| THE BIG STORY The number of immigrants who have died in ICE custody is the highest since 2006 On Wednesday, two men died in the custody of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. Their deaths made this year the most fatal year for immigrants detained by ICE since 2006.
The total number of ICE deaths so far this fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30, is now 17, making it the highest total since 2006, when 19 immigrants died, according to ICE records.
One of the two men, a 72-year-old Canadian, had been detained at a center in Farmville, Virginia that has the second-highest number of positive COVID-19 tests among immigrant detainees. The man had tested positive before his death, according to a source.
Medical experts and immigrant advocates have warned that the highly contagious disease puts everyone in detention at risk.
Useful context: The number of deaths in ICE custody so far is also double that of the last fiscal year — despite a significant drop in the immigrant detainee population.
STAYING ON TOP OF THIS Trump just declared TikTok a “national emergency” and has threatened to ban it
The president signed an executive order declaring the popular video app a national emergency, and saying that it would be effectively banned from the country in 45 days if US operations aren't first sold to an American company.
A connected order will also ban transactions with WeChat, a Chinese social networking app, and Tencent, its parent company. Tencent has investments in many companies, including American video game developer Epic Games, which makes Fortnite.
In both orders, Trump argued the apps “automatically” capture “vast swaths of information from its users” that could be used by the Chinese government against American interests.
TikTok says it is “shocked” by the executive order.
Olivier Douliery / Getty Images SNAPSHOTS Two students say they were suspended from their Georgia high school for posting photos of crowded hallways. The images of students packed together in hallways went viral on Twitter as the school faces scrutiny from staff and students over its reopening strategy.
The New York Attorney General is suing to dissolve the National Rifle Association over financial mismanagement. The NRA is accused of flagrantly misspending its money, including a top executive taking eight family trips to the Bahamas in a private jet.
Twitter is locking people fact-checking Trump out of their accounts. At least four people who attempted to debunk the president’s coronavirus misinformation were locked out of their Twitter accounts when they tweeted Trump's words.
Ellen Pompeo got very real about staying on Grey’s Anatomy for 15 years because of the money. In a new interview Pompeo revealed that after negotiating a $20 million paycheck in 2018, she decided to stick with the show in order to provide for her family. “...I made a decision to make money, and not chase creative acting roles,” Pompeo said.
FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE Facebook fired an employee who collected evidence of right-wing pages getting preferential treatment We’ve reported about the internal rifts at Facebook before. Employees at the social media giant have concerns about the company's competence in handling misinformation. Some have expressed worry about the steps Facebook is taking to prevent being used to disrupt or mislead ahead of the US presidential election.
Those rifts are growing. Facebook employees gathered evidence they say shows the platform is giving Breitbart and other right-wing outlets and figures special treatment, which helps the pages avoid running afoul of Facebook’s misinformation policy.
Individuals that spoke out about the apparent special treatment of right-wing pages have faced consequences. In one case, a senior Facebook engineer collected multiple instances of conservative figures receiving unique help from Facebook employees. The engineer was fired on Wednesday.
CHEERS TO THE WEEKEND Unwind and relax with these longreads Behind the campy cult classic that captured teen girl rage. Twenty years after the Canadian horror flick Ginger Snaps introduced the world to an iconic teen girl werewolf, there's still no character quite like her. Lauren Strapagiel salutes to Ginger Snaps on its anniversary.
“I’m going to be honest with you,” the grandfather told the police. “I killed a lot.” In this gripping excerpt adapted from her book The Devil’s Harvest, BuzzFeed reporter Jessica Garrison reveals how a contract killer’s 35-year run of murder and mayhem in California’s Central Valley reflects a far more widespread injustice: The institutions that were supposed to protect a community failed it again and again.
Working parenthood is a terrible deal right now. Trying to parent and work at home during the pandemic is making parents feel like they’re failing at both. Venessa Wong reflects on working parenthood: “I was prepared for hard, but this feels impossible.”
I hope you're astounded by your strength today, Elamin P.S. If you like this newsletter, help keep our reporting free for all. Support BuzzFeed News by becoming a member here. (Monthly memberships are available worldwide). 📝 This letter was edited and brought to you by Elamin Abdelmahmoud and BuzzFeed News. You can always reach us here.
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