“Facebook is hurting people at scale”

THE BIG STORY

"Hurting people at scale": Mark Zuckerberg's employees reckon with the social network they've built

When employees are on their way out of Facebook, they typically post photos of their company badges along with farewells on the internal discussion board. Not Max Wang, though.

Wang opted for a clip of himself speaking directly to the camera, with a note: "I think Facebook is hurting people at scale. If you think so too, maybe give this a watch." He delivered a 24-minute hammering of Facebook's leadership and decision-making over the previous year.

Here's the thing: Wang's message wasn't unique. It was a distillation of Facebook's internal strife and the months of division, protest, and departures that followed the company's decision to leave untouched a post from President Donald Trump that seemingly called for violence against people protesting the police killing of George Floyd.

Facebook employees are frustrated and angry, and now challenging Mark Zuckerberg and leadership at company-wide meetings, staging virtual walkouts, and questioning if their work is making the world a better place. Here's a look inside the turmoil.

STAYING ON TOP OF THIS

California's COVID-19 dream has devolved into a nightmare

Back in March, some health experts were calling it "the California miracle." The state was the first in the nation to issue shelter-in-place orders to its residents. The thought was: California might avoid the worst of the coronavirus.

It's an understatement to say that was premature. This week, California's official case count surpassed New York's — a number driven in part by the state's massive population but also by its steady and alarming increase in new cases.

Things aren't getting better, either. Testing is delayed again. Some hospitals are out of ICU beds. Californians, feeling like a return to semi-normal life is further and further away, are grappling with a hard question: now what?

A man skates along the closed and nearly empty Santa Monica State Beach. Mario Tama / Getty Images

SNAPSHOTS

Multiple government watchdogs are investigating the use of force by federal officers in Portland and DC. The watchdog agencies for the Department of Homeland Security and the Justice Department will investigate the deployment of officers and the officers' use of force while responding to protests.

Trump canceled his Republican National Convention in Florida because of the coronavirus. "It's just not the right time for that," Trump announced, while keeping the smaller North Carolina portion of the convention in place.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called out a GOP lawmaker for using his wife and daughter "as shields and excuses" after he accosted her. "What Mr. Yoho did was give permission to other men to do that to his daughters," said Rep. Ocasio-Cortez after Rep. Ted Yoho reportedly called her a sexist slur.

The most popular TikTok hits of 2020 so far. Here are all the songs that keep getting stuck in your head because of TikTok.

HELP ISN'T COMING

Main Street is crumbling before our eyes — and no one seems to be able to save it

It's no secret that the coronavirus pandemic has been a catastrophe for businesses across the country. As the pandemic extended, so did the pain for companies.

The government's small business loan program was supposed to help keep them afloat. But the reality is now setting in: for many businesses, the end is in sight as the pandemic continues, and relief programs have failed to come to their aid, like rescue planes too full and far up to see all the people still drowning.

The measures are clearly not enough to save small businesses. We spoke with owners who say they're not getting the support they need.

PUT THE TEA ON, LET'S RELAX

Options for a midsummer night's longread

Will and Jada's "Red Table Talk" was a savvy PR move. We've all seen the Will Smith "entanglement" memes by now. But beyond the internet spectacle, Niela Orr writes, the whole episode signals a new direction for the Smiths: "Years ago, it was unthinkable for them to ever acknowledge the presence of other romantic partners in their relationship, but now the unthinkable has happened. This new approach, involving the entire family, is being led by Jada. Her newfound candor ultimately serves the media empire she's building."

This Laura van den Berg short story is an eerie commentary on #MeToo. In this story from van den Berg's collection I Hold a Wolf by the Ears, a man tries to convince his wife her anger isn't real. It begins like this: "The judge is still in the news. The story has been unfolding for weeks and every time she sees his face she feels so angry she's surprised surfaces don't ignite when she touches them."

Drag Race is bigger than ever. Is that a good thing? Let's revisit an excellent piece from Alessa Dominguez on the ubiquity of Drag Race: "As queer identity became mainstream and social media transformed reality TV celebrity, the onetime niche show became bigger than ever. But so have the criticisms."

Turn inward and take notice of what you need today,

Elamin

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📝 This letter was edited and brought to you by Elamin Abdelmahmoud and BuzzFeed News. You can always reach us here.

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