buzzfeed--2020-12-02--Congress Took A Big Leap Toward A Christmas COVID Relief Bill, But Trump Still Needs To Sign On

WASHINGTON — Congress made its biggest breakthrough in nine months toward passing a coronavirus relief bill Wednesday as Democrats agreed to essentially cut their demands in half .
Democratic leaders in the House and Senate announced they would back a $ 908 billion bipartisan proposal as a basis for COVID-19 aid negotiations .
But Senate Republicans have not yet agreed to the blueprint and it ’ s not clear whether President Donald Trump would sign it into law .
The plan is just a framework , rather than detailed legislative text .
But it was presented as a compromise by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months of Democrats insisting on a $ 2.2 trillion package and Republicans sticking by their own $ 500 billion plan .
The next two weeks will be crucial .
Both sides insist it is imperative to pass COVID relief before the end of the year , but they have limited time to get it done .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said any plan will likely need to be attached to an end-of-year spending bill that must pass by Dec. 11 .
The bipartisan framework would provide $ 300 per week in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the $ 600 per week provided in the CARES Act earlier this year , but also far more than out-of-work people have gotten since those payments expired at the end of July .
It would not include any additional direct payments like the up to $ 1,200 checks delivered to many American adults this spring .
McConnell has remained tight-lipped about the proposal and has spent the week discussing a Republican plan with the White House .
But any Republican-negotiated plan will almost certainly be too slimmed down to pass both chambers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear whether the $ 908 billion proposal can reach that bar either , but with the support of Democratic leadership in the House and Senate and some Republicans , it is the closest Congress has come to reaching a deal since it passed the CARES Act in March .
Many CARES provisions have long since expired .
Other COVID relief measures such as an eviction moratorium and student loan relief will expire at the end of the year .
Millions of Americans could start losing additional state unemployment benefits immediately after Christmas .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ loan relief , housing assistance , and unemployment benefits .
It also includes $ 288 billion for small businesses , including subsidies to keep employees on the payroll , and billions in subsidies for airlines and other transportation industries .
It would also include a short-term liability shield for businesses , preventing employees and customers from being able to sue if they contract COVID .
This is a huge priority for McConnell and other Republicans .
Because the framework is not laid out in legislation , there are no details of how this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Collins said details are still being hammered out and they expect to release its full text next week .
Liability immunity is a huge red flag for progressives , who have denounced it as a “ poison pill.
” Sen. Elizabeth Warren questioned whether even a temporary liability shield would be acceptable .
“ What , ( there ’ s immunity ) so long as people are dying , and then the shield is gone once everyone has died ?
” she said .
The bipartisan plan was introduced in the Senate by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Bill Cassidy , and Mitt Romney , along with Democratic Sens .
Joe Manchin , Mark Warner , Jeanne Shaheen , and Maggie Hassan , and Angus King , an Independent who caucuses with Democrats .
In the House , it is backed by Republicans Tom Reed , Anthony Gonzalez , Dusty Johnson , and Fred Upton , plus Democrats Josh Gottheimer , Dean Phillips , and Abigail Spanberger .

WASHINGTON — Congress made its biggest breakthrough in nine months toward passing a coronavirus relief bill Wednesday as Democrats agreed to essentially cut their demands in half.
Democratic leaders in the House and Senate announced they would back a $908 billion bipartisan proposal as a basis for COVID-19 aid negotiations. But Senate Republicans have not yet agreed to the blueprint and it’s not clear whether President Donald Trump would sign it into law.
The plan is just a framework, rather than detailed legislative text. But it was presented as a compromise by a bipartisan group of 16 lawmakers after months of Democrats insisting on a $2.2 trillion package and Republicans sticking by their own $500 billion plan.
The next two weeks will be crucial. Both sides insist it is imperative to pass COVID relief before the end of the year, but they have limited time to get it done. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said any plan will likely need to be attached to an end-of-year spending bill that must pass by Dec. 11.
The bipartisan framework would provide $300 per week in federal unemployment benefits — half as much as the $600 per week provided in the CARES Act earlier this year, but also far more than out-of-work people have gotten since those payments expired at the end of July. It would not include any additional direct payments like the up to $1,200 checks delivered to many American adults this spring.
McConnell has remained tight-lipped about the proposal and has spent the week discussing a Republican plan with the White House. But any Republican-negotiated plan will almost certainly be too slimmed down to pass both chambers of Congress.
It’s not clear whether the $908 billion proposal can reach that bar either, but with the support of Democratic leadership in the House and Senate and some Republicans, it is the closest Congress has come to reaching a deal since it passed the CARES Act in March.
Many CARES provisions have long since expired. Other COVID relief measures such as an eviction moratorium and student loan relief will expire at the end of the year. Millions of Americans could start losing additional state unemployment benefits immediately after Christmas.
The bipartisan framework includes billions for student loan relief, housing assistance, and unemployment benefits. It also includes $288 billion for small businesses, including subsidies to keep employees on the payroll, and billions in subsidies for airlines and other transportation industries.
It would also include a short-term liability shield for businesses, preventing employees and customers from being able to sue if they contract COVID. This is a huge priority for McConnell and other Republicans. Because the framework is not laid out in legislation, there are no details of how this liability shield would work. Sen. Susan Collins said details are still being hammered out and they expect to release its full text next week.
Liability immunity is a huge red flag for progressives, who have denounced it as a “poison pill.” Sen. Elizabeth Warren questioned whether even a temporary liability shield would be acceptable. “What, (there’s immunity) so long as people are dying, and then the shield is gone once everyone has died?” she said.
The bipartisan plan was introduced in the Senate by Republican Sens. Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Bill Cassidy, and Mitt Romney, along with Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin, Mark Warner, Jeanne Shaheen, and Maggie Hassan, and Angus King, an Independent who caucuses with Democrats. In the House, it is backed by Republicans Tom Reed, Anthony Gonzalez, Dusty Johnson, and Fred Upton, plus Democrats Josh Gottheimer, Dean Phillips, and Abigail Spanberger.


buzzfeed--2020-12-02--Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler Donated Her Salary To Anti-LGBTQ And Anti-Abortion Organizations

Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler , who will fight to retain her seat during a Georgia runoff election in January , donated large portions of her Senate salary to anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQ rights organizations .
Among these organizations are several “ crisis pregnancy centers ” that often pose as abortion clinics in order to dissuade people from getting the procedure , and an adoption agency that has a strong anti-LGBTQ ethos and bans same-sex couples from using it .
Loeffler is the wealthiest member of Congress .
She and her husband hold a roughly $ 500 million stake in the New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Intercontinental Exchange , Forbes reported , estimating that the couple ’ s net worth is at least $ 800 million .
Because of this , Loeffler pledged to donate her $ 174,000 congressional salary to Georgia charities each quarter .
Over the last two financial quarters , she donated $ 26,600 to seven anti-abortion pregnancy centers , and $ 3,800 to Covenant Care Adoptions , an anti-LGBTQ agency .
BuzzFeed News has journalists around the US bringing you trustworthy stories on the 2020 elections .
To help keep this news free , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a nonprofit adoption and counseling agency based in Georgia , requires that all adoptive parents be “ husband and wife ” who agree to the Statement of Faith listed on its website .
The statement says that `` the term 'marriage ' has only one meaning : the uniting of one man and one woman in a single , exclusive union , '' and that `` any form of sexual immorality ( including ... homosexual behavior , bisexual conduct , bestiality , incest , and use of pornography ) is sinful and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also says , `` Rejection of one ’ s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person , '' and it is “ imperative ” that anyone who works for or volunteers with Covenant Care Adoptions or who wants to adopt a child through the organization “ share these beliefs.
” Loeffler ’ s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on her choice to donate to Covenant Care Adoptions , or whether she agrees with the organization ’ s anti-LGBTQ statement .
She has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a year , after being appointed to the seat in January , and has been an ally of President Donald Trump ’ s .
She faced a challenge from fellow Republican Rep. Doug Collins as well as Democrat Raphael Warnock in Georgia ’ s all-party primary in November .
Loeffler was forced into a runoff against Warnock , as neither candidate passed the necessary 50 % vote threshold they needed to win the seat in November .
The runoff will take place Jan. 5 .
If you have a news tip , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Reach out to us via one of our tip line channels .
Of the seven crisis pregnancy centers Loeffler donated to this year , one is the Georgia branch of Obria Medical Clinics , a California-based company that has been embroiled in controversy over the past few years .
In 2019 , Obria obtained a $ 5.1 million federal grant of Title X funding that would be doled out over three years , specifically intended to subsidize clinics providing birth control .
Obria does not provide patients with any kind of contraception @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ineffective “ rhythm method , ” which recommends people only have sex while they are not ovulating in order to not conceive .
Obria ’ s grant was a part of the Trump administration ’ s attempt to redistribute Title X money to conservative , anti-abortion organizations instead of Planned Parenthood , which previously received a large portion of the grant .
( The money was legally barred from being used for abortions . )
Campaign for Accountability — a progressive watchdog group that sued Trump ’ s Department of Health and Human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal family planning funds — argued in 2019 that Obria is in violation of the requirements for receiving the grant .
Before the Trump administration altered the grant requirements ( triggering ongoing lawsuits ) , it included providing contraception and abortion counseling , services Obria does not provide .
In response , an HHS spokesperson said in a statement to Politico that it would not force Obria to comply with the contraception requirements .
Obria also says on its website that it provides “ abortion pill reversal , ” an unproven idea that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can halt the termination of a pregnancy after a pregnant person has taken the first of two pills required for a medication abortion .
There is no evidence this is possible , and no clear understanding of possible side effects .
Two major studies of abortion reversal were shut down for ethical and safety issues .
Obria CEO Kathleen Eaton Bravo also faced pushback from abortion rights advocates after the Guardian unearthed her 2015 interview with the Catholic World Report , in which she said that Christianity began to “ die out ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contraception and abortion.
” “ With Europeans having no children , immigrant Muslims came in to replace them , and now the culture of Europe is changing , ” she said .
Loeffler donated $ 3,800 of her Senate salary to Obria over the last two financial quarters .
Obria did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
Trump will campaign for Loeffler and Republican Sen. David Perdue , who is also in a runoff , in Georgia on Saturday .

Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler, who will fight to retain her seat during a Georgia runoff election in January, donated large portions of her Senate salary to anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQ rights organizations.
Among these organizations are several “crisis pregnancy centers” that often pose as abortion clinics in order to dissuade people from getting the procedure, and an adoption agency that has a strong anti-LGBTQ ethos and bans same-sex couples from using it.
Loeffler is the wealthiest member of Congress. She and her husband hold a roughly $500 million stake in the New York Stock Exchange’s parent company, Intercontinental Exchange, Forbes reported, estimating that the couple’s net worth is at least $800 million.
Because of this, Loeffler pledged to donate her $174,000 congressional salary to Georgia charities each quarter. Over the last two financial quarters, she donated $26,600 to seven anti-abortion pregnancy centers, and $3,800 to Covenant Care Adoptions, an anti-LGBTQ agency.
BuzzFeed News has journalists around the US bringing you trustworthy stories on the 2020 elections. To help keep this news free, become a member.
Covenant Care Adoptions, a nonprofit adoption and counseling agency based in Georgia, requires that all adoptive parents be “husband and wife” who agree to the Statement of Faith listed on its website. The statement says that "the term 'marriage' has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union," and that "any form of sexual immorality (including ... homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, and use of pornography) is sinful and offensive to God."
The statement also says, "Rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person," and it is “imperative” that anyone who works for or volunteers with Covenant Care Adoptions or who wants to adopt a child through the organization “share these beliefs.”
Loeffler’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on her choice to donate to Covenant Care Adoptions, or whether she agrees with the organization’s anti-LGBTQ statement.
She has served in the Senate for less than a year, after being appointed to the seat in January, and has been an ally of President Donald Trump’s. She faced a challenge from fellow Republican Rep. Doug Collins as well as Democrat Raphael Warnock in Georgia’s all-party primary in November. Loeffler was forced into a runoff against Warnock, as neither candidate passed the necessary 50% vote threshold they needed to win the seat in November. The runoff will take place Jan. 5.
If you have a news tip, we’d like to hear from you. Reach out to us via one of our tip line channels.
Of the seven crisis pregnancy centers Loeffler donated to this year, one is the Georgia branch of Obria Medical Clinics, a California-based company that has been embroiled in controversy over the past few years.
In 2019, Obria obtained a $5.1 million federal grant of Title X funding that would be doled out over three years, specifically intended to subsidize clinics providing birth control. Obria does not provide patients with any kind of contraception, instead recommending abstinence or the highly ineffective “rhythm method,” which recommends people only have sex while they are not ovulating in order to not conceive.
Obria’s grant was a part of the Trump administration’s attempt to redistribute Title X money to conservative, anti-abortion organizations instead of Planned Parenthood, which previously received a large portion of the grant. (The money was legally barred from being used for abortions.)
Campaign for Accountability — a progressive watchdog group that sued Trump’s Department of Health and Human Services for information about its use of federal family planning funds — argued in 2019 that Obria is in violation of the requirements for receiving the grant. Before the Trump administration altered the grant requirements (triggering ongoing lawsuits), it included providing contraception and abortion counseling, services Obria does not provide.
In response, an HHS spokesperson said in a statement to Politico that it would not force Obria to comply with the contraception requirements.
Obria also says on its website that it provides “abortion pill reversal,” an unproven idea that suggests that taking a hormone called progesterone can halt the termination of a pregnancy after a pregnant person has taken the first of two pills required for a medication abortion. There is no evidence this is possible, and no clear understanding of possible side effects. Two major studies of abortion reversal were shut down for ethical and safety issues.
Obria CEO Kathleen Eaton Bravo also faced pushback from abortion rights advocates after the Guardian unearthed her 2015 interview with the Catholic World Report, in which she said that Christianity began to “die out” in Europe “when its nations accepted contraception and abortion.”
“With Europeans having no children, immigrant Muslims came in to replace them, and now the culture of Europe is changing,” she said.
Loeffler donated $3,800 of her Senate salary to Obria over the last two financial quarters. Obria did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump will campaign for Loeffler and Republican Sen. David Perdue, who is also in a runoff, in Georgia on Saturday.


buzzfeed--2020-12-02--❗ This Nonsense Claim About Election Fraud Is Disputed By Reality

Over the past weeks , President Donald Trump has refused to accept that he lost the presidential election .
Instead , he has spent a lot of time posting increasingly unhinged tweets declaring victory and claiming widespread election fraud despite the fact that there is no truth to any of his claims .
And although Twitter ’ s civic integrity policy promises to “ help stop the spread of harmful misinformation that could compromise the integrity of an election or other civic process , ” the outgoing president ’ s tweets remain on the platform , helping spread his blatant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he “ won Michigan by a lot ” — an objective lie .
Biden was certified as the winner of the state ’ s general election on Nov. 23 .
Twitter labeled the tweet with a disclaimer reading , “ multiple sources have called this election differently , ” but clicking through the notice takes users to a page that says “ Joe Biden is the projected winner ” — hedged as if it is still election night and anything could happen , folks — “ of the 2020 presidential election.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ projecting , ” mind you .
Almost a month has now passed since Election Day , and officials in many states — some who even conducted recounts — have declared their final results .
Twitter labels Trump ’ s tweets attacking the integrity of the presidential election with the incredibly vague disclaimer , “ This claim about election fraud is disputed.
” The company defines “ disputed claims ” as “ statements or assertions in which the accuracy , truthfulness , or credibility of the claim is contested or unknown.
” Attorney General @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s own Cabinet — said Tuesday that there ’ s no evidence of voter fraud that would change the outcome of the presidential election .
Trump ’ s own officials have declared the 2020 election to be “ the most secure in American history , ” and his lawyers have been unable to provide proof of fraud in courts .
Still , Twitter dings the president , who has 88 million followers , with weak and imprecise language .
It ’ s like fighting a forest fire with a water balloon .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s response , noting tweets with labels “ to provide additional context ” are “ de-amplified ” on the platform , meaning they are less likely to surface through the site ’ s recommendation engine , making them more difficult for users to encounter .
And , per the company ’ s policies , “ Not all false or untrue information about politics or civic processes constitutes manipulation or interference.
” “ Twitter continues to take enforcement action on tweets that contain misleading and disputed information about the election broadly , ” the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact-check Trump ’ s shameless election lies more directly ?
And will it ever remove them ?
Twitter ’ s standards for tweet removal are convoluted when it concerns Trump .
According to its terms of service , the platform allows tweets that would otherwise violate its terms of service to remain up if they ’ re sent from elected and government officials “ given the significant public interest in knowing and being able to discuss their actions and statements , ” to be seen alongside a “ notice providing context about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through to see the Tweet.
” Twitter says in deciding whether to remove a tweet or place it behind a notice they “ weigh the potential risk and severity of harm against the public-interest value of the Tweet.
” “ Where the risk of harm is higher and/or more severe , ” the company says , “ we are less likely to make an exception.
” In September , in direct response to the US election , the platform also expanded its civic integrity policy to combat misinformation , warning it would remove @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if they could incite unlawful conduct to prevent a peaceful transfer of power .
At what point will Trump ’ s refusal to accept the results of the election qualify as interference in a peaceful transition of power ?
Although he has not explicitly called on supporters to take up arms in his defense , thousands of Americans have engaged with Trump ’ s tweets with promises to fight to keep him in power .
Government election officials across the country are also being subjected to threats of violence from people who believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On Tuesday , a visibly shaken Georgia election official , Gabriel Sterling , said he and his family had been subjected to threats of death and rape and now receive round-the-clock police protection .
“ Mr .
President , you have not condemned these actions or this language , ” he said .
“ Someone is going to get hurt , someone is going to get shot , someone is going to get killed.
” Later on Tuesday , Trump refused to condemn the violence .
Instead , he retweeted a video of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the caption , “ Rigged Election .
Show signatures and envelopes .
Expose the massive voter fraud in Georgia .
What is Secretary of State and @ BrianKempGA afraid of .
They know what we ’ ll find !
!
!
” Twitter labeled the president ’ s tweet doubling down on a false narrative that is threatening the lives of Americans with the standard disclaimer , “ This claim about election fraud is disputed.
” Here are 11 examples of Trump tweeting objective — and dangerous — lies about the election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Twitter says these claims are “ disputed.
” Well , yes .
They are disputed by reality .

Over the past weeks, President Donald Trump has refused to accept that he lost the presidential election. Instead, he has spent a lot of time posting increasingly unhinged tweets declaring victory and claiming widespread election fraud despite the fact that there is no truth to any of his claims.
And although Twitter’s civic integrity policy promises to “help stop the spread of harmful misinformation that could compromise the integrity of an election or other civic process,” the outgoing president’s tweets remain on the platform, helping spread his blatant falsehoods.
On Tuesday, Trump tweeted that he “won Michigan by a lot” — an objective lie. Biden was certified as the winner of the state’s general election on Nov. 23. Twitter labeled the tweet with a disclaimer reading, “multiple sources have called this election differently,” but clicking through the notice takes users to a page that says “Joe Biden is the projected winner” — hedged as if it is still election night and anything could happen, folks — “of the 2020 presidential election.”
It is not just the media “projecting,” mind you. Almost a month has now passed since Election Day, and officials in many states — some who even conducted recounts — have declared their final results.
Twitter labels Trump’s tweets attacking the integrity of the presidential election with the incredibly vague disclaimer, “This claim about election fraud is disputed.” The company defines “disputed claims” as “statements or assertions in which the accuracy, truthfulness, or credibility of the claim is contested or unknown.”
Trump’s claims of voter fraud aren’t “contested” or “unknown.” They’re utter bullshit.
Attorney General Bill Barr — a member of Trump’s own Cabinet — said Tuesday that there’s no evidence of voter fraud that would change the outcome of the presidential election. Trump’s own officials have declared the 2020 election to be “the most secure in American history,” and his lawyers have been unable to provide proof of fraud in courts.
Still, Twitter dings the president, who has 88 million followers, with weak and imprecise language. It’s like fighting a forest fire with a water balloon.
A Twitter spokesperson defended the company’s response, noting tweets with labels “to provide additional context” are “de-amplified” on the platform, meaning they are less likely to surface through the site’s recommendation engine, making them more difficult for users to encounter. And, per the company’s policies, “Not all false or untrue information about politics or civic processes constitutes manipulation or interference.”
“Twitter continues to take enforcement action on tweets that contain misleading and disputed information about the election broadly,” the spokesperson said.
But will Twitter ever fact-check Trump’s shameless election lies more directly? And will it ever remove them?
Twitter’s standards for tweet removal are convoluted when it concerns Trump. According to its terms of service, the platform allows tweets that would otherwise violate its terms of service to remain up if they’re sent from elected and government officials “given the significant public interest in knowing and being able to discuss their actions and statements,” to be seen alongside a “notice providing context about the rule violation that allows people to click through to see the Tweet.”
Twitter says in deciding whether to remove a tweet or place it behind a notice they “weigh the potential risk and severity of harm against the public-interest value of the Tweet.”
“Where the risk of harm is higher and/or more severe,” the company says, “we are less likely to make an exception.”
In September, in direct response to the US election, the platform also expanded its civic integrity policy to combat misinformation, warning it would remove false or misleading claims about the results if they could incite unlawful conduct to prevent a peaceful transfer of power.
At what point will Trump’s refusal to accept the results of the election qualify as interference in a peaceful transition of power? Although he has not explicitly called on supporters to take up arms in his defense, thousands of Americans have engaged with Trump’s tweets with promises to fight to keep him in power.
Government election officials across the country are also being subjected to threats of violence from people who believe Trump’s lies about fraud. On Tuesday, a visibly shaken Georgia election official, Gabriel Sterling, said he and his family had been subjected to threats of death and rape and now receive round-the-clock police protection. “Mr. President, you have not condemned these actions or this language,” he said. “Someone is going to get hurt, someone is going to get shot, someone is going to get killed.”
Later on Tuesday, Trump refused to condemn the violence. Instead, he retweeted a video of Sterling’s plea for presidential intervention with the caption, “Rigged Election. Show signatures and envelopes. Expose the massive voter fraud in Georgia. What is Secretary of State and @BrianKempGA afraid of. They know what we’ll find!!!”
Twitter labeled the president’s tweet doubling down on a false narrative that is threatening the lives of Americans with the standard disclaimer, “This claim about election fraud is disputed.”
Here are 11 examples of Trump tweeting objective — and dangerous — lies about the election that are still on the platform. Twitter says these claims are “disputed.” Well, yes. They are disputed by reality.


buzzfeed--2020-12-02--The UK Is Now The First Western Country To Approve A Coronavirus Vaccine

In a television interview , UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock praised the speed of his government 's regulators but added , `` The vaccine wouldn ’ t be approved if it wasn ’ t clinically safe . ''
The UK government on Wednesday became the first Western country to officially authorize one of the dozen or so vaccines that have been in development since the pandemic began .
Citing `` months of rigorous clinical trials and a thorough analysis of the data , '' the UK approved Pfizer and BioNTech 's vaccine , which trials showed to be safe and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The United Kingdom will begin vaccinating members of the public against the coronavirus next week — a major milestone in the worldwide race to combat a pandemic that has killed 1.5 million people .
‘ The vaccine wouldn ’ t be approved if it wasn ’ t clinically safe.
’ Health Secretary Matt Hancock explains how the UK regulator has made ‘ rigorous ’ safety check to allow the UK to become the first country in the world to approve the vaccine .
@ Piersmorgan | @ susannareid100 The Pfizer vaccine is one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been disclosed so far .
Trial results for the second , made by Moderna , showed it to be 94 % effective .
The makers of the third , Oxford University and AstraZeneca , have released data showing 70 % effectiveness overall , though questions have been raised about the trial 's design .
All of the vaccines require two shots to work .
The UK has yet to approve the Moderna or the Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine .
In the United States , both the Pfizer vaccine and the Moderna vaccine are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Drug Administration .
On Dec. 10 , an FDA panel will meet to consider authorizing the Pfizer vaccine .
Though initial vaccinations are likely to begin this month , ensuring enough people have received it to bring the pandemic under control will be a major logistical challenge spanning months .
The companies that produce approved vaccines will need to manufacture many millions of doses , and governments around the world will need to buy them , store them , and figure out how to get them to people as quickly as possible .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ at an ultra-cold -70 degrees Celsius , creating extra challenges to distributing it easily and equitably .
Who should receive the first available vaccinations is a subject of intense debate .
The UK 's first doses will likely go to healthcare workers , because of their heavy exposure to the virus but also because the Pfizer vaccine must be stored in extremely cold temperatures , which is easier to do in hospitals .
Next in line will be elderly people living in nursing homes and the people who care for them .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday voted to recommend that healthcare workers and people living in nursing homes should be vaccinated ahead of everyone else .
The panel 's recommendations will help state governors decide who gets top priority .

The Pfizer vaccine is one of three for which late-stage trial data has been disclosed so far. Trial results for the second, made by Moderna, showed it to be 94% effective. The makers of the third, Oxford University and AstraZeneca, have released data showing 70% effectiveness overall, though questions have been raised about the trial's design. All of the vaccines require two shots to work. The UK has yet to approve the Moderna or the Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine.
In the United States, both the Pfizer vaccine and the Moderna vaccine are awaiting emergency approval from the Food and Drug Administration. On Dec. 10, an FDA panel will meet to consider authorizing the Pfizer vaccine.
Though initial vaccinations are likely to begin this month, ensuring enough people have received it to bring the pandemic under control will be a major logistical challenge spanning months. The companies that produce approved vaccines will need to manufacture many millions of doses, and governments around the world will need to buy them, store them, and figure out how to get them to people as quickly as possible.
Pfizer's vaccine needs to be stored at an ultra-cold -70 degrees Celsius, creating extra challenges to distributing it easily and equitably.
Who should receive the first available vaccinations is a subject of intense debate. The UK's first doses will likely go to healthcare workers, because of their heavy exposure to the virus but also because the Pfizer vaccine must be stored in extremely cold temperatures, which is easier to do in hospitals. Next in line will be elderly people living in nursing homes and the people who care for them.
In the US, a CDC panel on Tuesday voted to recommend that healthcare workers and people living in nursing homes should be vaccinated ahead of everyone else. The panel's recommendations will help state governors decide who gets top priority.


buzzfeed--2020-12-03--Miley Cyrus Opened Up About Breaking Her Sobriety During The Pandemic

`` I 'm not the best partner ; I 'm not the best daughter ; I 'm not the best @ @ @ @ @ a little unreliable .
So if that 's an alcoholic—if we 're not measuring it @ @ @ @ @ but how we perform as a human being—then I would say alcohol is a problem @ @ @ @ @ not at my best . ''

"I'm not the best partner; I'm not the best daughter; I'm not the best sister. I can be a little unreliable. So if that's an alcoholic — if we're not measuring it by how much we drink but how we perform as a human being — then I would say alcohol is a problem for me because I'm not at my best."


buzzfeed--2020-12-03--Moms Are Exposing How Much It Costs To Give Birth In US Hospitals And It's Going Viral Because It's

Moms Are Exposing How Much It Costs To Give Birth In US Hospitals And It's Going Viral Because It's So Ridiculous

After just now paying off the medical bill for giving birth to her daughter two years ago , a TikTok @ @ @ @ @ share what age their kid was when they were finally able to pay off their @ @ @

After just now paying off the medical bill for giving birth to her daughter two years ago, a TikTok user asked other moms to share what age their kid was when they were finally able to pay off their childbirth bill:


buzzfeed--2020-12-03--A Georgia Republican Senator Donated Her Salary To Anti-LGBTQ And Anti-Abortion Organizations


buzzfeed--2020-12-04--I’m 33 Years Old. I Got COVID-19 Eight Months Ago. I’m Still Sick.

Eight months out from the first frightening peak of coronavirus cases in the US , Americans are facing another dangerous surge of the pandemic .
More than 100,000 Americans are in the hospital right now , sick with COVID-19 — the most there ’ s ever been .
At least 13.9 million people in the US have had the virus .
Some fully recovered and bounced right back to their lives , perhaps without even knowing they ’ d ever been infected .
Some — at least 273,000 so far — have died .
And others , like me , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of headaches , exhaustion , chest pains , and shortness of breath , their post-viral symptoms dragging out for weeks that have turned into months , with no end or relief in sight .
I ’ m 33 years old .
Before I got sick with COVID-19 in April , I was traveling nonstop for my work as a campaign reporter , with 12- to 14-hour days on my feet , sometimes working 10 or more days in a row .
In between all that , I ’ d fit in hot yoga @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The best way I can describe how I am now , at the end of this strange , horrible year , is that I wake up most days feeling like I drank a six-pack of beer the night before .
Washing the dishes , doing my laundry , or walking a few blocks leaves me in need of a sit-down .
It ’ s a sort of gritty feeling in my body , a woolly feeling in my brain .
My breathing is up and down ; when I 'm tired , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least 10 hours of sleep most nights .
And if I push too hard , it ’ s not just laborious — it ’ s actually painful , from my lungs to my head to the stinging in my eyes .
“ Hopefully it will improve soon , ” one doctor told me a few months ago .
That was the extent of her advice .
Before he got sick in July , “ I had tons of energy .
I ’ d never take a break , probably like you , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and patient benefit adviser at a hospital in Orlando , told me .
“ And just all of a sudden , it just hit me out of nowhere .
I went from feeling 27 to feeling like I 'm 207 years old.
” For the past eight months , those of us who have long-term post-COVID symptoms , as well as those who ’ ve watched loved ones suffer or die from the virus , have seen the president refuse to acknowledge that COVID-19 has killed hundreds of thousands of Americans and made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a “ Fake News Media Conspiracy ” — even after getting sick himself .
“ Don ’ t let it dominate you .
Don ’ t be afraid of it , ” Trump said right after coming out of Walter Reed Medical Center , where he ’ d been treated with antibodies and steroids inaccessible to most Americans .
“ You ’ re going to beat it .
We have the best medical equipment , we have the best medicines , all developed recently.
” Of course , hundreds of thousands of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus .
Now , can the US be a place where someone can survive even if they ’ re knocked off track by a severe illness ?
The answer , for a long time , has been that it is not .
This country ’ s disability safety net has been woefully inadequate since well before the pandemic .
It ’ s certainly not capable now of handling the needs of everyone who is currently seeing or will in the next few months see their lives dramatically upended by long-term COVID-related illness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acknowledged the devastation of COVID-19 and has a clear plan to address the pandemic — but there are still two and a half months to survive before that plan can be put into action .
And there ’ s still no specific plan to federally fund clinics or research to help people with lingering symptoms .
Biden ’ s main offering , according to his team , is to protect health insurance coverage for preexisting conditions and make insurance accessible for those who lose their jobs because of the pandemic .
That will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who have long-term symptoms and no health insurance — but even those of us with post-viral problems who already have decent health insurance are struggling to access guidance and care .
COVID-19 has forced me to reevaluate how I think about health , work , vulnerability , and strength .
And I ’ ve wondered whether the pandemic will force our culture at large to make some reevaluations , too .
Maybe it will force us to question the American cult of individualism , that idea that doing well or being well is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ willpower .
Maybe it will finally make clear that we ’ re not , as the ads at the beginning of the lockdowns said , “ all in this together , ” and that our failure to think about collective health and responsibility means many , many people fall through the cracks in a crisis .
By the time we have a vaccine , there will only be more of us struggling to see what the future looks like with slowed down bodies and long-term consequences of the virus , trying to figure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of life for however long this lasts .
When well-meaning friends express shock at how long I ’ ve been sick and how supportive my employer has been in giving me time to recover , it rankles .
I ’ m so grateful , but shouldn ’ t we all have this basic human consideration ?
To be able to rest and recover instead of driving ourselves to work , potentially at the cost of our lives ?
But the paradox is that if we don ’ t just keep laboring through it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ survive .
Every now and then , over the past seven months , I have obsessively gone back through my calendar and counted the days leading up to it .
On March 5 , I was in LA at a packed rally for Joe Biden , talking to voters about why they ’ d gotten behind him after their candidates dropped out .
On March 6 , I was at LAX , and it had started to sink in that things were getting weird .
There were a few people in masks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and bought four bottles at the only place that still had them , the Magic Johnson store in Terminal 5 .
On the flight , I sat wedged between two men , chatting with one about news of this virus and prognosticating how bad it could really get .
“ If you look at what we know , millions of Americans are going to get sick , ” he said .
“ And I guess a lot of people are going to die.
” We looked at each other in silence for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me sneezed and wiped his nose with his hand .
On March 7 , I was in Kansas City , Missouri , reporting on another Biden rally .
Before it started , I sat in a crowded restaurant with colleagues eating barbeque with our hands .
Pretty soon after , the campaign trail dissolved , and we all retreated to our respective bubbles .
The first weekend I was home in DC , my 12-year-old cousin came over for a sleepover — we watched movies and snuggled on the couch , cooked and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no 6-foot distance between us .
It 's a very specific ache now , to think about the warmth of being that close to someone you love .
On April 4 , a Saturday , I went for a run , and that ’ s when things took a turn .
I couldn ’ t stop coughing — I assumed it was allergies .
But for days afterward , the coughing didn ’ t stop .
By April 8 , a Wednesday night , I wrote this email to my editors at 2:51 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Hey just wanted to let you both know , coughing is a fair bit worse tonight .
Reached back out to One Medical and will assess what to do in the morning I think .
Hoping it settles but just wanted to make sure you had that and to keep you posted .
I gave them my updated emergency contact number , my aunt ’ s , just in case .
Looking back , the mild language I was using speaks to how reluctant I was to accept that something serious was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was doing “ fair bit worse , ” I was actually struggling to breathe .
When I said I would assess what to do in the morning , I was really considering whether I needed to call an ambulance and go to the hospital right then .
I didn ’ t go to the hospital in the end , though maybe I should have .
Sitting up in bed , I watched videos my mum sent me from a doctor on YouTube explaining how to breathe through COVID coughing and got through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several months of intense sickness , followed by several more months of getting a bit better and then worse again .
It felt like I was being put through my paces with cycles of new and freshly horrifying symptoms every few weeks .
For about a month , I was throwing up a lot and had to switch to a bland diet .
Then for about two months , I woke up every day with intense chest pain , as if I 'd been doing chest presses all night in my sleep .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of breath came and went throughout .
Month to month I can see that I ’ m very slowly getting some energy back — but there ’ s the constant possibility , which no one has been able to really rule out , that one of these setbacks will be so bad that I actually do end up in the hospital , or worse .
One day early on , I tried to do a YouTube yoga session “ for when you ’ re sick ” and ended up a sobbing mess on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t have the energy to get past about three minutes .
I kept pushing myself to get back to work , as though by the force of sheer willpower I could stop being sick .
The day Trump left Walter Reed Medical Center , I watched on TV as he puffed up the steps of the White House to the Truman Balcony , where he removed his mask , waved , and saluted .
An obvious lesson I learned this year : You ca n't bully yourself into disappearing a life-threatening illness .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on , that it ’ s a question of fearlessness or mental toughness , is just not how this — or any — illness really works .
And yet , as he minimized the disease on national television , I once again minimized my own sickness : I can get back to work in a day or two , I told myself , while I labored to breathe .
Just one more day .
So far , there ’ s an element of randomness in how hard different people are hit by COVID @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the research to tell us why a healthy 33-year-old is knocked down for months while a seventysomething man with other risk factors can bounce back in days ( though level of care can certainly be a factor ; not everyone has had access to the president ’ s exclusive , top-tier treatment ) .
Our recovery , too , is not created equal .
In a country with no federally mandated paid sick leave or protections for workers who are too ill to work — even in a pandemic , when spreading the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — people with long COVID are forced to choose between resting for their health and a paycheck .
That leads to a deep-seated fear that so many of us , and particularly women of color , have ingrained in us .
If you stop working , if you don ’ t push yourself , if you don ’ t fight for it , you lose everything .
Some of the questions I asked myself in the first few months I was ill : Are you really this sick ?
Why aren ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and keep going ?
Why aren ’ t you doing your job as a reporter as the world falls to bits around you ?
What use are you like this to the people you love and the world at large ?
Whether or not they can work is also not an abstract question for the four others with long COVID who I spoke to for this story .
Jenn Fryer , 36 , from Costa Mesa , California , lost her job as a fashion designer in March , a few months before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been avoiding seeing doctors , especially because her brother , who also had COVID-19 , was hospitalized for a few weeks and landed with a roughly million-dollar bill .
He has insurance that will help with those charges , she said , but for her , it ’ s not an option to rack up medical costs .
“ Ever since my brother went to the hospital and got put on the ventilator , I get massive anxiety attacks thinking about it .
I 'll just break down crying .
I do n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or anything .
And I was also scared … because I do n't have health insurance right now , ” she said .
Jenn said she ’ s receiving $ 450 per week , the maximum unemployment she can get in California , which only just covers her rent .
“ I mean , it affects your self-esteem , but also it ’ s our livelihood .
And especially right now , it 's not getting any extra help from the government anymore .
You ca n't really survive that way , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the unemployment funding boost from the federal CARES Act .
She ’ s trying to apply for jobs , but there ’ s not a lot out there — and just the effort of going through the interview is sometimes absolutely exhausting .
“ I had an interview last month , and I had to put together a whole presentation and do that via Zoom , and it was exhausting .
Like afterwards , I felt like I ran like 5 miles .
And it 's not just like exhausting physically ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said .
“ I realized that even the way that I pronounce things is different , which is kind of weird .
I 'll have to think about it , like is this pronounced this way or this way ?
” Carlos Cabral , 35 , who works as a surgical technologist at a hospital in Pasadena , California , got sick from COVID-19 after traveling to Mexico to be with his dying grandfather in April .
He was hospitalized for about a week , and in that time he was so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and heart were affected .
A few days in , the doctor suggested he talk to a chaplain and sort out his financial affairs because it wasn ’ t looking good .
“ I wrote a farewell message on my phone to my mom , my dad , and my sisters and my best friend .
That was a really powerful moment for me this year .
Where I felt like I had no control over what was happening .
I lived a beautiful life .
I felt grateful , but you know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , all I really wanted was to hug them one last time.
” The following day , somehow , Carlos began to recover .
He ’ s back at work now , but his lungs are not back to normal , he said he ’ s noticeably slower than he used to be , and he still has fatigue and neuropathy — tingling and pain — in his hands and feet .
He told his bosses he can ’ t pull the 24-hour shifts that are expected at the hospital anymore , so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 12 hours at a time .
Junior had to put his music work on hold — when he got sick in July he was about to record an EP .
His work at the hospital , too , has paused .
He ’ s on short-term disability right now , because he can ’ t do his job remotely and he ’ s not only too fatigued to work but also scared of whether or not he ’ s still infectious .
He ’ s been testing negative for COVID , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ symptoms .
His hospital , like many others around the country , has also been losing money fast .
They ’ ve closed their outpatient services and have a freeze on hiring , so he can ’ t look for a job in a different department there .
Junior is very concerned that he ’ ll soon lose his job .
“ I had to take like a month off , and then I told them after the month , I still do n't feel good .
I could probably drive to work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of my energy is driving to work , and once I get there , it 's done , ” he said .
At first , like me , he struggled with not being able to work and be more helpful in the midst of a pandemic .
But then “ it kind of shifted my perspective , ” Junior said .
“ Before it was , ‘ I miss going to work , ’ but as the symptoms progressed and life kept going on but you kind of stay in that same place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] .
Now it 's not ‘ I miss going to work.
’ It 's ‘ I miss being able to walk down the sidewalk for 30 minutes.
’ ” There are a handful of clinics around the country starting to focus specifically on COVID patients with post-viral symptoms .
But there isn ’ t widely available medical support or research to help this new population of Americans .
As someone with pretty good health insurance , it ’ s still taken me more than six months to speak to a doctor , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get to the root of what I ’ m going through .
Last week , after several tests , he landed on the same thing several other doctors have told me : It ’ s not clear why I ’ m not better yet , and there ’ s nothing to be done except rest and wait .
In other countries , governments are starting to acknowledge that the long-term public health fallout of long COVID isn ’ t going away .
The head of the UK ’ s National Health Service said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ publicly funded clinics to serve people with these post-viral complications , investing £10 million into clinical services , planning , and research .
“ Long COVID is already having a very serious impact on many people ’ s lives and could well go on to affect hundreds of thousands , ” said NHS Chief Executive Simon Stevens , estimating that around 60,000 people in the UK are already dealing with long-term COVID symptoms .
“ More recent evidence is also showing that long COVID can be categorised into four different syndromes : post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ syndrome , permanent organ damage and long term COVID syndrome , ” the NHS announcement said .
That ’ s already more clarity than most of us in the US with long COVID have been able to get .
Our CDC took until July to even acknowledge that people have long-term issues from COVID and now offers only this explanation : “ The long-term significance of these effects is not yet known .
CDC will continue active investigation and provide updates as new data emerge , which can inform COVID-19 clinical care as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19.
” In the absence of real medical guidance , we ’ re realizing that we need to learn how to live with this illness .
Educating ourselves in these support groups is exhausting but necessary — something we ’ re learning from people who have for far longer dealt with other “ invisible ” illnesses like chronic fatigue and lupus .
They ’ re all too familiar with what we ’ re dealing with now : when the medical profession doesn ’ t seem to have many answers for you , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to understand or even believe that you ’ re struggling .
For many people — myself included — the scarcity of tests early in the pandemic has left us adrift in a particularly strange limbo , experiencing the crushing symptoms of the virus while having no definitive positive test result .
When tests were still scarce , many people were told by doctors that they likely had the virus but couldn ’ t get tested unless they were hospitalized .
And then there were plenty of false negative test results , which doctors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the early months .
( That ’ s what happened to me — and after ruling out other possibilities , I was told by doctors that I should assume I had COVID-19 . )
Both of those scenarios are particularly hard to deal with in this culture of reluctance to give people space and resources to be sick and recover , where illness must be in some way certified to be taken seriously ( to the point where , in several states , voters had to provide a doctor ’ s note @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the midst of a pandemic ) .
“ I woke up with fatigue so bad one day — I woke up and I actually laughed because of how ridiculous the fatigue was , like , if I were to tell people nobody would believe me .
I was that tired , ” said Junior .
“ No one will ever believe me that I can barely walk to the bathroom.
” Carlos said he filed a complaint to the hospital he works for after a surgeon and anaesthesiologist he was working with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t real and mocking him after he told them he was having a hard day with the fatigue .
They were suspended for their comments , he said .
“ After that moment , I remember thinking , I 've always been such a happy person .
I 'm just so tired of feeling unworthy .
Because that ’ s what it ’ s like , feeling broken .
Like not myself , ” he said .
He ’ s taken up meditation , which has helped improve his mental health , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of gentle stretching every day .
In one long COVID support group , there ’ s a discussion about histamines , with links to preliminary studies .
In another , people share stories about stupid things we forget : One woman ran a bath and only realized after she tried getting in that it was ice cold .
Jenn told me she sometimes forgets how to put her car in drive .
Jenn always has a thesaurus site open on her phone now , for when she loses her words .
I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blank is coming and try to slow down my speech until my brain can catch up .
Swapping these stories , we laughed about our weird brain freezes — relieved to speak to someone else who truly understands .
A friend of mine who had chronic fatigue for years has helped me draw a road map for how to live with this , and importantly , how to stop seeing relapses and improvements as failures and victories — a tally that can drive you mad .
She introduced me to spoon theory : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advocate Christine Miserandino came up with to try to explain how she lives with lupus .
When you have a chronic illness , you have limited amounts of energy every day — imagine you start the day with 15 spoons .
Each thing you do , from showering to making coffee to speaking to your boss on the phone , takes a certain number of spoons .
The spoons are finite .
Ration your energy accordingly , and know that if you exceed your daily spoons , you ’ ll be working with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lose my words , sometimes , in the middle of a sentence .
I ’ m asking a question or making a point , and the gears in my brain just grind to a halt .
This is a jarring feeling for someone whose livelihood hinges on finding the right words , in multiple languages .
My mind is trying to race ahead at its normal pace and it just .
Doesn ’ t .
Work .
So maybe it ’ s OK if I speak a little slower for however long this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the words , and catch my breath .
Jenn tells me how she ’ s still struggling with fatigue almost every day , body aches , swelling of her feet , and trouble regulating her body temperature .
I can relate .
Occasionally , after a busy day , I ’ ll have some trouble breathing again — maybe the worst symptom because it ’ s hard to talk to family and friends outside my isolated apartment .
In recent weeks , I ’ ve been exhausted every single day .
Pre-COVID , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ class , take a long walk , hang out with friends , all things that I ’ ve relied on to pick me up when I ’ m low on energy .
Now , the options are sleep , walk down the block , a video chat .
This is just how it has to be sometimes .
I tell myself it won ’ t be forever .
Right before getting sick , Jenn bought a Peloton bike — she had to sell it pretty soon after , because leisurely walks and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s able to do right now .
“ Sometimes I 'll go for walks with my dog , and honestly , even if I go up a slight hill , I 'm like , Oh my gosh .
And then my inhaler does n't work , I mean , there 's nothing that can help it , ” she said .
Junior had chronic fatigue in the past .
He said he ’ s trying to heal his post-COVID symptoms the same way he dealt with that disease : through lifestyle and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immune system .
“ You have to completely change your diet to like anti-inflammatory everything , all organic everything .
You have to regulate your sleep .
You ca n't exercise too little , but you can not exercise too much .
You have to get rid of stress , ” he said .
Easier said than done with the pressure to find and keep work , while feeling like your body ’ s on the brink of giving up on you some days .
Despite these challenges , he ’ s philosophical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ optimistic .
He said where there ’ s hardship , often there ’ s transformation , both for individual people and for us as a society .
“ I 'm not really like a religious person , but I do believe in the universe and our connection with it , and how we 're all intertwined , ” he said .
“ This year the world is shifting , with the volcanoes and COVID and the rioting and what 's going on overseas in , like , Hong Kong and China , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like everyone is going through something at the same time.
” “ I feel like we 're going through some kind of huge energy , spiritual shift , but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel , kind of with this election being like the first thing to change , ” he said .
“ And then after that , it 's going to be like a snowball .
Everything will get better one by one , and then we 'll all go into that shift .
But right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through it.
” It ’ s comforting to hear Junior ’ s optimism , though I ’ m more skeptical about the world at large making real progress .
As we head into a pandemic winter that feels particularly foreboding , I am more hopeful about people on an individual level .
Surely , if nothing else , more of us have to come out of this with a greater awareness of this country ’ s systemic failures and how we internalize the harsh demands that are placed on us .
The week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , now 13 , for the first time since the spring , bundled up against the cold in my aunt and uncle ’ s backyard , masked and at a distance across a fire pit .
I wanted to cry with the simple relief of being in their company , talking about the usual things ( school , soccer , work , food , politics ) and the less usual things ( masks , hospitals , symptoms , vaccines ) .
The next day , I traveled for work again for the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I needed to sleep for 17 hours when I got home .
I ’ ve taken these things as evidence that although it ’ s nothing like what it used to be , life is moving forward .
Maybe moving at a slightly slower pace doesn ’ t have to be a terrible calamity .
Having a little patience and a lot of restraint does not mean that I 'm giving up .
●

A friend of mine who had chronic fatigue for years has helped me draw a road map for how to live with this, and importantly, how to stop seeing relapses and improvements as failures and victories — a tally that can drive you mad.
She introduced me to spoon theory: an imperfect but helpful concept that patient advocate Christine Miserandino came up with to try to explain how she lives with lupus. When you have a chronic illness, you have limited amounts of energy every day — imagine you start the day with 15 spoons. Each thing you do, from showering to making coffee to speaking to your boss on the phone, takes a certain number of spoons. The spoons are finite. Ration your energy accordingly, and know that if you exceed your daily spoons, you’ll be working with far fewer the following day.
I lose my words, sometimes, in the middle of a sentence. I’m asking a question or making a point, and the gears in my brain just grind to a halt. This is a jarring feeling for someone whose livelihood hinges on finding the right words, in multiple languages. My mind is trying to race ahead at its normal pace and it just. Doesn’t. Work. So maybe it’s OK if I speak a little slower for however long this lasts. Give myself time to find the words, and catch my breath.
Jenn tells me how she’s still struggling with fatigue almost every day, body aches, swelling of her feet, and trouble regulating her body temperature. I can relate. Occasionally, after a busy day, I’ll have some trouble breathing again — maybe the worst symptom because it’s hard to talk to family and friends outside my isolated apartment. In recent weeks, I’ve been exhausted every single day. Pre-COVID, I’d go to a yoga class, take a long walk, hang out with friends, all things that I’ve relied on to pick me up when I’m low on energy. Now, the options are sleep, walk down the block, a video chat. This is just how it has to be sometimes. I tell myself it won’t be forever.
Right before getting sick, Jenn bought a Peloton bike — she had to sell it pretty soon after, because leisurely walks and a weekly gentle yoga session are what she’s able to do right now.
“Sometimes I'll go for walks with my dog, and honestly, even if I go up a slight hill, I'm like, Oh my gosh. And then my inhaler doesn't work, I mean, there's nothing that can help it,” she said.
Junior had chronic fatigue in the past. He said he’s trying to heal his post-COVID symptoms the same way he dealt with that disease: through lifestyle and diet changes that help his energy and immune system.
“You have to completely change your diet to like anti-inflammatory everything, all organic everything. You have to regulate your sleep. You can't exercise too little, but you cannot exercise too much. You have to get rid of stress,” he said.
Easier said than done with the pressure to find and keep work, while feeling like your body’s on the brink of giving up on you some days.
Despite these challenges, he’s philosophical about this chaotic year, and ultimately optimistic. He said where there’s hardship, often there’s transformation, both for individual people and for us as a society.
“I'm not really like a religious person, but I do believe in the universe and our connection with it, and how we're all intertwined,” he said. “This year the world is shifting, with the volcanoes and COVID and the rioting and what's going on overseas in, like, Hong Kong and China, and then with the election, it seems like everyone is going through something at the same time.”
“I feel like we're going through some kind of huge energy, spiritual shift, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, kind of with this election being like the first thing to change,” he said. “And then after that, it's going to be like a snowball. Everything will get better one by one, and then we'll all go into that shift. But right now, we're all just going through it.”
It’s comforting to hear Junior’s optimism, though I’m more skeptical about the world at large making real progress. As we head into a pandemic winter that feels particularly foreboding, I am more hopeful about people on an individual level. Surely, if nothing else, more of us have to come out of this with a greater awareness of this country’s systemic failures and how we internalize the harsh demands that are placed on us.
The week before Thanksgiving, I saw my cousin, now 13, for the first time since the spring, bundled up against the cold in my aunt and uncle’s backyard, masked and at a distance across a fire pit. I wanted to cry with the simple relief of being in their company, talking about the usual things (school, soccer, work, food, politics) and the less usual things (masks, hospitals, symptoms, vaccines). The next day, I traveled for work again for the first time since March — a 48-hour trip. I needed to sleep for 17 hours when I got home. I’ve taken these things as evidence that although it’s nothing like what it used to be, life is moving forward. Maybe moving at a slightly slower pace doesn’t have to be a terrible calamity. Having a little patience and a lot of restraint does not mean that I'm giving up. ●


buzzfeed--2020-12-04--This Woman Caught Her Boyfriend Jerking Off Even Though She Asked Him Not To Anymore — Is She Being

This Woman Caught Her Boyfriend Jerking Off Even Though She Asked Him Not To Anymore — Is She Being Unfair?

The one exception to all of this , I should mention , is if your partner 's masturbation or porn @ @ @ @ @ point of concern .
Like , if he 's sequestered in his room all day @ @ @ @ @ and it 's negatively impacting your sex life together , that may require an intervention @ @ @ @ @ sound like that 's the case here .
You 've walked in on him jerking @ @ @ @ @ in the course of two years .
That does n't indicate to me that he @ @ @ @ @ that needs to be addressed — although it does indicate that he should get better @ @ @ @

The one exception to all of this, I should mention, is if your partner's masturbation or porn use is excessive to the point of concern. Like, if he's sequestered in his room all day endlessly scrolling through PornHub, and it's negatively impacting your sex life together, that may require an intervention. But it doesn't sound like that's the case here. You've walked in on him jerking off a handful of times in the course of two years. That doesn't indicate to me that he has any sort of problem that needs to be addressed — although it does indicate that he should get better at locking doors.


buzzfeed--2020-12-03--Health Care Workers And Nursing Home Residents Should Be First In Line For A Coronavirus Vaccine, A

Health Care Workers And Nursing Home Residents Should Be First In Line For A Coronavirus Vaccine, A CDC Panel Just Voted

A CDC expert panel voted 13–1 on Tuesday to recommend that the first COVID-19 vaccines should go to healthcare workers and nursing homes as soon as they are authorized by the FDA , a decision expected later this month .
The CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices ( ACIP ) vote prioritizes both populations equally for the first vaccines , coming amid a surging nationwide pandemic .
The meeting finalized months of vaccine distribution planning by the committee ’ s experts and federal officials , who had to balance medical ethics , what science has learned about people with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccination for these populations .
The debate over who should get the first vaccines reached a fever pitch with recent reports of Trump administration officials pressing for seniors over age 65 to receive vaccines ahead of healthcare workers .
“ My vote reflects maximizing benefits , minimizing harms , promoting justice , and minimizing inequities in distributing these vaccines , ” said panel chair José Romero , secretary of health at the Arkansas Department of Health .
If the ACIP recommendations are approved by CDC Director Robert Redfield , they become agency guidelines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the agency .
The government will distribute the first vaccines to states based on their populations , Alex Azar , head of the Department of Health and Human Services , said last week .
The decision of who to distribute the vaccines to first will then ultimately be up to individual governors , he added .
“ This is important because the COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented , ” Emory University ’ s Walter Orenstein , former director of the United States Immunization Program , told BuzzFeed News .
`` It is important for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have a perspective , when the first doses of vaccine are rolled out , to whom they should be targeted.
” There are some 21 million healthcare personnel in the US and 3 million residents of nursing homes .
Operation Warp Speed , the $ 10 billion public–private partnership aimed at fast-tracking the development of COVID-19 treatments and vaccines , hopes to have shots ready for about 20 million Americans before the end of the year .
CDC officials said at the meeting they initially expect to distribute 5 million to 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2021 .
Two vaccine candidates , one made by Pfizer and one made by Moderna , have reported 95 % and 94.1 % efficacy , respectively , in blocking COVID-19 cases among participants in clinical trials who have received two shots of their vaccines spaced weeks apart .
Both have requested FDA authorization for their distribution .
On Dec. 10 , an FDA independent expert panel will meet to consider the Pfizer vaccine ’ s authorization , and a similar meeting will be held on Dec. 17 for the Moderna one .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorizes a vaccine and then the CDC director approves vaccine distribution priorities decided by its advisory panel .
However , with more than 2,000 Americans a day dying from COVID-19 in the days ahead of Thanksgiving , the CDC panel vote came first , intended to ease distribution of vaccines as the FDA authorizes them .
CDC said there will be another meeting after the Dec. 10 FDA meeting to vote specifically on distributing Pfizer ’ s vaccine .
`` We hope this vote will get us all one step closer to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again , '' said the CDC ’ s Nancy Messonnier , who spoke at Tuesday 's meeting .
Consideration by independent experts is standard for any new vaccine , Orenstein said .
“ What is uncommon is the speed with which this is occurring because of the ongoing pandemic , ” he said .

A CDC expert panel voted 13–1 on Tuesday to recommend that the first COVID-19 vaccines should go to healthcare workers and nursing homes as soon as they are authorized by the FDA, a decision expected later this month.
The CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) vote prioritizes both populations equally for the first vaccines, coming amid a surging nationwide pandemic. The meeting finalized months of vaccine distribution planning by the committee’s experts and federal officials, who had to balance medical ethics, what science has learned about people with the highest risk, and ease of mass vaccination for these populations.
The debate over who should get the first vaccines reached a fever pitch with recent reports of Trump administration officials pressing for seniors over age 65 to receive vaccines ahead of healthcare workers.
“My vote reflects maximizing benefits, minimizing harms, promoting justice, and minimizing inequities in distributing these vaccines,” said panel chair José Romero, secretary of health at the Arkansas Department of Health.
If the ACIP recommendations are approved by CDC Director Robert Redfield, they become agency guidelines as soon as they are published by the agency. The government will distribute the first vaccines to states based on their populations, Alex Azar, head of the Department of Health and Human Services, said last week. The decision of who to distribute the vaccines to first will then ultimately be up to individual governors, he added.
“This is important because the COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented,” Emory University’s Walter Orenstein, former director of the United States Immunization Program, told BuzzFeed News. "It is important for planners at the state and local level to have a perspective, when the first doses of vaccine are rolled out, to whom they should be targeted.”
There are some 21 million healthcare personnel in the US and 3 million residents of nursing homes. Operation Warp Speed, the $10 billion public–private partnership aimed at fast-tracking the development of COVID-19 treatments and vaccines, hopes to have shots ready for about 20 million Americans before the end of the year. CDC officials said at the meeting they initially expect to distribute 5 million to 10 million doses of the vaccine a week in 2021.
Two vaccine candidates, one made by Pfizer and one made by Moderna, have reported 95% and 94.1% efficacy, respectively, in blocking COVID-19 cases among participants in clinical trials who have received two shots of their vaccines spaced weeks apart. Both have requested FDA authorization for their distribution.
On Dec. 10, an FDA independent expert panel will meet to consider the Pfizer vaccine’s authorization, and a similar meeting will be held on Dec. 17 for the Moderna one.
Typically, the FDA first licenses or authorizes a vaccine and then the CDC director approves vaccine distribution priorities decided by its advisory panel. However, with more than 2,000 Americans a day dying from COVID-19 in the days ahead of Thanksgiving, the CDC panel vote came first, intended to ease distribution of vaccines as the FDA authorizes them. CDC said there will be another meeting after the Dec. 10 FDA meeting to vote specifically on distributing Pfizer’s vaccine.
"We hope this vote will get us all one step closer to the day when we can all feel safe again," said the CDC’s Nancy Messonnier, who spoke at Tuesday's meeting.
Consideration by independent experts is standard for any new vaccine, Orenstein said. “What is uncommon is the speed with which this is occurring because of the ongoing pandemic,” he said.


buzzfeed--2020-12-03--Inside A Xinjiang Detention Camp

Inside A Xinjiang Detention Camp

This is Part 3 of a BuzzFeed News investigation .
For Part 1 , click here .
For Part 2 , click here .
This project was supported by the Pulitzer Center , the Open Technology Fund , and the Eyebeam Center for the Future of Journalism .
Nestled in the mountains along the border between China and Kazakhstan , a remote rural county conceals an appalling secret : a high-tech , rapidly growing mass internment camp for the area ’ s Muslim minorities , capable of detaining thousands of people .
The compound in China ’ s Mongolküre County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2017 , is mostly hidden from the outside world .
It has even been edited out of much of the satellite imagery that appears on China ’ s Baidu Maps .
But through interviews with former detainees and an in-depth architectural analysis of the site ’ s development , BuzzFeed News can reveal the true nature of this secretive facility — from its crowded cells where detainees were forbidden from gazing out the window to its solitary confinement rooms — and open its walls to scrutiny .
This massive detention center , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a cog in the largest-scale detention of ethnic and religious minorities in the world since World War II , in which 1 million or more Muslims , including Uighurs , Kazakhs , and others , have been rounded up and detained in China ’ s western region of Xinjiang .
Publicly , China has claimed that Muslim detainees have been freed .
Yet an ongoing BuzzFeed News investigation , based on dozens of interviews with survivors and thousands of satellite images , has exposed how China has built a vast and permanent infrastructure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a radical shift away from the government ’ s makeshift use of preexisting public buildings at the beginning of the campaign .
Using the same techniques that revealed the scale of China ’ s expanding network of detention centers , BuzzFeed News can now expose the inner workings of one such compound .
The Mongolküre facility is one of at least 260 newly built sites bearing the hallmarks of long-term detention centers capable of holding hundreds of thousands of people in total servitude to the state .
Until now , relatively little has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forbidding compounds .
Rarer still have been details about any single detention center .
One reason is terror : The overwhelming majority of camp survivors still live in Xinjiang under constant surveillance and the threat of incarceration , as do their families and the wider Muslim population in the region .
Many of those detained who have been able to speak out simply do n't remember where they were held , having been taken from home with hoods around their heads and shuttled from camp to camp .
BuzzFeed News initially learned of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detainees who have fled the country and have spoken about the conditions inside despite the risk to themselves and their families .
That testimony , combined with an architectural analysis of satellite photos dating back to 2006 , allowed BuzzFeed News to digitally reconstruct the prison to understand its purpose and scope .
This account of the camp at Mongolküre in China ’ s Xinjiang region — known as Zhaosu in Chinese — provides an intimate , prisoner ’ s-eye view of a single complex purpose-built to detain and dehumanize the people held @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the service of total control .
The cells , classrooms , and hallways are wired with cameras and microphones .
The slightest infractions , such as speaking their native language , can lead to violent retribution .
Their government captors exert extreme authority over their every move .
Detainees must sit up straight .
They must bow their heads .
They can not even walk down a hallway without following painted lines along the floor .
There ’ s no fresh air .
Little stimulation .
Only confinement .
The three former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infractions , such as speaking Kazakh .
They faced interrogations as often as once a week , where they would be asked the same questions over and over again about why they had gone to Kazakhstan , whom they knew there , and what their personal religious beliefs were .
They were forced to pledge loyalty to the Communist Party .
Sometimes they were asked to write and sign “ self-criticism ” documents .
But what they remember most about their time in Xinjiang ’ s camps is the shame they felt for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for weeks without going outside — despite never being accused of a crime .
In response to a list of questions about this story , the Chinese consulate in New York responded : “ The issue of Xinjiang is about combating violent terrorism and separatism .
We hope people making rumors about Xinjiang stop playing double standards and interfering in China 's internal affairs.
” The government , led by President Xi Jinping , has in the past said that the camps are for vocational training or education .
A Xinjiang official said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ graduated ” — but satellite evidence shows that the government kept building new facilities after that date .
“ Xi ’ s government prioritizes political loyalty — conformity — above all else , and in the authorities ’ eyes , Turkic Muslims ’ distinct identity is seen as a serious threat , ” said Sophie Richardson , China director at Human Rights Watch .
“ Beijing ’ s response should make anyone ’ s blood run cold : detaining vast numbers of people , wholly outside any legal process , freeing them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abandoning their language , religion , and culture — and voicing allegiance to their tormentors.
” The three young Kazakh men interviewed for this article first spent a few weeks detained in Mongolküre during the early months of China ’ s campaign against Muslims .
Back then , the camp consisted of an older detention center , capable of holding around 300 people , surrounded by thick walls and guard towers with a few small support buildings outside near a grassy field , a horse farm , and a snowcapped mountain range .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ crimes as they awaited trial .
But none of the three Kazakh men would ever see the inside of a courthouse .
All three were released , but their freedom would be temporary .
When they returned to the same compound in late 2017 , the place was so starkly different that the detainees began calling it “ the new place.
” While they were gone , a whole new compound had sprung up , complete with high gray walls and fenced-in walkways topped with curled barbed wire .
The men were held @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months .
High-resolution satellite images show that after the men were released , the camp expanded further , growing to more than 10 times its original size .
By fall 2018 , the “ new place ” was just one small corner of a sprawling complex capable of holding about 3,700 people — in a county that is home to just 183,900 people according to China ’ s census .
That means the complex could hold 1 in 50 people who live in Mongolküre .
And , thanks to a set of six @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fit for detainee labor .
The three young Kazakh men interviewed for this article were familiar with the part of Mongolküre where the camp was located because they had grown up in the area .
After leaving China , where Google tools are censored , they were able to find the camp on Google Earth .
The three believe they were brought to the camp for having lived in Kazakhstan , which the Chinese government deems a sign of divided loyalties .
Though they shared a hometown and spent overlapping stints at Xinjiang @ @ @ @ @ @ @ men did not know each other until after they were released .
Key details from each of their stories dovetail with one another .
They requested anonymity to be able to speak freely , fearing retribution against their families who still live in Xinjiang — one is referred to in this article by his nickname , Ulan , and the other two , O. and M. , are referred to by their initials .
Each said they had wondered if they would survive to tell what happened , and added that the ordeal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Satellite photos buttress their accounts with dramatic visual evidence — and document the Mongolküre camp ’ s mushrooming growth after they were released .
High-resolution imagery shows details such as the barbed wire pens in the courtyard where detainees were occasionally brought to exercise , the passage leading from the guardhouse to the main accommodation building , the colors of the outside walls .
By counting the windows along the facade — subtracting space for a classroom and stairwells — BuzzFeed News could estimate with a high degree of confidence how many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smuggled out of other camps often feature matching details , such as what the corridors looked like , or what the cells ’ doors looked like and how they locked .
BuzzFeed News used all of these sources and methods to build the 3D model shown here .
Taken together , these materials and interviews provide as complete a picture as possible about how a major Xinjiang detention camp functions on the inside .
They also show how the government ’ s detention program grew to dominate a rural county on China ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s high walls blotting out a landscape of grassy mountains and fields of flowers .
Ulan grew up in Mongolküre on his family ’ s small grain farm .
His parents were not as educated as he is ; he speaks Chinese with little accent even though , like most of the farming families around him , his native language is Kazakh .
When he was young , he used to love riding horses through tall green grass in the summer .
At home , he spent hours listening to American rap @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up some English words listening to Tupac Shakur rap about race in America , but he never thought much about being part of a minority group when he was growing up .
“ We never faced any discrimination because my old school , the local police station , the leaders , and Communist Party cadres of the county government were all Kazakh , ” he remembered .
“ Ninety percent of the school teachers were Kazakh.
” Around 2008 , more Han Chinese residents began to move to Mongolküre , former residents remembered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Much of Mongolküre County is farmland , the fields planted in narrow strips of alternating colors .
Its main town , called Mongolküre Town , has banks , restaurants , a post office , and a Buddhist temple .
Many farmers there grow potatoes and wheat ; the weather is too cold for apples to ripen , according to a former resident .
One of the busiest parts of town is the pedestrian street behind the old Number 1 Middle School , now renamed Shuguang Middle School , meaning “ dawn.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restaurants , many selling Chinese dishes like hot pot and beef noodle soup .
“ When we were growing up , we never ate Chinese food , ” said a former resident in his thirties .
China began its campaign of mass detention and surveillance in late 2016 , aimed , from the government ’ s perspective , at eradicating “ extremist thought ” and countering terrorism in the region , which the ruling Chinese Communist Party has blamed on separatist groups advocating for Xinjiang ’ s millions of Uighurs to form their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has meant the de facto criminalization of many ordinary ethnic customs , and Muslim religious practices , from wearing a headscarf to having attended a religious school .
Ulan wanted to go abroad to study .
His dream was to go to the US , the country he fell in love with through hip-hop lyrics .
But because he ’ s an ethnic Kazakh himself , Kazakhstan seemed easier — a place he could go before venturing farther .
In 2014 , he moved there for college .
He tried to return to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government had started its detention campaign , via the land border crossing at Khorgos .
Inside the beige building , he gave his passport to a Chinese immigration official .
The official told him he was on a blacklist , he said , and he was soon detained .
He was taken to a pretrial detention center in Mongolküre , satellite images and interviews show .
Built sometime between 2006 and 2010 , it was a stumpy T-shaped building , two stories high .
It sat just a kilometer outside of town @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a thicket of leafy trees .
Each floor had a single corridor down the middle with a row of cells on either side .
The building was tightly surrounded by a high wall , with guard towers dotting two of its corners .
All three of the Kazakh men interviewed for this article say they were held there in 2017 .
Outside the entrance to the detention compound , which could hold about 300 people , sat a couple of administrative buildings , the men remembered .
The guards ’ buildings were on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compound , complete with basketball and tennis courts and a garden with neatly planted bushes , satellite images show .
The camp lies on a gentle slope , with a stream to the east .
The compound quickly became overcrowded , the three men said — a common feature of life in the camps at the time , according to dozens of interviews with ex-detainees .
The government was moving quickly to ramp up its capacity to detain prisoners in multiple locations in Mongolküre , images show .
Two new camps were opened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time in older buildings that had been repurposed to hold detainees .
They could hold about 400 people in total , and they were located on main streets in Mongolküre ’ s town center , one across the street from a primary school , and the other opposite the county ’ s sports center .
Then , in September 2017 , a larger camp opened in the town center , labeled on Baidu Maps as “ Zhaosu Village Workers ’ Education Center , ” which could hold around 1,300 people .
While the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ camps was relatively subtle , this larger camp looked much more imposing , with thick , high security walls .
A small police station appeared next to the entrance , while two lanes of the road outside were converted into a parking lot .
Inside the compound , barbed wire walkways ran between the buildings , connecting them and the large pen in the courtyard near the entrance .
O. returned to what he now called “ the new place ” in the winter of 2017 .
“ There was a huge gray @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and you couldn ’ t see inside , ” O. said .
He remembered seeing a big black gate next to a police station , where he saw four officers were working .
Guards accompanied detainees to the interior of the camp , sometimes flanked by dogs .
The older T-shaped building from his first stay in lockup still stood nearby .
But where he now stood had been transformed from farmland into an entirely new complex that satellite photos show had been finished in the fall .
In it stood a main @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of other structures , including a medical clinic , administrative offices , and a visiting center for families that was seldom used , the three men remembered .
It is common to see internment camps in the region painted in pastels — peach or sky blue — but the buildings in this camp were white .
A barbed wire passageway led across the courtyard from the gated entrance to the large building where cells and classrooms were located .
The walls inside were white too , but the wall of the cell where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ covered with the Chinese flag and a poster with the emblem of the Communist Party and the words to the national anthem .
That made the room , which would normally house only three or four people , feel claustrophobic .
There was also a “ code of conduct ” posted — beginning with the command that they must immediately jump out of bed when the wake-up call came in the morning , followed by other rules designed to control the minutiae of their daily lives in their cells .
The detainees were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spaces inside the camps about once every few weeks , they remembered .
After being inside for so long , it felt strange to see the sky above them .
O. noticed that the detainees wore different uniforms ; he and others wore black , indicating they were not considered high-risk .
Others wore yellow and red uniforms .
Those in red were considered the most dangerous .
O. was not sure what they might have done to land themselves in that category .
Inside the building where O. stayed , the hallways @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , indicating where detainees were meant to walk in single file , usually with their heads down .
The rooms , which could house more than a dozen people , were about 14.1 feet long ( 4.3 meters ) and 20 feet wide ( 6.1 meters ) , according to a BuzzFeed News architectural analysis — a little over half the size of a two-car garage .
The detainees spent nearly all their time there , often as many as 23 hours a day .
Each room had two layers of doors for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ metal .
The inner wooden door had a slot , which would be used to pass food inside , O. said .
There was a canteen in the building on the first floor , but the detainees had only heard about it .
They assumed it was only for the people who worked in the camp — the teachers , the administrators , and guards .
Sometimes , Ulan thought , the food they brought them was warmed-over leftovers from the camp staffers ’ lunches .
Before meals , the detainees would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ songs like “ Socialism Is Good ” and “ Without the Communist Party , There Would Be No New China , ” both popular during the Mao era .
During the days , the detainees were usually required to go to class for about an hour to study the Chinese language and political dogma , like the party slogan “ love the Communist Party and love the country.
” The overcrowding in the camp meant classroom time was limited .
Classrooms , which were on the second and third floors of the building @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the students and the teacher .
Classes began with a patriotic song too .
The three Kazakh men interviewed for this story were all fluent in Mandarin Chinese but were forced to study it anyway , making them wonder why they had been brought to the camp at all .
But classes did provide what Ulan would come to see as an incredible luxury .
The detainees ’ cell windows were small and covered with barbed wire , and they could be reprimanded over the loudspeaker for looking out of them .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ teacher , Ulan said , which meant he could look at it without getting into trouble .
You couldn ’ t see much out of it , only the stark gray of the mountains stretching to the north .
But it reminded him he was not far from home .
They pressed a red alarm button in the room that was used to signal guards in emergencies .
Guards carried the man away .
Ulan assumed he would never see him again — but after a month , he returned .
Ulan felt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back ; serious illness was seen by prisoners as one of the only paths out of the camp .
“ At that time , everyone was very desperate and feared that they would never get out , ” he said .
To see someone that sick remain in detention was extremely demoralizing .
“ We don ’ t know how many people died there , ” he said .
Each cell had a loudspeaker and an intercom , through which guards and camp officials would shout orders .
When they ate meals or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perfectly upright on either plastic stools or the edge of their beds .
On one occasion , M. was beaten up with the butt of a gun , he said , after he ’ d broken a rule and was left covered with bruises .
A man the inmates called “ Director Ma ” was among those in charge of the camp , Ulan said .
“ He was a very cruel person.
” Guards watching the detainees through closed-circuit cameras — at least two in each cell — would monitor whether they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Uighur or Kazakh ) instead of Mandarin Chinese .
One day in 2018 , someone in Ulan ’ s room was found to be in violation .
After he was released in spring 2018 , Ulan moved back in with his parents .
When he saw them , he was overcome with guilt and shame .
“ I felt like a criminal , ” he said .
He couldn ’ t move past what had happened to him at the camp .
He thought about the cruelty he had seen there and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man he ’ d seen vomit blood .
“ There weren ’ t just ordinary people like us there ; there were also old people , people with mental illnesses , people with epilepsy , ” he said .
He wondered if they would survive .
He started listening to hip hop again , changing his chat avatar to a portrait of Tupac .
His favorite song was Me Against The World , the defiant 1995 hit where the rapper alludes to the trauma he 'd felt from witnessing killings and street violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talk about violence , racism , and social equality , '' Ulan said .
`` They 're full of a spirit of revolutionary resistance .
I do n't think any other rapper can make people feel so deeply moved . ''
Several months passed , and the three young men independently made their way to Kazakhstan , where they met for the first time .
After realizing they came from the same region of Xinjiang , they figured out that they had been held at the “ new place ” around the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had once been held in the camps .
There were many former detainees in Kazakhstan , but most of them tried to lay low — because they did not want to bring unwanted attention to their families back in China , or because they were so devastated by the ordeal that they sought only to move past it .
But others decided they wanted to speak publicly , recording videos on YouTube about their experiences or speaking to journalists .
“ They ’ re still harassing my family , ” Ulan said recently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for his address in Kazakhstan and what he was up to .
In October this year , police visited his family ’ s home to ask whether he planned to return to Xinjiang .
Ulan said his parents ’ ID cards have been blacklisted , meaning they trigger red flags at checkpoints and when police question them .
They had to get permission from authorities to leave Mongolküre .
“ Even now , ” he said , “ they are watching every move they make , all the time.
” ●

This is Part 3 of a BuzzFeed News investigation. For Part 1, click here. For Part 2, click here. For Part 4, click here. For Part 5, click here.
This project was supported by the Pulitzer Center, the Open Technology Fund, and the Eyebeam Center for the Future of Journalism.
Nestled in the mountains along the border between China and Kazakhstan, a remote rural county conceals an appalling secret: a high-tech, rapidly growing mass internment camp for the area’s Muslim minorities, capable of detaining thousands of people.
The compound in China’s Mongolküre County, which has been under construction since 2017, is mostly hidden from the outside world. It has even been edited out of much of the satellite imagery that appears on China’s Baidu Maps. But through interviews with former detainees and an in-depth architectural analysis of the site’s development, BuzzFeed News can reveal the true nature of this secretive facility — from its crowded cells where detainees were forbidden from gazing out the window to its solitary confinement rooms — and open its walls to scrutiny.
This massive detention center, the size of 13 football fields, is a cog in the largest-scale detention of ethnic and religious minorities in the world since World War II, in which 1 million or more Muslims, including Uighurs, Kazakhs, and others, have been rounded up and detained in China’s western region of Xinjiang. Publicly, China has claimed that Muslim detainees have been freed. Yet an ongoing BuzzFeed News investigation, based on dozens of interviews with survivors and thousands of satellite images, has exposed how China has built a vast and permanent infrastructure for mass detention in Xinjiang, marking a radical shift away from the government’s makeshift use of preexisting public buildings at the beginning of the campaign. Using the same techniques that revealed the scale of China’s expanding network of detention centers, BuzzFeed News can now expose the inner workings of one such compound. The Mongolküre facility is one of at least 260 newly built sites bearing the hallmarks of long-term detention centers capable of holding hundreds of thousands of people in total servitude to the state.
Until now, relatively little has been known about what happens inside these forbidding compounds. Rarer still have been details about any single detention center. One reason is terror: The overwhelming majority of camp survivors still live in Xinjiang under constant surveillance and the threat of incarceration, as do their families and the wider Muslim population in the region. Many of those detained who have been able to speak out simply don't remember where they were held, having been taken from home with hoods around their heads and shuttled from camp to camp.
BuzzFeed News initially learned of the Mongolküre site thanks to three former detainees who have fled the country and have spoken about the conditions inside despite the risk to themselves and their families. That testimony, combined with an architectural analysis of satellite photos dating back to 2006, allowed BuzzFeed News to digitally reconstruct the prison to understand its purpose and scope.