THE BIG STORY

Young people coping with mounting debt say no one has their backs. The pandemic has left them on the brink of ruin.

“You’re making an investment on a prayer. You understand what you're getting into. You just don't have another choice.” — James

“I did not expect that, after graduating college, I was still going to be working multiple jobs.” — SR

“Institutions and systems don't have empathy.” — Josh

Reporter Venessa Wong talked to college graduates who took out big loans hoping their education would spring them into financial stability. Their heartbreaking stories reveal a dysfunctional system made worse by a lack of knowledge, expectations, uncertainty and a pandemic.

Ben Kothe / BuzzFeed News; Getty Images

THE GREAT CIA VENDING MACHINE CAPER

#FOIAFridays are days where we in the journalism and transparency communities celebrate our Freedom of Information Act wins, air our frustrations, share tips and talk about documents we've secured. For today's #FOIAFriday, reporter Jason Leopold highlights something fun he pried loose from the CIA:

First, what you need to know is one of the best ways to find out what's going on at the CIA is filing a FOIA request for copies of closed investigations with the inspector general, its internal watchdog. That's exactly what I did, and they turned over a stack of these reports. One in particular stood out and it was amazing: a bunch of CIA contractors hacked vending machines and were suspected of stealing more than $3,000 in snacks.

But here's the thing: We only got those documents after suing the agency. That's why, until March 15, all contributions to support BuzzFeed News go toward our FOIA fund, which covers lawsuits like these. You can help us reach our goal of $100,000 by contributing here.

STAYING ON TOP OF THIS

Prosecutors say a member of the Oath Keepers conspiracy was "awaiting direction" from Trump before the Capitol attack

Jessica Watkins, an Army veteran and, according to court papers, a member of the Oath Keepers militia group, is accused of participating in a conspiracy to assault the Capitol in "an organized and practiced fashion" to stop Congress from certifying the results of the election.

Watkins has been behind bars since her arrest on Jan. 17, and prosecutors filed papers on Thursday asking a judge to keep her in jail while her case moves forward. "If Trump asks me to come, I will," Watkins wrote in a November text message, according to a new court filing.

SNAPSHOTS

Charges were dropped against the Buffalo police officers who violently shoved a 75-year-old protester. Footage of the shoving from June went viral, and police initially said the man had "tripped and fell" without making any mention of the officers' role.

Clearview AI has proposed applying its technology to everything from policing to retail to dating, according to a patent application. The patent filing was made in August — three months after the facial recognition company said it would "avoid transacting with non-governmental customers anywhere."

President Joe Biden is planning to bring back immigrants who were forced to wait in dangerous Mexican border towns. The plan will start at three ports of entry and focus on those forced into Trump's controversial "Remain in Mexico" program.

Meghan Markle has won a lawsuit against the Mail on Sunday after it published a private letter she sent to her father. "I share this victory with each of you—because we all deserve justice and truth, and we all deserve better," Meghan said in a statement.

AND NOW, SOME GOOD NEWS

The woman who put Gorilla Glue on her hair is finally free

Tessica Brown has undergone a procedure to salvage what remained of her hair, bringing an end to an ordeal that has captured people online.

The 40-year-old, who shared her predicament on TikTok, underwent a four-hour surgery in Los Angeles to remove the adhesive, according to TMZ, which was given exclusive access to photos and videos of the surgery.

“Jesus Christ, I can scratch it,” says Brown in the video taken after the surgery. She later joked that she needed her hair done in time for Valentine’s Day.

YOU KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS

It's weekend longreads time

This Is What It’s Like For Men With Eating Disorders. Culture reporter (and your usual newsletter guy, who you'll have back later next week, I promise!) Elamin Abdelmahmoud spoke to men who've struggled with eating disorders and penned this earnest look at what they want you to know. “I was so close to dying. My heart was beating once every two seconds,” one of the men said.

Should Justin Timberlake Apologize? Framing Britney Spears has forced us to look more closely at Justin Timberlake’s treatment of Spears and Janet Jackson. The documentary "isn’t just forcing a reconsideration of Timberlake’s relationship with Spears, it also shows how complicit he’s been in the public humiliation and slut-shaming of two huge pop stars," Scaachi Koul writes.

Zendaya's New Movie Isn't Good. Michael Blackmon's headline says it all. But in case you need more words from him on Netflix's Malcolm & Marie: "It is nothing more than surface-level mimicry of old Hollywood greatness, weighed down by a script — with too many ideas that aren’t sufficiently examined — that does its actors, who are trying their best, absolutely no favors."

16 Fantasy Romances To Steam Up Your Valentine's Day. This isn't *technically* a longread, but hey, Valentine's Day is almost here and maybe you're in the mood for some mood, and something in this list will catch your eye.

Wishing you a warm and safe weekend,

Brandon