buzzfeed--2020-09-04--New York City Republican Leaders Are Sticking By Trump’s Plan To Defund New York City

WASHINGTON — Republican officials in New York City do not seem to have a problem with President Donald Trump ’ s new , legally questionable plan to defund their city .
The Trump administration announced plans Wednesday night to review federal funding to some cities where protests against police brutality and systemic racism have led to violence and destruction of public and private property .
As part of an ongoing rift between the administration and cities who have refused assistance from federal law enforcement , the memo would direct the budget director to issue guidance to restrict federal grants to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” possibly including Seattle , Washington , DC , Portland , and New York City .
Republicans in New York , a city that is facing an economic crisis after being hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic , are sticking by Trump ’ s plan to hit the city ’ s finances even harder .
“ President Trump is sending a clear message to Bill de Blasio and New York City ’ s left-wing elected officials ; you can ’ t break federal laws with radical far left policies and squander billions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thrive NYC , then defund the NYPD with expectations that the federal government will bail you out , ” Nicole Malliotakis , a state lawmaker who is now running for Congress , told BuzzFeed News in a statement Thursday morning .
“ Federal dollars need to come with commitments and restrictions to ensure that the taxpayers ’ money is being spent on its intended purposes , ” she said .
Malliotakis , who is running against Rep. Max Rose in a district that covers Staten Island and a portion of Southern Brooklyn , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the largely Democratic New York City .
Trump won the district in 2016 , but Rose , a Democrat , unseated the district ’ s Republican member of Congress in 2018 amid a citywide shift toward the left .
Staten Island , home to many of the city ’ s law enforcement officers , remains more Republican than the rest of the city .
Trump ’ s plan , which does not outline a specific legal authority and proposes shifting spending not authorized by Congress , came under immediate attack from New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and shameful , and simply meant to fuel his base that never tire from his bigoted and dangerous policies , but New Yorkers and Americans of good conscience will reject his hateful agenda come November , ” New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams told BuzzFeed News in a statement .
“ Forget bodyguards , he better have an army if he thinks he ’ s going to walk down the streets in New York , ” Gov .
Andrew Cuomo told reporters Wednesday night .
“ Look , the best thing he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Cuomo added .
“ Good riddance , let him go to Florida , be careful not to get COVID.
” Joe Borelli , who represents Staten Island in the New York City Council , first texted “ I ’ m gunna pass ” when asked about Trump ’ s funding move .
He then compared the memo to Gov .
Andrew Cuomo threatening to stripe money from state police agencies who wouldn ’ t consider reform .
“ How is this any different for New Yorkers from when Andrew Cuomo threatened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police reforms ?
” Borelli said in a text Thursday morning .
“ That was only a few weeks ago.
” Jerry Kassar , chair of the New York State Conservative Party , which is backing Trump ’ s reelection , agreed with the president ’ s decision to defund New York City because , he said , the city ’ s “ own actions drifted into lawlessness.
” Brendan Lantry , the Staten Island GOP chair , declined to respond to the question .
Staten Island Borough President Jimmy Oddo ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for comment about Trump ’ s plan .


buzzfeed--2020-09-04--Trump Wants To Force Immigrants To Submit Eye Scans, Voice Prints, And DNA

“ It is stunning , ” said Ur Jaddou , a former senior US Citizenship and Immigration Services ( USCIS ) official .
“ They ’ re using what is overly general language in the law to justify a massive , unprecedented expansion to collect really personal information that they appear to plan to keep and use in perpetuity .
What is the reason for this ?
What is the problem they are trying to solve ?
” If implemented , the draft rule would represent a massive shift in the Department of Homeland Security ’ s collection of personal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will likely cause concern among privacy and immigrant advocates .
According to parts of a draft policy obtained by BuzzFeed News , the government would be allowed to request biometrics from immigrants who have received some benefit , like a green card or work permit , at any point up until they are a US citizen to ensure continuous “ vetting.
” The Trump administration has drafted a proposal that would dramatically expand the number of people required to provide biometrics for their immigration applications , while also increasing the personal information the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scans , voice prints , DNA , and photographs for facial recognition .
The Department of Homeland Security declined to comment .
But in a statement , confirmed that it planned to publish a finalized version of the policy for public review .
The proposed rule `` improves the screening and vetting process and reduces our dependence on paper documents and biographic information to prove identity and familial relationships , '' the DHS added .
“ This proposed rule eliminates any ambiguity surrounding the Department ’ s use of biometrics , setting clear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and use this information , ” acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Ken Cuccinelli said in the statement .
“ Leveraging readily available technology to verify the identity of an individual we are screening is responsible governing .
The collection of biometric information also guards against identity theft and thwarts fraudsters who are not who they claim to be.
” But Sarah Pierce , a policy analyst at the Migration Policy Institute , said the regulation was “ in line with what this administration has wanted to do to — increase ‘ extreme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but it is possible to go too far and to do vetting that is unnecessary .
This is 10 steps too far.
” The additional biometrics proposed by the administration , according to the draft regulation , could also help immigrants and those involved with their petitions more convenient verification of their identity .
At the same time , it will work toward the Trump administration ’ s vows to crack down on alleged fraud in the immigration system .
Andrea Flores , deputy director of immigration policy for the American Civil Liberties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` collecting a massive database of genetic blueprints won ’ t make us safer — it will simply make it easier for the government to surveil and target our communities and to bring us closer to a dystopian nightmare . ''
“ Trump ’ s goal is clear : to shut down the legal immigration system and make immigration as difficult as possible , '' she added .
The draft proposal would directly affect applications taken by USCIS , which processes green cards and visas for family members , high-skilled workers , refugees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well as employment authorization documents .
The policy cites statutory authority that allows the DHS to require collection of biometrics from any individual involved with an immigration benefit and claims the expansion of collection would help bolster the government ’ s ability to accurately identify individuals .
USCIS officers generally only require fingerprints , a signature , and a picture from foreign national adults and those over 14 hoping to obtain certain immigration benefits , like temporary visas , green cards , and citizenship .
The draft regulation , however , would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everyone associated with an immigration benefit , from US citizen sponsors to applicants themselves , would be required to appear for biometrics collection unless told otherwise by USCIS .
There also would be no age limit on collection of this information , allowing the government to obtain biometrics from those under 14 .
What ’ s more , DHS would expand the types of biometrics that could be collected to include eye iris image scans , palm prints , voice prints , and DNA in instances in which familial relationship is necessary to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The expansion of biometrics that could be collected is part of the agency ’ s efforts to keep up with “ technological developments '' and allow agency officials to easily identify individuals on the phone or without physical contact .
Last year , the Trump administration enabled immigration officers to begin collecting DNA samples from undocumented immigrants who are being detained .
The new draft regulation , which will be subject to public comments and not take effect immediately , would also open the door to immigration authorities collecting DNA samples from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are related .
It would also authorize biometric collection of anyone picked up by DHS and in the process of being deported from the US .
Last year , authorities at the border began a pilot program to take DNA swabs of those suspected of faking family relationships .
The draft regulation notes that it hopes to flip the government ’ s current approach from requiring biometrics in only certain situations to one in which biometrics are always required unless the government determines it is not necessary .
In late 2017 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strategy for USCIS , told a trade publication at a conference that the agency was looking to add iris scans , voice prints , and DNA to their biometric footprint to help not only speed up their processing of certain applications but to increase the security of the immigration system , according to a report in FCW .
Privacy advocates , such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation , have long found issues with iris scans , pointing out that they can not only be faulty in certain situations , like if an individual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the creation of iris scan databases can be compromised , leaving highly sensitive information at risk .
Law enforcement officials , including some sheriff 's departments , already deploy iris scans .
The proposal , if instituted , could potentially create even more hurdles for immigrants at a time when USCIS is floundering financially .
USCIS officials have warned since spring that the agency , which is mostly funded by fees , was running out of money due to a decline in applications during the pandemic and needed an influx of $ 1.2 @ @ @ @

The Department of Homeland Security declined to comment. But in a statement, confirmed that it planned to publish a finalized version of the policy for public review. The proposed rule "improves the screening and vetting process and reduces our dependence on paper documents and biographic information to prove identity and familial relationships," the DHS added.
“This proposed rule eliminates any ambiguity surrounding the Department’s use of biometrics, setting clear standards for how and why we collect and use this information,” acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Ken Cuccinelli said in the statement. “Leveraging readily available technology to verify the identity of an individual we are screening is responsible governing. The collection of biometric information also guards against identity theft and thwarts fraudsters who are not who they claim to be.”
But Sarah Pierce, a policy analyst at the Migration Policy Institute, said the regulation was “in line with what this administration has wanted to do to — increase ‘extreme vetting’ of immigrants coming through — but it is possible to go too far and to do vetting that is unnecessary. This is 10 steps too far.”
The additional biometrics proposed by the administration, according to the draft regulation, could also help immigrants and those involved with their petitions more convenient verification of their identity. At the same time, it will work toward the Trump administration’s vows to crack down on alleged fraud in the immigration system.
Andrea Flores, deputy director of immigration policy for the American Civil Liberties Union, said in a statement that "collecting a massive database of genetic blueprints won’t make us safer — it will simply make it easier for the government to surveil and target our communities and to bring us closer to a dystopian nightmare."
“Trump’s goal is clear: to shut down the legal immigration system and make immigration as difficult as possible," she added.
The draft proposal would directly affect applications taken by USCIS, which processes green cards and visas for family members, high-skilled workers, refugees, and asylum-seekers, among others, as well as employment authorization documents.
The policy cites statutory authority that allows the DHS to require collection of biometrics from any individual involved with an immigration benefit and claims the expansion of collection would help bolster the government’s ability to accurately identify individuals.
USCIS officers generally only require fingerprints, a signature, and a picture from foreign national adults and those over 14 hoping to obtain certain immigration benefits, like temporary visas, green cards, and citizenship.
The draft regulation, however, would change the procedure to make it so everyone associated with an immigration benefit, from US citizen sponsors to applicants themselves, would be required to appear for biometrics collection unless told otherwise by USCIS. There also would be no age limit on collection of this information, allowing the government to obtain biometrics from those under 14.
What’s more, DHS would expand the types of biometrics that could be collected to include eye iris image scans, palm prints, voice prints, and DNA in instances in which familial relationship is necessary to be verified, according to the draft. The expansion of biometrics that could be collected is part of the agency’s efforts to keep up with “technological developments'' and allow agency officials to easily identify individuals on the phone or without physical contact.
Last year, the Trump administration enabled immigration officers to begin collecting DNA samples from undocumented immigrants who are being detained.
The new draft regulation, which will be subject to public comments and not take effect immediately, would also open the door to immigration authorities collecting DNA samples from families in government custody to verify whether they are related. It would also authorize biometric collection of anyone picked up by DHS and in the process of being deported from the US. Last year, authorities at the border began a pilot program to take DNA swabs of those suspected of faking family relationships.
The draft regulation notes that it hopes to flip the government’s current approach from requiring biometrics in only certain situations to one in which biometrics are always required unless the government determines it is not necessary.
“This subjects a huge population to additional surveillance,” Pierce said.
In late 2017, Paul Hunter, former chief of biometrics strategy for USCIS, told a trade publication at a conference that the agency was looking to add iris scans, voice prints, and DNA to their biometric footprint to help not only speed up their processing of certain applications but to increase the security of the immigration system, according to a report in FCW.
Privacy advocates, such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation, have long found issues with iris scans, pointing out that they can not only be faulty in certain situations, like if an individual has an inflamed eye, but that the creation of iris scan databases can be compromised, leaving highly sensitive information at risk. Law enforcement officials, including some sheriff's departments, already deploy iris scans.
The proposal, if instituted, could potentially create even more hurdles for immigrants at a time when USCIS is floundering financially. USCIS officials have warned since spring that the agency, which is mostly funded by fees, was running out of money due to a decline in applications during the pandemic and needed an influx of $1.2 billion from Congress.


buzzfeed--2020-09-04--China Secretly Built A Vast New Infrastructure To Imprison Muslims

China rounded up so many Muslims in Xinjiang that there wasn ’ t enough space to hold them .
Then the government started building .
This is Part 1 of a BuzzFeed News investigation .
For Part 2 , click here .
This project was supported by the Open Technology Fund , the Pulitzer Center , and the Eyebeam Center for the Future of Journalism .
China has secretly built scores of massive new prison and internment camps in the past three years , dramatically escalating its campaign against Muslim minorities even as it publicly claimed the detainees had all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these purpose-built , high-security camps — some capable of housing tens of thousands of people — signals a radical shift away from the country ’ s previous makeshift use of public buildings , like schools and retirement homes , to a vast and permanent infrastructure for mass detention .
In the most extensive investigation of China ’ s internment camp system ever done using publicly available satellite images , coupled with dozens of interviews with former detainees , BuzzFeed News identified more than 260 structures built since 2017 and bearing the hallmarks of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least one in nearly every county in the far-west region of Xinjiang .
During that time , the investigation shows , China has established a sprawling system to detain and incarcerate hundreds of thousands of Uighurs , Kazakhs , and other Muslim minorities , in what is already the largest-scale detention of ethnic and religious minorities since World War II .
These forbidding facilities — including several built or significantly expanded within the last year — are part of the government ’ s unprecedented campaign of mass detention of more than a million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That year Chen Quanguo , the region ’ s top official and Communist Party boss , whom the US recently sanctioned over human rights abuses , also put Muslim minorities — more than half the region ’ s population of about 25 million — under perpetual surveillance via facial recognition cameras , cellphone tracking , checkpoints , and heavy-handed human policing .
They are also subject to many other abuses , ranging from sterilization to forced labor .
To detain thousands of people in short order , the government repurposed old schools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the number of detainees swelled , in 2018 the government began building new facilities with far greater security measures and more permanent architectural features , such as heavy concrete walls and guard towers , the BuzzFeed News analysis shows .
Prisons often take years to build , but some of these new compounds took less than six months , according to historical satellite data .
The government has also added more factories within camp and prison compounds during that time , suggesting the expansion of forced labor within the region .
Construction was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ People are living in horror in these places , ” said 49-year-old Zhenishan Berdibek , who was detained in a camp in the Tacheng region for much of 2018 .
“ Some of the younger people were not as tolerant as us — they cried and screamed and shouted.
” But Berdibek , a cancer survivor , couldn ’ t muster the energy .
As she watched the younger women get dragged away to solitary confinement , “ I lost my hope , ” she said .
“ I wanted to die @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 268 newly built compounds by cross-referencing blanked-out areas on Baidu Maps — a Google Maps–like tool that ’ s widely used in China — with images from external satellite data providers .
These compounds often contained multiple detention facilities .
Ninety-two of these facilities have been identified or verified as detention centers by other sources , such as government procurement documents , academic research , or , in 19 cases , visits by journalists .
Another 176 facilities have been established by satellite imagery alone .
The images frequently show thick walls at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wire fencing that creates pens and corridors in the courtyards .
Many compounds in the region are walled , but the facilities identified by BuzzFeed News have much heavier fortifications .
At 121 of these compounds , they also show guard towers , often built into the perimeter wall .
In response to a detailed list of questions about this article as well as a list of GPS coordinates of facilities identified in this article , the Chinese Consulate in New York said “ the issue concerning Xinjiang is by no means about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but about combating violent terrorism and separatism , ” adding that it was a “ groundless lie ” that a million Uighurs have been detained in the region .
“ Xinjiang has set up vocational education and training centers in order to root out extreme thoughts , enhance the rule of law awareness through education , improve vocational skills and create employment opportunities for them , so that those affected by extreme and violent ideas can return to society as soon as possible , ” the consulate added , saying human rights are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trainees have freedom of movement.
” But it also compared its program to “ compulsory programs for terrorist criminals ” it said are taking place in other countries including the US and UK .
China 's Foreign Ministry and Baidu did not respond to repeated requests for comment .
The new facilities are scattered across every populated area of the region , and several are large enough to accommodate 10,000 prisoners at a minimum , based on their size and architectural features .
( One of the reporters on this story is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the new facilities appear more permanent and prisonlike , similar in construction to high-security prisons in other parts of China .
The most highly fortified compounds offer little space between buildings , tiny concrete-walled yards , heavy masonry construction , and long networks of corridors with cells down either side .
Their layouts are cavernous , allowing little natural light to the interior of the buildings .
BuzzFeed News could see how rooms were laid out at some high-security facilities by examining historical satellite photos taken as they were being constructed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ With at least tens of thousands of detainees crowded into government buildings repurposed as camps by the end of 2017 , the government began building the largest new facilities in the spring of 2018 .
Several were complete by October 2018 , with further facilities built through 2019 and construction of a handful more continuing even now .
The government has said its camps are schools and vocational training centers where detainees are “ deradicalized.
” The government ’ s own internal documentation about its policies in Xinjiang has used the term “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ describe “ educational schools.
” The government claims that its campaign combats extremism in the region .
But most who end up in these facilities are not extremists of any sort .
Downloading WhatsApp , which is banned in China , maintaining ties with family abroad , engaging in prayer , and visiting a foreign website are all offenses for which Muslims have been sent to camps , according to previously leaked documents and interviews with former detainees .
Because the government does not consider internment camps to be part of the criminal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are crimes under Chinese law , no detainees have been formally arrested or charged with a crime , let alone seen a day in court .
The compounds BuzzFeed News identified likely include extrajudicial internment camps — which hold people who are not suspected of any crime — as well as prisons .
Both types of facilities have security features that closely resemble each other .
Xinjiang ’ s prison population has grown massively during the government ’ s campaign : In 2017 , the region had 21 % of all arrests in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2 % of the national population — an eightfold increase from the year before , according to a New York Times analysis of government data .
Because China ’ s Communist Party–controlled courts have a more than 99 % conviction rate , the overwhelming majority of those arrests likely resulted in convictions .
People detained in the camps told BuzzFeed News they were subjected to torture , hunger , overcrowding , solitary confinement , forced birth control , and a range of other abuses .
They said they were put through brainwashing programs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to speak only in the Chinese language .
Some former detainees said they were forced to labor without pay in factories .
The government heavily restricts the movements of independent journalists and researchers in the region , and heavily censors the internet and its own domestic media .
Muslim minorities can be punished for posts on social media .
But satellite images that are collected from independent providers remain outside the scope of Chinese government censorship .
Other kinds of evidence have also occasionally leaked out .
In September , a drone video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their heads shaven and their arms tied behind their backs , wearing vests that say “ Kashgar Detention Center.
” Nathan Ruser , a researcher at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute who has done extensive satellite imagery analysis of the detention and prison systems in Xinjiang , said the video shows a prisoner transfer that took place in April 2019 — months after the government first said the system was for vocational training .
Previous analyses , including by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute in November 2018 , identified several dozen early camps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Xinjiang has the overall logic of colonial genocides in North America , the formalized racism of apartheid , the industrial-scale internment of Germany 's concentration camps , and the police-state penetration into everyday life of North Korea , ” said Rian Thum , a scholar of the history of Islam in China at the University of Nottingham .
The campaign has done deep damage to many Muslim minority groups — but especially Uighurs , who are by far the most populous ethnic minority group in Xinjiang and do not have ties to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has heavily penalized expressions of Turkic minority culture , from Kazakh- and Uighur-language education to the practice of Islam outside of state-controlled mosques .
This , combined with forced sterilizations , has led some critics to say that the campaign qualifies as genocide under international law .
The Trump administration is reportedly discussing whether to formally call it a genocide , and a spokesperson for Joe Biden , the Democratic nominee for president , said on Tuesday that Biden supports the label .
“ These are peaceful people in concentration camps , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who was jailed and later exiled from Xinjiang after opening kindergartens that taught Uighur children in their own language .
“ They are businessmen and scholars and engineers .
They are our musicians .
They are doctors .
They are shopkeepers , restaurant owners , teachers who used Uighur textbooks .
“ These are the pillars of our society .
Without them , we can not exist.
” Early on , the government remade schools , retirement homes , hospitals , and other public buildings into internment camps .
There were other , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News identified 47 built before 2017 that have been used to lock people up in the region .
Some detention facilities are geared toward releasing detainees after several months ; in others , detainees may be sentenced to prison terms , said Adrian Zenz , a leading researcher on the abuses in Xinjiang .
Three former detainees interviewed by BuzzFeed News said they were held for months in detention without any charges against them — far longer than is allowed by law — before they were transferred to internment camps .
The detentions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbers in the camps quickly swelled until the inmates were living on top of each other .
BuzzFeed News interviewed 28 former detainees from the region , many of whom described being blindfolded and handcuffed , much like the men shown in the video .
Many spoke through an interpreter .
They are among a tiny minority of former detainees who were released and left the country — but they described a brutal system that they saw growing and changing with their own eyes .
Most recalled being frequently moved from camp to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was meant to combat overcrowding in the first generation of makeshift facilities .
At the beginning of the campaign , hundreds of people were arriving on a daily basis .
New batches of detainees always seemed to be coming and going .
Some former detainees described sleeping two to a twin bed , or even sleeping in shifts when there was not enough room to house all the detainees .
Almost all said they received meager quantities of rice , steamed buns , and porridge , and little or no meat or other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ethnic Kazakh , was first detained relatively early in the campaign , around the end of 2017 .
At first , he slept in a room with seven other men , and everyone had a bed to themselves .
But within a few months , he began to notice more and more people arriving .
“ One day I saw a pregnant woman in shackles , ” he said .
“ Another woman had a baby in her arms , she was breastfeeding.
” By February 2018 , there were 15 men in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Some of us had to share blankets or sleep on the floor , ” he said .
“ They told us later that some of us would be given prison sentences or transferred to other camps.
” Camp officials regularly forced detainees to memorize Communist Party propaganda and Chinese characters in classrooms .
But some former detainees said their facilities were too crowded for even this — instead , they had to sit on plastic stools next to their beds and stare at textbooks , sitting with their backs perfectly straight while cameras @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there were too many people to fit in classrooms .
For Koksebek , the claustrophobia was unbearable .
“ There was a window in our room , but it was so high I couldn ’ t see much other than a patch of sky , ” he said .
“ I used to wish I were a bird so I could have the freedom to fly.
” On a frigid , overcast morning last December , Shohrat Zakir , the region ’ s governor and second-most-powerful official , gave a rare press conference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Office , located in a closed compound in central Beijing .
The office is one of only a handful of government bodies in China that regularly briefs both local and international journalists , and Zakir sat with four other officials at a long podium at the front of the small room .
The officials took the opportunity to tout the region ’ s economic growth and claim China ’ s campaign against terrorism in Xinjiang has been a success , calling the US government hypocritical for its criticism of China ’ s human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one who made international headlines .
Of those held in the camps as “ trainees , ” Zakir painted a rosy picture .
They “ have all graduated , and have realized stable employment with the government ’ s help , improved their quality of life , and are enjoying a happy life , ” he said .
Even as reporters were scribbling down his remarks , about 2,500 miles away in Xinjiang , construction was wrapping up on a massive high-security compound near the Uighur heartland county of Shufu , just south @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a countryside dotted by livestock farms .
Shufu is small by Chinese standards , with a population of about 300,000 people .
It has a main drag with a post office , a lottery ticket vendor , and eateries selling steamed buns and beef noodle soup .
The camp was built on farmland less than a 20-minute drive away .
Before workers started construction last March , the land beneath the Shufu site was farmland too , blanketed with green vegetation .
By August , workers had built a thick perimeter enclosure , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and in the center of walls that rise nearly 6 meters , or more than 19 feet , satellite images show .
Next came the buildings inside , organized in U-shaped groups , with two five-story structures alongside a two-story one forming the base of the U .
By October , two rows of barbed wire fencing appeared on either side of the main concrete-walled compound , its shadow visible in satellite images .
Just outside the walls , on the western side of the compound , two guard buildings were built — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from them up to the wall that would allow guards to access the guard towers and the tops of the walls for patrols .
In front of the entrance , a series of buildings provided space for prison offices and police buildings .
In total BuzzFeed News estimates that there is room for approximately 10,500 prisoners at this compound — which would help provide a long-term solution to overcrowding .
Ruser reviewed satellite images of the compound and said it was a newly built detention camp .
“ The vast majority of camps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a strong external wall entranceway or exit , ” he said .
Unlike the old , repurposed camps , new prisons and camps such as this one have higher security , with gates up to four stories tall and thicker walls along their borders , often with further layers of barbed wire on either side of the main walls .
These features suggest they are capable of holding much larger groups of people in long-term detention .
The camps can contain not only cells where detainees sleep , but also classrooms , clinics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ solitary confinement rooms , police buildings , administrative offices , and small visitor centers , former detainees told BuzzFeed News .
Many of the compounds also contain factories , distinguished by their blue , powder-coated metal roofs and steel frames , which are visible in satellite photos taken while they were being constructed .
The police buildings , including for guards and administrative personnel , are usually located by the entrances of the compounds .
The locations of these camps and prisons in Xinjiang are not readily available .
However , blanked-out portions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it possible to use satellite imagery to find and analyze them .
Satellite maps , like Google Earth , are made up of a grid of rectangular tiles .
On Baidu , the Chinese search giant that has a map service much like Google ’ s , BuzzFeed News discovered that spaces containing camps , military bases , or other politically sensitive facilities were overlaid with plain light gray tiles .
These “ mask ” tiles appeared upon zooming in on the location .
These look different from the darker gray , watermarked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ load something .
The “ mask ” tiles were also present at other locations where camps had been visited and verified by journalists , though they have since been removed .
BuzzFeed News identified the compounds using other satellite maps — provided by Google Earth , Planet Labs , and the European Space Agency ’ s Sentinel Hub — which do not mask those images .
For some locations where high-resolution images were not publicly available , Planet Labs used its own satellite to take new pictures , then provided them to BuzzFeed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this investigation was conducted .
The images showed the facilities being built over a period of months .
Details from the images offer a sense of size and scale : Counting the number of windows in building facades , for example , shows how many stories they contain .
Often , these compounds were built next door to an older prison , sharing parking lots , administrative facilities , and police barracks with the older facility , satellite images show .
BuzzFeed News found an additional 50 more compounds that were likely used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lost some security features , including barbed wire fencing within compounds used to create rectangular pens , closed passages between buildings , and guard towers , with a small number having been demolished .
Ruser and other experts said this does not suggest the Chinese government is pulling back from its campaign .
Many of those facilities likely still operate as low-security camps , he said .
The far more important trend in Xinjiang , he said , is the government ’ s increased use of higher-security prisons and detention facilities .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in New York echoed Zakir 's December statement .
`` All trainees who received courses in standard spoken and written Chinese , understanding of the law , vocational skills , and deradicalization have completed their training , secured stable employment in the society , and are living a normal life , '' it said .
Smile lines appear on Kokteubai ’ s deeply wrinkled face when he talks about his daughter , who was born in 1992 .
She later moved to Kazakhstan , where many ethnic Kazakhs from China emigrate because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for people of Kazakh descent .
There , she and her husband campaigned relentlessly for Kokteubai ’ s release in YouTube videos and long letters to human rights groups .
He believes his eventual release in March 2018 was due to her campaign .
Inside the camp , instead of classrooms where students like his daughter might have studied math or history , Kokteubai saw dorm rooms overcrowded with as many as 40 or 50 men each sleeping on too few bunk beds .
Though the compound itself wasn ’ t new , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as high walls and barbed wire around the compound .
And the camp was now dotted with CCTV cameras , which a guard told him could film objects as far as 200 meters away .
Another thing that was new : When you entered the gate , a huge red plaque greeted you .
“ Let ’ s learn the spirit of the 19th Communist Party Congress , ” it said .
Like Kokteubai , several former detainees interviewed by BuzzFeed News said after arriving , they recognized the facilities in which they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ driven past them , or even visited them in their previous incarnations .
But these repurposed facilities were never meant to house prisoners and were not big enough to hold all the Muslim minorities the Chinese government intended to detain .
In early 2019 , workers started clearing land to expand a camp south of Ürümqi , in a town called Dabancheng , that had become infamous after reporters from BBC and Reuters visited the year before .
The camp at Dabancheng was already one of the largest internment facilities in the region @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to 32,500 people , according to an architectural analysis by BuzzFeed News .
Since the expansion , it is now capable of housing some 10,000 more people .
By November of last year another , separate compound had been completed , this one capable of holding a further 10,000 people — for a total capacity of more than 40,000 , comparable to the size of the town of Niagara Falls .
`` These facilities display characteristics consistent with extrajudicial detention facilities in the Xinjiang region that CSIS has previously analyzed , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ human rights program at Washington DC-based think tank CSIS after examining the three camps referenced in this article .
The camp at Dabancheng , Ruser said , “ is the main catchment camp for Ürümqi .
It ’ s 2 km ( 1.2 miles ) long and was expanded late last year an extra kilometer with a new facility across the road to the west.
” By comparison , the camp is about half the length of Central Park .
Kokteubai never found out precisely why he was detained .
Because he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to settle in Kazakhstan .
On the day he was released , he expected to feel joy , relief , something .
Instead he felt nothing at all .
“ I wasn ’ t happy or sad .
I couldn ’ t feel anything , ” he said .
“ Even when I was reunited with my relatives in Kazakhstan , they asked me why I didn ’ t seem happy to see them after so long.
” “ It ’ s something I can ’ t explain , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feelings died while I was in there.
” ●

Ninety-two of these facilities have been identified or verified as detention centers by other sources, such as government procurement documents, academic research, or, in 19 cases, visits by journalists.
Another 176 facilities have been established by satellite imagery alone. The images frequently show thick walls at the perimeter, and often, barbed wire fencing that creates pens and corridors in the courtyards. Many compounds in the region are walled, but the facilities identified by BuzzFeed News have much heavier fortifications. At 121 of these compounds, they also show guard towers, often built into the perimeter wall.
In response to a detailed list of questions about this article as well as a list of GPS coordinates of facilities identified in this article, the Chinese Consulate in New York said “the issue concerning Xinjiang is by no means about human rights, religion or ethnicity, but about combating violent terrorism and separatism,” adding that it was a “groundless lie” that a million Uighurs have been detained in the region.
“Xinjiang has set up vocational education and training centers in order to root out extreme thoughts, enhance the rule of law awareness through education, improve vocational skills and create employment opportunities for them, so that those affected by extreme and violent ideas can return to society as soon as possible,” the consulate added, saying human rights are protected in the centers and that “trainees have freedom of movement.” But it also compared its program to “compulsory programs for terrorist criminals” it said are taking place in other countries including the US and UK.
China's Foreign Ministry and Baidu did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
The new facilities are scattered across every populated area of the region, and several are large enough to accommodate 10,000 prisoners at a minimum, based on their size and architectural features. (One of the reporters on this story is a licensed architect.)
Unlike early sites, the new facilities appear more permanent and prisonlike, similar in construction to high-security prisons in other parts of China. The most highly fortified compounds offer little space between buildings, tiny concrete-walled yards, heavy masonry construction, and long networks of corridors with cells down either side. Their layouts are cavernous, allowing little natural light to the interior of the buildings. BuzzFeed News could see how rooms were laid out at some high-security facilities by examining historical satellite photos taken as they were being constructed, including photos of buildings without roofs.
With at least tens of thousands of detainees crowded into government buildings repurposed as camps by the end of 2017, the government began building the largest new facilities in the spring of 2018. Several were complete by October 2018, with further facilities built through 2019 and construction of a handful more continuing even now.
The government has said its camps are schools and vocational training centers where detainees are “deradicalized.” The government’s own internal documentation about its policies in Xinjiang has used the term “concentration,” or 集中, to describe “educational schools.”
The government claims that its campaign combats extremism in the region. But most who end up in these facilities are not extremists of any sort.
Downloading WhatsApp, which is banned in China, maintaining ties with family abroad, engaging in prayer, and visiting a foreign website are all offenses for which Muslims have been sent to camps, according to previously leaked documents and interviews with former detainees. Because the government does not consider internment camps to be part of the criminal justice system and none of these behaviors are crimes under Chinese law, no detainees have been formally arrested or charged with a crime, let alone seen a day in court.
The compounds BuzzFeed News identified likely include extrajudicial internment camps — which hold people who are not suspected of any crime — as well as prisons. Both types of facilities have security features that closely resemble each other. Xinjiang’s prison population has grown massively during the government’s campaign: In 2017, the region had 21% of all arrests in China, despite making up less than 2% of the national population — an eightfold increase from the year before, according to a New York Times analysis of government data. Because China’s Communist Party–controlled courts have a more than 99% conviction rate, the overwhelming majority of those arrests likely resulted in convictions.


buzzfeed--2020-09-05--People Are Grinding Their Teeth Down With Nail Files On TikTok, So This Orthodontist Spoke Out About

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

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

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


buzzfeed--2020-09-05--17 Tried-And-True Remote Learning Tips For Parents Of Kids With Special Needs

`` My daughter has SPD , vision tracking issues , anxiety , ODD , and dyslexia .
Pinterest is very @ @ @ @ @ and made several Montessori math materials so she gets a lot of movement and hands @ @ @ @ @ helpful with her form of dyslexia and memorizing and transposing numbers and letters .
We @ @ @ @ @ lots of small chunks of work time with breaks for walks and other gross motor @ @ @ @ @ to her or have her answer questions while she jumps on a ( very small @ @ @ @ @ —Ehch

7. Lean on routines.
"Routine is key for us — it's been the most important and nurturing way to help our kiddo navigate through this. We will take breaks often to help our son reset and get back to feeling like he can deal with what comes next. And patience! It's not only a virtue but a must in times like these. Explain and repeat yourself as often as necessary." —Bethann Jauron


buzzfeed--2020-09-05--A Federal Judge Ordered The Trump Administration To Stop Detaining Immigrant Children In Hotels

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

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


buzzfeed--2020-09-05--Facebook Says Trump’s Misleading Post About Mail-In Voting Is OK. Employees Say It’s Not.

Facebook employees are outraged over the company ’ s “ shameful ” and “ unconscionable ” decision not to remove a post from President Donald Trump spreading voting misinformation that could lead to people voting twice .
On Thursday morning , Trump , a frequent source of false and misleading information about mail-in voting and voter fraud , posted potentially unlawful advice to voters on Facebook and Twitter .
“ On Election Day , or Early Voting , go to your Polling Place to see whether or not your Mail In Vote has been Tabulated ( Counted ) , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you will not be able to Vote & the Mail In System worked properly .
If it has not been Counted , VOTE ( which is a citizen ’ s right to do ) .
If your Mail In Ballot arrives after you Vote , which it should not , that Ballot will not be used or counted in that your vote has already been cast & tabulated .
YOU ARE NOW ASSURED THAT YOUR PRECIOUS VOTE HAS BEEN COUNTED , it hasn ’ t been ‘ lost , thrown out , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ twice is illegal and Trump ’ s comments were condemned for offering advice that could cause people to break the law and create confusion and delays at polling stations .
`` The president 's idea is a great one for people looking to go to jail , ” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement .
Do you work at Facebook or another technology company ?
We 'd love to hear from you .
Reach out at craig.silverman @ buzzfeed.com or via one of our tip line channels .
Hours before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced new policies intended to protect the upcoming US election from disruption .
Zuckerberg said the company had expanded its voter suppression policy to forbid content containing explicit and “ implicit misrepresentations about voting.
” Some Facebook employees felt Trump ’ s post contained , at the very least , implicit misrepresentations about the voting process .
Roughly an hour after Trump ’ s post appeared , an employee flagged it on the company ’ s internal discussion forum , Workplace .
“ Seems like this already violates our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how or when to vote .
Intentionally voting twice is a felony , right ?
” they wrote in a Workplace group focused on policy and communications issues .
A person on Facebook ’ s policy team responded to say Trump ’ s post was being reviewed by the company ’ s “ Voter Interference subject matter expert [ s ] .
” Multiple employees expressed confusion that the post hadn ’ t already been deemed violative and removed .
“ This is voting misinformation , ” said an employee .
“ Your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ track if your vote had been received .
”

Facebook employees are outraged over the company’s “shameful” and “unconscionable” decision not to remove a post from President Donald Trump spreading voting misinformation that could lead to people voting twice.
On Thursday morning, Trump, a frequent source of false and misleading information about mail-in voting and voter fraud, posted potentially unlawful advice to voters on Facebook and Twitter.
“On Election Day, or Early Voting, go to your Polling Place to see whether or not your Mail In Vote has been Tabulated (Counted),” Trump wrote. “If it has you will not be able to Vote & the Mail In System worked properly. If it has not been Counted, VOTE (which is a citizen’s right to do). If your Mail In Ballot arrives after you Vote, which it should not, that Ballot will not be used or counted in that your vote has already been cast & tabulated. YOU ARE NOW ASSURED THAT YOUR PRECIOUS VOTE HAS BEEN COUNTED, it hasn’t been ‘lost, thrown out, or in any way destroyed.’”
Voting twice is illegal and Trump’s comments were condemned for offering advice that could cause people to break the law and create confusion and delays at polling stations. "The president's idea is a great one for people looking to go to jail,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement.
Do you work at Facebook or another technology company? We'd love to hear from you. Reach out at craig.silverman@buzzfeed.com or via one of our tip line channels.
Hours before Trump’s post, Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced new policies intended to protect the upcoming US election from disruption. Zuckerberg said the company had expanded its voter suppression policy to forbid content containing explicit and “implicit misrepresentations about voting.”
Some Facebook employees felt Trump’s post contained, at the very least, implicit misrepresentations about the voting process. Roughly an hour after Trump’s post appeared, an employee flagged it on the company’s internal discussion forum, Workplace.
“Seems like this already violates our extended policies on voter suppression by misrepresenting how or when to vote. Intentionally voting twice is a felony, right?” they wrote in a Workplace group focused on policy and communications issues.
A person on Facebook’s policy team responded to say Trump’s post was being reviewed by the company’s “Voter Interference subject matter expert[s].”
Multiple employees expressed confusion that the post hadn’t already been deemed violative and removed.
“This is voting misinformation,” said an employee. “Your polling place will not be able to track if your vote had been received.”


buzzfeed--2020-09-05--Facebook Said It Removed A Militia Event Page Threatening Violence In Kenosha. It Didn’t.

Facebook said it removed a militia event associated with the shooting of three protesters in Kenosha , Wisconsin .
It did n't .
Here 's what really happened , and why it could happen again .
Sandra Fiehrer thought she was helping Facebook enforce its own rules when she reported “ Armed Citizens to Protect our Lives and Property , ” an event being organized on the social network for the evening of Aug. 25 in Kenosha , Wisconsin .
The event , which was created by the Kenosha Guard , a self-proclaimed militia group , had hundreds of RSVPs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and was already a hotbed of raucous discussion .
Members discussed plans to bring guns to 900 57th St. in Kenosha , defend public property , and potentially attack people protesting the police shooting of Jacob Blake .
“ I fully plan to kill looters and rioters tonight , ” one person wrote on the event page , according to screenshots seen by BuzzFeed News .
“ I have my suppressor on my AR [ rifle ] , these fools won ’ t even know what hit them.
” But Facebook allowed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to remain on its platform despite newly instituted policies banning militia groups .
On Tuesday the 25th , Fiehrer watched in horror as civil unrest led a 17-year-old gunman , who spent part of the evening with members of an unidentified militia , to allegedly shoot and kill two protesters and wound another .
Later that evening Facebook responded to her complaint : “ This event was reviewed ... it doesn ’ t go against one of our specific Community Standards.
” Fiehrer ’ s complaint was one of the 455 sent to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the company ’ s policies .
Together , they inspired four manual and numerous automated reviews of the event page by Facebook ’ s content moderators , which all concluded it did not violate the company ’ s rules .
CEO Mark Zuckerberg would later tell employees it was “ an operational mistake.
” In those same remarks , which were made public after being reported by BuzzFeed News , Zuckerberg suggested to employees that the company had removed the event and militia page from the platform the next day .
But internal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s not true .
The event was actually deleted the day after the shooting , not by Facebook , but by a page administrator for the Kenosha Guard .
Later that day , Facebook removed the Kenosha Guard page itself .
Interviews with Facebook users and employees , never-before-published comments from the Kenosha Guard ’ s event page , and internal company documents obtained by BuzzFeed News reveal that the company ’ s handling of the events in Kenosha was n't so much an “ operational mistake ” as it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The fact that Facebook took credit publicly for removing the event page shows Facebook is more concerned with reputation management than product safety , ” said Joan Donovan , director of the Technology and Social Change Research Project at Harvard ’ s Shorenstein Center .
“ The vengeful posts on the Kenosha Guard ’ s event page are not an isolated case though .
As I search through hundreds of pro-gun groups , the comments are rife with people fantasizing about becoming vigilantes and sharing Dirty Harry memes.
” “ Facebook didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continues to fail us all when they don ’ t exhibit the moral faculties and technical readiness to prevent this tragedy and the next one , ” she added .
Responding to questions from BuzzFeed News , Facebook said it had incorrectly claimed it had removed the event page .
“ When we responded to questions about our initial investigation into what happened in Kenosha , we believed we 'd removed the Event Page for violating our policies , ” Facebook spokesperson Liz Bourgeois said in a statement to BuzzFeed News .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remove the Kenosha Guard Page , the Event was removed by the organizer .
We apologize for the error . ''
Facebook said the alleged shooter was not a follower of the Kenosha Guard Facebook page and did not RSVP to the “ Armed Citizens to Protect our Lives and Property ” event .
But area residents who spoke to BuzzFeed News wondered whether he would have gone to Kenosha were it not for militia groups like the Kenosha Guard calling for people to do so .
Jordan , a 33-year-old mother who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ full name not be used for fear of retaliation , reported the Kenosha Guard group page before the shooting .
She dismissed Facebook ’ s claim that the gunman had no connection to the Kenosha Guard or its event page , noting that it ’ s easy to be aware of and attend Facebook events without RSVPing to them via the social network .
The event was public and could be viewed by anyone .
“ The shooter knew there would be others with guns in the area , ” she said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ matters is not that the shooter was inspired by the Kenosha Guard ’ s call to arms , but rather that the Kenosha Guard was able to issue such a public call , and host violent threats , without consequence .
“ If that doesn ’ t violate rules , my question is : What does ?
” she asked .
“ They should be taking action against it before people get killed , not after.
” According to Facebook ’ s rules , the Kenosha Guard page should not have been allowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 19 update to the company ’ s Dangerous Individuals and Organizations policy explicitly forbids US-based militia organizations that “ have celebrated violent acts , shown that they have weapons and suggest they will use them , or have individual followers with patterns of violent behavior.
” Still , the Kenosha Guard page continued to operate , amassing more than 3,000 likes as a “ social club ” as of late August , according to screenshots provided to BuzzFeed News by nonprofit news organization Wisconsin Watch .
So when a Guard page administrator reportedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10:44 a.m. on Tuesday , Aug. 25 , urging people to “ take up arms and defend out [ sic ] City tonight from the evil thugs , ” the message reached plenty of people .
It was promptly followed by an event invitation called “ Armed Citizens to Protect our Lives and Property , ” according to a timeline outlined by the Atlantic Council ’ s Digital Forensic Research Lab .
The event gathered additional momentum after Alex Jones ’ conspiracy site InfoWars featured it in a story .
Late Tuesday afternoon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shot three people , Liz Lahue , a bartender in Illinois , visited the Kenosha Guard ’ s Facebook event page and began reporting violent comments .
“ People were just talking about violence for no reason , ” she told BuzzFeed News .
“ Do not let these protestors get close to you .
Just keep them in line if they ’ re protesting , but if they are rioting and destroying things … pew pew pew time , ” wrote one person on the event page , making a thinly veiled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lead down , they will get the point eventually , ” said another .
“ There is only one punishment by law for treason , ” wrote still another , referring to the death penalty .
Lahue reported several comments to Facebook , including some by a man who made multiple death threats against protesters , and who later threatened her on the event page .
The company rejected all of her complaints .
It ’ s not clear if they were included in or additive to the 455 reports filed about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ answer that question .
As the night wore on and protesters flooded the streets of Kenosha , the Kenosha Guard page became an organizational hub .
People posted their locations , the type of firearms they were carrying , offers of backup , and bogus claims of inbound rioters .
“ Could someone drop me a location on where the heavy dense fighting area is ?
” “ Vet here with quite a few people to help and all the equipment we need .
We can take one of the more dangerous areas.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a call from my neighbors both of who [ sic ] are police officers .
They told me that a caravan full of rioters are headed to Salem and Paddock Lake.
” Some people urged caution and warned of deadly consequences .
“ I ’ m concerned that most of the people involved in this group are untrained civilians .
Once they get scared someone ’ s getting shot.
” At 10:38 p.m. , after reading what she described as obvious “ calls to violence , ” Jordan , the mother from Wisconsin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At that point , the 17-year-old gunman had already been filmed on a livestream standing in front of a car dealership with unidentified members of a militia .
“ Our job is to protect this business , ” he told a video producer with the Daily Caller .
After a skirmish at roughly 11:45 p.m. , the teen allegedly shot three people , killing two and wounding another .
Jordan didn ’ t see the news until the next morning .
At approximately the same time , she received a notification from Facebook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the social network ’ s community standards .
After the shootings , chatter on the Kenosha Guard event page took on a celebratory tone .
“ Tried to attack business owners , got their azzes shot off .
MORE please… this needs to happen a LOT MORE , ” wrote one man .
“ 1 protester dead got shot in the head… then they tried to attack the guy and a couple more got shot .
Got ta love it , ” wrote a man who was labeled by Facebook ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” in the group due to his frequent posting .
The comments continued to flow in the hours after the shooting .
Danielle , a woman who lives near Milwaukee , checked the event page around 3 a.m. and found a mix of people justifying the killings and others mocking the militia members .
“ There were some people already justifying the shooting when at that point it really was very unclear what had actually happened , who was at fault , ” she said .
Early Wednesday morning , a person running @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement about the shooting .
They said they were “ unaware if the armed citizen was answering the Kenosha Guard Militia ’ s call to arms , ” adding that “ we need all the facts and evidence to come out before we make a judgement.
” On Thursday , during a companywide meeting that can be viewed by all of Facebook ’ s more than 50,000 employees , Zuckerberg also seemed to credit Facebook for the removal of the Kenosha Guard ’ s “ Armed Citizens to Protect our Lives and Property @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bunch of media reports asking why this page and event weren ’ t removed sooner , ” Zuckerberg said .
Calling it an “ operational mistake , ” he blamed moderators who were unfamiliar with Facebook ’ s new policy on militias .
“ On second review , doing it more sensitively , the team that ’ s responsible for dangerous organizations recognized that this violated our policies and we took it down , ” he said .
But it wasn ’ t Facebook that deactivated the event page .
It was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employees knew it .
“ I ’ m not sure why our external and internal comms have claims that we removed the Kenosha Guard event , ” one staffer wrote on Workplace , Facebook ’ s employee-only message board .
“ This is not true : the event was user deleted hours before we disabled the owning page .
I ’ m not sure where the mixup happened , but this is a pretty important distinction.
” In the days following Zuckerberg ’ s all-hands address , Facebook ’ s handling of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already frustrated by the company ’ s handling of issues around racial justice .
In other posts to Workplace , employees challenged company leadership to explain why the Kenosha Guard page and event were allowed on Facebook at all .
Others posted example after example of Facebook and Instagram posts celebrating the shooter , despite Zuckerberg ’ s public commitment to eliminate such content .
One employee asked why a meme showing one of the victims of the shooting overlaid with text that read “ Don ’ t be a thug if you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been ruled non-violative by Facebook ’ s human moderators .
“ Shouldn ’ t this be part of our zero tolerance policy ?
” they asked .
Another worker asked the same question about a racist comment disparaging Black people as “ uneducated druggies ” who are “ killing their own kids.
” “ This is such flagrant and uncoded racism that I ’ m baffled that I even need to [ flag it ] , ” they wrote .
“ In no uncertain terms : we are making the world worse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in our platform.
” Sarah Roberts , an associate professor at UCLA and the author of Behind the Screen : Content Moderation in the Shadows of Social Media , said Facebook ’ s outsourcing of the critical function of moderation affords it an easy way to shift blame to contractors when things go wrong .
“ Here we have the CEO who 's sitting at the top of this incredibly lucrative and immeasurably powerful firm with a product used by billions of people , and [ he ’ s blaming ] unnamed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ away from Kenosha , Wisconsin , ” she told BuzzFeed News .
“ Whereas there 's absolutely no responsibility being taken by him.
” A former Facebook moderator , who worked for a third-party contractor called Cognizant in Phoenix , called Zuckerberg ’ s operational error remark and attempt to blame moderators “ ludicrous.
” Having served as a moderator for Facebook during the 2018 Parkland mass shooting , he said it ’ s difficult to keep up with the social media giant ’ s shifting moderation expectations and rules .
“ Even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experience — practical experience over a period of time before it ’ s really effective , ” he said .
“ Who is really to say what ’ s a militia and what is not a militia ?
” Some of his colleagues were woefully underprepared , the former moderator said , and often questioned Facebook ’ s guidelines .
Content moderation isn ’ t just an issue on Facebook ’ s public-facing platform ; it ’ s also becoming a challenge on the company ’ s internal Workplace message boards .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one employee published a now-deleted post asking colleagues to show their “ Support For Law Enforcement ” writing , “ mourning the death of those who serve our communities does not mean supporting injustice by anyone in society.
” The following day , in a post first reported by the Daily Beast , another worker asked his colleagues on Workplace to consider the “ well-intentioned law enforcement officers who have been victimized by society ’ s conformity to a lie.
” “ Law enforcement has no moral obligation to allow non-compliant criminals to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he wrote .
“ FBI data confirms that law enforcement is disproportionally more likely to be killed than the other way around.
” ( The poster did not include any data to back up this claim . )
“ What if racial , economic , crime , and incarceration gaps can not close without addressing personal responsibility and adherence to the law ?
” they added .
In the top-voted comment responding to the post , one Facebook staffer called the note “ openly racist.
” “ Saying that economic disparities are due @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ is openly racist , ” they wrote .
“ This post is shameful.
” Earlier this week , the debate continued , with one Facebook staffer asking if the company would reverse its decision to remove the alleged shooter ’ s Facebook and Instagram accounts if it were proven that he was acting in self-defense .
By labeling the gunman “ an attempted mass shooter and banning users who support him , are we not pre-deciding his guilt ?
” the employee wrote , comparing the situation to George Zimmerman , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bernard Goetz , the vigilante who shot four Black men on a New York City subway in 1984 .
“ It does not seem prudent to position the company firmly on one side of a brewing national debate , just as it begins , particularly when there is a non-zero chance his actions may yet be deemed lawful.
” His “ criminal guilt will be [ determined in court ] , ” one colleague responded .
“ In the meantime we can prevent additional harm from coming to people by keeping those will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AR-15s off our platform.
” Such internal vitriol has forced Zuckerberg to more aggressively wrangle outspoken employees and introduce new moderation policies .
Last month he threatened to fire those who violated the company ’ s respectful conduct policies and bullied others .
On Monday , he sent a note to employees saying that “ systemic racism is real ” and that the company is taking steps to “ better manage discussions in our workplace.
” “ The direction we ’ re headed is to have dedicated spaces on Workplace for discussing charged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moderation , ” he wrote .
“ That means you won ’ t be able to post highly charged content broadly in open groups.
” On Thursday , Zuckerberg was scheduled to address employees at the company ’ s weekly all-hands meeting .
Had he done so , internal polls reviewed by BuzzFeed News show he would have faced tough questions about Kenosha and Facebook being used as a platform for radicalization .
Late Wednesday , however , Facebook canceled the meeting .
Employees still had the option to gather for another previously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Robin DiAngelo , the author of White Fragility : Why It 's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism .
●

“What if racial, economic, crime, and incarceration gaps cannot close without addressing personal responsibility and adherence to the law?” they added.
In the top-voted comment responding to the post, one Facebook staffer called the note “openly racist.”
“Saying that economic disparities are due to a lack of ‘personal responsibility’ is openly racist,” they wrote. “This post is shameful.”
Earlier this week, the debate continued, with one Facebook staffer asking if the company would reverse its decision to remove the alleged shooter’s Facebook and Instagram accounts if it were proven that he was acting in self-defense.
By labeling the gunman “an attempted mass shooter and banning users who support him, are we not pre-deciding his guilt?” the employee wrote, comparing the situation to George Zimmerman, the man who killed Trayvon Martin, or Bernard Goetz, the vigilante who shot four Black men on a New York City subway in 1984. “It does not seem prudent to position the company firmly on one side of a brewing national debate, just as it begins, particularly when there is a non-zero chance his actions may yet be deemed lawful.”
His “criminal guilt will be [determined in court],” one colleague responded. “In the meantime we can prevent additional harm from coming to people by keeping those will [sic] kill multiple people with AR-15s off our platform.”
Such internal vitriol has forced Zuckerberg to more aggressively wrangle outspoken employees and introduce new moderation policies. Last month he threatened to fire those who violated the company’s respectful conduct policies and bullied others. On Monday, he sent a note to employees saying that “systemic racism is real” and that the company is taking steps to “better manage discussions in our workplace.”
“The direction we’re headed is to have dedicated spaces on Workplace for discussing charged topics, with clear rules and strong moderation,” he wrote. “That means you won’t be able to post highly charged content broadly in open groups.”
On Thursday, Zuckerberg was scheduled to address employees at the company’s weekly all-hands meeting. Had he done so, internal polls reviewed by BuzzFeed News show he would have faced tough questions about Kenosha and Facebook being used as a platform for radicalization. Late Wednesday, however, Facebook canceled the meeting.
Employees still had the option to gather for another previously scheduled event on Thursday: a talk by Robin DiAngelo, the author of White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism. ●


buzzfeed--2020-09-05--Nancy Pelosi Called Video Of Her Visit To A Hair Salon Despite Coronavirus Rules "A Setup"

Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday called video footage of her visit to a San Francisco hair salon `` a setup '' and refused to apologize for receiving a service that was prohibited under city rules because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic .
Instead , Pelosi suggested the video of her visit to eSalon on Monday and the ensuing controversy was somehow orchestrated against her , but she refused to explain why .
`` I take responsibility for trusting the word of a neighborhood salon that I 've been going to over the years many times , '' she said at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turns out , it was a setup , so I take responsibility for falling for a setup . ''
The security video , first reported by Fox News , shows the House speaker walking between rooms of the salon with wet hair and a mask hanging under her face .
The salon visit violated local health restrictions at the time , although they have since been changed to allow for outdoor appointments .
Fox News spoke with the owner of the salon , Erica Kious , who said one of Pelosi 's staffers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appointment .
The stylist on Sunday told Kious via text that Pelosi was coming in for the appointment the next day .
`` It was a slap in the face that she went in , you know , that she feels that she can just go and get her stuff done while no one else can go in , and I ca n't work , '' Kious told Fox News .
`` I was like , 'Are you kidding me right now ?
Do I let this happen ?
What do I do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she rents chairs to stylists , but she `` ca n't control '' what they do .
She did not immediately respond to multiple requests for comment from BuzzFeed News .
In a statement sent through his attorneys , the stylist , Jonathan DeNardo , said he rang Kious the day before the appointment to seek her approval .
He said she had been allowing such in-store appointments since April and that she made `` several vitriolic and incendiary comments about Speaker Pelosi '' on the call .
`` The fact that Ms. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s presence at eSalon , and from a simple surface-level review of Ms. Kious ’ political leanings , it appears Ms. Kious is furthering a set-up of Speaker Pelosi for her own vain aspirations , '' DeNardo said .

Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday called video footage of her visit to a San Francisco hair salon "a setup" and refused to apologize for receiving a service that was prohibited under city rules because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Instead, Pelosi suggested the video of her visit to eSalon on Monday and the ensuing controversy was somehow orchestrated against her, but she refused to explain why.
"I take responsibility for trusting the word of a neighborhood salon that I've been going to over the years many times," she said at a news conference. "As it turns out, it was a setup, so I take responsibility for falling for a setup."
The security video, first reported by Fox News, shows the House speaker walking between rooms of the salon with wet hair and a mask hanging under her face. The salon visit violated local health restrictions at the time, although they have since been changed to allow for outdoor appointments.
Fox News spoke with the owner of the salon, Erica Kious, who said one of Pelosi's staffers contacted her stylists on Sunday for an appointment. The stylist on Sunday told Kious via text that Pelosi was coming in for the appointment the next day.
"It was a slap in the face that she went in, you know, that she feels that she can just go and get her stuff done while no one else can go in, and I can't work," Kious told Fox News. "I was like, 'Are you kidding me right now? Do I let this happen? What do I do?'"
Kious told Fox News she rents chairs to stylists, but she "can't control" what they do. She did not immediately respond to multiple requests for comment from BuzzFeed News.
In a statement sent through his attorneys, the stylist, Jonathan DeNardo, said he rang Kious the day before the appointment to seek her approval. He said she had been allowing such in-store appointments since April and that she made "several vitriolic and incendiary comments about Speaker Pelosi" on the call.
"The fact that Ms. Kious is now objecting to Speaker Pelosi’s presence at eSalon, and from a simple surface-level review of Ms. Kious’ political leanings, it appears Ms. Kious is furthering a set-up of Speaker Pelosi for her own vain aspirations," DeNardo said.


buzzfeed--2020-09-05--13 Celeb Moms Who Proudly Showed Off Their Postpartum Bodies And Were Refreshingly Honest About It

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

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


buzzfeed--2020-09-05--Here Are The Best Trader Joe's Snacks According To Nutritionists

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

BuzzFeed Bring Me
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buzzfeed--2020-09-05--COVID-19 Is Causing Heart Damage In Many Patients, Not Just Football Players

A Penn State official retracted saying a third of Big 10 football players with coronavirus infections had suffered heart injuries .
But experts confirmed they are seeing heart muscle injuries in many patients .
Coronavirus infections can cause heart problems in patients , according to experts — yet another unexpected , serious consequence of COVID-19 that has been underlined by reports of such injuries among college football players .
On Thursday , Penn State ’ s football team doctor Wayne Sebastianelli walked back earlier comments that 30 % to 35 % of Big 10 football conference players who had COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rate was actually lower , around 15 % .
( Penn State also told ESPN none of its players have the condition . )
The fumbled figures attracted a lot of attention , but did n't surprise epidemiologists , like Columbia University ’ s Mitchell Elkind , president of the American Heart Association , who told BuzzFeed News that from 20 % to 30 % of hospitalized COVID-19 patients seem to have symptoms of heart injuries , including myocarditis , an inflammation of the heart muscle caused by viruses .
“ Some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infection are only now coming into focus because enough time has passed by to see them , ” said Elkind , particularly among “ long-hauler ” patients still suffering all sorts of lasting injuries from the pandemic virus .
As of Friday , more than 6.1 million cases of COVID-19 and nearly 187,000 deaths have been recorded across the US , leaving many recovered patients with long-term injuries with an unknown resolution , because the disease has been around for less than a year .
Initially seen as a respiratory disease , COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and brain , as well as causing blood clots and a bewildering array of other long-term symptoms in some patients .
“ It seems that COVID-19 inflammation of the heart is different from classical myocarditis , ” which causes an irregular heartbeat and shortness of breath , said cardiologist Christof Burgstahler of Germany ’ s University Hospital and Medical Faculty Tübingen , whose team reviewed some of the first cases .
It ’ s too soon to tell whether that ’ s good or bad for patients , he added by email .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ death in elite athletes , according to the American College of Cardiology , explaining the attention around the Big 10 football players , a conference that last month canceled its fall football season .
Essentially , football players and other patients will have to be monitored by doctors for signs of irregular heartbeat and blood markers showing signs of continuing damage to heart muscle .
Some myocarditis patients require medication to maintain a regular heartbeat .
Other viruses — including some flus , for example — also cause heart inflammation , seen in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients , Elkind said , but the incidence in COVID-19 seems significantly higher , perhaps 10 % to 15 % even in patients without major symptoms .
“ This is a serious , deadly disease that does more than just kill people , but leaves others with potential long-term consequences they may have to live with for a long time , ” he said .
“ This is all just one more reason to wear a mask , wash your hands , take care of your neighbors .
”

The fumbled figures attracted a lot of attention, but didn't surprise epidemiologists, like Columbia University’s Mitchell Elkind, president of the American Heart Association, who told BuzzFeed News that from 20% to 30% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients seem to have symptoms of heart injuries, including myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle caused by viruses.
“Some of these long-term consequences of a coronavirus infection are only now coming into focus because enough time has passed by to see them,” said Elkind, particularly among “long-hauler” patients still suffering all sorts of lasting injuries from the pandemic virus.
As of Friday, more than 6.1 million cases of COVID-19 and nearly 187,000 deaths have been recorded across the US, leaving many recovered patients with long-term injuries with an unknown resolution, because the disease has been around for less than a year. Initially seen as a respiratory disease, COVID-19 also strikes the heart, kidneys, and brain, as well as causing blood clots and a bewildering array of other long-term symptoms in some patients.
“It seems that COVID-19 inflammation of the heart is different from classical myocarditis,” which causes an irregular heartbeat and shortness of breath, said cardiologist Christof Burgstahler of Germany’s University Hospital and Medical Faculty Tübingen, whose team reviewed some of the first cases. It’s too soon to tell whether that’s good or bad for patients, he added by email.


buzzfeed--2020-09-05--21 Pictures That Show What Social Distancing Looks Like In Different Parts Of The World

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

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


buzzfeed--2020-09-05--Trump Is Now Trying To Cancel Racial Sensitivity Trainings For Federal Agencies, Calling Them "A Sic

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

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

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