buzzfeed--2020-11-25--This Photographer's Images Capture The Surreal Experience Of 2020 In The US

New York–based photographer Sinna Nasseri has been interested in politics ever since he was a young punk carving “ A ” for anarchy on his middle school desk .
Four years ago , after a stint as a lawyer working in Midtown , he borrowed a friend ’ s camera and fell in love with photography , turning his lens first on those same Midtown streets where he used to commute .
Nasseri started 2020 with an idea — to be on the road for most of the year , photographing .
Not only was this the perfect year to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in his dad ’ s nondescript gray Volvo , he told me ) , but it was an momentous time to be crisscrossing the country and talking to Americans about how they were processing everything that happened in 2020 — the political tensions leading up to the election , killings of Black men and women and the responding swell in the Black Lives Matter movement , and the coronavirus .
Nasseri ’ s photographs and video clips from around the country seem like they ’ re quick uploads to an Instagram story .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ thought-out and carefully edited vignettes from a country split on so many issues , with the goal being to share ideas without passing judgment .
In El Segundo , in a casita with two dogs named Lenny and Earl .
I ’ m taking some time to digest the year .
It ’ s necessary in order to be able to do this kind of work , where people are yelling at and around you constantly .
Can you tell me the CliffsNotes version of what you 've been doing the last year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be on the road for most of 2020 .
I have a degree in political science , and I was really interested in the election and politics .
I figured I could merge two of my real interests , photography and video and politics , into a larger project .
I ended up driving about 20,000 miles and visiting 35 or so states .
I knew 2020 was going to be a historic election , a big deal .
I knew the country was in a place where there would be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to take off on my own and follow the campaigns , starting with the Democratic primaries in February .
But I also wanted to photograph people and environments that I came across in my travels that didn ’ t have an overt connection to politics .
My original plan was to just show up without an assignment , talk my way into places , and see what happened .
Then Olivia Horner of Vogue asked me to do a story on the Iowa caucus before my project had even started , which was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than I probably would have had otherwise .
Being feet away from Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden without having much experience photographing politics was surreal .
But it all fit into the project I wanted to do .
I ’ m not looking for an A1 photo , where everything is really clear and journalistic .
My style is meant to be a bit cryptic .
One thing that surprised me was how close I was able to get to the candidates and some of their unguarded moments , which allowed me to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s more freedom than you think to photograph the way you want compared to a Trump rally , where you ’ re stuck in a pen and it ’ s much harder .
Did you have any favorite political photographers starting out ?
Not political per se , I knew of certain people like Mark Peterson for sure , I found the stylized way he was working interesting .
And then historical photos I came across like Garry Winogrand , who has some politics mixed in to his work .
I was more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which I just used as a template in a way .
A wider angle lens , you see a lot going on , a drama coming through and a lot of different aspects of the photo to study , that ’ s what I was interested in .
What was your photo trajectory ?
Before this project , I didn ’ t really have much of a photography career .
I was working as a lawyer , I had gone to law school at Fordham and was working in Manhattan .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was pretty bored and working long hours .
I started to feel my intrinsic sense of humor and love for life fading away .
So I began doing work that was personal , trying to break out of a corporate lifestyle I had somehow let myself fall into .
I had gone to so many years of school , I never had a chance to step outside of that and try something else .
I was doing a lot of weird stuff — psychedelics , meditation , traveling .
It really helped snap @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Some photographer friends of mine lent me their cameras , and then I discovered the work of Daniel Arnold .
He really influenced me , and I just started walking around New York .
That was it , I completely threw myself into it .
I started reading photo books at libraries , gave myself little assignments , wrote , and published my own work .
I started photographing in Midtown , because there is a rush of people and these wide open avenues .
Fifth Avenue was standard , that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to work in Midtown when I was a lawyer , and when I quit that job to pursue photography full time I would just hang around where my old office was and would see my former colleagues , who didn ’ t recognize me anymore .
That was kind of funny .
I ended up making a project called End of Day , from that period .
How did you start incorporating videos into your photography ?
I was walking around and would see something that I thought couldn ’ t be totally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ started using video .
I would go out and take 50 videos every day , I think I have 9,000 on my iPhone from the last 8–9 months .
I would have my camera , and then my iPhone for video , and I was constantly switching back and forth taking pictures and making these little vignettes .
I was really influenced by Sam Youkilis , his style of work tailor-made for Instagram .
The interviews were something that really started happening over the course of this project .
I started interviewing people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a really huge part of what I was doing .
I got all kinds of different perspectives , and for some reason people would really open up to me .
These interviews will sometimes last 20 or 30 minutes , and then it ’ s fun to edit it down to that 30 seconds when they ’ re truly saying something unique .
It ’ s a beautiful feeling to approach anyone and know that they ’ re going to have at least one thing to say that ’ s going to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interview one person , get their thoughts on politics , and then use Instagram stories to intersperse that with someone from the same town who had different ideas and then mix all that in with environmental scenes .
I wanted to show my audience all kinds of different views from a place of empathy , because even if it was outrageous , you were hearing it from a real live person .
There was a lot of trial and error with the video work , and pushing myself every day to talk in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all myself in one day .
I was able to do that consistently , and come into a style of my own , which I found really gratifying .
And the last three stories for Vogue , we did a ton of videos and vignettes and I think people were able to really connect with that .
You got to see what was going on in the country ’ s collective head .
How do you find the people you end up talking to ?
I love finding people who are a little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so those are the people I approach .
I really follow my gut .
Sometimes I can sense when people are emotional , so you know that they 're probably going to be more honest and forthright and you know it ’ s going to make a better interview .
And when I ’ m at an event , I look for the hot spots , where tensions are high and you can tell that ’ s where the action is going to happen .
I like to follow up with subjects and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happens .
In St. Augustine , I took videos of a young Black man named Zac Taylor with a BLM sign being surrounded and intimidated by Trump supporters .
He was 18 , just out of high school , and had all of these older men calling him trash and yelling at him .
It was crazy , and I was able to pull Zac aside and do an interview with him , and what he said really stuck with me .
I read that you 're always trying to push it ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around you .
How do you do that ?
It ’ s more a little voice that ’ s in my head : If you see a bunch of people taking the same photo , it ’ s almost like a trap — there ’ s something off there .
I don ’ t think there ’ s anything wrong with what they ’ re doing , but I want to find something different .
The one thing that is drawing other photographers in at that moment , I want to step back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I like to photograph the media itself , and examine their ( our ? )
role .
The photograph of Pete and the bowl — a bunch of other photographers were taking shots from all different angles , and I just sat by this bowl for five minutes and was able to make one photo that I liked .
I ’ m lucky to have the freedom to focus on one thing that I find captivating and really nail it , and then I ’ m happy .
That ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a different view , my view , and doing that extremely well is the goal .
What do the next four years hold for you ?
I hope to make a book , and a film as well .
A lot of things to get done ; putting this all together , finding the right editor and publisher .
I have some ideas .
I ’ d like to keep going with what I ’ ve scratched the surface of — video and stills and traveling and talking to people .
These structural @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The election of Biden is n't any kind of end to the internal strife in our country .
I ’ m going to keep continuing as long as it 's still interesting .
It ’ s an exploration of American right now , and that includes everything , so it ’ s not going to get boring .
●

Where are you right now?
In El Segundo, in a casita with two dogs named Lenny and Earl.
I’m taking some time to digest the year. It’s necessary in order to be able to do this kind of work, where people are yelling at and around you constantly.
Can you tell me the CliffsNotes version of what you've been doing the last year?
I sort of had an idea to be on the road for most of 2020. I have a degree in political science, and I was really interested in the election and politics. I figured I could merge two of my real interests, photography and video and politics, into a larger project. I ended up driving about 20,000 miles and visiting 35 or so states.
I knew 2020 was going to be a historic election, a big deal. I knew the country was in a place where there would be a lot of emotion. My plan was to take off on my own and follow the campaigns, starting with the Democratic primaries in February. But I also wanted to photograph people and environments that I came across in my travels that didn’t have an overt connection to politics. My original plan was to just show up without an assignment, talk my way into places, and see what happened. Then Olivia Horner of Vogue asked me to do a story on the Iowa caucus before my project had even started, which was a real blessing to have more access than I probably would have had otherwise.
Being feet away from Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden without having much experience photographing politics was surreal. But it all fit into the project I wanted to do. I’m not looking for an A1 photo, where everything is really clear and journalistic. My style is meant to be a bit cryptic.
One thing that surprised me was how close I was able to get to the candidates and some of their unguarded moments, which allowed me to photograph in surprising ways. There’s more freedom than you think to photograph the way you want compared to a Trump rally, where you’re stuck in a pen and it’s much harder.


buzzfeed--2020-11-24--There Is No Democratic Reckoning Coming Over Their Election Misses

Democrats were expected to gain seats in the House and Senate .
There doesn ’ t look to be much soul-searching coming for the party .
WASHINGTON — Earlier this month , after a string of losses across the country , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declared that Democrats had a mandate and wrote to her members encouraging “ unity.
” “ Congratulations on your victory !
Thank you for contributing to the success of a Biden-Harris mandate .
… Let us all be advocates for unity in the Democratic party , where our values are opportunity and community , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House Democrats , underlining , in a very on-brand Pelosi move , “ unity ” in the two words .
Instead , House Democrats have spent the weeks since Election Day fighting with each other , intermittently pointing fingers and arguing that disagreements about what caused their losses should be kept internal .
Democrats had predicted they would pick up new seats in the House this election .
Instead , eight incumbent House Democrats have lost their races , and not a single Republican has lost their seat .
Though some races have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is expected to secure about 222 or 223 of the 218 seats necessary to control the House , their slimmest majority since World War II .
The party hasn ’ t coalesced around a clear answer about why and doesn ’ t seem poised to do so .
Moderates have argued that progressive policies allowed Republicans to brand them as socialists , and progressives have argued it was moderates ’ own fault for not campaigning strategically during the pandemic .
Each side feels they have enough evidence to support their own view and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soul-searching for the party as a whole .
BuzzFeed News has journalists around the US bringing you trustworthy stories on the 2020 elections .
To help keep this news free , become a member .
Democrats seem hesitant to even acknowledge their losses ; Pelosi has said it was a “ challenging ” election with Trump at the top of the ticket but has otherwise argued Democrats retained control of the House for a reason .
It ’ s a mistake that could doom the party even further , considering history is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the president ’ s party has consistently lost seats during the midterm elections .
On a caucus call not long after Election Day , Rep. Abigail Spanberger , a first-term member representing a Virginia swing district , spoke up with her own take on how the election had played out .
“ If we are classifying Tuesday as a success from a congressional standpoint , we will get [ fucking ] torn apart in 2022 , ” Spanberger said , according to an audio recording obtained by the Washington Post .
( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Spanberger ’ s curse , unfortunately . )
The number one concern she heard from people in her district , Spanberger told her colleagues , was about defunding the police — an idea , she argued , that Democrats don ’ t even support .
While many Democrats and activists have used the slogan to call for reforming and demilitarizing police forces , some Democrats , including progressive members of Congress , do support fully defunding police forces .
“ I 've heard from colleagues who have said , ‘ Oh , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We should respect that.
’ We 're in Congress .
We are professionals .
We are supposed to talk about things in the way where we mean what we 're talking about .
If we do n't mean we should defund the police , we should n't say that , ” she said .
“ We want to talk about funding social services and ensuring good engagement in community policing .
Let 's talk about what we are for , and we need to not ever use the words ‘ socialist ’ or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call , like so many House Democratic calls before it , was live-tweeted by several political journalists , leading some members to tell their colleagues to stop leaking .
But not hashing out the party ’ s issues publicly seemed to be the only thing all Democrats could agree on in the days after the election .
The resistance from Democratic leaders to engage with some of the conversations about where the party has failed infuriates activists , who want to be a part of open discussions about how to win nationally .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ viewing what happened in the House and Senate this election as something that we can just brush off and not be concerned about and just have conversations about behind closed doors , ” Evan Weber , the political director for progressive activist group Sunrise Movement , said in a recent interview with BuzzFeed News .
“ We have a real white nationalism problem in this country .
We have a real problem with the way that the Republican Party has weaponized xenophobia and racism and tries to divide people against each other .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ been able to come up with a compelling argument to combat that … is deeply , deeply troubling and problematic , and inexcusable , frankly.
” Weber added , “ There are lots of people , particularly activists , particularly organizers on the ground , who 've been sounding the alarm about the Democratic Party 's sort of weaknesses and failures up until this point that certainly should be a part of that conversation.
” Analyst Kyle Kondik of Sabato ’ s Crystal Ball said he , like other experts , thought it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this cycle .
Several factors look to have contributed to that miss , including somewhat inaccurate polling and a small but significant group of people who split their tickets , voting for Biden for president but then voting for Republicans in Congress and on the state and local levels .
Ideologically , Kondik said , there weren ’ t clear patterns about who won and who lost , which contributes to the difficulty of having a real reckoning in the increasingly polarized party .
More moderate Democrats like Reps. Max Rose of New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their races in swing districts , but so too did progressive Democratic candidate Kara Eastman in Nebraska .
Progressive Rep. Katie Porter won comfortably in her California swing district , while Spanberger barely held on in Virginia , as did fellow moderate Rep. Conor Lamb in Pennsylvania .
“ I think after an election like this , I think it 's fair to say that you know with a fairly divided result that both parties have strengths and weaknesses that they need to think about , ” Kondik said .
“ But I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Democratic House majority is in serious trouble [ in 2022 ] .
” Rep. Pramila Jayapal , the cochair of the House Progressive Caucus , said the party needs to have a “ big conversation , ” but added that it ’ s easier “ to have a real conversation ” away from the public eye .
Still , she thinks the problem is organizing in communities of color and really turning out voters who could be reliable votes for the party but for whom the party hasn ’ t delivered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is many of us have been screaming from the rooftops for a long time , about the need to , number one , organize year-round , not just right before the election , but actually spend money investing in organizing infrastructure that reaches out to what should be the base of the Democratic Party , ” she said .
“ In other words , not those white conservative voters that may or may not vote for us , but you know , women , moms , as well as brown and Black folks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they really have n't seen results being delivered for them.
” If you have a news tip , we ’ d like to hear from you .
Reach out to us via one of our tip line channels .
Rep. Ami Bera of California , the fundraising chair for the moderate NewDem Action Fund , said in an interview with BuzzFeed News that he was disappointed by the election results .
“ I described the election a little bit different than Speaker Pelosi , ” Bera said .
“ I think our goal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not to have any of our colleagues lose .
So by that metric , you know , we lost some really valuable members of Congress , and for that I 'm sad , and that bothers me.
” Still , Bera said he didn ’ t see what Democrats could have done differently in several races they lost , pointing to Rep. Joe Cunningham ’ s loss in South Carolina .
“ There 's nothing about his campaign that … we could have improved on — [ we ] raised resources to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end of the day , he lost by one percentage point in a district that I bet Trump is gon na win by 10 to 13 points , ” Bera said .
“ So , you know , that 's just tough terrain.
” But the party clearly needs to better understand some voters of color , Bera said , who broke in higher numbers for Trump this cycle than they did four years ago .
“ We have to understand the Latinx community a little bit better , and because Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community , and to the life of me , I do n't understand how he would do that or how he could do that , but he did , and , you know , also with African American men , ” the lawmaker said .
“ So I think this is a deep dive for all of us as a party to better understand those communities , to make sure we 're speaking directly to the issues that they care about , and obviously , using effective tools of communication.
” Rep. Alexandria @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats ’ communication failures this cycle .
( Notably , when Ocasio-Cortez says “ defund the police , ” she means it .
Last week , after Sen. Joe Manchin tweeted , “ Defund the police ?
Defund , my butt , ” Ocasio-Cortez posted a picture of herself from the State of the Union glaring at Manchin while he clapped for Trump , which garnered more than 570,000 likes . )
In the weeks since Election Day , she has argued that moderates were not digitally strategic enough during their campaigns .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ messaging that they feel killed them , right ?
But why were you so vulnerable to that attack ?
” Ocasio-Cortez told the New York Times earlier this month .
“ Our party isn ’ t even online , not in a real way that exhibits competence .
And so , yeah , they were vulnerable to these messages , because they weren ’ t even on the mediums where these messages were most potent .
Sure , you can point to the message , but they were also sitting ducks.
” And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aren ’ t just brushing off Ocasio-Cortez ’ s advice .
“ I think there 's something for all of us to learn , obviously , ” he said , adding that he does n't think it was a question of progressives versus moderates .
“ I appreciate Representative Ocasio-Cortez and what she 's able to do in terms of , you know , communicate with younger folks and motivate younger folks , and there 's something that we can certainly learn from them.
” Pelosi , for her part , has denied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cause any issues when the party gets to governing .
“ We always have a beautiful dynamism in our caucus , ” she said at a recent press conference .
“ I would say we have a healthy difference of opinion within our caucus , but not in any way to be problematic in how we legislate.
” The party is currently searching for a new leader for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee , which heads up House Democratic organizing and recruiting for each election cycle .
Rep. Cheri Bustos of Illinois , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had preached a moderate Democratic message focused on winning and holding on to seats in swing and Republican-leading districts and instituted a blacklist on consultants who worked on ( often progressive ) campaigns challenging Democratic incumbents .
After only narrowly winning her own race , Bustos announced she would step down from the DCCC at the end of her term .
Reps. Sean Patrick Maloney of New York and Tony Cárdenas of California are vying for her role , and Roll Call has reported that both have said they are open to lifting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ progressives .
Democrats ’ looming problems don ’ t end , however , with the coming midterm elections : As FiveThirtyEight reported this week , Republicans won almost every election where redistricting was at stake , meaning the GOP will have the ability to draw congressional districts in their favor , securing their electoral advantage for years to come .
“ There may be nothing that Democrats can do to hold on to the House , given the weight of history .
But they really need to think about what can they do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
And that , to me , requires soul-searching , ” Kondik , of Sabato ’ s Crystal Ball , said .
“ I do n't know what the answers are .
There may not be an answer .
It may be that they ’ re screwed.
” ●

WASHINGTON — Earlier this month, after a string of losses across the country, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declared that Democrats had a mandate and wrote to her members encouraging “unity.”
“Congratulations on your victory! Thank you for contributing to the success of a Biden-Harris mandate. … Let us all be advocates for unity in the Democratic party, where our values are opportunity and community,” she said in a letter to fellow House Democrats, underlining, in a very on-brand Pelosi move, “unity” in the two words.
Instead, House Democrats have spent the weeks since Election Day fighting with each other, intermittently pointing fingers and arguing that disagreements about what caused their losses should be kept internal.
Democrats had predicted they would pick up new seats in the House this election. Instead, eight incumbent House Democrats have lost their races, and not a single Republican has lost their seat.
Though some races have not yet been called, the party is expected to secure about 222 or 223 of the 218 seats necessary to control the House, their slimmest majority since World War II.
The party hasn’t coalesced around a clear answer about why and doesn’t seem poised to do so. Moderates have argued that progressive policies allowed Republicans to brand them as socialists, and progressives have argued it was moderates’ own fault for not campaigning strategically during the pandemic. Each side feels they have enough evidence to support their own view and there are no signs of any serious soul-searching for the party as a whole.
BuzzFeed News has journalists around the US bringing you trustworthy stories on the 2020 elections. To help keep this news free, become a member.
Democrats seem hesitant to even acknowledge their losses; Pelosi has said it was a “challenging” election with Trump at the top of the ticket but has otherwise argued Democrats retained control of the House for a reason. It’s a mistake that could doom the party even further, considering history is not on their side going into 2022, as the president’s party has consistently lost seats during the midterm elections.
On a caucus call not long after Election Day, Rep. Abigail Spanberger, a first-term member representing a Virginia swing district, spoke up with her own take on how the election had played out.


buzzfeed--2020-11-24--Democrats Turn To Door-Knocking To Win Georgia

`` It ’ s about having high-quality face-to-face conversations , and we tend to be able to do that by knocking on people ’ s doors , '' said the executive director of New Georgia Project .
With the Senate majority up for grabs , supporters of Georgia Democrats Jon Ossoff and Rev .
Raphael Warnock are embracing a strategy in the January runoffs that Democrats largely avoided during the general election due to the coronavirus pandemic : door-knocking .
The stakes couldn ’ t be any higher in Georgia .
After losing competitive races in Maine , Iowa , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ win both seats in the state to clinch a working majority in a 50-50 Senate with Vice President–elect Kamala Harris serving as a tiebreaker .
Then , and only then , will they have even a chance at passing the kind of legislation needed to achieve President-elect Joe Biden ’ s plans for tackling racial inequality , revving up the pandemic-struck economy , slashing climate pollution , and more .
Democrats are optimistic after Biden became the first Democratic presidential candidate to win Georgia since 1992 .
But they know it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because they did not secure down-ballot victories for Ossoff and Warnock the first time around .
Moreover , Republicans have historically fared better in the state ’ s runoff elections , where there ’ s a dropoff in the number of voters who participate compared to general elections .
So a growing number of progressive organizers are masking up to register new eligible voters and motivate people to go back to the polls despite surging coronavirus infections and hospitalizations .
More than 250,000 people in the United States have died from COVID-19 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the next weeks will likely be brutal .
And while new cases are currently not as high in Georgia as they were in July , infections are on the rise .
“ I think we ’ re still trying to figure out exactly what the right formula is , ” said Brionté McCorkle , executive director of the environmental group Georgia Conservation Voters .
“ There ’ s a lot of digital engagement in response to COVID-19 , but I think that folks are seeing that there was a loss by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revived strategy in Georgia is markedly different than the Democratic Party ’ s approach to canvassing during the general election .
While the pandemic spread across the country in the lead up to Nov. 3 , Democrats steered away from in-person canvassing and relied heavily on digital field programs like phone-banking and texting to turn out their voters .
Some national Democrats , like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , have pointed to sparse field programs in post-election analyses of why the party underperformed expectations in House and Senate races .
“ The decision to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to grapple with and analyze , ” she tweeted in the days after the election .
Evan Weber , the political director and cofounder of the Sunrise Movement , echoed Ocasio-Cortez ’ s analysis .
“ Democrats , somewhat wisely in line with public health standards , didn ’ t invest heavily in field operations in the middle of a pandemic , ” he told BuzzFeed News .
“ I think there were some decisions made by party operatives where we could ’ ve done some of that in a safe way ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats of all political ideologies.
” The push for in-person campaigning is not coming directly from either of the Democratic Senate campaigns , at least not publicly .
“ Rising COVID cases are a huge consideration here and how can we do this safely , ” an Ossoff campaign spokesperson told BuzzFeed News about door-knocking .
“ That ’ s going to be a decision we ’ ll have to make down the road.
” Warnock ’ s campaign has largely focused its volunteers on phone-banking and dropping off literature at voters ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first , and we try to have a hyperawareness around the precautions we ’ re taking related to the virus , ” a spokesperson for Warnock ’ s campaign told BuzzFeed News .
The two Democratic challengers have opted for drive-in rallies and outdoor events , sometimes together , where masking and social distancing is enforced .
Sens .
David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler , the Republican incumbents , are going all in on in-person campaigning , often without basic COVID-19 precautions .
At a “ Save Our Majority ” rally last week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maskless supporters gathered in a windowless room .
Door-knocking has always been a core part of campaigning for former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams ’ New Georgia Project , a nonpartisan group that has registered thousands of new voters across the state .
The mesh of in-person and digital efforts was a resounding success , with the group getting much of the credit for helping spur record turnout among Black communities statewide .
The organization has around 100 organizers on the ground and plans to scale up its field program during the runoffs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high-quality face-to-face conversations , and we tend to be able to do that by knocking on people ’ s doors , ” executive director Nsé Ufot told BuzzFeed News .
“ We try to have high-quality conversations where people get to be reflective and talk about the fears and the hopes that they have .
That ’ s our central tactic , and sometimes that ’ s in one-on-one conversations at doors ; sometimes that ’ s at small group meetings in church basements , or housing projects , or cafés with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Project has already identified over 100,000 new eligible Georgian voters to register to vote ahead of the Dec. 7 deadline .
For many other groups though , the focus on in-person get-out-the-vote efforts is a shift from the general election .
In some cases , New Georgia Project is helping make this possible .
“ We ’ ve largely relied on larger groups like New Georgia Project to be able to do that door-to-door work , ” said McCorkle of Georgia Conservation Voters .
“ We are actually introducing COVID-safe canvassing because what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is door-to-door contact is still one of the more successful ways to engage voters , ” Shanté Wolfe , coordinated campaigns director at the Sunrise Movement , told BuzzFeed News .
“ In this case , it will be doorstep to doorstep to do social distancing.
” And the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee announced last week that it was committing to a multimillion-dollar field effort that would include on-the-ground field organizers to help turnout and voter registration efforts .
In one of House Democrats ’ only pickups of the election , Rep.-elect Carolyn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ switched its voter outreach programs to digital as the pandemic spread .
Now , as Bourdeaux ’ s team focuses on assisting Ossoff and Warnock , her campaign manager , Shelbi Dantic , told BuzzFeed News that it ’ s open to the possibility of in-person campaigning .
“ Moving forward , and as we ’ re thinking about how Carolyn ’ s campaign and our field teams plug into the runoff , I think there ’ s an opportunity to feel really good about if we are knocking doors to get people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think is going to take an extra step or two to get them to go out to the polls , ” she told BuzzFeed News .
Dantic added that the campaign would follow the Senate campaigns ’ direction , but that they weren ’ t completely opposed to canvassing in person .
But the uptick in coronavirus cases is an ever-present worry .
To stay safe , organizers are donning personal protective equipment , such as masks and face shields , and trying to meet outdoors .
“ We ’ re going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hub meeting in a park on Sunday , ” Wolfe said .
“ We ’ re doing it rain or shine because we understand the urgency of this moment and we ’ re not afraid of a little rain.
” The pandemic is also a big reason some local organizers are telling people from out of state to stay home and leave the ground efforts to them .
“ We ’ re not encouraging anyone to come here from out of state .
We know that our medical infrastructure in south Georgia isn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we understand that rates of the virus are increasing .
So we ’ re encouraging people from out of state to text with us , and that robust program is moving , ” said Britney Whaley , a political strategist with the Working Families Party .
“ If people are from here and they want to get involved and canvass , ” she said , “ that program is happening , and we ’ ve padded our staff to make sure that our folks are safe.
” The organization is dedicating certain staffers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take the temperatures of canvassers and distribute literature to members to avoid big gatherings ; it is also planning some outdoor meetings .
“ We ’ re giving out additional PPE to canvassers .
This may sound extra , but if people answer the doors with no mask , we ’ re asking them to close the door so we can leave them some so that they can put on the mask and then we can engage with them from 6 feet away , ” Whaley said .
“ If they don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at home , then we just move on to the next door .
There ’ s no pressure for our canvassers to be in someone ’ s face or engage.
” National progressive groups are now focusing their attention on the Georgia races even without sending in staffers and volunteers .
At the National Resources Defense Council ( NRDC ) Action Fund , executive director Kevin Curtis is encouraging donors and members to give money .
“ Give money to the candidates , give money to Stacey Abrams ’ group , give money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of which is going to be focused on getting people to turn out to vote , ” he told BuzzFeed News .
Donating to Ossoff , Warnock , and the Georgia Senate Victory Fund all currently feature prominently on the online GiveGreen platform , a collaboration between the environmental groups NRDC , billionaire Tom Steyer ’ s NextGen America , and the League of Conservation Voters .
●

Door-knocking has always been a core part of campaigning for former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams’ New Georgia Project, a nonpartisan group that has registered thousands of new voters across the state. The mesh of in-person and digital efforts was a resounding success, with the group getting much of the credit for helping spur record turnout among Black communities statewide. The organization has around 100 organizers on the ground and plans to scale up its field program during the runoffs.
“It’s about having high-quality face-to-face conversations, and we tend to be able to do that by knocking on people’s doors,” executive director Nsé Ufot told BuzzFeed News. “We try to have high-quality conversations where people get to be reflective and talk about the fears and the hopes that they have. That’s our central tactic, and sometimes that’s in one-on-one conversations at doors; sometimes that’s at small group meetings in church basements, or housing projects, or cafés with a number of community leaders.”
New Georgia Project has already identified over 100,000 new eligible Georgian voters to register to vote ahead of the Dec. 7 deadline.
For many other groups though, the focus on in-person get-out-the-vote efforts is a shift from the general election. In some cases, New Georgia Project is helping make this possible.
“We’ve largely relied on larger groups like New Georgia Project to be able to do that door-to-door work,” said McCorkle of Georgia Conservation Voters.
“We are actually introducing COVID-safe canvassing because what we’ve seen in the South is door-to-door contact is still one of the more successful ways to engage voters,” Shanté Wolfe, coordinated campaigns director at the Sunrise Movement, told BuzzFeed News. “In this case, it will be doorstep to doorstep to do social distancing.”
And the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee announced last week that it was committing to a multimillion-dollar field effort that would include on-the-ground field organizers to help turnout and voter registration efforts.
In one of House Democrats’ only pickups of the election, Rep.-elect Carolyn Bourdeaux’s suburban Atlanta campaign fully switched its voter outreach programs to digital as the pandemic spread. Now, as Bourdeaux’s team focuses on assisting Ossoff and Warnock, her campaign manager, Shelbi Dantic, told BuzzFeed News that it’s open to the possibility of in-person campaigning.
“Moving forward, and as we’re thinking about how Carolyn’s campaign and our field teams plug into the runoff, I think there’s an opportunity to feel really good about if we are knocking doors to get people engaged in a runoff election, which I think is going to take an extra step or two to get them to go out to the polls,” she told BuzzFeed News.
Dantic added that the campaign would follow the Senate campaigns’ direction, but that they weren’t completely opposed to canvassing in person.
But the uptick in coronavirus cases is an ever-present worry. To stay safe, organizers are donning personal protective equipment, such as masks and face shields, and trying to meet outdoors.
“We’re going to be having our first full runoff hub meeting in a park on Sunday,” Wolfe said. “We’re doing it rain or shine because we understand the urgency of this moment and we’re not afraid of a little rain.”
The pandemic is also a big reason some local organizers are telling people from out of state to stay home and leave the ground efforts to them.
“We’re not encouraging anyone to come here from out of state. We know that our medical infrastructure in south Georgia isn’t up to par, and we understand that rates of the virus are increasing. So we’re encouraging people from out of state to text with us, and that robust program is moving,” said Britney Whaley, a political strategist with the Working Families Party.
“If people are from here and they want to get involved and canvass,” she said, “that program is happening, and we’ve padded our staff to make sure that our folks are safe.”
The organization is dedicating certain staffers as “safety captains” who will take the temperatures of canvassers and distribute literature to members to avoid big gatherings; it is also planning some outdoor meetings.
“We’re giving out additional PPE to canvassers. This may sound extra, but if people answer the doors with no mask, we’re asking them to close the door so we can leave them some so that they can put on the mask and then we can engage with them from 6 feet away,” Whaley said. “If they don’t want to because they’re at home, then we just move on to the next door. There’s no pressure for our canvassers to be in someone’s face or engage.”
National progressive groups are now focusing their attention on the Georgia races even without sending in staffers and volunteers.
At the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) Action Fund, executive director Kevin Curtis is encouraging donors and members to give money. “Give money to the candidates, give money to Stacey Abrams’ group, give money to the Georgia Democratic Party, all of which is going to be focused on getting people to turn out to vote,” he told BuzzFeed News.
Donating to Ossoff, Warnock, and the Georgia Senate Victory Fund all currently feature prominently on the online GiveGreen platform, a collaboration between the environmental groups NRDC, billionaire Tom Steyer’s NextGen America, and the League of Conservation Voters. ●


buzzfeed--2020-11-26--Let's Find Out How Many Of You Are Actually Being Safe In Your Thanksgiving Celebrations This Year

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What the experts say: Testing before your gathering may keep your family safer, but it's far from foolproof. False negatives can happen, and if you are infected on a flight, you likely won't test positive immediately. Tests can be a good extra layer of protection, but you should still use masks and practice social distancing at all times. And staying home with your pod would always be safer.


buzzfeed--2020-11-26--Trump Has Pardoned Michael Flynn For Lying To The FBI During The Russia Investigation

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he had pardoned Michael Flynn , his former national security adviser who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI as part of the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election .
“ It is my Great Honor to announce that General Michael T. Flynn has been granted a Full Pardon , ” Trump wrote on Twitter .
“ Congratulations to @ GenFlynn and his wonderful family , I know you will now have a truly fantastic Thanksgiving !
” Flynn ’ s pardon didn ’ t come as a surprise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump would use his final months in office to reward allies who were still under the cloud of a federal prosecution or investigation .
Trump has repeatedly and publicly denounced the criminal case against Flynn , which began under former special counsel Robert Mueller , and backed the Department of Justice 's effort this year to drop the case entirely .
Flynn originally appeared in court to enter a guilty plea in December 2017 — but he hadn ’ t been sentenced yet , which meant there was no final judgment on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Justice Department moved to dismiss the case earlier this year , but US District Judge Emmet Sullivan had yet to rule on whether he would allow that to happen by the time Trump announced the pardon .
It was Trump ’ s 29th pardon or act of clemency , and his first exercise of clemency since the Nov. 3 election ; he can issue pardons and commute sentences related to federal criminal cases up until President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in on Jan. 20 , 2021 .
The president ’ s clemency power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state prosecutors .
In the weeks since the election , Sidney Powell , Flynn ’ s lawyer , has publicly backed Trump ’ s legal efforts to contest Biden ’ s win , at one point appearing at a press conference with campaign lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Jenna Ellis ; the campaign later tried to distance itself from Powell as she promoted baseless conspiracy theories about foreign interference with voting equipment and claimed public officials , including Republicans , had been paid off .
Flynn is the first former Trump administration official to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has used the power before to benefit supporters .
Trump ’ s first pardon in 2017 went to Joe Arpaio , the former sheriff of Maricopa County , Arizona , who backed the president 's hard-line immigration policies .
Earlier this year , Trump commuted Roger Stone 's sentence ; the former campaign adviser and longtime ally , like Flynn , faced criminal charges from Mueller ’ s investigation .
Flynn admitted to lying to the FBI about his contacts with a Russian official in late 2016 and agreed to cooperate with Mueller @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2019 , he had dramatically changed course , attacking the prosecution and attempting to withdraw his plea .
There were signs early this year that Attorney General Bill Barr might step in on his behalf ; the New York Times reported in February that Barr had tapped the US attorney in St. Louis , Jeffrey Jensen , to examine how Flynn ’ s case had been handled .
In May , the Justice Department notified Sullivan that it no longer wished to pursue the case against Flynn , citing newly discovered evidence from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other senior department officials argued undermined the validity of the prosecution .
None of the career prosecutors involved in the case signed on to those court filings , and Democrats swiftly denounced the move as a political ploy to reward a Trump ally and bolster the president ’ s effort to undermine Mueller ’ s work .
The Justice Department couldn ’ t just drop the case on its own , however — it had to get the judge ’ s approval .
In the months that followed the May announcement , Flynn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complications .
The government and Flynn had objected to Sullivan ’ s plan to hold a hearing to probe the department ’ s decision to dismiss the case , as well as the judge ’ s appointment of an outside lawyer — former federal judge John Gleeson — to present opposing arguments now that Flynn and the Justice Department were on the same side .
In a 2–1 decision in June , a panel of the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit agreed with the Justice Department and Flynn , ordering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the case .
Two months later , though , the full DC Circuit reversed that decision and sent the case back to Sullivan .
A majority of the judges concluded it was premature for the appeals court to consider the case before Sullivan finally ruled on the department ’ s request to dismiss Flynn ’ s case .
Sullivan heard arguments on Sept. 29 .
A week later , Flynn ’ s legal team filed a motion arguing that Sullivan should recuse ; the judge , represented by his own lawyer , had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Flynn to convince the DC Circuit to force him to dismiss the case .
Sullivan hadn ’ t ruled on the Justice Department 's motion to dismiss the case or Flynn ’ s recusal request by the time Trump announced the pardon .

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he had pardoned Michael Flynn, his former national security adviser who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI as part of the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
“It is my Great Honor to announce that General Michael T. Flynn has been granted a Full Pardon,” Trump wrote on Twitter. “Congratulations to @GenFlynn and his wonderful family, I know you will now have a truly fantastic Thanksgiving!”
Flynn’s pardon didn’t come as a surprise, although it did underscore speculation that Trump would use his final months in office to reward allies who were still under the cloud of a federal prosecution or investigation. Trump has repeatedly and publicly denounced the criminal case against Flynn, which began under former special counsel Robert Mueller, and backed the Department of Justice's effort this year to drop the case entirely.
Flynn originally appeared in court to enter a guilty plea in December 2017 — but he hadn’t been sentenced yet, which meant there was no final judgment on the record making his conviction official. The Justice Department moved to dismiss the case earlier this year, but US District Judge Emmet Sullivan had yet to rule on whether he would allow that to happen by the time Trump announced the pardon.
It was Trump’s 29th pardon or act of clemency, and his first exercise of clemency since the Nov. 3 election; he can issue pardons and commute sentences related to federal criminal cases up until President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in on Jan. 20, 2021. The president’s clemency power does not extend to cases brought by state prosecutors.
In the weeks since the election, Sidney Powell, Flynn’s lawyer, has publicly backed Trump’s legal efforts to contest Biden’s win, at one point appearing at a press conference with campaign lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Jenna Ellis; the campaign later tried to distance itself from Powell as she promoted baseless conspiracy theories about foreign interference with voting equipment and claimed public officials, including Republicans, had been paid off.
Flynn is the first former Trump administration official to receive presidential clemency, but the president has used the power before to benefit supporters. Trump’s first pardon in 2017 went to Joe Arpaio, the former sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona, who backed the president's hard-line immigration policies. Earlier this year, Trump commuted Roger Stone's sentence; the former campaign adviser and longtime ally, like Flynn, faced criminal charges from Mueller’s investigation.
Flynn admitted to lying to the FBI about his contacts with a Russian official in late 2016 and agreed to cooperate with Mueller’s investigation. But by summer 2019, he had dramatically changed course, attacking the prosecution and attempting to withdraw his plea. There were signs early this year that Attorney General Bill Barr might step in on his behalf; the New York Times reported in February that Barr had tapped the US attorney in St. Louis, Jeffrey Jensen, to examine how Flynn’s case had been handled.
In May, the Justice Department notified Sullivan that it no longer wished to pursue the case against Flynn, citing newly discovered evidence from Jensen’s probe that Barr and other senior department officials argued undermined the validity of the prosecution. None of the career prosecutors involved in the case signed on to those court filings, and Democrats swiftly denounced the move as a political ploy to reward a Trump ally and bolster the president’s effort to undermine Mueller’s work.
The Justice Department couldn’t just drop the case on its own, however — it had to get the judge’s approval. In the months that followed the May announcement, Flynn’s case became mired in legal complications. The government and Flynn had objected to Sullivan’s plan to hold a hearing to probe the department’s decision to dismiss the case, as well as the judge’s appointment of an outside lawyer — former federal judge John Gleeson — to present opposing arguments now that Flynn and the Justice Department were on the same side.
In a 2–1 decision in June, a panel of the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit agreed with the Justice Department and Flynn, ordering Sullivan to grant the motion to dismiss the case. Two months later, though, the full DC Circuit reversed that decision and sent the case back to Sullivan. A majority of the judges concluded it was premature for the appeals court to consider the case before Sullivan finally ruled on the department’s request to dismiss Flynn’s case.
Sullivan heard arguments on Sept. 29. A week later, Flynn’s legal team filed a motion arguing that Sullivan should recuse; the judge, represented by his own lawyer, had opposed the effort by the Justice Department and Flynn to convince the DC Circuit to force him to dismiss the case. Sullivan hadn’t ruled on the Justice Department's motion to dismiss the case or Flynn’s recusal request by the time Trump announced the pardon.


buzzfeed--2020-11-27--This Woman's Viral Story About Getting Pinworms In Her Butt Is Making My Cheeks Clench

`` Basically , if you 're concerned , the doctor can check the anus and sometimes see little worms there @ @ @ @ @ pieces of cotton , essentially .
And you can sometimes see it in underwear .
@ @ @ @ @ actually done is called a Scotch-tape test .
You take a piece of Scotch tape @ @ @ @ @ anus , look at it under a microscope , and if the person has pinworms @ @ @ @ @ — or worms — on the tape , '' said Rao .
`` In Mercedes @ @ @ @ @ able to see fully matured , female worms — those are around a centimeter long @ @

Rao said that pinworms — also called enterobiasis — are the most common parasitic infection in the US. "Pinworms are small white worms that exist out in the environment. So, what happens is, the worms will go to perianal folds — the folds around the anus — and deposit eggs. Pinworms can be found in all different socioeconomic groups. It happens most when people are living in close quarters or crowded conditions, and it's most often seen in school-age kids," she explained.


buzzfeed--2020-11-26--A Third Coronavirus Vaccine Trial Has Reported Promising — But Confusing — Results

The journalists at BuzzFeed News are proud to bring you trustworthy and relevant reporting about the coronavirus .
To help keep this news free , become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Incoming .
A COVID-19 vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca has shown `` positive high-level results '' in early data from clinical trials , researchers announced Monday .
It is the third vaccine to report promising interim results , after Pfizer and Moderna .
The vaccine has been 70 % effective on average so far , researchers said .
But the early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The vaccine was 90 % effective for volunteers who were given a half-dose of the vaccine followed by a full dose — a much higher success rate than those who were given two full doses , which was 62 % effective .
That half dose was only given to participants because of a mistake in the British arm of the trial , Reuters reported .
Only a little over 2,700 people received this half-dose shot , out of the 23,000 people in the trial results reported Monday , a very small subset to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday , Operation Warp Speed head Moncef Slaoui suggested the half dose group 's age was capped at 55 , casting further doubts on the promising results .
Scientists have criticized AstraZeneca for both its trial design and how it disclosed its data , which have not yet been peer reviewed or released in full .
The early analysis was based on 131 COVID-19 cases among trial participants who either received the vaccine or a placebo injection .
The company said that the trials , which took place in the UK and Brazil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highly effective in preventing hospitalizations or severe cases of the coronavirus .
“ These findings show that we have an effective vaccine that will save many lives , '' professor Andrew Pollard , chief investigator of the Oxford vaccine trial , said in a press release .
Unlike the Pfizer and Moderna trials , which only tested people who reported symptoms , the AstraZeneca data also showed that asymptomatic infections were reduced in the group of patients who received a vaccine , suggesting that it can help limit transmission .
The AstraZeneca trial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which provided more information about who developed infections .
Earlier this month , Pfizer and Moderna announced that trials for their vaccines both suggest that they are more than 90 % effective .
The Food and Drug Administration requires a vaccine to be at least 50 % effective before authorizing its use .
The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is cheaper than the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines and may also be easier to store and transport .
AstraZeneca is requesting an `` Emergency Use Listing '' from the World Health Organization to make the vaccine quickly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said it would begin discussions with the FDA this week about whether to formally submit for review in the US , but scientists have questioned whether the US health agency would accept their questionable results .
Researchers had to pause the vaccine 's effectiveness study twice , a development which is not unusual in clinical trials .
In July , a patient developed multiple sclerosis , and in September another patient developed a neurological illness called transverse myelitis .
The vaccine was not found to have caused either illness , and the trials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results .
In its data release , the drug company said that `` no serious safety events related to the vaccine have been confirmed . ''
In response to the company 's announcement on Monday , Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , told STAT that , `` If it ’ s 70 % , then we ’ ve got a dilemma . ''
“ Because what are you going to do with the 70 % when you ’ ve got two [ vaccines ] that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to give a vaccine like that to ?
”

A COVID-19 vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca has shown "positive high-level results" in early data from clinical trials, researchers announced Monday. It is the third vaccine to report promising interim results, after Pfizer and Moderna.
The vaccine has been 70% effective on average so far, researchers said. But the early data came with a confusing caveat: The vaccine was 90% effective for volunteers who were given a half-dose of the vaccine followed by a full dose — a much higher success rate than those who were given two full doses, which was 62% effective.
That half dose was only given to participants because of a mistake in the British arm of the trial, Reuters reported. As a result, only a little over 2,700 people received the half-dose shot, out of the 23,000 people in the trial results reported Monday, a very small subset to base results on. Then, on Tuesday, Operation Warp Speed head Moncef Slaoui said the age of participants in the half-dose group was capped at 55, casting further doubts on the results. Scientists have since criticized AstraZeneca for both its trial design and how it disclosed its data, which have not yet been peer reviewed or released in full.
The early analysis was based on 131 COVID-19 cases among trial participants who either received the vaccine or a placebo injection.
The company said that the trials, which took place in the UK and Brazil, also showed that the vaccine was highly effective in preventing hospitalizations or severe cases of the coronavirus. “These findings show that we have an effective vaccine that will save many lives," professor Andrew Pollard, chief investigator of the Oxford vaccine trial, said in a press release.
Unlike the Pfizer and Moderna trials, which only tested people who reported symptoms, the AstraZeneca data also showed that asymptomatic infections were reduced in the group of patients who received a vaccine, suggesting that it can help limit transmission. The AstraZeneca trial in the UK swabbed patients weekly, which provided more information about who developed infections.
Earlier this month, Pfizer and Moderna announced that trials for their vaccines both suggest that they are more than 90% effective. The Food and Drug Administration requires a vaccine to be at least 50% effective before authorizing its use.
The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is cheaper than the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines and may also be easier to store and transport.
AstraZeneca is requesting an "Emergency Use Listing" from the World Health Organization to make the vaccine quickly available in low-income countries. The company said it would begin discussions with the FDA this week about whether to formally submit for review in the US, but scientists have questioned whether the US health agency would accept their questionable results.
Researchers had to pause the vaccine's effectiveness study twice, a development which is not unusual in clinical trials. In July, a patient developed multiple sclerosis, and in September another patient developed a neurological illness called transverse myelitis. The vaccine was not found to have caused either illness, and the trials resumed, leading to today's preliminary results.
In its data release, the drug company said that "no serious safety events related to the vaccine have been confirmed."
In response to the company's announcement on Monday, Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told STAT that, "If it’s 70%, then we’ve got a dilemma."
“Because what are you going to do with the 70% when you’ve got two [vaccines] that are 95%? Who are you going to give a vaccine like that to?”


buzzfeed--2020-11-26--As Americans Start Their Thanksgiving Travels, COVID-19 Cases In The US Hit A New Record

On Friday , as people began crowding in airports to travel for the holiday , the US set a daily incidence record with 195,542 new coronavirus cases .
Americans are beginning their treks home for the Thanksgiving holiday this weekend , doing so in the face of uncertainty from political leadership and a surge in coronavirus case numbers , which have consistently reached new heights in November .
On Friday , the United States set a daily incidence record for the country of 195,542 confirmed new cases of the novel coronavirus , according to data compiled by researchers at Johns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the record set only the previous day before when the nation totaled just under 188,000 new cases .
Those numbers come as Americans hop on planes or pile in cars and make their way to see loved ones after months of on-again , off-again social distancing , changing local and state regulations , and weak guidance from federal authorities .
On Thursday — when the US recorded a new daily incidence record that was then broken the next day — the CDC issued a “ strong ” warning telling people that the safest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so only with the people they live with .
“ Gatherings with family and friends who do not live with you can increase the chances of getting or spreading COVID-19 or the flu , ” the CDC cautioned , while noting that more than 1 million COVID-19 cases were reported in the US in the previous seven days .
Still , that guidance came only a week before the Thanksgiving holiday , a known popular travel period every year , and after experts had been warning for months of a possible surge during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ congregate would likely do so inside .
“ We know we ’ re going to get cases after Thanksgiving , ” Amesh Adalja , infectious diseases physician and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security , previously told BuzzFeed News .
“ It ’ s just a question of trying to keep them as minimal as possible.
” It does not appear the country will be able to keep it minimal .
The US surpassed 12 million total confirmed cases on Saturday after recently exceeding 250,000 total deaths , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ projection suggests another 200,000 people will die by the beginning of March .
On Thursday , the White House coronavirus task force held a press briefing — its first public appearance in months — at which Vice President Mike Pence tried to offer reassurances about the anticipated vaccines .
`` We 've continued to be on the same mission we 've been on throughout the course of this year , and that is to save American lives , '' Pence said without endorsing the CDC 's recommendation for Americans not to travel for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virologist at the Center for Infection and Immunity at the Columbia University School of Public Health , said that even though messaging from the CDC was “ a little late , ” the agency had been hamstrung by the Trump administration .
“ It would have been helpful if we could have been preparing people for months , ” she told BuzzFeed News .
“ But to a certain degree , we did not imagine back in March that this response would be so horrible that we would be looking at 300,000 or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year.
” It ’ s too early to tell how the CDC ’ s recommendation , which came long after many people had made holiday plans and booked travel , will affect people looking to gather around Thanksgiving meals with their families .
Early images and video from airports around the country suggest that many will take the risk .
“ It ’ s really very concerning because it ’ s not just what people are doing at the airport , ” said Rasmussen .
“ It ’ s also the reason they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is presumably to go to have in-person meals with their families.
” She said she plans on holding a virtual Thanksgiving with family members she doesn ’ t live with , calling it an investment in the future .
In a video taken at Phoenix ’ s Sky Harbor International airport and shared by local reporter Max Gorden , large crowds of mostly masked people had already started to form as people waited to fly off to different parts of the country .
Arizona reported 4,471 new coronavirus cases on Friday , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s fast approaching the state ’ s daily incidence record of 4,877 set in July .

Americans are beginning their treks home for the Thanksgiving holiday this weekend, doing so in the face of uncertainty from political leadership and a surge in coronavirus case numbers, which have consistently reached new heights in November.
On Friday, the United States set a daily incidence record for the country of 195,542 confirmed new cases of the novel coronavirus, according to data compiled by researchers at Johns Hopkins University. That new high shattered the record set only the previous day before when the nation totaled just under 188,000 new cases.
Those numbers come as Americans hop on planes or pile in cars and make their way to see loved ones after months of on-again, off-again social distancing, changing local and state regulations, and weak guidance from federal authorities. On Thursday — when the US recorded a new daily incidence record that was then broken the next day — the CDC issued a “strong” warning telling people that the safest way to celebrate Thanksgiving was to do so only with the people they live with.
“Gatherings with family and friends who do not live with you can increase the chances of getting or spreading COVID-19 or the flu,” the CDC cautioned, while noting that more than 1 million COVID-19 cases were reported in the US in the previous seven days.
Still, that guidance came only a week before the Thanksgiving holiday, a known popular travel period every year, and after experts had been warning for months of a possible surge during winter, when those who choose to congregate would likely do so inside.


buzzfeed--2020-11-27--Let's Find Out How Many Of You Are Actually Being Safe In Your Thanksgiving Celebrations This Year


buzzfeed--2020-11-28--People Are Revealing The Tips, Tricks, And Habits They Turn To When They're Feeling Overwhelmed

`` I build these fantasies in my head over time — generally based on a book , TV show , @ @ @ @ @ into lately — and then when I 'm feeling anxious , I add details to @ @ @ @ @ it started when I was a teenager and was into American Idol .
I created @ @ @ @ @ sort of me but better looking , with a really good voice , and with @ @ @ @ @ .
Over time , I would imagine different parts of the journey : where did @ @ @ @ @ I wear , what song did I sing , what did each judge say to @ @ @ @ @ I get tired of one of these storylines that I 've built out for myself @ @ @ @ @ to a new one .
Maybe next time I 'll get 'discovered ' by a @ @ @ @ @ in the lead of one of my favorite movies . ''

10.
Use the 5-4-3-2-1 technique . First, focus on five things you can see around you, then four things you can feel. Next, name three things you can hear, and notice two things you can smell. Finally, focus on one thing you can taste (or think about a taste you enjoy).


buzzfeed--2020-11-27--Trump's Campaign Lost In Court — Again — Trying To Undo Biden’s Win In Pennsylvania

Campaign senior legal adviser Jenna Ellis tweeted that the ruling was part of an effort by the “ activist judicial machinery in Pennsylvania ” to “ cover up the allegations of massive fraud.
” But the case was decided by a panel of conservative-leaning judges — the two judges who joined Bibas ’ s opinion , Chief Judge D. Brooks Smith and Judge Michael Chagares , were nominated by former president George W. Bush .
It was the latest setback in a string of losses for Trump and Republicans in Pennsylvania — where the state formally certified the results on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states .
Biden won Pennsylvania by more than 80,000 votes , according to the tally released by the secretary of state ’ s office .
“ Free , fair elections are the lifeblood of our democracy .
Charges of unfairness are serious .
But calling an election unfair does not make it so .
Charges require specific allegations and then proof .
We have neither here , ” Judge Stephanos Bibas wrote in a 3-0 decision from the US Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit .
In a 3-0 decision , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Circuit rejected the campaign ’ s effort to get a do-over of its lawsuit challenging the election results in Pennsylvania , which a lower court had already tossed out last week .
WASHINGTON — A federal appeals court on Friday handed another loss to the Trump campaign ’ s effort to undo President-elect Joe Biden ’ s win in Pennsylvania , with a judge — one of Trump ’ s nominees — writing that the campaign ’ s “ claims have no merit.
” .
@ RudyGiuliani and me on Third Circuit ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Pennsylvania continues to cover up the allegations of massive fraud .
We are very thankful to have had the opportunity to present proof and the facts to the PA state legislature .
On to SCOTUS !
Ellis indicated they would petition the US Supreme Court to step in , concluding : “ On to SCOTUS !
” The campaign ’ s appeal was largely about whether it could pursue a new , expanded version of its lawsuit .
Even if they won on that issue before the Supreme Court , it wouldn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Pennsylvania , but would rather send the case back to the lower courts for more rounds of litigation .
In Friday 's opinion , Bibas wrote that the district court judge was right to deny the campaign ’ s effort to pursue a third version of their lawsuit because it didn ’ t fix the “ fatal ” defects with the previous one .
The third version of the lawsuit that the campaign wanted to file featured complaints about “ technical defects ” with how Pennsylvania had run the election that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bibas pointed out , and he wrote that the campaign ’ s claims that it was the victim of unconstitutional discrimination were “ vague and conclusory.
” Bibas called out Rudy Giuliani , who has been leading the Trump campaign ’ s post-election legal fight , by name , which is unusual in a court ruling .
The campaign since Nov. 3 has pushed baseless claims and conspiracy theories that the election was undermined by widespread fraud , but Bibas noted that Giuliani had “ stressed ” in court that their Pennsylvania challenge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case.
” Without any allegation of fraud , and with a subset of ballots at issue that wouldn ’ t be enough to flip the state for Trump , Bibas wrote that the campaign didn ’ t “ deserve ” an order blocking the Pennsylvania results from becoming official because its “ claims have no merit.
” “ Plus , tossing out millions of mail-in ballots would be drastic and unprecedented , disenfranchising a huge swath of the electorate and upsetting all down-ballot races too .
That remedy would be grossly disproportionate to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote .
The appeals court found that the campaign ’ s own focus on the importance of Pennsylvania ’ s Nov. 23 deadline for counties to certify election results defeated its push to argue for more time to relitigate the case .
Bibas wrote that the amended version of the lawsuit that the campaign wanted to press repeated many of the same claims as the earlier iterations , and , even if timing wasn ’ t a concern , the case still would be “ futile.
” The fact that individual counties had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the election wasn ’ t proof of a constitutional violation , especially when there was no evidence that county-specific rules treated the Trump campaign differently from the Biden campaign , the judge wrote .
“ Though it alleges many conclusions , the Second Amended Complaint is light on facts , ” Bibas wrote .
The Trump campaign filed a lawsuit on Nov. 9 in federal court in Williamsport , claiming Pennsylvania election officials unconstitutionally violated voting rights .
US District Judge Matthew Brann dismissed the case on Nov. 21 , finding the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who joined as co-plaintiffs lacked standing to sue .
And , Brann noted , that even if they could clear that first important hurdle , they ’ d also failed to back up their allegations and show that even if state officials violated the Constitution , that the right thing for the court to do was invalidate the votes of all Pennsylvanians .
The case in Pennsylvania focused on two issues : first , whether poll watchers had enough access to watch ballots being processed and counted — Trump has repeatedly tweeted about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who are regular citizens , are up to no good — and second , whether Pennsylvania violated the Constitution by allowing each county to decide if it wanted to give voters a chance to fix defects with absentee ballots before cancelling them , such as a missing signature or secrecy envelope .
Two days before a Nov. 17 hearing in the district court , the campaign filed a new version of its complaint that removed sections that alleged constitutional violations based on observer access .
That move came shortly after the 3rd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election case that significantly undercut the campaign ’ s legal theories .
That ’ s when the case got even messier .
The campaign ’ s lawyers — who were actually the second team involved after the first set of attorneys left — suddenly asked to leave , and were replaced by a new team that included Giuliani .
Giuliani argued before Brann on Nov. 17 , when he said that the previous lawyers had wrongly filed that new , narrower complaint that left out allegations of issues with observer access .
After @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for permission to file a third version of the lawsuit , which not only added back in claims that were cut from the original version , but also added another request of the judge — instead of just asking him to block Pennsylvania from certifying the results , he argued that , alternatively , the judge could declare the results “ defective.
” Then , Giuliani argued the judge could order the Pennsylvania General Assembly to choose which electors to send when the Electoral College meets on Dec. 14 ; political parties nominate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winner ’ s electors are ultimately appointed to represent that state in the Electoral College .
But Brann denied their request to substitute the third version of the complaint , writing that it would “ unduly delay ” the case , given that they ’ d already gotten a chance to amend their lawsuit once and the fact that Pennsylvania was the eve of certifying the results .
Brann then granted Pennsylvania ’ s motion to dismiss the case , writing that invalidating 6.8 million votes in the state because of differences in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was “ simply not how the Constitution works.
” “ [ This Court has been presented with strained legal arguments without merit and speculative accusations , unpled in the operative complaint and unsupported by evidence , ” Brann wrote .
“ In the United States of America , this can not justify the disenfranchisement of a single voter , let alone all the voters of its sixth most populated state .
Our people , laws , and institutions demand more.
” Giuliani and Ellis released a statement spinning that loss as a win @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bolstered their strategy of getting “ expeditiously to the U.S. Supreme Court ” — even though what they ended up asking for on appeal was to have the case kicked back to the district court for another round .
Giuliani and Ellis insinuated Brann was biased because he was nominated by former president Barack Obama , but as Republican Sen. Pat Toomey noted last week , Brann was a “ longtime conservative Republican ” before becoming a judge ; Brann had been a compromise nominee by the Obama administration .
The campaign ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took its first hit after it was filed .
The court doesn ’ t allow lawyers who aren ’ t members of the court ’ s bar to appear in cases unless they are pro bono , which meant Giuliani — who received special permission to appear in the Pennsylvania district court — couldn ’ t formally participate .
On Nov. 25 , the campaign filed a letter asking the court to make an exception , saying Giuliani hadn ’ t been able to get the “ necessary certifications ” because of unspecified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The campaign also had to contend with the fact that Pennsylvania formally certified Biden as the state ’ s winner on Nov. 24 .
Trump ’ s lawyers argued in a footnote in their Nov. 25 letter to the court that the case wasn ’ t moot because a court could order election results “ decertified.
” They also argued that there was still time for the courts to step in before a “ safe harbor ” deadline of Dec. 8 to resolve any election challenges before the Electoral College meets on Dec. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump campaign ’ s legal filings didn ’ t follow court rules , which on its own would knock out their effort to convince the court to block the Pennsylvania results .
But even on the merits he wrote that the campaign failed to show they were entitled to that “ extraordinary step.
” “ Voters , not lawyers , choose the President .
Ballots , not briefs , decide elections .
The ballots here are governed by Pennsylvania election law .
No federal law requires poll watchers or specifies where they must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when votes are counted , ” Bibas wrote .
“ Seeking to turn those state-law claims into federal ones , the Campaign claims discrimination .
But its alchemy can not transmute lead into gold .
The Campaign never alleges that any ballot was fraudulent or cast by an illegal voter .
”

Ellis indicated they would petition the US Supreme Court to step in, concluding: “On to SCOTUS!” The campaign’s appeal was largely about whether it could pursue a new, expanded version of its lawsuit. Even if they won on that issue before the Supreme Court, it wouldn’t undo Biden’s win in Pennsylvania, but would rather send the case back to the lower courts for more rounds of litigation.
In Friday's opinion, Bibas wrote that the district court judge was right to deny the campaign’s effort to pursue a third version of their lawsuit because it didn’t fix the “fatal” defects with the previous one. The third version of the lawsuit that the campaign wanted to file featured complaints about “technical defects” with how Pennsylvania had run the election that the campaign already lost in state court, Bibas pointed out, and he wrote that the campaign’s claims that it was the victim of unconstitutional discrimination were “vague and conclusory.”
Bibas called out Rudy Giuliani, who has been leading the Trump campaign’s postelection legal fight, by name, which is unusual in a court ruling. The campaign since Nov. 3 has pushed baseless claims and conspiracy theories that the election was undermined by widespread fraud, but Bibas noted that Giuliani had “stressed” in court that their Pennsylvania challenge wasn’t actually a “fraud case.” Without any allegation of fraud, and with a subset of ballots at issue that wouldn’t be enough to flip the state for Trump, Bibas wrote that the campaign didn’t “deserve” an order blocking the Pennsylvania results from becoming official because its “claims have no merit.”
“Plus, tossing out millions of mail-in ballots would be drastic and unprecedented, disenfranchising a huge swath of the electorate and upsetting all down-ballot races too. That remedy would be grossly disproportionate to the procedural challenges raised,” Bibas wrote.
The appeals court found that the campaign’s own focus on the importance of Pennsylvania’s Nov. 23 deadline for counties to certify election results defeated its push to argue for more time to relitigate the case. Bibas wrote that the amended version of the lawsuit that the campaign wanted to press repeated many of the same claims as the earlier iterations, and, even if timing wasn’t a concern, the case still would be “futile.” The fact that individual counties had discretion to decide how to run parts of the election wasn’t proof of a constitutional violation, especially when there was no evidence that county-specific rules treated the Trump campaign differently from the Biden campaign, the judge wrote.
“Though it alleges many conclusions, the Second Amended Complaint is light on facts,” Bibas wrote.
The Trump campaign filed a lawsuit on Nov. 9 in federal court in Williamsport, claiming Pennsylvania election officials unconstitutionally violated voting rights. US District Judge Matthew Brann dismissed the case on Nov. 21, finding the campaign and the two individual Pennsylvania voters who joined as coplaintiffs lacked standing to sue. And, Brann noted, that even if they could clear that first important hurdle, they’d also failed to back up their allegations and show that even if state officials violated the Constitution, that the right thing for the court to do was invalidate the votes of all Pennsylvanians.
The case in Pennsylvania focused on two issues: first, whether poll watchers had enough access to watch ballots being processed and counted — Trump has repeatedly tweeted about this, implying that the ballot counters, who are regular citizens, are up to no good — and second, whether Pennsylvania violated the Constitution by allowing each county to decide if it wanted to give voters a chance to fix defects with absentee ballots before canceling them, such as a missing signature or secrecy envelope.
Two days before a Nov. 17 hearing in the district court, the campaign filed a new version of its complaint that removed sections that alleged constitutional violations based on observer access. That move came shortly after the 3rd Circuit had issued an opinion in another election case that significantly undercut the campaign’s legal theories.
That’s when the case got even messier. The campaign’s lawyers — who were actually the second team involved after the first set of attorneys left — suddenly asked to leave, and were replaced by a new team that included Giuliani. Giuliani argued before Brann on Nov. 17, when he said that the previous lawyers had wrongly filed that new, narrower complaint that left out allegations of issues with observer access.
After the hearing, Giuliani asked the judge for permission to file a third version of the lawsuit, which not only added back in claims that were cut from the original version, but also added another request of the judge — instead of just asking him to block Pennsylvania from certifying the results, he argued that, alternatively, the judge could declare the results “defective.” Then, Giuliani argued the judge could order the Pennsylvania General Assembly to choose which electors to send when the Electoral College meets on Dec. 14; political parties nominate electors in each state, and the winner’s electors are ultimately appointed to represent that state in the Electoral College.
But Brann denied their request to substitute the third version of the complaint, writing that it would “unduly delay” the case, given that they’d already gotten a chance to amend their lawsuit once and the fact that Pennsylvania was the eve of certifying the results. Brann then granted Pennsylvania’s motion to dismiss the case, writing that invalidating 6.8 million votes in the state because of differences in how counties decided to run the election was “simply not how the Constitution works.”
“[This Court has been presented with strained legal arguments without merit and speculative accusations, unpled in the operative complaint and unsupported by evidence,” Brann wrote. “In the United States of America, this cannot justify the disenfranchisement of a single voter, let alone all the voters of its sixth most populated state. Our people, laws, and institutions demand more.”
Giuliani and Ellis released a statement spinning that loss as a win, saying that Brann’s ruling bolstered their strategy of getting “expeditiously to the U.S. Supreme Court” — even though what they ended up asking for on appeal was to have the case kicked back to the district court for another round. Giuliani and Ellis insinuated Brann was biased because he was nominated by former president Barack Obama, but as Republican Sen. Pat Toomey noted last week, Brann was a “longtime conservative Republican” before becoming a judge; Brann had been a compromise nominee by the Obama administration.
The campaign’s legal effort in the 3rd Circuit took its first hit after it was filed. The court doesn’t allow lawyers who aren’t members of the court’s bar to appear in cases unless they are pro bono, which meant Giuliani — who received special permission to appear in the Pennsylvania district court — couldn’t formally participate. On Nov. 25, the campaign filed a letter asking the court to make an exception, saying Giuliani hadn’t been able to get the “necessary certifications” because of unspecified issues related to the coronavirus pandemic.
The campaign also had to contend with the fact that Pennsylvania formally certified Biden as the state’s winner on Nov. 24. Trump’s lawyers argued in a footnote in their Nov. 25 letter to the court that the case wasn’t moot because a court could order election results “decertified.” They also argued that there was still time for the courts to step in before a “safe harbor” deadline of Dec. 8 to resolve any election challenges before the Electoral College meets on Dec. 14.
Bibas pointed out that the Trump campaign’s legal filings didn’t follow court rules, which on its own would knock out their effort to convince the court to block the Pennsylvania results. But even on the merits, he wrote that the campaign failed to show they were entitled to that “extraordinary step.”
“Voters, not lawyers, choose the President. Ballots, not briefs, decide elections. The ballots here are governed by Pennsylvania election law. No federal law requires poll watchers or specifies where they must live or how close they may stand when votes are counted,” Bibas wrote. “Seeking to turn those state-law claims into federal ones, the Campaign claims discrimination. But its alchemy cannot transmute lead into gold. The Campaign never alleges that any ballot was fraudulent or cast by an illegal voter.”


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