buzzfeed--2020-12-18--The Next Tea Party Is Lurking Inside Trump’s Election Results Denial

People actually believe Trump when he says he won the election .
What happens next is n't clear — but the president ’ s increasingly radicalized supporters are already shaping the future of Republican politics .
WASHINGTON — In this universe , Joe Biden has been declared the winner of the election many times and in many different ways .
Biden won the popular vote by more than 7 million ballots .
President Donald Trump ’ s flurry of legal challenges failed , culminating in the Supreme Court ’ s rejection on December 11 of a Texas lawsuit challenging the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in what is nearly the final step in certifying the winner of the presidential election , 306 electors cast their votes for Biden in keeping with their states ’ results , ensuring that it will be the former vice president who is inaugurated as the 46th president on Jan. 20 .
But that ’ s just this universe .
In a parallel universe , the idea that Biden won is not only false but impossible , and the notion that he will be sworn in next month still very much in doubt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s lawyers are not bumblers engaged in a hapless quest but heroes fighting to save the republic .
The election was stolen in a grand conspiracy involving everyone from the Fox News election desk to the solidly conservative governor of Georgia .
Even the Electoral College vote is itself a sham , and Trump ’ s “ alternate electors ” should be counted instead .
In the parallel universe where Trump won , the passage of time and the accumulation of facts indicating the opposite result have done nothing to change his most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many seem even more resolute , and their rhetoric is growing more extreme .
Thousands of people from all over the country flooded downtown Washington , DC , on Saturday for demonstrations against the election results , gatherings that made headlines mostly for violence that broke out at night as hundreds of Proud Boys , a far-right group , roamed the streets looking to fight anti-Trump opponents .
But the Proud Boys were a minority of attendees .
Most of the folks who came out on Saturday to support their president skewed older @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was not wearing a mask in the middle of the pandemic .
But even this demographic has begun to expound radical ideas .
Walking down Pennsylvania Avenue , I caught up with Robin Bonner , 62 , from Kansas , as she made her way down the street near a rally in Freedom Plaza hosted by the group Women for America First , one of several protests in the city that day .
Bonner held a pro-police “ thin blue line ” flag .
I asked Bonner how she felt about Biden being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won ’ t be .
I ’ m sure about that , ” she responded without hesitation .
How can it be prevented ?
“ We will dismantle the government , ” she said .
I asked if she meant civil conflict .
“ If it has to be , ” she said , though she hoped not .
Instead , she said she ’ d prefer a peaceful secession .
“ Maybe we can go to the Supreme Court and get the blue states disconnected from the red states and have our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I do n't know why we ca n't just kick out the blue states .
They do n't want President Trump , they do n't want the Constitution , and they do n't want our freedoms .
So why should n't we just let them go ?
And then we 'll have all the red states.
” The idea of a secession has indeed circulated in the right-wing ecosystem in recent weeks .
Allen West , chair of the Texas Republican Party , responded to the Supreme Court decision with a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bond together and form a Union of states that will abide by the constitution.
” Rush Limbaugh floated the idea of a secession on his radio show last week , though he later said he was merely discussing an existing sentiment , not advocating for it .
“ I think we 're gon na have to have a war ; we 're gon na have to secede , ” said Crystal R. , 40 , who declined to give her last name .
However , she didn ’ t think it was likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happen is a war , but it ’ s not gon na happen.
” Her friend Janie Yates , who declined to give her age beyond saying she collects Social Security benefits , had come from Tennessee for Saturday ’ s protests ; they had also attended last month ’ s “ Million MAGA March ” in DC .
Yates told me I wasn ’ t asking the right questions .
What I should have been asking was about how the coronavirus vaccine will implant people with the biblical “ mark of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and allow them to be taken over by Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates .
This moment is a battle between powerful forces of good and evil .
This is why , Yates said , it was so key to back Trump , who stands in the breach .
“ Donald Trump is standing against them , ” she said .
“ I 've never voted in my life , because I do n't believe in the system , but I voted this year because he ’ s the only one standing between us and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night before , triumphantly announced the FDA ’ s approval of Pfizer ’ s vaccine .
The women asked me what I thought of a potential civil war .
I told them I am against violence .
They scoffed .
“ How do you think America was born ?
” Yates asked .
Crystal boiled it down for me : She supports Jesus Christ and the Bible , “ and nobody 's gon na take that away from me , or we can fight.
” “ I 'm not prepared to die for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ but I would sure kill somebody if they were gon na try to take the freedom of my God away.
” That it ’ s come to this — otherwise normal , nonthreatening people comfortable with the idea of a bloody uprising against their fellow citizens — might seem surprising .
But it ’ s a logical consequence of Trump ’ s refusal to accept his loss , and of Republican leaders and conservative media outlets ’ amplification of his claims .
It ’ s hard to know how many people feel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ showcased the most committed devotees .
But since the election , some trends have become clear : Trump supporters have turned in large numbers to outlets that reaffirm their beliefs , and many have insulated themselves even from mainstream social media platforms , flocking to alternatives like Parler .
They are actively shutting themselves off from any information that could challenge their conclusions , and misinformation is circulating unchecked .
Given the gravity of the alleged fraud , compromise is impossible , a dynamic that Richard Hofstadter described in 1964 in his essay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” — the conspiracy theorist ’ s “ conflict between absolute good and absolute evil ” that necessitates “ total triumph.
” This , Hofstadter wrote , leads to “ the formulation of hopelessly unrealistic goals , and since these goals are not even remotely attainable , failure constantly heightens the paranoid ’ s sense of frustration.
” This is the cycle in which the right has trapped itself after the election — yoked to an impossible outcome ( Trump staying in the White House ) that , after each blow to its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ passion and outrage .
Hofstadter was writing about Barry Goldwater ’ s conservative movement and the conspiratorial fringes that helped it gain traction , like the John Birch Society and Sen. Joe McCarthy ’ s anti-communist crusade .
But his observations apply today as they did then , and the “ paranoid style ” has become , if anything , more mainstream and acceptable in Republican politics .
The targets may have shifted , but the basic preoccupations are the same : a devious global cabal of elites who have schemed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s communist boogeymen have become today ’ s shadowy adrenochrome-drinking child sex abusers .
Populist politics rely on a synthesis between the leader and their followers — Trump often tells his supporters , “ I am your voice ” — and this helps explain why some of the president 's base has taken the election loss as a crushing defeat personally and as a group , not just for him .
Years of conservative media that place the viewer or reader in an active role in its coverage have also primed the right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pioneer it — “ we report , you decide.
” Andrew Breitbart used to tell people in his speeches to hold up their phones and tell them that they were now a part of the new media .
Nowadays , this audience has more opportunities than ever before to pick and choose the news it wants to know about , and social media has helped accelerate the spread of conspiracies .
In the 1950s and 1960s , the John Birch Society had to send letters in the mail .
Today , people can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Newsmax and One America News Network have taken this to an extreme in the postelection crisis .
Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy essentially admitted to the New York Times that his network was refusing to acknowledge Biden ’ s win because it was good business .
Newsmax has closely covered every twist and turn in the flailing attempts from Trump and the GOP to remain in power , treating each development with equal seriousness .
Trump loyalists in Congress , like Reps. Mo Brooks and Jim Jordan , appear on a regular basis to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to block Biden ’ s presidency .
The efforts of Trump ’ s legal team have been an important theme of the coverage .
On Tuesday night , two of Newsmax ’ s primetime hosts floated the notion that even at this late stage , the fact that Vice President–elect Kamala Harris has not yet resigned her Senate seat could be an indication that Trump still has a shot .
Even when the most fervent Trump loyalists realize all hope has been lost , it doesn ’ t seem likely that they will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s presidency .
It ’ s a combustible situation — as much or more so than the conditions that led to the 2010 tea party wave — but it isn ’ t clear where this collective rage will go .
“ If somehow Joe Biden were to take the office , I think what we would see come out of it would make the tea party look tiny , ” said Dustin Stockton , a former Breitbart writer and tea party activist who is one of the lead organizers of the March for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election results run by Women for America First , a group helmed by former Tea Party Express leader Amy Kremer and her daughter Kylie Jane Kremer .
In an interview on Monday , Stockton still insisted that Trump could win another term , though he acknowledged that it wasn ’ t looking likely given the string of losses .
He predicted that a new tea party would focus less on intraparty politics and more on “ civil disobedience ” and “ challenging the system.
” “ They ’ re not going to overturn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mike Cernovich , the men 's rights activist turned pro-Trump media personality , told me .
“ Joe Biden ’ s going to be the president on Jan. 20 .
That doesn ’ t mean you can ’ t pressure politicians for concessions .
It doesn ’ t mean that you can ’ t form an organic social network in real life.
” It ’ s difficult to tell how many people will remain in the hard core of the election-denying camp , though surveys have shown that large numbers of Republicans don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can range from believing there were some irregularities to believing a coup is taking place .
And it ’ s hard to know how much the most intense believers could influence the more ambivalent Republican , particularly as time goes on .
But if this were not an important segment of the party , Republican leaders wouldn ’ t behave the way they have .
Nor would a channel like Newsmax have been able to attract a significant audience .
The incentives to keep this going are obvious ; supply is meeting demand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a tea party 2.0 be ?
Republicans in Washington by and large played along with Trump ; more than 100 members of the House Republican Caucus signed an amicus brief asking the Supreme Court to take up Texas ’ s lawsuit .
Unlike during the 2010 tea party movement , when the midterms provided the focus of ejecting “ RINOs ” from Congress , there is no obvious goal this uprising could pursue after Jan. 20 .
What we may see is a kind of ersatz tea party , rooted not in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the past , an expression of anger for anger ’ s sake , locked in a vicious cycle of extreme rhetoric .
Whatever it becomes , history shows there would likely be ample funding for it .
The tea party era was a boom time for conservative groups and media outlets , and the Biden administration could usher in the same .
Older conservative voters are reliable small donors .
And conservative email lists are churning out appeals for donations to help “ stop the steal ” from one group or another .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stop the Steal group that hosted a rally on the National Mall on Saturday , was initially asking for donations for his efforts through his personal website .
Stockton told me that his group ’ s event cost around $ 250,000 to stage , not including the weeks-long bus tour that preceded it .
Trump raised over $ 200 million in the post-election period .
Saturday saw the streets of DC filled with the familiar iconography of the Trump movement : the red hats , flags with the “ thin blue line ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a multitude of other symbols .
A man in a “ Trump That Bitch ” T-shirt sold pretzels from a cart .
At Freedom Plaza , a booming sound system and several large screens broadcast the faces of the speakers , who included Trump world favorites like Sebastian Gorka , Boris Epshteyn , and the recently pardoned former national security adviser Michael Flynn , who told the audience that on a scale of 1 to 10 , he had the odds of Trump retaking the White House at a 10 .
( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Newsmax that Trump could use “ military capabilities ” to force swing states to hold their elections again . )
The gathering might have felt festive if not for the darkness of the conspiracy alleged by the speakers , the notable presence of Proud Boys and far-right “ groypers , ” and the strident rhetoric coming from many attendees themselves .
“ I think the media should be punished , ” said Roxana Lawson , 66 , of Florida .
“ I think that Facebook and Twitter also fed misinformation to the Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can not slander somebody and get away with it.
” A man from Cleveland , Brad Lynnet , 64 , carried a “ Wake the Fuck Up !
” sign and wore a plastic construction helmet with “ Trump ” written on it .
Lynnet said he didn ’ t believe the Supreme Court case was the end .
It wasn ’ t a matter of hoping Trump will prevail , he said ; “ I know it ’ s going to happen.
” Lynnet came all the way to DC from Ohio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” He had , he said , a multitude of sources who were keeping him informed , though he declined to name them .
It 's not clear if Republicans who have deferred to Trump 's desperate effort realize that what has been set in motion wo n't be easily stopped .
After the Electoral College vote , some top Republicans finally admitted that it was over .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell acknowledged that Biden is now the president-elect .
Potentially of more significance , Newsmax announced on Tuesday that it too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though one of its star hosts , Greg Kelly , had said the night before that while some outlets might call the race for the former vice president , he “ personally feels they ’ re wrong.
” Kelly tried to move the focus to a new date of truth : Jan. 6 , when the electoral votes are brought to Congress .
Trump himself has still not publicly accepted the loss , and he likely never will .
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany refused to acknowledge it during her press briefing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was still pursuing legal avenues .
Trump may run for president again , a proposition that would give some focus to the movement that is searching for answers in the wake of his loss .
Trump ’ s defeat despite the extraordinary loyalty he commands among his followers has created a surplus of energy and emotion with nowhere to go .
The lie of the stolen election has a momentum of its own .
It is calcifying into an article of faith , an ideological litmus test that will divide enemies and friends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far apart for any hope of a resolution .
“ Depending on where you get your information from , you have two different divergent realities , ” Stockton said .
“ [ It ’ s ] really dangerous when you have basically half the country and the other half of the country who believe that two dramatically different things happen .
And so the most important thing is that we reach some kind of conclusion that can kind of bridge that divergence , ” he said .
“ Otherwise , what comes next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to wrap your head around how the country can go on when people believe two such dramatically different things.
” ●

WASHINGTON — In this universe, Joe Biden has been declared the winner of the election many times and in many different ways. Biden won the popular vote by more than 7 million ballots. President Donald Trump’s flurry of legal challenges failed, culminating in the Supreme Court’s rejection on December 11 of a Texas lawsuit challenging the results in several states. On Monday, in what is nearly the final step in certifying the winner of the presidential election, 306 electors cast their votes for Biden in keeping with their states’ results, ensuring that it will be the former vice president who is inaugurated as the 46th president on Jan. 20.
But that’s just this universe. In a parallel universe, the idea that Biden won is not only false but impossible, and the notion that he will be sworn in next month still very much in doubt if not outright laughable. Trump’s lawyers are not bumblers engaged in a hapless quest but heroes fighting to save the republic. The election was stolen in a grand conspiracy involving everyone from the Fox News election desk to the solidly conservative governor of Georgia. Even the Electoral College vote is itself a sham, and Trump’s “alternate electors” should be counted instead.
In the parallel universe where Trump won, the passage of time and the accumulation of facts indicating the opposite result have done nothing to change his most steadfast supporters’ minds. Instead, many seem even more resolute, and their rhetoric is growing more extreme.
Thousands of people from all over the country flooded downtown Washington, DC, on Saturday for demonstrations against the election results, gatherings that made headlines mostly for violence that broke out at night as hundreds of Proud Boys, a far-right group, roamed the streets looking to fight anti-Trump opponents. But the Proud Boys were a minority of attendees. Most of the folks who came out on Saturday to support their president skewed older, and their most dangerous physical act was not wearing a mask in the middle of the pandemic. But even this demographic has begun to expound radical ideas.
Walking down Pennsylvania Avenue, I caught up with Robin Bonner, 62, from Kansas, as she made her way down the street near a rally in Freedom Plaza hosted by the group Women for America First, one of several protests in the city that day. Bonner held a pro-police “thin blue line” flag. I asked Bonner how she felt about Biden being sworn in in January. “He won’t be. I’m sure about that,” she responded without hesitation. How can it be prevented? “We will dismantle the government,” she said. I asked if she meant civil conflict. “If it has to be,” she said, though she hoped not. Instead, she said she’d prefer a peaceful secession.
“Maybe we can go to the Supreme Court and get the blue states disconnected from the red states and have our own president,” Bonner suggested. “I don't know why we can't just kick out the blue states. They don't want President Trump, they don't want the Constitution, and they don't want our freedoms. So why shouldn't we just let them go? And then we'll have all the red states.”
The idea of a secession has indeed circulated in the right-wing ecosystem in recent weeks. Allen West, chair of the Texas Republican Party, responded to the Supreme Court decision with a statement suggesting that “perhaps law-abiding states should bond together and form a Union of states that will abide by the constitution.” Rush Limbaugh floated the idea of a secession on his radio show last week, though he later said he was merely discussing an existing sentiment, not advocating for it.
“I think we're gonna have to have a war; we're gonna have to secede,” said Crystal R., 40, who declined to give her last name. However, she didn’t think it was likely. “The best thing that could happen is a war, but it’s not gonna happen.” Her friend Janie Yates, who declined to give her age beyond saying she collects Social Security benefits, had come from Tennessee for Saturday’s protests; they had also attended last month’s “Million MAGA March” in DC. Yates told me I wasn’t asking the right questions. What I should have been asking was about how the coronavirus vaccine will implant people with the biblical “mark of the beast” from the Book of Revelation and allow them to be taken over by Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates. This moment is a battle between powerful forces of good and evil.
This is why, Yates said, it was so key to back Trump, who stands in the breach. “Donald Trump is standing against them,” she said. “I've never voted in my life, because I don't believe in the system, but I voted this year because he’s the only one standing between us and that.” Trump had, just the night before, triumphantly announced the FDA’s approval of Pfizer’s vaccine.
The women asked me what I thought of a potential civil war. I told them I am against violence. They scoffed. “How do you think America was born?” Yates asked.
Crystal boiled it down for me: She supports Jesus Christ and the Bible, “and nobody's gonna take that away from me, or we can fight.”
“I'm not prepared to die for this country,” she added, “but I would sure kill somebody if they were gonna try to take the freedom of my God away.”


buzzfeed--2020-12-18--The Supreme Court Put Off Ruling On Trump’s Final Push To Use The Census To Target Undocumented Immi

The Supreme Court Put Off Ruling On Trump’s Final Push To Use The Census To Target Undocumented Immigrants

WASHINGTON — The US Supreme Court ’ s conservative justices ruled Friday that the Trump administration could go ahead for now with a plan to exclude undocumented immigrants from census data used to assign seats in Congress to states — but it didn ’ t decide if the plan was actually lawful and left the door open to future court fights .
President Donald Trump signed a memo in July that directed the Commerce Department to exclude undocumented immigrants from the 2020 census data used to decide how many seats in Congress each state receives .
It was the latest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the census to target immigrant communities ; a previous push to add a citizenship question failed .
A panel of federal judges blocked the latest plan in September , and the Justice Department petitioned the Supreme Court to step in .
A majority of the justices concluded in Friday ’ s order that the challenge brought by New York ’ s attorney general and the American Civil Liberties Union was “ premature , ” writing that it wasn ’ t clear yet how many people would actually be excluded from the census data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undocumented immigrants would be left out .
The court ’ s three liberal-leaning justices dissented , writing that the case not only should be decided now , but also that they would conclude the plan was , in fact , unlawful .
The decision leaves a potential legal tangle for the incoming Biden administration to sort out .
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross is due to send a report to Trump by Dec. 31 on the census counts to be used in congressional apportionment , but the Justice Department told the justices during arguments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ not on pace ” to meet that deadline , according to coverage by Howe on the Court .
Whenever Ross sends the report to Trump , the ACLU has said they ’ re prepared to immediately challenge the policy again .
They ’ d likely seek an emergency order blocking the administration from doing anything else with the data while the litigation starts over again in the district court .
“ This Supreme Court decision is only about timing , not the merits .
This ruling does not authorize President Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the census count used to apportion the House of Representatives .
The legal mandate is clear — every single person counts in the census , and every single person is represented in Congress .
If this policy is ever actually implemented , we 'll be right back in court challenging it , ” Dale Ho , director of the ACLU ’ s Voting Rights Project , said in a statement .
If renewed legal fights extend past Jan. 20 , or if Ross fails to finalize the data and send it to Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sworn in , the Biden administration will have to figure out how they can rescind the July memo and end whatever court cases are pending .
If Biden ultimately does rescind the July memo , that could also spur new legal challenges — Republican attorneys general who supported Trump ’ s plan could take the new administration to court , for instance .
The Supreme Court issued Friday ’ s decision “ per curiam , ” which means it represented the views of a majority of the justices but no one justice signed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The majority wrote that the case was “ riddled with contingencies and speculation that impede judicial review.
” Trump ’ s memo stated that the Commerce Department should collect data on the number of undocumented immigrants in the United States “ to the extent practicable ” and exclude them from the final apportionment data “ to the extent feasible.
” Since it wasn ’ t clear yet if the Commerce Department could actually carry out the president ’ s directive — and if they could , how many people would be excluded from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t “ ripe ” yet and the challengers could show that they had standing to sue , the majority wrote .
Justice Stephen Breyer wrote a dissent and was joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor .
Breyer wrote that the administration hadn ’ t denied that states with larger populations of undocumented immigrants would be harmed by the policy — a smaller population count means fewer seats in Congress for that state — and that , on the merits , the policy should fall .
“ The plain meaning of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and uniform interpretations from all three branches of Government demonstrate that aliens without lawful status can not be excluded from the decennial census solely on account of that status , ” Breyer wrote .
“ The Government ’ s effort to remove them from the apportionment base is unlawful , and I believe this Court should say so.
” Justice Department spokesperson Mollie Timmons said in a statement that they were `` pleased that today ’ s ruling clears the way for the Commerce Department to continue its work on the census @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President . ''
A Commerce Department spokesperson did not immediately return a request for comment .

WASHINGTON — The US Supreme Court’s conservative justices ruled Friday that the Trump administration could go ahead for now with a plan to exclude undocumented immigrants from census data used to assign seats in Congress to states — but it didn’t decide if the plan was actually lawful and left the door open to future court fights.
President Donald Trump signed a memo in July that directed the Commerce Department to exclude undocumented immigrants from the 2020 census data used to decide how many seats in Congress each state receives. It was the latest push by the Trump administration to use the census to target immigrant communities; a previous push to add a citizenship question failed. A panel of federal judges blocked the latest plan in September, and the Justice Department petitioned the Supreme Court to step in.
A majority of the justices concluded in Friday’s order that the challenge brought by New York’s attorney general and the American Civil Liberties Union was “premature,” writing that it wasn’t clear yet how many people would actually be excluded from the census data at issue, and what populations of undocumented immigrants would be left out. The court’s three liberal-leaning justices dissented, writing that the case not only should be decided now, but also that they would conclude the plan was, in fact, unlawful.
The decision leaves a potential legal tangle for the incoming Biden administration to sort out. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross is due to send a report to Trump by Dec. 31 on the census counts to be used in congressional apportionment, but the Justice Department told the justices during arguments on Nov. 30 that the administration was “not on pace” to meet that deadline, according to coverage by Howe on the Court.
Whenever Ross sends the report to Trump, the ACLU has said they’re prepared to immediately challenge the policy again. They’d likely seek an emergency order blocking the administration from doing anything else with the data while the litigation starts over again in the district court.
“This Supreme Court decision is only about timing, not the merits. This ruling does not authorize President Trump’s goal of excluding undocumented immigrants from the census count used to apportion the House of Representatives. The legal mandate is clear — every single person counts in the census, and every single person is represented in Congress. If this policy is ever actually implemented, we'll be right back in court challenging it,” Dale Ho, director of the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project, said in a statement.
If renewed legal fights extend past Jan. 20, or if Ross fails to finalize the data and send it to Trump by the time President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in, the Biden administration will have to figure out how they can rescind the July memo and end whatever court cases are pending.
If Biden ultimately does rescind the July memo, that could also spur new legal challenges — Republican attorneys general who supported Trump’s plan could take the new administration to court, for instance.
The Supreme Court issued Friday’s decision “per curiam,” which means it represented the views of a majority of the justices but no one justice signed as the author of the opinion. The majority wrote that the case was “riddled with contingencies and speculation that impede judicial review.” Trump’s memo stated that the Commerce Department should collect data on the number of undocumented immigrants in the United States “to the extent practicable” and exclude them from the final apportionment data “to the extent feasible.”
Since it wasn’t clear yet if the Commerce Department could actually carry out the president’s directive — and if they could, how many people would be excluded from the data — the case wasn’t “ripe” yet and the challengers could show that they had standing to sue, the majority wrote.
Justice Stephen Breyer wrote a dissent and was joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor. Breyer wrote that the administration hadn’t denied that states with larger populations of undocumented immigrants would be harmed by the policy — a smaller population count means fewer seats in Congress for that state — and that, on the merits, the policy should fall.
“The plain meaning of the governing statutes, decades of historical practice, and uniform interpretations from all three branches of Government demonstrate that aliens without lawful status cannot be excluded from the decennial census solely on account of that status,” Breyer wrote. “The Government’s effort to remove them from the apportionment base is unlawful, and I believe this Court should say so.”
Justice Department spokesperson Mollie Timmons said in a statement that they were "pleased that today’s ruling clears the way for the Commerce Department to continue its work on the census and send its full tabulation to the President."
A Commerce Department spokesperson did not immediately return a request for comment.


buzzfeed--2020-12-18--Joe Biden's Selection Of Deb Haaland For Interior Secretary Is Historic

If confirmed by the Senate to lead the Department of the Interior , Haaland would oversee the Bureau of Indian Affairs as well as federal land management .
President-elect Joe Biden has picked Rep. Deb Haaland of New Mexico as head the Department of the Interior , making her the first-ever Native American to oversee the management of federal lands and resources .
If confirmed by the Senate , she would also be the first Native American Cabinet secretary and would oversee the Bureau of Indian Affairs , which sits under the Interior Department .
`` A voice like mine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the head of the Department of Interior , '' Haaland wrote on Twitter Thursday evening .
`` Growing up in my mother 's Pueblo household made me fierce .
I 'll be fierce for all of us , our planet , and all of our protected land . ''
Haaland is a 35th-generation resident of New Mexico and member of the Pueblo Laguna .
She is the daughter of a Marine Vietnam veteran and served as the first Native American leader of a state party in New Mexico .
She has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as secretary of the interior could signal an about-face for the department that under the Trump administration has prioritized fossil fuel extraction instead of preservation .
She was one of six appointments announced Thursday by Biden 's transition team as part of the incoming administration team meant to address the impacts of climate change .
`` This brilliant , tested , trailblazing team will be ready on day one to confront the existential threat of climate change with a unified national response rooted in science and equity , '' Biden said in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we have no time to waste to confront the climate crisis , protect our air and drinking water , and deliver justice to communities that have long shouldered the burdens of environmental harms . ''
As secretary of the interior , Haaland would oversee hundreds of millions of acres of public federal lands , including national parks , national monuments , and wildlife refuges .
Haaland served as vice chair of the House Natural Resources Committee and , according to the Washington Post , has introduced bills to address the high rate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Biden transition team also pointed to Haaland 's work with Tribal Nations , rural communities , and communities of color .
Currently , the Interior Department is headed by David Bernhardt , a former energy industry lobbyist who has worked in the agency since 2001 .
Before Bernhardt , Trump had appointed Ryan Zinke to the position .
Under both secretaries , the department has widely expanded the extraction of natural gas and oil .
Zinke left in December 2018 after the agency 's inspector general found he had violated rules by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government vehicles , that the agency had spent more than $ 25,000 on security for his vacations to Turkey and Greece , and that he had tried to give his wife a position in the agency .
During his tenure , Politico also reported on Zinke 's role in a development project that involved a foundation headed by his wife and a group backed by the chair of Halliburton .
Haaland was the top pick for interior secretary by the youth climate group Sunrise Movement and the Justice Democrats political action committee , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in some of Biden 's other nominees .
News of Haaland 's possible appointment has already been applauded by conservation groups .
`` Rep. Haaland 's historic appointment means a new era for protection for our wildlife , public lands and waters from the rapacious extractive industries that have ruled the day under the Trump administration , '' Kierán Suckling , executive director of the Center for Biological Diversity , said in a statement .
`` It 's critical for Native American leaders to be part of all decision-making about public lands , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
But Haaland 's possible appointment to head the Interior Department could also leave fellow Democrats in the House of Representatives with an even slimmer majority after Biden is sworn on Jan. 20 .
Talking to reporters , House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi called Haaland `` one of the most respected and one of the best members of Congress I have served with , '' and said she would not stop her possible appointment .
`` If she is the president-elect 's choice for interior secretary , then he will have made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Biden made another historic pick earlier this week by selecting former primary rival Pete Buttigieg as transportation secretary .
If confirmed , he would be the first openly LGBTQ member of a presidential Cabinet .

Haaland is a 35th-generation resident of New Mexico and member of the Pueblo Laguna. She is the daughter of a Marine Vietnam veteran and served as the first Native American leader of a state party in New Mexico. She has been in Congress since 2019.
Her appointment as secretary of the interior could signal an about-face for the department that under the Trump administration has prioritized fossil fuel extraction instead of preservation.
She was one of six appointments announced Thursday by Biden's transition team as part of the incoming administration team meant to address the impacts of climate change.
"This brilliant, tested, trailblazing team will be ready on day one to confront the existential threat of climate change with a unified national response rooted in science and equity," Biden said in a statement. "They share my belief that we have no time to waste to confront the climate crisis, protect our air and drinking water, and deliver justice to communities that have long shouldered the burdens of environmental harms."
As secretary of the interior, Haaland would oversee hundreds of millions of acres of public federal lands, including national parks, national monuments, and wildlife refuges.
Haaland served as vice chair of the House Natural Resources Committee and, according to the Washington Post, has introduced bills to address the high rate of missing and murdered Indigenous women.
The Biden transition team also pointed to Haaland's work with Tribal Nations, rural communities, and communities of color.


buzzfeed--2020-12-18--Trump Transformed The Federal Courts. Here’s What Biden Could Do.

Biden will inherit far fewer judicial vacancies than Trump did when he takes office , but liberals are pinning their hopes on a wave of Clinton-appointed judges stepping down .
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump ’ s own judicial nominees handed down some of his biggest postelection losses , but the confirmation of more than 220 judges over the last four years is a Republican achievement that will far outlast his presidency — and one that President-elect Joe Biden will have a hard time undoing .
The numbers are there on paper for Biden to leave his own , sizable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll start at a disadvantage .
There are 60 open judgeships — less than half of what Trump inherited in January 2017 — and Republicans are racing to fill as many of those seats as they can before Biden is sworn in .
The Senate on Tuesday confirmed a judge for Justice Amy Coney Barrett ’ s former seat , and the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing for an appeals court nominee on Wednesday .
If every remaining active judge confirmed under former president Bill Clinton stepped down over the next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 87 seats , according to judiciary records .
Most of the 164 active judges confirmed under former president George W. Bush will be eligible for “ senior status ” — a type of quasi-retirement that frees seats for new nominees — over the next four years , but it ’ s hard to predict how many will take the option .
A small number of the 315 active judges confirmed under former president Barack Obama are eligible for senior status , but most won ’ t meet the criteria until 2024 .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate for four years .
If Democrats fail to capture both of Georgia ’ s Senate seats in the January runoff election , Biden will have to reckon with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for at least two years — possibly four depending on the midterm elections — an arrangement that could force compromises and concessions at best .
With a Senate majority , McConnell will control when to bring Biden ’ s nominees to a vote , if at all .
If you have a news tip , we ’ d like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to us via one of our tip line channels .
Not all judges factor in politics in deciding when to step down .
But it ’ s not a coincidence that many of the seats Trump filled were previously held by past Republican nominees — the administration and Senate Republicans actively reached out to at least some senior-eligible judges , a practice that predates Trump — and Democrat-appointed judges who want some assurance that their successor will match their ideological leanings and judicial philosophy are doing the math .
They also know that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they can control ; Trump was able to fill the seats of two liberal legal icons , the late justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the late 9th Circuit judge Stephen Reinhardt , who were both in their eighties and still in active service on the bench when they died .
“ If Democrats get the Senate , I would take [ senior status ] maybe at the end of January , might hold off until April , ” said a Clinton-nominated federal appeals judge who was eligible to take senior status under Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rules restrict judges from speaking about politics .
“ If they don ’ t get the Senate , it will depend on what kind of deal is worked out between the president and the Senate.
” The judge explained that if Democrats didn ’ t win the Senate and they couldn ’ t have “ confidence ” in the qualifications of their successor , they were prepared to stay put as an active judge for two more years .
But the judge said they wouldn ’ t wait indefinitely , given the possibility @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2024 election as he did during Obama ’ s final years in office .
“ I ’ d have to go in two years , ” the judge said .
“ I could be locking myself into a life on the bench.
” Biden ’ s transition team is already building out lists of possible nominees .
According to two sources familiar with the transition team ’ s work who weren ’ t authorized to speak publicly , that effort is being led by two Senate veterans with years of judicial nominations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for both Vice President–elect Kamala Harris and Sen. Patrick Leahy , and Paige Herwig , who worked in the Obama administration and for Sen. Dianne Feinstein before joining Demand Justice , an advocacy group that launched in 2018 to oppose Trump ’ s judicial nominees .
Unlike Trump , Biden hasn ’ t committed to releasing a list of potential Supreme Court nominees .
But , during the campaign , he pledged that if a vacancy opened up , he would nominate a Black woman , which would be a first on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the intricacies of judicial nominations , having spent much of his Senate career as a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee , including 17 years either as the chair or ranking Democrat .
Harris spent the past four years opposing Trump ’ s nominees as a member of the committee .
“ Joe Biden proudly championed the historic confirmations of Justices Ginsburg , Sotomayor , and Kagan , and reshaped the Senate Judiciary Committee to reflect the diversity and breadth of America , ” transition spokesperson Jamal Brown said in a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he will nominate the first Black woman to the Supreme Court , and appoint judges who share his commitment to the rule of law , and upholding individual civil rights and civil liberties.
” Advocacy groups have wasted no time sending Biden ’ s team their own lists .
They ’ re not only pitching specific names , but also broadly making the case for Biden to quickly fill vacancies — liberals faulted Obama for not moving fast enough in his first term when Democrats controlled the Senate — and to prioritize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personal background and professional experience : more public defenders and civil rights lawyers , fewer prosecutors and corporate attorneys .
A coalition of 71 groups signed an open letter to that effect shortly after the election .
The Trump administration ’ s laserlike focus on judicial nominations was the result of decades of successful organizing and pipeline-building by the right , and liberal advocacy groups spent the last four years trying to catch up .
The American Constitution Society , the main membership organization for liberal lawyers , and legacy liberal advocacy groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recruitment projects , and new courts-focused groups like Demand Justice emerged .
The American Constitution Society , created in 2001 as a counterpoint to the conservative judicial juggernaut , the Federalist Society , gave Biden ’ s transition team a list of 352 potential federal judges — more than half are women , just under half are BIPOC , and many have backgrounds working in legal aid , civil rights , academia , and public defender offices .
ACS President Russ Feingold , a former Democratic senator from Wisconsin , said he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ efforts so far and that they seemed “ very methodical , very careful in terms of making sure the ball isn ’ t dropped.
” “ We believe President Biden and some of his top people are particularly well versed in this issue , ” Feingold said .
“ Whether the complete damage that ’ s been done by Trump can be undone is unlikely , but a substantial amount can be.
” Alliance for Justice also shared lists of several hundred potential nominees with Biden ’ s team shortly after the election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hoped Biden would begin announcing nominees as soon as he ’ s sworn in , and expected a wave of judicial retirement and senior status announcements to follow in early 2021 .
“ We ’ re asking [ the Biden administration ] to be ready to fight for the nominees and to abide by the rules that were put in place by Senate Republicans to fast track the confirmation process , ” Aron said .
Liberal advocates are bracing for bitter Senate battles if Republicans keep the majority .
Demand Justice Executive Director @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to devote substantial resources to ad campaigns , pressure campaigns on senators , and other grassroots organizing to support “ bold and forward-leaning ” nominees who might face Republican opposition .
Fallon , who served in the Justice Department during the Obama administration and previously worked in the Senate , said some Obama alumni felt they didn ’ t have enough “ air cover ” for politically divisive picks .
“ We want to make sure that type of thinking does not work against any of the types of nontraditional lawyers that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to send a clear signal that we will have the backs of those types of nominees , ” Fallon said .
Assuming Republicans keep control of the Senate , Sen. Chuck Grassley will return as the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee , taking over from Sen. Lindsey Graham .
Grassley can control the pace of confirmation proceedings but brushed off Democratic concerns that Biden nominees wouldn ’ t move at all through the committee .
“ I would say the clock starts ticking the minute the White House sends some nominees up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t know .
Then there ’ s generally two to three weeks after that before we vet everything and then you have hearings , ” Grassley said .
“ We ’ re obviously going to hear judges.
” There ’ s also the question of what happens to the calls for structural court reform that new Trump-era liberal groups like Demand Justice and Take Back the Court pushed to make part of the Democratic presidential primaries , such as adding seats to the US Supreme Court and to the lower courts .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that with the White House and Congress , as well as keep up grassroots organizing to build momentum around the issue with the Democratic base .
The federal judiciary has asked Congress for years to add judgeships to keep up with caseloads in certain courts .
Democrats also worry that Biden ’ s policies could be blocked or hamstrung by Trump-appointed judges and by the Supreme Court , which now has a deeper conservative majority following Barrett ’ s confirmation .
Fallon said that will become part of their messaging as well .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that builds around these issues and enough public outrage that can be stoked about Trump judges trying to uphold Trump policies even after Trump ’ s been evicted from office , it sort of prods McConnell to act on judges he might otherwise hold up , ” Fallon said .
“ Or builds up resolve among Democrats to do something structural.
” Trump inherited 19 appeals court vacancies in January 2017 , but there are just two open seats on the federal appeals courts now , and the Senate Judiciary Committee held a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them on Wednesday ; there is no nominee yet for the other one .
There were 60 total federal court vacancies as of mid-December — with more than 30 nominees pending at various stages of the confirmation process — which is less than half of the 128 seats open when Trump took office .
The Senate has confirmed more than a dozen federal judges since Election Day , and more votes are expected before the Senate recesses at the end of the month .
Federal judges are eligible to take senior status once @ @ @ @ @ @ @ known as the Rule of 80 .
They must be at least 65 years old and have served 15 years as a federal judge .
Senior judges keep a full salary , but they can reduce their caseload .
The tradeoff is reduced power , especially on the appeals courts .
Senior judges generally can ’ t participate when the full or “ en banc ” circuit court hears a case and potentially sets new precedent , for instance .
There are 79 federal appeals judges who are either eligible to take senior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the next four years , according to a review by BuzzFeed News .
Of those judges , 47 were confirmed under a Democratic president and 32 under a Republican ; it ’ s unlikely all of those judges will step down over the next four years , however .
Federal judges enjoy lifetime tenure and often keep their active status for years , or even decades , after they ’ re eligible for senior status , regardless of who is in the White House .
Trump nominated enough judges to flip the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appeals courts — the 2nd , 3rd , and 11th Circuits ; those majorities are slim enough that Biden could flip those courts back , but that would depend on Republican-appointed judges stepping down .
Trump also dramatically narrowed the gap between Democratic and Republican nominees on the 9th Circuit , which covers the western United States and has long been a liberal powerhouse court .
Judges don ’ t always rule in ways that match the politics and legal philosophies of the president who appointed them , but it can be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or liberal leanings of a court when it comes to cases that traditionally divide judges along those lines , such as executive power , abortion access , gun rights , and civil rights .
Biden has a chance to shore up the liberal majorities on several courts , including the 9th Circuit and the powerful DC Circuit .
The three remaining Clinton nominees on the DC Circuit are already senior-eligible , including Judge Merrick Garland , a reported contender for attorney general under Biden , and Obama ’ s unsuccessful Supreme Court nominee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to speak with BuzzFeed News , some for attribution and some not , said politics can be a factor , but it ’ s not always the driving force in their decision-making around retirements and senior status .
US District Chief Judge John Jones III , who was confirmed under George W. Bush , became eligible for senior status when he turned 65 this summer .
He said that last year a Senate aide — he declined to identify the aide or the senator , but said it was “ really an emissary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and “ reminded ” him that he could open up his seat for Trump .
Jones said he declined , citing the fact that he was next in line for chief judge , a job that he took over in the spring .
District judgeships tend to be less politicized than appeals court nominations , but there are occasionally fierce partisan battles over those seats .
Jones said he has no plans to leave now that he ’ s chief judge , but said the party of the president wouldn ’ t control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conversations with colleagues that other judges felt the same way .
“ I would n't have any hesitation whatsoever ” about stepping down under a Democratic president , Jones said .
“ Elections mean something , presidents nominate people .
I ’ ve been at this 18-plus years , and I think you have to do what ’ s right for your court and what ’ s right for yourself at the appropriate time.
” The Trump administration prioritized tapping young judicial nominees with strong conservative credentials .
Jones had positive things to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court but said generally that he was “ concerned ” by the lack of practice experience of some of Trump ’ s district court nominees , and hoped Biden would take a different approach .
“ I would hope that , and I think this will be true in the Biden administration , they ’ ll be a little bit more circumspect — not criticizing any single appointee by President Trump , but you want to give a nod to experience .
Relative youth is OK , but particularly in the trial bench @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Jones said .
Judge Michael Kanne , who was confirmed to the 7th Circuit under then-president Ronald Reagan in 1987 and has been eligible to take senior status since 2003 , said he didn ’ t have plans to leave but wouldn ’ t rule out stepping down under a Democratic president .
“ I wouldn ’ t say it ’ s a deal breaker , ” the 82-year-old Kanne said .
“ The main reason I ’ m staying on and I didn ’ t take senior status earlier when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in relatively good health .
It gives me a purpose and I like what I do and I think I can add something to the work of the court .
So the fact of the political aspect of it might have something to do with it , too , but it 's only part of it .
I don ’ t say , ‘ Oh , well , we ’ ve got a Democrat in the office now , and I ’ m never taking senior status because of that.
’ ” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s seat .
At the start of 2018 , Kanne agreed to take senior status based on an understanding that Trump would nominate Kanne ’ s former clerk Tom Fisher .
But a few months later , Kanne ’ s name disappeared with no explanation from the judiciary ’ s public list of vacancies .
Contacted by BuzzFeed News at the time , Kanne revealed that he was staying on because Fisher was no longer in the running , and the judge had no interest in leaving his seat open for just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Mike Pence had scuttled the nomination .
Kanne is one of 26 federal appeals judges nominated by Republican presidents who were eligible to take senior status over the past four years but have stayed in active service .
The list includes 9th Circuit Judge Milan Smith Jr. , a George W. Bush nominee .
As a lawyer in private practice , Smith had clashed with Trump in a California land dispute case .
According to an NPR report recounting the fight , Smith was quoted in a local newspaper calling Trump “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and “ like a big bag of wind ” ; Trump later reportedly called Smith “ an obnoxious asshole.
” Smith declined an interview request .
Another one of the newly senior-eligible Republican-appointed judges , 5th Circuit Judge Leslie Southwick , who was also confirmed under George W. Bush , wrote a law review article earlier this year about the recent history of federal court nominations .
In that piece , he confirmed that he was approached about stepping down and knew another colleague was approached , too .
“ My answer to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact being urged to do the right thing and make room for the kind of exceptional judges being selected now is : Believe in it ?
I ’ ve seen it ... or , at least , heard it .
I just did not find it a sufficiently encouraging idea in my case , ” Southwick wrote .
“ It was my impression that the person urging me and the individual who talked to another colleague were prompted from Washington .
I did not ask , though.
” Asked to elaborate , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simply wasn ’ t ready to give up the work of being an active judge .
Asked if the politics of the president would affect his decision-making when he did feel ready to step down , he replied , “ not particularly.
” “ I would certainly be aware of who the president is and the kind of judges that person is selecting , ” Southwick said .
“ But it wouldn ’ t weigh very heavily on me.
” Kanne said the prospect of a Democrat potentially winning the White House in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about staying on after Fisher ’ s nomination fell through .
“ I ’ m more , I guess , selfish in the sense that I enjoy what I do and I don ’ t have any real hobbies , ” he said .
●

Assuming Republicans keep control of the Senate, Sen. Chuck Grassley will return as the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, taking over from Sen. Lindsey Graham. Grassley can control the pace of confirmation proceedings but brushed off Democratic concerns that Biden nominees wouldn’t move at all through the committee.
“I would say the clock starts ticking the minute the White House sends some nominees up. When that is, I don’t know. Then there’s generally two to three weeks after that before we vet everything and then you have hearings,” Grassley said. “We’re obviously going to hear judges.”
There’s also the question of what happens to the calls for structural court reform that new Trump-era liberal groups like Demand Justice and Take Back the Court pushed to make part of the Democratic presidential primaries, such as adding seats to the US Supreme Court and to the lower courts. Fallon said they’ll advocate for that with the White House and Congress, as well as keep up grassroots organizing to build momentum around the issue with the Democratic base. The federal judiciary has asked Congress for years to add judgeships to keep up with caseloads in certain courts.
Democrats also worry that Biden’s policies could be blocked or hamstrung by Trump-appointed judges and by the Supreme Court, which now has a deeper conservative majority following Barrett’s confirmation. Fallon said that will become part of their messaging as well.
“Either there’s enough salience that builds around these issues and enough public outrage that can be stoked about Trump judges trying to uphold Trump policies even after Trump’s been evicted from office, it sort of prods McConnell to act on judges he might otherwise hold up,” Fallon said. “Or builds up resolve among Democrats to do something structural.”
Trump inherited 19 appeals court vacancies in January 2017, but there are just two open seats on the federal appeals courts now, and the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on a nominee for one of them on Wednesday; there is no nominee yet for the other one. There were 60 total federal court vacancies as of mid-December — with more than 30 nominees pending at various stages of the confirmation process — which is less than half of the 128 seats open when Trump took office.
The Senate has confirmed more than a dozen federal judges since Election Day, and more votes are expected before the Senate recesses at the end of the month.
Federal judges are eligible to take senior status once they’ve satisfied what’s known as the Rule of 80. They must be at least 65 years old and have served 15 years as a federal judge. Senior judges keep a full salary, but they can reduce their caseload. The tradeoff is reduced power, especially on the appeals courts. Senior judges generally can’t participate when the full or “en banc” circuit court hears a case and potentially sets new precedent, for instance.
There are 79 federal appeals judges who are either eligible to take senior status now or who will become eligible over the next four years, according to a review by BuzzFeed News. Of those judges, 47 were confirmed under a Democratic president and 32 under a Republican; it’s unlikely all of those judges will step down over the next four years, however. Federal judges enjoy lifetime tenure and often keep their active status for years, or even decades, after they’re eligible for senior status, regardless of who is in the White House.
Trump nominated enough judges to flip the ideological balance of judges on three federal appeals courts — the 2nd, 3rd, and 11th Circuits; those majorities are slim enough that Biden could flip those courts back, but that would depend on Republican-appointed judges stepping down. Trump also dramatically narrowed the gap between Democratic and Republican nominees on the 9th Circuit, which covers the western United States and has long been a liberal powerhouse court. Judges don’t always rule in ways that match the politics and legal philosophies of the president who appointed them, but it can be a reliable way to suss out the conservative or liberal leanings of a court when it comes to cases that traditionally divide judges along those lines, such as executive power, abortion access, gun rights, and civil rights.
Biden has a chance to shore up the liberal majorities on several courts, including the 9th Circuit and the powerful DC Circuit. The three remaining Clinton nominees on the DC Circuit are already senior-eligible, including Judge Merrick Garland, a reported contender for attorney general under Biden, and Obama’s unsuccessful Supreme Court nominee.
A handful of judges who agreed to speak with BuzzFeed News, some for attribution and some not, said politics can be a factor, but it’s not always the driving force in their decision-making around retirements and senior status.
US District Chief Judge John Jones III, who was confirmed under George W. Bush, became eligible for senior status when he turned 65 this summer. He said that last year a Senate aide — he declined to identify the aide or the senator, but said it was “really an emissary from the president” — approached him and “reminded” him that he could open up his seat for Trump. Jones said he declined, citing the fact that he was next in line for chief judge, a job that he took over in the spring.


buzzfeed--2020-12-19--Chainsaws Were Originally Invented To Use During Childbirth, And It's The Stuff From Nightmares

At this point , I did n't want to know more , but at the same time , I kind @ @ @ @ @ to know who invented it , what the thought process was behind it , how @ @ @ @ @ , and why it was ever believed to be a safe method for childbirth .

At this point, I didn't want to know more, but at the same time, I kind of did. I wanted to know who invented it, what the thought process was behind it, how it was supposed to work, and why it was ever believed to be a safe method for childbirth.


buzzfeed--2020-12-19--A Video About Not Knowing How To Shave Your Butthole Is Going Viral, So People Are Sharing Their Bes

A Video About Not Knowing How To Shave Your Butthole Is Going Viral, So People Are Sharing Their Best Butthole-Shaving Tips

`` Anal bleaching also seems to be on the rise lately as well .
There are a lot of questions @ @ @ @ @ of this treatment .
There is nothing wrong or dangerous with the dark color of @ @ @ @ @ utilizes a variety of acids or other lightening agents to strip away some of the @ @ @ @ @ Think of these agents as removing the 'stained ' skin .
The problem is that @ @ @ @ @ are quite harsh on the skin .
Remember , the skin of the genitals is @ @ @ @ @ most delicate on the body .
I would urge extreme caution before putting a potentially @ @ @ @ @ anus .
That being said , most bleaching agents are not permanent .
The durability @ @ @ @ @ person to person , but may last up to six months .
You should talk @ @ @ @ @ methods and definitely consult a dermatologist before bleaching , '' Dr. Charles added .

In addition, Dr. Charles said that often times people are over-aggressive when shaving sensitive areas, like the anus. "Over-aggressive shaving, either too often or incorrectly done, can lead to irritation and acne-like bumps in that area," he said. So, be gentle!!!
Remember, shaving is a risk for infection, bleeding, scarring. Dr. Charles said, "Folliculitis is a small collection of infections and are one of the risks of shaving your butt. Another risk is hemorrhage. The skin of the anus and butt is extremely vascular. A sharp object can do a tremendous amount of damage to that area. Similarly, if bleeding is a risk, so is scarring. Any time that the skin is injured and the wound is deep enough, you run the risk of causing a scar to form. And all of these risks are increased if you can’t see what you are doing, so use a mirror!"


buzzfeed--2020-12-19--20 Times The Female Anatomy Was Lost On Men In 2020

Today I discovered BOTH of my brothers thought that panty liners/sanitary towels were stuck directly onto the wearer ’ s @ @ @ @ @ underwear .
Apparently they thought the adhesive was to “ seal it shut ” .
@ @ @ @ @ .

Today I discovered BOTH of my brothers thought that panty liners/sanitary towels were stuck directly onto the wearer’s flaps, not to their underwear. Apparently they thought the adhesive was to “seal it shut”. One of them is married.


buzzfeed--2020-12-19--People Who've Woken Up Mid-Surgery Are Sharing Their Horror Stories, And It's Nightmare Fuel

`` I had to get knee surgery as I had 'chipped ' off a part of my kneecap and the @ @ @ @ @ and remove the bone .
He was a pretty playful guy , obviously worked with @ @ @ @ @ I was getting prepped , he was asking if I wanted to see the bone @ @ @ @ @ me being 13 and thinking that was cool as hell , I said yes .
@ @ @ @ @ to show the bone to me after the surgery .
But he actually patted me @ @ @ @ @ still open to show me the bloody piece of bone . ''

15.
"Well, while you are supposed to be awake for cornea transplant surgery, your eye is numb. However during this surgery on my left eye, I felt the cut into my old cornea. I said I felt it and the surgeon said 'You felt what?' I said I felt a sting like a cut and he did a few things and then started to cut again, and I said there it was again. So they had to give me a shot in my eyeball and that hurt! But I didn’t feel anything else after the shot. It was very unnerving!"


buzzfeed--2020-12-19--The Next Tea Party Is Lurking Inside Trump’s Election Results Denial


buzzfeed--2020-12-20--A Video About Not Knowing How To Shave Your Butthole Is Going Viral, So People Are Sharing Their Bes


buzzfeed--2020-12-20--People Are Sharing Their Before And After Veneers Pics, Not Realizing That They Didn't Actually Get

People Are Sharing Their Before And After Veneers Pics, Not Realizing That They Didn't Actually Get Veneers

So , why are getting crowns on all of your teeth so dangerous ?
Well , there are several reasons @ @ @ @ @ once you remove tooth structure , you can never get it back .
Another reason @ @ @ @ @ inside your tooth that can get damaged .
Dr. Manouchehri explained , `` The tooth @ @ @ @ @ outer layer , which is the enamel , and underneath the enamel is dentine — @ @ @ @ @ has tiny little channels that communicate with the pulp of the tooth .
This is @ @ @ @ @ supply of the tooth reside .
Every time we take a drill to the tooth @ @ @ @ @ get closer to the nerve and risk compromising its integrity .
Additionally , the increase @ @ @ @ @ as a result of using the drill can also compromise the nerve . ''

So, why are getting crowns on all of your teeth so dangerous? Well, there are several reasons. First of all, once you remove tooth structure, you can never get it back. Another reason is that you have nerves inside your tooth that can get damaged. Dr. Manouchehri explained, "The tooth is made up of the outer layer, which is the enamel, and underneath the enamel is dentine — a slightly softer mineral that has tiny little channels that communicate with the pulp of the tooth. This is where the nerves and blood supply of the tooth reside. Every time we take a drill to the tooth and remove enamel, we get closer to the nerve and risk compromising its integrity. Additionally, the increase in temperature that is generated as a result of using the drill can also compromise the nerve."


buzzfeed--2020-12-19--There's A Hilarious Way To Tell If Someone Is A Trump Supporter Or Not In The Deaf Community And It'

There's A Hilarious Way To Tell If Someone Is A Trump Supporter Or Not In The Deaf Community And It's Going Viral

is an eight-episode Netflix documentary series that aired last month .
It shows the everyday lives of deaf students at @ @ @ @ @ college for the deaf and hard of hearing in Washington , D.C .

BuzzFeed Bring Me
Obsessed with travel? Discover unique things to do, places to eat, and sights to see in the best destinations around the world with Bring Me!


buzzfeed--2020-12-19--Beyoncé Has 80,000 Bees At Her Home, And How Did We Not Already Know This?

Although Beyoncé did n't share where all of those jars go , or whether — and , if not , @ @ @ @ @ buy one , she did explain what inspired her to take up beekeeping .

Although Beyoncé didn't share where all of those jars go, or whether — and, if not, when — we can all buy one, she did explain what inspired her to take up beekeeping.


buzzfeed--2020-12-19--Selena Gomez Got "Brutally Honest" About Why She Didn't Vote In The Last Election, And Called It A "

Selena Gomez Got "Brutally Honest" About Why She Didn't Vote In The Last Election, And Called It A "Huge Lesson"

`` That was really difficult for me , '' she went on .
`` But that actually put a fire @ @ @ @ @ active than I 've ever been , and to never miss a beat , and @ @ @ @ @ take time to do that . ''

"That was really difficult for me," she went on. "But that actually put a fire under me to be more active than I've ever been, and to never miss a beat, and to make sure that I take time to do that."


buzzfeed--2020-12-19--She Collapsed In Her Kitchen From COVID-19. The Next Day She Was Nearly 300 Miles From Home.

Rural hospitals are overwhelmed by the coronavirus , causing patients to be flown hundreds of miles from their homes to get care .
A few days after getting a positive COVID-19 test in late November , Cheri collapsed in her kitchen in rural Wisconsin .
The next day she was at a hospital in North Dakota , a nearly 300-mile drive from her family .
“ ‘ How the fuck am I gon na get home ?
’ ” Cheri ’ s daughter , Erica Balcerek , said her mom told her over the phone from the hospital , laughing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mom does not say the f-word , ” she added .
Her local hospital , in St. Croix Falls , Wisconsin , was overwhelmed by the coronavirus surges hitting the region in November and did not have the capacity or resources to treat her .
So they called around and found the closest hospital that did : Essentia Health , in Fargo , North Dakota .
After staying in her local hospital for a few hours , Cheri was put in a futuristic , transparent oxygen hood , driven about 12 miles to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ propeller plane .
Cheri ’ s situation is not unique .
As the coronavirus increasingly hammered rural areas in recent months , the small hospitals that serve those areas have found themselves with too many patients , too few beds , and not enough staff to deal with the situation .
So they have started airlifting them to any hospital that can take them , no matter the distance , scattering rural patients all over the country .
Two air medical transport companies that serve the Midwest — Life Link III and Midwestern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic the volume of patients they are airlifting to distant hospitals has increased .
Midwestern Medical said it normally transports between two and eight patients a month , but in November , it transported 21 .
A spokesperson for Essentia Health said in an email that the hospital saw an uptick in patients from “ outside our normal service area , ” and experts on rural hospitals and public health in the Midwest said many hospitals in the region have been significantly overwhelmed .
Rural hospitals often have a small staff , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sixty-one percent of rural hospitals don ’ t have intensive care units , the National Rural Health Association ( NRHA ) found .
So even before the pandemic , patients in rural areas facing life-threatening illnesses often had to be transported to faraway urban hospitals .
The rural Midwest was hit hard and early by the massive surge in COVID-19 that rolled across the US from September , as colder weather made people spend more time congregating indoors .
In Wisconsin and across the northern plains states , hospitals were stretched to capacity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Although new cases and the number of hospitalized patients have declined across the region , what happened in the Midwest last month is a dire warning for other rural parts of the country where the virus is continuing to spread .
“ In such a rural area , with so much open air space , where you know everyone and what they ’ re up to , people here kind of think we ’ re invincible , which we ’ re not , ” said Jeff , Cheri ’ s husband .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much invincible until something comes along and bites you in the ass.
” Cheri is 66 , and Jeff is 67 .
They ’ re generally healthy , but their age puts them in one of the groups at risk for more severe cases of the coronavirus .
Their town in northwestern Wisconsin is about 2 square miles and has a population of about 1,100 people .
Because of this , Jeff asked that only his and his wife ’ s first names be used and for their hometown ’ s name to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We ’ re a small town , and I don ’ t want a neighbor to read the article and think… ” Jeff trailed off and did not elaborate .
During the first and second waves of the coronavirus spread in the spring and summer , their region was left largely untouched by the virus .
That ’ s part of why his family and the rest of the town thought they were safe , Jeff thinks .
Unlike many in their town , Jeff and his daughter said they had been very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks whenever they went out , even if they sometimes got judgmental or questioning looks from neighbors at the grocery store .
Cheri works at a shelter for people escaping domestic violence , and she was careful at work as well , wearing her mask and social-distancing when she could .
But they weren ’ t always as careful within their family .
Their oldest son , Devin , 43 , was over every weekend helping out around the house without a mask , and Cheri and other members of the family were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearby , helping feed the animals and taking care of things around the house .
Then Cheri got sick .
The family isn ’ t completely sure how COVID-19 got into their circle .
Devin was the first to test positive , then Cheri , Jeff , and both of Cheri ’ s parents followed .
“ Devin has been one to believe this is all a hoax until now , ” Jeff said over the phone , pausing for a sigh .
“ I love my kids dearly , every one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one , but he ’ s also the first one , if I need anything done , he ’ s the first one that ’ s here .
That ’ s all I really wan na say on that.
” Devin denied he ever thought COVID-19 was a hoax , but over the phone , he said this situation with his mother has definitely changed his mind on aspects of the way the country is dealing with the coronavirus , like wearing masks .
And he said he ’ s felt guilty about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family all week .
“ Yeah , I feel like shit about it , ” Devin said , speaking from a hotel room while on the road for work .
“ To the point where I got a hold of my ex-pastor , even though she is now retired.
” Devin is a calibration technician , meaning , by his own definition , that his job is to “ make sure things measure what they ’ re supposed to measure.
” He ’ s been working through most of the pandemic , traveling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country , working in enclosed spaces with different people , often not wearing a mask .
“ Originally I was like , Let people make their own decisions , ” Devin said , explaining that he saw the way the pandemic was ravaging small businesses , like the paintball business he runs in the summer .
“ Before I was like , if the customer required me to wear a mask , I wore a mask ; if they didn ’ t , I didn ’ t .
But now that I know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wearing a mask no matter what.
” Devin said that now that he ’ s had the virus , he ’ s looking for a way to donate plasma , so he can potentially help save other people who have had severe reactions to the virus , like his mom .
But he ’ s having a hard time finding a place to donate near where he lives .
Jeff only had mild symptoms , and Cheri ’ s dad had to go to the hospital but didn ’ t need intensive treatment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ region .
But for Cheri it was touch and go .
“ On Saturday evening , she fell , trying to get from one room to the next , ” Jeff said about his wife , Cheri .
“ She was lying and moaning and groaning on the floor .
I said , ‘ Did you hurt yourself ?
’ But she was having a hard time breathing.
” Jeff called 911 , and the EMTs came and took her vitals .
They told Jeff her oxygen was down to 60 % , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nearest hospital , but quickly realized they couldn ’ t keep her there .
They made an exception to the no-visitors rule most hospitals have adopted during the pandemic , and allowed Jeff to come and sit with his wife before they strapped her to transportable oxygen machines and drove her to the airport .
“ After she got settled in Fargo , the nurse that was taking care of her that day called me and said , ‘ If you don ’ t hear from us that ’ s good , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for some face time with her , ’ ” Jeff said , taking in a sharp breath .
“ That really set me off , you know — that would mean that they were gon na take her into the ICU , put her on a ventilator , and of course , I didn ’ t even want to think about what that meant.
” There , her husband said , she was given an experimental convalescent plasma therapy treatment — in which blood from people with COVID-19 antibodies is reduced to plasma @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the hopes it will help fight the virus , and the FDA-approved drug remdesivir .
For a while , Cheri wasn ’ t sure how she would get home .
Much of her family had the virus as well , and though they were feeling OK , they were still under quarantine and shouldn ’ t do a multistate road trip .
But she ended up being in the hospital for longer than she imagined — nearly two weeks .
By the time the hospital was ready to discharge her , Jeff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Jeff got the call that Cheri could come home .
He jumped in the car at 5:30 a.m. the next day and drove 13 hours there and back , making pit stops on the way home to make sure Cheri was OK .
The couple is on Medicare , and have supplemental coverage that should mean they won ’ t be charged more than a few hundred dollars for Cheri ’ s treatment and her emergency flight to North Dakota , Jeff said , which they can afford .
Many aren ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ambulance will drive hundreds of miles to drop a patient off at a city hospital that can treat them properly .
Without proper insurance , this can cost the patient thousands of dollars and leave their county without any ambulances for hours at a time , said Brock Slabach , NRHA senior vice president of member services .
Long delays in getting proper care can worsen a patient ’ s condition , especially with the unpredictable crashes that often accompany severe COVID cases , Slabach said .
If the hospital is too far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be looking at even higher bills .
“ The financial component of an air transfer is very difficult .
You ’ re looking at sometimes $ 30,000 or $ 40,000 , ” Slabach , who used to set up similar transfers as a rural hospital administrator , said over the phone .
“ And many times were finding commercial insurances don ’ t pay for air transport , so that ’ s left for the patient to meet.
” Once they ’ ve recovered , insurance often doesn ’ t pay for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospital staff who help figure out the best way to transfer a patient out of the hospital — can often help patients navigate this problem , but they have become overwhelmed during the pandemic as well .
Not only do they have more patients than they ’ re used to , but they ’ re from all over the country and have complex , long , and often unpredictable recovery needs .
Then there ’ s the burden on the families , emotional and financial .
“ Families feel so helpless in this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you add that distance , ” Alana Knudson , the director of the Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis , said in an interview .
“ Being that far away is even harder because there ’ s no chance to go visit somebody if any last-minute issue arises unless you ’ re staying in a hotel nearby , which isn ’ t financially viable for many people.
” The problem rural hospitals are facing now could have been avoided , or at least mitigated , Slabach and Knudson both said .
These hospitals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Knudson said , meaning the ability to expand capacity , workforce , and equipment for emergencies like the pandemic .
They should have funds to bring in more staff to help , space for extra beds , and stockpiles of personal protective equipment and respirators .
But when state or local governments are looking to cut budgets , Slabach and Knudson said , funding for stockpiles and extra staff are often the first things to go .
Things like that aren ’ t missed until they ’ re needed .
While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Devin kept themselves busy , trying not to focus on what the future might hold .
Devin said that he ’ s never seen his dad like this , that he ’ s been through a lot of ups and downs , but he ’ s never been this worried .
“ My mom is— She ’ s my lady .
She ’ s my rock , ” Balcerek , Jeff and Cheri ’ s daughter , said over the phone , sitting in her car .
“ I mean , yeah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he ’ s my rock , whatever , but a mom is just different.
” “ That ’ s the thing about this : Your loved one goes to the hospital and you can ’ t go see them .
You ’ re left here holding a big bag of What If , ” Devin said .
“ And that stress is huge.
” The virus severely affected Cheri ’ s lungs , Balcerek said , and they don ’ t know if it will lead to permanent damage .
A company set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ connected to Cheri by 40 feet of tube , which she ’ ll drag along with her as she moves through the house .
She ’ ll have to stay attached to that tank for the next month or so , her daughter wrote in an email Wednesday .
“ That was a tough pill to swallow , hearing that , ” Balcerek said .
“ But my mom is a tough lady , she ’ ll fight through and be home when she can ... hopefully sooner than later.
” “ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were going to be this coming winter , and then this shit hit , ” Jeff said .
“ Now we just want her home .
”

Cheri is 66, and Jeff is 67. They’re generally healthy, but their age puts them in one of the groups at risk for more severe cases of the coronavirus. Their town in northwestern Wisconsin is about 2 square miles and has a population of about 1,100 people. Because of this, Jeff asked that only his and his wife’s first names be used and for their hometown’s name to be left out as well.
“We’re a small town, and I don’t want a neighbor to read the article and think…” Jeff trailed off and did not elaborate.
During the first and second waves of the coronavirus spread in the spring and summer, their region was left largely untouched by the virus. That’s part of why his family and the rest of the town thought they were safe, Jeff thinks.
Unlike many in their town, Jeff and his daughter said they had been very cautious throughout the pandemic. They wore masks whenever they went out, even if they sometimes got judgmental or questioning looks from neighbors at the grocery store. Cheri works at a shelter for people escaping domestic violence, and she was careful at work as well, wearing her mask and social-distancing when she could.
But they weren’t always as careful within their family. Their oldest son, Devin, 43, was over every weekend helping out around the house without a mask, and Cheri and other members of the family were often over at her parents’ farm nearby, helping feed the animals and taking care of things around the house. Then Cheri got sick.
The family isn’t completely sure how COVID-19 got into their circle. Devin was the first to test positive, then Cheri, Jeff, and both of Cheri’s parents followed.
“Devin has been one to believe this is all a hoax until now,” Jeff said over the phone, pausing for a sigh. “I love my kids dearly, every one of them. Devin can be the bullheaded one, but he’s also the first one, if I need anything done, he’s the first one that’s here. That’s all I really wanna say on that.”
Devin denied he ever thought COVID-19 was a hoax, but over the phone, he said this situation with his mother has definitely changed his mind on aspects of the way the country is dealing with the coronavirus, like wearing masks. And he said he’s felt guilty about the possibility he could have infected his family all week.
“Yeah, I feel like shit about it,” Devin said, speaking from a hotel room while on the road for work. “To the point where I got a hold of my ex-pastor, even though she is now retired.”
Devin is a calibration technician, meaning, by his own definition, that his job is to “make sure things measure what they’re supposed to measure.” He’s been working through most of the pandemic, traveling to factories and workplaces all over the country, working in enclosed spaces with different people, often not wearing a mask.
“Originally I was like, Let people make their own decisions,” Devin said, explaining that he saw the way the pandemic was ravaging small businesses, like the paintball business he runs in the summer. “Before I was like, if the customer required me to wear a mask, I wore a mask; if they didn’t, I didn’t. But now that I know where things stand, I’m wearing a mask no matter what.”
Devin said that now that he’s had the virus, he’s looking for a way to donate plasma, so he can potentially help save other people who have had severe reactions to the virus, like his mom. But he’s having a hard time finding a place to donate near where he lives.
Jeff only had mild symptoms, and Cheri’s dad had to go to the hospital but didn’t need intensive treatment that would take him outside of the region. But for Cheri it was touch and go.
“On Saturday evening, she fell, trying to get from one room to the next,” Jeff said about his wife, Cheri. “She was lying and moaning and groaning on the floor. I said, ‘Did you hurt yourself?’ But she was having a hard time breathing.”
Jeff called 911, and the EMTs came and took her vitals. They told Jeff her oxygen was down to 60%, he said. They rushed her to the nearest hospital, but quickly realized they couldn’t keep her there. They made an exception to the no-visitors rule most hospitals have adopted during the pandemic, and allowed Jeff to come and sit with his wife before they strapped her to transportable oxygen machines and drove her to the airport.


buzzfeed--2020-12-19--Kerry Washington Danced In The Rain With Her Kids To Celebrate The 2020 Election Results

`` ...
It 's not so much that I want to use my celebrity to tell people what to do @ @ @ @ @ `` It 's more just that as Americans , we live in a democracy that @ @ @ @ @ contribute and to use our voices . ''

"...It's not so much that I want to use my celebrity to tell people what to do," she said. "It's more just that as Americans, we live in a democracy that needs all of us to contribute and to use our voices."


buzzfeed--2020-12-19--Barack Obama Was Forced To Quit Coaching Sasha Obama's Basketball Team Because Parents Complained

In the excerpt , Obama also mentions the value of catching up on `` dad stuff '' with his daughters @ @ @ @ @ such moments ... when the world slows down , your strivings get pushed to the @ @ @ @ @ and all that matters is that you are present , fully , to witness the @ @ @ @ @ up .
”

In the excerpt, Obama also mentions the value of catching up on "dad stuff" with his daughters: “Every parent savors such moments...when the world slows down, your strivings get pushed to the back of your mind, and all that matters is that you are present, fully, to witness the miracle of your child growing up.”


buzzfeed--2020-12-20--Chainsaws Were Originally Invented To Use During Childbirth, And It's The Stuff From Nightmares


buzzfeed--2020-12-20--20 Times The Female Anatomy Was Lost On Men In 2020


buzzfeed--2020-12-20--She Collapsed In Her Kitchen From COVID-19. The Next Day She Was Nearly 300 Miles From Home.


buzzfeed--2020-12-20--People On TikTok Are Losing Their Minds After Learning Mucinex Might Help You Get Pregnant

Using Guaifenesin and Mucinex to get pregnant is actually a practice that 's been around for years.
`` Studies have @ @ @ @ @ and it has been written about in fertility books since the '70s .
There is @ @ @ @ @ fertility doctors would be recommending it for everyone .
That being said , it has @ @ @ @ @ that makes sense with very few risks — and it is inexpensive !
There are @ @ @ @ @ people who may have improved natural fertility rates by taking an expectorant , like Mucinex @ @ @ @ @

Using Guaifenesin and Mucinex to get pregnant is actually a practice that's been around for years. " Studies have been published looking at this and it has been written about in fertility books since the '70s. There is no conclusive help — or fertility doctors would be recommending it for everyone. That being said, it has a hypothetical mechanism of action that makes sense with very few risks — and it is inexpensive! There are probably a small subset of people who may have improved natural fertility rates by taking an expectorant, like Mucinex," she said.


buzzfeed--2020-12-21--Congress Announced New Coronavirus Relief Including $600 For Many US Residents

A Bushwick small business owner at a rally about the extreme financial challenges that they have faced since COVID-19 crisis began .
The journalists at BuzzFeed News are proud to bring you trustworthy and relevant reporting about the coronavirus .
To help keep this news free , become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Incoming .
WASHINGTON — Congress has reached an end-of-year deal to pass a second major coronavirus aid package that includes support for small businesses , unemployment benefits , and $ 600 in direct payments to most US residents , as a third wave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the announcement Sunday evening after the parties spent all weekend negotiating .
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called it “ better late than never.
” The House is planning to vote on the bill Monday , and the Senate should follow shortly after .
The approximately $ 900 billion package includes checks of up to $ 600 for every US adult , as well as $ 600 for each child dependent .
The payment amounts are expected to wind down for people who make over $ 75,000 per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who earn $ 100,000 , mirroring the qualifications for checks the government sent out to individuals in March .
The bill also includes $ 300 per week in federal unemployment benefits ( on top of state benefits ) for 11 weeks , half of what Congress provided with the CARES Act this spring .
While final details of the deal are still being rolled out , it also includes billions in dollars for small businesses , the transportation industry , schools , and for COVID testing , tracing , and vaccinations .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ • None $ 284 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program for businesses , which subsidizes keeping employees on payroll • None $ 35 billion in rental assistance and extension of a federal eviction moratorium • None The deal includes legislation to end the practice of surprise medical billing • None $ 27 billion for state highways and transportation industries , including airlines and Amtrak .
It would be the first pandemic aid passed by Congress since the CARES Act in March .
Since then , aid programs have expired and almost 8 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will now rush to get the plan on President Donald Trump ’ s desk to be signed into law as early as Monday .
Initially , the new deal did not include any direct payments , but Democratic Sen. Bernie Sanders and Republican Sen. Josh Hawley led a last-minute charge to include checks for $ 1,200 to all residents ( the same amount Congress provided this spring ) .
They ended up getting half of what they were demanding .

WASHINGTON — Congress has reached an end-of-year deal to pass a second major coronavirus aid package that includes support for small businesses, unemployment benefits, and $600 in direct payments to most US residents as a third wave of cases hits the country.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the announcement Sunday evening after the parties spent all weekend negotiating. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called it “better late than never.” The House is planning to vote on the bill Monday, and the Senate should follow shortly after.
The approximately $900 billion package includes checks of up to $600 for every US adult, as well as $600 for each child dependent. The payment amounts wind down for people who make over $75,000 per year and are phased out entirely for people who earn at least $87,000.
The bill also includes $300 per week in federal unemployment benefits (on top of state benefits) for 11 weeks, half of what Congress provided with the CARES Act this spring. While final details of the deal are still being rolled out, it also includes billions of dollars for small businesses, the transportation industry, schools, and for COVID testing, contact tracing, and vaccinations.
Other parts of the deal include:
$284 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program for businesses, which subsidizes keeping employees on the payroll
$35 billion in rental assistance and an extension of a federal eviction moratorium
Legislation to end the practice of surprise medical billing
$82 billion for colleges and schools
$10 billion for childcare
$13 billion for food stamps and children nutrition program
$27 billion for state highways and transportation industries, including airlines and Amtrak
It would be the first pandemic aid package passed by Congress since the CARES Act in March. Since then, aid programs have expired and almost 8 million people have fallen into poverty. Congress will now rush to get the plan on President Donald Trump’s desk to be signed into law as early as Monday.
Initially, the new deal did not include any direct payments, but Democratic Sen. Bernie Sanders and Republican Sen. Josh Hawley led a last-minute charge to include checks for $1,200 to all residents (the same amount Congress provided this spring). They ended up getting half of what they were demanding.