  THE BIG STORY
The coronavirus spread in a Dallas megachurch’s choir and orchestra. Then the church hosted Mike Pence.
At least five members of the choir and orchestra at the Dallas megachurch tested positive for the coronavirus in June, according to Facebook posts and internal church emails reviewed by BuzzFeed News.
An additional orchestra member had symptoms several days after being exposed and was awaiting a test result in mid-June, according to a call for prayers sent to the church’s musicians.
None of those six people were at the First Baptist church in Dallas during Pence’s hour-and-a-half-hour visit on Sunday, but it's unclear how many of the musicians who performed for Pence may have been exposed during previous practices and performances with those who were infected. The choir and orchestra performed for Pence without masks, according to a video of the event reviewed by BuzzFeed News.  AP STAYING ON TOP OF THIS
Immigration officers have been told to stop applying the Trump administration's asylum ban
Asylum officers were told not to apply the third-country transit asylum ban when conducting credible fear interviews, an initial step in the asylum process, according to guidance obtained by BuzzFeed News. It comes less than 24 hours after a federal judge struck the policy down.
SNAPSHOTS
A group of women who sued Harvey Weinstein for misconduct have reached a nearly $19 million settlement. “Harvey avoided accountability for decades, and it was a powerful moment for us to band together and demand justice," plaintiff Caitlin Dulany said.
“EVERYONE HAS DUE PROCESS RIGHTS”
An attorney says ICE tried to stop her from speaking with an immigrant family facing immediate expulsion
An attorney representing a Haitian family detained by ICE at a Texas hotel said immigration agents tried to stop her from communicating with her clients, who she fears will be quickly sent back to their home country.
Krystle Cartagena, a staff attorney with the immigrant advocacy organization RAICES representing the family of four, tried to speak with her clients on Tuesday but was told by a man she believes is an ICE agent not to call the hotel room. The phone inside the hotel room in San Antonio, Texas, was then disconnected.
Cartagena, who went to the hotel Tuesday night, said she was worried the family will be deported soon under measures enacted by the Trump administration since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. TIKTOK TO THE POLLS
Conservative teens on TikTok are going through some growing pains
If you’re like me, you spend a significant amount of time scrolling through TikTok. Specifically, long after you should have already gone to bed because you have to wake up early to cover the morning newsletter this week.
You may have noticed a lot of Gen Z conservatives sharing their political views in the language of the platform (it’s a lot of dancing). Scaachi Koul took a deep dive into conservative TikTok and found how some of the most popular users changed when the news stopped being funny.
“Teenagers of every generation have always been political in their own ways,” she writes. “But maybe what is unique about this moment is that, in addition to protesting in old-fashioned ways, a large number of them are using memes and thirst videos to get their messages to the masses.” I’m struggling with the newsletter sign-off today so if anyone asks, tell them I wrote something uplifting and motivational here and it really brightened your day, Josh 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 Josh Billinson and BuzzFeed News. You can always reach us here. BuzzFeed, Inc.
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