buzzfeed--2020-07-27--“Facebook Is Hurting People At Scale”: Mark Zuckerberg’s Employees Reckon With The Social Network Th

“Facebook Is Hurting People At Scale”: Mark Zuckerberg’s Employees Reckon With The Social Network They’ve Built

As the US heads toward a crucial and contentious presidential election , the world 's largest social network is facing an unprecedented cultural crisis .
On July 1 , Max Wang , a Boston-based software engineer who was leaving Facebook after more than seven years , shared a video on the company ’ s internal discussion board that was meant to serve as a warning .
“ I think Facebook is hurting people at scale , ” he wrote in a note accompanying the video .
“ If you think so too , maybe give this a watch.
” Most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Mark Zuckerberg production ” typically post photos of their company badges along with farewell notes thanking their colleagues .
Wang opted for a clip of himself speaking directly to the camera .
What followed was a 24-minute clear-eyed hammering of Facebook ’ s leadership and decision-making over the previous year .
The video was a distillation of months of internal strife , protest , and departures that followed the company ’ s decision to leave untouched a post from President Donald Trump that seemingly called for violence against people protesting the police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wang ’ s message wasn ’ t necessarily unique , his assessment of the company ’ s ongoing failure to protect its users — an evaluation informed by his lengthy tenure at the company — provided one of the most stunningly pointed rebukes of Facebook to date .
“ We are failing , ” he said , criticizing Facebook ’ s leaders for catering to political concerns at the expense of real-world harm .
“ And what 's worse , we have enshrined that failure in our policies.
” “ This time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facebook engineer Dan Abramov in a June 26 post on Workplace , the company ’ s internal communications platform .
“ I ’ ve taken some [ paid time off ] to refocus , but I can ’ t shake the feeling that the company leadership has betrayed the trust my colleagues and I have placed in them.
” Messages like those from Wang and Abramov illustrate how Facebook ’ s handling of the president ’ s often divisive posts has caused a sea change in its ranks and led to a crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interviews with current and former employees and dozens of documents obtained by BuzzFeed News .
The documents — which include company discussion threads , employee survey results , and recordings of Zuckerberg — reveal that the company was slow to take down ads with white nationalist and Nazi content reported by its own employees .
They demonstrate how the company ’ s public declarations about supporting racial justice causes are at odds with policies forbidding Facebookers from using company resources to support political matters .
They show Zuckerberg being publicly accused of misleading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ portray a fracturing company culture .
Frustrated and angry , employees are now challenging Zuckerberg and leadership at companywide meetings , staging virtual walkouts , and questioning if their work is making the world a better place .
The turmoil has reached a point where Facebook 's CEO recently threatened to fire employees who “ bully ” their colleagues .
As it heads into a US presidential election where its every move will be dissected and analyzed , the social network is facing unprecedented internal dissent as employees worry that the company is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ content decisions related to Trump , and fear that Facebook is undermining democracy .
Yaël Eisenstat , Facebook 's former election ads integrity lead , said the employees ’ concerns reflect her experience at the company , which she believes is on a dangerous path heading into the election .
“ All of these steps are leading up to a situation where , come November , a portion of Facebook users will not trust the outcome of the election because they have been bombarded with messages on Facebook preparing them to not trust @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She said the company ’ s policy team in Washington , DC , led by Joel Kaplan , sought to unduly influence decisions made by her team , and the company ’ s recent failure to take appropriate action on posts from President Trump shows employees are right to be upset and concerned .
“ These were very clear examples that did n't just upset me , they upset Facebook ’ s employees , they upset the entire civil rights community , they upset Facebook ’ s advertisers .
If you still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , then you 're proving that your decision-making is being guided by some other voice , ” she said .
Do you work at Facebook or another technology company ?
We 'd love to hear from you .
Reach out at ryan.mac @ buzzfeed.com or via one of our tip line channels .
In a broad statement responding to a list of questions for this story , a Facebook spokesperson said the company has a rigorous policy process and is transparent with employees about how decisions are made .
“ Content decisions at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , most even , application of the public policies as written .
It will always be the case that groups of people , even employees , see these decisions as inconsistent ; that ’ s the nature of applying policies broadly , ” the spokesperson said .
“ That ’ s why we ’ ve implemented a rigorous process of both consulting with outside experts when adopting new policies as well as soliciting feedback from employees and why we ’ ve created an independent oversight board to appeal content policy decisions on Facebook.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ who ’ s worked at the social network for four years , compared Facebook to a nuclear power plant .
Facebook , unlike traditional media sources , can generate “ social energy ” at a scale never seen before , he said .
“ But even getting small details wrong can lead to disastrous consequences , ” he wrote .
“ Social media has enough power to damage the fabric of our society .
If you think that ’ s an overstatement , you aren ’ t paying attention.
” “ I Know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ May 28 , as protests against police brutality raged in Minneapolis and around the country , President Donald Trump posted identical messages to his Facebook and Twitter accounts , which have a collective 114 million followers .
“ Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way , ” the president wrote that night .
“ Any difficulty and we will assume control but , when the looting starts , the shooting starts.
” Within a matter of hours , Twitter placed Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ noting it violated its rules around glorifying violence .
Meanwhile , Facebook did nothing .
It had decided that the phrase “ when the looting starts , the shooting starts ” — which has historical ties to racially oppressive police violence — did not constitute a violation of its terms of service .
In explaining the decision the next day , Zuckerberg said that while he had a “ visceral negative reaction ” to the post , Facebook policies allowed for “ discussion around the state use of force.
” Moreover , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phrase ’ s historical context , it was possible that it could have been interpreted to mean the president was simply warning that looting could lead to violence .
( Axios later reported that Zuckerberg had personally called Trump the day after the post . )
Employees , already angered by the company ’ s failure to take action against a post from Trump earlier that May containing mail-in ballot misinformation , revolted .
In a Workplace group called “ Let ’ s Fix Facebook ( the company ) , ” which has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a poll asking colleagues whether they agreed “ with our leadership ’ s decisions this week regarding voting misinformation and posts that may be considered to be inciting violence.
” About 1,000 respondents said the company had made the wrong decision on both posts , more than 20 times the number of responses for the third-highest answer , “ I ’ m not sure.
” “ I do n't know what to do , but I know doing nothing is not acceptable , ” Jason Stirman , a Facebook design manager at Facebook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of a lengthy stream of dissenting voices .
“ I 'm a FB employee that completely disagrees with Mark 's decision to do nothing about Trump 's recent posts , which clearly incite violence .
I 'm not alone inside of FB .
There is n't a neutral position on racism.
” The following Monday , hundreds of employees — most working remotely due to the company ’ s coronavirus policies — changed their Workplace avatars to a white and black fist and called out sick in a digital walkout .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis , employee morale plunged .
Worker satisfaction metrics — measured by “ MicroPulse ” surveys that are taken by hundreds of employees every week — fell sharply after the ruling on Trump ’ s `` looting '' post , according to data obtained by BuzzFeed News .
On June 1 , the day of the walkout , about 45 % of employees said they agreed with the statement that Facebook was making the world better — down about 25 percentage points from the week before .
That same day , Facebook ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of employees were confident in “ Facebook leadership leading the company in the right direction ” — a 30 percentage point drop from May 25 .
Responses to that question have stayed around that lower mark as of earlier this month , according to data seen by BuzzFeed News .
Facebook employees who spoke to BuzzFeed News pointed to the company ’ s lack of consistency and poor communication around enforcement of its community standards as a key frustration .
In late May , following a decision by Twitter to place a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behind a warning label , Zuckerberg appeared on Fox News to chastise his competitor for trying to be an “ arbiter of truth.
” “ I think in general , private companies probably shouldn ’ t be — or especially these platform companies — shouldn ’ t be in the position of doing that , ” he said in the interview .
Trump had made the same false claim on Facebook , which took no action against it .
Later that week , when Trump made his “ looting ” statement and Twitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zuckerberg — the “ ultimate decision-maker ” according to Facebook ’ s head of communications — defended his position .
“ Unlike Twitter , we do not have a policy of putting a warning in front of posts that may incite violence because we believe that if a post incites violence , it should be removed regardless of whether it is newsworthy , even if it comes from a politician , ” he wrote in a post on May 29 .
It took just four days for Zuckerberg to change his mind .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ June 2 that were first reported by Recode , Facebook ’ s founder said the company was considering adding labels to posts from world leaders that incite violence .
He followed that up with a Facebook post three days later , in which he declared “ Black lives matter , ” and made promises that the company would review policies on content discussing “ excessive use of police or state force.
” “ What material effect does any of this have ?
” one employee later asked on Facebook ’ s Workplace , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to review offer nothing material .
Has anything changed for you in a meaningful way ?
Are you at all willing to be wrong here ?
” On June 26 , nearly a month later , Zuckerberg posted a clarification to his remarks , noting that any post that is determined to be inciting violence will be taken down .
The company ’ s June 18 decision to remove a Trump campaign ad that featured a triangle symbol used by Nazis to identify political prisoners didn ’ t make things any better .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ads were taken down , Zuckerberg said the action was an easy call and evidence of Facebook ’ s commitment to applying its policies equally .
“ This decision was not a particularly close call from my perspective , ” he said .
“ Our position on all this stuff is we want to allow as wide open an aperture of free expression as possible … but if something is over the line , no matter who it is , we will take it down.
” Documents reviewed by BuzzFeed News , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remove the Trump ads was not as simple as Zuckerberg claimed .
In fact , the company failed to act on them until after it faced outside pressure , and despite internal alerts from its own employees .
On the morning before the ads were removed , a heated discussion took place among Facebook employees after at least nine different people said they had reported the content but were told it did not violate company policy .
“ I reported it and called it out as both possible hate speech and threat of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violation of our CS because our CS are fundamentally broken , ” Natalie Troxel , a user experience employee wrote on Workplace , referencing the company ’ s community standards .
Kaitlin Sullivan , whose LinkedIn profile says she leads “ the Americas branch of Facebook ’ s content policy team , ” replied , saying the ad was still being evaluated and that “ the triangle without any more context doesn ’ t clearly violate the letter there.
” It wasn ’ t “ helpful ” to describe the company ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I stand by what I said ... A world leader is promoting content on our platform that uses explicit Nazi imagery , ” Troxel responded .
“ The fact that this has even remained on our platform for this long is troubling , ” another employee added .
Troxel and Sullivan did not respond to requests for comment for this story .
A Facebook employee who spoke to BuzzFeed News anonymously for fear of retaliation said they were “ flabbergasted ” the ads were n't immediately ruled violative .
“ There ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assume good intent , ” this person said .
“ To me , this was a case where you can not assume good intent for a symbol that could be Nazi imagery.
” They also were bothered that Facebook took action on the ad only after receiving questions from the Washington Post — more than 12 hours after it had been flagged by employees .
“ It certainly looks like a decision would not have been made the way it was had there not been media pressure and a larger than normal involvement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threads on Workplace , ” the anonymous employee said .
The incident was yet another example of Facebook declining to act on violative content only to change its mind following public criticism .
And once again , it raised questions about how decisions are made , and whether policies are applied consistently or in reaction to negative publicity or political concerns .
Eisenstat , the former Facebook election ads integrity lead , said the company ’ s failure to act quickly on the Trump ads , and to moderate his “ looting ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ considerations and outside pressure are influencing policy decisions .
“ They put political considerations over enforcing their policies to the letter of the law , ” she said .
“ I can say for my time there that more than once the [ Washington ] policy team weighed in on appeals and decisions that made it clear there was a political consideration factoring into how we were enforcing our policy.
” A related scenario played out earlier this month over an ad run by a white nationalist Facebook page , “ White Wellbeing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just 8 % of the world 's population so if you flood all white majority countries with nonwhites you eliminate white children forever , ” the ad proclaimed .
Facebook removed the ad and prevented the page from running paid content in the future only after being contacted by BuzzFeed News on Wednesday , July 8 .
But that move too came after a company employee flagged the ad and was told it wasn ’ t violative .
“ I reported the page and the post and was told that it doesn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violation , ” Facebook project manager Matthew Brennan wrote on Workplace after the publication of BuzzFeed News ’ story .
“ There is no doubt this is a white supremacy group and the post in question is not trying to hide that fact.
” Brennan , who saw the ad appear in his News Feed , said friends and family in Australia raised concerns about the ad over the weekend , leaving him frustrated that “ there was nothing that could be done about it.
” “ It wasn ’ t exactly filling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Brennan concluded .
“ I get the same from my wife , friends , and family , ” another employee responded .
“ These decisions are going to be on the wrong side of history.
” Brennan did not respond to a request for comment .
In the end , Facebook removed the ad and prevented the white nationalist page from running future ads .
The page , however , continues to exist on the social network .
In a June 19 companywide meeting , for example , Zuckerberg turned a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kaplan , Facebook ’ s vice president of global policy and a former member of President George W. Bush ’ s administration , into a discussion about the need for ideological diversity .
Kaplan , already a controversial figure within Facebook because of his public support for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his heated 2018 confirmation hearings , has drawn ire from external and internal critics alike , who say that his moves to placate conservative Facebook power users like Trump are driven by politics and not any dedication to policy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Kaplan 's Washington policy team had attempted to influence ad enforcement decisions being considered by her team , which she considered highly inappropriate .
In one example , her team was evaluating whether to remove an ad placed by a conservative organization .
“ But then a policy person chimed in and gave the both-sides argument .
They actually wrote something like , ‘ There 's bad behavior on both sides.
’ And I remember thinking , What does that have to do with anything ?
” she said .
“ When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heavily on how you are enforcing that , to me , is where it makes it crystal clear this is not a strict letter-of-the-law enforcement .
Because if it was , then policy should never intervene , ” Eisenstat added .
Instead of answering the question about Kaplan ’ s influence at the meeting , Zuckerberg argued that his vice president brought an important conservative viewpoint to the table .
“ The population out there in the community we serve tends to be on average ideologically a little bit more conservative than our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Maybe ‘ a little ’ is an understatement.
” For Zuckerberg , Kaplan ’ s Republican leanings contributed to “ a good diversity of views ” within the company .
But for critics , the idea that moderating calls for violence or hate speech or Nazi imagery is little more than wrangling a political disagreement is disingenuous and prevents the company from taking a stand on civil rights .
“ He uses ‘ diverse perspective ’ as essentially a cover for right-wing thinking when the real problem is dangerous ideologies , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Color of Change , told BuzzFeed News after reading excerpts of Zuckerberg ’ s comments .
“ If you are conflating conservatives with white nationalists , that seems like a far deeper problem because that ’ s what we ’ re talking about .
We ’ re talking about hate groups and really specific dangerous ideologies and behavior.
” She said Zuckerberg ’ s assertion that the team making key content and policy decisions is diverse was “ a huge problem.
” “ The fact that he would look at the people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision-making positions and pat himself on the back saying it has diversity is a huge problem right there , ” Collins-Dexter added , referencing the company ’ s overwhelmingly white C-suite .
Facebook ’ s recently completed civil rights audit reiterated concerns that the company ’ s leadership and decision-making process are falling short .
“ Many in the civil rights community have become disheartened , frustrated and angry after years of engagement where they implored the company to do more to advance equality and fight discrimination , while also safeguarding free expression @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two-year assessment .
Outside calls for Facebook to change its policies — like the Stop Hate For Profit ad boycott that now includes Coca-Cola , Starbucks , and Verizon — have further ratcheted up internal tensions .
“ Two years ago , I wouldn ’ t have had conversations with my colleagues where I would be supporting the advertising boycott , ” one employee told BuzzFeed News .
“ But we are having those conversations now.
” This is largely unprecedented for Facebook , a company unaccustomed to widespread internal dissent .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virtual walkout , and the recent drop in employee satisfaction show Zuckerberg ’ s approach and fumbling explanations and reversals are beginning to take an internal toll .
“ I think Facebook is getting trapped by our ideology of free expression , and the easy temptation of just trying to stay consistent with an ideology , ” Wang said in his video .
Wang ’ s departure thread kicked off a discussion , attracting comments from people like Yann LeCun , Facebook ’ s head of artificial intelligence .
After thanking Wang for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to his own June 2 post in which he expressed concern that Facebook ’ s policy and content decisions are not geared toward protecting democracy .
“ American Democracy is threatened and closer to collapse than most people realize , ” LeCun wrote on June 2 .
“ I would submit that a better underlying principle to content policy is the promotion and defense of liberal democracy.
” LeCun did not respond to requests for comment .
Other employees , like Abramov , the engineer , have seized the moment to argue that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leadership ’ s repeated attempts to convince employees otherwise , and as such needed to make decisions to limit harm .
Facebook has proactively taken down nudity , hate speech , and extremist content , while also encouraging people to participate in elections — an act that favors democracy , he wrote .
“ As employees , we can ’ t entertain this illusion , ” he said in his June 26 memo titled “ Facebook Is Not Neutral.
” “ There is nothing neutral about connecting people together .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Zuckerberg seems to disagree .
On June 5 , he wrote that Facebook errs on the “ side of free expression ” and made a series of promises that his company would push for racial justice and fight for voter engagement .
The sentiment , while encouraging , arrived unaccompanied by any concrete plans .
On Facebook ’ s internal discussion board , the replies rolled in .
“ There is exactly one impressive thing about this post : by apparently committing to nothing at all but acting like you have , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of us , ” wrote one employee .
“ It ’ s good politics .
It ’ s bad leadership.
” ●

On July 1, Max Wang, a Boston-based software engineer who was leaving Facebook after more than seven years, shared a video on the company’s internal discussion board that was meant to serve as a warning.
“I think Facebook is hurting people at scale,” he wrote in a note accompanying the video. “If you think so too, maybe give this a watch.”
Most employees on their way out of the “Mark Zuckerberg production” typically post photos of their company badges along with farewell notes thanking their colleagues. Wang opted for a clip of himself speaking directly to the camera. What followed was a 24-minute clear-eyed hammering of Facebook’s leadership and decision-making over the previous year.
The video was a distillation of months of internal strife, protest, and departures that followed the company’s decision to leave untouched a post from President Donald Trump that seemingly called for violence against people protesting the police killing of George Floyd. And while Wang’s message wasn’t necessarily unique, his assessment of the company’s ongoing failure to protect its users — an evaluation informed by his lengthy tenure at the company — provided one of the most stunningly pointed rebukes of Facebook to date.
“We are failing,” he said, criticizing Facebook’s leaders for catering to political concerns at the expense of real-world harm. “And what's worse, we have enshrined that failure in our policies.”


buzzfeed--2020-07-25--Trump’s Campaign Made Face Masks. They’re Just Not Selling Them.

The Trump campaign has purchased thousands of branded masks for surrogates but won ’ t add them to the collection of Trump keychains and coffee mugs sold on the campaign website .
Members of Black Voices for Trump told BuzzFeed News there were two official campaign offerings : a red neoprene mask and a newer navy canvas version with the `` Trump 2020 '' logo .
Staffers distributed the masks to surrogates who attended the president 's June rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma .
Those masks , though , have not been made widely available to the public .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks on the website , a campaign official told BuzzFeed News .
The decision to not market `` Trump 2020 '' masks is a break from a president who has lauded himself as an astute businessperson — one who ’ s sold all manner of branded items , up to and including 2016 ’ s red hats .
After all , it was the brainchild of this very campaign that raised $ 500,000 in a single week from selling Trump-engraved plastic straws .
The move was a clear rebuke to cities substituting plastic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the site a year later with a content description that reads , “ Liberal paper straws don ’ t work .
STAND WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP and buy your pack of recyclable straws today.
” Even Joe Biden ’ s campaign is selling masks .
Nobody from the Trump campaign will explain the decision to not sell its own masks , even as online sellers who peddle unauthorized versions of `` Trump 2020 '' masks say they ’ re blowing out of stock .
`` The only reason I know they ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keeps asking me , 'Where are the masks ? '
and I ’ m like , go to the website , and they ’ re like , 'Oh , well , I can ’ t find any , ' '' Cecilia Johnson of Black Voices for Trump said in an interview with BuzzFeed News .
So the idea of a tycoon not using a pandemic to maximize his earnings seems like a bad business move — unless you consider the president ’ s approach on the mask debate amid the coronavirus pandemic thus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ silent until recently .
For months , the president has been criticized for slow-walking his coronavirus response .
But what was particularly obvious was his refusal to wear a mask and , until this week , his unwillingness to advise Americans to wear one — even as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended people do so as early as April .
The nation saw its leader speak cautiously about the benefits of wearing a mask .
Trump just last month called masks a “ double-edged sword , ” which seemed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cleanliness of handling masks worn all day .
In the same interview , he said he ’ s “ OK with it.
” This month , during a Fox interview , Trump made it clear he has no interest in mandating masks .
This is a point many lawmakers from the states now experiencing upticks in COVID-19 cases have struggled with as well .
As have his own surrogates , including Diamond and Silk , who likened any mandate of masks to “ Communist China ” and ... slavery .
Asked about mandating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump said , `` No .
I want people to have a certain freedom , and I do n't believe in that .
No . ''
But he donned a mask during his visit to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on July 11 and tweeted Monday he was being “ patriotic ” by wearing it .
( He did mention the “ Invisible China Virus ” in the tweet . )
Then , in a stunning about-face , on Tuesday at his coronavirus press briefing , the president told reporters : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you are not able to socially distance , wear a mask .
Get a mask .
Whether you like the mask or not , they have an impact .
They ’ ll have an effect.
” Five minutes later , the president , who for this briefing mainly read from his notes , doubled down : “ We 're instead asking Americans to use masks , socially distance , and employ vigorous hygiene.
” And then , within moments of his press conference — with possibly more impact than he has at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign has not responded to several requests as to whether it 'll change course and add the Trump masks to the campaign site 's offerings .
There ’ s certainly a demand .
Just ask @ isleofcapri777 , who inquired about one on Twitter last week .

The Trump campaign has purchased thousands of branded masks for surrogates but won’t add them to the collection of Trump keychains and coffee mugs sold on the campaign website.
Members of Black Voices for Trump told BuzzFeed News there were two official campaign offerings: a red neoprene mask and a newer navy canvas version with the "Trump 2020" logo. Staffers distributed the masks to surrogates who attended the president's June rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Those masks, though, have not been made widely available to the public. There was never a plan to sell the masks on the website, a campaign official told BuzzFeed News.
The decision to not market "Trump 2020" masks is a break from a president who has lauded himself as an astute businessperson — one who’s sold all manner of branded items, up to and including 2016’s red hats. After all, it was the brainchild of this very campaign that raised $500,000 in a single week from selling Trump-engraved plastic straws. The move was a clear rebuke to cities substituting plastic straws for paper ones; it remains on the site a year later with a content description that reads, “Liberal paper straws don’t work. STAND WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP and buy your pack of recyclable straws today.”
Even Joe Biden’s campaign is selling masks.
Nobody from the Trump campaign will explain the decision to not sell its own masks, even as online sellers who peddle unauthorized versions of "Trump 2020" masks say they’re blowing out of stock.
"The only reason I know they’re not selling the masks is because everyone keeps asking me, 'Where are the masks?' and I’m like, go to the website, and they’re like, 'Oh, well, I can’t find any,'" Cecilia Johnson of Black Voices for Trump said in an interview with BuzzFeed News.
So the idea of a tycoon not using a pandemic to maximize his earnings seems like a bad business move — unless you consider the president’s approach on the mask debate amid the coronavirus pandemic thus far. He’s been relatively silent until recently.
For months, the president has been criticized for slow-walking his coronavirus response. But what was particularly obvious was his refusal to wear a mask and, until this week, his unwillingness to advise Americans to wear one — even as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended people do so as early as April.
The nation saw its leader speak cautiously about the benefits of wearing a mask. Trump just last month called masks a “double-edged sword,” which seemed to point to his personal concerns around the cleanliness of handling masks worn all day. In the same interview, he said he’s “OK with it.”
This month, during a Fox interview, Trump made it clear he has no interest in mandating masks. This is a point many lawmakers from the states now experiencing upticks in COVID-19 cases have struggled with as well. As have his own surrogates, including Diamond and Silk, who likened any mandate of masks to “Communist China” and...slavery.
Asked about mandating masks during Sunday's Fox interview, Trump said, "No. I want people to have a certain freedom, and I don't believe in that. No."
But he donned a mask during his visit to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on July 11 and tweeted Monday he was being “patriotic” by wearing it. (He did mention the “Invisible China Virus” in the tweet.)
Then, in a stunning about-face, on Tuesday at his coronavirus press briefing, the president told reporters: “We're asking everybody that when you are not able to socially distance, wear a mask. Get a mask. Whether you like the mask or not, they have an impact. They’ll have an effect.”
Five minutes later, the president, who for this briefing mainly read from his notes, doubled down: “We're instead asking Americans to use masks, socially distance, and employ vigorous hygiene.”
And then, within moments of his press conference — with possibly more impact than he has at the podium, he tweeted it.
The campaign has not responded to several requests as to whether it'll change course and add the Trump masks to the campaign site's offerings. There’s certainly a demand. Just ask @isleofcapri777, who inquired about one on Twitter last week.


buzzfeed--2020-07-28--This Mom Went Mega Viral On TikTok After Sharing Her Reaction To Her Teenage Daughter's Pregnancy

Nicole sat down with Angelina to help her make an informed decision about her options .
`` Angelina is the @ @ @ @ @ with whatever decision she makes .
Our life is like our own personal story , @ @ @ @ @ be up to me .
My job is to educate her and give her facts @ @ @ @ @ herself , '' said Nicole , adding , `` I told her I would support @ @ @ @ @ told her I ’ m sorry that the first real adult decision you will ever @ @ @ @ @ hardest . ''

Nicole sat down with Angelina to help her make an informed decision about her options. "Angelina is the one who has to live with whatever decision she makes. Our life is like our own personal story, her next chapter should not be up to me. My job is to educate her and give her facts so she can think for herself," said Nicole, adding, "I told her I would support whatever she decides and I told her I’m sorry that the first real adult decision you will ever make is one of the hardest."


buzzfeed--2020-07-28--What's The Point Of A Coronavirus Test That Takes 19 Days For Results?

Private laboratories and health agencies are swamped , leading to communication and technical breakdowns , as well as extensive delays for results .
Tanya Johnson wishes she never went to the cookout .
On Juneteenth , Johnson and a dozen or so friends gathered in a backyard in Atlanta , eating BBQ and sitting in chairs spaced out in a circle .
Johnson , 27 , accepted a ride to and from the party with her friend Jessica McCauley , 31 .
They drove with the windows rolled up and hugged each other goodbye .
Three days later , Johnson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earache , then a fever .
The next day , McCauley ’ s 31-year-old boyfriend , Remey Williams , also came down with a fever .
On June 24 , a friend who had been at the BBQ called McCauley to let her know their brother-in-law had since tested positive for the coronavirus .
He had attended the cookout and McCauley and Williams had interacted with him inside when they weren ’ t wearing masks .
The friends made plans to get tested .
They went to a parking lot in Fulton County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cars at a state-run testing facility .
It would be 16 days before McCauley was officially emailed results telling her she had tested positive for COVID-19 .
Johnson ’ s mother , 59-year-old hospital secretary Margaret McNair , had accompanied her daughter to get tested too .
While Johnson eventually tested positive and had to be hospitalized , McNair had to wait 19 days before an official email arrived in her inbox telling her she was negative .
That ’ s five days longer than the quarantine period of two weeks recommended by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was checking and checking and checking .
It kept saying no results , ” McNair told BuzzFeed News .
“ I emailed .
No results .
I kept saying , ‘ I ’ m a healthcare worker .
I need the results .
I have to go back to work.
’ ” “ If they want to slow down the spread of this , ” said McCauley , “ I think they need to be a little more aware of what ’ s going on.
” The backlog in testing across large parts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and infections soar .
The country officially marked 4 million confirmed cases of the virus on Thursday , but experts caution there are many more that have gone undiagnosed .
President Donald Trump has held up the US as world leaders in testing , telling reporters at the White House on Thursday the country had now performed more than 51 million coronavirus tests .
But with millions more Americans seeking tests — whether because they have fallen ill , have been exposed to an infected person , are trying to return to work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of mind before they take a vacation — private laboratories and health agencies are swamped , leading to communication and technical breakdowns , as well as extensive delays .
As health experts and officials note , the extended wait times for some results — exacerbated by a shortage of supplies — are also undermining the very purpose of testing .
“ The average test delay is too long , ” National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins told NBC ’ s Meet the Press in an interview that aired Sunday .
“ That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , because you do the testing to find out who ’ s carrying the virus , and then quickly get them isolated so they don ’ t spread it around .
And it ’ s very hard to make that work when there ’ s a long delay built in.
” Angela Rasmussen , a virologist and research scientist at the Center for Infection and Immunity at the Columbia University School of Public Health , told BuzzFeed News that stories of people waiting 17 days or more were evidence that “ nearly eight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capacity is still woefully inadequate.
” “ In the big picture , huge testing backlogs bode very poorly for the future , as robust capacity for rapid , easily accessible testing is essential to our ability to safely reopen the economy , ” she said in an email .
“ Even 5 days is too long , much less 17 ( 17 !
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” Kevin McCauley , a 36-year-old graphic designer in Houston ( not related to Jessica McCauley in Atlanta ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for his results after he sought a test on June 26 .
Days earlier , he had driven his sister-in-law to a hospital in the middle of the night after she began experiencing COVID-19 symptoms .
When she was officially diagnosed with the virus , a doctor told him to self-isolate and assume he had the virus , but he wanted to know for certain .
After waiting for more than two hours at a drive-thru testing site run by Harris County , he was given paperwork telling him to contact health officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ email within five days .
When that never arrived , he called the only number he could find : a health department line that would not accept incoming calls and has an automated message telling people to expect their results in three to five days .
He made an online account with Quest Diagnostics , the private lab performing his test , but there was still nothing .
“ I was checking every few days , ” he told BuzzFeed News .
While he took quarantine seriously at first , his standards gradually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ silence but without any symptoms .
“ For the first probably eight or nine days after taking the test , I was really strict about self-isolating , ” he said .
“ Anything I needed I ordered online .
I didn ’ t leave the house .
I didn ’ t go anywhere .
I had a friend pick me up a bottle of whiskey .
“ And then at a certain point , I was like , This is unrealistic .
I need to leave .
I don ’ t have any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on July 13 from a county health representative informing him his test result was negative .
“ I said , ‘ Why did this take 17 days ?
’ He said , ‘ Oh , well , you ’ re in Houston .
It ’ s really swamped .
They can ’ t handle it , ’ ” Kevin recalled .
“ He was very sympathetic .
He talked to me for a long time about the failures in the system .
He was really frustrated.
” Kevin ’ s test result , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ showed it wasn ’ t received at Quest ’ s Dallas lab until July 2 , six days after his nasal swab .
It was officially reported into the Quest system on July 17 .
A spokesperson for Quest told BuzzFeed News in a statement that they and others in the industry were struggling to keep up with the demand .
The company said the average turnaround time for nonpriority patients is seven days , but noted “ a small subset ” were waiting up to two weeks for results .
“ Demand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Quest ’ s capacity and is highest in the South , Southwest and West regions of the country , ” the Quest spokesperson said .
“ However , the inflow of specimens to our labs has stabilized , at a high level , compared to last week , due to our efforts to modulate orders for lower risk patients.
” Dr. Umair Shah , executive director of the Harris County Public Health Department , told BuzzFeed News that Kevin ’ s experience was disheartening , but not surprising .
“ Let ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ That ’ s awful .
This is the problem with this entire system around the country relating to testing and lab turnaround : We don ’ t have a system.
” According to Shah , it is currently taking two weeks on average for results to be received from people who visit federally funded testing sites in Harris County , where some results are still being delivered to the health department via an outdated fax machine .
The ideal turnaround is two to three days .
Such delays only hamper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the clock to stop the spread of the virus .
Shah worries , in particular , that asymptomatic patients who do not receive results in a timely manner may incorrectly assume it is because they are not infected .
“ It ’ s nonsensical that in 2020 we , as Americans , do not have a public health system that coordinates with healthcare providers and lab reporting that is markedly better than what we have .
This is because of this underinvestment in public health over the decades , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ home to roost.
” Louise Serio , a spokesperson for the American Clinical Laboratory Association , a trade group representing Quest and LabCorp ( which performed the tests in Atlanta on McNair , Johnson , and McCauley after their cookout ) , told BuzzFeed News that their members had quadrupled their testing capacity since April , but were struggling to keep up with demand , as well as a supply shortage of reagents , pipette tips , test kits , and platforms that allow for high-volume testing .
“ We are building capacity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen in the past several weeks that demand has skyrocketed , ” she said .
“ We ’ ve made a lot of progress , but we don ’ t have control over demand .
Labs don ’ t order tests.
” Asked whether her members were prepared for the need for testing to further increase if schools return in the fall , as Trump has pushed for , Serio responded , “ Right now , when you think about the supplies that are in high demand , we expect that high demand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around results , technical or communication breakdowns are preventing people from learning of their diagnosis .
The LabCorp results page for Jessica McCauley , the Atlanta woman who drove her friend to and from the ill-fated cookout , said her June 26 sample was received on June 27 and reported nine days later on July 6 .
She had created a LabCorp account , but the results never showed up online .
“ I started to check .
It wasn ’ t there .
So then I was checking periodically and it just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wasn ’ t showing up , ” said McCauley , who works as a flight attendant .
“ I sent an email .
I was calling .
There were no responses.
” McCauley ’ s email from Fulton County ’ s public health department announcing her positive result wasn ’ t sent until July 12 .
Two days earlier , by chance , a health worker had called her boyfriend with whom she ’ d been quarantining to discuss the positive result he had received on July 7 , when he inquired if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s results .
It was then that she first heard she , too , was infected .
“ I ’ m blessed that my symptoms weren ’ t as bad as some people who have passed away from it , but the fact that people are waiting this long is not OK , ” McCauley said , “ because if I didn ’ t have it I would ’ ve just been sitting around , but if I did have it and was asymptomatic I ’ d just be passing it along to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ secretary , first cared for her increasingly sick daughter at home , but then worried for her as she spent a week in hospital receiving treatment .
She also feared for her 98-year-old father , who lives with the family .
For 19 days , McNair also couldn ’ t work until she knew for sure she was not infected and would not be a risk to her hospital colleagues .
“ It was driving me nuts , ” she said .
“ It was really scary.
” “ I ’ m annoyed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should get back to people in time , ” McNair added .
“ It ’ s like a domino effect .
I lost my money not working all those days .
Had my results come back in a timely fashion , I could have gone back to work.
” Test results in Georgia have been taking 7 to 10 days on average , but even longer from some commercial labs like Quest and LabCorp , according to state health department spokesperson Nancy Nydam .
“ As you are aware , it is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ not specific to Georgia.
” In a statement to BuzzFeed News , a LabCorp spokesperson said the company had experienced “ additional delays ” for some individuals who had been tested in Fulton County and had tried to use the company ’ s website to access their results .
“ Many of the test orders were not delivered to LabCorp electronically requiring additional manual steps , which contributed to the time to make results available , ” the spokesperson said .
Sheena Haynes , a spokesperson for the Fulton County Board of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ struggling to keep up with demand .
“ In the last several weeks , there has been an increase in the number of people getting tested , resulting in the labs being overwhelmed and results being delayed , ” she said .
“ Our district health director and chief medical officer have worked with LabCorp to resolve the issue , and results are coming back sooner for testing being done now.
” McNair ’ s daughter , Johnson , is now out of the hospital and on the mend , but still has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is still struggling to believe she had to wait 19 days for an answer .
“ Guess what ’ s so funny ?
The day after I got my results , someone called from somewhere and they wanted to do a follow-up , ” she said .
“ The lady was like , ‘ Oh , actually , too much time has passed to do a follow-up .
’ ”

Tanya Johnson wishes she never went to the cookout.
On Juneteenth, Johnson and a dozen or so friends gathered in a backyard in Atlanta, eating BBQ and sitting in chairs spaced out in a circle. Johnson, 27, accepted a ride to and from the party with her friend Jessica McCauley, 31. They drove with the windows rolled up and hugged each other goodbye.
Three days later, Johnson got a sore throat, then an earache, then a fever. The next day, McCauley’s 31-year-old boyfriend, Remey Williams, also came down with a fever. On June 24, a friend who had been at the BBQ called McCauley to let her know their brother-in-law had since tested positive for the coronavirus. He had attended the cookout and McCauley and Williams had interacted with him inside when they weren’t wearing masks.
The friends made plans to get tested. They went to a parking lot in Fulton County where nasal swabs were performed inside their cars at a state-run testing facility.
And then they waited.
And waited.
And waited.
It would be 16 days before McCauley was officially emailed results telling her she had tested positive for COVID-19.
Johnson’s mother, 59-year-old hospital secretary Margaret McNair, had accompanied her daughter to get tested too. While Johnson eventually tested positive and had to be hospitalized, McNair had to wait 19 days before an official email arrived in her inbox telling her she was negative. That’s five days longer than the quarantine period of two weeks recommended by the CDC.
“Every day I was checking and checking and checking. It kept saying no results,” McNair told BuzzFeed News. “I emailed. No results. I kept saying, ‘I’m a healthcare worker. I need the results. I have to go back to work.’”
“If they want to slow down the spread of this,” said McCauley, “I think they need to be a little more aware of what’s going on.”


buzzfeed--2020-07-28--Obama And Biden Filmed Calls With Volunteers For A New Phase Of The Quarantined Campaign

On Monday , Biden ’ s team released a clip of the former president and his two-term vice president checking in with a 19-year-old campaign volunteer by telephone .
When Barack Obama and Joe Biden reunited this month for a video to promote Biden ’ s presidential bid , they shot enough footage to keep the former president visible in a race that the coronavirus pandemic has largely pushed out of public sight .
Biden , seated across a table from Obama , then joins in .
“ Thanks for all you ’ re doing , what you ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing a helluva job.
” The call , shared first with BuzzFeed News , is an example of how Biden ’ s team is trying to maximize whatever socially distant time Obama can offer .
Ordinarily , a former president as popular as Obama might already be on the campaign trail , energizing large crowds in battleground states , or at least preparing a major address to the Democratic convention .
But COVID-19 , the disease caused by the novel coronavirus , has rendered rallies unsafe and forced a substantial downsizing of both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t held a traditional campaign event since early March .
President Donald Trump had hoped to resume his big arena rallies but saw weak turnout last month in Tulsa , Oklahoma , and , blaming the weather on what turned out to be a nice day , scrapped plans for a campaign stop in Portsmouth , New Hampshire .
Obama already has done a video endorsement of Biden and a virtual fundraiser .
The campaign is also expected to promote other videos of calls that he and Biden recently made to volunteers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while they were together to record a 15-minute video meant to frame the former vice president as a return to competence and decency after the Trump presidency .
The video has been a viral and organizing hit for the campaign .
Including a much-hyped preview and several excerpts , the content has been viewed more than 25 million times since debuting last week .
And the preview , which included a prompt to text the campaign to be notified when the full video went live , helped the campaign triple its email list @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spokesperson said .
In their call with Arianna , Obama and Biden heard about volunteer efforts the campaign is involved with as the pandemic continues .
Food banks and shelters have run short on volunteers , so the campaign has pitched in to host food drives and coordinate assistance through a Virtual Volunteers for Joe program .
“ I ’ ve got a 19-year-old , ” Obama tells her toward the end of the conversation .
“ Your parents must be very proud and trying to figure out how you grew up this @ @ @

Biden, seated across a table from Obama, then joins in. “Thanks for all you’re doing, what you’re doing, Arianna. You’re doing a helluva job.”
The call, shared first with BuzzFeed News, is an example of how Biden’s team is trying to maximize whatever socially distant time Obama can offer. Ordinarily, a former president as popular as Obama might already be on the campaign trail, energizing large crowds in battleground states, or at least preparing a major address to the Democratic convention. But COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, has rendered rallies unsafe and forced a substantial downsizing of both parties’ August conventions. Biden hasn’t held a traditional campaign event since early March. President Donald Trump had hoped to resume his big arena rallies but saw weak turnout last month in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and, blaming the weather on what turned out to be a nice day, scrapped plans for a campaign stop in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
Obama already has done a video endorsement of Biden and a virtual fundraiser. The campaign is also expected to promote other videos of calls that he and Biden recently made to volunteers.
Biden and Obama filmed those calls while they were together to record a 15-minute video meant to frame the former vice president as a return to competence and decency after the Trump presidency. The video has been a viral and organizing hit for the campaign. Including a much-hyped preview and several excerpts, the content has been viewed more than 25 million times since debuting last week. And the preview, which included a prompt to text the campaign to be notified when the full video went live, helped the campaign triple its email list sign-ups from the previous day, a spokesperson said.
In their call with Arianna, Obama and Biden heard about volunteer efforts the campaign is involved with as the pandemic continues. Food banks and shelters have run short on volunteers, so the campaign has pitched in to host food drives and coordinate assistance through a Virtual Volunteers for Joe program.
“I’ve got a 19-year-old,” Obama tells her toward the end of the conversation. “Your parents must be very proud and trying to figure out how you grew up this fast.”


buzzfeed--2020-07-28--The Husband Is A Top Public Health Official. The Wife Does Lobbying. She Deleted A Tweet That Showed

The Husband Is A Top Public Health Official. The Wife Does Lobbying. She Deleted A Tweet That Showed Them Together At A Public Event.

The wife of the second-ranking official at the Department of Health and Human Services appeared with her husband during an @ @ @ @ @ a time she was being paid to lobby the department .
Emily Hargan tweeted a @ @ @ @ @ press conference at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center centered around a visit by her husband @ @ @ @ @ Hargan .
She has since deleted the tweet .
As first reported by Stat News @ @ @ @ @ paid by three healthcare companies to lobby HHS .
According to lobbying registry disclosures , @ @ @ @ @ was paid $ 28,000 for lobbying by Nostrum Pharmaceuticals ; $ 10,000 from Smart Meter @ @ @ @ @ monitors to people with diabetes ; and $ 10,000 from TL Management , which owns @ @ @ @ @ All three contracts were still active on the day she appeared with her husband on @ @ @ @ @ She has no lobbying disclosures before her HHS work in June of this year .

The wife of the second-ranking official at the Department of Health and Human Services appeared with her husband during an official business trip — at a time she was being paid to lobby the department.
Emily Hargan tweeted a photo from a July 10 press conference at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center centered around a visit by her husband, HHS Deputy Secretary Eric Hargan. She has since deleted the tweet.
As first reported by Stat News, Emily Hargan has been paid by three healthcare companies to lobby HHS. According to lobbying registry disclosures, between June and July she was paid $28,000 for lobbying by Nostrum Pharmaceuticals; $10,000 from Smart Meter, which sells blood glucose monitors to people with diabetes; and $10,000 from TL Management, which owns over 100 nursing homes.
All three contracts were still active on the day she appeared with her husband on an official business trip. She has no lobbying disclosures before her HHS work in June of this year.


buzzfeed--2020-07-28--Two Trump-Appointed Judges Rejected Calls To Step Aside From A Florida Voting Rights Fight

WASHINGTON — Two of President Donald Trump ’ s appointees to a federal appeals court have refused calls to recuse from a case that advocates say would affect the right of approximately 750,000 Florida residents with previous felony convictions to vote .
Voting rights advocates are challenging a Florida law that requires former felons to pay any outstanding legal financial obligations before they can vote , even if they can ’ t afford it .
These obligations include the several hundred dollars in court fees and costs that are imposed in felony cases , as well as fines and restitution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or even millions of dollars .
Challengers argue a “ pay-to-vote ” policy is unconstitutional and the same as a prohibited poll tax .
The challengers argued Judges Barbara Lagoa and Robert Luck of the US Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit should disqualify because they were involved in a related legal fight as state supreme court justices .
In an opinion released Monday morning , Lagoa and Luck disagreed and said they would stay on .
The Florida case is one of the biggest voting rights fights pending in federal court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ November presidential election .
A federal district judge in Tallahassee ruled in May that the state could not condition voting rights on fines and fees that people with past convictions could not pay .
The full bench of the 11th Circuit is scheduled to hear arguments on Aug. 18 , the same day as Florida ’ s primary election .
Senate Democrats also had urged Lagoa and Luck to recuse .
In letters to both judges last week , Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee wrote that their continued participation in the case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recuse yourself from any case in which you participated during your time on the Florida Supreme Court.
” The Senate has confirmed six of Trump 's nominees to the 11th Circuit , which covers Florida , Alabama , and Georgia .
Lawyers for the groups challenging the Florida law originally had asked three of those judges to recuse from the case .
One did so .
Judge Andrew Brasher disqualified himself , citing a general policy he said he adopted after he was confirmed in May 2019 of recusing from cases where the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a party for about two years ; Brasher is Alabama ’ s former solicitor general , and that office filed an amicus , or friend-of-court , brief supporting Florida .
Lagoa and Luck wrote that even though the case they heard as state judges involved the same Florida law at issue in the federal case , the cases weren ’ t actually the same “ proceeding ” that would require them to recuse under federal law and the federal judiciary ’ s ethics rules .
They wrote that the state court matter involved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ruling on how the Florida law squared with the US Constitution , as well as different courts and different participants .
“ We ’ ve reviewed the Code of Conduct for United States Judges and 28 U.S.C .
section 455 .
We have also consulted with experienced colleagues .
We have carefully considered whether disqualification is legally required , and because we did not serve as lawyers or trial or appellate judges in this case , we ’ ve concluded that it is not , ” Lagoa and Luck wrote .
A spokesperson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the groups challenging the Florida law , declined to comment and pointed instead to their briefs in the case .
The voting rights advocates wrote in a filing earlier this month that the outcome of the case “ will be subject to close public scrutiny whatever the result.
” “ The Court must ensure that the legitimacy of its decision is not at issue , ” the challengers argued .
Floridians voted in 2018 to adopt an amendment to the state ’ s constitution that would allow people with past felony convictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terms ” of their sentences .
The Florida state legislature then passed a law that specified that “ all terms ” included fully paying any financial obligations ordered by a court as part of a person ’ s sentence .
In 2019 , Florida Gov .
Ron DeSantis asked the Florida Supreme Court to issue an “ advisory opinion ” about whether the phrase “ all terms of sentence ” in the constitutional amendment included paying any financial obligations .
Lagoa and Luck had been nominated by Trump for the 11th Circuit in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Florida state court when the advisory opinion case was argued on Nov. 6 .
A lawyer for DeSantis did not immediately return a request for comment .
In requesting that Lagoa and Luck recuse now that the fight over the Florida law is before the 11th Circuit , the challengers argued that they not only briefed issues related to the US constitutional issues before the Florida court , but also specifically answered questions from Lagoa and Luck about those issues during the November hearing .
Lagoa and Luck were both confirmed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the November hearing .
The Florida Supreme Court issued its advisory opinion in January , finding the phrase “ all terms of sentence ” included payment of legal financial obligations .
Lagoa and Luck wrote that litigation in federal court — which involved the full development of a factual record and court-enforced rulings — was not the same as an advisory opinion proceeding before the state supreme court .
They also wrote that to consider state court and federal court cases as the same “ proceeding ” would undermine the principles of federalism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opinion of the state supreme court , as the name suggests , is advisory only , ” Lagoa and Luck wrote .
They also disagreed that pledges they each made to the Senate Judiciary Committee to recuse from “ any case ” they participated in on the Florida court meant they had to recuse from the voting rights case .
They wrote that the argument relied on the “ same mistaken premise ” that the two cases were part of the same “ proceeding .
”

WASHINGTON — Two of President Donald Trump’s appointees to a federal appeals court have refused calls to recuse from a case that advocates say would affect the right of approximately 750,000 Florida residents with previous felony convictions to vote.
Voting rights advocates are challenging a Florida law that requires former felons to pay any outstanding legal financial obligations before they can vote, even if they can’t afford it. These obligations include the several hundred dollars in court fees and costs that are imposed in felony cases, as well as fines and restitution orders that can run in the thousands or even millions of dollars. Challengers argue a “pay-to-vote” policy is unconstitutional and the same as a prohibited poll tax.
The challengers argued Judges Barbara Lagoa and Robert Luck of the US Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit should disqualify because they were involved in a related legal fight as state supreme court justices. In an opinion released Monday morning, Lagoa and Luck disagreed and said they would stay on.
The Florida case is one of the biggest voting rights fights pending in federal court with less than 100 days until the November presidential election. A federal district judge in Tallahassee ruled in May that the state could not condition voting rights on fines and fees that people with past convictions could not pay. The full bench of the 11th Circuit is scheduled to hear arguments on Aug. 18, the same day as Florida’s primary election.
Senate Democrats also had urged Lagoa and Luck to recuse. In letters to both judges last week, Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee wrote that their continued participation in the case “appears to contradict your commitment to recuse yourself from any case in which you participated during your time on the Florida Supreme Court.”
The Senate has confirmed six of Trump's nominees to the 11th Circuit, which covers Florida, Alabama, and Georgia. Lawyers for the groups challenging the Florida law originally had asked three of those judges to recuse from the case. One did so. Judge Andrew Brasher disqualified himself, citing a general policy he said he adopted after he was confirmed in May 2019 of recusing from cases where the Alabama attorney general’s office represents a party for about two years; Brasher is Alabama’s former solicitor general, and that office filed an amicus, or friend-of-court, brief supporting Florida.
Lagoa and Luck wrote that even though the case they heard as state judges involved the same Florida law at issue in the federal case, the cases weren’t actually the same “proceeding” that would require them to recuse under federal law and the federal judiciary’s ethics rules. They wrote that the state court matter involved state constitutional questions, and not a ruling on how the Florida law squared with the US Constitution, as well as different courts and different participants.
“We’ve reviewed the Code of Conduct for United States Judges and 28 U.S.C. section 455. We have also consulted with experienced colleagues. We have carefully considered whether disqualification is legally required, and because we did not serve as lawyers or trial or appellate judges in this case, we’ve concluded that it is not,” Lagoa and Luck wrote.
A spokesperson for the Campaign Legal Center, one of the groups challenging the Florida law, declined to comment and pointed instead to their briefs in the case. The voting rights advocates wrote in a filing earlier this month that the outcome of the case “will be subject to close public scrutiny whatever the result.”
“The Court must ensure that the legitimacy of its decision is not at issue,” the challengers argued.
Floridians voted in 2018 to adopt an amendment to the state’s constitution that would allow people with past felony convictions to vote after they completed “all terms” of their sentences. The Florida state legislature then passed a law that specified that “all terms” included fully paying any financial obligations ordered by a court as part of a person’s sentence.
In 2019, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis asked the Florida Supreme Court to issue an “advisory opinion” about whether the phrase “all terms of sentence” in the constitutional amendment included paying any financial obligations. Lagoa and Luck had been nominated by Trump for the 11th Circuit in October, but they were still on the Florida state court when the advisory opinion case was argued on Nov. 6.
A lawyer for DeSantis did not immediately return a request for comment.
In requesting that Lagoa and Luck recuse now that the fight over the Florida law is before the 11th Circuit, the challengers argued that they not only briefed issues related to the US constitutional issues before the Florida court, but also specifically answered questions from Lagoa and Luck about those issues during the November hearing.
Lagoa and Luck were both confirmed to the federal appeals court two weeks after the November hearing. The Florida Supreme Court issued its advisory opinion in January, finding the phrase “all terms of sentence” included payment of legal financial obligations.
Lagoa and Luck wrote that litigation in federal court — which involved the full development of a factual record and court-enforced rulings — was not the same as an advisory opinion proceeding before the state supreme court. They also wrote that to consider state court and federal court cases as the same “proceeding” would undermine the principles of federalism in the US Constitution.
“The opinion of the state supreme court, as the name suggests, is advisory only,” Lagoa and Luck wrote.
They also disagreed that pledges they each made to the Senate Judiciary Committee to recuse from “any case” they participated in on the Florida court meant they had to recuse from the voting rights case. They wrote that the argument relied on the “same mistaken premise” that the two cases were part of the same “proceeding.”


buzzfeed--2020-07-28--“Facebook Is Hurting People At Scale”: Mark Zuckerberg’s Employees Reckon With The Social Network Th


buzzfeed--2020-07-28--This Mom Shared Her Teenage Daughter's Pregnancy Story And Her Advice Is So Important


buzzfeed--2020-07-28--Videos Appear To Show Federal Officers Shooting And Macing Reporters And Legal Observers, Despite A

Videos Appear To Show Federal Officers Shooting And Macing Reporters And Legal Observers, Despite A Judge's Order

WASHINGTON — Journalists and legal observers covering protests in Portland , Oregon , say federal law enforcement officers have shot at them , maced them , and forced them to move , in violation of a federal judge 's order .
US District Judge Michael Simon entered a temporary restraining order on July 23 that blocks federal officers from arresting or using physical force against clearly marked journalists and legal observers in Portland .
In first-person declarations filed in court on Tuesday , legal observers and reporters described being shot at and maced , and in some instances they provided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the journalists and legal observers are asking Simon to hold the US Department of Homeland Security and the US Marshals Service in contempt of court .
They want Simon to prohibit any federal agent who violates the temporary restraining order ( TRO ) from being involved in `` armed operations '' in Oregon ; to consider a `` complete ban '' on the use of lethal or `` less lethal '' weapons by federal officers ; and to order senior Trump administration officials , including acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf and senior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in court and explain why they should n't face sanctions .
`` Every day it has existed , federal agents have intentionally violated the Court ’ s TRO .
As a result of the federal agents ’ defiance of the Court ’ s order , the free press remains unsafe while trying to document and observe the cataclysmic violence that federal authorities are inflicting on Portland .
The federal agents — and their commanders , whom the Court ordered to be notified of the TRO — are not above the law , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote .
The Trump administration has deployed more than 100 federal officers to respond to demonstrations in Portland , largely around the Mark O. Hatfield US Courthouse .
Federal agents have been accused of using excessive force in their response to protests around the courthouse and of making unlawful arrests of protesters ; one viral video appeared to show federal agents grabbing a person off the street and placing them into an unmarked van earlier this month .
Attorney General Bill Barr defended the administration 's response in testimony on Tuesday before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night , the peaceful daytime protests have devolved into violence .
The Justice Department on Monday tweeted photos of items that federal officers confiscated from `` violent agitators '' outside the courthouse , including `` gasoline , hockey sticks , defense shields , leaf blowers , paint sprayers , paint cans with paint , '' and a jar it sad was `` prepped for a Molotov cocktail . ''
A Justice Department spokesperson did not immediately return a request for comment .
The latest court filing from the American Civil Liberties Union of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from journalists and legal observers who alleged they were targeted by federal officers in violation of Simon 's order last week .
Haley Nicholson , who said in her declaration she was wearing a neon green legal observer hat while filming the demonstrations on July 24 , included a link to a video that appears to show an officer pointing a gun through an opening in a fence and shooting into a group of people standing on the other side .
Nicholson said the officer shot her from about 4 feet away in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and included a photo of the bruise .

WASHINGTON — Journalists and legal observers covering protests in Portland, Oregon, say federal law enforcement officers have shot at them, maced them, and forced them to move, in violation of a federal judge's order.
US District Judge Michael Simon entered a temporary restraining order on July 23 that blocks federal officers from arresting or using physical force against clearly marked journalists and legal observers in Portland. In first-person declarations filed in court on Tuesday, legal observers and reporters described being shot at and maced, and in some instances they provided video footage of the incidents.
Lawyers for the journalists and legal observers are asking Simon to hold the US Department of Homeland Security and the US Marshals Service in contempt of court. They want Simon to prohibit any federal agent who violates the temporary restraining order (TRO) from being involved in "armed operations" in Oregon; to consider a "complete ban" on the use of lethal or "less lethal" weapons by federal officers; and to order senior Trump administration officials, including acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf and senior DHS official Ken Cuccinelli, to appear in court and explain why they shouldn't face sanctions.
"Every day it has existed, federal agents have intentionally violated the Court’s TRO. As a result of the federal agents’ defiance of the Court’s order, the free press remains unsafe while trying to document and observe the cataclysmic violence that federal authorities are inflicting on Portland. The federal agents — and their commanders, whom the Court ordered to be notified of the TRO — are not above the law," lawyers representing the journalists and legal observers wrote.
The Trump administration has deployed more than 100 federal officers to respond to demonstrations in Portland, largely around the Mark O. Hatfield US Courthouse. Federal agents have been accused of using excessive force in their response to protests around the courthouse and of making unlawful arrests of protesters; one viral video appeared to show federal agents grabbing a person off the street and placing them into an unmarked van earlier this month.
Attorney General Bill Barr defended the administration's response in testimony on Tuesday before the House Judiciary Committee, saying that at night, the peaceful daytime protests have devolved into violence. The Justice Department on Monday tweeted photos of items that federal officers confiscated from "violent agitators" outside the courthouse, including "gasoline, hockey sticks, defense shields, leaf blowers, paint sprayers, paint cans with paint," and a jar it sad was "prepped for a Molotov cocktail."
A Justice Department spokesperson did not immediately return a request for comment.
The latest court filing from the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon and other lawyers includes nine declarations from journalists and legal observers who alleged they were targeted by federal officers in violation of Simon's order last week.
Haley Nicholson, who said in her declaration she was wearing a neon green legal observer hat while filming the demonstrations on July 24, included a link to a video that appears to show an officer pointing a gun through an opening in a fence and shooting into a group of people standing on the other side. Nicholson said the officer shot her from about 4 feet away in her chest with a 40mm rubber bullet, and included a photo of the bruise.


buzzfeed--2020-07-28--Senate Democrats Blast The Trump Administration And Mike Pompeo For The “Decimation” Of The State De

Senate Democrats Blast The Trump Administration And Mike Pompeo For The “Decimation” Of The State Department

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has a tongue-lashing coming his way from Democrats .
Senate Democrats released a report on Tuesday lambasting Pompeo ’ s management of the State Department just two days before the top US diplomat is set to face a Senate panel on Capitol Hill .
The report , written by the Democratic staff on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee , is titled “ Diplomacy in Crisis : The Trump Administration ’ s Decimation of the State Department.
” During a virtual event marking the release of the report on Tuesday afternoon , Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that decisions by Pompeo and President Donald Trump “ have left the [ State ] Department decimated and demoralized.
” The report examines “ senior-level vacancies plaguing the State Department , repeated nominee vetting failures , and attacks on career employees ” that Democrats say have harmed morale among diplomatic staff and ultimately damaged US foreign policy .
It also issues a set of recommendations for rebuilding and retaining diplomatic expertise .
The Democrats also criticize “ the Trump administration ’ s negligence and its attacks on our diplomatic corps , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic response , ” which they claim “ have left diplomats devoid of leadership and cost the United States valuable time in preparedness and response efforts.
” In an emailed response to the impending report sent to BuzzFeed News , a State Department spokesperson said , “ The State Department ’ s swagger is fully back.
” “ From day one , Secretary Pompeo has delivered on advancing the interests and values of the American people both here at home and around the world , ” the spokesperson said .
“ At the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and talented team that forges ahead each and every day with one mission , and toward one future.
” The spokesperson placed the blame for senior-level vacancies on Menendez , saying that if it were not for his efforts to block nominees the State Department “ would have even more well-qualified and talented people fulfilling important roles.
” The Democrats ’ report comes before Pompeo ’ s long-awaited appearance before the Republican-led Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Thursday , when he will be questioned about the Trump administration ’ s proposed spending cuts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year 2021 .
Pompeo has avoided attempts to be questioned for months .
Pompeo is also likely to be grilled about the firing of former department inspector general Steve Linick , who was reportedly conducting two investigations directly related to the secretary of state : one looking at Pompeo ’ s efforts to push through $ 8.1 billion in arms sales to Saudi Arabia and another examining whether Pompeo and his wife , Susan , who has been heavily involved in his career , misused office staff to carry out personal and political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s request , but the secretary of state has denied requesting the former inspector general ’ s ouster to shut down the probes .
Pompeo also could face tough questions about the Trump administration ’ s hardline policy toward China and his role in the Ukraine saga that ended in Trump ’ s impeachment in the House of Representatives and subsequent acquittal in the Senate .
In any line of questioning concerning Ukraine , it ’ s likely the secretary of state will be asked about his treatment of former US ambassador @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recalled unceremoniously after a targeted campaign against her orchestrated by Trump ’ s personal lawyer , Rudy Giuliani .
Yovanovitch , whose ouster angered career US foreign service officers , was a key witness for Democrats during Trump ’ s impeachment trial last autumn .
In their report , Democrats blast Trump and Pompeo for failing to nominate candidates for ambassadorships and other open positions .
“ Three and a half years into the administration , 11 assistant secretary or under secretary posts — more than one-third — are vacant or filled by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report .
It also says career public servants reported that senior State Department leadership “ exhibits a sense of disrespect and disdain for their work , prompting many to leave and contributing to a loss of expertise at the department.
” From 2016 to 2019 , the report said , “ employees in key bureaus reported steep increases in fear of reprisal for reporting suspected violations of law and declining confidence in senior department leadership .
”

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has a tongue-lashing coming his way from Democrats.
Senate Democrats released a report on Tuesday lambasting Pompeo’s management of the State Department just two days before the top US diplomat is set to face a Senate panel on Capitol Hill.
The report, written by the Democratic staff on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is titled “Diplomacy in Crisis: The Trump Administration’s Decimation of the State Department.”
During a virtual event marking the release of the report on Tuesday afternoon, Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez, ranking member of the committee, said that decisions by Pompeo and President Donald Trump “have left the [State] Department decimated and demoralized.”
The report examines “senior-level vacancies plaguing the State Department, repeated nominee vetting failures, and attacks on career employees” that Democrats say have harmed morale among diplomatic staff and ultimately damaged US foreign policy. It also issues a set of recommendations for rebuilding and retaining diplomatic expertise.
The Democrats also criticize “the Trump administration’s negligence and its attacks on our diplomatic corps, who serve on the frontlines of our global pandemic response,” which they claim “have left diplomats devoid of leadership and cost the United States valuable time in preparedness and response efforts.”
In an emailed response to the impending report sent to BuzzFeed News, a State Department spokesperson said, “The State Department’s swagger is fully back.”
“From day one, Secretary Pompeo has delivered on advancing the interests and values of the American people both here at home and around the world,” the spokesperson said. “At the core of this success is the dynamic and talented team that forges ahead each and every day with one mission, and toward one future.”
The spokesperson placed the blame for senior-level vacancies on Menendez, saying that if it were not for his efforts to block nominees the State Department “would have even more well-qualified and talented people fulfilling important roles.”
The Democrats’ report comes before Pompeo’s long-awaited appearance before the Republican-led Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Thursday, when he will be questioned about the Trump administration’s proposed spending cuts for the State Department for the fiscal year 2021. Pompeo has avoided attempts to be questioned for months.
Pompeo is also likely to be grilled about the firing of former department inspector general Steve Linick, who was reportedly conducting two investigations directly related to the secretary of state: one looking at Pompeo’s efforts to push through $8.1 billion in arms sales to Saudi Arabia and another examining whether Pompeo and his wife, Susan, who has been heavily involved in his career, misused office staff to carry out personal and political errands.
Trump fired Linick at Pompeo’s request, but the secretary of state has denied requesting the former inspector general’s ouster to shut down the probes.
Pompeo also could face tough questions about the Trump administration’s hardline policy toward China and his role in the Ukraine saga that ended in Trump’s impeachment in the House of Representatives and subsequent acquittal in the Senate.
In any line of questioning concerning Ukraine, it’s likely the secretary of state will be asked about his treatment of former US ambassador to Kyiv Marie Yovanovitch, who was recalled unceremoniously after a targeted campaign against her orchestrated by Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani.
Yovanovitch, whose ouster angered career US foreign service officers, was a key witness for Democrats during Trump’s impeachment trial last autumn.
In their report, Democrats blast Trump and Pompeo for failing to nominate candidates for ambassadorships and other open positions.
“Three and a half years into the administration, 11 assistant secretary or under secretary posts — more than one-third — are vacant or filled by acting officials,” according to the report.
It also says career public servants reported that senior State Department leadership “exhibits a sense of disrespect and disdain for their work, prompting many to leave and contributing to a loss of expertise at the department.”
From 2016 to 2019, the report said, “employees in key bureaus reported steep increases in fear of reprisal for reporting suspected violations of law and declining confidence in senior department leadership.”


buzzfeed--2020-07-28--An Elite Group Of Scientists Tried To Warn Trump Against Lockdowns In March

John Ioannidis ’ s controversial studies claim that the coronavirus isn ’ t that big a threat .
Before the Stanford scientist did any of them , he wanted to take that message to the White House .
Stanford University scientist John Ioannidis has declared in study after study that the coronavirus is not that big of a threat , emboldening opponents of economic shutdowns — and infuriating critics who see fundamental errors in his work .
But even before the epidemiologist had any of that data in hand , he and an elite group of scientists tried to convince @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country would be the real danger .
In late March , as COVID-19 cases overran hospitals overseas , Ioannidis tried to organize a meeting at the White House where he and a small band of colleagues would caution the president against “ shutting down the country for [ a ] very long time and jeopardizing so many lives in doing this , ” according to a statement Ioannidis submitted on the group ’ s behalf .
Their goal , the statement said , was “ to both save more lives and avoid serious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most reliable data.
” Although the meeting did not happen , Ioannidis believed their message had reached the right people .
Within a day of him sending it to the White House , Trump announced that he wanted the country reopened by Easter .
“ I think our ideas have inflitrated [ sic ] the White House regardless , ” Ioannidis told his collaborators on March 28 , in one of dozens of emails that BuzzFeed News obtained through public records requests .
But at this critical juncture , many other public health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not have the luxury of waiting for perfect data .
In the face of a life-threatening pandemic , they wanted states to order residents to stay at home , immediately , to prevent health care systems from getting crushed .
Ioannidis ’ s ideas “ were scientifically untenable at that time , and untenable from the perspective of decision-making especially , ” Marc Lipsitch , a Harvard T.H .
Chan School of Public Health epidemiologist , told BuzzFeed News .
If you have tips about the coronavirus , reach out to this reporter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protonmail.com .
And the group ’ s attempt to convey these preliminary ideas directly to the White House is highly unusual for scientists , said Sheila Jasanoff , a Harvard Kennedy School professor who studies the role of science in politics .
“ It creates the impression that the work that the scientists are intending to do will be shaped by a political purpose , maybe even before they have started doing the work , ” Jasanoff said .
Their decision to push an untested theory to influence federal policy , she added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ science.
” Ioannidis assembled at least eight scientists to try to meet the president .
Two of them told BuzzFeed News that , if a meeting did happen , they would make it clear they did not oppose widespread lockdowns .
But others , including a Nobel laureate , feared that their consequences would be greater than the threat of the virus .
Several were already harnessing their prominent platforms to sound the alarm in media appearances and meetings with politicians .
Their leader , Ioannidis , would go on to conclude in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ posed a low risk to most people , and hold them up as evidence that lockdowns are an overreaction .
Some of that work has been fiercely called into question , however , and observers have wondered if the iconoclast , lionized for his pioneering critiques of biased and overhyped science , is trying to prove a predetermined conclusion .
Now , the emails reveal that before Ioannidis had collected any data , he was so assured about the dangers of lockdowns that he felt compelled to personally warn the president .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told the group that he had submitted their letter to the White House .
His pitch for a meeting — either in DC , or over videoconference — reiterated what he had been saying publicly for days .
“ Dr Ioannidis ( bio below ) is assembling a group of world renowned scientists who can contribute insights to help solve the major challenge of COVID-19 , by intensifying efforts to understand the denominator of infected people ( much larger than what is documented to-date ) and having a science- and data-informed , targeted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for very long time and jeopardizing so many lives in doing this , ” the statement read .
It continued : “ The aim is to identify the best way to both save more lives and avoid serious damage to the US economy using the most reliable data , since the infection rate may be off by a very large factor versus the number of currently documented cases.
” This statement didn ’ t capture each member ’ s full views of how the country should proceed .
Klausner , for instance , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ orders should have lasted no more than 10 days while the hardest-hit local areas prepared , and Katz said that , prior to implementing his strategy , shutdowns would likely still be “ fairly ” widespread .
But both of them said they stood by the statement ’ s opposition to a “ one-size-fits-all ” approach .
Bhattacharya , Levitt , and Fowler , who did not return requests for comment , appear to have been keen participants .
As Ioannidis relayed in one email , “ All three of them had wrtten @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how they enthusiastically agreed with what I proposed.
” In contrast , two other members told BuzzFeed News they were not in the anti-lockdown camp .
Arthur Reingold , head of UC Berkeley ’ s epidemiology and biostatistics division , said that he was recruited because he “ did not agree with the underlying premise regarding ‘ shelter in place ’ as being unwise in the context of the pandemic in the US.
” Sten Vermund , dean of the Yale School of Public Health , said , “ I ’ ve been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of this pandemic.
” He cowrote a letter to the New York Times lambasting Katz ’ s endorsement of herd immunity , and went on a podcast to debate Ioannidis over the importance of lockdowns .
“ That I was part of the group will be interpreted by some that I supported their point of view , which I did not , ” Vermund said .
“ Not in March or April or now.
” He agreed to join , he said , to ensure Trump got accurate guidance .
“ I just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re inviting me and they know how I feel , I ought to go because their point of view is not nuanced and I don ’ t think it ’ s going to be good advice for the president to take , ’ ” Vermund said .
“ I was going to tell him to do it intelligently and to definitely do lockdowns.
” What did unite the group — “ the one thing all of us could agree on , ” as Vermund put it — was a desire for more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told the group he sent in the statement , there were signs the White House was backing away from lockdowns : Trump announced that he wanted the country “ raring to go by Easter , ” or April 12 .
( Anthony Fauci , the nation ’ s top infectious disease expert , hastened to add that the timeline was “ really very flexible.
” ) But as European nations issued extended lockdown orders and UK government officials warned they could last for up to six months , Trump changed course , extending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of April .
By the end of March , 32 states were telling people to stay at home .
“ Given the about face yet again from the White House with new the [ sic ] 30 day plus national shut down , seems like our thoughts may have hit a wall and bounced back ?
” Klausner asked over email .
“ Frustrating indeed , ” Ioannidis replied .
“ I am still struggling to see whether we can find a way to get in the White House.
” But as days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the highly anticipated meeting was not going to happen .
The email thread died off .
White House spokesperson Sarah Matthews said that Trump “ has always acted on the recommendations of his top public health experts throughout this crisis as evidenced by the many bold , data-driven decisions he has made to save millions of lives.
” She added , “ As the President has also said , the cure can not be worse than the disease and it ’ s well-documented the impact staying shut down would have , including suicide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She did not answer questions about whether Ioannidis ’ s theories influenced the president ’ s decision-making .
As March turned to April , Ioannidis began collecting data to test the theory he ’ d been putting forward for weeks .
On April 3 and 4 , more than 3,000 Silicon Valley residents lined up to have their blood drawn for a study overseen by Ioannidis , Bhattacharya , and other Stanford researchers .
The goal was to look for antibodies indicating if they ’ d already been infected by the coronavirus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ their results , some of the team went on the Fox News show The Next Revolution to promote a “ science-based ” plan to reopen “ safely , but soon.
” Also on air with them that night was David Neeleman , the founder of JetBlue and a vocal opponent of lockdowns .
Later , a whistleblower complaint filed to Stanford would reveal that he was an undisclosed sponsor of the research , and allege that he “ potentially used financial incentives to secure cooperation from ” an external scientist concerned about the @ @ @ @ @

3. The Statement
On the evening of March 24, Ioannidis told the group that he had submitted their letter to the White House. His pitch for a meeting — either in DC, or over videoconference — reiterated what he had been saying publicly for days.
“Dr Ioannidis (bio below) is assembling a group of world renowned scientists who can contribute insights to help solve the major challenge of COVID-19, by intensifying efforts to understand the denominator of infected people (much larger than what is documented to-date) and having a science- and data-informed, targeted approach rather than shutting down the country for very long time and jeopardizing so many lives in doing this,” the statement read.
It continued: “The aim is to identify the best way to both save more lives and avoid serious damage to the US economy using the most reliable data, since the infection rate may be off by a very large factor versus the number of currently documented cases.”
This statement didn’t capture each member’s full views of how the country should proceed. Klausner, for instance, told BuzzFeed News that he thought shelter-in-place orders should have lasted no more than 10 days while the hardest-hit local areas prepared, and Katz said that, prior to implementing his strategy, shutdowns would likely still be “fairly” widespread. But both of them said they stood by the statement’s opposition to a “one-size-fits-all” approach.
Bhattacharya, Levitt, and Fowler, who did not return requests for comment, appear to have been keen participants. As Ioannidis relayed in one email, “All three of them had wrtten [sic] to me to say how they enthusiastically agreed with what I proposed.”
In contrast, two other members told BuzzFeed News they were not in the anti-lockdown camp. Arthur Reingold, head of UC Berkeley’s epidemiology and biostatistics division, said that he was recruited because he “did not agree with the underlying premise regarding ‘shelter in place’ as being unwise in the context of the pandemic in the US.”
Sten Vermund, dean of the Yale School of Public Health, said, “I’ve been arguing with this crowd from the beginning of this pandemic.” He cowrote a letter to the New York Times lambasting Katz’s endorsement of herd immunity, and went on a podcast to debate Ioannidis over the importance of lockdowns.
“That I was part of the group will be interpreted by some that I supported their point of view, which I did not,” Vermund said. “Not in March or April or now.”
He agreed to join, he said, to ensure Trump got accurate guidance. “I just thought, ‘Look, if they’re inviting me and they know how I feel, I ought to go because their point of view is not nuanced and I don’t think it’s going to be good advice for the president to take,’” Vermund said. “I was going to tell him to do it intelligently and to definitely do lockdowns.”
What did unite the group — “the one thing all of us could agree on,” as Vermund put it — was a desire for more comprehensive testing.
On the day Ioannidis told the group he sent in the statement, there were signs the White House was backing away from lockdowns: Trump announced that he wanted the country “raring to go by Easter,” or April 12. (Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, hastened to add that the timeline was “really very flexible.”)
But as European nations issued extended lockdown orders and UK government officials warned they could last for up to six months, Trump changed course, extending the social distancing guidelines to the end of April. By the end of March, 32 states were telling people to stay at home.
“Given the about face yet again from the White House with new the [sic] 30 day plus national shut down, seems like our thoughts may have hit a wall and bounced back?” Klausner asked over email.
“Frustrating indeed,” Ioannidis replied. “I am still struggling to see whether we can find a way to get in the White House.”


buzzfeed--2020-07-29--“Facebook Is Hurting People At Scale”: Mark Zuckerberg’s Employees Reckon With The Social Network Th