found that 87 % of hospitalized patients still had a variety of symptoms after two months .
Putrino has been studying and treating the long COVID cases since May .
He ’ s been in contact with about 90,000 people in almost 100 countries who are all reporting nearly the same spate of serious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nervous systems out of whack .
Their average age is about 38 , he said , and they ’ re mainly women .
Before COVID , many of them were vibrant , active , “ and breezing through life , ” he said .
Now , they can ’ t work and often need help with basic tasks , like feeding themselves .
“ It feels like your body is rebelling against you and , to add insult to injury , it ’ s an unpredictable war , ” he said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pause and think , Yeah , I am young and healthy , but can I afford to be out of action for six months ?
Because that is what we are seeing.
” Months into their advocacy efforts , the murky long-term effects of COVID are getting the attention of the biggest health agencies in the world .
In July , the CDC acknowledged that a significant chunk of COVID patients — 35 % — do not recover after three weeks , even if their cases were considered too mild for hospitalization .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ met with the health agency , which hopes to start its own investigation , in a meeting Davis called “ incredibly validating.
” Friday ’ s meeting with the WHO was Davis and the other long-hauler advocates ’ biggest move yet .
For one and a half hours , the long-haulers shared their testimonies with top officials , including Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and the WHO ’ s technical lead for coronavirus response , Maria Van Kerkhove , who asked questions .
The WHO officials agreed to have periodic meetings with the representatives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a pamphlet on what is known about the long-term effects of COVID-19 .
But , according to Lowenstein , the meeting also made clear there are still fundamental misunderstandings about what COVID looks like .
For example , she said , existing WHO guidelines with health and rehab recommendations for patients are still only targeted at people who ’ ve been hospitalized .
“ There still is not enough understanding that the word ‘ mild ’ in and of itself is extremely misleading , ” she said .
“ There was no real @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case could leave you with disabilities and long-term chronic issues.
” Like many health organizations and doctors across the US , WHO officials also did not understand that the bulk of long-haulers were not testing for antibodies , did not have positive test results for the virus , or even have access to tests .
Body Politic ’ s first report made this problem clear — many long-haulers were unable to get tested in the early days of the pandemic or live in countries with scarce testing supplies .
Others got tested later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only to come back with negative results .
Those results matter : Many long-haulers described their inability to get treatment and the doubt they felt — from doctors , family , and even themselves — without a positive test in hand .
“ False testing is rampant and widespread , ” Lowenstein said .
“ COVID-19 patients are not testing positive for antibodies , and the WHO didn ’ t seem to understand that was happening in droves .
It didn ’ t seem to be doing a ton of work in this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meeting feeling hopeful and with promises that this will be part of an “ ongoing and robust conversation that will lead to improved communication and guidelines from the WHO.
” To Putrino and other experts who ’ ve been working with long-haulers , what ’ s really needed are effective rehab services to help recondition and train their systems .
According to Davis and dozens of others still feeling symptoms , there are only a few specialists across the US who are really listening to and working with them .
Desperate for help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been circulating their names so avidly in their online support groups that the first available appointment is often a year away .
Davis had been calling a neurologist in Chicago , who was booked out until September 2021 , multiple times a day .
Last week , she got lucky and nabbed a cancellation for March .
“ If medical centers across the country start creating post-COVID centers , we won ’ t have a generation of long-term , chronically ill people .
But if we don ’ t… ” Putrino trailed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ journeys have been , some of them are starting to get better .
Lowenstein has been largely symptom-free since June .
In between messages about strange seizures , bruises , and light sensitivity on their forums , there are success stories and small victories : being able to kick a soccer ball with their kids with no relapse or pain ; carrying groceries up the stairs on their own ; sleeping through the night for the first time in months ; dipping their toes in a lake and marveling at feeling nothing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a little better too .
She doesn ’ t need to take as many naps and conversations aren ’ t as hard for her to follow .
She ’ s slowly choosing how her life will look .
She ’ s considering moving to a city with a post-COVID clinic and using her past skill set , when she can , to research and advocate for long-haulers full-time .
She still feels far away from herself , but has never been more aware of her body and what it can do .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is still intact , ” she said .
“ And I trust myself to take care of myself.
” ●

There were weeks when Hannah Davis couldn’t remember how to send a text message. On top of the extreme fatigue, racing heart rate, and difficulty breathing she experienced daily, the most terrifying part of being sick with COVID-19 for the last 21 weeks, Davis said, has also been one of the hardest to explain: losing her mind.
“I feel like I have a brain injury. I have a hard time remembering who I was,” she said. “It was hard to remember I had to feed myself a couple times a day.”
Davis, 32, is a programmer who spent her days pre-pandemic working on machine learning and artificial intelligence, often presenting to big audiences, including at the Library of Congress. That all came crashing to a halt in March, when she got sick. She had to move back in with her mom and, for 150 days, has been unable to function normally. Doctors, even sympathetic ones, had no answers. Most questioned whether her symptoms, particularly the neurological ones, were linked to COVID at all.
But Davis soon realized that she was not alone. She’s among the thousands of people across the globe — many of whom were young, active, and healthy — who have been debilitated by ongoing, unexplainable symptoms. These patients, also known as long-haulers, are crushing the popular idea that COVID is only serious for a small percentage of vulnerable people.
And after months of self-organizing on social media to document their symptoms and collect data, Davis is now part of a group that’s pushing for the medical establishment to take them seriously too.
On Friday, led by LongCovidSOS, a patient-led advocacy group in the UK, Davis and about 60 other long-haulers had a closed, invite-only meeting with top officials from the World Health Organization in the biggest recognition yet that the medical world is starting to pay attention and figure out solutions.
The growing group of long-haulers hopes that this small but significant progress — eight months into the pandemic, with almost 800,000 deaths from COVID-19 worldwide so far — will draw attention to the more than tens of millions who have survived, blurring what we understand as the difference between illness and recovery.
The long-haulers called in to the WHO meeting from places around the world — the US, the UK, India, Italy, Spain, France, Finland, Senegal, and South Africa — but they all shared largely the same story: I was young and active before this, and now I cannot seem to get better. I haven’t been able to get my doctor to believe me because I do not have a positive test result, and I need a lot of care that does not exist where I live.
Leaders from the WHO, including the director-general, said they were “very aware” of and now doing research into “long COVID,” people who attended the meeting told BuzzFeed News. But even top medical specialists acknowledged they didn’t know that so many of these symptoms were happening in younger people whose cases had been initially categorized as “mild” — meaning they were sick, but not sick enough to be hospitalized. While the meeting was a positive, validating step for Davis and the other long-haulers, conversations around testing, antibodies, and the need for rehabilitative care made it clear that there is far more work that needs to be done.
“This is not just a respiratory illness. This is a systemic illness that makes you lose connection with the world,” Davis told BuzzFeed News from her mom’s Rhode Island home, where she is now living. “And the most shocking thing to me is how long it has taken for doctors and the general public to realize this basic fact.”
David Putrino, the director of rehabilitation innovation at New York City’s Mount Sinai hospital, has been studying and caring for long-haulers at one of the nation’s only post-COVID clinics since May. He said that as important as these grassroots advocacy efforts are, they are far from enough. The CDC and the WHO need to be throwing their resources behind them, Putrino said, or else millions of people are going to be “left out in the cold.”
“It's not that we don't have capacity — we do have capacity. What we need to do is rapidly mobilize and educate people that long COVID is a real thing, and it’s going to be around for a while,” he said. “There's a lot of hurt and we are doing what we can to help, but we need a lot of people to pick up the torch and run with us.”


buzzfeed--2020-08-21--Pussies Are The Stars Of The Summer

Pussies Are The Stars Of The Summer

Thanks to songs like `` WAP , '' we 're moving from merely accepting our pussies to celebrating them in their untameable glory .
If last year was Hot Girl Summer , 2020 is the summer of pussy .
Not just any pussy — pussy that ’ s dripping wet and wanting .
Pussy that serves its owner and no one else .
Unruly pussy .
It ’ s “ WAP , ” but it ’ s not only “ WAP.
” It ’ s also “ Pussy Talk ” by City Girls , with close-ups of crotches .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — from nobodies to verified stars — gleefully lip-synching to the words “ I got that good pussy ” along to ppcocaine ’ s “ For That Cash.
” We ’ ve been on our way here for a while , reaching back to ’ 90s women-led rap and even two years ago when Tessa Thompson joyfully popped her head out from between Janelle Monáe ’ s labia pants in the video for “ Pynk.
” Finally , pussy is getting its due .
I used to really hate the word “ pussy.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Whether to literally describe mine or a partner ’ s vagina and vulva combo , or genitals more generally , or especially as an insult .
It just sounds crude .
The kind of word some idiotic teen boy would use when trying to feel like a big , bad man around his equally idiotic friends .
“ Vagina ” just sounds too clinical so I took to just beating around the bush , even in the absence of actual bush .
You can really get away with a lot by just saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or “ me.
” People get it , you know ?
Context clues can go a long way .
And hey , it ’ s not like I stooped to something as juvenile as “ va-jay-jay ” or as awful as being a white lady who says “ yoni.
” And no , it ’ s not fair that these are our only options , but I did my best to work with what I had .
But I was wrong , I was silly , and I was denying myself the absolute @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ pussy.
” “ Pussy ” is fun .
“ Pussy ” is squishy and plump and plush and wet .
“ Pussy ” is a word ideally said with moist lips as you purse them for that initial “ p ” then linger for a moment in the hiss of those S ’ s .
“ Pussy ” is a beautiful word for every reason I was afraid of it .
It ’ s not proper and private the way “ vagina ” is .
It has presence , it demands attention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
You can ’ t tuck away a pussy .
“ Pussy ” doesn ’ t just describe what we think of as female genitalia — it describes something unruly , and unruly pussy is having a moment .
The phrase “ wet-ass pussy ” is stuck in everyone ’ s heads thanks to Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion , but it didn ’ t start with them .
Rather than the hush-hush attitude society has traditionally reserved for any discussion of female anatomy and its relationship to pleasure , we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fat pussies .
Labia that can ’ t be contained by whatever scant strip of lace Victoria ’ s Secret has on offer .
We ’ re talking about FUPAs ( that is , the fat upper-pussy area ) with love and tenderness .
It ’ s in music , it ’ s on TikTok , and it is — importantly !
— coming out of the mouths of people who actually have vaginas .
This is all very exciting because traditionally pussies are supposed to be polite .
That is , small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neatly tucks away like a little bit of origami .
They can get wet , but only wet enough for the comfort of a penis .
Clits are meant to be present but also not large , and certainly not tucked away in folds so they require actual effort to locate .
The mons pubis should be a flat plane right from belly button to clit hood .
And , importantly , they ’ re all attached to white bodies and come only in shades of blush , bubblegum , and baby pink @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vulva or two in the wild would know that ’ s all bullshit .
Or , at least , you would hope so .
So back to “ WAP.
” Perhaps the funniest response to it , amid a sea of pearl-clutching from cis men , was from right-wing commentator Ben Shapiro .
After a dramatic reading of the lyrics , he tweeted that , according to his doctor wife , any woman that needed a “ bucket and a mop ” for their pussy had “ bacterial vaginosis , yeast infection , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Megan didn ’ t mean the line literally .
But clearly he finds the image of a sopping wet pussy to be obscene .
And that ’ s probably because vaginal secretion , a thing that comes so naturally your pussy is probably secreting stuff right now , is still taboo .
As Jen Gunter , a gynecologist and author of The Vagina Bible , recently wrote for the New York Times : “ Vaginal wetness , especially during sex , has long been erroneously considered a sign of previous sexual activity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ To be a woman and to partner with men is to constantly walk the edge of the knife between too wet and too dry , ” Gunter wrote .
“ Gush on command , but not too much because then you ’ re promiscuous or gross or both.
” And that ’ s why “ WAP ” is so important .
Cardi and Megan shot straight past normal vaginal lubrication ( which , by the way , varies a whole bunch — that ’ s why you can buy lube ! )
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ It 's goin ' in dry and it 's comin ' out soggy ” and “ I 'm talkin ' wap , wap , wap , that 's some wet-ass pussy.
” Even the radio-friendly version lyrics , “ wet and gushy , ” are perfect .
When the hell have vagina owners ever gotten to celebrate being not just adequately moist , but gushy ?
“ WAP ” isn ’ t the first song about pussy — not by a long shot .
Black women rappers have been getting poetic about their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s “ My Neck , My Back ” ?
“ I don ’ t get the controversy hype because I ’ m almost 40 , and I grew up with Trina and Lil ’ Kim and Foxy Brown and Missy rapping and talking about their sexuality , ” said Dirty Lola , a sex educator and sex toy seller I spoke to about this moment of unruly pussy .
“ We ’ ve been doing this before.
” She said Black women , in particular , have led pussy music because many Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ashamed of their bodies and their sexuality .
“ It ’ s rebellion .
We grow up being told that you have to be a lady , to put on shorts when you ’ re a little girl around men , ” said Lola .
“ Everyone knows that uncle to keep you away from , but nobody does anything about that uncle .
Like , look at R. Kelly.
” Black women , she said , also get fetishized and hypersexualized in a way other women don ’ t .
Through music @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those messages by reclaiming their sexuality while also saying “ this doesn ’ t mean you get to hurt us or treat us poorly because we are sexual beings , ” she said .
“ WAP ” still hits different , though .
Maybe it ’ s pandemic boredom , or the relative fame of the women who created it , or the fact that we ’ ve come far enough that “ WAP ” isn ’ t being so censored that you can ’ t hear it at all .
But it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a particular time and place when it comes to how we talk about our bodies .
Body-positive , fat-positive , and sex-positive movements , which have also relied on the work of Black women , have brought us to a place where we can give a hearty fuck-you to pussy ideals that would put us in tiny , pink boxes .
Over on TikTok , I ’ ve noticed a trend of Gen Z ’ ers with vaginas talking not just about pussy generally , but about how their pussies don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s a viral TikTok of a woman saying , “ So y ’ all trying to tell me that my coochie can fit in that ?
My coochie lips — both of ‘ em .
I ’ ve got two of them now .
Both of them are going to fit in that ?
I don ’ t think so.
” Behind her is a picture of Blac Chyna wearing a very , very high-cut bathing suit that covers her vulva with nothing but a small strip .
Whether due to Photoshop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no visible labia , hair , or mons pubis .
People have been taking the audio and using it to show off other feats of vagina-adjacent apparel , like a thong with a string of pearls for the crotch , or just Victoria ’ s Secret ’ s general offerings .
“ I remember feeling I was because I ’ m fat , I don ’ t deserve pretty underwear , ” said Lola .
“ Nobody ever said these aren ’ t panties for you .
We just felt bad about our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just the pussy itself — I ’ ve also seen TikToks celebrating the FUPA , of which I am also a proud owner .
A “ FUPA ” is supposed to be a bad thing , an insult for an area that very naturally accumulates fat .
It is a part of my body that I still take pains to cover , as if the right combination of fabric will make it disappear .
It ’ s why I don ’ t own any pencil skirts and why I ’ m terrified of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cut.cake says , people know it ’ s there .
You can ’ t hide it .
“ I say wear that FUPA with pride .
Tuck that T-shirt in .
Wear that crop top .
Wear that tight skirt .
Give the fuckers something to look at.
” There ’ s also a whole category of TikToks that show people not only accepting their FUPAs , but enjoying them .
Slowly pulling up and zipping their jeans over their glorious mound with pride .
Maybe I ’ ve just been looking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why did it take until my thirties for someone to tell me I could like my FUPA ?
Clearly something has changed if young people are reaching adulthood knowing that it ’ s okay if their vulvas aren ’ t porn-star perfect .
This too has been a work in progress as we reclaim our FUPAs .
Back in 2018 , Beyoncé talked to Vogue about her post-baby body , saying , “ But right now , my little FUPA and I feel like we are meant to be . ''
While a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nor temporary nor about to be blasted away by hard-core dieting and exercise , I appreciate the sentiment all the same .
Still , though , if you google “ FUPA , ” you ’ re either going to get said Beyoncé interview or exercise guides to get rid of a FUPA .
Again , it ’ s a work in progress .
If anything is different right now , in this time , it ’ s that it feels like we ’ re moving from merely accepting our unruly pussies to celebrating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ labia that don ’ t stay in , or getting so wet that it gets all over the sheets , or having lips that flush a purple-brown instead of pink .
Look , 2020 has been a big ol ’ garbage fire , but if we come out of this year being able to talk about our big , juicy , untamable pussies , at least that will be something .
●

If last year was Hot Girl Summer, 2020 is the summer of pussy.
Not just any pussy — pussy that’s dripping wet and wanting. Pussy that serves its owner and no one else. Unruly pussy.
It’s “WAP,” but it’s not only “WAP.” It’s also “Pussy Talk” by City Girls, with close-ups of crotches. And it’s young women on TikTok — from nobodies to verified stars — gleefully lip-synching to the words “I got that good pussy” along to ppcocaine’s “For That Cash.”
We’ve been on our way here for a while, reaching back to ’90s women-led rap and even two years ago when Tessa Thompson joyfully popped her head out from between Janelle Monáe’s labia pants in the video for “Pynk.” Finally, pussy is getting its due.
I used to really hate the word “pussy.” Like, in any context. Whether to literally describe mine or a partner’s vagina and vulva combo, or genitals more generally, or especially as an insult. It just sounds crude. The kind of word some idiotic teen boy would use when trying to feel like a big, bad man around his equally idiotic friends.
“Vagina” just sounds too clinical so I took to just beating around the bush, even in the absence of actual bush. You can really get away with a lot by just saying “you” or “there” or “me.” People get it, you know? Context clues can go a long way. And hey, it’s not like I stooped to something as juvenile as “va-jay-jay” or as awful as being a white lady who says “yoni.” And no, it’s not fair that these are our only options, but I did my best to work with what I had.
But I was wrong, I was silly, and I was denying myself the absolute pleasure of reveling in a word like “pussy.” “Pussy” is fun. “Pussy” is squishy and plump and plush and wet. “Pussy” is a word ideally said with moist lips as you purse them for that initial “p” then linger for a moment in the hiss of those S’s. “Pussy” is a beautiful word for every reason I was afraid of it. It’s not proper and private the way “vagina” is. It has presence, it demands attention, and it refuses to be neat. You can’t tuck away a pussy.
“Pussy” doesn’t just describe what we think of as female genitalia — it describes something unruly, and unruly pussy is having a moment. The phrase “wet-ass pussy” is stuck in everyone’s heads thanks to Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion, but it didn’t start with them.


buzzfeed--2020-08-21--This Woman’s Skincare Experience Is A Good Reminder To Always Educate Yourself Before Using Products

One way Aurora may have been able to prevent what happened would have been by letting the product sit on @ @ @ @ @ a full 24 hours — not five minutes .
`` I recommend doing a small @ @ @ @ @ new skincare product , especially if it contains potentially irritating ingredients , like acids at @ @ @ @ @ placing a small amount of the product on an area of skin that isn ’ @ @ @ @ @ the side of your face or inside of your wrist .
Then , you have @ @ @ @ @ see if you get a reaction before you start applying it to the rest of @ @ @ @ @ Park explained .

One way Aurora may have been able to prevent what happened would have been by letting the product sit on the area she patch-tested for a full 24 hours — not five minutes. "I recommend doing a small test area when starting a new skincare product, especially if it contains potentially irritating ingredients, like acids at high concentrations. This means placing a small amount of the product on an area of skin that isn’t too noticeable, like the side of your face or inside of your wrist. Then, you have to wait one day to see if you get a reaction before you start applying it to the rest of your skin," Dr. Park explained.