buzzfeed--2020-09-14--Peter Thiel Met With The Racist Fringe As He Went All In On Trump

Four years ago, billionaire venture capitalist and Facebook board member Peter Thiel made one of his biggest bets: He went all in on Donald Trump. The normally tight-lipped and enigmatic Thiel gave a very public imprimatur as a prominent speaker at the Republican convention, tying his reputation as one of the most successful figures in modern tech to a presidential candidate despised throughout Silicon Valley.
“Tonight,” he said in a nationally televised address at the convention, “I urge all of my fellow Americans to stand up and vote for Donald Trump.” He made history as the convention's first speaker to declare himself "proud to be gay" and he extolled Trump not as “a return to the past” but rather a return to “that bright future.”
Thiel was used to making risky bets. He was a startup veteran, a PayPal cofounder who wrote Facebook a check for $500,000 months after it launched. But Trump was different. Few in Silicon Valley wanted in on that round. Still, just a week after the Access Hollywood tape leaked of Trump boasting about sexually assaulting women — a clip that sent other prominent Republicans fleeing — Thiel ponied up $1.25 million.
The donation was well known. But what has not been previously reported is just how much Thiel was willing to gamble on Trump’s MAGA movement during the 2016 election. His bet went far beyond money, speeches, or even mainstream Republican politics. Even as Thiel staked his reputation on the candidate in public, he met in private with the racist fringe that felt emboldened by Trump’s rise to power.
BuzzFeed News can reveal that in at least one instance during the summer of 2016, Thiel hosted a dinner with one of the most influential and vocal white nationalists in modern-day America — a man who has called for the creation of a white ethnostate and played a key role in an effort to mainstream white nationalism as the “alt-right.” And then Thiel emailed the next day to say how much he’d enjoyed his company.
Among those on the racist right, Thiel’s outreach raised hopes that his financial bet on Trump would extend into the ascendant alt-right movement, which despite its prominence was a collection of small and often cash-strapped organizations. One avowed white nationalist privately speculated that Thiel’s money and influence could have made him “our George Soros.”
Thiel’s wager on Trump paid off, at least at first, and the Republican candidate’s victory ushered him into a new echelon of political power. Thiel seeded allies throughout the new administration and won a direct line of communication with the White House.
Palantir, the data analytics company he cofounded, is flush with government contracts and rushing to go public ahead of the November election. Facebook, where he is a board member, counts the Trump campaign as one of its largest political advertisers, and partly avoided the ire that peers such as Google and Twitter have faced from the administration. The people Thiel helped elevate in government now oversee billion-dollar budgets and national security decisions.
But while Thiel’s associates still remain in positions of power in the administration and he’s maintained fleeting contact with Trump officials, the Silicon Valley magnate has distanced himself from the president and his 2020 campaign, according to sources who spoke with BuzzFeed News. He has made no media appearances or penned any opinion pieces in support of Trump, as he did in 2016. More tellingly, he’s given no money so far to the president’s effort to retain the White House.
Although Thiel has been moving away from Trump for years now, his write-down on a presidential investment during an election year is due in part to the administration’s disastrous response to the coronavirus. As the economy tanked and millions got sick, Thiel became furious, as first reported by the Daily Beast. Two people close to Thiel have confirmed that the pandemic was a breaking point for the technocrat, who once hoped electing a political outsider would disrupt bureaucracy and bring about radical change and innovation in government.
Asked about Thiel’s lack of involvement, a senior White House official said, “It’s no secret that Peter Thiel has been a long and dedicated supporter of the president and the many policy achievements the Trump administration has made on behalf of the American people.”
If you have more information or a tip regarding white nationalism and tech and political institutions, contact rosie.gray@buzzfeed.com and ryan.mac@buzzfeed.com, or reach us securely at tips.buzzfeed.com.
Thiel’s personal victories over the last four years came with risks that are only now becoming apparent. He was able to get in early on a rising political power, but his efforts also brought him into contact with the darkest elements of that power, and to an administration whose competence he doubts. Thiel’s bet worked until it didn’t. He has now decamped from Silicon Valley, where he was no longer welcome in some tech circles, for Los Angeles, where he lives with his family.
BuzzFeed News sent a detailed request for comment this week to a representative for Thiel. Thiel did not respond.
Facebook and Palantir both declined to comment on Thiel’s interactions with the white nationalist far right.


buzzfeed--2020-09-14--GOP Senate Nominee Jason Lewis Founded A Social Network Where People Promoted A Pro-Hitler Documenta

GOP Senate Nominee Jason Lewis Founded A Social Network Where People Promoted A Pro-Hitler Documentary

Galt let its community decide what was most important to them .
This is what they chose .
A members-only social media network founded in 2013 by former representative Jason Lewis , the current Republican nominee for Senate in Minnesota , hosted message boards that promoted a pro-Hitler documentary , called for migrants to be put in camps , and raised money for an ad campaign that paid Lewis and his business partners .
In 2014 , Lewis sat down with Fox Business host John Stossel to promote the network , which he called Galt.io , after the hero of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still a talk radio host , explained that Galt.io would be a closed community whose members could invest using a digital currency earned with their participation or bought with real money .
The Galtcoins functioned like Reddit upvotes , signaling which topics people cared the most about as they invested into “ causes ” or “ missions.
” “ We ’ re not going to tell people what causes are going to win , ” Lewis told Stossel .
“ That ’ s going to be a function of the marketplace .
So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what people are interested in is going to be determined on Galt.io.
” According to archives and screenshots , what people on Galt were interested in was doubting climate change , scapegoating immigrants , and promoting a pro-Hitler documentary that denied the Holocaust .
Lewis stepped away from the site in 2015 and Galt.io went offline in the summer of 2020 .
Lewis left his talk radio job in 2014 to devote himself to the site , which he cofounded with financial strategist Kurt Lieberman and entrepreneur Alex Huff .
In the code @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ a secret society ” and evoked the movie Fight Club saying , “ First Rule of Galt.io : Do not talk about what goes on in Galt !
” Lewis claimed to have raised $ 590,000 for Galt , a number that could not be verified .
Records filed with the House of Representatives in 2016 show he defaulted on a $ 25,000 loan to the company and transferred ownership of the site to undisclosed parties .
During his time running it , Lewis touted the site 's popularity , saying in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12.8 million pageviews in 2014 .
That number couldn ’ t be independently verified , but the Facebook page for Galt.io has just over 1,000 likes and little activity .
Despite the lack of clarity , a review of Galt.io 's archive and screenshots revealed deeply troubling material .
“ Blaming Jason Lewis for comments made by others on a public website is akin to blaming Mark Zuckerberg for everything that ’ s said on Facebook , even less so when you consider Jason Lewis has had no involvement with this website for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , communications director for the Lewis campaign , told BuzzFeed News .
She added , “ the Minnesota Senate race has been ranked a toss-up and Jason Lewis is statistically tied in numerous polls , so right on cue , Democrat-aligned Buzzfeed trots out a boring and pathetic hit job in an attempt to distract from Tina Smith ’ s full-on embrace of radical positions like her affinity for the defund the police movement.
” Lewis has a history of controversial comments and views of his own , including comparing gay people to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ harmed by having gay parents .
But the content that his site hosted was even more extreme .
Among the causes people on Galt.io promoted was a six-hour pro-Hitler documentary , which BuzzFeed News is choosing not to name , that denies the Holocaust .
BuzzFeed News could not determine when this post was made .
“ To understand the dangers in the world at this time , just watch this film , ” the poster said .
“ One can see the facts , indisputable facts , of what happened before , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's no evidence that the documentary raised any money or attracted attention .
But another discussion topic certainly did .
A group called De-Migrantize Zone was started in 2018 after President Donald Trump seized on news of people from South America traveling to the US border .
On Galt.io , people condemned those migrants , with one person saying they should be placed in camps .
“ When the DMZ base camp has been secured at location , move to mobilize and capture as many of the invaders as possible by encircling them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their future destinations , ” wrote a person with the username Scarecrow .
The anti-migrant post was made after Lewis gave up ownership of the site .
But he seemed to know the person who created the post .
In an earlier comment to members about a real-life meetup at a Minnesota pizza shop while he was active , Lewis thanked Scarecrow and a few other members “ for doing the legwork.
” In another post , Lewis started a topic called Save Our Streets , where he criticized the anti-NRA stance of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Isla Vista massacre , in which Elliot Rodger killed six people .
“ What is the complete and accurate history of the suspect ’ s use of psychotropic drugs , ” Lewis wrote .
“ Are anti-depressants doing more harm than good ?
I don ’ t profess to know , but they seem to be omnipresent in a modern era marked by these bizarre and dangerous outbursts .
Should we reconsider their use ?
” While on the site , Lewis used it to promote his audiobook , organize a letter-writing campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raise money for ads opposing a state gas tax , which he funneled to himself and his business partners .
That campaign appears to be the only one of the site 's fundraisers that successfully received money .
Lewis raised just over $ 6,000 , promising the money would go toward an advertising campaign .
Although the ads were produced , documents show Lewis moved the funds to himself and his associates to carry them out .
Galt.io had its own PAC , which purchased the ads , including two billboards , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Galt.io PAC was created by a firm run by Dan Backer , a DC lawyer .
But those donations ran through a complex structure : Rather than donors giving directly to the PAC , the money came from Loximity , a company started by Huff , one of the Galt cofounders , possibly to shield the identity of the donors .
Most of the PAC ’ s expenditures were tied back to entities connected to Lewis .
The largest cut , $ 2,000 , went to Lewis ’ s former employer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , $ 1,500 , went to Jon Foss Productions .
Foss runs a YouTube channel that hosts promotional videos for Lewis and Galt .
The Jason Lewis Show also received $ 500 , records show .
The hike did not pass .
Lewis departed the company soon after , winning a seat in the House in the 2016 election , which he lost two years later .
“ For the last couple of years with you in Galt , I was amazed with the ideas , activity , and community that is developing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ note published on the site .
“ Although there ’ s no shortage of uninformed critics , we have created something amazing together , mostly under the radar .
It is my sincere belief that the network will be a force for liberty going forward.
” That force stayed in motion .
Since he departed , members of the site have called anti-fascist activists “ rats , ” railed against the “ deep state , ” and opposed vaccinations .
In discussions , the site 's participants mixed racism and conspiracy theories about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delusional bitch '' Hillary Clinton , with Lewis 's attempts at self-promotion .
One post read “ Is ISIS good for the jews.
” Another warned of a “ sharia invasion ” and the “ Muslims that our Globalist handlers are allowing into our country.
” Another post complained about the movie Black Panther , writing , “ I find it interesting that this movie is gushed about as a triumph of diversity when the premise of the movie is an ethnostate that wants to protect its borders from other ‘ cultures ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gee , that doesn ’ t sound diverse .
In fact richard spencer talks about the same thing and yet he is called racist and supremacist , but in this movie they are lauded .
Hypocrisy , thy name is liberal !
” Members also rallied around their love for golf .
“ The audience for the golf tournament was probably conservative , ” one member posted under the “ I love golf ” cause .
“ I doubt if there are any illegals watching and the normal lib probably can ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ different numbers .
”

A members-only social media network founded in 2013 by former representative Jason Lewis, the current Republican nominee for Senate in Minnesota, hosted message boards that promoted a pro-Hitler documentary, called for migrants to be put in camps, and raised money for an ad campaign that paid Lewis and his business partners.
In 2014, Lewis sat down with Fox Business host John Stossel to promote the network, which he called Galt.io, after the hero of an Ayn Rand novel. Lewis, still a talk radio host, explained that Galt.io would be a closed community whose members could invest using a digital currency earned with their participation or bought with real money. The Galtcoins functioned like Reddit upvotes, signaling which topics people cared the most about as they invested into “causes” or “missions.”
“We’re not going to tell people what causes are going to win,” Lewis told Stossel. “That’s going to be a function of the marketplace. So once that cause is out there, what people are interested in is going to be determined on Galt.io.”
According to archives and screenshots, what people on Galt were interested in was doubting climate change, scapegoating immigrants, and promoting a pro-Hitler documentary that denied the Holocaust. Lewis stepped away from the site in 2015 and Galt.io went offline in the summer of 2020.
Lewis left his talk radio job in 2014 to devote himself to the site, which he cofounded with financial strategist Kurt Lieberman and entrepreneur Alex Huff. In the code of conduct, they compared it to “a secret society” and evoked the movie Fight Club saying, “First Rule of Galt.io: Do not talk about what goes on in Galt!”
Lewis claimed to have raised $590,000 for Galt, a number that could not be verified. Records filed with the House of Representatives in 2016 show he defaulted on a $25,000 loan to the company and transferred ownership of the site to undisclosed parties.
During his time running it, Lewis touted the site's popularity, saying in a post on Galt.io that it received 12.8 million pageviews in 2014. That number couldn’t be independently verified, but the Facebook page for Galt.io has just over 1,000 likes and little activity. Despite the lack of clarity, a review of Galt.io's archive and screenshots revealed deeply troubling material.
“Blaming Jason Lewis for comments made by others on a public website is akin to blaming Mark Zuckerberg for everything that’s said on Facebook, even less so when you consider Jason Lewis has had no involvement with this website for nearly six years," Christine Snell, communications director for the Lewis campaign, told BuzzFeed News.
She added, “the Minnesota Senate race has been ranked a toss-up and Jason Lewis is statistically tied in numerous polls, so right on cue, Democrat-aligned Buzzfeed trots out a boring and pathetic hit job in an attempt to distract from Tina Smith’s full-on embrace of radical positions like her affinity for the defund the police movement.”


buzzfeed--2020-09-15--13 Horrific Period Moments You'll Only Understand If You've Had One

You ever run out of tampons when your period has just started and you need to do bleeding+walking/driving math to @ @ @ @ @ and try to calculate just how much toilet paper you need to fashion into a @ @ @ @ @ s not easy shit .

You ever run out of tampons when your period has just started and you need to do bleeding+walking/driving math to get to the nearest store and try to calculate just how much toilet paper you need to fashion into a makeshift pad/wad? That’s not easy shit.


buzzfeed--2020-09-15--For Those Of You Who Are Having More Bad Days Than Good Right Now

“ I HOPE THIS finds you well .
But if it doesn ’ t , I 'm so sorry for whatever you 're carrying right now .
You must be tired.
” That ’ s how the first draft of this post began — and this final one , too , I guess — before it went some ways into trying to convince you that you are wonderful , and that I know it , despite not ever having met you .
I pointed to little moments I cherish , given to me by people who will not now recall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surely , you are the catalyst for similar moments without your knowing so .
It went as follows : “ I know you ’ re wonderful , because I once was sitting alone in a cafe , in a city not my own , and a woman came up to me , just to tell me she liked my freckles .
There ’ s no way she could ’ ve sensed , but I ’ ve always been fond of them and it felt wonderful to have someone think they ’ re lovely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I still remember my Year 8 English teacher , who spared some minutes after school to read my awful poetry , which I look back on with gratitude , though she will never know .
And a nurse , in the final hours of a night shift , made me laugh through my labouring pain , while we waited for my obstetrician to arrive — before going home and probably never thinking of me again .
But it made all the difference to me in my fear .
I am not the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; no doubt Mrs White encountered so many more aspiring teenage writers ; and there have since been so many first-time mothers in that mint green birthing suite .
But for me , there will only be those three who could ’ ve given me those specific moments of joy and comfort .
”

“I HOPE THIS finds you well.
But if it doesn’t, I'm so sorry for whatever you're carrying right now. You must be tired.”
That’s how the first draft of this post began — and this final one, too, I guess — before it went some ways into trying to convince you that you are wonderful, and that I know it, despite not ever having met you. I pointed to little moments I cherish, given to me by people who will not now recall I exist, and that just as surely, you are the catalyst for similar moments without your knowing so. It went as follows:
“I know you’re wonderful, because I once was sitting alone in a cafe, in a city not my own, and a woman came up to me, just to tell me she liked my freckles. There’s no way she could’ve sensed, but I’ve always been fond of them and it felt wonderful to have someone think they’re lovely, too.
Over a decade later, I still remember my Year 8 English teacher, who spared some minutes after school to read my awful poetry, which I look back on with gratitude, though she will never know.
And a nurse, in the final hours of a night shift, made me laugh through my labouring pain, while we waited for my obstetrician to arrive — before going home and probably never thinking of me again. But it made all the difference to me in my fear.
I am not the last stranger with freckles in Downtown LA; no doubt Mrs White encountered so many more aspiring teenage writers; and there have since been so many first-time mothers in that mint green birthing suite. But for me, there will only be those three who could’ve given me those specific moments of joy and comfort.”


buzzfeed--2020-09-15--What Loneliness Looks Like When You're Married And Are A Mother

However , I suspect — and I could be wrong — but surely , I ’ m not the only @ @ @ @ @ one who has hundreds of people peering in at moments of a life lived on @ @ @ @ @ people to live them with .
Actually live them with , not just to recount @ @ @ @ @ in a while .
I can ’ t — not when there are millions of @ @ @ @ @ be the only one who invests love and time into relationships that , for whatever @ @ @ @ @ Even though you swear it was the meeting of souls this time , not like @ @ @ @ @ I can ’ t be the only person with a loving family and a home @ @ @ @ @ and love , who sometimes , still feels lonely .

However, I suspect — and I could be wrong — but surely, I’m not the only one.
Not the only one who has hundreds of people peering in at moments of a life lived on social media — but few people to live them with. Actually live them with, not just to recount over coffee with, once in a while.
I can’t — not when there are millions of people in this world — be the only one who invests love and time into relationships that, for whatever reason, quietly dissolve. Even though you swear it was the meeting of souls this time, not like the times before.
And I can’t be the only person with a loving family and a home full of giggling and silliness and love, who sometimes, still feels lonely.


buzzfeed--2020-09-15--Don't Call Bernie Sanders And Joe Biden "Friends"

It bothers Jane Sanders when people say her husband is “ friends ” with Joe Biden .
To be clear , she said , he isn ’ t , they aren ’ t , etc .
Not even in the Washington sense of the word .
The characterization is one she regards as false and in need of correction , which she issued at multiple points in the course of a phone call last month from Burlington , Vermont , as one might clear up an incorrect name , date , or place : “ We don ’ t go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get dinner together .
We work together , all of us , whether it ’ s Jill and me , or Joe and Bernie .
It 's built on work — and there are differences.
” “ There are definitely differences !
” Jane said .
And yet , there it is again .
That word : friends , friends , friends .
Ever since the end of the campaign , she ’ s seen it crop up in the coverage .
“ People somehow keep on referring to ‘ Oh , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , sounding resigned to it now .
That fact that Bernie Sanders has both repeatedly and literally said the words “ Joe is a friend ” is , it seems , beside the point .
( Other public statements include “ Joe is my friend , ” “ Joe is a good friend , ” and “ I like Joe.
” ) The distinction made by Jane , his partner of nearly 40 years and his closest political adviser , has less to do with the nuances of male friendship — though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ hanging out ” ( texting ? )
— or the generational warmth that bonds two 1940s-born men who served together in the Senate and share a certain respect and reverence for the institution .
The sensitivity lies somewhere beyond that , between Biden , Sanders , and a third party : the movement .
“ Everybody keeps on acting like , ‘ Well , Bernie pulled his punches because they 're friends , ’ ” Jane said .
“ He did n't pull his punches .
They fought on issues , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a long race that drew a total of 27 candidates before narrowing to the two men , some Sanders campaign aides pleaded with their boss to go harder on Biden ’ s record .
To their eyes , it was exactly the kind of incremental , “ same old , same old status quo ” politics they viewed as wrong on the issues ( Iraq , trade , health care ) and unexciting in a general election against Donald Trump .
At turns , Sanders challenged Biden , then pulled back — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He did like Joe .
And he said so publicly .
Privately , he was willing to admit the obvious , which was that he liked Joe a lot better than the last Democrat who beat him , a fact that still enrages parts of the Hillary Clinton community .
This time , when the primary ended in early April , the two candidates set up six task forces , each one jointly staffed by Sanders and Biden ’ s people , to come up with policy recommendations .
Over the summer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ via phone .
Their wives , Jane and Jill , exchanged texts .
The Sanders family , who spent their quarantine at home in Burlington , has a certain faith in Biden — one they never felt with Clinton — that he is not only willing to listen to the left , but “ has recognized , ” Jane said , “ that the world has changed a bit.
” The future of Sanders ’ s movement — the rage against the establishment , the “ political revolution ” and his role in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Time of Biden .
For more than five years , a big share of the progressive movement has been tied to the personal identity and political future of a candidate who has now run his last national campaign .
At 79 , Sanders has said he won ’ t run for president again .
His movement shaped a new generation of young progressives , but has no clear successor .
His ideas have become “ mainstream , ” as he often notes , but can claim only a mixed record when it comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential race , the movement lost .
Early on in the primary , Sanders watched other Democratic candidates back away , one by one , from his signature healthcare plan , Medicare for All , which they ’ d jumped to cosponsor just two years earlier .
When it became a two-man race , a choice between his politics and Biden ’ s , he found himself losing , badly .
And months later , when it came time to pick a vice presidential nominee , Biden passed over an opportunity to appeal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instead .
After she held her first event as his running mate , delivering a speech from A.I .
du Pont High School in Wilmington , a reporter shouted across the room : “ Sen .
Harris , do you support Medicare for All ?
” If the question answered itself , it didn ’ t seem to matter .
Harris ignored it .
At the same time , Sanders kept an active but quiet presence at home in Burlington , watching with increasing alarm as Trump mishandled the coronavirus crisis , teargassed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sent federal agents to American cities .
The prospect of Trump 's reelection became something more personal for Sanders , stirring up thoughts of his own painful family history , according to three people familiar with his thinking .
Growing up with relatives who died in Nazi-occupied Poland , one of those people said , Sanders developed an “ acute awareness of how people can get sucked into authoritarianism once the guardrails of democracy come down.
” As a child , he cried when he looked at photos in books about the destruction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ that weighs heavily , ” Jane said .
So four months after the end of his presidential campaign , when he returned to the national stage to speak at the Democratic National Convention , Sanders did not say much about the question of his legacy , or the future of his movement , or the way forward for progressives .
He spent weeks on the speech — interrogating each sentence , stripping down each point , people close to him said — until the draft fit with mercenary spareness in his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minutes and 29 seconds , delivered from the back corner of a restaurant in Burlington called Hen of the Wood .
When someone off-camera signaled to him in the silence — “ Go , ” a woman said — Sanders used his time to make an appeal for Biden ’ s agenda , separate from his own .
“ Let me offer you just a few examples of how Joe will move us forward , ” he told supporters .
The progressive cause was still growing , he said , but this was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a fight “ for democracy and decency , ” he said — a “ movement like never before.
” If there has been a discussion on the left about whether this election was a time to be tough on Biden , or to put aside that debate and focus on defeating Trump , Sanders seemed to land on the latter .
His outlook on the race — his polar views of Biden and Trump — has effectively put the `` political revolution '' on hold until Nov. 3 , 2020 .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Sanders privately expressed concerns about Biden ’ s messaging , with top aide Faiz Shakir telling the newspaper that they have “ urged ” the campaign to focus more on pocketbook issues , the former candidate didn ’ t deny the substance of the claims .
But he still made a point of pushing back on the reports of dissent .
“ No , ” Sanders told MSNBC on Sunday .
“ Of course they ’ re not true.
” In one interview after the next , Sanders has said the fight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ends .
“ The day after Biden is elected , we ’ re gon na have a serious debate about the future of this country , ” he ’ s said .
“ We will fight about our ideas — we ’ ll fight about healthcare and education and climate change — after Biden is elected , ” he ’ s said .
Biden , he ’ s said , has the potential to be “ the most progressive president ” since Franklin D. Roosevelt .
For some of his supporters , this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time Sanders made his pitch for Biden ’ s agenda at the convention last month — including , to the dismay of some , his more modest “ public option ” healthcare plan — about 850 of his own delegates , the supporters representing his campaign at the convention , had already pledged to vote against the Democratic platform .
The official if largely symbolic document , outlining the party ’ s stance on policy every four years , did not endorse Medicare for All .
Some of the most prominent voices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including his campaign ’ s national co-chairs , former Ohio state senator Nina Turner and Rep. Ro Khanna , and Rep. Rashida Tlaib , one of four progressive women of color in Congress who make up “ the Squad.
” “ It was a little disappointing but unsurprising , ” said Winnie Wong , a veteran of progressive politics who served as a senior adviser on Sanders ’ 2020 campaign .
“ There was no way he would go live and make mention of the fact that nearly his entire delegation is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Looking ahead to a potential Biden administration , the question of what Sanders might offer , and what his supporters might want or expect , no longer seems clear-cut .
“ Joe Biden won ’ t be the next FDR unless there are people like Bernie Sanders and other progressive leaders in Congress waking up every single day knowing that their job is not to be friends with Joe Biden , ” said David Sirota , one of the campaign officials who pushed Sanders to step up his attacks on Biden during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to push Joe Biden whether he likes it or not .
“ It can ’ t be both .
You have to choose.
” The former vice president , now 50 days out from the election , has described his relationship with Sanders as a mutual , good-faith partnership : Biden was never going to be for Medicare for All — “ I had to be sure that Bernie was serious , ” he told the New Yorker , “ [ that he ] wasn ’ t going to make this an ideological @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ways to “ move further ” on the margins .
Younger generations , he told the magazine , faced new problems .
So they agreed on proposals to lower the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 60 and make public college free for families earning less than $ 125,000 .
One campaign aide recalled watching the two men cross paths at a forum in 2019 : Biden was in a hallway backstage , off to the side , talking with a small group .
Sanders said hello and continued down the hall .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ made a comment about Bernie being a good guy .
When someone in the group countered with a sarcastic remark , Biden quickly cut him off , defending Sanders as a person he ’ d known for years .
“ He didn ’ t have to say anything , ” said the person who witnessed the interaction .
At the end of the primary in 2016 , Clinton ’ s team also sat down with Sanders and his staff — mostly to hammer out changes to the Democratic platform — “ but we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with her that we do with Biden , ” Jane said of the difference .
“ There ’ s a mutual respect .
There ’ s a trust and a collegiality.
” There is also none of the bitterness or hurt feelings .
At the last Democratic convention , held over four 100-degree days in Philadelphia ’ s Wells Fargo Center , Sanders offered his endorsement from the stage in a half-hour speech , the first eight minutes of which he spent quieting his supporters .
He threw his full support behind Clinton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his movement , outlining the changes to the 2016 platform , like battle spoils to the crowd .
WikiLeaks had just published 20,000 hacked emails from the Democratic National Committee , some of which showed that party officials serving as neutral arbiters of the primary process had in fact unfairly favored Clinton , and the chaos seemed to validate and crystalize the emotional make-up of Sanders ’ s movement : the anger at the establishment ; the distrust of the political process ; the constant state of hyper-vigilance , always bracing for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and defiance , one always tingeing the other , until they almost sound the same .
“ I feel better about this election than I do about 2016 , ” Jane said when asked about the difference between this year ’ s convention and the one four years ago .
“ It 's not personal .
It 's not like we're… ” She stopped , nearly broaching that word again .
“ It 's a different ...
I do n't want to revisit 2016.
” “ I just remember that feeling in that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ What the hell are we doing ?
” Afterward , Sanders traveled the country for Clinton , holding 39 rallies in 13 states on behalf of her campaign .
But the end of that race had been a fight — a time to make demands , eke out concessions , and push his agenda on the party .
This election has been something different .
The convention four years later , an almost entirely digital event , was a more quiet affair , with scarce reference to Sanders or his movement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the policy task forces , the fight was relegated to a virtual meeting of the rules committee .
Sanders appointees , in an episode first reported by Politico , briefly erupted over a motion to “ table ” — or , in this case , get rid of — a measure that would have limited the influence of corporate money in the party .
“ Table till when ?
Table till when ?
” one shouted , according to an account of the meeting from three participants .
In a separate “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zoom in which members could listen in on the main proceedings , more Bernie people started yelling .
Then the Biden people were yelling too — they couldn ’ t hear what was happening .
And then soon , everyone was yelling .
Expletives could be heard through the noise .
In the main room , the meeting continued without interruption .
No one could hear them .
“ Let ’ s hold up signs , ” a Bernie appointee suggested at one point .
They were on mute .
Bernie Sanders has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again .
He won ’ t have another national campaign , with the big staff and the plane .
There won ’ t be another Washington headquarters , or a team waiting for him in every state .
His rallies , when they return , won ’ t feel the same .
He is no longer a person who might , one day , be president ; that special sheen , the thing that obsesses political journalists and supplies constant airtime , has already faded .
Sanders , a man who fields personal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only glancingly addressed the topic of his future and the way he now sees his “ role.
” Efforts to ascribe meaning and clarity to the moment can seem vague and contradictory : Over the last month , he has been described all at once as cementing his legacy , “ passing the baton , ” celebrating victory , saying goodbye , entering retirement , forging ahead .
“ I hate all these stories , ” said Jeff Weaver , Sanders ’ 2016 campaign manager and longest-serving strategist , ticking off mock headlines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What are you talking about ?
‘ Where ’ s Bernie gone ?
’ ?
He hasn ’ t gone anywhere !
” If the idea of Sanders riding off into the sunset seems ridiculous , then so is the suggestion that nothing really changed when he ended his 2020 campaign .
For the staff who worked for him , the final stage of the race rolled in like a weird , bewildering haze .
The same day he lost in Michigan , the primary he needed most to keep his campaign alive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around , fly home to Vermont , and indefinitely cancel events due to COVID-19 .
Aides had to cope with the loss in quarantine , isolated alone .
There were marathon Zoom calls at first .
One group of staffers decided to just stay in Vermont , rent a farm , and live cooperatively .
A small group of senior aides are still helping Sanders , but most of the team has processed the end from afar .
Hours before Sanders gave his speech last month , former staffers shared an image from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bid : Out in the crowd , an early supporter could be seen hoisting a sign , spray-painted with the words “ STILL HERE.
” Sanders has split his time this summer between Vermont and Capitol Hill .
Last week , he turned 79 .
Most years , Sanders celebrates his birthday with an annual “ Sunset Cruise ” aboard the Spirit of Ethan Allen , a three-deck ship off the waterfront in Burlington , with live music from his favorite Vermont band , Mango Jam , a six-piece dance band that plays @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there was no Sunset Cruise .
In an email , Mango Jam member Mimi Ryan ( alto sax , vocals ) cited COVID-19 restrictions and the upcoming election as the likely reason .
“ Bernie keeps pretty busy , as we all know , ” Ryan said .
“ Maybe 2021.
” The Sanders family is , in fact , still very much in campaign mode .
During the recent phone call with Jane , questions about life since the end of the race yielded less in the way of emotional insight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to “ communicate effectively ” during a pandemic .
What sounds at first like a perfectly normal lament about life in quarantine — “ it ’ s still strange not to be out among people , ” she started to say — turns out to be a reference in the most literal sense to “ being among people.
” As in , voters .
As in , “ How do you campaign during this pandemic ?
” she said , finishing her thought .
“ But also , how do you bring people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of “ our rallies ” and the “ exhilarating ” feeling of thousands of people joining together in a show of force for progressive ideas ( and , presumably , for Biden ) .
The couple has turned half their house into a studio , Jane said .
“ We 're on the phone constantly .
On conference calls , talking to various people , doing livestreams or Zoom calls .
And , you know , writing.
” Most days , Sanders sends his staff text for as many as four or five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the “ Bernie Sanders ” account , according to an aide .
He has held eight virtual town halls in states like Michigan and Colorado over the last month , events where he appears from Vermont , hunched before a virtually rendered woodland backdrop , talking about the threat posed by Trump .
“ Bernie is not our president , but he ’ s not going away .
He ’ s not , ” his wife said .
“ He will still be a very significant leader and a representative of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but of the progressives .
He is basically here for the movement .
He wants to make sure that people understand that the progress we ’ ve made — it can ’ t be stopped or disrespected.
” On this question , Bernie and Jane Sanders seem reassured , even if some of their supporters aren ’ t , that Biden will move toward their agenda , not away from it , if he wins this fall .
“ And yes , ” Jane said , “ we do n't get everything all @ @ @ @

It bothers Jane Sanders when people say her husband is “friends” with Joe Biden. To be clear, she said, he isn’t, they aren’t, etc. Not even in the Washington sense of the word. The characterization is one she regards as false and in need of correction, which she issued at multiple points in the course of a phone call last month from Burlington, Vermont, as one might clear up an incorrect name, date, or place: “We don’t go out together. We don’t get dinner together. We work together, all of us, whether it’s Jill and me, or Joe and Bernie. It's built on work — and there are differences.”
“There are definitely differences!” Jane said.
And yet, there it is again. That word: friends, friends, friends. Ever since the end of the campaign, she’s seen it crop up in the coverage. “People somehow keep on referring to ‘Oh, we’re friends,’” she said, sounding resigned to it now.
That fact that Bernie Sanders has both repeatedly and literally said the words “Joe is a friend” is, it seems, beside the point. (Other public statements include “Joe is my friend,” “Joe is a good friend,” and “I like Joe.”) The distinction made by Jane, his partner of nearly 40 years and his closest political adviser, has less to do with the nuances of male friendship — though imagine for a moment Joe and Bernie “hanging out” (texting?) — or the generational warmth that bonds two 1940s-born men who served together in the Senate and share a certain respect and reverence for the institution.
The sensitivity lies somewhere beyond that, between Biden, Sanders, and a third party: the movement.
“Everybody keeps on acting like, ‘Well, Bernie pulled his punches because they're friends,’” Jane said. “He didn't pull his punches. They fought on issues, you know?”
During the Democratic primary, a long race that drew a total of 27 candidates before narrowing to the two men, some Sanders campaign aides pleaded with their boss to go harder on Biden’s record. To their eyes, it was exactly the kind of incremental, “same old, same old status quo” politics they viewed as wrong on the issues (Iraq, trade, health care) and unexciting in a general election against Donald Trump. At turns, Sanders challenged Biden, then pulled back — only ever willing to go so far. He did like Joe. And he said so publicly. Privately, he was willing to admit the obvious, which was that he liked Joe a lot better than the last Democrat who beat him, a fact that still enrages parts of the Hillary Clinton community. This time, when the primary ended in early April, the two candidates set up six task forces, each one jointly staffed by Sanders and Biden’s people, to come up with policy recommendations. Over the summer, the two candidates stayed in touch via phone. Their wives, Jane and Jill, exchanged texts. The Sanders family, who spent their quarantine at home in Burlington, has a certain faith in Biden — one they never felt with Clinton — that he is not only willing to listen to the left, but “has recognized,” Jane said, “that the world has changed a bit.”
The future of Sanders’s movement — the rage against the establishment, the “political revolution” and his role in it — seems suddenly transformed in the Time of Biden.
For more than five years, a big share of the progressive movement has been tied to the personal identity and political future of a candidate who has now run his last national campaign. At 79, Sanders has said he won’t run for president again. His movement shaped a new generation of young progressives, but has no clear successor. His ideas have become “mainstream,” as he often notes, but can claim only a mixed record when it comes to winning elections. In the 2020 presidential race, the movement lost. Early on in the primary, Sanders watched other Democratic candidates back away, one by one, from his signature healthcare plan, Medicare for All, which they’d jumped to cosponsor just two years earlier. When it became a two-man race, a choice between his politics and Biden’s, he found himself losing, badly. And months later, when it came time to pick a vice presidential nominee, Biden passed over an opportunity to appeal to the left, selecting Kamala Harris instead. After she held her first event as his running mate, delivering a speech from A.I. du Pont High School in Wilmington, a reporter shouted across the room: “Sen. Harris, do you support Medicare for All?” If the question answered itself, it didn’t seem to matter. Harris ignored it.
At the same time, Sanders kept an active but quiet presence at home in Burlington, watching with increasing alarm as Trump mishandled the coronavirus crisis, teargassed demonstrators outside the White House, and sent federal agents to American cities. The prospect of Trump's reelection became something more personal for Sanders, stirring up thoughts of his own painful family history, according to three people familiar with his thinking. Growing up with relatives who died in Nazi-occupied Poland, one of those people said, Sanders developed an “acute awareness of how people can get sucked into authoritarianism once the guardrails of democracy come down.” As a child, he cried when he looked at photos in books about the destruction of the Jews. As a politician, “that weighs heavily,” Jane said.
So four months after the end of his presidential campaign, when he returned to the national stage to speak at the Democratic National Convention, Sanders did not say much about the question of his legacy, or the future of his movement, or the way forward for progressives. He spent weeks on the speech — interrogating each sentence, stripping down each point, people close to him said — until the draft fit with mercenary spareness in his allotted time: 1,101 words in 8 minutes and 29 seconds, delivered from the back corner of a restaurant in Burlington called Hen of the Wood. When someone off-camera signaled to him in the silence — “Go,” a woman said — Sanders used his time to make an appeal for Biden’s agenda, separate from his own. “Let me offer you just a few examples of how Joe will move us forward,” he told supporters. The progressive cause was still growing, he said, but this was an “unprecedented moment” that called for a fight “for democracy and decency,” he said — a “movement like never before.”
If there has been a discussion on the left about whether this election was a time to be tough on Biden, or to put aside that debate and focus on defeating Trump, Sanders seemed to land on the latter. His outlook on the race — his polar views of Biden and Trump — has effectively put the "political revolution" on hold until Nov. 3, 2020.
This weekend, when the Washington Post reported that Sanders privately expressed concerns about Biden’s messaging, with top aide Faiz Shakir telling the newspaper that they have “urged” the campaign to focus more on pocketbook issues, the former candidate didn’t deny the substance of the claims. But he still made a point of pushing back on the reports of dissent.
“No,” Sanders told MSNBC on Sunday. “Of course they’re not true.”


buzzfeed--2020-09-15--“I Have Blood On My Hands”: A Whistleblower Says Facebook Ignored Global Political Manipulation

A 6,600-word internal memo from a fired Facebook data scientist details how the social network knew about specific examples of global political manipulation — and failed to act .
Facebook ignored or was slow to act on evidence that fake accounts on its platform have been undermining elections and political affairs around the world , according to an explosive memo sent by a recently fired Facebook employee and obtained by BuzzFeed News .
The 6,600-word memo , written by former Facebook data scientist Sophie Zhang , is filled with concrete examples of heads of government and political parties in Azerbaijan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ themselves to sway public opinion .
In countries including India , Ukraine , Spain , Brazil , Bolivia , and Ecuador , she found evidence of coordinated campaigns of varying sizes to boost or hinder political candidates or outcomes , though she did not always conclude who was behind them .
“ In the three years I ’ ve spent at Facebook , I ’ ve found multiple blatant attempts by foreign national governments to abuse our platform on vast scales to mislead their own citizenry , and caused international news on multiple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declined to talk to BuzzFeed News .
Her LinkedIn profile said she “ worked as the data scientist for the Facebook Site Integrity fake engagement team ” and dealt with “ bots influencing elections and the like.
” “ I have personally made decisions that affected national presidents without oversight , and taken action to enforce against so many prominent politicians globally that I ’ ve lost count , ” she wrote .
The memo is a damning account of Facebook ’ s failures .
It ’ s the story of Facebook abdicating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that could affect the political fate of nations outside the United States or Western Europe .
It 's also the story of a junior employee wielding extraordinary moderation powers that affected millions of people without any real institutional support , and the personal torment that followed .
“ I know that I have blood on my hands by now , ” Zhang wrote .
These are some of the biggest revelations in Zhang ’ s memo : • It took Facebook ’ s leaders nine months to act on a coordinated campaign “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boost President Juan Orlando Hernandez of Honduras on a massive scale to mislead the Honduran people.
” Two weeks after Facebook took action against the perpetrators in July , they returned , leading to a game of “ whack-a-mole ” between Zhang and the operatives behind the fake accounts , which are still active .
• In Azerbaijan , Zhang discovered the ruling political party “ utilized thousands of inauthentic assets ... to harass the opposition en masse.
” Facebook began looking into the issue a year after Zhang reported it .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her colleagues removed “ 10.5 million fake reactions and fans from high-profile politicians in Brazil and the US in the 2018 elections.
” • In February 2019 , a NATO researcher informed Facebook that `` he ’ d obtained Russian inauthentic activity on a high-profile U.S. political figure that we didn ’ t catch . ''
Zhang removed the activity , “ dousing the immediate fire , ” she wrote .
• In Ukraine , Zhang “ found inauthentic scripted activity ” supporting both former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko , a pro–European Union @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well as Volodymyr Groysman , a former prime minister and ally of former president Petro Poroshenko .
“ Volodymyr Zelensky and his faction was the only major group not affected , ” Zhang said of the current Ukrainian president .
• Zhang discovered inauthentic activity — a Facebook term for engagement from bot accounts and coordinated manual accounts— in Bolivia and Ecuador but chose “ not to prioritize it , ” due to her workload .
The amount of power she had as a mid-level employee to make decisions about a country ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her health .
• After becoming aware of coordinated manipulation on the Spanish Health Ministry ’ s Facebook page during the COVID-19 pandemic , Zhang helped find and remove 672,000 fake accounts “ acting on similar targets globally ” including in the US .
• In India , she worked to remove “ a politically-sophisticated network of more than a thousand actors working to influence '' the local elections taking place in Delhi in February .
Facebook never publicly disclosed this network or that it had taken it down .
“ We ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leading experts , to stop bad actors from abusing our systems , resulting in the removal of more than 100 networks for coordinated inauthentic behavior , '' Facebook spokesperson Liz Bourgeois said in a statement .
`` It ’ s highly involved work that these teams do as their full-time remit .
Working against coordinated inauthentic behavior is our priority , but we ’ re also addressing the problems of spam and fake engagement .
We investigate each issue carefully , including those that Ms. Zhang raises , before we take action or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a company . ''
BuzzFeed News is not publishing Zhang ’ s full memo because it contains personal information .
This story includes full excerpts when possible to provide appropriate context .
In her post , Zhang said she did not want it to go public for fear of disrupting Facebook ’ s efforts to prevent problems around the upcoming 2020 US presidential election , and due to concerns about her own safety .
BuzzFeed News is publishing parts of her memo that are clearly in the public interest .
Do you work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We 'd love to hear from you .
Reach out at ryan.mac @ buzzfeed.com , craig.silverman @ buzzfeed.com , or via one of our tip line channels .
“ I consider myself to have been put in an impossible spot – caught between my loyalties to the company and my loyalties to the world as a whole , ” she said .
“ The last thing I want to do is distract from our efforts for the upcoming U.S. elections , yet I know this post will likely do so internally.
” Zhang @ @ @ @ @ @ @ severance package from the company to avoid signing a nondisparagement agreement .
Doing so allowed her to speak out internally , and she used that freedom to reckon with the power that she had to police political speech .
“ There was so much violating behavior worldwide that it was left to my personal assessment of which cases to further investigate , to file tasks , and escalate for prioritization afterwards , ” she wrote .
That power contrasted with what she said seemed to be a lack of desire from senior leadership @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Facebook , Zhang said , prioritized regions including the US and Western Europe , and often only acted when she repeatedly pressed the issue publicly in comments on Workplace , the company ’ s internal , employee-only message board .
“ With no oversight whatsoever , I was left in a situation where I was trusted with immense influence in my spare time , ” she wrote .
“ A manager on Strategic Response mused to myself that most of the world outside the West was effectively the Wild West with myself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the statement as a compliment , but it illustrated the immense pressures upon me.
” A former Facebook engineer who knew her told BuzzFeed News that Zhang was skilled at discovering fake account networks on the platform .
“ She 's the only person in this entire field at Facebook that I ever trusted to be earnest about this work , '' said the engineer , who had seen a copy of Zhang ’ s post and asked not to be named because they no longer work at the company .
“ A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ post was shocking even to me as someone who 's often been disappointed at how the company treats its best people , '' they said .
Zhang ’ s memo said the lack of institutional support and heavy stakes left her unable to sleep .
She often felt responsible when civil unrest took hold in places she didn ’ t prioritize for investigation and action .
“ I have made countless decisions in this vein – from Iraq to Indonesia , from Italy to El Salvador , ” she wrote .
“ Individually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each case , but the world is a vast place.
” Still , she did not believe that the failures she observed during her two and a half years at the company were the result of bad intent by Facebook ’ s employees or leadership .
It was a lack of resources , Zhang wrote , and the company ’ s tendency to focus on global activity that posed public relations risks , as opposed to electoral or civic harm .
“ Facebook projects an image of strength and competence to the outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ theories , but the reality is that many of our actions are slapdash and haphazard accidents , ” she wrote .
Zhang wrote that she was just six months into the job when she found coordinated inauthentic behavior — Facebook ’ s internal term for the use of multiple fake accounts to boost engagement or spread content — benefiting Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández .
The connection to the Honduran leader was made , Zhang said , because an administrator for the president ’ s Facebook page had been “ happily running hundreds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whatsoever in a show of extreme chutzpah.
” The data scientist said she reported the operation , which involved thousands of fake accounts , to Facebook ’ s threat intelligence and policy review teams , both of which took months to act .
“ Local policy teams confirmed that President JOH ’ s marketing team had openly admitted to organizing the activity on his behalf , ” she wrote .
“ Yet despite the blatantly violating nature of this activity , it took me almost a year to take down his operation.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ July 2019 , but proved futile .
Soon , the operation was soon back up and running , a fact Facebook has never disclosed .
“ They had returned within two weeks of our takedown and were back in a similar volume of users , ” Zhang wrote , adding that she did a final sweep for the fake accounts on her last day at Facebook .
“ A year after our takedown , the activity is still live and well.
” In Azerbaijan , she found a large network of inauthentic accounts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Aliyev of Azerbaijan and his ruling New Azerbaijan Party , which uses the acronym YAP .
Facebook still has not disclosed the influence campaign , according to Zhang .
The operation detailed in the memo is reminiscent of those of Russia ’ s Internet Research Agency , a private troll farm that tried to influence the 2016 US elections , because it involved “ dedicated employees who worked 9-6 Monday-Friday work weeks to create millions of comments ” targeting members of the opposition and media reports seen as negative to Aliyev .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ruling YAP political party directly controlled numerous of these fake assets without any obfuscation whatsoever in another display of arrogance , ” she wrote .
“ Perhaps they thought they were clever ; the truth was , we simply didn ’ t care enough to stop them.
” Katy Pearce , an associate professor at the University of Washington who studies social media and communication technology in Azerbaijan , told BuzzFeed News that fake Facebook accounts have been used to undermine the opposition and independent media in the country for years .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ authoritarian regimes is to humiliate the opposition in the mind of the public so that they 're not viewed as a credible or legitimate alternative , ” she told BuzzFeed News .
“ There 's a chilling effect .
Why would I post something if I know that I 'm going to deal with thousands or hundreds of these comments , that I 'm going to be targeted ?
” Pearce said Zhang ’ s comment in the memo that Facebook “ didn ’ t care enough to stop ” the fake accounts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ They have bigger fish to fry , ” she said .
A person who managed social media accounts for news organizations in Azerbaijan told BuzzFeed News that their pages were inundated with inauthentic Facebook comments .
“ We used to delete and ban them because we didn ’ t want people who came to our page to be discouraged and not react or comment , ” said the person , who asked not to be named because they were not authorized to speak for their employer .
“ But since [ the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s easy for them to open new accounts.
” They said Facebook has at times made things worse by removing the accounts or pages of human rights activists and other people after trolls report them .
“ We tried to tell Facebook that this is a real person who does important work , ” but it took weeks for the page to be restored .
Zhang wrote that a Facebook investigation into fake accounts and trolling in Azerbaijan is now underway , more than a year after she first reported the issue .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ she called it her “ greatest unfinished business ” to stop the fake behavior in the country .
“ Many others would think nothing of myself devoting this attention to the United States , but are shocked to see myself fighting for these small countries , ” she wrote .
“ To put it simply , my methodologies were systematic globally , and I fought for Honduras and Azerbaijan because that was where I saw the most ongoing harm.
” “ I have blood on my hands ” In other examples , Zhang @ @ @ @ @ @ @ account network used to amplify and manipulate information about COVID-19 , as well as a political influence operation that used fake accounts to influence 2018 elections in the US and Brazil .
Some of these details were not previously disclosed by Facebook , suggesting the company ’ s regular takedown announcements remain selective and incomplete .
Zhang said Facebook removed 672,000 “ low-quality fake accounts ” after press reports in April that some of the accounts had been engaging with COVID-19 content on the Spanish Health Ministry ’ s page .
She said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ content on US pages .
Facebook did not disclose how many accounts it removed , or that those accounts engaged with content in other countries , including the US .
Zhang also shared new details about the scale of inauthentic activity during the 2018 midterm elections in the US , and from Brazilian politicians that same year .
“ We ended up removing 10.5 million fake reactions and fans from high-profile politicians in Brazil and the U.S. in the 2018 elections – major politicians of all persuasions in Brazil , and a number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” she wrote .
A September 2018 briefing about Facebook ’ s election work in the US and Brazil disclosed that it had acted against a network in Brazil that used “ fake accounts to sow division and share disinformation , ” as well as a set of groups , pages , and accounts that were “ falsely amplifying engagement for financial gain.
” It did not fully mention Zhang 's findings .
The scale of this activity — 672,000 fake accounts in one network , 10.5 million fake engagement and fans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are a global problem , and are used to manipulate elections and public debate around the world .
As one of the few people looking for and identifying fake accounts impacting civic activity outside of “ priority ” regions , Zhang struggled with the power she had been handed .
“ We focus upon harm and priority regions like the United States and Western Europe , ” Zhang wrote , adding that “ it became impossible to read the news and monitor world events without feeling the weight of my own responsibility.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ inauthentic activity supporting the opposition presidential candidate in 2019 ” and chose not to prioritize it .
Months later , Bolivian politics fell into turmoil , leading to the resignation of President Evo Morales and “ mass protests leading to dozens of deaths.
” The same happened in Ecuador , according to Zhang , who “ found inauthentic activity supporting the ruling government… and made the decision not to prioritize it.
” The former Facebook employee then wondered how her decision led to downstream effects on how Ecuador ’ s government handled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country — and if that would have been different if she 'd acted .
“ I have made countless decisions in this vein – from Iraq to Indonesia , from Italy to El Salvador .
Individually , the impact was likely small in each case , but the world is a vast place .
Although I made the best decision I could based on the knowledge available at the time , ultimately I was the one who made the decision not to push more or prioritize further in each case , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my hands by now.
” Zhang also uncovered issues in India , Facebook ’ s largest market , in the lead up to the local Delhi elections in February 2020 .
“ I worked through sickness to take down a politically-sophisticated network of more than a thousand actors working to influence the election , ” she wrote .
Last month , Facebook ’ s Indian operation came under scrutiny after reports in the Wall Street Journal revealed a top policy executive in the country had stopped local staffers from applying the company ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politicians who posted anti-Muslim hate speech .
In her “ spare time ” in 2019 , Zhang took on tasks usually reserved for product managers and investigators , searching out countries including Ukraine , Turkey , India , Indonesia , the Philippines , Australia , the United Kingdom , Taiwan , “ and many many more.
” Zhang said she found and took down “ inauthentic scripted activity ” in Ukraine that supported Yulia Tymoshenko , a complicated political figure who has been involved in controversial gas deals with Russia but taken a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as well as for former prime minister Volodymyr Groysman , an ally of former president Petro Poroshenko .
“ Volodymyr Zelensky and his faction was the only major group not affected , ” she wrote .
In another part of her memo , Zhang said she wanted to push back on the idea that Facebook was run by malicious people hoping to achieve a particular outcome .
That was not the case , she wrote , attributing actions to “ slapdash and haphazard accidents.
” “ Last year when we blocked users @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forgot to cover hashtags until I stepped in , ” she wrote .
But she also remarked on Facebook ’ s habit of prioritizing public relations over real-world problems .
“ It ’ s an open secret within the civic integrity space that Facebook ’ s short-term decisions are largely motivated by PR and the potential for negative attention , ” she wrote , noting that she was told directly at a 2020 summit that anything published in the New York Times or Washington Post would obtain elevated priority .
“ It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of escalations shoot up when others start threatening to go to the press , and why I was informed by a leader in my organization that my civic work was not impactful under the rationale that if the problems were meaningful they would have attracted attention , became a press fire , and convinced the company to devote more attention to the space.
” Zhang mentioned one example in February 2019 , when a NATO strategic communications researcher reached out to Facebook , alerting the company that he 'd `` obtained '' Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political figure that we didn ’ t catch.
” That researcher said they were planning on briefing Congress the next day .
“ I quickly investigated the case , determined what was going on , and removed the activity , dousing the immediate fire , ” Zhang wrote .
“ Perhaps motivated by the experience , the same researcher tried the same experiment within a month or two , waiting half a year afterwards before sending the report to the press and finally causing the PR fire.
” Beyond specific examples from around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the inner workings at Facebook .
She criticized her team ’ s focus on issues related to “ 99 % of activity that ’ s essentially spam.
” “ Overall , the focus of my organization – and most of Facebook – was on large-scale problems , an approach which fixated us on spam , ” she said .
“ The civic aspect was discounted because of its small volume , its disproportionate impact ignored.
” Zhang outlined the political processes within Facebook itself .
She said the best way for her to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to go through the proper reporting channels , but to post about the issues on Facebook ’ s internal employee message board to build pressure .
“ In the office , I realized that my viewpoints weren ’ t respected unless I acted like an arrogant asshole , ” Zhang said .
When she asked the company to do more in terms of finding and stopping malicious activity related to elections and political activity , she said she was told that “ human resources are limited.
” And when she was ordered to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was told that Facebook would no longer have further need for my services if I refused.
” Zhang was fired this month and posted her memo on her last day , even after offering to stay on through the election as an unpaid volunteer .
In her goodbye , she encouraged her colleagues to remain at Facebook and to fix the company from within .
“ But you don ’ t – and shouldn ’ t – need to do it alone , ” she wrote .
“ Find others who share @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it together .
Facebook is too big of a project for any one person to fix.
” ●

“Multiple official accounts for district-level divisions of the ruling YAP political party directly controlled numerous of these fake assets without any obfuscation whatsoever in another display of arrogance,” she wrote. “Perhaps they thought they were clever; the truth was, we simply didn’t care enough to stop them.”
Katy Pearce, an associate professor at the University of Washington who studies social media and communication technology in Azerbaijan, told BuzzFeed News that fake Facebook accounts have been used to undermine the opposition and independent media in the country for years.
“One of the big tools of authoritarian regimes is to humiliate the opposition in the mind of the public so that they're not viewed as a credible or legitimate alternative,” she told BuzzFeed News. “There's a chilling effect. Why would I post something if I know that I'm going to deal with thousands or hundreds of these comments, that I'm going to be targeted?”
Pearce said Zhang’s comment in the memo that Facebook “didn’t care enough to stop” the fake accounts and trolling aligns with her experience. “They have bigger fish to fry,” she said.
A person who managed social media accounts for news organizations in Azerbaijan told BuzzFeed News that their pages were inundated with inauthentic Facebook comments.
“We used to delete and ban them because we didn’t want people who came to our page to be discouraged and not react or comment,” said the person, who asked not to be named because they were not authorized to speak for their employer. “But since [the trolls] are employees, it’s easy for them to open new accounts.”
They said Facebook has at times made things worse by removing the accounts or pages of human rights activists and other people after trolls report them. “We tried to tell Facebook that this is a real person who does important work,” but it took weeks for the page to be restored.
Zhang wrote that a Facebook investigation into fake accounts and trolling in Azerbaijan is now underway, more than a year after she first reported the issue. On the day of her departure, she called it her “greatest unfinished business” to stop the fake behavior in the country.
“Many others would think nothing of myself devoting this attention to the United States, but are shocked to see myself fighting for these small countries,” she wrote. “To put it simply, my methodologies were systematic globally, and I fought for Honduras and Azerbaijan because that was where I saw the most ongoing harm.”
“I have blood on my hands”
In other examples, Zhang revealed new information about a large-scale fake account network used to amplify and manipulate information about COVID-19, as well as a political influence operation that used fake accounts to influence 2018 elections in the US and Brazil. Some of these details were not previously disclosed by Facebook, suggesting the company’s regular takedown announcements remain selective and incomplete.
Zhang said Facebook removed 672,000 “low-quality fake accounts” after press reports in April that some of the accounts had been engaging with COVID-19 content on the Spanish Health Ministry’s page. She said accounts in that network also engaged with content on US pages. Facebook did not disclose how many accounts it removed, or that those accounts engaged with content in other countries, including the US.
Zhang also shared new details about the scale of inauthentic activity during the 2018 midterm elections in the US, and from Brazilian politicians that same year. “We ended up removing 10.5 million fake reactions and fans from high-profile politicians in Brazil and the U.S. in the 2018 elections – major politicians of all persuasions in Brazil, and a number of lower-level politicians in the United States,” she wrote.
A September 2018 briefing about Facebook’s election work in the US and Brazil disclosed that it had acted against a network in Brazil that used “fake accounts to sow division and share disinformation,” as well as a set of groups, pages, and accounts that were “falsely amplifying engagement for financial gain.” It did not fully mention Zhang's findings.
The scale of this activity — 672,000 fake accounts in one network, 10.5 million fake engagement and fans in others — indicates active fake accounts are a global problem, and are used to manipulate elections and public debate around the world.
As one of the few people looking for and identifying fake accounts impacting civic activity outside of “priority” regions, Zhang struggled with the power she had been handed.
“We focus upon harm and priority regions like the United States and Western Europe,” Zhang wrote, adding that “it became impossible to read the news and monitor world events without feeling the weight of my own responsibility.”
In Bolivia, Zhang said she found “inauthentic activity supporting the opposition presidential candidate in 2019” and chose not to prioritize it. Months later, Bolivian politics fell into turmoil, leading to the resignation of President Evo Morales and “mass protests leading to dozens of deaths.”


buzzfeed--2020-09-17--“I Barely Have Anything Left To Give”: What It’s Like Parenting Kids With Autism During The Pandemic

For parents of kids with autism , the unique challenges presented by the isolation of the coronavirus pandemic have sometimes been overwhelming .
Jack is an early riser .
Long before sunrise , his mother , Stephanie Daly , can hear her 8-year-old son laughing , chatting , and vocalizing .
She ’ s been in bed just a few hours .
She ’ ll do her best to get him back to sleep , but that ’ s unlikely .
For the next 18 or so hours , she ’ ll watch over Jack closely , changing his diaper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him relax when he can ’ t self-soothe in his rocking chair .
Like millions of children around the country , Jack has autism .
And like millions of parents around the country , Daly is caring for him .
That ’ s never been easy , but six months into the pandemic , it is far more daunting .
Sometimes it feels insurmountable .
Parenting during the coronavirus is difficult for all families .
Many parents have had to quit their jobs , or cut back their hours , to care for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make concessions and adjustments they never imagined making .
They ’ ve had to explain unanswerable questions .
But parenting a child with autism during a pandemic can present an abundance of unique challenges .
Children with autism who are mostly nonverbal can require close supervision , a consistent daily routine , constant stimulation , and emotional support in the event of a tantrum .
For some , sensory sensitivities can make pandemic precautions , like wearing a mask , an impossibility .
So to keep their children safe , and to respect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have children with autism spend much of their time isolated at home .
“ We tend to be the forgotten parents a lot of the time , and in the last six months , we have been completely forgotten , ” Daly told BuzzFeed News .
“ Do you know what it 's like to literally be trapped in your home , for six months straight , because your child is n't supposed to leave , and change diapers ?
This is about as bad as it can get.
” Daly , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be furloughed from her retail job in early spring so she could take care of Jack .
Her partner , Joe , works in retail .
For most of the day , she is the sole caregiver for Jack , who also has cerebral palsy and uses cue cards to communicate .
“ By the time 6 o'clock at night rolls around , you 're exhausted , ” Daly said .
“ You 've had nonstop noise.
” Autism is an umbrella term for a wide range of symptoms and behaviors that begin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behavioral , and communication challenges .
Scientists do n't yet fully understand what causes autism , but a growing body of evidence suggests it has a significant genetic component .
Some people with autism have difficulty in social settings .
Others have difficulty speaking or communicating at all .
Autism is often accompanied by obsessive-compulsive behaviors , like repeating certain words or phrases or flushing toilets .
Some people with autism grow up to be fully independent adults , with jobs and families .
Others require 24/7 care for their entire lives .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ caring for children with autism often involves a combination of speech , occupational , and psychiatric therapy .
Many children need special education settings for learning , especially if they also have intellectual disabilities .
These are crucial resources to help children with autism work on their social skills , develop their communication , improve their dexterity , and reach their academic potential .
When the pandemic hit , remote learning and therapies made individualized supervision difficult , forcing parents like Daly to become full-time educators and caregivers .
Daly adores her son @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the happiest people you ever meet.
” He laughs and giggles wherever he goes , and always has a smile on his face .
She would do anything for him .
But the isolation and round-the-clock care required by the pandemic has eroded her spirit and forced her to make concessions she wouldn ’ t have otherwise considered — long sessions on YouTube , for example .
Jack loves watching videos of fireworks .
A few months ago , he went through a dashcam video phase .
“ I 've given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ I would never have let him watch YouTube like this before .
But I barely have anything left to give .
I 'm doing what I can to keep him entertained and keep my sanity going.
” Parenting a child with autism often means juggling work and the child ’ s needs .
Parenting that child during a pandemic often means quitting your job .
Melissa Brown , a 45-year-old single mom from Oregon , took a two-month leave of absence from her customer service job to care for her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and her neurotypical 8-year-old daughter , Katherine .
James loves dinosaurs , Star Wars , geology , and marine science .
He ’ s academically on pace with his peers but struggles to make friends .
Katherine loves arts and crafts , reading , and writing .
The two are very different , but they have a strong bond and are quick to compromise during playtime ( they both love Legos ) .
James doesn ’ t like hugs , but he accepts them from his sister because he understands it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him .
The two children have very different academic needs , and Brown said it was difficult to make sure both children got the attention they needed when school went remote .
Katherine needed to read chapter books .
And James needed hands-on learning and a consistent daily schedule .
“ The [ teacher ] was only spending an hour with him , and then would give him lessons in reading and math that were online , ” Brown said .
“ But there was no science , there was no history , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not a teacher , but I tried to fill that in , and I could n't do it and work.
” Brown said she bought her kids workbooks for history and science , and asked them to write book reports .
To compensate for the lack of an art curriculum , she let Katherine and James play with Lego blocks together and make handmade cards for holidays .
For gym class , Brown let the kids have dance parties .
Beastie Boys are a family favorite .
Brown said she enjoys reading fantasy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Warcraft , and watching mindless TV .
But she struggles to find time for herself .
“ I 've never really been good at taking care of myself , and right now it 's even harder because I want to do more for the kids than I am able to , ” she said .
Working from home also means that periods of downtime — like 15-minute breaks , lunch breaks , or commutes — are consumed by parenting obligations .
“ It ’ s more stressful , ” Brown said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on .
I 'm either Mom , or I 'm at work .
I do n't have any downtime.
” Other parents have had to juggle schoolwork and childcare .
Sarah Nguyen , 24 , graduated from college in May .
Her 3-year-old son , Kenji , was diagnosed with autism in January .
Nguyen currently lives with Kenji ’ s father , her parents , and her sisters in a house in Minnesota .
With everyone working and going to class under the same roof , it ’ s been “ hectic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a week , Kenji does speech and occupational therapy over Zoom , in addition to daycare five days a week .
Nguyen said he gets a lot out of the speech therapy , for which she is thankful .
But virtual occupational therapy , which is designed to help with dexterity , is difficult .
Often , Nguyen said , she follows Kenji around with her phone while the therapist watches him play , gives tips , and asks questions .
It ’ s therapy and Nguyen said she ’ s happy to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ different and not as effective as the in-person sessions Kenji had earlier in the year .
Kenji is very hyperactive , Nguyen said , and he has a knack for undoing locks .
He loves water and enjoys flushing the toilet over and over .
He 's also a quick learner and loves to imitate Nguyen 's cooking using his toys .
She often takes him for walks and bike rides to get his energy out before dinner , bathtime , storytime , and bedtime .
“ I think taking daily walks and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outside with him definitely helped get some of his energy out , and was like a self-care type of thing for everyone in our family , ” Nguyen said .
Often , parents of kids on the autism spectrum have little time for themselves .
Daly , the mom of 8-year-old Jack , said she can talk to her partner , Joe , about things that are on her mind .
But she does n't have any friends in town that she can confide in .
“ My only escape at this point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go to wander around and catch my breath and stop the noise , ” Daly said .
“ My son is so noisy from the second he gets up in the morning until the second he goes to sleep — it 's nonstop noise .
And sometimes your ears are just ringing at the end of the day .
And so for me to just be able to get out of the house and get silence.
” “ I really wish that I could have a friend ” Daly has been frustrated by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about kids in the special needs program , who are not required to wear masks at school because of sensory sensitivities .
Though they ’ ll be isolated in a single room without recess or gym , some parents don ’ t want the children to return to school at all .
“ I think [ the logic ] was ‘ Well if my kid has to wear a mask , why does n't their kid have to wear a mask ?
’ ” Daly said .
“ That 's what it comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back to school , Daly is holding off on getting a new job .
She ’ s certain the mask controversy will force the school to go remote again by October or November .
“ People are furious here that their children have to wear a mask , ” she said .
“ I mean , they put signs in their windows .
They 've gone nuts.
” Brown , meanwhile , is concerned about James getting the socialization he needs .
James has been bullied , emotionally and physically , by some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But fifth grade was different .
James was enjoying school , and his classmates were including him .
He was hopeful that he ’ d finally make a friend .
“ In the last , I 'd say a year or two , he 's becoming more aware that his peers think he 's weird , ” Brown said .
“ And he says things like , ' I really wish that I could have a friend .
I just want to have a friend . '
He 'd walk into class , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everyone like , 'Good morning !
Hello ! '
and make compliments if they got a haircut .
He tries .
But trying with 11 - 12-year-olds was not a cool thing to do.
” Fifth grade was an improvement , but COVID disrupted it .
It also caused the cancellation of a school camping trip , which James was looking forward to .
Brown said it could have been a milestone event for him .
“ It was going to be the first time he was ever away from me without his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ It was just going to be him .
He was excited about graduating .
He was excited about these things .
And that was all gone.
” Fall brought another blow .
Headed to middle school , James was eager to meet more kids and find someone he had a lot in common with .
But middle school is being held virtually , and that ’ s a tough place to make friends .
“ Everyone was telling him there was a much bigger chance he would find someone just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ He was looking forward to meeting this kid , and going to school , and meeting all of these new people .
Now that 's gone too and he ’ s back to ' I 'm never really going to have a friend . '
” “ We 're just hanging on for dear life ” Six months into a global pandemic , one thing is clear : It ’ s nearly impossible to plan for the future .
How will the academic year progress ?
Will the economy tank again ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreaks ?
A vaccine ?
These are sources of anxiety for everyone , but for the parents of children with autism , they are existential concerns .
It ’ s unclear just how much longer they can continue as is .
Before the pandemic , Daly and her partner , Joe , had been planning to move to a small city a few hours away , a place with better education options for Jack .
People in their small town aren ’ t very accepting of him .
“ I 've taken [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 've had people say , 'Oh , if that was my kid .
I ’ d drown him , ' ” Daly said .
“ Or , 'He 's so fat , maybe you should make him walk , ' because he was sitting.
” But now she and Joe can ’ t afford to move .
“ Really , at this point in life , we have no plans for anything — we 're just hanging on for dear life , ” Daly said .
“ Financially , I 've blown through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ electricity bill is higher because you 're home all the time , and your water bill is higher because you 're home all the time .
And Joe went from a job where he made $ 70,000 to $ 80,000 a year to making $ 10 an hour.
” Nguyen and her husband , Chris , had been in the final stages of buying a house before the pandemic hit .
Although having family in the house is helpful in terms of taking care of Kenji , it would be ideal to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lost his job , they were forced to withdraw their offer .
Chris ’ s job covered more of Kenji ’ s therapy costs , and under Nguyen ’ s insurance , it ’ s still as much as $ 400 per session .
She ’ s hopeful they can pull together another down payment at some point , but right now she 's focused on building up an emergency fund , in case she loses her job .
“ I think it will probably be at least 2021 before we feel prepared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Nguyen said .
“ And I personally feel a lot more anxious when it comes to money , with the pandemic and everything , because everything 's so uncertain .
I feel like I 'm hoarding and stockpiling money just because I 'm so scared that we might end up on the streets or something , if anything really bad happens.
” Brown said she tries not to think about the future , because it ’ s too scary .
She can ’ t afford to care for her family without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ afraid of what might happen if James and Katherine need more from her , but she doesn ’ t have any more time to give .
“ I 'm really only trying to focus maybe a couple weeks at a time , because if I think long term , I start to panic , ” she said .
“ I was hoping by this point that things would be back to normal .
I just keep telling myself it 's just a little bit longer , a little bit longer , just hold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this goes on and we 're still in the same exact situation with masks and not being able to do or go anywhere by the end of the year , I 'm probably not going to be OK. ” ●

“We're just hanging on for dear life”
Six months into a global pandemic, one thing is clear: It’s nearly impossible to plan for the future. How will the academic year progress? Will the economy tank again? Will there be a second wave of outbreaks? A vaccine? These are sources of anxiety for everyone, but for the parents of children with autism, they are existential concerns. It’s unclear just how much longer they can continue as is.
Before the pandemic, Daly and her partner, Joe, had been planning to move to a small city a few hours away, a place with better education options for Jack. People in their small town aren’t very accepting of him.
“I've taken [Jack] to Walmart, and I've had people say, 'Oh, if that was my kid. I’d drown him,'” Daly said. “Or, 'He's so fat, maybe you should make him walk,' because he was sitting.”
But now she and Joe can’t afford to move.
“Really, at this point in life, we have no plans for anything — we're just hanging on for dear life,” Daly said. “Financially, I've blown through everything, keeping us afloat. Your electricity bill is higher because you're home all the time, and your water bill is higher because you're home all the time. And Joe went from a job where he made $70,000 to $80,000 a year to making $10 an hour.”
Nguyen and her husband, Chris, had been in the final stages of buying a house before the pandemic hit. Although having family in the house is helpful in terms of taking care of Kenji, it would be ideal to have their own space.
But when Chris lost his job, they were forced to withdraw their offer. Chris’s job covered more of Kenji’s therapy costs, and under Nguyen’s insurance, it’s still as much as $400 per session. She’s hopeful they can pull together another down payment at some point, but right now she's focused on building up an emergency fund, in case she loses her job.
“I think it will probably be at least 2021 before we feel prepared to start looking again for a house,” Nguyen said. “And I personally feel a lot more anxious when it comes to money, with the pandemic and everything, because everything's so uncertain. I feel like I'm hoarding and stockpiling money just because I'm so scared that we might end up on the streets or something, if anything really bad happens.”
Brown said she tries not to think about the future, because it’s too scary. She can’t afford to care for her family without a job. And she’s afraid of what might happen if James and Katherine need more from her, but she doesn’t have any more time to give.
“I'm really only trying to focus maybe a couple weeks at a time, because if I think long term, I start to panic,” she said. “I was hoping by this point that things would be back to normal. I just keep telling myself it's just a little bit longer, a little bit longer, just hold on a little bit longer. If this goes on and we're still in the same exact situation with masks and not being able to do or go anywhere by the end of the year, I'm probably not going to be OK.” ●


buzzfeed--2020-09-17--This Is Why People With Vaginas Get Bleached Stains In Their Underwear

The key word here ?
Discharge .
`` Your vagina is an acidic environment , and that ’ s normal @ @ @ @ @ BuzzFeed .
`` It ’ s healthy , and that ’ s because of the @ @ @ @ @ there .
And so , theoretically , if your discharge is slightly acidic , it @ @ @ @ @ of fabric .
I can ’ t say specifically it always does , or it @ @ @ @ @ it varies , but it ’ s certainly possible . ''

The key word here? Discharge. "Your vagina is an acidic environment, and that’s normal," Dr. Lincoln told BuzzFeed. "It’s healthy, and that’s because of the kind of bacteria that live there. And so, theoretically, if your discharge is slightly acidic, it could potentially change the color of fabric. I can’t say specifically it always does, or it doesn’t, or it varies, but it’s certainly possible."