buzzfeed--2020-08-11--“God Forbid You Ever Have To Face The Choice That I Faced." Belarus's Opposition Candidate Has Fled

“God Forbid You Ever Have To Face The Choice That I Faced." Belarus's Opposition Candidate Has Fled The Country As The Government Cracks Down.

She made it clear that after meeting with Belarusian authorities she felt she had no other options but to flee to another country .
“ God forbid you ever have to face the choice that I faced , ” she said .
“ Many will understand me , many will judge , some will hate me , ” she said .
“ What is happening now is not worth even one life , ” she added , referring to violent clashes between heavily armed riot police and demonstrators that have erupted across the country and escalated during a second night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a tearful video from Lithuania , Tikhanovskaya said the decision to leave was her own and was made for the sake of her children .
In the latest turn of extraordinary events rocking the country , she urged Belarusians to stop protesting and hinted at the pressures that forced her to leave .
KYIV — Svetlana Tikhanovskaya , who first refused to accept what she called a fraudulent result in Belarus ’ s disputed election , told supporters on Tuesday that she had fled overnight to Lithuania .
The United States , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Belarus over the past year or more , is keeping a close eye on the events in the country .
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Minsk in February , and in April , President Donald Trump nominated Julie Fisher , currently a deputy assistant secretary of state , to be the US ’ s first ambassador to Belarus since the last one was expelled in 2008 .
Minsk has also nominated an ambassador to Washington .
He has specifically called out Poland , the UK , and the Czech Republic for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the US may be involved after the detention of a US diplomatic passport holder .
That man , Vitali Shkliarov , worked on the 2016 presidential campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders and the 2012 reelection campaign of President Barack Obama .
Lukashenko , who has ruled the former Soviet nation of 9.5 million people since 1994 , called the opposition “ sheep ” being manipulated by Western governments in order to overthrow him .
Belarusian authorities said they detained another 2,000 people on Monday and early Tuesday morning after taking more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of protests .
Police reported Tuesday that one man died overnight after an explosive device detonated in his hand , while independent local media reported dozens of protesters had been badly beaten and wounded on the streets and in police custody .
Riot police have attacked demonstrators with rubber bullets , stun grenades , tear gas , water cannons , and batons .
Images shared on social media have shown people with bloody wounds on their heads and torsos .
Videos show police using clubs to beat people curled up on the ground @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shows dozens of detainees being forced to lie facedown on the grounds of a detention center surrounded by razor wire as armed officers stand over them .
Demonstrations evolved into a nationwide strike Tuesday , with workers at several state enterprises walking off the job to protest police brutality and the official declaration of incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko as the winner in Sunday ’ s election .
They also demanded the release of all protesters .
On Monday , Pompeo said in a statement that the US supports the “ aspirations of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ future.
” He said : “ To achieve these goals , the Government of Belarus must prove through action its commitment to democratic processes and respect for human rights.
” Speaking on behalf of the White House , press secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters , “ Severe restrictions on ballot access for candidates , prohibition of local independent observers at polling stations , intimidation of opposition candidates and the detention of peaceful protesters and journalists have marred the process and we urge the Belarusian government to respect the right of people to peaceably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of force.
” Former vice president and Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden also weighed in .
“ I stand with those who are calling for a transparent and accurate vote count and the release of all political prisoners , ” he said .
“ I also call on President Lukashenko to respect the rights of peaceful protestors and to refrain from further violence.
” Tikhanovskaya ’ s video was met with relief but also confusion from supporters who held their collective breath as they awaited news of her whereabouts after she disappeared on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Central Election Commission ( CEC ) .
She had gone there to file an official complaint about the election results .
According to the CEC , Lukashenko won 80.08 % of the vote on Sunday and Tikhanovskaya garnered just 10.09 % .
Independent election monitors were banned from observing the polls , but Tikhanovskaya ’ s camp mobilized its own observers to monitor voting precincts .
They , along with journalists from independent media outlets , reported witnessing vote-rigging on a massive scale .
She remained inside the building for several hours .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ said she told them that she had “ made a decision ” before she left alone in a car .
The next time anyone heard about Tikhanovskaya was when Lithuania ’ s foreign minister , Linas Linkevičius , tweeted on Tuesday morning that she was “ safe ” but had been detained by Belarusian authorities , held incommunicado for seven hours at the CEC , and then driven to Lithuania .
A source with knowledge of her travels who asked for anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the matter told BuzzFeed News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local time and was aided by Lithuanian authorities .
Three hours after Linkevičius ’ s tweet , Tikhanovskaya released what would be the first of two videos .
In the one from Lithuania , she suggested she had been given an ultimatum by Belarusian authorities , who are currently holding her husband , the popular vlogger Sergei Tikhanovsky .
He had announced his candidacy for president before he was detained and jailed in May .
In a second video , released by Belarusian state media Tuesday afternoon , a distressed Tikhanovskaya read from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Belarusians , I ’ m urging you to show common sense and respect for the law , ” she said in the video , without raising her eyes to the camera .
“ I don ’ t want blood and violence .
I ’ m asking you not to confront the police and not take to squares to put your lives in danger .
Take care of yourselves and your relatives.
” A Tikhanovskaya campaign staffer told BuzzFeed News that the candidate had been pressured by the government to make the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exchange for the release of her campaign manager , Maria Moroz , who had been held by police since Saturday .
Moroz is now also in Lithuania , according to the staffer .
Later on Tuesday , the campaign released a statement to local media walking back Tikhanovskaya ’ s words .
“ We support all who peacefully protest against election fraud .
We are against violence and ask authorities not to use violence against civilians .
… We propose a dialogue about the peaceful transfer of power to the people.
” Meanwhile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other cities across the country after a violent night that saw riot police once again use rubber bullets and stun grenades against demonstrators , and some protesters shoot fireworks and hurl Molotov cocktails toward police ranks , many thousands of protesters continued to assemble and to express their anger over what they decry as a stolen election .
Peaceful walkouts were underway at state enterprises across the city in an attempt to shut down the economy and pressure the government .
Solo pickets were also reported , with one man even jumping in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ metro to raise a sign adorned with a demand for police to “ stop maiming and killing people !
” Veronika Tsepkalo , who along with Tikhanovskaya was part of the all-women trio campaigning to oust Lukashenko , told BuzzFeed News from Moscow that she had also fled Belarus late on Monday evening after she “ received info that I was going to be detained , as well.
” She had returned to Belarus on Sunday from Russia , where her husband , a former presidential candidate , had also fled last month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Asked what will happen to the opposition movement she inspired alongside Tikhanovskaya and Maria Kolesnikova , the third and only member of the trio who remains in Minsk , Tsepkalo said , “ People should fight for their rights.
” On Tuesday evening , many Belarusians seemed to be doing just that .
As dusk descended on Minsk , thousands of them once again poured into the streets .
Following close behind were hundreds of heavily armed riot police , special forces , and military vehicles .

On Monday, Pompeo said in a statement that the US supports the “aspirations of the Belarusian people for a democratic, prosperous future.”
He said: “To achieve these goals, the Government of Belarus must prove through action its commitment to democratic processes and respect for human rights.”
Speaking on behalf of the White House, press secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters, “Severe restrictions on ballot access for candidates, prohibition of local independent observers at polling stations, intimidation of opposition candidates and the detention of peaceful protesters and journalists have marred the process and we urge the Belarusian government to respect the right of people to peaceably assemble and to refrain from the use of force.”
Former vice president and Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden also weighed in. “I stand with those who are calling for a transparent and accurate vote count and the release of all political prisoners,” he said. “I also call on President Lukashenko to respect the rights of peaceful protestors and to refrain from further violence.”
Tikhanovskaya’s video was met with relief but also confusion from supporters who held their collective breath as they awaited news of her whereabouts after she disappeared on Monday, following a visit to the Central Election Commission (CEC).
She had gone there to file an official complaint about the election results. According to the CEC, Lukashenko won 80.08% of the vote on Sunday and Tikhanovskaya garnered just 10.09%. Independent election monitors were banned from observing the polls, but Tikhanovskaya’s camp mobilized its own observers to monitor voting precincts. They, along with journalists from independent media outlets, reported witnessing vote-rigging on a massive scale.
She remained inside the building for several hours. When she finally emerged, her campaign said she told them that she had “made a decision” before she left alone in a car.
The next time anyone heard about Tikhanovskaya was when Lithuania’s foreign minister, Linas Linkevičius, tweeted on Tuesday morning that she was “safe” but had been detained by Belarusian authorities, held incommunicado for seven hours at the CEC, and then driven to Lithuania. A source with knowledge of her travels who asked for anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the matter told BuzzFeed News she crossed the border at 3:30 a.m. local time and was aided by Lithuanian authorities.
Three hours after Linkevičius’s tweet, Tikhanovskaya released what would be the first of two videos. In the one from Lithuania, she suggested she had been given an ultimatum by Belarusian authorities, who are currently holding her husband, the popular vlogger Sergei Tikhanovsky. He had announced his candidacy for president before he was detained and jailed in May.
In a second video, released by Belarusian state media Tuesday afternoon, a distressed Tikhanovskaya read from a piece of paper inside the CEC.
“Belarusians, I’m urging you to show common sense and respect for the law,” she said in the video, without raising her eyes to the camera. “I don’t want blood and violence. I’m asking you not to confront the police and not take to squares to put your lives in danger. Take care of yourselves and your relatives.”
A Tikhanovskaya campaign staffer told BuzzFeed News that the candidate had been pressured by the government to make the video and to leave the country in exchange for the release of her campaign manager, Maria Moroz, who had been held by police since Saturday. Moroz is now also in Lithuania, according to the staffer.
Later on Tuesday, the campaign released a statement to local media walking back Tikhanovskaya’s words. “We support all who peacefully protest against election fraud. We are against violence and ask authorities not to use violence against civilians. … We propose a dialogue about the peaceful transfer of power to the people.”
Meanwhile, on the streets of Minsk and other cities across the country after a violent night that saw riot police once again use rubber bullets and stun grenades against demonstrators, and some protesters shoot fireworks and hurl Molotov cocktails toward police ranks, many thousands of protesters continued to assemble and to express their anger over what they decry as a stolen election.
Peaceful walkouts were underway at state enterprises across the city in an attempt to shut down the economy and pressure the government. Solo pickets were also reported, with one man even jumping in front of a train in the Minsk metro to raise a sign adorned with a demand for police to “stop maiming and killing people!”
Veronika Tsepkalo, who along with Tikhanovskaya was part of the all-women trio campaigning to oust Lukashenko, told BuzzFeed News from Moscow that she had also fled Belarus late on Monday evening after she “received info that I was going to be detained, as well.” She had returned to Belarus on Sunday from Russia, where her husband, a former presidential candidate, had also fled last month with the couple’s two children.
Asked what will happen to the opposition movement she inspired alongside Tikhanovskaya and Maria Kolesnikova, the third and only member of the trio who remains in Minsk, Tsepkalo said, “People should fight for their rights.”
On Tuesday evening, many Belarusians seemed to be doing just that. As dusk descended on Minsk, thousands of them once again poured into the streets.
Following close behind were hundreds of heavily armed riot police, special forces, and military vehicles.


buzzfeed--2020-08-11--Trump Keeps Talking About This Race To Discredit Mail-In Voting. The Race’s Winner Has Had Enough.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump ’ s former representative in Congress wants him to stop talking about her contested primary race as evidence of mail-in voting struggles and instead focus on the upcoming November election .
“ He needs to stop talking about my race and fix the post office , ” Rep. Carolyn Maloney told BuzzFeed News during a phone interview .
Maloney , who represents New York ’ s 12th Congressional District , says the president is using her election to erode voters ' confidence in the electoral process .
Trump has repeatedly referenced her race during his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporters on Monday to “ take a look at the Carolyn Maloney race . ''
Maloney narrowly defeated her primary opponent Suraj Patel after a nerve-wracking six weeks , during which more than 65,000 mail-in ballots flooded the local Board of Elections from the three-borough district — once home to Trump — because of the coronavirus .
Patel has not conceded the race , as he pushes for more mail-in votes to be counted .
In briefings last week , Trump called the primary a “ disaster ” and at one point called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you probably have to take the Carolyn Maloney race and run it over again , ” Trump told reporters .
“ They are six weeks into it now and they have no clue what ’ s going on , and I think I can say right here and now , you have to rerun that race because it ’ s a mess.
” Patel on Monday tweeted that he ’ s “ angry ” that Trump “ politicizes the post office , undermines vote by mail , and baselessly conflates the mass disenfranchisement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Five states already vote primarily by mail , including Colorado , Hawaii , Oregon , Utah , and Washington .
Trump has repeatedly suggested mail-in voting would be riddled with fraud and that Maloney ’ s race is a sign of things to come in November .
There is no evidence , however , that mail-in voting is more susceptible to fraud .
“ He is undermining the confidence of the election process , ” Maloney told BuzzFeed News .
“ I feel , you know , he ’ s concerned because he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe Biden and he ’ s been trying to undermine confidence in the November election.
” Trump has also suggested the United States Postal Service is unable to handle the avalanche of ballots expected in November .
Democrats expressed those same fears , particularly after Trump campaign donor Postmaster General Louis DeJoy announced he ’ d make operational changes to the agency before the November election .
The reorganization displaces and reassigns nearly three dozen agency executives , according to a company memo .
The restructuring reportedly gives DeJoy more power .
Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Service 's budget and have looked to boost it in the next possible coronavirus aid package .
“ We do need to be helping the post office — not cutting funds , underfunding them , and making major changes to it , ” Maloney said .
“ We need the post office in top form for the November election.
” Maloney said she ’ s spoken to local postal representatives and confirmed that during her race , postal service employees worked late into the night and were paid overtime .
On Aug. 7 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other lawmakers wrote a letter to the inspector general of the Postal Service expressing their concerns about DeJoy ’ s operational changes , including denying overtime and cutting hours at certain post offices .
DeJoy is expected to appear before the House Oversight Committee on Sept. 17 .
In the meantime , Maloney told BuzzFeed News she ’ ll be holding roundtables on the issue as well as touring processing plants during the House ’ s month-long in-district period .
Trump will , however , continue to hold his briefings .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was one of the leaders in the impeachment process , ” Maloney told BuzzFeed News .
“ I think he considers himself above the law since the GOP refused to remove him from office .
”

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s former representative in Congress wants him to stop talking about her contested primary race as evidence of mail-in voting struggles and instead focus on the upcoming November election.
“He needs to stop talking about my race and fix the post office,” Rep. Carolyn Maloney told BuzzFeed News during a phone interview.
Maloney, who represents New York’s 12th Congressional District, says the president is using her election to erode voters' confidence in the electoral process. Trump has repeatedly referenced her race during his regular White House coronavirus briefings, telling reporters on Monday to “take a look at the Carolyn Maloney race."
Maloney narrowly defeated her primary opponent Suraj Patel after a nerve-wracking six weeks, during which more than 65,000 mail-in ballots flooded the local Board of Elections from the three-borough district — once home to Trump — because of the coronavirus. Patel has not conceded the race, as he pushes for more mail-in votes to be counted.
In briefings last week, Trump called the primary a “disaster” and at one point called for a recount.
“I think you probably have to take the Carolyn Maloney race and run it over again,” Trump told reporters. “They are six weeks into it now and they have no clue what’s going on, and I think I can say right here and now, you have to rerun that race because it’s a mess.”
Patel on Monday tweeted that he’s “angry” that Trump “politicizes the post office, undermines vote by mail, and baselessly conflates the mass disenfranchisement in our race with voter fraud.”
Five states already vote primarily by mail, including Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. Trump has repeatedly suggested mail-in voting would be riddled with fraud and that Maloney’s race is a sign of things to come in November. There is no evidence, however, that mail-in voting is more susceptible to fraud.
“He is undermining the confidence of the election process,” Maloney told BuzzFeed News. “I feel, you know, he’s concerned because he’s losing in the polls to Joe Biden and he’s been trying to undermine confidence in the November election.”
Trump has also suggested the United States Postal Service is unable to handle the avalanche of ballots expected in November.
Democrats expressed those same fears, particularly after Trump campaign donor Postmaster General Louis DeJoy announced he’d make operational changes to the agency before the November election. The reorganization displaces and reassigns nearly three dozen agency executives, according to a company memo. The restructuring reportedly gives DeJoy more power. Democrats are also broadly concerned with the Postal Service's budget and have looked to boost it in the next possible coronavirus aid package.
“We do need to be helping the post office — not cutting funds, underfunding them, and making major changes to it,” Maloney said. “We need the post office in top form for the November election.” Maloney said she’s spoken to local postal representatives and confirmed that during her race, Postal Service employees worked late into the night and were paid overtime.
On Aug. 7, Maloney, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and other lawmakers wrote a letter to the inspector general of the Postal Service expressing their concerns about DeJoy’s operational changes, including denying overtime and cutting hours at certain post offices.
DeJoy is expected to appear before the House Oversight Committee on Sept. 17. In the meantime, Maloney told BuzzFeed News she’ll be holding roundtables on the issue as well as touring processing plants during the House’s month-long in-district period.
Trump will, however, continue to hold his briefings.
“I think that he is angry that I was one of the leaders in the impeachment process,” Maloney told BuzzFeed News. “I think he considers himself above the law since the GOP refused to remove him from office.”


buzzfeed--2020-08-11--An Elite Group Of Scientists Tried To Warn Trump Against Lockdowns In March

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

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


buzzfeed--2020-08-12--People Are Sharing The Worst Sex Advice They Got In School, And It's Horrifying

`` Did anyone else get the tape thing ?
My teacher took two pieces of tape and stuck them to @ @ @ @ @ then peel them off and re-stick them to her sleeves getting the back side of @ @ @ @ @ time .
She said that the pieces of tape were people and every time she @ @ @ @ @ it represented them having sex with a different person .
Eventually when she put them @ @ @ @ @ very well from all shirt fibers and this meant they were so emotionally disconnected they @ @ @ @ @ bond .
So do n't have sex or you 'll be a broken shell of @ @ @ @ @ . ''

11.
"Did anyone else get the tape thing? My teacher took two pieces of tape and stuck them to her sleeves. She would then peel them off and re-stick them to her sleeves, getting the back side of the tape more linty each time. She said that the pieces of tape were people, and every time she put them on her sleeve, it represented them having sex with a different person. Eventually, when she put them together, they didn't stick very well from all of the shirt fibers, and this meant they were so emotionally disconnected that they couldn't form a lasting bond. So don't have sex or you'll be a broken shell of a person unable to love."


buzzfeed--2020-08-12--Fans Feared LaKeith Stanfield Was Thinking Of Harming Himself, But He Confirmed He's "Ok"

Just got confirmation Lakeith is okay .
Sorry if I overreacted .
Okay getting off Twitter for awhile .
Text @ @ @ @ @ ’ t texted or DM ’ ed in awhile and tell them a cool memory @ @ @ @ @ Good night .

Just got confirmation Lakeith is okay. Sorry if I overreacted. Okay getting off Twitter for awhile. Text or DM someone you haven’t texted or DM’ed in awhile and tell them a cool memory you have about them. Good night.


buzzfeed--2020-08-12--Ilhan Omar Won A Bitter Primary To Keep Her Seat In Congress

Ilhan Omar beat back a well-funded primary challenger on Tuesday in Minneapolis , virtually guaranteeing a second term in Congress .
Antone Melton-Meaux had raised millions of dollars for a campaign fueled in large part by dislike of Omar , one of first Muslim women in Congress and a member of the so-called “ Squad ” of Democratic women of color .
In her first two years in Congress , Omar was accused of anti-Semitic comments and campaign finance irregularities , and had also been the target of racist attacks from conservatives .
Two other members of the Squad , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also won high-profile primaries — both by significant margins .
But in Minneapolis , Omar ’ s race had appeared to tighten significantly : She lost the endorsement of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune , her district ’ s major newspaper , and spent money on ads attacking Melton-Meaux .
In recent months , she was out-raised by Melton-Meaux , whose average donation in June was over $ 600 .
Omar ’ s campaign had emphasized her progressive credentials in Congress — an important factor in her district in Minneapolis , one of the deepest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ No one has ever been in Congress who represents as many of the marginalized identities that I represent in one body , and who has been a first in the ways that I ’ ve been a first , ” she told BuzzFeed News in a recent interview .
“ To be the only member in Congress that comes from a country that is currently on the president ’ s Muslim ban — I did not expect there to be a red carpet welcome situation.
” Her re-election slogan , “ Send Her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the racist remarks by President Donald Trump , who said he believed she and other members of the Squad should “ go back ” to where they came from .

Ilhan Omar beat back a well-funded primary challenger on Tuesday in Minneapolis by a comfortable margin, virtually guaranteeing a second term in Congress.
Antone Melton-Meaux had raised millions of dollars for a campaign fueled in large part by dislike of Omar, one of the first Muslim women in Congress and a member of the so-called Squad of Democratic women of color. In her first two years in Congress, Omar was accused of anti-Semitic comments and campaign finance irregularities, and had also been the target of racist attacks from conservatives.
Two other members of the Squad, Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib, also won high-profile primaries — both by significant margins.
But in Minneapolis, Omar’s race had appeared to tighten significantly: She lost the endorsement of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, her district’s major newspaper, and spent money on ads attacking Melton-Meaux. In recent months, she was out-raised by Melton-Meaux, whose average donation in June was over $600.
Votes are still being counted in Minnesota, but Omar is on track to join Tlaib and Ocasio-Cortez with a large win.
Omar’s campaign had emphasized her progressive credentials in Congress — an important factor in her district in Minneapolis, one of the deepest blue areas in the country.
“No one has ever been in Congress who represents as many of the marginalized identities that I represent in one body, and who has been a first in the ways that I’ve been a first,” she told BuzzFeed News in a recent interview.
“To be the only member in Congress that comes from a country that is currently on the president’s Muslim ban — I did not expect there to be a red carpet welcome situation.”
Her reelection slogan, “Send Her Back — to Congress,” evoked the racist remarks by President Donald Trump, who said he believed she and other members of the Squad should “go back” to where they came from.


buzzfeed--2020-08-12--Maya Rudolph Is Excited To Return To "SNL," So Here Are Her Best Kamala Harris Sketches

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly , she explained that while traveling to and from NYC during a pandemic was @ @ @ @ @ plan , she 'll take any excuse she can get to be back on the @ @ @ @ @ to say , `` ...
I ca n't believe that I got to work there @ @ @ @ @ believe that it 's my family still . ''

2020 might be feeling like a never-ending dumpster fire of a year at this point, but if there's anything making it even a liiiiittle but more bearable right now, it's Maya Rudolph being back on SNL . She kills her Kamala Harris impression every 👏🏼single 👏🏼time👏🏼.


buzzfeed--2020-08-13--Jodie Turner-Smith Had A Home Birth Due To "Systemic Racism" In Hospitals, And It Proves Just How Sc

Jodie Turner-Smith Had A Home Birth Due To "Systemic Racism" In Hospitals, And It Proves Just How Scary Being A Black Woman In America Can Be

But with the added stress of the coronavirus outbreak , Jodie and Joshua also had to consider the safest place @ @ @ @ @ to their child .
Considering the restrictions that were recently implemented because of the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ pregnancy-related deaths among Black women in America , the couple agreed to a home birth @

But with the added stress of the coronavirus outbreak, Jodie and Joshua also had to consider the safest place for Jodie to give birth to their child. Considering the restrictions that were recently implemented because of the pandemic and the alarming number of pregnancy-related deaths among Black women in America, the couple agreed to a home birth.


buzzfeed--2020-08-12--I Tried To Revive My Wavy Hair Using Viral TikTok Methods And Here's How It Went

I think after years of heat damage , the texture of my hair has changed and it will take a @ @ @ @ @ , and further experimentation with products to get it to a *WOW* state , but @ @ @ @ @ the very least !
I 'm glad I tried these products and methods and will @ @ @ @ @ in the future .

My fourth attempt was using a brand-new blow-dryer and diffuser with the Shea Moisture line. (Yes, I know I mentioned heat wasn't going to be involved in this journey, but it was on the lowest setting and it was a method most people on TikTok were using, so I had to try it.) My old hair dryer was...ready to retire. I decided that the T3 Cura Luxe hair dryer would be a great replacement. This thing's won seven awards, so I had high expectations.


buzzfeed--2020-08-12--A Video Of Shia LaBeouf Getting Tested For COVID Went Viral Because Of How Wholesome It Is

The nose swab test can be pretty uncomfortable .
Yesterday , I saw a grown man squirm while being tested @ @ @ @ @ having a swab up his nose .
And as someone who 's been tested a @ @ @ @ @ I can say that while it 's not the worst thing , it 's definitely @ @ @ @ @ handled it like a champ .

The nose swab test can be pretty uncomfortable. Yesterday, I saw a grown man squirm while being tested because he couldn't stand having a swab up his nose. And as someone who's been tested a couple of times already, I can say that while it's not the worst thing, it's definitely not great. But Shia handled it like a champ.


buzzfeed--2020-08-13--Kamala Harris’s Friendship With Joe Biden’s Late Son Was Central To Their First Joint Event

Joe Biden listens to Kamala Harris speak during their first press conference together in Wilmington , Delaware , on Aug. 12 .
WILMINGTON — As they appeared together for the first time as a Democratic presidential ticket , it was hard to miss what had drawn Joe Biden to choose Kamala Harris as his running mate .
In a word , it was Beau .
In her speech Wednesday , Harris previewed what she is likely to bring to Biden ’ s campaign : an impressive résumé , a sharp-tongued prosecution of President Donald Trump , and the symbolism of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Democrats ’ most loyal voters .
But it was the talk of Beau , Biden ’ s late son and a longtime friend and ally of Harris ’ s , that made clear to Americans why — after a search that spanned the country and women from all levels of government — Biden had ultimately chosen Harris to stand by his side .
“ I know how much Beau respected Kamala and her work , ” Biden said as he introduced Harris .
“ And that mattered a lot to me , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I made this decision.
” Biden grew visibly emotional as he listened to Harris speak about Beau , who served as Delaware ’ s attorney general when Harris was the attorney general in California .
“ I learned quickly that Beau was the kind of guy who inspired people to be a better version of themselves , ” Harris said .
“ He really was the best of us .
And when I would ask him , ‘ Where ’ d you get that , where ’ d this come from ?
’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden and Harris did not hug , or even touch , as they appeared together Wednesday .
But Biden spoke of a connection that was virtually unique among the many women he has weighed for the vice presidential spot in recent months .
Biden called Harris and her husband , Doug Emhoff , “ honorary Bidens.
” As a woman of color and the daughter of immigrants , Harris , to Biden , also represents future generations of the Democratic Party — a fact that has significant weight given Biden ’ s age @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden mentioned about Harris Wednesday : “ She is ready to lead on day one.
” Biden ’ s speech introducing Harris also leaned into the historic nature of his choice — Harris would be the country ’ s first woman vice president , and is the first Black or South Asian woman to appear on a major party ’ s presidential ticket .
“ And this morning , all across the nation , little girls woke up — especially little Black and brown girls , who so often feel overlooked and undervalued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ today just maybe they ’ re seeing themselves for the first time in a new way , as the stuff of presidents and vice presidents , ” said Biden .
Outside the Wilmington high school where they appeared , a small crowd gathered despite the rain .
There was a handmade sign that read “ Representation Matters , ” a T-shirt from Howard University , Harris ’ s alma mater , and at least three members of Alpha Kappa Alpha , the historically black sorority Harris joined , clad in green and pink @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been welcomed into a large rally celebrating the vice presidential pick .
In the age of the coronavirus pandemic , the crowd caught a fleeting glimpse of Biden and Harris before they were swept into the gym , where a small number of reporters in masks sat in circles marked off on the floor .
Denton Davidson stood out in the rain to try to spot Harris and Biden , wearing a shirt that read “ Jamaica ” and a Black Lives Matter mask .
“ I ’ m an immigrant , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me .
I just wanted to be counted , ” Davidson said .
“ I have to show up .
I ’ ve got two daughters .
I wanted to be present , because women , to me , have never been represented.
” Beatrice Harris , who stood outside Monday in a shirt from Alpha Kappa Alpha , said Biden ’ s choice of Harris confirmed what she has long known about the former vice president .
“ I always felt like he ’ s someone that listens , ” she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talker , and he needs someone around him that straight-talks , too .
”

WILMINGTON — As they appeared together for the first time as a Democratic presidential ticket, it was hard to miss what had drawn Joe Biden to choose Kamala Harris as his running mate. In a word, it was Beau.
In her speech Wednesday, Harris previewed what she is likely to bring to Biden’s campaign: an impressive résumé, a sharp-tongued prosecution of President Donald Trump, and the symbolism of a historic candidacy that looks much like the Democrats’ most loyal voters.
But it was the talk of Beau, Biden’s late son and a longtime friend and ally of Harris’s, that made clear to Americans why — after a search that spanned the country and women from all levels of government — Biden had ultimately chosen Harris to stand by his side.
“I know how much Beau respected Kamala and her work,” Biden said as he introduced Harris. “And that mattered a lot to me, to be honest with you, as I made this decision.”
Biden grew visibly emotional as he listened to Harris speak about Beau, who served as Delaware’s attorney general when Harris was the attorney general in California.
“I learned quickly that Beau was the kind of guy who inspired people to be a better version of themselves,” Harris said. “He really was the best of us. And when I would ask him, ‘Where’d you get that, where’d this come from?’ he always talked about his dad.”
Biden and Harris did not hug, or even touch, as they appeared together Wednesday. But Biden spoke of a connection that was virtually unique among the many women he has weighed for the vice presidential spot in recent months. Biden called Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, “honorary Bidens.”
As a woman of color and the daughter of immigrants, Harris, to Biden, also represents future generations of the Democratic Party — a fact that has significant weight given Biden’s age, 77. Among the first things Biden mentioned about Harris Wednesday: “She is ready to lead on day one.”
Biden’s speech introducing Harris also leaned into the historic nature of his choice — Harris would be the country’s first woman vice president, and is the first Black or South Asian woman to appear on a major party’s presidential ticket.
“And this morning, all across the nation, little girls woke up — especially little Black and brown girls, who so often feel overlooked and undervalued in their communities — but today, today just maybe they’re seeing themselves for the first time in a new way, as the stuff of presidents and vice presidents,” said Biden.
Outside the Wilmington high school where they appeared, a small crowd gathered despite the rain. There was a handmade sign that read “Representation Matters,” a T-shirt from Howard University, Harris’s alma mater, and at least three members of Alpha Kappa Alpha, the historically black sorority Harris joined, clad in green and pink.
In another year, they might have been welcomed into a large rally celebrating the vice presidential pick. In the age of the coronavirus pandemic, the crowd caught a fleeting glimpse of Biden and Harris before they were swept into the gym, where a small number of reporters in masks sat in circles marked off on the floor.
Denton Davidson stood out in the rain to try to spot Harris and Biden, wearing a shirt that read “Jamaica” and a Black Lives Matter mask.
“I’m an immigrant, and this is a big deal for me. I just wanted to be counted,” Davidson said. “I have to show up. I’ve got two daughters. I wanted to be present, because women, to me, have never been represented.”
Beatrice Harris, who stood outside Monday in a shirt from Alpha Kappa Alpha, said Biden’s choice of Harris confirmed what she has long known about the former vice president.
“I always felt like he’s someone that listens,” she said. “He’s a straight talker, and he needs someone around him that straight-talks, too.”


buzzfeed--2020-08-12--Dinesh D’Souza’s Attacks On Kamala Harris Are Part Of A Bigger Problem In The Indian Community

D ’ Souza is an immigrant from Mumbai but raised Catholic , who has seemingly spent his entire life trying to outrun his own heritage and his outsider-status anxiety , desperate to fit in even at the expense of his own community , or of communities with even less privilege than upwardly mobile , middle-class , America-bound Indians .
His entire career has been built on boot-licking white conservatives , as if that ’ ll give him some protection as a brown immigrant living in America .
I guess , to some degree , this has worked — in 2018 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he pleaded guilty to using straw donors , illegally , to contribute to a Republican Senate candidate in 2014 .
I have known so many Indians like D ’ Souza in my life .
They ’ re in my family , despite my best efforts to have them excommunicated .
They pronounce their first names as anglicized as possible — Din-esh instead of Dhin-eish , trust me , I notice the difference , and I make fun of you — to , I can only assume , make white people comfortable .
Maybe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Janata Party , or the BJP , if they ’ re living in India , and say things like , “ Well , I ’ m polite to Muslims , I just wouldn ’ t want to befriend one.
” There are many legitimate critiques to make of Kamala Harris , especially now that she ’ s the Democratic vice presidential pick .
You can criticize her for being too much of a centrist while young Democratic voters are looking for more progressive representation .
You can go after her for being a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t align with more progressive abolitionist views of the police .
But going after her Blackness , and arguing that she isn ’ t actually Black because some of her ancestors might have been slave owners — as is true for many Black Americans , something beyond their control — is hardly relevant .
It ’ s hard to deny that D ’ Souza has built his career off making ad hominem attacks against Black people .
As a brown man in the media , D ’ Souza gets more cover than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s as if he ’ s saying , Me , a racist ?
That ’ s unpossible !
I ’ m an ethnic !
D ’ Souza ’ s latest round of comments may also be some of his dumbest .
Last week he went on Twitter to , again , defend Donald Trump when the president pronounced Thailand as “ Thighland.
” “ ‘ Thighland , ’ not ‘ Tai-land , ’ is how English speakers around the world say it , ” tweeted D ’ Souza , which is too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yesterday , he hopped over to Fox News to argue that Kamala Harris shouldn ’ t be considered “ African American ” because she ’ s related to “ one of the largest slave owners in Jamaica.
” If you ’ re not versed in D ’ Souza ’ s oeuvre , you ’ re very lucky .
Originally from Mumbai , he ’ s a right-wing commentator perhaps best known for his yearslong hard-on for attacking Barack Obama , first in 2010 with his book The Roots of Obama ’ s Rage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ documentary based on the book .
He ’ s also released a few other documentaries including Hillary ’ s America ( which is an extended argument against the Democratic Party ) and Death of a Nation , which features white nationalist Richard Spencer , and compares Trump to Abraham Lincoln and Democrats to fascists .
Whenever white people do something terrible — I could give you an example or you could just Google “ Karen ” and save me the trouble — I often joke to my white friends that they have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given conservative political commentator Dinesh D ’ Souza ’ s recent statements defending the president and attacking Kamala Harris , I must accept my burden , and collect this idiot .
Fox News has D ’ Souza on its shows regularly , perhaps because he offers the network some leeway .
Ben Shapiro , with his do-you-have-a-hall-pass-to-go-to-the-bathroom voice , likely can ’ t cast aspersions on Harris ’ s ethnic background without getting some well-earned criticism for it .
( It ’ s the same reason why Shapiro won ’ t just say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his chest and instead reads the lyrics to “ WAP ” like he ’ s allergic to them , which I assume he is , since he is the alleged president and treasurer of the DAP Society . )
But D ’ Souza can appear on The Ingraham Angle like a Trojan horse , his Indian name , his namaskar , Dinesh Uncle-Ji hair , and his dark — oop , but not too dark — skin , and spout off racist arguments against a Black politician .
It ’ s a symbiotic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the last few months have been a good time for all non-Black people to reflect on how we participate in the oppression of Black people .
Indians , in particular , have a unique responsibility here — we have privilege not in spite of how Black people are treated around the world , but because of that treatment .
My father , the other day , called me and mentioned I should keep a Gandhi portrait in my home .
I gently ( or as gently as the Kouls get , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scraper being dragged across concrete ) reminded him that Gandhi , too , was a racist .
Gandhi said Black people are “ troublesome , very dirty and live like animals.
” He believed in the “ purity of races ” and thought white people should be the “ predominating race ” in South Africa in the early 1900s .
Just like white people , Indians have also been steeped in anti-Blackness from early on in our history , even in moments when we , too , were being oppressed .
D ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ subtlety and no guile .
His language around Black people is something just about every Indian has heard from their own family .
The difference , of course , is my racist cousin isn ’ t on television and doesn ’ t write books .
I ’ m not even friends with him on Facebook anymore .
That ’ s growth , kids .
There ’ s a long tradition of Indians being racist against Black people , and the logic is clear : If Black people remain one of — if not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America , then Indians are given a slightly elevated pedestal .
If we act like the model minority white people want us to be , then we can thrive .
D ’ Souza , I ’ m guessing , is just fine getting privilege at the cost of Black people ’ s dignity .
White people get away with anti-Black racism enough as it is , but anti-Blackness takes an even more pernicious tone with D ’ Souza because he ’ s using his Indianness to get away with even more .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point out anti-Blackness wherever they see it , but as Harris becomes more and more prominent in this election cycle , it ’ s essential for Indian people to point it out in our own community , loudly and often , too .
Harris is a Black woman , but she ’ s also an Indian woman , and her right to live in both of those identities should be protected .
It ’ s our duty to point out those within Indian communities — even if we don ’ t really want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — who use anti-Blackness as a way to prop themselves up .
It ’ s our responsibility to stay vigilant in how we criticize D ’ Souza , his toxic rhetoric that ’ s nothing more than misdirection during an already fraught election cycle .
He isn ’ t better than a white man saying the same thing — in fact , he might be worse .
I suspect that on some level , he knows what it ’ s like to have your life made smaller because of racism , discrimination , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white people in 2020 , and no passes for anti-Black Indian people either .
D ’ Souza , I ’ m sure , can continue going on Fox News to keep upping the ante on what ’ s acceptable speech , but at the very least , I can do what so many of my fellow Indians have done for me when I did something wrong : Yell far and wide about my failures , so that every aunty in the world knew my shame .

Fox News has D’Souza on its shows regularly, perhaps because he offers the network some leeway. Ben Shapiro, with his do-you-have-a-hall-pass-to-go-to-the-bathroom voice, likely can’t cast aspersions on Harris’s ethnic background without getting some well-earned criticism for it. (It’s the same reason why Shapiro won’t just say that he resents Black female sexuality with his chest and instead reads the lyrics to “WAP” like he’s allergic to them, which I assume he is, since he is the alleged president and treasurer of the DAP Society.)
But D’Souza can appear on The Ingraham Angle like a Trojan horse, his Indian name, his namaskar, Dinesh Uncle-Ji hair, and his dark — oop, but not too dark — skin, and spout off racist arguments against a Black politician. It’s a symbiotic relationship.
The Black Lives Matter protests in the last few months have been a good time for all non-Black people to reflect on how we participate in the oppression of Black people. Indians, in particular, have a unique responsibility here — we have privilege not in spite of how Black people are treated around the world, but because of that treatment. My father, the other day, called me and mentioned I should keep a Gandhi portrait in my home. I gently (or as gently as the Kouls get, which is about as gentle as an ice scraper being dragged across concrete) reminded him that Gandhi, too, was a racist. Gandhi said Black people are “troublesome, very dirty and live like animals.” He believed in the “purity of races” and thought white people should be the “predominating race” in South Africa in the early 1900s.
Just like white people, Indians have also been steeped in anti-Blackness from early on in our history, even in moments when we, too, were being oppressed. D’Souza continues this long-held tradition with no subtlety and no guile. His language around Black people is something just about every Indian has heard from their own family. The difference, of course, is my racist cousin isn’t on television and doesn’t write books. I’m not even friends with him on Facebook anymore. That’s growth, kids.
There’s a long tradition of Indians being racist against Black people, and the logic is clear: If Black people remain one of — if not the — most oppressed groups in North America, then Indians are given a slightly elevated pedestal. If we act like the model minority white people want us to be, then we can thrive. D’Souza, I’m guessing, is just fine getting privilege at the cost of Black people’s dignity.
White people get away with anti-Black racism enough as it is, but anti-Blackness takes an even more pernicious tone with D’Souza because he’s using his Indianness to get away with even more. It’s important for white people to point out anti-Blackness wherever they see it, but as Harris becomes more and more prominent in this election cycle, it’s essential for Indian people to point it out in our own community, loudly and often, too. Harris is a Black woman, but she’s also an Indian woman, and her right to live in both of those identities should be protected.
It’s our duty to point out those within Indian communities — even if we don’t really want them in our community, hare raaaaaaam — who use anti-Blackness as a way to prop themselves up. It’s our responsibility to stay vigilant in how we criticize D’Souza, his toxic rhetoric that’s nothing more than misdirection during an already fraught election cycle. He isn’t better than a white man saying the same thing — in fact, he might be worse. I suspect that on some level, he knows what it’s like to have your life made smaller because of racism, discrimination, and bias.
No passes for anti-Black white people in 2020, and no passes for anti-Black Indian people either. D’Souza, I’m sure, can continue going on Fox News to keep upping the ante on what’s acceptable speech, but at the very least, I can do what so many of my fellow Indians have done for me when I did something wrong: Yell far and wide about my failures, so that every aunty in the world knew my shame.


buzzfeed--2020-08-12--What The Kamala Harris Pick Means To The Black Women Who Lead The Democratic Party

“ You do not understand how much this means for us , ” a longtime Democratic official said of Biden picking Kamala Harris as his running mate .
At 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday , Yolanda Caraway was sitting at her desk , smiling as the notifications lit up faster than she could read them .
“ ‘ This is the first thing that ’ s lifting my mood in four months.
’ ‘ So excited I can ’ t stand it !
’ ‘ Howard University all the way.
’ ‘ ’ Kamala !
Kamala !
!
Kamala !
!
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the other , many from Black political leaders who , just like Caraway , have seen the Democratic Party through decades of change and transformation , but were left breathless and elated by Tuesday ’ s news .
“ You do not understand how much this means for us , ” she said that night .
“ The emails are still coming.
” Karen Carter Peterson ’ s phone was blowing up , too .
The first thing she did was tap out a text to her family group chat .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ siblings on the thread — but it was a message of gratitude , she said , sent especially for her mother .
“ Happy to celebrate this with my Mom who sacrificed so much for my education at @ HowardU and my public service , ” wrote Carter Peterson , a Democratic Party officer and the departing chair of the Louisiana state party .
“ Heartfelt gratitude to all who helped us get to this moment.
” Minyon Moore was at the dining room table she uses as a desk when the call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with that for a minute .
I just sat there .
And then I found , out of nowhere , just tears coming down — like they are now , ” she said in a phone call on Tuesday night , before ticking off the names that came next to mind .
“ I thought about Betty Shabazz .
I thought about Coretta Scott King .
I thought about Maya Angelou .
I thought about Dorothy Height .
And I thought about everything that they have poured into us.
” Moore , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Caraway and others , helped pave the way for Black women to become the institutional backbone of the Democratic Party , laughed as she came to the end of her list .
“ And then it took Joe Biden to say , ‘ It ’ s time to come out from the shadows.
’ To say , ‘ I see you.
’ He saw her .
He saw her qualifications despite all the negative stuff that was being thrown at her , ” Moore said .
“ He made history , but I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ history he has made.
” The countless texts and emails and video calls that flew back and forth on Tuesday night , connecting Black women across the Democratic Party in the middle of both a pandemic and a time of deep pain and anger over racism and police violence in America , reflect the emotional weight and release of Joe Biden ’ s selection of the first Black woman on the presidential ticket for any major party , Sen. Kamala Harris .
Harris , a 55-year-old former attorney general of California , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a graduate of the leading historically Black college Howard University , will make history for both Black women and people of South Asian descent when her name appears as the Democratic vice presidential nominee on ballots this fall .
For the operatives , candidates , and activists who see something of themselves in a person like Harris , Tuesday hit as something more personal and communal — almost familial — than a piece of political news .
One of the first people that Moore called was Leah Daughtry , another longtime official @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ’ 80s .
“ And then we were crying together , ” said Daughtry .
When she hung up the phone , she sat alone in her office — “ and I wept , ” Daughtry said , thinking of her grandmother , raised in the segregated South ; thinking of her own role in the party — “ opening doors , making room at the table , ‘ bringing a folding chair , ’ as Shirley Chisholm would say ” — and of “ all the threads of my life wound @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woman on the ticket , it 's an amazing moment.
” Harris ’ s presidential campaign last year leaned into that history : Her bright yellow , red , and blue logo evoked the political buttons worn by Chisholm in her 1972 presidential run , and on the campaign trail , she spoke regularly of her parents , who met in the civil rights movement in Oakland .
But she also struggled to make inroads with Black voters , including Black women .
After her campaign zeroed in initially on South Carolina , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she pivoted to mostly white Iowa .
In March , Harris spoke about the challenges of running as a Black woman , especially with a mostly white press corps who , she said , treated her differently than white candidates and could miss things like the significance of a Black institution like Alpha Kappa Alpha , the historically Black sorority Harris joined at Howard .
“ If you don ’ t notice the shine in the little Black girl ’ s eyes because you don ’ t look in their eyes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about that , ” she said this spring .
By then , the historically diverse slate of presidential candidates in the Democratic primary had winnowed to two white men in their late seventies , Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders — a moment of reckoning for some Democrats .
Across the country , though , a historic number of Black women are now running for office in 2020 : more than 120 , according to an estimate by the Center for American Women and Politics .
In her 5-year-old daughter ’ s room , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gubernatorial candidate in Virginia , jumped to her feet when she heard the news about Harris , shouting , “ Yes !
” Immediately , McClellan picked up the phone and made calls : first to Carter Peterson , who also serves as a vice chair of the Democratic National Committee , then to Shavonda Sumter , a state legislator in New Jersey , followed by texts to Ramesh Akbari , a legislator in Tennessee .
When she first heard Biden ’ s decision , McClellan said , she tried not to cry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spoke about it later : “ It ’ s just — I ’ m just proud .
I ’ m just very proud.
” Pam Keith , a Florida Democrat running for a House seat , was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha in the same generation as Harris .
On Tuesday , Keith ’ s group text buzzed with her sisters in AKA , including some who had not been active in the sorority in years .
Keith felt “ massively giddy ” with excitement .
But she also felt relief .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a Black woman , in politics , in leadership , in authority , you ’ re not quite the right kind of Black woman , ” Keith said — something , she noted , that never happens to white men .
“ To see Kamala having gone through the presidential primary and taken so many slings and arrows and insults for being the wrong kind of Black woman — to see someone with the visibility and respect and power of Joe Biden say , ‘ No , Kamala is exactly the right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s herself , and that ’ s exactly right.
’ That ’ s a kind of validation that we seldom get when we walk this path .
And that ’ s really relieving .
And giddy .
Just , massively giddy.
” Many of the Democratic operatives interviewed for this article were part of an early and coordinated push by Black women to influence Biden ’ s search and defend the top contenders through the vetting process .
Harris was one of about six Black women under consideration for the job , alongside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California Rep. Karen Bass , Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms , Florida Rep. Val Demings , and former national security adviser Susan Rice .
The women faced a barrage of opposition research and , at points , blatant racism and sexism .
Last week , more than 100 Black women leaders organized an open letter pushing back against depictions of the possible vice presidential nominees as too “ ambitious ” or lacking “ remorse.
” One comment , a Facebook post from a small-town mayor in Virginia who referred to Biden ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” was the “ straw that broke the camel ’ s back , ” said Caraway , the longtime political operative who served as a DNC member for about two decades .
“ No matter who you are supporting for vice president , ” the open letter read , “ you should be equally outraged by the blatant disrespect of Black women.
” “ We came together as a group and made a stand , ” said Moore .
“ When you have a mayor that is calling you ‘ Aunt Jemima , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go idly by .
The thing that I regret the most is that we did not stand up for Hillary .
We voted for her .
But we did not stand up.
” Earlier this spring , a group of Black women met virtually with Biden and his staff to express the importance of representation on the ticket .
About a month ago , a smaller group including Daughtry and Moore met again with Biden ’ s vice presidential search committee — this time to express their preference specifically for Harris , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
( Moore and Daughtry declined to comment on the details of their talks with the committee . )
In interviews on Tuesday night , Black women described Harris ’ s nomination as a marker affixed between past and future .
They sent around old videos of Shirley Chisholm , and they quoted Maya Angelou : “ Each time a woman stands up for herself , without knowing it possibly , without claiming it , she stands up for all women.
” For many , these were messages intended for the next generation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , she told one of the only young women in her family , a 3-year-old niece named Lauren Joy , that she was spending her days and nights working to get a Black woman on the ticket , “ so that next year she will grow up only ever knowing a vice president to be a Black woman.
” Donna Brazile , a longtime Democratic party official who has twice served as interim chair of the DNC , got the news early , and placed a call in secret to a young @ @ @ @ @ @ @ special assistant in Harris ’ s Senate office who also served as the former student body president at her alma mater , Howard University , class of 2019 .
“ When I told him she had been selected , and that he had to keep it quiet , he just cried , ” Brazile said in an interview .
“ And for me , that summed up what this moment has been.
” Brazile , Daughtry , Caraway , and Moore entered Democratic politics in the 1980s , a time that ushered in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential campaigns and Ron Brown ’ s tenure as the first Black chair of the DNC , and helped cement Black women both the party ’ s longest-serving stewards and most loyal voting bloc every four years .
Caraway said she remembers meeting Harris as a young college student at Howard University , when her roommate was a volunteer on Walter Mondale ’ s 1984 presidential campaign .
“ I was like a big sister to her , ” Caraway said on Tuesday .
They also know well the singular challenge that Harris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the burden of so many firsts on her back while running against a president who has frequently demeaned his opponents with racist and sexist attacks .
In his first comments about Biden ’ s new vice presidential nominee on Tuesday night , President Trump repeatedly referred to Harris as “ nasty , ” a word he ’ s frequently used for years to describe women with whom he is in conflict .
“ Historically , the attacks on women , and particularly Black women , are well-documented , ” said Joyce Elliott @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seat in Arkansas .
“ I ’ ve felt that pain myself .
But I ’ ve tried to channel it , and hoped that that ’ s going to be helpful to move the needle for women that come after me.
” Keith , the House candidate in Florida , said she knows the likelihood that Harris will be subject to attacks rooted in sexism and misogyny .
But she ’ s not worried .
“ It ’ s nothing she hasn ’ t dealt with before , ” said Keith .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ has got an army of the most ferocious Black women backing her .
The people who are going to come at her with their kitchen knives ain ’ t got nothing on us.
” ●

At 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Yolanda Caraway was sitting at her desk, smiling as the notifications lit up faster than she could read them. “‘This is the first thing that’s lifting my mood in four months.’ ‘So excited I can’t stand it!’ ‘Howard University all the way.’ ‘’Kamala! Kamala!! Kamala!!!’”
The emails came one after the other, many from Black political leaders who, just like Caraway, have seen the Democratic Party through decades of change and transformation, but were left breathless and elated by Tuesday’s news. “You do not understand how much this means for us,” she said that night. “The emails are still coming.”
Karen Carter Peterson’s phone was blowing up, too. The first thing she did was tap out a text to her family group chat. There were aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings on the thread — but it was a message of gratitude, she said, sent especially for her mother. “Happy to celebrate this with my Mom who sacrificed so much for my education at @HowardU and my public service,” wrote Carter Peterson, a Democratic Party officer and the departing chair of the Louisiana state party. “Heartfelt gratitude to all who helped us get to this moment.”
Minyon Moore was at the dining room table she uses as a desk when the call came. “And I just sat with that for a minute. I just sat there. And then I found, out of nowhere, just tears coming down — like they are now,” she said in a phone call on Tuesday night, before ticking off the names that came next to mind. “I thought about Betty Shabazz. I thought about Coretta Scott King. I thought about Maya Angelou. I thought about Dorothy Height. And I thought about everything that they have poured into us.”
Moore, a 62-year-old veteran political operative who, alongside Caraway and others, helped pave the way for Black women to become the institutional backbone of the Democratic Party, laughed as she came to the end of her list. “And then it took Joe Biden to say, ‘It’s time to come out from the shadows.’ To say, ‘I see you.’ He saw her. He saw her qualifications despite all the negative stuff that was being thrown at her,” Moore said. “He made history, but I think he will never know how much history he has made.”
The countless texts and emails and video calls that flew back and forth on Tuesday night, connecting Black women across the Democratic Party in the middle of both a pandemic and a time of deep pain and anger over racism and police violence in America, reflect the emotional weight and release of Joe Biden’s selection of the first Black woman on the presidential ticket for any major party, Sen. Kamala Harris.
Harris, a 55-year-old former attorney general of California, a daughter of Indian and Jamaican immigrants, and a graduate of the leading historically Black college Howard University, will make history for both Black women and people of South Asian descent when her name appears as the Democratic vice presidential nominee on ballots this fall.
For the operatives, candidates, and activists who see something of themselves in a person like Harris, Tuesday hit as something more personal and communal — almost familial — than a piece of political news.
One of the first people that Moore called was Leah Daughtry, another longtime official who has worked for the party since the ’80s. “And then we were crying together,” said Daughtry. When she hung up the phone, she sat alone in her office — “and I wept,” Daughtry said, thinking of her grandmother, raised in the segregated South; thinking of her own role in the party — “opening doors, making room at the table, ‘bringing a folding chair,’ as Shirley Chisholm would say” — and of “all the threads of my life wound into one, to see this Black woman on the ticket, it's an amazing moment.”


buzzfeed--2020-08-13--Ilhan Omar Won A Bitter Primary To Keep Her Seat In Congress

Ilhan Omar beat back a well-funded primary challenger on Tuesday in Minneapolis by a comfortable margin , virtually guaranteeing a second term in Congress .
Antone Melton-Meaux had raised millions of dollars for a campaign fueled in large part by dislike of Omar , one of the first Muslim women in Congress and a member of the so-called Squad of Democratic women of color .
In her first two years in Congress , Omar was accused of anti-Semitic comments and campaign finance irregularities , and had also been the target of racist attacks from conservatives .
Two other members of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rashida Tlaib , also won high-profile primaries — both by significant margins .
But in Minneapolis , Omar ’ s race had appeared to tighten significantly : She lost the endorsement of the Minneapolis Star Tribune , her district ’ s major newspaper , and spent money on ads attacking Melton-Meaux .
In recent months , she was out-raised by Melton-Meaux , whose average donation in June was over $ 600 .
Votes are still being counted in Minnesota , but Omar is on track to join Tlaib and Ocasio-Cortez with a large @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emphasized her progressive credentials in Congress — an important factor in her district in Minneapolis , one of the deepest blue areas in the country .
“ No one has ever been in Congress who represents as many of the marginalized identities that I represent in one body , and who has been a first in the ways that I ’ ve been a first , ” she told BuzzFeed News in a recent interview .
“ To be the only member in Congress that comes from a country that is currently on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I did not expect there to be a red carpet welcome situation.
” Her reelection slogan , “ Send Her Back — to Congress , ” evoked the racist remarks by President Donald Trump , who said he believed she and other members of the Squad should “ go back ” to where they came from .


buzzfeed--2020-08-12--Trump Keeps Talking About This Race To Discredit Mail-In Voting. The Race’s Winner Has Had Enough.


buzzfeed--2020-08-13--I Tried To Revive My Wavy Hair Using Viral TikTok Methods And Here's How It Went


buzzfeed--2020-08-13--People Are Sharing The Worst Sex Advice They Got In School, And It's Horrifying

`` Did anyone else get the tape thing ?
My teacher took two pieces of tape and stuck them to @ @ @ @ @ then peel them off and re-stick them to her sleeves getting the back side of @ @ @ @ @ time .
She said that the pieces of tape were people and every time she @ @ @ @ @ it represented them having sex with a different person .
Eventually when she put them @ @ @ @ @ stick very well from all shirt fibers and this meant they were so emotionally disconnected @ @ @ @ @ lasting bond .
So do n't have sex or you 'll be a broken shell @ @ @ @ @ love . ''


buzzfeed--2020-08-13--A Video Of Shia LaBeouf Getting Tested For COVID Went Viral Because Of How Wholesome It Is


buzzfeed--2020-08-13--19 Celebrities Who Are Brutally Honest About How Hard Breastfeeding Is

`` [ I ] felt so lucky to be so close to her and give her that start .
I know many women are not able to and for that I am sympathetic and very grateful that I could .
For six wonderful months , '' Hilary wrote on Instagram about breastfeeding her daughter , Banks .
`` But I needed a break .
I was going to break .
With the stress of a dropping milk supply and a baby that was getting bored or not caring about nursing when I was available to , I was sad and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the time .
When really I ’ m a badass rock star ...
I wasn ’ t myself at all .
Something scary was hovering over my brain and my heart ... the part of me that I know is smart and rational .
The lows felt horrible ...
I am happy to say that I haven ’ t fed or pumped in three days and it ’ s crazy how fast you can come out on the other side .
I feel fine and happy and relieved and silly that I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Banks is thriving and I get even more time with her and daddy gets to do more feeds !
And mommy gets a tiny bit more sleep ! ''

For many, the image of breastfeeding is one of total serenity: a glowing mom peacefully feeding her baby with a smile. But, in reality, it's a lot less pretty, at least most of the time, and especially in the beginning. Breastfeeding can be really, really hard — and it doesn't help that the stigma of "breast is best" is still rampant over the thought that "a fed baby is a well-fed baby." So it might be reassuring that even the moms with every resource at their disposal can struggle.


buzzfeed--2020-08-13--Dinesh D’Souza’s Attacks On Kamala Harris Are Part Of A Bigger Problem In The Indian Community


buzzfeed--2020-08-13--What The Kamala Harris Pick Means To The Black Women Who Lead The Democratic Party


buzzfeed--2020-08-14--Women Are Sharing The Most Surprising Things They Didn't Realize About Penises, And It's Hysterical

`` What struck me the most was that it 's just there , dangling away , all day , every @ @ @ @ @ with its ball buddies .
Like how do you not sit on it ?
Is @ @ @ @ @ ?
Is the satisfaction of unsticking it from your thighs worth the discomfort of it @ @ @ @ @ ? ''

4.
"What struck me the most was that it's just there, dangling away, all day, every day, just hanging out with its ball buddies. Like how do you not sit on it? Is it not constantly annoying you? Is the satisfaction of unsticking it from your thighs worth the discomfort of it sticking in the first place?"


buzzfeed--2020-08-13--Kamala Harris Is Eligible To Be Vice President. Some Republicans Are Pretending She Isn't.

The day after presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden announced Kamala Harris as his choice for vice president , Newsweek ran an opinion piece titled “ Some Questions for Kamala Harris About Eligibility , ” in which it falsely claimed that her eligibility was up for debate .
It is n't .
Harris was born in California and is eligible to be president or vice president .
The conspiracy made its way to the White House , where President Donald Trump was asked during Thursday 's press conference about the false claim published in Newsweek .
`` I just heard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she doesn ’ t meet the requirements , '' he said .
`` And by the way , the lawyer that wrote that piece is a very highly qualified , very talented lawyer .
I have no idea if that ’ s right , I would ’ ve assumed the Democrats would ’ ve checked that out before she gets chosen to run for vice president.
” The Newsweek article was widely condemned .
The writer 's tweet promoting the story received 22,000 responses to 6,800 retweets — a spectacular example of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Newsweek 's editors added a note to the bottom of the article claiming sour grapes , saying that the author , John Eastman , had run for the Republican nomination for attorney general in California 10 years ago , losing his bid to Steve Cooley , who in turn lost the race to Harris .
In the opinion piece , Eastman falsely claimed Harris may not be eligible for the vice presidency because `` neither [ of her parents ] was a naturalized U.S. citizen at the time of Harris ' birth .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Oakland in 1964 , which means she was an American citizen at birth and she ’ s qualified to be vice president .
( The outlet also ran another opinion piece accurately saying that Harris was eligible . )
One of the people who tried to forward the false narrative was Jenna Ellis , a Trump campaign legal adviser , who falsely told an ABC reporter on August 13 that Harris ’ s eligibility was “ an open question .
”

The day after presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden announced Kamala Harris as his choice for vice president, Newsweek ran an opinion piece titled “Some Questions for Kamala Harris About Eligibility,” in which it falsely claimed that her eligibility was up for debate.
It isn't. Harris was born in California and is eligible to be president or vice president.
The conspiracy made its way to the White House, where President Donald Trump was asked during Thursday's press conference about the false claim published in Newsweek. "I just heard that, I heard it today that she doesn’t meet the requirements," he said. "And by the way, the lawyer that wrote that piece is a very highly qualified, very talented lawyer. I have no idea if that’s right, I would’ve assumed the Democrats would’ve checked that out before she gets chosen to run for vice president.”
The Newsweek article was widely condemned. The writer's tweet promoting the story received 22,000 responses to 6,800 retweets — a spectacular example of a Twitter ratio. Following the outcry, Newsweek's editors added a note to the bottom of the article claiming sour grapes, saying that the author, John Eastman, had run for the Republican nomination for attorney general in California 10 years ago, losing his bid to Steve Cooley, who in turn lost the race to Harris.
In the opinion piece, Eastman falsely claimed Harris may not be eligible for the vice presidency because "neither [of her parents] was a naturalized U.S. citizen at the time of Harris' birth." In reality, Harris was born in Oakland in 1964, which means she was an American citizen at birth and she’s qualified to be vice president. (The outlet also ran another opinion piece accurately saying that Harris was eligible.)
One of the people who tried to forward the false narrative was Jenna Ellis, a Trump campaign legal adviser, who falsely told an ABC reporter on August 13 that Harris’s eligibility was “an open question.”


buzzfeed--2020-08-13--Congress Has Stopped Negotiating On Coronavirus Aid, As Tens Of Millions Of People Remain Out Of Wor

Congress Has Stopped Negotiating On Coronavirus Aid, As Tens Of Millions Of People Remain Out Of Work

WASHINGTON — The US Senate adjourned for a month Thursday , further signaling there will be no coronavirus relief package passed this summer , nearly three weeks after unemployment benefits expired .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell scheduled the next Senate vote for Tuesday , Sept. 8 .
The House had already recessed for the summer .
If a deal on a coronavirus aid package is reached before then , lawmakers will be given at least 24 hours ' notice to get to Washington to vote .
As things stand , that seems unlikely .
Talks between Democrats and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sides are not currently in active negotiations .
Both parties have presidential conventions in the coming weeks , creating another distraction .
The delay could be catastrophic for millions of Americans .
In March Congress passed the CARES Act extending $ 600-per-week federal unemployment benefits on top of state benefits due to the coronavirus pandemic .
That , along with moratoriums on evictions , prevented a wave of homelessness .
But that benefit expired at the end of July and eviction moratoriums have now lapsed in most states .
About 30 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around 1 million new people applying each week .
The delay also means hundreds of billions of dollars for state and local governments , conducting the election , small businesses , COVID-19 testing , and reopening schools will not be sent out .
A new flashpoint opened up Thursday over funding the United States Postal Service .
Democrats are pushing for $ 25 billion in postal funding and $ 3.5 billion to support mail-in ballots .
In a Fox Business interview Thursday , President Donald Trump seemed to oppose post office funding exactly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote by mail .
“ They need that money in order to have the post office work so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots , ” Trump said .
“ Now , if we don ’ t make a deal that means they don ’ t get the money .
That means they can ’ t have universal mail-in voting .
They just can ’ t have it .
So , you know , sort of a crazy thing .
Very interesting.
” Trump has frequently claimed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would end in mass voting fraud .
In place of a new aid bill , Trump announced an executive action Saturday to bring back the federal unemployment benefits at $ 400 per week , though it ’ s unclear what that order will actually do and whether it will hold up to legal scrutiny ( Congress , not Trump , has the power to spend federal dollars ) .
The White House later admitted the payments would actually be $ 300 per week .
Anything on top of that would be up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was extending the eviction ban on federally backed mortgages , which would have provided protection to about one-third of renters .
But when the details were released , the ban was not extended .
Democrats and Republicans remain far apart in negotiations .
Congress ’ s next true deadline to pass legislation is the end of September , when new money will need to be appropriated to avoid a government shutdown and other aspects of the CARES Act , like protections for federal student loan borrowers , will expire .
House Democrats have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans put forward a $ 1 trillion proposal .
“ We are miles apart in our values , ” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said this week .
“ Perhaps you mistook them for somebody who gave a damn.
” Pelosi has publicly offered to meet in the middle — a $ 2 trillion bill — and negotiate on how to spend it .
Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin , one of the key White House negotiators , accused the Democrats of not wanting to negotiate because they refuse to return to the table unless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to .
Pelosi confirmed she declined to meet with Mnuchin until the White House agreed to the $ 2 trillion price tag .

WASHINGTON — The US Senate adjourned for a month Thursday, further signaling there will be no coronavirus relief package passed this summer, nearly three weeks after unemployment benefits expired.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell scheduled the next Senate vote for Tuesday, Sept. 8. The House had already recessed for the summer. If a deal on a coronavirus aid package is reached before then, lawmakers will be given at least 24 hours' notice to get to Washington to vote.
As things stand, that seems unlikely. Talks between Democrats and the White House are at a standstill and the sides are not currently in active negotiations. Both parties have presidential conventions in the coming weeks, creating another distraction. The delay could be catastrophic for millions of Americans.
In March Congress passed the CARES Act extending $600-per-week federal unemployment benefits on top of state benefits due to the coronavirus pandemic. That, along with moratoriums on evictions, prevented a wave of homelessness. But that benefit expired at the end of July and eviction moratoriums have now lapsed in most states. About 30 million people are drawing unemployment benefits, with around 1 million new people applying each week.
The delay also means hundreds of billions of dollars for state and local governments, conducting the election, small businesses, COVID-19 testing, and reopening schools will not be sent out.
A new flashpoint opened up Thursday over funding the United States Postal Service. Democrats are pushing for $25 billion in postal funding and $3.5 billion to support mail-in ballots.
In a Fox Business interview Thursday, President Donald Trump seemed to oppose post office funding exactly because it would allow more people to vote by mail.
“They need that money in order to have the post office work so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots,” Trump said. “Now, if we don’t make a deal that means they don’t get the money. That means they can’t have universal mail-in voting. They just can’t have it. So, you know, sort of a crazy thing. Very interesting.”
Trump has frequently claimed, without evidence, that universal mail-in voting would end in mass voting fraud.
In place of a new aid bill, Trump announced an executive action Saturday to bring back the federal unemployment benefits at $400 per week, though it’s unclear what that order will actually do and whether it will hold up to legal scrutiny (Congress, not Trump, has the power to spend federal dollars). The White House later admitted the payments would actually be $300 per week. Anything on top of that would be up to the states.
Trump also announced he was extending the eviction ban on federally backed mortgages, which would have provided protection to about one-third of renters. But when the details were released, the ban was not extended.
Democrats and Republicans remain far apart in negotiations. Congress’s next true deadline to pass legislation is the end of September, when new money will need to be appropriated to avoid a government shutdown and other aspects of the CARES Act, like protections for federal student loan borrowers, will expire. House Democrats have passed a $3 trillion plan while Republicans put forward a $1 trillion proposal.
“We are miles apart in our values,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said this week. “Perhaps you mistook them for somebody who gave a damn.”
Pelosi has publicly offered to meet in the middle — a $2 trillion bill — and negotiate on how to spend it. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, one of the key White House negotiators, accused the Democrats of not wanting to negotiate because they refuse to return to the table unless at least $2 trillion is agreed to. Pelosi confirmed she declined to meet with Mnuchin until the White House agreed to the $2 trillion price tag.