buzzfeed--2020-10-15--Scientists Are Slamming The Great Barrington Declaration’s Call For “Herd Immunity”

As the Trump administration signals a willingness to build “ herd immunity ” by purposely allowing the coronavirus to spread , major scientific organizations are denouncing a plan they say would be life-threatening and practically impossible .
That plan , laid out by three scientists in a controversial document called the `` Great Barrington Declaration , '' calls for only protecting “ vulnerable ” people and letting everyone else get infected with COVID-19 .
The authors discussed the strategy in a meeting with two top White House officials last week .
This week , the head of the World Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ representing thousands of infectious disease and public health experts fiercely pushed back in a series of formal denouncements .
“ Never in the history of public health has herd immunity been used as a strategy for responding to an outbreak , let alone a pandemic .
It is scientifically and ethically problematic , ” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday .
And on Wednesday , a group of 80 researchers called the idea “ a dangerous fallacy unsupported by scientific evidence ” in a letter published in the Lancet , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Declaration , published on a website sponsored by a libertarian think tank , argues that the coronavirus is not that dangerous for many people , so “ those who are not vulnerable should immediately be allowed to resume life as normal.
” Citing “ grave concerns about the damaging physical and mental health impacts of the prevailing COVID-19 policies , ” the letter calls for bringing back in-person teaching , reopening restaurants and businesses , and resuming large gatherings like concerts and sports events .
So far , the letter has been signed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clinicians — although some signatories , such as “ Dr .
Johnny Bananas ” and “ Professor Cominic Dummings , '' were identified as clearly fake .
All of the signatures were later made private .
The document ’ s architects are a trio of scientists from Harvard , Stanford , and Oxford universities , some of whom have been telling policymakers for months that the virus is not that deadly .
Last week they met with Alex Azar , secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services , and Scott Atlas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House coronavirus task force .
Both expressed support for the scientists ’ views .
Afterward , Azar tweeted that they heard “ strong reinforcement of the Trump Administration ’ s strategy of aggressively protecting the vulnerable while opening schools and the workplace.
” And on a call convened by the White House on Monday , anonymous senior administration officials referenced the Great Barrington Declaration to reporters .
“ We ’ re not endorsing a plan , ” one official said , according to the Washington Post .
“ The plan is endorsing what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for months.
” The Great Barrington Declaration is stirring public interest months into a pandemic that the federal government has failed to control .
More than 216,000 Americans have died .
Life has been upended in virtually every sense : Jobs have been lost on a massive scale , gatherings large and small canceled , and businesses , schools , and restaurants closed .
Data indicates that the pandemic is having non–COVID-19 health effects : People are putting off getting screened for cancer and treated for strokes , and more adults are having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abuse .
As the world awaits a vaccine , “ pandemic fatigue ” is spreading in the US and elsewhere .
In the UK , where COVID-19 cases are surging again , lawmakers are contending with public resistance as they seek to implement a second round of lockdown measures .
But the mainstream scientific community says that essentially giving up on protecting healthy people from the virus is not an acceptable solution .
Up to 90 % of the US population remains susceptible to the virus , according to recent CDC estimates .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread unchecked in healthy people , in the absence of a vaccine , would sicken , hospitalize , and kill many of them , not to mention overwhelm the healthcare system .
And even if young , healthy people die at relatively lower rates , they can still transmit the virus to at-risk groups or join the “ long-haulers ” who endure debilitating symptoms for months on end .
It also is not guaranteed that survivors will become immune forever : No one knows how long immunity lasts , and there have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experts also say that it would also be next to impossible to isolate the millions of “ vulnerable ” Americans who are elderly , have preexisting conditions , or live in multigenerational households .
The Great Barrington Declaration proposes to sequester these groups from the rest of society but does not provide a plan for how to do so .
“ Promoting the concept of ‘ herd immunity ’ as framed in a recently circulated document as an answer to the COVID-19 pandemic is inappropriate , irresponsible and ill-informed , ” said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America and the HIV Medicine Association , which respectively represent more than 12,000 infectious disease experts and 6,000 HIV/AIDS specialists , in a statement Wednesday .
In another joint statement on Wednesday , 14 prominent public health organizations declared that “ the suggestions put forth by the Great Barrington Declaration are NOT based in science ” and they would “ haphazardly and unnecessarily sacrifice lives.
” “ The declaration is not a strategy , it is a political statement , ” wrote the groups , which included the American Public Health Association , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Johns Hopkins Center for Public Security .
“ It ignores sound public health expertise .
It preys on a frustrated populace .
Instead of selling false hope that will predictably backfire , we must focus on how to manage this pandemic in a safe , responsible , and equitable way.
” And a group of 80 researchers is countering the Great Barrington Declaration with an open letter of its own : the John Snow Memorandum , named for the 19th-century physician who tracked the source of a cholera outbreak in London @ @ @ @ @ @ @ epidemiology .
In the letter , the signatories acknowledged that there has been “ widespread demoralisation and diminishing trust ” in the face of ongoing restrictions in countries that have failed to adopt “ adequate provisions to manage the pandemic and its societal impacts.
” But society can not simply allow the virus to spread unchecked in large groups of people , argued the letter , which was led by 30 researchers and signed by 50 others spanning public health , epidemiology , medicine , health policy , and other disciplines .
Measures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to be implemented , “ and they must be supported by financial and social programmes that encourage community responses and address the inequities that have been amplified by the pandemic , ” they wrote .
They cited Japan , Vietnam , and New Zealand as countries that have shown that transmission can be controlled .
“ The evidence is very clear : controlling community spread of COVID-19 is the best way to protect our societies and economies until safe and effective vaccines and therapeutics arrive within the coming months , ” they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distractions that undermine an effective response ; it is essential that we act urgently based on the evidence .
”

As the Trump administration signals a willingness to build “herd immunity” by purposely allowing the coronavirus to spread, major scientific organizations are denouncing a plan they say would be life-threatening and practically impossible.
That plan, laid out by three scientists in a controversial document called the "Great Barrington Declaration," calls for only protecting “vulnerable” people and letting everyone else get infected with COVID-19. The authors discussed the strategy in a meeting with two top White House officials last week.
This week, top US heath official Anthony Fauci, the head of the World Health Organization, and more than a dozen groups representing thousands of infectious disease and public health experts fiercely pushed back in a series of formal denouncements.
“We just gotta look that square in the eye and say it’s nonsense,” Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told ABC News Thursday.
“Never in the history of public health has herd immunity been used as a strategy for responding to an outbreak, let alone a pandemic. It is scientifically and ethically problematic,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday.
And on Wednesday, a group of 80 researchers called the idea “a dangerous fallacy unsupported by scientific evidence” in a letter published in the Lancet, a high-profile medical journal.
The Great Barrington Declaration, published on a website sponsored by a libertarian think tank, argues that the coronavirus is not that dangerous for many people, so “those who are not vulnerable should immediately be allowed to resume life as normal.” Citing “grave concerns about the damaging physical and mental health impacts of the prevailing COVID-19 policies,” the letter calls for bringing back in-person teaching, reopening restaurants and businesses, and resuming large gatherings like concerts and sports events.
So far, the letter has been signed by more than 35,000 self-identified scientists and clinicians — although some signatories, such as “Dr. Johnny Bananas” and “Professor Cominic Dummings," were identified as clearly fake. All of the signatures were later made private.
The document’s architects are a trio of scientists from Harvard, Stanford, and Oxford universities, some of whom have been telling policymakers for months that the virus is not that deadly. Last week they met with Alex Azar, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, and Scott Atlas, a Stanford neuroradiologist on the White House coronavirus task force.
Both expressed support for the scientists’ views. Afterward, Azar tweeted that they heard “strong reinforcement of the Trump Administration’s strategy of aggressively protecting the vulnerable while opening schools and the workplace.” And on a call convened by the White House on Monday, anonymous senior administration officials referenced the Great Barrington Declaration to reporters. “We’re not endorsing a plan,” one official said, according to the Washington Post. “The plan is endorsing what the president’s policy has been for months.”
The Great Barrington Declaration is stirring public interest months into a pandemic that the federal government has failed to control. More than 216,000 Americans have died. Life has been upended in virtually every sense: Jobs have been lost on a massive scale, gatherings large and small canceled, and businesses, schools, and restaurants closed. Data indicates that the pandemic is having non–COVID-19 health effects: People are putting off getting screened for cancer and treated for strokes, and more adults are having issues related to mental health and substance abuse.
As the world awaits a vaccine, “pandemic fatigue” is spreading in the US and elsewhere. In the UK, where COVID-19 cases are surging again, lawmakers are contending with public resistance as they seek to implement a second round of lockdown measures.
But the mainstream scientific community says that essentially giving up on protecting healthy people from the virus is not an acceptable solution.
Up to 90% of the US population remains susceptible to the virus, according to recent CDC estimates. Health experts worry that letting the pathogen spread unchecked in healthy people, in the absence of a vaccine, would sicken, hospitalize, and kill many of them, not to mention overwhelm the healthcare system. And even if young, healthy people die at relatively lower rates, they can still transmit the virus to at-risk groups or join the “long-haulers” who endure debilitating symptoms for months on end. It also is not guaranteed that survivors will become immune forever: No one knows how long immunity lasts, and there have been a handful of reported reinfections.
These experts also say that it would also be next to impossible to isolate the millions of “vulnerable” Americans who are elderly, have preexisting conditions, or live in multigenerational households. The Great Barrington Declaration proposes to sequester these groups from the rest of society but does not provide a plan for how to do so.
“Promoting the concept of ‘herd immunity’ as framed in a recently circulated document as an answer to the COVID-19 pandemic is inappropriate, irresponsible and ill-informed,” said the heads of the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the HIV Medicine Association, which respectively represent more than 12,000 infectious disease experts and 6,000 HIV/AIDS specialists, in a statement Wednesday.
In another joint statement on Wednesday, 14 prominent public health organizations declared that “the suggestions put forth by the Great Barrington Declaration are NOT based in science” and they would “haphazardly and unnecessarily sacrifice lives.”
“The declaration is not a strategy, it is a political statement,” wrote the groups, which included the American Public Health Association, the Association of Public Health Laboratories, and the Johns Hopkins Center for Public Security. “It ignores sound public health expertise. It preys on a frustrated populace. Instead of selling false hope that will predictably backfire, we must focus on how to manage this pandemic in a safe, responsible, and equitable way.”
And a group of 80 researchers is countering the Great Barrington Declaration with an open letter of its own: the John Snow Memorandum, named for the 19th-century physician who tracked the source of a cholera outbreak in London and is considered a founder of modern epidemiology.
In the letter, the signatories acknowledged that there has been “widespread demoralisation and diminishing trust” in the face of ongoing restrictions in countries that have failed to adopt “adequate provisions to manage the pandemic and its societal impacts.”
But society cannot simply allow the virus to spread unchecked in large groups of people, argued the letter, which was led by 30 researchers and signed by 50 others spanning public health, epidemiology, medicine, health policy, and other disciplines.
Measures such as widespread testing and contact tracing need to be implemented, “and they must be supported by financial and social programmes that encourage community responses and address the inequities that have been amplified by the pandemic,” they wrote. They cited Japan, Vietnam, and New Zealand as countries that have shown that transmission can be controlled.
“The evidence is very clear: controlling community spread of COVID-19 is the best way to protect our societies and economies until safe and effective vaccines and therapeutics arrive within the coming months,” they wrote.
“We cannot afford distractions that undermine an effective response; it is essential that we act urgently based on the evidence.”


buzzfeed--2020-10-15--The US Is Heading Into A Third Wave Of COVID Hospitalizations As Election Day Nears

Coronavirus cases and hospitalizations are now rising again across most of the nation , including the Northeast .
But some of the biggest surges are currently happening across the Midwest and the northern plains , including Montana , Nebraska , and the Dakotas — states that escaped the worst of the previous two big surges in the spring and summer .
Less than three weeks out from an election that many see as a referendum on President Donald Trump ’ s handling of the coronavirus pandemic , a “ third wave ” of COVID-19 hospitalizations is underway in the US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shows three surges .
Strictly speaking , these aren ’ t distinct waves of infection , like those seen in Western Europe .
In those countries , cases surged in the spring before dying down and are now surging for a second time — triggering new lockdowns , including a nighttime curfew in Paris and eight other cities , announced today by French President Emmanuel Macron .
But the US never brought transmission of the virus back to a low level , allowing hot spots of infection to move around the country since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ patchwork pandemic.
” Hospitalizations for COVID-19 show up in the data later than case counts , and it ’ s unclear whether the current surge will rise as high as those in April and July .
Those surges hit hardest in the Northeast and the Sun Belt , respectively , and each peaked with around 60,000 people in the hospital across the US .
The initial surge , centered on New York City and the surrounding area , plus Detroit and New Orleans , was much more deadly .
Hospitals got completely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t know how best to treat COVID-19 patients , lacking drugs , such as the steroid dexamethasone and the antiviral remdesivir , that are now used to treat those who are most severely ill .
But clinicians on the front line are concerned that another big rise may be on the way .
“ Clearly there are clouds on the horizon , and there are some very worrisome trends , ” Mark Rupp , chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha , told BuzzFeed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which began in September , hit especially hard in Wisconsin .
Almost 1,000 people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 in the state in a surge that shows no sign of slowing , according to data compiled by the COVID Tracking Project .
About one-quarter of those patients are in the ICU .
On Wednesday , the state opened a field hospital that can house an additional 530 coronavirus patients , constructed in the Wisconsin State Fair Park outside Milwaukee to ease the pressure on the state ’ s regular hospitals .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the road to recovery .
Worryingly , states to the west across the northern plains are following a similar trend .

The plot of new confirmed cases shows three surges. Strictly speaking, these aren’t distinct waves of infection, like those seen in Western Europe. In those countries, cases surged in the spring before dying down and are now surging for a second time — triggering new lockdowns, including a nighttime curfew in Paris and eight other cities, announced today by French President Emmanuel Macron.
But the US never brought transmission of the virus back to a low level, allowing hot spots of infection to move around the country since March in what some have called a “patchwork pandemic.”
Hospitalizations for COVID-19 show up in the data later than case counts, and it’s unclear whether the current surge will rise as high as those in April and July. Those surges hit hardest in the Northeast and the Sun Belt, respectively, and each peaked with around 60,000 people in the hospital across the US.
The initial surge, centered on New York City and the surrounding area, plus Detroit and New Orleans, was much more deadly. Hospitals got completely overwhelmed. Doctors also then didn’t know how best to treat COVID-19 patients, lacking drugs, such as the steroid dexamethasone and the antiviral remdesivir, that are now used to treat those who are most severely ill.
But clinicians on the front line are concerned that another big rise may be on the way. “Clearly there are clouds on the horizon, and there are some very worrisome trends,” Mark Rupp, chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, told BuzzFeed News.
The current wave in hospitalizations, which began in September, hit especially hard in Wisconsin. Almost 1,000 people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 in the state in a surge that shows no sign of slowing, according to data compiled by the COVID Tracking Project. About one-quarter of those patients are in the ICU.
On Wednesday, the state opened a field hospital that can house an additional 530 coronavirus patients, constructed in the Wisconsin State Fair Park outside Milwaukee to ease the pressure on the state’s regular hospitals. It is intended to treat those already on the road to recovery.
Worryingly, states to the west across the northern plains are following a similar trend.


buzzfeed--2020-10-15--These Men Think Feminism Is "The KKK Of Our Day"

Alas , our journey has come to an end — for now .
It 's time for the season finale of Not Great With Scaachi Koul .
And good lord , this one 's a doozy .
You can also listen to the show on : This week , we meet the men involved in the 21 Summit , a three-day event where men teach other men how to be great , uphold the patriarchy , and also teach women how to be great again .
( Unsurprisingly , it has a lot to do with traditional gender roles and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) We interview the founder of the 21 Summit , Anthony Johnson , as well as event speakers Michael Foster , Steve Brule , and George Bruno about feminism ( bad ) , women in the military ( bad ? )
, and men 's rights ( necessary , apparently ) .
Got something good to tell the show ?
Email us at notgreat @ buzzfeed.com , or find Scaachi Koul on Twitter or Instagram .
Got something bad to tell the show ?
Sorry , it seems like I 'm going through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hear you !
Call you back !
!

You can also listen to the show on:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Stitcher
Overcast
Anchor
This week, we meet the men involved in the 21 Summit, a three-day event where men teach other men how to be great, uphold the patriarchy, and also teach women how to be great again. (Unsurprisingly, it has a lot to do with traditional gender roles and popping out a couple of kids.)
We interview the founder of the 21 Summit, Anthony Johnson, as well as event speakers Michael Foster, Steve Brule, and George Bruno about feminism (bad), women in the military (bad?), and men's rights (necessary, apparently).
Got something good to tell the show? Email us at notgreat@buzzfeed.com, or find Scaachi Koul on Twitter or Instagram. Got something bad to tell the show? Sorry, it seems like I'm going through a tunnel right now. Can't hear you! Call you back!!


buzzfeed--2020-10-15--Doctors Are Questioning Trump’s COVID-19 Test After His Physician Said He Tested Negative

President Trump boards Air Force One without wearing a mask as he leaves Joint Base Andrews in Maryland for a rally in Florida on Monday .
President Donald Trump has tested negative for the coronavirus and is “ not infectious to others , ” his doctor announced Monday , but other physicians are questioning those findings , noting the test does not appear to have been used for its intended purpose .
The memo from Trump ’ s doctor , Sean Conley , came shortly before the president went to Florida for a rally .
This was some 10 days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positive for COVID-19 .
The CDC recommends that patients isolate for at least 10 days after symptoms first appear , and possibly up to 20 days in severe cases .
Trump “ has tested NEGATIVE , on consecutive days , using the Abbott BinaxNOW antigen card , ” Conley wrote , referring to an antigen test made by the company Abbott Laboratories that can detect a SARS-CoV-2 infection in under 15 minutes .
Antigen tests , which look for proteins on the virus ’ s surface , are much faster and cheaper than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) tests , which look for the genetic material of the virus .
Based on those test results and other information , Conley wrote , the medical team determined that “ in concert with the CDC ’ s guidelines for removal of transmission-based precautions … the President is not infectious to others.
” In a previous memo over the weekend , Conley had cleared Trump to return to an active schedule because he was “ no longer considered a transmission risk to others.
” But other doctors noted that the CDC does not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients from isolating .
“ That ’ s not the purpose of the test , ” Megan Ranney , an emergency physician and researcher at Brown University , told BuzzFeed News .
“ They ’ re selectively reporting testing to somehow make the case he ’ s not infectious.
” The CDC ’ s website states that it “ does not recommend using antigen tests to make decisions about discontinuing isolation.
” For patients who have COVID-19 symptoms or had a known exposure to someone infected , it recommends confirming negative antigen tests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to know his PCR test information .
That ’ s the information we ’ re curious about , ” said Krutika Kuppalli , an assistant professor of medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina .
Antigen tests are most likely to capture an infection at its peak .
Due to their relative ease and affordability , they are considered useful for screening people who are asymptomatic .
They also indicate whether the virus is present , whereas PCR tests can evaluate the levels of the virus .
Overall , antigen tests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in terms of picking up small traces of the virus .
Abbott ’ s BinaxNow test has a sensitivity rate of 97.1 % , according to the company , meaning it will return false-negative results for about 3 % of people who are infected and should have tested positive .
The company also recommends that in patients who are beyond a week from when their symptoms started , negative results “ should be treated as presumptive ” and confirmed with a PCR test .
“ Negative results do not rule out SARS-CoV-2 infection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sole basis for treatment or patient management decisions , including infection control decisions , ” company documents state .
The Trump administration has championed this particular test as a tool to help expand the nation ’ s testing capacity .
In August , the day after the FDA granted the tests an emergency use authorization , the Department of Health and Human Services announced that it planned to distribute 150 million of the tests nationwide .
Conley ’ s memo stated that the Abbott antigen test “ was not used in isolation for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ current negative status , ” and that Trump had taken a PCR test .
But it gave no information about the results of that test , nor did it go into detail about the other factors that helped inform the diagnosis .
In the memo , Conley stated that “ additional clinical and laboratory data , including viral load , subgenomic RNA , and PCR cycle threshold measurements , as well as ongoing assessment of viral culture data , all indicate a lack of viral replication.
” “ PCR cycle threshold measurements ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ polymerase chain reactions that need to be run in order to detect the virus .
When a sample has a very high viral load , fewer cycles are needed in order to amplify the virus enough to detect it .
Conversely , the lower the viral load is in the sample , the more cycles that are needed to pick up on it .
Conley ’ s memo did not specify what Trump ’ s “ cycle threshold measurements ” were .
Even if the number were low , “ a smaller amount @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Ranney , the Brown University researcher .
It also doesn ’ t necessarily mean that someone is or isn ’ t infectious to others .
Angie Rasmussen , a virologist at Columbia University , noted that the antigen test is “ less sensitive than ALL those other tests ” mentioned by Conley .
“ So I am wondering why the negative result is being reported only from that , ” she told BuzzFeed News .
“ Why not share the data ?
”

President Donald Trump has tested negative for the coronavirus and is “not infectious to others,” his doctor announced Monday, but other physicians are questioning those findings, noting the test does not appear to have been used for its intended purpose.
The memo from Trump’s doctor, Sean Conley, came shortly before the president went to Florida for a rally. This was some 10 days after Trump announced that he had tested positive for COVID-19. The CDC recommends that patients isolate for at least 10 days after symptoms first appear, and possibly up to 20 days in severe cases.
Trump “has tested NEGATIVE, on consecutive days, using the Abbott BinaxNOW antigen card,” Conley wrote, referring to an antigen test made by the company Abbott Laboratories that can detect a SARS-CoV-2 infection in under 15 minutes.
Antigen tests, which look for proteins on the virus’s surface, are much faster and cheaper than the gold-standard polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, which look for the genetic material of the virus.
Based on those test results and other information, Conley wrote, the medical team determined that “in concert with the CDC’s guidelines for removal of transmission-based precautions … the President is not infectious to others.” In a previous memo over the weekend, Conley had cleared Trump to return to an active schedule because he was “no longer considered a transmission risk to others.”
But other doctors noted that the CDC does not recommend using antigen tests to clear sick patients from isolating.
“That’s not the purpose of the test,” Megan Ranney, an emergency physician and researcher at Brown University, told BuzzFeed News. “They’re selectively reporting testing to somehow make the case he’s not infectious.”
The CDC’s website states that it “does not recommend using antigen tests to make decisions about discontinuing isolation.” For patients who have COVID-19 symptoms or had a known exposure to someone infected, it recommends confirming negative antigen tests with a PCR test.
“We want to know his PCR test information. That’s the information we’re curious about,” said Krutika Kuppalli, an assistant professor of medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina.
Antigen tests are most likely to capture an infection at its peak. Due to their relative ease and affordability, they are considered useful for screening people who are asymptomatic. They also indicate whether the virus is present, whereas PCR tests can evaluate the levels of the virus. Overall, antigen tests are not as good as PCR tests in terms of picking up small traces of the virus.
Abbott’s BinaxNow test has a sensitivity rate of 97.1%, according to the company, meaning it will return false-negative results for about 3% of people who are infected and should have tested positive. The company also recommends that in patients who are beyond a week from when their symptoms started, negative results “should be treated as presumptive” and confirmed with a PCR test. “Negative results do not rule out SARS-CoV-2 infection and should not be used as the sole basis for treatment or patient management decisions, including infection control decisions,” company documents state.
The Trump administration has championed this particular test as a tool to help expand the nation’s testing capacity. In August, the day after the FDA granted the tests an emergency use authorization, the Department of Health and Human Services announced that it planned to distribute 150 million of the tests nationwide.
Conley’s memo stated that the Abbott antigen test “was not used in isolation for the determination of the President’s current negative status,” and that Trump had taken a PCR test. But it gave no information about the results of that test, nor did it go into detail about the other factors that helped inform the diagnosis.
In the memo, Conley stated that “additional clinical and laboratory data, including viral load, subgenomic RNA, and PCR cycle threshold measurements, as well as ongoing assessment of viral culture data, all indicate a lack of viral replication.”
“PCR cycle threshold measurements” refers to the number of cycles of polymerase chain reactions that need to be run in order to detect the virus. When a sample has a very high viral load, fewer cycles are needed in order to amplify the virus enough to detect it. Conversely, the lower the viral load is in the sample, the more cycles that are needed to pick up on it.
Conley’s memo did not specify what Trump’s “cycle threshold measurements” were. Even if the number were low, “a smaller amount of virus does not mean no virus,” said Ranney, the Brown University researcher. It also doesn’t necessarily mean that someone is or isn’t infectious to others.
Angie Rasmussen, a virologist at Columbia University, noted that the antigen test is “less sensitive than ALL those other tests” mentioned by Conley. “So I am wondering why the negative result is being reported only from that,” she told BuzzFeed News. “Why not share the data?”


buzzfeed--2020-10-15--Stevie Nicks Opened Up About Her Abortion And Said "There Would Have Been No Fleetwood Mac" Without

Stevie Nicks Opened Up About Her Abortion And Said "There Would Have Been No Fleetwood Mac" Without It

Stevie just gave an interview to the Guardian , and in it , she opened up about the abortion she @ @ @ @ @ her career was at an all-time high .
Stevie explained that the death of Supreme @ @ @ @ @ has made her reflect on that abortion and whether women of future generations will be @ @ @ @ @ choice .

Stevie just gave an interview to the Guardian, and in it, she opened up about the abortion she had in 1979, when her career was at an all-time high. Stevie explained that the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has made her reflect on that abortion and whether women of future generations will be given the same freedom of choice.


buzzfeed--2020-10-15--A Federal Judge Accused Other Judges Across The Country Of A “Systematic Effort” To Suppress Votes

WASHINGTON — A federal appeals judge on Thursday accused her colleagues and other judges across the country of sanctioning “ a systematic effort to suppress voter turnout and undermine the right to vote.
” Judge Karen Nelson Moore of the US Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit wrote a scathing dissent in a case about how Tennessee handles absentee voting — she disagreed with her two colleagues in the majority who rejected a challenge to the state ’ s signature match rules for mail-in ballots .
But Moore ’ s dissent went further , criticizing judges across the US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limit mail-in voting this year .
Moore called the Tennessee decision “ another drop in the bucket that is the degradation of the right to vote in this country , ” and then cited examples of other decisions this year that affected voting in Florida and Wisconsin .
“ Hiding behind closed courthouse doors does not change the fact that ruling by ruling , many courts are chipping away at votes that ought to be counted .
It is a disgrace to the federal courts ’ foundational role in ensuring democracy ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ persons that wish to participate in it fully , ” Moore wrote .
Moore ’ s dissent came as judges across the country are racing to resolve a flood of lawsuits this year challenging how states are handling voting during the coronavirus pandemic .
President Donald Trump ’ s campaign , the Republican National Committee , and state Republican party organizations have argued in favor of states that place restrictions on mail-in voting , relying on unfounded and debunked claims of voter fraud , while their Democratic counterparts have argued in favor of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of in-person contact .
In Tennessee , voting rights groups filed a lawsuit challenging a variety of state rules that limit absentee voting , but the decision released by the 6th Circuit on Thursday was only about the signature match requirement .
Under Tennessee ’ s election laws , a county election official must compare the signature on the envelope of an absentee ballot with the signature on file for that voter ’ s registration record .
If they don ’ t match , the ballot gets tossed out .
Election officials notify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because the signatures don ’ t match , and those voters can either submit a new absentee ballot or vote in person .
Voting rights groups argued that that process was unconstitutional , and asked for a court order requiring the state to give voters a chance to fix ballots with inconsistent signatures before rejecting those ballots altogether .
A federal district judge in Tennessee denied the injunction request .
Sixth Circuit Judge Julia Smith Gibbons , joined by Judge Chad Readler , wrote that the voting rights groups that sued lacked standing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to show there was a “ threat of actual , imminent harm.
” Gibbons wrote that the challengers didn ’ t present any “ official data ” to show that absentee ballots would be wrongly rejected based on signature match problems .
Election officials went through training about how to evaluate signatures , and were directed to “ accept all but the most obviously inconsistent signatures , ” the judge wrote .
If a ballot is rejected , Gibbons wrote that officials “ go to great lengths ” to quickly notify voters , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or cast a ballot in person .
Moore wrote that the challengers had cited data about previous rates of ballot rejection in Tennessee and presented evidence from an expert that many rejections were likely to be faulty because of “ inadequate training ” for election officials .
She wrote that the voting rights groups had presented enough evidence that voters would be affected by the signature match rules and that gave the groups standing to sue .
Moore explained that she would also find the groups had standing to sue based on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters about the signature requirement .
On the merits of the constitutional challenge to Tennessee ’ s signature match rules , Moore wrote that she would find that voters ’ rights were violated by the lack of notice and chance to “ cure ” a ballot with a signature issue before that ballot is rejected .
The judge wrote that there was no guarantee a voter would be notified that their ballot was tossed out in time to request another one .
“ As a result of today ’ s decision , Tennessee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not thousands of its citizens who cast their votes absentee by mail .
Masking today ’ s outcome in standing doctrine obscures that result , but that makes it all the more disquieting , ” Moore wrote .
“ I will not be a party to this passive sanctioning of disenfranchisement .
I dissent.
” A spokesperson for the Tennessee secretary of state ’ s office did not immediately return a request for comment .

WASHINGTON — A federal appeals judge on Thursday accused her colleagues and other judges across the country of sanctioning “a systematic effort to suppress voter turnout and undermine the right to vote.”
Judge Karen Nelson Moore of the US Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit wrote a scathing dissent in a case about how Tennessee handles absentee voting — she disagreed with her two colleagues in the majority who rejected a challenge to the state’s signature match rules for mail-in ballots. But Moore’s dissent went further, criticizing judges across the US who have sided with states seeking to limit mail-in voting this year.
Moore called the Tennessee decision “another drop in the bucket that is the degradation of the right to vote in this country,” and then cited examples of other decisions this year that affected voting in Florida and Wisconsin.
“Hiding behind closed courthouse doors does not change the fact that ruling by ruling, many courts are chipping away at votes that ought to be counted. It is a disgrace to the federal courts’ foundational role in ensuring democracy’s function, and a betrayal to the persons that wish to participate in it fully,” Moore wrote.
Moore’s dissent came as judges across the country are racing to resolve a flood of lawsuits this year challenging how states are handling voting during the coronavirus pandemic. President Donald Trump’s campaign, the Republican National Committee, and state Republican party organizations have argued in favor of states that place restrictions on mail-in voting, relying on unfounded and debunked claims of voter fraud, while their Democratic counterparts have argued in favor of expanding the practice given the health risks of in-person contact.
In Tennessee, voting rights groups filed a lawsuit challenging a variety of state rules that limit absentee voting, but the decision released by the 6th Circuit on Thursday was only about the signature match requirement. Under Tennessee’s election laws, a county election official must compare the signature on the envelope of an absentee ballot with the signature on file for that voter’s registration record. If they don’t match, the ballot gets tossed out.
Election officials notify Tennessee voters when their ballots are rejected because the signatures don’t match, and those voters can either submit a new absentee ballot or vote in person. Voting rights groups argued that that process was unconstitutional, and asked for a court order requiring the state to give voters a chance to fix ballots with inconsistent signatures before rejecting those ballots altogether.
A federal district judge in Tennessee denied the injunction request. Sixth Circuit Judge Julia Smith Gibbons, joined by Judge Chad Readler, wrote that the voting rights groups that sued lacked standing to bring the case because they failed to show there was a “threat of actual, imminent harm.”
Gibbons wrote that the challengers didn’t present any “official data” to show that absentee ballots would be wrongly rejected based on signature match problems. Election officials went through training about how to evaluate signatures, and were directed to “accept all but the most obviously inconsistent signatures,” the judge wrote. If a ballot is rejected, Gibbons wrote that officials “go to great lengths” to quickly notify voters, who can then send another absentee ballot or cast a ballot in person.
Moore wrote that the challengers had cited data about previous rates of ballot rejection in Tennessee and presented evidence from an expert that many rejections were likely to be faulty because of “inadequate training” for election officials. She wrote that the voting rights groups had presented enough evidence that voters would be affected by the signature match rules and that gave the groups standing to sue. Moore explained that she would also find the groups had standing to sue based on the resources they had to redirect to educate voters about the signature requirement.
On the merits of the constitutional challenge to Tennessee’s signature match rules, Moore wrote that she would find that voters’ rights were violated by the lack of notice and chance to “cure” a ballot with a signature issue before that ballot is rejected. The judge wrote that there was no guarantee a voter would be notified that their ballot was tossed out in time to request another one.
“As a result of today’s decision, Tennessee is free to—and will—disenfranchise hundreds, if not thousands of its citizens who cast their votes absentee by mail. Masking today’s outcome in standing doctrine obscures that result, but that makes it all the more disquieting,” Moore wrote. “I will not be a party to this passive sanctioning of disenfranchisement. I dissent.”
A spokesperson for the Tennessee secretary of state’s office did not immediately return a request for comment.


buzzfeed--2020-10-15--Ohio Has Reemerged As A Battleground State And It’s A Huge Problem For Donald Trump

COLUMBUS , Ohio — It wasn ’ t supposed to be like this in Ohio until suddenly it was : both presidential campaigns in the state this week , showering voters with the attention and flattery they were told not to expect in 2020 .
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden huddled with union workers in Toledo and Cincinnati , calling the latter the “ starting gate ” to victory .
Vice President Mike Pence campaigned for the Republican ticket in Columbus , leading a daytime crowd in the Ohio State Buckeyes ’ rally chant ( O-H ! )
as food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deep-fried cheese curds and potatoes .
National political reporters , meanwhile , wondered if the state might deliver Biden a quick and decisive victory on election night .
“ It 's on , Ohio , ” Pence told supporters gathered outside a local concrete and construction firm .
“ Ohio always looms large in a presidential election , all throughout our history , and that 's just as true today.
” Months ago , no one in either party could say such a thing with confidence .
Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years later , Republicans won all but one partisan statewide office , prompting national Democrats to write Ohio off as a lost cause .
As swing states go , it was starting to look a lot like Missouri , a once-reliable bellwether that swung right in 2000 and never swung back .
Here and now , though , Trump is in real trouble in a place it ’ s hard to imagine him winning reelection without .
Polls show a tight race .
His reelection campaign keeps canceling reservations for TV ads , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with his own .
And down-ballot Republicans are distancing themselves from a president who is losing ground with several constituencies — older adults , suburbanites , white voters with a college education — that helped carry him in Ohio four years ago .
“ There are a lot of Republicans out there who are not happy with what ’ s happening on the national scale and looking for someone who can be a uniter on the state level , ” Mehek Cooke , a Republican trying to flip an Ohio House district anchored @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an interview with BuzzFeed News .
Cooke , a lawyer who worked in former governor John Kasich ’ s administration , pitches herself as an ally to both the police and the Black Lives Matter movement that Trump often disparages .
“ I can ’ t change the national , ” she said .
“ I ’ ve been able to reach across party lines and talk about unity.
” Ohio ’ s clear reemergence as a battleground crystallized in recent weeks and has coincided with Trump ’ s coronavirus diagnosis , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debate in Cleveland .
It was another reminder of how Trump , 74 , constantly downplays a pandemic that has killed more than 215,000 Americans — from his refusal to consistently wear a mask in public to insisting , even after his brief hospitalization , that people should not be afraid of the virus .
Some Republicans wonder if it ’ s already too late for Trump in Ohio .
Voters here began casting early ballots last week and — like those in other states worried about the coronavirus pandemic , slow mail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sites — have been doing so at a record pace .
“ So much of the cake is baked , ” Nicholas Everhart , who runs an Ohio-based Republican advertising firm , said in an interview .
“ When and how does he stop that bleeding and trajectory ?
The opportunity for a late October surprise … has less of an impact with so much of the hay already in the barn.
” Even faithful supporters don ’ t feel great about Trump ’ s quick return to the campaign trail and aren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for him to come back to Ohio any time soon .
Linda Delbert , a fan of the president ’ s , cringed at the question Monday in Columbus while waiting for Pence , the fabric of her Trump mask sucked inward as she considered a reply .
( She was one of the few in the crowd to wear her mask firmly over her nose and mouth . )
“ That ’ s a hard thing to say , ” Delbert , 70 , answered after about five seconds .
“ You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ best .
I think he 's just a really high-energy person .
He ’ s a workaholic.
” A Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday found a statistical tie between the candidates in Ohio : Biden at 48 % , Trump at 47 % .
Among those 65 and older , Biden led , 52 % to 44 % .
Other recent polls in the state have shown Biden tied or ahead with seniors and leading with other groups that favored Trump four years ago .
Fox News , for example , measured Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women and white voters with college degrees .
Biden also consistently leads Trump overwhelmingly among Black voters .
The tightening in Ohio is pronounced enough that Republicans know their candidates for local office are also at risk .
Those in the crowd applauded politely Monday when Pence promoted Trump ’ s agenda and booed accordingly when he bemoaned cancel culture — on Columbus Day , in a namesake city where the removal of a Christopher Columbus statue over the summer reignited the tensions between those who view it as a symbol of genocide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a point of Italian pride .
They saved their loudest cheers for when the vice president urged the reelection of Rep .
Troy Balderson , who barely won his seat two years ago in what ’ s become a competitive suburban district .
“ I think a lot of people do not like the president , ” said Delbert , wrestling with the question of where Trump went wrong in Ohio .
“ That 's what I 'm finding — that , you know , a lot of people just do n't like @ @ @ @ @ @

COLUMBUS, Ohio — It wasn’t supposed to be like this in Ohio until suddenly it was: both presidential campaigns in the state this week, showering voters with the attention and flattery they were told not to expect in 2020.
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden huddled with union workers in Toledo and Cincinnati, calling the latter the “starting gate” to victory. Vice President Mike Pence campaigned for the Republican ticket in Columbus, leading a daytime crowd in the Ohio State Buckeyes’ rally chant (O-H!) as food trucks served a very Midwestern lunch of deep-fried cheese curds and potatoes. National political reporters, meanwhile, wondered if the state might deliver Biden a quick and decisive victory on election night.
“It's on, Ohio,” Pence told supporters gathered outside a local concrete and construction firm. “Ohio always looms large in a presidential election, all throughout our history, and that's just as true today.”
Months ago, no one in either party could say such a thing with confidence. Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton here by 8 points in 2016. Two years later, Republicans won all but one partisan statewide office, prompting national Democrats to write Ohio off as a lost cause. As swing states go, it was starting to look a lot like Missouri, a once-reliable bellwether that swung right in 2000 and never swung back.
Here and now, though, Trump is in real trouble in a place it’s hard to imagine him winning reelection without. Polls show a tight race. His reelection campaign keeps canceling reservations for TV ads, while Biden rushes to fill the air with his own. And down-ballot Republicans are distancing themselves from a president who is losing ground with several constituencies — older adults, suburbanites, white voters with a college education — that helped carry him in Ohio four years ago.
“There are a lot of Republicans out there who are not happy with what’s happening on the national scale and looking for someone who can be a uniter on the state level,” Mehek Cooke, a Republican trying to flip an Ohio House district anchored in the Columbus suburbs, said in an interview with BuzzFeed News.
Cooke, a lawyer who worked in former governor John Kasich’s administration, pitches herself as an ally to both the police and the Black Lives Matter movement that Trump often disparages. “I can’t change the national,” she said. “I’ve been able to reach across party lines and talk about unity.”
Ohio’s clear reemergence as a battleground crystallized in recent weeks and has coincided with Trump’s coronavirus diagnosis, which followed the discordant and dysfunctional first presidential debate in Cleveland. It was another reminder of how Trump, 74, constantly downplays a pandemic that has killed more than 215,000 Americans — from his refusal to consistently wear a mask in public to insisting, even after his brief hospitalization, that people should not be afraid of the virus.
Some Republicans wonder if it’s already too late for Trump in Ohio. Voters here began casting early ballots last week and — like those in other states worried about the coronavirus pandemic, slow mail delivery, and long lines at polling sites — have been doing so at a record pace.
“So much of the cake is baked,” Nicholas Everhart, who runs an Ohio-based Republican advertising firm, said in an interview. “When and how does he stop that bleeding and trajectory? The opportunity for a late October surprise … has less of an impact with so much of the hay already in the barn.”
Even faithful supporters don’t feel great about Trump’s quick return to the campaign trail and aren’t sure it’s wise for him to come back to Ohio any time soon. Linda Delbert, a fan of the president’s, cringed at the question Monday in Columbus while waiting for Pence, the fabric of her Trump mask sucked inward as she considered a reply. (She was one of the few in the crowd to wear her mask firmly over her nose and mouth.)
“That’s a hard thing to say,” Delbert, 70, answered after about five seconds. “You know, the doctors know what's best. I think he's just a really high-energy person. He’s a workaholic.”
A Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday found a statistical tie between the candidates in Ohio: Biden at 48%, Trump at 47%. Among those 65 and older, Biden led, 52% to 44%. Other recent polls in the state have shown Biden tied or ahead with seniors and leading with other groups that favored Trump four years ago. Fox News, for example, measured Biden last month with double-digit leads among suburban women and white voters with college degrees. Biden also consistently leads Trump overwhelmingly among Black voters.
The tightening in Ohio is pronounced enough that Republicans know their candidates for local office are also at risk. Those in the crowd applauded politely Monday when Pence promoted Trump’s agenda and booed accordingly when he bemoaned cancel culture — on Columbus Day, in a namesake city where the removal of a Christopher Columbus statue over the summer reignited the tensions between those who view it as a symbol of genocide and those who hold onto it as a point of Italian pride. They saved their loudest cheers for when the vice president urged the reelection of Rep. Troy Balderson, who barely won his seat two years ago in what’s become a competitive suburban district.
“I think a lot of people do not like the president,” said Delbert, wrestling with the question of where Trump went wrong in Ohio. “That's what I'm finding — that, you know, a lot of people just don't like the way he acts.”


buzzfeed--2020-10-15--YouTube Just Announced A Partial QAnon Ban

Less than two weeks after Facebook announced a blanket ban on QAnon content , YouTube said the platform will partially ban content related to the mass delusion under its hate and harassment policy .
QAnon is a wide-ranging set of outlandish beliefs that began on anonymous messaging boards in 2017 .
Believers think a cabal of satanic elites rule the world .
They either oppose coronavirus restrictions or don ’ t believe the virus exists at all and are largely — though not wholly — supporters of President Donald Trump .
YouTube ’ s announcement stops short of banning all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company promises to remove videos “ used to justify real-world violence.
” “ One example would be content that threatens or harasses someone by suggesting they are complicit in one of these harmful conspiracies , such as QAnon or Pizzagate , ” the announcement said .
YouTube has been a key platform for QAnon personalities who make videos for supporters and believers .
Some of the biggest accounts began disappearing immediately after the announcement , and YouTube said it will continue enforcement in the coming weeks .
Facebook and Twitter have already implemented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ series of less severe measures , Facebook announced on Oct. 6 that it would ban all Pages , Groups , and accounts related to promotion of the mass delusion .
Twitter announced that it would crack down on QAnon content in July , noting its potential for real-world harm .
The focus on harm comes after supporters of QAnon have been associated with several violent acts both across the US and across the world .
The FBI has called the delusion a domestic terror threat .
For his part , Trump praised QAnon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ August , calling believers “ people who love our country .
”

Less than two weeks after Facebook announced a blanket ban on QAnon content, YouTube said the platform will partially ban content related to the mass delusion under its hate and harassment policy.
QAnon is a wide-ranging set of outlandish beliefs that began on anonymous messaging boards in 2017. Believers think a cabal of satanic elites rule the world. They either oppose coronavirus restrictions or don’t believe the virus exists at all and are largely — though not wholly — supporters of President Donald Trump.
YouTube’s announcement stops short of banning all QAnon content outright. Instead, the company promises to remove videos “used to justify real-world violence.”
“One example would be content that threatens or harasses someone by suggesting they are complicit in one of these harmful conspiracies, such as QAnon or Pizzagate,” the announcement said.
YouTube has been a key platform for QAnon personalities who make videos for supporters and believers. Some of the biggest accounts began disappearing immediately after the announcement, and YouTube said it will continue enforcement in the coming weeks.
Facebook and Twitter have already implemented bans on QAnon-related content. After a series of less severe measures, Facebook announced on Oct. 6 that it would ban all Pages, Groups, and accounts related to promotion of the mass delusion. Twitter announced that it would crack down on QAnon content in July, noting its potential for real-world harm.
The focus on harm comes after supporters of QAnon have been associated with several violent acts both across the US and across the world. The FBI has called the delusion a domestic terror threat.
For his part, Trump praised QAnon during a White House press briefing in August, calling believers “people who love our country.”


buzzfeed--2020-10-15--Kamala Harris Has Suspended Travel After Two People Close To The Campaign Tested Positive For 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 .
A senior campaign aide and flight crew member who traveled with Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris a week ago have tested positive for the coronavirus and are now self-quarantining , Joe Biden ’ s campaign manager announced Thursday .
Harris tested negative as recently as Wednesday and was to be tested again Thursday , the campaign manager , Jen O ’ Malley @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with reporters .
Campaign officials did not consider self-quarantine to be a necessity for the California senator , but she has canceled her travel through Sunday , Oct. 18 , “ out of an abundance of caution.
” In the Senate this week , Harris has been attending the hearings of Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett virtually .
On Thursday afternoon , the campaign also announced that a crew member onboard a Biden flight also tested positive .
However , the campaign said the former vice president did not come within 50 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden , was wearing a mask during the flight .
`` Given these facts , we have been advised by the Vice President ’ s doctor and the campaign ’ s medical advisors that there is no need for the Vice President to quarantine , '' O'Malley Dillon said .
Biden will keep his Thursday schedule , including a virtual fundraiser and an ABC News town hall forum at night , O ’ Malley Dillon said .
The two people who tested positive , Harris communications director Liz Allen and a nonstaff flight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Harris on Oct. 8 , during which all three individuals wore N95 masks , according to the campaign .
Before and after that flight , the Biden campaign said , both individuals received negative test results .
Biden and Harris campaigned in person together on Oct. 8 in Arizona .
“ The vice president is continuing on with his schedule today , ” O ’ Malley Dillon said of Biden on Thursday ’ s call with reporters .
“ He was not in close contact with either of these individuals.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was more detailed than the information shared by President Donald Trump , his doctors , the White House , and the Trump reelection campaign after Trump tested positive for the coronavirus two weeks ago .
Trump ’ s team , for example , never disclosed when the president had last tested negative .
Several Trump administration and campaign staffers also tested positive around that time .
Sometime after the flight on Oct. 8 , on a day not specified by the Biden campaign , Allen and the flight crew member both “ attended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also not specified by the Biden campaign .
In a statement released before the conference call , O ’ Malley Dillon said campaign officials do not consider Biden , Harris , Harris ’ s husband Doug Emhoff , or any other staff member of the campaign to have been “ exposed ” to Allen or the flight crew member .
Under the campaign ’ s regular health and safety protocols , O ’ Malley Dillon said , Allen and the flight crew member both took COVID tests again before returning to in-person campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night before the campaign released its statement , O ’ Malley Dillon said , the campaign learned that both Allen and the flight crew member had tested positive .
O ’ Malley Dillon said the campaign has initiated contact tracing “ to notify everyone who came into contact with the individuals during the potential infection window .
… We are also communicating with our campaign staff.
” Neither person was in contact with Harris or anyone else on the campaign during the 48 hours before they tested positive , according to the campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the protocols that we have in place that we have been able to get this information , that we were able to identify what 's happening here and have these rigorous protocols that reinforce testing , reinforce all the kind of components that we have moving forward , ” O ’ Malley Dillon said on Thursday morning ’ s call .
“ And so we 've been able to catch this and have this information and obviously share it with all of you guys this morning , because of those protocols in place.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ model careful health and safety protocols since officials restarted more frequent travel late this summer .
In Wilmington , Delaware , where Biden and a small crew of political reporters are based , staff and journalists are administered rapid tests ahead of every out-of-town campaign trip .
Biden is tested frequently , though not daily .
After Trump revealed he had tested positive for COVID-19 , just two days after appearing onstage with the president at a debate in Cleveland earlier this month , Biden twice tested negative for COVID-19 the following day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ traveling .
Campaign officials said that although he shared a stage with Trump for 90 minutes , they did not consider him to have been “ exposed ” to the president .
Before suspending her travel Thursday morning , Harris had been scheduled to attend virtual fundraisers and three in-person events in North Carolina .
She was to travel to Cleveland on Friday .
“ Sen .
Harris will continue to work , virtually , ” O ’ Malley Dillon told reporters .
“ We 'll look at the specific events , today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ themselves to repurposing , but we 'll obviously also be back in North Carolina before the election.
” “ And you know I think that this shows how seriously we take COVID — how we , ever since March , have done everything in our power as a campaign to ensure the safety of our staff and our volunteers and voters , and we 'll continue to do so .
”

A senior campaign aide and flight crew member who traveled with Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris a week ago have tested positive for the coronavirus and are now self-quarantining, Joe Biden’s campaign manager announced Thursday.
Harris tested negative as recently as Wednesday and was to be tested again Thursday, the campaign manager, Jen O’Malley Dillon, said on a conference call with reporters. Campaign officials did not consider self-quarantine to be a necessity for the California senator, but she has canceled her travel through Sunday, Oct. 18, “out of an abundance of caution.”
In the Senate this week, Harris has been attending the hearings of Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett virtually.
On Thursday afternoon, the campaign also announced that a crew member onboard a Biden flight also tested positive. However, the campaign said the former vice president did not come within 50 feet of the individual who, like Biden, was wearing a mask during the flight.
"Given these facts, we have been advised by the Vice President’s doctor and the campaign’s medical advisors that there is no need for the Vice President to quarantine," O'Malley Dillon said.
Biden will keep his Thursday schedule, including a virtual fundraiser and an ABC News town hall forum at night, O’Malley Dillon said.
The two people who tested positive, Harris communications director Liz Allen and a nonstaff flight crew member, were on a flight with Harris on Oct. 8, during which all three individuals wore N95 masks, according to the campaign. Before and after that flight, the Biden campaign said, both individuals received negative test results.
Biden and Harris campaigned in person together on Oct. 8 in Arizona.
“The vice president is continuing on with his schedule today,” O’Malley Dillon said of Biden on Thursday’s call with reporters. “He was not in close contact with either of these individuals.”
The timeline offered Thursday by the Biden campaign was more detailed than the information shared by President Donald Trump, his doctors, the White House, and the Trump reelection campaign after Trump tested positive for the coronavirus two weeks ago. Trump’s team, for example, never disclosed when the president had last tested negative. Several Trump administration and campaign staffers also tested positive around that time.
Sometime after the flight on Oct. 8, on a day not specified by the Biden campaign, Allen and the flight crew member both “attended personal, non-campaign events” — occasions also not specified by the Biden campaign. In a statement released before the conference call, O’Malley Dillon said campaign officials do not consider Biden, Harris, Harris’s husband Doug Emhoff, or any other staff member of the campaign to have been “exposed” to Allen or the flight crew member.
Under the campaign’s regular health and safety protocols, O’Malley Dillon said, Allen and the flight crew member both took COVID tests again before returning to in-person campaign activity. Late on Wednesday, the night before the campaign released its statement, O’Malley Dillon said, the campaign learned that both Allen and the flight crew member had tested positive.
O’Malley Dillon said the campaign has initiated contact tracing “to notify everyone who came into contact with the individuals during the potential infection window. … We are also communicating with our campaign staff.” Neither person was in contact with Harris or anyone else on the campaign during the 48 hours before they tested positive, according to the campaign.
“Obviously it is because of the protocols that we have in place that we have been able to get this information, that we were able to identify what's happening here and have these rigorous protocols that reinforce testing, reinforce all the kind of components that we have moving forward,” O’Malley Dillon said on Thursday morning’s call. “And so we've been able to catch this and have this information and obviously share it with all of you guys this morning, because of those protocols in place.”
The Biden campaign has tried to model careful health and safety protocols since officials restarted more frequent travel late this summer. In Wilmington, Delaware, where Biden and a small crew of political reporters are based, staff and journalists are administered rapid tests ahead of every out-of-town campaign trip. Biden is tested frequently, though not daily.
After Trump revealed he had tested positive for COVID-19, just two days after appearing onstage with the president at a debate in Cleveland earlier this month, Biden twice tested negative for COVID-19 the following day, but did not self-quarantine or stop traveling. Campaign officials said that although he shared a stage with Trump for 90 minutes, they did not consider him to have been “exposed” to the president.
Before suspending her travel Thursday morning, Harris had been scheduled to attend virtual fundraisers and three in-person events in North Carolina. She was to travel to Cleveland on Friday.
“Sen. Harris will continue to work, virtually,” O’Malley Dillon told reporters. “We'll look at the specific events, today, to figure out which ones lend themselves to repurposing, but we'll obviously also be back in North Carolina before the election.”
“And you know I think that this shows how seriously we take COVID — how we, ever since March, have done everything in our power as a campaign to ensure the safety of our staff and our volunteers and voters, and we'll continue to do so.”


buzzfeed--2020-10-16--Barron Trump Tested Positive For COVID-19

Barron Trump tested positive for COVID-19 shortly after his parents revealed they had been infected with the virus , first lady Melania Trump announced Wednesday .
President Donald Trump and the first lady announced they had tested positive for the virus on Oct. 1 .
The next day , the president was flown to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center , where he was tended by a team of doctors for three days .
`` Naturally , my mind went immediately to our son , '' the first lady said in a statement released Wednesday .
`` To our great @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as so many parents have thought over the past months , I could n't help but think 'what about tomorrow or the next day ? '
My fear came true when he was tested again and it came up positive . ''
Melania said Barron , 14 , exhibited no symptoms during his infection and has since tested negative , although no date was given as to when the test was conducted .
`` In one way I was glad the three of us went through this at the same time so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and spend time together , '' the statement added .
The infections among members of the first family came after the president for months took on a cavalier and dismissive tone against measures recommended by his own CDC on how to prevent and slow down the spread of the coronavirus .
The president held large indoor rallies and mocked his election rival , Joe Biden , for wearing a mask .
He has also refused to regularly wear a mask and did not do so publicly until months into the pandemic .
Just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positive test result , the White House held a gathering to announce the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court , an event where people sat shoulder to shoulder and few wore masks .
The event is now believed to be a possible super-spreader event .
In her statement , the first lady said she herself experienced only minimal symptoms , such as body aches , a cough , headaches , and fatigue but decided to take a `` more natural route in terms of medicine , opting more for vitamins @ @ @ @ @

Barron Trump tested positive for COVID-19 shortly after his parents revealed they had been infected with the virus, first lady Melania Trump announced Wednesday.
President Donald Trump and the first lady announced they had tested positive for the virus on Oct. 1. The next day, the president was flown to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he was tended by a team of doctors for three days.
"Naturally, my mind went immediately to our son," the first lady said in a statement released Wednesday. "To our great relief he tested negative, but again, as so many parents have thought over the past months, I couldn't help but think 'what about tomorrow or the next day?' My fear came true when he was tested again and it came up positive."
Melania said Barron, 14, exhibited no symptoms during his infection and has since tested negative, although no date was given as to when the test was conducted.
"In one way I was glad the three of us went through this at the same time so we could take care of one another and spend time together," the statement added.
The infections among members of the first family came after the president for months took on a cavalier and dismissive tone against measures recommended by his own CDC on how to prevent and slow down the spread of the coronavirus.
The president held large indoor rallies and mocked his election rival, Joe Biden, for wearing a mask. He has also refused to regularly wear a mask and did not do so publicly until months into the pandemic.
Just days before news of the president's positive test result, the White House held a gathering to announce the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, an event where people sat shoulder to shoulder and few wore masks. The event is now believed to be a possible super-spreader event.
In her statement, the first lady said she herself experienced only minimal symptoms, such as body aches, a cough, headaches, and fatigue but decided to take a "more natural route in terms of medicine, opting more for vitamins and healthy food."


buzzfeed--2020-10-16--Stevie Nicks Spoke Candidly About Her Abortion And Said She "Would Have Had To Walk Away" From Fleet

Stevie Nicks Spoke Candidly About Her Abortion And Said She "Would Have Had To Walk Away" From Fleetwood Mac Without It


buzzfeed--2020-10-16--Gal Gadot Broke Her Silence On Her Controversial "Imagine" Video, Calling It "Not The Right Good Dee

Gal Gadot Broke Her Silence On Her Controversial "Imagine" Video, Calling It "Not The Right Good Deed"

In the video , she says that the pandemic has made her feel `` philosophical '' and that it `` @ @ @ @ @ are , where you 're from , we 're all in this together . ''
@ @ @ @ @ Imagine , '' and is joined by a roster of other A-list celebs , including @ @ @ @ @ , Natalie Portman , Jimmy Fallon , Leslie Odom Jr. , Zoë Kravitz , Amy @ @ @ @ @ all singing from the comforts of their big ol ' Hollywood homes .

"Sometimes it can get me in trouble," she said. “There is something that I’ve learned to say, which is, ‘I don’t disagree with you, but’ — so basically I’m disagreeing with you. So I adapted. I just came to the conclusion: I do me, you do you. I’d rather have you not liking me at this moment than not saying my truth.”


buzzfeed--2020-10-16--Donald Trump And Joe Biden’s Town Halls Created A Wild Split Screen For A Very Split America

On a night they were to debate each other , President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden instead split up for their own dueling town hall forums that seemed to exist in completely different realities .
Programmed against each other in primetime — Trump on NBC , Biden on ABC — the candidates could not have offered more divergent messages in terms of tone , temperament , and substance .
On NBC , the president , posed in a half-sit-half-stand in Miami , insisted he ’ s got everything under control — even as he embraced delusional conspiracy theories @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a pandemic that has killed more than 215,000 Americans .
On ABC , Biden sat back with his legs crossed at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia .
If you tried to switch between the two , it would ’ ve been like flipping between Wrestlemania and the Masters .
Trump , whose COVID-19 diagnosis two weeks ago prompted the cancelation of Thursday ’ s originally scheduled debate , was pressed from the start by moderator Savannah Guthrie and the audience about how he has handled the pandemic .
He was combative and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a pseudo debate opponent .
Biden , the former vice president , fielded tough questions , too , but kept in check a testiness he at times has trouble hiding .
He offered calm , and often long-winded , answers tethered to policy and American ideals .
Both also made headlines that might not be helpful to their campaigns , though as is often the case , the president ’ s headlines were louder .
Trump refused to condemn QAnon , the mass delusion that alleges the president is fighting a cabal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the benefits of masks to fight the pandemic .
And Biden altered his stance on expanding the number of seats on the US Supreme Court .
The proposal , known as court packing , has gained currency among progressives , especially with the Republican-controlled Senate likely to confirm Trump ’ s latest nominee , Judge Amy Coney Barrett — a move that could solidify a conservative majority on the nine-justice court .
Biden , who for days had purposely said little about the matter , said he ’ s “ not a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suggested he was keeping options open depending on how the Senate handles the Barrett confirmation .
Asked by ABC News ’ George Stephanopoulos if he ’ ll have a firm public position before Election Day , Biden said , “ Yes , depending on how they handle this.
” Trump ’ s early equivocations in his own town hall were about masks .
He played down how useful mask-wearing is to fight the spread of the coronavirus by mischaracterizing a federal study .
“ As far as the mask is concerned , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ okay with masks .
I tell people , wear masks .
But just the other day they came out with a statement that 85 % of the people that wear masks catch it , ” Trump said incorrectly .
“ They didn ’ t say that .
I know that study , ” Guthrie interjected .
“ That ’ s what I heard , and that ’ s what I saw , ” Trump said .
When Guthrie brought up the fact many rally attendees go maskless , the president deferred to two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s running mate , has been physically close to testing positive .
“ She ’ s got people now — that people have it .
I ’ m not blaming her .
I ’ m not saying , ‘ Oh she did a terrible thing.
’ ” Trump also didn ’ t just refuse to disavow QAnon again — he openly embraced the movement as fighting pedophilia , a fight the movement in reality hurts .
He claimed several times he knew nothing about the movement , even after it was described @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raucous back and forth , attendees were able to ask the president questions .
Most centered around Trump ’ s response to the pandemic .
One woman asked what the president would do to better prepare law enforcement to collaborate with communities and protect the lives of Black and Latinos from police brutality .
He didn ’ t directly respond , but rather praised Sen. Tim Scott ’ s police reform bill that Senate Democrats blocked in June and knocked as inadequate and partisan .
And then he pivoted to a common — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s used to describe his administration ’ s relations with Black people : “ Some people don ’ t like it when I say it but a lot of people agree : I have done more for the African American community than any president with the exception of Abraham Lincoln.
” And he was pressed on the New York Times report on tax returns the paper obtained showing Trump owes more than $ 400 million in debt .
He didn ’ t say where the money was owed and didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insisted that “ $ 400 million is a peanut .
”

On a night they were to debate each other, President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden instead split up for their own dueling town hall forums that seemed to exist in completely different realities.
Programmed against each other in primetime — Trump on NBC, Biden on ABC — the candidates could not have offered more divergent messages in terms of tone, temperament, and substance. On NBC, the president, posed in a half-sit-half-stand in Miami, insisted he’s got everything under control — even as he embraced delusional conspiracy theories and waffled in response to questions about a pandemic that has killed more than 215,000 Americans. On ABC, Biden sat back with his legs crossed at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. If you tried to switch between the two, it would’ve been like flipping between WrestleMania and the Masters.
Trump, whose COVID-19 diagnosis two weeks ago prompted the cancelation of Thursday’s originally scheduled debate, was pressed from the start by moderator Savannah Guthrie and the audience about how he has handled the pandemic. He was combative and defensive, at times setting Guthrie up as a pseudo-debate opponent. Biden, the former vice president, fielded tough questions, too, but kept in check a testiness he at times has trouble hiding. He offered calm, and often long-winded, answers tethered to policy and American ideals.
Both also made headlines that might not be helpful to their campaigns, though as is often the case, the president’s headlines were louder. Trump refused to condemn QAnon, the mass delusion that alleges the president is fighting a cabal of satanist pedophiles, while also hedging on the benefits of masks to fight the pandemic. And Biden altered his stance on expanding the number of seats on the US Supreme Court. The proposal, known as court-packing, has gained currency among progressives, especially with the Republican-controlled Senate likely to confirm Trump’s latest nominee, Judge Amy Coney Barrett — a move that could solidify a conservative majority on the nine-justice court.
Biden, who for days had purposely said little about the matter, said he’s “not a fan” of court-packing, but suggested he was keeping options open depending on how the Senate handles the Barrett confirmation. Asked by ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos if he’ll have a firm public position before Election Day, Biden said, “Yes, depending on how they handle this.”
Trump’s early equivocations in his own town hall were about masks. He played down how useful mask-wearing is to fight the spread of the coronavirus by mischaracterizing a federal study.
“As far as the mask is concerned, I'm good with masks. I'm OK with masks. I tell people, 'Wear masks.' But just the other day they came out with a statement that 85% of the people that wear masks catch it,” Trump said incorrectly.
“They didn’t say that. I know that study,” Guthrie interjected.
“That’s what I heard, and that’s what I saw,” Trump said.
When Guthrie brought up the fact many rally attendees go maskless, the president deferred to two people whom Sen. Kamala Harris, Biden’s running mate, has been physically close to testing positive.
“She’s got people now — that people have it. I’m not blaming her. I’m not saying, ‘Oh she did a terrible thing.’”
Trump also didn’t just refuse to disavow QAnon again — he openly embraced the movement as fighting against the sexual abuse of children, a fight the movement in reality hurts. He claimed several times he knew nothing about the movement, even after it was described to him by Guthrie.
After a raucous back and forth, attendees were able to ask the president questions. Most centered around Trump’s response to the pandemic. One woman asked what the president would do to better prepare law enforcement to collaborate with communities and protect the lives of Black and Latinos from police brutality.
He didn’t directly respond, but rather praised Sen. Tim Scott’s police reform bill that Senate Democrats blocked in June and knocked as inadequate and partisan. And then he pivoted to a common — and very much disputed — phrase he’s used to describe his administration’s relations with Black people: “Some people don’t like it when I say it but a lot of people agree: I have done more for the African American community than any president with the exception of Abraham Lincoln.”
And he was pressed on the New York Times report on tax returns the paper obtained showing Trump owes more than $400 million in debt. He didn’t say where the money was owed and didn’t confirm or deny the amount, but insisted that “$400 million is a peanut.”


buzzfeed--2020-10-16--Savannah Guthrie Compared Trump To A "Crazy Uncle" For Sharing False Bin Laden Conspiracy Theories

NBC anchor Savannah Guthrie called out President Donald Trump at the network 's presidential town hall event Thursday for sharing false conspiracy theories relating to the death of Osama bin Laden .
`` You 're the president , '' the Today show anchor told Trump .
`` You 're not someone 's crazy uncle who can retweet whatever . ''
Guthrie 's comment came after she asked the president about why he had shared at least two posts from followers of the QAnon mass delusion to his 87 million Twitter followers that questioned whether 9/11 terrorist leader Osama bin Laden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tweets suggested former President Barack Obama and former Vice President Joe Biden , Trump 's opponent in the 2020 election , had secretly had a Bin Laden body double killed .
His tweets prompted widespread outcry , including from Robert O'Neill , the former Navy SEAL who fired the shots that killed Bin Laden during the 2011 raid in Pakistan .
`` Very brave men said [ goodbye ] to their kids to go kill Osama bin Laden .
We were given the order by President Obama .
It was not a body @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a supporter of Trump .

NBC anchor Savannah Guthrie called out President Donald Trump at the network's presidential town hall event Thursday for sharing false conspiracy theories relating to the death of Osama bin Laden.
"You're the president," the Today show anchor told Trump. "You're not someone's crazy uncle who can retweet whatever."
Guthrie's comment came after she asked the president about why he had shared at least two posts from followers of the QAnon mass delusion to his 87 million Twitter followers that questioned whether 9/11 terrorist leader Osama bin Laden had really been killed.
The false tweets suggested former President Barack Obama and former vice president Joe Biden, Trump's opponent in the 2020 election, had secretly had a bin Laden body double killed.
His tweets prompted a widespread outcry, including from Robert O'Neill, the former Navy SEAL who fired the shots that killed bin Laden during the 2011 raid in Pakistan.
"Very brave men said [goodbye] to their kids to go kill Osama bin Laden. We were given the order by President Obama. It was not a body double," tweeted O'Neill, who is a supporter of Trump.


buzzfeed--2020-10-16--A Blind Woman Is Going Viral For Showing How She Does Everyday Tasks

Lucy 's message for other people who are blind is this : `` You are blind , not broken .
@ @ @ @ @ bad blind days , but , I promise you , it is going to be @ @ @ @ @ side — even if you ca n't see the sun .
It is about looking @ @ @ @ @ , not what we ca n't .
And , to anyone out there reading this @ @ @ @ @ can acquire a disability at any point — just because someone is disabled does n't @ @ @ @ @ are .
Do n't just look at a person 's impairment , look at the @ @ @ @ @ is something to celebrate , and we should all be proud of who we are @ @ @ @ @ when I came out as blind to myself , accepted who I was , and @ @ @ @ @

Lucy's message for other people who are blind is this: "You are blind, not broken. There are going to be bad blind days, but, I promise you, it is going to be OK. Look on the bright side — even if you can't see the sun. It is about looking at what we can do, not what we can't. And, to anyone out there reading this without a disability, you can acquire a disability at any point — just because someone is disabled doesn't mean they lose who they are. Don't just look at a person's impairment, look at the whole person. Being different is something to celebrate, and we should all be proud of who we are. I found true acceptance when I came out as blind to myself, accepted who I was, and became unapologetically Lucy."


buzzfeed--2020-10-16--A Flight Attendant On TikTok Revealed All The Things You Should Never Touch On An Airplane, And It's

A Flight Attendant On TikTok Revealed All The Things You Should Never Touch On An Airplane, And It's So Gross

Kat then warns viewers that sticking your hand into that seat pocket is effectively the same as sticking your hand @ @ @ @ @ `` Think of all the dirty tissues , barf bags , and garbage that has @ @ @ @ @ she says .

Kat then warns viewers that sticking your hand into that seat pocket is effectively the same as sticking your hand into a garbage bin: "Think of all the dirty tissues, barf bags, and garbage that has been in there," she says.


buzzfeed--2020-10-16--Twitter Just Stopped Blocking The Biden Article It Said It Would Block Yesterday

After disallowing the sharing of a link to an unverified New York Post article on its platform , Twitter reversed @ @ @ @ @ post it again on Friday .
The social media network was widely criticized for its @ @ @ @ @ , which focused on Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden ’ s son Hunter .
The @ @ @ @ @ drive allegedly provided to the Post by a computer technician , which claimed to detail @ @ @ @ @ dealings in Ukraine .
On Wednesday , Twitter announced it had blocked all shares of @ @ @ @ @ this was in line with its policy on hacked material .
Later that day , @ @ @ @ @ company said that the article had violated its rules about disclosing personal and private information @ @ @ @ @ were sharing it .

After disallowing the sharing of a link to an unverified New York Post article on its platform, Twitter reversed course and allowed users to post it again on Friday.
The social media network was widely criticized for its decision to block the article, which focused on Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden’s son Hunter. The story relied on a hard drive allegedly provided to the Post by a computer technician, which claimed to detail Hunter Biden’s business dealings in Ukraine.
On Wednesday, Twitter announced it had blocked all shares of the Post article, saying this was in line with its policy on hacked material.
Later that day, in a clarification, the company said that the article had violated its rules about disclosing personal and private information and locked several accounts that were sharing it.


buzzfeed--2020-10-16--A Federal Judge Wants To Know If Trump Means What He Tweets

A federal judge Friday ordered the Justice Department to find out directly from President Donald Trump whether he really intended to declassify all Russia investigation documents without redactions when he tweeted exactly that last week .
The judge ’ s directive was issued in response to two emergency motions filed last week by BuzzFeed News seeking the immediate release of Russia-related documents in response to Trump ’ s tweets .
The move by the judge could be a watershed moment for those who have gone to court and sought the release of records based on the president 's tweets .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s position has been that Trump ’ s tweets should not be taken literally , while in other instances the government has argued that they ’ re official statements .
During an extraordinary 30-minute hearing Friday morning , US District Court Judge Reggie Walton rejected a government attorney ’ s assertion that Trump ’ s Oct. 6 tweets were “ ambiguous ” and should not be interpreted as orders to declassify anything specific .
Matt Topic , an attorney representing BuzzFeed News , disagreed .
He told Walton there can ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s tweet that called for the release of every document from the Russia probe without any redactions .
Walton also disagreed with the government 's stance .
He said Trump ’ s tweets in which the president stated he has “ fully authorized the total Declassification of any & all documents pertaining ” to the Russia investigation are “ unambiguous ” and clearly indicated what his intent was .
“ I don ’ t think anything more is required , ” Walton said .
Justice Department attorney Courtney Enlow argued that the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s tweets were not declassification orders and don ’ t require the disclosure of any additional documents in BuzzFeed News ’ ongoing Freedom of Information Act lawsuits related to former special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s Russia investigation .
She said deference in the matter should be given to the government .
In a declaration filed earlier this week , Bradley Weinsheimer , associate deputy attorney general , wrote that — after consulting with the White House counsel — what Trump authorized for declassification actually was documents related to the ongoing review @ @ @ @ @ @ @ genesis of the Russia investigation .
Walton , who had previously ordered the Justice Department to confer with the White House and obtain the official position regarding the declassification and release of documents related to the Russia investigation , indicated to Enlow that he wasn ’ t interested in the White House counsel ’ s position .
Rather , he wanted Trump ’ s .
“ The American public has a right to rely on what a president says his intent is , ” he said .
So , he ordered the Justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump and to find out whether his tweets really meant to declassify and release all Russia-related investigation documents and to file the president 's response with the court .
Walton set another hearing for Wednesday .
He ordered the Department of Justice to file by Tuesday “ a declaration by the President or an individual who has conferred directly with the President regarding whether the President intended to order the declassification and release without redaction ” FBI interview summaries of witnesses from the Mueller probe , an unredacted copy of the Mueller report @ @ @ @ @ @

A federal judge Friday ordered the Justice Department to find out directly from President Donald Trump whether he really intended to declassify all Russia investigation documents without redactions when he tweeted exactly that last week.
The judge’s directive was issued in response to two emergency motions filed last week by BuzzFeed News seeking the immediate release of Russia-related documents in response to Trump’s tweets.
The move by the judge could be a watershed moment for those who have gone to court and sought the release of records based on the president's tweets. For nearly four years, the government’s position has been that Trump’s tweets should not be taken literally, while in other instances the government has argued that they’re official statements.
During an extraordinary 30-minute hearing Friday morning, US District Court Judge Reggie Walton rejected a government attorney’s assertion that Trump’s Oct. 6 tweets were “ambiguous” and should not be interpreted as orders to declassify anything specific.
Matt Topic, an attorney representing BuzzFeed News, disagreed. He told Walton there can’t be anything more clear than Trump’s tweet that called for the release of every document from the Russia probe without any redactions.
Walton also disagreed with the government's stance. He said Trump’s tweets in which the president stated he has “fully authorized the total Declassification of any & all documents pertaining” to the Russia investigation are “unambiguous” and clearly indicated what his intent was.
“I don’t think anything more is required,” Walton said.
Justice Department attorney Courtney Enlow argued that the White House counsel informed the government that Trump’s tweets were not declassification orders and don’t require the disclosure of any additional documents in BuzzFeed News’ ongoing Freedom of Information Act lawsuits related to former special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation. She said deference in the matter should be given to the government.
In a declaration filed earlier this week, Bradley Weinsheimer, associate deputy attorney general, wrote that — after consulting with the White House counsel — what Trump authorized for declassification actually was documents related to the ongoing review by Attorney General Bill Barr into the genesis of the Russia investigation.
Walton, who had previously ordered the Justice Department to confer with the White House and obtain the official position regarding the declassification and release of documents related to the Russia investigation, indicated to Enlow that he wasn’t interested in the White House counsel’s position. Rather, he wanted Trump’s.
“The American public has a right to rely on what a president says his intent is,” he said.
So, he ordered the Justice Department to have a conversation directly with Trump and to find out whether his tweets really meant to declassify and release all Russia-related investigation documents and to file the president's response with the court.
Walton set another hearing for Wednesday. He ordered the Department of Justice to file by Tuesday “a declaration by the President or an individual who has conferred directly with the President regarding whether the President intended to order the declassification and release without redaction” FBI interview summaries of witnesses from the Mueller probe, an unredacted copy of the Mueller report, and other related documents.