buzzfeed--2020-08-24--These Countries Have The Highest COVID-19 Infection Rates. This Is What The US Has In Common With Th

These Countries Have The Highest COVID-19 Infection Rates. This Is What The US Has In Common With Them.

“ The US is no longer an example for other countries to follow.
” The pandemic has put the United States in unusual and humbling global company .
Once viewed as a beacon of government competence and a model for public health , the US has fumbled the response to the coronavirus pandemic even more than countries known for widespread corruption , poor healthcare , and ubiquitous poverty — to the shock of many around the world .
By many measures , the US is now faring worse than Mexico , Brazil , India , and Russia .
This is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , many of whom are watching the situation unfold in the US with shock and bewilderment .
Roxana Sánchez , an economist in Mexico City , has always resented her country ’ s corrupt presidents and looked longingly at the seemingly upright politics of the US .
But these days , as she watches President Donald Trump musing on television about drinking disinfectant , she sees in the US an even more dangerous kind of leader : an ignorant one .
Alexey Raksha , an independent demographer in Moscow , grew distressed this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months of lockdown and promptly begin partying , going to restaurants , and generally ignoring recommendations from public health experts .
Coronavirus cases in the country surged .
When he turned on the TV , he was shocked to see similar scenes playing out in the US .
It looked to him like Russia ’ s impoverished , remote regions “ had a lot in common with states like Florida , Texas , and Georgia , where cases are currently spiking.
” Nondita D ’ Souza , principal of a school in western @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in her area threw temper tantrums when schools closed because of the pandemic ; she then experienced a jolt of disappointment and recognition as the same kinds of debates playing out in the US .
While these countries seem so different , the response to the pandemic in each place has underscored all the other things they have in common : populist or authoritarian-leaning leaders , officials who have flouted the advice of their top scientists while pushing absurd remedies to fight the virus , and enormous swaths of the population with no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home .
“ The US is no longer an example for other countries to follow , ” said Sánchez , the Mexico City economist .
Instead , she said , it has become an example of something else : “ In the countries where the death toll is the highest , there is no real leadership.
” In all these countries — and others that have emerged as hot spots — top officials initially downplayed the severity of the crisis , fumbled lockdowns , and sometimes even seemed to embrace magical thinking to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said he carries palm-sized amulets as protective shields against the coronavirus .
In Russia , where President Vladimir Putin was largely absent from the country ’ s response , homemade recipes spread widely , including one for a “ miracle drink ” of lemon and baking soda to cleanse the body .
Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India proposed banging pots and pans ; his followers were quick to circulate videos over WhatsApp suggesting the sound ’ s “ cumulative vibration , ” similar to temple bells , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Modi also repeatedly extolled the virtue of yoga as a “ protective shield ” against the virus .
Last week , he and several Hindu priests ignored social distancing rules to gather and lay down the foundation stone of a Hindu temple .
( Subsequently , a priest who shared the stage with the Modi tested positive for the virus . )
In the wake of such messaging , people in these countries have often failed to take the virus seriously themselves .
Leaders had waved off the advice of their top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everyone else ?
Especially since , as in the US , many people were told they had to choose between public health and the economy , between catching an illness their leaders have pooh-poohed and putting food on the table .
By April , as the number of infections was multiplying rapidly in Brazil , President Jair Bolsonaro , who called the disease caused by the coronavirus a “ little flu , ” fired his widely beloved health minister , Luiz Henrique Mandetta .
While Mandetta had been urging social distancing , Bolsonaro @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia , Putin initially ordered a nationwide paid holiday in late March , when there were less than 1,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases , but he quickly sloughed much of the power and responsibility to regional governors .
Some of them imposed restrictions on public transport and public gatherings , and citywide lockdowns for those hardest hit ; in Moscow , residents were required to download a digital pass to leave home .
But caught off guard , many regional governments were not up to the challenge , and their responses were confusing or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russians went about their daily lives , flouting or ignoring public health recommendations , such as wearing face masks .
News reports described restaurants and bars in Moscow and St. Petersburg as being near full capacity while infections surged ; owners complained about the financial hit long-term closures would cause .
Most of the measures were gradually lifted starting in May , when Putin said the country should reopen and people should get back to work .
The daily rates of infection surged .
Nevertheless , much of the country continued to behave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York Times story published at the beginning of August quoted young Russians who are out partying again at bars without masks because they “ want to have a life.
” In Mexico , Hugo López-Gatell Ramírez , the deputy health minister in charge of the government ’ s coronavirus response , told people to keep their distance , stay home , and wear masks .
López Obrador flouted each of these suggestions , continuing to hug people , travel , and go maskless , even in crowded rooms .
One of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a mask in public was when he went to meet Trump , who himself has stoked the raging debate over mask use in the US .
In Acapulco , a major tourist port city on Mexico ’ s Pacific coast , people continued attending weddings and hosting quinceañeras .
And it wasn ’ t just locals — skeptical people from Mexico City who drove to Acapulco to ride out the pandemic in their luxury condominiums have also been throwing parties .
The government , despite its lackadaisical and conflicted stance , eventually deployed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up .
“ It has been a challenge to make people understand that the coronavirus is , for starters , real , ” Adela Román Ocampo , the mayor of Acapulco , told BuzzFeed News .
At the same time , when many of these places did finally lock down , they did so without a plan to boost the social safety net .
In India , Modi imposed one of the harshest lockdowns in the world in late March .
Some people were confined to their homes for weeks , but the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , unable to make rent , or feed their families and also unable to leave the cities for their hometowns .
This , according to Supriya Sharma , an editor at the Indian news website Scroll.in , is when the trouble began .
“ Rural migrants were forcibly held back in cities for two months as infections rose .
When they were finally allowed to go home , they took the virus from urban hotspots to rural areas across the country , ” Sharma told BuzzFeed News over email .
“ Now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every region of the country — even Bihar and Odisha where the health infrastructure is extremely poor .
Frontline workers are fatigued , hospitals are overwhelmed , and the economic crisis means there ’ s little scope for any more lockdowns.
” There are echoes of all this in what has happened in the US .
In April , Trump famously spoke on national television about the possibility of shining a powerful beam of light or disinfectant inside patients to kill the coronavirus .
He also repeatedly called for the economy , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absent what many experts said was a real plan to do so safely .
His administration has undercut his own public health experts , as when his aides provided campaign-style opposition research on Dr. Anthony Fauci .
What these leaders have in common “ is the inability to navigate ambiguity and the need for certainty , even when it ’ s baseless ” Michael S. Roth , president of Wesleyan University , told BuzzFeed News .
“ And in a pandemic , that becomes a deadly combination.
” Even before the pandemic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trouble .
Many hospitals suffered from crumbling infrastructure , medicine shortages , and ill-prepared staffers .
In Mexico , López Obrador implemented steep budget cuts shortly after his inauguration in 2018 .
Doctors , nurses , and patients complained of empty medicine cabinets and delayed surgeries .
When the coronavirus hit the country of 126 million , many people stayed away from hospitals , which are perceived as inefficient and even dangerous .
Blanca Imelda , a nurse in a clinic in Culiacán in Sinaloa state , became infected with the virus in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her children : “ If I get very ill , I ’ d rather die at home than over there , ” referring to the local hospital .
Imelda , 58 , said doctors didn ’ t have the resources to give patients optimal care .
When her son became infected , a doctor told her by telephone to administer hydroxychloroquine .
Her son had a bad reaction ; Imelda was unable to care for him at home , and she rushed him to the hospital .
Staffers told her that he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As Imelda hooked him up to an IV at home , she prayed , asking God to spare him .
He survived .
In Russia , the healthcare system has been underfunded and in abysmal shape for decades .
With the exception of some hospitals in Moscow and St. Petersburg , the country ’ s two most populated cities , most healthcare facilities are dilapidated and suffer severe shortages of doctors , nurses , equipment , and medication .
Moreover , medical staffers work long hours ( sometimes 48-hour shifts with just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ little money , according to news reports and experts who spoke to BuzzFeed News .
Then came the pandemic , inundating already overburdened hospitals and doctors with far more patients than they were used to seeing .
On top of crumbling public health systems and the “ magical thinking ” approach , these countries have also been plagued by spotty testing ; plus , in many cases , faulty or manipulated statistics have made it difficult or impossible for public health officials and epidemiologists to get a handle on the spread .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since the pandemic ’ s early days , beginning when errors at the CDC led to a severe shortage of tests .
Since then , Trump has repeatedly promoted a specious claim that case numbers are high due to the country ’ s high testing volume , and has even called for slowing down testing .
In recent weeks , testing has declined sharply in hot spot states , which has epidemiologists worried that cases are being missed .
In India , the health ministry has wheeled out statistics to boost public confidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rate is dangerously low : While more than 2 million tests have been administered , India is still only testing around 4,100 people per million .
( The global average is 29,000 tests per million . )
Sulakshana Nandi , director of People 's Health Movement , a rural health advocacy group , told BuzzFeed News that “ huge number of cases are being missed , mainly due to grossly inadequate testing.
” Even the one thing Modi has congratulated himself for — that India has the lowest fatality rate among the worst-affected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We are missing COVID-19 deaths in the same way that we are missing cases due to less testing , ” Nandi said .
“ In India , death-reporting by the government has always been a problem .
There is a long-standing practice of underreporting specific disease mortality .
We have seen that with regards to malaria , tuberculosis , dengue , and many others.
” In Russia , health experts and a former government statistician told BuzzFeed News that the number of coronavirus cases and related deaths are being drastically undercounted .
Alexey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Rosstat , the Russian federal statistics agency , before being forced out early this year for speaking out about flaws in its recording system .
He has studied mortality rates throughout the county since the early days of the pandemic and compared them with official death counts .
He quickly found inconsistencies , he said .
For instance , the number of deaths recorded in Moscow in April , 11,846 , was almost 20 % higher than that of the same month last year , and in May the number was 15,713 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previous year , Raksha said .
Yet in April this year , just 658 deaths were attributed to COVID-19 , and in May the figure was just 2,757 .
Reports from the city of St. Petersburg and across the country were similar , Raksha said .
That suggests that officials were missing or undercounting deaths .
Russia ’ s Ministry of Health had reported 932,493 cases and 15,872 deaths as of Wednesday .
But based on Raksha ’ s calculations , the actual number of coronavirus cases in the country “ could probably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million ” with the true number of deaths closer to 40,000 .
Seryogin , the paramedic in Oryol , said he also doubts the official coronavirus statistics , based on what he has seen .
“ In my opinion , the number of cases and deaths may be underestimated in order to calm the population , ” he said .
He added that limited testing is partly to blame for the alleged inaccuracies .
He said people are currently only tested for COVID-19 at hospitals when they are diagnosed with pneumonia and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being related to COVID-19 if the person had a preexisting condition .
For the government ’ s part , Russian Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova lauded the country ’ s testing capacity in April .
As of Wednesday , it had conducted a total of 17,803,955 tests , according to the Ministry of Health .
Moreover , Putin boasted this month of approving the world ’ s first coronavirus vaccine , although there is skepticism over its efficacy and safety .
And in Mexico , officials admitted that there were 71,314 excess deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March 15 and June 27 — the official COVID-19 death count is just 59,106 .
The government came under fire in May , after the news media reported that the death toll in Mexico City was more than three times what the official figures claimed .
By July , half the tests in Mexico were coming back positive , a sign that only those who present serious symptoms are getting tested .
According to the World Health Organization , countries should not reopen their economies until they get test positivity rates at 5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mexico having the highest percentage of positive tests in the world , restaurants in many parts of the country boast full tables , stores are trying to lure people back with deep discounts , and subway platforms are packed .
Mriga Kapadiya , co-owner and cofounder of the NorBlack NorWhite apparel line , is a Canadian citizen of Indian origin who found herself locked down in south India when travel restrictions first hit the country .
Over the last few months , Kapadiya said , she has regularly checked on friends in Toronto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The differences were stark .
In Toronto , her friends had “ solid government welfare support , ” she said , and “ a stable income to at least pay rent and create some time and space to think about next steps.
” But in New York , “ the lack of government support , physical space , major job cuts coupled with the uprising and political climate , it seems to be extremely difficult on every single level.
” She sees in New York the same thing as in India : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the government will keep them safe , fed , or housed .
They are on their own to protect themselves from the virus , and to figure out how to make a living as it rages around them .
Emilio Reyes , an antiques vendor in Mexico City , said he can ’ t rely on his government .
When the pandemic first reached Mexico , Reyes said , he underestimated its potential .
And as he watched López Obrador zigzag the country — hugging and kissing people during political events in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already in lockdown — Reyes became convinced the virus was nothing to worry about .
But then a relative died .
Neighbors and close friends soon followed .
“ Mexico doesn ’ t give a fuck , ” he said .
“ The thing about the government helping people ?
That ’ s a show.
” ●

In the wake of such messaging, people in these countries have often failed to take the virus seriously themselves. Leaders had waved off the advice of their top scientists, so why shouldn’t everyone else? Especially since, as in the US, many people were told they had to choose between public health and the economy, between catching an illness their leaders have pooh-poohed and putting food on the table.
By April, as the number of cases was multiplying rapidly in Brazil, President Jair Bolsonaro, who called the disease caused by the coronavirus a “little flu,” fired his widely beloved health minister, Luiz Henrique Mandetta. While Mandetta had been urging social distancing, Bolsonaro demanded people return to work.
In Russia, Putin initially ordered a nationwide paid holiday in late March, when there were less than 1,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases, but he quickly sloughed much of the power and responsibility to regional governors. Some of them imposed restrictions on public transport and public gatherings, and citywide lockdowns for those hardest hit; in Moscow, residents were required to download a digital pass to leave home.
But caught off guard, many regional governments were not up to the challenge, and their responses were confusing or lackluster. As a result, many Russians went about their daily lives, flouting or ignoring public health recommendations, such as wearing face masks. News reports described restaurants and bars in Moscow and St. Petersburg as being near full capacity while infections surged; owners complained about the financial hit long-term closures would cause.
Most of the measures were gradually lifted starting in May, when Putin said the country should reopen and people should get back to work. The daily case counts surged. Nevertheless, much of the country continued to behave as if everything was fine. A New York Times story published at the beginning of August quoted young Russians who are out partying again at bars without masks because they “want to have a life.”
In Mexico, Hugo López-Gatell Ramírez, the deputy health minister in charge of the government’s coronavirus response, told people to keep their distance, stay home, and wear masks. López Obrador flouted each of these suggestions, continuing to hug people, travel, and go maskless, even in crowded rooms.
One of the only times that López Obrador has worn a mask in public was when he went to meet Trump, who himself has stoked the raging debate over mask use in the US.
In Acapulco, a major tourist port city on Mexico’s Pacific coast, people continued attending weddings and hosting quinceañeras. And it wasn’t just locals — skeptical people from Mexico City who drove to Acapulco to ride out the pandemic in their luxury condominiums have also been throwing parties. The government, despite its lackadaisical and conflicted stance, eventually deployed the Mexican National Guard to break them up.
“It has been a challenge to make people understand that the coronavirus is, for starters, real,” Adela Román Ocampo, the mayor of Acapulco, told BuzzFeed News.
At the same time, when many of these places did finally lock down, they did so without a plan to boost the social safety net.
In India, Modi imposed one of the harshest lockdowns in the world in late March. Some people were confined to their homes for weeks, but the lockdown also left millions stranded without work, unable to make rent, or feed their families and also unable to leave the cities for their hometowns.
This, according to Supriya Sharma, an editor at the Indian news website Scroll.in, is when the trouble began. “Rural migrants were forcibly held back in cities for two months as infections rose. When they were finally allowed to go home, they took the virus from urban hotspots to rural areas across the country,” Sharma told BuzzFeed News over email. “Now, cases are rising in every state, every region of the country — even Bihar and Odisha where the health infrastructure is extremely poor. Frontline workers are fatigued, hospitals are overwhelmed, and the economic crisis means there’s little scope for any more lockdowns.”
There are echoes of all this in what has happened in the US. In April, Trump famously spoke on national television about the possibility of shining a powerful beam of light or disinfectant inside patients to kill the coronavirus. He also repeatedly called for the economy, and later schools, to be reopened, absent what many experts said was a real plan to do so safely. His administration has undercut his own public health experts, as when his aides provided campaign-style opposition research on Dr. Anthony Fauci.
What these leaders have in common “is the inability to navigate ambiguity and the need for certainty, even when it’s baseless” Michael S. Roth, president of Wesleyan University, told BuzzFeed News. “And in a pandemic, that becomes a deadly combination.”


buzzfeed--2020-08-24--Postmaster General Louis DeJoy Could Not Answer A Question About The Price Of A Postcard Stamp

WASHINGTON — Postmaster General Louis DeJoy does not know the cost of sending a postcard , he said during a congressional hearing Monday , and could not answer several other questions about the agency he was recently appointed to run .
Rep. Katie Porter of California grilled DeJoy on several questions about United States Postal Service operations while the newly appointed postmaster general appeared before the House Oversight Committee , starting with the price of a first-class stamp .
“ Just wanted to check , ” Porter said before moving to the next question .
“ What about to mail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t , ” he said .
( The answer is 35 cents . )
Porter also asked DeJoy the weight limit for priority mail ( 70 pounds , he answered correctly ) and the starting rate for USPS priority mail ( it ’ s $ 7.50 , which DeJoy did not know ) , before asking if he knew how many people voted by mail in the last presidential election .
DeJoy could not answer , and Porter asked if he could estimate to the nearest 10 million .
“ I would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t want to guess , ” he responded .
( About 1 in every 4 voters , about 33 million people , voted by mail in 2016 , according to the nonpartisan Vote at Home Institute . )
“ So , Mr. DeJoy , I 'm concerned , ” Porter said .
“ I 'm glad you know the price of a stamp , but I 'm concerned about your understanding of this agency .
And I 'm particularly concerned … because you started taking very decisive action when you became postmaster general @ @

WASHINGTON — Postmaster General Louis DeJoy does not know the cost of sending a postcard, he said during a congressional hearing Monday, and could not answer several other questions about the agency he was recently appointed to run.
Rep. Katie Porter of California grilled DeJoy on several questions about United States Postal Service operations while the newly appointed postmaster general appeared before the House Oversight Committee, starting with the price of a first-class stamp.
“Fifty-five cents,” DeJoy correctly said.
“Just wanted to check,” Porter said before moving to the next question. “What about to mail a postcard?”
DeJoy couldn’t answer.
“I don’t,” he said. (The answer is 35 cents.)
Porter also asked DeJoy the weight limit for priority mail (70 pounds, he answered correctly) and the starting rate for USPS priority mail (it’s $7.50, which DeJoy did not know), before asking if he knew how many people voted by mail in the last presidential election.
DeJoy could not answer, and Porter asked if he could estimate to the nearest 10 million.
“I would be guessing, and I don’t want to guess,” he responded. (About 1 in every 4 voters, about 33 million people, voted by mail in 2016, according to the nonpartisan Vote at Home Institute.)
“So, Mr. DeJoy, I'm concerned,” Porter said. “I'm glad you know the price of a stamp, but I'm concerned about your understanding of this agency. And I'm particularly concerned … because you started taking very decisive action when you became postmaster general.”


buzzfeed--2020-08-24--AOC Shared Her Skincare And Beauty Routine And It’s Impressive For So Many Reasons

`` If you are at all a melanated woman , it 's really hard to find sunscreen because a lot @ @ @ @ @ cast , '' says AOC .
In the video , her go-to is Biore UV @ @ @ @ @

"There’s this really false idea that if you care about makeup or beauty or fashion, that’s somehow frivolous," she goes on. "But I actually think these are some of the most substantive decisions that we make — and we make them every morning."


buzzfeed--2020-08-24--The National Guard Has Been Deployed To Kenosha After Police Shot A Black Man Who Was Walking To His

The National Guard Has Been Deployed To Kenosha After Police Shot A Black Man Who Was Walking To His Car

Wisconsin 's governor on Monday deployed the National Guard to the town of Kenosha , where police officers shot a Black man from behind as he walked to his car on Sunday evening , triggering protests overnight .
In an incident filmed and shared on social media , 29-year-old Jacob Blake is seen walking away from several police officers .
When he opens the car door , an officer grabs his shirt and then shoots him several times from behind .
Blake is in serious condition at a hospital in Milwaukee , according to a statement tweeted by the Kenosha @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scene responding to a `` domestic incident , '' police added .
Blake 's family members have said on social media that he is out of surgery and is in stable condition .
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump said that Blake 's three sons were `` only a few feet away '' at the time of the shooting .
`` Jacob Blake was shot in the back seven times in front of his children , '' Wisconsin Lt. Gov .
Mandela Barnes said in a press conference Monday .
`` This wasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t bad police work .
This felt like some sort of vendetta being taken out on a member of our community .
The officer 's deadly actions attempted to take a person 's life in broad daylight . ''
Gov .
Tony Evers announced that 125 National Guard members would be deployed to Kenosha County by Monday evening to `` support local law enforcement '' after the shooting sparked overnight demonstrations during which police used tear gas against protesters .
`` Every person should be able to express their anger and frustration by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on these calls to action without any fear of being unsafe , '' Evers said in a statement .
He added that this was a `` limited mobilization of the National Guard '' that was focused on protecting critical infrastructure and to ensure `` Kenoshians are able to assemble safely . ''
Kenosha County declared an emergency curfew for Monday , ordering the public to `` be off the streets for their safety '' from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. Tuesday .
The officers involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ identified by officials .
The Wisconsin Department of Justice said that its Division of Criminal Investigation will be investigating the shooting .
`` The Wisconsin Department of Justice is vigorously and thoroughly investigating yesterday ’ s officer-involved shooting in Kenosha , '' Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul said in a statement .
`` I hope for a full recovery for the man fighting for his life . ''
Kaul added that the DOJ will work closely with the Kenosha County District Attorney ’ s Office , which will make the decision on whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In a tweet , a man who was identified as Blake 's cousin said Blake was in the ICU .
`` We will not excuse the actions of the Kenosha Police department , but his mother asks everyone to please remain peaceful , '' his cousin said .

Wisconsin's governor on Monday deployed the National Guard to the town of Kenosha, where police officers shot a Black man from behind as he walked to his car on Sunday evening, triggering protests overnight.
In an incident filmed and shared on social media, 29-year-old Jacob Blake is seen walking away from several police officers. When he opens the car door, an officer grabs his shirt and then shoots him several times from behind.
Blake is in serious condition at a hospital in Milwaukee, according to a statement tweeted by the Kenosha Police Department. Officers were on the scene responding to a "domestic incident," police added.
Blake's family members have said on social media that he is out of surgery and is in stable condition.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump said that Blake's three sons were "only a few feet away" at the time of the shooting.
"Jacob Blake was shot in the back seven times in front of his children," Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes said in a press conference Monday. "This wasn’t an accident. This wasn’t bad police work. This felt like some sort of vendetta being taken out on a member of our community. The officer's deadly actions attempted to take a person's life in broad daylight."
Gov. Tony Evers announced that 125 National Guard members would be deployed to Kenosha County by Monday evening to "support local law enforcement" after the shooting sparked overnight demonstrations during which police used tear gas against protesters.
"Every person should be able to express their anger and frustration by exercising their First Amendment rights and report on these calls to action without any fear of being unsafe," Evers said in a statement.
He added that this was a "limited mobilization of the National Guard" that was focused on protecting critical infrastructure and to ensure "Kenoshians are able to assemble safely."
Kenosha County declared an emergency curfew for Monday, ordering the public to "be off the streets for their safety" from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. Tuesday.
The officers involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave, but have not yet been identified by officials.
The Wisconsin Department of Justice said that its Division of Criminal Investigation will be investigating the shooting.
"The Wisconsin Department of Justice is vigorously and thoroughly investigating yesterday’s officer-involved shooting in Kenosha," Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul said in a statement. "I hope for a full recovery for the man fighting for his life."
Kaul added that the DOJ will work closely with the Kenosha County District Attorney’s Office, which will make the decision on whether to file charges in the case.
In a tweet, a man who was identified as Blake's cousin said Blake was in the ICU.
"We will not excuse the actions of the Kenosha Police department, but his mother asks everyone to please remain peaceful," his cousin said.


buzzfeed--2020-08-24--Kellyanne Conway, One Of Trump’s Closest Advisers, Is Leaving The White House

Conway said she is leaving this month to spend time with her family .
Her high-profile anti-Trump husband is also stepping back from public view .
WASHINGTON — White House adviser Kellyanne Conway announced late Sunday night that she ’ s leaving the White House at the end of the month to take care of family issues .
Conway tweeted a statement of the announcement , which was first reported by the Washington Post .
“ I am deeply grateful to the President for his honor , and to the First Lady , the Vice President and Mrs. Pence , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Administration , and the countless people who supported my work , ” Conway wrote in a statement .
Conway ’ s husband , lawyer George Conway , also announced he would withdraw from the Lincoln Project — a Republican PAC intended to prevent the reelection of Trump .
Both cited they would address family issues .
He said he would also step back from Twitter , a platform that has helped make him famous in anti-Trump social media .
The Conways have four children .
Their daughter Claudia Conway has publicly opposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ followers on social media to vote for Joe Biden , the Democratic nominee for president .
Earlier Sunday , the 15-year-old announced on Twitter she would “ take a mental health break from social media.
” Kellyanne Conway referred to her children in her announcement .
“ This is completely my choice and my voice , ” Conway wrote .
“ In time , I will announce future plans .
For now , and for my beloved children , it will be less drama , more mama.
” Kellyanne and George Conway ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fascination for most of Trump ’ s time in the White House .
Just earlier Sunday in a Twitter thread , George Conway questioned how anyone could work for Trump .
“ We disagree about plenty but we are united on what matters most : the kids , ” Kellyanne Conway said in her Sunday statement .
Conway had been scheduled to speak Wednesday at the Republican National Convention , and it was not immediately clear Sunday night if she would keep that speaking role .
Conway is one of Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the very few people remaining with him in the White House from his 2016 presidential campaign .
Conway , a longtime Republican pollster , was Trump ’ s final campaign manager of that race and is the first woman to have run a winning presidential campaign .
Before coming to the White House , Conway owned and operated the Polling Company , a prominent polling firm that she sold to CRC Public Relations in 2017 .
After the campaign , Conway joined the White House as Trump ’ s counselor and top adviser @ @ @ @ @ @ @ throughout Trump ’ s first term , relentlessly defending the president and the administration .
Whenever the White House was under fire , Conway was a frequent guest on cable news shows playing defense , while often being accused of perpetuating falsehoods coming from the administration .
She also led the White House ’ s response to the country ’ s opioid epidemic .
Conway herself faced a handful of controversies , including citing a nonexistent “ Bowling Green massacre ” to defend Trump ’ s refugee ban and committing a potential ethics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ buy Ivanka Trump ’ s products after Nordstrom announced it had dropped the clothing brand .
Her defining moment as Trump ’ s adviser , though , may have come at the very outset of the president ’ s administration .
Just two days after Trump ’ s inauguration , which then–press secretary Sean Spicer falsely insisted featured the largest audience for a presidential inauguration , Conway defended Spicer , saying he was merely offering “ alternative facts .
”

WASHINGTON — White House adviser Kellyanne Conway announced late Sunday night that she’s leaving the White House at the end of the month to take care of family issues.
Conway tweeted a statement of the announcement, which was first reported by the Washington Post.
“I am deeply grateful to the President for his honor, and to the First Lady, the Vice President and Mrs. Pence, my colleagues in the White House and the Administration, and the countless people who supported my work,” Conway wrote in a statement.
Conway’s husband, lawyer George Conway, also announced he would withdraw from the Lincoln Project — a Republican PAC intended to prevent the reelection of Trump. Both cited they would address family issues. He said he would also step back from Twitter, a platform that has helped make him famous in anti-Trump social media.


buzzfeed--2020-08-24--Opinion: Miles Taylor's Actions At DHS Are Not Excused By His Support For Biden

On Nov. 6 , 2019 , I sent the last email I would ever send using my Google corporate account .
My coworkers and I had been expressing concerns about the hiring of a former Department of Homeland Security chief of staff , Miles Taylor .
According to internal DHS emails obtained by BuzzFeed News , Taylor played direct roles in the defense of a version of the Muslim travel ban and child separation policies .
His hiring raised serious concerns for us about workplace safety , especially for Muslim , Latinx , and immigrant workers who , along with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worries and question leadership via the corporate network .
In response , the company censored us by deleting emails , memes , and questions from the corporate network , ironically claiming in part that they caused a hostile workplace for Taylor .
In my email , I explained that expressing these concerns about the workplace seemed to be protected by labor law ; by deleting them , Google appeared to be violating those laws .
Within 30 minutes , I was locked out of my account and put on administrative leave .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and three other workplace organizers .
Because we were fired without notice on the week of Thanksgiving , the press called us “ the Thanksgiving Four.
” So imagine my surprise to read Taylor ’ s Washington Post op-ed excoriating Donald Trump for , among other things , precisely the policies he worked to defend while at the DHS that caused so many at Google ( and in Congress ) to object to his hiring .
Taylor is now supporting Joe Biden for president and has even taken a leave of absence from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Biden campaign .
Given that Taylor and I now strongly agree on one of the most important decisions Americans will face in the coming months , I was originally hesitant to comment publicly .
Despite our many differences of opinion , I can respect Never Trump Republicans such as George Conway because they have consistently condemned the Trump administration for an almost unending list of failings .
But I can not help viewing with great cynicism the timing of Taylor ’ s jumping from a now-sinking ship on whose crew he enthusiastically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I see Taylor ’ s very public change of heart , and Google ’ s willingness to indulge it , less as an act of moral courage than as a simple attempt to distance himself from a role that suddenly seems likely to be more of a liability than an asset to his future prospects .
Not only did Taylor decline to repudiate his former role when his new coworkers objected a year ago , he still does not do so now .
Instead , he prefers to simply ignore his integral part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to find objectionable , as if he were a passive observer .
In interviews , he has claimed not to have been at DHS when the family separation policy was developed .
But his own emails prove that not only was he there prior to its enactment , he even helped prepare its roll out — in an email to former DHS secretary Kirstjen Nielsen in the days before the policy was announced , he sent her talking points with the Orwellian title , `` Protecting Children Narrative . ''
I certainly agree @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ Trump ] are unthinkable.
”  However , as former Trump officials seek to distance themselves from complicity in the administration ’ s many violations of morals , ethics , and decency , I note that Taylor and those like him admit no guilt , display no contrition , and offer no apologies .
While he enjoys time off from a golden parachute position in a policy role at a tech behemoth to pen op-eds and film TV commercials , perhaps as much to rehabilitate his public image as anything , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
The impression left with the astute reader is that Taylor does not believe he did anything wrong .
Taylor , once again , is looking for a soft landing .
I am not ready to accept with open arms the many former administration officials who , over the next two months , will no doubt try to chart a similar path to a post-Trump career .
If Taylor really believes that policies like Muslim bans and the caging of children are wrong , why doesn ’ t he apologize for working to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do that work in the first place ?
I do not know if any of the countless thousands whose lives were destroyed by these policies could ever forgive Taylor for his part in their suffering ; I can not speak for them , and I can only hope that those who survived will one day be able to come forward and tell us exactly what they went through and how it affected them .
Compared to what Taylor did at the behest of Trump , the harm my coworkers and I have suffered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ small , but nonetheless he harmed us , too .
Like he did in his role at DHS , Taylor is again crafting a narrative , one in which he is another of Trump ’ s victims , but he and others who played a part in the atrocities of the Trump administration can not be absolved of their past simply by supporting Biden ’ s bid for the presidency .
If they truly are asking for our forgiveness , they will first need to admit that what they did was wrong , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surely never will : “ I ’ m sorry .
”

On Nov. 6, 2019, I sent the last email I would ever send using my Google corporate account. My coworkers and I had been expressing concerns about the hiring of a former Department of Homeland Security chief of staff, Miles Taylor. According to internal DHS emails obtained by BuzzFeed News, Taylor played direct roles in the defense of a version of the Muslim travel ban and child separation policies. His hiring raised serious concerns for us about workplace safety, especially for Muslim, Latinx, and immigrant workers who, along with many others, chose to express their worries and question leadership via the corporate network. In response, the company censored us by deleting emails, memes, and questions from the corporate network, ironically claiming in part that they caused a hostile workplace for Taylor. In my email, I explained that expressing these concerns about the workplace seemed to be protected by labor law; by deleting them, Google appeared to be violating those laws. Within 30 minutes, I was locked out of my account and put on administrative leave. A few weeks later, Google fired me and three other workplace organizers. Because we were fired without notice on the week of Thanksgiving, the press called us “the Thanksgiving Four.”
So imagine my surprise to read Taylor’s Washington Post op-ed excoriating Donald Trump for, among other things, precisely the policies he worked to defend while at the DHS that caused so many at Google (and in Congress) to object to his hiring. Taylor is now supporting Joe Biden for president and has even taken a leave of absence from his policy role at Google to support the Biden campaign. Given that Taylor and I now strongly agree on one of the most important decisions Americans will face in the coming months, I was originally hesitant to comment publicly. Despite our many differences of opinion, I can respect Never Trump Republicans such as George Conway because they have consistently condemned the Trump administration for an almost unending list of failings.
But I cannot help viewing with great cynicism the timing of Taylor’s jumping from a now-sinking ship on whose crew he enthusiastically served for more than two years.
I see Taylor’s very public change of heart, and Google’s willingness to indulge it, less as an act of moral courage than as a simple attempt to distance himself from a role that suddenly seems likely to be more of a liability than an asset to his future prospects. Not only did Taylor decline to repudiate his former role when his new coworkers objected a year ago, he still does not do so now. Instead, he prefers to simply ignore his integral part in the very actions he now professes to find objectionable, as if he were a passive observer. In interviews, he has claimed not to have been at DHS when the family separation policy was developed. But his own emails prove that not only was he there prior to its enactment, he even helped prepare its roll out — in an email to former DHS secretary Kirstjen Nielsen in the days before the policy was announced, he sent her talking points with the Orwellian title, "Protecting Children Narrative."
I certainly agree that “four more years of [Trump] are unthinkable.” However, as former Trump officials seek to distance themselves from complicity in the administration’s many violations of morals, ethics, and decency, I note that Taylor and those like him admit no guilt, display no contrition, and offer no apologies. While he enjoys time off from a golden parachute position in a policy role at a tech behemoth to pen op-eds and film TV commercials, perhaps as much to rehabilitate his public image as anything, where is the sense of responsibility or regret? The impression left with the astute reader is that Taylor does not believe he did anything wrong. Taylor, once again, is looking for a soft landing.
I am not ready to accept with open arms the many former administration officials who, over the next two months, will no doubt try to chart a similar path to a post-Trump career. If Taylor really believes that policies like Muslim bans and the caging of children are wrong, why doesn’t he apologize for working to perpetrate them, and why did he do that work in the first place?
I do not know if any of the countless thousands whose lives were destroyed by these policies could ever forgive Taylor for his part in their suffering; I cannot speak for them, and I can only hope that those who survived will one day be able to come forward and tell us exactly what they went through and how it affected them. Compared to what Taylor did at the behest of Trump, the harm my coworkers and I have suffered by Taylor’s actions is comparatively small, but nonetheless he harmed us, too.
Like he did in his role at DHS, Taylor is again crafting a narrative, one in which he is another of Trump’s victims, but he and others who played a part in the atrocities of the Trump administration cannot be absolved of their past simply by supporting Biden’s bid for the presidency. If they truly are asking for our forgiveness, they will first need to admit that what they did was wrong, and say those words that Trump himself surely never will: “I’m sorry.”


buzzfeed--2020-08-24--Two Weeks For Joe Biden's 24 Minutes: Inside The Rapidly Planned Democratic Convention

WILMINGTON , Delaware — The stage where Joe Biden was set to assume the Democratic nomination for president , fulfilling a dream of more than four decades in national politics , was sitting in parts on the backs of trucks , already assembled , waiting to be unloaded in Milwaukee .
The event was exactly two weeks away when Ricky Kirshner , the producer who has put on every Democratic convention since Bill Clinton 's election in 1992 , had to call his trucks and turn them around .
Hundreds of pounds of equipment — screens , lights , audio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wisconsin .
One of his trucks , which came from across the country , was scheduled to depart that morning until Kirshner intercepted it and sent the driver coordinates for their new destination in Wilmington , Delaware .
A small group of Biden and party officials made the call to make the Democratic convention almost entirely virtual in a morning meeting on Aug. 3 , two days before the deadline to begin physically moving equipment into Milwaukee , due to concerns over the coronavirus .
The decision to relocate Biden ’ s acceptance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a short tweet by a Bloomberg News reporter , privately set off an absolute fury of planning , and replanning , and calls to Milwaukee officials to apologize and explain — and then , of course , there was the matter of the speech .
They had no site , no audience , and two weeks to pull off the size and build of a speech that is supposed to signify the start of a general election , the sweep of a candidate 's political career , and the mix of religious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ projects onto presidential campaigns — all of it captured by the weight of a massive stage , perfectly lit , with balloons and bags of confetti and an arena full of delegates , elected officials , and activists chanting the candidate 's name .
Kirshner 's production team usually leads conventions from a high platform behind the center camera platform , inside the room .
`` So we feel the energy and we call the show from the room , ” he said in an interview on Friday .
What happened here in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff wanted to go outside just to see it , to see if it was really happening , because we 're watching it on TV just like everybody else .
We cued it , we ran the music , and then it was like , ‘ Well , we 'll watch it on TV like everybody else.
’ It 's a totally different feeling . ''
Americans saw the finished product on Thursday night as it was made for television — an unprecedented technological feat led by hundreds of people across the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convention committee , and Biden ’ s campaign , concluding with the nominee ’ s 24-minute speech .
It was somber and earnest in pitch , the lens trained direct-to-camera on Biden , delivered in the style of an Oval Office or East Room address , followed by a drive-in movie-style fireworks show .
`` The nation needed to see him as president , and the setting matched the moment — well-dressed flags , great lighting , an eloquent but not overdone stage , '' said Greg Hale , a veteran Democratic operative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent Democratic nominee .
`` Mission accomplished . ''
But here in Wilmington , the result was a much stranger scene — a quiet and eerie reminder of the convention that this was not , the one Biden did n't get .
At 77 years old , Biden delivered the most important speech of his life in a darkened room to about 30 members of the press and a skeleton production crew .
By the time they moved the acceptance speech to the Chase Center in Wilmington , there had been four versions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the original setting in Milwaukee 's Fiserv Forum , capacity 18,000 .
Then COVID-19 hit , and they devised a socially distanced convention , also in the Fiserv Forum .
Then COVID got worse , and they moved to a big stage in the Wisconsin Center , a smaller venue in Milwaukee .
The last version , an even tighter room in the Wisconsin Center , was their final attempt to keep the convention in a crucial battleground state for Biden this fall .
Shortly after Aug. 3 , a new team of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who do the meticulous work , often out of sight , of making an event look and feel perfect on television and in photographs — arrived in Wilmington , Biden ’ s hometown , to develop a fifth and final version .
Over the next two weeks , signs of their efforts appeared in and around the Chase Center , a large event venue situated on a tributary of the Delaware River .
Layers of a secure perimeter , consisting of 5,000 feet of bike rack , 5,000 feet of tall , black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jersey barrier , were erected around the parking lot in a matter of days .
Eight giant American flags , ranging in size from 10-by-15 to 30-by-50 feet , were hoisted in the air and affixed to various buildings .
And a little more than 1,300 firework shells were procured in advance of the finale on Thursday .
Earlier this week , a large tree that slightly obscured a Democratic convention sign — a large “ D20 ” banner draped over the west side of the Chase Center — disappeared seemingly overnight , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A day later , shrubs and flowering plants appeared in place of the tree .
( Convention staff had only asked landscapers to prune the tree , not remove it , one Democrat familiar with the incident said . )
In Milwaukee , ghosts of the original convention came in the form of a small gift shop bearing such items as Wisconsin pins and `` The Cream City ” T-shirts .
Back in Wilmington , there were echoes of a city 800 miles away .
Nurses on site greeted reporters and production @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Midwestern accents .
They had been flown in from Wisconsin to set up shop in the `` Health and Safety Testing Center , '' a ballroom in the back of the Westin Hotel in Wilmington where convention participants waited in line every morning for the required three consecutive days of COVID tests , standing on stickers placed 6 feet apart .
Every afternoon , the cotton swabs were transported back to the original labs in Wisconsin for testing , with results returned less than 24 hours later .
Signs printed with COVID guidelines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bad as they did , advised participants to `` Wear a Mask When Possible . ''
When reporters arrived in Wilmington on Monday , the `` When Possible '' had been crossed out with sharpie .
A day later , someone had covered the sharpie with white tape and written in marker : `` At All Times . ''
Reporters tweeted about the sign .
( There was little else to do — no color for their stories , they commiserated . )
By Wednesday , a white board appeared in the COVID @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' it read in black marker .

WILMINGTON, Delaware — The stage where Joe Biden was set to assume the Democratic nomination for president, fulfilling a dream of more than four decades in national politics, was sitting in parts on the backs of trucks, already assembled, waiting to be unloaded in Milwaukee.
The event was exactly two weeks away when Ricky Kirshner, the producer who has put on every Democratic convention since Bill Clinton's election in 1992, had to call his trucks and turn them around. Hundreds of pounds of equipment — screens, lights, audio visual hardware — had already arrived in Wisconsin. One of his trucks, which came from across the country, was scheduled to depart that morning until Kirshner intercepted it and sent the driver coordinates for their new destination in Wilmington, Delaware.
A small group of Biden and party officials made the call to make the Democratic convention almost entirely virtual in a morning meeting on Aug. 3, two days before the deadline to begin physically moving equipment into Milwaukee, due to concerns over the coronavirus. The decision to relocate Biden’s acceptance speech to Wilmington, news made public in a short tweet by a Bloomberg News reporter, privately set off an absolute fury of planning, and replanning, and calls to Milwaukee officials to apologize and explain — and then, of course, there was the matter of the speech.
They had no site, no audience, and two weeks to pull off the size and build of a speech that is supposed to signify the start of a general election, the sweep of a candidate's political career, and the mix of religious fervor and high stakes that the country projects onto presidential campaigns — all of it captured by the weight of a massive stage, perfectly lit, with balloons and bags of confetti and an arena full of delegates, elected officials, and activists chanting the candidate's name.
Kirshner's production team usually leads conventions from a high platform behind the center camera platform, inside the room. "So we feel the energy and we call the show from the room,” he said in an interview on Friday. What happened here in Wilmington was different. “Half our staff wanted to go outside just to see it, to see if it was really happening, because we're watching it on TV just like everybody else. We cued it, we ran the music, and then it was like, ‘Well, we'll watch it on TV like everybody else.’ It's a totally different feeling."
Americans saw the finished product on Thursday night as it was made for television — an unprecedented technological feat led by hundreds of people across the country on Ricky Kirshner's team, the convention committee, and Biden’s campaign, concluding with the nominee’s 24-minute speech. It was somber and earnest in pitch, the lens trained direct-to-camera on Biden, delivered in the style of an Oval Office or East Room address, followed by a drive-in movie-style fireworks show.
"The nation needed to see him as president, and the setting matched the moment — well-dressed flags, great lighting, an eloquent but not overdone stage," said Greg Hale, a veteran Democratic operative who has produced events for nearly every recent Democratic nominee. "Mission accomplished."
But here in Wilmington, the result was a much stranger scene — a quiet and eerie reminder of the convention that this was not, the one Biden didn't get.
At 77 years old, Biden delivered the most important speech of his life in a darkened room to about 30 members of the press and a skeleton production crew.
By the time they moved the acceptance speech to the Chase Center in Wilmington, there had been four versions of the stage already: First, the original setting in Milwaukee's Fiserv Forum, capacity 18,000. Then COVID-19 hit, and they devised a socially distanced convention, also in the Fiserv Forum. Then COVID got worse, and they moved to a big stage in the Wisconsin Center, a smaller venue in Milwaukee. The last version, an even tighter room in the Wisconsin Center, was their final attempt to keep the convention in a crucial battleground state for Biden this fall.
Shortly after Aug. 3, a new team of “advance” staffers — the people who do the meticulous work, often out of sight, of making an event look and feel perfect on television and in photographs — arrived in Wilmington, Biden’s hometown, to develop a fifth and final version.
Over the next two weeks, signs of their efforts appeared in and around the Chase Center, a large event venue situated on a tributary of the Delaware River. Layers of a secure perimeter, consisting of 5,000 feet of bike rack, 5,000 feet of tall, black fencing, and 5,000 feet of concrete jersey barrier, were erected around the parking lot in a matter of days. Eight giant American flags, ranging in size from 10-by-15 to 30-by-50 feet, were hoisted in the air and affixed to various buildings. And a little more than 1,300 firework shells were procured in advance of the finale on Thursday.
Earlier this week, a large tree that slightly obscured a Democratic convention sign — a large “D20” banner draped over the west side of the Chase Center — disappeared seemingly overnight, replaced by a pile of fresh mulch. A day later, shrubs and flowering plants appeared in place of the tree. (Convention staff had only asked landscapers to prune the tree, not remove it, one Democrat familiar with the incident said.)
In Milwaukee, ghosts of the original convention came in the form of a small gift shop bearing such items as Wisconsin pins and "The Cream City” T-shirts. Back in Wilmington, there were echoes of a city 800 miles away. Nurses on site greeted reporters and production staff each day with thick, friendly Midwestern accents. They had been flown in from Wisconsin to set up shop in the "Health and Safety Testing Center," a ballroom in the back of the Westin Hotel in Wilmington where convention participants waited in line every morning for the required three consecutive days of COVID tests, standing on stickers placed 6 feet apart. Every afternoon, the cotton swabs were transported back to the original labs in Wisconsin for testing, with results returned less than 24 hours later.
Signs printed with COVID guidelines, presumably made before things got as bad as they did, advised participants to "Wear a Mask When Possible." When reporters arrived in Wilmington on Monday, the "When Possible" had been crossed out with sharpie. A day later, someone had covered the sharpie with white tape and written in marker: "At All Times." Reporters tweeted about the sign. (There was little else to do — no color for their stories, they commiserated.)
By Wednesday, a white board appeared in the COVID testing room. "NO PHOTOS," it read in black marker.


buzzfeed--2020-08-24--This Election Is Going To Be Completely Different. Here's What To Expect.

“ It ’ s just a precarious time to be running an election as significant as this one is.
” Socially distanced lines , poll workers in face shields , ballots piling up in elections offices .
Election Day this fall is going to be completely unrecognizable from anything we have seen before .
The very act of voting will change for millions of people because of the coronavirus .
The tidy and traditional expectation that you can stay up past midnight — or wake up the next morning — and know who the next president will be is uncertain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the sitting president intentionally confuses people into thinking there is widespread , and unfounded , voter fraud .
“ We live in a time where there is an incredible amount of concern rising to the level of fear over the legitimacy and the accuracy of the vote-counting process in this country , ” said Darry Sragow , a longtime Democratic strategist and political science professor at the University of Southern California .
Pair that with the nation ’ s inability to contain the coronavirus , the renewed reckoning over systemic racism , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amid a weak economy , and “ it ’ s just a precarious time to be running an election as significant as this one is , ” Sragow said .
Fearing the virus might spread at polling locations , local and state officials across the country have changed how elections are administered to make it easier for people to vote from home — infuriating President Donald Trump , who admitted last week that he withheld funding from the US Postal Service to make it harder for states to expand voting by mail .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ voting — and litigation over the election law changes that have made remote voting more accessible — could make it more difficult to call races on election night and create a lot of confusion and uncertainty about the outcome .
Every day brings new , incremental developments .
It ’ s a lot to keep track of .
Below , BuzzFeed News will lay out some of the big-picture issues and how they might change how we process what happens after the polls open on Nov. 3 .
“ Obviously COVID-19 has changed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aren ’ t immune from that , ” said Drew McCoy , president of the election-calling company Decision Desk HQ .
Voting in person will look different — and may take longer — because of social distancing and sanitizing protocols .
Long lines are polling locations are not new .
But due to social distancing and sanitizing protocols , the lines may look a lot longer and take more time to get through at early voting sites and at the polls on Election Day .
“ Individuals who choose to go vote in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wait , ” said Kristi Royston , elections supervisor for Gwinnett County in Georgia .
It ’ s hard to say how long that wait could be — the long lines during the Super Tuesday primaries caused outrage .
But election officials in several battleground states are hopeful that the increased opportunities to vote remotely will lead to fewer people at the polls and fewer lines overall .
“ We hope that because we ’ ve done the front-end work of promoting mail-in ballots , there are going to be fewer people , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of elections in Pinellas County in Florida .
Election officials said poll workers will regularly clean voting booths and other commonly touched surfaces , and sanitize pens or have voters dispose of their ballot-marking tool or take it home as a keepsake .
Poll workers and voters will be required to wear masks — and some will also don face shields — in the more than 30 states where face coverings are mandated .
In other states , like Florida , it will be up to local officials to decide whether to enforce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters will be encouraged to wear them in line and inside , even if it ’ s not required by their state or local government .
“ We hope that people are going to wear masks , ” Chase said , noting that while Pinellas County adopted an ordinance requiring masks , poll workers can ’ t enforce it .
Voting by mail ?
Know the deadlines , read the ballot instructions , and act early .
With an unprecedented number of Americans expected to cast ballots by mail in November — many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — election officials are encouraging voters to educate themselves about the deadlines and latest rules for voting by mail in their states and to request and return their ballots as soon as possible .
“ It ’ s not a panacea of just ease in most cases , and people need to be aware of deadlines , ” McCoy said .
Each jurisdiction has its own laws on who can receive absentee ballots , whether voters need to request them , and how to fill the ballots out .
And a lot of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in response to the pandemic .
According to a recent New York Times analysis , a record 76 % of voters will be eligible to vote by mail in the general election .
In nine states and Washington , DC , all registered voters will automatically receive a ballot in the mail , with California , Vermont , Nevada , New Jersey , and DC voting that way for the first time .
Other states have expanded their excuses for absentee voting to include concerns about COVID-19 as a valid reason to receive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no-excuse absentee voting .
In all jurisdictions , voters are required to sign their ballots before mailing them in , but some states , like Wisconsin , also require voters to have a witness sign their ballots .
“ If either of those are missing , your ballot can not be counted , ” said Milwaukee County Clerk George Christenson .
States also have different deadlines for when ballots need to be returned .
Some require ballots to be in the possession of election officials — either received by mail to their office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a voting site — by the time the polls close , while other jurisdictions , like California , require ballots to be postmarked on or before Election Day .
“ The earlier that voter can request the ballot the better … and the sooner that they can get it back into us the better , ” Royston said , adding that voters need to factor possible mail delivery delays into their timelines .
“ I may think something should take two days to get from one city to the other , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days just because you do n't know how the mail is going to run.
” Trump ’ s efforts to undermine mail-in voting have made some voters wary , but election officials are still confident in the process .
Despite regularly voting absentee himself , Trump has claimed that widespread adoption of voting by mail will result in a “ Rigged Election , ” and on Monday he said the only way he would lose the election is if it is “ rigged.
” Political science and voting experts say there is no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that voting by mail is indeed very secure .
Even Twitter has started labeling Trump ’ s tweets about fraudulent mail-in voting as unsubstantiated .
But the Trump administration ’ s efforts to undermine the Postal Service , which has been hamstrung by large cost-cutting measures , have made some voters feel less confident in the agency ’ s ability to handle the large spike in ballots whether or not they believe in the president ’ s false claims that mail-in voting is more susceptible to fraud .
Now , USPS officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could be disenfranchised by slower delivery times if they don ’ t alter their rules and deadlines for absentee ballots .
Sixty-six-year-old Michael Claus , of Milwaukee , said he prefers to vote in person but plans to vote absentee in the general election because of COVID-19 .
“ I ’ m African American , I ’ m over 65 , I have high blood pressure , so yeah , I have some health concerns , ” Claus told BuzzFeed News .
But because he also is worried that his ballot could get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office on time , Claus , who said he usually votes for Democrats , plans to return his ballot at an early voting site or polling location .
“ We aren ’ t going to trust the mail , ” he said .
“ If I ’ m voting in person , I know my vote is counted .
I ’ m absolutely sure it ’ s counted .
If I ’ m doing it by mail , I ’ m trusting somebody else to take my ballot , count it , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Goodman , 75 , a registered Republican , said he ’ s never considered voting by mail — and that the pandemic hasn ’ t changed that — but he is concerned that the process is more susceptible to interference despite experts and election officials ’ insistence that it is not .
“ If there was going to be any type of hanky-panky or fooling around with the voting , it would probably be easier by mail , ” said Goodman , who lives in Lake Worth , Florida .
“ Anytime there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and knowing how evil the world seems to have become , there 's always a chance that somebody is trying to do something illegal.
” Despite the challenges facing the Postal Service , election officials told BuzzFeed News that they have confidence in the system and believe voting by mail is still a safe and secure way for voters to have their voices heard .
Michael Dickerson , director of elections for Mecklenburg County in North Carolina , said he had “ no doubt ” in the agency ’ s ability to deliver @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is expecting to get back by mail .
The key is for voters to act early .
“ Once you ’ re ready to vote it , vote it and go ahead and put it in the mail and get it back to us so that we can not have to worry about whether or not it makes the deadline , ” Dickerson said .
The postmaster general , under pressure from the public and Democrats in Congress , said this week that the USPS would suspend changes to its operations until after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concerned about their ballots being received in time can also drop them off in person to their local elections office , early voting sites , polling locations , or leave them in drop boxes , depending on what is allowed and available in their state .
Some states also allow voters to track the status of their mail-in ballot .
“ It is a very easy process for the voter .
That 's what I want everybody to realize , ” Dickerson said .
“ It creates more work for us , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing more work , so that 's fine with us.
” Fran Drago , 72 , of Cape Coral , Florida , said she and her husband have already requested mail-in ballots for November .
“ I ’ d like to go to the polls , but I live in Florida and nothing ’ s going to get any better down there , ” Drago told BuzzFeed News , adding that her son lives in Oregon , a state that has conducted elections entirely by mail for years .
“ He ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never been any problem.
” She called Trump ’ s attacks on voting by mail “ a bunch of hooey , ” and said that while she certainly enjoys going to the polls , she doesn ’ t think it ’ s worth possibly being exposed to the coronavirus .
“ I want to be around to know what happens with this election , ” Drago said .
“ I think I have a better chance of that if I 'm not trotting into a polling place.
” Early results may look a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballots is more time-consuming than receiving an in-person voter ’ s ballot at the polling station , which means it may take a lot longer to get a clear picture of the election results .
When ballots are received , officials need to first verify that the signature on the return envelope matches the voter ’ s signature in the state ’ s registration database before they can actually open up the envelope and scan the ballot .
If the signatures don ’ t match , some states allow election officials to notify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to correct the issue .
In some states , like Wisconsin and Pennsylvania , elections workers can ’ t even open the envelopes until Election Day .
“ It 's very labor intensive and tedious , so it ’ s going to take some time , ” Christenson said .
Election officials who spoke to BuzzFeed News said they ’ ve taken steps to hire more temporary staff to process mail-in ballots and acquire more equipment to open and scan the ballots before counting can begin , which only starts when the polls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be election results on election night , but absentee by mail will no longer be completed on Election Day , ” Royston said .
Experts say the delay in absentee ballot counting could result in election night results favoring Republicans even in areas where Democrats typically do well because Democrats tend to vote late and are more open to voting by mail .
A recent ABC News and Washington Post poll found that among Biden supporters , 54 % say they prefer to vote by mail this fall , while only 17 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a whopping 78 % think it ’ s vulnerable to fraud .
“ You ’ ll see some potentially odd things , ” McCoy said .
“ Over the course of that week to 10 days to two weeks [ as ] those votes [ are ] being processed and counted and if history holds , if voting patterns hold , you will see a move towards Democrats.
” It ’ s not a new phenomenon .
In 2018 , California ’ s “ blue wave ” in congressional district races only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closed , largely due to changes in the state ’ s election laws that expanded the time it takes to count ballots .
Democrats ultimately flipped seven Republican-held districts after trailing in four on election night .
“ It did n't change .
It was always there .
We just got around to counting it , ” McCoy said , noting that the difference between early results and the official , final tally is in no way indicative of something nefarious going on at the elections office .
That ’ s always happened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just that it happened “ in a shorter time frame so it really did n't catch your attention.
” Be patient .
It may take days — or weeks — for some races to be called .
Because it could take days or weeks to process and count all absentee or mail-in ballots across the country , it may be difficult for news outlets to call the winners on election night when so many ballots will still be uncounted .
McCoy said he thinks “ it ’ s possible , maybe even probable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calls on election night given the influx in mail-in ballots .
“ It 's as much about what 's not been reported yet as it is about what has been reported , ” said McCoy , whose company feeds results and race calls and data to BuzzFeed News , Vox , and other news organizations .
In Pennsylvania , which just last year adopted a law allowing all registered voters to vote absentee , officials warned that the expansion in mail-in voting may delay the battleground state ’ s presidential election results after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by mail in the state ’ s June 2 primary — 17 times the number that voted absentee in the 2016 primary .
“ The reality is people need to expect it 's going to take two weeks to get through those ballots , ” said Delaware County Councilmember Christine Reuther , who serves as the council ’ s liaison to the elections bureau and board .
Reuther said she would be surprised to see Trump win in the suburban Philadelphia county , which has trended Democratic in recent elections , but the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by which he or former vice president Joe Biden wins or loses Pennsylvania .
“ That ’ s something networks certainly are going to have to deal with , is that case in Pennsylvania , where Donald Trump may be up by several tens of thousands of votes , and if Philadelphia is sitting there with twice as many uncounted votes on an election night , you would just wait until Philadelphia came in , ” McCoy said .
“ So waiting an hour , you know , waiting three hours , waiting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ takes two weeks ?
” Calling races isn ’ t just about projecting a winner , McCoy said .
Rather , it ’ s determining whether the trailing candidate has lost .
“ You know certain parts of a county trend certain ways , and if you know where those votes are coming from , you understand what 's left and that 's how you make that projection , ” he said .
“ A lot of this has been thrown into question because people that traditionally vote in person may vote by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may open the doors to more legal challenges .
Litigation over changes to laws that have expanded mail-in voting amid the pandemic could also lead to delays in certifying election results .
As of Sunday , more than 200 lawsuits had already been filed in 43 states and DC over absentee or mail-in voting requirements , voting deadlines , and other issues , according to a list compiled by Loyola Law School professor Justin Levitt .
Sragow , who teaches election law at USC , said every aspect of the process — from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballots need to be returned to how long officials have to notify voters of a mismatched signature and give them a chance to prove they filled out the ballot — is ripe for being challenged in court .
“ The fear is that there will be this incredible avalanche of legal actions challenging everything that 's gone on and as a result there will be incredibly high levels of uncertainty about the outcome , ” he said .
It ’ s hard to know what the impact of those actions will be , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close the election ultimately is .
“ If an election is not close , a lot of this doesn ’ t matter , but if an election is tight , then everything we ’ ve just talked about could create a great deal of uncertainty about the outcome in certain elections , ” Sragow said .
●

Trump’s efforts to undermine mail-in voting have made some voters wary, but election officials are still confident in the process.
Despite regularly voting absentee himself, Trump has claimed that widespread adoption of voting by mail will result in a “Rigged Election,” and on Monday he said the only way he would lose the election is if it is “rigged.” Political science and voting experts say there is no evidence to support Trump’s allegations and that voting by mail is indeed very secure. Even Twitter has started labeling Trump’s tweets about fraudulent mail-in voting as unsubstantiated.
But the Trump administration’s efforts to undermine the Postal Service, which has been hamstrung by large cost-cutting measures, have made some voters feel less confident in the agency’s ability to handle the large spike in ballots whether or not they believe in the president’s false claims that mail-in voting is more susceptible to fraud.
Now, USPS officials are warning 46 states that their voters could be disenfranchised by slower delivery times if they don’t alter their rules and deadlines for absentee ballots.
Sixty-six-year-old Michael Claus, of Milwaukee, said he prefers to vote in person but plans to vote absentee in the general election because of COVID-19.
“I’m African American, I’m over 65, I have high blood pressure, so yeah, I have some health concerns,” Claus told BuzzFeed News.
But because he also is worried that his ballot could get lost or not arrive at the elections office on time, Claus, who said he usually votes for Democrats, plans to return his ballot at an early voting site or polling location.
“We aren’t going to trust the mail,” he said. “If I’m voting in person, I know my vote is counted. I’m absolutely sure it’s counted. If I’m doing it by mail, I’m trusting somebody else to take my ballot, count it, and make sure it gets in.”
Harold Goodman, 75, a registered Republican, said he’s never considered voting by mail — and that the pandemic hasn’t changed that — but he is concerned that the process is more susceptible to interference despite experts and election officials’ insistence that it is not.
“If there was going to be any type of hanky-panky or fooling around with the voting, it would probably be easier by mail,” said Goodman, who lives in Lake Worth, Florida. “Anytime there's a delay, knowing the public and knowing how evil the world seems to have become, there's always a chance that somebody is trying to do something illegal.”
Despite the challenges facing the Postal Service, election officials told BuzzFeed News that they have confidence in the system and believe voting by mail is still a safe and secure way for voters to have their voices heard.
Michael Dickerson, director of elections for Mecklenburg County in North Carolina, said he had “no doubt” in the agency’s ability to deliver the 100,000 or so ballots his office is expecting to get back by mail. The key is for voters to act early.
“Once you’re ready to vote it, vote it and go ahead and put it in the mail and get it back to us so that we can not have to worry about whether or not it makes the deadline,” Dickerson said.
The postmaster general, under pressure from the public and Democrats in Congress, said this week that the USPS would suspend changes to its operations until after the election.
Voters who are still concerned about their ballots being received in time can also drop them off in person to their local elections office, early voting sites, polling locations, or leave them in drop boxes, depending on what is allowed and available in their state. Some states also allow voters to track the status of their mail-in ballot.
“It is a very easy process for the voter. That's what I want everybody to realize,” Dickerson said. “It creates more work for us, but we’re in the business of doing more work, so that's fine with us.”
Fran Drago, 72, of Cape Coral, Florida, said she and her husband have already requested mail-in ballots for November.
“I’d like to go to the polls, but I live in Florida and nothing’s going to get any better down there,” Drago told BuzzFeed News, adding that her son lives in Oregon, a state that has conducted elections entirely by mail for years. “He’s mailed in his votes. There's never been any problem.”
She called Trump’s attacks on voting by mail “a bunch of hooey,” and said that while she certainly enjoys going to the polls, she doesn’t think it’s worth possibly being exposed to the coronavirus.
“I want to be around to know what happens with this election,” Drago said. “I think I have a better chance of that if I'm not trotting into a polling place.”


buzzfeed--2020-08-25--We Want To Hear What It Was Like Giving Birth During *All Of This*

Giving birth can be a challenging experience even in normal times , but the coronavirus has made it a whole @ @ @ @ @ , if you had a baby during all of *waves at everything* , we want @ @ @ @ @ was like .

Giving birth can be a challenging experience even in normal times, but the coronavirus has made it a whole lot more complicated. So, if you had a baby during all of *waves at everything*, we want to hear about what it was like.


buzzfeed--2020-08-25--Tim Scott’s RNC Speech Introduced One Possible Post-Trump Republican Future

WASHINGTON — Sen. Tim Scott broke from many of the other speakers during the Republican National Convention ’ s first night with a largely positive address that likely introduced the South Carolinian to the country .
In a chaotic messaging night , Scott also gave into the same talking points as many speakers Monday night : Donald Trump is doing things Barack Obama refused to do , and Joe Biden ’ s record on race is like the left says .
The senator from South Carolina presented an autobiographical account of his own life — “ from cotton to Congress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ befitting a person potentially looking toward the wide-open Republican presidential race in 2024 .
Unlike the other politicians who spoke Monday , Scott , who is one of only three Black senators currently in office , praised the current president but spent significant time speaking to the challenges facing America , touching on the pandemic and becoming the second person to mention George Floyd and the first to say Breonna Taylor ’ s name ( Donald Trump Jr. mentioned Floyd in a speech directly before Scott ’ s ) .
And then , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ My parents divorced when I was 7 years old .
We lived in a two-bedroom house with my grandparents…me , my mom and my brother sharing a room and a bed .
My mom worked 16 hours a day to keep food on the table and a roof over our heads , ” Scott said .
Scott talked about letting his football career overshadow his first year in high school and how his mother encouraged him to reverse course , ultimately finding his mentor in John Moniz , a Chick-Fil-A operator @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that I could not see in myself , and started teaching me valuable lessons in life…Like , having a job was a good thing , but creating jobs would be better , ” Scott said .
After talking about owning a business and serving in state office , his speech went down a similar path to those who spoke before him .
Scott repeatedly hit Joe Biden , highlighting the 1994 crime bill Biden helped author which put a disproportionate number of Black people in prison .
He also spoke to Biden ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ monolith .

WASHINGTON — Sen. Tim Scott broke from many of the other speakers during the Republican National Convention’s first night with a largely positive address that likely introduced the South Carolinian to the country.
In a chaotic messaging night, Scott also gave in to the same talking points as many speakers Monday night: Donald Trump is doing things Barack Obama refused to do, and Joe Biden’s record on race is like the left says.
The senator from South Carolina presented an autobiographical account of his own life — “from cotton to Congress,” as he termed it — befitting a person potentially looking toward the wide-open Republican presidential race in 2024.
Unlike the other politicians who spoke Monday, Scott, who is one of only three Black senators currently in office, praised the current president but spent significant time speaking to the challenges facing America, touching on the pandemic and becoming the second person to mention George Floyd and the first to say Breonna Taylor’s name (Donald Trump Jr. mentioned Floyd in a speech directly before Scott’s).
And then, a peek into his South Carolinian upbringing.
“My parents divorced when I was 7 years old. We lived in a two-bedroom house with my grandparents…me, my mom, and my brother sharing a room and a bed. My mom worked 16 hours a day to keep food on the table and a roof over our heads,” Scott said.
Scott talked about letting his football career overshadow his first year in high school and how his mother encouraged him to reverse course, ultimately finding his mentor in John Moniz, a Chick-fil-A operator.
“John saw something in me that I could not see in myself, and started teaching me valuable lessons in life… Like, having a job was a good thing, but creating jobs would be better,” Scott said.
After talking about owning a business and serving in state office, his speech went down a similar path to those who spoke before him. Scott repeatedly hit Joe Biden, highlighting the 1994 crime bill Biden helped author, which put a disproportionate number of Black people in prison. He also spoke to Biden’s comments suggesting Black voters are a monolith.


buzzfeed--2020-08-25--The Couple Who Pointed Guns At Black Lives Matter Protesters Came To The Republican Convention To Fe

The Couple Who Pointed Guns At Black Lives Matter Protesters Came To The Republican Convention To Fear-Monger About The Suburbs

Mark and Patricia McCloskey , the St. Louis couple who were charged with unlawful use of a weapon after they were filmed pointing guns at Black Lives Matter protestors who marched past their home in June , gave a speech at the Republican National Convention that focused on suburban voters and villainized the Black Lives Matter movement .
“ What you saw happen to us could just as easily happen to any of you who are watching from quiet neighborhoods around our country .
And that ’ s what we want to speak to you about tonight , ” Patricia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speech largely focused on scaring suburban voters , a crucial voting bloc in the upcoming election that helped Democrats flip congressional districts during the 2018 midterm elections .
“ The radicals are not content just marching in the streets.They want to walk the halls of Congress .
They want power .
This is Joe Biden ’ s party .
These are the people who will be in charge of your future and the future of your children , ” Mark told the convention after mentioning that Cori Bush , a nurse and Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the movement after the police shooting of Michael Brown in 2014 , had won a congressional primary this summer .
Mark referred to Bush as a “ Marxist revolutionary.
” “ They want to abolish the suburbs all-together by ending single-family home zoning .
This forced rezoning would bring crime , lawlessness and low-quality apartments into now thriving suburban neighborhoods , ” Patty told the convention .
The line mirrors an attack that President Donald Trump has been making for weeks against Biden in speeches and on Twitter where the president tweeted that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ low-income housing in suburban neighborhoods in a not-so-quiet dog whistle attack .
“ The ‘ suburban housewife ’ will be voting for me .
They want safety & are thrilled that I ended the long running program where low income housing would invade their neighborhood , ” Trump tweeted in early August .
The attacks focus on Trump ’ s rollback of the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule that was enacted by the Obama administration and urged suburban communities to allow low-income housing construction in their neighborhoods .
Patricia added that the rezoning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ low-quality apartments into thriving suburban neighborhoods.
” “ No matter where you live , your family will not be safe in the radical Democrats ’ America , ” she added .
The McCloskeys are personal injury attorneys who live in a private community and are notorious in their community for being extremely litigious — even filing a lawsuit to prevent the sale of the home , where they pointed guns at protestors , to another buyer .
They became famous in conservative circles after pictures of their standoff with protestors went viral in @ @ @

Mark and Patricia McCloskey, the St. Louis couple who were charged with unlawful use of a weapon after they were filmed pointing guns at Black Lives Matter protesters who marched past their home in June, gave a speech at the Republican National Convention that focused on suburban voters and villainized the Black Lives Matter movement.
“What you saw happen to us could just as easily happen to any of you who are watching from quiet neighborhoods around our country. And that’s what we want to speak to you about tonight,” Patricia told the Republican National Convention.
The speech largely focused on scaring suburban voters, a crucial voting bloc in the upcoming election that helped Democrats flip congressional districts during the 2018 midterm elections.
“The radicals are not content just marching in the streets. They want to walk the halls of Congress. They want power. This is Joe Biden’s party. These are the people who will be in charge of your future and the future of your children,” Mark told the convention after mentioning that Cori Bush, a nurse and Black Lives Matter activist who became a leader in the movement after the police shooting of Michael Brown in 2014, had won a congressional primary this summer. Mark referred to Bush as a “Marxist revolutionary.”
“They want to abolish the suburbs altogether by ending single-family home zoning. This forced rezoning would bring crime, lawlessness, and low-quality apartments into now thriving suburban neighborhoods,” Patricia told the convention.
The line mirrors an attack that President Donald Trump has been making for weeks against Biden in speeches and on Twitter where the president tweeted that Sen. Cory Booker and Biden would build low-income housing in suburban neighborhoods in a not-so-quiet dog whistle.
“The ‘suburban housewife’ will be voting for me. They want safety & are thrilled that I ended the long running program where low income housing would invade their neighborhood,” Trump tweeted in early August. The attacks focus on Trump’s rollback of the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule that was enacted by the Obama administration and urged suburban communities to allow low-income housing construction in their neighborhoods.
“No matter where you live, your family will not be safe in the radical Democrats’ America,” Patricia said.
The McCloskeys are personal injury attorneys who live in a private community and are notorious in their community for being extremely litigious — even filing a lawsuit to prevent the sale of the home, where they pointed guns at protesters, to another buyer. They became famous in conservative circles after pictures of their standoff with protesters went viral in late June.


buzzfeed--2020-08-25--Postmaster General Louis DeJoy Could Not Answer A Question About The Price Of A Postcard Stamp


buzzfeed--2020-08-25--AOC Shared Her Skincare And Beauty Routine And It’s Impressive For So Many Reasons


buzzfeed--2020-08-25--The National Guard Has Been Deployed To Kenosha After Police Shot A Black Man Who Was Walking To His


buzzfeed--2020-08-28--This Guy's Super-Long Thumb Has Gone Mega Viral And It's 100% Real

BuzzFeed spoke to Jacob , who said he discovered he could extend his thumb during his freshman year of high @ @ @ @ @ dislocate my thumb , by forcing it out of its socket , to make it @ @ @ @ @ explained , adding , `` My doctor says it 's abnormal but ca n't officially @ @ @ @ @ medical conditions . ''

BuzzFeed spoke to Jacob, who said he discovered he could extend his thumb during his freshman year of high school. "I just dislocate my thumb, by forcing it out of its socket, to make it appear longer," he explained, adding, "My doctor says it's abnormal but can't officially link it to any known medical conditions."


buzzfeed--2020-08-26--The "I May Destroy You" Finale Emotionally Broke Me In The Best Way

And in a recent interview with Vulture , Michaela explained what it was like to write these endings and the @ @ @ @ @ `` I had to let it go , and realize that I was still alive @ @ @ @ @ , and the trauma did not need to define me .
I could let go @ @ @ @ @ would still be here . ''

And in a recent interview with Vulture , Michaela explained what it was like to write these endings and the series as a whole: "I had to let it go, and realize that I was still alive if I let it go, and the trauma did not need to define me. I could let go of the trauma and I would still be here."


buzzfeed--2020-08-28--9 Teachers Who Deserve Recognition For The Creative Ways They Are Keeping Their Classrooms Safe This

9 Teachers Who Deserve Recognition For The Creative Ways They Are Keeping Their Classrooms Safe This Year

And this teacher who is teaching virtually but still came up with a clever way to help her students have @ @ @ @ @ they ca n't be there physically :

9.
And this teacher who is teaching virtually but still came up with a clever way to help her students have fun in class even though they can't be there physically: