buzzfeed--2020-12-21--Mitch McConnell Is Trying To Block Mandatory Paid Sick Leave For Workers Who Get COVID

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WASHINGTON — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is pushing to let businesses and governments deny sick leave to workers who fall ill with COVID-19 .
As Congress negotiates an end-of-year pandemic aid bill , McConnell is trying to block an extension of a paid sick leave program for people who get COVID that expires in two weeks , according to multiple Hill sources @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in March , Congress passed a law mandating that workers are able to draw two weeks of paid sick leave if they contract COVID , two weeks of paid sick leave to care for a quarantining relative , and up to 10 weeks of paid family leave to care for a child whose school or daycare is closed for COVID-related reasons .
Those provisions are set to expire at the end of the year .
Democrats initially sought to broaden the scope of the program and extend it .
Those goals were lowered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more months due to Republican opposition , according to one Senate aide .
Now Republicans , led by McConnell , are opposing an expansion of the program altogether .
Paid sick leave was already watered down to exempt big businesses .
Any company with over 500 employees does not fall under the requirement to provide paid leave .
“ That was a concession that Democrats made to Republicans , ” a Democratic aide said of the March negotiations .
Businesses with under 50 employees can also apply for exemptions to the requirement .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the entirety of paid leave costs for businesses through refundable tax credits .
But state and local governments are not eligible for the tax credit and must bear the sick leave costs on their own .
Sen. Lamar Alexander , the powerful Republican chair of the Senate Health Committee , said this is why he opposes an extension of the program .
“ Paid sick leave is a good idea .
We do it in my office , the federal government now does it , and many businesses do it .
Unfortunately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of dollars in an unfunded mandate on state and local governments , ” Alexander said in a statement to BuzzFeed News .
“ If the federal government wants to require paid leave , the federal government should pay for it.
” The federal government can ’ t pay for it , however , because Republicans are also blocking funding for state and local governments from being included in the bill .
This funding was one of the key demands from Democratic negotiators .
But it was stripped out of the package , along @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID lawsuits for businesses , because these were seen as the two most contentious negotiating points .
If you 're someone who is seeing the impact of the coronavirus firsthand , we ’ d like to hear from you .
Reach out to us via one of our tip line channels .
The paid sick leave requirement was projected to cost $ 105 billion , but as of the end of October , businesses had only claimed $ 1.3 billion in tax credits , according to a Health Affairs study .
The study @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread of COVID and projected an extension of four to six months would cost $ 8 billion to $ 13 billion .
That is a small fraction of the overall COVID bill , which is expected to come in around $ 900 billion .
“ There is absolutely no reason , and no excuse , for failing to extend the lifesaving and bipartisan paid leave policy that is already on the books .
Anything less would make absolutely no sense and be a catastrophe for millions of workers who shouldn ’ t have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paycheck , ” said Sen. Patty Murray , the ranking Democrat on the Senate Health Committee .
McConnell ’ s office did not respond to a request for comment .
Negotiations are expected to continue through the weekend .

WASHINGTON — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is pushing to let businesses and governments deny sick leave to workers who fall ill with COVID-19.
As Congress negotiates an end-of-year pandemic aid bill, McConnell is trying to block an extension of a paid sick leave program for people who get COVID that expires in two weeks, according to multiple Hill sources with knowledge of the negotiations.
Back in March, Congress passed a law mandating that workers are able to draw two weeks of paid sick leave if they contract COVID, two weeks of paid sick leave to care for a quarantining relative, and up to 10 weeks of paid family leave to care for a child whose school or daycare is closed for COVID-related reasons.
Those provisions are set to expire at the end of the year. Democrats initially sought to broaden the scope of the program and extend it. Those goals were lowered to merely extending the program for several more months due to Republican opposition, according to one Senate aide. Now Republicans, led by McConnell, are opposing an expansion of the program altogether.
Paid sick leave was already watered down to exempt big businesses. Any company with over 500 employees does not fall under the requirement to provide paid leave.
“That was a concession that Democrats made to Republicans,” a Democratic aide said of the March negotiations.
Businesses with under 50 employees can also apply for exemptions to the requirement. The federal government is footing the bill for the entirety of paid leave costs for businesses through refundable tax credits.
But state and local governments are not eligible for the tax credit and must bear the sick leave costs on their own. Sen. Lamar Alexander, the powerful Republican chair of the Senate Health Committee, said this is why he opposes an extension of the program.
“Paid sick leave is a good idea. We do it in my office, the federal government now does it, and many businesses do it. Unfortunately, current paid leave proposals impose billions of dollars in an unfunded mandate on state and local governments,” Alexander said in a statement to BuzzFeed News. “If the federal government wants to require paid leave, the federal government should pay for it.”
The federal government can’t pay for it, however, because Republicans are also blocking funding for state and local governments from being included in the bill. This funding was one of the key demands from Democratic negotiators. But it was stripped out of the package, along with a Republican proposal for immunity from COVID lawsuits for businesses, because these were seen as the two most contentious negotiating points.
If you're someone who is seeing the impact of the coronavirus firsthand, we’d like to hear from you. Reach out to us via one of our tip line channels.
The paid sick leave requirement was projected to cost $105 billion, but as of the end of October, businesses had only claimed $1.3 billion in tax credits, according to a Health Affairs study. The study found that paid sick leave lowered the spread of COVID and projected an extension of four to six months would cost $8 billion to $13 billion. That is a small fraction of the overall COVID bill, which is expected to come in around $900 billion.
“There is absolutely no reason, and no excuse, for failing to extend the lifesaving and bipartisan paid leave policy that is already on the books. Anything less would make absolutely no sense and be a catastrophe for millions of workers who shouldn’t have to choose between their health or their paycheck,” said Sen. Patty Murray, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Health Committee.
McConnell’s office did not respond to a request for comment. Negotiations are expected to continue through the weekend.


buzzfeed--2020-12-21--I Got My 12-Year-Old IUD Taken Out To Get A New One Put In, And Here’s What Happened

If you 've ever read any of my past articles , you may be thinking , Wait a minute , @ @ @ @ @ who got pregnant with an IUD ?
!
Well , lol , yeah that 's @ @ @ @ @ pregnancy ended up being ectopic ( or in my Fallopian tube ) .
I decided @ @ @ @ @ removed during surgery because my odds of getting pregnant would still be the same — @ @ @ @ @ any other form of birth control .
IUDs are one of the most effective forms @ @ @ @ @ over 99 % effectiveness .
TBH , though , the main reason I kept it @ @ @ @ @ the only hormone-free , long-term form of birth control on the market — and I @ @ @ @ @ hormones .

If I had any advice for people who are thinking of getting one, I would suggest talking to your doctor before your procedure and asking questions — like, do they administer anesthesia or offer medicine to help with the pain, as well as anything else you are nervous about, so that you know what to expect. Lastly, I would like to remind everyone again that I have had a baby and my body has also been used to having an IUD for many years. So take that into consideration after reading about my experience. If you've have an IUD inserted, tell us what your experience was like in the comments!


buzzfeed--2020-12-21--A Video About Not Knowing How To Shave Your Butthole Is Going Viral, So People Are Sharing Their Bes

A Video About Not Knowing How To Shave Your Butthole Is Going Viral, So People Are Sharing Their Best Butthole-Shaving Tips

`` Anal bleaching also seems to be on the rise lately as well .
There are a lot of questions @ @ @ @ @ of this treatment .
There is nothing wrong or dangerous with the dark color of @ @ @ @ @ utilizes a variety of acids or other lightening agents to strip away some of the @ @ @ @ @ Think of these agents as removing the 'stained ' skin .
The problem is that @ @ @ @ @ are quite harsh on the skin .
Remember , the skin of the genitals is @ @ @ @ @ most delicate on the body .
I would urge extreme caution before putting a potentially @ @ @ @ @ anus .
That being said , most bleaching agents are not permanent .
The durability @ @ @ @ @ person to person , but may last up to six months .
You should talk @ @ @ @ @ methods and definitely consult a dermatologist before bleaching , '' Dr. Charles added .

In addition, Dr. Charles said that often times people are over-aggressive when shaving sensitive areas, like the anus. "Over-aggressive shaving, either too often or incorrectly done, can lead to irritation and acne-like bumps in that area," he said. So, be gentle!!!
Remember, shaving is a risk for infection, bleeding, scarring. Dr. Charles said, "Folliculitis is a small collection of infections and are one of the risks of shaving your butt. Another risk is hemorrhage. The skin of the anus and butt is extremely vascular. A sharp object can do a tremendous amount of damage to that area. Similarly, if bleeding is a risk, so is scarring. Any time that the skin is injured and the wound is deep enough, you run the risk of causing a scar to form. And all of these risks are increased if you can’t see what you are doing, so use a mirror!"


buzzfeed--2020-12-21--People Are Sharing Their Before And After Veneers Pics, Not Realizing That They Didn't Actually Get

People Are Sharing Their Before And After Veneers Pics, Not Realizing That They Didn't Actually Get Veneers

So , why are getting crowns on all of your teeth so dangerous ?
Well , there are several reasons @ @ @ @ @ once you remove tooth structure , you can never get it back .
Another reason @ @ @ @ @ inside your tooth that can get damaged .
Dr. Manouchehri explained , `` The tooth @ @ @ @ @ outer layer , which is the enamel , and underneath the enamel is dentine — @ @ @ @ @ has tiny little channels that communicate with the pulp of the tooth .
This is @ @ @ @ @ supply of the tooth reside .
Every time we take a drill to the tooth @ @ @ @ @ get closer to the nerve and risk compromising its integrity .
Additionally , the increase @ @ @ @ @ as a result of using the drill can also compromise the nerve . ''

So, why are getting crowns on all of your teeth so dangerous? Well, there are several reasons. First of all, once you remove tooth structure, you can never get it back. Another reason is that you have nerves inside your tooth that can get damaged. Dr. Manouchehri explained, "The tooth is made up of the outer layer, which is the enamel, and underneath the enamel is dentine — a slightly softer mineral that has tiny little channels that communicate with the pulp of the tooth. This is where the nerves and blood supply of the tooth reside. Every time we take a drill to the tooth and remove enamel, we get closer to the nerve and risk compromising its integrity. Additionally, the increase in temperature that is generated as a result of using the drill can also compromise the nerve."


buzzfeed--2020-12-21--20 Times The Female Anatomy Was Lost On Men In 2020

Today I discovered BOTH of my brothers thought that panty liners/sanitary towels were stuck directly onto the wearer ’ s @ @ @ @ @ underwear .
Apparently they thought the adhesive was to “ seal it shut ” .
@ @ @ @ @ .

Today I discovered BOTH of my brothers thought that panty liners/sanitary towels were stuck directly onto the wearer’s flaps, not to their underwear. Apparently they thought the adhesive was to “seal it shut”. One of them is married.


buzzfeed--2020-12-21--The Next Tea Party Is Lurking Inside Trump’s Election Results Denial

People actually believe Trump when he says he won the election .
What happens next is n't clear — but the president ’ s increasingly radicalized supporters are already shaping the future of Republican politics .
WASHINGTON — In this universe , Joe Biden has been declared the winner of the election many times and in many different ways .
Biden won the popular vote by more than 7 million ballots .
President Donald Trump ’ s flurry of legal challenges failed , culminating in the Supreme Court ’ s rejection on December 11 of a Texas lawsuit challenging the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in what is nearly the final step in certifying the winner of the presidential election , 306 electors cast their votes for Biden in keeping with their states ’ results , ensuring that it will be the former vice president who is inaugurated as the 46th president on Jan. 20 .
But that ’ s just this universe .
In a parallel universe , the idea that Biden won is not only false but impossible , and the notion that he will be sworn in next month still very much in doubt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s lawyers are not bumblers engaged in a hapless quest but heroes fighting to save the republic .
The election was stolen in a grand conspiracy involving everyone from the Fox News election desk to the solidly conservative governor of Georgia .
Even the Electoral College vote is itself a sham , and Trump ’ s “ alternate electors ” should be counted instead .
In the parallel universe where Trump won , the passage of time and the accumulation of facts indicating the opposite result have done nothing to change his most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many seem even more resolute , and their rhetoric is growing more extreme .
Thousands of people from all over the country flooded downtown Washington , DC , on Saturday for demonstrations against the election results , gatherings that made headlines mostly for violence that broke out at night as hundreds of Proud Boys , a far-right group , roamed the streets looking to fight anti-Trump opponents .
But the Proud Boys were a minority of attendees .
Most of the folks who came out on Saturday to support their president skewed older @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was not wearing a mask in the middle of the pandemic .
But even this demographic has begun to expound radical ideas .
Walking down Pennsylvania Avenue , I caught up with Robin Bonner , 62 , from Kansas , as she made her way down the street near a rally in Freedom Plaza hosted by the group Women for America First , one of several protests in the city that day .
Bonner held a pro-police “ thin blue line ” flag .
I asked Bonner how she felt about Biden being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won ’ t be .
I ’ m sure about that , ” she responded without hesitation .
How can it be prevented ?
“ We will dismantle the government , ” she said .
I asked if she meant civil conflict .
“ If it has to be , ” she said , though she hoped not .
Instead , she said she ’ d prefer a peaceful secession .
“ Maybe we can go to the Supreme Court and get the blue states disconnected from the red states and have our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I do n't know why we ca n't just kick out the blue states .
They do n't want President Trump , they do n't want the Constitution , and they do n't want our freedoms .
So why should n't we just let them go ?
And then we 'll have all the red states.
” The idea of a secession has indeed circulated in the right-wing ecosystem in recent weeks .
Allen West , chair of the Texas Republican Party , responded to the Supreme Court decision with a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bond together and form a Union of states that will abide by the constitution.
” Rush Limbaugh floated the idea of a secession on his radio show last week , though he later said he was merely discussing an existing sentiment , not advocating for it .
“ I think we 're gon na have to have a war ; we 're gon na have to secede , ” said Crystal R. , 40 , who declined to give her last name .
However , she didn ’ t think it was likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happen is a war , but it ’ s not gon na happen.
” Her friend Janie Yates , who declined to give her age beyond saying she collects Social Security benefits , had come from Tennessee for Saturday ’ s protests ; they had also attended last month ’ s “ Million MAGA March ” in DC .
Yates told me I wasn ’ t asking the right questions .
What I should have been asking was about how the coronavirus vaccine will implant people with the biblical “ mark of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and allow them to be taken over by Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates .
This moment is a battle between powerful forces of good and evil .
This is why , Yates said , it was so key to back Trump , who stands in the breach .
“ Donald Trump is standing against them , ” she said .
“ I 've never voted in my life , because I do n't believe in the system , but I voted this year because he ’ s the only one standing between us and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night before , triumphantly announced the FDA ’ s approval of Pfizer ’ s vaccine .
The women asked me what I thought of a potential civil war .
I told them I am against violence .
They scoffed .
“ How do you think America was born ?
” Yates asked .
Crystal boiled it down for me : She supports Jesus Christ and the Bible , “ and nobody 's gon na take that away from me , or we can fight.
” “ I 'm not prepared to die for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ but I would sure kill somebody if they were gon na try to take the freedom of my God away.
” That it ’ s come to this — otherwise normal , nonthreatening people comfortable with the idea of a bloody uprising against their fellow citizens — might seem surprising .
But it ’ s a logical consequence of Trump ’ s refusal to accept his loss , and of Republican leaders and conservative media outlets ’ amplification of his claims .
It ’ s hard to know how many people feel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ showcased the most committed devotees .
But since the election , some trends have become clear : Trump supporters have turned in large numbers to outlets that reaffirm their beliefs , and many have insulated themselves even from mainstream social media platforms , flocking to alternatives like Parler .
They are actively shutting themselves off from any information that could challenge their conclusions , and misinformation is circulating unchecked .
Given the gravity of the alleged fraud , compromise is impossible , a dynamic that Richard Hofstadter described in 1964 in his essay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” — the conspiracy theorist ’ s “ conflict between absolute good and absolute evil ” that necessitates “ total triumph.
” This , Hofstadter wrote , leads to “ the formulation of hopelessly unrealistic goals , and since these goals are not even remotely attainable , failure constantly heightens the paranoid ’ s sense of frustration.
” This is the cycle in which the right has trapped itself after the election — yoked to an impossible outcome ( Trump staying in the White House ) that , after each blow to its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ passion and outrage .
Hofstadter was writing about Barry Goldwater ’ s conservative movement and the conspiratorial fringes that helped it gain traction , like the John Birch Society and Sen. Joe McCarthy ’ s anti-communist crusade .
But his observations apply today as they did then , and the “ paranoid style ” has become , if anything , more mainstream and acceptable in Republican politics .
The targets may have shifted , but the basic preoccupations are the same : a devious global cabal of elites who have schemed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s communist boogeymen have become today ’ s shadowy adrenochrome-drinking child sex abusers .
Populist politics rely on a synthesis between the leader and their followers — Trump often tells his supporters , “ I am your voice ” — and this helps explain why some of the president 's base has taken the election loss as a crushing defeat personally and as a group , not just for him .
Years of conservative media that place the viewer or reader in an active role in its coverage have also primed the right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pioneer it — “ we report , you decide.
” Andrew Breitbart used to tell people in his speeches to hold up their phones and tell them that they were now a part of the new media .
Nowadays , this audience has more opportunities than ever before to pick and choose the news it wants to know about , and social media has helped accelerate the spread of conspiracies .
In the 1950s and 1960s , the John Birch Society had to send letters in the mail .
Today , people can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Newsmax and One America News Network have taken this to an extreme in the postelection crisis .
Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy essentially admitted to the New York Times that his network was refusing to acknowledge Biden ’ s win because it was good business .
Newsmax has closely covered every twist and turn in the flailing attempts from Trump and the GOP to remain in power , treating each development with equal seriousness .
Trump loyalists in Congress , like Reps. Mo Brooks and Jim Jordan , appear on a regular basis to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to block Biden ’ s presidency .
The efforts of Trump ’ s legal team have been an important theme of the coverage .
On Tuesday night , two of Newsmax ’ s primetime hosts floated the notion that even at this late stage , the fact that Vice President–elect Kamala Harris has not yet resigned her Senate seat could be an indication that Trump still has a shot .
Even when the most fervent Trump loyalists realize all hope has been lost , it doesn ’ t seem likely that they will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s presidency .
It ’ s a combustible situation — as much or more so than the conditions that led to the 2010 tea party wave — but it isn ’ t clear where this collective rage will go .
“ If somehow Joe Biden were to take the office , I think what we would see come out of it would make the tea party look tiny , ” said Dustin Stockton , a former Breitbart writer and tea party activist who is one of the lead organizers of the March for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election results run by Women for America First , a group helmed by former Tea Party Express leader Amy Kremer and her daughter Kylie Jane Kremer .
In an interview on Monday , Stockton still insisted that Trump could win another term , though he acknowledged that it wasn ’ t looking likely given the string of losses .
He predicted that a new tea party would focus less on intraparty politics and more on “ civil disobedience ” and “ challenging the system.
” “ They ’ re not going to overturn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mike Cernovich , the men 's rights activist turned pro-Trump media personality , told me .
“ Joe Biden ’ s going to be the president on Jan. 20 .
That doesn ’ t mean you can ’ t pressure politicians for concessions .
It doesn ’ t mean that you can ’ t form an organic social network in real life.
” It ’ s difficult to tell how many people will remain in the hard core of the election-denying camp , though surveys have shown that large numbers of Republicans don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can range from believing there were some irregularities to believing a coup is taking place .
And it ’ s hard to know how much the most intense believers could influence the more ambivalent Republican , particularly as time goes on .
But if this were not an important segment of the party , Republican leaders wouldn ’ t behave the way they have .
Nor would a channel like Newsmax have been able to attract a significant audience .
The incentives to keep this going are obvious ; supply is meeting demand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a tea party 2.0 be ?
Republicans in Washington by and large played along with Trump ; more than 100 members of the House Republican Caucus signed an amicus brief asking the Supreme Court to take up Texas ’ s lawsuit .
Unlike during the 2010 tea party movement , when the midterms provided the focus of ejecting “ RINOs ” from Congress , there is no obvious goal this uprising could pursue after Jan. 20 .
What we may see is a kind of ersatz tea party , rooted not in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the past , an expression of anger for anger ’ s sake , locked in a vicious cycle of extreme rhetoric .
Whatever it becomes , history shows there would likely be ample funding for it .
The tea party era was a boom time for conservative groups and media outlets , and the Biden administration could usher in the same .
Older conservative voters are reliable small donors .
And conservative email lists are churning out appeals for donations to help “ stop the steal ” from one group or another .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stop the Steal group that hosted a rally on the National Mall on Saturday , was initially asking for donations for his efforts through his personal website .
Stockton told me that his group ’ s event cost around $ 250,000 to stage , not including the weeks-long bus tour that preceded it .
Trump raised over $ 200 million in the post-election period .
Saturday saw the streets of DC filled with the familiar iconography of the Trump movement : the red hats , flags with the “ thin blue line ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a multitude of other symbols .
A man in a “ Trump That Bitch ” T-shirt sold pretzels from a cart .
At Freedom Plaza , a booming sound system and several large screens broadcast the faces of the speakers , who included Trump world favorites like Sebastian Gorka , Boris Epshteyn , and the recently pardoned former national security adviser Michael Flynn , who told the audience that on a scale of 1 to 10 , he had the odds of Trump retaking the White House at a 10 .
( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Newsmax that Trump could use “ military capabilities ” to force swing states to hold their elections again . )
The gathering might have felt festive if not for the darkness of the conspiracy alleged by the speakers , the notable presence of Proud Boys and far-right “ groypers , ” and the strident rhetoric coming from many attendees themselves .
“ I think the media should be punished , ” said Roxana Lawson , 66 , of Florida .
“ I think that Facebook and Twitter also fed misinformation to the Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can not slander somebody and get away with it.
” A man from Cleveland , Brad Lynnet , 64 , carried a “ Wake the Fuck Up !
” sign and wore a plastic construction helmet with “ Trump ” written on it .
Lynnet said he didn ’ t believe the Supreme Court case was the end .
It wasn ’ t a matter of hoping Trump will prevail , he said ; “ I know it ’ s going to happen.
” Lynnet came all the way to DC from Ohio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” He had , he said , a multitude of sources who were keeping him informed , though he declined to name them .
It 's not clear if Republicans who have deferred to Trump 's desperate effort realize that what has been set in motion wo n't be easily stopped .
After the Electoral College vote , some top Republicans finally admitted that it was over .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell acknowledged that Biden is now the president-elect .
Potentially of more significance , Newsmax announced on Tuesday that it too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though one of its star hosts , Greg Kelly , had said the night before that while some outlets might call the race for the former vice president , he “ personally feels they ’ re wrong.
” Kelly tried to move the focus to a new date of truth : Jan. 6 , when the electoral votes are brought to Congress .
Trump himself has still not publicly accepted the loss , and he likely never will .
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany refused to acknowledge it during her press briefing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was still pursuing legal avenues .
Trump may run for president again , a proposition that would give some focus to the movement that is searching for answers in the wake of his loss .
Trump ’ s defeat despite the extraordinary loyalty he commands among his followers has created a surplus of energy and emotion with nowhere to go .
The lie of the stolen election has a momentum of its own .
It is calcifying into an article of faith , an ideological litmus test that will divide enemies and friends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far apart for any hope of a resolution .
“ Depending on where you get your information from , you have two different divergent realities , ” Stockton said .
“ [ It ’ s ] really dangerous when you have basically half the country and the other half of the country who believe that two dramatically different things happen .
And so the most important thing is that we reach some kind of conclusion that can kind of bridge that divergence , ” he said .
“ Otherwise , what comes next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to wrap your head around how the country can go on when people believe two such dramatically different things.
” ●

WASHINGTON — In this universe, Joe Biden has been declared the winner of the election many times and in many different ways. Biden won the popular vote by more than 7 million ballots. President Donald Trump’s flurry of legal challenges failed, culminating in the Supreme Court’s rejection on December 11 of a Texas lawsuit challenging the results in several states. On Monday, in what is nearly the final step in certifying the winner of the presidential election, 306 electors cast their votes for Biden in keeping with their states’ results, ensuring that it will be the former vice president who is inaugurated as the 46th president on Jan. 20.
But that’s just this universe. In a parallel universe, the idea that Biden won is not only false but impossible, and the notion that he will be sworn in next month still very much in doubt if not outright laughable. Trump’s lawyers are not bumblers engaged in a hapless quest but heroes fighting to save the republic. The election was stolen in a grand conspiracy involving everyone from the Fox News election desk to the solidly conservative governor of Georgia. Even the Electoral College vote is itself a sham, and Trump’s “alternate electors” should be counted instead.
In the parallel universe where Trump won, the passage of time and the accumulation of facts indicating the opposite result have done nothing to change his most steadfast supporters’ minds. Instead, many seem even more resolute, and their rhetoric is growing more extreme.
Thousands of people from all over the country flooded downtown Washington, DC, on Saturday for demonstrations against the election results, gatherings that made headlines mostly for violence that broke out at night as hundreds of Proud Boys, a far-right group, roamed the streets looking to fight anti-Trump opponents. But the Proud Boys were a minority of attendees. Most of the folks who came out on Saturday to support their president skewed older, and their most dangerous physical act was not wearing a mask in the middle of the pandemic. But even this demographic has begun to expound radical ideas.
Walking down Pennsylvania Avenue, I caught up with Robin Bonner, 62, from Kansas, as she made her way down the street near a rally in Freedom Plaza hosted by the group Women for America First, one of several protests in the city that day. Bonner held a pro-police “thin blue line” flag. I asked Bonner how she felt about Biden being sworn in in January. “He won’t be. I’m sure about that,” she responded without hesitation. How can it be prevented? “We will dismantle the government,” she said. I asked if she meant civil conflict. “If it has to be,” she said, though she hoped not. Instead, she said she’d prefer a peaceful secession.
“Maybe we can go to the Supreme Court and get the blue states disconnected from the red states and have our own president,” Bonner suggested. “I don't know why we can't just kick out the blue states. They don't want President Trump, they don't want the Constitution, and they don't want our freedoms. So why shouldn't we just let them go? And then we'll have all the red states.”
The idea of a secession has indeed circulated in the right-wing ecosystem in recent weeks. Allen West, chair of the Texas Republican Party, responded to the Supreme Court decision with a statement suggesting that “perhaps law-abiding states should bond together and form a Union of states that will abide by the constitution.” Rush Limbaugh floated the idea of a secession on his radio show last week, though he later said he was merely discussing an existing sentiment, not advocating for it.
“I think we're gonna have to have a war; we're gonna have to secede,” said Crystal R., 40, who declined to give her last name. However, she didn’t think it was likely. “The best thing that could happen is a war, but it’s not gonna happen.” Her friend Janie Yates, who declined to give her age beyond saying she collects Social Security benefits, had come from Tennessee for Saturday’s protests; they had also attended last month’s “Million MAGA March” in DC. Yates told me I wasn’t asking the right questions. What I should have been asking was about how the coronavirus vaccine will implant people with the biblical “mark of the beast” from the Book of Revelation and allow them to be taken over by Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates. This moment is a battle between powerful forces of good and evil.
This is why, Yates said, it was so key to back Trump, who stands in the breach. “Donald Trump is standing against them,” she said. “I've never voted in my life, because I don't believe in the system, but I voted this year because he’s the only one standing between us and that.” Trump had, just the night before, triumphantly announced the FDA’s approval of Pfizer’s vaccine.
The women asked me what I thought of a potential civil war. I told them I am against violence. They scoffed. “How do you think America was born?” Yates asked.
Crystal boiled it down for me: She supports Jesus Christ and the Bible, “and nobody's gonna take that away from me, or we can fight.”
“I'm not prepared to die for this country,” she added, “but I would sure kill somebody if they were gonna try to take the freedom of my God away.”


buzzfeed--2020-12-21--Chainsaws Were Originally Invented To Use During Childbirth, And It's The Stuff From Nightmares

At this point , I did n't want to know more , but at the same time , I kind @ @ @ @ @ to know who invented it , what the thought process was behind it , how @ @ @ @ @ , and why it was ever believed to be a safe method for childbirth .

At this point, I didn't want to know more, but at the same time, I kind of did. I wanted to know who invented it, what the thought process was behind it, how it was supposed to work, and why it was ever believed to be a safe method for childbirth.


buzzfeed--2020-12-22--A Video About Not Knowing How To Shave Your Butthole Is Going Viral, So People Are Sharing Their Bes


buzzfeed--2020-12-22--People Are Sharing Their Before And After Veneers Pics, Not Realizing That They Didn't Actually Get


buzzfeed--2020-12-22--How Kelly Loeffler’s WNBA Team Became Her Most Passionate Opponent

Elizabeth Williams and the Atlanta Dream were key to Raphael Warnock ’ s rise .
The WNBA players have no plans to step back now .
Elizabeth Williams will say she doesn ’ t like conflict , that she isn ’ t usually political , but the photo from this summer looks a lot like a challenge .
In it , she stands straight against a stucco wall , feet shoulder-width apart , and from behind her mask , she is staring directly at the camera .
On her black T-shirt are the words : In 2016 , when a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ athletes to publicly support the Black Lives Matter movements , wearing T-shirts to their games in defiance of league rules , Williams was a newcomer to professional basketball , unsure of what to do and nervous about provoking the league ’ s ire .
Four years later , on that day in August , Williams was helping lead a charge to do something no American professional league ’ s players had ever done : endorse a political candidate .
Players on every team , across the league , were banding together in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But no one was taking more of a risk than Williams and her team , the Atlanta Dream : Warnock was running to oust the team ’ s part owner , Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler .
“ A moment like that would make anyone nervous , ” Williams said .
But to Williams and the Dream , there was not really a choice .
Loeffler had been using the WNBA players ’ decision to center their 2020 season around Black Lives Matter , and Black women killed by police , as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She had excoriated her own team ’ s players — the vast majority of whom are Black women , like Williams — and the racial justice movement .
“ If she wants to play this political game , we thought , we can , too , ” Williams said .
“ We ’ re college graduates .
We ’ re not dumb here .
We can strategize and learn from people .
We can learn a little about politics.
” The WNBA has always been at the forefront of social justice in sports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ athletes across the globe began to wield their power to fight racial injustice , the women of the WNBA pushed their power in a new direction , too .
What the WNBA players pulled off was a careful , planned political strategy .
That summer , as their season began under tight pandemic restrictions in Florida , there was a crowded field of Democrats running against Loeffler with no clear frontrunners .
So players from across the league came together to run their own endorsement process — a search for the candidate who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a Black man who had been an advocate of criminal justice reform , LGTBQ rights , and abortion rights .
Then they put his name everywhere .
Getting off the bus for their game .
On the court .
On their social media feeds .
On the nightly news , and the front of local sports pages .
The players never spoke Loeffler ’ s name .
But what they were saying was clear : If you want Kelly Loeffler out of office , this is your man .
There ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s campaign : It was the WNBA players who ignited a fire for the first time , helping separate him from the rest of the field .
Now , in no small part because of them , he is facing off against Loeffler in a January runoff that could decide the entire balance of power in the Senate .
Elizabeth Williams isn ’ t going back after this year .
Nor is the WNBA .
If history is any guide — and if the WNBA has anything to say about it — nor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more athletes step into protest , politics , and racial justice , what the WNBA players did this summer could serve as a blueprint .
“ That ’ s the next chapter , next evolution , of our union — for us to be more formally in a social justice — and a political — sphere .
We ’ re going to look at what it means to be in a political space properly , ” said Terri Jackson , the executive director of the WNBA players ’ union .
“ We ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We ’ re here.
” The Seattle Storm , the 2020 WNBA champions , endorsed Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in November — the first time a pro sports team had endorsed a political candidate , at least in recent memory .
Ginny Gilder , the Storm ’ s co-owner , said the decision was entirely separate from the players ’ endorsement of Warnock .
But both decisions , she said , are rooted in the same place .
“ There ’ s this fantasy that sports is in one domain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If you ’ re a woman , a [ person of color ] , or gay , you see that politics has always been part of how Americans view sports , and who has access to them .
There ’ s never been an authentic divide , ” Gilder said .
“ Certainly going forward , there ’ s going to be less of that.
” For WNBA players this summer , the risks of a political endorsement , especially one made against a wealthy , politically connected team owner , were especially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s stakes , for a league made up of 80 % Black women , were also especially high .
Before this summer , Williams , a center who was the fourth pick in the WNBA draft in 2015 , had never been to a protest .
But with the entire country thrown into waves of protest following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis , a friend pushed her to step out and join the protesters taking to the streets .
In June , Williams posted a photo of herself on Instagram , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
At the time , even that seemed like a big step for her .
Surrounded by signs and people , Williams holds her hands up , her clear-rimmed glasses perched on her mask .
“ It was a big moment for me , as far as shifting things , ” Williams said of the protest .
She was nervous at first , intimidated by the National Guard and the huge crowds , even though they were peaceful .
“ It was scary in that sense , but you do have all these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ empowering .
And it ’ s eye-opening because you feel the raw emotion that goes into it.
” Williams , though , had already been building her own political experience .
In 2019 , she had been a leader in union negotiations over a new contract .
What WNBA players won out of those negotiations was , for women athletes , revolutionary : huge salary increases and substantial maternity benefits , a blueprint for women in sports far beyond basketball .
She and the rest of the union carried the lessons of that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they negotiated a return to play amid the coronavirus pandemic .
They would agree to play in a bubble , sequestered in Florida , Jackson said — but only if their season were dedicated to social justice , and only if it were centered around the issues they chose .
The players had more attention than ever before : Their games , for the first time , would all be televised on network TV .
The players did not want a league-approved social justice campaign like the league- and owner-approved messages that NBA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Players decided they would dedicate their season to # SayHerName — to the memories of Black women , often forgotten , who had been killed by the police .
Every single player would wear Breonna Taylor ’ s name on her jersey .
Williams was a quiet , introverted force for consensus through the process , Jackson said .
Then Loeffler spoke out against the team ’ s efforts .
In a public letter to the WNBA ’ s commissioner , she said she was “ adamantly opposed ” to Black Lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s commissioner to drop its support of the movement , placing an American flag on every jersey instead .
Loeffler proceeded to take the message to Fox News in primetime .
For Williams , that was the moment that everything had been leading up to .
“ When our owner made a statement , it was : ‘ All right , bam , this is it , ’ ” she said .
“ This is our time to really step up , and all you ’ ve been learning , all you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time to step up and say something and do something.
” She led her team to put out a statement , and Williams posted it on her Instagram with the caption , “ We ’ ve read the letter .
We reject the letter .
Black lives matter .
Vote in November.
” But the players wanted to do more , Williams said .
Across the country , athletes were pushing get-out-the-vote campaigns and registration drives , trying to get people to fill out the census .
The WNBA had been doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ especially those on the Dream , recognized that something else was going on with Loeffler ; she was using them as a political prop , trying to boost her own campaign by going after a group of Black women .
“ We didn ’ t just want to have a statement , ” Williams said .
“ For everything we did , we wanted to have an action behind it.
” Sue Bird , a 20-year veteran of the league , suggested finding a candidate to oust Loeffler .
What unfolded within the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next few days was , in effect , an endorsement process .
Over Zoom , players researched candidates ; when they met Warnock , they grilled him about everything that mattered to them most : racial justice , abortion rights and LGBTQ rights , criminal justice reform .
“ I ’ m not some political strategist , but what I do know is that voting is important .
And I think our league has always encouraged people to use their voices and to get out and vote , ” Bird told ESPN .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ us to get the word out about this man and hopefully put him in the Senate .
“ And if he ’ s in the Senate , you know who ’ s not .
And I 'll just leave it at that.
” Bird doesn ’ t ever say Loeffler ’ s name .
Nor do Williams or any of the other WNBA players .
That was the point of supporting Warnock .
Jackson watched as the WNBA players ’ get-out-the-vote efforts became “ a bit more pointed , ” she said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dream .
It was the players themselves who had led the messaging about Warnock .
Their planning culminated on Aug. 4 , when across the whole league , player after player stepped out of their team ’ s buses in “ VOTE WARNOCK ” T-shirts , resolute and unsmiling .
One stopped to stare at the camera and tug at the fabric .
Another held her hand out underneath Warnock ’ s name , as though she were modeling it .
“ I popped my popcorn and sat back to watch them get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I mean , never has there been so much attention on players getting off a bus.
” Williams felt anxious that day , especially for her team .
But , in a way , it was a lot like that protest in downtown Atlanta she had attended that summer .
They were all together .
The moment felt to her like something that the whole league had been preparing for for years — long before 2020 .
The Warnock campaign felt the effects immediately .
It saw surges in grassroots donations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experienced .
It was the timing of the WNBA ’ s support that truly mattered , one analysis found .
In the contours of the Senate race in Georgia , what the players did was profound .
Warnock had been mired in a crowded field of Democrats .
But in August , after the WNBA players picked him out of that field , elevating him as their candidate of choice to take on Loeffler , his poll numbers started rising .
By fall , he was the clear Democratic frontrunner .
In November @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other candidate , setting up the Jan. 5 runoff with Loeffler .
Most WNBA players are abroad now , playing in foreign leagues as they do almost every offseason .
Williams is in Turkey .
But the players have been doing what they can from across time zones .
And when they get back to the league next year , things are not going to go back to the way they were .
The core of the WNBA ’ s racial justice efforts — protest , and collective action — isn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help lead them .
Later in the season , after a Black man , Jacob Blake , was shot in Kenosha , Wisconsin , the NBA ’ s Milwaukee Bucks announced they would not play their game , setting off a daylong work stoppage in the middle of the playoffs .
The WNBA ’ s pair of games had been scheduled to start within hours .
As the players debated what to do , Williams sat listening , jotting down what everyone was saying .
For women players , the decision was different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ endorsement deals and million-dollar salaries that men did , and their chances in the spotlight to play nationally televised games were far less frequent .
But the WNBA players decided that they too would make the decision not to play , using the spotlight to talk about Blake and Black Lives Matter .
By then , Williams was ready , a speech mostly written .
There were other players who had been more prominent within the league ’ s racial justice fight — but given everything that had happened with the Dream that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who should give the speech , Jackson said .
“ In that moment , it needed to be Elizabeth.
” Williams was nervous , again , as she stood on the court to speak on behalf of the league , her voice wavering slightly as she glanced up and down from her phone .
“ If we wait , we don ’ t make change , ” Williams read .
“ It matters .
Your voice matters .
Your vote matters .
Do all you can to demand that your leaders stop with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is the reason for the 2020 season .
It is in our DNA .
”

The Seattle Storm, the 2020 WNBA champions, endorsed Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in November — the first time a pro sports team had endorsed a political candidate, at least in recent memory. Ginny Gilder, the Storm’s co-owner, said the decision was entirely separate from the players’ endorsement of Warnock. But both decisions, she said, are rooted in the same place.
“There’s this fantasy that sports is in one domain and politics are in the other. If you’re a woman, a [person of color], or gay, you see that politics has always been part of how Americans view sports, and who has access to them. There’s never been an authentic divide,” Gilder said. “Certainly going forward, there’s going to be less of that.”
For WNBA players this summer, the risks of a political endorsement, especially one made against a wealthy, politically connected team owner, were especially great. But the political moment’s stakes, for a league made up of 80% Black women, were also especially high.
Before this summer, Williams, a center who was the fourth pick in the WNBA draft in 2015, had never been to a protest. But with the entire country thrown into waves of protest following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, a friend pushed her to step out and join the protesters taking to the streets.
In June, Williams posted a photo of herself on Instagram, standing at a protest in downtown Atlanta. At the time, even that seemed like a big step for her. Surrounded by signs and people, Williams holds her hands up, her clear-rimmed glasses perched on her mask.
“It was a big moment for me, as far as shifting things,” Williams said of the protest. She was nervous at first, intimidated by the National Guard and the huge crowds, even though they were peaceful.
“It was scary in that sense, but you do have all these people around you. It’s empowering. And it’s eye-opening because you feel the raw emotion that goes into it.”
Williams, though, had already been building her own political experience. In 2019, she had been a leader in union negotiations over a new contract. What WNBA players won out of those negotiations was, for women athletes, revolutionary: huge salary increases and substantial maternity benefits, a blueprint for women in sports far beyond basketball.
She and the rest of the union carried the lessons of that victory with them months later, when they negotiated a return to play amid the coronavirus pandemic. They would agree to play in a bubble, sequestered in Florida, Jackson said — but only if their season were dedicated to social justice, and only if it were centered around the issues they chose.
The players had more attention than ever before: Their games, for the first time, would all be televised on network TV. The players did not want a league-approved social justice campaign like the league- and owner-approved messages that NBA players wore on their jerseys that summer.
Players decided they would dedicate their season to #SayHerName — to the memories of Black women, often forgotten, who had been killed by the police. Every single player would wear Breonna Taylor’s name on her jersey.


buzzfeed--2020-12-21--Supreme Court Justices Can Get Vaccinated Now. The Rest Of The Courts Are On Their Own.

The journalists at BuzzFeed News are proud to bring you trustworthy and relevant reporting about the coronavirus .
To help keep this news free , become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Incoming .
WASHINGTON — The US Supreme Court justices could get their first shot of the coronavirus vaccine as early as this week .
Other judges , like most Americans , are settling in for a wait .
The US justice system never paused for the pandemic .
Federal and state courts scaled back in-person operations to minimize exposure risk — in high-volume courthouses , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic — but they couldn ’ t go fully remote or stop functioning altogether .
Delays in jury trials have kept defendants in criminal cases stuck behind bars , and judges and lawyers have feared a pandemic justice gap as operations shifted online .
Since the Food and Drug Administration approved the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine on Dec. 11 , federal chief judges have mounted a letter-writing campaign to make sure state officials don ’ t forget about them as decisions are made about vaccine priority lists .
The federal judiciary has an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can ’ t centrally arrange for judges and staff across the country to get vaccinated — just one of a long list of complexities that states now have to contend with as they craft vaccination plans .
This means federal judges are appealing directly to state authorities , along with other state agencies and private industries .
The chief judges of Wisconsin ’ s federal district courts wrote to Gov .
Tony Evers on Dec. 16 to ask that the court staff “ be deemed essential and granted the same priority as our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They didn ’ t ask to be included in a specific priority tier and made a point of saying they weren ’ t trying to skip the line .
“ We write to ask that you and state and county public health officials consider the needs of the federal judiciary in establishing priorities for COVID-19 vaccination , ” the Wisconsin judges wrote .
“ We seek no special treatment , but the federal judiciary has no means to provide vaccination to any of our employees .
Any vaccination for us will come through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you.
” Some senior government officials in Washington are already receiving the vaccine as part of government continuity plans — Vice President Mike Pence , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi were among the first to get shots last week .
A spokesperson for the US Supreme Court confirmed Friday that Congress ’ s Office of the Attending Physician had told the court that the justices — who have been operating remotely and hearing arguments by teleconference during the pandemic — were eligible to get vaccinated right away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal judiciary won ’ t get the same priority status .
Each federal court has been in charge of deciding how to operate during the pandemic .
That decentralized structure extends into figuring out how to get judges and staff vaccinated with an eye to resuming more normal , in-person operations in 2021 .
If you 're someone who is seeing the impact of the coronavirus firsthand , we ’ d like to hear from you .
Reach out to us via one of our tip line channels .
The director of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ James Duff , urged the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to include the federal judiciary in its recommendations for the “ 1b ” group , the next priority category for vaccinations after healthcare workers , according to a Dec. 18 memo obtained by BuzzFeed News .
A CDC advisory committee on Sunday adopted a set of recommendations that put “ frontline essential workers ” as well as people over age 75 in 1b — a group that includes police and firefighters , teachers , and grocery store workers — and “ legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1c .
Ultimately it ’ s up to states to decide how to roll out the vaccine to residents , a point that Duff emphasized to judges in the Dec. 18 memo urging them to make contact with state health officials .
He wrote that it was “ essential that this outreach occur within your states as soon as possible.
” Chief Judge Lee Rosenthal of the Southern District of Texas said the chief judges of Texas ’ s four district courts wrote to Gov .
Greg Abbott on Dec. 11 to ask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ priority in the state ’ s vaccine plan .
Rosenthal ’ s courthouse in Houston is open , but the court has suspended jury trials during the pandemic .
Judges have been handling cases remotely as much as possible , but that ’ s not possible for all court operations , she said .
“ Many of our judiciary employees deal directly with people who are quite likely to be exposed to or infected with COVID , such as our probation and pretrial services officers who deal one-on-one with defendants on bond , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or in custody , ” Rosenthal said .
“ It ’ s trying to get our people protected but not at the expense of people who are even more exposed.
” Chief Judge Pamela Pepper of the Eastern District of Wisconsin said that in writing to the governor , she and her Western District counterpart tried to emphasize the dozens of court staff who have regular , face-to-face contact with defendants in criminal cases , as well as the fact that judges and court staff also “ can ’ t seal ourselves in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the chief judges of the local and federal courts sent a joint letter to Mayor Muriel Bowser on Dec. 15 asking to be included in the city ’ s 1b phase .
They estimated needing vaccine doses for approximately 2,000 judges and essential employees and noted that the mayor ’ s office and the Department of Homeland Security had classified judges , lawyers , and court staff as “ essential ” during the pandemic .
“ The responsibilities of our local and federal courts to protect the constitutional and District of Columbia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criminal , civil , family and probate matters and to maintain the rule of law and public safety in our Nation ’ s Capital , have required , and continue to require that the Courts remain open during the COVID-19 pandemic , ” the chief judges wrote .
Chief Judge Sidney Thomas of the US Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit wrote to California Gov .
Gavin Newsom to ask for consideration for federal judges and court staff .
In a statement to BuzzFeed News , he said that they recognized that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” but hoped Newsom would support including the federal courts in the “ early priority phase.
” “ It has been necessary to postpone thousands of court cases , creating a long backlog , with many defendants now confined in local jails for over a year awaiting trials that we are unable to firmly schedule .
Maintaining this balance is and will remain nearly impossible until our employees are vaccinated , ” Thomas said .
“ In the interest of justice , to continue our efforts to give those charged their right to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judiciary employees a healthy workplace , it is my hope that Governor Newsom will facilitate inoculation of Federal Court employees at the earliest possible stage in the vaccine rollout.
” Federal public defenders in California , meanwhile , are preparing a separate letter to Newsom with their own ask to especially prioritize vaccinating inmates and the lawyers who work directly with them .
Heather Williams , the head of the federal defender office for the Eastern District of California , said that because inmates can ’ t follow social distancing and other pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since it ’ s not clear that the vaccine can stop people from getting infected in the first place and spreading the disease — taking care of that population and the people who come into contact with them should be high on the list .
“ We are not essential to the degree that people who make sure we have power and water , and teachers ” are essential , Williams said .
“ But we still are essential in that we have a constitutional function that has to happen and has to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ”

WASHINGTON — The US Supreme Court justices could get their first shot of the coronavirus vaccine as early as this week. Other judges, like most Americans, are settling in for a wait.
The US justice system never paused for the pandemic. Federal and state courts scaled back in-person operations to minimize exposure risk — in high-volume courthouses, thousands of people cycled through daily before the pandemic — but they couldn’t go fully remote or stop functioning altogether. Delays in jury trials have kept defendants in criminal cases stuck behind bars, and judges and lawyers have feared a pandemic justice gap as operations shifted online.
Since the Food and Drug Administration approved the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine on Dec. 11, federal chief judges have mounted a letter-writing campaign to make sure state officials don’t forget about them as decisions are made about vaccine priority lists. The federal judiciary has an administrative arm in Washington, but it can’t centrally arrange for judges and staff across the country to get vaccinated — just one of a long list of complexities that states now have to contend with as they craft vaccination plans.
This means federal judges are appealing directly to state authorities, along with other state agencies and private industries. The chief judges of Wisconsin’s federal district courts wrote to Gov. Tony Evers on Dec. 16 to ask that the court staff “be deemed essential and granted the same priority as our colleagues in the state court system.” They didn’t ask to be included in a specific priority tier and made a point of saying they weren’t trying to skip the line.
“We write to ask that you and state and county public health officials consider the needs of the federal judiciary in establishing priorities for COVID-19 vaccination,” the Wisconsin judges wrote. “We seek no special treatment, but the federal judiciary has no means to provide vaccination to any of our employees. Any vaccination for us will come through state programs. Hence our appeal to you.”
Some senior government officials in Washington are already receiving the vaccine as part of government continuity plans — Vice President Mike Pence, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi were among the first to get shots last week. A spokesperson for the US Supreme Court confirmed Friday that Congress’s Office of the Attending Physician had told the court that the justices — who have been operating remotely and hearing arguments by teleconference during the pandemic — were eligible to get vaccinated right away as well.
The rest of the federal judiciary won’t get the same priority status. Each federal court has been in charge of deciding how to operate during the pandemic. That decentralized structure extends into figuring out how to get judges and staff vaccinated with an eye to resuming more normal, in-person operations in 2021.
If you're someone who is seeing the impact of the coronavirus firsthand, we’d like to hear from you. Reach out to us via one of our tip line channels.
The director of the Administrative Office of the US Courts, James Duff, urged the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to include the federal judiciary in its recommendations for the “1b” group, the next priority category for vaccinations after healthcare workers, according to a Dec. 18 memo obtained by BuzzFeed News. A CDC advisory committee on Sunday adopted a set of recommendations that put “frontline essential workers” as well as people over age 75 in 1b — a group that includes police and firefighters, teachers, and grocery store workers — and “legal” in the category after that, 1c.
Ultimately it’s up to states to decide how to roll out the vaccine to residents, a point that Duff emphasized to judges in the Dec. 18 memo urging them to make contact with state health officials. He wrote that it was “essential that this outreach occur within your states as soon as possible.”
Chief Judge Lee Rosenthal of the Southern District of Texas said the chief judges of Texas’s four district courts wrote to Gov. Greg Abbott on Dec. 11 to ask him to consider making the courts a priority in the state’s vaccine plan. Rosenthal’s courthouse in Houston is open, but the court has suspended jury trials during the pandemic. Judges have been handling cases remotely as much as possible, but that’s not possible for all court operations, she said.
“Many of our judiciary employees deal directly with people who are quite likely to be exposed to or infected with COVID, such as our probation and pretrial services officers who deal one-on-one with defendants on bond, pretrial or on post-trial supervised release, or in custody,” Rosenthal said. “It’s trying to get our people protected but not at the expense of people who are even more exposed.”
Chief Judge Pamela Pepper of the Eastern District of Wisconsin said that in writing to the governor, she and her Western District counterpart tried to emphasize the dozens of court staff who have regular, face-to-face contact with defendants in criminal cases, as well as the fact that judges and court staff also “can’t seal ourselves in a bubble.”
In Washington, DC, the chief judges of the local and federal courts sent a joint letter to Mayor Muriel Bowser on Dec. 15 asking to be included in the city’s 1b phase. They estimated needing vaccine doses for approximately 2,000 judges and essential employees and noted that the mayor’s office and the Department of Homeland Security had classified judges, lawyers, and court staff as “essential” during the pandemic.
“The responsibilities of our local and federal courts to protect the constitutional and District of Columbia and federal statutory rights of litigants in criminal, civil, family and probate matters and to maintain the rule of law and public safety in our Nation’s Capital, have required, and continue to require that the Courts remain open during the COVID-19 pandemic,” the chief judges wrote.
Chief Judge Sidney Thomas of the US Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit wrote to California Gov. Gavin Newsom to ask for consideration for federal judges and court staff. In a statement to BuzzFeed News, he said that they recognized that “there are higher priority groups,” but hoped Newsom would support including the federal courts in the “early priority phase.”
“It has been necessary to postpone thousands of court cases, creating a long backlog, with many defendants now confined in local jails for over a year awaiting trials that we are unable to firmly schedule. Maintaining this balance is and will remain nearly impossible until our employees are vaccinated,” Thomas said. “In the interest of justice, to continue our efforts to give those charged their right to a speedy trial, and to give judiciary employees a healthy workplace, it is my hope that Governor Newsom will facilitate inoculation of Federal Court employees at the earliest possible stage in the vaccine rollout.”
Federal public defenders in California, meanwhile, are preparing a separate letter to Newsom with their own ask to especially prioritize vaccinating inmates and the lawyers who work directly with them. Heather Williams, the head of the federal defender office for the Eastern District of California, said that because inmates can’t follow social distancing and other pandemic guidelines like the general public — and since it’s not clear that the vaccine can stop people from getting infected in the first place and spreading the disease — taking care of that population and the people who come into contact with them should be high on the list.
“We are not essential to the degree that people who make sure we have power and water, and teachers” are essential, Williams said. “But we still are essential in that we have a constitutional function that has to happen and has to happen in a really timely manner.”


buzzfeed--2020-12-22--Congress Announced New Coronavirus Relief, Including $600 For Many US Residents

A small business owner in Bushwick , a neighborhood in Brooklyn , stands at a rally about the extreme financial challenges that they have faced since the COVID-19 crisis began .
The journalists at BuzzFeed News are proud to bring you trustworthy and relevant reporting about the coronavirus .
To help keep this news free , become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Incoming .
WASHINGTON — Congress has reached an end-of-year deal to pass a second major coronavirus aid package that includes support for small businesses , unemployment benefits , and $ 600 in direct payments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wave of cases hits the country .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the announcement Sunday evening after the parties spent all weekend negotiating .
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called it “ better late than never.
” The House is planning to vote on the bill Monday , and the Senate should follow shortly after .
The approximately $ 900 billion package includes checks of up to $ 600 for every US adult , as well as $ 600 for each child dependent .
The payment amounts wind down for people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are phased out entirely for people who earn at least $ 87,000 .
The bill also includes $ 300 per week in federal unemployment benefits ( on top of state benefits ) for 11 weeks , half of what Congress provided with the CARES Act this spring .
While final details of the deal are still being rolled out , it also includes billions of dollars for small businesses , the transportation industry , schools , and for COVID testing , contact tracing , and vaccinations .
Other parts of the deal include @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Paycheck Protection Program for businesses , which subsidizes keeping employees on the payroll • None $ 35 billion in rental assistance and an extension of a federal eviction moratorium • None Legislation to end the practice of surprise medical billing • None $ 27 billion for state highways and transportation industries , including airlines and Amtrak It would be the first pandemic aid package passed by Congress since the CARES Act in March .
Since then , aid programs have expired and almost 8 million people have fallen into poverty .
Congress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on President Donald Trump ’ s desk to be signed into law as early as Monday .
Initially , the new deal did not include any direct payments , but Democratic Sen. Bernie Sanders and Republican Sen. Josh Hawley led a last-minute charge to include checks for $ 1,200 to all residents ( the same amount Congress provided this spring ) .
They ended up getting half of what they were demanding .

WASHINGTON — Congress has reached an end-of-year deal to pass a second major coronavirus aid package that includes support for small businesses, unemployment benefits, and $600 in direct payments to most US residents as a third wave of cases hits the country.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the announcement Sunday evening after the parties spent all weekend negotiating. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called it “better late than never.” The House is planning to vote on the bill Monday, and the Senate should follow shortly after.
The approximately $900 billion package includes checks of up to $600 for every US adult, as well as $600 for each child dependent. The payment amounts wind down for people who make over $75,000 per year and are phased out entirely for people who earn at least $87,000.
The bill also includes $300 per week in federal unemployment benefits (on top of state benefits) for 11 weeks, half of what Congress provided with the CARES Act this spring. While final details of the deal are still being rolled out, it also includes billions of dollars for small businesses, the transportation industry, schools, and for COVID testing, contact tracing, and vaccinations.
Other parts of the deal include:
$284 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program for businesses, which subsidizes keeping employees on the payroll
$35 billion in rental assistance and an extension of a federal eviction moratorium
Legislation to end the practice of surprise medical billing
$82 billion for colleges and schools
$10 billion for childcare
$13 billion for food stamps and children nutrition program
$27 billion for state highways and transportation industries, including airlines and Amtrak
It would be the first pandemic aid package passed by Congress since the CARES Act in March. Since then, aid programs have expired and almost 8 million people have fallen into poverty. Congress will now rush to get the plan on President Donald Trump’s desk to be signed into law as early as Monday.
Initially, the new deal did not include any direct payments, but Democratic Sen. Bernie Sanders and Republican Sen. Josh Hawley led a last-minute charge to include checks for $1,200 to all residents (the same amount Congress provided this spring). They ended up getting half of what they were demanding.


buzzfeed--2020-12-22--I Got My 12-Year-Old IUD Taken Out To Get A New One Put In, And Here’s What Happened


buzzfeed--2020-12-22--Congress Has Passed A Coronavirus Aid Bill Including $600 Checks And More Unemployment Benefits

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WASHINGTON — At the end of a pandemic-plagued year that saw millions of people lose their jobs and fall into poverty , hundreds of thousands of businesses close , and over 300,000 Americans die , Congress passed a COVID relief bill that includes short-term unemployment benefits and $ 600 direct payments .
The Senate passed the $ 900 billion package 91-7 Monday evening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by a vote of 327 to 85 .
It was attached to a must-pass $ 1.4 trillion spending bill that will prevent the government from shutting down Monday night .
President Donald Trump is expected to sign the bill into law shortly .
It is the first coronavirus aid passed by Congress since the CARES Act In March , and many of those provisions expired months ago .
The new bill is much smaller and contains less than what both Democrats and even the Trump White House had been proposing .
For much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deadlocked , going for months without holding any serious negotiations , as they focused on the presidential election .
Earlier this month Democratic leaders caved and more than halved their demands earlier this month from $ 2.2 trillion to about $ 900 billion .
A flurry of last-minute negotiations then kicked off with Senate Republicans , who were pushing for an even smaller deal .
The full text of the 5,593-page bill was only released Monday afternoon , just hours before it was voted on .
While the bill does include more direct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are half as big as the previous round of checks delivered this spring .
It also extends federal unemployment benefits , but those too are halved , as the US is hit hard by a third wave of coronavirus cases , which could be exacerbated by the holidays .
Adults who earn up to $ 75,000 will receive $ 600 checks , and couples who earn up to $ 150,000 combined will receive $ 1,200 .
Parents will also receive $ 600 for each child dependent under the age of 17 , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dependents .
For people who earn above $ 75,000 the size of the checks are phased out at a rate of $ 5 for every $ 100 of income , drawing down to zero at $ 87,000 or $ 174,000 for joint filers .
Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin told CNBC Monday that the checks should arrive next week .
Initially , the new deal did not include direct payments at all , but Democratic Sen. Bernie Sanders and Republican Sen. Josh Hawley led a last-minute charge to include checks for $ 1,200 identical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They ended up getting half of what they were seeking .
The bill also includes $ 300 per week in unemployment payments on top of state benefits for 11 weeks begging Dec. 26 .
The payments are not retroactive .
The bill includes $ 284 for the Paycheck Protection Program , which subsidizes businesses that keep their employees on payroll .
If you 're someone who is seeing the impact of the coronavirus firsthand , we ’ d like to hear from you .
Reach out to us via one of our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ends the practice of surprise medical billing , where patients go to a hospital covered by their insurance network only to be hit with unforeseeable medical bills because the staff who treated them were out-of-network .
Insurance companies will now be forced to cover those charges .
Other provisions of the package include : • None $ 35 billion in rental assistance and an extension of a federal eviction moratorium • None $ 22.4 billion for testing , tracing and other measures to fight the spread of COVID .
The bill does not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sick leave to workers who become infected with COVID .
Many employers have been required to offer paid leave since March but that mandate expires at the end of the year and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocked an extension from being included in the bill .
Other notable provisions were left out of the bill entirely .
Democrats had pushed for hundreds of billions of dollars in aid for state and local governments , arguing it was necessary to prevent them from falling into bankruptcy under the economic toll of the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ blue state bailout ” and opposed it .
At the same time , Republicans were pushing for businesses to be granted broad immunity from lawsuits filed by workers and customers who contract COVID .
Many Democrats fiercely opposed this .
In the end , both the local aid and liability sections were taken out of the bill altogether .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Congress could “ live to fight another day ” and debate those measures in future negotiations under the Biden administration .
President-elect Joe Biden released a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to start negotiating further aid in January .
“ Immediately , starting in the new year , Congress will need to get to work on support for our COVID-19 plan , for support to struggling families , and investments in jobs and economic recovery .
There will be no time to waste , ” said Biden , who will take office on Jan. 20 .
Some Republican senators have been skeptical about the need for further aid , however .
And after nine months of standstill following the CARES Act , it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to come together again .
Trump called for a bill that included direct payments to individuals but did not play an active role in negotiating the package .
The White House had previously taken the lead on negotiating the CARES Act and headed up talks throughout the fall .
But since the election , Trump ’ s staff took a backseat , and Senate Republicans took over .

WASHINGTON — At the end of a pandemic-plagued year that saw millions of people lose their jobs and fall into poverty, hundreds of thousands of businesses close, and over 300,000 Americans die, Congress passed a COVID relief bill that includes short-term unemployment benefits and $600 direct payments.
The Senate passed the $900 billion package 91–7 Monday evening, shortly after the House passed it by a vote of 327 to 85. It was attached to a must-pass $1.4 trillion spending bill that will prevent the government from shutting down Monday night. President Donald Trump is expected to sign the bill into law shortly.
It is the first coronavirus aid passed by Congress since the CARES Act In March, and many of those provisions expired months ago. The new bill is much smaller and contains less than what both Democrats and even the Trump White House had been proposing. For much of this year, the parties remained deadlocked, going for months without holding any serious negotiations, as they focused on the presidential election. Earlier this month Democratic leaders caved and more than halved their demands earlier this month from $2.2 trillion to about $900 billion.
A flurry of last-minute negotiations then kicked off with Senate Republicans, who were pushing for an even smaller deal. The full text of the 5,593-page bill was only released Monday afternoon, just hours before it was voted on. While the bill does include more direct payments to most US residents, they are half as big as the previous round of checks delivered this spring. It also extends federal unemployment benefits, but those too are halved, as the US is hit hard by a third wave of coronavirus cases, which could be exacerbated by the holidays.
Adults who earn up to $75,000 will receive $600 checks, and couples who earn up to $150,000 combined will receive $1,200. Parents will also receive $600 for each child dependent under the age of 17, but no money for older children or adult dependents. For people who earn above $75,000, the size of the checks is phased out at a rate of $5 for every $100 of income, drawing down to zero at $87,000 or $174,000 for joint filers.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told CNBC Monday that the checks should arrive next week.
Initially, the new deal did not include direct payments at all, but Democratic Sen. Bernie Sanders and Republican Sen. Josh Hawley led a last-minute charge to include checks for $1,200 identical to what was in the CARES Act. They ended up getting half of what they were seeking.
The bill also includes $300 per week in unemployment payments on top of state benefits for 11 weeks begging Dec. 26. The payments are not retroactive.
The bill includes $284 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program, which subsidizes businesses that keep their employees on payroll.
If you're someone who is seeing the impact of the coronavirus firsthand, we’d like to hear from you. Reach out to us via one of our tip line channels.
The bill also ends the practice of surprise medical billing, where patients go to a hospital covered by their insurance network only to be hit with unforeseeable medical bills because the staff who treated them were out of network. Insurance companies will now be forced to cover those charges.
Other provisions of the package include:
$35 billion in rental assistance and an extension of a federal eviction moratorium
$22.4 billion for testing, tracing, and other measures to fight the spread of COVID
$82 billion for colleges and schools
$10 billion for childcare
$13 billion for food stamps and children nutrition program
$16 billion to airlines to pay salaries
$14 billion for transit agencies
$1 billion for Amtrak
The bill does not extend the mandate that employers offer paid sick leave to workers who become infected with COVID. Many employers have been required to offer paid leave since March, but that mandate expires at the end of the year and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocked an extension from being included in the bill.
Other notable provisions were left out of the bill entirely. Democrats had pushed for hundreds of billions of dollars in aid for state and local governments, arguing it was necessary to prevent them from falling into bankruptcy under the economic toll of the pandemic. Republicans characterized this aid as a “blue state bailout” and opposed it.
At the same time, Republicans were pushing for businesses to be granted broad immunity from lawsuits filed by workers and customers who contract COVID. Many Democrats fiercely opposed this. In the end, both the local aid and liability sections were taken out of the bill altogether. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Congress could “live to fight another day” and debate those measures in future negotiations under the Biden administration.
President-elect Joe Biden released a statement celebrating the agreement but called on Congress to start negotiating further aid in January. “Immediately, starting in the new year, Congress will need to get to work on support for our COVID-19 plan, for support to struggling families, and investments in jobs and economic recovery. There will be no time to waste,” said Biden, who will take office on Jan. 20.
Some Republican senators have been skeptical about the need for further aid, however. And after nine months of standstill following the CARES Act, it’s unclear how quickly they will be able to come together again.
Trump called for a bill that included direct payments to individuals but did not play an active role in negotiating the package. The White House had previously taken the lead on negotiating the CARES Act and headed up talks throughout the fall. But since the election, Trump’s staff took a backseat, and Senate Republicans took over.


buzzfeed--2020-12-22--Mitch McConnell Successfully Blocked Mandatory Paid Leave For Workers With COVID

The journalists at BuzzFeed News are proud to bring you trustworthy and relevant reporting about the coronavirus .
To help keep this news free , become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Incoming .
WASHINGTON — Employers will no longer have to provide paid sick leave to workers who get infected with COVID-19 after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocked that extension from being included in Congress ’ s latest coronavirus aid package .
In March , Congress passed a law mandating that workers are able to draw two weeks of paid sick leave if they contract @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to care for a quarantining relative , and up to 10 weeks of paid family leave to care for a child whose school or daycare is closed for COVID-related reasons .
BuzzFeed News previously reported that McConnell was pushing to block the paid leave mandate from being extended .
Congressional aides in both parties confirmed Monday that the extension was left out of the aid bill as a concession to McConnell .
The bill does extend a refundable tax credit that fully subsidizes the cost to businesses of paying out sick leave until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the federal government will continue to foot the bill for businesses that offer paid leave over the next three months , but it will be optional for businesses to opt into this program and let their employees take time off .
The bill is set to pass on Monday night and President Donald Trump is expected to sign it into law soon thereafter .
The United States is an outlier in not requiring any form of paid sick leave .
The Center for Economic And Policy Research analyzed the sick leave policies of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US was the only country without some form of paid sick leave .
The paid leave mandate had already been watered down in the March bill .
Big businesses with over 500 employees were exempt from the requirement , while businesses with under 50 employees could apply for exemptions .

WASHINGTON — Employers will no longer have to provide paid sick leave to workers who get infected with COVID-19 after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocked that extension from being included in Congress’s latest coronavirus aid package.
In March, Congress passed a law mandating that workers are able to draw two weeks of paid sick leave if they contract COVID, two weeks of paid leave to care for a quarantining relative, and up to 10 weeks of paid family leave to care for a child whose school or daycare is closed for COVID-related reasons.
BuzzFeed News previously reported that McConnell was pushing to block the paid leave mandate from being extended. Congressional aides in both parties confirmed Monday that the extension was left out of the aid bill as a concession to McConnell.
The bill does extend a refundable tax credit that fully subsidizes the cost to businesses of paying out sick leave until the end of March. Essentially, the federal government will continue to foot the bill for businesses that offer paid leave over the next three months, but it will be optional for businesses to opt into this program and let their employees take time off.
The bill is set to pass on Monday night and President Donald Trump is expected to sign it into law soon thereafter.
The United States is an outlier in not requiring any form of paid sick leave. The Center for Economic and Policy Research analyzed the sick leave policies of 22 wealthy nations and found that the US was the only country without some form of paid sick leave.
The paid leave mandate had already been watered down in the March bill. Big businesses with over 500 employees were exempt from the requirement, while businesses with under 50 employees could apply for exemptions.