buzzfeed--2020-12-12--🚨The US Just Authorized Its First COVID-19 Vaccine 🚨

Nine grueling months into a deadly pandemic that has upended every aspect of life , the United States has a coronavirus vaccine .
The highly effective vaccine , made by the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer , was authorized for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration on Friday , following an overwhelming 17–4 vote of confidence from an advisory panel of independent experts .
Within 24 hours , the first doses should be shipped out to states , which are expected to give them first to healthcare workers and people in nursing homes .
Officials estimate that enough doses to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be delivered by the end of the year .
`` The FDA ’ s authorization for emergency use of the first COVID-19 vaccine is a significant milestone in battling this devastating pandemic that has affected so many families in the United States and around the world , ” said FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn .
“ The tireless work to develop a new vaccine to prevent this novel , serious , and life-threatening disease in an expedited timeframe after its emergence is a true testament to scientific innovation and public-private collaboration worldwide.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needed hope in the depths of an out-of-control outbreak that has killed nearly 300,000 Americans , infected millions more , strained hospitals , and shows no signs of letting up .
The licensure of the vaccine , which was developed in record time in partnership with the German company BioNTech , comes the same week that the US reported a record 3,000 COVID-19 deaths in a single day .
“ Actually having the vaccine in somebody ’ s arm in less than a year — 11 months to be exact , from January @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would have been inconceivable to me a year or two or three ago , ” said Anthony Fauci , chief of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , at a Friday event prior to the authorization .
He added that he planned to get the vaccine publicly and that he will recommend his family get it , too .
From the outset , the Trump administration failed to adequately invest in efforts to prevent the virus ’ s transmission ; it instead staked the country ’ s hopes on never-before-developed therapeutics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a $ 14 billion public-private partnership called Operation Warp Speed .
On Friday night , President Donald Trump tweeted a video address about the vaccine , calling it a “ medical miracle.
” “ We have delivered a safe and effective vaccine in just nine months .
This is one of the greatest scientific accomplishments in history , ” Trump said .
“ It will save millions of lives and soon end the pandemic once and for all.
” And Albert Bourla , Pfizer ’ s CEO , said , “ Pfizer ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ lives , and in our 171-year history there has never been a more urgent need for a breakthrough than today with hundreds of thousands of people continuing to suffer from COVID-19.
” Pfizer ’ s vaccine on its own will not return society to normal , especially while early doses are limited .
To keep transmission low , everyone — vaccinated or not — will still have to wear a mask , socially distance , and wash their hands .
And it will take a long time before 60 % to 70 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or gets immunized , the level that experts say is necessary for the virus to stop spreading .
This winter , the CDC director has warned , could be “ the most difficult time in the public health history of this nation.
” But data suggests that the vaccine works extremely well — far better than most scientists had expected .
Based on preliminary results from an ongoing late-stage clinical trial that now includes 44,000 people , the vaccine appears to be 95 % effective at preventing COVID-19 when compared with participants who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the FDA ’ s minimum requirement of 50 % for a COVID-19 vaccine .
By comparison , the flu shot is thought to be about 60 % effective on average .
Commonly reported side effects to Pfizer ’ s vaccine included arm soreness , fatigue , headaches , muscle pains , chills , joint pain , and fever .
The rate of serious side effects was very low , and none were clearly linked to the vaccine .
While the CDC has said healthcare workers and people who work or live in nursing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s ultimately up to governors to decide who will receive them .
Some states intend to prioritize other groups , such as older people with high-risk conditions .
This is the first authorized vaccine made from a genetic molecule called messenger RNA ( mRNA ) — a stunning scientific achievement , considering that work on it began in January .
Previously , the mumps vaccine was considered the fastest ever developed , and that took four years to reach the market .
Several unique factors contributed to how quickly the vaccine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one , its underlying biotechnology was not invented in 2020 : Researchers have been trying to harness mRNA against various diseases for more than three decades .
Then the US ’ s disastrous handling of the pandemic led to a nationwide surge , enabling clinical trials to quickly rack up enough cases among participants to show that the vaccine worked .
And since Pfizer submitted its data on Nov. 20 , the FDA has compressed its vetting process into a span of weeks rather than months .
An “ emergency use authorization ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
At the same time , Hahn has stressed that the agency requires clear evidence of safety and efficacy .
In a change instituted this fall , the agency required that companies submit a minimum of two months ’ worth of safety data from half of the trial participants .
The US is the sixth country to authorize Pfizer ’ s vaccine , following the United Kingdom , Canada , Bahrain , Saudi Arabia , and Mexico .
A second mRNA vaccine , made by the biotech company Moderna , has also delivered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the FDA as early as next week .
Distributing Pfizer ’ s vaccine will be a painstaking endeavor .
Because the vaccine ’ s fragile mRNA molecules break down at room temperature , it must be transported and stored at -94 degrees .
That ’ s prompted states to rush to buy expensive , ultracold freezers , but they will likely be out of reach for rural , underresourced parts of the country .
Once thawed and diluted , a vial — which contains five doses apiece — has to be used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not stem the outbreak if people don ’ t take it , and overcoming hesitancy will likely be another major challenge .
About 63 % of Americans recently surveyed by Gallup said they were willing to get a vaccine , up from an all-time low of 50 % in September .
That dip in confidence reflects how politicized vaccine development became this fall , when President Donald Trump was pushing federal scientists to approve one before the election .
Pfizer has since sought to distance itself from the president and Operation Warp Speed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ telling the New York Times last month that it was “ never part of Warp Speed.
” While the company did not take federal money for research and development , Pfizer struck a $ 1.95 billion deal with the government to deliver 100 million doses , regardless of whether the vaccine was shown to work .
The gulf between the White House and the company became even clearer upon reports this week that the administration had declined an offer from Pfizer this summer to lock in additional doses beyond the initial shipment .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Trump has kept up his efforts to interfere with the FDA ’ s decision-making .
Following reports that the agency planned to issue an authorization on Saturday , Trump demanded in a Friday morning tweet that it “ get the dam vaccines out NOW.
” White House chief of staff Mark Meadows allegedly told Hahn to submit his resignation if he didn ’ t authorize the vaccine by Friday , the Washington Post reported , though it ’ s unclear whether that would get doses to people any faster .
The mRNA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given three weeks apart , instructs human cells to make proteins that prime the immune system to recognize and attack a coronavirus infection .
Pfizer ’ s latest analysis , confirmed by the FDA , found it was 95 % effective at preventing COVID-19 among people who were at least 16 years old , starting just one week after the second shot .
That rate was calculated from a total of 170 people in the clinical trial who got infected : 162 people who were given placebo shots versus eight who received the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ roughly held up across age categories , genders , racial and ethnic groups , and people with underlying conditions that raise the risk for severe illness .
“ Overall , there is not much to argue with here in terms of efficacy , ” Deepta Bhattacharya , an immunologist at the University of Arizona who is not on the FDA ’ s advisory panel , told BuzzFeed News by email .
“ It just looks great no matter how you look at it.
” Still , some significant questions remain .
People were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had a positive test result and at least one symptom , including a cough or loss of taste .
But there were far fewer severe cases that were life-threatening or required hospitalization , and critics have worried that a vaccine that primarily prevents mild cases will not provide help where it ’ s most needed .
The FDA concluded that the data does “ suggest protection from severe COVID-19 disease , ” though it is not definite .
It ’ s also not known whether the vaccine can prevent asymptomatic cases or stop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That ’ s potentially important because asymptomatic cases are believed to make up 20 % to 30 % of all cases and are a significant driver in transmission .
Kathrin Jansen , Pfizer ’ s head of vaccine development , said during Thursday ’ s FDA panel meeting that participants are being screened for antibodies to try to address this question , with answers expected in early 2021 .
How long immunity to the virus will last is still up in the air .
But in a promising sign , Pfizer reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had strong protection two months after receiving their second shots .
There also wasn ’ t enough data to show how well the vaccine worked in people who are pregnant or lactating , those who have HIV/AIDS or an otherwise immunocompromised system , and children under 16 ( the study expanded to include those as young as 12 in October ) .
Older teens , on the other hand , were a topic of heated discussion during the panel meeting this week .
Several members raised concerns that there wasn ’ t enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the trial had 153 of them — to support giving them the vaccine .
The vaccine does seem very safe .
Based on more than 18,000 vaccine recipients , half of whom were tracked for at least two months after their second dose , the FDA said it saw “ no specific safety concerns.
” Pfizer has said it will continue tracking participants for signs of side effects for two more years .
In the short term , people shouldn ’ t be surprised if they have side effects after getting their shots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trial participants who got the vaccine reported having some kind of reaction , most commonly arm soreness , fatigue , headaches , muscle pains , chills , joint pain , and fever .
That ’ s a higher rate than that of some other common immunizations , including the flu shot .
Operation Warp Speed chief science adviser Moncef Slaoui has compared the Pfizer vaccine ’ s rate of side effects to that of the shingles vaccine .
Side effects also occurred more in younger patients than in those age 55 and older @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ This may cause some problems in vaccine uptake , as younger people are aware that they are at lower risk following natural infection , ” Bhattacharya said .
“ Public messaging will matter here.
” As for severe side effects , the rate of those — about 1 in 200 — was virtually the same in participants who received the vaccine and the placebo .
The side effects that FDA said may have been related to the vaccine included swollen lymph nodes , heart arrhythmia , and one shoulder injury .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine recipients of Bell ’ s palsy , a condition that temporarily weakens facial muscles .
The FDA determined that the incidents weren ’ t statistically unusual given the number of people in the trial , but the agency will watch out for any cases as the vaccine is widely distributed .
Concerns have also emerged about whether people with severe allergies should get the vaccine .
This week , two healthcare workers in the UK reported allergic reactions after receiving their first shots .
Both had a history of severe allergies and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the UK ’ s health regulator announced that people with a “ significant history of allergic reactions to a vaccine , medicine or food ” should not be given the vaccine .
It is not known what exactly the workers were allergic to .
Pfizer ’ s prescribing information in the US only warns that the vaccine should not be given to people with a known history of severe allergies to components of the vaccine , a narrower restriction than the one given by the UK .
The FDA has asked Pfizer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and submit more data to the agency .
At Thursday ’ s FDA advisory meeting , Paul Offit , a vaccine expert at the Children ’ s Hospital of Philadelphia and a member of the panel , expressed concern about needlessly scaring people away from taking the vaccine .
He recommended that Pfizer should study the issue further in people with common allergies .
“ This issue is not going to die until we have better data , ” Offit said Thursday .
With the release of the vaccine , a thorny question @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risked their bodies to help make it a reality : Should people who received the placebo now get the immunization ?
Pfizer has proposed giving the real shots to those people as they become eligible .
It ’ s hard to imagine that many would turn one down .
But the FDA has pushed back , saying that “ unblinding ” participants would irrevocably ruin scientists ’ chances to collect important data .
It ’ s a dilemma that will likely come up more and more as other COVID-19 vaccines become available in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be evaluated by the FDA ’ s advisory panel on Dec. 17 .
AstraZeneca and Oxford University , as well as Johnson & Johnson , are in late-stage trials .
This week , Operation Warp Speed ’ s chief science adviser suggested that the latter vaccine — a one-shot immunization without restrictive cold storage requirements — could collect enough data from its trial for an FDA submission in January .
Fauci and other experts expect that immunizations for the general public can begin in April .
By then , even with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans could be dead .

Nine grueling months into a deadly pandemic that has upended every aspect of life, the United States has a coronavirus vaccine.
The highly effective vaccine, made by the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, was authorized for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration on Friday, following an overwhelming 17–4 vote of confidence from an advisory panel of independent experts.
On Monday, the first shipments of the vaccines should arrive in states, which are expected to give them first to healthcare workers and people in nursing homes, federal officials said Saturday. They estimate that enough doses to give 20 million people their first shots will be delivered by the end of the year.
"The FDA’s authorization for emergency use of the first COVID-19 vaccine is a significant milestone in battling this devastating pandemic that has affected so many families in the United States and around the world,” said FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn in a statement from the agency on Friday. “The tireless work to develop a new vaccine to prevent this novel, serious, and life-threatening disease in an expedited timeframe after its emergence is a true testament to scientific innovation and public-private collaboration worldwide.”
At a press conference on Saturday morning, Hahn said the agency had applied high standards of review "so that Americans can have trust and confidence that the vaccine meets FDA’s rigorous standards for safety and effectiveness." "With this authorization, we know our federal partners are already moving to distribute the first doses of the vaccine throughout the country," Hahn said.
The vaccine is a source of badly needed hope in the depths of an out-of-control outbreak that has killed nearly 300,000 Americans, infected millions more, strained hospitals, and shows no signs of letting up. The licensure of the vaccine, which was developed in record time in partnership with the German company BioNTech, comes the same week that the US reported a record 3,000 COVID-19 deaths in a single day.
“Actually having the vaccine in somebody’s arm in less than a year — 11 months to be exact, from January to the beginning of December — it would have been inconceivable to me a year or two or three ago,” said Anthony Fauci, chief of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, at a Friday event prior to the authorization. He added that he planned to get the vaccine publicly and that he will recommend his family get it, too.
From the outset, the Trump administration failed to adequately invest in efforts to prevent the virus’s transmission; it instead staked the country’s hopes on never-before-developed therapeutics and vaccines, funded in part by a $14 billion public-private partnership called Operation Warp Speed.
On Friday night, President Donald Trump tweeted a video address about the vaccine, calling it a “medical miracle.” “We have delivered a safe and effective vaccine in just nine months. This is one of the greatest scientific accomplishments in history,” Trump said. “It will save millions of lives and soon end the pandemic once and for all.” And Albert Bourla, Pfizer’s CEO, said, “Pfizer’s purpose is breakthroughs that change patients’ lives, and in our 171-year history there has never been a more urgent need for a breakthrough than today with hundreds of thousands of people continuing to suffer from COVID-19.”
Pfizer’s vaccine on its own will not return society to normal, especially while early doses are limited. To keep transmission low, everyone — vaccinated or not — will still have to wear a mask, socially distance, and wash their hands. And it will take a long time before 60% to 70% of the population recovers from COVID-19 or gets immunized, the level that experts say is necessary for the virus to stop spreading. This winter, the CDC director has warned, could be “the most difficult time in the public health history of this nation.”
But data suggests that the vaccine works extremely well — far better than most scientists had expected.
Based on preliminary results from an ongoing late-stage clinical trial that now includes 44,000 people, the vaccine appears to be 95% effective at preventing COVID-19 when compared with participants who received placebo shots. That far exceeds the FDA’s minimum requirement of 50% for a COVID-19 vaccine. By comparison, the flu shot is thought to be about 60% effective on average.
Commonly reported side effects to Pfizer’s vaccine included arm soreness, fatigue, headaches, muscle pains, chills, joint pain, and fever. The rate of serious side effects was very low, and none were clearly linked to the vaccine.
While the CDC has said healthcare workers and people who work or live in nursing homes should get the first shots, it’s ultimately up to governors to decide who will receive them. Some states intend to prioritize other groups, such as older people with high-risk conditions.


buzzfeed--2020-12-12--My Boyfriend Set Up A Trap To Try To Catch Me Cheating — WTF Should I Do?

When you think about it , this actually makes some sense .
Serial cheaters* are people who put their own @ @ @ @ @ and who will jump at a chance for instant gratification even if it hurts their @ @ @ @ @ It logically follows that someone who operates in such a selfish , me-first kind of @ @ @ @ @ hard time trusting people .
When you 're incapable of making sacrifices for others , @ @ @ @ @ believe that others will make sacrifices for you .

When you think about it, this actually makes some sense. Serial cheaters* are people who put their own desires above all else, and who will jump at a chance for instant gratification even if it hurts their partner down the road. It logically follows that someone who operates in such a selfish, me-first kind of way might also have a hard time trusting people. When you're incapable of making sacrifices for others, it becomes much harder to believe that others will make sacrifices for you.


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

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

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

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


buzzfeed--2020-12-13--🚨The US Has Authorized Its First COVID-19 Vaccine 🚨

Nine grueling months into a deadly pandemic that has upended every aspect of life , the United States has a coronavirus vaccine .
The highly effective vaccine , made by the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer , was authorized for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration on Friday , following an overwhelming 17–4 vote of confidence from an advisory panel of independent experts .
On Monday , the first shipments of the vaccines should arrive in states , which are expected to give them first to healthcare workers and people in nursing homes , federal officials said Saturday .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million people their first shots will be delivered by the end of the year .
`` The FDA ’ s authorization for emergency use of the first COVID-19 vaccine is a significant milestone in battling this devastating pandemic that has affected so many families in the United States and around the world , ” said FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn in a statement from the agency on Friday .
“ The tireless work to develop a new vaccine to prevent this novel , serious , and life-threatening disease in an expedited timeframe after its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ innovation and public-private collaboration worldwide.
” At a press conference on Saturday morning , Hahn said the agency had applied high standards of review `` so that Americans can have trust and confidence that the vaccine meets FDA ’ s rigorous standards for safety and effectiveness . ''
`` With this authorization , we know our federal partners are already moving to distribute the first doses of the vaccine throughout the country , '' Hahn said .
The vaccine is a source of badly needed hope in the depths of an out-of-control outbreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infected millions more , strained hospitals , and shows no signs of letting up .
The licensure of the vaccine , which was developed in record time in partnership with the German company BioNTech , comes the same week that the US reported a record 3,000 COVID-19 deaths in a single day .
“ Actually having the vaccine in somebody ’ s arm in less than a year — 11 months to be exact , from January to the beginning of December — it would have been inconceivable to me a year or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Anthony Fauci , chief of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , at a Friday event prior to the authorization .
He added that he planned to get the vaccine publicly and that he will recommend his family get it , too .
From the outset , the Trump administration failed to adequately invest in efforts to prevent the virus ’ s transmission ; it instead staked the country ’ s hopes on never-before-developed therapeutics and vaccines , funded in part by a $ 14 billion public-private partnership called Operation Warp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donald Trump tweeted a video address about the vaccine , calling it a “ medical miracle.
” “ We have delivered a safe and effective vaccine in just nine months .
This is one of the greatest scientific accomplishments in history , ” Trump said .
“ It will save millions of lives and soon end the pandemic once and for all.
” And Albert Bourla , Pfizer ’ s CEO , said , “ Pfizer ’ s purpose is breakthroughs that change patients ’ lives , and in our 171-year history there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a breakthrough than today with hundreds of thousands of people continuing to suffer from COVID-19.
” Pfizer ’ s vaccine on its own will not return society to normal , especially while early doses are limited .
To keep transmission low , everyone — vaccinated or not — will still have to wear a mask , socially distance , and wash their hands .
And it will take a long time before 60 % to 70 % of the population recovers from COVID-19 or gets immunized , the level that experts say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spreading .
This winter , the CDC director has warned , could be “ the most difficult time in the public health history of this nation.
” But data suggests that the vaccine works extremely well — far better than most scientists had expected .
Based on preliminary results from an ongoing late-stage clinical trial that now includes 44,000 people , the vaccine appears to be 95 % effective at preventing COVID-19 when compared with participants who received placebo shots .
That far exceeds the FDA ’ s minimum requirement of 50 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the flu shot is thought to be about 60 % effective on average .
Commonly reported side effects to Pfizer ’ s vaccine included arm soreness , fatigue , headaches , muscle pains , chills , joint pain , and fever .
The rate of serious side effects was very low , and none were clearly linked to the vaccine .
While the CDC has said healthcare workers and people who work or live in nursing homes should get the first shots , it ’ s ultimately up to governors to decide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intend to prioritize other groups , such as older people with high-risk conditions .
This is the first authorized vaccine made from a genetic molecule called messenger RNA ( mRNA ) — a stunning scientific achievement , considering that work on it began in January .
Previously , the mumps vaccine was considered the fastest ever developed , and that took four years to reach the market .
Several unique factors contributed to how quickly the vaccine could be tested and authorized .
For one , its underlying biotechnology was not invented in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ harness mRNA against various diseases for more than three decades .
Then the US ’ s disastrous handling of the pandemic led to a nationwide surge , enabling clinical trials to quickly rack up enough cases among participants to show that the vaccine worked .
And since Pfizer submitted its data on Nov. 20 , the FDA has compressed its vetting process into a span of weeks rather than months .
An “ emergency use authorization ” requires less data than a full approval .
At the same time , Hahn has stressed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safety and efficacy .
In a change instituted this fall , the agency required that companies submit a minimum of two months ’ worth of safety data from half of the trial participants .
The US is the sixth country to authorize Pfizer ’ s vaccine , following the United Kingdom , Canada , Bahrain , Saudi Arabia , and Mexico .
A second mRNA vaccine , made by the biotech company Moderna , has also delivered extremely promising results and could be green-lit by the FDA as early as next week .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a painstaking endeavor .
Because the vaccine ’ s fragile mRNA molecules break down at room temperature , it must be transported and stored at -94 degrees .
That ’ s prompted states to rush to buy expensive , ultracold freezers , but they will likely be out of reach for rural , underresourced parts of the country .
Once thawed and diluted , a vial — which contains five doses apiece — has to be used within six hours .
The vaccine will not stem the outbreak if people don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely be another major challenge .
About 63 % of Americans recently surveyed by Gallup said they were willing to get a vaccine , up from an all-time low of 50 % in September .
That dip in confidence reflects how politicized vaccine development became this fall , when President Donald Trump was pushing federal scientists to approve one before the election .
Pfizer has since sought to distance itself from the president and Operation Warp Speed , with its head of vaccine development telling the New York Times last month that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” While the company did not take federal money for research and development , Pfizer struck a $ 1.95 billion deal with the government to deliver 100 million doses , regardless of whether the vaccine was shown to work .
The gulf between the White House and the company became even clearer upon reports this week that the administration had declined an offer from Pfizer this summer to lock in additional doses beyond the initial shipment .
In the waning days of his presidency , Trump has kept up his efforts to interfere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Following reports that the agency planned to issue an authorization on Saturday , Trump demanded in a Friday morning tweet that it “ get the dam vaccines out NOW.
” White House chief of staff Mark Meadows allegedly told Hahn to submit his resignation if he didn ’ t authorize the vaccine by Friday , the Washington Post reported , though it ’ s unclear whether that would get doses to people any faster .
At Saturday 's press conference , Hahn called the report `` inaccurate . ''
The mRNA vaccine , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks apart , instructs human cells to make proteins that prime the immune system to recognize and attack a coronavirus infection .
Pfizer ’ s latest analysis , confirmed by the FDA , found it was 95 % effective at preventing COVID-19 among people who were at least 16 years old , starting just one week after the second shot .
That rate was calculated from a total of 170 people in the clinical trial who got infected : 162 people who were given placebo shots versus eight who received the vaccine .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ up across age categories , genders , racial and ethnic groups , and people with underlying conditions that raise the risk for severe illness .
“ Overall , there is not much to argue with here in terms of efficacy , ” Deepta Bhattacharya , an immunologist at the University of Arizona who is not on the FDA ’ s advisory panel , told BuzzFeed News by email .
“ It just looks great no matter how you look at it.
” Still , some significant questions remain .
People were defined as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positive test result and at least one symptom , including a cough or loss of taste .
But there were far fewer severe cases that were life-threatening or required hospitalization , and critics have worried that a vaccine that primarily prevents mild cases will not provide help where it ’ s most needed .
The FDA concluded that the data does “ suggest protection from severe COVID-19 disease , ” though it is not definite .
It ’ s also not known whether the vaccine can prevent asymptomatic cases or stop an infected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s potentially important because asymptomatic cases are believed to make up 20 % to 30 % of all cases and are a significant driver in transmission .
Kathrin Jansen , Pfizer ’ s head of vaccine development , said during Thursday ’ s FDA panel meeting that participants are being screened for antibodies to try to address this question , with answers expected in early 2021 .
How long immunity to the virus will last is still up in the air .
But in a promising sign , Pfizer reported that patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protection two months after receiving their second shots .
There also wasn ’ t enough data to show how well the vaccine worked in people who are pregnant or lactating , those who have HIV/AIDS or an otherwise immunocompromised system , and children under 16 ( the study expanded to include those as young as 12 in October ) .
Older teens , on the other hand , were a topic of heated discussion during the panel meeting this week .
Several members raised concerns that there wasn ’ t enough data from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had 153 of them — to support giving them the vaccine .
The vaccine does seem very safe .
Based on more than 18,000 vaccine recipients , half of whom were tracked for at least two months after their second dose , the FDA said it saw “ no specific safety concerns.
” Pfizer has said it will continue tracking participants for signs of side effects for two more years .
In the short term , people shouldn ’ t be surprised if they have side effects after getting their shots .
Overall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who got the vaccine reported having some kind of reaction , most commonly arm soreness , fatigue , headaches , muscle pains , chills , joint pain , and fever .
That ’ s a higher rate than that of some other common immunizations , including the flu shot .
Operation Warp Speed chief science adviser Moncef Slaoui has compared the Pfizer vaccine ’ s rate of side effects to that of the shingles vaccine .
Side effects also occurred more in younger patients than in those age 55 and older , most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This may cause some problems in vaccine uptake , as younger people are aware that they are at lower risk following natural infection , ” Bhattacharya said .
“ Public messaging will matter here.
” As for severe side effects , the rate of those — about 1 in 200 — was virtually the same in participants who received the vaccine and the placebo .
The side effects that FDA said may have been related to the vaccine included swollen lymph nodes , heart arrhythmia , and one shoulder injury .
There were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Bell ’ s palsy , a condition that temporarily weakens facial muscles .
The FDA determined that the incidents weren ’ t statistically unusual given the number of people in the trial , but the agency will watch out for any cases as the vaccine is widely distributed .
Concerns have also emerged about whether people with severe allergies should get the vaccine .
This week , two healthcare workers in the UK reported allergic reactions after receiving their first shots .
Both had a history of severe allergies and have reportedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UK ’ s health regulator announced that people with a “ significant history of allergic reactions to a vaccine , medicine or food ” should not be given the vaccine .
It is not known what exactly the workers were allergic to .
Pfizer ’ s prescribing information in the US only warns that the vaccine should not be given to people with a known history of severe allergies to components of the vaccine , a narrower restriction than the one given by the UK .
The FDA has asked Pfizer to monitor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more data to the agency .
On Saturday , Peter Marks , the director of the FDA 's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research , said that people with a history of severe allergic reactions should talk to their doctors before getting their first shot .
`` The vaccine really is one we ’ re comfortable giving to patients who ’ ve had other allergic reactions other than severe allergic reactions to a vaccine or one of its components , '' Marks said .
`` So obviously you ’ ll need to tell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allergic reactions — they ’ ll help determine , knowing what ’ s in the vaccine , if you may be allergic to one of those components .
But we are making sure that sites where this vaccine is being administered have the ability to treat allergic reactions . ''
At Thursday ’ s FDA advisory meeting , Paul Offit , a vaccine expert at the Children ’ s Hospital of Philadelphia and a member of the panel , expressed concern about needlessly scaring people away from taking the vaccine .
He recommended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in people with common allergies .
“ This issue is not going to die until we have better data , ” Offit said Thursday .
With the release of the vaccine , a thorny question arises for the clinical trial volunteers who risked their bodies to help make it a reality : Should people who received the placebo now get the immunization ?
Pfizer has proposed giving the real shots to those people as they become eligible .
It ’ s hard to imagine that many would turn one down .
But the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ unblinding ” participants would irrevocably ruin scientists ’ chances to collect important data .
It ’ s a dilemma that will likely come up more and more as other COVID-19 vaccines become available in the US .
Moderna ’ s vaccine will be evaluated by the FDA ’ s advisory panel on Dec. 17 .
AstraZeneca and Oxford University , as well as Johnson & Johnson , are in late-stage trials .
This week , Operation Warp Speed ’ s chief science adviser suggested that the latter vaccine — a one-shot immunization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ collect enough data from its trial for an FDA submission in January .
Fauci and other experts expect that immunizations for the general public can begin in April .
By then , even with a vaccine , more than a half million Americans could be dead .


buzzfeed--2020-12-12--Lizzo Delivered A Powerful Message On TikTok For Anyone Who's Had "Negative Thoughts" About Body Ima

Lizzo Delivered A Powerful Message On TikTok For Anyone Who's Had "Negative Thoughts" About Body Image

She continued , `` Normally , I would have some positive thing to say to get me out of this @ @ @ @ @ , and that 's okay too .
[ It 's ] normal , and [ @ @ @ @ @ .
It happens to the best of us . ''

She continued, "Normally, I would have some positive thing to say to get me out of this, but I don't, and that's okay too. [It's] normal, and [it happens] to everybody. It happens to the best of us."


buzzfeed--2020-12-12--Trump’s Legal Arguments Are Getting More Delusional. Support From Republicans Just Keeps Growing

As President Trump ’ s efforts to overturn the presidential election grow increasingly desperate and deranged , more and more Republicans are lining up behind him .
Trump has faced a nearly unbroken string of decisive legal defeats , losing more than 50 cases , and experts widely agree he will fail in his efforts to reverse the election .
And yet , the number of Republicans willing to flout the will of the voters in favor of showing fealty to a president who will be out of office in a month is actually growing .
Republican pandering to Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relatively conventional measures like audits and recounts .
It has now reached the point of more than 120 federal elected officials fighting to allow states on the other side of the country to overturn the votes of their own constituents .
Even as state officials report threats of violence for certifying verified election results , Republicans are throwing their weight behind Trump ’ s increasingly extreme and utterly fabricated theories about the election , and the country , being “ stolen.
” After dozens of court losses , Trump ’ s latest move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states to overturn the election results of other states .
The longshot lawsuit led by Texas and backed by 16 other Republican attorneys general — this does not include court filings from states that don ’ t actually exist — sought to overturn the election results in Pennsylvania , Georgia , Wisconsin , and Michigan , all states won by Joe Biden .
126 House Republicans , a majority of the conference , signed an amicus brief in support of the lawsuit , including the top two Republicans in the House , Minority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Scalise .
Remarkably , 17 Republicans who signed the brief represent districts in the states being sued , essentially siding with Trump and the state of Texas over their own constituents — and their own election victories .
It went nowhere .
Friday evening the Supreme Court rejected the Texas lawsuit .
This last-ditch effort came after Republicans in states that Biden won had already tried but failed to block his victory .
Texas Republican Party chairman Allen West responded to the loss by putting out a statement suggesting that Trump-supporting states should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their own country .
But the Texas suit reveals that underneath the surface there are deep divisions in the party about Trump ’ s increasingly delusional crusade .
While few Republicans in the Senate will dare state publicly that Trump lost , not a single one joined the Texas lawsuit .
Even normally steadfast Trump allies are expressing amazement at the lengths the president is going to .
Texas Sen. John Cornyn called the lawsuit extraordinary and unprecedented .
“ States handle their own election laws and voting and you can make claims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
” But I 've never seen something like this.
” Republican Sen. Mitt Romney , who has largely supported Trump ’ s agenda but voted to impeach him , went further .
“ It ’ s just simply madness , ” he said .
“ The idea of supplanting the vote of the people with partisan legislators is so completely out of our national character that it 's simply mad.
” The concept of one state overturning the election results in another is unheard of in American democracy .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may be why so many Republicans signed onto the effort .
It represents a way of currying favor with Trump ’ s base without having to worry about the gambit actually succeeding .
“ I just don ’ t know why a state like Texas , which never wants anybody telling them what to do , now wants to tell a bunch of other states how to run their elections .
I doubt the Supreme Court will take it up , ” Senate Whip John Thune told The Hill .
Calls for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and defend democracy are also rising .
On the floor of the Senate Friday , Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy accused many of his colleagues of holding loyalty to Donald Trump over their country and displaying a willingness to toss aside democracy if it gets in the way of Trump staying in power .
“ Democracies are really fragile things .
Ours only continues because we make choices so that it can remain , ” said Murphy .
“ Right now , the most serious attempt to overthrow our democracy in the history of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are pushing to make Donald Trump for a second term no matter the outcome of the election are engaged in a treachery against their nation .
You can not at the same time love America and hate democracy.
” Murphy closed his speech by saying Trump will not succeed in stealing this election , but if so many people are willing to back a president attempting to overthrow an election he lost decisively , it lays the groundwork for a losing candidate to successfully overturn the next election , or the election after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the American experiment is done .
It ’ s over , ” he said .
There is still a faction of Trump ’ s party that is not actively going along with his delusions .
Senate Republicans have unanimously declined — so far — an attempt by Alabama Rep. Mo Brooks to challenge the Electoral College when it goes to Congress for an official count in early January .
A handful are becoming increasingly vocal .
“ Every American who cares about the rule of law should take comfort that the Supreme Court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s picks — closed the book on this nonsense , ” Sen. Ben Sasse said in a statement celebrating the Supreme Court throwing out the Texas lawsuit .
For weeks now , many high-profile Republicans have done their best not to get involved in Trump ’ s baseless allegations that widespread fraud took place — specifically the states that he narrowly lost , and only for his race , not down ballot races that other Republicans won .
They supported Trump ’ s right to exhaust his legal options , without commenting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But as Trump ’ s fight drags on , they are under increasing pressure to join his crusade .
Trump ’ s enablers are fervently whipping his supporters into a revolutionary — and potentially violent — zeal .
Earlier this week the Arizona Republican Party ’ s official Twitter account encouraged supporters to literally give their lives in the fight to overturn the election .
“ Live for nothing , or die for something , ” read one tweet quoting the 2008 movie Rambo .
The message is being heard loud and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want the military to put these people down .
I want to do it with the bois , ” reads one comment on TheDonald.win , a pro-Trump message board , referring to shooting Antifa and Black Lives Matter protestors , one of countless such messages calling for or eagerly anticipating violence .
“ We are the military now , ” reads another .
State officials who defend election results have reported receiving threats of violence .
Michigan ’ s secretary of state said dozens of armed protesters showed up outside her home .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ outside of the secretary of state ’ s home chanting “ we are watching you.
” Pennsylvania Senate Republican leader Kim Ward told the New York Times “ I ’ d get my house bombed tonight ” if she refused to back Trump ’ s efforts to overturn the state results .
Trump has not explicitly called for violence but has at every turn called for America ’ s institutions — Congress , state legislatures , the courts , anyone — to overturn the clear results of the election .
“ We will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ courage ’ , and saving our Country , ” he tweeted this week in line with his usual tone .
“ I received hundreds of thousands of legal votes more , in all of the Swing States , than did my opponent .
ALL Data taken after the vote says that it was impossible for me to lose , unless FIXED !
”

As President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the presidential election grow increasingly desperate and deranged, more and more Republicans are lining up behind him.
Trump has faced a nearly unbroken string of decisive legal defeats, losing more than 50 cases, and experts widely agree he will fail in his efforts to reverse the election. And yet, the number of Republicans willing to flout the will of the voters in favor of showing fealty to a president who will be out of office in a month is actually growing.
Republican pandering to Trump’s denialism started with support for relatively conventional measures like audits and recounts. It has now reached the point of more than 120 federal elected officials fighting to allow states on the other side of the country to overturn the votes of their own constituents. Even as state officials report threats of violence for certifying verified election results, Republicans are throwing their weight behind Trump’s increasingly extreme and utterly fabricated theories about the election, and the country, being “stolen.”
After dozens of court losses, Trump’s latest move was an extraordinary legal gambit by Republican-controlled states to overturn the election results of other states. The longshot lawsuit led by Texas and backed by 16 other Republican attorneys general — this does not include court filings from states that don’t actually exist — sought to overturn the election results in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Wisconsin, and Michigan, all states won by Joe Biden.
One hundred twenty-six House Republicans, a majority of the conference, signed an amicus brief in support of the lawsuit, including the top two Republicans in the House, Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Minority Whip Steve Scalise.
Remarkably, 17 Republicans who signed the brief represent districts in the states being sued, essentially siding with Trump and the state of Texas over their own constituents — and their own election victories.
It went nowhere. Friday evening the Supreme Court rejected the Texas lawsuit. This last-ditch effort came after Republicans in states that Biden won had already tried but failed to block his victory.
Texas Republican Party chairman Allen West responded to the loss by putting out a statement suggesting that Trump-supporting states should consider seceding from the union to form their own country.
But the Texas suit reveals that underneath the surface there are deep divisions in the party about Trump’s increasingly delusional crusade. While few Republicans in the Senate will dare state publicly that Trump lost, not a single one joined the Texas lawsuit. Even normally steadfast Trump allies are expressing amazement at the lengths the president is going to.
Texas Sen. John Cornyn called the lawsuit extraordinary and unprecedented. “States handle their own election laws and voting and you can make claims of constitutionality in that state,” he said. ”But I've never seen something like this.”
Republican Sen. Mitt Romney, who has largely supported Trump’s agenda but voted to impeach him, went further. “It’s just simply madness,” he said. “The idea of supplanting the vote of the people with partisan legislators is so completely out of our national character that it's simply mad.”
The concept of one state overturning the election results in another is unheard of in American democracy. It was widely expected to fail — which may be why so many Republicans signed onto the effort. It represents a way of currying favor with Trump’s base without having to worry about the gambit actually succeeding. “I just don’t know why a state like Texas, which never wants anybody telling them what to do, now wants to tell a bunch of other states how to run their elections. I doubt the Supreme Court will take it up,” Senate Whip John Thune told the Hill.
Calls for the Republican party to stand up to Trump and defend democracy are also rising. On the floor of the Senate Friday, Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy accused many of his colleagues of holding loyalty to Donald Trump over their country and displaying a willingness to toss aside democracy if it gets in the way of Trump staying in power.
“Democracies are really fragile things. Ours only continues because we make choices so that it can remain,” said Murphy. “Right now, the most serious attempt to overthrow our democracy in the history of this country is underway. Those who are pushing to make Donald Trump for a second term no matter the outcome of the election are engaged in a treachery against their nation. You cannot at the same time love America and hate democracy.”
Murphy closed his speech by saying Trump will not succeed in stealing this election, but if so many people are willing to back a president attempting to overthrow an election he lost decisively, it lays the groundwork for a losing candidate to successfully overturn the next election, or the election after that. “If that happens, the American experiment is done. It’s over,” he said.
There is still a faction of Trump’s party that is not actively going along with his delusions. Senate Republicans have unanimously declined — so far — an attempt by Alabama Rep. Mo Brooks to challenge the Electoral College when it goes to Congress for an official count in early January.
A handful are becoming increasingly vocal. “Every American who cares about the rule of law should take comfort that the Supreme Court — including all three of President Trump’s picks — closed the book on this nonsense,” Sen. Ben Sasse said in a statement celebrating the Supreme Court throwing out the Texas lawsuit.
For weeks now, many high-profile Republicans have done their best not to get involved in Trump’s baseless allegations that widespread fraud took place — specifically the states that he narrowly lost, and only for his race, not down-ballot races that other Republicans won. They supported Trump’s right to exhaust his legal options, without commenting on the substance of his legal challenges.
But as Trump’s fight drags on, they are under increasing pressure to join his crusade. Trump’s enablers are fervently whipping his supporters into a revolutionary — and potentially violent — zeal. Earlier this week the Arizona Republican Party’s official Twitter account encouraged supporters to literally give their lives in the fight to overturn the election. “Live for nothing, or die for something,” read one tweet quoting the 2008 movie Rambo.
The message is being heard loud and clear. “I don’t want the military to put these people down. I want to do it with the bois,” reads one comment on TheDonald.win, a pro-Trump message board, referring to shooting Antifa and Black Lives Matter protestors, one of countless such messages calling for or eagerly anticipating violence. “We are the military now,” reads another.
State officials who defend election results have reported receiving threats of violence. Michigan’s secretary of state said dozens of armed protesters showed up outside her home. In Arizona, video shows protesters gathered outside of the secretary of state’s home chanting “we are watching you.” Pennsylvania Senate Republican leader Kim Ward told the New York Times “I’d get my house bombed tonight” if she refused to back Trump’s efforts to overturn the state results.
Trump has not explicitly called for violence but has at every turn called for America’s institutions — Congress, state legislatures, the courts, anyone — to overturn the clear results of the election. “We will soon be learning about the word ‘courage’, and saving our Country,” he tweeted this week in line with his usual tone. “I received hundreds of thousands of legal votes more, in all of the Swing States, than did my opponent. ALL Data taken after the vote says that it was impossible for me to lose, unless FIXED!”


buzzfeed--2020-12-12--After The US Election, Key People Are Leaving Facebook And Torching The Company In Departure Notes

On Wednesday , a Facebook data scientist departed the social networking company after a two-year stint , leaving a farewell note for their colleagues to ponder .
As part of a team focused on “ Violence and Incitement , ” they had dealt with some of the worst content on Facebook , and they were proud of their work at the company .
Despite this , they said Facebook was simply not doing enough .
“ With so many internal forces propping up the production of hateful and violent content , the task of stopping hate and violence on Facebook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it already is , ” the employee wrote in their “ badge post , ” a traditional farewell note for any departing Facebook employee .
“ It also makes it embarrassing to work here.
” The departing employee declined to speak with BuzzFeed News but asked that they not be named for fear of abuse and reprisal .
Using internal Facebook data and projections to support their points , the data scientist said in their post that roughly 1 of every 1,000 pieces of content — or 5 million of the 5 billion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ network daily — violates the company ’ s rules on hate speech .
More stunning , they estimated using the company ’ s own figures that , even with artificial intelligence and third-party moderators , the company was “ deleting less than 5 % of all of the hate speech posted to Facebook.
” ( After this article was published , Facebook VP of integrity Guy Rosen disputed the calculation , saying it `` incorrectly compares views and content . ''
The employee addressed this in their post and said it did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expressed in the badge post are hardly new .
Since May , a number of Facebook employees have quit , saying they were ashamed of the impact the company was having on the world or worried that the company ’ s inaction in moderating hate and misinformation had led to political interference , division , and bloodshed .
Another employee was fired for documenting instances of preferential treatment of influential conservative pages that repeatedly spread false information .
`` While we don ’ t comment on individual employee matters , this is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spokesperson Joe Osborne said of this incident .
But in just the past few weeks , at least four people involved in critical integrity work related to reducing violence and incitement , crafting policy to reduce hate speech , and tracking content that breaks Facebook ’ s rules have left the company .
In farewell posts obtained by BuzzFeed News , each person expressed concerns about the company ’ s approach to handling US political content and hate speech , and called out Facebook leadership for its unwillingness to be more proactive about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ content .
“ We have made massive integrity investments over the past four years , including substantially growing the team that works to keep the platform safe , improving our ability to find and take down hate speech , and protecting the US 2020 elections , '' said Osborne .
`` We ’ re proud of this work and will continue to invest and build on learnings moving forward.
” Do you work at Facebook or another technology company ?
We ’ d love to hear from you .
Reach out at ryan.mac @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or via one of our tip line channels .
The departures come as Facebook ’ s “ election integrity ” effort is undergoing major changes in the wake of the 2020 US election .
The Information recently reported that the company ’ s civic integrity team — which was charged with `` helping to protect the democratic process '' and reducing `` the spread of viral misinformation and fake accounts '' — was recently disbanded as a stand-alone unit .
It also reported that a proposal from the company ’ s integrity teams @ @ @ @ @ @ @ misleading election content from prominent political accounts , like President Donald Trump ’ s , was shot down by company leadership .
`` We continue to have teams and people dedicated to elections work , and will expand on the work of our civic team to other focus areas for the company , '' Osborne said about changes to the civc integrity team .
`` Integrity touches everything we do , which is why it ’ s important to grow and better integrate the teams doing this work across the organization . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ some employees leaving say they do not have confidence in the company to fix or even temper its problems .
While Facebook publicly claims its artificial intelligence measures catch a lot of offending content before it ’ s reported by users , there have been manifold examples where that system failed , leading to disastrous real-life consequences like a Facebook-organized militia event that coincided with the shooting deaths of two protestors in Kenosha , Wisconsin .
“ AI will not save us , ” wrote Nick Inzucchi , a civic integrity product designer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ implicit vision guiding most of our integrity work today is one where all human discourse is overseen by perfect , fair , omniscient robots owned by [ CEO ] Mark Zuckerberg .
This is clearly a dystopia , but one so deeply ingrained we hardly notice it any more.
” The departing data scientist expressed similar concerns .
“ Our current approach to automation is not going to solve most of our integrity problems , ” they wrote .
Their post also argued , with data , that Facebook ’ s “ very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are fanning the flames of the very fire we are trying to put out ” makes it impossible for people to do their jobs .
“ How is an outsider supposed to believe that we care whatsoever about getting rid of hate speech when it is clear to anyone that we are propping it up ?
” they asked .
Using data from a Facebook tool called the “ Hate Bait dashboard , ” which can track content from groups and pages that leads to hateful interactions , the data scientist listed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concentrated volume of likely violating Hate Speech comments ” in the past 14 days .
All were pages associated with conservative outlets or personalities , including Breitbart News , Fox News , the Daily Caller , Donald Trump ’ s campaign and main account , and Ben Shapiro .
They also shared a sample of the hateful comments posted on a recent Breitbart News post about Nancy Pelosi ’ s support for transgender athletes .
“ I can ’ t overemphasize that this is a completely average run-of-the-mill post for Breitbart or any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” they wrote , referring to comments that called for the assault or killing of trans individuals .
“ They all create dozens or hundreds of posts like this [ a ] day , each eliciting endless volumes of hateful vile comments—and we reward them fantastically for it , ” they wrote , emphasizing their own words .
The data scientist ’ s comments about preferential treatment of US conservative pages and voices follow other internal concerns and evidence .
In November , a departing member of Facebook ’ s policy organization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far more likely than others to engage in hate speech and violence incitement and far more likely to spread misinformation.
” The person declined to speak with BuzzFeed News and asked that their name not be published for fear of retaliation .
“ Very conservative and conservative users shared more than seven times as much misinformation on the platform in a given period as did moderate , liberal , or very liberal users , ” they wrote , linking to a news article of a recent study to support their claim .
Another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ five years , also quit the company this week .
They asked BuzzFeed News not to be named in case of reprisal , but echoed their colleagues ' concerns in their farewell post .
“ I think Facebook probably has a net negative effect on the quality of political discourse , at least in Western counties , ” they wrote .
They described a randomized trial that found that “ paying people to stop using Facebook for a month caused a decline in negative partisan feelings by around 0.1 [ standard deviation ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said they had seen “ a dozen proposals to measure the objective quality of content on News Feed diluted or killed because … they have a disproportionate impact across the US political spectrum , typically harming conservative content more.
” Beyond that , they added that Facebook ’ s content policy decisions are “ routinely influenced by political considerations ” to ensure the company “ avoids antagonizing powerful political players.
” The other departing data scientist said their team ’ s incremental changes can improve things on the margin but lack any major @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For example , they cited a colleague who was able to detect and prevent an additional 500,000 views of English language hate content in the US a day .
But they pointed to Trump ’ s infamous “ When the looting starts , the shooting starts ” post as an example of how the team ’ s wins were eclipsed by Facebook ’ s unwillingness to take action against prominent purveyors of hate speech or violent incitement .
“ Trump ’ s ‘ Looting and Shooting ’ post was viewed orders of magnitude @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of views that we prevent in a day , ” they wrote , citing the president ’ s May post , which was not taken down by the company despite its suggestion that those protesting the police killing of George Floyd be shot .
“ It ’ s not hard to draw a straight line from that post to the actual shooting that took place at protests in the months that followed.
” Despite their pointed criticism , the data scientist commended what they said was an improvement of Facebook ’ s “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to prevent “ a number of events that might have ended up being similar to Kenosha.
” They said the company enacted dozens of interventions that they believe led to a lower-than-expected amount of violence and incitement reports during and following Election Day .
For context , the data scientist shared a graph that showed user reports for violence and incitement peaked at around 50,000 in the days after the election , while the top day during the height of protests in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd saw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previously reported the existence of a “ violence and incitement trends ” metric that jumped 45 % over five days in the period after Election Day as misinformation spread about the totaling of votes in the recent presidential election .
The data scientist also offered parting advice to Facebook : “ hire more people.
” Noting that the company was able to afford it , they suggested doubling the size of employees in the integrity organization .
They said it would allow the company to branch out from focusing on US and English-centric @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data scientist .
The four departures and their badge posts triggered a discussion on Facebook ’ s internal message boards this week , with employees concerned that they could kick off a wider trend .
“ To what extent are integrity leadership and FB INC leadership hearing and responding to these criticisms ?
” one person posted to an internal group called “ Let ’ s Fix Facebook.
” Internal survey data from more than 49,000 Facebook employees first reported by BuzzFeed News last month showed that only 51 % of respondents said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impact on the world .
A question about the company ’ s leadership saw only 56 % of employees offer a favorable response .
On Thursday , Zuckerberg detailed some of the turnover and subsequent hiring at the company .
In a company-wide meeting , he said he was proud of employees ' ability to adapt to the new normal of working from home , particularly for those people who joined recently and have yet to see the inside of a Facebook office .
`` I think we now have 20,000 employees who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they joined this year , '' he said to the more than 50,000 employees at the company .
The Facebook chief also said he expects some people to start coming back to offices next year , though the company would not make a COVID-19 vaccine mandatory for returning workers .
As morale inside Facebook plummets , leaders are growing more concerned about employee discussions occurring on the company ’ s internal forums .
Once known for its open culture , Facebook and CEO Zuckerberg , who are staring down landmark antitrust lawsuits from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Commission , repeatedly advised employees this week to avoid discussing anything related to the ongoing litigation given the possibility of legal discovery .
Employees have also been required to take online “ Competition Training ” courses to understand “ Competition Compliance Policy.
” The training instructs people who are discussing “ complicated issues ” to meet in person or over videoconference , while reminding them that others may have access to their communications .
Facebook was quick to shield the departing data scientist ’ s post from outside eyes .
Having initially published @ @ @ @ @ @ @ create “ an additional layer of security ” and prevent it from getting to this news outlet , they were asked by an internal moderator to take the post off Google ’ s tools .
“ Your badge post just got flagged for having confidential information in it , ” the moderator wrote to the data scientist .
●

On Wednesday, a Facebook data scientist departed the social networking company after a two-year stint, leaving a farewell note for their colleagues to ponder. As part of a team focused on “Violence and Incitement,” they had dealt with some of the worst content on Facebook, and they were proud of their work at the company.
Despite this, they said Facebook was simply not doing enough.
“With so many internal forces propping up the production of hateful and violent content, the task of stopping hate and violence on Facebook starts to feel even more sisyphean than it already is,” the employee wrote in their “badge post,” a traditional farewell note for any departing Facebook employee. “It also makes it embarrassing to work here.”
The departing employee declined to speak with BuzzFeed News but asked that they not be named for fear of abuse and reprisal.
Using internal Facebook data and projections to support their points, the data scientist said in their post that roughly 1 of every 1,000 pieces of content — or 5 million of the 5 billion pieces of content posted to the social network daily — violates the company’s rules on hate speech. More stunning, they estimated using the company’s own figures that, even with artificial intelligence and third-party moderators, the company was “deleting less than 5% of all of the hate speech posted to Facebook.” (After this article was published, Facebook VP of integrity Guy Rosen disputed the calculation, saying it "incorrectly compares views and content." The employee addressed this in their post and said it did not change the conclusion.)


buzzfeed--2020-12-12--Congress Has Passed Sweeping Anti-Money Laundering Legislation. Now It’s Up To Trump.

Members of the House Armed Services Committee during the markup of the National Defense Authorization Act ( NDAA ) earlier this year .
In a move that could make it much harder for criminals to launder money through US banks , Congress has passed legislation that would require anonymous shell companies to disclose their true owners .
The action , which still faces a veto threat from President Donald Trump , comes three months after the FinCEN Files , an expansive investigation by BuzzFeed News and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists , showed that shell companies are a cornerstone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interests and their allies in Congress had long opposed efforts to unmask these secretive corporate entities because they said it would place unfair burdens on legitimate companies .
But rising concerns about money laundering and terrorist financing , combined with reworking the legislation to be more business-friendly , gradually turned the tide .
The legislation was included in the National Defense Authorization Act ( NDAA ) , which passed the Senate by a vote of 84–3 Friday .
Earlier in the week , it passed the House by a more than 4 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee , said the stories from the FinCEN Files series “ underscored that we need to strengthen , reform , and update our nation ’ s anti-money laundering laws.
” Congress ’ s action on shell companies , he said in a statement , “ will finally update and reform our tools to crack down on anonymous shell companies and on big banks that enable criminals or have lax anti-money laundering compliance programs .
We know that criminals have long been adjusting their tactics to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will enable us to get ahead of them , and stay ahead of them.
” Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chair Sen. Mark Warner said it is `` past time to put an end to the secrecy that allows drug cartels , human traffickers , arms dealers , terrorists and kleptocrats to exploit the United States ' banking system in order to carry out anti-American activities . ''
He added that `` the current holes in our financial system pose a serious threat to national security.
`` The new measure is part of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has promised to veto unless it repeals Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act , which shields social media companies from liability for content that users post on their platform .
Trump and many Congressional Republicans allege that Section 230 has allowed social media companies to censor and silence conservative voices .
The NDAA passed with more than two-thirds support in each chamber , which would be enough to override a presidential veto .
But it is not clear whether enough Republicans will stick with their support of the bill in defiance of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the NDAA also addresses many of the other issues identified in the FinCEN Files .
If signed into law , it would require the government to report on how law enforcement agents use suspicious activity reports , documents sent by banks to the Treasury Department when they detect possible financial misconduct .
The Justice Department would have to file yearly reports justifying its use of deferred prosecution agreements — a type of deal that banks regularly cut with the government to avoid a criminal trial when they run afoul of anti-money laundering laws @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who blow the whistle on misconduct from retaliation and offer them financial rewards for stepping forward .
The bill also requires FinCEN — the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network , a division of the Treasury Department — to study new technologies to identify criminal money flows and to improve communication with the private sector .
The Financial Accountability and Corporate Transparency Coalition , a group that advocates for a fair tax system and has pushed for this legislation , applauded the action in Congress .
“ It has been decades since our nation ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” the group said in a statement this week .
“ Over time , rogue nations , criminals , and kleptocrats have developed ever more sophisticated strategies , but national security and law enforcement officials are currently working with outdated and insufficient tools to counter these emerging threats.
” At present , anonymous shell companies can be set up with less disclosure than what is required to get a library card .
These companies can be used to hide wealth or launder the proceeds of crime through legitimate assets .
Requiring companies to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off them was first proposed in Congress in 2008 .
Various bills have been proposed since then , but failed .
After years of debate on the issue , and years of failure to get legislation passed , momentum for the banking reforms built over the last 12 months as compromises were made and coalitions built .
Earlier proposals would have forced companies to disclose their ownership publicly .
Under the new legislation , ownership information would be shared only with FinCEN .
Companies with more than 20 employees and at least $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well as a physical presence in the United States , would be exempt under the assumption they ’ re legitimate businesses rather than shell companies .
Those who fail to disclose their ownership or provide false information face fines of up to $ 10,000 and up to two years imprisonment .
The legislation passed this week also establishes a new FinCEN whistleblower program for financial crimes .
“ Providing the means for whistleblowers to report to the government is the best way to incentivize insiders to come forward with the necessary information , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ specializing in whistleblower cases for the firm of Constantine Cannon .
“ This new law goes a long way towards providing a safe and secure forum for insiders to help law enforcement connect the dots.
” The broad coalition favoring the legislation included labor unions , the US Chamber of Commerce , and the banking industry .
Banks , in particular , were a major force lobbying in favor of the corporate transparency legislation .
Banks currently bear the burden of reporting suspicious financial activity to FinCEN and are looking to push some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reports are a major expense for banks .
The Banking Policy Institute , whose members include both domestic banks and large foreign banks doing business in the US , said these financial institutions employ 14,000 people dedicated to compliance .
The National Federation of Independent Business was the loudest voice arguing against the legislation .
Kevin Kuhlman , its vice president of federal government affairs , said the banks don ’ t actually care about cracking down on money laundering .
“ Banks are attempting to offload their regulatory burden onto small businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will not begin filling out honest paperwork , and honest business owners will become unsuspecting criminals , ” he said .

In a move that could make it much harder for criminals to launder money through US banks, Congress has passed legislation that would require anonymous shell companies to disclose their true owners.
The action, which still faces a veto threat from President Donald Trump, comes three months after the FinCEN Files, an expansive investigation by BuzzFeed News and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, showed that shell companies are a cornerstone of fraud and financial corruption.
Business interests and their allies in Congress had long opposed efforts to unmask these secretive corporate entities because they said it would place unfair burdens on legitimate companies. But rising concerns about money laundering and terrorist financing, combined with reworking the legislation to be more business-friendly, gradually turned the tide.
The legislation was included in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which passed the Senate by a vote of 84–3 Friday. Earlier in the week, it passed the House by a more than 4 to 1 margin.
Sen. Sherrod Brown, the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee, said the stories from the FinCEN Files series “underscored that we need to strengthen, reform, and update our nation’s anti-money laundering laws.”
Congress’s action on shell companies, he said in a statement, “will finally update and reform our tools to crack down on anonymous shell companies and on big banks that enable criminals or have lax anti-money laundering compliance programs. We know that criminals have long been adjusting their tactics to get around our current laws. This bill will enable us to get ahead of them, and stay ahead of them.”
Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chair Sen. Mark Warner said it is "past time to put an end to the secrecy that allows drug cartels, human traffickers, arms dealers, terrorists and kleptocrats to exploit the United States' banking system in order to carry out anti-American activities."
He added that "the current holes in our financial system pose a serious threat to national security. "
The new measure is part of a sweeping defense spending bill, which Trump has promised to veto unless it repeals Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which shields social media companies from liability for content that users post on their platform. Trump and many Congressional Republicans allege that Section 230 has allowed social media companies to censor and silence conservative voices.
The NDAA passed with more than two-thirds support in each chamber, which would be enough to override a presidential veto. But it is not clear whether enough Republicans will stick with their support of the bill in defiance of a Trump veto attempt.
Legislation in the NDAA also addresses many of the other issues identified in the FinCEN Files.
If signed into law, it would require the government to report on how law enforcement agents use suspicious activity reports, documents sent by banks to the Treasury Department when they detect possible financial misconduct.
The Justice Department would have to file yearly reports justifying its use of deferred prosecution agreements — a type of deal that banks regularly cut with the government to avoid a criminal trial when they run afoul of anti-money laundering laws.
And the law will protect those who blow the whistle on misconduct from retaliation and offer them financial rewards for stepping forward.
The bill also requires FinCEN — the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, a division of the Treasury Department — to study new technologies to identify criminal money flows and to improve communication with the private sector.
The Financial Accountability and Corporate Transparency Coalition, a group that advocates for a fair tax system and has pushed for this legislation, applauded the action in Congress. “It has been decades since our nation’s anti-money laundering laws were updated,” the group said in a statement this week. “Over time, rogue nations, criminals, and kleptocrats have developed ever more sophisticated strategies, but national security and law enforcement officials are currently working with outdated and insufficient tools to counter these emerging threats.”
At present, anonymous shell companies can be set up with less disclosure than what is required to get a library card. These companies can be used to hide wealth or launder the proceeds of crime through legitimate assets.
Requiring companies to disclose who owns them and who profits off them was first proposed in Congress in 2008. Various bills have been proposed since then, but failed. After years of debate on the issue, and years of failure to get legislation passed, momentum for the banking reforms built over the last 12 months as compromises were made and coalitions built.
Earlier proposals would have forced companies to disclose their ownership publicly. Under the new legislation, ownership information would be shared only with FinCEN.
Companies with more than 20 employees and at least $5 million in annual sales, as well as a physical presence in the United States, would be exempt under the assumption they’re legitimate businesses rather than shell companies.
Those who fail to disclose their ownership or provide false information face fines of up to $10,000 and up to two years imprisonment. The legislation passed this week also establishes a new FinCEN whistleblower program for financial crimes.
“Providing the means for whistleblowers to report to the government is the best way to incentivize insiders to come forward with the necessary information,” said Poppy Alexander, a lawyer specializing in whistleblower cases for the firm of Constantine Cannon. “This new law goes a long way towards providing a safe and secure forum for insiders to help law enforcement connect the dots.”
The broad coalition favoring the legislation included labor unions, the US Chamber of Commerce, and the banking industry. Banks, in particular, were a major force lobbying in favor of the corporate transparency legislation.
Banks currently bear the burden of reporting suspicious financial activity to FinCEN and are looking to push some responsibility onto the corporations themselves. These reports are a major expense for banks. The Banking Policy Institute, whose members include both domestic banks and large foreign banks doing business in the US, said these financial institutions employ 14,000 people dedicated to compliance.
The National Federation of Independent Business was the loudest voice arguing against the legislation. Kevin Kuhlman, its vice president of federal government affairs, said the banks don’t actually care about cracking down on money laundering.
“Banks are attempting to offload their regulatory burden onto small businesses. My fear is that bad actors will not begin filling out honest paperwork, and honest business owners will become unsuspecting criminals,” he said.


buzzfeed--2020-12-13--Here Are The Names Of 126 Members Of The House Who Refuse To Accept That Biden Won

House Republicans gather on the steps of the US Capitol for a press conference .
All 50 states have officially certified the results of the 2020 presidential election as of this week , reaffirming what has been known for over a month now : Joe Biden will be the next president of the United States .
And yet , on Thursday , 106 Republican members of Congress signed an amicus brief asking the Supreme Court to allow the state of Texas to file a lawsuit that seeks to invalidate the election results in the states of Georgia , Michigan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which President Donald Trump lost .
On Friday , Republicans filed an updated brief to include an additional 20 members .
Several hours later on Friday evening , the court rejected Texas 's challenge , saying the state lacked standing to sue .
With electors scheduled to meet on Monday to officially name Biden the victor , it was a long shot that the court would step in .
On Tuesday , the Supreme Court justices denied a Republican effort to challenge a 2019 Pennsylvania law that expanded mail-in voting .
Among the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who have just won races in the very states whose elections they now allege are so rife with `` irregularities '' that they want the court to throw out the results .
There is no evidence of widespread electoral fraud .
Here are their names :

All 50 states have officially certified the results of the 2020 presidential election as of this week, reaffirming what has been known for over a month now: Joe Biden will be the next president of the United States.
And yet, on Thursday, 106 Republican members of Congress signed an amicus brief asking the Supreme Court to allow the state of Texas to file a lawsuit that seeks to invalidate the election results in the states of Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, all of which President Donald Trump lost. On Friday, Republicans filed an updated brief to include an additional 20 members.
Several hours later on Friday evening, the court rejected Texas's challenge, saying the state lacked standing to sue.
With electors scheduled to meet on Monday to officially name Biden the victor, it was a long shot that the court would step in. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court justices denied a Republican effort to challenge a 2019 Pennsylvania law that expanded mail-in voting.
Among the representatives who signed on are several members who have just won races in the very states whose elections they now allege are so rife with "irregularities" that they want the court to throw out the results. There is no evidence of widespread electoral fraud.
Here are their names:
Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana’s 4th Congressional District
Rep. Gary Palmer of Alabama’s 6th Congressional District
Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio’s 4th Congressional District
Rep. Ralph Abraham of Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District
Rep. Rick W. Allen of Georgia’s 12th Congressional District
Rep. James R. Baird of Indiana’s 4th Congressional District
Rep. Jim Banks of Indiana’s 3rd Congressional District
Rep. Jack Bergman of Michigan’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona’s 5th Congressional District
Rep. Gus Bilirakis of Florida’s 12th Congressional District
Rep. Dan Bishop of North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District
Rep. Mike Bost of Illinois’s 12th Congressional District
Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas’s 8th Congressional District
Rep. Mo Brooks of Alabama’s 5th Congressional District
Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado’s 4th Congressional District
Rep. Ted Budd of North Carolina’s 13th Congressional District
Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee’s 2nd Congressional District
Rep. Michael C. Burgess of Texas’s 26th Congressional District
Rep. Bradley Byrne of Alabama’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Ken Calvert of California’s 42nd Congressional District
Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter of Georgia’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Ben Cline of Virginia’s 6th Congressional District
Rep. Michael Cloud of Texas’s 27th Congressional District
Rep. Mike Conaway of Texas’s 11th Congressional District
Rep. Rick Crawford of Arkansas’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Dan Crenshaw of Texas’s 2nd Congressional District
Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida’s 25th Congressional District
Rep. Jeff Duncan of South Carolina’s 3rd Congressional District
Rep. Neal P. Dunn of Florida’s 2nd Congressional District
Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota’s 6th Congressional District
Rep. Ron Estes of Kansas’s 4th Congressional District
Rep. Drew Ferguson of Georgia’s 3rd Congressional District
Rep. Chuck Fleischmann of Tennessee's 3rd Congressional District
Rep. Bill Flores of Texas’s 17th Congressional District
Rep. Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Virginia Foxx of North Carolina’s 5th Congressional District
Rep. Russ Fulcher of Idaho’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Greg Gianforte of Montana’s at-large congressional district
Rep. Bob Gibbs of Ohio’s 7th Congressional District
Rep. Louie Gohmert of Texas’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Lance Gooden of Texas’s 5th Congressional District
Rep. Sam Graves of Missouri’s 6th Congressional District
Rep. Mark Green of Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District
Rep. Michael Guest of Mississippi’s 3rd Congressional District
Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Vicky Hartzler of Missouri’s 4th Congressional District
Rep. Kevin Hern of Oklahoma’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Clay Higgins of Louisiana’s 3rd Congressional District
Rep. Trey Hollingsworth of Indiana’s 9th Congressional District
Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina’s 8th Congressional District
Rep. Bill Huizenga of Michigan’s 2nd Congressional District
Rep. Bill Johnson of Ohio’s 6th Congressional District
Rep. John Joyce of Pennsylvania’s 13th Congressional District
Rep. Fred Keller of Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional District
Rep. Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania’s 16th Congressional District
Rep. Trent Kelly of Mississippi’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Steve King of Iowa’s 4th Congressional District
Rep. David Kustoff of Tennessee’s 8th Congressional District
Rep. Darin LaHood of Illinois’s 18th Congressional District
Rep. Doug LaMalfa of California’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Doug Lamborn of Colorado’s 5th Congressional District
Rep. Robert E. Latta of Ohio’s 5th Congressional District
Rep. Debbie Lesko of Arizona’s 8th Congressional District
Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer of Missouri’s 3rd Congressional District
Rep. Kenny Marchant of Texas’s 24th Congressional District
Rep. Roger Marshall of Kansas’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Tom McClintock of California’s 4th Congressional District
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington’s 5th Congressional District
Rep. Dan Meuser of Pennsylvania’s 9th Congressional District
Rep. Carol D. Miller of West Virginia’s 3rd Congressional District
Rep. John Moolenaar of Michigan’s 4th Congressional District
Rep. Alex X. Mooney of West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District
Rep. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma’s 2nd Congressional District
Rep. Gregory Murphy of North Carolina’s 3rd Congressional District
Rep. Dan Newhouse of Washington’s 4th Congressional District
Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina’s 5th Congressional District
Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District
Rep. Guy Reschenthaler of Pennsylvania’s 14th Congressional District
Rep. Tom Rice of South Carolina’s 7th Congressional District
Rep. John Rose of Tennessee’s 6th Congressional District
Rep. David Rouzer of North Carolina’s 7th Congressional District
Rep. John Rutherford of Florida’s 4th Congressional District
Rep. Austin Scott of Georgia’s 8th Congressional District
Rep. Mike Simpson of Idaho’s 2nd Congressional District
Rep. Adrian Smith of Nebraska’s 3rd Congressional District
Rep. Jason Smith of Missouri’s 8th Congressional District
Rep. Ross Spano of Florida’s 15th Congressional District
Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York’s 21st Congressional District
Rep. Glenn Thompson of Pennsylvania’s 15th Congressional District
Rep. Tom Tiffany of Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District
Rep. William Timmons of South Carolina’s 4th Congressional District
Rep. Ann Wagner of Missouri’s 2nd Congressional District
Rep. Tim Walberg of Michigan’s 7th Congressional District
Rep. Michael Waltz of Florida’s 6th Congressional District
Rep. Randy Weber of Texas’s 14th Congressional District
Rep. Daniel Webster of Florida’s 11th Congressional District
Rep. Brad Wenstrup of Ohio’s 2nd Congressional District
Rep. Bruce Westerman of Arkansas’s 4th Congressional District
Rep. Roger Williams of Texas’s 25th Congressional District
Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina’s 2nd Congressional District
Rep. Rob Wittman of Virginia’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Ron Wright of Texas’s 6th Congressional District
Rep. Ted S. Yoho of Florida’s 3rd Congressional District
Rep. Lee Zeldin of New York’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California’s 23rd Congressional District
Rep. Robert Aderholt of Alabama’s 4th Congressional District
Rep. Jodey Arrington of Texas’s 19th Congressional District
Rep. Brian Babin of Texas’s 36th Congressional District
Rep. Doug Collins of Georgia’s 9th Congressional District
Rep. Scott DesJarlais of Tennessee’s 4th Congressional District
Rep. Morgan Griffith of Virginia’s 9th Congressional District
Rep. Jim Hagedorn of Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District
Rep. Jody Hice of Georgia’s 10th Congressional District
Rep. Billy Long of Missouri’s 7th Congressional District
Rep. Barry Loudermilk of Georgia’s 11th Congressional District
Rep. Steven Palazzo of Mississippi’s 4th Congressional District
Rep. Greg Pence of Indiana’s 6th Congressional District
Rep. Bill Posey of Florida’s 8th Congressional District
Rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama’s 3rd Congressional District
Rep. Pete Stauber of Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District
Rep. W. Gregory Steube of Florida’s 17th Congressional District
Rep. Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District
Rep. Mark Walker of North Carolina’s 6th Congressional District
Rep. Jackie Walorski of Indiana’s 2nd Congressional District


buzzfeed--2020-12-14--After The US Election, Key People Are Leaving Facebook And Torching The Company In Departure Notes


buzzfeed--2020-12-14--Here Are The Names Of 126 Members Of The House Who Refuse To Accept That Biden Won


buzzfeed--2020-12-14--🚨The US Has Authorized Its First COVID-19 Vaccine 🚨


buzzfeed--2020-12-15--UNSPEAKABLE BRAVERY: These Senate Republicans Declared Joe Biden May Have Possibly, Technically Won

UNSPEAKABLE BRAVERY: These Senate Republicans Declared Joe Biden May Have Possibly, Technically Won The Election

Despite it long being clear that Biden had won , Senate Republicans have largely avoided defying Trump and referring to Biden as president-elect .
They cautioned that Trump had a right to exhaust all of his legal options and boy did he .
But now that the Electoral College votes have been cast , senators are changing their tune .
A series of senators conceded for the first time Monday that Joe Biden may have — according to the Constitution and pending any possible future legal appeals — won the election .
As senators returned to business Monday , many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ready to declare Joe Biden the winner of the election .
Some did come out and definitively say that Biden won .
Others seem to still be getting used to the idea .
Here , per Capitol Hill pool reports , are some of their responses .
BuzzFeed News has journalists around the US bringing you trustworthy stories on the 2020 elections .
To help keep this news free , become a member .
“ That ’ s the gotcha question of the day .
I know what the Constitution says , Article @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know that the Electoral College voted today , so to me , that tells us a lot.
” Q : “ So based on the Electoral College vote is it done , in your mind ?
” “ You know , they got through the Electoral College , yes , subject to any pending lawsuits that could change it .
But we ’ re going through the standard process and at that point in time — then again , you ’ ve got a couple more court cases that I expect to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” '' Well , it seems to me that being elected by the Electoral College is a threshold where a title like that is probably most appropriate and it 's , I suppose you can say official — if there is such a thing as official president-elect , or anything else–elect .
And there 's an inauguration that will swear somebody in and that person will be the president of the United States , but whether you call it that or not , you know , there are legal challenges that are ongoing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a remedy that would change the outcome but , so , I do n't — again I do n't know how politician refers to another politician , but it does look to me like the big race is really between the inaugural committee and the Justice Department at this point , so we 'll see how the emails turn out . ''
“ Yeah , yeah it ’ s a very , very narrow path for the president .
I do n't see how it gets there from here , given what the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that , I think we 'll let those legal challenges play out.
” “ I ’ m just really excited Iowa voted for President Trump , so … I think we ’ ll start to see the process rolling out , like it or not .
I know for Iowans it ’ s disappointing , but the process is what it is and the process will be followed.
” “ If that ’ s what the Electoral College decides today.
” ( The Electoral College did decide that today . )
“ My @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system of law in the United States and the Electoral College is part of that , and once the Electoral College has spoken then , uh , and then President Trump has the right to his legal challenges like anybody else does , and until both are resolved we have to watch it.
” “ I think he 's president-elect subject to whatever additional litigation is ongoing .
I 'm not aware of any .
Obviously , the Texas case was not successful as I believed .
But I would say , subject @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between now and January 20 , the answer yes.
” '' As soon as he crosses the 270 vote threshold , I mean there are still a couple of , I guess , last steps in the process , but in my view , that 's how in this country we decide presidential elections , that 's our Constitution , and I believe in following the Constitution . ''

WASHINGTON — President-elect Joe Biden officially won the Electoral College Monday, taking 306 electoral votes to Donald Trump’s 232.
Despite it long being clear that Biden had won, Senate Republicans have largely avoided defying Trump and referring to Biden as president-elect. They cautioned that Trump had a right to exhaust all of his legal options and boy did he.
But now that the Electoral College votes have been cast, senators are changing their tune. A series of senators conceded for the first time Monday that Joe Biden may have — according to the Constitution and pending any possible future legal appeals — won the election.
As senators returned to business Monday, many were asked by reporters whether they were ready to declare Joe Biden the winner of the election. Some did come out and definitively say that Biden won. Others seem to still be getting used to the idea. Here, per Capitol Hill pool reports, are some of their responses.
BuzzFeed News has journalists around the US bringing you trustworthy stories on the 2020 elections. To help keep this news free, become a member.