buzzfeed--2020-08-01--There's Growing Panic That Trump Will Rush A Vaccine To Save His Presidency. That's Unlikely.

There ’ s growing concern among health experts and Democrats that President Donald Trump will rush a potentially faulty coronavirus vaccine before the election to save his presidency .
But it ’ s highly unlikely even the bare minimum of clinical trial data from the administration ’ s “ Operation Warp Speed ” candidates will be available by November , making any possible attempt to speed up a vaccine before the election extremely difficult .
“ I think there is a sense among many people on the inside that this is such a tempting thing to do , to put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , pull out one or two vaccines and say , ‘ Look , these are safe , ’ ” vaccine expert Paul Offit of Children ’ s Hospital of Philadelphia , who sits on the FDA vaccine advisory committee , told BuzzFeed News .
“ I can not imagine that you would have data that shows efficacy and in a period of time that would be over the next few months.
” On Monday , Moderna began its first injections of 30,000 people as part of its Phase 3 clinical trial for its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Mike Pence visited two of the 89 vaccine development sites across the country , where Moderna will monitor for signs that people who receive the vaccine are less likely to get infected or have severe illness than those injected with a placebo .
The vaccine is one of five Operation Warp Speed candidates , so far supported by around $ 6 billion in federal funding .
In May , Trump unveiled the new effort promising that vaccines would be available by the end of the year .
“ We ’ re all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we have them — and that ’ s going to be very soon , ” Trump said at a press briefing on Thursday .
Trump ’ s emphasis on speed and his public fixation on vaccines as his reelection campaign falters has raised concern among public health experts and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden that the administration will jump safety guardrails .
Biden has in the last week repeatedly called for transparency in showing vaccine candidates are proven safe and effective before they are rolled out to the public .
And he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capable of providing that .
“ The development of a new vaccine requires a dedication to science , coordination , transparency , truth , and fairness to all — and we have a President who stands for none of these things , ” Biden said in a statement from his campaign .
The vaccine safety guardrails that do exist may be too high for Trump to get around , though , even if he tries to ignore them .
Trump administration officials , including Anthony Fauci and FDA chief Stephen Hahn , have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be the determining factor for releasing a vaccine to tens of millions of people .
In June , Fauci told McClatchy News there would be “ no chance ” he would agree to a vaccine that he doesn ’ t think passes muster .
At a press briefing on Monday , Fauci said a rushed timeline would only work if there were big outbreaks in areas where people were already being administered the test vaccines , which would quickly make clear whether they were effective .
He added that he doubted that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , though , has already cut medical corners during the coronavirus pandemic .
Public health experts have pointed to the administration ’ s handling of hydroxychloroquine — which was rushed as a COVID-19 treatment under public pressure by Trump but ultimately found to be ineffective — to raise questions about the FDA ’ s role in safeguarding the public .
“ I think anyone who is listening and anyone who has watched how he has dealt with the pandemic since the beginning has pause about whether politics plays in this , ” Sen. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Senate ’ s Health Committee , told BuzzFeed News when asked if there ’ s a question about the president rushing a vaccine for political purposes .
“ If there is not confidence in having this vaccine , we will be where we are today with this virus two , three , four years from now , ” she said .
The hydroxychloroquine saga has given a glimmer of optimism for some public health experts , however .
Although the administration steamrolled the FDA to authorize hydroxychloroquine in March , the agency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and has withstood Trump ’ s continued public complaints about the decision and evangelism for the drug since then .
“ I feel a little better now , as the FDA has made clear they will handle this in the right way , ” infectious disease expert Carlos del Rio of Emory University told BuzzFeed News .
Del Rio had previously raised alarm about the possibility of an October vaccine shortcutting safety steps .
Early release of an unvetted vaccine could lead to a public health fiasco similar to the October 1976 release @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the election , which had side effects that included cases of a paralytic syndrome , and spurred the anti-vaccine movement .
And as Democrats have argued , a faulty vaccine could cripple the country ’ s ability to ultimately defeat the coronavirus by destroying Americans ’ remaining faith in vaccination .
“ If a vaccine or any medication is pushed out there and you find out 6 or 12 months later that there are health consequences or that it doesn ’ t work , we will lose the confidence in our scientific @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on anything in the future , ” Murray told BuzzFeed News .
“ There is high stakes on this .
We ’ ve got to get it right.
” Murray published a report on July 13 that expressly asked the administration to set rigorous standards for vaccine development and scientific review .
The report calls on , among other things , the administration to protect the clinical review process from “ political interference ” and “ require inclusive clinical trial designs , and engage with the international community.
” Murray ’ s hoping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus stimulus package Congress is currently negotiating .
On Tuesday , Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri said he asked the administration for a vaccine distribution plan by Oct. 1 , with or without a proven vaccine .
Murray thinks that ’ s too late .
“ You need to plan now , ” Murray told BuzzFeed News .
“ If a vaccine is available and it ’ s safe and effective in October , you have to have a supply chain ready .
You have to have the distribution points in place .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
People need to know who can take and who gets it first .
We need to have the plan in place and we need to have a transparent process of this vaccine and what ’ s going on .
”

There’s growing concern among health experts and Democrats that President Donald Trump will rush a potentially faulty coronavirus vaccine before the election to save his presidency.
But it’s highly unlikely even the bare minimum of clinical trial data from the administration’s “Operation Warp Speed” candidates will be available by November, making any possible attempt to speed up a vaccine before the election extremely difficult.
“I think there is a sense among many people on the inside that this is such a tempting thing to do, to put your hands in the Warp Speed bucket, pull out one or two vaccines and say, ‘Look, these are safe,’” vaccine expert Paul Offit of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, who sits on the FDA vaccine advisory committee, told BuzzFeed News. “I cannot imagine that you would have data that shows efficacy and in a period of time that would be over the next few months.”
On Monday, Moderna began its first injections of 30,000 people as part of its Phase 3 clinical trial for its mRNA vaccine candidate. Trump and Vice President Mike Pence visited two of the 89 vaccine development sites across the country, where Moderna will monitor for signs that people who receive the vaccine are less likely to get infected or have severe illness than those injected with a placebo.
The vaccine is one of five Operation Warp Speed candidates, so far supported by around $6 billion in federal funding. In May, Trump unveiled the new effort promising that vaccines would be available by the end of the year. “We’re all set to deliver them as soon as we have them — and that’s going to be very soon,” Trump said at a press briefing on Thursday.
Trump’s emphasis on speed and his public fixation on vaccines as his reelection campaign falters has raised concern among public health experts and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden that the administration will jump safety guardrails.
Biden has in the last week repeatedly called for transparency in showing vaccine candidates are proven safe and effective before they are rolled out to the public. And he has cast doubt on whether Trump is capable of providing that. “The development of a new vaccine requires a dedication to science, coordination, transparency, truth, and fairness to all — and we have a President who stands for none of these things,” Biden said in a statement from his campaign.
The vaccine safety guardrails that do exist may be too high for Trump to get around, though, even if he tries to ignore them.
Trump administration officials, including Anthony Fauci and FDA chief Stephen Hahn, have repeatedly said that safety rather than speed would be the determining factor for releasing a vaccine to tens of millions of people. In June, Fauci told McClatchy News there would be “no chance” he would agree to a vaccine that he doesn’t think passes muster. At a press briefing on Monday, Fauci said a rushed timeline would only work if there were big outbreaks in areas where people were already being administered the test vaccines, which would quickly make clear whether they were effective. He added that he doubted that scenario would happen.
The Trump administration, though, has already cut medical corners during the coronavirus pandemic. Public health experts have pointed to the administration’s handling of hydroxychloroquine — which was rushed as a COVID-19 treatment under public pressure by Trump but ultimately found to be ineffective — to raise questions about the FDA’s role in safeguarding the public.
“I think anyone who is listening and anyone who has watched how he has dealt with the pandemic since the beginning has pause about whether politics plays in this,” Sen. Patty Murray, the lead Democrat on the Senate’s Health Committee, told BuzzFeed News when asked if there’s a question about the president rushing a vaccine for political purposes.
“If there is not confidence in having this vaccine, we will be where we are today with this virus two, three, four years from now,” she said.
The hydroxychloroquine saga has given a glimmer of optimism for some public health experts, however. Although the administration steamrolled the FDA to authorize hydroxychloroquine in March, the agency subsequently withdrew the emergency authorization in June and has withstood Trump’s continued public complaints about the decision and evangelism for the drug since then.
“I feel a little better now, as the FDA has made clear they will handle this in the right way,” infectious disease expert Carlos del Rio of Emory University told BuzzFeed News. Del Rio had previously raised alarm about the possibility of an October vaccine shortcutting safety steps.
Early release of an unvetted vaccine could lead to a public health fiasco similar to the October 1976 release of a hurried swine flu vaccine ahead of the election, which had side effects that included cases of a paralytic syndrome, and spurred the anti-vaccine movement. And as Democrats have argued, a faulty vaccine could cripple the country’s ability to ultimately defeat the coronavirus by destroying Americans’ remaining faith in vaccination.
“If a vaccine or any medication is pushed out there and you find out 6 or 12 months later that there are health consequences or that it doesn’t work, we will lose the confidence in our scientific ability — not just on this but on anything in the future,” Murray told BuzzFeed News. “There is high stakes on this. We’ve got to get it right.”
Murray published a report on July 13 that expressly asked the administration to set rigorous standards for vaccine development and scientific review. The report calls on, among other things, the administration to protect the clinical review process from “political interference” and “require inclusive clinical trial designs, and engage with the international community.” Murray’s hoping Congress will introduce similar language in the coronavirus stimulus package Congress is currently negotiating.
On Tuesday, Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri said he asked the administration for a vaccine distribution plan by Oct. 1, with or without a proven vaccine. Murray thinks that’s too late.
“You need to plan now,” Murray told BuzzFeed News. “If a vaccine is available and it’s safe and effective in October, you have to have a supply chain ready. You have to have the distribution points in place. People need to know where to go. People need to know who can take and who gets it first. We need to have the plan in place and we need to have a transparent process of this vaccine and what’s going on.”


buzzfeed--2020-08-01--The Coronavirus Pandemic Is Making The Threat Of Summer Heat Worse For Pregnant Women

As summer heats up and coronavirus cases continue to surge , pregnant women of color in particular face the greatest health risks .
Pregnant women are facing two colliding health crises this summer : the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and extreme heat .
The two challenges together are putting some pregnancies at greater risk , health experts say .
A growing body of scientific research links exposure to extreme heat during a woman ’ s pregnancy to increased risk of delivering early , having a baby with a low birth weight , and even infant mortality .
That ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a hot one .
This July , large swaths of the US , especially in the South , have experienced brutal heat waves .
And this past June has tied as the third-hottest on record globally , according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration .
As the world warms due to climate change , the threat of extreme heat is only expected to get worse .
Black and brown women and women with low incomes are far more vulnerable to suffer health consequences from heat .
According to one study of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California between 1999 and 2013 , which looked at the link between temperature exposure and low birth weight , Black women were the most at risk of delivering small babies .
Black women are already at much greater risk of dying from pregnancy-related causes .
But local health officials aren ’ t getting the word out .
A BuzzFeed News review of the online heat and safety guidelines provided by local health and emergency response departments for 25 of the most-populated US cities found only two — Chicago and Philadelphia — identified pregnant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heat .
While still very little is known about the risks the coronavirus poses to pregnant women , the CDC updated its guidance this summer to warn that “ pregnant people might be at an increased risk for severe illness.
” So far , at least 14,000 pregnant women in the US have tested positive for the coronavirus , more than 3,000 of them were hospitalized , and at least 35 of them have died .
And a preliminary analysis of this data found pregnant Latina and Black women were more likely to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heat and the pandemic together may put pregnant women in a bind : Do you stay outdoors , where the virus is less likely to spread , but risk being exposed to heat ?
Or seek relief in potentially crowded indoor spaces blasting cool air , such as grocery stores , malls , and libraries ?
“ That ’ s really a big problem , ” said Rupa Basu , an epidemiologist at the California Environmental Protection Agency who has studied the effects of heat and air pollution on pregnancies .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whammy for the same population.
” Here ’ s what we know about how pregnant women can navigate their health risks this pandemic summer : Many studies have shown extreme heat poses especially serious risks to pregnant women .
There ’ s no question that extreme heat can be dangerous — even deadly — to human health .
A July 1993 heat wave in Philadelphia resulted in 118 deaths , and two years later a July heat wave in Chicago resulted in 514 deaths , according to the CDC .
And in Arizona @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heat-caused deaths that occurred between 2008 and 2018 .
If a young and healthy person overexerts themself in extreme or prolonged heat and doesn ’ t stay hydrated , it can lead to heat exhaustion , with symptoms including fatigue , muscle cramping , dizziness , and fainting .
If left untreated , a person can develop heat stroke , which is life-threatening and causes fevers , confusion , and unconsciousness , as well as red , hot , and dry skin but no sweating .
People who aren ’ t able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ thermoregulate , ” are far more at risk of experiencing a heat-related illness .
So who ’ s considered especially vulnerable ?
The most common groups include the elderly , people with preexisting conditions like heart or kidney problems , and young children , especially babies under the age of 6 months because they haven ’ t fully developed the ability to thermoregulate .
But pregnant women also fall into this category .
The body has a lot of “ tricks ” to cool down , explained Nick Watts , a physician @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of its main tricks is to pump blood faster ; it moves blood through your veins faster and it increases cardiovascular output.
” But that ’ s more difficult for pregnant women , whose cardiovascular systems are already in overdrive .
A pregnant woman who is trying to naturally cool down in extreme heat “ is similar to flogging a workhorse , ” Watts said .
This is also why it can be so risky for a pregnant person to get a fever , whether from the flu , the coronavirus , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but growing body of research suggests a pregnant woman ’ s exposure to heat can put her at risk of other serious , lingering health effects .
For one , there ’ s the risk of delivering a baby early .
Babies born prematurely are more likely to have breathing problems early on , be readmitted to the hospital post delivery , and die than those who are born after 39 weeks .
They ’ re also more likely to have long-term health problems .
A 2010 study looking at about 60,000 births @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months between 1996 and 2006 found “ high ambient temperature was significantly associated with preterm birth for all mothers , ” with Black mothers facing the highest risks .
The researchers , relying on birth certificates and temperature data , found that with every 10-degree increase in the average weekly outdoor temperature , there was an 8.6 % increase in deliveries before 37 weeks .
A follow-up study in 2018 came to similar conclusions .
In a 2019 study , researchers used data on 56 million births across the US between 1969 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on hot days compared to the same dates during a different , cooler year .
“ What we ultimately find is on a hot day — above 90 degrees — births were about 5 % higher , ” said study author Jessamyn Schaller from the National Bureau of Economic Research .
“ That ’ s a really large effect.
” They also found that on the day following extreme heat exposure , some births were accelerated by up to two weeks .
“ We estimate that an average of 25,000 infants per year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heat exposure , ” the study authors wrote .
The authors projected that as climate change continues to drive up temperatures , early births will continue to rise .
Other studies have found correlations between heat exposure during pregnancy and increased risk of hospitalization , stillbirth for preterm babies , and low birth weight .
Some of the studies found a woman ’ s access to air conditioning dampened these health risks .
Moreover , they repeatedly found women of color , especially Black women , were more at risk of negative health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to preterm delivery to stillbirths .
“ Extreme temperature is one of the drivers , certainly not the only one , in the disparity of maternal health by race that we ’ ve seen , ” said Maya Rossin-Slater , an assistant professor at Stanford who has studied the impacts of heat on pregnant women .
The pandemic summer is making it even harder to protect pregnant women from heat .
The coronavirus pandemic , which has already claimed roughly 150,000 lives in the US , adds yet another health risk to pregnant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extreme heat .
If you ’ re able to work from home , or don ’ t need to work , and you have access to air conditioning , these dual health risks may not be a major concern .
But if not , the health crises may be compounding .
Cooling centers , which are public places that blast air conditioning , are the “ mainstay ” of many cities ’ emergency plans for extreme heat , according to Aaron Bernstein , interim director of the Center for Climate , Health , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Even if coronavirus weren ’ t around , the cooling centers have real challenges ” in attracting people , he said .
This year , pregnant women may not be willing to take public transportation to get to a cooling center out of fear of catching the disease , or they may be worried about overcrowding , even if social distancing and mask wearing were enforced and extra wash stations were available .
When cooling centers aren ’ t available , pregnant women without air conditioning at home may seek refuge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ malls and libraries , where their chances of exposure to the coronavirus could increase .
And if a city is experiencing a particularly bad coronavirus outbreak , some of these places may not even be open .
Another concern is that even if someone does have access to air conditioning at home , they may avoid using it as a way to cut down on costs this summer as more families face the pandemic ’ s devastating economic fallout .
“ With drastic unemployment and the loss of incomes , I worry that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cut , ” said Alan Barreca , an economist and maternal health researcher who led the 2019 study on hot days and early births .
The “ I can tough this out ” mentality could be dangerous for pregnant women , he added .
“ It ’ s just kind of difficult to climate control to optimal levels without running an air conditioner.
” Health experts say we need to be doing more to protect pregnant women during the summer .
Despite the immediate and long-term impacts that heat exposure can have on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as an at-risk population in a city ’ s heat guidelines .
“ Pregnant women as an at-risk group to climate change are largely ignored , ” Skye Wheeler , an emergencies researcher for the Women ’ s Rights Division of Human Rights Watch , told BuzzFeed News .
If you look at the heat emergency plans for several major US cities including Boston and New York , you ’ ll see a lot of different groups mentioned , she explained , but “ pregnant people aren ’ t. ” A BuzzFeed News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 25 of the largest US cities found only Chicago and Philadelphia listed pregnant people as especially vulnerable .
The CDC also doesn ’ t recognize them as especially at risk to heat .
“ There ’ s very little happening right now to think about this issue and raise awareness , ” Wheeler said .
She ’ s working on setting national guidelines on the health risks of extreme heat for outdoor workers , which can include pregnant women .
“ We know that pregnant people are often desperate to work and earn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are not going to get paid maternity leave , which is common in this country .
We don ’ t want to put them in a position where pregnant people aren ’ t hired .
We want a heat standard that is good enough for all people , where everyone can work safely.
” Concerned about this issue , Adelle Monteblanco , a sociology professor at Middle Tennessee State University , helped put on a small training in El Paso , Texas , in 2018 about heat risks for local maternal healthcare providers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consultants , and doulas ( people who provide support to women during the birth process ) , Monteblanco learned there was a big knowledge gap on the issue .
“ They were all familiar with some heat illness symptoms and that they could communicate protective measures if there was a heat event that was hurting their community , but unfortunately many were unfamiliar with pregnant people and fetuses as being uniquely vulnerable , ” Monteblanco said .
The resulting two-hour workshop sought to address this , providing specific tips and resources for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ These extreme exposures are coming up more and more , ” said Rachel Curtis , an El Paso doula who attended the training and has since folded information about heat risks into her conversations with pregnant women .
“ None of us had any idea this could cause preterm birth [ or ] fetal demise .
Holy cow.
” But such conversations have yet to become commonplace among maternal healthcare providers .
“ We need the medical community involved , ” said Basu of the California Environmental Protection Agency .
But communicating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one , what ’ s considered hot in one place is not in another .
“ I think across the country , people want a magic number , and I wish there was one , ” said Monteblanco .
And then you take into account how many anxieties pregnant women , especially first-time moms , already have to contend with .
“ I never want to make women feel bad about the ways that their decisions are constrained because that ’ s not on them — that ’ s on their social , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Monteblanco .
“ Instead of putting it on women , I really think everything else has to change.
” ●

Here’s what we know about how pregnant women can navigate their health risks this pandemic summer:
Many studies have shown extreme heat poses especially serious risks to pregnant women.
There’s no question that extreme heat can be dangerous — even deadly — to human health. A July 1993 heat wave in Philadelphia resulted in 118 deaths, and two years later a July heat wave in Chicago resulted in 514 deaths, according to the CDC. And in Arizona, health officials identified more than 1,200 heat-caused deaths that occurred between 2008 and 2018.
If a young and healthy person overexerts themself in extreme or prolonged heat and doesn’t stay hydrated, it can lead to heat exhaustion, with symptoms including fatigue, muscle cramping, dizziness, and fainting. If left untreated, a person can develop heatstroke, which is life-threatening and causes fevers, confusion, and unconsciousness, as well as red, hot, and dry skin but no sweating. People who aren’t able to effectively regulate their internal temperatures, or “thermoregulate,” are far more at risk of experiencing a heat-related illness.
So who’s considered especially vulnerable? The most common groups include the elderly, people with preexisting conditions like heart or kidney problems, and young children, especially babies under the age of 6 months because they haven’t fully developed the ability to thermoregulate.
But pregnant women also fall into this category. The body has a lot of “tricks” to cool down, explained Nick Watts, a physician and climate expert, and “one of its main tricks is to pump blood faster; it moves blood through your veins faster and it increases cardiovascular output.”
But that’s more difficult for pregnant women, whose cardiovascular systems are already in overdrive. A pregnant woman who is trying to naturally cool down in extreme heat “is similar to flogging a workhorse,” Watts said. This is also why it can be so risky for a pregnant person to get a fever, whether from the flu, the coronavirus, or anything else.
Moreover, a small but growing body of research suggests a pregnant woman’s exposure to heat can put her at risk of other serious, lingering health effects.
For one, there’s the risk of delivering a baby early. Babies born prematurely are more likely to have breathing problems early on, be readmitted to the hospital post delivery, and die than those who are born after 39 weeks. They’re also more likely to have long-term health problems.
A 2010 study looking at about 60,000 births in California in the spring and summer months between 1996 and 2006 found “high ambient temperature was significantly associated with preterm birth for all mothers,” with Black mothers facing the highest risks. The researchers, relying on birth certificates and temperature data, found that with every 10-degree increase in the average weekly outdoor temperature, there was an 8.6% increase in deliveries before 37 weeks. A follow-up study in 2018 came to similar conclusions.
In a 2019 study, researchers used data on 56 million births across the US between 1969 and 1988 to see whether they were higher on hot days compared to the same dates during a different, cooler year.
“What we ultimately find is on a hot day — above 90 degrees — births were about 5% higher,” said study author Jessamyn Schaller from the National Bureau of Economic Research. “That’s a really large effect.”
They also found that on the day following extreme heat exposure, some births were accelerated by up to two weeks. “We estimate that an average of 25,000 infants per year were born earlier as a result of heat exposure,” the study authors wrote. The authors projected that as climate change continues to drive up temperatures, early births will continue to rise.
Other studies have found correlations between heat exposure during pregnancy and increased risk of hospitalization, stillbirth for preterm babies, and low birth weight.
Some of the studies found a woman’s access to air conditioning dampened these health risks. Moreover, they repeatedly found women of color, especially Black women, were more at risk of negative health outcomes — from being hospitalized during pregnancy to preterm delivery to stillbirths.
“Extreme temperature is one of the drivers, certainly not the only one, in the disparity of maternal health by race that we’ve seen,” said Maya Rossin-Slater, an assistant professor at Stanford who has studied the impacts of heat on pregnant women.


buzzfeed--2020-08-01--The Trump Administration Will Start Charging Immigrants Fees For Applying For Asylum

An immigrant looks on with his children as they wait to hear if their number is called to apply for asylum in the United States at the border in Tijuana , Mexico , Jan. 25 , 2019 .
The US will become just one of just four countries to charge asylum-seekers a fee to apply for protections , according to a finalized policy announced Friday .
The move is just the latest by the Trump administration to target and restrict protections for those fleeing their home countries .
The US now joins the ranks of Iran , Fiji , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US , asylum-seekers will be charged $ 50 on asylum applications starting in October .
“ A $ 50 fee is in line with the fees charged by these other nations , ” the US Citizenship and Immigration Services ( USCIS ) explained in the final rule posted Friday .
However , one asylum officer who spoke with BuzzFeed News on condition of anonymity said the fee was discouraging .
“ The larger problem is that humanitarian applications by their nature should be free , ” the officer said .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — and not helping if they do n't pay up — is disgusting.
” Another asylum officer said it will cost the agency more to collect the fee than $ 50 , “ which doesn ’ t come close to covering the cost of adjudicating an asylum application.
” “ This is a penalty against asylum applicants , ” the officer added .

The US will become just one of just four countries to charge asylum-seekers a fee to apply for protections, according to a finalized policy announced Friday.
The move is just the latest by the Trump administration to target and restrict protections for those fleeing their home countries. The US now joins the ranks of Iran, Fiji, and Australia in charging a fee. In the US, there will be a $50 charge on asylum applications starting in October.
“A $50 fee is in line with the fees charged by these other nations,” the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) explained in the final rule posted Friday.
However, one asylum officer who spoke with BuzzFeed News on condition of anonymity said the fee was discouraging.
“The larger problem is that humanitarian applications by their nature should be free,” the officer said. “The idea of charging people who are fleeing — and not helping if they don't pay up — is disgusting.”
Another asylum officer said it will cost the agency more to collect the fee than $50, “which doesn’t come close to covering the cost of adjudicating an asylum application.”
“This is a penalty against asylum applicants,” the officer added.


buzzfeed--2020-08-01--Trump Just Stacked A Fetal Cell Research Panel With Abortion Opponents

On Friday , a Trump administration panel erected to judge the ethics of federally funded research relying on human fetal cells met more than a year after it was first announced .
Just hours before the meeting , the panel was revealed to be stacked with abortion opponents hostile to such research .
Human fetal cells are widely used in medical research to develop vaccines — notably in at least a half dozen current candidate coronavirus vaccines — as well for studying diseases including AIDS .
The National Institutes of Health Human Fetal Tissue Research Ethics Advisory Board was initially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ putting a hold on grant applications for medical research involving human fetal cells .
It followed the Trump administration ’ s moves to cancel related federal research contracts and audit human fetal cell research .
“ The committee was carefully constructed to block funding , ” bioethicist R. Alta Charo of the University of Wisconsin Law School , who spoke during the one-hour open session of the meeting , told BuzzFeed News by email .
The next five hours of the meeting will be closed to the public to review federal grants .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical research grant applications already approved for possible funding that include use of fetal cells , reporting directly to Department of Health and Human Services head Alex Azar , and bypassing NIH chief Francis Collins .
The first meeting was quietly announced earlier this month in the Federal Register , and its membership was not made public until 8 a.m. on Friday morning .
The panel will be headed by bioethicist Paige Comstock Cunningham , interim president of the evangelical Taylor University in Indiana , the home state of Vice President Mike Pence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opponent in the Trump administration .
Its 15 members include David Prentice of the Charlotte Lozier Institute , known for his opposition to human embryonic stem cell research during the Bush administration , and other opponents who have previously testified against fetal cell research to Congress .
NIH official Lawrence Tabak , who opened the meeting , noted that the committee ’ s role was not to review the science of the proposed research , which had already been approved for NIH grant funding , but to comment on its ethics for Azar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come to a consensus in its views .
The yearlong wait for the ethics board meeting had stalled research on HIV , Down syndrome , and diabetes , the Washington Post reported in January .
The cells , grown from induced abortion tissues collected decades ago , serve as a “ gold standard ” in research , according to a Wednesday statement signed by more than 90 major medical universities and scientific organizations .
“ Research using human fetal tissue has been essential for scientific and medical advances that have saved millions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resource for biomedical research , ” said the letter .
During the coronavirus pandemic , the use of fetal research tissue has emerged as a flashpoint in the Trump administration ’ s handling of the epidemic , noted Stanford University researcher Irving Weissman , who spoke during a public comments session .
NIH blocking fetal cell research has already shut down academic research aimed at testing coronavirus vaccines and treatments in mice grafted with human fetal lung cells , he said .
That notably could include intranasal inoculations that could block coronavirus infections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ throat .
`` They are withholding therapies for the rest of us , including their own families , '' Weissman told BuzzFeed News .
In April , the US Conference of Catholic Bishops and other abortion opponents told the Trump administration that it should “ incentivize ” the development of coronavirus vaccines made without human fetal cells , but did not oppose two “ Operation Warp Speed ” vaccines that did .
Whether coronavirus vaccine research proposals would be reviewed by the ethics board on Friday was unknown , due to confidentiality rules @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ethics of the Moderna mRNA vaccine , whose Phase 3 clinical trial launched on Monday is the first US vaccine to undergo wide testing in people .
While the vaccine itself does not involve fetal cells , some of its development work may have involved them , John Di Camillo , an ethicist with the National Catholic Bioethics Center , told BuzzFeed News .
The balance of the ethics panel ’ s membership , whether research supporters or abortion opponents , will largely determine what opinions are delivered to Azar , added Di @ @ @ @ @ @ @ board is required to contain a balance of viewpoints , but during the group ’ s introductions , numerous members of the panel identified themselves by affiliation with a religious institution or faith while describing their scientific or medical credentials .

On Friday, a Trump administration panel erected to judge the ethics of federally funded research relying on human fetal cells met more than a year after it was first announced. Just hours before the meeting, the panel was revealed to be stacked with abortion opponents hostile to such research.
Human fetal cells are widely used in medical research to develop vaccines — notably in at least a half dozen current candidate coronavirus vaccines — as well for studying diseases including AIDS. The National Institutes of Health Human Fetal Tissue Research Ethics Advisory Board was initially announced in June of last year, putting a hold on grant applications for medical research involving human fetal cells. It followed the Trump administration’s moves to cancel related federal research contracts and audit human fetal cell research.
“The committee was carefully constructed to block funding,” bioethicist R. Alta Charo of the University of Wisconsin Law School, who spoke during the one-hour open session of the meeting, told BuzzFeed News by email. The next five hours of the meeting will be closed to the public to review federal grants.
The ethics panel will review all NIH medical research grant applications already approved for possible funding that include use of fetal cells, reporting directly to Department of Health and Human Services head Alex Azar, and bypassing NIH chief Francis Collins. The first meeting was quietly announced earlier this month in the Federal Register, and its membership was not made public until 8 a.m. on Friday morning.
The panel will be headed by bioethicist Paige Comstock Cunningham, interim president of the evangelical Taylor University in Indiana, the home state of Vice President Mike Pence, widely seen as the leading abortion opponent in the Trump administration. Its 15 members include David Prentice of the Charlotte Lozier Institute, known for his opposition to human embryonic stem cell research during the Bush administration, and other opponents who have previously testified against fetal cell research to Congress.
NIH official Lawrence Tabak, who opened the meeting, noted that the committee’s role was not to review the science of the proposed research, which had already been approved for NIH grant funding, but to comment on its ethics for Azar. The board is not required to come to a consensus in its views.
The yearlong wait for the ethics board meeting had stalled research on HIV, Down syndrome, and diabetes, the Washington Post reported in January. The cells, grown from induced abortion tissues collected decades ago, serve as a “gold standard” in research, according to a Wednesday statement signed by more than 90 major medical universities and scientific organizations.
“Research using human fetal tissue has been essential for scientific and medical advances that have saved millions of lives, and it remains a crucial resource for biomedical research,” said the letter.
During the coronavirus pandemic, the use of fetal research tissue has emerged as a flashpoint in the Trump administration’s handling of the epidemic, noted Stanford University researcher Irving Weissman, who spoke during a public comments session. NIH blocking fetal cell research has already shut down academic research aimed at testing coronavirus vaccines and treatments in mice grafted with human fetal lung cells, he said. That notably could include intranasal inoculations that could block coronavirus infections in the mouth, nose, and throat.
"They are withholding therapies for the rest of us, including their own families," Weissman told BuzzFeed News.
In April, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops and other abortion opponents told the Trump administration that it should “incentivize” the development of coronavirus vaccines made without human fetal cells, but did not oppose two “Operation Warp Speed” vaccines that did. Whether coronavirus vaccine research proposals would be reviewed by the ethics board on Friday was unknown, due to confidentiality rules.
Abortion opponents are split on the ethics of the Moderna mRNA vaccine, whose Phase 3 clinical trial launched on Monday is the first US vaccine to undergo wide testing in people. While the vaccine itself does not involve fetal cells, some of its development work may have involved them, John Di Camillo, an ethicist with the National Catholic Bioethics Center, told BuzzFeed News.
The balance of the ethics panel’s membership, whether research supporters or abortion opponents, will largely determine what opinions are delivered to Azar, added Di Camilo. By its charter, the board is required to contain a balance of viewpoints, but during the group’s introductions, numerous members of the panel identified themselves by affiliation with a religious institution or faith while describing their scientific or medical credentials.


buzzfeed--2020-08-02--There's Growing Panic That Trump Will Rush A Vaccine To Save His Presidency. That's Unlikely.


buzzfeed--2020-08-02--The Coronavirus Pandemic Is Making The Threat Of Summer Heat Worse For Pregnant Women


buzzfeed--2020-08-02--Trump Said He Plans To Ban TikTok From The US

President Trump on Friday said he plans to ban the popular app TikTok from operating in the US .
Traveling aboard Air Force One , Trump told reporters he could take action as soon as Saturday .
`` As far as TikTok is concerned , we 're banning them from the United States , '' he said according to a pool report .
Trump has been threatening to ban the popular video-sharing app citing national security concerns that its parent company , Chinese-owned ByteDance , could be misusing American consumer information .
The president , however , has made threats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that has not ultimately arrived .
When asked on Fox News earlier this month whether Americans should download TikTok on their phones , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said : “ Only if you want your private information in the hands of the Chinese Communist Party.
” ByteDance has said that the company stores user data entirely in the US and Singapore and that it does not have to send user data to China .
But skeptics point to a 2017 law in China that requires Chinese companies to comply with government requests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Foreign Investment in the United States opened a national security review into ByteDance last year .
Trump on Friday said he could use emergency economic powers or an executive order to ban the app in the United States , though it is not immediately clear how that would work or what the specific legal rationale would be .
A TikTok spokesperson declined to comment when asked if the company would take legal action against the Trump administration .
However , in a statement , they said millions of Americans have flocked to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their data `` is stored in the US , with strict controls on employee access . ''
`` We are committed to protecting our users ' privacy and safety as we continue working to bring joy to families and meaningful careers to those who create on our platform , '' the spokesperson added .
In a TikTok posted on Saturday morning , the app 's US General Manager Vanessa Pappas thanked their American users for an `` outpouring of support . ''
`` We 're not planning on going anywhere , '' Pappas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safety and security , we 're building the safest app because we know it 's the right thing to do . ''
The New York Times on Friday reported that Microsoft and other companies are in talks to buy TikTok .
But Trump told reporters on Air Force One he was not in favor of a US company buying the app 's American operations .
However , a source familiar with conversations between the administration and TikTok told BuzzFeed News that Trump is looking for a win , and trying to force one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be 100 % US-owned .
TikTok evolved from another popular app Musical.ly , which ByteDance bought in 2017 .
Ryan Mac and Mat Honan contributed additional reporting to this story .

President Donald Trump on Friday said he plans to ban the popular app TikTok from operating in the US.
Traveling aboard Air Force One, Trump told reporters he could take action as soon as Saturday.
"As far as TikTok is concerned, we're banning them from the United States," he said according to a pool report.
Trump has been threatening to ban the popular video-sharing app, citing national security concerns that its parent company, Chinese-owned ByteDance, could be misusing American consumer information. The president, however, has made threats in the past or announced planned action that has not ultimately arrived.
When asked on Fox News earlier this month whether Americans should download TikTok on their phones, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said: “Only if you want your private information in the hands of the Chinese Communist Party.”
ByteDance has said that the company stores user data entirely in the US and Singapore and that it does not have to send user data to China. But skeptics point to a 2017 law in China that requires Chinese companies to comply with government requests for intelligence gathering.
The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States opened a national security review into ByteDance last year.
Trump on Friday said he could use emergency economic powers or an executive order to ban the app in the United States, though it is not immediately clear how that would work or what the specific legal rationale would be.
A TikTok spokesperson declined to comment when asked if the company would take legal action against the Trump administration. However, in a statement, they said millions of Americans have flocked to the app during the coronavirus pandemic and that their data "is stored in the US, with strict controls on employee access."
"We are committed to protecting our users' privacy and safety as we continue working to bring joy to families and meaningful careers to those who create on our platform," the spokesperson added.
In a TikTok posted on Saturday morning, the app's US General Manager Vanessa Pappas thanked the app's American users for an "outpouring of support."
"We're not planning on going anywhere," Pappas said. "When it comes to safety and security, we're building the safest app because we know it's the right thing to do."
The New York Times on Friday reported that Microsoft and other companies are in talks to buy TikTok. But Trump told reporters on Air Force One he was not in favor of a US company buying the app's American operations.
However, a source familiar with conversations between the administration and TikTok told BuzzFeed News that Trump is looking for a win, and trying to force one by ensuring the company's US operations would be 100% US-owned.
TikTok evolved from another popular app Musical.ly, which ByteDance bought in 2017.
Ryan Mac and Mat Honan contributed additional reporting to this story.


buzzfeed--2020-08-03--There's Growing Panic That Trump Will Rush A Vaccine To Save His Presidency. That's Unlikely.


buzzfeed--2020-08-03--The Coronavirus Pandemic Is Making The Threat Of Summer Heat Worse For Pregnant Women

As summer heats up and coronavirus cases continue to surge , pregnant women of color in particular face the greatest health risks .
Pregnant women are facing two colliding health crises this summer : the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and extreme heat .
The two challenges together are putting some pregnancies at greater risk , health experts say .
A growing body of scientific research links exposure to extreme heat during a woman ’ s pregnancy to increased risk of delivering early , having a baby with a low birth weight , and even infant mortality .
That ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a hot one .
This July , large swaths of the US , especially in the South , have experienced brutal heat waves .
And this past June has tied as the third-hottest on record globally , according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration .
As the world warms due to climate change , the threat of extreme heat is only expected to get worse .
Black and brown women and women with low incomes are far more vulnerable to suffer health consequences from heat .
According to one study of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California between 1999 and 2013 , which looked at the link between temperature exposure and low birth weight , Black women were the most at risk of delivering small babies .
Black women are already at much greater risk of dying from pregnancy-related causes .
But local health officials aren ’ t getting the word out .
A BuzzFeed News review of the online heat and safety guidelines provided by local health and emergency response departments for 25 of the most-populated US cities found only two — Chicago and Philadelphia — identified pregnant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heat .
While still very little is known about the risks the coronavirus poses to pregnant women , the CDC updated its guidance this summer to warn that “ pregnant people might be at an increased risk for severe illness.
” So far , at least 14,000 pregnant women in the US have tested positive for the coronavirus , more than 3,000 of them were hospitalized , and at least 35 of them have died .
And a preliminary analysis of this data found pregnant Latina and Black women were more likely to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heat and the pandemic together may put pregnant women in a bind : Do you stay outdoors , where the virus is less likely to spread , but risk being exposed to heat ?
Or seek relief in potentially crowded indoor spaces blasting cool air , such as grocery stores , malls , and libraries ?
“ That ’ s really a big problem , ” said Rupa Basu , an epidemiologist at the California Environmental Protection Agency who has studied the effects of heat and air pollution on pregnancies .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whammy for the same population.
” Here ’ s what we know about how pregnant women can navigate their health risks this pandemic summer : Many studies have shown extreme heat poses especially serious risks to pregnant women .
There ’ s no question that extreme heat can be dangerous — even deadly — to human health .
A July 1993 heat wave in Philadelphia resulted in 118 deaths , and two years later a July heat wave in Chicago resulted in 514 deaths , according to the CDC .
And in Arizona @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heat-caused deaths that occurred between 2008 and 2018 .
If a young and healthy person overexerts themself in extreme or prolonged heat and doesn ’ t stay hydrated , it can lead to heat exhaustion , with symptoms including fatigue , muscle cramping , dizziness , and fainting .
If left untreated , a person can develop heatstroke , which is life-threatening and causes fevers , confusion , and unconsciousness , as well as red , hot , and dry skin but no sweating .
People who aren ’ t able to effectively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thermoregulate , ” are far more at risk of experiencing a heat-related illness .
So who ’ s considered especially vulnerable ?
The most common groups include the elderly , people with preexisting conditions like heart or kidney problems , and young children , especially babies under the age of 6 months because they haven ’ t fully developed the ability to thermoregulate .
But pregnant women also fall into this category .
The body has a lot of “ tricks ” to cool down , explained Nick Watts , a physician and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its main tricks is to pump blood faster ; it moves blood through your veins faster and it increases cardiovascular output.
” But that ’ s more difficult for pregnant women , whose cardiovascular systems are already in overdrive .
A pregnant woman who is trying to naturally cool down in extreme heat “ is similar to flogging a workhorse , ” Watts said .
This is also why it can be so risky for a pregnant person to get a fever , whether from the flu , the coronavirus , or anything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ growing body of research suggests a pregnant woman ’ s exposure to heat can put her at risk of other serious , lingering health effects .
For one , there ’ s the risk of delivering a baby early .
Babies born prematurely are more likely to have breathing problems early on , be readmitted to the hospital post delivery , and die than those who are born after 39 weeks .
They ’ re also more likely to have long-term health problems .
A 2010 study looking at about 60,000 births in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between 1996 and 2006 found “ high ambient temperature was significantly associated with preterm birth for all mothers , ” with Black mothers facing the highest risks .
The researchers , relying on birth certificates and temperature data , found that with every 10-degree increase in the average weekly outdoor temperature , there was an 8.6 % increase in deliveries before 37 weeks .
A follow-up study in 2018 came to similar conclusions .
In a 2019 study , researchers used data on 56 million births across the US between 1969 and 1988 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hot days compared to the same dates during a different , cooler year .
“ What we ultimately find is on a hot day — above 90 degrees — births were about 5 % higher , ” said study author Jessamyn Schaller from the National Bureau of Economic Research .
“ That ’ s a really large effect.
” They also found that on the day following extreme heat exposure , some births were accelerated by up to two weeks .
“ We estimate that an average of 25,000 infants per year were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exposure , ” the study authors wrote .
The authors projected that as climate change continues to drive up temperatures , early births will continue to rise .
Other studies have found correlations between heat exposure during pregnancy and increased risk of hospitalization , stillbirth for preterm babies , and low birth weight .
Some of the studies found a woman ’ s access to air conditioning dampened these health risks .
Moreover , they repeatedly found women of color , especially Black women , were more at risk of negative health outcomes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ preterm delivery to stillbirths .
“ Extreme temperature is one of the drivers , certainly not the only one , in the disparity of maternal health by race that we ’ ve seen , ” said Maya Rossin-Slater , an assistant professor at Stanford who has studied the impacts of heat on pregnant women .
The pandemic summer is making it even harder to protect pregnant women from heat .
The coronavirus pandemic , which has already claimed roughly 150,000 lives in the US , adds yet another health risk to pregnant women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heat .
If you ’ re able to work from home , or don ’ t need to work , and you have access to air conditioning , these dual health risks may not be a major concern .
But if not , the health crises may be compounding .
Cooling centers , which are public places that blast air conditioning , are the “ mainstay ” of many cities ’ emergency plans for extreme heat , according to Aaron Bernstein , interim director of the Center for Climate , Health , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Even if coronavirus weren ’ t around , the cooling centers have real challenges ” in attracting people , he said .
This year , pregnant women may not be willing to take public transportation to get to a cooling center out of fear of catching the disease , or they may be worried about overcrowding , even if social distancing and mask-wearing were enforced and extra wash stations were available .
When cooling centers aren ’ t available , pregnant women without air conditioning at home may seek refuge in other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ libraries , where their chances of exposure to the coronavirus could increase .
And if a city is experiencing a particularly bad coronavirus outbreak , some of these places may not even be open .
Another concern is that even if someone does have access to air conditioning at home , they may avoid using it as a way to cut down on costs this summer as more families face the pandemic ’ s devastating economic fallout .
“ With drastic unemployment and the loss of incomes , I worry that people are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Alan Barreca , an economist and maternal health researcher who led the 2019 study on hot days and early births .
The “ I can tough this out ” mentality could be dangerous for pregnant women , he added .
“ It ’ s just kind of difficult to climate control to optimal levels without running an air conditioner.
” Health experts say we need to be doing more to protect pregnant women during the summer .
Despite the immediate and long-term impacts that heat exposure can have on pregnant women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at-risk population in a city ’ s heat guidelines .
“ Pregnant women as an at-risk group to climate change are largely ignored , ” Skye Wheeler , an emergencies researcher for the Women ’ s Rights Division of Human Rights Watch , told BuzzFeed News .
If you look at the heat emergency plans for several major US cities including Boston and New York , you ’ ll see a lot of different groups mentioned , she explained , but “ pregnant people aren ’ t. ” A BuzzFeed News review of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the largest US cities found only Chicago and Philadelphia listed pregnant people as especially vulnerable .
The CDC also doesn ’ t recognize them as especially at risk to heat .
“ There ’ s very little happening right now to think about this issue and raise awareness , ” Wheeler said .
She ’ s working on setting national guidelines on the health risks of extreme heat for outdoor workers , which can include pregnant women .
“ We know that pregnant people are often desperate to work and earn money , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to get paid maternity leave , which is common in this country .
We don ’ t want to put them in a position where pregnant people aren ’ t hired .
We want a heat standard that is good enough for all people , where everyone can work safely.
” Concerned about this issue , Adelle Monteblanco , a sociology professor at Middle Tennessee State University , helped put on a small training in El Paso , Texas , in 2018 about heat risks for local maternal healthcare providers .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and doulas ( people who provide support to women during the birth process ) , Monteblanco learned there was a big knowledge gap on the issue .
“ They were all familiar with some heat illness symptoms and that they could communicate protective measures if there was a heat event that was hurting their community , but unfortunately many were unfamiliar with pregnant people and fetuses as being uniquely vulnerable , ” Monteblanco said .
The resulting two-hour workshop sought to address this , providing specific tips and resources for a dozen or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extreme exposures are coming up more and more , ” said Rachel Curtis , an El Paso doula who attended the training and has since folded information about heat risks into her conversations with pregnant women .
“ None of us had any idea this could cause preterm birth [ or ] fetal demise .
Holy cow.
” But such conversations have yet to become commonplace among maternal healthcare providers .
“ We need the medical community involved , ” said Basu of the California Environmental Protection Agency .
But communicating these risks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what ’ s considered hot in one place is not in another .
“ I think across the country , people want a magic number , and I wish there was one , ” said Monteblanco .
And then you take into account how many anxieties pregnant women , especially first-time moms , already have to contend with .
“ I never want to make women feel bad about the ways that their decisions are constrained because that ’ s not on them — that ’ s on their social , political , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monteblanco .
“ Instead of putting it on women , I really think everything else has to change.
” ●


buzzfeed--2020-08-03--This Woman On TikTok Got Pregnant Without Having Sexual Intercourse And Yes, It's Possible

She considered abortion , but ultimately decided to have the baby .
`` I was just nervous I would n't @ @ @ @ @ everything .
But he has it all and more , '' she said .
Samantha @ @ @ @ @ is now 5 .
She 's still with her boyfriend , Alex , and they @ @ @ @ @ named Theo who 's turning 1 next week .
And yes , Theo was conceived @ @ @ @ @ added .

She considered abortion, but ultimately decided to have the baby. "I was just nervous I wouldn't be able to give him everything. But he has it all and more," she said. Samantha's son, Bentley, is now 5. She's still with her boyfriend, Alex, and they also have a baby boy named Theo who's turning 1 next week. And yes, Theo was conceived the traditional way, Samantha added.


buzzfeed--2020-08-04--She Used Her Husband's Obituary To Blame His Death From COVID On Trump And People Who Refuse To Wear

She Used Her Husband's Obituary To Blame His Death From COVID On Trump And People Who Refuse To Wear Masks

David W. Nagy did n't usually like it when his wife talked politics , but when he died last month from COVID-19 she channeled her devastation and anger into his short obituary , blaming his death on President Trump , the governor of Texas , and `` the many ignorant , self-centered and selfish people '' who refuse to wear a mask .
`` Dave did everything he was supposed to do , but you did not , '' Stacey Nagy , 72 , wrote in the six-paragraph tribute to her 79-year-old husband , who died on July 22 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and may Karma find you all ! ''
David had a list of medical conditions that increased his risk of becoming severely ill from COVID-19 , Stacey told BuzzFeed News , including diabetes , heart problems , and early signs of dementia .
As the pandemic spread through the US , Stacey and her husband tried to take every single precaution possible to stay safe , but they never could have accounted for the politicization of the pandemic and basic health recommendations .
`` We were married for 20 years and now I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
`` It 's just been devastating for me .
It pisses me off because he did n't need to die .
Had people been following the recommendations , things would have been different .
But people do n't . ''
Published in the Jefferson Jimplecute newspaper on July 30 , the obituary has been shared widely in social media , where Stacey lays blame on the Trump administration and Texas Gov .
Greg Abbott .
`` Family members believe David 's death was needless , '' the obituary reads .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of all other innocent people , on Trump , Abbott and all of the other politicians who did not take this pandemic seriously and were more concerned with their popularity and votes than lives . ''
Stacey said she believes Trump and Abbott dismissed early recommendations like wearing face masks , helping to fuel anti-mask movements across the country .
`` Also to blame are the many ignorant , self-centered and selfish people who refused to follow the advice of the medical professionals , believing their 'right ' not to wear a mask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' she wrote .

David W. Nagy didn't usually like it when his wife talked politics, but when he died last month from COVID-19 she channeled her devastation and anger into his short obituary, blaming his death on President Trump, the governor of Texas, and "the many ignorant, self-centered and selfish people" who refuse to wear a mask.
"Dave did everything he was supposed to do, but you did not," Stacey Nagy, 72, wrote in the six-paragraph tribute to her 79-year-old husband, who died on July 22. "Shame on all of you, and may Karma find you all!"
David had a list of medical conditions that increased his risk of becoming severely ill from COVID-19, Stacey told BuzzFeed News, including diabetes, heart problems, and early signs of dementia.
As the pandemic spread through the US, Stacey and her husband tried to take every single precaution possible to stay safe, but they never could have accounted for the politicization of the pandemic and basic health recommendations.
"We were married for 20 years and now I'm not with him," she said. "It's just been devastating for me. It pisses me off because he didn't need to die. Had people been following the recommendations, things would have been different. But people don't."
Published in the Jefferson Jimplecute newspaper on July 30, the obituary has been shared widely in social media, where Stacey lays blame on the Trump administration and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
"Family members believe David's death was needless," the obituary reads. "They blame his death and the deaths of all other innocent people, on Trump, Abbott and all of the other politicians who did not take this pandemic seriously and were more concerned with their popularity and votes than lives."
Stacey said she believes Trump and Abbott dismissed early recommendations like wearing face masks, helping to fuel anti-mask movements across the country.
"Also to blame are the many ignorant, self-centered and selfish people who refused to follow the advice of the medical professionals, believing their 'right' not to wear a mask was more important than killing innocent people," she wrote.


buzzfeed--2020-08-04--Trump's Vaccine Adviser Says Any Scrutiny Of Him (Or His Stocks) Will Delay A Breakthrough

The chief adviser to Operation Warp Speed , the Trump administration ’ s program investing billions of dollars into discovering a coronavirus vaccine , says media scrutiny of his stock ownership may delay a vaccine or make its discovery less likely because it is distracting him from his work Moncef Slaoui made the remarks on the official Health and Human Services podcast , released Friday , while being interviewed by HHS assistant secretary of public affairs Michael Caputo .
The interview quickly descended into a lengthy rant about the media .
“ The American people need to understand that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because they don ’ t want a vaccine , in order to defeat Donald Trump , ” Caputo said at one point .
The two men took extensive issue with news stories about Slaoui .
He is working as a contractor voluntarily , drawing payment of only $ 1 .
As news reports have outlined , this exempts him from ethics rules that would apply to federal employees .
Slaoui worked for 30 years in senior roles at pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline .
He still holds significant stock in the company .
The HHS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to own stock in the pharmaceutical industry and is exempt from disclosure rules that would apply if he joined the government .
After introductions , the podcast interview pivoted to the media ’ s treatment of Slaoui .
Caputo said that by joining Operation Warp Speed , Slaoui put a target on his back .
Slaoui agreed and said he was naive .
He said the media attention has distracted him and hurt the development of a vaccine .
“ I ’ m amazed that I ’ m being attacked on a personal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my energy and the energy of all the teams we ’ re working together with to deliver , and therefore decreases our chances or the speed with which we try to help humanity and the country resolve and address this issue , ” he said .
Slaoui said he is convinced the press has only one objective , which is “ to distort information in a way that allows them to shape an opinion.
” Caputo then praised Slaoui for working for free and ridiculed the notion of him trying to enrich his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t recognize the media anymore , ” he said .
“ I ’ m convinced that the reporters don ’ t want a vaccine , sir .
They don ’ t. ” As of Monday , 4.7 million Americans have tested positive for COVID and over 155,000 people have died .
There has recently been an average of about 1,200 new deaths every day .
Slaoui said on the podcast that the news stories have been “ insulting to the deepest of my personal fibers ” and challenged the media on what they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Caputo singled out one reporter who wrote about Slaoui in particular , Noah Weiland of the New York Times .
“ I can tell you , sir , I will not speak to Noah Weiland .
He calls my phone , I don ’ t answer it .
It ’ s unethical reporting.
” Caputo then turned to Democrats who have questioned Slaoui ’ s contract arrangement , saying they do not want there to be a vaccine until after the November 3 election .
“ I don ’ t want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said before adding “ they don ’ t want a vaccine now because of politics.
” Slaoui said he also didn ’ t want to talk about politics and is focused on discovering a vaccine .
“ I am resentful for actions that knowingly or unknowingly curtail that effort .
That ’ s inappropriate , that ’ s wrong , that ’ s unethical , ” he said .
Caputo then outlined his theory that the media are writing stories about Slaoui to try to get him to leave Operation Warp Speed because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are doing this because they are “ so deeply unethical and so filled with hatred.
” Lest anyone think he was merely being hyperbolic , Caputo stressed that he believes this worldview “ all the way in my aorta.
” Patients Over Pharma is one of the progressive groups that has questioned whether former pharmaceutical executives should oversee a project that will dispense billions of dollars to the industry .
Spokesman Eli Zupnick said Monday that everyone wants Slaoui to succeed but there ’ s no reason he can ’ t do that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Dr .
Slaoui doesn ’ t seem to understand that what he perceives as attacks aren ’ t personal and they aren ’ t ‘ fake news , ’ ” said Zupnick .
“ They are about making sure that the public can trust that Operation Warp Speed is operating in the best interests of patients and public health and not engaging in the cronyism and corruption that is so pervasive through the Trump Administration .
”

The chief adviser to Operation Warp Speed, the Trump administration’s program investing billions of dollars into discovering a coronavirus vaccine, says media scrutiny of his stock ownership may delay a vaccine or make its discovery less likely because it is distracting him from his work.
Moncef Slaoui made the remarks on the official Health and Human Services podcast, released Friday, while being interviewed by Michael Caputo, HHS assistant secretary of public affairs. The interview quickly descended into a lengthy rant about the media.
“The American people need to understand that the media often times are lying to them because they don’t want a vaccine, in order to defeat Donald Trump,” Caputo said at one point.
The two men took extensive issue with news stories about Slaoui. He is working as a contractor voluntarily, drawing payment of only $1. As news reports have outlined, this exempts him from ethics rules that would apply to federal employees.
Slaoui worked for 30 years in senior roles at pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline. He still holds significant stock in the company. The HHS inspector general ruled that he can continue to own stock in the pharmaceutical industry and is exempt from disclosure rules that would apply if he joined the government.
After introductions, the podcast interview pivoted to the media’s treatment of Slaoui. Caputo said that by joining Operation Warp Speed, Slaoui put a target on his back. Slaoui agreed and said he was naive. He said the media attention has distracted him and hurt the development of a vaccine.
“I’m amazed that I’m being attacked on a personal basis in a way that frankly distracts my energy and the energy of all the teams we’re working together with to deliver, and therefore decreases our chances or the speed with which we try to help humanity and the country resolve and address this issue,” he said.
Slaoui said he is convinced the press has only one objective, which is “to distort information in a way that allows them to shape an opinion.”
Caputo then praised Slaoui for working for free and ridiculed the notion of him trying to enrich his former company. “I don’t recognize the media anymore,” he said. “I’m convinced that the reporters don’t want a vaccine, sir. They don’t.”
As of Monday, 4.7 million Americans have tested positive for COVID and over 155,000 people have died. There has recently been an average of about 1,200 new deaths every day.
Slaoui said on the podcast that the news stories have been “insulting to the deepest of my personal fibers” and challenged the media on what they are doing to help during the pandemic. Caputo singled out one reporter who wrote about Slaoui in particular, Noah Weiland of the New York Times. “I can tell you, sir, I will not speak to Noah Weiland. He calls my phone, I don’t answer it. It’s unethical reporting.”
Caputo then turned to Democrats who have questioned Slaoui’s contract arrangement, saying they do not want there to be a vaccine until after the Nov. 3 election. “I don’t want to talk about politics here,” Caputo said before adding “they don’t want a vaccine now because of politics.”
Slaoui said he also didn’t want to talk about politics and is focused on discovering a vaccine. “I am resentful for actions that knowingly or unknowingly curtail that effort. That’s inappropriate, that’s wrong, that’s unethical,” he said.
“It’s inhumane,” said Caputo.
Slaoui responded, “I agree.”
Caputo then outlined his theory that the media are writing stories about Slaoui to try to get him to leave Operation Warp Speed because they want it to fail. Reporters are doing this because they are “so deeply unethical and so filled with hatred.”
Lest anyone think he was merely being hyperbolic, Caputo stressed that he believes this worldview “all the way in my aorta.”
Patients Over Pharma is one of the progressive groups that has questioned whether former pharmaceutical executives should oversee a project that will dispense billions of dollars to the industry. Spokesperson Eli Zupnick said Monday that everyone wants Slaoui to succeed, but there’s no reason he can’t do that while adhering to transparency and ethics guidelines.
“Dr. Slaoui doesn’t seem to understand that what he perceives as attacks aren’t personal and they aren’t ‘fake news,’” said Zupnick. “They are about making sure that the public can trust that Operation Warp Speed is operating in the best interests of patients and public health and not engaging in the cronyism and corruption that is so pervasive through the Trump administration.”


buzzfeed--2020-08-03--Ilhan Omar Didn’t Expect “A Red Carpet Welcome” To Congress

There have been many fights over the past two years , and for Ilhan Omar , all of them have deep roots in her own identity : as an immigrant , a refugee , a Muslim , and a Black woman .
She draws a direct line from her identity to her place at the center of two years ’ worth of attacks from the right , the news stories , the controversies , and now to the well-funded and bitter primary challenge she is facing in her deep-blue district in Minneapolis .
“ No one has ever been in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ marginalized identities that I represent in one body , and who has been a first in the ways that I ’ ve been a first , ” she told BuzzFeed News .
“ To be the only member in Congress that comes from a country that is currently on the president ’ s Muslim ban — I did not expect there to be a red carpet welcome situation.
” In a 30-minute interview ahead of the primary election next week , Omar spoke about the ways her identity has shaped every facet of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her identity has fueled attacks against her .
But just as directly , Omar says , it has shaped the work she has done — and the battles she has waged — on the floor of Congress .
“ My constituents knew that I wasn ’ t just going to use my voice and resources in uplifting these communities , ” Omar said .
“ They knew I was going to use my own experience to bring about change and shift the narrative.
” Omar ’ s primary race with Antone Melton-Meaux , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same kind of outsized national attention that she has drawn her entire career .
With no previous political experience or public profile , Melton-Meaux has raised huge sums of money to challenge Omar , much of it from the many people who dislike her .
Though Omar ’ s campaign released internal polling showing her far ahead of Melton-Meaux , her staff have been telegraphing differently , treating him as a serious challenger .
Her campaign released its first attack ad against him last week .
At the core of Melton-Meaux ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — and the “ distractions ” that have come from a list of partly self-created controversies , including her use of anti-Semitic tropes and repeated questions over her campaign sending hundreds of thousands of dollars to her husband ’ s political firm .
Both campaigns have papered the district with a flood of mailers , an unusual occurrence in a district that is one of the most liberal in the country .
One flyer , from Melton-Meaux , declares : “ Ilhan Omar Is in the News Again.
” Omar is also in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s latest attack ad against Joe Biden , alongside Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , which Trump ’ s campaign says is now airing on TV in key swing states .
So far , Omar said , very little of what she has faced in Congress has surprised her .
`` I did expect it to be this way , '' she said .
“ I did expect it to be as relentless as it ’ s been.
” What has been a surprise , Omar said : the work she believes she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House .
She first ran , she said , expecting huge roadblocks to success in “ a place that was not built for me.
” One of the first votes the House took when she arrived was on a new policy allowing members like her to wear religious head coverings on the floor of Congress : “ Our first challenge was even making that happen , so that I could actually sit as a member of Congress and represent the 708,000 people who had elected me , ” she said .
Omar has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Of the bills she has introduced , some , like a bill to cancel all rent , are symbolic , amounting to a progressive pipe dream — a fact that has drawn criticism from Melton-Meaux .
But a bill Omar introduced to expand access to school meals during the coronavirus pandemic was passed into law as part of the stimulus package .
For Omar , all of that , too , is directly tied to her identity .
As a refugee , she said , she had experienced what it was like to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coming from .
She has more recently been tightly drawn into the protests against systemic racism .
As a Black woman , Omar said she had long seen the failures of the Minneapolis Police Department .
After George Floyd , a Black man , was killed in police custody in the heart of Omar ’ s district , she joined calls to defund the Minneapolis police , replacing them with what Omar called a “ reimagining ” of public safety .
Nationally , calls to defund the police have also provided fuel for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issue unpopular with swing voters .
But Omar said her focus , in calling for defunding and abolishing the police , was squarely on Minneapolis .
“ For me , it was really important to distinguish the call for defunding nationwide from our call for dismantling , ” Omar said .
“ Our police department has failed to investigate and solve 50 % of homicides ; they ’ ve engaged , reportedly , in destroying rape kits ; and they ’ ve lost credibility with many institutions that would partner with them .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ bare in our case.
” Omar ’ s identity also shaped her decision to endorse Joe Biden — even though she had been a prominent supporter of Sen. Bernie Sanders , and Rep. Rashida Tlaib , another prominent Sanders backer and member of the so-called Squad of Democratic women of color , has declined to do so .
“ That was not really a question for me , ” Omar said of endorsing Biden .
“ There is , personally , too much at stake for me , and there is personally too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ share the marginalized identities that I represent .
”

There have been many fights over the past two years, and for Ilhan Omar, all of them have deep roots in her own identity: as an immigrant, a refugee, a Muslim, and a Black woman.
She draws a direct line from her identity to her place at the center of two years’ worth of attacks from the right, the news stories, the controversies, and now to the well-funded and bitter primary challenge she is facing in her deep-blue district in Minneapolis.
“No one has ever been in Congress who represents as many of the marginalized identities that I represent in one body, and who has been a first in the ways that I’ve been a first,” she told BuzzFeed News.
“To be the only member in Congress that comes from a country that is currently on the president’s Muslim ban — I did not expect there to be a red carpet welcome situation.”
In a 30-minute interview ahead of the primary election next week, Omar spoke about the ways her identity has shaped every facet of her time in Congress.
Omar believes her identity has fueled attacks against her. But just as directly, Omar says, it has shaped the work she has done — and the battles she has waged — on the floor of Congress.
“My constituents knew that I wasn’t just going to use my voice and resources in uplifting these communities,” Omar said. “They knew I was going to use my own experience to bring about change and shift the narrative.”
Omar’s primary race with Antone Melton-Meaux, a local lawyer, has commanded the same kind of outsized national attention that she has drawn her entire career.
With no previous political experience or public profile, Melton-Meaux has raised huge sums of money to challenge Omar, much of it from the many people who dislike her. Though Omar’s campaign released internal polling showing her far ahead of Melton-Meaux, her staff have been telegraphing differently, treating him as a serious challenger. Her campaign released its first attack ad against him last week.
At the core of Melton-Meaux’s campaign is Omar’s national profile — and the “distractions” that have come from a list of partly self-created controversies, including her use of anti-Semitic tropes and repeated questions over her campaign sending hundreds of thousands of dollars to her husband’s political firm.
Both campaigns have papered the district with a flood of mailers, an unusual occurrence in a district that is one of the most liberal in the country. One flyer, from Melton-Meaux, declares: “Ilhan Omar Is in the News Again.”
Omar is also in the forefront of President Donald Trump’s latest attack ad against Joe Biden, alongside Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, which Trump’s campaign says is now airing on TV in key swing states.
So far, Omar said, very little of what she has faced in Congress has surprised her.
"I did expect it to be this way," she said. “I did expect it to be as relentless as it’s been.”
What has been a surprise, Omar said: the work she believes she's been able to accomplish in the House. She first ran, she said, expecting huge roadblocks to success in “a place that was not built for me.”
One of the first votes the House took when she arrived was on a new policy allowing members like her to wear religious head coverings on the floor of Congress: “Our first challenge was even making that happen, so that I could actually sit as a member of Congress and represent the 708,000 people who had elected me,” she said.
Omar has sat on several major House committees. Of the bills she has introduced, some, like a bill to cancel all rent, are symbolic, amounting to a progressive pipe dream — a fact that has drawn criticism from Melton-Meaux. But a bill Omar introduced to expand access to school meals during the coronavirus pandemic was passed into law as part of the stimulus package.
For Omar, all of that, too, is directly tied to her identity. As a refugee, she said, she had experienced what it was like to not know where your next meal was coming from.
She has more recently been tightly drawn into the protests against systemic racism.
As a Black woman, Omar said she had long seen the failures of the Minneapolis Police Department. After George Floyd, a Black man, was killed in police custody in the heart of Omar’s district, she joined calls to defund the Minneapolis police, replacing them with what Omar called a “reimagining” of public safety.
Nationally, calls to defund the police have also provided fuel for Republicans, who see it as an issue unpopular with swing voters. But Omar said her focus, in calling for defunding and abolishing the police, was squarely on Minneapolis.
“For me, it was really important to distinguish the call for defunding nationwide from our call for dismantling,” Omar said. “Our police department has failed to investigate and solve 50% of homicides; they’ve engaged, reportedly, in destroying rape kits; and they’ve lost credibility with many institutions that would partner with them. The failure of attempted reforms are laid bare in our case.”
Omar’s identity also shaped her decision to endorse Joe Biden — even though she had been a prominent supporter of Sen. Bernie Sanders, and Rep. Rashida Tlaib, another prominent Sanders backer and member of the so-called Squad of Democratic women of color, has declined to do so.
“That was not really a question for me,” Omar said of endorsing Biden. “There is, personally, too much at stake for me, and there is personally too much at stake for many people who share the marginalized identities that I represent.”


buzzfeed--2020-08-03--Trump Said He Plans To Ban TikTok From The US

President Donald Trump on Friday said he plans to ban the popular app TikTok from operating in the US .
Traveling aboard Air Force One , Trump told reporters he could take action as soon as Saturday .
`` As far as TikTok is concerned , we 're banning them from the United States , '' he said according to a pool report .
Trump has been threatening to ban the popular video-sharing app , citing national security concerns that its parent company , Chinese-owned ByteDance , could be misusing American consumer information .
The president , however , has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ planned action that has not ultimately arrived .
When asked on Fox News earlier this month whether Americans should download TikTok on their phones , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said : “ Only if you want your private information in the hands of the Chinese Communist Party.
” ByteDance has said that the company stores user data entirely in the US and Singapore and that it does not have to send user data to China .
But skeptics point to a 2017 law in China that requires Chinese companies to comply with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States opened a national security review into ByteDance last year .
Trump on Friday said he could use emergency economic powers or an executive order to ban the app in the United States , though it is not immediately clear how that would work or what the specific legal rationale would be .
A TikTok spokesperson declined to comment when asked if the company would take legal action against the Trump administration .
However , in a statement , they said millions of Americans have flocked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that their data `` is stored in the US , with strict controls on employee access . ''
`` We are committed to protecting our users ' privacy and safety as we continue working to bring joy to families and meaningful careers to those who create on our platform , '' the spokesperson added .
In a TikTok posted on Saturday morning , the app 's US General Manager Vanessa Pappas thanked the app 's American users for an `` outpouring of support . ''
`` We 're not planning on going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When it comes to safety and security , we 're building the safest app because we know it 's the right thing to do . ''
The New York Times on Friday reported that Microsoft and other companies are in talks to buy TikTok .
But Trump told reporters on Air Force One he was not in favor of a US company buying the app 's American operations .
However , a source familiar with conversations between the administration and TikTok told BuzzFeed News that Trump is looking for a win , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company 's US operations would be 100 % US-owned .
TikTok evolved from another popular app Musical.ly , which ByteDance bought in 2017 .
Ryan Mac and Mat Honan contributed additional reporting to this story .


buzzfeed--2020-08-03--The Trump Administration Will Start Charging Immigrants Fees For Applying For Asylum

An immigrant looks on with his children as they wait to hear if their number is called to apply for asylum in the United States at the border in Tijuana , Mexico , Jan. 25 , 2019 .
The US will become just one of just four countries to charge asylum-seekers a fee to apply for protections , according to a finalized policy announced Friday .
The move is just the latest by the Trump administration to target and restrict protections for those fleeing their home countries .
The US now joins the ranks of Iran , Fiji , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US , there will be a $ 50 charge on asylum applications starting in October .
“ A $ 50 fee is in line with the fees charged by these other nations , ” the US Citizenship and Immigration Services ( USCIS ) explained in the final rule posted Friday .
However , one asylum officer who spoke with BuzzFeed News on condition of anonymity said the fee was discouraging .
“ The larger problem is that humanitarian applications by their nature should be free , ” the officer said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fleeing — and not helping if they do n't pay up — is disgusting.
” Another asylum officer said it will cost the agency more to collect the fee than $ 50 , “ which doesn ’ t come close to covering the cost of adjudicating an asylum application.
” “ This is a penalty against asylum applicants , ” the officer added .