buzzfeed--2020-11-28--What Joe Biden Means For Your Student Loans

It was once an idea so far on the fringe that no major politician endorsed it .
Then it was the pipe dream of far-left progressives .
Now a push for President-elect Joe Biden ’ s administration to single-handedly cancel billions of dollars in student debt has taken hold in increasingly large segments of the Democratic Party , raising a real possibility , for the first time , that broad swaths of Americans may see some of their student loan debt wiped away .
The idea that Biden should wipe out student debt through executive action has exploded online in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possibility that they may not control the Senate in January , dramatically limiting Biden ’ s ability to get substantive legislation — like pandemic relief — through Congress .
If the Senate remains in the hands of Mitch McConnell , progressives argue , student debt forgiveness will offer Biden a tantalizing prospect : He could deliver substantial economic relief directly to millions of Americans even in the face of congressional gridlock .
Will people actually see some of their student loan debt wiped away under Biden ’ s presidency ?
The answer is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is keeping quiet .
But what was once a near impossibility is now a serious topic of discussion among Democrats — one that is unlikely to go away in the next four years .
In some ways , the possibility that Biden would use his executive power to forgive student debt appears unlikely .
Such a sweeping , costly executive action would run counter to Biden ’ s moderate , compromise-focused political instincts , and those of his likely Cabinet picks .
The idea has been opposed not just by Republicans but by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the measure would actually provide economic stimulus .
And Biden has signaled caution so far over the policy .
His team would not comment on whether he was considering loan forgiveness through executive action or whether he believed current statutes permitted debt cancellation .
But Biden has said he supports forgiving $ 10,000 in student loans for all Americans , the kind of step that was itself unthinkable several years ago .
And if passing a large pandemic relief bill in Congress becomes impossible , Biden is likely to face significant pressure to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forgiveness .
That pressure will be especially acute if the temporary pause on payments that the CARES Act implemented at the beginning of the pandemic ends in January , which it will without further action from Congress .
Sen. Elizabeth Warren has led the argument that it is within the president ’ s power to cancel federal student loan debt , since the executive branch — through the Education Department — originates and oversees student loans .
She has been joined by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer , who is more moderate than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Senate and sway in the party .
Together , they have called for the government to cancel $ 50,000 in student loan debt for each American — a significant chunk of money that would still limit forgiveness for doctors , lawyers , and others with larger student loan balances .
Warren ’ s involvement matters not just because she is a prominent voice , but because she has a long track record of pushing the Obama administration to take progressive actions around student debt and other progressive policies .
Along with activists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ implement wide-scale student debt forgiveness for students defrauded by for-profit colleges in 2015 and 2016 .
Warren allies say she is not likely to drop that kind of pressure campaign in a Biden administration .
She will not be deterred , they say , if Biden is initially resistant to taking executive action on student debt .
The direct impacts on the economy of mass student loan forgiveness are unclear , a fact that could make a Biden administration hesitant .
Economists have questioned whether it will do anything to actually stimulate the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ costs to the federal government .
“ It would be an extremely poor stimulus , ” said Marc Goldwein , a senior vice president at the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget , a think tank focused on reducing government debt .
“ It would barely do anything relative to the current economic policy.
” The bipartisan group ran an analysis of the impacts of student loan forgiveness this week , after seeing the “ buzz ” around the policy , Goldwein said .
The analysis found that debt forgiveness would do little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he said , because many low- and middle-income borrowers are making relatively small payments on their loans or paying nothing at all .
People with large amounts of student loan debt , and large monthly payments , tend to be those with graduate degrees , Goldwein said , who have not seen their incomes suffer in the recession .
“ For every dollar we spend on this , we ’ re going to get between less than a dime and a quarter of economic output , ” Goldwein said .
Many in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be aligned with Goldwein , and cautious not just about the cost of such a plan , but of the appearance of giving handouts to privileged Americans .
Janet Yellen , his expected pick for treasury secretary , sits on the board of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget .
But Biden has also signaled a desire to work with progressives like Warren .
And many Democrats have argued for student debt forgiveness as an imperfect way to deal with congressional gridlock .
“ It ’ s important context to think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you can execute via executive order , ” said Bharat Ramamurti , who was the lead economic advisor on Warren ’ s presidential campaign and is currently a member of the Congressional Oversight Commission .
“ You ’ re doing something concretely that will help a significant portion of adults in the US , ” he said .
“ It ’ s hard to do that with other policy options.
” Tens of millions of Americans would immediately feel the effects of not having to send student loan checks to the government every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ argued that research on people whose student loans have been canceled shows there would be “ ripple effects ” on the economy that would go beyond what an economic analysis like the CFRB ’ s can measure : “ If you take this debt off of people ’ s books , it affects the decisions they make.
” Republicans have already sought to paint student debt forgiveness as a giveaway to elites : By definition , student loan forgiveness would exclude tens of millions of Americans who never attended college .
But proponents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million Americans who have student debt despite not ever receiving a college degree .
And they have called it a matter of racial justice : Black Americans disproportionately hold more student debt and struggle to pay it off .
Toby Merrill , the director of Harvard Law School ’ s Project on Predatory Student Lending , was among the first to argue that student debt could be canceled through executive order , without congressional approval .
She said she doesn ’ t know whether Biden ’ s transition team is seriously considering the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that anyone coming in and looking at this economy , looking at all of our shared concerns around racial and economic injustice , looking at the enormous burden that student loans are placing on people , and the burden they ’ re placing on Black communities in particular — they would have to look at debt forgiveness .
”

It was once an idea so far on the fringe that no major politician endorsed it. Then it was the pipe dream of far-left progressives. Now a push for President-elect Joe Biden’s administration to single-handedly cancel billions of dollars in student debt has taken hold in increasingly large segments of the Democratic Party, raising a real possibility, for the first time, that broad swaths of Americans may see some of their student loan debt wiped away.
The idea that Biden should wipe out student debt through executive action has exploded online in recent weeks as Democrats confront the real possibility that they may not control the Senate in January, dramatically limiting Biden’s ability to get substantive legislation — like pandemic relief — through Congress.
If the Senate remains in the hands of Mitch McConnell, progressives argue, student debt forgiveness will offer Biden a tantalizing prospect: He could deliver substantial economic relief directly to millions of Americans even in the face of congressional gridlock.
Will people actually see some of their student loan debt wiped away under Biden’s presidency? The answer is unclear, and Biden’s team is keeping quiet. But what was once a near impossibility is now a serious topic of discussion among Democrats — one that is unlikely to go away in the next four years.
In some ways, the possibility that Biden would use his executive power to forgive student debt appears unlikely. Such a sweeping, costly executive action would run counter to Biden’s moderate, compromise-focused political instincts, and those of his likely Cabinet picks. The idea has been opposed not just by Republicans but by some economists, who have questioned whether the measure would actually provide economic stimulus.
And Biden has signaled caution so far over the policy. His team would not comment on whether he was considering loan forgiveness through executive action or whether he believed current statutes permitted debt cancellation.
But Biden has said he supports forgiving $10,000 in student loans for all Americans, the kind of step that was itself unthinkable several years ago. And if passing a large pandemic relief bill in Congress becomes impossible, Biden is likely to face significant pressure to use other means to get Americans that forgiveness.
That pressure will be especially acute if the temporary pause on payments that the CARES Act implemented at the beginning of the pandemic ends in January, which it will without further action from Congress.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren has led the argument that it is within the president’s power to cancel federal student loan debt, since the executive branch — through the Education Department — originates and oversees student loans. She has been joined by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, who is more moderate than Warren. Both hold substantial power in the Senate and sway in the party.
Together, they have called for the government to cancel $50,000 in student loan debt for each American — a significant chunk of money that would still limit forgiveness for doctors, lawyers, and others with larger student loan balances.
Warren’s involvement matters not just because she is a prominent voice, but because she has a long track record of pushing the Obama administration to take progressive actions around student debt and other progressive policies. Along with activists, she pressured the Obama administration to implement wide-scale student debt forgiveness for students defrauded by for-profit colleges in 2015 and 2016.
Warren allies say she is not likely to drop that kind of pressure campaign in a Biden administration. She will not be deterred, they say, if Biden is initially resistant to taking executive action on student debt.
The direct impacts on the economy of mass student loan forgiveness are unclear, a fact that could make a Biden administration hesitant. Economists have questioned whether it will do anything to actually stimulate the lagging economy — especially relative to the costs to the federal government.
“It would be an extremely poor stimulus,” said Marc Goldwein, a senior vice president at the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a think tank focused on reducing government debt. “It would barely do anything relative to the current economic policy.”
The bipartisan group ran an analysis of the impacts of student loan forgiveness this week, after seeing the “buzz” around the policy, Goldwein said. The analysis found that debt forgiveness would do little to change people’s cash flow, he said, because many low- and middle-income borrowers are making relatively small payments on their loans or paying nothing at all.
People with large amounts of student loan debt, and large monthly payments, tend to be those with graduate degrees, Goldwein said, who have not seen their incomes suffer in the recession.
“For every dollar we spend on this, we’re going to get between less than a dime and a quarter of economic output,” Goldwein said.
Many in Biden’s new administration are likely to be aligned with Goldwein, and cautious not just about the cost of such a plan, but of the appearance of giving handouts to privileged Americans. Janet Yellen, his expected pick for treasury secretary, sits on the board of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.
But Biden has also signaled a desire to work with progressives like Warren. And many Democrats have argued for student debt forgiveness as an imperfect way to deal with congressional gridlock.
“It’s important context to think about this in comparison to other policies you can execute via executive order,” said Bharat Ramamurti, who was the lead economic advisor on Warren’s presidential campaign and is currently a member of the Congressional Oversight Commission.
“You’re doing something concretely that will help a significant portion of adults in the US,” he said. “It’s hard to do that with other policy options.”
Tens of millions of Americans would immediately feel the effects of not having to send student loan checks to the government every month, Ramamurti said. And he argued that research on people whose student loans have been canceled shows there would be “ripple effects” on the economy that would go beyond what an economic analysis like the CFRB’s can measure: “If you take this debt off of people’s books, it affects the decisions they make.”
Republicans have already sought to paint student debt forgiveness as a giveaway to elites: By definition, student loan forgiveness would exclude tens of millions of Americans who never attended college.
But proponents of the policy point to the 36 million Americans who have student debt despite not ever receiving a college degree. And they have called it a matter of racial justice: Black Americans disproportionately hold more student debt and struggle to pay it off.
Toby Merrill, the director of Harvard Law School’s Project on Predatory Student Lending, was among the first to argue that student debt could be canceled through executive order, without congressional approval.
She said she doesn’t know whether Biden’s transition team is seriously considering the policy.
“But I would say that anyone coming in and looking at this economy, looking at all of our shared concerns around racial and economic injustice, looking at the enormous burden that student loans are placing on people, and the burden they’re placing on Black communities in particular — they would have to look at debt forgiveness.”


buzzfeed--2020-11-30--A Third Coronavirus Vaccine Trial Has Reported Promising — But Confusing — Results

The journalists at BuzzFeed News are proud to bring you trustworthy and relevant reporting about the coronavirus .
To help keep this news free , become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Incoming .
A COVID-19 vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca has shown `` positive high-level results '' in early data from clinical trials , researchers announced Monday .
It is the third vaccine to report promising interim results , after Pfizer and Moderna .
The vaccine has been 70 % effective on average so far , researchers said .
But the early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The vaccine was 90 % effective for volunteers who were given a half-dose of the vaccine followed by a full dose — a much higher success rate than those who were given two full doses , which was 62 % effective .
That half dose was only given to participants because of a mistake in the British arm of the trial , Reuters reported .
As a result , only a little over 2,700 people received the half-dose shot , out of the 23,000 people in the trial results reported Monday , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Then , on Tuesday , Operation Warp Speed head Moncef Slaoui said the age of participants in the half-dose group was capped at 55 , casting further doubts on the results .
Scientists have since criticized AstraZeneca for both its trial design and how it disclosed its data , which have not yet been peer reviewed or released in full .
The early analysis was based on 131 COVID-19 cases among trial participants who either received the vaccine or a placebo injection .
The company said that the trials , which took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also showed that the vaccine was highly effective in preventing hospitalizations or severe cases of the coronavirus .
“ These findings show that we have an effective vaccine that will save many lives , '' professor Andrew Pollard , chief investigator of the Oxford vaccine trial , said in a press release .
Unlike the Pfizer and Moderna trials , which only tested people who reported symptoms , the AstraZeneca data also showed that asymptomatic infections were reduced in the group of patients who received a vaccine , suggesting that it can help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the UK swabbed patients weekly , which provided more information about who developed infections .
Earlier this month , Pfizer and Moderna announced that trials for their vaccines both suggest that they are more than 90 % effective .
The Food and Drug Administration requires a vaccine to be at least 50 % effective before authorizing its use .
The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is cheaper than the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines and may also be easier to store and transport .
AstraZeneca is requesting an `` Emergency Use Listing '' from the World Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in low-income countries .
The company said it would begin discussions with the FDA this week about whether to formally submit for review in the US , but scientists have questioned whether the US health agency would accept their questionable results .
Researchers had to pause the vaccine 's effectiveness study twice , a development which is not unusual in clinical trials .
In July , a patient developed multiple sclerosis , and in September another patient developed a neurological illness called transverse myelitis .
The vaccine was not found to have caused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , leading to today 's preliminary results .
In its data release , the drug company said that `` no serious safety events related to the vaccine have been confirmed . ''
In response to the company 's announcement on Monday , Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , told STAT that , `` If it ’ s 70 % , then we ’ ve got a dilemma . ''
“ Because what are you going to do with the 70 % when you ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 95 % ?
Who are you going to give a vaccine like that to ?
”

A COVID-19 vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca has shown "positive high-level results" in early data from clinical trials, researchers announced Monday. It is the third vaccine to report promising interim results, after Pfizer and Moderna.
The vaccine has been 70% effective on average so far, researchers said. But the early data came with a confusing caveat: The vaccine was 90% effective for volunteers who were given a half-dose of the vaccine followed by a full dose — a much higher success rate than those who were given two full doses, which was 62% effective.
That half dose was only given to participants because of a mistake in the British arm of the trial, Reuters reported. As a result, only a little over 2,700 people received the half-dose shot, out of the 23,000 people in the trial results reported Monday, a very small subset to base results on. Then, on Tuesday, Operation Warp Speed head Moncef Slaoui said the age of participants in the half-dose group was capped at 55, casting further doubts on the results. Scientists have since criticized AstraZeneca for both its trial design and how it disclosed its data, which have not yet been peer reviewed or released in full.
The early analysis was based on 131 COVID-19 cases among trial participants who either received the vaccine or a placebo injection.
The company said that the trials, which took place in the UK and Brazil, also showed that the vaccine was highly effective in preventing hospitalizations or severe cases of the coronavirus. “These findings show that we have an effective vaccine that will save many lives," professor Andrew Pollard, chief investigator of the Oxford vaccine trial, said in a press release.
Unlike the Pfizer and Moderna trials, which only tested people who reported symptoms, the AstraZeneca data also showed that asymptomatic infections were reduced in the group of patients who received a vaccine, suggesting that it can help limit transmission. The AstraZeneca trial in the UK swabbed patients weekly, which provided more information about who developed infections.
Earlier this month, Pfizer and Moderna announced that trials for their vaccines both suggest that they are more than 90% effective. The Food and Drug Administration requires a vaccine to be at least 50% effective before authorizing its use.
The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is cheaper than the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines and may also be easier to store and transport.
AstraZeneca is requesting an "Emergency Use Listing" from the World Health Organization to make the vaccine quickly available in low-income countries. The company said it would begin discussions with the FDA this week about whether to formally submit for review in the US, but scientists have questioned whether the US health agency would accept their questionable results.
Researchers had to pause the vaccine's effectiveness study twice, a development which is not unusual in clinical trials. In July, a patient developed multiple sclerosis, and in September another patient developed a neurological illness called transverse myelitis. The vaccine was not found to have caused either illness, and the trials resumed, leading to today's preliminary results.
In its data release, the drug company said that "no serious safety events related to the vaccine have been confirmed."
In response to the company's announcement on Monday, Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told STAT that, "If it’s 70%, then we’ve got a dilemma."
“Because what are you going to do with the 70% when you’ve got two [vaccines] that are 95%? Who are you going to give a vaccine like that to?”


buzzfeed--2020-11-29--Trump's Campaign Lost In Court — Again — Trying To Undo Biden’s Win In Pennsylvania

Campaign senior legal adviser Jenna Ellis tweeted that the ruling was part of an effort by the “ activist judicial machinery in Pennsylvania ” to “ cover up the allegations of massive fraud.
” But the case was decided by a panel of conservative-leaning judges — the two judges who joined Bibas ’ s opinion , Chief Judge D. Brooks Smith and Judge Michael Chagares , were nominated by former president George W. Bush .
It was the latest setback in a string of losses for Trump and Republicans in Pennsylvania — where the state formally certified the results on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states .
Biden won Pennsylvania by more than 80,000 votes , according to the tally released by the secretary of state ’ s office .
“ Free , fair elections are the lifeblood of our democracy .
Charges of unfairness are serious .
But calling an election unfair does not make it so .
Charges require specific allegations and then proof .
We have neither here , ” Judge Stephanos Bibas wrote in a 3-0 decision from the US Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit .
In a 3-0 decision , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Circuit rejected the campaign ’ s effort to get a do-over of its lawsuit challenging the election results in Pennsylvania , which a lower court had already tossed out last week .
WASHINGTON — A federal appeals court on Friday handed another loss to the Trump campaign ’ s effort to undo President-elect Joe Biden ’ s win in Pennsylvania , with a judge — one of Trump ’ s nominees — writing that the campaign ’ s “ claims have no merit.
” .
@ RudyGiuliani and me on Third Circuit ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Pennsylvania continues to cover up the allegations of massive fraud .
We are very thankful to have had the opportunity to present proof and the facts to the PA state legislature .
On to SCOTUS !
Ellis indicated they would petition the US Supreme Court to step in , concluding : “ On to SCOTUS !
” The campaign ’ s appeal was largely about whether it could pursue a new , expanded version of its lawsuit .
Even if they won on that issue before the Supreme Court , it wouldn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Pennsylvania , but would rather send the case back to the lower courts for more rounds of litigation .
In Friday 's opinion , Bibas wrote that the district court judge was right to deny the campaign ’ s effort to pursue a third version of their lawsuit because it didn ’ t fix the “ fatal ” defects with the previous one .
The third version of the lawsuit that the campaign wanted to file featured complaints about “ technical defects ” with how Pennsylvania had run the election that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bibas pointed out , and he wrote that the campaign ’ s claims that it was the victim of unconstitutional discrimination were “ vague and conclusory.
” Bibas called out Rudy Giuliani , who has been leading the Trump campaign ’ s post-election legal fight , by name , which is unusual in a court ruling .
The campaign since Nov. 3 has pushed baseless claims and conspiracy theories that the election was undermined by widespread fraud , but Bibas noted that Giuliani had “ stressed ” in court that their Pennsylvania challenge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case.
” Without any allegation of fraud , and with a subset of ballots at issue that wouldn ’ t be enough to flip the state for Trump , Bibas wrote that the campaign didn ’ t “ deserve ” an order blocking the Pennsylvania results from becoming official because its “ claims have no merit.
” “ Plus , tossing out millions of mail-in ballots would be drastic and unprecedented , disenfranchising a huge swath of the electorate and upsetting all down-ballot races too .
That remedy would be grossly disproportionate to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote .
The appeals court found that the campaign ’ s own focus on the importance of Pennsylvania ’ s Nov. 23 deadline for counties to certify election results defeated its push to argue for more time to relitigate the case .
Bibas wrote that the amended version of the lawsuit that the campaign wanted to press repeated many of the same claims as the earlier iterations , and , even if timing wasn ’ t a concern , the case still would be “ futile.
” The fact that individual counties had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the election wasn ’ t proof of a constitutional violation , especially when there was no evidence that county-specific rules treated the Trump campaign differently from the Biden campaign , the judge wrote .
“ Though it alleges many conclusions , the Second Amended Complaint is light on facts , ” Bibas wrote .
The Trump campaign filed a lawsuit on Nov. 9 in federal court in Williamsport , claiming Pennsylvania election officials unconstitutionally violated voting rights .
US District Judge Matthew Brann dismissed the case on Nov. 21 , finding the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who joined as co-plaintiffs lacked standing to sue .
And , Brann noted , that even if they could clear that first important hurdle , they ’ d also failed to back up their allegations and show that even if state officials violated the Constitution , that the right thing for the court to do was invalidate the votes of all Pennsylvanians .
The case in Pennsylvania focused on two issues : first , whether poll watchers had enough access to watch ballots being processed and counted — Trump has repeatedly tweeted about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who are regular citizens , are up to no good — and second , whether Pennsylvania violated the Constitution by allowing each county to decide if it wanted to give voters a chance to fix defects with absentee ballots before cancelling them , such as a missing signature or secrecy envelope .
Two days before a Nov. 17 hearing in the district court , the campaign filed a new version of its complaint that removed sections that alleged constitutional violations based on observer access .
That move came shortly after the 3rd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election case that significantly undercut the campaign ’ s legal theories .
That ’ s when the case got even messier .
The campaign ’ s lawyers — who were actually the second team involved after the first set of attorneys left — suddenly asked to leave , and were replaced by a new team that included Giuliani .
Giuliani argued before Brann on Nov. 17 , when he said that the previous lawyers had wrongly filed that new , narrower complaint that left out allegations of issues with observer access .
After @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for permission to file a third version of the lawsuit , which not only added back in claims that were cut from the original version , but also added another request of the judge — instead of just asking him to block Pennsylvania from certifying the results , he argued that , alternatively , the judge could declare the results “ defective.
” Then , Giuliani argued the judge could order the Pennsylvania General Assembly to choose which electors to send when the Electoral College meets on Dec. 14 ; political parties nominate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winner ’ s electors are ultimately appointed to represent that state in the Electoral College .
But Brann denied their request to substitute the third version of the complaint , writing that it would “ unduly delay ” the case , given that they ’ d already gotten a chance to amend their lawsuit once and the fact that Pennsylvania was the eve of certifying the results .
Brann then granted Pennsylvania ’ s motion to dismiss the case , writing that invalidating 6.8 million votes in the state because of differences in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was “ simply not how the Constitution works.
” “ [ This Court has been presented with strained legal arguments without merit and speculative accusations , unpled in the operative complaint and unsupported by evidence , ” Brann wrote .
“ In the United States of America , this can not justify the disenfranchisement of a single voter , let alone all the voters of its sixth most populated state .
Our people , laws , and institutions demand more.
” Giuliani and Ellis released a statement spinning that loss as a win @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bolstered their strategy of getting “ expeditiously to the U.S. Supreme Court ” — even though what they ended up asking for on appeal was to have the case kicked back to the district court for another round .
Giuliani and Ellis insinuated Brann was biased because he was nominated by former president Barack Obama , but as Republican Sen. Pat Toomey noted last week , Brann was a “ longtime conservative Republican ” before becoming a judge ; Brann had been a compromise nominee by the Obama administration .
The campaign ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took its first hit after it was filed .
The court doesn ’ t allow lawyers who aren ’ t members of the court ’ s bar to appear in cases unless they are pro bono , which meant Giuliani — who received special permission to appear in the Pennsylvania district court — couldn ’ t formally participate .
On Nov. 25 , the campaign filed a letter asking the court to make an exception , saying Giuliani hadn ’ t been able to get the “ necessary certifications ” because of unspecified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The campaign also had to contend with the fact that Pennsylvania formally certified Biden as the state ’ s winner on Nov. 24 .
Trump ’ s lawyers argued in a footnote in their Nov. 25 letter to the court that the case wasn ’ t moot because a court could order election results “ decertified.
” They also argued that there was still time for the courts to step in before a “ safe harbor ” deadline of Dec. 8 to resolve any election challenges before the Electoral College meets on Dec. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump campaign ’ s legal filings didn ’ t follow court rules , which on its own would knock out their effort to convince the court to block the Pennsylvania results .
But even on the merits he wrote that the campaign failed to show they were entitled to that “ extraordinary step.
” “ Voters , not lawyers , choose the President .
Ballots , not briefs , decide elections .
The ballots here are governed by Pennsylvania election law .
No federal law requires poll watchers or specifies where they must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when votes are counted , ” Bibas wrote .
“ Seeking to turn those state-law claims into federal ones , the Campaign claims discrimination .
But its alchemy can not transmute lead into gold .
The Campaign never alleges that any ballot was fraudulent or cast by an illegal voter .
”

Ellis indicated they would petition the US Supreme Court to step in, concluding: “On to SCOTUS!” The campaign’s appeal was largely about whether it could pursue a new, expanded version of its lawsuit. Even if they won on that issue before the Supreme Court, it wouldn’t undo Biden’s win in Pennsylvania, but would rather send the case back to the lower courts for more rounds of litigation.
In Friday's opinion, Bibas wrote that the district court judge was right to deny the campaign’s effort to pursue a third version of their lawsuit because it didn’t fix the “fatal” defects with the previous one. The third version of the lawsuit that the campaign wanted to file featured complaints about “technical defects” with how Pennsylvania had run the election that the campaign already lost in state court, Bibas pointed out, and he wrote that the campaign’s claims that it was the victim of unconstitutional discrimination were “vague and conclusory.”
Bibas called out Rudy Giuliani, who has been leading the Trump campaign’s postelection legal fight, by name, which is unusual in a court ruling. The campaign since Nov. 3 has pushed baseless claims and conspiracy theories that the election was undermined by widespread fraud, but Bibas noted that Giuliani had “stressed” in court that their Pennsylvania challenge wasn’t actually a “fraud case.” Without any allegation of fraud, and with a subset of ballots at issue that wouldn’t be enough to flip the state for Trump, Bibas wrote that the campaign didn’t “deserve” an order blocking the Pennsylvania results from becoming official because its “claims have no merit.”
“Plus, tossing out millions of mail-in ballots would be drastic and unprecedented, disenfranchising a huge swath of the electorate and upsetting all down-ballot races too. That remedy would be grossly disproportionate to the procedural challenges raised,” Bibas wrote.
The appeals court found that the campaign’s own focus on the importance of Pennsylvania’s Nov. 23 deadline for counties to certify election results defeated its push to argue for more time to relitigate the case. Bibas wrote that the amended version of the lawsuit that the campaign wanted to press repeated many of the same claims as the earlier iterations, and, even if timing wasn’t a concern, the case still would be “futile.” The fact that individual counties had discretion to decide how to run parts of the election wasn’t proof of a constitutional violation, especially when there was no evidence that county-specific rules treated the Trump campaign differently from the Biden campaign, the judge wrote.
“Though it alleges many conclusions, the Second Amended Complaint is light on facts,” Bibas wrote.
The Trump campaign filed a lawsuit on Nov. 9 in federal court in Williamsport, claiming Pennsylvania election officials unconstitutionally violated voting rights. US District Judge Matthew Brann dismissed the case on Nov. 21, finding the campaign and the two individual Pennsylvania voters who joined as coplaintiffs lacked standing to sue. And, Brann noted, that even if they could clear that first important hurdle, they’d also failed to back up their allegations and show that even if state officials violated the Constitution, that the right thing for the court to do was invalidate the votes of all Pennsylvanians.
The case in Pennsylvania focused on two issues: first, whether poll watchers had enough access to watch ballots being processed and counted — Trump has repeatedly tweeted about this, implying that the ballot counters, who are regular citizens, are up to no good — and second, whether Pennsylvania violated the Constitution by allowing each county to decide if it wanted to give voters a chance to fix defects with absentee ballots before canceling them, such as a missing signature or secrecy envelope.
Two days before a Nov. 17 hearing in the district court, the campaign filed a new version of its complaint that removed sections that alleged constitutional violations based on observer access. That move came shortly after the 3rd Circuit had issued an opinion in another election case that significantly undercut the campaign’s legal theories.
That’s when the case got even messier. The campaign’s lawyers — who were actually the second team involved after the first set of attorneys left — suddenly asked to leave, and were replaced by a new team that included Giuliani. Giuliani argued before Brann on Nov. 17, when he said that the previous lawyers had wrongly filed that new, narrower complaint that left out allegations of issues with observer access.
After the hearing, Giuliani asked the judge for permission to file a third version of the lawsuit, which not only added back in claims that were cut from the original version, but also added another request of the judge — instead of just asking him to block Pennsylvania from certifying the results, he argued that, alternatively, the judge could declare the results “defective.” Then, Giuliani argued the judge could order the Pennsylvania General Assembly to choose which electors to send when the Electoral College meets on Dec. 14; political parties nominate electors in each state, and the winner’s electors are ultimately appointed to represent that state in the Electoral College.
But Brann denied their request to substitute the third version of the complaint, writing that it would “unduly delay” the case, given that they’d already gotten a chance to amend their lawsuit once and the fact that Pennsylvania was the eve of certifying the results. Brann then granted Pennsylvania’s motion to dismiss the case, writing that invalidating 6.8 million votes in the state because of differences in how counties decided to run the election was “simply not how the Constitution works.”
“[This Court has been presented with strained legal arguments without merit and speculative accusations, unpled in the operative complaint and unsupported by evidence,” Brann wrote. “In the United States of America, this cannot justify the disenfranchisement of a single voter, let alone all the voters of its sixth most populated state. Our people, laws, and institutions demand more.”
Giuliani and Ellis released a statement spinning that loss as a win, saying that Brann’s ruling bolstered their strategy of getting “expeditiously to the U.S. Supreme Court” — even though what they ended up asking for on appeal was to have the case kicked back to the district court for another round. Giuliani and Ellis insinuated Brann was biased because he was nominated by former president Barack Obama, but as Republican Sen. Pat Toomey noted last week, Brann was a “longtime conservative Republican” before becoming a judge; Brann had been a compromise nominee by the Obama administration.
The campaign’s legal effort in the 3rd Circuit took its first hit after it was filed. The court doesn’t allow lawyers who aren’t members of the court’s bar to appear in cases unless they are pro bono, which meant Giuliani — who received special permission to appear in the Pennsylvania district court — couldn’t formally participate. On Nov. 25, the campaign filed a letter asking the court to make an exception, saying Giuliani hadn’t been able to get the “necessary certifications” because of unspecified issues related to the coronavirus pandemic.
The campaign also had to contend with the fact that Pennsylvania formally certified Biden as the state’s winner on Nov. 24. Trump’s lawyers argued in a footnote in their Nov. 25 letter to the court that the case wasn’t moot because a court could order election results “decertified.” They also argued that there was still time for the courts to step in before a “safe harbor” deadline of Dec. 8 to resolve any election challenges before the Electoral College meets on Dec. 14.
Bibas pointed out that the Trump campaign’s legal filings didn’t follow court rules, which on its own would knock out their effort to convince the court to block the Pennsylvania results. But even on the merits, he wrote that the campaign failed to show they were entitled to that “extraordinary step.”
“Voters, not lawyers, choose the President. Ballots, not briefs, decide elections. The ballots here are governed by Pennsylvania election law. No federal law requires poll watchers or specifies where they must live or how close they may stand when votes are counted,” Bibas wrote. “Seeking to turn those state-law claims into federal ones, the Campaign claims discrimination. But its alchemy cannot transmute lead into gold. The Campaign never alleges that any ballot was fraudulent or cast by an illegal voter.”


buzzfeed--2020-11-30--If You're Thinking About Buying A Live Plant Online, Here's What It's Like In Real Life

It 's a medium care–level plant , which they explain means it requires bright , indirect light and that I @ @ @ @ @ plant moist and humid ( figured I could handle that ? )
.
And , @ @ @ @ @ was cute as heeeeck .
You have the option of three different types of containers @ @ @ @ @ , grower pot .
I went for the basket pot .
This plant sells for @ @ @ @ @ grower pot ) or $ 132 ( in a basket or eco pot ) on @ @ @ @ @ Both the eco and basket pots are trop in pots .
This means that a @ @ @ @ @ hole is dropped into either the basket or the eco pot and then serves as @ @ @ @

Final thoughts:
Overall, my experience buying a plant from an online nursery for the first time was very positive. The only negative I experienced in the process was that after unboxing, there was a slight odor from the plant. I'm guessing this was from either the damp moss at the base (which I'm assuming was necessary for the plant to survive transit) or the actual material of the basket. I ended up placing my palm outside for a few hours to air out, and the smell was gone after that. So, it worked out fine in the end.
Buying a plant in person still feels like a more organic experience, and I personally prefer to pick out the specific plant I want to take home. However, given our current situation, being able to buy a plant online from a nursery is a nice alternative. So, if you've been interested as well, I say...go for it!


buzzfeed--2020-12-01--Best Coast's Bethany Cosentino Has The Perfect Explanation For Why Wearing A Mask Works

went on an IG story rant last night and now I ’ m gon na do it here ... two @ @ @ @ @ elderly grandparents tested positive for covid ( they ’ re doing ok now we are @ @ @ @ @ ever leave the house so no one suspected they had covid and assumed it was @ @ @

Even though her grandparents were good about isolating and mask-wearing, Cosentino hypothesized that they likely got it because they live in Nebraska, where there's currently no mask mandate: "So when they do go out, they're around people who don't have masks on."


buzzfeed--2020-12-01--This Viral Trend Where Moms Share How Much Their Hospital Bill Was For Giving Birth Is Eye Opening

After just now paying off the medical bill for giving birth to her daughter two years ago , a TikTok @ @ @ @ @ share what age their kid was when they were finally able to pay off their @ @ @

After just now paying off the medical bill for giving birth to her daughter two years ago, a TikTok user asked other moms to share what age their kid was when they were finally able to pay off their childbirth bill:


buzzfeed--2020-11-30--Ice-T Had An Ice Cold Response To His Father-In-Law Getting COVID, And It's Causing Controversy On T

Ice-T Had An Ice Cold Response To His Father-In-Law Getting COVID, And It's Causing Controversy On Twitter

When several people in the replies said that they had `` no sympathy '' for his father-in-law , Ice-T responded @ @ @ @ @ many `` anti-maskers '' as victims in their own right — since most of them @ @ @ @ @ a president who routinely lies about the virus .

When several people in the replies said that they had "no sympathy" for his father-in-law, Ice-T responded by saying that he views many "anti-maskers" as victims in their own right — since most of them are following the guidance of a president who routinely lies about the virus.


buzzfeed--2020-11-30--An ICU Nurse's "How It Started Vs. How It's Going" Meme Is Going Viral For Showing What Healthcare W

An ICU Nurse's "How It Started Vs. How It's Going" Meme Is Going Viral For Showing What Healthcare Workers Are Dealing With During COVID-19

She continued , `` I just wanted people to see what it 's really like to take care of the @ @ @ @ @ heart of the pandemic that has somehow become a political flashpoint .
My patients deserve @ @ @ @ @ are n't political pawns or numbers or a lie or a hoax , they are @ @ @ @ @ and pets and jobs just like you , and they are not expendable .
Their @ @ @ @ @ because survival does not mean recovery — are not a fair trade so that the @ @ @ @ @ have to be inconvenienced .
They deserve better .
We all deserve better than how @ @ @ @ @ has been handled . ''

She continued, "I just wanted people to see what it's really like to take care of the patients that are at the heart of the pandemic that has somehow become a political flashpoint. My patients deserve better than this. They aren't political pawns or numbers or a lie or a hoax, they are people with families and homes and pets and jobs just like you, and they are not expendable. Their lives and their health — because survival does not mean recovery — are not a fair trade so that the rest of us don't have to be inconvenienced. They deserve better. We all deserve better than how the response to this pandemic has been handled."


buzzfeed--2020-11-30--Trump's Campaign Lost In Court — Again — Trying To Undo Biden’s Win In Pennsylvania

Campaign senior legal adviser Jenna Ellis tweeted that the ruling was part of an effort by the “ activist judicial machinery in Pennsylvania ” to “ cover up the allegations of massive fraud.
” But the case was decided by a panel of conservative-leaning judges — the two judges who joined Bibas ’ s opinion , Chief Judge D. Brooks Smith and Judge Michael Chagares , were nominated by former president George W. Bush .
It was the latest setback in a string of losses for Trump and Republicans in Pennsylvania — where the state formally certified the results on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states .
Biden won Pennsylvania by more than 80,000 votes , according to the tally released by the secretary of state ’ s office .
“ Free , fair elections are the lifeblood of our democracy .
Charges of unfairness are serious .
But calling an election unfair does not make it so .
Charges require specific allegations and then proof .
We have neither here , ” Judge Stephanos Bibas wrote in a 3–0 decision from the US Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit .
In a 3–0 decision , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Circuit rejected the campaign ’ s effort to get a do-over of its lawsuit challenging the election results in Pennsylvania , which a lower court had already tossed out last week .
WASHINGTON — A federal appeals court on Friday handed another loss to the Trump campaign ’ s effort to undo President-elect Joe Biden ’ s win in Pennsylvania , with a judge — one of Trump ’ s nominees — writing that the campaign ’ s “ claims have no merit.
” .
@ RudyGiuliani and me on Third Circuit ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Pennsylvania continues to cover up the allegations of massive fraud .
We are very thankful to have had the opportunity to present proof and the facts to the PA state legislature .
On to SCOTUS !
Ellis indicated they would petition the US Supreme Court to step in , concluding : “ On to SCOTUS !
” The campaign ’ s appeal was largely about whether it could pursue a new , expanded version of its lawsuit .
Even if they won on that issue before the Supreme Court , it wouldn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Pennsylvania , but would rather send the case back to the lower courts for more rounds of litigation .
In Friday 's opinion , Bibas wrote that the district court judge was right to deny the campaign ’ s effort to pursue a third version of their lawsuit because it didn ’ t fix the “ fatal ” defects with the previous one .
The third version of the lawsuit that the campaign wanted to file featured complaints about “ technical defects ” with how Pennsylvania had run the election that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bibas pointed out , and he wrote that the campaign ’ s claims that it was the victim of unconstitutional discrimination were “ vague and conclusory.
” Bibas called out Rudy Giuliani , who has been leading the Trump campaign ’ s postelection legal fight , by name , which is unusual in a court ruling .
The campaign since Nov. 3 has pushed baseless claims and conspiracy theories that the election was undermined by widespread fraud , but Bibas noted that Giuliani had “ stressed ” in court that their Pennsylvania challenge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case.
” Without any allegation of fraud , and with a subset of ballots at issue that wouldn ’ t be enough to flip the state for Trump , Bibas wrote that the campaign didn ’ t “ deserve ” an order blocking the Pennsylvania results from becoming official because its “ claims have no merit.
” “ Plus , tossing out millions of mail-in ballots would be drastic and unprecedented , disenfranchising a huge swath of the electorate and upsetting all down-ballot races too .
That remedy would be grossly disproportionate to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote .
The appeals court found that the campaign ’ s own focus on the importance of Pennsylvania ’ s Nov. 23 deadline for counties to certify election results defeated its push to argue for more time to relitigate the case .
Bibas wrote that the amended version of the lawsuit that the campaign wanted to press repeated many of the same claims as the earlier iterations , and , even if timing wasn ’ t a concern , the case still would be “ futile.
” The fact that individual counties had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the election wasn ’ t proof of a constitutional violation , especially when there was no evidence that county-specific rules treated the Trump campaign differently from the Biden campaign , the judge wrote .
“ Though it alleges many conclusions , the Second Amended Complaint is light on facts , ” Bibas wrote .
The Trump campaign filed a lawsuit on Nov. 9 in federal court in Williamsport , claiming Pennsylvania election officials unconstitutionally violated voting rights .
US District Judge Matthew Brann dismissed the case on Nov. 21 , finding the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who joined as coplaintiffs lacked standing to sue .
And , Brann noted , that even if they could clear that first important hurdle , they ’ d also failed to back up their allegations and show that even if state officials violated the Constitution , that the right thing for the court to do was invalidate the votes of all Pennsylvanians .
The case in Pennsylvania focused on two issues : first , whether poll watchers had enough access to watch ballots being processed and counted — Trump has repeatedly tweeted about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who are regular citizens , are up to no good — and second , whether Pennsylvania violated the Constitution by allowing each county to decide if it wanted to give voters a chance to fix defects with absentee ballots before canceling them , such as a missing signature or secrecy envelope .
Two days before a Nov. 17 hearing in the district court , the campaign filed a new version of its complaint that removed sections that alleged constitutional violations based on observer access .
That move came shortly after the 3rd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election case that significantly undercut the campaign ’ s legal theories .
That ’ s when the case got even messier .
The campaign ’ s lawyers — who were actually the second team involved after the first set of attorneys left — suddenly asked to leave , and were replaced by a new team that included Giuliani .
Giuliani argued before Brann on Nov. 17 , when he said that the previous lawyers had wrongly filed that new , narrower complaint that left out allegations of issues with observer access .
After @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for permission to file a third version of the lawsuit , which not only added back in claims that were cut from the original version , but also added another request of the judge — instead of just asking him to block Pennsylvania from certifying the results , he argued that , alternatively , the judge could declare the results “ defective.
” Then , Giuliani argued the judge could order the Pennsylvania General Assembly to choose which electors to send when the Electoral College meets on Dec. 14 ; political parties nominate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winner ’ s electors are ultimately appointed to represent that state in the Electoral College .
But Brann denied their request to substitute the third version of the complaint , writing that it would “ unduly delay ” the case , given that they ’ d already gotten a chance to amend their lawsuit once and the fact that Pennsylvania was the eve of certifying the results .
Brann then granted Pennsylvania ’ s motion to dismiss the case , writing that invalidating 6.8 million votes in the state because of differences in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was “ simply not how the Constitution works.
” “ [ This Court has been presented with strained legal arguments without merit and speculative accusations , unpled in the operative complaint and unsupported by evidence , ” Brann wrote .
“ In the United States of America , this can not justify the disenfranchisement of a single voter , let alone all the voters of its sixth most populated state .
Our people , laws , and institutions demand more.
” Giuliani and Ellis released a statement spinning that loss as a win @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bolstered their strategy of getting “ expeditiously to the U.S. Supreme Court ” — even though what they ended up asking for on appeal was to have the case kicked back to the district court for another round .
Giuliani and Ellis insinuated Brann was biased because he was nominated by former president Barack Obama , but as Republican Sen. Pat Toomey noted last week , Brann was a “ longtime conservative Republican ” before becoming a judge ; Brann had been a compromise nominee by the Obama administration .
The campaign ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took its first hit after it was filed .
The court doesn ’ t allow lawyers who aren ’ t members of the court ’ s bar to appear in cases unless they are pro bono , which meant Giuliani — who received special permission to appear in the Pennsylvania district court — couldn ’ t formally participate .
On Nov. 25 , the campaign filed a letter asking the court to make an exception , saying Giuliani hadn ’ t been able to get the “ necessary certifications ” because of unspecified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The campaign also had to contend with the fact that Pennsylvania formally certified Biden as the state ’ s winner on Nov. 24 .
Trump ’ s lawyers argued in a footnote in their Nov. 25 letter to the court that the case wasn ’ t moot because a court could order election results “ decertified.
” They also argued that there was still time for the courts to step in before a “ safe harbor ” deadline of Dec. 8 to resolve any election challenges before the Electoral College meets on Dec. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump campaign ’ s legal filings didn ’ t follow court rules , which on its own would knock out their effort to convince the court to block the Pennsylvania results .
But even on the merits , he wrote that the campaign failed to show they were entitled to that “ extraordinary step.
” “ Voters , not lawyers , choose the President .
Ballots , not briefs , decide elections .
The ballots here are governed by Pennsylvania election law .
No federal law requires poll watchers or specifies where they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stand when votes are counted , ” Bibas wrote .
“ Seeking to turn those state-law claims into federal ones , the Campaign claims discrimination .
But its alchemy can not transmute lead into gold .
The Campaign never alleges that any ballot was fraudulent or cast by an illegal voter .
”


buzzfeed--2020-12-01--Congress Isn't Passing Pandemic Relief, But They Are Passing The Coronavirus

The journalists at BuzzFeed News are proud to bring you trustworthy and relevant reporting about the coronavirus .
To help keep this news free , become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Incoming .
In the past two weeks , at least 10 members of Congress have tested positive for COVID-19 — seven Republicans and three Democrats .
But there are currently no plans to stop the practice of hundreds of lawmakers flying to Washington from districts across the country to cast votes in person .
Nationwide , the coronavirus is raging out of control with north @ @ @ @ @ @ @ record numbers of people sick enough to be hospitalized , and a growing death toll .
Public health officials are pleading with people to stay home for Thanksgiving to blunt an even bigger explosion in infections that could overwhelm hospitals across the country .
Congress has had a disproportionate number of COVID-19 cases .
Since the outbreak began , over 12 million people in the United States have tested positive — nearly 3.8 % of the population .
At least 27 members of the House , or 6 % of the group , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senators , making up 9 % of the Senate , have had COVID-19 .
Many of these cases are recent .
Over the weekend , Reps. Bryan Steil and Joe Courtney tested positive .
Sen. Kelly Loeffler had a positive test this weekend , but is back on the campaign trail after two subsequent negative tests , her campaign announced .
( She is not included in the numbers above . )
Last week , Reps. Don Young , Tim Walberg , Cheri Bustos , Ed Perlmutter , Dan Newhouse , and Doug @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , along with Sens .
Rick Scott and Chuck Grassley .
Meanwhile , Congress still hasn ’ t passed another wave of COVID-19 relief funding .
“ This is emblematic of the way this pandemic has not really been taken seriously by the government and why we are in the situation that we ’ re in , ” Amesh Adalja , an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security , told BuzzFeed News .
The COVID-19 cases — as well as how to prevent more of them — have divided Congress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been disproportionately diagnosed with COVID-19 .
Several have flouted basic coronavirus precautions , from mask-wearing to avoiding large gatherings .
Sens .
Thom Tillis and Mike Lee tested positive after attending a crowded , mostly maskless ceremony at the White House ’ s Rose Garden celebrating Amy Coney Barrett ’ s Supreme Court nomination where several guests subsequently tested positive .
Loeffler has campaigned maskless and recently attended at least one indoors rally ahead of her January runoff .
Despite public health guidelines , Congress is also divided on whether to keep members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week to cast votes in person .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ’ s office told BuzzFeed News that no changes are currently planned .
The House does allow members to designate a proxy member to cast their vote for them , but does not allow remote voting .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ’ s office deferred to the House Rules Committee , which released a report this month deeming it feasible for the House to move to full remote voting .
But the Committee told BuzzFeed News that actually moving to that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whole House to decide .
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy called remote voting “ unproven , unsecure , and unconstitutional.
” He accused Pelosi of trying to consolidate power and extinguish party tensions by keeping members at home .
Due to their age — the average senator is 64 years old — much of Congress is at a higher risk of getting gravely ill from the disease .
( Alaska ’ s Rep. Young is the oldest member in Congress and was briefly hospitalized with the virus . )
Meanwhile , they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t know where they are getting infected .
Let ’ s own up to that , ” Georges Benjamin , executive director of the American Public Health Association , told BuzzFeed News .
But “ the science is real clear : You get the disease primarily from other people ... so the best way to protect oneself in any work environment , as well as social environment , is to wear a mask , practice good hand hygiene , and keep your distance.
” A handful of Democratic senators , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bill in October to require mask-wearing and social distancing in any Senate office building and the Senate wing of the Capitol , and to develop a program for testing and contact tracing for senators and their hundreds of staff members .
The bill was referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration , and has stalled there .
To date , mask use in Congress is inconsistent .
While many members of both parties do diligently mask up when heading in to vote , some , like Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul , refuse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last week when Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown admonished Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan for not wearing a mask .
Sullivan was serving as the presiding officer , with clerks sitting in front of him .
When Brown asked Sullivan to wear a mask , Sullivan irritatedly snapped back .
“ I don ’ t wear a mask when I ’ m speaking , like most senators , ” he said .
“ I don ’ t need your instruction.
” '' I know you do n't need my instruction , '' Brown responded .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ interest in this body in public health . ''

In the past two weeks, at least 10 members of Congress have tested positive for COVID-19 — seven Republicans and three Democrats. But there are currently no plans to stop the practice of hundreds of lawmakers flying to Washington from districts across the country to cast votes in person.
Nationwide, the coronavirus is raging out of control with north of 150,000 positive cases per day, record numbers of people sick enough to be hospitalized, and a growing death toll. Public health officials are pleading with people to stay home for Thanksgiving to blunt an even bigger explosion in infections that could overwhelm hospitals across the country.
Congress has had a disproportionate number of COVID-19 cases. Since the outbreak began, over 12 million people in the United States have tested positive — nearly 3.8% of the population. At least 27 members of the House, or 6% of the group, have caught the virus, while 9 senators, making up 9% of the Senate, have had COVID-19.
Many of these cases are recent. Over the weekend, Reps. Bryan Steil and Joe Courtney tested positive. Sen. Kelly Loeffler had a positive test this weekend, but is back on the campaign trail after two subsequent negative tests, her campaign announced. (She is not included in the numbers above.) Last week, Reps. Don Young, Tim Walberg, Cheri Bustos, Ed Perlmutter, Dan Newhouse, and Doug Lamborn all tested positive for the coronavirus, along with Sens. Rick Scott and Chuck Grassley. Meanwhile, Congress still hasn’t passed another wave of COVID-19 relief funding.
“This is emblematic of the way this pandemic has not really been taken seriously by the government and why we are in the situation that we’re in,” Amesh Adalja, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, told BuzzFeed News.
The COVID-19 cases — as well as how to prevent more of them — have divided Congress along party lines.
Congressional Republicans have been disproportionately diagnosed with COVID-19. Several have flouted basic coronavirus precautions, from mask-wearing to avoiding large gatherings. Sens. Thom Tillis and Mike Lee tested positive after attending a crowded, mostly maskless ceremony at the White House’s Rose Garden celebrating Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court nomination where several guests subsequently tested positive. Loeffler has campaigned maskless and recently attended at least one indoors rally ahead of her January runoff.
Despite public health guidelines, Congress is also divided on whether to keep members from traveling to and from Washington each week to cast votes in person.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s office told BuzzFeed News that no changes are currently planned. The House does allow members to designate a proxy member to cast their vote for them, but does not allow remote voting. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office deferred to the House Rules Committee, which released a report this month deeming it feasible for the House to move to full remote voting. But the Committee told BuzzFeed News that actually moving to that system would be a question for the whole House to decide.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy called remote voting “unproven, unsecure, and unconstitutional.” He accused Pelosi of trying to consolidate power and extinguish party tensions by keeping members at home.
Due to their age — the average senator is 64 years old — much of Congress is at a higher risk of getting gravely ill from the disease. (Alaska’s Rep. Young is the oldest member in Congress and was briefly hospitalized with the virus.) Meanwhile, they are also considered essential workers.
“We don’t know where they are getting infected. Let’s own up to that,” Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, told BuzzFeed News. But “the science is real clear: You get the disease primarily from other people...so the best way to protect oneself in any work environment, as well as social environment, is to wear a mask, practice good hand hygiene, and keep your distance.”
A handful of Democratic senators, including Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, proposed a bill in October to require mask-wearing and social distancing in any Senate office building and the Senate wing of the Capitol, and to develop a program for testing and contact tracing for senators and their hundreds of staff members. The bill was referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration, and has stalled there.
To date, mask use in Congress is inconsistent. While many members of both parties do diligently mask up when heading in to vote, some, like Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, refuse.
Tensions boiled over in the Senate last week when Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown admonished Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan for not wearing a mask. Sullivan was serving as the presiding officer, with clerks sitting in front of him.
When Brown asked Sullivan to wear a mask, Sullivan irritatedly snapped back. “I don’t wear a mask when I’m speaking, like most senators,” he said. “I don’t need your instruction.”
"I know you don't need my instruction," Brown responded. "But there clearly isn't much interest in this body in public health."


buzzfeed--2020-12-01--Machine Gun Kelly Opened About About Going To Therapy And His Drug Use

`` I ’ m early in the process , '' he ruminated .
`` The tools that I ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ seem helpful ...
I ’ m still kind of ripping my hair out .
Why @ @ @ @ @ ?
How am I supposed to meditate for 10 minutes when I can ’ t @ @ @ @ @ brain for two minutes without distracting myself by doing something ?
That ’ s really @ @ @

"I’m early in the process," he said. "The tools that I’ve been given to start with seem helpful...I’m still kind of ripping my hair out. Why am I not changing overnight? How am I supposed to meditate for 10 minutes when I can’t even sit in my own brain for two minutes without distracting myself by doing something? That’s really hard."


buzzfeed--2020-12-01--Best Coast's Bethany Cosentino Has The Perfect Story For Why You Should Be Wearing A Mask


buzzfeed--2020-12-01--Moms Are Exposing How Much It Costs To Give Birth In US Hospitals And It's Going Viral Because It's

Moms Are Exposing How Much It Costs To Give Birth In US Hospitals And It's Going Viral Because It's So Ridiculous


buzzfeed--2020-12-01--Ice-T Had An Ice Cold Response To His Father-In-Law Getting COVID, And It's Causing Controversy On T


buzzfeed--2020-12-01--Healthcare Workers And Nursing Home Residents Should Be First In Line For A Coronavirus Vaccine, A C

Healthcare Workers And Nursing Home Residents Should Be First In Line For A Coronavirus Vaccine, A CDC Panel Just Voted

A CDC expert panel voted 13–1 on Tuesday to recommend that the first COVID-19 vaccines should go to healthcare workers and nursing homes as soon as they are authorized by the FDA , a decision expected later this month .
The CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices ( ACIP ) vote prioritizes both populations equally for the first vaccines , coming amid a surging nationwide pandemic .
The meeting finalized months of vaccine distribution planning by the committee ’ s experts and federal officials , who had to balance medical ethics , what science has learned about people with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccination for these populations .
The debate over who should get the first vaccines reached a fever pitch with recent reports of Trump administration officials pressing for seniors over age 65 to receive vaccines ahead of healthcare workers .
“ My vote reflects maximizing benefits , minimizing harms , promoting justice , and minimizing inequities in distributing these vaccines , ” said panel chair José Romero , secretary of health at the Arkansas Department of Health .
If the ACIP recommendations are approved by CDC Director Robert Redfield , they become agency guidelines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the agency .
The government will distribute the first vaccines to states based on their populations , Alex Azar , head of the Department of Health and Human Services , said last week .
The decision of who to distribute the vaccines to first will then ultimately be up to individual governors , he added .
“ This is important because the COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented , ” Emory University ’ s Walter Orenstein , former director of the United States Immunization Program , told BuzzFeed News .
” It is important for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have a perspective , when the first doses of vaccine are rolled out , to whom they should be targeted.
” There are some 21 million healthcare personnel in the US and 3 million residents of nursing homes .
Operation Warp Speed , the $ 10 billion public–private partnership aimed at fast-tracking the development of COVID-19 treatments and vaccines , hopes to have shots ready for about 20 million Americans before the end of the year .
CDC officials said at the meeting they initially expect to distribute 5 million to 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2021 .
Two vaccine candidates , one made by Pfizer and one made by Moderna , have reported 95 % and 94.1 % efficacy , respectively , in blocking COVID-19 cases among participants in clinical trials who have received two shots of their vaccines spaced weeks apart .
Both have requested FDA authorization for their distribution .
On Dec. 10 , an FDA independent expert panel will meet to consider the Pfizer vaccine ’ s authorization , and a similar meeting will be held about a week later for the Moderna one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the FDA first licenses or authorizes a vaccine and then the CDC director approves vaccine distribution priorities decided by its advisory panel .
However , with more than 2,000 Americans a day dying from COVID-19 in the days ahead of Thanksgiving , the CDC panel vote came first , intended to ease distribution of vaccines as the FDA authorizes them .
CDC said there will be another meeting after the Dec. 10 FDA meeting to vote specifically on distributing Pfizer ’ s vaccine .
`` We hope this vote will get us all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we can all feel safe again , '' said the CDC ’ s Nancy Messonnier , who spoke at Tuesday 's meeting .
Consideration by independent experts is standard for any new vaccine , Orenstein said .
“ What is uncommon is the speed with which this is occurring because of the ongoing pandemic , ” he said .

A CDC expert panel voted 13–1 on Tuesday to recommend that the first COVID-19 vaccines should go to healthcare workers and nursing homes as soon as they are authorized by the FDA, a decision expected later this month.
The CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) vote prioritizes both populations equally for the first vaccines, coming amid a surging nationwide pandemic. The meeting finalized months of vaccine distribution planning by the committee’s experts and federal officials, who had to balance medical ethics, what science has learned about people with the highest risk, and ease of mass vaccination for these populations.
The debate over who should get the first vaccines reached a fever pitch with recent reports of Trump administration officials pressing for seniors over age 65 to receive vaccines ahead of healthcare workers.
“My vote reflects maximizing benefits, minimizing harms, promoting justice, and minimizing inequities in distributing these vaccines,” said panel chair José Romero, secretary of health at the Arkansas Department of Health.
If the ACIP recommendations are approved by CDC Director Robert Redfield, they become agency guidelines as soon as they are published by the agency. The government will distribute the first vaccines to states based on their populations, Alex Azar, head of the Department of Health and Human Services, said last week. The decision of who to distribute the vaccines to first will then ultimately be up to individual governors, he added.
“This is important because the COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented,” Emory University’s Walter Orenstein, former director of the United States Immunization Program, told BuzzFeed News. "It is important for planners at the state and local level to have a perspective, when the first doses of vaccine are rolled out, to whom they should be targeted.”
There are some 21 million healthcare personnel in the US and 3 million residents of nursing homes. Operation Warp Speed, the $10 billion public–private partnership aimed at fast-tracking the development of COVID-19 treatments and vaccines, hopes to have shots ready for about 20 million Americans before the end of the year. CDC officials said at the meeting they initially expect to distribute 5 million to 10 million doses of the vaccine a week in 2021.
Two vaccine candidates, one made by Pfizer and one made by Moderna, have reported 95% and 94.1% efficacy, respectively, in blocking COVID-19 cases among participants in clinical trials who have received two shots of their vaccines spaced weeks apart. Both have requested FDA authorization for their distribution.
On Dec. 10, an FDA independent expert panel will meet to consider the Pfizer vaccine’s authorization, and a similar meeting will be held on Dec. 17 for the Moderna one.
Typically, the FDA first licenses or authorizes a vaccine and then the CDC director approves vaccine distribution priorities decided by its advisory panel. However, with more than 2,000 Americans a day dying from COVID-19 in the days ahead of Thanksgiving, the CDC panel vote came first, intended to ease distribution of vaccines as the FDA authorizes them. CDC said there will be another meeting after the Dec. 10 FDA meeting to vote specifically on distributing Pfizer’s vaccine.
"We hope this vote will get us all one step closer to the day when we can all feel safe again," said the CDC’s Nancy Messonnier, who spoke at Tuesday's meeting.
Consideration by independent experts is standard for any new vaccine, Orenstein said. “What is uncommon is the speed with which this is occurring because of the ongoing pandemic,” he said.


buzzfeed--2020-12-01--6 Simple Ways To Be Kinder To Yourself

6 Simple Ways To Be Kinder To Yourself

In Read This for Inspiration , Ashly Perez ( a former BuzzFeed employee ) gathers bits of inspiration that she 's found helpful in her life — words of wisdom about creativity , self-worth , motivation , relationships , feminism , and more — and pairs them with dreamy illustrations from multiple artists .
Below , we bring you six of our favorite passages , each having to do with living in the present , loving yourself , and appreciating life .
Existential grounding is a technique that can alleviate a stressful day .
My therapist described it to me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provide existential grounding because they show us there is a way to live other than our own .
They calm us down and remind us that the pressures in our lives are largely of our own making .
Observe something today that is alive but not human ; a dog , a cat , a bee , a flower , a tree , or whatever else you like .
Let its existence wash over you .
Let it ground you .
2 .
Do what you love .
Many of us experience a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lost .
Maybe you went through a breakup , lost a job , or experienced the death of a loved one .
You are on a precipice , and now the anxiety of uncertainty has settled in .
It was during a time like this in my own life , after I had graduated from college and had no job prospects , that I discovered some advice that broadcast journalist Diane Sawyer 's father had given her when she was stuck in the same boat of not knowing which way to proceed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Do it in the most exciting place possible .
Make sure it helps people .
That 's it .
And it 's evergreen .
Even though I 'm past that terrifying moment of uncertainty , I 've found that this advice helps me whenever I 'm at a crossroads or given an opportunity to reassess a situation .
Have you ever noticed how rebellious flowers are ?
Growing where they should n't be .
In between cracks in the asphalt , on the sides of roads .
They take their space , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ room for them .
In the ancient Japanese art of kintsugi , when pottery breaks , it is not automatically thrown away .
Instead , the pieces are carefully collected and reassembled into a complete piece , its cracks filled with gold .
What was once broken is made beautiful again — even better than before .
Literally translated , the word kintsugi means `` golden joinery . ''
Sometimes we 're too quick to throw away the pieces of our own proverbial pottery .
Embarrassed and ashamed of failures , our inclination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possible — to pretend like we never made a mistake in the first place .
But in doing so , we lose the beauty that comes from picking ourselves up and making ourselves whole .
Perhaps like the kintsugi pieces , what makes us beautiful is our mistakes and the ways in which we 've grown to fill in the cracks of our failures .
Before you give up , before you throw away what you 've done so far , fill yourself with gold .
Proudly display the beautifully veined pottery that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In 1885 , the painter Vincent can Gogh remarked to his brother Theo in a letter regarding his art , `` If I am worth anything later , I am worth something now .
For wheat is wheat , even if it looks like grass at first . ''
Even if it 's not clear to everyone else what you 're doing or how you 're going to be successful , know that you own your value — it is not assigned by anyone else .
You know you are wheat even if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a blade of grass .
Perhaps the most effective way to be happier is to be grateful for what we already have .
I know , I know .
But honestly ?
It 's a hell of a lot easier than changing everything about yourself and constantly striving to be a new , better you .
To help you out , here are some quick things you can do today , for free , to start practicing gratitude .
Change the lockscreen on your phone to a picture of the best thing that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was a pretty flower , a selfie with a friend you have n't seen in a while , or a photo of your dog sleeping .
Whatever it is , it 's going to make you smile every time you see it .
Make a habit of changing this picture every week to help you remember there 's always something new to be grateful for .
Write down three things you were grateful for today .
Less traffic ?
A yummy breakfast ?
The song you were listening to ending just as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone you have n't seen in a little while and thank them for a memory you have together .
It 's easy to forget we have friends and experiences all over the place .
You can call upon them any time .
●

Existential grounding is a technique that can alleviate a stressful day. My therapist described it to me through the lens of pets. Pets provide existential grounding because they show us there is a way to live other than our own. They calm us down and remind us that the pressures in our lives are largely of our own making.
Observe something today that is alive but not human; a dog, a cat, a bee, a flower, a tree, or whatever else you like. Let its existence wash over you. Let it ground you.
2. Do what you love.
Many of us experience a time in our lives when we feel lost. Maybe you went through a breakup, lost a job, or experienced the death of a loved one. You are on a precipice, and now the anxiety of uncertainty has settled in.
It was during a time like this in my own life, after I had graduated from college and had no job prospects, that I discovered some advice that broadcast journalist Diane Sawyer's father had given her when she was stuck in the same boat of not knowing which way to proceed. He said:
Do what you love.
Do it in the most exciting place possible.
Make sure it helps people.
That's it. And it's evergreen. Even though I'm past that terrifying moment of uncertainty, I've found that this advice helps me whenever I'm at a crossroads or given an opportunity to reassess a situation.


buzzfeed--2020-12-01--An ICU Nurse's "How It Started Vs. How It's Going" Meme Is Going Viral For Showing What Healthcare W


buzzfeed--2020-12-02--Barack Obama Revealed The Sweet Reason Why Malia And Sasha Are One Of His "Greatest Successes"

`` Malia and Sasha found their own ways to get involved with the demonstrations and activism that you saw with @ @ @ @ @ without any prompting from Michelle and myself , on their own initiative , '' he @ @ @ @ @ not have been prouder of them . ''

"Malia and Sasha found their own ways to get involved with the demonstrations and activism that you saw with young people this summer, without any prompting from Michelle and myself, on their own initiative," he said. "I could not have been prouder of them."


buzzfeed--2020-12-01--Bill Barr Said There's No Evidence Of Voter Fraud To Change The Election Outcome

Attorney General Bill Barr said in an interview Tuesday that the Justice Department has not found any evidence of fraud that would change the outcome of the presidential election , becoming the latest official in President Donald Trump 's administration to undermine his baseless claims that the election was rigged against him .
“ To date , we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have affected a different outcome in the election , ” Barr told the Associated Press .
His statements come weeks after Trump fired Christopher Krebs , the former head of the Department of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Agency , who had repeatedly shot down claims of voting fraud during the election , and while President-elect Joe Biden 's transition to country 's highest office moves forward .
Shortly after Biden clinched enough electoral votes to win the presidency , Barr authorized the Justice Department to look into the president 's claims of voting `` irregularities . ''
At the time , Barr noted in his memo to assistant attorneys general that most instances of `` election misconduct '' are never at a scale that would impact the outcome of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comments to the AP on Tuesday appeared to be the first time that he has publicly disputed the president 's allegations of widespread voter fraud .
Shortly after the interview was published , Barr was seen entering the White House for unknown reasons .
A White House spokesperson declined to comment , referring BuzzFeed News to the Justice Department .
Justice Department spokesperson Kerri Kupec told a pool reporter that Barr was at the White House “ for a previously scheduled meeting.
” Over the summer , the attorney general pushed the baseless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballots and therefore create widespread voter fraud .
He never offered any evidence to support that idea , telling CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer that he was basing the theory on `` logic . ''
In his interview with the AP , Barr also appeared to rebuke an unsubstantiated theory of a vast , well-funded conspiracy pushed by the Trump campaign 's legal team as it tried to delay the certification of results .
Attorneys for the campaign recently attempted to draw connections among the companies that produced electronic voting and ballot-counting systems and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ George Soros , the self-described `` antifa , '' and the Venezuelan government .
“ There ’ s been one assertion that would be systemic fraud , and that would be the claim that machines were programmed essentially to skew the election results .
And the DHS and DOJ have looked into that , and so far , we haven ’ t seen anything to substantiate that , ” Barr said .
In a statement Tuesday , the Trump campaign 's legal team dismissed the attorney general 's comments , saying that `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knowledge or investigation of the substantial irregularities and evidence of systemic fraud.
” “ With all due respect to the Attorney General , there hasn ’ t been any semblance of a Department of Justice investigation , '' campaign lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Jenna Ellis said in the statement .
The lawyers provided no such evidence for their claims .

Attorney General Bill Barr said in an interview Tuesday that the Justice Department has not found any evidence of fraud that would change the outcome of the presidential election, becoming the latest official in President Donald Trump's administration to undermine his baseless claims that the election was rigged against him.
“To date, we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have affected a different outcome in the election,” Barr told the Associated Press.
His statements come weeks after Trump fired Christopher Krebs, the former head of the Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, who had repeatedly shot down claims of voting fraud during the election, and while President-elect Joe Biden's transition to country's highest office moves forward.
Shortly after Biden clinched enough electoral votes to win the presidency, Barr authorized the Justice Department to look into the president's claims of voting "irregularities." At the time, Barr noted in his memo to assistant attorneys general that most instances of "election misconduct" are never at a scale that would impact the outcome of a federal election.
Still, Barr's comments to the AP on Tuesday appeared to be the first time that he has publicly disputed the president's allegations of widespread voter fraud.
Shortly after the interview was published, Barr was seen entering the White House for unknown reasons. A White House spokesperson declined to comment, referring BuzzFeed News to the Justice Department.
Justice Department spokesperson Kerri Kupec told a pool reporter that Barr was at the White House “for a previously scheduled meeting.”
Over the summer, the attorney general pushed the baseless claim that foreign powers could manipulate mail-in ballots and therefore create widespread voter fraud. He never offered any evidence to support that idea, telling CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer that he was basing the theory on "logic."
In his interview with the AP, Barr also appeared to rebuke an unsubstantiated theory of a vast, well-funded conspiracy pushed by the Trump campaign's legal team as it tried to delay the certification of results. Attorneys for the campaign recently attempted to draw connections among the companies that produced electronic voting and ballot-counting systems and the Clinton Foundation, investor and philanthropist George Soros, the self-described "antifa," and the Venezuelan government.
“There’s been one assertion that would be systemic fraud, and that would be the claim that machines were programmed essentially to skew the election results. And the DHS and DOJ have looked into that, and so far, we haven’t seen anything to substantiate that,” Barr said.
In a statement Tuesday, the Trump campaign's legal team dismissed the attorney general's comments, saying that "his opinion appears to be without any knowledge or investigation of the substantial irregularities and evidence of systemic fraud.”
“With all due respect to the Attorney General, there hasn’t been any semblance of a Department of Justice investigation," campaign lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Jenna Ellis said in the statement.
The lawyers provided no such evidence for their claims.


buzzfeed--2020-12-02--Keke Palmer Got Candid About Her Experience With Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome And Acne And This Is S

Keke Palmer Got Candid About Her Experience With Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome And Acne And This Is So Important

Keke had to figure out her diagnosis herself because doctors were n't helping her reach it .
`` Unfortunately doctors @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t ‘ look the part ’ they may not think that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ explained .
`` They may not even suggest it if you ‘ look healthy ’ @ @ @ @ @ came to a doctor in tears once and all they offered was a measles vaccine… @ @ @

Keke had to figure out her diagnosis herself because doctors weren't helping her reach it. "Unfortunately doctors are people and if you don’t ‘look the part’ they may not think that’s your problem," she explained. "They may not even suggest it if you ‘look healthy’ whatever that means! I came to a doctor in tears once and all they offered was a measles vaccine… Exactly."


buzzfeed--2020-12-02--Moms Are Exposing How Much It Costs To Give Birth In US Hospitals And It's Going Viral Because It's


buzzfeed--2020-12-02--Ice-T Had An Ice Cold Response To His Father-In-Law Getting COVID, And It's Causing Controversy On T


buzzfeed--2020-12-02--An ICU Nurse's "How It Started Vs. How It's Going" Meme Is Going Viral For Showing What Healthcare W


buzzfeed--2020-12-02--Keke Palmer Got Candid About Her Experience With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome And Acne, And This Is So

Keke Palmer Got Candid About Her Experience With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome And Acne, And This Is So Important


buzzfeed--2020-12-02--Healthcare Workers And Nursing Home Residents Should Be First In Line For A Coronavirus Vaccine, A C

A CDC expert panel voted 13–1 on Tuesday to recommend that the first COVID-19 vaccines should go to healthcare workers and nursing homes as soon as they are authorized by the FDA , a decision expected later this month .
The CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices ( ACIP ) vote prioritizes both populations equally for the first vaccines , coming amid a surging nationwide pandemic .
The meeting finalized months of vaccine distribution planning by the committee ’ s experts and federal officials , who had to balance medical ethics , what science has learned about people with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccination for these populations .
The debate over who should get the first vaccines reached a fever pitch with recent reports of Trump administration officials pressing for seniors over age 65 to receive vaccines ahead of healthcare workers .
“ My vote reflects maximizing benefits , minimizing harms , promoting justice , and minimizing inequities in distributing these vaccines , ” said panel chair José Romero , secretary of health at the Arkansas Department of Health .
If the ACIP recommendations are approved by CDC Director Robert Redfield , they become agency guidelines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the agency .
The government will distribute the first vaccines to states based on their populations , Alex Azar , head of the Department of Health and Human Services , said last week .
The decision of who to distribute the vaccines to first will then ultimately be up to individual governors , he added .
“ This is important because the COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented , ” Emory University ’ s Walter Orenstein , former director of the United States Immunization Program , told BuzzFeed News .
`` It is important for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have a perspective , when the first doses of vaccine are rolled out , to whom they should be targeted.
” There are some 21 million healthcare personnel in the US and 3 million residents of nursing homes .
Operation Warp Speed , the $ 10 billion public–private partnership aimed at fast-tracking the development of COVID-19 treatments and vaccines , hopes to have shots ready for about 20 million Americans before the end of the year .
CDC officials said at the meeting they initially expect to distribute 5 million to 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2021 .
Two vaccine candidates , one made by Pfizer and one made by Moderna , have reported 95 % and 94.1 % efficacy , respectively , in blocking COVID-19 cases among participants in clinical trials who have received two shots of their vaccines spaced weeks apart .
Both have requested FDA authorization for their distribution .
On Dec. 10 , an FDA independent expert panel will meet to consider the Pfizer vaccine ’ s authorization , and a similar meeting will be held on Dec. 17 for the Moderna one .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorizes a vaccine and then the CDC director approves vaccine distribution priorities decided by its advisory panel .
However , with more than 2,000 Americans a day dying from COVID-19 in the days ahead of Thanksgiving , the CDC panel vote came first , intended to ease distribution of vaccines as the FDA authorizes them .
CDC said there will be another meeting after the Dec. 10 FDA meeting to vote specifically on distributing Pfizer ’ s vaccine .
`` We hope this vote will get us all one step closer to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again , '' said the CDC ’ s Nancy Messonnier , who spoke at Tuesday 's meeting .
Consideration by independent experts is standard for any new vaccine , Orenstein said .
“ What is uncommon is the speed with which this is occurring because of the ongoing pandemic , ” he said .


buzzfeed--2020-12-02--6 Inspirational Passages To Read When You're Feeling Hopeless


buzzfeed--2020-12-03--An ICU Nurse's "How It Started Vs. How It's Going" Meme Is Going Viral For Showing What Healthcare W