buzzfeed--2020-09-18--“I Barely Have Anything Left To Give”: What It’s Like Parenting Kids With Autism During The Pandemic

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

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


buzzfeed--2020-09-18--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--2020-09-19--The Life Of Supreme Court Justice And Feminist Ruth Bader Ginsburg In Photos

Laura is a senior photo editor for BuzzFeed News and is based in Los Angeles .
Got a confidential tip @ @ @ @ @

The Life Of Supreme Court Justice And Feminist Ruth Bader Ginsburg In Photos
Wife, mother, justice for the highest court in the land, and a self-proclaimed "flaming feminist litigator," Ginsburg served on the Supreme Court for more than 25 years before dying Sept. 18, 2020, at the age of 87.


buzzfeed--2020-09-19--Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Has Died At 87

WASHINGTON — Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , the trailblazing lawyer for sex equality who served on the US Supreme Court for more than 25 years , died Friday evening , the court announced .
She was 87 .
The death of the liberal firebrand in the final year of the Trump administration sets the stage for a brutal partisan nomination fight over her successor .
The confirmation of a conservative justice to replace Ginsburg would continue the rightward shift of the court since President Donald Trump took office , putting progressive views solidly in the minority on the Supreme Court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly 40 years on the bench , first as a judge on the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit and then on the Supreme Court .
As the cofounder of the Women ’ s Rights Project at the American Civil Liberties Union , Ginsburg played a leading role — if not the key role — in pressing courts to accept legal arguments that laws that treated men and women differently are unconstitutional .
`` My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before she died , NPR News reported .
Even those she fought most strongly in her efforts acknowledged her role as “ the Thurgood Marshall of gender equality law , ” a title that put her in the company of the trailblazing civil rights pioneer .
Former President George W. Bush said , `` Laura and I join our fellow Americans in mourning the loss of Ruth Bader Ginsburg .
She dedicated many of her 87 remarkable years to the pursuit of justice and equality , and she inspired more than one generation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former Secretary of State and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton tweeted , `` Justice Ginsburg paved the way for so many women , including me .
There will never be another like her .
Thank you RBG . ''
Ginsburg died at her home in Washington surrounded by family , from complications of metastatic pancreatic cancer , according to the court .
She will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery .
“ Our Nation has lost a jurist of historic stature .
We at the Supreme Court have lost a cherished colleague .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that future generations will remember Ruth Bader Ginsburg as we knew her a tireless and resolute champion of justice , ” Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. said in a statement .
Over the past decade , Ginsburg survived multiple bouts with cancer and other health setbacks , but each time she returned to the bench and dismissed speculation that she might retire .
She was treated for cancer in 2009 , then again in August 2019 , and most recently in the summer of 2020 .
In 2014 , she was treated for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In November 2018 , she fell and fractured three ribs — doctors then discovered malignant nodules in her left lung , which were removed .
Just days before Ginsburg released a statement on July 17 , 2020 , announcing that she was receiving chemotherapy for a recurrence of cancer , the court notified the public that Ginbsurg had been admitted to a hospital in Baltimore for a separate issue related to a bile duct stent .
In her July statement , Ginsburg said that despite her health setbacks , she ’ d @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ active daily routine.
” “ I have often said I would remain a member of the Court as long as I can do the job full steam .
I remain fully able to do that , ” she said at the time .
Gibsurg 's death comes shortly after Trump released a new short list of people he would nominate to the Supreme Court if a vacancy came up , adding to the two dozen names he 's already made public .
They include several federal judges confirmed during his first term @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DC Circuit Judge Greg Katsas ; three US Senators — Sen. Ted Cruz , Josh Hawley , and Tom Cotton ; White House deputy counsel Kate Comerford Todd ; Christopher Landau , Trump 's US Ambassador to Mexico ; and current and former Justice Department officials .
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer tweeted Friday night , `` The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice .
Therefore , this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president . ''
Ginsburg became a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a combination of her efforts to publicize her views and make them accessible to the public and efforts by younger generations , particularly younger women , to share the Brooklyn-born lawyer 's story as one of a woman who was a national leader and worthy of fame beyond legal circles .
In 2015 , authors Irin Carmon and Shana Knizhnik tapped into Ginsburg ’ s status as a pop culture icon with their book Notorious RBG .
A documentary about the justice ’ s life , RBG , was nominated for an Academy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actor Felicity Jones played her in the movie On the Basis of Sex , a fictional account of one of the early cases she worked on .
Fans could buy necklace and earring versions of her decorative collars , known as jabots .
On Saturday Night Live , comedian Kate McKinnon repeatedly portrayed the justice , delivering zingers she called “ Gins-burns.
” '' It was beyond my wildest imagination that I would one day become 'Notorious RBG , ’ ” Ginsburg said in an Aug. 26 speech , which marked her first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treatment for pancreatic cancer .
“ I am now 86 years old , yet people of all ages want to take their picture with me — amazing.
” The interviews and books , as well as a documentary and star-studded movie based on her life , were , in some ways , inevitable .
More than 45 years ago , on Jan. 17 , 1973 , Ginsburg made her first oral argument at the court , ending her time at the podium by citing Sarah Grimké , an abolitionist who also fought for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moment that has reverberated since , Ginsburg quoted two sentences from Grimké : “ I ask no favor for my sex .
All I ask of our brethren is that they take their feet off our necks.
” She embraced her status as a feminist icon .
Whenever she was asked how many female justices would be enough on the nine-member Supreme Court , she would answer : “ When there are nine .
”

WASHINGTON — Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the trailblazing lawyer for sex equality who served on the US Supreme Court for more than 25 years, died Friday evening, the court announced. She was 87.
The death of the liberal firebrand in the final year of the Trump administration sets the stage for a brutal partisan nomination fight over her successor. The confirmation of a conservative justice to replace Ginsburg would continue the rightward shift of the court since President Donald Trump took office, putting progressive views solidly in the minority on the Supreme Court for the indefinite future.
Ginsburg spent nearly 40 years on the bench, first as a judge on the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit and then on the Supreme Court. As the cofounder of the Women’s Rights Project at the American Civil Liberties Union, Ginsburg played a leading role — if not the key role — in pressing courts to accept legal arguments that laws that treated men and women differently are unconstitutional.
"My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed," Ginsburg told her granddaughter says before she died, NPR News reported.
Even those she fought most strongly in her efforts acknowledged her role as “the Thurgood Marshall of gender equality law,” a title that put her in the company of the trailblazing civil rights pioneer.
Former president Bill Clinton, who nominated Ginsburg to the bench in 1993, called her "one of the most extraordinary Justices ever to serve on the Supreme Court."
"She was a magnificent judge and a wonderful person—a brilliant lawyer with a caring heart, common sense, fierce devotion to fairness and equality, and boundless courage in the face of her own adversity. Her 27 years on the Court exceeded even my highest expectations when I appointed her.
"Her landmark opinions advancing gender equality, marriage equality, the rights of people with disabilities, the rights of immigrants, and so many more moved us closer to 'a more perfect union,'" Clinton said. "Her powerful dissents, especially her ringing defense of voting rights and other equal protection claims, reminded us that we walk away from our Constitution’s promise at our peril. And she did it all with kindness, grace, and calm, treating even her strongest adversaries with respect."
President Donald Trump called Ginsburg a "titan of the law."
"Renowned for her brilliant mind and her powerful dissents at the Supreme Court, Justice Ginsburg demonstrated that one can disagree without being disagreeable toward one's colleagues or different points of view. Her opinions, including well-known decisions regarding the legal equality of women and the disabled, have inspired all Americans, and generations of great legal minds," Trump said.
Former president George W. Bush said Ginsburg "dedicated many of her 87 remarkable years to the pursuit of justice and equality, and she inspired more than one generation of women and girls."
Ginsburg died at her home in Washington surrounded by family, from complications of metastatic pancreatic cancer, according to the court. She will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
“Our Nation has lost a jurist of historic stature. We at the Supreme Court have lost a cherished colleague. Today we mourn, but with confidence that future generations will remember Ruth Bader Ginsburg as we knew her a tireless and resolute champion of justice,” Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. said in a statement.
Over the past decade, Ginsburg survived multiple bouts of cancer and other health setbacks, but each time she returned to the bench and dismissed speculation that she might retire. She was treated for cancer in 2009, then again in August 2019, and most recently in the summer of 2020. In 2014, she was treated for a blockage in one of her arteries. In November 2018, she fell and fractured three ribs — doctors then discovered malignant nodules in her left lung, which were removed.
Just days before Ginsburg released a statement on July 17, 2020, announcing that she was receiving chemotherapy for a recurrence of cancer, the court notified the public that Ginsburg had been admitted to a hospital in Baltimore for a separate issue related to a bile duct stent. In her July statement, Ginsburg said that despite her health setbacks, she’d kept up her work and maintained an “active daily routine.”
“I have often said I would remain a member of the Court as long as I can do the job full steam. I remain fully able to do that,” she said at the time.


buzzfeed--2020-09-18--Friends And Family Members Of QAnon Believers Are Going Through A “Surreal Goddamn Nightmare”

Almost 200 people told us what it ’ s been like to lose a loved one to the mass delusion .
Here ’ s what they said .
“ We literally watched as she became radicalized.
” “ It feels like we are losing her to an addiction.
” This is how friends and family of QAnon supporters describe what they ’ re going through .
Most don ’ t understand how their loved ones could fall for something so unbelievable .
At its core , the QAnon collective delusion is a belief system that began in the innards of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the mainstream .
Believers sign up for a slew of untruths .
Most support Trump , oppose the “ deep state , ” deny vaccination science , say many instances of gun violence were faked , and set off on quixotic crusades for supposedly trafficked children that hinder the real fight against the issue .
Much of their wrath is centered on purported elites who either faked the coronavirus pandemic or spread the virus through 5G technology , a scientific impossibility .
Satanism and drinking the blood of children are common points of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protests and anti-fascist activists is widespread .
Taken together , the mass delusion seems outlandish , but a recent Pew Research Center survey showed that roughly half of US adults were aware of QAnon .
Four in ten Republicans who had heard of it said it was good for the country .
But those numbers are only part of the story .
They don ’ t show the impact the delusion has had on people and their relationships .
So , we asked our readers to tell us about the QAnon believers in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Respondents , who mostly said they lived in the United States , ranged in age from 16 to 82 .
Here ’ s what you said .
QAnon has ruined lifelong friendships and alienated family members .
Those who still speak to one another say their relationships have changed , often beyond repair .
Nobody said any of their loved ones had returned to reality .
“ My mom has fallen into the conspiracy beliefs of QAnon , ” Samantha , 30 , who lives in Texas , told BuzzFeed News .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to bring her back to reality , and I ’ ve really tried it all.
” Samantha wrote that after her level-headed and college-educated mother became a believer , she could not save her .
“ Occasionally , I become emotional because we can ’ t have any normal conversations anymore , ” Samantha wrote .
“ It helps talking about it with my younger sister , and her solution is always the same — pray about it , so now that ’ s what I do .
I can ’ t change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hope that things will get better.
” For many , trouble started in March .
“ Once [ my mom ] lost her job in March due to the pandemic , she started spending most of her time watching YouTube videos and reading tweets about and from QAnon believers , ” wrote Katie , 29 , who lives in Alaska .
“ It 's disturbing the things she now believes.
” Another respondent , a 38-year-old from Washington who chose not to provide a name , said their friend of 24 years has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and marijuana ” kind of guy .
The respondent described their friend as someone who didn ’ t complete high school and was always prone to going down conspiracy rabbit holes .
This time was different .
“ This all started in March , ” they wrote .
“ I kept telling him that his beliefs are fine with me but his truth was not my truth .
He eventually took that as an ultimatum and posted that he ‘ lost a friend of 24 years ’ on Facebook.
” “ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We were best friends , and now he and his family are people that I used to know.
” “ My close friend in Northern California , a father of three , a friendly and well-liked small business owner who hardly posted on Facebook , other than just photos of family , suddenly got crazy active 30 days into corona lockdown , ” wrote another respondent .
“ I feel like I have no idea who he is.
” Over and over , respondents mourned the ends of friendships .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been someone I could depend on .
In our early adulthood , we both experienced abusive partners and leaned on each other for support , ” wrote a person living in California who ’ s 31 and didn ’ t provide a name .
“ We 've gotten through life/death situations .
Together .
She 's the only one who has never wavered from my side in 10-plus years.
” The author said their friend ’ s partner is a QAnon believer who makes his own YouTube videos , which is how she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ friend has cut herself off from the outside world .
“ She does n't even know what day it is more than half the time.
” “ I 've lost my best friend , ” she said .
“ My only friend .
Her .
I do n't think she 's ever going to come back.
” Susan , 73 , who lives in Hawaii , has also seen “ a very good friend ” become a QAnon supporter .
“ We went around and around for a few days with me providing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote .
“ Finally , she cut me off , and that 's fine .
We ca n't continue our friendship with her denying reality.
” Marriages and romantic relationships have been tested .
QAnon has driven some couples apart , and those who have stuck around describe having to stay on their toes constantly .
“ I lost my partner of eight years to Q , ” one person wrote .
Their partner stumbled onto QAnon through actor Roseanne Barr , who was following a prominent QAnon account .
“ I looked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ researching Q and became emotionally upset over what my partner was reading and believing , ” the person said .
Their relationship ended , but they recently discovered that their former partner was telling people the coronavirus is a hoax .
Another person , who didn ’ t give their name but said they lived in Atlanta , watched a relationship crumble because of QAnon .
“ My cousin is divorcing her husband over his obsession with QAnon .
It ruined their relationship and became a huge wedge between them , ” they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a digital cult and it 's very dangerous .
I ’ m worried about what it will lead to , not only for our own family , but for our society as a whole .
It ’ s really scary.
” Other people said they ’ re trying to hang on to relationships .
Sandra , who lives in North Carolina , said she ’ s been struggling with her partner ’ s way of thinking , in particular his belief that Black Lives Matter protests were part of a conspiracy .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with an admitted QAnon believer , ” she wrote .
“ There seems to be no way out for a QAnon believer , at least for this particular man .
No one else can be right , no one else can be trusted , anyone else who does n't believe is a sheep and the Great Awakening is coming .
It seems to hit on all the resentment he 's ever felt about being rejected or left behind or misunderstood or not as powerful/successful as he 'd like.
” “ I do worry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ single day.
” Frédéric , 55 , who lives in Belgium , was struggling with a similar situation .
“ My partner is spending hours every day in front of her laptop .
Coming to bed late in the night with all kinds of wild theories .
Using rather bizarre terms to describe what awful [ things ] she discovered on the net , ” he wrote .
He describes his partner reciting false theories about vaccines and microchips , talking about the Clintons drinking children ’ s blood , and blaming global @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or the Rockefellers .
Attempts to speak with her have been fruitless , he said .
“ This poison is troubling our relationship , so we avoid the subject .
But this is not the right thing to do , I would like her to wake up from this bad dream and face the world like it is , ” Frédéric wrote .
“ I hope that we in Europe will not turn like the Americans .
And I sincerely hope for the US that the country will take another path.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with their children , and children are struggling with their parents .
One respondent described their son joining a militia group and wanting to aid the police as a result of believing in QAnon .
“ He believes that the police welcome the assistance that their militia group offers and that his training will prepare him for the coming civil wars , ” they said .
Another woman describes being ostracized from her Mexican American family who supports both Trump and QAnon .
“ Since I refuse to stay quiet any longer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highly disrespectful and ungrateful daughter that ’ s on the brink of being disowned , ” she wrote .
Many people describe their parents watching YouTube videos and spending time on Facebook for hours on end .
One person said their dad has bought into almost every conspiracy theory he ’ s come across in the last four years , including QAnon .
“ He always sends me links to videos that were ‘ recommended to him ’ by YouTube ’ s own algorithm , ” they said .
“ He used to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flaws , trials , tribulations and putting yourself in others ' shoes .
Now I see him using terms like ‘ cuck , ’ ‘ commie , ’ and ‘ lefty queer.
’ ” “ It ’ s been a nightmare , honestly , ” said another person , whose mom is a QAnon supporter .
“ She has changed her voicemail to say that COVID is a hoax , Hollywood is filled with pedophiles , and to vote early for Trump .
I was so scared after returning home from the summer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , and told her if I ever go missing to start with my mom and her boyfriend.
” A divorced couple 's previously successful co-parenting has broken down because of QAnon .
“ My son is refusing to go to his dad 's house , ” a woman who declined to be named wrote .
“ He is always telling me he wants his old dad back , and it has caused my son so much anxiety .
It makes me so sad.
” In a twist , one hairdresser wrote in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because they became a QAnon believer — while another person wrote in to say they had to stop going to their hairdresser for the same reason .
“ For the past nine years , I never strayed from our monthly hangouts and 5-hour-long discussions while he was dying my hair , ” they wrote .
“ Then the great quarantine came and I did n't see him for a few months , and when I came skipping into the salon in late May , everything was different.
” Even those who don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve come across posts made by acquaintances on social media or seen believers in real life .
Kelly , 33 , who lives in Oklahoma City , has dealt with both .
She wrote that her hometown has been “ taken over ” by supporters .
She used to mess with believers online by pretending to “ take the bait ” and then making up increasingly implausible theories .
“ Best way to sum it up , ” she wrote , `` surreal goddamn nightmare . ''

“Once [my mom] lost her job in March due to the pandemic, she started spending most of her time watching YouTube videos and reading tweets about and from QAnon believers,” wrote Katie, 29, who lives in Alaska. “It's disturbing the things she now believes.”
Another respondent, a 38-year-old from Washington who chose not to provide a name, said their friend of 24 years has always been a “peace, love, and marijuana” kind of guy. The respondent described their friend as someone who didn’t complete high school and was always prone to going down conspiracy rabbit holes. This time was different.
“This all started in March,” they wrote. “I kept telling him that his beliefs are fine with me but his truth was not my truth. He eventually took that as an ultimatum and posted that he ‘lost a friend of 24 years’ on Facebook.”
By April, they stopped speaking.
“It happened so fast,” they wrote. “We were best friends, and now he and his family are people that I used to know.”
“My close friend in Northern California, a father of three, a friendly and well-liked small business owner who hardly posted on Facebook, other than just photos of family, suddenly got crazy active 30 days into corona lockdown,” wrote another respondent. “I feel like I have no idea who he is.”
Over and over, respondents mourned the ends of friendships.
“My (ex) BFF has always been someone I could depend on. In our early adulthood, we both experienced abusive partners and leaned on each other for support,” wrote a person living in California who’s 31 and didn’t provide a name. “We've gotten through life/death situations. Together. She's the only one who has never wavered from my side in 10-plus years.”
The author said their friend’s partner is a QAnon believer who makes his own YouTube videos, which is how she was introduced to it. Now her friend has cut herself off from the outside world. “She doesn't even know what day it is more than half the time.”
“I've lost my best friend,” she said. “My only friend. Her. I don't think she's ever going to come back.”
Susan, 73, who lives in Hawaii, has also seen “a very good friend” become a QAnon supporter.
“We went around and around for a few days with me providing links disproving her beliefs,” Susan wrote. “Finally, she cut me off, and that's fine. We can't continue our friendship with her denying reality.”


buzzfeed--2020-09-18--Trump Has Lambasted Puerto Rico For Years. Now With The Election Close, He’s Changing His Tune.

After three years of blocking disaster aid bills and disparaging Puerto Rico , President Donald Trump on Friday reversed course and enthusiastically announced the release of $ 13 billion in funding that Congress had already approved for the island ’ s reconstruction following the damage from Hurricane Maria .
“ I have to say in a very nice way , very respectful way : I 'm the best thing that ever happened to Puerto Rico .
Nobody even close , ” he said during a press conference on Friday afternoon .
Trump ’ s shift in attitude toward the island @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe Biden , announced a comprehensive plan for Puerto Rico ’ s recovery , and less than 50 days before the presidential election .
Biden announced his plan while visiting Florida — where close to 1 million Puerto Ricans live , many of them survivors of the 2017 hurricane who were forced to flee the conditions on the island .
Florida is a pivotal swing state in the election , and Latino voters there have the potential to decide who wins it .
Biden is currently slightly ahead of Trump in the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Trump went on to win it by a margin of 1.2 % .
The $ 13 billion package Trump announced , which includes $ 9.6 billion to go toward repairing the island ’ s electrical grid , is part of the funding already approved by Congress and allocated for Puerto Rico , not a new source of disaster aid .
So far , the island has received around $ 16.8 billion in total from the federal government since the hurricane , with $ 45.9 billion being the total amount they ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still falls far short of the $ 94 billion Puerto Rican authorities estimated would be required to rebuild the island , including $ 17.7 billion total to rebuild the grid to standards that would make it capable of resisting another storm .
Puerto Rico ’ s electrical grid has been in tatters since the hurricane brought it down entirely in September 2017 .
Though parts of it have been repaired to their original condition , it remains unstable and residents frequently deal with power outages when storms far weaker than hurricanes pass over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ island ’ s infrastructure has also struggled to recover , between the shortfall in federal aid and austerity measures imposed by the federally appointed fiscal control board that oversees the island ’ s finances .
The president blamed Democrats for the holdups in funding .
“ We 've been working on it a long time to get it passed , very tough to get things passed .
Democrats where they do n't want to see this happen and they probably certainly did n't want to see it happen at this point , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ But it 's a big package , it 's a great package.
” That position contradicts what Trump has said about the island for years .
Trump ’ s immediate response to Hurricane Maria , during his first visit after the storm in October 2017 , was to say that the hurricane wasn ’ t a “ real catastrophe ” like Hurricane Katrina .
He went on to deny the scale of the disaster multiple times and has never acknowledged that at least 3,000 Puerto Ricans died as a result of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ available to them .
Trump claimed the death toll had been faked , “ done by the Democrats to make me look as bad as possible.
” When Puerto Ricans began to run out of food stamp funds during the federal government shutdown in 2018 , Trump personally blocked funding that would have alleviated the situation .
Trump has also repeated the false claim that the island got $ 91 billion for the hurricane and should not get more disaster funding .
“ Puerto Rico got 91 Billion Dollars for the hurricane , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a hurricane before , & all their local politicians do is complain & ask for more money .
The pols are grossly incompetent , spend the money foolishly or corruptly , & only take from USA , ” he tweeted last April .
At that stage , the island had received about $ 11 billion out of $ 41 billion in total federal funds allocated to its recovery .
The figure Trump repeats is close to the $ 94 billion that then-governor Ricardo Rosselló estimated in November 2017 as what would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recovery plan , not the amount the island has received from the federal government .
Trump has also repeated a false claim that the federal government has spent more on Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria than any other storm in history .
The federal government spent around $ 120 billion in total recovery funding after Hurricane Katrina .
During Friday ’ s press briefing , a reporter asked Trump about his previous statements that he didn ’ t support giving Puerto Rico any further aid and that the island is corrupt .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aid because he sees an opportunity to boost the medical , pharmaceutical , and manufacturing industries on the island — all of which have suffered as the fallout of the hurricane continued .
“ Puerto Rico has been very corrupt in terms of its politicians , you see that .
One after another , it 's been unbelievably corrupt .
And we are studying that and working on that , and we think we have a good group of people who are working very well with politicians right now , ” Trump continued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of people he was referring to .
“ Their generators are wiped out , and they 've been wiped out for years , long before Maria came .
They 've been wiped out for years , ” Trump said .
While the grid was antiquated well before Maria , it was not “ wiped out ” until the hurricane hit .
“ So if we can build Puerto Rico back into a pharmaceutical manufacturing area .
We are going to designate it as such , I think it will be unbelievable , Puerto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Puerto Rico , ” he said .
`` Three years ago Puerto Rico was in shambles yet Donald Trump did n't care about the millions of American citizens without electricity , without potable water , food to eat or a roof over their heads .
Some of my fellow Puerto Ricans are still using blue tarps to keep their homes covered , and way too many still do n't have power around the clock , all because President Trump refused to provide the aid Puerto Rico needed at the time ; the island @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people too `` poor '' for him to care , '' said Biden for President Latino advisor Tatiana Matta , in a statement to BuzzFeed News .
`` Now that we 're a month and a half from an election where Puerto Ricans can decide the election in key states like Florida and Pennsylvania , President Trump all of a sudden appears to care .
But President Trump ca n't fool us , today 's announcement is nothing new and certainly not something that he can take credit for , '' she said @

After three years of blocking disaster aid bills and disparaging Puerto Rico, President Donald Trump on Friday reversed course and enthusiastically announced the release of $13 billion in funding that Congress had already approved for the island’s reconstruction following the damage from Hurricane Maria.
“I have to say in a very nice way, very respectful way: I'm the best thing that ever happened to Puerto Rico. Nobody even close,” he said during a press conference on Friday afternoon.
Trump’s shift in attitude toward the island came days after his Democratic opponent, Joe Biden, announced a comprehensive plan for Puerto Rico’s recovery, and less than 50 days before the presidential election.
Biden announced his plan while visiting Florida — where close to 1 million Puerto Ricans live, many of them survivors of the 2017 hurricane who were forced to flee the conditions on the island. Florida is a pivotal swing state in the election, and Latino voters there have the potential to decide who wins it. Biden is currently slightly ahead of Trump in the state — though Hillary Clinton was, too, and Trump went on to win it by a margin of 1.2%.
The $13 billion package Trump announced, which includes $9.6 billion to go toward repairing the island’s electrical grid, is part of the funding already approved by Congress and allocated for Puerto Rico, not a new source of disaster aid.
So far, the island has received around $16.8 billion in total from the federal government since the hurricane, with $45.9 billion being the total amount they’re slated to receive. That amount still falls far short of the $94 billion Puerto Rican authorities estimated would be required to rebuild the island, including $17.7 billion total to rebuild the grid to standards that would make it capable of resisting another storm.
Puerto Rico’s electrical grid has been in tatters since the hurricane brought it down entirely in September 2017. Though parts of it have been repaired to their original condition, it remains unstable and residents frequently deal with power outages when storms far weaker than hurricanes pass over the island. The rest of the island’s infrastructure has also struggled to recover, between the shortfall in federal aid and austerity measures imposed by the federally appointed fiscal control board that oversees the island’s finances.
The president blamed Democrats for the holdups in funding.
“We've been working on it a long time to get it passed, very tough to get things passed. Democrats where they don't want to see this happen and they probably certainly didn't want to see it happen at this point,” he said at the press conference. “But it's a big package, it's a great package.”
That position contradicts what Trump has said about the island for years. Trump’s immediate response to Hurricane Maria, during his first visit after the storm in October 2017, was to say that the hurricane wasn’t a “real catastrophe” like Hurricane Katrina. He went on to deny the scale of the disaster multiple times and has never acknowledged that at least 3,000 Puerto Ricans died as a result of the storm and the lack of emergency assistance available to them.
Trump claimed the death toll had been faked, “done by the Democrats to make me look as bad as possible.”
When Puerto Ricans began to run out of food stamp funds during the federal government shutdown in 2018, Trump personally blocked funding that would have alleviated the situation.
Trump has also repeated the false claim that the island got $91 billion for the hurricane and should not get more disaster funding.
“Puerto Rico got 91 Billion Dollars for the hurricane, more money than has ever been gotten for a hurricane before, & all their local politicians do is complain & ask for more money. The pols are grossly incompetent, spend the money foolishly or corruptly, & only take from USA,” he tweeted last April.
At that stage, the island had received about $11 billion out of $41 billion in total federal funds allocated to its recovery.
The figure Trump repeats is close to the $94 billion that then-governor Ricardo Rosselló estimated in November 2017 as what would be needed for the island’s full recovery plan, not the amount the island has received from the federal government.
Trump has also repeated a false claim that the federal government has spent more on Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria than any other storm in history. The federal government spent around $120 billion in total recovery funding after Hurricane Katrina.
During Friday’s press briefing, a reporter asked Trump about his previous statements that he didn’t support giving Puerto Rico any further aid and that the island is corrupt.
He responded that he now supports this additional aid because he sees an opportunity to boost the medical, pharmaceutical, and manufacturing industries on the island — all of which have suffered as the fallout of the hurricane continued.
“Puerto Rico has been very corrupt in terms of its politicians, you see that. One after another, it's been unbelievably corrupt. And we are studying that and working on that, and we think we have a good group of people who are working very well with politicians right now,” Trump continued. He did not specify what group of people he was referring to.
“Their generators are wiped out, and they've been wiped out for years, long before Maria came. They've been wiped out for years,” Trump said.
While the grid was antiquated well before Maria, it was not “wiped out” until the hurricane hit.
“So if we can build Puerto Rico back into a pharmaceutical manufacturing area. We are going to designate it as such, I think it will be unbelievable, Puerto Rico, unbelievable for the people of Puerto Rico,” he said.
"Three years ago Puerto Rico was in shambles yet Donald Trump didn't care about the millions of American citizens without electricity, without potable water, food to eat or a roof over their heads. Some of my fellow Puerto Ricans are still using blue tarps to keep their homes covered, and way too many still don't have power around the clock, all because President Trump refused to provide the aid Puerto Rico needed at the time; the island was too "dirty" and the people too "poor" for him to care," said Biden for President Latino advisor Tatiana Matta, in a statement to BuzzFeed News.
"Now that we're a month and a half from an election where Puerto Ricans can decide the election in key states like Florida and Pennsylvania, President Trump all of a sudden appears to care. But President Trump can't fool us, today's announcement is nothing new and certainly not something that he can take credit for," she said.


buzzfeed--2020-09-18--Emails Show Tulsa Officials Considered An Event To Counter Trump’s Rally

WASHINGTON — Days before President Donald Trump was to hold his comeback rally in Tulsa , city officials scrambled to counter his June visit , even suggesting a different “ national figure ” should come on the same day to talk about race and systematic challenges .
Emails that were sent in the immediate days after the Trump rally was announced , and obtained this week by BuzzFeed News through a freedom of information request , reveal city officials looked to divert attention away from the president ’ s MAGA rally — his first one in months after the nation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus .
The officials expressed worry over messaging and sought to “ counter the narrative he has established.
” “ ... but someone like Stacey Abrams , Bernice King , Oprah , LeBron James , etc .
who could level the volume and provide a serious counter voice , ” James Coles , the director of economic development wrote in a June 11 email .
In the end , officials agreed not to upstage the Black holiday celebrated on the same day : Juneteenth .
The pressure to counter the president ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump had announced the event would be on Juneteenth , which commemorates the date the last enslaved person was freed in the United States .
It seemed the president ’ s decision was even more stinging as the country was in the throes of nationwide protests against police brutality and systemic racism .
And for some Tulsans , who live with the legacy of the 1921 Black Wall Street massacre , where white rioters set fire to the Black-owned business district killing as many as 300 Black residents — Trump had been particularly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Juneteenth is just horrible , ” Krystal Reyes , the city ’ s chief resilience officer , wrote of the scheduled June 19 event .
Tulsa city officials either did not respond to requests for comment on the emails or declined to comment on Thursday .
When Kian Kamas , chief of economic development , suggested her fellow coworkers “ push as a team ” to ensure their values were reflected in handling the president ’ s arrival , a coworker responded in favor .
“ I fully support a counter effort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ director , said in an email on June 11 .
“ It makes me sick to think about him coming here on that day to exploit our City.
” It ’ s a sentiment that echoed in broader Tulsa among the city ’ s Black community leaders who for fear of spreading the coronavirus had canceled an annual outdoor event to celebrate Juneteenth .
In late June , Lindsey Corbitt , a community leader in Tulsa , told BuzzFeed News she thought the president ’ s actions were “ 100 % a slap @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suggested working with Juneteenth organizers to amplify smaller events that were potentially happening .
Others advocated to include leaders from the “ Native American , Latin , and immigrant ” communities .
Yet another official chimed in , “ More support to Juneteenth would be fantastic.
” And then the next day , after ongoing criticism for scheduling a rally in Tulsa on Juneteenth ( and amid the coronavirus where social-distancing guidelines prohibited indoor gathering ) , Trump announced , via tweet , he ’ d reschedule his rally to June 20 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and supporters have reached out to suggest that we consider changing the date out of respect for this Holiday , and in observance of this important occasion and all that it represents , ” he wrote .
G.T .
Bynum , a Republican , has served as Tulsa ’ s mayor since 2016 .
Emails on June 10 and June 11 show he declined seven interviews with different media outlets , responding to an aide ’ s requests with only : “ I am not available.
” The rally would go on to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the historic turnout Trump ’ s aide Brad Parscale promised .
Health officials had advised against holding the arena-size event because of the coronavirus ; teens hijacked the ticketing process , forcing aides to overshoot their attendee projections ; several Trump campaign staffers tested positive for the coronavirus ; city health officials said in July that the rally likely led to a rise in local COVID-19 cases ; and Herman Cain , a former presidential candidate turned Trump supporter , died of COVID-19 after he was seen at the indoor Tulsa rally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , an aide to Bynum , resigned in late August and posted his letter of resignation on Twitter .
In an interview with the New York Times , Graham explained his departure while adding that Bynum “ was not the same mayor ” he ’ d worked with three years earlier .
“ Our duty as government officials in any executive position is to , first and foremost , protect the health and safety and well-being of the citizens that we represent , ” Graham told the Times .
In contrast , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nonprofits banded together to schedule a larger collaboration .
On Thursday , the city ’ s communication ’ s director confirmed the city helped expedite permits for the last-minute event .
It is not clear if the city contributed otherwise .
The emails from June 11 illustrate how quickly the Trump event came together , as Tulsa officials emailed back and forth unclear , nine days before the scheduled event , where the rally would take place .
“ Any idea where the President plans to hold his rally next week ?
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a beautiful building , ” Coles said just over a week before the rally .

WASHINGTON — Days before President Donald Trump was to hold his comeback rally in Tulsa, city officials scrambled to counter his June visit, even suggesting a different “national figure” should come on the same day to talk about race and systematic challenges.
Emails that were sent in the immediate days after the Trump rally was announced, and obtained this week by BuzzFeed News through a freedom of information request, reveal city officials looked to divert attention away from the president’s MAGA rally — his first one in months after the nation was virtually shut down because of the coronavirus. The officials expressed worry over messaging and sought to “counter the narrative he has established.”
“...but someone like Stacey Abrams, Bernice King, Oprah, LeBron James, etc. who could level the volume and provide a serious counter voice,” James Coles, the director of economic development wrote in a June 11 email.
In the end, officials agreed not to upstage the Black holiday celebrated on the same day: Juneteenth.
The pressure to counter the president’s message came, in part, because Trump had announced the event would be on Juneteenth, which commemorates the date the last enslaved person was freed in the United States. It seemed the president’s decision was even more stinging as the country was in the throes of nationwide protests against police brutality and systemic racism. And for some Tulsans, who live with the legacy of the 1921 Black Wall Street massacre, where white rioters set fire to the Black-owned business district killing as many as 300 Black residents — Trump had been particularly egregious.
“To hold a rally on Juneteenth is just horrible,” Krystal Reyes, the city’s chief resilience officer, wrote of the scheduled June 19 event.
Tulsa city officials either did not respond to requests for comment on the emails or declined to comment on Thursday.
When Kian Kamas, chief of economic development, suggested her fellow coworkers “push as a team” to ensure their values were reflected in handling the president’s arrival, a coworker responded in favor.
“I fully support a counter effort,” Becky Gligo, housing policy director, said in an email on June 11. “It makes me sick to think about him coming here on that day to exploit our City.”
It’s a sentiment that echoed in broader Tulsa among the city’s Black community leaders who for fear of spreading the coronavirus had canceled an annual outdoor event to celebrate Juneteenth. In late June, Lindsey Corbitt, a community leader in Tulsa, told BuzzFeed News she thought the president’s actions were “100% a slap in the face.”
Some city officials suggested working with Juneteenth organizers to amplify smaller events that were potentially happening. Others advocated to include leaders from the “Native American, Latin, and immigrant” communities. Yet another official chimed in, “More support to Juneteenth would be fantastic.”
And then the next day, after ongoing criticism for scheduling a rally in Tulsa on Juneteenth (and amid the coronavirus where social-distancing guidelines prohibited indoor gathering), Trump announced, via tweet, he’d reschedule his rally to June 20.
“Many of my African American friends and supporters have reached out to suggest that we consider changing the date out of respect for this Holiday, and in observance of this important occasion and all that it represents,” he wrote.
G.T. Bynum, a Republican, has served as Tulsa’s mayor since 2016. Emails on June 10 and June 11 show he declined seven interviews with different media outlets, responding to an aide’s requests with only: “I am not available.”
The rally would go on to make headlines for weeks, but not for the historic turnout Trump’s aide Brad Parscale promised. Health officials had advised against holding the arena-size event because of the coronavirus; teens hijacked the ticketing process, forcing aides to overshoot their attendee projections; several Trump campaign staffers tested positive for the coronavirus; city health officials said in July that the rally likely led to a rise in local COVID-19 cases; and Herman Cain, a former presidential candidate turned Trump supporter, died of COVID-19 after he was seen at the indoor Tulsa rally unmasked.
Most recently, Jack Graham, an aide to Bynum, resigned in late August and posted his letter of resignation on Twitter. In an interview with the New York Times, Graham explained his departure while adding that Bynum “was not the same mayor” he’d worked with three years earlier.
“Our duty as government officials in any executive position is to, first and foremost, protect the health and safety and well-being of the citizens that we represent,” Graham told the Times.
In contrast, the canceled Juneteenth event was rescheduled, and nonprofits banded together to schedule a larger collaboration. On Thursday, the city’s communication’s director confirmed the city helped expedite permits for the last-minute event. It is not clear if the city contributed otherwise.
The emails from June 11 illustrate how quickly the Trump event came together, as Tulsa officials emailed back and forth unclear, nine days before the scheduled event, where the rally would take place.
“Any idea where the President plans to hold his rally next week? The only quote I’ve seen referred to a beautiful building,” Coles said just over a week before the rally.
Additional reporting contributed by Katie J.M. Baker.


buzzfeed--2020-09-19--14 Things You Probably Won't Understand If You're A Healthy Pooper

Waiting patiently for a poop you 're sure is going to come , only for it to stand you up @ @ @ @ @

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buzzfeed--2020-09-19--Here's How The Supreme Court Will Function With Eight Justices Leading Up To The Election

WASHINGTON — The death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg leaves the US Supreme Court with eight justices heading into the fall , setting the stage for possible tie votes from the nation ’ s highest court during the most litigious election cycle in recent history .
In one sense it ’ s a repeat of 2016 , when the death of Justice Antonin Scalia in February 2016 — and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ’ s decision to block President Obama ’ s nominee — meant the court only had eight justices during an election year .
But with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the legal landscape is dramatically different than it was four years ago .
Voting rights groups and the Democratic Party are racing to court to expand mail-in voting during the coronavirus pandemic while President Donald Trump and the Republican Party are waging a multimillion-dollar , multistate effort against it .
To date , there are more than 300 election-related cases pending in state and federal courts , according to litigation tracking sites .
And beyond any legal fights over how Americans can vote during a deadly pandemic leading up to November , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bush v. Gore situation — an inconclusive election , with results delayed by an overwhelming number of mail-in ballots , followed by weeks of fighting over ballot counts and furious litigation by lawyers for Trump and Joe Biden that winds up before the Supreme Court .
Trump and Biden are reportedly amassing teams of hundreds of lawyers and preparing to spend millions of dollars to fight in court over the election .
In a July interview with Fox News Sunday , Trump was asked if he would accept the results of the election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see , ” he replied .
Election-related cases are most likely to reach the Supreme Court in the coming weeks as emergency applications , where the losing party in a case asks the justices to immediately pause a ruling — known as a “ stay ” — while an appeal moves forward .
Each justice is assigned to handle emergency applications from each of the country ’ s 13 circuit courts .
Under normal circumstances , they rule on those requests alone .
But a justice can refer an emergency application to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ typically happens in high-profile or especially contentious cases .
When that happens , it takes a majority of the justices to vote to grant a stay and stop a lower court ruling from going into effect .
If there ’ s a 4-4 decision in Ginsburg ’ s absence , the request is denied .
That would leave whatever lower court ruling was at issue in place .
Following Ginsburg ’ s death , there are now three justices that make up the court ’ s more liberal wing — Justices Stephen Breyer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — and five justices on the court ’ s more conservative arm — Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. and Justices Clarence Thomas , Samuel Alito Jr. , Neil Gorsuch , and Brett Kavanaugh .
The justices do not always vote along those lines , however .
Roberts in particular has earned the ire of Trump for siding with the court ’ s more liberal justices in several high-profile cases against the administration .
But Roberst has tended to stick with his fellow Republican appointees when it comes to voting rights issues .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay requests related to how states handle voting during the pandemic .
As the Washington Post reported in late July , the court ’ s more conservative justices so far have largely joined together to rule in favor of state limits on mail-in voting and other in-person election activities .
Ginsburg , along with some members of the court ’ s liberal arm , have voted in favor of leaving in place court orders that allowed more flexible election practices .
Stephen Vladeck , a professor at the University of Texas School of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BuzzFeed News that when there are vacancies , the Supreme Court in the past has tried to avoid ties , which mean that no nationwide precedent is set for lower courts to follow .
“ In both of the recent instances where the court was down a justice , we saw all of the justices work very , very hard to minimize division , to build consensus , and to find ways of avoiding 4-4 splits wherever possible , ” he said .
“ What we ’ re left to hope is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court , the same pattern repeats itself.
” There are other , longer-term implications of an eight-justice court .
The next Supreme Court term begins in October , and there are already several blockbuster cases scheduled for arguments .
On Nov. 10 , the court will hear the next big fight over the future of the Affordable Care Act .
On Dec. 2 , it will hear arguments in House Democrats ’ fight with the Justice Department over access to still-secret grand jury materials from former special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decide cases with only eight justices .
But Vladeck said that when it appears the court is going to tie , especially in a high-profile case , they historically have held off issuing a decision until a ninth justice is confirmed and then rescheduled another round of arguments ; the court usually doesn ’ t offer any explanation when it puts a case back on the calendar .
If the justices decide to delay rulings in cases argued this fall until a nominee is confirmed for Ginsburg ’ s seat , it means @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into 2021 .

WASHINGTON — The death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg leaves the US Supreme Court with eight justices heading into the fall, setting the stage for possible tie votes from the nation’s highest court during the most litigious election cycle in recent history.
In one sense it’s a repeat of 2016, when the death of Justice Antonin Scalia in February 2016 — and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s decision to block then-president Barack Obama’s nominee — meant the court only had eight justices during an election year.
But with the Nov. 3 election just seven weeks away, the legal landscape is dramatically different than it was four years ago. Voting rights groups and the Democratic Party are racing to court to expand mail-in voting during the coronavirus pandemic while President Donald Trump and the Republican Party are waging a multimillion-dollar, multistate effort against it. To date, there are more than 300 election-related cases pending in state and federal courts, according to litigation tracking sites.
And beyond any legal fights over how Americans can vote during a deadly pandemic leading up to November, there’s the specter of another Bush v. Gore situation — an inconclusive election, with results delayed by an overwhelming number of mail-in ballots, followed by weeks of fighting over ballot counts and furious litigation by lawyers for Trump and Joe Biden that winds up before the Supreme Court. Trump and Biden are reportedly amassing teams of hundreds of lawyers and preparing to spend millions of dollars to fight in court over the election.
In a July interview with Fox News Sunday, Trump was asked if he would accept the results of the election if he lost. “I have to see,” he replied.
Election-related cases are most likely to reach the Supreme Court in the coming weeks as emergency applications, where the losing party in a case asks the justices to immediately pause a ruling — known as a “stay” — while an appeal moves forward. Each justice is assigned to handle emergency applications from each of the country’s 13 circuit courts. Under normal circumstances, they rule on those requests alone.
But a justice can refer an emergency application to the full court to decide, which typically happens in high-profile or especially contentious cases. When that happens, it takes a majority of the justices to vote to grant a stay and stop a lower court ruling from going into effect.
If there’s a 4–4 decision in Ginsburg’s absence, the request is denied. That would leave whatever lower court ruling was at issue in place.
Following Ginsburg’s death, there are now three justices that make up the court’s more liberal wing — Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan — and five justices on the court’s more conservative arm — Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. and Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito Jr., Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh.
The justices do not always vote along those lines, however. Roberts in particular has earned the ire of Trump for siding with the court’s more liberal justices in several high-profile cases against the administration. But Roberts has tended to stick with his fellow Republican appointees when it comes to voting rights issues.
The Supreme Court has already acted on several stay requests related to how states handle voting during the pandemic. As the Washington Post reported in late July, the court’s more conservative justices so far have largely joined together to rule in favor of state limits on mail-in voting and other in-person election activities. Ginsburg, along with some members of the court’s liberal arm, voted in favor of leaving in place court orders that allowed more flexible election practices.
Stephen Vladeck, a professor at the University of Texas School of Law and Supreme Court litigator, told BuzzFeed News that when there are vacancies, the Supreme Court in the past has tried to avoid ties, which mean that no nationwide precedent is set for lower courts to follow.
“In both of the recent instances where the court was down a justice, we saw all of the justices work very, very hard to minimize division, to build consensus, and to find ways of avoiding 4–4 splits wherever possible,” he said. “What we’re left to hope is that if an election-related crisis does reach the court, the same pattern repeats itself.”
There are other, longer-term implications of an eight-justice court. The next Supreme Court term begins in October, and there are already several blockbuster cases scheduled for arguments. On Nov. 10, the court will hear the next big fight over the future of the Affordable Care Act. On Dec. 2, it will hear arguments in House Democrats’ fight with the Justice Department over access to still-secret grand jury materials from former special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation.
The court can hear arguments and decide cases with only eight justices. But Vladeck said that when it appears the court is going to tie, especially in a high-profile case, they historically have held off issuing a decision until a ninth justice is confirmed and then rescheduled another round of arguments; the court usually doesn’t offer any explanation when it puts a case back on the calendar.
If the justices decide to delay rulings in cases argued this fall until a nominee is confirmed for Ginsburg’s seat, it means a decision might not come until well into 2021.


buzzfeed--2020-09-19--Joe Biden Said There's "No Doubt" The Next President Should Nominate Ruth Bader Ginsburg's Replaceme

Joe Biden Said There's "No Doubt" The Next President Should Nominate Ruth Bader Ginsburg's Replacement

Joe Biden said Friday night that the US Senate should hold off on confirming a successor to Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , asserting — like Republicans did in 2016 — that voters have a right to weigh in .
“ In the coming days , we should focus on the loss of the justice and her enduring legacy , ” Biden , the Democratic presidential nominee , told reporters in Delaware , shortly after returning home from a campaign trip to Minnesota as the news broke of the justice ’ s death .
“ But there is no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the voters should pick the president and the president should pick the justice for the Senate to consider .
This was the position [ the ] Republican Senate took in 2016 , when there were almost 10 months to go before the election .
That 's the position the United States Senate must take today.
” Biden ’ s remarks signaled how , in a matter of hours , the focus of this year ’ s presidential election shifted sharply from the weighty crises of systemic racism and a pandemic to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ginsburg died earlier Friday following complications from metastatic pancreatic cancer .
She was 87 .
In her final days , she told her granddaughter , according to NPR News , that her “ most fervent wish ” was that she “ not be replaced until a new president is installed.
” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell declared late Friday that the Senate would vote on whomever President Donald Trump nominates to fill the vacancy .
( Trump , holding his own campaign rally in Minnesota at the time , had not yet learned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McConnell did not specify if the vote would happen before the election or after , in a lame-duck session of Congress when Trump also could be a lame-duck president .
It was McConnell who in 2016 led the Republican strategy to prevent hearings on then-president Barack Obama ’ s nomination of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court , arguing that voters in that year ’ s elections — including the presidential race Trump won — had a right to determine the next justice .
At the time , there was a Democratic president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ succeeded the late Antonin Scalia , a conservative jurist .
In his Friday statement , McConnell drew a distinction : that voters “ reelected our majority in 2016 and expanded it in 2018 because we pledged to work with President Trump and support his agenda , particularly his outstanding appointments to the federal judiciary.
” As word of Ginsburg ’ s death spread Friday , one of Biden ’ s senior advisers quickly assessed the political gravity .
“ THIS ELECTION IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ELECTION EVER , ” the adviser , Greg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ To # TeamJoe - what we do in the next 46 days will determine the future of this country .
Tonight we can grieve and rededicate ourselves to the country we love.
” After Biden spoke Friday night , his campaign manager , Jen O ’ Malley Dillon , offered similar thoughts .
Ginsburg , she tweeted , echoing Biden , “ stood for all of us .
And as [ Biden ] has shown us , we can , and must , turn pain into purpose .
Grieve tonight , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Never , ever let up , and we will win.
” As vice president four years ago , Biden was among those strenuously opposing the McConnell-led Senate ’ s refusal to take up the Garland nomination .
“ Folks , there 's already enough dysfunction in Washington , DC , '' Biden said in March of 2016 .
`` Now is not the time to spread that dysfunction to the Supreme Court of the United States of America.
” Republicans at the time cited a Biden speech in 1992 to help bolster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arguing that they were following “ the Biden Rule.
” Biden , then a senator , had suggested the Senate not take action on any Supreme Court nomination made ahead of that year ’ s election by then-president George H.W .
Bush .
Biden also said Bush should not pick a nominee until after the election .
He was dealing in hypotheticals , though .
There was no vacancy on the court at the time .
Biden , a former chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee , has substantial experience in Supreme Court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the hearings for Robert Bork , the conservative Ronald Reagan nominee whose nomination he helped scuttle , and Clarence Thomas , the George H.W .
Bush nominee who was confirmed after a nationally televised hearing in which Thomas was accused of sexual harassment .
Biden ’ s handling of the Thomas hearing , and his treatment of Thomas ’ s accuser , law professor Anita Hill , have been enduring points of scrutiny in his career .
( Hill recently said she plans to vote for Biden . )
In 1993 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hearings , an occasion he briefly recalled Friday night .
“ I got to meet her at the time , ” Biden said .
“ In the decades since , she had been absolutely consistent and reliable and a voice for freedom and opportunity for everyone .
And , you know , she never failed .
She was fierce and unflinching in her pursuit of the civil and legal rights — the civil rights of everyone .
”

Joe Biden said Friday night that the US Senate should hold off on confirming a successor to Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, asserting — as Republicans did in 2016 — that voters have a right to weigh in.
“In the coming days, we should focus on the loss of the justice and her enduring legacy,” Biden, the Democratic presidential nominee, told reporters in Delaware, shortly after returning home from a campaign trip to Minnesota as the news broke of the justice’s death. “But there is no doubt — let me be clear — that the voters should pick the president and the president should pick the justice for the Senate to consider. This was the position [the] Republican Senate took in 2016, when there were almost 10 months to go before the election. That's the position the United States Senate must take today.”
Biden’s remarks signaled how, in a matter of hours, the focus of this year’s presidential election shifted sharply from the weighty crises of systemic racism and a pandemic to the ideological future of the Supreme Court. Ginsburg died earlier Friday following complications from metastatic pancreatic cancer. She was 87. In her final days, she told her granddaughter, according to NPR News, that her “most fervent wish” was that she “not be replaced until a new president is installed.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell declared late Friday that the Senate would vote on whomever President Donald Trump nominates to fill the vacancy. (Trump, holding his own campaign rally in Minnesota at the time, had not yet learned of Ginsburg’s death.) McConnell did not specify if the vote would happen before the election or after, in a lame-duck session of Congress when Trump also could be a lame-duck president.
It was McConnell who in 2016 led the Republican strategy to prevent hearings on then-president Barack Obama’s nomination of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court, arguing that voters in that year’s elections — including the presidential race Trump won — had a right to determine the next justice. At the time, there was a Democratic president and Republican-held Senate. Garland would have succeeded the late Antonin Scalia, a conservative jurist.
In his Friday statement, McConnell drew a distinction: that voters “reelected our majority in 2016 and expanded it in 2018 because we pledged to work with President Trump and support his agenda, particularly his outstanding appointments to the federal judiciary.”
As word of Ginsburg’s death spread Friday, one of Biden’s senior advisers quickly assessed the political gravity.
“THIS ELECTION IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ELECTION EVER,” the adviser, Greg Schultz, tweeted. He added later: “To #TeamJoe - what we do in the next 46 days will determine the future of this country. Tonight we can grieve and rededicate ourselves to the country we love.”
After Biden spoke Friday night, his campaign manager, Jen O’Malley Dillon, offered similar thoughts. Ginsburg, she tweeted, echoing Biden, “stood for all of us. And as [Biden] has shown us, we can, and must, turn pain into purpose. Grieve tonight, fight tomorrow and every day after that. Never, ever let up, and we will win.”
As vice president four years ago, Biden was among those strenuously opposing the McConnell-led Senate’s refusal to take up the Garland nomination.
“Folks, there's already enough dysfunction in Washington, DC," Biden said in March of 2016. "Now is not the time to spread that dysfunction to the Supreme Court of the United States of America.”
Republicans at the time cited a Biden speech in 1992 to help bolster their inaction on the Garland nomination, arguing that they were following “the Biden Rule.” Biden, then a senator, had suggested the Senate not take action on any Supreme Court nomination made ahead of that year’s election by then-president George H.W. Bush. Biden also said Bush should not pick a nominee until after the election. He was dealing in hypotheticals, though. There was no vacancy on the court at the time.
Biden, a former chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has substantial experience in Supreme Court confirmation battles. Most notably he presided over the hearings for Robert Bork, the conservative Ronald Reagan nominee whose nomination he helped scuttle, and Clarence Thomas, the George H.W. Bush nominee who was confirmed after a nationally televised hearing in which Thomas was accused of sexual harassment. Biden’s handling of the Thomas hearing, and his treatment of Thomas’s accuser, law professor Anita Hill, have been enduring points of scrutiny in his career. (Hill recently said she plans to vote for Biden.)
In 1993, Biden presided over Ginsburg’s confirmation hearings, an occasion he briefly recalled Friday night.
“I got to meet her at the time,” Biden said. “In the decades since, she had been absolutely consistent and reliable and a voice for freedom and opportunity for everyone. And, you know, she never failed. She was fierce and unflinching in her pursuit of the civil and legal rights — the civil rights of everyone.”


buzzfeed--2020-09-19--Mitch McConnell Said The Senate Will Vote On Trump’s Replacement For Ruth Bader Ginsburg

WASHINGTON — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell declared Friday he will support President Donald Trump in attempting to fill the late justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg ’ s Supreme Court seat this fall , despite the imminent presidential election .
“ Americans reelected our majority in 2016 and expanded it in 2018 because we pledged to work with President Trump and support his agenda , particularly his outstanding appointments to the federal judiciary .
Once again , we will keep our promise , ” he said in a press release .
“ President Trump ’ s nominee will receive a vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate.
” McConnell famously refused to allow former president Barack Obama ’ s nomination of Judge Merrick Garland to proceed in 2016 .
At the time , McConnell argued it was an election year and voters should decide who filled the next Supreme Court seat ; Garland was nominated in March of that year , eight months away from the election .
Responding to cries of hypocrisy from the left , McConnell has said that rule only applied because the Senate was controlled by a different party than the president ; he reiterated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not appear to be aware of Ginsburg ’ s death when McConnell released the statement .
The news of Ginsburg ’ s death came during a campaign rally in Minnesota , where Trump did not show any indication he was aware of the news , aside from praising his potential future Supreme Court nominees , including Sen. Ted Cruz , and emphasizing the importance of the election for the future of the court .
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
McConnell has long been on record @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Supreme Court in 2020 if a seat opens up , despite blocking Obama ’ s nominee in 2016 .
“ Oh , we ’ d fill it , ” McConnell told supporters in Kentucky last year .
The Friday night announcement of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg ’ s death comes less than seven weeks before the next presidential election .
But even if Trump loses to Joe Biden , Republicans will control the Senate until at least January .
Republicans hold a 53-seat majority in the 100-seat chamber .
In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mike Pence casts the tie-breaking vote .
Because of that , four Republican senators would need to object to a new Supreme Court nominee in order to block a nomination , assuming all Democrats are opposed .
The White House is poised to swiftly name a nominee — Trump released a list of Supreme Court candidates he ’ d like to nominate just last week .
The unusual practice of publicly naming potential candidates has given the administration and conservative legal advocacy groups time well in advance of an actual open seat to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strategy .
Trump announced the nomination of Justice Brett Kavanaugh just two weeks after now-former justice Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement in July 2018 .
Republican nominees already hold a 5–4 majority on the Supreme Court , but replacing Ginsburg would shift the court even further to the right ; justices serve lifetime appointments and can only be removed through impeachment , so the next justice could spend decades on the bench .
Trump has lashed out at Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. for siding with Ginsburg and the court ’ s liberal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suggesting he would try to fill the next vacancy with a more politically reliable nominee .
According to NPR , before she died , Ginsburg told her granddaughter : “ My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed.
” McConnell has been open about filling judicial vacancies and the reshaping the ideological makeup of the courts being the top priority of the Senate under the Trump administration .
Under his watch , the Senate has rarely passed meaningful legislation , but it has confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judicial nominees .
Senate Judiciary Committee chair Lindsey Graham released a statement Friday night expressing “ great sadness ” about Ginsburg ’ s death , but he did not address what he would do if Trump announced a nominee .
In October 2018 , Graham said , “ If an opening comes in the last year of President Trump 's term , and the primary process has started , we 'll wait to the next election.
” Asked to confirm that statement at the time , Graham replied : “ Hold the tape @ @

WASHINGTON — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell declared Friday he will support President Donald Trump in attempting to fill the late justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Supreme Court seat this fall, despite the imminent presidential election.
“Americans reelected our majority in 2016 and expanded it in 2018 because we pledged to work with President Trump and support his agenda, particularly his outstanding appointments to the federal judiciary. Once again, we will keep our promise,” he said in a press release. “President Trump’s nominee will receive a vote on the floor of the United States Senate.”
McConnell famously refused to allow former president Barack Obama’s nomination of Judge Merrick Garland to proceed in 2016. At the time, McConnell argued it was an election year and voters should decide who filled the next Supreme Court seat; Garland was nominated in March of that year, eight months away from the election.
Responding to cries of hypocrisy from the left, McConnell has said that rule only applied because the Senate was controlled by a different party than the president; he reiterated that argument Friday.
Trump himself did not appear to be aware of Ginsburg’s death when McConnell released the statement. The news of Ginsburg’s death came during a campaign rally in Minnesota, where Trump did not show any indication he was aware of the news, aside from praising his potential future Supreme Court nominees, including Sen. Ted Cruz, and emphasizing the importance of the election for the future of the court. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
McConnell has long been on record saying he would appoint a Trump nominee to the Supreme Court in 2020 if a seat opens up, despite blocking Obama’s nominee in 2016. “Oh, we’d fill it,” McConnell told supporters in Kentucky last year.
The Friday night announcement of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death comes less than seven weeks before the next presidential election. But even if Trump loses to Joe Biden, Republicans will control the Senate until at least January.
Republicans hold a 53-seat majority in the 100-seat chamber. In the event of a tie, Vice President Mike Pence casts the tie-breaking vote. Because of that, four Republican senators would need to object to a new Supreme Court nominee in order to block a nomination, assuming all Democrats are opposed.
The White House is poised to swiftly name a nominee — Trump released a list of Supreme Court candidates he’d like to nominate just last week. The unusual practice of publicly naming potential candidates has given the administration and conservative legal advocacy groups time well in advance of an actual open seat to vet potential nominees and develop a confirmation strategy. Trump announced the nomination of Justice Brett Kavanaugh just two weeks after now-former justice Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement in July 2018.
Republican nominees already hold a 5–4 majority on the Supreme Court, but replacing Ginsburg would shift the court even further to the right; justices serve lifetime appointments and can only be removed through impeachment, so the next justice could spend decades on the bench. Trump has lashed out at Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. for siding with Ginsburg and the court’s liberal wing in rulings against his administration, suggesting he would try to fill the next vacancy with a more politically reliable nominee.
According to NPR, before she died, Ginsburg told her granddaughter: “My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed.”
McConnell has been open about filling judicial vacancies and the reshaping the ideological makeup of the courts being the top priority of the Senate under the Trump administration. Under his watch, the Senate has rarely passed meaningful legislation, but it has confirmed more than 200 of Trump’s judicial nominees.
Senate Judiciary Committee chair Lindsey Graham released a statement Friday night expressing “great sadness” about Ginsburg’s death, but he did not address what he would do if Trump announced a nominee. In October 2018, Graham said, “If an opening comes in the last year of President Trump's term, and the primary process has started, we'll wait to the next election.” Asked to confirm that statement at the time, Graham replied: “Hold the tape.”


buzzfeed--2020-09-19--Friends And Family Members Of QAnon Believers Are Going Through A “Surreal Goddamn Nightmare”